Isn't it funny how the sight of a flock of birds soaring in the sky stopped being calming, and now brings a sense of foreboding instead?

Actually it is not funny at all. It is a frightening truth.

This morning, coming out to the street, there was this little pigeon walking in front of my building. My first impulse was: hey how cute! Then instantly I remembered the bird flu, and it did not look so cute anymore. Now, we have to remember to not come in contact with live wild birds. Now , they can be dangerous. As little and beautiful as they are. I always loved watching birds in flight. It was a peaceful and beautiful thing to watch. The height at which they soared. The patterns in which they arrange themselves. The discipline that they follow in flying for so long without rest, especially in migration. Really one should say…Sub7an Allah.

And now… because of this same endurance and height, they can carry disease into our countries… and there is not much anyone can do. Except for pray.

This really puts us (all of human kind) in our humble place again. A place that a lot of us had forgotten. We have to remember, that little do we know. And little that we can achieve. No matter how many rockets are in space, or how many DNA strands we can break down or rebuild. We are still a great big nothing in God's vast universe.

These birds soar so high. And on their own agenda. They do not pass through customs. They do not require a visa of entry. And they do not send a flight plan and wait for authorization to land.
And the virus. It can mutate. It has 4 different types as we speak. Only because of God's mercy have they not been transmitted between humans. We are helpless sometimes. We have to admit that.

Some thing as small as a virus…. As beautiful and gentle as a bird…. Can drive us all to panic. And we remember that we always need God. He can take this disease away. He can protect us and our children. And His will, shall always be.

What can we say: la ilaha illa anta sub7anak inna konna min al zalemeen.

I feel like I have been saying it more frequently lately. I have a feeling that is exactly what we need to say.

God save us all.

Belated: Thank you God.. and Congratulations.Alhamdulillah and alf mabrook

Very late I know, but I just had to say this:

Alhamdu lillah rabb el 3alameen. through God's mercy and help, We have been blessed with winning the African cup of nations. congratulations to all Egyptians... not only soccer fans. This time, we all got sucked into it. Everyone. I do not usually follow soccer, but this time I was really hung up on it. So was everyone I know. And children too. The day of the finals, I was in the club earlier, and it seemed everyone had a flag in their hands, or painted on their faces. I was too nervous to watch the whole match. I would close the tv when things get tense.. then open it in a couple of minutes or so to see what happened. Nerves were a mess... but the relief and euphoria of winning were worth it we aktar. next day in the streets, everyone seemed a bit happier. alot of poeple with smiles on their faces. I do not understand much about the plays to criticise... but i do not think we won because we were the best. I think we won because God chose to bestow this gift on us. Alhamdulillah rabb Al 3alameen.

Also Alhamdulillah rabb al 3alameen, for the safe return of the kidnapped egyptian diplomat early this week. Al hamdulillah rabb al 3alameen

Why?

I see news like .this in the news, and my heart aches. Being kidnapped can be one of the most horrifying experiences there are. And why? for what benefit are these innocent hostages taken? How can there be honour in such an act?

My heart and prayers go out to him and his family. May God help him out of this. God help him and us.. and forgive us. Amen

La ilaha illa anta sub7anak, inna konna min al zalemeen

wa 7asbona Allah we ne3ma Al wakil.

Message

Been watching Amr khaled on tv right now. Was feeling guilty about not doing anything about what has been happening lately regarding the danish cartoons. of course I had told myself: what difference can I make really?

But then, I thought, if on judgement day, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH)asks me what I had done to defend him, what would I say? nothing?

I guess it is our role to do what we can... the fruits of our actions are left to God. We have to do what we can.

Amr Khaled had made a very good point... Anyone who knows the history and story of the Prophet PBUH, whether a muslim or not... would be insulted by such cartoons. And yes, it is partly our fault.. for not telling the world more about the prophet. so the rest of the world is left of guess and judge, not only about the prophet...PBUH.... but Islam and Muslims in general... through whatever they see. be it a terrorist attack, calimed to be in the name of Islam.... or whatever their media tells them.

to counter this view... the solution is not more threats and terror, but using the same tool... show the real face of Islam. The real values that the Prophet PBUH presents. It is not enough to say... this in not Islam... it is also important to show what Islam really is.

But in the end...to those who use mockery and disrespect towards religion... you are disrespectful and provocative. pure and simple. You do not insult 1.2 billion people in this world... and call it freedom of press. Freedom to hurt people's feelings.. that should be revised. that is not civilized at all... for poeple to call it part of modernization and civilization to be free to say whatever you want when ever you want.. stop right there. if it hurts someone else.... it is wrong. Basic human instinct tells you so.. even if you do not follow any religion in this world.and the man who you portray in these cartoons... what do you know about him really?

finally...
Amr khaled's word about it could be found here
and will be broadcast again at different times : monday and tuesday 7 30 am cairo time, and monday 7 15 pm on iqraa channel. downloads and tapes about seira could be found on various sites too.

Salla Allah 3ala Mohamed, Salla Allaho 3aleihi wa Sallam

The worm

"There was once this worm. She was superman's worm. And she lived with superman in his house. She actually lived in a hole in the wall of superman's bedroom.

And the worm and Superman were very good friends. The worm would cook food for superman, and sit at the table and eat with him. Superman can easily see her, thanx to his super laser vision. Not the one he fights bad people with, the one he sees really well with. So, this way…. Superman never accidentally squishes her or anything.

When superman would fly, he would put her on his shoulder and fly with him. And they would go everywhere together.

Also, because the worm was superman's, she can fly. She was Superworm. She Also has a cape. She wears it and flies, and once saved another little worm.

One day, the worm was walking through the grass, and found something small and magic in the ground. She did not know what this thing was, but she ate it anyway. Now , this small thing was magical… so it made the little worm grow and grow till it was as big as the sky.

Oh my… Superman saw. The worm is really really big, how can we get her down?

So he used his laser vision to see in the stomach of the worm and saw the magical thing. He then used his laser eye powers (the one he uses to fight bad people with), and made the magical thing come out of the worm's stomach into her mouth.

Superman told the worm: this is a magical thing, spit it out! So she spat it out…. And she became small again. And now, the little worm walks in the grass and eats grass only and never eats anything else she does not know again."


This story was invented on the spot by my little 4 year old nephew today. I tried to type it exactly as he said it… just translated a few words into English mostly. Maybe I can show it to him when he grows up ISA…show him he had some good imagination. If anyone wants to use the story for a movie…please contact me for copyrights. :)

Paradigm Shift

There could be two answers to this question. It could be a very old woman. Or a very young pretty woman.
depends on how you look at it. I have to admit, the first time I saw this picture, I could only see the young woman. The old woman was very hard to spot for me. I was reading about this in the Seven Habits book by stephen Covey. and I closed the book without finding her. I came across the picture again in another book, where they kind of explained how the old woman is in the picture. Then I saw it! and it was hard to see the young woman again. Its purpose was to show how things can be so different, depends on how you look at them. Good advice for a lot of stuff in the world today. You can look at something from one angle and have a view, then if you go and look from another , you would probably find a very different view. It would be best of course when we can see both sides, integrate them then see what the real picture really looks like. Because there is a TRUE image, or lets say it in a better way... a view that would hit closer to the truth of things. But to see it, we have to see all views first.

Funny thing is.... the book said that males were the ones more apt to spot the young woman, the women would recognize the older woman. yet,I recognized the younger woman first.. so?