Long-necked and -legged lady with ruddy gentleman hashing out desert road trip to Abu Dhabi with liveried driver Fabulous African woman two Caucasians all tall matching black Ts brand transparent box with squeaky white adidas sneakers the trio work laptop then abruptly take off Circle of rotund Egyptian good-fellows fresh back from consumerist jaunt discussing [...]

We often hear people, not only in the West but increasingly in the East (as we progressively and inexorably adopt Western language and the thinking that goes with it) say, “I’m not really religious, just spiritual.” I cannot help but question such a lazy and prepackaged assertion. It’s exactly like saying: I don’t eat a [...]

As I read a line of scripture, or pore over a prayer as I listen to a warning tale or a shard or two of poetry. When I hear a new, old word from an old timer in the majlis¹ – slow-moving but quick of tongue (subhanallah²) – as he sips his darkened tea. I [...]

When I started this blog about 11 years ago, I didn’t realize how few preoccupations I had. This meant that I could concentrate better on writing, in addition to the fact that I was a decade younger younger with more brain juice and better memory. Nowadays, I can’t sit down to write for 15 minutes [...]