The Conscious Qualia

I have heard beautiful stories about the day of Arafah from pilgrims, ones that give you goosebumps wherever you are on your spiritual path!

Two years ago, at this very day, I was so blessed with the opportunity to stand at Mount Arafat in what seemed like a miraculous invitation to Hajj (The year of Covid).

My memory can fail me in so many instances, and while I can't remember all the details of this journey, I am still able to vividly relive this unmatched surreal moment of pouring my heart out, hearing the sobs and supplications, feeling the sky getting closer and closer, bringing so much peace and serenity and a deep belief and certitude in Allah's presence, in Him watching over us and answering our prayers 🤍

May Allah answer all our prayers, forgive our shortcomings, and bring us back on the right path whenever we drift away!

"She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father."

Happy Father's Day to my own moral force and backbone and to all fathers out there 🤍

The Arabic word “qurrat” originally stems from the word “qurr”, which means coolness.

Qurratu Al Ayn, means the coolness of the eyes, their solace and comfort, which basically refers to a person who is the cause of happiness and pride.

May Allah bless us with spouses and children who bring comfort and joy to our eyes and fill our hearts with pride and gratitude 🤲🏻

Ramadan is a time for change. While we experience hunger, change in our daily routines, tighter sleeping hours, and for many of us, caffeine and ni****ne withdrawals, the most significant change required from us during this blessed month is that of the soul. It is the internal change, the type of change that alters our bad habits, and transforms us into better human beings.

Let’s remind ourselves today that fasting is not about abstaining from eating and drinking only, it’s abstaining from our flaws and bad habits, it’s training ourselves to be more honest, more patient, more resilient, more tolerant, and more diligent.

Day 23 Challenge:
Let’s talk to our children about honesty and the traits of an honest person:
- Tells the truth, regardless of the consequences.
- Admits when he or she is wrong.
- Does not cheat or steal.
- Does not exaggerate to make things seem different than they are.
- Keeps promises and encourages others to be truthful.

Then, we can work together on writing our Honesty Pledge. This is our promise to always be truthful in our words and actions. After writing it, each one can decorate and sign their pledge!



#رمضان #الصوم

I have a confession to make! As a parent who didn’t know any better, I thought choosing English as a primary language was the right thing to do for a long list of reasons. As my son was growing up, I stumbled on many shortcomings of this decision. To a great degree, was the issue of identity, which I tried to compensate for with the limited interactive and kid-friendly resources available.

The main reasons why I started this Ramadan series are to revive pride in our identity, to adapt the teachings of Islam to our daily life, and to show that the Quran and the Sunnah are filled with real life stories and examples that will transform us and our children on the moral, social, and spiritual levels.

On this 22nd day of Ramadan, let’s instill in our children’s hearts the love of the Arabic language, the language of the Quran.

✨✨✨Check the LINK IN BIO to read about the beauty of Arabic!✨✨✨

Today is Earth Day, our home planet, and the home to billions of creations. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the signs of Allah’s greatness. Let’s ponder on the beauty of planet earth, the magnificence of each creation, from the smallest living organisms to the largest… Let’s rejuvenate our faith by looking at the perfect order and balance in this universe and contemplating the countless miracles around us.

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.”

Day 21 Challenge:
Our Planet, an eight-part documentary series for Netflix explores the Earth's most important habitats and celebrates the life they still support. The series are narrated by Sir David Frederick Attenborough, a renowned English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author.

On Earth Day, we can sit together and watch the documentaries and celebrate the greatness of Allah’s creations.

A few months earlier, this would have definitely been a quick win for me. However, I have lately faced a situation where it hasn’t been easy on me to maintain an amicable relationship with my next door neighbor. And there lies the real test: Going out of my way for the sake of Allah, putting my ego aside and overcoming any feelings of hurt and resentment to make amends.

Yesterday, I chose to write a letter of forgiveness to my neighbor. Today, my challenge is to make the effort to reconcile. As hard as it will be, I will knock on the door with a smile on my face, my favorite date cookies, and just be a good Muslim. No expectations, no strings attached. After all, my most important relationship is that with Allah, anything else is a minor detail.

Day 20 Challenge:
How nice would it be for your kids to take dates or food to your neighbors right before Iftar? If they do so, they will also receive the reward of their fast!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the last 10 days of Ramadan! As we seek the forgiveness and mercy of Allah, we can start by forgiving the ones who have wronged us. Easier said than done, right?

As parents, we often face situations where we need to teach our kids to set boundaries, stand up for themselves, and be able to resolve conflicts. But how many of us try to teach them the ability to forgive? And by forgiveness, I don’t mean disregarding the harm caused, nor waiting for an apology or expecting reconciliation. Forgiveness is the voluntary decision to let go of the hurt, resentment, or the feeling of vengeance. It is making the conscious choice to feel better and lighter.

Let’s try to change our perspective towards forgiveness and teach our kids without pressuring them or disregarding their feelings, to be kind to those who are not kind to them, to show respect to those who have not shown respect to them, and to be able to put themselves in the shoes of others.

Day 19 Challenge:
Write a forgiveness letter to someone who has wronged you.

- Think about whether the other person was truly trying to hurt you, or they just have a different perspective about the situation.

- Think about what was going on in their life at the time and what they were struggling with.

- You can also end your letter with a statement that you have forgiven them. Whether or not you send your letter to the person is totally up to you!

Teach your children to do the same!

Our tongue is a double-edged sword that can work against us sometimes. How many of us find it hard to remain silent when triggered? I know I do!
The words we choose to speak everyday have so much power. And while we all know that in some situations, silence is golden, being able to refrain from talking is not an easy task.

Day 18 Challenge:
We can work on breaking the habit of speaking before thinking. T.H.I.N.K is an acronym that we can use to make sure our words are:
- True. Making sure we are not spreading gossip or sharing false information.
- Helpful. Is the information we are sharing helping us, others, or the situation?
- Inspiring. Will our words inspire us or someone else to be better?
- Necessary. Is what we are sharing necessary information for someone to know? Or would it better be left unsaid?
- Kind. Are we trying to be helpful or hurtful?

Let’s follow the advice of our beloved Prophet PBUH and learn to T.H.I.N.K before we speak!