بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

I know I’ve been MIA lately.

Well, I guess I needed this break.

I needed this break, to know my own self and spend more time bettering myself and bring out the best in me.

And Alhumdulillah here I am, back at it, reading, writing, sharing my reflections, which is a tranquil to my heart.

Yesterday, as I was slowly sipping my cup of coffee, and leisurely having my cheese spread, my mother kept me up to speed with her thoughts on daily experiences. From the crazy price hike of fruits and vegetables, to the weddings she’s been invited to and what her family(I.e my grandparents and my aunt’s) has been up to lately, Mummy and I were exchanging stories as we enjoy the evening breeze and each other’s company.

“Oh by the way, A is pregnant!” Mummy exclaimed!

“Ma Sha Allah, Alhumdulillah!!! I’m so happy for her!!” I said, excitedly!

“Yeah, she’s 4 months along now. She didn’t want to tell anyone though…” Mummy’s voice trailing. 

“I completely understand. I have a few friends of mine who would keep their entire pregnancy secret for the whole 9 months. Some for safety reasons, but for most of them, it’s because they fear other people would be envious or have ill thoughts, and resentment” I said.

“You know Faizah, that is so strange. Back during my time, everyone would tell everyone their good news and everybody would be genuinely happy for each other! Now, everyone is suspicious of one another, and nobody seems to trust anybody” Mummy mused.

I nodded my head in agreement. It’s true though – because of the time we live in, with Social Media etc etc – people are seriously apprehensive of sharing because they just don’t know the kind of responses they might get. So on one hand, even if they simply just want to share a piece of good news, they might eventually decide not to because people might easily misconstrue their intentions, and it might invite envy to rear its head. 

And as we all know the evil eye is real and it’s consequences.

My conversation with Mummy got me asking this one question

Think about it!

Why do we feel “threatened” or “lesser of” when something nice happens to someone else? When we feel a tinge of jealousy or resentment towards someone else for something that they have, or been blessed with, what we are essentially doing is saying to Allah, “You’ve made a mistake. I should have been the one getting XXX instead of him / her.”

What we are also implying is that Allah has limitations and has only so many resources, Power, and blessings. Meaning, if He were to give to someone else, there would be lesser to go around.

WHICH IS RIDICULOUS,

Astarghfirullah,

because :

1) Allah never, ever makes a mistake. If He has decided to give you, then that’s the best for you. And if He withholds, then surely, that is also the best for you. Whatever it is, we must remember that we are always in good hands.

2) Allah’s “resources” is beyond our imagination! His abundance is unlimited, so no matter how much He gives and gives and gives, there is still more than enough to go around! Allah’s abundance will never run out or dry up – so if we ever see anyone enjoying a blessed period in their life, be happy for him / her and know that your time will come soon too!!

But this I know is true:

for as long as we don’t learn to be sincerely and genuinely happy for other people, then we too will never be happy.

–

Our inability to be happy for other people is like us letting our ice-cream melt because we are too busy looking at other people’s sprinkles. We forget just how much blessings after blessings He has already showered upon us, and our ingratitude, greed and our selfishness is what blind us.

That is what sabotage our own happiness.

So the next time you catch yourself having a whiff of jealousy or a “why-can’t-that-be-me-instead?” thought sneaking pass your mind / heart – remember this one truth: everybody has their own portion of Rizq and problems. You might only see their Rizq, but you don’t know what kind of battles they are currently fighting for.

Another thing that has also helped me when I find my heart quickly sinking in envy is to make a dua for the other person and myself – “Ya Allah, may you continue to bless all of us in abundance and protect our hearts from any ill-thought and resentment. Ya Rabb, may You make it easy for all of us to strive in Your path and may You continue to remind us that what You’ve given us is more than enough.

Ameen Ameen Ameen.

–

I pray for the day where we will all be able to share our good news with no fear of jealousy and hatred, but only well-wishes, and congratulatory hugs and prayers. But till that day comes, we have to keep on cleaning our hearts and work on our level of Gratitude. 

Because if we don’t, we will never be happy.

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

So today I want to share about my grocery shopping experience,

Well, I’m a big fan of Super markets, Hyper markets and all kinda grocery stores, makes me go gaga.

There’s never a ‘NO’ to go grocery shopping, not to forget the strolling around the super market in the trolley, I love doing that.

Ok, on a serious note,

Yesterday I had to go to a nearby supermarket to buy basic groceries, as usual I was filled with joy. I already knew what I had to get, and I thought I’d just grab what I need and leave, but my family (who graciously came with me) and I actually ended up staying at the Grocery store for a good hour and a half!

All because of this one middle aged man.

Let’s call him Y.

The very first thing I noticed about Y was his extremely calm disposition. There was something very, very re-assuring about his whole aura. He started by introducing himself as he greeted my family and I, and then he asked if we needed any help – standard “Customer Service procedure”, I first thought. I told him, “I already know what I want, so it’s ok. We got this, thank you!” I was expecting him to leave since I didn’t require any help, but he instead said, “Alright, I’m right here just in case you have any other questions that I can help with.“

I was torn. On one hand, I love shopping on my own. I don’t like being followed around and don’t like being asked too many questions. But on the other hand, Y seemed extremely genuine. Like I could sense that he really, truly, wanted to help me. So my brother, started the ball rolling. He said, “my sister needs so and so thing for such and such purpose.”

(PS: I’m into experimental cooking lately, looking out for various options to mix and match)

Y proceeded carefully, and very calmly, explained to me the various items that I was considering and laid out for me the best and worst-case scenario for each. At that point, I was blown away by his attitude and professionalism, because I could tell he was really trying to put himself in my shoes so that I can make the best decision with my purchase. 

He then went above and beyond to suggest solutions to every single qualm I had about the products and he was so thorough (!!!) at explaining the products that I actually got even more unsure about what to choose as options were now very, very attractive in my eyes. LOL

But here’s what I can tell you – at the end of the day, when I eventually paid for my purchase, because of Y’s very, very thoughtful analysis of my situation, and with his attentive care to detail, I knew I had made the best decision for myself. 

–

Now, the reason why I’m telling you all this is because Y is a perfect example of a stranger who was genuinely trying to help and gave genuine good vibes.

Let’s try to unpack that for a moment. What exactly do I mean when I say “good vibes”? Because, yes, we’ve all seen these two words everywhere – on tshirts, mugs, tote bags, wallpapers – “good vibes only”, they all scream. But what in the world is “good vibes”?!

I honestly think “good vibes” is just another cooler way of saying someone has a good attitude. When someone has a good attitude, you immediately feel good vibes, and everything that you feel in association with the other person is positive. 

Y had an extremely good attitude – he was calm, patient, thoughtful, kind and he was more than happy to help us with any trouble we had. (Disclaimer: at first I thought he was doing all these to get sales commission – and this judgment is really just a reflection of poor character on my end – but I have now learned that staff makes no commission on any sale!) 

And as I was pondering more and more about this, I realised that his good attitude was the first thing I sensed when Y introduced himself to my family and I. There was sincerity, and there was a sense of “easygoingness” and his vibes were just positive. I think when we meet anyone for the first time, besides glancing quickly over at how the other person may appear physically, the first impression that we feel in our hearts and in our guts about the other person’s attitude is what makes an impact. We always, always notice the attitude, first. 

You see, attitude is this little thing that makes a hugeeeee difference in your life – if your attitude is good, then you will always see, and attract goodness. But if it’s bad, then it’s a powerful magnet for wickedness. Even Rasulullah SAW said, “‘A good attitude is a blessing and a bad attitude is a calamity. Piety lengthens life and charity will prevent a bad death” (Ahmad)

–

As I was reflecting upon this, I was also trying to find the definition of what constitutes “good attitude” – because I think it’s something that you can easily feel, but a little hard to pinpoint and describe. So I did what I always do when in doubt; which is to refer back to the beloved of our Beloved, and it was in this Hadith that I found the answer to what a good attitude is:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Shall I not tell you for whom the Hellfire is forbidden? It is every person who is gentle,  polite, and easy going.” (Tirmidhi)

Gentle.

Polite.

Easy-going. 

=

Good Attitude. 

Because your attitude will determine everything in your life.

Good or bad, the choice is entirely yours.

It’s crazy how someone who’s working in a Grocery store could teach me so much about the importance of having a good attitude. But that’s exactly the power of good attitude – the ability to not only better your own life, but to also inspire others, because good attitude is contagious, compelling and so impactful!

I pray that may we all be given the grace and blessing to always have a good attitude in every situation, and if we are struggling to have one, may we be given the strength to change it, as a bad attitude is like a bad tire. You can’t go anywhere if you don’t change it. 

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

I am not sure how to say this, but I’m crazy exhausted. I’m sleeping OK, drinking my fluids, I’m eating my meals, but my mind hasn’t been able to stop thinking. Even moments before my eyes close to rest, the brain wanders to the next thing on the to-do list; there’s always something to finish, something to settle, something to fix. It just never ends. 

Today, I woke up before my alarm could even ring, and even though I’m beat, I’m surprisingly alert. My mind is roaring to go, to do another 18 hours functioning day, but my heart gently whispered, “hold on a sec, Faizah. Before you go do your thing, do you want to maybe, write for a little bit?”

Such a subtle, but necessary hint from the heart that it’s in need of some… sustenance? nourishment? love? that it can only get from the one thing that brings me joy! 

So here I am, heeding the suggestion of my soul. Here I am, writing to make sense of the topsy-turviness that is my life. 

Dearest Warrior,

Thank you.

For giving your all in everything you do. For showing me that I have within me the strength, the tenacity, and the discipline to do anything that I put my heart to. For hanging on, especially on days where I barely can. 

Every morning as I see you start your day as you look at yourself in the mirror, I wonder, “how does she do it?” But when I see you smiling as you serve, I am then reminded, “aaahh, this is why she does it.” 

I know that there’s a lot more work to be done, people to help, milestones to reach. I also know of the promises that you gave: to yourself, to the people you love, to Him. And every day as you pray to be better than who you were yesterday, I’ll whisper my own set of prayers too.

I pray that you’ll be kinder to yourself than you were yesterday.

In between rushed meals, and quick showers, you steal a couple of breaths. When you are with people you love, you are riddled with guilt that you can’t be fully present. Your heart shrinks. You are neither here nor there, and no matter how much you give, give, give, you know it’s never enough.

You think you are a mess. You believe you are a mess. 

You start forgetting things, making mistakes that you shouldn’t, and when you are really at your wit’s end, you snapped to the one person who is your world. 

You are slowly losing it. 

“I’m a mess,” you keep repeating to yourself.

And as you beat yourself up for the hundredth time today, I hope you’ll read these words that I’m writing especially for you:

That although you are now a mess, you are a blessed mess. You are a blessed mess that’s just doing your best, so don’t you stress. 

You are a blessed mess, and all you need is a little rest. 

“How can I rest when there’s a million and one things to do?” you argued. 

I know you’ll say that, so look at what Allah is saying to you –

“in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest.” [Qur’an 13:28]

Meaning, you rest through remembering Him.

You rest through finding Him in this glorious and blessed mess that you are in.

“It’s not as simple as you say,” you argue again.

Again, I know you’ll say that, so look at how beautiful it is that Allah Himself has scheduled for you to rest 5 times a day, for you to take a break from the chaos of this world 5 times a day, because He knows you will be overwhelmed.

He wants you to rest by giving you the gift of Salah.

My dearest warrior, I hope you can take a moment today to just embrace this glorious mess that you are. Because there’s beauty in that mess, bravery in that chaos, and a whole lot of love in this work-in-progress. You are trying, and that means more than you think, there’s always a reward for putting in the effort and sincerely trying.

But also remember that you don’t have to shoulder this all on your own. Allah’s right there with you, and He’s always waiting for you to get your rest from your blessed mess, 5 times a day, every single day. 

Cherish that resting period, my dear warrior.

Love,

Your (always-rooting-for-you) Self.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

Firstly, Alhumdulillah for Everything, no matter what, We must always always always Thank Allah for everything he has bestowed upon us.

Conversely, there are times when you feel as if everything is dark. Your situation is not improving, you are drowning in oceans of sorrow. I experience this too, very often.

I don’t want to tell you to hope for the best, you might have already heard it from so many people.

I won’t tell you be positive, there is sunshine at the end of tunnel.

As these are things we have heard and we know them and we also try to put in practice.

But sometimes the situation is so gross, so extreme that we can’t internalize these thoughts.

Try as we may, we can’t relate to these things. And then this thought strikes us that is Allah really with me??

You know shaytaan will attack you when you are most vulnerable. So you begin to doubt whether you really are important for Allah. Whether He notices your struggles??

I want to just tell you this thing,

Just look within yourself.

Within your LIVING self.

Even though it may seem that you are in the control of your body.

But who is making your heart beat? Who is making your lungs work? Who is making your brain work? Who is maintaining all complex processes within yourself? And above all, who is coordinating all these things simultaneously?

Processes from which incredible sciences have been derived, who is doing it?

Are you doing it??

It is your Rabb, Allah(Subhanwata’la), your Kaaliq, who not only created you but is also nourishing you for each and every second of your life. Will you still have the audacity to say that Allah has left you?

All the creation on this earth can abandon you and eventually they will, all of them. This dunya was designed to be like that but Your Rabb never abandons you. He is there with you for every breath you take. Never for a moment think that you are alone in this whole wide world. The one who has the control of Heavens and Earth and all in between, also controls the whole world inside you.

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says,

سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْءَافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness? [Quran 41:53]

For all of us who were lost and misguided, let us take this reminder as a restart button, start over fresh with clear heart and mind that Allah is always with us, because He loves us.

So say, Alhumdulillah and go ahead.

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

I thought I had nothing to write this week. I thought I had writer’s sickness, but I now realised I was experiencing a Heart sickness instead.

What this meant was, my heart was too distracted to ponder upon a lesson Allah(Subhanwata’la) was trying to teach me all week.

(He is always trying to teach and guide, it was me who was not present enough)

All frantic, I told myself, “OMG, that’s it! I’ve lost it. I don’t know what to write anymore. Can’t write Blogs anymore”

I just kept scrolling through my Instagram, where I came across this quote, “If you still have Heart, you can still do it. Don’t give up”

Those words totally hit a nerve in me, I started dusting off my heart and tried to have a Heart-to-Heart (forgive the pun) conversation with my Heart.

F: What happened to us in these past couple of days?

Help me re-centre myself please.

F’s Heart: Well, Let’s see. You started reading a book, Masha Allah that was nice, because you learned something new. You learned the Arabic word “KHUSHUH” which is actually translated to Humility in English, that was new to you.

A few days ago you also read about depression and ways to overcome it.

Oh!! Then there’s also that short story that you heard in Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s lecture that affected you and since we are here, you do know that you’ve also been lacking Khushuh in your salah, right?

F: I know.. I feel it too. But why?

Do you think all these things are connected? Like, what is Allah trying to tell me?

F’s Heart: well, you already know that Allah does nothing randomly. So there must certainly be a purpose and a lesson that you learn from this.

F: But what?

F’s Heart: What’s the one word that has kept re-surfacing?

F: ????? I’ve no clue?? Is it …

F and F’s Heart at the same time: HUMILITY.

I had a lot of doubt on whether I should write today’s blog but I knew I needed to because this is the only space where I get to give my floating thoughts some anchor and a home, and I believe that through writing this week’s blog, I will also find the answer as to why I haven’t had Khushuh in my prayers.

(Hint: I’m sure it has to do with Humility, but I’ll get to this soon, In shaa Allah)

However, to start, I’m gonna preface by saying that I’ve always thought that having “Khushuh” in Salah means that one has to be present, mindful and/or tranquil. But I have never once thought it would be translated as having humility! So it definitely came as a pleasant surprise to me when I re-read the translation of the Quran where verses about Prayers that had the word “Khushuh” in it were mostly translated to being “humbly submissive”.

There’s that word again: humbly. Humility.

I gotta be honest, humility is something that I always, always pray to have but it is SO SO DIFFICULT to attain. It needs constant purification of the heart to always be humble. Sometimes you think all the success is because of you but it’s actually due to Allah’s generosity towards you.

Moving on, I was reading an article on depression which said about, How most of the population is suffering from Depression, the causes, cures and also Real stories of people fighting depression.

Now, how does Humility connect with me being on the receiving end of this article?

I’ll tell you how.

That article slapped me back to reality to the harsh truth that the world does not revolve around me and that there are other bigger things and/ or causes for me to care and fight for. That there are other interest and hearts to protect, other than mine.

Humility is thus, selflessness in action – and I was the opposite of that because I have been so distracted with “me, me, me” that I couldn’t see others in pain.

Humility, again, was not present in my heart

https://youtu.be/fLpKnNqF3so

But you know what “sealed the deal” and sort of affirmed the fact that Allah(Subhanwata’la) was trying to teach me about humility? It was when I was listening to Hamza Yusuf’s lecture on YouTube this morning and he was sharing a story about how he was in a hotel in London and a man that was seated near to him ordered a beer. But he also had the Quran with him! Sheikh Hamza Yusuf then asked him, “are you reading the Quran?” And the man said, “yes, because I have some business associates in the UAE.” Then Sheikh Hamza Yusuf asked him how far along was he. The man answered, “I’m halfway through” to which Sheikh Hamza Yusuf then asked, “how do you find it so far?”  The man then said, “I’ve noticed that there really is not much harshness in the book except that it ends with Mercy.” Sheikh Hamza Yusuf said, “You got that lesson only from the first reading, that’s a powerful insight!”

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf then connected the point of Allah always having Mercy on us, even despite all of our sins and flaws, to this A-HA moment that I love right here: “Allah just wants us to learn our lesson. He’s not looking for perfection but once the mistake has been pointed out to you, don’t be that person who is Jahl, who is arrogant! Because that is a disease! Be humble!” 

BAM – at that point my heart was tugging, “Humility, yet again”

This then brings us back to the #1 question – why don’t I feel Khushuh in my prayers? Why don’t I feel the connection with Allah when I am praying?

Because Humility was nowhere to be found in my heart.

I realised that one of the biggest factors to being a worshipper or a slave to Allah, is Humility. I mean, just think about this for a second. One can only do the act of being in Sujood – a position where we are the closest to Allah – when one is humbled. You need complete humility to be able to prostrate and lower your head to the ground, to say, “I worship You, Ya Allah.”

Because remember Iblis? He was a devout worshipper, but was banished to Hell because he had no humility! He was arrogant and did not want to prostrate, and submit to Allah’s commands. 

His pride caused him everything.

Please don’t make this mistake and ask yourself today, “is humility absent in my heart?” 

–

I’m at the end of my blog, but I want to stress that although I now know humility is necessary to have Khushuh, I’m not saying that I have it. I know I don’t, because “humility is so shy, that if you begin talking about it, it leaves.” 😔

May Allah forgive us and have mercy on us, and may He bless us the ability to always have prayers that are sincere and humbled, Ameen 🤲🏻

Love and Prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

So today, I want to talk about my friendship with N.

N and I have been friends for 5 years.

We met at the Med school, but our friendship has blossomed through the years making him my dear brother, Alhumdulilah 😇

You know I’m smiling as I’m typing the word ‘Alhumdulilah’ because it’s the word N has gotten used to.

It started by him asking me out of the blue one day, “Faizah, I remember you saying something after you sneezed. It’s the word you use often, what’s the word again?”

“Is it Alhumdulilah?” I asked.

“Yes! That’s exactly it. What does it mean?” He curiously asked.

“It means All praises and thanks to Allah.

To me it’s like a form of immense gratitude towards Allah and an acknowledgment that it is only because of Him that we get to enjoy all the blessings in life.”

N nodded and said, “that’s so interesting!!”

I smiled and said, “Alhumdulilah for being able to meet you!”

And he continued, “Alhumdulilah for being my sweet little sister and always being by my side” 😊

So, This year N decided to spend the Ramadan with my family.

As you all know Ramadan is the most busiest time of the year, I feared if I could actually explain things to him.

But Alhumdulilah, Alhumdulilah, Alhumdulilah, Ramadan is such an opportune time, Allah allowed me to show him a diverse experience as opposed to what he’s used to. Between, N is a non-Muslim and from Goa, where it’s difficult to be around such an environment and also learn what life’s like a practicing Muslim.

PS: N plays a huge role of constant encouragement and support through out my transformation journey towards Allah, The Almighty.

Thanks brother! 😇

So yeah, N saw us keeping the fast, going to the taraweeh, heard the Azaan 5x a day and also saw us offering the namaz, heard us recite the Quran and read the Tafseer, saw us hasten to open the fast and also enjoyed the delicious iftaar meal 😛.

He also saw me striving to balance all of that while still being a daughter, a sister, a friend and Ofcourse a Med student preparing for NEET 😅

And because he saw all of that, he also had questions, lots of it. And it was in the midst of a conversation that I was having with my brother N that I had an epiphany.

C U R I O S I T Y

What N has, and in abundance, I must add, Masha Allah, is curiosity.

As I was trying to answer all of his inquisitive questions, I realised, I was exactly in his position a few months ago, when I was re-learning Islam. I had no clue about a lot of things, but Allah sparked a sense of curiosity in me, and it was that curiosity that made me eager to find the truth.

This is why the more I thought about this, the more I am certain that Curiosity is extremely necessary if you want to live your best life.

When there is an absence of curiosity, when there is no thirst for wonder, then that’s where boredom, stagnation and numbness breeds.

And I think having N around has jolted me out of a slumber, because it’s been a while since I’ve met “Curious Faizah”

The Faizah who asks questions, who seeks solutions, who finds joy in creative explorations.. The Faizah who was curious enough to go on a journey to find her Creator.

I’ve missed being that.

Curious Faizah would have said,

⁃ If we are not curious, we cannot be compassionate and we cannot understand, because we are too adamant in living within the confines of our ignorance.

⁃ If we are not curious, we cannot discover our passions and life’s purpose, because we are too lazy to explore our strength and create opportunities for ourselves.

⁃ If we are not curious, we cannot grow, because we always assume this is all there is to life.

⁃ If we are not curious, we cannot fall in love with Allah(Subhanwata’la), with our Deen because Allah(Subhanwata’la) says Himself in The Holy Quran, “There are many signs in the Heavens and the Earth that they pass by but they are indifferent and they give no heed to” (12:105) so if we are oblivious to Allah’s presence and miracles that are everywhere within us, how then will we connect with our Creator?

So today, ask yourself when’s the last time you were ever curious about something?

Aren’t you curious why we pray our 5 prayers during it’s stipulated time? Aren’t you curious about the movements that we do during our Salah? Aren’t you curious about Rasulullah SAW and his life story? Aren’t you curious about the alternation between day and night? Aren’t you curious about how the Quran was revealed? Or when it was revealed?

I am, and I am squirming in delight knowing that I have so much more to learn and discover!

–

But I have to say, please be careful!

We need to wary of what or who we are curious about, because the type of questions we ask, the themes and the topics that we are curious about, says a lot about us.

If we are more interested in a celebrity or about someone we don’t even know or about gossip and things that don’t benefit us, then it’s a utter shame!

Because there are so many other interesting and beneficial things out there for us to soak it all in.

And please be mindful too, about who we ask our questions to.

Ask people of knowledge, people who have gone through the experience, people who are fair in judgment, and people who are kind, and sincere, and wise. Like Allah SWT says in the Quran, “ask those who possess knowledge if you do not know” (Quran 16:43)

I definitely plan to start being Curious Faizah once again, In shaa Allah, and I believe The Quran is the perfect place to fan that Curiosity. 

What about you? What are you curious about? Whatever it is, I hope you’ll do yourself the biggest favor, and go seek the answers you’ve always been curious about! 

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

I’m feeling bittersweet writing this because we are bidding Ramadan goodbye. 😔

There will be many things that I will miss about Ramadan, but I think what I will miss most about this blessed month is this inexplicable sense of serenity that seemed to have cradled me this month.

A few nights ago, I.e on the 27th of Ramadan, my little 7 year old cousin told me that the Imam of our neighborhood Mosque finished the last Juz’ of the Quran for Taraweeh. The further into the night, the more familiar the Surahs that were being recited became to him. When he finally recited the concluding 114th Surah of the Quran, Surah an-Nas, there was again that bittersweet feeling in his heart. 

I was so delighted to listen to this from my lil brother.

I asked him after his prayers that night what would the Imam read next if they have already finished the Quran on the 27th night and he said, “well, he’ll start again From Surah Baqarah.

I don’t know why that simple answer from My cousin impacted my heart so much but when I got home, I started mulling over it and that’s when I realised…. “Subhan’Allah. Every ending is truly just a beginning for something else”

So, as much as I’m saddened and will miss Ramadan when it ends, I am determined to use the momentum that I’ve gained during this month as an inspiration to start afresh once we go back to our normal everyday routine, post-Ramadan. 

And every single good deed that we’ve done during this month should also not cease even though Ramadan is ending, rather, it should be a testament and a proof, that we actually do have it in us to start and begin a good deed / habit! 

And if you felt your Ramadan this year wasn’t as productive as you aimed for it to be, then know that even though this month will leave, Allah SWT is still here, waiting for you to pull closer to Him.

I pray that we’ll be blessed to welcome Ramadan and reap it’s reward again next year, In Sha Allah. But till that beautiful moment comes, I pray that we’ll be mindful enough to know that every second that Allah has blessed us with to be alive in this world, is also an opportunity to begin again. 

 

So if you can feel your heart murmuring to you to start now, then respond to that call, and know that it’s not too late. Ramadan may have ended, but your life certainly has not! I urge you to try to begin doing these things, now:

to be more God-conscious,

to be more grateful,

to be more forgiving,

to be more sincere,

to be more honest,

to be more optimistic,

to be more generous,

to be more adventurous, 

to be more present,

to be more hopeful,

and to be more… you*

*The “you” that is whole, that is worthy, that is Allah’s.

I want to end today’s blog by sincerely wishing every single one of you an Eid Mubarak, Taqabbal Allahu Minna wa Minkum and a million apologies for all of my wrongdoings if I’ve ever hurt you with my words and actions. May this year’s celebration be one that you’d remember and cherish forever, In Sha Allah and may we use the end of this blessed month as an opportunity to begin (or continue) working on ourselves as we eagerly, but patiently, wait to welcome our beloved Ramadan again next year, In Sha Allah.

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

Strengthening your trust in Allah is like learning any other skill. The more you commit to it, the stronger it gets.

You don’t expect to lose weight without lifting a finger in the gym or the kitchen.

You can’t expect to achieve your dream body, if you only exercise when you feel like it.

In the same way strengthening your trust in Allah doesn’t happen by chance. It’s a journey of immense spiritual growth.

It’s a journey that cracks open your heart, arises your innermost vulnerabilities and when the wounds are still sore, that is when your heart fully connects and surrenders to Allah.

Here I’m going to share 5 ways to deeply strengthen your trust in Allah.

1) Have a relationship with the Quran:

Notice how I said have a ‘relationship’ with the Quran versus read more Quran. Do you read Quran out of love for Allah or because you ‘should’ read it? Do you read Quran because it makes you so happy, brightens up your day and gives you inner peace or because you’d feel guilty if you don’t? Whether you come from a place of love or guilt, effects the way you interact with the Quran. (Tip: choose love!)

Building a relationship with the Quran begins with reading it frequently and branches out to developing multiple ways of connection – read it, talk about it, study tafseer, learn Arabic, implement it and let your heart be open to receiving the guidance of the Quran. Notice the ayahs that resonate with your soul. Do you have a favourite Surah or an ayah that you keep coming back to? Is there a reciter that soothes all your worries? Infuse your life with the Quran such that you become a living, walking, talking embodiment of the Quran.

2) Make massive dua

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.”

(Surah Baqarah : Ayah 186)

Making massive, heart felt duas is life changing.

In the midst of severe depression, I clinged onto dua, by day and night because that was my only source of refuge. Dua was the single, most- powerful tool that transformed my life from living misery to blissful happiness. If you want to strengthen your trust in Allah, you need to be confiding in Him. Confiding in Him to such an extent that you pour your heart in your duas. Tell Allah everything as you do with your best friend. Share your fears, your worries, your dreams, your goals, your passions and anything else that matters to you. When you express your vulnerability to Allah, you begin to develop this unwavering conviction, that no matter what happens, Allah will be enough for you.

3) Let go of the outcome

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say, ‘If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out early in the morning hungry and return in the evening full.’” – (At-Tirmidhi)

This has been a major life lesson for me. Look, all the dua in the world won’t bring about an outcome, unless Allah decrees it. All the hardwork and productivity in the world won’t guarantee the results you seek, unless Allah has destined it for you. As with the birds mentioned in the hadith above, go about your day knowing that Allah will fully provide for you. Pour your heart into your work and life but leave the rest to Allah. Invest your efforts in the journey but let go of your attachment to the outcome. You plant the seed and let Allah grow the tree.

4) Think positive of Allah

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Allah the Most High said, ‘I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

As humans we have the tendency to overthink and worry about uncontrollable matters. That voice in our minds comes from our ego. Have you even felt so much peace after making dua even though nothing changed? Because your heart doesn’t need reasons to trust Allah. It is your mind (i.e. egoic voice) that latches onto reasons and frantically searches for ‘why’ you should be more hopeful in Allah.

Anytime you begin to doubt or worry, leave those thoughts in your mind and come back to the present moment. Connect to your heart and know that trusting Allah is enough. Don’t give yourself the headache of ‘how’ and ‘when’ things will work out because your egoic mind will never be satisfied.

5) Don’t underestimate Allah

When you fully trust Allah magical things happen. Cancer that’s suddenly cured. Relationships that you never thought were possible, eventually work out. Financial support that comes out of nowhere. Dreams that you never thought were possible for you, start happening right before your eyes. Don’t let your circumstances determine your faith in Allah. Even if everything is pointing in the complete opposite direction of what you desire, make immense dua and trust that Allah will make a way for you

As we’re already in the last aashra and almost to the end of this blessed month of Ramadan, let’s put in our everything to make it our best Ramadan.

It doesn’t matter if that start wasn’t great, but to end it well, matters.

Let’s make an effort to be in constant state of ibaadah, no matter in any form and make lots of Du’a before Allah.

Take stock of how you’re progressing. It’s never too late. The most crucial thing is to finish strong I.e during the last ten nights. Keep going. The Almighty knows & sees all your efforts, no matter how small. He will reward you!

May Allah forgive us and accept our ibaadah.

Ameen

Please remember me and my family in Du’a. 🤲🏻

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatahu,

It’s currently 3:28 AM.

I’m sitting on my prayer mat, thinking about the world, the current situation and our Ummah.

I haven’t been able to sleep well of late, Ofcourse I know it’s Ramadan and sleep is compromised but that’s okay, Alhumdulilah for this packed schedule in Ramadan.

Look! We’re already half way through it, how time flies.

Personally, for me, lately, laying down in the darkness of night, secluded from the world, with pin drop silence, thinking about things, talking to Allah, helped me clear my head regarding a lot of matters.

It’s a source of calmness to me. Alhumdulilah.

Coming back to the reflection about the current situation of the world that how brutally people are killing one another in the name of peace, whether it’s people killing the innocent or people who claim to follow the religion killing others( PS: they know no religion, because no religion in the entire universe teaches violence)

But Who is at Loss?

We!!

The Mankind.

It’s so sad that people of Islam are always looked upon with suspicion because of few inhuman people who don’t even follow Islam and use Allah’s beautiful name and this peaceful religion that we’re all proud believers in, as a reason to inflict harm.

This is not Islam, this is not what Islam teaches us.

My heart cries.

In what universe did Allah, The Most Merciful and The Most Compassionate ever commanded to anyone to hurt and inflict pain?

Are we not reading the same book of Allah?

Are we not following the same leader, Rasulallah SAW, who is known to be the kindest and the most gentlest human being ever lived?

The actions of those inhuman people is no where described in The Quran, it’s not what Our beloved Rasulallah SAW taught us.

I had so many questions in my mind, I was so deeply affected that I had to start writing my thoughts.

Alhumdulilah, since then I’ve managed to move away from that sadness and now write with faith and optimism.

I started thinking to myself,

“What would a True Muslim do?”

I took sometime to think and reflect

And here are some of my thoughts,

⁃ Instead of pointing fingers, shoving blame and being sad, the more productive thing to do is to actually look within our own self. To step up and focus on bettering ourselves.

⁃ If a Non-Muslim was to ask us, what is Islam? Would we be able to answer that? Have we kept ourselves busy in seeking knowledge for His sake, so much that we can say with confidence that we can be good ambassadors of Islam? Our Deen is in the spotlight more than ever and people are looking at us, to see how we carry ourselves. It is highly likely that their first interaction with Islam is through us, and we as their friends, their neighbors, their colleagues, their classmates, Are we carrying ourselves with grace and kindness like Our Rasulallah SAW did? Are we The Real Islam?

⁃In Surah Fussilat(41) Ayah 34, Allah says, “ Repel (evil) by that (deed) which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity (will become) as though he was a devoted friend” can we just stop for a second and re-read this beautiful Ayah? Allah says we must fight evil by doing good and it is only through love and kindness that a foe can become a devoted Ally, SubhanAllah ❤️ Not through hatred, not through revenge but through compassion, gentleness, warmth and affection. And the truth is, If we want to do something good to affect change, we don’t have to go to major rallies or participate in demonstrations, we can just start by doing something small, shall we ask ourselves how can we contribute by doing good today?

I’ve a few ideas –

1.Smile – this is easy as it gets. Smile to your helpers, smile to the lady at the supermarket, smile to the waiter, smile to the cashier, smile to your colleagues, your friends, your neighbors and greet them with a Salaam and a ‘Good morning’ or whatever time of the day it is, trust me, they will smile back and your smile will grow wider. And even if they don’t, it’s okay. There are many out there who would appreciate your kind gesture. Don’t give up after trying once. Do this and notice the difference a simple smile can make. And only then will we know, why smiling is a Sunnah and why it’s a form of charity.

2.Help someone without being asked – start with Home, help in the household, it’s Sunnah. Wash your dishes, make your bed, open a door for your busy mother who has her hands full, help someone with the right direction on the road, give food to your sick neighbor or anyone who might need a meal. Help anyone who needs it because someday you will need help too.

3.Call your grandparents or text a friend you’ve not heard in ages. Tell them you miss them and that they’re loved. It’s makes a lot of difference.

4.Make Du’a. Make Du’a for everyone, for the entire Ummah, for all of humanity. Spare few seconds to ask for others instead of asking from Allah just for you. When you make Du’a for others, the angels make Du’a for you. And if you ask, “what Du’a can solve?” Remind yourself that Du’a can do Miracles, trust in Allah’s Power and Mercy.

I’ve learned that how fragile life is. But within fragility, lies a lot of beauty. And beauty comes from a spirit so strong that despite weathering many hardships it still chooses love over hatred, it still chooses the care despite being let down.

So we cannot give up.

Not yet, not now, not ever.

We also must not just consume this beauty but create it, share it, spread it.

If there’s only one thing you take away from this blog today, I urge that every single one of you to try to do even more good to spread kindness like confetti, to re-learn Islam and to understand The Quran and imply it in your day to day life, practice what our beautiful Deen teaches and let that reflect in our actions, especially now during this blessed month of Ramadan.

To spreading love and kindness,

Love and prayers always,

F

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarkatahu,

How are you feeling after one third of Ramadan? On my end, time seems to be flying and as I try to pace myself for Ramadan, I’ve also been trying to balance between spending time alone with Him, and being with family and friends.

I pray this Ramadan be exactly what your heart needs.

So, one of the intentions that I’ve made for this Ramadan is to read more.

More of Quran and understanding it and more of other islamical books too.

So when I was reading one of the books, I came across this Hadith, that really got to me.

It goes like this,

One of the Sahabah’s(companion) named Sufyan B Abdullah RA asked Rasulallah SAW, “Ya Rasulallah? What do you fear the most for me?”

And Rasulallah SAW’s answer to that very deep and profound question was very simple.

He SAW simply took out his tongue and said, “This!!” (Tirmidhi)

So meaning, what Rasulallah SAW fear the most for us is our Tongue.

Meaning, what we say, what we convey, how we communicate because it’s all done mostly through our tongue and Ofcourse our mindset.

So I was like, “Whoa… this small organ is extremely powerful!!!”

Because if you think about it, this tongue is what causes war.

It may cause division between families and friends.

But if we use our tongue right, it could actually bring people together, it could bring hope to people.

Anyway, what I’m trying to convey is,

We use our tongue to communicate everyday, but we’ve never really stopped for a second, to think how our sharp tongues can actually destroy our own throats.

What I mean by this is that, words that you use to describe others or the words you use to communicate says nothing about them, but a lot of you.

Another Hadith that I came across from the same book, which also touches upon the manners of our speech that really got me thinking was, when Rasulallah SAW said, “None of my companions should tell me anything about anyone. For I would like to meet any of you with a clean heart” (Tirmidhi)

And I thought, “OMG YESS!!”

That should be the way.

Because no matter how good your intentions are of trying to tell someone about someone else, it might lead to gossip.

And if you think about it, it’s also like you trying to spoil a movie for someone who has not watched the movie.

Okay! I know it’s Ramadan but this is just a small illustration for better understanding in a simple way.

You know it’s like how those people who post spoilers everywhere, it’s kind of the same when you tell someone about someone else.

Let them form their own opinions.

Unless it’s a matter of life and death, you know, if you think that someone else could pose a dangerous threat, then yeah! That’s understandable.

But if you’re merely stating an opinion then, No!! Please Don’t do that!

I also remember one of my teachers telling me that, the easiest way to start a gossip is when someone asks, “How is so and so?”

If you guys really think about it, that’s how gossip starts.

Because If you really want to know how is so and so, you should Ask so and so!

Not someone else.

When I think about it more, I realised that you know, the tongue has no bones but yet it so powerful enough to crush someone’s heart, to break someone’s confidence and also ruin someone’s life.

So we should always strive to be more careful with our tongues, with the words that we speak, especially in this blessed month of Ramadan.

And this is Ofcourse, first and foremost reminder to myself.

So yeah this Ramadan, as we all strive to cut down on our food, cut down on our material consumption,

In sha Allah, we can also try to cut down on our bad words, our bad energy, ill thoughts about others and protect and use our tongues judiciously.

I want to end this blog with a small beautiful quote stated by Ibn Qayyim,

“A man’s tongue can give you a taste of his heart”

So I definitely want my heart to be pure and sweet and not bitter. 😅

In sha Allah, I’m going to try my best to always say sweet and good things, as stated by Our beloved Rasulallah SAW,

“Speak Good or remain Silent”

So to always speaking good and sweet,

Love and prayers always,

F