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As-Salâmu ‘Alaykum wa Raĥmatullâhi wa Barakâtuh

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WHY I WRITE

I write for accountability, transparency, release, clarity and fun.

I write for reflective responsibility for what I’ve learned and continue to learn to ensure I’m embedding and embodying my words, and I only share and disseminate what I DO Al-Hamdu-Lilâh.

My words are reflections of my deeds, observations, experimentation, experiences, learnings and insights, and my writings (including this website and other works) evolve as I evolve inshâ’Allâh.

I believe writing (articles, books, essays, journal, poetry, posts, etc.) is one of the most beneficial tools to use to declutter the mind, untangle ideas, organise thoughts, sort out feelings and quieten the noise, in a more structured manner, allowing for clarity one word at a time.

This is why I do it.

It’s sharing on the page without conscious censorship to then filter it down for a more cohesive piece through critical processing.

It’s a tangible and clear way to cement plans and then fine tune them.

Every letter, word, sentence and paragraph is a choice creating a safe haven for contemplation, critical thinking and depth.

PROVIDE MEANING

Writing perpetuates growth and help direct focus on doing meaningful work and being the work even if it’s only through my words.

It’s an accessible and free gift to aid in gleaning invaluable information from past lessons and uninvited memories, the ones that are niggling at me without notice or permission, to learn yet another unlearned lesson about myself, with an impartial, fair, factual, neutral and objective frame of mind, easing any remaining sting or dimming it down, until they are no longer needed.

It grants me license to confront and embrace inner fears, the terrifying, nerve-racking, harsh but kind and unremitting loving reminders urging me to awaken and listen to my inner voice to introspect and reflect so I can flow with my feelings to level up with mindful momentum – a reality-check from my heart.

It provides me the opportunity to learn from âyât (Qur’ânic signs) reminding me my mere existence is an âyah – a test, everything and everyone are trials and signs, and lessons are all around me yearning to be learned and loved – guiding me back into clarity, balance and alignment.

It’s a warm place to trust transitions, where genuine growth transpires, in the (uncomfortable) stillness and quiet, realigning me back to the whisperings of my heart, giving me permission to dissolve, release, let go and let be, of the unwanted, welcoming a breathing space to reawaken, reset and restore for what’s to be – where patience is progress and perseverance is part of the process.

It’s a soothing space for the unpredictable to embrace elements of surprise, the unknown and uncertain making life exciting and the unexpected making me stronger.

A supportive place for challenges enabling me to grow, enhancing creativity, honing character and increasing resilience – by CHOICE.

A chance to change, keeping me flexible and adaptable to limitless choices, opportunities and possibilities.

It’s a constant reminder to opt for choice, enabling me to take complete control of, and full responsibility for, myself and life, by being optimistic, pragmatic, practical and proactive so I live with congruency, consciousness and conscientiousness.

I believe in possibility over hope – I ONLY place my hope in ALLÂH ﷻ.

EMBRACING MY NATURE

Writing is one of my trusted and patient friends willing to give space to delve deeper into thoughts, fleshing them out then refining them along the way, without bias.

I’m enthusiastic about etymology and have a deep fascination with transformation, body language and intonations, character growth, energy, mindset and perceptions, perspicacity (insight) and perspicuity (clarity), resilience and prevention – ‘A dirham of prevention is better than a wealth of cure.’

One thing that I’ve come to appreciate with age, unapologetically Al-Hamdu-Lilâh, is my natural and inherent temperament created by ALLÂH ﷻ, and even though I dislike it immensely to box myself into a single description, definition or label of any sort (and I avoided diving deeper into it for years), understanding that I lean strongly towards an INTJ personality type, has been liberating to say the least – though not every single aspect of it is true about me, which is only natural, a good chunk of it rings true.

Of course, my faith, beliefs, upbringing, background, experiences, race, ethnicity, nationality, location, tendencies, preferences, learning, growth, conversations, choices and decisions  (what makes us individual) play a role into shaping the type of INTJ I am, but it shed light to why I act and think a certain way, and my unconventional ways of dealing with matters, past and present, that came and come across as odd or alien, to say the least and mildly so, to those who knew or know me directly or indirectly.

Of course, I don’t let the MBTI Personality define me or make it my identity, but it’s a vital aspect for me that awakened in me an acknowledgement of my quirks and unorthodox ways, accepting it’s how my brain is wired and I’m grateful for it Al-Hamdu-Lilâh.

It’s also one of the reasons behind the way I consult, coach, guide, converse or even write, which comes across as not-so-normal more times than not – even though being normal is overrated and relative to individuals, societies and communities.

I have the tendency to embrace the chaos viewing it as a challenge to explore.

Knowing I’m an INTJ helped relieve and release me of so many frustrations that were quiescent, and aided me to further appreciate others for who they are. And because I did (and do) the psycho-emotional work to rewire my subconscious mind, shift my limiting beliefs and slow down my overthinking brain, before knowing my MBTI type, it helped to balance and empower me as an INTJ in my awkward areas that are outside of my strengths and know-how, in addition to mixing with others who have traits I lack in, suck at or don’t come naturally to me.

I’m for efficiency, effectiveness and consistency (over courtesy).

I’m ALL about implementation.

Because of how my brain is wired Al-Hamdu-Lilâh, I perceive “have to”, “must” and “should” as BLESSED, FORTUNATE and GRACED to be able to be, do or say, and I share this with others to help rewire and soften the heart. And this is also a major meaning behind why I write.

AVERSION

Writing allows me to be more open, receptive and embracing in ear, mind and heart, so I can make informed decisions, appreciate consequences, whilst embracing my natural instinct (and fitra) rather than going against it.

Recognising and acknowledging I lean towards being an INTJ, things like conformity, customs, culture, tradition, roles or systems that are adhered to without thought and understanding, clarified why they’re foreign concepts to me, and adopting or following anything or anyone without thought was and is beyond me, which is illustrated clearly throughout some of my articles and poems.

And for this, it’s easier to share this very abovementioned paragraph on a page using the written word because they’re indifferent to them whereas it may, can or will ruffle some feathers or hit a nerve in conversations.

I’m naturally averse to, and “allergic” to labels (generally), the all-or-nothing, black-and-white, catastrophising, discriminatory, gerneralising, grandiosity and personalising thinking, worse when taken out of context or without a zoomed out view for the whole picture, kowtowing to anti or pro thinking and imposition, resulting in a myopic mindset. They’re merely limiting beliefs in and of themselves and can be dangerous if they’re not reviewed and revised to either level up, transform or shun.

In addition, passivity, complacency and “othering” thinking rub me the wrong way. Be it, racial, ethnocracy, nationalism, patriotism or creed – especially in matters where there’s no choice like race and ethnicity. Not forgetting, the separation mindset drawing a distinction between nature, creatures of all kind and the earth from humankind, as if they are disconnected entities, ONLY to create disruption in humanity, all creations and the planet in the ugly process.

When making choices and decisions, it’s not to be at the expense of any ecosystem be it ourselves, others, living beings or the earth.

MoviNG FORWARD

Being an open sceptic, writing is an opportunity to unravel and explore areas of interest guiding me to seek answers to questions as an incessant questioner interested in seeking and gaining clarity.

By experimenting with various lengths of writing, in as much as I can write short form, I find long form (1500+ words) better suits me for who I am and how I think, as it allows for more breathing space to explore nuances and expand on insights, learnings and realisations, without forcing a piece to be short for the sake of keeping it short, which may do more harm for a piece when details are not delved into when and if need be.

Writing and reading long form are skills and the more they’re exercised (just like a muscle), be it fiction or nonfiction, the more they’ll become a habit, in turn broadening the mind, nourishing thoughts, feeding imaginations, increasing attention span, and developing a steady patience to receive and retain shared knowledge.

I’m always endevouring to understand life- and word choices and how thoughts, perceptions and perspectives can transform the way we feel, define our character, influence our behaviour, and more.

As a reflective listener and silent observer, two of my mini enjoyments is observing interactions and listening to see and hear how perceptions, interpretations and filters affect, shift and shape how one receives information or gains knowledge be it through the written or spoken word.

I relish on disrupting destructive or unfounded false beliefs and deconstructing them, as well as altering or neutralising personal narratives, by tickling thoughts, challenging perceptions and shifting perspectives.

Writing is a process that helps move through or around perceived obstacles, giving me the chance to see opportunities and possibilities from them within the solitude confines of the pages whether I’m typing or penciling the words.

FINAL WORDS

Writing is one way I process, declutter, clarify and simplify ALL the above and more allowing me to better breathe, learn, grow and realign.

Every progress made becomes a catalyst to progress further staying in the exhilarating and stimulating heart healing cycle and process of tazkiyat an-nafs (purification of the self) through self-renewal, self-growth and character definition gained through skills and habits, and two being writing and reading.

I inhale ideas and learnings and exhale words, writing with a mindful heart and editing with my mind, getting my works critiqued by those who know how to do so in a constructive, intelligent and objective manner so I continue to improve.

I’ll be held accountable for my writings after returning to ALLÂH ﷻ, an even more potent reason to align with what I share so I live, breathe and resonate my words in energy, heart, mind, body and character for transparency and clarity in deed inshâ’Allâh.

I believe moving towards love rather than away from fear makes life sweeter irrespective of the happenings in life. And that first unconditional, unwavering and TRUE love is ALLÂH ﷻ, second, Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and third, love for oneself, to better love for ALLÂH ﷻ. This creates a safe space to accept fears, making them subside or lowering the volume on their interference and only whisper to nudge me on to the straight path.

I write for creative exploration, for the sheer enjoyment of it, and in some instances, giving my imagination the freedom to roam and soar to create poetic flows or formulate floating thoughts into a cohesive whole.

Writing simply brings me ease and joy and its the one place and source of comfort where I can be myself, sharing more about myself, – and gained knowledge and skills (one of my favourite ways to connect with others) – than I would in person, preferring to veil myself behind my words.

These are snippets of what you, valued reader, will glimpse in my writings and I pray YOU find the traces of my heart and mind beneficial even if they’re mere droplets inshâ’Allâh.

Jazâkum ALLÂHU Khaira

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