nahiyyan

[nahiyyan]

*takes your face gently in my hands and looks sincerely into your eyes* listen. your home does not need to look like a showroom. homes are meant to be lived in, and that means a certain amount of mess. it's okay if there is clutter on your desk or if you don't remember the last time you cleaned your oven. mess is morally neutral. but at the same time, you deserve to live in an environment that is safe and comfortable, and that means someone has to clean sometimes. things like mold, spoiled food, and dirty litter boxes are genuine health hazards and need to be dealt with before they make someone sick. think of cleaning less as "my home needs to be completely spotless" and more as "I am an animal and I need a habitat that is free of hazardous material." it's okay. *kisses you on the forehead and tucks you into a blanket*

(and of course it is always acceptable and even good for you to ask someone else to help you with cleaning if it's physically or mentally difficult for you. even if you're paying them to do it.)

[nahiyyan]

when Dostoyevsky wrote "I want to talk about everything with at least one person as I talk about things with myself"

and Ishikawa Takuboku wrote "just for once i want a love that feels like plunging my flushed cheeks into deep soft snow"

and Warsan Shire wrote "mother says there are locked rooms inside all women; kitchen of lust, bedroom of grief, bathroom of apathy. sometimes the men - they come with keys, and sometimes, the men - they come with hammers".

[nahiyyan]

Six days out of seven, Chittagong can feel like a whirlwind of chaos and contrasts. The humidity hangs heavy, leaving you drenched in sweat, or sudden rain showers catch you off guard and soak you to the bone. The streets are a symphony of horns and hurried footsteps, and navigating through the tangle of traffic can test your patience. The city's pace might make you wonder if everyone's perpetually late for an important meeting. People walk around like life's a GTA simulation, the food's expensive and it often feels like a bustling metropolis on the edge.

But then comes that 7th day. On that 7th day, you might find yourself perched on the cliffs near CRB, enjoying the breeze, while taking in various scenes unfolding below. You could stumble upon a hidden tea stall that serves the most comforting cha amidst all the commotion in 2 no. gate. Perhaps you'll encounter a rickshaw-wala mama, his joy evident in the city's embrace. You might bitch about the government with him, as you both naviagte the streets of Jamalkhan. As you take another bite of the Jilapi from Candy, the neon lights at GEC Circle form a mesmerizing spectacle around you. As the night approaches and you're on your way home, you might share a fleeting gaze with a total stranger on a passing bus in Muradpur, whom you're never going to see again..

And on that 7th day, there's no place I'd rather be. For that 7th day, I'd live the horrid 6 days a thousand times over.

[nahiyyan]

There’s a part in Surah Kahf that we read but never ponder over. It’s where Khidr عليه السلام destroys a boat by cutting a hole in it. This boat belongs to a poor family who need it for their livelihood, to fish and to travel. I need this grade, this promotion, this job, this spouse. I need this du’a to be answered. How can you destroy my boat Allah? Why not take the boat of those who are ungrateful? Or who sin without caring? Did i not worship You enough? Did i not pray my salah? Did i not fast? But Musa عليه السلام didn’t know there was an oppressive King — if that boat hadn’t been destroyed, the King would’ve taken it leaving no means of livelihood for the poor people. Allah, in His infinite love, mercy and Wisdom knew a broken boat would be of no use to a King. and so he wouldn’t have been interested, but the poor family could fix this boat and use it once again. Your boat may also be broken. It may not make sense to you right now. You cannot see the oppressive King, you cannot see what Allah is protecting you from. All you see is what is broken in front of you. But know that Allah will help you fix it. He will help you find a way. Look beyond the destroyed boat. You are loved by Allah. And just as how a child doesn’t understand why his mother won’t let him have a fizzy drink for breakfast, remember that Allah loves you more than a mother loves her child. Continue making du’a and finding new doors to walk through. He will never allow your deeds, effort and your du’as to ever be lost or wasted.

(@/ Al__Quran on Twitter)

[nahiyyan]

something deeply intimate about being outside early in the morning all alone and seeing the world as she is

[nahiyyan]

As close as you will ever be to a nuclear explosion