Walk a little faster.

Walk a little faster,
Drive a little slower.

Watch as your days fly by,
Leave you in a heaving sigh sigh.

The things you took for granted,
The more they are wanted.

The things you forget day to night,
Now becomes a reason for your plight.

Trying to catch a breath;
One, two, three steps.

Time will leave you behind,
There's no stopping to hit rewind.

"...you will think that you have stayed [in this world] but a little while! (17:52)"

I drove the wrong way to work!

And among His Signs, He shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope...
(30:24)."

Subhanallah today I got lost on the way to work. I usually take Lodge N to get to work and Lodge S to get to school.

I just finished dropping my nephew off to the masjid for Quran lessons, as I reminded him to recite his car prayers (duas). I was explaining some duas are accepted right away and act as a shield while others are accepted when you need them. And the car prayer was one that acted as a shield.

So I'm on Lodge and usually I make a conscious decision whether to steer left or right, and this time I didn't. I was driving and ended up on the wrong side of the highway.

I kept repeating the car prayer. I felt like it wasn't working to its full strength this morning. Like I wasn't saying it right or wasn't putting the right umph nor intention into it. And suddenly I thought about Surah Al-Fathihah, Chapter 1 from the Quran. I began reciting in and thought about the meaning of the Surah -- the part where it says, "Oh God put me on the straight path."

And then it hit me.

I was going the wrong way!

I was approximately three minutes from exiting the highway. I took the usual left to get to school and then headed north. I called my boss at my internship and told him about the situation, laughing when he asked how did it happen.

"I don't know it was an accident. I realized it when I was three minutes away from the exit," I said.

Of course some may think of this as a mere coincidence but perhaps its a testament of increasing faith. How could I magically be put on the "right way" after thinking about that particular verse from the Quran..."put me on the straight path."

And He literally did. Subhanallah.



Surah 1. Al-Fatiha (The Opening)In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;

2. Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

3. Master of the Day of Judgment.

4. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.

5. Show us the straight way,

6. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace,

7 those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.

Test of faith, patience

Those who are in the right suffer,
Those who are in the wrong usually get away with stuff.

It's sad but it's true.

However Allah has created the heavens surrounded with hardships and the hellfire with ease and desire. Therefore although "bad things happen to good people" it's all a test of faith.

When you know you're right and you don't say anything it goes a long way.
There are times when you should defend yourself and other times when its better not to say anything at all.

Alhamdulillah, thanks to faith, we are being saved from a lot more agony, Inshallah.

Be mindful of the circumstances, patient and quiet when you have every right to say something. Allah will give you something better in return Inshallah.

But not talking back at the moment, then talking behind someone's back defeats the purpose - and makes you lose your blessings.

Patience is the key to success. Oh Allah increase our patience. Ameen.

Muslim Bride.

Being Muslim puts pressure on brides who want to doll up during their wedding but also have to conscious of religious requirements for covering.

I've seen many styles of wearing hijab with few strands of hair showing, none at all, or some with other parts showing - which make up for the hair not showing. It's not as easy as it seems.

With Arab brides, at least their weddings are seperate but they have to go through painstaking detail to find female photographers, halls that make special accomodations, all-female waitresses, and etc. (Unless they don't care).

And desi brides have to show their jewelry or else it seems like they didn't get any gold, which is part of their dowry. Now-a-days not all brides wear their gold during their wedding ceremony but rather wear imitation jewelry. Either way the bling has to show.

So the hijabi bride wins.

Picnics...

Full of breeze
Put your mind at ease
Love the way
Nature craddled my day

Although it was nice
Meeting with the elephant and mice
Surely there were trees
That misunderstood me

And the people were free
To mingle and to meet
How the day passed by
My tiredness, no, sigh

Had a pretty good walk-out
Didn't have to shout
Listened to the birds chirping
And got a free fashion show mixing

Mothers, they mean so much.

Mothers are given much respect in the Quran.

May God bless mothers, who struggle through so much to raise their children. Neither can we emulate their love, passion, dedication, and motivation to keep going despite any and all obstacles they may face.

There are different kinds of mothers, each with their own trial. Some with children, some with a child, and some with none (42:49-50).

49. To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills (and plans). He bestows (children) male or female according to His Will (and Plan),

50. Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves barren whom He will: for He is full of Knowledge and Power.

God says in the Quran there are good children who appreciate their parents and wish to carry on the religion they were taught. There are others who disobey and disbelieve the true religion even with all the proof they were given (46:15-19).

15. We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."

16. Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: (They shall be) among the Companions of the Garden: a promise! of truth, which was made to them (in this life).

17. But (there is one) who says to his parents, "Fie on you! Do ye hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up, even though generations have passed before me (without rising again)?" And they two seek Allah.s aid, (and rebuke the son): "Woe to thee! Have faith! for the promise of Allah is true." But he says, "This is nothing but tales of the ancients!"

18. Such are they against whom is proved the sentence among the previous generations of Jinns and men, that have passed away; for they will be (utterly) lost.

19. And to all are (assigned) degrees according to the deeds which they (have done), and in order that ((Allah)) may recompense their deeds, and no injustice be done to them.

May God bless all mothers, and keep the barren patient as a trial for the hereafter.

Crazy Michael Jackson fans...

It's about time people realized, everyone must go.

Pop idols, musicians, actresses, actors. Everyone.

As a journalist I remember talking to an editor regarding interviewing "big people" and how sometimes it can be nerve-wrecking when worrying about making mistakes.

He said, "We all put our pants on the same way." That made me realize, he's right. We're all the same in some ways. Humanity.

In the Quran, God says believers realize "To God we belong, To Him shall we return," meaning our end will also be the same. Death.

To all the Michael Jackson fans, although it seems surreal, he's gone. He's dead. Our time is coming soon.

"Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return(2:56)"