AS A KEEN photographer, I’ve come to see shadows as both a playful element that can be used in a composition and, often, a frustrating interference to avoid. Recently, I was reminded of a saying attributed to either Ibn al-Qayyim or Al-Fayrozabadi: ‘The dunya is like a shadow. If you try to catch it, you … Continue reading Chasing Shadows: A Reflection on the Dunya
YOU WOULD THINK that peace is a universal concept and that the Nobel Peace Prize is a symbol of this. It is meant to recognise individuals and organisations that have made exceptional efforts to promote peace, resolve conflicts and advance human rights. But over the years, I began to notice a pattern. The prize seemed … Continue reading Peace, Politics, and Power: Reassessing the Nobel Peace Prize Through a Muslim Lens
ON MY RECENT travels, a young man asked a thought-provoking question: “Are we suffering on Earth because Adam and Hawa disobeyed Allah and ate from the forbidden tree? Shouldn’t they face the consequences instead of us?” The question may seem logical at first, but it comes from a common misunderstanding, more related to Christian ideas … Continue reading Are We Suffering for Adam and Hawa’s Mistake? A Misunderstood Question
HOW MANY LIVES were lost? How much destruction did we witness? In the face of such immense pain and devastation, I hear many asking a question: Was it worth it? And what, if anything, was truly gained? The answer depends entirely on how we define success. For those who view this world as the only … Continue reading Was It Worth It? A Reflection on Sacrifice, Struggle, and the Meaning of Success
SOME PEOPLE ARE blessed with fast metabolisms; they seem to be able to eat whatever they want freely without gaining weight. I’m not one of them. As I’ve gotten older and noticed the pounds creeping on, I’ve become more aware of the importance of looking after my health. While gym routines and intense workouts sound … Continue reading Simple Pleasures: Walking
IOF + IDF = Genocide That’s the equation that hit me hard on the ongoing genocide. The IOF, Israeli Offensive Force, is the Israeli military machine responsible for the brutal massacres, the destruction of homes, hospitals, mosques and churches, and entire families. And behind them stand the U.S. and its Western allies, funding, arming, and … Continue reading The Real IDF: Unmasking the Hypocrites
ON OCTOBER 2ND, 1187, Salahuddin al-Ayubi, rahimahullah, marched into Jerusalem. After 88 years of Crusader occupation, the holy city was once again in Muslim hands. But this victory did not come easily. It was not won through force alone. It was earned through patience, through strategy, and above all, through unity. Before he could liberate the land, Salahuddin had … Continue reading Echoes of Salahuddin: A Lesson for Our Time
SO THIS IS what it’s come to. After two years of brutal war, Trump has stepped forward with his so-called 20-point “peace plan” for Palestine. In reality, it’s a plan for total surrender—take it or leave it. Or is it? Certainly, one way of seeing this is as the complete capitulation of the Muslim world … Continue reading A Peace Plan Built on Ashes
AS PARENTS TODAY, we all know one thing for sure: we can’t escape the internet. It’s everywhere, deeply embedded in how we work, learn, and connect. That ship has long sailed. But while we can’t remove it from our lives entirely, we can choose how we engage with it, and how much space we allow … Continue reading Simple Pleasures: Reading a Book
(Inspired by Surah Yā Sīn ayah 12 and an earlier article.) I sit with my elders—silent, still, Their faces are maps of time’s quiet will. Eyes that have watched generations unfold, Hands that have weathered both fire and cold. Knotted by age, those fingers once strong Built homes, cradled infants, righted the wrong. What scenes … Continue reading I Sit With My Elders
