On being a female in a Muslim household in Ramadan..

Girls. I need to rant about something. Y'all know how much I love fasting. It makes me sad when I can't. But it's that time of the month right now. And it's slap bang in the middle of our blessed month. Which means I can't fast. 

It also means I can eat whatever I want; but the thing is.. I just - I just CAN'T okay, it's really hard!! Not because I physically can't, or I feel like I should be fasting (although I do sometimes feel like the latter). No it's neither of those. It's just.. how do I eat without getting caught by the opposite gender? They're usually clueless about the whole period thing..

 Let me walk you through the awkwardness and problems I face when it comes to this issue and how I deal with it.. or how I try not to deal with should be much more an accurate of a description, LOL

At first, I try and eat stealthily. When they're in masjid, when they're at work, when they're napping. I tip toe across the creaky landing outside my room and lightly jump over a couple equally creaky stairs like a cat stalking its prey, flee to the kitchen and find something to eat that won't leave a mess, a scent or any dishes to wash. 

But then... *horror music* they come home early, or they wake up from their nap and instinctively walk to the kitchen for a snack and BAM they find you stuffing your face with Jaffa cakes with a cuppa on your right and a half eaten tube of Pringles on your left and time freezes for a moment and you're just stood there like AW POOP NO I'VE BEEN CAUGHT! 

So now what do I do? Do I flat out tell them the reason?

Me: ...

Them: OMG YOU'VE BROKEN YOUR FAST?! 

Me: ohai.. um.. yeah I'm on my er.. you know.. my erm... *mumbles* period..

Them: Your what?

Me: *flails at the prospect of having to explain menstruation to her 15 year old brother*

(or alternatively)

Them: Oh.. *awkward silence*

Me: *flails inwardly just as awkwardly*

DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? If I wouldn't tell someone I'm on my period on a normal day, why am I going to tell them now?! Obviously I try to avoid this situation. I mean who wouldn't? Maybe someone who wasn't dropped in a pool of awkward as soon as they were born and can deal with stuff like this in a mature way.. heh.

The only alternative left is for me to not eat, or flat out lie by saying I'm ill. Or bring up a fruit basket* up into my room and put a lock on the door. 

*sigh*. #muslimgirlproblems

Luckily, (even though I don't believe in luck, I just couldn't find a better word) I have actually been ill and have been given some meds so I can just half lie and say the doctor told me not to fast if they ever catch me. xD Teehee! *rubs hands with glee*

How do you deal with your time of the month in Ramadan?

*And by fruit basket I mean a basket full of Jaffa Cakes. And Pringles. Lots of Pringles..

Something I've noticed about the beauty world this Ramadan..

WHY does EVERYTHING I own and use on a daily basis smell of delicious, mouthwatering food? 

Everything I use when I wake up in the morning or through the day smells of something fruity or foody, and it only makes my fast seem just that tiny bit harder..!

*shakes fist at pile of stuff*

Now I know what you're thinking. Mary, you're just hungry and missing food, that's all! You won't notice this after Ramadan, no need to be so grumpy!

But YOU GUYS!!

The Nivea lip butter smells (and tastes) like caramel popcorn, the Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer of strawberries, the Garnier Pure Active moisturiser of cucumbers, the Clean & Clear Morning Energy moisturiser of papaya and lemon, and the EOS lipbalm of lemon!

It's almost enough to make me not want to use any of my skincare stuff LOL!

Seriously though what I want to know is.. what is it with the obsession in the beauty industry with making everything so heavily, fruitily scented? 

Actually I don't even know why I'm asking that question - I already know the answer.. 

I mean, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE LEMON FLAVOURED/SCENTED THINGS? I'm a slave to anything remotely related to lemon (T__T)

*sobs*

I mean, I'm pretty sure we don't need any of the scent the manufacturers put in the products, but let's be honest with ourselves. If you like the look of something.. and it also smells drool worthy.. you know you're more likely to end up popping that in your basket. Am I right? You know it's true! 

Well.. it is for me anyway.. (>.<)

Blaaaaaah. Maybe I am just being a bit grumpy. Someone tell me I'm right about whole scent thing, I mean it really is in almost every product we use (o.O) 

*sighs* I don't know. I'm off to eat some fruit chaat. Toodles!

(Oh and btw - it's a good thing I'm not using the EOS lipbalm anymore, I'm pretty sure I had an allergic reaction to it, it made my lips itchy and sore. :[ made me sad because I was really looking forward to using it!)

Disclaimer: I bought this with my own money. All opinions are my own, I swear^^

Ramadan Mubarak! (^__^)

Salaam and hello everyone! Guess what?

RAMADAN IS HERE!!

 *bounces off the walls in excitement* 

*squeals like a child*

*moonwalks across her room* 

SDJFKLDSADFSGKHASLDFGHFDSKAJGSHDK;LS!!!

...

Sorry (>.<) I'm just REALLY REALLY excited xD 

It's definitely my favourite month in the WHOLE YEAR, and I wait for it to come back as soon as it ends - that is how much I love this precious month! (♥__♥)

For anyone interested in the topic, I will definitely be posting some Ramadan related posts this month, In Shaa Allah! 

However, if you're curious about Ramadan and want to know what it's all about, you'll be glad to know I have already posted a couple of posts on the subject last year, so instead of typing it all out again I shall leave you with a link to a brief overview of the basics of Ramadan for you to read at your leisure by clickety clacking here~

Right, I'm off to type up some more posts! If you're curious about anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to leave your question(s) in the comments below - remember, there is no such thing as a silly question! (^__^)

Eid Gift Ideas ♥

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, The Merciful.

In Shaa Allah this post finds you in the best of health and Imaan, and that you are all having a good Ramadan!

The Prophet (saw) said:

“Exchange gifts, as that will lead to increasing your love to one another.” 
(Al-Bukhari)

Now, even though I don't want to think about Ramadan ending, even though it's making me feel really sad just remembering that there are only a few days left of this blessed month, I have decided to put my feelings aside to write up a post on what I think might come in useful for those who may need some last minute ideas and tips on what to give as Eid presents!

Budget:
First thing you need to do, is to have a budget. Set a budget and buy gifts according to the age and the interest of the people in question. Try to spend your money wisely and on things that the person will use/benefit from.

Ideas:
Seeing as the Holy month of Ramadan is ending and that we are most likely closer to our Deen than we are compared to most of the year, a good gift would be one that would encourage and aid the recipient in their good deeds and Islamic obligations.

In case you're stuck and need some inspiration, here are some suggestions:

- Is the person you are gifting a bookworm? As well as BookCentre.co.uk, I recommend Minhaj.co.uk for books on various Islamic topics. Topics include biographies, Islam & Science, Women in Islam.. you name it they'll have it!

-   Are you giving the gift to a child? Look online or at your local Islamic store for some Islamic childrens books. A good site to find some is BookCentre.co.uk. They ship worldwide and shipping is included in the price. They also sell toys and games - I've even seen a Muslim version of Snakes and Ladders!

-   Is it someone who loves music? There are plenty of nasheed artists out there now that do some amazing work. My personal favourite has to be Sami Yusuf - his music helped me come closer to my Deen when i was a teen. My favourite album of his is My Ummah.

Another good idea is to give them something practical, or something that they need. 

For example if it's a uni student, you could give them a gift card for Waterstones/WHSmith/Amazon to buy one of their books for their course. If they're a new hijabi, you could put together a hijabi essentials kit.

If it's someone who travels a lot, you could get them a new bag and stick in some everyday essentials and things that will come in handy - such as hand sanitizer, hand cream, a nice lip balm, a mini first aid kit, a spare phone battery, a pair of sturdy headphones, a cute notebook & pen for jotting down notes, etc. It all depends on the person in question really!

I find that when I get given practical gifts myself, I appreciate them more. It feels like some thought has gone into it - anyone can give a box of chocolates or mithai. But maybe that's just me and my way of thinking about things ☺

Anyhoo, hope I helped anyone stuck for ideas for Eid gifts - or just gifts in general really. If you have any suggestions feel free to comment below - sharing is caring m'dears (^__^)

♥♥♥

Minty Madness: Aquafresh Extreme Clean Whitening Toothpaste

I know what you're thinking. Mary.. are you feeling alright? You're blogging about.. toothpaste? Either you're running out of things to blog about or this is a sponsored post.. 

Well, it's neither. Well.. it's definitely not the latter. xD

..but seriously. This stuff is amazing. You know when you've been fasting for long hours, and your mouth gets a little bit plaque-y and also really blarghhhhh-ey (technical term :P)? No? Just me?

Well mine does, and I hate it. When I'm hungry, I don't talk much at all, and that results in my mouth feeling and tasting kind of er.. unpleasant. Which sucks to be honest, because I don't want the person I'm talking to to be feeling nauseous because of my stinky breath. >.<

 When I saw this in Bodycare for 99p, I picked it up because I'd been wanting to try a whitening toothpaste, and although I haven't seen much of a change in the whiteness of my teeth (I've only been using it for about a week or so), I have noticed that this leaves my mouth feeling squeaky clean far longer than my usual toothpaste Colgate ever has. Ever!

On the plaque front, I can honestly say that I only start feeling as though I have some plaque on my teeth after a good 10/11 hours. That's a really long time! Although I'm assuming it would be a couple of hours less if I were to be eating during the day, but still.

It also leaves my tongue feeling clean, and even my gums feeling fresh! If that's even possible. Maybe it's just me who notices these things. :P I can also confirm that any bad breath caused by fasting has been significantly reduced (cheers for the info, baby brother.. LOL).

The taste is kind of unusual for a toothpaste. It tastes like Lockets but without the honey and mixed with mint. Not sure if I like it to be honest but I don't actually mind because the benefits outweigh this one wee little thing. (^__^)

So yeah.. there's my Minty Madness post for this week! I just had to share it - what can I say, I really am loving this stuff. xD
Till next time, stay beautiful my lovelies! xo

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.

The Virtues of Iftaar/Iftaari

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

In Shaa Allah you're having a lovely day ☺ Todays topic is on the virtues of Iftaar! 

Just as there are great blessings in the meal taken before beginning our fasts, likewise Iftaar (i.e. the breaking of the fast) has its own unique blessings. Hadhrat Umar (ra) narrates that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

'Not a single prayer made by a fasting person at the time of breaking fast is rejected'

(Ibn Majah)

SubhaanAllah, God is so Merciful! Truly, we are a blessed Ummah to be granted such a thing. Make the most of it - ask Allah swt for His Pardon, and surely He will forgive you :-)

Another example of how generous Allah swt is, is in the following Hadith; where Zaid ibn Khalid Juhni related that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

'He who provides for the breaking of the Siyam of another person earns the same merit as the one who was observing Siyam without diminishing in any way the reward of the latter.'
(Tirmidhi)

 So if you help prepare and give food to a fasting person to open their fast with, you get the same amount of reward as they do, without the reward of the fasting person being reduced. So all the more incentive for you to help your mum prepare food for Iftaar! Haha :D

Timing is also very important when it comes to breaking our fast so when the sun has begun to set, we should hasten to open our fasts, as Abu Hurayrah narrates that the holy Prophet (PBUH) said

'Allah, Mighty and Majestic said, 'The most beloved of my servants in my sight are those who hasten when breaking their fast.'
(Tirmidhi)

So loving is He, that Allah swt does not want you to prolong your hunger and thirst any longer than necessary. Alhamdulillah. :-) With regards to the sunnah of breaking our fasts, the Messenger (PBUH) said:

'When one of you breaks his fast he should do so with dates for they provide blessing, but if he cannot get any he should break his fast with water for it is purifying.'
(Mishkat)

We also know that dates have many health benefits too. The flesh of the date is soft, easily digestible, and filled with simple sugars such as dextrose and fructose, which when eaten helps replenish your energy quickly and revitalise your body ASAP. This is especially beneficial for when you have been fasting all day and need a quick pick me up before evening prayer.

SubhaanAllah, we can see that there is logic behind everything in Islam - and that's what I love about it! I hope I've helped you in some way or another today, In Shaa Allah. Don't forget to share this with your friends and pass it on to others ☺

Everything good in this post is from Allah swt, and any & all mistakes are mine.

The Benefits of Sehri/Suhoor

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

I hope that when you're reading this you are in the best of health and imaan, In Shaa Allah! Today, I'll be sharing with you the benefits of Sehri/Suhoor.
Sehri is the meal eaten early in the morning before Muslims close their fasts - usually when the sky is entirely dark.

Abdullah ibn Harith reports that one of the sahaba said: 'I once visited the Prophet (PBUH), at a time when he  (PBUH) was busy partaking of suhoor. The Prophet (PBUH) then said:

'This is a thing full of blessings which Allah swt has granted you. Do not give it up.'

How great is Allah swt's favour upon us, that even the partaking of food before dawn for fasting is so greatly rewarded! All ulama' are agreed on it being mustahab (desirable). And even if we are only able to drink a sip of water or eat a single date, we will still receive blessings. SubhaanAllah.

It is highly recommended that you have this special meal; surely letting your laziness get in the way of obtaining great reward (that is so easy to get) is the height of foolishness!

Ibn Umar (ra) relates that the Prophet (PBUH) , said:

'Verily Allah swt and His mala'ikah (Angels) send mercy upon those who eat suhoor.'

Bearing in mind that this meal is eaten in the last portion of the night, a time in which supplications are answered, we should always take up the opportunity to make dua whilst sitting and eating the food 
that we have been blessed with. 

I hope I have given you enough incentive by now to get up and have some sehri, In Shaa Allah!
If not, then I have another hadith for you, related by Muslim on the authority of Amr ibn Al-Aas, 
who quoted the Prophet (PBUH) as saying: 

'The difference between our fasting and that of the people of earlier revelations is the suhoor meal.'

So, in conclusion, Sehri is a huge and unique blessing bestowed upon the Ummah of the beloved Prophet (PBUH). Not only is it an opportunity to arise and nourish ourselves which is seen as an act of worship in the eyes of Allah swt, but it also gives us the opportunity to performs other forms of Ibadah such as Fajr salaat, alongside the benefits I mentioned earlier.

That's all for today - do share this with your friends, and keep me in your duas In Shaa Allah, just like I keep you in mine☺ 

Everything good in this post is from Allah swt, and any & all mistakes are mine.

Am I exempt from fasting?

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Today's Ramadan related topic is on deferred and exemption from fasting.

Fasting is compulsory for every sane Muslim who has attained puberty. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and once you are able to do so, you are required to fast - it is obligatory.

However, in Islam, we believe that Allah swt never puts us through anything that He Knows we won't be able to get through. And with fasting, it is no exception - He has laid down some rules as to who is and is not obligated to fast, depending on their condition.

Deferred fasting, i.e. fasting at a later date, is permitted for the following groups of people:

♦     Pregnant women on medical grounds - this is an obvious one, because it would harm her child.
♦     Breastfeeding mothers - only if as a result of fasting her or her child's health suffers.

♦     Women who are menstruating - in Islam when women are on their period, we are prohibited from praying, fasting, and touching the Holy Qu'ran, as women are considered unclean in that state. Also, fasting and doing our five daily prayers on top of period pain/cramps would be too much for us to handle; another way Allah swt has shown how Compassionate and Merciful He is!

It makes me thankful that he allows us to relax and relieves us from our religious duties while we curl up with a hot water bottle >.<

 Aishah (ra) said: “When we had our periods at the time of the Prophet, we were ordered to compensate for fasting but not for prayers.”
(Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

♦     The young - although they are encouraged to fast so they are prepared for when they are obligated to when older (obviously here we are talking about kids 9+ not little children, and also the parents should know whether or not fasting will affect their childs health adversely and act appropriately).
♦     A person who is not of sound mind, e.g. the insane or someone mentally handicapped - again, this is obvious. It is unjust to make them do so.


“But he who is ill or on a journey shall fast instead the same number of days later on.” (The Holy Qur'an 2:185).


♦     A traveller on a journey of three or more days - the intent of this and the above verse is to not add any further hardship upon the person that is already taking up the hardship that comes with travelling for an extended period of time.
♦     A person whose health is likely to deteriorate as a result of fasting - once they have recovered and are not in any danger of getting worse if they fast, then they must make up their missed fasts immediately.
♦     Someone who is temporarily ill  - be it from a fever, a really bad cough, the flu.


But what if I can't make up my fasts later - what do I do then?


Well then you have to make up for it by paying to charity the equivalent of a meal for every fast missed. Type of food to be given as compensation should be:


♦     a regular, proper meal that they can eat, for example if red meat is part of a regular meal for you, you should give that as charity.
♦     If however, red meat is a luxury for you, then you should not give that, because you should only give what you can afford - yes you should give your due but that does not mean you should overdo it - you have to take care of your family and self also.
♦     Depending on where you are planning on giving the charity, it will vary from culture to culture - another thing to keep in mind. I don't think someone who lives on chapattis or rice would appreciate your donner kebab. Ahem.
♦     In regards to who you should give your charity to, you can feed various people, or feed one person many times, or a whole family a few times, as long as you make up for your fasts, that's all that matters.

The elderly (for obvious reasons), and the permanently ill (such as someone with diabetes, cancer, TB, terminally ill, etc.) fall into this category.


“Do not kill yourselves. God is compassionate to you.”
(The Holy Qur'an 4:29)


If someone fasts when they are unwell, in spite of his illness and bears the burden of fasting, his fast may be valid but his/her action is not commendable; God has granted him concession and has ignored His Mercy. God doesn't want you to strain yourself - He'll understand you know, He isn't called the Just Lord for nothing you know! >.<

Anyway, In Shaa Allah/God Willing this helped anyone out there who were unsure about anything regarding whether or not they should be fasting, or if you're a non Muslim and wanted to know just in general! ☺


Everything good in this post is from Allah swt, and any & all mistakes are mine.

Ramadan Mubarak! ♥

The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us, and for those of you who don't know much about it, I thought I'd do a wee little blog post about my favourite time of year. 

It has finally come around again, and just the thought of it being so near has made me the happiest I've been in ages, Alhamdulillah! I've been looking forward to it since it ended last year - yes, I love it that much! 

Every year, Muslims all over the world fast for a whole month. Not continuously of course - that'd be just silly! There are a few reasons we fast, the main one being because it is God's command. But the others are to learn self restraint, to help control our ego and tongue, to help us empathize and help the poor.

Fasting really helps us realise how blessed we are to have running water, a warm bed, a roof over our heads, hot, delicious food to eat at the end of the day.. It really opens our eyes to how much we take for granted.

'O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self restraint...' 

(The Holy Qur'an, 2:183)

So how does it work? What do we do when fasting? Well, we follow the traditions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him).

We fast from dawn till dusk, not only from food, water, smoking, and conjugal relationships, but doubly so from actions which are prohibited in a Muslims every day life such as lying, slandering, adultery, backbiting, obscene/abusive language, hurting other people, etc.

Traditions include:

♦     Eating just before dawn,

♦     Ending the fast at sunset, (which is about five minutes before before our evening prayer) with dates, water, or something sweet,

♦     Reciting the praise of and seeking the forgiveness of Allah the Almighty, the Most Merciful,

♦     Giving charity, particularly in the last 10 days of Ramadan,

♦     Performing the Taraweeh prayers with the last prayer of the day,

♦     And I'tkaaf, where you stay in the masjid (mosque) for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

There are of course more, but I thought I should keep my first post on this short and sweet (^__^) 

Now I'm off to write up a few more posts like this that I'll be posting throughout the month. They'll be (hopefully) handy hints and tips about fasting - I'll post them between my usual skincare posts. 

If you have any questions or requests, please comment below and let me know ☺ 

Everything good in this post is from Allah swt, and any & all mistakes are mine.