Ways to Make the Most of Dhul Hijjah

The first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are the most blessed days like the last 10 nights of Ramadan are the most blessed nights. So we should make the most of these days.

These days of Dhul Hijjah are so blessed because Allah completed the religion in these 10 days. All of the 5 pillars are present in these 10 days. Shahadah, praying, fasting, charity, and hajj which cannot be done at any other time. So we can complete all 5 pillars in these days which cannot be done at any other time of the year.

So I just wanted to share some of the things which are encouraged to do on these 10 days

Make Takbeer

Tahleel – La ilaha  illallah

Takbeer – Allahu Akbar

Tasbeeh – Subhanallah

Tahmeed – Alhamdulillah

There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, that these 10 days so recite a great deal of tahleel, takbeer, and tahmeed during them. (Ahmad)

Fasting

It is encouraged to fast the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah and we are especially encouraged to fast on the 9^th day which is the day of Arafah.

Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for the preceding year and the following year. (Muslim)

Fulfil obligations

When we try to make the most of these days we need to remember that we have obligations to Allah and the people which we cannot neglect. So for example we need to make sure we perform our 5 daily prayers and fulfil our responsibilities to those who we are responsible for.

Increase in Good Deeds

We should try to increase in as many good deeds as we can during these days.

Some examples are; praying nafl prayers, increasing in how much Quran we read, giving in Sadaqah and making istigfar

There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these 10 days. (Bukhari)

Perform Hajj

This is something that not everyone can do but for those that have the means and ability it is obligatory for them to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime.

Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of Islam so we should do our utmost best to perform hajj if we are able.

Give Qurbani

Even if we can’t perform Hajj we can still give Qurbani which is the sacrifice of an animal. Today there are many charities we can donate the money to so that the meat from the sacrificed animal will go to the poor and needy.

It is a way for us to connect to Ibrahim and reminding ourselves of the faith he had in Allah and that we should strive to build our faith and connection with Allah too.

For every hair of the Qurban you receive a reward from Allah.” (Tirmidhi)

Inspirational Women Throughout History – Aisha bint Abu Bakr

Today I am going to talk a little about Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra). She is one of my favourite women to read about as I find her so inspiring and someone to look up to.

She was an incredible woman, she was a wife of the Prophet (saw) and we know through many narrations that he loved her most from everyone. And when I read about her life and the woman she was I can see why!

She was the most renowned scholar and a teacher and she taught all the companions of the Prophet (saw) especially after his death. If anyone needed clarification on any matters or needed an answer for something they would go to her. She was known to be the most knowledgeable person. She especially excelled in hadith, fiqh, poetry and medicine. She was the type of person who, if she didn’t know or understand something she would go and learn about it until she became confident in that area.

She was a very sharp and feisty woman who stood up for her beliefs and was confident and assertive when it came to correcting people so that misinformation wouldn’t spread. She was also very eloquent in her speech, a great speaker and was even known to be a better speaker than the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra), Uthman (ra) and Ali (ra) and these four were known to be some of the best of people and leaders. She was outspoken and voiced her opinions on many matters in Islam, even if the other scholars disagreed she would give her opinion and her evidences for her opinion and always be confident in speaking up.

She spoke up about so many things from women’s rights, to education and so much more.

Her assertiveness and confidence to speak up is even more important to note because she lived in a time when that wasn’t the norm for women to be so outspoken. This slowly changed as Islam spread but she was alive right at the beginning when things were slowly changing. So for her to be so unafraid to speak up against even the men and those in power was something amazing. She did this throughout her life and because of her we have so much information about Islam and the Prophet (saw) and about life at the time.

She narrated 2210 hadith (sayings of the Prophet ) which included things on worship and family and especially women’s health, for example what women can and can’t do on their periods in terms of worship etc. She always shared intimate moments about her life with the Prophet (saw). Things we otherwise would never have known, from how he was in the home, how he spoke to her, how much he joked and made her laugh, how much he expressed his love to her and so attentive to the point that he knew by her changing one word in how she spoke to him that she was mad at him. We would never know any of these things without her.

She preserved so much of Islamic beliefs and worship and so much more because she was one of the best teachers and leaders in education. Without her so much would have been lost to time.

Why Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali Means So Much To Me

I first read Love From A to Z last year and completely fell in love with the book and the characters. But I just want to share more about this wonderful book and why I love it so much.

PS. You can read my review here

This book is a love story between two young Muslims who stay within the boundaries of Islamic etiquette and rulings on interacting with the opposite sex and this isn’t something we ever get to see in books. I have wanted to see this type of love story for so long.

“Maybe that’s what living is – recognising the Marvels and Oddities around you.”

I hope we get to see more of this because it is the story of me and my husband and yet there were people who made us feel like we betrayed our religious beliefs by choosing to marry each other. I was made to feel guilty and doubt my faith in Allah because how could I be a good Muslim and still have chosen to marry my husband myself. And on the other side I had people completely unable to understand how I could possibly marry someone I hadn’t dated or had an intimate relationship with him before marriage. Basically there was no right thing to do.

But if I had been able to read this book back then, I know it would have helped me. I would know that I have done nothing wrong and that would have helped me a lot. So I am so happy to see this book published because I am sure there are more stories like mine.

Zayneb is also one of my absolute favourite characters ever, I see myself in her in so many ways. Her anger at the Islamophobia she faces especially from those in a position of power and how she can’t do anything about it. Yet she remains unapologetically Muslim. She practices her faith openly and doesn’t care that people know she is Muslim. I wish I had her confidence when I was a teen. I wish I had been able to see characters that looked like me and shared the same beliefs as me as a teen and I am so glad that young people today will get to see themselves in books in ways I never could.

“I didn’t have to open my mouth or do anything for people to judge me. I just had to be born into a Muslim family and grow up to want to become a visible member of my community by wrapping a cloth on my head.”

Zayneb just wants to be able to practice her faith freely and also be able to be your average teenage girl and go swimming and hang out with her friends. Yet she finds barriers to even doing something as simple as swimming because some people find it unacceptable for her to be fully covered while in the pool despite adhering to the policies there. She can obviously choose what to wear but only as long as it is acceptable to those people.

And then we have Adam who I love so much because I related to him so much, because he found out about his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis during college and I also was finally diagnosed with my chronic health issues just as I graduated university. He struggles at first with adjusting to his new reality and how his life will be so different now and what he may or may not be able to do now and I related so much with all of this. I felt all of this and still do at times.

I absolutely loved seeing such a well rounded character with such great and realistic disability and chronic illness rep. I understood why he felt he should leave college, I understood his misgivings about telling Zayneb how he felt about her because it would not be a “typical” marriage as they would both be affected by his chronic illness. I went through all of this, I still feel a lot of these and struggle with it. I also loved how his faith impacted the way he dealt with his chronic illness. The way that Sajdah captures all of this and more while still making this a love story is exceptional.

“Hope – she was giving me hope. She was trying to light the way forward with hope. Amazing. To think I’d not been alone.”

Their story is a love story but not like the usual love stories we read in books but it doesn’t make it any less of a love story. The way they interact with each other and how they spend time and speak to each other, they develop feelings for each other but they both also keep in mind their faith and it filled my heart with such joy. I remember going through this exact thing myself and even when others told me to date because how can I marry someone I hadn’t dated or been intimate with I knew I could never compromise on my religious beliefs and it kept me going. I remember feeling all the emotions and just like Zayneb I remember seeing my now husband and first thinking, he’s cute and that he’s tall (my husband is 6 ft 3″). And my husband told me the first thing he noticed about me was my hijab as I was the only one in our university class who wore one.

This book captures so many important parts of my life and I could relate so much to the characters in so many ways from them slowly developing feelings for each other yet also practicing their faith and also dealing with their own issues while navigating their feelings. I absolutely fell in love with this book and Adam and Zayneb. And also, while I saw myself in Zayneb, I also saw my husband in Adam (minus the chronic illness) and it felt like this book was written for me.

My All Time Favourite Characters

I know we all have lots of characters that we love but do you have characters that you love above all others? I have a few characters that I love that much. And I wanted to share them with you because you should all go read the books they’re in so you can also meet them!

 

Alizayd al- Qahtani from The City of Brass

Art by: Jocelyn Chatman

Of course, to no one’s surprise, I absolute love Alizayd al-Qahtani. He is the love of my life; I would die for him. He is the character that I have been wanting to read in books for so long. A character that is unapologetically Muslim and practices his faith openly. He also has a really wonderful character arc in the trilogy from being a naïve teenager to becoming the man who does whatever is required to save his people and his home. He makes mistakes but he learns and grows. His core beliefs which come from his faith, include justice for all is one of the main things that drives him to fight for those that are oppressed. I have actually written a whole blog post about why he means so much to me, you can read it here

 

Samirah al-Abbas from the Magnus Chase trilogy

Art by: Viria

She is a badass Valkyrie who wears a hijab and unapologetically practices her faith. When I first read Magnus Chase I literally screamed with joy! I loved how much Rick Riordan researched into Islamic beliefs and showed it so accurately and so respectfully. I loved how he helped show misconceptions about Muslim women through her but that she was such a well rounded character. She had goals and ambitions in life and she has such a cute relationship with her fiancé who fully supports her being a Valkarie. I just loved seeing her fast and pray and she was such a badass in battle. I loved her friendship with Magnus and that he was so respectful of her faith and how much they support and help each other.

 

Zainab from Love From A to Z

Art by: Kahanee Djinn

Zainab is someone I related to so much. She has so much anger inside her because of the injustice and Islamophobic people she has to deal with especially as that person is in a position of authority. I was so happy to see an angry young Muslim woman in a book because we do feel like this but we’re always supposed to be happy and calm and nice. Zainab was me, she expressed everything I felt, things I could never express, especially when I was younger. I also absolutely loved seeing how she navigates her feelings for Adam while keeping things halal and seeing that in a book made my heart fill with joy because I was told too often that I was a bad Muslim for wanting to marry my now husband because we had met at university, so clearly we didn’t keep it halal. If I had this book back then, I can’t imagine how much it would have helped me. Zainab will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

So theses are my top 3 favourite characters, as you can tell they all have the fact that they are unapologetically Muslim in common. Until I had read these book I honestly had no idea just how much I truly needed to see characters who looked like and had the same beliefs as me. My heart feels like it will explode with love not only for these characters but that they could be written and published so that so many young Muslim’s will see them at a time when they are trying to figure out who they are and they can see that they don’t need to downplay their faith or hide it to fit in.

March 2020 Wrap Up

Wow this month has been…a month. With everything going on in the world, it’s been a lot to deal with. I’ve been staying at home but my husband is a health care worker so he is still going to work.

But as I am at home and not having to work as many hours I had more time to read and relax. I also signed up to the 30 days free on scribd which I am absolutely loving and have gone through so many audiobooks since I started using it!

Aside from reading I have also announced my Welcome to Daevabad box which is available to buy on my etsy page! It will have 11 items and I have done several supplier and artist reveals on my Instagram page. If you love the Daevabad trilogy then do check it out!

So back to the books I read this month!

1 Once Upon an Eid edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed – This book is pure joy! It was such a wonderful book to read and had me sobbing and crying happy tears. Go preorder this book!

Rating: 5/5

2 More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed Masood – I was so beyond disappointed by this book. Youc an read my review here

Rating: 1/5

3 The Wolf of Oren Yaro by K.S. Villoso – I enjoyed this book I especially loved the world and how flawed and complex the main character was

Rating: 3/5

4 There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon – This book was absolutely adorable! I loved the body positivity in it too

Rating: 5/5

5 Split by Muhammad Khan – This short story was a world book day book and it was really great to see a character that had been mentioned but not one we got to see much of

Rating: 4/5

6 More to the Story by Hena Khan – This was such a wonderful retelling of Little Women I absolutely adored it!

Rating: 5/5

7 Misogynation by Laura Bates – This was a really interesting read and made me so mad at times. Highly recommend listening to it

Rating: 5/5

8 We Should all be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche – A reread which I enjoyed just as much the second time

Rating: 5/5

9 The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley – This was a lovely book where we get to see Jane Austen through the eyes of her niece.

Rating: 3/5

10 Outspoken by Veronica Reuckert – This book challenged me and taught me a lot.

Rating: 3.5/5

11 A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir – Wow! I loved the sequel even more the second time reading it and I cannot wait to dive into Reaper next month!

Rating: 5/5

12 Dear Ijewale by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche – Another reread which I did enjoy reading again

Rating: 4/5

13 Period Power by Nadya Okomato – I loved this book so much! Especially that it was inclusive of people of colour and was not condescending (like I have seen in other period books) towards other people’s faith or beliefs

Rating: 5/5

14 Yes, I’m Hot in This by Huda Fahmy – I needed a good laugh and this book delivered!

Rating 5/5

15 The Fever King by Victoria Lee – I enjoyed this book but I did feel it dragged a lot in the middle

Rating: 3/5

16 Pride by Ibi Zoboi – I was totally hooked on this book right from the beginning! I loved it so much!

Rating: 5/5

17 The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell – A reread so I can read the sequel and I loved it even more!

Rating: 4.5/5

18 The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty – This book was PHENOMENAL. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. I cannot put into words how much I loved this book and this whole trilogy!

Rating: 5/5

I also started Finale by Stephanie Garber by ended up DNFing about 100 pages in because I realised I didn’t care what happened. I really loved Caraval but I didn’t enjoy Legendary much or Finale enough to finish it.

So that’s everything I read this month!

I also shared reviews for these books:

That Can Be Arranged by Huda Fahmy
Thorn by Intisar Khanani
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

I also wrote these blog posts this month:

What Made Me A Reader for World Book Day
I shared my journey with feminism and What Feminism Means To Me
I shared a reflection on a theme that is throughout the Quran. Talking about how remembering Jannah (paradise) helps me through difficult times. You can read it here

I started a new blog series about Inspirational Muslim Women throughout History. Here are the posts I shared this month

1 Nusaybah bin Ka’ab – A warrior and activist
2 Khadijah bint Khuwaylid – A businesswoman and first person to become Muslim

So that’s everything for this month! What was your favourite read? Share any blog posts you loved reading or writing so I can check them out!