Bus driver tells Muslim woman to 'take off mask'

Recently in Australia, a niqaabi sister was told by the bus driver she could not enter into the bus without showing her face, read what happened here

MashaAllah I really admire how sister Khadijah handled the situation. A lot of women would feel flustered and do as the man said and not enter the bus and feel defeated. Most of the time we summon the proper words and courage long after an ordeal is over. However, this sister stood her ground,maintained her composure, and didn't seem to get an attitude or be rude mashaAllah. She didn't break down, instead she tried in the best way possible to educate the bus driver about niqaab and let him know that she is just another average person.

"Boys ages 9 to 14 charged with gang-raping 8-year-old girl in Phoenix"

SubhanAllah, an 8 year old gang raped by mere pre-teens?! This is just so disgusting! Kids that age should be obsessing over video games, not making wretched plots like this. What saddens me more about this is the girls father told authorities "take her, I don't want her" claiming that she's brought shame to their family with what happened. She brought shame to her family? She was brutally victimized! She's just a kid! How can a parent say that to their child, in their presense, after she's been through something so traumatizing?? I wanted to cry after reading this! This poor, little girl doesn't even have the people she thought loved her the most right now to hold her and console her. Allah help us all! Ameen

Check out the article here.

Memorizing The Qur'an!

SubhanAllah, to memorize the Qur'an requires patience and persistence. It isn't something that comes easily to some, and neither is it something done once and put aside. Even if you memorize a single ayah from the Qur'an, time and time again you will have to go back and revise and practice that ayah so you do not forget it! However, the hard work and dedication put into it is more than worth it, because it is a glorious deed with many wonderful virtues. Let us take a look see...

Al-Bukhari (4937) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (SAW) said: “The likeness of the one who reads Qur’aan and memorizes it is that he is with the righteous honourable scribes. The likeness of the one who reads it and tries hard to memorize it even though it is difficult for him, he will have two rewards.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said: “The Qur’aan will come on the Day of Resurrection and will say, ‘O Lord, adorn him.’ So he will be given a crown of honour to wear. Then it will say, ‘O Lord, give him more.’ So he will be given a garment of honour.’ Then it will say, ‘O Lord, be pleased with him.’ So Allaah will be pleased with him. Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and advance in status, and for each verse you will gain one more hasanah (reward for good deed).”

It was narrated that Buraydah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads the Qur’aan, learns it and acts in accordance with it, on the Day of Resurrection his parents will be given a crown to wear whose light will be like the light of the sun, and his parents will be given garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. They will say, “Why have we been given this to wear?” It will be said, “Because your child learned the Qur’aan.”’” (Narrated by al-Haakim, 1/756)

SubhanAllah! Allah knows best who is worthy of what, but I truly feel my parents are more than deserving of such an honor in the aakhira, and anything I give them in this world cannot amount to such a gift in the hereafter, inshaAllah. I would love to be the one to give them such a gift !

Now, I see in my community, and also in many others, that memorizing the Qur'an is encouraged for younger kids... but not so much for everyone else. Why has memorizing the Qur'an become a phenomenon among kids, and once someone reaches high school/college it takes the backseat? What was it? ..something to pass time until 'more important' things came along??

It doesn't matter if you are male or female, 6 or 60, working or unemployed, rich or poor... this is something we should all strive towards. I know it's a big goal for some of us, but we really do not give the Qur'an it's due. MashaAllah I know of a 6 year old boy who memorized the Quran, and an 80+ year old Muslimah who memorized the Qur'an. A revert sister I know learned to read the Qur'an and eventually memorized it just by listening to the audio on her mp3 player and playing it in her car, despite being in med school! This is not an impossible feat, you just really need to motivate yourself.

Being weak in reading Arabic is no excuse, as quoted above Allah has promised (at least) DOUBLE the reward for those who struggle in reading and still make the effort to memorize the Qur'an. This is the PERFECT regiment for slow readers, because the constant reading will only help improve your speed and agility in reciting Qur'an. Memorizing helps in giving you an extra connection with the Qur'an. For those who have problems with focusing in salah, it gives you a whole new surah to recite. It leads you to read the meaning and the tafseer and understand ayaat from a whole different perspective! We really do have time in our lives to do this, saying you don't is an excuse. There's always something you can do less of or even do without so you can give the Qur'an some time.

So please, if you know 20 juz (parts) or just 20 words from the Qur'an... set a goal for yourself to memorize something! Do a page a day, or a week, or a month! Do something! Get your friends invloved, meet once a week to test one another. See if there are any qualified people in your area who can listen to you once in a while.... make a chart and keep track of how much you memorize. Start with a surah that appeals to you or one which you love to listen to or like the meaning of. Use the audio to aid you in your memorizing and reading. We have so much at our fingertips right here online to help us in memorizing, so lets make it happen inshaAllah. Allah has already beautified the text of the Qur'an and the language of Arabic that these surahs are poetry and aren't a language that is too hard to pronounce, mashaAllah these verses can slide off our tongues like butta!

Abayas for sale!

Okay, so I was looking though my closet and decided it was time to do something about the abayas sitting in there that are new and I never got to wearing because my abaya preferences have changed, and a few that I wore seldom just for Eid or so.

I took some pictures of them, please email me at lazeena.hosain@yahoo.com if you're interested in any. I'll respond back with any answers to your questions, abaya measurements, and shipping cost inshaAllah.

Purple Floral Abaya

This abaya is plain black, except for some simple floral patterns on both sleeves. The embroidery is accented with matching purple beads and multi colored-pearl rhinestones.
(Comes with matching, lightweight shayla, with the floral embroidery in 2 opposite corners)
Size: 45" bust, 49" hips, 54" length

CONDITION: Brand new
PRICE: $58

Sleeve

Closeup

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Green Ribbon Abaya

This black abaya has 2 rows of green and black ribbon trimming along the end of both sleeves and on the bottom of the abaya. Between the 2 rows of trimming are some lovely, green colored rhinestones
Size: 45" bust, 49" hips, 54" length

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $56

Sleeve (embroidery pattern is the same on the bottom)

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Rhinestone Vines Abaya

This lovely black abaya has vine designs on the sleeves and bottom made entirely of gray colored rhinestones. The design on the bottom is in a v-shape.
Size: 45" bust, 49" hips, 54" length

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $54

Sleeve

Closeup

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Black Ribbon Abaya

This abaya is made from a ribbed jersey material, giving it some extra texture. The bodice and sleeves have 2 ruffled, satin ribbons with a multi colored edged trimming.
Size: 42"-44" bust, 44"-48" hip

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $55

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Golden Trim Abaya

Black abaya with a golden colored diagonal ribbon, making it look like a wrap style abaya. There is also a golden ribbon pattern embroidered on the trimming, both sleeves, and on the bottom.
Size: 42"-44" bust, 44"-48" hip

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $55

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Maroon Abaya

Lovely marron abaya with a pink ribbon on the bodice and around the sleeves. To keep it from being too plain there are some rhinestones on the pink ribbon! Very cute yet simple abaya mashaAllah
Size: 42"-44" bust, 44"-48" hip

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $58

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Stars Abaya

Black abaya accented with silver stones. The sleeves have the stones arranged in diamond shapes all around. The top of the abaya has some lovely stars and so does the bottom right corner. One of the very few abayas where the stones seem stuck on REAL good mashaAllah.
Size: 42"-44" bust, 44"-48" hip

CONDITION: Brand new!
PRICE: $58

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Red & Black Beaded Abaya

This black abaya has red colored pinstripes and is lined with maroon colored fabric. There is intricate red embroidery and black beadwork along the neckline, sleeves, and across the bottom

CONDITION: In mint condition, worn once for Eid
PRICE: $52

Top

Sleeve (bottom has this embroidery design on it as well)

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Black & Maroon Double Layered Abaya

Al-Karam double layered abaya; the inside lining is maroon, and the outside is black with faint maroon pinstripes. The sleeves and bottom contains intricate embroidery in pink, beige, and maroon, along with a few rhinestones. Because of the double layer look, the top layer is "opened" showing the beautiful maroon color which is underneath.

PRICE: $58
CONDITION: Brand new

Sleeve

Bottom

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Black Beaded Abaya

Beautiful black, lightweight abaya with a double layer look from Al-Karam. The outer "layer" fastens together in the front. The neckline has beadwork in solid black beads and the underlayer features a small zipper. The "top layer" of the abaya has beadwork going down the opening of the abaya and the gorgeous layered bell sleeve has beadwork as well. This is definitely a fancier abaya.
Size: 42" bust, 48" hips

PRICE: $42
CONDITION: I wore this abaya A LOT, but it really doesn't show any wear or tear. The only problem is in the front some beads seemed to have gotten loose in 1 area. I went for a while still wearing it like that, it isn't too noticeable, nonetheless, I don't want to conceal that from you guys either. But it still is a really nice abaya mashaAllah

Neckline

Sleeve <3

Down the middle of the abaya

Missing beads =x

Shipping fee is on you, of course. I'll ship it to anywhere inshaAllah. Prefered payment would be PayPal, but I don't mind a check/money order in the mail either inshaAllah. JazakAllah khayr!

For those of you who haven't heard the tragic news already, here is the BBC article:

Egypt mourns 'headscarf martyr'

The body of a Muslim woman, killed in a German courtroom by a man convicted of insulting her religion, has been taken back to her native Egypt for burial.

Marwa Sherbini, 31, was stabbed 18 times by Axel W, who is now under arrest in Dresden for suspected murder.

Husband Elwi Okaz is also in a critical condition in hospital, after being injured as he tried to save his wife.

Ms Sherbini had sued her killer after he called her a "terrorist" because of her headscarf.

The case has attracted much attention in Egypt and the Muslim world.

German prosecutors have said the 28-year-old attacker, identified only as Axel W, was driven by a deep hatred of foreigners and Muslims.

'Martyr'

Medics were unable to save Ms Sherbini who was three months pregnant with her second child. Her three-year-old son was with the family in court when she was killed.

Axel W and Ms Sherbini and family were in court for his appeal against a fine of 750 euros ($1,050) for insulting her in 2008, apparently because she was wearing the Muslim headscarf or Hijab.

Newspapers in Egypt have expressed outrage at the case, asking how it was allowed to happen and dubbing Ms Sherbini "the martyr of the Hijab".

Senior Egyptian officials and German diplomatic staff attended the funeral in Alexandria along with hundreds of mourners.

Media reports say Mr Okaz was injured both by the attacker and when a policeman opened fire in the courtroom.

I conquered the world...

"This life is not real. I conquered the world and it did not bring me satisfaction."

-Muhammad Ali

Deviant Sect: Ansaru Allah

A few weeks back I went shoe shopping (no luck, everything was open toed, and I don't do those...) Anyway, my son was running wild up and down the aisles and my husband was keeping an eye on him while I browsed around. A woman, looking like the average American, came in and was looking in the same area as I was. I said "Hi" to her and she smiled at me and said, "As salaamu alaikum." I responded back to her.

Just minutes later my husband went outside the store with my son and the sister said to me, "Lemme ask you something now that your husband's gone.."

"Sure...?"

"How do you live in that thing? Like don't you ever just wanna rip it off your face? Do you ever tell him you don't want to wear it?"

Of course she was talking about my niqaab. I laughed. "I've been wearing this before I even married him! He has nothing to do with this, this is between myself and my Lord."

"Oh... okay... so he didn't make you?"

"No, not at all."

"Aight, cuz he look like that reallllll strict religious type... like hardcore religious..."

I laughed again. My husband looks so stern in person, but in reality I'm the one who tells him what to do ;) haha. "No, he's good alhamdulillah, not strict at all."

"Okay, thats good. I took my shahadah back when I was 17, I was part of the Bushwick movement, you heard of them?"

"Yeah, but I don't know too much about them..." I could recall the term, but that was really it. I couldn't remember anything that set them apart from other Muslims.

"Yeah I even moved out to Georgia with them. But then they started getting into all this Hebrew type stuff... myself and my then spouse weren't feelin it, so we came back here. Maybe you've seen me before, I used to sell scented oils and hand out da'wah information by the monument in the early 90's.." I didn't want to tell her I was just a toddler at that time haha. I didn't want to get into a whole conversation about age, and I didn't want her to feel old either.

We spoke for a couple more minutes and then I left the store. I came back to the car and mentioned to my husband that she said she was part of the Bushwick community. It wasn't until he mentioned the Arabic term the group used to refer to themselves as that I wished I could have ran back inside to talk to her.


The Bushwick community goes by a number of names, and so does their founder, Dwight (Malachi) York. But they're most commonly known as Ansaru Allah, or the Nubian Islamic Hebrews. I'd never heard of this group until a couple years ago, when I got my hands on a book about them a couple years back. My grandfather had passed away and my dad went to clean through his apartment and found a book about Ansaru Allah which I delved into in awe.

Their practices were just so bizarre, and so was their founder.

In short, this group was founded in NY in the 80s by York, a self proclaimed Prophet. who believed he was 76 trillion years old and came from some unknown planet onto Earth in the form of a comet. His sect followed a distorted mix of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism -with a strong emphasis on black nationalism as well. He yielded hundreds of followers, who soon moved out to other parts of NY and later to Georgia where they built their own communities. In Georgia they even built some pyramids and temples in their own community (known as the Tama-Re coumpound). As many cult leaders, he was eventually convicted in 2004 with at least 100 counts of child molestation. Though with him in prison, he probably has more supporters now than when he was a free man! SubhanAllah, and Allah knows best. May these people be guided to the true Islam, ameen.

I wish she'd said ANSARU ALLAH rather than Bushwick, or I wish I knew some people refered to them as the Bushwick community because I would have been all over her with questions!!

The book I have is focused on women who cover in niqaab, but it sheds light on some of Yorks teachings. It's written by York himself, he's written more than 450 books. Here are some excerpts from the one I have:

"These mortals can't teach you anything you can't look up or find yourself. But I am 76 trillion years old. I have seen many kingdoms fall and rise, nations fall and raise and galaxies fall and rise. Don't turn away from me. You have prayed for me for many years while in slavery and now I am with you again. Don't reject me. I am the way, the truth, the light, the doorway to our father - Allah most glorified and exhalted."

"Through radio, television, and newspapers he, the devil (CH), has promoted products such as Cover Girl, Revlon, Jerri Curl, and Jordache. Such diversions are designed to keep you, the Nubian (Black), in total darkness..."

"The Devil (CH, pale man) would like you to believe that Sarah was fair or as they'd say light skinned so they can justify their claims of being the descendents of the Prophets (PBUT). But that is why I am here to clean up the lies made by these lying devils (CH). No, the Prophets (PBUT) were not pale, they were all of Nubian stock as their father, the Prophet Adam (PBUH), was and as you are. Don't let the Devil (CH) trick you as he tricked your father, the Prophet Adam (PBUH)."

And one of my favorites: "In certain cartoons for instance, the term 'Salami Bologna' is used. This phrase is an outright mockery of the Muslim salutation - as salaamu alaykum!!!"

How he says Muslim men and women MUST dress




What the...?