netflix – My Little Breathing Space – I write for the few, not the many. The few that are left out!

The first and most important reason I started watching Ertugrul (and continued) was his confidence, it was admirable and beyond belief. We need our young boys to emulate this.
Trust in Allah SWT, look at Ertugrul and all the beys. Especially Suleiman Shah, when he goes to get his son from Karyatkor. He has a sword to his neck, despite this, he trusts in Allah SWT.
The courage of the people of Kayi tribe. Even their womenfolk are courageous and will put up a sword fight with any man.
Live simple. Notice there is no extravagance, how simply they live and what they eat and how they dress. Contentment is a great blessing from Allah SWT.
Know that death is always around the corner. See how they don’t keep much hope on life, the most unreliable thing in life is life itself.
Don’t trust anyone too much. The brother of Suleiman Shah, Kurdoglu and Selcan Hatun (in series 1) were not trustworthy. Notice how they lie to their own family and try to kill them. You have to be sharp at all times.
Beware of enemies, keep friends close keep enemies closer. Stay vigilant at all times, there can be enemies in your own circle.
Observe how one lie, one liar can cause bloodshed and war. See how Kurdoglu causes rifts and friction to tear the tribe apart. We need to control our tongues.
Muslim unity is important, people who divide us are a Fitnah. We must not look at colour, language and caste. Kayi and Dodurga when they unite they are strong.
Black magic and poison are common, they exist and are real. A wife can even do it to her own husband.
Follow your traditions and principles your parents and grandparents taught you. More importantly, follow al-Islam.
Men need to control their womenfolk and be on top of them, Islam says ‘men are protectors.’ Look how out of control Selcan Hatun gets, because Gundogdu is not brave enough.
Some women have long and sharp tongues, their tongues need to be caged. This is obvious in Aytalon and Goncagul Hatun.
Being older in the family doesn’t necessarily mean you are wiser, Ertugrul is younger than Gundogdu. But sometimes, well more often than not Ertugrul makes wiser and braver decisions.
The family relationship is important, unity and brotherhood. Respecting each other and obeying your parents. You will find this in Suleiman Shah and his sons, also in front of their mother too. Deep respect.
A father should be the pivot of the family, Suleiman Shah was very well respected.
A good leader needs good ministers/waziers, people to take counsel from and advice.
A good leader also needs a good wife, Mother Hayme is bedrock support.
Adab is important in Islam, with your family, the community and all human beings.
Your appearance and identity should not change, no matter where you live.
Speak the truth even if everyone is against you, just like Ertugrul followed his intuition against Gundogdu. Especially when he was accused by Kurdoglu and Kocabash for killing the Alps.
Be careful whom you marry, marrying the wrong person can wreck your life and expose your secrets. Just like Gokce eavesdrops for Tugtekin.
If you lie and accuse people you will be caught eventually, Selcan Hatun slandered Aykiz and faced the consequences.
Take time to think and make wise decisions, one can observe how Ertugrul is never hasty.
Learn to take blessings and Dua from your parents, also from your elders too like Suleiman Shah’s sons do.
Never forego principles.
Sometimes women must think of the consequences they can cause and damage they can do with their tongues.
Learn to give your life for Allah, which is evident in all the Beys.
The truth doesn’t always make sense and the odd don’t always add up, be astute.
Tawakkul, trust in Allah. The best example is Imam Ibn Arabi RH.
Constantly remember Allah in your heart, do dhikr excessively.
Look for advice and guidance in the stories of the Prophets (peace be upon him).
Naivety is a dangerous disease, Gundodgu is blatantly naïve and pays the price for it.
Sweet words are poisonous, Goncagul Hatun is an expert in this field but it only lands her in trouble in the end.
Learn to have mercy on your young ones, Allah has blessed every human being with some hidden talent. We just need to discover it.
Take advice and counsel form your elders, you don’t have experience of everything. But believe me, experience is everything!
Learn archery and teach it to your young boys.
Horse riding is from the Sunnah.
Keep fit, healthy and strong, always be on alert from the attack of enemies.
Traitors exist in every era, Kocabash, Kundoglu and Selcan Hatun.
A good mother is always overlooking her family and being vigilant. Mother Hayme is super sharp and wise.
Be considerate and care for each other, Bamsi, Turgut and Dogan are unbreakable.
Repent to Allah after mistakes, Selcan’s crimes were heinous but she still did tawbah.
Criminals should be punished no matter who they are, Kurdodglu was beheaded.
Sometimes people in power abuse their positions, Sadettin Kobeck wasn’t trustworthy and abused his authority.
Anger is dangerous and clouds your judgement, there is ample evidence of this in Tugtekin.
Friends can become enemies and enemies become friends, Selcan Hatun changed her life with a U-turn in series 2. Love and hate in moderation.
Liars will do anything to hide the truth, Goncagul killed the old woman to hide Aytolun’s secrets. However, she was later exposed too.
A man will do anything for power, Gumestekin Bey played tricks with Sadettin Kopec for power and politics. Sadly, this ended in his death.

TBC for series 3 and series 4…

Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

1 Safar 1440

Roald Dahl’s poem ‘Television’ – written in 1964 when there were only three black and white channels which stopped broadcasting in the night time.

Even more relevant these days:

The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotised by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink —
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!
‘All right!’ you’ll cry. ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!’
We’ll answer this by asking you,
‘What used the darling ones to do?
‘How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?’
Have you forgotten? Don’t you know?
We’ll say it very loud and slow:
THEY … USED … TO … READ! They’d READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching ’round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it’s Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There’s Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They’ll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start — oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They’ll grow so keen
They’ll wonder what they’d ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.

by Roald Dahl