Daybreak Press

Seasons of Life

The long, carefree days of summer are winding to a close, giving way to autumn. Hints of amber tug at the lush green leaves of the crepe myrtle standing tall in my backyard, a gentle reminder that change is in the air. Yellow school buses have begun to dot the landscape, transporting children to days of reading, writing, and routine. I recall the days when I was sitting on the bus staring out the window at all the cars speeding past. Life now has me behind the wheel, reflecting on where time has gone and where I am heading. While driving my daughter to school, we found ourselves stopped behind the bus. I turned to her and asked her if she could assign a season to each of the stages of life, where would she find herself?

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Toward the Almonds of Jannah

Bobo jaan was a tall, sangeen (dignified, respectfully polished) woman who wore long dresses, crisp white pants, and soft chiffon hijabs. Her friends called her Bibi Shireen. She had this quiet confidence about her that came with being the matriarch of our family. Her husband, my grandfather, passed away from a heart attack in Afghanistan when she was still very young, and her youngest son, my father, was only four years old. She never remarried. Growing up, Bobo jaan would babysit us when our parents were at work. She lived in the same apartment complex as we did.

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Beatific Baqara for Cool Converts

“Learn Surat al-Baqara? Me?? Ha! You have to be kidding!” I remember my initial derisive thoughts surfacing when I toyed with the idea of reading the longest surah in the Quran, all 48 pages with 286 ayaat in the original Arabic.  I dismissed the thought as unrealistic and left it at that until about a year ago, someone suggested that I, an older convert become acquainted with Surat al-Baqara, the second Surah of the Quran, and read it daily for it contains “barakaat”—blessings as well as protection from evil. Presented below  are a few tips from a skeptic-transformed-proponent for all converts to learn Surat al-Baqara, myself included!

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Be Like a Bird: A Ramadan Reflection

I stared. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the frozen figure. Anyone walking across the wooden bridge past me would’ve avoided the weird Muslimah caught in a trance. But I didn’t care, knowing that I could be witnessing something straight out of National Geographic, minus the British commentator. I waited, holding my breath, not wanting to miss the slightest movement to prove my suspicion. It had to be what I thought it was.

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Talk Amongst Yourselves: How Writing Conferences Can Keep You Going

Let’s face it: writing is a lonely business. Some writers thrive on that solitude, soaking up the silence, communing with nature, or staying up all night while the muse is playful and sleeping all morning. Other writers experience that solitude as an energy slump – a necessary part of the craft but only necessary enough

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Social Justice in Literature: Shooting Kabul By: Isra Cheema

The harsh reality of our lives is that many individuals face injustice – especially those who belong to different social groups. Literature has become a leading platform through which many advocates of social justice seek to change the way mainstream individuals view the world. In the book Shooting Kabul, N.H. Senzai does just that in

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