Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Ramadaan

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu

This, our last day in this most blessed month of Ramadaan and with tears and sadness we bid farewell to Ramadaan and ask Allah to give each and every one of us the opportunity to see another Ramadaan, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

May Allah grant us the ability to live the rest of the year as we have during this month, Insha- Allah. Don't forget those who passed on in your dua’s, as soon, they will be returning to their kabr, may Allah grant them Jannatul-Firdous, Insha-Allah, Ameen. To the sick, may Allah grant them shifaa, Insha-Allah.

I would hereby like to take this opportunity to ask Maaf for anything I might have done, said or implied, that may have hurt you in any way, intentionally or unintentionally. And to those who have stood by me, supported me, those who offered me strength when I was weak and to those whose shoulders I have soaked with my tears, I make Shukr. I make dua that Allah grant you the best in this world and the hereafter Insha-Allah, Ameen. May Allah have mercy on us, may He reward our efforts and may He guide us all today and always Insha-Allah, Ameen.

My dua for you for the last day of Ramadaan and always ~

May Allah weigh your Ibadat in gold, Ameen.
May Allah shower you with His infinite Blessings, Ameen.
May Allah cover your entire soul and bless your heart with the barakah of dua’s, Ameen.
May Allah grant and shower you with Imaan, Noor, Sabr, Health, Happiness, Wealth from this Ramadaan until the next, Ameen.
May all your Good Deeds, Hearts Desires and Dua’s be accepted and granted in this Blessed Month, Ameen.
May all your sins be forgiven, Ameen.
Oh Allah forgive the deceased and shower their kuboors with Noor, Ameen.
Oh Allah give strength to those who are weak, Ameen.
Oh Allah guide us on the right path, keep us in Imaan always and fill our hearts with Noor, Sabr, Piety and Humbleness, Ameen.

May Allah....
Take us under His wing and ease our pain,
make light our heart,
accept all our supplication,
accept our effort,
That He draw us close to Him,
That He protects us and sustains us,
That He grants us success in this world and in the next,
That He saves us from the torment of the fire,
and on that day of which there is no doubt,
that He enrols us among the righteous,
and that He places us in the shade of His Arsh,
and that He gives us the honour of drinking from the well of Kauthar, from the hands of our beloved Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W),
and that He allows us to enter Jannah from whichever door we please,
Insha-Allah, Ameen!

Al Widaa, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Ramadaan, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Siyaam, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Maghfirah, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Taraweeh, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Suhur, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Iftaar, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru Layla Tul Qadr, Al Widaa Yaa Shahru I’tikaaf…

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him maintain the bonds of kinship." (Bukhari)

May we all use this day to unite broken family ties and bonds of friendship. If the beginning of Ramadan is Mercy, its middle Forgiveness, and it’s ending Liberation from the Hellfire; its aftermath should be Thankfulness. Therefore we should be thankful for all we have and always spare a thought for those less fortunate than ourselves whose daily existence could be a continuous fast.

May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy, Peaceful and Blessed Eid – ul – Fitr Insha-Allah. Have a joyous day in the company of your friends and families, Insha-Allah, Ameen and I'm so looking forward to seeing you all.

A month of inspiration

I can’t believe we nearing the end, how fast the time has moved. This blessed month has certainly been a great inspiration to me, my husband and family. May Allah continue to shower his choicest blessings on all of us as we strive to reach His pleasure and perfection.

In my last post, I mentioned I was going to blog about the tests Allah put forward. That feelings have since passed, my heart feels at ease and stronger, so I’d just like to make a special duah for the youth of our Ummah. May Allah steadfastly guide them to the Siraatal-Mustaqeem, give Noor to their thoughts so they make respectful decisions and may Allah continuously have mercy for their shortcomings and that of ours, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

The sadness in my heart right now cannot be described. This month brings with it such joy, such unity and a great feeling of peace and contentment. I met a wonderful lady in that masjied one Taraweegh. Coincidently, we’ve been fortunate to stand next to each other on many nights. And when we part ways there’s always an affectionate greeting and a sincere “go well”. For some reason, she just stood out. Then, the weekend came, I happened to see her in a mall as we were waiting for the store to open. She walked up to me and I started chatting to her. Told her I remember her from the masjied, and so started a beautiful friendship. She told me about her kids, who are more of less my age, we shopped together for a while before we parted.

Each night we shared a bit more of ourselves with each other… and I eventually met her two daughters as well. This one night, out of the blue… she asked: “Are you married to Raafiek?” I said, “Yes.” The she started smiling. At this time I was rather intrigued. Turns out Raafiek used to frequent their home as one of the daughters studied with him, and that’s why she looked familiar to me because we all studied at the same place. What a small world hey! She then told me to tell Raafiek to bring me by on Eid, Insha-Allah. I’m so looking forward to it. And, over and above all that coincidences, we share the same hobby, our love for creating clothing. I’m so excited to see them, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

Laylatul Qadr was an eventful night as well. I failed to remember the masjied will be rather full this evening, so Raafiek and I left our usual time, and of course the masjied was packed, so we ventured on to another masajied. Taraweegh salaah went well, until afterwards when the imaam recited “Al Widaa Ya Ramadaan”. It wasn’t until then that I realised how few days we had left. The sincerity in his voice brought tears to my eyes. How fast the month has gone. Algamdulilah through the grace and mercy of Allah I have managed to finish my Gatam and to experience the night of Laylatul-Qadr in masajied.

After Taraweegh, we came home for a little nap and then at 00:00 picked up my cousin Raihaana and headed to Masjidul Quds. This has been the ritual of myself and Raafiek ever since we’ve met. Hence, we chose that particular masjied to get married in. We listened to some melodious Qiraah, made Salaatul Layl and Salaatul Tasbeegh. The evening was long, but good. We dropped Raihaana off around 05:00 and then headed on home to sowr.

Needless to say, later at work I could barely keep my eyes open, but it was well worth it. Raafiek, Raihaana and I were debating about the evening of Laylatul Qadr and the weather. It is said that the Night of Power is a peaceful, quiet evening with a slight breeze. The 27th was a blistering cold and windy night. We recalled the 25th evening which was a truly spectacular evening and last night Ray sms’ed to say it was another beautiful evening… hmmm… one has to wonder hey. The beauty and signs of Allah are so amazing!

As the month nears end and Eid arrives, it will be Little Zaara’s First Eid. I got her a cute little white and silver dressy… and small teeny ballet pumps to go with it. I still need to make her silver flowers to put on the shoes… oh and get her that lacy headband. She’s gonna look too Masha-Allah,Insha-Allah, Ameen! She really is such a treasure and blessing to our family! Shukran Allah.

The hype of Eid has started to take precedence in the house. My dear hubby has been up and about painting and fixing what needs to be fixed. I sorted out the curtain and bedding department. We are so thrilled for the change. Spiritually, we have grown together, Algamdulilah and have set new goals for the year ahead Insha-Allah, Ameen! May Allah continue to guide myself and Raafiek, strengthen our bond and forever keep us close to the Mercy of Allah, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

With love, I depart. I wish you all well for the last day of Ramadaan and may Allah accept our supplications, Insha-Allah, Ameen!

15th Ramadaan

Oh my! How time has flown! Algamdulilah, we on the 15th day of Ramadaan already, half way… Masha-Allah. As they say… it’s all downhill from here.

With all intentions to blog daily, that was just not possible, but Algamdulilah, Allah knows best and the memories live on. Just some highlights over the past few days… I had a test from Allah around the 3rd and 5th of Ramadaan, but I think I did well. I’ll blog about that later in an entry titled, “Allah tests…”. Those were thought-provoking nights, that left me with tears. Tears only for the pure ignorance and disrespect some have for our beautiful Creator. But, Insha-Allah, one can but only hope.

On the 11th Ramadaan, with reference to the number 11 being my and Raafiek’s wedding date, we had our first alone Ramadaan boeka. Was quite nice! We had a candlelit boeka. Raafiek made some chicken and mushroom soup, I fried samoosas and made some flapjacks with fresh cream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries. It was so nice, I’ll post some pics at a later stage.

Just something I’d like to share with you. Last night, coinciding with the 15th Taraweegh, we recited the 18th Joos. The imaam made reference to some ayaats which were recited. He was explaining the darajah of Janaat and espoused on the qualities and character one should have to be able to attain the highest of darajah in Janaat, that being Janahtul-Firdous. Some of those qualities include the following: to attain complete humility in your supplications and prayer to Allah, to abstain from sin – and zina being the most important thus protecting what which is between your mouth and your legs, as that is the highest form of sin in the eyes of Allah, to give Zakaah, that being 2.5% of your earnings – apparently it is the most neglected of the five Pillars of Islam. There were another two qualites the imaam mentioned, but my memory eludes me.

Well, that’s all I have time for today. Mubarak for the 15th day of Ramadaan. May Allah forever guide and protect us Insha-Allah and may we live up to what He wishes from His faithful servants. Fee-Amanilah – I leave you in the trust of Almighty Allah. Wasalaam.

Some humour:

Allah makes easy…

Algamduliah, the first day of Ramadaan went really well. Must admit I had a few trying times and towards the end of the day suffered from severe headache, but Allah makes easy all the trials we come across.

My first boeka as a married woman was more special than I could ever have imagined. Raafiek and I spoke for years about this night, and now it was finally happening. We shared this moment with my mommy (who cooked up a lovely feast), my daddy, brother, Liezel and my niece, Little Zaara.

Last night, we got to the mosque just in time for Eshaa salaah. I was delayed by Zaara whom I hadn’t seen in a week and how my heart yearned to hold her once more. So, I had to take advantage of the time. Tonight, the mosque was filled to capacity once more, so much so that I couldn’t even get in. I spotted the space in the front row and just before Eshaa salaah commenced, I asked the ladies if I could stand in that space. Another lady accompanied me. And, so Taraweegh 2 played out.

I struggled a bit. I was exhausted, must’ve been as a result of the headache, but Algamdulilah, I pushed on through. Guess we all did. It’s not an easy task, perhaps some nights are easier than most, but we do it for the pleasure of our Almighty Creator whom we owe so much, and there’s so much we need to thank Him for.

En route home all I could think about was getting into bed. We decided 21:30 was a good time. When we arrived at home we felt like having a tad of mom’s butter chicken and then head on to bed. Mom was tired with backache and so I got busy in the kitchen cleaning up for her. I laid her table for suhoor for the next morning and finally got into bed around 22:15. Raafiek and I lay chatting till past 23:00 reciting Surahs from the Qur'aan till we fell asleep – Algamdulilah. What a beautiful first day of Ramadaan.

OH ALLAH, on this day make my fasts the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my standing up in prayer of those who stand up in prayer (obediently), awaken me from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive me my sins. Oh God of the Worlds, forgive me, oh One who forgives the sinners.

1st Taraweegh of 2010

When I initially started this blog, I had all intentions of detailing the feelings within. To one day look back upon this time and relive it all. I must admit, the daily grind has been getting the better of me and my life has become far busier than I could ever have imagined. Busy with all my dreams and hopes is never wasted time. Today, I took a breather, leaned back in my chair and decided to take in the moment. So, as Ramadaan is on my doorstep, I’ve decided to diarise my thoughts, feelings and emotions through this historic time. I hope you’ll enjoy and travel along with me.

With Ramadaan, a sense of peace fills my soul. I begin to think of all I used to achieve in this month… my efforts to get closer to Allah, my appreciation for His beauty all around, my utter thankfulness for all He has graced me with and unity you feel with every Muslim aiming to achieve Allah’s pleasure.

I left work today and passed an old colleague who asked me to pray for him. I had to smile. I asked him to do the same. On my return home, there was the obvious notion that something big was about to overcome us. So, I just let it happen. My heart overjoyed and when hubby returned home, I could see in his eye, he was having the very same feeling. We rushed on to get ready for masjied, for tonight was the first Taraweegh of Ramadaan 2010, and we didn’t want to miss it. We did the ritual bathing (ghusl) which cleanses not only your body, but your soul in preparation for this month of sacrifice. We had a bite to eat, then headed on to the masjied, a feeling of utter contentment filled us. We chatted about how going to Taraweegh has become a compulsory act for us both, and I secretly thank Allah for honouring me with someone who truly understands my heart, as I understand his.

While walking to the masjied, we noticed all the cars outside and decided we need to leave atleast 15 minutes earlier tomorrow. On arrival, I could not see a space in sight. I just took one step in, turned myself to face kiblah (the direction of Makkah), and started my prayer. We just made it in time. Note to self again, we have to leave earlier tomorrow.

The girl standing next to me kept moving up a bit. Guess she noticed I was a bit uncomfortable standing right up against the door, but I had no other option at the time… as salaah had already started and I couldn’t interrupt the musallies. We completed Eshaa prayer, I spotted an opening in the front row and asked her to join me there. We excused ourselves and headed to the first row to start Taraweegh salaah. Taraweegh is a 20 raka’ah (segment) devotion to Allah where a chapter of the Qur’aan is read throughout the 20 raka’ahs.

The melodic sounds of the Qari reciting from the Qur’aan pierced straight into my heart. I was reminded again of my desire to get closer to Allah. To always act in a manner that pleases him. To only live for His honour and to be forever thankful for what Allah has placed in my life, be it good or bad, hard or easy, suffering or pleasure. Fee-Amanilah, my trust if forever with Allah.

Standing close against the sister beside me, my heart revered the harmony between us both as we stood before our Creator. In the last raka’ah I was shaken by the tearful voice of the Qari. Reciting with such sincerity, I could hear sniffles in the rows behind me. He had brought many to tears as they all understood and felt the sanctity of the month of Ramadaan. How can one not be moved?

After salaah, the imaam gave a short Naseegha and funny enough he mentioned the very thing Raafiek and I had chatted about on the way to the masjied. He said: “Inna akmaloe bie niyyah. Your actions are as good as your intentions.” In essence he was expressing that what you set out to achieve in this holy month is exactly what you get out. If you set out to go to Taraweegh for the first few days, that is exactly what you will do. If you set out to recite the Qur’aan sporadically, that is exactly what you will achieve. If you set out to achieve high goals in this month, and having tried relentlessly to achieve it and still not being able to, you will be rewarded in full, as if you have completed your intention.

When I left, I greeted the sister beside me and wished her well for the month ahead. Waiting outside for hubby, we chatted about our experience and what we’d like to achieve this month as we walked to the car. On arriving at home, I rushed to greet Mom and Dad. I’m thankful Allah spared all of us to enter and experience this Ramadaan, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

Last night, Raafiek and I prepared our home and got the table settings ready for our first suhoor together. This morning as I recited a bit trying to complete Chapter 1 of the Holy Qur’aan, Raafiek got our breakfast ready. We sat down, prayed Fajr together and serenely entered our first day of Ramadaan.

To all my family and friends, may Allah grant you all your heart wishes this Ramadaan and always. May you achieve what you set out to do and may you forever be close to the Ragmah of Allah. I wish you well, Insha-Allah, Ameen.

If you’d like to leave a comment, please visit: www.smooches777.blogspot.com and leave your comment under the appropriate post. Many thanks / Shukran.

I am tagged…

So, Shahieda tagged me. These were the rules:

1. Go to your photo files… select the 8th photo folder
2. Select the 8th photo in that folder
3. Post that photo along with the story behind it
4. Then challenge 8 friends to do the same.

I tried to do this. But, as you all know, when it comes to pictures, my sanity leaves me and I become a slave to the camera. Firstly, choosing the actual file to use was a complicated mess, Shahieda knows all about it, but anyhoo… for a number of reasons I prefer not to get into right now… can’t let on how crazy I am... But, its okay, they know me here!

Here’s the picture which classified as truly the 8th folder and truly the 8th picture of MY pictures. And, sorry, i cheated a bit, couldn't resist adding some of my other favourites.


Oh! What a trip down memory lane. This is by far one of my most memorable and fun days. It was filled with serenity, calmness and a kind of contentment I could never explain. The day dawned beautiful, crisp fresh air, sunshine to melt hearts and I had 3 of my closest buddies with me.

This was shortly after I bought my car, so I picked them all up late on a Sunday morning, we headed to Nando’s for lunch. Lunch was good, perfect company, what more could one ask for. Thereafter, we took a scenic drive down the very well-known Cape Town attraction, Chapman’s Peak. I was having so much fun. The day was very chilled. Just relaxed and I enjoyed the time with the friends dear to me.


Not seen in the picture, is Abbas Regal. We met in my first year at Technikon. Quite a memorable year that was, as I also met my husband-to-be, Raafiek that year… but little did I know. Anyhoo, Abbas and I were really close friends, being 9 years older than me, I sought endless advice from him and we helped each other along difficult times our paths brought forward.

Nadia Dollie, seen on the right of me, funny enough, I also met in my first year at Technikon. She claims I looked rather lonely on campus the first day, so she couldn’t help but want to take me out of my misery. Hehe… so started a wonderful friendship. We spent many a day with each other, chatted, laughed and once again, were always there for each other. When we turned 25, we held a big bash together to celebrate the Quarter Century of our lives. Why do I always over-analyse things… just dawned on me… we kept the party 11 days from my birthday and 11 days to her birthday… and my wedding date was also the 11th – blessings in disguise hey. I miss Nadia, we haven’t seen each other in a while, and recently she’s ventured a lot into my thoughts.

Then there’s Imtithaal Dawood (then Philander), seen on my left. We met through work and immediately took a liking to each other. Before we knew it, we were out together at lunch, then weekends. We ventured along many paths together, from trying to build our spirituality, motivating each other, encouraging each other, to flying to the moon. (yip, even that!) We did so much together. Shared so much. She was there for me always, and we constantly kept in touch and abreast of what was happening in each other’s lives. We still do today, although we don’t see each other as often, the bond is still there. We’ve grown together in so many ways and I’m dearly thankful for having her in my life.

Back to the day... later we took a blanky out of the car, laid it down on the ground facing the ocean (what a breathtaking view!)… and the four of us lay, just chatting for hours till sunset came. We then took a slow Sunday drive home… everyone by themselves, left with the thought of a day truly light, refreshing and filled with the kind of friendship only existing between the four of us.

What a day!



The 8 friends I’m tagging are:

• Zenobia Langford
• Imtithaal Dawood
• Nadia Dollie
• Gakiema Ganie
• Shireen Burton
• Fouzia Sayed
• Tamlyn van der Horst
• Ruwayda Abrahams

Please do this and send your responses to shaheema.albertyn@gmail.com

I look forward to reading.

Have a fabulous weekend!

To Love Bellydancing

Today, after being frantically busy trying to complete my Economics assignment due tomorrow... yes, i know, LastMinute.com. Anyhoo, i decided to take a break and checked my gmail account.

I came across an email from my bellydancing lecturer announcing a competition. For 3 people who write the most inspiring short essay on why they love bellydancing, will receive two tickets to an event she performs at tomorrow eve! Oh boy, i so need that break-away! And, would love to see her perform again, as she did so glamourously at my Bridal Shower in October last year.

Below, my offering. Please hold thumbs! xxx

Also, please let me know your thoughts, and if you think my poem cuts the grade at all.

Happy shimmying!

My Darling Husband

"A woman's happiness does not come through man's glory and honour, nor through his generosity and affection, but through love that unites both of their hearts and affections, making them one member of life's body and one word upon the lips of God."
- Kahlil Gibran

My dear angel… each and every day I thank Allah for gracing me with your presence. A presence filled with happiness, love and laughter. A heart filled with hope, memory and anticipation. A life filled with togetherness, nurturing and growing dreams.

I often have to pinch myself – I still can’t believe I’m married to the man of my dreams and so, so much more than I could ever have imagined. You are to me the air I breath – night and day, the pounding of my heart as each second goes by, the touch of an angel.

Shukran for everything thing you do for me Raafiek… I wish you only life’s very best as you deserve the most exquisite, I wish you cloudy skies on a sunny day because I know you can’t stand the heat, I wish the ease of fulfilling your innermost dreams and desires, I wish for you the omnipresence of mushrooms, so they’re available to satisfy your every craving, I wish you all the beautiful fish your heart craves, the rushing waves you love to see, the fresh air along the coast, the indulgence in your creamy chicken & mushroom pasta you so love to make and I wish you endless days with me as I continuously endeavour to bring smiles to your heart, mind and soul.

I love you Raafiek, with everything in me. Happy Birthday my angel!

Love,
Your Wife.

100 days!

Hey, hey, hey!! So, we’ve reached a benchmark, I think. 100 days, and boy did the time fly. Its been an amazing time of joy, love, discovery, enlightenment, happiness and new-found contentment.

Up for another 100 days??

I made it!

So many resolutions, so many ideas, so many ambitions, so little time. Well, atleast I started doing one of them. And, that was to get my booty in shape.

Yesterday, en route home, I had every intention of getting home and jumping on the treadmill in an excited fashion to finally do what I know my body so desperately needs. Shoo, it’s been more than a year since I’ve exercised. Moving office was a bad idea, since then my walking time has been cut tremendously.

Anyhoo, no complaints. One must make-do with the situation at hand. So, as I neared home, sluggishness set it and the thought of the treadmill was floating away along with it. Getting out of the car, finally at home… my every intention had veered from seriously jumping onto the treadmill, to seriously jumping into bed.

Barely able to hold my laptop bag, much less move my feet transporting my body to bed, I saw my mom… whizzing away of the treadmill, looking overly energised and proud. I smiled and said. I was going to do that and before I could mention the word, sleep, my mom said: “Come, you up next!” I couldn’t deny the enthusiasm… Shukran MOM!

And, that was all the motivation I needed. So, I put my goodies down with some renewed energy and changed into my gym gear… something that hasn’t seen daylight for almost 18 months. It’s been way too long.

So, my turn came and I headed straight for it. Got on and pushed start, elevation 4 and speed 6. I was on my way. Only planning to do 15 minutes, I managed 20 minutes, walking 2km and losing just under 65 calories. I know its little, short and few, but I’ll get there.

This morning, I am proud to say I managed another 10 minutes, 1.1km, 41 calories and speed 7. Now, just to keep this up and I’ll be well on my way to getting the old Shaheema back… man I miss her. This new bod freaks me out…

3 Months Married!!!

Wowzes! Even I had to take a step back and realize how much my life has changed. And, best of all… I’m loving all the changes, every single one of them as well as getting to know my better half, even better.

So yes, time has passed, lots of time. Sorry, I didn’t know how to make my come-back as a married women… hehe, since I just left everyone out to dry right in the middle, or was it the end… whichever comes first.

Oh well, I’ve decided to forgive myself for not updating my blog as I would have like to, especially as it got closer to the wedding. Not that I needed to write down every thought at the time, I’m sure those memories will stay with me for a long time to come. And, to make up for it… I’ll update wedding stuff and whatever else I’d like to add to my blog – in time. I’ll move back, forward, be in the moment. But, one thing’s for sure, I have to have all the good stuff floating somewhere, in case I get amnesia some day and long for a trip down memory lane.

Jeez, what can I say. I’ve grown so much in so many ways. So much has happened and so much didn’t… hehe. I have new and added responsibility and I’m starting my second semester this month! So, I have to buckle up, it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride once again… and my only thought is “Bring it on!”

To my darling angel: Happy 3 Month Anniversary Snookums! As I said last month: “I’m looking forward to forever with you! Shukran for everything you do!”

And, I guess I should have taken your word Imtithaal… married life sure is busy!

Signing out…
Pledging to update blog more regularly.