NIQAB BAN IN SRI LANKA - FROM ONE NIQABI TO ANOTHER

To my dear Niqabi sisters in Sri Lanka, I know you're hurting. I know that complying to the law of the country right now is something you will do but I know that despite you accepting it, you feel hurt, betrayed and burdened for what some terrorists out there did. You're paying the price for something that has nothing to do with you or your Niqab. 

I know that it's also easy for people to say 'Oh for God's sake, it's just a piece of cloth. Stop whining. People have died and you can't even sacrifice your veil!' To those who think that way, we are sacrificing it for the security of the country but don't you think for a moment that it's an easy choice on us. The thought of stepping out of the house without the Niqab will feel as though we've been stripped of something we hold extremely dear to our hearts. But then again, you can never understand and I don't expect you to. This is a pain that only another Niqabi can relate to.

To my dear strong Niqabi sisters, I want you to not lose hope at this point. Please recall the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. The terms of the Treaty were totally not in the favour of Muslims but yet, Prophet Muhammad signed it. This made the Sahabah so worried so much so that Umar ral asked, "Are we not right and our enemy wrong?" The Prophet answered, "Yes." Umar asked, "Why do we then disgrace our religion?"

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "I am the Messenger of Allah and I will never disobey Him and He is my support." 

It was this Treaty of Hudaibiyyah that Allah calls the 'Manifest victory' in the Quran. It seemed as though it was unfair on the Muslims and Islam but through this, Allah set the course for the ultimate victory.

So my Niqabi sisters, be honoured that Allah chose you to bring about a great good. I know right now it's very hard but hold on to patience and know that Allah's help is very near. Huge hugs to all you awesome Sri Lankan Niqabis. I'm so incredibly proud of you and I pray that Allah gives you immense strength and patience at this time. Chin up girls and lots of love!

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.

GUEST POST: MY NIQAB STORY - THE UNEXPECTED TURN

What is modesty?

Everyone has their own definition of it and is seen in different lights across the globe. The dictionary meaning is seen as "behaviour, manner, or appearance intended to avoid impropriety or indecency."

This meaning inclines towards what Islam defines as modesty. Modesty for me has always been an integral part of my life. Growing up, I had been brought up to bring modesty into my life, not only by the way I dress but with my character and social interactions. My journey towards niqaab was not something I had planned to happen. Although I had always admired it and had an inclination towards, it never occurred to me that it would happen at the age of 19. So this is how it all unfolded.

My father being an Islamic scholar and my mother a revert. My parents always put Islam first. Often my friends or classmates would be shocked if I told them my mother was a revert. Because of her love and passion for Islam people would always assume she was born and raised Muslim. When I reached the age of puberty, I took it upon myself to wear the hijab, I knew what it meant but I never had that depth as I was young and had not reached that level of intellect.

As years went by I started realizing that I was doing things because I knew I HAD to do them and I started noting my connection with my creator was becoming weaker and weaker. At that time the thing that I was most connected to was music and I had lost my desire and sweetness of doing acts of worship. Although I kept my hijab on, I knew something was missing. I finished highschool and that's where it all began. A few months after a series of events had started occurring one after the other and it was almost like a domino effect.

I was quiet sickly for that year and kind of lost my passion for being social. Looking back my sickness was the best thing that ever happened to me. As I was in and out of the doctors office, I started withdrawing from music and I spent a lot of time alone. In that time I rediscovered Allah. I started opening the Quran more often and praying with khushu and it was amazing. Although it was a very difficult time, I was the happiest I could ever be. So during that time, I started covering up more and started become more conscious of my purpose.

So I started thinking about wearing niqab in my second year after highschool. I was very adamant about it because I was worried about what my family would say so I kept on shrugging it off. I say wallahi every time I kept shrugging it off, the feeling would come back stronger and so I kept shrugging it off. I had a brief conversation with one of my closest friends, more like a sister really and she was also thinking about wearing it . Time went by and Alhamdullilah Allah blessed her with the opportunity and she started wearing it.

At the end of 2016 Allah blessed with the opportunity with persuading my Islamic studies so I started at the beginning of this year. I wore it part time and still I felt something was missing. Whenever I wore it, I felt tranquility. When I did not wear it, I felt uneasy and that's when I knew I had to do it. It was not easy deciding but Alhamdullilah I took the opportunity with both hands and I don't ever want to look back. Being the only one who wears it in my family is actually liberating.

Will there be challenges? Of course. I will tell you one thing for sure - it's worth it. When I put it on I think about how on the day qiyaama when the sun will be scorching hot and maybe because I strove and I worked hard , Allah will grant me jannah. That maybe just maybe a family member will admire it and look into Islam. That at the end of it all I have hope. Hope that Allah will have mercy on me and I will be in jannah narrating this very incidents to my friends as a far fetched memory. That on that day Allah will engulf me with his mercy despite me having sins, that HIS mercy will enter me into paradise through this struggle.

It is worth it my beloved sisters and don't ever give up because it always gets better. This is my journey and I pray that I continue to strive right till the end. This world is only temporary but JANNAH IS FOREVER.


Yours truly Salmaah xxx

If you're inspired by Sister Salmaah's story (and I know you are In sha Allah!), do head over to her blog Travellerofthedunya. Trust me, it's a great blog. Very honest, straightforward and more than all, inspiring.