Desi Monkey Has Spoken

'Long Time Coming

2007-10-07T12:45:00.001+01:00

Well this is it. For the past few months I've been trying to motivate myself enough to write on this blog but it just isn't happening. So I've decided that it's time to close it down.

I still have plenty to write about so that's not the problem. The truth is, blogging just isn't enough for me anymore. I've noticed that a lot of blogs I used to read are going through similar phases so maybe blogging in general is losing its appeal.

I am very sorry to any readers out there who have been expecting further instalments of my Dissertation. After careful deliberation I've decided not to post anymore of it online. If anyone does want to read it, then please email me at desimonkeyhasspoken[at]gmail.com. Even though the blogging has come to an end, the email address will still be working.

Anyway, that's it! Take care of yourselves and go and spread the word: Desi Monkey Has Spoken.

A Study into Islam's Contribution to the Development of Medicine: Part 1

2007-05-26T14:56:00.000+01:00

My disso's finally got the thumbs up from its most worthy critique (my bro,) so here's that post that I promised oh so long ago about it. To begin with, I've copy and pasted the entire Introduction below, but I'll be summarizing each of the chapters from here on in. Despite what my supervisor said, I maintain that the copyright and whatnot rests with me. If you want to know anymore about it, then feel free to either leave a comment on here, or email me (desimonkeyhasspoken@gmail.com). Next instalment will be in a week or two Insha'Allah (if God wills) depending on how my revision's going! Enjoy!

Introduction

Contemporary society is witnessing a conflict between religion and science in an increasingly secular world. In an environment where secularism has begun to penetrate every aspect of society’s infrastructure, we find a civilization that is questioning the role that religion plays, or has ever played in the world. The answer to the question is paramount in a world where the influence of religion is either a source of strength for a community, or a source of utter frustration. Whilst some may view religion as liberating, the opposing argument that it is an oppressive force accountable for much of the world’s disharmony, is reigning ever supreme with an increase in anti-religious propaganda. As a result, such a climate creates a need to defend religion itself, and to remind ourselves of the contributions that religion has and continues to make in society in order to establish a sense of respect between diverse beliefs.

The religion that is at the forefront of many worldwide debates at the moment is undeniably that of Islam. The evidence for this is blatant. The terms “Muslim” and “Islam” appear almost every day, in news reports. The social, political, religious and economic affairs within Muslim communities, and in relation to non-Muslim communities, are being increasingly documented. In light of this, we become aware that whether it is political, social, economic or religious, the Qur’an and religion of Islam seems to affect every aspect of a Muslim’s life. Also, with the increased numbers of Muslims residing in non-Muslim areas, there has emerged the need to find a common ground between these very different societies. I identified this so-called “common ground” to reside in their shared pursuit of knowledge. With the impact of Islam in the area of medicine arguably more overwhelming than in any other field, I chose this as my main focus. Unlike its influence in other aspects of learning, perhaps the most underappreciated is the contribution made by the religion of Islam and the Muslim nation in the art of medicine. What drives this dissertation is the recognition to defend the relationship between religion and arguably the most sacred of sciences: that of the art of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases: Medicine.[1]

In this dissertation I shall discuss the legacy of Islamic medicine throughout the world. I shall begin in Chapter One by analysing the state of pre-Islamic medicine in Arabia as well as the predominant empires of the time so as to construct a contextual understanding of the medical world Islamic medicine was to emerge from. Following on, the question of the Islamic perspective of medicine will be considered, and whether or not the religion of Islam, based primarily on the Qur’an and ahadith, had the capacity to impact on the field of medicine. This is an area which Muslims can, and have, encountered much criticism, as it truly questions the extent to which a religion could, if at all, impact on the universal system of medicine.

The third and final chapter will consider the contributions made during the periods ranging from the emergence of the Islamic empire until the present day. In particular I will focus on the Abbasid period, which witnessed a flourishing of knowledge and a passion for learning. The legacy of Muslim figures such as Ibn Sina (d. 1037CE) and Al-Razi (d. between 903-926CE) will also briefly be analysed. Finally, I shall question the factors that may have contributed to the inevitable stagnation within Muslim communities towards medical advancements.

The most important element of this dissertation will be to understand that the contribution of Islam to medicine was not in isolation of any other community, for medicine in itself is independent from discrimination. Muslims were admittedly influenced greatly by Greek thought preceding the emergence of Islam, and during the Islamic empires worked alongside people from different faiths. For anyone, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist and so forth, to have advanced in the field of medicine is contributing to an ever developing universal system which affects the whole of human civilization regardless of their age, sex, religion or nationality. The contribution made by the religion of Islam and the Muslim nation (Ummah) to medicine is admittedly comprised of many contributors, yet nonetheless deserves to be appreciated in its own right.

[1] Elizabeth A. Martin, Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary, 6^th rev. ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), 417

Three Years Later

2007-04-14T15:01:00.000+01:00

These past three years and in particular the last twelve months have been, for want of a better word, weird. Every aspect of my life, without exaggeration, has transformed to such a state that it is almost unrecognisable to the way it was merely three years ago. And most unexpectedly, I've changed. My way of thinking and the way I perceive this world has adapted according to the experiences I, and those around me, have gone through. Whether this is for the better, I guess time will tell.

It's been three years since I left my home to study at university, and despite the frequent visits back, most of my time was spent staying at my university accommodation. In the meantime, my family and I have undergone different experiences. With the prospect of moving back home after three years, I need to realise that our different experiences will result in differing ideas of the world. Now I have two options here: Either let the differences cause divisions; or understand the fact that our ideas stem from different life experiences, and embrace them.

In my second year of university I got highly involved with one particular society on campus. This society was influenced greatly by a certain type, or class of people. As the outsider, it was difficult to blend in with these people, who in essence I shared a similar identity with, but had decided to react to it in a different way. At the time, I pretty much tried my best, and eventually gave up and left the society. What is most frustrating in retrospect is that neither they nor I were able to understand that our differing opinions stemmed from different life experiences. If we had realised this at the time, we could have worked very well together. Or at the least, I could have explained my stance on certain issues with more clarity.

Anywho, that's where my life stands right now, I'm preparing myself to move home, and to finally finish my degree Insha'Allah (If God Wills.) As for how much I've changed, let's see if that reflects in my style of writing as well...

Oh yes, and my dissertation, which Alhamdulillah (thanks be to God,) has been handed in, will be posted about soon. My loyal subject (my brother,) is reading through it at the moment and until or unless he gives it the thumbs-up, I don't want to paste extracts of it on her just yet. More on that in the coming weeks Insha'Allah (if God Wills.)

The Incurable Disease

2007-02-19T16:02:00.000Z

"Verily the physician, with his physic and his drugs,
Cannot avert a summons that hath come.
What ails the physician that he dies of the disease
Which he used to cure in time gone by;
There died alike he who administered the drug, and he who took the drug,
And he who imported and sold the drug, and he who bought it."

--------------------------------

"The physician says to thee, "I can cure thee,"
When he feels thy wrist and thy arm;
But did the physician know a cure for disease
Which would ward off death, he would not himself suffer the death agony."

-------------------------------

I'm writing my dissertation on "Islam's Contribution to Medicine," and keep stumbling across the above verses, so thought I should share them. More on my disso in the near future Insha'Allah (If God Wills.)

Easier Said Than Done

2007-02-07T20:02:00.000Z

I have a tendency to come out with some corkers sometimes. Like the other day whilst discussing the Israel-Palestine issue with a friend, I was adamant that despite everything that has happened, peace can still be achieved; if not in my lifetime, then one day. I know it's an incredibly delicate topic, and unfortunately no "artistic licensing" allows one to elaborate any further, especially in the sphere of blogging. All I can say is that I did not state such an opinion without realising exactly what I was asking for; Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God,) I'm not that naive.

But that got me thinking: I haven't seen peace for so long. I used to see it, and I won't say where, but even that's gone now. I don’t just mean on the political scene, but almost in every dimension of our existence. The majority of people have become angry; bitter; vengeful; forgetful; uncompromising; opinionated; hypocritical; doubtful; unjust; corrupt and absolutely merciless on their onslaught on anything, and I mean ANYTHING that gets in their way. What hope has some feeble person like myself, who cries for peace in the corner of a room full of such violence and oppression got in this world?

Suddenly when all this starts to hit-home, I detach myself from it all. I try my best to look at the "bigger picture," and to think how temporary this all is. I'm dying. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day I'm dying; and so are you. As soon as, AS SOON AS we forget that we're all mortals, we start acting like gods; we think each one of us is qualified to impart our idea of justice on each other, and that any sense of accountability is reduced to a mere court of law. Buy enough people off, and even that isn't a threat to the megalomaniacs of this world.

My detachment leads me therefore to believe even more strongly in the necessity of peace in this world. To my friends and to those reading my blog: Don't for one second think I don't know what I ask for. I ask for peace, compromise, patience, equality, forgiveness, justice, mercy, love, courage and all that good stuff because we're all going to die one day; and I would like to leave my children, and yours in a world where they don't have to witness as much conflict as we have had to; Where their innocence isn't raped from them as soon as they open their eyes; and where, most importantly, they remember that they are only human, and can relate to others on a human level, ignoring anything that may divide them.

On the creation of man, it says in the Qur'an:

"[Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, 'I am putting a successor on earth,' they said, 'How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?' but He said, 'I know things you do not.' He taught Adam the names of all things, then He showed them to the angels and said, 'Tell me the names of these if you truly [think you can].' They said, 'May You be glorified! We have knowledge only of what You have taught us. You are the All Knowing and All Wise.' Then He said, 'Adam, tell them the names of these.' When he told them their names, God said, "Did I not tell you that I know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and that I know what you reveal and what you conceal?'" - The Qur'an, Surah 2, Ayat 30-33.

Despite the "bloodshed" the angels could foresee in the future of mankind, there has to be a reason we were still created.

Whether you believe in God or not, most people realise that there is a reason we exist; there is a reason there are wars; and there is a reason people like me will not give up in asking for peace.

For those who love war, I'm a thorn in your side. Live with it.

A Desi Monkey Recommendation

2007-01-22T13:21:00.000Z

Just a quick post to recommend the following article: "Over Sexualized Muslim Men Syndrome."

Don't let the title put you off. Before anyone says anything, yes I know it works both ways: Muslim women are just as bad *sometimes* as Muslim men; and no, I'm not a feminist.

Read away!

Forgive and Forget

2007-01-19T23:54:00.000Z

I'm trying to get my head around the saying "forgive and forget." To put it simply, I don't understand how the two can go hand-in-hand, unless applied to a trivial situation which really bears no real consequence on life. But the situations that really hurt are different.

Forgiveness isn't something I find too difficult to partake in if someone apologises for whatever reason. Gandhi said that "forgiveness is the attribute of the strong," probably because it takes more of an effort to forgive someone than it does to bear a grudge against them. Unfortunately, as I've learnt from experience, grudges and the bitterness that ensue can consume people. It's like a cancer in the heart, that destroys the love that you may have felt for that person, and eventually anyone that may associate with them. Forgiveness is the only cure to this bitterness, and the earlier it's put into practice, the easier it is to rid one's heart of the cancer.

But to associate forgiveness with forgetting is illogical to me. If someone has the potential to hurt someone else, and willingly, then how can one forget their capacity to do so? For example, in Islamic law, if someone bears false witness, then their testimony is never to be trusted again; Their reputation as a liar haunts them forever, whether or not they have repented and "mended their ways" so to speak. The reason I have personally derived for this is quite simple: Once someone has recognised their ability to practice the art of lying, then the only person that can stop them from doing so is themselves. If they put it into practice once, then there is nothing to ensure that they won't again, except their own conviction. And seeing as none of us know the intentions of another, we can only trust what someone has the potential of being like from the actions that they undertake.

So back to forgetting; If I have found out for example, that my friend has lied to me, then although I might forgive them for doing so, I won't forget that they have the capacity to lie; If for no other reason, than to make sure I've learnt my lesson of what they are capable of.

After everything that's happened over this past academic year, unfortunately this is what I've had to learn:

Forgetting turns foes into friends and friends into foes. Forgiving shouldn't necessarily mean forgetting.

Any objections?

Procrastination is the Thief of Time

2007-01-13T00:37:00.000Z

"Procrastination is the thief of time" was what a wise fortune cookie told me once. But is it really daylight robbery when you end up doing something more creative than whatever you're procrastinating from?

This is what I get up to when I'm procrastinating:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/desimonkey/

Official Hiatus

2006-12-28T23:47:00.000Z

Well I literally prayed this wouldn't happen, but I'm going to have to announce an official hiatus. I blame final year of Uni *grr*

With Eid Al-Adha just around the corner, I'd like to wish an Eid Mubarak to all the Muslims out there; a congrats to those who went on Hajj; a belated Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to anyone celebrating; Oh and an advanced "Happy New Year" when we hit the big 2-0-0-7. (Have I missed anything out? :s Well if I have, apologise.)

I seem to have developed a knack for drawing stickmen of late... As weird as that may sound, I have started a little series of animations which hopefully look more promising than the description I've just given. So, if not writing, I will be trying to find a way in which I can publish these pictures online for everyone to view and leave feedback on.

For now, Insha'Allah (if God wills,) this hiatus won't last too long.

Update

2006-12-03T11:43:00.000Z

First and foremost a huge apology for not being able to write a new post for so long. I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of study I have on at the moment, that everytime I sit down to write a new post, all I can see through the corner of my eye is a stack of books.

So until I get a chance to get blogging again, I invite you all to read through my previous posts, and to look at some of the blogs that I recommend on the right-hand side. Insha'Allah (if God wills,) I'll be back soon.

Y'all be taking care now.

Sometimes I Get Carried Away

2006-10-19T22:11:00.000+01:00

I forget this world is temporary;
I forget that they're not mine;
I forget that You've been watching
All the passing time.

I forget that justice must exist;
I forget the promise You made;
I forget that all of this
Is simply a facade.

I forget that peace is possible;
I forget the lessons You taught
I forget that all I have
Is a mercy of a sort.

I forget that I am human;
And can get carried away
And forget that my body
Is dying everyday.

So I trust in You
Just like You trust in me;
And this time I won't forget
The truth that I must see.

When Hunger Means Nothing

2006-09-27T15:28:00.000+01:00

I don't know why I didn't publish this post after I'd written it... Oh well, here it is:

For some reason I've been encountering a lot of conspiracy theories about the world of late. Most of the time I don't pay attention because the fact is that only a select number of people know the truth about the world, and my only concern should be to protest for that truth and not to support any theories, because that's just what they are: THEORIES.

However, I couldn't help but notice one aspect that ran true throughout many of the theories: The hunger factor. Get enough people hungry and they'll be willing to do just about anything for a little bit of food. To demonstrate, I came across this quote that sent shivers down my spine:

"Hunger is sharper than the sword."
- The Honest Man's Fortune (act II, sc. 2, l. 1,) Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

There's just one little element which tends to be highly underestimated: Will power.

With the month of Ramadhan in full swing, the majority of Muslims out there are probably feeling the weight of their bodies and the lightness of their souls. You see, on the surface, fasting does lead to a great deal of hunger and thirst, but it's nothing compared to the will power we develop from it. It takes only a matter of hours and body experiences such cravings that you'd think it hadn't had food for days! Whenever I see food and water my body pulls me down, however my soul keeps me up. If it were up to my body, I would never have experienced such hunger in the first place. So why don't I give in? Because my will won't let me. I don't want to disappoint the God who has asked me to fast for Him, ever increasing my determination to keep on going.

With only four or five days of Ramadhan down, I've already learnt a lot. Firstly the power of my soul outweighs the power of my body; and secondly that all those petty things that seem oh so important on a full stomach just don't seem so important anymore...

2006-09-14T21:02:00.000+01:00

I would like to draw your attention to a post by Lightness of Being (http://lightnessofbeing.wordpress.com/), entitled "Some days and Others." It's a particularly good read. In addition to that, she wrote a very powerful story a while back which I'd also like to take this opportunity to recommend entitled "My Name is Zack."

That's all for now folks!

Truth be told...

2006-09-09T18:52:00.000+01:00

I hate lying. I actually have a personal grudge against it. I hate it so much that I do my utmost to avoid it and even those "little white lies." I've noticed those types are the most lethal and can cause more damage than good, so I avoid them by either not saying anything, or telling the truth.

It's not necessarily that I'm trying to take the moral high ground and say that lying is bad, blah, blah, blah, but rather that it simply causes an avoidable amount of inconvenience in our lives, so I figure, why bother doing it? I mean, the truth ALWAYS finds a way of getting out (sorry for hitting you with a cliche there, but it's true!) The other thing about lies is that they walk around in packs, waiting to attack. It's impossible to tell one lie without telling a whole bunch of them just to maintain that first one. They're harder to maintain than they're worth. For example, let's handle the dreaded question that men face:

Sally: "Does this outfit make me look fat?"

John: Uhh...
*No, your fat makes you look fat*
No honey...

Later that evening... (At a get-together between "friends"):

Sally's friend Janice, who has a tendency to express her opinions when they aren't asked
for: "Wow, that outfit is a bit tight isn't it?"

Sally (who wants to prove Janice wrong): *humph* Well it's lucky I have a good figure, haha, right JOHN?

An unsuspecting John: Uhh.. *Starts sweating* Uhh... *Contemplates running...* Uhh...

Ah ha! Now, does John tell more lies to cover up the one he said before, or does he tell the truth?

*Rewind*

OK, what John failed to notice earlier was that he could have very tactfully rephrased his answer to Sally's question of "does this make me look fat?" For example, all he needed to say (in an endearing way, because of that whole lovey-dovey pukey stuff) was: "you know what honey, I reaaaally like that pink one you have hanging in the wardrobe- It brings out your *insert her most prided feature.*"

Anyway, enough of the relationship advice, my point remains: The truth can be avoided, and in a sense told using tact if you think it will hurt someone's feelings (You'll notice politicians do this quite well, so start taking notes from their speeches ;-) ) Otherwise, apart from that little scenario, when the truth is spoken, you'll find that people appreciate it more that being lied to. Isn't it better to have a reputation for speaking the truth than for telling lies; or when a lie gets out of control, a reputation for being a hypocrite?

"No legacy is so rich as honesty."
- William Shakespeare, "All's Well that Ends Well", Act 3 scene 5

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
- Mark Twain

There's just one little problem I find with telling the truth: I've often expected the same in return. So, I just remind myself, as my mum always says "don't expect anything from anyone." If I choose to be honest, then it's my choice, and I shouldn't expect the same from anyone else. Ain't that the truth!

Bill Hicks: The Legend

2006-09-03T15:02:00.000+01:00

“I had a vision of a way we could have no enemies ever again if you’re interested in this- Anybody interested in hearing this? It’s kind of an interesting theory and all we have to do is make one decisive act and we could rid the world of all our enemies at once. Here’s what we do: You know all that money that we spend on nuclear weapons and defence every year- “trillions” of dollars? Instead, if we spent that money feeding and clothing the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, not ONE; We could as one race explore outer space together in peace forever.” - Bill Hicks

I'll tell you one thing: it doesn't take the likes of a philosopher, a doctor, a world leader or any other sort of academically or otherwise acclaimed human being to bring about changes in our world. It takes ordinary human beings who aren't afraid to open their eyes and be honest with themselves about what they see. Such people are so selfless that they protest when witnessing even the smallest act of injustice with great ease. They constantly step back and see the "bigger picture," and do not allow short-sightedness to get in the way.

The words above were uttered by a comedian; A comedian who went further than the callings of his profession and spread a message of equality; charity; peace; justice; courage; truth and MOST importantly, the unification of the human race. This man saw beyond the divisions and was able to visualize prosperity for humanity as a collective.

I refuse to resign myself to the notion that the world is nearing an end, or any other so-called explanation for its current state. As long as the world is here, the vision remains.

What Hicks imagined was not impossible. We humans have the capacity to do much good, as long as we allow ourselves to do it.

In the words of Bill Hicks, "end of f**king story."

I'm Right and You're Wrong

2006-08-18T19:52:00.000+01:00

Whenever I'm asked about my religion, there will always be some smart aleck who says to me "what makes your religion better than so-and-so religion?" Or in other words, "what makes what you believe in, your way of life, better than mine or anyone else’s?" When this question was presented to me more recently I began to realise some powerful truths.

Firstly I realised that hell yeah, I do believe my religion is the best. For there is no sense at all in choosing a religion, or way of life, that falls short of being the best.

Secondly, I realised that I had committed no crime, and that I should not be ashamed for believing my religion is the best because I had done only what all humans are guilty of doing.

Let me put it like this: don't we all already live our lives believing that we are living the better one in comparison to another? And if not, then don't we all DESERVE the right to live a life which we think is the best? After all, as far as any of us know, we only get one life, and we all intend to "live life to the full" as it were. So why live a life which one does not feel is the best for them?

Individually we all choose what sort of life style suit us and we don't chose it because we think it's the worst for us; we think it's the best.

The reality of it is, we all have one life which we can choose to do whatever we like with. If you chose not to be a Muslim, I really shouldn't be bothered because I should be content that I am living my life to the best of my capabilities. My only concern should be that I have done my utmost in increasing my own and your understanding of different beliefs so that we can live in a harmonious world, where we show sincere respect for each other.

We don't need an intolerant society where we all try to justify that we're right and everyone else is wrong; we need one where there's dialogue, understanding and peace. Hands up if you agree.

Just Keep Singing

2006-08-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

It's begun.

Just keep singing.

Some watch.

Just keep singing.

Some join in.

Just keep singing.

Now they're part of the show.

Just keep singing.

People without bones.

Just keep singing.

Make things worse.

Just keep singing.

There's no where to run,
So enjoy the show.

Me? I don't understand;
So I'll just keep singing.
One day you'll learn the tune
I've just got to keep singing.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

2006-07-26T12:59:00.000+01:00

I know that with the recent events in Lebanon, all of us, especially fellow Muslims may be feeling particularly drained.

If anyone's taking everything as hard as I have, then I would recommend reading the following post by Shabina, because it shows the resilience we all need during the times we face:

"Sunday is for Shabina" - http://shabina921.blogspot.com/

I really wanted to produce a post myself in light of everything that's happening, but I don't think I could do it any justice right now. Insha'Allah (If God wills,) maybe one day I'll be able to.

Paint it Yellow

2006-07-07T23:24:00.000+01:00

A post that I took my time publishing (I've been rushed off my feet.) The date is that in which I actually wrote it. Enjoy!

I rarely watch Indian movies, but today my mum convinced me to watch a film entitled "Rang de basanti" ("Paint it Yellow") which my brother and I had bought her for her birthday.

I obviously can't write much about the film itself, so as not to spoil it for those who haven't watched it. However I'll just touch upon a few themes that become evident to the audience very early on.

It starts by showing the up rise of the Indian citizens against the oppressive rule of the British Empire. Ironically, we find that after the rule of the British Empire ceases, civil warfare emerges. Those same Indians who had once united against a tyrannical regime were now fighting amongst themselves. Indian against Indian; Sounds familiar no?

Although I don't quite enjoy the echoes of patriotism that run throughout the film, it's still a worthwhile film to watch- A rare recommendation that I make to my readers.

Maybe watching a three hour Indian movie after so long took its toll on me, or maybe it's the parallels between the film and real life that are getting to me... Whatever it is, unfortunately I don't think the effects will last for long. I'll tuck myself into bed, dream my comforting dreams, and awake to a new day where I forget everything that's happening in the world because it's too much to bear.

It's a Way of Life

2006-06-27T11:24:00.000+01:00

Until the other day I didn't realise how difficult it is for a non-Muslim to comprehend the impact the teachings of Islam have on the way in which a Muslim leads their life. We Muslims constantly say that Islam is "a complete way of life;" but what does a non-Muslim actually understand by this?

Islam literally is a way of life. It guides EVERY single aspect of a Muslim's life. For example, whilst sitting in my room the other day talking to my housemate I tried to demonstrate the way in which Islam was playing an active role in everything I was doing:

"I look out of my door and I can see that the passage light is on. I'm thinking 'I have to switch that off otherwise electricity is being wasted and I will have to account to God for knowingly allowing that to happen.' When you came into the room you sat on the floor and I thought 'should I also sit on the floor because it might be rude that she's sitting there and I'm sitting above her? Or should I say to her to sit on my bed? Or should I just leave it because I know her well enough to know that she'll sit wherever she feels comfortable' I'm thinking, it's 2am, I need to stay up for the Fajr prayer now- I can't let myself fall asleep. Heck, with all this running in my mind, I can't even begin to think about those Muslims half way across the world suffering in Guantanamo, Israel, Afghanistan etc. It's all too much."

Islam touches upon the slightest social, political, economic and indeed spiritual aspects of a Muslim's life. The question that Muslims now face, that they have never faced on mass before, is how do we maintain the principles of each of these rulings whilst living in predominantly non-Muslim societies? For example, in regards to medicine, what should the so-called "Islamic" perspective be on cloning? Should we participate in the consumption of genetically modified foods, bearing in mind that in the Qur'an it says that we were sent as "vicegerents" to earth, meaning that we have an environmental responsibility too? (Refer to Surah 2, ayat 30 of the Holy Qur'an.) These are just two of the many questions we are now encountering.

In terms of Muslims residing in predominantly Muslim countries, they too face a whole new challenge. As my Islamic History lecturer once said, unlike before when Muslim empires used to collapse and rise up again like a phoenix from the ashes, the Ottoman Empire to our surprise did not. It was the last of the Muslim empires which the Muslims could not recover from... We weren't prepared for such a long-lasting demise. This left us vulnerable to foreign influences and deviation from the principles of Islam as we experienced great moral, social, political, spiritual and perhaps most importantly, economic decline.

This year I have learnt a lot about my fellow Muslims. Never before had I interacted with Muslims on such a scale as I have done more recently. At one point I started to experience bitterness towards some Muslims as they were deviating from my understanding of Islam. I had a choice of either allowing such bitterness to consume me, which indeed it momentarily did, or to step back and realise that their intentions were incredibly similar to mine.

Regardless of little difference that I may have with a fellow Muslim, I have begun to understand the importance of maintaining peaceful relations. In terms of Muslims, we are all united under one faith, under the set principles of belief in One God and His final revelation (The Holy Qur'an); His final messenger and his sunnah (Peaces be upon him;) and the five pillars of Islam: The declaration of faith; the five daily prayers; the giving of charity; fasting during the month entitled "Ramadhan" in the Muslim calendar, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage. In my opinion, one of the most important uniting factors for all Muslims is the shared fear and love of God that we experience every second of the day. It is such fear and love that make us strive towards pleasing our Creator. Heck, this can even be seen to unite all believers- Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The following hadith of Bukhari has been narrated to me numerously throughout my life:

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:

"I heard Allah's Apostle (Peace be upon him) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended...""

If one steps back and truly comprehends the impact of this teaching, then we realise that the truth of every individual's intention can only be known by that individual and God. As far as we are concerned, we have to invest a bit of trust in what someone may claim their intention to be when committing a particular act.

In most of the scenarios that I faced this year I found that it was the intentions that united and the acts that divided us. The intentions were usually to please God, and not necessarily to strive for reward and avoid punishment. Sometimes, however, it is easier to judge a person by their acts, and to forget the intentions behind them. (Please bear in mind that this does not apply to so-called Muslims who hide behind the religion of Islam to justify some of the preposterous crimes that they commit, such as the murdering of innocent civilians. I'll leave that topic for a rainy day.)

Back to Islam being a way of life. As far as I have seen, even though I may not agree with the more minor acts of some Muslims that I have come across, there is no doubt that they are all simply putting into action their understanding of Islam. I had to bring myself to understand that they must sincerely believe what they were doing was for the pleasure of God, so that their intentions when acting are just like mine.

Personally when I choose to act in a particular way I neither bear in mind the punishment or the reward- Paradise and Hell rarely ever come into it. My only motivational factor is God. I can't bear to see the look of disappointment on His face if I do something wrong, and am eager to see His happiness if I do something right.

Hmm, then again despite my claims that these are my intentions, only God and I know the truth of what is in my heart... I guess you'll all have to invest a little trust in me...

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

2006-06-26T21:50:00.000+01:00

I've agreed to do some holiday work again at my local CPS (Crown Prosecution Service.) I worked there last summer too, and let's just say some of the cases I saw have probably left me scarred for life. The only way I could deal with what I had to see was by observing those lawyers and caseworkers that strived to bring justice to society. They showed me that regardless of all the crap that's going on in the world, there are still people who are trying to do some good. It's pretty much because of those lawyers and caseworkers that I've agreed to go back... Oh, and the money ;-)

One thing is for sure: During my time at the CPS once again I will feel a huge amount of gratitude for how good I have it. Ironically, sometimes it takes the bad things in life to remind us how fortunate we are when experiencing the "good times." I've noticed that those who believe in God tend to remember Him more so when enduring any form of suffering, as opposed to remembering him during the happier times, when maybe our more materialistic desires are being met. It's easy, or even convenient to forget God when feeling fulfilled materialistically... well, for some of us anyway.

As soon as the more materialistic aspects of life are met, what then of our spiritual needs? What then of our relationship with The Creator? To forget our spiritual needs and to constantly feed our more emotional or physical desires is now the prevalent approach of many of the believers, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew. Some of us would rather watch television than pray, or socialise with humans rather than converse in prayer with our Creator etc. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that we should only concentrate on our relationship with God and neglect all other aspects of life. On the contrary, I believe it's important to maintain a harmonious relationship with both God and His creation.

In regards to Muslims, we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to converse with The Creator five times a day when abiding by the five daily prayers. Our everyday vocabulary flourishes with the remembrance of God. We say "Alhamdulillah," "Praise be to God;" "Insha'Allah" "If God wills;" "Masha'Allah," "As God wills;" "Jazakallahu Khairan" "May God give you the best reward" and so forth throughout the day. All of these terms are used both during the good and bad times... Ideally anyway.

When it comes to feeding my material needs above my spiritual I too am guilty. My soul starves when I begin to forget about God, and I have no right to deny it of its nourishment. No one who believes in God has that right. To be more precise, faith and knowledge are not a burden- They're a gift. They're a gift that should be embraced during both the good and bad times.

So once again I will return to the CPS this Summer: I will try to enhance my knowledge further, Insha'Allah (God willing;) be thankful for what I have and to remember the One for whom all my actions should be devoted: God.

It's a Miracle?

2006-05-19T11:17:00.000+01:00

When it comes to miracles I can't help being a bit of a skeptic. At least once a month there's a new email sent to me about yet another so-called "miracle." It all makes me wonder about the state of the believers nowadays and their attitude towards miracles.

It's not necessarily the authenticity of the "miracles" that worry me, but rather the impression that I get that a lot of people are actively hunting them down. It's almost as though people need miracles in order to confirm their faith- Isn't it enough anymore to have faith instead of feeling that one has to resort to proving such faith to others? Do we honestly think that God is forever revealing Himself through miracles to mankind when He has already sent us the guidance that we need through revelation? Personally I don't think this should be, or even is the case.

The number of miracles people are claiming to witness more recently almost makes a mockery of religion. The value of a miracle is so little, that people like me can only believe in it if we witness it ourselves, and even then we hold a little skepticism towards it. Allah (God) knows best.

At the same time I look at the world around me and think everything's a miracle. The intricate patterning that we all possess: our hands, our feet, everything. Go on and have a look at yourself right now and tell me what you see. I see the sort of design that is so perfectly constructed, that to me is a miracle in itself. I don't need to witness any other miracles in the world- I am one.

The Weight of the World

2006-05-13T12:55:00.000+01:00

While going through some paperwork I came across this article that I had written for an Islamic Society newsletter in September 2005. I was incredibly limited by what I was allowed to say, and the word count etc. so I think it could have been much better than it was. At the time I didn't really get much feedback about it, so now that we have the benefit of hindsight, I'd like to know what you all think:

The Weight of the World

On the seventh day of the seventh month, four explosions erupted in the country’s capital, London. Between 6th and 8th July, the Leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa[1] gathered at Gleneagles for the G8 summit. On 29th August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans causing a huge humanitarian crisis, ironically in the most powerful country in the world. From Niger reports came through that finally brought to our attention the famine that had spread throughout the country. The list goes on. What do all these events have in common? The failure by those in charge in applying the correct knowledge and understanding that could easily have helped avoid the number of casualties in all disasters.

The incident of 7th July 2005 has been exhausted upon by the continuous media coverage it has received. However, what most concerns this writer about 7th July was not necessarily that the alleged culprits were “Muslim,” but rather that there were, and still are, people out there who are willing to take innocent lives, as well as their own. Similarly, the G8 Summit; the reaction of the President to the disaster in New Orleans; and the way in which the leaders of Niger combated the humanitarian crisis, shall, and have, resulted in the loss of innocent lives. There was no room for failure in any of these situations, and yet people have been let down, having to pay with their lives.

It is not my intention to instil a sense of anger in my readers. But rather, recognise how it is imperative now for US, the next generation of Muslims, to take advantage of the fountain of knowledge we are exposed to at university. Insha’Allah, it is our generation of Muslims that must educate ourselves to the highest levels possible, if Muslims are to survive, and successfully embark upon the trials of this world.

Abu Hurayrah (RA) reported, “The Prophet (SAW) said that amongst the signs before the Day of Judgement, “Time will pass rapidly, knowledge will decrease, miserliness will become widespread in people’s hearts, affliction will appear, and there will be much Harj (Killing.)”[2]

Indeed many of these signs are recognised by Muslims today. However, I urge you not to resign yourselves to believing that we must accept that the Day of Judgement is approaching and therefore, not even attempt to combat the injustices that surrounded us. For remember, our own personal Judgment day (death) is closer than the world’s Day of Judgement. If knowledge is decreasing in the world, then it is my opinion that we should educate ourselves and apply what we learn in every aspect of our lives.

In Niger aid agencies say that the crisis “was foreseen months ago but nothing was done.”[3] The information was there, and yet the correct knowledge about what to do with it was lacking. Or, maybe the knowledge was there, yet the application was lacking.

Let us take heed from the late Ahmed Deedat, who presented many lectures, of which one my brother was fortunate enough to attend. At the beginning of the lecture Ahmed Deedat picked up a book and showed it to the audience asking if anyone had read it. One man raised his hand. Ahmed Deedat was shocked. “What was the first command given to Muhammad (SAW)?”

“IQRA!” (READ!)

[1] http://www.g8.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1078995902703
[2](Bukhārī) “The Signs Before the Day of Judgement,” Ibn Kathir
[3] “In pictures: Hunger Hits Niger” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4696149.stm

Do it Anyway

2006-05-06T15:45:00.000+01:00

A poem that a friend sent me:

DO IT ANYWAY

People are often unreasonable,
Illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
People may cheat you;
Be honest anyway.

What you spend years building,
Someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
And it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
It is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Carpe Diem

2006-04-25T15:45:00.000+01:00

It's difficult to carpe diem (seize the day) when you've got essay and exam overload.

Now I'm back at uni I'm surrounded by student zombies whose lives have been reduced to eating, *occasionally* sleeping and revising, revising, revising. It's a life that is so focused upon the short term gains that it becomes difficult to remember a world outside your designated revision area. Hence the lack of day-seizing.

It's tradition with me to sit down with whoever's close by when coming to exam time and complain about the approach to education that we currently have in place. Seeing as no-one is around at the moment, I thought that my blog would be the ideal place this year.

I'm standing back and having to witness a system which merely encourages us all to study to pass exams, rather than study for knowledge. There's no value left in education nowadays, and it disgusts me that I'm abiding by such a system which day-by-day is destroying the potential that lurks behind my mind and the minds of so many around me.

I didn't start thinking like this for no reason. It has a cause: Secondary school (or, "high school" as the Americans call it.) During my time at school I came across the so called "academically outstanding" girls who, for example, were studying Biology up to their A-Levels. Yet regardless of the "knowledge" that they had acquired, they still chose to participate in destructive activities such as smoking, drinking excessively etc. Everything that they were learning was going in through one ear and out the other. What was the point in learning what they weren't going to put into practice? Why learn something that has absolutely no effect on your own life? They were great at getting As in their exams, but when it came to practicing what they had learnt, they failed miserably.

At uni things aren't really as bad. A lot of the people I've come across are feeling a similar sense of frustration towards a system that solely takes into account the final grade of a student rather than their effort all year round, or even the knowledge that they've put into practice.

But during exam time even the ones who are frustrated with the system, including myself, suddenly have to close their minds to the rest of the world. The problem is, the more we end up focusing on one aspect of our life, the more we forget how valuable the rest of our life is. For "Carpe diem" is just another way of saying live each day as your last: Every second that ticks by is a step closer to death. (I recommend the film "Dead Poets Society" to illustrate my point.)

Unfortunately until the system changes, I'm going to have to be a part-time sheep and conform. The best I can do is repeat over and over in my head the following words:

"If you study to remember you will forget. But, if you study to understand you will remember."

*Sigh* Back to revision.

Faith. It's all about faith.

2006-04-16T23:47:00.000+01:00

OK, so let's see if I can do this...

"...The meaning of "void" is a place without any spatial object in it. Now "place" and "a spatial object" are in that type of relation where one does not precede the other, so that if there is place there is, necessarily, a spatial object, and if there is a spatial object there is, necessarily place. It is therefore not possible for a place to exist without a spatial object; whereas by "void" a place without spatial object is meant. It is not possible for absolute void to exist."

Recently I’ve been reading "On First Philosophy" by Yusuf al-Kindi (a.k.a. “The Philosopher of the Arabs,”) for an Islamic Philosophy essay. The extract above is one of his easier concepts.

A lot of Muslims completely disregard so-called "Islamic Philosophy," and argue that Islam and philosophy just don’t go. They argue that it is ultimately impossible to use reason to prove that there is a God etc. Now, personally I'd been trying to understand their perspective, because to be honest, I'd been using a heck of a lot of reasoning to prove in my mind that there has to be a God. Of course revelation played an important role too, but so did my own reasoning.

The quote above sparked off a discussion and I figured that I shouldn't let such a discussion go unrecorded… so here it goes:

To put it in the simplest of terms, the above quote eventually implies that there is no such thing as void, and therefore something must always have existed = God. For existence cannot come into being without something to have always existed. You can't get something (e.g. the world) from nothingness; you can't have existence from non-existence. This is pretty much the reasoning I'd been using for the past five years to make sense of God's eternal existence.

Problem.

As it was pointed out to me, Yusuf-al-Kindi's thoughts are flawed, and therefore so is my own reasoning. Al-Kindi is restricted to using the laws of physics of this world to "prove" that there is a God. The ideas of existence and non-existence, void etc. are all just part of the laws of physics that we understand in THIS world. However, the laws of physics in other universes and worlds may be different, so that such reasoning cannot be applied universally, so to speak. Basically for the ultimate proof of God's existence, we need to find proof that is universally applicable. Eventually whatever reasoning I may use "prove" that there is a God, will always be counteracted by an opposing theory. After all, everything, including reasoning, has been made in pairs. Whatever reasoning I use to argue that there is a God; there will always be opposing arguments.

A while back I saw a documentary based on the life of Einstein. The one thing that really stuck out for me was that he had devoted his entire life to finding the "key." In other words, his whole life was dedicated to searching for the formula for creation itself. In essence this is also what Islamic Philosophers were doing. They were trying to use reasoning to understand the Creator and the creation- it was just another way to use rationality to show that there is a God.

I was then reminded of a story about the Prophet 'Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him,) where his disciples had requested food straight from Paradise. God agreed to send the food to them, but said very clearly to 'Isa (PBUH,) that if any of his disciples were to disobey God now, after clear proof had been given to them of His existence, then there would be no mercy for them:

“Behold! The disciples, said: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Can thy Lord send down to us a table set (with viands) from heaven?" Said Jesus: "Fear God if ye have faith." They said: "We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou hast indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle." Said Jesus the son of Mary: "O Allah (God) our Lord! Send us from heaven a table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival and a sign from thee; and provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)." God said: "I will send it down unto you: But if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples."” (The Holy Qur’an, 5:112-115.)

Woah.

Now for Muslims God is believed to be THE MOST Merciful, so what made the disciples any different all of a sudden? Why was it that God would punish the disciples if they resisted faith and acting upon it now? Well, the fact that they now had CLEAR proof that God exists. If they chose to disobey God despite PROOF of His existence, why then should He forgive them?

So, back to Al-Kindi and all those who wanted to prove that God existed- well, if they ever did find proof, then no man would have the choice to not to believe in God. Is it not that choice, and freedom to believe or not believe in Him what makes us human? If that freedom is taken away, then essentially there is no excuse not to believe and no excuse not to act on that belief. To believe in a religion or in God isn’t a matter of reason or even revelation, it’s a matter of pure faith.

The works of those people who tried to make sense of creation wasn’t in vain. Regardless of anyone’s view on Islamic Philosophy, there is no doubt that a lot of their ideas can be used to enhance one's faith; as it has done in my instance. But at the end of the day, it's my faith that makes me believe, and no one can take that away from me except God Himself.

Conclusion: No one will ever be able to PROVE the existence of God in this life. Believing in Him is just a matter of faith. As it is said in the Qur'an:

"It is not required of thee (O Messenger), to set them on the right path, but God sets on the right path whom He pleaseth. Whatever of good ye give benefits your own souls, and ye shall only do so seeking the "Face" of God. Whatever good ye give, shall be rendered back to you, and ye shall not be dealt with unjustly.” (The Holy Qur’an, 2:272)

“We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now God leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom.” (The Holy Qur’an 14:4)

And so forth.

My reason, and therefore philosophy enhances my understanding of my faith, as does revelation and therefore theological understanding. But the truth is, without my FAITH, I'm nothing.

A Little Out of it at the mo

2006-04-13T20:11:00.000+01:00

Written two years ago but I see it today. As I sometimes say: Don't judge my religion by its followers. We rarely do justice to the faith anymore.

I'm working on another post which will be up soon Insha'Allah.

My voice isn't the only thing I've lost

2006-03-31T22:53:00.000+01:00

What makes a friend a friend?

This blog may help to explain some of my more recent blogs. I'm currently in the process of losing a very dear friend of mine, due to the choices that said friend has decided to make in their life. I'm not writing this blog for sympathy; because really the worse part of ending a friendship is nearing the end for me (the "mourning period" as someone has described it.) Neither do I want it to reflect any slight on them. This blog is really my way of entering into the next stage- moving on, and learning from this experience so that I don't make the same mistake again... I hope.

Anyway I guess I just need reminding about what a friendship really is, and what, if anything could ever break up a good friendship?

Is friendship trust, and if that trust is broken, then bang! You're no longer friends? If trust is lost then can it ever be rebuilt or does this depend on each and every individual friendship? Or is friendship honesty? Is it when you're honest with each other through thick and thin; when you will support the other when they are right, and tell them when they are wrong? Finally is it just a whole load of expectations we all carry around with us from our friends? That is, expecting all these things from your friend and not really knowing until you come to a certain time in your friendship when you find out if they really are your friend or not.

I think it's the last one. I don't think we ever really do know how far we can trust someone, or how honest we can be with them until it comes to the crunch. A true friend is the one who proves that you can trust them; that they appreciate your honesty; and finally, they will expect the same in return because a friendship is a two-way relationship.

I was looking on the internet for proverbs about friendships, and came across one that perfectly describes how I feel towards my closest friends (you know who you are.)

"Friends are the siblings God never gave us."

Thank God, He sent them to me as friends!

As for the friend that I'm losing, or may already have lost, whether they realise it yet or not, this is for them:

"Time may lead me to nowhere and fate might break me into pieces but I will always be grateful that once in my life's journey we became friends." (Thank you to the person who said this to me, you are and Insha'Allah will always be a part of my journey.)

Anywho ladies and gentlemen, I believe it is now time for me to move on... Next blog: What the heck was Condoleezza Rice thinking going to Blackburn? Talk about making yet another tactical error... Some people never learn.

She LOOKED like the real thing

2006-03-29T15:44:00.000+01:00

It amazes me at times to see how low people will go in order to get others to like them. Sometimes it's at the risk of their own dignity, like in the case of David Brent in The Office, or even at the risk of offending others... again, like David Brent in The Office. (I've been watching a lot of The Office recently.)

Somebody interestingly said the other day that one only acts artificially in order to get others to like them. It sounded very playgroundy to me, especially as this person was referring to the actions of one in a University environment where I thought everyone was supposed to be appreciated for their uniqueness- I mean, how could anyone act artificially for that long? Hasn't Big Brother taught us anything? But then upon reflection I realised how true it is of so many people I've met at University. On the other side of the scale there are those who are so stubborn in their ways that they really don't care whether people like them or not. I don't really need to say anything about those sorts of people, because they probably won't care.

I'd like to believe that whenever I act I do so taking everyone, including myself into account. But the truth is that I can be just as selfish as everyone else. We all want to be liked, and sometimes that means forgetting everyone else's feelings and doing whatever is necessary to satisfy everyone's expectations. But can acting like this ever be justified?

Personally I don't think it can. Wanting to please others is a disease that I've seen in way too many people already, and it never ends well. The fact is, we can't please everyone forever. The way I see it, if we're not ourselves then eventually we'll forget who we are. At the same time I believe that we've all got to learn to compromise once-in-a-while. If not for anything else, then at least for the sake of peace. It's about striking the balance- And once you've struck that balance you'll experience the sort of peace with those around you that you'd never have thought was possible in this world.

As for the people who still act artificially, and forget who they are...

Maybe I've been listening to a bit too much Jeff Buckley and Radiohead recently

2006-03-23T21:50:00.000Z

Perhaps I'm not really in the best frame of mind to be writing a blog at the moment, but it's about time I started speaking up again. I've been quiet for too long ;-)

Yesterday I read about a girl in Luton who lost her battle in the House of Lords for being able to wear the jilbaab (a loose flowing robe-like dress) to school. I have my own personal opinions on the issue, but my blog isn't about that exactly.

To be quite honest, as a hijaabi myself I am completely fed up with the constant media attention which the Islamic dress has been receiving. Don't get me wrong; off course anyone who restricts a person from being able to practice their faith is utter scum, whether it be restricting the way they dress, or whatever. What I, as a Muslim am genuinely concerned about is how Islam is being reduced to a mere physical representation in everyones eyes. The essence of the faith itself is being lost, while the more outward aspects are being emphasised more than necessary.

In fact, while we're on the subject, let me also draw your attention to other tools adopted by the media and politicians in order to distract the audience from asking more in depth questions about Islam, or any other religion for that matter. Time-and-time-again there are news reports where it might be that a Muslim has been involved in a crime, although the fact that they are a Muslim has no connection with their actions or the crime. However, the media still draws the audiences' attention to that little bit of information- that they are a Muslim... why? Anyway, I am currently waiting for the day when the news does not mention the words "Muslim" and "terrorist." Seriously, tell me when that day comes. The fear tactic is a fantastic way in which to stop us lot from asking the "wrong questions." The more uneducated and violent the Muslim community looks, the less anyone wants to know them.

So to sum up: the question of the veil, the Islamic stance on the treatment of women and so forth have all been answered by Muslims and all one has to do is make use of the facilities available to them to find out more. It's time now to start asking the deeper questions; For the longer we focus on the more physical aspects, the further away we get from the more deep-rooted elements of the faith. The further we drift from the truth. "What IS the truth?" I hear you ask. Well to answer that question, I suggest you go and find out...

It's been too long

2006-03-22T21:33:00.000Z

I'll start blogging properly again soon. At the mo too much is happening with exams/essays etc. to be able to sit back, relax and write. But I have to blog soon as I've got a lot to say, and I need somewhere to say it all. Watch this space. Just keep watching.

A delayed post

2006-02-25T18:17:00.000Z

This post was never published... until now:

I've just started researching for my dissertation which I'm planning to be a tribute to Islam's encouraging attitude when it comes to ones persuit of knowledge.

When I was little my dad used to say to me that he didn't care if I grew up and decided to become a janitor, all he wanted was for me to educate myself as much as possible. My knowledge would be my weapon of defence against the cruelties of the world.

By knowledge I don't mean the ability to re-iterate what I've read in a textbook, but rather to achieve that sense of true learning, of true satisfaction. Once upon a time I used to experience this in bucket fulls. Unfortunately now even at university level I'm not finding that same satisfaction that I used to. Every once in a while I need that little kick of motivation. When I was younger it was what my dad, mum and brother used to teach me. Today it's this:

"One hour of teaching is better than a night of praying"- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

And for me to be able to teach, I must first learn.

Doubt

2006-02-22T16:06:00.000Z

There are only so many times that you can bang your head against a wall until you start to bleed.

When making a big decision a lot of the time I have to experience that twinge at the back of my head that causes me to doubt myself. A lot of the people I care about have recently been experiencing this too, so this blog is for them.

Most of the time the only way in which I eliminate any sense of doubt is by reminding myself about accountability. Whether you believe in religion or not, that sense of accountability still follows you in some form, reminding us that whatever decisions we make we are accountable for, whether it's to another human being, or Allah. Therefore I am constantly questioning myself (and bear with me here,) if the decisions I am making can be justified when I am standing before my Creator. If that's too huge a concept, then I think whether I could justify it to His most beloved, Muhammad (SAW.) And if that's too huge a concept as well, I question whether I could justify it before those who raised me, especially my mum. If in doubt, I usually imagine that those who know me best, especially my Creator, to be judging me as I understand they would- in the whole "the truth hurts" kind of honesty.

But now we have to go back to the first sentence I started off with. Well right now I'm making decisions which feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall, and to be very honest, it's starting to hurt. Nonetheless, behind that wall is a ray of hope, which seems to be fading away. So, I'm not sure if all the pain I'm going through is really worth it anymore and if I'm going to make it to that ray in time... Welcome to the ultimate doubt. Doubting whether my definition of right and wrong is really strong enough, or even worthy of my perseverance.

The biggest problem is if I live my life in doubt then I'll never get anything done. So I'm constantly having to refer back to the foundations which my parents and brother laid in me. That plus the occasional reference to my faith and revelation pretty much determines whether what I'm doing is really the right thing to do.

Regardless of all this, the fear of realising that what you're doing is wrong is forever lingering... so I figure, if all else fails, I'm only human, and I need to make mistakes that I can learn from. As Gandhi said:

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."

And to balance that out:

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

Update

2006-02-15T15:54:00.000Z

I'm going through a bit of a mental block when it comes to writing at the mo, so will try and get another blog up a.s.a.p... Talk about bad timing- I've just started up on the ISOC (Islamic Society) newsletter again :-s Any suggestions for articles etc. are MOST welcome!

As for now, life's pretty cool :-)

Friends Forever

2006-01-23T15:05:00.000Z

I felt pretty disappointed with myself the other day when I started to reflect on a particular friendship. The said friend had done some very kind favours for me in the past and the more I reflected, the more I realised that I had not been treating them recently with the respect that they deserved, taking into consideration what they had done for me.

Both our outlooks on life have undergone some dramatic changes and this in turn has caused quite a bit of trouble. Yet I am shocked that I, someone who not too long ago wrote a blog criticising the British public for THEIR bad memory, has committed the same mistake. (Refer to blog entitled "Anyone Remember the Millennium Dome?"- 22nd December 2005.)

During times of difficulty, especially in friendships, it becomes easy to forget all the good times we share with one-another, and instead place a heavy emphasis on all the bad times. This does not just have to apply to friendships, but other scenarios too. However it is during the testing times in life that we should hold tight those happy memories and fight whatever or whoever has the nerve to challenge us and our friendships.

Although I think in my case I have been very late in realising all this, and may even be on the verge of losing a friend, I've decided to fight for my friendship. Hey, fighting is what I do best ;-)

The Point of No Return?

2006-01-18T21:32:00.000Z

A while back I was watching a so-called "documentary" entitled "Religion- The Root of all Evil?" I only watched part of the first episode simply as I'm not patient enough to take the sort of insults that were being thrown at religion by the presenter, Richard Dawkins. It's a flaw- I'll work on it.

Perhaps the biggest criticism I had of the program was that Dawkins was simply unable to distinguish between religion and the personal choices made by humans. For example, one of the most prominent arguments that stood out against religion in the program was that it is the cause of many conflicts. And yet there was I, a Muslim, and Hannah, a Christian, able to sit next to each other in peace watching TV. It isn't religion that is the cause of conflict; it's the people themselves, and blaming religion is simply shifting the blame onto something else. Therefore the program had no basis whatsoever. In my opinion, the root of evil is not the essence of religion, but rather its misinterpretation followed by incorporating said misinterpretations into peoples lives- WHICH IS NOT ESSENTIALLY THE RELIGION ITSELF.

And here comes the biggy: If it is the people who cause conflict, it is the people, and only the people, who can stop it. I know it's naive to wish that the world can return to that time where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in harmony with each other after all that has happened; yet it is a hope that I still harbour. Regardless of all the suffering that both sides have faced, if we don't forgive each other now, then we'll be stuck in this circle of revenge forever.

http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/rootofevil1.html

You Know You're a '90's Kid if...

2006-01-15T13:16:00.000Z

Another cut and paste job... Couldn't resist:

You know you're a 90's kid if...

You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"

You've worn shorts and felt stylish

You yearned to be part of the Baby-Sitters club

You used to love playing with your MY Little Pet Shop

You remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons

You wore a ponytail on the side of your head and had fluffed bangs

You remember reading "Goosebumps"

You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off"

You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

You remember the craze, then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books

You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence...Not...

You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green Ranger were meant to be together.

You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"

You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates

You wore socks over leggings scrunched down

You remember boom boxes v.s. CD players

You knew what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare"

You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool

You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell"

You played and or collected "Pogs"

You used to pretend to be a MIGHTY MORPHIN Power Ranger

You owned a Skip

You had at least one GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere - Tamagotchi ring a bell?

You watched the ORIGINAL Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Ninja Turtles

Yikes pencils and erasers were the shit

You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out

You used to wear those stick on earings, not only on your ears, but at the corners of your eyes

You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

You thought it would be so cool to be Alex Mack

You know the Macarena by heart.

"Talk to the hand" ... enough said

You thought Brain woud finally take over the world

2 words ... SPICE GIRLS

You can remember dance tunes such as "Mr. Vain"...

You remember watching Live and Kicking

You read "Shout," "Miss" and occassionally "J17!"

Olny srmat poelpe cna

2006-01-14T12:42:00.000Z

I Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, teh olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.The rset cna be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos nto raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrodas a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Eid Mubarak!

2006-01-11T21:06:00.000Z

To all the Muslims out there, a belated:

Eid Mubarak!

I'm very sorry for the late "mubaraki" but been pretty snowed under... Hope you all had a great time

Supersize This

2006-01-07T13:13:00.000Z

Almost time to go back to uni now, so wanted to squeeze in a blog before the essaylessness celebrations begin. Unfortunately though it looks like I might be paying extra attention to what I eat during these festive times... (The Muslim festival of Eid-Al-Adha's approaching too.)

I watched Supersize Me the other day and must say I've pretty much been put off McDonalds... Yup, even the HALAL ones in Pakistan! I'd already stopped eating from McDonalds in England since my uncle worked in a fast food place, and was nice enough to share some of his stories with me. But what I saw in Supersize Me has put me off for life- So congrats to its creators.

Although there was an absurd bit of the movie where Morgan Spurlock forced himself to eat a whole Supersize meal in one sitting with me shouting at the screen "eat the rest later!" a lot of the film was uncomfortably familiar.

And then someone emailed me this:

Try These Shoes on for Size

2006-01-01T12:59:00.000Z

My mum watched this Indian film last night and was telling me about it. I hate most Indian films, but must say that this one sounded pretty interesting. (Ignoring all the songs and melodramatic love stories aspect of it )

So, it was about a guy who was approached by the "God of Death," (for my sake I'm just going to say Death.) The guy was told that he had just days to live and that he should choose where he wanted to die. When Death returned and saw the man sitting in the hallway of a hospital he questioned him as to why he had chosen that particular spot to die. In response to this the man lost his temper and argued with death for his ignorance about life and all that it brings: love, relationships, emotions etc etc.

As a challenge the man said to Death just to experience what life was like. And so to do this Death possessed the man's body and lived as him, in his life for four days. To Death's own surprise he started to find himself growing more and more attached to life, experiencing feelings such as love, pain blah blah blah. When the time came that he had to leave the man's body, he told him everything that he had began to feel. The man of course felt that he had won. But then Death replied: He said that it didn't matter how much longer he gave the man to live, that the man would never be satisfied. His work in this world would never end, and he would never want to leave it.

Interesting. Firstly the man had valued and was grateful enough for his life to have even wished for Death to have experienced it. Yet at the same time, as Death was to teach him, he had lived life in too much of a permanent sense. He had attached himself to a world that in its very nature is temporary, and had forgotten that Death was running up behind him. He had been short-sighted.

Many world religions don't see death as a full-stop in life, but rather a comma in our journey. Especially for Muslims it's more an experience we'll just have to go through, and therefore are constantly preparing ourselves for throughout our lives. We prepare ourselves for the life after death.

This is where the man was going wrong in his life. While Death learnt the value and appeal of life, the man had to learn the value of Death. His life was temporary, and as far as he, or any of us know, what comes after this life is pretty much permanent...

"Wherever ye are, death will find you out, even if ye are in towers built up strong and high!" If some good befalls them, they say, "This is from Allah"; but if evil, they say, "This is from thee" (O Prophet). Say: "All things are from Allah." But what hath come to these people, that they fail to understand a single fact? Whatever good, (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul. And We have sent thee (Muhammad) as a messenger to (instruct) mankind. And enough is Allah for a witness." (The Qur'an, Surah 4 Ayat 78-79.)

(For those of you who are curious as to why the man had chosen the hospital to die in, it was because he had built it in his mother's memory.)

2006 Here We Come

2005-12-31T21:47:00.000Z

Well it's nearing the end of 2005 and I thought that it deserved a quick blog. Gather around as I ponder over my version of 2005. (I'm going to be all reflective- You've been warned.)

I don't know about you all but this year has brought its fair share of experiences for me. Without many of which I wouldn't be anywhere near the person I've had to become today. (Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you )

Here are some of the things that stick out most (sorry if I've missed anything):

- 2005 brought me my first ever job at the CPS. It was a chance to witness the goodness in people out there who are dedicating their lives trying to bring about some sort of justice in this world, fighting in the face of some true, true evils. I feel honoured to have worked alongside such people... Oh, and money good

- University: It's had its up and downs, all of which taught me some valuable lessons about people. Let's hope that 2006 brings more ups.

-Home: Some of the so-called "downs" made me realise how lucky I really am. Words really won't be able to express how grateful I am for the friends I have, my home, my bro, and most of all, the mum I've been blessed with. All I can say is that my mum fulfils every single quality a mother should have, and for that I pray for nothing but her happiness, Aameen.

- My housemates: Perhaps one of the best surprises of 2005 were my housemates. They've brought fun, laughter and even a sense of relief when I'd had a bad day. So a huge thank you to them for being the people that they are. Here's to plenty more cake days in the future *holds up a glass of Irn Bru- NOT alcohol- alcohol's evil *

Actually writing this list isn't as easy as I thought it would be... I know I'll unintentionally miss out a lot things- things like my first digital camera (thanks to Pa,) and the fantastic Iftaar hosted at Sara, Rehnuma, Jesse and Sadia's place- If it wasn't for that then I would never have learnt how to make such a wicked pasta Rehnuma Ah and God bless brownies. So I suppose I'll have to leave it there.

I guess as for the many many other adventures I've been up to... Let's just say that it's not all suitable for younger readers...

Happy New Year everyone

P.S. I forgot to say before that I welcome any comments you all have, so feel free to leave some

You Know You've Been to University too Long When...

2005-12-25T17:22:00.000Z

YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN UNIVERSITY TOO LONG WHEN...

You actually like doing laundry at home where the washing machines work.

Two miles is not too far to walk for a party.

You'd rather clean than study especially if an essay is due.

"Oh sh*t how did it get so late!" comes out of your mouth at least once a night.

Parents' cooking becomes something you desire, not avoid.

You schedule your classes around sleep habits and soap operas especially Neighbours and Hollyoaks.

You know the pizza boy by name and don't even need to read the menu.

You go to sleep when it's light and get up when it's dark.

You live for getting mail.

Looking out the window is a form of entertainment.

Prank phone calls become funny again.

You start thinking and sounding like your friends and your accent becomes a hybrid of West Country, Surrey and general Northern.

Highlighters are the coolest things on earth.

Rearranging your room is your favourite pastime.

Rubbish cheap £1 shops are so cool.

The weekend lasts from Thursday to Monday.

BEFORE I CAME TO UNIVERSITY, I WISH I HAD KNOWN...

That it didn't matter how late my first lecture was, I'd still sleep through it.

That I could change so much and barely realize it.

That you can love a lot of people in a lot of different ways.

No matter how 'cool' you were in school, no one here cares.

That if you wear polyester everyone will ask why you are so dressed up.

That every clock on campus shows a different time.

That if you got good A-Levels, so what? It doesn't matter here.

That you can know everything and fail a test.

That you can know nothing and ace a test.

That I could get used to almost anything found out about my friends.

That most of my education would be obtained outside of lectures.

That friendship is more than getting drunk together but that's still funny......!

That Sunday is a figment of the world's imagination.

That Psychology is really Biology, that Biology is really Chemistry, that Chemistry is really Physics and that Physics is really Maths.

That my parents would become so much smarter in the last few years.

That it's possible to be alone even when you are surrounded by friends.

Don't be dismayed at good-byes, a farewell is necessary before we can meet again, and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.

TOP 10 REASONS THAT UNIVERSITY IS LIKE PRIMARY SCHOOL

10. You cry for your mother.

9. You cross the street without looking for cars.

8. Snack time is a necessity.

7. You bundle up for the outdoors without caring what you look like (because everyone else looks as stupid as you do).

6. You stay at home and play games with your friends.

5. You wear your backpack on both shoulders.

4. You wear big mittens.

3. Playing in the snow is a legitimate activity.

2. You take naps.

1. You look forward to cheese toasties.

Chritmas is Upon us so....

2005-12-22T21:27:00.000Z

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to anyone out there who'll be celebrating

Anyone Remember the Millennium Dome?

2005-12-22T21:20:00.000Z

I was going to publish this blog a while back, before the "confession" by Bush that the intelligence reports he received in regards to the war in Iraq weren't trustworthy. Feel free to have a read of it, but bear in mind that it's me having one of my rants :-)

It's funny how we Brits have a tendency to forget some of the monumental disasters that this British government has made. The same government that we have decided to elect three times... (There is no emoticon to express how I feel.)

Anyone out there remember the Millennium Dome? If not, then here's a little reminder: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1934108.stm

What about the name, Ken Bigley?

Yeah, as I said, we Brits have a tendency to forget. Unfortunately it's this forgetful nature of ours that will inevitably ruin us. If we commit the proposterous crime of forgetting the grievous mistakes made by those we elect into power, (whether it be into parliament or ANY other election,) then we deserve all the consequences we face.

While watching the beginnings of a demonstration commence against the war in Iraq, I came across a Muslim man who stood there, folded his arms and exclaimed "what's the point?" There's ALWAYS a point. If it wasn't for protesting against the war in the first place then the number of casualties in Iraq may well have been much higher than they were. (Just for those of you who know me well: Yes, I did almost burst out and slap this guy...)

But that's not my point. We protest; we speak up; we boycott companies who fund the killing of innocent civilians and no, we won't let anyone forget, because the alternative: just sitting around with our arms folded, is unbearable.

A Good Friendship is Cheaper than Therapy

2005-12-09T02:59:00.000Z

On Monday, Dr Zakir Naik, a great speaker on Islam graced Birmingham with the pleasure of his company. However on the Sunday before I was forced to resign myself to the fact that for various reasons I wouldn't be able to see him.

To cut a long story short, a friend stepped in and went out of her way to help me get to the talk. Not only that, but her mum made me dinner, and offered me a place to stay the night! Again today I was running embarassingly late to meet up with some chums for dinner, so by the time I turned up, they'd already eaten. And what do I find? They'd saved up lots of food for me to take home

You see in the past few weeks I've had a few of ups and downs, and regardless of my failure to keep up with a few friendships, I've been lucky enough (Alhamdulillah) to have had my close friends right there and then, ready to help me out.

So I guess my advice for anyone who may be going through a rough patch at the mo is just to sit back, relax, and wait for the good times to begin, for after the bad times MUST come the good... oh, and don't be afraid to let your friends help you along. Sometimes they can see what you can't.

Consequences

2005-12-02T19:12:00.000Z

Consequences are something I've personally failed to bear in mind recently. The consequence of a mere utterence can be so upsetting that the utterence in itself no longer seems worth it, especially if said in anger.

"Think before you speak" is a saying that's often been recited to me by my loved ones. The ones whom I can trust most to be honest with me when I'm doing or saying something wrong. Unfortunately they haven't been around me recently, and so I was left alone to constantly remind myself of all the teachings that I had been brought up with... Needless to say, I failed miserably.

Perhaps moreso now than ever before am I starting to realise the value of being surrounded by loved ones. It's their brutal honesty which used to keep me grounded as soon as I did something wrong. Currently I'm having to learn to remind myself to stop and think before I speak or act, and to bear in mind all the possible consequences of my actions and/or words.

So now I shall have to invest some hope in the forgiveness of the people around me for "not being myself" recently, and for not realising the consequences of my actions. More importantly, I shall have to invest some hope in the forgiveness of the One who created me for not remembering Him as much as I should have in the path I chose to take.

Here's my hope:

"Announce [Prophet] to My slaves that verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Qur'an 15:49)

Thanks Pa xxx

The Spider Returns

2005-11-06T23:39:00.000Z

Day 1 of the Spider Hunt

I have spent the last few months living in total bliss, reassuring myself constantly that I shall never have to re-live the horrific days of my spider attack (refer to blog entry on 13th August 2005.) Such disregard for the possibility of another attack was foolish...

It has been brought to my attention that a new and improved spider has arisen from the dark valleys of my bathroom.

It was reported to have been sighted and initially removed from the premises a few days ago. However, the spider returned with a vengeance, mocking everyone he saw with his swift moves and subtle charm. (My fellow occupants refuse to kill him, and have even named him "Rudyard"... damn that spider... or "Rudyard," as he likes to be called.)

This will be a tough challenge, but someone with experience in the field must rise up to the challenge and defeat the evil fiend once and for all. It seems as though that "someone" will have to be ... ME.

Day: Over a week
I have been waiting for "Rudey" to show his face for over a week now and still no luck.

I have been presented with three possibilities as to his whereabouts:
1. He's hiding in the hole near the bathroom
2. He's committed suicide
3. He's packed his bags and left... probably while the back door was open during "Sparklers day."

Whatever the answer, I can not rest easy until I know what has happened to Rudey once and for all.

Today is Eid... Or is it?

2005-11-03T04:30:00.000Z

At-Tirmidhî reported that Abû Hurayrah said the Prophet (SAW) said:

"When the first night of Ramadhan comes, the Shaytan and evil jinns are chained up. The gates of Hell are closed and not one of them is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one of them is closed."

This hadith got me thinking: If Muslims can't unite on deciding when Eid is, then how does Shaytan (the devil) know when he's to be released?

Let me put it another way. Can you imagine Allah (SWT) saying to Shaytan:

"Right Iblis, you're free to go to Oxford, Birmingham and Blackburn because fasting finishes for most of them today. BUT YOU MUST NOT GO TO Manchester, Scotland and Pakistan because they're still fasting. You can also go after the Sunni Iraqis, but not the Shi'ite ones. Oh, and didn't I tell you? You were free to visit Libya yesterday."

I'm pretty sure this isn't the case. Eid Al-Fitr is on ONE day, and ONE day only. And Shaytan will be released on ONE day to the whole of the world. More importantly, if we decide it is Eid on the wrong day, then it is very possible that either we end up fasting on a day we should be celebrating, (which in itself is forbidden,) or celebrating on a day we should be fasting. A scary thought isn't it? After all those fasts, we end up missing the day to celebrate getting through it.

So, when deciding when you're going to celebrate Eid, then remember the importance of your decision. And finally, bear in mind that the early Muslims, who did not have the technology we do today to spot the new moon, were able to unanimously agree on when the beginning of Ramadhan/Eid was. Therefore, I don't believe we have any excuse to be so disunited in such an important aspect of our religion.

Anyway, to everyone, whenever you may be celebrating, a HUGE EID MUBARAK! May Allah (SWT) accept all your fasts, prayers and endeavours to please Him throughout this holiest of months and Insha'Allah for the months to come. Aameen.

A Tribute to Islamic Art

2005-10-31T21:09:00.000Z

The other day I watched a documentary on Channel 4 called "Paradise Found" where the presenter set "out on an epic journey of discovery across the Muslim world from Central Asia, to the heart of the Middle East and beyond to reveal a world of awe-inspiring architecture, spectacular Islamic treasures and a host of artists and craftsmen – to bring the largely unknown and fascinating story of Islamic art and architecture to the attention of the British public."

The presenter of the show, Waldemar Januszczak did such an amazing job, that I felt it an obligation to paste below his closing words. Enjoy!

"You must have noticed that you never see ugliness in Islamic art or neurosis or personal problems or any of that dark stuff that so obsesses western artists. Islamic art always, ALWAYS tries to look as beautiful as it can. Why? Because it recognises that the problems of the artists are just storms in a teacup utterly irrelevant in the wider scheme of things. In the end all that matters is the beauty of God and the artist's task is always to reflect that beauty. To do otherwise, to fret about yourself, to go all dark and miserable in your art is to waste your artistic time."

Now I'm off to do some painting of my own...

Ten Weaknesses of the Heart

2005-10-23T22:41:00.000+01:00

Source: http://www.jamiat.org.za/isinfo/ten_weakness_of_the_heart.htm

Ten Weaknesses of the Heart

1. You believe in the existence of Allah Ta`ala but you do not fulfil His commands.

2. You say you love the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) but you do not follow his Sunnats.

3. You read the Holy Quran but you do not put it in to practice.

4. You enjoy all benefits from Allah but you are not grateful to Him.

5. You acknowledge Shaitan (Devil) as your enemy, but you do not go against him.

6. You want to enter Paradise, but you do not work for it.

7. You do not want to be thrown in the Hell-Fire, but you do not try to run away from it.

8. You believe that everything will face death, but you do not prepare for it.

9. You gossip and find faults in others, but you forget your own faults and bad habits.

10. You bury the dead, but you do not take lesson from it.

Women aren't a mystery

2005-10-16T16:40:00.000+01:00

I propose that women are no longer a mystery to men, and the time has now come whereby it's women who don't understand men (ooooh, I can almost feel every woman turn around and give me an evil.)

Of course I haven't come to this conclusion without much deliberation in the field. Here are a few scenarios I've come up with:

1. He doesn't argue back: How many of you ladies out there have been in a situation where you're arguing with a man and face nothing but a stony silence in return? It's almost as if they know that if they don't argue back then eventually you'll run out of things to say and feel guilty.

2. He says sorry first: OK, so after that one-sided argument, the man comes up with an apology. Of course he hadn't said anything to aggravate the situation further anyway, so an apology is totally acceptable and he knows it.

3. His head drops and he faces the floor, not daring to look you in the eye, whilst nodding and agreeing to do whatever you say: I don't want to explain this one too far. But Faaiza knows what I mean

4. The bad news followed straight away by a flowery gift: Most women out there are a sucker for flowers. No matter how much we try to deny it, flowers are indeed the key to a girl's heart (well, to get through one door anyway): after all, it's the thought that counts. Of course, no one knows this better than my brother. After presenting my mum with news that he'd splashed out to buy a games console, he presented her with a bunch of flowers. To my shock horror, the initial anger that I had seen build up in my mum when she'd heard about the games console immediately subsided...

It doesn't matter whether it's your boyfriend, brother, father, uncle or whatever, let's face facts: men have generally learnt how to handle women, and they're doing a good job of it.

But why is it that women are led to believe that they are a mystery unto all men? The media. Of course, as per usual the media has contributed to yet another one of society's flaws. Women have been conditioned to believe that men don't really understand them. However I have seen an increasing number of cases nowadays whereby the situation is the other way around. It is in fact the women, in my opinion, who don't understand men.

For example let's take a scenario we're all familiar with. A man comes home after a hard days work and all he wants is to relax. What does a woman do? Immediately start complaining about her day, and further complaining that he won't tell her about his... just leave him alone!

OK, so despite going to a girls' school for seven years I can honestly say that I'm not an expert on women, and definitely not on men. However from all the many, many conversations I've had with women about men I've come to one simple, straight forward answer: Maybe next time when you women out there start investing all that time and energy into psychoanalysing the male species in order to understand the "true" meaning behind their words and actions, you should just step back and take what he's said or done at face value.

I know it's a shocker of a theory, but just try it out and let me know how it goes.

What Batman Taught me....

2005-09-25T03:29:00.000+01:00

WARNING: For those of you who were unlucky enough not to have watched the movie, I seriously recommend you don't read this blog any further, and just watch it as soon as it's out on DVD.

Batman Begins is an excellent movie.

Like The Godfather, Othello and Star Wars (amongst many) it shows the epic battle between good and evil. However, the writers went one step further and were courageous enough to ask for a definition of good and evil by introducing the character of Ra's Al Ghul. This man and the League of Shadows had decided that as Gotham City was no longer living up to THEIR expectations that it had to be destroyed. But that meant that the League of Shadows had an established definition of good and evil, which conflicted with Batman’s definition. They claimed that there was a line that Gotham had crossed and was too evil to come back from and should therefore have been destroyed, without mercy.

So, how does a civilisation know when they've crossed a line from good to evil? Or more importantly, how does an INDIVIDUAL know when they've crossed that line? What is good and what is evil, and who decides it?

In The Godfather the line was made very distinct for the viewers as Michael actively decided to adopt his father’s role, and kill to save the family’s honour. Similarly in Star Wars the audience is made to believe that Anakin has turned evil when he starts to take on the teachings of his "Master." However, on both occasions without realising it the audience is manipulated into believing what Michael and Anakin are doing is wrong. But how can we be so sure?

Our conscience: An innate sense of right and wrong. But who programs the conscience? Is it our environment or is it a power beyond humanity?

In Batman it was the League of Shadows, or the environment which moulded the peoples' conscience through a legal system. It was man who decided what was right and wrong. However, this concept is severely flawed in that each individual has a slightly different idea of what is right and wrong, which Batman also demonstrates. While Ra’s Al-Ghul thought it was just to execute a criminal without a trial, Batman believed that everyone is firstly entitled to a fair trial.

The movie illustrated to me, whether it meant to or not, that man-made legal rulings aren't good enough. Instead, man requires a universal law, and an ultimate judge or provider of justice.

Yesterday my friend and I were recruiting people for our University's ISOC. Each member who joined had their own ideas of how the society should be run, each believing that they were right. Perhaps no one realised, but I was in awe of how each individual and their concept of right and wrong was unique. Masha'Allah (praise be to Allah,) what diversity! At the same time I also started to feel very sorry for those in charge, whose job it is to cater for each individual... being a leader isn't easy. But with an established, universal sense of right and wrong, which everyone must agree on, the job is made easier in my opinion.

Finally for me maybe one of the best traits of the movie was also the fact that Batman refused to give up no matter how bad Gotham had become. He would fight for justice regardless of the number of people he would have to contend with. Such a movie promotes a positive attitude on life, which we are in dire need of in today’s world.

We're doomed... Or are we?

2005-09-22T19:05:00.000+01:00

While having a discussion with my housemate the other day I experienced what can only be described as the veil being lifted from my eyes. For only the smallest amount of time the world had clicked into place. I felt like I could see something perhaps only a few have had a chance to see.

Our world is falling apart. It REALLY is. And if humanity doesn't start to have a long hard look at itself, this time there will be no coming back.

Of course, each empire has experienced its own downfalls, but this time is different. The whole world is experiencing a complete collapse in every aspect possible. Socially, politically, religiously and economically. Even TV has gone downhill! (Except Lost and Desperate Housewives- what would I have done after Friends had finished if it wasn't for these shows?)

So, what got me thinking like this? Well, we were discussing the way in which our world leaders deal with the problems that arise in their countries. For example, here in England the way in which Blair has decided to combat the ever increasing problem of alcoholism and any crime committed under the influence of alcohol is by allowing 24 hour pubs. And how do we deal with any problems that this may cause? Increase police patrols. Increase taxes so that we can pay for more policing. And make those who don't drink, like Muslims, feel even more isolated within society. Well done Mr Blair, you've done it again.

Throughout the holidays I got to work with a law firm. And what did I learn? Most crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. The number of cases I saw where the only defence the alleged perpetrators had was, "I was drunk. I didn't mean to" was ridiculous. FACT: You CHOSE to be drunk. You CHOSE to lose control. And therefore you CHOSE to commit the crime.

Economically the world's a joke. The rich-poor divide has reached an all time low, where reports of famines etc have reached an embarrassing high. The worst thing is that when there is a humanitarian crisis such as that of Niger the media chose to approach it in the most carpe diem way possible. For about 1 week minimum we have an influx of photographs, videos etc appealing to us to give as much money as we can afford. A few weeks later, we forget. Humans are very good at forgetting and living for the moment. Nowadays the situation's got even worse. I worked for a little while in Oxfam, and one of my fellow colleagues turned around to me a said, "there are so many appeals nowadays, it's hard to keep track of which one to give money to." She was right. How many people can the general public possibly help? Eventually we'll get so used to the appeals, we may even unintentionally stop giving anymore. My opinion: It's not all our responsibility. It's the world leaders' responsibility, and they should start living up to it.

And this is how we get onto the next topic: Politics. One word: Bush. The most powerful man in the world is Bush. The man who said that the name of the President of Pakistan is "General" we have allowed to become the President of the most powerful country in the world. You do the maths.

Religiously? Well let's just say that the words Jihad, suicide and bomb have been completely struck from my vocabulary. The world isn't ready yet for me to discuss how it's deteriorating religiously, so let's leave that topic for a rainy day.

I've tried pretty hard to show you what I saw in my brief revelation. However, there are many issues I haven't discussed. The most important being my solution to all the world's problems:

I should be President. :-)

Spider Hunt

2005-08-24T05:04:00.000+01:00

Day 1 of the spider hunt:
After a day of hunting the black spider that was reported to have been running around late last night, causing fear and mayhem wherever he went, it appears as though I am failing miserably.

I shall now have to resolve myself to wearing slippers in case the spider decides to approach me and get a little friendly... Damn that spider. Damn him...

Day 2:
So far no reports of any spider sightings. Perhaps he's run away in fear. Or perhaps he's creating a false sense of security in order to lure us into his web... whatever the answer may be, complacency is not an option.

Day 3:
Still no sign of the spider- It appears to be cleverer than I anticipated.

Day... I've lost count:
My hunt for the spider has reached an all time low... all I can do now is wait. Wait for the clever fiend to show itself.

Day... who cares?
The spider has made a reappearance after days of hiding. However, he was clever enough to remain standing where no man could reach him. It shames me to admit, but it looks as though I'm being outsmarted by a spider.

The Hunt is over... or is it?
4 spiders have been caught at different intervals during this week. However, the question still remains of whether it was the spider that I was initially hunting for.

Spider #1 was spotted on the stairs and was immediately disposed of.
Spider #2 in the sink
Spider #3 and #4 near the stairs. Both of them together. Probably plotting against me.