Book Club

From Izetbegovic’s Islam between east and west

My Life in One Picture ..

There is real goodness in this world. It walks among us quiet, often unnoticed. But hear this, and hold it close:Goodness is not measured by the eyes that watch it. It is not weighed by the hands that clap for it. It is measured... by Allah alone.

Think of a fire built high on a hilltop bright, so that all the village may see the smoke rise. Beautiful, yes. Praised, yes. But if the heart that lit it sought only to be seen...the fire burns, and still... something is missing.

Now think of a small flame, lit in secret, deep in the trees where no one walks, where no eyes fall. No one claps for this fire. No one sings its name. But it was lit for the One who sees all things, even the things done in darkness. And that small flame...carries a weight the hilltop fire never could. This is the teaching!!A beautiful act, without sincerity,can become... an empty performance.A shape with no spirit inside it. But a small act, done purely for Allah,can carry immense value heavier than mountains,though it left no footprint at all.

So ask yourself, when you do good...Who am I doing this for?Is it for the applause that fades like footsteps in the snow?Or is it for the One whose gaze never leaves you,whose pleasure outlasts every winter?

True morality does not begin with the hands. It does not begin with the tongue. When the heart seeks Allah's pleasure above all else...that is where goodness is born.

So walk gently. Do your good in silence when you can. Let the fire you light be for Him who sees even what the world will never know. That is the goodness that lasts. That is the goodness that is weighed not in this life...but in the life to come. It begins in the heart , in that quiet chamber
where only you and your Creator can enter.

Favourite Gothic novels - both classic and modern recommendations please? 👻

Salaams!
Has anyone here read these two books? 📚❤️

📖 The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

📖 Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray

I'm curious to hear your thoughts, especially from those who are married or have been in long-term relationships.

Here's a question to get the conversation going:

Do you believe most relationship problems happen because people don't love each other enough, or because they don't understand how their partner wants to be loved?

And for those who've read both books, which one actually helped you understand relationships better, and what was the biggest lesson you took away?

Let's hear some real experiences and different perspectives! 👀❤️

I bought 8 new books today!! Sharing with you my thoughts after each read when I finish them inshaAllah 😊

Genre: historical literary fiction (think of war, diaspora, political upheaval, and the likes) 📖

Navigating the End of Times written by Sheikh Asrar Rashid

Steinbeck’s East of Eden i believe is a book about nature versus nurture. I do believe some people, like Cathy, are born ‘bad’. The story of Musa AS witnessing Khidr kill a child makes us reflect on the nature of good and evil, and what lies beyond our understanding.

Yes people can change, and the book explores this beautifully. Lee, the Chinese servant, is such a remarkable character, far ahead of his time, with a depth and wisdom that Steinbeck gives him so generously. I particularly liked how he had a dream, but as a human realised it won’t work and accepted reality, hmmm.

Ultimately, generational trauma can end, or at least be diminished. We do not have to be slaves to our parents’ mistakes. Our parents are human too, and they are not always right.

As a parent of much older children, and hopefully a little wiser with age myself, I have come to realise that I cannot determine their future. I have seen sons pushed towards becoming doctors, only to leave the profession with their mental health in tatters.

My du’as are always the same, may Allah SWA guide them towards whatever is best for their deen, their duniya and their akhirah, for theirs and for mine. Ameen.

Context: Post the Air India flight crash in 2025
Scribbled out of frustration I suppose

Edit: Second image supposed to be the first one.

Listen!!