I felt fear in Belfast.

So, Bhaijan and I were roaming around Belfast and were on the Shankill road looking at the political mmurals there. I asked a guy for directions towards the central library. He told us the directions and then asked us where we were from. We said Pakistan. He then pointed towards his shirt which said BNP. He asked if we know what it meant. We said we do not know exactly. He said it stands for the British Nationalist Party. So we said that means you support the UK? (Because there is a conflict between Britain & Ireland). He said no it means that I believe in white skin. You immigrants will come otherwise. We told him that we are here for just two days, don't worry. We thanked him and were going to leave when he waves at the three guys across the road and tells us those guys are from EDL (English Defence League)!!

The rest of our walk back to the hostel was spent looking behind us every few seconds and seeing every other person suspiciously because we were shit scared.What an experience! However, to their credit they warned us and did not beat us up :D

Goodbye, UK :)

And UK comes to an end. Life goes on. It was an absolutely amazing six months Alhamdulillah! I met so many people and learnt so much from them! I made friendships which I will cherish forever. I have left the UK with changed perceptions, broadened horizons and hopefully a better person inshaAllah!

Though, I do not want to risk forgetting names, a special shout out to my Italian and my Pakistani friends and others who made my time at Warwick so much good!

I cannot stop thanking Allah for my dearest brother. Alhamdulillah for him! We bonded so well and became even closer than we ever were. He truly is a brother unlike any other! Thank you so much Bhaijan for everything. I love you so much and will miss you a lot! ♥ May Allah give you all the happiness in the world ameen! :')

Jis shehr-e-muhabbat ne humein loot liya hai,
Uss shehr se ab kooch ka imkan hai Mohsin

Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa

I write this for the two masterpieces of Dr. Muhammad Allama Iqbal, Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa. A month ago, I discovered these two poems by him which, despite my not understanding them completely, have affected me in a positive way.

I belive that everyone should study these two poems as they have the power to change how the Pakistani society (any Urdu-speaking Muslim, really) thinks. I myself am still studying them so that I can understand them in a much better way. I request you to read SHIKWA (1909) and JAWAB-E-SHIKWA (1913). I believe sense can be knocked into all Muslims if only we were all aware of these two masterpieces. Infact, all Muslims can benefit from it as they can simply read the English translation. I present to you:

Shikwa: http://www.allamaiqbalpoetry.com/2011/04/bang-e-dra-105-shikwa.html

Jawab-e-Shikwa: http://www.allamaiqbalpoetry.com/2011/04/bang-e-dra-120-jawab-e-shikwa.html

And a nice article about them: http://www.allamaiqbal.com/ias/shikwaandjawab.html

Pakistan Election 2013! It is time to Wake up!

Please don't forget to wake up and get your lazy butts moving. Do not regret, do not abstain and do not be scared of threats! Fight against oppression. It is time for a Naya Pakistan! BOHT HOGAYA!

I am so excited for tomorrow. I cannot sleep and I feel how I feel right before exam results are supposed to come out. This is better and bigger than all of that! Do not forget to pray Salat-al-Haajat. Pray to Allah for change in Pakistan And bring change in yourselves as well!

Even Indians and Bangladeshis are supporting Imran Khan in Pakistan! Vote for PTI, Vote for Change, Vote for stability and prosperity not just in Pakistan but for the whole subcontinent region and beyond!

I can't be in Pakistan to vote, but you are there and you must use your head and vote IMRAN KHAN and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf!

LA ILAHA ILL-ALLAH MUHAMMAD-UR-RASOOL ALLAH!

The meaning of "Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Elaihe Raaji'oon"

I received this in an email just now. I couldn't find it on the Internet so I decided to reproduce it here so that others can benefit from it. JUST AMAZING!

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Elaihe Raaji'oon

Yeah, sure we say this statement when someone dies.Also some of us may say this sentence when they lose something, suffer a setback or harm. But do you know what it means?

Sure, everyone knows that it means 'To Allaah we belong and to Him is our return.'

But that's not what I am talking about.

I mean do you REALLY, TRULY understand these words and their implications in a Muslim's life?

It means whatever we have is not really ours. It belongs to Allaah.

Take a look around you; everything you see, all that you have and all that there is in you, on you, around you belongs to Allaah, alone.
It is Allah Who has given you all the property and goods you possess, and that He is the true Owner of them all.

So the cars that you own, the houses that you live in, the businesses you possess all truly belong to Allaah.

The kids that He blessed you with, the health that He gave you, the time that He has allowed you are all Allah's property.
Even the bodies we live in and the life that we have belongs to Allaah alone.

"And to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth…." (Surah Aal-Imraan:180)

"The kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in them belongs to Allah. He has power over all things." ( Surah al-Ma'ida: 120)

'Say: 'To Allah belongs the East and the West…' (Surah al-Baqarah:142)

Now, since everything belongs to Allah, then we have to include even our souls in that list

The very souls that we think of as our "self "; our "nafs"; our "being" -- whatever you want to call it -- that very thing that distinguishes you from the rest of the world, belongs to Allaah. It's not YOURS.

In fact, YOU are not YOURS.
You belong to Allah.
And this is the essence of the concept of slavery to Allah in Islam.
And since He is the true Possessor of everything, and everything is His property, He allots what He wills to whomever He wills… and then He takes it away. After all, it was Allah's to begin with.
So He may give you some thing and then take it back after a while.
He will bless you with a precious child that you love dearly…and then He may take it away.
He will grant you money, honour and status…..and then He may take it away.
He will give you youth, vitality and health and then surely He will take it away.
In fact everything you have will only be with you for a very short while.
And then the Owner will claim His Right. So when Allah does reclaim what was rightfully His, WHY MOURN OUR LOSSES?

Just like a friend who lends you his book. And then after a few days, he wants it back and you give it back to him…no regrets…..no sorrow…. no questions asked.

Similarly, if Allah takes back some of His blessings upon you for some reason…. so be it.

Say Alhamdulillaah.
Don't grieve. Be patient.
Submit to the will of Allaah, being pleased with His decision for you. For surely He will only do what is best for you.
Just think…..The Owner came and took it back.

Remember…. that you're not the real owner…..you were NEVER the real owner to begin with. You only had everything because it was Allah who gave it to you in the first place. If He didn't give it to you, you wouldn't have had it in any way…in fact, you couldn't have had it.

Remember…. man enters into this world empty handed…and leaves it empty handed.

Remember…. that everything we have, all the blessings we enjoy, are gifts from Almighty Allah....gifts that we enjoy for a limited period until He takes them away whenever He deems fit.

They are a trust from Allah…a loan to you…to see how you respond to these gifts from Allah and how you use them….in the obedience of The Almighty, thanking Him and worshipping Him…or by disobedience to the One Who blessed you with His grace in the first place.

Take note of the words of the Prophet (Sal Allahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) on the occasion of the death of his son, Ibrahim:

'Our eyes are filled with tears, our hearts with grief, but we say nothing with our lips except that which pleases Allah. Verily, to Allah we belong, and to Him we return.' (Bukhaari)

And we all know the famous incidence about the companion Abu Talha and his wife when one of the sons died and Abu Talha was not at home. She washed and shrouded him and when Abu Talha came home and asked about his son, she said,
'The child is quiet and I hope he is in peace….' (Bukhaari)

Subhaan Allah….such patience!

And such Emaan in the statement "Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi Raaji'oon"!
She truly understood its meaning and the affect it should have on her life as a Muslimah, submitting to him and being pleased with whatever He has decreed for her.
She knew that whatever she has, is not truly hers. Rather, it is Allah's….and He took back whatever He owns at its appointed time.
And it is because of this Emaan so strong, this understanding, that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) made dua for them and Allaah blessed them immensely.

"They (i.e. Abu Talha and his wife) had nine sons and all of them became reciters of the Quran (by heart)." (Bukhaari)

"Be sure we will test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, but give glad tidings to those who are steadfast, who say when afflicted with calamity: 'To Allah we belong and to him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from Allah and mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance." (al-Baqarah: 155-157)

The Prophet (PBUH) said 'Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse'.

Published in Ink Magazine

Two of my poems were published in a quarterly Pakistani magazine by the name of Ink Magazine in their May-July 2010 issue.

This was the first time I was published in a proper print magazine.

Here's a scan from the Contributor's section:

Poem - My Country

I wrote this poem in the February of 2010 after visiting Pakistan. Sent it to a newly starting out magazine-website and they published it. Small step in getting published :)

A few days ago I visited my homeland Pakistan,
I hate to admit it: I figured I was a deadman.
The security conditions there were not too good,
Thank God everything went just like a smooth wood.
There was no limit to my happiness when my plane landed,
To rejoice and shout out with joy I was sorely tempted.
I was in PAKISTAN, the land of the Muslim Nuclear Bomb,
A place with history; whose enemies want to spray it with napalm.
I set my foot, took a deep breath and kissed the ground,
What I felt at that time is undescribable, I was spellbound.
Ignoring the growing neckache, I looked on the roads left & right,
I just could not help grinning ear to ear with delight!
It is hard to believe that love could be so blind,
Even the polluted atmosphere smelled most divine.
The fields were filled with flowers so very bright,
They seemed to set the atmosphere with fire alight.
My country celebrates Earth Day each and everyday,
Electricity is shed for hours and hours without delay :D
I can't be more thankful to this land, for it's my identity,
Mark my words; one day it will be a place of complete chastity.
Because I've had many memories of this place since childhood,
I feel I'll always crave for it like a priest for sainthood!

Published at: Pakistan Zindabad Youth Magazine

Hi! LONG TIME!

I am embarrassed. The last update to this blog was two years ago. People visit it and then run away. It's time to change that =D I got published a few times and I shall be posting those to the blog soon. Also, I will be writing whatever I feel like here now :D It's no longer just a 'Portfolio' blog :))

SAAB CD

Aljomaih Automotive Company is the main dealer in Saudi Arabia for Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Hummer and SAAB cars. As part of their marketing campaign, they wanted to distribute CDs to their customers which have all the details of the products they sell. One such CD to be distributed was for Cadillac, Hummer and SAAB. I was given the charge of designing the SAAB part of the CD.

I absolutely adore this design of mine! I believe it's both professional and simple, AND easy to use for the customer :)

Newspaper Advertisement for SAAB

This one is an oldie. Made it last year for the dealer of SAAB cars in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, they cancelled the campaign and never used this :(

Layout of Al-Nahda Club

This is the layout of the Al-Nahda Club, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, which I made a few months ago, for a function.

Gulf College Get Together

The Gulf College for Hospitality and Tourism Management, Bahrain held a Get Together for their alumnis some time ago. I designed the flyer for the function and the layout of the hall where the function was to be held. Check them out!

Pakistan National Day Function

I made this flyer for a function for the Pakistan National Day (23rd March) in Bahrain a while back.

PIS Khobar.com

I was asked to design the Official website of Pakistan International School, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The website's going good Mashallah. Check it out here!

Abahsain.net

I once made a website for the Automotive Division of a company in Saudi Arabia. It consisted of 4 sections: SAAB Cars, Mack Trucks, Marangoni Tyres and the main division site. I made it when I was 12 years old and I do wish they would update their design because the designs I made were so so ugly! You can check the website out here or view the screenshots here:

Updated: The website's finally closed. Please make do with the screenshots.

Awards!

Wizarding-World.com and Muggle-Central.com received many awards when they were active. Following are some of the awards Muggle-Central received:

Muggle-Central :: Last Layout

This was Muggle-Central's layout before I closed the website :(

Muggle-Central :: Version 5

This is Muggle-Central's version 5. It was the best of all the layouts Muggle-Central had ever had!

Muggle-Central :: Version 4

This is Muggle-Central's version 4. The layout was green-coloured. It was made just after the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Muggle-Central :: Version 3

Muggle-Central's 3rd version had a black and gray layout. This is my third layout after learning the slicing technique. What do you think of it?

Muggle-Central :: Version 2

Muggle-Central's version 2 had 2 layouts. These two were one of my best layouts at that time. This was the first time I used the slicing technique while graphics designing.

Muggle-Central.com is Born!

Eventually, we had to close Wizarding-Muggles.net due to a conflict between us mergers and I finally created Muggle-Central.com on August 14, 2004, when I was 13 years old. Muggle-Central's first version had 4 layouts. Following are screenshots of the splash and four of the five layouts.

Wizarding-Muggles.net

A year after opening Wizarding-World.com, in 2003, W-W merged with Puddlemere-United.net to form a much bigger website, Wizarding-Muggles.net. I made many layouts for the website out of which only one remains with me.

Wizarding-World.com

Me, like most webmasters, made by first website on GeoCities. I do not have any screenshot of those earlier layouts. The layout I made for my first top-level domain website, Wizarding-World.com, was one of my best in those days.

Welcome!

Welcome to Talal's Blog! This blog will portfolio all the websites and graphics I have designed to date. Do leave comments about each design! Thank You!