The end

Every journey has an end. I have been MIA for the past 2 years and just today for some reason, remembered to check this blog and saw a lot of comments on my previous posts. For those asking where I have been, just wanted to let you know that  I am doing great though a lot has changed in my life, reading this blog reminded me  of how great blogging was and the amazing people i met through this blog. I will no longer publish here but my love of writing is still present, so I might come back to blogger  with a brand new blog and we will probably stumble upon each other somewhere on the blogosphere. I came, I saw, I conquered.... Till we meet again ~






efore “I'm Curious” And here is the rest of it

Why we shouldn't worry about Terry Jones

Source

[Say: “If both humanity and jinn banded together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could never produce anything like it, even if they backed each other up.” ] (Al-Israa’ 17: 88)

Few days ago, I was watching the news when I stumbled upon a report about Pastor Terry Jones who is planning to burn the Qur'aan on 9/11. At first, I got really sad and upset and I wanted to cry at the thought that the beautiful words of Allah swt were going to be burnt with such an act of ignorance and there was nothing I could do about it. I wonder if Terry Jones ever read the Qur'aan, and if he did and wasn't at least touched by its beauty, Ireally feel sorry for him. The more I watched the report, the more disturbing it became. I found myself helpless in front of such a blatant insult and offense towards the Qur'aan and the Muslims. But then, I got an epiphany.

This man could not burn the Qur'aan. He can burn pieces of paper on which the
Qur'aan is printed, but he certainly can not burn the Qur'aan. Why you may ask? Because, the Quran is preserved in al-lawh al-mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet) as Allah tells us in the Qur'aan:

(85:21) Nay; but this is a glorious Qur'an,
(85:22) inscribed on a well-guarded Tablet

[We have sent down the Reminder, and We will preserve it.] (Al-Hijr 15: 9)

This is the promise of Allah swt. He has promised to preserve the Qur'aan. What these verses infer is that the Qur'aan is inscribed in the Preserved Tablet of Allah swt, and as such even if the whole world came together to corrupt it or destroy it, they wouldn't be able to. Let's rejoice brothers and sisters,Man can not destroy the Qur'aan. If we trust Allah, which we should as Muslims, then there is nothing that we should worry about.

Source
The Qur'aan further states that

"It is nothing less than a message to all nations" (Quran 68:52).

Therefore, regardless of our attachment to it, it doesn't belong to us. It was revealed to all humanity, so this pastor is burning his own book. Also, when the Qur'aan was revealed, technology was almost non-existent, it wasn't printed with ink on beautiful pages,however it was printed in the heart of the believers with the ink of ALLAH swt. It's been over 1400 years today, and that Qur'aan is still alive in the hearts of the Muslims as it was then. There are millions of hafiz ( people who have memorized the entire Qur'aan ) today everywhere in the world, so even if all the Qur'aans in the world were burnt,it wouldn't make a difference because the Qur'aan is alive in the hearts of the Muslims.

Let us then remember that the believers are those who believe in the Unseen and the will of Allah swt. So,if Allah swt allows this to happen, then alhamdulilah because the words of ALLAH SWT can not be extinguished by Man.Like someone said recently "True destruction of the Quran cannot be done with fire, it is destroyed when we fail to remember and practice it's lessons in our daily lives "

Source
And finally, the Qur’aan says:

“Therefore excuse them and proclaim, “Peace”; for they will soon come to know.” (Al-Zukhruf, 43:89).

Then, regardless of how sensitive this can be ,or how painful it is, we will not react to it by violence, or bigotry, we will be on our best behavior according to the teachings of Islam embodied by the character of Rassululah saw. So, Terry Jones, go ahead you can burn ten thousands Qur'Aans if you want, but you can't burn the light of the Qur'aan in the hearts of the believers.

Alhamdulilah and Eid Mubarak

I wanted to update everyone and let you know that we have received the hijab/scrapbook. Even though we were told that it was mailed weeks before our first blog on this issue, the package shows that it was mailed on September 2nd. So thank you everyone who weighted in getting it back.

I was talking with another sister few days ago, and she mentioned how receiving the hijab/scrapbook is something that creates joy and unity for others, and is therefore a sadaqah.

Sisters do not get any benefits from it but the joy of creating a sisterhood for the sake of Allah. They have shared gifts with other sisters and opened a window of their life, struggles and shortcomings to complete strangers with whom they only shared one thing, their love of Islam

So to us, the hijab/scrapbook really has no monetary value, the bonds that have been created on the other hand are priceless. What I've learned is that the bonds created were already strong enough and though the hijab/scrapbook is a physical reminder of that bond, it transcends the realms of a physical bond, our bond in essence is spiritual since we've all shared something physical but have not met.'An invisible thread binds us, it may stretch, it may tangle but it will never break.'

In everything, there is a silver lining. And in this case,there are a lot of sisters who took part in the project but got busy with their lives and therefore kinda lost track of what was going on or did not stay in touch who all reached out and became united again. So, I am grateful for that. In the process, I have also met other great sisters and increased the interest in the sisterhood . So alhamdulilah :)

Eid Mubarak to everyone and their families! May Allah accept our fast and prayers. Farewell Ramadan, we will miss you...

Answer to what's been going on

Oh My God, I will start by saying that I didn't wanna blog about this again but I have to out things straight so people won't be mislead by your new video and the comments on that video. First of, I read the comments on your video and I have NO IDEA who TravellingHijab or Brainvoltage is. They are impersonating me. I have not posted on your Youtube channel since you blocked me. I do have an Offline life you know, and I don't have time to create accounts just to reply to you. If I have something to say to you I would do so directly on my blog or an email... I don't have anything to hide and I don't hide behind screen names/fake names to send messages. Anyone who knows me will know flat out that those messages do not come from me. I would never accuse you of Kufr since 1- You have not committed an act of Kufr in my presence 2-Only Allah knows whats in people's heart and as the Ultimate Judge will decide who is a believer. I have no place in that or the way you practice your Islam,I have my own eggs to worry about. My only issue with you stems from the fact that you hijacked the hijab and the fact that you were not truthful in your communication with me. I couldn't care less about your Islam to even comment on it. It seriously doesn't concern me...So whoever those people are, please be upfront with her and tell her who you are and if you have issues with her independent of this one, settle that with her but please don't use my name or blog in doing so.

Now, having said that, I'm going to comment on the content of your video. I don't have time to play games. In your video you read messages that were not sent to you by me, so I really don't know where you werere going with this. My name is not Laila abdullah or whatever name you said sent you the messages you're reading in your video. I really don't have the time or energy to EXPOSE you like you're saying. I seriously have better things to do. All the messages that were exchanged between us are in my previous post, because I don't have anything to hide and I don't even post videos on Youtube so how can I expose you on Youtube? This is so ridiculous it's laughable . I know I should probably take you seriously but I just can't coz I'm laughing as Iam typing this, trying to picture myself and my Mafia exposing you to the world lol..... Really? Ok :)


Also,you said I never comforted you, came to your house, prayed for you...... Seriously? lol Why would I ? Like you said I don't know you, and I don't know whats going on in your life so why would I just comfort you out of the blue? I mean, I don't go out on the street hugging random people and asking them if they need prayers? Not part of my job description, sorry. You never even mentioned once that you lost anyone in your family but I guess being the psychic that I am I should've known :) Th only times you mentioned you were sick in your messages, I told you I would make dua for you, so please stop thinking that the world owes you something and people should care about what's happening in your life, or at least guess it and comfort you. If you want that done,go on Dr.Phil, it's free.

I also never commented on your Youtube videos nor am I subscribed to your channel so you don't owe me any explanation as far as why you are on youtube and what you're doing there. I really don't care just like I won't explain to you anything about blogging, so keep on youtubing it won't bother me at all. Our previous messages were only published on the blog after you refused to send the hijab and I did tell you that my last resort would be to publish them if you're not cooperative. My intent wasn't to be malicious,but rather to inform and state the facts. So I don't know why you acted so surprised while you've been warned and given ample time to respond. The facts need to be stated...

You stated in an email sent to me today that you mailed the hijab 2 weeks ago via regular mail and no tracking number.When I asked who you mailed it to, you didn't answer. This is contradictory to the email you sent 2 days ago where you said you didn't have time to mail the hijab. So, 2 days ago the hijab was with you but 2 weeks ago it was mailed? Does that make sense?

There was no need for you to insult the sisterhood's hijab, and say that all of this happened because of a "stupid hijab". The hijab did not do anything to you. You are the one who showed interest in it and kept messaging me about when you were going to get it. Had you not come to us, you wouldn't have been part of this project. In the end, its not about the hijab as the hijab has really no monetary value to us, I mean it's not a diamond for crying out loud. It's about the principle. You can't just hold things that don't belong to you,not follow any rules established, and think the world owes you something, because it doesn't. For every action, there are consequences, and this could've been easily avoided had you just followed the rules. In the end, you are not the judge of whether or not we are good enough to call ourselves a Sisterhood. MashaAllah, we are a sisters, we have bonded , shared our stories, shared gifts and alhamdulilah so far so good, almost 2 years strong :)


Anonymous comments won't be allowed anymore on my blog because of the influx of such comments flooding my previous post. I don't have time to read repeated posts about the same thing and obviously written by the same person(s). Someone complained on your channel that their comment was deleted and I only accept positive comments. That is not true again since a lot of the negative comments posted on the previous post are still there. I deleted the ones that I felt were written by the same person (s) over and over. I never had the need to moderate posts on my blog and I still don't as long as you are respectful and not flooding, you are entitled to your own opinions and you do not have to agree with me to comment.By the way, commenting on any blog is not a right, its a privilege and the blog owner reserves the right to delete any comments that are disrespectful, offensive or only have the purpose to lash out. If you don't wanna be censored, create your own blog and comment there, no one will bother you.



What's funny is after all this, I empathize with you because I really think something went awfully wrong. Whatever it is, I hope it get fixed and you grow from it to be the person you aspire to be and that you find peace in the process. I also pray that I and other sisters can learn and grow from this. As a beautiful sister told me this morning "sad and difficult situations are crucial for soul development and it is this which makes you more human, and more developed as a human being.In the meantime.....smile through happy times and through adversity; it is a sunnah and a charity :)"

Appalled

If you've been reading this blog,You'd know about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Hijab. If not, you can read about it Here. Anyways, the traveling Hijab has been going on for almost 2 years now and Alhamdulilah so far it's been a positive experience. Sisters from around the world have joined and shared their stories with us, and InshaAllah, more sisters can join in the future. Unfortunately, I recently had the most utterly shocking exchange with the sister who presently has the hijab and in my opinion is holding it hostage. I would never publish these messages if I thought for a minute that this girl was legit, I truly think that something went terribly wrong. She also has a blog that can be found here She received the hijab on July 8th 2010 and I've attached all our exchanges, so you can understand where I'm coming from. While you're reading, please note the dates and contents of each message:

From Hijabee, June 10th, 2010

Salam sister,

I read that you were interested in the SIsterhood of the traveling hijab. Please send me your email so I can send you an invite to the blog. Thank you


From Sumaya Rose Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab

xxx@yahoo.com (edited for privacy reason)


From Hijabee, June 11th 2010
I sent you an invitation. Lemme know if you have any questions. Also send me your address. Thank you- Heejabee

From Sumaya Rose
My address is (edited address for privacy reasons)

Thanks and Salam

From Heejabee, June 29th 2010
Salam Sumaya,

Funny you have my daughter's name :) The hijab will be on your way this week inshaAllah. Lemme know if you have any questions. Thank you!


From Sumayah Rose
salam alakum sis,

Mashallah! I am so excited! This is so wonderful. I cant wait inshallah I have it by this weekend. I am going to Bush Gardens, the everglades and Miami. I think that will be so much fun to wear the traveling hijab on my trip.


=D

From Hijabee, June 29th, 2010
Sounds so cool & exciting! I'm sure you will have a lot of fun. I hope you get the hijab by then and enjoy your time with it. Have a good one!
Cheers! :-p

From Sumaya Rose. July 8th 2010
salam alakum sis,

INshallah your good. I still have not recieved the traveling hijab. Do you have a tracking number for it? That way I can or you can track it down.

From Hijabee, july 8th 2010
Waleikum Salam Sumayah,
Lujain had some issues sending the hijab that's why it's late. Because of the 4th of July holiday, she said she had to go to the post office twice before she was able to send it. I just tracked it and it was delivered today. Are you sure someone in your house did not sign for it? Thank you
The tracking number is as follows:

USPS
0496 9002 0330 2109 8578

From Sumayah Rose
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
salam

i got it sis.

From Hijabee, July 19th 2010
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
Salam Sumayah,
How are you? I haven't heard back from you and was wondering if you're ready to send the hijab to the next sister. I sent you an invitation to the blog a few days ago so you can post up a pic and story . Let me know how things are going. Thanks!

From Sumayah Rose, July 19th 2010
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
salam sis things are crazy i need a bit longer to uplaod my blog and pic.


sis I need some prayers, major prayers, pray ALLAH protect me and help me!


Salam

From Hijabee, July 21th 2010
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
That's fine. I hope all is well with you. May Allah protect you and help you in anything you're going through. Allah is always there for you and He listens when noone is listening so talk to him and he will hear you. My thoughts and prayers are with you!
( no response from Sumayah)

From Hijabee, July 28th 2010
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
Salam Sumayah,
I hope you are feeling better sister. Any updates on the hijab? Thank you
Salam

From Sumayah Rose, July 29th 2010
Salam I plan on doing everything tomarrow, pic and all. INshallah. Nope not feeling better in fact my doc was trying to get me to go get a blood transfusion yesterday. I didnt listen- cant afford it right now. I am making dua thou...notice how white I look in my last video adn how blaa. Humdulilah I have ALLAH, inshallah tomarrow and then inshallah next week I can send it.

From Hijabee, August 3rd, 2010
Salam Sumaya,
How are you doing? Hope you're better and back to normal. Anyways, I am still waiting on the Hijab as the next sister has emailed me twice about it and I told her you were going to mail it this week, so please keep me posted. Thank you!

Salam

From Sumayah Rose, August 3rd 2010

Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
salam sis I will I am so sorry jazakallah kiron............please pray for me.

From Sumayah Rose, August 5th 2010
salam sis I cant figure out how to post a message on the blog???

From Hijabee , August 6th 2010
Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling HIjab
I sent you an invitation on July 14th to be an author, that invitation hasn't been accepted. I resent 2 invitations just now, one on your yahoo address, the other one on your gmail address. Once you accept the invitation, you will be able to post on the blog.

From Hijabee, August 10th 2010
Salam Sumaya,
I still haven't seen your post on the blog nor have you mailed the hijab. You have been holding the hijab for a long time now and so far I have been very patient. Please remember that there are many sisters waiting and you're holding the sisterhood up at this point. The rules of the sisterhood are clear in the sense that you can't have the hijab for more than 1 week and I have let you slip on that one but please be considerate of other people waiting, so could you please mail the hijab to:
xx....../ ( address edited for privacy reasons)

Thank you.

From Sumayah Rose, August 17th 2010
Salam It is being mailed Thursday, inshallah. That is my day off and I have time to do it then.


From Hijabee, August 21th 2010
Salam.
I would like to know if the hijab was mailed and if you could provide me with the tracking number. Thank you

From Hijabee, August 23rd 2010
Hello,
I need to know the status of the hijab. You are the first person Im having issues with regarding this hijab. This has been going on for over a year without any issues. People are waiting, so please reply to my messages.

I still haven't received any messages from Sumayah Rose on September 1st, 2010,and realized she blocked me from sending her messages on Youtube so I emailed her today this message:


From: Umm Sumaya
Subject: Sisterhood of the Traveling Hijab
To: candacemetcalf@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 6:19 PM

Candace,
You have ignored my previous messages. I would like to have the hijab back. You are unbelievable, you've been having the hijab for 2 months while you are only allowed to have it for one week. I have been very civil with my previous messages to no avail. I also know that you have blocked me from your youtube channel I guess not to be bothered by my messages. The only reason you were part of the sisterhood in the first place is because we trusted that as a Muslim you would be honest enough to follow the rules like everybody else before you! This is MY LAST email to you and after this if I don't hear back from you I will have to go public with this on my blog and all the sisters blog so they can be warned. I also have your address in Orlando and I will have to send someone there to get the hijab from you if I don't hear from you and if that person can't get the hijab we will have to recourse to the law . Sisters have not worked on this project for over a year to have it stalled because of one person. This was supposed to be a beautiful experience for everybody but I guess there is a bad apple in every group! Pleas reply at your earliest convenience

And Finally she replied with this:

candace metcalf
to Umm

show details 9:59 PM (1 hour ago)

salam alakum,

I just want to let you know that I will not have any more emails from you sister. First because of your disdain for me being your sister. Second because of you not treating me like your sister. And third of ALL because islam does not require such things as a traveling hijab. Thanks For being so considerate when I lost all my family sister, you know who was there for me not a stupid sister with a traveling hijab to comfort me, now when I lost my children were you there for me sister, and when I got so sick that I cant even stand up were you there sister. DId you even ask me how I was or even pray for me I dont think so, may ALLAH SWT forgive us all and sister, I blocked you for your inconsideration and yes I have been busy with lossing my family and my health. Thanks For ASKING. MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU TOO>

Salam


Umm Sumaya
to candace

show details 10:09 PM (57 minutes ago)

You are such a liar. May Allah forgive you for all your lies. How many times did I send you messages asking you how you were doing and Prayed for you? If Islam doesn't require a traveling hijab, why are you part of it? Each one of us deals with their own issues, were you considerate when other sisters were going through what they are going through? Do you know whats going on in my life? I have all the messages that I sent you asking you how you were and what was wrong with you which shows that you are a liar. By this Ramadan, this night, May Allah judge between us!

Seriously? I'm appalled. I have been nothing but civil with Sumayah/Candace since our first exchange. To be honest, I started being annoyed in July when she was giving me excuses after excuses about why she couldn't mail the hijab but still I stayed civil and polite in all my messages. She dares saying that I never asked her how she was doing,.... Well if you read what I posted on top, you can see how that is just a big fat lie. Also, she said she lost her entire family and kids "sigh" so I guess I should've known that Sumayah/Candace was the sole survivor in her family, though she still posts daily videos on Youtube at her channel ( Sumayah Rose Youtube Channel) where she discusses regular normal every day topics like Tattoos, Religion and Guerilla, all of that I guess while mourning the death of her entire family. Where was I, cruel inconsiderate me when all of this was going on? I guess I didn't get the memo, I was just too busy with my so insignificant life.... Needless to say, I don't believe anything she is saying and I don't believe she's truthful. I know thats a big assumption to make about someone and I hate making assumptions about people, I give them the benefit of the doubt till all doubt is erased in my mind. Let's say that in this case, I have as much doubt as a mouse in front of a cat. There is only one solution for the mouse, Run and Hide, no doubt about that. I also find it very hypocritical that she said she doesn't believe the traveling hijab is part of Islam, but at the same time, she is part of it and even made a video that you can see here praising it and wearing the Sisterhood's hijab.I'm sure you are all wondering where Im getting at, but I wanted to get other people's perspectives as I think I am a very fair person and the least conflict averse person I know. Unfortunately, I seriously think this girl is mental and I am sorry I ever trusted her. It's really not about the hijab or the scrapbook, it's about the principle, you can't just take things that you've been trusted with and disappear. This is the end of my rant. Have a good end of Ramadan everyone

Alive, Ramdan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone. Yes I'm still alive, kidnapped by Mommyhood. But seriously,I could give you a thousand excuses of why I haven't been around here lately,the truth is laziness had something to do with it. Yes I've been busy with my little one but I'm sure I could find the time to drop a word of two if I really wanted to. In fact, thought about it more than a couple of times but for some reason, it always slip my mind. ....

I really don't get why it's been so hard for me to blog since having Sumaya. I guess being a first time mother kinda changes your world a bit for a while till you re-adjust to what your new normal is. Normal in my house these days is running after a 10 months old crawling little doll who thinks the world is so wonderful that everything needs to be tasted, licked and bitten with a toothless mouth. It's funny how kids are amazed by everything around them. At this age everything is new and they can still find awe and grace in the littlest things that we as adults ignore or are too busy to notice. They remind us that the greatest pleasures in life can be found in the littlest things. The most fantastic treasures are not found in a treasure chest, they are buried within our heart. So let's seek them and enjoy their riches.....

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone, I miss you and can't wait to catch up with all your blogs. Hopefully, I will be posting more often inshaAllah~

Strangers

On a beautiful warm day in winter, two strangers walk by ignoring each other. There was a time when they used to know each other, love each other, but now they are strangers and forever they will be.....

He betrayed her, she betrayed him. He is a husband, she is a wife, and they are married. He lied to her, she believed him. He lied again, she believed him. He lied again, she believed him again. He lied again, and that was the lie she couldn't take. He betrayed her, she betrayed him. Now, they are strangers and forever they will be.....

He wanted her to respect him, and trust him, she couldn't. It was hard for her to respect someone she couldn't trust. It was hard for her to respect someone who lied to her. It was hard for her to respect someone who again and again jeopardized their union....So, she stopped respecting him. So she stopped trusting him....She betrayed him. Now, they are strangers and forever they will be.


She looks at him and realizes that their life is a lie. She looks at him and wonders how he could've done what he did. She looks at him and comes to the realization that she doesn't know him at all. The first night they met, they were strangers. From small talk conversation, they became friends. One morning, they turned into lovers, they became husband and wife, they played house, but they did not play fair. Now, they are strangers again, and forever they will be.


He wanted her to accept everything, the lies, the betrayals...He wanted her to still love her despites all that...He wanted her to cook her meals, do his laundry, clean his house, love him when he wanted to and overlook everything else....She tried for a while, but she got frustrated and that's how she betrayed him. Now, they are strangers, and forever they will be.

They ignored the Qur'anic verse which says: "they are your garments and you are their garments" 2:187). Garments to each other because they provide one another with the protection, the comfort, the cover, the support, and the adornment that garments provide to humans. However, this husband was naked, this wife was naked, they didn't have any garments and now they are strangers, and forever they will be.

She looks at the pictures of their wedding, their outings, their past. Faces proud, still and serene, happy one could say. She wonders how they used to spend their days, what used to make them happy. She wonders what their life was like at the time they took that picture. She can’t remember. It was the face of her husband, and her face but she couldn’t remember coz it’s been too long. She wishes she knew the two people on the photograph, their memories, and their hopes. But above all, she wishes she could warn them not to be together. Unfortunately, they were already strangers...

What is she going to do know? She had two options. She could do what women have been doing for centuries. They forget about passion,intense connection, trust,honesty and values. They settle for an empty marriage and lower their expectations.But she got to thinking about fairy tales. What if Prince Charming had never shown up? Would Snow White have laid in that glass box forever? Or would she have gotten up, spit out the apple, gotten a job and a health care plan and moved on with her life? The choice was hers, the consequences will be theirs, they have become strangers.

Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, a heart is broken. Could you pick up broken pieces, glue them together and pretend that the mended whole is as good as new? Isn't it better to let what's broken be broken, remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places?


Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end. Honesty and Trust are important in achieving that, when they are lacking it hurts the relationship, it kills the love. As, they used to say, love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing......Love is not immortal.

That was the story of a husband and a wife, who on a beautiful warm day in spring, walked by ignoring each other. There was a time when they used to love each other, there was a time when they used to be proud of each other, now they are strangers and forever will be. That is the story of men. That is the story of women. It could very well be my story. It could be your story. But really, what is there to do when a husband and a wife become strangers?

Al Hijaab Interview

Al Hijaab is not only to get out there and find you the best in Islamic clothing but to design and produce our own lines of exquisite Islamic clothing. Islamic Fashon with modesty!

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to interview the Al Hijaab team to find out more about their collection and position in the Islamic Fashion Industry. Here's what they had to say:



First off, tell us a little bit about yourself?

We are a family-run business – my mother, father, brother and sister are all involved with Al-Hijaab. Our aim has been to provide Islamic clothing for fashion conscious Muslims in Britain, giving them a wide variety of designs and motifs. We have been established since Ramadan 2003, opening our first store in Bradford that year. Our website went live soon after, which has been a huge success, Alhamdulillah.

The next step for us is a first of its kind Islamic clothing superstore. We’re actually in the throws of planning the creation of a showroom and retail outlet in Bradford. To give you an idea, we are going to build the store from scratch – digging up soil, laying foundations to displaying stock on the mannequins. It’s a huge project, but it’s also a great challenge for the Al-Hijaab company. My family and I have never been shy of hard graft.

Our aim has always been to provide quality chic Islamic clothing for the wider community. We found a niche in the market and we aimed to fill it with an extensive array of products from places like Dubai, India, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Our stock is diverse, elegant, stylish and affordable.


What is your target market and what do you specialize in?


Our target market is people wanting elegant, yet affordable Islamic clothing. Our customers come from all walks of life – students, professionals, bridal parties, elders and new converts to Islam. We have people traveling from as far north as Scotland and as south as London.There’s not a day that goes by, when we don’t have the privilege of meeting someone new, Alhamdulillah – it’s great!

Our specialty lies in offering Islamic clothing for all occasions from Eid celebrations and weddings to office meetings, public events and everyday wear. We sell jilbabs, abayas, hijabs, men’s robes, hats, shawls, accessories, including brooches.We are happy to pair people with the ideal garment for any event. More importantly we provide as much variety in menswear as we do in ladies-wear.




Do you see your jilbabs/abayas as being formal wear or everyday wear?
We have a broad variety of both jilbabs and abayas; suitable for formal wear and everyday wear. Our styles are sophisticated, smart, tasteful and chic and can be worn to work or to a special occasion.


What sets you apart from other online Islamic stores?

I believe our conviction to provide not only affordable clothing but clothing that reflects the times and is for the fashion-conscious sets us apart from our competitors. If you look at our 2008 collection, we have it all, from plain simple jilbabs to premier designer wear. It is stylish, yet tasteful, giving the customer a classy option. We also believe in enhancing the customers shopping experience, doing everything in our power to make sure they’re satisfied with our service. Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to us.


What should we expect from your new collection?

The theme running through our 2009 collection is primarily sophistication and panache. We are working with embroidery, stone work, pleats, evening dress colors... (Please check the new collection on Al Hijaab's website)

What are your hopes for Al Hijaab in the future?

Apart from building our exclusive Islamic superstore and showroom, we would like to organize and take part in fashion shows focused on Islamic clothing worldwide. As a company we also want to branch out into supplying Islamic dress for large events like wedding parties.Ultimately, we want to be able to create a brand for ourselves, so when people think about Islamic clothing, the first name on their lips is Al-Hijaab.

Any last words for our readers?

We love what we do and we want to be able to share that experience with our customers. Fundamentally we are here to help them. We want to provide the ultimate shopping experience, matching people up with the best garment, accessory and answering all their queries. The customer is our reason for being here and we will always be loyal to him/her.


You can check Al Hijaab's
website to see the rest of their new collection. You can also follow them on their Facebook page. Thank you!

Reflections

Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death
they would be asked two questions
and their answers would determine
whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.
The first question was, "Did you bring joy?"
The second was, "Did you find joy?"
Leo Buscaglia

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life in a manner
so that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.
-Native American Proverb

I took a pause these last few days to reflect on death. Three of my friends who are not related lost their dads recently, unexpected deaths, empty holes left to be filled.... We've all heard these stories, they are the stories of our neighbors who've been fatally attacked on their way home, they are the stories of the mailman who delivered his last package and succumbed to a heart attack, the stories of a coworker who never came back from her routine liposuction procedure....Common deaths,uncommon departures, different days, different people, but it all comes down to one ugly truth: we are all going to die.


I have to admit that sometimes, I fantasize about my death, if there is such a thing as fantasizing about one's departure. I think about what day of the week it will be.... Will it be a Monday or a Saturday, a Wednesday or a Friday, though I'd rather not it be on a Monday coz everyone hates monday enough as it is, so I don't wanna add my death to the plate, not that it will make a difference anyways..... Will it be in January or in September? Winter or Summer time? The first or the end of the month? Will I be at home, outside or at the hospital.....Will I die from sickness or accident, expected or unexpected death.. Will I die young or old..So many questions that torture my mind, questions without answers!

So, what if? What if I were to die today? What would I leave to the world? How would my friends remember me? How would my family remember me? What if? What if I died tomorrow, will you think of me? What would be the first thing that comes to your mind when you remember me? Would my life be enough to define me as a person, an individual, a citizen of the world? I questioned myself again and again. I think we should all ask to ourselves one question: Am I ready to die today? What if my hour was now, would I be ready to leave this world? What would my legacy be? Do I have some unfinished business? When was the last time I called my friends? family? When was the last time I remembered my purpose in this world....What's my purpose?



What are the things I'm going to miss? What's preventing me from enjoying those things or doing them now? Am I too busy? If you think you are too busy to do the things you are supposed to do, if you think you are too busy to take the time to reflect on your life, please take a minute off your busy schedule and think. Reflect on the people who are dying every day. They are old and young, teenagers and babies, they think they have some time left. They think the future belongs to them. Today, they are gone forever, the only thing that will be remembered is how they spent their life!


People will forget things you said, they will forget things you did, but they will never forget how you once made them feel. What’s your impact on the world? As human beings, people, citizens of a nation, we all have a duty towards our fellow human beings be they our neighbors, friends, family or just strangers.... We have a duty to make sure that we are the best people we can be. Like someone said before,a smile can make a difference in someone’s day, a helping hand shows to someone that you care, a phone call tells to someone that they are remembered, a kiss proves to someone they are loved....

So, my advice to you, to me, is everyday, ask yourself, what Impact did I have on the world today? How did I make someone feel better ? What difference did I make in someone’s day? life? If I were to die today, what would people say about my life? Will they remember me for the right reasons or will I just be gone like the wind, forgotten and never to be remembered...... Right now, at this very moment, somewhere,a woman, a man, a baby is dying. They just took their last breath....Will they be remembered?

Unfortunately, you and I will read this, we might even be sad for a moment but we won't remember...We will go back to our perfect or not so perfect life and everything will be more of the same, till something or someone makes us remember again....

If You Knew

If you knew the power of your word
Would you care about what people heard?
If you knew someone was alone and defenseless
Would you care enough to stop being so senseless?



If you knew a heart was wounded and jaded
Would you make someone feel appreciated?
If you knew the power of a man's greed
Would you give your money to someone in need?

If you knew the reason why people take abuse
Would you take the time to change their views?
If you knew a teenager who was about to give birth
Would you share the meaning of life and it's worth?



If you knew a person with disease was dying
Would you tell them to give up or to keep on trying?
If you knew the meaning behind a poor man stealing
Would you punish him for wrong doing without feeling?

If you knew a child who didn't believe in the Lord
Would you take a moment to share the love you had stored?
If you knew a girl who cut her pain with blades to her skin
Would you look at her in shame and say she was a sin?

If you knew a hungry family had no food to live
Would you sacrifice yourself and offer what you could give?
If you knew a boy who never learned to read and write
Would you take the time to see his inner light?

If you knew that sadness brought all of this pain
Would you care enough to bring sunshine to the rain?
If you knew the power of your own significance
Would you realize that you alone can make a difference?

Thoughts on Motherhood

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Someone once said that the moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new... As ironic as it might sound, I couldn't disagree more. I don't think the mother is born at the moment the child is born. When Sumaya was born, I knew I was her mother because every woman who gives birth to a child is called a mother, but truth be told, I was just a woman with a baby nothing more, nothing less.



Giving birth was supposed to be the hard part, I sort of knew that but I was so under prepared for postpartum. Everyone said expect to lose sleep, so I expected that. What I didn't expect was the complete and total surrender to a tiny creature and her needs. The pediatrician gave me a book about the baby's first year, the hospital gave me a booklet for new moms and I spent days reading them. I tried to remember what I read, I tried the techniques,and finally I realized I needed to listen to Sumaya. I didn't need to read all those books, what was important was to learn to read her.



Once I understood that, I spent the next few weeks paying closer attention to her, her cues,her needs,her cries, and so on and I learn more than I could ever dream to learn from a book, the books make great coasters though. It is amazing that babies are born and know exactly what to do. There is a natural instinct for the child to look for the breast right after she's born and feed. It is the same instinct that is present in animals which allows a mother bear to know when her cub is in trouble and defends it with her life. People have that same ability, and scientists say it's stronger in mothers. 'They say that it is safer for a mother to sleep in bed with her child than the father. The mother instinctively knows where that child is and won't roll on it.'




So when does one become a mother? Is it the moment of conception? The first time you hear your baby's heart beat? When you're in labor, screaming your lungs out? When you hold your baby for the first time? Different women will give different answers to this question. I do believe however that giving birth doesn't make a woman a mother. Anyone with a uterus can give birth, it takes more time to be a mother. There has to be a defining moment when maybe you couldn't take your baby's cries anymore, when she holds your finger in her tiny little hand, when she gives you that look, or smile, when she's sick or aching, when she goes to school for the first time, when she makes you worry, happy, sad, mad or any other emotion that you felt at that moment, that's the moment, the moment that you realize that you're not just a woman with a child, you are a mother. It's the moment you realize that nothing matters more than the safety and happiness of your child. That's when you become a mother.



Yes there is a moment when a a child is born, the mother is not born yet. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new..Something that's younger than the child it bore......

My Birth Story

Thank you all for the wishes and congrats. The past few days have been great and tiring. Great as I am enjoying motherhood, tiring as I am trying to get used to my new routine and adding a newborn to my schedule. I'm adjusting to waking up 4 or 5 times a night for diaper changes and to nurse the baby. After a while, you get used to it and it's not that bad. I even wake up before the baby to check if she's not up yet. My husband has been very supportive as he wakes up with me and helps to feed her and with diaper changes as well.The first few days were a bit crazy as I wasn't sure if I was feeding her properly or if she was getting enough milk as she was crying a lot. But like all new mothers, there comes a time where you learn and accept that your baby will cry to express any needs that she/he might have be it being bored,hungry, wet, cold, hot, you name it, crying is a baby's only way to express their feelings. Though I was 37 weeks pregnant when I had her, I wasn't prepared at all. I was thinking that I had 3 more weeks to go and was enjoying the last few lap of my pregnancy. I remember thinking that she would be out soon and I wouldn't be able to protect her as much as I was protecting her while she was in my tummy! Little did I know that she would be out sooner than I expected.

Sunday was a regular day for me, I did not do anything unusual. Luckily, I packed my hospital bag on Saturday morning. I had sweaters in my bag thinking about how cold it could get in mid October. Little did I know I was going to need that bag the next day. I stayed up late on Sunday night, watching back to back episodes of Desperate Housewives, and catching up on all the shows that I missed during the week. I went to bed around 1h30 am not because I was sleepy but because I wanted to get up early the next morning. Two hours later, around 3h30 am, I started having a leak and wasn't quite sure as to what was happening..... I called my Dr and she said that I needed to come to the hospital and be prepared to stay there if they determined that I was leaking amniotic fluid. The ride to the hospital was quick and I was feeling crampy but it still didn't register that I was going to have a baby that day, I mean, I was 3 weeks away from my due date and I wasn't emotionally ready to push a baby out that morning. We got to Sibley Hospital around 4:00 am and I remember getting to the L&D room around 4h30 am. The nurse came to check me and my husband asked her what was going on as I'm sure he couldn't believe that this was happening and we were few hours away from having a baby. The nurse said matter of factly : Oh, she's in labor, she's 3 cm dilated. My heart pounded and I think I just died, came back to life and died again. Was I actually in labor? I thought one would know for days before they went in labor, I did not get any warning signs, never mind I was 9 months pregnant, nobody told me it was gonna happen this way. The other thing that scared me was when she said that I was 3 cm dilated, which meant I had 7 more to go and I could be there all day. 7 centimeters to go felt completely awful at that time.

Another Dr. from my practice checked me around 5h30 am and I was 4.5 cm dilated. He told me that his shift would end at 6:00pm and he expected to deliver the baby before then, hopefully during the early afternoon. I was thinking, crap, this means I will still be here in pain for the next 10 hours. The contractions went crazy after that. I did not have time to breathe between contractions as they were getting so close to each other, each lasting longer and being more painful. My husband's constant reminders to breathe were not helpful anymore nor were the ice chips that he kept bringing thinking it would make me feel better. I don't think anything would've helped at that time but to put me in a coma and wake me up after everything was done. At around 7:00am, I couldn't take it anymore, my pain level was a 20/10 and I asked for an epidural. Getting the epidural was not an easy matter either as the anesthesiologist told me I had to sit still through my contractions which was nearly impossible as I couldn't take the pain anymore. I went to hell for about 10 minutes and then it was all over, I couldn't feel the contractions anymore...

I could feel the pressure building up though as the baby was descending and around 11h30 I started feeling a lot of pressure as if someone was trying to rip me open. I told the nurse who checked my cervix and couldn't believe that I was 9.5 cm dilated. She called the Dr and I started pushing a few minutes later. My baby girl was born at 12:17 pm. The Dr. couldn't believe how quickly my labor went for a first time mother. All I could think was, Alhamdulilah ( Praise be to God), my baby is here and it's all over. The Quran was playing in the background on my husband's laptop throughout my labor and I remember the Dr. asking between 2 pushes what kind of music was playing and one of the nurses told him it was the Quran. He said it was beautiful and a peaceful way to enter the world. As soon as the baby was born, I was pain free. It's hard to explain, it's a feeling of relief and ecstasy at the same time. I couldn't believe that I was holding a baby, a human being and that I just became a mother!

Though I was expecting an October Pumpkin, I got a September sweet pea and I couldn't be any happier. Sumaya Yasmine was born at 7lbs,1.3 ounces, 19.4 inches. She will always be a very special baby to me because she made me a mother. I never want to forget the first feelings of love that I felt as I held her little body knowing that from now on I would be responsible for each and every of her needs. It's just an amazing feeling. I hope and pray that she stays pure forever as she will always be the little princess who made me a mother!

Early Package Delivery

We were blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby girl on Monday September 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pm, 7pounds 1.3 ounces, 19.4 inches. She came unexpectedly at 37 weeks and 2 days.Even though the sleepless nights and the diaper changes already started, we just cannot be any happier! I will come back later to tell my birth story.

I've missed you and Blog Awards

Hello everyone,
My blogging has been scarce these days due to a complete lack of motivation on my part to get off my lovely couch. Sleepiness, tiredness, laziness, you name it I've been suffering from all sort of inesses lately mostly associated with late pregnancy.


I was able to fast for about 2 weeks when my OB-GYn raised concerns about my condition. Instead of gaining the required 1 pound/week, I lost 6 pounds and my uterus stopped growing(I was measuring 32 weeks at my 34 weeks appointment). She's concerned that the baby's not growing properly and my amniotic fluid is low and asked me to stop fasting right away. The whole time, my husband was just sitting there with the " I told you so" smirk on his face since he was against me fasting to start with. After measuring my uterus, the OB-GYN just kept on going on how this was why pregnant women were exempted from fasting and yadi yada. Mind you, she's muslim and said she would love to be pregnant so she would be exempted and she's planning just to do that next Ramadan since the days will be longer, lol. After we were done with the visit, my husband said he thought the dr was going to take out a belt and spank me right in front of him coz she was so mad at me for fasting against the other dr's recommendations. Long story short, she also ordered an ultrasound that I have to do tomorrow to measure the fluid around the baby and determine the baby's growth. She did indicate that if the fluid was low, I would need to be hospitalized and some sort of intervention will be needed. I was really sad to break my fast at first,it made me feel like I was missing something but I knew it was for a good cause and the baby's health and growth are more important at this poing. Now, I've come to terms with it and I've spent the last week resting, eating and drinking a lot of fluid to gain back what I've lost. Despite all that, I've not gained any of the lost weight back so we will see how things go tomorrow at my appointment inshaAllah.

Also does anyone know what the ruling is on pregnant women who are not fasting? Should we just make up the days we missed or do we have to feed poor people for every day we did not fast, or both? I've read so many different opinions on this that I don't know which one is correct so any thoughts would be appreciated. Ramadan Kareem!

I just visited this lovely site Book-Room, it's new and by muslim sisters for muslim sisters. Take a look if you have a chance!

On another note, I've been awarded by Mina, Hajar and Umm Omar . Thank you so much for thinking of me and for this award :-p

The rules are

List five current obsessions

Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.

On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

* I'm obsessed with pregnancy and anything baby related.
* I am addicted to the discovery channel freakbirth shows!
* I'm obsessed with home decoration as we're getting our new place together.
* I'm obsessed with learning how to make a fool out of myself bake. Made a strawberry shortcake yesterday, yummy!.
* And finally,I'm obsessed with the swirls, kicks and jumps by the alien baby in my belly.

I pass this tag/award to,
Tuttie
Jasmina
Umm Saliha
Skye
Malizea