I'm Back.

Guess who's back?

I know it's been quite a while since I've last posted something, and I know for a fact that it will take me a while to get back into the routine of blogging every week. So for that, I apologise. But, I do want to make it clear that I am aiming to post every two weeks due to a very hectic life, circulating around school and other responsibilities. This leads to my topic of dreams. Let's chase it together. 

I'll get straight to the point and not beat around the bush. Sixth form has started and wow, there are a range of personalities. I thought that high school would be a roller-coaster (it was but nonetheless), I can instantly tell that there will be a few dramas peeping around the corner. I'm not saying that it will involve me, because I will make sure it doesn't. I, along with many other strong minded individuals, have better things on our agenda than to bitch over petty things. Forgive my French, but my anger has built up for a couple of months now, and what's the best thing to do in my case? Blog. And here it is.

Whether you choose to do A-Levels or BTEC's, focus on aiming for C grades or A grades, we all have our own dream. I don't care about how many achievements you've accomplished, if you feel that everyone is essentially 'below' you, then you must quickly get off your pedestal friend. Let me explain. Focus is more important than intelligence. You may be highly able to excel in a subject that is conventional for you, and not your peer. Does that make you more intelligent? Does this particular subject you study automatically increase your status within the social hierarchy for students? Are you essentially the 'smarter' friend because you do English, Physics, Maths, Business, IT, Philosophy... The list goes on. Please, do not misunderstand me. I am not questioning your intellect, I am merely challenging your mentality and the way you think. Be honest with yourself. Do you undermine the 'creative' students? Do you think that it is so much easier to do an Art course, or a Film studies course rather than your excruciating course that will guarantee your success? Think for a second.

We all have an objective. We all aim to be great. Unfortunately, we live in a world of unfair and cruel human beings. The chances of succeeding have decreased because a vast majority of people are accomplishing what they set their hearts on, whether it is a degree or a start up business. Competition is increasing, the possession of gaining a 'chance' is decreasing. We are all chasing a dream. 

There is a stereotype placed upon the students unable to excel in academic subjects. I'm right, aren't I? Those who fail Maths and English at GCSE are labelled as 'dumb' individuals and should take BTEC's because they cannot 'cope' in an exam. No one knows you better than you know yourself. For someone to dictate your route of success is ridiculous. Teachers may not agree with me, and you know what? That doesn't matter. The way I phrase my sentences, even the way in which I choose to write a blog post may not live up to the standards that has been placed on me by certain people. It doesn't matter. I can type till my heart is content, but that will not change the fact that there are some intelligent individuals that are unable to decide on what they want to do because of obstacles such as GCSE grades. I cannot fathom the thought of a piece of paper dictating one's life in which they then carry out into further education. 

Let's go back to dreams, because this is a topic that is discussed within a few tumblr pictures but not discussed in an actual conversation. Why is that?

A situation occurred the other day which made a friend of mine cry. Yes. The extent of the pressure placed and the fact that she was displeased with her courses because no one else thought that they were worthy of acknowledgement. She does BTEC's. Stop. Did some of you assume something right there? "BTEC's aren't even hard though".

Sorry, be quiet. Re-evaluate the way you think. Just because you do all of these A-Levels, it doesn't mean you are the smartest person to step foot upon earth. I do A Levels. Okay, so what? I'm tired of the stereotypes placed upon BTEC's or even 'foundation' courses. What's the point? We are all chasing a dream.

My friend knows what she wants to achieve and knows her dream very well. She knows exactly how to accomplish that dream so let it be. Remember this, we all essentially chase a dream. Whatever we must do in order to achieve that dream comes down to us. If we need particular courses to achieve that dream, good. Do whatever you can to achieve your dream and do not let anyone, EVER, belittle your courses. Ever. 

I'll sum this up in a few bullet points. Let me get this into your head.

• Do not underestimate creative courses/subjects
• I am not saying creative subjects are better than academic ones. I only want creativity to be acknowledged more
• Do not belittle those who do less A-Levels than you, or who get lower grades... Those grades do not measure your intelligence
• "Respond intelligently to unintelligent treatment"

You know your worth and that is all I can say. Do not treat people like fools. Enjoy the rest of your day/evening. Thank you for reading.

Salutations.

*e-mail for any advice and queries at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com*

It's Getting Old Now.

Assalamualaikum everyone. Greetings my good people. Hello.

It's been a long time since you've read me eh? I hope you're well and to all those (including me) who have started college/sixth form, good luck! And to everyone else, I hope you all have a smooth school year ahead of you, filled with success In'Sha'Allah (God Willing).

It isn't Tuesday, but that doesn't mean I can't/won't blog. I came across an article a couple of days ago which really caught my attention. It was about a terrorist who was arrested but wasn't really shown in the media... I wonder why.

And no, he wasn't Asian, he didn't have a beard, he didn't have the name Muhammed or Abu or Ali. He wasn't tanned, he didn't wear ethnic clothes. His name: Robert James Talbot Jr.

I bet you didn't come across that name, did you?

Ladies and gents, lets talk about our favourite subject (not), terrorism.


I know this may seem pathetic but what do you honestly think of straight away when you hear the word "terrorist" on the news? I wont say it, but I know what you're thinking. Mr Robert was recently arrested around March for terrorism. He is a White, radical right-wing conservative who was arrested on the charge of "attempted interference with commerce by robbery, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and possession of an explosive material.” In other words, he's a terrorist, but no, you don't hear that on the news.

His scheme was to recruit five or six people who thought like him and set up a Facebook page called "American Insurgent Movement". Long story short, his plan was to rob banks to fund this 'revolution' and then blow up mosques. Subtle eh. I'll link the full article below, at the end of this post.

Now I don't know about you but I really hate these double standards. I am not going to sit here and type about how all Muslims are not terrorists because you've heard that before, whether you personally know me or have read my previous blog posts. One big thing I condemn is unfairness, unfairness to my people.
I've ranted previously, I've wrote paragraphs on my Facebook page, yet I still scroll down on my newsfeed and find my own past classmates posting comments regarding Islam. Listen here friend, don't comment on something you are not fully educated on. Period.

It's unfair that scum like him are not broadcasted in the media. It's unfair that the word 'terrorist' is and always will be attached to Muslims. It's unfair that my fellow INNOCENT Muslim brothers and sisters get blamed for the actions of pathetic monsters. It's unfair. If you've caught on yet, you'd have realised that I hate this constant terrorism talk, but you know what? I will continue to speak upon this just because not that many people do. Many people think it, but they wont say it. It's sad. You hardly see people standing up for what's right nowadays. It's so sad.


This world gets darker and darker by the day. Constant murders and crimes. What I fail to grasp the concept of is why are my people victimized when the word 'terrorist' is heard or seen. Why do you associate my people with this filthy word. You'd never associate a rapist or a robber with the word terrorist. You'd never say a White, Black or mixed person is a terrorist. However, an Asian or Arab is the picture that fits a terrorist. Isn't it? 

How disgusting.

Let's get something straight, I absolutely disagree with the message that the so called Muslims who create fear of Islam are presenting, but then again, my opinion doesn't matter, does it? My innocent Muslim brothers and sisters opinions don't matter, do they? In this day and age, we've forgotten how to love. But I promise you this: hate will consume you.

This was a short post but hey, i'll be back on Tuesday. As always, you can email me for any queries, blog post suggestions or advice at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Here is the link for the article: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/217850/so-did-you-guys-hear-we-caught-a-terrorist-last-week/

Stay happy and i'll talk to you soon,

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Tragedies Pt. 1

Assalamualaikum everyone! I hope you are all well and to those taking part, Ramadan Mubarak! I hope your fasts are going easy for you In'Sha'Allah (God willing). Today's topic is going to based around tragedies as a whole, mostly focused on murders and wars. I hope to interest you in some of my thoughts and the way I look at these social tragedies. As always, thank you for the support and enjoy reading lovelies!

"Killing under the cloak of war is no different than murder"

- Albert Einstein

 

 

I take it everyone is aware of the situation that's been occurring in Palestine for decades yet has gained more recognition from society these last couple of weeks. The media has shown the deaths of Israeli's and hasn't quite touched upon the Palestinian horrors. Constant bombing, mass murder. It's isn't a war, it's genocide.

 

 

Now many people that I've seen on social media have been accusing others of mourning over Israeli people's deaths. Why? A death is a death no matter what. Somebody loved that person, somebody cared for that person, now they're gone. They will not return upon this earth. I'm not Pro Israel and I support Palestine all the way, but this isn't about who's side we are on: its about doing the right thing. To my readers, to my fellow mourners, to the people who abuse the state of this conflict, to the people of social media, I ask you to please not tell anyone who they should mourn for and who they shouldn't. Let me explain before you decide to judge my opinion and think it's wrong.

 

 

In this case, innocent people are dying from both sides. There isn't a stop to it. There are innocent civilians in both Israel AND Palestine whether you like it or not. You cannot deny this simple fact. Let's think and forget about religion for one second. You do not have to be a Muslim to support Palestine. You just have to be human. There is no denying that what's occurring right now is the least bit humane. Videos and images have spread like wildfire on social media of death, death and more death. Without reading the caption, all I see are battered and wounded civilians. I scroll down and I see these absurd comments which states that those people deserved to die because they were Israeli, or they were a Jew, or they were Palestinian or they were Muslim. DISGUSTING!

 

 

I am outraged by the other comments coming from ignorant people, people of all colours, all religions, commenting on the fact that Hitler "should've killed all the Jews", or that "Muslims are evil and should all die. America should've nuked them". It hurts my heart. It really does. I sit there scrolling down on my phone, trying my best to reply to all these comments yet I get attacked for it because I'm either a "raghead", a "terrorist" or a "paki" - and for that, my opinion automatically isn't taken into account and is ignored. And that's not even the worst part. What makes my blood boil is the fact that people tell me that I shouldn't condemn Israeli civilian deaths. Who are you to tell me who I should or shouldn't care for. I don't care what colour, race or religion these civilians are from. They are still civilians at the end of the day. Once again, I will say this. I support Palestine. I always have and always will. But how dare you tell me I'm wrong for feeling sad that other people of another religious sect have died? They are not my enemies. They are NOT my enemies! There is no such thing in Islam.

 

 

I realise that some people may take this the wrong way. All I'm saying is that you, as a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew and a human, you should never mock the deceased. That crosses a line. As a Muslim woman, yes it is my duty to help out my Muslim brothers and Sisters in Palestine, but that doesn't mean I should just stop caring about other civilians dying too. Yes my Palestinian brothers and sisters mean the world to me, well so do my Syrian brothers and sisters, so do my Somalian brothers and sisters. I could go on and on but I feel like I'd be repeating myself until you've got the point.

 

 

I pray to God that these abusive commenters have time to reflect upon what they've written. As a human, you do not have the right to tell someone who they should and shouldn't mourn for. It isn't fair.

 

 

There are so many tragedies that occur within this world. So many forgotten ones too. This Palestinian conflict was also forgotten until recently. To all those who have been taking part in the protests and petitions, Ma'Sha'Allah. May Allah SWT continue to bless you and your righteousness. I hope that we all pray for those who have been murdered and massacred. I hope we all see that religious opinions shouldn't break us apart. I hope we have all learnt a lesson that an innocent persons death is still sad. Just as sad as the next. These are children dying, mothers dying, disabled people dying, fathers dying. People being imprisoned for no reason. Palestinians are being labelled as terrorists because all they're doing is retaliating. That is all.

 

I hope you understand what points i've tried to put across. I know for a fact some people may take this the wrong way., but don't. Understand what I'm trying to say rather than jumping to conclusions. Let us all take the time out of our days as they pass to sincerely pray for the lives that have been lost due to this genocide, as well as the other (civil)/wars occurring too. Here are some links below in which you can help the people of Palestine by signing a quick online petition. This is only part 1 of this 'Tragedy' blog post.

 

 

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67165

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/condemn-apartheid-state-israel-their-human-rights-violations-against-palestinian-peoples/CjmPSCsG

http://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/palestine/?tmad=c&tmcampid=8&tmplaceref=PLACEREF&tmclickref=[keyword]&gclid=Cj0KEQjwopOeBRC1ndXgnuvx8JYBEiQAq4RPt5abbFS5qjLumKqD0z58jHv1evfZdjk2h4m133fogMwaArxz8P8HAQ

 

 

As always, you can email me for any queries, blog post suggestions or advice at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

 

 

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Anxiety

Oh hey. Guess what? I'm back.

Assalamualaikum my ravishing readers. I hope you are all well and are excited due to the summer holidays peeping just around the corner! Yes, I am back and better than ever! Believe that. I was away for what seems like a century because of the fact that I had my GCSE exams and wanted to spend all my time focusing on revision. In'Sha'Allah (God Willing) it paid off. I'm dreading for August: results day *gasp*

In my previous blog post promised you I would make my blogs even better, fully committing to post two posts every month without excuse. I am here to fulfil that promise. Expect bigger and better blog posts and videos! Help a sister out and subscribe to my channel if you haven't already :) So today's topic of discussion is something I'm not too comfortable talking about with people face to face, so why not talk about it over the internet? Anxiety.

Start off by watching my video below and come right back to finish off reading this blog post. I apologise on the 'not so good' quality of the video but I assure you, my next videos will be much better as I have a new camera with better sound quality! Thank you for your patience and continued support. I appreciate you all.

http://youtu.be/R4HIaOhrp14

Let's start off with the simple explanation of what anxiety is and what it can do to a person. In a nutshell, the dictionary definition of anxiety is a "general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying." This 'disorder' which people class anxiety as can affect someone is a very negative way. It affects a persons behaviour, how they think and impacts and manifests real physical symptoms, something I want to personally share with you all. That's what a health website says. I'll give you my side of the story.

I 'diagnosed' myself with Anxiety almost 2 years ago when I started Year 10 - a very important year which impacted GCSE grades. It was all just an 'illness' at first, feeling horrible, hot, sick and agitated. I thought it was going to last maybe a week maximum.. boy was I wrong.
I started to realise how flustered I was getting and I honestly thought it was because my Hijab (headscarf) was wrapped too tight or the scarf itself was too thick. My 'symptoms' got worse throughout October to December and I honestly thought I had a real illness, but I didn't. I realised that as soon as I entered a classroom with this 'sick' feeling, I started panicking a lot. My hands would shake, my legs would shake and I had horrid thoughts at the back of my mind all the time. "Tasneem, everyone's going to look at you if you're sick", "Tasneem, you're going to fail your GCSE's if you don't stop shaking", "Tasneem stop". Voices in my head telling me to stop worrying but I lost control of myself. I couldn't tell myself what to think, all I wanted to do was to get out of the classroom - fast! And that's what I did. Every single time I kept getting these symptoms, I asked the teacher to let me out of the classroom to go to the medical room because I "felt sick". I did honestly feel physically horrible and ill but I was emotionally drained. It got to a point where I had to carry a bag around with me everywhere just in case I had a panic attack.

After the Christmas holidays, I came back to school with full on "worry mode". Throughout my holidays I kept thinking about how to deal with my stress from school along with other problems, whether it be family or friend related. I never got the time to "relax" during year 10. Never. I wouldn't let myself. My motto was to work hard and achieve my best otherwise those voices would tell me that I'm going to fail my exams.

The year went on where it was towards the summer holidays and the end of year 10 and my panic attacks worsened until I was able to confide in one of the teachers at my school. Long story short, I was learning relaxation and breathing techniques which I thought wouldn't help, but it honestly did, just a bit. I knew that this summer was the only time where I could relax because when I came back to school, I would be in Year 11 - my GCSE year! I guess it got better because I knew how to deal with my panic attacks but it was annoying whenever I had to leave the room, whether it be once a week or once in a blue moon! The thought of me missing even 20 minutes of a lesson just added to my "meter of worry". I didn't want a stupid disorder to affect my grades which would stay with me for the rest of my life. There were good days where there were no panic attacks, there were bad days where I felt like panicking but got over it and then there were horrible days where I missed a lesson because of a panic attack. It seriously frustrated me.

My "symptoms" stemmed from me being constantly stressed. Because of my Anxiety problems, my every day life isn't the same. I worry about the littlest things from missing my bus to job interviews. My life has changed but the most important thing is that I know how I can better my situation and calm myself down. There will be times where I feel like I need to leave a room due to the fear of the room "closing in on me", especially with many people in the room, but that's okay. I've learnt that it's not my fault and that I am in control of my mind. It's okay to panic sometimes guys.

Yes, I guess I sort of suffer from claustrophobia as well but that's okay too. I personally know some people who suffer from it as well which makes it better for me because I know I'm not alone.

I guess there was a constant fear of me thinking that it's only happening to me when it could happen to anyone. I don't want YOU to feel like you can't speak about your anxiety to someone. I don't want you to feel alone. I don't want you to worry.

 

 

You may think I'm just saying this (but I'm not), but praying was definitely a way for me to escape reality and just 'trust the process'. I didn't want to be so caught up with the world, I just wanted to be in my OWN world, just for a few minutes. It didn't hurt. It didn't waste time. It was "me time", something I didn't regularly get to have.

 

I battle with Anxiety and I won't ever be 'cured'. It's not a disease. It doesn't define me or what I stand for. It's something that makes me stronger, emotionally. I can now deal with things I thought I could never deal with. Thank you Anxiety.

 

What I want you to take from this is the fact that you may or may not suffer anxiety but if you do, don't be scared. Don't let it control your thoughts. It's hard to fight the voices, the fear, the nervousness, but you can do it. Seek someone to speak to before you let this 'disorder' control who you are. Learn breathing techniques. I'm not going to guarantee you that it'll work straight away because you need to master them. Trust the process, seriously. It takes time to perfect and learn properly but in the long run, it'll be worth it. Count the blessing you have and be thankful for everything. Here is another website which I used to help me personally deal with anxiety. Click here.

 

 

"You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it"

 

And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading this long blog post. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. My GCSE exams went better than I expected so I'm so grateful. I didn't let my anxiety get to me. I stayed in control! Stay positive. It always gets better my darlings.

 

You can e-mail me for any queries or problems you have at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

 

As always,

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: Bragging

Assalamualaikum (Greetings) my lovely readers! Welcome to yet another dose of Tas Talks Tuesday. I would firstly like to give you a quick update on everything related to my blog such as my absence every now and then. As you all may know, GCSE exams will be commencing very soon with my first written exam being only 42 days away! Because of this, I hope you all understand that I will be taking breaks from blogging because of the fact that i'll be revising for these important exams. Thank you for your concern anyways. I promise that as soon as GCSE's end, it will be my mission to continue to inspire you with these blog posts EVERY week, including new videos as well. Now let's begin. Bragging.

Do you brag to people about getting the highest score in an exam? Do you brag about your new expensive shoes you've just purchased? Do you brag about how everyone compliments you? Do you brag about giving to charity because you're such a 'noble' person?

"The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it"

We have all bragged about something or even someone at one point, right? Bragging is a very "human" thing to do. If you've achieved something important to you, why not tell people about it? You'd obviously want to share your great news with those you care about right? Wait. There's a big difference with telling people about your achievement and bragging about it. Let me break it down for you.

To "brag" is just a way of boastfully saying something to someone. Bragging all the time could lead to you being associated with other negative characteristics such as arrogance and being conceited. Those sorts of characteristics are something you do not want to be identified and linked with. It creates such a bad aura for those who are surrounded by you. Bragging about your accomplishments just makes you look obnoxious, especially because of the fact that bragging is often prone to you exaggerating. On the other hand, bragging can often lead to misconceptions of yourself. You look like a show off. I don't understand the concept of people saying that they don't live to please anyone and no one can judge them. If that's the case, why do you constantly continue to try impress everyone else with your success? 

"And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth" (31:18) - The Holy Qu'ran

 

What are you getting out of bragging? Are you trying to "make your mark"? It's a bad habit that many people should try to stop. Just try.  

Now let's move on to telling someone about you success; i'll give you an example: getting a good grade in an exam and telling your friends about it. Firstly, because of the fact that they're your friends, they'll be genuinely happy and proud for you, especially if you tell them in such a way that you do not come across as being "full of yourself". Secondly, as friends, they'll support you no matter what grade you get. If you didn't do particularly well, they'll comfort you and if you did great then they'll congratulate you. When it comes down to telling someone about your success or achievement, you really need to think of how you are telling them. Do you cry with happiness or does your voice get a little high pitched because your shy about it? Or do you say it bluntly and joke about other peoples grades because they didn't do as good as you did. Don't put someone down for something. That's a horrible thing to do. "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great".

 

In'Sha'Allah (God Willing) I can continue to speak about this topic in a video soon, so watch out for that. Thank you for reading this quick blog post. Hopefully it'll get you thinking.

 

Remember to e-mail me any blog post suggestions, queries or issues you have on my e-mail at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com
God Bless you all. Good luck.

For now,
SALUTATIONS X



Tas Talks Tuesday: Authority

Assalamualaikum (Greetings) my beautiful readers! How are you today? I hope you had an amazing weekend and continue to have 'good' days instead of 'bad' ones. Now before I get started with todays topic of Authority, I would just like to thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for taking the time to read these blog posts. After all, this whole idea of me 'blogging' was only a way of communicating with other people around the world who has no one to turn to, no one to help them. You don't have to read this, but you choose to. So for that, I thank you.


Authority. Is it something we all have the potential to hold? Do we have to look a certain way or act in a certain manner to have authority over someone, something, anything. How about those people who take their confident characteristics and use it in a negative manner and then use the excuse of 'having authority' to justify their wrongdoings to another person. What about the people who think they can control anyone because they said so. Let's explore the term authority.

What Google told me about authority:
The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

What I say about authority:

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience within a group of people who you think are inferior/below you. Authority is abused by arrogance and competitiveness. With authority, you have order. Without it you have independence and possible chaos. We live in a world where it is run by authoritative people i.e. prime ministers, presidents and dictators. Now, if we relate authority in our everyday lives, it get's more complex to analyse. Who has authority in your household, your school? Do you class yourself as a person who is high in a social hierarchy? Is this social hierarchy between you and your 'friendship group' or is it with you and all the people you know? Authority is a touchy topic because everyone has their own opinions of it. Let me give you mine.

I'll start off with the fact that most people get confused with power and authority. Power, whether it be physical or political, is the "capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events". There's power of words and power of action. You can be the strongest person on the playground with the thought of being able to control or influence those surrounding you, however, physical strength does not outweigh intelligence. Remember that.

Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alanalda362083.html#RUSXQsBGZlbUKHQ4.99

"Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart".

There's always a check list that comes with authority and power. With power, you have to be confident, strong and loud, right? That's the stereotype of a powerful person. But why do we believe that the content of that checklist is what makes someone powerful? Here's the difference between authority and power:

A random mob (gang) may have the power to punish someone for a crime they have committed but people who believe in the rule of law may think otherwise. Whilst the mob has the power to punish, almost everyone believes that the court of law only has the authority to punish that criminal. Do you see what I mean?

Power can almost be seen as an act of force because you think you can tell someone what to do/act as a part of your own will even if they don't want to or if they feel like what you're saying is wrong. Authority is like a skill. This is because it's like learning how to make people willing to do what you say. Authority can also be argued as having "rightful power". There is just so much opinions of this particular issue but I feel like I've covered most of it.

In conclusion, I really want those of you who feel like they can boss anyone about to stop. This is mostly aimed towards people who are of my age. Don't act like you're so 'prestige' because you get all the grades or because your loud and feel like your always right. Don't raise your voice, improve your argument. Stay humble and be grateful. Instead of looking down upon others, try to fix your flaws and help others. Spread positivity and don't be arrogant.



Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_intelligence.html#mvX2SByeztQfoxa3.99

Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_intelligence.html#mvX2SByeztQfoxa3.99

Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_intelligence.html#mvX2SByeztQfoxa3.99

As always, thank you for sticking till the end of the blog. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Remember to e-mail me any blog post suggestions, queries or issues you have on my e-mail at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com 

God Bless you all. Good luck.

For now,
SALUTATIONS X

Tas Talks Tuesday: Power of Words

Greetings all my amazing readers. Today I have something special in store for you. Warning, in no means am I a professional rapper, singer or music director. It's just something I enjoy doing. Hopefully you can enjoy it too and get the 'message' behind it. Introducing my new music video, "Battles". Watch it, like, share and subscribe, then continue to read below for the blog post on the Power of Words, In'Sha'Allah (God Willing). Also a side note, a big thank you to everyone who participated in the video! I am forever grateful :)

The Power of Words.

Words are a representation of how one is feeling. Words tell you whether you are good enough or not. Words wound and has the potential to murder. Whether it be the murder of ones dream or ones life, words are powerful. Words are brutal. Then again, words express love. Words caress but also possess. We are the master of words. We say what we want to because we have the right to... right?

There are so many ways of expressing our feelings to someone, to get a point or a message across or to just find a way to relieve ourselves by speaking to somebody because we have too much on our mind.
But why do we feel like we have the right to be able to say whatever we want and not expect consequences? Is it something that's been passed on from our ancestors? Is it the way we have been brought up? If you use words brutally in order to hurt someone emotionally, do you care or even think about the possible outcome that might occur? Once your words have been spoken, they cannot be retrieved. I think the term "think before you speak" can be applied in this post because it is scary how true it is.

Words have the power to make or break someone. You can only be pushed so far or so close to a certain limit in which you'll break and give up. As to everything in life, words have two sides: the bad and the good. Firstly, the good. Encouragement, motivation, charisma, compassion, faith, hope, success. What I've written and what I'm writing now are just words. They can mean nothing to one person and they can mean everything to the other. All of these 'positive' words make you feel good right? Let me introduce the idea of 'happy' words. When someone encourages you, it motivates you. You'll have hope and faith in yourself and you'll believe that one day you'll be able to achieve great success in all of your endeavours.
I used 8 'happy' words in two sentences just now. Now think for one second. Close your eyes and think. Be honest, when somebody encourages you to do better or be better, you feel appreciated and positive. Happy words have an effect of positivity amongst people. That's what they're there for.

Now for the bad. The bad mean words just scream negativity. Even the word "negative" or "negativity" sounds bad. Imagine the effect your hurtful words have on others. Think about the bigger picture. A friend once said that "it's easy for someone to diss their peers but difficult to compliment them". It's unfortunate because of the immense truth that the statement has. We can easily judge someone whether it be their physical appearance, their personal problems and/or experiences but then expect them to not care because they're just words.

Sometimes peoples compliments are just words to you. It doesn't effect you in any way. Why should it? Because they're just words you say. "Words don't mean nothing" you say. Yes, words mean everything. "Words are lies" you argue, but my friend, words are everything. Words are the truth, an opinion, a fact, a quote, a saying, a fable, a myth, a lie. Words are everything which is why the power of words is immense. We can never fully grasp the importance of words because of the depth in which it can be analysed.

Now, time to relate the power of words to real life and everyday problems.

"Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out"

When you want to hurt someone with words, think. Your diss can stick in that persons mind for a very long time, maybe even permanently. 100 compliments can't even make up for what you said to them because your negative words were so powerful. The consequence: you've damaged someone's confidence. Well done. (Sarcasm).

And you know what? It's not a laughing matter. It really isn't. You may act all high and mighty now but karma will come round soon. Use your words carefully. Please think before you speak. Please reflect before you eject negativity. Please use your head before you spread rumours. Please calm yourself before you harm someone else.  

I feel like I'm going to re-visit this topic in the near future. I don't feel like I've said everything I've wanted to say because I simply do not want to bore my readers. As always, thank you for the support. Thank you all so much.

Keep those queries coming at me on my e-mail: tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

Take care, God bless.

SALUTATIONS x

Tas Talks Tuesday: The Youth & You

Hey you! How's it going? As always, I hope you've had a good day and if not, there's always tomorrow :) So today's topic is about the youth. I was inspired from an English cover lesson that my class had not long ago. We had to write a magazine article based upon a statement saying how adults feel that the youth have a much easier life than they do. If you're a teen yourself, I hope this gets you thinking. If you're an adult, I hope your mind allows these views to stick with you.

Let's begin.

Why don't we start off by being honest about the stereotyping of the youth. Some teenagers live up to them right? The whole gang crime, cursing out loud in public, getting disrespectful to elders and others, creating commotion on public transport etc. Some teenagers do this. Some. Not all. So how dare the "adults" criticize our wrong doings and blame it on an age group as a whole.

How is life easy for the youth today? The fact that we have smartphones to always find "an easier way". How is life easy for the young generation? The ones who hate themselves for even being created. Everyone faces challenges, some more than others. Everyone has something to fight for, so who are they to judge a book by its cover.

Most adults claim they know it all because of their age: the fact they have lived longer than the rest of us teenagers. There is no denying that yes, they have had a longer life full of experiences that we as a teenager may not have come across yet however, how many times have we heard the phrase "I was your age once". Now obviously everyone older than us was our age once logically speaking. My question is, did they have it as bad as us youth back then? Most adults think that the youth have it so easy because of technology. Maybe domestically speaking we do, but financially, educationally and socially, life is not exactly a walk in the park.

Now no one said life was going to be easy. Easy living is simply impossible. Struggles are common nowadays. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting poorer too. A struggle is like being upset, you never want to admit it to others. Who would? For those adults who say that the youth have it easy is wrong. We're constantly fighting. Fighting to not fall in this continuous stereotype that is permanently placed upon our heads. 

What's so easy about a life where you despise the way you look? Your weight, your skin colour, the texture of your hair, the shape of your eyes, skin problems, the length of your nose, the idea that being beautiful means to look airbrushed every single day because when you don't, you're "butters". What's so easy about a life where it's hard for the common teenager to get good GCSE and A-level grades because exam techniques are always changing, grade boundaries are always changing too and most importantly, not being able to retake exams that you have failed in. What's so easy about a life where yes, social media is popular, but the consequence of this popularity results into cyber bullying. Cyber bullying links to self harming, suicide. All of this links back to your appearance because of your high school cliques, being called a "moist chick" because you wear 'old trends' and your so called friends are two-faced and in the end you don't know where to go. You don't know where you belong.

Because all of the above is the easy life, right?

We should be grateful for what we have because someone else could kill to have an ounce of what we own. I understand this. You should understand this. But let's be honest. You don't know how a struggle affects somebody. You don't know what goes on "behind the scenes". That girl or boy you see at school, smiling every single day, may have a family member battling with a terminal illness. Struggles are on-going and endless. The youth are constantly trying to represent themselves in a much positive manner. How can we be positive when there is so much negativity and lack of support. Thank you to the adults who support the youth, who recognize the effort some of us make. Yes, some of the youth need to fix up, but you adults are our role models. You fix up too.

I'm going to end this post with a quote,

“Some are young people who don't know who they are, what they can be or even want to be. They are afraid, but they don't know of what. They are angry, but they don't know at whom. They are rejected and they don't know why. All they want is to be somebody. ”  

 

 

Is it too much to ask an adult for support?

Thank you for reading.

 

As always, thank you all so much for sticking till the end of the post. E-mail me your queries at tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

 

TAKE CARE, GOD BLESS,

SALUTATIONS XX

Tas Talks Tuesday: Pray

Hey you! How are you? If no one has asked you how your day was then don't worry, i'll ask. How was your day? I hope all is good. Now, to kick start this blog post, I have made a new video for the 'Special Guest Series'. My brothers do my makeup! Scroll down below for the video then after that, read today's post on prayers. Subscribe to me and his channel too to be updated on when part 2 (I do his makeup) is out. I hope you enjoy it dolls :)

Pray. Let's begin.

A side note, today's post will be more of an Islamic perspective however, it should be relatable to Non-Muslims too. Somebody e-mailed me a suggestion of creating a blog post about prayer so here it is. I'll start off with a short poem I've written myself. Nothing special but read anyways.

Do what you like, Say what you please,

You are nothing without Him, so fall to your knees,

Raise your hand, Close your eyes,

Because Salat (Prayer), Is the key to paradise,

"We were not created to please the creation", For we only strive to be the best of our generation,

No one is perfect, Everyone has heard it,

But sometimes the creation need to observe and,

Know that there is reasoning behind the reasons, That God didn't make those rules to hurt our feelings,

He wants the best for us, He wants us to know,

This life is temporary so don't seek for the world's applause.

 

 

Prayer is one of the 5 components of being a Muslim.

The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his or her life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to God. Faith, God-consciousness, sincerity and the worship of God are what surrounds this importance. “Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and ungenerous when good touches him.  Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…” (Quran 70:19-23) People ask why Muslims pray five times a day, my response is why not?

 

I'm not wasting my time am I? All I am doing is duty as a Muslim. Prayer is obligatory so there are no excuses. It's in fact the key to paradise. On the day of Judgement, the first question you'd be asked from Allah SWT (God) is if you have prayed your 5 daily prayers. 

It scares me when I hear stories of people who are physically unable to pray but perform lying/sitting down and Muslims that are perfectly capable use the excuse of 'not having time' or not 'being bothered'. The stories where my beautiful fellow brothers and sisters of the world cannot perform Salat (prayer) due to an illness but yet it doesn't stop them from praying in their minds, thanking Allah (God) for their blessings that others would die to have. So I ask again, am I wasting my time?

 

Someone once said what was the point of praying and believing in a God because when we die, there is no after life. My response is that if there is no afterlife, I would know as soon as I die that I was the best person I could've possibly been because of Islam. Islam is the way of life, not just a bullet point under the section "Religion".

 

Spirituality comes in many shapes and forms for some people whereas Muslims only see one way of connecting with God, praying. Praying is like a one on one time with God where you can tell your deepest secrets and problems. He (God) always listens. You feel a sense of relief and content whenever you finish praying, well at least I do. Alhamdullilah (All praise is due to God) that I have the ability to pray 5 times a day without being lured in from evil thoughts because I don't know where I'd be without my routine of praying. As for the Hereafter, God’s forgiveness and pleasure is closely related to the prayers.

 

“God has obligated five prayers.  Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu (devotion) has a promise from God that He will forgive him.  And whoever does not do that has no promise from God.  He may either forgive him or punish him.” - Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him)

 

The question I ask you people is how do you pray? When do you pray? If you are Non-Muslim, what days and what time do you pray because I'm interested to know. E-mail me.

For those who are Muslim and struggle to pray or do not have the intention to pray, please snap out of it and listen to what I have to say.

 

Try. Now some Muslims may say that their parents didn't teach them how to pray as they were growing up or that they don't know how to read Arabic, or that they do not know how to actually perform the prayer. Let's be real now, firstly, for those who blame the parents, what have you done yourself? Have you gone out of your way to actually read the Quran's meaning etc. Have you researched about prayer? Have you ever prayed in your whole life? We live in a world that is literally run by technology. It's amazing how easy it is to get answers to your questions in a simple click. If you have the technology of finding out yourself on how to pray, then why don't you? What do you actually have to lose? You're gaining more than you are straining your fingers to type a few words and click with a mouse. How about you visit your local Mosque? Talk to an Imam (a person who leads prayers in Mosque) and see if they can help. Please don't use the excuse of 'I'll do it later', because what if there is no later. We cannot determine when our souls are left in this world.

 

 

 I think I should wrap up this blog post but I'll go into more depth in the future In'Sha'Allah (If God Wills).

 

AND, that's a wrap! Thank you so much for the continuous support my lovelies! Keep those queries coming at me for Tas Talks Tuesday!
tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

As always...
SALUTATIONS! XX

 

 

Liebster Blog Award

Bonjour my beauties! What? You wasn't expecting a blog post today? Don't worry, i'll still be posting something on Tuesday but today I have something to share with you all.

 So I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by the awesome Tommye Turner. Thank you!

All those who have been nominated for the Liebster Award have to tell your readers 11 random facts about yourself, I then answer the 11 questions from the blogger that nominated me, and then finally I choose 11 questions which have to be answered by the 11 bloggers that I choose to nominate (bear in mind they must have less than 200 followers)

Let's start.

11 Random Facts About Myself:

• I have been to New York twice!
• I have a fear of banoffee pie, yuck.
• I was born on the 6th July 1998.
• My teeth are very sensitive.
• Raj from The Big Bang Theory is my husband. I can't even deal with his cuteness lmao.
• I learnt how to do makeup by myself.
• I take Expressive Arts (drama & music) as a GCSE.
• Squirrels and Pigeons scare the crap outta' me.
• I am right handed.
• I am a Muslim :)
• My dream house would consist of a room dedicated to praying and obviously a walk in wardrobe. I mean c'mon :D

Questions from Tommye:

What's your favourite book?
Even though I never read, the only book I could say is my favourite is probably "You Against Me" - Jenny Downham.

Books or films?
Definitely films. 

What's your favourite colour?
Every single pastel colour :)

How many houses have you lived in?
Three!

Name 3 things that you hate?
Spiders, the smell of Fish and science hehe.

What's your least favourite animal?
Oh geez, I don't think I have one. I fear all animals and creatures :'(

What would you name your child?
A girls name: Sana, Deena, Imaan or Ayesha
A boys name: Yusuf, Karim or Haseen.

If you had a million pounds, what would you do with it and why?
Open up an orphanage in less developed countries. Why? Because "The best of the houses is the house where an orphan gets love and kindness" - Prophet Muhammed Peace Be Upon Him.

Who is your favourite youtuber?
Gosh I have too many but my all time favourite youtuber is BFvsGF, better known for their prank videos (PrankvsPrank) PVP DOPE FRESH NATION SAAAN! ;)

What was your favourite TV programme as a child?
Kenan and Kel obviously!

What would be the perfect job?
A job where I can wake up each day looking forward to it because it's what I want to do and not what other want for me.

11 Questions to be answered by the bloggers I nominate:

• What are some of your fears?
• Favourite film?
• What's your ethnicity?
• Favourite song?
• If you had to decide between buying an private jet or a boat, which would you buy and why?
• One person you cannot live without?
• What is your lifelong dream?
• What phone do you have?
• Burgers or Pizza?
• Are you a health freak?
• How old are you?

Blogs that I nominate are:

http://mallieams.blogspot.co.uk/
http://lifehappens2011.blogspot.co.uk/
http://tommyeturner.blogspot.co.uk/
http://beautybysabah.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.arainymelody.com/
http://classicelegance23.blogspot.co.uk/
http://aurelie-hispter.blogspot.co.uk/
http://rantingine-minor.blogspot.co.uk/
http://lollyhugz.blogspot.co.uk/
http://helenamulhearn.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.beautyonthebayou.com

AND, that's a wrap! Thank you so much for the continuous support my lovelies! Keep those queries coming at me for Tas Talks Tuesday!
tasahmedadvice@gmail.com

As always...
SALUTATIONS! XX