Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 17 It’s not about the feelings During our stay in Makkah, our last tawaaf right near the Kabah came a few nights before we left. I hated it. It was so full and uncomfortable that my focus was not on dua, dhikr, or spiritual thoughts – but … More Hajj Chronicles Part 18: Joke’s on you
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 16 The crowning moment I’ve heard that everyone gets a ‘moment’ in Makkah – some special experience where they receive inspiration, or some kind of epiphany. On one of our last mornings there, mine came. For fajr that morning, I’d managed to get to my usual 4th … More Hajj Chronicles Part 17: Memories for the heart
Congratulations to Manchester United, who have secured their 20th league title after last night’s win against Aston Villa. Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that it really is a club with something special – to have won so many titles in the last 25 years. Predictably, the Liverpool (and other) fans will be … More Champions again
At South African traffic lights*, why does the green light stay on for such a short time for pedestrian crossings? It’s only green for a few seconds before it turns red again – which is usually not enough time for the average person to cross the road. The light then flashes red for quite a while … More Mister Y’s mysteries (part 8): Crossing over
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 15 Regrets My biggest regret from my Hajj journey was the time I wasted in Makkah. Both my wife and I got extremely lazy (me more than her, I believe). We’d go late to the masjid – and sometimes didn’t even bother trying to get in since … More Hajj Chronicles Part 16: Smiles and frowns
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 14 Early sights Like Madinah, there are many historical sites to see in Makkah. We covered a number of these in two trips – the first being a bus ziyarah to the Cave of Thowr and Mount Arafah, among others. The cave, of course, is where the … More Hajj Chronicles Part 15: Things to see
There are just a few months left until Ramadan. Last year, this blog hosted the “Early Bird Challenge”. While it’s not being repeated this year, the series isn’t really time-specific, so for those looking to get an earlier start on Ramadan prep, feel free to browse through the series and use whatever will benefit you. … More Ramadan reminder
I hope you’ve learnt a lot and felt compelled to take action during this week’s series of posts. There’s more that I could say, but in this series, I’ve kept the words to a minimum, and allowed the videos to speak and more accurately represent the reality of what’s going on. There are many, many … More Israeli Apartheid Week pt 5: Taking action
Hebron is a Palestinian city in which Jewish settlers are particularly aggressive against the locals – with the full backing of the Israeli occupation forces. This clip covers various aspects about the oppression going on in the city of Hebron: Hebron also houses the famous Shuhada Street – which Israeli forces have divided, with … More Israeli Apartheid Week pt 4: A city divided
One of the most inhumane parts of the occupation is the Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement in their own country. In this video clip, we see the attitude of Israeli border police, who point blank display the racist attitudes embodied in so many of these oppressors: “We’re humans; they’re animals.” It’s also worth noting that, … More Israeli Apartheid Week pt 3: “I don’t care what people think”
