About

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem, in the name of God the most gracious, the most kind. By God’s grace I am now a scientist in training. When I set this blog up over a year ago I was a grad student. But my focus of research has not changed much, hoping it will only continue to grow in this captivating and vital area (pray for me!); I research how constitutional gene defects can cause Intellectual disability in Children. Basically trying to piece together the link between the genes and the organ function. Intellectual Disability is found in 2-3% of the world’s children, a staggering number and making it one of the most common disorders of our time.

Well, that’s my day job and I feel very blessed to be doing what I do, to have the opportunity to do this. I feel very blessed to be able to think, to reason, to write. Creative writing has always been a hobby, so here’s hoping to make time for it more inshaAllah. I am fascinated by thought, by how the brain works, by astronomy, history, geology, indeed all of creation. In fact sometimes the fascination seems to over-ride the productivity! But more than anything else, I am a Muslim. I found this way of life on my own, tested and tried through many life and global events. I am wholly convinced of its truth. Islam has taught me to be a better person and constantly strive to improve on this. It has taught me to love and serve humanity. All humanity!

It’s taught me humility and the need to constantly strive to make this world a better place. This blog is an attempt at doing that, sharing what thoughts and impressions I have. It is amazing to have your feedback and to connet this way with you all. So thanks to all and everyone who has stopped by, visited often or happened upon. I value the interaction we have on here greatly!

The name of the blog is somewhat a twist on my name. Since my Arabic second and last name, mean respectively ‘joy’ and ‘manifest’. MashaAllah (by the grace of God) I am pretty lucky to have that name and love it. Life to me is about joy..JOY. Not fleeting happiness. But the true and unabating joy that comes of knowing one’s purpose in this world, where one came from, where one is going and being in harmony with creation and the Creator. This is my belief, you may not entirely or even remotely share it, which I respect. I am only sharing my worldview…the ‘islamic worldview’ 🙂

Peace to you all, may you enjoy reading!

45 thoughts on “About”

    1. Thank you so much sister, Jazaki Allah Khair! I didn’t expect it and totally touched. All good is from Allah, and I’m a grateful vehicle I pray… So very happy to meet you online 🙂 Ramadan Kareem!

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  3. Dear Scientist Sister,
    Assalamu Alaikum.
    Firstly thank you so much for reblogging and also for your kind words. May Allah bless you, Aameen.
    I wanted to ask you whether Gene Defect/Intellectual disability is considered as part of autism? and if so, is it possible to overcome the defect whatever at later stage in life?

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    1. Assalamu alaikum brother, I am sorry not to reply before…I guess I must not have seen this post.
      Intellectual disability (ID) and autism do overlap in terms of their symptoms. Some children can have both. However there are forms of ID that are completely seperate from Autism, and forms of Autism that are completely seperate from ID.
      About the second part of the question, we have a long way to go to figure it out. I think for the milder forms there is some hope. There was a landmark paper recently describing an engineered scientific process that could potentially reverse the genetic defect in Down syndrome. So we are definitely working on the angle of medically overcoming the defect. The greater impact is in early detection and putting in the right treatment/learning plan, this can lead to prevention of a lot of damage, and giving the child a shot at normal life. Hope this helps

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    1. Thank you for the suggestion. I am sure Allah understands all languages as language is His creation. There is a very informative lecture by Sh. Umar Farouk Abdullah on the origin of the English word ‘God’, it has a very beautiful meaning that is encompassed in the asma-ul-husna. I will refer you to it. It is part of a 9 lecture series, you can find it here inshaAllah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7d_Zhnhos&list=PLDEB74F2F2060358F. There is also very wise reasons as to why we should not limit our speech when it comes to the God-head, so it is better to be inclusive and not exclusive. Ultimately only Allah knows what is right. May Allah benefit you and benefit us all.

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  7. Thank you for visiting and following my blog, Farah. That’s how I found you. I so appreciated your “Open Letter” and feel moved to learn more about “true” Islam. I suppose any religion has its wayward extremists who channel their hatred thru what they consider religion. And what has been committed in the name of religion for millenia….

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  8. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving this kind and compassionate comment dear ‘beauty along the road’ (love your blog and your blog name!). I and all other Muslims like me (the majority, despite what you’ll hear on the news) truly appreciate your open minded view. I posted on this subject recently,
    https://joymanifest.com/2013/10/07/celebrating-the-change-of-the-seasons-with-music-that-is-divine/
    There are some good documentaries on Islamic history that will help understand better what is going on now, by non-Muslim sources, so an additional weightage for its balanced view if you will

    And here is a great series of talks by one of our foremost scholars, who introduced Islam to a group of USA school teachers as part of a program to bring about understanding

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  9. Wow, Farah, thank you for all these resources. I will have to come back and look at them. BTW, just out of curiosity, where are you from and where are you studying? I am a former clinical psychologist and have worked with mental/emotional/learning disabilities for most of my career, mostly in the Washington DC area.

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    1. I’m working and living (finished studies thank God) in Vancouver, BC. So other end of the continent sadly 😦 Would have loved to meet you. If you ever come this way please let me know

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    1. Thank you very much. I am so happy to hear that. Very glad you stumbled on my blog for now I have gotten to see yours. May Allah increase you in it and all you do! Wa alaikum salam warahmatullah wabarakatuh!

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  13. Assalaam Alaykum Farah,

    Masha’Allah, a very beautiful introduction. May Allah bless you in your work and research so that it can bring benefit to many! Yes, Islam is about loving and serving humanity. May Allah reward you for your part in that : )

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  14. Salaams Farah,

    I have just come across your Blog, you have a great Blog and interesting reads! May Allah (SWT) continue to reward you for your efforts. Ameen.

    I have recently started my Blog: FaithIsWhereTheHeartIs. Check it out, inshaAllah. Let me know about what your thoughts are on the Articles I have written. 🙂

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      1. Ameen. Thank you for your kind words Farah.
        Looking forward to hearing about your current Research… iA.
        Do Subscribe to my Blog, so that you can keep up to date with my posts. Have a lovely weekend!

        Regards
        🙂

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  15. Masha’ALLAH amazing work, may Allah help you always 🙂 I have recently started my blog which is about books and I am looking forward to upload some interesting and good quality Islamic ebooks, so if you can recommend any of the books I would appreciate that right now I have only Islamic Book uploaded there, so please check it out
    http://malikammar.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/stories-of-the-prophets-peace-be-upon-them/

    I am very new to blogging so I will appreciate any advises too for making my blog better 🙂
    May Allah Bless You..

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  16. Jazak Allah Khair! Ameen to your du’a and may He SWT bless your work as well. I left a post on your nice blog, do keep it up. For book recommendations -its a question hard to reply as I adore books and can list several – but that would be too long. I recommend you check out fonsvitae.com. most of the books they publish are excellent. I recently bought but yet to read – Lost history by Michael Hamilton. Its about lost Muslim history. Also Tariq Ramadan’s In the footsteps of the prophet is amazing – life changing actually. I am currently reading Imam Ghazali’s books… all of them are phenomenal. And more and more translations are coming up. I must stop myself or I can go on and on 🙂
    oh for light reading – Willow Wilson’s memoir – The buttefly mosque is deeply insightful and beautifully written.
    Barak Allah feek ya akhi

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    1. Thank you so much sister for your suggestions I love to read about Islamic History and Insha-ALLAH will surely read the books you referred.
      And if I may dare I was reading your article on “Most Influential Women”, I dont know about many of the women discussed there but talking about Malala Yousufzai because she is from my country I disagree with you respectfully because I believe her cause might have been a good one but right now she is playing in the hands of the powers which hate Islam and since she is very young she can be easily manipulated as it is clear from her book “I am Malala”.
      The purpose of this comment wasn’t to say that you are wrong but to tell you the other side of the story too. I apologize if my comment seems rude to anyone.
      May Allah lead us all to the right path, the path which our Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and his Compainions (May Allah be pleased with them) taught as.
      Hoping to stay in touch. 🙂

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      1. Salam akhi Ammar, you are very welcome. Feel free to drop me a note anytime for more book suggestions. As I said, I had to stop myself before.
        Yes, about our sisters Malala, Allah bless and protect her. I had heard this side of it, but due to the hadith of our beloved Muhammed (sal) who said ‘It is enough sin for a person to repeat everything that he hears’ (Muslim) I refrained from commenting on this angle. Here in the west, she is a great positive force for the much maligned image of Islam and I believe our philosophy as Muslims is to believe the good of people unless proven (i.e., not conjecture or suspicion as these Allah SWT has warned us against) otherwise. Wa Allahu Subhahana wa ta’ala a’lam (=And Allah the Exalted and most High knows best).
        Allah bless our work and may it be a witness for us and not against us!

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