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#faith
* SHUBH NAVRATRI *
Sending good wishes to everyone celebrating this auspicious period
Keep an eye out for a post about when we met her in New York - out soon!
RAMADAN 2016 :: MEAL IDEAS
This year round, Ramadan falls in the summer months for those of us living in the UK, which means 18+ hour fasts! If anything, this should encourage us to be more conscious about the choices we make when it comes to eating food at suhoor (before the fast begins) and iftaar (once the fast is over). So I was super delighter when Hipster Veggie released her video showing us some healthy ideas for meals this month!
Plus, they’re super easy and quick to make which is a bonus because when you’re half asleep, you ain’t got time for a 15-step gourmet meal! Check out the video above, and don’t forget to remember us in your prayers during this blessed month! <3
- A x
RAMADAN MUBARAK
O moon-faced Beloved, the month of Ramadan has arrived Cover the table and open the path of praise. …. Let nothing be inside of you. Be empty: give your lips to the lips of the reed. When like a reed you fill with His breath, then you’ll taste sweetness. – Rumi
#TBGReflects :: Mauritania
3 months flew by so quick, and now i’m back in London with the last remains of Mauritania inked on my hands and feet.
Those of ya’ll who are our #TBGNEWS subscribers know that i’ve been doing the monthly updates, but for March we’re bringing you a Mauritania Vlog! It’s coming your way in the next few days, so if you haven’t already, sign up here so you don’t miss it :)
Meanwhile, check out my husband’s reflections on the trip here. It’s an poignant piece that reflects on what we discovered living in the desert, quietening some of the negative voices and misconceptions that exist about studying in Mauritania.
Enjoy!
- A x
Prepare for an imminent journey. Garner provision now as the journey is long. Lighten your loads, for before you is an ascent most steep! Only those traveling lightly shall bear its climb.
- Prophet Muhammad’s sermon. Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.
- Jalal ad-din Muhammad Rumi
You are proud of your empire and material possessions, while I am proud of the Refuge of God, the Immortal.
Be not heedless: for the world lasts but a few days, And man may leave it, one knows not when.
Look at the ever changing faithless world: And see what happens to every house, every denizon.
If you are strong, torture not the weak, And thus lay not the axe to thy empire.
If the One God is one’s Friend, what harm can the enemy do, Even if he multiplies himself a hundred times?
A thousand times let an enemy assault him, And yet touch not even a hair on his head.
- Guru Gobind Singh
AL-GHURABA - BLESSED ARE THE STRANGERS
We are all strangers in this world, in some way, shape or form. As children of migrants, we are born in a country where we often don’t feel like we belong. Whether that’s because of the colour of our skin, the way we dress or the traditions that we have inherited from our parents, we stand out in a society that is filled with confusion and fear towards people that look like us.
Similarly when we go ‘back’ to the countries that our families are from, we don’t blend in. It is obvious that we have grown up in the ‘West’ and have blatant habits, customs and beliefs that we can’t deny. We’re strangers once again.
But being a stranger isn’t a bad thing. Al-Ghuraba clothing has grown from this idea, as graphic designer Qasim Arif wanted to use Islamic philosophy, imagery and art to make a strong spiritual and social statement.
We teamed up with him (and our husbands!) to showcase his designs and reflect the idea that not adhering to the norm and standing out is positive and inevitable if we want to pursue our passion, calling and identity.
TBG: What inspired you to start a clothing brand?
Qasim: I have had the privilege of working for and with other clothing brands, both Islamic and non-Islamic. Through those experiences I learned a lot of what it takes to run a clothing brand. I shared my ideas for designs with them and realized it didn’t fit well with what those brands already had going. Then I decided to create my own brand, understanding that this vision will only make sense in its own environment. And so, Al-Ghuraba was born.
TBG: What is unique about Al-Ghuraba compared to other Islamic streetwear labels?
Qasim: I believe Al-Ghuraba has an approach to the identity of Muslims that has not been visualized before in this way. The combination of the subject and design is where I try to be creative in, be it ‘Syria in Heart of Islam’ or ‘el Hajj Malik el Shabazz’ calligraphy piece. The customers feedback has been amazing in this as well, when they let me know why they decided to buy a certain product and what it means to them.
TBG: What message do you hope to convey with the designs?
Qasim: The designs are artworks. There to remind myself and others of our ‘deen’ and identity. To inspire to become better, and have pride in our heritage. To celebrate the first generations and send homage to role-models of today. In shaa Allah.
Huge thanks to Qasim for allowing us to (try) and model his designs. Like and Share this post to show your support for such a great, humble initiative :)
ATTACHMENTS :: #TBGREFLECTS
Attachments. They keep us constantly occupied, feeling ‘safe’, and often prevent us from new experiences or disguise the truth of our transient life. I’ve just recently come to terms with how attached I really am. After years of telling myself that I’m not attached to anything, I’ve slowly found that I feel so close to social media, my parents, home comforts (read: tea and lattes), and yes, my husband. These things make me feel safe, protected and in-the-know. Coming to terms with this and accepting it has definitely helped me to be more aware of what I’m doing and lead a more focused, meaningful and productive few weeks.
We’re constantly being reeled into the buzz of news, popular culture, or viral content that just the thought of slowing down, reflecting, emptying ourselves, is bizarre. I can’t even remember the last time I felt at ease and empty when I prayed. I always feel like my head is going 100 miles an hour thinking about an email I need to respond to, some work I need to finish off and wait, it’s already been 20 minutes since I’ve checked my Twitter?!
It’s no wonder the Qur’an and the Guru Granth Sahib are filled with verses reminding us of death *dun dun dunnnnn*, the final abode, where we’re all inevitably going to end up. The reminder of death makes us realise attachments are distractions. It makes you think really, the only reality of our lives is death. It’s the only truth we know. And yet, today’s world focuses on driving us away from remembering death by telling us we need to be following this inspirational fitness account or buying this lipstick because it suits our skin tone.
A couples of weeks ago I was speaking to a friend and told her how I feel like there’s a heavy weight always resting on my shoulders – that I have to somehow keep up with the world, with trends, with people, with my family, with emails and messages. And she told me to just turn my iPhone off. That’s it? Yep, that’s it. That goddamn 64GB nugget is so powerful, it’s like a world in itself, and I always feel like a freaky gravitational force is pulling me toward it. I now know that ‘force’ is called my comfort zone. Turning off my phone had me feeling a bit weird and also like, “Now what?”. Don’t get me wrong, I got on with my day, but I finally eased up knowing I’d opted out on email notifications, messages, and those goddamn family group-chat notifications. It was good. I felt focused and present.
I could focus in my prayers, on my work, on my conversations with my family. It was like a completely different zone. I try to do this regularly now and, although I get anxious before I turn my phone back on and am forced to situate myself in an internet world again, it does help me feel better, calmer and more relaxed. I’m in control of the information I absorb. Not the other way round.
Reflecting on the past year, I definitely feel like I’ve lived too comfortably, surrounded by things that make me happy and at home. Remembering death (and letting it scare the crap out of me) makes me realize attachments aren’t healthy, or particularly useful. They are distractions – and so my husband and I have decided to move to a remote place to study Arabic for three months.
One of my intentions for this journey is to definitely to become more detached, rip myself away from the comfort zone and constantly remember the temporary reality of our life and relationships in this world.
TBG are wishing you all a wonderful Eid! We hope that all of you celebrating are enjoying this blessed day with friends, family and lots of food :)
I know it’s a day of happiness and warmth, but please don’t forget to make a special prayer for the 700+ people killed tragically in the Hajj stampede. May Allah grant them eternal peace and bliss.
We all know Islamophobia is outrageous, but it’s especially so when its victims are young, innocent (and exceptionally intelligent!) kids. You all know what’s been happening these past few days, with Ahmed, a 14-year old boy from America, being arrested for building a clock for his teacher - mistaken as a hoax bomb (because he’s a Muslim, so obv making bombs is on his priority list -_-). Check out the video above where Mehdi Hasan candidly interviews Ahmed for some deeper answers about what happened.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking when Ahmed says how being misjudged because of his name, religion and race makes him feel like he stands out, and is different from ‘normal’ people. Made me realise how Islamophobia is basically a clever and powerful form of bullying.
Also, why the heck haven’t his school apologised?!?!?!
Still, the overwhelming support that he’s recieved from the global community is huge, and gives me hope that his story will not only shed light on Islamophobia, but also help change the negative perceptions of Muslims that exist throughout America and Europe.
- A x
Share your thoughts. What did you think of the interview?
The Garden is our home; but we can experience an intoxicating breath of its fragrance on earth, if we love and recognize the Gardener, and love and care for His garden and its other guests. The only true disaster for us in this place of wonders and signs is to look around us, and allow the demon within to say: ‘There is no gardener; this is only energy and matter’. From that expression of the ego’s defiance, all sin, without exception, flows. Put differently, it is also the true source of our alienation. In a sense the lover of God is always at home, because he feels around him the traces of his Beloved, on all side, in every moment. Love is to be at home, as well as to long for it. - Abdal Hakim Murad
The more we try to insulate ourselves, however, temporarily, against the harsh realities of the human condition, the more unreal our world becomes and the further it is removed from all contact with truth.
I’m spending the week away in the mountains of Spain as part of an excellent programme called ‘Ghazali Week’, held in the wonderful grounds of Alqueria de Rosales, in Andalusia. Super excited to be learning here and attending classes of two of the greatest Muslim scholars in the Western world today - Dr Umar Faruq and Sh Abdal Hakim Murad.
The first class was held after Fajr (5.30am-7am) on the secrets of speech and silence. In a nutshell, Dr Umar discussed how speech is more than just a social phenomenon. It does not just exist on a horizontal plane - whereby man expresses his needs and desires. But speech has a vertical dimension - its reality allows us to delve into the truth. As human beings, we are losing the importance of oratory, and beauty of articulate speech…something I realised quite a few years ago, which spurred me into studying Classical Arabic - one of the most eloquent languages that exists.
Something that really struck me was Dr Umar’s strong references to post modern poetry, and what poets like Eliot and Ezra Pound expressed as the deterioration of language. Hmm… perhaps it’s true. Language is definitely becoming more and more ‘plastic’ and ‘dummed down’, the original and often ‘sacred’ meanings of language and words are drifting away. Take, ‘God’ for example - it’s connotations are largely negative. Many Muslims even think they shouldn’t use the word when, in reality, its original meaning, just as the word ‘God’ means in many other ancient languages, is 'the one who is supplicated to’. If you use the word 'God’ or even imply that you believe in God you are somehow irrational and senseless. The sacredness of this word has been lost. Likewise, the words 'primitive’ and 'tradition’ both imply something outdated and out of touch with 'modern thinking’, when, in fact, we should acknowledge that primitive cultures were often extremely advanced and intelligent, with access to knowledge that we’ve now lost.
Anyway! As well as all the contemplative thinking, there are the beautiful grounds to lose yourself in (as you can see from the pics above!).
Hope you’re having a wonderful summer wherever you are…