Do you believe in...

Love at first sight?


First of all, I feel like a fool for writing about this, but as Jane Austen said in her timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice, "We are all fools in love."

Do you think it can happen? That fleeting look as eyes lock and the world is occupied by only two people. Is it pure physical attraction? Or is it two souls that have finally found each other?

Are you willing to allow your heart direct you rather than the sensibilities of your head? Are you open to the idea?

Or do you love someone in different sight? Acquaintances or friends, who before never thought their relationship can be more than that- but by the sheer stroke of genius of God, their hearts suddenly open and embrace the idea that love can connect them.

Is love at first sight limited only to physical beauty? Can it also mean the first look into someones inner beauty that makes the heart melt and souls connect?

Or is it a combination of everything?

Does it need a person who has the courage to listen to their heart and intuition?

Who believes in love at first sight more... men or women?

Can a heart learn to love someone, if there is no previous connection or 'chemistry', especially if the mind made the initial decision?


And which is the most enduring love? The one that was decided by the mind, or the one that was decided by the heart?

As for me... I'm a romantic dreamer and idealist. I like to think it can happen. Being swept way in a whirlwind of emotions. Being connected to one person in a way that has never happened before. That single moment, the moment that I think we all long for of an electric current that runs down your spine and your insides are fluttering like butterflies. Hopefully we can experience it if our hearts are open and we have courage to be vulnerable enough to trust that love at first sight (or different light) can happen.

*Tagged

I've been tagged by Batoul.
Assignment: Give meaning to these 15 words.

1. Loneliness: Unwanted solitude. And can only be changed by the individual by seeking what is missing in their lives and changing their situation or circumstance.
2. Fear: The greatest adversary. A consuming feeling that often is the preventor of opening new doors and trying new posibilities.
3. Love: The reason of all actions, thoughts, and things.
4. Work: A necessary strife for the betterment of life and needed for self- worth.
5. Perfection: Allah.
6. Beauty: An individual's idea/prespective of what aesthitcally pleases or attracts only them. Inner beauty is the content of a character and is (or can be) usually seen or felt by everyone.
7. Compatibility: A combination of mutual attraction and shared interests/ideas.
8. Home: Security, safety, love, and true identity.
9. Friendship: A connection of between people that is selective and based on trust, loyalty, and companionship. It is tested at times of sorrow and troubles, and beautiful at times of fun and lightheartedness.
10. Fun: A necessary release of stress and responsibility. Must be in balance with work to achieve happiness.
11. Faith: Islam. Truth and honesty and the feeling of security that life has a meaning and purpose.
12. Anger: A justifiable feeling that must be recognized and overcome. Oftentimes anger strains conversation/discussion, prespectives, peace and progress. Living in anger prohibits peace in one's life and strains relationships and prevents compromise and progress.
13. Future: A neutral unembellished canvas. Endless dreams and possiblities.
14. Eye language: The ultimate connection and the truest form of communication. Tongues can deceive, but the eyes will show the soul.
15. Books: Knowledge. A journey that doesn't need a plane ticket.

Make the Best of It

Carrots, Eggs and Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I?

-- Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

-- Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

-- Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
Reach out to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

.: May we all be COFFEE :.

Ramadan Kareem

I wish you a very happy and sacred Ramadan.
May Allah give you and your family strength & many blessings during this glorious month.
May Allah accept our fast and our humble prayers,
And may Allah show us the path of righteousness and help us continue along it throughout the year.

Friends, Nails, Tempers and a Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there." A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

The Sense of A Goose

When you see geese flying along in "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone - and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.
When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
What messages do we give when we honk from behind?
Finally - and this is important - when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.
If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.


-author unknown-

Circassia: An 1830's Publication

This is from a book titled Far Off created by Favell Lee Mortimer that was published in the 1830s. It is an intresting read, giving a glimpse of Circassian life, in my motherland, in the period before the Russian conquest in 1864 and the Diaspora that followed. Found in The Project Gutenberg eBook, Far Off, by Favell Lee Mortimer (1802-1878).

FAR OFF: CIRCASSIA
This is not a vast country like China, or Hindostan. It may be called a nook, it is so small compared with some great kingdoms: but it is famous on account of the beauty of the people. They are fair, like Europeans, with handsome features, and fine figures. But their beauty has done them harm, and not good; for the cruel Turks purchase many of the Circassian women, because they are beautiful, and shut them up in their houses. Perhaps you will be surprised to hear that the young Circassians think it a fine thing to go to Turkey—to live in fine palaces and gardens, instead of remaining in their own simple cottages. But I think that when they find themselves confined between high walls, they must sigh to think of their flocks and their farms at home, and more than all, of the dear relations they have left behind.
Circassia is a pleasant country, situated near the noble mountains of Caucasus. The snow on the mountains cools the air, and makes Circassia as pleasant to live in as our own England. Indeed, if you were suddenly to be transported into Circassia, you would be ready to exclaim, "Is not this England? Here are apple-trees, and pear-trees, and plum-trees, like those in my father's garden: those sounds are like the notes of the blackbird and thrush, which sing among the hawthorns in English woods."
But look again, you will see vines interlacing their fruitful branches among the spreading oaks. You do not see such vines in England. But hark! what do I hear? It is a sound never heard in England. It is the yell of jackals.

MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE.—There is no country in the world where the people are as kind to strangers as in Circassia. Every family, however poor, has a guest-house. There is the family-house, with its orchard, and stables, and at a little distance, another house for strangers. This is no more than a large room, with a stable at one end. The walls are made of wicker-work, plastered with clay. There is no ceiling but the rafters, and no floor but the bare earth. Yet there is a wide chimney, where a blazing fire is kept up with a pile of logs. And there is a sofa or divan, covered with striped silk, and many neat mats to serve as beds for as many travellers as may arrive. The wind may whistle through the chinks, and the rain come through the roof, but the stranger is well warmed, and comfortably lodged; and above all, he has the host to wait upon him with more attention than a servant. The supper is served as soon as the sun sets.
But where is the table? There is none. Is the supper placed on the floor? Not so. It is brought in on stools with three legs. They answer the purpose of tables, trays, and dishes, all in one. What is the fare served up? This is the sort of dinner provided. On the first table is placed a flat loaf; the gravy in the middle, and the meat all round. When this is taken away, another table is brought in with cheese-cakes; a third with butter and honey; a fourth with a pie; a fifth with a cream; and last of all, a table, with a wooden bowl of curdled milk. The company have no plates; but each Circassian carries a spoon and a knife in his girdle, and with these he helps himself. The servants who stand by, are not forgotten: a piece of meat or of pie-crust is often given to one of them; it is curious to see the men take it into a corner to eat it there. There are many hungry poor waiting at the door of the guest-house, ready to help the servants to devour the remains of the feast; and there is often a great deal of food left; for there are generally ten tables, and sometimes there are forty tables. The guests are expected to taste the food on each, however many there may be.
Instead of wine, there is a drink called shuat handed to the guests: it is distilled from grain and honey. Vegetables are not much eaten in Circassia: for greens are considered fit only for beasts: and there are no potatoes. Pies, and tarts, and tartlets of various kinds are too well liked, and the finest ladies in the land are skilful in making them.
The family live in a thatched cottage, called "the family-house." It is not divided into rooms. If a man wants several rooms, he builds several houses.
As you approach the dwelling of a Circassian, you hear the barking of dogs, and upon coming nearer, you see women milking cows, and feeding poultry, and boys tending goats, and leading horses.
If you go into the farm-yard, you will see among the animals, the buffalo—but no pig. There are, however, wild boars in the woods.

CIRCASSIAN WOMEN.—They are not shut up as Hindoo, and Chinese, and Turkish ladies are. They do not indeed go into the guest-house to see strangers; but strangers are sometimes invited into the family-house to see them.
An Englishman, who visited a family-house, was introduced to the wife and daughter. They both rose up when he entered: nor would they sit down, till he sat down; and this respect ladies show not only to gentlemen, but even to the poorest peasants. The only furniture in the house was the divan, on which the ladies sat; a pile of boxes, containing the beds, which were to be spread on the floor at night; and a loom for weaving cloth, and spindles for spinning.
The daughter, who was sixteen, was dressed in a skirt of striped silk, with a blue bodice, and silver clasps; and she wore a cap of scarlet cloth, adorned with silver lace—her light hair flowing over her shoulders: yet though so finely arrayed, her feet were bare; for she only put on her red slippers when she walked out. The mother was covered with a loose calico wrapper, and her face was concealed by a thick white veil. The visitor laid some needle-cases at the ladies' feet, for it is not the custom for them to receive presents in their hands.
The needle-cases greatly delighted the young Hafiza, and her mother. The present was well chosen, because the Circassian women are very industrious, supplying their husbands and brothers with all their clothes, from the woollen bonnet to the morocco shoe. The wool, the flax, and the hemp, are all prepared at home by the mothers, and made into clothes by the girls, who first spin the thread, then weave the cloth, and finish by sewing the seams. Some girls are very clever in knitting silver lace for trimming garments. A girl named Dussepli was famous for her skill in this art, indeed her name signifies, "Shining as lace." An Englishman went to the place where she lived to buy some of her lace. He was shown into the guest-house, and he soon saw Dussepli approaching in a pair of high pattens. At first sight there was nothing pleasing in Dussepli but when she spoke she seemed so kind, and so true, that it was impossible not to like her. By her industry in knitting lace, and dyeing cloth, she helped to support her father, who was poor.

THE CIRCASSIAN MEN.—War is their chief occupation. Working in the fields is left to the women, and the little boys, and the slaves. There is, alas! great occasion for the men to fight, as the land has long been infested with many dangerous enemies. The Russians are endeavoring to conquer the Circassians: but the Circassians declare they will die sooner than yield. Long ago the enemies must have triumphed, had it not been for the high mountains which afford hiding-places for the poor hunted inhabitants. Every man carries a gun, a pistol, a dagger, and a sword; and the nobles are distinguished by a bow, and a quiver of arrows. The usual dress is of coarse dark cloth, and consists of a tunic, trowsers, and gaiters. The cap or bonnet is of sheep-skin, or goatskin. The boys are taught from their infancy to be hardy and manly. They are brought up in a singular way. Instead of remaining at home, they are given at three years old, into the care of a stranger: and the reason of this custom is, that they may not be petted by their parents. The stranger is called "foster-father," and he teaches any boy under his care to ride well, and to shoot at a mark. The boy follows his foster-father over the mountains, urging his horses to climb tremendous heights, and to rush down ravines; and appeasing his hunger with a mouthful of honey from the bag, fastened to his girdle. Such is the life he leads, till he is a tall and a strong youth; and then he returns home to his parents. His foster-father presents him with a horse, and weapons of war, and requires no payment in return for all his care. Men brought up in this manner must be wild, bold, restless, and ignorant. Such are the Circassians. They care not for learning, as the Chinese do, but only for bravery. We cannot wonder at this, when we remember what enemies they have in their land. The Russians have built many strong towers, whence they shoot at all who come near. But, not satisfied with this, they often come forth and rob the villages.

There was a Circassian, (and he may be still alive,) called Guz Beg (at right); and he gained for himself the name of the "Lion of Circassia." He was always leading out little bands of men to attack the Russians. One day he found some Russian soldiers reaping in the fields, and when he came near they ran away in terror, leaving two hundred scythes in the field, which he seized. But a great calamity befel this Lion. He had an only son. When he first led the boy to the wars, he charged him never to shrink from the enemy, but to cut his way through the very midst. One day Guz Beg had ridden into the thick of the Russian soldiers, when suddenly a ball pierced his horse, and he was thrown headlong on the ground. There lay the Lion among the hunters. In another moment he would have been killed, when suddenly a youthful warrior flew to his rescue;—it was his own son. But what could one do among so many! A troop of Circassian horse rushed to the spot, and bore away Guz Beg; but they were too late to save his son. They bore away the body only of the brave boy. Guz Beg was deeply grieved; but he continued still to fight for his country.
See those black heaps of ashes. In that spot there once lived a prince named Zefri Bey, with his four hundred servants; but his dwellings were burned to the ground by the Russians. That prince fled to Turkey to plead for help. What would have become of his wife, and little girls, if a kind friend had not taken them under his care? This friend was hump-backed, but very brave. Some English travellers went to visit him, and were received in the guest-house and regaled with a supper of many tables. Next day the little girls came to the guest-house and kissed their hands. The daughter of the hump-backed man accompanied them. The children were delighted with some toys the traveller gave them, and the kind young lady accepted needles and scissors. But where was the wife of Zefri Bey? A servant was sent to inquire after her, and found her in rags, lying on a mat, without even a counterpane, and weeping bitterly. Had no one given her clothes, and coverings? Yes, but she gave everything away, for she had been used, as a princess, to make presents, and now she cared for nothing. Such are the miseries which the Russians bring upon Circassia.

THE GOVERNMENT.—There is no king of Circassia; but there are many princes.

The people pay great respect to these princes, standing in their presence, and giving them the first place at feasts, and in the battle-field. But though the people honor them, they do not obey them.
There is a parliament in Circassia, but it does not meet in a house, but in a grove. Every man who pleases may come, but only old men may speak. If a young man were to give his opinions, no attention would be paid. The warriors sit on the grass, and hang up their weapons of war on the boughs above their heads, while they fasten their horses to the stems of the trees. The speakers are gentle in their tones of voice and behavior. The Circassians admire sweet winning speeches. They say there are three things which mark a great man; a sharp sword, a sweet tongue, and forty tables. What do they mean by these? By a sharp sword they mean bravery, by a sweet tongue they mean soft speeches, and by forty tables they mean giving plentiful suppers to neighbors and to strangers. Are the Circassians right in this way of thinking? No—for though bravery is good, and speaking well is good, and giving away is good, these are not the greatest virtues: and people may be brave, and speak well, and give away much, and yet be wicked: for they may be without the love of God in their hearts. What are the greatest virtues? These three, Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are graces which come from God.

SERVANTS.—There are slaves in Circassia, called serfs. But they are so well treated, that they are not like the slaves of other countries. They live in huts round their master's dwelling; they work in the fields, and wait upon the guests, and share in the good fare on the little tables. When a Circassian takes a Russian prisoner, he makes him a slave, and gives him the hardest work to do. Yet the Russians are much happier with their Circassian masters than in their own country. Once a Circassian said to his Russian slave, "I am going to send you back to Russia." The man fell at his master's feet, saying, "Rather than do so, use me as your dog; beat me, tie me up, and give me your bones to pick." The master then told him that he had not spoken in earnest, and that he would not send him away, and then the poor fellow began to shout, and to jump with joy.

BROTHERHOODS.—There is a very remarkable plan in Circassia, unlike the plans in other countries. A certain number of men agree to call themselves "brothers." These brothers help each other on every occasion, and visit at each other's houses frequently. They are not received in the guest-house, but in the family-house, and are treated by all the family as if they were really the brothers of the master. A brotherhood sometimes consists of two thousand, but sometimes of only twenty persons.

RELIGION.—Circassia, though beautiful, is an unhappy country. The Russians keep the people in continual fear; this is a great evil. But there is another nation who have done the Circassians still greater harm. I mean the Turks. And what have they done to them? They have persuaded them to turn Mahomedans. The greatest harm that can be done to any one, is to give him a false religion. There are no grand mosques in Circassia, because there are no towns: but in every little village there is a clay cottage, where prayers are offered up in the name of Mahomet. There can be no minaret to such a miserable mosque: so the man who calls the hours of prayer, climbs a tall tree, by the help of notches, and getting into a basket at the top, makes the rocks and hills resound with his cry. How different shall be the sound one day heard in every land; when all people shall believe in Jesus. "Then shall the inhabitants of the rocks sing—then shall they shout from the top of the mountains, and give glory unto the Lord" and not to Mahomet. (Is. xlii. 11, 12.) But though the Circassians call themselves Mahomedans, they keep many of their old customs, and these customs show that they once heard about Christ.
It is their custom to dedicate every boy to God: but not really to God, for in truth they dedicate him to the cross.Let me give you an account of one of the feasts of dedication. The place of meeting was a green, shaded by spreading oak-trees. In the midst stood a cross. Each family who came to the feast, brought a little table, and placed it before the cross; and on each table, there were loaves, and a sort of bread called "pasta." There was a blazing fire on the green, round which the elder women sat, while the younger preferred the shade of a thicket. The priest took a loaf of bread in one hand, and in the other, a large cup of shuat, (a kind of wine) and holding them out towards the cross, blessed them. While he did this, men, women, and children, knelt around, and bowed their heads to the ground. Afterwards, the shuat and the bread were handed about amongst the company. But this was only the beginning of the feast. Afterwards, a calf, a sheep, and two goats were brought to the cross to be blessed. Then a little of their hair was singed by a taper, and then they were taken away to be slaughtered. Now the merriment began: some moved forward to cut up the animals, and to boil their flesh in large kettles on fires kindled on the green; many young men amused themselves with racing, leaping, and hurling stones, while the elder people sat and talked. When the meat was boiled, it was distributed among the sixty tables, and then the priest blessed the food. And then the feasting began. Does it not seem as if the Circassians must once have learned about Jesus crucified, and about his supper of bread and wine, and about the Jewish feasts and sacrifices? Once, perhaps, they knew the true religion, but they soon forgot it, and though they still remember the Cross, they have forgotten Christ; and though they still bless the bread and the cup, they know nothing of redeeming love. Do you not long to send missionaries to Circassia? Well, some good Scotch missionaries went there some years ago, but alas! the Russians sent them away. Their thatched cottages may still be seen, and their fruitful orchards, but they themselves are gone. There are, however, a few German Christians in Circassia. They are not missionaries, but only farmers, therefore the Russians allow them to remain. They have a little church, where the Bible is read, and God is worshipped. You will be glad to hear a few Circassians may be seen amongst the congregation; they were converted by the Scotch missionaries, and they have remained faithful amongst their heathen neighbors.
Circassia is situated between two seas:—
The Black Sea, and
The Caspian Sea.
What a wonderful place is the Caspian Sea. It is like a lake, only so immensely large, that it is called a sea. The waters of lakes are fresh, like those of rivers; but the waters of the Caspian are salt, but not so salt as the salt sea. The shores of the Caspian are flat, and unwholesome. You might think as you stood there, that you were by the great ocean, for there are waves breaking on the sands, and water as far as the eye can reach, but there is no freshness in the air as by the real sea.
The mountains of Caucasus run through Circassia. They are quite low compared to the Himalaya; they are about the height of the Alps, and the tops are covered with snow. But the valleys between these mountains, are not like the Swiss valleys, which are broad and pleasant; but these valleys are narrow, and dark, and not fit to live in, yet they are of great use as hiding-places for the Circassians. When pursued by a Russian, a Circassian will urge his horse to dash down the dark valley, and lest his horse should be alarmed by the sight of the dangerous depth below, he will cover the animal's eyes with his cloak. Thus, many a bold rider escapes from a cruel soldier.

Source: Project Gutenberg Free eBook Library
Travels in Circassia, Krim Tartary, Etcetera
By Edmund Spencer, Esq. (originally published in 1837)

The Day of Judgement: Major & Minor Signs

Although we don't know when the Day of Judgement, Yawm Al Qayimah, is... these are some signs that tell us that the end is nearer than we think.

The Minor Signs: (in no particular order):
-The coming of the last Prophet, Mohammad (SAW). This has already happened of course.
-The slave will become the master.
-The disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance. The leaders of the Muslims will be chosen from ignorant people, and they will rule according to their whims. (Bukhari & Muslim) Today, studying Islam is formally considered to be an inferior career in most of the Muslim world. The leaders of the Muslim world are more known for their political or military prowess rather than knowledge of Islam.
-Adultery and fornication will be prevalent. (The Prophet, peace be upon him, said that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people, which their ancestors had not known.) (Bukhari & Muslim)
-Adultery and fornication will be performed in the open.
-The consumption of intoxicants will be widespread. (Bukhari & Muslim) This is referring to the drinking of alcohol and spirits, which is indeed widespread in today's world.
-Women will outnumber men... eventually 50 women to 1 man. (Bukhari & Muslim)
-Killing, killing, killing. (Bukhari & Muslim) Killing will increase.
-The children will be filled with rage. (at-Tabarani, al-Hakim)
-Rain will be acidic or burning. (at-Tabarani, al-Hakim) The increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will inevitably result in the increase of acid rain.
-Children of fornication will become widespread or prevalent. (at-Tabarani, al-Hakim)
-When a trust becomes a means of making a profit.
-Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor.
-Paying zakat (alms) becomes a burden and miserliness becomes widespread.
-When a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly while shunning his father. This is evident especially in the western world where wives and friends are treated better than parents.
-When voices are raised in the mosques.
-People will walk in the marketplace with their thighs exposed.
-Great distances will be traversed in short spans of time. Plains, trains and automobiles.
-The people of Iraq will receive no food and no money due to oppression by the Romans. (Europeans) (Muslim)
-People will hop between the clouds and the earth. Is this referring to the idea of airline travel?
-The leader of a people will be the worst of them.
-People will treat a man with respect out of fear for some evil he might do.
-Men will begin to wear silk. Inevitable in the fashion of the western worlds.
-Female singers and musical instruments will become popular. Today, there are many female singers and music is very popular.
-People will dance late into the night.
-When the last ones of the Ummah begin to curse the first ones.
-People will believe in the stars.
-People will reject al-Qadr. (the Divine Decree of Destiny)
-Time will pass rapidly. (Bukhari) This is very apparent especially in First World countries.
-Good deeds will decrease. (Bukhari)
-Miserliness will be thrown into the hearts of people. (Bukhari)
-Smog will appear over cities because of the evil that they are doing.
-People will be carrying on with their trade, but there will only be a few trustworthy persons.
-A man will pass by a grave and wish that he were in their place.
-Earthquakes will increase. California, Mexico, Japan...
-The appearance of false messengers (30 dajjals).
-Women will be naked in spite of being dressed. In the fashion of the Western world, women are beginning to wear very revealing clothes.
-The conquest of Constantinople by the Muslims. This has happened and has been renamed Istanbul.
-When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and begin to compete with others in the construction of taller buildings. (Bukhari) The modern ex-nomads of Saudi Arabia are an excellent example of this.
-Wild animals will be able to talk to humans. Some scientists are able to speak in sign language with wild monkeys. -A man will leave his home and his thigh or hip will tell him what is happening back at his home. Mobile phone in his pocket?
-The truthful person will not be believed and the liar will be believed.
-When men lie with men and women lie with women. Referring to homosexuality which is verily accepted in today's society.
-Trade will become so widespread that a woman will be forced to help her husband in business.
-A woman will enter the workforce out of love for this world.
-Books will be widespread and knowledge will be low.
-Arrogance will increase in the earth. (at-Tabarani, al-Hakim)
-Family ties will be cut.
-Men will begin to look like women and women will begin to look like men. Referring to transsexuals and transvestites.
The Major Signs: (in rough chronological order):
-Although they appear here in no particular order, it is important to point out that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that these last, major signs will follow each other like pearls falling off of a necklace...
-Al-Dajjal. (The Anti-Christ) He will come claiming to God holding Heaven and Hell. His purpose is to deceive, and unbelievers will follow him. He is short, red-faced, blind in the right eye, and has hair that sticks up. He will go around the world but will be unable to enter Madinah or Makkah.-Al-Mahdi. He will come at the time of the Dajjal. He will call to the true Islam, and will be a military leader. His name will be exactly like that of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW), and his father's name will match the Prophet's father's name also. He will be a descendant of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet.
-The appearance of Masih al-'Isa (Jesus Christ), the son of Mary. (peace be upon him). He will come at the time of the Dajjal and the Mahdi also. He will descend at the time of Fajr prayer on a masjid in Damascus, the capital of Syria. He is of medium height, red-faced, and his hair is as if he just took a shower. He will call people back to Islam, but he will also be a military leader. The people of the Book will revert to Islam, and wealth will be super-abundant. Isa will break the cross, kill the swine, and personally slay the Dajjal. He will stay on Earth for a long time thereafter, and then die.
-Ya'juj and Ma'juj. (Gog and Magog) Two hidden tribes of people will break free of the dam that hold them back, and ravage the Earth. They will drink all the water, and kill people until Allah sends against them a worm which will wipe them out.
-The destruction of the Ka'bah and the recovery of its treasure.
-Emergence of The Beast. This Beast will call people back to Islam and he will place the word mu'meen (believer) on the foreheads of the believers, and will plot the word kufar (disbeliever) on the foreheads of the disbelievers.
-Three major landslides (one in the East, one in the West, and one on the Arabian peninsula).
-The rising of the sun from the west.
-The smoke. The smoke will appear all over the Earth which will cause all believers to catch something similar to a slight cold, whereas the unbelievers will be hit harder by it.
-The wind will take the souls of the believers.
-The fire will drive the people to their final gathering place. Three blasts of the trumpet (fear & terror, death, resurrection).

Canvas

Time is valuable.
One minute you
Live it,
Experience it.
The next it
Becomes
A memory, a photograph.
The past, the future,
All in one harmonious dream.
All are unknown except our
History, Memories, Stories.
Who we were,
What we thought,
Blending together in
The painting of Our Life.
Drawn in pencil,
Then painted in colors.
Our past, Dried, Unchanging,
Permanent.
Ahead, an unembellished neutral
White canvas.
What strokes?
What colors?
What shadows?
What light will reflect on it?
Will I be, In control?
Hopeful? Bleak?
Promising? Depressing?
Will it be
LLOONNGG or Short?
Many sketches,
Plans, drawn in pencil.
Which painters will help me
Choose the sketches of my life?
Which COLORS will
I use to paint the canvas...
The MURAL of M y L i f e ?

First

Hello mysterious reader of my blog. I don't think we have met before. My name is Dana, and I live in the state of New Jersey in the United States. I'm Muslim, and my ethnicity is Circassian. I am the oldest of three and only daughter of my wonderfully amazing parents. I'm studying to become a teacher, since I think that to help society is to educate the young by giving them the tools and the different perspectives to change and make the world a better place. After all, Knowledge is Power!

Blogging= Release. Sometimes I'm like a shook up ginger ale can just waiting to spew out my thoughts and at other times I am a quiet observer of the world around me. With this blog, I hope to be true to myself. I hope I will have moments of self realization, since my ultimate goal is to become a better person than I was yesterday through the help of my excellent family and friends. I am still trying to figure myself out, let alone the world around me and I can tell you its not easy. You'll get to know my intrests, my likes and dislikes through the postings of this blog. This is my first trek into blogging, and I hope I do a good job. And I hope you have an enjoyable time of reading whatever I post.

Take care everyone!

:)