Umrah

Asalam waliykum my dear sisters,

Sorry that the good news is rather late, I was meant to inform everyone last week. Anyway, as you can tell by the title, I am off on Umrah soon!! we just got our visas so I did not want to say anything until we got the go ahead.

Ramadan Do's and Don'ts

Asalam waliykum Sisters,

Another post related to Ramadan on the "Do's and Don'ts" Inshallah you will find it beneficial and a source of encouragement. Firstly I would like to say that we are all at different stages with our deen, some very practicing  some not so much. Inshallah we are all on the path to Allah but each of our paths are different due to the tests Allah bestows upon us. Some people have a straight path to Allah others find their paths to be a series of winding roads that branch off, filled with obstacles and that does not make them any less of a Muslim or a bad Muslim.

Hijab storage

Asalam waaliykum sisters,

Alhamdulillah Day 5 of Ramadan. Hope you are all doing well, inshallah.

I thought I would share how I store my hijabs with you guys. I was asked by a couple of sisters I know who are struggling due to limitation in space; what is the best way to store hijabs.
If you are looking for a new way to store your hijabs i have one idea. I have tried everything, I used to roll them and store them in my chest of draws, but that took up so much space and by the next day they were a total mess. Plus chest of draws are for my normal clothes.

Tried the hijab hangers, worked well for a while until they broke and snapped. I have a lot of hijabs 3 huge bags worth. So they weighed a lot,  when I hung them the hangers that are made for hijabs could not cope with the weight. I tried using skirt/trouser hangers and clip on a 2-3 per hanger again that took up my whole wardrobe. Not practical especially as I share my wardrobe with zawji.

I know this works well if you have less then 10 hijabs. I must have around 50-60 now so the hangers was no longer practical.

When I was at university 3 years ago now!! subhanllah. The landlord left two wardrobes in my room. So as you can imagine I used one for clothes and the other for hijabs. I just hung the hijab straight onto the poll and this was the tidiest way to store them.

Blessed Ramadan

Asalam waliykum sisters,

I hope you are having a wonderful and fulfilling Ramadan. It is already day 4 subhanallah the month will fly by as usual. I just wanted to take the time to share my love of Ramadan with everyone and inshallah you can tell me how your Ramadan is going too!!

Last Thursday when they announced that Ramadan would begin on Friday the first thing I did was get the Bukhour out! This is something mama always did at home to mark the start of Ramadan and again on the last night of Ramadan. I can not imagine not doing it, just feels the house with a lovely Arabian fragrance and gets me in the Ramadan spirit.

We have this bukhour burner also called a Mabkhara/Majmor, from Saudi Arabia and with it a box of Yemeni Bukhour. Have had this for 3 years and never once used it. I bought some charcoal disks and have been using it for a couple of months. You can get all types of bukhour, resin, wood chippings powdered. I prefer the Yemeni  which is resin formed into small cubes, find they last the longest and the smell is more pleasant when burning.

Naima B Roberts, book review

Asalam waliykum sisters,

I was meant to do this review last week but due to preparation for Ramadan I had no time. Alhamdulillah it is the perfect time now, and the books I will review are in keeping with this month!

A little bit about the author, Naima B roberts a sister, who reverted to Islam in her early 20's. She is an author of many books, runs Sisters Magazine, and has her own blog. I read all about her in one of her first books, From my sisters lips. This book is sort of like an autobiography with other reverts journeys to Islam. I recommend it to every sister, not just those new to the deen.

I think I have read all her books now. You can find out more about her online, just google her name, she has a FB page and her books sell on most online stores like ebay, amazon etc.

The two books I am reviewing are her first books aimed at small children, 3-9. I am an adult, 25 and i loved the book! so use that age range as a rough guide :D

She collaborated with others on these books, as with most children books you can expect lots of colours and pictures to keep your eyes busy, and keep kids engaged.

I originally bought these books for my younger cousins, after reading the content myself (could not help myself). I realised that perhaps they are little too old and would not enjoy it as the reading level is also for younger children. My two cousins are 10 and 13. Therefore, I have decided to keep the books for myself, well not really, but keep them until I can find a good home for them and in that time I will enjoy them!!

Ramadan Kareem 1433

Asalam waliykum sisters!!!

Just a quick post to welcome in the new blessed month. May we all make use of these 30 days. May we all increase our good deeds, our actions so we can reap the rewards. Please make plenty of dua for those who are less fortunate then us, those who have no food, shelter, not free to practise their deen, oppressed and who may not make it through this month. May Allah help those in need.

We should be thankful we have peace, and we are free to fast and pray and that we have the ability to help others. So this month we need to really help those suffering, inshallah. Do the best we can to help others as well as our own families and our self.

Inshallah I will post more on this blessed month in the coming weeks.

Food I make and eat! Mafrouk, Moroccan flat bread

Asalam waliykum sisters,

Alhamdulillah many of you enjoyed the last "Food i make and eat" Chicken and Mushroom pie!

And some of you sisters been interested in how to make authentic mafrouk, flat Moroccan bread. So Alhamdulillah i have been able to make it a few times last week and while at home visiting the famo (Family).

I really wanted to make a post on this as i have seen a few people online and on youtube make this the wrong way and use completely different ingrediants. So i wanted to put up the authentic way.

Really easy to make, not time consuming and quick to cook too enjoy!

This is what mafrouk looks like, its savoury flat bread. With the recipe and quantities I have used you will make 7 medium sized mafrouks. you can make them bigger or smaller, upto you guys :D

Food I make and eat. Chicken & Mushroom pie

Asalam waliykum sisters :D

Inshallah you are all having a wonderful day, I am in a good mood Alhamdulillah have some very big news to announce to the world as of next week. But, you have to wait one more week.

In such a good mood, that yesterday I treated zawji to a new dish, my chicken and mushroom pie with rich creamy sauce. First time i made it for him. Mama used to make this for me lots when i was younger, this and steak and onion pie with a short crust pastry. :D

Inshallah going to share the recipe and lots and lots of photos too!

My cook book and my favourite oven glove :D

Hijab Obsessions- Review

Asalam waliykum sisters,

I have been wanting to do this review, along with a few others for weeks now! Alhamdulillah finally got round to doing it!

As you can see from the title, the hijabs I will be reviewing are from Hijab Obsessions. I came across the site back in march while looking for pretty sparkly hijabs and jersey hijabs.

Islam-Ticket to Jannah presents!!

Asalam waliykum sisters,

One of my dear friends and another sister have opened a fan page on Facebook, called Islam-Ticket to Jannah, not too long ago. It has been a huge success Alhamdulillah and due to so many fans they wanted to thank those who are frequent followers/readers and sharers of the page so for every 1000 likes they do a random give away.

A little bit about the group, "Islam - a ticket to Jannah is solely for dawah to Muslims and non-Muslims to Islam, the religion of Truth". It provides daily reminders on various topics and with very eye catching photographs with powerful messages added to them. I was not aware it was set up by a sister I know, until recently. Mashallah such great work and a lot of effort and time have gone into this group. More recent posts from the sisters cover topics related to the fast approaching month of Ramadan and even a FREE Ramadan productivity calender/checklist. Please do check it out by clicking HERE .

Here are some photos I have taken of all the goodies I won! I have never won anything before in my life... and now I can say I have once, Alhamdulillah. I will no longer whine about not winning anything again!! Plus I FINALLY got a bobble scarf, and I love them, woohoo. The sisters are uber sweet and always given and dedicating countless hours in the cause of Dawah and Islam. Look at all the goodies they got me, are they not deliciously cute?!

On with the photos!!!....

Overhead Abaya!

Asalam waliykum sisters,

Just wanted to do a post about the abaya. In particular a new style that i have become fond of over the last few months, its not new but it is new to me! Its the Overhead Abaya, I first came across this style while out and about in London. I saw many Somali sisters wear the black over head abaya, which has a long v neck, and sits on the head or ties behind the head. All the sisters i have seen wearing this wore black, and the material was very heavy crepe/polyester/nylony... looked nice and cosy for winter. One thing I disliked was how it dragged on the floor behind them. This is a thing that we should avoid as muslimahs and one thing which will ruin your abaya. Not to mention the obvious  hadith regarding dragging ones garment, it being a sign of arrogance, plus getting it dirty, tripping over it etc etc.

It is a very modest outfit and it complies with the verse in the Quran when Allah commands women to wear an outer garment when going out.

In the Quran, Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 (33:59) says:

"Ya ayyuha an-Nabiyy qul li azwajika wa banatika wa nisa al-mu'minin yudnina alayhinna min jalabib hinna; dhalika adna an yu'rafna fa laa yu'dhayn. Wa kana Allahu Ghafur Rahim"

"O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their JALABIB close around them; that is better that they will be recognised and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle."

Hijabi hair care

Asalam waliykum sisters,

Bad hair days, yes we all experience them. It doesn't matter what type of hair you have at some point while wearing hijab your hair will start to show some signs of wear and tear.

Some sisters complain of Hijab hair, which i can say sort of resembles bed head. It is true, and to make matters worse sisters start to neglect their hair, as they are not showing it as often then they don't need to look after it as much or so they think. This is totally wrong, and something i went through myself. But i soon realised i should look after my hair for myself and for those who are deserving of seeing it.

Macaron or macaroon?

Asalam waliykum all, Hope you are well inshallah :D

The first time I ever had a macaron was when my brother visited Paris and returned with boxes of these delightful, cute coloured sweet treats. They looked like something out of peter pan (the one with robin Williams in)... any who, they tasted amazing, light, fluffy, sweet and almondy! From that time I have been hooked. So when i had the chance to visit Paris this year, the only thing I wanted to purchase on my trip were Macarons!! They are very expensive, and are cheaper to purchase in the UK. Saying that you get what you pay for. The quality is not like that of their French counterparts.

Macarons from Georges Masion Larnicol, in Paris 

"Hijab" tag.....

Asalam waliykum,

My first tag WOOHOO! this was from a sisters blog Stylish Muslimah, she has a great blog do check it out! Zawaji is doing a night shift, what a better way to pass some time then do my first tag!

Beautiful Paris

1) What was the first hijab you ever bought?

It was From H&M in Sept 2007! All those years ago at the peak of scarf fashion craze. I remember they had some amazing scarves that were wide, long and opaque.. now the quality of scarves they sell are not that brill and they do not have much of a selection anymore.

The scarf i got was navy blue, with rows of silver thread running along it length wise. It had the usual tassel's at either end and was polyester and medium thickness. I still own it and cost me £7!

2) What was the first hijab style you wore?

An awful one, it was so hard for me to wear hijab. The style did not suit my face at all. And moved about during the day. i did not know about under scarves then so used hair clips to keep my fringe back but still ended up having hair trying to escape from the sides! I remember using a good old safety pin under the chin and another at the side after wrapping the material around my head several times. Tight fitting and uncomfortable... but i stuck with it and learnt new styles Alhamdulillah

3) What is your favourite colour hijab, or what colour hijab do you have most of in your closet?

Favourite: My white ruffle hijab from hijab Obsessions, check them out on FB amazing, and here!!!!

Own the most of: Black, jersey and pashmina

4) Who is your favourite Hijab guru? Why?

Initially used to watch Amena from You tube for a few years. But, Since then I have been wearing Jilbab full time and I have not seen many sisters who wear Jilbab on blogs or you tube. So no fav guru at the moment. I guess I make up styles myself and things that are Muhajaba and jilbab friendly. 

5) Who was the first person you watched on You Tube who did hijab tutorials?

Wallahi i do not remember her name, i think one i can remember not the first but quiet early on in my hijab days was Amenakin... from Pearl Daisey. She had some really good styles. Ooh also i remembered now, the sister from Slice of lemon, she had a video blog called inside the closet or something similar. She did a style that i recreated and i wore for a couple years!

6) What is the beauty in hijab?

Having Haya, modesty the most liberating experience. Its a command from Allah, knowing that you are fulfilling a commandment from Allah each and every day. Mashallah

7) What does hijab mean to you?

Obeying Allah and his Messenger Prophet Muhammed (SAW)

8) What is your everyday hijab style?

One side shorter on the left, the long side wrapped to cover my chin over the head and pinned to the side of my head on the left or if longer hijab bought over to the other shoulder and pinned there. I always cover my chin, i like having the material there like a comfort thing i suppose. I like to create layers too. Nothing fancy but looks ok :)

9) What are your favourite hijab accessories?

I went through many stages, especially my early hijab days i liked blinging out my hijab with head bands, beads, broaches, fancy hijab pins etc. Now i keep those for women only events. I still love broaches which i suppose is my fav. But everyday i just keep it simple and use a straight pin which is plain and simple. I suppose my hijab has progressed and evolved from being a fashion statement to what it is meant to be, a modest and respectable outer garment. Alhamdulillah.

10) What is your favourite place to buy hijabs?

I like to support the sisters who are trying to start their businesses, even though H&M sell hijabs I have not bought one from them in 2 years. On a one off occasion i may go to Monsoon they do amazing ones, with huge price tags though. So i buy online from sisters stores. I love Hijab obsession my faaaav onlien hijab shop, Al-Mujalababa, MyscarfShop, Scarf World, and many more....

Inshallah i hope to do a few reviews on hijabs I have bought online and reccomendations :)

Please feel free to comment below, and answer the questions be great to hear what you guys have to say. Also feel free to tag yourself and add to your blog, share the love and all. (P.s i am still unaware of how to tag others that's why) :-/

Jazakallah khier

Hijab: My Scarf Shop

Cardigan: Wallis

Jilbab/Djellaba: Al-Mujalbaba

Ring: Gift from Morocco

Lush, Lush, Lush and more Lush....

Asalam waliykum,

As promised before, this is a continuous post of lush products i have bought and used.
One thing i forgot to mention in my first post is about how lush do not test their products on animals and are against testing on animals. If you go in store on online, you can sign the ongoing petition to support their ban on animal testing for good! I feel very passionate about this, and as Muslims we should all feel that way too. Not only are we forbidden as Muslims to torture one another, it is not permissible to do that to an animal in any shape or form. 

Now onto 3 products i brought, tried and tested on moi! The first one is Angels on bare skin, after using herbalism i liked how gentle the cleanser was, but i needed something that was more clarifying and able to deal with my T-zone better! I opted for angels on bare skin, still gentle but with lavender which helps keep good moisture in the skin and prevents build up of natural oils. I have used this for 4 weeks now and have had no problems with it. Alhamdulillah since i have used these 3 products i have had so many compliments from people, who have mentioned my skin is glowing and looks clear and bright and in that time no blemishes, Mashallah.
This cleanser has NO synthetic ingredients and is 100% natural. It also contains lavender flower and this is really cute and keeps secreting oils into the cleanser infusing it with a lovely light lavender scent. This is good for those with combination and dry skin. I use this twice a day, morning and before bed. The texture once mixed with water is creamey and smooth, its easier to apply to the face and massage in, leaves your skin smelling of lavender flowers :)

Wonder cleanser in a pot!

Imperialis Moisturiser, The first moisturiser i have used from lush and has been a great hit with me! The scent is the first thing that attracted me to this product its light, feminine and natural. The texture is nice too, easy to apply and a little goes a long way, so a small tub of this should last a good month or just over that if you don't go over board and slap it on. One reason i adore this moisturiser is because it contains

Me, Myself & Allah...

Asalam waliykum sisters,

Yes you read the title correctly its Me, myself and Allah and not "I".
The purpose of this event was to unite muslimahs from all over Britain, to share our desire to come closer to Allah. The event gave practical advice and tips to sisters, that we can all implement in our lives. I found the event very beneficial and the speakers were so inspiring. I took many notes and inshallah hope to summaries key points from speakers. Of course when i returned home i bore zawaji to death with every detail. Mashallah he listened and showed interest.

The event took place at Kensington Town
Hall (see Above), many Islamic events take place here. The stage was decorated with the same theme colours of the booklet, and sisters who participated in the event and volunteers also wore the colours; pinks and purples.
Due to being a sisters event i felt it would be inappropriate to take photos. The hall is perfect for these events, with a large foyer where there was a mini bazaar. Mashallah again like the other sisters conference i attended, the turn out was phenomenal, lots of sisters from all walks of life attended.
For more photos and to check out the face book group, please click here.


The main aim of the conference was to remind sisters that whatever our statues is in society we have an important role to play, whether we are mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, grandmothers etc. As sister Sayyidah Zaidi of Working Muslim said seeking knowledge is not only for single sisters. Sister Sayyidah gave examples from her life, how she was seeking knowledge before marriage and ensured it would always be that way even after marriage. The importance of making sure your spouse supports you and accepts this. We should not stop seeking knowledge due to changes in life, whether that is marriage, moving away, having children, death of loved ones and so forth.

Ustadh Musleh Khan, yes a male speaker was the first to take to the stage. Mashallah the perfect person to get it started, why? Well he is a marriage counsellor and married himself with kids. He also conducts many courses geared towards Muslim women. So we can safely say he knows women well enough.

Seeds of change... be the gardeners, sowing the seeds

Asalam waliykum Sisters, 

A couple of weeks ago, on the 20^th May I was fortunate enough to attended, along with over 1000 women the ‘Seeds of Change’ women’s conference at the plaza hotel in London. It is the first of its kind organised by the well-known iERA. If you do not know who they are please visit iera.org.uk. The main objective of this organisation is to give dawah (Spreading the message of Islam) through different mediums. Mashallah they are really successful due to the sheer enthusiasm, sacrifice and dedication of all those involved. If you have ever been to one of their talks or dawah retreats you will understand what I mean. Many of those involved volunteer and do not get paid, but their reward is with Allah inshallah.

This was the first women’s only conference I had been to. Thus, I was excited and already felt empowered, on saying that, there were a couple of male speakers that doesn’t really count though.

Welcome and information booklet

The whole purpose of the event was to make us women realise the potential we have in whatever area, occupation we are in; we have the ability to fulfill our duty to give dawah. We are not exempt due to being women and leave the men to do all the work. If anything we have more ability to spread Islam whether it is given dawah and speaking openly and honestly to people when we go to the salon, picking our kids up from school, taken them to appointments or inviting their friends around etc.

My obsession with Lush!

Asalam waliykum sisters,

One thing i have been trying to do in the last 6 months, is to use more natural products. The reason being is i have so many allergies to everything, and one reason is that during pregnancy; my mother obviously went about her daily life cleaning and even painting. Dr's have told me that due to breathing in such harsh chemicals and fumes it can have an affect on a developing foetus and cause so many allergies and can be the cause of some illnesses such as asthma, hay fever etc. So since i got married, Allahu Allam when i have children, we are not planning any time soon. However, it has made me really conscious about the unseen effects of these products, and Allhamdulillah i have decided to try and use less chemicals as i possibly can.
I have already started to clean the house with more natural products, why stop there? i wanted to use natural body care products too. This is where lush comes in.
My Lush craze started in February and my collection has grown substantially since.
This is a mini review of a 3 products, Inshallah i will do some others later, don't want to overwhelm people with my millions of Lush products in one go.

The first Product i bought all those months back was the Solid Shampoo bar, I went for the Ultimate shine Shampoo bar as shown above.

The begining

Main Entry:	solace [sol-is]  /ˈsɒlɪs/ Show Spelled
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	comfort, peace
Synonyms:	alleviation, assuagement, condolement, condolence, consolation, pity, relief
Notes:	"solace is a form of comfort given to one who is in sorrow or distress; consolation is an act of offering such comfort, or the result of such comfort having been provided " Solace is just one of the meanings of my name Salwa, Subhanallah your name often reflects the character of a person. This is just a mini intro, inshallah i hope to post everything and anything here, My love of the deen Islam, for reading, being creative and my travels and inshallah all will be beneficial in some shape or form. Alhamdulillah my very first taste of blogging, Inshallah this is just the start of a long lasting relationship with the blogging world.

*Photo Provided by my older brother*