BEWARE! LEST YOU BECOME YOUR ENEMY.

Enemies are ever present in our lives, they drive some to success and the unfortunate ones to failure. They're always there, lurking in your shadows, eagle-eyeing you and forever interested in your every deed. What they never do is introduce themselves.

They appear as everything but enemies; friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, bosses, even parents. They sit with you, eat, party, smile, sleep and also make important decisions with you.

Some even rejoice with you, appear happy for you, congratulate you, present you with gifts and charge you to do more. But what they never do is introduce themselves as an enemy. The one who does that has become an adversary, a foe, someone to contend against.

Alice Hubbard wrote "the imagination is a power which is developed with intellect and fine feeling. The imagination can create a world and people it, in this way ideals are perpetually made..."

I've come to realize that what we do is create our world, and in that world we envisage people coming at us, not wishing us well, longing for our downfall. We create our enemies, seeing them in our friends, neighbors, colleagues etc. , we even believe some are after our lives, even though in reality everyone is after his own.

I hear people talk about their enemies, I watch humans running from nothingness, I see friends turning against friends, I read posts online, of some who believe their lives are in danger from some, and I marvel at the way some pray against their enemies. They fail to realize that to each is his quota.

The supposed enemy is like you, battling with his own share of life's very own adversity, having little or no time to actually relish in any good fortune that comes his way because he has also built a world around himself, a world where only enemies exist and are after him.

We end up wasting precious little time brooding over this "Enemy" whom we have so punctiliously created, we become unfocused and some loose their marbles, becoming insane with enemy thoughts all the time.

I'm not saying enemies don't exist, of course they do. But they largely reside in our precarious minds, handicapping us from reaching beyond our imaginations and dreams for our success. And turning us into our very own enemies.

Therefore beware, of you becoming your enemy, face reality, have faith and know that everyone is ultimately to his own.

THE FOURTEEN YEAR-OLD GIRL EXPERIENCE

They were promised good lives, assured they would attend the best schools, eat and dine with the whites and that they would be well taken care of, little did they know what awaited them in the overseas is nothing short of slavery; the modern slavery, to be sold into prostitution, drug dealing, being handed over to a PIMP. and made to work odd hours and some may never even set eyes on their fatherland again.

  April is a 16 year old girl who had experienced child trafficking, she narrated the story of her ordeal with tears in her eyes, it all started when she was 14 years old. Her original name was Nye and she’s from Edo state. Although, she was living with her aunt in Lagos state before fate played a wrong card on her, and it appeared in disguise, like it was a blessing.

BEHIND THE MAWLIDUN NABIY CELEBRATION.

 

For about forty-five minutes or more, I stood and watched fascinated yet bewildered at what is considered by some as a huge transgression, a bid’ah (innovation) while others regard it as a worthy celebration, the remembrance of an extraordinary icon, celebrating the seal of the prophet hood. 

  Fixed on the spot, I fed my eyes, bemused, as myriad of heterogeneous “Muhammadans” flocked the entire length of the old Ogba road at Agege local government area of Lagos state, singing songs of praises and what they otherwise call “zikri” of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They thronged on in groups; students of Arabic schools known as “makaranta” in the Agege area, Tijaniyyah and the Quadriyyah Islamic sects, the Hausa elites of the Agege area of the state and some other “Muhammadans”.

  They were extolling the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the best of their aptitude and understanding, some on camels, few on horses, many in buses, lorries, SUVs and private cars and about a thousand others on foot; dancing, singing, rejoicing and full of mirth; the young and the old, the females of marriageable ages and the married, the leaders of clans and those of a whole society all converged to exalt the Noble of the Nobles, Prophet of all prophets, Messenger to all mankind, Muhammad (sallalaahu alayhi wa salaam) today being the 12^th of Rabiul Awwal of the Islamic year 1436AH.

  Amidst all these gaiety, in my non-participant observational mode, I couldn’t help but wonder the “what” behind “THE MAWLIDUN NABIY CELEBRATION”.

 Mawlidun Nabiy is the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and history has it that he was born on a Monday, 12^th of Rabiul Awwal (islamic calendar) in the year 570 AD. But history does not have it that the prophet (peace be upon him) ever celebrated his Birthday.

 However, history has it that the prophet acknowledged his birthday with proof from this quoted Hadeeth: “"…He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me…” (Muslim)

  With the above mentioned hadeeth, it is to be perceived that although the prophet never celebrated his birthday but he indeed attached importance to the day he was born. And this served as a basis (no matter how meager it may seem), reason enough for those who believe he should be celebrated, coupled with the understanding of the qur'anic verse that said “Truly, Allaah and His Angels shower blessings

on the Prophet. O ye believers Ask

blessings on him and salute him with a worthy

salutation.” (33:56) and their acclaimed love for the prophet (peace be upon him), hence the celebration of the prophet’s birth began…

THE BEAUTY WE SEE YET WE DON'T SEE.

  I stood and watched them in fascination, enjoying the view. They were simply having a wonderful time together, experiencing one of those "bonding moments", happiness was very evident in their countenance.

   At that moment, I forgot about my tiredness and paid no attention to my thirsty throat. I simply stared at those two, with admiration and awe, oblivious of my surroundings.
 

 I refused to pay attention to the fact that my amusement could actually be questioned by any sane but unobservant person, especially when the cause of the amusement is actually the sight of a bitch playing with her puppy, but here is someone who actually got thrilled by the sight of birds flying a pattern in the sky; so, little is not to be expected of me on such issues.

 

Our lives lack beauty when we stop appreciating nature's little things, it is devoid of genuine happiness when we are always on the run, especially after our every desire. Not taking simple moments off to appreciate whatever condition we find ourselves in, knowing with all certainty that millions are in far worse situations. 

   Everywhere around us lie beauty, we only have to take a moment off, give ourselves a much needed break, embrace the warmth or create one and for once, forget about that thing or those things you so much crave for that is keeping you restless.  

   There is so much beauty we sometimes don't see even when we see. 

 
 
 
 

THE HIJAB EXPERIENCE: YOUR IDENTITY, YOUR HONOUR

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  It was indeed a conference, as serious conversation started right from the onset; I say kudos to sister Ruqayyah Giwa and her co M.C. for that feat. I acknowledge this because most events, even the ones typically called “conference” sometimes don’t have that conferential feel.

   The 2014 sisters' conference of the MSSN UNILAG sisters’ circle was indeed (and I say again) a conference. With a theme that goes thus: “21^st century muslimah”, it is difficult to imagine anything short of serious discussion. The two moderators, both female, (remember its sisters' circle thing, so the prog. was strictly for sisters) came onto the stage and threw a question at us, a question that later generated a highly participated discourse from among us.

   We were asked to share our experiences while in hijab; the good, the bad, the odd and the ugly, so it got started. With beautiful faces here and there, bright colours of scarfs and smiles, the Unilag main auditorium was almost filled up. Fellow sisters were itching to stand up and share, but some were shy and some were simply unwilling, I on the other hand was simply observing, I couldn’t even think of anything worthy enough to share at that moment, or maybe I was simply being timid, *covers eyes*.

   The first sister collected the microphone and narrated her experiences, she started from the very one which later led her to becoming a Unilag student, it was a mixture of the good and the ugly ones (experience). Few others got up and relayed their good, bad, odd and ugly experiences all because they’re donning their hijab.

   But what was most significant was what the Lecturer of the day, Hajia Ganiyyah Adenle, (lecturer mass. Comm. LASU) said, that we the 21^st century muslimah are not any different in comparism to the stone-age muslimah, as long as we’re still serving the same God (Allah), believe in the same prophets, the same holy books and we still act righteous and modest, and that if we are trying to look at challenges being faced, we definitely didn’t experience the “ugly” as much as they did, citing Sumayyah, (first female martyr in Islam) and pharaoh’s daughter’s hairdresser and countless others.

   She explained that strong-will is what is missing in us (21^st century muslimah), the ability to remain steadfast and never wavering in the face of any challenge we might be experiencing. Some cited instances of humiliation encountered by them when they had to visit the American embassy to collect their visa, and some, the harassment they faced in the passport office, and she carefully explained that all we need is to stand up for ourselves and to hold our grounds.

   The program was concluded after the editor of the sisters’ circle presented and launched their annual publication (of the sisters’ circle), WISE LADIES OUTREACH (W.L.O) and the cover title; YOUR IDENTITY, YOUR HONOUR. Sister Aminah Fashola, I really admire your work, it was a job well done. And to the chairperson of the event (can’t really remember her name) called “sister celeb”, she was described as small and mighty and indeed the event can make up for her stature.

   And that brings me back to the discussion we had earlier in the day on MSSN Lagos half hour, ( a program that holds on star 101.5fm at 8:30-9:00am every Saturday) that our hijab is our rights (click here) to read more on that, and we maintain that no hijab no vote in Lagos state in sha Allah.

Happy new year (1436A.H) to all Muslims.

Wa ssalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuhu.

 

THE G.E.J. EXPERIENCE.

Experience they say, is nothing but the best teacher
We need not a clear advert nor the words of a preacher
We've experienced GEJ for 6 good years and our lives got no better
Yet he aspires to run in 2015 and to win the hearts of all voters

I know not much about politics, so  I speak not on the matter
But I speak now of we Nigerians and how we're made to suffer
Can we say we brought it upon ourselves by voting GEJ as our father
After he told us he is a man just like us without a complete slipper

But we were no prophet and neither were we soothsayers
While casting our votes for him in our ballot papers
No food, no job, no light, no water
Bad road, bad transport, bad housing, bad leader

Yet he said he came with transformation agenda
Nay, he came with deceitful propaganda
Nigeria is an oil-rich country called the "giant of Africa"
Still we struggle to get a liter of petrol and we're made to suffer

Even after turning PHCN into the hands of private owners
Our lights change not from the way it was, and "NEPA" keep counting meters
The poor light their candles and the rich ON their inverters
Or they start their generators or power sourced from solar

Then our youths keep streaming into the entertainment industry just to sing "Mama sita"
Instead of getting quality education and make their lives better
Or discovering their real potential and try to work harder
They refused all that and joined the wild goose chase, yet they want to prosper

So I say, are they to be blamed or our cranky leaders
Who loot our country off her treasure and leave us with torn trousers
They rob us off our simple rights and our humble manners
And left in us hunger, deprivation and crave for bread and butter

And I agree with "psalms of love" author, Omisore Jedidiah
When he said whoever called us Third World Nation is indeed as flatter

Now, tell me one good reason to cast my vote for GEJ in my ballot paper
After experiencing him for 6 good years and our lives got no better.

Composed by Mar'yam Thawbaan (NobleHeart)

THOUGHTS ON THE WHITE THRONE

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 There upon the white throne that's where I sat

 But to answer natures' call not to sit and chat.

Then accross my mind it flew,like a flying dove. 

A book I read just yesterday called "Psalms of love".

The part that says "now or never", 

Or that which says "our life is getting better".

We sit and think, How do we start .

We wait and wait but what do we get. 

It's better to take the bull by the horns,

Not to fake and sit on thorns. 

Neither to sit honking our horn, 

Nor to wait for a Messiah to be born.

So why wait to think or fret,

when you can wake, get up and act.

Composed by Mar'yam Thawbaan (Noble Heart)