Some of you may have heard of Smoky Not Smudgy, especially because it's been running for 7 years now and every year it gets bigger and better! This was my second year of attendance and it definitely was a memorable one especially due to the people I met.
So what exactly is Smoky Not Smudgy?
For those of you who don't know, Smoky Not Smudgy is an event held in aid of charity week. It is a ladies only papering event where women from all over the globe attend. It consists of
" LUXURY SERVICES, BEAUTY TREATMENTS, FASHION BOUTIQUES, PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS, A SOUK BAZAAR, MASTER CLASSES, TUTORIALS BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND EVEN A SHOW STOPPING CATWALK."
The money raised during charity week goes towards aiding orphans and needy children.
Here are some of the companies and their stalls that attended on the day.
http://zansoccasions.co.uk/ The owner of Zans Creations, MashaAllah is such a nice person. I met her whilst looking lost and trying to find the venue. I follow her on instagram and completely love all her bouquets, they really are amazing! Her bouquets are something that can be kept forever as a beautiful memory. If you've never checked out her stuff you really should!
https://www.facebook.com/cafejulia
This lady's mother in law makes the most amazing jams ever. They all tasted so good it probably took me half an hour to decide which 6 I wanted. The Blueberry and Honey is just too good, unfortunately, she didn't have that in a larger jar :(.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayahmeen-London/
These ladies hand-make beautiful headpieces (at a very reasonable price) one of which I just could not keep away from! I'll try and post a picture of it sometime. The sisters themselves are so genuine and nice, makes me love their products even more!
Ok so lately I've been obsessed with
makeup so much so that it’s making my purse hollow! What I thought
I’d do to make my obsession go one step further is to write a
review on some of my fave products of this month.
In first place - I’m completely in
love with Rimmel Kate lipsticks. These can be found in Superdrugs or
Boots stores and cost around £3.99 to £5.49 depending on which type
you get. In the last two weeks I've probably bought around 5
different colours and I've actually seen a new shade that I HAVE to
have (Shade 31). But of the ones I currently have, I’m actually on
my second case (with third on standby) of shade 19.
I’m now going to attempt to describe
the colour- it’s a slight pink with some nude undertones..slightly
rosy-berry but more towards the berry side. Now you see why I said
attempt :P. It’s very creamy and thick with amazing pigmentation. I
used to hate nude colours but this lipstick has become my every day
wear.
Moving on to the second
product: my very first gel eyeliner. I was told these were hard to
apply and I’d get bored of using them after a while but not found
either of these statements to be true! I can see myself stocking up
on these too. The one I have is the Maybelline eyestudio lasting
drama gel eyeliner. It’s so thick and creamy and works wonders in
just one application. It glides on very smoothly and sets
immediately. I've found it to last until I take it off which is
perfect as don’t need to carry it round with me. The applicator
brush it comes with is the perfect length for application. The
bristles are not too soft to flop and not to stiff either. It’s
perfect from creating thin as well as thick lines.
I'm obsessed with both these products and without them my makeup just doesn't feel right.
On a final note, if you’re a keen
reviewer why not try going over to dooyoo.com and earn some extra
cash? You can earn points that can be redeemed as cash, vouchers or
given to charity for every review over 250 words. Come on..250
words..that’s nothing, unless you’re a student writing an essay
then I’d say 10 words is hard enough never mind 250!
If you're looking for an easy but delicious dessert try these homemade individiual trifle treats. Easy to make and approximately 12 of these glasses can be made for less than £4.50!
NB: The quantity of the ingredients is more based on preference rather than an exact amount.
Method:
1. Follow the instructions on creating the jelly mixture
2. Divide the liquid jelly mixture equally among each glass/bowl
3. Leave in fridge to set
4. Gently crumble the Madeira cake
5. After the jelly has set, take out of the fridge and layer the crumbled cake on top of the jelly. Once the preferred amount of cake is placed inside the glasses, slightly press down to create a flat cake surface.
6. Pour the preferred amount of custard on top of the cake layer.
7. Leave in fridge until ready to serve.
8. When ready to serve, squirt the cream on top of the custard layer and sprinkle the crystals.
The next three books will the remaining two from the princess trilogy and 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho'. Reviews will be up after reading all three.
Ahh finally a book that grabbed my attention within the first page! From then on I knew that I wouldn't be let down and I was kind of right in some ways. I mostly read the book because I wanted to know how certain events unfolded and it was mostly curiosity regarding life amongst the royals in Saudi Arabia. I had prior knowledge concerning the inequality of genders within an Arab society but to read it from a royals point of view was interesting. As it was a true account I don't think it would be fair to criticise the fact that it did not have a plot line, nor a climax and the ending was sudden. However, having read numerous other true stories before, I'd say the style of writing wasn't really what engaged me as a reader but more the content. Additionally, I didn't find myself feeling upset, angry, shocked or any other emotions that other readers have felt. It's most likely due to the fact that I'm already aware of how in certain countries men interpret women's status in Islam differently to what is actually correct. Perhaps readers that have only a slight knowledge of Islam and the Arab culture might experience these emotions and find the book more gripping. Nevertheless, it was a good read which I'd recommend to only selected people as oppose to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul' which I would not recommend at all.
The next book to be read and reviewed is Daughters of Arabia by Jean Sasson. It's actually the sequel to Princess which I've not received yet and the book looks too good to wait for the first one. I know it's silly...read the first book first, but I have to read something! Read the first chapter so far and looks promising. Review should be up soon!
Wow, it's been so long since I've blogged! Hope everyone had an amazing Eid In Sha Allah.
So recently I finished reading a book and just wanted to share some quick thoughts. But firstly why I read the book in the first place.
After hearing so many good reviews about The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez, I really could not wait to read it for myself. What really encouraged me to read this book was the numerous times it was being campared to A Thousabd Splendid Suns and The kite Runner! Both those books I could not put down even for a second and to hear that this book was the exact page turner as Khaled Hosseini's, it further increased the suspense.
Firstly, I usually finish a 'good' book within a few hours. However, I believe it took me over a week to read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. The story seemed slow and some characters rather pointless. Nothing really happened until after reading two thirds of the book and even then it wasn't really enticing at all. The characters such as Candace and Isabel I felt had no purpose and their storylines extremely underdeveloped, so much so that when a drastic event takes place I felt no empathy at all. I only felt like I cared bout one out of five main characters. I'm really disappointed in the storyline and the authors writing style. To me it definitely can not be compared to Hosseini's page turners.
Sorry it's a very short review but I feel like it's not even worth writing a long negative review. Let's hope the next book's a lot better!
"The Palestinian issue should be something we think about day and night" Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki I was watching a video a few days ago regarding how people are so unaware of what is happening in Gaza. I would say I'm surprised but having thought about it, if I didn't have an interest in current affairs I would not know myself. The amount of coverage on the issue does not come close to the amount of coverage it should actually have. Since a week ago approximately 172 Palestinians have been killed whilst the death toll for Israel is 0. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states "We're sorry for any accidental civilian deaths but it's the Hamas that bears complete responsibility for such civilian casualties." They're sorry for killing so many innocent civilians? They're sorry for tearing families apart, crushing their hearts, losing loved one. The word sorry is such an insult, sorry does not even come close. And accidental? Did they think missiles would burst into a thousand flowers? Their missiles had one purpose, to destroy whatever or whomever it reached. There is no accident. A Danish journalist, Allan Sorensen, who posted a photograph of Israeli residents in the town of Sderot. He tweeted along with his picture: “Sderot cinema. Israelis bringing chairs 2 hilltop in sderot 2 watch latest from Gaza. Clapping when blasts are heard.” Is this what the human race has become? Where has humanity gone? It's so hard to believe that people can be so heartless, there's not enough words to describe how inhumane this is. How can you physically sit there enjoying the deaths of others? I really don't understand how this is even possible. I don't think I can write enough words to express the severity of the Palestinian issue, but I do want to share something that gives us hope.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to Mua'ad Ibn Jabal (RA), 'Beware of the supplication of the unjustly treated, because there is no shelter or veil between it (the supplication of the one who is suffering injustice) and Allah (SWT)' [Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
I fear for those oppressing the Palestinians because each and everyone of the oppressed's duas is answered In Sha Allah. The unjust killings of the men, women and children in Palestine is an ATROCITY. It's time that we heard the calls of our brothers and sisters, donate anything you can, raise awareness, stand together against the west who is condoning the MASSACRE of Gaza, we do not want history to repeat itself. Most of all give them your duas, make dua before you break your fast everyday! For Allah, the Almighty does not refuse the prayer of a fasting person! Every time we're in sujood let's make a dua too for all those going through hardship in Gaza - Unquestionably the help of Allah is near. While our hearts ache for the sufferers of this unjust attacking let us remember them every minute of every day. And let us not rest until FREEDOM is granted for PALESTINE..
May Allay swt save the Muslims of Gaza, May He watch over them and help them, May He grant ease to those oppressed and May His wrath reach the oppressors, may He instill patience in the families who have lost loved ones and may He shelter them from the destruction. He is the All Powerful. The Absolute Ruler. The Judge. The Avenger. All Praise is due to none other but Him. The Lord of the Worlds.
Character. How would you define yours? Or better yet, how
would others describe it? We all like to label ourselves as things, kind,
patient, cheery perhaps. But is that just what we think we are, or are we
actually projecting it too.
As the month of Ramadan is upon us, what better time to
evaluate our characters. Fasting is not only about giving up our food and drink
it’s also about giving up bad things, things that are bad for us and things
that are bad for the people around us. For example, shouting and swearing,
telling lies, talking about people behind their backs. Now, we’re only human
and we are going to slip up every now and again but this month do your very
best to bite your tongue when you get the urge to swear or tell your friend
what that girl did at work yesterday. We don’t need to gossip to have a
conversation, in fact if it is needed for a conversation, well, let’s just say
you may want to rethink the company you keep. Remember that if they’re gossiping
about someone to you, then they’ll probably gossip about you to someone else.
"Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e.
telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad
words to others, Allah is not in
need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink." [Bukhari]
If you’re fasting and your actions are vulgar and abusive
then you should take a minute and think about why you’re fasting. We don’t fast
just so we can give up our food and drink for a few hours in the day, we fast
so we can cleanse our souls and we can rethink our priorities, for one month
every year we get the chance to free ourselves of all the bad that is polluting
our minds and hearts and instead fill it with everything good, prayer, family,
kind words. The good food… well that’s just a bonus.
While we use Ramadan to rethink ourselves, don’t forget to
think about all the millions of people around the world who would do anything
to be in our places, who have far less than you and I may have. So give thanks
for the small things in life, though we may not have that new phone or that new
pair of shoes we wanted, be grateful there’s food on the table and a roof over
your head. Because let’s face it. It could be a whole lot worse.
So start with the small things. Smile at a neighbour, a
helping hand to a colleague, biting your tongue when you want to swear in a
traffic jam. As small as they may seem, it all really counts. Make these small
changes and you’ll see that slowly but surely your perspective will change!
Now we’ve got the small things out of the way let’s move on
to something a little bit bigger.
During Ramadan a lot of us spend a lot more time at home or
at the mosque, and it gives us the opportunity to be a part of our family and
community again. So, it’s the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time or
for perhaps neglecting those parts of our lives. There are some small efforts
we can make that’ll help us strengthen ties that matter.
Help your parents, even its just taking over Iftar for the
day or cleaning up afterwards and making you mum a cup of tea, spend time with
your brothers and sisters, you can read with your siblings, tell stories to the
young ones, we sometimes take the people that are closest to us for granted and
think they’ll be there and anytime we want to spend a few minutes with them we
can just go and knock on their door, but the fact of the matter is that they
could be gone any second and there might not be anyone on the receiving end of
that knock. It’s amazing how many new things you can find out about people you
thought you knew inside out, just by spending a little time with them.
Don’t forget your friends and neighbours, have an Iftar
gathering at your house. Reach out to those who you haven’t reached out to in a
while, even a quick message will do the trick just to let them know that you've
thought of them, who knows maybe an old friendship will come back to life.
Sometimes we’re so lost in our lives, in work, technology,
in living out our ambitions that we forget about those closest to us. It’s good
to work hard and follow your dreams, in fact it’s excellent to, but let’s try
not to forget that there’s a whole world of relationships and people out there.
So while I realise that this post has been a little, you
know, heavy I guess. But it’s just a little advice from a person who’s trying
to take her own advice.
So till next time I hope you’ve had an excellent week and
that you’ll make the upcoming week the best possible.
"Hmmm. What shall I do? Watch some TV? I can’t really do much
so how do I pass my time?"
"Oh no! What am I going to do? Why does this have to happen
right now? I was doing so well with my ibadah, It’s just going to mess everything
up! Argh!"
What are the above statements referring to? Women on their
menses during Ramadan. Alhamdulillah for a lot of women ‘that time of the month’
does not affect their Ibadah. But for some of us, the above
thoughts are all too familiar.
The messenger of Allah (swt) said to Aisha (r.a) "Your menstruation is not in your hands."(Sahih Muslim)
It is the will of Allah (swt) and He has
commanded us to avoid fasting and praying. If this command is fulfilled with
the intention of submitting to Allah (swt) than this is in fact an act of
worship. Therefore, by not praying or fasting, we are actually worshipping the
Almighty. We need to remember that there is nothing unpleasant about menstruation apart from our
attitude towards it.
Mensturation is NOT a punishment. Allah (swt) is not
punishing us. However, by complaining about it we are in fact questioning His
wisdom. Who are we to complain about something Allah (swt) has ordained for us?
Who are we to question him? He is the Lord of the Worlds, the King of all
Kings, the Master of the Universe! SubhanaAllah..who are we to complain?
A common misconception is that many of us believe we are
prohibited from so many acts of worship during this time and therefore, ask the
question what can we do? However, the real question should be what are we forbidden
to do?
The few things we are prohibited to do are:
1.
Fasting and Praying
2.
Making Tawaf
N:B There are differences of opinion whether menstruating women
can touch the Quran, read the Quran or sit in the masjid. Due to the difference
of opinion I do not wish to make any comments regarding these particular acts.
Allah (swt) knows best.
Alhamdulillah we have so much more time on our hands to
perform many acts of worship a few of which are mentioned below.
1.
The best of deeds:
-
A deed that is most pure in the sight of
Allah(swt)
-
A deed that raises our status
-
A deed better than giving gold and silver in
charity
DHIKR – Remembering Allah (swt). We
must remember this is not a small act but one that can bring us closer to our
Lord. SubhanaAllah.
Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah
narrated by Muslim says:“ ‘The mufridoon
have gone ahead.’They said, ‘O
Messenger of Allaah, who are the mufridoon?’He said, ‘Those men
and women who remember Allaah much.’”
Dhikr can be done all day everyday. So let’s keep our tongues
moist with dhikr:SubhanaAllah. Alhamdulillah. Allahu Akbar. Subhan Allahi wa
bi-Hamdihi.
Ummul- Mu’mineen Juwairiyah
(r.a)narrates thatAllah’s Messenger (sws) went out in the morning whilst she
was praying Fajr and returned before the afternoon and found her still seated
in the same place. He (sws) asked whether she had been sat there since the time
he left her. After she said ‘yes’ the Prophet (sws) said He had recited four
words three times. If those words were weighed against all of what you recited
this morning, mine would be heavier.
What are these words?
Subhana Allahi wa bi-Hamdihi
Adada Khalqihi
Wa rida-a-nafsihi
Wa zinatah arshihi
Wa midada kalimatihi
Allah is free from
imperfection
And I praise Him as many
times as the number of His creatures
As much as it pleases Him
As much as the weight of His
throne
As much as the ink that may
be used in recording the words(for His praise)
2.Listen to the
recitation of the Quran. Read the translation and ponder upon the meanings.
There are plenty of Youtube videos we can watch and lectures given by those
such as Nouman Ali Khan are so easy to understand. Alhamdulillah.(video inserted below)
3.Give generously
to charity. The Prophet (sws) said: “Thebeliever's
shade on the Day of Resurrectionwill be his charity.”(Al-Tirmidhi)
4.Feed the fasting
people. "Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the
fasting person, without any reduction in his reward." [At-Tirmidhi,
authenticated by Al-Albani (rahimahullaah).]
5.Send blessings upon the Prophet (sws). Allah and
His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe! Send your
blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.(33:56)
SubhanaAllah
look at some of the rewards of sending blessings on our beloved prophet Muhammad (sws).
-We are obeying
the command of Allah (swt)
-Our salaam
reaches him. The Messenger of Allah (swt) said: “Allah has angels who go around on earth,
conveying to me the salaam of my ummah.” [Sunan Nasaa'i, Saheeh Al-Albani]
-The Prophet
(sws) returns our greeting
-Allah (swt) raises
our rank ten levels
-Removal of ten
bad deeds and adding of ten good deeds to our record Abdullah bin 'Amr bin
Al-'As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (swt) saying:“Whoever supplicates Allah to exalt
my mention (i.e.,
send salah), Allah will exalt his mention (i.e., send
salah)ten times and remove from him ten sins and raise
him ten degrees.”[Muslim]
-Draws us
closer to the Messenger of Allah (swt) on the day of judgement
-Our duas are
suspended between the heavens and the Earth until we send salawat on the
prophet (sws). Umar radi Allahu anhu said,“Dua is suspended between heaven
and earth and none of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet (sws).”[At-Tirmidhi, Hasan Al-Albani]
-The love for our
beloved prophet (sws) will increase. When we love someone we constantly remember
them. By sending salwat on the Prophet (sws) we are in constant remembrance of him
and we will make dua for him more and more as our love increases In Sha Allah.
There
are so many acts of worship we can perform whilst menstruating a few more of which can be found in the previous post. Let’s try and get this idea that we are prohibited from
worshipping Allah (swt) during this time. Let us not feel angered but view it positively
as we have more time on our hands to do so much more. Let us not feel that we
are being deprived of the blessings of this month and lastly, let us not allow
our spiritual levels to decrease but rather increase tremendously In Sha Allah. So next time we reach 'that time of the month' lets do everything we can to make up for not fasting and praying. Increase your Ibadah. Don't be disheartened.
With
Ramadan stepping its feet through each and every one of our doorsteps, who
better to devote my first post to?
Alhamdulillah.
We've made it to another year to witness this blessed month. Only Allah (swt)
knows if we'll make it to the next..this could be our last Ramadan so let's
make this the best one yet!
But
before I specifically talk about Ramadan, I just want to dedicate a short
section to all those going through hardship. I've noticed over the last few
days a lot of my close friends and family are facing certain difficulties in
their lives and I just want to remind us all of the verse from the Quran 'God desires
ease for you, and desires not hardship'(2:185).So next time we feel depressed and upset
because things aren't going our way, just remember life is a test. Allah (swt)
is on our side! He loves us70timesmore than a mother loves her own child.
Nothing in this world happens except by the decree of Allah (swt). He alone knows what is good for us (perhaps something we dislike) and what is not good for us (perhaps something we like very much). If we have
this belief then we can get through every single one of our trials and
tribulations. After this belief, we need to learn to accept it and after
acceptance we need to be content with whatever Allah (swt) has decreed for us.
Can you imagine being content? We’d be the happiest people on this earth.
SubhanaAllah. Let’s strive for that contentment! We need to learn to be
patient. Our purpose isn't to get a job, to have such and such amount of money,
own a sparkling car or live in a huge house. Our purpose is to WORSHIP ALLAH
(swt) alone and our destination is JANNAH. Nothing else in this world matters.
He has given us countless blessings – many things as well as people whom we
take for granted.
One of the gifts Allah (swt) has sent to us is Ramadan. In
this blessed month the gates of Jannah are open and the gates of Jahannam are
closed. That whisper aka Shaitan is chained. There is a night in this month that is
better than 1000 months! The Prophet (sws) tells us to seek this night - so look for it, spend the last ten nights in extra worship.We need to seize this opportunity and do everything
we can to get closer to Allah (swt). Let’s not be of those people Jibril (as)
mentions to Muhammad (sws)‘O Muhammad! He
who approaches the month of Ramadan, and died without being forgiven, so he
entered Hellfire, so let Allah Almighty seclude him away.’
(Jaabir Ibn Samurah reported by At-Tabaraani)This Ramadan
let’s reap the rewards. Let none of us leave Ramadan without having all our previous
sins forgiven in sha allah!
Allah (swt) has made it so easy for us to do this.
JustFastout of sincerity
of faith and hope in gaining the rewards. Do this and all your
past sins are forgiven! SubhanaAllah!
Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who observes the fast during
Ramadan out of sincerity of faith and in hope of earning merit will have his
past sins forgiven him" (Bukhari and Muslim).
Praying Taraweehwith the
imam until he concludes his prayer, Allah (swt) rewards this as if we have been
praying the whole night!
Offering the night
prayer in Laylat ul Qadr‘ Whoever stood in
prayer on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he
will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Charity! The prophet (sws) was not seen to
be more generous than in the month of Ramadan. So let’s give! Even
if we have very little to give, give whatever we can for the sake of Allah (swt). Help
the needy, clothe the poor, feed the poor, give dawaah. Whatever we can - just
do it with smile awaiting the rewards.
Recite the Quran- Try even completing the Quran. The Quran has approximately 600 pages. 30 days in Ramadan where each day consists
of 5 prayers. Reading 4 pages before each prayer equals 20 pages a day. 20
times 30 is 600! With a bit of simple math achieve something amazing.
Understand the Quran. Read with the
translation next to you. There are so many different apps available so let's not find any excuse!
Reconnect with family members. Forgive, forget
and move on. Let’s love those whom Allah (swt) ordered us not to severe ties with.
Repent Ask Allah (swt) to forgive us for our
sins. Allah (swt) responds to the call of thee caller! No matter how many sins
we have committed. He WILL respond. Have firm belief that after seeking
forgiveness that he has forgiven us and if we ask for anything He will provide – be it
in this life of the hereafter.
Let's not forget to refrain from
backbiting, lying, cheating, swearing and all other negativity. If someone
insults, angers us or inflicts us with any harm whilst we
are fasting, let us not retaliate in any way other than saying:
اِنَّيْ
صَائِمٌ ، اِنِّيْ صَائمٌ
Inni
sa'iimu, inni sa'iimu
"I
am fasting, I am fasting"
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari of Al-Asqalani; 4:1-3, Muslim; 2:806
Don’t forget to make sincere
dua for all those who are suffering around the world. In Sha Allah all our sins will be forgiven and may this Ramadan bring us all closer to Allah (swt). May He bring ease to those in hardship and may He grant us all Jannah.
Lastly, I made a list of duas
for myself and a lot of people wanted me to send it to them too so I thought I’d include a link and perhaps it may benefit you too.
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