...

 

Inside the Saudi Kingdom

I found this BBC documentary, in which a Saudi prince agrees to let an English journalist follow him around, very interesting. It is an hour but if you're bored, I'd recommend it :)

I wonder what she's saying...

Source

"Oh no you di'ent."

Worst prayers ever

This made me laugh out loud xD
 

The random sajda LOL 

12-12-12

This post is about nothing. There's just no way I could not publish something on such a significant day. Soo.. yes, here's my acknowledgement to a date combination that none of us will ever see ever again. Ever. How weird is that?!



















I'm going to go and get a life now.

"The difference between the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead."

- Prophet Muhammed -

My non-hijabi style

I have no idea what to post about in terms of hijab style these days so I thought I'd show you what I wore the other day to a surprise party I went to for this adorable 11 year old girl who had just come back from hajj. Obviously the stuff is not exactly the same but it's very similar. I'm pretty unadventurous when it comes to non-hijabi fashion, I don't really like crazy dresses so I tend to always go for jeans + t-shirt + heels.

 

Peplum by stylishmuslimah

 

Love peplum tops :)

The fundamentals of happiness

I came across a list of 29 things to remember if you are in a time of hardship in the book 'Don't Be Sad' by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni. I liked it so I wanted to share the extract :)

1. Know that if you do not live within the scope of today, your thoughts will be scattered, your affairs will become confused, and your worrying will increase:

"When you are in the morning, do not expect to see the evening, and when you are in the evening, do not expect to see the morning."

[Hadith]

2. Forget the past and all that it contained. Being absorbed in things that are gone is sheer lunacy.

3. Do not be preoccupied with the future. Because the future is in the world of the unseen, do not let it bother you until it comes.

4. Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm. And know that, in proportion to your worth, the level of people's criticism rises.

5. Faith in Allah (swt) and good deeds: these are the ingredients that make up a good and happy life.

6. Whoever desires peace, tranquillity, and comfort can find it all in the remembrance of Allah (swt).

7. You should know with certainty that everything that happens, occurs in accordance with a divine decree.

8. Do not expect gratitude from anyone.

9. Train yourself to be ready and prepared for the worst eventuality.

10. Perhaps what has happened is in your best interest (though you may not comprehend how that is so).

11. Everything that is decreed for the Muslim is best for him.

12. Enumerate the blessings of Allah (swt) and be thankful for them.

13. Remember that you are better off than many others.

14. Remember that relief can come from one hour to the next.

15. In both times of hardship and ease, one should turn to supplication and prayer.

16. Calamities should strengthen your heart and reshape your outlook in a positive sense.

17. Indeed, with each difficulty there is relief.

18. Do not let trials be the cause of your destruction.

19. Indeed, remember that your Lord is Oft-Forgiving.

20. Do not be angry... Do not be angry... Do not be angry.

21. Life is bread, water, and shade; so do not be perturbed by a lack of any other material thing.

And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised.

[Qur'an 51: 22]

22. Most evil that you think will happen never actually occurs.

23. Look at those who are afflicted and be thankful.

24. When Allah (swt) loves a person, He makes them endure trials.

25. You should constantly repeat supplications that the Prophet (bpuh) taught us to say during times of hardship.

26. Work hard at something that is productive, and cast off idleness.

27. Don't spread rumours and don't listen to them. If you hear a rumour inadvertently, then don't believe it.

28. Your malice and your striving to seek revenge are much more harmful to your health than they are to your antagonist.

29. The hardships that befall you atone for your sins.

 

I like numbers 4, 6, 8, 16, 27 the best.

11 things I really love

 

I thought I'd balance out the '11 things I really hate' post with one equally self-centred :D

 

1. My mum. Obviously :)

2. Have you ever met someone and liked them instantly, like you've been friends with them forever? I've only ever had that with one person, but it's the nicest feeling.

3. Music. Cliche perhaps, but I love it. 

 

4. Do you know when you laugh until your cheeks and tummy hurt so much that you just can't anymore? That's so fun! Although for some reason it rarely ever happens now I'm 22 :(

 

5. The films Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Shawshank Redemption and

Apocalypto

6. If I have a problem, I sometimes open the Quran randomly. I've found it almost always opens at a very insightful iya, it's so comforting.

7. Clothes, bags, shoes.. in case you haven't noticed..

8. eBay, Amazon and ASOS - probably where I do 99% of my online shopping

9. Those clear, crisp, fresh mornings that you get in Autumn   10. When you get to the till and the thing is cheaper than you expected. I probably get a bit too happy to be honest.   11. If this blog was not about fashion, it would be about cars. I. Love. Cars.   If you have a blog and are bored, do this post and then link it in the comments, it'd be interesting to read other peoples! Also, I'm not feeling very inspired in the way of fashion post ideas, so if you have any please do them leave too. Hope you're all having a good weekend :)

Fluffy fur

 

I am really liking the fur collar trend at the moment, but it is a bit difficult to pull it off with a headscarf. Or so I thought. Here are some pretty pictures that I wanted to share :)

 

 

I found these the other day and have none idea of their sources so if any of the photos belongs to you just let me know.

Just to get some things straight

In light of some recent comments made across this blog I want to set the record straight on a few things:

1. This blog is not intended to tell you how you should or should not wear your hijabs, or doing anything else for that matter. Quite frankly, I don't care if you choose to walk around in a headscarf and a mini skirt or a full-on tent.

2. I personally dislike the niqaab, I think it is unnecessary and purely cultural - I will always hold this opinion so please deal with it somewhere outside of the comments section.

3. I don't hate Jews or any single group of people. I do hate anyone that oppresses another human being, be they Jewish, Muslim or anything else.

4. If you feel that music, style, perfume, makeup, colour and/or non-abaya-wearing hijabis are haraam, don't tell me about it. I have better things to do than read and reply to your essay.

 

5. If you feel that my blog is haraam because I am encouraging people to "copy kafirs" and wear "haraam clothes", don't tell me about it. I have better things to do than read and reply to your essay. Like figure out which colour stilettos will best go with my jeggings that day.

May Allah (swt) grant the Palestinians patience and victory, returning their land and wiping their oppressors off the face of the planet. Ameen.

Source

 

Abaya review: My Batua

Today I am reviewing the Zubi Abaya from online store My Batua. It is a straight, crepe abaya with gathered top layer over shoulder and waist side and comes with a matching hand embodied brooch. The dress comes only in green and apart from the draping detail, it is completely plain - something that I favour in abaya designs. I got it in a size small and length 60".

(Sorry for the quality of the photos, it was an overcast day and I was using my iPhone.)

The material is thin and soft and drapes nicely. I would have liked to see slightly more fitted sleeves as it would have given it a more formal look but overall I was pleased with the cut.  

 The abaya is of a standard quality and the stitching is good although there were some ends where the threads needed to be cut to give a neater finish. It is currently on sale at $51.30, which I think is an okay price for this piece, especially if you are a regular abaya wearer and go to lots of events.

I think this abaya could easily be styled as a dress with the right belt and heels which is most likely how I would wear it.

It came with this beautiful brooch that can also be put into the hair:

The package arrived quickly and was well wrapped. Although I think it could do with modernising, the site itself has a good range of items, including men's clothing and this aweeeesome leather iPad case:

What a steal at $38, I might just have to bag this one!

Overall, I think that this is a nice abaya which would look even better styled as a dress. The quality is not bad for the price and the customer service is excellent. I have reviewed abayas in the past for My Batua and I have found that the fit runs true to size.

The site always has discounts going on so check them out here :)

11 things I really hate

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Have you ever had one of those days where everything annoys you? Yeh, I have that most of the time. OK, that's an exaggeration, but there are certain things that really make me cringe that other people may not bat an eyelid over. Since I have A LOT of uni work to be getting on with I thought I would use my time as productively as possible and write about some things that really hack me off..

1. When I know for a fact that I'm right but the person I'm talking to remains annoyingly unyielding in their own belief.

2. Asian guys that think they're Muslim 50 cents.

3. What's worse than catching someones eye more than once on public transport, when neither of you are anywhere near your stop? Nothing.

4. When people  don't stop talking just to avoid having to sit in silence. I get it can be awkward for some people but there should be natural breaks in a conversation, right?

5. People who smell.

6. The films 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow. Also, Babel because it was so twisted.

7. When men on public transport don't get up for the elderly, frail, pregnant etc. In fact I wish they still got up for women but that's never going to happen..

8. People with high expressed emotion. They tend to have short tempers and are very difficult to reason with. Unfortunately, there appears to be a higher prevalence of this among Arabs.

9. The sound of people eating bananas.

10. The concept of punishment of a human being with solitary confinement.

11. Backseat drivers.

 

Wow, I feel so much better now. Study, here I come! Actually maybe I'll eat first but THEN I'll definitely start..

Cheap outfit idea

I should be doing work but the Internet has once again proved to me just how easily distracted I am.

Anywayyy, here's an outfit I put together with items under $50. I really like VBs style, especially her signature long, wide-leg trouser look.

Black bag by stylishmuslimah

Review: Soap & Glory 'For Daily Youth'

Although I have never talked about about beauty products on this blog I recently bought the Soap & Glory For Daily Youth moisturising lotion and just had to tell you about it. I don't usually use moisturisers/facial products because I find that most products either breakout or dry out my skin, but I had heard good things about this so I thought I would give it a go.

I got it from Boots for £12 for a 50 mL bottle - I have been using it everyday for about 2 months and I still have a third left so I think it is pretty good value for money. The first thing that I noticed was that it was very light and easy to apply and doesn't leave a horrible greasy feeling afterwards. It leaves the face feeling soft with a nice 'glow' (but I'm pretty sure that this is equally due to the massaging as it it to the actual lotion). So far so good.

What I really like about this product is that it didn't break me out, in fact, it has done the total opposite. Since starting it I have noticed a considerable decrease in the number of spots I get, my skin is a lot clearer now and I can only put it down to this moisturiser. I must admit I used to be sceptical when people told me that moisturising helps to reduce spots but it actually does! I would recommend this if you have sensitive skin and want to try something to help with spots.  

It claims to have a '6-in-1' action to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles too. I'm 22 so I didn't get it specifically for wrinkles but I did notice that the fine lines on my forehead (those ones you get when you raise your eyebrows) have pretty much disappeared after two months.

Although not an expert in beauty products, I really do like this moisturiser and will definitely be repurchasing it. I has gotten rid of dry areas of my skin, which feels a lot softer, reduced the number of spots I get and got rid of the fine lines.  All that and it's pink. I have nothing bad to say about this product. If you're looking to try something new, I really recommend this :)

True friendship

 

I've always ardently believed and said this but I never knew it was an actual quote! It is definitely true; I hate the pressure of feeling the need to say anything to keeping a conversation (however uninteresting it may be) going  just to avoid the dreaded awkward silence. I really think that one of life's little gems is finding someone whose silence you are comfortable in. Nice to see others feel the same :)

Arranged Marriage

Ahh, what a guy, so romantic.. xD

It's funny because it's pretty much every arranged marriage summed up in two minutes.

Anywaay, Eid Mubarak guys! Hope you had a good one. I went shopping today and then stuffed my face with chicken and cake - the only way to celebrate in my opinion.

Advice for Hijabi beginners (non-sugar-coated)

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After the African millionaires desperately throwing their life savings at me, the most common emails I get are from girls thinking about wearing hijab and wanting some advice. I'm not going to beat about the bush, I am the worst person to ask for advice when it comes to anything, let alone a religious subject. My opinions regarding hijab have definitely changed over the past few years and of course, I am not a scholar so my views are often riddled with bias and influenced by my state of mind at any given time. Having said that, as so many people have asked, I decided I should make a post giving anyone thinking of wearing hijab a few pieces of advice, things I kind of wish someone had told me.

.
1. Wouldn't advise you to overhaul your wardrobe the minute you start covering your hair. I did that and it didn't go well - take your clothing transition slowly.

2. It is a piece of cloth, not magic: don't expect to suddenly become divinely religious. Please don't act it either, it's so off-putting.

3. One of the biggest shocks I got when I began to mix with Muslims was realising just how bitchy a lot of hijabis can be. Some are nice, but don't expect to suddenly discover a "sisterhood" that you weren't part of before you wore hijab. You weren't part of it because nobody is. It doesn't exist.

4. Keep reminding yourself that you are wearing it for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and not for people.

5. Hijab is not about 'modesty', it's about doing what Allah (SWT) commands you to do. You can be modest without covering your hair and you can be immodest in a niqaab.

6. Be prepared for some interesting questions/comments. Some recent ones I've had (from non-Muslim men) include 'are you wearing a wig under that?', 'I bet you don't wear that to the beach.. you don't do you?', 'how long is your hair and have you dyed it?' and 'what would happen if I pulled the end of your.. headpiece?' HEADPIECE.

7. Be confident! It doesn't matter how you dress as long as you are confident and nice, people will like and respect you. And if they don't, it's not your problem.

8. Be cautious of judging the way other Muslim girls dress and act. It has nothing to do with you. Anyway, they might actually be much better than you.

9. Once it's on  you become a walking representation of Islam (like it or not), which is a huge responsibility, especially if you turn into one of those hijabis that find it impossible to smile.

10. I beg you don't start dissing advising hijabis on the Internet about how 'haram' they are and telling them how they should and should not be dressing. People did this with me a lot at the start of my blog when I did not wear the hijab and it almost put me off the idea altogether.

11. Allah (SWT) judges our scales of good deeds in relation to our bad deeds. Hijab will increase your good deeds but it is not the be all and end all of your deen. Just another good thing to do.

12. You will probably, at some point after wearing the hijab, want to take it off. I would strongly advise you to stick with it simply because if you do there will come a moment when you think 'I'm really glad I didn't take it off'. 'Jihad al nafs' was never supposed to be easy, so don't instantly succumb to your inner desires - they are almost always fleeting.

13. I wouldn't even think about hijab if I didn't pray and fast.

The tips are just my opinions and based on my experiences so they may not apply to you but I hope at least some of them helped :)

Current trends I dislike

I have recently been asking myself why I continue to habitually waste my money on the likes of Grazia and LOOK magazines when 90% of them are taken up by either adverts or clothing trends I wouldn't be seen dead in.

Here are a few trends that have cropped up recently that I detest.

1. US army style military camouflage jackets are suddenly all the rage. What's next, orange jumpsuits..?

2. Heel-less wedges. WHY?! Someone please explain this fugly trend to me. Is it some sort of cost-saving plan to cut back on materials?

3. Wellington boots as.. boots. Call me old fashioned the but last time I checked, wellies exclusively belonged on the farm and in the rain. Now, all of a sudden Hunters have become a fashion statement and people wear them as a "fashionable" alternative to normal boots.

 4. Men jumping on the fashion bandwagon. I know that it is really double standards of me to hold this opinion but I hate when men follow fashion and wear next level man-bags and LV belts. Ew. 

No.

Yuck.

What the flip is he wearing..?

 

Bingo! The shoes are naff but this is a nice outfit all round.

   

5. Panelled trousers. Those trousers with stripes down the sides that are supposed to make you look less fat. No offence or anything but an optical illusion is one thing and delusion is something.. a lot closer to reality.

6. Fully grown women wearing frilly girls socks thinking it's cute.  

Excuse me while I go and vomit.

How to be alone

I came across this video on someone elses blog (can't remember whose) quite a while ago and I really liked it. Stumbled across it again today and thought I'd share. The woman has written a poem about being alone and I think it's awesome. To be honest, I sometimes find that the more time I spend with other people the more I want to just be on my own. I find spending a long time with other people who aren't my family can be really tiring. Does anyone else get this or am I just abnormal..?

Anyway, here's the video:

Wish I could always remember this

Hijab interview look

Sorry I have been off for so long, I have been super busy this month. I went on holiday at the beginning of the month and when I got back I had three hospital interviews to prepare for and go to for the pre-registration pharmacist training year that I have to do after university. The whole application process was highly competitive and was probably the most stressful time of my life.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you what I wore for one of the interviews. I was very keen to get this particular hospital and so wanted a bit of my personality to come out in my outfit instead of wearing a plain shirt and trousers and looking like everyone else.

Interview Outfit by stylishmuslimah

I tucked the blouse into the trousers as I felt they were loose enough and it gave a neater, more put-together look. I think that a black shayla is the way forward when it comes to smart dressing so I stuck to that during all of my interviews. 

Also, you may have noticed the bag! As I worked full-time during the summer I decided to splash out and get it at duty-free earlier this month. I will probably do a review once I have worn it a bit more, insha'Allah.

I hope that you are all well and thanks to all of my subscribers for your continued support over the years, you're awesome.

Arguing

13 personal questions tag

I have a bit of a weakness for watching these sorts of tag on YouTube and reading them on people's blogs.  I don't know, perhaps I need to get a life. Anyway, I decided to tag myself like a saddo and do this 13 personal questions tag that's been going around YT and Blogger lately.

1. What do you order at Starbucks? Last time I went I got this lime refresher drink but I do try to avoid Starbucks.

2. What's one thing in your closet that you cannot live without? Jeans.

3. What's one thing that most people probably wouldn't know about you? I once got stuck in a toy car in Sainsbury's.

4. Name one thing that you want to do before you die. Take my parents to Makkah. They've taken me so many times, it's time to attempt to repay them.

5. What's one food that you cannot live without? Rice.

6. What quote/phrase do you live your life by? YOLO.


JOKE!! I hate that bloody phrase.

7. What do you like and dislike about the YT/blogger community? I like that people are free to express their opinions, and it's not just the ones that shout the loudest that get heard like in "real" life. I hate when people post  close-ups of their food. Does anyone actually care?

8. What's your number one most listened to song on iTunes? I'm sort of ashamed to admit this because I kind of made fun of one of his songs a little while ago but it's "La Yestahel" by Amr Diab. You can check it out below if you like.



9. What kind of style would you define yourself as having? Depends very much on my mood.

10. Favorite number. Seventeen.

11. Two hobbies. Blogging; walking around aimlessly.

12. Two pet peeves. The sound of people eating bananas; people with poor personal hygiene.  

13. Guilty pleasures. Unnecessary amounts of shopping. Not that I'm encouraging anyone..!

I tag everyone! Post a link in the comments if you do it, I want to read yours :)

10 things university taught me

Source

I figured that as it's September and I have quite a bit of time on my hands I would make a post about things that university has taught me. I have been at university for three years now and have one left to go - cannot believe how fast it's gone!

Anyway, here goes nothing...

1. Lectures - in terms of actual learning, going to lectures is overrated. Having said that, lectures do put you into "learning mode" and going will mean you get all the lecture notes you need, you are also likely to pick up useful tips from your lecturers. Attending will also make you wake up early and give you the opportunity to see and talk to people. In short, don't miss lectures.

2. Friends - university is likely to teach you some hard lessons when it comes to "friends". My best piece of advice is to pick carefully and value quality over quantity. I would advise you all not to have Facebook as well but I know nobody would listen.. 

3. Exam technique - people will say that by the time you start uni you have to have an exam/revision technique established from college. I couldn't disagree more, I think techniques change and develop throughout university. It is a lot more important to understand your capabilities in terms of how long you need to revise and it would also be helpful to understand what sort of revision doesn't work for you. 

4. Human nature - you will learn a lot about the good and bad natures of humans at university. Unfortunately (or, perhaps not?) you are likely to remember the bad a lot more. Don't worry and get hung up about it though, just learn from your experiences and move on.

5. Societies - you may hear people telling you to get involved in as many activities and societies as possible. If you find a society is for you then by all means get involved! But don't fret if that's not your thing and don't force yourself to get involved just to try and fit in if it's something you're really not in to.

6. Wearing hijab - if you want to wear it then doing it before uni is quite a good time to start.

7. Lab work - this one is important: if you are doing a course which requires lab work I highly advise that you prepare well before the lesson. I know that nobody will do this - I never did - but understanding what you are actually doing in an experiment turns 3 hours of confusing hell into a wonderful learning experience.  

8. Failing - luckily I've not failed a uni exam (yet), alhamduli'Allah but I have got some rubbish marks before and the worst thing you can do in that situation is blame anyone/thing but yourself. People say "don't beat yourself up about it", I say do beat yourself up about it. If you fail or get a crap mark, you have let yourself down and you are to blame. You need to change something in your attitude when it comes to revision and learning and university in general. If you do not make changes in yourself after flopping an exam, you will continue to do badly throughout the course. 

9. Cheating - it's for losers. Do not cheat in exams and do not copy coursework. Take pride in your work and your results, I'd sooner fail with my integrity intact than pass knowing I didn't deserve to. You are unlikely to pass if you cheat anyway, I've seen it so many times where people cheat in the exam and end up failing and retaking the year. Don't be that loser.

10. Living out - mainly due to the fact that my parents are out-and-out Arabs, I do not live out. It doesn't bother me too much but I would have liked to experience living away from home. If you get the opportunity to do so, I would say take it. Living at home does have it's perks, of course e.g. free everything :)

Hope this helped any newbies :D

Mecca for the rich: Islam's holiest site 'turning into Vegas'

I have touched upon this subject before and expressed my great annoyance at the way Saudi Arabia is developing shops and hotels and demolishing holy sites at a shocking rate. This article by The Independent highlights the problem, I definitely recommend you reading it and reblogging if you can. 

I really hope that something can be done before it's too late, though I'm not optimistic at all. I read once that a sign of the end of time is that hajj will turn into a holiday and that is certainly what has happened, whether or not you care to admit it.

Awesomely dressed hijabis

Call me a shallow but one thing I love to see is a beautifully dressed human being, or better still, beautifully dressed hijabi. I often scrutinise what people wear as opposed to how they look because we all control what we put on our backs. I mean we can't control our genes but we can control our jeans.. OK that was a lot funnier in my head.. 

Anyway, here are a few photos I found of some awesome hijab outfits:

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Swag

LOL xD

I've watched this too many times. I need to get off YouTube and find a hobby.

Always remember

Source

:')

My utterly superficial wish list...

I feel like making a pointless list of all the enticingly superficial things I want :) Enjoy.

The Micheal Kors link watch - what a beauty <3>

White BMW Z4, need I say more?

Cartier 18 carat gold, colored diamond, emerald and onyx tiger ring. Purfect.

Speaking of which... I want one!

I've wanted a Burberry scarf forever! They look so cool as hijabs.

For me, the ultimate bag is the Chanel flap bag. I think that's mainly due to it's increasingly unattainable price tag (a few years ago it cost a grand, now it's 3..). If I could I would get in caviar leather and gold hardware, in the jumbo size.

I've always wanted to get henna art done on my hands but just never have. Really like this design:

How cool are these spiked flats? I love that they don't cover the whole shoe like most studded flats:

I'm so ready to switch from iPhone.

I love this style of perfume bottle T shirt, I want!

And last but not least on my list..

Joke. JOKE!!