Gucci Boston review

It has been more than a year since I bought my Gucci Boston bag so I have decided to review it for anyone thinking of purchasing one. I find these reviews helpful when deciding whether or not to buy an expensive item. 

Customer service: Perhaps it was my bad luck but I ended up with the rudest, most unhelpful sales assistant ever. Not sure if this is because it was at Heathrow (terminal 3) and she was sick of tourists or something but she had a chip on her shoulder, and I would certainly not have put up with her crap service if I hadn't been getting the bag tax-free. No idea why some designer SAs act like they own the brand but moving on.. 

Bag:

The style and size is pretty much the same as a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30. The main differences are that the Boston has more leather trim and the canvas is more like fabric than the Speedy canvas, making it less waterproof. I think the Speedy canvas is more durable overall.  

One of my favourite parts of the bag is actually the zip - it's excellent quality and makes the nicest sound when zipped xD

Although I have travelled with it, I have by no means used this as an everyday bag and it has already gotten some colour transfer from clothing. Boo. 

The leather has held up fairly well but there are some obvious scratches on the handle.  

It comes with a quality leather strap, but I rarely use it. 

There is a useful zipped pocket inside and two pouches for phone/keys etc; the fabric on the inside is cream, so is prone to get dirty.The bag itself is very well made and definitely feels like a luxury item. I know a lot of people are not keen on the 'in your face' monogram print but I personally love it. 

Value for money:

As the price goes up annually and I purchased it in duty-free last year, I paid less than the current online price of £700. Having used this bag for a year I do not think that it is worth £700, although I would probably be happy to pay the duty free price. 

Overall: 

Taking everything into consideration, I give this bag 7/10. I would recommend it if you can get it tax free, and you don't mind the potential for colour transfer or scratches on the leather. Despite it's drawbacks I think it's beautiful and it's still one of my favourite bags - I'm not planning to sell it any time soon!

Hope this review helped anyone thinking of getting this bag :)

WTH has happened to hijabis on YouTube..?

People who have read my blog for a while will know that I am not particularly judgemental and I don't call people out on things in public but seriously - what on EARTH has happened to Muslim YouTubers?! 

Don't get me wrong, some of them are awesome but I cannot believe that it has become acceptable for Muslims to produce satirical videos about making the hijab 'sexy' or 'halal chat-up lines' or mocking videos about halal food or about having extramarital relations, all produced, edited and posted by Muslims. How on earth did we get to this level of acceptance towards mocking our own religion? To the point where the producers of these videos are congratulated, interviewed and loved by thousands of Muslims. Since when did it become okay and encouraged to make light of such serious topics? We as an Ummah are heading down a very slippery slope.

Once you start making light of a subject, even for a joke, it's seriousness will lessen until eventually you hold it in no regard at all. This is the way the shaytaan manipulates and deviates man and unfortunately we are making it all incredibly easy for him. 

I am not suggesting that Muslims should just get off YouTube but how about making useful videos? Not necessarily about Islam but about something that is positive or educational or comedy that is respectful and does not mock our way of life, or anyone else's. And definitely something that is not riddled with inappropriate language as I have seen on many Muslims' videos, and it looks ten times worse when hijabis do it. 

A word of advice: modesty and shyness (hayaa') are loved characteristics in Islam - they are beautiful and they beautify the person that possesses them. Please don't throw these traits away by mocking your own values for a cheap laugh. You should hold yourself and your beliefs in a much, much higher regard than that.

If you ask them, they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger (SAW) that you were mocking?" 

[Al-Tawbah:65]

Hijab work outfit idea #2

Smart hijab by stylishmuslimah

Since entering the world of work I have come to realise that the simple act of getting out of bed at 6 am after 5 hours of sleep is such a feat that putting together a remotely coordinated outfit is one of the last things I care about anymore. So I have taken to Polyvore to create virtual outfits in an attempt to make up for what I am now lacking in reality :O

It is not Al-Birr (righteousness) that you turn your faces towards the East or West (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of his love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the poor, to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and sets slaves free and performs As-Salat, and gives Zakat, and fulfils a covenant when he makes it, and is patient in extreme poverty and ailment and at the time of fighting. Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (pious).

[Surat Al-Baqarah:177]

Hijab work outfit idea

Hijab work outfit by stylishmuslimah

The Givenchy bag is the latest addition to my wish list :)

The meaning of life?

I started my training job a couple of months ago and I find it almost impossible to balance work life with 'actual' life. It is so easy to get caught up in the rat race of life that you begin to forget your purpose and things that are worthless start to matter to you while the reality of life starts to warp and disintegrate.  

I came across this amazing video on YouTube today, it's based entirely on the Quran which is what makes it so beautiful. I really needed to see something like this so I hope someone else benefits. 

Question to full-time workers - how do you balance your life so that your religion, personal relationships AND sanity are not compromised?! Is this even possible?

8 signs of weak imaan (faith)

It is incredibly easy to become complacent when it comes to faith; being able to recognise when our faith is sliding is crucial so that we can take steps to increase it. After all, our reason for living is to worship Allah (swt), be that through direct religious acts or through acts which have a positive impact on the world around us. In order to worship we must possess and maintain a strong imaan in Allah (swt).  

I did some research and have compiled a list below of things that we should look out for in our characters to make sure that our imaan is not weakening due to the everyday diversions of life. I hope it helps :)

1. Being heedless of prayers (salah)

Source

It is important that we take steps to properly concentrate during our prayers. Altogether, the 5 prayers take max 50 minutes out of a 24 hour day - Allah (swt) is not asking for much, plus it only benefits us if we concentrate.

"Behold, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is they who are being deluded by Him. When they rise to Prayer, they rise reluctantly, and only to be seen by men. They remember Allah but little." 
[Surat Al Nisa: 142]

2. Feeling envious of others

Envy is self-destructive and a hated characteristic in all the Abrahamic religions. If you find you feel any sort of negative thought towards someone because of what they have, try and turn that into motivation to better yourself and be happy for the person. Also remember the transient reality of this world and the true meaning of happiness - it is certainly not in worldly gains. Be content with what you have by looking at the person with less than you, not more. Be genuinely happy for others when something good happens to them.

"Beware of envy because indeed envy destroys good deeds in the same manner as fire destroys wood." - Prophet Muhammed (s)

"None of you are true believers until you want for you brother that which you want for yourself." - Prophet Muhammed (s)

'Hassed' includes feeling happy when things are not going well for other people. 

3. Not feeling guilty about sinning...

This is a clear sign of someone lacking either knowledge or faith. If it is the first, that is easily rectified through reading. If the second - you need to analyse what you have been doing, saying and thinking recently in your life to be able to pinpoint the reason for this disregard to committing sin. It is often because you have been doing it regularly and so it has become normal to you. This is dangerous territory, so we must constantly analyse our actions and motives to make sure that we are not allowing the shaytan to trick us into wrong-doing.

"The greatest of sins is the one that the sinner considers to be ordinary" - Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a)

4. ...openly sinning & telling people about it

One of the mercies of Allah (swt) is allowing (and encouraging) us to conceal our sins from others and repent in private. We do not have to "confess" our sins to people and actually bragging about them is a hated thing to do in Islam.

"Allah (swt) will cover up on the Day of Resurrection the faults of the one who covers up the faults of the others in this world" 

- Prophet Muhammed (s)

There also are other hadiths that tell of a person being less likely to receive forgiveness for their sins if they openly tell people about them.

5. Being miserly :(

"Stinginess and faith do not exist together in the heart of a believer" 

- Prophet Muhammed (s)

Remember that people aren't just stingy with material things, we can be stingy with a kind word, a helping hand or simply in returning a smile.

6. Not concerning oneself with the suffering of fellow Muslims and innocent people

Self explanatory. I would say that this goes along with actually contributing to the suffering of others.

“The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and compassion is that of the body; when one part of it is in pain, the rest of the body joins it in restlessness and fever.” 

- Prophet Muhammed (s)

7. Not feeling anything when reading or hearing the Quran, or remembering Allah (swt)

Source

"Is he whose breast Allah has expanded to Islam, so he (walks) in a Light from his Lord (like the disbeliever)? Then woe to the ones whose hearts are hardened against the Remembrance of Allah! Those are in evident error." 

[Surat Al-Zumar: 22]

8. Seeing oneself as better than others

I've noticed that when some Muslims become religious they adopt this painfully snobbish holier-than-thou attitude where they believe that they are right, and anyone that may hold slightly varying opinions to them are deeply misguided and should go to hell for eternity. This is never a sign of strong faith. The Prophet (saw) was better than all of us and he did not act in this manner towards non-Muslims, let alone to people within the ummah. 

I know that these people may be enthusiastic about Islam but they should probably channel their zeal into working on bettering themselves as opposed to calling everyone out on every tiny thing that they do.

"O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)."

[Surat Al-Hujurat: 11]

There are many other signs but these are the ones I wanted to discuss. Hope you found it beneficial. Insha'Allah everyone is having a fulfilling Ramadan.