The World is Becoming Less Christian!!!

America is a less Christian nation than it was 20 years ago, and Christianity is not losing out to other religions, but primarily to a rejection of religion altogether, a survey published Monday found.

Three out of four Americans call themselves Christian, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1990, the figure was closer to nine out of 10 — 86 percent.

At the same time there has been an increase in the number of people expressing no religious affiliation.

The survey also found that “born-again” or “evangelical” Christianity is on the rise, while the percentage who belong to “mainline” congregations such as the Episcopal or Lutheran churches has fallen.

One in three Americans consider themselves evangelical, and the number of people associated with mega-churches has skyrocketed from less than 200,000 in 1990 to more than 8 million in the latest survey.

CNN somehow manages to blame the decline in the number of Christians on the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Muslims has doubled since 1990 ...

United States

Through immigration and conversion, Islam is growing in the United States. Some estimates say that the number of Muslims will exceed 2 percent of the population by the year 2010. In 2005, 57% of United States residents polled viewed Muslims favorably, 22% unfavorably.

In 2005, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) cited a 29.6 percent increase in harrassment of Muslims and an 8 percent increase in hate crimes over 2004. In 2008, CAIR reported a decrease in hate crimes, but a significant increase in civil rights violations.

During the recent US presidential campaign, Americans' attitudes toward Islam became apparent when certain people tried to label presidential candidate Barack Obama a Muslim. Most of us remember the emails that circulated accusing Obama of being a closet Muslim. Reactions to this were telling.

Obama's opponent, Senator John McCain, said he would vote for a Muslim if the person was a qualified candidate, however, John McCain's pastor, Rod Parsley, claimed that Islam is a "conspiracy of spiritual evil." A patter of similar villifications created a negative background noise to the entire campaign.

Colin Powell, a former US Army general and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, said during his endorsement of Barack Obama for president, as a response to the attempt to label Obama a Muslim, "Is there something wrong with being Muslim in this country? The answer is no." Reaction to Mr. Powell's endosement and remarks was predictably split along party and liberal vs. conservative lines, indicating that Americans are still divided in their views about Islam.

Europe

According to the BBC, because of immigration and a higher-than average birth rate, the Islamic population in Europe is growing rapidly, and Islam is Europe's fastest growing religion. In western Europe, the population averages less than 5 percent of the overall population whereas in some eastern European countries Muslims make up 40 percent or more of the population.

According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, western Europeans regard Christians, Jews, and Muslims twice as unfavorably as Great Britain, the United States and Canada. All in all, the western European attitude toward Muslims is right around 50/50: half favorable and half unfavorable.

Because Islamic immigrants form a cohesive, separatist entity within the host country, Europeans are concerned that Muslims will not integrate into their society. In particularly secularist states such as France, Germany and the Netherlands, this can be a source of conflict, as illustrated by the fact that more than 50 percent of those polled in each of these three countries favor banning Muslim head scarves in public schools.

There is a feeling among some Europeans that immigrants are being given civil rights over and above that of the natives.

The Middle East

According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, Middle Eastern countries overwhelmingly favor Islam and look unfavorably upon Christians and very unfavorably upon Jews.

In Israel, about one in six citizens is Muslim, comprising about 16 percent of the population - a higher percentage than most European countries. Israel was not polled by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, and a thorough search did not yield statistics on Israeli feelings toward Islam, pro or con. About 35 Israelies convert to Islam every year. A New York Times Magazine article bore witness that Jewish Israeli youngsters harrass Muslim youngsters in West Bank settlements.

China and Indonesia

About fifty percent of people polled in China expressed an unfavorable view of all religions. Ninety-nine percent of Indonesians polled expressed a favorable view of Islam, while 76 percent expressed an unfavorable view of Jews, and 38 percent were unfavorably disposed toward Christians.

As part of the pre-Olympics clean-up in the spring of 2008, China accused their tiny Muslim minority of conspiring to commit terrorist acts, but no evidence was presented to validate this claim.

Indonesia is like a Middle Eastern country in its disposition toward religions. Therefore it is decidedly pro-Islam.

Russia

Russia has the most favorable view of Christians among those nations polled, and a favorable outlook on Jews, but a split view of Islam that is echoed everywhere but in the Middle East. Fifty-five percent of those polled viewed Islam favorably whereas 36 percent view Islam unfavorably. Similar percentages appear across the globe.

Freed from Soviet repression, Islam is blossoming in Russia. But ethnic Russians view the growth of Islam with worry that they are losing their national identity. This feeling, too, is echoed across the globe.

-Tom Rubenoff

A Black Imam Breaks Ground in Mecca!!!

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

TWO years ago, Sheik Adil Kalbani dreamed that he had become an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Waking up, he dismissed the dream as a temptation to vanity. Although he is known for his fine voice, Sheik Adil is black, and the son of a poor immigrant from the Persian Gulf. Leading prayers at the Grand Mosque is an extraordinary honor, usually reserved for pure-blooded Arabs from the Saudi heartland.

So he was taken aback when the phone rang last September and a voice told him that King Abdullah had chosen him as the first black man to lead prayers in Mecca. Days later Sheik Adil’s unmistakably African features and his deep baritone voice, echoing musically through the Grand Mosque, were broadcast by satellite TV to hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world.

Since then, Sheik Adil has been half-jokingly dubbed the “Saudi Obama.” Prominent imams are celebrities in this deeply religious country, and many have hailed his selection as more evidence of King Abdullah’s cautious efforts to move Saudi Arabia toward greater openness and tolerance in the past few years.

“The king is trying to tell everybody that he wants to rule this land as one nation, with no racism and no segregation,” said Sheik Adil, a heavyset and long-bearded man of 49 who has been an imam at a Riyadh mosque for 20 years. “Any qualified individual, no matter what his color, no matter where from, will have a chance to be a leader, for his good and his country’s good.”

Officially, it was his skill at reciting the Koran that won him the position, which he carries out — like the Grand Mosque’s eight other prayer leaders — only during the holy month of Ramadan. But the racial significance of the king’s gesture was unmistakable.

Sheik Adil, like most Saudis, is quick to caution that any racism here is not the fault of Islam, which preaches egalitarianism. The Prophet Muhammad himself, who founded the religion here 1,400 years ago, had black companions.

“Our Islamic history has so many famous black people,” said the imam, as he sat leaning his arm on a cushion in the reception room of his home. “It is not like the West.”

It is also true that Saudi Arabia is far more ethnically diverse than most Westerners realize. Saudis with Malaysian or African features are a common sight along the kingdom’s west coast, the descendants of pilgrims who came here over the centuries and ended up staying. Many have prospered and even attained high positions through links to the royal family. Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi ambassador to the United States, is the son of Prince Sultan and a dark-skinned concubine from southern Saudi Arabia.

But slavery was practiced here too, and was abolished only in 1962. Many traditional Arabs from Nejd, the central Saudi heartland, used to refer to all outsiders as “tarsh al bahr” — vomit from the sea. People of African descent still face some discrimination, as do most immigrants, even from other Arab countries. Many Saudis complain that the kingdom is still far too dominated by Nejd, the homeland of the royal family. There are nonracial forms of discrimination too, and many Shiite Muslims, a substantial minority, say they are not treated fairly.

“The prophet told us that social classes will remain, because of human nature,” Sheik Adil said gravely. “These are part of the pre-Islamic practices that persist.”

BLACK skin is not the only social obstacle Sheik Adil has overcome. His father came to Saudi Arabia in the 1950s from Ras al Khaima, in what is now the United Arab Emirates, and obtained a job as a low-level government clerk. The family had little money, and after finishing high school, Adil took a job with Saudi Arabian Airlines while attending night classes at King Saud University.

Only later did he study religion, laboriously memorizing the Koran and studying Islamic jurisprudence. In 1984 he passed the government exam to become an imam, and worked briefly at the mosque in the Riyadh airport. Four years later he won a more prominent position as the imam of the King Khalid mosque, a tall white building that is not far from one of the Intelligence Ministry’s offices.

Theologically, Sheik Adil reflects the general evolution of Saudi thinking over the last two decades. During the 1980s he met Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam, a leader of the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He initially sympathized with their radical position and anger toward the West. Later, he said, he began to find their views narrow, especially after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Now he speaks warmly of King Abdullah’s new initiatives, which include efforts to moderate the power of the hard-line religious establishment and to modernize Saudi Arabia’s judiciary and educational establishment. He reads Al Watan, a liberal newspaper.

“Some people in this country want everyone to be a carbon copy,” Sheik Adil said. “This is not my way of thinking. You can learn from the person who is willing to criticize, to give a different point of view.”

His life, like that of most imams, follows a rigid routine: he leads prayers five times a day at the mosque, then walks across the parking lot to his home, which he shares with two wives and 12 children. On Fridays, he gives a sermon as well.

HE expected it to continue that way for the rest of his life. Then in early September he woke up to hear his cellphone and land line, both ringing continuously. Stirring from bed, he heard the administrator of the Grand Mosque leaving a message. He picked up one of the phones, and heard the news that the king had selected him.

Two days later he walked into a grand reception room where he was greeted by Prince Khalid al-Faisal, the governor of Mecca Province. Sheik Adil tried to introduce himself, but the prince cut him off with a smile: “You are known,” he said.

Next, Sheik Adil was led to a table where he sat with King Abdullah and other ministers. He was too shy to address the king directly, but as he left the room he thanked him and kissed him on the nose, a traditional sign of deference.

Remembering the moment, Sheik Adil smiled and went silent. Then he pulled out his laptop and showed a visitor a YouTube clip of him reciting the Koran at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

“To recite before thousands of people, this is no problem for me,” he said. “But the place, its holiness, is so different from praying anywhere else. In that shrine, there are kings, presidents and ordinary people, all being led in prayer by you as imam. It gives you a feeling of honor, and a fear of almighty God.”

-Taken from the New York Times

Don't Hate Us Because We Are "Just Muslims"

Lately, Muslimah2Muslimah has been thinking a lot about the whole separation of Islam and how it divides the Ummah. What we mean by separate is all of these different sects... Sunni, Sufi, Shia,...

Then, within these groups you have sub-groups; Tablighi Jamaat, Jamaat-e-Islami, Qadris, Ismailis, Akhbaris, Naqshbandis, Shaykhis, Wahhabis and Salafis, to name a few.

Then, there are the many schools of Fiqh (or law): Hanafii, Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali.

Now, what does all of this leave our Prophet Muhammad (SAW)'s beloved Muslim Ummah with? Pure and utter confusion, arguments, division, chaos and everyone thinking that they are right about this or that. We debate each other about things in which we have no solid proof about like which hadith is fake or not, what the Qur'an REALLY means in this ayat or that, how old Aisha (RAH) was when she married the Prophet (SAW), that brother is not a real Muslim because he allws his wife to go to school and/or work, this sister is not a real Muslimah because she wears colors and *gasp* no niqab or gloves???.... and so on and so forth...

It is really sad and shameful how we act towards one another. Muslimah2Muslimah went to certain masjid in Atlanta last Ramadan (the most blessed month) with the intention of making Tawarih prayer with our fellow Muslim sisters and we found ourselves getting the cold shoulder from sisters literally moving away from us while in the ranks and not wanting to pray with us shoulder-to-shoulder.Why? Perhaps to pray with the other sister who looks more like them. Islam is such a beautiful religion but yet some of us make it appear so ugly with the all of the negativity and seclusion form other Muslims because they have different upbringings or read a different hadith book.

As for the different sects and Sunni this, Shia that... which sect was Prophet Muhammad a part of, because we could have sworn that he was JUST A MUSLIM?????? Insha'Allah let us know your thoughts on this very important subject.

MaSalaama,
Najwa&Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah

Muslimah Must-Haves!!!

The Top 13 Muslimah Must-Haves:

1. Hijabs (Do plain as well as patterns to mix it up)

2. Long sleeve t-shirts (get them in every color you can find!)

3. Mid-thigh/knee-length dresses

4. Long skirts

5. Maxi-dresses

6. Wide leg jeans

7. Slacks

8. Cardigans / jackets

9. Shirt dresses

10. Flat shoes

11. Pins /brooches

12. Abayas

13. A good tailor!

Hijab How To

We received so many compliments on our hijab and questions on how we wear them, we decided to make a Hijab-How-To video. This video shows 4 different ways to wear your hijab that are simple, fly and can all be done with one scarf!

Inshallah this video is helpful and shows some new ways to rock hijab, Subscribe for Hijab-How-To Part 2!

Shukran(thanx) for all the support!!!!!!

Hijabi Recessionista: FIND OF THE WEEK- Fabulous Overgarments & Hijabs

Apologies for the delays with our FIND OF WEEK ladies, we have posted 2 finds for this week!!!!

The overgarments on this site are absolutely beautiful! The have plenty of different abayas and jilbabs as well as other accessories. The overgarments come in various different sizes and lengths. You can even tailor order a overgarment for an extra £5.00(roughly $7.00). The overgarment prices start at around £25.00($30.00) and go up from there. They have overgarments that can be pricey but every hijabi recessionista knows how to take advantage of a good sale, so be sure to check out their reduced prices.

Their overgarments can be found at:
http://www.al-hijaab.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=69


We found these pashminas from Hijabs Online in all colors ranging from $6.00 and up. They also have amiras, oblongs and kuwaiti and square style scarves. They also offer free shipping with every order!

Their scarves can be found at:
http://www.hijabsonline.com/


Happy Shopping!!!

Nadira & Najwa
Muslimah2Muslimah

Muslim Boyfriend?????

Dating in Islam is an oxymoron, there is no such thing! It's like saying frozen hot chocolate. There are no boyfriends or girlfriends as far as Islam is concerned. This doesn't mean that it doesn't happen this just means that it shouldn't. So I know your like, if I can't date him how do I really get to know the brother that I want to marry?

Well I'm glad you asked, alhumdulilah Allah(swt) has given us guidelines to follow so that we can keep everything on a lawful note. So first things first make sure that you have your standards and know what you are willing to except in your mind first. If you meet a brother and he asks you for YOUR number, he might not be the brother for you. You want a brother who wants to do things the right way and has enough respect for you and himself from jump that he wouldn't even try you like that. It seems simple an innocent, just a phone conversation but even a conversation can lead you into things that you shouldn't do. You talk to the brother, you crack jokes, you start to feel comfortable with him and then he says "why don't we hang out and meet up sometime?". Now this can lead up to you spending time alone with him. If a brother is trying to spend time alone you, it's not a good look.


Whenever a man is alone with a women the shaytan makes the third. (Tirmidhi)


A Muslim man is still a man and eventually you may end up doing things that you know you shouldn't. Avoid this situation and you won't be tempted or end up making a decision that you regret. This is why you should have your Wali in place. Your Wali truly is your protection. If your a revert like me, your Wali can be your Imam or trusted brother in your community. He keeps that brother in line and makes sure that everything is done on the up and up.Not only that but we are women and once you start to like a brother you might catch feelings and not notice some of the red flags. Your Wali is looking out for your best interest and is not going to be blinded by how cute the brother is.

You can have a "sit down" with a brother with you Wali present and ask all of the very important questions(we posted a blog with plenty of questions to ask and questions that you should be prepared to answer). When you are asking these question make sure that you are being honest. This is your way of getting to know each other. Don't just say what you think the brother wants to hear. If he asks you if you can cook, don't say yes if can't even boil water! When you get married he's going to expect you to follow through on what you said. Don't say you wear overgarment and niqab if you don't because he's gonna want to know where all that is when you leave the house without hijab. Be honest so that both know what you are signing up for because once your married you have both signed on that dotted line.

Now if you want to have the "dating" experience you can out as long as you are chaperoned. This means you have your Wali present or someone who is looking out for your best interest. Maybe you feel uncomfortable going out with your father present, you could have another married couple, your brother, etc. chaperon your "date". What you shouldn't do is go out with your homegirl and her boyfriend and call them your chaperons. If they're not doing what they are supposed to be doing, how are they going to make sure that you are? Consider going to public places like restaurants, art exhibits, parks, places where you know other Muslims will be, etc.

We have to make sure that we think long term, dating is what we see everyday around us and it can be tempting. But in the long run you want to make sure you are doing things that are beneficial to you in this life and in the hereafter. The blessings that you will receive, inshallah, from doing things the right way will be well worth the wait.

CLICK THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG TO VIEW THE VIDEO OR GO TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE TO VIEW THE VIDEO FOR THIS POST http://www.youtube.com/user/Muslimah2Muslimah

Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah

Questions to Ask your Potential Husband

This is a list of questions to ask your future spouse, you can pick and choose or ask them all. Also be prepared to answer many of these questions yourself. The most important thing is to be HONEST with yourself and with the brother, so that you both know what your getting into. Don't say yes of course I wear hijab if you don't because he's going to be looking at you crazy if your Not wearing it. KEEP IT 100%!!!!!!!

What are you expectations of marriage?
What are your goals in life? (long and short term)
Identify three things that you want to accomplish in the near future.
Identify three things that you want to accomplish, long term.
Why have you chosen me/other person as a potential spouse?
What is the role of religion in your life now?
Are you a spiritual person?
What is your understanding of an Islamic marriage?
What are you expecting of your spouse, religiously?
What is your relationship between yourself and the Muslims community in your area?
Are you volunteering in any Islamic activities?
What can you offer your zawj (spouse), spiritually?
What is the role of the husband?
What is the role of the wife?
Do you want to practice polygamy?
What is your relationship with your family?
What do you expect your relationship with the family of your spouse to be?
What do you expect your spouses relationship with your family to be?
Is there anyone in your family living with you now?
Are you planning to have anyone in your family live with you in the future?
If, for any reason, my relationship with your family turns sour, what should be done?
Who are your friends? (Identify at least three.)
How did you get to know them?
Why are they your friends?
What do you like most about them?
What will your relationship with them after marriage be?
Do you have friends of the opposite sex?
What is the level of your relationship with them now?
What will be the level of your relationship with them after marriage?
What type of relationship do you want your spouse to have with your friends?
What are the things that you do in your free time?
Do you love to have guests in your home for entertainment?
What are you expecting from your spouse when your friends come to the house?
What is your opinion of speaking other languages in home that I do not understand? (with friends or family)
Do you travel?
How do you spend your vacations?
How do you think your spouse should spend vacations?
Do you read?
What do you read?
After marriage, do you think that you are one to express romantic feelings verbally?
After marriage, do you think that you want to express affection in public?
How do you express your admiration for someone that you know now?
How do you express your feelings to someone who has done a favor for you?
Do you like to write your feelings?
If you wrong someone, how do you apologize?
If someone has wronged you, how do you want (s)he to apologize to you?
How much time passes before you can forgive someone?
How do you make important and less important decisions in your life?
Do you use foul language at home? In public? With family?
Do your friends use foul language?
Does your family use foul language?
How do you express anger?
How do you expect your spouse to express anger?
What do you do when you are angry?
When do you think it is appropriate to initiate mediation in marriage?
When there is a dispute in your marriage, religious or otherwise, how should the conflict get resolved?
Define mental, verbal, emotional and physical abuse.
What would you do if you felt that you had been abused?
Who would you call for assistance if you were being abused?
Do you suffer from any chronic disease or condition?
Are you willing to take a physical exam by a physician before marriage?
What is your understanding of proper health and nutrition?
How do you support your own health and nutrition?
What is you definition of wealth?
How do you spend money?
How do you save money?
How do you think that your use of money will change after marriage?
Do you have any debts now? If so, how are you making progress to eliminate them?
Do you use credit cards?
Do you support the idea of taking loans to buy a new home?
What are you expecting from your spouse financially?
What is your financial responsibility in the marriage?
Do you support the idea of a working wife?
If so, how do you think a dual-income family should manage funds?
Do you currently use a budget to manage your finances?
Who are the people to whom you are financially responsible?
Do you support the idea of utilizing baby sitters and/or maids?
Do you want to have children? If not, how come?
To the best of your understanding, are you able to have children?
Do you want to have children in the first two years of marriage? If not, when?
Do you believe in abortion?
Do you have children now?
What is your relationship with your children now?
What is your relationship with their other parent?
What relationship do you expect your spouse to have with your children and their parent?
What is the best method(s) of raising children?
What is the best method(s) of disciplining children?
How were you raised?
How were you disciplined?
Do you believe in spanking children? Under what circumstances?
Do you believe in public school for your children?
Do you believe in Islamic school for your children?
Do you believe in home schooling for your children?
What type of relationship should your children have with non-Muslim classmates/friends?
Would you send your children to visit their extended family if they lived in another state or country?
What type of relationship do you want your children to have with all their grandparents?
If there are members of my family that are not Muslim, that are of different race or culture, what type of relationship do you want to have with them?


Happy question asking!

Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira & Najwa
Muslimah2Muslimah

The Power of Music

This subject has been on my mind a lot lately. Inshallah this will be very brief and just a few of my thoughts. I'm not going to get into whether or not music is haraam. There are plenty of different viewpoints on that: it's haraam, its halal if its only drums, is it cool if it's Islamic i.e. nasheed or groups like Native Deen.

A little background on my history with music. Okay so music has always been a big part of me and my life. My parents were big jazz fans and my name(real name) was inspired by Billie Holiday. Music has always had a deep emotional connection with me whether it's joy, sadness, anger etc. I have listened to ALL genres of music: classical, metal, pop, hip hop and jazz to name a few. I moved to Atlanta and was exposed to a whole new type of music that at first I was like this music is crazy and then later grew on me. Recently I have relocated to the sticks and music is just not that big a part of my life anymore. I don't watch the shows like TRL and 106th and park anymore, maybe because I'm older now and just can't get into or maybe because my mind state has just changed. I hardly listen to music anymore and if I do it's only in the car. I find that when I hear songs now I have no idea who the artist is and when I hear songs I used to listen to the connection is no longer there.

So I say all this to say that I've noticed that since I'm not listening to music as much I find myself listening to more quran and lectures online. Instead of looking up different artist on YouTube I'm looking up subjects like hijab, marriage, salah, surahs, etc. When I think about the number of lyrics that have been committed to my memory over the years its crazy to me! If I knew as many lyrics as surahs and ayas I could probably be hafiz by now. I view MOST music as a distraction from the siratal mustaqeem be it subtle or in your face. Look at the song titles that our out: I kissed a girl, My girl got a girlfriend, Juicebox, I'm in love with a stripper, Ms. independent and many more. Then to go along with the songs we have music videos which have a strong effect on how young women view themselves particularly in hop hop and pop. Many studies have been done on the negative effects of music videos and how they shape young girls self images.

So I'm not judging or saying stop listening to it now! I'm just saying if you listen to music(myself included) think about the effects mainstream music has and how much space it takes up in our minds that could be filled with Quran, ahadith, knowledge, etc.

Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah

Hijabi Recessionista FIND OF THE WEEK: FREE Abaya!

A wonderful group of sisters from the Middle East have decided to give every Muslimah they possibly can A NEW ABAYA FOR FREE. May Allah grant them Jennatul Firdous, Ameen! Your financial position doesn't matter. Rich or poor, you can still benefit from this opportunity, especially our new convert/revert sisters and sisters who live in places where Abayat are hard to find.



All abayat are brand new, black, and simple/plain (no designs at ALL). Don't let your size discourage you from ordering. They have up to XXXL sizes and if you're petite, we can send you the smallest size
available & you can go to a seamstress to sew it to your size.



The sisters have collected money to help cover the shipping/handling costs in order to ship the abayat to sisters. However, these funds are quite limited. Therefore, we humbly request that anyone who can afford to cover the cost of shipping kindly do so. This will enable other sisters, who can't financially afford it, to receive a free abaya as well. Shipping costs will be $12.



If you're interested in receiving a free abaya, please reply back to either the YouTube account: mujahida7861, and she can forward the messages to the moderator of the group; or if you have a yahoo account, you can join the following group, and send a message to the moderator at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MEEEM/ :

-Name

-Address

-Desired Abaya Size (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL or measure your bust/hip/height) -- the best thing would be to send your measurements

-Also, indicate if you'll pay for the shipping costs

-OPTIONAL: Tell them about yourself! How you heard about them(Muslimah2Muslimah)? Languages you know? Wear hijab?
Niqab? Khimar? Marital situation? Mommy? New to Islam? This will enable us to send you extra items if they're available (books about Islam, marriage in Islam, hijabs, niqabs, etc.) This info is optional! You do NOT have to include it to get a free abaya.



All they ask is two things. First, that you make dua for them. Second, if you benefit from this please email us so we can keep going. Your words & encouragement let them know to continue this project. If they don't get any replies or benefits, then they will try to find something else to do for the sake of Allah that will help muslimahs.



The Fine Print:

*They ask that you do NOT order these abaya for a profit! Fear Allah! If you are going to sell these abayas, please do NOT order because they do NOT approve this. Of course they can't track who does this but Allah is Al-Baseer (The One who sees everything) & His punishment is worse than anything we can do so please fear Allah and do NOT abuse these sister's kindness!

*If you decide to pay shipping, this will be done by reimbursing us with a cashier's check, money order, or cash for the amount of $12 (twelve dollars) AFTER you have received the abaya.

* Right now they are only able to ship to North America but if you are anywhere else in
the world, reply back & they will see what they can do.

*They accept no returns! If the abaya doesn't fit you, pass it along to a sister whom it does.



Let's help our fellow sisters in Islam dress appropriately! Spread this message!

Happy ordering!
Nadira & Najwa
Muslimah2Muslimah

Help a Muslim Sister empower other girls its SO easy!

Salaams Muslimahs!

Jenna Evans is competing in a video essay competition called whoinspiresu.ca. The grand prize is $10,000 and she plans to use the money to put on an empowerment convention for young women in Canada.

She NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT and YOUR VOTES. I am requesting all of you to PLEASE join her facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=50938102275

and to PLEASE vote for her video (video #5) at:
http://www.whoinspiresu.ca/whoinspiresu/whoinspiresu.html

Spread the word and vote daily until March 31. Let's help empower other girls and show off the Muslimah spirit! If we don't help and support each other, who will?

We have to plug ourselves to so join our facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=50938102275 and suscribe to our youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/Muslimah2Muslimah

Asalaamu alaikum
Muslimah2Muslimah

Yo!!!! She has some sexy ears?????!!!!!!

Okay so I've posted a few videos on our YouTube page, well three to be exact(not that many) and I've been getting a lot of positive feedback. However some people have been coming at me about having my ears out. I didn't know my ears had soooooo much power to entice! I feel like I'm making steps in the right direction, sometimes there baby steps of fury but there steps none the less. I've come along way since this time last year, alhumdulilah!

I know that proper hijab involves a lot. It's not just throwing a scarf on your head and keepin it movin. I've seen "hijab" in many forms and worn many myself such as: the ears out, the head wrap, overgarment, khimar with shorts(saw this, didn't do it myself) and niqab. For a while there I even felt that if I put a wig on and my hair was covered it was cool. Actually I knew it was still wrong but somehow it made me feel better about not wearing hijab. I think hijab starts on the inside, correction I know hijab starts on the inside. I'm not gonna put anyone on blast but I know sisters who wear overgarments, khimar and niqab and they wild out more than some sisters I know how are jummah hijabis only. The piont I'm making is you have to first know why you are covering and then enter into a covering mindstate. This means you watch your tongue, your interactions and your thoughts. So make your intentions %100 for the sake of Allah and go from there.

Prophet Muhammad(saw) said, "[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you." (Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim).

I know that I should cover my ears and inshallah I will get to that point soon and honestly, I do appreciate the reminders. We all need reminders sometimes. Let me know what you think.....

Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira
Muslimah2Muslimah

PS. I think the reason I struggle with this so much is I think earrings really complete and outfit. Even if your just wearing jeans and tee, throw some fabulous earrings on and tell me that's not an upgrade!!! lol Not an excuse I know, I'm working on it.

Shot out to Aneesah, who put me onto the upgrade of fabulous earrings!!

To pluck or not to pluck... that is the question!!!

Okay, so I was talking to my sister-in-law and also got inspired by a comment on one of my favorite blogs called "The Life of a Hijabista". Now in this blog, the sister was talking about how she learned how to thread her eyebrows. Also, my sister-in-law was told by one of her friends that women are forbidden to pluck, thread, shave, wax, burn off (okay, I'm taking it far with that one, lol)... basically grooming eyebrows are unlawful in Islam. Now, I have personally heard it from all angles. I've heard people say everything from this scholar to this sheikh to that hadith or ayat of Qur'an about whether a woman is or is not allowed to alter the shape of her brows.

Now personally, I have been getting my bi-weekly eyebrow wax since I was 16 years old. I know that I happen to have darn near a uni-brow otherwise and absolutely feel just pure mannish without having nice, shapely, feminine brows. Not to mention the fact that I think I might scare my husband by looking like the pic on the top left!!! Islam is my religion that I love so much and has been since birth. Sometimes I feel as though people take it a bit far to the left side of this and hardly ever come up with any valuable proof, or dalil regarding certain matters. I have no intention of purposely defying what Allah makes halal or haram but I would like to hear your opinions regarding this matter.

I think wearing a hijab and clothing that does not show off the shape of my body is taking a huge step. Not to mention not wearing polish, perfume (as some say), high heels (as some say) or wearing makeup (as some more say, lol). Now after I am stripped of all of my feminine vices, can I not just go and enjoy having my big, manly eyebrows waxed??? Am I asking too much here??? Okay, sorry... Comments please?

As-Salaamu-Alaikum,

Najwa

Hijabi Recessionista: FIND OF THE WEEK: The Muslimah Nail Polish!!!

Who doesn't love a good mani-pedi? But whats the point when you know that you're not supposed to wear polish. We love the look of manicured nails and have also found it hard to let those acrylics and polish go but alhumdulilah we have found an alternative! We've all seen henna on nails which has the classic red-orange color which you may not want to wear all the time. You might what to keep up with the trends and maybe try a black, green or just a simple pink. No matter what color you want, you can find it in a nail stain on this site: www.Henna King.com

The nail stains are $14.95, which may seem a little pricey but it will last a lot longer than your average polish. So your nails can look right and your wudu is still valid. Think about it: a mani-pedi can cost at least $50.00 per month! You can be creative and mix colors and patterns or keep it simple. If you want the shine like a polish lightly buff your nails & you get the same appearance. Keep in mind that it is a stain, so you will have what ever color you choose for a while. This is the best invention since the shirt-dress!!! Well anyhow, we are definitely excited!

Happy Shopping!!!
Asalaamu alaikum
Nadira & Najwa

Also, be sure to click on the advertisements throughout this website... it's what keeps M2M in business!

Muslimah Perspective: There aren't any good men out there!!

Muslimah Social Lives....avoid the dunya

As muslimahs in the West, some of us are stuck between two worlds, in a sense. We live in a predominantly non-muslim society that enjoys many of the things which are forbidden in Islam. Dating, partying, drinking, doing drugs, fornication, skimpy clothing, explicit lyrics in music, cursing and overall bad behavior has become the norm here in the west. Those of us who were raised in an Islamic household find ourselves loving our religion and knowing the truth, yet reverting to and enjoying the easy, fast life in the West. Those of us who are converts to Islam may find the transition difficult at first and difficult to maintain.

As muslim girls and women, we have even greater expectations then our male counterparts to be the consummate muslim woman in every facet of the word. Meaning we are expected to look, smell, and in some instances even sound like the perfect muslim woman. What I mean by looking like is, of course, the Islamic dress. By smell, I mean some people saying that muslimahs are not allowed to wear perfumes. By sound I am talking about some people's perspective on whether or not a woman should speak quietly or even disguise their voices around men.

When we put all of these things in mind, we now have a woman who has the knowledge of how she should behave in society and how she may desire to behave. Some feel as though as long as they are wearing their khimars that they should be able to go anywhere they please. Also, they feel as though they can date as long as there is no fornication involved and wear wigs on their heads as long as their heads are covered. The prophet(saw) said:

"Allah (swt) has cursed both the Wasilah and the Mustawsilah (meaning the wig-wearer and the wig-maker.

So " covering" your hair with a wig is not an option. Wearing your khimar is not only a source of protection it is also a constant reminder. If you are considering going somewhere are being around people were you can't wear your khimar because it wouldn't be appropriate, then these are the places and people you should avoid.

It's important that we try our best not to get caught up in the dunya. While the clubs and partying may seem tempting, they ultimately lead us further and further away from Allah(swt). Our time in this world is very limited and we will be faced with many tests. The pleasures of the dunya will be very tempting because of the way our society portrays them. In television shows, commercials and magazines these short term pleasures are portrayed as glamorous and the women leading these lives seem happy. This sort of lifestyle will not provide you lasting rewards. Shaytan tempts us with this lifestyle and Allah(swt) has warned us:

" Follow not the footsteps of Shaytan. Verily! He is to you a plain enemy" in Surah
2:208.

Consider options available to you such as hanging out with your girlfriends, going to the movies, going out to eat and attending Islamic functions. There are many outlets for what we may call "halal socializing" which can be found through the Muslim Student Association http://www.msanational.org/ at your local college or university. Also, there is the Islamic Circle Of North America http://www.icna.org/ and The Islamic Society of North America (I.S.N.A.) http://www.isna.net/. Many of our local masjids have plenty of activities for young muslims. Try to be more involved with masjids in your area. This is a great way to meet new muslims in your age range with similar interests. In my opinion I find it is best to socialize with other muslims as opposed to non-muslims for the simple reason that you won't be as tempted to do un-islamic things when you are with muslim peers. In the Qur'an it states:

"O you who believe! Do not take for intimate friends from among others than your
own people, they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths,
and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the
communications clear to you, if you will understand." Surah 3:118

Once again sisters, Allah knows best and if we make a sincere effort to follow by the examples of the Sahabiah (rah), He will be pleased with us, inshallah.

Asalaamu alaikum

Najwa & Nadira

Also, be sure to click on the advertisements throughout this website... it's what keeps M2M in business!

Salaams, darling! Meet your new co-wife!?!?!

Last night my hubby's friend came over for dinner and after the usual conversation and after-dinner tea, the friend wanted for hubby to go to a wedding to be a witness. I thought;






"A wedding??? At 11pm on a Tuesday???"






So hubby leaves the house with said friend and gets me thinking. What the heck is this man doing getting married at this ungodly hour on a whim? Now mind you, said groom-to-be already has two other wives. One over seas and the other here in the states, who lives with him. Okay, so my next question was;



"Are wife #1 and wife #2 aware of their beloved husband's decision to marry #3?"






Now my thing is this: Okay, we all know that a man can have up to four wives... however, this got me to thinking that some men really abuse this right. They fail to maintain some of these women in the right ways and they are always talking about looking for another wife. I may be wrong but I don't think that is right. How is a married man "looking" for another wife??? I thought that polygamy was a situation in which a man marries due to a circumstance in which there is a sister who may be widowed of divorced and has no money or place to go with her and her children. Or perhaps a woman who is interested in a married man and vice versa and the man decides to marry the woman because of his interest.

However, I doubt that a man who is constantly on the prowl for another woman is allowed in Islam. And another thing, some men even go so far as to hang out with and go on dates with different women with the excuse that they are allowed to have another wife, so why not get to know as many women as possible to look for the perfect #2, #3 or #4? To me, this behavior is absurd and trifling. I think that any man who has respect for his wife, children or himself would not carry on like some single non-Muslim teenager.

If my husband ever decided to go and get a second wife (which is highly doubtful), I would at least expect him to come to me and let me know about his decision... It's only right in my eyes... Anyhow, that's enough of MY ranting... What do YOU guys think?

As-Salaamu-Alaikum,

Najwa

***For the record we at Muslimah2Muslimah, belive that polygyny is sunnah and is a beautiful part of Islam, we are in no way saying that it shouldn't be praticed. The point here is that it would be nice to included in the process***

Hijabi Recessionista: Find of the Week

Here is our FIND OF THE WEEK!



Keeping in mind that soon the weather will be warming up, we've chosen a light khimar that will be perfect for the spring & summer weather and perfect for your pockets! This is one of the fashion scarves that a lot of women are wearing around their necks. This scarf is perfect for a lightweight khimar. Pair it with an under scarf and it's perfect. Our selection is from Walmart but we have seen them everywhere from T.J. Maxx to Marshall's at very affordable prices, ranging from $5-$12. Also, these scarves are available in a variety of colors and patterns so get creative with them!

The one pictured above is available at http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10730934 for just $5.00!

Happy Shopping,

M2M
Nadira & Najwa

You're ready to get married... now what?

You have reached a point in your life were you've decided your ready to get married for the sake of Allah, alhumdulillah! Now the question is: How do you choose your husband? Well, first things first you have to know what you SHOULD be looking for in a husband.

I know so many sisters who have a very very very detailed list of what exactly they are looking for. These lists include info such as how much money he makes, what type of car he drives, what level of education he has, what type of house will he be able to buy her, will he be able to take her on vacations, will he provide her money to shop with, his nationality, his height, his hair, his skin color, the arch of his eyebrows, how big his ears are, if his 2nd toe is longer than the rest........okay I'm exaggerating a bit now. My point is so many times I see sisters put the emphasis of their search solely on the monetary aspects or they limit their options to doctors and lawyers. My dear sisters, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you approach you search for a husband focusing on material things. The Prophet (saw) said:

“If there comes to you one whose religious commitment and character pleases you, then marry [your female relative who is under your care] to him, for if you do
not do that, there will be tribulation on earth and much corruption.”[Al-Tirmidhi]

Of course you want your husband to be able to provide for you because that is one of your rights, but more importantly you want to make sure that he is religious. You want to make sure that he is living every day for the sake of Allah. This is the type of man who you will want to spend the rest of your life with. This is the type of man who will encourage both success in this life and in the hereafter. If he does not have a lot of money, don't worry sisters. If you trust in Allah, he will provide. We know this from the following verse:

"If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allah is All‑Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All‑Knowing (about the state of the
people)”[al-Noor 24:32]

Don't pass on a good brother because he's not "ballin" or "paid". With that said there is nothing wrong with wanting to marry a doctor, lawyer, etc. just make sure that is not #1 on your list of the ideal husband. Now if you find a doctor, lawyer, etc. who is pious and lives every day for the sake of Allah, please post where you found him and where other muslimahs should go for duplicates of him! LOL...just kidding.

To sum it all up sisters, seek a husband who puts his deen first and foremost in his life and then worry about everything else. If you do inshallah everything else will fall in to place. One last note is to broaden you search, you have plenty of options available to you! Look further than down the street and around the corner. You never know what city, state or country your future husband may be in or is from. I here sisters say there's no brothers out there, but there are plenty of Muslim men and you may want to consider being a co-wife (not for every sister, but it's a option). Inshallah, we will talk more about this in another blog.

As usual this is our viewpoint at M2M and we would love to her your opinion, feedback and suggestions.

As-salaamu alaikum!

Najwa&Nadira

Muslimah Perspective

This is the first of many series of videos concerning many topics discussing religion, society, politics, fashion and relationships. It is a series called "the Muslimah Persective" it can be found on on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnxSQ_KU8T4 Help support the Muslimah Perspective by sharing with your friends and finding us on YouTube! Feel free to leave comments on whether or not you agree with this video. As-Salaamu-Alaikum!