I liked Aisha (R) the best in women in Islamic History. I liked all the others too, but I liked her the best. I think it's probably because we know most about her because she was so proactive and played a major in the development of Islam. In a sense we watch her grow when studying about Islam...
The other great women lead a much more quietter life. I also liked Hafza (R) too, but there;s not much about her. I know that Hafzah (r) and Aisha (r) were good friends though, especially in the days after Muhammad (s) . So I like the name Hafza too.
LOL @ Harem pants! NO, I dont look like Jasmine, I wish!!! She was HOT. I think people said it because I was always the only desi majority of the time in the company or one of the very few. Harem pants actually tried to make a come back a while ago but it didnt work out to well did it? Yeah, that was not going to work.
Reha is a break off from another name, Fariha. Its a nick that Ive gone by since my middle years because lets face it: Fariha is a mouthful for most people and non-desies would come up with all sorts of variations and it was horrendous. I love both names but a friend of mine came up with Reha and it just kind of stuck after that. My parents are used to it too now. Names impact your life considerably. Im not sure which one has more of an impact though because Fariha means Happiness and Reha is a Turkish name (Ive googled it) and I believe would stem from Rehan…Fragrant Flower. I try to be optimistic about life and smell nice at the same time…lol.
Aw, Aisha. You make it sound like a fairy tale! My story wasnt a fairy tale to start with but it feels like one now.
By the way…Mina…the car passes! I like it! Keep it…its a classic and so romantic. Reminds me of Pride and Prejudice…for some odd reason.
Bor kids names, Ive already picked mine out: Adam and Anam. In school, they can go by Adam and Annie. Simple, right? Of course, thats if I have twins or one of each. I think Soha is a nice name too…kids need to have names that can blend well so they dont get traumatized in school. Aisha, my best friend’s name is Aisha too…its a beautiful name and so classic.
High school was beautiful for me…not when I was going through it but later on those years seemed like my golden moments…never to return again. Ive been emotional today for some odd reason. I cant and dont want to believe that my life is moving in such an adult direction but its a comfort knowing Ill have a great partner.
Roasted red pepper soup and ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies, hunh? Is there a Fed-Ex store near you? LOL. I bet you’re a good cook, do you like to cook Aisha?
I love the feeling of nostalgia…Ive kept all of my high school best friends and we revel all the time. Its funny and brings us closer together…like sisters. I grew up hearing stories about the past from my grandmother, her childhood, her home, servants, life, etc. Those days sounded so majestic and regal…people lived like royalty. I will actually go back to visit my high school once at least before the wedding and meet my teachers…they’re all still there! A bit older but still there, Ive had some wonderful teachers in high school…cant forget them.
Eeet eez I, Gourmet Chef Red. Okay…well…maybe not “gourmet,”…but I am a chef nonetheless .
And tooday, I have prepared zee cream of rrroasted rrred pepper soup. Eeet eez o-ranje (orange) jjjust like in zeee eenternet peekshurs (internet pictures). Eeet is also verry dee-leeshius. And eet eez verrry reesh (rich) and full of flavor. Chef Red is verry proud of how zee soup haz turrned out and will now kiss her hands that made it…mmmmuaaaaa…mmmmmuaaaa.
^ Okay maybe that was a bit over the top. But the soup turned out very nice MashaAllah. I’m able to admit when a recipe of mine is an absolute disaster. But this soup tastes good and has a lovely reddish orange color and smooth rich flavor. Similar to tomato soup but you can also taste the roasted peppers.
My sister is excited to try it out. She likes tomato soup, so hopefully she’ll like this soup as well. But she’s very picky. And after all the hard work i put into making this soup, if my sister does not like the soup enough to eat it…well…then…she can WEAR it!
And I will be the one to help her put it on. It just takes…one swing of the arm, really.
Collide,
Yes, I think the word cockamamie is funny. There are words that I looove because they sound funny and delightful. It’s especially fun when you encounter words that sound so whimisical and silly…but the meaning is so serious. Examples:
Flabbergasted (picture Daffy Duck saying it and you’ll see why it’s such a fun word).
Discombobulated (how fun is this word! It just depicts a total wreck).
Nevertheless, nonetheless
nonchalant
twit
stupefied
lackadaisical
audacity ( I LOOOVE this word. Use it in everday speech, and it just makes you sound so much smarter. Rather than confront someone and say a boring sentence such as , “How dare you?” or “I can’t believe you’d do such a thing,” or “the nerve you had”…just say, “I cannot believe the audacity with which you bla bla bla.”
rather…you gotta love the word, rather. Not only does using it make you sound Jane Austenish…it adds that something extra to your writing…and when used in conversation it makes you sound smarter. And it’s such a simple word.
penchant…this word not only sounds lovely…it’s a great smart-sounding substitute for words such as liking, inclination, taste for, leaning towards, etc.
irk/irksome…I love this word. A funner way to say bothersome or annoying.
There are other words that I like as well. But for now, that is all I can think of.
Now…I shall reeturrn to zeeee keeshen (kitchen)…where I shall slice zeee frensh brread…and toast them een zeee toaster oven weez a leetel (little) bit of butter/olive oil and garlic. Then i shall serve zeee toasted brread weez zeee soup. Or perhaps I shall garneesh (garnish) zee soup weez zeee brread.
And zen, I weel bake zee shocolate sheep cookies…courtesy of Ghirardelli Cookie Mix.
You know what other word is really fun to use? Rambunctious! I use every single word you put on there Aisha but I just love the word lackadaisical...yummy. LOL!
So, I've tried Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines and Nestele Tollhouse and Pillsbury cookie and brownie mixes......and they're all lovely........but the one I like BEST is Girardelli's cookie and brownie mix boxes. I've had the brownies twice and just made the cookies yesterday for the first time......and they really taste so much cleaner and richer than the others I've tried. So, if you're looking for rich brownies and comforting cookies......try Ghirardelli!
I made the duncan hines one, that other day! I love brownies! I really can't tell the difference between the different kinds of brownies though. But then Diet coke, real coke , or pepsis all taste the same to me. My mom jokes that I can't really tell the difference between salt and sugar either! lol. But I can!
It's so quiet at my place! All my roommates are gone an it's just me and I've taken over the living room, and dining room to study! My parents are coming soon! I really need my mom to come to fold my clothes. That's my worst chore- folding clothes....I can wash them with my bare hands, but please don't ask me to fold clothes.. ha ha
Today I bought tostillo chips and salsa and ate that the whole day, with coffee. I have such horrible eating habits. I don't really eat meals unless I'm at my home with my parents. It's really random. Like the other day, I just ate lettuce the whole day. And like for a week I ate cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. i think I need to start eating normal. lol.
I made the duncan hines one, that other day! I love brownies! I really can't tell the difference between the different kinds of brownies though. But then Diet coke, real coke , or pepsis all taste the same to me. My mom jokes that I can't really tell the difference between salt and sugar either! lol. But I can!
It's so quiet at my place! All my roommates are gone an it's just me and I've taken over the living room, and dining room to study! My parents are coming soon! I really need my mom to come to fold my clothes. That's my worst chore- folding clothes....I can wash them with my bare hands, but please don't ask me to fold clothes.. ha ha
Today I bought tostillo chips and salsa and ate that the whole day, with coffee. I have such horrible eating habits. I don't really eat meals unless I'm at my home with my parents. It's really random. Like the other day, I just ate lettuce the whole day. And like for a week I ate cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. i think I need to start eating normal. lol.
That's not healthy gulab jamun. Since you're a med school student, you need to eat food that will provide you energy. I used to run regularly about 4 times a week and I noticed that if I ate healthier, I'm able to run better and for longer distances. It gave me more energy and cleared up my skin.
Since your mom is coming, ask her to bring some homemade food for you. And stock up on fruits and various types veggies. When you're hungry, simply boil a potato and cut it into slices. Then, slice up some tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots. Add some canned kidney beans or chick peas for protein. Drizzle olive oil and low calorie dressing, and you'll have yourself an energy boosting simple salad. You can even add boiled pasta to the salad and refrigerate it for later use. When you're living in a dorm, I know it's hard to deal with food since you have a spending budget.
You can even make a yogurt chaat, which is really healthy as well. Just mix some yogurt until its smooth. And to that you will add boiled chickpeas, diced boiled potato, thinly sliced onion, salt, and pinch of garam masala and paprika. And you have yourself a yogurt salad.
So, just invest in some long lasting ingredients like sald dressing, packs of fruits and veggies, pasta, carton of eggs, yogurt, and canned beans/chickpeas/veggies/soups, etc.
And since you're a coffee lover like my sis, make sure to drink enough water because caffeine is very dehydrating. In the weeks before I got a urinary tract infection, I** KNEW** I wasn't drinking enough water. In fact, I'd go a whole day without water and my intuition told me I was headed for trouble. I was so afraid that I'd get a kidney stone or something and kept telling myself to drink more water.
In the end, my fears were not unfounded. While I didn't develop kidney stones, I did land myself a UTI for the first time, and it was NOT fun! UTI's can be prevented by drinking enough water, which helps flush bacteria out of your system. And since then, I make sure i'm hydrated. Cuz I've learned my lesson! Don't mean to sound mommy-ish, but I've got a sister in the same boat as you. Since life is stressful enough as a med-school student, eat healthy so you can fight it:)
Eating healthy isnt my forte either...in fact Im having a Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut Coolatta right now. :) :) :) Sinfully delicious! I do try to drink water though...as much as I can. I love those big Evian bottles...those are my favorite. I try to finish one of those a day.
VDay is a little sober here...his phuppo passed away in Pakistan a couple of days ago. He isnt up for celebrating and I understand so it will be very simple this year. "Happy Valentine's Day" and thats it!
^ Seeing the boxes of candies and flowers at the grocery store was nice. I brought my mom a rose for V-Day and also cuz her anniversary will be coming up soon. And I love going in to Hallmark and looking at all the cute things they have out. The flowers, chocolates, cards, and pink and red festive decorations does stir some romantic wishful thinking in me as well, lol:)
But, I'm grateful to Allah because I have so much to be thankful for in general and on this V-Day, AH!
Don't worry, Reha. A death in the family naturally changes the mood and throws things off . So you end up having to adjust schedules, plans, and priorities around the tragedy. You have a wonderful and loving fiance who is undoubtedly going to be low in spirits because of the death of a loved one. **
BUT** this reasonably sober valentine's day is so tiny in the grand scheme of your **STRONG **relationship and how much you both have to look forward to in the future together. ;-)
So, cheer up. Happ V-Day, Reha, to you. To me. To all of us and everyone:)
Awww thanx RV! I will try some of your healthy techniques- and you're right I need to invest in some long-term food items!
Today, someone gave me flowers! It was my SIL. Bless her heart, she's always giving me flowers, a complete sweetheart!
But I must say, flowers depress the heck out of me. Maybe it's because of my ultra-practical no-nonsense upbringing. lol. Actually, what really happenened was that whenever someone would bring us a bouqet of flowers, we would comment on how beautiful it was. Then it would start wilting, and my mother or father would say "see that is the reality of our lives...we start as a baby bud, become beautiful, and then start wilting away, until we all die. It's Allah's reminder for us to do as many good deeds as possible, because though it may not seem like it right now, we're all going to grow old and return to ALlah like this flower."
I know, I know... my parents see lessons of Allah in everything! lol. They're also super practical, so they don't really understand spenidng money on sentimental stuff, like Valentine's day! lol. To them, it's another way how businesses lure us to buy stuff from them- and we cannot be fooled into their web!
You have interesting points, Gulab Jamun. All living things die and it is a reminder for us to make the most of our lives and brief time and do good deeds. BUTat the same time, Allah’s creation is His artwork. It’s His masterpiece (trees, sky, stars, mountains, rain, even flowers) and He made it for** us **humans cuz He has bestowed upon us the title, The Best of Creation. He created all these beautiful things for us to NOT ONLY CONTEMPLATE SERIOUS THINGS LIKE DEATH…BUT to also appreciate and admire HIS beauty and handiwork.
The way I see it, too much of anything is NOT good. Even the Prophet SAWS advised his followers to stay in the middle ground. He encouraged them to try their best. The Prophet SAWS did not encourage perfectionism…because perfectionists don’t realize that perfectionism makes religion DIFFICULT to follow. And the Prophet SAWS told his companions that there is a time for everything. Some days your faith will be strong. Other days your faith will be weak. You will never be constant because the human heart is not constant. Even the Prophet SAWS used to have moments of playful joking. It’s best to stay in the middle.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,"The deen is easy. Anyone who makes the deen too hard on himself will find it becomes too much for him. So aim for what is right, follow a middle path**, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help [to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of the night."[al-Bukhari] ****
Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,** **“Those who make things hard for themselves will be destroyed.” He said it three times. [Muslim] **
I remember when I was in the 10th grade, we had to read this novel in English class. It was called **Hard Times **by Charles Dickens. In this story, the author has deliberately created a bleak world where absolutely no fancy, playfulness, imagination, foolishness, creativity, or emotion is encouraged or allowed. In this stifling world, based only on harsh reality and practicality, the characters eventually wither away…just like flowers. And that is because there are other dimensions to human personality and to life besides practicality. Focusing only on one aspect can be harmful.
When someone gives you a flower, don’t be sad. That flower was made by Allah to be admired by his creation (us). The fact that that flower has a SHORT LIFE SPAN…is **EVEN MORE REASON **for us to admire and appreciate its beauty and existence. That flower represents your sister-in-law’s love and appreciation for you. And that flower could be a source of money/income to some farmer trying feed his family and bring them happiness.
People even press dried flower petals into picture frames and photo albums and make potpurri.
I gave my mom a rose for V-Day. I know it’s not going to last forever. I know that my mom (as much as I lover her to death) will not live forever…BUT the smile that the flower brings to her…is PRICELESS. And even after the flower dies…the **memory **of receiving a flower will be with my mom and that memory is PRICELESS.
While it’s great to focus on practicality…it’s also healthy to admire the immense **beauty **and magic contained in the simplest of life’s gifts.
And the same can be said about** jewelry**. Jewelry is a gift that unlike the flower is NOT living. You can’t take to the grave with you. But it’s given as a gift of beauty to be appreciated and worn and admired by the object of affection. And it might be considered a waste of money by some, but it’s a way of showing appreciation for another person.
And Allah tells us to spend our money on our loved ones because then HE will spend of His bounty on us.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]The Prophet (PBUH) said, “When someone spends on his family seeking his reward for it from Allah, it is counted as a charity from him”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The most excellent dinar is one that a person spends on his family, and the dinar which he spends on his riding-animal in the way of Allah, and the dinar he spends on his companions in the way of Allah”. [Muslim].
Enjoy your flower, Gulab Jamun. It will die like the rest of us…but there is so much beauty that it represents and gives before withering away.
There is a strange beauty in imagination, creativity, emotion, dreaming, fantasizing, letting loose, occasional extravagance, being an occasional spendthrift, and making mistakes. Of course…if you overdo any of these, it will be harmful. But a medley of these elements along with practicality makes the world go round.
“A Muslim should observe moderation in worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: **"Do not overburden yourselves, lest you perish. People [before you] overburdened themselves and perished. Their remains are found in hermitages and monasteries."
This is also manifest in the well-known Hadith that states: **"Religion (Islam) is based on simplicity; and if a person wants to go to extremes in religion, he will find it difficult to do so."
As human beings, we are emotional creatures. We have the desire to express love and receive love. You can express love in words and you can express love in ACTIONS. In my opinion, you need a little bit of BOTH. And as the saying goes, "Actions speak LOUDER than words."
The Prophet SAWS encouraged his people to give gifts because gifts develop and maintain love and affection between people.
I do agree, that while it's wise to spend your money carefully (especially during a trying economy), it feels good to spend money on family and friends. It could be done through buying gifts, baking cookies for friends, preparing a nice meal for family, taking your spouse out to a fancy restaurant or holiday, or arranging a party/get-together for family and friends.
Our friends and family are a blessing to us......and giving gifts/treats whether its on Valentine's Day, a Wedding Anniversary, Graduation, Eid, or just some random day.......it's a way of showing you cherish and value your loved ones. And there's no waste of money in that!
So Gulab Jamun.....u should get used to receiving andgiving gifts. Right now, it's only a flower from your sister-in-law. In the future you'll have to deal with the giving/receiving of gifts from your husband and in-laws, and kids.
You wouldn't be getting gifts if your friends/family didn't care about you. You seem to have a good heart Gulab Jamun.......so relax a bit, toss the ultra-practicality-no-nonsense away occasionally.......and engage in the joy of giving!
I'm about to finish the book, The Alchemist. I've finished Northanger Abbey. I want to read Sense and Sensibility, but I'm not sure I want to jump into another Jane Austen classic so soon. I feel I should mix things up a bit. So, Reha and Mina.......if you guys have any book recommendations....shoot! Cuz I plan to go the library soon.
Oh RedVelvet, that't not at all what I meant !I am all for giving and recieving! I was just stating a personal feeling about flowers! It's just a personal perference and how it came about. Like someone may give you a strawberry cake and you might not like it, but are grateful that they put the thought into it. My parents love growing flowers (they're gardnerers) so they like flowers, as i gave the flower to my mom from me! It's just a personal feeling I have towards flowers.
As for my parents practicallness- I love them for that! Like yesterday my dad said, inshallah when you're done with school I'm going open a flower business just for january and the early part of February and the rest of the year I'll just grow roses! :D It makes you stop thinking about what you're doing and ask yourself "are you just doing this because everyone else is doing it or because it really means something to you."
I like to give gifts to people on special occasions and otherwise not because everyone else is doing it, but because I want to do it. And while there might be some people who lack sincerity and are only giving gifts because everyone else is doing it........it's nice to think that the person who gave you a gift did it from sincere generosity/affection as opposed to joining the masses.
I want to clarify that I wasn't making assumptions about your upbringing, Gulab Jamun. I was simply discussing a concept of flowers/gift giving from my own point of view. I can actually see the issue from BOTH sides........from the financially practical side.........and from the emotional side. I think they're both important. I say this because I've actually encountered individuals who, in overdoing the practicality, don't realize that relationships involve reciprocation.
For example, in the belief that "every little penny counts and adds up" **some individuals are unwilling to contribute a single dollar for a party, or they don't bother to **congratulate or even get a nice card for someone who previously gifted them in a mutual celebration (graduation, wedding, baby shower, etc). In my opinion, this takes place when excessive practicality overpowers the importance of emotional consideration and reciprocation. And this especially creates a problem when the overly-practical person fails to realize that there is a deficiency/lack of reciprocation in their relationships with others. And it results in one person taking taking and taking....and not realizing that some giving is also essential in forming bonds with others.
I'm careful with how I spend my money, but at times I feel it's necessary to splurge on myself and others and I like doing that. I'm known as "the saver" in my family because i'm more practical with money. My dad encourged practicality as well, but once when I was younger, I got a little too careful with money, and he said that it's not healthy to always count every penny. And I find that he's right. A balance is necessary.
Anyhow, Gulab Jamun, don't worry. This is just a general reflection. I just felt like sharing my experiences about myself and a few people I've encountered who went to one extreme or the other, lol. I guess we're **all **guilty of it at times, LOL.
It's good that you're proud of your upbringing. My parents enjoy gardening as well. The love greenery and flowers. If they're not planting outside, then they're buying plants (real and otherwise) for decorating the inside of the house. It's been like this since I was little. When we moved from Saudi and came here, we had to give away many of our plant/tree decorations. I wish your parents the best in opening up a flower shop:)
I'm about to finish the book, The Alchemist. I've finished Northanger Abbey. I want to read Sense and Sensibility, but I'm not sure I want to jump into another Jane Austen classic so soon. I feel I should mix things up a bit. So, Reha and Mina.......if you guys have any book recommendations....shoot! Cuz I plan to go the library soon.
Well I like reading about Queen's and princess's! I read Queen Noor's book. I even read Benazir Bhutto's book. I also read about Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth I, and Jackie Kennedy. And Princess Sultana, and some book about an Iranian princess during the Pahlavi's time- I forgot the name.
One of my favorite books is "all things wild and wonderful" by Kobie Kruger. It tells the story of her family's adventures in living in South Africa because her husband is a game warden. One day her husband brings home an orphan lion, and raising the lion becomes a major part of the story. It's a true story!
RedVelvet, you should read some nonfiction here and there too- it's a fun cateogry of books too! I used to just read fiction and classics (like Hard Times , Wuthering Heights, Ethan Frome)-- but one of my little brothers always reads nonfiction, and he would tell us stories from them, and it was always exciting to hear...That's how I fell in love with nonfiction!
For example, in the belief that "every little penny counts and adds up" **some individuals are unwilling to contribute a single dollar for a party, or they don't bother to **congratulate or even get a nice card for someone who previously gifted them in a mutual celebration (graduation, wedding, baby shower, etc). In my opinion, this takes place when excessive practicality overpowers the importance of emotional consideration and reciprocation. And this especially creates a problem when the overly-practical person fails to realize that there is a deficiency/lack of reciprocation in their relationships with others. And it results in one person taking taking and taking....and not realizing that some giving is also essential in forming bonds with others.
I sooo know what you mean, I've has the same feeling with some of my friends! But my mom always tell me never to think like that, and never feel as though a friend is not recipricoting back to you! You should give gifts out of feelings of sincere love, and for the sake of Allah! And never never expect things in return! Or else your gift is to waste!
If the friend doesn't recipricote to you back, Allah inshallah will in one way or another, or maybe that person has reciprocated in other ways that you are not noticing. Or maybe the person is sincerely busy and has other obligations, and just hasn't been able to get to that point, or maybe that person hasn't thrown a mutual celebration such that an oppurtune time was made to reciprocate the gifts back!
My mother always says always think good about the other person!
Well I like reading about Queen's and princess's! I read Queen Noor's book. I even read Benazir Bhutto's book. I also read about Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth I, and Jackie Kennedy. And Princess Sultana, and some book about an Iranian princess during the Pahlavi's time- I forgot the name.
One of my favorite books is "all things wild and wonderful" by Kobie Kruger. It tells the story of her family's adventures in living in South Africa because her husband is a game warden. One day her husband brings home an orphan lion, and raising the lion becomes a major part of the story. It's a true story!
RedVelvet, you should read some nonfiction here and there too- it's a fun cateogry of books too! I used to just read fiction and classics (like Hard Times *, Wuthering Heights, Ethan Frome)-- but one of my little brothers always reads nonfiction, and he would tell us stories from them, and it was always exciting to hear...That's how I fell in love with nonfiction!
I admit that I enjoy fiction more so than non-fiction. Actually, **fiction **tends to be **more popular **than non-fiction especially with women. Boys/men, on the other hand, tend to prefer **non-fiction **to fiction. I know this because I'm a reading teacher. Reading is my field of specialization, LOL. And as a reading teacher, I know the importance of mixing it up.....and incorporating a variety of reading materials of all types of genres from fiction to non-fiction.
I have read several non-fiction books. And I get almost a daily dose of non-fiction reading from surfing the Internet. I enjoy reading biographies and and other non-fiction. Recently I read the Maya Angelou biographies which are written in novel format and are fun to read. It feels like you're reading a story more than a biography. The first book by Maya Angelou in her biographical series, called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a very good book.
Other biographies that I've enjoyed are The Diary of Anne Frank, The Color of Water, Surviving Hitler, Chinese Cinderella, Falling Leaves, and Blasphemy (a Pakistani story based on a true account with the names changed).
With my students I use a book called The Wild Side, Bizarre Endings. This book was so awesome, I took it home to read myself. It has true stories of vanishings, missing-person cases, gruesome crimes, and ironies. And I also enjoyed the other series, Heroes, where in a fun way you learn about the lives of Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, Einstein, what have you.
I appreciate the suggestions. I'll look into them. As far as Princess Diana is concerned, I've seen several movies/documentaries based on her:) She was known as the People's Princess and the public felt more of an attachment to her.......and although I don't think she was perfect......I feel she made more humanitarian efforts, was down to earth, and was wronged in some ways.*
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