Author: taskeentm

Turkish life: Lessons from our first Roadtrip: Istanbul is not Turkey

Salaams

Last month I was really fortunate to go on (our first) roadtrip in Turkey!

I was amazed by the landscape- mountains in the distance, green fields and farms, and the wide open space to breathe! It looks like this:

Turkish countryside

Beautiful right?

I don’t know what I was expecting but  what I saw reminded me how different Istanbul is to the “rest-of-Turkey.” Whilst Istanbul is beautiful, and there are beautiful places to walk around and chill especially on the mighty Bosphorus, it just has a more “closed -up” feel to it. Like take Bebek for instance, you can sit near the water edge – but just in a small space and then there’s buildings in and around you.

In Istanbul, at least on the modern European side which is what I’m more familiar with, sure there are parks, but it’s surrounded by loads of flats and tall buildings. So when driving around your view usually includes  sprawling flats on hills. It’s different out in the countryside and even in Izmir, another big city in Turkey. Things just feel more open, and because it’s more flat I guess that also contributes to the sense of openness, which is just wonderful.

Turunç, Turkey

Driving through some mountains as we neared Turunç, our destination for the trip-the views hit you like waves – one picturesque scene after the next. We made one mandatory photo opp stop to take some pictures of a scene in a valley below us which was simply spectacular – it was the city of Turunç from above – a lovely village near the Aegean Sea, blue waters, a little town and all against a brilliantly blue sky. Subhanallah

Ilica Plaji (Beach)

We also visited Çeşme on this road trip where we were treated to a gorgeous beach called Ilica Plaji. Here we enjoyed soft white sand, turquoise water and gentle yet effective waves! This made an awesome swim and great way to spend the afternoon while enjoying a beautiful sunset. I am truly amazed by the spectacular beaches in Turkey, a few hours drive ( ok, a good few hours!) from Istanbul.

Just like London is not England, I see now that Istanbul is not Turkey! This means you have to explore outside the busy city to truly appreciate the whole country and it’s amazing landscape and feel.

I look forward to discovering more towns and regions beyond Istanbul, Insha Allah.( But we will investigate an easier route, perhaps half flying/half driving rather, as the ten hours drive we took on the way back from Turunc with a tired baby wasn’t the greatest fun!!)

Stay tuned for more adventures from “The Organised Traveler”, my other writing name 🙂

#organisedtraveler #otttraveler

Traipsing through Turkey,
M4Life

Sit back and enjoy a response from ALLAH. ALLAH promises!

Greetings on this lovely day of Jumuah (Friday)


I have this thing with effort and reward. I practice it alot. Must be something I picked up growing up. Anyway, it serves me well as it works as motivation to keep me getting things done and working hard.


So it’s no wonder that this image shared on a family Whatsapp group hit home for me. It acted as a reminder for me to do my bit : all I need to do is these four things :
1. show gratitude
2. ask of Allah 
3. ask for forgiveness and 
4. constantly praise Allah
 
-and then sit back and enjoy a response from ALLAH Alone! 
 
 
 
 
There are some simple tasbeehs to read for each of these, so this is how I plan to implement.
 
Gratitude:  سبحان الله  (Subhanallah) Glory be to God
Ask of Allah:   لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ سُبْحَـنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ ( La Ilaha Illa Anta Subhanaka Inni Kuntu Minaz Zalimeen)  “…There are none worthy of worship besides You. Glorified are You. Surely I am from the wrongdoers.” (21:87)*
Forgiveness :  أستغفر الله‎ (Astaghfirullah)  I ask Allah forgiveness
Praise:  الحمد لله (Alhamdulillah) Praise be to Allah 
 
Maybe I can read them all every day, so maybe depending on the situation and my need I will increase recitation of a particular need. Either way, I am promised by my Lord a certain response from HIM if I do one of the following. WOW, that’s not just something, that’s everything!
 
Prayers and reminders I hope to heed, 
M4Life
 
*Dua of Prophet Yunus (May Peace be upon him), when he was swallowed by the whale and read this very powerful dua which I just love. Feel like it gets me out of any sticky situation, Alhamdulillah!

My reflections from the book: "When you hear hoof beats, think of zebras"

Book Review: When you hear hoof beats, think of zebras

This book has been on our bookshelf for ages, so it was wonderful to finally read it. These are some  of the very powerful lessons I took out of this book based on interesting Sufi tales:

  • Seeing Allah in everything and everyone around us – to me this means being in the company of those that remind you of Allah. Everything is a trace of Allah because everything is predestined and from Him. When looking at the creation,even inanimate objects, trace it back to Allah remember to admire the Creator.
  • If you spend your time going after gold in this world, you will have neither the gold nor yourself!
  • Think about what you spend your time, energy and thoughts on between prayers – We think about our life first, and weave our prayers around that. How nice to switch it around to focus on prayers first!
  • Every morning when we get up, we must remember two things- Allah and death – see how different our life will be as a result! We will realise that nothing lasts forever. And this can also be a source of comfort to help us let go and focus on what does matter.
  • A great way to view any situation: say : Maybe it’s a blessing, maybe it’s a curse, only Allah knows.
  • We don’t have to give ourselves totally to everything we do in the worldly sense – like when watching TV, or having a meaningless chat with a colleague at work – retain something of yourself, and with that remember Allah. Don’t get totally lost and immersed in everything ( except  the remembrance of Allah)Hope this was as an inspiring for you as it was to me Insha Allah!

Implementing the Inspiration,
M4Life


How has Surah Maryam made me a better person?

Salaams

 I just completed the tafseer of Surah Maryam, following the intensive series by Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda. I was motivated to start this when during my early weeks of pregnancy I kept hearing from people around me that Surah Maryam is a very good surah to recite during pregnancy. I researched a bit about the wisdom behind this, but could not find any concrete Hadith to support this notion, and whilst we know all of the Quraan is beneficial to us at any time, I wanted to know why this particular Surah was called out to be one to recite specifically during pregnancy. Well I was not satisfied with a seemingly unsupported claim, and so I decided that instead of only just reciting this surah, I wanted to delve a little deeper and understand the meaning of this surah, and what made it so remarkable and beneficial during pregnancy.

I came across this incredible tafseer series on the surah, and decided to dedicate the months of my pregnancy to completing the whole tafseer by Shaykh. I found it to be immensely captivating, blowing my mind at times when learning about the powerful message revealed to us by Allah, and marvelling at the absolute genius in the way the surah moves from one story to the next, lesson after lesson, covering many of the prominent prophets in Islam.

I have shared my many aha moments in blog posts over the past few months (as they were inspired to me, and now at the end of this amazing journey, I feel a little sad – this series made up a large part of my pregnant life – from the early weeks in London when I was challenged with food aversion and spent most time relaxing at home to keep up my energy, to later times when the tafseer kept me company as I prepared dinner in my new kitchen in Istanbul. No doubt my little one once born Insha Allah will recognise Shayk’s voice for many years to come! May Allah bless Shaykh and accept all the efforts of himself and his team (Salaam Studios).

I really love the last point that Shaykh made when he concluded the tafseer – he reminds us that nothing we do in relation to the Quraan – be it reciting, memorising, studying it is the end game. It is all not of value unless it  enters our hearts, manifests in a practical way in our life and changes us. Whenever we listen to such talks, the question we should ask ourselves is not “How much do I now know?” but rather “How has this made me a better person?” Powerful.  We are accountable to practice upon all that we learn – a huge responsibility. It’s also profound to realise that the way the surah ends is Allah talks about who are the people that can earn His Mercy – it’s the ones that “believe and do good deeds” – so a very apt message to end on.

Praying I can implement all that I have learnt, and use this to inspire others,
Insha Allah
M4Life

Riding the Guidance Train

Listening to the tafseer of Surah Maryam by Shaykh Jangda on YouTube and I’m absolutely inspired by this ayah he spoke about from the Holy Quran:

“And those who are guided – He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.”

[Muhammad 47:17] 

The Shaykh explains that the more we follow the guidance that Allah sends us to us – the more guidance Allah will send to us! Such a simple formula, such powerful effects. This is the “guidance train” as Shaykh amusingly terms it.
So when we ask Allah for help and guidance, we shouldn’t just stop there – the journey of seeking guidance isn’t the end game – clearly what’s important is taking on the guidance we are given. Sometimes it comes to us in ways we don’t expect – like a maybe a turn of events forcing us to act in a certain way. Other times it can be some sort of inspiration we are given to take a course of action. Either way it speaks to us being conscious and aware so we can perceive this guidance- then act on it- and thereby receive even more guidance.
Hoping to ride the guidance train too Insha Allah,
M4Life

All that's Sweet is not necessarily Sweeeeet

Chocolate cake and macarons. Strawberry jelly, lemon cheesecake and cronuts. Who doesn’t like sweet things? And it’s all ok if handled in moderation.
The issue comes in when we make this our objective, and spend too much money, time and effort on this. And when we dont know when and where to stop and go over any reasonable limits. This point is timely given the festive time of year when sweet indulgences are top of mind – and in full swing for most of us!
Abu Sa’id Khudri reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:
“The world is sweet and green (alluring) and verily Allah is going to install you as vicegerent in it in order to see how you act…”
Sahih Muslim

Listening to the tafseer of Surah Maryam on YouTube, Shaykh Jangda explains the metaphor that Nabi Muhammad (May peace be upon him) uses for this world being “sweet” and “green”:

  • We know that things that are sweet are not so good for us, but the allure is always there. It just tastes so good! But the effects are felt later on – the “high” that you feel comes crushing down leaving you miserable and having no energy to do anything good.
  • Sweet stuff looks bright, yummy, attractive. Just like frivolous things in this world – they appear to be shiny and fun but actually can do more harm for us if it becomes all we focus on and live for.
  • Sweet stuff can be addictive. Didn’t mean to eat the whole bar of chocolate? Well, it happened. sweet things have that effect. Its the same as being involved in worldly pursuits – it just keeps going on – it’s never enough to just have that big house, now you want to fill it up with stuff. It’s tempting and unless you have set your own limits it can become all encompassing in your life and really distract you from your purpose here on earth.
  • Sweet stuff spoil quicker – for example milky desserts if left out wont last very long. Similarly, things in this world do not last long. Unlike doing good deeds thinking about the Hereafter. Shaykh talks about saying one “Subhanallah” – boom, a tree is planted for you in Jannah. Hows that for everlasting?
  • “Green” refers to that which is attractive – like fruit and vegetables when they are just grown are so appealing and fresh. Just like the shiny things in this world can be – items to buy, positions to hold.
Switching from the sweet to the substantial,
Muslimah 4 Life

Turkish Tales : Our First Grocery Shopping Trip

Salaams…Merhaba!

Here in Istanbul, a trip to the supermarket is not the most simple of events I’m afraid to say! Maybe in time it will become second nature, but for now it is a marked event requiring company, Google Translate and a plan for how to bring back the stuff that we buy (as we do not have a car due to logistics of driving here and generally no need).

We chose to go to our local Migros supermarket (a cool five minute walk away from home) and took a huge backpack to hold our purchased items. My hubby’s basic Turkish saved us time as we look for rice, low fat milk and cereals in the smart supermarket. And for the rest of the things, we used our friendly Google Translate app to scan items on the shelves especially when distinguishing between tomato paste, tomato puree and chopped tomato (which by the way is a beautiful red and tastes like the fresh delicious tomatoes we enjoyed in Rome).

We didn’t manage to find everything on our list such as condensed milk and bran flakes. We did have some surprise finds such as what smelt like strong green chillies as well as frozen and pre-prepared artichokes which would make for a unique side dish one day I thought to myself mentally building up a menu. Other exciting prospects included knowing that all the ice cream is halaal – so we can enjoy the beautiful ice creams we longed for in the UK but could not have such as Carte ‘dor and Cornetto, yippee!

It’s also such a pleasure seeing our favourite jelly sweets amply stacked up in the local supermarket – the sour cola bottles you could only get in Dubai and now it’s no longer even available at the Dubai airport so we will be shipping these back home alot I imagine!

We pay for our items and pack it all into my hubbys large backpack to transport it back home. Supermarket trip #1 complete!

I have already started my list though of items to look out for at other stores – and for people to bring when they come over to visit Insha Allah!

Shopping it up,
M4Life

Towards Perfecting Prayer : how the nations before us went wrong

Listening to the tafseer of Surah Maryam, I was really touched by the lessons taught regarding the importance of salaah (prayer).
From Salaam Studios, Shaykh Jangda in a month long Intensive course on Surah Maryam on YouTube eloquently explained how the really bad nations before us that were involved in the worst of sins and evil deeds. It all started with them being neglectful of the prayer. Some scholars interpret being neglectful as being reducing the quality of prayer by rushing, or delaying prayer or just not going to the Musjid at all. Whichever way it was, it was surely all downhill from there. 
Why is that? Well he explains, if you can’t be good to Allah ( ie  fulfill His rights), then how can fulfill anyone else’s?
It goes like this :
When you choose not to pray your salaah, you are in effect just looking after yourself. So then you stop feeling like helping other people as you are self absorbed with your own desires. That leads on to you interacting with bad people. Then, when at times you  feel a bit guilty, you start seeing the Day of Judgement- not something believable as a reality when you are so busy with having a good time here and now. This is how you can become totally distracted and on the wrong path.
We hear the stories about the people of the past that were destroyed… And it seems to us so distant from us – but are we not also guilty of neglecting the prayers to some extent… So in reality how close are we to becoming that way and how important is it that we halt our negligence of prayer right away!

 Related in Muslim : A man came to the Prophet (saws) and said O Prophet of Allah (saws),what is the act or deed most loved by Allah?The Prophet (saws) replied:  To pray ones prayers on time. The man asked further: What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next? The Prophet (saws) replied: Obedience to ones parents.The man asked further: What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next?The Prophet (saws) replied: Jihaad in the Way of Allah.

Some Very Practical Steps I have been inspired to take to perfect the prayer, as suggested from Shaykh: 
 1. Pray salaah when the time of the prayer starts  -It’s a really simple thought, but I found if I do this, I feel more relaxed during and after the prayer. I now live in a country where I am fortunate to hear the adhaan live, giving me every chance possible to do this. Knowing it’s a teaching from the sunnah is a great boost as well.
2. If the above is not possible (due to work or another valid  reason), then fix a personal specific time of prayer (within reason of course!), so in your schedule you know that at 2pm everyday you will pray Zuhr, for instance. Then you can work your day around this. Certainly in Europe during winter this became a must as the days were so short, and with an hour or so between the day’s prayers I had to set specific times to pray and not miss the time!
3. Work our salaah! When Nabi Muhammad (may peace be upon him), was sad when there was a pause between revelation, he was advised to turn to prayer as a means of still connecting to Allah. We can do the same. All we have to do is turn salaah from being a ritual to it being functional – a source of comfort, a way to connect and speak to Allah. And we know that through reciting Surah Faatiha,  Allah responds to us. How much more meaningful can the prayer now be for us?
Towards perfecting prayers Insha Allah,
M4life

Keeping teaching prayer and charity to my children IN HOUSE!

Salaams
 
Came across this whilst listening to the tafseer of Surah Maryam by Shaykh Jangda. Really interesting advice about this verse from the Quraan (19:55).
 
“He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord”
 
This is referring to Ismaeel (son of Abraham May peace be upon them both) and we can learn from it the importance of us being the teachers to our own children and family about these two important pillars in Islam. It is not good enough to outsource this to someone outside- no matter how learned. These are fundamental practices in Islam that have so many benefits- such as learning discipline, time management, social awareness etc. If a child learns about prayer from outside, then he associates this very significant aspect of his life with that other than his own parents – and in many ways this is a loss to the parent-child connection. Therefore we should be the ones to teach our children basics like making wudu (ablution before prayer), praying and giving charity. For more specialised areas like hifdh (memorisation of the Quraan) for instance, that would make sense to have an expert to instruct the kids as they have more in depth knowledge and skill. However the basics, we gotta keep that in house 🙂
 
I even have an idea to involve my future children Insha Allah in my annual Zakaah (compulsory charity) calculation – let them go around counting their teddy bears and dolls and give out 2.5% of their toys to charity (or better still a poor family we know)- how fun and relevant this can be for them to learn first hand what it means- not just the theory when they hit school.
 

God-Given Super Powering with Purpose

Just to share what I learnt in my family halaqa last week.
We focused on the following Quranic Ayah (3:49):
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], ‘Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah . And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead – by permission of Allah . And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

When Isa (AS) is talking to his people about the skill and power he was given, he keeps attributing it back to Allah (SWT) – “… by the permission of Allah.”  This is a reminder for us, when we get any recognition for the good or great things we do, that we need to first attribute it to Allah (SWT) who had given us the skills and ability to accomplish those things.
Secondly, regarding the power which Isa (AS) to return health to his followers, Moosa (AS) was also given powers around magic to show Pharaoh the evil of his ways.  What we can learn from the reasons they were given their respective gifts is that health and medicine was the topic of the day for Isa (AS) and magic was the major discussion topic in Musa’s (AS) time.  The powers they were given were relevant to their time and place and helped in fulfilling their respective missions.  So what we can learn from here is that we too, should utilise our skills in a relevant way to help others around us and spread the message of Islam.
Obviously one of the biggest things is to simply be better Muslims ourselves, but other than that… what is the most relevant topic today which people are interested in?  Technology, Media, Social Media, etc.   We have developed skills in these areas, including marketing and sharing info – this ayah serves as a reminder that I should use these tools / skills to spread the message. And it’s a reminder that any of these “super powers” I have been given, is from Allah – not my own great doing! This is humbling and grounding.
Super-powering with Purpose Insha Allah,
M4Life