Assalaamu alaikum, ladies! We've all seen the cheapo, $3 niqab gloves pictured above, sold on various sites in a myriad of colors. And I bet we've all had the struggle of wearing gloves and having to take the gloves off to use our phones, whether it be for texting, to make a call, or to read Quran. It's a HASSLE. But as shown in my texting-glove review, gloves that are made smart-phone capable can be EXPENSIVE, and not all of us have the ability to just run out and buy a $30 pair of gloves (especially if you have a tendency to lose only one in a pair, like me...).
Due to this, I figured out a way to alter the gloves in order to allow for smart-phone usage. No, this doesn't involve some magic metal glue or metalic yarn... It's super easy, and you only have to do it once! What did I do? I created slits!
What you are probably expecting...
No, they aren't ugly and easy to spot. Don't worry! These slits are so sneaky, you can't even tell they are there!
Finished product.
So, how do we get these super awesome sneaky slits? Well, unfortunately you have to start out by making the ugly slits in the first photo. THEN, turn the glove inside out so you can see the inside portion of the thumb.
We are going to create two stitches on each side of the slit, with the part of the glove which is going OVER my thumb in the photo being on top of the stitch, so it overlaps (my thumb is the same direction as the thumb of the glove).
This is the thumb inside out, with two stitches, one on each side. I made each stitch a triple stitch to keep it from coming out or pulling easily.
Now, flip the glove right-side out, and test your thumb-slit!
If the slit feels too big or is easily noticable, just turn everything inside out again and put in a third stitch.
Aaaaand, you're done! From the front and back of the glove, it's virtually unnoticeable, and now you no longer have to take off your gloves and compromise your modesty and/or mental health in order to use your phone.
Assalaamu alaikum, ladies! Today's tutorial is how to create your own UAE-Style Gashwa, as shown above! Also known as a ghatwa or boushiya, it's a square or rectangle of fabric consisting of several layers, one of which is flipped down to cover and conceal the face. Women wear these both with and without separate niqab. The one in the picture above is an actual UAE gashwa. The one we are creating today includes pins, but they can be removed if preferred.
First step in creating your gashwa is picking a scarf or fabric. The ones you can get in the UAE are made of a thin cotton or gauze-like fabric, which, as you can see, is very sheer. This has the added benefit of increased breath-ability, heat control, and sight. If you plan to make a permanent one, I would suggest trying several fabrics to find one you can see out of well. The scarf I used is a georgette fabric wide rectangle scarf from Al-Mujalbaba, which can be purchased here. This fabric gives an increased opacity as opposed to the cotton gauze used traditionally. However, it can be a little harder to see out of as well as warmer in the sun.
You'll want a rectangular piece:
From here, we will fold it in half, creating more of a square:
You then fold it in the same direction one more time. I prefer a layered look, but you can also fold it so it is completely even.
You can be finished here. I, however, added pins in order to give increased stability of the gashwa due to my using a cane. If you want to add pins, you can proceed as below, adding as many or few as you wish:
Where the pins are is also where one would stitch across, if desired, but on the inside, at the point where you would wish to fold your gashwa (so you would be stitching across TWO layers, not the four as here). You could then also cut so the bottom, folded "layer" so it becomes two separate layers.
Next, if you pinned it, flip it so the pins are on the inside of the four layers. You'll see a sort of crease:
Then, place it on your head and flip down the upper-most layer. You can pin the bottom layer to your underscarf if desired, but the weight and construction of the gashwa keeps it on your head pretty well (it was VERY windy outside while I was filming!). Adjust as you like, and you're done!
Pretty simple! Using the scarf I used, the gashwa is so opaque that I have no qualms about being outside without a niqab underneath it. The cut and shape of the gashwa is also such that one doesn't necessarily need a separate hijab on underneath of it, unless you will be out and about when you need to pray namaaz.
Assalaamu alaikum everyone. This was a really tough one for me to film and even harder for me to write about, because it hits so very close to home. Honestly I'm not sure what to write, and this may be short due to that. I've lived with depression most of my life and still struggle with it at times even on medication. It's something that isn't talked about in society, not just in the Ummah.
What needs to be realized is that mental health is just as serious as physical health.
I think this cartoon is a perfect example of how ridiculous the things said to people with depression and other mental health issues are. Depression isn't just sadness, and it can't just be shrugged off - it's something which is carried with the person, always, even while being treated.
This post isn't going to be anything about how people should try harder to get better... because that's asinine. What I will say is that we need to drop the stigma which prevents people from going on medication. We need to drop the idea that mental health issues aren't "real" health issues and therefore don't count on the list of health problems precluding someone from fasting (if meds need to be taken at certain times of the day, etc.). We need to open up conversations to include how things affect those in the Ummah who have depression, how things need to be discussed and talked about, and be candid on the matter of mental health instead of shying away and further ostracizing the people who carry Jihad in their hearts and minds every day as they battle in silence.
What has helped me to have more productive days: Make niyyah to pray Fajr and Asr.
I try to do my best to help people, in shaa Allah. But when it comes to depression and suicide, sometimes people get to a point where nothing matters, because we see ourselves as so inherently bad that anyone telling us otherwise makes no difference. At these times, when people are out of things to hold on to in order to keep them afloat, perhaps then remembrance of the consequences from Allah subhana w ta'ala will be the rope that they hold on to. A sister, in one of her dark moments, had the presence of mind to send me this Hadith, subhan'Allah w bihawmdihi:
In shaa Allah this video and blog has helped someone. Please know you are in my 'adiyah and I am here to lend an ear if you need one. Feel free to contact me here, on IG, YouTube, Facebook, however you know to get ahold of me. If you are contemplating self-harm or suicide, please call 1-800-273-TALK
Like many short and petite women out there, I KNOW the struggle that is finding clothing that fits! Even when it comes to abayat and jilabib, which are supposed to be "one size," I have the issue of products being too large and too long. But, alhamdulillah, I have a solution (other than buying childrens' jilabib)!
I previously have reviewed items from Al-Moultazimoun, a French company which makes and sells Islamic clothing. I ordered a gorgeous jilbab from them, only to find out that I needed to roll the waistband in order to shorten the skirt AND keep it from falling down. Other alterations were made to make the headband portion small enough for me and to take in the face section. But, while waiting for my jilbab, I found something magical... they do custom orders! The customs section isn't very well advertised on the website, which could have been due to significant changes being made on the website recently. However, the items DO exist and are a wonderful thing for other small women like me!
These items are HUGELY customizable! I'll use the two piece to show the full range of options available:
Colors: Different colors can be chosen for the khimar, bottom, headband, and sleeves; all colors in stock are available - just comment in the available section what you want!
Khimar options: You can choose easy-to-tie, lycra headband, elastic, or velcro.
Sleeve options: You can choose from tight sleeves, "mini-wrists", lycra mittens (thumb holes), and sleeves with pleats.
Bottom options: You can choose between skirt and sarouel.
Pocket options: You can choose to have pockets on the khimar, bottoms, or both.
Khimar pockets are straight across, not diagonal.
Embroidery: Al-Moultazimoun will embroider your name or whatever word you wish on your jilbab! Options are on the sleeve, on the bottom of the khimar, on the bottom of the skirt, or inside on the headband. Please note they can only currently do "Latin" script and cannot do Arabic. This can be done in the color of your choice.
My Muslim name embroidered on the bottom right of the khimar in pink.
Accents: Shown in the pictures on the website are some crystal-like accent buttons. These can be requested.
At the bottom of the ordering page there are several boxes in which to input information for your order. The sisters at Al-Moultazimoun are also very good about responding! Please note that some requests cannot be accommodated on custom orders - only basic requests, no special requests like leatherette pocket borders, etc.
My review:
I absolutely love my custom two-piece I ordered and it fits wonderfully! The skirt actually fits perfect and the pockets on the skirt and khimar are good sized, not small like in western clothing. Even the face area was made smaller for me, alhamdulillah, since I included in my size information that I would fit the "teen" jilabib. My order took longer than expected, but the sisters at Al-Moultazimoun were very quick to respond when I asked why (my order had been stopped by - I'm assuming French - customs). When I did receive my order, I found that they had included a second khimar in black nidha fabric in addition to my two-piece and separate sarouel I had ordered - my assumption is that this was to make up for the delay. My only qualm with my order is that microfiber is EXTREMELY static and dust/fur attractive, so especially now that we have moved and our new house has carpet, I feel like I'm constantly covered in dog fur (Kylee is mostly white so it REALLY shows up). So if anyone knows a fix for this, the knowledge would be much appreciated!
Over all, extremely EXTREMELY happy with this order! I highly recommend to ALL sisters, but ESPECIALLY sisters who are "child-sized," to order a custom jilbab or two!
Assalaamu alaikum everyone, and I hope this finds you well.
This is part one of a series I would like to do on Mental Health within Islam. Within the Ummah, mental health tends to be a taboo subject, possibly even more taboo than in the West itself. And while I would love to do a separate video on that subject, this video in particular has been in the works for a while and was requested of me by a sister today, so I felt it important to do this video first, before the others.
Anxiety is a very real, very tangible, and very scary thing. Those of us with anxiety disorders live in a constant state of flight or fight response. This causes many issues, from anxiety/panic attacks, to picking at skin, to being unable to leave the house, to feeling we aren't good enough for anyone, even Allah subhana w ta'ala. I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder for about a decade now, and diagnosed with PTSD for half a decade. These things, before, made some parts of my life difficult - it was hard to trust people, it was hard to believe compliments and kind words, school was extremely stressful, and nightmares were a near daily occurrence. When I reverted to Islam, this changed; where on the one hand, a newfound sense of peace and happiness came over me, on the other hand my anxiety worsened. I started getting sick when going to Islamic gatherings and to school, sicknesses which we discovered to be panic attacks. It got to the point that I was afraid to go to the masjid because I was afraid I would get sick again. I couldn't go out with friends. I couldn't go to the mall with my husband. Anywhere far from my house induced an anxiety triggered nausea, shakiness, and dizziness.
When we realized that these were panic attacks, I immediately started to wear niqab. I have seen instances all over, on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram... of girls and women who have benefited from wearing niqab. One sister, @niqabi_life on IG, started wearing full niqab to help with her social anxiety disorder. As a non-Muslim in a public high school, she donned hijab, niqab, and abaya in order to feel safe in her own skin. She is now Muslim, and still wears niqab. Another woman, who is no longer on Instagram, started to wear niqab to help manage her dermatillomania, or skin picking disorder, which is connected to anxiety. Having niqab on prevented her from picking at her face, which was the main place she targeted. For me, prior to Islam I covered my hair for religious reasons, but the more anxious I was that day, the more hair and skin I covered. Now, wearing niqab, my panic attacks stopped. I only wore it on school days. After I met with my sister from Jordan for lunch one day without niqab and had a massive panic attack afterward, I started to wear niqab more often. As of the first of the year, I made niyyah (intention) to wear niqab full time - now not out of necessity, to manage my panic attacks, but for Allah subhana w ta'ala, who gave me the niqab as a relief for my anxiety when I needed it most. Now also I wear gloves nearly full-time outside of the home and sometimes inside, in order to keep myself from picking at my skin and hurting myself.
An Islamic mindfulness skill I came up with combines measured breathing, which is a skill taught in different forms of therapy for anxiety and emotion disorders, and dhikr, or the repetition of praises of God. In order to perform measured breathing, you breathe using your diaphragm, which is below your sternum and above your stomach. You can feel your diaphragm pushing down when you breathe and work to keep your chest from moving. Your chest moving while you breathe indicates use of the lungs, while your stomach moving in and out while you breathe indicates use of the diaphragm. We want the latter.
One method of performing dhikr is to use the joints of the fingers for counting.
For me, this is the method I always use for counting tesbeh. Other people use beads. But especially when combing the method with measured breathing techniques, I think this way works best. One side of the finger is a breath in, while the other side is a breath out. In most situations I use the above dhikr of Allahu akbar x33, alhamdulillah x33, subhan'Allah x33, and then "la illaha ila Allah" once. If I am repeating "Subhan'Allah w bihawmdihi" as dhikr, I breathe every two recitations, not four.
For me, using this method is better than anything I've ever tried when it comes to managing anxiety in the moment and throughout the day. Measured breathing by itself seems silly to me and has a tendency to just make me mad. When I was younger, I tried so many times to meditate and would fail because with anxiety disorders, your brain won't turn the worry off. But this, combining breathing techniques with dhikr, allows me to focus solely on Allah subhana w ta'ala, alhamdulillah! This slows my heart rate, opens my throat, and melts tension from my shoulders and head.
Here is a website list of different phrases to use for dhikr and their benefit/reward.
Insha'Allah this has helped! Please know that those with mental health and other health issues are constantly in my 'adiyah. May Ash-Shafi grant us all shifa. Ameen.
Assalaamu alaikum everybody! I want to introduce you to a new series I am doing, where I will be addressing topics I feel are important within the Ummah as well as doing Islam Q&A sessions for those who wish to know more about the Deen!
So what is "Deen"? Deen means religion. So these talks center around the religion of Islam while dealing with issues present in this Dunya, or earthly world.
Some topics I plan to address:
Mental Health
Disability
Gender and Sexuality
Childhood Abuse
Revert Difficulties
and More!
Please let me know what YOU would like to see discussed and also if there are any questions you would like answered during a Q&A session!
Today I have a combined review for the two new niqabs I bought, both of which are Saudi style niqabs. I wanted to wait to do the review until I had them both in order to compare how they were made, etc. So first off, here is the video, and then I will do a more detailed review after the jump!
The first niqab in the video is SunnahStyle's long 3-piece niqab. SunnahStyle does "regular" 3-piece niqabs and long ones, but I prefer longer and more flowy lengths. They also do "no-pinch" niqabs which are designed for glasses wearers so that way the niqab doesn't cause the glasses stems from "pinching" into your head or ears and causing pain.
The SunnahStyle niqab is very light and comfortable. This could easily become my new everyday niqab, because, as much as I love the next one I'm going to review, black is easier for every day and this one is also lighter. The flow is very pretty. However, I do kind of wish it was a bit longer. That's probably my only "gripe"! You can get this niqab here. SunnahStyle does a good job on everything... I did have a small bit of string that came off of the niqab part; I noticed it while eating and had to cut it off. Other than that, there aren't any production issues that I've noticed. I will say I wished that I had received the niqab sooner, but that is my fault - I thought I ordered express shipping, but I had ordered standard. If I remember correctly, express shipping to the US was something like $30, which explains why I would have passed it up!
The second niqab in the video is Misk of Jannah's XXL Magenta niqab with 4-layers. Now, as I said in the video, this was not the niqab I ordered. I originally ordered a purple 3-layer Saudi niqab. However, after about two months after not receiving my niqab and not receiving responses to email inquiries or Facebook message inquiries, I was getting really frustrated... Subhan'Allah I asked on Instagram if any sisters in Austria or Germany would be willing to help me, as I was fairly certain that the issue, and why I wasn't receiving responses, was due to language barriers. Alhamdulillah a couple sisters responded. One called the company for me a couple of times and the other gave me the Facebook information of the husband of the woman who runs Misk of Jannah. Through both of these I was finally able to get in touch with someone and we found out my parcel was stopped upon entry to the US... So they sent me out a new niqab free of charge, alhamdulillah! However, the one I received was not what I ordered but, instead, the XXL Magenta niqab with 4-layers. Our speculation is that the owners wanted to give me a more expensive item to help make up for the hassle.
When I received the niqab I immediately tried it on. This is what it looked like:
I then had to alter the niqab, first by opening the eye slit. However, if you like to tie your niqabs beneath your bun, you may not need to do this (sorry, I apparently didn't get a picture of the before and after alteration):
How the niqab will look if you do not alter the eye slit and tie beneath the bun.
The niqab was also six inches wider than what SunnahStyle's website listed as the width of their long 3-piece niqab. When I tried it on, I noticed that I was actually tying up niqab fabric, which made it slip easier and made the flow of the fabric quite awkward. I ended up taking out the seams and folding the layers in so they would be less wide.
"Veil" fabric at 28 inches across.
SunnahStyle niqab width/length info.
I ended up removing some of the seams and folding over 2-3 inches on each side.
The Misk of Jannah niqab has BEAUTIFUL flow! Subhan'Allah! I love it so much, wallahi! I was a little skeptical at first, and sometimes still am, about the satin fabric for the face of the niqab (please note that sometimes this kind of "floats" up toward my eyes! So be careful), but the niqab is certainly unique and beautiful... Please make sure, however, that this niqab is very securely on before praying namaaz! Wallahi one day I was praying at the masjid and it fell right off of my head after the second rakat!
Misk of Jannah sells niqabs in several styles and VERY unique colors. They sell Saudi niqabs both with and without a nose string, butterfly niqabs, and "ninja" or one-piece niqabs. You can buy from them here. While I have heard many other sisters have had issues with orders from this particular company taking a while, and even with having to make alterations, I think that their niqabs are so unique that it makes up for it. Please take care though to be patient and also either know how to alter clothing or know someone who does! If you need help with that or with contacting Misk of Jannah about a product, please feel free to let me know and insha'Allah I will do my best to help you!
