Bananas; Cucumbers and Female Drivers

Sex Sex Sex. Getting it out of the way because you will be reading this word a lot today. I am humoured and frustrated at the same time. I believe you all will be able to relate once I explain this further.

1: The Cucumber, Banana and Zucchini ban: What is wrong with people these days??!? So an unnamed, unidentified "Muslim cleric" has put forth a ban on fruits and vegetables that resemble the male penis. I think he was so worried about committing zina with his eyes (watching a woman eat a banana) that he thought it would be a wonderful idea to ban everything that remotely resembles a penis. What was he thinking? (actually, nevermind... I rather not know). Astaghfirullah! I condemn such unislamic behaviour. For one, these fruits and vegetable are created by Allah. The audacity of the very idea of banning something that was created by Allah to be enjoyed by his humble believers makes me want to hurl him down the Big Ben (he is apparently European and I could think of nothing taller than Big Ben). Here is where I read about it: http://bikyamasr.com/50403/islamic-cleric-bans-women-from-touching-bananas-cucumbers-for-sexual-resemblance/


My frustration aside, I think we should also consider the idea that this might be a conspiracy concocted by KKK or ABB (Anders Behring Breivik) to make Muslims seem dumb.

In these tough times, I ask you all to use your logic with a spoonful of patience habibis!

2: Female Drivers = Pornography & Homosexuality: Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala of Saudi Arabia has come up with a report which outlines that women who drive will automatically give rise to homosexuality, promiscusity, adultery, pornography and divorce. Erm What? During Prophet Muhammad SAW's time, women rode camels and horses. If it was ok for the Prophet SAW, then it should be ok for the Saudi women. It irks me to think that Saudi Arabia does not think letting men drive will not give rise to all of the sins mentioned above.
This is not an Islamic issue. This is a Saudi issue. This is an issue of the culture. Are Saudi men afraid of the power of women? I do not think they should be as Prophet Muhammad SAW celebrated his wives, each one of them a strong, liberal woman.
Also, just cause a woman drives it does not mean her testosterone levels will increase and she will turn into a lesbian. Or that they will commit adultery or pornography. I am pretty sure they all can still do it. What are taxis for?

3: Sex in Islam: This is about to get very deep habibis. I have had some very recent conversations with non-believers and it shocked me as to how ignorant they were about Islam and Sex in Islam. Some of the "accusations" I heard were: A husband cannot see a wife's naked body, sex is only for the purpose of reproducing and not for enjoyment, sex can only be performed at night. Now, these maybe based on cultural habits of a husband and wife but are definitely not a part of Islam. Islam promotes foreplay and various sexual positions (except anal sex) between a husband and a wife. Sex between a husband and a wife is a beautiful thing and Allah gives them extra heaven points (Thawab) for it as well. It is never mentioned in a crass or vulgar way in Hadith or Qur'an. An article that really rounds it up well is: http://muslimmatters.org/2010/05/27/sex-and-the-ummah-series-the-hadith-of-jabir/


Please pardonne moi for any spelling mistakes!

The Hijabist has just had a long day..... Are you following moi on twitter yet? If not, get on it tres quickly!

Much duas
XOXO
The Hijabist

The Hijabist is BACK

Assalamwalaikum Y'all.

As you may have noticed, I have returned after a long sabbatical. What have I been upto? Why have I been missing? Did life engulf my creativity and spit out my remains?

All questions will be answered in due time habibis.

I have been in search of my inner self. My soul. You see, us virgins feel the need to date ourselves and get to know US better before we dive into the crazy world of marriage and relationships. Sort of like the "Intimacy" (Into Me I See) Love Guru ideology.


So here is the plan: I am going to be gentle, yet fierce. Sweet yet brutally honest. I want the world to know that Hijabis are cool in a totally halal way. I want the world to know the Hijabist, her perception of life and in turn change the perception of a lot of people.

Does this mean the Hijabist is a perfect muslimah? Certainly not. Though InshAllah she hopes she might aspire to be one. She might make mistakes. This is why all you readers out there need to read the Hijabist (moi) and have some mind blasting (err blowing) conversations with her.

Habibis I shall move this party to Twitter as well (not facebook considering how unkindly they blocked her. They wish she didn't open her mouth!)

You know you want to follow me! (In a totally halal way ;) ) https://twitter.com/#!/TheHijabist


Much duas
XOXO

The Hijabist

The Greatest Love Story Part 1

I know I know! I have been keeping away from the blog for a while. Not that I have been busy or anything. I have been spending quite a bit of time in self reflection. Another of my very good childhood friend got engaged. I can now safely say that all of my friends fit into the following categories:

1.       Married or Engaged -> 90%

2.       Married with Kids -> 5%

3.       Single but “looking” -> 3%

4.       Single and not “looking” -> 2%

I tend to fluctuate between 3 and 4. Mostly 4 though. I am reminded every week of my passing age and how all my friends have gotten married, leaving me alone to wallow in solitaire (Thanks MOM!!)

The reason I have not married yet is simple. I am waiting for my love story to happen. Now before you jump to crazy conclusions and pass fatwas on me, love stories can be Halal if you do it the right way (more on that later).

So what is the greatest Love Story that has me dreaming about my own? The Love Story of Prophet Muhammad PBUH and Aisha RA. Story goes... She was his friend’s daughter. Six (years) at the time of betrothal and nine (years) at the time of consummation. If you are one of those “modern/social” muslims and are rivalling in disgust at this, then note benne for you : Your views are not important to me because you like the comfort of views you create for yourself.  Also, my blog will most certainly defy whatever modern interpretations of have of Islam.  This is history. This occurred during the 1400’s when half the world believed in child marriages. And really, if the world these days believes in having “relationships” but not in marrying young (when you are ready for it of course), then I have no time to explain this hypocrisy to you liberal Islamists!

Aisha RA was a possessive woman. She did not like it when Prophet Muhammad PBUH was proposed to by other women. When she was confused about the religion or a particular practise, she would not shy away from asking many questions about it. She was also a prankster. She played a joke on Prophet Muhammad PBUH wherein she conspired with one of his other wives. After he consumed honey, she told him how his mouth smelled fouled. Believing her, he stopped consuming honey for a while till the prank was revealed to him through Surah Al-Tahrim.  I relate to Aisha RA a lot. To the sort of personality she was.

I have a lot more to say about this love story but I shall continue it tomorrow.

To be continued.....

Much Love,

The Hijabist

My plans for the day:  Have an exciting project lined up! Might reveal details later ;)

Pet Peeves for today:  None Alhamdulillah J

I am in love today with:  A true Friend. Nothing but admiration and respect for the Friend.

One Love

I look at you
not just with eyes
but my soul
my aching heart
If only you
let your soul accept
let my heart touch yours
For you may be else's
but every beat of my heart
is yours

Passion

Don't worry. It is a totally halal post.

What has happened to our passion? Why are we not ready to die in the path of what we believe in? Now, do not get this confused with suicide bombings or anything of extreme nature. I do not mean dying literally.

Mendel was passionate about learning how traits were passed on. He failed his courses at university, got an academic warning and later expulsion. That did not kill his passion for learning about how biology worked. He became the Father of Genetics.

Omar Khayyam was passionate about Astronomy. He was passionate about knowledge, about how things worked, about the science in the world. He asked his childhood friend for a humble job in the sultan's ministry so he could learn all that he could. He was one of the people who worked on making the earlier lunar calendar. Not to mention, that he is a world famous poet.

Aisha (r.a.). She was passionate about Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He was her everything. She was passionate about getting his attention. She was a strong minded woman who was never afraid to speak her mind, even with the Prophet PBUH. She was passionately in love with him (SubhanAllah) and expected the same attention from him.

So where did the passion from our lives go? Are we accomplishing various tasks in life to seem very worldly? To get a great scholarship? To impress others? Why are we not as intense anymore?

I feel very passionate about certain things in life. It is to the commitments I make. To the volunteer work I do and the causes I believe in. When I come across people who are not as equally vested in these causes as me, it bothers me. It annoys me and I lose patience in the process of trying to understand their lack of commitment. 

This is not to make me seem like a superstar Hijabi. Or to make others feel less important about what they don't do or do. My plea today is for each person to explore their passion. Rekindle their passion. If you like the cause of poor people, go help poor people. If you like the cause of equality, go pursue that. If you don't like doing any of these, then do not do it. Do not be a part of something you are not passionate about. From personal experiences, I can tell you that it bothers me when someone is not doing wholeheartedly something I have put my blood and sweat in.

Do things you are passionate about. Don't do it because you want to seem interesting, important or well rounded. Nothing wrong with admitting you are not passionate about something. Pretending to be is not going to help you.

I hope you all take this thought piece as something to reflect about.

May Allah blossom all your halal intentions. Ameen. Thumma Ameen.

Till Later,

The Hijabist

Mind-blasting!

One of the things I do during my day is entertain you all. But the rest of the day, I am busy finding ways to entertain myself. I usually am in search of news bits or articles that blow my mind, disgust me, amaze me and make me wonder. Now, unfortunately this is not a daily occurrence. Nevertheless, I am going to list off things that might blow your mind too. In random order:

1.       The folder creases on a regular file folder. These creases can be folded to create a “spine” to hold more paper within the folder. Try storing a lot of papers without creating that spine. Nope, can’t do. Papers will slip and fall. Smart Design!
2.       The number of people that believe humans evolved from apes. Get a life and stop monkeying around! (pun intended)
3.       Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al – Nahyan. Though the name should be enough, I will still explain why. The guy dug out his name in sand so it can be visible from space.
4.       Even more shocked at the Maxim Magazine people who decided to put a pin up of Eva Longoria in Las Vegas for the pleasure of the astronauts (yes, it is visible from space).
5.       Palestine is not on the world map. Yes I might be late in pointing that out but I discovered this when I was 10 years old. Give me some credit.
6.       How many magazines, people, textbooks and media have manipulated the minds of the masses by blatantly lying to our faces. The “dome of the rock” they usually show in media is a domed mosque, made of rock. A monument built by the Zionists. On the other hand, they show a Golden-domed mosque which they refer to as the Al-Aqsa mosque. So what’s the point? It is the other way around. The rock-domed mosque is Masjid Al-Aqsa and the Golden-domed structure is “Dome of the rock”. Both these monuments have an underground passage connecting them. And you think Zionists are not evil.
7.       The croissant was created to celebrate the defeat of the ottoman empire by the Hungarian forces. Croissant = Crescent. It was also to send a secret message to the army that the Ottoman’s were infiltrating in.
8.       How often Islam is mocked because of its teachings. Let me remind the world what Islam has taught you and how easily you have forgotten some of its basic ideals : Women’s rights, Donating to the poor, Fasting to rid your body of toxins, maintaining your chastity which in turn avoids plagues like AIDS, educating thyself for the betterment of the community at large, Science- about the earth, the oceans, the rivers, Olives, figs etc.
9.       iPhone. Enough said.
10.   How the world has been labelling Islam as a terrorist religion. Whereas USA has waged wars in and not limited to Afghanistan and Iraq; Supported Israel in taking over Palestine and watching innocent people being killed, treating UN as its dog. And more than half the world is ok with it.

Would love to hear what has blown your minds.

Till later,

The Hijabist

Losing my keys

“Put them around your neck” is my mother’s answer to everything. Misplacing my shoes. Leaving my personal belongings around. Including losing my keys.

If you were locked out of your house, what are some of the things you would do to get in your house? Now, if you knew me, you would know that I am the queen of locking myself out.

1.       When I was 12, during my vacation with my grandparents, I got locked out of the house. It was not because I lost the key or misplaced it. It was because my grandparents house had an ancient iron lock. A lock that was bigger than my hand (yeah, my hands are like paws). They had a habit of locking the whole house even if they had to step out for five minutes. In this case, they did not give my sister and I a spare key. So we were stuck at our cousins. Now to some that would seem like a convenient situation except it wasn’t. My grandparents had a huge colour TV with cable. My cousins did not. Hence began the desperation to get into the house. There was a way to get in. It was to climb two storeys (floors for you Americans), reach the terrace and get into the house because the terrace had no door. Lucky for us, we had a huge ladder outside which helped my cousin get to the first storey. From there, she climbed the pipe and got into the terrace. What, you may ask was the whole point of this?  It was the extent of desperation to get in and watch TV (also, I thought we would get a pat on our back for such intelligence and bravado. Instead we got grounded for showing thieves the way into the house. We were losers who had now set a positive example for anyone who wanted to come steal ).

2.       Happened again in the country of civilisation. Canada. Totally forgot the key inside the condo. Mom was at work and wasn’t due until 3-4 hours after. Same with everyone else. Went to the maintenance staff of the condo and weaved a tale of how I “just” lost my key and I cannot get in touch with anyone because my phone is “dead” and since I had a cell phone I didn’t think it was necessary to memorise any phone numbers. Told him that I knew he had the condo key and that he should open the condo pronto for me. He tried grilling me, telling me how he didn’t know who I was (yeah ok, said “hi” to him every day while returning from work. Loser ). But I think he forgot that I am the queen of fake tales. Spun him into my evil web of tales and convinced his mind off with my government issued photo ids (health insurance card; had my condo address on it). Alas, he unlocked it for me. Victory.

3.       New city. My first move. Mom and I managed to lock ourselves in the backyard. I was cold, tired and hungry. Called 911. They sent a locksmith who tried ALL his tricks/tools and in the process, screwing the lock so much so that when the landlady returned, she was unable to get back in with her key. She got in by unlocking her door using a credit card. No, do not be a dufus, it was not an automatic hotel-room-like lock. It is a trick where in you get the card between the door and the lock and twist the handle and open the door. Smart woman. I still live there.

4.       Present day. You think I would’ve learned by now eh. You can teach an old dog new tricks but you cannot expect me to not lose my keys. Worse part is, I lost in my BEDROOM. Yes I know. Looked for it. Didn’t find it. My room is the size of a water closet. Must go look again. Hopefully landlady will be home before I am and will let me in. Again.

Aaaaaargh! Mom’s are always right. Will tie that key around my neck when I find it.

My plans for the day:  Be super productive. Have some projects lined up. Should finish what I started!

Pet Peeves for today:  Stupid key. Keeps losing me.

I am in love today with:  Sleep. Always in love with what I can’t get.


Till Later,

The Hijabist