Food with S

The best part about being in Hyderabad is the food. No seriously, I know there's food even in the UAE but if I am real the Indian touch is missing in it. In my rigid opinion :P only very few Indian food places do justice to the food.

So when I come down to Hyderabad you can expect me to have multiple Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners oh even the unaccounted snacks in between ;)

The best thing though is to eat that food in the company of S. My awesome friend and much more :P We eat a lot *say mashalllaahhh* and mostly its junk *say astaghfirullaahh* hehe! But we have the most amazing discussions about Life, Worldly pursuits, Politics, Personal goals, Raising children, Married Life and another 1 million critical things :D and it's sooo amazing because I don't really have these kind of discussions with anyone. I do but its on a certain topic but with S and I we sail through so many different topics, arrange our thoughts, organize priorities in life all over a 100 Gol Gappas between us getting sacrificed :P

I think we all need a friend in our life who does not say what we want to hear but rather what we need do and with her its that. Alhamdulillah. I have really been blessed with the best lot of friends. I am so undeserving yet Allah swt sends all these beautiful people in my life who make it beautiful just by their presence.

I still have entries to be done for my out and about with Afrah during this little holiday of ours :)

Ps - If you have no idea whats there in the picture then my friend you need to introduce yourself to LIFE :D

Shaping Eyebrows

Shaping eyebrows is probably the only thing that I have had numerous discussions about with friends and relatives. There are different kinds of reasons for people to do it but from what I gather it's mostly considered something so pettty that no thought is really put in that action, while on the other hand some people clearly know about the hadith of the Rasoolullah (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he curses the woman who shapes her eyebrows and the one who even does it. I myself have been put under pressure twice or thrice to really consider doing it because they are really big and oh well I still love them the way they are.

Moving on, there are even those who question the hadith by asking how come removal of upper lip hair is permitted while this is just mere shaping of an eyebrow. Some choose to explain that they do it because they want to look more appealing to their husbands and honestly All that men care about a woman's eyebrow is that she has a pair of it. Really, its just that much.

So a friend of mine made a wonderful poster that you can see above which goes well with what I really have to say all those peeps concerned with it ;)

Hyderabad!

I belong to this city - Hyderabad. I have grown up here and spent the time in summer evenings playing with the kids in the lane. Savoring snacks after the sunset, going around the colony with my mother for grocery shopping and occasionally eating the Best Butter Chicken known to mankind which is only here in Hyderabad. The city is famous for its Biryani and it comes as no doubt that if a person who is from this city is introduced to other kind of biryanis the only words coming from their mouths would be that of criticism. I am really bragging but if you haven't had Hydro Food then you haven't had actual awesome food :P

Many people are unaware of the fact that this city was the biggest monarch empire of the Indian territory in its time and it was not always a part of the Indian territory. To put it simply, It was snatched from Nizams who were a part of the Mughal Empire and who decided to stay back while the empire left. We had our own currency and it was the richest in the world at that time. Over the years the city is welcoming all kinds of people from across the country thanks to the IT boom. In my opinion we should have like a state or city permit but my mom labels such wishful thinking as extreme kind of thinking.

The city has finest architecture when it comes to the historical places like the Golconda Fort, Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Falaknuma Palace to name a few. The love of Urdu poetry still exists in the veins of this city although it is not as it used to be earlier. Over time it has reduced and like rest of the country who really appreciates lyrical art these except a few?

The language is also distorted :P oops I mean is also adjusted with the Deccani Lingo which sure is fun to talk and converse with if you are a hydro but if you are not then it kinda bounces over your head. Somehow most ''smart'' people think that Deccani is only limited to ''hau'' and ''nakko''. I really feel like laughing when rest of the Indians stereotype Hyderabadi people as just people who say ''hau'' and ''nakko''

I love this city and I am actually proud to be from here. Perhaps if the Nizam could stop listening to his sold out advisors we would still be a Culturally and Financially Rich Empire then again perhaps we would have encountered some other problems.. oh well my point is ''If you love Hyderabad : You Just simply love Hyderabad''

Why do Bad things happen to Good people?

The question can sometimes also be

Why do bad people happen to good people?

Many people including myself have asked this many times to my friends, myself and even Allah swt. It is so easy to give up, to lose hope, to feel that everyone and everything around you just works to make your life all the more miserable. I know this too, because I felt all that. But I know every time I felt that my faith was either low or just nowhere to be found. It is a very simple thing really, if you are a muslim you know that this world is supposed to be a test whereby Allah (God) tests the believers but those who still strive to be good and are patient irrespective of the situation in their lives are the ones who have attained success and will be rewarded with an eternal reward. Of course, it is not just any fancy philosophy even a kindergarten kid can understand it.

Yet, by our human way of looking at things and shortsightedness, if our faith is weak then every time that something bad happens it takes with it a part of our faith and really we don't see any point in even asking God to reduce our burdens and some may voice this thought while other dwell in it silently.

Verse 2. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. [Surah ankabut]

Quran is full of glad tidings for those who endue the tests and trials of this life with patience.

In Surah Hud (11:11), Allah (S.W.T.) again promises to reward those who are patient in adversity:

Not so do those who show patience and constancy, and work righteousness; for them is forgiveness (of sins) and a great reward.

Open the Quran and there's no discomfort of your heart that cannot be changed into comfort.

I found this quote at a friend's profile and loved it!

"Ease [yusr] & hardship ['usr] are the feathers that give strength to the wings of your faith [iman], so that your heart and your innermost being [sirr] can use them to fly to the door of your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He)” ~Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani

What I have also personally learnt from my life is that if none of bad things or people have happened to me I would never come out of my selfish zone and never care for what other people are or were going through. I have had experiences with people who are probably the best kind of people that I have met in my entire life of 21 years and their lives weren't pretty or even close to perfect yet they were content. The grace with which they carried their faith in their hearts has truly left me awestruck.

So the answer really to the BIG question is that If you believe that there is One God , The Creator then you should also believe that Nobody knows you better than your creator, It is HE who knows whats the best for you and what can bring out the best in you. You don't question his will, your job is only to submit and ask for his help in the times of distress. I know that the word submission itself rubs in our ego like salt on wounds but there is no submission as beautiful, as comforting and as liberating as the submission to that One True God - Allah.

I won't leave you just at that, One of Allah's names and attributes is Al-Adl [the most just] so don't think those who have wronged you have it easy because you don't see them suffering in this life. Know that HE knows what your heart feels, the tears that flow out of your eyes, the painful memories that you cannot forget, the distress that it causes and the sleepless nights. Also know that HE is the one who loves you 70 times more than your mother ever will or maybe even more.

Have patience, your time is about to come. Have faith because Allah Subhanahoo wa ta'ala has BIG plans for you, He wants to see you in Jannah, He wants to give you eternal peace and bliss. He has created for YOU the best place everr.

Some real quotes for comfort ;

When Allaah tests you it is never to destroy you. When He removes something in your possession it is (only) in order to empty your hands for an even greater gift! [Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullaah]

“If you see Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, holding back this world from you, frequently trying you with adversity and tribulation, know that you
... hold a great status with Him. Know that He is dealing with you ...as
He does with His Awliya’ and chosen elite, and is watching over you"
--Al Ghazali

"From the complete blessings of Allah upon a servant is testing him with hardships and difficulties that force him to race towards His oneness. Because of this, he will supplicate to Him with sincerity. Hope in Him and no other. Trust in Him and no other. And love Him and no other to the extent that his experiences of faith, trust and love will be sweeter to him than having the trials of sickness and harm removed from him."
--Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (ra)

“Sometimes in order to help He makes us cry. Happy the eye that sheds tears for His sake. Fortunate the heart that burns for His sake. Laughter always follows tears. Blessed are those who understand. Life blossoms wherever water flows. Where tears are shed divine mercy is shown.” - Jalaluddin Rumi

Compulsive Blogging

I feel such a strong urge to do compulsive blogging but I have to refrain because sometimes I write things which don't make sense.

On another note, I know you guys (readers) are out there somewhere around the 10 countries that my flag counter generally picks on.. You are either very shy or hate the blogger's commenting box. I'd like to think it's the latter. But I know you are there because I keep checking the number of hits on my blog and I know I don't check out my account in different countries hehe :P

In other news... I am sure some of you already know this but to those who don't know me personally I got engaged :)

My bestie has also resumed back to blogging and needless to say she does a much awesome-rr? job at it :D so here's one of her posts and yes I am posting it because I wrote a poem and she featured it on her blog along with my pic ;) http://ashshams.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/super-squishy-hugs/

Afrah and I are gonna meet again Inshallah in a span of 5 days. Planning to do some crazy stuff which explains the pic of the crazy pink shades and suspenders and my fav tie! When I think of her this quote comes to mind ‎

"Everyone has a "best friend" during each stage of life - only a precious few have the same

one."

~ Unknown - 6 YEARS AND RUNNING OHHH YEAH BABY!