Favorite Verses

During my Quran course, we were required to pen down 5 rules for ourselves after completing each juz. I used to write my favorite verse from the respective juz with that. Arabic version of these verses is so beautiful if you understand Arabic. Here is the translation of those verses anyway:-

1. Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. [2:117]
2. And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me… [2:186]
3. .. and whoever believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it..[2:256]
4. And whoever holds firmly to Allah has [indeed] been guided to a straight path.[3:101]
5. …and sufficient is Allah as an ally, and sufficient is Allah as a helper..[4:45]
6. .. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.[4:171]
7. To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them. And He is over all things competent. [5:120]
8. So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam..[6:125]
9. - then know that Allah is your protector. Excellent is the protector, and Excellent is the helper. [8:40]
10. … and remember Allah much that you may be successful.[8:45]
11. …and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.[10:107]
12. And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. [11:7]
13. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah , you could not enumerate them..[14:34]
14. Indeed, Our word to a thing when We intend it is but that We say to it, "Be," and it is. [16:40]
15. Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward. [17:9]
16. .. and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy. [19:4]
17. ..and hold fast to Allah . He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. [22:78]
18. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. [24:35]
19. And grant me a reputation of honor among later generations. [26:84]
20. Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah ? Little do you remember. [27:62]
21. And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good - then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters. [31:22]
22. ..But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] - He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers. [34:39]
23. His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is. [36:82]
24. Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." [39:53]
25. And He answers [the supplication of] those who have believed and done righteous deeds and increases [for] them from His bounty..[42:26]
26. And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition. [47:2]
27. Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is bringing about a matter. [55:29]
28. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. [65:3]
29. ..and their Lord will give them a purifying drink. [76:21]
30. For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. [94:5-6]

Inter-Views

My interviews always remind me of the joke where the interviewer asks the candidate, 'what is your weakness' and the candidate responds with ‘honesty’. Interviewer goes like, I don’t think being honest is a weakness and the candidate replies, 'I don’t give a shit to what you think'. Anyhow, here I am, stating some of my not-so-required honest encounters. 

The one where I didn't know it’s an interview:

This was the one where I thought I was having a meeting with a coach and I spoke my heart out about the subject I specialized in, my teachers, my institution and everything I could possibly talk about. I could have simply not said the names when he asked me if there are any teachers that I don’t like but Noo.

The one where I kept on talking about the things I can't do:

I had to fill a form which had 4 spaces to mention one's weaknesses, and I filled all of them. WHO DOES THAT!!

The one where I was told it’s just about interests and hobbies:

Interviewer: So you have got 4 GPA in both micro and macro economics, were you really good in these subjects?

Me: I was just okay, umm, our teacher was really good, um in terms of giving good grades.

Interviewer: And what about statistics?

Me: (In my head: O God, how do I explain it was the same teacher) I was okay. Umm the teachers were really good, we had short courses and they would just give good grades.

Interviewer: This essay, you wrote only 2 paragraphs. Why is that?

Me: I ran out of time, left essays for the last and started off with English portion with marking random options. (And I went quite after this)

Interviewer: One of your references said, you are an all rounder. So what interests do you have apart from academics?

Me: What? Me? All rounder. One of MY references said that? Oh I have no Idea. (I did tell him about my interests later, but the phase where I started thinking about who would have said that. phew)