A Promise In The Qur'an

{Verily, along with every hardship is relief (ease)} (Qur'an, 94:5)

This verse is what helps me. It's what keeps me going. It's a promise from Allah swt to us, that no matter how much we struggle there will be ease, we just have to be patient enough. And I wanted to share it with all of you! Remember; life...it's temporary. What's real is what's after. So this is all just a test, and until we finish it and get our results, we need to work hard to ace the exam! Doesn't mean you don't get to enjoy life...oh no! By all means, go out and have fun but keep it halal. And keep other stuff in your schedule too, things like taking care of your parents and family, worship, helping the needy, memorizing Qur'an, reading Qur'an...and anything else that comes to mind. You have 24 hours each day, use them wisely, be a productive Muslim and prioritize your life well! Don't put shopping over salah, movies over parents. That won't give you happiness because you're actually neglecting the important and taking care of the less important. Time Management is the way to go! And that is something I reallyyyyy need to get working on! Just so bad at it lol :S Lucky I got my dad and husband continuously reminding me of its' importance...Alhamdulelah! :)

So again back to the verse. We ALL face problems, we all face trials...in different ways and depending on how much we can handle we are all being tested. Don't give up, be patient, pray to Allah swt to help you, have faith that with every hardship there is ease, and most importantly:

Always remember that Allah swt knows what's best for us, and He wants what is good for us!

May Allah swt make us from the strong believers who are patient in times of trouble, and thankful in times of happiness! Ameen :)

We're All In This Together!

A quick post before I head off to study, just couldn't help but share this! As I watch the news and see how the whole world is in such chaos I can't help but think how sad this world is becoming! Racism, Selfishness, Injustice, Inhumane...so many words to describe all this!
You see, My mom is Jordanian, My dad is Palestinian. And in the 20 years that I have been in this world never have I been taught to differentiate between these two nationalities. Never have I been taught to differentiate between any person because of his race, his culture or what his origin is. The only thing that differentiates people is piety! And that is what I plan to teach my children inshaAllah! To love and respect all, to stand up for their rights and be strong but not inhumane or injustice! I wish people would wake up to this truth! The truth that my parents taught me, and my experience living in Canada in such a diverse community, meeting such amazing people from all around the globe did!
And always remember, a long long time ago there lived only two people on earth, Adam and Eve (peace be upon them) and from them we ALL came!

May all of you have a blessed day!

Inception

So I just finished watching the movie "Inception". Boy, I can't believe I've been putting it off this long! It was actually quite awesome and even though it was long, time passed so fast! Story is creative, ending is wonderful and the two kids are adorable! :D Now, after I finished watching I started thinking of how somehow it does make sense...not the going into each others dreams part hehe :P I mean the part about planting a little idea like a seed into the brain that will then grow more and more till this dream starts turning into action and finally is happening out there in reality! Do we really need someone to "plant" an idea in our heads so we could just go out there and do awesome stuff? Why not just "plant" a seed ourselves and start taking care of it so that it grows..till its a tree holding such yummy fruits?! :D
Yea I know I might sound all hyped up and optimistic but seriously, it's a thought! Why not find something that is lingering at the back of our mind, something we wish we could do, want to do, but things around us are holding us back. And let's just plant that seed and start helping it grow. You never know what kind of tree you'll get ;)

Just my thoughts on a movie that is a must-watch in my view :P

To My Dearest Hubby...With Love!

I wrote this poem to the one who's on my mind 24/7/365 :) <3

With every passing day

To God I do pray

That He keeps you safe for me

For you're my one and only

Without you in my life

Without being your wife

I'll lose my source of light

Life won't be quite right

You see my dearest love

You are a gift from above

To help me through this trip

Together through it we'll skip

Hand in hand we'll pass

Breaking all obstacles like glass

The pleasure of God we'll seek

What's between us is so unique

From the first day we met

I knew you were it

Following came the big event

That made us both very content

United together forever in life

Happily married as husband and wife

From that day forward my love for you

Grows more and more as flowers do

But unlike them it does not whither

Only prospers; getting bigger and bigger

For you are the sun that brightens my day

Your laugh is beautiful in every way

Your eyes are captivating, full of feelings

Your words inspiring, with plenty of meanings
To simply put it, you're everything to me

And to my heart you own the key

- Dana SK

~  Alhamdulelah! All praise and thanks to Allah! :) ~

Biggest Exam Seen!

So am sitting at the library in my university waiting, I have an exam in two hours. As I sit there and look around, I see people trying to cram last minute information into their brains, stressfully studying and asking about things they didn't understand while studying...so that they can pass their upcoming exam with great marks. Am not any different of course, I do that for every exam...and that's normal. Yet what's sadly funny about us humans is we constantly forget about the inevitable upcoming exam that we are all gonna face. The exam that will affect us forever, unlike the exams we are doing now which will only affect us for a short while...for like what 70, 80, 90 years max? But the exam am talking about is the exam of the hereafter. An exam whose questions are known and answers are known. Imagine having such an exam at school, wouldn't it be silly not to get a full mark when you know both the questions and the answers? Then why is it that not everyone passes this exam? And why is it that we don't even make time in our life to study for it, when we know it's undoubtedly going to come up suddenly at an unknown time...maybe today, tomorrow or in a few years?

This exam has two sets of questions. The first set will be the ones we'll be asked about in the grave by the two angels Munkar and Nakeer. They are:
"What is your religion?" to which the answer is "Islam.
"Who is your Lord?" to which the answer is "Allah".
"Who is your prophet?" to which the answer is "Muhammad".
"How did you come to know these things?" to which the answer is "I read the book of Allah (i.e. Qur'an) and I believed it".

The other set of questions will be more like an evaluation; when everyone - starting from prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and ending to the last person on earth - will be resurrected and accounted for their actions.

So we know the questions, and we know the answers...then why doesn't everyone pass this exam? There's a simple answer for that. Because we forget about this exam, we make it our last priority to think about it, we don't really feel the importance and value of getting ready for it...and only when it's too late do we actually remember.

{Every soul will taste death: and only on the Day of Judgment will you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved from the Fire and admitted to Paradise will have the true attainment (of his desire). And what is the enjoyment of the worldly life except a delusion.} (Qur’an, 3:185)

You know, it's not so hard to do things that'll help you get ready for this exam and still enjoy life, because Islam doesn't forbid having fun in life and enjoying yourself and working hard in your work and studies as long as you're doing everything the halal way. But we need to constantly remember to Live Islam. We need to remember that Islam is not just a religion, but a system of life. It teaches us everything we have to learn about this life and how to live it in order to gain happiness. The Qur'an itself is such a beautiful guide...what more does a person want than the words and advise of our Creator? :)

From simple things like purifying your intention when doing any type of activity in your life, to saying bismillah when you start something, to constantly counting the many blessings that Allah swt has blessed you with and thanking Him for them, to being patient in times of trouble and working hard to overcome whatever obstacle you face with a strong faith, to thinking about our end  and how soon it might be, to doing things like having a daily amount of verses or pages from the Qur'an to read everyday, learning more about our beloved prophet peace be upon him...and so much more! And in between these you can have fun, enjoy life, go out with friends and family and work hard at your job/school. See how beautifully balanced your life can be? It won't be easy that's for sure, but like I always say nothing valuable comes easily...you have to work hard to get it! :) So don't you think it's worth it? Getting something that money can't buy? Getting happiness in the world and in the hereafter as well? I think we can both agree it really is!!! :)

I do pray that Allah swt helps us to become better, happier Muslims. To enjoy this life while working hard for our end too :) Ameen!

Have a blessed day my friends! :)

My Veil :)

As I softly put on

My beautiful veil

I think of how sadly

People seem to fail

To see its beauty

See why we do

Wear it daily

If only they knew

This veil to me

Is so extremely priceless

It's importance to my heart

You can never guess

To show such modesty

To keep myself away

From the prying eyes

That men have everyday

When you have a diamond

Of it you take care

Keeping it safely tucked

From people to stare

A woman is the same

So special and unique

You should be respectful, gentle

When with her you speak

She is not merely

Looks and nothing more

She's got ideas and goals

Her thoughts you should explore

And in the end

When the time is right

She'll meet her man

Her husband, her knight

Then she'll lead

Such a respectful life

Honored by him

As his queen and wife

Remember this dear reader

When you see a woman in a veil

She's not oppressed…but

A diamond so rare

- By : Dana SK

 The veil is so much more than a cloth on the head, it symbolizes something far more precious, far more  valuable. You know, I once read a sentence that was beautiful, it goes as follows: "Everything precious is naturally hidden and protected. Diamonds? Deep in the earth. Pearls? Deep in the sea protected in a shell. Gold? Deep in mines, well hidden. A womans' body and her beauty are much more valuable than any mineral. Why expose them?". In Islam things that are obligatory, are for our benefit. And things that are forbidden are harmful for us. So maybe you should just think for a bit, does a woman covering herself harm her or does it protect her? I think we both know the answer to that :)

And if Islam is truly oppressing women by making them wear the Hijab, then why do we see a lot of western women, leave their "freedom" of dressing as they please to become Hijab wearing muslimahs? Is it not because they found the reality of Islam and loved it? And by that it means they loved everything about it including the modest act of wearing the Hijab? A lot of my revert sisters/friends decided to wear it right after they said the shahadah, even though some of them faced problems in doing that, yet they said they will anyway because they understood the true, beautiful meaning of it! :)


To end this I wanted to share two things:

One: a song by Sami Yusuf called "Free"

and Two: a youtube channel showing the many ways and styles a hijab can be worn for those sisters who are interested to check it out :) Amenakins' Channel

Asalamu Aliekum Everyone! :)

PS: Something to think about...wearing the hijab doesn't mean wearing ugly clothes! Oh No! You can still be stylish...wearing beautiful, elegant clothes and still look modest, the way Islam asks us to! :)

A Miraculous Place!

I was sitting with my parents-in-law and they were telling me about the experience they had doing Umrah during Ramadan. Not easy at all especially at their age, masha'Allah! They talked about how they went there for 8 days or so and, because Makkah is filled with Muslims during Ramadan more than any time of year (except for Hajj probably), so when you find a place to sit near the Ka'abah and overlooking it, you have to hold on to it. So they would go down from the hotel and sit there from Asr prayer to find a spot, then they stay there till Maghrib prayer, break fast with the food provided there (which comprises of a few dates, small bowl of yogurt and Zamzam water) and then stay there till Isha prayer, then Taraweeh Prayer. Then they go back to the hotel to sleep for a bit and then again head to the Ka'abah to perform a bit of night prayer before Fajr. So during these 8 nights they ate only the dates and yogurt provided. Keep in mind that it's not like there isn't food back at the hotel, on the contrary, a whole buffet awaited at Maghrib time for the fasters to break their fast. But my parents-in-law chose to give priority to worship rather to the luxirious comforts that will hinder them from doing what they really want to.

So what really amazed me in the story? Everything! From the fact that they did that at their age masha'Allah to the fact that, to me at least, I would find that hard to do. So what was it I wonder that really made them feel strong during these precious days? What was it that helped them do it? These questions brought back memories of my first Umrah. I was grade 11 then so I remember it quite well. And to try and actually explain how I felt the minute I saw the Ka'abah live for the first time, would be such an understatement to how it really was! No word can describe it! But I'll try to bring the picture closer to you by using "tranquility", "at peace" and "comfort" as words to help :) It was amazing. My eyes were immediately filled up with tears...happy tears :) And during the few days I remained there with my family, I remember doing worship like never before. What do I mean? That I concentrated and pondered during prayer and Qur'an reading more than I ever did, and I felt happier than ever before, and it was like all my burdens and sorrows disappeared in that place! Subhanallah, waking up to fajer and praying with the Ka'abah in front of me, sitting there looking at it and reading Qur'an or doing theker (Remembrance of Allah). I mean as am typing this up now there's this feeling of longing that I have for experiencing such tranquil happiness like I felt in those few days!

And on thinking about this, and about my parents-in-laws' story it just feels more and more true how miraculous that place really is! For those who have never been there, I don't think you'll fully understand what I mean till you actually try it. And for those who have gone there whether for Umrah or Hajj...then you probably understand!

Picture showing the Ka'abbah and Muslims from all over the world, standing side by side, worshiping the One God...All of them United! :) Beautiful isn't it?! Subhanallah, Glory be to Allah!

The place is beautiful, relaxing and has this essence of peace filling it up everywhere! And what's more unique is that it's the one place where you see people from ALL over the world, united with nothing diffrentiating them. It doesn't matter what race, gender or country you're from. Nothing from these labels matter at all. For Islam is a diverse religion that bonds people from all over the world and from all nationalities and brings them together to be bonded by the Islamic brotherhood. And in that place you can witness the truth of these words. I look around me, and I see my brothers and sisters everywhere. So touching! Such a blessing!!

So yea, if I were to choose the place that I experienced a lot of happiness in (and there are multiple places of that sort) my number one choice would be, without a doubt, Makkah! :)

Alhamdulelah, All praise and thanks to Allah, for the blessing of being a Muslim and getting the priceless chance of feeling all this! :)

From Dream to Goal: Islam

One of my many dreams was to spread the truth of Islam everywhere, just lay it out there for all to learn and know, especially now when there are a lot of attempts to distort the pure and beautiful image of Islam by the media. It saddens me to see how many people actually fall into the trap of the media and truly believe the many bad lies said about Islam. Whether it be how Muslim women are oppressed, Islam encourages killing, or anything else people come up with...these are all wrong and so far away from the truth!! And I had a dream of changing that because I saw how beautifully happy Islam made my life and I wanted people to know that! One day I decided to turn that dream into a goal and I set out to work on that goal....and Alhamdulelah (Thanks to Allah) after a good period of time, results began to show. And the truth, slowly, started getting out there.

What truth you ask? The truth of how peaceful and beautiful Islam truly is. Of how it's not just a religion, but a complete system of life. Of how it's so logical that even a kid could understand it, so simple that anyone can follow it, and so diverse that it's for all people of all times.

One of the subjects I wanted to talk to you about was "Oppressed Muslim Women". You see, when you want to know if a woman in Islam is oppressed don't ask a guy, or a non-muslim...ask a Muslim woman! Alhamdulelah I'm a Hijab wearing Muslim woman, so blessed and so happy with my life! I am not oppressed! :) I like to look at what new trends are out there because I love fashion. I also love traveling, going out with friends and reading :) I am very much in love with my fiancé, whom I thank God everyday for sending him my way! :) So am a normal girl, living a normal life but with extra special "features"...I am muslim, and I wear the hijab! And those have added more happiness into my life (contrary to what the media tries to show).

Wearing the hijab makes me feel modest, beautiful and secure! It gives me a feeling of liberation that many girls wish to have! I am not oppressed by what magazines tell me to wear, or to look like. I love to look stylish and beautiful yet modest. I am free! :)

This subject is just one of the many out there which should be addressed the right way to get the real truth!

So one of the things I did to turn my dream into action was create the following website:

http://www.realislam.webs.com

I also created a page on Facebook called "Islamic Thought of the Week":

http://www.facebook.com/ITOTW

This page is aimed for Muslims out there, because sometimes life tends to keep us so busy that we forget our true purpose here, and so I created that page to act as a reminder for all of us...and to enlighten everyone how Islam isn't just praying, fasting and reading the Qur'an. It's more than that! From saying theker (remembrance of Allah) to purifying your intention when doing anything to being patient and nice with people...this page is there to encourage us to Live Islam! :)

And connected to that page are videos I make and upload on Youtube....a series also called "Islamic Thought of the Week"...they could be found on my channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MsDan297

I can certainly go on for quite a while, because when I talk about things I love and cherish...I can talk forever! :D (and you probably don't want that hehe)

So please, if you're a Muslim be proud of who you are...you are blessed with something a lot aren't! And don't think about Islam as merely a religion only followed at certain times. Always remember that Islam is a system of life, any questions you have you'll find your answer there, and any guidance needed is always there. To be happy...be a Good Muslim! :)

And if you're a Non-Muslim, then please don't judge my religion based on things you hear in the media. Learn about Islam from true sources that show the truth, read the Qur'an for real knowledge about what Islam is and what it teaches...and am always ready if you have questions, I'll gladly do my best to answer :)

I'll end this with a beautiful verse from the Qur'an:

{Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidence, signs etc.) for people of understanding} (Qur'an, 2:164)

Take care my friends! :)

Even Firsts Have An End

That's how it all began.

The day you were born.

Not before…not after…on that precise day…it all began…

Your life…your memories…your dreams and accomplishments…your firsts…

That first wail…that first flailing of the arms…that first tender kiss on your cheek…

Yes, that was the starting point of the good and the bad…of the happy and the sad…

Then came the first crawl…the first walk…the first word…the first time on a bicycle…the first day of preschool

Your parents waving to you as you walked into the building carrying your back pack and holding your lunch…them waiting when the first day finished…and you running  with open arms and so much to tell...

Then the first friend you had…the first sleepover…the first secret…the first feeling of friendship…

Growing up with your parents to guide you through the way…

After that, your first graduation…with your parents watching proudly and mom crying about "her little child growing up"

Then came your first step into high school…your first true feeling of independence…

The years rolling by…and it's your first day of university…first day of what you will become in life…what you will work for…

Then you grow up…the years are spinning by so fast…and it's all you can do to slow them…and then you…daddy's and mommy's little child…getting engaged…getting married…moving out…and your parents seeing their kid going…the kid they brought up and cared for and raised…going…going…to spend his/her life with someone else…the feeling of adventure…filling you as you move on to experience another part of life…

And after, your first job…your first salary…the feeling of happiness…unimaginable…

Then comes the first child…and the life cycle starts again for your baby…

That's how it is…Life…

A simple four letter word…with a meaning so enormous…so important…so priceless

And when it's about to end…you stand aside for a bit and look back on everything that you had done in your life…for you…for others…and it's here…at this spot that you will know...how well you lived your life...how well you used your time...how well you treated others...how well you prioritized everything...at that point you will discover if you have truly lived a good life or an illusion of one…

………………..

………………………..

……………….

……………………….

Now I ask you…dearest reader…when you stand at this spot…what will you see??

What do you think you'll see? This is a priceless question…that has only one good answer…a good answer that's for your own good…think…think…and may God be with you and guide you to the right way and help you stay on it…I have faith in you reader…

Everyone has something good in them…find that good in you…use it to help yourself and others…use it to make good of your life...before it's too late...and always keep in mind that we will be accounted for everything we do in this life...so choose well :)

May god be with you… 

Take care :)