Muslimah Conference hosted by ILM - SA .. by Tasneem Rawat

A lecture theater filled to capacity with the beautiful scents of Woman...from all walks of life who were seated there for a purpose..
To listen..participate..inspire and motivate..

I was in awe when i walked through the doors of the venue, greeted by young muslimahs with smiles of perfection..ready to tackle their duties and make sure that every delegate and guest was given the preferential treatment set out for the event. From a name tag to a goodie bag filled with sentiments of respect and courtesy..the excitement had taken effect from then.
I can speak for every woman who breezed through those doors, that the feeling was beautiful. That you need not be the face of an academic or a mistress of supremacy, no!
The fact that you are a woman and your interest found a seat among other woman, you are important.

I cannot express how enticing the atmosphere was. Fatima Asmal, who weeks earlier was an email friend had scurried past me wavering last minute chores to the volunteers alike. Her beautiful smile and wonderful aura just placed the image to a thread of messages.. She is a wonder woman.
Her work, dedication and strength makes any task seem like a blink of the eye for this woman has displayed a majestic role. She is talented.

Stall holders proudly displayed their wares..each one dressed so elegantly, complimenting their invite of sale. The responses were phenomenal and i am sure everyone found a certain something that acquired their liking.

Decor was perfect!
Every atom of thought went into the decor yet it still maintained the simplicity and comfort of home. The eats were scrumptious too and leading to the prepared lunch which awaited every woman there. Just awesome to have witnessed these little merriments of laughter, new friendships made and the serenity of the prayer area was welcoming.

The crux of the event was the detailed program which took a great deal of thought, perspective and reasoning, which Fatima and her team pulled out all the stops in compiling. The ladies who were to address the audience were very intellectual and inspiring woman who not only went up to the podium and gave a speech about the common aspects of thought. This was different, each one unique and informative. I have learnt so much in those two days which will continue to inspire me forever..

The Muslimah Today event, has anchored the spirit of sisterhood.. 
It has clenched the fist of determination, and laid a platform for the beginning of a whole new world of thought.. 
Jazakallah for using your intelligence ţσ channel endless possibilities of hope.. 
Tasneem Rawat.

A few Pictures.. that echo such beauty..

Minister Naledi Pandor

Qooraysha Ismail Sooliman 

Ella Ghandi

Zuleikha Mayat

Esteemed panel

Socializing with the minister..

The palestine Issue with Zaytoon's Katija Rasool and Arshaad Manjra

A Qira'ah recitation by me..at the closure of Muslimah Today..

Fowzia Peer

Shafinaaz Hassim, Bilkis Moola..

Aneese Brits

Hanging out with the Minister...

Fatima Ndlovu

My friend, Bilkis Moola..

Lubna Nadvi

Shafinaaz Hassim, Author

Bilkis Moola, Poet

The wonderful Fatima Asmal

Durban Muslima: Poetry of Abdulla Amla

Durban Muslima: Poetry of Abdulla Amla: The official release of Abdulla Amla's long & much anticipated anthology of romantic poems and proses will take place early next week. The...

There's No Place Like Home..

Woman are the pillars of strength in any facet of life. I too, am a woman and my greatest gift of faith is being a mother. If I had to write a book on parenting, I would be doing an injustice to the meaning of it because every woman is a parent in their own world of experience.

My most prized possessions in my life are my beautiful children. I couldn’t have asked for a more blessed chapter in this journey of being a woman. They have brought meaning and depth to this life and for me the feeling is irreplaceable.

This emotion grew onto me even stronger when I had to work away from home for a few weeks and my only contact with my kids was a phone call each night just to tuck them in. Being a doctor, I am so dedicated in my field of service. I accompanied a voluntary group of doctors into a war torn Somalia in the aim of service and love. It was a sight to remember, pictures that wreak havoc even in my mind when I think back to it. Little children succumb only to the hope of water, food and a smile. I cried with fear every night when I got into that camp of ours to sleep away the pain of tormenting sights of disbelief and poverty.

How could anyone be so cruel to humanity. How could life become so difficult to live by. How does one swallow pain and sleep on the pillow of its acceptance. I wanted to run away from here into the arms of my comfortable home. It was very hard.

One morning while doing my rounds in a tent full of woman, I noticed a frail woman clutching something that looked like a baby. Its stench made me tear with pain. It was dead and she wasn’t letting go of it. This incident led me to understand that even in death there is love and the hope of a new beginning for the death of this child gave this one woman of Somalia hope. Survival meant giving up everything even a life for your bread. She didn’t want to let go of the corpse because she felt that she was wrong to allow herself to live in place of her baby, but in reality she was stronger so she would be better opted for survival.

That night when I called home, my kids rushed to the phone in such delight of my presence on the other line that I built up the courage to smile and tell them how much I loved them and I was coming home very soon. We were there now almost five weeks and I was growing weaker with pain from all this. I nursed the sick, fed the children and helped the frail wither away into their comfort of care. I made a difference but it still didn’t grant me ease. Something was missing, if only I could settle into the seat of my thoughts and work out where my weakness was.

This notion stayed until the moment we returned home and one night as I was tucking my kids into their beds I realized why I had been feeling displaced. My heart was cold now and I trembled with fear. I was a mother with a world of possibilities and I had the comfort of my home. They had nothing except the hope of seeing a new day. But those woman had such strength and determination in them that we cannot match with our struggles of life.

Woman lay a foundation for life.

Woman create life.

Woman make the house a home and for this notion we can believe that there is no place like home..

Dear Diary

The emotion sits perched up on that branch of loneliness. Why..?
When everything is there. why do i still feel so alone..

Who created this emotion.. why was it created.. when will it's duty cease..
I feel so lost on this winding road.. i feel so trapped.. i feel so alone..
I need to see a light.. i need to draw a line.. i need to feel a hand.. i need to touch a life..
The essence of contentment is joy..
When do i start searching for this joy if the loneliness keeps following my vessel of life..

I know i have a purpose.. i know there is an end..
It's the step in between fulfillment and hardship that keeps me lagging behind..

There is so much we don't know, there is so much we haven't seen, there is so much we still need to feel..
If this emotion leeches itself so strongly..how will i find my way out..

Is there but a soul out there who can relate..

Teacher by profession.. Mum by choice..

Children are such a blessing indeed. However, there is such a great amount of trust and patience that goes with the challenges of being a mum and an educator. It demands so much of me, literally making me slip into the robe of calmness. The role is ever so difficult.

Very often i get the question of, how do i ever manage with so many kids at school when the parent cannot even handle the little four year old at home. I absolutely don't know..but i have realized that it is easier to handle a child who isn't your own. Somehow, they actually listen to me. 

I must admit that i am fortunate, i have a tendency to attract children wherever i am. I simply love them, they are angels in disguise..literally..

Despair of my longing..

The pale blue contrast of the ice-berg..

the crash and go of the mighty waves and the sky in its splendor of strange tones..

create the setting of a love story which turned into a bleak state of surrender.. 

I cant stop looking at this picture..

the mood at present leaves me in a state of restless tears.. 

I wait still..for your embrace, the very same one which lasted for a moment 

but it carried through my life forever.. 

I need to set you free..I need to bury your love away.. 

I need to swim across this ocean of distress and reach for the calm after the storm.. 

Go away with this majestic blue ice-berg.. Leave me to be.. 

I cannot express the pain which is suppressed deep within these waters of uncertainty.. 

Your voice bites like poison in the echo of my mind.. 

From my heart to yours.. 

I love you but only in the dreams of my nagging conscience because your love was never mine forever... 

So long dearest.. 

Drift away into oblivion.. 

Search for me never again.. 

You bring too much pain, you bring too much pain.. 

(tassy) 

Natural persona of bliss..

Morning gave way to a striking yellow color combing over every piece of darkness from the passing night..

The sky looks incredible right now in a glittering outfit of sparkling sunlight.. 

A cool breeze compliments the sunlight wit a ripple of energy ceasing the flow of grass every so often.. 

Birds are everywhere, flying so high away from the still passing of life beneath 

their majestic openness of such beauty.. 

They crown their territory in such a passion creating an entourage for the new day to unleash 

its presence over the land.. 

Everything about the morning right now is beautiful.. 

I close my eyes for a moment..

Ah love.. 

Sunlight..wrap yourself in its satin glow of yellowness..

Journey..

Travelling on this naked freeway.. 

lost in the rhythm of my feelings.. 

the sound of water creating the freedom to live..

 the wind in the willows of my soul reeling me into the desire to love..

 the open place of wishful thinking giving this heart the wings to soar above the fear.. 

a breath on my shoulder reminds me that love is the universal echo of life..

 she smiles like a shining star.. 

the most precious reason for me to pull on the reigns of this life and hold on so tight..

 she's beautiful..

Poetry for the soul..

 The rays of a jeweled sun pierce through the clouds and dart into the blue of the ocean surface.. 

Specks of water ripples leave one in bated breath as it creates a shimmer with the turning of tide and the mirror of the suns resonance from high above.. 

Birds take flight in full beauty adding to this aura of morning bliss..

 Barefoot and alone i walk on this warm sandy shore gripping onto the memories of days i held your hand embracing this blissful surrounding..

i close my eyes and i feel you.. ..

into a distant place

away from the brink of time

unknown to the minds eye

far from the reality of thought

under a carpet of truth

blooming with the colors of emotions

tranquil in the essence of thought

filled with the scents of dreams

blessed by a breeze of contentment

wrapped with the certainty of hope

calm in the effort of peace

..A place where the heart and the soul connect and become one..

My lonely soul echoes silently..a million words..
I do not know anything else but this echo, I have no voice of freedom..
The great sky above creates such beauty for me to ponder with..
I am not alone in this tranquility..no..no..
I am lonely, only in the mindset of lost love..
I am partnered with the essence of this beautiful sky and all its glamour..
Reeling me into the night of comfort and hope..

For the Love of Palestine..

Children running for their lives.. Their only hope is a miracle. .

Age knows no bounds.. They go for the kill..they destroy every living thing ..

The helplessness..the suffering..the torture..the war which never ends..

Displaced families..orphans..widows.. The order of the day.. Death!!

How can anyone imagine the emotion of this child's parents.. we are a far touch from reality..

Waking up to a nightmare of unending violence and bloodshed..

Oh my Allah..
Turn the stone of hatred into an ocean of love..
Heal the emptiness inside..
Bring joy to the cries of innocence..
Empty out the sorrows of their hearts..
Purify the souls of the wretched enemy..
Create allowance for compassion..
End the occupation..

...FREE PALESTINE...
...Ahab Filasteen...

Poetry for the soul..

A full moon soars high up into the pitch tone of darkness of this evening sky,
The dam beneath it’s velvety surface, cradles it’s reflection with sheer flow,
A vagrant scurries beneath the bridge afraid of this majestic sight in the water,
Every angle of it’s reflection holds a deeper meaning to portray the vastness of this perfect sky..

Little creatures all came into the vision of this full moon, they wanted to see it’s roundness,
Bats flew past with a shrill shriek of fear creating too much a fuss in this silent surrounding,
The little birds in the hollowness of their homes embraced this scene with such peace,
All of the earth’s possession shimmered in this crowning moment of a full moon in such beauty..

Hungry for my Allah..

An absolutely heart wrenching reality bites into the lives of innocent people in Somalia..

As i sit down to a meal everyday at iftaar, my heart takes a greater hold over me and the food refuses to go down. I can't begin to imagine the hunger of the innocent people in Somalia, tears well up thinking of their starvation..

Their willpower is so great that despite their situation, they are still observing their fasts and performing their salaah with what ever little strength they have left. Alhumdulillah.. (All praise due to Allah)
Recently i heard a lecture about Somalia and the cries of their pain, more for the children who don't even understand anything.. I can't write anymore, i want to feel their pain.

We look into our lives, we have so much to be grateful for, why do we still question and yearn..

Little children displaced, mother's forced to breastfeed even when their body is so frail, that the child takes comfort in this ability to be with her mother even if it's not nourishing.. Allahu Akbar.. (Allahu Akbar)
Father's walking miles to the refugee camps trying to save their families.. On the way they have to make the greatest choice in their life, which child do they take with and which child do they leave behind.. The father is extremely weak himself that he cannot save his own children..

Humanitarian aid workers discovered a mother with her three little children in a refugee camp, the sight which greeted their concern was a sight they will live with forever. The mother had been dead for two days and the children just lay there..
I can't think of pain any more harder than this..

Yet, in all their agony, pain, starvation and weakness..their love for Allah has given them hope to carry on..
If this isn't great love for a Creator, then i cannot fathom what is..

Ya Allah..
I raise my hands to you in a state of such sadness..
Help these people of Somalia.. Ease their pain, Comfort their distress and cure their sickness.
Grant them ability as they were before and restore their lives to a happy place filled with prosperity..
Save their children, aid in their recuperation and bless those who have strived to aid their cries..
Ya Allah, save us from a disaster which plagues the soul and destroys the heart..
Ya Allah, in all Your might, create smiling faces on the victims of this horrible cicumstance..

Ameen..

Dear Diary

Where do I fit in…?

The chilliness of this wind outside is making me shiver with contempt, I’m so overwhelmed by all that’s going on inside of me, it’s hard to be at ease.

What’s the next step…?

What’s the next chapter going to sink me into…?

I wish sometimes I was an angel. The one that let allowance into this untruthful mind and warn me before I got too deep. I know that the time we have is supposed to be this way, the way which tumbles and turns and we just have to go through with it. I know and I understand that life is placed before us in this way; it’s the understanding of each consequence that I cannot even begin to fathom.

Can anyone answer their mind truthfully and with purpose?

Can anyone see the doubt and ignore its nagging voice?

Can anyone feel the existence of love even though its volume doesn’t exist?

 

from the moment of conception..

the feelings within..

a world of dreams awaits..

little do i know what it all means..

i wait in sweet awe..

my tiny half lifeless hands stamp my approval of your worth,

inside this womb of my beloved..

i am warm..

i am loved..

i am touched..

you sing for me..

 lulled and talked to..

i can understand by the tone of your comfort..

i know that you want me..

i know that you love me..

months before you even begin to feel my gentle movements..

you show your interest..

aroused by the deep massage of your love..

i feel your acceptance of my presence..

i am almost ready to enter your world now..

i know you're happy..

your weight from me is unbearable yet you never once complain..

my Creator has given you such patience..

this pregnancy is so enduring..

yet you carry me smiling..

today is my day..

instinct overwhelms me..

i urge your body for escapism and find my way..

Mum i am finally here..

i don't know how to thank you..

 years have passed and you still call me your princess..

i can never understand your emotion but i feel your joy..

never once did you show me neglect..

your tiredness i never learnt..

sacrifice was all i saw in you..

love was never spared in my favor..

from birth to now..

all i have ever been and all that i will ever be..

can only be through the blessing of your kindness to me..

Mummy, you are my everything..

Love always..

Motivation..

The beauty of life lies not in who you want to be but in the fact that your path has been chosen for you. Who else knows us better than our creator to whom every breath belongs. Our every action would have never been without Him. Sometimes we are silenced by our grievances and we feel alone within our turmoil’s.
But we fail to realize that someone greater is seeing our every action and knows the reason for our pain. Someone hears our every cry and wants us to ask.

The Gift of Life is Faith, the Gift of Faith is a sense of belonging and a friend that will never leave. A painter can create a masterpiece yet the painting itself cannot appreciate the value of it’s existence, but the painter can appreciate his Creator for the talent with which he was bestowed.

Many people have mourned at funerals, but have they ever mourned during a prayer?
A prayer is not a prayer if it’s not acknowledged with the sincerity of tears. After a prayer you have a reason to smile because you know that your pain has been understood and suddenly, Hope flashes by.

Life is a stairway, long and winding, solid yet rickety, beautiful yet ugly. It has a little goodness and a bit of sorrow to balance the equation of life. The closest word to life is Love!
It is from love that happiness occurs and from love sorrow is weaved. When our parents love us, we become content. All that is ugly now turns beautiful, all that was spoilt is now revitalized. But, if they withdraw from us, how then can we possibly go on?
Do they not know the value of their love?
Their love is one pillar, our love in return is another pillar. Yet the central pillar of all is love for our Supreme Creator who now lends the greatest support. The love which we have for our parents will never cease because as long as we have our central pillar intact, God will maintain our faith and our love in them.

I’m going now to a different place, a different mindset but as new thoughts come into being, I long to remain in this frame of mind because these words from my heart have inspired me…

Where was the calm before the storm..

Where was the fortress of hope and joy..

Why is the sound of the ocean screaming in a surge of wretchedness..

Why has the soul not been allowed to feel a certain calmness..

Why does the truth lie about it's consequence..

Why does the wound bleed before it can pain..

Why does the heart yearn before it can miss..

Why does everyone say this is life when life is empty..

Why do we blindly walk away..

Why do the enemies feel as if they are the victims..

Where are the wounded, who live for the living of others..

Beauty of a woman..

A wonderful piece of literature..
Truly inspiring..

Wall Photos

O sisters in Islam - you're far more precious than Diamonds and Jewels, Guard your modesty, your chastity, Do not Display your self - Do not display your beauty, for you're more worthy than any gem of this world - O sister in Islam you're a flower a pearl, O Queens of Islam, respect your self, You are not a mere sexual toy, Hijab is your choice! It do not abstain your mind from thinking, rather it covers your head and protects your modesty, for Allah subahana wa'tala said:

by: Islamic Wallpapers,Pictures and Images

Wishes of longing..

If i had one wish right now, i would want to be here..
A place where the sound of the ocean creates allowances for freedom,
where the subtlety of the sunrise in this scene draws a curtain of dreams upon the restless soul..
where the naked eye can expand it's view to the extremes of it's core function..
where every breath taken upon this brilliant shoreline, 
is so carefully exhaled so as not to waste a moment of it's worth..
in the depths of a space where i can just be..