ON PATIENCE, ACCEPTANCE AND TRUST - LEARNING TO SEE ALLAH'S PLAN

Sometimes, you literally feel as though you've been cut open and exposed, still raw with the trauma you've been through and thinking back on it feels like prodding on an unhealed wound. It hurts to the limit of it being almost unbearable and it's natural to want to cut out on any recollections of that hardship. 

Some people would say that it's a closed chapter and you should never allow yourself to think back on it but personally I feel that you should look back once in a while and allow yourself to explore that wound again just so that you rebuild hope in your heart that if Allah got you through that, then He most certainly can get you through any difficulty you're tackling right now as well.

Yes, you went through some of the hardest times but never forget that there was a reason as to why you had to go through it. There are lessons in that. Because of that difficulty, your life may have taken a new path, or you may have learned to love yourself, or you may have started to rely more on Allah. We never know the reason for it but I want you to remember that no matter how hard your difficulty is, Allah decreed it upon you for a reason. And even if your mind cannot comprehend what that may be, teach yourself to see Allah's plan even in the raw and bleeding flesh of your wounds. It would hurt - no doubt - but if you accept it with patience, Allah will heal that wound and erase it in a way you could never even recognize that it existed. Such is the power of Allah. Trust Him with your whole heart and with your entire being. Trust Him and allow Him to heal those wounds for you.

THE TESTS ALLAH PUTS US THROUGH AND HIS HELP SHINING THROUGH

When you're going through a test in life, it feels unbearable. Like you're breaking inside out. Like you can't breath. Like you've hit rock bottom. Like you can't take it anymore. The pain is intense and no words can express the helplessness you feel at that time.

But no matter how hard you think your test is and no matter how much you feel like you can't take it anymore, know that you have the capacity to get through it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be put in that situation in the first place. It feels paradoxical actually but the fact is that this isn't something I'm making up. This isn't even something someone just told me. This isn't those random life reflections you see on the internet. This is a life lesson from the One Who created life itself. And although this may feel hard to digest particularly when you feel at your breaking point, know that you will only be tested and burdened to your capacity.

This is Allah's promise and of all the words and promises people ever make - even all the combined promises of the most truthful people to walk on the earth - this wouldn't equal to even an atom when compared to the truthfulness and promise of my Lord.

"Allah does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease." (Quran 65:7)

A CUP OF COFFEE OVER FEEDING A STARVING CHILD?

The money we spend on a cup of coffee is enough to feed a hungry child for one entire day.

Let that sink in.

We are so used to having three meals on our dinner table everyday that we take it for granted. While we are enjoying our dinner or lavish cup of cappuccino, a child is dying out of hunger somewhere. I'm not saying to not enjoy great meals, no way. If Allah has blessed us with food and money to buy great food then Alhamdulillah, it's yours to enjoy. But while you do, don't ever ever forget that some child somewhere in the world is aching, yearning and dreaming of a simple meal to just silence those hunger pangs.

I've teamed up with charityright.org.uk to raise funds to feed hungry children all over the world. It could be only a couple dollars that you would spend on an everyday cup of tea but it could mean the world for a hungry child out there. Donate what you can for the sake of Allah and your contribution, no matter how small it is, can feed them and In Sha Allah, shape their future too. It's just a small effort from our side and I most humbly request all of you to please help raise money for this cause. Please follow this link to donate. If you can't donate, please spread the world.

"None gives charity from what is good, for Allah only accepts what is good, but that the Merciful takes it with His right hand. Even if it is a date, it is nurtured in the hand of the Merciful until it becomes greater than a mountain, just as one of you nurtures his young horse or camel" Sahih Muslim 1014

May Allah make your contribution be a means of you attaining the highest ranks in Jannah!

To make your donation, follow the link https://charityright.org.uk/cr-star-campaign/689/team-365/

HOW CAN I NOT TRUST IN YOU, ALLAH?

When I was in the darkness of the womb, You protected and delivered me.

When I was a helpless infant, you helped me grow.
When I found myself entangled in difficulties, You brought me out of it.
When everyone turned away, You listened to me.
When everything failed me, You uplifted me.
When everyone slept by the night, You watched over me.
When I cried, You consoled me.
When I smiled, You gave me more.
When I fell, You lifted me up.
When I was sick and tired, You cured and made me strong
When lost my way, You brought me back.
When I wept by the night, You were right by me.
When I screamed in agony, You mended me.
When my heart was broken, You healed me.
When no one understood me, You understood.
When I was hungry, You fed me.
When I felt hopeless, You gave me hope.
When I felt worthless, You made me feel special.
When I turned way, You still showed mercy on me.

When You gave me this and more, how my Lord, can I ever, ever falter in trusting You? 

"And upon Allah let those who trust place their trust in" 💕

IT IS NOT THE STORM YOU SHOULD FEAR

We get so scared sometimes. Afraid of all that can go wrong. All that can be lost. 

But in our debilitating fear, we lose focus.

We see the sickness, but not the cure. The storm, but not the shelter. Yes, there are armies and Red Seas. Yes, there are flames. But remember, the sickness, the storm, the fire, the armies and the Seas, are all creations in the Hands of the Sovereign.

He saved Ayyub (AS) from the sickness, Nuh (AS) from the storm, Ibrahim (AS) from the flames, and Musa (AS) from the armies and the Sea. It wasn't that they didn't face hardships. They did. They were surrounded by them. But Allah kept them safe, even while in the belly of the calamity.

Our focus is wrong. We fear the storm, because we don't see the Shelter. We fear the Red Sea, because we don't see the One who can split it into two.

It is not the storm we should fear...
but the distance from the shelter 



Note: I didn't write this. I found it online so all credit to the one who wrote it.

10 OCCASSIONS WHEN WE SHOULD "FLEE TO ALLAH"

Just picture this for a moment: A child who has been hurt and is crying and the mother says "Come to me" and the child rushes to her.

Now put it in this perspective - you are hurt and breaking and there Allah says "Flee to Allah". Not come to Allah but flee because you know what? We have no better choice than to flee to Him. The faster to we turn to Allah, the safer we will be.

If our mother called us with affection, we go to her, don't we? And Allah, who loves us 70 times more than her, when He says "Flee to Allah", how much faster should we run. Flee to Him desperately.


1. Flee to Allah when you have sinned

We are human as we sin. That's natural. But the best of sinners are those who repent. No matter how large your sin was, it is not greater than Allah's mercy and forgiveness so turn to Him in repentance. In fact, flee to Him in repentance with a sincere heart. No one forgives as mercifully as Allah does.

2. Flee to Allah when you are hurt

This Dunya, there is hurt everywhere. From your own family even sometimes and at those times when we are heart beyond words, flee to Allah. He knows you are hurt and He is calling you to Him. So go... go to your Lord and you shall find comfort with Him.

3. Flee to Allah when you are confused

You don't know what to do. What is right and what's not. Your mind is confused, you feel lost. So flee to Allah. Tell Him why you feel the way you feel. No matter how confusing you sound even to yourself, He understands.

4. Flee to Allah when everyone has abandoned you

In fact, you should flee to Allah at all times but often, when we are let down by those closest to us, we realize that Allah will never let us down, so flee to Him and hold Him closer to you. He will be right there with you all the time.

5. Flee to Allah when you want to get closer to Him

Ibn al-Qayyim spoke at length explaining that the level of “fleeing to Allah” is one of the levels of those who are striving to reach Allah. Flee from disobedience of Him to obedience to Him. Flee to Him and strive to obey Him. In even the smallest of things. Smile at another Muslim and do it for Allah. You'll attain closeness to Him. Be patient for His Sake and you'll attain closeness to Him. Everything you do, do it for Him. Flee to Him.

6. Flee to Him when you are depressed

‘Amr ibn ‘Uthmaan said: Flee from yourself to your Lord. He also said: "Flee to (and be content with) that which Allah has already decreed for you, and do not rely on your own efforts". Talk to Allah, beg of Him and ask Him. Feeling depressed, that's normal and it happens. But at this time, turn your attention to Allah. Prolong your Duaas, prolong your Sujood. And even if your lips don't utter anything, Allah understands the language of your heart. He knows you are hurting and no one can fix your heart better than Him. So flee to Him.

7. Flee to Allah when you have nowhere else to turn to

When all your paths have become constricted and you just don't know where to turn to, know that the path to Allah has, is and will always be there for you. Just accept His invitation and flee to Him. It's the best thing you can ever do to yourself.

8. Flee to Him when you need help

We turn to people for help and yes, they may help us or they may not. The only One who is guaranteed to help you no matter what is Allah. He is Ar-Razzaq, your Provider and He has taken it upon Himself to provide for you- everything from your parents, to your house to your food and even the very oxygen you are inhaling in right now. So why, when we know that everything we have and want comes only from Allah, don't we flee to Him? Allah called turning back to Him fleeing, because turning to anyone or anything other than Him involves a great deal of fear and negative consequences. In turning to Him there are all the things that one likes, security, happiness and victory.

9. Flee to Him in obedience

Flee from that which Allah hates, both visible and hidden, to that which He loves, both visible and hidden. Flee from ignorance to knowledge, from kufr to faith, from disobedience to obedience, from heedlessness to remembrance (dhikr) of Allah. The one who achieves all of that has fulfilled all the commitments enjoined by Islam, and will no longer have any fears; he will have achieved his ultimate goal.

10. Flee to Him because He is calling you to Him

This one reason is enough. Therefore, run to Him for help. Run to Allah to find solace. Run to Him for indeed all things come from and return to Him in His sublime perfection. Allah loves you and will never abandon you, so never abandon His remembrance and obedience. Do you think that when Allah Himself asks you to flee to Him and when you do, that He will abandon you? No. He will welcome you. With Allah, we are always safe. We always have a place of refuge. A home to finally go to, In sha Allah.

WHO IS NIQABLOVERS AND WONDERFUL NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

I'm really excited for this post because of a wonderful new announcement... Well, I'll get to that in just a while In sha Allah.

Unveiling NiqabLovers

To start off, a lot of people have asked me how I started the Niqab Lovers twitter page and blog. There was way more than just one person involved in it. I had some good Twitter friends on my personal Twitter account and I don't remember exactly how, but I got into an argument with someone about the Niqab. They said it was oppressive, I argued and said it wasn't and you know with an online argument... It just keeps going. So thankfully, my twitter buddies joined in and we started talking about how we can sort of create an awareness about the Niqab and clear the misconceptions about it. The thing is, most the girls were non-Niqabis but the support they gave has taken Niqab Lovers to where it is today, Alhamdulillah. Munazza from India, Sameeha from Bangladesh, Munna from New Zealand, Aisha from Sri Lanka and Ifrah from India, together with my sisters Ashfa and Zahra (who now has her own Twiter Dawah page and blog Islamic Truths) decided to start a Twitter page. Also, thanks to my oldest sister Nashra for her ideas, support and tweets. 

We decided on the name Niqab Lovers and started it straight away. The first few days, all of us were busy on Twitter trying to get people aware of the page, etc and everyone contributed in tweeting. They started it off and I've continued it. They haven't been able to tweet after that but may Allah bless all of them for their support and help and grant them goodness in this world and in the Hereafter. 

If it wasn't for their ideas and shoutouts and of course Allah's help, the page would have stopped a long time back.

Anyway, throughout these four years, the Niqab Lovers journey has been an impressive one Alhamdulillah. I've had lots support (yes, from non-Muslims as well). A lot of them have tweeted me and asked me to carry on with what I'm doing and I've even had emails from non-Muslims who have supported the Niqab. There was a Christian brother who wrote me a extremely beautiful email about the Niqab and it was so humbling to read how much he admired sisters wearing the Niqab. May Allah guide him!

SubhanAllah, sometimes, we are so narrow-minded that we think if one non-Muslim hates the Niqab, we sort of put the rest of them in the same line. I did a online survey collecting the opinions of what non-Muslims thought of the Niqab and SubhanaAllah, the results were beautiful. You can read it here: SURVEY RESULTS: WHAT NON-MUSLIMS SAY ABOUT THE NIQAB

That's as far as the support goes. Naturally, when you involve in Dawah, you expect criticism and I've had my fair share of it. In fact, what's most disheartening is that majority of the criticism I've had has been from Muslims. 

Also, I've actually lost count of how many people have accused me of being a man masquerading as a woman just to subjugate women into wearing the Niqab so here I go. Sorry to disappoint those who thought I was a man! Sometimes I wonder if people are shallow-minded to think that we Niqabis don't have a voice and if we do voice out our opinions, they come up with the most absurd reactions!

I've talked about the Team Niqab Lovers but as for me. Well this is sort of awkward to introduce me... I'm Afra, from Sri Lanka. Eek, that was weird :|

Anyway, the NiqabLovers journey has been tremendous. I initially started the page to create awareness about the Niqab, tell people about how liberating the Niqab is, speak on behalf of all Niqabis that we wear what we want to wear as a choice and it was not forced and that we deserve our rights. I tried to enlighten people but I sort of enlightened myself in the end. Reading through all the messages, emails and stories, and writing my thoughts out has opened my eyes on how beautiful the Niqab actually is and now, the Niqab means so much more to me. 

I'd be missing out on such an important part of this journey if I don't mention all those sisters who have volunteered to be interviewed for the blog and contributed in guest posts and who have taken the time to share their stories, experiences and views. The blog wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you people :) 
You can read all the interviews that we had here: Interviews
And the guest posts here:  Guest Posts
And also for everyone on Twitter for the retweets and shoutouts. Jazakallah khair! :)

Thank you for being part of NiqabLovers! Also, for all those who have emailed me and encouraged me, you can't possibly imagine how much that has helped me. Thank you so much for the Duaas! 

A person emailed me about a year back and told me he would like to offer some financial help for the blog. SubhanAllah, there are people out there who'd do a lot to discourage you and your Dawah but also know that their criticism is weak and short-lived. But the support that people give is deep and so strong. May Allah reward all of them.

From being invited to feature in documentaries, live TV and radio channels to featuring on online magazines, NiqabLovers has come a long way from where we initially thought it would. That's how much Allah will help and support you.

For sisters and brothers who want to start an awareness or Dawah page, by all means do. It would bring about a change in someone else but above all, it will bring about a huge change in you. All of us have our own social media accounts and we can do Dawah even from there. Just think about it- If you post a reminder to recite Surah Kahf on Friday, someone reads that and that actually recite it, imagine the rewards you're going to be getting? Put it in this perspective: We all know how long Surah Kahf is and if one letter (not word, a single letter) carries the reward of 10 good deeds, how much would you be left with if you recite he entire Surah Kahf. And that's how much you will get if you inspire someone to recite is as well. That's how appreciative Allah is of even the little good that we do.

And yes, you are going to have to be strong and shoulder the criticisms and insults of a few shallow-minded people but know that there are countless amazing people out there who will continue to support and make Duaa for you. Start any good in the Name of Allah, expect His reward only and His Help and He will definitely send help exactly when you need it. And more than all, it would be worth it.

This is where Allah sent along one of the greatest help Alhamdulillah. You must have read the post about my blog hiatus and how I have sort of struggled with finding time to blog more frequently with work, studies, anxiety and also another project I've taken up. Well, a few weeks back, a sister emailed me and said she would like to volunteer. I replied asking if she wanted to contribute for an interview or blog post and I'll be honest- I was secretly hoping that she wanted to volunteer to posting on the blog and YESSS! That's precisely what she wanted to do so yeah, that's my huge announcement.

I'VE GOT A CO-BLOGGER, ALHAMDULILLAH!!!


Hafsa, over to you.

Assalamu Aleikum, My name is Hafsa Salah. I am currently residing in Egypt and I am a student attending an arabic institute. And I am also a Niqabi. In sha Allah I will be participating in this blog with sister Afra as her new co-blogger in sha Allah.The main reason I want to join this blog is for the sake of Allah, to gain reward from Allah and to benefit others and myself.

Like all muslim women today, I want to shed light upon misconceptions and misunderstanding people have against niqab, hijab and women in Islam.In sha Allah I am interested in writing articles about modesty, islam or anything my sisters require of me that I have knowledge of. May Allah reward you all.

In sha Allah, the blog will be updated more frequently now. Please make Duaa for us! There are days when it all seems too tiring but if you're firm in doing what you what you want to, Allah will send His help.

Once again, just want to remind that we are still open for interviews and guest posts so feel free to contribute. Also, if you have any suggestions for any topics that we should write on, let us know. Feel free to email us on niqablovers@gmail.com