Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Prophet Muhammad said, “There are two types among the people of Hell whom I have not yet seen. The first are people who have whips like the tails of oxen, with which they beat people, and the second are women who are naked in spite of being dressed; they will be led astray and will lead others astray, and their heads will look like camels humps. These women will not enter Paradise; they will not even experience the faintest scent of it, even though the fragrance of Paradise can be perceived from such a great distance.”

During his last trip to Jordan, my father bought me two huge, elaborate flower clips for my hair. He told me that it was the newest trend in Jordan for teenage girls to wear a flower clip under their scarves, so that when they put the hijab on it would look like they had very thick, long hair hidden underneath the fabric. I was immediately apprehensive as to whether or not it was okay.

My initial thought was of hair extensions in Islam – any fake hair added to our already natural locks is unlawful in our religion, because it’s an attempt to alter what Allah has already blessed us with. Wouldn’t wearing a clip that made it seem like you had longer hair work the same way, since we’re deceiving others into thinking we have more than what we already have?

Another thought I considered was the purpose of the hijab itself. The foundation of the hijab is modesty. Hijab doesn’t only refer to covering our hair, but to concealing our entire figure and being an all-around modest person, physically and spiritually. Emphasizing the length and beauty of our hair by attaching a huge clip under the scarf pretty much undermines the point of wearing the scarf in the first place. We should be diverting attention, not trying to attract it.

Then, one night I was reminded of the hadith regarding signs of Judgement Day mentioning womens’ modesty. The Prophet stated that one of the types of people who will not be entering Paradise are women who “are naked in spite of being dressed,” as in, wearing form-fitting attire that reveals their figure, and said that they will have heads that “look like camels’ humps.” I don’t know what better way of describing the appearance of the “hijab bump” than it looking like a camel hump; it definitely has a distinguishable shape from the heads of women who wear the hijab without it.

So, really, there’s no reason to wear a huge clip like this except, you know, attracting males. It’s kind of going out of our way to draw attention to what’s underneath. If you find yourself drawn to this look just because you don’t like having a flat scarf on your head, you should check out Amenakin’s Youtube tutorial on volumizing your hijab. It isn’t to make your hair seem thicker underneath, but rather to buff up the scarf and give it a nice concealing and comfy look. A much better alternative to having a huge squid-shaped hijab, at least!

If we already have the confidence in ourselve of knowing our true beauty and value, which far exceed an outer appearance, we can see how useless this clip truly is. Because we’re already pursuing the virtuous challenge of being modest inside and out, one silly trend like this isn’t worth undermining all the effort we’ve put in to reaching Paradise insha’Allah. Allah knows best.

Throw the clip away and hijabi modest you will stay! Corny, but true!

Spearheaded by Queen Rania of Jordan, the 1GOAL campaign is aimed at seizing “the power of football to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.” It is uniting the power of charities, organizations, the soccer players, and their fans to reach a Millennium Development Goal which promises education for 72 million children by 2015. One of the main principals of the campaign is that, through education, we can also beat poverty. The front page of their site states that “a child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.”

By signing up with the campaign, you can send world leaders a “yellow card” and urge them to make this goal a reality. You can also pledge to invite one friend to the campaign for each goal your favorite team has scored during the World Cup. Shakira, who is set to perform at the World Cup closing ceremonies, is one of 1GOAL’s biggest advocates.

Check out their site and help score the biggest goal: education for all!

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One lady told me that when praying to Allah or at the mosque, you are not allowed to wear jeans. So my question is if I go to the mosque to pray, what should I wear? Can I wear loosefitting jeans, a loose fitting longsleeve shirt and a hijab? Is that fine?

Like these jeans and this shirt, with the top of the shirt covered with a hijab like this?

Is that ok for the mosque?

Salamu alaikum sister!

When you go to the mosque, you must not wear clothing that reveals the form or shape of your body. While each piece you showed me individually could work, together they don’t seem to be modest enough to be worn to a mosque. You can wear a long spring jacket with jeans so that they cover your behind/thighs, or you can wear a loose skirt coupled with a long shirt. The hijab you showed me is perfectly fine as long as it doesn’t reveal skin from your neck or bits of your hair while you’re moving around during prayer. Make sure it stays secure! For me personally, when I go to the mosque I just wear the traditional prayer clothes that we use at home (the skirt you can pull over pants and the long head piece that covers your arms and back).. I find it a lot easier to pull that on so I don’t have to worry about how I look or if my shirt is going to go up my back when I bend down during prayer.

Remember, the mosque is a place for worship, not for making a fashion statement! Your Muslim brothers and sisters who are there for the right reasons will not be paying attention to what you’re wearing because they’ll be too busy paying attention to their prayers insha’Allah :)

These are just suggestions, I hope you can make them work for you!

Wa alaikum asalam.

I had a question about what happens after someone converts. I know of some places of worship around where I am but haven’t gone inside. The one I went to I couldn’t get in that day. And the next time I went the side door was open but I didn’t go in as I was doing something else. But what happens if you convert say on your own? Or you convert during what someone says is purgatory? And what about what the people were saying about the different sects of being muslim? I have heard about five percenters but don’t know much about them. This one lady said that she wouldn’t talk to you if you said you didn’t want to be with her sect. But if you are looking for information why wouldn’t she give it to you? Sorry for the book, but I have questions and it’s hard to actually get to the right person to ask. Also I had a question- this one lady believes that you can’t wear hijab when you start that you have to wear it after having been for a while. I had never heard that. I had heard that you can choose not to wear it.

Salamu alaikum dear sister,

Thanks so much for taking the time to send in your questions. You said that it’s difficult finding the right person to ask and I’m glad you’ve found our site. I hope you know that you can always send your questions to us and we will always be glad to help you as best we can.

From your email, I take it that you’ve chosen to convert to Islam on your own. This is totally lawful and I applaud you for your strength to take such a big step on your own. It doesn’t matter when you choose to convert; the moment you decide in your heart that you believe there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger, you enter Islam and all of your previous sins are forgiven. I think that the best thing you can do during this time is to find a nearby mosque in your area and speak to someone there. I can assure you that you will be met with great kindness and compassion, and a sheikh there can easily clarify any questions you may have about conversion and explain to you the next steps in strengthening your faith. Plus, you’ll be able to easily find great Muslim women to become friends with to help and support you on this journey.

In regards to your questions about different sects, true Muslims don’t believe in different sects within Islam. All Muslims in the world are united by their most important belief, that there is only one God named Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger, and all share the same fundamental principles of Islam, such as the five pillars – faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage.

The lady you mentioned in your email doesn’t sound like she is providing you with the most accurate information or is a positive support in your interest, which is why I think it’s really important that you visit a mosque. You should ask to speak to the “imam” (pronounced ee-mam) or a sheikh; they will be very generous and eager to provide you with all the information you need. If you get information directly from the people who understand Islam the most in your community, it will be a lot easier to learn and understand Islam, and accurately!

As for the hijab, it is your choice if you would like to wear it or not. Islam does favor modesty, but not wanting to wear the hijab should not stop you from converting. There are plenty of Muslim women in the world who choose not to wear the hijab. Faith starts from the inside, and the most important thing is to build strong faith and honest character.

I hope this is a good start for now. If you have any other questions or would like more details, please do not hesitate to email us again! We would love to hear from you again and hope that you keep in touch with us about how you’re doing :)

May peace be with you!

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Picking your major is a pretty important decision. Though you do have the opportunity to switch majors a year or two into undergraduate school once you get a feel for what you want to study, you do so at the cost of losing at least a semester, prolonging the amount of time before you get your bachelor’s degree. And, seeing as how I’ve regarded my life as a constant and ongoing battle with time, I really don’t have a semester to lose.

This decision really hasn’t been that much of a problem for me. I’ve had my mind set on studying political science [short: poli sci] since the 7^th grade, and I still even recall making a “future career” project in 1^st grade in which I depicted myself as a lawyer. Over the years, of course, I’ve gone through my phases of wanting to be a doctor, an astronomer, an FBI agent… the usual. Recently, however, I’ve had a number of relatives criticize me on my aspirations.

“You’ll never get a job.”
“Political science is what students in the Middle East ’settle’ on if they can’t get into a better major.”
“Anyone can study political science.”
“You’ll never get a job.”
“Why don’t you scrap all of that and study medicine instead?”
“Did I mention that you’ll never get a job?”

Basically, all the possibilities of my decision have come down to one simple fork in the road: follow the heart or follow the mind? Chase the dream, or chase the income?

I’ve always regarded myself as one of the few girls who places the mind before the heart, leaving little room for emotions to stand in the way of me reaching my goals. But, when it comes to what those goals are, it’s difficult ignoring what my heart wants. The Middle Eastern conflict is who I am, it’s in my blood and it’s in my roots, and it’s my goal in life to try and assuage the situation for Palestinians. I want to help facilitate peace in the region and contribute to reaching a solution in my generation. Why else do I care about receiving an education and nurturing my mind? Everyone knows you don’t need a college education to make money. Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college and he’s one of the youngest self-made billionaires in history. If money’s what I want, I could’ve spent my time trying to make it rather than studying for my pile of history classes.

Then again, according to some people, money makes the world go round. Acquire currency first, worry about dreams later. Your dreams aren’t going to pay the bills. Your dreams aren’t going to buy you a nice car, a fabulous mansion, a comfortable life. But, if you go that route, what’s the guarantee that you’ll get that money; or, if you do, who’s to say that you’ll ever remember what your dreams were when you were young? I’m terrified of waking up one morning to discover that 20 years have passed by with me at the same dead-end job, wondering how the ambitious girl I once was ended up in such a fate.

They say youth is wasted on the young. Being around people experiencing their midlife crises and talking about the forgotten dreams of the past makes me realize that I need to use my youth to the hilt. Once I finally get to college, I’m going to have the momentum of a bullet shot out of a gun with what I’m going to try to accomplish insha’Allah. I’m going for the shortest, straightest path directly to my dreams. I’m going to keep my eyes set on them, and everything else I’ll leave to Allah .

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MTV is making a new documentary series featuring the different lifestyles of various teenagers living in America, and they’re interested in showcasing the life of a practicing Muslim girl! The documentary is aimed at breaking stereotypes and showing what Muslims are really all about. This is a great step towards bringing Islam into the mainstream and clearing the rampant misconceptions about our religion in our society. The real Islam will have the chance to be in the spotlight, and change millions of peoples’ perception of it, as well as educate them about what it truly stands for.

Seeing as how this is a great opportunity to highlight the beauty of Islam, we need a young Muslimah that is willing to represent our religion accurately to the world. She would have the opportunity to open minds and break down barriers by demonstrating the peaceful religion of Islam the proper way. As a Muslim community, we need someone to step up for this chance who practices their religion in their everyday life, is knowledgeable about it, and has a powerful and inspirational story.

The network will need complete access to the Muslim girl’s life for eight days between now and August. They want to capture something interesting happening in the girl’s life that’s worth filming. If you’re interested, email us with “Documentary Series” as the subject so you can be provided with more information.

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Outlandish is a Danish multi-racial hip-hop group.

Lyrics:

Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don’t see a damn thing
’cause you can’t relate to me
You’re blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I’m the persecuted one
You’re the red, white and blue

Ohh let’s not cry tonight I promise you one day is through
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!
Ooh shine a light for every Soul that ain’t with us no more
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!

1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]

10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, “O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge.” [20:114]

25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

27. Do not defame others [49/11]

28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]

30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]

31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]

32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]

34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]

35. Treat kindly ” Your parents ” Relatives ” The orphans ” And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]

36. Take care of ” The needy, ” The disabled ” Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs ” And those whose businesses have stalled ” And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]

37. Treat kindly ” Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours ” Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]

38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]

39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]

40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].

41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]

42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]

43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]

44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]
45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]

46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]

47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]

48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]

49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]

50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]

51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]

52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]

53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]

54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].

55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]

56. Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]

57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].

58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]

59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]

60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]

It seems unfair how easy it is to gain weight and how hard it is to lose it. All of us want to reach a standard of perfection when it comes to our body image: tanned, toned, and tiny. At the same time, we shouldn’t stress ourselves out about it too much! Not only should we remember that modesty is of our faith, but we also shouldn’t forget that stress is the silent killer. With that being said, here is what Islam gave us to solve the all-too-modern problem of weight gain…

1. Ramadan: Just in time! Ramadan begins next week, insha’Allah, and it is the perfect month to tune up our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The Prophet said, “Fast the month of Ramadan so to heal your bodies from disease.” If, during this month, we eat only the pure and unprocessed foods that Allah has provided us with (such as fruits, vegetables, wheat, grain, and beans), we can be guaranteed weight loss. The Qur’an says, “They ask thee what is lawful to them as food. Say, ‘Lawful unto you are all things good and pure.’” (5:4) “And the earth we have spread out, and we have set firm mountains on it, and have made every kind of beautiful growth to grow on it.” (50:7) Of course, our main intention for fasting must be devotion to Allah – weight loss is just one of its positive results.

2. X Out the Excess: This speaks for itself. A good Muslim eats to live, not lives to eat. The Qur’an says, “Eat and drink, but waste not by excess for God loves not the prodigals.” (7:31) The Prophet emphasized, “The stomach is the home of disease, and abstinence the head of every remedy. So make this your custom.” He also warned, “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink, and one third for his breath.” Eat satisfying, but small, meals. The remaining food can be saved for later or donated to the poor. It’s important to remember that if you stuff yourself with food you not only run the risk of gaining weight, but become sluggish and tired. Also, as the Prophet told us, the stomach is the home of disease, and the more unnecessary food you eat, the weaker your immune system may become.

3. Eat Breakfast: Eating breakfast speeds up the metabolism of the body; it nourishes us early in the day so that we don’t eat meals late and then sleep on them. The Prophet said, “Eat your meal at dawn, for there is blessing in the meal at dawn,” and “There is blessing in three things: the early morning meal, bread, and soup.”

4. Drink Sufficient Water: Not only does water aid in weight loss, but it also flushes toxins from the body and hydrates skin so that we glow! The Qur’an says, “We made water essential for all life.” (21:30) Instead of drinking unhealthy beverages like soda when you’re thirsty (which, incidentally, slows your metabolism and is a factor in tooth decay), try drinking more water. I personally do my best to have 8-10 glasses of water per day and it makes me feel great.

5. Have Patience: So many diets are ruined because people lose heart and go back to regular routine.  The Qur’an says, “Give glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity and say, ‘Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him is our return.’ Such ones receive blessings and mercy from their Lord, and such are the guided ones.” (2:155) The Prophet said, “Tie your camel first, then trust in God.” It is crucial for us to “do our best and leave God to the rest”.

May Allah aid us all in remaining as healthy as possible!

Source: Islam Online

In short? Protesters in Iran… and the death of Michael Jackson. Earlier this summer, an election took place between the incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a number of reformist candidates, including the favored Mir-Hossain Mousavi. As soon as it was announced that Ahmadinejad would be returning to office, Iranians — especially college students — took to the streets, in a fashion reminiscent of the protests just before the 1979 Revolution that created the tangled Shia Islamic “theo-democracy” that exists today. CNN, which, as a network, tends to take a domestic slant, covered the elections during its news cycle — until the death of Michael Jackson, in which the protests all but disappeared from the TV screen.

On Twitter, concerned citizens in Iran and the United States banded together to share new developments with the world. As the death toll rose, American news coverage decreased, leading new events to be shared with the tag “#CNNfail.” To be fair, restrictions against American journalists in Iran make it difficult for up-to-date news to be shared with the same speed and detail as in other nations. But why has Twitter become the vehicle for spreading news about these protests, and just how effective is it?

Actually, the use of Twitter itself to rail against controversial governments is not as new as most people think. Back in April, Twitter was used by dissidents in Moldova to protest a particularly harsh Communist rule. The most logical reason behind its popularity in both cases is that the protesters tend to be young, and Twitter has marketed itself as the new global “it.”Twitter’s SMS format also makes it easy to use via texting, and thus becomes an added pathway of communication, especially in a nation like Iran, where conventional SIM cards are blocked and standard messaging can be stopped or monitored at any time. This makes it possible for protesters to not only communicate with each other, but to broadcast to the rest of the world.

But even to those who felt that upheaval in Iran was all but neglected by news networks, journalistic integrity comes into question when dealing with user-submitted content online. Things posted on Twitter can’t be verified by an official news source, and it’s difficult to tell if news “from Tehran” is really coming out of Iran at all — those passionate about the cause from all over the globe set their locations to “Tehran” in solidarity as the protests turned ugly.

In all fairness, there’s the issue of journalistic integrity everywhere. My favorite example is the Post 9/11 Baby Boom — eight months after the attacks on the World Trade Center, news channels began broadcasting in earnest that OBGYNs were expecting a jump in birthrates and were preparing their delivery rooms as such. In most places, the birth rate gains were negligible or below average… but that didn’t deter CNN, MSNBC, and Fox from jumping on the story. Granted, protests against a hotly contested regime in Iran are a much more relevant issue than curiosity about Americans’, ahem, reproductive habits.

In fact, the US State Department deems updates from Twitterland so important that Twitter was requested to reschedule its regular maintenance so that the site would not be down during peak tweeting hours in Iran. Though controversial as a legitimate news source, it is one of the only ways that Americans of any stripe can get news from Tehran.

For many, Twitter is a “love it or leave it” service. But in these past few months, it has done one thing its founders never would have expected: made history.

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