♥ Perfectly Perfect! :') ♥

This post was inspired by a video (click here to see it) that hubby shared with me, Jazaka Allahu Khayran darling!
                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~
This world is so perfect! Subhanallah...Glory be to Allah who created this world with accuracy and precision beyond any human capability! So perfeeeect! The mountains, the roses, the sky, the water. The composition of material, the way animals mate, and grow! The way our body functions, the way our heart beats, the way our eyes see and our ears hear. The way we have feelings that come out depending on what situation we're in, the way the breeze touches our skin and makes us feel fresh. The way we feel love for a new born baby, or our spouse...who came out of nowhere to be our everything! This world is so perfect, yet us imperfect humans ruin it by feeling hatred, inhumanity, intolerance...by making fights and wars as our number one solution whether in small groups like with families or friends, or in a bigger picture between countries, nationalities and religions!

We were born to build this world...not ruin it! We were born to take care of our souls...not get them lost with wrong decisions.

I feel so thankful for being a Muslim. For learning that peace is the solution. For learning not to look down on others. For learning to love for others what I love for myself, taking care of my parents and family, spreading good in this world. For learning that the true way is the way God has for us in this world, He knows what's best for us because He's our creator! For learning that life is full of obstacles but with faith, love and respect I can get through anything! For learning that this world has an end, we are all going to die one day and be accounted for what actions and decisions we made in life, so never prioritize this ending world over Heaven and working to get there! For learning to pray to God to keep this world in my hand, but the hereafter in my heart. For learning to be successful while remembering it's from God.
I'm also sooo extremely thankful for having Allah swt always there to listen and protect me, to give me what's best for me and to guide me through the bumpy road of life...

I learned a lot of things as I grew up, and I will keep on learning...But one thing is for sure, I can never thank God enough for all the blessings that He has blessed me with, the best of which is being a Muslim!

So Alhamdulelah again and again. Thank you Allah for lighting my way. For showing me the beautiful, breathtaking path of Islam. A path so diverse, with such a strong bond between its followers from everywhere and from all times! I pray you keep me strong and steady on this path, always awed by the never ending miracles you have for us humans to witness in this world.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah! :')


The following pictures were found from Google and are not taken by me:

Posts, Posts and more Posts!

I found this website that had random pictures in it; thought I'd share a few of the ones I liked :)

Hehe found it cute with a great point to all the people who think Islam calls for terrorism

So Powerful isn't it?

Alhamdulelah! All praise and thanks to Allah! To always be thankful and satisfied, and to always see how much you are blessed, look at the people who have less than you, not more than you!

‘View from the grave’
An interesting picture,makes you think..so thought I’d share.

Allah’s Apostle (Sal-allahu-aleihi-wasallam) used to invoke (Allah):

“O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal.” [Vol 2:#459]

For more pictures click here.

Five Beautiful Times! :)

Sometimes as I'm in the car, I look around me and just watch the people passing by. Some walking, some in their cars. Life moving fast. Everyone rushing to get things done. Everyone so taken up with whatever is on their mind. Then, right in the middle of all this the adhan is called out from the masjids all around. And that is just beautiful!! A call back to why we are here, a wakeup call that breaks through the routine life that we lead.

Some people start questioning why Muslims pray 5 times a day. Wondering isn't it too much? How do you find the time to do it? While other people, though being Muslim themselves, tend to neglect this most important obligation we Muslims are asked to do. But at that moment, when the adhan is called out, just stop everything you're doing and listen. And you will know. You will know why we pray 5 times a day. Why it's a good thing for us, not a burden.

From the 1440 minutes we live each day, taking 5 minutes off to pray each prayer = about 25 minutes. Too much? No! Not when this is for our own good. We are so taken up with this fast-moving life sometimes that we forget why we are even here, we become so burdened with whatever problems and trouble we're facing. Or so happy with whatever happy occasion came upon us. That we just forget to pray to Allah swt, or thank Allah swt, or do a bit of remembrance to refresh our iman (faith) and our heart! So you see we need this reminder. We need these prayers.

As the adhan is called out, listen to the words and repeat after them. One of the sentences in the Adhan is "Haya a'ala al-falah" meaning "Come (rush) to success". So by rushing to perform Salah, you are obeying this command. True success is accomplished through salah, because there you meet with Allah swt, your soul soars with comfort and you feel the greatness of Allah swt and the miraculous things all around you. It is where you leave behind the Dunya, it's problems and all the little things in it, and you look at the more important things, the things that will help you achieve Paradise as a destination. It is where you feel true comfort, true peace that can't be found anywhere else in the world!

We are not just bodies moving. We have a soul to take care of too, and we should never forget that nor neglect it.

So yes, praying 5 times a day is a blessing that Allah swt has given us to help us pass through life with ease and comfort. To always and constantly go back to Him.

Videos related to this topic:

- Salah: Life's Forgotten Purpose
- How Can Muslims Pray 5 Times A Day?
- Praying

Blessed! ♥

Ever felt like you're so blessed and content that you just want to keep thanking God over and over again? I feel like that right now, alhamdulelah; all praise and thanks to Allah swt! I mean I may not have a perfect life, and there are ups and downs constantly but at this moment I just feel so blessed alhamdulelah!


The thing about life is, however low your coaster gets there will always be people who are even lower. When you think of it that way, you will always thank God for everything you have, because you realize that even then you got it good! I mean try getting a piece of paper and writing like 10 blessings down. Once you start the list, it'll become endless subhanallah! From the senses we have like hearing, touching, tasting..etc, to the home we live in, to the blessing of having internet to use...and the most beautiful one of all...the blessing of being a Muslim!! Priceless! ♥


So thanking God is important. Always remember to say "Alhamdulelah" and "Alhamdu wa Shokro Lelah" meaning "All praise and thanks are due to Allah".


Try to remind others as well. When with your kids, spouse, family and friends...use the word "Alhamdulelah" often in front of them. They'll start saying it after you and eventually get used to it. Imagine the merits you will get for every time they say it! Look at how small the word is yet how big the ajer (merits) are going to be for you and for them too!


{And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under them, and they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth." And it will be cried out to them: "This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do."} (Qur'an 7:43)



This article was inspired after talking with my husband. I just felt so blessed alhamdulelah for having him in my life that I opened up the blog to write my feelings down. I thank Allah swt everyday for having such a great guy in my life to help me become a better person...alhamdulelah alhamdulelah! :)


I do pray this article will work as a reminder for us, of the importance of saying Alhamdulelah and that we all try, as brothers and sisters, to say it constantly and remind each other to as well inshaAllah!


Take care everyone! :)

...Food For Thought...

A passage from a book I read called "Deception Point" By Dan Brown.

{'Help...me!'
The fear came on in torrents now.
Drowning, Ming had once read, was the most horrific death imaginable. He had never dreamed he would find himself on the verge of experiencing it. His muscles refused to cooperate with his mind, and already he was fighting just to keep his head above water. His soggy clothing pulled him downward as his numb fingers scratched the sides of the pit.
His screams were only in his mind now.
And then it happened.
Ming went under. The sheer terror of being conscious of his own impending death was something he never imagined he would experience. And yet here he was...sinking slowly down the sheer ice wall of a 200-foot-deep hole in the ice. Multitudes of thoughts flashed before his eyes. Moments from his childhood. His career. He wondered if anyone would find him down here. Or would he simply sink to the bottom and freeze there...entombed in the glacier for all time.
Ming's lungs were screaming for oxygen. He held his breath, still trying to kick toward the surface. Breath! He fought the reflex, clamping his insensate lips together. Breath! He tried in vain to swim upward. Breath! At that instant, in a deadly battle of human reflex against reason, Ming's breathing instinct overcame his ability to keep his mouth closed.
Wailee Ming inhaled.
The water crashing into his lungs felt like scalding oil on his sensitive pulmonary tissue. He felt like he was burning from the inside out. Cruelly, water does not kill immediately. Ming spent seven horrifying seconds inhaling in the icy water, each breath more painful than the last, each inhalation offering none of what his body so desperately craved.
Finally, as Ming slid downward into the icy darkness, he felt himself going unconscious. He welcomed the escape.}

This book was awesome! I just couldn't put it down and seriously recommend it...a mixture of politics, science, action and a bit of romance...this was one good read!

But that's not why I shared this passage from the novel. As I was reading the above, I stopped to ponder over it, how death comes in different ways, at unexpected times. Something that's inevitable for all! Rich or poor, powerful or weak, good or bad. There will always be an end to every life on earth. We all know that, and yet most of us just dismiss it and would rather not talk about it nor think of it...but why? Why run away from the truth?

And then after reading that part of the story, I decided to read a bit of Qur'an and subhanallah as I was reading I came upon the following verse:

{Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do."} (Qur'an, 62:8)


That just got me thinking even more! Life is just like a trip; you wake up, get ready, go on the trip, enjoying it while also attending for important things like getting the tickets, going to the gas station, packing your stuff...and then this trip has an end and you go back home. Same with our life, we wake up in our mothers' womb, grow up in life enjoying it but at the same time having to do important things like studying, working..etc and then we die and go back to our Creator. But why is it that we forget to work hard for that end? I mean the normal life things that we do work on, they're things we need to live on earth but not things we need for the hereafter. Now don't get me wrong here, we definitely have to do that, God asks us to build this world and make it a good place, and He does want us to have a good, successful and happy life....but we mustn't forget our true and main purpose in life, to worship God and earn merits in order to succeed in the hereafter and win a place in Jannah (heaven) by the mercy of Allah swt.


I just felt like sharing my thoughts. Death is something inevitable, unexpected and a surprise guest. So be ready when it comes, don't be from the people who regret the way they lived their life when it's too late. And don't think age can stop death, it might come now, in a few minutes or in a few years. We don't know when .... but one thing is for sure.... it's coming! So be ready!


I want to share two things with you before I wrap up...a poem I wrote and a song I feel is very touching and does work as a wake-up call for all of us.

As his last moments

Passed in front of his eyes

He started thinking

Of his goodbyes

To all the special people

In his short life

Mother, father, relatives

Friends, children and wife

Life seemed to him

So short and fast

As if only a few minutes

From its first to its last

He sat there wondering

About his coming end

About all the problems

He had no time to mend

About what his purpose

In life had been

About his destination

Whether hell or heaven

Regret cannot save him

From what is coming

His destination depends

On how he had been living

Now I ask you reader

Before it's too late

Does your life need change

Or to be set straight?!

-By: Dana SK

And the song is called: Last Breath for the singer Ahmad Bukhatir

May Allah swt grant us an end that He is pleased with, a good end and may we inshaAllah and with Allahs' mercy be from the inhabitants of Jannah! Ameen!

{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)

So enjoy life, have fun, work hard...but first and foremost prioritize your life! Take care of your Salah, be honest, read Qur'an, do good, help others, purify your intention, thank God continuously for the many blessings He has blessed you with, take care of your parents, always make duaa...to simply put it.....

Live Islam!

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!

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! :)

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! :)