justkeepingithalal

[justkeepingithalal]

Last night concluded the 1st ten nights of Ramadan, and today we start the second ten days. 1st ten days we focused on Mercy. Mercy from Allah swt is an obvious ask, but also I hope you practiced mercy amongst yourselves. I hope you had mercy on your brother for eating the last samosa, your sister for making fun of you during suhoor and that one family member who takes forever to return your calls. I often have to find mercy deep in my heart somewhere for my very forgetful sister in laws. Kidding..

Jokes aside, I have learned that Allah swt treats us the way we treat eachother in this dunya. So I hope you find ways to let go and be merciful in your everyday life- and be mindful of what you hold onto in your heart so that Allah has mercy on you as well. A lecture I listened to by Mufti Menk spoke all about the types of people that won’t be forgiven- one of those types are people who hold malice and grudge in their hearts. The way we clean up our face at bedtime each night, we should find ways to integrate in our bedtime routine to clean the heart as well. Think of all the things that upset you through the day and find ways to let it go.

Which brings me to the next ten days of Ramadan- known for days for forgiveness. When you practice cleaning your heart, filling it with mercy, find ways to forgive everyone around you no matter what they did. No matter how harsh they were, forgive them. This is a lot easier said then done, but if you dig deep and truly find people you cannot forgive- you’re in trouble. If we want to seek forgiveness from Allah, we MUST learn ways to forgive others. Girl if you need therapy to handle that- then that’s what you’re gonna need to do. Handle your ish. On the flip side, if you have done wrong to others, the next ten days make sure you seek their forgiveness as well. I personally focus on patience these first 20 days. Whether it’s mercy or forgiveness, I practice heavy patience techniques- breathing through what’s occurring, a quick dua to relieve my anger, focusing on the positive side of the issue, putting myself in the other persons shoe..etc etc. These next ten nights I hope your nights are filled with dhikr, patience and prayer 🤲🏼. Here are some dhikr suggestions with Hadiths for forgiveness.

SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi (100 times)

The Prophet (s) said, “Whoever says, 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,' one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.” [صحیح البخاری: 6405]

Astaghfirullahal ladhee laa ilaha illaa huwal Hayyul Qayyoomu wa atoobu ilayh

The Prophet (s) said, "Whoever says أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ (I seek forgiveness from Allah, the One besides whom there is none worthy of worship, the Living, the Sustainer of all, and I repent to him), all his sins will be forgiven, even if he had fled from battle." [Sunan Abi Dawud 1517]

[justkeepingithalal]

How to Deal With Your Emotions During Lockdown

Emotions. Very few aspects of the human condition have been analysed and discussed more than our emotions and while everyone feels them in very different ways with some actively seeking to suppress them, for many these feelings may well be what makes life worth living. All emotions whether painful or joyful affect the quality and meaning of our existence, relationships and experiences. They help us grow as individuals and form the basis of our memories over our lives.  

There’s no doubt we are experiencing very difficult times now and emotions might be heightened or you’re less able to control them than normal. Maybe you’re taking them out on others. You might be feeling angry, anxious, sad or lonely or a combination of all of those which change frequently. Whether you’re isolating with loved ones or navigating it alone, our usual coping strategies may no longer be there, or are just not working for you right now. We get it. Remember, it’s completely okay to experience negative emotions so to help guide you through, we’ve put together our top tips on how to deal with your emotions during the coronavirus crisis. Rather than ignore your emotions take a few minutes to read on and discover how our tips could help you.

Continue reading this article and more at www.DitchtheLabel.org/coronavirus. If you’re struggling at the moment, we’ve got your back. Together with Tumblr, we are partnering on the #TogetherWithYou campaign - helping you overcome some of the biggest challenges attached to the Coronavirus lockdown, from mental health and relationships to boredom and loneliness. Don’t go through it alone, help and support is available now at www.DitchtheLabel.org/coronavirus/

[justkeepingithalal]

“Don’t lie to an over thinker. It never ends well. Such people have trained their brains to look for holes in a story. If shit doesn’t make sense, they think about it over and over until it makes sense. I’m that person.”

— Unknown

[justkeepingithalal]

Do you look at sunset the same way now than you did yesterday?

[justkeepingithalal]

What color is your heart today?

What steps have you taken to love and heal yourself this week?

I hope you’re all well in this climate... social, political, and global unrest is not easy on anyone’s mental health.

Pause your day and listen to a podcast, read a book, drink some tea or take a walk.

If you’re interested in podcasts- here’s a a new one called “Hand Picked Flowers” -a place for inspiration, stories and self-development, a community.

Each episode aspires to help people heal, start fresh and evolve...from any stage of their life. With guests and inspiring stories to conversations about current climate. Each show ends with a task or “flower of the day” to encourage listeners to take on small tasks to accomplish bigger goals and onto a path of creating a better version of themselves.

Have a listen on Apple, Spotify, Google Music, Castbox... etc

[justkeepingithalal]

Ramadan Mubarak!! Oh it’s here!! We have been on lockdown but shaitaan was roaming free, now it’s time for him to be quarantined! 😂

Isn’t it amazing that during this time, the whole world is feeling despair, hopelessness, and fear... we have been falling into laziness, and indiscipline but us Muslims are given this month as a gift that is the epitome of all things opposite of just that! Ramadan is about hope, self care, discipline, love, kindness, goodness... abundant of everything good from Allah... right in the middle of a pandemic. If you’re sad about this not being a typical Ramadan... you’re not alone, but worry not... Ramadan Tidbits are back! We are in this together, and tackle Ramadan Quarantine days together. This is in every way good for us, this isn’t just Allahs planning, it’s also His perfect execution and the DETAILS, the details matter folks. Stay tuned... we are going to talk about the positives of Ramadan during a pandemic, how Allah organized Ramadan for us, and the usual tidbits

And here is my version of Ramadan journaling day 1 :) I started a nightly call with my girls and we are going to journal together and talk about a topic of our choice. Tonight we talked about the 3 parts of Ramadan. Check out next post for a recap!

[justkeepingithalal]

Dancing between a hard mind and a soft heart

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[justkeepingithalal]

Beautiful thing I read today;

a boy asked his mom,

“If everything is already written in Luh-Mahfuz, then why should I wish?“ 

she answered,

“Maybe on some pages Allah has written, ‘As you wish’.”

_Xsnxh on twitter

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[justkeepingithalal]

[justkeepingithalal]

I learned years ago that it’s okay to do this. To seek out small spaces for myself, to stop and imagine myself alone. People are too much sometimes. Friends, acquaintances, enemies, strangers. It doesn’t matter; they all crowd. Even if they’re still all the way across the room, they crowd. I take a moment of silence and think: I am here. I am okay.

— Francesca Zappia, Eliza and Her Monsters

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“There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.”

— Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star

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“It’s been said that most black holes are the result of the death of a large star that died in a supernova explosion, and I’m not sure why I can’t help but find comfort in that. Something so bright and beautiful, something that we used to look up at and make wishes on, explodes into darkness, and becomes a black hole, where time doesn’t exist, and no light can reach. And I wonder if thats what happened to me, I wonder if people kept making wishes on me that I could’t make come true, I wonder if all the bright parts of myself are nothing more than emptiness now, I wonder if I will exist as a mystery in peoples lives, one they just didn’t have the means to figure out, and unravel. Black holes are hard to find, no one knows if there are ten million or a billion in the Milky Way, and no one knows how many of us have exploded into ourselves, taking the light with us, and finding ourselves only able to whisper the wishes we couldn’t carry out. We are exploding stars, we are unprecedented light, and we are fading to dark faster than morning light.”

— laceerainspoetry, Black Holes & I. (via wnq-writers)

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El Yunque National Rain Forest, Puerto Rico

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[justkeepingithalal]

“You will not recognize me. This time, I put my pieces back differently.”

— Malia Makana, Like Differently Love   (via rawie)