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| Looking good today eh Qamari? |
Saturday 9 July 2016
Saturday 4 June 2016
16. There is always talent far better
Assalamualaykum wa rehmatullah,
All praise is due to the most High.
Despite the pending changes to this blog, I couldn't seem to wait until the new website was created to post up a blog post.
With some time to spare, I thought it would be nice to get back into some Graphic design and photography work, yet as I did, as anyone who is present in the design industry, understands the level of talent I was confronted with was infinite and was evermore overwhelmed by the difference between what I could have achieve and what I wanted to achieve.
Disappointment at its finest.
But I guess we all become, at some point or another disappointing at what we have achieved in comparison to the amount others have achieved around you. And so as long as this disappointment continues to fuel ambition we live in a level of security in assurance of self development.
But sometimes that disappointment can really put us down. Instead of fueling ambition, it distinguishes it. You begin to question your ability, what you are capable into achieving and whether it's even worth the effort to even try.
I guess it comes down to familiarizing oneself with the idea that what we achieve is to our account; so as long as we become a better person than we were the day before, we travel towards the self development we should continue to work towards achieving.
May Allah swt make us from those who strive for His sake
All praise is due to the most High.
Despite the pending changes to this blog, I couldn't seem to wait until the new website was created to post up a blog post.
With some time to spare, I thought it would be nice to get back into some Graphic design and photography work, yet as I did, as anyone who is present in the design industry, understands the level of talent I was confronted with was infinite and was evermore overwhelmed by the difference between what I could have achieve and what I wanted to achieve.
Disappointment at its finest.
But I guess we all become, at some point or another disappointing at what we have achieved in comparison to the amount others have achieved around you. And so as long as this disappointment continues to fuel ambition we live in a level of security in assurance of self development.
But sometimes that disappointment can really put us down. Instead of fueling ambition, it distinguishes it. You begin to question your ability, what you are capable into achieving and whether it's even worth the effort to even try.
I guess it comes down to familiarizing oneself with the idea that what we achieve is to our account; so as long as we become a better person than we were the day before, we travel towards the self development we should continue to work towards achieving.
May Allah swt make us from those who strive for His sake
Monday 23 May 2016
15. Post-Ramadan clean up underway!
All praise and thanks due to Allah,
Assalamualykum wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Hope you are all well in sha Allah!
So before I disappear once again just as I have done for the past few months (oops), I'd like to kindly ask for forgiveness for disappearing with no hope of returning as it seems.
However I've been working on some fantastically exciting projects on @Qalamunoor and a new non profitable organisation officially launching late this year with the will of Allah (!!) so I hope I may be excused for the unprecedented absence in sha Allahu ta'alaa! Hopefully in sha Allah I shall be sharing details about these lovely projects and opportunities for anyone to join soon but in the meanwhile I'll like to keep you all updated that this blog along with my photography work, videos and developing graphic design will finally have its own fancy little website, finally! It's been a long waiting goal, seeing as I'm not very keen on hosted blogs and the look of them either. So in sha Allah I shall be sharing details very soon about that! Until then, the blog is under maintenance
So, until the next update, Salaamz!
Assalamualykum wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Hope you are all well in sha Allah!
So before I disappear once again just as I have done for the past few months (oops), I'd like to kindly ask for forgiveness for disappearing with no hope of returning as it seems.
However I've been working on some fantastically exciting projects on @Qalamunoor and a new non profitable organisation officially launching late this year with the will of Allah (!!) so I hope I may be excused for the unprecedented absence in sha Allahu ta'alaa! Hopefully in sha Allah I shall be sharing details about these lovely projects and opportunities for anyone to join soon but in the meanwhile I'll like to keep you all updated that this blog along with my photography work, videos and developing graphic design will finally have its own fancy little website, finally! It's been a long waiting goal, seeing as I'm not very keen on hosted blogs and the look of them either. So in sha Allah I shall be sharing details very soon about that! Until then, the blog is under maintenance
So, until the next update, Salaamz!
Sunday 21 February 2016
14. Islam needs positive media attention. Period.
Assalamualaykum!
So for the past few weeks I've been working on a special little interview article on the Director of Freesia. I guess it really woke me up from how much of an awful writer I can be but alhamdulilah, modesty is rewarding! Do check out the article here-
As a writer, informing the Muslim community about inspiring stories like these has a perfectly profound effect on the writer more than anything. People like these are focused on success and their dreams and really made me question how far I was from achieving my own. As a teenager, I really feel life holds many responsibilities and I don't really think we have utilized our energy and ability to the best of our ability. It sucks to think like that, but it motivates you nonetheless.
yours,
Friday 19 February 2016
11. The prospect of getting run over for the Sake of Allah
So tried to film some long takes on a quiet lane in Kidderminster
Was probably the most dangerous thing to ever do.
oops.
10. Stopping Spirituality in its tracks
All Praise is due to Allah,
Assalamualaykum!
So you find yourself among your closest buddies, scrolling through Instagram and whatnot and you come across a super spiritual quote, something like this:
So right now its all a little awkward to become emotional and contemplative when another one of your friends demands a selfie for Snapchat (mentioning no names). And the only recognition given to this Hadith (which can also be found in Al-Tirmidhi which my teacher had urged me to mention) is a sloppy double tap and no mention is every made again of this quote, not until you attend a Islamic Halaqah or class, somewhere, many would, quite sadly describe as 'appropriate'.
We've all done it.
It seems spirituality has its assigned times, such as that hour before you go to sleep, when somethings aren't going right, all those emotional times....
But its natural for us to intentionally access spiritual content when we feel we need it just as we drink usually and only when we are thirsty.
But that doesn't justify our behavior in the slightest.
What we need to realize is that, authors and writers, bloggers and anyone who supplies information to the growing population of Muslims, including me, have build this categorization; a section for spirituality and another for everything else.
This lack of integration of spirituality in our lives, means we deter ourselves from becoming familiar to it.
Islam is a way of life, so is spirituality.
I guess we have misconceptions about spirituality, that in itself deserves its own post, that as soon as you delve into spirituality your practically going to turn into a dedicated muslim monk, unable to enjoy life if you completely immerse yourself in spirituality.
That certainly isn't true.
An example is our Beloved Aisha'ah. She was practically the most awesome sahaabi to exist, my lifelong role model. Her spirituality was impeccable, her deen was incomparable.
But she was a woman of fun. She was a woman who knew how to enjoy life whilst never angering her Lord.
May Allah swt make us into an Ummah of A'ishaah's who never shy from implementing spirituality and deen into our lives!
Ameen
Yours, x
Assalamualaykum!
So you find yourself among your closest buddies, scrolling through Instagram and whatnot and you come across a super spiritual quote, something like this:
So right now its all a little awkward to become emotional and contemplative when another one of your friends demands a selfie for Snapchat (mentioning no names). And the only recognition given to this Hadith (which can also be found in Al-Tirmidhi which my teacher had urged me to mention) is a sloppy double tap and no mention is every made again of this quote, not until you attend a Islamic Halaqah or class, somewhere, many would, quite sadly describe as 'appropriate'.
We've all done it.
It seems spirituality has its assigned times, such as that hour before you go to sleep, when somethings aren't going right, all those emotional times....
But its natural for us to intentionally access spiritual content when we feel we need it just as we drink usually and only when we are thirsty.
But that doesn't justify our behavior in the slightest.
What we need to realize is that, authors and writers, bloggers and anyone who supplies information to the growing population of Muslims, including me, have build this categorization; a section for spirituality and another for everything else.
This lack of integration of spirituality in our lives, means we deter ourselves from becoming familiar to it.
Islam is a way of life, so is spirituality.
I guess we have misconceptions about spirituality, that in itself deserves its own post, that as soon as you delve into spirituality your practically going to turn into a dedicated muslim monk, unable to enjoy life if you completely immerse yourself in spirituality.
That certainly isn't true.
An example is our Beloved Aisha'ah. She was practically the most awesome sahaabi to exist, my lifelong role model. Her spirituality was impeccable, her deen was incomparable.
But she was a woman of fun. She was a woman who knew how to enjoy life whilst never angering her Lord.
May Allah swt make us into an Ummah of A'ishaah's who never shy from implementing spirituality and deen into our lives!
Ameen
Yours, x
Wednesday 17 February 2016
9. The Canonism and Pain
All praise and glory due to Allah
Assalamualaykum!
So some time back I stuck my hands into photography and have no future aspirations to get myself out....ever. It's good to some degree but when you have psychology assignments piling their way towards impossibility, it's now or never.
But Alhamdulilah after last weeks clients (may Allah bless their soul, they were so patient subhanallah, having opened their shop 3 hours late because of late me, they still offered me a dinner afterwards) I was back on Manual Mode (#notaboutautolife) and everything was going smoothly.
But the reason why I wish to document this is because it's not till yesterday that I slipped over my own feet, fell a little back into a mental hardship.
It was difficult, I've gotta admit.
And still recovering.
But what it made me realize is something we take for granted
It's ourselves.
We have so much potential, and when we do possess that potential, we don't make the most of it.
It got me thinking.
We have to answer to Allah swt about this time,
those moments,
those hours.
It adds up.
Sometimes you've gotta hold your breath and dive straight into your passion and dreams. The pain has no intention of going anywhere so transform it into ideas and dreams.
Don't let it consume you because the only thing that should consume you is Allah.
And passion to strive for his sake.
That's Jihaad.
Knowing the pain is there but dealing with it and keep moving foward.
yours x
8. Can we just appreciate......Subhanallah.
So I kinda fell in love with these 5 Masaajid...
Check out my contribution-You will not believe how beautiful these five mosques are!
7. Did I just...
All praise and glory belongs to Allah, the most High.
Assalamualaykum!
They call it procrastination.
I call it making a change.
Did I just totally dismiss academia? Oh yes I did.
So this can be categorized as a rant more than a debate because in actual fact, there is no more sensible way of explaining sheer frustration than accepting that you are frustrated...really frustrated.
Not frustrated because of the endless work, or the lack of freedom, not because of the walls that academia build for students to stop them from questioning, I mean its totally fine to murder the living daylight out of a humans natural curiosity so beautifully gifted by the most gracious, I mean its totally fine right? Right?
I don't think so.
It's certainly not debatable that the academic standards put through for students across the education system is ridiculous. It's strenuousness imitates the very concept that stopped many people in the early 20th Century questioning the corruption of the government, why the streets were so black and why on earth no one tried sorting out the sewage system.
What I'm trying to get across is this idea that we are becoming habitual, accepting the problems we have around us because 'that's how the world works' and making the effort a habit.
A habitual is damaging to the environment, to the world, and to ourselves.
It stops us from thinking...and contemplating.
Who made us?
What is our purpose in life?
Have we pleased Him swt?
Monday 15 February 2016
5. Fashion is art
Assalamualaykum!
So everything has been busy, very busy.
Exams, stress, settling, focusing; its a field of complexities, not forgetting the graphic design of course (*wink wink*).
But recently I've been finding myself refining my dress sense, getting more serious about it if you know what I mean. It's been maxi skirts and tops, loose trousers and dresses for the past few years.
But after spending so much of my time around art and design, picking and picking again details from pieces of work and finding myself consistently dissatisfied with the design around me, I have finally taken some interest into refining the art I portray.
And that means becoming manically obsessed with mid shirts/dresses and longline shirts and jackets.
It's a craze, and it's as true as my previous obsession with long sleeve tops under short sleeve tops (I guess you guys will remember the sheer coolness of 2009 where wearing a long shirt under a shorter one made you absolute genius material??). Well this time its worse, It's not a craze anymore but a total imitation.
But you see, feeling totally inspired by some clothing lines and styles really can affect the uniqueness of the way you dress and the way you portray yourself as a person.
The amount of Hijabi's I've personally encountered in long jackets and nude colour hijabs with on-fleek makeup is innumerable to the extent its not fashion any more, it's a uniform. It's a very nice, very stylish uniform, but a uniform nonetheless. It's sad and pretty damn damaging because it looks good. In fact it looks so good your enticed to dress like that yourself.
But it seems to loose a sense of personality.
So here your strung between dressing on trend and dressing to imitate everyone else.
Unless you are aware and care, which splits many people here. Because for me, presenting yourself is unique. Taking a trend from here and a color scheme from there can culminate a more beautiful and interpretive style that reflects you, your mood, who you are and what you like.
For me today it's a black sweat with white print along with a black skirt and a grey longline jacket.
(plus black Nike Free Run running trainers of course)
So everything has been busy, very busy.
Exams, stress, settling, focusing; its a field of complexities, not forgetting the graphic design of course (*wink wink*).
But recently I've been finding myself refining my dress sense, getting more serious about it if you know what I mean. It's been maxi skirts and tops, loose trousers and dresses for the past few years.
But after spending so much of my time around art and design, picking and picking again details from pieces of work and finding myself consistently dissatisfied with the design around me, I have finally taken some interest into refining the art I portray.
And that means becoming manically obsessed with mid shirts/dresses and longline shirts and jackets.
It's a craze, and it's as true as my previous obsession with long sleeve tops under short sleeve tops (I guess you guys will remember the sheer coolness of 2009 where wearing a long shirt under a shorter one made you absolute genius material??). Well this time its worse, It's not a craze anymore but a total imitation.
But you see, feeling totally inspired by some clothing lines and styles really can affect the uniqueness of the way you dress and the way you portray yourself as a person.
The amount of Hijabi's I've personally encountered in long jackets and nude colour hijabs with on-fleek makeup is innumerable to the extent its not fashion any more, it's a uniform. It's a very nice, very stylish uniform, but a uniform nonetheless. It's sad and pretty damn damaging because it looks good. In fact it looks so good your enticed to dress like that yourself.
But it seems to loose a sense of personality.
So here your strung between dressing on trend and dressing to imitate everyone else.
Unless you are aware and care, which splits many people here. Because for me, presenting yourself is unique. Taking a trend from here and a color scheme from there can culminate a more beautiful and interpretive style that reflects you, your mood, who you are and what you like.
For me today it's a black sweat with white print along with a black skirt and a grey longline jacket.
(plus black Nike Free Run running trainers of course)
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