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New post

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New Blog

Hey everyone! I moved out of my room, l moved out of my house, I moved out of my country and I moved out of this blog. Don’t worry, I’ moved to another blog. The reason is, when I really think about it I don’t see myself as an Arab girl. Please don’t misunderstand me I am an Arab girl, no I’m a proud Arab girl, I’m proud of being an Arab, I am proud of my Arabic language and I am proud of my religion. But the truth is I am not only an Arab. It is impossible to walk around with only half of your soul or half of your body. This is pretty much the same, I can’t walk around with half of my identity, I could but I refuse to. I am who I am because I am a Muslim, an Arab and a German. These three aspects form the way I live, believe and think.

So this is the link to my new blog, please check it out, and let me know what you think. It really encourages me to write when I know my chatter interests someone.

http://on-top-of-the-box.blogspot.com/

Off to London...

Hey Guys,

I am so sorry I haven't written in ages, but the past week was crazy. I was working full time and getting ready for my studies in England at University of Exeter, which is meant to start next week, but apparently there was another plan for me. Two days ago I called the university to ask why I haven't received any information about my accommodation, the answer was "you don't have any accommodation", even though I paid the down-payment and booked the room. Even my accommodation was conformed to me by phone last week. I would have gone next week and would hear the news there, standing with my luggage at the door steps.

I was very devastated to hear this but now I think it is to the best, I'm not saying that the uni isn't good and I do think I would like it there, but it didn't work out. Anyway, for the past 3 year I wanted to go to London but some how we got to Exeter but now I am going to London. I'm going to Brunel Universit in London tonight.

I called Brunel the day before yesterday and they accepted us both my friend Zainab and I. Since Brunel are starting classes on Monday, I had to re-book and change all my plans so we are going tonight.

I planned my next 3 years in a matter of a few hours, and took spontaneous decisions that effect the next few years of my life. I am not normally like that and it is scary a little bit. But I have faith in god and I believe everything is to the best.

Anyway I have to get ready now, you will "read" from me from London.

P.S: Happy Eid to all and many happy returns for the coming year.

Laylat Al Qadar, night of decree

Tonight is one of the nights of Al-Qadar, Layali Al-Qadar in Arabic. This is the night where the first verse of the Holy Qaran was introduced to Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him & his family). This night is so special for Muslims, because in our belief, in this very night the prayers and whishes of people are being heard, and that people who seek forgiveness are given a guiding hand. This night is a beautiful night to renew your faith and your strength in your religion.

This special night is spent with religious rituals such as praying, reading the Holy Quran, and reading Duaa (supplications), and ask help with health issues, money issues or any other issues that people are facing.

It is also preferred to do those special rituals in groups to strengthen one another. A lot of things in Islam are preferred in groups, we humans need people around us, some of us admit to it and others don’t, but the truth is we do. Sometimes we are surrounded by 1000 people and we still feel alone, and that feeling scares a lot of people so they ignore it because it is easier. Why shouldn’t we share everything that we can share? Even our faith, it makes it stronger and more beautiful.

But in this night after spending a few hours with family and friends praying, reading the Quran and the Duaa (supplications), I like to spend a few hours all by myself with my own prayers and readings. Sometimes it is important to do things alone, to make our own steps, to take time to confront our weakness, fears and selfishness.

This night is a perfect night for new beginnings, to start giving more attention to our faith and beliefs, and to give less attention to our selfish wants and needs. Not only our mind and body has needs and cravings but our soul too. This night is a good night to start spending a little more time in thinking.

This night has a beautiful atmosphere, everyone is up till the early hours of the morning to pray and step away of all the material things. Some people like to do special rituals and acts that mark a fresh beginning, and this night is perfect because of all the religious spiritual rituals, the beautiful atmosphere and the history that lies within this night. In some way it is like the New Year’s resolutions that people make every year to start over with themselves.

It might be hard to understand for people that have not given much thought about religion and faith, but I see this night as a good night for also none Muslims or none believers to start a fresh beginning. You might think why do I need a fresh beginning for? I don’t steal, I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, I don’t do drugs, I am not aggressive and beat my family or other people and I try as much as possible not to use bad language. With fresh beginning I mean a fresh beginning with the simple things. They are so simple and small we don’t think about them, such as being rude and hard on our little brother, sister or even our selves, or using so much water for showers and brushing our teeth, or not appreciating the things our family and friends do for us and taking them for granted, or throwing half of the food that we buy in the rubbish bin while others haven’t had a warm meal in a week. This night is perfect to take an oath with ourselves to spend a few moments thinking. You could do the coffee in the morning for your dad when he’s running late for work, or buy your little sister that T-shirt she loved but was saving the money for a DVD, or send an SMS to your friend saying “Hey, what are you up to?” just to show that you care, or to do the laundry once in a while. Consider it an invitation to turn the page, Muslim, none Muslim, whoever you are, where ever you are.

You might think, what is she babbling about? It is supposed to be something religious, right? Well, our religion is a way of life. There are two sides to it, one is between us and our creator and the other is the life that our creator has given to us, which includes people, work, ambitions and etc..

Ramadan Kareem

Today is Ramadan, Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calender which is called Hijri calender. In the Islamic calender we don't have fixed dates, so the month starts and ends according to the moon. So there are two ways to announce that Ramadan has started, some by sight and others use astrological to mark the new month. As for me and my family we relay on modern technology because it is capable to give the exact birth of the moon. But others relay on their sight to mark Ramadan just like the days of the prophet (peace be upon him). So there are always some people who start Ramadan earlier and others later, this is very sad because it would be beautiful if all Muslims would start together on the same day. But those slight differences of one or two days don't matter because in the end Ramadan is Ramadan.

To none muslims Ramadan is just a month where muslims don't eat during the day and make up for it in the night. Let me explain what Ramadan really is. In this month over 1400 years A.C the holy book the Quran was reveled to mankind. In this month we fast from sunrise to sunset, to remember the poor and hungry and learn to know how lucky we are and start to appreciate the little things that are so easy to forget. In this month we try to use less bad language, even though we should do it everyday all the year. In this moth we can see and feel how people are caseous about their actions and slowly see what they were doing and how it effects them and others. In this month people start thinking about the things that really matter in life and try to step away of all the material things that keep us in chains. During fasting hours people don't have sexual activities, to learn that humans don't just have physical, emotional and humanitarian needs but we have spiritual needs and needs for our minds and our souls.

So this months is so holy for us for many reasons not just because the Holy Quran was reveled this very month and not just because we don't eat all day. This month is to start thinking with our brains and most importantly listening to our hearts. To start thinking about what we did, what we do and what we could do, not just for us but for others. To start listening to our heart, because always at some point of a persons life sooner or later, we start questioning where we came from and how come this world is they way it is. People start asking these questions if they never gave much thought to it, but also people who have been practicing their religion all their life. Because at the beginning you just copy what you are taught but one day you will have to find your own way to make it your religion not your parent's that you follow. This month is to build up a relationship with your creator, to build up a relationship with your inner self, and to begin fresh with not only phyiscal strength but also mental & spiritual strength.

P.S: Children, people who are sick and elderly people who are not able to fast, don't need to fast. As for the sick people if they can they must pay an amount of money to feed poor people. This helps them feel that they are doing something unselfish in Ramadan and share this holy month with us.

Sami Yusuf Live Concert In Bahrain

Yesterday was the best night of the summer. Sami Yusuf came to Bahrain and gave a live concert. He sang all his popular songs, like Hasbi Rabbi (my favourite song), Free (A song I love), Teacher, My Ummah, etc.. An orchestra was playing and each musician came from a different country, for example the two guitarist came from England, the drummer was from New York, the violinist was from Cairo, the other musicians came from Germany, Lebanon, etc...

The concert hall was full. So many people came. To be in the crowd and to feel the thrill was so amazing. When the lights went off everyone was clapping and yelling. Everyone was so excited. I swear, I felt like I could feel everyone around me getting tense while my own heart was racing madly.

You know what, when Sami Yusuf came in you can't help but like him. You know why? When I see any concert on TV or Youtube for any singer Madonna, Britney, Rihanna, etc... they come on stage with a huge show for everyone to admire them but with Sami Yusuf it was different. A very humble, down to earth man came on stage, bend down slightly and gave the audience a very warm smile. That was the star of the night. His entrance wasn't a huge show but the effect that this humble person left on us was tremendously huge.

While he was singing everyone was singing along with him but the best part was in every song where he said Allah or Muhammed or Mustafa we all (girls and guys) would stand up, throw our arms up in the air and scream with him. The atmosphere was infectious. We all were one and the same, just Muslims, not Shii, Suni, Hunaifi, etc...

In the concert he sang the song that is dedicated to us Muslim girls called free. If you don't know it you must put it on your to do list because you have to check it out. It is about the "Hijab" scarf. While he was singing it, I saw a lot of girls with tears running down their cheeks. We just couldn't stop it. Listening to this song just renews our power to carry the hijab, because the truth is wearing the hijab needs power. Some need a lot of power and others need less power but in the end it needs power.

A lot of people think that this kind of way to express your yourself and your religion is not religious but the opposite of religious. Some even think it's wrong because those sounds take people away of being spiritual. But I think otherwise. For me Sami Yusuf uses music to promote the message of Islam and encourages us youth to be proud of our religion and identity. You see a lot of our Muslim youth listening to other types of music because they like it. Youth today wants to listen to music, and the good music is offered by none Muslim singers and artist. Why shouldn't we offer the youth want they want in an fun Islamic way. There is no use forbidding them to listen to offensive, sexual oriented and bad language songs because they will do it anyway and will be pulled away of their religion more & more if the Muslims don't offer a good substitute, and I hope Sami Yusuf is just the beginning.

Anyway my hands hurt from clapping, my lungs hurt from singing along and I have a headache because I got back home around midnight and woke up at 5 a.m for work, so all in all my I'm really tired, but last night was worth it.

Unemployed Was Yesterday

I joined the working forces. I work in an office were I help out by doing anything to take the load off. Well, I try. So I do a little book keeping, filing, printing, filling application and calling people to do this and that. I am told to do this and that, things I never heard of or know less than nothing about, so I ask a million questions which might or definetly annoys people around here, but hey when I am going to do something I want it to be right. But it gets better slowly.

Well, that work is from 8 a.m to 4 p.m but I have another job too, back at home. Since I'm moving out next month my sister is going to get my room. She wants a different colour for the walls. So our job is to get everything out of my ex-room and paint the walls. So all my things are moving to the guest room which is not in the house it self. My family seems to find it quit suitable that I'm moving out, ugh. Anyway, the guest room is my room now, so when ever I get back from England I have somewhere to stay. In the past three days we managed to get all of my things out, I found things that I was looking for and couldn't find and I found things I didn't even know I had. Seriously we humans buy things that we don't need, the problem is we think we need them. Once upon a time, people needed water, food,air and shelter. Now we need flash pink pens with glitter for school, a sock for the phone, etc etc...

Taking all my things out.

Working on my sisters new room.

Ex-guest room/ my room.

We are starting with painting next week, I'll show you how my ex-room room (new sister's room) will look like.

To be continued...

Sick

The last two weeks were pretty messy. I got the flu, a really bad flu. I stayed in bed for 3 days straight. My family got really worried because 3 weeks back I came back from Germany so I might have got the swine flu, but after 3 days I was back to normal. In those 3 days I spent my time either sleeping, reading or watching "Prison Break" all over again. In only 3 days I managed watching all of season one. Being sick ain't that bad aye?

Probably you are thinking, didn't you go to the doctor? Well, I don't do doctors. They have a very important job and they are doing a lot of good but I hate going to the doctor. The reason is, when I was 4 years old I got a really bad flu, my temperature was 41, my mom took me to a doctor who freaked me out and to this very day I hate going to the doctor. I only go to the hospital for very serious things, which I never had to go to, thank god, or for example when I broke my leg, or I go to visit other people and I enjoy it when we go to see a new born baby. Otherwise, my receipt for every illness is sleeping and panadol or aspirin.