Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

On Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

More than one kind of love....

lessons of love! the worst and best types of lessons to learn. But one woman really summed up all i ever needed to know about love. Joan Armatrading. just by loking at her you see a story of beauty and strangess. i never really knew the depth of this song until i actually.....actually i'm still only learning to fully grasp these words as we speak in my everday encounters in life.....So she wrote this song, that ive actually been hearing since i was a child because your grandmother was a huge fan and actually looked a lot like her! She speaks about how love can break, yes, but it can be repaired by remembering all the other forms it comes in, all the people, things and forces that bring out love. she stresses the importance of remembering your true loves, the ones who are always there when the temporary ones disappears before your eye and leave a whole in your soul.

what do i take from the song that i want to give to you???

Well kid i guess its rather simple but complicated; you'll find out that love is more than one kind. love of your Creator comes first, love of yourself, love of nature, love of friends, love of life, love of love.....an all encompassing concept but difficult to grasp. even harder to practice.....

There's a lot of things you should hold dear

Keep in your heart

Never let go

Never let go

Never let go

Pride and dignity

A sense of self

Hold on

When that boy leaves

And you need someone to turn to

When you feel alone

You will know you're not alone

If you've been true

To all who are true to you

You'll make it

You'll make it fine

If you remember your friends

Just remember you can call

Just remember that passion fades

Good friendships seldom die

Go ahead have your fun

But don't turn your back on everyone

Though the body needs love

There is more than one kind

MoreMore than one kind of love

There is more

More than one kind

Yes he fills your heart

Fills your mind

He's all you want

All you need

Everything

Everything

Everything but

Love that's that exclusive

That obsessive

Can hurt

When that love pales

And becomes human emotion

Where will you go

If you've neglected those you know

But if you stay true

To those who are true to you

You'll make it

You'll make it fine

If you remember your friends

Just remember you can call

Just remember that passion fades

Good friendships seldom die

Go ahead have your fun

But don't turn your back on everyone

Though the body needs love

There is more than one kind

More than one kind of love

There is more

More than one kind of love

Stevie Wonderful

so whats there to say about thisman other than the fact that he is soul music lol!

ok jokes aside, this song popped straight into my heart the day i laid eyes on you....we wont go back into that story for the millionth time...but seriously after i recited the adhan, surah fathia these lyrics came flooding out along with the tears

"Joy Inside My Tears"

I've always come to the conclusion that 'but' is the way
Of asking for permission to lay something heavy on ones head
So I have tried to not be the one who 'll fall into that line
But what I feel inside I think you should know

And baby that's you - you - you
Made life's his*to*ry
Caue you've brought some joy inside my tears
And you have done what no one thought could be
You've brought some joy inside my tears

I've alwys felt that tomorroqw is for those who are too much afraid
To go past yesterday and start for today
I feel that lasting moments are coming fr and few between
So I should tell you of the happiness that you bring
Baby, baby it's you - you - you
Made life's his*to*ry
Oh baby, you've brought some joy inside my tears
Baby you have done what no one thought could be
You brought some joy inside my tears
You brought some joy inside my tears
You brought some joy inside my tears

You've brought some joy inside my tears
Baby, baby you have done what no one thought could be
He - y, you brought some joy inside my tears
Gotta tell you
You - you - you made life's his*to*ry
You brought some joy inside my tears
- you brought you brought you brought some joy inside my tears
Baby baby baby you have done what no one thought could be
You brought some joy inside my tears

You made it baby you made it baby made it made life's his*to*ry
- you you you made life's his*to*ry
You brought some joy inside my tears
You have done what no one thought could be
- No-body ever thought it would be
You have done what no one thought could be

You you you made life's his*to*ry
- Gotta shout about it baby
You brought some joy inside my tears

You have done what no one thought could be
You brought some joy inside my tears
You you you made life's his*to*ry
You brought some joy inside my tears
You brought some joy inside my tears
You brought some joy inside my
Tears

Hajj 2010

SO....end of the year 2010, the year your father was called to the house of Allah....and he accepted the invite with nothing but a heart ready to meet his creator. he accepted the invitation with the soul of a believer who yearns each and everyday to reconcile his flaws by journeying towards his Creator, towards Allah. Lord of the Worlds

i miss him dearly and since you do too and are constantly asking me where he's gone....this is what it is.

Hajj is the annual pilgrimage us Muslims journeying on to land where our beloved Prophet peace be upon him hails from and is currently burried. you'll read lots about this journey and you'll hear tales from your dad and inshaAllah when i recieve my call from Allah i will bring back the

memories and lessons for you. Until such time i'll be making dua that Allah accepts your fathers Hajj and that he brings him home safe to you and I.

Be YOU, be TRUE

As your mother it’s crucial that you know who inspired me to be who I am. There are a few people who contributed immensely to shaping my views about the world, my personality and beliefs. Inspiration is from Allah and He places it many people, people who don’t even know they are shaping your perspective of the world. There are people who are under appreciated whist alive and only celebrated when they die. But the amazing thing about these people is that they leave behind pieces of beauty on the earth that ultimately forever binds our souls. My mother, your grandmother is undoubtedly one of those women. I did, however, feel the inclination to first tell you about a woman so special, unique and great. She is no longer alive but I keep her with me…always.

MaBusi Mhlongo was more than a musician to me; she was unfolding before my eyes as this being who celebrated her individual style. She knew exactly what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it. She’s influenced many other musicians who’ve ultimately broken the shackles of conformity because of her. So I thought who better to teach about this woman than you, my child. I wanted to teach you about her because I want you to be unapologetically different, I want you to celebrate your individuality and hone in all the unique talents Allah has blessed you with. Listen to her words and remember that truth is beautiful. Look at the way she dressed and remember that culture is splendor. Listen to her voice and remember that the essence of who you are is imbedded in the inner voice you have and only if you believe in yourself like she did, will that inner voice break out and touch the souls of many dying to do the same.

If I could

i heard this song on my playlist the other day....i finally feel like i totally resonate with these lyrics. i feel we are inseperable but remember...you belong to your Creator and to Him you will return. but know that our bond transcends everything. for as long as i can you'll be by my side, learnig loving and enjoying life with me.....Love always


If i could Regina Belle


If I could, I'd protect you
From the sadness in your eyes
Give you courage in
A world of compromise
Yes, I would

If I could, I would teach you
All the things I've never learned
And I'd help you cross
The bridges that I've burned

Yes, I would

If I could, I would try to
Shield your innocence from time
But the part of life
I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow
So I can let you go

If I could, I would help you
Make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can
Never cry your tears, babe
But I would, if I could

If I could, in a time and place
Where you don't wanna be
You don't have to walk
Along this road with me
My yesterday won't
Have to be your way

If I knew, I'd try to change
The world I brought you to
Now there isn't
Much more that I can do
But I would If I could

If I could, I would try to
Shield your innocence from time
But the part of life
I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow
So I can let you go

If I could, I would help you
Make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can
Never cry your tears
But I would, if I could

Hey, if I could

Fathers

"Fathers be good to your daughters
cause daughters will love like you do.
girls become lovers, who turn into mothers.
so mothers be good to your daughters to"

Daughters, John Mayer

The first books you need to read.....second to the QURAN of course

ok so i decided to compile a list of top 4 books that i read as a child and loved my entire life! do note that this list was difficult to comply as i left ou so many classics but don't worry this is just a start. we'll get into the rest when your reading gets a little more fluent.

I think I still base some of my life lessons on this book. firstly, The Tortise and The Hair tought me never to under estimate people who appear to be less capable than you are. i mean hello is this line up simply not to die for. dont worry we'll read this sooner than you think InshaAllah....

The very first story book I ever read. It was a tarnished copy of Enid Blytin’s Big Story book and I found it in my grandmother’s book shelf along with over 50 copies of the Reader Digest, which I grew too bored to sift through. She was an ardent reader and growing up as a black child you realised that our grandmothers were faced with the enormous task of feeding her children as well as theirs, what she chooses to feed their minds was totally left to her own discretion so for me to discover a story book for kids in her book shelf opened me to a life of imagination and I never looked back and for that I am eternally grateful!

Between Green Eggs and Ham and this book, i was so torn because i couldn't remember which one i'd read the most. so with the toss of a coing this was the favoured title. When i think of the movie I am Sam where Dakota Fanning and her father read the book Green eggs and Ham over and over again i smile to myself because Dr seuss has this effect on you. you can't help but pick this book up and fly from cover to cover in sheer enjoyment!

The funny thing about this book. And you probably won’t believe me, but way before I even read the book, I felt exactly the same as she did. Books were my passion and I felt that one day I’d just grow wings fly into the clouds and sit in there forever to read all the books I wanted to read without having to do

ANYTHING ELSE!

ok so by now you've guessed that Roald Dahl was my all time favourite. i actually chose this title to appreciate the illustrator Quentin Blake. i loved his illustrations and by now i would find myself so alone if i were to read a Roald Dahl book without illustrations. He had a unique way of showing the stroy and Roald Dahl of course has the pure gift of telling the story and together they made an amazing team!

Hijab 101

One thing I know for sure is that you have to learn this one from me. My first few months as a Muslim were bliss; I felt the world was walking to my beat. The sun never felt so kind the moon had never looked so fair. It was a mercy really and it was perfect, all but one thing. I had trouble tying the scarf….and I think I have the scars from the pins I used as proof of that! It was a modern day miracle in the world of female fashion in my eyes….I couldn't understand what kept it still for more than twelve hours in a day. Was it gravity? Was there special glue used that you base your scalp with and it fuses together the hair with the delicate fabric? I could believe any explanation because I just wasn't getting it right.

"You have to almost make it a part of who you are", advice from a beloved Turkish high school friend Betul. I’ll never forget that advice because it was so profound. It stuck with me way better than all the YouTube tutorials I’d watched. What she was saying has spiritual implications but most importantly it was almost the best piece of fashion advice I’d ever heard….what dear Betul was referring to was the fact that the scarf has to complement your face blending in with its contours. Whether you wear a square scarf a long trailing scarf or a short double pinned scarf no one should see it as your head and that odd other thing you sport every day. The scarf shouldn't even be seen as THE SCARF as though one is referring to a 1960s low budget horror film but it should be you, Hafsa. You are one with your scarf and it’s almost as though you get to choose a new wig every day. A wig that Allah is always pleased with…

So we move along. There are two things you should know about this beautiful thing is that it is a trend and not a fad. please can we not go into the many fads I have followed trying hard to forget the bell bottom jeans and toe rings….all ill say to you is that a fad is temporary a fad is something you'll look back on and think ya Allah what was I thinking. sometimes you'll even laugh and ask yourself why you thought tie dye was the coolest thing to hit mother earth and that doing it to your school shirts would take the revolution a few steps further! I’m not saying that was me…this was purely an example. And we move along swiftly!
This trend is the best type of trend because you don't get kudos from the Satorialist or E! Entertainments "Best of" awards. This trend gets the Best of the Best recording you in the Books as the "it" girl! Your Creator couldn't be more pleased at your classy taste and oozing style.

sometimes you'll have those days where you are all out of pins….all 1000 of them that you bought at Pick n Pay, sometimes you'll look outside and see the heat wave hovering and waiting to pounce on you and eat you alive, sometimes you'll look in your closet and find that not one of your 3000 scarves match your outfit, most times you'll see other girls coifing their hair in ways that look so much better than anything you've ever seen. But know that those times are Shaytaans times. Those time are the times he makes you want to think that your trend is actually a fad….so for those times, remember this.
1. Always wear earrings underneath your scarf. (to always remind yourself that you're hiding precious diamonds and jewellery beneath and only people that are precious in return can be privileged enough to behold

2. I’ve watched you sleeping so many times I’ve lost count. I think your father might think I’m stalking you but in actual fact I have been studying your face playing around with different shapes and methods in my head of what I think would be the best shape for you 9 or 10 years from now. This is just my advice but your face is just like mine and if you have the height of my cheek bones you'll definitely want to tie your scarf just the way mommy does it!

3. And finally remember who you are, be one with your scarf, make it an extension of who you are. Before you choose the scarf you wish to wear that day, before you pick up the first pin…always remember to say Bismillah. Know who you are doing it for. Know that in saying Bismillah you have asked Allah to bless you with nur, provide you with His shade for the day and to ask Allah to give you the true light of the deen in your eyes and in your actions….Ameen.

Meet Hafsa

Meet Hafsa,
She's the love of my life.
Quite a fascinating character.
I’ve always wanted to start a blog of some sort to document her life and allow for her to read it as she grows older so she can relive my experience as her mother and get a glimpse of my version of motherhood as I make the mistakes, celebrate the triumphs and heed the lessons. so I put this together as the somewhat introduction to her first milestones...Her name is Hafsa which is a baby lioness in the Arabic language as well as the name of one of the wives of the beloved Muhammad, peace be upon him. I wish I had a dramatic tale that went a little something like this....
"When she was born she came out with the roar of a lioness and now she walks with the pride of one and when she's older she'll be the hunter, her grace will take to heights no one has ever seen and blah blah blah...."

I didn’t quite happen that way, in fact when she was born she didn’t cry and was rather blue as the umbilical chord has found its way around her neck. instead she had to get a quick smack on the bum before she realised that oh I’m in the world and oh I have to cry now and oh this is the woman who's in charge of raising me and oh that’s the man who going to teach me a whole bunch about life, God and love. These are my parents SubhanaAllah....

So I guess this is the unofficial journal of her life and hope that she picks up the pieces and she decides what her name means to her and her character.

so the poem I wrote for her a few months after she was born is really about a cub finding her way through life haughty as she is her gentle way to those who know her always shines through…..

You’ll know soon that you are of the wild
You rome around and prey for the truth
But you’ll soon know the truth is within
You’ll know that the world is cruel
But you’ll also know that kindness belongs to the souls of those who’ve seen beauty in strangeness
Propel yourself to the sound of the wind blowing toward deliverance
Deliverance from the fight I fought for you
And that the trees remind you of that fight
The fight of being different, free, proud, courageous
Never bend to the tune of conformity
See art as the answer
Hide no fear from your Creator
Never be afraid of the night because she holds jewels that daylight cannot reveal
Know that the moon keeps me
Tire not little one because your bravery is my gift to you
So journey on and look back only once the time can claim you walked side by side with him
And found the prayer to be true
And unveiled the you
You were crafted to be.

Letter to Hafsa

Inspired by the book My Dear Beloved Son by Imam Al Ghazali (RA) My dear beloved son!

Knowledge without actions is madness and actions without knowledge are useless. The knowledge that today, does not keep you away from sins and that does not evoke in you the desire to obey Allah, remember, will not save you tomorrow from Hellfire. If you do not perform righteous deeds today and do not make up for the time you wasted in the past then on the Day of Judgment you will be saying:
"Ferje'yna Na'mal Saaliha."
"Send us back [to the world, O our Lord!] so that we [can] perform the righteous deeds."
Then it will be said to you:
"O you the mindless one! That is where you are coming from."

Asalaam Alaikum Hafsa.

This letter is for you, and I want you to read it and keep it with you where ever you go. I’m sure you wonder why your name sounds different to that of your cousins and grandparents or even some of your friends. You may ask yourself why we do what we do like why we pray five times a day or eat with our hands and even why we greet the way we do. Since you are my first child I expect you to hear this from me and know my dear child that there is no greater truth than this.

You are on the path of Islam and your Creator is Allah. There are 99 virtues he has revealed to us about His being, know these and respect them. Try your best to embody them for these are virtues of perfection. He is the only God worthy of worship and there is a man you must love more than any other man before you can claim you know Allah. That man is the Prophet Muhammad and when we call his name we send blessing onto him and his family for he truly was the greatest man that ever lived. Live like him; know that he was perfect and most beloved to Allah. Allah created him first and then He created the universe…that should help you know who this man is and why he is to be followed, respected and defended. Pass on his message and do so by virtue of your character let your character seep through and be the true testament of this religion.You must believe in all of Allah’s creation, His angels, His divine scriptures, His Messengers and the day of judgement where our ultimate and final abode will be determined. There are five pillars in Islam; namely fasting, salah, zakat and hajj; if one day Allah blesses you with enough money to be able to go on this sacred journey. It is important that I mention to you that Islam is BUILT on five pillars you must always remember that you must build on these pillars and not think that once you have placed your pillars on the ground you have achieved all that you wish to achieve and that you’ve done all you can in striving for paradise. Be very proactive in that task be consistent and try your best to bear in mind that greater men did greater things but you are still significant in this task to enshrining this religion.

I want to remind you that once you say the words La illaha ilAllah you are actually repeating a promise and acknowledging that you are in debt. You owe Allah your praises and you are not here for anything else but to worship Him. Remember that our greatest task is to remember Allah in all that we do. Never think you are exempt from the dhikr of Allah because the reason we remember Allah is because we have forgotten Him and humans are inherently forgetful. I suspect things will be faster and the dunya will demand so much of you by the time you’re ready to read this it will seem you have less time to do the things expected of you but you will be chasing things that are of no significance. I must warn you that this life is temporary and never be attached to it.

One day you will marry InshaAllah and perhaps I should tell you about the virtues of this act. It is important that you always remember who we are. We are women we are strong and Allah has shown us nothing but mercy with the institution of marriage. Never let anyone tell you it’s primitive to live by the laws of Allah. Know that you are covered because your body is too perfect for strange eyes- NOT because you are oppressed. Know that you cannot be out past Maghrib alone because at that time you deserve security and protection- NOT because you are oppressed. Know that you must obey your husband at all times because believe it or not the Prophet saw once mentioned in a hadith that “Had I ordered a person to prostrate to someone rather than Allah, I would have ordered the wife to prostrate to her husband.” NOT because you are oppressed. Know that you are his student and he is your teacher so remind yourself of the conduct of a student. It is important that you remain grateful and never look down on the provision of your husband because again the Prophet saw mentioned “I also saw the Hell-fire and I had never seen such a horrible sight. I saw that most of the inhabitants were women." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Why is it so?" The Prophet replied, "Because of their ungratefulness." It was asked whether they are ungrateful to Allah. The Prophet said, "They are ungrateful to their companions of life (husbands) and ungrateful to good deeds. If you are benevolent to one of them throughout the life and if she sees anything (undesirable) in you, she will say, 'I never had any good from you.'”

Lastly I urge you to remember that you have rights in this religion as a women and no one can take these away from you. However never be too quick to demand your rights from your husband trust that he knows what your rights are and that if he is an Allah fearing man he wishes never to violate your rights. What I do urge you to do in abundance is practice patience with him. Know that Allah sees your patience and hears your prayers and perhaps he’ll change you first before He changes him in that case He has remembered you and be grateful for that.I leave you with one final thought my child. There is an organ within you that is known for being the vehicle of your soul. This organ controls the life within you. This organ is the heart; know that you should lead love and worship with this organ. Your heart must always stay pure. Your heart will be communicating to Allah in this life and when you die and know that most problems are corrected by purifying your heart. Keep the Quran in your heart, keep out the diseases of the heart. Keep training the heart and remember that the greatest jihad is that of the combat of the self. Know that within you lies your best and worst self so before you look outwardly, look and fight within.

Love, Mom