Ruffled Abaya

Looking for an abaya with tiers of ruffles? I found one style (it comes in a few different colours beyond black) available here http://bintq.com/designerabayas.html.

Imaan Collections launches their Eid Collection

MashaAllah I was so happy to get the email from ImaanCollections in my inbox with the above pic on a Ramadan mubarak wish from the site, because that is soooooo my personal style:D. Aalia, remember my navy jumper with pink hear buttons (the buttons were usually covered by a pink hijab). Anyways, I love their stuff. A bit too pricey for everyday wear for me, but I can get inspiration and splurge for a special peice if I have the occasion to.

FOR THE PARTY GIRL:
FOR THE COSMO/I HAVE A JOB GIRL:
THE SLIGHLYMORE URBANE/STREET STYLE SISTA:

IN PROGRESS: The Qu'ran

Surah Al Jinn (Chapter 72) "The Jinn/the Spirits"

Surah Muzzammil (Chapter 73) "The One Wrapped in Garments"

Surah Al-Muddathir (Chapter 74) "The One Enveloped"

Surah Al Qiyamah (Chapter 75) "The Resurection"

Surah Al-Insan (Chapter 76) "Man"

Surah Al-Mursalaat (Chapter 77) "Those Sent Forth"

Surah An Naba (Chapter 78) "The Great News"

Surah An Nazi'at (Chapter 79) "Those Who Pull Out"

Surah Abaser (Chapter 80) "He Frowned"

Surah At Takwir (Chapter 81) "The Overthrowing"

Surah Al Infitar (Chapter 82) "The Cleaving"

Surah Al Mutaffifin (Chapter 83) "Those Who Deal In Fraud"

Surah Al Inshiqaq (Chapter 84) "The Splitting Asunder"

Surah Al Burooj (Chapter 85) "The Stars"

Surah At Tariq (Chapter 86) "The Nightcomer"

Surah Al 'Ala (Chapter 87) "The Most High"

Surah Al-Ghashiyah (Chapter 88) "The Overwhelming"

Surah Al Fajr (Chapter 89) "The Dawn"

Surah Al Balad (Chapter 90) "The City"

Surah Ash Shams (Chapter 91) "The Sun"

Surah Al Layl (Chapter 92) "The Night"

Surah Ad Duha (Chapter 93) "The Forenoon"

Surah As Sharh (Chapter 94) "The Opening/Gushing Forth"

Surah At Tin (Chapter 95) "The Fig"

Surah Al 'Alaq (Chapter 96) "The Clot"

Surah Al Qadr (Chapter 97) "The Night of Decree"

Surah Al Bayyinah (Chapter 98) "The Clear Evidence"

Surah Az Zalzalah (Chapter 99) "The Earthquake"

Surah Al 'Adiyat (Chapter 100) "Those that Run"

Surah Al Qariah (Chapter 101) "The Striking Hour"

Surah At Takathur (Chapter 102) "the piling up"

Surah Al 'Asr (Chapter 103) "the Time"

Surah Al Hamazah (Chapter 104) "The Slanderer"

Surah Al Fil (Chapter 105) "The Elephant"

Surah Quaraysh (Chapter 106) "The Tribe of Quaraysh"

Surah Al Ma'um (Chapter 107) "Almsgiving"

Surah Al Kauthar (Chapter 108) "A River in Paradise"

Surah Al Kafiroon (Chapter 109) "The Disbelievers"

Surah An Nasr (Chapter 110) "The Help"

Surah Al Masad (Chapter 111) "The Palm Fibre"

Surah Al Iklas (Chapter 112) "The Purity"

Surah Al Falaq (Chapter 113) "The Daybreak"

Surah An Nas (Chapter 114) "Mankind, or The People"

Ramadaan Kareem

"Hijabifying", the definition, in English

In the world of Islamic fashion blogging, a new word has come into existance: "Hijabify". We all use it, perhaps to the confusion and annoyance of some, and the applause and adoration of others. It means different things to different bloggers. Surprisingly, it is not on wikipedia yet, so I thought I'd help ya'll all out.

Hi.jab.i.fy. (hee-jab-i-fy)
most commonly used as a verb
ex. To hijabify this look you will need ...

1. To make high fashion and street wear into Islamic clothing by adapting it to cover the body parts required to be covered in the authentic sunnah (everything but the hands and face * see requirements of a Muslim Woman's Dress) in the manner required in the authentic sunnah (loose, not see-through, or for show and pride, and an overgarment *see requirements of a Muslim Woman's Dress), or taking inspiration from a non-Islamic source through colours and accessories but not straying from any of the requirements of a Muslim Woman's Dress.
2.) Slap a headscarf onto anything so long as there is no skin or very little skin showing.
3.) To make high fashion and street wear into Islamic clothing by adapting it to cover everything but the face and hands in a manner that is loose and not see-through, or taking inspiration from a non-Islamic source through colours and accessories but not straying from any of the requirements of a Muslim Woman's Dress.

My def. is the first one, because I read the command in the Qu'ran and the ahadiths. I respect the third one though I disagree with it on the grounds of modifying the Qu'ran to the extent of rejecting it, because at least it is thoughtfully-based on Islamic ideas and principles. Unfortunately, the second definition is FAR TOO COMMON in the hijab world. Say you take for inspiration the non-hijab picture below. You take the exact same dress and belt. You layer a skin-tight carina turtle-neck under it and skinny jeans under it. And you call it hijabifying it, even though, in Islam, this outfit you have created (first set, top of the page) BARES NONE OF the characteristics of Islamic hijab since it conceals nothing but the skin. It actually does not hide the body parts. Clothed but naked. As labelled in the hijabified-but-not-anything-to-do-with-hijab-but-scarf hijab set, a. the cut of the top/dress emphasises the bust line and cleavage width, b. the belt ephasizes the waist and thus the hips and butt and bust-line, c. the only-thing overgarment about it is from the ribcage to the thigh, and d. as much as I hate it to say it because I think all covering is good, the outfit would be more modest without the headscarf and the tight jeans. You'd just look like a cute, pretty girl, rather than sexy Muslimah. Sexy in the sexual tense cannot be comprised with "hijab" in any Islamic sense. If you have no clothes but such dresses and skinny jeans and can't afford new clothes inshaAllah PLEASE contact fellow sisters (feel free even to leave a comment here on this blog) and I will do my best to get you some more modest attire, and Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala accepts you intentions. If you're not in the third world though, and you've been Muslim for over two years (past puberty), this form of bad hijab isn't excusable anymore.

So what if you loosen up? If you have a hard time finding loose skirts and dresses in suitable non-clingy fabrics or jilbabs, this look is quite acceptable and pretty modest (I personally don't think it is dressing according to the sunnah but I do think it is modest). Wide-leg trouser pants, full-sleeved top, long top over top and loose top over the bust (girls often use shrugs). Um, a. just loose the belt and make sure your hijab covers your chest, and b. know the jilbab [an overgarment] is of the sunnah and is a command in the Qu'ran for the believing women.

I really think this here on below, the third set, is the best example of "hijabifying" since it is using clothing that is, on its own as peices, unislamic in what and how it covers, but combined, it actually forms a modest overgarment. As you can see, the belt has been lost and the pink of the inspiration peice has been replaced in the skirt and with the clutch. A long light sweater shrug flows loosely away from the body, drawing attention away from the curves of a woman's body, and the hijab aka khimar (the proper word for the headscarf is khimar and not hijab) is pulled over the chest as the Qu'ran commands the believing women to do.

Now, "hijabifying" can also be done to traditionally Islamic clothing (ha ha ha, I love this cuz I find it easier and I end up spending less money and being more comfortable in my clothes but to each their own) by taking a jilbab or long khimar, ect, and using a non-Islamic inspiration source, use some of the colours and accessories from the look to make a "halal-take" on the style. For example, instead of using a belt, I would take the colour of the belt and use a clutch. Instead of the earrings, a ring. This post took a long time to do, so I am tired and off to bed:D

Satin bisht abaya from http://www.sunnahstyle.com/product_info.php?pName=silk-elegance-bisht-abaya&cName=abayas-other-styles for $56.99 USD.

As salaam alaykom ramatullah wa barakato sisters!

InshaAllah Ramadaan approaches and for most of us it is a mere matter of one or two days. InshaAllah if you have clear skies, try and go by when the moon is sighted by your local masjids. If there are no local masjids to go by, try and watch the news or find the closest Masjid or city on a look out of the web. I believe, should we see the moon hear, or in Vancouver, ect... Ramadaan should start Thursday or this friday.

InshaAllah we can all be worthy of the blessings of this month of mercy. I am so excited. Just letting everyone know, um, something is up with my computer which is making its internet usage kinda hazardous. It is freezing and randomly shutting down alot, so I am gonna try and get my husband to fix it when he time.

Islamic Cultural Festival

Hey, sorry for not getting back to anyone, finishing half-finished posts, or getting back to the comments with questions in them, but I got distracted by the Islamic Cultural Festival that we went to on the weekend:

Yeah, it was alot of cultural (the Saudis had a HUGE section), with dances and stuff (Indonesian little girls, Saudi men from different provinces) but there was Qu'ran recitation, and alot of dawah materials, henna, and a calligraphy/henna area. My purse weighed sooooooo much with the free Qu'rans in different languages. The husband and I always end up with lots of converts/reverts or people inquiring about Islam so I took the oppurtunity to stock up on some dawah materials. MashaAllah the dawah committty managed to help me get a brother and sister a Chinese translation of the Qu'ran, and the only one they were short on was Spanish. Which I needed but... hey. But I forgot to grab a Korean one. So at least I got the group's email so I can order one for one woman asking in the Masjid who has trouble following the arabic/english khutbah.

What I ABSOLUTELY LOVED is that whenever the Qu'ran was recited the clouds did part and it was sunny. Serriously. Ask anyone that was there, subhanAllah. I also found it hilarious that just before the dancers from Saudi were about to preform their tribal dances (they had Mekkah and Medina with their stick dance with a video available here
, the interior represented with a very dull sword waving dance, and the South with a very enthusiastic jumping hand-waving dance [this is my husband's and it always makes me laugh but it isn't that elegant] , a dog walked by homeless people decided to urinate on their preformance place. They announced to the crowd that they were having technical difficulties until a brother bought a water bottle and poured it over the cement:D. Yeah, hear a dog bark and watch a predominately Muslim crowd freak out:D

They had henna to draw in people, and snakes you could hold, and lots of little booths to tell you about different Islamic countries. We spent about four hours there, and then went out for lunch after dhuhr. We happened to run into a sister we had lost contact with, and alhamdulilah she is well. I was also happy to see the brothers dressed in their Islamic clothing. I wish the ones from my city did not feel they had to take it off, returning on the ferry. To all the brothers out there, I am proud of you for your thobes and your beards and your long tunic shirts, and your loose pants, and your kufis. We are supposed to dress as believers and that is not just the women, so mashaAllah to the brothers that came out visibly as Muslim men. You made me proud to wear my niqab:p

For more on the Van. festival, check out their webpage http://www.cice.ca/location.html.