Productivity and the year ahead

We are already half way through the first month of 2017 and the year is beginning to feel not so new anymore. Before we know it we will be half way through the year and then the end of year will be upon us in a flash. The question I am asking myself is how productive will this year be for me?

The Friday lecture rendered beautifully by a Moulana when I attended the Masjid 2 weeks ago focused on being productive. He spoke enthusiastically about how the life of a Muslim should be about progression. We should be making active attempts to be productive, in our societies as well as in our personal lives. He mentioned how important it is to be striving to better ourselves on all levels, social, physical, psychological and spiritual.

The lecture was lovely. The Moulana mentioned some Hadeeth (sayings or teachings of the Prophet Muhammad Peace be Upon Him) something to the effect that a Muslim should be of benefit to others and also that we shouldn’t get caught up in self-pity and sadness. Instead we should accept what we cant change and be happy with what we have and we should be the best we can in all areas. He spoke about how our lives should not be static. We should never get caught up in a state where we have not progressed at all. If we are the same as we were last year then there is something wrong, he said. Because what sort of life is a life without growth.

I was inspired by this. It wasn’t the first time that I heard such talks, but sometimes at the right time something resonates with you. Or perhaps this particular Moulana was more motivational. My sister has also been on a quest towards productivity ever since we heard this lecture.

I have never believed in New Year’s resolutions, simply because I have always believed in continuous change and ongoing resolutions. Sometimes I fall short and find myself stuck in certain areas (I still haven’t managed to get as physically fit as I need to). Other times Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) I manage to achieve what I set out to do.

I believe that we should be passionate and motivated in all that we do, this way we are more likely to end up doing a good job at things. Clearly the teachings of Islam is in sync with this. So I have a lot that I want to improve this year Insha Allah (If Allah wills). I do not have a list of resolutions but I have a path towards becoming more productive, and this path is filled with various tasks.  I hope that at the end of this year I can say that I have achieved all that I wished, and maybe even more. I wonder about all of you. I would love to hear you tell me that you too have managed to accomplish everything that you have wished.

Let us work hard to make the best of each day, after all, we do not know how many days we have left.

Wishing you all a prosperous and productive year ahead! 

When becoming Muslim gets you a visit from the police…

The latest video has been released on overcome.tv 

This is very interesting, I love learning from the journey's of other people.

Here is the link for the video.

When adopting the faith of one parent seems like you’re betraying the other

This is the latest video from overcome.tv

Whilst Leanna was searching for the truth, she was reunited with her biological father who turned out to be Muslim. But embracing his faith would mean that she’d betrayed the woman who raised her. Watch on to see how God guided her and helped her overcome… 

Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa1vKh9lTiU

A great effort - overcome.tv

I have just recently been introduced to overcome.tv

This is a website aimed at assisting people who would like to become Muslim but may be apprehensive for various reasons.

I would recommend this site for anyone, not only people interested in becoming Muslims. It is overall a resource to learn more about Islam and people's personal paths towards the religion. The site features videos on people's personal stories.

It's always insightful to learn other people's stories and its moving to hear about the different paths that lead people to Islam.

Inshaa- Allah (If Allah wills) I will be posting links to the new videos that they post every Saturday.

I hope that you enjoy watching these and I'm certain that we will all learn a lot from this.

I would just like to commend everyone involved in this effort for their hard work and dedication in assisting others. May Almighty Allah reward them all with the best.

The video for today will be posted soon.

All the best for the year ahead! May it be filled with goodness, peace and happiness.

What is a powerful woman?

While driving on the highway yesterday a billboard caught my attention. It was advertising some TV show called “The Queen” (If I read correctly while zooming past). The image is what stuck with me. At the head of a board room table sat a woman, presumably the “Queen”, and around the table sat all her subjects, the men. The woman at the head represented a conceptualization of the “powerful woman”. She was dressed in a black business suit, hair cut short, poised in a manly stance, clearly in control and dominant.

So what’s the problem with that?  You may very well be thinking this right now.

And the problem the way I see it is this. In order for a woman to be regarded as “powerful” or “in control” she has to basically become like a man. She has to dress like a man (the black business suit), cut her hair like a man (short and cropped) and take on the stance of a man. Somehow it just wouldn’t seem suitable if the “Queen” in this image sported for instance, long hair, wore ,say a floral summer dress or if she was dressed in pink (not that I’m an advocate for pink but in any case) and sat in a feminine posture. If this was the case, the woman would not be taken seriously, or would she?

So what are we saying exactly? Are we saying that the only way a woman can be dominant or can be taken seriously is if she becomes like a man?  I may be wrong here, but doesn’t that go against the basic principles of empowerment? 

It appears as if a woman has to give up everything that defines her womanhood if she is to become powerful or dominant. There is no time for things like motherhood, or marriage. She cannot afford to be soft or feminine, petite and quiet. Nope, she has to be bold and dominant and aggressiveness may be her most treasured trait.

Tell me, how does it make sense to limit women in this way? 

Surely the concept of power has to be vaster than this.

Isn’t a woman “powerful” when she takes on the role of a nurturing mother, or a caring teacher?  Does she not have “power” or “control” when she supports her husband or runs her family?  Can she not be an adviser, a confidante, a friend, and yes even a “boss” if she decides to wear a dress or grow her hair?  Does she automatically become weak and vulnerable if she is soft and feminine?  Does she have to give up all notions of femininity before she can be respected and taken seriously?

So what do we base our ideas of power and control on?  Do we simply follow the standards set by men, the very men who we claim have been given unfair advantage for years. Or do we gain power and control in new ways, and in different ways, and in ways that do not require us to change ourselves completely. Ways that do not discard ‘womanly’ traits.  

These are simply just my musings. There are so many contradictions in the world it would take me too long to discuss them all. Nonetheless, I just found this to be relevant. Maybe it’s something we can all ponder about. 

So I leave you with this question: 

What really makes a woman “powerful”?