My Search for Inner Peace and Happiness..

For Candice.

2010-07-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's Candice! I am changing my information (including email and blog) so I have started a new blog. It is:
http://www.facebook.com/l/d19afj8o67Y4yrHVazb2FTxhKcA;exploringmuslimah.blogspot.com
If anyone was a follower on my other blog, you can find me here. I will be double posting for a while and at some point will close down Exploring Life and Islam for good and will only have this new one open. I really appreciate anyone who reads so please continue to follow me at my new blog!

Hijab is not just a piece of cloth on your head

2010-05-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hijab is not a piece of cloth on your head

Hijaab is the way you Talk…..the way you Walk…. Hijaab is an attitude in itself..... Its a whole way of life.

Allaah says:

“And say to the believing women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty (zeenah) except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you believers, in order that you are successful.” (Surat-un-Nur: 31).

If you look carefully at the ayah, it clearly states that the head covers (khumur) should be drawn over the neck slits (juyoob). Khumur is the plural of the Arabic word “khimar” which means a headcover. Juyoob is the plural of the Arabic word “jaiyb” ,which refers to the neck slit (of the dress).

Al-Qurtubi said:

“Women in those days used to cover their heads with the khimar, throwing its ends upon their backs. This left the neck and the upper part of the chest bare, along with the ears. Then Allah commanded them to cover those parts with the khimar.”

8812881388158817
tight jeans and short shirt just don’t cut it

You can’t wear tight jeans and a short shirt with a piece of cloth on your head and think this is Hijaab. Nor can you wear anything else that is tight, describing the shape of the body in any way, even if it is long. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“In later (generations) of my ummah there will be women who will be dressed but naked. On top of their heads (what looks) like camel humps. They will not enter into paradise or (even) get a smell of it.” (Muslim)

If it is see-through, its NOT Hijaab
You CANNOT use chiffon or other see through material to cover your hair and body. Everything should be covered and the color of the skin underneath should not be visible.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) once received a thick garment as a gift. He gave it to Osamah b. Zayd, who in turn gave it to his wife. When asked by the Prophet why he did not wear it, Osamah indicated that he gave it to his wife. The Prophet then said to Osamah “ask her to use a “gholalah” under it (the garment) for I fear that it (the garment) may describe the size of her bones.” (Ahmad, Abi-Dawood)

(The word gholalah in Arabic means a thick fabric worn under the dress to prevent it from describing the shape of the body).
The Hijaab shouldn’t attract attention
The dress should not be such that it attracts men’s attention to the woman’s beauty. Allaah clearly states “not to display their beauty (zeenah).” Yet, Subhaan Allaah, some Hijaabi sisters are dressed in such a way that they attract more attention to themselves than they would if they didn’t wear Hijaab!! How could such zeenah be concealed if the dress is designed in a way that it attracts men’s eyes to the woman? It beats the purpose of Hijaab.
Allaah tells us:

“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance…” [al-Ahzaab:32]

What about make-up and perfume???
Wearing make up is also part of the zeenah that Allaah orders us NOT to display. So if your head and body are appropriately covered yet you are wearing bright red lipstick or dark eyeliner such that people confuse between you and a raccoon….uh sorry, that’s not Hijaab. And keep those nice fragrances for the home, between you and your husband. That’s part of Hijaab too, even if you are going to the Masjid.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.” (al-Nasaa’i, Tirmidhi: hasan by Albaani)

Tinkling Jewelry and Jingling bracelets
‘Loud’ and tinkling anything, be it jewelry, bracelets, clip-clopping shoes, little bells on clothes, you name it, if it jingles or makes noise, it is against the principles of Hijaab, because it attracts attention to the one wearing it.
That is what is meant when Allaah orders us in the above verse…

“not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments.”

No laughing, joking, or hanging out with non-Mahrams
Some sisters assume that since they are properly covered, its okay for them to sit around and talk, laugh, joke, etc. with the men, but that’s not right, even if he is ‘the Shaikh’. Allaah says:

“. . . then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable manner.” [al-Ahzaab:32]

So talk to them when there is a specific need, and in a manner that is not necessarily rude, yet it is polite but firm.
Staring at the brothers or ‘checking them out’ is NOT Hijaab
Allaah orders us to “lower your gaze” in the above verse. Why? Because a single ‘look’ can say more than a thousand words. So, even if you are properly covered, keep those eyes down, conduct yourself with ‘Hayaa’, and avoid ‘fitnah’
‘Chatting’ on the internet/phone is not part of Hijaab, either
There is no such thing as “we’re just friends”. Talking to non-Mahrams is wrong even if it is through the internet or telephone. There are too many stories of illegal relationships, fornications, broken homes, extra-marital affairs and runaway brides to even mention. That is why in Islam anything that leads to haraam is also haraam. Allaah says:

“Do not (even) come close to fornication, for it is an indecency, and its way is evil.” (Surah Israa:32)

Be careful, even in the way you walk
Remember, you are not a runway model displaying the latest fashion. Walk with modesty and hayaa and you will be respected. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“There are two types of the people of Hell that I have not seen yet….women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait…..” (Muslim).

Don’t shake hands with non-Mahrams. Its part of Hijaab
It is not permissible to shake hands with a non-Mahram, because the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.” (at-Tabaraani saheeh by al-Albaani).

And no, it is not rude to refuse to shake hands with non-Muslims. Simply politely explain that its part of your religion and they are very understanding.
Stay away from the men’s areas
I see many sisters entering the Masjid from the men’s entrance, or standing idle in the hallways or where there is a chance of unnecessary mixing with the brothers. What for?
Don’t we have a separate entrance for ourselves? Why do you think Allaah ordained the Hijaab in the first place? To avoid fitnah, by reducing temptation and separating the genders.

“The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said to the women on his way out of the mosque when he saw men and women mixing together on their way home: ‘Give way (i.e., walk to the sides) as it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle the road.’ Thereafter, women would walk so close to the wall that their dresses would get caught on it.” (Abu Dawood)

Hijaab is also to conceal your sister
Although some sisters wear the Hijaab themselves, they forget that they cannot talk about another sister and her beauty in front of their own husbands, brothers, etc. Remember, part of your Hijaab is to cover your sisters ‘awrah’ as well.
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“No woman should mix with a woman and describe her to her husband so that it is as if he can see her.” (Muslim)

Allah humma salli ala muhammadin wa ala aali muhammadin kama salaita
ala Ibraheema wa ala aali Ibraheema inna ka hameed um majeed.

Allah hummabarik ala muhammadin wa ala aali muhammadin kamabarakta ala
Ibraheema wa alaaali Ibraheema innaq ka hameed um majeed.

Aren’t you hot in that?

2010-04-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Aren’t you hot in that?

Ramadan's message anything but radical

2010-04-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ramadan's message anything but radical

Nothin much....

2010-04-16T09:46:00.001-07:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Hi everyone.. I am sory that I have not writen much..it's for a few reasons... one being that working 4 days a week and coming home to a LOT of housewok has made me exhausted. The othr is..I am jsut in too much pain to talk about it.

Baby girl turned one Masha'Allah and my Children are the light of my life , Al hamdullilah.

Lovin my Job..

Missing my Grammy... a lot...
Missing my freinds... A lot...
Missing swimming a lot...
Missing the forest A lot...
Missing rivers too much....

So ya..just praying and trying to be patient and have Sabr... keep us in ur Duaas plz...
Chokran...

oh and discovered Maher Zain.... good music...

;)
Salams

Wife Abuse in the Muslim Community

2010-04-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wife Abuse in the Muslim Community
by Kamran Memon

Wife abuse has hurt many Muslim women, destroyed many Muslim families, and weakened the entire Muslim community. How much longer can Muslims afford to look the other way?

"And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and he has put love and mercy between your (hearts)..." Qu'ran 30:21

"I recommend that you treat women with goodness. The best of you are those who treat their wives the best." Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)

While North American Muslims loudly protest the widely-documented Serbian abuse of Muslim women in Bosnia, the abuse of many Muslim women at the hands of their own husbands in North America is hidden and ignored by the community.

Domestic violence is the single major cause of injury to women in America. "Nearly one quarter of women in the United States - more than 12 million- will be abused by a current or former partner some time during their lives," according to the American Medical Association; and, despite Islamic teachings of justice and compassion, many Muslim women in the United States and Canada are no exception.

Based on information from Muslim leaders, social workers, and activists in North America, the North American Council for Muslim Women says that approximately 10 percent of Muslim women are abused emotionally, physically, and sexually by their Muslim husbands. (There are no hard numbers, because community leaders haven't taken the well-known problem seriously enough to research.)

Wife-abuse, which stretches across all ethnic, racial, educational, and socio-economic lines in the Muslim community, results in severe emotional and physical pain for many Muslim women, a stacking up of sins for many Muslim men, and many weak, unhappy Muslim families that fail to contribute adequately to the development of the Muslim community and the rest of North American society.

Despite the severity of the problem, the Muslim community has largely closed its eyes and devoted very few resources to helping the victims and stopping the abusers.

This is doubly unfortunate because family violence is one of America's most critical health problems (according to the American Medical Association and the U.S. Surgeon General), and Islamic leadership is needed to deal with this crisis; but Muslims are clearly in no moral position to lead society because they commit and tolerate abuse within their own community.

FORMS OF ABUSE OF MUSLIM WOMEN

"Domestic violence is an ongoing, debilitating experience of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse in the home," says the American Medical Association.

Although Islam promises women protection from such problems, the reality in many Muslim homes is different.

The most common form of abuse is emotional and mental abuse. In Muslim homes, this includes verbal threats to divorce the wife, to remarry, or to take the kids away if she does not do exactly as she is told; intimidation and threats of harm; degradation, humiliation, insults, ridicule, name-calling, and criticism; false accusations and blaming her for everything; ignoring, dismissing, or ridiculing her needs; neglect and the silent treatment; spying on her; telling her she is a failure and will go to hell; twisting Islamic teachings to make her feel worthless because she is a woman; restricting her access to transportation, health care, food, clothing, money, friends, or social services; physical and social isolation; extreme jealousy and possessiveness; lying, breaking promises, destroying trust; etc. Emotional abuse can take place in public or at home.

Although it's completely contrary to the example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the Muslim community nonetheless tends to dismiss the seriousness of mental abuse, rationalizing it as a petty argument between husband and wife, and saying it's not serious unless he hits her. In reality, mental abuse does severe psychological harm to many Muslim women. It destroys their self-esteem and makes them question their self-worth; some have mental breakdowns and go insane.

Furthermore, psychological abuse can lead to physical abuse.

Physical abuse includes pushing, shoving, choking, slapping, punching, kicking, and beating; assault with a weapon; tying up; refusing to help her when she is sick or injured; physically throwing her out of the house; etc. Physical abuse escalates in frequency and severity.

The third form of abuse is sexual abuse, involving forced, violent sex. For example, a wife may not want to have sex for health reasons, but the husband may force her anyway.

These three forms of abuse are usually related and occur of a long period of time. Muslim men, just like non-Muslims, often start with mental abuse and work their way up. Muslim women need to recognize the signs of escalating abuse.

WHY DO SOME MUSLIM MEN ABUSE THEIR WIVES?

There are a number of factors that make many Muslim men abusive.

Abusers are often part of a cycle, picking up the habit after watching their own fathers abuse their mothers in North America or in Muslim countries. And their own children learn this abusive behavior and abuse their wives. (This is an important point because the longer the Muslim community tolerates abuse, the longer it will be passed on from father to son, from generation to generation.)

For cultural reasons, some Muslim men accept the idea that it's normal for a man to hit his wife and that she is no more than a piece of his property.

Some Muslim husbands abuse their wives as a result of frustration resulting from economic hardship, political oppression experienced outside the U.S., problems with the children, or an inferiority complex.

Some abuse their wives because they want them to be more "modern" and less Islamic by removing their hijab (Islamic dress), while others are abusive because they want the opposite.

Some Muslims with superficial ties to Islam don't know that abuse is unacceptable due to their weak faith, poor Islamic knowledge, and lack of interaction with the Muslim community.

Tragically, some Muslim men actually use Islam to "justify" their abusive behavior. Focusing on rituals, considering themselves to be Islamically knowledgeable, and disregarding the spirit of Islam, they wrongly use the Qur'anic verse that says men are the protectors and maintainers of women to go on power trips, demand total obedience, and order their wives around. They disregard the Islamic requirement for the head of the household to consult with other members of the family when making decisions.

Then, if their wives dare to speak up or question their orders, these men misinterpret a Qur'anic verse that talks about how to treat a disobedient wife and use it as a license for abuse.

In reality, the Qur'an and Sunnah provide clear instructions on what procedures a husband must use in conflict situations where the husband is innocent and the wife is rebellious and at fault. The first step is a peaceful discussion between the two of them about the problem and solutions. This is intended to soften hearts and eliminate misunderstandings. If this doesn't work, the next step is for the husband to tell his wife his expectations in a firm, decisive manner. If the rebelliousness and disobedience continues, the husband is supposed to leave the bed, which is really a punishment for both of them for not being able to resolve their differences. If that fails to solve the problem, representatives of both sides meet to try and arbitrate. As a last resort, if he thinks it will prevent divorce by letting the wife know how serious he is, the husband can use a light slap on the hand or shoulder but not on any other part of the body, and it shouldn't leave a mark or scar. Anything beyond this is Islamically prohibited.

This procedure is to be followed _only_ when the wife is the cause of a serious problem and the husband is innocent, compassionate, and well-behaved. If the husband is the cause of the problem, he has _no right_ to do any of this.

Unfortunately, Muslim wives often accept un-Islamic treatment from their husbands because they don't know their Islamic rights, and they don't realize their husbands are crossing the Islamic line.

Abusive men are completely disregarding the Islamic teachings of kindness, mercy, gentleness, and forgiveness, just as they are disregarding the example of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who never hit a woman and was extremely gentle and compassionate with his family.

WHY IS HELP SO SCARCE?

One problem is that many Muslims don't want to get involved in the "private" family affairs of other Muslims. Rather than enjoining good and forbidding evil, rather than trying to stop abuse in a friend's or neighbor's family by offering to mediate between the husband and wife or by encouraging them to speak to Muslim counsellors, many irresponsible Muslims close their eyes and pretend they don't know there's a problem. So the abuse goes on.

Another reason why abuse isn't stopped is that many abused Muslim women simply don't seek out help. They're afraid that if their situation becomes public they will lose their privacy because Muslims gossip so much, and they fear the abusers will become more hostile when the negative publicity gets back to them. Furthermore, many abused Muslim women remain silent because they lack confidence in themselves and believe that they somehow deserve the abuse. Abused Muslim women also keep quiet out of a feeling of hopelessness and a belief that no one will help them, out of financial dependence on their husbands, out of a desire to keep homes together for the children's sake, or out of love for the abusive husbands. Other Muslim women accept the abuse as a fact of life and learn to live with it.

Of those who reach a breaking point and seek help, many Muslim women turn to imams but often find them unhelpful. Imams often tell these women to be patient and pray for the abuse to end. Some imams make the abused Muslim women feel guilty, telling them they have brought the abuse upon themselves and instructing them to go home and please their husbands. Other imams, who are sincerely but mistakenly misinterpreting Islam by putting the importance of family privacy above any harm that might come to the individual woman, tell the women it is wrong for them to discuss their problems with anyone other than their husbands. The imams's reactions stem from ignorance, cowardice, or friend-ship or blood relationship with the abusive husbands. Relatively few imams have had the wisdom and courage to tackle the problem head-on. As a result of this, many abused women don't bother turning to imams for help.

Looking for other sources of help, many abused Muslim women have turned to relatives only to be told to accept the abuse because making a big deal out of it could hurt the relatives' family honor and reputation.

Finding many imams and relatives to be more cruel than Islamic, abused Muslim women often turn to Muslim female activists and Muslim women's organizations for help. While these activists are often untrained in crisis intervention, they are getting the abused women out of their houses and hiding them until Muslim men can be sent to try to reason with the husbands. They often collect money from other women to give to the abused women until it's safe for them to go back home. When continued attempts to salvage the marriages have proven futile, these activists counsel the abused women on how to get out of their marriages.

As for national Islamic organizations, most have largely ignored the issue of wife abuse, neglecting to highlight the problem and solutions during national conferences or to devote resources to helping abused Muslim women.

Overall, the services provided by the Muslim community for abused Muslim women take care of one-quarter of the need, according to Muslim activists.

Because the Muslim community often leaves them to suffer, many abused Muslim women turn to shelters run by non-Muslims for help. (Seeing abused Muslim women at shelters leaves non-Muslim social workers with an ugly picture of Islam. As far as many of them are concerned, Islam is no more just and compassionate than Christianity or Judaism because the Muslim community tolerates wife abuse too. Going to a non-Muslim shelter can result social workers taking children away from troubled Muslim homes if they think it is better for them to be in a more stable environment, which often ends up being a non-Muslim home.)

Many women go even further, leaving Islam altogether because the Muslim community fails to live up to the Islamic promise of protection, brotherhood, and sisterhood.

THE COMMUNITY'S ROLE

The Muslim community has clearly failed in its obligations to protect many Muslim women and to bring many cruel Muslim men to justice. The community needs to deal much more effectively with wife abuse in order to stop the immediate suffering of people in abusive situations and to help build healthy Muslim families.

First, the community must accept the fact that there is a problem and that it doesn't know how to deal with it.

Then a core group of trusted, active Muslim men and women in each North American city, who are committed to ending wife abuse in the Muslim community and to strengthening Muslim families, must become knowledgeable about Islamic guidelines on the family and be trained in crisis intervention and counseling. (Unfortunately, some community "leaders" will be too ignorant or arrogant to seek such training; but they must not be allowed to get in the way.)

Since there aren't yet many Muslims qualified to teach crisis intervention and counseling, several Muslim women throughout North America have started learning these techniques from non-Muslim social service agencies (listed in the phone book under wife abuse, domestic violence, or crisis intervention). Other Muslim women and men need to follow suit. Whatever they learn from these agencies should be cast in the light of their Islamic knowledge of properly functioning Muslim families.

Once they know what they're doing, members of core groups across the continent should recruit and train others in their communities in crisis intervention and the Islamic perspective on the family. There should be a network of at least 100 trained counselors in every major North American city.

A list of trained Muslims and their phone numbers (or one Muslim hotline number) should be circulated throughout the community in each city so that abused women know whom they can turn to for meaningful help.

(Most of women approaching the network initially will be physically abused Muslims. Victims of mental abuse will less likely to reach out at first because many have become accustomed to the abuse and accept it as a way of life. But educational programs at community gatherings -- explaining what Islamic family life should be like and explaining that there is help available for abused women -- will let emotionally abused Muslim women know they have a way to stop the pain.)

These trained Muslims should give abused women shelter (at people's homes or at community facilities, such as a rented apartment) for periods ranging from several days to several months depending on the extent of the abuse, while counseling them.

(Beyond this, taking into account the fact that many Muslim women will still turn to non-Muslim shelters because they don't want to deal with the Muslim community or because the community program is not big enough to help them, the Muslim community should sensitize people running non-Muslim shelters to the particular needs of Muslim women; and trained Muslims should visit the shelters regularly and constantly remind shelter operators that they are available to help whenever a Muslim woman comes in.)

While caring for the abused women, the trained Muslims should counsel the abusers separately, making them aware of the reasons they abuse, of the fact that their actions are truly harming their wives, that such behavior is completely un-Islamic, and that God will hold them accountable.

After separate counselling, the next step would be joint counselling for the husband and wife, and then counselling for the entire family. The objective should be to heal the family, but divorce may be necessary.

Another option, that some Muslims in New York have tried, is to punish Muslim men for their abusive actions. A "security force" warns, and then beats up, if necessary, Muslim men who continue beating their wives. Usually the abusers get the message; this is the only language many of them understand. Some men have to be beaten before they wake up and are ready to listen to rational, Islamic arguments.

Police and psychiatrists may have to be involved in severe cases of chronic abuse.

Community education is an indispensable factor on top of all this. Starting today, throughout the process outlined above, community leaders and other concerned Muslims need to educate people -- about the problem and about efforts to help victims and prevent future abuse -- through Friday khutbahs (sermons), educational seminars, and workshops. These educational programs can themselves reduce abuse by letting people know the community isn't going to tolerate it anymore. the community isn't going to tolerate if anymore.

Furthermore, the community needs to establish classes to teach Muslim men, young and old, how to be proper husbands and fathers and to teach Muslim women, young and old, how to be proper wives and mothers. Many Muslims don't know their rights and obligations in these roles.

In addition, in order to prevent future family problems, parents and community leaders must teach children and young adults to be compassionate, to value the family, and to resolve problems in an Islamic, non-violent manner.

It's also important for Muslims to go into field like psychiatry, women's issues law, social work, and counselling.

No Muslim community in any North American city has taken all these steps. Unfortunately, the entire plan could take years to implement. (Of course, that makes it all the more necessary to start immediately.) But when theses steps are taken, abuse should decrease if not stop in the Muslim community, according to Muslim social workers and activists.

If, once all these steps are taken, there are more abused Muslim women in specific communities than these networks can adequately help, then Muslims should establish good quality, properly staffed, and well funded Muslim shelters. Many communities may not need to go this far, but some may.

DO YOU REALLY CARE?

It sounds like a lot of work, but the problem is serious enough to warrant a lot of work. The Muslim community has shamefully tolerated abuse for a long time. How much longer will Muslim families (and therefore the Muslim community) be weakened by abuse? How much longer will abusers be allowed to run free and unpunished in the community? How much more abuse will Muslim women have to endure before the community decides that enough is enough?

All copyrights held by respective owners.
The rest © Jannah.Org :: Islam The Eternal Path to Peace :: Islamic Articles

Just something I wish to share...

2010-03-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

I will write another blog Incha'Allah, after this one but I wanted to share a blog that I found that is very important one. Incha'Allah it will help those who read this in there hardships.

RSS
Jul 10, 2009
"Verily, After Hardship Comes Ease"
Posted by Mudassir Bashir at 3:24 PM Labels: Fact
At a time in which the Muslims are beset with trials from every periphery, it is a time when Muslims should continue being Muslims, only better Muslims. I would say to my dear brothers and sisters in Islam "don’t be Sad"; if you are on the true religion – believing in One God and all the Messengers sent to mankind, then don’t be sad.

"...Bear with patience whatever befalls you...." (Qur'an 31:17) and "Be not sad, surely Allah is with us." (Qur'an 9:40)

Our Prophet (pbuh) said: "Verily, if Allah loves a people, He makes them go through trials. Whoever is satisfied, for him is contentment, and whoever is angry upon him is wrath." [Tirmidhi]

Being sad is not encouraged in Islam

"So do not become weak, nor be sad..." (Qur'an 3:139)
"And grieve not over them, and be not distressed because of what they plot." (Qur'an 16:127)

Sadness prevents one from action instead of compelling one towards it. The heart does not benefit through grief. The most beloved thing to the devil is to hinder the worshipper in the path of Allah. The Muslim must repel sadness and fight in any way that is permissible in Islam.

Allah is sufficient for us

"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (Qur'an 3:173-174)

"And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (Qur'an 5:23)
"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (Qur'an 2:153)

By leaving your affairs to Allah by depending on Him, by trusting in His promise, by being pleased with His decree, by thinking favourably of Him, and by waiting patiently for His help, you reap some of the greater fruits of faith. When you incorporate these qualities, you will be at peace concerning the future, because you will depend on your Lord for everything. As a result, you will find care, help, protection and victory.

Pre-ordainment

"No calamity befalls on earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees – before We bring it into existence." (Qur'an 57:22)

The pen has dried, and the pages have been lifted: all events shall come to pass have already been written. Whatever has befallen you was not meant to escape you, and whatever has escaped you was not meant to befall you: if this belief were to be firmly ingrained in your heart, then all hardships and difficulty would become ease and comfort.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whoever Allah wishes good for, He inflicts him (with hardship)." [Bukhari]

For those who are afflicted with disaster, glad tidings await them: so remain patient and happy with your Lord. "He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned." (Qur'an 21:23)

Verily, with hardship, there is relief

"Verily, with hardship there is relief" (Qur'an 94:6)
"Perhaps Allah may bring victory or a decision according to His Will." (Qur'an 5:52)

Prophet Ibrahim ('alayhissalam) did not feel its heat because of the help he received from Allah. "We (Allah) said : O' fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim." (Qur'an 21:69)

The sea would not drown Prophet Moses ('alayhissalaam) because he uttered in confident, strong and truthful manner: "Nay verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me." (Qur'an 26:62)
And the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (radiyallahu 'anhu): "..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity... And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship." [Tirmidhi]

Accept life as it is

If you read the Qur'an you will see that all the Prophets went through trials and tribulations. Life is a test so let us learn from the best examples of our Prophets. "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty, ailments and were shaken." (Qur'an 2:214)

We should know that if we are pleased with our Lord, He will be pleased with us. And if you are pleased with your Lord no matter what the situation is, then you will find that you have earned your Lord's pleasure. On the other hand, there are hypocrites whom Allah rejects their deeds. They are displeased with what Allah sends down and they hate seeking His pleasure; thus their deeds are performed in vain.

Your recompense is with Allah

When Allah, the Exalted takes something away from you, He compensates it with something better, but only if you are patient and seek His reward.
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever loses a loved one from the people of this world and then seeks recompense with his Lord, will be compensated with Paradise."

Those who are in this world and are close to Allah will be raised in the highest of heaven: "Peace be upon you, because you peresevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!" (Qur'an 13:24)

Truly, the life of this world is short and its treasures are few. O' afflicted ones, if you are patient you lose nothing; and though you may not perceive it, you are profiting.
Extract honey but do not break the hive

"Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a close friend." (Qur'an 41:34)
"….and harm them not. And put your trust in Allah." (Qur'an 33:48)

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Verily, Allah ordered me to keep relations with those that cut off, forgive the ones who does an injustice with me, and to give to those who withhold from me."

"Those who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves the good-doers." (Qur'an 3-134)

Remembrance of Allah

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Qur'an 13:28)
"Therefore remember Me and I will remember you…" (Qur'an 2:152)

We should not be surprised when we hear that people who remember Allah are at peace. What is truly surprising is how the negligent and unmindful survive without remembering Him. Allah says in the Qur'an, "They are dead, lifeless and they know not when they will be raised up." (Qur'an 16: 21)

Truly, He is near when supplicated: He hears when he is called and He answers when He is invoked, so humble yourself before Him and ask of Him sincerely. Repeat His beautiful names, and mention Him alone as worthy of worship. Mention His praises, supplicate to Him: you will find then – by the will of Allah – happiness, peace and illumination. “So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 3:148)

Loving Allah, knowing Him, remembering Him, seeking peace in Him, singling Him out for complete love, fear, hope and dependence – these qualities when combined in a person, constitute a sort of heaven on earth.

These are qualities that bring peace to those who love Allah, a sort of peace that has no comparison in this world.It is important that a special relationship exists in the heart between the slave and his Lord, a relationship that allows the slave to feel so close to his Lord that he requires no other.

Thus, he finds company when he is alone, and he tastes the sweetness of remembering Him and supplicating to Him. Allah's slave will continually face hardship and difficulty until he dies, but if he has a special relationship with his Lord, all of the hardships of life will become easy for him.

The prayer….the prayer – we must return to our mosques

"O' you who believe! Seek help in patience and the Prayer." (Qur'an 2:153)

By earnestly performing the five daily prayers, we achieve the greatest of blessings: cleared off our sins and increase in rank with our Lord. Prayer is a potent remedy for our sickness, for it instills our faith in our souls.

As for those that keep away from the mosque and away from prayer, for them is unhappiness, wretchedness and an embittered life.

"For them is destruction and Allah will make their deeds vain." (Qur'an 47:8)

Take a moment to reflect

O whose mind has wandered in grief, O' you whose eyes are loaded with tears; relax and know that your Creator aids, and that His mercy will bring you peace. And know that your reward is secure with He Who doesn’t disappoint the one who seeks to please Him. Be at peace, for after poverty comes joyous meeting, and after sleeplessness comes sound rest. O you who are oppressed in the lands, who suffer from hunger, pain, sickness and poverty, rejoice in the knowledge that you will soon be satisfied with food and that you will be happy and in good health.

Let us make these supplications, their purpose being to eliminate hardship, anxiety and grief:

"There is no worthy of worship except Allah, the Ever Forbearing, the Most Great. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. There is none worthy of worship One Who sustains and protects all that exists, there is none worthy of worship except You, and by Your Mercy do we seek Your aid."
"So be patient, with a good patience..." (Qur'an 70:5)

Read more: http://mudassirsworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/verily-after-hardship-comes-ease.html#ixzz0ioPAdsrZ

The Countdown is winding down....

2010-03-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu!

Happy Sunday to everyone ! Incha'Allah, you are all well and high in Imaan. :)

So sorry that I have not written in a week! Time flies sisters!

Yeah..So I am writing this with 15 hours left until back to work! Back to booking appointments, listening to patients complaints...being bossed around by a buncha nurses :) Al hamdullilah. I am excited and a bit scared...not of the job..but getting home at 5 something and having to take care of Jennah..and getting supper for the rest... hoping the teenagers will step up and help more...Incha'Allah.

This week was beautiful masha'Allah. Spring is in the air ! everyday was sunny and I got a lot of walks in...and clothes hung out on the line. I love the smell of clothes dried outside ! I did a lot of spring cleaning..which actually was not cleaning but rather finally organizing my important papers and bills from the past 10 years +. I was so overwhelmed, being a single working mom...taking care of my sick brother...waiting for my husband and trying to be a good new convert. I even traveled like almost 2 hours to work and same back most of this time. Sometimes in a car that didn't even have a heater. ( I would start the car..drive slowly another 25 minuted until I reached the Tim Horton;s and got a coffee there, which I held in my hand to defrost the windshield..with mittens on and hood over my head ! ) So opening letters and dealing with bills that I couldn't pay anyway..things just piled up and up and UP. At least I shoved them in one big box..well actually 3 big boxes lol. Anyway it's not quite done..but it's getting there. And yesterday the hubby cleaned out my closet and organized things. Al hamdulillah. I still have those hijabs to take care of but my funds are lacking at the moment, so the baskets I have on the shelf are just gonna have to be re-organized as neat as I can. I have decided on one of two choices. My first one is the cloth hanging shelves with drawers in.. would be super easy to reach and less on the floor.. or option # 2 would be plastic drawers, which would be places on the floor of my closet taking up space, but at least my shelf on top where the baskets are now will be free.. free for I dunno what! lol

The baby has been extra clingy too, not sure if it's cause of teething or that she can sense there is a change coming. She is used to going to daycare now so it will not be a change for her really. She is just so adorable and loving with the right amount of...lets say "spice" . haha the Arab part of her I say...

I've also been in touch with work this week.. getting some things settled. I had been working there over a year and they didn't yet have my name on my office door... so I asked for this... Said well, if u still wanna can me..then let me know instead of having me keep thinking its gonna happen cause I don;t have my name on the door lol In all fairness the person in charge was on mat leave when I started working so.. anyway she said she would get on that ! I don;t think I will be getting my same desk back. but that's ok...I mean the other secretary has been there for like I duno 15 years ! lol She was away on sick leave while I was working too, so I will be getting to work with her.I hear she is super funny and nice...another mommy for me hehe. There is a nurse's aid that works with us and I call her mommy Joanne.
Also I will be wearing a jelaba on my first day back! I wonder how that's gonna go? oh well best they get used to it lol

The worst thing about me going back to work is not being able to "hang" with my friend, Michele...whom I lovingly call Shelli. Masha'Allah..
just read her blog.. masha'allah. It's another reason I have not been writing...I'm sad :( Incha'ALlah we can still keep in touch. I really dunno what I would do without her to set me straight when my stupid brain starts acting up. or cheer me up when I have nothing to be cheerful about..or her Islamic advice and our supporting of each other with our arab husbands :) Most of all sharing our babies life together. I wish that I had the cash to go visit her again. Incha'Allah soon.
Here is the blog.. still no idea how to post a link properly..this blogger thing has changes so ur gonna have to paste and copy in ur browser ;)

http://insanemuslimahlife.blogspot.com/2010/03/to-wonderful-yet-selfish-cause-she-is.html

Anyways..I loves her much !! Allah blessed me to have you in my life sis :)
Aw man..now I am crying again... happy pills are not working !! lol

ok changing subject before I start blubbering so much I can't stop lol

other day..was walking with baby on sidewalk.. now I usually get stares or people "peeking" at me. Or maybe the usual ignore when I smile at someone passing me on the sidewalk. ( my daughter, Sarah, says I should stick my tongue out at them lol) anyhow... lotsa cars go by on this road and one lady was sooooo engrossed with the hijabi on the sidewalk that she did not notice the car in front of her stop at the stop sign! she came very very close to a big fender bender lol ...
( Ammena texted me to remind me to tell her about it ;) so here it is ) Nothing big .. and noone was hurt..but it's so funny the way people react. Typical of a Quebecer town.. I am sure u have all heard the niqaabi issues we are having ! Most people here have never even left their hometown to see other life in this world...it's kinda sad really.. we threaten their safe little existence. If they would only look outside of the box for once !

Anyway... I better get to work.. I have lots to do today... gonna put some chicken in the crock pot..then in fridge.. so all I gotta do is turn it on in the morning and let it cook all day..! yay for crock pots~!laundry.and preparing mentally...
hoping the hubby will make some paella....incha'Allah.

Keep me in ur prayers ya'll.. gonna need it ! Yesterday , I had somewhat of a meltdown.and pannick attack.. has not happened in a while...Just things seems to be coming at me in all directions...Incha'allah today will be better. I know everyne needs Duaas.. so my duaas are always with you all :)

OHHH also.. finally FINALLY got my new dining room table and chairs !! will post pics as soon as I get things set up around here. Incha'Allah.

FI Amenallah

Weekend stuff....

2010-03-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Good Morning everyone !

Well, my weekend... it was a strange one. part of it was the worst time I have ever had in my life , but yet the sun was shining and was full of smiles and giggles.

It's hard to know , sometimes, if the choices we make are the right ones. For example, we say...nothing is worth having if it was easy to get. Or...there is the thought that if Allah wills it, then it should be easy and good. Is something bad happening to us because we have to learn more patience and sabr? Or is it to force us to let go ? Things have a way of repeating themselves until we get it right...don't u find? I do believe that everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad..

I do know one thing... when things are tough, it's a blow to our faith. Even though there is this saying that when the world brings you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray. But it's hard cause you had put faith and hopes in God's hands and it brought you pain. So why or how can you trust and submit again when you feel that it's probably just gonna get you hurt again? I have to admit , though, When things have been very difficult in the past, I prayed and asked God to help me and when I did. things immediately got better. It at least get's it off your shoulders and into God's hands.

When things are good... sometimes we put praying and trusting in God in the back of our minds. Course we are not supposed to.

On a sister's ( not my real sister.. sister in Islam ) blog I read today... that she had a hard time and was weak in faith and no one was there for her. I felt horrible. Why you ask? because I had noticed her withdrawal and a few times I had a feeling that she was headed down the wrong path. I didn't reach out to her. I thought that maybe It wasn't my place , us not being super close best friend's.. just pretty much acquaintances and share a few friends together. I pray she accepts my apology and finds it in her hear to forgive me, Incha'Allah. We really have to support each other in our deen. I have been blessed to be surrounded with sisters that help me. Al hamdulilah. but this came over time. It wasn't so in the beginning.
So please.. if you feel a sister is fading into the background or mentions some depressing things..or just needs a little lift.. take the time to reach out. Surround yourselves with good sisters that will do his for you as well. Cause one day you might be the one in need. ;)

Anyway enough of this thinking stuff !!

My baby girl is just such a joy to me and brings sunshine in my life. She is a very special baby for sure. Even when she is bad and has a temper...she is so darn cute !! Al hamdullilah for her :) ( and of course the other two...goes without saying..cause they have been my reason to live :))

My brother came to visit yesterday. It's almost a year since we moved apart. I miss him dearly. So we did some computer stuff and he spent some time with the kids and enjoyed the baby and her extreme naughtiness. hehe. Hated to see him leave though. I love my baby brother ! We had spaghetti and Salad...anyway he seems to enjoy himself too.

Also.. I got my hair cut and styled!! you might say.. why the heck does she even bother.. she wears a scarf over it lol Well those of you that knew me as a non-hijabi know that my best feature is my hair...and I have really let go...don't even brush it most days. it was almost down to my behind and all broken and dry..and tangled. I used to get my hair done every couple months...I had the softest...shiniest hair...and bouncy! but it had become literally a mop. My hair could be found everywhere..so much of it was falling out. I only wore it in a ponytail at home...when I once would even do my hair on weekends... I stopped this. Mostly cause I hated my hair. Maybe part of it was my depression. Well.... I can tell you... I went to a hair salon. A REAL one..not stupid Walmart where I have gone the past few times I got it trimmed like a year ago !! lol
( BTW sisters.. don't worry hubby gave me the ok ;), those who are not Muslim...a woman should not cut her hair without the husbands permission. It's an intimate part of their relationship that most men enjoy. It's not required that man have his wife's permission, however, he is supposed to be a pious man and love his wife and care about what pleases her and a good Muslim man will do whatever it takes and it's understood that he isn't required to do what she says BUT that he is a man that should know better and do so to benefit the marriage )
So ya...I got it washed..not thinking much about it.. I figured it would be just a quick get it over with kinda wash..cause truly the price they charge is a normal one and I did not expect more. But...sisters.. the hairdresser gave a scalp massage..oh MAN did it feel good!! al hamdullilah it was kinda funny cause the towel she used to put on my wet hair to go over to the hairdressing table..to keep me hidden , was not big enough !! my hair was too long for her towel! lol so then she proceeded in brushing and combing my hair in this very very relaxing way..if I was a cat, I would have purred ! I told her how I wanted it cut..and she clipped away...I was pretty impressed with her way of cutting... I haven't seen anything like that since I went to a fancy place in Canterbury , Kent, UK. where I spent a buncha cash to treat myself. so then she dried it with a hair dryer and the warm wind it made over and in my hair felt like heaven ....then VOILA... my bouncy, shiny long beautiful hair was back !! I felt like myself again! Where the heck have I been and why didn't I do this before?!! DUHHHHHH

So that's my lesson...when I am starting to feel down..go out and spend and spend 20, well spent, bucks and get my hair done!

Salams y'all I gotta go hang up some washing on this beautiful +2 Celsius weather then go shopping for my lil baby :)

Just to Share ;)

2010-03-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Mon Travail...

2010-03-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Well.. March 15th is coming soon! I am excited...and not even nervous a bit ! I am a born working girl..not a stay at home mom..being a stay at home mom is the hardest job ever. Morally ,intellectually, physically and especially emotionally. I would prefer to work 3 days a week and have 2 at home.. however, I chose to go back 4 days instead of 5. I should be getting pretty much the same pay as if I was working 5 days. I need the money!! am the sole supporter at the moment and been getting 55% of my salary since July on my mat leave. From February till then I was actually getting more than my salary...cause I was getting 75% from the Quebec parental place..(QPIP, whatever that stands for ! )and the rest up to 97 % was covered by the hospital I work at. We get a year off with pay and Canada allows up to 2 years off ( 1 paid, 1 not) but since I work at the hospital I can actually take up to 3 off... of course the last two will not be paid. Still..I know we are so blessed. I cannot understand how a mother can only get 6 weeks or less off and nurture her new born. It's really sad and for a country like USA. you'd think they would have something better than Canada... nope. ( I pray they get health care soon! ) Oh and did I mention the father can get time off paid too!! its a few weeks at least.I cannot remember..and he gets paid as well. Which is awesome!

I am going off track a little bit..forgive me :) Itto...commented the other day that she was curious as to what I do...and I realized there are some newer people to my blog that do not know.

I really do love my job and I worked very hard over the years to get the position I have. Al hamdullilah it is a blessing. I am a medical secretary at the Montreal Children's Hospital. here is a link... http://www.thechildren.com/en/
and a picture...

I am blessed to be part of such a wonderful team here and work with a bunch of very talented doctors and nurses. Al hamdullilah.

here are a few that I could find on the net and some info about them;

Dr Sam Daniel , is actually the same age as I and we both went to the same high school. His research and his known true care of patients is well-known and has saved many little lives, Al hamdullilah.

http://www.thechildren.com/en/research/mch.aspx?myID=106

There is also..the head of my department, Dr. Hema Patel, who has a deaf child of her own , contributed greatly to the coalition of getting newborns hearing screened, which will be starting very soon in Quebec as a routine exam for newborns.

http://www.thechildren.com/en/research/mch.aspx?myID=43

Anyway there are quit a few.. Dr. Louise Auger.. who is the head of the Multicultural department. here. they welcome new immigrants or refugees who do not yet have health care. it's a very important program which is necessary to update vaccinations...help the children to adapt. some even lose so much weight. Some have psychological problems if they come from a war torn country. We have a lot of children that have AIDS arrive with no care. We also have interpreters that are arranged by the hospital for those families that cannot speak French or English. She goes out of her way to help these people. I even know that she will go see where they are living to make sure they have what they need. She is an extraordinary woman.

there are so many more talented and caring people I work with. You can browse the site and visit all that we do.

I have worked pretty much with everyone there. I started out as a temp. Someone who is there to fill in when people are sick or on leave, or when they need extra work done. They could only promise me 2-3 days a week of work. But I worked full time right from the beginning. It is very difficult to find support staff that have an idea about medical stuff, like I do. I did this for about 5 years before I got a permanent position. I went through about 2 other permanent positions before this one I am in now became available. I did my "time" ;)

Some of you know that I have a daughter with a chronic disease. Sarah, who is now 13 has been followed there since she was 13 mths old for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Because of the Rheumatology team at this hospital, and of course, My hard work and care as a mother, my big baby girl can now walk and she pretty much lives pain free. At the moment she is in remission. Al hamdullilah.

Alos, My son, Nicholas, who is soon to be 16 this July,had also spent some time admitted there. When he was born, it was pretty dramatic. They had to use a ventouse to get him out and it made some trauma on his head. He was admitted to the Montreal Children's neonatal Intensive care unit hours after he was born. This wonderful team...have an ambulance in which they will travel far... where I was .. was almost 1 and a half hour drive.( COwansville) a team will come to the hospital and take ur baby safely to the Children's. They saved his life. Masha'Allah. he has some bleeding between his brain and skull which cleared up after a while.. and he is perfect now :) Al hamdullilah. Almost 6 feet tall and honor student ;) ( Sarah is as well :))

you can Imagine why I am working where I do. Right from the time in 1994 when Nicholas was born, I wanted to be part of a team like this and help families.. I say families because (this is the great part of where I work) the staff not only treats and cares for the child, they take care of all the family. When a child is sick... the whole family suffers and it's essential that these families are supported in order for their children to heal.

So now.. to explain what I DO ;) I work in the Intensive Ambulatory Care Service. lovingly known as the home care department. :)
here is the link: http://www.thechildren.com/en/departments/index.aspx?myDep=I&ID=56
(sorry folks the link thingy on here doesn't seem to work sooo. )

My job is to coordinate appointments...run clinics...triage calls to respective nurses and to greet patients,get results, type letters..and usual stuff. All this for these chronically ill patients. There are even adults. which is fun...Some of these patients need 24 hour nursing care. I try to coordinate all their appointments in one day...in one visit if I can. Sometimes its in different hospitals. Or coordinate and arrange for a bed if they need to be admitted. maybe some follow up care once they have been discharged. I often escort my patients to their tests so they do not have to wait. Can you imagine waiting an hour or two for blood tests with a new born on oxygen? no ehn?( ya I say "ehn" a lot..I am Canadian :P ) I make sure they don't have to. I feel my job is so important, because without me...the nurses and doctors cannot help their patients..and the patients might get worse...
I miss everyone so much too!!
Kinda form a close bond when u do this kinda work ;)

What I am looking forward too , as well, is having some time OF MY OWN. This place is downtown Montreal and can visit cool restaurant...shopping..and neat things.I can LIVE again! yippie !

so I will leave u on that note and get back to work at home.. lots to do today!!

Fi Amenallah

Happiness is not something we find, it's something we create.

2010-03-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu and Salut a tous :)

yeah.. I'm from Quebec, Canada so I speaka da french. :) (btw...YAY for Canadian hockey team !! you rock! )

I am feeling pretty good today al hamdullilah, despite having a stoopid allergic reaction. my eyeball swelled up! not around the eye..the actual EYEBALL. I am allergic to housecleaning haha.

My insane muslimah sister(she's not really insane, she only thinks she is lol)....insanemuslimahlife.blogspot.com has restarted her blog al hamdullilah and gotten her teenage daughter to start too. I hope that it's gonna be a good way for us to communicate because really I would not have survived this long in my life or marriage without her. Mahsa'Allah. Gonna miss her terribly but I guess it's time for us both to make some changes for ourselves and for our families incha'allah. I am really gonna miss her terribly ! and if you look at her posts..(tear rolling down my cheek) she really gets me. It's really strange how life goes you know. and to think we only actually met in real life this past summer. Seems like I've known her forever and we were just visiting and catching up lol. God really blessed me with her sisterhood. I say sisterhood cause being just friends does not do justice enough to how much she means to me. Masha'Allah.

Anywhow ! I did not sit here to write about this actually it just came out. Sorry for the gushing !! lol ( I am sure there will be more about that subject in the future when I start going through withdrawal of our daily conversations...)
I am truly blessed with a few sisters who I speak to everyday in one way or another. blogs will prob mention them in the future too!.

I wanted to write about my Title for today. I was shuffling for a status on facebook this morning and came across this one. it occurred to me how true this was and how I was just kinda feeling sorry for myself instead of MAKING things better.I used to be this way.. way back when.. dunno what happen to me..but I guess sometimes things happen and bring us to our knees and it's really hard to get back up again. So no more waiting for happiness to find me... gonna go out and get it myself dang it !

So I wanted to share that with y'all. ;)

this , too, I wanna share.. cause I love this song :) I know it's cheesy..but heck... I love it !

Oh and thanks to my new followers...glad to see u :)

Fi Amenallah

Storing Hijabs...gota be a trick out there someplace!

2010-02-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Well folks.. so like... I have been a full time Hijabi ( I say this because I know a lot of part time ones! ) I have tried a few ways of storing my Hiajbs..but always fail to keep them organized and neat.

First was the hangers...plain hangers... that didn't work.. then a friend/sis (Andi) suggested a laundry basket...wrinkled hijabs...so nope...
now, I have them in these 3 baskets in my closet. at first was very neat..but u have to rifle through to chose. Which ends up in a total mess again with hijab hanging out and eventually falling all over the place. (see the last photo...that's my present way to store my scarves)

So made me wonder...what the heck do other Hijabis do? I did a search and came up with all these different ways. ( see the numerous photos below )

So, sisters.. please comment and help me to find the best way for Hijab storing??

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

Friday.. Jummah Mubarak

2010-02-26T05:28:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu!

So here I am....Al hamdullilah. Feeling a little bit better today. May Allah grant me more sabr and Patience Incha'Allah.

Baby Jennah is off to the sitters in a while and the hubby is home... we'll see what progresses. Got lots of cuddles from the lil one..she is quite the lil kisser and huggger :) Masha'Allah. Teens are off to school.. But next week..my last week on Mat leave...they will be home. so lots of work!! cooking and trying to organize them is a task in it itself! I really dunno how a friend of mine that has 11 can even get through the day! I know she really relies on her cuppa ;) as do I haha. ( hope she starts blogging soon.. yeah , Karen u know who u are ! )

A sister sent me this site...
I signed up for a trial... see what happens.

Salams for now..gtg get things done !

Today....

2010-02-25T07:34:00.001-08:00

Today is a bad day....just when I think things can't get worse...
please make duaa for me
Jazak'Allah khair

My latest order from Shukr.....

2010-02-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu!

Well Al hamdulillah I did something that made me very happy this weekend. I ordered myself some clothes for going back to work. The stuff I have is stuff that I have had for at least 3 years and everything is starting to get faded and worn. ( oh except for a dress and a sweater I ordered Via my sis in Islam Andi last summer ) I've Always counted on Ammena to help get the clothes I need...but now I did it all by my own ;) I'm a big girl now ! hahaha.

I have orders from Shukr before and I love their designs. Clothes I can easily wear to work and feel comfortable and not having things hang and drag all over the place. The stuff is always comfortable and actually FITS!! The clothes are more like western clothing and not full of all kinds of colours and glittering things. Not that I don't like all that stuff..but it just isn't ME for everyday wear.

Anyhow.. I listened to my "Muslimah Stylist", Nermine..and got some colours hahaha. I have always stuck pretty much to black, blue, brown or white hahaha. "safe" colurs! So sis... I might need ur help to match up some hijabs with this stuff. k?

OH... and everything fit..but I made a stupid mistake and ordered the wrong size for one of the prettiest items, the lemon blouse. I tried to pass it off on my other daughter, Sarah who is 13..but no way..not her "thang". So I am going to return it and see if I can get the correct size..

Also.. I made the order on SUNDAY and received it TUESDAY !! I was amazed. Al hamdulillah.

Here they are !

Ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet

2010-02-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.

The commands mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah to follow the laws of Allah and His Messenger, and the prohibitions on introducing innovations into the religion are quite clear. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31]

“Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur’aan and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allah), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!”

[al-A’raaf 7:3]

“And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path”

[al-A’naam 6:153]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented.” And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718). According to a version narrated by Muslim, “Whoever doe anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.”

Among the reprehensible innovations that people have invented is the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the month of Rabee’ al-Awwal. They celebrate this occasion in various ways:

# Some of them simply make it an occasion to gather and read the story of the Mawlid, then they present speeches and qaseedahs (odes) for this occasion.

# Some of them make food and sweets etc., and offer them to the people present.

# Some of them hold these celebrations in the mosques, and some of them hold them in their houses.

# Some people do not limit themselves to the actions mentioned above; they include in these gatherings haraam and reprehensible things, such as free mixing of men and women, dancing and singing, or committing actions of shirk such as seeking the help of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), calling upon him, seeking his support against their enemies and so on.

Whatever form it takes and whatever the intentions of those who do this are, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an invented, haraam innovation which was introduced by the Shi’a Faatimids after the three best centuries, in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. The first person to do this after them was the king al-Muzaffar Abu Sa’eed Kawkaboori, the king of Irbil, at the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh century AH, as was mentioned by the historians such as Ibn Khalkaan and others. Abu Shaamah said: the first person to do that in Mosul was Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Muhammad al-Malaa, one of the well-known righteous people. Then the ruler of Irbil and others followed his example.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (13/137), in his biography of Abu Sa’eed Kazkaboori: “He used to observe the Mawlid in Rabee’ al-Awwal and hold a huge celebration on that occasion… some of those who were present at the feast of al-Muzaffar on some occasions of the Mawlid said that he used to offer in the feast five thousand grilled heads of sheep, ten thousand chickens and one hundred thousand large dishes, and thirty trays of sweets… he would let the Sufis sing from Zuhr until Fajr, and he himself would dance with them.”

Ibn Khalkaan said in Wafiyaat al-A’yaan (3/274): “When it is the first of Safar they decorate those domes with various kinds of fancy adornments, and in every dome there sits a group of singers and a group of puppeteers and players of musical instruments, and they do not leave any one of those domes without setting up a group (of performers) there.

The people give up work during this period, and they do no work except going around and watching the entertainment. When there are two days to go until the Mawlid, they bring out a large number of camels, cows and sheep, more than can be described, and they accompany them with all the drums, songs and musical instruments that they have, until they bring them to the square… On the night of the Mawlid there are performances of nasheed after Maghrib in the citadel.”

This is the origin of this celebration on the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday. More recently idle entertainment, extravagance, and wasting of money and time have become associated with an innovation for which Allah has not sent down any authority.

What Muslims should do is to revive the Sunnah and put an end to bid’ah (innovation); they should not do any action until they know the ruling of Allah concerning it.

Ruling on celebrating the Prophet’s birthday

Celebrating the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is forbidden and is to be rejected for a number of reasons:

1 – it is not part of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or of the khaleefahs who succeeded him. Since this is the case, then it is a forbidden innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs after me; adhere to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is an innovation (bid’ah) and every innovation is a going-astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676).

Celebrating the Mawlid is an innovation introduced by the Shi’a Faatimids after the three best centuries in order to corrupt the religion of the Muslims. If a person does anything in order to draw closer to Allah which was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or enjoined by him, and was not done by the khaleefahs who succeeded him, this action implies that he is accusing the Messenger of not explaining the religion to the people, and that he disbelieves in the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you”
[al-Maa'idah 5:3]

because he is adding something extra and claiming that it is a part of the religion, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not bring this.

2 – Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is an imitation of the Christians, because they celebrate the birth of the Messiah (peace be upon him). Imitating them is extremely haraam. The hadeeth tells us that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar, and we are commanded to differ from them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them” (narrated by Ahmad, 2/50; Abu Dawood, 4/314). And he said, “Be different from the mushrikeen” (narrated by Muslim, 1/222, no. 259) – especially with regard to things that are the symbols or rituals of their religion.

3 – Besides being bid’ah and an imitation of the Christians, both of which are haraam, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is also a means that leads to exaggeration and excess in venerating him, which even goes as far as calling upon him (making du’aa’ to him) and seeking his help, instead of calling upon Allah, as happens now among many of those who observe the bid’ah of the Mawlid, when they call upon the Messenger instead of Allah, and ask him for support, and sing qaseedahs (odes) of shirk praising him, like Qaseedat al-Burdah etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade going to extremes in praising him, as he said: “Do not extol as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam. For I am just His slave, so say, the slave of Allah and His Messenger” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/142, no. 3445; al-Fath, 6/551), i.e., do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the Messiah and venerated him until they worshipped him instead of Allah. Allah forbade them to do that when he said (interpretation of the meaning):

“O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, (“Be!” — and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him”
[al-Nisaa’ 4:171]

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us to exaggerate concerning him lest the same thing happen to us as happened to them, so he said: “Beware of exaggeration, for those who came before you were destroyed because of exaggeration” (narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5/268; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, no. 2863).

4 – Observing the innovation of the Prophet’s birthday opens the door to other kinds of bid’ah and being distracted by them from the Sunnah. Hence you find that the innovators are very active when it comes to bid’ah and very lazy when it comes to the Sunnah; they hate it and regard those who follow it as enemies, until their entire religion is innovated anniversaries and Mawlids. They have split into various groups, each of which commemorates the anniversary of its imaam’s birth, such as the births of al-Badawi, Ibn ‘Arabi, al-Dasooqi and al-Shaadhili. No sooner do they end the celebration of one birthday but they start the celebration of another. This results in exaggeration concerning these dead people and others, and in calling upon them instead of Allah, believing that they can bring benefit and cause harm, until they deviate from the religion of Allah and go back to the religion of the people of the Jaahiliyyah of whom Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And they worship besides Allah things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah’”
[Yoonus 10:18]

“And those who take Awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah’”
[al-Zumar 39:3]

Discussing the specious arguments of those who celebrate the Mawlid

Those who think that this bid’ah should be continued produce specious arguments which are flimsier than a spider’s web. These specious arguments may be dealt with as follows:

1 – Their claim that this is veneration of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

The response to that is that the way to venerate him is to obey him, do as he commanded and avoid that which he forbade, and to love him; he is not to be venerated through innovations, myths and sins. Celebrating his birthday is of this blameworthy type because it is a sin. The people who venerated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the most were the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), as ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ood said to Quraysh: “O people, by Allah I have visited kings. I went to Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but by Allah I never saw a king whose companions venerated him as much as the companions of Muhammad venerated Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). By Allah, whenever he spat it never fell on the ground, it fell into into the hand of one his companions, then they wiped their faces and skins with it. If he instructed them to do something, they would hasten to do as he commanded. When he did wudoo’, they would almost fight over his water. When he spoke they would lower their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him out of respect for him.” (al-Bukhaari, 3/178, no. 2731, 2732; al-Fath, 5/388). Yet despite this level of veneration, they never took the day of his birth as an ‘Eid (festival). If that had been prescribed in Islam they would not have neglected to do that.

2 – Using as evidence the fact that many people in many countries do this.

The response to that is that evidence consists of that which is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and what is proven from the Prophet is that innovations are forbidden in general, and this is an innovation. What people do, if it goes against the evidence (daleel), does not prove anything, even if many of them do it.

“And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path”
[al-An’aam 6:116 – interpretation of the meaning]

Nevertheless, in every age, praise be to Allah, there have always been those who denounce this bid’ah and state clearly that it is false. Those who persist in following it after the truth had been explained to them have no proof.

Among those who denounced the celebration of this occasion was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, in Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem; Imaam al-Shaatibi in al-‘I’tisaam; Ibn al-Haaj in al-Madkhil; Shaykh Taaj al-Deen ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar al-Lakhami who wrote an entire book denouncing it; Shaykh Muhammad Basheer al-Sahsawaani al-Hindi in his book Siyaanah al-Insaan; al-Sayyid Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa wrote a separate essay on this topic; Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh wrote a separate essay on it; Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz; and others who are still writing and denouncing this bid’ah every year in the pages of newspapers and magazines, at the time when this bid’ah is being done.

3 – They say that by celebrating the Mawlid they are keeping the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alive.

The answer to that is that the memory of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is constantly kept alive by the Muslim, such as when his name (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is mentioned in the adhaan and iqaamah and in khutbahs, and every time the Muslim recites the Shahaadatayn after doing wudoo’ and in the prayers, and every time he sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in his prayers and when he is mentioned, and every time the Muslim does a waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended) action that was prescribed by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In all of these ways (the Muslim) remembers him and the reward equivalent to the reward of the one who does that action goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Thus the Muslim constantly keeps the memory of the Messenger alive and has a connection with him night and day throughout his life through that which Allah has prescribed, not only on the day of the Mawlid and things which are bid’ah and go against the Sunnah, for that puts one at a distance from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Messenger will disown him because of that.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has no need of this innovated celebration, because Allah has already bestowed veneration and respect upon him, as He says:

“and raised high your fame”
[al-Sharh 94:4]

For Allah is not mentioned in the adhaan, iqaamah or khutbah, but the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is mentioned after Him; this is sufficient veneration, love and renewal of his memory, ad sufficient encouragement to follow him.

Allah did not refer to the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the Qur’aan, rather He referred to his Mission, and says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Indeed, Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:124]

“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves”
[al-Jumu’ah 64:2]

4 – They may say that the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday was introduced by a knowledgeable and just king who intended thereby to draw closer to Allah.

Our response to that is that bid’ah is not acceptable, no matter who does it. A good intention does not justify a bad deed and even if a person died as a knowledgeable and righteous person, this does not mean that he was infallible.

5 – They say that celebrating the mawlid comes under the heading of bid’ah hasanah (“good innovation”) because it is based on giving thanks to Allah for the Prophet!

Our response to that is that there is nothing good in innovation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). And he said, “Every innovation is a going astray” (narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi, no. 2676). The ruling on innovations is that they are all misguidance, but this specious argument suggests that not every bid’ah is a going astray, rather there are good innovations.

Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab said in Sharh al-Arba’een: “The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), ‘every innovation is a going astray’ is a concise but comprehensive comment which includes everything; it is one of the most important principles of religion. It is like his words ‘Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.’ (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/167, no. 2697; al-Fath, 5/355). Whoever innovates anything and attributes it to Islam when it has no basis in the religion, this is a going astray and is nothing to do with Islam, whether that has to do with matters of belief (‘aqeedah) or outward and inward words and deeds.”
(Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hakam, p. 233)

These people have no proof that there is any such thing as a “good innovation” apart from the words of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning Taraaweeh prayers, “What a good innovation this is.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 2/252, no. 2010 mu’allaqan; al-Fath 4/294).

They also said that things were innovated which were not denounced by the salaf, such as compiling the Qur’aan into one volume and writing and compiling the hadeeth.

The response to that is that these matters had a basis in Islam, so they were not newly-invented.

‘Umar said: “What a good bid’ah” meaning innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar’i sense. Whatever has a basis in Islam, if it is described as an innovation, is an innovation in the linguistic sense, not in the shar’i sense, because innovation in the shar’i sense means that which has no basis in Islam.

Compiling the Qur’aan into one book has a basis in Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had commanded that the Qur’aan be written down, but it was scattered, so the Sahaabah compiled it in one volume so as so protect and preserve it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh for a while, then he stopped doing that, lest that become obligatory on them. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) continued to pray it separately during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and after his death, until ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) gathered them behind one imaam as they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This was not an innovation introduced into the religion.

Writing down the hadeeth also has a basis in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered that some ahaadeeth should be written down for some of his companions when they asked him for that. In general terms writing it down during his lifetime was not allowed, for fear that the Qur’aan might be mixed with things that were not part of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, this fear was no longer a factor, because the Qur’aan had been completed and arranged in order before he died. The Muslims compiled the Sunnah after that in order to preserve it and keep it from being lost. May Allah reward them with good on behalf of Islam and the Muslims, because they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from being lost or being tampered with.

We may also say to them: why was this act of thanksgiving, as they call it, not done by the best generations, the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and followers of the Taabi’een, who loved the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) most and who were most keen to do good and give thanks? Are those who introduced the innovation of the Mawlid more rightly-guided than them? Do they give more thanks to Allaah? Definitely not!

6 – They may say that celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is indicative of their love for him; this is one way of showing that, and showing love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is prescribed in Islam!

The answer to that is that undoubtedly loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is obligatory for every Muslim; he should love him more than he loves himself, his child, his father and all the people – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him – but that does not mean that we should introduce innovations for doing so that have not been prescribed for us. Loving him dictates that we should obey him and follow him, for that is one of the greatest manifestations of love, as it is said:

“If your love is sincere then obey him; for the lover obeys the one whom he loves.”

Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) implies keeping his Sunnah alive, adhering firmly to it, and avoiding words and deeds that go against it. Undoubtedly everything that goes against his Sunnah is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah) and a manifest act of disobedience. That includes celebrating his birthday and other kinds of bid’ah. A good intention does not mean that it is permissible to introduce innovations into the religion. Islam is based on two things, purity of intention and following [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good) then his reward is with his Lord (Allaah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”
[al-Baqarah 2:112]

Submitting one’s face to Allaah means being sincere towards Allaah, and doing good means following the Messenger and implementing the Sunnah.

7 – Another of their specious arguments is when they say that by celebrating the Mawlid and reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on this occasion, they are encouraging people to follow his example!

We say to them that reading the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and following his example are required of the Muslim all the time, all year long and throughout his life. Singling out a specific day for that with no evidence for doing so is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/164; al-Tirmidhi, 2676). Bid’ah does not bear any fruit but evil and it leads to a person distancing himself from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

In conclusion, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whatever form it takes, is a reprehensible innovation. The Muslims should put a stop to this and other kinds of bid’ah, and occupy themselves with reviving and adhering to the Sunnah. They should not be deceived by those who promote and defend this bid’ah, for these types of people are more interested in keeping innovations alive than in reviving the Sunnah; they may not even care about the Sunnah at all. Whoever is like this, it is not permissible to imitate him or follow his example, even if the majority of people are like this. Rather we should follow the example of those who follow the path of the Sunnah, among the righteous salaf and their followers, even if they are few. Truth is not measured by the men who speak it, rather men are measured by the truth.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 4/126; al-Tirmidhi no. 2676). So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained to us in this hadeeth what we should do when there are differences of opinion, just as he explained that everything that goes against his Sunnah, be it words or deeds, is a bid’ah, and every bid’ah is a going astray.

If we see that there is no basis for celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, whether in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or in the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs, then it is one of the newly-invented matters, one of the bid’ahs which lead people astray. This principle is what is implied by this hadeeth and is what is indicated by the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination”
[al-Nisaa’ 4:59]

Referring to Allaah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah after he has passed away. The Qur’aan and Sunnah are the reference point in cases of dispute. Where in the Qur’aan or Sunnah does it indicate that it is prescribed in Islam to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday? Whoever does that or thinks that it is good must repent to Allaah from this and from other kinds of bid’ah. This is the attitude of the Muslim who is seeking the truth. But whoever is too stubborn and arrogant after proof has been established, then his reckoning will be with his Lord.

We ask Allaah to help us adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger until the Day when we will meet Him. May Allaah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Huqooq al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bayna al-Ijlaal wa’l-Ikhlaal, p. 139

By: Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Member of the Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia

Marriage"..........How's yours?

2010-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Good Sunday Morning. Sunny cold and snow filled day here and the little baby, Jennah let me sleep in until 8am which is AMAZING masha'Allah.
Incha'Allah today will be a nice day.

I am gonna make some Puding chomeur for the man, Incha'Allah.

I was checking out my Facebookand the Habibi Halaquaas group had a good story.

I'm not thinking about Divorce y'all :) just thought this was a good story to share.

Salams for now and read below.

Marriage"..........How's yours?

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table.. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd.. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger.. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly.. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

-----

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah..blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

ok SO.....Let's try this again....

2010-02-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

Assalaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu

Thanks to all your comments... After reading them I realized that I made it seem that my life is really that bad. I guess when I am having a bad day, I am going to have to maybe NOT BLOG lol I asked my friend, Michele, to make sure I do not do that again hahaha.

So one of the blogs I read is...
I so enjoy it and it always cheers me up when I am feeling down. Her faith and beautiful way of life really inspires me. Needless to mention that her photos on her blog are very pleasing to the eye ;)
One thing she does on her blog is list the things she is thankful for.
So I am going to follow her example today. Incha'Allah. ( wish me luck ! )

Things that I am thankful to Allah (SWT)( not necessarily in order! );

1-That Allah(WST) guided me to Islam.
2-My three wonderful babies, big and small that bring me joy and happiness with just a touch of their hands or when I simply just think of them. These kids have kept me going when I thought I could no longer continue. Al hamdullilah for them.
3-Family, even though do not call often. I think of you all always. A special mention of my little(not so) Brother whom I love so much.
4-friends and sisters, from past to present and future Incha'Allah. Also ones online and offline. These people have taught me so much and I would not be the person I am without you all. Thank you.. ( u know who u are) that support and listen to my complaints and encourage me to be positive and have more sabr ,patience and faith. I know for a fact that Allah(SWT) brought each of you to me as a blessing.
5- My kitty'cat, Maggie... who always comforts me when I am sad and wants just to be near me and feel a little stroke(petting) now and then.
6-All hamdulilah for coffee!!
7-My job, which brings me satisfaction and the ability to help patients and their families with chronic diseases.
8-I can't write a list here without mentioning spaghetti. ( laugh all u want ! )
9-Thankful for not living in the city.
10- Even if things are not so great at the moment... I thank Allah (SWT)for my husband. I only married once in my lifetime and I chose that man to be him for a reason. May Allah hep us to become closer and be able to get through difficulties with more compassion, patience and love. Incha'Allah.

Well... I am thankful for so many things...one is for Itto and the idea to be positive like this. These are just things that come to mind at the moment.

The weekend is coming and there is going to be a lot of action around here. The two older teenagers will be staying home this weekend.. ( kinda, cause really I am going to have to drive them EVERYWHERE lol) So today , I am going to have to cook up some snacks...cause they are hungry teenagers !

Please make duaa for my mother in law who is presently going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. She has little support, care and money. She is being so strong and not complaining at all. May Allah ease her suffering and heal her soon. Ameen

Have a great day all !

P.S. sis...I fixed the picture thing.. it was that I changed the setting to the NEW EDITOR. So now I changed it back to the old..but I wanted to put the little thing at end of blog that has the choices..interesting...coool.. etc.. and I see it in my layout posting settings.. but not in the actual post... tres etrange !

Anisah is back....

2010-02-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

Assalamu Aleikum.

Welcome to the re-opening of my blog. I am not where I will start again. Maybe I will explain that I had stopped blogging because of lack of time and post-partum depression. A big part of my absence was also due to the fact that it is really difficult to adjust and become a family when we have so many cultures and stress going on.

Which brings me to the reason I decided to blog again.

I want to have a place of peace and learning in my life. Incha'Allah. Some happiness would be nice. Maybe share my tests and hopefully help or console others going through tests and trials of their own.

My maternity leave is almost over. I go back to work on March 15th. I have mixed feelings of this and wondering really if I can even cope... but al hamdullilah not that I have a choice ! since I am the one that supports our family. I will miss my little sunshine and who really gives me so much happiness. But I am blessed with a year off..which is more than most people get.

I will be going back part time. 4 days a week. Al hamdullilah. I could've gone back only 3 days..but two reasons I decided against this. One was financially....I need the money badly. Secondly, they will not have anyone to replace me on my days off , so I would have to do 5 days of work in 3 days. I think that will be too difficult. Also the clinics in which I oversee happen on these days.

I am looking forward to getting my independence back. No one looking over my back on every move I make ! I kinda feel like a prisoner in an Islamic marriage , to tell you the truth. I just pray that I can look after the family AND work successfully.

So this blog will also be about Islam of course. :)

so.. that's all for now until I can think of a topic I want to blog about. Until then.. Salamz !

How to Boost Ramadan Spirit

2009-08-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

How to Boost Ramadan Spirit

Ramadan, the month of the Qur’an, represents an invaluable opportunity for all believers to recharge the batteries of faith and draw close to their Lord. A wise Muslim should be keen to make best use of these blessed moments. If Muslims are unable to undistractedly focus on the hereafter all the time, let them at least do so during this short, yet boundlessly blessed, period of time. Below are some tips on how to boost your spirit during this longed-for month:

1- Du`a’

Ask Almighty Allah to make this the most inspiring, spiritually uplifting Ramadan you have ever had. Allah is the Only Who can make this happen and complete reliance on Him completely is the major step in boosting our spirits.

2- Clear Your Mind

Turn off the TV, the computer, the radio, your cell phone, pager, iPod, etc. You need not do so all day long, but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a quiet place where you can close your eyes, remember your Lord and think deeply about your relationship with Him. At first, your mind will swirl with the useless and not-so-useful thoughts in your head. Force them away and focus your thought during these few minutes on three things: Almighty Allah, your purpose in life, and whether you are making due efforts to achieve that purpose. Do this every day of Ramadan, if you can. Should this be not possible, do it at least three times a week.

3- Learn About Great Muslim Figures

Even if you have read it or listened to it before, again read or listen to `Abdul-Wahid Hamid's Companions of the Prophet during this Ramadan. Read about or listen daily to a Companion's story. Well-written and short, these stories inform us in a wonderful way about these noble personalities and about how they maintained the strength of their faith against incredible odds. What a sure-fire spirituality booster!

4- Connect to the Qur’an

The noble Qur’an is the means whereby Almighty Allah talks to us. Indeed, it is the most important key to spiritual upliftment. During this Ramadan, connect to the Qur’an in a new way. If you already recite the Qur’an regularly, you can choose a new theme to focus on or select a particular Surah you have not read for a while. If, however, you are not a frequent reader of the Qur’an, you can start by reciting it for only two minutes a day; recite from the first page you encounter when you open the mushaf (copy of the Qur’an). It is also recommended that you keep a Qur’anic journal in which you can record your reflections, questions, thoughts, etc., about what you recite.

5- Take Care of Others

Whether it is a person who is away from his family, a person who is having problems with his or her spouse or kids, or fellow students struggling with their grades, make an extra effort this Ramadan to help others out. The spiritual boost you get in return is well worth it.

6- Feed the Hungry

While your stomach shrieks in protest, give that panhandler some change, volunteer at a soup kitchen, get involved with your local food pantry or make a couple of bag lunches to give to the hungry you meet on your way to school or work.

7- Give Up One Lifelong Bad Habit

Ask yourself what your fundamental defining traits are. Then decide which is the worst of them. Is it a hot temper? Apathy? Laziness? Impatience? Whatever it may be, utilize this Ramadan to get rid of it. Practice the opposite of this bad habit of yours every day until the end of the month. By then, in sha’ Allah, you will look back and be amazed at the change you have made for the better.

8- Use Those Nights of Power

The last ten nights or Ramadan are not called the Nights of Power for nothing. Use these precious times for deep, heartfelt du`aa’, self-analysis, reflection and serious thought.

going private

2009-08-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykom.
I am going to make this blog private Incha'allah. so if you wish to be invited ,. please send your email to scribble.brain@gmail.com
Jazak'Allah Khair

Baba Ali :)

2009-08-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Daily stuff...

2009-08-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykom and Jummah Mubarak to everyone

I have yet to attend a Jummah..and been Muslim since 2004... can you imagine? Incha'allah that will end soon since we have a little prayer musallah in our community now, Al hamdullilah.

So ya.. that's the baby driving haha.. ya think I will get into trouble like that Dad on youtube that filmed his son driving the car?lol
Jennah loves to stand.. and when we put her behind the wheel, she showed me that she has her mom's driving soul. ( I once owned a 1980 camaro...grew up a mechanic's daughter ;) ) hehe. Masha'allah she has a lot of fun this little baby.

my day to day things include.. my precious morning coffee....breastfeeding most of the day..and trying to get dishes done, some laundry and hopefully a meal for everyone. My Husband actually helps me out a lot with the meals. Al hamdulillah.. one of the plus' of marrying a cook.:) the downside to that is he has also been a bachelor most of his 37 yrs, and I dunno if you have any idea how bachelors cook? but it ain't pretty !! lol

Ammena, You're gonna have to show me how to put pictures in the blog...I only know how to do the main one. ;)

I've been on maternity leave since....March. I gotta tell ya..I miss work !! I miss the patients...I miss helping people. I felt rather important. I still do at home, but I am not the type to be a full time stay at home mom, I gotta have something else to stimulate my brain. I go back around next feb. incha'allah.

We moved last Month and I am still unpacking. It's taking forever.. I HATE..really HATE moving. It's one of those things when you really DON"T wanna do something it just takes forever... that's what's going on here hehe.

Ramadan is coming.. I wanna get some decorations... I looked for some lights to put up..the Xmas kind..but noon has them for sale this time of year. Any ideas gals?
I am so anxious to get out and visit people and share in a REAL Ramadan this year.
There is a Moroccan family that lives close to me, but they are away this Ramadan... which is sad.. but al hamdullilah. C'est la vie !!

My other two kids have really grown up this summer... masha'allah.especially my daughter who will be turning 13.. ya THIRTEEN ! in October, Incha'allah. She went away for a week to visit her grandparents and came back a lady....she is now taller than I. She also became a woman as well ( if ya get my drift ;) ) but she has no desire to hijab whatsoever. makes me wonder what's in store for the little one... will she want to? will she rebel and say.well my older sis doesn't !! why do I have to?May Allah help me guide her when the time comes.
Sarah.. the soon to be 13 yr old... she is coming back from Arthritis Camp tomorrow. I love that she has a place to go where I do not have to worry if she is missing out on fun because she is scared of the pain or bringing attention to herself cause she won't have the stamina as the others do. Also...the security that if.. she does have a flare up..there are nurses and doctors there to take good care of her. They work hard to boost the kid's self-confidence. Al hamdullilah.

Nick the 15 yr old.. has been being a mama's boy this week.. it's nice to spend time with him.I am so proud of him and what a nice little ( even though he is almost 6 feet tall now ) man he has become. He's off to play basketball today...I'm hoping he works really hard with that this com9ng school year. I think it would be a plus in his finding a good college. Incha'allah

Today is a nice day.. very cool and sunny.. I'm gonna clean up a bit... then go outside with the baby and read her some Islamic baby books and lay in the sun. We need some Vit. D :)
Salams to y'all :)

Still here....

2009-08-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

Salam Alaykom to you all.
First I want to apologize for not writing a blog. A fellow blogger recently wrote to em and said.. I forgot you had a blog, but you have no entries. So I decided to start it up again. Al hamdullilah
As many of you may know, I had a baby on April 3rd. A beautiful baby girl, Jennah. Masha'allah. This is a picture of us on our vacation a few weeks ago.
I have to say.. having a baby at 39 is not easy. However it is very rewarding.
I have been overwhelmed and really not enough energy to even think, but al hamdullilah it is getting better. My marriage has been rocky, but I guess every marriage, during the first year together is hard. Incha'allah we can work things out and everything can be ok. We had a lot to handle this first year ( which is coming up on Sept 8th).
I'm breastfeeding too, with success , al hamdulilah. I am very proud of this. 'cause that too is not an easy thing !! She is just now, at, 4 mths , starting to give me some free time and occupy herself.
We moved to a smaller place and its been a month and I still have nothing set up properly. Incha'allah soon.
My two older kids, 15 and 12 help me out immensely, Al hamdullilah Thank God for them!!
I dunno much what to say... I have been secluded and kinda feel like a prisoner in my own home these days..but Incha'allah I will be getting out more now.I have a few sisters that I miss terribly...they are either moved away...vacationing or live just far enough that I can't easily go see them.
on bright side, Ramadan is near !!! I am excited about this and since I am home and not working ( mat. leave), then I am hoping to be able to make this a good experience incha'allah. I feel sad about not fasting again this year. But I talked it over with the husband..and we both feel it would be too much of a strain on everyone and since I have been bleeding a lot... it might not be a good idea. Also baby need her vitamins ;)
Anyway... this is short and doesn't say much... I hope to gradually write more, Incha;allah.
I would , however like to welcome a new sister in the Mulsim world :) A new Shahada... "C" Masha'allah she recently said her Shahada and I am so excited for her to be discovering the beauty of the deen and May Allah bless her with much sabr and happiness. The journey is not an easy one, but it is rewarding and incha'allah will grant you jannah...Welcome !! hug....xox

salams fer now

LMOTP - Can I get a witness S3E20

2009-03-24T04:47:00.000-07:00

LMOTP - Meet the Jaffers S3E19

2009-03-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Keep Allah in Rememberance

2009-03-15T14:32:00.001-07:00

My Beautiful Grandmother, Tilly

2009-03-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

Salam Alaykom..

I rarely write personal blogs..but I need to do this today...or rather I feel I must get it out somehow.
Today is the service for my beloved Grammy...who passed away last Thursday suddenly at the age of 96. I say suddenly because until this month, shew was a healthy vibrant, independent woman who even at 96 still lives in her own apartment.
I know it's her time.. and I know she deserves peace and she has been ready to go now for a while...And I try not to be selfish in wanting her near, but it's really really difficult.

I wanna say to her thank you Grammy, for giving me all the love I could ever have needed. For teaching me so many things...most of which is being strong. Thank you for giving me security..and making me feel safe. Thank you for always being there and not judging me. Thanks you for giving me a place of peace when all around me was crumbling down. Thank you for making me feel special and spending so much time with me.
I will always treasure every memory of you precious in my heart always,last night I was crying for you and I had a blanket you made me. One that you even showed me how you made. and I could feel you comforting me like you did when I was little and sick.

You gave me the most wonderful Grammy anyone could ask for or ever want. My Smile is the same as yours. This is proof to me that without you, I would not be the person I am now.

I love you Grammy. May you rest in peace and all the troubles and struggles in this life leave you and finally give you pure happiness. May God reward you for all and forgive you for what things your regret.
Until we meet again...
with all my love.
Your grandaughter, Karen Lee

LMOTP - Baber makes an entrance S3E18

2009-03-11T04:48:00.000-07:00

OK...I got a beef !!

2009-03-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykom all.

Day before last I got an invitation from our new local Masjid...to join them in celebration of Eid. I said.excuse me? I thought there were only 2 Eids?
Then it dawned on me...OMG they are celebrating the Prophet Mohammed's (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) birthday !!??

Ok here is my beef... if I wanted to celebrate a prophet's birthday...and if I thought this was okayyyyyyyyyy then why would I not celebrate Christmas !!?? Aren't we supposed to put all the messengers in the same boat?? I find this almost offensive..I am sorry...it actually hurts me. May Allah forgive me....
All messengers have same message. Its just the followers took in a wrong way or changed it to suit themselves. Ok.Ya I am upset..

I invite you to read this link...

http://muttaqun.com/mawlid.html

and what do I say to my husband's family when they call to say Eid Mobarak...and to this kind invitation to go to the masjid?

I firmly believe God gave us all the distinction between right and wrong..and what has made most of Muslims is this very gut feeling. So like.. I feel this so strongly and its so clear to me..why is not for others?

I'm just so upset :( must be preggo hormones..

Free BLACK Abayat! For ANY Sisters Who Want!

2009-03-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Recipe for Disaster S3E16

2009-02-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Mohammedia >>>??

2009-02-17T16:27:00.001-08:00

Salam alaykom..I saw that someone from Mohammedia stopped by my blog...
can yo identify yourself?
This is where I got married :) would love to know who you are incha'allah

LMOTP - Colour Me Excited S3E15

2009-02-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

One Word

2009-02-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

Salam alaykom all.. I was tagged by Nawar :) thanks sis.. I feel truly accepted in this blogger world now lol

Where is your cell phone? -in the living room, on coffee table

Your hair? - long and needs a trim

Your mother? - and I don't get along

Your father? - passed away in 1997

Your favorite thing? - hugging and kissing my kids

Your dream last night? - I have no idea..but It was disturbing.

Your favorite drink? - coca-cola

What room are you in? - bedroom

Your fear? - ALLAH, and not being loved, not being able to breathe

Where do you want to be in 6 years? - owning my own house with pool

Where were you last night? - home as always

Something that you aren't? - stupid

Wish list item? - a new car

Last thing you did? - eat cashews

TV? -love CSI

Your pets? - one, cat..maggie

Friends? - so many al hamdullilah

Your life? - is so NOT boring

Your mood? - moody

Missing someone? - ya, husband is working

Drinking? - maybe some tea later

Smoking? - no, never

Your car? - pontiac

Your favorite store? - I love them all

Your favorite colour? - rainbow

When was the last time you cried? - today...I'm pregnant and I can if I wanna

Where do you go to over and over? - work. its getting on my nerves. lol

My favorite place to eat? - Amir's , Shish Taouk

Favorite place I'd like to be at right now? at my old ranch, sitting under my Dad's tree loking up at the stars.

LMOTP - Raised Expectations S3E14

2009-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

Woe's of a cross cultural muslimah mom

2009-02-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

Salam alaykom to you all.
I know I ahve not been keeping up my blog as I should... To tell you the truth, I just don't feel like talking.
TOday, however, while I am sitting here with my morning coffee ( I got to work rather early) I decided to write a bit abotu what's going on with me these days.

Sisters...being married to a north africain.. when you're an idependant americain woman..is HARD. It takes a lot of patience..and sabr.
I was always against this meeting on the internet men from over seas and getting married. But even with this, somehow it happened to me !! Al hamdulilah..I do not regret it, but really... I thought it would be easier for some reason. I can hear my freind, Ammena saying.. sis.. was like this before he moved here... and ya she is right. I had the warning signs. I think he thoguht life would be easier too.
It takes a great deal of the stuff I already mentioned, and also a lot of LOVE..and most of all faith in God.
Anyway.. these past months being rpregnant hav been difficult...and exhausting.
I am now at 31 weeks. My scheduled c-section si for April 3rd, Incha'allah.
Not one minut too soon!! al hamdullilah. I am anxious to get this baby out of me so that I can have normal emotions....and even normal functions in the toilet lol..ya..u read right.. to be able to sleep on my tummy....ahhh it would be great !!!

So.. really I am blessed , this pregnancy is going well.. considering I am 39 yrs old...I am tired and uncomfortable, but healthy....al hamdullilah.
Does anyone have any ideas for names? I asked my husband to chose, but I think that was a mistake. he seems to make even this decision one of those last minute things. aughhhh... I persoanlly love the name Jennah. My grandmother was Jennie..and a very good freind of mine, not able to have children, is Jennifer. Of course it means Heaven...I just love it. Norah is very nice too. Everytone else seems to like this name. If it's a boy..I like Zakaryah. we're loking for a name that easily pronounced in Canada as well as Morocco.

My 12 yr old daughter is taking a baby siting course today. So she is preparing for the arival hehe.. Al hamdullilah, I will have so much help with my two older ones. They really help me so much.. May Alalh reward them for this. I adore them.

lately, I wanna eat EVERYTHING....Im sooo hungry !!!

My husband decided to go to school and work part time. It will be for the next 2 yrs. I pray Allah tohelp us through this as I am aleady in debt and having a hard time supporting my family by myself. Thank God that I work at a hospital and have good benefits from them.

Anyway.. anyone thinking about embaking on this kinda of over seas marriage.... pls pls PLEASE....once you are togethe take the time .. about 3 yrs to get to know one another and togethe set up a solid life before u have kids. It's very very important.

Salams to you all....
Fi amenallah
Anisah

LMOTP - The Week of Dying Dangerously S3E13

2009-01-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - True Bromance S3E11

2009-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Baber is From Mars, Vegans Are From Vegus S3E10

2009-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

Kindness at home Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony. If this wonderful religion is followed pro

2009-01-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Kindness at home

Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony. If this wonderful religion is followed properly then a typical Muslim would only be a great example to follow. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "The most perfect believer in faith is the one who is best in moral character..." [At-Tirmithi]

Spreading kindness at home:

'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her said: "The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: '"When Allaah, The Almighty,Wills some good towards the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them.'" [Ahmad]

According to another report: "When Allaah loves the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them." [Ibn Abu Ad-Dunyaa] In other words, they start to be kind to one another.

This is one of the means of attaining happiness at home, for kindness is very beneficial between the spouses, and with the children, and it brings results that cannot be achieved through harshness, as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Allaah loves kindness and rewards for it in such a way that He does not reward for harshness or for anything else." [Muslim]

Helping the wife with the housework:

Many men think that housework is beneath them, and some of them think that it will undermine their status and position if they help their wives with this work. The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) however, used to "sew his own clothes, mend his own shoes and do whatever other work men do in their homes." [Ahmad]

This is how 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her responded when she was asked about what the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to do in his house; she described what she herself had seen. According to another report, she said: "He was like any other human being; he would clean his clothes, milk his ewe and serve himself." [Ahmad]

She may Allaah be pleased with her was also asked about what the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to do in his house, and she said, "He used to serve his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray." [Al-Bukhaari]

If we Muslim men were to do likewise nowadays, we would achieve three things:

1. We would be following the example of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).

2. We would be helping our wives.

3. We would feel more humble and down to earth.

These narrations should act as a reminder to those men, who demand food instantly from their wives, when the pot is on the stove and the baby is screaming to be fed; they do not pick up the child or wait a little while for the food.

Being affectionate towards and joking with the members of the family:

Showing affection towards one's wife and children is one of the things that lead to creating an atmosphere of happiness and friendliness in the home. Thus the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) advised Jaabir may Allaah be pleased with him to marry a virgin, saying,

"Why did you not marry a virgin, so you could play with her and she could play with you, and you could make her laugh and she could make you laugh?" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) also said: "Everything in which Allaah's name is not mentioned is idleness and play, except for four things: a man playing with his wife..." [An-Nasaa'ee]

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to treat his wife 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her affectionately when performing Ghusl (ritual bath) with her, as she may Allaah be pleased with him said: "The Messenger of Allaah and I used to perform Ghusl together from one vessel, and he would playfully pretend to take all the water so that I would say, 'Leave some for me, leave some for me.'" [Muslim]

The ways in which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) showed affection towards young children are too famous to need mentioning. He often used to show his affection towards his grandchildren Hasan and Husayn. This is probably one of the reasons why the children used to rejoice when he came back from traveling; they would rush to welcome him, as reported in the following authentic narration: "Whenever he came back from a journey, the children of his household would be taken out to meet him." He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to hug them close to him, as 'Abdullaah Ibn Ja'far may Allaah be pleased with him said: "Whenever the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) came back from a journey, we would be taken out to meet him (to the boundaries of Al-Madeenah). One day we met him, Hasan, Husayn and I. He carried one of us in front of him (on his animal), and another on his back, until we entered Al-Madeenah." [Muslim]

Compare this with the situation in some miserable homes where there is no joking or playing, affection or mercy among its members. Whoever thinks that kissing his children goes against the dignity of fatherhood should read the following narration reported from Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him who said:

"The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) kissed Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali, and Al-Aqra' Ibn Haabis At-Tameemi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra' said: 'I have ten children and I have never kissed any one of them.' The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) looked at him and said: 'The one who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.'" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Muslim family booted off U.S. airline gets apology

2009-01-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Muslim family booted off U.S. airline gets apology

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Muslim family that was ordered off an AirTran Airways flight on New Year's Day received an apology and refund on Friday from the airline, which said its decision to bar the passengers was necessary.

Atif Irfan said in an interview with CNN that federal authorities removed him, seven family members and a friend from the flight after passengers overheard members of the group talking about the safest place to sit on the plane. He said they were being careful to avoid any "buzzwords" like "bomb" that would trigger a security alert.

The group was flying out of Reagan Washington National Airport and was headed for a religious retreat in Florida when other passengers apparently overheard the conversation and reported it to authorities.

AirTran, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings Inc., issued a statement apologizing to the nine and the other passengers who were inconvenienced by the incident. It said the airfare of the nine was refunded and other passengers would be reimbursed for expenses incurred by taking other flights.

"We apologize to all of the passengers -- to the nine who had to undergo extensive interviews from the authorities, and to the 95 who ultimately made the flight," the discount airline said in a statement.

"While ultimately this issue proved to be a misunderstanding, the steps taken were necessary," it said.

An earlier AirTran statement said the airline complied with all Transportation Security Administration and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the case.

All 104 passengers aboard the flight were taken off and rescreened and their baggage was checked again, AirTran said. Of the nine passengers in the group, six asked to be rebooked to Florida, AirTran said.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said it filed a complaint on Friday with the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Islamic civil rights group said in a statement it was working with the Muslim passengers and the airline to address the civil liberties issues related to the incident.

"We believe this disturbing incident would never have occurred had the Muslim passengers removed from the plane not been perceived by other travelers and airline personnel as members of the Islamic faith," the group said in its complaint.

Kashif Irfan, Atif's brother, told The Washington Post he thought the group, all but one of them U.S.-born citizens, were profiled because of their appearance. He said five of the six adults in the group are of South Asian descent, and all six are traditionally Muslim in appearance, with the men wearing beards and the women in headscarves.

Kashif Irfan, 34, is an anesthesiologist, and his brother Atif, 29, is a lawyer, the Post reported. Both live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Atif Irfan told CNN U.S. law enforcement officials treated the group with kindness but the family is upset that the airline did not allow the group to reboard the plane or rebook a flight after they had been cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Post reported the group booked a flight on US Airways after the incident.

(Reporting by Donna Smith; Editing by Eric Beech)

Morning has Broken

2008-12-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Good Morning... so this sister needs ur duaas and strength...incha'allah...

sharing this song with you. XOX

"To Do" list

2008-12-10T06:15:00.001-08:00

1. Started your own blog (of course!! although too many to count)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (twice)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumping
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight (who hasnt?)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (of course!)
24. Built a snow fort (main occupation as child besides playing superheroes)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied ( but spent it all on satisfying myself lol)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (Got married there ! )
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (it was ballet or karate as a kid)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (just for being his girl)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (never been able to, seriously!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (over Niagara heee)
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy (carry it on all my travels)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (coxxys, tail bone.. birthing my son 14 yrs ago lol)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car(Van)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life(my fathers..once..sadly not 2nd time)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (on # 3)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (several)
99. Been stung by a bee (a wasp)
100. Read an entire book in one day

Happy Eid to one and to ALL !! XOXO

2008-12-07T09:27:00.001-08:00

Muslim Marriage - Ummah Films - Half Our Deen

2008-12-07T08:51:00.001-08:00

LMOTP - A Hard Days Fight S3E09

2008-12-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

21 weeks, Al hamdulilah

2008-11-29T08:54:00.000-08:00

Salam alaykom from the pregnancy war zone !!!
hehe
I say that with a good humor ( or trying too lol)They say the second trimester is supposed to be less of an emotional roller coaster..but I don't feel it yet ! May Allah have mercy on my husband hehe.

So like the photo u see here is of the baby :). had it on Friday, Al hamdullilah.
was quite the day. phew.!!
first...Hubby dropped me and my 14 yr old son at the front door of the hospital. We went in while he would park and meet up with us. Too far for me to walk with this sore foot from the parking area. Anyhow... Nick and I were waiting...and waiting.. Hubby was taking so long.. called cell and he said..hunny.. I just had a little accident and the guy is insisting on waiting for police to make report for insurance.. I am so sorry....
I said oh dear... ok.. try to hurry and I will try to stall best I can....
So my 14 yr old gentleman...masha'allah...he took charge.. took mommy's purse for her.. and took me to sit down..and he checked me in...showed me changing room...then to the waiting room. Asked if I wanted him to go help Hubby or stay.. I said better stay..I don;t want you to miss seeing the baby too! We told the nurse what was going on and to try best to stall until hubby got there. Then about 1 min before they called my name he showed up al l. But he was so upset...Imagine..after 3 yrs... 1 waiting for me to make it to him and the other 2 married and waiting for him to arrive..now to finally have started our family and he has to miss the first ultrasound. But al hamdulillah.. Allah made it possible.
Baby moves a LOT...hard for the technician to get a picture of anything. hehee.. Masha'allah. My 14 yr old was amazed. I was looking at him and remembering not too long ago.. I was seeing him the same way for the first time. Isn't it amazing that he can be there now? Course..i started to cry lol.
My Daughter , 12 did not want to come. She said Babies in the tummy are gross. Ones outside are ok..but I think it's gross. Anyway, they only allowed me to have 2 ppl come along.
We were not able to tell the gender of baby much. Baby had the cord between legs AND the legs crossed. But the Tech had a few seconds of viewing time and said she did not see a penis... and if there was one. it would've shown. So most likely a girl. I wish I knew definitely.. cause I wanna start buying things !! lol Anyway.. gonna be a surprise whether we want it or not ehn?
The tech took all measurements. Which was not easy cause this baby is smart and doesn't seem to appreciate being poked and prodded hehe. Everything is there and proportioned correctly., heart beats great and brain is right size. So healthy baby al hamdullilah. That is really the most important. They spent a lot of time checking out the spine. Which kinda scared me a bit. but In the end the doc said everything is great.
Does anyone have any ideas about a lullaby for our new bundle?
I was thinking this song...

But would like to know if anyone has any islamic ones?
jazak'allah khair

Salsm for now!!

"You won't hear that at Jummah!" - Ummah Films

2008-11-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Mercy Dot Com S3E08

2008-11-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Sweet Sixteen S3E07

2008-11-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

Standing alone...

2008-11-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Salam alaykom y'all.. Im back from the doc's. I gained 5 lbs..which is not too bad...Doc seemed pleased with it. SO I'm 19 weeks this week. Al hamdullilah. Doc won't give me time off work yet though.
IF she gives me time off.. that takes my mat leave time and I will only get 50% of salary. If the workman's comp decides I should be off, then they pay for it instead and I get 90%. No time taken off my maternity leave either. So I just gotta hang in there for that report to come in. Doc suggested that if they don;t make any changes that I call them and explain more. So I will Incha'allah.
lately I have been thinking about my past 2 pregnancies 14 and 12 yrs ago.....There is no way I can b pregnant and not have a husband to share in this..I would really really have a difficult time. in past the kid's Dad was truck driver and gone 6 days out of 7. I lived in a cabin/house..practically in the woods..and heated with wood. I seriously dunno how I got through that !! . Prob one big reason I left their Dad.
I/m older now.and need more emotional and physical support. So I post this video from native deen.
I am thanking Allah for making sure I am not alone this time. Sure I could do it alone..and be ok... but al hamdullilah , I am not. I have been a single Mom for too long. I feel blessed I am having this baby and being married and safe in a halal, Islamic marriage. Allahu akbar.

Sous le Vent.....

2008-11-18T05:40:00.001-08:00

Attention... for non music listeners..this video is not for you :)

I just wanted to post this song. I'm not a big fan of french Canadian music but these two artists are an exception. Maybe I am biased because they come from where I come from. Maybe they grew up like me...and we all have same background, so can relate to each other. I dunno...

To me, it's a song about how even when you think things are not the same between a married couple, that it's false and it's about how we are always there for each other and not to forget it.

Enjoy.

Marriage Interviews & Dowry

2008-11-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

18 weeks al hamdullilah

2008-11-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

Salam alaykom

Well, I have to say..I am too old to be working AND be pregnant at same time. Course it does not help that,. out of 3 secretaries running the place, I am the only one right now. Seriously I am physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I really do not know how I am going to make it through this pregnancy with things like this.Afterward will be just as hard , because I will be recovering from surgery. C-section it is for sure...My husband expects to bring his mum from Morocco to help out...which sounds wonderful, but we cannot communicate... She cannot speak..french, english or even Arabic..only Moroccan or Berber.
I am starting to remember how difficult things were after having my , now 12 yr old, and having those staples like a zipper on my gut. Husband works 6 days a week and we have only been together 6 mths. We have not had time to bond as a couple..or work things out to make things go smoothly.

So ya..if you have not noticed by now..I'm scared.. really scared.
On top of this..husband wants to move... which means not have my brother living with us. We do need our own place..but stress of moving...not something I am looking forward too!!

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday...and will discuss this all with her. Incha'allah she will give me some time off or maybe put me on 4 day work week.. that would be a relief , just in that. Ultrasound... I am really anxious to have.but on a waiting list and prob wont be called until I'm 21 weeks along..and at last minute too ....wonders of the Canadian health system... but al hamdulilah..at least I don't have to pay out of my pocket.

So sned me some positive thoughts sisters...

Oh..and Little Mosque did not seem to play this week.. this happens sometimes. Incha'allah this coming week. :)
hang in there !!

Salams

Ummah Films Season 3 Improving Muslim Schools (in Chicago)

2008-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Let Prairie Dogs Lie S3E06

2008-11-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

LMOTP - Rules R Rules S3E05

2008-11-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Pink Hijab Day

2008-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Salam Alaykom .

I would like to bring some attention to Pink Hijab Day.
Incha'llah all will join., Please spread the word.!!

Wednesday, October 29th

LMOTP - The Ties that Blind

2008-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

LMOTP - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way S3E03

2008-10-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

14 weeks al hamdullilah....

2008-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykom.

OK..Finally I made it through the first Trimester !! At age 38, I think I deserve an award ;) Well, I am blessed, that's enough to be awarded ehn?
I took 2 weeks off for end of Ramadan and
Eid and ended up sleeping till noon each day. WHICH FELT SOOOOOOOOOOO darn GOOD!!.
This was my first Ramadan with my husband. It was a difficult one too, I might add. But Al hamdulilah. There are so many things for us to adjust to. We are making it work though..al hamdulilah.
I finally...FINALLY...went to the maasjid on Eid. This was the first time since my Shahada in 2004 :( Had a very Bad exp. there and ended up creating a bit of a phobia for me. We got to go with some Moroccan friends that live in our town that we just met. It was really nice. However, I expected the prayers and the Khutba to be longer. I was not impressed with the fact that all the ladies were more interested in what everyone was wearing rather than giving praise to Allah. I actually saw a co-worker there and that was really a blessing. I got to meet her family...and masha'allah they are so nice. Her elderly father put his hand on my forehead and made duaa for me... I was so touched and pleasantly surprised. Masha'allah. My husband had to get back to work so we went back home afterwards..but I felt good. Incha'allah next year,, I will have a more better idea on what to do to make Ramadan more beneficial and special. I was a bit sad that my kids did not want to go this year. All the years that we could not go, they wanted to and now this year...they decided against. I guess everything is a big adjustment for everyone. I pray next year, they will feel that their Mom is more comfortable and at ease and they will want to join. I plan on spending more time with Muslim families for them to get used to the difference... or maybe it will be more similar than they realize. Incha'allah. Eid Mubarak to everyone.. A little late but better than never ehn?

So I went back to work last week. ( I work as a medical secretary in a Children's Hospital.)and got a huge bad cold. Was horrible and I am still suffering. Can't take any meds. Just vick's, halls and lemon/honey tea..grrrrrrr
I am showing quite a bit now. Feeling a lot like the above picture. I gotta get a vaporizer.
So here is what happens at 14 weeks pregnant..
ur baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

LMOTP - Lord Of The Ring S3E02

2008-10-14T16:19:00.001-07:00

Birth order of children

2008-10-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

What to wear
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don’t bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn’t do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Wardrobe:
1st baby: You pre -wash newborn’s clothes, colour-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby’s little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can’t they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress–a whimper, a frown–you pick up the baby
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

The Dummy:
1st baby: If the dummy falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the dummy falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Nappy changes:
1st baby: You change your baby’s nappies every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their nappy every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their nappy before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn’t squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favourite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

Can you relate to any of these ?

LMOTP - Amaar at the Bat S3E01

2008-10-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

10 weeks al hamdullilah

2008-09-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mother:

You are still tired, and nauseated, hang on only a few more weeks for most of you! Your abdomen may begin to pooch out, but it will be more from bowel distension than the uterus. Your waistline is slowly disappearing! Remember to measure your waist and belly now! Comparing later can be a lot of fun!
Baby:

The baby now enters it's fetal period. The average size is approximately 27-35 mm crown to rump length (CRL), or 1.06-1.38 inches. S/he weighs in at 4 grams, or 4 paper clips. Tiny toes have formed. The eyes are largely open, but the eyelids are beginning to fuse, and will stay that way until 25-27 weeks. External genitalia is beginning to differentiate. External ears are completely formed, as well as the upper lip. The biggest accomplishment this week is the disappearance of the tail!
Also, your baby is breathing. This breathing activity is noticeable as he “breathes” Amniotic fluid. He is beginning to urinate as well.
Dad:

Is the reality of pregnancy setting in yet? Do you start worrying about things like how you'll afford groceries if she takes maternity leave? These are normal dad worries and legitimate. Make sure you sit down and rationalize your feelings prior to having the discussions with her. There are plenty of answers to your questions. Finding out now about both of your maternity/paternity leave policies will be helpful in determining what your family can handle.

Ok so now that you are all properly informed of baby growth...my personal aspect...

This, I believe has been the hardest week so far and I am totally physically and mentally exhausted.

Good thing is that Adil has 3 jobs on the go. Incha'allah soon he can devote himself to one,. but he has to put time in all three and be patient and wait for right time. He is really handling this great and I am so proud of him. I could never ask any better, masha'allah.

With Ramadan, even though I am not fasting... I have been preparing things for Adil, he really has no time and I know he is exhausted. YAYA, I know he is a big boy, but still I can't help to worry and tey my best to keep him fed properly. So I have been baking a lot and most of my evenings are cooking and laundry mixed in with maybe 30 mins of laying in front of TV for some distraction time. Been trying to read Quran....

Today, I checked some adds online for baby stuff and I think I have found a cradle....for 100 $, A baby swing for 50$ and a playpen with a mini changing table attached for 85$. Incha'allah can get those home this week. The all I need is a stroller/car seat ( seems they come as a pair these days, big change from 12 yrs ago !! lol) , A rocking chair(which I think I may be able to borrow from my foster-sister, incha'allah, will know next Sunday), A crib and baby bag. The will be jsut little things I will need..which I can sorta buy off and on incha'allah. But I will feel so much releif once I get some big items taken care of.

Work has been quite and ordeal. I am now doing the work of three. Al hamdullilah my boss has been helping me with the behaviour of the nurses ( they all want their clinics taken care of first, and sorry, but it's priority first grr) so I have had to sic the boss on them to set them in line. I really cannot handle the stress of a confrontation, I need to spend all my time concentraing on getting things set up properly for my 2 week vacation. Last week I took 2 days off and it all went to heck...grrr. the friend I thought about to come help out is too busy. So I truly do not know what to do. I do know one thing..It's not my problem, it's theirs. Sad note : Dr. Michael Davis the top respirologist and head of the respirolgy dept at the Montreal Children's passed away while I was off on those 2 days. He had been off for a month, he went on vacation to barbados..and passed away there from the heat. May Allah bless him for all he did for all the new borns and children that would never have survived without his care and devotion. He was a man to be reckoned with and got through the stupid red tape there often is when a child needed care. Even though he was older and a prominent MD, he always took the time to say hellp to everyone and make everyone feel like a valuable part of the team. He was a pleasure to work with.

Anwyay... other thant that...things are kewl. I'm deeply saddened and heartborken and about a dear freind who is going through a very difficult time right now. I just feel helpless, but I have been keeping her and her wonderful kids in my prayers.

Salams for now.. time for a nap again lol

-

9 Weeks, Al hamdullilah

2008-09-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Salam aleikum Incha'allah this posting finds you all well,. and in high Iman.

So here is my weekly update...I was really exhausted mentally and physically from spending 2 days visiting the ER. Thanks to God, I had taken a few days vacation and only worked on Thursday and Friday. However.. there is nobody to replace me and not to sound full of myself, but what I do, there is nobody else that can do. Therefore, when I got back, My desk was stacked full, all the Clinics I had arranged..something had gone wrong and I had to work hard to fix it all, only ending up to have 2 patients that were not supposed to come in..came in...I felt so bad..I know how it is to be a mom and take time out to spend a day at the hospital...Al hamdullilah the nurse is a good one and she is very cool and took care of them and we were able to at least make their trip for a reason. But I feel horrible.. was nueromuscular patients To add on it all I was alone. Usually there are 5 secretaries ( busy ones) 1- administrative, 1- private secretary to the head of department MD, 1- me, head of organising and running all clinics, 1- to answer phones, do mail, book appointments for patients that are actually in the department for shirt term problems and the last one is a file clerk that comes in 2 days a week to file results into our patient's charts . I am the only one that showed up on both days !! Ya.. I am blessed with the capability to prioritize and organize and I am able to handle it all and get through the day. But..sisters... I am not 24 anymore.. when I sued to work 12 hour days...without any break...and handle all kinds of stress. Those days are so over !! I am exhausted. It really sucks for the hubby too..cause he gets home for iftar, tired and thirsty and hungry and wifey is in pissy mood and don't wanna be touched and gets emotional over the slightest thing...Inchaallah he is rewarded for his patience and understanding. So I told them at work that they had better find a solution and quick. They said , well we have no one and do you have any idea or suggestions. I said no..not for me to have.. for them !! I'm not the manager there !! so like once again..I am being forced to take responsibility and do other's jobs. FINE.. so brain stormed last night and I have a few. Starting on Monday , I'm going to ask around for someone who is on availability to maybe come in part time or on call....and eventually work for my mat leave. Would take a few months for them to learn even a bit of what I do. In fact , I do have someone in mind. I'm going to email her tonight incha'allah...I actually just sent hr an email. Before I forget !! lol happens a lot lately.
So... other than this stress... I am feeling much better. less nausea...eating more often and less quantity. Also eating right away when I get up. An empty stomach is a sick one ! lol
face broke out a bit... grrrr... and it's been really hot this week..like 31 degrees. I HATE hot weather..I am a canadian girl and I love the cold... I admit. My Fav season is Fall, cause its cool and sunny..bright colours...smells beautiful too. ( reminds me I gotta change my blog page to smth more appropriate ). Ben having a lot of different cravings. Nothing in particular, but when I want it.. it has to be THAT. Examples being.. other night at like 1 am was up dreaming about a hamburger... not just any..a MacDonald's one !! ( no..I did not go for it al hamdullilah...no halal MacDonald's around here !! ) and tonight it's gotta be lasagna.
Kids started school, so at least they are occupied. They actually managed to keep a lot of things from last year and school supplies , I did not have to buy much al hamdulilah. They are learning. I plan to get them some things in October incha'allah. They have been wonderful and helping me out tons. I am really proud of them and love them so very much. Especially my son. He knows how to take care of Mommy.Bless him.

Ina few days, it's going to be our 2 year wedding anniversary. Have NO IDEA how to spend it. We have no and no money to go anywhere or do anything.
Good news is that Adil somehow has managed to get 3 jobs going at once. Incha'allah he can pull it off. We gotta start buying things for baby !! so cook... appliance repair man and mail man...oh lala ...masha'allah
So that my news for now... I will now put some info on how things are with baby at 9 weeks...internet is amazing, did not have this when I was pregnant with Nick and Sarah hehee. Oh and I will post some pictures of Sarah doing a photo shoot while she was at arthritis camp this summer. looked like whole lotta fun!

Salamz... sooo here we go..

By the tenth week of pregnancy, you may find yourself riding pregnancy's emotional roller coaster, feeling moody one day and joyful the next. Disturbing as this is to some women who pride themselves on being in control, what you're going through is normal and will probably continue throughout your pregnancy. Up-and-down emotions are partly caused by raging hormones.

fetal development at 9 weeksAt week's end, your fetus measures approximately 0.9 inches / 2.3 centimetres long. In both shape and size, it resembles a peapod and weighs less than a tenth of an ounce / 2 grams. The eyelids are fused and won't open until week 27. The wrists are more developed, ankles have formed, and the fingers and toes are clearly visible. Arms are growing longer and bend at the elbows. By week's end, the inner workings of the ears are complete. Though you can't yet identify the sex of the fetus by ultrasound, its genitals have begun to form. By now the placenta has developed enough to support most of the critical job of producing hormones.

You will soon need to make decisions about prenatal screening, and we have a complete guide to prenatal tests. If you're over 35 or have a family history of genetic illness, you may want to consider a chorionic villus sampling (CVS), a prenatal test usually carried out between ten and 12 weeks that screens for birth defects and abnormalities.

Personal Note...at first, I was not even going to consider an amnio...but I am still looking into it, there is more about it than i thought. , I will update about that at a later date.

An increased circulating level of these pregnancy hormones is also partly responsible for the magnification of the complex emotions, which you, as a pregnant woman, already have to deal with. The joy of simply being pregnant may be enough to move you to tears. Anxiety regarding how you feel about yourself and the way your body is changing is normal, as are concerns about your health and the health of your developing fetus.

However, overreaction to these, and even simple issues, can be problematic. You may frequently become tearful and find it difficult, or even impossible, to give a reason for your behavior. Recognize that this can be unsettling for your husband too, possibly causing him feelings of confusion and inadequacy. If he feels unable to handle your tears, he may withdraw and ignore the problem, which you may perceive as unloving and non-supportive. Understanding that your behavior is normal will make it far easier for your partner to accept, and may help him be more supportive.

( Incha'allah is all I can say about that !! )

Pets de Soeurs ( Nun's farts lol) ~ Quebecois version

2008-09-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

Pets De Soeurs

Dough

3c Flour
2tb Baking powder
1ts -Salt
1ts Sugar
0.5c Lard
½ to ¾ cups Milk

Filling

2tb Butter; softened
1c Brown sugar
1ts Cinnamon
1c –Water

Sift the dry ingredients together. Blend in the lard to form a coarse mixture. Gradually add the milk until a soft dough is formed. Roll the dough until it is fairly thin, although it should be thicker than a regular pie crust. Butter the dough with soft butter, cover with 1/4 inch of brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll and slice into circles about 1/2 inch thick. Pour water into a casserole dish. Put the sliced dough into the casserole and bake at 375F for about 30 minutes or until the pets de soeur are golden brown.

Pudding Chomeur

2008-09-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Pouding Chomeur ( Poor man's Pudding)

yummy....

on popular request, an English version Image

Cake

1 1/2 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Maple Sauce

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract ( halal of course Image)

Instructions;

preheat oven to 325 degrees farenheit

Sift flour and baking powder together ina bowl. Put aside

In a bowl, whip butter and sugar together. then gradually add milk and flour into the mixture alternatly.

Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch pan( greased). put aside

In a pot put all ingredients for the sause and bring to boil for 2 minutes then pour over the mixture. DO NOT MIX.

Bake in oven @ 325 degrees fareneit for 45 mins Image

* best served with vanilla ice cream when it's still hot.

7 weeks and 5days exactly....

2008-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykom....This was a blog I did last Monday, September 1st.

Well sisters, I have not been feeling too great past few days and this am had some spotting and sharp pains , so I went off to the ER.

This is the result !!! Baby is great, al hamdullilah. We saw the heart beat fast and strong,Masha'allah.

I guess I have some sort of infection some place. Have a high white blood count. Spotting has stopped and pains are very rare. I'm tired but can't seem to settle down. Probably because of being so excited to see the baby hehehe. I have a follow up blood test tomorrow am.

So keep us in your duaas pls. Not only this , but we are facing a few .lets call them "tests" at the moment. Guess it's normal considering everything. Incha'allah.

now off to try to nap again hehehe.

Salams !!

8 Weeks Alhamdullilah.....

2008-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Your baby has a face! Your baby's features are becoming more obvious, as his lips, tongue and nostrils, as well as the buds for 20 baby teeth are already present. The back muscles are growing along the spinal column, and his or her reproductive organs have started to form and soon will become either testes or ovaries. The arms and legs are growing and elbows and knees appear as well. The fingers and toes are starting to show but are still webbed. Your baby is about 8 - 11 mm or 0.31 - 0.43 inches in length.

The process of ossification (hardening of the bones) begins as the bones of the fingers and toes have already reached the first joint. Your baby is already getting smarter as his brain continues to develop and grow. Your baby is starting to show signs of reflex activity - an automatic response to certain types of stimuli Connecting you and your baby, the umbilical cord with all its blood vessels, is starting to function. In fact, what will be your baby's intestine is forming in the umbilical cord as well. An ultrasound done this week would show your baby's fluttering heart and reflex movements.

Mood swings: A lot of women can feel moody or anxious during this time of the pregnancy. You might have conflicting emotions about your pregnancy, or your may be exhausted from weeks of flu-like symptoms. Your rampaging hormones exacerbate these emotions. Try to relax and communicate with your partner concerning any worries you have.

Good news here lol :

if you have been extra moody lately, that may start to subside this week, as the placenta is beginning to take responsibility for your baby’s hormone production

Pregnancy symptoms that you may experience during this time include:

Acne
Increase in hormones
Tender, swollen breasts
Tummy pooch
Nausea
Extreme fatigue.

(NO KIDDDINNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! )

A video I found that was closest to my first time seeing this blessed child. masha'allah. ( yes I am bawling my eyes out right now lol )

So ya... how am I feeling? I am over -emotional, extremely tired...mooody..low -energy... however nausea is not as bad.. but I can't do sunnah prayers.. jsut too much. Been compensating with dkhir beads... not been fasting... kinda relieved and saddene by this. I really wanted to share fasting with my husband for the first time this year. I ahve been with him for iftar and making him treats though I spent a few days home this week..and I love it. i wish I could be a stay at home mom , Inchaallah one day.

Adil is majorly stressed, with good reason. He has a lot to handle and get used to and fast. Poor guy.. keep him in ur duaas ok? may allah give him sabr

In Honour of my 2nd Wedding Anniversary

2008-09-07T13:57:00.001-07:00

May Allah guide us and keep us strong to achieve these things, Amine.
With all my love and devotion, Anisah

Marriage in Islam

by Shahina Siddiqui

"And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in peace and tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): Verily in that are signs for those who reflect" (Quran 30:21).

"O Humans revere your Guardian Lord, Who created you from a single person created of like nature its mate, and from this scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah through Whom you claim your mutual rights" (Quran 4:1).

The above verses of the Quran lay out the framework as to what are the basis, the objectives and the goal of marriage in Islam. In the ultimate Wisdom of Allah we are first told that both partners man and woman are created from the same source. That this should be paid attention to as it is one of His signs.

The fact that we come from the same soul signifies our equality as humans, when the essence of our creation is the same, the argument of who is better or greater is redundant. To stress on this fact and then to talk about marriage in the same verse is of great significance for those of us who are in the field of marriage counseling.

The shift in this attitude of equality of genders as human beings cause a imbalance in marital relation ship that leads to dysfunctional marriage. When ever one party considers themselves superior or above the law there is a shift in the balance of power that may lead to misuse or abuse of power as the less valuable partner is seen as an easy prey. Many marital difficulties are based on or caused by control and rule stratagem.

By stressing on the equality of all humans men or women and making it the basis of marriage, Allah in His infinite wisdom has laid the ground rules for establishing peace, as well as the assigning of different roles to husband and wife as functional strategy rather than a question of competence as humans.

Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has stated that: "men and women are twin halves of each other" (Bukhari). This Hadith also brings home the fact that men and women are created from single source. Furthermore, by using the analogy of twin half the Prophet has underlined the reciprocal nature and the interdependent nature of men and women's relationship.

The objective and the goal of marriage in Islam according to the above Quranic verse is to enable us to dwell in peace and tranquility. It is important for us to reflect on these words and their significance in the Islamic frame of reference.

In order to have peace certain condition must be met. These prerequisites to peace are Justice, Fairness, Equity, Equality, and fulfillment of mutual rights. Therefore any injustice whether it is oppression, or persecution, cannot be tolerated if there is to be peace in Muslim homes.

In the domestic realm oppression is manifested when the process of Shura (consultation) is compromised, neglected or ignored. When one partner (in most cases the husband) makes unilateral decisions and applies dictatorial style of leadership, peace is compromised. Persecution is present when there is any form of domestic abuse being perpetrated.

Tranquility on the other hand is a state of being which is achieved when peace has been established. Tranquility is compromised when there is tension, stress and anger. It is a mistake to take tranquility to mean perpetual state of bliss. Since being Muslims does not make us immune to tragedies and catastrophes.

In fact Allah tells us in the Quran that we will be tried (2:155,57). What a state of tranquility does is to empower us to handle life's difficult moments with our spouses as obedient servants of Allah. Allah in His infinite Mercy also provides us with the tools by which we can achieve this state of peace and tranquility.

The second principle besides Shura on which the Islamic family life is based is Mercy (Rehma), and in this verse Allah is telling us that He has placed mercy between spouses. We are therefore inclined by our very nature to have mercy for our spouses. Mercy is manifested through compassion, forgiveness, caring and humility.

It is obvious that these are all ingredients that make for a successful partnership. Marriage in Islam is above all a partnership based on equality of partners and specification of roles. Lack of mercy in a marriage or a family renders it in Islamic terms dysfunctional.

Allah further states that He has also placed in addition to mercy, love between spouses. It should however be noted that Islamic concept of love is different from the more commonly understood romantic love so valued in the Western cultures.

The basic difference is that love between man and woman in the Islamic context can only be realized and expressed in a legal marriage. In order to develop a healthy avenue for the expression of love between man and woman and to provide security so that such a loving relationship can flourish, it is necessary to give it the protection of Shariah (Islamic law).

Marital love in Islam inculcates the following:

Faith: The love Muslim spouses have for each other is for the sake of Allah that is to gain His pleasure. It is from Allah that we claim our mutual rights (Quran 4:1) and it is to Allah that we are accountable for our behavior as husbands and wives.

It sustains: Love is not to consume but to sustain. Allah expresses His love for us by providing sustenance. To love in Islam is to sustain our loved one physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, to the best of our ability (to sustain materially is the husbands duty, however if the wife wishes she can also contribute)

Accepts: To love someone is to accept them for who they are. It is selfishness to try and mould someone as we wish them to be. True love does not attempt to crush individuality or control personal differences, but is magnanimous and secure to accommodate differences.

Challenges: Love challenges us to be all we can, it encourages us to tap into our talents and takes pride in our achievements. To enable our loved one to realize their potential is the most rewarding experience.

Merciful: Mercy compels us to love and love compels us to have mercy. In the Islamic context the two are synonymous. The attribute Allah chose to be the supreme for Himself is that He is the most Merciful. This attribute of Rehman (the Merciful) is mentioned 170 times in the Quran, bringing home the significance for believers to be merciful. Mercy in practical application means to have and show compassion and to be charitable.

Forgiving: Love is never too proud to seek forgiveness or too stingy to forgive. It is willing to let go of hurt and letdowns. Forgiveness allows us the opportunity to improve and correct our selves.

Respect: To love is to respect and value the person their contributions and their opinions. Respect does not allow us to take for granted our loved ones or to ignore their input. How we interact with our spouses reflects whether we respect them or not.

Confidentiality: Trust is the most essential ingredient of love. When trust is betrayed and confidentiality compromised, love loses its soul.

Caring: Love fosters a deep fondness that dictates caring and sharing in all that we do. The needs of our loved ones take precedence over our own.

Kindness: The Seerah (biography) of our beloved Prophet is rich with examples of acts of kindness, he showed towards his family and particularly his wives. Even when his patience was tried, he was never unkind in word or deed. To love is to be kind.

Grows: Marital love is not static it grows and flourishes with each day of marital life. It requires work and commitment, and is nourished through faith when we are thankful and appreciative of Allah blessings.

Enhances: Love enhances our image and beautifies our world. It provides emotional security and physical well being.

Selflessness: Love gives unconditionally and protects dutifully.

Truthful: Love is honesty without cruelty and loyalty without compromise.

7 weeks....al hamdullilah

2008-08-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

This week your baby has an amazing growth spurt. At the beginning of this week, your baby is approximately 4 to 5 mm and by the end of the week it has more than doubled to 11 to 13 mm! Your baby weights approximately 0.03 ounces. Most women are ready for the world to know they are pregnant. Even though you have not changed very much yet, it will come soon! You might have gained a small amount of weight by now, but it should only be a couple of pounds at this time. It is not unusual to lose a few pounds or remain the same though. Internally, cervical mucus is thickening and will form a plug in the cervical canal. The plug seals your cervix throughout the pregnancy and it will be expelled prior to delivery when your cervix begins to dilate.

Your baby's leg and arm buds are longer now and they have divided into segments where the hands and feet will be. The hands and feet also have an area where the fingers and toes will begin to form. At this point of your pregnancy, the heart is bulging from the body and it has divided into right and left chambers. The brain's hemispheres are continuing to grow and the air passages into the lungs are visible. Your baby's eyes are beginning to get pigment. The nose is developing and the beginning of the face can be seen. The baby's abdomen is developing quickly and the appendix and pancreas are already present. Your baby's digestive tract is beginning to form and the hindgut is present. The shape of the talk can still be seen, but it will fade in 3 or 4 weeks.

Even pregnant women get sick occasionally. You should not take any medications during pregnancy unless your doctor has approved them first. If a problem does not resolve or you need medication, your caregiver can give you advice on relief options that are safe during pregnancy. Take good care of yourself by eating nutritious foods, exercising lightly, drinking extra water and getting an adequate amount of rest.

Mood swings can be a pain in pregnancy. It could be hormones, or a touch of anxiety at the idea of all the coming responsibility.

The baby's limb buds are growing quickly, and they actually look more like arms and legs, with small separations which will become toes and fingers.

Embryo's hand development in week 7

Hands are developing at an amazing speed this week! Day 48

And this is the hand only 3 days later

Embryo's foot development in week 7 & 8

Your baby's feet are developing at an amazing speed as well. (Day 51)

And this is the foot in week 8 (Day 60)

***********************************************************************************************************

Salam Alaykom...
So this is where I am this week.
I feel like having a party after each week I am surviving.... having a baby at 38 yrs old, 12 years after the last one...is a HUGE difference. I have wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy much less energy..and much more tired..and this time I have morning sickness...when with Nick and Sarah..nothing. It's mostly in the evening , though....and I have learned to eat a little throughout the day. Trying to drink a lot more milk.
I sleep as much as possible but only get about 6 hours at night... this is not enough. so I try to catch up on weekends. When I get home from work , I lay down for an hour or so after prayers and shower. The kids have been away at their Dad's for the week, al hamdullilah. My brother has been making supper usually and Adil too.
cravings....not really..but when I want something I want it now lol.
I have been really emotional and short tempered too. This does not help with the relationship with hubby..unfortunelty...May Allah help us both with this. Aslo..it's been hard on Adil to see me sick and can't do much.I know this . Incha'allah he knows I appreciate his patience and realy proud of him as well. been calling him " big Daddy " lol
the fun part of this is that I have 4 close freinds pregnant too, and all of them same weeks as me !!! Imagine that !!
Sisters... you ahve no idea how long I have waited to have a baby...and its happening. Al hamdullilah. I am blessed.

now..off for a nap !!!
ma'salaama

Honey, You're Pregnant ! Part Three

2008-08-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Honey, You're Pregnant!

Part 3: What's in a Name?

By Yasser Aboudouma

Writer, Civil Engineer - Egypt

* * *

Husbands, you have reached the final stage of the pregnancy marathon! The last three months of pregnancy can be called the months of mass destruction. The pregnant wife will be fond of knowing the baby's gender; you too, of course. She will start shopping for the baby. She will have emotional "alterations" — in some cases, depression!

Month Seven (Boy/Girl)

Sure, the doctor can tell the baby's gender. It is common in Egypt that most families dream that the first baby is a boy, which means your wife will dream of that too

Wife: That doctor is really weird. She is telling us "may be a boy, may be a girl." What does she mean that the baby can be a girl? I want a baby boy, and all my friends and family are prepared for that. If we had gone to a male doctor from the beginning, he would have told us, easily, whether the baby is a girl or a boy.

Wife: Huh! I need to think about baby girl names. What you do think? Layla, Dalia, or Du`aa'? or let's call her after my close friend. You know, I want her name to be unique — something that combines Arab, Egyptian, Western, Islamic, and Pharaonic cultures all in one name!

Husband: (teasing her) Don't worry about the name. we'll give her the name "Saffron." I'll complete all the official paperwork before you leave the operation room after delivery.

Wife: WHAT? Saf … what? No, please. Let me choose her name. I want to name her after my mom, your mom, or your sister — just don't choose that name.

Of course, the name choice argument will give you some power to control her mood, but remember, don't use it too much ; otherwise, you will find yourself flying out of the window!

Month Eight (Clothes)

Various researches describe this month in different ways, but they all agree that the pregnant woman wants to buy the entire world for her baby. She will feel jealous if she knows or hears about other mothers buying something for their babies, and she will do her best to buy the same or better. You as a husband have to accept that and get prepared to spend your savings on it. Husbands, never ever dream of saying "no" or complaining if she asks for baby shopping.

Wife: My colleague came to work with her baby today, and the baby wore a very sweet, pretty outfit that made her look like a princess. In the evening, I'll go shopping.

Husband: OK! We can shop at the weekend.

Wife: Thank you, honey. I knew you would agree, so today I bought fancy brand-name clothes for her from that famous store. Our daughter must get the best!

Husband: I thought we were going to do the shopping together.

Wife: Don't worry. There's still a lot to buy. Hey, see this is a shampoo for the baby when she sleeps and that shampoo is for when she wakes up. These are diapers from the US, and this is a brush for her hair.

Husband: WHAT? Shampoo for what? How do you know that the baby wants to sleep or not to and how to decide ahead of time which shampoo to use? You might bathe her with shampoo used for waking up and then she will want to sleep… oh yes, then you'll wake her up quickly and give her a shower with the right shampoo?

Who told you that the baby will be born with hair; as I understand it, a lot of babies are born without any hair, so that hairbrush is useless. In addition, why did you buy diapers made in the US? What's wrong with the ones made in Egypt? It's just a diaper, not a fancy thing!

Wife: Arrrgh! Don't worry, babies know the right shampoo! She'll sense which is the correct one and then act accordingly; that's what's written on the bottle. And I got the US-made diapers because I want my daughter to feel unique. Anyway, I bought three towels for the baby, one to use after shower, the second to dry her as the first one will be wet, and the third to cover her the second we are sure she is properly dried. Also, I got her hair clips, skin cream — one for night and the other for the morning, three pair of shoes, socks, underwear, and four dresses.

Husband: Are you sure you're shopping for a baby, not a girl who is getting ready for marriage?! By the way, did you buy her a make-up box? There's something especially for babies. You have to run to buy it now, and don't forget the baby's teeth brush, too!

Wife: Oh my God! You're right, I really forgot that. I'll arrange with my mom and sister to go out with me to complete my shopping.

Wife: By the way, you have to be more careful; my close friend told me that anger and nervousness are not good for pregnancy. Today at the meeting, all my colleagues were perfectly behaved; once any one just thought about arguing with me, I told them that I was in the eighth month and the baby would be delivered prematurely if I argue! There were no arguments, and the meeting ended in 10 minutes!

Husband: I think you'll get fired soon.

Days pass slowly, and the pregnant wife returns home with many things she bought from different stores. The husband gets used to seeing his wife sitting on the floor and spreading all the baby's stuff around her to check, kiss, hug them and find out what is missing!

Month Nine

Husbands, congratulations! You're in the ninth month. You have waited eight months to reach that final month. You controlled your temper throughout, you worked and helped with the housework, And you are tired; you deserve some relaxation.

The pregnant wife knows that the time of her being spoiled will end; finally, she will be responsible for a baby, so she will start acting as poorly, trying to show you that she is weak and powerless. Do understand that she is worried about delivering her baby — it is her first time, and she knows virtually nothing about giving birth. So you will have to –be, even more, patient!

Wife: Honey, I feel sorry for you! The past eight months have been very hard for you. I rarely cooked and you stopped eating dinner, while your breakfast was just a cake; you lost 20 kg. I have to cook today. I'll make a surprise for you. I'll boil some eggs and prepare white cheese, but would you please prepare the salad for us?!

Husband: … .

Wife: Do you think I'll deliver the baby naturally or will there be a C-section? You know, most of my pregnant friends had a cesarean. Maybe my doctor will deliver it naturally as she is a female doctor.

Husband: Ah yep, but the doctor's gender doesn't affect the type of delivery.

Wife: Anyway, I prepared two suite cases for the baby and me.

A natural phenomenon: All pregnant women become nice and kind to their husbands just a few days before giving birth. So be careful, because that kindness will turn into Hell if you were at work while she starts labor.

Wife: OHHH, HELP! Mom, dFatherad, Brother, Sister, Uncles, Aunts, United Nations, Egyptian people, the Universe, … any one! Help me, I'm in pain.the baby!

Wife: (addressing her husband) Honey, I'm in pain, tell that doctor to give me any painkiller. I can't handle it any more. I feel weak. Promise me if anything happens to me, never ever get married again! Don't give our baby a stepmother. Please, promise me!

Husband: You'll be fine, and everything will be OK. It happens to all women; you're not the first one. Just a few minutes from now, and you'll hold in your arms a sweet baby girl.

Wife: Did you bring a video camera with you? Don't take any shots from my left-hand side; my right side is more photogenic! Choose good angles for the shots, I want to look pretty in the video. Take shots while I'm not screaming and before my face appears in the video screen, just tell me to smile.

Husband: We're recording the birth of our baby, not making a movie! You'll be in the operation room, and you won't care about anything of that sort.

Wife: Labor hurts. I'm crazy and stupid; I don't want to get pregnant again. This is the first and last time. If anyone had told me about that pain, I would've never thought about marriage.

A big scream from the pregnant woman calls for the baby to come out and get introduced into this world to join the mother's community.

Wife: Honey, what is the gender of the baby?

Husband: What? The baby is a girl. We knew that a long time ago.

Wife: Yipeeee… I thought the doctor would change her mind. Is she pretty?

He: (Teasing her) Who, the doctor? Yes, very.

Wife: No, silly! I mean the baby.

Husband: Oh! yes, she's very, very pretty.

Wife: OK, next time we'll have a baby boy. Now tell them I want to hold her.

Husband: (in amazement) Next time? You just said … You were … What happened? Women! Women! Women!

Husbands, don't worry. Pregnant women are all like that — in a state of confusion and amazement. And they will continue to be like that until the last second of their lives. Congratulations!

Honey, You're Pregnant ! Part Two

2008-08-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Honey, You're Pregnant!

Part 2: Watch Out, She's Moody!

By Yasser Aboudouma

Writer, Civil Engineer - Egypt

Part 1: What Honey, You're Pregnant!

* * *

The first three months represented one-sided arguments, morning sickness, and food cravings. The following three months of pregnancy are like a walking through a minefield, with more one-sided arguments and weight gain. The husband has to expect a lot of warning messages that reflect the pregnant wife's mood, not helped by the fact that she has a career.

Month Four

Wife: See? As I told you before, you have to stop defending them.

Husband: What happened?

Wife: The meeting today! The attendees have not given me my prestige even though they knew about my pregnancy.

Wife: Imagine, once I entered the meeting room, just five people stood up, and the others didn't care.

Husband: WHAT! You had the chance to choose between five seats!

Wife: NO, all people have to stand up and let me choose where I want to sit.

Wife: I'll ask the manager to limit the meeting for three to four people max.; a congested room is not good for my pregnancy.

Husband: Why do you bother? You know, why don't you ask him to cancel all meetings!

Wife: Poor me, you're always mean to me. Even one girl felt sorry for me and let me sit beside the window, and she opened the door too!

Husband: That's not fair for them.

Wife: What! You're worried about them and not me? Men!

At this stage of pregnancy, all husbands have to learn how to control their temper and be patient. A little piece of advice for husbands: Don't try to get involved in any arguments with your lovely, pregnant wife! It's useless, as the argument will end with accusations as if you're the reason for all the destruction and wars in the world! You have to learn that if speech is silver, then silence is solid gold.

Month Five

The fifth month means a lot of activity, so don't be surprised if your wife starts to become more active and looks for extra work to do. As the baby starts growing, the pregnant wife starts getting less sleep and, normally, she won't accept that you sleep while she doesn't! Husbands, don't be scared when your wife wakes you up in the middle of the night with a certain look on her face. In fact, the look is telling you something.

Wife:HURRY! Wake up!

Husband: What is it? What's wrong? Are you sick? Did you hear something? Did someone call? Is there a thief in the house? Is there a fire in the neighborhood?

Wife: No, nothing like that! I just wanted to tell you that I felt the baby move.

Husband: (horrified) WHAAAAAT! You woke me up at — what time is it? – 3 a.m. to tell me that! I have to go to work early tomorrow morning, and I can feel the baby in the morning.

Wife: (looking hurt) You don't like me or our baby. I thought you'd like to share with me these moments.

Husband: OK, OK, let me feel the baby.

You can spend the rest of the night waiting to feel the baby move, which never happens! It's normal. Simply, say you can feel it and make your life easier. The pregnant wife normally feels that she needs care and attention, so be ready to expect any weird request, at any time!

Husband: Honey, I'll take a nap until the food is ready.

Wife: WHAT! You want to go and rest while I stand in the kitchen preparing food instead of coming to give me a hand? OK, your highness! Where is the UN, human rights organizations, and gender equity rules?

Husband: OK, OK, I'm coming. I'll give you a hand; sorry.

Of course, your help will start by washing the raw vegetables, and you'll end up preparing everything while your pregnant wife takes her nap!

Wife: Honey, you can leave the dishes and I'll put them in the dishwasher after I take a nap, but if you insist, it's OK.

Husband: (vexed) OK, honey, I'll put them.

Wife: Fine. Could you bring a glass of water with you. If you prepare tea for yourself, don't forget my cup.

Husband: Ummm, but you said you'll take a nap!

Wife: Yeah, I will after I drink my tea. While you're waiting for the water to boil for the tea, please put the clothes in the washing machine. Plus, there are clothes that need to be folded. Can you do it? I'm very tired.

To all husbands: Be careful of that word, "honey." It's usually followed by "do that" or "don't do that"!

Month Six

With the sixth month comes the weight gain — around 15 kg in the beginning! The pregnant wife is forced to replace her normal clothes with larger sizes. She starts feeling the baby move, and gets disappointed with what she is beginning to look like.

Wife: Why are you smiling like that? Haven't you seen a pregnant woman gaining weight before?

Husband: (trying to hold down his laughter) Of course not. You look the same, but why do you walk like that?

Wife: I'm pregnant; have you forgotten or what?

Husbands, don't expect the lady you married to remain the same girl who likes to share in your thoughts and/or lie difficulties. Their focus changes, and as pregnant women they always like to talk about the pregnancy, and they don't intend or desire to talk about anything else.

Wife: I read online that in the West pregnant women deliver their babies without anesthetics, and sometimes it happens when they're sitting or swimming in a pool. I'll check with my doctor to see about the possibility of doing the same.

Husband: Honey, you're still in your sixth month, and remember that you're in Egypt, not in the West. Tell me first, do you spend all your working day searching for information about pregnancy on the Net? Sweetheart, I tell you what, let's forget about that now, I need to eat.

Wife: I'll prepare something special today. Just go and sit in front of the TV until I finish.

(A couple of hours pass.)

Husband:Honey, where's the food?

Wife: It's not ready yet, it's only 10 p.m., why are you in a hurry?

Husband: Honey, you think 10 p.m. is still early? Let's eat anything, even some cheese.

Wife: (now mad) You're a typical Middle Eastern man; there's no appreciation whatsoever for my effort! Just for your information, my close friend never cooked anything throughout her pregnancy and up until four months after she delivered the baby.

Husband: So what did they eat for the year?

Wife: (in a low voice) Her husband was out of the country for a year, and she stayed at her parents' house.

A wise man once said that parents who failed to raise their son properly shouldn't worry, the wife will certainly do the job!

Yasser Aboudouma is an Egyptian-Canadian who lives between Cairo and Ontario. He holds a B.Sc. in engineering and a diploma in project management. He is interested in issues of social and cultural differences and can be reached at yasser_aboudouma@yahoo.ca.

What? Honey, You're Pregnant !! Part One

2008-08-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

What Honey, You're Pregnant!

(Part 1)

By Yasser Aboudouma

Writer, Civil Engineer - Egypt

There are common arguments, especially in Egypt, that are repeated daily between each husband and his lovely and adorable wife, who by the way is pregnant for the first time!

Usually, the story begins when the wife suspects that she is pregnant. She runs to the nearest lab for a pregnancy test, and once she is confirmed pregnant, all her life is changed and her husband's life is pushed to the edge, or more pointedly, to the verge of collapse.

"I have to see a good doctor," the wife says.

"But, your doctor is good and she has a good reputation," replies the husband.

With the start of a period of pregnancy, there are a lot of requests, orders, and special considerations, and the poor husband has to listen and obey, because her majesty is going through her first pregnancy!

* * *

First Month

Wife: I want to see a male doctor like all my girlfriends. My doctor is old and boring.

Husband: Honey, you are veiled, and there is no necessity to visit a male doctor; and whether your doctor is old or young, what matters is her experience and qualifications. If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor, we can look for another female doctor.

Wife: NO! I know that females are not that experienced in medicine.

Husband: (mumbling) In everything, not only medicine!

The arguments continue till the husband succeeds in convincing his wife that another female doctor would be good, especially that she is a little younger than the previous doctor. But, the wife is still unhappy as the new doctor does not have the latest high technology of ultrasonography.

Wife: See! This doctor also failed to show me the baby.

Husband: Honey, you are still in your first month, there is no baby to see.

Wife: My friend's doctor showed her the baby in her first month, and the baby was moving, plus she could hear his heartbeat.

Husband: Oh yeah! And the baby was walking too, right! In the first month, the baby looks like a dot.

As usual, that argument ends with going to one of the private hospitals where there are the latest medical equipment. At the hospital, the doctor explains to the wife that there is no way any instrument can show a baby, its movement, or its heartbeat, as the baby is not big enough. Finally, they quietly return back home and the wife realizes that she has to wait.

* * *

Second Month

The second month of pregnancy means nausea and cravings for certain foods. Hormones start to increase rapidly, which affects the pregnant woman's behavior with her husband and her colleagues at work. Be careful if you have pregnant women at your company and/or office.

Wife: Honey, I have a craving for watermelon with no seeds.

Husband: I have never heard of that! Watermelon with no seeds!

Wife: That's not my concern. I crave for it and I want it. Do you want our baby to be born with a birthmark?

Wife: I think my tummy is a little bigger than normal. I believe I have twins!

Husband: No, your tummy is still the same, and the doctor told us that you have a single baby, not twins.

Wife: So! Maybe the doctor could not see him.

Day after day, this kind of dialogue goes on and on, especially when the wife goes to work. Expect your pregnant wife to return from work in a bad mood, nervous, and quite, quite mad because …

Wife: (nervously) I have to quit work. I will give them my resignation tomorrow.

I can't handle work and all the people there. It's OVER!

Husband: What happened?

Wife: Imagine. At the weekly meeting, my manager suggested something that should be done. I told him that I don't think it's beneficial to work. He kept arguing with me, and he wasn't convinced by what I said.

Husband: That's normal. He is your boss, and he has a right to argue with you about work.

Wife: Men, men, men! You are one of them, and all men are the same - sure you'll defend him. No, he has no right to do so and no right to argue with me; he meant to irritate me. All of the men in the meeting, and the world, have to take a one-way trip to Iraq, and I'm ready to pay for the tickets!

Wife: Also, that girl in the meeting, instead of supporting me and taking my side, she supported him and made more suggestions that I have to implement.

Husband: Honey, it's normal; that girl is your close friend and she has always been kind to you.

Wife: NO! It's not normal. They have to know that I'm pregnant and my increasing hormones affect my mood, so they shouldn't argue with me at all!

Husband: Sweetheart, let's forget all about work - what do we have for dinner today?

Wife: (In a very shy, soft, and passive voice) Honey, do you want something to eat today? I was nervous today and needed to rest because I was worried about the baby. But there's a tin of tuna in the kitchen.

Husband: What! You will not join me for dinner?

Wife: No. When I had finished the meeting, I returned to my office and ordered some food to help me relax.

Days will pass, and life will crawl along slowly until "this woman" reaches her third month of pregnancy.

* * *

Third Month

In this month, the pregnant wife is assured that she has a single baby. Hormones increase rapidly, which affect the routine of her life and make her feel lazy and sleepy most of the time. She will be curious to see the baby each and every day, and she will want to trace its growth accordingly.

Wife: Yesterday, the doctor didn't show me the baby well. The baby's hand didn't show up clearly.

Husband: Don't worry. The doctor and I saw the baby, and it looked really great.

Wife: I'm not asking for what you and the doctor did or didn't see! I have to re-visit the doctor next week, and I'll ask her to show me the baby.

Husband: She arranged the next appointment for next month, not next week.

Wife: No problem. She won't remember, and my friend told me that her doctor had ultrasound and showed her the baby on a weekly basis.

Husband: Honey, your friend is in her sixth month, while you are in your third.

Wife: Arrrrrgh! Stop arguing with me. You are just like my colleagues at work; useless!

Or the dialogue may go back to the size of the wife's "tummy"!

Wife: Honey, I think my tummy is starting to get bigger.

Husband: No dear, I think it is still the normal size.

Wife: You see, my pregnant friends told me so. They also told me that in the third month my tummy starts to get bigger. Plus, I'll feel the baby's movement and I'll hear his heartbeats too.

Arguments, arguments, arguments; your life will be all about arguments with your sweet, pregnant wife! You have to be patient and quiet, and you must support her, even if she surprises you by trying to manipulate everything for her own benefit.

Wife: Honey, I want to eat something.

Husband: What's that, sweetheart? We can have it delivered here.

Wife: I wish to eat at that restaurant we went to on the day we got married.

Husband: Yeah, but it's far away from here and previously you complained that you get tired from being in the car, especially for long distances.

Wife: No, no. If we go to that restaurant, I won't feel tired.

Husband: OK honey, we'll go this weekend.

Wife: No, I want to go today, NOW - otherwise, the baby will be born with a birthmark! as I crave eating in that restaurant.

Husband: Sweetheart, I understand that pregnant women crave for certain kinds of food, not certain kinds of restaurant!

Wife: Have you ever been pregnant? How would you know about cravings? This is my desire.

Of course, these arguments end in one direction only, the pregnant wife's direction; and the husband has to admit that he will lose his case to his wife, who represents the half of society, whom we call weak!

1st blog.....

2008-08-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Salam Alaykom,

Hi ! I'm Anisah. I converted in 2004....and had some struggles. Eventually in 2006, I repented completely and was rewarded with marriage to a wonderful Moroccan man. Masha'allah. We got married in Morocco on September 8th, 2006. He Only arrived here in Canada May 23rd, 2008. LONG WAIT!!! but al hamdullilah.

I am blessed with 2 wonderful children from a previous relationship ( before Islam was a part of my life ) , Nick , who is 14 and Sarah, who is 11. They are what have kept me going in this world and inspried me to hang in there. They really are the two best kids anyone could ever ask for.Masha'allah. Both are my heros. Sarah was born with Juvenile Rhumatoid Arthitis. She has been in pain all her life. had to go through physcial Therapy, wearing braces, strong meds...and lots of tests and one surgery. She never ever complains and she smiles and is blessed with a healing touch, Masha'allah. Nick... he is the compassion one that takes care of us all including his friends and anyone that is less fortunate than he is. When he was in grade one he packed a bad of his things to take to school. I asked why he did this. He was going to give it to a child who had holes in their clothes and did not have new clothes. Or ..when I had to inflict pain on his sister for her physcial therapy, he would play his guitar to distract her and would cry along with her. Al hamdullilah for them.

Thelatest thing in my life.. well our lives..is a new addition. I am pregnant !!! I am 38 yrs old now..and , yeap..gonna have a baby!! I'ts important to me that my husband feels the joy of holding his own flesh and blood in his arms. There really is no feeling better than that. It is truly a miracle and blessing from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Right now I am 6 weeks along..I think... not comfirmed yet though.

This is my first blog here. Like every other blog I have done, it has all been inspired by my dear sister in Islam, Ammena :) May Allah bless her always for her good intentions and her special way of encouraging those around her in the deen. Masha'allah :)

What I like about this Blogger thing is that there is no stupid drama. It has an intelligent format and the people who seems to write here have something important to share rather than pick at others. Al hamdullilah.

I am not sure yet, what kind of blog this will be about..... probably a mix of things and whatever tickles my fancy or that I have to get out. ( pregnant women need an outlet lol, especially one married to a north-africain !) or maybe even just recepies or Islamic info I want to share. What i like about this blog too, is that it's not blocked at work like the others I have joined in the past lol

Hope you enjoy and visit often incha'allah :)

My Search for Inner Peace and Happiness..

For Candice.

Hijab is not just a piece of cloth on your head

Aren’t you hot in that?

Ramadan's message anything but radical

Nothin much....

Wife Abuse in the Muslim Community

Just something I wish to share...

The Countdown is winding down....

Weekend stuff....

Just to Share ;)

Mon Travail...

Happiness is not something we find, it's something we create.

Storing Hijabs...gota be a trick out there someplace!

Friday.. Jummah Mubarak

Today....

My latest order from Shukr.....

Ruling on celebrating the birthday of the Prophet

Marriage"..........How's yours?

ok SO.....Let's try this again....

Anisah is back....

How to Boost Ramadan Spirit

going private

Baba Ali :)

Daily stuff...

Still here....

LMOTP - Can I get a witness S3E20

LMOTP - Meet the Jaffers S3E19

Keep Allah in Rememberance

My Beautiful Grandmother, Tilly

LMOTP - Baber makes an entrance S3E18

OK...I got a beef !!

Free BLACK Abayat! For ANY Sisters Who Want!

LMOTP - Recipe for Disaster S3E16

Mohammedia >>>??

LMOTP - Colour Me Excited S3E15

One Word

LMOTP - Raised Expectations S3E14

Woe's of a cross cultural muslimah mom

LMOTP - The Week of Dying Dangerously S3E13

LMOTP - True Bromance S3E11

LMOTP - Baber is From Mars, Vegans Are From Vegus S3E10

Kindness at home Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony. If this wonderful religion is followed pro

Muslim family booted off U.S. airline gets apology

Morning has Broken

"To Do" list

Happy Eid to one and to ALL !! XOXO

Muslim Marriage - Ummah Films - Half Our Deen

LMOTP - A Hard Days Fight S3E09

21 weeks, Al hamdulilah

"You won't hear that at Jummah!" - Ummah Films

LMOTP - Mercy Dot Com S3E08

LMOTP - Sweet Sixteen S3E07

Standing alone...

Sous le Vent.....

Marriage Interviews & Dowry

18 weeks al hamdullilah

Ummah Films *Season 3* Improving Muslim Schools (in Chicago)

LMOTP - Let Prairie Dogs Lie S3E06

LMOTP - Rules R Rules S3E05

Pink Hijab Day

LMOTP - The Ties that Blind

LMOTP - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way S3E03

14 weeks al hamdullilah....

LMOTP - Lord Of The Ring S3E02

Birth order of children

LMOTP - Amaar at the Bat S3E01

10 weeks al hamdullilah

9 Weeks, Al hamdullilah

Pets de Soeurs ( Nun's farts lol) ~ Quebecois version

Pudding Chomeur

7 weeks and 5days exactly....

8 Weeks Alhamdullilah.....

In Honour of my 2nd Wedding Anniversary

7 weeks....al hamdullilah

Honey, You're Pregnant ! Part Three

Honey, You're Pregnant ! Part Two

What? Honey, You're Pregnant !! Part One

Third Month

1st blog.....

Ummah Films Season 3 Improving Muslim Schools (in Chicago)