i was sorting through my old textbooks and notes trying to decide what to throw away (which should really be everything since i don’t intend to ever need these again!) when i came across my yr 9 copy of Julius Caesar and my favourite part highlighted in it - we did the play in MIHSG and i remember having a big class discussion about the balance between free will & fate in the Islamic context, as Brutus advises Cassius to seize the opportunity in battling Antony… so eloquently put:

“We at the height are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.”
(IV.ii, 269–276)

Whenever Ramadan approaches i remember this, and i feel like it’s make or break time again…

the latest piece on city circle blogs is intriguing - Changing the face of Muslim family life - it’s a new marriage contract published by the Muslim Institute… there’s some good points clarified, such as mahr, divorce rights, roles of each party and in-laws etc - but it’ll be interesting to see how far the more ‘revolutionary’ ideas take on - the main one being that there is no guardian needed for a consenting adult woman and witnesses don’t even need to be Muslim… *cough* himbo *cough*

also surprising is the large number of organizations/bodies endorsing the contract: the Imams & Mosques Council UK, The Muslim Law Council UK, Utrujj Foundation, Muslim Council of Britain, The Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, The City Circle, Muslim Women’s Network UK, Fatima Network & Muslim Community Helpline… i wonder if MCB being on there is considered endorsement by all it’s affiliates, as that would bring IFE & ISB onto the list… :s

… also known as aps, my older sister. i have no idea how 6 of us are going to stay in her one-bedroom flat, and as far as i can tell nobody has given much thought to this yet. well it’s only for 2 days so whatever.

i get to be reunited with the little man again, yay

gutul

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zainab al-ghazali - founded muslim women’s association (at age 18 in fact)
jane austen - compiled the Juvenilia and completed Pride & Prejudice
marx - wrote his thesis ‘the difference between the Democritean and Epicurean philosophy of nature’
walt disney - opened his animation business and bought his first studio
mozart - became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica and court musician for the ruler of Salzburg
enid blyton - published her first book, a collection of poems
hasan al-banna - became a fully initiated member of a Sufi order, and launched the Muslim Brotherhood
apple - produced macintosh computers and portable powerbooks
shakespeare - was established as an actor, writer and had published most of his comedies & histories
harry potter - defeated voldemort 6 times, saved the muggle and wizarding worlds, almost sacrificed himself, and probably saved the universe.

the darkness between past and future
a place between two places to face
the solitary confinement of thoughts consume
wants, needs and aspirations displaced

why is the shadow behind so long?
it darkens the doorway and stretches forever
the one ahead barely visible
as pale as the day it promises to sever

creams cover the circles of sleeplessness
smiles veil the disenchantment and bitter taste
fabric masks the hollow faith beneath
a few choice words conceal the time laid waste

limbo is this vacuum of time and space
here i hide and here i rest and here i wait
move and risk the consequences of shifting tides
close your eyes and listen for the whispers of fate.

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there’s so many millions of things i could say about it - but it was just an incredible experience. it was amazing to see an event of such a scale being pulled together and the organizers worked So hard mashaAllah (despite being very scary at times!). more than anything the atmosphere was really nice and it was just really sad leaving - thought i admit by sun evening i just wanted to return to the comfort of my soft warm bed and hot water (which i didn’t get as the heating was broken at home).

anyway, rather than blogging about it, here’s everything i’ve youtubed so far from my filming of the week:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2F4090C9BDA30C34

the west end production of Lord of The Rings ends 19th July, so they’re doing a special offer on lastminute.com for tickets at just £10 each!! honestly, how Annoying. they cost me £28 each last time and for such crap seats.

anyway, i need to get cheap tickets for Wicked so i can take my sisters this time. but that offer i just read about today annoyed me somewhat. i guess it was worth it at the time though…

i love manchester!

i love the nice cold air, the bright green grass and trees, our nice little house (although somewhat trashed by the ex-tenants) i love our ugly red car, i love my big beautiful bedroom, i love manchester airport, i love the sunshine (tho’ i could do without the hayfever), i love the fast net speed and the stable wireless, i love that my tmobile is now in use again (whilst the o2 has been barred temporarily!) i even love john our gardener. speaking of gardens, ours looked like the field in the last scene of Gladiator, it was crazy overgrown and john’s been working at it since yesterday morning and Still not done!

everyone’s a bit sneezy and hayfeverish, alhamdulillah mine isn’t too bad, jst lots of random sneezing but no red eyes, but it’s worth being home for

hmm…  i have nothing useful to say so bye-bye.