Promise

"I will always be there for you...promise!" Such a sweet expression but how many times have we failed to fulfill that promise? Or how many times has someone failed to fulfill a promise made to you? How would the person feel? How did you you feel? Betrayed? Dejected? Disappointed? Angry? Sad? As a Muslim, always add 'a tag' whenever you make a promise. A tag line? "In shaa Allah / In syaa Allah" is a must tag for all Islamically permissible promises you make provided you do your best to fulfill them. When you are not keen on fullfilling your promises right from the beginning, you might as well say... "I can't/won't promise you..."! It may hurt that person upon hearing it, but you are actually saving him/her from a greater hurt when you break the promise that you have made. So, ask your inner voice...deep in your heart. Do you really want to make a promise? Would you do your best to honor it? Only you have the answer!

 

Trust and Honesty

Trust and honesty are the foundation of any kind of a relationship. A small lie or an unspoken truth may destroy the trust and honesty, thus the relationship itself. Trust and honesty for the sake of Allah will always remind you the responsibilities you are entrusted in the relationship. A relationship is SIMILAR to a vehicle - it takes you through a journey - good AND bad experiences. Some people buy a car because of 'love at first sight', some take a long inspection before paying for it and jumping into it for a life-time drive - or perhaps for an unknown length of time. When you buy a vehicle, be whatever it is, don't you set about finding out everything possible that you should know about it? The quality - inner and outer - of it? Of course you can't know all because it takes a ride to know whether it can really work to your satisfaction and taste. Once it is yours, you tolerate with it, sort of give and take. If you just couldn't stand it anymore, after all possible reckonings, you have to get out of it for good - let it go, sell it... To begin a relationship, don't you do ALMOST the same thing as you do when you buy a vehicle? One person may like someone at first impression, develop a friendship with him/her, which then turns into a relationship for a lifetime - be it a friendship or a marriage. Another person may take a while to be in any relationship. Either way, being a human, you do enter into a relationship at one time or another within the span of your lifetime, be for whatever purpose that only you know it. As a Muslim, there's always a way to seek help in making a decision - right or wrong before jumping into any relationship. Ask your inner feeling - in the deep core of your heart. If the heart feels good about it, it's a yes. If it feels heavy in your heart, then it's a no. Still in confusion? "Istikhara Prayer" is the best solution to opt for - asking the Almighty for the signs that lead to His choice for you! He never fails you...

Thank you for this life!

Imagine if you could capture the best time of your life and keep it in a snow globe. Place it on your bed side table. Everyday when you wake up and every night before you retire to bed, take a look at it. What would be the words that come to your mind? The first few words that you should utter the first thing in the morning to begin your day and the last words before you carry yourself to the land of dreams? Thank you, perhaps? We say the magic words 'Thank you' to people for the things we receive from them. In return, they give us more...a smile! We smile back. The exchanged smiles bring happiness to both sides and another 'thank you' should resonate in your heart...it's the ultimate thank you because it should be addressed to the One and Only...'Thank you, God'....'Alhamdulillah!' Your snow globe is filled with that beautiful life, the kind of life that you would not have attained if it wasn't by His Grace...the Almighty One...So, shouldn't your first and last words of the day be "Thank you, God"...."Alhamdulillah"..."Thank you Allah" for He has bestowed upon you that life despite everything you do, the good and the bad, in the life that He has loaned to you?

Write, write and write...

Write, write and write! That's the best line I read a long time ago when I had just started my journey to write my first novel...

Now, whenever an idea for the next plot, a scene or a dialogue comes across my mind, I just write them down...here and there and I keep all these little notes in my diary. When there are too many of them, I would sift through the notes and do this fun thing - putting the ideas together! It's like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The difference is that I decide what the picture would be like!