Prayer Attire - Is it really necessary?

The prayer attire market is a lucrative market for Muslim-dominant markets. Women purchase prayer attire that allow them easy and comfortable use when performing Salaah.

There are many different forms (if you like) or prayer garb. Many are loose, made of cotton, usually white and can be either two piece of a single cloak that covers the whole body, save the Muslimah's face and hands.

These type of apparel are wonderful for Muslimahs as it just makes Salaah all that much easier. However, they are not necessary for a Muslimah to wear them in order to perform a valid prayer.

There is a misconception that without wearing the prayer attire during the five daily prayers, a prayer becomes null and void - totally unacceptable.

I realise this stems for cultural practices, as in some countries, a certain fashion or make of prayer clothes is required to fulfill the obligation of Salaah.

The truth is, as long as a Muslimah is covered from head to toe, save her face and her hands and has performed her ablution, she is ready for prayer, insha'Allah. Therefore, there is no need to worry about having the "right attire" to pray in, especially when one is out and about.

This also highlights the importance of Hijab. You cannot pray if you care not fully covered in accordance to Islamic principles! Being covered for Allah does not only mean being covered during prostration or bowing, it means being covered all the time.

It is great that women purchase prayer clothes. I agree that they are comfortable and airy to pray in and they are easy to manage, especially when you are at home and are uncovered. However, Islam is simple and there is no need to worry when you are without your prayer attire. You are allowed to pray in whatever you are wearing, as long as you are adequately covered, in accordance to Islamic principle.

Ingredients of a Muslimah

What makes up a Muslimah?

Modesty - A Muslim woman is always modest in her appearance and in every way she carries herself. She does not need to attract attention by sprucing up her her attire, neither does she need to jingle her bracelets. She does not need to laugh out loudly or dance around for others to notice her. Attention that is paid to her is through her intellect, her character, her wit and her

charm.

Uniqueness - She is proud of who she is and needs not to live up to expectations of others. She needs not beautify herself to please another; she needs not join social rings that invite the "in" club; she needs not indulge in gossip or slave over what is hot and what is not. She is herself, and she is proud to be herself - she does not mind standing out from the crowd in her own unique special way, in which she pleases Allah, and Allah alone.

Self-sacrifice - There is nothing more important than tending to others. They could be brothers and sisters in a war-torn country; orphans living down the street; her spouse and her babies; her parents and her neighbours. The self-sacrificing Muslimah always lends a hand. She may be cooking for her parents, organising a charity run, feeding her children, writing for a Muslim magazine. She sees her place in the world as a person who is there to make a difference.

Love - She is the all-time lover. She loves and hates for the sake of Allah - loving all that is clean and pure; beautiful and pious; she loves all that is good and anything that will help her be a better person. She loves her family and her spouse; her friends and her neighbours; her brothers and sisters of the Islamic faith and brothers and sisters of other faith. She loves her children, and mostly, she loves herself for she is a gift to herself from her Creator.

Imaan - Her imaan or her faith defines her. Because she submits to Allah, when she is happy, she praises Him, when she is in need, she prays for His help. Her unshakeable faith helps her through difficult times and reminds her of herself during happy times.

Meaningfullness - Idleness is her enemy. Laziness is her nemesis. The Muslimah's life is full of meaning. Everything she does, she has already understood that it is for a certain good. She moves forwards, never backwards. She leaps for opportunities and reaches out to the sky for stars and cloud fluff... all for a reason. She does not dwell in shallowness, neither does she indulge in ignorance. She always moves forwards, full of meaning.

Assurance - Or should I say self-assured? The true Muslimah is confident in the way she carries herself. Mostly because she does not have to feel belittled by those who prey on vulnerability. She does not need to answer to anyone but Allah and as long as he is not displeased with her, she has nothing to worry about! She looks beyond the superficial and all that is material... she looks to the afterlife and she is assured that everything she does works towards eternal happiness.

Humility - A Muslimah displays humility at all times. She is never arrogant or condescending upon others. She admits when she makes mistakes and corrects others with care and tact. She i a student regardless of her age and position and is always willing to learn something new. The vast knowledge Allah has displays, humbles her and no matter what her achievements are, she thanks Allah. In prayer, she demostrates humility when she places her forehead on the ground in full prostration to her Lord.

Going Hijabi for Ramadhan!

Aaahh... it is that time of the year again.

Ramadhan is a month of reflection for many - it provides time to appreciate the abundance of blessings Allah Ta'ala has bestowed upon us - most of which usually go unappreciated. It is a time to reflect on our deeds as suddenly we are conscious of all that has taken place over the year.

May we make amends during the month? Though we are are required to practice Islam throughout the year, Ramadhan always provides food for thought, with evil eradicated from our lives - the devil in shackles, leaving us to stand tall and turn away from distractions that could sideline our iman.

Many women decide to don the Hijab for Ramadhan, marking respect for the holy month. Somehow during this month, ibadah becomes simple, as it should be. It is not taxing nor tedious and practice is as easy as gentle breeze in the evening.

Wearing the Hijab during the month acts as a reminder to continue steadfast worship throughout the month. At the same time, many women who start wearing the Hijab during Ramadhan find that it is, after all, an easy task - enjoyable, liberating and fulfilling.

Ramadhan is a good time to start learning new forms of worship. Besides the Hijab, one can learn new prayers, read new versus of the Qur'an, visit neighbouring orphanges.

It is such a beautiful month that the normal environmental burdens such as heat, fatigue, laziness and ever miserliness are wiped away. Don't believe me? We fast don't we - staying away from food, drink and marital relations during the day, and we do it so easily!

Ramadhan Kareem everyone - may this Ramadhan flourish with love and joy, full of worship and renewed faith for Allah Ta'ala.

Let us Believe...

In all distress, there is comfort;
in moments of darkness, there is light;
in moment of despair, there is hope.

There has to be - because we are Muslims.

In actual fact, we have to unite. Unity in the Ummah is the only way we can overcome adversities such as this. But there is always hope when all else is lost. There are always ways to help.

Hope is through Allah and to him alone. Let's pray for our Muslim brothers and sisters who steadfast believe in becoming better Muslims - the same way we should pray for ourselves!

You Will Always be the Muslim Woman

The image of Islam, caricatured by the West has always been rather bleak. What more the image of a woman in Islam. They have painted it grim. A woman in black with a face covering and more cloth to cover a king size bed of any grandeur. If the woman is not wearing a face covering, she still has her head fully covered and is still wrapped around in a bed sheet. If the cloth she dons is not black, it still covers her body, oppressing her from freedom of speech, thought and movement.

And when you can't imagine such an image even grimmer, wait to you hear the description of her role as a Muslim woman: servant to her husband, baby-making factory, education-deprived, slave to the kitchen, prisoner in the home. The list goes on - no matter what the Muslim woman looks like.

Unfortunately for Muslims in the other parts of the world - i.e. Muslim not populated countries - there are those who are caught up with such reports from the leading media and begin to look down on fellow sisters who persist in dressing the Muslimah fashion. These "covered" sisters are described as backward, traditional, eastern (if you like), and in a nutshell.... just not modern enough!

Needless to say, many Muslim women are affected by such snide, cruelty and ignorance gelled together into a lump of insult. As much as they wear the Hijab proudly for the sake of the Creator, those labels stick out from all the cloth that cover them and may poke into their self-esteems.It's harder than you think to wear Hijab without the people to support you and it pays to support a sister who is coming into the wonderful world of Hijab, be it she a new Muslim or a born Muslim. But firstly, always remember to support yourself.

As a Muslim woman, it is imperative to remind yourself that you are a confident woman with a good education. You may be a wife and a mother but the you only slave for the sake of Allah. Tell yourself that everyday and toss those rocks of insult aside. Once you have stood up to those who see you as "THE Muslim woman," support another sister who may be facing the same issues.