Inspired Muslimah

As salamu alaiykum sisters, ramadan is approaching with lightening speed! We are already in the month of shaban,alhamdullilah. I would like to start preparing myself for this wonderful spiritual cleansing we are blessed to participate in alhamdullilah. I have been muslim for a year and so when ramadan rolled around last year, I hadnt quite embraced all aspects of islam such as hijab and modesty. Since then I have come very far and I now observe hijab although I can admit this summer hasnt been easy. School starts for me in a few weeks and Im nervous how I will be received. There are a lot of muslimahs at my school but only one wears hijab. However, insha'allah I can overcome my fears and do whats right to please Allah (s.w.t). I will start preparing for ramadan by fasting twice weekly until it actually begins. This way I can feel how long an actual day of fasting is since ramadan falls in the summer months. Secondly, I will visit the muslim bookstore/all purpose store. I want to buy many things that remind me of islam and decorate the house. I have a den which I use as a office but I will put out my prayer rugs and turn it into a prayer room. I will research a masjid to attend for some of the taraweeh prayers and insha'allah get a friend to join me since I admit I dont feel all the way comfortable in the masjid, you can read about my last experience here. I know we are suppose to read the whole quran doing ramadan and I am looking for suggestions on how best to do this. Sisters, do you devise a plan, or do you just read a little every night in sequential order? Im not sure how to tackle this but this is why its important to start preparing for ramadan now. Get all your ducks in a row. My future SIL and I are planning an Eid sleepover at a hotel. We plan on getting a suite, and having a Eid celebration and halaqa all in 1. There will be quran reading,lots of good food, henna, and scarves and accessories for sale and to practice with. Im excited because I didnt quite get in the spirit last ramadan. I wasnt around any other muslims, I didnt wear my hijab all day (just when praying) and I didnt attend a single iftar! Hopefully, insha'allah this ramadan will be much different. I will start getting together recipes and ideas that I would like to try. I will also try them out in advance so that when ramadan is here, I dont spend all my time in the kitchen experimenting and can spend more time praying insha'allah. Other preparations include planning my very first iftar here at my apartment. I know a few sisters who I can invite and Im looking forward to doing this! I will have to plan very well for this ramadan, as it falls during a really tough block in school. However, school would not be possible without Allah and fasting and participating in ramadan is the least I can do but also is mandatory as it is one of the 5 pillars of islam. I plan to post actively during the month of ramadan to share my experience with others and document what an amazing spiritual revelation Im having. Im sooooo excited subhanallah!!

I have the honor of being tagged by M.J. from A Muslim Wife, NeverEver, and Umm Travis, so here its goes.....TEN THINGS ABOUT INSPIRED MUSLIMAH!

Salaams everyone, Im sorry I havent posted anything new in a while. I have been sick and soo busy with work lately but I have missed blogging so much! Not much new going on in my world. In 2 weeks Im going on a cruise to the bahama's and Im soo excited for a vacation,alhamdullilah! I even looked up some masjids in the bahama's and hopefully I will get a chance to visit them. I have been to the bahama's already but I am excited to go back. The shopping and aquarium in Atlantis are awesome and there is a lot to do. It should be a good trip,nice and relaxing and exactly what I need. After this trip, I plan to start preparing for ramadan, which is not that far away, isnt that something!! I cant believe its almost that time of the year again and I plan on it being a better one that last year for me. I am improving my deen and insha'allah I will be a better muslimah this upcoming ramadan. I plan to do lots of studying and reading to get prepared and I plan on buying a really nice abaya for Eid. WOW, that sounds crazy to be talking about outfits for Eid already. Whew! Where did the year go??? Alhamdullilah, we survived another year.

Salaams everyone, today is my bday. Im not doing much, just relaxing at my parents house. Ironically enough, its my sisters bday too. We were born on the same day 4 years apart, isnt that weird?? People always ask me does it bother me and I always say ofcourse not,for one, I dont know any other way and besides I love my sis to death, there is no one I'd rather share it with. So Im just chilling on the deck, listening the water from the fountain and thanking Allah (s.w.t) for blessing me with another year. Salaams. Here are some pics I just took. Im just sitting here, as you can see in the pics, and Im thanking Allah for all the blessings I have in my life. Its has been rough year for me ( only by my standards because everyone says Im spoiled, nothing major has happened) and Im starting to feel better about things and about life alhamdullilah.

Salaams sisters, I just wanted to share a little about info with you all today about a show that comes on the islam channel called city sister. Unfortunately here in the states we dont have this channel, actually Im not sure what countries do but how lucky are those who can take advantage of the islam channel. The website has so much cool info, alhamdullilah! I have seen city sisters posted on a few other muslimah websites but I bet there is a lot of sisters who dont know about it. City sisters is a show that comes on the islam channel weekly and group of muslimahs sit around and discuss issues such as islam, women in islam, hijab,family,fashion, recipes,ramadan and more. The awesome thing is even if you dont have this channel, you can watch the vid's online at their website.

I think this dress is sooo cute for a nice summer occasion such as a wedding. With the matching magenta scarf and cami, you can be cute, comfortable and in hijab. I heart those juicy couture gladiator sandals...so much I think I have to find them! I love the dress too, sooo pretty and glam. I love pink!

Salaams all my sisters in islam. Im Back.LOL. I have taken a much needed break from life, blogging, work and everything else. Prior to my vacation, I had been working a lot of hours and finishing a rough semester in pharmacy school. Im earning my doctorate of pharmacy ( pharm.D) and I have to say I am quite sick of school. I did the traditional college thing and went right after highschool to get my bachelors and my masters. I am now finishing up the pharm.d and had plans to go to law school as well but enough is enough. Iam tired of school and Iam ready to begin the next phase of my life. Marriage and children,insha'allah. Its hard finding the right person for you, ya know? I think I may have found him but I also have many reservations, which is not a good sign to me. Anyhow, I have been extremley busy and I went to washington d.c for a week on vacation. I am in LOVE with that city and I will definitly be moving there after graduation. I think what attracts me the most is the diversity I see all around me. I have to say the best thing I see while there is Muslims everywhere!!! Alhamdullilah!!!!! I love it. I feel so comfortable there. When I am in the mall or something, particulary Tysons corner, I am amazed. Sisters everywhere!! I must have visited 7 muesuems and guess what else?? I was on my way to the holocust musuem the day of the shooting!!!! I was walking down the street towards it when all of sudden I start hearing all this commotion, cops everywhere, helicopters above. I find out there has been a shooting at the museum and I am speechless because I was on my way. All I can say is Allah Akbar. Wow, I felt terrible for the victim and blessed that Allah spared me from witnessing it. Even still I love D.C. Its so wonderful and when I feel my deen slipping it would help to have a nice muslim community to be a part of. I feel like an outcast here sometimes. Most of the sisters I see around town look very different from me...

Also sisters, do you ever go through bouts of depression and you wonder what you did to Allah to make him upset. I know this sounds silly but I have been having the roughest time lately. My parents blame themselves because they say by spoiling me when I was a child, I have a unrealstic view of life and to a certain extent this is true. I have never struggled financially,mentally, or emotionally and now I feel a mess all around. I was making such progress with my deen and trying to do the right thing with my hijab and prayers and I feel like my love actually got harder instead of easier, which is what I anticipated. I thought if i did right by Allah, Allah would do right by me. Now before you misunderstand me. I know everyday I wake up that Allah has done right by me and actually I can work all of my life being a good muslim and will never be able to repay Allah for all he has given me. Iam soo thankful and grateful for my life and I have a great one. I just feel as if I am having a lot of bad luck lately and Iam down about it. My future MIL has told me what I am going though is typical because she said Allah only test the Believer. Prior to reverting to Islam, life was good and easy. Since my conversation, I have gained so much knowlege alhamdullilah, but I also experience many hardships. I feel like shayton has made it his personal business to ruin my life and Iam like why me Allah??? I was really like starting to feel like things were going my way and now all of sudden my life is totally craZy, unorganized and I dont even know where to begin on damage control??!!!

Partially my blues come from the fact that my birthday is coming up and I think every year around my bday I start evaluating my life and I when I fall short of my goals, I am extremley hard on myself. I never thought I would still be not married and have no children. I know I have plenty of time ( Im not even 30 yet) but why do I feel like my clock is ticking?! Does anyone else have these concerns. Now that I am muslim, I feel like it will be harder to find a mate.Especially in the city Im in...Like I mentioned before, I guess I am engaged but I dont know if he is the one...

I know need to grow up and realize that everyone has it rough and its not personal. Allah loves me and this I know. I am not even close to where I need to be and honest I may have taken a few steps back. Make duas for me sisters because I have been to struggle with things I have never struggled with all my life. In my time of need when I should be running to Allah (s.w.t) I find myself running the opposite direction. Isnt this backwards??? Yes, I realize this.I am praying that I can get back on track, I am sure it wont be long. I mean dont worry, Iam not totally digressing.Like doing haraam things like drinking and stuff. I just have been slacking on my prayers ( NOT COOL) and other stuff.....well I think I have vented enough and I miss reading blogs and posting stuff, so Iam back!!!! I love you all for the sake of Allah :)

I love these colors, they both are sooo brilliant and really pop for the summer. I particulary like yellow, although a lot of people steer clear of it. It works really well on me, so I wear it a lot. I think the yellow looks soo cool with this teal dress,which is awesome. I love one shoulder dresses!!