2nd Blog Anniversary

Assalamu Alaykum
Peace be unto you

Bismillah-Hir-Rahmanir-Raheem
I begin in the name of God, the Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful


If you focus carefully towards the middle of the picture you will see the new crescent signaling the start of Ramadhan 2010.

I started this blog back in August, 20th of 2008 and I used it as a means of expression and release. It has taken a very special place in my heart as words can effortlessly bring ease even to the most troubled of conscience. Since then to now I have not been as active as I would have wanted to be or at least as I should have been but life has a strange way of making time harder to manage as we get older. Maybe it is that we have more responsibilities but I intend to remain committed to what I started here and however few my posts are they will always express something meaningful at least to the writer's point of view :).

I graciously thank all of you have visited, read and contributed to this blog and without your support and visits I would not have been able to continue with it. To all the friendships that I have made from it I say Alhamdolilah (All praise is due to God), and may it last for all of time and beyond. They say quality is better than quantity but I would like to think the quality caused more than 2300 persons from more than 100 countries to grace my blog with their presence. Thank you sincerely to each and everyone of you.

Today is the 12th day of Ramadhan, 3 days after the actual date of my blog's anniversary and exactly 2 weeks from the start of the new semester at Medical School. Needless to say, today holds many key dates and I devote this post to all of them. Today is the day where I pay tribute to the renowned scholarly intellect of Maulana Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. It is ironic that he is so renowned in the world of poetry yet he is far less known to many. He deals with Fasting in the verses that I have selected or should I say re-selected as I have already shared a part of this work in a previous blog post. It is not withstanding to say his work is timeless and can be read and re-read exacting awe and inspiration each and every time.

***

There's a hidden sweetness,

in the stomach's emptiness.

We are all lutes, no more, no less.

If the sound-box is stuffed full of anything, no music.

If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting,

Every moment a new song comes out of the fire.

The fog clears,

And a new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you.

Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.

Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.

When you're full of food and drink,

Satan sits where your spirit should,

An ugly metal statue in place of the Kaaba.

When you fast,

Good habits gather like friends who want to help.

Fasting is Soloman's ring.

Don't give it to some illusion and lose your power.

But even if you've lost all will and control,

They come back when you fast,

Like soldiers appearing out of the ground,

Pennants flying above them.

A table descends to your tents,

Jesus' table.

Expect to see it, when you fast,

This table is spread with other food,

Better than the broth of cabbages.

***
I would like to share this beautiful nasheed by Sheikh Mishaari Bin Rashid al Ifasy, Ahlan ya Ramadhan. Since I've come across it on youtube I have not been able to stop listening to it daily. I hope that you enjoy it as I have and continue to.



During this blessed time I want to wish you all a productive and beautiful month of fasting and prayer. May Allah keep us all ameen ya Rab

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Life is at a standstill

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." ~ Antole France

I can't help but feel like the days are going away from me and yet they change nothing with its passing. Maybe I am getting older with each day but it still feels like I am the same and today is no different from a few days before and the same for a few days ahead. I am not complaining about this stagnancy but is it to be endured with patience or is it meant to be the alter ego of a sudden change in my life inevitably nearby. I cannot help but wonder...

In the meantime I think why do my days no longer feel productive. I have no answer, life is a mystery even for the wise so I am left with many unanswered questions. Part of me would just like to slip into the same routine and let life become automatic and expected rather than live it. Yet another part of me feels left behind and I feel like moments too precious are passing me by without any form of resistance to my current feelings.

Maybe it is I am looking for something deeper to life as we all are. Will I find it? Only time shall tell. I feel like the air I am breathing is stale and I have inhaled it too many times before. There is so much to see and be and I am still the same. Circumstances have changed or have they? I am not sure anymore. Looking for fulfillment in the wrong places I suppose.

I think this yearning for a foothold on life and a place to belong will only grow with time. It is in the hope that one day I shall indeed find that which I sought out to claim as my own. Until then this is me saying I await the end to life as I know it.

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Children of War

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi (Indian Philosopher, internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest, 1869-1948)
It is not with delight that I post this message but it is with an intention of highlighting what we remain oblivious to. The suffering of so many in Palestine and amongst them are the "children of war". I have not the understanding of where to start or what exactly to say. As I keep asking myself, what can I possibly say that will do any justice to their plight? Nothing comes to mind...

We have only to open our eyes and the tears will begin to flow. My tears cannot help them but hopefully my prayer is sincere enough to be heard by Allah, ya Rab. One cannot understand why it was and is still being done but in the world that exists today men without reasoning are the most influential.
I share this video that should be seen. I urge you to take the time and see it. It would be advised to keep a box of tissues nearby and if it does not become necessary then your heart is most definitely made of stone.

Let us all make a prayer and pledge to help these children in any way that we can. We are the adults of today so let us give the children who will be the adults of tomorrow a chance. May God protect and ease the sufferings of all the people of Palestine especially the children ameen ya Rab. Help these people to remain strong and endure whatever hardships they may still have to go through. Help them to see reason when there is none. Fill their hearts with forgiveness and hope. Remove from them hate and revenge. Inspire them with peace and love. Protect them from the onslaught of the wicked and defend them from the evils of that which surrounds them. Keep a watchful eye over them and remain as their guardian throughout their days. Prepare for them a beautiful place in this world and in the hereafter , Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbul Alameen.



"I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?"" ~Eve Merriam
***
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No One Sees My Tears As They Fall

I am on the verge of breaking,
My heart once cheerful is now breaking,
The Tears roll down as soft as a whisper,
No sound is heard not even a whimper,
They flow continuously without end,
No one sheltered me or tried to defend,
A daughter is like the Rose of her family,
Yet I feel like I am being trampled upon repeatedly,
By those who were sent to nurture with Love and Care,
Instead the brunt of harshness I am made to bear,
This hurt proves to be unbearable,
The scars in my heart are irreversible,
My only wish is of patience,
To comfort my wounds, my only sustenance,
No one sees my Tears as they fall,
Ya Rab, please answer my humble call.

~2007~
***

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Originality

“Originality is the art of concealing your sources” ~ Benjamin Franklin

In plain sight yet so many have looked over it without even giving a second thought to what we accept as quality products. It is almost absurd to me and blatantly shocking to see how many native and indigenous products being marketed and sold on a global wide commercial scale by Israeli owned companies. One question that keeps popping up in my head is if they have any copyrights to do such or any permission of consent to use the name and product as their own ingenious ideas. Isn't it enough that they have already suffocated the very life out of Palestinians who remain resilient amongst the many faces of terror?

They will export anything for a profit without any world authority interfering in the validity of their commercial rights to use these products. It was last month at the hair salon, they were introducing new techniques among such was the Moroccan Hair Oil that is quickly become a sensational success in the west. I immediately opted for the treatment as I readily confessed my addiction to anything Moroccan (North African). It was only later on when my hair was drying that I popped up a bottle into my hands and started to read the labels, out of natural curiosity of course, that I realised that this product was "Made in Israel".

You can imagine the whole raised eyebrow, "what?!?!?" expression I had on my face after realising this fact. Suddenly I felt guilty using the MoroccanOil because now obviously I was not supporting Maghreb but I was supporting and funding Israel. I have personally gone on a campaign to boycott all such products but this time I was genuinely fooled.

I feel insensed about every single product that Israel sells that represents an infringement on the intellectual and indigenous rights of a people. It seems they will stop at nothing to make an extra dollar. This goes beyond ethical buying where you choose not to buy from companies who employ children. This is broad daylight robbery of a people's right to their nativity whilst they profit not from any organisation.

Therefore the rich will become richer and the poor will remain forever impoverished. It is our society that we conform to and fund that allows this to go on.

Here are some of these products that are being illegally used for Israel's benefit:

For more info:
http://www.moroccanoil.com/
http://www.sabra.com/
http://www.wipo.int/geo_indications/en/about.html

All of the products that have been listed here are either originally Arabic or Moroccan (North-African).

I end with this simple advise, pay careful attention to what we buy because every dollar we spend may become the cause for another child murdered while playing in their family's backyard.
End the Siege, Boycott, Divest and Sanction!

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Surely Death is the result of Living

انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون

Inna lilahee wa inna ilaihee Raji3oon
"Verily we belong to Allah and to Allah we return"

The days have gone by so quickly, I know not where to start or what to say exactly. Feelings cannot always be expressed but in time it becomes easier to accept what we were feeling many days ago. Death is an absolute result of Living and all who have walked on this earth will surely experience departure from it. We all hope that our eventual and everlasting destination is one of beauty and serenity and it is in this hope that I raise my hands and make du'a for all my beloved ones whom have gone before me.

Ya Allah, grant my Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and now Great-Grandmother and all those believers who've gone before, a special place in your gardens of unspoken beauty and bountiful comfort. Ya Rab forgive them of their sins and have mercy on them. Ya Rab you are needless of punishing them, and we are dependent on your mercy for salvation. Forgive them and make their Qabr illuminated and pleasant for them all. Ya Rabbi make Barzakh a beautiful experience for them and grant them a place in Janaatul Firdaus. I ask you of this not for myself but for the love and memory of those who I can no longer hold or see. Ya Rab I beg of you to accept this from me, ameen ya Rab.

My intention is not to upset anyone or to evoke pity for we all have lost someone close to us and dying is as human as eating. This post is simply in respect and memory of those who I long to be reunited with inshaAllah. It is an effort to immortalise my Du'a for them and if by some chance you do read this please say Ameen.

For my mother, the first grandchild amongst many who lost her grandma I lend my support and shoulder to lean on. The tears that we shed today should make our reunion all the more sweeter and beautiful.

I salute a life that lasted for 97+ years and left this world to enter into the life everlasting. for the last time Assalamu Alaykum Maa.


Mama and Maa - 2006

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Lost Truth

It's the start of another year and I pray that it will be one where dreams are fulfilled and new ones take birth. "Everyday is a new day", is the only motto life teaches me in the moments past and present. I look to each day as a new beginning and time for renewal. Let's begin...Hello sunshine!

***

I'd like to share this poem I wrote, with you. Though it's not very cheerful, it's true and an expression of my thoughts. Enjoy and do comment!

Lost Truth

Words born out of erroneous endeavour,

Haunts the resolve of a conscience meagre,

As truth is sacrificed at the hands of deception,

The devil rejoices the abundance of lustful perversion,

Another breath lost in the fires of destruction,

Subdued under years of ignorant transgression,

To withhold the tongue against the onslaught of the slanderer,

To abide by laws partial to the wealthier,

To silently witness the death of a mockingbird,

As it sings its song of justice that can no longer be heard,

All that whispers is the voice of the one sworn to desecrate,

Countless footsteps have walked on this time-limited fate,

Into darkness, light has drowned,

The moment of realisation never dawned,

Surrendering all whims for one final chance to feel,

To feel all that was camouflaged in an effort to conceal,

To bear the burdens that have not been mentioned,

The ink of the scholar is yet to be questioned,

The few faithful, continue to hear the torturous screams,

Of a soul that lies trapped in wilted dreams.

~27th-12-2009~

***

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Happy Birthday Baba!

"Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made."

~ Robert Browning

Today is like any other day yet it holds a special significance for me and my family. Today is the birth anniversary of my dear father and I would like to take the time to dedicate this blog entry to him. He who stood on hours at end day after day devotedly attending to our needs when we were young. A man who did not stay apart when the babies screamed or when they needed their pampers changed, nor did he demand of my mother more than he would willingly do himself.

With all of my heart I thank you. I will forever remain grateful to your guiding hand. It was he who taught me my basic concepts in math when the teacher failed to make me understand. A father who would sacrifice from his own enjoyment just to see a smile from one of his children even though we always had abundance to him our happiness meant more than satisfaction. My father, my one and only father, forever and always I will remember you. Today I am able to be in your company and I fear for the day when I cannot. For the time that I have with you I pray it will last very long and be more fruitful and enjoyable than the time that has already passed, inshaAllah khair.

May God bless you with the best of this life and the very best of the life hereafter ameen. My love to you is written in stone.

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Mariamlelue

Taken for Granted

“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted”
~ Aldous Huxley (English Novelist and Critic, 1894-1963)

Over the past few days I have been deeply reflecting on the basic abilities that we take for granted. It has become so automatic that we no longer realise their existence and even far less do we appreciate them. The brain is indeed a beautiful and magnanimous organ and without it life would cease to exist. It controls all our daily functions even if we do not consciously make effort to do so.

One such function it co-ordinates with precision is “movement”. Not just any erratic movement but systematic movement. It enables us to walk, stand, sit or even simply to hug one another. Can you imagine not being able to control your limbs at all? It would be alien to some to even understand what this meant. This would mean to experience pain and difference in temperature yet to not experience the sensation of touch. I was recently shown a documentary on the life of Mr. Ian Waterman. Indeed what a remarkable man he is not for what he has but for what he has done with his life.

Ian Waterman

Ian from his neck downwards has lost sense of where his limbs are and control of his movements. In fact he feels pain yet he cannot sense the position of his limbs in space. Ian has lost his propioception. Propioception is defined as the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. Ian suffers from acute sensory neuropathy. He is not paralysed but such a diagnosis would leave one very limited in motion and usually bed-ridden or confined to a wheel chair.

However, Ian walks, stands and gestures with significant precision more so gestures like any average human being with propioception. How is this that he is able to defy the odds and perform the almost impossible? He plans his every movement with the aid of sight. Can you imagine thinking out every single movement we had to do in order to do it? Ian is completely debilitated without light as he cannot see where his limbs are. His sight and immense brain concentration is how Ian gets through normal tasks that we take for granted.

What was even more discerning was that Ian was not always like this and he once was a normal thriving young man with absolutely no ailments. It is still unsure of how his nerve fibres for propioception were damaged but it is thought it all began with a cut. Ian worked long hours at his family’s butcher shop at the age of 19 where cuts were normal with the high usage of sharp instruments. However, this time it would prove life changing as most likely a virus entered into his system via the cut opening. It is still unknown why the virus did not destroy all of his nerve fibres but it is speculated the nerve fibres for propioception may have resembled the virus itself and the body’s immune system began to attack and destroy them.

With sheer determination to not be confined on a wheel chair, Ian now walks without aid and carries out daily life just as any of us would except he does so in a very different way. Remarkable? Indeed it is!

Watch His video here...

The man who lost his body - Part 1

For the other parts:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

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Reply to Your Duel

I would like to share this reply that I had written to "someone's" poetical duel. For reasons of anonymity I will refer to the person who had originally posted the duel as Curry. Of course the reply was written by me as I stated before and my identity is apparent. Hope you enjoy and do share your reactions!

The Actual Duel

Idea.
Challenge me to a duel,
make it worth your while,
I tell you 'bring every tool,
'and all of your style.
Make a thought more effective than me,
attempt flawless execution,
disguised it as divine strategy.
I find myself without direction.
I wonder if there is someone who can lead the way.
Perhaps the only guarantee is that there are none,
and cold,
emotionless initiative will save the day.
-Missing.

It feels like there is something missing, and this.. this is precisely how I feel. This poem has direction and none at the same time.. and it is complete yet incomplete all the same.
I challenge everyone with an idea to bring it to life. This is a competition to see how much good you can do with your mind and initiative alone.
Happy New Day.

~Curry~

***

This was my reply...

In accepting this poetical duel,
I contest one's ability to remodel,
Shift the focus to do lyrical battle,
Attempt to camouflage your previous babble,
Twas fate this muddled riddle,
Should fall upon the doorsteps of a maiden able,
Remedy the ambitions of an unfinished castle,
Promising to effect with exact schedule,
Whilst dull abandon adorns this yielding knight's table,
Circular thoughts never cease to baffle,
Non-sensical rhymes born from blissful idle,
Directions lost is but a school boy's fable,
Chasing one's own tail to a canine's waggle,
Bewildered by the anonymity of his rival,
Dormant thoughts strewn over the silent verbal,
Insatiable thirsting plagues a conscious mortal,
To a missing fate lies the secret to denial,
Ample response given to an ineffective oral,
Exposing the ever flawless execution's betrayal,
Creative amusement summated my arousal,
In spirit of sportsmanship I remain civil,
Though objectively seeking to prove one's effort trifle,
Pardon me for my undue taunting jostle,
Seeking completion is a lifelong hurdle,
To endure patiently is sufficient vigil,
I humbly bid farewell hereby ending my response to your duel.

07-February-2009

***

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