Tag: quran
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The Vigilante’s Burden
After having my second child, I realized that my emotional competence had limits. As he grew older, I began understanding that every child requires a different parent. Having two children meant that I needed to have two versions of myself. Not only were they two unique individuals, the gender difference further broadened the range of…
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Log Kya Kahengey? (What Will People Say?)
“Log Kya Kahengey?” is a clichéd expression overused in Urdu/Hindi-speaking households. It has shaped much of who we are as a community. As I grew older I realized that this phrase has its own local variations across communities worldwide. We are taught to fear the opinions of people. On the whole, this phrase and its…
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Your Only Competitor
I’ve always prided myself on being good at reading people—whether through facial cues, exaggerated gestures, or subtle shifts in tone. Whether this is a natural gift or a skill I’ve fine-tuned over the years, I’m honestly not sure. But I’m confident in my ability to sense how others are feeling. It might also be true…
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Beyond Happiness
Of all of the things I am grateful to Allah for, the one I am most thankful for is my sense of reason and cognition. I also like to believe—although I suppose people around me would be better able to tell—that Allah has given me a fair share of wisdom. The wisdom that Allah has…
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Challenging Divine Sovereignty
To commit murder is calamitous, regardless of the reason. I assume it would kill a part of you simultaneously. Your heart probably. Maybe your conscience. It begins to darken your soul. When you get used to it, God forbid, the stabs at your heart punctures with less force each time. The dying of your conscience…
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The Weight of Representation
Allah has said in Surah Baqarah (verse 30) that he will place on earth khalifa translated as representative/vicegerent. Dictionary.com translates “vicegerent” as an officer appointed as deputy by and to a sovereign or supreme chief, Allah being the Supreme Chief and us his deputies. A deputy is meant to exercise delegated powers. It means that…
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Climbing with Conscience
Man-made systems are inherently flawed. They rely on the insight of flawed beings. So questioning non-divine rules is not only acceptable, but in my opinion the right course of action in many cases. The state of global politics and warfare today have proven that so many systems that the world has comfortably relied upon for…
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Introspection
The 30s are an understated blessing—a decade of self-learning like no other. You understand many “whys’s” and you also understand why each “why” cannot be answered yet. You come to terms with life’s curveballs and you make peace with individuals around you. Especially those who may have negatively impacted your life. It is also now…
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Balance
For some, genius erupts through chaos. My daughter always uses her messy room as an excuse to justify her intellectual abilities. Smart people don’t have time to clean up. Smart people become absorbed with ideas. Smart people are consumed with their thoughts. Hence smart people simply do not see clutter! For others to shine, everything must…
Farheen Anwar 