Heart Therapy

...On Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of September (2011) I attended a course by AlKauthar Institute called; 'Heart Therapy'.

It's all about the 'Purification of the Soul'.

An extremely intense yet brilliant course and I hope that there is a follow up course as there is so much to learn subhan'Allah!

Hopefully once I have passed the exam I will be creating and designing a short course for 'We Be Inspired' - to give all the wbi'ers some 'Soulful Therapy' - something which is much needed - for all of us!

In this short reflection piece I will just touch on one point. As you can appreciate it was an intense two day course and there is so much to cover and tell you all about. So join 'We Be Inspired' today and you will be kept up to date when the course is launched - you wont want to miss it! :)

How do we treat others? Are we always good? Or do we sometimes bicker and fight?

And what happens when we have issues - do we blame God? Do we say; 'Oh, God doesn't love me - why is He always testing me - why ME?!'

We've all heard that, 'what goes around, comes around!'

Well, a fundamental point that we learnt at the course which the Sheikh kept repeating until the very last minute on Sunday was....

'The Way You Treat Others Is The Way God Will Treat You!!!'

Please read that statement again.

OK, now read it again!

***Reflection Moment***

Wow! Is THAT powerful or what?

The way we treat others is the way Allah will treat us!

Now let's reflect again and let's ask ourselves - how do we treat others? And why do we treat others the way we do? So then why do we blame Allah for our situations and circumstances?

Allah is Most Merciful, the Most Just!

This statement has a profound effect on me every time I think about it.

I hope it's beneficial for you and it will help you in your journey in this world.

I will leave you with the following hadith...

"Verily, there is in the body a small piece of flesh; if it is good the whole body is good and if it is corrupted the whole body is corrupted. Verily! it is the heart."

Want to be Spiritually-High?

...24/7-365?

Ramadan brings us such peace and serenity. Everyone around us (ok, almost everyone) is continuously fasting, praying, attending mosque, halaqahs, etc. The Qur'an can be heard everywhere and everyone is rushing to finish theirs in a whole month.

***There's something about Ramadan!***

But what we fail to understand is that every moment, every hour, every day, every month and every year is as special as Ramadan!

Ramadan is a 'Training-month' for us. Just like you would go to your new job and you would be given training. I mean, how can you perform a job when you don't know how to?!

Exactly that! Ramadan trains us for the whole year ahead.

However for many, for whatever reason, its 30 days and then khalas - that's it! And many fall into despair - because they can't 'feel' that feeling they hand in Ramadan.

***Ever Felt That?***

Well despair no more, because by the will of Allah 'We Be Inspired' is bringing you a post-Ramadan 8 Day mini-email course for FREE which will help YOU stay spiritually-high 24/7-365, insha'Allah!

Free email course starts on Monday 3rd October to Monday 10th October 2011 and to receive YOUR free emails please sign-up at the website http://www.webeinspired.com/

You can still download the FREE Ramadan eBook, 'Last 10 Inspirations'. Go to the website, then follow the tabs (second one), click on 'about', then go to subsection, 'services and products' and then click on the sub-sub section, 'Ramadan 2011' and there its waiting for you! The eBook and the Last 10 in there will help you beyond Ramadan. So download the eBook and it will give you a head start for the post-Ramadan mini-email series insha'Allah.

Follow 'We Be Inspired' on Twitter ---> http://www.twitter.com/webeinspired

Facebook Page is also launching later today insha'Allah.

To sign-up for the post-Ramadan emails, go here ---> http://www.webeinspired.com/

To your Inspiration and Beyond insha'Allah!

We Be Inspired - One Life, One Chance, One Vision™

Survival of the Fittest

***Picture of the Day - Caught Red-Handed***

A big spider got crushed (by one of us) and lil spider made a web, tangled big one and taking home for dinner!!! Talk bout survival of the fittest! (But dad intervened and off in the bin they go!)

OK, I'm judging - he could have been taking him home for a private burial? No?

I took a couple of pics - each time the lil spider couldn't drag him, he would climb back down and tangle him more and secure him - it was truly fascinating.

Last year I discovered a million and one nest of eggs on the kitchen window - a spider laid her eggs and then disappeared - or I think after spiders give birth they die - but anyways, every day I watched how they hatched and then they all climbed to the roof - I mean they just hatched and opened their eyes - it was amazing (I think I have a pic - will find it for you all).

I suppose its all about survival isn't it?! lol :D

Naturally Beautiful - Gardening Part 2

OK, so I was supposed to do 'Gardening' but it was Ramadan and then the 'Last 10 Inspirations' eBook for http://www.webeinspired.com - so liek, so much happened!

However, when I finally got some time (plus mama said we ran out of soil and had to buy more) to do my share of gardening - the 'planting season' had ended!

You have to plant (majority) of the vegs between Jan-June!

But luckily mama had been doing her share and we got loads of vegs and the pears this

year (just like last year) are off the hook!

However, I'm still going to plant some herbs etc and my pot with soil is waiting for me!

I've just uploaded an album on facebook with about 100 pics from the garden and the pear tree (we used to have an apple tree - she died!). So if you are on facebook and you are a buddy then you can see all the pics. They look gorgeous.

Its Autumn and winter is round the corner - though it may come around earlier. I'll talk to mama and see if we can plant some autumn/winter vegs and plants - she loves gardening!

Happy Gardening! (:

Whoze turBo???

...Well, YOU should've read the very first blog post - you still can - to find out about turBo, But today I'm going to give you an insight into who I am; 31+ Facts you never knew - so enjoy! (:

Full Name: Nadia Leona Yunis (Mughal-Ansari)

1. Why Leona? It was the first name she was given as soon as she popped out her moms oven - so no it has nothing to do with that Lewis lady! Liek, who is she anyway?!

Leona means Lioness (brave lioness).

2. How old is she? Take a guess, win a prize! (3 guesses only!)

3. Why turBo? 'Coz she has a super-power known as the 'Triple S' - 'Super-Sonic-Speed' syndrome - speaks too fast - doesn't make sense, works at sonic-speed and then falls ill! (See how fast YOU read that?!)

4. How many nicknames does she have? Too many - lost count!!! Once known as 'Tina' (in first decade) it rhymed with sisters nicks! And also knows as 'Charlie' (in second decade) - bro named her that - she lieks! But for close family and friends its; 'nadi'.

5. Extremely clumsy and has many bruises - 'ouch!'

6. NBN - nocturnal by nature, may be a vamp (has fangs)...

7. A writer since age 10 (written many short stories to be published as eBooks on turbo flow dot com - one day soon iA). Wrote her autiobio at age 15 (for school assessment) wana read it? :D

Is also a blogger and vlogger.

8. Is a rapper (singer/dancer - its a hobby - keep your fatwas to yourself) <3 2Pac <3

9. Default right-brain creative, loves arty stuff and cartoonist. Don't be fooled thou - logic left brain is fully trained and sharp

10. Fast-learner (thank you Allah) and photographic memory - doesn't forget anything (take note!)

11. Studious, geek, nerd - loves books, pens, papers - complete sucker for it - lieks studious peeps and loves droosing.

12. Loves sports - football/basketball/badminton - played them all and trained martial arts 'kung fu and kickboxing'

13. Edu Background - Law, Islam, Shariah, Human Rights, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Biz Management...

14. Multilingual and multi-talented (thank you Allah)

15. A student of knowledge - law, Islam and personal-development (NLP Rocks!)

16. Volunteers at few places - they are good causes!

17. Entrep - runs 3 biz; KSC, KSSC, WBI and more in the pipeline iA

18. Radio presenter and Producer (Unity FM) and did some TV producing/directing (RTV2010). Wants to do more TV iA (any TV producers reading this?)

19. Spiritually and Creatively inclined - intuition/visions/dreams work over-time - liek totally!

20. Loves nature, trees, plants, greeny stuff, mountains, sea, sand (beach!) desert. Wants to go deep-sea diving and jump outa a plane.

21. Animal-lover!!! Cats, lions, tigers, horses, wants to own a zoo and horse stables!

22. Has a thing for ladoos! And eats all that's halaal. Grew up on sweets and chocs. Loves fruits and vegs (I love my greens - honest!)

23. A people-person who loves all from all walks of life and makes a home wherever she goes. Loves all family and friends!

24. Uniquely Different and seriously weird - is not 'normal' and loves being herself - well, who else would she be eh?!

25. Wants to travel the world - who wants to come along?

26. Childhood best friends include teddys and dolls - I still have them, brought a special box for them and they are sleeping in there

27. Sometime can talk forever - can you tell? But sometimes will drift into a 'deep-thinking' mode

28. Is a conspiracist and loved the X-files when she was younger. I Believe in Aliens! :|

29. Has a child-like innocence, extremely curious and enquisitorial, oh and she's cute!

30. Is a info/techno junky. Has a knack for research and is quick in a quick way

31. Last, but defo not least, loves Allah liek crazy and loves her Qur'an!

More info...

Read Bio here ---» FB info/LinkedIn info/websites/ask fam and friends - but don't believe everything they say!

Blogs at ---» http://turboflow.blogspot.com

KSC & KSSC websites under construction

We Be Inspired ---» is on twitter; http://twitter.com/webeinspired and website http://webeinspired.com

Can be contacted via: email/fone/txt/msn/bbm/whatsapp

Email: nadi@2die4.com (main email add not here - too many spamsters!)

...And that's a Rap (for now) (:

(ps - that's a pic of me when I climbed Mount Snowdon, Snowdonia, Wales in July 2006 to raise money for the Horn of Africa)

(pps - when I was lil, THEY KILLED MA CHICKEN!!! - it's true - it really happened!)

Student of Knowledge

...Being a 'Student of Knowledge' is one of the most blessed blessings ever - according to me and all the great students of knowledge throughout history.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever seeks out a path to acquire knowledge (of the deen), Allah makes easy a path for them to Jannah!” – Muslim

Being a student - though at times difficult - is so rewarding - not only in duniya but for our akhira also - as we can read from the hadith above.

We should be studious and study always as this is the only way we can grow as humans and fulfil our true potential here on planet Earth.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever Allah wishes good for, he grants them Fiqh (understading) of the Deen.”

We should excel in our studies - not just school, college university - but also in Islamic sciences - learning about our deen, about Allah and how we can spread the message of Islam.

The great scholars of the past devoted their entire lives - many from childhood - to studying Islam and they traveled many lands. They had sabr - patience and they made dua - supplicated - to Allah to bless them and subhan'Allah, they were truly blessed.

Allah (swt) put barakah in their time and in their lives. They left so much for us to learn - treasure which is worth more than any amount of gold!

However, there is a trend amongst the students of knowledge today to learn everything quickly and they are looking for 'quick-fix' solutions.

Many embark on this noble mission with little or no prior knowledge of the vast depths of this ocean - and they fail to realise that to swim in the deep end one needs experience!

Our great scholars from the past spent years studying 'manners and etiquette's' and the Arabic language before they moved on to any other sciences such as hadith, fiqh, philosophy, etc.

Even our scholars today spent the first couple of years learning Arabic, tajweed, manners and etiquette's, before they moved on to the next stage.

But unfortunately they have failed to implement this in their Western Islamic institutes and they are rushing students through all the sciences - as if it take a couple of years to become a scholar!

Some of these students have the worst of manners and believe that by passing with a top grade they have now become superior to all others and start looking down on the rest - when truly they have their own diseases of the heart to deal with!

Ofcourse we are all human - 'to err is to human to forgive divine' - but to take someone from the shallow end and throw them into the deep when they still need help to stay afloat in the shallow end is ridiculous!

I believe that ALL leading Islamic institutes in the west need to teach all their students of knowledge 'manners, etiquette's, Arabic and tajweed' for a whole year before they can move on to fiqh.

Many of these students feel that because they have a first degree they are now able to handle the study of Islam and in a couple of years they will become great daees - callers to Islam.

It doesn't work like that! As many still need heartful and soulful therapy to fix-up and then move on to being great students of knowledge.

We have issues in our Ummah today - serious issues - especially in the west and we need to fix-up now!

***Reflection Moment***

Being a student of knowledge is the best thing ever - we need to start off on this path with the correct intentions and the correct tools - 'Manners and Etiquette's'!

The Ka'bah

...The House of Allah - here on planet Earth - isn't it just Gorgeous, masha'Allah!!!!

Do you have beautiful memories of places you have visited - places which have had a deep impact on your soul - and its really changed you in some way or another?

Do you vividly remember those memories - I mean, can you actually visualise it - like, right now?

I have many beautiful memories with my loved ones - however when I look back at the pictures I can't seem to transport myself back there (I'm just weird like that!).

But the Ka'bah? Just by looking at the pic above I can feel, see, hear, touch, smell, taste - the whole works - it - I mean, as if I'm right there right now!

Now THAT is an amazing feeling!

You know, even looking at the Ka'bah is a form of worship and solace for the soul...

I looked at the above pic and suddenly I was back there and felt it all, smelt it all, heard it all - and really that doesn't happen with me - not with everything or places I've visited.

***Reflection Moment: stare at the Ka'bah for a while***

I pray that each eye that is reading this is blessed to visit the house of Allah for Hajj and Umrah and gets to visit and pray at the Prophets (pbuh) mosque and if you have already been then you're blessed with it again - me and my fam too - ameen!

Ps - thanks to my mate Kas in Bolton for letting me use his pic for this post. He went for Umrah during the last part of Ramadan this year - may Allah (swt) accept it from him - ameen! (:

Nourishment for the Soul

..."But it may happen that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you. And Allah knows and you know not." 2:216 ♥

‎...Subhan'Allah - its amazing how the verse above of the Qur'an starts off by talking about jihad and not wanting to participate in it - but if you delve deeper it can also mean daily jihad - daily struggle - that of the nafs (soul) - striving to leave bad habits and do good deeds and how many things in life we think are good for us but in fact they are bad for us and vice versa and ultimately how Allah's knowledge is greater and ours is limited...

***Reflection Moment***

Have you ever been through something and you think it is good for you yet it doesn't come your way and then you get angry and frustrated - or you don't want something but it just won't leave you?

I had a good reminder from my facebook buddies this week. I haven't been too well (again!) and I was kinda 'complaining' and they questioned whether I was complaining about being constantly purified every moment and how Allah loves to purify us - I mean rather the purification here than hell-fire later, right?! So the above verse came into mind.

I think it will help you - so go ahead, reflect and ponder and be happy that there is someone who is taking care of all your affairs all the time - Allah! :)

The Qur'an is truly amazing in its meaning and application...

Got the post-Ramadan blues?

...Why is it when Ramadan comes everyone is on such a spiritual-high - but it only last 30 days?

...Did you know that it takes 30 days to develop and implement a new habit and it takes 90 days for that habit to become like second nature?

***Reflection Moment***

I've got three quick tips for you to keep the spiritual high even after Ramadan insha'Allah.

1. Dua: Its a weapon of the believer and it is a connection and communication with Allah. Remember that long dua list you made during Ramadan and especially for the Last 10 Nights? Well don't give up on it and continue with it daily - after every prayer - after fajr prayer or at a time when you're most alert. Make a special dua to Allah to keep you steadfast and keep you going - especially when you feel low, poorly or external stuff is happening.

2. Belief: Our system has a lot to deal with daily - so its only natural for our belief - imaan - to waiver. We are human, so this will happen. Don't beat yourself up over it - but rather recognize it and work towards strengthening it - and know that your Lord is the best of planners and He will do the best for you - because you're making dua - supplicating - to Him and asking from Him.

3. Continuity: Even if its little a day. Even if you started your prayers and you're on two or three a day. Stick to it - because by sticking to it and believing that you can do it and that Allah is with you because you have made dua to Him and asked Him to help you you can achieve it! And you will be able to increase it everyday. If you want to read more Qur'an and are struggling then read a couple of pages a day - or even couple of verses - but stick to it - and everyday you will automatically add to it because you will want to achieve your goal of reading more.

There are many more tips and you may have some also. Please do share them with us all. These were three quick tips - write these down and add more from other resources or articles you have read and increase your own tip list and work on it.

Hope it helps insha'Allah (: