Every Muslim's Must Have Item

Assalaam Alakium lovelies!

I'm always shocked when I hear or notice that a Muslim does not have an Azan clock or prayer clock in their home. It's such a vital piece of my home and keeps me on track. I know some of you use your phone as an Azan clock or simply just know when the prayer times are but despite all of that I still feel that having an Azan clock is completely necessary. 

When I first started learning about Islam and started learning how to pray I would hand write all of the prayer times down on a piece of paper. I began to memorize when each prayer would come in and I still usually know when the prayer comes in within a few minutes. It's a part of my life now. I plan my day around prayer times. Alhamdulliah, I have a job that is flexible with me so I can shape my work time around prayers. If I need to run errands I will wait until the next prayer is due, than go, of course if it's two hours away I'll go but you get the point. 

The thing I love most about having an Azan clock in my home is that it keeps me in touch with Allah. If I'm deep into a television show, reading or whatever it may be, the second I hear the Azan I try my best to stop what I'm doing and listen. It's also encouraged to repeat what the Mu'aththin (the reciter of the call to prayer or the prayer clock) says. There are du'as you can say after the Azan is called as well and this is also strongly encouraged. 

I have this one!

Having an Azan clock in your home will also help you in getting up for fajr prayer which is probably the most neglected prayer of the day for a lot of us. It's tough getting up early even more so if you don't have a type of alarm clock to wake you up. This is where the Azan clock will be super handy. I highly encourage you all to try and buy one. You can purchase a simple one for $20, I have this type or buy a fancier one for more money. One tip though, make sure before you buy the Azan clock that it has your city pre-programmed into it this way you don't have to manual adjust the times and it will change on it's own on a daily basis. Super, super handy!

This one is way more fancier, it includes a remote!

So go out and buy an Azan clock, it will be a great investment, trust me. Do any of you NOT have an Azan clock in your home? If so, why? Do you live near a Masjid and hear the Azan from there? Please share below. 

Have a great afternoon!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Routine

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Good morning! How's your morning been? It's just another Tuesday over here. The Writer and I were slow getting out of bed so no after fajr workout for us. Instead, I got up and made him breakfast, dropped him off at work then went to go workout. 

When I pulled into the parking lot of the gym I noticed it was packed full of people! The gym I go to is never like that and I have to admit that for a second I thought about just turning around and going home. I have no idea why that thought crossed my mind maybe I just wanted to give myself an excuse not to workout. I went in anyway and completed 45 minutes on this cross trainer type of machine. It's awesome because it's kind of a like an elliptical but the arm handles don't move leaving me with a perfect chance to read The Hunger Games. Can you tell I like love this book! I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and can't wait for the movie to come out later next month. Watching the trailer totally pumped me up!

As for the rest of my day it's going to be pretty routine. Nothing exciting over here. The Writer and I live by routine. We like to come home from work at night, eat dinner, talk and lounge around until bedtime. Weekends are spent catching up on sleep, reading and family time. I thrive on routine. When something is thrown out of whack in our schedule it's hard for me to overcome. I often get upset when something pops up out of the blue changing my day around. Structure is my middle name. I know this is something I need to work on and become more flexible especially if we ever have kids inshAllah. 

As for now though, I'll try to be less annoyed when the little things change and thank Allah for everything He has given me. I really have nothing to complain about and when I do, I need to "gut punch" myself and think of all of those people out there who don't have what I have.

A man plans his course, but Allah (swt) guides his steps.


Below is a great video on avoiding extravagance and living simply. Please share any thoughts you have on the video in the comments below.

I'll see you later with another post inshAllah!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Meat....loaf?

Assalaam Alakium girlies!

How has Monday treated you all? We just finished dinner over here and are probably just going to chill for the rest of the night. InshAllah we can wake up early to workout tomorrow morning. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again right?

I left my last post saying how I was going to make a Mediterranean meatloaf for dinner well, let's just say it wasn't really a "loaf". It fell apart once I served it. I think it was a combination of things: the veggies in it made it soggy, I added an egg when I didn't need to, I made it in advance so the liquid absorbed and I didn't add any breadcrumbs. Alhadmulliah, it was good nonetheless though. I'll play with the recipe next time and see how it "holds up" haha okay that was lame. 

The meatloaf wasn't picture worthy but I'll add a photo I found online of it. Here's the recipe. I recommend adding some type of breadcrumbs or crackers to keep it together. 

Mediterranean Meatloaf:

• 1 pound of ground lean turkey
• 1 cup packed chopped baby spinach (I didn't add this since I didn't have any)
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped 
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes instead)
• 1/4 cup peeled carrot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 package of meatloaf seasoning 
• 2 egg whites (I just used one whole egg)
• Breadcrumbs, enough to bind it all together

Mix all of the above and cook in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes. Serves about 6. Enjoy! 

Remember, when cooking, you can switch things around according to what you like or have laying around. I hardly ever follow a recipe as is. Don't be scared to try something different or substitute items for things you enjoy. Be creative!

Have a wonderful night!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Workout Distractions

Assalaam Alakium and good afternoon!

InshAllah my last post didn't scare some of you off. I just wanted to share my experience with death and remind us all that our time is near. On to a brighter subject. =)

Let's talk exercise! Last night, I intended on staying up after fajr to workout. No such luck though. Since I had a hard time falling asleep last night I was too tired to get up. Even so, I still worked out. I dropped the Writer off at work and went straight to the gym! I was only there for 45 minutes but I feel amazing! 

At times, I can get bored while working out, especially if I'm on the elliptical or something similar. I need to keep my mind occupied or I'll dread the entire workout. Today, I read The Hunger Games and my workout flew by! I looked down at the machine the first time and realized I had been on for 20 minutes! It felt like five minutes. I think I've found my new workout distraction since I'm trying to break the habit of listening to music. 

After working out, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few random things. I came home and made myself a  smoothie with my new blender. 

I've used it twice now and I have to say, for $15 it's great. It crushes ice and frozen fruit really well. For this mornings smoothie I used:

• 3/4 cup unsweetended Almond Milk
• 2 Scoops of protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries, blackberries and strawberries

If you're into smoothies try this one out. The one above was 280 calories and had 14 grams of protein! Awesome! I need to start prepping the meatloaf for tonight's dinner. I'm trying out a new recipe for Mediterranean meatloaf, it has a ton of veggies in it! I'll let you know how it turns out. =)

Have a great rest of the day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Death and Denial

Assalaam Alakium ladies!

Here we are again, another Monday. Monday always feels like a fresh new start for me, even though I hate getting out of bed so early. I couldn't sleep last night. I was up thinking about death, life and how I still have so much to learn and accomplish.

Death scares me sometimes, I know I'm not ready and I hate to think that someone I love dearly could pass away any minute. I know we all have our day, it's just sad to think about. Alhamdulliah I haven't had to deal with death too much. The only close relative that has passed, has been my grandfather. I remember that day vividly. It was so sudden. 

At the time I wasn't Muslim, I was 18 years old and had just started college. I was researching Islam and was planning on converting soon. The last time I seen my grandfather he was watching his favorite television show, The Price is Right. That show always reminds me of him. =) 

I remember getting a frantic phone call from my mother saying that my grandfather had a heart attack and that she was coming to get me and bring me to the hospital. When we arrived, we couldn't see him and no one was telling us anything. It never crossed my mind that he was going to pass on that day. I was in BIG denial. All of a sudden the doctors wanted to take us to a room. All seven of us gathered in the small quiet room. The doctor told us he was gone. A flood of tears came cascading down my face, I couldn't help it. We went to go say our last goodbyes and I still could not believe he was gone. It was so hard for me to grasp that he was no longer with us.

My mind immediately went to the grave. I had learned about the questioning after death and the life in the grave. I was scared for my grandfather. I wanted him to know the answers to the three most important questions: Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What religion are you? I spent the entire night thinking about it. 

When we buried him, I didn't want to leave the grave because I knew the questioning would start. I wanted to stay for as long as possible even though I knew eventually the questioning would have to take place. I prayed that he would be okay. 

To this day I still wonder about him and from time to time will find myself crying out of no where. I didn't have a father growing up, so he was my only "father" figure. He was the nicest person around and I'm sad he never got to meet my husband, I know they would have hit it off. =) 

Death isn't an easy thing to come to terms with but we all are going to face it. We can't prevent death and no one is immune. Prepare for death every. single. day. you are alive and remind yourself of the grave frequently. Don't pretend that death will never come and know the answers to the three most important questions of your life:

Who is your Lord? -Allah, the One and Only God

Who is your Prophet? -The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him

What is your religion? -Islam

Please feel free to share your thoughts down below in the comments. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

A Dear Memory

Assalaam Alakium sisters!

Just a little random butterfly love =)

InshAllah your Sunday has been a blessed one! It's been pretty chill over here. The Writer is watching basketball while I'm listening to the Purpose of Life presented by Khalid Yasin. I'm going to be sending it to my mother inshAllah. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog. I'll always have a fond memory of Khalid Yasin.

In the winter of 2007 I began really learning about Islam. I had just started reading the Qur'an and understanding Islam. I had a tremendous amount of respect for Islam and was deeply considering converting. I was invited by some of my Muslim friends to attend an Islamic lecture. I was nervous thinking I wouldn't "fit in" or that I needed to "look" a certain way. I assumed I would be looked down upon if I didn't cover my hair. 

Despite all of my reservations, I went, as I was. As we walked into the room where the lecture was going to take place, I was flooded with smiles and hugs from sisters. They were all so welcoming to me and kindly asked me about myself. It was really a overwhelming feeling for me, you see, I never felt that way before. I felt like I belonged even though I had tight jeans and my hair showing. Despite all of that, they welcomed me.  

As the lecture began, I seen this African American brother walk up to the front. I immediately felt the respect the audience gave him. At the time, I had no idea who he was even though I'm sure I had watched a few of his videos on YouTube. Throughout the lecture/talk he never made me seem inferior. And I say this because I was sitting up front, not wearing the hijab and was clearly a non Muslim. He was presenting his idea for a television network and talked a little about the purpose of life.

At the end, he asked if anyone wanted to accept Islam. My friends who brought me asked me if I wanted to take my shahada at this time but I wasn't quite ready. I knew that Islam was the truth but I was overwhelmed by the amount of people in the room. I was scared that I'd mess up the Arabic and look like a fool. I let my insecurities get the best of me that night, nonetheless I was still respected and welcomed. 

Even though I didn't take my shahada that night, I still remember how I felt. I always look to that night when I run across Muslims who aren't very welcoming. The group of sisters at the event were amazing. May Allah bless them all. Ameen. Whenever I watch or listen to a lecture by Khalid Yasin I remember that night. 

I recommend that you all listen or watch the Purpose of Life. Give it to your family members, Muslim or not. This is beneficial to all of us. We can never remember Allah too much. 

Have any of you listened to this lecture? If so, would you give this to a non Muslim?

Have a great night!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

New Banner!

Assalaam Alakium girlies!

How's the morning been for you all? I've spent my morning skimming the following books:

These two books sum up what I've been looking into lately. I'm working on saving up enough money for the Canon Rebel T3i! So exciting, inshAllah I'll be able to purchase it this summer. Also, I suspect I have some form of gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Maybe not full blown Celiac Disease (meaning you are almost allergic to gluten). I have a lot of the symptoms I just need to get my butt into a doctors office. I hate the doctors office though. :( I'm just going to have to suck it up. 

Any who, how are you girlies liking the new banner? I made it in Adobe Photoshop with some help from the Writer. I have very basic knowledge with Photoshop but I plan on learning more so I can edit my pictures when I get the Canon t3i. Can you tell I'm kind of excited about this camera? HAHA

I don't have a topic for this post,  I just wanted to check in and let you all know what I've been up to. I promise I'll be back with a better post, inshAllah (God willing) later today. Maybe a post entirely on Islamic concepts/words with definitions? I know when I first became Muslim figuring out all the Islamic jargon was a struggle, heck even to this day I can get confused! 

"My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (Qur'an 20:114)

Have a great morning/afternoon! I'm off to research my butt off!

Wasalaam, 

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Assalaam Alakium!

How's it going? I finally figured out how to write a post via test message yesterday! InshAllah, that will be something I can use in the future when I'm not near a computer. I'm home for the day and don't have much planned. Maybe some meal planning? 

Now for today's focus on post, slow and steady wins the race. I remember thinking that I had to learn everything about Islam before I converted. I insisted on learning how to pray and even fasted two complete Ramadans before I even took my shahada (declaration of faith). Of course now, I know I should have just converted as long as I read the Qur'an, which was when I knew Islam was the truth. 

Whenever I meet a new Muslim or someone who plans on converting I always mention to take Islam a day at a time. I pretty much tell them to do the opposite of what I did. Simply because tomorrow is never promised. I spent two years learning as much as I could about Islam and hadn't even took my shahada yet, Alhamdulliah for everything though. 

There are so many aspects of Islam to learn and it can be pretty overwhelming if you try to learn it all in a few years. You never stop learning until the day you die so pace yourself. It's better to learn slowly and master what you learn than learn everything so quickly you forget it all. Try to find support from friends who can relate to you. Everyone learns in their own way, so be patient with yourself. If you are struggling with something (like praying) find someone you are comfortable with to help you out. It's a lot easier to learn with a friend than by yourself. 

Certain aspects of Islam come easier for some but can be a huge challenge to others. For example, prayer and fasting came easy to me while the hijab was something I had to get used to. I needed to "warm up" to the idea of wearing it. It took me six months to start wearing the hijab full time. It's important to do what is easiest for you and to not compare yourself with other Muslims. Make du'a (supplication) that Allah will make it easier for you and guide you on the straight path. 

"If we learn one new thing about our Deen (way of life) every day, we open our minds to a better day."

What tips would you give a new Muslim in regards to acquiring knowledge?

Have a wonderful day!

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Al Jumuah Magazine

Assalaam Alakium!

Finally it's Saturday! What are you all up to today? After the Writer gets back from some video production stuff we're going to visit family. Maybe I'll bring them some of the red velvet cake pops I made! :)

I love to bake, especially fun things like cake pops. Yesterday was my first time making them, I need to tweak a few things and then inshAllah I'll do a how-to post. 

On another, healthier note, I wanted to discuss a magazine I'm subscribed to, Al Jumuah. Before I was Muslim I subscribed to all of the big magazines one of which was Cosmo. After becoming Muslim I went on the hunt for an Islamic magazine that was available here in the United States. I found a few that were for sisters but they had gone out of business before I could subscribe to them. :( Last year I finally found Al  Jumuah and I subscribed immediately. They always have a great range of articles to read like family matters, Quranic miracles, fatwas on frequently asked questions and plenty more. I highly recommend this magazine for those of you who subscribe to magazines. 

http://www.aljumuah.com/

I love getting a new issue in the mail each month. The articles are so informative that I saved them in sheet protectors and put them in a binder for future reference. InshAllah, in the future I plan on doing some feature posts on topics discussed in this magazine. Is this something you are interested in? 

Spotlight on hadith:

"Do you know what is better than charity, fasting and salah (prayer)? It is keeping peace and good relationships between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Do you subscribe to any magazines? Is Al Jumuah one of them?

What kinds of posts would you like to see here?

Have a great morning!

Wasalaam, 

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Coming to you from....

Assalaam Alakium! 

Good morning, inshAllah you all had a great nights rest. Again, it was hard getting out of bed this morning, the Writer just started a new job so we're still getting use to his schedule change. 

I'm coming to you from Barnes and Noble this morning. Today I'm sticking around the Writers job so we can go to lunch later....Souper Salad anyone? We both work in the same area and share a car so today I'm saving some gas by staying in the area. I love bookstores, I could get lost for hours looking at books, and ending up buying maybe one haha. 

I thought I'd share a picture of a butterfly just to give this blog some visual appeal and since I absolutely adore butterflies. I think it's the metamorphosis/change that occurs. They start out being a caterpillar and change into a completely different animal, a beautiful butterfly.  

People have asked me why I chose the name Hijabi Butterfly, I guess it's because I think of myself as a butterfly in a way. I'm a convert to Islam so in a sense I had to go through a type of metamorphosis to become who I am today. I'm ever evolving into a better person, I hope, everyday so my metamorphosis is still in progress. I have a lot more left to learn and plan on sharing what I learn with you all. I want this blog to be a place for anyone really but specifically, Muslimahs. I found a lack of blogs dedicated to Muslim sisters and I feel that I can fill a void somehow. I want this blog to be a place of knowledge, so please let me know what I can do to make it a better place to come and read. 

Spotlight on hadith:

Reported by Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whenever a group of people sit in a gathering in which they do not remember Allah the Exalted, nor supplicate to elevate the rank of their Prophet, such a gathering will be a cause of grief to them. If Allah wills,  He will punish them, and if He wills He will forgive them." (At-Tirmidhi) 

Have any of you gone through a type of metamorphosis so to speak? 

Have a blessed day and inshAllah (If God wills) I'll be back with another post later today. 

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Piece of humble pie anyone?

Assalaam Alakium!

How's Monday treating you all? I was slow getting out of bed this morning, I don't think I slept very well since it's midday and I'm still fatigued. I'll sleep well tonight inshAllah. How awesome does that Oreo pie look?! Now onto the topic at had....

Humility...what exactly does this word mean? Simply put, it is having a modest opinion or view of one's self aka not letting your ego get the best of you. The word pride comes to mind when I think of humility. Pride CAN be a good thing, in it's proper time and place but we should never, as Muslims, let our pride or ego come before humility. Now, I'm not saying lets all feel down on ourselves and never feel accomplished but to always have a mindset that you can do more, especially when it comes to Islam.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was and is still the best example of humility for us. He never let his position as a prophet and great leader "go to his head". He gave more than he ever received and never asked for anything in return. Here's a great example of the Prophet's (PBUH) humbleness:

"Related by al-Bayhaqiyy, at-Tirmidhiyy, and Ibn Majah from the route of Abdullah who said: The Prophet (PBUH) lay down on a mat, which left some marks on his skin. So I began stroking my hand over his skin so that the marks would disappear and said: O Messenger of Allah, please give us permission to put something on the floor for you to sleep on without leaving such marks on your body?

The Prophet replied: 'Keep the worldly pleasures away from me, and keep me away from them, for the lifespan of one in this world goes so fast that it is similar to the time a riding person would spend to rest in a shade under a tree after which he has to leave and continue his journey."

The root of the Prophet's humbleness came from his love for the hear-after and not for this world. He lived everyday for the next.

I encourage us all to read and reflect on these stories of the Prophet (PBUH) and to become more modest and humble everyday. Just when you start thinking you have accomplished it all or are better than someone think of a story like the one above and reflect upon it. We can all use a little reminder.

Please share an authentic hadith that illustrates humbleness.
In what ways do you think we can all become more humble people?

May Allah bless you all.

Wasalaam,

~Hijabi Butterfly~

Why Muslims do NOT celebrate Halloween

Today children and adults a like are dressing up in a wide range of costumes celebrating Halloween. Children will start to go door to door receiving candy from strangers when the sun goes down. Adults will go to parties and drink alcohol in celebration of this day. Should Muslims engage in these activities as well? Simply put, NO.

Halloween is a Celtic tradition referring to the rituals involving dead spirits and devil worship. Celtic's believed this day symbolized the beginning of the ancient Druid's New Year, on which the dead revisit their homes. Overall, Halloween represents the devil worshiper's New Year. Again, should Muslims celebrate Halloween?

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, "Whosoever resembles a people is from them." This statement prohibits Muslims from imitation of the unbeliever. Muslim's who engage with the non-Muslims in their celebrations, is asking for the wrath of Allah and going down the wrong path.

As Muslims we believe in pure monotheism that there is only ONE God (Allah) and there is no other being like Him. Allah has no partners nor does he need any partner. He is ONE and ONE alone. As Muslims we believe this. Then why should be participate in a celebration of the unbelievers?

My point is as Muslims we should want to obey Allah's wishes and commands. By celebrating a Celtic holiday of the unbelievers we are not obeying HIS commands. Instead of celebrating Halloween distance yourself from all of the activities and read the Quran and Sunnah, understand why it is important not to imitate the people we strive not to be like.

Instead of letting our children engage in these activities stay home with them and teach them the importance of Islam and our holidays. Tell them in a sincere way why as Muslims we cannot and do not celebrate the holidays of others. This will inshAllah help them understand that Islam is unlike any other religion and as Muslims we need to obey Allah and keep to His commands.

Only by Allah will we go to paradise. Lets not waste our short time on Earth celebrating the holidays of the unbelievers. Instead lets learn about OUR deen and how we can improve as Muslims.

~Hijabi Butterfly