Powerful Muslim Sister - Sofia Servando Baig

My friend Supreet introduced me to the work of Sofia Servando Baig a while back. She is 19 and is a spoken word poet from Montreal, Canada - she has recited her poetry at the ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Conference which was held in Chicago, Toronto's MuslimFest, and she also took part in the Muslim HipHop tour "HipHop4Islam". I think one of the most powerful qualities a person can have is eloquence, and this girl CAN WRITE! Here's what she said about her poetry in an interview: "All my poems are personal and are a reflection of how I feel as a Muslim, as a woman, as a sister, as a daughter, as a result of my place in society. I speak about what i know and I don't speak about what I don't know."


check out her poetry on her myspace
<-- click that.
Salaam!

Muslim Women Fashion on Today Show

So I was looking around YouTube today and found this Today Show segment from July, it's annoying that it's in 5 parts, so you'll have to watch each 30 second clip separately. I like what she says at the end: "We're like ambassadors to Islam, when you have a well put together appearance, it adds to being a good Muslim."

Winter Wear

assalamalaikum, so we're well into winter now, and this is an especially easy time to find clothes that cover up correctly! I was looking through some high name brands' winter collections, and even though I feel that spending $200 on a top is very excessive, I definitely think they are good items to model looks off of! [disregard the bottoms of the following outfits - concentrating on tops!]

I LOVE coats they are so classy without being revealing! this one is a nice length that covers sufficiently and it is very in style these days. I like the pairing with black bottoms [which would be looser of course] and a black hijab would complete the look.

this silk/wool mock turtleneck dress is from Banana Republic. Alhumdulillah long tops are in fashion! A great plus for this is the turtleneck part. I would pair it with wide leg pants in grey or black [try Express]

This wool-blend collarless coat is from Banana Republic. The neutral colors matched together makes it very simple yet presentable. I suggest pairing it with a bright hijab for some balance - but if one wants to go low-key a neutral hijab looks nice as well.

(banana republic) this outfit, I fell in love with immediately! The wool-blend topcoat is very elegant with its streamlined silhouette. The sweater dress is adorable - chunky sweater dresses are a must-have this winter!

For those of us who like patterns, this Plaid Flannel Tunic is by Ralph Lauren: "A slim tunic silhouette creates a chic twist on an American classic, styled in ultra-soft, plaid cotton flannel for vintage character." I love the laid-back but chic look this gives off and how perfect is the length of the shirt!

This "Stella Sateen Tuxedo Shirt" is another one by Ralph Lauren, going on the same style just a plain white one.

Yet another one by RL, here I wanted to point out the turtleneck worn under and how put-together it looks. [and eww to the tights because this great shirt looks horrible with them]

So that is all for now, good luck to all of my sisters!
Allah alone gives success.

Beginning

Assalamoleikum everyone,

so here's an overview of my blog

Savoir-faire n.
The ability to say or do the right or graceful thing.

I was born and raised here in America and I know that integrating Islamic principles into our contemporary American culture/lifestyle without sacrificing the absoluteness and immaculacy of the Din can be confusing - after all it would be a tough to walk around in a full on naqaab [and you aren't supposed to bring unnecessary attention to yourself] but there are so many alternatives that fit into the latest fashions and are still covered! Honestly, when you learn more about how beautiful Islam is and embrace it and you are confident about it, it all radiates from of you (:

Basically I feel that it's important for all of my Muslim sisters to know that dressing "modestly" does not imply wearing clothes 10 sizes to big and looking sloppy - and I say that because that used to be my view on it - in fact once you develop an eye for it, finding classy modest clothes is simple! I hope to provide a new perspective on islamic dressing and some ideas for my sisters.

So let's start off with an answer I found on Sunnipath.com:

Q: Are all these "fashionable women's Islamic clothes" considered modest by the Shariah?

This returns to the `urf (local customs and norms). Something highly modest in America may not modest by the standards of more conservative societies. The Shariah has placed general guidelines for proper dress: it must be modest, loose (especially around sensitive areas), and must cover one’s awrah. This is fixed, unalterable guidance. After this, how this is fulfilled returns to local customs, environment, and one’s situation, flexible within the limits of the fixed guidelines of the Qur’an and the luminous guidance of the Beloved of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

About clothing - that I think everyone should keep in mind so we i’A don’t dress sloppily, because we are representing an ummah:

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty.” [Muslim]

And he said (Allah bless him and give him peace),

“Allah loves to see the traces of His blessings on His servants.” [Tirmidhi]

Imam Zayn al-Din al-Razi (d. 666 AH), author of the famous dictionary Mukhtar al-Sahah, explained the essential rulings of dress in his beautiful work Tuhfat al-Muluk:

Clothing has three levels:
1. Obligatory. This is covering one’s nakedness, and warding off the harms of heat and cold…
2. Recommended. This is wearing beautiful clothing, in order to look good and adorn oneself, displaying the blessings of Allah.
3. Prohibited. This is dressing out of haughtiness and arrogance.

Allah alone gives success.