Another leaf of the year is over! And there is a brand new beginning again! I look back and find what I did all year through…. I am happy to see many things that I planned for the last year I could accomplish by the grace of Allah despite of many ups and downs in my life! 1- My biggest job done was to read “Seerat-e-Sarwar-e-Alam by Moulana Abu-Ala-Modudi! After returning from Hajj in 2017, it was my desire to read life of Muhammad (peace be upon him). When I went through all the three volumes with concentration I find myself so unfortunate not to read it before. Though love of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is engrained in our hearts but most of us never read Seerat-e-Nabwi. After reading it, I came to know that how important it is to read the life of Muhammad Sallalaho-Alahe-Wassalum to love him the way he should be loved, not just superficially! The love and respect that comes after reading his life is needed for every Muslim. I regret not reading it before. Now I feel that it should be taught in schools and colleges as a part of the compulsory syllabus. I wonder how difficult his life was, but he accomplished all as a Prophet, as a preacher of Islam, as a guide, as a justice, as a ruler, as a worrier, as a commander of conquest, as a kind friend, as a loving son, as loving husband, as a helper to the poor, as an economist, as a politician and above all as the most honest and merciful human being! And how much he tolerated with Sabr at all the difficult times when he used to be depressed and Hazrat-e-Gabriel alehe-ssalam used to come from Allah to console him and guide him to be patient and not to loose hope and always be steadily on the right path! I wonder how come a person can be of all these qualities at all the times and sometimes Allah bestowed him to actually go through many life changing events on himself just to set an example to the mankind. 2- Somewhere in my heart it ignited a desire to visit Madina and Makkah again to see the places though I had already visited twice but without adequate knowledge. Every photograph that I previously took in Madina when I went for Umrah for the first time, made a new meaning to me! 3- I had a period of despondency that lasted for four months but I overcame it with my conscious efforts, continuous support from my family and medications. Meanwhile I was in complete despair, I never stopped working and did all household chores daily as I always do! This kept me going and finally one day I woke up happy in the morning! 4- I had a fascinating trip to Shogran, Kaghan, Naran and Kashmir with my three brothers and their families plus my elder sister and her daughter. We went by road in three Fortuners! I enjoyed driving on the motorway with high speed! It was a wonderful trip and I saw some amazing places of my country! Most beautiful place was Battakundi in Naran where we stayed in an isolated cottage surrounded by magnificent mountains! A beautiful hotel named Arcadian was in Shogran where we went and enjoyed the most comfortable stay! Kaghan’s lake Saif-ul-Muluk was the most beautiful sight as was really meant for the fairies to fly over it with their wings and take bath! When I visited this lake, the color of water reflected, was emerald green!
5- The data I collected for my study from Civil hospital, was completed and I finally wrote a research article after much efforts and submitted it to the journal of Pakistan Public Health. Another study I carried out this year and wrote another research article and submitted it in the Pakistan Journal of Physiology. I am looking forward to get them published. 6- I enjoyed writing my mother’s story from her recollections and chose the most beautiful album that I had since a long time and I used it to paste story pages with old photographs! This was the most attractive work that I did. Still more is there to write! 7- I made an interesting photo album of kids (Nieces & nephews) of my family each on my lap on one page and then of their kids on my lap on the opposite page!! Showing everybody has grown up except me!!! 8- I made a memory journal with the beautiful pictures that I saved from old calendars and cards. Since childhood it is my hobby to admire and collect beautiful pictures and cards. So I used them in a file cover and now I plan to paste the pages of “A woman’s notebook” that I write frequently, in it with my pictures! 9- I made a gardening journal with pictures of my garden and plants that I often take. It’s a lovely journal that I once found luckily from ‘Mangal’ Bazar! 10- I went to the annual Flower exhibition that I regularly visit each year. I admire plants, flowers and garden furniture there and did photography. I bought some hanging plants from there. 11- I plan to convert my small patio into a garden in this coming new year. I want to make a cozy reading area in it. 12- I enjoyed some Spanish series on Netflix but one Turkish serial ‘Resurrection Ertugrul” just captured me so strongly that I forgot watching other serials. It is based on Turkish history and already I have developed much interest in history so I plan to read some history books in the coming year Insha’Allah! 13- I bought many books from the annual book fair in the Expo center this year. I bought six volumes of ‘Tafheem-e-Quran by Moulana Abul-Ala Modudi that I will read in this new year. I also bought some history books and autobiographies that I am always interested in. 14- Last year I could not concentrate on learning Spanish but this year I will go through Duo-Lingo.com! 15- The most miraculous event of the year was a sudden unexpected plan to go for Umrah! I am fortunate enough to visit Makkah and Madina again and went to see all the sites with new enthusiasm! Dr. Zeba Hisam 1st January, 2019