Archives / Memoir

4

The Nature Of Gratitude

Oh one whose heart has hardened, stop. Step back from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Let your mind meander through the hills and valleys of your innumerable blessings. Listen to the beating of your heart, feel each breath as your chest rises and falls. Open your eyes and gaze towards the glorious light of the sun and the scattered puffs of white fluffy clouds. Let your body fall backwards and become engulfed by the soft blades of grass as you inhale the pleasant mingled perfumes of the...

25 February 2013 | Afflictions, Character, Gratitude, Nature | , , , , | 4 Comments
6

Learning to Truly Believe

Not too long ago, I sat down in my room doing something that many of us eventually end up doing in our lives; I began to think about where I stand right now, where I am going, or if I had really moved at all. As I thought about my journey, I hit the same obstacle again and again. I am Muslim.  I want Jannah. And yet, if I know certain things are wrong, if I know I shouldn’t be doing them, why was I still committing the same sins?...

23 January 2013 | Character, Evaluation | , , , | 6 Comments
5

Familiar Strangers

Life’s circumstances can make you either bitter or better. Nineteen years into my life, I was finally blessed with the opportunity to meet my maternal grandmother for the first time. To say the least, the winds of life blow every individual in a different direction, each with different circumstances. The whole situation was rather bizarre, come to think of it. One phone call led to another, and suddenly, my grandmother was scheduled to arrive within the following week.  She later told me that I must have some magical way...

18 January 2013 | Dua, Worship | , , | 5 Comments
17

Invisible Fetters

It was fifteen minutes to midnight and sleep was the last thing on my mind. I lazily scrolled through the news feed on my Facebook account before logging out. Suddenly, something caught my attention. My heart skipped a beat and my fingers went numb. “It can’t be… But how?” I whispered to myself. Yet there it was, right before my eyes. Involuntarily, tears began to well up in my eyes. Vague memories of the past flashed before me. I saw him – a tall, dark brown figure, with spectacles...

14 January 2013 | Dawah, Death, Environment | , , , , , , | 17 Comments
11

Finding My Calling

Life is a journey. It continues through the passing of time. I stepped into a city of gray. I walked through its streets with no guide. People passed by with expressionless faces. Cars honked each other as they stalled in the hum of traffic. The wind masked the monotonic footsteps within the metropolitan area. And the sun hid lazily behind the towering skyscrapers. Whether I walked in a circle or forward, I did not know. I felt the speedy rush hour pace during the day and saw the never...

08 September 2012 | Time | , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments
5

Across the Dirt Road

It all flashed right before my eyes, right across the street from the tailor’s shack in northern Bangladesh. My aunt and uncle were having a salwar kameez, a traditional Bangladeshi outfit, tailored for me. After purchasing the material, we dropped the fabric at the tailor’s shack. The simple shack was made of wood and tin, located directly across a green pond. I stood there, observing the scene, while the tailor took measurements for the clothing. I saw a rickshaw peddler cross the dirt road and step into a shop...

25 August 2012 | Afflictions | , , , , , | 5 Comments
8

Words From Heaven

The words gracefully marched in unison, vibrating all along, to where they were meant to gather. It was as if a gentle breeze was blowing, finding its way to the deepest corner of my heart, and soothing my soul with its rhythmic movement. Sorrow, worries, and distress were swept away like dried and dead leaves, and all I knew was peace. The soft carpet below my feet, the warmth of the shoulders brushing mine from both sides, and the aroma of musk that incensed the air further plunged me...

17 August 2012 | Qur'an | , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments
5

Hitting Home

When I was young, I remembered living in an old house. It was where my little brother first caught the chicken pox and then passed it on to me and my other younger brother. It was where I was forced to sit on a wooden chair and eat bananas, even though I’ve never been able to swallow one bite since my Gerber food days. It was where I lost my first goldfish, Fifi, and had to watch my mother lead the way – holding Fifi in a spoon –...

22 July 2012 | Calamities | , , , , | 5 Comments
13

Gold-Rimmed Glasses

It was a summer of introductions and new concepts. My first summer in Pakistan. Everyone was talking about the heat and how uncomfortably hot it would be for us newcomers. Relatives flooded through the gates – unknown aunts and never-heard-about uncles, cousins who somehow shared a facial feature here and there – all crowding round in happiness, tight embraces and sloppy kisses, their faces shining with joy and love. An old friend of my grandma’s was sitting in the lounge chatting to my mother whilst little kids ran in...

11 July 2012 | Abuse | , , , , , | 13 Comments
12

Deathly Reminders

I saw death coming right in front of me, and all I felt was fear. What will happen when it comes for me? Or you? * * * She lay there, weak, taking the last breaths of her life. Her lungs were suffering to exchange oxygen, her body emaciated due to weight loss. Her hair was gone, leaving only a few strands, and her eyes were shut, as she escaped in her own mind. I was thinking of how her soul would rise from her body, and prayed it...

29 February 2012 | Death | , , , , | 12 Comments
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