The things I have learnt as a Muslimah

Salaams my dear readers... I haven't written anything for at least a year and I am so glad to have managed to get myself back here. The past 18 months have been very interesting for me, I''ve managed to push my career to somewhere a lot closer to my goals, with Allah s guidance alhamdulillah.

I have had some incredible things come my way, including being invited to donate an outfit to the Museum of London as it illustrates the change in muslim fashion today. SubhanAllah. I will have to create an entire entry on the matter though as it isn't what brought me here today.

I recently found myself pondering over the changes I have seen in myself since turning to Islam and how , many of these aspects may be surprising and unexpected.

The first noticeable change for me has been with my fashion and clothing. Being a muslimah has made me prouder of being female. It has empowered me emotionally to connect with my feminine side. I hadn't really thought of this until I was actually looking at the outfits I was donating to Museum of London. I noticed a vast array of creams, pinks, pastels, sheer fabrics, lace and pearls. Some very feminine items. The funny part is I used to hate pink with a passion. I didn't hate it on others or in nature but I didn't want it associated to me. Why? I think partly because I am blonde. I didn't want to fall into the stereotype of a Barbie doll. I didn't want to be missjudged as stupid or superficial. So I stayed very clear away from the colour. 

Somehow, now that I am Muslim, I have come to love pink. One reason is that with a headscarf I can never be associated to a barbie again, I have stood up to my beliefs and shown the intellect behind it. The second reason is that under my headscarf, my hair can be whatever colour I want, if people want to judge me, it will be on my Hijab and nothing else. The fact I am now also a wife has helped me channel my feeling of being a woman in the truest sense of the word. Alhamdulillah, I feel really blessed . I have also gained the understanding that my body belongs to Allah, and this has made me respect myself more. I am taking greater care of it. 

An other aspect of me which has changed is my interest in politics and speaking up for women rights and for the missrepresented . I am not an argumentative person and put me in a group of more than 4 people and I go quiet. However, with Islam, I have grown more passionate about certain issues and have found myself wanting to make a stand against injustices. It's also made me want to get into politics and help create a better environment for Britons. We have sat back and watched to government shred the economy to pieces, along with our trust in them and the environment.

I guess the right way to phrase this is that Islam has empowered me and given me the confidence to be myself. 5 years ago I would have been incapable of speaking in public. 2 months ago I spoke to just under a hundred sisters about using the prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) as a role model to help inspire our youth. 

The newest aspect of my development has been to realisation of how green I am willing and trying for my life to be. Mainly inspired by May s issue of Sisters Magazine about the Green lifestyle... I got so excited reading all these articles about looking after the earth, recycling and responsible homing. I have devoured the magazines' articles and this has inspired me for my next talk at Turning Point Inshallah.  

Do I miss anything from my life before or the old me?

No

Do I crave anything I haven't got?

Yes, two things. Motherhood and a better practice of my faith Inshallah things which will come in good time. 

I am looking forward to the other paths this journey will uncover....

Speak soon sisters :) 

Salaam alaikum 

My Favourite Ayat from the Qu'ran

Bismillah, I Rahman I Raheem.

Assalam Walaikum & Hello ladies!

When Joanna and Safira  from Turning Point Academy contacted me a few weeks ago about the open day, and asked me to talk about my favourite part of the Qu’ran I knew immediately which one I would be talking about. I prepared this talk which I am sharing with you now.

“My favourite Ayat is a verse or ayat taken from the chapter- or surat- An Nur, meaning the surat of light.

This Chapter is often source of reflection as it contains guidance on many subject matters, such as modesty, punishment of sins and family laws and rulings.

It’s the 24^th Surah in the Qu’ran and it contains 64 ayats.

The general consensus amongst scholars is that this chapter was revealed shortly before the battle of the trenches, in the year 5 AH.

Anyway, my favourite verse from the whole of this chapter and actually from the whole of the Quran is the 35^th of the chapter and called Ayat-An-Nur- the light verse.

Here is a link to a Youtube video of the verse

 

 

Bismillah Irahman Iraheem

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.

The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp—

the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a pearly(white) star—

lit from (the oil of) a blessed olive tree,

neither eastern nor western,

whose oil almost glows,

though fire should not touch it.

Light upon light.

Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes.

Allah presents examples for mankind,

and Allah has knowledge of all things.

 

There are many reasons why this is my favourite verse.

Firstly, I think it evoked an echo of the idea of divinity I grew up believing in. The content and the style of this Ayat seemed familiar to me. Before converting to Islam, I was a Christian, first Catholic then sort of Protestant. But from a very young age, I had faith. A faith in God, which I always visualised as a light.

To a certain extent, it may be due to the history of art I had been accustomed too, which represented God and the Divine as a bright light. But mostly, this was a feeling that I had deep down in my heart, this notion of God as light. He is light. That was what I believed.

In my late teenage years, I started writing my own prayers and sometimes even worship songs for a friend of mine who had a christian band . All of those prayers and songs reffered to being kept into God’s light, being guided to God light …

It was a notion that I really related too.

So, I can remember the exact moment I read this ayat for the first time. It was shortly after my conversion, and I had decided to sit and read the Qu’ran, letting my fingers ‘randomly’ pick a page to read from. I say randomly in inverted comas, because I think most of you know here, that when you have faith, you realise that nothing ever happens at random.

So anyway, I opened the Qu’ran at Surat An Nur and my eyes fell immediately on those words. Let me tell you, I was in absolute awe! It was a moment of illumination for me. For those who were here last week, and who hear Lauren Booth talking about her conversion, she used the expression ‘ sitting in a beam of light’ at the moment she realised the existence of God… Well that was exactly how I felt, I was almost hearing a choir of Angels in my ears and my eyes were  like – open as wide as you can imagine. I can remember gasping and my husband asking if there was something wrong with me, so I read out the chapter to him and he smiled. Alhamdulillah.

It felt to me like I had struck Gold! It felt like all my life, I had had this prayer in my heart which I was trying to put into words, and that it materialised itself before me, written in the Quran thousands of years before I was even born – a prayer that was dear to my heart.

The other thing which I felt was beautiful about this verse was its poetic and allegorical style. It painted a really visual impression of God’s powers, while still admitting that it was nowhere near what we humans could ever compare it too.

It uses the words, star light, blessed olive tree, an oil which glows without any heat, an illuminated glass. It is announced as a parable, we know that we are nowhere near the truth of what Allah’s power  may look like, but with the use of those words, we know it is something of incomparable beauty.

Now, let’s just think about the concept behind the words. The first concept we grasp here is Light.

What would the world be without light?

 Without Light, there would be nothing. Light is the source of life. Day light brings nutrition to the ground we walk on, to the plants we use to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves and build our homes. So what better way to describe God, than by a Light- but brighter and more powerful than any light we will ever know. God created light, and therefore there was a creation, our creation. God is the reason behind creation. God, is life. Shubannahlah

What else does this Ayat evoke? Stars, and star light. Stars, throughout the years, have reflected light to guide us humans, when the sun was set and there was no way to know which way to go.

Our ancestor would look up to the sky, draw maps from the stars which they could see, and therefore were able to carry on with their journeys in the dark.

When all else was darkness, the stars shone to guide them. What do we humans have, when we feel lost and in darkness?

 Faith. That’s right, having God in our hearts can guide us out of any darkness. And Islam in particular has created a map for us to follow. A guide to a better life. Do you know what I’m talking about? The Qu’ran.  Subhannalah

Guidance is exactly what the Qu’ran is all about, and this is so beautifully represented in Surat- An- Nur, the Surat of Guidance.

Alhamdullilah.

Well I hope I haven’t lost you now- no pun intended, this all made sense to me as I was writing my thoughts down.

I’m getting close to the end of my little bit now.

I just wanted to elaborate on one more phrase.

‘ Allah guides to his light whom he wills’

Alhamdulillah, what a blessing to have been chosen and guided into his light. I can’t begin to express my gratitude. Out of all the places I could be, out of all the things one could be doing, good or bad, with all the ignorance which leads so many people away from God, I am here. Sharing and gaining knowledge and peace with some amazing sisters, with my best friend, with my new friends sharing what I love about my faith, Islam.

I feel truly blessed.

 

Assalam Walaikum”

Flame of faith

Salam!

I have been working hard on a talk for turning point next Friday Inshallah. It is open day and a few of us sisters are talking about the beauty of the Qu'ran.

I will be uploading my notes on here soon as they share some good insight on being a revert.

To give you a sample of it now, I wanted to share a poem I wrote and will be reading Friday Inshallah.

I would love to know what you all think.

It is based on my interpretation of the Ayat An Nur in the Qu'ran.

Flame of Faith

By Fiona  Cross Chowdhury

Like a pearl in it’s shell

My faith grows in Allah’s nacre,

His guidance shapes my heart and soul

 

Into a gem which is called Iman.

 

Like a flower in the sun,

My faith is blooming under Allah’s light,

From a small grey seed to a colourful scented rose,

I would be nothing without his nourishment.

 

Like the most precious jewel I have ever seen,

I have been given a priceless gift,

A gift I will forever treasure,

In a chest made of glass, for all to see, for all to share.

 

Like a star shining in the sky,

Islam has guided me into Allah’s light

I am rich because I have been blessed by knowledge,

I am rich because the oil of a blessed olive tree

Lit a flame in my heart and in my soul.

A flame made of pearl, made of light and made of Gold.

The flame of Faith.

 

I'm attaching a picture of something which always makes me cry a little- of awe more than anything... (source: www.technobuffalo.com)

Islam & Humour

Salam sisters!

One of the subjects that has been coming up a lot in the media and in life in general is the non-existence of a sense of humour in the muslim community - a fact with which I tend to disagree.

My sense of humour didn't die the day I took my shahada, nor did I give up laughing.
Being able to laugh at yourself and at funny situations is one of the things that makes this life so enjoyable, and Muslims are not exempt from this feeling.

While the current problem lies in non-muslims making fun of subjects which are sacred to us Muslims, and therefore offending many of us, this has made it look like we Muslims have no sense of humour.

This is when a clarification needs to be made. Yes, we can laugh at ourselves. No, we don't take ourselves so seriously that we cannot take a bit of friendly banter. What does offend us, is anything that attacks, discriminates and ridicules those and that which is sacred to us.

It's the very difference between mocking and joking, between laughing at someone and laughing with someone.

Would a Jew appreciate the holocaust being made a joke out of as if it were something justified?

Would a Christian laugh at a joke about Jesus being promiscuous and violent?

Would Hindus laugh at a joke being made about the sacredness of the cow?

Would a black person laugh at a joke making slavery seen as a good thing?

Would any human being laugh at a joke made about their own mother/father?

We all know the answer to those. Then why is it so difficult for the society not to see why it is offensive  to make a joke out of Islam? My personal opinion is what I believe is the reason behind bullying as a whole. The bully is always someone insecure, and to try and make the victim feel inferior to him/her, the bully mocks its victim, it finds sensitive subjects and digs the knife a bit deeper every time.

For the world to start living in harmony with each other and for peace to spread around the world, we all have to stop feeling threatened by what is different to us. We must learn to appreciate cultural and intellectual differences, Inshallah.

I do not stand behind any of the violent retaliation some of our Muslim brothers and sisters have inflicted on the authors of some of the cruel and inappropriate jokes made about our faith and our Prophet (PBUH). Violence and hatred do not go hand in hand with the teaching of Islam, quite the opposite. However, if some thought had been put into the issue before the joke had been made, we wouldn't have had press offices blown up and people injured as a result. Yes, of course there is a freedom of speech- but by definition, freedom ends where another person's begins.

Anyway, I have gone off on one with this article, which was intended to only be about a specific funny video I found on the web about what not to do during prayer time.

It made me laugh as I recognised many of the faults I have done myself or seen others do while praying, and it made me realise that being able to laugh at your own faults is what makes these kind of jokes so funny.

And finally here is a proof that Allah too has a sense of humour

Subhanallah, there is beauty in every creation Allah has put on earth!

Until next time everyone! Inshallah.

Assalam Walaikum!

Islam Channel

Salam walaikum !!
Alhamdullilah- I'm pleased to say I will be contributing to the Islam channel website for the next few months inshallah!
My first article will be about the perception of Female Muslims in Britain and of course I ll be putting a link up once it's running!
Until then, may Allah bless you all :)

Inspiring lives

Assalam Walaikum !

I don't know where you will be reading this from but as I am writing this, the snow has covered the London pavements with a thick blanket of white & soft fluff!
A child's' heaven! Snowmen, snow fights and snow angels are everywhere!!
While it is beautiful and a sign of God's greatness, SubhanAllah, the snow can be quite daunting for some, and for the elderly in particular.

******
Now, before I go on to talking about the inspiring sister I just met, I would like to invite you to think about the people you know, or you know of, that may live alone or in an isolated area and who could do with a helping hand in the adverse weather. This of course applies any time of the year, in any extreme weather. Call and see if they need any shopping done, check that their heaters (air-cons) are working or maybe just pop in for a chat.
******

So here's my story. For Muslimahs in South West London, there is a social network called SWMuslimah. It is mailing group really, were sisters can mass email information to all sisters in the South West of London.
It's really interesting to hear about conference and talks, things that are for sale, sisters asking for advice etc...

On Saturday night, one of the emails that came through was regarding an elderly revert sister, living very close to me, who was feeling slightly isolated because of the snow, and frightened after one of her neighbours passed away and was only found 2 weeks later.
Another sister had sent the email round to all of us asking if somebody could go and check on her while the weather was bad.

I immediately called the sister and arranged to go and visit her the next day.
I have to say, I was really really excited to go and meet this sister. I love meeting reverts, and I love meeting new people, and I love feeling helpful, but above everything else, I miss my grandparents.
With one of them living in Scotland and the others in France, I rarely get to see them in person and can only count on telephone conversations to check on them. So setting off to visiting this sister, only a year older than my own grandmother, made me feel like I was going to see my own grandma.
What really had got me in the email was the mention that her sons had cut off all ties with her since she had come into the deen. I couldn't even begin to imagine the sadness in her heart...

I was expecting to meet a fragile sister, who would need help with things around her house, but Mashallah, I was surprised to find a high spirited and smiley sister, and a double surprise to realise that I had met her more than once at Turning Point Academy!

My husband and I, (we went together) sat the whole afternoon with her, listening to story after story from her life. It was one of the most uplifting afternoons we'd had in a while.
This sister, despite her illnesses and her age, told us that she still volunteered, from home or in an office for various charities! Can you believe it Mashallah?

I was really inspired and in awe slightly for this sister who against all odds, has kept faith in her heart and a smile on her face, while reaching out to others all along.

As we were about to leave another sister called to say she was in the neighbourhood and was going to pop in.

When I checked on her today, she told me that she'd had an excellent day and that 3 more sisters had come that evening to visit her.

I hope that this story made you smile, Inshallah, and also made you think of one person you could turn too and help this winter!

Salam Walaikum sisters!!

Dawah in Islam

Assalam Walaikum sisters!

Since January started, Alhamdulillah, I have managed to keep my 5 a day!
5 prayers that is - not fruit- unfortunately, that still needs improvement.

I cannot believe it to be honest. 9 days in a row of praying 5 times a day, when I used to find it difficult to pray even just once a day, every day!

Subhannallah, it shows what you can achieve when you do things in the name of Allah.

The decision was mine to make, there was no pressure from my peers, from my sisters, from my parents- most definitely not from my parents in my case!- not from my husband or in laws.

No, I decided that this was the step I needed to take to please God.

Faith should be just that, a relationship between the individual and God. I find it really sad that, around the world, and throughout the ages, religion has been imposed on others.
As Muslims, we should learn what Dawah is, but we should also know to leave matters to Allah once we have done what is in our power to invite others into Islam.
Especially true when you talk to new Muslims or non-Muslims. A lot of us westerners do not like to be told what to do or what to believe in.

I believe I can invite people to Islam better by showing a kind and understanding character rather than by trying to endlessly convince them by lecturing them.

That of course is my personal opinion. What do you think sisters? Let me know if you think differently...

Salams

2013 Resolutions

Assalam Walaikum!

The dawn of 2013 is approaching, Inshallah!

While many Muslims around the world do not adhere to taking resolutions for the new year as it is based on the Christian calendar, it is a tradition that many of us reverts have practiced prior to Islam.

I will be making a resolution this year, as I did last year and I will explain to you the reasoning behind this.

In the country we live in, the new year is also a synonym of winter, a time where everything has been stripped down, ready to come back to life.
We, humans, subhannallah, have been created by Allah, like plants and animals, like the sky and the sea and everything else around us. We live in sync with the world around us. It is the science behind the faith, mashallah.
Our bodies are ready for new beginnings in spring, our minds feel hopeful, we often feel more positive and more creative at that time of the year for that reason. Allah has given us seasons, and we must appreciate them all for how they affect us.

I feel that taking resolutions can be helpful if they are linked to our deen, inshallah.

So let me tell you a story, my story.
On the 1st of January  2011, I took a resolution. I told myself that this was the year I would convert to Islam. On the 12th of June 2011, I took my shahada at Tooting Mosque. A week later, my fiancé and I had taken our Nikkah.
On the 1st of January 2012, I decided to eat hallal meat only. That was a difficult part of my convertion, but mashallah, I managed to stick to it, with the help of Allah's kindest and guidance.
On the 1st of January 2013, Inshallah, I will start doing my 5 daily prayers.

For reverts it is important to keep improving our deen at the speed which is right for us. Rushing ourselves when we aren't ready may take us away from the deen. Some sisters mashallah, manage to change all these things at once, others may take months, or years.

I make duah for all of my sisters to have a wonderful year 2013, filled with happiness, prosperity, health, wealth, learning, and most importantly with the beauty of the deen. Ameen.

Salaams!

xx

Can I be a practising Muslimah and have a career, here in the UK?

Assalam Walaikum sisters!

I've been thinking about the subject of work recently, as a Muslim, as a revert and as a British woman.

I got made redundant last month. After months of feeling financially unsafe and of work becoming more and more uncertain for 2013, my boss did what she had to do, and let go of some of her staff. That meant me.

I didn't feel that upset, to be honest, mashallah. I saw this sudden change as a blessing. For well over a year now, I had been thinking of a career change. I wanted something that allowed me to practice my faith, keep to my values, yet allow my creativity to be expressed.

I am seeing this as a sign of encouragement from Allah, subhannallah, to be brave and push myself to aim higher and gain greater achievements.

Although I am still unsure which direction to take, I have had some ideas.
But actually it isn't an easy and straight forward decision for reverts to Islam. There are many things to consider that we would not have had to think about before.

Will I be able to pray? Will I be working in a Hallal environment? Will I be ok to wear my headscarf there? Will I be regarded as good as any other employee?

To add to the equation, I have only ever worked and wanted to work in the media. How can I combine all of this together?

Inshallah.... That is the only Duah that comes to my mind.

We can sit and fret and worry, or we can leave it to the hands of Allah. It is quite a difficult thing to do, and further more difficult thing to explain to our families, being non- muslims, often non believers. They want us to succeed and cannot comprehend such as 'laid-back' attitude as they would see it.

But it isn't about being laid back, we will have to job search, apply for jobs, go to dozens of interviews. It is the outcome of all of these which we leave upon Allah to guide us with.

What I have noticed about a lot of sisters I have met over the past 2 years is an incredible sense of entrepreneurship. Mashallah.

Well, thinking about it, starting your own business that you can run from home is probably the easiest way to work as a muslimah. You chose your hours, you can pray when you want to, you keep to your principles and you do not have to worry about wearing your hijab or niqab. SubhanAllah.

And the Prophets' own wife (saw), Khadijah, is one of the most inspiring people to look up to in that prospect. She was a business woman of her own right, she ran her own business and was very successful, mashallah.

Inshallah, my next post will be about her and how we can aspire to be more like her Inshallah.

Back to blogging

Assalam Walaikum sisters!

Things have seems to go back to a normal rythm, two months after our wedding and so I am 100% ready to take on the blogging again.

Follow me on Twitter @RevertDiaries for daily quotes, fashion inspiration and crafty ideas!

I am also on Pose, the fashion app that allows you to upload pictures of outfits and of inspiring fashion. Follow me there under therevertdiaries.

I look forward to lots of articles and inspiring times!!

I would be interested in hearing your stories of how this Christmas season went for you as a revert to Islam, especially if this was your first one as a Muslim, inshallah.

May Allah bless you all sisters!!

x

Christmas Period

Salam.

Here is a very interesting and supportive message from Solace.

XMAS AND NEW YEAR SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR REVERTS!

on Saturday, 15 December 2012. Posted in New Muslims

Assalamu alaikum

This time is a very difficult time for reverts regardless of whether they have been Muslim for 1 week or 15 years! SOLACE acknowledges and understands that it is at this time of the year that many sisters feel lonely and a deep sense of possibly family loss. SOLACE has sought the advice of a few revert sisters and we would like to share some tips for surviving the Xmas and New Year season.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO AS MANY REVERTS THAT YOU KNOW.

* Remember you have been on a spiritual journey which they haven't shared. Therefore changes which come from the heart for the revert, such as no longer celebrating non Muslim festivals, are shocking to a family who usually just see the do's and don'ts of Islam, and not the spiritual side. It's important to be sensitive to the family and as open as possible. Share with them your reasons for the changes in your approach, and perhaps warn them before these changes happen.

* Give gifts to your relatives at both Eids, just as they want to give your family gifts at both birthdays and Christmas. In this way all the family, especially the children, don't miss out and everyone can learn from each other. You can always save the gifts for Eid if you prefer, just as they may save your gifts for Christmas! Alternatively, ask them to buy the children winter presents at the beginning or middle of December but not near the day itself.

* Remember to call them on the days around Christmas - they'll be missing you, and by spending time asking them about their day, you are showing an interest in their lives, just as you want them to show an interest in yours. Be open to chatting about their preparations and plans so they don't feel you've changed beyond all recognition, but just be gentle and firm in your own beliefs. At the end of the day, you can't just pretend its not happening.

* If you don't want to be with family over Christmas, try to visit them at some point earlier or later on in December. If you want to visit on the day, don't participate in the Christmas lunch and giving of presents, but make it in the evening after everything is over. This may keep both yourselves and your family happy, whilst standing clear of the ritual Christmas activities. And during the time you do spend with them inside the house, try to look good! They need to see that although their daughter covers herself fully, she can still take pride in her appearance. Take pretty clothes when you go to visit, wear a coloured scarf if you normally wear black, etc. It can really make a difference to them.

* If you're struggling yourself with feelings of emptiness, being apart on the day when all the family used to be together, make alternative plans. Keep busy during these times. Utilise the events that often go on in the mosques such as special talks at this time of year. Have a day out, as the roads are generally clear, and parking is free. Just make sure that parks etc are open, otherwise the children may end up disappointed. Visit a large mosque in a city some distance away that you wouldn't usually get to visit, or go natural - beaches and forests are always open!

* If you decide to stay at home, have a family Halaqa or invite other sisters round, especially the revert sisters you know - and take time together to study about Prophet Isa (a.s) in detail, developing a love and renewed understanding of his life as a Prophet. Go back to the Qur'an and Sunnah, and teach the children that Islam stands out as the One true religion, and is something to be proud of. Finally, spend more time on your prayer mat, praying for your non-Muslim family to come to Islam.

* If you're still a part of their family time in some small way, without celebrating Christmas itself, then maybe your family will feel more interested in joining you on one of your Eid days, thereby opening up Islam in a new way to them. So without overstepping the boundaries of Islam, aim to see your gentle and generous approach at their time of year as a means of Daw'ah.

Wasalamu alaikum

SOLACE

www.solaceuk.org

The Fashion Edit: 12-09-12

Salam sisters!!

This fashion edit is a short one, I put together an outfit which I wanted to share as I really loved it and made from all clothing articles I owned prior to reverting!


I like mixing trends and clashing textures, so for this one I mixed lace with leopard print. To keep it quite soft, I stayed in neutral colours.

The top is lace, and though this one is from China, you can buy lace tops in every shop at the moment. Primark have some really nice ones.

The cardigan is from my mum actually, but again, this you can find in a lot of stores. What I like about it is that it covers the arms but reveals what you are wearing underneath, so it works great with T-shirts and tops with details on them.

The leopard print scarves are everywhere at the moment too, I saw some cool scarves today in Rocket and in TK Max.

The pictures do not show this very well but I am wearing beige palazzo trousers with the outfit. The belt is actually from the trousers, but I chose to wear it on the hips to shape the silhouette slightly. This is a question of shape and of taste.
 Sisters who wish not to show any form of shape would do well with this top otherwise, as it tight on the shoulders but wide everywhere else, making it less likely to make you look drowned.



I really liked how I tied the scarf as well... but not sure if I could do it again if I tried. It was really light and perfect for the lingering summer heat we are having this september.

Let me know what you think of it !!

xx

Salams!

Salam World

Salam!
A new social network is starting to make ripples in the muslim world... SalamWorld, a hallal network for brothers and sisters!
I can't wait to see it come to life in the UK inshallah...
Check it out!
http://salamworld.com/home.php

Dealing with abuse

As a revert, I guess it's something I expected at some point. I mean you hear stories of racism, parents denying their children, families being broken up... As a revert you just know that along with the blessings you receive, hardship is on its way!
You will encounter it, in some way or another and it is better to be prepared. For each bit of abuse received, ask Allah to help you and you will find strength.

A few minutes ago, I experienced my first verbal abuse. To be honest, in 1.5 years of being a Muslim it's surprising to have not been receiving this sooner.
A and I were on the bus after a nice evening out. I had a scarf loosely on my head, as I always do in the evenings. As we went to get off the bus, a woman yelled:
What the fu** has she got on her head? What does she think she s Indian or something?
I wasn't quite sure she was talking about me, but then I realised there was only us left on the bus.
Her and her other friends went off their way, not before screaming:
No matter how hard you try you ll never fit in anywhere! Or something along those lines.

By then I had picked up they were insulting me ( my brain chose to tune out the other stuff they were saying) I could really feel my temper rising. A just told me to keep walking and I started laughing.

Partly at their stupidity, partly because I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to talk back to them but that would have out me in danger ( they weren't the smallest or kindest looking people). In the end I felt shaky, A felt it was because they d seen me with him they d said that, but I think they just reacted that way because of fear, the fear of a phenomenon happening more and more in the UK: British girls are converting to Islam.

Allah somehow pushed us both home safe, we never talked back which we usually both would have, and it was best that way. Now I will pray that one of their loved ones converts. That will hopefully help them open up their minds to our beautiful faith and teach them a lesson in acceptance. I am shocked but not really upset. I did know this would come one day.

Subhanallah, God gave me strength to get past it safe, inshallah, I will carry on dealing with these things with wisdom.
Goodnight sisters, may Allah protect you all and make you impermeable to insults and abuse. Inshallah
Xx

Post Ramadan lessons

Salam sisters! I don't know about you, but I'm really feeling the withdrawal from Ramadan this week. Everything seems confusing, I feel guilty eating or making myself tea or coffee?
It made me think about how we can make the feeling of Ramadan last us throughout the year?

I'd like to hear your suggestions!

I m going to apply one thing I have learned inshallah: your body doesn't need as much food as you actually eat. I felt lighter and more energetic while fasting, because my body didn't any surplus food to deal with! So I will cut down portions to smaller sizes and only eat when am hungry, and not just because it's lunch/ dinner time.
I will also try and put together a charity day inshallah where I will bring food and water to those in need in the streets of London. If anyone is interested in joining me get in touch on here by leaving a comment.

Salams to all xx

Fashion tip: staying cool in the heat

Buying clothes as a new muslimah can be quite daunting, we have so many extra things to think about!
One tip a good friend shared with me was to buy tops a size bigger than your actual size. That way you will find yourself in a looser and less fitting top. And you don't have to compromise on style.
Another difficulty, specifically in summer, is how to keep cool.
We must stay covered and modest but how can we do that when the temperatures rise, like they have this weekend?
Well they are many tricks to solve that. One of them is linen trousers. They are light to wear but cover up nicely without drowning you. You can find them in any high street shop- primark and h&m do very good ones in many colours! Teamed with a pretty tunique, you could put together a cool hippy-ish styled outfit. But the great thing about linens is that they are very versatile, so if you are more the smart looking type, team it with a shirt dress and a belt, et voila! I ll try and post some examples soon.

And then they are maxi skirts! I love maxi skirts. I have bought 3 this summer and do the trick! Plus they are still spot on trend wise! Get them floaty to create more impact and let the air flow better. By tucking if your floaty shirts and tops inside the waistline, you will ensure the look doesn't become too 'frumpy' Tk max, primark and h&m again are your winners on this for highstreet retail, otherwise asos do some really nice ones like this red one here!
Pictures coming up shortly inshallah
Xxx

Salams sisters!!

Norbury park masjid

Just wanted to share a picture of our trip to norbury park earlier today, where they set up an outside masjid for brothers and sisters (separate). It was a blessed experience, really recommend it to anyone in south west London!

Eid mubarak!

Dear sisters and brothers! May Allah bless you all and your families! Eid has come! We can all spend the day tomorrow rejoicing with our loved ones!
We will heading to Norbury park for outdoor prayers tomorrow which should be really fantastic! I'm looking forward to it! Then I will spend the day with my fiancé s family!
They are a few mosques in south west London alhamdullah, but I am still looking for a genuine Muslim mosque with a waw factor, a grand mosque with a complete feel of peace and serenity, a mosque with white walls, stained windows high ceilings... The almadiyah community have them ... I think it's time we did too! If anyone knows of any really special mosques let me know! Salam to you all out there! Duas all round! Xx

Islam and the media

Islam and the media, I think it is safe to say are not the best of friends.
I would even say that Faith and the media are not the best of friends.
But now and then you can be pleasantly surprised. And I am all about positivity and even more keen on good surprises! So let me share this with you.
 On sunday morning, A. and I found this video on line which made us both feel so relieved. Finally a mainstream news-report showed a non judgemental view of reverts in Australia. Australia which suffers a lot from racism, out of all places.
The interview shows 3 reverts in Australia and invites them to talk about their faith and their new lives in a really honest and inspiring way. Enough talking, just watch and enjoy :)

The fashion edit 12-08-12

This is my first outfit for The Fashion Edit, so I hope you enjoy it.

Last night, my friends and I got together for a girly catch up. One of them is moving out of the country and therefore selling all of her clothes, so she brought along a suitcase full of clothes. 

She let us pick whatever we wanted from it and we gave her the money we thought it was worth. What I really appreciated was that she really listened to me saying I was in the process of changing my wardrobe to fit my Islamic beliefs. She suggested things to wear with all 4 items I had picked.

I was a little apprehensive about talking about this with my friends. If you knew them, you would know why. All more stylish than each other, I was afraid of being judged and criticized. Instead of that I found 10 attentive ears who helped me come up with The Fashion Edit idea.  

Alhamdulillah, I am so grateful to have friends who are proving to be so open and understanding.

So every now and then, you will see some special edits come up, which will be called after my friend, and the modest and islamically correct outfits you will see will have been made exclusively from items in their own non-muslim, funky  wardrobe.

SAFARI LOOK:

This edit includes a skirt that I got from the sale last night. It is originally from H&M, and actually a boob-tube dress.

Here the dress (£10) is worn as a skirt, with the top bit tucked inside to add length to the skirt. It is warn with a long sleeve Tshirt from Primark (£7), in a bright colour to bring out a bit of the colour from the skirt.

Thick black leggings are worn to cover the legs. These are from Primark (£3).

I accessorized the outfit with a golden bangle in the shape of a panther (£10 from a market in France), a waist belt from Primark (£5) and some plain flat ballet pumps (£10).  The hijab is matched to the green of the skirt and held together with a vintage butterfly brooch (£7) brought in a charity shop.

This outfit would fit any petite sister or pear shaped sister. For the sister with a heavier top, wear the top out of the skirt and leave the belt on the hips. 

For some, this outfit may not seem Islamic enough because of the animal print of the skirt or the fact that the skirt isn’t of full length. This really just depends on the person in my opinion and the level of practice of the sister. 

Let me know what you think of this outfit and feel free to submit ideas or comment on how to improve it.

Until the next article, Assalam Walaikum sisters!!

Xx