O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous? Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you? In whatever form He willed has He assembled you. Quran 82:6-8 Thus are the discontented inner murmurs about my mishaped body answered. If upon glancing in the mirror, I mutter that I hate my form, here …
Not Andrew Marr. Nor Andrew Percy.
Sometimes, I wish I could start again. To reset and embrace the faith anew, to make up for all my mistakes through the years. But I suppose that’s what repentance is. Time to reboot this soul.
I’m always disappointed to discover I’m not really anonymous. Yesterday, I was most perturbed when that old friend of mine said, “I read your blog.” Hearing him, I simply replied, “Oh dear.” My default reply to anyone who knows me. Perturbed because last time we met, I didn’t even have a blog. I did have …
I can’t help noticing that everyone else is much more religious than me, and their children far more pious. I feel like a heathen in comparison. Another way I’ve been left behind. My meagre faith is so shallow.
We’re visiting friends in our old neighbourhood to break our fast. Before descending on them, we decided to visit the local mosque for asr. As soon as we pass through the gate, my eyes join with another. “Salam alaikum,” I say, as the other chap twigs. It’s been twenty years, but he still remembers my …
Whenever I’m reminded of the dirty tricks, cynical espionage, underhand lobbying and double-dealing of those involved in politics, I feel very grateful to be an insignificant nobody with no influence whatsoever. Here’s to obscurity.
I really must stop trying to buy gifts for my beloved from the interweb. After eagerly awaiting their delivery, I nearly always end up deflated and disappointed. It will be a size too small. The fabric will be wrong. What will it be this time? A washed-out hue, bearing no resemblance to the vibrant colour …
I am continually amazed by how many managers, no matter how senior or highly paid, completely lack the initiative to do a simple web search to find out how to complete a task. Instead, they will compose a longwinded email to a colleague, explaining why they need to call on their wisdom and expertise, which …
“What about the terrible way Muslims behave?” You’re not responsible for how others behave. You’re only responsible for yourself. Perhaps the way others behave will be a test for you. Perhaps it will separate the wheat from the chaff, the true gold from false. My wife belongs to an ethnic group, which, at the collapse …
Today, a colleague sent an email complaining about me, and accidentally copied me in. I replied with profuse apologies for missing their last email, but pointed out that they had not in fact chased up multiple times as they claimed to their colleague. In fact, I said, I have always been responsive to their requests, as …
Learning of the deaths of British aid workers killed in Gaza yesterday, one particularly nasty troll chimed, “Tell us their names, so we can actually clarify if they’re British or not.” Succumbing to their ravaging hate, they hoped the dead would be a Mohammed or Fatima, so they could dehumanise them entirely. But, instead, they …
The rich and powerful have no right to lecture the disenfranchised poor and oppressed about political violence. No matter how much we abhor the violence of lone wolves perpetrating heinous crimes, it pales against the brutality collectively inflicted on whole nations by the industrial war machines of our pretended role models. Can any amongst the …
Trying to persuade the children that giving charity does not diminish wealth. I guess they’ll just have to see it to believe it.
