Raiya

an Engineer I a Writer I a Bibliophile I a Bore

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

#WeSTEM Societal attitudes also discourage women from joining #STEM @CIRCLE2020 @anankemag https://t.co/8n1WIxCpOm

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

Indra Nooyi wrote mothers are revered, yet their unpaid labour remains unseen.
That's why I love the UAE replacing the word "Housewife" with "Generation Shaper" on Emirates IDs.
What if we valued motherhood as much as salaries and titles?
#MothersDay

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

No matter how much #migrants build abroad, a part of us remains where we came from. In ageing parents. In people we still worry about from far away. We know if something went wrong back home, we would go back. Maybe we never really left.
What does #home mean to people like us?

[Jason Hickel @jasonhickel]

Bombing Iran in the middle of negotiations, while starving Cuba, while genociding Palestinians, while threatening to invade Greenland… the US and Israel are the single greatest threat to humanity and it’s not even close. We are all forced to live in the nightmare they create.

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

@AkramJamalAJ I prayed

[No filter Skin @NoFilterSkin]

Before marriage: “I love you”
After marriage: “You rest, i’ll take care of the laundry.” / “I’ll cook.”
After having children: “Shhh, dont disturb Mummy. Mummy is sleeping.”

Different sentences, same meaning.

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

@fadekeojora Wow didn't know that. Can you tell the source please? Are these from a book?

[Omofadeke @fadekeojora]

Ramadan Series 🌙 | Day 2

Today, we meet a woman whose courage literally stood on the battlefield.

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab (RA) - The First Woman Warrior of Islam
In the chaos of the Battle of Uhud (625 CE), as the Muslim army faltered and many fled the battlefield, Nusaybah stood firm. When enemy soldiers broke through to attack Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) directly, she threw herself between them and the Prophet, using her own body as a shield. This was not Nusaybah's only military engagement. She fought at the Battle of Hunain, the Siege of Khaybar, and the Battle of Yamama.

The Prophet (PBUH) himself later said he looked to his right and left during the battle's most desperate moments, and each time he saw Nusaybah fighting to defend him. She wasn't told by the Prophet ﷺ to go home and take care of her kids or that this public and political realm was only for capable men, but quite the opposite. He encouraged and praised her for her choice to display strength and courage.

But Nusaybah's impact extended far beyond the battlefield. She was instrumental in advocating for women's recognition in the Quran itself. It was Nusaybah (RA) who went up to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him the question that has answered the concern of so many people who read the Qur'an: Why is the Qur'an addressed directly to men?

At this moment, the Prophet ﷺ didn't respond. The answer was to come from none other than Allah ﷻ by revealing an entire verse to address Nusaybah's question.

In Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah ﷻ revealed:
"Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so, for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:35)

The implications of this verse are profound. Among them is the solid fact affirmed by God that men and women are equal in the sight of Allah ﷻ. But just as important is the fact that Nusaybah, someone who had by every means shattered glass ceilings and defied stereotypical expectations, had the opportunity to go to the Prophet ﷺ and blatantly ask this question, and then receive an answer from God Himself.

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab proved that devotion to faith and bravery know no gender. It's unfortunate that we can still find people today who would laugh at the thought of a woman participating in political affairs. And it's more unfortunate that they haven't realised the significant role and example of Nusaybah bint Ka'b, a fierce woman who had no fear amidst pain and death in battles, and a woman who played a role in definitively clarifying the position of women in Islam.

I hope that, as women, we can recognise the greatness of Nusaybah and turn to her example for personal strength to defy expectations and play an active role in our communities.

May Allah Subhanu wa ta'ala give us all the strength and confidence of Nusaybah radiAllahu anha.

Till tomorrow 🌙

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

#ValentinesDay thought:
He relocated from Quetta to Karachi. She moved from Riyadh to Karachi.
They met on a fateful day because her training was delayed and his driver took the day off.
Nothing was random.
Universe was planning.
Your person is closer than you think.🥰

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

A house I often visit in my dreams: My late nani’s old home in Karachi. Nivea after showers, Mitchell’s jam on toast, biscuits in the almirah, cousins, laughter. It no longer physically exists, but it lives in me. Maybe home is just where love first felt effortless. #DreamHome

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

@suhanigoyall My driving instructor used to do this. She would run her errands while teaching me how to drive. It used to drive me so mad.

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

@haniya_445 Roar

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

#SophieKinsella passed away but her book #TheUndomesticGoddess stayed with me because it mirrored who I once was, burnt out, measuring worth by titles. Life taught me otherwise. Managing a home isn’t lesser. Wanting a career isn’t selfish. Women empowerment is all about choice.

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

I had 3 months #MaternityLeave in Pakistan. A year in Australia, mostly unpaid. Two weeks unpaid #PaternityLeave.
This is the math of parenthood: time with your baby costs money, returning to work costs guilt. It’s not women failing. It’s systems.

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

As 2025 comes to a close, I'm continuing a tradition that I started during my time in the White House: sharing my annual lists of favorite books, movies, and music. I hope you find something new to enjoy—and please send any recommendations for me to check out!

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

In Sydney, I saw an elderly woman struggling to push her husband’s wheelchair through a revolving door. It made me think; living alone sounds empowering, until you grow old and there’s no one to care for you.
Freedom is nice, but togetherness is priceless.
#JamaTaqseem #Family

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

My daughter asked, “If #fate is fixed, why do we pray?”

Fate is written in Loh-e-Mahfooz—but #prayer still matters.
Like coding: fate is the program, #Dua are the IF conditions that shape the outcome.

“Nothing repels fate except du‘a.” — Prophet ﷺ

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

The worst year of my life was the year I earned the most. #money solved the tangible problems, but it couldn’t buy love, loyal friends, health, or peace of mind. True #peace comes from faith, relationships, and the things money can never buy. #Happiness #TruePeace

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

I chose #Australia for opportunity.
Last weekend, 300K marched in Sydney for #Gaza — in the rain. That’s when I realised: the universe chose it for my values.
Proud to live in a country where my tax dollars don’t fund bombs on children. ❤️ #FreePalestine #SydneyMarch

[Raiya @raiyatweets]

One day off for his #wedding. Back to work tomorrow.
We chase GDP, AI, and productivity—yet can’t give humans the time to love, grieve, or simply live.
Work without life isn’t balance. It’s quiet cruelty. #WorkLifeBalance