Returning to hijabi blogging to share a wonderful free ebook on Islam

It has been a long time since I wrote on this blog. I rather loss the impetus for it when I had our first child as fashion became a much lesser priority than parenting.

However I've now started working part-time and our child is in preschool a few days a week so I feel more focused on the outside world and what I wear.

Pleasingly my wonderful teacher in Islam Imam Afroz Ali has released his eBook UNVEILING HIJAB: An Explanation of the Head Veil of the Muslim Woman. He was able to release the book for free through the support of Knowledge without Barriers who financially support the Islamic educational provider SeekersGuidance and their aim to enable everyone, everywhere to benefit from Islamic knowledge by making all their courses and educational services completely free.

This is a fascinating book explaining some of the differences among the interpretations about hijab, khimar and jilbab. But it does explain clearly that wearing a headscarf covering the head and chest is obligatory upon Muslim women.

SeekersGuidance also have a very good Questions and Answers section where they address one of the questions that plagues many hijabis: Should I Remove the Hijab Because I Am a Bad Example for Others?. It is easy to feel that we are not worthy of being the ambassadors of Islam that wearing hijab makes us. But as Shaykh Faraz Rabbani states in his answer "Though we pray that Allah makes us good examples for others, this is neither our goal nor the basis of what we are held accountable for. Rather, we are held accountable for the obligations due upon us towards our Lord and His creation."

Congratulations Sister Baroness Warsi

Lovely salwar kameez, easy to adapt to hijab of course

"To be born as the daughter of an immigrant mill worker in a mill town in Yorkshire, to have the privilege of serving in Cabinet at such an important time in Britain's history, I think it is terribly humbling." - Baroness Warsi

Hijab fashion rut

For me, wearing hijab has become so normal that its become hard for me to write this blog. Its no longer really fashion for me, I do it every day, don't really buy new clothes, just same thing, day in and day out. I have never worn a maxi dress with hijab, I try them on in the shops and it just doesn't work. I think perhaps its because I wear hijab to work with formal tailored wear, which is hard to buy here in modest cuts. So I have a few skirts I've had for years and just change my work shirt or jacket, but again these are mostly old. I probably should buy something new, but I just get drawn back to things in grey, navy, green, white and some feature colours like green, blue, purple and pink.

The only thing I feel like buying are new scarves from Middle Eastern Mall (lol)

Men look at a woman's breasts before her face

Men have an eye for women's breasts
Victoria University of Wellington researchers have found nearly half - 47 per cent - of men first look at women's breast. A third of men's ''first fixations'' are on women's midriff.

Shockingly less than 20 per cent of first glances were at the woman's face.

''Men spent consistently more time looking at the breasts of front posed female images and also made significantly more fixations upon the breasts than other regions of the body or head,'' the researchers suggested.

Tichels: 2 Cute Chiffon

Distinctive Hair Coverings Large Square Chiffon Scarf (Blush and Grey Paisley) US$16.99

Distinctive Hair Coverings Small Rectangular Chiffon Scarf (Sparkling Maroon) $14.99


I thought these tichels were cute and quite different from hijabs that you see around. The reason why they are styled this way is that some Orthodox Jewish cousins wear their sheitals (wigs) to cover their hair and then a tichel (scarf) on top.

Serene Somayeh

Open publication - Free publishing - More adidas

This is my first magazine style post, let me know what you think. If you'd like to look at the Polyvore set go here.

Spring time tunics

It's feeling very summery today, sunny and beautiful. It's a lovely 14 degrees Celcius here where I live, pretty nice for our Southern hemisphere winter. I find it astounding to receive my Ezibuy catalogue (NZ's answer to Victoria Secret but more normal than sexy) in the mail for Spring in July when its still freezing. Muslim & non-Muslim woman alike are wearing long sleeves under their tunics and big coats. Its the time of year where muhajabat fit in the best, our hijabs match the pashmina and wooly hats other women are wearing as do our coats and long sleeves. However with the shift to warm weather I'm thinking about long sleeve tunics, kaftans, breezy cotton skirts and sandals. Unfortunately finding a hijab appropriate kaftan or tunic is quite difficult. Although they do pop up as regular lines at a lot of our chain stores here they are often 3/4 sleeves or shorter, or the dreadfully sheer either by design or thinness of fabric.

This is beautiful but I'd have to wear a long sleeve henley or tee under it, which would make it hot and defeat the purpose.

Sara Print Tunic NZD $59.99

However is you search you can find great things like this, which are sold one off from an online store I'd never heard of before, I want more!

Nooz Pink Ethnic Boho Style Kaftan $25