You know how Romanticism was like a big nature-love fest? (Blake, Wordsworth etc etc going on and on about nature and its beauty in their poems) or Keats’s description of a female, well recently I realised that nature really is pretty wonderful.

Like did you know one of the signs of Allah’s handiwork (maybe that’s not the right word?) is the concept of nature? Of course you did and so did I. But I read in the Qur’an (this is where it all began – naturally!) specifics like the way a tree’s leaves turn brown or fall off and how it fantastically blossoms again and I realised mannn the colour of leaves and leaves in general are really awesome, what with their different shapes and sizes and smells and um stuff..

While random browsing of the net, I came across the above sentence.

I couldn't help but disagree with an immediate mentally but visceral ersponse: "yes it does!".

Thatisall.

For the past year (and a bit) I’ve worked as a Jewellery Sales Consultant – gold, silver, diamonds you name it we’ve got it (no mention of who the ‘we’ is – they promote themselves enough) Anyway I’ve seen people buy for the sake of buying, seriously – what’s another £200 here and there eh?

I must admit I do find myself amazed (and perhaps a little envious?) that they just splash their money around with no guilt! (no thought of the consequences: like not being able to afford something necessary – for many this is usually rent or food or something. For me it’s not being able to afford My Big Plan – don’t ask!)

So yeh I wake up this morning and boom it's the evening again - does anyone else feel like the days seem to roll into one big blur? Well occasionally at least? Those are the times when it feels like I’m in a bubble and not really feeling what I’m doing but somehow it happens anyway.. Seriously weird.

Anyway (I use that word a lot I know, along with “basically” – when I know what I’m about to say isn’t going to be ‘basic’ at all – I like to explain myself thoroughly) Let me start again: anywayyy I’ve decided that I don’t want that to happen anymore so I try to make myself do something memorable in the day so when I think back to what I did – I can actually remember! (Although this happens when I can remember to do something memorable – confusing I know).

I'm from London - from the west side (I like to make that distinction, much of the east side is far too 'ghetto wannabe', here it’s just 'ghetto wannabe' whereas there it's just overboard)

Almost everyday i search through my memories of school/6th form (or college if you prefer) and i wish that i was back there! It's kind of annoying actually not being able to live in the present and instead living in the past. Sometimes i find myself trying to relive those times through my younger cousins - seriously! Gosh i must be so annoying to them, i never stop telling them that school is the best time of a persons life and how they should make the most of it and be who they want to be and just really live it (obviously ignoring the fact - or fatal flaw? that i've just started my twenties and don't really have much 'experience' of life!)

I was reading today that ""The Coordination Committee of Major Mosques and Islamic Centres" have announced..." and having never heard of this huge organisation before, I decided to google it and it linked me to East London Mosque.

Now that suddenly seems to be less spectacular. (if I am wrong and this is actually a big organsition or something, please correct me.)

I wonder if this is in the long tradition of spectacularly exaggerated names that many people use?

There is the "European Islamic Centre" that UKIM are opening in Oldham, and many asian business can't help but adding worldwide, continental or international to their names.

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the better the worse the pure the tainted,
the birth the death the torture it came with,
Inferior superior the thoughts of a racist,
Is it civilised in the city where you walk on the pavement,
Lost a couple fam & they couldn't control me,
Picked up my pen my own thoughts consoled me,
Written on the pages in the ink is my life,
I don't do this for fun it's time we realised,
A voice, a sound, a beat dya hear it?
A truth, A reality, is that what were fearing?
Open your eyes, & your mind it is time,
If we wasn't blinded would we'see the sign.
Look at humanity, do we see reality?
why does it all come back to the fear of calamity,
Look up, look out, see the clouds in the sky,
Concrete cage is my home, wheres the peace in my mind,

Me, i'm here, and i'm now and im writing,

Issue 16 will be out soon inshallah.

This issue will feature:

• Editorial: Muslims Have Got Talent!
• Q&A on Fasting in Ramadan
• Gaza – The Unfinished Story
• The Arrivals – (The sooner they depart the better)
• Defending The Deen
• Back To Basics: Salah
• Exclusive Interview with Shaykh Ibrahim Ossi-Effa
• Walking in Muslim Shoes For a Day
• Revival Feast
• Guardian Angel: Chapter 4
• Celebrating Eid... The Halal Way

To order a copy or to distribute the magazine, please contact The Revival.