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thiccpersonality · 1 month

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Do you, mayhaps, mean Ramadan?

It was a beautiful morning in Gotham, surprising every individual of the usually smoggy and dull city. Today the weather decided to treat all Gothamites kindly with a very spring feeling day! The sun was out, the weather was warm enough to feel comfortable and not too hot while the breeze blew just enough to feel a pleasant kind of cool, and the Wayne family has decided to take advantage of such gorgeous weather.

Bruce and his cousin Kate Kane sit under a large umbrella, the woman sipping on her ice cold lemonade while she gets Stephanie to slather some sunscreen on her.

Bruce himself sipping on his strawberry lemonade while watching his children have fun, his youngest child curled up next to his chair while sitting on his pool towel and finishing up homework so he can-in his own words-"demolish his siblings in pool games."

Bruce sighs in contentment while situating his sunglasses on his nose and reaching a hand down to gently pat Damian's head, the boy unconsciously leaning up into his hand while writing down more stuff into his workbook. Bruce is just glad that his youngest was able to enjoy himself today, the young boy was disappointed at not being able to go to boxing classes today, his two teachers couldn't make it today.

The small, peaceful moment is interrupted by Damian gasping softly as if he's remembered something. The boy sending a quick glare Jason and Richard's way when they start splashing water the youngest boy's way. Bruce quickly lowers his glasses so he can look at his baby son properly and look at him curiously, "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

Damian finishes up the last of his homework and looks up at his dad while nodding. "Oh, yes father. Everything is just fine. I just realized the reason my two boxing teachers couldn't teach me today."

Kate sips at her drink and waves her hand at Stephanie, signaling to the girl that she can finally leave to play in the pool, the redhead ignoring Bruce's small glare at her for using his kids as personal servants. The woman focuses her eyes on Damian and smiles, "Oh, yeah? And what reason is that?"

Damian looks up in intense thought, "It's because they are celebrating Muhammad-uh...Muhammadan? Muhammad Ali day!"

A loud burst of laughter comes from the edge of the pool, the three turning to look at Tim-who has leaned over the edge of the pool-curiously. "Damian, do you mean Ramadan?"

Damian blushes and looks down embarrassed while his siblings bust out laughing at his cute mistake. Bruce holding in his laughter long enough to wait for his baby son to dive into the pool and out of hearing range with the threats of drowning his siblings for daring to mock him.

(I totally head cannon that Kate Kane uses Bruce's many children to help her as personal servants 😂. Not in a mean way, but she takes advantage of the free help since he has so many, she gets annoyed at how he keeps such good track on them though...it makes it more difficult to steal them away lol.

And this was based off of something me and my twin's baby brother said. He was trying to think of and say Ramadan, but he said "Muhammadan" and "Muhammad Ali Day" instead. We had a good laugh at that one.

You darlings please stay safe, happy, healthy and of course lovely as always and I hope all and any were able to enjoy this short and simple mini-fic thing? 💛)

#dc comics #dc universe #dcu #dc batman #bruce wayne #damian wayne #kate kane #tim drake #timothy drake #cuteness #cute kids #funny #bruce loves his kids #bruce wayne is a good dad #batfamily shenanigans #batfamily #batfam #gremlin damian wayne

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prettyboykatsuki · 1 month

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hi my lovely fang!! ramadan kareem! also happy belated isagi day!! loll i’m tipsy doing my skincare and watching formula 1 + premier league football (<-being delusional abt my teams winning. i’m no better than a m*n) but my mind ran on you so i said lemme go blab in your askbox <33

not day drinking or anything dw. just came back in from a bday dinner and then we ended up at a nightclub ?? for some reason ?? the music was really good and it felt good to be out with friends. idk, the old me wouldnt have even entertained the idea of going out so i hope ur proud of me for socializing even when i got drained like an hour into the whole thing.

hope the spring's been good to you so far. (i for one am salty since this weather still feels treacherously winterlike to me.) and remember to pace yourself for school.

life has been so interesting lately: moved out of a toxic household and decided to establish boundaries with family (got villainised for it), trying to learn an instrument as a hobby, became a deku fan (‼️♥️☹️‼️) and an arthur morgan enthusiast (⁉️), my kitchen sink randomly flooded and my landlord was an ass abt it, finally watched howl’s moving castle,

always always still thinking of oliver tho. atp i mentally chant his name like my own personal litany against going apeshit in law school. i think u were talking abt songs that remind u of him and i would like to add for ur consideration: that tyler song w/ pharell? called “ifhy”. also DONT LAUGH but i cannot hear anything off the wiped out album without some association to him. some russ songs too. idk what it is abt that bastard but i enjoy putting him in mental aus he has no business being in: like we both know he’d be a regency AU scoundrel or like a rake or smth and yet i’ll be on the subway crafting it in my mind palace LMAO

back in the day i used to depression-watch the encore westerns channel so those scruffy ruffians u have been read dead posting abt are making my ears perk up a little (a lot).

if i was actually writing you as a legit penpal i would decorate your letter and use different coloured ink and stickers and send u a polaroid and stuff. i am so fond of you like whoa. hugging and squeezing and pulling you 🫂🫂🫂🫂 like taffy!! have a great day and an even greater eid !!

-resident oliver gremlin xoxo

RAMADAN KAREEM EVEN THO I AM ANSWERING POST EID AS SOME KIND OF FOUL BEAST!!!! and happy belated isagi day to u twin i hope it was wonderful

i actually heard alot about the f1 stuff from beloved mutuals posting and general internet circulation!!! lots of . stuff going on in that place from what i can tell . i hope ur special sports guys won i love u !!

also glad ur not drinking too much. a birthday dinner and nightclub feel like a random combo sdjhsdkfj but sometimes u just dont want the night to end so i really get it. im not a club girl either it is so overstimulation for me in a way i have a hard time with so im SO proud of you

i feel u abt spring it is so midwest core how cold it fawking is rn fdkjkhdjfkg. but its fine we ball

ALSO SO PROUD OF U!!!!! setting boundaries w fam is sooo dogshit but u did right by yourself and thats all that matters. iA it becomes easier. also instrument, deku fan, and arthur....... ohhh anon it has been a busy and fun life i see.

I MISS OLIVER SOOO FREAKING MUCH IM HAPPY U BRING HIM UP. i agree ifhy by tyler suits him so much im going to throw my guts up fkgjdffgklsd. also no he is very russ song actually.... best on earth ft him and bia.... i will eat glass. im glad his horrible and annoying ass can support the bad beautiful shorty u are thru law school... the most he is capable of im afraid. ALSO WAIT REGENCY AU KIND OF EATS...... WILL BE SIMMERING ON THAT ..... i think him being a sleazy powerful noble who's been enaged a billion times and broken up with even more chasing u a mean noble girl who hates him ohhh .. ohhhhh

ALSO IM GLAD U LIKE MY RDR POSTING. i am. completely out of my mind about them forreal its actually notfunny anymore JKFDJLKS. but thats alright.

I WOULD LOVE GLITTER PEN. mine would have so many stickers. SO FOND OF U TOO ANON... WE ARE KISSING AND HOLDING HANDS... EID MUBARAK AND MANY BLESSINGS

#return to sender #resident oliver gremlin #JKDSHFKJS

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dragonsdreamoffire · 3 years

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(Honey I am so so sorry it’s taken me a bit to respond, I’ve been wrapped up in quite a bit lately and I haven’t been on tumblr very much 💜)

I listen with deep interest, eyes near sparkling with wonder and curiosity

Wow Princess, Ramadan sounds really interesting! It also sounds like you enjoy it a lot, which makes me happy that you have something you can enjoy so much, and I’d love to listen to anything else related to it 💜

I’d love to maybe even cook dinner with you love, it sounds like a wonderful time. I’m sorry that this year won’t be the same as years prior, with a mix of the oven/house situation and not knowing many people in the area you’re in. I can see how that might put a damper on things— but I truly hope you can make the most of it, sweetheart. You deserve to be able to fully enjoy the things that are apart of your life

I hold your face in my hands and stare deep into your eyes, only pure love and adoration shining from mine

Sweetheart, thank you for being here with me. I love you dearly, and I dunno what I’d do without you. You’re my sweet girl, after all 💜

-Shinso 💜

(Mod, don’t worry an inch, you’re perfectly fine, it’s understandable!)

I nod eagerly, hands wrapped around your neck

It is really fun!! And ooh, at the end of it is Eid!! This big holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, and we always wear these fancy clothes and go to the masjid and everyone throws parties and instead of presents we get money haha!! It’s so great, and so festive! It’ll be different again, but I’m sure we’ll manage!

Aww Toshi! Thank you! I’m glad you care so much, and I’m sure it’ll be fine! The food still tastes delicious lol! It’s always really great! And oooo yes! I could show you some traditional food we make! And you can be my taste tester since I can’t taste the food! 🥰

Tears spring in my eyes as I grasp your hands holding my face, and intertwine my fingers with them.

Thanks Toshi, I’m happy to have you too, and I fell asleep answering this ask 😭

#toshi honey~

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engelkeijsers · 4 years

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Don't you want a Yasmina season? Is that why you are hoping for Moyo season 4?

i can't wait for yasmina's season!! if this is about my latest post (moyo season 4 & yasmina season 5) either you misunderstood what i was saying or i just expressed my thoughts with the wrong words. let me explain it better 💗

what i meant is: we're getting yasmina season anyways, cause it's an og based one. i'm really glad about this, cause i love yasmina, she's my sunshine, but if season 4 is still yasmina's then that would mean the viewers would have to wait more than a year for a new season (cause robbe's ended in december 2019) and it's of course a possibility, but i don't think wtfock would just leave us like that. that's why i think moyo season 4 (and therefore yasmina s5) would make sense; we wouldn't have to wait a whole year for it, cause it would probably drop around fall (october/november??), we would get the content that we want so bad & yasmina's season could still happen during ramadan and it wouldn't be such a long break between the seasons. it doesn't have to happen obviously, they can just wait till the spring to have season 4 or have it happen in autumn and just skip the whole ramadan subplot (using this word purely out of the lack for a better one, if it's offensive please tell me). in conclusion: i don't care about the order of the seasons. yasmina's season is happening no matter what, it's just a matter of time, so i don't give a fuck if a possible moyo season happens before or after her's one. however, remember this is just me speculating!! i'm just overthinking everything and hoping for a moyo season,, nothing's confirmed and i don't think it will be for a long time. hope you understand better my thoughts now xx

#moyo makadi #yasmina ait omar #wtfock #answered

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pravasichhokro · 3 years

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Experience of living in different cities

In my life of more than 7 decades, I have lived in some 8 cities starting from Ahmedabad, Pilani, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Yokohama( Japan), Muscat (Oman) and Bangalore, in that order. I will make an attempt to pen down the “trivial”, but not so common, features of my experience.

I was brought up in Ahmedabad from 1954 to 1967, which were mostly my student days. We lived on the outskirt of the city and our society of bungalows was surrounded by open fields where still farming was going on. Other than school and college, I was busy playing different games with my neighbors. I enjoyed Gujarati snacks and would take extra efforts to get them. Our neighbors were very kind and did not complain of our cricket or other games played anytime of the day. City had a very good bus service and it was our main transport. Our bungalow had a few tenants like us but it did have a problem of water and sewage. Water supply was short and erratic, and septic tank sometime spilt over. We loved the festival of Navratri ( Garba/Dandia) and kite flying on Makarsankrant.

I shifted to BITS, Pilani hostel for five years from 1967. The change from day scholar to hostel life was huge. I could do what I wanted and when I wanted (freedom) except class attendance. Other than academic pursuit, I was able to indulge in sports/games. I learnt how to play basket ball, table tennis and contract bridge. I improved my ability to play carom, cricket and hockey. Being confined to the campus for a couple of months at a stretch, I enjoyed food in the mess and also outside at Nutan market/dhabas. I was introduced to black (udad) dal, lemon rice, mawa mutter, stuffed parathas and stuffed capsicum/tomato in the mess. Outside the campus got to taste Titar (partridge), reportedly a banned bird. I was bombarded by Hindi movies as every Saturday a movie was screened for students. I probably saw more than 125 movies in BITS in five years, compared to less than 20 movies seen earlier. Initially the old movies were screened in 16 mm in a quadrangle of the main building but later new movies in 35 mm in a huge auditorium. Once in a while, we escaped the campus life to see late night movie in a makeshift shed called Jayashree talkies.

After graduation in 1972, I lived in South Delhi till the late 70’s, initially as a bachelor and then a family man. Major problem of Delhi was public transport as I did not own a vehicle then. City bus (DTC), autorikshaw or yellow taxi were most unreliable and the operators ( drivers and conductors) most non-cooperative and rude. My wife, who joined me from Bombay, was most shocked as she compared this scene with BEST of Bombay. I did not face much problem as I used a contract bus to go to office. As a bachelor, I used to join others on most Saturday night’s for a party. The liquor law did not permit drinking in public so we sometime managed to cross into Haryana (Faridabad) and consumed beers and chicken. Returning after the fling was not a problem as “drive after drinks “was not an offence. In Delhi, we enjoyed different types of food –Punjabi and Chinese. Our favorite places were Lajpatnagar market, M block market in GKI, Narulas and Hongkong in GKI. Most tasty samosa was made by a small vendor in East of Kailash A block market. At residence, we faced water shortage and had to cook on kerosene stove.

We shifted to Bombay in early 80’s and lived there for 8 years. Biggest difference was a moderate summer compared to Delhi and very efficient city transport whether bus, taxi or autorikshaw. We also enjoyed the sea and its beeches- Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu and Malad. We, however, had to face some water shortage. We once again were able to enjoy street food like batata vada, Frankie, bhel etc. We also loved Irani café menu of maska pav, kheema pav, baida( egg) roti etc. We started going to Marathi plays often and enjoyed the change from Hindi movies. I got to own a flat in 1982 and a Bajaj scooter in 1984. That made life easy.

We moved to Pune in the mid 80’s for a brief period and are staying there till date (more than 20 years) except our breaks to go to Japan, Oman and Bangalore. In first phase, we got to live in a bigger place, owned our own Premier Padmini car and telephone line at residence, all thanks to Thermax, my employer. The major sigh of relief was water availability and good round the year weather-moderate summer, monsoon and winter. These advantages remain even today. Pune offered the advantages of a village and city. Distances were short and day out picnic spots in the surrounding hills were approachable and affordable. I got introduced to music (performing arts) of all kinds –classical, light, gazal, filmy and non filmy. I was able to attend live performances of stars like Pt. Jasraj, Kaushiki Chakravarty, Shaunak Abhisheki, Hariharan, Raghunandan Panashikar, Jagjiy Singh, Alka Yagnik, Shankar Madhavan,Shaan, Sarod by Amjad Ali, dances by Hema Malini, Minakshi Sheshadri. Also new upcoming stars like Vibhavari Joshi Apte, Hrishikesh Ranade.Pune reintroduced us to Lord Ganesh and we love the ten day special festival of Ganpati. I was and am able to indulge in outdoor activities like walking, swimming and going to hills. We got introduced to YOGA-pranayam, Omkar, suryanamskar etc. We do it regularly even today. Our health received a boost as we got to know more about homeopathy medicines as my wife has seen lot of benefits to this alternative therapy. I was able to afford and enjoy different cuisines. My membership of a club once again enabled me to see a Hindi movie every week. Since it was free, one had the luxury to walk out of un-interesting movie without feeling guilty.

We moved to Yokohama, Japan during the 90’s. The change was huge-from “stone” age of Pune, India to space tech level in Yokohama,Japan. The weather was excellent and all the utilities-water, piped gas, electricity and land line were reliable and affordable. First time we used a Microwave oven and rice cooker with a timer. Only my daughter’s international school fee was a huge dent on my pocket but she had the best quality of education. We got initiated into Japanese food and loved visiting China Town for authentic Chinese cuisine. My daughter enjoyed the American fast food at McDonald’s and Pizzas at Shakey’s. Surprisingly there were more than fifty Indian restaurants in Tokyo area and we loved the Naan served there. The public transport (bus, train, taxi) was reliable, clean and convenient even for foreigners like us despite the language hurdle. We also enjoyed a ride on the famous bullet train (called Shinkansen) from Yokohama to Kyoto (400 kms). Like Japanese people, we also started visiting and appreciating the nature in the hills near Yokohama including hot springs and Mt. Fuji. We were surprised and shocked to find all public places-footpath, roads, stations, bus stops and toilets were spotlessly clean (clean like home). Another surprise was that weather forecast was very reliable and available in the lift lobby of the buildings. Being an island country, it would rain any time and this forecast helped. We also got introduced to huge superstores and malls. Some malls were part of railway stations e.g. Yokohama. We also got to know the vending machine culture of Japan. Many daily required items (soft drinks, coffee, tea, snacks, milk, beer, cigarette etc) could be purchased from vending machines which were all over- on footpath, near stations, lift lobbies, parks etc.Even train tickets were on a vending machine. We also made our first visit to entertainment parks like Disneyland. We also got used to the deep tub (OFURO) bath that Japanese used to keep warm during winter. I got introduced to Sumo, the Japanese wrestling and professional baseball.

We moved to Muscat, Oman for two and a half years in the late 90’s. Other than the high temperatures (summer could be + 50 Deg C), the life was very enjoyable. Oman was an exception in the Middle East and it honored Indians and Hindus. The biggest hurdle to mobility was a driving license and I got it fast luckily. I was glad to drive around in a Camry, poor person’s Mercedes. We were regular visitors to 200 year old Shiva temple and newly built Krishna temple, both built and managed by kutchi community. We were able to buy Indian vegetables and fruits easily and reasonably priced. There was easy access to Indian restaurants and street food. We got introduced to Kerala paratha (laccha paratha) and some tandoori roti from Pakistani outlets. We got introduced to Lebanese cuisine and we loved it. We could go out for dinner, which also offered Indian music or Egyptian belly dance. We were privileged to see Hindi movies on Thursday night, a day before they were released in Mumbai. We were able to drive down to Dubai in 4 hours (400 Kms) and enjoy the shopping. Driving was a pleasure as all had to follow the traffic rules and they were followed. Muscat had lovely road side greenery and flowers, and they were maintained with great efforts. Muscat airport restaurant was open for non-muslims during Ramadan and that was a big relief.

After retiring from a Pune company in 2012, I took a short assignment in Bangalore. We were lucky to stay in huge residential complex in Whitefield. First time in our life, we stayed in high rise building on the 11th floor. We enjoyed the famous Bangalore weather but had to face mosquito menace. The complex had a zero water requirement as it treated and re-circulated most of the sewage. It, however, gave a bad smell in parking area (basement). We had to bear bad water quality. We used aqua guard treated water for cooking and bought Bisleri for drinking. The water quality also reflected in poor quality of green vegetables. Another problem we faced was traffic jams- it took almost 90 minutes from our residence to reach the airport. Most facilities in our area were catering to IT crowd and hence it was re-adjustment for us.

In conclusion, I can say that present day life style is a mixture of what we picked up from different cities. Ironically my wife always wanted and wants things from the cities we left behind. For example, she wants palak, green peas and fulgobi (vegetables) from Delhi, Fish from Mumbai, Farsan from Ahmedabad, Miso soup and Yakisoba from Japan, Mysore pak from Bangalore. These small things keep us connected to the cities we had lived in.

#Ahmadabad #pilani #mumbai #pune #yokohama #muscat #delhi

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nerd-on-edge · 4 years

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The Benefits of Rabi’-ul-Awwal: its Significance, Lessons and Blessings

Safa Faruqui

When is Rabi’-ul-Awwal?

Rabi’-ul-Awwal is the third month of the Islamic calendar, occurring after Muharram and Safar. In 2020, it will begin on either 18th October or 19th October, subject to the sighting of the new moon.

The literal meaning of Rabi’-ul-Awwal is ‘the first spring’, but this has no relevant meaning today, because the Islamic calendar follows the moon rather than the solar seasons. Thus, Rabi’-ul-Awwal will begin in autumn this year.

Why is Rabi’-ul-Awwal important to Muslims?

Muslims consider Rabi’-ul-Awwal to be significant because the following events took place during this month:

The birth of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), the final Messenger to whom the Qur’an was revealed.

The Hijrah of the Prophet (saw), when he emigrated from Makkah to Madinah. The Islamic calendar is dated from this event.

The death of the Prophet (saw), on 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal in the eleventh year of Islam.

Does Rabi’-ul-Awwal have any special blessings or benefits?

Unlike, for example, the months of Ramadan or Dhul Hijjah, there are no special recommendations to fast, pray or make du’a during Rabi’-ul-Awwal. However, the events that took place during this month mark it as specifically blessed.

Allah chose Rabi’-ul-Awwal to send the Prophet (saw) into the world, and to take His Beloved (saw) back to Him. Out of the twelve months in the lunar calendar, He chose to bless only Rabi’-ul-Awwal in this way. Therefore, it is of course a special month and deserves our attention and respect. With that in mind, let’s take a more detailed look at the blessed events of this month and what we can learn from them.

Event One: The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Rabi’-ul-Awwal is one of the most significant months in Islamic history, because humanity was blessed by the birth of the Prophet (saw) during this month. He (saw) would eventually lead the world, beginning with the Arabs, Persians and Romans, from the darkness of ignorance and oppression into the light of Tawhid, and true justice and peace. His birth was ‘a mercy to the worlds’ (Qur’an, 21:107), and Allah chose Rabi’-ul-Awwal to illuminate us with this mercy.

The Prophet (saw) was born in Makkah on a Monday in Rabi’-ul-Awwal, though narrations differ on the exact date. Many narrations say the 12th, but others have mentioned different dates between the 8th and the 17th. Nevertheless, he (saw) was definitely born on a Monday:

His birth had been anticipated for a long time. Isa (as) had mentioned it to his people five centuries earlier:

'And remember when Isa, the son of Maryam, said, "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah [sent] to you, confirming the Torah (Law) [which came] before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad"'. (Qur'an, 61:6)

Ibrahim (as) and Isma’il (as) had also prayed for the Prophet’s (saw) birth when they were rebuilding the Ka’bah:

'Our Lord, send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise'. (Qur'an, 2:129)

There were many miracles surrounding his birth. The Prophet’s (saw) mother, Aaminah, was conscious of a light within her when she was pregnant with him, which one day shone from her so intensely that she could see the castles and palaces of Syria. (Ibn Ishaq)

There were also the miracles witnessed by his foster mother, Halimah, who had been hoping for a rich child to nurse, because her family was suffering from drought. Nevertheless, she took fatherless Muhammad (saw) as her foster child, and her family were blessed for years afterwards:

It is clear the Muhammad’s (saw) arrival was much-anticipated and it was widely recognised that he was a blessed and special child. Even his name was unique; it means ‘one who is praised’, and no one else used that name at the time. His mother, grandfather (‘Abdul-Muttalib) and foster-parents all knew that great things lay in his future.

So what lessons can we draw from his (saw) birth this Rabi’-ul-Awwal?

The Importance of Loving the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

‘The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves’. (Qur’an, 33:6)

The month of Rabi’-ul-Awwal is a good time to remind ourselves of the place of the Prophet (saw) in our lives. He is the best of creation, and he should be dearer to us than any place or person, including ourselves.

If we do not feel this closeness to the Prophet (saw), the solution is simple: learn more about his character and his life, and naturally our love for him will grow.

This Rabi’-ul-Awwal, why not begin reading the Seerah (the Prophet’s (saw) biography) so you can learn more about the best of creation? It is also a good idea to start following Prophetic habits, such as visiting the sick and elderly, smiling often, and feeding the poor.

Take this chance to revive or strengthen your connection with the Prophet (saw) and his Sunnah.

Event Two: The Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

The Prophet (saw) and his Companion, Abu Bakr (ra), also emigrated from Makkah to Yathrib during Rabi’-ul-Awwal. This event is known as the Hijrah, and we date the Islamic calendar from it. So, the first year they spent in Madinah was the first Islamic year, the second year was the second Islamic year, and on. The Islamic year is denoted by ‘AH’, which stands for ‘After Hijrah’. We are currently in the year 1441 AH.

Umar (ra) said, ‘The Hijrah has separated truth from falsehood, so calculate dates from it’. (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani)

The Hijrah marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Muslims. The Prophet (saw) united the tribes of Yathrib, guiding them with justice, wisdom and mercy. The city of Yathrib became known as ‘Madinah al-Munawarah’, the Illuminated City, and is now commonly called Madinah.

Did you know that the first masjid was also built in Rabi’-ul-Awwal? The Prophet (saw) left Makkah with Abu Bakr (ra) and they crossed the desert to Quba, a town near Yathrib. They stayed there for three days and built the first masjid, before travelling on to Yathrib, where they would begin building a second masjid, known as Masjid An-Nabi today.

The Prophet (saw) greeted the people of Quba by saying, ‘O people, give one another greetings of peace, feed the hungry, honour the ties of kinship, and pray in the hours when men sleep. Then you shall enter Paradise in peace’.

The anniversary of the Hijrah should remind us of these words. In both Quba and Madinah, the Prophet (saw) established a community centred around Allah’s worship, where the beautiful lessons of the Qur’an and Sunnah were followed. The Prophet (saw) said, 'Leave me as I leave you, for the people who were before you were ruined because of their questions and their differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can'. (Bukhari)

This Rabi’-ul-Awwal, we should strive to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) as much as possible in our daily lives.

The best way to follow the Prophet's (saw) example is to read, understand and follow the Qur’an. Increase your Qur’anic recitation, and bring life to the Qur’an and Sunnah in your house by reminding yourself to be kind, generous, patient and grateful. The Prophet (saw) is the best example for us, and this Rabi’-ul-Awwal, we should take the opportunity to remind ourselves of the lessons he taught and build good habits.

Event Three: The Death of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

On Monday 12th Rabi’-ul-Awwal, in the eleventh year of Islam, the Prophet (saw) passed away.

A day or two before his death, he had gone into the Masjid and told the people from the pulpit, ‘There is a slave amongst the slaves of God to whom God has offered the choice between this world and that which is with Him, and the slave has chosen that which is with God’. He had been ill for a few days, and his family and closest friends knew that it would soon be time for him to go back to Allah.

Nevertheless, it was still a great shock to the Muslims when he died, so much so that some of them refused to believe that he had passed away. Just a few hours before his death, he had gone into the Masjid and watched the people praying, and Anas (ra) later said, ‘I never saw the Prophet’s face more beautiful than it was at that hour’. It seemed impossible that he (saw) should have left them, and even Umar (ra), one of his closest Companions, was adamant that it was a lie.

Abu Bakr (ra), however, reminded the people that the Prophet (saw) was only a human Messenger, and he was not immortal. Abu Bakr (ra) said,

‘O people! If it was Muhammad whom you worshipped, then know that he is dead. But if it is Allah whom you worshipped, then know that He does not die’.

It was as if the people had not known of the revelation of this verse until Abu Bakr recited it that day. They took it from him, and it was on all their tongues. Umar (ra) said afterwards, ‘When I heard Abu Bakr recite that verse, I was so astounded that I fell to the ground. My legs would no longer carry me, and I knew that Allah's Messenger had died’.

Allah had presented the Prophet (saw) with the choice to live a little longer or to return to Him. Allah’s Beloved chose to return to him. The grief and sorrow felt by the Muslims was immense, in Madinah in particular. They were grieving not just for the Prophet (saw), whom they loved more than anyone else, but for the end of Revelation:.

‘I don’t weep for him’, said Umm Ayman, who had been like a mother to the Prophet (saw). ‘Don’t I know that he has gone to something which is better for him than this world? But I weep for the tidings of Heaven which have been cut off from us’.

Since the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is beloved to all Muslims, it is natural for us to mourn the Prophet’s (saw) death, and to feel great sadness at his loss. With that in mind, here is one final lesson we can draw from the month of Rabi’-ul-Awwal.

Gratitude for the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

It is only through the sacrifices, efforts and immense love of the Prophet (saw) that we have been given the incredible guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah says in the Qur’an:

‘Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses, and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah, (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw)), while before that they had been in manifest error’. (Qur’an, 3:164)

We naturally tend to remember the beautiful character of the Prophet (saw) more in Rabi’-ul-Awwal, but we should not single out this month to connect with him and follow his Sunnah. Rather, we should use this month as an opportunity to build good habits so we can emulate him throughout the year.

Above all, Rabi’-ul-Awwal is a time for being grateful to Allah for the amazing blessing of sending the Prophet (saw) to us and guiding us to His Light. It is a time for grounding ourselves in our purpose once more and reviving our connection with Allah and His Messenger by learning more about the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is the ultimate blessing and significance of Rabi’-ul-Awwal.

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ucfknighterrant-blog · 7 years

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Trekking Toubkal (2/2)

The following morning, our alarm woke us at 3:30am to dress and eat breakfast. When I crept downstairs, I found the Moroccans huddled around a table, eating Suhoor, the only food or drink they would consume before undertaking more than 30 kilometers of hiking that day. Charlotte and I ate our own breakfast, and then we began the steep climb to the summit in utter darkness. The first hour passed as if in a dream, scrambling up and up and up over rocks and occasional swaths of snow, illuminated only by the small circle of light from our phones. We could only see a couple meters in any direction, but as the glowing lights of the refuge shrank behind us and below us, I had an eerie awareness of the invisible yawning space in one direction. I suspected with my fear of heights, I would find this stretch of trail more intimidating on the way down when I could see it.

As dawn approached, the darkness paled to gray and then the summits of the peaks opposite us gradually materialized. Then as the sun hit them, they were painted with a warm pink light.

We had reached a series of switchbacks now, and at each turn I would pause to breathe and to marvel at the progress of the sunrise. We climbed and climbed and climbed. Periodically we had to scramble over loose scree that threatened to slip out from beneath your boot and cascade down the slope like water. We crossed patches of hard-packed snow and scrambled among boulders the size of cars. Then more switchbacks.

Eventually we reached the ridge line, and the views opened up around us. However, the summit itself was still some distance off to our left. We continued until I thought we had reached our goal, but instead we had only reached our first glimpse of the summit itself, up until now obscured by the nearer face of rock. We could see the pyramid summit sign, but that peak seemed to be on the other side of empty space. But Hamid pointed out the trail to our left that dipped below the ridgeline and followed its crescent-shaped path around to the summit.

At this point, my nerves were shot. The path looked so steep and narrow that I sat down, momentarily panicked, unable to imagine myself covering the last few hundred meters. I mumbled that I would wait for Hamid and Charlotte here, but luckily they both dismissed my nonsense and talked me to my feet. “Don’t look down,” said Hamid. “And don’t stop.” Pretending that I could still only see as far as the light of my cell phone, I kept my eyes resolutely on the trail immediately in front of me. Ten minutes later the path opened up, and we had made it.

The summit of Toubkal is wide and nearly flat, but the sheer distance that you can see in every direction, including down, almost hurts your eyes. I was struck by the difference between here and Casablanca, where buildings obstruct the view anywhere you look, and your brain never has to process input from more than a few blocks away. It was dizzying. It was amazing.

We took photos from every conceivable angle and then sat and rested for a while, taking it all in. Hamid clambered atop the summit sign and posed, arms outstretched, for one of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken.

It had been cold on the shady trail, but here at the top, the sun kept us warm despite the thin air. After the challenge of the ascent, the twenty minutes we spent alone at the summit of Toubkal were some of the most gratifying of my life. I could have spent all day up there, but Charlotte and I had a train to catch that evening, and we still needed to descend to the refuge and walk another ten miles back to Imlil.

We followed Hamid back down the mountain. We exchanged greetings and encouraging words with several groups of hikers on their way up. Once the sun rose above Toubkal’s ridge line, the temperature increased dramatically, and I was glad we had completed the full ascent in the shade. As I expected, some stretches of the trail were harrowing by the light of day.

It was about 11am when we reached the refuge. We rested, ate lunch, and gathered up our belongings. It would be a long walk back through the valley to Imlil, but generally downhill. The weather was beautiful. The warm sun seemed incongruous as we walked past heaps of leftover snow on the creek bed, like spring and summer had haphazardly overtaken the valley and forgotten them there.

This trail was the more popular route between Imlil and Toubkal, and we passed several creek-side juice stands and souvenir shops. The juice was welcome and delicious, but the t-shirts, pottery, and nick knacks struck me as odd, because anything we bought we would have to carry. Throughout the afternoon we also crossed paths with lots of hikers on their way up to the refuge. It still never felt crowded, but I could imagine that outside the month of Ramadan, the relaxing trail might feel more like a busy thoroughfare.

After a long afternoon of hiking on tired feet, we crossed a rocky riverbed and found ourselves among the small villages of the Imlil valley. In another forty-five minutes, we made it back to Imlil proper, where a shuttle was waiting to take us back to Marrakesh. We bid goodbye to Hamid and Hamid and thanked them for making our trek such an incredible experience, an impressive feat that they had accomplished while fasting all day long. Exhausted, we napped in the van and then settled in at the McDonalds at the train station for a few hours. Due to Ramadan, the trains were infrequent and all the other restaurants were closed, so we ate McFlurries and used the wifi to reconnect with friends and family and share pictures from the journey.

After three and half hours on the train, we finally arrived in Casablanca around 11pm, almost 20 hours after waking up that morning. Collapsing onto my bed in my apartment, it was hard to believe that earlier that day I had stood on the tallest mountain in North Africa, over two miles higher in the Earth’s atmosphere than where I was now. It was a challenging and triumphant experience, and I am so, so grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks for the adventure, Jbel Toubkal.

#travel #morocco #hiking #atlas mountains #maroc #toubkal #trekking #tefl #adventure #ucf knight errant #ucfknighterrant

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minthepin · 7 years

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So I’ve been in Jordan for just under a week I think. Never have I craved AC and ice cubes as much. Yesterday I was pretty sure it was going to be the end of me. Nearly said my last goodbyes, but guess who is still here. Today we found the cure for heat, weirdly enough Cayon Black Tea – didn’t know it was black, haven’t had caffeine in a while, so I have a lot of energy now….

My first day I was in Amman, just grabbed a quick (yet delicious) dinner. Falafel, hummus, tabouleh and pita bread. Bashar and I chatted for a bit, and then went off to bed. In the morning we went to the Amman Citadel and saw the views. Since it is during Ramadan we weren’t really able to find food or coffee, so we stuck to water. It was incredibly hot…

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It was a beautiful site. Anyway, in the heat of the day, I got into a cab and went all the way down to Peace Wadi. There I found Mohammad standing on the balcony waving as the cab came closer. I walked upstairs to find a living room/kitchen combo and two other workers. One is a French boy called Pierre, the other a Finnish girl called Mira. Mohammad immediately told us to put our swimsuits on and told us he will baptize us again. The water on the farm comes directly from the Jordan River, which is where Jesus was baptized. So we went to the pool, turned on a tap and did the deed! I can say I’ve never felt cooler after a baptism.

The house and the Sharing tree

Jordanian flag

The “Projects”

Date palm

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A firestone oven. I’m gonna try to make pizza in here one day…

Since it was later in the afternoon, we went grocery shopping and chitchatted all day. Mohammad’s brother offered to let us have iftar (breaking of the feast) with him and his friends. Before we walked over, Mohammad’s nephew came by and tried giving us a quick crash course in Arabic. I retained none of it. But that evening, it was so friggin good. Lamb chops, pita bread, fries, some beef dish, tabbouleh, fruits, veggies, and cake. Their water was in this plastic individual serving cup, and it seemed a bit strange that this was the norm here instead of bottled water.

That night we brought our mattresses to the roof and decided that this is where we will sleep. From the house, there is an incredible view of Jericho city and to the other side parts of Jordan. The stars are not as bright since light pollution in the area is high, but it’s still amazing. We looked at the stars for ages, pointed out constellations and at some point fell asleep.

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The sun rises around 5:45-6 am, and that’s when we get up to go to work. So far we have just been clearing out the underbrush of the date palms. Picking season isn’t for another 6 weeks, but there’s a lot to do to prepare for it. We’ve taken on little activities around the house to spruce up the farm a bit. When it cools down, after dinner the three of us go on a nightly walk into town and back. It’s nice to watch everyone become alive again with food and water (and of course cigarettes). I think by far our favorite time of day is when we get to shower and go to bed – looking at the stars.

During the day it gets too hot to do anything which sucks, but I think we make it work. 11-3 ish we nap and read, play some cards but overall take it easy. I explored the farm on the second day and hung out. Got to know these interesting people.

Yesterday, we went to the dead sea. Now, mom, I know you’re the only one making it this far, so don’t worry, but Pierre and I started walking there. 30 minutes in and we were nowhere close. So we decided to get the next ride that came our way. This amazing guy, Isa, came by took us all the way to the Dead Sea, hung out with us and then took us back to Peace Wadi.

The Dead Sea was super cool. As soon as you went in it, it popped you back up. If you were trying to swim on your belly, your organs got displaced and it felt weird! Pierre and I laid on our backs for a bit, and then Isa said to go try the clay body wraps. We found a section of clay and put it all over our bodies. Let ourselves bake in the sun (supposedly absorbing something good from it) and then went to swim it off. It was quite fun. Isa then took us up the hill and we got in the hot springs and washed ourselves off. Overall an A+ adventure! Really an extraordinary guy, I can’t believe how safe it is here and how welcoming everyone is. It’s very common and safe to hitchhike here, but doing it for the first time like that was truly amazing. I think it is a culture shock in the best possible way. I’m not used to this hospitality, welcoming us like family and really trying to ensure that our time here is as great as one would have imagined.

It me

Pierre and I

Dead sea

Trying to take some clay off

That view doe

Hot Springs

That white stuff is salt

So far, my time here has been great. It’s been amazing to be accepted into a culture so different from any I have ever known. I don’t know any Arabic (slowly learning), and yet they try to ensure that we are all happy and content. The people I work with, the extended family, everyone has shown me love and compassion.

It’ll be sad leaving it, but I’m glad I got to experience it!

Who knew the Desert was hot? So I've been in Jordan for just under a week I think. Never have I craved AC and ice cubes as much.

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