between the pages
The word Ramadan comes from the word ramad, which means 'extreme, burning heat'. This year as we enter the month of Ramadan, a month of extreme heat and difficulty, I see it aptly manifest in both ways - metaphorically, where we burn our sins through our fast and race towards good deeds, and literally, at my workplace, where … Continue reading Coolness in the Heat
These tears never seem to dry when reading the stories of the victims in the Christchurch shooting. But what's so profoundly moving for me are the stories behind the young ones like Mucaad Ibrahim, an aspiring imam and Sayyad Milne, an aspiring footballer. It was heartbreaking to learn that Mucaad was only three years old and … Continue reading The Young Ones
it is ‘asr in summer and the streets are brimming with crowds. my heart finds refuge in a mosque in east London. i slip into my prayer garment and disappear into the prayer room, joining a lady beside me who smiles and asks if she could borrow my scarf. i say sure. i sit a … Continue reading An Ode to the Christchurch Victims
How are you doing? I hope you have been okay. My heart has been feeling too many things at once. My mind has been working on overdrive. Sometimes these two conflate and then I start to neglect my body. I forget how to breathe. Recent events had brought you here, I know. The Christchurch shooting. … Continue reading Hello, Grief, My Old Friend
Just a week ago, I was invited to share some ways on how to strengthen our connection with Allah SWT. I was humbled and honoured to be given this platform to share what little I know. To be honest, when I first agreed I’d thought it was going to be a very small-scale sharing where … Continue reading Strengthening The Connection with God
Recently, I have been listening to Abdel Rahman Murphy's Heartwork halaqah based on Surah Maryam on Qalam Podcast. I love how he makes the weekly discussions light-hearted and so relevant to our context today. I was struck by the reflection of ayat 23-26 in the Qur'an. In ayah 23 in Surah Maryam, she (as) in an utterly human … Continue reading Self-Care Lesson #01: Eat, Drink, & Be Content
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As I was cleaning up my photos, reminiscing the final day of my post-graduate studies at NIE just a year ago, a thought struck me: Never underestimate the power of a good intention. My friends and I commemorated our official last day of lessons in the school by giving the female musollah a good scrub and … Continue reading A Good Intention
Is there a word for a heart that swells with both longing and bliss? I suppose then, my heart was just this. This feeling that cannot be strung into words. Just tears. And a heart so full. “And one of His signs is that He has created for you, spouses from amongst yourselves so that … Continue reading A Heart So Full
Vulnerability is a coat writers wear. We take it off and put it on when we feel like it or when circumstances require us to. There will be times when the coat feels far too heavy so we take it off, carry it in our hands, fold it neatly and hang it inside the closet. … Continue reading The Coat
