Reflections Of A Muslimah

On Monday I went to Jumeirah Beach Park with my friends. On Monday, the Jumeirah beach is exclusively for Women and so Women who wear Hijab can enjoy the beach. The Park is very strict about who enters and who doesn't, only letting Women in.

Although it was a fun day, on the way back what I saw had me panicking to put my Niqaab on. Parked inside the parking lot in the Park were cars which had boys standing outside them. Or what I thought were boys. I was first surprised, because Men were not allowed inside the Park at all and then to my horror I realised these were girls pretending to be boys.

This was not just one or two, these were whole groups of girls together which had 'guys' in them too. I remembered how my friend had called me when she was visiting this same beach a month back, telling me about how she had seen these girls pretending to be boys. I could hear the shock in her voice and only when I saw what she had seen did I realise why she was so shocked.

These girls who were pretending to be boys had made themselves to be so much like a boy that it was hard to differentiate between a real boy and them. The only way I realised they were in actuality girls was because they were in a all Womens beach. They had their hair absolutely cut short, jelled, they wore shorts and full boy clothes. They spoke and met others of their groups, girls and 'guys' just how guys might meet them. They walked and hung around just like boys would and they even drove cars the same way.

And to top it all, these were Arab Muslim youth, with the girls who were not pretending to be Men actually wearing Abayas.

All I could think was that if the Ahzaab of Allah does not come on us, then what will? My friend repeatedly kept on saying Allah yahdeekum - and I really hope Allah gives them hidaya.

But there were some questions that kept on running around my head after what I saw. What led these teenagers to do something like this? And I'm sure not all of them are young, especially if they were driving Cars, some of them could possibly be in their early twenties. Where are their Parents? You cannot be like that without your Parents finding out, especially with the hair-cuts. Why isn't anyone trying to speak to them about their condition?

Surely something in such large groups cannot pass the attention of the community at large? These are our children of tomorrow.

My Sister mentioned this to me the other day and then I saw this on Yahoo News.

This is so interesting! A Woman had 8 children and they're all healthy and kicking. And to add to that, she already has six children!

Although, I don't know how she would be able to handly 14 children at one go. If she can, props to her. I know for a fact, that with children who even have a one year age gap, Mothers still have a hard time handling them and apparently, Nadya Suleiman is not married but is going to support them on her own.

Let's just say, I think she has her work cut out for her.

The six boys and two girls, the second octuplets born alive in the United States, have garnered worldwide attention as media have attempted to find out more about the mother and her family. Hours after media gathered outside the Whittier home, Kaiser issued a statement on behalf of the mother requesting privacy.

"Please know, in our own time, we will share additional details about this miraculous experience," the statement read. "The babies continue to grow strong every day and make good progress. My family and I are ecstatic about all of their arrivals. Needless to say the eighth was a surprise to us all, but a blessing as well."

Within hours, media had camped out at the family's home in Whittier, where the babies' grandfather pulled up in a minivan in the evening and briefly spoke to The Associated Press. Beside him were two children — a 7-year-old and 6-year-old — who said they were excited to have eight new siblings.

But the grandfather warned that media may have a tougher time finding the family after the babies are released from the hospital.

"We have a huge house, not here," said the man, who would only identify himself as Ed. "You are never going to know where it is."

The mother also has two children, ages 5 and 3, and 2-year-old twins, neighbors told the Times.

Suleman said her daughter had embryos implanted last year, and after finding out she was pregnant with multiple babies was given the option by doctors of selectively reducing the number of embryos. The woman declined.

"What do you suggest she should have done? She refused to have them
killed," Suleman told the Times. "That is a very painful thing."

You can read the whole article here. And here.

There is talk about recession everywhere. Of people leaving their cars on the airport and running away because they don't have money to pay their loans. And people cutting down on their extravagance and their spending.

However, how does or did the recession affect Women?

I wanted to book myself for an appointment at the Salon the other day so I asked my Sister to call and do it for herself and me. The Woman told us she was booked for three days continuous.

Laughingly she said, 'Recession? What recession? People should come and look at my parlour! When it comes to Women and their beauty, there is never any recession!

Which, in my opinion, I think is true to an extent.

Speaking of the recession though, I've realised that although it might have affected some people drastically, others are just complaining because they have to cut down on their extra extravagance and luxury. All I have to say to that is, be happy you have food to eat!

Five daughters. Imagine that. Gone in one go.

I come from a family of Five Sisters and the bonds we have are unbreakable. We're together through thick and thin. Some of the happiest and memorable moments I have spent were with my Sisters.

In the on-going Israeli massacre of Gaza, among hundreds that were killed and are still being killed was the story of a family which lost five daughters.

Washington Post reports:

JERUSALEM, Dec. 29 -- Trapped in the rubble, Iman Balousha, dressed in her green pajamas, said she could hear her sisters' cries. "Mother! Mother! Where is my mother? Pull me out!" Their muffled voices slipped through the toppled bricks.

Early Monday, an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip destroyed the family's house, located next to the Emad Aqeel mosque, the intended target, which was also flattened. Rescuers tried frantically to save the girls. Iman was lucky: She was half-buried in the debris.

One by one, the cries stopped, Iman recalled in an interview. She could see the leg of her 4-year-old sister, Jawaher, whom her family called Ayah. She could touch her hair. But minutes later, Ayah stopped breathing.

"I've lost five sisters," Iman, 16, said at a relative's house Monday evening, her soft voice fading. Tears slid down her face. Her mother, Samira, held her 16-month-old son, whose face was bruised and specked with dried blood.

"Does my 12-days-old baby have a rocket with her?" Samira demanded. "Or my son, does he have a missile with him? Or did my daughters have AK-47s beside them? Why did they target them?" The five daughters who died were ages 4 to 17.

What really hurts is that they were aged from four to seventeen. Children and teenagers. These are the ones being killed in this inhumane War.

....I'm usually a very calm person. I reflect calmness. I'm the sort of person people flock to for advice, my siblings look up to me for religious advice and I have the ability of listening to people without judging them. So in turn, people pour out their feelings, thoughts, bad habits, and all their problems.

However, sometimes, like all other Women, I go through dangerously versatile mood swings. There are days, like today for instance, that I'll be upset at the most silliest and ridiculous things. Inconsequential things. For example, today I went with my Sister to place an order for an Abaya today, and the man who usually stitches it was gone out of the Country, instead there was someone else in his place and on top, I forgot to keep a sample Abaya. I'd been so looking forward to getting another one stitched that I wanted to cry while leaving the shop. Not to mention, I turned into a grumpy, grouchy, sulking and highly irritated person.

When I go through one of my very versatile moods swings, I turn from the calm and serene 'Muslimah', to this unrecognisable monster who literally wants to bash something. I'll sulk the whole day, not speaking to anyone in my family, itching to pick a fight with my Sisters at the smallest of things. In fact, I even let it affect any work I do. I wonder what a lot of people would think if they ever came across this side of me, heh.

Day before yesterday, when I turned into this unrecognisable Monster, I was browsing the Internet and came across this on Imam Anwar Al-Awlakis website: Link

Which made me cry and made me feel so grateful for whatever I had. It also made me realise how ungrateful I become when going through these crazy mood swings. Maybe Allah subhanna wa ta'ala wanted me to go through that post, just at that moment, knowing how I was feeling.

In conclusion, it's true, and we can't deny it, Women are emotional creatures. If some of you have it to the extreme, check this out: Link


[Just for the record, apparently, Men go through mood swings too! ;) ]