just like the school days

Time changes, but we don’t. Not me, at least.

I wasn’t able to concentrate much at work on Friday and therefore failed to meet a self-imposed deadline, something that I use religiously to push myself to work. I decided to make up for it by doing the remaining bits at home during the weekend and it sounded like a good idea. Working for a couple of hours near sehri time, and the job would be done.

Of course this wasn’t on Friday’s agenda because there were two days off ahead to wrap this up. On Saturday, I slept the whole day and didn’t feel like working. To be honest, I had one more day ahead, from which I needed only 2 hours. Then came Sunday, which passed without notice and I forgot that I was even supposed to do something. And now in the late hours of Sunday night, I am thinking if I can get up early on Monday, and wrap this up or not? (more…)

Ramadan…so far

While Ramadan this year promises to be an entirely unique experience, it hasn’t been an easy sailing so far. And its just the 4th day!

Why unique? Because this is my first Ramadan away from all sorts of home. Last year was with relatives so that’s like home away from home. This is also my first Ramadan working full-time, that too without the luxury of trimmed down office hours that you get back home.

The first day went very nicely. Apart from the urge to eat during the lunch time and the caffeine cravings, everything was smooth. After iftaar, I quickly fixed myself a cup of tea. This didn’t feel enough so after an hour came another cup of tea. Now this was around 10pm because sun sets at about 8.40pm.  As a result, I ended up staying awake all night until sehri which was at 3.40 am. Slept at 5, woke up at 8 and then began a tough day at work and second day of Ramadan. Somehow I managed to get through the office hours without sleeping but feverish feelings started kicking in. I crashed after coming home. Since these 2 hours of sleep weren’t enough, I decided to call it night at 12, and woke up again at 3 for sehri. Food, medicine and fajar. Done with everything, I couldn’t sleep :\ So stayed up from 3 and then went to work again feeling lousy. Came back and avoided sleeping yesterday but immediately after iftaar i couldn’t resist. Held up for an hour or so and then slept only waking up after sehri. Ughh! (more…)

Moon Sighting Conflicts (UK)

Coming from Pakistan, moon sighting conflicts for the start of Ramadan is something I am very familiar with. However, the conflict there occurs invariably when a certain part of KP province (formerly NWFP) sights the moon and announce the start of Ramadan while the majority of the country awaits for government announcement. In any case, there is no dispute officially and especially no dispute at all within my home city for that matter.

Therefore, having two mosques within a 3 mile radius of each other and announcing different start dates of Ramadan came as a bit of a shocker. Almost all mosques in London, including those in East London announced the start of Ramadan 2010 from Wednesday (Aug 11) while some in South London announced Thursday as the starting day. Even in South London (Tooting area) two mosques opposite each other were in dispute! Near my place, the large mosques close by are in Harrow or Watford, and both were in dispute. Central mosques in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and elsewhere were unanimous on Aug 11 start and since majority of the places were starting that day I decided to go with it.

A bit of research in this matter reveals that there are several groups within who have following. One group has tied the start and end dates to Makkah. The opponents question why not then have prayer timings the same as Makkah then? Another group takes the data from observatory (which is quite accurate to the minute of moon’s appearance) and decides the start/end dates. This group faces criticism that the moon should be sighted by naked eye and not by scientific data. And then there is this group which follows Pakistan (or just adds +1 to Makkah’s starting dates). (more…)

Fajr Timing Confusion in West

Last year during my first Ramadan in UK, I did not find it surprising at all that there was a dispute over the sighting of moon. That seems to happen just everywhere. What was surprising though was the vast differences in the ending time of Suhoor/Sehri and the Fajr prayer timing. I did not notice this before Ramadan, because there is no strict cutoff under normal circumstances. The differences I’m talking about is not small minutes, but it turns out to be between 50-60 minutes! I didn’t really bother last year and just went with whatever timetable was provided but now I thought of giving the whole issue a quick look.

When exactly does the time of Suhoor end?

“and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)” [al-Baqarah 2:187]

This verse is quoted extensively everywhere I’ve looked for the precise answer. How it is interpreted is really the matter which is the root of all divergences.  The differences occur in the understanding among the scholars that when exactly does the dawn break. This in turn is described in terms of astronomy. The two major opinions are that dawn breaks when the sun is 15 degrees or 18 degrees below the horizon when dawn breaks. When the sun is between 12 and 18 degree below the horizon, the state is classified as astronomical twilight. So it is agreed upon being the first twilight. Some even argue that nautical twilight (i.e. betweeen 6 and 12 degrees) is the time when dawn breaks visibly to the naked eye. (more…)

The Knowledge of Self

Knowledge of self is the key to the knowledge of God [...] and real self-knowledge consists in knowing the following things: What are you in yourself, and from what source have you come? To which place are you going, and for what purpose have you come to tarry here awhile, and in what does your real happiness and misery lie? Some of your attributes are those of animals, some of devils, and some of angles, and you have to find out which of these attributes are accidental and which are essential. Till you know this, you cannot find out where your real happiness lies. The occupation of animals is eating, sleeping, and fighting; therefore, if you are an animal, busy yourself in these things. Devils are busy in stirring up mischief, and in guile and deceit; if you belong to them, do their work. Angels contemplate the beauty of God, and are entirely free from animal qualities; if you are of angelic nature, then strive towards your origin that you may know and contemplate the Most High, and be delivered from the thraldom of lust and anger. You should also discover why you have been created with these animal insticints: whether that they should subdue and lead you captive, or whether you should subdue them, and, in your upward progress, make of one your steed and of the other your weapon – An excerpt from The Alchemy of Happiness by Al-Ghazali

A real food for thought! I couldn’t help but think how animal instincts are very much on the higher side in me, and many others around me. May Allah help us all to strive in the right path to achieve the angelic attributes.

I Can't Believe This!

On 29th September 2008 during the late hours of the night, just 3 days before my departure to London, my father summoned me to his room and we talked about various things for a while. I was carefully avoiding any talk about myself going abroad because my mother was also sitting there, who gets rather emotional. Eventually the subject came up when my father said “You have been good in your studies throughout and I have no doubt you’ll excel there too. Strive to be among the top students as you usually do.” And there it was…the pressure of expectations, that I’ve been carrying all along. Its never been a burden, rather a motivation.

While I was happy and excited my father sounded more like a child getting some new toy he had been eagerly waiting for I haven’t been able to speak to my mother yet, but I’m sure she will be excited too. As for me, I am happy that I have been able to give this moment to my parents, although, I believe this is all due to their prayers.

Now I think I should quit this post before tears start trickling down my eyes and spread the precious ink on this paper…Oh no wait, I’m writing this on my iPhone 3GS

Edit: NOW, after 12 hours, I can believe this. It feels great to realize that I am among the top cluster of students in one of the best universities in the world

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