Relationships

2

Trust and Loyalty

Nikah is the legal binding of a man and a woman in marriage. This relationship leaves deep impressions in the social life of the partners involved, their children, and the stability of the whole community through the institution of family. Therefore, choosing a spouse is one of the most important decisions we make in our lives. It is for this reason that Islam establishes this relationship to be a sacred bond that provides an individual with numerous things: a halal source of love, affection, sustenance, children, companionship and a...

11 March 2013 | Character, Gender Relations, Love, Relationships | , , , | 2 Comments
5

A Bouquet of Love

He gently laid the dried petals into the potpourri vase and swirled through them slightly. As the faint fragrance rose and wafted through the air, his mind drifted back to beloved memories of his childhood. He remembered his parents and how every week his father would bring a bouquet of fresh flowers for his mother. With a smile reserved only for his father, she would gingerly accept them and place them into her favorite vase atop the dining table. For the next week or so, the ornate vase and...

05 March 2013 | Relationships | , , , , , , | 5 Comments
7

Burn Away

I. I walk upon what ceases to remain, Where neither wall nor beam was spared. I walk on broken glass of windowpanes On a night when no one else seems to care. I cannot tell a soul to protect my name, This house holds with it a burden of shame. I recount many a dream of this day, This rubble, this pungent smell in the air Of rage, agony, and sullen clouds of grey. I witness the aftermath of my nightmare. As I walk through the remnants and traces,...

27 February 2013 | Relationships | , , , , , , | 7 Comments
23

Everything As It Seems

Surraya uncrossed her feet and then crossed them again. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, her itchy freezing fingers in search of some warmth. Gosh, it was cold, she thought. She was sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting for her turn. Her throat wasn’t getting any better, and after a week of taking cough syrup, she was back with an even worse case of strep throat. These bloody doctors don’t care about a thing except their bank accounts, she fumed, as she rolled her eyes and slumped...

09 February 2012 | Domestic Violence, Relationships | , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments
19

Servant Thievery

She was dragged mercilessly to the balcony, clutching her black plastic trash bag close to her side as if her life depended on it. The dusty, mosquito-infested balcony was perhaps two feet wide, five feet long. She stared aimlessly into the crowded and polluted city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, a woman in her early twenties. The balcony door was slammed shut and locked. Tears rolled down her face as she tightened her scarf insecurely, her hands shaking. The little ones banged the balcony door, taunting and jeering. *** Earlier that...

12 January 2012 | Relationships | , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments
27

Dealing With Girls: The Gaze

I stepped out of the bus and took a deep breath. At last. The first day of school. The sun was shining and the atmosphere was abuzz with lively chatter as teenagers laughed and talked with their friends. As I walked down the pathway, scrunching the leaves beneath me, I took a good look around. Regrettably, all I saw around me was a blur of flesh, sustained by an absolute disregard for decent clothing. I quickly checked myself and lowered my head as I made my way inside. And it hadn’t changed. Four...

07 December 2011 | Gender Relations | , , , , , , , | 27 Comments
24

A Mother’s Gift: Part II

Continued From “A Mother’s Gift: Part I.”  Three days went by. I went to school after the morning at Daniel’s house, trying to forget everything and catch up on my work.  I wanted to graduate; I wanted to get out of the life I had thrown myself into after my father’s death. I spent more time with my brother at night. He, at almost nine years old, was slowly starting to read, and that was something I couldn’t miss in his  life. My little brother was born early, and...

16 November 2011 | Parents | , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments
14

A Mother’s Gift: Part I

I looked at my watch, holding it under a streetlight. 12:00 – midnight. I ran down the street, heart racing, shoes pounding against the wet concrete. Bleak, dull houses passed in a blur under the blotchy night sky as I gasped for air, checking the road behind me to see if anyone had followed. I reached the porch of our house, dim light visible through the cracked window in the door. I opened the door slowly to keep the creaks to a minimum. I took slow, careful steps over...

14 November 2011 | Parents | , , , , , , , | 14 Comments
37

A Mother’s Jar

A coin upon a coin Sweat upon a face Time upon time Time is running out Dollars upon dollars A story like no other Forever to be told, passed down from mother to mother Points of value taken, in the true making of a scholar Mommy, mommy My friends think you are lame You embarrass me at school Unlike the other parents, you aren’t the same All you do is bring me shame, like a cloud above me, filled with rain I don’t want to see you at my school...

27 April 2011 | Parents | , , | 37 Comments