picture in my mind

The third part of a speech about the problems of pornography; Shaykh Hamza mentions Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point! (I love how he always happens to be connected or to mention some of my favourite people!) :D I sometimes wonder if I've become way too biased about this man but hello, if you can find someone else who speaks as well, please tell me.



If we haven't thanked people, we haven't thanked God, right? I'm so thankful to have discovered such good and inspiring people. Every time I finish listening to an amazing lecture, I swear I'm just always so amazed (going sugoi sugoi sugoi endlessly, eheh) and so thankful. And also, today, I was in Noor Sarah's car on the way back from APEX and Farhana was talking about her Arabic Intensive experience again and I found out that she apparently scrimped on food there -- like seriously, SHE HAD NO FOOD TO EAT because her bank account was zero! At one point she was surviving on a single sandwich for four days (and refused to ask her parents for money) -- and as she recounted this as an amazing experience in which she entirely relied on God to provide her, I realise that, ohmygoodness, she still bought me my book when she had no money to eat?!?!?! I was like, "Farhana, I don't believe you!!! You went hungry because of my book???" Seriously, crazy girl!!! Of course, we all started joking that it's all my fault she almost died or something -- but my goodness. Then I thought of this:

It is astonishing how people can influence others simply by being in each other's company. Imam al-Haddad said, "The company one keeps has major effects. It may lead to either benefit and improvement or harm and corruption, depending on whether the company is that of pure and eminent people or those who are immoral and evil. This effect does not appear suddenly, but is a gradual process that unfolds with time."

~ Purification of the Heart

I feel like I am benefiting so much just being around these people I have come to know and love, and when I was talking to someone last week who had only decided to join APEX, I said, "Sometimes I feel like I gain more than the kids." Kak Dora said the same thing, I think, some time last year, in a speech. So true.