"El-luga Naseeb"

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~

Two beautiful words frequently said in this unique upper egyptian accent by the best giddo that the world has ever seen.. They mean “meeting is destined”.. Seeing someone is written & a part of fate, just like everything else is..

Coma, pace maker, melanoma, just a couple of words that have been coming right at me for the past couple of days, disturbing my inner peace, greatly.. It’s funny how you’d die to know what the next moment carries for you & when it comes, you find yourself not ready! Ready? who’s ready? I know the answer to that one.. It’s those who are good from the inside.. Who are deeply ‘good’ from their cores..

I stood in the balcony, flew higher & crossed the beautiful blue gulf waters while inhaling its salty essence flowing into the direction of God’s House thinking that this dream can actually come true, yet again.. I can actually reach there.. If only my sight can be that powerful so that I’d fill my heart with the beautiful sight of God’s majestic house only by looking its way..

Justice said that he does his job only for money.. That made me really sad.. What a loss! Learn from giddo Justice, between your hands is a very loving man, who spent his life loving without “a catch”..

Giddo is really sick, so please pray for him.. I believe in the power of your prayers brothers & sisters, that’s what God Has promised me.. Guys, do you really love God?

It’s pretty amazing witnessing the sun rise & set.. It has always come back, but how much more is she gonna carry on doing that, I wonder..

And oh, one more thing:

*Giddo is THE MAN*

Giddo is:

"mercy without boasting

gifts without terms

goodness without anger

forgive without reason"

~ By Outlandish ~

Gracias Dearest :')

This is too much dearest!

Thank you Ara :')

I love you <3

Don't know what to do :@

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~

I really don't know what to do about this :@

I'm bleeding for her.. You see the harm befalling & you can't do nothing about it.. It feels so bad.. So bad.. It can happen to me, you know.. To anyone.. Get impressed by the fajr being prayed & the ongoing talks about the love of The Lord.. About how he wants to change the world & make it a better place & help the weak.. About how blue the sky is & how pretty the flowers are..

It's hard for me to believe that a person can be this bad! I heard of stories, but never saw one in front of my eyes! I'm bleeding for you dear.. And I can't do anything! I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry an angel like you has to go through this.. I'm so sorry :'( I wish there's something I could do.. I wish :@

~

P.S. I wonder if 'harm' came from 'haram'!

“L-L-Ladies Ladies”

“Tell me, where’d you get your body from?”

Come on, is that all you care about? How about my heart? You don’t wanna know where I got that one from? Not interested?

~

~

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My heart breaks when I see men staring at women.. You’d think I’m exaggerating, but by Allah I’m not! It really saddens me :( Let me explain it to you guys, I think it’s one of the hardest things to lower your gaze.. But come on.. For God’s sake.. You look so bad when you stare at her body.. you really do.. Just like a dog going after a poodle.. Please, whenever you find yourself gazing at a woman, remember that you’re eating from food that isn’t allowed for you to eat from.. Just like that apple..

Let me break it down for you..

Well, we (women) have the tender hearts.. I listened to this amazing talk by Moez Masoud & I’d like to translate what he has said & share it here :)
"The prophet (pbuh) has said that we have more tendered hearts than the men have.. Now didn’t Allah say that he who goes to Him with “qalban saleem” healthy heart will be saved? The softer the heart is, the healthier & the closer it is to its pure instincts..
God’s Names are divided into three descriptive categories:
1. Al-Jalal (full of majesty): An example of this category is God’s name: The Majestic.. We shall be fearful of this attribute for instance & as well get attached to it..
2. Al-Jamal (full of beauty): An example of this category is God’s Name: The Most Loving.. We shall hope & ask for more when knowing of this attribute & try to be take from it & reflect it into our very selves..
3. Al-Kamal (all complete): An example of this category is God’s Name: The Most Just.. We shall believe in this without a doubt & strengthen our faith by knowing so..
Now here’s the cutest part.. Men are known to be having more of the first category by nature than women.. & women are born with the second type to be of their natural state.. Men should learn more on how to be of the second & women should live & try to adopt & live by growing on being more of the first.."

Ain’t that beautiful!

By you (man) staring at her body & checking where she got it from, your losing your instinctive qualities that make you a man.. And more importantly, you're missing on seeing the best part of her! And when she uses her outer beauty, she’s killing the best part of her.. Her heart..

I only * L O V E *

Whether the grass is greener on the other side or not, I hate walking on it! I’ve always been like that.. When I used to fall as a li’l girl while playing around, I’d, by all ways, try to get up while avoiding touching the grass with my hands! It’s crazy, I know! Grass frightens me! So all in all, I don’t care how green it is on the other side, & I never did.. All I do care about is to keep it as green as possible on my side, despite liking it or not..

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Talking of green, I do this horrible thing to our beloved turtle every now & then & I’d like to apologize for it.. Well, when she hides in her shell to sleep, I think that she might be dead (‘cuz previously, our kooky (cat) killed our other turtle); so I basically fear for small little turtle & SHAKE its bowl & wake her up to check on her! But you’d think I SHOULD GET IT; we don’t have kooky no more.. WRONG! Our other turtle died without kooky being around.. I really love this turtle now & fear for it.. She’s so weak man.. Now here’s the big shock: I sometimes feel as vulnerable as her! I hide in my shell.. It’s black out there, can’t you see it? By the way, I sometimes do that (shaking) to my loved ones :( I shook someone recently so bad.. I only wanted to check on them, so is it bad shaking them sometimes a li'l hard? So sorry sweet li’l turtle & sorry my dearest one.. I shook you only ‘cuz I love you.. Only!

I had an asthma attack recently & the rub I got on my back by my dear sis was sooooooooo comforting! It gives me the strength of a sunny summer beam :)

"I Love You"

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~

He breaks her heart with his endless lies,
And avoids looking into her deep green eyes..

She comes close reminding him of their Lord,
And tells him time is short to reconsider his abode..

He still insists on his filthy whims,
And thinks there’s more time & lashes his fins..

And oh dear reader don’t think he’s dumb,
He prays & to the Lord’s house he’s gone..

How will her days end & how more can she bear,
And when will he wake up or won’t he ever care..

I wish I was able to lend her a heart,
& give him some faithfulness from my tiny mart..

But not all we wish for comes our way,
And staying unsoiled is wrong on this day..

It’s now very common to see big ones fib,
And not taking care of those coming of their ribs..

Little ones are walking down this road,
And tomorrow will be filled with all dirty codes..

I’m mad at him & all the rest of them,
For not seeing anything other than their stems..

I’m so scared of him, him & him,
And my fears are growing with every hair trim..

Will I grow older & deal with masks,
And bury my heart & live a life of tasks?

Humma fein?

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Qeht-ur-Rijal is a beautiful post written by Stinger..

I'd like to add my voice to his: Qeht-ur-Rijal?

The answer is really sad..

*sigh*

"Can I get an alhamdulillah?!"

HijabMan simply rocks! I completely love his perceptions, insights & enjoyed his "Can I get an alhamdulillah?!" idea so very much!

~

He said: "I’ve mentioned in the past that I wished to be an Imam of a mosque, and so I began on that path, deciding to live in Syria (with all of the HijabMan profits I had reveived thus far) for a little bit, in search of some sacred knowledge. If you can call self-knowledge sacred, well then that is what I found. I thought a lot about what I would be best suited for. We all have our own battles right? And we all have been blessed with a different set of skills to struggle through those battles."

~

Thank you HijabMan! Thank you for pointing out this fact: that we can call self-knowledge sacred! Thank you for asking: "Can I get an alhamdulillah?!".. I'd love to ask the same.. Can I get an alhamdulillah people? Alhamdulillah for it all? Alhamdulillah for still being here while saying it? Alhamdulillah for knowing how to say 'alhamdulillah'? Alhamdulillah for feeling 'alhamdulillah'? Can I get that please? Like get it right from your heart?

Fiteera Mishalteta ;)

So, why do I think that reversing a car so fast is cute & parking it swiftly is a pretty thing to do? Can’t find the answer to that as yet!

In the hospital today I saw this li’l kid hitting his mom so bad, pulling her hair & laying on the floor not allowing her to come near him.. He was so mad at her for some reason & expressing his anger in this horrible way.. She started hitting him back & pulling him! You know honestly what I thought then? In fact, what I’ve been thinking for a while? There should be some ruling on NOT letting ANYONE have children! There has to be some kinda heartymeter measuring the credibility of one’s heart! But then again, I wouldn’t like for anyone to miss something like Hannah sleeping on their shoulder & clinging to them with her tiny hands & not letting go..

Just had a fiteera mishalteta (layered pie) & enjoyed it so much & thought, you know what? It’s like the people surrounding you, every layer is someone & each bite you take of everyone will leave something or the other in you.. And it’s all up to you to choose what you’re taking with that bite: powdered sugar, brown sugar, cheese, honey.. Aaaaaaaaaaaall up to you.. You choose what to have with each exquisite bite..


3 cups of flour
½ ts salt
1 ts of sugar
½ a glass of water & mix.. Keep on mixing it & add water if need be until its mild.. Leave it for like 15 minutes in the fridge & then divide this mixture evenly into 18 balls.. Sprinkle flour on the table & start rolling out each ball in a round shape that fits the pie pan you’re putting it in.. & after rolling out the first layer, put it in the pie pan & brush some butter on it & do the same with each layer.. Then finally, hold all the edges & fold them towards the center; making one big ball & then press on it (from the middle) so that again, the whole thing takes the shape of the container.. Then bake it (for about 40 minutes) until the crust is golden.. And then ENJOY.. And remember that people are like the fiteera mishalteta, so it’s up to you to choose what to have with it ;)

~ like the beat of your Heart ~

RaaaaaSyyyyyyy

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I've been suffering from this really bad headache for a while now.. I don't ever mind the physical pain & I always pray that it's a way for getting rid of heavy sins.. But sometimes, it's just too much.. I sometimes envy people with 'free heads'.. Free of pain & worry.. But this very headache is so strong.. Man, why is the air so heavy now? I think I've had enough for today!

* Al Lateef *

(source)

Can you tell if your heart is gentle or not? Like REALLY GENTLE or not?

One of God’s names is Al Lateef, The Ever-Discreetly Gentle.. I love love love that fact.. It brings out the subtle side of everything & shows it to my heart.. One might ask, If God Himself, with all His Power & Might, Is Gentle, why can’t the rest of us (waaaay weaker) be gentle as well? Well, I think it’s ‘cuz it takes power to be gentle! Yup.. Well, I believe that it’s not as easy as it may seem to be gentle at the heart.. It takes a lotta guidance, power, time, thinking, interacting, seeing, feeling & loving to be gentle..
~
Why don’t we work a li’l harder in trying to see God as Gentle as well? I think that too can actually help us in becoming more gentle at heart.. The thing is, you rarely find a mother, teacher, or any other person in charge telling you about this lovely name belonging to Allah! Think brothers & sisters.. Think a li’l harder.. Why would He create those delicate flowers? & why would they tiny li’l things smell so good? And why make tulips so red? Why would He make life from water, while it’s colorless, odorless & tasteless? Why would the air be invisible?

On a blessed-&-a-very-lucky note, I’d like to say that Alhamdullillah I’ve got people with gentle hearts surrounding me, teaching me & guiding me through the rough days & violent nights..

~

"I didn't want any flowers, I only wanted

To lie with my hands turned up and be utterly empty.

How free it is, you have no idea how free -

The peacefulness is so big it dazes you,

And it asks nothing, a name tag, a few trinkets.

It is what the dead close on, finally; I imagine them

Shutting their mouths on it, like a Communion tablet.

~

The tulips are too red in the first place, they hurt me.

Even through the gift paper I could hear them breathe

Their redness talks to my wound, it corresponds.

They are subtle: they seem to float, though they weigh me down,

Upsetting me with their sudden tongues and their colour,

A dozen red lead sinkers round my neck."

~
~ Tulips by Sylvia Plath ~

~ tickles my <3 ~

Pudding tickles my heart almost the same way this flower does, but in a cuter way :) He's the cutest ever ;)
~
On the beach while walking on the sand:
Pudding: "WoW daddy, these are lotsa footprints!"
Dad: "I know.."
Pudding: "But my footprints are hardly showing :( "
:D
~
Puddingy, soon inshaAllah you'll have bigger footprints & you'll have to take good care of them.. Don't rush it honey bunny :)

As he held my hand,

I felt safe, again.. I felt that li’l girlie in me, again.. Felt that the whole world is out of harm's way & no darkness will ever lay hand on me.. I didn’t want to let go, nor did I want to feel anything else.. I wished that the rest of my life would be as bright as that moment was.. I wished that the

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whole world was as beautiful as it seemed to me then.. As he held my hand & walked me to the door I knew, I knew that nothing would have a sweeter taste than of that firm hold, the only one he knows.. That solid grip belonging only to him.. The grip that gets to your soul & taps it on the back & tells it: you’re fine & so does everything else.. I was his li’l princess & he was my guiding light.. How I wish last night didn’t end & how I wish he’d never had to leave my hand, yet again..

*Guidance*

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Why Oh Why..

~ Pureté ~

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~

Well, I don't recall trying on mama's shoes as a li'l girl.. Nor do I remember wanting to wear her lip stick & so forth.. All I really wanted to do was to love everybody & make everybody love one another..

However, the more I grew up the harder I found this applicable in today's world.. Purity is almost running out of hearts & it's being replaced by this thing that I can't find a word for..

Happy are the ones who still cling to their native pure state, & desperate are the others.. I really feel for all the sad hearts out there.. And wish there was something left for me to do.. I so do :(

~

You don't have to go to the top,

to see what's up..

You just need to raise your head,

& wake up the dead..

And shake that monster in you real hard,

& tell him it's about time to depart..

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's 03:40 am right now & there are two birds singing outside my window :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What is REAL?"

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~

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
~

From: The Velveteen Rabbit
By: Margery Williams

"Guys are immature!"

~
"Guys are immature!" She said..
~
:D hahahahahahahaa :P
~
So true man! So true!
~
~
~

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"Girls are crazy !!"

"Girls are crazy !!", he said.. And he was right!
~
Girls: whenever you're down, just remember one thing: "Girls are crazy !!".. If you do, it'll make you feel better; 'cuz it did to me! And also remember that sara is the craziest of all!
~
:D

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"Maktub"

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Quotes by Paulo Coelho:

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."

"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choices, choices, choices.. Life is full of choices..

May Allah guide us in making the right ones.. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"imagine colors"

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I've always thought about Helen Keller & all those who struggled just like she did.. When I saw the above photograph & its beautiful heading "imagine colors", I remembered Black.. Really, how do our blind brothers & sisters imagine colors? I wonder!

MASS asked us to "Get politicized be Aware", but you know something MASS? I can't! Seriously now, I can't! I get sick! And worse, depressed! And then I feel so incapable to a limit I can't describe here! I just get in this very low state that doesn't help me get any better..

A couple of days ago, mama's Iraqi doctor told her the saddest thing ever! At least one of all her relatives' families (uncle's family, aunt's family, & so forth) had a killed member! Things are going really bad over there & the killing is non-stop.. She had this 22 year old relative who was engaged to the man she loved & had plans with.. They dreamt together of owning houses up there in heaven, & investing their everything for that purpose.. She'd send him a message every dawn to make sure that her future husband is one who'd never forget his obligations towards his Creator.. The night before their wedding day, her future husband was murdered! Just like that! Instead of beating the drums to unite them, they carried him in hopes to be flying in a better place.. The girl lost her mind.. Literally..

Is this what you want me to learn of everyday MASS? I don't wanna be "politically" aware! I can't do nothing, so why watch houses falling apart? Maybe some guys can take it, go out there, fight with their hands, but me? I'll hold on to my pencil & scribble what I think might make a change!

Everyone has a purpose.. Just like the old man said in The Alchemist, there's a Personal Legend for everyone: "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At one point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend."..

And to all guys out there, there's a huge difference between this groom being killed in his land, & that young man who was hit by that car right in front of our building's door step! HUGE DIFFERENCE!

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On a lighter-funnier-yet-serious-note, I ~a b s o l u t e l y ~love Sami's writings here :D

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To you girls <3

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~

To you three (you know who you are),

You guys, this is too much! You can’t be this sweet! What on earth did I do to deserve all this? Your words, efforts & beautiful scents that you brought to my life have been more than I could dream of! Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times :)

Now this is annoyingly funny.. Well, yesterday, after those three young ladies soaking me in their love & pampering me with their most appreciated gestures, I wanted to text message them before sleeping to thank them for their unlimited sweetness.. So I messaged two & when I came to message the third with a very very long text, I sent it to the wrong number (a number I don’t know), & of course, silly me, deleted the sent messages, with this dumb certainty that it was sent to the right people.. When I found out that I sent the last long message to a total stranger, I sent him/her a message saying: “hello, I’m sorry I just sent you the previous message by mistake, can I ask you to please resend it to me?”.. Of course they didn’t reply.. Maybe ‘cuz they still haven’t seen it.. Or they don’t understand English.. Or thought that maybe they don’t want to spend money in a long message to some stranger! I’d pay whatever it takes to get this message back & send it to the ‘right’ person! It was sooooooooo heartfelt & meant a lot :( I sooooooo wanna get my msg back :( Of course I went to sleep without rewriting it, ‘cuz it would never come out like it did in the first time :(

You can laugh at me now :@

~ fly the word ~

I wish I could get my parents to write my name for me, so beautifully like they used to, again.. Wish they’d alone be responsible for my doings, again.. Wish I’d be able to care less

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(but this time, not ‘again’); as I can’t seem to remember any point in my life in which I just simply ‘didn’t worry’.. And unlike all worries, I never seemed to worry about me as much as I worried about them, my dearly loved ones! Worry, panic & freak out, not necessarily externally, but rather, internally.. I’d bleed for you & just not show it that much.. I wonder when will I ever learn to ‘take it easy’, take a step backward & just let things be!

Umm, it’s been a while now that confusion has been knocking on all my doors.. I don’t mind it now as much though; ‘cuz I know that whatever it is that takes place, I’ll somehow learn how to be fine with it.. Didn’t Allah grant us the capability of doing so in the first place?

A couple of days ago, I saw this li’l bird flying around in the food court & it landed right in front of where I was eating.. It was unbelievable! A bird in the food court?! Just amazing :D

~

Mama has put these two plates in the balcony for birds to come eat & drink from.. One carries rice & the other water.. When I went to refill the water, I wondered how did all the birds know that in the Hamdy’s balcony there is food? I mean, at the beginning it was only two birds coming & having their share, but now almost all the birds surrounding our area have heard the news :) I guess it’s like how we see it in the cartoons; they tell each other & ‘fly the word around’ :)

The Story of A Farmer and His Watermelon

"There was a farmer who grew watermelons. He was doing pretty well, but he was disturbed by some local kids who would sneak into his watermelon patch at night and eat his watermelons. After some careful thought, he came up with a clever idea that he thought would

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scare the kids away for sure. He made up a sign and posted it in the field. The next day, the kids showed up and they saw the sign which reads, “Warning! One of the watermelons in this field has been injected with cyanide.” The kids ran off, made up their own sign and posted it next to the farmer’s sign. When the farmer returned, he surveyed the field. He noticed that no watermelons were missing, but the sign next to his reads, “Now there are two!”"

~

~ By Sis Zabrina ~

EtNiEv SoD

Don’t look at me,
Instead of looking at her..

She’s carried for too long,
& had to always care..

Alone into the night,
She’d sit, cry & fight..

For the kite & the sight,
Of her li’l miss delight..

*10 random things*

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Well, I've been tagged by MISS GJOE :D Thanks gjoe, this tag reminded me of an old tag :)

The rules are:

"Post 10 random things about yourself
Choose 5 people to tag and a reason you chose each person
Leave them each a comment directing them to your blog so they know they are it
You can’t tag the person who tagged you
As a courtesy to the person who tagged you, please let them know when you have posted"

1. I talk to strangers.. Like for instance while crossing the road, I could start a talk.. Or in the elevator.. You know.. Like crazy people do :D

2. I could get along with almost any kid :D I spent a whole evening at a wedding sitting next to a kid (I don't know), talking to her for the entire evening :)

3. I get attached waaaaaaaay too fast! I could get totally attached to you within a sec.. Okay, without exaggerating, within 10 seconds..

4. I have a mood swinging issue! I could even forget what has ruined my mood, but yet stay in this bad mood.. And oh, my bad mood means, I DON'T TALK!

5. I have a very sensitive sense of smell!

6. I can't tell the difference between a 100 & a 1000 dirhams! I've never learnt the definition of money!

7. I hate lying!

8. I can drink butter milk (laban) at any given time ;)

9. I've recently got to know someone who gets emotionally & physically abused & can't do nothing about it :(

10. When I was 14 (or maybe 15, 16, can't remember really), a family friend allowed me to drive her manual car (in cairo) & OMG! The car stopped almost every two minutes :D I never forgot the sparkle of trust I found in her eyes.. I didn't know anything about her the gears or anything (I've only tried with daddy in his Jeep) & yet she kept on insisting on teaching me.. We weren't even close (me & her)! Thanks Mona :) You've given me faith in me with that look in that crazy egyptian night :) I'll never forget that :D

And now I'm tagging (I'm tagging 'em 'cuz I wanna know more about them):

Ara: The sister I've never met.. The one who taught me the true meaning of compassion..

Batoul A.: I wanna know more about her, the girl who loves her brother so much :) (may he get married & be happy & fly high in the sky of love)

Lulu: Ukhty lulu.. Habebty lulu.. Sis lulu.. Dihket erroman ;P

Maryam: The sister I'm planning on meeting soon inshaAllah :) (May Allah grant you & Z the child who'll be qurrat 'ayn for you.. Amen :) )

Princess N: Wanna learn more about her sane world ;)

~ within the antiquated ~

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Isn't it such a beautiful scene to one's eyes & soul, when seeing men gathering around together, making a united effort in beautifying our world? This was the feeling I had when I was watching those Armenian men, months ago, dancing together to some strong loud beats while hitting the ground so hard making their tapping go beautifully with the rhyming beats.. Again this feeling came to life when I saw Palestinian men doing almost the same moves to some similar beats..

I always think about the roots of things.. Like how did they start, how did they begin.. I often look up their source, or simply make up my own story ;) Like for instance these dances: I don't know from where exactly I got this feeling, but I, for some reason, got this notion that loooooong ago, men used to do this stomping while performing some agricultural activities!

'Hoyamal' is this old chant that fishermen used to sing here while fishing.. I thought it originated from the word 'amal', which stands for 'hope'.. But I found out somewhere that it means 'God's blessing' :)

It's interesting to realize that everything good & bad has a starting point.. I hope we could be the starting points to any good thing, no matter how small it may be..

~

P.S. It'd be amazing if anyone could help my sister in finding out where 'Egypt' came from.. I know that 'Misr' is the old name of Egypt, so where did the name 'Egypt' come from?

~ The Promise ~

While I was sitting this morning reading in my warm corner in our pretty very inspirational balcony, pudding came & sat next to me.. The sun rays were all over him & I

got lost in his young angelic face.. 'He's growing!' I sighed.. I don't want him growing! I want him to stay where he is! The birds were singing & I was honestly jealous.. They don't get to be questioned & we do.. Pudding won't always be "my li'l puddingy", will he? He'll soon be accountable for all it is that he's doing.. Oh, my li'l pudding is growing.. *sigh*

~

We can do it, I know we can.. We sin & repent.. And sin again.. And repent again.. The thought that keeps me hanging in here is that: as long as we're breathing, we get another chance.. That's true brothers & sisters (I always wonder why I'm used to saying brothers before sisters, ain't it funny?).. We get another chance :D

~

I also see that women (talkative gender) do get more chances of their sins being wiped off than men do.. We go through monthly pains.. Carry children.. And so much more.. While men have to carry themselves along with others & strive hard, so hard.. May Allah make it easy on all of those trying hard.. And may He The Strongest grant 'em the strength to hang in there, until their time comes.. Amen :)

~

I'd love to share here with you today a sweet sweet incident that took place last night :) Well, while swimming in the pool last night, this li'l almost 5 year old kiddo came in & made all these funny things in the water & drew everyone's attention.. I couldn't stop watching him.. He came up to me & kept on making hard efforts in showing off his swimming skills ;) And when the time came for everyone to leave, I noticed him with his mom on the side of the pool getting ready to leave & go bathe.. Everyone left except us.. I was close enough to hear the following:

Cute Kiddo: "Mommy!"

Cute Kiddo's Mom: "Yes baby?"

CK: "I wanna tell you something, but promise you won't get mad first?"

CKM surprisingly: "Umm, what is it?"

CK: "No you gotta promise first!"

CKM worryingly: "I promise! What is it?"

CK: "Say wAllahi?"

CKM: "Wallahi!"

CK pleadingly: "WAllahi you won't get mad?"

CKM nervously: "WAllahi I won't get mad! Say it baby.."

CK: "It's just that, the little hairs laying on the back of your neck from this swim cap & the goggles you're wearing make you look like a.. ahhh.. look like.."

CKM: "What baby?"

CK in a low voice: "You look like a mouse!"

CKM teasingly: "I look like a mouse? Is that how I look like?"

CK regretfully: "But maaaaaaa, you said you won't get mad?!"

CKM: "I look like a mouse?"

CK: "It's just that.. Mommyyyyyy, come on?!"

CKM: "I'm not mad, I'm not mad.. But MOUSE? :P"

CK relieved & happy: "hehehehehehehehe :D"

In Lieu Of......

I knew they were not “normal”.. There was something special about them.. Something “uncommon”.. It wasn’t for their very short height; it was something else.. Something that most of us wouldn’t even think about :(

~

(picture's source)

While my sis & I were waiting for our sukkar friend, $@lly, to come downstairs, we noticed this strange thing.. There were these two young ladies standing down the side of the road, feeding a number of cats & pigeons! Now around sally’s place, I’d always see a lotta pigeons flying around.. Every time I go there, I see them & enjoy the scene :) But never did I notice anyone even looking at them :(

One of the ladies was feeding some cats (they were hiding behind these bars) & the other was moving around throwing the pigeons seeds bit by bit.. And shortly afterwards, sally came..

Me: “Sally, why are these women wearing the same clothes?”
Sals: “They’re twins..”
Me: “Do you know them personally?”
Sals: “Nope.. I always see them around my house.. What’s going on?”
Me: “It’s just that I found the cats showing up from between the bars only for them! Even the pigeons seem like they know them!”
Sals: “Oh, they’re incredible! They always feed the cats & hang around with them.. I even saw one of the sisters carrying a dead cat WITH HER BARE HANDS off the middle of the road! The poor cat was hit by a car.. They really take good care of these cats..”
Me: “Wow, mashaAllah, they’re not normal sals! Tenderhearted is the word!”
Sals: “Well, as a matter of fact, they are “abnormal”.. They have some kind of a disability that I’m not so familiar with..”

What happened to the “normal” people? Where has the compassion gone? Why is it abnormal to see some kindness anywhere in our time? It’s got to be a weird thing seeing a man feeding a dog, or a woman simply contemplating & enjoying a good weather! It’ll be extremely bizarre if you find a man helping another man carrying his groceries..

Yesterday, an embassy nearby was on fire.. As I was running downstairs to move the car from where I’ve parked it (as I parked it next to the embassy; & the firefighters needed that space to get their truck) I noticed that people were acting normal! Some were even laughing while watching the pitch black smoke! Some were pointing at the fire & giggling! Others were just glancing out of curiosity & asking some silly questions; to know the stupid details that they always love to hear to be constantly “FILLED IN WITH EVERYTHING”..

We’re awfully cold,
While no one is told..

We’re getting old,
& we'll be easily sold..

It’ll then be hard to mold,
All of these rotten folds..

If I only could..

I’d color them houses,
& break all their fences..

I’d shake them hard,
& grant them a start..

I’d plant all the seeds,
& grow the dead fields..

I’d hug 'em all,
& allow no fall..

I’d teach 'em to fly,
& to bear no lies..

~

~

~

Oh, I so would,
If I only could..

~

(picture's source)

The Fatal Fog :(

"ABU DHABI - In the worst-ever multiple collisions in the history of the country, apparently caused by heavy fog and negligent driving, more than 150 vehicles, including 12 buses, rammed into each other on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway yesterday morning, resulting in four deaths and injuries to 317 people."

~

By Adel Arafah

(illustration's source)

~

When I read more about this sad day in some other VERY famous paper here in the U.A.E., I got sadder.. After all of this happening, guess what I read?! They said describing what happened: "& they were from different nationalities...."

WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONALITIES HERE?!

~

May Allah make it easy on everybody.. Amen.

~

P.S. Thanks a lot dearest :')

K S T C L S A

It was at night time when the traffic light went red & all the honking started.. I turned my head to find this huge number of cars, on the other side of the road, honking their horns around this cutely decorated car carrying a groom & his bride.. I was so happy seeing that & hearing this beeping going on :) I was the only one who started honking on my side of the road (I hardly honk & hate that noise! It's funny how can one thing express anger & at other times express joy!) The drivers from the other side started looking at me & smiling even more; happy with my reaction :) The only thought I had was: "MashaAllah, another house is starting in the light & two souls are uniting while declaring it to the whole world :)".. Isn't it such a beautiful fact that one of the conditions of a marriage contract, is to announce it publicly? The lights went green & I left them with a sincere prayer in my heart for them :)

~

I found this amazing book in the bookstore last weekend.. I bought it along with other books, but I started reading it first.. "From my sisters' lips".. Just by reading the dedication, I was so overwhelmed: "For my husband, the wind beneath my wings"! How lovely is that! I so wanna see Na'ima (the author)! I saw her heart & got so connected! I'll leave you with one of the things that I've got to know, for first time ever, from her book: The shahada (the statement of faith) has conditions attached to it:

1. Knowledge

2. Sincerity

3. Truthfulness

4. Certainty

5. Love

6. Submission

7. Acceptance

~ God Is Beautiful ~

(illustration's source)

A muslim sister living in a muslim country: "Sweetie, just a second! I wanna give you a piece of advise hoping you'd accept it from me as your sister.. I love you & respect you & just.. Well, I see you walk in here every morning with this sweet smile of yours & young face & all I can feel is pity! I'm not trying to get personal here or mean to invade your privacy or anything, but the way you walk, oh dear.. I just feel sorry for you.. Honey, you need to wear some colors, put on a little bit of make up, you know, "beautify yourself a li'l".. This seriousness that you walk with & loose gown ain't gonna get you any marriage proposals.. I care for you.. I really do.. You seem young & pretty & God Has granted you this beauty for you to feel & share.. Not to suppress it.. "God Is beautiful & Loves beauty", right? Show it to yourself, I'm not saying for men or anything.. For you.."

A non-muslim sister living in a muslim country: "I agree with her dearie, you look like a nun & this won't get you anywhere.. I think you should, you know, "open up a bit".. I don't mean for men, just for yourself.. The way I do my hair every morning is for my own sake, not for men to enjoy.. You should celebrate your beauty, not kill it! I feel for you, you're young & you can't be doing this at this early age! Is your dad doing this to you?"

~~

Proudly, I contained myself & tried to imagine what our mother Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) would have done.. How she'd have replied.. How/what would she feel.. I didn't get mad for myself, nope, didn't get angry for me.. I felt like: ALHAMDULILLAH RABIL'ALAMEEN :) How thankful & grateful I am ya Allah! The best thing about this whole incident is my pudding.. I went later on & told him this story; to see his reaction.. A twelve year old's reaction.. And let me tell ya, I WAS PROUD :)

12 year old Puddingy: "Saraaaaaaaaaaaa :@ I wish they could understand.. Did you tell them the number of proposals you get? Sara, you know what, tomorrow, I want you to wear your black scarf.. Don't wear any of the colored ones you have for tomorrow.. Show them that you're strong in what you believe in.. You know what? If they ever talk to you about it again, tell them my 12 year old brother is telling you that this is rude of you & it's not really a nice thing when you beautify yourself in front of men.. That's not beauty! They can eat you with their eyes.. Do you like displaying your detailed form? Is this what you want?...."

He was cutely bothered, angry & sad :D Oh how I wish I could see more of pudding's heart in other boys' chests!

~ tête-à-tête ~

Isn’t it wonderful when you have this looooooong phone conversation, with someone that you connect with so much & never feel like hanging up?! I’ve had one of those today.. We talked & talked & went somewhere so high; that I could barely see any of the others.. Just jumping from a cloud to another & nearly touching the sky.. We discussed what he called: “the feelings map”.. It’s this map that you hardly find anyone living on.. People even get scared of just looking at it.. The thought of passing it by would give them the chills..

“One who lives will see a lot, & he who walks will see much more..” that’s an Arabic proverb that totally makes sense.. I went to this inspiring exhibition that connected me to my Islamic history more & more.. It contained five hundred priceless pieces collected by Nasser D Khalili.. It was magnificent! I was excited, proud, amazed, proud again & in absolute admiration! I saw this very old hat that seemed worn out.. It had those beautiful flowers sewed on it in this beautiful pattern.. The supervisor over there asked me: “I’ve had VIP visitors visiting this place & none, not even one of them, asked me about it! What is it with you & this hat?”.. I smiled & couldn’t explain.. There are certain things that you just can’t explain! I loved those iranian rugs & turkish tiles (even though i'm not so into tiles.. the patterns were enchanting!).. Ah, did I mention how beautiful the bowls were? It wasn’t for the material they were made from or the colors.. It was much more than that.. Each bowl had a piece of wisdom written on its edge in this beautiful Arabic angular kufic letters! A bowl, that they used for eating, had some inspiration to it! Where are we from all of that? Where?

Taking pictures wasn’t allowed; as the flash of the camera might damage those pretty treasures.. I asked the supervisor to take snaps without using my flash.. He agreed :) Thanks a lot Mr. Supervisor Man :) And I finally uploaded them.. YeeeeeeY :D

Now this here is THE ONLY Qur'an written by a woman :) Here:

I loved this Qur'an's wrapper :)

This has covered the Ka'ba for a period of time:

I just LOVE this kufic writing:

THE HAT ;)

Some of the inspirational bowls that I loved (please find the description below the pictures):

I wonder how he looked like wearing it :D

How fancy! :)

P.S. I'm so sorry! I found out that if you try clicking on the pictures to enlarge them, they won't! I'M SO MAD AT ME; I don't know what is it that I did that made the pictures un-enlargeable (if that's a word)?! They're huge on my computer! If you're interested, I can send you the pictures you want! Sorry again about that!