Of baby's breath and roses

Ignore the awkward smile and creased hijab but let's take a moment and admire the beauty of the roses and baby's breath. Masya'allah! 

Things were getting too intense these days but receiving these babies was a nice change. Thank you you. 😊

I doubt anyone will ever understand this feeling. The feeling of not being able to produce results, lacking behind others and more. It isn't jealousy nor is it disappointment. 

They say move foward and look on the bright side but why does it feel like I'm still stuck in the alley?

I should have been there today but I guess HE has better plans for me. I'm not one to ask for sympathy but I'd just want people to understand that certain things are better to be left unsaid. 

I am flabbergasted by the bombing that happened in Manchester. It's despicable knowing that someone thinks of killing young and innocent people as jihad.

In all honesty, when i heard of the bombing, the first thing that came to my head was ''It has to be a muslim..'' 

We've all been programmed to think and target that one particular religion the moment something like this occurs. Being a muslim myself, this is something that I'm not proud of. There is so much beauty in Islam but yet a handful of people had to destroy and corrupt the beauty by doing horrible things. 

What did the children and innocent do to deserve this? 

And there he goes. 8 months came and went by. Friendships forged and now we have a friend from Tokyo! 

Safe trip to Phuket and back to Tokyo Tasuke Kato! 😊

Ana finally turned 23! 

The baby of the family isnt a baby anymore. I had envisioned the cake cutting ceremony to be slightly more enjoyable but I should have known better. Putting so much effort into something will always backfire. The chances of having something go according to plan is soooo slim that I'd be surprised if there wasn't a hiccup. 

Turning 23, going on a Europe trip in less than a week. Returning two weeks later, only to fly off again to Japan for another three months. You better miss me kid. Who's going to accompany me to sleep now? 

World peace

Two years ago, my friends and i decided to go for a trip to Istanbul. My mum who was fine with it initially became very protective and suddenly told me to change my plans. 

"I dont mind you going for a holiday in the EU. It's safer there. Just not Istanbul. It's not safe.." 

I went ahead with much convincing in December. A month or two later, there was a bombing that occured near where I stayed. I was deeply shakened by it. Alhamdulillah! Allah has decided that it wasn't my time to go. 

Fast forward to today, I've received news that there was another act of terror in Stockholm. Astarghfirullah hal 'azim. The EU/UK is no longer safe. I've faced discrimination in the UK and that was before all these act of terrors became predominant. 

Thanks to a small group of people who thought that Jihad is all about killing non-muslims, wars and terror. They forgot that Jihad comes in many forms too. 

Jihad literally means struggle or strive. Jihad is struggling or striving in the way or sake of Allah. The greatest jihad is jihad of the heart and soul. Jihad of the nafs. To be able to refrain oneself from the whispers of shaitan. 

May Allah protect those of us who are there to seek knowledge, rezeki and happiness from any harm and discrimination. 

As cliche as it may sound, my only wish and prayer is for world peace where different religions are able to live side by side in harmony. 

Barakallah hu lakuma wa baraka alikuma Wa jamaah baina kuma fii khair (=

So my buddy just got married last weekend. Funny how we clicked almost instantly when we barely knew each other during our secondary school days. Of course being two out of the three girls in our platoon helped with the fact that we did not have much of a choice. heh!
And like many others, we drifted apart when we were busy with other commitments after we left the institution but somehow by Allah's will, we came back together and got closer with a few other boys. Alhamdulillah!

I must say though, she is my definition of determination or perhaps someone stubborn headed. It is up to you how you would like to look at it. All we need to remember is that we are ultimately the creations of Allah s.w.t and that everything we've experienced and what we have right now were planned by Him. we need to have faith in Him. Ask Him for guidance should we feel helpless about something and thank Him for everything.

''They plan, and Allah plans surely Allah is the best of planners.'' The Qur'an 8:30 (Surah Al-Anfal)