Wow: PLEASE READ!

Salam!

Bismillah

Hey sisters, I'm so sorry that I have been neglecting this blog so badly...

I don't want to close it, but my life has taken a lot of changes and I'm not sure exactly where this blog fits in anymore. Unfortunately that has led to me slacking off here.

Are there still people coming and reading? Is there anyone interested in new content? What kind of stuff are you interested in hearing about?

I started this blog talking a lot about comparative religion and my experiences in Arkansas as a new minority. For the last semester I've been out of the state, and really out of touch with the world lol.

Anyway, thanks for your input sisters, Jazakum Allah Khair!!!

Things Unclear

Salam

bismillah

I got this from a sister's blog, little auntie. InshaAllah will find a link soon but I wanted to post it before I forgot. This is one of my favorite hadith and I think that I refer to this at least daily...


“What is lawful is clear, and what is unlawful is clear. And in between
the two are doubtful matters [whose rulings] many people do not know. He who guards against the
doubtful safeguards his religion and honor, and he who falls into the doubtful falls into the unlawful,
just as a shepherd who grazes his flock around a preserve will likely soon graze them in it. Indeed, every king has a preserve, and the preserve of Allāh are the things he has declared unlawful” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

Eyebrows

Salam!

Bismillah

I know... it has been an embarrassingly long time again. Please accept my apologies.

Today I want to share with you how I deal with my eyebrows. I know it's a strange topic but it is definitely something that I wish  someone had given me tips on when I converted to Islam.

Okay, first things first. No plucking obviously. The idea behind it is that plucking eyebrows is a kind of vanity and deception. So with this in mind, I find that it is equally vain and deceptive to cut the eyebrows and also to bleach them in such a way as to make them look smaller. There are different scholarly rulings on this issue and most of them don't agree with mine, this is just the level of comfort I have achieved with what I believe is the spirit behind the prohibition. I'm talking about my own comfort zone here, not my scholarly opinion or anything since the hadith as far as I understand doesn't specifically say that coloring eyebrows is wrong or anything.

So that being said, and inshaAllah clarified, what am I supposed to do with my new Muslimah eyebrows? lol

I think my eyebrows have cow-licks, they grow in every which way and never like to stay neat and orderly. I'm not concerned with the volume or anything because subhanAllah most people's eyebrow's correctly fit their features but just the overall messiness. I have found that my eyebrows do look more shapely and thinner when they are orderly.

So, in the spirit of keeping things in order, I have found that the secret to nice Muslimah eyebrows is clear mascara. You can use a little clear mascara to shape your eyebrows without trimming and it gives a little hold during the day so they don't freak out again inshaAllah. (if you can't find clear mascara you can also use a little hair gel and an old cleaned mascara wand).

First use the wand to brush your eyebrows upward. You want them to be as close to straight up and down as possible. Then, take the mascara brush and run it along the top of your eyebrows following the natural shape, just pushing down the hairs that are at the very top, leaving the lower eyebrows somewhat in place. Start at the inside corner of your eye and move outward. This will give you a nice arch and sweep inshaAllah!

Here are some products I used before:
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel
Covergirl Clear Mascara
Disposable Mascara Wands and Hair Gel

How do you all deal with the natural eyebrow that comes with Islam??

I'm alive Alhamdulillah

Salam 3laikum!

I'm still alive alhamdulillah. For a long time I couldn't think of anything to write... so I didn't write anything.

I still can't really think of anything to write, but I know how frustrating it is to find a blog, read a few posts then wait forever for another post that never comes and I definitely don't want to be that kind of blogger.

So thanks you all for your patience with me and I am going to try to do better inshaAllah!!

What do you guys want to hear about?

~Non-Muslim Family interactions

~Something funny

~Something serious

~Something about Islam

~Something about football/soccer :-P

~Other

Ready to Go

Salam

Bismillah

So I haven't been here in forever, please forgive me.

Today I want to talk about leaving.

I am soooooo ready to leave this country. I seriously just want to pack a bag and go somewhere else.

There is a mythical place in my head where wearing 'abaya isn't unusual, being Muslim isn't anathema and being born in America isn't a stigma.

demagogue

\ DEM-uh-gog \ , noun;

1.

A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned

appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the

populace.

I see my home country being over run by demagogues. I see it creeping slowly into my family. I see the distrustful looks that my aunts and uncles and cousins give me.

I find comfort in the women around me who know what it feels like, and I thank Allah for them because they keep me sane. I'm not sure if they really know just how much.

I am saddened by the thought that the people who accept me and make me feel at home are usually not my family members. That my family members who have known me since birth have suddenly found inside me their enemy.

I am ready to go.

And yet I realize that no matter where I go, I will always be different. In my hometown I will always be Muslim, always be that covered woman. If I go somewhere else I will always be that convert, always be that American woman.

I realize that no matter what, I will always face some prejudice in this life.

i AM different, alhamdulillah

i AM muslim, alhamdulillah

i AM white, alhamdulillah

i AM covered, alhamdulillah

i AM american, alhamdulillah

These are things I cannot change, things I will not change inshaAllah.

Even if I get a new home and new citizenship, I will always be "that American sister." And maybe that's okay.

And so I put it in Allah subhana wa ta'ala's hands. He is the Most Generous, He is the Most Merciful, He is the Best of Providers.

I ask Allah to help us all with our issues of disenfranchisement. To make us content with the provision he has given us and to help us find peace in this life and the next, ameeeeeen.

wa alhamdulillah 3la kul 7al

Note to Self

Don't forget:

"I'm not ready for that" = "I don't trust Allah enough to do that"

So Behind

Salam!

Bismillah

So an update: I got a job alhamdulillah but now I'm super duper busy. I'm currently doing the job of about 4 people (as in the University could have legitimately hired 4 different people to do the stuff I do there, but decided not to).

I'm only getting a couple of hours of sleep a night, but I'm hoping that things will even out once we get into the swing of school again.

Anyway, InshaAllah I will be resuming posts again once things cool off a bit.

As for my goals, as you can probably tell I am horribly behind astaghfirullah, but I'm hoping to put in a lot of real effort for the last 10 days/nights inshaAllah.

Keep me in your du'as!

much love.

Ramadhan Objectives 2010

Salam!

Bismillah

This is my list of objectives for my second Ramadhan inshaAllah! I am planning to post later which du'a, surah, and sunnah I am working on at the time.

Let me know what you think and your goals as well :-D

1. Pray all 5 prayers promptly with sunnah: Alahmdulillah I am close to this as I have been working year round on it. I need to start adding the Dhuhr sunnah.

2. Eat sahoor every morning: This means waking up! I'm trying to find foods I can pre-assemble and freeze, then cook quickly.

3. Pray tarawih each night, at the masjid if possible: This means carefully arranging school and work schedules.

4. Memorize 2 new surahs: My plan is to memorize in English and Arabic two of the relatively shorter surahs. That gives me 4 weeks total if I switch surah or language each week.

5. Memorize 2 new hadith: Same as surah plan.

6. Finish Qur'an in English each week (4 times total): Alhamdulillah I read English quickly, so I want to take advantage of that. I may not be able to read Arabic that quickly, but I want to make sure I am reading something with understanding.

7. Read at least 2 pages of Qur'an بالعربية each day: Reading in Arabic can become physically tiring for me, so I am setting my goal relatively small, but hoping to read much more than this inshaAllah!

8. Avoid TV, movies, gossip, idle talk: This means keeping in mind the spirit of Ramadhan at all times. Ramadhan is not for socializing, watching nifty new tv series or catching the Barca game.

9. Post something useful/religious to the blog each day: This will encourage me to learn more and also to share it with you all inshaAllah :-D

10. Incorporate a new sunnah each week (4 new sunan total): I feel like I am not very knowledgeable about a lot of sunnahs that would be very beneficial for me.

11. Keep a daily checklist and journal of spiritual progress: This inshaAllah will help keep me motivated. It will be sort of a mash between checklist and heart wheel journal with a lot of contemplation on the state of my iman. InshaAllah I will give you guys a better idea of what this will look like later.

12. Work on making the intention before taking action: This is something I lack right now. I try to do the right thing always, but rarely take the time to form an actual intention in my heart and mind if that makes sense. I feel like I am missing on the blessing because I do not make the intention. For example when I get dressed and throw on my abaya and scarf. I do it because it is right to dress this way and it is automatic now, but I don't usually remember to make the intention to use this as an opportunity for worship through obeying Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

13. Help provide food for sahoor/iftar for someone/group once per week: We have iftar each day at the masjid and I am planning to try to take sahoor frequently with some of my friends inshaAllah.

14. Memorize one du'a per week (4 total): I want to be more knowledgeable about the du'a from Qur'an and Sunnah especially.

My Evening

Salam

Bismillah

Alhamdulillah today I was feeling much better, thank you all for your du'a and advice.

I made plans with my friend Dusty to spend some time together since it had been literally ages since I had seen any of my friends outside of jumm'ah. Dusty is from my hometown and converted to Islam just a few short months after me at the end of last Ramadhan mashaAllah. She is a real sweetheart and very sincere while still silly, lol. My kind of lady :-P

First we went to the mall and looked around a bit for long skirts. We found several at maurices of all places in dark denim, khaki, and brown.

Then we went to the masjid to pray asr and we stayed in the masjid library looking for books until maghreb (we both came out with stacks of free books alhamdulillah). Most of my books were about Christianity and explaining Islam as I am looking for materials to show my family to help explain Islam better inshaAllah.

After that we decided to eat dinner at Arby's. I had a large jamocha shake. I don't know if you know how huge that is, but I think i gained 10 lbs LOL.

Next we went to wal-mart so I could get some cookie sheets since my old ones rusted out.

Walmart happens to be next to the movies so we decided to catch a flick before we went home.

Overall it was a good night alhamdulillah. Me and Dusty both had a blast :-)

I think maybe my issue isn't overall loneliness, but I just feel that way when I am with my family.

Allah kareem, inshaAllah khair

My Daddy

Salam

Bismillah

My dad doesn't care that I am Muslim. He doesn't care that I believe in God. He doesn't care that I live a more clean life now.

All he cares is that I do not believe that Jesus is God.

For several months now, my Dad has quit talking about religion. Honestly, I was really relieved because I HATE the feeling of disappointing my daddy and I knew that my beliefs would be disappointing to him.

But today he gave me some papers he printed from the internet entitled "Is Jesus God?" and talked about those "cults" that don't believe that Jesus is God.

It gave a lot of Bible verses that supposedly explain how Jesus is God and also tried to answer some more popular arguments against the trinity (although it did in no way try to explain the trinity, why there should be a trinity, how the trinity is different than polytheism, etc.).

How do I explain to my dad that even if he could provide verses from the Bible that say Jesus is God, or can be interpreted/twisted to say that, that I will still most likely not believe them since I have so much doubt about the authenticity of the Bible in the first place?

I don't know if this will be the beginning of more conversations or arguments or what. Honestly I hope it wont be. Not because I am scared of argument or changing my mind or anything (Allah keep us on the straight path, ameen) but because I hate to see that look of disappointment when my daddy realizes he still didn't convince me.

Also on another note, my bother is becoming more and more conservative in his beliefs. Now he has decided to reject science completely since it contradicts with a literal reading of the Bible.

Ya Rabb, Ya Raheem, have mercy on our families and show them the straight path ameen.

Remember Allah in the World Cup

Salam!

Bismillah

Lets face it ladies... we live in this dunya. We should strive for balance in this life of remembering Allah while also living our daily lives.

Daily life for a lot of people right now consists of World Cup action, but again we have to find the right balance!

Some Tips:

1. Make dhikr when play is slow

2. Make wudu and pray voluntary rakaat during half-time

3. Make the intention to dedicate the same amount of time to Allah that you spend watching games each day or reading about games (this will be more time than a lot of people usually spend). You can read Qur'an, pray sunnah prayers, make dhikr, read books or articles, etc.

4. Avoid watching games in mixed company. Get some girlfriends (or guy friends if you are dude) together and watch at a friends house instead of going out to the cafe, bar, or restaurant.

5. If your team doesn't win, avoid throwing a big fit or yelling and screaming etc. Say "Alhamdulillah 3la kul shay'" All praise belongs to Allah in every circumstance. Practice our anger steps: if you are standing sit, if you are sitting lay down, if none of that works make wudu and pray :-)

Any tips?

Thoughts

Salam!

Bismillah

I appreciate diversity............ But I do not appreciate vulgarity

I appreciate progress............ But I do not appreciate loss of morals

I appreciate free thinking..... But I do not appreciate hypocrisy

I appreciate free speech........ But I do not appreciate the government sanctioned hate that spews out of people's mouths and fingers and hearts

I appreciate charity............... But I do not appreciate those who do it for the sake of appearances

I appreciate education.......... But I do not appreciate teaching children warped views of their or other religions, cultures or values

Heart Wheel Journal

Salam!

Bismillah

Last year I wrote a post about the Heart Wheel Journal (read it here). Now they have an online version that you don't have to print out. You just point and click then start typing! It is quite nice, mashaAllah so go give it a try!

http://heartwheeljournal.com

stressssss

salam!

bismillah

I am really really really really really really really really really really stressed out right now.

My brother, his wife and my parents are all moving into a house together. They made this decision about a week ago and are moving into the new house this weekend. I cannot live full time with my brother. It will cause problems.

SO now I have to find a place to live. More importantly I have to find a job in order to find a place to live.

Did I mention that summer has already started? Did I mention we are in a recession? Did I mention that I wear hijab?

If I can find even a part time job that pays around $800 a month, inshaAllah I will be okay.

please make du'a for me...

Summer Wear

Salam!

Bismillah

It is getting hot outside on the top half of the earth and one of our sisters (Elizabeth) asked what are good/comfy things to wear for summer.

So here are my physiological reasons for wearing abaya (beyond religious ones, which are of course the most important :-P)

I am mostly talking about abayaat that are loose, not fitted close to the body and that have sleeves that are open at the bottom (not closed at the wrist). Also watch the fabric because some abayaat are definitely made for cooler weather.

A-line is a good shape for hot weather because it lets the air flow

• The open bottom and sleeves will create a breeze when you walk that allows your sweat to actually do its job to cool you down, even when there isn't a breeze outside. Mini skirts and blue jeans will not do this for you.
• When you wear tight clothes, your sweat does not do anything to cool you off, you just get wet and sticky.
• The loose abaya actually makes it to where your body is walking around in the shade.
• There is a reason why shade is cooler than out in the direct sun. The ambient temperature of the air does affect your body, but your body is strongly affected by the ultra violet (UV) and infrared light that hits your skin. The energy of these photons causes the cells in your body to heat up (that is why UV rays cause burns and cancer) by exciting them to higher energy levels which increases your body temperature as well as the temperature of your skin. The more skin you cover, the more you protect your cells from this energy.
• As a bonus, you wont get as dehydrated, lol. Because the abaya is helping you to use your sweat productively, you will sweat less meaning you will loose less water during the day (a bonus for those of us who are fasting during the summer months!).

Now some reasons for why covering in general is not necessarily more hot than being naked in the sun

• The above reasons are good for this as well (using your sweat productively, portable shade, etc.)
• Also, your body slowly adjusts to what you are wearing outside. If you are usually naked outside and you all of the sudden throw on more clothes, your body will struggle to regulate its temperature with these new conditions (this is why women you do not usually cover will feel hot if they temporarily wear abaya). It is age old wisdom (from my great grandma lol) that if you wear your coat when it is hot outside, you will get cold easier. My mother use to tell me NOT to wear my jacket until it got really cold outside so that my body wouldn't adjust. That way I wouldn't be too cold when I was INSIDE the house.
• Same rules apply here as in the jacket case. Your body will adjust to where you are no more hot or cold than anyone else. I use to never get cold. We kept our house at 63F all year round and I wore t-shirts and shorts all of the time, but now 63F is wickedly cold for me since my body is trained. Now I have to wear sweat pants and sweaters with my tshirt and shorts. (also amazingly I sweat less than I did before, lol)
• There is no such thing as "hot blooded" and "cold blooded" people. It is all about what you condition your body to do :-)
• Another added benefit is that you will spend less money on electricity, lol. You wont need to keep your house as cold during the summer months because your body is ready for it.

Tips for those of you who are thinking about starting to cover:

• If you are able, try starting when the weather is cooler and then just continue to wear the longer clothes as the weather starts to change. This will give your body time to adjust slowly. (I know that advice is a little late in coming, but inshaAllah it will be helpful for someone! :-D)

Niqab Ban: A Rant

Salam sisters,

I think that this is my first rant. It may not make sense and I may take it down later, but I need to get some of these feelings out.

I apologize ahead of time if I hurt anyones feelings. If I do so please let me know because that is not my intention.

Rated PG-13 for liberal use of the word "crap" lol

START RANT:

I am starting to get really PO'd with all of this niqab banning crap. If you want to cite security reasons, okay whatever, but in France security isn't their issue. (And for the record, I firmly believe that the "security" issues are ultimately red herrings thrown out there to divert the population away from the actual issues at hand: the stripping of a population of their rights due to their religion.) The issue in France is that niqab just isn't "secular enough" for the right wing good ol' boys. So their response? Take away people's rights to make little men in suits feel better about their "secularity."

Why would you want a woman walking around who reminds you of the fact that God and doing good things for people along with yourself isn't a priority in your life, right? We wouldn't want you to feel guilty or uncomfortable with your life choices...

And seriously they are going to fine a dude thousands of euro for "forcing" a woman to wear niqab. #1) how often does that really happen in France??? #2) How are you going to enforce that??? "oh your wife wears niqab so you obviously must force her. Here is your fine and one year jail time." Ridiculous.

Who is going to patrol the French Alps to make sure that every teenager in a ski mask is fined and ever father who puts a ski mask on his child goes to prison for a year with a heavy fine?

Who is going to patrol the countryside churches to arrest that bride in her veil and her father who lovingly covered her face with it before she walked down the isle?

Who is going to fine the doctors in their hygienic masks or the send the hospital administration to jail for requiring its use?

Who is going to fine the fumigators and painters for covering their faces?

If Joe Schmo can wear his lovely swastika on his sweater sleeve because it makes him feel powerful then I should darn well be able to cover my face for the Creator of the Worlds!!!!!!

All of this crap is directly related to the minaret banning crap. What is your reason for banning minarets??? Is that security too? Or secularity? Or just plain Islamophobia???????

And REALLY does Quebec have to do EVERYTHING that France does? I'm frankly appalled that this xenophobic crap has spilled over onto the same continent that I live on. I makes me physically ill.

On top of that they are denying people the right of public healthcare. They are denying CITIZENS the right of healthcare on the basis of RELIGION and freedom of EXPRESSION!!! And no one realizes how dangerous this is for human rights everywhere? Are we the only ones who seeeeeeee this madness?

I'm just really pissed and I have no idea what to do to fix the situation. Who do I write to? Who do I call? What do I need to say? Where do I need to say it? HOW do I help make this madness STOP?

And my favorite quote by Benjamin Franklin:

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

In the Car

Salam!

Bismillah

I talk to myself in the car. About everything.

I give myself pep talks...

I make dhikr...

I have arguments with people...

I define my beliefs...

I tell jokes...

I practice speeches...

I say things out loud that I would never say in front of another person...

I get everything off my chest.

When I am in salah and when I am in the car are the two times that I know completely who I am. When it is only me and Allah.

What do you do in the car?

One Down, Two to Go

Salam!

Bismillah

I worked about 16 hours straight on my Arabic project trying to fix all of our technical difficulties and still ended up being almost 24 hours late, but alhamdulillah ustadhaty took it anyway and gave us a B+. I really needed an A, but alhamdulillah 3la kul shay a B+ is INFINITY times zero. :-)

I have left now to write a resume + cover letter for my advanced comp class and a 20 pg paper on socio-cultural phenomena throughout the history of Physics. YAY!

How is everyone else progressing? School? Finals? Work? Life? I'd love to have an excuse to take a break for a couple of minutes :-D

much love.

Procrastination

Salam!

Bismillah

I think I am supposed to learn a lesson about procrastination today.

I have a video presentation that was due about 12 hours ago that I still haven't been able to finish... so many technical difficulties it is ridiculous!

InshaAllah I will get it done though :-) I can be stubborn ya know.

Projects Projects Projects

Salam!

Bismillah

My head is swimming with all of the projects I have to do...

eck

Also my mom broke her arm today, so please make du'a for her.

Alhamdulillah for everything