Alhamdulillah, we are blessed to have seen the days of hajj again, these special days of which it is said that: By the dawn; By the ten nights, And by the even and the odd. And by the night when it departs. – Al Quran 89:1-4 Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported […]
Last weekend I had guests from another part of the UK who were in London doing dawah work mash’Allah. They were absolutely wonderful and we had lectures from the imam from our local masjid and sisters circles over the course of the two days. The focus was mostly on Tauheed, or the belief in one […]
The children managed to find lots to moan about on our trip to Bournemouth, well the teenagers anyway, but even they were taken in by their happy memories of Lulworth Cove the last time we came here. They remembered the art everywhere, the lovely little shops and the man who painted seashells in beautiful, bright […]
If there is one thing I love to do it’s to get organised and plan ahead: “There is no intelligence like planning.” ~ Hadith Ibn Majah (via Provisions for the Seekers – Zaadut Taalibeen) Although the Muslim New Year passed about two months ago, I didn’t quite manage to get myself organised by then. So […]
This Entrepreneur Interview and Inspiring Ummah Interview posts will be a series of interviews with entrepreneurs and social campaigners who are making a difference in the world. I find that Muslim women are particularly interested in both of these areas: becoming entrepreneurs or doing work that benefits society, often both at the same time. These […]
During the middle of Ramadan I asked for volunteers at work for an Eid lunch for the week after Eid. Alhamdulillah two lovely ladies came forward and worked to organise a lunch open to all staff in our office. We worked together to promote the event, encourage people to bring a dish, find a henna […]
I grew up on myths and legends from around the world: Greek, Roman, Norse mythology, stories of Father Ananse, Baba Yaga and many others. I have always had a weakness for a good story and anything myth and legend related still captures my attention. This being the case, this book was an easy choice for […]
We have taken the children to a few stately manor houses and gardens, but what really sold them on visiting Capel Manor Gardens was the promise of seeing animals, especially a crocodile. We started our day at the Gardens by visiting the animals. They were an intriguing mix of farmyard, forest and more exotic creatures. These […]
For the last few years I have been picking a word for the year and trying to use it to inspire me for the year. In 2011 it was “courage” as I faced redundancy and faced making big changes in my life. In 2012 I was pregnant and too nauseous and exhausted to think of […]
In a mental asylum there lives a young woman committed by her family. The screams of the inmates echo around her and her daily life is by turns brutal and monotonous. Her name is Alice and she is not sure why she is there, except for various flashbacks: of someone assaulting her, of her stabbing […]
I have been meaning to post my Eid pictures for the last few days but have simply been defeated by a mix of the housework and Darling trying to wrestle with my poor laptop every time I try to switch it on. Over the years we seem to have developed some traditions for both of […]
Why oh why oh why do we do this to ourselves? I know I can’t be the only one. We work hard, we try hard to be good mothers and wives and Muslimah’s. We dress modestly and elegantly and behave gracefully in public. People respect us for our manners, kindness and professional conduct. We get […]
We managed to visit Chigwell Rise boot sale this morning. I only had an hour to browse because I had to get back home for a dentist appointment , but managed to find a few things. Only saw a small chunk of the market which was enormous because of the nice weather. Managed to pick […]
I was very grateful to get a few days off during the children’s half-term holidays. Although there wasn’t much to do in the rain locally, we managed to go for pizza, to the library, visit the local museum and see an exhibition of life in the area over the last 100 years.I also managed to […]
