New Shahaadah Interview: Kizzy

In Muslimah2Muslimah's experience of reverts to Islam, we think the transitions of one's thoughts, opinions, and behavior, in fact a whole transformation of one's perspective in life is very interesting.

The negative image presented about Islam since 9-11 here in the states has really given Islam a bad name due to the media as well as people's lack of understanding. The stereotypes about the treatment of women has been rampant in the media for many years with the Taliban and other "extremist" groups. We thought it would be interesting to interview Kizzy, who in the midst of all propaganda has warmly embraced Islam and get her Muslimah's Perspective on Islam...


Muslimah 2 Muslimah: What is your name?

Kizzy Craig

M2M: What made you become interested in Islam?

Kizzy: My first encounter with a muslimah is what made me interested, when i spoke to her i realised that she was not beaten, oppressed, uneducated and she was full of vigour and vitality and an acute fashion sense, at the time i was what you would call a diva extraordinaire and did not want to let go of what I identified as me (acrylic nails, funky hairdos, latest trends etc) I realised she had none of these things and still i envied what she had which was a peace that was within, and even without all these additions she was the most beautiful person i had ever come across.

M2M: What does your family think about your decision?

Kizzy: Everyone is pretty ok with it i guess, they ask a lot of questions and i am happy for that. Every opportunity i get i try to educate them more and more without being a bug (lol)

M2M: What types of reactions have you gotten from your friends or coworkers?

Kizzy: Friends have been supporters ( i have only got 5 friends whose opinions really matter) the acquaintances i'm not concerned about- my party friends dont ask me to go out with them anymore -- (Wonder why LOL!!) I guess after the first 50 times or so of asking they got tired of hearing that I'm not into that anymore. Co workers are okay i see them for 8 hrs and then go home so they don't have much of an input.

M2M: How has Islam changed your life?

Kizzy: I am more at peace with myself, I have more time for family, my kids, i understand my place in society more, i am more in tune with God and the responsibility i have as his servant and i have a greater appreciation for how great Allah is i see his fine handy work around everytime.

M2M: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in Islam?

Kizzy: Go brave!! The sooner you make this step the faster things would flow in your life for you. Start giving back to Allah in your speech your actions its not enough for the things he does for us. Allah (swt) is most merciful and gracious the walk is not easy but its made easy for us. Things just seem to fall into place when we obey his commands and carry out his will.

M2M: Islamically, women are required to wear a hijab. Others say that you must also cover your face(niqab). What are your thoughts on this?

Kizzy: I wear hijab (i work in an Anglican school so I wear a head wrap and tie a bun in the back for work) and i know wearing the hijab is compulsory and i do " cover up" in dress and actions hijab is not just the piece of wrap or pretty fabric we wear its the way we carry ourselves too . For me I have not explored the option of niqab and dont know if i ever will ( I'm taking it all one step at a time). For the sisters who wear niqab mashaallah. For me hijab is quite fine. I love the hijab ( its my will, and choice and my way of submission to Allah)

M2M: How did you feel the first time you wore hijab?

Kizzy: An unbelievable sense of inner peace, peace of mind, fulfillment, gratitude towards Allah (swt) Its an indescribable feeling. I am happy I made the decision to.

M2M: What is your opinion on the common labels associated with Muslims ("terrorists", "extremists" , etc.)?

Kizzy: Just talk for me. I know better. Individuals jump on the bandwagons and say nasty things but... Alhumdulilah Allah gives us the strength to persevere. Some wrong things have been done and unfortunately individuals have not been blamed independently and a religion has been ridiculed, hatred has been perpetuated and our religion allowed to be the brunt of jokes and insulting captions because of this, but Allah is the Judge of all and knows best.

M2M: What is your view on the impression that many non-Muslims have that Islam oppresses the women and the women have no voice in their communities?

Kizzy: I am not oppressed, many sisters I know are not oppressed but i guess when you break the mold of what is deemed right you will always come under close scrutiny and judgement is very easily made.

M2M: The media tends to give very negative views on women and many non-Muslims base their views solely on this. What was your view on Islam and the treatment of women before you converted to Islam?

Kizzy: I thought all the things that all non muslims think, i saw a woman in niqab and wondered why she would allow a man to do this to her, saw a woman in hijab and wondered why she had subjected herself to this. I was so disgusted by some of these sights that i decided there must be a reason why they would want to go "against the grain" and do something that was so unlike the world today, wear loose clothes, long clothes, cover their heads etc then i fell hard for the values and principles that were and still are today ISLAM and was "picked up" and carried by Allah (swt). The love and appreciation for 1 GOD. I started reading to gain knowledge and information and ended up taking shahada.

M2M: How has Muslimah2Muslimah helped you along your journey to Islam?/ How have you benefitted from Muslimah2Muslimah?

Kizzy: Its a beginners guide i searched long and hard for a new shahada sight and bounced up on Muslimah2Muslimah by accident. I have learnt a lot from this site. And prayer Allah's richest blessing on my sisters.

Insha'allah, everyone... please pray for our new sister Kizzy and welcome her into Islam by leaving her your encouragement and wisdom, insha'allah! We are very pleased with her decision as we know she is as well. Kizzy, may Allah bless you and your family in all of your endeavors and may He grant you Jannatul Firdaus! Ameen!

Also check out the New Shahaadah Album on Facebook so you can reach out to Kizzy and other sisters.

Asalaamu alaikum

Nadira & Najwa

Muslimah2Muslimah New Shahadah Interview: Alula!!!

In Muslimah2Muslimah's experience of reverts to Islam, we think the transitions of one's thoughts, opinions, and behavior, in fact a whole transformation of one's perspective in life is very interesting. Alula is one of our tweet buddies on Twitter and also a fellow blogger! You can check out her blog at: http://bchantae.blogspot.com/. It is called "life of an African-American Muslimah."

The negative image presented about Islam since 9-11 here in the states has really given Islam a bad name due to the media as well as people's lack of understanding. The stereotypes about the treatment of women has been rampant in the media for many years with the Taliban and other "extremist" groups. We thought it would be interesting to interview Alula, who in the midst of all propaganda has warmly embraced Islam and get her Muslimah's Perspective on Islam...

Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your name?
Alula: Alula Bruinton

Muslimah2Muslimah: What made you become interested in Islam?
Alula: In my African- American Studies class we were studying Islam. We didn't go as into-depth as I wanted to, so I studied the deen on my own. After studying the deen, I enjoyed it and made a decision to convert.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What does your family think about your decision?
Alula: In my first few months my family was not very supportive at all. A lot of my family still doesn't accept it, but my mother is getting a lot better at atleast trying to understand and accept it. Christianity is very strong in my family, I only have one muslim cousin and I see here like once every 5 years, so it's very hard for me and my family to agree on Islam.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What types of reactions have you gotten from your friends or coworkers?
Alula: My close friends and co-workers are very supportive of my decision! One of my very close friends has offered to not engage in any activitied or enviornments that I can't so that it won't be hard for me and I will feel comfortable. I'm very happy and greatful for that! I am interested to see how my other friends and classmates will react with me being the only muslimah on campus. It will be a big change for them, and that will be how I can tell who my real friends are.

Muslimah2Muslimah: How has Islam changed your life?
Alula: Being a young converted muslimah, Islam has brought me a lot of life changes. Islam has brought me so much peace and understanding. I understand Islam so much more than I understood Christianity, and I enjoy it being all about Allah and I.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in Islam?
Alula: I would encourage them to come to Islam and study the deen and make sure they are ready to committ themselves to Allah and the deen. Islam comes with many changes for most young converters, but these changes are definately for the better!

Muslimah2Muslimah: Islamically, women are required to wear a hijab. Others say that you must also cover your face(niqab). What are your thoughts on this?
Alula: I personally prefer hijab over niqab. It took me a while to make the decision to wear hijab and get used to it, but I love hijab and I'm glad that I made the decision to wear it.

Muslimah2Muslimah: How did you feel the first time you wore hijab?
Alula: I felt good the first time I wore hijab. I did feel as though a lot of people were staring at me, but other than that, I felt great about it.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your opinion on the common labels associated with Muslims ("terrorists", "extremists" , etc.)?
Alula: I don't like or agree with these labels at all. Islam is a religion of peace. I know I can't change everyone's minds about their opinions, but I would like to prove people wrong about these misconceptions and open their minds to be more diverse and accepting.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your view on the impression that many non-Muslims have that Islam oppresses the women and the women have no voice in their communities?
Alula: I don't believe that Islam oppresses women at all. If people studied more and tried to understand and research the things they judge so much, they would have more insight on the situations and opionions they made.

Muslimah2Muslimah: The media tends to give very negative views on women and many non-Muslims base their views solely on this. What was your view on Islam and the treatment of women before you converted to Islam?
Alula: I honestly thought different from the media and negative views they had on Islam and the women. I have never had a problem with Islam or Muslims and Muslim women. I am a very open and diverse person and I love that about myself. I am in no way judgemental like the majority of the world. I still have the same thoughts and feelings after converting.

Muslimah2Muslimah: Has your view changed in any way?
Alula: Not at all. If anything my love and understanding has grown more for Islam and the muslimahs, especially the young muslimahs like myself out here in the world. We aren't perfect and it's hard in the day and age we live in to be the modest women that we are and have to be Masha'Allah.

Muslimah2Muslimah: How has Muslimah2Muslimah helped you along your journey to Islam?
Alula: Muslimah2Muslimah has helped me a lot. They've helped me strive to be a better muslimah. I never would've imagined that the Hijabi look would be for me, but I've grown into it and if I hadn't found Muslimah2Muslimah or the Muslimahs that I made friends with off the site, I would be a confused and lost muslimah. I also appreciate Muslimah2Muslimah helping me find hijabs where I live (lol), I was having the hardest time with that.

~Insha'allah, everyone... please pray for our new little sister Alula and welcome her into Islam by leaving her your encouragement and wisdom, insha'allah! We are very pleased with her decision as we know she is as well. Alula, may Allah bless you and your family in all of your endeavors and may He grant you Jannatul Firdaus! Ameen!

Muslimah2Muslimah: New Shahaadah Interview : Crystal!!!

In Muslimah2Muslimah's experience of reverts to Islam, we think the transitions of one's thoughts, opinions, and behavior, in fact a whole transformation of one's perspective in life is very interesting. Crystal is one of our tweeters(is that what you call them) on Twitter and our friends on our Facebook recently became a Muslimah. She is an amazing new sister, alhumdulilah.

The negative image presented about Islam since 9-11 here in the states has really given Islam a bad name due to the media as well as people's lack of understanding. The stereotypes about the treatment of women has been rampant in the media for many years with the Taliban and other "extremist" groups. We thought it would be interesting to interview Crystal, who in the midst of all propaganda has warmly embraced Islam and get her Muslimah's Perspective on Islam...



Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your name?

Crystal: Crystal D. Murphy

Muslimah2Muslimah: What made you become interested in Islam?

Crystal: I started studying Islam some years ago. I was introduced on a whim by a guy I was seeing who to my surprise told me he was a Muslim. I immediately said "oh so you don't eat pork and you think all white people are the devil"? He then told me the difference between Islam and the Nation of Islam. I did some research and was close to reverting but my family was really upset so I backed away and from Islam and moved forward in Christianity.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What does your family think about your decision?

Crystal: At this point only my mother and brother know and they both think I'm crazy. My mother thinks I'm searching for something. She's not happy about my decision but she's dealing with it.

Muslimah2Muslimah:What types of reactions have you gotten from your friends or coworkers?

Crystal: The friends that know so far have had very positive reactions. My co-workers are not aware at this time but I'm sure they will have a lot of questions because they all know I was a devout Christian.

Muslimah2Muslimah: How has Islam changed your life?

Crystal: I have a very strong peace. I'm learning to not be so judgmental a person has to answer to Allah it's not for me to judge.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in Islam?

Crystal: Islam is a wonderful religion. Do your research Muslims are very excited and willing to help you.

Muslimah2Muslimah: Islamically, women are required to wear a hijab. Others say that you must also cover your face(niqab). What are your thoughts on this?

Crystal: I believe it's a process and it's wear your heart is in the matter. InshAllah I'll be strong enough to completely make the change but at this point I'm praying for the courage because it is a very big change for me. I do believe hijab is the right thing because it is required.

Muslimah2Muslimah: How did you feel the first time you wore hijab?

Crystal: You know I bought some hijab scarfs for a trip I was taking to Africa. I was not a Muslim at the time but the first time I saw myself in it I knew something was right about it.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your opinion on the common labels associated with Muslims ("terrorists", "extremists" , etc.)?

Crystal: I think those labels are ridiculous. I think people look at what a few people did and want to label and whole group from what a few did. People have been killing people in the name of God for centuries and those people include Christians and Catholics so I don't think it's right to persecute a whole religion on the acts of a few.

Muslimah2Muslimah: What is your view on the impression that many non-Muslims have that Islam oppresses the women and the women have no voice in their communities?

Crystal: As an outsider looking in I honestly have to say I shared this view. That's why it's always good to go to the source. I was very surprised when we went over women's rights in my new Muslimah class.

Muslimah2Muslimah: The media tends to give very negative views on women and many non-Muslims base their views solely on this. What was your view on Islam and the treatment of women before you converted to Islam?

Crystal: Before I converted I believed Islam oppressed women as well. It seemed as if the men did what they wanted and the women just stayed at home and took care of the children. However now attending the Masjid regularly and meeting these women, seeing sisters like Ms. Latifah and Muslimah2Muslimah doing their thing has shown me another side to the life of a Muslimah.

Muslimah2Muslimah: Has your view changed in any way?

Crystal: Absolutely, I no longer see women as being oppressed or Islam as a religion of extremist. I truly understand now the religion of peace that the Muslims have been saying this is.


Muslimah2Muslimah: How have has Muslimah2Muslimah helped you along your journey to Islam?/ How have you benifited from Muslimah2Muslimah?


Crystal: Being a new revert I really enjoyed the piece on Hijab. It is a little rough at first for new converts to begin to change out their clothing. I just converted, I live in Ohio and it's summer. Long sleeve shirts are not readily available. But AlHamdAllah it's working out! I also enjoy seeing young proud Muslim sisters. It helps me to be stronger.

~Insha'allah, everyone... please pray for Sister Crystal and welcome her
into Islam by leaving her your encouragement and wisdom, insha'allah! We are very pleased with her decision as we know she is as well. Crystal, may Allah bless you in all of your endeavors and may He grant you Jannatul Firdaus! Ameen!

Asalaamu alaikum
Najwa & Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah

What are you saying to Me? - Common Words and Phrases

Insha' Allah this will be helpful to new shahadahs(and all Muslimahs). When I first took my shahadah I wasn't sure what some of the words, phrases and appropiate responses were. Here are a few common ones, check out our New Shahadah Video on YouTube for the video that goes with this blog(being posted later on today, insha' Allah).

Common Phrases

Asalaamu alaikum - May peace be upon you
Wa alaikum salaam - May peace be upon you too
Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatu - May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon you
Wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatu - May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you too
Kaifa halak/Kaifa halik - How are you to a man/How are to a woman?
Alhumdulilah ana bekhair - Thanks be to Allah, I'm fine
Audhu bi allahi min al shaitani rajeem - I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed shaytan
Lā ilāha ill-Allāh - There is no God but Allah
Muhammed rasool Allah - Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Sallah allahu alayhi wa salaam(saw) - Peace be upon him(say this after you say Prophet Muhammed)
Radhi Allahu anhu - Allah be pleased with him
Subhan wa ta 'ala - Glory be unto the Most High
Alhumdulilah - Thanks be to God
Bismilah - In the name of Allah
Subhan' Allah - Glory be to God
Masha' Allah - As Allah wills
Fisabilillah - For the sake of Allah
Jazakallah khair - May Allah reward you
Insha' Allah - God willing
Allahu akbar - God is Great
Astighfirallah - I seek forgiveness from Allah
Allahu Alum - Allah knows best

Common Words

Shukran - Thank you
Afwan - Your welcome
Masjid - Mosque
Salah/salaat - Prayer/prayers
Dua - Supplication/personal prayer
Wudu - Ablution/purification before prayer
Ghusl - Full wudu
Adhan - Call to prayer
Shahadah - Declaration of faith
Rasool - A messenger, a prophet given scripture
Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca once a year
Umrah - Pilgrimage to Mecca not made during the time for hajj
Islam - Submission to Allah
Iman - Faith
Imam - A leader, someone who leads the prayer
Akhira - The hereafter
Dunya - The physical universe, the world around us, worldly
Fitna - Trials/tests
Deen - Religion
Dawah - Call to Islam
Haraam - Forbidden
Halal - Permissible
Fard - Obligatory
Hadith - Sayings or traditions of the prophet (saws)
Sunnah - The example of the prophet (saws)
Na'am - Yes
La - No
Akhi - Brother
Ukhti - Sister
Hijab - Covering
Khimar - Head scarf
Niqab - Face veil
Muhajaba - Woman who wears hijab
Muntaqaba - Woman who wears niqab



Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah