Monday, May 27, 2019

The Metaphor of War

               

The abstract that is death looms
As the drones instigate torrent booms
The sounds of unpredictability resonate 
As many continue to fail to placate 
The evil, the inhumane, and the impertinent 
Shrapnels terminate in homes as they dint 

Hope shatters while the glass windows disintegrate
The toxic fumes disperse and so does hate   
Mothers cry and children shriek, as  adults do too 
On TV screens conveying what’s fallacy and what’s utterly true

Buildings fragment; they crumble 
Two “armies” in my city rumble  
Halting our lives while fighting for theirs 
And the Libyan social fabric tears 

The love for war ends life
Whereas the love for life ends war
Life and war are intricate and they’re what I have to endure.    


 
لعل و يا ليت الفرج يأتي مسرعا  
فالصبر ينفد مني و كأنه لم يكن يوما عارما 
لا أعرف ماذا أريد و ان ادركت أنسى السبب لعل و يا ليت الفرج يأتي مسرعا  
فالصبر ينفد مني و كأنه لم يكن يوما عارما 
لا أعرف ماذا أريد و ان ادركت أنسى السبب 
و كأن شيء ما يشتعل، و يحرقني و كأنه لهب  
أقاوم نفسي كل يوم و أتسائل يا ترى، 
هل أنا على ما يرام، أم أنا ضحية ما قد جرى؟ 

يا جبار اجبر بخاطري 
و انزع هذا الحزن المحيط بي 
دعني يا لله انغمس في الحماس 
فرجها من عندك يا رب الناس! 
و كأن شيء ما يشتعل، و يحرقني و كأنه لهب  
أقاوم نفسي كل يوم و أتسائل يا ترى، 
هل أنا على ما يرام، أم أنا ضحية ما قد جرى؟ 

يا جبار اجبر بخاطري 
و انزع هذا الحزن المحيط بي 
دعني يا لله انغمس في الحماس 
فرجها من عندك يا رب الناس! 

Blessed Studying

The advent of the holy month in Libya is commonly accompanied by a rise in temperature, possible consequential power cuts, and spiritual and physical changes within us.

Abstaining from foods and drinks for hours will obviously lead to fatigue. You feel drowsy, dizzy, and you might even end up with a pounding headache! Unless this fatigue is extreme, then you shouldn’t worry because it’s absolutely normal for our bodies to feel exhausted.

So why do we feel tired?

First and foremost, our body is being deprived of its sources of energy, like carbohydrates! When your liver and muscles run out of its glucose, it begins generating glucose by a process known as gluconeogenesis. It’s an endergonic process, so it’s going to take some of your energy to compensate the diminishing glucose levels, and thereby prevent hypoglycemia. In addition, when we are in a fasting state, we tend to be more stressed. Thus, there will be an increase in the secretions of cortisol and norepinephrine. These hormones, in turn, increase your metabolism. Moreover, dehydration and caffeine withdrawal may also exacerbate ensuing headaches, if not migraines.

Whether it’s due to traditional late-night family gatherings, or just abrupt lifestyle disturbances, your sleeping pattern will most likely alter. This will have a large impact on your circadian rhythms.
All in all, sleep deprivation, dehydration, the decrease in glucose and corresponding insulin levels, and caffeine withdrawal all are causative agents for your fatigue. Nonetheless, fasting and its benefits on the body and mind will have you thanking Allah for its crucial arrival!

Moreover, when Ramadan’s advent is during a school year, our studying patterns will indubitably be impacted as well and our fatigue won’t be any less! So here’s a list of tips to help you maintain your grade point average while your body, mind, and soul are cleansing.

⚫️ Scheduling!

You ought to have a stern talk with yourself and ponder about how you’ll accommodate during Ramadan. What are you going to studying? When are you going to study? How are you going to study? Jot your answers down. And rephrase them into your new schedule.

⚪️ Slumbering!
Aside from all the fasting, praying, supplicating, and studying, sleeping is a must. You don’t want to over-sleep during Ramadan and miss out on its spectacularity! However, you also should get your minimum hours of sleep so when you function, you’ll function properly. Six to seven hours should do.

⚫️ Time!

You don’t want to end up feeling guilty about being inactive during this holy month, so you have to use your time wisely. Analyze when you’re most active. If you’re a night owl, schedule your post-Iftar hours for studying. On the other hand, if you’re a morning person who doesn’t depend on any type of caffeine to activate, then get your studying over with early and relax later on in the day!  

⚪️ How to tackle the curriculum?

You don’t want to indulge in the difficult topics and deplete your energy on them. Start with the easy stuff. It will require less energy from you, and when you see yourself getting ahead, you’ll therefore acquire more energy to further continue studying!

⚫️ Goals!

Don’t fret if you find yourself not accomplishing all of your religious and spiritual aspirations. Remember, that Allah is still rewarding you extra for studying. Reading and acquiring knowledge is what Islam promotes. Do it for the sake of Allah!
A reminder:

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise

فارس الأحلام


كنت تائه في طريق ما. أسمع صوته يناديني :“نهى! نهى!"
لم يناديني في حياتي قط! و ها هو الأن و صوته يعلو و يملئ الحي، بعضهم ينظرون نحوي و يلتفت الآخرين اليه! 
"نهى! نهى!" 
لا أعلم ما الذي يجري. ماذا يريد هذا الجميل مني؟ 
اقترب إليه. أنسى اسمه. اكاد أتذكره و تمسح الذاكرة من جديد. 

انخفضت نبرةُ صوته إلى همس و ما زال ينطق باسمه المفضل: "نهى! نهى!" 
لم اقل شيئاً له و لكن أنظر إليه بعجب و هو يخرج من جيبه ما يبدو لي كصندوق صغير! 
يضعه في يدي و افتحه بسرعة هائله لكي استكشف ما فيه و في آن واحد اعلم محتواه.

خاتم من ألماس. 
لا اصدق.
أضع الخاتم على بنصري و أنا سعيدة! سعيدة! 
أفطن إلى ما فعلته و ما يعني ذلك.
أنظر إليه و هو يبتسم إلي و أدرك فوات الأوان لكي أعطيه جوهرتي، أقصد جوهرته. و لكن أنا سعيدة. سعيدة! أردت ان أقل له شيئا ما و لم تخرج الكلمات من ثغري! 

-"نهى! نهى!" 
 أنظر إلى أصابعي و لم اجده على يدي! أنظر إلى يدي الأخرى و لم اجده. 

أفطن إلى حقيقة الأمر اني قد إستيقضت من عالم الأحلام إلى نداء أمي و هي تناديني لكي أتناول وجبة الفطور. اضحك و أذهب إليها مسرعه لكي تخبرني ما يعني هذا الحلم. 

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

L.💓.V.E.



I looked up the word in the dictionary, and I read all the numerous words that tried to sufficiently define this phenomenon. It's a noun, a verb, an adjective, and it's even used in countless phrases! Moreover, it might as well be a living thing; I mean it breathes all of us, it grows and reproduces itself into the beautiful aspects of life itself."An intense feeling of deep affection"- what whoever dared to define it claims it is, and that's what appears as the first of many explanations of it in the dictionary. 

 It is not a single thing, but a complex of combinations that render it unfathomable. Curiosity is a crucial part of this combination that may also be the starting point of it. We want to grasp it and really know what it is, why it's there, why it makes us do the things we do for the sake of it, and how in the world is it capable of transforming and conforming us. So what do curious breathers do when they get intrigued by something? Well, they impulsively start experimenting with it. 
Furthermore, experiments always yield different results due to errors and accuracies. Some enjoy the experimenting part and that's all they end up doing; others, think they've found the purpose and scope of its existence and revel in it. And there's the outcasts that find results that aren't sufficient enough, and so they experiment time and time again with new species, new methods, and newer equipment.
Love. It can sweep you up with naivety and slap you with common sense. Love is ever changing. It's never constant.
It starts out with a desperate desire. A time of euphoria. And a wisdom learned. And maybe that's why Shakespeare wrote the love story of Romeo and Juliet as a tale of tragedy. Maybe love is described as one of Taylor Swift's songs: Sad. Beautiful. Tragic. 
But that's the humanly love I was talking about; whether it was shared between lovers, family, friends, a pet owner and an adorable domestic animal, or strangers, and the love of materialistic things among other things! However, there's a special kind of love any creature of the Creator is capable of feeling- the mutual bond between Allah and one's self. The most beautiful, the most enchanting, a humbling, and a purely genuine kind of force! And one would only pray to revel in it eternally ❤ And this is what's mentioned in the Quran about the love for Allah  
2:165) And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment.
القران الكريم |وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ|. 


A Cliche Poem

                      
Life is good when you want it to be.
Smile, laugh ever so joyfully.
Have a lot of faith to fall back on.
Pray at night, in the evening,& at dawn!
Pour your heart out to your lord,
Because a prayer is mightier than a sword.
Watch your life unfold.
Tell what's untold.
Life is good but it can be unfair.
So don't get caught up and dare
To be a soul that's happy and loving.
So go ahead, dance, laugh and sing
Your heart out !!!
And get rid of every doubt.
Rely on God and it'll be OK.
There's something good in every day!

#LOVE_STORY


I daydream about a "love story" and who's the person I'm bound to fall head over heels for. And I put these crazy standards and images in mind as to how he should talk & walk, how he should dress and laugh, and how he should treat me. Sometimes, I even daydream about his very enticing accent! And that's what us humans do to ensure a tranquility at the moments of the unknown. We imagine and plan. And you know what they say, " We plan and plan and Allah's the best of planners." I mean, after all, he is the one who wrote our story and is in control of it. But he forgives us for being so impulsive and so eager to know what the future holds in store for us. Therefore, he surprises us with the most unexpected person, at the most unexpected time, in the most unexpected place! That's love. It hits the heart without a warning. And that's what's enchanting about it- the element of surprise. You see, love erases all that we planned and it replaces it with an impeccable reality, which could be a conundrum to the limited understanding of the human brain. Which makes the neurons strenuously trying to make sense of it all. But, it doesn't have to make sense. It shouldn't make sense.
 True love doesn't care about the standards and expectations you rendered over the years. True love doesn't care about the "perfect imperfections!" Truelove only cares about the now. It is what gets your adrenaline rushing in your bloodstream. And love loves  how it makes your heart pound like it never did before; a special palpitation. 



~~~ An excerpt from a novel I wish I wrote ~~~~~

Extra Time


Sometimes, it just feels like there isn't enough time for the countless books I want to read, the movies I wanna watch, and the songs I wanna sing along and dance to. Sometimes 24 hours just isn't enough. #WishfulThinking

Time

Most would consider it hypothetical, but is it so? 
Time is a valuable, very real aspect one would only grasp at its understanding when it has drifted away from a grip on it.  
Time, measured in numerous units of hours,minutes, seconds, and even milliseconds, is capable of  controlling our minds; thinking of what it showed us in the past, what it has presented at this current  present, and what will it reveal in the not so promised, unknown future.. 
This magical and simultaneous  illusional reality is capable of transforming our inner selves into complete dichotomies 
 With its power of proving right from wrong and cleaving truth from lies, it controls us at every interval of itself. 


It is what determines our fates and destinies. It is what brings about coincidences -although I don't believe in such a faithless thing! It is eternally bound to our restless souls.. 

Love & Possession


The proverb, "If you love something, let it go" just wouldn't process in my brain. I thought about it over and over again over the years!Yet, I always find myself asking the same old question: wouldn't a person want someone to be their own if they truly loved them? Wouldn't a normal,loving person only desire the presence of those loved?


 Love and possession of the loved are coupled desires. Maybe, that's where the engagement ring tradition originated from! It ( the ring) gives the reassurance that your loved one is yours, which is sometimes a desperate intuitional need...

True LOVE

What really is the meaning of true love?? Is it even existent?  

I've been wondering if such a thing could exist between a couple who have never ever talked to each other. Not with real words at least: just with mere eye contacts that linger around after they've passed by each other and got lost in the crowd!
Is there a bond that has the capability to unite two souls by a magical thread of sheer luck. Fate? 
Is there this supernatural instinct that gives us the power of knowing when we really love someone whom we've never spoken to? Is there a synced heart rhythm that beats so spectacularly that lets a person know when he/she should give their heart to that someone that will either mend it or crush and shatter it ? 

I believe that this magical, heart-wrenching bond does exist! And you know why? Because Allah exists. My faith and belief in Him doesn't allow me to think of these feelings and thoughts as coincidence. Allah doesn't design and create things for us to believe in luck and coincidence! He designs everything with accuracy that can't be easily comprehended by the structure of our brains. So those feelings are true. True love is existent. There is a synched heart rhythm by couples all over the world; even between those  whom  yet to talk and get to know each other. 
But how can heartbreak be a realistic consequence out of true love ? How can hate evolve from love?
The irony of dichotomies is what I am intrigued by all the time. And it is an outcome that is existent when we forget about the creator of the beautiful things in life. When we get so caught up that we start following our own mind's reckless guidance and ignore his obligations and commandments. We are his slaves and when we submit to him fully, he can bestow upon us unfathomable blessings. But when we forget that it is only He who can bless us with such graciousness that we can get it taken away in a blink of an eye. 
So yes I believe in true love and an eternal happy ever after, but only under diligent obedience to the One who can give it to us in ways we can't even dream about ☺

Words_of_my_heart

  • I've been indulging in the enchantment of abstracts I once thought were only found in novels and fairy tales. 

Life!! CONTINUED...

But, what is thriving? What's success?
How do I come out all polished and clean out of a dirty mess ?
I hold back a river of tears
That have been forming for years!
But then I ask: why should I? 
I start to sob. I start to cry.
Holding on to faith isn't as easy as uttering words.
But I hold on tightly to it no matter how much it hurts !
Because in the end, nothing lasts forever,
And it's what'll  make me smile after this heart-wrenching endeavor.
What I pray will lead me to paradise;
Where I'll eternally settle and have nothing to despise. 

كم أحقد على الكذب و النفاق و الرياء         كم أكره سوء التفاهم و الكبرياء

 

أكاد لا  أتحمل قلة النضج و عدم المساواة     أرتجف بداخلي على حبٍ ضاع كالهباء    


كم أعشق الذكاء و اللطف                      حب هائل في داخلي للصدف

التي تجمع بيني و بين هؤلاء                  اللذين يضمدون جروحي

و أرواحهم  تعشق روحي                      هم لقلبي كالدواء
 

الفتور

 

صار قلبي كقطعة من الجليد 
بارد و جامد و صلب كالحديد 
ذات يوم انكسر 
و لم يعد إلى طبيعته؛
اصبح شيئا جديد 

لا يفرح و لا يحزن 
مسح المشاعر لانه لا يريد 
أن ينكسر و يتحطم مرة أخرى; 
ذاك الألم كان شديد


ربما يأتي يوم و ينصهر 
و يفرح و يحزن و يطلب المزيد
و لكن علم الغيب عند الله؛ 
خالق الكون ،الجبار المجيد .

Mr.Perfect

He is tall. I am not just calling him that due to my lack of height, which makes me call anyone with an average height "tall," but because he really is tall. To be precise, he's a foot and a few inches taller than me. When I look up to admire his flawless complexion, I can't help but be astonished by his manly beard, which he never shaves- he only trims it! It perfectly suits his face. His eyes aren't one bold color, but many mixed together rendering a light hue I've never seen before. They sparkle. His eyes don't tell lies, and that's why they're so special to me. His smile is what I like to call my "melting point," because I feel myself changing into another state when his perfect set of teeth peak out. Then, I think about the possibility of his dentist being a beautiful female, and I get enviously jealous! I melt, and at other times, I sublime! 
He doesn't know about my existence; or maybe he does, but that doesn't matter to me. All that matters in my bubbled up world,which he knows just how to puncture, is that I know of his. 
He is smart: all the kinds of intelligence I have come to know is found in his brain. He is book-smart! I've seen him hold many books in his masculine 
 hands. I managed to read some of their titles. If I got a hold of one of those books he was intriguingly reading, I would free my time to read them too so we can have something in common. He is socially smart too! If he wasn't, why would all those people huddle around him all the time to hear what he had to utter? Moreover, humor is a manifestation of intelligence; and he possesses the sense of humor I liked best. That's what I ended up knowing after utilizing my online-stalking skills....
From the looks of it, he's pious! Oh, how much I love piety! He's not a stuck-up, conceited person due to his utmost devotion to his lord; he is humble as a consequence. I've heard him telling a colleague about how obeying Allah will always have you reaping rewards you forgot you even sowed! 
He has a hoarse voice, but I like it! If I heard it, that meant he was around. 
I am infatuated with him. I know it! I just don't see a reason for denying it. There's a magical feeling about infatuation. I am also obsessed with him. I know I am, so I try to control my obsession before I end up with a restraining order. Maybe it's lust or maybe it's true love! But I don't care what people before me have called it or what I'm about to call it, because a name on "this thing" I got hovering over me wherever I go is not going to change a thing. 

Furthermore, I don't try to get his attention because I know if he's written for me, he'll be mine without me begging for it-one way or another! 
I pray to Allah for him. And I talk to our creator about him. That's the only act I'm capable of doing that makes my impatient soul calm. 
-Calmness; I can't bear it when he speaks so coherently in his appealing accent! I can't help but eavesdrop because all I want is to know him! 
When I'm alone, I sing love songs that magically describe all the feelings surging within my fragile heart! 
I don't question any of "this", I just let it happen. That's what I learnt. It will bring pain as much as it brings happiness! But, that's perfectly fine with me. I'm not scared. I am ready for whatever "this" might bring. 
At least that's what I told myself before that day.  
That day was full of sunshine. It was beautiful. It was a day for beginnings. I was walking and that familiar hoarse voice was calling out my name. I scrutinized myself for letting myself get carried away with "this thing" that I started hallucinating scenarios that just couldn't be real. But it was real! That was my reality,then. He was really saying my name! I turned around and he was holding my ID card! "This belongs to you?" was his innocent question. "Yeah, thanks!"was my answer. And I prayed and prayed with a huge smile that this was the commencement of what I wanted "this thing" to be! 
.....