Sophia > Recent Status Updates

How nice to see someone give to someone not well off. That circumcision story was a lot though. Horrifying. One part made me gasp out loud. So this is where I learn more about it.

Man, that story was rough. Yusuf definitely needed to show proper love and affection. His mother could have tried to guide him to it. Her remaining silent made Yusuf feel like she’s the victim when Akhila’s upset. Akhila would have softened. Akhila’s crying feeling she’s the instigator but it was Yusuf. It might not have been enough but marriage shouldn’t be an arrangement alone, it requires love.

Mehaboob Bi, his mother, being married off without her consent, unable to carry her grandsons pain while he’s crying, lamenting, “that day her heart was hard as stone, filling with bitterness in a damned world where no one else was there for anyone else”. She’s just tired and lonely and exhausted. She isn’t being cared for, she can’t even care for others as a result. There’s just something so haunting.

That’s interesting that in his dream that sun and moon represented father and mother, although it’s disjointed whether it was his mother, then that means traditionally sun and moon is interpreted to mean husband and wife.

“Do not say of anything ‘I will do that tomorrow’ without adding ‘God Willing’, and remember your Lord whenever you forget…” (18:23-24)

I actually didn’t know that Ibrahim (AS) dreamt of himself sacrificing Ishmael (AS) and that Ishmael (AS) said for his father to do as he commanded. It’s interesting then that means the dream was true in that sense but the dream itself did not say it was a test. Wow, not just Ibrahim (AS) but Ishmael (AS) must have had a lot of tawakkul and complete submission.

I’m just so sad for Yaqub (AS). Imagine losing your son and knowing your other children did this and you’re left alone. He could only tell Allah (SWT) his problems. He was powerless. I wonder if he felt like he was to blame but then I imagine them reunited. It’s so, so sad.

Prophet Yaqub (AS) crying so much for so long after losing Yusuf (AS) that his eyesight was affected just 🥲

Good company and friends really is make or break, isn’t it? He talks about friends who help you in difficult times and remind us of God. Truthful friends as well, because true friends will remind you (nicely and privately, of course, and if it’s publicly they do it lovingly).

Having faith and not letting faith deteriorate in tough times was the message I needed to hear. Ironically I earlier today posted about how tough times made me feel disconnected from the faith and this is the passage I’m on today, so I think it’s a lesson I need to remember for myself in the future.

Yusuf’s (AS) brothers only achieved short-term gain by betraying him due to their envy + jealousy. I love this Surah because I know what that feels like (not siblings) and unfortunately for them I was equipped with documented evidence. It’s so sad how much materialism can drive our brothers + sisters, we’ll all face it. This is why it’s said our Prophet (SAWS) feared us competing for material goods the most.

The first story was SO GOOD. And it made me really angry at the same time.

“Bismillahi alladhee la yadurru ma'a ismihi shay'un fee al-ardi wa la fee as-samaa’i wa huwa as-samee'u
al-'aleem”. 3x after fair, 3x after asr/maghrib 🫶🏼

I know it says to not get carried away with dreams or expect dreams when you do istikhara, I agree, some dreams will come at certain times during the night that shouldn’t be thought of as true dreams. I have had dreams after istikhara that were vivid, dreams from istikhara that played out the same in real life.

“You ask your heart why is it always hurting. It says ‘this is the only thing you will allow me to say to you. The only feeling you are willing to feel.’”

The way she describes colourism and the pressure to look white, these are the strongest pieces. I let out a woah.

Okay, he’s mentioned hate crime and noted a community, sure, but according to research, at the time, my fellow Muslims and the Eastern European community faced the most hate crime. European people have been covered, but lack of mention of my community and a high proportion were hijabi women.

He says there is a difference between causation & correlation when it comes to whether it caused an increase in hate crime. But before, he basically implied that Brexit would cause problems in the NHS although there were other clear pre-existing factors. I feel uncomfortable that hate crime is being downplayed as we know things worldwide, even attacks on places, can lead to hate crime here against Muslims.

Do you guys think swear words and words like “snowflake” derail conversation? I think people naturally get angry and say names but at the same time I don’t know how much it achieves.

The money Britain earns from international students is insane, supports more than 200,000 jobs in the uni areas and cities across UK. Total spending by international students and their visitors generates £25.8 billion in gross output.

Mention of the Louvre right now is bonkers.

It’s just so sad when you hear the elderly being put in care homes. One of the most beautiful things about being south Asian, Muslim, is we don’t forget the concept of community as modern as we are (as I am too), community care for the elderly isn’t forgotten.

I’ve been fascinated with interpreting data recently and I think it’s an interesting choice to pin NHS staff shortages alone on key events like Brexit as there have been other factors which can always play into this and that’s true for many roles and not just the NHS alone e.g. skills gap, training, retention, etc.

A woman broke her collarbone and it took 2 and a half hours for the ambulance to come. NHS staff shortages cited. I heard of someone, man, had two heart attacks :( and by the second one the ambulance still hadn’t come. But apparently the person was downplaying what was happening which doesn’t help.

There’s a hospital in London that receives high praise for how they deal with a variety of medical conditions, but guess what it’s two weak spots are? One is especially unsurprising: gynaecology and maternity.

What does “larger slice of a shrinking cake” mean and why can’t it be said plainly? I did find the statistics on the nhs interesting during the campaigns.

So it’s reported that in America, antibiotics are being used in animal pens, and it’s being used on animals so much that Goldman Sachs have predicted that in 35 years that this might effect the possibility of being able to do cancer treatments and C-sections.

I think it would have been better if it was less pithy. There’s clearly a great amount of research that’s gone into this, but the writing style makes it difficult to understand what he’s saying. It would work better if the writing was nice and simple.

I have always just really liked Audrey, I rate her so much.

Tolly talks about when white women used tears to derail conversations in the workplace. I thought back to a time long ago, thankfully not where I am now, where a white woman couldn’t fathom that I have hearing loss. She said: “she tried to say she has hearing loss” like she didn’t believe me. Should have taken her down to the audiologist appt when I got my CROS hearing aid fitting for the first time.