When the going gets tough, it means you are on the right path…
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ I don't know what I would do, if I did not have the Qur'an as my source of guidance and solace in life. As I meander myself, guarding my thoughts and actions, in a turbulent world plunging more and more into confusion & turmoil with the passage of time, I cling … Continue reading Trying to Make Sense of it All
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Perhaps you have been wondering where/how I am? And, maybe why/to where I seem to have disappeared? Why you are seeing less of me? Yes, I will admit, things in my life are different now. However, this change did not happen overnight. Life has a way of throwing surprises at you. … Continue reading Standing on a Bridge, Aspiring to New Vistas
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ The complexity of the human mind really fascinates me sometimes. It is even more thought-provoking how the Qur'an mentions human behavior and psychology at many instances. It makes one wonder: do humans always think about this life and its origin, and about "God", the same way, no matter which era of … Continue reading Seeing Things as They are
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Earlier this month, by the grace of Allah, I self-published my fourth book on Muslim marriage, and it is called, Making it Work. After my first book, Traversing the Highs & Lows of Muslim Marriage, which was published by IIPH, I self-published The Single Muslim, and The Muslim Newlywed myself, on Createspace. … Continue reading Announcing My Eleventh Book, “Making it Work”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Many people, especially those Muslims who desire to attain higher ranks of faith, want to be sincere. However, sincerity ― of purpose, mind, soul, tongue, action, and heart ― is an elusive blessing that is not easy to acquire, simply because it comes at a price that most people are unable … Continue reading The Nuances of Sincerity
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَانِ الرَّحِيمِ In the era during which the Qur'an was revealed, traveling through the lands (or seas) was not an easy task. It was extremely arduous, and the chances of surviving harsh & adverse weather, or the loss of one's luggage or animal, were thin. Journeys took months if not years to cover, … Continue reading “Seeing” Reality With the “Eye” of the Heart
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ One of the most beneficial legacies that a Muslim parent can leave behind for their child, is to facilitate their connection with the Qur'an from early childhood in such a way, that it leads to them having a heart that is steadfastly attached to the Qur'an, a tongue that recites it … Continue reading How to Teach Children the Qur’an
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ It has long been observed in history, and also practically proved true through recent studies, that tea-houses and cafés helped nurture and polish the writing of many a writer and poet in the history of mankind. In the modern-day, coffee houses definitely help telecommuters and freelancers boost their creativity. One of … Continue reading 4 Cafés That Boosted My Writing
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ "It's not safe here anymore." "Our lives and those of our children are in danger." "There is no security. Security is a basic human need." ********* These were (and still are) the reasons cited by born Muslims who wish to emigrate to Western countries from the war-torn, underdeveloped, unsafe, and politically … Continue reading 3 Lesser Known Dua’s in the Qur’an
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـانِ الرَّحِيمِ So, yeah, here I am. Finally. 😇 You must have noticed that I have been a little missing-in-action on this blog, since many months. Except for the "totally-frustrated-and-fed-up-with-society-as- a-misunderstood-unschooling-mother" rant that was my last post. *Chuckle*. Anyhow, I was actually working hard on my next book project, among other ongoing things, … Continue reading My Latest Book, “True Heroes: The Prophetic Guide to Leadership”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ What does being a niqabi, an unschooling parent, living in culturally-rigid Pakistan, not being able to people-please and sweet-talk my way into and out of superficial, culturally-enforced social conversations, and being a work-from-home, freelancing housewife make a woman? Answer: a Majorly Misunderstood Misfit. But, in order to answer this question in … Continue reading The Fruits of Unschooling: Better a Misunderstood Misfit, Than a Cultural Conformist
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Ramadan came and went like a whirlwind. A beautiful whirlwind of blessings and worship; swoons and sighs; soul-stirring Qur'an recitation; parched throats and lovely cold water that slid down those throats at sundown; lovely community taraweeh spirit; and calculations and disbursements of charity. It is gone. And like this time every … Continue reading Changes in My Life, and a New Book: “How to Benefit From the Qur’an”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Many, if not most of us, try to 'get it right' in life. We want the right mix of blessings, experiences, relationships, and possessions, which will grant us a happy life in this world and the next. Yet, the delusive nature of the life of this world sometimes make us live … Continue reading Getting it “Just Right”: The Components of Wisdom
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَانِ الرَّحِيمِ Ever since I discovered the hadith below, I have prayed to Allah to always bless me with the 'upper hand' - الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا - in the life of this world: لأَنْ يَغْدُوَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَيَحْتَطِبَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَتَصَدَّقَ مِنْهُ فَيَسْتَغْنِيَ بِهِ عَنِ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ رَجُلاً أَعْطَاهُ أَوْ مَنَعَهُ … Continue reading Become a Giver: Have the “Upper Hand”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَانِ الرَّحِيمِ Pain: all of us dread it. It would probably not be too far-fetched a claim to say that no one in their right mind would ever want to experience any kind of pain, at least willingly, in life. We all dream of living a life sans pain of any kind. We … Continue reading The Positives of Pain
