Voices from Our Community
Resources Voices from Our Community
Voices from Our Community
Since the 1930s, the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects has strived to educate people of all backgrounds about the Muslim faith. Our members are men and women of all ages and are diverse in both nationality and culture. In this collection of pieces, we offer a glimpse into the personality and perspective of the AICP here in the UK.
An education
Baby @ 6 months…the bitter taste of hand cream still lingers from this morning when I liberally squirted it on my toothbrush. My beloved kitchen has not seen more excitement than squash puree in weeks. I cannot remember the last time I finished a (now much needed) hot cup of tea.
Life as a Muslim surgeon
The question: how does a busy Muslim surgeon working in the NHS maintain perspective on life values and focus on developing a successful career, while being wary of the trappings of modern secular surroundings? Daily exposure to patients and their families being affected by terminal illness, death and bereavement weighs heavily on the emotions. Accompanying and caring for patients in the late stages of illness is a daily reminder of the fragility of this short life and the inevitability of death.
The question: how does a busy Muslim surgeon working in the NHS maintain perspective on life values and focus on developing a successful career, while being wary of the trappings of modern secular surroundings? Daily exposure to patients and their families being affected by terminal illness, death and bereavement weighs heavily on the emotions. Accompanying and caring for patients in the late stages of illness is a daily reminder of the fragility of this short life and the inevitability of death.The Muslim consumer
Consumerism is in several ways a feature of many of our lives, that is the need and want to buy certain things which we deem to be either necessary for our daily survival or niceties to have. Whether we realise it or not, society- through ever increasingly clever marketing, the market places in general being more accessible to the masses through the internet and transport advances, mass communication, and readily available consumer data, - is being drip-fed a cocktail of information to enforce a want and need for certain goods and services.
Minding one’s own business
If you’re having problems getting things done in life, it may be because there are things on your radar screen that shouldn’t be there. Simply minding your own business can streamline your life.
It's a version of “de-cluttering” - getting rid of things that are clogging up the works. It's related to minimalism and frugality, words which are often mentioned in fashionable circles these days, but on which the Muslim should have more to say than anybody else.
Wisdom in the woods
As the first warm waft of spring floats through the windows, there’s every reason to believe that the fleeting English summer may be on its way before long. It’s not in my character to be too reflective about the changing seasons, but it’s hard not to become a bit ruminative as one cycle ends and another begins. Although most of us are separated from the agrarian lifestyle by several generations of time, there’s an argument to be made for becoming more conscious of the natural world around us.
Flexing your muscles
A pound every five years. That’s what they said. Five years of inertia sitting on the sofa and I’d likely be a pound of muscle lighter. That’s after the age of twenty-five; beyond fifty and allegedly it’s an even sharper drop. I’m feeling scrawnier by the minute. I suppose it’s all aimed at shaming us into taking exercise more seriously and most of us would do well to heed the warning. As Muslims I think we all need to consider how best to conserve and expend the assets we’ve been granted by Allah, the Exalted.
Investing in the future
Economic down-turn. Financial instability. Depressed markets. It’s all over the place nowadays, with garish, leering headlines and faux-concern on the brows of newsreaders. Like most of us I’ve never really understood the ins-and-outs of economics, but now the stories are thick and fast and so relentless they’d make a seven year-old’s head spin. And as Muslims we’re far from impervious to the ups and downs of economic instability.
Economic down-turn. Financial instability. Depressed markets. It’s all over the place nowadays, with garish, leering headlines and faux-concern on the brows of newsreaders. Like most of us I’ve never really understood the ins-and-outs of economics, but now the stories are thick and fast and so relentless they’d make a seven year-old’s head spin. And as Muslims we’re far from impervious to the ups and downs of economic instability.The well-spent life
To some, a well-spent life is one that is dedicated to family, to raising children and to spending time with relatives. To others, it is a life that is spent developing a career or business interests, or given to the worldly enjoyments that these pursuits afford. Still others spend their time, effort and money travelling the earth, seeking constant novelty in the people they meet, the things they see and the foods they eat.
