Whymzical Wijabz

I started wearing hijab five years ago after my daughter Layla who was eleven years old at the time approaced me one day after she woke up and told me she would like to wear the hijab. I told her she has three days to think about why she wants to wear it and three days later we both made the decision that would bring us closer to Allah (S), wearing hijab. 

2) You are the founder of WhymzicalWijabz - tell us more about your company. Where did the idea come from?

Whymzical Wijabz is my fifth child. Seeing my seven year old daughter Leah last September beginning the school year in a new grade with a personality larger than life strong enough not to care about her friends judging her and criticizing her about her hijab I knew it was do or die. I needed to prove to her that it will only make you stronger and build the connection everyone longs for. Right then was when I knew if I don't do something for all the Leah's in today's world I have failed my ummah. I ran with that intention. I knew I needed these young Muslim American girls to love Allah (S) and see the beauty in everything Allah (S) has created including the hijab. I asked Allah (S) and I received a journey of a lifetime. Whymzical Wijabz. Why Whymzical? Leah is whymiscal. Why Wijabz? She whipped it on wherever she went. Each Whymzical Wijab references Surahs in the noble Quran and are paired with crayons and an Islamic coloring book with facts about Surahs, and words from the Quran built to uplift and instill confidence and reassurance that there is a reason for their existence and love for all the above. It gives them a visual outlet and most importantly a deep connection with Allah and allows them to see the beauty in the most honorable crown around, the hijab.

3) How do you hope to change the way in which hijab is introduced to young girls through Whymzical Wijabz?

In the same way we say La Illaha Illa Allah and believe in the oneness of Allah and build more of a relationship with Him because of how merciful Allah is with his creation, I hope Whymzical Wijabz will forge a connection between young girls and wearing the hijab. In the same way we water plants and they grow and flourish, I hope our young girls will be introduced to hijab in the most effective way possible - through love.

4) In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing the Muslim ummah today?

Understanding the true characteristics of Islam and that it was never about you - rather, it has always been about us as a whole, as one ummah as brothers and sisters in Islam.

5) If you could tell your 20 year old self one thing, what would it be?

That everything is part of Allah's divine plan. Once you acknowledge that your journey was written by Al Rahman it will help you understand and make you stronger for what's to come in your life. That this life is a journey Allah (S) prescribed in order for us to continually turn back to the Creator.

The Beautiful Reasons Why These Women Love Wearing A Hijab

The Beautiful Reasons Why These Women Love Wearing A Hijab

The New York Times recently published a “guide“ to Muslim headscarves. The article intended to illuminate an Islamic concept that promotes modesty, but the associated images showed styles specific to a few countries and all of the silhouettes were faceless. These types of portrayals can contribute to a misperception among some that Muslim women who don the headscarf may lack agency. 

In today’s political climate, the headscarf has become more than just a spiritual symbol of modesty. At one point, women working in government positions were not allowed to wear it in Turkey. In France, the niqab — a version of the headscarf that covers the face — is banned. In the field of counterterrorism, some view the headscarf as a manifestation of extremism. And as the number of Islamophobic attacks continues to rise in the United States so, too, does the fear among Muslim women, especially those who wear hijab, that they’ll be victims of violence.

In light of this, The Huffington Post asked women from all over the Internet to show just how beautifully diverse the hijab can be using the hashtag #HijabToMe. By showing the many different ways women choose to tie their hijab and the various meanings it takes for them, we hope to offer readers a glimpse into the diversity of Muslim women who don the headscarf. Muslim women were asked to post a picture of themselves along with a brief description of what wearing the hijab means to them.

Check out the compelling images and join the conversation in the comments section below using the hashtag #HijabToMe. 

Concerns of a 21st Century Black, Muslim Woman

Concerns of a 21st Century Black, Muslim Woman

The following words were spoken over me when I first entered the world. “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is His messenger.”

Bulaong Malika Ramiz they named me. Malika means “queen” in Arabic.

My name has always been my most consistent connection with Islam. I never prayed five times a day or wore hijab, but being raised Muslim has always been a part of my identity that I’ve claimed, critiqued, honored, and appreciated. In my growth as a social justice educator, I’ve become more and more critical of organized religion—seeing the value in it while also seeing how dangerously indoctrinating it can be. As I continue to learn more about myself, my relationship with religion wavers.

Born to a Catholic mother and a Muslim father, raised by my Muslim grandmother while attending Catholic school, I tried my best to both fit in and stand out during my formative years. I had confusing interactions and deeply transformative experiences.

I’ve fluctuated between feeling pride, frustration, fear, and joyous community around my Muslim identity. In elementary school I would lie and pretend I was Catholic like everyone else. I would sneak rosary beads under my uniform, tell stories about my baptism, pray the “Hail, Mary” and the “Our Father” right along with my classmates. I was already different enough because I was a Black/Puerto Rican girl in a predominately White school, with kids I perceived to be wealthier than I. But then, Ramadan would come around, and I saw the strength, commitment, and spiritual journey my family’s community was undertaking, and I would feel overwhelmingly proud. I’d skip lunch, announce that I was fasting, pray during recess. I no longer needed to fit in.

And then, in seventh grade September 11th happened. I’d never heard the term “terrorist” and didn’t know who Osama Bin Laden was. I can’t even recall if I had knowledge of the Middle East, at least not with any real historical understanding. My grandmother and I went to the Mosque one day following the attacks. Typically, I would put my hijab on in the car, walk into the Mosque, and take if off once I got back in the car. But after September 11th happened, I started wearing my hijab all the way home, even if we made a few stops along the way. I was not afraid for people to see I was Muslim. I knew what I was hearing on TV and in school were lies, a narrow perspective, and not the whole truth. Those “terrorists” were not a reflection of my religion or my community.

So while I’m not currently a “practicing” Muslim in the traditional sense, I was raised Muslim and it’s a deep part of my identity. It instilled in me a sense of community, peace, strength, and resilience. I claim Islam the same way I claim being a woman, being Black, and being a Latina.

For those who wish to better understand the Muslim community, here’s what I can offer.

Not All Muslims Are Terrorists and Not All Terrorists Are Muslim

As a Black Muslim, if I were to do something, my actions would be deemed representative of my whole community or communities, regardless of if I was acting in the name of that community or not.

But if my neighbor steals a loaf of bread, does that mean our entire neighborhood community is made up of thieves and we should all be condemned for the actions of one person?

You Cannot Tell Who Is Muslim and Who Is Not Simply by Appearance

Not all people who wear scarves or turbans on their head are Muslim. The Sikh community, which also wears turbans for religious reasons, has been targeted immensely with anti-Muslim violence. Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion, a monotheistic faith founded in the Punjab region of India about 500 years ago. Most of the world’s 25 million Sikhs live in India, but more than 500,000 make the US their home. You can read more about them here, but the targeting of Sikhs is a direct result of generalizations, misinformation, and ignorance.

Muslims are diverse, complex, and individually very different just like Christians, Jews, and Atheists. Some celebrities who’re Muslim include Dave Chappelle, Dr. Oz, Zayn Malik, and Iman. That’s already a very diverse group of individuals. Islam is a religion that spans hundreds of nations and is claimed by billions of people. This idea that we can ban an entire religious group from a nation is not simply an idea. It’s been done before with horrifying, disastrous results. We look back at those moments in history with shame and disgust.

The Entire Muslim Community Is Not Accountable for the Actions of Individual Muslims

Time and time again we see mass media and Internet trolls demanding that the entire Muslim community speak out against terrorist acts committed by other Muslims. Muslims don’t have annual or bimonthly meetings. There is not a newsletter we all subscribe to. We don’t even all speak the same language. If we are not going to hold all other religions to the same standard—that they should speak out when other members of their community commit acts of terrorism in movie theaters, churches, and schools—then we shouldn’t expect that from anyone who identifies as Muslim.

We are at a very interesting crossroads at this time in our nation. What was once a chuckle has turned into deep concern. We have racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic individuals running for the highest office of this nation.

I urge you to think about what it truly means to be in a community. And if you haven’t read the Qur’an, understand much about Islam, or know a Muslim, I hope the next time you hear a racist, sexist, Islamophobic remark you think about me, my family, and this story. I’m a member of your community and so are billions of others just like me. Let’s move forward from fear and discomfort to a place of courage—together

 

Hijab Wedding Styles

Hijab Wedding Styles 2016

A Hijab wedding styles 2016 both a brain masking and a fashion of dress used mainly in the Muslim neighborhood. For wedding parties, which are progressively sex-combined with the local Muslim community, hijab can observe both the tradition of the husbands and wives and the case on its own. A single crucial function of a hijab wedding ceremony style is that it is simple and includes the hair, throat, ear and upper body. A hijab is a brain masking that is used by women in the Muslim neighborhood each day, regardless of whether it is an ordinary day or their wedding event day. Not simply a brain masking, but it is another style of dress. Since most contemporary Hijab wedding styles and marriage ceremonies are sex combined, hijabs are even more important as they permit the women to appreciate and enjoy the celebration, whilst keeping their faith based pride. Hijabs enable both the partners to appreciate and include their custom and tradition in their specific day.