Eyes: A Window to your Soul

The first time we met, I looked into your eyes....

The conversation we struck, embedded in my mind.....

I was confused, I knew not what to do....

Should I keep looking at those eyes?

Will they engulf me? I didn't take the risk....

I lowered my gaze lest I lose my footing....

Those eyes still play with me....

I wonder if I can see deep within....

Through the window to your soul.....

I wonder if I can touch your heart....

And I keep wondering and wondering....

And my thoughts keep wandering....

Ramadan in the Holy City

2 years, i.e. in 2004 and 2006, I've been in the Holy city of Makkah during the last week of Ramadan. And as ramadan is approaching, I feel drawn to that city again. I'm travelling tomorrow, to another city, which is quite the opposite of Makkah Mukarramah.....I'm not really very enthusiatic about it. I just feel the the piety and tranquility of Makkah and Madina hitting me.

I should say that I am quite lucky to have been able to go there thrice. The experience was enthralling. Itz just like, you live, but you don't care about food. All you would like to do is pray and to be good to others around you. All the people around you are just like you. Everyone is equal. Everyone has an equal opportunity to pray to God. To break the fast, you get dates and zam zam water, just have them and your thirst will be quenched, you feel refreshed. You get to pray so many times, but you never get tired. I don't know if it is the effect of Ramadan or if it is the effect of the city. But, even if you don't eat anything, you don't feel hunger, and even if you keep walking, you never get tired.

I just loved my experience there during Ramadan and if anyone has the time and ability to go to Makkah and Madina, I would highly recommend you to do so, especially in the Holy month, when the city is bustling with people and prayers. Just imagine the multitude of thawab (reward) you get in the city. And the peace of mind you experience there is another priceless thing.

Intention or Niyyath

“INNAMAL A’UMAALU BIN-NIYYATH – WA INNAMAA LI IMRI IN MAA NAWAA…”

This is the first Hadith in Saheehul Bukhari narrated by Omar-ibn-Al-Khattab[R]:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended."

It is necessary for us to have good intentions while doing anything. Especially as Muslims, we seek the pleasure of Allah in any walks of our life and doing things with good intention increases the bounty.

As a person, I truly believe, that if our deeds are governed by good intentions, deep within our hearts, no matter how others try to portray you as bad or pray for calamity to befall us, it will not affect us. We have the inner satisfaction of doing things for a good cause with a good intention. Mental peace, which leads to contented life. All begin from good intention.

And people with good intention will always receive good things. It is all what you have hidden deep down inside you. If you are pure in your heart, fear nothing, God is always with you and, remember, your heart is an open book to Him and only Him. He will never forsake you. Do Good, Be Good and Think Good!!!

Guilt

There are a lot of times when I hurt people, unintentionally. It doesn't really strike me that I've hurt them until later. But by then it is too late. Either I don't get the opportunity to apologize properly or I don't get the circumstances to apologize. It might be about the timing. I try as much as I can not to hurt people intentionally. So, I live with the guilt for quite a long time. And when I meet the person again, either I forget about it or they forget about it (or most times, they didn't even get hurt, it was just me thinking that I hurt them.)

But it sure is tough to move along with the guilt. And as a person who likes to keep my feelings to myself, I don't share these guilts and get over with it. It just accumulates and over time, one day I just break down with everything. Most of the time while in prayer, I seek forgiveness. All my tears they keep running down my face, but I don't like it when others see. I just want those moments with God and myself to replenish me.

As Ramadan is approaching, I would like to take this opportunity, to apologize to all those people whom I've hurt unintentionally. Maybe through my words or actions. I'm sorry for letting you down and for hurting you. I just don't like to live with guilt. To Err is human, to Forgive is Divine. And I seek forgiveness from Allah, always......I just wish that my tears can erase the guilt and sooth the hearts that I've hurt.

A Cool Day

Well, not exactly cool as in cold weather. Summer is still on and the temperature is around 45 deg Celsius, but the experience(s) I had today was quite, well, different and an eye-opener.

First thing in the morning, I go down to start my car to go for work, and no response. The battery was drained, so my car didn't start. Luckily for me, my dad's friend had left his car with him while going on summer vacation, so my dad told me that I could take his car!!! Well, yes, his 'King', Camry, which he is sooo possessive about and I was excited, thrilled and scared too. I have to be careful. I just loved driving this babe....it was sooo smooth. Well, not that I hate my car, my Chevy Aveo, but initially I didn't like it. But then I got used to it and then began liking it. But when you get the taste of something better, you yearn for it even more.

Then at my office, around noon, my computer froze. And I had this file with all these data, which I hadn't saved and that also went with ice. So, now, I've got to re-do it. Well, after all these, I was complaining to my colleague, not exactly my colleague, but my boss's colleague about 'my wonderful day' and when I told him about the car, he was like 'You must try driving my R8 TT.' And I was like, 'Do you mean Audi R8', 'Yeah. The 2 seater, sports car!' And I was like, 'I'll take this offer!!' Well, yes am crazy about cars and I guess I would grab any opportunity to drive a sports car!!!

Now, itz the end of the day. I thought maybe there will be a charm of 3 and I was wondering what the 3rd thing to freeze will be and I'm still wondering.......

Seasons of Life

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.....Well, yes, a song by Westlife.

Unlike yesterday, today was quite refreshing. After a long time, I met and talked to a person who had spent a lot of time with me during our university days. It felt good to walk down our memory lane, together. And it also helped us to see the changing seasons of our life. What we were as kids, as teenagers and where we might end up as adults. It is a long road, with all sorts of twists and turns, and at times a hell of a roller coaster ride.

The college days that were warm and fun and office days when things are so so different....the competition, the responsibility, the gossips......Life is changing and so are we. Before when I thought I couldn't grow up and now, I know I have to grow up. But I will take my time, step by step, I'll head towards my future. Who knows what it will hold, but hoping and praying for the best....for myself and others......

The Sky and the Stars

I happened to read an article today whicch was regarding Annual Perseid Meteor Shower this week...on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Well, when I read this article, I remembered our road trip to Saudi during Ramadan 3 years ago....it was on the 27th night of Ramadan. The road was pitch dark after we left Saudi border and there were a lot of trucks and a few cars. My sis and I were sitting in the rear seat of the car and all around us, it was pitch dark. After a while when I looked up the sky, it was beautiful!!!!! There were so many stars twinkling in the pitch dark sky. And believe me, I have never seen so many stars in this part of the world.

Then I sat there wondering, was this the miracle of Laylathul-Qadr? It is said that Laylathul Qadr falls on an odd night during the last 10 days of Ramadan and I have also heard that it could change every year. What is the significance of Laylathul Qadr? It is better than 1000 months. So, if you do a good deed on the eve of LAylathul Qadr, it is like you have done a good deed for 1000 months. It is the night when all the angels ascend down....

That night was beautiful! Subhanallah....nature is so very mystique and it engulfs me completely. I just love the serenity and tranquility it provides. Simple happiness.....

A Wish

At times, how I wish I could escape reality

To run away and take solace in mother nature....

To run away to the green meadows all by myself....

Quench the thirst and gulp down the view of the blue sky....

To feel the cool wind gushing past my face

Trying to blow mw away with it.....

To lie on the green meadows and watch the birds fly in the sky....

To feel the earth beneath and the smell of the mud after first rain....

How I wish I could just run away to a place

Where I just don't have to think about anything or anyone

Just satisfy myself with what nature has to offer

To see, to hear, to feel, to smell....

But then I'm drawn back to reality...

Wherever I run to, I try to escape to

I just don't find any green meadows....

I don't feel the cool breeze hitting my face...

But I feel the scorching heat and see the barren land....

With nature changing itz color.....

How I wish I could run back with time....

How I wish I could lie on your lap....

How I wish I could listen to the water....

How I wish I could feel the breeze....

How I wish I could see the green and blue shaking hands....

How I wish you'd replenish me.....mother nature!

Today's Techie Trivia

I had attended a vendor's presentation today. They were from China and were presenting a lot of techie stuff. What really caught my attention was the laptop they were using AND the laser keyboard. YESSS!!! The laser keyboard that we usually see in the forward emails was right in front of my. My boss took it from them for a while and was playing with it and his boss was asking me, 'Can you see it?' 'coz as usual I was occuppying one of the seats at the back. Yes, I had my fair share of inspecting the equipment remotely. It was just amazing!!!!

Well, technology fascinates me. I just enjoy the pace at which things are going these days and well, get quite excited with all the teknoratti around. I'm quite happy that my job allows me to be exposed to more technology :)

2 Years on Blogger and 75th Post!!!

I just noticed that this is my 2nd year on Blogger.

I began blogging after I read some inspirational quotes during my summer vacation and wanted to share them with everyone. Then I began posting good forward emails on my blog, 'coz last year after I returned from vacation there were so many emails in my inbox (not to mention I have half a dozen email ids multiplied by 100 emails...LOL), that I was concerned about my friends who check their emails only occassionally and what a nuisance my forward emails would be for them and how difficult it would be for them to retrieve important emails. So I decided to be a good girl and send forward emails only to people who check their emails often or who sends me forward emails often. Then I began blogging my thoughts and when the philosopher or poet within me decides to awaken, I jot them down too. And so blogging has become an obsession(??) Not quite. I can write only when I have the mood to write and that happens...well...at times. And these days I don't get as many forward emails as I used to, so posting forward emails is also lesser.

Now I'm thinking of writing book reviews/summaries or Japanese drama/anime/manga summaries. I don't know if I'll really do it, but I had a yahoo 360 site dedicated for that, then I got bored. Well, who knows. It all depends on my mood.

And speaking of 2nd anniversary of blogging, this is my 75th post on the blog!!! Cool, huh? I never thought I'd reach this far. Thanks to all the voluntary readers, followers and commenters. And for those whom I impose to read my blog, hehehe, thanks for yielding and bearing my writing. I really appreciate all your support!

Religion vs. Tradition and Culture

Well, this post is not to debate whether religion comes in front of tradition and culture or vice versa. But just my views about the same with respect to my observation. This is higly personal opinion and has no bias towards any religion or culture. Comments are welcome though.

Have you ver wondered what has always dominated most of the societies all over the world? How traditions were established and how religion was adapted? What dominates our life? Is it religion or tradition? When we speak of religion everyone has their own version of it. Some might be orthodox, highly adhering to religion or a little bit of religion here and there. Not many follow their religion to the core, not many can, 'coz of the society. Society has their own set of rules, which comes down as tradition or an established culture. And they expect everyone to follow cultural customs to the core. This influences in distorting religious outlook. Culture is made by people and it evolves over time. With time, many unwanted customs blend in with culture and it keeps evolving. And society expects people to follow culture.

Religion is God sent. It doesn't change, need not change. But the pace with which human beings run, we fail to keep up with Him, we forget Him and the obligation to Him and even to thank Him. People don't care to satisfy God, but they want to satisfy the society and believe me, society can never be satisfied. 'Coz if you are satisfying one sect of the society, there might be another sect who will not be satisfied. In the end, everyone is at a loss.

Culture and tradition keeps evolving and not everyone can keep up with the change in society. So it is better to live life your way and try to satisfy yourself and God. 'Coz in the end, you return to Him with all your deeds!