Getting it together.

I am real sorry that this blog has totally become about me moving. It's just that it's occupied about 14 of my 16 waking hours for three days straight. But it will be over soon. Actually, things are already shaping up in here because A) I have an awesome friend who spent about 8 hours with me on this today and B) I am not about to live out of boxes. It's just not cool.

Today's my last day of moving martyrdom, I promise. Then I will be getting back to real exercise and real Islamic studies. For real.




EXERCISE
Since I only sat for about an hour and a half total today, I consider the whole day to be one big workout. Here are the major events of the day. I am adding pictures because my mom wants to see some so now you will too!

1. I went and checked out of my old apartment (which you know because you obsessively read this blog and I posted at around 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time). Nothing to see here.

2. I put the bathroom together. Any lady will tell you this is major. Here are some snaps of the WC:

It's a tropical oasis, complete with a beachy sink!

3. I put the kitchen together with one of my best girls. We were a double-efficiency powerhouse due to our many hours of kitchen experience together. No messing around today! And yes, I am using a super-old beat-up cookie sheet as a cover for that pan. It's the secret to a good curry.

Cook it.

Clean it.  

Love it!!

4. The aforementioned gal-pal went home and collected her husband and his cargo van to deliver a sofa I was storing elsewhere. There was lifting and carrying involved. I now have two futons (one isn't mine and will go away) and a lovely green velvet sofa. You guys can all come sit down and make yourselves at home!

"Conversation Area" in poor lighting, with phone camera.

5. I did about three loads of laundry, hung stuff up, and wandered around the apartment for hours just putting things away here and there. I also got a baker's rack (that oddly enough used to live here before I bought it from my now-landlord) but I don't feel like taking a picture of that. You know what a baker's rack looks like.

All-in-all, we got 'er done as my dad would say and I am already so much more at peace than last night during "the troubles". The elevator took his happy pills or something and was a peach all around.

Health Tip of the Day: If you eat a lot of white rice and have been weirded-out by brown rice, now's the time to give it a try. I got some wonderful Royal brand brown jasmine rice the other day and it's dreamy with that curry cooking up in the pictures above. A cheapo rice cooker from Walgreens makes it even easier to enjoy delicious and healthy brown rice. Here's a lady doctor backing me up.

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ISLAM
When my friend and our furniture delivery man (her husband) were leaving tonight, he mentioned that there was a du'aa (supplication) for when a person moves into a new home. I couldn't find it in The Fortress of the Muslim, a book of common du'aas. However, I thought it might be elsewhere, so I went to abdurrahman.org, a site suggested by a dear friend. She has always found the information found here to be sound and with proof to back it all up, may Allah protect it and bless those who contribute to it.

In the section on du'aa I found a link to an excerpt from an article about a du'aa for "the best of both worlds". I thought this was interesting because just this weekend my mom asked about the words "deen and dunya" at the top of this blog. How silly of me not to explain this before! I told her about the balance Muslims strive to reach between working toward entering Paradise (deen, or religion) and taking care of our responsibilities here on earth in this life (the dunya). I see my efforts to take better care of my body as fulfilling the latter while I learn more about the religion.

How apt that I would find this dua while looking for another unrelated one:

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‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood radiallaahu ‘anhu relates that the Prophet ﷺ would supplicate:


"O Allaah! I ask You for guidance, piety, safety and well-being, 

and contentment and sufficiency."

[Allaahumma innee as'alukal-hudaa wat-tuqaa wal-'afaafa wal-ghinaa.] 


Sahih Muslim (no. 2721)


Imaam as-Sa’dee (d. 1376H) – rahimahullaah – said:

This du’aa (supplication) is from the most comprehensive and beneficial du’aas (supplications), since it includes asking Allaah for well-being with regards to both the Religion and the world. Thus, al-hudaa (the guidance) is beneficial knowledge, and at-tuqaa (i.e. taqwaa or piety) is righteous actions and leaving-off what Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden; and this is (asking) for correctness and well-being of a person’s Religion. For indeed, the Religion comprises of beneficial knowledge and recognising the truth – which is guidance – and standing firm upon obedience to Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and this is piety.

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The Prophet ﷺ was always so concise, elegant, and simple in his speech! May Allah make me among those who follow this example and may He help me strike a good balance with His help and guidance.

And may He bless and protect my new home and help me appreciate it as a gift from the Almighty.

Good night!