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Muslim Women’s Bookshelf (F) – For Those Left Behind
Welcome to our latest blog post on A-Z of inspirational reads for Muslim Women. In this post, we'll explore "For Those Left Behind" by Omar Suleiman, a compassionate guide to grief and loss.
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Muslim Women’s Bookshelf (B) – Earning Barakah: An Islamic Guide to Blessed Sustenance
Welcome to the latest instalment in our series on A-Z inspirational reads! In this post, we’ll be reading about the book, "Earning Barakah : An Islamic Guide to Blessed Sustenance" by Ismail Kamdar
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Death and grief
(I started this series ‘Letters to my unborn child’ during the April A to Z Challenge which sadly I never completed due to all the stress and workload I was under back then. Here I am trying it out again since this is something I really want to document. Hope I am successful this time around.) Dear baby, Death. How can I talk to you of death when you haven’t yet experienced birth? I ask myself that absurd question. Yet this thought lingers in my head. I experienced the pain and grief due to the death of a close one at the age of 15 only – My maternal…
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Curtains down, 2014.
2014. I have so much to write and express about this year yet words fail me when I am deeply emotional. “There are years that ask questions and years that answer” – Zora Neale Hurston. Definitely this has been a year of answers. Alhamdulilah. I wrote this on Jan 1, 2014. It’s wonderful to look back at your old posts and realize you have everything you wanted back then. 2 out of these Three wishes have been granted. Alhamdulilah. Yet, Scotland Dreams did not materialize. But then, that is how life is. We achieve some dreams, we fail in some of our goals and sometimes we lost track of some…
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Writing 101 – Unlock the mind
The past weekend was a challenging one and it ended up with me being dissolved in a fit of tears in my man’s hands. Some time life overwhelms you so much that you cannot bear to move forward any longer… and yet you want to push ahead of all the adversities for the person in front of you. Do we cease becoming a daughter to our parents the minute we get married? Or is it just my overactive-crazy-hormone filled imaginative mind making it’s weird stories? Or are we a “child” to our parents forever? My head is constantly filled with a thousand questions, doubts and ‘what-if’ scenarios! I have a new venture…
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Ten Favourite Books
There is a trend going on over Facebook asking for ‘Your ten favourite books’. I came across this IndiSpire post and decided to write down my own list. Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abul Hawa – Humanizes the struggle of Palestinians and deals with universal need of a homeland, security, safety and sense of belonging. Don’t be Sad by Aidh ibn Abdullah al Qarni– I read this book at a time in my life when I truly needed it. Verses from the Holy Qur’an, instances from Seerah, and beautiful poetry all merged together to help us overcome sadness and anxiety. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – Everyone’s favourite. Mine…
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Written words > Spoken words
Prompt : How do you communicate better? Speaking or writing? The picture answers it all. Journals over the years. (Some are missing though!) Sharing our stories can also be a means of healing. Grief and loss may isolate us, and anger may alienate us. Shared with others, these emotions can be powerfully uniting, as we see that we are not alone, and realize that others weep with us. Susan Wittig Albert Linking it to NaBloPoMo and Write Tribe Pro Blogger Challenge
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Healing through words.
Nearly two months since I showed my presence on the blogosphere. Life happened! Yet, I feel a piece of the puzzle missing. …there are two ways in which I find my healing and patience : Prayer and Writing. My time constraints and roller-coaster changes of past few months made me to lack in both, sadly. I found myself constantly anxious and frustrated. I realized I have kept myself away from the same things that gives me serenity and peace : God. Words. Here I am trying to get back on to my rails when I found the NaBloPoMo theme for the month of September : Healing. Voila ! I just…
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Blogging goals
When I started blogging on WordPress at the beginning of this year, my goal was basically to delve into the realm of creative writing using prompts. In short, to write more ! My writing mainly revolves over spirituality, books and personal reflections. Having gone through a severe quarter life crisis, my faith and the written word are what has helped me to keep going through the tough times. As I interact more with different people around the globe and read countless blogs, I truly realize the effect a few positive words can have on an individual we haven’t met or will never meet in this lifetime ! My aim with…
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Calls Answered
I have never tossed a coin in a fountain and wished. I have never crossed my fingers and wished. I have never looked on a shooting star and wished. …..but, I have prayed to my Lord, with my eyes closed, and tears springing, in the wee hours of dawn to protect me from sadness and grief. I have prayed to my Rabb in the green carpeted Rawdah to remove the difficulties of my family and friends. I have prayed in front of the Kaabah for all my affairs to be set right and bless me with tranquility. I have prayed standing on the mount Safa to bless me with professional…
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Neighbourhood.
It has nearly been 6 months since I and my mom have been staying alone, back in our hometown, after a gap of nearly 20 years! Used to the idyllic slow paced life of Doha, safe and secure with Dad and brothers around, staying in Kerala was as adventurous as it was hard on both of us. We are not aware of the Doctors, Plumbers or the Painters around. We do not know about the local Electricity board, neither do we know the local grocers and shopkeepers. Heck, we dont even know the brand name of the milk powder packets used here commonly! (In Doha, it is either Nido or…
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Weekly Photo Challenge : Object
A broken heart Nearly 13 years ago, my middle school friend gifted to me this key-chain after she came back from a trip. Though broken at the side, battered and bruised by rough use, this travels with me wherever I go. We live in two countries now, still our laughter and gossip hasn’t changed one bit since those school days. There are some friendships I am grateful for. This is one of them. (Prompt titled Object from Daily Post) Linking it to NaBloPoMo
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Message in a bottle.
While rewinding myself at the beach, after the big fat battle against exams, I was caught up in my daily dose of day dreaming when a glistening glass caught my eye. My Nancy-Drew-honed curious mind went over to investigate only to find a glass bottle with a note inside. Excitement crept over me. I seek adventures or adventures seek me – I cannot fathom which is more appropriate. Opening the tight shut wooden cork, I came across a beautiful message : Laugh at life’s absurdities. Learn from daily oddities. Strengthen inborn abilities. Polish innate capabilities. Engage in useful activities. Nurture selfless qualities. Open to new possibilities. Fulfill family responsibilities. Reminder…
