From a few life experiences, I have deduced the following: Ways to encourage doning the hijab that work: 1. Tell the person gently to don it for the sake of Allah. 2. Explain the benefits. 3. Share your personal struggles with the hijab and how you overcame it. 4. Allow freedom of choice. 5. Encourage;…
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The Transient Path
By Mabel Background story: I’m a Chinese and have yet to convert, but am on my way to learning about Islam and embracing it. This article was just a mini-epiphany experienced after a tough day. Today I sit in front of my notebook determined to write, because there is no other way I can adequately…
Read MoreAsk Before Touching
*Content Note: Post discusses rape and marital rape It is common practice to ask before touching something that is not yours. The same rule applies to bodies. A husband does not own his wife or her body and must ask before touching it. She is the sole owner of her body and has the right…
Read MoreThe Gift of Listening
By: Diana Rahim [Transcript of speech given on International Women’s Day 2015 in Hong Lim Park] Imagine the 1960s. Everything around you is heavy with the scent of tropical heat and greenery. Somewhere in the village my grandmother directs men to carry the furniture from the house into the truck that would drive their possessions…
Read MoreHow Sufism Healed My Islam
My love for sufism is well-known amongst my friends. But my love for it transcends beyond the customary nod to the poetry of Rumi, stories of Rabia Basri or knowing the distinction between the different Sufi orders. I think what really compelled me towards sufism and the way it communicates Islam, is that the language…
Read MoreThe Normalization of Body Damage
In second grade, I joined a co-ed Islamic school. I was happy to be around girls and boys who looked more like me. I was no longer the only Big Bird with awkward lanky bones. I could hide my untamed hair under a white cotton hijab. My chai colored skin was mid range on the…
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Beyond The Hijab 