A short weekend getaway

1st March, 2017

Over the last few days my family and I decided to spend a few days at our beach apartment located in the picturesque, quaint little town of Margate. I am not a fan of Durban city and Umhlanga. It is not my ideal holiday destination as it is merely a concrete jungle. I prefer getting away from the city appreciating the peace and quiet that nature has to offer. The Durban south coast area is definitely an area worth visiting. The area is undoubtedly a photographers paradise made up of unspoiled beaches coupled with lush vegetation and greenery.Despite the rainy weather, my family and I made sure that we took a drive to the beautiful Lake Eland game reserve that boasts a variety of activities for the entire family, such as zip-lining, hiking, walking over the suspension bridge and much, much more.

The drive to the game reserve is absolutely breathtaking, passing through waterfalls, rivers and forests. "The Oribi Gorge is situated along the spectacular forest-cloaked ravine of the Mzimkulwana river west of Port Shepstone. Oribi Gorge is the western of two gorges that cut through the Oribi Flats (flat sugarcane farmlands). The Gorge, as seen from the Caves and the Suspension Bridge, was formed when large quantities of water from Central Africa cascaded down the ravine, gouging through the sandstone mountains. It spans an area 27km long, 4km wide in places and 400m deep. The vertical sides of the Gorge are made up of Natal series sandstone layers. The slopes down to the river are granite. Two types are evident: pink Oribi Gorge granite, and charnokite which is dark green in colour and can be seen in the river bed."

Waking up in the morning to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks is a totally surreal experience. After enjoying a morning jog on the beach soaking up the fresh crisp air, it is so refreshing to head back to the apartment just in time for a delicious breakfast followed by a walk down town meeting up with the locals. In the afternoon we enjoy driving along the coast to the famous Mac Banana farm stall. Their pancakes and waffles are simply divine; awesome for my taste buds but not for my hips.... lolol.... I guess that's what a holiday is all about. Breaking away from routine is refreshing and energizing. I need to do this more often.......

"O jealousy! thou magnifier of trifles"

                                                     Picture taken from LoveThisPic

Salam

"You don't know me. We have not met but I do follow your posts on a weekly basis. Interesting posts on your wall.Seen you at a wedding last year. You definitely looked like a celebrity outshone the bride. Seen you at a concert sometime back also. The singer even called out your name a few times. Gues you were a VIP.Sure you were on cloud nine.Pity that you not married. I have the reason too. Most of the divorces nowadays are due to your type of women, High flying women who want to be men. No man wants to marry a high maintenance lady...fancy clothes.. tip top make up. Designer shoes. In your case a lady who is in the spotlight as well. Lets face tje facts. You very beautiful yet you single. There has to be a problem. Men prefer simple girls who can live within their means and who are content with the income their husbands earn. A woman's responsibility is her home and a man's responsibility is to be the breadwinner. You may disagree but this is my personal opinion. No muslim family will accept your feminist ideas."

This is what I woke up to this morning. To the lady who sent me this message from a fake profile I presume as I'm unable to access the profile, I'd like to say the following.

Thank you very much for reading my posts and giving me importance by acknowledging my presence at functions and events. The concert you attended was probably at Sun city and the singer and I have a very special connection. I love him with all my heart, always have and always will. I treasure the 17 year old friendship that we share so yes I was on cloud nine as he made me feel special as his friend. I value him for his pure heart and exemplary character. He is not only my friend but my mentor too. His advice is filled with goodness and wisdom.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I was brought up to reach for the stars and beyond. I will not settle for mediocrity and i will not marry a man that I will have to support or look after either. Life for me is a race against time.It is a race to achieve as much as I possibly can before I leave this world. To meet as many people as I can.. to travel to as many countries as I possibly can. Most divorces are not due to feminism but rather due to men who do not know how to treat their women as per Islamic principles and teachings. It is all about enforcing a strong patriarchal ideology which is not a part of Islam.Drugs and other social issues plays an important role as well. It takes two to tango and hence divorce is usually culminated due to flaws and weaknesses that are innate in both individuals.Today's men are lazy.Most women nowadays are educated and know their rights. When a person knows their rights they become a threat to others. When a person prospers in life they become a threat to others. Please don't feel pity on me for not being married. I think we all need to feel pity for those women who are tied up in marriages simply for the sake of their kids. Yet everyday they are unhappy suffering in silence. They are so dependent on their partners that they can not leave despite being abused verbally or physically on a daily basis.They need to play the role of wife, mother, breadwinner etc etc simply because their husbands are too lazy to provide for them. Alhamdulilla a million times over, my Lord has been so good to my family and I. I never envisaged having a life filled with so much of contentment and happiness.I couldn't possibly ask my Lord for more. Here's a small bit of advise, " jealousy destroys good deeds in the same way fire destroys wood" The next time you see me at a function please do come over to say hi. Who knows, a bit of my 'wow factor' might just rub off onto you. Juma mubarak and have yourself a blessed day. :)

So who's the big shot I got married to?

                                                    (Picture take from Pinterest)

I am proud to say that through our Facebook page and whatsapp service we receive on average 50 inbox messages a day. It is so rewarding to assist others without wanting anything in return. However, sometimes people don't know where to draw the line. There are occasions when patients request for my personal mobile number as a family member is terminally ill and they feel they have someone to call in the case of an emergency. I really don't mind that. But when a patient or family member starts getting all romantic and crude on whatsapp that's when I switch off completely. On average I receive around 100 inbox messages a day on my personal facebook profile and whilst I love replying to all messages I am deeply saddened by some of the messages I receive from so called well known Muslim men who think that a woman is nothing more than a sex object..

' Hi hun. Surprised that you still single. What a waste of prettiness. What a shame.You obviously missing out on the oolala stuff. If you wanna get hitched. Drop me a text. We take it from there.i am married though and bisexual

' Hello. SLMZ. My wife can't have kids. Looking for a surrogate. Take note that the child will belong to her and me. You only needed to make a child basically."

'Hey doll. Never seen such a gorgeous lassie before. Striking eyes and lips. So I'm in Cape Town. Come to egoli twice a month for business. Let's hook up for some adult fun. In simple terms I'm happily married but my wife bores me. She won't know about our fling. All she needs is money, spoiling and pampering and she's cool. Drop me a text if you want to try.'

' Can I clarify something. Heard you lived in Saudi. Heard you were married to a big shot there and then divorced your hubby and returned home. How come you not married. You quite good looking'

It makes me sad that these are the kind of Muslim men within our society. I feel pity and sorry for the women in their lives. Their poor women don't know what their husbands are up to behind their backs. So why am I not married? I'll tell you why. I'm not married because I do not want to live my life being dictated to, being told what to do and where to go.Who I can share a cup of coffee with and who I can't. I am not married because men within my community are intimidated by successful women who lead their lives by their own rules. They are afraid of women who know their rights. I am not married because i wont allow a man or his family to stop me from working and serving others.I am not married because I will not allow anyone to treat me inferiorly due to my caste or where I hail from in India. Does it bother me that I'm not married.Definitely not. Oops I'm still trying to figure out who was I married to in Saudi. If someone out there knows please inbox me lolol. As I was saying whether I'm married or not makes no difference to me at all. Not everyone in life is cut out to join the marriage club.Society makes it seem though that if you not married you haven;t attained exclusive membership to this club.Well to hell with membership. I will not marry just to please society. To hell with society and people. Everyone's purpose on this earth is different. Alhamdulilla Allah has granted me the best family and parents in the world. I have been blessed with so much that I have to grateful night and day for whatever I have and I couldn't possibly ask for more.My beloved parents gave me wings to fly from a very young age. I certainly will not allow an outsider to clip them. To the men who want to merely have a fling with me, shame on all of you. You choose to respect the women of your family whilst willing to tarnish the reputation of a muslim sister. All of you know who you are. How utterly disgusting? My advise to all of you is this, God has granted you a wife, a life partner and kids. Honour your wife. Value her and appreciate her. Become good role model fathers. Why do you want to wreak havoc in your marital home. Why do you want to break hearts and hurt others. Will your Lord be pleased with you when you leave this world?...And No I don't do friends with benefits....Go try your luck elsewhere.

The story of a Sri Lankan domestic worker

                                                  Picture taken off the net

Sister 'R' was born into a Tamil speaking home. Some of her family members are staunch Buddhists whilst other family members practice Hinduism. As a teenager, this young Sri Lankan girl was unable to understand the faith of her ancestors. She opted to learn about different religions and eventually she decided to convert into the fold of Islam. She was a practising Muslim yet her family did not know initially that she denounced their religious practices. When they eventually found out they disowned her. They also tried killing her on a few occasions. She then decided to apply for a job as a domestic worker in the Kingdom. After receiving a confirmation letter that her application was successful she made her way to the land of shifting sands. She met her employer who resides in the blessed city of Medina tul munawwara. Her employer also happens to be a very close family friend of ours. He noticed that each month after sister 'R' received her salary she would visit the Prophets mosque and hand over her entire salary to the poor people. After a few months her employer confronted her with regards to her actions to which she replied, ' I do not need the money as I do not have any family. You provide me with all my needs." She then related her entire story in detail. Her employer was overwhelmed with emotion. He then decided to put away her monthly earnings into a savings account for her. Whenever she requested for money he would then hand it over to her. Within a short period of time the kids became attached to their Sri Lankan nanny. They would sleep with her and she would read them bed time stories. She was at their side during school concerts and functions. In fact she was given the status of being their second mother. After 38 years being with the same family she has become a part of the family. She is afforded the same rights as a family member. Over time the kids grew up into young adults. Sister 'R' bought them gifts and jewellery on the occasion of their weddings. She never ever returned to her country of birth and she refuses to travel outside of Medina. Her only goal in life is to die in the city of Medina and be buried in jannatul baqi. May Allah fulfill her wish and grant me the same level of conviction and steadfastness as she has within her heart. I was delighted to meet this kind soul during my recent trip to the Kingdom. Her story has proven to me that God Almighty guides those whom He wishes to. He protected her every strep of the way and it also proves that not all Arabs are bad human beings as portrayed by the media. We can not generalize and paint everyone with the same brush.Good and bad exists in all societies and as the Saudi saying goes, 'If you have beautiful eyes, you will see the good in others and you will attract good but if your eyes see negativity and bad then you will attract the same.' 

Travel diary - Umra Part 3

December 12, 2016

So we started off the day after fajr prayers making our way to Jeddah. My Saudi family planned a fun filled educational trip for us enroute to Medina tul munawwara. Our first stop was the newly built King Abdullah Economic City. Located 100km from Jeddah the newly developed city boasts five star hotels along with offices and banks.In the future the main train station connecting the new airport to Makkah and medina will be located inside the economic city. We had snacks at the beach admiring the beauty of the Red Sea. Lunch was arranged at the beautiful Bay La Sun hotel. After enjoying a relaxing afternoon at the economic city we made our way to Badr where we paid our respects to the shuhadaa who passed away during the infamous battle of badr. The last time I visited Badr was almost 20 years ago. Once again we observed so many changes in this town. The town has grown from being a small rural community to a city with newly built homes and shops. As we drove closer towards Medina tul munawwara there was a sudden eagerness within our hearts to get to the city of our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw). My Saudi family belong to the Bani Quresh tribe. They are sayeds hailing from the lineage of Hasan. Hence as we drove to Medina our hosts refreshed our memory with regards to the history and life story of our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). Alhamdulilla 3alas salaamah, we arrived in Medina tul munawwara safely. Dinner was arranged for us at a family members home. My Saudi family have went out of their way for my family and I. I do not know how to reciprocate what they have done for us. Subhanallah, in this day and age it is so hard to find people that have hearts of gold. May the love and care that we have for each other exist for eternity. Ameen.

Travel diary - Umra part 2 - Visiting Al Balad..

7th December 2016

Picture courtesy Mustapha Najdi

Yesterday afternoon after the asr prayers 'my family' from Jeddah picked us up for a night of exploration. We spent most of the night at Al Balad- 'the city'. Balad is basically the old Jeddah and has now been declared a unesco heritage site. A trip inside Balad takes you back to another era where carved solid wooden doors adorn the entrance of shops coupled with intimately carved windows reflecting the affluent lifestyle of the Jeddawis at that time who were mostly traders and merchants.The windows are in actual fact balconies thereby extensions of the room. The balconies were usually adorned with cushions where guests could sit and enjoy the cool evening air. Al Balad was surrounded by a high wall to prevent invasion by the Portuguese who wanted control of the Red Sea. In 1947 the wall was destroyed with only a few remnants of the wall still remaining today. The house of Nasif located in the middle of the souq is undoubtedly the most well known historical site within Al Balad. The mansion was constructed in 1872 and once again highlights the opulence and grandiosity of Jeddawis at that time. When king Abdul Aziz entered Jeddah after the siege, he resided at Bayt Naseef. The narrow alleyways surrounding the house are graced with all kinds of small shops selling anything and everything. The air is plagued with different odours....sweet smelling itr, 3oud and a variety of perfumes. If you looking for souvenirs then al Balad is the place to visit..Jeddawis are in general very friendly people and whilst walking through the souq you will encounter many curious people enquiring about your nationality and country of origin. In fact we encountered such friendly people who gifted us with expensive perfume. After 3 hours of walking through Al Balad we headed to the famous Tahlia street in Jeddah where you will find expensive branded shops along with beautiful homes and apartments for the rich and famous. My Saudi family resides on this street as well and hence we made our way to their home around 10pm for dinner. We were welcomed in grand style. The majlis area of the home was layed out with all kinds of sweet delicacies that we thoroughly enjoyed with the qahwa (Arabic coffee). After all the formalities we were ushered into the dining room where we enjoyed a spread of Arabic cuisine. Dinner was followed by freshly baked cheese kanafa and caramel creme brulee..... After a night of socializing, we returned to Makkah in the early hours of the morning in time for the morning prayers.....