Beauty of Children

Assalamu Alaikum,

I know I am supposed to write something more meaningful (at least upon EC's request). What I planned to write was in Bangla, unfortunately this computer does not have any bangla font installed. So, instead I will share some funny letters from children to God:

Are you really invisible, or is it just a trick?
-Lucy.

I read that Thomad Eddison discovered light. But in sunday school, I learned that you did. I bet he stole your idea.
Yours,
-Dona

Dear God,
When I grow up, I want to be exactly like dad, but not with a body full of hair.
-Sam

Dear God,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay?

-Neil

Did you really mean do unto others as they do unto you, because if you did then I'm going to fix my brother.

-Darla

I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.

-Nan
And there were many more...

Who prays to God in such a beautiful, innocent way like children do(bangla word is shishu: for some reason, this word has more connotation of innocence than the english world children)? These beautiful prayers, most of them makes us laugh, are so sweet and naive. In their simplicity, there are so many lessons hidden for us. If only our hearts were tender like theirs, if only our minds were pure like theirs, if only we loved selflessly like them; this world would have been a much better place.

Islam teaches us to love children. They are a great blessing from Allah (SWT). Nothing disheartens me more than to see a child going ashtray as soon as they hit the teens. In today's world many parents are so immersed in wordly life they forget to pay attention to their children. In the West, specially, it is very common. Both parents work 8- 5 and leave their children in child care under very poor supervision. They think financial support for their child is enough. The fact is, financial support alone doesn't fulfill a parent's duty towards a child. One can only win a child's heart through love and gentle attitude. It is child's right to be loved and cherished. Nowadays, most teen girls want to avoid their parents because they hardly get along with them. Far too often they complain that parents don't understand them. Parents scarcely have the time to talk to their children. Yet, parents expect their children to grow up to become complete(and perfect!!) human beings. Parents constantly blame the children when they are misguided, yet not realising that their negligence is responsible for it.

Propher (SAW) is the best role model for the whole of humankind. His attitude towards children was always compassionate and merciful. Anas Ibn Malik narrated :
I never saw anyone who was more compassionate towards children than Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). His son Ibrahim was in the care of a wet nurse in the hills around Madinah. He would go there, and we would go with him, and he would enter the house, pick up his son and kiss him, then come back. (Muslim)

Another beautiful hadith that demonstrated how prophet(SAW) expressed his fondness to children:
Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him),
Allah’s Messenger kissed Al-Hasan ibn `Ali while Al-Aqra` ibn Habis At-Tamim was sitting with him . Al-Aqra` said, “I have ten children and have never kissed one of them.” The Prophet cast a look at him and said, “Whoever is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully.” (Al-Bukhari)

I am flying in few hours. I have been so busy with exams and packing up, I didn't have the time to write a proper post. Inshallah, when I am back, I shall be back with my long intended bangla post on my "bangladesh vromon". Maybe I can add my anectodes from London vromon too iA.Make dua for me.
Wassalam.

বর্তমান ইচ্ছে

থাকবো নাকো বদ্ধ ঘরে
দেখবো এবার জগত্‍ টাকে
কেমন করে ঘুরছে মানুষ
যূগান্তরের ঘূণির্পাকে ।

Tajweed

Assalamu Alaikum,

For anyone who is interested in tajweed lessons, here are some great resources:
Tajweed Al-Quran
Recitation by Sheikh Al-Hussari
Recitation by Sheikh Abdullah Basfar

I have found these resources to be very beneficial and an excellent source of inspiration. Tajweed is a science in itself, Subhanallah. There are so many rules to follow even in a single ayah. You can only appreciate its depth if you start learning it.

Somthing completely different now. Something I couldn't resist sharing. Here is a poem rich in imagery and beautiful in words from the great poet Rumi.

I have exams soon. In the cramming-mode. Please make lots of dua for me.

I am alive

Salam everyone,
To those who are concerned about me, yes, I am alive. I just finished my thesis presentation. I feel extremely extremely extremely relieved. Anyway, the big task is still ahead. Have 9 assignments due in next 2 weeks,then exams, then a special Holiday I am so looking forward to. Everyone, please pray for me.tc.
luv
moi...

fish out of the water

aa everyone,
reason i am blogging is to procrastinate. My poor helpless condition this week:

• I feel like the "fish out of the water" in microbiology lab. Being the coufused person i recently became, i sought out the tutor's help. only then and then, i realised i have completely lost my mind. i was asking questions which didn't make sense and i had forgotten all the work i have been doing on that particular lab from week 1. so back to ground zero for me.
• I have started my thesis. thoroughly annoyed by the number of literature i need to read. Scientific papers they are, they hurt my eyes, half the time they don't make sense to me when i read it first time, but most of the time, i fall asleep reading them. I am supposed to have a diary of my readings by now, 6 weeks have passed, i have not read one paper yet. My supervisor will soon chase me with a stick.
• Mr S is coming over next week iA....hence and therefore..i am over the moon & i aught but to finish all my work b4 he lands on the aussie land. And just b4 he comes, just in time, I have been blessed with a spot on my face staring at me :-(. Arghh...i look a wreck.
• If everything goes wrong...something is going right. restarting YMSA programs tmr, ki moja.
• All i see is hair everywhere and the cream colour tiles of the house does little to hide it. Shower room needs to be cleaned everyday coz of hair. Anytime soon, ammu will explode and tell me off really badly. having read Nas's blog, i couldn't relate and sympathise with her more about hair loss.

It's colours all the way. I am trying to feel colourful.

Hijab and muslim girls

Salam all,
I am in a very confounded(more like angry) and morose state of mind. I am asked to justify improper actions and I don't know what to say. This is what happened today. A conversation between me and a non muslim friend:

NMF: Do you need to wear that dress (pointing to my abaya).Can't you just cover your head and wear casual clothes?

Me: Well, we need to wear loose clothing . That doesn't necessarily have to be a dress. But I prefer this.

NMF: (draws my attention to her semi-tight top and jeans)see, what I am wearing is also loose ( pulls her top away from her body to demonstrate how loose it is)

Me: It still reveals your body shape. We are not supposed to show the shape of our body, for example, long nice legs,big .....(lol, i was trying to make sense to her)

pause for few minutes...NMF is probably pondering on what I have just said...

Then comes the trouble...there appears a hijabi sister with a skin tight top and nice skirt(tight at the waist, accentuating her curve and beautifully covered up in her hijab[I tell you, not one strand of hair can be seen but her bosom is exposed.Smiles at me and we reciprocate salams]

And I knew, I just knew the moment was coming...NMF take a full turn at me and exclaims

"See, she is wearing a scarf and wearing nice clothes. Why don't you wear something like that?"

This is the umpteenth time I am asked this same old question.

Well, what should I say at this point? I can't directly say to her that my muslim sister is not doing it properly because that will be backbiting. And I have already explained to her Islamic requirements of Hijab. What do I do? Oh gosh...she left me in an utterly deluded state.

Few hijabi girls dropped their hijab this year. If makes me feel so upset. One of them was my good friend. Problem is, after taking her hijab off, she won't even talk to me. She simply rushes off quickly when she meets me. And so many of my non muslim friends are asking me why she took her hijab off. They want justifications from me. What do I do??Why ask me??

May Allah guide us all and more importantly keep us all on his path for the rest of our lives.

Therefore....

Salam buddies,

how r ya all? my blog has been shutting down on me for last few days. It no longer likes me to post here. Today its showing some mercy and therefore i shall duly bore you.

I have just recovered from the most violent vomit attack. People, u r not allowed to assume funny things, its just food poisoning lol. I vomited continously from 4am-10 am. My memory doesn't have such horrible past incidents recorded. being so sick put me behind two days of work and yes i am heavily behind now. I spend my last two days in bed, sleeping n dreaming. Gosh, its such a nice world out there. i can't seem to be bothered about work anymore. lets see where the wave takes me...i will just flow.

tancurve aka old HP and I had such a great catch-up over a cuppa coffee chat last week. The girl was so sweet but she committed a huge crime(I won't disclose) . And i am responsible for it. i think i bored her by talking too much about .......... My aplologies dear, it wont happen again.

Emu deserted me today. she wont be my there to provide me directions. Emu, its an unforgiveable crime.Dont know what i will do without her. after her first driving license, she no longer thinks i am genius cos i can drive :-(. its hilariously funny how we argue over rules at times. I say she shud be more aware of rules coz she just got her L's but she seems to have other logics.