Excerpt from a Speech by Chetan Bhagat

Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. ……………….
One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? …………….
It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices........." :)

"Don't be serious, be sincere."!

10 Ways to Increase Imaan: A Reminder for Myself

1. Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.

2. Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock in a black moonless night.

3. Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.

4. Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.

5. We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.

6. We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.

7. Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.

8. Make du'a, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.

9. Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'Ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.

10. Realize the effects of sins and disobedience - one's iman is increased with good deeds and our iman is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us - it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah or perhaps a test, But whatever it may be, It is for our Best.

Warm and Cool

I've always tried to figure out different patterns in pictures, paintings, numbers, words and even nature. The way they intertwine, complementing and supplementing each other.....like fire and ice, earth and sky, black and white, etc. is quite fascinating and the differences make us appreciate everything around us.

Well maybe I'm going off topic now, but then these differences is what makes things around you go in harmony and recently I realized more than ever how my parents, so different in their character, complement each other so well, that we felt we never missed a thing.

My dad is a bit strict, but quite cool too. Most of the times he likes to keep things for himself, but when he speaks, he does so frankly and it could hurt at times, but then, later you realize that it is all for your good. You know your flaws, then you learn how to overcome it.

My mom is quite the gentle and warm personality and she never keeps things in her head. She always speaks out what she thinks and what she thought about it before and what she thinks we must do about it. Always a smile and sometimes a frown.

Discussions during dinner is one of the best. We put forward our daily experiences, ask for suggestions, etc. and my dad puts forward his opinion and looks at us to make our own decisions and mom tells us what she thinks we must do.

I realized that their very differences complement them so much that we always thought we never missed a thing at home. And I should say that I'm reallly very lucky to have parents like them, Alhamdulillah. Being human beings they do have their flaws, but they are quite open to criticism as well. Well, it just doesn't feel alright when they are not together and even when we are not together. I miss you guys! Hope to see you soon!

Absent Minded Me

I don't know if I'm stupid or careless or dumb or reaaallllllyyyyy ABSENT MINDED.......but for a fact today when I got in my car I realized I had left my car window OPEN since yesterday evening!!!!

Hmmm.......this could be a car adventure ;)

Other adventures for the day

- Went at 130kmph today n realized my car gives the speeding alarm at 130 kmph n not 120 kmph

- I'm still not used to taking a turn at 80kmph

- My car is so noisy that people realize ITZ coming!!!!

For You, A Thousand Times Over.....

"Amir Agha, For you a thousand times over....", said Hassan

Well, a quote from The Kite Runner, which has been embedded in my mind for quite some time now. The Kite Runner was a very emotional book, I was in tears through out the book. What really touched me was the unconditional loyalty and trust of Hassan towards Amir. This day, this age, where do we find such loyalty? such sincerity? despite the way Amir treats Hassan?

Well, this quote really made me think.....will I be able to tell this to someone or anyone? 'For you, a thousand times over...' Is there anyone in my life that I place even before me and would do anything despite the consequences that may befall me? I dunno....But I do know that there are some people whom I would happily dedicate my actions to and then there are some people who make you want to do things for them...just because of their personality....

Maybe one day I would really and honestly say, 'For you, a thousand times over.....', to someone really special, someone whom I would place before myself, someone for whom I would be ready to sacrifice myself......God knows the best.....

The Little Angel

Every Friday afternoon, after the Jumat services at the Central Mosque (and shortly after Al-Usrah program), the Imam and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out "PATH TO PARADISE" and other Islamic literature.

This particular and fortunate Friday afternoon, as the time came for the Imam and his son to go to the streets with their booklets, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready!'

His 'Muâallim' dad asked, 'Ready for what?'

'Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.'

Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'

Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?'

His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the booklets. Be careful son.'

'Thanks, Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a pamphlet or a booklet.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST BOOKLET. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a booklet to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered..

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old da'wah-expert turned to leave, but something stopped him.

Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that “ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU” and I came to give you my very last booklet which will tell you all about God, the real purpose of creation, and how to achieve His pleasure.'

With that, he handed her his last booklet and turned to leave..

She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Well, the following Friday afternoon after Jumat service (during which period they hold a weekly program, Al-Usrah) the Imam was giving some lectures. As he concludes the lectures, he asked, 'Does anybody have questions or want to say anything?'

Slowly, in the back row among the ladies, an elderly voice was heard over the speaker. As the voice went on, a hint of glorious gaiety and contentment was plainly evident in it even though it wasn't to be seen, 'No one in this gathering knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Friday I was not a Muslim, and thought I could be. My husband passed away some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Friday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly............

I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that ALLAH REALLY LOVES AND CARES FOR YOU!'

Then he gave me this booklet, Path To Paradise that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this book. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see? I am now a Happy Vicegerent of the One True God. Since the address of your congregation was stamped on the back of this booklet, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'

There was not a dry eye in the mosque. And as shouts of TAKBIR!!! ALLAH AKBAR!!! rented the air, even among the ladies, despite themselves.

Imam-Dad descended from the pulpit to the front row where the little angel was seated....

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no jama'at has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son....... Except for One. This very one....

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.

Instincts

Sometimes instincts are really scary. Your intuition says something will happen and it really happens. At times you fear something might befall you, and you pray that whatever will happen doesn't cause you too much harm and a catastrophe does happen, but doesn't affect you so much, your prayers would have helped you. When you see that most of your instincts did occur and you get that deja vu feel and now, there is another instinct haunting your mind, all I can do is pray and hope for the best.......

Instincts can haunt you for quite some time.....

And I thought Planning and Time Management was everything.......

The last couple of months have been quite busy for me. Both at work and at home. I kind of had a vague idea that things will get busy, but I thought that 'multi-tasking' was my thing....that I would be able to manage it by proper planning and time management!!! Well, so much for thoughts....for one thing, planning never works....I keep forgetting something essential, something like an absent-minded person and the other thing, time just flies, it is as if it just flows through your fingers and you can't really hold it!!!

Planning is all in the head, practicalities of life pose new challenges and exposes unforeseen circumstances. The pace at which time flies is so hard to grasp that at times I would just wish, how great it would be if time came to a stand-still!!! But then again, when exposed to a very very busy schedule, I just want to escape from it, I just tend to be lazy and do nothing! Yes, absolutely nothing, but read comics and leisure books and watch cartoons. Now I know why time is flying....and I really can't get myself to hold it and I've given up on planning as well.....Just live each moment to the fullest.....'Hakuna Matata'

At the end of the day all that matters is whether you are satisfied and happy living the way you are.......oh well, it doesn't always have a happy ending though.....

My Car Mis-Adventures!!!!

Well, like any normal driver on the road, I've had car mis-adventures and the funniest thing is, it has been only during these few months that I've had quite a lot of them. Yes, as it is called, 'The Charm of Three', I've had 3 car mis-adventures in last couple of months, AND, when I have to go to a meeting from my office!!!! Well, the 1st mis-adventure had a happy ending, the 2nd one was the worst and the 3rd one was a heroic one!!!

Well, before I begin with my mis-adventures, I'll just give a background of how the car parking at our office is. Well, itz messed up, only the managers' get the reserved parking and for us 'other' employees we have a ground or dirt lot a I like to call it (refer picture above). Well, I just can't believe how people here park their cars. Well, the first few people who come park properly and then itz the time for late comers who just park anywhere and rush off to their offices, blocking some cars here and there, taking too much space and so on and on.....Frankly, I felt the car parking at our university 'Dirt Lot' was better. The students were so organized and also were quite considerate about parking properly and giving others space to go......n one of our professors even sent email to congratulate the students being impressed seeing the parking on the 'Dirt

Lot'!!!

Ok...now for my mis-adventures....One fine morning, I go to my office as usual, was about to park on the second row, but then I remembered, 'Aha...I have a meeting today, so have to leave at noon. Got to park my car somewhere accessible!' So I parked my car somewhere towards the end, thinking that late comers would just leave their cars in between the first few rows!!!So, for the meeting at 1pm, I left my office at 12:15, walked to our wonderful parking lot, and got to my car...and a surprise awaits me there.....there are 2 cars right in front n behind my car....basically my car is jammed from all 4 sides!!! Hmmm...what do I do? the meeting is in about 35 minutes and it takes almost half an hour to reach the venue.

I call up my boss, 'Hey Doc! I have a problem!'

'What is it?'

'The parking lot-My car-I can't take it out. Itz surrounded by other cars!! What do I do????'

'Any solutions???'

'I'm not sure!'

In my mind I was thinking, 'Can I ditch the meeting?', but well, itz better not to say that out loud ;)

'I'm also on my way to the same meeting, but I can't pick you up 'coz I'm half way there. Go to the 4 seasons and take a limo from there to the meeting'

'Ok...I'll see!'

In my mind, 'There is no way I'd come with you anyways!!Hmm....4 seasons, Limo, not a bad idea ;)'

So I walked back again in the scorching heat to the 4 seasons...

'Do you have limo service?'

'Yes, ma'am'

'Ok, take me to ____(my destination) ASAP, please'

'Ok ma'am. Hop in!'

Enroute, the driver tells me, 'Ma'am it costs about $30 for the drive.' My jaw drops, well, I have the money and now I'm almost halfway I can't jump out!!! But then again it is in a Jaguar, so, well, I can't help it ;) !!!

Anyways, I call up my boss to give him an update, 'Doc, I'm on my way. I might be late by a few minutes.'

'Ok. By the way I forgot to tell you, the limo service will be a bit expensive, so take the receipt and get the money reimbursed tomorrow!'

'Ok. Thanks' ^____^

So that was my 1st mis-adventure. Basically I abandoned my car at the parking lot until the next day. The meeting venue was near my dad's office, so I got back home with him and I got a ride in a Jaguar!!!!

Now for my 2nd mis-adventure....this was kind of serious. So another fine day, I parked my car in a place which I was sure wouldn't be blocked, went to my office. Meeting at 12pm...I left my office at 11:15am, the crazy elevators give me the slowest one and finally I reached my car. Alhamdulillah, it is not blocked. At this time, there was road works going on close by, so when I got in the car and was driving it, I could hear something like a bull dozer. And when I reached the round-about, I could feel that my car was kind of strange. Like it wasn't pulling. After the round-about, I was on the fast lane and the guy in the black land-cruiser was flashing lights behind me, so I took the slower lane and he comes right behind me and flashes again. And then I thought, maybe something is wrong with my car! So, I pulled my car to the side lane and Lo n Behold, I have a FLAT tyre!!! The guy in the Land cruiser gets out, and asks me something in Arabic, I give him my polite smile,

'I'm sorry I don't speak arabic!'

'Do you need any help?'

'Well, it is ok I guess....thanks....I'll call someone for help! Thank you =)'

And the guy leaves. I call my dad....he doesn't answer his phone. I call my boss, 'Doc, a problem! My car has a flat tyre and I don't think I can make it for the meeting! Do you have Mr. J's number?' Well, Mr. J is the project manager who is organizing this

meeting. 'Yes. I'll send it to you in a minute. Make sure you attend the meeting atleast through telephone, ok?' 'Ok!' So, I call Mr. J and tell him my situation and he told me to calm down, fix the car and it wouldn't be a problem if I miss the meeting. So, my dad calls back, I brief the situation and he said he would come after work to change the tyre! So, my car is parked where

the road works are going on, and I wasn't sure if it was

ok to leave it there. Since I couldn't find any workers to enquire about the same, I left my car there, with a note (refer the pic on the right) to contact me if there was anything and walked back to my office. And this part of the world is not a place where ladies walk on the main road by themselves....but well, whatever, I just had to get back to my office which was like 750 meters away in the scorching heat. So, I miss my meeting, got scolded for not trying to be in the meeting via telephone and a walk in the hot sun! Tired...tired...tired!!!

Now for my 3rd mis-adventure. I'm still ROFL thinking about what I did. But then, I always do the most unexpected things, so itz high time I get used to it!!!

Today, unexpectedly, it was a bit too early when I reached my office, and I parked my car in the first row near the temporary barricade. Well, this time, I didn't have any prior appointments, I just had to go somewhere at noon. Off again to the wonderful parking lot, and, well, there are a row of cars parked in a way that we can't take our cars!!! Hmm...what do I do? My boss always says, 'When you have a problem, think of a solution!' My Options:

1. Hit the cars , make a dent and go!

2. The temporary barricade, move it and take the car in reverse gear

Yes. Option 2 it is!!! Me, the so called 'lady' in black moves the barricade and for some reason, there were 2 barricades behind my car. Well, I just moved those barricade which was a bit heavy, got in my car, took reverse and left! I didn't bother to put the barricade back to how it was. My black dress and black gloves were brown with the dust!! It must have been quite a sight for the people on the street. But, I had to get to my destination, n this was the only 'harmless' option I had!!! Yeah...yeah...laugh all you want!!!

Oh...well...quite a big story...so I'll stop for now!!! n I'll be back soon ;)

Prophet (SAW) 's Wasiath to Ali (RA)

(1) Refrain from sleeping between Subah and Ishraq; Asr and Maghrib; Maghrib and Isha (2) Avoid sitting with stingy people (3) Don’t sleep between people who sit (4) Don’t eat and drink with your left hand (5) Don’t eat those food you have taken out between your teeth (6) Don’t break your knuckles (7) Don’t look at the mirror in the night

(8) Don’t look at the sky while in salaath

(9) Don’t spit in the toilet

(10)Don’t clean your teeth with charcoal

(11)Sit and wear your trousers

(12)Don’t break tough things with your teeth

(13)Don’t blow on your food when it’s hot

(14)Don’t look for faults of others

(15)Don’t talk between iqamath and azan

(16)Don’t speak in the toilet

(17)Don’t speak tales about your friends

(18)Don’t antagonize your friends

(19)Don’t look behind frequently while walking

(20)Don’t stamp your feet while walking

(21)Don’t be suspicious about your friends

(22)Don’t speak lies at anytime

(23)Don’t smell and eat

(24)Speak clearly so others can understand

(25)Avoid travelling alone

(26)Don’t decide on your own but consult others who know

(27)Don’t be proud of yourself

(28)Don’t be sad about your food

(29)Don’t boast

(30)Don’t chase the beggars

(31)Treat your guests well with good heart

(32)Be patient when in poverty

(33)Assist a good cause

(34)Think of your faults and repent

(35)Do good to those who do bad to you

(36)Be satisfied with what you have

(37)Don’t sleep too much- it will cause forgetfulness

(38)Repent at least 100 times a day

(39)Don’t eat in darkness

(40 )Don’t eat mouthful

May Allah guide us all in the right path....Ameeen