HijabStart

on becoming a modern american muslim

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I have about a month break between classes and went a little stir crazy yesterday...I searched online for something to do and came across something interesting. I found a local private school that is looking for help getting their financials in order, being an accountant by profession this is a good fit for me. The only funny part is that the school is a Nation of Islam school - I don't know much about them and never really met any Black Muslims. I'm interested.

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Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim followers!

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week end update

Alhamdulillah, I’m happy to report that I am getting a lot better with my pronunciation and I am almost comfortable with sura Al fatiha. Hijabi Fashion week begins Monday, being excited to see all the creativity of my sisters has caused me to think a lot about my deen. In response to that feeling, I’ve been listening to a lot of different speakers of various aspects of Islam.

Two things really stuck out to me: 

1. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

         "Whoever seeks Allah's pleasure at the cost of men's displeasure, will win the pleasure of Allah and Allah will cause men to be pleased with him. Whoever seeks to please men at the cost of Allah's displeasure, will win the displeasure of Allah, and Allah will cause men to be displeased with Him."

I thought this could help sisters struggling with wearing hijab. I learned about this from Imam Karim Abuzaid, it was something he mentioned in this video:

Here Allah tells us that pleasing him will give us his pleasure and even our companions will love us more as well. In my case this has definitely been true. I’ve gained a lot of self esteem and wholeness since I started wearing hijab, freedom now to cut ties. I weeded my fb friends and got rid of things that reminded myself of something that I wouldn’t do today.

2) The Prophet (PBUH) also tells us:

         “Smiling in the face of your brother is charity”

            It makes me happy to think that simply being in a good mood is a esteemed part of the character of a good muslim :)

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I’ve never really worn a hijab Turkish-style til today.

Or lipstick, for that matter.

Just experimenting. I look a tad odd but I love the colors.

-NS

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Lovely! Red lipstick makes this perfect :)

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I'm loving UMW's "Don't Stereotype Me" campaign :D

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Lately there have been a lot of questions, such as:

You work here right? So, are you becoming muslim or something?

Sometimes a simple answer will suffice them but, I never know how to react when a complete stranger asks me deeply personal questions like:

Why did you decide to become muslim?

I don't necessarily have problems describing to people how beautiful I find Islam to be but, at the same time - I need a little privacy!

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Evening look from my birthday weekend :)

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Nice

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Amazing! Need a nice white hijab, great for summer

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strength

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In a signed deal, Israeli authorities agreed to provisions like returning those in solitary confinement to the general prison population.

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I think I might have told you that last week was my first time attending Friday prayer?

It was amazing, it was such a wonderful close to my work-week and left me feeling uplifted and refreshed.

It's always encouraging to pray with other people; especially considering (for the most part) I don't know what I'm doing. Learning the arabic has been especially difficult for me and...I am simply bursting with questions:

When reading my Quran and coming across a passage that is especially meaningful to you, or something that really makes you ask yourself questions...is it haram to highlight your Quran?

The only personal area to pray at my work would be a waiting room that is attached to the ladies bathroom - I guess you could say its a small room (with a door) inside the larger bathroom. While it is technically a room, is it haram to pray in there because it's (kind of) in the bathroom??

Questions Questions

I have to thank @amar-perspective for recommending the website: mounthira.com! For anyone that isn't familiar, it is a collection of videos to help you learn the surahs. Being generally unacquainted with arabic before a few months ago, I've found this site extremely helpful as the narrator speaks clearly and slowly.

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Yesterday was our Democratic primary for the upcoming election, it was none too exciting getting updated voter registrations :P habibi Instagrammed afterward

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Monday's over :D

Stay tuned for Hijabi Fashion Week, beginning May 28th!

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Hijabi Rockstar :D

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Asalamualaikum! congrats on wearing hijab beautiful lady <3 i started in january and i swear, all night i thought and thought and thought and worried about this decision, about my career, if ill be hated on, if ill ever get a job. when i wore it, suddenly all the thoughts went away. u know what they were? shaitan desperately trying to tell u not to wear it. its works out though. there is only good in return of something good. all the best to you sister <3

Thank-you sister, I completely agree! I've been working in the same building for 6+ years now and I was so afraid of what my co-workers would think or how my boss would react... in the end, everyone that matters has been so supportive and positive. I can't thank you guys out there enough for encouraging me!

I'm excited because a nice thing happened to me today :)

During my lunch break, I happened to walk past the woman who assisted my novice-self during my shahada a few weeks ago and tomorrow I will be my first time attending Friday prayer. I've been practicing my Arabic but I have a long way to go. Does anyone have advice on learning Surah Al-Fatiha?

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So, it's been almost 3 weeks since I've started wearing the hijab and I can't describe how happy I am that I've finally become courageous enough to take this step.

I won't pretend to say that this has been entirely easy. For the first week or so, there were a few nights I couldn't sleep. I'd make myself crazy thinking about what I might miss out on or if the hijab would negatively effect my career.

Now that a few weeks have passed, I have discovered that wearing the hijab is one of the greatest gifts Allah has given me as a woman. Everything about my interaction with the world is different - for the better. I feel beautiful and respected. The hijab has become a constant and physical reminder of the person that I want to be.

I am proud to be a hijabi and I am proud to be an advocate for islam in my small part of the world :)