“To Him We Belong. And To Him We Return.” – (Quran, 2:156) Dear Fellow Warrior, There is no perfect end of the year. No perfect close. It just needs to close. You need to cross that finish line. Because time never stops; it is the only resource that will always remain scarce. So I didn’t…
well-being
My Social Media Achilles Heel: Jealousy, Visibility Politics, and Divine Reorientation
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde Dear Fellow Warrior, I am increasingly mindful of the difference between quiet presence and silent extraction. Several years ago, as soon as I finished my…
A Warrior Breaks Away to Find Another Way
“You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” – Dr. Brene Brown Dear Fellow Warrior, I didn’t expect it to take this long to write to you again after my last message. However, this is difficult because I understand now why it has…
Heartfelt GoodBye to Facebook Community
Dear Fellow Warrior, On my birthday this year, July 9th, I wanted to gift myself an exit from my community on Facebook, and ultimately from the way I showed up on all my social media platforms. Not because anything was wrong with it. It just wasn’t working for me anymore. It wasn’t serving me, and…
A Love Letter to My Ajnabi
“Eh Ajnabi, Tu Bhi Kabih, Awaaz de Kahin Se” I’ve written many letters in my life. This one is different. This one is for the ghost of a love I never met, and for the woman I have become because of it. Thank you for reading. Dear Ajnabi, Where do we begin when we don’t…
The Train: A Reflection for Minority Mental Health Month
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”– Carl Jung Dear Fellow Warrior, The ideation of jumping in front of the train returned to me again today. I don’t get out much and take the train often these days, but when I do, that’s the first thing that comes…
The Art of Survival: A “Prisoner of Conscience” Speaks
Dear Fellow Warrior, The featured painting, called “Prisoner of Conscience,” connects to my poem (Prisoner of Conscience: An Ode to Solitude) that I wrote earlier this year and recently published in The Memoirist on Medium. The painting is actually also inspired by the original feature photo I chose for that poem. I’ve always preferred using…
Rising Unapologetically Muslim – An Islamic New Year Reflection
“Oh Allah, bring this year upon us with security, faith and safety, Islam, acceptance by the Most Merciful and protection from Shaytan.” (Mu’jam al-Awsat of at-Tabarani). Dear Fellow Warrior, This Friday marked the beginning of the Islamic New Year, 1447 AH, the blessed month of Muharram, which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) called “the Month of…