Now on Instagram

Finally did it… https://www.instagram.com/dreamlife.za/ Pop by if you get a chance, please 😬.

10 tips for surviving Disney World (for Muslims too)

With the Northern hemisphere Summer in full swing, many around the world will be heading to Disney World (Orlando) for what will be an amazing holiday – especially for the kids.

We were fortunate to visit last December, so here follows what I hope will be some helpful tips – especially for Muslim travellers.

Leaving for Hajj soon? Download these tipsheets

With this year’s Hajj fast approaching, those who are going can find it hectic getting logistical stuff sorted out, making the social arrangements for departure (the greetings etc before leaving), and – most importantly – their own personal mental and spiritual preparation.

What follows is a compilation of tips and lessons extracted from my own Hajj experience – which I hope will be of benefit to those making the journey of a lifetime this year.

No likes…just genuine feedback

One of the most gratifying parts of the creative process is when the audience shares genuine feedback on what that particular piece has done for them.

Unfortunately, the plague of the “Like” has robbed many works of getting meaningful comment. It’s far easier for a reader to tap a thumbs up / star, then keep scrolling to the next item in their feed.

The birth of a book

For those who have been here a while, you’ll know that I’ve been working on my book for a number of years – an anthology of what I consider my most meaningful creative pieces (poetry and prose) since I started writing 15-odd years ago.

It’s been quite a journey so far, and after many, many revisions, a lost typographer along the way, and some delving into the world of cover design, I’ve finally completed what I hope will be the final document.

Winter Reflections

Winter has officially arrived in Cape Town, and we’re grateful for the rain – after a dry Summer and Autumn.
Here are the best shots I’ve captured so far this season:

Remembrance

Remember the One
Who is always with you,
Who loves for you to ask of Him,
Who listens to your pleas,
Who guides your heart to that which is best for you.

Love 2 Serve: for the love of humanity

The gurgling noises of the pouring rain hitting the pavement outside almost matches my inner tears of sorrow as I sympathise with the needy people of the world. Everywhere I turn, I see organisations appealing for donations. I see NGOs, leaning on the sturdy shoulders of Ramadaan’s great blessings, “cashing in” on this time of the year. 

Dear Ramadaan…

And in these final ten, we strive still more – to try to gain as much as we can from these fleeting, limited moments. Moments which will be gone a week from now. A day of celebration, of course, yet for those who understand the loss – a day of mourning, too.

Know your Lord (part 6): The Most Appreciative

When it comes to doing good, some of us are hesitant. ‘I am such a sinner!’ We may think, ‘Will Allah really appreciate the pathetic deeds that I do when I commit such horribly bad deeds?’  Allah (swt) says, “Surely our Lord is indeed Ever-Forgiving, Appreciative”(Qur’an, 35:34),