Steadily Emerging With Grace

2012-01-20T18:46:00.000+11:00

If anyone has any duas to spare... I won't knock any back lol! My husband and I are trying to move to another city and it is harder than I thought! I was 90% done and almost had an apartment but then was called this morning and told that someone else had signed the lease, how that happened I have no idea! It was on the best street as well, perfect for transport and now I can't get past the idea of the place. I've been hoping that they'll call me and say the other person knocked it back but it's already been taken off the internet aww :(

Allahu ahlem!! I hope that we find a place - I am really excited to have a permanent place as we went from sharing in the family home, to my husband and I having a place for 3 months and now... trying to get something for longer! Insha'Allah.

Ahiida Burqini review

2012-01-08T20:21:00.000+11:00

I recently bought a "burqini", or a swimsuit that is designed to cover all of the body including the hair. I bought it from Ahiida and received it two days ago so here is a little review!

Product: "Burqini" in a Modest Fit

From: Ahiida - www.ahiida.com

Price: $126.00

Pros

It's very comfortable, the material is 100% Polyester so it's very light to wear! My favourite part of the swimsuit is the ties that are located at mid-calf length - they tie onto the separate shirt which means the shirt doesn't lift up when you're swimming. There are also ties at your feet which means that the pants don't flap around at the end when they're wet. I also love the colour, the photo above makes it look almost black but mine is a dark blue. Here is a pic of the ties on the shirt:

And at the feet...

Another thing that I love is the fit of the top. There are a few cons which I'll address but on the whole, it just drops down from the chest so it doesn't cling to your body. However, you would need to get a Modest Fit as I did, a slim-fit suit would cling a bit more I think. I also found that while swimming, I could simply tug on the bottom of the suit and it would become baggy again which was great when getting out of the water! You can see here that it just goes straight down, the only bump there is the ties sticking out after doing them up.

The instructions included were also great, it was a really professional bundle! I would be disappointed if it wasn't though tbh.

Cons

I obviously don't have the photos of the cons, but my main thing is that the chest area doesn't really give much to women that have regular or larger busts. But I think this is due to the design of the shirt - the hijab itself is attached, meaning that it just falls straight from the neck to below the knee (on me, anyway). It felt really weird to walk around with it at a deserted beach at first - no one was there but I didn't feel adequately covered at the chest area so wore a pashmina over it. That's the biggest con for me and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I am the type of person to wear jeans and a knee length jacket w/ hijab so it was a bit different at first.

The cap itself also took a bit of getting used to, in the beginning I felt like I wasn't wearing a hijab because of how light it is lol! The design is great though and it was hilarious hearing water slosh around in it when I was swimming in really strong waves.

I also think that the sleeves are a bit tight. I would've preferred the design of the shirt to be baggy at the shoulders, to imitate the look of having a big shirt & smaller undershirt because that would just let everything fall a bit better.

The thigh areas were also a bit too tight/revealing BUT this doesn't actually matter because the top is below the knee for a Modest fit on my frame, 163cms. The good thing about that is that it makes sure that the pants don't slip AT ALL :)

Overall

Price: $126 is a fair price for the swimsuit, considering that good swimmers here in Australia (1 piece or 2 pieces) are often $80 and up.

Comfort: 9/10! Great for swimming, only drawback being the ties on the feet need to be adjusted every now and again which is normal.

Coverage: 6/10 - I won't be wearing this at very public beaches, that's for sure, but it does the best it can for quiet areas with non-mahrams not present.

The swimsuit itself is amazing. It's such a great innovation and I'm really happy that it's available. In saying that, I don't plan to wear it in really public places as I'm still not 100% comfortable with the fit at the chest and don't believe a larger size would fix that. I think I will just continue with what I've been doing, which is swimming at very quiet beaches (not recommended if you are in a rough area though, remember the flags Aussies lol) and private pools in gym complexes that are almost deserted during the day. A great fix for someone conscious would be to simply wear a longer Al-Amira over the cap, something that I do want to do but I only have a black one which would look quite funny on my blue suit lol. I would recommend it to others but only as long as they were OK with either wearing an al-amira or the way the fabric falls naturally.

Have you ever worn a "burqini" or similar?

2012-01-07T11:10:00.001+11:00

It made me really sad recently when I read that another blogger's recent post, I used to really respect her but now I am finding it really hard to do so... there are a lot of people who deny what is happening in Bahrain, even Westerners. People who believe that people aren't dying and that the protesters are just tiny groups and don't represent the majority of society.

Bahrain is a tiny, tiny island. I can't stress that enough, you could drive from one side to the other in like 30 minutes before the foreign population boomed and traffic increased. So when you see mass protests from Bahrainis, then you cannot deny that a significant amount of the actual Bahraini people are protesting not only the government itself but also their assistance from "dar al Jazeera", the force that entered from Saudi Arabia and imposed "emergency law" because people were brave enough to walk on the streets and be honest about their feelings and the human rights abuses that were always practiced by the Al khalifas.

And Iran has NOTHING to do with it by the way!!! Don't brand us as being lovers of Iran just because we are Shi'a, Bahrainis are Bahrainis and don't hold the flag up in protests for nothing.

But people are still in denial. That's a fact of life, some can't see anything even if it's right in front of their faces. Here are a few videos and photos of some of the thing that have been happening and I hope that even one person reading this will change their opinion because we cannot accept BABIES dying and young boys being killed with live and rubber bullets for NOTHING but the Al Khalifa's greed!

I challenge anyone who believes the protesters are liars to go first hand and see the conditions in Karrana, Sitra, Sanabis, even the poorer areas of Juffair. Babies are dying because of inhaling tear gas, old men are being beaten up and killed - just last night the head of human rights group in Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab, was beaten up by govt thugs (should I mention they're all mercenaries too????). There is no justice and it is NOT safe in Bahrain for the people who actually care about the future of Bahrain.

And here is evidence that it is still continuing!
These are all within the last 2 months

This was uploaded yesterday, Nabeel Rajab is speaking in the front and just watch what the beautiful and peaceful mercenaries do in the end astaghfirAllah!!!!

Islamic swimwear

2012-01-04T11:17:00.000+11:00

I just ordered this! Will let you know how it goes but for now I am getting so excited to be able to swim again!!! I was a bit hesitant because I've seen photos of these where they get very clingy but I bought this in what they defined as a "modest fit" and also bought a size larger so let's see! Either way, there's not much that a well placed towel can't hide ;)

2012-01-02T22:02:00.002+11:00

I hope that everyone had a lovely new year and inshaAllah we'll all have a good 2012 :)

Ashura

2011-12-06T21:14:00.000+11:00

Please accept my condolences to you all for the anniversary of the death of our Imam Hussain, alayhi salaam, and his companions. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala continue to raise the status of all of the martyrs of Islam, ameen.

Being Muslim in Australia, damned if you do, damned if you don't?

2011-11-16T14:57:00.000+11:00

I think that being a Muslim in Australia is obviously going to have positive and negative things about it, but one thing I have noticed is that there is so much of this damned if you do, damned if you don't attitude.
An example being: there are both Christian and Muslim groups in Sydney that have put up billboards around prominent areas for each faith. Here are the two that I've seen around:

And then this one from the Muslim group, mypeace:

To be honest, I think they're really innovative - I do think it promotes dialogue and discussion, and some people will NOT take something in unless it's right up there in their face (or rather, windscreen?)
The group mypeace have now made a beautiful commercial for TV:

And a Muslim wrote a piece about that recently in a major news site, which basically went more in depth as to the reasons why they decided to take this route to increase awareness about Islam and its true values. However, all through the comments section, you see person after person saying that Aussie Muslims are not doing enough and of course you have this horrible image of us because we don't do anything to discourage bad perceptions and extremism in our communities.

Honestly - paying thousands for huge billboards and TV commercials in primetime slots is not enough? Initiating hundreds of programs of dialogue and discussion for youth and those deemed "at risk" for extremist beliefs is not enough? I think in this case, it is what it is. Islam in Australia is present and does make an impact on society, and to say that the efforts made is not enough... to me that just screams of a person that wouldn't be willing to accept anyone different, let alone a Muslim. So I guess that's just something that I think about sometimes, that unfortunately there are going to be people that will not accept you or your actions, no matter what you do. But that in itself shows the wisdom of Allah subhana wa ta'ala, given that He does say in our Qur'an, there are people whose hearts are sealed.

2011-11-05T18:33:00.000+11:00

Happy Eid for tomorrow, everyone! I hope that one day we will be celebrating it in Mecca, inshaAllah.

Almost!

2011-11-01T16:39:00.000+11:00

In 2 exams time, my degree will be ....... complete! I hope that it will be worth it, but I am already planning some post-grad things now so hopefully everything will go well.

Interesting

2011-10-20T18:39:00.000+11:00

One thing I don't get is how places that have certain minorities that demonstrate for their rights are considered to be supported and encouraged (financially, etc) by Iran? E.G., people that are standing up for their human and civil rights in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia were told in the last few weeks by the government to choose between their allegiance to God and to a 'foreign country', meaning Iran. Does being Shi'a mean that we take orders from Iran? No and I'm not sure why governments believe that is true. A young man calling for the resignation of a certain Saudi politician because of no progress and no rights has nothing to do with Iran. People that died and are dying in Bahrain are not doing so for Iran, they're doing so for their rights as Bahraini citizens.
I can certainly understand, and agree, with the idea that there are certain, formal groups out there that ARE supported by Iran, but whenever there are demonstrations by Shi'a, why on earth is it that it's always assumed that they're being almost provoked by Iran?

Hmm

2011-10-20T17:31:00.000+11:00

Has anyone been on hajj? Or are you going soon? For some reason I've been thinking about it all the time lately and would love to hear others stories on the beauty that is hajj.

2011-10-16T22:32:00.002+11:00

Sorry, my posting sucks! :( I would like to do it more regularly but honestly have not been able to think of something original (or close lol) to say in months lol!

Bear with me inshaAllah.

A bit fed up, really

2011-09-25T23:54:00.000+10:00

To be honest, I'm a bit of a pessimist but seriously... am I the only one that gets tired of all these debates and talks and whatnot about Muslims, when there's never a Muslim involved? Or the laws about women veiling or wearing a headscarf, but there's never a veiled woman present in the discussions? God Forbid we ever ask the actual person how they feel about it and what they believe! I was watching a news story on the niqab ban in France and it was showing a debate going on between Muslims in some sort of community hall to show division - low and behold, there were no veiled sisters present. Everyone has a right to an opinion, but it's disgusting that so many find it acceptable nowadays to just decide what's right for everyone else and not even consider other people!
I'm sick of the hegemony in the international community and within states, and getting pretty sick of the patriarchal societies that we live in that dictate what we as women can and can't wear. It's just another form of control.

Just watch, the next time I see a man walking down the street with skinny jeans on, I'm slapping him with a fine and a citizenship test because that is NOT what Australia is about!

For sale

2011-09-15T22:25:00.000+10:00

1 x traditional, open overhead abaya. This photo has not been edited or made up to really 'show', so to speak, but I accidentally had an extra one made while doing an order previously. We don't sell these on the main site at all so if you'd like a unique abaya, there is only one available. It's a gorgeous lightweight crepe and is completely open, meaning there are NO snaps or ties - nothing at all.

Size: 64, but could be worn by a sister who needs a 66.

Price - $60 + postage, you can send me an email at alfirdousdesigns@gmail.com for further information.

Haha!

2011-09-13T23:33:00.000+10:00

On a different topic, I fell into the sea today! Not even kidding, I was trying to fish from the boardwalk that has massive rocks at its edges and I fell off one of the rocks - I ended up clinging to the rocks, waist deep in freezing ocean water that was around 3 meters deep. It wasn't funny... until my husband bent down to help and ended up falling in too hahah! Gee I'm happy that happened in Australia, imagine the embarrassment if I was waist deep in the Arabian Sea hahahahhaa.

9/11

2011-09-12T23:44:00.000+10:00

I've seen a lot of posts about this and felt I should put my two cents in (or one cent, whatever really) on my blog. This is a day late for Australia but matches in the US so here we go.

I remember exactly where I was when we found out about the events of 9/11, which is weird, given that I was 10 years old and I seriously cannot remember many things from my childhood at all. My mum and I were glued to the TV and I went to school that day telling everyone that the next World War was coming. Which was a bit silly but understandable, given that I hadn't been exposed to the idea of non-state actors before. My husband remembers where he was as well, he heard it from his friends and they all laughed because they couldn't believe it - it was only until they saw it on TV that they realised it was true.

I don't think that remembering 9/11 makes me any less of a Muslim, or any less of a believer in the rights of Muslims. As Muslims, we spend a lot of time reminding people that governments take action, not people (e.g. when discussing dictators, oppressive laws on women, etc) - so why is it hard for us to apply that in this context? We need to remember that this was a tragic event. There is nothing wrong with remembering 9/11, there is also nothing wrong with remembering the millions of citizens around the world that died as a result, there is nothing wrong with remembering tsunami victims, or earthquake victims, or fire victims. We shouldn't use one to cancel out the other. All deaths are tragedies, the scales may be different but don't forget that Allah subhana wa ta'ala says to us in the Qur'an that taking a life is like taking the life of all mankind. We should be remembering the unfortunate every day, whether they be in Iraq, Afghanistan, America, Australia, Japan... do you see a pattern? Don't get caught in the idea that it's us vs. them, it's not and that is not how our beloved and final Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his pure family, instructed us to be.

I guess I'm trying to say that I get the people that don't want to give importance to 9/11 as a reaction to the deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East - I get it, but in the end I just think we need to open our hearts more and accept that every single innocent death is a tragedy, let's not dehumanise things and just focus on numbers. Let's focus on following the steps of our Prophet and try to emulate his love, kindness and acceptance.

2011-09-06T19:24:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone, I hope that this finds you well inshaAllah. Things for us haven't changed that much but we are heading off overseas to see the in laws in a few weeks which should be great alhamdulillah. I am hoping that in the next few months I will have a great announcement (no not babies lol) but we're really crossing our fingers for that.
I'm finishing up with uni this semester and have been offered a Grad position in Advisory (of what I still don't really know lol) which is great, it's in another city though so am still not sure if that's all going ahead. I'm hoping to take my Masters next year though, in what I'm not sure! My new company pays for it if you do a business related degree but I'd love to do a Masters in Teaching... we'll see how it all goes!
Considering this is a bit of a boring update, I thought I'd leave you with this funny tidbit hehe:

2011-08-30T16:24:00.001+10:00

Happy Eid, everyone!

Hijab ideas from the TV

2011-08-24T14:24:00.000+10:00

I really like watching Ahlul Bayt TV - to be honest though, half of the reason I watch it is for the fashion. There's some really inspiring women who present on the show, I've included some of their photos below from various places which beautifully demonstrate all our options in wearing hijab. I chucked in a few piccies from Al Manar news as well - I wish I wore my hijab so well! Inshallah ... :D

Unity

2011-08-08T11:02:00.000+10:00

Here is a great paper by Imam Khomeini on Islamic Unity. We all need to remember that the simplest of things can cause hurt, pain and other emotions in another person. In Ramadhan especially, we should be remembering the beautiful being that unites us: Allah, subhana wa ta'ala.

"Today, world peace is such that all countries are under the political influence of the superpowers; they observe a control everywhere and have schemes for defeating every group. The most important of these is sowing discord among brothers. Muslims should be awake, Muslims should be alert that if a dispute takes place among Sunni and Shi'ite brothers, it is harmful to all of us, it is harmful to all Muslims. Those who want to sow discord are neither Sunni nor Shi'ite, they are agents of the superpowers and work for them.

Those who attempt to cause discord among our Sunni and Shi'ite brothers are people who conspire for the enemies of Islam and want the enemies of Islam to triumph over Muslims. They are the supporters of America and some are supporters of the Soviet Union.

I hope that through considering this Islamic precept - that all Muslims are brothers - all Islamic countries will triumph against the superpowers and succeed in actualizing all Islamic ordinances.

Muslims are brothers and will not be segregated by the pseudo-propaganda sponsored by corrupt elements. The source of this matter - that Shi'ites should be on one side and Sunni on the other - is on the one hand ignorance and on the other hand propaganda of the foreigners.

If Islamic brotherhood comes to the fore among Islamic countries, such will become a great power which none of the global powers will be able to cope with.

Shi'ites and Sunnis brothers should avoid every kind of dispute. Today, discord among us will only benefit those who follow neither Shi'ia nor Hanafi. They neither want this nor that to exist, and know the way to sow dispute between you and us. We must pay attention that we are all Muslims and we all believe in the Qur'an; we all belive in Tawheed and must work to serve the Qur'an and Tawheed."

Ramadan recipes: Apple pie

2011-08-01T18:37:00.001+10:00

Yuuuummm, this really is the easiest desert (dessert?? lol!) you'll ever make.

You'll need:

1 - 2 apples

Brown sugar

Frozen puff pastry

Gishta or normal thickened cream

Cinnamon

Icing sugar

Method:

1. Thaw a sheet of pastry

2. Slice the apples finely

3. Place the apple slices in a bowl and toss with brown sugar until coated. Put some warm water or lemon juice in there so the sugar sticks.

4. Place the applies on the pastry sheet, you can put it in a circular design if you want or just normally like my photo above.

5. Put in a 200 degree C oven for around 15 minutes (just keep checking it) or until golden all around.

6. While that's cooking, get a few spoonfuls of gishta or thickened cream in a bowl and mix with a little bit of honey, brown sugar and cinnamon. Put any extra small cubes of apple from the leftover ones you can't fit on in this cream mix.

7. Once the apple pastry is cooked, let it cool a bit but make sure you keep running a knife or something under it as the sugar makes a bit of liquid on the pan that will stick if it gets cold.

8. Move it onto a plate, cut a few slices and dust with icing sugar. Put the cream mixture around the plate or serve in an second bowl.

Done!

2011-08-01T18:24:00.000+10:00

!رمضان كريم

Judging...

2011-07-30T20:19:00.000+10:00

One thing I just don't get is why some devote a large portion of their time to judging other peoples' dress... We all know what is hijab and what isn't and we all know that people have their own opinion of each part of that. It is not hard to treat other people how you would like to be treated - I wouldn't like to be searching blogs and then find a photo of myself as an example of bad hijab. How humiliating! :(

Ramadan recipes: Broasted Chicken

2011-07-27T14:36:00.001+10:00

I'm not kidding when I say that I loooove KFC - unfortunately there's only 1 halal KFC store in NSW that I know of and I'm not willing to drive the 2 hours to get there when a craving sets in! So, here is my recipe for Broasted Chicken which is an Arab/Indian/Pakistani dish for that yummy deep-fried chicken taste. As with everything deep fried, go easy on it and make it as a special treat.

You'll need:

- Chicken: the amount depends on how many you're serving, but you need different pieces so if it's just you and a few others, 1 chicken would suffice.

- Breadcrumbs

- 2 - 3 eggs

- Some tahini (optional)

- Salt

- A few teaspoons of water

- Crushed garlic - one clove

Garnish:

- Parsley

- Tomatoes - 1 - 2

- Oven baked chips

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and break it down.

2. Mix the eggs, a teaspoon or two of tahini, the water, garlic and some salt together.

2. Dip the chicken into the mix, then dip it into the breadcrumbs. Do it piece by piece.

3. Deep fry the pieces, a few at a time. The oil temperature should be at its hottest when you put the pieces in, but then drop it back down to medium while they're cooking. This means you won't burn the breadcrumb mixture while leaving the chicken uncooked inside. Ideally, it should be a dark golden brown and soft inside.

Presentation:

- Chop the parsley and just dump it on your serving plate.

- Slice each tomato and stack each piece against your parsley.

- Arrange the chicken on top of the parsley.

- Arrange the oven baked chips around the plate. Alternatively if your serving plate is a bit small, just add a second plate for the chips with parsley and some tomatoes in a small mound in the centre with the chips around it.

Ok!

2011-07-27T13:06:00.000+10:00

Assalamu alaykum everyone :):) I've finally got my head around everything that's been going on for the last few months (all positive though!) and I am now going to re-vamp this blog, inshaAllah! It might take a few days, but it will all be fixed up soon.

Help!!

2011-06-22T12:05:00.000+10:00

So I have an interview soon for a really awesome job, it's a graduate one in the 'business' world (eek) and I... don't know what to wear!!

I'm stressing out about this lol. I'm usually an abaya or jilbab kind of girl - how on earth do I turn that into corporate wear? My brother got the same job in another city a while back and told me the dress code is suit and tie for men, and the female equivalent lol for women. I'm stumped.

I was thinking, black pants + black coat in the Turkish style?? Then under that like a silk knee length or calf length tunic, with a basic colour turkish hijab as turkish hijabs to me just seem more... business-y?

Seriously, help a sister out here lol! If you have any good stores that have hijabi friendly business wear, link away! If I go the coat way, then I know where I'm getting that, but tips please :S

2011-06-09T21:24:00.000+10:00

Everything is so fuzzy in my brain right now. In all honesty, I hardly ever post here anymore because I am... feeling very fulfilled!! I'm with my husband (arrrrgh finally), have somewhat of a plan in place, no longer hating my work (at my 1 year mark, I'm now happily tolerating it? lol) and I'm just starting to realise how to relaaaaaaaax.

Corny, but I can hear Packed to the Rafters (youtube it!) on the TV right now and Dave's just doing that line, "all you can really do is live one day at a time". It's true, though. Especially when you consider the Islamic viewpoint, where this life is never going to be as good as we'll get (inshaAllah) later. It makes me feel really happy to imagine this life but x8345348753 better. :D
It doesn't mean everying is amazing, all the issues I've had are still around but I'm learning to recognise what's important and what's not.

Anyway, this is a really regjrjsjfslfhrnewjf post but hopefully you get what I mean!

Size whinge :(

2011-06-07T11:17:00.000+10:00

So a few weeks ago, I got to (finally!) go to Hijab House, which is basically a hijabi store in a proper shopping centre (mall). It's like... a hijabi version of a chain store.
Anyway, I thought I'd write here what I bought and what I thought about them... although I didn't take any pictures? Oops? I got a basic jilbab in a veeery light lilac, plus a regular square purple hijab and a white underscarf with black lace around the forehead area. The first thing is that the prices were aweeeeeeesome. For Aussies, anyway. The jilbab was only about $60 max and they often have sales where they're like $40 but I missed out on those.

The only thing that irked me and that does irk me in general about most of the clothes hijabis can buy, is the sizing. I am a size 10 generally... the jilbab I got was a size 16! And by 16, I mean it was the jilbab I found that seemed to actually cover and not stick to every part of my body :( It is a bit big on me so I think next time I might get a 14, but it was annoying that even in a store that wholly caters to women who wear hijab, the 10 might mean: suitable for a size 10 sister and also has room for no curves to show. I just found it a tad weird that to get coverage (and I don't wear baggy things, so to speak, so I'm not even talking about heaps of extra width in the garment) I had to go to a size 14 - 16, what about sisters that are actually sizes 14 - 16?? Do they have to go up to a size 20? I don't know, but it just seemed weird.

In saying that though, they do provide an awesome service to sisters who want quality jilbabs but don't want to spend the huuuuuge amount that regular street stalls charge - the quality is great too so I will be going back... and getting a few size 14s when I do lol!

Where to go?

2011-06-02T18:14:00.001+10:00

Hey lovely ladies!
Has anyone been to Iran? As in for tourism/pilgrimage/etc? My husband and I were thinking of popping over for ziyarat at the end of this year inshaAllah... we'll see!
Another option is Shanghai, China.
Or Turkey (bit of an expensive one though)... or Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur. But we've been to Indonesia and Malaysia so we want something different, but a country where we can meet up with the in laws 'cause Bahrain is out for us.

I'd love to go to Iran... it is more expensive than we were looking to pay, in terms of flights, but we'll see. Any tips?

<3

Back! And why the bad feelings?

2011-05-31T12:06:00.000+10:00

Ok, I think I've got enough time now to sit down and blog again. Or rather, enough time to relaaaaax! Finally.

Something I've noticed lately is particularly prevalent among Muslim women who are interested in fashion -- there's so much competition!!! For example, ever since my husband and I started our little store, where our aim was to have something on the side that was 100% halal for us both, we've had negative remarks from quite a few people. Not as in feedback from customers, but from other store owners! In my own opinion, the fact that there are a lot of stores out there catering to Muslims is fantastic! We should have more! While I love people ordering from my own store, I would never go and purposefully try to undermine someone else because in the end, we are all providing a service that is halal and therefore beneficial for customers and the owners. SubhanAllah ladies, let's all relax and enjoy healthy competition. It really ruins things when you're trying to do something halal but Muslims who are doing the same won't wish you well.

In other things, Hijabi Fashion Week has started again - I didn't look into it much the first time as I don't show piccies of me online but there are some reeeeally fab looking sisters doing it. E.G. pop onto Hijabi in the City's blog to see some beautiful hijab styles, then there's also more links on the HFW page.

2011-05-23T10:58:00.002+10:00

So my husband is home now :) Hence not really blogging all that much I guess. Life has been pretty crazy for the last few months... the only thing frustrating me now is that I can't go to his country at all. :( Inshallah khair for all of us.

Hi!

2011-05-07T21:14:00.001+10:00

I'm so sorry for not writing in here! Basically, my husband and I got the news that his visa has been approved a few weeks ago, so everything has been really, really crazy! We've booked his flight (one way ticket!) and he'll be here in about a week and a half, alhamdulillah. I can't believe it - maybe that's why I haven't been blogging, because everything feels so surreal.
The whole process made me feel really helpless and frustrated, but as we all know, sometimes bad things happen but, as Allah SWT has said, they are actually good for us!

My shop has been going well, alhamdulillah and my husband is bringing with him some beautiful new abayas... I'm really excited hehe and trying not to steal them all! We are also hoping to move cities, which will be a huge thing for us both... inshallah khair!
I spoke to my grandmother-in law the other day on the phone which was really, really moving... I could hardly say anything except for repeating "Alhamdulillaaaaaah, kafe haleeeeeesh, quayeeeeeees! Tammam, alhamdulillaaaaaaaaah" lol. But her voice reminded me of my mother in law, only more... stronger, more assured? Which almost floored me when I first heard her, as I haven't heard my mother in law's voice in almost six months... Allah... SWT

There's a woman at work who looks exactly like my mother in law. Everything is the same, right down to body shape and height, except this woman doesn't have the Saudi features like my MIL. This woman has just been admitted to hospital, as of last night, and they still don't know what's wrong with her or how to stop the pain she has been feeling... subhanAllah, she is not Muslim but we all know the generosity of Allah SWT so if any of you can spare some du'a... I'm sure that Allah SWT is watching over her and her family but inshaAllah we can all also pray for her.

I hope I will be blogging in a regular way soon :)

2011-05-02T13:48:00.003+10:00

bin Laden is dead?

Huh?

arabian gulf style hijabs

2011-04-22T23:24:00.000+10:00

just some of what is now on the store, www.alfirdousdesigns.com ;)
i promise i will get around to posting soon inshaAllah ;)

cutest 'song'

2011-04-13T01:42:00.000+10:00

not a song, but by Abu Thar al Halawaji, he's a well known nasheed 'singer' - mashaAllah, he's got a great voice. here's a bit of fun with a mix of (surprise!) english & arabic, i'm gathering that it's possibly for a wedding or other celebration.

2011-04-11T21:28:00.000+10:00

Sorry I haven't been posting much! I had a few good excuses though :P
1. My husband got his visa!
2. I've been overseas. I went to Bali for a much needed holiday, as well as an opportunity to source some stuff for the store :)
3. I made over the website! Now this, I'm really happy about. www.alfirdousdesigns.com , check it out :D
4. Yep, I've been busy lol. I got some really beautiful items for the store though, like awesome hijab pins, jewellery and more scarves, here's a few pics :)

2011-04-07T23:47:00.001+10:00

still around, will get to posting soon! :)

Bahrain

2011-03-22T11:48:00.000+11:00

I haven't written much about this, more so because it truly breaks my heart to see what is happening. You all know my relationship with Bahrain and Bahrainis, which is why I haven't really been able to write about it all yet.
So I thought I would share these with you, the first is of the latest victim: a 51 year old female! Ya Allah SWT, deliver us!

60 Minutes - anti-Muslim, as always

2011-03-20T22:25:00.000+11:00

This is the disgusting attitude I saw today on a "moderated" TV show forum about a young Australian ambassador to the UN. There were also usernames like "white power" and comments asking for Muslims to be "nuked" and comparing Muslim women with the KKK.

...And this is what happened when I tried to complain....

So I submitted the complaint to my local parliament member. Bam. Imma get you someday 60 minutes/every other crap TV show other there.

To break the silence

2011-03-15T22:41:00.000+11:00

Sorry about the lack of posts, I'm heading overseas soon and am trying to get all of my uni work done that's due while I'm away.

One thing that popped into my mind tonight - no one here would know this (except if family members are reading?) but I went through a HUGE hippy phase when I was around 16. I think this is why I am always secretly thrilled to almost always wear dresses over pants! :D I am still struggling a bit to mould all of my phases that I went through as a teenager into my dress sense now, because I settled into a bit of an Indie mixed with casual look before and I wish I could continue on with that with hijab but I am stumped! I'll be too old for it soon so I've got to get it all on now hahahha.

Any tips ladies? How did you (or how do you) mould your before hijab style with your hijab style? Or even if you don't wear hijab, use your imagination and tell me how to do it lol! :D

On hijab

2011-03-05T23:10:00.000+11:00

I just read a really perfect post written over at Jamerican Muslimah, here, about how we need to examine how we really feel about hijab vs our answers to people who ask about it.
The post itself was written in 2008 but I know that, for example, for myself it is still completely relevant.
I will share my story (a bit of it anyway) and I do hope that inshaAllah it will benefit someone out there who may be feeling the same things :)
I should also put a disclaimer here: this is NOT against hijab, please remember while reading this that I am a full-time hijab wearing young woman and I am not setting out to go against that at all, that is not my intention. This is also nothing to do with my religious viewpoint on the subject. This is coming from my own feelings wearing hijab in a town where it is viewed as something akin to an "alien" thing.

Before I formally reverted, I thought hijab was beautiful - I enjoyed wearing it and felt absolutely no pressure or obligation while doing so. I wore really relaxed hijab - long cardigans with jeans - and most of the time (save when I experimented with a shorter blouse and jeans, which just felt awkward) I felt very at-home, if that makes sense.
After I reverted, I knew I would wear hijab but couldn't really figure out when. However after my husband left, I felt that if I didn't put it on now, I would just keep delaying it and delaying it continuously. In fact, that was what I had been doing previously: I'd wear it after the wedding, after the first semester of uni, after this, after this. I ended up beginning to wear hijab on the first day of the second semester of uni last year, after my wedding. I do not regret being without hijab on my wedding day, I know some sisters hate to think of how they were sans-hijab but that's who I was - a choice I made on the happiest day of my life still represents who I am and so I am comfortable with that.

Anyway, in the beginning, hijab was something "different" and "exciting" - I'm sure we all know the buzzing feeling that we got in the beginning, that we were setting ourselves apart from others. After a while, (around the time I reeeeally started missing my husband which helps me identify where these feelings come from now) I began to feel restricted, constrained, pressured and a few other words like that, lol. Then I spent some time with my husband, which brought back all the comfortable feelings again. After that, I made an effort to keep in touch with that feeling, by travelling to Sydney when I could and attending Islamic events.
But, going back to the sister's original post, I would never tell someone that it is the easiest thing, that I never regret it, that it isn't hard sometimes. There are days when I wake up and feel so annoyed that I am unable to (my own choice of words here) do my hair nice, put on some makeup and pretty clothes and enjoy the lightness of what I used to feel. There are also other days where I absolutely hate (yep...) the idea of ever taking off the hijab, as it's become something that is somewhat like a second skin.

Some days I alternate in between these feelings - and you know what? That's just how it is. Which is why you won't catch me covering up that when people ask me the reasons why I wear hijab. The reasons I wear hijab are personal and religious, and it's a choice I made. I battle with it a lot and I spend the rest of the time feeling comfortable, protected and happy. That's what people deserve to know: it doesn't make me a super-Muslimah or something like that, it makes me a person who is trying to overcome my own personal objections from my past and present in order to follow guidelines from the Qur'an. Hijab is not something to be taken lightly, it is a serious choice and we should respect it as such. Please don't take this as me saying we should all wear hijab, etc etc - we all go through life at our own pace and all of our actions are already known by Allah SWT. I do not have access to that knowledge - only Allah SWT can determine our intentions.

Please watch

2011-02-27T23:02:00.000+11:00

LOL YOU WILL LOVE THIS!
Aussies, don't you miss Salaam Cafe?

How did you choose/meet your fiance/husband?

2011-02-21T20:35:00.001+11:00

Image via weheartit

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fuddy duddy (lol) for being 20 and married but not much can make me smile like a marriage/engagement story!!
For me, I met my husband in the home of a woman he was boarding with in 2007. I was at the end of the house in the kitchen and heard the door shut, then heard this male voice singing (lol!) as he came down the hall. Anyway then he got to the room and we saw each other >.< He didn't look at me after that! Then the next week, we had my birthday party there (the lady is a family friend) and he gave me a gift of candles - this is all after the not talking/not looking at me the week before lol! We exchanged email addresses (ahahah) and had an Islamic contract about 3 - 4 months later and married legally in 2010.
It is funny thinking back on it now - that I was so young (and still am), but that my life began at that moment. Since then, we've done so much together and (if you all don't mind a Memoirs of a Geisha reference), I'm very confident that the steps I took and have taken all lead up to meeting my husband.

How did you meet your husband/fiance?

Edit... While reading one of the comments, I kept remembering back to when my now husband was sitting across the table from me, at our first meeting, studiously avoiding my gaze!! I'd brought a photo album over from a trip and the whole time he spent flicking through it, over and over again, without so much as a peep lol!

Can I get some feedback?

2011-02-20T21:27:00.001+11:00

What do you think of this? The picture is tiny, but you get my drift ;) I am enquiring as to whether they are available in open or closed or with snaps.

EDIT: They are a similar sort of look as this, without the garish colours/too tight sleeves/number 9 lol.

2011-02-19T22:49:00.001+11:00

Bahrain

2011-02-17T18:37:00.001+11:00

Edit: I just heard that one of my female Bahraini friends was shot last night, subhanAllah!!!! What is this world coming to?!?!

During the Egyptian protests, I didn't feel worried - I felt that such a large group of people could surely provide safety to those who needed it (we've since seen that wasn't the truth but that's how I felt at the time anyway) and that everything would turn out well. Now that Bahrainis are taking to the streets, I feel a constant knot in my stomach when I think about it. Why? The danger of the Saudi government is way, way too near. It's so hard to understand something when you have no ties to it or have never been there (as was my case with Egypt) but Bahrain is close to my heart. The Shi'a are the majority by far, but the ruling family have long oppressed them, through religious discrimination and even political naturalisation. Note though that it's not just the Shi'a - Sunni Bahrainis are also faced with similar obstacles in unemployment, poverty and a lack of political rights.

While it is MORE than time for Bahrainis to be successful in the long fight for their rights, I can't help but feel scared; what is the alternative to their success? Are the secret arrests that have gone on for so long going to being mass arrests? Is the Saudi government going to intervene militarily? Are the Shi'a of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia going to suffer even more due to their ethnic and religious ties to Bahrainis?

The only things I can hope for is that Allah SWT will bless all of the oppressed, that our beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him & his pure progeny) will stand by us and that our Imam Mahdi alayhi salam will hasten to us... who else can save us from the modern day Mu'awiyah?

Edit... I just saw on the news that there was physical violence from the army towards the protestors. May Allah SWT support you, my Bahraini brothers and sisters. May Allah SWT curse your oppressors and may you have the strength of our beloved Imam al Hussain alayhi salam in your stance for your rights.

Allah huma salee ala Mohammad, wa ahlee Mohammad.

Please recite a salawat to hasten the appearance of our long awaited Imam Mahdi alayhi salam to put an end to the oppression of all.

Khaleeji henna

2011-02-14T17:45:00.002+11:00

I'm really proud of this one lol, because it was from the henna powder that I bought in Bahrain. It's GORGEOUS - it dries black (seriously) but there is NO chemicals or anything, 100% natural, mashaAllah. Lurrrrve it lol.

2011-02-12T18:50:00.003+11:00

Wow, go Egypt!

Muslims in Australia

2011-02-09T15:35:00.002+11:00

I had to take a photo of this to help myself believe it, lol. It's blurry as, but it's basically talking about how Muslims are such problems in Western countries and refers to the recent remarks by the British PM, etc. The quote below is what the first paragraph summarised in the pic.
A really great (hm) quote from this is from a Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi:

"I, for one, don't want to eat meat butchered in the name of an ideology that is mired in sixth century brutality and is anathema to my own values."

Ouch! But I think this article (called "Ethnic Divide a Rising Threat" hahah) pretty much sums up the negative aspects of our position in society. I'm proud of being born in Australia but recognise that there is a big divide between me and others that started when I became a Muslim. It's the stares that we all get, the judgements, the lack of motivation to understand, it's all there. Like in my own city, there's a bigger mosque that's being planned (planned, not even built) in the same suburb to the tiny one we've got right now. When I say tiny, I mean it - maybe 15 women could fit in the women's prayer part. Anyway this mosque is really opposed in the community; most are tactful enough to say it's 'traffic' but the rest oppose the building of something that is open all day. Fair enough, if we blasted the adhan from mosques here in Australia but it's something that's very rarely done. I was there while jamaa'ah prayers were being done the other day and you can hardly hear it outside.

There is something bigger than small misunderstandings going on. I think that it's interesting too that this anti-Islam feeling is most prevalent among Western countries that have been colonised, e.g. Australia, USA, or among those who were the colonisers, like France and the UK.

One thing I don't get is that why are parts of Islam that are relatively small concentrated on? Like halal meat, the headscarf, using the arabic translation of God, obscure hadiths, etc. Like many Jewish women cover their hair after marriage but you don't get newspapers writing SAVE THE WOMEN type stories about them. Jews also have dietary laws but again, we don't criticise that at all. Christians are (in the Bible anyway) also supposed to follow dietary laws. *The article also talks about rejecting "Muslim only toilets" in some universities that are near the prayer rooms. I mean honestly! Is that what's the problem? Meat, toilets and material??

Maybe it's because they're the symbol of something bigger? Halal meat makes our diet different, Allah as a word makes us seem foreign, the headscarf makes us look different... whatever it is, I hope our turn is over soon ;)

Edit, I should put a disclaimer here lol! Living in Australia is definitely not all bad, it's a beautiful country and I'm happy to carry an Australian passport but I think that acknowledging our faults is extremely important for future growth.

How about a little respect?

2011-02-07T18:56:00.000+11:00

It really is too often that I hear of and see expats being downright insulting about both Saudi Arabia and Saudis themselves. Sorry, but seriously - what right do you have to treat others like they're below you, just because of their nationality?
There are *some* (note, not all) people who just disgust me from the expat community, you know, the type who go to KSA for some great tax free salary and spend most of their time being obnoxious/rude/and really not hiding the reason they're there.

I know that many Saudis are also rude to expats, but this post isn't about that. I know a lot of men who can't even get the same salary as an expat, despite having the same or more of experience, but still treat foreigners in KSA with politeness. Then there's those like my husband, making an *honest* living that just happens to be with pretty much the first 'foreign' company in KSA, and being treated like dirt by the expats that work there (and earning less than them too, by the way).

What I don't understand is the lack of politeness and humility. When you're in another country, the unspoken rule is to respect those whose country you're in. Is it that hard to not do so? And if you don't like the country, the opportunity is always there to try somewhere else or another city. How often do we cringe when we see tourists being rude and disrespectful? Should we not feel the same about those living in the country too? Fair enough - KSA has many things that need to be changed, but rudeness is not going to change them!

40

2011-02-06T19:25:00.000+11:00

Tonight is the fortieth night after the death of my mother in law. It feels very strange to admit to myself that it's been 40 days since she passed, as I still can't even fathom the idea that she really did die. In my mind, she's still there for me to call for tajweed (Qur'an recitation) lessons - I could go to her for anything from dream interpretations to social problems. MashaAllah she was and is a beautiful and pious woman and I am blessed to have known her. If there was anyone that made me comfortable in my female duties as a Muslim, it was/is her. She truly was a second mother to me and to lose her has left a huge void in mine and my husband's lives.

If you are able to or have the time, your recitation of Surah al Fatiha would be much appreciated, inshaAllah, may Allah subhana wa ta'ala reward you.

I haven't written actual posts in here in a long time but I hope to start again soon and inshaAllah, I'll have some really exciting news to share soon :)

:)

2011-02-02T15:45:00.002+11:00

Hello from us

2011-01-18T12:55:00.000+11:00

The cat and I decided to have a relaxing day inside today but we spent some time in our little garden/herb garden too. This was partly also because I am waiting on 3 packages and wanted to be outside just in case the postman came hehe.

The cutest photo of the day... "Hello!"

I also made this up for a customer who ordered a few made to order overhead abayas & shaylas from us recently. I love wrapping presents lol! This is a free hijab + prayer beads set for her.

Working out our hijab style

2011-01-17T14:53:00.000+11:00

I think that most girls/women, when they start wearing hijab, play around with heaps of different styles to find one that expresses themselves as Muslims.
I know that for me, I've gone through a few phases and now I think I've (finally) settled and become comfortable with my clothes and how that represents me.
I spent a while on Polyvore and made up a little timeline. Coming out of all of this, I've come to the point where there's nothing left for me to judge now, in hijabi style - I know what I like and what I don't and what I think is appropriate, but having been there myself, I'm not going to judge other women and their clothing style.

Anyway!

My clothing style without hijab...

before hijab by ellen557 featuring h&m shoes

My hijab style before I started wearing it full time...

(Cheating a bit 'cause I made this a while ago hehehe)

This was my first day as a hijabi, I was at work and wore something almost exactly the same as this, the only difference was that my top was a different combination of bright colours.

first hijabi day by ellen557 featuring black flat shoes

I then literally threw myself into this (lol!) style...

abaya by ellen557 featuring patent shoes

I then almost bounced back into this sort of style...

beginnings by ellen557 featuring a striped tunic

This all lasted for a few months, I'd alternate between each style depending on how I felt each day. I think it only took another visit to my husband (I'd started wearing hijab after he left) to really figure myself out, lol. In Bahrain, I wear things like this...

Which at first glance to some, it would seem that that would put me right back into staying with my skinny jeans, etc, but once home I decided to adapt more conservative clothes with what I wore before. Keep in mind that I'm probably one of only 3 or 4 Australian hijabis in my city and all of the rest (international students, etc) only live in certain areas that are definitely not where I am, so I often go weeks without seeing a Muslim woman.

Here is my style now... I've replaced jeans with long skirts (although I do sometimes pop on some comfy wide leg jeans) and feel very good wearing this in my area.

now by ellen557 featuring silk scarves

When I'm in an area that I feel is multicultural enough (or a mosque, etc) to wear other things, then I bust out (hehe) an overhead abaya (usually ones the same as what I sell in the shop) and a colourful scarf that peeps out, or a shoulder abaya with a square scarf. Then in Bahrain it's abayas, abayas, abayas lol!

I'm really comfortable with what I wear now and know that for where I live, I represent Islam as an everyday thing. As I said, I love my abayas but after some things I've experienced, I won't be wearing these in my city until my husband comes back ;)

Ah dear :(

2011-01-13T18:51:00.001+11:00

I don't live in Queensland (QLD - one of the huuuge Northern states of Australia) but I cannot believe how bad these floods are! We've had almost 24 hour coverage of them here on our TV screens and it's just unbelievable.
I thought I'd show you all a few photos of what's happening right now, please offer your duas.
Australia often suffers from drought and it's so bittersweet in the worst way that the long awaited rain to QLD and northern New south Wales (my state) country areas is a killer (literally - 15 people dead at the moment and latest reports are around I think 45 missing) flood. We've heard reports of the elderly clinging to trees to avoid being swept away subhanAllah... Australians can donate to the majority of banks who will forward the funds to the QLD Premier's Donation Fund.

This is a man kayaking next to an almost submerged house.

From news.com.au, this is in one of the hardest hit towns on a bridge showing a home's fridge subhanAllah, after the water levels fell a bit.

A quick question

2011-01-05T22:22:00.000+11:00

...If you could have anything "material" in this world, what would it be?

I have a few, namely a home with my husband, children, hajj, ziyara, a healthy and halal business, good friends... Allahu ahlem, I know some feel that striving to have a good position in this world is not what we should be concentrating on, but then we should always remember our traditions like: marriage completes half of our religion, paradise is at the mother's feet, husbands and wives are garments for each other... There are many things that we do in this life that is regarded as worshipping Allah SWT, things that half the time we don't realise that we do! Smiling? Offering salaams? Being kind? Respecting our partners? Offering a service for the convenience of your Muslim brothers and/or sisters? These are simple things, but striving for this happiness is striving for the things that Allah SWT has decided to bless us with both in our short life, as well as in the life after inshaAllah.

Too often we unconsciously remove ourselves from the dunya, but don't forget - Allah SWT has placed us on this earth for a reason, to worship Him - which comes in many different ways, shapes, sizes and methods.

Happy new year

2011-01-05T15:03:00.000+11:00

This year has already kicked itself off as one of the hardest yet, but Allahu ahlem, Allah SWT takes care of us all in ways we can hardly understand. May Allah SWT continue to guide us all during this year and the years after, may He stand by us and protect us from the Shaitans of this world. Most importantly, may He keep us within the folds of Islam. Ameen.

- From the Steadily Emerging With Grace family :)

2010-12-30T18:14:00.002+11:00

New post on private blog here.

Please read.

Books

2010-12-28T17:13:00.000+11:00

Has anyone read "Nine Parts of Desire" by Geraldine Brooks? I'm reading it at the moment for a second time and would love to hear extra opinions!
I quite like the book myself, having read it before I became Muslim and wore hijab, and now after reverting and wearing hijab. I find myself experiencing it much differently than I did before!

The last time I read it, I questioned the authors objectivity and whether she had gone into it with good intentions. But now I feel that a large portion of what she says (not necessarily all of it) is very true. Not so much the religious side of it (e.g. pinning the Sunni/Shi'a divide down to jealous and power hungry men, and the portrayal of the Prophet and his wives/family) but I really enjoyed reading about her experiences in Iran, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Reverts and hijra

2010-12-23T21:23:00.000+11:00

I'm aware that this post may sound pretty naive or way too optimistic/sugar coated lol.

As a revert Muslim in a non-Muslim country, I often feel that there are other places that I'd rather be. Say, surrounded by Muslims maybe. I've gotten past the notion that so many Muslims are cultural Muslims and come to a point where it would be nice just to live somewhere where I don't stick out like a sore thumb. It could be somewhere in, say, Sydney or even in a 'Muslim' (or perhaps Muslim majority is more appropriate) country.

I think that reverts are more prone to feel this way as well. I don't know if it's because born-Muslims have grown up as Muslims in wherever they are and hence are more adaptable or whether it's because reverts crave to be somewhere "part of it all".

I'm not saying that born Muslims don't have that pull but I definitely think that many reverts go through a stage where we feel drawn to be a part of the group, in a sense.

It's something that I think about a lot. Being in a Muslim area, or close to one, is a desirable thing for me. It's not what I really think about though. In my current situation, living with my husband is more important than living somewhere comfortable. But I won't deny that like many reverts I've gone through that phase at some point where it's like: I just want to belong.

Again, you can take this in a cynical way in regards to pointing out the cons of Muslim majority areas but this isn't what this post is about, in the long run.

Amina Wadud and falling in love with the Ka'abah

2010-12-22T21:30:00.000+11:00

This is an excerpt from Sister Amina Wadud's Hajj journal. I'm going to post the whole thing because, wow, it's just beautiful. If you've never longed for Hajj before, or even just to see the Ka'abah, perhaps you will after reading this. You can read her other journal entries here.

In order to get a sense of the Tawaf, imagine there is a string: one end is tied in knot inside your heart, the other end is tied to the Ka’abah. The Ka’abah is like a magnetic force that pulls so strongly you just SPIN out of control—around and around like a mad dervish, until you are dizzy, drunk with the joy and ecstasy of it.

If you have plans to make hajj, I strongly recommend that you plan for hajj tamattu’ in such a way as to arrive in Makkah as close to the new moon as possible for the Zhul-Hijjah, or 12th lunar month. This is approximately one week before the hajj begins on the 8th day.

When you first see the Ka’abah, you are supposed to say certain du’a (including asking for ANYTHING you want), and then make two rakaats. Most people are so overwhelmed at the sight of it, they simply dissolve into tears. For Muslims, this is the psychological center. The heart of our daily prayers. We see it in our mind’s eye, we reproduce it as a design on our prayer rugs. But the real thing. WOW!

The way the city has built up around the Ka’abah, which was originally constructed in a valley between surrounding hills, there is no way to get a view by accident. Furthermore, the mosque is now built around it and so you have to make your way through this mammoth elaborate and beautiful structure to get your glimpse.

You might see that mosque, Masjid al-Haram, but only after you have approached it by some distance. Especially the minarets, which are so high they shoot up taller than many of the buildings surrounding it. The hotels built around it, and a few administrative buildings, block the view at street level.

However, when you do see it, you will be required to complete the ritual performance: tawaf, followed as closely as possible after that with sa’iy.

My roommate and I decided with our late arrival, followed by breakfast, that we were not in our rooms soon enough to shower and rush out again, to make our umrah, without first resting. I was too excited to sleep for long, so I actually went out an hour earlier and began to scope the lay of the land. But I dared not approach the mosque too closely. Ever since thatfajr debacle, I could not resist the pull the Ka’abah was having over me. We made our way to the mosque, leaving our hotel about a half hour before the time for zhuhr; it’s only a 3-5 minute walk.

Now, I have to confess, maybe it was the glimpse of the mosque from our 7th-story hotel window, but I did NOT swoon, nor even shed a single tear when I looked beyond the pillars inside the mosque and first saw this incredibly plain box-like thing made of stone slabs. There was a black cloth draping the building, with a beautiful calligraphic design actually stitched in gold. But all I could think was, where is my WOW moment?

After praying our two rakaats, we stepped down into the inner court which surrounds the Ka’abah. We approached a line of people doing tawaf and fell into step. From the outer ring, this would be a pretty accurate description—falling into step, that is.

The tawaf is performed counter-clockwise, with the Ka’abah always on our left. At the corner that holds the black stone, the tawaf circuit begins. Here you are supposed to face the Ka’abah and hold both hands as high as your ears, with palms toward the black stone, and recite “bismi-Lah, Allahu Akbar laa ilaha illa-Allah.” Then raise your right hand as if in greeting and bring it back to kiss. If you are close enough to the stone, you’re supposed to kiss it. If you cannot kiss it, you should touch it with the right hand; if not, then just wave and kiss the hand. People also will touch it with an item of clothing and then kiss that, if they are close enough.

So we started our tawaf—this is possible from anywhere, but to “count” and complete the 7, we have to be opposite the corner with the black stone. For our first tawaf, we started a bit ahead and when we got to the black stone, we raised our hands and started our count. I was on the inside, closest to the Ka’abah and with each circuit or each corner, I attempted to move in closer and closer to the Ka’abah.

We were there at the heat of the day, but honestly with each and every corner, as we drew closer, the string from my heart was tugged just a little bit more taut, until I was overcome with the desire to get close enough to touch. It was such a strong feeling. I continued to recite my du’a labayk Allahuma labaykh, and to do zhikr. I chose to do so out loud instead of the silent version recommended for women. Wonder who came up with that?

In the thick of the stream of people making tawaf, this dhikr was really my saving grace. I almost never got overcome with anger or frustration. I was NOT focused on what the person, singular, was doing next to me. We were all a part of this mighty river, rushing round and around the Ka’abah, the House of God.

Nothing else mattered—well, except the roommate. We stayed linked at the arm until we hit the corner with the black stone. In order for me to wave, I had to get my arm out of her left arm link. I was conscious then not to get separated. But we managed the pause, the wave and kiss; and with each circuit, we got closer. Not surprisingly, the closer you get, the tighter the crowd is. What was a surprise was the more intense the current of the raging river of people became, the more pull on the heartstrings. Still with the dhikr on my lips, I swam the course and was at the same time pulled taut by the magnetic force of the Ka’abah and its attachment to my heart’s string.

And that is when love struck me. I was in love with the Ka’abah. Somewhere between stepping foot into the inner courtyard that the Ka’abah is on and starting that first tawaf, I was stung, as if by mighty bee whose nectar was located inside the cube that seemed at first innocuous. I started smiling and continued to do so whenever I caught sight of the Ka’abah. It became the only thing that mattered, this crude structure established by the Prophet Abraham to commemorate the Oneness and Truth of God.

Now, for me, that was all that mattered. Even when a woman to our right said (in English, nonetheless) that my hair was showing, and it was slightly longer than my scarf at certain points; I had no thoughts for her except this one.

Wow, I am so INTO this Ka’abah, so drawn to it and yearning to circumambulate around it, and if I can to get close enough to touch it, labaykh Allahuma labaykh, here I am Oh Lord, at Your service—I honestly could not imagine what would cause a person to be in the slightest bit interested in a few hairs?! I just kept on, with my dhikr and the pace. The pace that is like a rushing river. The pull, like a string in my heart getting ever more taut.

Soon, she just disappeared.

At another point, an African guy circled close enough to me from behind that his elbow stayed square in my back for more than one of the sides; and so, I told him, in English too, “remove your elbow from my back,” and he did, and then he too disappeared.

At the 6th round, I was certain that we would not get close enough to touch the black stone, touch the Ka’abah, kiss the black stone, or even see it among the believers so intense in their closeness. I told my roommate to slowly edge her way out toward the outer circle so that we could end our tawaaf by praying the two rakaats at maqam Ibrahim, the station of Ibrahim. If it was even faintly possible to get to it, there is a lower platform on the side of the Ka’abah just after the black stone.

People who could not descend to this lower lobby are allowed to pray two rakats anywhere directly out from the actual station. In order to pray our two, and to be safe from a stampede of hajjis, we needed to be further out. Fortunately, we were still close and yet safe. We also took turns, such that one of us stood guard over the other—double safe.

Anyway, I really got used to the necessity of the jostle and the necessity of the inconvenience. But still, I would draw the line: jostle there, but not in the shops to buy cheap token souvenirs made in China.

2010-12-22T15:15:00.002+11:00

Another layout change!

Currently downloading Photoshop as well, I'm pretty sure my blog is going to look a bit nuts over the next few days haha.

The khutbah of Zainab AS and Imam Ali ibn al Hussain AS

2010-12-16T21:42:00.002+11:00

Lessons

2010-12-14T16:43:00.000+11:00

I was fortunate to be able to attend another lecture by Sayyed Ammar last night for commemorating the death of Abu Fadl Abbas AS in Muharram and mashaAllah I think that there was a key point he made that is relevant to all of us, irrespective of our school of thought. This is a reminder first and foremost for myself of course.

It is no longer clear for many of us where our intentions lie. Are we doing our Islamic actions for Allah, subhana wa ta'ala or are we doing them for someone else?

Sayyed Ammar pointed out a sad fact: we say that we try to follow the Sirat al Mustaqeem, but in reality many of us are following Sirat al Must-Be-Seen (mashaAllah, what an analogy!) We place more importance on what our family/friends say than what Allah subhana wa ta'ala has said.

The Sayyed was saying - do you wear hijab because you want to please Allah SWT or because it pleases your society/family? Do you pray each day because you want to pray to Allah SWT or because you are expected to? Every action in Islam is essentially a form of worship to Allah SWT as these are actions loved by Him AS. Are we treating them with the right form of respect?

An example I see often - hijabi women smoking in public. Is this respecting your hijab? Wearing hijab alone is a form of jihad, are we respecting our jihad by doing something haraam while wearing it? What about brothers and their words? Many young Muslim men in the community I am exposed to (mostly Sydney) do not follow through with their actions, E.G. they'll go to a lecture but leave cursing and saying rude words in conversation.

Following with the Sayyed's points...
Facebook can be a tool for great social networking, like spreading the message of Islam and the Ahlul Bayt AS, as well as spreading awareness for community events. But have we looked at our own profiles? SubhanAllah there is a clear contradiction for many of us:
Favourite book: Qur'an
Favourite music: Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbe, justin Timberlake
...! Something's not right with that picture. I'll repeat that this is first to myself - I got home and looked at my profile, and I had almost the same thing going on. I deleted them but still it is embarrassing to see lists of beautiful religious books next to recording artists who in no way represent me as a Muslim.

Another story he mentioned....
A mosque in America was to be built and 3 brothers donated, Ibrahim, Musa and Taleb. Neither of them ever attended mosques but donated out of a personal desire to be recognised. In the first prayer ever in the mosque, the leading Imam recited a surah that mentioned the names of the Prophet Ibrahim and Musa may Allah SWT bless them. All 3 doners were praying behind the Imam and all were happy except Taleb who thought: "Why didn't he mention my name in the prayer as well??"

SubhanAllah! Is this where we're at as a community? Most of our actions are for others to meet their expectations? This doesn't apply solely to Muslims of course but being a Muslim myself, it can get pretty shocking when you witness some things in the community.

We need to be sincere in our actions. Especially in this time when Ashura is approaching, we should be asking ourselves - did Imam Hussain AS die for us to be acting like this? Will Imam Mahdi AS ever return if we carry on in this way? Will you be proud on the Day of Judgement when your sins are read out? Do we really have to wait that long or can we start to change things today?

Again this is a reminder first to myself but inshaAllah I hope that others will benefit from it as well.

3rd night of Muharram, 2010

2010-12-09T23:45:00.000+11:00

For this night I have included a link to the audio recording of the lecture I attended on the 1st night of Muharram, from Sayyed Ammar Nakshawani.

Listen here. It's about an hour, from what I remember, and is about Imam Hussain AS and non-Muslims.

I confess, I listened really hard to see if I could hear my own voice in the salawats but alas... :)

2nd night of Muharram

2010-12-08T20:50:00.000+11:00

Here is a short excerpt from a biography of Zainab AS, the sister of Imam Hussain AS. This is from the beginning of her life and the Prophet's PBUH reaction to her birth too.

The rest of the book can be found online here.

It was five years after the Muslims had accompanied the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and his family in the migration (Hijrah) to Medina, when the Holy Prophet's daughter, Hadrat Fatima (AS), gave birth to a little girl.'
When her father, Imam Ali (AS), saw his daughter for the first time Imam Husayn (AS), who was then almost three years old, was with him. The boy exclaimed in delight,

"O father, Allah has given me a sister."

At those words Imam Ali (AS) began to weep, and when Husayn (AS) asked why he was crying so, his father answered that he would soon come to know.Fatima (AS) and Ali (AS) did not name their child until a few days after her birth, for they awaited the Prophet's return from a journey so that he could propose the name.
When finally the baby girl was brought before him he held her in his lap and kissed her. The Angel Jibra'il came to him and conveyed the name that was to be hers, and then he began to weep. The Prophet (PBUH&HF) asked why Jibra'il wept and he answered,

"O Prophet of Allah. From early on in life this girl will remain entangled in tribulations and trials in this world. First she will weep over your separation (from this world); thereafter she will bemoan the loss of her mother, then her father, and then her brother Hasan. After all this she will be confronted with the trials of the land of Karbala and the tribulations of that lonely desert, as a result of which her hair will turn grey and her back will be bent."

When the members of the family heard this prophecy they all broke down in tears. Imam Husayn (AS) now understood why earlier his father had also wept. Then the Prophet (PBUH&HF) named her Zaynab (AS).When the news of Zaynab's birth reached Salman al-Farsi, he went to Ali (AS) to congratulate him. But instead of seeing him happy and rejoicing he saw Ali (AS) shed tears, and he too was apprised of the events of Karbala and the hardships that were to befall Zaynab (AS).
One day, when Zaynab (AS) was about five years old, she had a strange and terrible dream. A violent wind arose in the city and darkened the earth and the sky. The little girl was tossed hither and thither, and suddenly she found herself stuck in the branches- of a huge tree. But-the wind was so strong that it uprooted the tree. Zaynab (AS) caught hold of a branch but that broke. In a panic she grabbed two twigs but these top gave way and she was left falling with no support. Then she woke up. When she told her grand father, the Prophet (PBUH&HF), about this dream he wept bitterly and said,

"O my daughter. that tree is me who is shortly going to leave this world. The branches are your father Ali and your mother Fatima Zahra, and the twigs are your brothers Hasan and Husayn. They will all depart this world before you do, and you will suffer their separation and loss."

1st night of Muharram 2010 Sydney

2010-12-08T01:01:00.000+11:00

Tonight was the 1st night of Muharram and I was able to go to a lecture by Sayyed Ammar Nakshawani in Sydney alhamdulillah.
The biggest thing that stayed with me out of everything that he said was this:

We can't keep Karbala to ourselves. Too often we make it a "Shi'a thing" or an "in thing" and we avoid telling others about it. I'm the same - I often try to avoid talking about it because I don't know how to talk about it. The Sayyed said that Imam Hussain AS didn't make a stand just for Muslims - but for humanity. Karbala is a lesson for all, not just Muslims.
He said that we have a duty to tell others about the message, and he then went on to say various quotes from non-Muslim authors on the tragedy of Karbala. The whole message of the speech was that if non-Muslim writers can then have this beautiful view on what happened to our Imam AS, then as Muslims we need to really acknowledge in our social circles what we are actually commemorating.

It struck a chord with me as I often shy away from broadcasting my faith. But why should I? I believe in a beautiful religion and the more people that see the beauty the better!

Muharram 2010 Sydney

2010-12-05T00:31:00.000+11:00

Muharram is here again, here is a post I wrote during the last Muharram about what we remember during the events of Ashura.
Click.

If any Sydney-siders read this, there are events on each night by Sayed Ammar Nakshawani in Homebush (lecture and majlis), then at Imam Hussain Centre (with ziyarat ashura, maghrib/isha prayer, lecture and latmiyat/majlis and refreshments) and also at Masjid Ar-Rahman. All of these are in English. I think there are a few more but these are the more well known ones.

I am planning to go to Sayed Nakshawani's lecture on Tuesday night for 1st Muharram if Allah SWT permits then (as I work in 2nd half of the week), I will inshaAllah be going to Imam Hussain Centre for a night depending on how good the Sayed is, next Mon-Tues nights and then I'd like to go for 10th Muharram night which I believe is next Thursday week.

If you are going to either, let me know inshallah :)

Happy Eid al Ghadeer

2010-11-26T00:58:00.000+11:00

Happy Eid al Ghadeer! This Eid was when the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) designated Imam Ali (alayhi salam) as his successor, so throughout the Shi'a world you will see a lot of celebrations on this day/night to remember this.

The Messenger of Allah - may Allah bestow peace and benedictions upon him and his Progeny - said: "Verily, I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you: the Book of God and my kindred (`itrah), my household (Ahl al Bayt), for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (of al Kawthar on the Judgement's Day)."

(Chain of narration information of this hadith can be found here )

A video to remind us: stay away from cursing the Sahaba + judging anyone

2010-11-26T00:49:00.000+11:00

Here is Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaking about why it is not from Shia Islam to curse the Sahabas & also why it is good to refrain from judging others.

For english subtitles, press the "CC" button at the bottom right hand of the video.

EId al Adha

2010-11-15T21:20:00.002+11:00

May Allah SWT bless you all for the upcoming Eid al Adha inshaAllah :)

Finally!

2010-11-08T11:49:00.000+11:00

....Heading over to Bahrain on Wednesday to see my husband inshallah!

Also - from November 26th Al Firdous Designs will ALSO have (in addition to abayas, niqabs and hijabs) larger sized turkish silk hijabs inshallah!

Controlling ourselves

2010-11-04T20:00:00.000+11:00

I think that most of us have had those times where we get to choose how we act: are we going to put ourselves out there with bad words or are we going to stay respectfully silent? I myself am too shy to say things that bad but I'll admit that there are times I wish I could just yell at some people.

I think that self control is a huge thing in Islam. By following the sunnah of the Prophets, we are to be truthful, but not rudely so. There is a clear line between stating your opinion and being offensive. It also comes down to being humble and recognising that we should be spending our time fearing God SWT and not trying to make problems with our fellow muslims or whoever. Being humble is a clear requirement of Muslims - there is a narration that states that when the Prophet of Islam PBUH&HF stood up for prayer, when the time came for du'a he would stretch his hands forward exactly the way that the poor would stretch their hands forward to receive food. This is how we should be acting! Swallowing our tongues and our pride, and instead concentrating on the real meaning of what we are doing here.

This was all kicked off by an unfortunate comment I saw on (of all places) a Muslim/Christian dialogue page. There was another post about Lauren Booth's conversion to Islam mashaAllah but a brother wrote:

"she is a shia ( shiite ) now brother , she has nothing to do with Islam , we don't care about this"

Now... on a Muslim/Christian dialogue page of all things, what does this say about us? What do Muslims look like when we post these things? More importantly - what does Allah SWT think when He sees us acting like this? Humility and self control is the key to keeping good relations and we should be doing just that in our daily lives.

Thank you!

2010-11-03T10:54:00.000+11:00

...For all of your support with everything!

Ladies, can I get some feedback on this one? I am heading off to Bahrain in a week and picking up stock for the store.

Here is what I am thinking of getting....

- Plain black abayas
- Shoulder abayas with detailing on the sleeves
- Square scarves
- Shayla styled hijabs in different colours/patterns
- Misbahs (prayer beads)

I was wanting to get some more detailed abayas but am not too sure. If I did get some, I'd be looking for some that are a little different, you know, ones that aren't really a part of the general internet styles. I don't want our store to be just another 'net store!

I wouldn't mind getting coloured ones, but since we get them from Saudi shops, I think it's better to just stick with what they do best, which is black. Good quality coloured ones can get pretty expensive so to stick with our original intention which was to provide Muslimahs with better options inshallah I think we should stay with affordable options too.

Nutter

2010-10-29T21:57:00.000+11:00

Gosh, I didn't realise my maths was SO bad! But it is! My flight to Bahrain was originally booked from arriving on the 9th to leaving on the 24th.

Somehow, in my twisted brain, that added up to being there for 14 days hence my visa being ok.

ELLEN! Phew. Alhamdulillah for Etihad as they changed it all around for me but still..... guh I knew I should've taken maths in my final high school years teeehee.

Have you ever had a horrible blank like that???

There's obviously a reason my degree is in international relations and not maths. :D

2010-10-29T20:51:00.002+11:00

Al Firdous Designs is now on facebook!

You can also order from the facebook page inshallah.

My conversion story

2010-10-27T22:47:00.002+11:00

This is in response to a comment I received this morning, asking for directions on where to see how I came to Islam. I told her to go through the various posts in this blog, from the beginning, and that's where you'll see my story.
But I realise that many don't have the time to go through post after post just to see the evolution of my thoughts so I will post what I can here. InshaAllah this will both be of use to all of you but also may it assist others who might be in the position I was once in.
The original commenter also asked me to share how it was that I came to be a Shi'a Muslim which is why there is a portion on that. This is not to alienate anyone who does not share my beliefs either but simply to answer a question.
I warn you, I am not very good with structure :)

This is, however, not to be used anywhere and I request that it stays on this blog and that if you want to share it, you email me first inshallah.

So...

I am a Muslim and have been since July, 2010. Alhamdulillah. I knew about Islam a few years before that but it wasn't until my husband shared something with me that led me towards Sirat al Mustaqeem - The Right Path. He was on one of his trips back home to Saudi Arabia and he had sent me an online book that depicted the entire story of Karbala. I think it was about 40 A4 pages - or maybe 20, heh. I'm not too sure now but it was one of those two. Anyway I spent the month reading it and it was the catalyst that led me to where I am now. Karbala is a story of true martyrdom - martyrdom for the message of Islam, by a great man Imam Hussain alayhi salam but also of many male members of his family and extended family in an area of Iraq called Karbala. After the initial slaughter, female members of the last Prophet of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad may peace be upon him and his pure family, were taken on a long journey of humiliation to the court of Yazid. They were held there for a year, before finally being let go because the truth had begun to take hold in the community.

It was this story that changed me from a person that accepted the existence of Islam to one that began to seek the truth in Islam. I began to emotionally connect not only with Allah SWT but also with our beloved Prophet PBUH&HF and his progeny.
This is essentially how I became to be a part of the Shi'a (followers) of Allah SWT and the Prophet. For that's what Shi'a means and it is what Allah SWT calls his Prophets. We can see that in some verses in the Qur'an, such as:

"And most surely Abraham was among the Shia of him (i.e., Noah)" (Quran 37:83)"

There is no better explanation of the above verse. I am a Shi'a (follower) because I follow the instructions of what I believe Allah SWT has set out for me in the Qur'an.

Anyway I studied Islam for about two years, during which I went to lectures and Ashura meetings (where we commemorate Karbala), prayed, fasted, travelled overseas and 'lived as a Muslim' during that time and wore hijab on and off. There were points where I told myself that that was it, I wasn't going to do it anymore (after yet another onslaught of bad press) and times where I was convinced of the truth of Islam, yet not ready to embrace it. It all came to a head a week before my and my husband's legal marriage - we sat and spoke at length about it and agreed that it was time for a decision. My husband knew that after 2 years, I was ready to understand what I wanted to do subhanAllah. So I actually did istikhara, believing that if God led me to taking the shahada, the declaration of faith, then I would be on the right path as I do not believe that God leads us astray. I did istikhara and was left with a positive answer. That sealed my decision - I said my shahada in a whisper near the door of my bedroom.

Ashadu ala elaha el Allah, wa ashadu anna Mohammad wa rasool Allah.

I began to wear hijab in August, 2010. This, not accepting Islam, has been the biggest change in my life. To me, Islam is a natural thing - being a Muslim does not require a drastic 180 but only rather submitting - by submitting your life to the rules of Allah subhana wa ta'ala, your life will naturally structure itself around that. For me wearing hijab was a physical manifestation of the choice that I had made and so I couldn't not wear it any longer - I have struggled with it and of course I would be lying if I said I didn't have any bad days, but I have not taken it off since I first wore it and I pray that Allah subhana wa ta'ala will always give me the strength and iman to wear it for the rest of my life.

I know it's short but that is really in essence my own story. Again, please don't reproduce it anywhere (as I know that has happened to some sisters) and inshaAllah this will reach anyone who was once in my position.

My cat

2010-10-27T10:57:00.000+11:00

I don't usually have picture posts but I thought I'd do one for our kitty! We've had her since February this year and I just can't believe that she used to be a stray.
This is after we just got her, she's waiting for the vet lol.

And this is hanging out in our bed recently bahahaha

now THIS is just the funniest photo. i was trying to get a nice one to send to her dad but check out what she came up with LOL

Dua request

2010-10-26T12:14:00.001+11:00

Bismillah!

Can I be so bold as to ask for your prayers? We have booked my flight to Bahrain so I will be seeing my husband soon inshallah ya Rabb!

Oh man I can't wait. Ya Rabb, thank you for this beautiful opportunity and inshallah you will let us have a great time!! I also realised that we will be there during Eid! Allahu akbar. I wanted to be there during Ashura but Allah swt if this is what You have blessed us with, then I am so thankful!!!

Lauren Booth becomes a Muslim...

2010-10-26T08:03:00.000+11:00

From here.

Tony Blair's sister-in-law has converted to Islam after having what she describes as a "holy experience" during a visit to Iran.

Journalist and broadcaster Lauren Booth, 43 – Cherie Blair's sister – now wears a hijab whenever she leaves her home, prays five times a day and visits her local mosque whenever she can.

She decided to become a Muslim six weeks ago after visiting the shrine of Fatima al-Masumeh AS in the city of Qom.

"It was a Tuesday evening and I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy," she said in an interview today.

When she returned to Britain, she decided to convert immediately.

Booth – who works for Press TV, the English-language Iranian news channel – has stopped eating pork and reads the Qur'an every day. She is currently on page 60.

Booth has stopped drinking alcohol and says she has not wanted to drink since converting.

Before her spiritual awakening in Iran, she had been "sympathetic" to Islam and has spent considerable time working in Palestine, she said, adding that she hoped her conversion would help Blair change his presumptions about Islam.

If it was prompted by a visit to Sayyeda al Masumeh AS.... I know what that means!! eehehhe. Allahu Akbar, Allah huma Salee ala Mohammad, wa alee Mohammad!

Hmm

2010-10-25T13:14:00.000+11:00

I often find it pretty sad that as converts/reverts, we are often sort of stuck in the middle of things. Over the past few months, I've found that this has been really pronounced for me, definitely in terms of nationality. I am proud to be Australian, but it's like, if you're not a citizen of an Arab/Muslim majority country, then you're seemingly worth less as a Muslim, if that makes sense.

This has just sort of exploded in my face recently, while trying to get a pilgrimage visa for a certain country as I was told by the embassy in my country that I could only get it from them if I was of certain descents :( When I said no, that I was just Australian, that brought with it a whole can of worms that involves going direct to the government of the country just to simply go on a pilgrimage. Not something I want to do, really. I'm happy to go that for just for a tourism visa to an obscure place but for a country that offers pilgrimage visas, should I not be assessed on my reason for going? I.E. my religious beliefs? Sure, take an application from me or even a police clearance form, but don't tell me what I've got to jump through a billion hoops to get a religious visa because of my heritage. Blah :( I'm sure to them it makes sense but I am just a bit let down!

And it makes me sad - because I don't have that heritage, am I less of a Muslim? Or am I in danger of being a fake Muslim? I've put so much effort into this religion that it gets a bit annoying that even going on a pilgrimage for your religion's sake gets to be a headache.

It is funny because in this case, it would be easier to just go to hajj - at least it's all taken care of for you and they expect foreign Muslims to be there.

In other news, we still haven't had any luck with getting even a smidgen of hope re Saudi visa. Ahhhh it never ends!

Help

2010-10-24T20:00:00.000+11:00

Sisters, what do you think of turkish hijabs? I am thinking of getting some in for the store, but ones that are very large as I have a great one that is as large as the pic below which has great chest coverage. I wear it in the Turkish style (not the bottom style in the 2nd pic), but it comes down almost to my waist instead of just hitting the top of the chest.

More popular turkish square scarves look similar to this:

And I'd be looking at ones that are a lot bigger, a size like the one below. Don't pay attention to the design so much but do you think the size is alright?

Why I shouldn't go shopping without my husband

2010-10-05T17:29:00.000+11:00

The only reason I go shopping now is to basically kill time. When my hubby and I went shopping, I'd only get things that I reeeeeally liked and hence didn't spend too much!

But today... oops. Sorry M :( But they're all so pweeeetty!
P.S. I know blotting my face out looks a bit creepy but I'm sure you all know why I do it anyway :)

Opinions, please!

2010-10-03T20:23:00.000+11:00

... This is really serious.

...Which turkish hijab should I get! I've never worn one before but love these from EDB Designs, from Hijabi and the City. I have some shaylas from her store but would like to "expand" my collection heheh.

This one...

or this...

or this! I'm inclined to this one myself, hmmm.

My night, Iran and marriage

2010-09-30T22:00:00.001+10:00

I had a lovely night, actually. A family friend invited me and my mum (aww!) around to a girls night at her home (literally, she had banished all the men in the house alhamdulillah) because they had a woman coming who represented a company called er... Intimo? And they sell underwear/bras/pjs to you at your home. So that was REALLY nice! It's been so long that I've been able to hang out with people sans hijab and even longer that I've felt comfortable buying things like that lol! Usually you go into a shop every few months and peel off all of your layers, spending 15 - 20 minutes just trying stuff on but this was great, I could take off my hijab as soon as I got in the door and just took the usual amount of time.

In all honesty though, life as it is is horribly monotonous and lonely. I mean alhamdulillah for the things that my husband and I have, we are very lucky, but I just feel like being without each other at this crucial time (while we both go through the motions of graduating, finding work, wanting to start a family, etc) isn't very good for developing a strong marriage. Ah well, inshallah it will all work itself out!

Oh, also! My husband and I are working on taking a trip in January/February, to either Saudi and Iran or Bahrain and Iran, depending on how my Saudi visa (just a visit one for this time) goes. Iran, here I come! Or rather, khoda hafez!! I am a khanum! I have no idea what I just wrote but oh well. I think it has something to do with being a lady? Lol, sorry new readers, now you'll see how truly nuts I am.
I am going to Iran to have some zareshk polo, yummy! And some gheimeh! Mmmmmmmm. I have a dream to study there, in Jamiat Al Zahra in Qom inshallah but for now, simple ziyarat and great shopping will do! Although I hope the huge inflation hasn't driven prices up too much. My MIL and FIL might come too which would be lovely. We are just thinking of doing pilgrimage things this time and forsaking the lurrrvely scenery for the sake of our finances, lol. But ziyarat is one of the best things (to me) about Iran so inshallah khair. Any tips? Inshallah I want to visit Tehran, Qum and Mashhad. Anywhere else we should go?
Umm Ibrahim and Mariam, this is where I need your expertise lol!

I think that a lot of Shi'a Muslims especially hold Iran as a whole in pretty high regard (not the politics so much but rather the whole "thing" itself), considering that almost everywhere we live we're either disadvantaged or discriminated against in one way or another (unless you're in some areas of western countries). So some of us see Iran as some sort of "utopia", where you can just *be* yourself. But in saying that I'm sure then that the other side of the coin is that non Shi'as may feel out of place at times, I don't know.

But anyway. Going to Iran would mean a lot to me, especially being from a city where there is no Shi'a mosque unless you drive for 2 - 3 hours to another city. I had the same feeling in Bahrain, where the majority of the population is Shi'a.... although the discrimination there gets pretty bad. Nnnngh. A big thing for me is finding a place where my children can grow up as Shi'as but not be disadvantaged in their religion - e.g. KSA, downside is govt but if they live in Qatif, they can keep their religion strongly. Same in Bahrain. If they live here, the govt is better but the religious opportunities are less.

Hmm. Food for thought.

Style straight out of Saudi and why I love my husband

2010-09-29T13:07:00.000+10:00

Let's start with the style, shall we?

Cute clothes for under your abaya....

Lovely shoes to match your bags...

A nice shayla or two...

And add to those some lovely abayas (they might need an iron or two though ladies)....

Oh. And why do I love my husband? MashaAllah they are all from him.

P.S. I should also point out that this post was largely a way for me to play around with my new camera haha.

Henna

2010-09-26T21:21:00.000+10:00

*New private blog post, here.

I've been playing around with henna lately, which has been nice.

Here are some designs from google that I'd loooove to try (if I had willing test monkeys hahahha)

Man, I love chadors.

2010-09-22T22:04:00.000+10:00

I really, really love chadors. In my opinion, they look very elegant. I have one house chador (in Qatif it's called a "mishmar") from my mother in law that I've been attempting to wear for a long time now ... it's now got frayed edges and I'm sure there's a hole or two in it but I still adore it. InshaAllah my husband and I will visit Iran soon (maybe in a year or two woo!) and then I hope to stock up on different styles of chadors.

The one below is from the Boston Globe...

********** I also really like overhead abayas.

This last one is from here.

2:255

2010-09-21T21:23:00.000+10:00

InshaAllah your duas would really be appreciated.

Shakir

Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Everliving, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.

Hajj

2010-09-15T14:05:00.000+10:00

I once did something which caused me to ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for His forgiveness and ask Him what I could do to earn that forgiveness. I opened the Qur'an and the first verse my eyes saw was one instructing us to go to Hajj in the service of Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

Ever since then, hajj/umrah has been on my mind. My husband was just in Medina for Eid and I was so surprised - everything he made du'a for in the Mosque of our beloved Prophet peace be upon him and his pure progeny, either was fixed or we were provided with a way to fix alhamdulillah subhanAllah. It really makes you realise just how much Allah subhana wa ta'ala is merciful towards us and how much He loves us.

Unfortunately we can't afford it in time for the next hajj but perhaps umrah is something we could do... to be at the mosque of both Allah subhana wa ta'ala and then the mosque of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his pure progeny, and to visit some of the Ahlul Bayt in Jannatul Baqee as husband and wife would be an amazing gift from Allah (SWT).

Du'a Kumayl being recited in Medina, in (I believe) Hajj season:

Questions

2010-09-13T09:28:00.000+10:00

As an Australian, I am finding the current going ons (goings on?) in America very interesting. I usually can't look at some things objectively & from the sidelines but in this I think I can to an extent.

I completely support the idea of Park51, the cultural centre in Manhattan. I also though completely support the right of people to protest against it (because just as they can protest against it, then we can also protest for it). But coming from a point of view that is not American or related to America, I often get a bit confused as to where the so strong anti-Islam sentiment comes from. Is it from the experience of 9/11? I don't know. If a terror attack like 9/11 means that a significant percentage of the population hates/dislikes Islam, then why can that percentage then not understand the feelings of others in the world towards America? But then we can also turn that around too - why can the terrorists post 9/11 not understand a percentage of the American public disliking Islam and Muslims?

I find terrorism disgusting but in all honesty, yes I do know and I am aware of some of the reasons that people would turn to extreme kinds of action. I am not claiming to understand the reasons that a terrorist flies a plane into a building (after all, no one knows his mind except God) or bombs up an abortion clinic, but I will claim to be aware of various contributing factors that made him that way. And I think that these views start with a foundation: one of initial fear, manipulation, then hatred. Which is why, in my personal view, the protests against both the Islamic centre of Park51 and against Islam as a whole are very, very scary. It doesn't take a Muslim to be a terrorist - it takes a single person who hates something so much that he or she is willing to justify their want and desire to kill and/or target a population group.

So I guess I am pretty confused as to what the future of Muslims in America and other Western countries is going to be.

Eid Mubarak!

2010-09-09T19:02:00.001+10:00

Get More Eid Glitters & Image Messages

I'm actually pretty sad that Ramadhan is finished because I know that I could've done more... inshaAllah we will all be able to experience another Ramadhan next year!

Best dream

2010-09-01T20:43:00.001+10:00

Alhamdulillah, today I dreamt (dreamed?) that my husband and I had a baby and we called him Mohammad. We were waiting to hear him say his first words, when he said something that we didn't catch. "What?" we said. Then he repeated: "Allah huma salee Allah Mohammad, wa ala ahlee Mohammad!"

SubhanAllah. My mother in law said that is like our future baby (a boy) being blessed inshaAllah.

*Also, I read a hadith just then that said something along the lines of a bad dream is from Shaytan, but a good dream is from Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

The proper 'excited' post...

2010-09-01T14:55:00.000+10:00

Right, now that I've figured out how to save pictures (thanks Zuhura!!!), here is the REAL "Excited" post.

*****
I have been really lucky in the hijab department lately. I have a bunch of hijabs but it used to be that I'd only wear 1 or 2 of them.... but now, thanks to my hubby and EDB Designs, I am reeling them in! Mwahaha. I love wearing hijab. I'm not going to lie, I hate the dirty looks that come along with it but whatever.

A box from KSA, filled with scarves from my hubby that I received about 2 weeks ago alhamdulillah:

And I just bought these three babies from EDB Designs... note, that is not me in the pics.

Excited!

2010-09-01T13:02:00.000+10:00

Something annoying about mac laptops is that I can't seem to figure out a way to right click onto a photo, e.g. on facebook, and press "save as".

Any ideas?

My first product review! EDB Scarves & Designs

2010-08-30T17:51:00.002+10:00

Assalamu alaykum!
So here we go, my first product review. This blog has always been FAR from fashionable, but I just bought such a beautiful hijab that I thought I'd have to tell you all.

Product: purple hijab from EDB Scarves & Designs, run by Gonul from "Hijabi and the City".
Here is mine!

Pros: the material is beautiful. The inside feels like a Saudi shaylah and the outside has a lovely silk look. It's very light and it would be perfect for summer, but perfect again for layering during winter.
Cons: No serious cons at all, it is stunning! The only thing I can think of is that I prefer quite long hijabs to wrap them around my head twice and this one is better to wrap around just once - but it is completely opaque so nothing is lost there mashaAllah.

Here is how I'll be wearing it, with my al-amira and then the scarf wrapped very loosely as it's still a bit cold in my city right now so I need the extra warmth. Forgive the creases but I didn't even want to iron it I was so excited to wear it lol:

2010-08-25T23:28:00.000+10:00

I was reading Nadia's post on Ramadhan and it got me thinking about the changes I've seen in this month.

As a woman who wears hijab, I essentially wave a flag that says "I'm a Muslim, I'm a Muslim!" There is no way I'm complaining about that, no way. I'll be honest and say that apart from wearing hijab because it is the Sunnah of the notable women in this religion and a command from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala), it is important to me to be identified as a Muslim and alhamdulillah (thanks be to God) I am grateful that God (swt) has given women this opportunity. Lol there was a lecture on the Splendid Sky's blog about a week ago that I just watched and the brother was a little disappointed that he didn't have the opportunity to advertise himself as a Muslim and to have salaams given to him 24/7.

Anyway, during Ramadhan, I've noticed quite a few changes. 1) People are more willing to give you salaams out of the blue. This has happened to me twice just today, once by someone at the petrol station and then with a young woman at uni.

Last night I made new friends, purely because of us gathering together to have iftar. Previously, the people who work in some stores have said their salaams to me.

It makes me wish that every month was Ramadhan.

Quick thought

2010-08-25T01:17:00.001+10:00

I often wonder why it is that Muslims who are a) not 'terrorists' and b) agreeing with the Western, mainstream view are classed as 'moderate' Muslims. This was after reading an article about a Muslim group who opposes the 'ground zero' mosque - the writer called them 'moderate' Muslims. :\

I, myself, would not class myself as a moderate anything. I don't want to be moderate in my faith, I want to be strong in my faith. Similarly, I don't want to be moderate in my love for God, subhana wa ta'ala, nor in my love for my husband, my family or humanity. I am really starting to dislike the idea that we need to be classified as moderate Muslims - after all, as a non-Muslim said to me recently, there are 'extremist' views in not only every religion but in every school of thought, e.g. politics (and I have indeed met people with extremist political views), education, etc. And going in line with that, it makes me dislike even more those ridiculous people who hijack this beautiful religion, whether they claim to be Muslims or not, because that's what has stuffed us up. I don't want to have to apologise for YOUR actions, I don't want to be abused on the street - but I am, because you have left me open to it. I don't want to apologise for your actions but when society expects me to, I have to clean up your mess. I also don't want to have to justify myself to someone who is ignorant and uneducated, but for some reason I need to because, as a Muslim, I hardly have the right to be heard anymore.

I don't want to be an 'extremist', nor do I want to be a 'moderate'. I just want to be a Muslim.

Sisterhood

2010-08-24T20:42:00.000+10:00

I think something that attracts many women to Islam is the strong concept of sisterhood. Sure, in our "regular" lives, we've got friends but there's often not much like the bonds between Muslimas. We understand each other, especially the difficulties of trying to implement one's faith in a non-Muslim society.

Anyway, I've had very lonely iftars lately given that my husband is away. Our university has been having iftars on Tuesday nights and tonight I went along. We prayed together and then my friend & I lined up and had some food. I actually met another Australian convert (woah!) and a few other women which was really lovely. There was a young Christian woman there as well, mashaAllah.

If you are starting to feel a bit lonely in Ramadhan, go out and have iftar with friends, either new ones or old ones inshaAllah.

My favourite nasheed "singer"...

2010-08-20T01:04:00.001+10:00

I first heard this guy in Bahrain, when my father in law played his cassette tape non stop in the car. He then gave it to me and since then it's been pretty much the same with me. His name is Mehdi Al Abodi. I have been told that he is Iraqi, but forgive me if I'm wrong! This guy is a bit of an acquired taste but after a few days of hearing it, it really resonated with me. Maybe because they're not your average nasheeds (you know, the classical music type lol!) and he has a lovely voice, but I find that I identify more with them than other nasheeds.
Anyway, here are a few to listen to. Most are about the Imams or others, like Abbas (AS), the half-brother of Imam Hussain (AS).

Oh p.s. - for all you wives of Qatifis, play your husbands these and see if it takes him back home :)

This is one of my favourites...

And here are some more! MashaAllah this brother is really talented.