faatima's cup of tea

The mere mention of the word "Dentist" is enough to break one into a sweat. Luckily for me due to living in such a cold climate, and physical activity kept to a minimum, sweating is not an option. On the other hand, having flashing images of a dentist (always with an accent of unknown origin) slapping on latex gloves while revving a drill and laughing maniacally is enough to keep my fear of dentist well and truly alive. Three weeks ago, as I was biting into a lovely cheese toasted sandwich, to my horror my tooth just broke off! At first, my brain couldn't quite comprehend that the hard alien object in my mouth was actually part of my own tooth. It was well and truly a nightmare.  Those of you who are familiar with going to to the dentist know if you don't go for a regular check-up after six months, you are automatically taken off the register. The last time I had been to the dentist was literally years ago. Five years ago in fact.  Without bor...

This time two years ago I was one of the million little tiny dots walking towards Mina. Thousands of people from all corners of the globe all united with one goal. All I can say is I had The Journey of my life. When people would talk of their Hajj experiences, they would end usually by saying it is something you have to do yourself to fully understand what they mean. Hajj for me normally would be a theory lesson or revising for a test. In reality, as soon as you decide to go for Hajj your tests start, the whole journey is a lesson in itself. Before I went for Hajj I spoke to many people who had been for Hajj before so I could have some idea of what to take etc, luckily for me my husband had been before so I had my own personal Hajj guide. We decided from home that we would Inshallah try to do our Hajj on foot. (from Makkah of course).  Once we were there, a few experienced members of the group asked me if we were "pedalling" or what sounded with a "mix...

I attended a family wedding recently and had a superb time. The wedding was on a Friday so I took the day off and went late on Thursday night to join the rest of the family. ( Before this I had my mum in law over so was talking till late every night so was already tired when I arrived). The family were having a good sing along (Nasheeds of course), but despite much persuasion, I, funnily enough, did not find the urge to test my vocal cords in public! I did, however, enjoy listening to everyone else and manage to keep the giggles at bay for half an hour or so. It's not that anyone was singing bad, quite the contrary really, they had really good singing voices! I, on the other hand, could barely talk properly after midnight. As always, before a wedding, I had some sort of clothing crisis. So that had me literally running around Leicester,  half an hour before the wedding was due to start, looking for matching scarves etc. Suffice to say, I did end up wearing the ...

An average day on Wilmslow Road is always a little different to the average day on the high street. The air is filled with different aromas, of curry, kebabs and sweetmeats. The sound of foreign languages fills the air, deep gruff voices accompanied by the sound of the accordion being played by the old Bosnian lady in her usual spot.. Every few yards a man will have a little stand, selling phone cards for international calls, encouraging passers-by to ring loved ones in India and Pakistan for a few pence a minute. It is nearly always busy; if not with those who are looking for great food, then with those on the hunt for clothes, material, shoes and jewellery. It so happens that I have my tailor in the area, (I usually go for Jubba/ abaya alterations.) Needless to say, he is always happy to see my husband and I, (feel free to do a queens speech voice) and has the utmost respect for those in Islamic dress. So much so, that the first few times I gave him Abaya's...

Salaams All Feels like a very long time since I've last posted anything.I'm currently recovering from the flu and am feeling a little bleugh . September always seems so drab. The cold is setting in, and the summer holidays are well and truly over. The bitter wind and heavy downpours reminding us of just how chilly winter can be. Despite the grey and the doom and gloom -isn't Autumn just so beautiful?! The lovely shades of coppery reds, oranges and yellows splashed all around. As a child, I remember being wrapped up warm in a duffel coat(and bowler hat in my case)  stepping on freshly fallen leaves. Loving the crackly, crispy rustle. The satisfying CRUNCH sound of the blanket of leaves on the usual boring cracked paving. Now all I hear is mums shouting, "there could be dog poo under them leaves" lol!!! I would also collect conkers and my brother and I would soak them in all sorts and try to collect shoelaces of old shoes to string up our buffed conkers; whic...

We've Scanned the sky | Dawud Wharnsby | Nasheed Bay™

Eid Mubarak all! Hope you all had a wonderful day.Taqabbal Allahu Minna wa minkum(Allah accept good deeds from us all Inshallah) Feeling very "hungover" this morning after yesterdays festivities. Alhamdulillah Eid day was a mixture of much eating laughter and catching up with the family.  This morning I woke up quite early and everything felt a little strange. ( this may have been because I had only a few hours sleep and couldn't remember if I was fasting- to brush teeth or not?!) Am I alone in "limbo" the day after Eid?! ("yes, Faatima it's only you "I can hear many of you say) Ramadhan has gone! The sleeping patterns and eating habits have all changed overnight. In Ramadhan the atmosphere is amazing! Once it's over you can feel that the soul of Ramadhan has left...Eid day is also over and really makes me quite sad. Can we make every day like Ramadhan?! Inshallah, if we try hard-we can! We may not be able to match the spiri...

Recently, I have been following Mufti Menk's talks," stories of the "prophet's"(alayhimus salaam)and I have been thoroughly enjoying them. At the moment I've listened to all the talks available online and I am  patiently waiting for the next one to be put up. Anyway, I won't tell you all that he says in his talks, you can just listen and see for yourself. (listen and see?! lame I know) He briefly mentioned, the other day, how one should feel happy, when one is laughed at, for their Islamic dress. Happy that they must be doing something right, to receive such a reaction out of others. The whole thing was quite motivating. Now, this got me thinking- that yes- next time someone is swearing or shouting abuse I'll try to remember these words and ignore them... Usually, I do tend to ignore people, most of the time you know it's pointless arguing with idiots. They will never see or understand sense. This, however, is about some of the times when...

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him.” [Muslim, Tirmidhi]  A little project we're doing in Madressa during this  Ramadhan is called Project Somalia. Ramadhan gives us a very good opportunity to teach children of those who are suffering in the world- of those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Not only in madressa but also in the home. Students were encouraged to design charity boxes for class use and to take home also if they wished. Many pupils felt a great sense of achievement of not only making their boxes but contributing and collecting also. Students who attend maktab/madressah are of a very influential age. What they learn during this period of time is part of the mould that will shape them into adults, the future generation, Inshallah. Maktab teachers have a big influence ...

Every sane person in the nation has the same views on the tragedy of the men murdered in Birmingham.I have to admit- I've debated with my self over whether to touch this topic or not.I could easily rant for pages about the "looters"(if that is what you can call them.)However,i won't. Throughout this tragic,horrendous time- the whole world has seen Tariq Jahan-a father grieving for his son - holding himself with such dignity and patience.His reaction to this whole monstrosity is truly admirable. As it is still an on going topic- most of us find ourselves pondering on how our reaction would have been had it been us in his place.I was all for the police going "American" guns blazing -and that was only when my favorite Miss Selfridge was set alight.I find myself wondering of the poor mothers waiting at home for the men folk to return from Taraweeh;how they must have felt when they got the news;the sibling to have both his brothers gone in an instance;the unbo...

Sabr and Shukr | Zain Bhikha | Nasheed Bay™

Ever eaten so much,you physically feel immobile?  I've just finished my Iftar and it appears the only limbs capable of movement are my fingers.Yes- i had to go for a second helping and how i wish i hadn't.  My initial plan this Ramadhan has been to eat healthily; not too many fries,pacing myself with water,high fibre suhoor etc  It was all going great, until today (I admit I fell off the wagon- in my defence I overdid it with the water).I was slumped in the sajdah position- groaning and wishing that the dishes in the sink would magically wash themselves. With my dad's words"Faatima your eyes are bigger than your stomach "going through my mind - i remembered the Dua that my dad prays when he overeats.(He prays it every day) After Meals Recite: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ "All praise belongs to Allah, who fed us and quenched our thirst and made us Muslims". (Ibn Al Sunni) الْحَمْدُ...

Salaams all-Inshallah today i'm going to share with you an article that some of you maybe familiar with.In current times i feel it is very relevant. Warning! It's quite lengthy,so might take a little while to read. Let me know your thoughts on it. Where's the Washing Machine? By Talal Sarwani -  There's a very interesting worldwide phenomena taking place among the Muslim youth of today. Everyone's favorite bit of Sunnah has become the advice of the Prophet (SA'AS) to get married aysap. Alhamdulillah, the wisdom of that advice is nothing short of Divine, but the abuse of that advice is causing much trouble in the Ummah today. That trouble has manifested itself into the most hated of what is Halaal: Talaq (Divorce). Kids are getting married right and left, lost in some romanticized version of what married life seems to be about, and the second they find themselves stuck in a mud of responsibility, it's time to flip out the cell phone and SMS your significan...

Recently I've had a bit of a gammy shoulder( Any tips? - right hand shoulder? i already assured my mum that my heart is on my left hand side when she  began asking in The Voice"is it spreading to your back??!!").  Nothing serious but just a few niggles here and there(and then pain.)Anyway i have found myself doing(what i call)The Back Shuffle.(ahem,not the best drawer in the world- doesn't take a genius to figure that one out) Ramadhan-nearing Iftar  I am without doubt a sloucher.The straightening of back- fixing shoulders and finding yourself back in slouch position is The Back Shuffle.It goes something like this. Any one else find themselves doing this?! My Grandmother said to me the other day-Nowadays young girls sit like vultures-Head slumped forward,shoulders hunched..You should sit up straight! (OK bear with my drawing abilities are very "limited") Well-something like this anyway. So wh...

 BEEN READING  QUITE A FEW FANTASY -SCI FI KIND OF BOOKS. AT THE MOMENT I HAVE THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE TRAITOR SPY  TRILOGY  (TRUDI CANAVAN)WAITING FOR ME.  I'VE READ THE BLACK MAGICIAN TRILOGY-LOVED THEM- SO LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING THE NEXT ADVENTURE.ANY OF YOU READ THESE -WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR VIEWS! he Black Magician Trilogy The trilogy that introduced readers to the Magicians’ Guild of Kyralia. Sonea’s magical ability is revealed during a confrontation between the poor and the Magicians’ Guild, and her life seems outside of her control from that moment on. In her struggle to learn magic and find her place, she discovers a dark and terrifying secret at the heart of the Guild that not only involves forbidden magic, but her friends in the city’s underworld, and the very survival of Kyralia and the Allied Lands. The Magicians’ Guild The Novice The High Lord

Ever have one of those nights that whatever you do you just can't fall asleep?! Those who don't know, i am a borderline insomniac(diagnosed by myself of course!) My over active imagination has been snatching  precious zzzs away from me since as long as i can remember.From  the monsters under the bed to the  Dawat ending in disaster -i've worried about it all! Last night was no exception-i lay in bed trying to find a cool part of the pillow listening out for the inevitable "DRIP" of a yet still unknown source. After enduring the "drip drip" for ,what seemed like an eternity, i decided to get out of bed..shut the door and try to go back to "sleep".Before i even got back in the bed my husband dearest began shouting in his sleep.A very rare happening- he is normally dead to the world unless woken with extreme force(ok-maybe not extreme..) "EVERYBODY NEEDS A TURN!"...ok...so i tried to ignore him-then wake him up as he continued..crazy...

 You can't have Ramadhan without Baba Ali's reminders(so-"reminding you just in case you forgot")..enjoy xo Leave a comment and please join!

Hello and Salaam  Ramadhan Mubaarak all! My first ever entry (quite an exciting moment for me). So,another Ramadhan has come by all so quickly and the days are really flying by!Already a third of Ramadhan has passed-and all too soon it will be over-leaving us slightly dejected on Eid; debating how fast it came and went.Nothing can beat the Ramadhan feeling- no matter who you are or where you come from-every person gets touched by Ramadhan. Recently i have had a few deaths in the family,which have been a real eye opener- "who knows if you'll be around for next  Ramadhan?"-has taken on a whole new meaning. This Ramadhan let's not only get "touched" by Ramadhan- but really and truly make the most of it. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.'' Then (giving a warning) he said, "Are you waiting for such povert...