Monthly Archives: October 2012

Life, Parenting

Halloween and Islam

, , 2 Comments

Cute Picture From Jannah Steps Blog

I know that a lot of you may be tempted to dress yourself or your kids up for Halloween. However, the majority of scholars have said that Halloween in particular is a celebration that true followers of Islam should not celebrate.  I feel awful because even though I was always a practicing Muslim, I didn’t realize how harmful Halloween was until much later in life. So I decided to write this post to help more Muslims gain awareness about it.  While it may seem harmless to dress up and eat candy on Halloween, here is an excerpt from SuhaibWebb.com.

“The consensus of our scholars have prohibited taking part in the activities or selling the items specifically related to celebrating holidays representing religions other than Islam. This is due to the hadith we mentioned, ‘Whoever imitates or resembles a people is one of them’ (Bukhari)

Among these is Halloween which is an ancient polytheist pagan tradition of Europe that was switched to All Souls day once Roman Catholicism had spread throughout Europe. It gained back its pagan roots with the capitalist venture of profit in those polytheist rituals. The current practices are almost identical to those done by the Polytheist originators of this holiday. If you are truly a follower of the Qur’an and Sunnah – not someone who follows their desires, or someone who simply wishes to fit in even when it compromises their religion – then you will not partake in this holiday.

We must not take part in this celebration. Instead, we should try to organize mosque activities on this night, or try and go somewhere that doesn’t celebrate it, or at least just keep your lights off outside of your house.”

For those of you in the Bay Area, MCC East Bay is planning a nice event called November’s Eve Celebration at Sienna Ranch from 5:30pm-8:30pm. It will be a halal alternative to Halloween replete with s’mores, bon fire, face painting, and henna. Since this is NOT a Halloween event, please don’t come in costume iA.

I hope this post finds all of my East coast readers well and I hope this helps all Muslims decide to do the right thing today iA.

Style

Elevate Your Hijab Style

, , , 1 Comment

20121030-164717.jpg From top left: Rings and bangles from Forever 21. Watch from Michael Kors. Scarf from Uniqlo’s Orla Kiely Collection. Shoes from Tory Burch.

Every day, we typically do the same things over and over again out of habit. This includes hijabis. Hijabi life includes not having to stress about doing our hair, but then we end up neglecting ourselves too.

Don’t fall in a rut sisters!

I remember how when I first starting wearing hijab, I stuck with basic black forever. Then, I was stuck on wearing triangle hijabs. I could literally get ready in a matter of minutes. But I also felt less excitement about getting ready too.

Once I started pushing my comfort zone, I felt like I started to get pep in my step.

Today, it was gray and very gloomy in SF. But I still felt sunshine thanks to special details in my hijab and accessories. It translated to being upbeat at work, getting excited to get home to my daughter, and happy to see my hubby.

So sisters! Make sure you take the time to get out of your own hijabi fashion rut ( if you are in one) and pick some accessories that elevate your daily routine.

Parenting

Why Eid ul Adha Makes Me A Better Parent

, , , , Leave a comment

This post is a little bit late, but I wanted to share my thoughts about this past Eid last week.

Muslims celebrate two holidays. Eid ul Fitr which celebrates the end of Ramadan which is a month of devotion and fasting. And we celebrate Eid ul Adha which honors the sacrifice that Ibrahim (as) was prepared to make.

How many of us would have been willing to sacrifice a child?

In the Quran, Allah (swt) tests Ibrahim (as) by sending a command to sacrifice his son Ismail (as) in a dream. Ibrahim (as) was torn. He was convinced he had to do it, but look at the beauty of the verse in the Quran. In Surah 37 ayah 102:

And when he was old enough to go about and work with him, (one day) Abraham said to him: “My son, I see in my dream that I am slaughtering you. So consider (and tell me) what you think.”

He said: “Do as you are bidden. You will find me, if Allah so wills, among the steadfast.”

While most parents focus on the obedience part of Ismail (as), I noticed that Ibrahim (as) as a parent treated his son as an adult mA. He tells his son about his dream and doesn’t just order that he obeys Allah (swt)’s command, he asks his son “What do you think?”

As a parent, I find it easy to tell my daughter to do something, but it’s a bit more challenging to sit there and explain why.

But in the Quran, it clearly shows that these two Prophets shared a relationship of mutual admiration and trust.

I can only hope that I can aspire to a certain degree of this, but I do know that this particular Eid will always remind me that parenting is not just about ordering your child to do what’s best, but having a real relationship based on mutual trust and affection iA.

I hope you all had a lovely Eid! And please make dua for all of us. I pray that all the Hajjis making their way back have their accepted iA. Stay tuned for fashion tips for curvy hijabis coming soon iA!

Yummy Treats

Breakfast for Moms On the Go

, , , Leave a comment

20121028-095827.jpg

As a mom who works during the workweek, it’s hard to think of easy halal breakfast recipes. We are always on the go!

I told you all how I am trying to stay fit and healthy, so I have to start making a habit of eating a good breakfast. I always skip breakfast which is so bad for you since it slows your metabolism down. Since I started eating breakfast, I noticed that I am more of a morning person now too Alh.

Since my daughter can touch the front range of my stove now, I like breakfasts that don’t require a stove. My reflexes in the morning are terrible, so anything I can do to avoid a mishap is welcome.

Here is my easy breakfast for you:

English Muffin with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pesto

Ingredients:

English muffin
Ready made cream cheese pesto spread
Smoked salmon

1) Toast English muffin.
2) Take out of toaster and spread on cream cheese spread.
3) Top with smoked salmon
4) Enjoy!

I know some readers may find this recipe sort of silly, but for breakfast newbies like me this quick fix was perfect! I just felt like sharing. What are some of your breakfast faves?

Style

Maxi Skirt Steal

, , , Leave a comment

20121025-165211.jpg

We all know that hijabis love maxi skirts as a go to wardrobe staple. But did you know that maxi skirts can transition well for fall weather?

Just make sure to pick a maxi skirt in a nice deep color and pick one up with pleats so it falls in line with the pleated skirt trend.

I pair mine with knee length riding boots and shorter tunic paired with a cool vest.

I love this particular maxi skirt find because it’s lined, long, and who can beat this price? It’s also perfect for petite hijabis who can’t always find long skirts that suit their small frames.

Let me know what you think of this hijabi fashion find. Stay tuned for more exciting fall beauty and fashion posts.

Uncategorized

New Hijab Obsession: Turkish Hijabs

, , , 2 Comments
hijabi with style: Turkish Hijabs

I know a lot of hijabis in the Bay area adore the pashmina hijab look, but I felt like changing up my hijab style to be a little different this fall. My dear friend from Kashmir gave me some very beautiful patterned silk hijabs that I have never had the nerve to wear. 

That all changed once I noticed the Turkish hijab style on my friends’ Pinterest boards!

First, wearing the Turkish hijab style is a lot more polished. No more messy folds! 

Second, it is super easy to pull off if you are a busy Muslim mom on the go. Trust me, I had to wake up 3:30 this morning to catch a 6:00 am flight! Putting this hijab style on took no more than 5 minutes. 

If you are still skeptical, check out this Turkish hijab tutorial by one of my faves, Yaz the Spaz:

And finally, if you have a fuller face, this hijab style helps slim you overall. What woman does not LOVE that?

What is your take on the Turkish hijab style? 

Life

Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Days

, , Leave a comment

20121023-125108.jpg

You know it’s bad when the barista at Starbucks runs out of Tall cups and needs to put your Tall order in another size cup and literally almost reads your mind and puts a sad face on the cup.

We have all had them: bad days. Or as Holly Golightly calls them: the reds.

I am currently having one at the moment and it seems like everything that can go wrong, is going wrong. Today feels like one of those days where I should have stayed in bed. I am having a crazy bad hijab day, work is crazed, items I shipped eons ago still have not gone through, got a ton of rejections for personal projects, etc.

But, I remember that things went a lot worse for most people in the world. Look, the fact I can buy Starbucks or even have food for the day is incredibly lucky. In fact, I need to stop being so sorry for myself and feel blessed that I have so much.

While having a bad day happens to all of us, it’s how you react to that bad day that matters most. And I will make sure to be more grateful on my better days.

And turning to Allah (swt) always helps me too: Allah (God) says: “Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.” Hadith Qudsi.

Perhaps today is the push I needed to take one more step. Until then, I will just weather out the day and be grateful for the little blessings in my life.

Beauty

Perfect Red Lipstick For All Skintones

, , Leave a comment

20121022-165625.jpg

One of the main fall colors when it comes to fashion has been ox blood and other deep jewel tones. But what about your makeup?

One of the best ways for tired moms to look refreshed without putting a lot of effort to their beauty routine is to brighten their lipstick with a bold red color. Just look at how stunning all of the ladies above look!

Now before some of you Islamic minded folks judge me for blogging about beauty, you can always choose to wear lipstick at home for your family instead of outside. In fact, looking nice for your husband seems to be a forgotten art form for busy moms like me, so it’s nice when I do actually make some effort once in a while.

Okay, now that we have that part out of the way, here are my tips and tricks for the perfect red pout:

Choose the Right Shade: Now if you are scared to wear red, just know that there are plenty of flattering shades for any skin tone.

For fair skin, reds with a hint of coral look lovely. Try Revlon’s Super Lustrous lipstick in Fire and Ice.

For medium skin, you are lucky enough to pull off a range of reds. I like the drama of MAC lipstick in Russian Red.

For dark skin, stick with deeper richer tones like a blackberry red. Try MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo.

Prep and Prime Lips: No one likes red lipstick on flaky looking lips. Make sure your lips are smooth and soft by putting on some Vaseline and gently rubbing a clean damp washcloth over your lips. It’s a cost effective way to prep your lips.

Line Your Lips: Lining your lips with a nude lip pencil helps prevent feathering and bleeding. It helps keep your red lip looking clean and neat.

Paint the Red On: For precise application, apply your red lip color with a lip brush.

Keep Your Face Neutral: Even if you are rocking this look at home, let’s keep it tasteful by understating the the rest of your face. Groomed brows, liquid eyeliner and no blush or an understated blush is all you need!

What are your tips for a perfect red lip?

Life

Sisterhood

, 1 Comment

20121021-192150.jpg

The jumbo shrimp skewers at my girl Fay’s birthday BBQ.

I know I wrote about the power of friends in an earlier blog post, but given the fact that women need a support system more now than ever, I wanted to discuss it more in depth.

When you go through a loss in this world, a woman may get some solace and support from her husband, father or brother, but more often than not, the support that keeps her going is her mother, sister, and friends. This is why a lot of Hadith that discusses brotherhood should apply to sisters as well.

When you need a sympathetic ear, who do you turn to besides Allah (swt)? For me, it’s my mother, sister, mother in law, and friends. In fact, I feel like Allah (swt) answers some of my most desperate prayers by compelling my girlfriends to call me when I need it most.

For example, when I was pregnant, I was so far away from my mom but I feel like Allah (swt) brought an angel in the form of my girl Sarah. My friend Sarah was there to hold my hand in labor and called a nurse when I wanted that epidural.

When I first moved to SF, my girl Fay introduced me to all my good friends here mA. She threw my baby shower and listened to me whenever I got home sick.

My girl Sandra always listens to my crazy ideas and encourages me to listen to my heart especially when it comes to Islam.

My girl Farah has been my bestie since I was 13. She introduced me to Sunday school and kept me straight in the deen in my formative years. I feel like our souls must have met before we even met in this world because she knows me so well Alh.

Each one of these remarkable ladies reminds me how lucky the Prophet (saws) was to have his own group of close friends. I mean who else is going to hide in a cave with you when there are assassins chasing you? If you look at the life of the Prophet (saws), you will always find examples that are relevant in your own life.

For me, I am just grateful I got to share good food and good company today. Make sure you thank your own support system today.