Another Chance

Assalam Alaykum.

I passed my exams and I will be entering my third year of university in 2010, in sha Allah if my financial situation works out. Thing is, I made du'a to pass, and I did but now I am learning that passing may not be the best thing for me. Being alone without a mahram wasn't working out very well for myself and now I will talk to my parents about not wanting to go back. But knowing my parents, I know I will be back there next year...

I know I sound terribly confused. At the start I sounded happy that I'm moving into third year but then now, I'm not so sure.

What I do know is that I have to prepare myself for another much tougher year. I don't have much support but I know that I can count on the support that I already have.

On another note, I decided to delete all males on MSN except the ones that I need to discuss school matters with.
I also deleted my facebook account because I got tired of reading status updates and people bitching about each other on that social network.

I'm having a go at memorizing all the short surahs in the Quran. I have little trouble remembering them but when I'm actually praying, I get stuck. But Alhamd lellah, I've found out that saying them out loud helps me remember initially but then I just got to repeat them again and again quietly to myself, until I can say it without counting off on the number of ayats to make sure that I didn't miss any.

Eid Mubarak

Assalam alaykum.

Hey everyone, Eid Mubarak.

I haven't been replying to comments and I haven't been blogging much either, which is weird considering I used to blog on a daily basis. Anyways, battling some major issues right now.

Sure could use alot more du'as.

I've been told I'm "desperate" to get married. Desperate makes it sound like marriage is not good for me, like its a bad thing and I want it so much that I don't care much about the consequences. I am not desperate to get married. I understand the consequences and the circumstances. It's not like I'm going to marry just any guy who asks. From my previous entry, I see there are a few people as well who would like to be in a marriage some time in the near future, in shaa Allaah. We are not desperate people.

Anyways, my results will be out in a few days...most probably the same day I'm getting double wisdom teeth surgery. A dentist once killed a patient while she was sedated because he hadnt realised that she was choking on her blood and debris from her teeth. You know what, I might opt to do one first, and then the other on a different day so that I can stay awake during the procedure. I would like to be able to tell the dentist to get his assistant to place the suction properly.

My parents didn't call/text today. No idea where they are. Mina? Mekkah? Absolutely no clue.

Okay, off to bed right now and good morning to you people living upside down (:

To be Whole

Is it wrong to want to be married at 22, when there are uncertainties in my academic future? Is it wrong to want to be a mom?

Is it wrong to feel like being married and having children would make me whole?

Yes, I have priorities. But is it wrong to put marriage and children as the top priority?


fyi, nobody is marrying me. I just feel this way.

Assalam alaykum everyone

Assalam alaykum

I turned 22 a couple of days ago and now I am back home with my family.

I'd like to give a shout out to Skye from Muslimah In Aus for giving me a pleasant surprise by mailing me a whole package full of DVDs with Islamic lectures, nashids and Quran recitations. Thank you Sis!

I haven't been commenting on blogs so I am sorry for that. Just to reply to some comments...

@ Saafir: You're right. Consistent work is needed for success. It's very difficult to succeed if we skip classes all year long and try to make up for it in one week.

@ Almas: You're welcome, hope it helped you in some ways.

@ Malekat: Miss you too, checked your blog for updates regularly!


I keep thinking about my results and how it could possibly have been the last time I'm going to be attending University. But, I tried my best and I never worked harder. I just need to stop worrying and leave it to Allah, for He knows best.

I could be anywhere but I'll still be waiting for Firo.

20 Exam Tips for Students

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Praise be to Allaah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger and upon his family and companions.

The Muslim student puts his trust in Allaah when facing the tests of this world, and he seeks His help whilst following the prescribed means, in accordance with the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to attain that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless.” (Saheeh Muslim, hadeeth no. 2664)

Among those means are the following:

- Turning to Allaah by making du’aa’ in any way that is prescribed in Islam, such as saying, “Rabbiy ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri (O my Lord, expand my chest and make things easy for me).”

- Getting used to sleeping early and going to exams on time.

- Preparing all required or permitted equipment such as pens, rulers and setsquares, calculators and watches, because being well prepared helps one to answer questions.

- Reciting the du’aa’ for leaving the house: “Bismillaah, tawakkaltu ‘ala Allaah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah. Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an adilla aw udalla, aw azilla aw uzalla, aw azlima aw uzlama, aw ajhala aw yujhala ‘alayya (In the name of Allaah, I put my trust in Allaah, and there is no strength and no power except with Allaah. O Allaah, I seek refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray, lest I slip (commit a sin unintentionally) or be tripped, lest I oppress or be oppressed, lest I behave foolishly or be treated foolishly).” Do not forget to seek your parents’ approval, for their du’aa’ for you will be answered.

- Mention the name of Allaah before you start, for mentioning the name of Allaah is prescribed when beginning any permissible action; this brings blessing, and seeking the help of Allaah is one of the means of strength.

- Fear Allaah with regard to your classmates, and do not be affected by their anxiety or fear just before the exam, for anxiety is a contagious disease. Instead, make them feel optimistic by saying good words as prescribed in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was optimistic when he heard the name of Suhayl (which means “easy”) and he said: “Things have been made easy for you.” He used to like to hear the words ‘Yaa Raashid, when he went out for any purpose. So be optimistic that you and your brothers will pass this exam.

- Remembering Allaah (dhikr) dispels anxiety and tension. If something is too difficult for you, then pray to Allaah to make it easy for you. Whenever Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) found something too difficult to understand, he would say, “O You Who taught Ibraaheem, teach me; O You Who caused Sulaymaan to understand, cause me to understand.”

- Choose a good place to sit during the exam, if you can. Keep your back straight, and sit on the chair in a healthy manner.

- Look over the exam first. Studies advise spending 10% of the exam time in reading the questions carefully, noting the important words and dividing one’s time between the questions.

- Plan to answer the easy questions first, then the difficult ones. Whilst reading the questions, write notes and ideas which you can use in your answers later.

- Answer questions according to importance.

- Start by answering the easy questions which you know. Then move on to the questions which carry high marks, and leave till the end the questions to which you do not know the answers, or which you think will take a long time to produce an answer or which do not carry such high marks.

- Take your time to answer, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Deliberation is from Allaah and haste is from the Shaytaan.” (A hasan hadeeth. Saheeh al-Jaami, 3011).

- Think carefully about the answer and choose the right answer when answering multiple-choice questions. Deal with them in the following manner. If you are sure that you have chosen the right answer, then beware of waswasah (insinuating whispers from the Shaytaan). If you are not sure, then start by eliminating the wrong or unlikely answers, then choose the correct answer based on what you think is most likely to be correct. If you guessed at a correct answer then do not change it unless you are sure that it is wrong – especially if you will lose marks for a wrong answer. Research indicates that the correct answer is usually that which the student thinks of first.

- In written exams, collect your thoughts before you start to answer. Write an outline for your answer with some words which will indicate the ideas which you want to discuss. Then number the ideas in the sequence in which you want to present them.

- Write the main points of your answer at the beginning of the line, because this is what the examiner is looking for, and he may not see what he is looking for if it is in the middle of the page and he is in a hurry.

- Devote 10% of the time for reviewing your answers. Take your time in reviewing, especially in mathematical problems and writing numbers. Resist the desire to hand in the exam papers quickly, and do not let the fact that some people are leaving early bother you. They may be among the people who have handed in their papers too early.

- If you discover after the exam that you answered some questions incorrectly, then take that as a lesson in the importance of being well prepared in the future, and not rushing to answer questions. Accept the will and decree of Allaah and do not fall prey to frustration and despair. Remember the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “If anything befalls you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such.’ Rather say, ‘Qadar Allaah wa maa sha’a kaan (the decree of Allaah and what He wills happened),’ for saying ‘if only’ opens the door for the Shaytaan.” (Saheeh Muslim, and the first part of this hadeeth was mentioned above).

- Note that cheating is haraam whether it is in foreign language tests or any other tests. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever cheats is not one of us.” It is wrongdoing and it is a haraam means of attaining a degree or certificate, etc., that you have no right to. The consensus is that cheating is a kind of cooperation in sin and transgression. So do without that which is haraam, and Allaah will suffice you from His bounty. Reject all offers of haraam things that come to you from others. Whoever gives up a thing for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better. You have to denounce and resist evil, and tell the authorities about any such thing that you see during the exam, or before or after it. This is not the forbidden kind of slander rather it is denouncing evil which is obligatory.

Advise those who buy or sell questions or post them on the Internet etc., or who prepare cheat notes. Tell them to fear Allaah, and tell them of the ruling on what they are doing and on the money they earn from that. Tell them that the time they are spending in preparing these haraam things, if they spent it in studying, or answering previous exams, or helping one another to understand the subject before the exam, that would be better for them than doing these haraam things.

- Remember what you have prepared for the Hereafter, and the questions of the examination in the grave, and how to be saved on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is saved from the Fire and admitted to Paradise will indeed have succeeded.

We ask Allaah to make us succeed in this world and cause us to be among those who are victorious and saved in the Hereafter, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayer.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

From: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/books/75

Last Call

Assalam Alaykum

Final exams are a week away and this is my final attempt. If I fail, I will leave Australia without a degree and bring back a lot of shame and guilt. If I pass, I will stay in Australia and continue being miserable.

Other aspects of life haven't been too great either. Financially, Telstra has decided to bill us weirdly again and I am not willing to spend another 2 hours on the phone and sacrifice my study time.

Hold up.

Study time?? I thought I gave up studying!! I'm confused.

Anyways, I fly home at 2 am, on the day I turn 22. I feel....old.

22 and I have no achievements.

I feel old and sad.

Need all the du'as I can get. Okay, 20 minutes left before Fajr. Then I can pray and hopefully, sleep without feeling guilty for not studying effectively.

LOL @ what people post on Facebook

Muslims posting Christmas wish lists.

I have over 200 people on facebook and none of the Christians have posted up such lists (yet). I just had to laugh reading through a few Christmas wish lists that the Muslims posted.

Confused.

I want to say something subtle but...maybe not. I'll keep a look out for the crazy Christmas party pictures though then I can happily click 'Remove Friend' or something like that; guilt free.

Saturday's Sun

It's 37 degrees celsius right now. Thank You Allah swt for the sun.

I need to keep saying that and/or cool down with another shower. Sun is good. Hot is good. I don't want to start complaining because even if I did, there's not much that I can do about it.

Thank You Allah. Thank You Allah.

Why is it that I say thank you so easily to others but I often take for granted what Allah has given me?

Alhamd lellah for what I have and for what I do not have for surely, Allah knows best.

Found him!

I thought love could transcend barriers.



Sadly, not in this case.

Giving Thanks

I logged into Messenger this morning and my friend had this message on her status:

"LORD, you truly bless me with muffin tops* "

Seriously.

Monday's Musings

Thank you Telstra and Bigpond for majorly messing up our bills for the 2nd time. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'd rather be transferred to a call centre in India with fast and efficient service than be put on hold for more than half the length of the call to a centre somewhere in Australia. Telstra should also learn how not to disconnect calls more than once while a customer is being put on hold.
Stop it with all these phantom costs that we did NOT incur. And please, start some sort of unifying system so that your customer support officers don't contradict each other and sound stupid.
I'm going to laugh the next time Telstra calls me for a plan change/upgrade and claim that they are the largest telco and that they don't outsource their calls to India.
That's nothing to be proud of when your service sucks.

I skipped neuro revision lab, will stare at brains in my atlas. Back to muscles of the gluteal region for now.

oh, I saw this lady @ Northbridge rocking a long sleeved silver blouse with black tights. And for some unknown reason, she couldn't stick to one outfit so she also had on a black tube top and a denim skirt. I don't know what's in fashion right now but I'm pretty sure that's not it??

Me? I'm guilty of wearing my pajamas with an abaya on top. Anyone else doing that? It's soooo comfortable.

Why don't you pray or something?

Overheard in tutorial (when the laptop got disconnected and the image failed to project onto the screen while Mohammed was presenting his Alzheimer's topic)...

"Pray or something! Oh go and slaughter a goat!!"

This moron said it loud enough for 4 of us in the back row to hear. Just as I was about to turn around and glare at him, before saying something, the laptop reconnected and the presentation went along quite smoothly after.

flying while muslim

En route to Singapore, on SIA...

Malay muslim flight attendant: Ma'am, can I offer you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, coke, orange juice or white wine?

Me: ?!! apple juice please.

It was Ramadhan, 230am and I had a sticker on the top of my seat, clearly indicating that I requested a Halal meal, as if the hijab is not enough proof that I am muslim. It's sad that the words just robotically escaped from her mouth and she did not stop just before offering me wine.

Of course she is just doing her job and she served me with a smile.

Maybe in her mind, she was contemplating whether she should ask about the wine seeing as to how she has served wine to other muslim passengers before.

On the flight from Dubai to Istanbul, there was an arab couple sitting just infront of us. Husband was in full thobe gear and wife was clad in niqab, baby in tow. Husband drank and drank and drank those alcoholic beverages. Yes, I stared because I had never seen anything like it. I poked my father and he told me not to stare :b

Disappearing Acts

Things keep disappearing from my room. Seriously, if you're hiding my stuff, please put them back where you found them because it's not funny. I get obsessed when I can't find my things. Right now, my jaw is clenched and my left eye is twitching because I realised I haven't see my shades since the last week of Ramadhan.
Since, the devil was tied up, I can't even blame it on him! (joke, people)

Anyways, I have searched high and low, I have looked into every single drawer and checked behind every single thing, I can't find it. It's not even tiny. It's like in this bulky box. ARGH.

I'm sure nobody took it but how can I explain its sudden disappearance?

Don't know if I mentioned this before but one time when I was like 3, I went out with my grandparents to a wedding. I was wearing this gold bracelet/ring (? my memory failed me) that my grandma bought for me and it was definitely on my wrist/finger when we left the house. In the cab, grandma realised it was gone but of course I didn't get any scolding since I was like 3. Grandma was upset though.
But, the maid found it when she was sweeping under the bed back at home. Weird eh?

In primary school, whenever I got into fights with my older brother, I would always find my textbooks missing. He was clever, never hiding books that I needed on a daily basis. So, he had all the time in the world for the perfect opportunity to sneakily grab a book and hide it. When it was time to pack my bag before school, I would realise that my Social Studies textbook or my Health Education textbook was missing. I would go bat crazy and start crying.

Luckily for me, my maid is a brilliant woman and she hypothesized that books just don't go missing and I defintely didn't lose them because I am a nerd and nerds treasure their books. She further analysed the situation and looked into all possible factors, finally coming to the conclusion that my brother was the culprit behind my missing books.

We found the books ontop of my wardrobe, in my own room, underneath all the extra bedding material that is stored there.
I got my own sweet revenge when I told my parents about what my brother had done and I even had a witness.

I recently had an argument with my brother. Maybe he used his power of mean-ness and hid my shades and all the other things that have gone missing from my room.

I have an exam on Tuesday but my brain is obsessed with finding my shades. HELP

Scanning the Hijab

At Singapore's Changi Airport, their security checks are so tight that after they scan your carry on luggage and make you walk through the metal detector, they stop you and wave their magic wand around your hijab, looking for little elves that may be hiding inside.

I have been through this numerous times and I wish they would go about doing it in a more discreet manner. Once, the security official shouted to her partner to quickly get the magic wand [I have no idea what it's real name really is] to scan my HEAD. On another occasion, I was pulled back after being cleared because I needed to have my scarf scanned.

I do not wear any sort of hair accessory that makes my head look disproportionate so no one ever suspects that I am hiding anything inside. Unfortunately, these officers are just doing their jobs listening to some higher power who thinks its necessary to scan people's heads.

Question: Wouldn't the metal detector detect if there was something metal under my hijab anyways? Also, what does the magic wand actually scan for?


Actually, come to think of it, I remember on my way for Umrah, at an airport ( I don't recall which), all the ladies were brought into a small room where a female security officer made us flip our hijabs over our heads and she made sure that there was nothing inside.

Take a hike, Anonymous.

You would think that any rational person would leave a blog and not ever come back to it once he/she reads something that turns him/her off. Unfortunately, there are people out there who just cannot resist leaving a nasty comment every so often just because. Then, they repeatedly come back to the blog to see if the comment has triggered a response. That's just sad.

This blog has been getting the occasional hate comment but I have been deleting them. This will be the only response I will ever give with regards to such comments. I will continue deleting nasty comments without acknowledging them.

So, take a hike Anonymous.

Eid Update

After 2 years of spending Eid away from my family, I flew home on the eve of Eid to celebrate Eid at home.
I can't say that I've enjoyed it much or that it was definitely better than Eid with friends but I am thankful for the opportunity to spend Eid with my family.

I've semi dislocated (?) my (TMJ) jaw and now the left side of my face is swollen. I vomitted twice and my camera decided that it didn't like any of the 147 pictures I've taken on Eid and deleted them all.

This year, I fasted for 20 days, that's 7 less than the number of days my 6 year old cousin fasted. It just isn't the same not being able to fast for the full month.

How was your Eid?

Eid mubarak!!

About loving and being loved

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: “A person cannot be a perfect Muslim unless he desires for his brother (in Faith) that which he desires for himself.”

(Bukhari & Muslim)

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: “The bonds (of brotherhood) between Muslims are like parts of a house; one part strengthens and holds another”. He crossed the fingers of one hand between those of the other (to illustrate the point).

(Bukhari & Muslim)

Nu‘man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him), relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), said: “The Muslims, in their mutual love, kindness and compassion are like the human body: when one of its parts is in agony, the entire body feels the pain, both in sleeplessness and fever”.

(Bukhari & Muslim)

#1 On the Stupid Things I Have Ever Done List

$400 spent for a ticket to nowhere.

I kid you not.

I tried to cancel and get a refund but apparently, the No Refund policy was in the Terms & Agreement list that I did not read. I happily checked the box. I told the customer service officer straight up that NOBODY ever reads those things and he just laughed and said there was nothing he could do about it.

I hate fine prints, I hate hidden conditions, I hate pop up Terms & Agreement windows that I close without reading.

If you don't already know, I don't feel too happy.

Food

Assalam alaykum

So, I haven't been studying much. ): Study break is next week so InshaAllah I will catch up on my lectures, labs and tuts.

I made a cheesecake yesterday night. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped...


My hand smells like the marinade I used for my chicken. I'm going to head out to buy some naan later on so that I can eat it with my Kashmiri Butter Chicken.

Also, I'm planning to cook some seafood fried rice tonight InshaAllah.

Ok, I'm gona pray Asr and head to Ikea for some light shopping (:

Hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend as much as I am!

Ramadan: Fact/Fiction

Now, with everything else, people have managed to come up with things just to confuse and mislead everyone else. These are some of the things that I have heard/been told about Ramadan.

1) Showering (excessively) is makruh, especially close to the time at which one can break his fast.

I read up and this is what I found: Abu Dawood (2365) narrated that one of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pouring water over his head when he was fasting, because of thirst or heat. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

2) Stop eating 10 minutes before Fajr.

One of the reprehensible innovations that have appeared in our times is giving the second adhaan approximately twenty minutes before Fajr in Ramadaan, and extinguishing the lamps which indicate that it is haraam to eat and drink for those who want to fast. Those who introduced this innovation claim that they are erring on the side of caution with regard to an act of worship.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about some timetables which give the time of imsaak as being approximately one-quarter of an hour before Fajr. He said:

This is a kind of bid’ah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to do the opposite, because Allaah says in His Holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)”

[al-Baqarah 2:187]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Bilaal gives the adhaan at night, so eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes.” This imsaak which some of the people do is an addition to that which Allaah has enjoined, so it is false. It is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed.”

Narrated by Muslim, 2670

And Allaah knows best.

3) Saying "I'm hungry" or counting down the minutes to iftar invalidates the fast.

Praise be to Allaah.

The time of iftaar is the time when the fast ends, which is the time of Maghrib prayer. There is no sin on the one who asks about the time of iftaar so that he may enjoy the things that Allaah has permitted to him of food, drink and intercourse, and to feel the joy of having completed his worship. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The fasting person has two moments of joy: when he breaks his fast he rejoices at breaking his fast, and when he meets his Lord he will rejoice at his fasting.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1805; Muslim, 1151.

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Al-Qurtubi said: What this means is that he rejoices at the disappearance of his hunger and thirst when it becomes permissible for him to break his fast. This joy is something natural and this is the first meaning that comes to mind. And it was said that his joy when breaking the fast is because he has completed his fast and finished his act of worship, and his Lord is allowing him now to eat and drink, which will help him to fast more.

Taken from Islam QA: Issues of Fasting

Re: Hadith 3.

If a person travels in Ramadaan and he is fasting, is it better for him not to fast, or should he continue fasting?

Praise be to Allaah.

The four Imams and the majority of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een were of the view that fasting whilst traveling is permissible and is correct and valid. If the traveler fasts, it counts and he does not have to make it up. See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, vol. 28, p. 73

As to what is better, that depends:

1 – If fasting and not fasting are the same, in the sense that fasting does not affect him, then in this case fasting is better, because of the following evidence:

(a) It was narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [on a journey] during the month of Ramadaan when it was intensely hot, until one of us would put his hand on his head because of the intense heat, and no one among us was fasting apart from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Rawaahah.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1945; Muslim, no. 1122).

(b) Fasting whilst traveling means that one fulfils one's duty more quickly, because making it up later means delaying it, but fasting in Ramadaan means doing it sooner.

(c) It is usually easier for the one who has this duty, because fasting and breaking the fast with the people is easier than starting to fast all over again.

(d) It makes the most of a blessed time, namely Ramadaan, for Ramadaan is better than other times, because it is the time when fasting is obligatory. Based on this evidence the view of al-Shafaa’i, which is that fasting is better in the case of one for whom fasting and not fasting are the same, is most likely to be correct.

2 – If not fasting is easier for him, then in this case we say that not fasting (when traveling) is better. If something will give him hardship, then in his case fasting becomes makrooh, because doing something that causes hardship when there is a concession indicates that one is spurning a concession granted by Allaah.

3 – If it will case unbearable difficulty, then in this case it becomes haraam for him to fast. The evidence for that is the report narrated by Muslim from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with them), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out to Makkah in the year of the Conquest in Ramadaan, and fasted until he reached Kuraa’ al-Ghameem. The people were fasting, but he called for a cup of water and lifted it up so that the people could see it, then he drank it. After that, he was told that some of the people had continued to fast. He said, “Those are the disobedient, those are the disobedient.” According to another report, he was told, “The people are finding it hard to fast, and they are waiting to see what you will do.” So he called for a cup of water after ‘Asr. (1114) So he described those who fasted even though it was very difficult as being disobedient. See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 6, p. 355).

taken from Islam Question and Answer

Hadith(s) about Fasting

1. If the observer of a fast does not give up false utterances and their pursuit, then God does not require him to give up his food and water.
Hadith of Al Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah.

2. Any man who misses a fast without a reason, such as illness, can never atone for it, even if he fasts for the rest of his life.
Hadith of At Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah.

3. Anas ibn Malik said that they used to travel with the Prophet. Those who observed a fast never found fault with those who did not keep the fast. Similarly, those not observing the fast, never said anything amiss tho those who kept their fast.
Hadith of Al Bukhari

4. Partake of sahoor, for there is a blessing in it.
Hadith of Al Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik


I think they are all really clear hadiths but I am a little confused about 3. I need to find out whether the fast being observed was during Ramadhan and if so, who were these people not observing it?

Ramadan Day 8

The title of this post misleads the reader into thinking that I have been keeping a Ramadhan Diary. I have not. I could not find a suitable title to incorporate the 2 stories that I am going to blog about. You'll see...

This afternoon, my friend and I took a drive to Mill Point to enjoy the scenery. I stepped out of the car and watched as a lady walked onto the field with her huge black dog who began running around wildly. The dog ran towards a couple and was rather aggressive. The man tried to push the dog away, as its owner called out to it, unsuccessfully. The dog then ran around again before it spotted its next target. Me.
I took a few steps back, towards my friend. If not for my friend, I would have made the not-so-wise decision of running away but I stood rooted to the spot. The dog halted to a spot next to us and leapt up to pounce on me.
I was already whimpering like a baby and the minute I felt the dog pounce on me with its paws I just started bawling. No, Im not exaggerating when I say the dog is huge.
Maybe the dog got the idea that I wasn't into playing with it so it ran away and chased after the couple again, tackling the lady from the back and causing her to fall over. She then proceeded to shout at the dog owner, asking her why she didn't have her dog on a leash.
I walked back to the car, severely traumatised and my friend decided to tell the dog owner off for being irresponsible. The dog had started chasing after all the smaller dogs and annoying the other dog owners. After my friend gave the dog owner an ultimatum, she finally leashed her dog and the other dog owners were all thanking my friend.
I dislike dogs. I am afraid of dogs. But, I am afraid of cats too. I am afraid of all animals generally. Since young, I avoided animals because I had asthma and extremely sensitive skin. Besides, all my experiences with animals (cats and dogs) were unpleasant.
I don't hate dogs. I don't think that dogs shouldn't exist. What I do know is that if you're a dog owner and you know that your dog is huge and overly friendly, you should have it on a leash, even in a non-leashed area of the park. Otherwise, get the dog some training so that you have control over it and it actually listens to you.
I am going to try my very best to stay away from Mill Point. This is the 2nd unpleasant dog experience that I've had over there.




This evening, I got invited to an iftar at a friend's place. I knew before hand that it was going to be a mixed event (duh, because the friend who invited me is a guy, classmate from uni). But, I thought that they would have separate sitting areas for guys and girls. They didn't.
I was uncomfortable at the idea of going at first because I told him that I didn't know any girls there but he called me twice to invite me so I felt obliged. Also, I called a girl that I did know and she said she would be attending. She also said that she would leave before Isha' so that both of us can proceed to the musolla in Uni for Isha' and tarawih prayers.
I was one of the first people there and boy, was it awkward! There were 3 other girls. 2 of them didn't remember me even though I had met them before and 1 of them was someone I knew but was never close to.
At maghrib, there weren't many guests so I made polite conversation with the girl that I vaguely knew. She replied to all my questions but she gave closed answers. It seemed as though I was trying too hard to keep the conversation going and clearly, she was not going to be a willing participant.
Then they all prayed Maghrib without me...After I prayed Maghrib alone, I sat in my friend's room and played with my ipod. The next time I came out, the place was a full house. Guys and girls everywhere. I was much too shy to budge in and crowd around the table to get food so my friend helped me get some. He told me that he felt bad for me because I was feeling left out so he tried his best to include me. Unfortunately, his graciousness was mistaken for something else because a guy saw my friend helping me get food and made a statement that insinuated that something more was going on between the 2 of us.
I didn't like what I heard so again, I secluded myself in the room. I did try to talk to some girls but they all had their cliques and they all knew each other. No one wants to waste time talking to the newbie.
My girl friend finally arrived but she was too busy eating and catching up with her friends. Also, she made no move at Isha' and I realised that no one was headed to the Uni for tarawih. They were all going to do tarawih together in the house after iftar.
It seemed like the guys were always trying their best to include me but the girls didn't really give a damn. Finally, I made the decision to leave and the guys were all like "Aw Nadia come on, don't go yet. Come, I'll introduce you to the girls"
And I'm like "err, yeah you guys already did that. 3 times. Noone came to talk to me."
Lesson learnt: I am NEVER going to a mixed iftar again.
I am NEVER going to any event where I don't know someone.

And I leave you with this:

When there are three of you, one should not be left out while the other two share a secret, for this will cause him grief.

HADITH OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL
On the Authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar

Boasting about Lineage

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There are indeed people who boast of their dead ancestors, but in the sight of Allah they are more contemptible than the black beetle that rolls a piece of dung with its nose. Behold, Allah has removed from you the arrogance of the time of jahiliyya (ignorance) with its boast of ancestral glories. Man is but an Allah-fearing believer or an unfortunate sinner. All people are the children of Adam, and Adam was created out of dust.” [Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud]

Nobody has any control over which family they are born into. Therefore, a person has no right to boast about that which they had no role in. Nor do the good or bad deeds of our ancestors have any bearing on our status with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Muslims are therefore told to shun these wrong criteria of status. What gives a person status with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is righteousness.


[Just a response to what I know about a person who likes to boast about being Arab and being from the same tribe as the Prophet. This person tells my brother these things with an air of arrogance but we all know he's just jealous because he can't speak a word of arabic and my brother can hold entire conversations in arabic.
Come on, if you drink and go clubbing then really, why are you boasting about such things? ]

A smile is charity

So, my exam was extremely disappointing. There was not enough time, the format of the paper was ridiculous (including the lack of space to write answers) and the phrasing of questions was not clear.
I studied so much this time around because I didn't want to do badly again but, ...

I can go on and on about how the exam was terrible, I feel cheated. I don't feel better complaining so yeah, will stop NOW.

SMILE people. if you smile, I'll smile.

fasting & furious

This Ramadhan, it seems totally weird that people are always asking me "Are you fasting today?"

am i giving off non-fasting vibes or something?

Leave of Absence

I haven't posted in 10 days, which is out of character for me. Anyways, I was really busy and I haven't been feeling too well so... forgive me if I haven't done your tags or commented on your blogs.

I'll be back.

After my exam on thursday.


Everyone, Ramadhan kareem! [Really, I don't know what that means because yeah I'd rather say Happy Ramadhan but SOMEONE is going to accuse me of being blasphemous so >__< ]

Ramadhan

One long post because telstra is a jerk.

Friday

It was in the evening. I was on the phone talking to my friend in Melbourne. Then I heard someone knocking on the front door. I told my friend to stop talking and I waited for the knocks again. There weren't any. So I continued with my conversation.
But the knocks started and they became persistent and gradually moved from being classified as a 'knock' to 'banging on the door like they're trying to break it open'. What was weird was that I didn't hear anyone calling out.
I opened the door to my room to discover I was home alone!! This was where I started freaking out. I theorized that perhaps my housemate forgot her keys but then why didn't she call me? Oh yeah, I was on the phone but..if it was anyone who knew us, why didn't they call out our names?
I went back into my room and started rambling to my friend about how that was a crazy person outside my house trying to break the door down. My friend wanted me to dial 000 but I had my doubts so finally, I left my room again and called out 'Who is it?' from the 2nd floor.
A female voice answered 'Ummm...' and I said 'Yeah?' and she replied 'I think I got the wrong house...Sorry!'
I nearly fainted out of pure relief. But seriously, its just so weird how she went on banging on the door for nearly 20 minutes without ever saying anything!

Saturday

Again, knocks on the front door but this time I was not home alone. My housemate and I decided to keep really quiet. The person knocked about 5 times and then left in a white car (Yes, we peeked from my bedroom window). So after a while, my housemate decides to lock the screen door so that no one can knock on our front door when she discovered food placed at our doorstep. Weird. Noodles and soup. No note.
We decided that perhaps the same unlucky girl was still adamant that she had the right house and had mistakenly sent food to us. We didn't eat it because 1) Maybe it wasn't halal and 2) Maybe it was poisoned. Total paranoia, people.
Later on in the evening, my housemate received a text from a senior claiming responsibility for the food at the doorstep. Phew. At least we know that it was only 1 weirdo knocking on our door once.

Oh and I went to the Ramadhan expo thingy and bought some books and halal gummy bears. I haven't read any of the books but I have eaten the poor little teddies. Anyways, I got this little book with a collection of hadith inside. I think that's my favourite buy.

Sunday

I don't remember what I did.

Monday

No internet. HELLO. NO INTERNET. WHATTT?!!! We have a contract with Telstra but it is under our ex housemate's name and I have tried several times to change the name of the account holder but...yeah. Telstra cut our phone line so we didn't have a phone line and internet.

Anyways, my housemate tried to call Telstra but when the support staff asked for the name of the account holder, my housemate gave her my name as well as the ex housemate's name. The lady then asked my housemate for her name and then the lady went all like 'Sorry I cant help you because you gave me 3 names so I am suspicious and you're making me uncomfortable.'
Not her exact words but she did use 'Uncomfortable'. I really want to smack her.
Anyways, I tried my luck but I ended up talking to a damn machine for 15 minutes before I had had enough fo saying 'Yes' 'No' 'ADSL' and various other words to a machine who didn't understand what I was saying.
My housemate tried again and this time I talked. We were SOOO close to getting our complaint handled when credit on her mobile ran out.

So we were pissed and I skipped Uni so that we could head to the telstra shop in the city. Unfortunately, they didn't handle complaints but they did let us use their landline...We talked for TWO hours, and we were passed around. There was this philipino lady on the phone who was saying 'I can't access your account because it must be stored in the old system and I'm using the new system so I can't access your account. I will transfer you to the old system so that they can access your account because it is stored in the old system and I am using the new system so I can't access it'... Yes, she really did go round and round until I interrupted and said 'Yeah ok so can you just transfer us now?' Finally, they transferred me to this really nice lady who went through everything with me and handled all my requests.

Basically, Telstra has been sending the bills to the wrong address so we never got any and we didn't really realise that we hadn't paid the bills for 3 months. The problem is, when we first signed up, they managed to send the modem package to the right address but the system seems to have our old address as well as an address in Victoria. I know, they suck.
Also, they have been charging us $30 extra per month even though we were on a different plan. I managed to get $30 for 3 months and $5 for late fee credited to our account. Then we were transferred to a different department and I let my housemate talk for another hour. We were going to be charged $55 for reconnection fee and I was furious. It's not even our fault. They're the ones who cut the line DUH. So yeah, we got that charge cancelled too.

What I'm saying is that when I dial for technical support, I want to speak to a human being. I don't even care if the person has a funny accent (3's support is the best. they outsource to India and the staff are super friendly and helpful). I do not want to speak to a wonky machine who asks me stupid redundant questions and refuses to let me speak to a consultant.

Tuesday

I went to Uni. Phone line reconnected.

Wednesday

Internet reconnected. My housemate sent a long complaint to telstra and they deserve it. Before we signed up, many people said that Telstra wasn't good but we were swayed by their telemarketing skills. I am never recommending Telstra to anyone. Seriously, unless you get off on talking to a machine.


I admit I was being really aggressive and I may have come off pretty rude on the phone. But then, what do you expect when you provide poor service? You definitely won't get happy customers. Sometimes, I need to be mean to get things done.

just got my internet back. will update later.

i just got scared to death. update later. need to breathe..

Innovations in Religion

15th of Shaaban

In the Sunan of Ibn Majah, it is narrated with a weak chain, on the authority of ‘Ali that the Prophet, may blessings and peace of God be upon him, said the following:

If it is the night of the middle of Sha’baan, then enliven its night and fast its day, for in it, God descends to the heaven once the sun sets and says, “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I can forgive him? Is there anyone seeking provision so that I can give him? Is there anyone tribulated that I can relieve his tribulation? Is there? Is there?” until the entrance of dawn.

It is narrated that the tabi’in (the generation that directly followed the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him) of Shaam used to glorify this night. Amongst them are Khalid b. Ma’dan, Makhul, Luqmaan b. ‘Aamir, and others. They used to exert themselves in worship during this night. It was from them that people learned the benefit and the glorification of this night.

On the other hand, the scholars of Hijaaz differed with them and refused to acknowledge acts of glorification and worship that were performed specifically in observation of mid-Sha’baan. From among them are ‘Ata’ and Ibn Abi Mulayah. Abdu al-Rahman b. Zaid b. Aslam narrated the same from the jurists of the people of Medina, and it is also the opinion of the companions of Imam Malik and others. They all said glorifying this night was an innovation.

While the scholars of Shaam acknowledged enlivening mid-Sha’baan, they differed on the method of doing so. One opinion is that it is preferred to enliven it in the masjid in a congregation. Khalid b. Ma’dan, Luqmaan b. ‘Aamir, and others used to put on their best clothes, perfume themselves with incense, put on kuhl, and spend the night in the masjid. Ishaaq b. Rahwayh concurred with them and said “Establishing it in the masjid in congregation is not an innovation.” This was narrated by Harb al-Karmaani in his Masaai’l. According to another opinion, however, it is disliked to congregate on that night in the masjid to pray, tell stories, and to supplicate, while it is not disliked for one to enliven that night with prayers by himself. This is the opinion of al-Awza’i, the imam of the people of Shaam, their jurist and scholar.

Based on the fact that there are valid differences of opinion between the scholars, no one should condemn another for enlivening this night or for not doing so. Those who choose to seek the benefit of mid-Sha’baan by enlivening its night and fasting its day are following the opinion of Imam al-Awzaa’i and others. As for those who choose not to do so, they are abiding by the opinion of Imam Malik and others. Hence, there is no blame on choosing to follow either opinion.

Actions recommended by some scholars to perform during this night:

As mentioned previously, it is recommended to bring this night to life with prayers, seeking forgiveness, supplication, and remembrance of God, and to fast the day of the fifteenth of Sha’baan. Many scholars have said it is good to read the Qur’anic chapter Yasin three times during this night (which begins after sunset). The first reading should be done with the intention of asking for a long life; the second with the intention of protection from tribulation; and the third with the intention of being in need only of God and leaving reliance on people. After each time this chapter is read, it is recommended to read the following supplication:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O God, O Bestower upon Whom none can bestow, O Possessor of Sublimity and Honor, O Possessor of Might and Favor, there is no deity but You, Who subdues disputers, Who grants protection to those seeking it, Who is the Safe Harbor for the fearful. O God, if You have inscribed me in Your Source Book as someone destined to be miserable and deprived of blessing or straitened in provision, then I beseech You to erase such from the Book, and rather to establish me with Yourself as one destined to be fortunate and to have adequate sustenance and access to wealth; for You have said, and Your word is the Truth, in Your own Book, revealed to Your Messenger and Prophet, “God erases whatever He wishes, or establishes it, and with Him is the Source Book” (Qur’an 13:39). My God! By Your most Sublime Manifestation on this most honored night of mid-Sha’baan, in which every important matter is differentiated and then bound together, remove from my destiny any tribulation, whether I be conscious of it or not, and forgive me that which You are most cognizant of. O God, make me one of Your servants with the greatest good fortune and portion of that which You distribute on this night, of guiding light, or apportioned mercy, or sustenance, or bounty given Your believers. O God! O God! There is no deity but You! O God, give me a devout, pure heart that is free of associating partners with You, neither ungrateful nor miserable—a sound heart that is humble and beseeching. O God, fill my heart with Your Light and the Lights of Your Manifestations, Your Beauty, Perfection and Love, Your Infallibility, Power, and Knowledge. O Most Merciful of the Merciful! And may God, the Exalted, bless our Master Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace.

Taken from :Zaytuna Institute & Academy

VS

Firstly:

What is narrated concerning the virtue of praying, fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha’baan (al-nusf min Sha’baan) does not come under the heading of da’eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of mawdoo’ (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing righteous deeds or otherwise.

A number of scholars ruled that the reports concerning that were false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his book al-Mawdoo’aat, 2/440-445; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in al-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah al-Shaafa’i in al-Baa’ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith, 124-137; al-‘Iraaqi in Takhreej Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] narrated that there was consensus on the fact that they are false, in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 28/138.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Hukm al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (Ruling on celebrating the fifteenth of Sha’baan):

Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan) by praying etc, or singling out this day for fasting, is a reprehensible bid’ah (innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and there is no basis for this in sharee’ah.

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan). All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that are mawdoo’ (fabricated) and da’eef (weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and no recitation of Qur’aan or prayer, whether alone or in congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any special actions. This is the correct view. And Allah is the Source of strength.

Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511.

Secondly:

Even if we assume that the hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and not mawdoo’ (fabricated), the correct scholarly view is that weak ahaadeeth should not be followed at all, even if they speak of righteous deeds or of targheeb and tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da’eef reports. Nothing is known in Islam to suggest that this night or day is special, either from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or from his companions.

The scholar Ahmad Shaakir said: There is no difference between rulings or righteous deeds; we do not take any of them from da’eef reports, rather no one hast he right to use any report as evidence unless it is proven to be soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a saheeh or hasan hadeeth.

Al-Baa’ith al-Hatheeth, 1/278.

For more information, see: al-Qawl al-Muneef fi Hukm al-‘Aml bi’l-Hadeeth al-Da’eef.

And Allah knows best.

Taken from: Islam Question and Answer

Did you do anything out of the ordinary today because it is the 15th of Shaaban?

Hijab

So, said girl in previous post decided to ask me a question this afternoon while we were walking across the field towards the dissection room.

she asked what i (or i guess, in general all hijabis) thought about muslimahs who don't wear hijab. She said that if other non muslim girls are viewed as 'cheap' or 'trashy' while wearing tight, short, revealing clothing then would a muslim girl be viewed the same way if she was without hijab?

she also asked if i was forced into wearing hijab and if not, whether i knew of anyone who had been forced to wear it.

so this was my answer: no, i dont think muslim girls without hijabs are cheap or trashy. hijab is a religious duty but, i have seen girls without hijab act better than those with hijab on. no i was not forced into hijab and yes i do know of girls who had been forced into wearing it.

i know my answer could have been alot better but this was what i said at that point in time. i could also have left out the part where i mentioned hijabis acting worse than non hijabis. duh nadia, you're supposed to be painting a good picture of hijabis but yes sometimes i say things that i regret. im sorry! ):

she seemed focussed on only one thing...girls being forced to wear hijab and i felt like she wanted to dramatize the whole hijab issue so i left my answer at that.

i hate how people try to manipulate an issue and turn people against each other. noooo, i like wearing hijab! seriously, it makes me feel safe but i know she will never understand.


also, a friend commented "Wow Nadia, i love how colorful you are today" while I was wearing black abaya, black hijab and black shoes.


i <3 my friends *ehem*

Redefined.

So today I stepped out of the house without eyeliner or lipgloss. No perfume either.

You see, I thought wearing abaya would make me stronger in my faith but then there were all these little things that were holding me back (well, I didn't really figure this out on my own. a little bird educated me).

Some of you might think that light makeup is OK, which is what I used to think/still think (?). But if I was being honest to myself, I will admit that I put on eyeliner to look nice. I don't stink either but I just like how my perfume smells.

A girl friend (note the space) used to comment on how lovely I smelled and imagine what the boys with their raging hormones might think. This very same girl friend is the one who goes and blabs my secrets out loud and how I regret trusting her with these details. She might point out a good looking male to me and I might agree. After that, she starts referring to him as if he is my crush which is obviously a lie. Embarrassing. i am keeping my mouth shut around that girl.

I'm working on the little things, InshaAllah...like oh SOCKS :D


OH, maghrib. bye i need to break my fast.

I've been lied to

So, I have just received an email detailing statistics of applications for internships here in WA. It seems like the numbers are too great for the teaching hospitals to cope with and hence, no interstate or international graduates have been offered internships.

Interstate applications are considered next and lastly, international applications (even though they were trained in WA).

This is a big blow to my future plans because I have always wanted to do my internship here in WA. The University never mentioned this problem to us and we were always under the rosy impression that internships would be of no problem to us.
I have heard that doctors graduating from Australia are treated like 2nd class doctors in Singapore hospitals so I am never going back to that country. It is MY country but I don't see a future in that country. There aren't enough opportunities for the middle class and discrete discrimination exists.

I might consider doing my internship in another state but, if WA is experiencing this problem then the other states must be having it too. Another country maybe? But where? I have to start a whole new life in a new country on my own? ): I'm not willing to go through it again.

If I do have to go to a different country, I'm choosing a Muslim country. Don't know which yet but I hope the situation changes in a few years!!

help

this blog is turning into too much of a lifestyle blog. i dont know what the purpose of this blog is anymore. i used to do a mixture of both lifestyle as well as posts related to Islam but now I'm doing alot of random things.

am i losing readers?

do i separate the 2 or should i continue putting everything into 1 blog? fyi, i cant possibly maintain 2 blogs. even if i started another, i would find a way to put everything into this blog again.

my goal this week (and forever after that): to start reading the Quran daily, regardless of how much or what time of day (reading during prayer is not counted). this was a habit of mine that i stopped about 2 months ago. ):

Abaya Attempt 3

So I just realised that my title in the previous blog entry had nothing to do with what I actually blogged about.

Well, this was what I wanted to say before I ran out of time. Just because I can say sentences like 'anta majnun jiddan' and 'anta ahbal' and 'ana thakiah' and other random words like 'dajajah' does not mean that I am fluent in arabic. LOL too funny.

Anyways, today will be attempt 3 at Abaya in Uni. The first time I wore it, a classmate said "Woah, impressive...is that actually a gown?!" I didn't feel like explaining so I said Yes. (:
You know what I hate about windy days? It blows your abaya INTO you, outlining every single err,...curve you have on you. Regardless of how loose your abaya is, the wind's gona do that. I bet I look like a complete idiot, trying to pull my abaya off me Lol. What would you do?

here is another observation about abaya: when I am wearing my shades, people stare more. why? is it because i am more mysterious (??!!) because they can only see my nose and mouth?

you speak arabic??

$7 left on my mobile credit. how can i survive on that much til 7th august?!

apparently lectopia is being a jerk. now i am regretting not paying attention during the last few lectures because ive got nothing to listen to again.

im still pissed about tmr's presentation because i have to learn a whole new topic about lymph drainage (which isnt even core material) to present it for 10 minutes while the rest of the class gets away with presenting topics that are core material and thus, have ample lecture notes that can help them in their preparation. im getting my revenge. im putting up horrible gory pictures of anything and everything that can go wrong with lymph drainage.

i want to buy a chair from ikea. it costs $100. my current chair gives me backaches. but $100 for a place to rest my bum on?? is it worth it?!

gosh, i wish my professor would stop putting up lecture slides with colored backgrounds. come onnnn full black background? i hate wasting ink. kills the trees. (lol? idk) its already 10 and i dont have time to fuss about it. shall just print.

shoot, its 10. i was supposed to prepare my slides for tmr.

Wheels of Fate

So, tonight I took a ride on the Wheel of Perth. I wish I had a real camera with me but it was a spontaneous decision and so, here is a picture taken with a mobile phone and unsteady hands.





I just found out that when you click on my mini pictures, they become full size on a new window. Wowwww Ok, so I just deleted a photo of me where you can totally see my face lol. The one with just my eyes, in one of the previous posts...my eyes look so far apart. like you can fit an elephant in that space between my eyes haha.

i assure you, they're not that far apart in real life. and yes, i have little cat's eyes.

Just Married!

Lol, no..not really though I wish it was true.


We are watching the same sun! idk...

EDIT: Tuesday Tales /Reasons why I annoy myself and you (maybe)

1. I'm absent minded. No joke about it...
I search for my mobile phone in my pockets while Im talking on my mobile.
I wonder why my glasses are not fogging up when Im eating hot soup because Ive forgotten that I dont have my glasses on.
I just missed my 1pm lecture because I totally forgot there was one in the first place.
I was looking at myself in the car's mirror and wondering why the heck I couldn't see anything clearly. I demanded that my friend turn on all the lights in the car and still I couldnt see clearly. Half an hour later, friend realises that Im wearing my freaking shades. DUH

2. I am a hoarder. I hate to throw anything that looks nice even though I have absolutely no use for it. the packaging from my microwave egg boiler? I still have it. The envelope that held the book he gave me? I still have it. The leftover wrapping paper that's too small to wrap anything? I still have it.

3. I have a way of messing things up, even when I start out with good intentions.

you're better than the best

You make me smile like the sun,
fall out of bed,
sing like a bird,
dizzy in my head,
spin like a record
crazy on a Sunday night.

You make me dance like a fool,
forget how to breathe,
shine like gold,
buzz like a bee,
just the thought of you can drive me wild.

Oh, you make me smile...


I've met someone who completely understands me and knows what I am feeling just by looking into my eyes. I'll always treasure this friendship. My bestest friend in the whole wide world, you are awesome (:

Foto Friday (delayed)

Something just totally ruined my whole weekend. I feel like crap, seriously. Sometimes I say things that I'm not supposed to but hey, half the time I don't know that I'm not supposed to say them. Besides, you could always have told me in a nicer way, instead of going all berserk on me like I'm suddenly an apostate. It's not fun to feel like this but whatever...

Here are some pictures I took recently:

I made this for my best friend. It's actually something to massage with.

Freo at night.

Mr. Teddy goes out for a drive, if you can see him.

Lipton's Optical illusion. The question is How many legs does the elephant have?


Jamal, my baby camel.


Me, at Freo after Ice Age 3. I loved it, it was so cute.
A really huge ship at Freo.

Useful and CUTE

Who can guess what my new little friend does? He's amazing...

ROY G BIV

This morning I walked to Uni feeling absolutely dreadful. Then I took my eyes off the cracks in the pavement and looked up and saw the most amazing thing.

A huge bright rainbow, with an even bigger (but faded) rainbow just above it.

Sometimes life sucks but every negative has a positive. The rain might have drenched my clothes but without the rain, there would be no rainbows.

I have a photo but you know, me being me...I have the camera, I have the charger but I left the cable to transfer from camera to laptop in a different country.

I love the rain but its getting too much.

So, it's been raining pretty much every single day. The bottom of my pants get soaked so I have to change every time I want to pray. Add that to the fact that I have no dryer and..well you get a whole load of dirty clothes.

BUT, my best friend is AWESOMEEEE and lets me use the dryer over there (:

Plane ride was terrible. I sat next to a hunky aussie teenager who thought that I also wanted to listen to his music at 3 in the freaking morning. I didn't get ANY sleep and the food sucked. I've been getting really paranoid lately and now I step off the plane with various aches/stabbing pains in my limbs. DVT anyone?

I havent cooked anything since I came back to Perth, been eating out practically every day ): I dont have much space in the freezer to store any food anyways. I havent even unpacked. Can you believe it? I am clearly not in the right frame of mind. I'm not ready for Uni to start yet. My best friend said "You are so confused" and I said " YES, I am not"....Brilliant ey?

Uni started formally yesterday, with a lab which is crazy. People don't have tutorials til the 2nd week of Uni and we have a 2 hour lab on the first day of the first week of Uni? My name is nowhere to be found on any of the student lists. Great, I am NON existent. The units don't appear in my student account and right now I am living on favours, asking friends to print notes for me because I dont have access to them.

I have to see the Professor later. Oh I just came back from his 8am lecture and needless to say, there will be no skipping of lectures this semester. He has Blue Squares of Death...the squares hides a student's photo and name [OMG my student ID photo ): ] and when he reveals what's hidden under the square, the student has to answer a question. Also a way in which he notes attendance.

By the way, I don't understand his accent. Seriously...

Yesterday I saw him and I scared him away. Funny but kinda sad.

Lipton Riddles

So my brother came home from Umrah with a box of lipton tea. All the tea bags have a riddle on them, some in English and some in Arabic.

Here are 2 that I got today after drinking tea:

1) What can write but never read?

2) What does everyone have that they can always count on?



Okay, I'm off to Australia tomorrow night. I have not packed :/

2nd

So my brother appeared on the cover page of the local newspaper yesterday for being one of the top students. A 'C' grade in one unit cost him First Class Honors. (ps. If you saw it, NO I look nothing like him...just fyi (: )

Me?

I'm a poor 2nd best, failure at uni. Damn it. I did better than all my siblings until NOW. Maybe I'm not even 2nd now.

Sibling rivalry? No, its much more than that.

This new environment, home away from home, the only variable...This is what is wrong with me.

I can't do well. I'm adapting, but not really...