Earlier this week hubby picked me up from work and instead of heading home, took a long route into the city. I asked him where he was going and he said “Dil Aziz”. I wondered if this was one of his friends, or he had to drop a delivery off or if he was just […]
What a long day and night I have had. I was sitting in bed early this morning having a good old chat with my better half when I got a phone call from my dad. My poor old gran had been taken ill and was in emergency. I rushed to wake the kids and drop […]
Alhamdulillah, every time I read the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) sermon on Ramadan I find something new and moving in it. It never fails to inspire me, remind me how blessed Ramadan really is for us and take me back to why we fast and what we should be doing during this special month: Baihaqi […]
Earlier this month, I managed to make time to open my bead boxes and create something for myself. I wanted some nice pieces to wear which co-ordinated with my abayah’s and scarves. The shops seem full of expensive, tacky jewellery which just didn’t appeal at all and some of my older bracelets were lost or damaged. I […]
Assalam-alaikam all, I have finally had a little time to get online to deal with my two thousand plus e-mails. It was a bit overwhelming and there was way too much spam and things I need to unsubscribe from. The one thing I do look forward to in my e-mails is messages from readers. So […]
The funniest thing happened the other day. We were all watching TV at my mum’s when my mother-in-law and husband started pointing at the screen and shouting “there he is!”On the Pakistani ARY and Geo TV Channels and on the British Islam Channel, the adhaan (call to prayer) is announced everyday accompanied by a video […]
My mum is one of those cooks whose technique has been hones through forty years of cooking and complaints from a fussy husband and picky kids. All of us siblings and out spouses savour her cooking, and especially on Eid when we all gather to have lunch together and she makes her lamb pilau. This […]
I have written about my grandmother before, but I thought I would share some of the lessons I learnt from being her carer in my early twenties.I have learnt that Sabr is everything. My grandmother lived through war, partition, poverty, a real tough mother-in-law and loneliness when my Grandfather came to Britain to work. After […]
Alhamdulillah, the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) sermon on Ramadan never fails to inspire me, remind me how blessed it really is for us and take me back to why we fast and what we should be doing during this special month: Baihaqi reported on the authority of Salman Al-Farsi (Radhi Allah ‘Anh) that Prophet (Sallallaahu […]
Be grateful for your senses. Name what makes you grateful for each? Sight – I am grateful to be able to see my children’s lovely and beloved faces. I am grateful to see Hearing – I love to hear my youngest daughters cheerful chatter, it raises my heart to the roof. I love to hear […]
Subhan’Allah the last few days of Ramadan have disappeared in a flash. I managed a few fasts with rests in between, but only a very few. I was pleased to get the last few days off work and that had made all of the difference with rest, worship and getting the house in shape for Eid. So, […]
I turned 40 this year alhamdulillah, a number that in my earlier years would have felt very old and unimaginably distant. But now having arrived at it, I still feel myself – human, flawed, youthful, enthusiastic about life, perhaps comfortable in myself and my body, if a little battered by life. This feels like a […]
One of the best parts of our trip to Leeds Castle was the walk back through shady tress filled with squirrels, swans and peacocks. I had to convince the kids not to raid the stream full of coins we crossed over.
I came across this “nasiha” or advice at the Habibi Halaqa’s website. It is taken from Imam Shafi’s “Dīwān ash-Shāfiýī”. There was so much that spoke to me in this, particularly the words about covering your flaws with generosity and forgiveness hiding faults, that I wanted to share: Let time pass by, and do as […]
