The Only Thing Constant In The World...Is Change.

Okay, I'm in super India Arie mode (she is SO legit), hence there are a lot of allusions to her lyrics in this post. The question at hand is one that transverses all generations: Will a woman ever be more than what she wears? It seems that we are constantly focused on a woman's outer appearance and fail to recognize deeper, more important aspects of situations. For example, during the earthquakes in Pakistan, I read an article on the front page of a newspaper saying that this tragedy befell on Pakistan because the women were wearing sleeveless clothes. Ummmm okay...what?! Wouldn't you think that there are more important things that deserve to be the focal point during this stage? Anyways, I think that it is very important for us to focus on our inner workings before we start agonizing over our outward showings.

If we try to change ourselves on the inside first, the rest will follow. “Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (al-Qur’an, 13:11) Seriously, I remember at one point in my life I was on a super religious high (alhamdulillah) and as my iman got stronger on the inside, it became apparent on the outside. I began to find pleasure in dressing and acting modestly...and I don't quite have the words to describe what an amazing time that was for me, but basically, Allah (swt) is ready to help us out, we just need to take that first step.

“I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly even better than that. And if he takes one step towards me, I take ten steps towards him. And if he comes walking to Me , I go running towards him. ” (Hadith Qudsi)

This being my first year in college, I'm beginning to realize certain things. First off, this is a LITERAL fresh page; I can be whoever I want to be here without the awkward "what?! that's so unlike you" situation. What an excellent chance to be a better person, a better Muslim. Like what India Arie says in "I Choose:"

my past doesn't dictate who i am.
every day we're making a decision.
on what to do and who to be.
it's constantly changing.

Due to this constant changing, one cannot let labels turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. We cannot get stuck on one thing we've done and let it prescribe the rest of our lives for us.

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death." - Anais Nin

To ensure that we're changing for the better, sometimes it's helpful to tell myself: "Hey, every facet of your life should be all or nothing." So if I'm trying to be Islamic in certain aspects, but not in others...then why bother? That's like studying really hard for a test but then not reading any of the questions when the actual test comes around and just blindly guessing. Of course, we will never be PERFECT - but that's the point right? The struggle? So Allah can be like "Hey man, you tried hard" and i'A grant us His mercy and entrance into Heaven, because I sure know I wouldn't get in only based on my deeds.

So yeah, that was a bit all over the place, but essentially just a reminder to not let other people's perspectives of you (outer appearance) create who you are as a person. Keep striving to better yourself, holla!

"Life isn't about finding yourself, its about creating who you are." - George Bernard Shaw





Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend?

Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?



Peace.

Moving From the "No" to the "Yes"

I don’t know too much about Islam’s stance/definition of what dreaming is, other than it’s the sister of death...but it’s a pretty interesting subject, and i’A I’ll look into it and let you know! One of my friends recommended this movie (“Waking Life”) to me when we were on the subject of “indie movies” and some parts are pretty mind-expanding. However, if you decide to watch it, keep in mind that it is very existentialist and as I do not have a great understanding of existentialism I can't provide what parts are and are not in line with Islamic thought. But, watch with an open-mind. Anyways, the point of me putting this clip up is to comment on what he says from 5:10 to 6:14. It caused me to reflect on what I’ve been doing with my time...and if those are good decisions based on the ambiguity of HOW much time I actually have here on Earth. We should live this life as if we are travellers (i.e. don’t get caught up in materialism/worldly gain because our final destination is Jannah i’A).

I got this from Daily Reminders site (there's a link on my blog roll - check out this blog it's really cool): On the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them both), he relates that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) once held my shoulders and said:

“Live in this world as (if you are) a wayfarer or a stranger.” And Abdullah ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: “If you live till night, then do not wait for the next day (i.e. do not have hopes that you will live to the next day), and if you wake up in the morning do not have hope that you will live till the night. And take (advantage) from your health before your sickness and take advantage of your life before your death (i.e. do every possible obedience in your life before death comes to you for then no deeds can be performed.)” [Bukhari and Tirmidhi]

Back to the clip, let’s focus on this part: “this instant where God is posing a question, ‘do you want to be one with eternity? Do you want to be in Heaven?’ and we’re all saying, ‘no thank you, not just yet.’” and “Time is a constant saying no to God’s invitation...and actually this is the narrative of everyone’s life...the story of moving from the ‘no’ to the ‘yes’...all of life is like ‘no thank you, no thank you’ and ultimately it’s ‘yes I give in, yes i accept, yes I embrace’ and that’s the journey, everyone gets to the ‘yes’ in the end.”

The way I interpreted this was: okay our life is as long as an instant compared to the Hereafter and we have been given all the resources to get into Heaven (i.e. the sunnah of the Prophet pbuh, the Qur’an, the power of reason) - so why, with the answers right in front of us, are we still following the ways of those who have gone astray and earned Allah’s wrath? Take a second to think about your life and all of the “no thank yous” you’ve “said,” where you’ve chosen temporary worldly pleasures over eternal pleasure. Take a second to try to grasp the meaning of “eternal” can you even wrap your brain around living forever?! subhan’Allah. Let’s look at this excerpt from a SunniPath.com answer:

“A person drowned in desires should reflect upon his condition after he has fulfilled and satisfied his desire. He should ask himself: Have I found the pleasure and comfort I am searching for after fulfilling my desire? It is the Wisdom of Allah Ta'aala that whenever a Muslim fulfils a forbidden desire he feels unhappy, distressed, depressed, miserable and ashamed to such an extent that these feelings compel him to repent. Thus a sinner is afflicted with an unending sadness, misery and disgrace. Ibne Mubarak (RA) has said: ‘I have seen sins deadening the heart. It's addiction causes disgrace. The abandoning of sins is life for the hearts. It is best for you to oppose your nafs.’”

And another huuuge point: Imaam Ghazaali Rahmatullah alaihi writes: "The angels and Ambiyaa alaihimus salaam are such that they never commit any sin. Shaytaan is such that he persists in committing sins. Never does he ever feel ashamed nor does he ever think of discarding sin. The human is such that immediately after committing a sin he feels ashamed and makes a firm determination to discard the sin in the future. From this it is understood that not to repent after committing a sin is the work of Shaytaan." We have to keep on struggling, because this life is temporary - we have to start taking those steps towards saying “yes” to Allah’s question before our lives pass us by.

Salaam!

Barack Mubarak?

November 7, 2008
Among Young Muslims, Mixed Emotions on Obama
By PAUL VITELLO

It was easy for them to love the candidate. With the same passion, and for the same reasons that millions of other young people did, they loved Barack Obama’s call to activism, the promise of change, the sheer newness of the guy.

What was hard was feeling they could not show it because they were Muslims.

“I pretty much kept away, because I didn’t want to appear with an Obama button and have people look at me and say: ‘Oh, a Muslim girl supports him. Aha,’ ” said Sule Akoglu, a 17-year-old New York University freshman, who wears a head scarf.

Like just about all the Muslim students who gathered Wednesday night at the university’s Islamic Center on the day after the election, Miss Akoglu described a mixture of delight and frustration at the successful campaign of the nation’s first black president-elect.

He had run a great race, broken so many barriers, done so much right. Yet the persistent rumor that Mr. Obama was a Muslim had led his campaign to do things that the students found hurtful, they said. The campaign had dismissed a Muslim staff member for seemingly flimsy reasons. A campaign worker had shuttled two young Muslim women wearing head scarves out of the line of sight of TV cameras at a rally.

And the candidate known for his way with words had never said the words they waited for.

“In my community, people were saying to me, ‘Who do we support?’ ” said Meherunnisa Jobaida, a journalism student from Queens. “The person who is making the stereotype? Or the person who is not defending us?”

The words defending them were finally spoken instead by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, when he announced his support for Mr. Obama on Oct. 19. Answering a question about the candidate’s faith, Mr. Powell said: “Well, the correct answer is he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?”

The remark struck so profoundly, said the young Muslims at the meeting, that Mr. Obama’s election — in which they thoroughly rejoiced — was like the icing on Mr. Powell’s cake.

Lina Sayed, a Queens native and a recent N.Y.U. graduate now working in finance, said Mr. Powell’s matter-of-fact articulation of an essential American principle lifted a sense of alienation that she had come to accept, and was almost unaware of.

“I forgot about the American dream,” she said. “I forgot that something like this was possible.”

The Islamic Center at N.Y.U. serves about 2,000 students who identify themselves as Muslim, offering activities like skating and bowling, as well as a place for religious instruction, daily prayers and regular meetings like the one on Wednesday night, where students are invited to come and talk.

Though a small sample, the views of the dozen students that night — most of them the American-born children of immigrants from South Asia and the Middle East — generally reflected the results of surveys and recent scholarship.

The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, for example, recently found overwhelming support for Mr. Obama among the country’s estimated 2 million Muslim voters; and scholars like Jen’nan Ghazal Read, a Duke University sociology professor who studies assimilation patterns among Muslims in the United States, has described the sense of resignation many Muslims felt at how the pejorative use of the word “Muslim” went unchallenged during most of the campaign.

“This is a very sober, mature voting population,” Professor Read said in a telephone conference call with reporters yesterday. “They understand the realities.”

Sufia Ashraf, a freshman pre-med student, voiced that sobriety: While disappointed by Mr. Obama’s failure to speak up for Muslims, she was willing to let it go. “I would rather Barack Obama win,” she said. “If he had said something like what Colin Powell said, he might have lost.”

Imam Khalid Latif, the Muslim chaplain who runs the N.Y.U. center, said that throughout the campaign students were “figuring out what it means to be a Muslim in America,” and that seven years after 9/11, young Muslims are still facing tricky questions in their everyday lives. To wear a full beard, or trim it? Skull cap or baseball cap?

Ms. Sayed, the recent graduate, said two of her brothers who worked in the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania, both of them with “very Muslim names,” decided to do their door-to-door canvassing as “Alex” and “John.”

Among the students, many are children of small-business owners who supported Senator John McCain. Many were schoolchildren on 9/11, taken by surprise by the taunting of their classmates, and even more surprised by the police security that became part of their daily school life for a while.

Miss Akoglu, the young woman who did not want to hurt Mr. Obama’s chances by campaigning for him wearing a head scarf, had made the religious commitment to wear a scarf, in fact, just the week before 9/11, when she was in the sixth grade. Though she received more attention by wearing it, and more grief, she has worn it ever since. (After Mr. Powell’s public remark, Miss Akoglu began wearing her Obama pin just to the side of the scarf. “That’s when I put it on,” she said.)

For all the apparent conditions placed on full participation in the political process, the students said, they were more optimistic about the future the day after the election than the day before.

The election proved that the promise of America is real, that the only barrier to participation is one’s own inertia and that “now is the time for us to step up,” said Haseeb Chowdhry, a senior at the university’s Stern School of Business.

“We love this country. This country has an ability to change — that is its strength,” he said.

The consensus among them about Mr. Obama (only one of those present had supported Mr. McCain) was partly generational, partly an identification with anyone saddled with a name like Barack Hussein Obama, and partly a sense of common ground with another child of the world.

“He’s grown up in Indonesia, in Hawaii, in the Midwest,” said Mr. Chowdhry, whose family roots in Pakistan allowed him to grow up in two cultures. “The guy is a cosmopolitan. That’s important for the future. To be able to understand that we are part of the larger world.”

Mr. McCain’s only supporter in the room, Jameel Merali, a junior studying hospitality management, said Mr. Obama’s victory was a wonderful thing, though he still had reservations about his view of economics.

After explaining his understanding of Mr. Obama’s view, and contrasting it with his own — using terms that college students taking economics courses might follow — Mr. Merali concluded that all in all the system of checks and balances would protect the nation against any intemperate economic decisions the next president might consider.

“That’s the beauty of it,” said Mr. Merali, who was born in Tanzania. “The way it was all set up by our founding fathers.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/nyregion/07muslims.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

More Modern Islamic Art

hey guys, two more Islamic graffiti sites (click on the names):

mazzy malik


samir malik

This is just a quick post - I have midterms this week!
Salaam

When Islam Meets Bridget Jones

This is a BBC News article about "Jewel of Medina" by Sherry Jones. Judging from the article, I definitely am not going to be reading this book. However, it's good to be "in the know" about the storyline - here's the article:

A romantic telling of the life of one of the wives of Islam's prophet has caused controversy among some Muslims - and its publication has been indefinitely postponed in the UK amid fears of a violent reaction. But is The Jewel of Medina actually any good? Blogger Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is one of the few people in Britain to have read it.

The Jewel of Medina is a chest-heaving, brassiere-busting book of outrageously tacky historical romantic fiction.

Some parts of the media are suggesting that this book is at the forefront of defending free speech. The author wants it to reach out to solve our global problems of intercultural dialogue. Between them they had me rolling around on the floor laughing.

The book claims to tell the story of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, through her own eyes, from the age of six, through adolescence and into adulthood. But although she lives through one of the most dramatic periods of history, the narrative conveys little of the enormity of the changes of the era, and of which Aisha was a huge part.

Sherry Jones, the author, says she wanted her book to be "at once a love story, a history lesson and a coming-of-age tale".

In order to do so, she fabricates a storyline about a lover, Safwan, whom Aisha runs away with - but then decides to leave and return to Muhammad.

But this invented plot dominates, leaving barely any room for the real history and importance of her story.

Whether you believe her to be fact, fiction or fantasy, and Muslims believe her to be very real, Aisha is of great significance in global history. The one fifth of the world population who are Muslim regards her as the wife of the Prophet Muhammad and a "mother of the believers".

click here to read the full article

and here's another linked post from our sisters of Muslimah Media Watch: http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2008/10/16/theres-something-about-aishah/#comments

Sofia Baig: Daughter of the Sand Album out now!

Remember Sofia Baig, the amazing spoken word artist I mentioned in a past post? Well, she recently came out with her first album! It's titled "Daughter of the Sand"

So, I suggest you visit her site: http://www.sofiabaig.com and listen to her stuff (if you haven't already) aaand if you like what you hear then support this sis and order her cd! Seriously, $15 for some insightful thoughts - which are hard to come around these days - sounds like a good deal to me.

Salaam and happy listening!

Islamic Graffiti Artist: AEROSOLARABIC aka Mohammed Ali

Salaam girls and guys! I hope everyone's Ramadan was amazing and that your Shawwal is going well - hurry up and do your six sunnah fasts if you haven't already! Okay, coolest thing ever - Islamic Graffiti (: legiiit. Mohammed Ali is British, but he's bringing his projects into the US (yaay!) I have two videos for you guys and they pretty much give all the background info so there's not much for me to write. Check em out, let me know what you think.

BBC:


CNN:


there are more videos on his site as well as galleries of his work: http://www.aerosolarabic.com/v2/index.php

ps, anyone have cool islamic art they'd like to have featured on my site?

Peace.

The Nature - Talib feat. JT

[Talib Kweli]
Expect the unexpected
Yo

[Intro & Interlude: Talib Kweli & Timberlake]
It's kind of hard to keep faith in the things that you do
When everybody turns they back on you
It's kind of hard to keep faith in the things that you do
When everybody turns their back...

[Talib Kweli]
Yeah I know a city that's surrounded by a beautiful beach
The economy boosted by the drugs they move in the street
More clearer than the crystal sky, blue as the beast
The people ain't got shoes for they feet, or food to eat
So they hurtin but what's for certain you can get you some heat
And over beef you laid to rest like you was gettin some sleep
Where the little kids get ammunition (word) you can't get no nutrition
Or any type of suitable living condition listen
They shoot you over that paper, its just survivalist human nature
to put you out of your misery like euthanasia (yeah)
Don't let them fool you we ain't different than the youth in Asia
Africa and Europe, it's a small world we truly neighbors
If they the third world then who the first to get to heaven
I know it's hard but who does God choose to go through it worst
Usually it's the prophets, ask a cat what really matters
Nowadays usually it's his pockets

[Chorus: Justin Timberlake (Talib ad libs)]
We gotta get back to what really matters
We gotta search our soul to find out, what we're after
The more I find my voice the more they try to make it harder
Mom and dad don't forget, to warn your sons and daughters
About the-na-ture-of-the-world-to-day, the nature of the world today
The-na-ture-of-the-world-to-day, the nature of the world today

[Talib Kweli]
Word! Don't nobody talk no more they all text message
Drivin and typin, not payin attention, missin they next exit
Dependin on navigation they ever know where they goin
They stayin stuck in one spot they not growin
I'm so over cryin, waitin and hopin playin the blame game
The game changed me into (A Different World) like Dwayne Wayne
I'm gettin high just to maintain (yeah)
Take my music like a drug and drop the needle in the same vein
I get a rush like I'm tweekin off blow
Except it ain't via the nose it's from deep in my soul
The street slang I be speakin in code
Kick in the do's, freakin the flow 'til the speakers explode
We in control, the people know I speak the truth
The power of my roots is thicker than sour sop
And they so strong they bustin out the flower pot
Family tradition is to tell 'em you love 'em
While your family livin from granny in the kitchen the little man in prison

[Justin Timberlake]
I'm just tryin to get back, to what really matters
I'm tryin to search my soul to find out, what I'm after
But the more I find my voice the more they try to make it harder
So mom and dad don't forget to warn your sons and daughters
About the-na-ture-of, the world today, the nature of the world today
The-na-ture-of, the world today, the nature of the world today

How To Prepare For Ramadan

Only a few more days till Ramadan starts! I'm especially excited about it this year because I get to spend at least twenty days of it at home - not worrying about school - since it's starting in late september. and as one of my favorite muslimtees.com shirt states: "Ramadan: time to recharge" check it out (and buy it - because you can never have enough witty shirts, right?) here

I was searching online for Ramadan-esque stuff and came across this amaaazing post from www.suhaibwebb.com. Take some time to read through it and perhaps, i'A, apply it :)

A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha’Allah help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy.

1. Making the Intention

Simple to do and has a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and any other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in ‘Preparing for Ramadan’ time. Instead of making ‘preparing for Ramadan’ something separate from your daily activities, MAKE your daily activities a means of preparation for Ramadan.

For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur’an. Instead of feeling upset and feeling like you have lost a great preparation for Ramadan opportunity, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship… and the list continues.

The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention, insha’Allah.

2. Do these easy-to-reap-reward actions:

1. Asking Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters. “Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing woman, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman.” [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

1. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (r.a) said “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever says subhanAllah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6042; Muslim 2691

1. If a person says “SubhanAllah” (glory be to Allah) 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. Narrated by Muslim 2073

1. Remember Allah when you go shopping : “Whoever enters a market and says:
‘Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’[there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent]Allah will write for him/her a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels.” [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

3. Up your worship

To help condition your heart for this blessed month, intensify your worship before Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent amount is enough. The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam told us:

“The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”

For example, if I always pray 2 rakats of sunnah after ishaa, from this day until Ramadan begins- and even through Ramadan, let me make the intention that I will now pray 2 extra rakats of sunnah after ishaa. And every time I pray these extra 2 rakats, which are more than what I normally pray, let me remember that I am doing these with the intention of asking Allah to help me be prepared to strive and exert my utmost effort during Ramadan.

4. Make a duaa list today

This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next. Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to make special duaas, and then once Eid passes realize that we had completely forgotten about fifty other things we needed to make duaa for. Let us start making our lists now, and add to it as more things come our way. Insha’Allah this should help us remember to make constant duaa in this month where duaa is accepted, and help our hearts pour out to the One Who can make those duaas happen, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

5. Write out your objectives for Ramadan

Praying all of your fard prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading the entire Qur’an? Giving $1 charity a day? Making itikaaf in the masjid? Leaving one serious sin that you’ve been trying to get away from for some time now? Sincerely turning completely back to Allah?

Write out a list, put them somewhere you will see them, and make duaa for your success in fulfilling these objectives.

6. Make a plan!

Look at your objectives, and try to make a plan on how to actualize those objectives in this month.

For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr of praying the sunnah prayers… think that perhaps these sunnahs will be the deeds that will be so heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intense need of them- on yowm al qiyamah. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can’t pray your 2 rakats after dhur right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get a chance.

Thus, your plan might look something like this:

Objective: Pray all of my fard prayers.

Method: Envision myself on the day of judgment seeing the insha’Allah weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah salah immediately after salah. If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises… don’t let myself put it off!

Another example is that of finishing the Qur’an:

Objective: Finishing the entire Qur’an in this month.

Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur’an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1 juz. 1 juz X 30= the entire Qur’an.

——-
So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?

Aim to strive in this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention, or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen

Appreciatin' and Praisin'

A while ago I received a pocket sized book from the mosque called Fortress of the Muslim - Invocations from the Qur'an & Sunnah. I've been looking through it a lot this summer and am amazed at how many different supplications and invocations there are... it's beautiful how Allah SWT has made everything so simple for us - if we only take the time to look. My favorite one so far is What A Muslim Should Say When He Is Praised, and subhan'Allah, while I was looking for the duaas typed up online I ran into Muslimology.org and the blogger has the same book AND scanned the duaas AND made a post on this very subject! So here's a snippet from that post and insh'Allah you will check out their website, too.

How a Muslim should praise another Muslim

If any of you praises a Muslim then let him say:

“I consider (such and such a person), and Allah is his Assessor,






wa laa uzakee ‘alallaahi ahadan

(meaning: and I cannot claim anyone to be pious before Allah) -if you know of this (good character trait in the person) to be such and such (saying what he thinks is praiseworthy in that person).” (Muslim 4/2296)

What a Muslim should say when he is praised








Allaahumma laa tu’aakhidhnee bimaa yaqooloona, waghfir lee maa laa ya’lamoona [waj'alnee khairam-mimmaa yadhunnoon].

Oh Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of [and make me better than they imagine].

(Al-Bukhari, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad no. 761. See Al-Albani, Sahih Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (no. 585). The portion between brackets is from Al-Baihaqi, Shu’ab Al-Iman 4/228, and comes from another account.)

I love the "and make me better than they imagine" part :) maan it's like Allah SWT is giving us some elbow room as we're keeping our egos in check.

Peace

Abaya: The New Black?

Found this article in New Statesman from 2006. I'm glad there are women writing about wearing the abaya, because judging from the way "covering up" is portrayed in the media, the public needs to see different perspectives on it to make their own decisions. The article's informative and witty - my favorite mix :) - read on and let me know what you think.

The new black
Raya al-Khalifa
Observations on covering up

The fashion industry is no longer concerned with being elegant. It just wants to sell everyone the same outfit. It may be my elevated taste in fashion or just the likes of Paris Hilton wearing head-to-toe logos but looking none the less like a joke. After all, anyone can don a theatrical Dior jacket. Just as money doesn't buy happiness, it doesn't secure elegance, either.

This is why I am contemplating wearing the abaya full-time in the west. When in my husband's country of Qatar, I indulge in wearing my beautiful abayas. The long black gowns drape my body as elegantly as anything worn by a 1940s Hollywood starlet. An abaya comes complete with a train that glides as I move across the desert terrain. The sleeves of my gorgeous silk creations are always lightly embellished with crystal designs and lace to add some extra glamour. My headscarves are usually wrapped lightly around my head with extra corners revealing the co-ordinating designs of my dress. I am mysterious, modest and chic, all within the margins of being religiously conscious.

Looking good never felt so right. In Qatar, even when I'm wearing a grubby old pair of jeans, I can simply slip on my abaya to do my errands. Instantly, this desperate housewife feels confident and statuesque. As I stroll through the aisles of the Mega Mart contemplating different cheeses, my abaya drapes me with every move, ensuring my modesty while enforcing my elegance. My steps are hidden and I look as though I am gliding across the marble floors.

This is a far cry from negotiating the local Tesco. Here, I must continuously push back my messy hair, hold my top as I reach for stacked loo roles, and reveal my underwear to ogling men as I bend down for my muesli, inevitably placed on the lowest shelves.

A girl in an abaya doesn't have to be a slave to fashion to look chic. I want to feel glamorous every minute of the day. A big old T-shirt makes me feel more frumpy than comfy. My inner peace is achieved by feeling good while being modest - showing some beauty yet not too much booty. Wearing my abaya helps me in my quest for effortless elegance. How else can a woman look and feel good without attracting annoying attention from gross men? (As if I would waste my time on such losers, anyway.)

But, in any case, I have become tired. Tired of squeezing into "skinny" jeans, tired of holding in my stomach and tired of unwanted advances.

I am ready to look and feel like a statuesque woman of class, not trash. I am ready to drape my frame with the luminous black cloth that perfectly outlines my silhouette. I am ready to express my glamorous side through the beautiful embroidery that delicately frames my face.

The abaya is my answer to the dilemmas of modern fashion. Glamour is achieved, modesty is secured, and self-esteem is upheld. And did I mention how slimming the colour black is?

Building the now for the promise of the Infinite

"Love" by Mos Def

They say the goodness in life belongs to those who believe.
So, I believe.

I start to think, and then I sink
Into the paper, like I was ink.
When I’m writing, I’m trapped in between the line.
I escape when I finish the rhyme.

My pop said he was in love when he made me.
Thought about it for a second, wasn’t hard to see.
I could hear he was sincere, was no game of promotion,
The entire affair was probably charged wit emotion.
When love call your heart, I guess you got to pursue.
12-11-73 my life is testament:
Praise the Beneficent, Element-at-Rest,
The Void in the form that make love manifest.

I spent my early years in Roosevelt Projects,
It was a bright valley wit some dark prospects.
In ‘83, Venny C was the host wit the most:
I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close.
I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close.
This is far before the days of high glamour and pose!
Aiyyo, power from the street light made the place dark!
I know a few understand what I’m talkin’ about,
It was LOVE for the thing that made me wanna stay out,
It was LOVE for the thing that made me stay in the house

Spendin’ time, writin’ rhymes,
Tryin’ to find words that describe the vibe
That’s inside the space
When you close yo’ eyes and screw yo’ face…

Is this the pain of too much tenderness
To make me nod my head in reverence?
Should I visit this place and remember it
To build landmarks here as evidence?
Night time, Spirit shook my temperment
To write rhymes that portray this sentiment:
We live the now for the promise of the Infinite.
We live the now for the promise of the inifinite,
And we believe in the promise.
(Yes, YES, y’all, and we don’t stop) because

I got love, l-o-v-e and I be

Love, l-o-v-e to MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
Love, l-o-v-e I MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
Love, l-o-v-e to MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
The m-o-s-d-e-f-initely

My folks said they was in love when they made me.
I take the love they made me wit to make rhymes and beats
(Can you feel?) The raw deal, it’s all-wheel-driven
Contemplate the essence of beats, rhymes and livin’
Speech in line wit the rhythm, designed wit the rhythm,
Ears and eyes keepin’ good time wit the rhythm.
I shine wit the rhythm, the Black Star Gallactica,
Big number fleetin’, we ancient like the abacus.

After us, I see we proceed to be trees -
Sproutin’ leaves, givin’ breeze to the we who believe.
I MC, which means I Must Cultivate the earth,
Straight back, straight backs, hard beats and hard work.
I be the funky drummer to soften the hard earth.
(Amin) Pray Allah keep my soul and heart clean.
(Amin) Pray the same thing again for all my team.

This go out to Fort Greene and on out to Queens
Uptown to boogie down, yo’ just look around
And shook up the world!, like Ali in 6-3

I’m reachin’ the height that you said cannot be,
I’m bringin’ the light but you said we can’t see.

Saw the new day comin’
(it look just like me!)
Sun burst through the clouds
(my photo ID!)
I bring light to your day and raise yo’ degree,
The Universal Magnetic, you must respect it
From end to beginning,
praise True and Livin’,
Ever-changing, but Sustaining Magnificent!
Building the now for the promise of the infinite
Building the now for the promise of the inifinite.

Entry #1: Eye On The Prize

It's necessary for us to keep this world and the next - meaning we can't just go into a forest and worship all day, because there's no dunya or temptations involved in that. So it's about finding that balance which is probably our hardest job as Muslim-American teens. Good advice that I've gotten is that in everything you do in life, make sure the Hereafter is the biggest part of the equation - if dunya related stuff is bigger and the Hereafter is waay small, then rethink what it is you're doing. As Muslims it's our duty to keep our eyes on the prize... that is Jannat. Keep in mind that everything can be an act of worship if we keep our intentions straight.

"Our Sustainer
Let not our heart deviate now after You have guided us, But grant us blessings and mercy from Your own presence, For You are the granter of bounties without meaure" (3:8)

"O God! I seek Your protection
against knowledge that profits not
and a heart which fears not God
and a mind that is not satisfied
and aprayer thatis not answered." - from Islam The Natural Way...suppplications of the Prophet

"And keep yourself content with those who call on their Sustainer morning and evening, seeking His countenance, and let not your eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this life, nor obey any whose heart we have permitted to neglect Our remembrance, who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds." (18:28)

It Has Potential

I'm in Pakistan for the summer and as the internet connection here is pretty slow it'll be tough to find videos and search for clothes - but I still wanted to post so I had an idea the other night: I'm making an Iman Strengthening book for college to use as a pick-me-up when my iman feels weak and I decided that everytime I add something to the book, I'll add it to my blog as well - that way I'm potentially helping more than just myself :)

here's page 1:

"...a person has the need to keep his imaan (faith and awareness) alive to strengthen it. He must strive to preserve and develop his innate goodness. Quite clearly, it is not enough for you to say "I believe" and expect that your moral sense will remain sharp. It is easy to be forgetful and become engrossed in the business and cares of life. Through neglect or even deliberate disobedience, the moral sense can also become so blunt that the ugliness of vice may seem beautiful and attractive." (p. 66 Islam The Natural Way - AbdulWahid Hamid)

Islamifying "Pocketful of Sunshine"

Recently I was listening to the radio and I heard Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine." From the first listen I loved it! After a few listens I tried to figure out why I liked it so much because I don't generally like love songs - they make me want to fall in love haha and I have way too many things to accomplish before I start thinking about falling in love... So I came up with an interpretation that works for me and inspires me. Most of this is probably influenced by sufi poems I've been reading lately. Thought I'd share it with everyone :

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh.
she has nur in her pocket, her love / connection with Allah swt

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me.
No.
Talking to the dunya and materialism – she’s so deeply engulfed in her love for Allah swt that these other things just don’t get to her

Take me away: A secret place.
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.
Take me away: A higher place.
Pleading with Allah swt in these four lines – asking to get this test of the dunya over and done with already. To take her to Heaven

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh.

Wish that you could, but you ain't gonna own me.
Do anything you can to control me.
Oh, no.
Talking to the dunya and materialism again, she’s too busy seeing Allah’s magnificence and knows what she’s on this world for – so worldly temptations don’t get to her.

There's a place that I go,
But nobody knows.
Where the rivers flow,
And I call it home.
In the Qur’an Heaven is constantly described as being full of gardens with rivers flowing underneath, so here she’s talking about reading the Qur’an where she is taken to a different place imagining what her reward will be (I’A) and she calls it her home because we all return to our Creator.

And there's no more lies.
In the darkness, there's light.
And nobody cries.
There's only butterflies.

The sun is on my side.
Take me for a ride.
I smile up to the sky.
I know I'll be all right.
She gets her strength from Allah swt and when you put your full trust in Him then you know you will be alright (:

Graduation Party Outfit #1

Graduation party season is still going strong and sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to wear to all the parties when your friends are getting off easy by wearing sun dresses, anyways it's not impossible to find something cute and covered - that's what my next few posts are going to be dedicated to - check it ouuut:

The Silk ruffle-front dress, bridget fit wide leg pant, and Chandelier thong sandals are all from Victoria's Secret (there's a huge sale there by the way). The floral metallic scarves are from Forever 21 and the metal beaded bangles are from Urban Outfitters. Click the names of items to get linked back to the sites (if you didn't already know that).

Also congrats to all the graduates!
Salaam

Getting Back On Track

So I know I've been super MIA and I apologize. I got caught up in the whole school's ending forever thing... amongst some other stuff that doesn't need to be mentioned (haha nothing BAD just like minor things that would lead to deterring me off the straight path - which I'm already trying hard to not slip off of). But yeah, when I noticed that I was rushing through prayers and choosing horrible radio rap over my Imam Suhaib Webb cds... I put on my "emergency brakes" & did some self evaluation.

Life is full of little (and big) tests and I was most definitely failing mine - but the beauty of Islam is that we're encouraged to come back to Allah and ask for His forgiveness because He is Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) and Al-Ghafur (The Forgiver and Hider of Faults). As humans we're bound to make mistakes and all the better right? because the blessing's in the struggle. Anyways, alhumdulillah I am back on track and have my priorities set straight once again. :)

Salaam

Palestinian Refugees: 60 Years of Suffering

In 1948, 3/4 of Palestinians were uprooted from their home and their towns and villages were destroyed by Israeli militias. Today more than 6 million children, women, and men are languishing in 59 refugee camps and in exile all over the world.

On the 60th anniversary of the continuing catastrophe that characterizes life for Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Diaspora, The Muslim Public Affairs Council released its "60 Years of Palestinian Suffering Resource Kit". The kit provides vital practical tools to organize public awareness efforts and includes a historical timeline of events, web resources, and a petition to circulate and deliver to members of Congress.

CLICK HERE to download the kit.

Summer Solstice... Bronze Beginnings

So if you click on that ^ it will lead you to this site where you can see each item separately and where it can be purchased from!

I really like the bronze look (and obvi don't try on all of this stuff together - but it's a collection of my favorite bronze make up). Also, the look - with some practice - is subtle! So it won't look like you've piled on a lot of make up / or that you're a walking rainbow. Thus, you look pretty and glowy (if that's a word?) and are still keeping it refined. All of this make up can be found at Sephora if you get curious and want to try some of it on (:

I'm done with testing, yaay for summer!


ps bronze and pink look really cute together if done right!

"Paradise lies underneath the feet of your mother" (Nasa’i)

So today is Mother's Day and it would be fitting to commemorate a very famous mother in Islam - Hajar (ra) the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the mother of Isma'eel (as).

Each year millions of Muslim pilgrims pay homage to Hajar as they perform the Hajj ritual of Sa’i - running or walking between the points of Safa and Marwa. Hajar has become a permanent symbol not only of a mother's love for her offspring but of a true believer's faith in the delivering power of God.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated, 'Prophet Ibrahim brought Isma'eel's mother (his wife, Hajar) and Isma'eel, while she was still nursing him, and then camped with them next to (the area where) the House (the Kaa'bah) was to be built, next to a large tree just above (the area where now exists the well of) Zamzam and which is also above the Masjid (the Holy Masjid in Makkah). At that time, Makkah had neither inhabitants nor a known source of water. He left them there and left with them a bag full of dates and a Siqaa' (a jug usually made of leather) full of water.

When Ibrahim started to depart, Hajar followed him, saying, 'O Ibrahim! Where are you going and leaving us in this valley that does not have any inhabitants or anything else?' She repeated this several times, but he was not paying any attention to her. She then said to him, 'Did Allah command you to do this?' Ibrahim replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Then certainly, He will not abandon us.' She went back, while Ibrahim kept on walking, until he was next to a hill where he could no longer be seen. He then faced the direction of the House and recited the following supplication,

"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivated valley by Your Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may perform prayer, so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks." [Surah Ibrahim 14:37].

Afterwards, Isma'eel's mother nursed nurse him and drank from the water (that Ibrahim left with them). When they ran out of water, she and her son became thirsty. She looked at Isma'eel and saw that he was turning around on the ground (out of thirst). She hated to see him like this, so she left and went up on Mount Safa, the nearest mountain to her, then looked down to the valley, trying to locate any person. She then descended down Mount Safa until she reached the valley, and then raised her sleeve (trying to protect her eyes from the sun). She walked just like an exhausted person would walk until she reached the end of the valley. She then went up on Mount Marwah and stood trying to locate anyone, but she did not see any person. She repeated this sequence seven times.

Ibn Abbas then said, "The Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, 'This is why people walk between them (between Mounts Safa and Marwah, while performing the rituals of Hajj).' When Hajar went up on Mount Marwah (for the fourth time, completing seven trips back and forth between Mounts Safa and Marwah), she heard a voice, and said to herself, 'Shush,' and tried hard to listen. She heard something again, and then said (aloud to whom she thought she heard), 'I heard you! Do you have relief so that you will provide us with assistance?' She then saw an angel digging up the ground with his wing where Zamzam exists today, and water then started to flow. She then started to contain the water with her hand (trying to make a pool of mud to collect the water in it), and she was also cupping her hands to fell her Siqaa' (water jug), yet the water was flowing as fast as she was filling."

Ibn Abbas then said,

"The Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, 'May Allah bestow His Mercy upon Isma'eel's mother! If she had left Zamzam - or if she had not cupped her hand - Zamzam would have been a flowing spring.' Ibn Abbas then said, 'So she drank and nursed her son. The angel then said to her, 'Do not fear abandonment, for a House for Allah (the Kaa'bah) will be built in this area by this boy and his father, and most certainly, Allah does not abandon His people." [Al-Bukhari].

Prophet Ibrahim's sincerity with Allah was evident in his leaving his wife and son in an uninhabited area, just as Allah commanded him. Also, his wife's sincerity with Allah was evident by her attesting with certainty that Allah will not abandon her and her son, since it was Allah Who commanded Ibrahim to leave them in Makkah.

Did Allah abandon them? No, indeed. Prophet Ibrahim and his wife had a type of sincerity that brings strong emotions to all those believers who hear their story. Because of sincerity, Allah made Zamzam flow with water, not only for Isma'eel and his mother, but also for the billions of Muslims throughout the ages, all drinking from it while visiting the House of Allah.

Taken from ”The Muslim Creed” February 2005 Vol. 13 No. 2 Publisher: The Daar of Islamic Heritage

Hajar (ra) is viewed as the pioneer women who paved the way to the institution of a new civilization. She is seen not only as Ishmael's mother but also as the mother of all those who later became the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), a descendant of Prophet Isma'eel (as). Her story is amazing and there are very few others in history that can match it.

Salaam and Happy Mother's Day!

Update soon...

sorry about the lack of posting... school's a little crazy. but keep checking back (:

Not Your Erotic, Not Your Exotic - Suheir Hammad

Another powerful Muslim sister! Suheir Hammad is a Palestinian-American poet, activist, and author
she's AMAZING.
I love her casual-yet-oh-so-powerful style.



"Exotic" - Suheir Hammad

Don't wanna be your exotic
Like some delicate fragile colorful
bird imprisoned caged in a
land foregin to the stretch of her wings

Don't wanna be your exotic
women everywhere look just
like me some taller darker
nicer than me but like me
Just the same women everywhere
carry my nose on their faces
my name on their spirits

Don't seduce yourself with my
otherness
the beat of my lashes
against each other ain't some
dark desert beat it's just
a blink get over it

Don't build around me
your fetish fantasy your
lustful profanity to
cage me in clip my wings

Don't wanna be your exotic
your loving of my beauty ain't
more than funky fornication
plain pink perversion in
fact nasty necrophilia
because my beauty is dead
to you
I am dead to you

Not your harem girl
geisha doll banana picker
pom pom girl poom poom short
coffee maker town whore
belly dancer private dancer
la malinche venus hottentot
laundry girl your immaculate
vessel emasculating princess
don't wanna be
not your erotic not your exotic


My favorite line is "it's just a blink - get over it" huzzah! She's discussing the sexual exploitation of women of color. The concept of "orientalism" is very strong in this poem too, and if you don't know what that is, then I suggest you do some reading. I could attempt to explain on here, but it's quite lengthy and I, myself don't have a strong grasp on it. It's along the lines of how the West views everyone from the East as "the other" or "them" as inferiors... this is where being "exotic" and all that steps in. Definitely is a heavy subject - but as Muslim-Americans, we are going to come across orientalist comments many times in our lifetimes, so it's best to be knowledgeable about it!

Salaam

Chill, It's Spring Outfit

Finally, a new outfit!The top is from H&M, the tote, sandals, and scarf (howw cute is that scarf?!) are from Urban Outfitters, the new seventies jeans are from Victorias Secret, and the bracelets are from Forever21. I feel like this is a very earthy outfit. Speaking of earth, I planted flowers a few weeks ago and they started budding - but today when I checked on them, one whole pot of flowers was completely dead :( I think it was the drastic weather change that did it...

On a happier note, I received mail today! And not just any mail - this was lonnnng awaited mail. It is an 8-cd pack of lectures by Imam Suhaib Webb called Purification of the Soul. I've heard many good things about it so I am quite excited about the drive to school tomorrow because I'll start then. What a good way to begin my day! I'll report back when I finish i'A.

Food For Thought

As I was blog surfing today (yeah I'm being open about that lol, we all do it! & it's better than like myspace surfing..) Anyways, I came across this beautiful piece by mariya (<-- that's a link to her site) titled "Our Pathetic State"

Cute Hijabs, matching tight pants, perfectly manicured hands drumming restlessly to the beat of the latest Nasheed pop;

Nice rides, sipping café lattes, halaqas embraced in the depths of cozy rooms, speaking of distant dreams and privileged existences.
Do we know the real struggle?
ISNA club, throngs of fans milling air conditioned convention halls, pop star speakers glimmer in the spot light, beckoning distant hearts to spirituality and deeper lives; chastising in that “oh so mesmerizing voice”; as the crowd yells a deep bass “Takbir” followed by shrills of “Allahu Akbar”…
Do we really comprehend the Greatness of our Creator?
Trekking the globe in search of meaning, disenchanted existences within treasure filled homes, dreams of substance blocked by trivial minds; apathy radiates in different colors; squeezing potential out of our beings like deep soaked sponges inflated by muddy waters;
Can meaning seep into a suffocated heart?
Following zigzag paths of nothingness; in search of “Deen” or “the other half of my Deen” whatever comes first. So we step in style, mouthfuls of “Subhana Allah”; gleeful “Mashaallah”; echoing from empty hearts frenzied by empty lives.
Scratching the surface of submission; echoing lines from distant lives; dreams of greatness shelved away; as we pander our “Proud to Be Muslim” shirts; cheap prices for cheaper wares.
Pardon my jaded writing…perhaps I forgot the subtle depths of this struggle; as I begin to still the meaningless symbols clanging in my heart;
Please remind me:
Do rays of the Divine
ever
illuminate
these
darkened
c o r n e r s ?

just some food for thought. I did some introspection after reading this... and I've noticed it's part of human nature to try to relate everything we read/hear to ourselves... especially as this piece is eloquently written. It pushes the reader to find a deeper connection with their soul. For sure, I am guilty of some of the things mentioned above, but at the same time everyone finds peace of mind by different means. I feel most connected (body, mind, and soul) during and after a good run while someone else might find that situation to be the least fitting for them. On the subject of pop Nasheeds - I just got Native Deen's "Not Afraid To Stand Alone" album in the mail recently, and I find their lyrics to be extremely influential... there are so many decisions I've changed from wrong to right, just by having their lyrics in mind. It works for some, doesn't for others. But essentially, her words touched me, and it's soo important to reflect upon how we're living our lives - and if we see things we don't like, then insh'Allah we will take the steps to change those aspects. I think the most pertinent thing is to always be aware of what we are doing and what we are allowing ourselves to be around. In a speech I heard once, the speaker said some profound things, the line that has embedded itself into my head is "our hearts are like sponges and we absorb everything that is in our environments... eventually when the sponge is full it's squeezed and everything we've exposed ourselves to is let out from our tongue." So check yo self!

Salaam

I Haven't Seen This Much Love in a Room Since Narcissus Discovered Himself

The title is a quote from disney's Hercules (1. because it's hillarious, 2. because it's semi-pertinent to what this post is about).

How many times a day do you look at your reflection in the mirror? Many, and yeah sometimes it is more out of habit than narcissism, but we still do it a lot. So what's a good way to get more out of looking in the mirror than just the usual "you are so full of yourself" comment? Reciting this dua:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ حَسَّنْتَ خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي

Allahuma anta hassan’ta khalqee, fa hassin li khulaqee

"O Allah, just as You have made my external features beautiful, make my character beautiful as well". (An-Nisai)

Ultimately, it is your behavior and not your external features that's valued more by Allah and by mankind right? If you're personality/behavior/character is awesome then your family, coworkers, and basically everyone will like you more, and you will like yourself more. There are no negatives about it, so yallah - memorize this tiny dua!

Salaam

How Muslims Are Treated in America - ABC Primetime

Kudos to everyone who sticks up for her! Of course this is not how all Muslims are treated in America so one cannot watch this and make rigid assumptions - nothing is in black and white - there are always shades of gray. The guy who gave the cashier a thumbs-up disgusted me, but it saddened me even more to see how many customers did not speak and were merely observers... :(

I would like to especially send out much love to the two girls who stood up for her - they are part of our coming generation, and it would be awesome if we all learned to speak our minds and to be assertive like they were! i'A.

Salaam

City Sisters: Hijab Trials

Remember Sukina Douglas, the wonderful muslimah from Poetic Pilgrimage? I found out that she is a presenter on a show called City Sisters on the Islam Channel. On this show there is a segment called Hijab Trials (however, Sukina's not in this one) where they show you how to wrap hijab in different styles.

The two presenters of Hijab Trials are Hadiya Masieh and Habiba Ali - click here for their bios.
I think it's quite a good segment, check it out.

Wham! Bam! Islam! - The 99

Recently, I came across this comic book called “The 99.” I don't read comic books too much anymore other than like the occasional Archie. I did read “Persepolis” which is a graphic novel and loved it. I went on and researched what “The 99” is about and here are some explanations the author, Naif Al-Mutawa, gave about his comic:

"In 1258, the Mongols invaded Baghdad and all the books in the library got thrown into the Tigris River, which changed color. Which color it changed to is a matter of debate," says Al-Mutawa, "but every kid in the Muslim world knows this date."

“In the comic book version, the library curators gather the books before the Mongol invaders have a chance to get them then transfer all the accumulated history and knowledge of the library onto 99 mystical gemstones. These gems are then scattered all over the world.”

“The comic's title refers to the 99 attributes of God (or Allah, in Arabic), including ‘generosity, strength, wisdom, foresight, mercy, and dozens of others that are not used to describe Islam in the media today.’”

“The comic seeks to act as a metaphor for what's happening in the Islamic world”

"The appeal of 'The 99' is that it is based on global attributes that are present in all cultures and makes a point of emphasizing that which humanity shares in common, not what separates us," he says. "The books are based on Islamic values, which are global and universal. No one religion has a monopoly on them."

too add to that... an intense trailer:


and a news report on it for some more depth:


There's a free copy of the comic on the site [the99.org] it’s pretty cool - drawn like an old school Marvel comic and what not. I don’t believe that Naif Al-Mutawa is by any means trying to embody the characteristics of Allah into these characters. In fact it’s not even a religious comic book – it’s just your basic superhero comic. The plus is that we're being exposed to more Islamic culture/history than we would from like Superman... awesome awesome.

Malindi the Giraffe - Universal and Unique Expressions of Cultures on Curricula

First off, you will probably be seeing a lot of giraffe print this spring, secondly read below to see why I chose to do a giraffe print outfit (aside from the fact that I love it).
The top is by Michael Korrs, bronze bag is by Steve Madden, Rebecca ring, and gorgeous wedges a la Via Spiga all from Nordstrom, pants from Abercrombie & Fitch. The tan scarves are from Rebirth of Chic and the brown pashmina is from Star Scarves - you can choose from either! Ooh and another idea: brown turtleneck with a wrap hijab, chiicc.

I came across this story called "Malindi's Journey" it was part of the Fulbright Association Annual Conference in Marrakech, Morocco - Program of the International Education Task Force: “The Universal and Unique Expressions of Cultures on Curricula"
Teachers in Boston added it into their curriculum as piece of the whole. Click here for a link to the pdf. I think it's a cool concept and I'm glad we're trying to expand the horizons of the young generation.

these are the highlights:
Malindi’s Journey and the curriculum provides opportunities for students to learn that Africans, Asians, and Muslims have a history that has indeed been interconnected for centuries. Students learn about the thriving trade routes of the Indian Ocean in the centuries before and after the spread of Islam. In learning about the experience of African, Arab, and Chinese travelers and traders from long ago, students learn how to step into the shoes of others and develop deeper understanding of African, Chinese, and Islamic history

Malindi is a giraffe, why a giraffe?
In 1414 the giraffe was presented to the Yong Le Emperor in Beijing with ambassadors from Malindi -- the giraffe is still used today by the Chinese as a symbol of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa


**** edit
In response to Alixianna's comment, I thought this would be relevant:

Donate to Doctors Without Borders to help them aid the people of Kenya during this unfortunate time. May Allah reward you for your efforts insh'Allah.

Here is a link to their site - and a specific article if you don't know whats up: click here.

Young Women Follow Islam's Ancient Tenets on Modesty -- but With a Modern Twist

So this is kind of an old article, but oh how fitting it is... I found this article linked on another blog - Scarf Ace: http://scarfacewearingaheadscarfinamerica.blogspot.com/

Balancing Religious Sensitivity, Fashion Sense
Young Women Follow Islam's Ancient Tenets on Modesty -- but With a Modern Twist

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 29, 2005; B01

"Isn't this so cute?" cooed Hiba Khan, admiring a loose-knit vest glimmering with a sequined brown collar at Tysons Corner Center's LVL X clothing store. Sexy, the 21-year-old Fairfax City resident admitted, but that's easily remedied with a long-sleeve top and a properly fastened head scarf.

In the hip young Muslim crowd, modesty is always in.

"I usually try not to buy anything too flashy or too revealing, but yeah, I want to look nice," she said while at the mall one recent afternoon for a little back-to-school shopping.

With summer coming to a close and classes about to start, she and a half-dozen other college students were in search of "sister-friendly" clothes -- attire that conforms to Islamic dictates but appeals to a contemporary sense of style and beauty.

But sticking to Islamic standards of modesty isn't always easy, and it doesn't always come naturally to girls raised in the United States, where MTV and Hollywood are more likely than religious texts to set fashion standards. Choosing to follow Islam's clothing guidelines is often the result of a deep desire for cultural identity or religious soul-searching -- especially for young women such as Khan, who as a teenager decided on her own to adopt the clothing standards of her religion.

That doesn't mean she and other young Muslim women want to put aside a desire to be pretty.

"We want to look beautiful, but we don't have that pressure to be sexy," said Khan's friend Khadija Amjad, 21, of Centreville, dressed in a sleek black-and-purple ensemble that stretched to her ankles. The outfit was topped by a pink-and-purple hijab , or head scarf.

Estimates of the number of Muslims in the United States vary from 3 million to 7 million. About 150,000 live in the Baltimore-Washington area, according to the American Religion Data Archive.

Muslims, men and women, are required by their holy book, the Koran, to be modest in their attire, Islamic scholars said. How the guidelines are interpreted varies by geography and family tradition, from simply avoiding form-fitting or revealing clothes to covering oneself with a head-to-toe burqa .

"The whole thing goes back to the presence of God," said Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University. "You need to be in a state of decorum. You must ask yourself: How would God like to see me?"

Rika Prodhan, 22, a recent graduate of George Washington University, never worried too much about her form-fitting outfits and cascading hair when she was growing up in Houston. But as she matured into an observant young Muslim woman, a nagging voice in the back of her head grew louder. She recalls it telling her that the Koran was unambiguous -- the body, including the hair, should be well covered.

While in college, she gradually adjusted her wardrobe to better reflect her religious convictions, eventually purging it of clothes that revealed her ankles or wrists. Finally, after much introspection, she began wearing the hijab, a big step that she knew would forever change the way she was perceived in public.

"I tried to find every reason not to wear it," she said. "But I came to the conclusion it was like listening to your parents. We may not know the wisdom behind it now, but we'll realize it later."

Her parents, she said, actually were troubled by the decision, fearful that she was becoming "too Muslim" and isolating herself from mainstream society.

Today, though, they respect her decision and are glad she wears the hijab, which she said she sees as a sacrifice for God.

These days the hijab has become a flashpoint of controversy over women's rights, religious extremism and terrorism -- a symbol in some eyes of more radical Islam. The French government banned the hijab in schools. But for Khan, Amjad and Prodhan, it's an expression of cultural and religious identity as well as a fashion accessory to be matched with a stylish handbag or jacket.

Modest doesn't have to mean ugly, said Sarah Ansari, co-owner of Artizara.com, a San Diego-based company that sells modest clothing with a modern flare.

Her site features wide-leg pants, tops that go up to the neck and down past the buttocks, and tailored jackets that cinch in a bit -- but not too much -- at the waist. Her best-selling item, she said, is a flowing tie-dye skirt festooned with sequins, a staple offering at any youth-oriented mall clothing store.

"I don't think there's anything in Islam that precludes women from looking attractive or professional," she said. "No one says you have to look like a bag lady. Actually, the Prophet [Muhammad] was known for wearing perfume, being clean and very well dressed."

One Web site, http://www.thehijabshop.com/ , offers a line of stretchable cotton athletic hijabs that are slipped over the head or fastened with Velcro rather than wrapped. Another, http://www.hasema.com/shopen , sells full-body swimsuits for women.

And dozens of sites selling trendy, modest clothes have cropped up in recent years, not only for a Muslim clientele but for orthodox Jews and conservative Christians as well.

Ansari, who is Muslim, said her customers range in age from 13 to 65 and come from a variety of backgrounds.

For Amjad, Khan, Prodhan and their friends, mainstream stores such Banana Republic and H&M offer enough choices. The latter, a Swedish retailer, is especially popular because its up-to-the-minute European styles tend to cover more of the body than standard American offerings, they said.

During their shopping trip, the young women pointed out their favorite styles of the day: peasant skirts, billowy gaucho pants that fall to the ankles and tunic-style tops that end far below the waist. They tend to buy jeans a size bigger than their actual size, fix ankle-baring skirts with a chic pair of boots and pair sleeveless tops with concealing blazers.

They will, however, occasionally buy an outfit that doesn't follow the rules, saving it for "sisters-only" -- or women-only -- events such as like sleepovers or bridal parties.

The hijab adds another accessory to the mix, they said, and has the bonus of covering up a bad hair day, Khan joked.

In all seriousness, she said, the hijab is a garment for the body and the soul.

"It lifts you up as a person," she said. "You're seen more as a person than that girl with her hair flowing around."

© 2005 The Washington Post Company

Orange Crush - Outfit

Mm orange! Haha I'm actually getting sick... and when I get sick I try to get as much vitamin C as possible i.e. oranges! So I decided that an orange-y outfit was in order. The Champaigne Sherbert Coat (how much are you loving that pattern? It's supposed to be inspired from Greek letters), L.A.M.B. tote, and bracelets are from Nordstrom. Marisa Fit Trouser Jeans a la Victoria's Secret (check them out they have some cute wide leg pants), and the sandals are from Urban Outfitters. I loove the shayla, it's from Al Muhajaba El Aniqa and I personally like mixing patterns but of course, it's just a suggestion.

salaam

Awesome Muslimah Rap Goup - Poetic Pilgrimage

I came across a Muslimah rap group called Poetic Pilgrimage today, and wow they're powerful. plus they have cute English accents. Their lyrics are inspirational - and we could always do with more of those! I'll leave the deeets to the article below:

Sukina Douglas and Muneera Williams are Muslim artists with an edge. Long-time friends from England, the two have worked together for five years uniting Hip Hop and poetry. Their art has led to the creation of the group Poetic Pilgrimage. It allows them to speak out honestly and passionately about life: life as Muslims, life as black women, life in general. Their intention is to represent the under-represented. “I think hip hop in general has a negative light,” says Sukina. “We stick to the fact that hip hop didn’t start like that - it’s about providing a voice for the voiceless. It’s representing injustice. There’s a common term that hip hop is black people’s CNN. That’s how we see it.”

Since the inception of Poetic Pilgrimage, Sukina and Muneera have seen many changes in their lives, and their work has been a constant reflection of this. One of the most significant was their conversion to Islam in 2005. “Although we embraced Islam, we had many preconceptions about Islam and performing as women,” says Muneera, explaining they were not sure if they’d ever rap again. “We wanted to make sure we were doing it (rapping) for the right reasons.” Through the encouragement of other Muslim artists, they decided to continue their journey as hip hop artists, incorporating Allah into their work.

Their decision to continue rapping as Muslim women was empowering for many, however some older generations were not as accepting. “It’s like these two girls come in and are mixing Hijab with hip hop” says Sukina. “Islam and hip hop – does it work?” Although frustrating at times, Muneera says she’s learned to handle the criticism. “I used to get fired up about it, but now I just try to put it aside. I just think it’s frustrating because the people we’re trying to represent are shutting us down. It can be disheartening.”

Despite some controversy, Muneera and Sukina say the majority of their work is well-received, and not just by the Muslim community. They once got an email from a gay Christian man, explaining how their work has inspired him. “We were like ‘what’? That’s not really who we have in mind when we’re writing our rhymes, but I think when you put something out and you create it, it doesn’t belong to you anymore. It belongs to the world.”

As for the future of Poetic Pilgrimage, the women say they’ll continue fine-tuning their craft to represent people of all backgrounds who don’t have a voice. “Art has the ability to transcend any barriers: culture, religion, it doesn’t matter what the differences are. Art is art, music is music. If you like it, you like it, if you don’t you don’t" (from pearlsoftheworld.ca)

Here's a preview (this one's not on their myspace) :



check out more of their stuff on their myspace
and if you like it, support them by buying their upcoming EP Freedom Times
and tell your friends, of course!

salaam

If I Adore You

If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore you for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.

- Rabia al-Basri (8th century, sufi poet)

omg, I was moved to tears after reading this. How beautiful - and seriously, if we get our head out of the clouds (stop obsessing over little things especially) and focus solely on Allah swt I don't think we'd ever want to stop basking in his amazingness. So, I wrote a long letter to Him about how I'm going to clean up my act insh'Allah (for me, writing things out is the most effective outlet for emotion and so is talking to Allah, so I figured why not do both? double whammy).

new resolution: wake up 15 minutes earlier so I can read some Qur'an - and a plus will be the noticable noor on my face (i'A) and consequently I will no longer have to resort to my illuminating tinted moisturizer or "noor in a bottle" as I call it.

That last bit was meant to be funny.

salaam.

A Pinch of Green Outfit

It's finally sunny again! yaay, in celebration, here is an "I'm so glad it's almost spring" outfit or a St. Patricks day one haha (note the word play "pinch" of green). The trapeze top is from Gap, jeans: True Religion Candice Wide leg, adorable granny satchel purse and bangles from Urban Outfitters, peep toe wedges from H&M and both scarves are from H&M as well. I decided that both of the scarves looked really good in their own way, so you can decide!

Spanish Serenity - Outfit

Here's a good transition outfit since the weather's starting to get a bit warmer - hence the sandals and white pants! The gold necklace reminds me of a Spanish gate and it complements the gold in the scarf nicely, no? (yes, I am totally going to flatter myself until I start getting more comments haha). The top is from Forever 21, bag, sandals, and necklace are from Urban Outfitters, pants a la Abercrombie & Fitch, and the scarf is from H&M. enjoy!

peace

Feeling Grounded, Humbled, and One with Everything

I woke up early (for a Saturday) this morning and decided to go for a run because I was done with bio notes and there was nothing for me to be rushing to do. It was pretty barren outside and foggy and fresh. Haha I'm not sure why that was necessary to explain, anyways, I decided to listen to a few songs my sister sent me rather than the usual get-the-legs-kicking-hip-hop and boy, everything just clicked perfectly! First, some background info:

1) I didn’t run on my cross-country team this year so I don’t have the same stamina :-/
2) as expected, I could not handle the feeling of having no stamina so I’ve been running and biking a lot lately
3) I have a running route that’s about 2.5 miles, and lately... I'm cramped up before I finish.

Back to today’s beautifulness:

4) I heard “I Like Giants” by Kimya Dawson
5) I loved it – so I put it on repeat
6) I ran the 2.5 miles without a problem (no out of breath no cramps, finally I’m back in shape)
7) if anything I felt powerful when I finished

Then, I found a spot of grass on this little hill by my house and I sat there and closed my eyes. And it all felt very cool as I noticed droplets forming on the tips of my eyelashes from the fog. I wasn’t hot nor was I cold, infact I don’t even know what temperature I was. I just listened to I Like Giants and looked at the sky and the dewy grass and the trees and the little bugs on the flowers. For awhile it was as if the lyrics embodied everything I was feeling: “grounded, humbled, and one with everything” and mix that with the endorphins from my run. Maan. I haven’t felt that particular way ever – no thoughts what so ever about anything other than the moment I was in then and there. For the rest of my day everyone I saw told me that my face was glowing…mm the benefits of meditation.

So thank you Kimya Dawson for being awesome and eloquent and witty.

Here are the lyrics to her song:

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky
And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny
In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene
In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been
So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky
Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

When I saw Geneviève I really liked it when she said
What she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff
She said 'I like giants
Especially girl giants
Cause all girls feel too big sometimes
Regardless of their size'

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road and run and jump into the ocean in my clothes
I'm smaller than a poppyseed inside a great big bowl
And the ocean is a giant that can swallow me whole

So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul
But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado
So I flip to my back and I float and I sing
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

So I talked to Geneviève and almost cried when she said
That the giant on the cliff wished that she was dead
And the lemmings on the cliff wished that they were dead
So the giant told the lemmings why they ought to live instead

When she thought up all those reasons that they ought to live instead
It made her reconsider all the sad thoughts in her head
So thank you Geneviève, cause you take what is in your head
And you make things that are so beautiful and share them with your friends

We all become important when we realize our goal
Should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole
And yeah, rock and roll is fun, but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
And I don't wanna make her cry
Cause I like giants

the serenity and awe that she feels as she ruminates about the “giants” a.k.a Allah’s creations is a universal sentiment.



On that note, I came across an article on SunniPath.com about the sunnats of reflection:

The ways of reflection are many. One, which is the most noble of them, is to reflect on the wonders of God's dazzling creation, the inward and outward signs of His Ability, and the signs He has scattered abroad in the Realm of the earth and the heavens. This kind of reflection increases your knowledge of the Essence, Attributes, and Names of God. He has encouraged it by saying: Say: Look at what is in the heavens and the earth! (10:101)

Reflect on the wondrous creations He has made, and on yourself. He has said: In the earth are signs for those who have certainty, and in yourselves; can you not see? (51:20-21)

I recommend that you read the whole article (<-- click that)

(: salaam