OrnamentOfFaith

Spiritualism, History and Fashion London, U.K

[ashcrow]

“قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ”

“I have certainly noticed your frequent glances at the sky”

— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:144)

[thequotespot]

"Healthy relationships are not built on fear, dependency, or control. They are built on respect, trust, and mutual growth".

[ornamentoffaith]

My 3rd time in Athens in a couple of weeks, it’s now overtaken my experiences with Istanbul.

There is no escaping the Hellenes and Turks in Europe.

They are woven into the business, culture and civilisation of the continent — and most importantly, into our holidays. ☀️

🇬🇷 🇹🇷

[ornamentoffaith]

🇮🇳🇵🇰🇧🇩

*On South Asian Culture*

We definitely inherited some things that need questioning and improving, especially around women, opportunity and corruption.

But one thing our cultures absolutely mastered is hospitality 😄

Boy do we know how to make a tasty meal and share it. 🥕

[vangoghcore]

by johns_plant_adventures

[islam-reflections]

Subhan Allah

[ornamentoffaith]

Language is a living record of history. In Great Britain, South Asia and East Africa you can see how conquest, trade, and culture layered words over native grammar—creating a unique blend where everyday, formal, and modern vocabulary tell the story of human interaction. 🌍✨

⸻

🌍 How Languages Are Shaped by Historical Invasions and Cultural Contact

Languages aren’t just communication tools — they’re living records of history. Every word, phrase, and grammar rule can reveal which peoples conquered, traded with, or influenced a region over centuries. In some cases, the layers are strikingly visible, showing how native structures survive while foreign vocabulary is added.

Here are three fascinating examples from around the world 👇

⸻

1️⃣ Britain (English)

🏰 The Anglo-Saxons laid the Germanic foundations — everyday words and grammar. Then the Vikings (9th–11th century) simplified the grammar and added words like sky, they, and take. The Norman Conquest of 1066 poured in French vocabulary for law, power, and culture. Latin later shaped science and religion.

🧩 The layers:

▪️ Core grammar → Germanic

▪️ Layer 1 → French

▪️ Layer 2 → Latin

💬 Feel the difference:

• Everyday: “I want to eat.”

• Formal: “I wish to commence my meal.”

Same meaning. Different world. 😄

⸻

2️⃣ Urdu (South Asia)

🕌 Built on a Hindi/Sanskrit base, Urdu absorbed Persian from medieval courts and poets, Arabic through Islam and scholarship, and English through colonisation and modernity.

🧩 The layers:

▪️ Core grammar → Hindi/Sanskrit

▪️ Layer 1 → Persian

▪️ Layer 2 → Arabic

▪️ Layer 3 → English

💬 Feel the difference:

• Everyday: “Tumne khana khaya?” (Did you eat?)

• Formal/literary: “Aapne apna khana khatm kiya?” (Did you finish your meal)

• Modern: “Kya aapne ticket reserve kiya?” (Did you reserve your ticket)

Three registers. One language. 🤲

⸻

3️⃣ Swahili (East Africa)

⚓ Rooted in Bantu languages of the East African coast, Swahili absorbed Arabic through centuries of trade, a touch of Portuguese from early European contact, and English through colonisation and the modern era.

🧩 The layers:

▪️ Core grammar → Bantu

▪️ Layer 1 → Arabic

▪️ Layer 2 → Portuguese

▪️ Layer 3 → English

💬 Feel the difference:

• Everyday: “Ninakula chakula.” (I am eating food.)

• Arabic influence: “Ninakunywa kahawa.” (I am drinking coffee ☕)

• Modern: “Ninatumia kompyuta.” (I am using a computer 💻)

⸻

🔑 The big takeaway:

In each case, the grammar — the skeleton of the language — belongs to the original people. The vocabulary is where history writes itself. Conquerors and traders leave their words behind, but the native tongue keeps its structure alive.

Every language you speak is a palimpsest — layers of human history written on top of each other. 📜

[jiteshkhanna]

[anaseshaafi]

"‏طمأنينة تسكن الروح حين تدرك أنه لا أحد سابقك ولا أنت بسابقٍ أحد، كلٌ يسير لقدره، وما فاتك لم يخلق لك، وما خلق لك لن يفوتك."

​"A profound peace settles within the soul when you realize that no one is ahead of you, and you are ahead of no one. Everyone journeys toward their own destiny; what you missed was never meant for you, and what is meant for you will never miss you."

[islam-reflections]

Ya Allah, my heart is heavy… please help me.

Ameen

[al-firdaus]

When I used to live with my parents, my mum would always deep clean the house before Ramaḍan and I used to ask her, why are you cleaning the house? And she’d always say, “because Ramaḍan is coming” and I never used to understand that.

And now that i’m married and I have my own house, i’ve carried that tradition of cleaning the house with me and I was doing that today and it literally dawned on me.

What do we do when we’re expecting guests?

We prepare.

We hoover our rooms even though guests won’t enter our rooms, we make sure the bathroom is spotless in case they use it, we wipe down surfaces and we put bakhoor on so the house smells beautiful.

We make everything look fresh, welcoming, and full of warmth.

Because that’s how you honour someone’s arrival.

And Ramaḍan is a special guest. One that comes for 30 days, fills our home with barakah, and then leaves, only to return the next year.

So why wouldn’t we prepare for the most beautiful of guests in the most beautiful way?

Cleaning the house is our way of saying,

“O Ramaḍan, welcome back because we’ve missed you.”

[marmoriiss]

[islam-reflections]

[julaibib]

You cry desperately and then you sleep, while Allāh does not sleep concerning the management of your affairs.”

[julaibib]

If you don’t pray, pray. If you pray, pray on time. If you pray on time, pray your sunnah. If you pray your sunnah, pray qiyām at night.

[bayynah]

[islam-reflections]

[umaymen]

Subhanal-lahi wabihamdih, AAadada khalqihi warida nafsih, wazinata AAarshih, wamidada kalimatih. ‘How perfect Allah is and I praise Him by the number of His creation and His pleasure, and by the weight of His throne, and the ink of His words.’