Tarnished Heart

Last year I ended Ramadan with a reflection. This year, I want to up the ante and finish with a reflective poem. Three hundred and thirty days a year, Has blackened my tarnished heart, For the thirty days of Ramadan, Immersed myself in fasting, Supplications and recitation, Remembrance of His Names Salutations on His Beloved, […]

Tolkien Reading Day

The original lyrics of Misty Mountains, from The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien Far over the misty mountains coldTo dungeons deep and caverns oldWe must away ere break of dayTo seek the pale enchanted gold. The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,While hammers fell like ringing bellsIn places deep, where dark things sleep,In hollow […]

Monday

A poem that I wasn’t looking for, but I found it as I stepped out for work on Monday morning. Warning: it may be awful. What if Monday never came?And the weekend just continued? What if all our hours and minutes were for family?And we put down our phones? What if we stopped stressing the […]

Why Am I On A Spiritual retreat?

Last year it was FOMO, this year it’s something else If you are a regular reader, you’ll know that I am currently sitting in itikaf. The word itikaf comes from the root of akafa, which means to stick, cling to or devote oneself to something. It is a religious practice that the Prophet Muhammad (peace […]

World Poetry Day 2025

It’s the UNESCO World Poetry Day today. This year’s theme is Peace and Unity. It’s also the 21st day of Ramadan, and I have secluded myself for the next 10 days in a masjid to seek peace within myself and oneness with the Almighty. In keeping with the day and theme, I will try and […]

COVID DIARY DAY 9130

It’s been 5 years since the lockdown. The human world was virtually under house arrest. The natural world 🌎 took a sigh of relief. Dolphins were spotted swimming in the Bosphorus, deer and mountain goats were seen roaming the streets of Britain and nature reserves saw a boom in animal populations. Introverts were supremely happy […]

Ramadan Days

We are half-way through Ramadan. I thought it maybe interesting for you to gain an insight into what my days look like currently. Work days start with sehri (breakfast) at 4am in the morning. My go to is porridge and dates. After breakfast, I brush my teeth thoroughly and perform ablution for prayer. The fajr […]

Writing Update March 2025

This is a straight forward writing update in which I do not intend to waffle about random things (but may still end up doing). I’ve written three chapters of Alauddin and its already longer than the original thing I wrote in my teens. I’m also already making mental notes about things I want to go […]

Ramadan 2025

Wow. It feels like its only been a short while since I wrote my last Ramadan post. So many people who were with us last year at this time have passed from the world. As a Muslim, I am grateful for every Ramadan that I am alive to experience. Each one is another month to […]

Islamic vs. Muslim Fiction

A common misconception is that fiction featuring Islamic themes is Islamic Fiction. It is easy to confuse or conflate Islam with Muslims and is often done by the media and politicians, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this post, I will define these two key terms before explaining the conundrum of this blog’s title. Islam is […]