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 :)
Showing posts with label muslimah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label muslimah. Show all posts
Friday, 1 February 2013
Monday, 21 January 2013
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.
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!!
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.
******
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!!
Sunday, 30 December 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
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!
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 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!
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Inspiring fashion
Salam Sisters!
I have found these really inspiring videos from a sister in the UK who has her own fashion blog.
I just wanted to share her talent and link you up to her youtube account.
Here is her Eid video
I have found these really inspiring videos from a sister in the UK who has her own fashion blog.
I just wanted to share her talent and link you up to her youtube account.
Here is her Eid video
Monday, 3 September 2012
Love, Weddings and Marriage.
Assalam Walaikum Warahmatullah dear
sisters.
I am sorry for the really long lack of
updates and articles. I have been busy and occupied this month with so many
different things.
A few of those things have led me onto a
path of thought and self reflection upon those three words: Love, Weddings and
Marriage. As close in appearance as these words may seem, they are actually 3
completely different concepts and as a sister, I think it is important to know
more about all three of those.
To compensate for the absence, I will
upload articles and videos following those 3 themes Inshallah, over the next
month, and hopefully, guide myself and you my beautiful sisters into a peaceful
and happy marriage, Inshallah.
First allow me to talk a bit about what’s
been going on in my head. Last night, I went to as sister’s Mehndi night. It
was a really nice evening with all the sisters chatting and dancing along,
eating some yummy food and getting some henna done. But one of the parts of the
party that marked me the most was one of the talks given by a sister. She spoke
about marriage, and how to make the marriage work islamically. That both
husband and wife must know their place and respect those rules for a smooth
functional marriage. She recommended
a book which exists both for husbands and wives: Winning The Heart Of Your
Husband/Wife by Ibraahim ibn
Saaleh al-Mahmud.
A wedding, sure is a beautiful occasion,
but the wedding party is superficial, and the real work needs to be put into
the actual marriage. As an engaged woman, I can testify that you tend to focus
so much on the wedding that you forget to work on the actual marriage which
could end up in disaster. And if some of us marry for love, others marry and
hope to find love, both being only achievable if a certain amount of work is
put into marriage. Love isn’t what will make your marriage work. Love is
sometimes what brought you together in the first place, or what grows in a
successful marriage. This is a truth I have only recently learned through both
experience and reading. No matter how much you love your spouse, it is going to
take work to make it last.
But this isn’t me being negative, on the
opposite. It is an adventure, where both side have to take risks, learn about
the other person, adapt where they can but more importantly it is also a
journey of self-discovery.
Here are some things to get us thinking:
-Don’t expect perfection out of your
spouse, as you are not perfect yourself. Seek self-perfection first, look at
your mistakes before judging your other half.
-Learn to speak their language. Most of us
speak what we can call “an emotional language”. That is the way you express
your love, and feel most loved in. Gary Chapman, a Christian couple councilor
wrote a very interesting book about this called “the 5 Languages of Love”. It
was recommended to me by a sister and have found it really helpful. Check out
their webpage to find out what your language is: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/
-Romance is what beginnings are made of. As
time goes by, we might forget to let our spouse know how much we really do
appreciate him. If he/she makes you a cuppa, show your appreciation. Any small
gesture if appreciated, can go a long way. And make sure you keep doing the
same on your side, little gestures of affection do speak louder than words.
Finally I recommend this series of videos from Lewisham Islamic Centre about marriage. Mashallah, they are very inspiring!
Hope this can help some of you my sisters,
these are my private musings, as you know researched in books and online so
please do forgive me if I have made any mistakes.
Salam to all.
And Mabrook to all of you recently or about
to be married sisters!!!
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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
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
Monday, 20 August 2012
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!!
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!!
Sunday, 12 August 2012
The Fashion Edits : Weekly inspiration for the fashionista sister who wants to keep her modesty while looking stylish.
A lot of sisters, especially reverts, find
it difficult to transit from their previous dress sense to an islamically
correct one.
You often feel like you have to adopt a new
personality, let alone a new faith and new life style. A lot of Islamic
clothing is adapted or inspired from that of Muslim countries but do not seem
to reflect our British/European identity.
So, Inshallah, I’m going to use my
wardrobe, my fashion sense and industry experience and my fashion expert
friends (muslim or not), to upload ideas of outfits and hijabs to fit all
tastes and fashions.
I will endeavour to keep the ideas varied
to fit all type of styles and all type of sisters Inshallah.
Please feel free to comment, add
suggestions and ideas as I go along.
Asalam walaikum sisters, and I hope you
enjoy this.
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