What the Heck is that Big Black Box?!

I'm sure you've all seen it, and you've been wondering what it is.  What in the world is that big black box that all the Muslims are facing?! Do they worship it? Who lives there? Why is it so important?? Well, here are some answers to those questions.

Every Muslim, 5 times a day, takes a pause from whatever he or she is doing in order to pray and make supplications to God.  These 5 daily prayers are how we Muslims maintain God-consciousness in the fast-paced, ever-changing world in which we live.  It’s an act of worship to our Lord, and we gain all the benefit from it. With all the different time zones and prayer times, at any given time of any given day, you can be certain that someone around this globe is facing Mecca to pray for forgiveness, health, guidance, strength, bounties, heaven, protection or whatever else that person is wanting. 

Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia, and within that city sits a big black box.  This big black box is known as the Kaaba.  The Kaaba is what all Muslims face when making our daily prayers.  There are several reasons why we turn towards that big black box.

Muslims face the direction of the Kaaba during prayer

First, I want to be sure y’all know that WE DO NOT WORSHIP THE BIG BLACK BOX. It is merely symbolic of the monotheistic practices we follow, and it represents our trust and belief in the one true God.  The Qiblah, or “direction”, of prayer also provides a unity amongst the Muslim population.  Every Muslim turns toward the Kaaba to pray, and it unifies the Ummah (community).

The Kaaba is also significant during Hajj, which is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.  Hajj is required for all Muslims with both the financial and physical means to do so.  The pilgrimage should be performed at least once in a Muslim’s life, and afterwards, the pilgrim is “reborn” in the sense that all of her sins are erased as though she is a newborn. Pretty cool, huh?!

All those rows of dots are humans!! :O 

Hajj takes place in the last month of the lunar calendar, known to Muslims as Dhul-Hijjah. It involves a series of prayers and acts that Prophet Abraham (SAW) and his wife did when they were searching for water in the desert for their son.  During Hajj, the Muslims are to wear robes of simple white cloth.  This dress code dispels all indications of social status, and it allows everyone to be on the same “level” in the eyes of one another.  There are no fancy watches or expensive jewelry to distract you from the purpose of your pilgrimage.

It’s pretty amazing once you think about it.  Millions of Muslims from all over the world come to this one central location for the same purpose; to worship God.  The person on your right could speak English, Arabic, Swahili or Portuguese, and the person on your left could speak Chinese.  You could be standing next to a prince or a school teacher; an accountant or a surgeon; and you would all be considered equals.  Brothers. Sisters.  That just sounds so cool to me.  I can't wait for the opportunity to participate in the pilgrimage. Peace out, y’all.

Check this blog to see cool facts about the Kaaba!
TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY!! Check out the Kaaba's transformation over the past century!

SISTERHOOD

So the other day I was reading a buzzfeed article about how mad cool Mindy Kaling is, and I came across something Mindy said that stuck with me. “The advice I give to women is to support each other, not distract each other.” And this got me thinking—why don’t we support each other? Let’s be honest here, we criticize each other way more than we show our support. If someone doesn’t meet out standards, we judge them. We all do this. We judge each other for not being good enough, for not being up to par. We are criticize each other in the way we dress, do our hair (or hijabs!), in the manner we eat and the decisions we make. Oh, she’s trying to initiate a business? She’ll never be able to pull that off. Criticism, criticism, criticism. Why are we so quick to judge others?

Instead of criticizing, we should be encouraging.  We women are all bonded through our shared experiences. Empathize with one other. Although we are living in the progressive era, the system is still in favor of males. Just look at the male-female income disparity in the U.S. 

We definitely still have a long way to go. But we need to realize that in order to reach our goals, we must come together and support each other.

But let’s take a moment and celebrate what women have done! Females are amazing creatures and we have come so far. Don’t look for things that divide us. Find things that bring us together.  

"Brother" meaning both guys and gals go under the umbrella of "brother"

Honestly, if you want to be a decent human being, you just need to treat others the same way you want others to treat you. Treat others with respect and dignity. Judge them by the same lax standard you would judge yourself and your family with. No one is perfect, we are bound to slip in some way or another. But that’s okay, because that is what makes us human. The beauty of it is that we are able to build our character. If someone offends you in any way, be quick to forgive. Honestly, life is too short for petty nonsense. 

Islam encourages Muslims to support one another in all endeavors and to help in any way that is possible.  There are enough people out there who are more than happy to criticize what we do without us joining in on it.  We need to stick up for one another and do what we can to build a better community.

Just things that I’ve been thinking about lately. Have a great week everyone. :)

*On a side note, watch Emma Watson’s powerful speech about feminism if you haven't already! She is such an inspiration, love her<3*

Cam Cam's on Instagram!!

Follow Cam Cam on Instagram to get a peek into his life touring the South with the Camel Sisters!!! Use the handle @camcam_33 to find and follow him!!



Staying Active is Important

Even while I am on vacation visiting my dear friends, it's important to stay active and keep my blood flowing. As Namra stated in a previous post, it is part of Islam to take advantage of health and free time while you have it.  I hit the hoops early this morning  and it was GREAT! American sports are so cool!!

Heaven Lies at the Mother's Feet

Ok, first of all, I’d like to tell everyone how much love I have for spoken word poetry. I love the rhythm and the rhyme.  It’s amazing how much art can be made from simple words and a microphone.  So any chance I get to share a spoken word poem, I will definitely do so, and I hope y’all can enjoy it as well. The one I have below is a love letter from a man to his mother. Enjoy J

The status of a mother in Islam is inequitable. It is mentioned multiple times in the Quran and teachings of the Prophet (SAW) to believe in the oneness of God and do good to your parents.  This shows the importance of respecting parents coming right after having monotheism. Islam even puts the status of a mother above that of the father, as stated in the following Hadeeth:

A man came to the Prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked: Then who? So he replied: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So he replied: "Then your father." (Sahîh Bukhârî 5971 and Sahîh Muslim 7/2)

No matter how much you do for your mother, you can never repay her for what she has done for you.  The pregnancy, the childbirth, the midnight feedings and cleanings and diaper changes and burpings and spit-ups and on and on.  No one can ever understand how much a mother does until that person becomes a mother herself.

I love my mother.  She is SO. AWESOME. I never give her enough credit for how much she has contributed to my success. I killed myself finishing my degree, and she was there for me in every way possible. She made me tea and whatever else I needed every time I had to stay up late or wake up early finishing assignments and studying. I am an oddball, and I am a little cooky, but she always encouraged me to do what I wanted to do rather than conform. That kind of support is GOLD. I am a picky eater (I hate onions!), so my mom would always set aside a portion of the meal to make sure I would enjoy it.  And boy is she a wonderful cook! I was definitely a trouble child growing up—I was the child in and out of hospitals for all sorts of reasons.  I know that she has done way more for me and my siblings than anyone would ever be willing to do for us, and there is no way I can ever repay her.

Sometimes I lose my patience with my mother, and I have to keep in mind how much that I owe her.  I don’t have the right to do so, and I will never have the right to mistreat or disrespect her.  Islam teaches us that even in times where you feel like you are right and the parent is wrong, you must always maintain respect and duty to them.  Even if you don’t feel like doing what they say, you must obey.  Even when you don’t understand why they say no about something, you have to respect them and never address them with raised and harsh voices.

I have struggled with this my whole life, especially in my teen years when I thought I knew everything about everything.  Having grown up a bit more, I’ve realized that I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I try each and every day to make up for my arrogance and disrespect towards her.  I ask God to grant me forgiveness for any time I have wronged my mother and patience to avoid it in the future.  I also ask God to extend and lengthen my time with her in this life and the next, and to make me appreciative of everything she does.  

Hey Hey Hey Tazzy Phe

Hey everyone! So today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite youtubers that goes by Tazzy Phe. Tasneem is a charming, witty young Muslim girl from Colorado. Her videos are hilarious and can be super sarcastic, exactly my cup of tea:)

Tazzy Phe accurately describes the challenges a hijabi faces

How to Survive College

Hope you enjoyed! I love how blunt and honest she is. Support a sister and check out her other videos when you get a chance.

Until next time, have a fantastic week :)

Hijabi Diaries: Top 10 Everyday Struggles of a Hijabi

It comes as no surprise that choosing to wear hijab is beautiful and a true blessing; however it also comes with its own surprises and struggles. Hijabi struggles range anywhere from pins, to hijabs, and even to the odd questions that are frequently asked. So in an effort to laugh, make light of, and to let our hair down..(in an halal setting of course)…I present to ya'll my top 10 everyday struggles of a hijabi.

(Photo courtesty of emel.com)

1)Hijab pins

Regardless of how many hijabs you buy, and let me tell you..I have bought a lot, you can never manage to keep them all in one place. I have misplaced hijab pins everywhere. However, the best way to help with this problem is to invest in either a hijab pin cushion or box. While, a hijab pin box from Z & M Hijabs cost $3.00 US; a hijab pin cushion from Halimah Hijabs are priced between $4.99 CAD ($4.55 US) and $6.99 CAD ($6.37 US).  

2) Accidentally pricking yourself with a hijab pin

One of the most annoying struggles of wearing hijab, is consistently pricking yourself with your pins. Regardless of how well you master the art of putting on hijab, you will forever have to deal with the issue of unexpectedly pricking yourself with a pin.....

3)Snagging your hijabs

O the joys of putting on your brand new hijab, only to realize later, while your taking it off, that you have snagged it on the safety pin. That has to be one of the worst feelings ever for a hijabi. Luckily, this issue can be solved with a simple purchase of a no-snag pin or pinjab. You can actual inexpensively purchase no-snag pins on common websites such as Amazon or Ebay, while the pinjab (which is a magnetic snap pin) can be purchased from Imaan & Beauty. Pinjabs Pinjabs are about $5 or $6. Regardless of which one you chose, it will definitely help save you from snag-ache in the long run.

4)Hijabs, hijabs everywhere...and not a one to wear

Like with most hijabis, you can never have enough hijabs. And if you’re a hijab junkie like me, you may find yourself purchasing a new hijab almost monthly. However, regardless of the endless of amounts of hijabs you may own or come to own....you will always struggle with the same issue of figuring out which hijab to wear with an outfit. Luckily there are plenty affordable and beautiful hijab websites such as: Cover33, Halimah Hijabs, Pearl Daisy, Z&M Hijabs,and Purple Silk (just to name a few) that are there to help with this hijab dilemma.

5) Limited hijab storage

While owning a collection of hijabs can be thrilling for a hijabi, the task of storing them can often cause a dilemma. Often rolling up your hijabs or folding as neatly and as small as possible…before placing them into your drawer or hijab storage containers can be a quick and space saving solution. 

(Photo courtesy of suhaibwebb.com)

6)Bad hijab days

Yes, believe it or not...hijabis have to deal with having bad hijab days. My bad hijab days often involved me looking like a disheveled chicken,lol....However, having awesome hijab days often makeup for the bad ones. And at least we can cover up bad hair days.

 (Photo courtesy of Pinterest.com)

7)Hijab bib

What is a hijab bib, you ask?....Hijab bib is an issue that often arises while a hijabi is trying to enjoy her meal. This often involves a hijabi accidentally dropping food all over her hijab. Henceforth her hijab now becomes a hijab bib.

8)Dealing with heat

This is especially true for those of us that live in naturally hot and humid places. But, wearing hijab all day long on a hot and humid day is the ultimate discomfort. Although, dealing with heat can become a task in itself, it especially becomes more difficult when you have to tolerate questions like: 

(Courtesy of Tumblr.com)

9)You’re Arab..Right? What country are you from? ….

I’m sure we’ve all been asked at least a once, maybe even a few times, what’s your ethnicity or where what country are you from… just because you wear hijab. Unfortunately, I don’t think these questions or assumptions will die out anytime soon..

10)The endless amounts of ridiculous questions

That’s right…we all deal with endless amounts of hilariously ridiculous questions that some people freely ask and assume about hijab. They range anywhere from: Are you bald underneath there? Do you use an umbrella when it rains? It’s just a scarf, right? Isn’t hijab oppressive? Do you have to wear it everywhere you go?....Although these questions can be quiet annoying….it’s also our duty as hijabis to educated and dispel those misconceptions regardless of how ridiculous some of the questions may be….

So there you have it!! Those are my top 10 everyday struggles of a hijabi. Insha’Allah you all enjoyed it and as always.. I leave ya’ll with Asalam Walaykuem and I hope y’all have a wonderful week.

Taking Advantage of Health & Free Time

"There are two blessings which many people waste: Health and Free Time"

I clearly remember this being one of the first hadeeths I studied in my fourth grade Islamic Studies class (A hadeeth is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH). After all these years, this one hadeeth really stuck with me. Why? Perhaps because it is such a profound reminder not to take these blessings for granted. Health and free time are two things we don’t properly appreciate until they are gone.

I’ll give you a personal example—I’ve recently developed symptoms of early onset carpal tunnel, and for the past couple months I’ve been experiencing discomfort in my hands and wrists. The simple task of writing notes in class is one that I no longer can do with ease. Writing, texting, and typing are tasks that I never thought twice about in the past. Now these simple activities cause my hand to hurt. Overall, this is just a minor setback; there are people out there that really are suffering from serious health issues. I am not complaining, but I'm sharing this with you to prove a point: that I appreciate now more than ever the capability of my hands. Our hands are significant tools that help us live a better quality of life. With the dexterity of our hands we are able to chop veggies and move around pots so we can cook food and feed ourselves.  With our hands we are able to dress and groom ourselves so that we may look presentable. With our hands we can build sturdy walls for our homes, and it is with hands that surgeons operate and save lives. We are able to accomplish amazing things with our hands. Subhanallah. Allah fashioned our bodies so perfectly. There are millions of things that can go wrong internally, and yet we are alive and healthy. That in itself is a miracle.

We must take advantage of these blessings while we are still in possession of them. Our health will not last forever, so make the most of it while you can. Let us stop wasting our time—remember, every second that passes means a second closer to death.  When we stand in front of God, how will we answer him when asked what we did with our time? We waste so much of our time on social media—we spend hours and hours on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. I myself am guilty of being a part of this—we all are because this is a worldwide phenomenon. Think of how much time we’ve wasted on Netflix marathons (*cough* summer break) and watching random YouTube videos. Now I am not saying let’s delete all these apps, destroy the internet and live like cavemen.  That’s unrealistic, and you can’t cut all the fun out of your life. But we need to balance our lives. Let’s make an effort to cut down on the amount of time spent on unproductive activities and move onto productive activities.

It is a Muslim’s job to manage their time correctly. Read a book, help your mom, pray more. Utilize this time correctly and gain points for the akhirah. All of the self-help books out there nowadays emphasize that the key to success is managing your time properly. Subhanallah, 1400 years ago our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) understood this concept clearly and told us to do just that. Each and every one of us holds unlimited potential, but we can only release it when we take advantage of our health and make use of our time.

MIPSTER MADNESS

When you hear the greeting or farewell of “Peace,” you most commonly associate it with tie-dye, bell bottoms and the ‘60’s.  Well I’ve got something to tell you: Muslims were saying “peace” centuries before the hippies supposedly made it cool. For about 1400 years now, Muslims have used the phrase “Assalam Alaikum” which translates to “May peace and blessings be upon you.” These well wishes not only strengthen and unify the Muslim community, but they also bring about a sense of calm and security when we talk to one another.  See, there is more to the phrase than just wishing peace to the person you are greeting.

The Arab word “salam” literally means peace, but it’s full meaning is safety and protection from evil, harm and faults. When a Muslim utters this phrase, she is also ensuring that the person’s character and well-being will be protected by the greeter, even after they have parted ways.  It is sort of a promise that the person you are talking to will be guarded by you from being bad mouthed or the subject of gossip behind their backs. 

Saying Assalam Alaikum to your fellow Muslims is an important part of Islam.  It is obligatory to greet any Muslim you come across, because the act encompasses unity and kindness amongst the brothers and sisters of Islam; both of which are key components to our religion.  Wishing peace and blessings upon someone can strengthen relationships, and it can also soften any type of hostility between two people. I always find it really cool that no matter where I am in the world, when I come across another Muslim, the first thing out of either of our mouths is "Assalam Alaikum." :)

In a story of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), someone asked what the best part of Islam was.  Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) replied saying that feeding others and saying Salam to greet one another are the best parts of Islam.  The fact that a simple greeting is put on the same level as giving someone sustenance to live shows how important it is to treat others with kindness and to fulfill their necessities as you can.

So, you see, Muslims were Hipsters before Hippies were Hipsters. I'm a happy, proud Mipster wishing peace and blessings to each and every one of you. :) Next time you say Salam to another Muslim, think about what you are saying and the meaning behind it. Work towards trying your hardest to protect the character and dignity of the person to which you were greeting.

 

PEACE OUT Y'ALL

So You're Forced to Wear Hijab?

(Courtesy of Pinterest.com)

Let’s face it, we now live in a society where wearing less clothing as possible is considered appealing.  On one hand, society upholds women who chose to expose their bodies. On the other hand, it misinterprets Muslim women who chose to cover. 

Often in the media,  Muslimahs are unfairly scrutinized. Muslimahs are constantly portrayed as either oppressed individuals, or we’re viewed as religious fanatics. Both of these depictions are completely incorrect. These misconceptions and unfair portrayals also fail to properly represent hijab, as well as the true purpose and feelings of women who chose to wear it. 

(Photo courtesy of reddit.com)

So you’re forced to wear hijab? The all-too-familiar question that most hijab wearing Muslimahs are frequently used to hearing and answering. However, for the majority of us, the decision to wear hijab was not forced upon us, but rather was a choice we chose on our own.

 For me, like many Muslimahs, reaching the decision to wear hijab was a difficult process. It takes a lot of  patience, prayer, fear of non supportive reactions, self-reflection, and plenty of courage. There is a transitional period some Muslimahs decide to take when it is too difficult to start wearing full hijab. This occurs when a Muslimah slowly transitions from wearing a turban to part-time hijab, and then ultimately full time hijab.

 Ultimately, one’s final decision to wear hijab is a very emotional and intimate one that; not only comes with great responsibility, but also from accepting and appreciating the wisdom of our Creator’s command. 

As always...I leave y'all with Assalam Walekum and may you all have wonderful week. ;-)