Innocence

Cousin (10 years) was leading the Maghrib Salaah. His mother and little brother (5 years) were praying behind him. In the first rakah, he recited Surahthul Kawthar. He finished the first ayah, suddenly, the younger one gave him a sharp beating and said with all fury,  " Talking about trouser in prayer?! "  

I haven't stopped laughing ...

Eid Blessing !

This blog has always been a reflection of the extremes of my emotions - happiness or sadness !

...and , so I jot down here the exhilarating feeling of the past few days. No words can ever do justice to completely comprehend the depth of what I feel now, but then I shall try.

The past few days again teaches me : Every prayer gets answered at the most perfect of times, as and when, willed by Allah. Alhamdulilah.

I became an aunt to a beautiful baby girl born in the wee morning hours of the day of Eid al Adha. ( Dhul Hijjah 10 1433/ October 26th 2012). Alhamdulilah Ya Rabb.

Alhamdulilah, sister and baby are doing fine :-)

A blessing so tiny in her size yet has already captured all our hearts. A blessing for us to turn back to Him to say the word  of Shukr for His cloak of Rahma , always on our family. A blessing where we have already fully enveloped and embraced another new person into our family and our lives, as though she has always been a part of us, all this while. A blessing whom we have loved even before she was born.

For me, personally, a blessing to always remind myself, to never lose hope. No tears go unseen by the Almighty.

I know, I have made dua for this particular blessing in the early morning hours in Tahajjud, during the time I break my fast, in the nights of Ramadan, while I travel, while it rains, in the evening hours on a friday - every occasion where we have been promised our duas will get answered... & I know, every member of my family has done the same. Alhamdulilah, a million times , for our prayers being answered.

There comes a time in every family, when the kids have finished school, left for college or got married and a silence descends. A grandchild changes the entire dynamic of the family and brings in a whole lot of ''welcomed noise'' :-)

To my baby niece : I shall forever remind you how much of hope you brought to me at a time when I thought I shall have none anymore. I could sit all day gazing at your peaceful sleeping face.

May Allah bless you with the best in this world and the next.
May He make you, a coolness of your parent's eyes.
May He make you a blessed member of Our Ummah who helps in carrying forward the flag of our Deen
May He keep you protected,always - Ameen

...and, alhamdulilah, since you are blessed with your dad's good looks, I pray that you are blessed with your mom's intelligence ;) - Ameen        

( Ma sha Allah, Tabaraka Allah )


Sometimes, photographs can never really capture the entire moment. Words start failing. Yet, they are the moments truly lived.

A little girl taught me....

This happened to day - Friday ,20th July. I cant help blog about it because it touched and literally left me moist eyed.

One of our neighbours lost her husband in a car accident on the eve of last Ramadan in Makkah. She is struggling to make her ends meet due to some financial difficulties.

Even with all the difficulties facing her,she tries to give her two little children the best education possible. Her eldest daughter who is in 4 th or 5th grade is a talented painter. The daughter was advised by her class teacher to join for a painting course nearby. The fees was about Rs. 300 for the same besides the transportation charges. The mother being unable to afford the fees said the daughter she couldn't go for the course. Daughter calmly said 'Its ok'.

Evening, since it is Ramadan eve , one of their extended family member gave them some money. Mother explained to the daughter that she will finally enroll her for the course.

That young daughter who is at an age when others would be worrying about dolls and toys, said , 'Allah actually listened to my dua. I prayed for it today afternoon at Jumuah'

Even writing about it makes me teary.


I am amazed at the young girl's tawakkal on Allah and her maturity to grow according to the situation at her home. I pray with a sincere heart, Allah gives the family sustenance and Barakah with her talents.

May Allah shower on them abundant blessings. May He ease their difficulties.

May He bless their father with Jannah.

Earthiness !

An update from a mother. This touched a chord, for obvious reasons :)

I remember when my second daughter was born with darker skin color then the rest of the family and I was made to feel as a mother that she was somehow less then my other daughter, less lucky, less beautiful, less.

Like she didn't deserve to wear certain colors, and I shouldn't rejoice in her adorableness just because Allah had chosen for her skin color to be a shade between chocolate and caramel instead of vanilla.

I am not ashamed of loving her a wee bit extra, she reminds me of myself. Earthy.

I have always emphasized inner beauty, and never thought I would have to teach a daughter of mine the value of outer beauty but I have to with her. Dark skin is beautiful, just as lovely to behold as light skin. I don't want her to ever feel like she has to hold back and not follow her dreams because she is made to feel less.

She is a beautiful little girl, effervescent, funny and filled with love, with a propinquity towards the dramatic. Its only on days that she is made to feel less that she visibly withers. On days when a new family will meet us and say in front of her "My, your other three look alike and she is so different".

My love... it is okay to be different. Allah created you this way. Your smile is precious. You glow like Venus when it rises in the Eastern sky, don't sink in the glare of the morning twilight ...you are beautiful.



- As updated by Hena Zuberi




Growing up , (even now!) I was always told to wear certain coloured dresses.I was told only a black coloured scarf would suit me. I have received literally racist like comments, at times , from the people most closest to me. I was made to feel something of "less"because of my skin complexion.

It took me a long time to finally find myself , but I did , Alhamdulilah.

It has taught me like the person above says - Earthiness !
It has taught me to love myself first and to never think anything less of myself because of another person's opinion.
It has taught myself to NEVER judge a person due to their looks/ skin complexion/ attire/ differences.
It has taught me to be broad minded !



I hope I did read some thing like this , when  I was a child.
I hope  I was reminded over and over again I am a creation of The Most Beautiful Creator.

The World I want.....

The World I want is where kindness,compassion & peace are not just words,but action!

The World I want is where poverty,rape & murder are not action but just words in an old dusty dictionary!

The World I want is where oppression & concentration camps are a thing of the past!

The World I want is where freedom & summer camps can be afforded and enjoyed by every child alike!

Thw World I want is where terrorists don't kill 'innocent'
& where 'innocent' aren't labelled terrorists!

The World I want is where colour of skin doesn't matter but colour of heart does!

The World I want is where man distributes his money like honey bee share its honey!

The World I want is where green leaves increase but green eyed monsters decrease!

The World I want is where no stomach goes hungry,no family goes homeless and no child grows up without feeling loved!

The World I want is where every butterfly,peacock,and tiger get its rightful place under the sun!

The World I want is where U and I firmly know, that He is up there,taking care of us,no matter what!



Till Next,
Fly High! :)

.....Spotless Days! :)

Want to go back to a TIME when...

• monthly tests,term exams and finals were like the end of the world
• an A+ placed you on top of the world
• every festival meant the entire family would be around to celebrate
• shopping for Eid was a family event
• school was a place, loved and hated to go
• you waited for the lift bell to go 'ting' and then the'juggling of the key' sound ,outside home signifying that dad is coming back from work and he most often would have a chocolate to brighten up your day
• you wear the new dress & U go to Daddy and he says, ' U are looking absolutely amazing!' & u feel on top of the world,again
• Tuesdays were a much awaited day coz Young Times came on Tuesday.
• the entire family comes for 'Honor's Roll' function at school & U were one of the recipient & yet again u feel on top of the world
• weekends meant ,going to Wakrah,to meet Aunt ,Uncle,Molutty,Samu and Salu
• going to school on thursday was a happy event,coz  Dad would come to pick up from school and U go could go back in the AC car (compared to the rickety bus in the hot sun) and he would often have goodies in the car
• friendship meant wearing the same 'heart-shaped' pendant
• buying a new set of 'Faber Castell' color pencils gave the sense-of-ownership-of-literal -treasure
• 'Heidi' was the most favourite cartoon
• getting the 'class-leader' badge was a thing of 'honour' indeed
• Summer vacation was eagerly awaited so as to get back to India for hols and meet all the extended relatives,cousins and family
• 2 new pair of dress was absolutely necessary before going for hols,one to wear while going & other while coming back & Mom would say,'it's as though the pilot wont allow U in flite widout a new dress!'

.....a TIME of carefree days,innocence and love!!








Till Next,
Fly High! :)

Another lifetime!!

I just came across the video 'The Last Lecture:Achieving your childhood dreams" by Carnegie Mellon Professor,Dr. Randy Pausch,which incidentally became his last lecture before he left for his eternal abode on July 25,2008,after fighting a battle wid pancretic cancer.

The video makes one wonder about his amazing spirit though he knew cells in his body were going haywire,his ability to laugh inspite,his logical reasoning ,his innate academia,...

In the presentation,he lists down his childhood dreams and how he have realized them and about enabling others dreams!.....some of his dreams

• being in zero gravity
• to play in NFL
• to be an Imagineer in Disney
• to author an article in World Book Encyclopeadia ..n so on...

(Wow!I never knew people would have such specific dreams of childhood!Some people are jus born to make it big, I s'ppose)
That set me thinking...to jot down my childhood dreams! :)

• To become a neurosurgeon,after reading about Dr Ben Carson,the famous neurosurgeon(though it is not my chosen line of profession now... I am a dentist in training,Insha'allah...I am glad I had a dream so ! ) :)

• To be a Journalist,Archaeologist,Astronaut or Mathematics Teacher,at some point or other! :) (haha even writing about it makes me smile!Its nice to b a kid n dream ,wht am I gonna b! )
  

• To study in a college which has a huge campus,a town within! (wow!lord! Thank God for making ths come true!) :)
  

• To be like my dad (dono if I ll ever reach thr....He is my huge Role model!) :)
• To write stories like Famous Five,Secret Seven (by Enid Blyton),for kids,bcoz I grew up reading n loving 'em! :)
• To work with WHO/UNICEF....work in Africa (hehe...!! ) :)
  

• To go skiing!especially after watching movies in which kids play wid snow n ice ...... :)
  

• To play tennis n b like Pete Sampras,Steffi Graf n Martina Hingis!(Woah!!....some dreams!I used to adore those stars as a kid n love the game,but have never tried it till date! ) :)

Childhood.....jus wish it could come back!!Its innocence,joy,laughter,pranks,ice creams,chocolates,hugs, n dreams!! Its a period like NO other!

Till next!
Fly high! :)