Followers

August 29, 2009

Taraweeh at home


A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. I was hoping to be able to pray taraweeh salaah this year at the masjid but little Aami had different ideas. She is going through a phase where she wants NO ONE but her mama. So alhamdulillah I am unable to pray. Or...so I thought. ;-)

My husband (jazakallahu khair habib) informed me that even taraweeh prayer can be made at home, alone. I had mistakenly thought it had to be made in Jumaat and with a hafiz leading. He explained that if my niyyat (intention) was clear, my rakaat made at home with whatever amount of Qur'an I had memorized would be accepted insha'allah the same as if I made it in the masjid.

Sister, I have to tell you it was very beautiful. Of course I miss hearing Hafiz Noman's voice (may Allah bless him and give him Jannah amin). However as I cannot speak Arabic often my mind would astaghfirallah begin to wander, no matter how hard I tried to concentrate.

This way, I was in the privacy of my own home. I recited as much Qur'an as I knew and I prayed so sincerely to Allah swt. Since these were surah I already knew, I understood the meaning of what I was reciting. I felt as if I were almost in a trance, in a meditative state. It was very beautiful, very spiritual. I made such heartfelt du'a at the end of each 4 rakaat cycle; I really felt connected and full of love and piety alhamdulillah.

Of course I waited until Aaminah was asleep. ;-) I would encourage any sisters who have difficulty attending taraweeh to do the same. It felt very satisfying spiritually to be able to make nafil prayers, to be able to do the superogatory acts of ibaadah (worship).

I pray that Allah swt accepted my prayers and my fasts, forgives me of my sins, and answers my dua. Amin.

Ma a salaam,

Umm Aaminah

Another great bargain idea


A'salaamu alaikum. I forgot to tell you about another great way to save money on your Islamic clothing. I tend to dress in traditional abaya and khimars so I can't really just go to Ross and pull something off the rack and make it more modest. :-)

I really love to "window shop" at SunnahStyle. I do wish they offered other basic colors besides black but alhamdulillah I have no problem with that color either! I had my eye on the above abaya for a while; I searched on eBay but to no avail. I could not justify spending $56.00 PLUS shipping on it.

Alhamdulillah SunnahStyle now sells their factory seconds on their blog www.blog.sunnahstyle.com I like to think I had a hand in it; I had asked them a few months back if they ever sold abayaat with a crooked seam or small tear, etc.

Anyhoo, they had one of the Desert Sands Bisht Abaya on there for a STEAL at $20.00. I paid $8 shipping so alhamdulillah was under $30 total. Now this one did have 2 tears; one just really a slight area, the other more substantial. They show ALL flaws fully. I knew these would both fall under my khimar plus I was confident I could repair them. Alhamdulillah I was able to fix them and now I have a beautiful new abaya for half price (although still more than I normally pay!).

Ramadan mubarak,

Umm Aaminah

Bargain shopping or 1/2 off Saturdays at Goodwill!


A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! As a mother of 3 who has never been wealthy, I learned how to bargain shop early on. From groceries to clothing, I give anything a try! At our local halal market, you can get halal zabiha meat for 1/2 off if you take the frozen stock. Almost all of my Islamic clothing was purchased from eBay (used) for under $10.00 per abaya. I have splurged on 2 full price abayaat; masha'Allah they were worth it!

Anyway the last weekend of every month is 1/2 off weekend at Goodwill. These are charity stores that accept donations, then sell the items while training mentally or physically challenged persons work skills. I won't normally shop there otherwise because sometimes I find them overpriced. :-)

Alhamdulillah I am glad I went this weekend. I picked up another large (25") suitcase for our impending trip to Dubai insha'Allah. It is one of the American Tourister wheeled canvas bags. This one has alhamdulillah seen a few better days but it is serviceable and fairly lightweight. I've seen so many beautiful new luggage sets ruined in one flight so I am not stressed over that. PLUS I got it for $7.50 after the discount. Oh yeah!

Then I also found some things for Aami as you can see in the pic above. For a grand total of $7.07 I got the following:

1. pair of light up (not my fave thing) pink and white Elmo tennis shoes. These are in great shape, her size, and super cute.

2. pair of white Circo (Target brand) sandals in almost unused condition. These are 2 sizes too big but insha'Allah she will grow into them. Cute.

3. A pair of gymboree white and yellow floral capri pants in t-shirt material. These are so soft and really sweet. A size 3 but she will be in them before I know it!

4. A really cute pair of lime green shorts with the adjustable waist. They are a size 2T but with the adjustable waist they fit her now and insha'Allah for a while into the future. She has a couple of cute little t-shirts that needed bottoms to match.

5. A beautiful, soft, pink cotton sundress. This is a 4T but the quality was so nice it's worth it to save. Plus in dresses you can almost take it in a little under the arms and voila! extend the life by a year or so insha'Allah.

6. A long-sleeved light blue shirt with abstract design on the front for Alex. Alhamdulillah he isn't really a picky dresser. Zachary (my oldest) is pretty particular and he enjoys doing his own shopping. :-)

I also got a small folding hair dryer. Was $1.00 after the discount. Can't beat that. And....it works!

So I was very happy with my haul. I could have gotten her a sit 'n spin for $1.50 but she is still too young and she has alt of toys masha'Allah. So I opted to not.

I rarely (maybe never) paid full price for Aami's clothing. Yard sales, consignment sales and stores, sometimes clearance if the price is low enough. And masha'Allah she is always dressed nicely.

Just wanted to share my experience with you and encourage you all to try it if you don't already. I feel it's very important to be a good stewardess with the money my husband provides through the bounty of Allah swt. My problem? Buying things that are merely decorative but alhamdulillah this time I resisted!

Wasalaam and Ramadan mubarak,

Umm Aaminah

August 26, 2009

Updated goals


*Alex, Aaminah, and Zack when she was just a couple of weeks old masha'Allah!*

A'salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. I pray this finds us all growing and striving for the sake of Allah swt.

Soooo to the point of my post. I have decided to revise my Ramadan goals to better reflect the reality of my life. :-) Please see below:

1. I will try to not stress when taking Aami to the masjid for iftar and she tramples plates of food, spills cups of milk, and screams while rubbing her tongue because she got a bit of spice on it. :-) lol

2. I will try to not stress when I am trying to pray maghrib and isha and suddenly a very sweet and chunky little girl HURLS herself at me, full-speed, onto my prostrate body. Often pulling my hijab up in the process.

3. I will try to not notice when said little girl insists on being picked up and held during prayer, and then proceeds to give me the SWEETEST little kisses over and over, as if to make up for her antics in the dining area.

4. I will do my best to not notice when she also plays the body part game with me and practically skewers my eyeball on her little finger or shoves her finger into my nostril while saying "nose, nose" :-)

5. I will try to not be disappointed when the beautiful little Barakah from Allah keeps me from my goal of attending taraweeh prayer because she just doesn't' want to be out of her mommy's sight. Say masha'Allah. :-)

6. I will work on being more grateful for everything in my life and thank Allah for it daily. Even when at times it just doesn't seem to be what I wanted or asked for. ;-) Such as being apart from my husband (Ya Abdu, I miss you!!!) or having to work outside of the home (no matter how much I love my job, I just don't want to while Aami is so little). Let's all say Alhamdulillah and mean it.

7. Finish the Qur'an by the end of the month. This is the resolution I will INSHA'ALLAH absolutely stick with. Please pray for me that I am able to complete it. Of course it will be in English; I cannot read Arabic yet; I am still learning my letter, their sounds, and how they connect.

8. Keep iftar and suhoor simple, filling, and healthy. Khalas.

I feel much better with my amended goals. I don't like to fall short of what I set for myself; I also want to grow and not place my goals too low. However with being mother to a toddler I really feel this is giving it my all. Dang. lol Next year insha'allah, next year...

August 21, 2009

Ramadan Mubarak and sicky icky baby girl


A'salaamu alaikum ya'll and a great big southern Ramadan Mubarak! Now can't you just imagine how that sounds in my accent? :-)

I have a list of things (internal) I want to work on this Ramadan:

1. Praying each salaah as soon as it is called. Sometimes with Aami (or other less important reasons) I get sidetracked. The shaitaan would like nothing more than to make us leave off our prayers! Alhamdulillah the shaitaan are shackled during Ramadan so insha'allah may we be successful in all our personal endeavors.

2. Work on Arabic everyday. Whether it's listening AND practicing my pronounciation or working on writing and recognizing the letters, at least 15 minutes.

3. Learn one new Surah. I think I will learn Surat-an-Nas insha'Allah.

4. Try to read my English translation Qur'an in order to keep pace with Taraweeh. On the night I don't babysit (we have babysitting for Taraweeh at our masjid) insha'Allah I will read along

5. Eat only halal zabiha meat. Here in my city we only have one fresh meat grocer and its double what I pay at the grocer. I have read opinions by Shaikhs who say it's ok, say Bismillah, etc. but i know inside I feel guilty. Make dua that Allah makes this easy on me amin.

OK I don't wanna overload myself. I like to keep my goals doable because let's be honest, we still have our normal lives as well; work, cleaning house, cooking, caring for the children, etc.

Now to Aami. She is having a case of the yucky snotty nose which in turn is giving her a cough which is IN TURN making her gag and get sick. :-( So I've been cleaning up the floor alot the past few days. Now her little nose is raw and sore. I need to just use my hand and water to clean it, no more toilet paper.

I have my boys this weekend as well so I'll probably be a little too busy to log on. Insha'Allah I pray every one has a great start to their Ramadan!

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah

August 19, 2009

Up before Fajr


A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. This morning I was awake when the time for fajr came in. Subhanallah it was so peaceful so quiet. Even Aaminah was uncharacteristically silent, no rustlings coming from her crib.

This is a beautiful time of morning. I have been trying to wake up in the last 1/3 of the night (as this is when Allah is closest to us) and pray. Alhamdulillah I have been waking up most mornings but have only been making du'a (although heartfelt) but not actually offering a nafil rakat of prayer. It seems with the baby still small I am always right on the verge of being soooooo tired. :-) and sleep beckons me.

So this morning found me awake before the alarm enjoying the silence and peace that filled my house. You may be wondering why I only speak of Aaminah and myself when I have 2 sons and a zawj. Well isn't that a story in itself? lol

My sons are from a previous (pre-reversion) marriage and they stay mainly with their father. Aaminah is in LOVE with her brothers and follows them around constantly when they are here! It's really very sweet to see.

As for 3abdullah, he is in UAE at the present working. We have been married for 3 months now alhamdulillah but have yet to live together. I have been soo patient ukhtis! :-) Insha'allah we are praying to be together before the end of Ramadhan; please make du'a that Allah swt removes this hardship from us and allows us the simple, basic, often taken for granted pleasure of being with our spouse insha'Allah.

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah

I can fast this year, alhamdulillah!


A'salaamu alaikum. I received some very good news today in regards to my health and fasting. I spoke with a Muslim doctor in my community and he said I could fast this year.... with some caveats. :-)

I had a kidney transplant in 2002 and one way you try to ensure a healthy, long life for your new transplanted best friend ;-) is to drink plenty of water, take your medications on time, and in general live a healthy lifestyle insha'allah.

This will insha'Allah be my fourth Ramadhan and I had never been completely convinced which way I should go. My non-Muslim doctors of course merely said, "Don't fast!" as if I were a complete idiot to even contemplate it.

My friends, out of concern for me, said "Don't fast!" because they love me and do not wish to see me sick.

Islam tells me "Don't fast" if doing so will cause me harm. This is where I decided I needed to look a little deeper into the situation.

Ramadhan 2006: Fasted almost the entire month. This was my first Ramadhan and overall feel it was a good learning experience. It's hard to get it all together. :-)

Ramadhan 2007: I was newly pregnant with my daughter Aami. Due to complications with the pregnancy and my kidney issue I did not fast very much. I would fast every couple of days or so. I really craved the "Ramadhan experience" but was worried about hurting my kidney and the baby.

Ramadhan 2008: Tired of not feeling like I was really getting the most out of Ramadhan, I decided to do a modified fast. I am NOT saying this fulfilled the requirements of fasting; I am saying I wanted to do as much as I felt was safe for me to do. So I did not eat all day but I did drink water with my medication (if not it burns my stomach lining) and if I felt dehydrated I would drink water. I felt like I was getting more benefit from Ramadhan but still wasn't satisfied.

Ramadhan 2009: The year of the comeback! Alhamdulillah I finally did the *right* thing and spoke with a MUSLIM doctor who will intelligently weigh the benefits and risks and advise me accordingly. He said there is of course a mild to moderate risk of losing kidney function from 15 hours of no drinking. He said also if one has strong faith and puts their trust in Allah WHILE doing as much as they can to protect themselves they should feel ok to fast.

I put my kidney at a moderate to severe risk to carry Aaminah. We take calculated risks all the time if we feel confident in the outcome. I have decided the blessings I will get more than make up for the possible risk. The dr. also suggested I do a blood test before Ramadhan (I better hurry) and then another 4-5 days out to gauge my function. If it has dropped then I should stop the fasting.

Insha'allah I will be able to fast completely this year. It is my desire to experience everything my ummah experiences, to know the hunger, the thirst, and to purify myself through these acts of expiation.

Please make du'a for me that Allah swt protects and guides me. May He make my pride lessened so if I need to ask for His mercy in this matter I will not be too stubborn.

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah

August 18, 2009

What? No eggs?


*This is the little allergy-girl the day she turned 1 masha'allah tabarakallah!*


A'salaamu alaikum. My 14 month old daughter Aaminah was recently diagnosed with an allergy to eggs. Alhamdulillah it isn't a severe one; she breaks out in hives if something containing a small amount of egg is ingested and vomits profusely if she eats plain eggs. So the latter is easy to control but you don't know HOW MANY THINGS contain egg until you start reading the labels!

As a Muslim in the west, I am used to reading labels looking for the hidden haram, the gelatin, the animal protein that remains unnamed.:-) Alhamdulillah now almost every food has a warning stating "Packed/Processed in a plant that handles nuts/eggs/wheat" etc. Or it states outright what is contained.

I have found myself now needing to learn how to make homemade noodles! Of course you can get eggless noodles but ALL of them I found was processed in a plant that also handles egg products. The recipes are easy but look a bit time-consuming. Insha'allah I will make them one day and post the end result on here. :-)

Even if a small amount of cooked egg doesn't harm her the allergist said continual exposure can lengthen the amount of time she keeps her allergy. So I am trying to be very diligent.

She has had a couple of episodes, one very severe and the others requiring only benadryl which does knock her out. The first time I gave it to her I kept checking on her to make sure she was breathing! I have been a mother for 16 years alhamdulillah but I still over-worry about some things.

Insha'allah please make du'a for us that she outgrows this allergy and that I am always cautious and careful in any foods she eats. Alhamdulillah as I cook aat home I can control what she eats; it's being at friends' houses (especially during Ramadhan!) that makes me uneasy.


Wasalaam,


Umm Aaminah

August 17, 2009

*Neat* Ramadhan craft


NOTE: As this is something that goes outside we chose to use the word "God" instead of the beautiful name Allah out of respect.

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! Our local Muslim Girl Scout troop made these last Ramadhan. They were really cute and super easy. Our troop varied from 5 to 12 years of age so we really had to work at finding projects that could span that age range insha'allah.


You need a wreath form (we liked the grapevine wreaths), spray paint, ribbon, small wooden stars and cresent moons, co-ordinating paints, wooden banner, metallic marker, foam cut outs, and of course scissors and glue.


We painted the wreaths first. We chose a silver & blue color theme so we spray-painted the wreaths silver a few days before hand. The girls wrapped contrasting blue ribbon around their wreaths. Then the girls wrote out some key words about Ramadhan (we brainstormed this as a group masha'allah) and tied them to the wreath with ribbon.


We had some moon and star cut-outs as well as a banner cut out for the top of the wreath. We let the girls paint these as they liked (but due to interesting color choices we did limit what paints we put out!). lol


These wreaths were really nice when finished and we view it as a sort of dawah. Insha'allah when neighbors pass by my door and see this wreath, they will insha'Allah learn just a little bit more about Islam. It is also really nice to do a "Five pillars of Islam" wreath which can stay out year round of course.

As the co-leader I am always busy helping the girls masha'allah. Therefore my wreath didn't turn out as nice. :-) Hazard of the job. Plus when I moved last year I obviously lost my "Ramadhan" banner. I'll have to fix this before I put it on my door but at least you get the basic idea.

Wasalaam,


Umm Aaminah

August 16, 2009

Mb'atten unstuffed or lazy mb'atten :-)



Salaam ya'll! My zawj 3abdullah is originally from Libya and I decided I wanted to try my hand at some Libyan food. I love to cook and I really love to take care of my family so I thought this would be a perfect way to show him I care about his culture and heritage.

Libya isn't reknowned for it's cuisine. It has simple, fresh whole foods, lots of seafood and grains, breads, veggies and fruits . It has influences from Italy (which you can see in the way they use tomatoes to make thick rich sauces and noodle dishes) and of course from Arabic and African cuisine as well. So culinarily speaking the country is a bit of a melting pot. It was a little difficult to find recipes that appealed to my taste buds and were authentically Libyan.

Enter mb'atten! This is a delicious little stuffed-potato sandwich. Normally you would take a peeled potato and slice it to within a half inch or so of the bottom to make a nice little potato pocket to hold your meat and veggie filling. One potato would make 3 to 5 sandwiches. However, being ummi to 14 month old active Aami I decided to make "mb'atten unstuffed" or lazy mb'atten, whichever way you want to look at it. :-) The original deep-fried stuffed potato recipe was just too time-intensive and I also felt a wee bit guilty about all that yummy deep frying.

I enjoy taking photos of the foods I prepare so I already had photos of this delish dish. Also just so you know, I have absolutely NO qualms about taking a dish and making it my own. So I might add grated carrots or spinach to a dish if I think it will taste good, add needed color, or make it a bit more nutritious.

Also I would normally put in a picture tutorial however Blogger has made it difficult so I think for this post I'll just use the end-result pic. BTW, when my zawj saw the photo of it he said, "Hyati, that looks very delicious but.....that is NOT mb'atten!" lol Guess I should have explained my process first!

Before you start, take 1-2 cups of basmati rice and rinse 3 times in hot water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes and then prepare as normal. For me, that means I empty the 3rd rinse water and add a mere 1 1/4 cups of water or chicken broth for every cup of SOAKED rice. A bit of salt, butter and turmeric for color are musts for me. I also often add some cardamom pods and cinnamon stick at this point at well. Bring to a boil, turn down to low, cover and cook til the liquid is absorbed (12 to 15 minutes insha'Allah).

OK on to the recipe!

1. Finely dice your onion and green pepper. It really doesn't matter how much or how little. :-) I am a home cook, not a chef or a baker and I don't deal in absolutes. I used one large onion and one large green pepper. Adjust it to suit your tastes.

2. Sautee your aromatics (in this case garlic and ginger) in a skillet over medium heat for approx. 3 to 5 minutes. Let it get nicely browned but not too dark.

3. Add your onions and green pepper and allow to sautee for an additional 3 minutes or so.

4. Next place the meat in the skillet. I used ground beef but of course you could substitute ground lamb or even turkey. Make it yours! I also add a couple of cinnamon sticks at this point; what a great flavor and depth it adds.

5. Salt and pepper your dish now as well.

6. Peel your potatoes (I used 4 good sized ones) and cut in half lengthwise. Then slice into 1/8 inch slices. You want them to be nice and soft insha'allah when the dish is done. Sprinkle some turmeric on them if you like a nice yellow color. We do.

7. Place potatoes in the skillet with your meat mixture. I also add some chopped, thawed spinach but you can use of course fresh or canned. I prefer frozen for the quality and ease of prep. :-) I also sometimes add grated carrots at this step too; just do what feels right!

8. Cover your skillet and cook for about 30 minutes, CAREFULLY stirring ocassionally. Take care to not break up your potatoes.

9. Heat until your potatoes are thoroughly cooked and then either mix this with your rice or serve side by side. I often also offer yogurt with this on the side.

10. Say "Bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem" and ENJOY!

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah


August 15, 2009

The plight of our Afghani sisters


A'salaamu alaikum sisters, I felt I needed to share this with you. I enjoy learning about different cultures and regions and realized I knew very little about Afghanistan so I decided to do some research.

One of the recurring themes I found was the appallingly high maternal mortality rate in rural Afghanistan. One particular area, Badakhshan, has the second highest rate in the world. Second only to the Sierre Leone.

As I looked at these photos of our sisters suffering I was overcome by tears. I prayed for them, for them and all of our culturally-oppressed sisters, I prayed that Allah swt would increase their iman and sabr and grant them Jannah, amin. I wanted to stroke their hair and whisper to them, "I am your sister and I love you for the sake of Allah swt".

One sister I read about was an especially heart-rending, although all too-common case. She somehow alhamdulillah was able to make it to Faizabad Hospital from her rural home. Normally this entails 12 hours to 3 days of travel through mountainous passes, often on the back of a donkey. :-( Many women cannot make the trip at all but alhamulillah Sr. Qamar's husband knew she needed medical assistance and he was not too proud to take her.

After the grueling journey they arrived at the hospital and alhamdulillah she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. However, the ravages of tuberculosis had taken a severe toll on her body and she began to fall more ill. Eventually Sr. Qamar succumbed to the combined effects of meningitis, hypothermia, and toxoplasmosis. The hospital staff was unable to do anything more for her than give her oxygen and watch her health decline.

Now her husband is left with a baby boy to raise, no job, no prospects, no way to provide the milk Sr. Qamar's baby so desperately needs. Ukhtis, this broke my heart. Alhamdulillah according to the report Sr. Qamar was buried in a respectable and Islamic manner and may Allah swt grant her the highest stations of paradise and give her recompense for the harshness she endured in this life amin.

I don't consider myself an overly-emotional person but seeing the faces of my sisters in pain was more than I could bear stoically. I had tears in my eyes as I made du'a for them and for all of our ummah. The small things most of us take for granted, such a clean surgery room or sterile bandages, these women do not have access to such luxuries. A pint of blood can cost upwards of $100 there; a staggering amount for some of the poorest on our planet.

Please this Ramadan let's remember our brothers and sisters who never have enough to eat, who struggle to find clean water, who cannot access the most basic of medical care. Let's fast and when we feel the hunger gnawing at our gut take comfort in the fact that we will eat that day insha'allah. And let's remember those who won't.
May Allah swt have mercy on us all,
Umm Aaminah

Salaam and nice to meet you!

A'salaamu alaikum! Jazakallahu khair for stopping by. You know I have been checking out alot of Muslimah blogs recently (it's became a new "after baby goes to bed" passtime!) and I have a pretty clear idea of what I want from this blog.

I want it to be a place where I can share my random thoughts, recipes, and little daily triumphs. I want it to be a place where my readers (oh readers, please stop by!) can come and enjoy a vicarious view into someone else's world. That is one of the things I enjoy so much about reading my sisters' blogs: the chance to learn about others in our ummah, their joys and struggles, their heartaches and achievements.

I don't want this to be a place for criticism or debate. No debaters or haters, please. :-) I am not a sheikha, I cannot issue fatwas nor do I seek it from others. Just come in, be my sister, share your thoughts and insha'allah enjoy this little glimpse into my life.

Well I think normally introductions are in order at this point. I may already *know* many of you from reading your blogs so I think it's only fair you learn a bit about myself as well. I won't repeat what is in the little blurb "about me" in my profile; just click the link!!!

Let's see, I'm 36 (creeping steadily towards 37insha'Allah!) and I have found more peace and joy in the past-sometimes tumultuous- 3.5 years than I have in my entire life. Islam has given me purpose and a plan for my life that I was lacking before alhamdulillah.

A couple of random (I think interesting things) about me would be:

1. I had a kidney transplant in 2002 after 10 years of kidney disease and 3 yrs of dialysis. Subhanallah I was given a second chance at life. Allahuakbar! I also conceived, carried, and delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl post-transplant alhamdulillah!

2. I spent 6 weeks in India (Mumbai and Nagpur to be exact) DURING the monsoon season. :-) I did not live like a pampered "Amrikan" tourist; I lived like a normal working class Indian and came home with a new-found appreciation for tap water that didn't contain visible swimming "friends".

3. I don't hold grudges alhamdulillah. I simply forget to be angry. I call it "pretty bird" syndrome. It goes something like this: "Can you BELIEVE that guy cut me off! What nerve! I have a good mind to.... Oh look at that pretty bird!" :-) Yeah it can happen that quickly.

4. Alhamdulillah I work as the Administrator for our local Islamic community. It is a great honor and insha'Allah a constant source of hasanat for me. What fringe benefits!!!

5. Insha'Allah I should be posting from Ajman, UAE within a few weeks time. I will miss everyone here in beautiful GREEN Tennessee but am excited to live temporarily in a Muslim majority country. (I don't say Islamic country and I think we all know why.)

Insha'allah I hope to get to know more about you my sisters in our beautiful ummah as well. Please feel free to comment and leave a little random fact about yourself!

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah