When the going gets tough, it means you are on the right path…
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ I was relatively new to the parenting world until, well, my children started growing up. In particular, when my oldest started acting mature and ladylike almost overnight. The awaited and cherished transition of your child from a baby to someone who can actually have a proper conversation with you, happens so … Continue reading 5 Leadership Mistakes that Parents Should Try to Avoid
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Who doesn't want an easy, happy, smooth life devoid of tragedies, calamities, grief and trials? Which one of us would refuse to receive more blessings and provision? I doubt if anyone would. However, there are few among us who truly understand the subtleties and nuances of the realities of the life … Continue reading The Keys of Provision
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Reciting the Qur'an is an act of worship. Thinking deeply about the ayaat of the Qur'an whilst reciting them in Arabic (especially when/if Allah has blessed the reciter with enough knowledge to understand the Arabic of the Qur'an directly) can have many beautiful effects on the reciter, not the least of … Continue reading Timeless Pearls of Wisdom from the Qur’an
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Every human being is unique. What a precious gift of Allah this uniqueness is! It enables each one of us to use our exclusive set of talents and abilities, to acquire our own little pool of knowledge, through our own distinct style of learning, and to weave our own "one-of-a-kind yarn" … Continue reading Define the “Qur’an Vision” For Your Family
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ It's no secret that I have little patience for elaborate and time-consuming endeavors when it comes to ladies dressing up. I all but have to force my eyes not to roll whenever I behold the demands of a diva as she goes on about having a bad hair day, or worse, … Continue reading Wearing the Jilbab as a Muslim Woman: Do Not Discard This Dress Under Duress
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ An edited/abridged version of this post was first published in SISTERS Magazine. Over the hill. Has-been. Past her prime. Off the shelf. Used goods. And the worst: “hag!”. How many subtle and direct titles and tags does modern media and journalistic chick-lit use nowadays to remind a woman who is approaching, … Continue reading The “Larger Than Life” Wife
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَلَوْلَا أَن يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً لَجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِالرَّحْمَنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًا مِّن فَضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ وَلِبُيُوتِهِمْ أَبْوَابًا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِؤُونَ وَزُخْرُفًا وَإِن كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ "And were it not that all people would become one community, We might indeed have provided for … Continue reading A Person’s Worth Lies Not in Square Feet or Area Code
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Escapism is officially defined as: Es·cap·ism (-skpzm) n. The tendency to escape from daily reality or routine by indulging in daydreaming, fantasy, or entertainment. [Reference: The Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia] *** He arrives home at 8:30 p.m, exhausted from the day's work. As he shuts the front door gently, … Continue reading You Were a Spouse Before You Became a Parent
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ I often come across rather polarized views regarding women and wealth. On one end are the slightly misogynistic myths that purport that if a woman is allowed to earn her own money and become financially independent, she becomes too headstrong and rebellious, and loses interest in living a simple life that … Continue reading Women at the Time of the Prophet (ﷺ): Empowered But Humble
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 13 years after I started my 'covered' journey, distressed by witnessing many of my fellow Quran course colleagues and batch-mates 'tone down' or completely discard their niqab, jilbab, and - in some shocking cases - even the hijab; as I experience ambivalent feelings towards 'Burka Avengers' and scantily clad Disney princesses … Continue reading Niqab: A Trip Down Memory Lane
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Digging it out of the earth, diving in the sea for it, buying it, vying for it, envying others over it, talking about it, wearing it, displaying it, crafting it, selling it, hoarding it, weighing it, measuring it, pricing it, valuing it.....we just can't get enough of this precious metal - … Continue reading For the Love of Go(̶l̶)̶d!
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ I am sitting in front of my iMac, blinking and staring blankly at the screen, my fingers poised atop the keyboard. Do it. Just write. Anything. It will be cathartic, insha'Allah. Yes, but I cannot write 'anything'. If I were to write down and publish all of my thoughts here, on … Continue reading A Heart in Turmoil: My Conversation With Myself
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ "How do you remember names, places and events that took place decades ago, complete with all the little side details?" "Having a good memory is not always good, you know. It means that you remember the pain of the hurtful aspects of your past. And it also means, that the regret … Continue reading Life Lessons at the Threshold of 35
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ Continued from: The Real Housewives of Ancient Egypt In the first part of this post, we discussed an incident from Surah Yusuf in the Quran, involving a dinner banquet with an agenda that was convened and attended by the urban, socialite housewives of ancient Egypt. We noted similarities between the ethos and … Continue reading The Real Housewives of Ancient Arabia
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ The leaders of nations today are almost always under the spotlight. In a world that is digitally connected 24/7, in which everyone has a voice thanks to instant communication via the Internet and social media, national and community leaders often bear the brunt of 'instant' backlashes and criticism regarding their actions, … Continue reading Surah Al-Kahf: The Travels and Travails of Dhul-Qarnain
