Life's Puzzle

By: Zahoor Ul Islam

Yesterday while coming back home it was late, so we decided to pick the food on the way. We also didn’t want to get out of the car so we opted for the drive thru KFC and ordered the meal. Hasan enjoys kid’s meal. The meal is more fun as it comes with a toy and the meal box has puzzles on the outer side.

We reached home and finished our dinner. Hasan started playing with the toy and the puzzle on the box. The puzzle is usually about finding the right path to reach the desired end. There are four options at start and only one leads to the desired location.

Bees - Ambassadors of Coexistence and Cooperation

By: Shazia Yousuf

As a child, I was extremely afraid of bees. When outside, in the garden, if I spotted even a single bee, I would rush back inside and not think of going out till I was sure it was gone. My father would casually laugh at this, and he would tell me that I was being silly, and that a small bee would not do anything to me. He would suggest holding my breath when a bee came near me and it would not sting. But I was a hundred percent sure this wasn’t true! I would ask him to spray insecticide on them so that I may play outside in peace. But he would keep himself busy with his work, casually ignoring my demand.

Atonement With The Absolute

By: Shazia Yousuf

Every object that we see around us is revealing. It tells us its character, nature and the entire secret that it beholds. Every presence explains to us all that it contains. There is music in every object and in every being, everything speaks the language of rhythm and tone.

A friendly person shows harmony in his voice, his words, his movements, his manner and his thought. An unfriendly person shows disharmany in all his movements, his glance and expression, in his walk, in everything. Every action may show harmony or disharmony – if only one can see it.

You can see from the attitude of a person whether he’ll be your friend or will end up being your enemy. You need not wait till the end; you may see this at the first glance. But you have to have an eye for it and you have to have atonement with God – The Absolute being.

A Fascinating Route To Spiritual Salvation - Say No To Revenge

By: Sadaf Chaudhary

Spiritual salvation comes beyond the intellect when the self ends. One needs spiritual enlightenment to get salvation which is a state of being saved from sin and disasters. Undoubtedly, spiritual salvation is God gifted but it can be earned too. You can track yourself on a fascinating route which I think leads you to spiritual salvation. So for that we need to release and discharge our souls from the vicious feelings of revenge.

Happy Fathers' Day To All The Dads

By: Shazia Yousuf

A son’s source of inspiration, a daughter’s pride; the relationship of a father with his children is one of its kind. He is a friend in some cases, or at times a figure of deep respect; he is the royalty, the King of the house.

Though a king, he is the one who has to get up early in the morning without fail, leave the house for the entire day to earn and feed the household. No doubt a lot of fathers are supported by mothers too in earning a living, but in most cases, the father is the main source of income. He is the one who bears with the stress at work and humiliation too at times in order to be able to provide a comfortable home environment for the entire family. Fathers have no choice but to be the local branch of the money tree.

Sunglasses

By: Zahoor Ul Islam

It has been quite hot today in Dubai; mercury has risen to 48 Celsius.  Being a desert by birth, Dubai’s summers are always like this; hot and humid.

My friends and I were going for a quick lunch to a fast food restaurant which is hardly 200 meters away from our office. Walking to a restaurant under the scorching sun at mid afternoon was quite an unwelcoming appetizer.

Unseen Job Market

By: Muhammad Haris

Unsolved problems are called great unseen job market.

There are always many such vacancies available for those who are men of tremendous initiatives and are enormously proactive carrying their own weather in a go getter way.

Such men have learned to create values for themselves and are able to convince that they essentially represent solutions to those unsolved problems.

The Traveler

By: Shazia Yousuf

I had been quite busy for the past few days, getting a couple of things done before I travelled out of town. Being away from home for a month requires a number of things to be taken care of. I had a list of tasks and would put a tick mark against each item as it was completed. Some of these tasks were job related, some included social responsibilities that I had got myself involved in, while others were just pastime activities that require regular attention. There were some very significant things to be taken care of before I left. I could also not leave any of those responsibilities undone, as it would disturb the lives of those who depended on them.

Sometimes, We Just Need To Let Things Be

By: Sumaira Hasan

Lately, I feel as if my life has been like a whirlwind. Blowing this way and that, but not actually "doing" anything worthwhile or achieving something. It really gets to me at times and I sit and wonder "What am I doing?” I am constantly trying to do this, or do that, but really none of those things are of major importance, and it won’t matter if they don't get done (at least once in a while).

For example, today I came home and saw the light blinking on my phone, signaling that there was a message on the answering machine.

Heaven or Hell?

By: Shazia Yousuf

"You, and you alone, get to determine whether you are going to react positively about something or negatively about something - or, interestingly, have no reaction at all. Your emotions are entirely under your control. Your feelings are what you want them to be." (Neale Donald Walsch)

Creating heaven for yourself or creating hell, is totally in your hands. In a tough situation, it is up to you to decide whether you wish to fret about it, or you would stay calm and handle things patiently. Have you ever noticed, when you are angry, or sad or feeling low about something, it is you who is suffering the most! No one around you can feel what is inside you, even if you let the storm inside to seep through you. How you respond to a situation is how the situation will appear to you.

I have often taught my ten year old daughter, to not react when someone teases her in school. Her reaction to their act is what would add to their fun, and not reacting would actually be a total spoiler for them!

During power outages, when we would fret and grumble, my father would tell us to imagine that we were on a snow covered mountain, and would make us to try to feel the cold. It was fun and a good past time!

Even God tells us to “…exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to endurance.” Now the choice is in our hands.

Who Will Heal These Shattered Spirits?

By: Sadaf Chaudhry

No doubt 8^th of March is dedicated to women around the world. On that day world wide the efforts of women are acknowledged by the rigid societies prevailing in the world. They also have a theme each year. Have you all had a look at the theme they designed this year? The theme this year is, "Equal access to education, training, science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women". Is it possible to bring this into life? These things seem out of this world to accomplish.

Muslima Syndrome

This was a note that I found in my father’s diary, addressed to his children in specific, and to everyone else in general. It was a tribute to our mother’s gentle, loving, forgiving, God fearing, kind and generous nature. He wrote this after she passed away.

Reproducing this note here; in fond memory of our mother on her death anniversary.

- Shazia

Muslima Syndrome (By: Muhammad Haris)

My wife, my children’s mother, Muslima, kept on teaching me and my children by setting a living example all her life and even during her last days, that which she knew already without studying very deep into The Book.

Follow them in letter and in spirit if you love her O’! Children, and others – act like this:

 “It was by the Mercy of Allah, that you (Muhammad) dealt with them gently and leniently. Had you been harsh and fierce-hearted, they would have surely broken away from you. So pardon them and implore Allah to forgive them, and seek their counsel in all affairs. And once you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, for Allah likes those who trust in Him in whatever they do.” (Al Quran 3:159)

You Will Always Be Remembered

By: Shazia Yousuf

A perfect daughter, a supportive wife, a proud mother of seven (she always counted her niece brought up in her house as her real daughter), an encouraging sister, a loving mother in law, a very helpful neighbor, the greatest chef,  the most wonderful grand mother ever; all in all a great example of a person with perfect relationships! Loved and remembered by all with words of praise. Muslima – my belated mother.

A symbol of sacrifice since her childhood but never for once complained. She was the source of strength when others felt weak. She always stood up for others when they needed her. Weak at heart, she wept a lot, be it a moment of happiness or sorrow. Yet a symbol of strength when in time of need, she would stand up when others would fall.

Rise And Shine To Enjoy The Breakfast Time!

By: Saima Ausaf

Breakfast literally means, “Breaking the fast” from the last meal consumed the day before. This could be 8-10 hours in general depending on the time the dinner was eaten the previous evening. Nutritionists agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping breakfast is one of the biggest nutritional mistakes that people do quite often.

While you are asleep your body goes on repairing, building and renewing the cells. By the time you wake up, your glucose level is low and your body is drained of its fuel sources. Breakfast gives your body the kick start it needs to function successfully all day long. Glucose is the main energy source for the body and it is required to energize the muscles to cope up with the physical activities required throughout the day.
 

Every Bad Experience Is Actually a Learning Experience

By: Zahoor-ul-Islam

I had lower back pain for the past two weeks. The doctor suggested an MR. After a fairly long wait, I finally got the insurance approval for the MRI, and so I finally went to get it done at the appointment time.

I went to the MRI information desk. I was informed just a little while before my appointment time that I needed to bring some document from the insurance department for the paperwork. I had to rush to the insurance department at the eleventh hour!

Vision

By: Muhammad Haris

It is generally said that one will perish who has no vision. What is vision?

Mother - A Spiritual Relationship

By: Sadaf Chaudhary

 

We are all chained in different relationships. It is a sort of bonding and an acquaintance between two human figures living on the earth. A spiritual relationship is one that aims for the highest good for those in the relationship. It is something that facilitates our spiritual growth. Among all relationships, no relationship can aim for our highest good other than that of a mother.

Happy Mothers' Day - Every Moment, Every Day

By: Shazia Yousuf

I can never forget that very special moment when I held you in my arms for the very first time. The warmth that I felt was something so different; the strange emotions that stirred in my heart were something I had never felt before. Looking into your sparkling eyes was a moment to cherish. That was the very first time I felt a unique bond, a strange sort of love. I had loved before, but this love was so very different. This love was the result of Motherhood! This was my “Happy Mother’s Moment”

The Spiritual Side of The Royal Wedding

By: Shazia Yousuf

There was a lot of hype about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. People all over the world were excited to witness this fairy tale wedding, which was expected to be full of shimmer and glimmer. Thousands of royal dignitaries attended the wedding and millions of people watched it on their television sets.

Remote Control

By: Zahoor-ul-Islam

I have been living in this apartment for four years now. The apartment has two entrances to the basement parking, one at the front and the other at the back of the building. When I first moved here, I would always use the front entrance, but later on I discovered that the back entrance was more convenient, as it is broader and gives me easier access to my allocated parking space.

Ever since I started using the back entrance, I was always faced with a problem in opening the parking entrance bar which operates with a small remote control. I noticed a lot of other people struggling with it too. I would try different combinations, different distances from the bar, at times pressing the button of the remote with different intensity! I mastered in all sorts of techniques and found one or the other working at different times. It would get quite frustrating at times.