who are we?

Salam beautiful readers!

Wow, finally got the chance to sit down and update my blog :) My 11 months son has kept me real busy lately with his walking progress and teething, hamdullilah :) God is Great, life has been awesome.. ohh! and Eid Mubarak.. Hope y'all had an amazing time with family like I did hehe..

So this thought came up to me today.. and I'd like to share it.

You know, not all of us had an amazing past.. some of us had struggles, misguidance, faith issues, identity issues, etc you name it... I know (personally) some people that used to do all kinds of "bad" (insert your own definition of bad here) stuff but hamdullilah Allah gave them a second chance to rejuvenate their faith and start fresh. Allah is super Merciful that He is always in the look out for people that want to go back on the right track, and with His permission, those people receive their hidayah back! Subhanallah..... With sincere intention and repentance, Allah will surely help you.. He will inshAllah forgive and forget :) 

What I'd like to point out here is the idea of repenting to Allah, and why we don't to people.. 

When you repent to Allah, He (inshAllah) forgive your sins, erase that record as if you've never done it, and let you start fresh! But with people, subhanallah we are such an arrogant creature.. we don't forgive easily, we hold grudges and we are stuck in the past.. 

Yes! admit it.. When you see a friend or family who's doing good now, getting closer to Allah and doing all these da'wahs- don't you rewind to their past and remember what they used to do?!

Personally, I've been called a hypocrite just because I disagreed on something I used to do in the past.. This is sad, because I have repented to Allah (which I don't have to make an announcement for) about this "thing" and obviously I won't do it again or agreed on it but people don't understand this.. Being a hypocrite is if I say NO, but really I'M DOING IT WHEN THEY'RE NOT LOOKING..

For some people this is really difficult, because they are remembered from the wrongs they did in the past.. It saddens me to the heart!

Anyho, we shouldn't judge people EVER, behind a story there's always an untold story, and behind a story there's always three perspectives (my story, your story and the truth) so let's be merciful with others. 

Let not the thought of their past clouds your mind when you're with them, because you never know what's behind all that. Don't assume just understand :) Be happy for them and supportive!

Keep calm and be Modest!

xo

 image taken from islamicthinking.info (credit:farhanabas)

Have you?

Have you thanked the Lord for waking up today? :)

image taken from thebeautyofislam.tumblr

stocking up on maxis!

Salaam!!!

I'm a little bit too excited and i know that..

Been addicted to making skirts lately (cuz it's the easiest and i actually use skirts a lot, so there you go!) as you can tell by my posts :))

Yaaa so last week, me and a friend of mine went to fabricland (again).. I went to the clearance section, and I found some really nice material, sheer, flowy and light!! and the price was actually one of the strongest factors why i chose them hahahaha... well, who wouldn't turn down on a $3/meter deal??!! its like 70% off regular price :)) ohhh yes! I'm such a bargain monster :)) anyho! i bought 2 meters in dark purple and 2 meters in khaki colour, the material is I believe mixed fabric! I used 1.5meter of the dark purple to make an a-line skirt!! and the rest I use to make a hijab!! yes!! with $6 i got a maxi skirt and a hijab!! can someone beat that?? :)) below is the picture of the new addition :))

Keep it modest

xo

Do It Ya'self

Salam!

So I always have this obsession with sewing- for the longest time I had the sewing machine, most times I only hem pants with it lol yaaa.. I never really bothered myself to learn more.. but!! hamdullilaaahhh recently I received some "enlightenment" :)) I was inspired by this one lady on youtube, she made it seem sewing is so easy and most of her projects are doable!! so I decided to give it a try!

I had a one meter long material with 115cm width (it's a flimsy material tho, It was quite hard to work with it cuz it was just toooo slippery!) that originally intended to make hijabs.. finally decided to make a skirt out of it..
I followed the instruction of this lady Mimi Goodwin on Youtube! If you're up for some new challenges, make sure you try this one :))

After finish making the skirt, I decided to revamp my plain ol' hijab!! haha.. I had these pompoms that I bought at fabricland last week.. I just couldn't help myself! There's so many cool random things in there lol.. I just gotta have em! I bought 1meter long in black and 2meters long in tosca..
For the DIY pompom hijab, all you need is an old hijab that you get sick&tired of wearing it and an at least 1meter long pompoms.. you just need to stitch them together!! that's it :)) how easy is this DIY program lol
You transform this old hijab into something new!! yay!! no need to buy more hijabs, just keep revamping them :))

Neways, here are some pics for my Do it ya'self products! lol
Hope this post inspires you to revamp old stuff rather than buying new ones :))
Keep it modest!! xo

admiring His creations

  وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ

"Dan tumbuh-tumbuhan dan pohon-pohonan kedua-duanya tunduk kepada-Nya"

"And The Stars/Herbs And The Trees - Both (alike) Prostrate In Adoration"

Surat Ar-Rahman : 6

effortless cheese cup-muffin-cake

 

Salam readers!!!

I have finally found this amazing easy recipe for cheesy cupcake/muffin, it is seriously easy to make and you don't need anything extravagant to make it.. no special ingredients! :)

Here's whatchu need:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup of milk

1 large egg

3 cups of any grated cheese (i used marble cheese)

62ml or 1/4 cup of melted butter

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

a pinch of salt and sugar

12 baking cups

first, you mix all the dry ingredients all together (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar,) and put them in a large bowl

on a smaller bowl, mix melted butter, egg and milk

now you mix the dry ingredients and wet together, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry one.. trust me it'll make the mix nicer and easier to stir after...

after you mix both thoroughly, you will find that the mix is heavy and thick! Yes! it is supposed to be thick and heavy...

Now pour the grated cheese and stir them nicely with a non stick spatula (not with mixer)..

You need to preheat the oven at 190c before putting the cup-muffin-cakes in..

Bake them for about 20-25mins and once they're done, allow them to sit and cool off :)

Enjoy this deliciously effortless cup-muffin-cakes!!

fotografia

just want to share some photographs that i took  :)

Quotation of the day!

muslim moments...

just sharing my favourite muslim moments.. what's yours?

note: all pictures belong to http://themuslimmoments.tumblr.com/

and the list continues..... :))

the so-called profession, BEING A MOM

Salam all!!!

It's good to be back :) Ive been losing track of time which is not good in some cases but hamdullilah I managed..

Praise be to Allah that has entrusted me with a cute little amana, He gave us a son, a wholeround 7 months baby boy that's been the rainbow on my rainy day since september 2011.. hehe I'm a new mom! and YES! that's my new profession, a very honourable profession.

I never thought that being a mom is this TIRING, maybe because I grew up where we always had helpers in the house but NO, I was soooo wrong! Ever since my baby was born, he's always been under my care.. so yah I went thru a whole week without having enough sleep, learning step by step about taking care of the baby and so forth but I'm so grateful that I didn't have to deal with the "baby blues" haha.. I guess cuz my mom was here a week after my baby was born, so she kinda gave me her shoulders to lean on :) Mom's job never ends ya know!

Watching my son grow from day one until now has been a big bliss, tho everything seems to go by so fast but I enjoy every second of it.. every tiredness I went thru is totally worth it.. 

I still remember we were training him how to latch, now he can totally free style the latching haha it's kinda cute, he was so dependent before but now he's starting to discover things and he can do things on his own now.. (like holding his own rice crackers) :) :)

Point is "don't be mean to your mom! treat her like a queen- she deserves it" 

She's been there for us since the day she found out she was pregnant, she carried us for a whole 9 months, she shared her food for (some people) 34 months (9 months of pregnancy and 24 months of breastfeeding), she takes care of us God knows how long.. Her job doesn't stop the day you get married, mom is a mom until the very last breath she has... Be good to her! As it was mentioned in the hadith also that "heaven is on your mom's feet".. :)

Treat your mom some ice cream now,

till then.. take care!!

keep it modest!! <3

The so-called BEAUTY

Have we fall into this kind of society standard? It's not even real!

"THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN BEAUTY"

It's sad isn't it?

"My Body is My OWN Business"

Salam readers,

I came across this article from The Globe and Mail - Tuesday, June 29th 1993 by Naheed Mustafa. I find it very empowering and inspiring, so I'm going to re-post it here.... Enjoy! :)

"My body is my own business" - Naheed Mustafa

I often wonder whether people see me as a radical, fundamentalist Muslim terrorist packing an AK-47 assault rifle inside my jean jacket. Or maybe they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere. I'm not sure which it is.
I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances. You see, I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own private concern.
Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light of its original purpose to give back to women ultimate control of their own bodies.
The Qur'an teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his character.
Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I'm young, Canadian born and raised, university educated - why would I want to do this to myself, they ask.
Strangers speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be playing charades. They politely inquire how I like living in Canada and whether or not the cold bothers me. If I'm in the right mood, it can be very amusing. 

But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?
Because it gives me freedom. 

WOMEN are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness. We feel compelled to pursue abstract notions of beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile.
When women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and contempt. Whether it's women who refuse to wear makeup or to shave their legs, or to expose their bodies, society, both men and women, have trouble dealing with them.
In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it's neither. It is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction.
Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to public scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed.
No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon, whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.
Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is tiring and often humiliating. I should know, I spent my entire teenage years trying to do it. I was a borderline bulimic and spent a lot of money I didn't have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next Cindy Crawford.
The definition of beauty is ever-changing; waivish is good, waivish is bad; athletic is good - sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great. Narrow hips? Too bad.
Women are not going to achieve equality with the right to bear their breasts in public, as some people would like to have you believe. That would only make us party to our own objectification. 

True equality will be when women don't need to display themselves to get attention and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves. 

Take a moment, think about it...

Salam beautiful people!!

Alhamdullilah.. Subhanallahi wabihamdihi... Allahuakbar!

I gave birth to a baby boy on September 26th alhamdullilah everything was normal and natural and went fairly fast.. All my prayers for the last 9 months was granted subhanallah!!! Alhamdullilah, Allah knows best :)

Anyways, this post is not about me and my baby, rather it's about "Hijab"..

Yes! This is a sensitive case for some people (as it was for me back then).. I found this post to be helpful to clarify the "problems" girls face when they are contemplating about wearing hijab.. I used to make excuses just like this but then I realize, it's all in my head... :)

This post is originally from Muhammad Assad's blog

"Excuses Not To Wear Hijab” 

1. “I am still young I've got time.. I'll wear hijab later”

We all think that we still have a long way to go in life, but the truth is nobody knows how long we will live except the One who creates us.. Did you guys know that our decree was written 50,000 years before Allah created the heavens and the earths? The prophet (SAW) said, "Allah had written the ordained measures (and due proportions) of the creation, fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth." [Sahih Muslim]

Anyho, delaying to wear hijab is not an option.. We all know that it is wajib and Allah has ordered us to wear it (not to be oppressed) to be saved from a lot of bad things in this duniya... Plus, it defeats the purpose of wearing it if you chose to wear it when you are "old".. (: (:

2. “I'll wear the hijab later, gotta fix the innerself first”
Trust me on this one... Everything will come together (NICELY) once you started wearing the hijab.. This excuse is just another phrase, it still means that we are delaying. I used to think just like this, knowing myself.. I would never succeed on "fixing the innerself" without wearing the hijab first.. After wearing the hijab, my life came together nicely, I'm more happy than ever and I am much closer to Allah now (Alhamdullilah).. Hijab stops me from doing bad/inappropriate things and always reminds me of Allah Azawajal..
and just like Assad said, "Learning is by doing!" inshAllah (:

3. “Not sure if wearing hijab is wajib (obligatory)”
Yes, wearing hijab is wajib.. It is mentioned in couple surahs in the Holy Qur'an..

In surah An-Noor: 30 "And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed."
And another one..
In surah Al-'Ahzab: 59 "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful."
  
May Allah set our affairs straight, Allahumma Aamiin.. :)

4. “Wearing hijab is hot- literally”
 Okay, so if we think that wearing hijab in the summer is hot then how hot would it be when the sun is right on top of us on the Day of Standing (Yawmul Qiyyamah)- also remember that we will be standing for 50,000 years, or the hotness of hell fire (even worse!!!).. Authubillah..
Surely, we need to think about the bigger picture.. Yes, as a hijabi wearing hijab in the summer can be a challenge but compare to what we will face in the after life, it is smart to bare the hotness in this duniya (at least in this life we still have the chance/choice to be in air conditioned places).. 

5. “My parents don't allow me to wear hijab and I don't want to talk back to them”

This problem is actually quite common here, sadly... I know a girl who really wants to wear hijab but her parents told her that they would disowned her if she wore hijab :( :( May Allah guide her parents, Allahumma aamiin... 

Yes, in Islam- our parents have high status and we are told to obey our parents, however we can only obey them if their orders were based on the teachings of the Qur'an and the sunnah.. Other than that, we are not allowed to obey them.. BUT, we still have to treat them with respect and be nice to them :)

Here in the qur'an, Allah says:
"But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do." Surah Luqman:15

.

6. "My job doesn't allow me to wear hijab, I will get fired if pursue.. OR It will be hard for me to find a job if I wore hijab"

Aha! When I was contemplating to wear the hijab, I was scared of two (silly) things; one- not being able to find a job (cuz at the time I already quit my old job, and in the process of finding a new job, I decided to wear the hijab) and two- being judged by my surroundings. These thoughts were the tricks of shaytan to stop me wearing the hijab, and I almost fell for it.. Alhamdullilah I snapped out of it.

How did I fight this?

Well, Allah never lied to us.. If He says He will help, then HE WILL HELP... and plus provision (rizq) comes from him. If I was decreed to not a get a job after I quit my old job then nothing can stop that, or if I was decreed to be even more successful than before after wearing hijab- nobody knows. So I believed that by obeying his command, He will never let me suffer... Just like He mentions in the qur'an..

".....That is instructed to whoever should believe in Allah and the Last day. And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out.. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent" (At-Talaq:2-3) 

So just like how we believe in Allah (even though He is not seen), we should also believe that His help will come to us when we need it, He is The Most Knowing and Most High- let Him take care of our worries and just focus on our tasks as His creation.

7. “People will judge me based on the hijab”
Yes! People tend to judge hijabis, but it is really none of our problems- it's theirs. How can I say so? Because we know why we wear hijab, and we should be proud of it and walk with it with dignity. Them who don't know, easily speculate things just based on what they see.. Like here for example; when I go out- some people give me "looks" or sometimes they even tell me their opinions about hijab, but you know why they do this? Because they do not know any better.. Here in North America, Islam and the way Muslims live are only portrait by the media and the media (as we all know); like to bash our religion. So people here do not know the real Islam and how we do things, they just believe what the media tell them.

What I'm trying to say is.. "STAND FOR YOUR BELIEVES!" and do not let this thought about people judging stop you from doing your duties to Allah Azawajal (:

"You will never leave something for the sake of Allah, but Allah will give you something better in return" - Musnad Al-Imam Ahmad (5/363)

"...That is instructed to whoever should believe in Allah and the Last day. And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out" At-Talaq:2

8. “I'll wear the hijab later when I know I'm ready  than taking it off halfway ”
"When I'm Ready!" - We will never be ready, it's learning process on the go.. It's like saying, I'll learn the deen in depth when I'm old (old meaning closer to death), it just doesn't work that way.. So wearing the hijab is not a matter of readiness rather it's an obligation that needs to be fulfilled. (This is what I used to think, I always believed that I couldn't change myself so fast to be closer to Him, always told myself I'm not ready..) It's all in the mindset, when you have the pure intention to wear the hijab, everything will come easy your way. Once you stand for Allah's cause, He will be there to support you, inshAllah :)

Is this duniya worth more than the hereafter?

Message from Amena D... :)

I received a beautiful reminder from my best friend's sister and I would like to share it with you guys :)

"We all know that Hajj is coming up- I was actually wondering the importance of the first ten days and what to do, and then I read the following:

"Rasulullah SAW said: 'There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.' The people asked, 'Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah?' He said 'Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing' (Sahih Bukhari)"

I always wondered what to do in these ten days and couldn't figure out why my mother would fast, or why people would fast. But then honestly since these ten days are so great, and the days are so short, fasting for Allah would be something we can all do and get so many deeds for it... 

Fast 9 days and especially fast the day of Arafah; Rasulullah SAW said 'Anyone who fasts for one days for Allah's pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from Jahannam for 70 years' (Sahih Bukhari)- And as we all know, 9th of Dhul-Hijjah is the day of Arafat-- That day alone has its own blessings! Rasullulah SAW said 'Fasting the day of Arafat is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year' (Sahih Muslim)"

Let's maximize this precious 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah to score some massive deeds!!! (InshAllah Khair)

(:

Self-Reminder

Independent Thinker.. Are you?

Comfort....

corally love

What is the actual meaning of "Allahhumma innaka affuwun tuhhibul afwa fa'fuanni"

Salam Beautiful People!

I just want to share a link that my friend gave me, I found it very useful. Since we are already on the last days of Ramadhan, this video will also help us prepare for Laylatul Qadr..

Click Here To Watch Video

Quotation of the week!