just You

why can't i just love You
why shouldn't You be just enough for me
to live for
to die for
to sell my soul for
to give my heart to
to no longer grief for anyone
and to just be satisfied
and content
and happy
and glad
and gleeful
for just You?
shouldn't it just be You
that is in this heart
this soul
this self?
i should not be needing anyone else
but You.
can you please tell this heart
that it is just You.

i now know

life has shown me
that the world is not a place
but the vastness of a soul.
and my soul is nothing more than love
limitless, endless
that move me
toward believing what is true.
i once thought
that love was supposed to be nothing
but bliss...
i now know
it is also
sadness
and
grief.

from Rumi

You've no idea how hard I've looked for a gift to bring You.

Nothing seemed right.

What's the point of bringing gold to the gold mine,

or water to the Ocean.

Everything I came up with

was like taking spices to the Orient.

It's no good giving my heart and my soul because

you already have these.

So

I've brought you a mirror.

Look at yourself and

remember me.

- Jalaluddin Rumi -

Bruschetta/Crostini with strawberry and serrano pepper salsa

A different version of bruschetta and it is called crostini with strawberry and serrano pepper salsa. i got this recipe from treehugger and it's fabulous that i have to share the recipe here...

1 large carton of organic strawberries
2 large organic tomatoes
1 serrano pepper (more if you like it hot)
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup basil, chopped
5 mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of lime juice
Splash of balsamic vinegar

1. Remove the stems from the strawberries and dice them.
2. Depending on how hot you like your salsa, half the serrano pepper and remove the seeds. I like mine hot so I leave them all in.
3. Using the same knife, make "C" cuts to the tomato. The key here is to cut off the flesh and to avoid the seed membrane.
4. Dice the tomato slices. The remaining tomato ball is perfect for soup stock!

5. In a large bowl, add the diced strawberries, diced tomatoes, cilantro, basil, serrano pepper, honey, sugar. Stir just enough to mix.  

You could very well serve this salsa up on tortilla chips but the recipe suggested some crostini with honey. But both work very well. Shall try tortilla chips another day.

6. Slice up a loaf of French bread so that the slices are about 1/8 inch thick.

7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pieces of bread so that they are spaced out evenly.

8. Warm a cup of honey up in a small sauce pan. The honey just has to be warm enough to easily baste the bread with. By the way, warm honey on french bread is just divine.
9. Bake the crostini for about 15 minutes at about 160 celcius or 325F. You want the bread to crisp ever so lightly.

10. Place the salsa on the crostini and serve.

Voila...

p/s btw i made do with normal tomatoes and strawberries and i can't find serrano pepper here, so i use local hot pepper instead. whatever works i guess, they still turn out yumms...

** All pics courtesy of treehugger

Prayer for the day

O Allah, You created me when I was not worthy of mention;

And You provided for me when I had nothing;

And I wronged my soul and sinned, and I confess my guilt.
If You forgive me, that will in no way diminish Your sovereignty;
And if You punish me, that will in no way augment Your authority.
You can find others to punish besides me,
But I can find no one to forgive me but You.
Truly, You are the most merciful of those who show mercy."

Completed day 4 of Ramadan. Alhamdulillah boys are doing well, Bak and Mak are in good health and basking in the joy of the holy month. And Adam is doing amazingly well, fasting through three days and is into his fourth. Again, I feel so blessed. Thank you Allah.

Alhamdulillah

Alhamdulillah it is already day two of Ramadan. I feel I have so much to thank Allah for, all the blessings that He has given me. But most of all, to recieve news from Adam this morning (his evening and first day of Ramadan) that he completed a full day of fasting, despite the long summer day (14 hours of daylight)  in New York with sunset at approximately 830pm, despite the hot and dry weather, despite his history of stomach ulcer, despite being alone without any muslim friends to give him support or fast with during Ramadan, despite being a new muslim... Adam did it and I am so proud of him. I actually thought he would not last past noon but I was so wrong. I had underestimated him and I am so proud that he has done this without having anyone to push or force him. He said he needed to do it, and I know in many ways that meant he is finding it in his heart insyaAllah to do this for Allah as much as for himself. Alhamdulillah Ya Allah. I actually teared up with happiness when Adam told me after I asked him, expecting a different answer. Ya Allah, I feel so blessed and I cannot thank You more.

Ramadan: the month of mercy and forgiveness

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month Muslims are commanded to fast, meaning abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures. The Almighty says (2:183): O You who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you so that you may attain self-restraint. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam: Shahada (affirmation of faith), Salat (prayers), Zakat (almsgiving), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and Siyam (fasting).

The Arabic word ramadan is derived from the root ramida, meaning intensive scorching heat and dryness. So, we can metaphorically say that Ramadan scorches out or burns away sins with devotion to Allah through intensive worship and good deeds such as zakat, obligatory charity, and sadaqah, voluntary charity.

Fasting means not only abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse during the day but also restraining the tongue, the eye, the ear, the heart and mind from indulging in unlawful acts that render the fast worthless. Prophet Mohammad (PPBH) said: Many a man who fasts obtaining nothing from his fasting but his thirst, and many a man who prays during the night and obtains nothing from his prayers but wakefulness. (At-Tirmitzi Hadith, No. 1989). In contrast, the rewards of fasting are bountiful. The Prophet said: Whoever observes fast during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, all his past sins will be forgiven. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Fasting)

During the month of Ramadan, paradise doors are opened, hell doors are closed and satans are chained. So, by observing fasting, a devout Muslim is offered a golden opportunity to reap worldly and divine rewards through self-control, devotion to Allah and spiritual self-reflection. A Muslim can practice self-control over the body and its carnal desires through communal praying, doing good deeds, reading the Qur'an, exercising patience and moderation, sympathizing with the less fortunate, strengthening family ties and supplication to Allah. Although these practices should not be exclusively limited to the month of Ramadan, the rewards are doubled. They are religious and spiritual values that should be an integral part of one's life.

Among the landmarks of Ramadan are: revelation of the Qur'an, lailatu l-qadr (Night of Destiny/Power) and eid el-fitr (Feast of fast-breaking). It is believed that the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Mohammad through the Archangel Gabriel on one night particular night during Ramadan (lailatu l-qadr), which is considered in the Qur'an better than a thousand months. During this night, which is celebrated on the 27th night of Ramadan, angels descend to witness how people worship and obey Allah, to show their deep love for the believers and to increase their rewards. Muslims gather in mosques to observe or seek this blessed night in devotion, night Sunnah prayers (tahajjud), recitation of the Qur'an and supplications. The end of Ramadan is marked by eid el-fitr, which extends for three days, during which people wear holiday apparel, especially kids, attend a communal sunrise prayer, congratulate each other, visit cemeteries and offer gifts or money to kids.

Ramadan has plenty of medical, social and psychological benefits. First, it is believed that fasting helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. In fact fasting is recommended for weight control and diet. Second, family and community bonds are generally strengthened during Ramadan. Families and friends exchange invitations to Iftar (breakfast) parties, prepare collective Iftar, make home visits and socialize. People gather in mosques to perform communal prayers (taraweeh). Furthermore, charity fosters social solidarity with the poor and with society at large. These social activities help Muslims sense the merits of the unity of Muslim Ummat (nation). Finally, Ramadan provides people with ample time for spiritual self-reflection, peace of mind, tranquility and renewal. Frequent reading of the Qur'an and praying brings people closer to Allah's mercy and forgiveness, which are the essential meanings of the holy month.

tarawih prayer in mecca