Smart Hijab Tip #1: Colour

I have decided that this blog is in need of a section dedicated to smart/work hijab outfit ideas and tips.

After spending about a month in a hospital and coming across a lot of professional hijabis, I realised that a fair few of them (I feel like a bitch writing this..) could do with *slightly* improving their work look.

Obviously I'm not claiming to know everything about smart dressing, we all know that only a Turk could ever reasonably claim such a thing (just look at Hijab Revival and Hijabi and the City if you don't believe me - EDIT - In case any of you don't understand English, I am implying in this sentence that those two ladies have amazing smart dress senses, like many Turks that I have seen).

So anyway, one thing I noticed that a lot of hijabis do is use far too many colours in their outfit to ever be able to make it look smart and professional. I personally think that the key is to keep it simple and use different shades of a colour as opposed to putting lots of colours together. I would say stick to a maximum of 3 colours.

I really like the colour use in two outfits below:

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If you are stuck for something to wear to work then I would recommend pairing a top with a scarf of the same colour but either much darker or much lighter than the top. Here's an idea:

Smart Hijab Style by stylishmuslimah

Paul Joe t shirt dress, £138

Talbots wide leg pants, $31

Very Volatile high heels, $50

Satchel handbag, $2,350

Forzieri silk shawl, $198

Hope this helps :)

Stuff Hijabis Say

This girl is so cute, I want to adopt her.

LOLOLOLOL xD

Light hearted fun or downright paedophilic..?

I don't know if anyone has heard the song "Yareet Senk" (which directly translates to "I wish your age..") by Amr Diab but I heard it a while ago and I was a little taken aback by the lyrics - they are soo dodge! He's basically confessing his undying love to a girl of undisclosed age. All he says is that he wishes she was 2 years older.

The thing that sickens me a little is that he says he wishes she was older but he wants her to stay looking the same. Is it just me or is that really wrong?

Anyway, here is a rough translation of the words but it to me it sounds even worse in Arabic :S

"I wish your age was two years older ... because you are so young

Wish you were older .. but nothing of your (body) changes

Your love stays the same ... and your colour stays the same

Your eyes barely open.. from this moment they are so confusing

Oh the soul of my soul, how beautiful you walk

Oh the soul of my soul, the feather that have painted you

Oh the light of your heart, sweet light

It filled me with one touch

If only I was not a good person..

Then nothing would stop me

If only I was not a good person..

Then nothing would stop me

With innocence you wave for me "watch out"

And I see you, and you take my heart with your beauty

You have such a look! Oh masha'Allah..

Just as if you're a famous star

And because of how much I'm taken by you..

I took a photo of you with my eyes..."

Well at least the anti-ageing ad on the video made me chuckle...

Boutique Al-Khaleejia Review

I was recently sent the above two embroidered shaylas to review from Boutique Al-Khaleejia, a relatively new online store specialising in khaleeji abayas, shaylas and accessories.

My package :)

The first scarf ("Shayla 93") is pink, gold and purple-

Style: Both scarves are embroidered with coloured thread and beads on one side. The detailing is impressively intricate especially when considering that they are hand-embroidered. I like both designs but my favourite shayla is the next ("Shayla 96") -

I personally feel that these scarves are too blingy for everyday wear (especially if you don't wear them with an abaya) and I would most likely wear them on occasions when I am wearing a dress with a black abaya over the top.

Quality & value for money: The shaylas are made of thin chiffon material, measuring 24x72" making them long enough to wrap around once leaving extra material for styling/coverage.

The scarves retail at $49.99 each, which I think is a little steep but when you consider that they are hand embroidered and the amount of beads used actually makes that side of the scarf heavy, then the price is not too bad. Also, the heaviness of the scarf is pretty useful when it comes to syling because the weight means that it is less likely to move around or slip of the head.

There are lots of ways that you can style these sorts of shaylas, one of my favourites being this one:

Here are some close-ups I took of each design -

The shop also has a range of 250 abayas and many other beautiful shaylas. Check them out here :)

Contact me

For post, advertising/review, "Reader's Look" or anything else email me here:

stylishmuslimah@ymail.com

If you do not receive a reply within a few days it is most likely that your email has gone to spam.

I am also available on Instagram @stylish.m

First Impressions

Why is it that first impressions are so important? Passing a judgement on somebody within a few seconds of meeting them - everything from their character to their "social status" to their rough annual wage - is something we all subconsciously do, and judging a book by it's cover has become the order of the day. But I feel like recently every single judgement that I have formulated about a person has turned out to be not only wrong but the complete opposite of reality - and I am usually pretty good at figuring people out (well I thought so anyway..).

So the other day I met this hijabi and got on with her well, we were cracking jokes and having a laugh and things were going just dandy. An hour in and she suddenly turned sour and started calling me out (rather loudly) for not having my fringe tucked into my headscarf. She was all like "well what's the point in wearing it then?" I ignored her rudeness and just tucked it back in but from then on every time I would see her she'd ask why I was wearing this and that and why I push my sleeves up and why I say "hi" instead of "salam" etccc. I carried on being normal with her and assumed that she must be a bit of a hardcore Muslim. 

That's until I found out yesterday that she has a boyfriend. And she told me really nonchalantly as well. I found it quite difficult to bite my tongue and not ask her why, exactly, she had been harassing me about everything I wear/do if she is so "liberal".

Anyway, yesterday I saw some very typical white builder in a high vis jacket. He was sat with "the guys" guffawing at something or other and covered in white paint. I admit I assumed they must just be checking out the ladies.

Today, I saw him doing wudu. I thought for a second that he might be fixing the plumbing or something, but no.

Last Friday I saw some black guy in a suit and dreadlocks walking into the prayer room. I thought, damn he's lost. Later, I saw him walking out of juma, shoes in hand.

Today I met a very oddly dressed English woman, she was nice enough but all my superficial self could focus on was her clothing choice.

I later heard surat Ya-Sin coming from her computer. Turns out she constantly listens to the Quran because she says it has this beautiful calming effect on her. What's more, she reads it and knows some Arabic. Without even meaning to, I had judged her character to the point that I would not have believed it if I hadn't heard her saying it.

Going back to my original question, I think that first impressions are so important because of how wrong and misleading they can often be. Don't ever let your initial opinion of somebody cloud your judgement, give them a chance, you might be surprised. 

[I don't know about you guys but I rarely read large chunks of text on peoples' blogs if the title doesn't interest me, so if you got this far, clearly you aren't as judgemental as I am and you don't need a week of moral awaking like I do :( ..]

Pearls

I found this beautiful natural pearl bracelet on polyvore and just had to make an outfit for it - I love it ^-^

Pearls by stylishmuslimah

“Forgive he who wrongs you, re-unite with he who cuts you off, do good to he who harms you and speak the truth even if it may be to your disadvantage.”

- The Prophet Muhammed (S) -

Layla-h maxi dress review

I recently received this "Gothic style jilbab" to review from Layla.h.com. If you haven't heard of them, Layla-h is a new British-based company that sells modest clothing of both Eastern and Western influences.

Below is a photo of the dress I was sent. It is described as a jilbab on the website, but I think that it is more of a dress.

My package :)

The dress is made of soft jersey material and the top has a pretty crochet detailing on it. The shoulders are also detailed with beads and thin, silver chains. It has two pockets on the skirt.

I thought I would model the dress for you ^-^

Quality: I think that the quality of the dress is quite good - it is nicely stitched and the fabric is thick and opaque. Obviously with jersey there is the innate problem of clingyness, but this can be reduced with a cotton slip skirt worn underneath.

Style & sizing: It is not something that I would usually go for but I do like it. The only thing that puzzles me is whether to call it a formal or casual dress because of the pockets. I think that it is both depending on how you choose to dress it.

The crochet detailing is lovely and so are the cuffs. I am not hot on the elasticated waist though - I think it would have been nicer loose. One good thing about the waist though, is that it allows you to put a top with the dress so that it looks like a skirt. Also, if you are shorter, you could use the elastic to adjust the skirt length.

In terms of sizing, it sort of runs true to size but looking back I think I would have gotten a 12 (UK size) instead of a 10 so that it is generally a bit looser. I am 171cm tall (to be precise..) and the dress hits just below my ankles.

Vaule for money: The dress retails at £44.99. I think that this is fair compared with the rest of the high street. I would recommend checking out their website, there are a few very cheap things on there, like this beautiful pink dress for only a tenner!

Shipping and communication: Excellent.

Overall, I like the dress and love the site. Definitely will be keeping an eye on this company and can't wait until their range expands - they have a bridal collection which is not up yet, but that will certainly be one to look out for. 

I hope that this review helps and if you like you can check out their website, Facebook or video below for other items in their collection..

The Last Day: Minor Signs

It is well known that the Prophet (S) told of many signs of the final day; these consisted of the minor and major signs. Most of the minor signs have already occurred and are happening across the globe. When he used to speak of these signs people would wonder how such things would happen. But today, they are normal, everyday occurrences.

I have researched some hadiths pertaining to the minor signs of the last day - I have not included all of them in this post. All of the quotes are those of the Prophet (S).

"In the last days, liars and deceitful people will emerge, who will tell you such new things (about Islam), which neither you, nor your forebears would have heard about. Beware of them, beware of them. They should not lead you astray."

[Prophet Muhammed (S) - Narrated by Abu Hurairah]
 

"A time is soon to come when Islam will remain only by name and the Qur'an will exist only in words. People will erect large and beautiful masjids, but these masjids will lack guidance and be deserted. The worst creation below the skies will be the "Ulama-e-Soo" ("evil scholars"). Great Fitna (evils) will emanate from them and they themselves will promote fitna and they will be the centre of fitna."

[Prophet Muhammed (S) - Narrated by Hadhrat Ali (a)]

"A time will also come upon people that a person will find himself in such a position that he either allows himself to be branded as a fool, or he joins the prevailing evils. Should a person find himself in such a situation, it is better for him to be branded as a fool, rather than participate in evil."

[Prophet Muhammed (S)]
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 "Such a time will come upon people that it will be as difficult for them to remain on the deen as it is for a person to hold a burning coal in his hand."

"Perform all good deeds before the era of evil dawns, the darkness of which will increase in waves. The effects of these evils will be so grave that a person will be a Mu’min in the morning and a Kaafir at night, or, a Mu’min at night and a Kaafir in the morning. A person will sell his deen in lieu of a paltry sum."

[Muslim]

 "A time will come when the Kaafir nations will invite each other, just as people are invited towards meals, in order to annihilate you". Someone asked, "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) will their boldness to do so be on account of us being small in number? Rasulullah (S) replied, "No, in fact your numbers will be great, but despite that, you will be like a twig in flood waters. Allah (SWT) will remove fear from the hearts of the enemy (your enemy will not fear you) while he will create "wahari" in your hearts. Someone enquired."What is that, O Rasulullah?" He replied, "Love of this world and hate for death." 

"Women will outnumber men... eventually 50:1"

[Bukhari, Muslim, & Ahmad]

** Note: With a few exceptions e.g. China, virtually every country in the world has a higher proportion of females to males **

"Rain will be acidic or burning"

[at-Tabarani, al-Hakim]

"Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor"

[Tirmidhi]



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"When a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly while shunning his father"

[Tirmidhi]
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“Women will give birth to their mistresses and you will see barefoot, unclothed, sheep-herders (i.e. the Bedouins) competing in the construction of tall buildings.”

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"When singers become common"

[Al-Haythami]
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"Qiyamah will come when:

- it will be regarded as a shame to act on Qur'aanic injunctions.

-
 Islam will become a stranger (unwanted religion).

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- Malice and hate will become common among people.

- Islamic Knowledge (ilm) is lifted up.

- Months and years and foodstuff will be devoid of blessing, (i.e. appear to be very short and less).

- Untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

- Liars will be regarded as truthful and the truthful will be regarded as liars.

- Violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.



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  - People will boast upon their palatial mansions.

- Women with children become displeased (on account of them bearing off-spring) and barren women remain happy (on account of having no responsibility of off-spring).

- Oppression, jealousy and greed become the order of the day.

- People begin to die in large numbers.

- Lies prevail over the truth.

- People dispute over petty issues.

- People follow their passions and whims.

- Decisions will be given on mere conjecture.

- There will be a scarcity of crops despite abundant rains.

- Fountains of knowledge run dry and the floods of ignorance burst forth.

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- Winter time becomes hot.

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 - Immorality is perpetrated publicly.

- The length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a
matter of a few hours.

- Legislation in matters pertaining to my right (Deen) is handed over to the worst elements in my Ummah, and if people accept them and are satisfied with their findings, then such persons will not smell the fragrance of Jannah.

- Off-spring becomes a cause of grief and anger."

When asked about the last day, he (S) responded:

"- Evil people will prevail.

- People will establish ties with strangers and severe relations with their near and dear ones.

- Hypocrites will be in control of the affairs of the community and evil, immoral people will be at the helm of business establishments.

- The Masjid will be decorated but, the hearts of people will be devoid of guidance.

- People will indulge in homosexuality
.

- The courtyards of Masjids will be built beautifully and high mimbars (pulpits) will be erected.

- Music and musical instruments will be found in every home.

- Alcohol will be consumed excessively.

- There will be an abundance of critics, tale-carriers, back-biters and taunters in society.
.

- There will be an abundance of illegitimate children."

[Prophet Muhammed (S) - Narrated by Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (R)]

"In the last days, people will be such that outwardly they will express great love, concern and sympathy towards others, but in their hearts they will harbour the greatest enmity for each other, continuously looking out for an opportunity to eliminate his enemy". It was asked, "Why will this attitude occur?" Rasulullah (S) said, "On account of fear and greed".

[Prophet Muhammed (S) - Narrated by Hadhrat Mu’aaz bin Jabai (R.A.)]

"Her Hijab" Tag

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I wasn't specifically tagged for this but I've seen a few hijabis on YouTube do it so I decided to tag myself :(

Here goes nothing...

1) What was the first hijab you ever bought?
The first scarf I ever bought with the intention of wearing as a headscarf was an H&M one with gold embroidery, for around £10. It's odd because when I didn't wear hijab I would happily pay that price for a scarf, but now I think that anything over a fiver is ridiculous.  

2) What was the first hijab style you wore?

One that was far too tight with far too many knots and pins, and pretty much impossible to remove. Now that's what I call enthusiasm.

3) What is your favourite colour hijab, or what colour hijab do you have most of in your closet?

Favourite: A light pink floral one.

Own the most of: White pashminas.

.
4) Who is your favourite Hijab guru? Why?

Without a doubt, Pixie from I Love Hishma. I have never told her this but reading her blog contributed hugely to my wearing hijab. A close second would have to be Ange from what was formally Hegab Rehab and now Miss Hijabi - she's pretty hilarious. I feel like I legit know them both and yes, I am aware of how stalkerish I sound so..

5) Who was the first person you watched on YouTube who did hijab tutorials?
I think her name was Maddie, she's Egyptian American and I adored her channel. I remember watching her tutorials when I was still thinking about wearing hijab; she doesn't post anymore which is a shame.

6) What is the beauty in hijab?
I can't think of a trait more attractive in a human being - male or female - than modesty.

7) What does hijab mean to you?
Obeying Allah (SWT).

8) What is your go to everyday hijab style?
One side short, the other side long; wrap once; done :)

9) What are your favourite hijab accessories?
Unless you count a straight pin as an accessory, I don't accessorise my headscarf.

10) What is your favourite place to buy hijabs?

H&M, Primark and the occasional scarf stall.

I tag everyone. Yeh, it's the cop-out tag, I know.

The All Merciful, The Oft-Forgiving (SWT)

Allāh (SWT) says: 

O Son of Ādam, indeed you will not supplicate to Me and hope from Me expect that I will forgive you in proportion to what came from you, and I will not mind.

.
O son of Ādam, if your sins were to reach in magnitude the height of the heavens and then you were to ask Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you.

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O son of Ādam, were you to come to Me with sins that almost fill the earth and you met Me without ascribing to Me any partners, I would come to you with its size in forgiveness.

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[Hadīth Qudsi]

Review: Fake Rocco

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I finally gave in. I committed arguably one of the worst fashion sins there is and bought a fake "designer" handbag.

If you follow any fashion blog/vloggers then you will probably have heard of the Alexander Wang Rocco counterfeit bag (known as the "focco") which is available for a fraction of the price, on eBay. It started becoming a bit of a craze back in the summer and I held off buying one for a few months, but finally succumbed.

I wouldn't get much change from £1000 if I bought the real deal and as I am still but a student I decided to buy a look-a-like. Before you all burn me at the stake, the bag on eBay is not actually advertised as "Alexander Wang", in fact the name is mentioned nowhere on the bag or advert at all. 

Anyway, enough trying to convince myself. I thought I would review the bag for anyone who wants to buy it.

Firstly, I bought the bag from flowerheart2010 eBay seller for £25 but there are lots of other sellers out there, all you need to do it search something like "celebrity studded bag" and plenty will come up.

Here are some photos of the bag:

I personally love the look of this bag, especially the studs. It is not real leather and neither is the quality of the material great but it definitely looks good quality and feels like leather.

 

The size is perfect and just fits A4; it has a zip pocket inside as well as pouches for a phone and keys.

 
In terms of value for money I think that this bag is excellent. Having said this, although it may look very durable, but don't expect miracles when it comes to the quality of this bag. 
 
I bought this bag without a strap but there are sellers who do it with one and it is also available in various colours including brown and grey.
 
With regards to the seller that I purchased from, the transaction was smooth, P&P reasonable and delivery was speedy.
 
Overall, I give this bag a solid 7 out of 10 purely because it looks so good. You never know, if I still like it as much as I do now I might buy the real thing.. if I manage to finish university.. and if my mum lets me. 

A Must Read

I apologise for my extended absense, I have had a lot going on recently. I having also been feeling at a bit of a loss these past few months; life has a habit of turning on you quite suddenly, when you least expect it. I have found that when things happen, they happen all at once, like a domino effect. That's life I guess.

Anyway, I thought I would return with a book recommendation. I started reading this book recently and so far it is THE best book I have ever read. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of it already - "Don't Be Sad" by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni, yes not the most imaginative of titles but that is because the translation into Arabic (which this book was originally written in) sounds much better.

Even in the English translation the book is extremely readable, eloquent and meaningful. I highly recommend it to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, whether or not you are going through a difficult time in your life. 

I have not yet completed the book but there is one part that has really stuck in my mind which I would like to share with you. It is about why you should never expect gratitude from people to whom you have done something good. Here is the extract:

"Allah, the Almighty, created His slaves so that they may worship and remember Him, and He provided sustenance for them so that they may be grateful to Him. Nevertheless, many have worshipped other than Him and the masses are thankful not to Him, but to others, because the characteristic of ingratitude is widespread among human beings. So do not be dismayed when you find that others forget your favours or disregard your kind acts. Some people might even despise you and make you an enemy for no other reason than that you have shown them kindness.

And they could not find any cause to bear a grudge, except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His Bounty.

(Quran 9:74)

From among the ever-repeating pages of history is a story of a father and his son: the former raised him, fed him, clothed him and taught him; he would stay up nights so that his son could sleep, stay hungry so that his son could eat, and he would toil so that his son could feel comfort. And when the son became older and stronger, he rewarded his father with disobedience, disrespect, and contempt.

So be at peace if you are requited with ungratefulness for the good you have done. Rejoice in your knowledge that you will be rewarded from the One who has unlimited treasures at His disposal.

This is not to say that you should refrain from performing acts of kindness towards others: the point is that you should be mentally prepared for ingratitude.

Perform acts of charity seeking Allah's pleasure, because with this attitude you will assuredly be successful. The ungrateful person cannot really harm you: praise Allah that that person is the transgressor and that you are the obedient servant. Also, remember that the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives.

(We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.)

(Quran 76:9)

Many people are shocked at the nature of ingratitude in others, as though they had never come across this verse and others like it:

And when harm touches man, he invokes us, lying down on his side, or sitting or standing. But when we have removed his harm from him, he passes on his way as K he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him.

(Quran 10:12)

Hence do not be in a state of agitation if you give someone a pen as a gift and he uses it to satirise you, or if you give someone a walking stick to lean upon and he strikes you with it. As I pointed out earlier, most human beings are ungrateful to their Lord, so what treatment should you and I expect?"

You can buy this book new from Amazon for around £15 or you can download it for free from many different websites like www.kalamullah.com/books.html.

If you choose to read it I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have and that you find comfort in it's message.

A Christian Hijabi Goth

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Never thought I'd write those words in the same sentence.. Actually, when I thought I'd seen it all in the hijab world I came across this very interesting video about a Christian goth explaining why she wears the hijab.

Well that's me subscribed! Check out her other videos here.

Understanding Predestination & Free Will

Believing in predestination (qadar) and free will is one of the six articles of faith and possibly the concept that our fallible brains find the most difficult to understand.  Here is a pretty good explanation of how qadar and free will work together:

Uploaded by YouTuber khalifahklothing

I have found that the best way to understand this subject is to make sure you fully understand some basic Islamic concepts:

1. Your existence is to worship Allah (SWT), no more no less.

2. What differs you from animals and angels is your right to choose to worship Allah (SWT), or not.

3. Without Allah's Will, your right to choose would not and cannot exisit.

4. You are given the choice because Allah (SWT) willed for you to have it and He willed for you to have it because He decreed for the creation of a being who has the ability to freely accept or reject it's Creator. Angels accept their creator through knowledge but do not do so freely and have no animalistic desires to fight against. Animals have no higher levels of knowledge or logic but worship Allah (SWT) innately without choice and without being required to fight their animalistic desires. Only man and jinn have been given BOTH logic and desires. We have a God-given right to choose which one we follow.

5. In this life, we choose and Allah (SWT) allows our choice to come about. He knows what choices we will make and He allows us to make them. In short, we actively and freely MAKE our choices in life based on our desires and intentions, by which we will be judged.

6. Allah (SWT) loves those who choose to do good and worship Him and Him alone - some people use this for the argument "if God wants us to do good why couldn't He just make us do good and why is there evil in the world?" The answer is simple: Allah (SWT) has created angels who do nothing BUT worship Him. The purpose of our creation is to choose to worship Allah (SWT) and do good deeds, but how can you choose to do good without first rejecting the opposite, evil? Without evil there would BE no good because "good" would just be the norm and if good was the norm, there would be no choice at all i.e. we would be angels.

I hope that this sort of helps if you were having difficulties understanding this concept. If anyone has any useful information about this subject please post it in the comments.

Statement Scarf*

I have always thought that the "rule" of having to have a "statement" piece in your outfit to make it work is generally not true. Outfits can look good with no statement pieces in them at all. Anyway, that's besides the point because the following look does contain a statement item - the scarf. Wearing a statement scarf is something I have not been keen on doing recently but if you dress it with simple clothes it can look really nice and not too try-hard. 

Aztec Scarf by stylishmuslimah

*A "statement scarf" is not necessarily a scarf that's sparkly/shiny/glittery/tassely/mirrored.. that's just a social-suicide scarf.