Sabr And Shukr

It has been quite a while really. I decided to take a break from this space to tend to the family, but I didn't expect three months to fly by so quickly, Masha'Allah.

Mum underwent a minor surgery on two of her toes. Although the surgery was deemed minor, she had to rest at home, with a lot of pampering for two whole months. A well-deserved one, definitely.

Alhamdhulilah, from her pre-surgery checks ups to follow-ups, Allah (S.W.T) has showed us immense kindness by bringing warm-hearted people into our lives - from doctors, to nurses to friends.

In the days she needed complete rest on her feet, I had to try, and try, very hard to manage the household like she did. It sure wasn't any easy feat. SubhanAllah, for Mothers and what they do.

Every trial is a blessing. It helped that Mum stayed upbeat about getting up on her feet and encouraged us all to stay positive too.

Along these months, I picked up some very tasty (and healthy dishes) which I have made the niyyah to share on this blog very soon, In-Shaa-Allah.

Mum has been a very patient teacher on these days too (ahem...very unlike her!) and I have made good use of that and learnt many things.

During this time, AZ had to be on two-week trip to India to help resolve issues at home. So, it sure was quite emotionally draining (and physically too, for me) on both of us.

One Sister shared something very meaningful with me at these times - that we need to live on with two aspects. Sabr and  Shukr. Patience and Gratitude. SubhanAllah.

After two weeks of being on leave from work and working from home, Mum had to be home on her own, as by this time, she could walk up and needed that walking as a form of therapy in the healing process.

My biggest worry was on how she was going to fill that time before we were home - since she could not be doing any of the things she would normally do.

I thought hard on this,  and decided on colouring as a therapy for her.   And she loved it, Alhamdhulilah.

Mum's Thasbih, spectacles and her art materials which kept her happily occupied.

She really enjoyed colouring on these books, besides the time she spent on dhikir. This is one of her colourful pieces below. My close friend, D, who came to visit Mum, was pleasantly surprised that Mum has been into colouring too.

This book is based on the story, Jack and the Beanstalk. This is actually a children's colouring book, and not a book for adults as Mum found the latter too tedious and taxing on her eyes.

In all, she's been well, Alhamdhulilah. I have found some time off from work, to get some "me-time". And as always, splurging on books and stealing time to read them (every now and then) perks me up.

My Happy 'Pills' as always!

Of course, I have not completed all of them but started on some. For the past two months, I have been trying to spend more time with the Quran (in preparation for Ramadan), so have been feeling a lil 'guilty' whenever I am reading, especially a fiction novel.

Talking about fiction books, its been ages since I picked up one of these reads. Just some weeks back, a colleague of mine came back from lunch, grinning and shared with me her loots from this new-found treasure around one of the malls, near where we work at.

For the benefit of those reading this post from Singapore, this Bargain Books Corner is at Big Box (the mall near Jurong East). They have been stacking books outside the plaza area too at Level 1. It's hard not to see them on display. They are books of all genre, children's books included.

And I bought these from there too. For a time after Ramadan, Im-Shaa-Allah.

Simple things in life that make complicated moments easier. All of us are going through some trials almost every moment in our lives. When we thank HIM for all that we have, and have patience and faith in HIS plans always, life becomes more palatable, In-Shaa-Allah.

So, let's stay positive, spread good words and good thoughts and stay in duas.

At this moment, I remember all of our Ummah who are fighting their own battles and make duas that our Rabb makes our jouney of struggles towards Jannah a meaningful one.

Ameen.

Food With Dzikir, And Duas

I am writing this post to share on the barakah that food cooked in the home - peppered with our dzikir and niyaah - brings to us. What I am sharing may be trivia to some; but this 'discovery' is something that I made all over again .

I have written about this (the blessings of having food from cooking at home) before here, but nevertheless, would like to share this again.

AZ told me some two months back that he's been saving his sandwiches that I sometimes pack for his breakfast, for lunch. The nearest halal food place is about 15 minutes walk from his fairly new workplace and he's been forgoing the walk so that he has enough time for his zuhur prayers, lunch and some much-needed rest.

Having thought about it, I decided to put in some extra effort and time to prepare his lunch and keep the night before and store it in the fridge. Alhamdhulilah, this means Mum's lunch was fixed too. After a month of getting into this, I thought it made more sense that I increase the portions and pack lunch for me too!

It's been a month or so, that I have been bringing my packed lunch to work, and the outcome on my immune system has been amazing. Alhamdhulilah. Before that month, I was having a 'non-stop' dry cough that had lasted for months. It used to frustrate me and my colleagues (am sure, although they never said it). Given that I had to hop into cabs at least twice a week to get to meetings, events, with the nature of my job, I used to get nasal irritation very easily. And have ended up finishing up a whole box of tissues on a single work day on many instances.

Alhamdhulilah, ever since I started bringing food from home to work, and all other factors remaining constant, my immune system has improved by leaps and bounds. Masha-Allah, I have not been coughing incessantly, and cab rides have been sneeze-free. I was awed by this change and was sharing with my colleague, Sister A, who is now expecting and brings food from her home too. She was quick to pinpoint that the food that I have been eating (with all the duas and dzikir) made all that difference. There was once I had to eat out as I didn't bring food from home - probably because a lunch meeting got cancelled - and a cough did start showing up. I resumed with food from home the next day and it was fixed, Alhamdhulilah.

So much barakah for cooking with the remembrance of Allah. SubhanAllah.

My lunch box with 'sotong sambal' and eggs. (yes, I know I need to work on reducing oil in my cooking...trying my best, In-Shaa-Allah.)

In Our Food Haven...

Source: Internet

My latest post was on eating halal. And while I was writing the post which pointed out to the fact that   other Muslims and I who lunch around my workplace now have one less place to eat at, I thought... the best halal place to eat is our home.

The place where food is always warm, cooked  and served with love and with pure niyyah, and with lots of dzikir and always with the starting step as the utter of 'Bismillah'.

With that in mind, sharing some recipes right from our food haven at home. The prawn sambal dish was made by me, in an attempt to complement Mum's paruppu-and-rasam over lunch on one of the weekends. The brinjal pachadi was made on another day.

Looking at the paruppu-and-rasam shot brings a big smile to me now. Mum had made this about the time I had just started blogging, and I told her that I may be posting some of the photos of the dishes we prepare on the Internet. I seriously was expecting her to have some reservations. But she didn't.

I took a shot of the prawn sambal first. And then as I did a little arrangement on our kitchen cabinet to take the next shot of Mum's paruppu-and-rasam combination, she surprised me with a cute moment.

She stopped me before I took a photo and and actually scooped up some curry leaves from the pot to make them clearer in the photo. After doing that, she said smilingly, "The curry leaves will make the dish look more appealing," in Tamil. I didn't expect her impromptu spontaneity at all!

You know what Mum? With curry leaves or without curry leaves in the picture frame, only we, and all the fortunate people whom you feed,  know that your dishes will always be appealing in looks and taste. Alhamdhulilah.