DEAR PAIN

Dear Pain,

Photo Courtesy: www.ayeina.com

From the moment I was born and as I grew up, I found myself already betrothed to you. It's strange isn't it? How does someone get betrothed at such an age? I mean, what if I turned out to be a vampire just when I turned thirteen? Weird. But it's more of the culture issue I guess. As far as my memories go by into the past, I remember how you were so obsessed with me. You always fancied that both our names start with 'P' and you would always chorus it lovingly 'Pain and Paranoia'. You were so loving yet so bitter. You were carrying all the world's misery on your shoulders yet you still afforded to spend time with me. You would walk hand in hand with me and you would introduce me to all your friends. I still remember your best friends; Ego, Selfish and Evil. I remember how you would praise me in front of them as if I were the only girl in this world. You wanted the whole world to know how much you loved me and that you would never depart me. I remember all those days you would take me out with your so called best friends and we would have 'fun'. That's what you used to tell me; 'let's go have fun' yet all I remember was hearing the four of you mock people and laugh so loudly. It used to puzzle me a lot. Well, you were quite older than me so I thought maybe I didn't really understand what this 'fun' really meant. For the foolish girl I was, I'd stand next to you; your hand still firmly holding mine, just staring at you and your friends.

I still remember Ego; he was TALL. Really tall that I really had to strain my neck to see his face. But he was still elegant. He was quite handsome and I used to wonder why I wasn't betrothed to him instead. He always had his hands in his pockets and talk with a firm voice. He walked with a bounce and his head was always held high. Is that what they call confidence? I used to admire him but that was then, I was barely fifteen. At that age you barely know how to differentiate between a cheetah and a tiger. I was so naive...but now...now I know everything in this life.

Selfish was hilariously short and it really used to make me laugh at how the four of you could be best friends. I mean, your physiques were so opposite. It is the first thing anyone would notice upon seeing you together. Anyway back to selfish. Selfish was so over confident. I have never seen anyone think so high of themselves. He always wanted to get the biggest share of everything for he thought he deserves it.To me, he looked a bully. I used to see him snatch food from the beggar's mouth. Have you ever seen anyone so cruel like that? But selfish thought he deserves it. Sometimes I used to see him look at me maliciously and it used to freak me out. He probably also thought that he should have me instead of you. Well, you never noticed all that because you were always busy praising to the world about me without looking at their reactions. Maybe you trusted them so much??

Evil...evil was ugly. Damn ugly and ironically, he used to boast about himself like there is no one on this earth like him. Everything about him was ugly; his croaky laughter and even his dark enigmatic smile. He was rough and tough. He was all the three of you combined; he was torment, torture, unpleasant and wicked all together. He always considered himself the ring leader of your group.

I still remember the night your friends raped me. Oh...how can I forget the misery that came after. How can I forget the sadness and despair? You know what pain, you always used to make me wonder which side are you really? When your best friends raped me, you were mad. So mad that it worried me you would explode. Yet you decided to cover it up for them by marrying me. You thought that would make me forget. You thought you could make me happy once again.

Years went by and I gave birth to our first child; insomnia. Oh my son...he wouldn't let me sleep. He made me turn and roll on the bed restlessly. I cried and cried until the wee hours of the night. I cried until I had no more tears. I cried until my pillow was too wet. I cried for you; because of you, for the past, present and future. I cried that you were the only person who loved me so dearly in this life. The only person who wouldn't leave me alone. I treated myself with lots of chocolates and bowls of ice cream. As people say, treating oneself like that is good for the stressed soul...yet this technique didn't work for me. My boy troubled me...but where were you Pain? You were just there with me; like a shadow. Always there yet never giving me the happiness I needed.

Insomnia grew and soon we had our second child. It was a girl this time. I was so happy. I wanted to make her my best friend, teach her how to cook and how to dress up. I had so many plans for her and for us. I called her 'eating issues'. She was so fragile and weak. She had no appetite even to live. Her eyes looked tired and she was weightless like cotton. Eating issues worried me a lot. I worried that she was going to die soon yet she still lives; still as fragile. Still as weak.

Having too troublesome kids is not easy especially when you have an obsessive husband like you Pain. Anyway, God has now blessed me with another bump. A third one is coming. I think it's a 'she'. Don't ask me how I know this. I am a mother, I can feel it. I have been thinking of aborting her for quite a while now but i'm a mother after all, I don't think I can be that cruel. I think I will name her 'pending issues' for she will be born whilst her mother is still worrying about how much the past will affect her future. I hope 'pending issues' won't trouble me. I hope she can be my hope.

Insomnia and Eating issues have grown to be teenagers now yet each one of them is still worrying their mother in a different way. Insomnia wouldn't let me rest and stop crying. Eating issues wouldn't let me have a peace of mind or a healthy life. 'Pending issues' is soon coming by...

My dear husband; Pain, I have never really enjoyed the idea of having a man so obsessed with me. I've had enough of you. I want to be free once again. I want to breath fresh air once again. I want to fly and be happy. I just don't want to live with you anymore...

I am sorry Pain...I really need a divorce from you. Please grant me that as soon as possible. I already kept the divorce papers under my pillow. My very wet pillow. I hope the papers are still safe. Please do sign them soon. If you truly love me then do it for my sake. Please. Allow me to be the free woman I've always wanted to be. Don't worry about our children. I promise to take good care of them. I was also planning to change their names soon. I was thinking of calling our son, Brave instead of Insomnia. As for our daughter Eating issue, let's call her 'Love' and when our last baby finally comes by, I will call her 'Hope'. I am sure you like the names right? I know you can trust me to take care of them and raise them with good manners and health. Please do take care of yourself as well and I hope we can meet years from now where your name would then be something like 'Delight' or probably 'Euphoria?'. No, 'Jubilant' is even better! My name then would be 'Joy' and you will be able to chorus our new names once again, 'Jubilant and Joy'. I promise we will be happy then.

Before I end this heart-breaking letter, I want to really thank you for being there with me throughout; for the lessons learnt and for the undying love.

Your so-long-loving wife,

Your soon-divorcee,

Paranoia.

NO ONE IS ACTUALLY SAFE

Photo Courtesy: www.ayeina.com

Angel? Pious? Sheikh with the longest beard? Muslimah with the longest jilbab? Innocent? Too holy? Sweetheart, no one is actually safe from hellfire. NO ONE; not even that sheikh you really admire or that lady who is the kindest on earth. We are all to live in that kind of suspense till the end of times so the question here is, are we ready?

One thing you should keep in mind is that you are no more pious than anyone else. I've met people who barely know what deen really requires from them yet they have best of manners, pure souls and very kind to humanity. However still, i've met people with so much knowledge of deen such that if you drank from their wells of knowledge it is like a drop of the ocean subhanaAllah, you can never get their full cup yet when you look at their character, you will wish you never knew about them.

We all do mistakes and we sin and we cry to Allah for mercy and He forgives us then we sin again. The cycle of sinning goes on like that. That is why we are called 'insaan' for we keep forgetting that without Allah's mercy upon us we would all perish. Imagine how life would be if we are to be punished for all our mistakes including the slip of the tongue...and the punishment comes immediately. If you look at the wrong thing Allah takes away your sight right there and then. If you go to a wrong place, you lose your legs. Just imagine if it were so...would any one of us be alive still? All of us would have lost all our body parts and at the very end lose our hearts too except the prophets that is. But Allah Subhanahu wataala is Merciful that's why He has given us countless chances to cry and repent to Him.

We live in this world yet we don't know what will be the reason for us to go to jannah or even hellfire. It could be the duas of that lady you helped during hardship that will make Allah to send you to jannah yet it could be that with all the deen you have, go to hellfire because of someone you wronged and never forgave you.

Who are we to be arrogant over others really? What guarantee does any of us have of where their place will be? And sadly, we have several pious men and women who think so highly of themselves such that when they see you they already judge you and stigmatize you because 'you are not one of them'. You know them right? They consider themselves ahlul jannah...so they look at you, size you up and just decide, 'this is a jahannam material.' Seriously?? How does someone ever have such confidence on such issues? Haven't we seen so pious people dying at kuffr while so evil people turning tables and being so close to Allah?? Shaitan's example is the best whereby he used to be very pious such that they used to call him 'abu ssajda' due to his frequent sujuud yet he ended up being the greatest enemy of Islam because of his arrogance when he refused to make sujuud for our father Adam Aleyhi ssalam. So how do you rise your nose with arrogance yet none of us knows how our end will be? Allah S.W. says in the qur'an: 'So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him (Surah An-najm: 32)

Hear what we are told of the hellfire: In a hadith (saying of the Prophet) the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that the heat of the Hellfire is multiplied 70 times compared to the fire of this world (Saheeh Bukhari). If right now we are complaining of the sun heat and can barely touch the stove flame, aren't we scared of this inferno? The food of the people of Hell will be from the tree of Zaqqum, which will boil the intestines like scalding water. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned that if a drop of Zaqqum would have fallen on this Earth, it would ruin every provision on earth. Now, how about those who will have to eat from it? The drink of the inhabitants of hell will be boiling water, and a disgusting boiling fluid made of pus and blood. Allah S.W. says: ”O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” (Qur’an 66:6)

The descriptions of hellfire go on and on and subhanaLlah how can we even be comfortable with our lives when all we do is point fingers at who is not as pious as we consider ourselves?? Again, NO ONE is safe dear brother and sister. Not me, not you. We are all under the mercy of Allah who has the choice of forgiving us or sending us to hellfire. May Allah guide us Ya Rab. May He guide us always and may he grant us his jannah and protect us from hellfire in shaa Allah!

8 THINGS PARENTS SHOULD CONSIDER REGARDING YOUNG MARRIAGES

                                                  

                                                Photo Courtesy: www.ayeina.com

Personally, I consider young marriages the best thing ever. You are not too old to have fun, do all these crazy things young people do while dating and especially that you can have children at a good age and be able to get playful with them. Yet sometimes, for some people, this may not be the best option for them. Parents usually think differently; their focus is on seeing their children happy and settled. However, they take some things for granted when it comes to young marriages involving their children which thereafter costs not just one person but both parties and families. The following are some of the things parents should keep in mind when dealing with such issues:

1. If it is not a happy marriage then she/he is better off without it. Marriage is an entire life of commitment, patience, tolerance, humbleness, understanding and most importantly, love. If the lady or young man is not interested in the marriage then please do not force them into it. This is about their happiness; not about the parents or two families or the business that would prosper if the two families joined. This is your child's life at stake here. As much as parents are to be respected since they are more experienced in life and they have the wisdom, don't assume your child's happiness is the same as what you would consider as yours. We are living in totally different times and our definitions of everything has changed. Please do not force your child. And even when you are right, then definitely there will come a time they will realize it and appreciate your words but still, do not force. The consequences of that can be tragic.

2. When a young man says he wants to get married, GET HIM MARRIED. Parents should stop denying their young men from getting married due to excuses like 'he is studying' or 'you are too young'. We all know that most men are scared of commitments and we probably know it is because of the responsibilities that come with it but if a young man says he needs to get married then it is because he really NEEDS to get married. When you stop him, do keep in mind you have a share of all the evil this young man will do along the way until the time you think he is old enough. This would be happening well if parents tried to understand their son's situation and accommodate his financial needs and for his wife whilst he settles down. It is not a bad thing if he is given such support because we all know what a young energetic man can do in this current world when he is denied a wife. There is pornography, rape, fornication etc etc. So which would you rather offer to your son? Financial support or a go-ahead to spread immorality in this already rotten world? Same applies with a lady; even if she is studying but asks for marriage then don't automatically reject. Advise her, yes but don't get rough lest she becomes rebellious. Such issues need mature talks rather than abusive ones. This doesn't mean parents should let them get into marriage just because of intimacy for marriage is a lot more than that. It therefore depends on the young man involved. If he is known to be responsible then why not? If he still needs to be grow up then parents should be there to advise him and guide him before letting him take up the commitment. 

3. When a young man says he is not ready to marry then do not force him into it. As much all parents fear for their children on the fitna around and wish for them to settle down as soon as possible, pushing him to get married is unsaid of. Ironic thing about families is that they will be quick to say, 'get married son, we will support you do the wedding' so they will contribute thousands and thousands for dowry and a huge wedding and then when the boy comes to borrow salt from their house, they will be the same people to say, 'see he took responsibilities he couldn't handle and now he just keeps borrowing here and there.' Oh! Weren't you the same people who pushed him to marry even when you knew he is not ready financially and even maybe psychologically? Nowadays we have so many ladies so miserable in their marriages and maybe even have children because her home is just like a lodging to her spouse. He only comes home for food and bed and nothing else. Why? Because the boy was pushed to marry yet he still fancies his bachelorhood life and he lacks maturity. If the young man can control himself then well and good; please let us not ruin ladies' lives because of an immature being. Again, same applies to a lady.

4. There is nothing like 'You are rejecting God's blessing or rizq'. How many times, have we heard parents or other people talk of 'wakataa rizki'. Truly, marriage is a blessing and there are so many ladies out there who wish that any man would knock on their doors but this doesn't justify the pressure parents and relatives put on their children so as to get married. We all have to keep one important detail in mind: When God wants something to happen then it WILL happen whether we like it or not; and He knows it better. Therefore, people should stop misusing this statement. If it is one's rizq then it will definitely happen. It is NOT their rizq that's why they rejected and most importantly, it is because God did not will it to happen.

5.Coming to the consequences, there are some psychological effects of pushing children to get married. Some end up hating the whole idea of marriage while some go into marriage with an attitude. Where will the peace be found in such a home? The one forced will always be moody and temperamental and will always find faults in the spouse. Where is the happiness there? Some people are lucky that with time they were able to accept their spouse as they are and finally found the peace and joy... but for others it ends up being a miserable life which may end up in divorce. Parents should know that the pressure they exert on their children affects them deeply more than they can imagine. So please stop the psychological torture, blackmail and bullying. Please stop using words like 'what if we die without seeing your wedding?'. Where is the belief in qadar (fate) here??

6. If someone is on a self-discovery journey then please respect that. Some people have issues; deep issues. Some have very low esteem. Some don't love themselves. Some are broken. Some need to stand up from their fall. Some need self acceptance. The current generations have too much stress; which is such an unfortunate thing but nonetheless, we can't close our eyes to these problems. Parents should help their children deal with their emotional problems before pushing them into marriage. How can someone love someone else before they know how to love themselves?

7. Personally, I really dislike when I hear families saying, 'She is a wild girl, maybe he will be able to settle her down' Same case with boys. So many times parents have married off their wild, hyper, immature children to partners with good profiles with the hope that they will change. As much as I understand the plight of the parents but this is unfair sometimes for they are using the girl/boy. It is no longer a marriage but rather a therapy. Not unless the other child involved is interested then this shouldn't be okay at all. Most of the times, the one being used here is the one who ends up being miserable. How do you marry off your daughter to a drug addict just because he needs someone to change him? No one can change anyone except when they are willing so. Change is self driven.

8. Marriage is a beautiful thing really and parents, especially of the lady, should know that when their daughter is proposed then it is her life, her chastity and dignity that is in hand here. As much as you believe your daughter is priceless, do put into consideration how much damage you are causing by demanding high dowry rates or only accepting very rich men's proposals. Yes money is important but not more important than your daughter's happiness and dignity.

The old say, if you haven't tasted marriage then you haven't tasted the sweetest part of life. It's a bond that can't be compared to any other and for us, the Muslims, it can be your reason to go to jannah. So for the married couples, I hope you are doing it right :) And for the parents, please be supportive to your young men and ladies; you are all they got! Because at the end of the day, a young man's/woman's perception about marriage is shaped by what they have seen from their parents. So parents have a big role to play in such matters coz you have been it and much as experiences may differ, you are familiar with the common denominators in marriage which might act as critical pointers as to how our children perceive of marriage.But when all is said and done, it is the role of parents to encourage their children to uphold the institution of marriage because negative forces exist and the event of falling into it is a real threat. May Allah protect us all and guide us on the right path.

HIJABAES

Photo Courtesy: Arafat Abdulrehman

If I told you the ladies above are Christians would you believe me? Do they look anything close to 'oppressed' or 'denied their freedom'? Do they look unhappy or even near discomfort?? You've got the answer! :)

On Monday the 29th of February, the Muslim union of MTTI university (Mombasa Technical Training Institute) held an amazing project that involved calling non Muslims to come try out the Hijab and give their opinion of it. Mashallah around 17 ladies appeared and they seemed excited in the hijab. The project manager; Rayhan Suleiman in co-ordination with the chairman; Ahmed Abubakar, Photographer; Arafat Abdulrehman and several other Muslims appeared at the event to offer support and to tie the non Muslims the hijabs.

Don't ask me the level of excitement. It's all in their faces and their comments were just beautiful:

"I believe that Muslim ladies are really disciplined for most of them have beautiful hair yet they decide to wear it and cover themselves...and that, really requires discipline."

"I really feel comfortable in the hijab and i feel beautiful"

"The hijab is a cover that Muslim ladies cover their hair with and they look decent in it which is why I admire it."

"I feel comfy in the hijab"

"I want to take this hijab with me, is it possible??"

"The hijab makes me feel fully covered."

"The hijab is usually worn by Muslims to show their dignity."

If you heard all the comments then you'd really want to hug each one of them and tell them, "Sweetheart, THIS, is Islam!" All the Christians left with the hijabs and they left the Muslims with nothing than the big smiles for a job well done.

Who said to do daa'wah you have to a scholar in deen? All you have to own is the Islamic identity and have a soul that can attract others to Islam.

Mashallah for the nice performance by the Muslim Union of MTTI especially this being their very first Islamic project! May Allah bless all those who took their time and energy to be present and offer support. As for these pretty hijabaes over here, may Allah guide you to Islam and may you discover the real beauty of being in hijab. Ameen!

EMBARRASSING MOMENTS; JUST FOR LAUGHS

So we definitely have those embarrassing moments that we wished that the earth swallowed us immediately or at least have Harry Potter's magic cloak so as to disappear from being seen in such a situation. Those moments we waved back at a person waving to the person behind us or when we had an awkward fall in front of other people. This is just for fun; enjoy the read and I would definitely appreciate if you comment yours after reading this article. Let the ball keep rolling. Let's give people something to smile about today :)

Starting with my own; I once took my pregnant sister to the hospital for check up. So there was a queue and the nurse stood at the door calling out names. My sis was called in and she left me at the bench with the rest of pregnant women. The nurse looked at me and asked with raised eyebrows, 'are you pregnant?'
'Noo!!'
'Do you want to be pregnant?'
All the women started laughing and don't even ask me how fast i left the bench. I was turning purple😂

Also, In high school, my best friend and I once wanted to use the computer lab. And since it is sheikh khalifa, we decided that we should confirm first that there is no a boys class inside. To avoid embarrassments, we decided to peep at the key hole rather than open the door and check inside. As i was peeping at key hole the then deputy principal caught us in action. Worse still, he knew my name. So he called out my name in shock and then all he said was 'good girls don't peep through key holes' 😂 I was more than tongue tied. What convincing justification can you give in such an instance😂
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When I was in class 7...we had Arabic exam  in school(integrated school-abuhureira), we made a habit of cheating for the Arabic/religious part because we had a lot of subjects to study for(about 12+the other five secular subjects) and even the secular part sometimes(though generally the secular subjects were less than the other ones and were easier). This wasn't just one person habit, it was quite popular among students to cheat on those exams, but what made us different was who would come up with a perfect cheating plan and never get caught. Some would go in with papers books etc, they would get caught and one or two will be lucky and never get caught. In the first term exam,my strategically cheating buddies were put in a different class coz our class grew to be big and we had to be divided, so I was alone in a different class where most of my classmates weren't*** so good in the madrasa part. Immediately I had to come up with a plan which didn't include going in with Arabic book/madrasa book or paper coz that was tried before and it would be a cliche if I did the same and would most probably end up caught coz the teachers why on high alert for those kind of cheating methods, I needed a better plan which wasn't tried before(more like cheating in plain sight and no need for hiding anything ) so I decided to write the Arabic stuffs in English eg.( اكتب-uktub) in a normal book, then during the exam put this book in between the exam paper and the desk (coz the papers used to be so thin and the desks were a bit rough plus the teachers were usually okey with that as long as it wasn't that subjects book-or anything with Arabic for that matter). I spent the whole night writing pages and pages. During the exam I went in and did according to my plan and sat confidently for the paper, then unluckily instead of our usual Arabic teachers(whom by the way I knew that most of them were mostly into Arabic stuffs and don't really give much attention to English/alphabet written stuffs) didn't come to supervise us, but instead the IRE teacher came( as we know IRE teachers do both English and Arabic). I tried not to panic and went on with my plan coz I had no backup plan. After a while, The teacher got suspicious of me and he came to my desk, he checked the book and saw the alphabet written stuffs then he moved on, after a while he came back took the book and read it, he started laughing out loud and took me to the office. He embarrassed me infront of all the teachers   by telling them that during all his teaching career, he never met anyone who could beat my cheating game. Even years after that, every class he teaches during the exams, he'll tell the students not to attempt cheating unless they can up my game.

Also I was in primary school and we were watching the Kiswahili news in KTN...my Kiswahili was quite terrible at that time coz I was never brought up in Kiswahili speaking environment (it improved a lot when I joined Sh.khalifa), so in the news there were two women who were fighting over a man, my whole family was there watching and laughing, then my aunt asked whose husband he actually was among the two women fighting for him...then I answered so fast thinking that I knew the answer saying "you didn't hear the reporter say-mwenye nguvu ndio mwenye bwana"...everybody started laughing and they couldn't stop for about 5min. I had no idea what made them laugh coz I just answered a question,then my sister finally told me that the report said "mwenye nguvu mpishe" and never said "mwenye nguvu ndio mwenye bwana"
#Anonymous


It was 2009 and i was new in facebook and no one gave me 101 on facebook, my Ex high school friends and I were having a great time sharing jokes in one of his status update, A girl( from the same school as i was) asked one of my friends who is this Ahmed?, I didnt wanted my friend to disclose my identity because i blieved it was haraam to have non-mahram friends from the opposite gender, ' plz dont tell her my identity, you know my policy on girls' i wrote that as a comment, In my head i thought just like email and migg33 ( in those days) no one except my friend will see my comment, I nearly had heart attack when she replied to my comment saying ' no one want you kijana sort yourself out'. After that i nearly quit facebook out of embarassment.

Another; an ex classmate of mine created a whatsapp group for abuhureira academy class of 2008. I never thought he will invite me in a mix group( boys and girls) because he knew my policy on such issues, for a day or two all those who took part in the chat were boys only, others knew so they asked me all sorts of question about marriage,age and all nonesense that boys speak when they think no female is listening, i asked a bajuni friend of mine if he got a somali girl for himself( knowing well that he liked them)? He told me mahar yao ni dollar and its rate( dollor rate against shilling was high) is volatile nowadays, I told him that somali men are to blame because they play with women, girls demand lots of dollars not because they want the money but just as an insuarance policy( life insuarance policy against divource). Then what happend next nearly gave my second heart attack, A girl started responding to my chats and she gave me a piece of her mind because she was offended by comparing mahar to insuarance policy.
#Ahmed Garissa, Abuhureira class of 2008.


Most of my embarassing moments are too embarassing to fall on public ears...but in the spirit of this i'll give a light one,,once i was from the supermarket,i had a huge nakumatt bag..and was currently feelng that after-shopping glow....just outside the supermarket entrance,,i saw an old woman with a headscarf on,,,,who i figured was destitute..she had a lesso on the floor..i moved towards the old lady,put on my charity gloves..and took out some money,,i didn't care to hand her the money thou....i dropped it on the lesso and immediately turned away,feeln good abwt maself...i heard the mama call me back...i turned back thinkng to maself ''here come the thankkyou's''...''very unnecessary but if she does i'll give her more.''..she threw a tantrum..got really pissed and asked me to take my money,,saying she was only waiting for her daughter to leave the supermarket....and that niko na madharau sana,,,,she kept on talking as i left clearly having lost that after-shopping glow...and feelng very embarassed..
#Jama Abby


I Was in class five when a christian guy called emanuel told the whole class that he had a dream we got married
Felt so embarrassed and i started crying🙊
#Nasrin


So it was in class 7, coast star academy and at asr tym, usually when its prayer time all the boys washika udhu n then go kule up kabisa where thrz the assembly hall then tandika a mat n pray. Hapo i wasn't religious much...we were just from Nai the year before. Westayed there since nkiwa 3 then moved to Msa for class 6 mpka uko mwsho n i was still adjusting.
So its prayer tym n i'v always wantd to lead the jama3ah; see hw it feels to swalisha pple
. imajin u swalisha pple frm class 4 n wengine ata seniors.
So mtu akakimu, all my frnds are in the jama3ah... nkaanzisha swala freeeshy... then now loudly i started reciting alhamdu... with the beautifullest voice i can 😂😂😂Apo ndo subhanAllah zlianza. I didn't know what it meant n I'd never realized tht swalah za daytym watu hawaswalishi wyl recitin loudly.so the more the subhanAllah ikua zasemwa, the louder i recited..nkifkiry ni appraisal vle nasoma vzury.... we mwenywe ungeskia raha...n imajin its a hall...its echoin all over...mpka wakagive up... did the 1st rakaa...2nd..3rd...4th nkafinish...nkicheck nyuma thrz lyk swafu nne tht nnaswalisha...pple r gigglin n smilin at me
What's evn worse kuliingia tchrs wakasmama kule nyuma kabisa wangoja tumalize they needed the hall kuna meeting wataka kufanya... afu sasa our IRE tchr alkua nao ... she jst smiled n the othrz ambao ikua si waislamu wer amazed... cjui walijua ama vp...
Nkirudi class hzo ndo zilkua news... evrybody was told... tht kept hauntin me mpka nkamaliza tht school 😁😁😁😂😂
#Arafat Abdulrehman


After preps was  soo tired so i ddnt wait for jama3a insted i prayd in my room.. so that i culd sleep afterwards.. lol mara nkaskia matron amekaa pale kwa table acheki watu wakiswali coz kuna signing after swalah.. ikanbidii njitokezee hapo prayer room.. but i ws so stupid insted of like pretending  praaayin wit the othrz.. nkaenda tu pale nyuma ya saf nimeketi chini even without wearing  my nguo za kuswalia.. so pale watu wanasujood ndo ws caught red handed.. hapo ndo matron akaniona live nlikuwa si swali.. wit hair open sjielewa ati naswali huku miguu zaonekana.. lol t ws embarrassing. . Bt i explained  to her mara the next day akansema kwa ms malika😄
#Swabrin Timimy


It was the biology class. I smiled at my deskmate form 2 we were talking about something. Then all of a sudden she told me to share the Hehe i coudnt so she got angry and tod me to go out and sit facing the mosque alafu boys waenda mosque.Gosh was soo embarassed. Kuneel down kwa staffroom afu maboys wamwita bro wangu. story infika mpaka kwa mamangu. 😒
#Khalila Ali


I was in class 6 in Arya Samaj when I jokingly told my male class mate 'wewe ntakupiga sasa hivi'in a loud voice..Kumbe sir alikuwa hapo nje kwa dirisha akaniskia..He just came in akaniambia 'haya mpige basi'..I felt so embarrassed. I was in class 5..During an English lesson,sir asked if anyone of us had been inside the parliament..And I being kimbelembele,I raised my hand..I was so sure I was right..So my classmate later asked me if I really had been there..And being so sure,I said 'Yes,'and I described how it was..Little did I know that my description was that of an 'elevator' instead of a 'parliament!'She told me 'but that is a lift!'I felt so stupid
#Anonymous



Mine goes lyk ths,we were in the DH#dining hall waiting for food Sa chakula kinchelewa I decided to peep thru the hole ya mlango Sa ushapata ile design ya kuchungulia while leaning on the door Mara the door was opened n I almost samasaulted yani it was soo embarrasing cz the boys were there waiting to be served since tht day nlikoma kupiga chabo😝
#Zeinab Said


Oh boy, most of my embarassing moments came when I was still a kid, I became more careful as I grew up. One particular moment I can't possibly forget, i was about nine and me and my buddies were having a game of football in the local ground. Then this group of teenage girls passed by apparently to go play their own match elsewhere. So the game was momentarily disrupted and , well boys will be boys, we started whistling and cat-calling until they passed. Later that evening they came back, seemingly having lost their game, because they looked really intense. So when we repeated the earlier ritual, this time they weren't so amused. We wounded their pride and we paid the price for it...they started chasing us throughout the neighbourhood intent on breaking our bones or sth of the sort. I ran for seemingly forever, this extremely athletic girl chasing me, and not in the context I would have enjoyed, and I ran while seriously fearing for my life. When I finally evaded her grasp, I found myself inside someone's home garden, panting like a dog. The owner comes out asking me what's going on and in between pants I tell him 'eh kuna jambazi...ana panga...afukuza watu'

I learned my lesson well that day..
#Imran Abdallah


My embarasing moment wud be to stand in the buses early morning na wavllana mutasema mwaenda prison just imagine kisha ammi apige break mara mwagongana lol.
#Aisha Sunkar


When we were in class 7 it was sooooo hard. The unbearable year ile yenye maisha ikikushinda waeza drop uolewe. So it was Maths and we did the mid term exam ikawa twafaa kusubmit workings na answers separately na answer sheet ya ABCD separately. So me na ujuaji wangu wote nkapata 28% and Imran goes ahead and knocks us of by getting a 96/8%. So ever since, our class teacher akawa atupa assignment ya kufanya paper moja in 2 days like write down the question and workings alafu she collects the books. So this one time I didn't finish answering...actually it was the whole class except this one girl Caroline. Our class teacher akatutoa kwa corridor during break time tukneel with hands up and mouths wide open...so kila mtu akitoka atuona tuko kwa corridor. This other teacher akawa atoka class six ya boys na biscuit na vile midomo zetu ziko wazi akanitia biscuit mdomoni. Well you can't blame me for chewing it. All this time kumbe our class teacher atuchungulia kwa dirisha ya staffroom...nlirandwa hapo hapo mikono juu mdomo wazi. You can imagine the scene with boys all over. Shame on her for ripping of my self esteem and dignity in front of all those boys!!! Update....tulilalamika ikawa hakuna tena punishments except writing down lines kwa full scaps....
#Husna Lali


Which one to start.lol.. they are soo many.. Miss Ferouz busting saumu while she was making my hair in the Khamso room.. she made me walk to class carrying my brush and hair oil with my hair open..  Another one.. a form one boy asking me out a few days ago... like for real.. Am old enough to be your mama kiddo..
#Lalbiby Mansoor


That would probably be the day i had a crush on a certain girl in primary school & decided to write a love letter. of course the worst case scenario happened & within an hour the whole school knew word for word what i had written.
#Ahmed Shayo


This one time in high school, I got a 4 days suspension because I was "an accessory to a crime"...school crime people...not the government. My mum takes me back to school on the day I was supposed to be returning and we obviously had to face the then deputy principal-Ms.Feiruz alongside my class teacher Ms. Fatma. Ms. Fatma is all on my side favoring me and what not and then when we're almost through she said " You should stop being cheeky, you're a senior now.." And she turns to my mum like 'mwanzo huyu kukinyesha haji school alafu asema kwao hakupitiki kuna maji mengi. I told her to go tell her mother to build her a boat and she came back the next day saying "my mum said 'seremala wetu ankufa'". And that's when the never ending string of words from mum begin. Ms.Feiruz is all like "we've had other Lali's before...you're not like any one of them"
Darn woman....really???
P.S....my mom did say to tell her our carpenter died...the truancy part...blame it on being tired and the excuse..I was being creative, excuse you
#Husna Lali


Once, I was going back to the dorm after asr prayers. I reached street 11 and there was this huge cow blocking the way. So I decided to give it a wide berth, but the thing just lowered its horns at me and advanced threateningly whenever I took a step towards it. So I'd then take a step back. The whole school was watching (and laughing of course), though the girls were more frightened by the prospect of me being skewered. Needless to say, it was really embarrassing.
#Arif, class of 2013


My embarrassing moments are just the random ones. Like thinking your parents are asleep so you go to the washroom without looking the door then suddenly your dad comes and he wants to open the door then quickly you hold the door so that it doesn't open. Then afterwards he starts yelling at why I don't lock the door. Or maybe a kiss scene comes in a movie we are all watching and the remote isn't working so everyone just pretends staring at space while mum complains how English men have misled people.
#Anonymous


It was on a normal school day with no surprises of the day.Classes were ongoing as usual and we had just completed our first class.I stood infront of the class and strarted mimicing my history teacher as I was the only talented in it.No sooner had I started mimicing him when he entered the class.I was so shocked and didnt know what to do.I looked at him as he looked at me and I just felt embaraassed and looked away hehe...While I was still standing confused and shaken,the teacher ordered me out of class and explain my actions to the Principal.I knew it was the end of me and decided not to go out of class.From a far I saw the Principal coming towards our class and I decided to obey the teacher and vanished never to be seen.I showed myself after the lesson and I was summoned by class teacher.I stood there not knowing what to do and how to answer the questions directed to me. Nlikuwa heavily punished ofcourse; slashing about 10×5 square metres of grass plus 5 hot strokes of cane ........Until now I still bear the guilt n embarassment in me imagin hehe....wat if i was the teacher...

Another; It was on lunch time and we were scrambling for food at the canteen.Buying food was difficult due to over congestion of students.At last I managed to get some chips and I was relieved.Before I could move away I heard a voice "kijana kuja hapa".I recognised that voice and I looked behind. The teacher was referring to me and I realized I had not tacked my shirt.He took my chips and told me to follow him to the staffroom.On entering the staffroom I pleaded with him to forgive me but he just kept looking at me.Before I could even notice a slasher was already in my hands.To make matters worse he instructed a junior prefect to monitor me while slashing.I had no escape route than to oblige instead of a getting a suspension and till today I remember where did he take my food hehe....
#Gharama Ni Gharama


My desk mate and I were once caught by the then deputy principal laughing in class. She decided to take us with her to her office and it was obvious it wasn't going to be a good day. As she walked in front of us to her office, a boy's class was going to the library. And some of them knew us and definitely understood we were going for a punishment. They started laughing at us and it was really embarrassing.
#Hajra Taher


After years of "romeo n julieting " one week after we finish school, the nosey librarian finds a romantic note from one Butterfly to her flower, the contents of the lettr, you don't want to imagn😂 so she takes the lettr to Ms.Fatma (class teacher) and it becomes the topic of the day in females staff room, Ms. fatma calls Butterfly's mum "mwambie Butterfly aangalie maisha yake, wanaume hawana mana... Blah blah blah.... Nevr been this embarrassed, My mum is out of words, little did she know behind this innocent face lied a DREAMER who all she saw was loooveee 😄
The same week Butterfly is supposed to go to school to clear, imagn the looks on the female teachers🙈😱, too shy and embarrassed, butterfly holds her head high and goes to xul, on entering the staff room you could sense the "wambeas"  showing each other "it's her" and talking with their eyes, after the signatures she received a hell of a lecture from Ms.Fatma, luckily ms.feiruz (the then deputy principal) wasn't around, rumor had it that she was eagerly waitng to meet Butterfly 😄😄😄
#Butterfly

Now that you had your laugh, may you have an embarrassing day too 😂😂😂

WHICH OF YOUR LORD'S FAVOURS WILL YOU DENY??

 Photo Courtesy: Unknown

                                                       

While some people are born in the luxury of a rich family someone else is born in the streets. 

While some people are lucky enough to have been breastfed by their mothers, some don't know their mothers' names. While some people are born to a fancy life of bread, cheese and butter, some are born with Kwashiorkor and Marasmus. 

While some are born to immediately learn the world of internet, cartoons and play station, some are born to learn the world of drought, hunger and poverty.

While some people's biggest problem is not knowing what latest car model they should buy, some people can't even define in words which is their biggest problem.

We tend to take so many things in our lives for granted; like how much Allah has blessed us. Not just blessed us but REALLY blessed us. We complain and whine over the small tests sent to us yet we forget about the people less advantaged than us. However hard your battle is, do know there are millions of people facing harder problems than you are. Keep reminding yourself of the people in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen; people who have never seen fireworks in their lives except the fire from bombs and grenades. Remind yourself of people in drought areas, people living in what they call a 'house' yet all rain pours in. Remind yourself of the homeless and the ones fighting for their lives in hospitals.

Indeed we are ungrateful beings SubhanaLlah. Who are we to even think about complaining let alone speak it out? We keep denying God's favours and once we succeed, we walk tall forgetting by whose grace we are where we are. We forget where we came from; where we started. We forget to help those more unfortunate than we are; we forget that this world is nothing but a number of days. We forget that Allah never charged us for His air, for our hearing or our sight.

While you get really annoyed because you couldn't get the dinner you wanted, or your payment is late do remember that many wish they could have anything to eat or even money to wait for. Do know you ARE indeed lucky; luckier than those who consider themselves lucky. And ironically, the people suffering mostly are the ones appreciating the smallest of things in their lives; treasuring the fact that they are alive, that they have their limbs or that they have their parents with them. Because for them, they very well understand that this is a test from Allah and that they will be paid for their patience. They remain strong and have faith in Allah and all their tongues utter is 'alhamdulilah ala kul hal'. While those of us with greater blessings, we forget everything at the smallest test we get into. 

May Allah guide us and grant us patient hearts and souls that help others more and more. May He easen all our troubles and for all mankind who are going through more difficult times than we are. 

Parting shot: Which of your Lord's favours will you deny??

HEROISM VS NARCISSISM

Photo Courtesy: Mc'Lopez

In a world where everyone believes they are a star, a legend and a hero, be rational enough to yourself. Accept yourself as you are; without exaggerating your own existence. Yes, you ARE special. Always remember that...but never forget that you are not any more special than anyone else. Don't raise your nose and walk with arrogance, believing you are thee best; like no one is better than you.

Taking a hundred selfies, getting 200 or 1000 likes, having the most followers on snapchat and instagram does not define your self worth. Neither do these photos portray self love.

You only become a legend by creating a difference, by leaving footsteps in other people's lives; by being yourself. Do not be a slave of society love and fame because if that's what matters to you, do know your time of fame is quickly running out and someone else will soon be 'thee new star'. For all that I've ever known, no star ever labeled themselves that name. They were recognized for their impact and their achievements and not by their show off. So don't get ahead of yourself. If you believe you are a genius, then do know you are not the first one to exist nor will you be the last. The same thing with anything else that you are good at; be it sports, talent, academics...you name it!

Many people confuse egocentrism and narcissism as self love. And as much as the current world encourages people to love themselves, the whole idea of it shouldn't get to your head. There lived so many legends who were not appreciated until their death while there lived people with immoral ideas yet they have been made our idols.

Times are quickly changing and most of us have been enchanted by what we see on social media; people sharing their naked photos, egoistic posts and underrating of everyone else in the name of self love. And sadly enough, we are made to believe that it is very okay to be narcissistic and to consider everyone below us. So whilst the villain also considers himself a hero in his own mind, be brave enough to balance your self esteem and self love without letting your ego take over your thoughts.

My idea of heroism has always been the same as what Ellen Goodman said: “I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference.” 

Always remember that what you do; the smallest bits of kindness and humbleness that you give to the world is what makes you rather extra-ordinary. So even when the whole world thinks you are a nobody, do know that for someone out there, you are their biggest hope and their light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll end this by this remarkable quote that very clearly draws the picture and summarizes this whole article in a few words:

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”  – Arthur Ashe

Keep leaving footsteps wherever you go!