the reason

i always wondered why i was here?

put here in this place where i have two roomates who are non-Muslims. 

my friends laughed at me when they found out my roomates were non-Muslims. they were making fun of the Gods these girls pray to and how they pray. honestly, i just kept quiet and smiled nervously. i know it's wrong and inappropriate to make fun of another religion, no matter what. at least that's how my parents taught me when i was little. i used to laugh at the non-Muslims gods, and made fun of them, but my mum would 'hussshhh' me quickly and told me that it's bad to do something like that.

after some time, living with them, i came to understand the need for respect among each other, now that we're of different religions. when i pray, they won't speak and when they pray, i won't sing. one of the girls would leave the lights on, when she found out that i was going to pray. 

i felt more at peace now that i'm living with non-Muslims. they lead their lives and so do i. there's no need for talking and discussing about stuff we do everyday, we'll study on our own time...less problems as we don't communicate much. 

i thought, that was all. 

now, tonight, i realized something new. i realized that He placed me here with these girls because He knew i can cope with them. He knew i would learn something living with them. and indeed, i learnt a lot. i learned of a new religion i never heard of and how they perform their prayers. i learned of a new story about one of the Gods of this girl. and how excited she was explaining to her boyfriend, who is of a different religion. 
and all of the questions she asked him, made me think of a lot of things. 

1- how the non-Muslims got so many questions about Islam and Christianity? how similar these two religions are and why they are still carried out differently?
2- where was Jesus born? why are people at war at the place Jesus, God of Christianity was born? and why can't people visit Israel? can't we even visit the place the God was born?
3- what are they fighting for in Israel? who does the land belong to in the first place? who's the bad guy now?
4- why was some of the Christian-based movies were banned? what was the content in them that was so different from the religion itself?

there were a lot of questions on her mind, and i salute her for her bravery in seeking the answers from her boyfriend. Only God knows what the boyfriend told her, but i really hope that she would seek the answers herself, despite whatever her boyfriend have told her.
pretty sure her boyfriend told her that the land of Palestin is Israel's and the Muslims are the ones fighting for it. however, somewhere deep inside, i know the boy only tells what he's being told. 
i really hope she'd reveal the truth herself. the real truth. i don't expect her to open up her heart to Islam, but at least, i hope she'd seek the truth.

wedding showers

Assalamualaikum, readers. 
today, i would like to discuss about what i think about weddings. first of all, i would like to confess how much i love weddings. i love to attend weddings, probably because i don't get to go to many weddings, as most of them are attended by my parents and my brother. *sigh* therefore, i appreciate and savor every moment i have in the weddings. 
and as a girl, i would think and judge for myself if everything in the wedding is appropriate or not. *giggles*

but why am i all of a sudden interested in writing an entry about weddings? 
see, yesterday, i was scrolling down all the news feed on Facebook, and i came across one post about getting married while being a student. and the girl, who is married now at the age of 21 explained how her wedding went without a ceremony, just 'nikah'. not much of a hantaran, just a wedding ring. and she explained how there's no need of a mas kahwin, as she's a future medical doctor. and that she could survive for the time being with the scholarship she has. she didn't purchased a wedding dress, she wore one of her baju raya. she also adviced us all to get married at young age and that it's perfectly fine. 

not to high, or i might trip!

and then, i wondered. 'Could i be anything like her?' i thought about it the whole day yesterday. that's when i realized i can't, at least until i'm put in such situation, married to a guy who is also studying. 
i would want to have a wedding dress, and wedding shoes. a wedding reception with the cutest wedding altar where people could walk right pass it. best wedding photographer who could capture all the laughter and happiness and love in the ceremony. food where everybody would be satisfied, enough to feed everybody who came to celebrate the joy of us newlyweds. *i'd leave this to my father, he's good in catering* not to forget a DJ who could entertain the crowd, not just play love songs. 
as for the hantaran, *hantaran is actually presents both the bride and groom would give to one another* i would want to have everything that i don't have now. things that i could use and not just keep in the cupboard for display. I Pad, I Phone, all of the I's i don't own. *i have a feeling every guy reading this would totally reject me as a wife. LOL* but hey, i'm not that cruel. i'll see if he could afford them. well, if he can't, we'll think of something else then. these stuff are negotiable. ^_^
also, i would want the groom to prepare a mix tape for me. songs that he'd like to dedicate to me, and i'd do the same to him. but maybe we should only give these mix tapes to one another after nikah, after we're legally husband and  wife. i've always thought of mix tapes to be the sweetest present one could give the other. *i know i'm a bit dramatic, but what can i do? i can't help myself!* 

this baby *refers to image on the left* will always be my dream wedding dress. it's not too big and i like the twirling of fabric at the bottom half of the dress. but i don't think i would ever walk down in a wedding dress. maybe i would just photograph myself in it with my husband in tux. just for fun. *but i might have to lose tonnes of weight to squeeze myself in a dress like this.* again, it's just me, day-dreaming. i might walk in the wedding reception in a white jubah, i always thought jubah is the most elegant dress for a bride. 
and did i mention the cake? how could i ever not mention about the cake, when i go crazy watching Cake Boss? *smacks forehead* i'm not picky, but i would really love the tiered wedding cake, doesn't have to be white, i might add some crazy colours on it. and i really hope i would get a cake which is not the butter cream cake! that is such a bummer. i hope my wedding cake has some flavours, like Hazelnut-almond cake, chocolate ganache, and raspberries, that is like a combo! *i confess i Googled the flavours* I hope you get what i mean. i don't want people to go, 'BO-RING!' with the butter cream cake again. 

pretty much, that's how i really wish my wedding would be, but then again, think about how much my wedding would cost? hmm...that's another thing to think about. but until i reach the stage where i should really think about how much this and that costs, i would really love to think that this is how my wedding would be! *don't tell me i can't dream?*

Fashionable Muslimah-part 3

Assalamualaikum, people. i'm so sorry for the late update on this sequel of Fashionable Muslimah. i have been busy all week and sometimes i find myself with no mood to update the blog. i'm so so sorry.
without further a due, i would like to continue on how to become a fashionable Muslimah, now, we're at part 3. in part 3, we'd discuss more on the pants and skirts.

what kind of pants to wear to be come a fashionable, yet a Muslimah who obeys Islam, the religion?
here's my point of view. you may object if you please, again, i repeat, this is what i think is best. if you have a better option, please, feel free to drop your comments and share with me your ideas;

aurah of a person is not just about 'covering' up. it's also about not exposing any part of her body, which includes exposing the shape of your body. in that case, there are some considerations one must take in choosing clothes.

1. PANTS
looking at the stores and what models are wearing on the runway, i've got some ideas for us girls. for some time now, i have been falling deeply in love with linen pants. they are so comfortable, i swear you'd never want to take them off once you've put them on. there are so many colours available nowadays. from green to brown to black, you name it-every colour you wish is available. linen pants also make you look a bit girl-ish. so, if you're somewhat like me, you should try the linen pants. for your information, these linen pants do not follow the shape of your legs, but you need to choose carefully when you're at the store. try them on and see if the pants stick to your thighs and legs. if they do, these pants are designed to follow the shape of your body, which is not what we want. because it reveals your aurah.

if you don't like the linen pants, and you think they are troublesome, because you need to try them on in the store, you'd prefer Palazzo. Palazzo is a comeback for the loose pants people wear in the old days. the Palazzo has been designed in so many types that they are so cute, comfortable and sassy in a way. if you take a look at the image on the left, you'd see the details on the waist area which is really nice. of course nobody would be able to see those details, but it'll at least make you feel good that you're actually up-to-date, even though they are hidden underneath your clothes. 
there's one thing you need to make sure before purchasing the Palazzo pants. based on the material i see in the image, seems like the Palazzo pants are made p of fabric which are light and thin. you need to ensure yourself that the fabric is not see through or translucent (whereby you can slightly see-through)

2. JEANS
i wouldn't suggest you guys to wear jeans because jeans which are really loose and doesn't follow the shape of your legs are actually very hard to find. but if you're a jeans-lover, maybe you can stick with the straight cut jeans. as for me, i am currently wearing my only pair of jeans which is very much faded and the cutting is so loose i need to put a belt on. in this case, i can wear this jeans because it doesn't reveal the shape of my legs. 
i also found a solution for you jeans-lovers who are actually frowning after reading what i wrote about the jeans earlier. BAGGY JEANS! from what i found, baggy jeans are back in the fashion industry. Victoria Beckham and Drew Barrymore are actually wearing these baggy jeans and they rock in it! 
but try not to wear the jeans whereby the colours are so faded, because it won't look really nice with this baggy jeans. choose a rather dark blue to grey-like color jeans so that they match any colour of tops you pick to go with it. i hope i solved your problem with the jeans. 
conclusion is, you can wear jeans, but pick them wisely at the stores.

3. SKIRTS
based on my experience, you wouldn't wanna go with pencil skirts or A-line skirts. they are somewhat like the mermaid dresses celebrities wear to award shows. the skirts get narrower at the ankles and it's so hard to walk in them. and if you wear anything that is uncomfortable, it's not fashionable. that's another theory of mine. hihi. 
i am a fan of maxi skirts. they flow like the wind and you don't need to iron them, because they are mostly wrinkled in nature. you can rock these maxi skirts with whatever tops. they look fabulous. 

but if you are the very safe type of girl, who chooses clothes that i call 'safe', not too O-la-la and not too boring, then you could always go with the formal long skirt or the maxi skirts, which are formally looking, just like this image on my right. these skirts are beautiful and you can wear them to work, just make sure you choose the right colours. 

so, i guess, that's pretty much what you can wear as your bottoms right? 
as for shoes, you can pick whatever shoes you like. 
there are some opinions about high heels, but i am a fan of high heels so i won't say anything that is against my belief. these opinions about high heels are because of the sound you hear from the heels which can attract men's attention. but i find myself hearing sounds from shoes which has no heels, which makes me turn around as well. 
so, i'm in the middle, in this case. 

with that, i would like to say that our Fashionble Muslimah sequel has come to an end. i have had lots of fun browsing through the net, searching for the right clothes as to being a fashionable Muslimah who still obeys her religion. 
however, i would like to advice all of you readers to not get over excited about the clothes i've mentioned and referred to throughout this sequel and spending too much money on stuff you don't really need. please, don't waste.

thank you very much for supporting me!

P/S: for the other two parts of the entry, please visit:
1- Part 1
2- Part 2

reflection to self

everywhere i go, seems like i'm seeing both of them together. i asked around, everyone seems to give me the same answer, 'They're just friends' 

and then i thought, maybe they're more than just friends. anyways, it;s their lives, not mine. 

a few moments later, i would think about what others would say about me....when they see me around boys my age. 

laughing, chatting away, grinning, pictures...hmm, would they think the same?

that the boy and i are more than just friends? probably. maybe.

maybe i should just try to be positive and remind myself that everybody is good unless proven otherwise with my bare eyes, or by the law. 

till then, i will try my hardest not to think badly about others.

fashionable Muslimah-part 2

Assalamualaikum, people. as promised, here's the part 2 of being a fashionable Muslimah, the Ema's way. hihi..
in this part 2, we'll discuss about tops, which include blouses and dresses. 
you ready? here we go.

TOPS
there are many beautiful tops in the market nowadays. and the whole idea of wear tops is because it's so casual and free. even celebrities wear colourful tops on outings with their girlfriends. question is, how to dress as a fashionable Muslimah with tops?
my idea of wearing tops outside is by ensuring the length of the tops extend to below by butt area. well, the butt area is part of our aurah, so we might want to take that part into consideration when shopping for tops. 
can i ask you a question? when you shop for tops, do you realize that the most beautiful and colourful tops in the shop would be short-sleeved? and you get mad because it is short-sleeved and that you can never wear them and how you wished so bad that they were long sleeved? *at least that's how i am whenever i go window shopping with my sister. it's so dang frustrating* 

belted cardigan.
i should get one someday!

guess what? we have a solution! i was doomed for some time once until i figured my way out. CARDIGANS! 
they saved my life! seriously, they are super duper comfortable, long sleeved and the fabric is so lovely you'd never wanna leave them off your skin! back in the days, i had the shorter version of the waterfall cardigan. now, as i browse through the net, there's so many types in the market. there's the open, button down, waterfall, knitted, hoodie and jacket type cardigans. 
with the cardigan, you can enjoy wearing your beautiful tops and be fashionable. just a reminder, to know the right length of cardigan to go with your tops, you'd want to have the cardigans longer than your top, so that you'll cover the butt area. because if you were to get a cardigan of the same length or slightly shorter than the top, it'd look a bit weird. if you think i'm being ridiculous, look at the celebrities worldwide, they'd put on a cardigan that is way longer than their tops, when they hang out. you might wanna try this.
personally, i don't encourage you guys to wear an inner, because they are skin-tight and you'd reveal your aurah *in one way or the other* by showing the shape of your body. that's why i suggested the cardigans. plus, cardigans are way fashionable than inner. trust me. been there, done that!
so, we're done with the tops! Wall-ah! easy right?

simple dress top that
caught my attention

DRESS TOPS

next, we'll move on to the dress tops. i'm really into the dress tops because they are my type. they are flowy and i feel free whenever i'm in one. dress tops are the longer version of tops. so, to those who feel it's so hard to rock a normal top with cardigans, you can always go with the dress tops. it's a mixture of dress and a top. it's longer than tops, but somewhat shorter than a knee-length dress. plus, a dress top is cheaper than a dress. 
again, the dress tops that are available in the market are mostly the short-sleeved or sleeveless. of course you can put on the cardigans again, but maybe you'd like to try the shorter version of the cardigan, so that people get to see the actual look of the dress top. if you keep both the dress top and cardigans at the same length, people won't be able to differentiate the cardigan from the dress top, and you'd also allow the cardigan to overpower your dress top, and that's not good. 
actually, dress tops are rather common as you window shop, but most of us Muslims would just skip them because they believe they can't wear them because they are short and that they are sleeveless. 
on thing that you girls need to bare in mind is to find dress tops that are not too fitting that might reveal your body shape. in my opinion, you can get the dress top that are designed fit on the upper body but they are no more fitting waist-down. this way, you're covering the butt area and thus, covering your aurah. try to search for fabric that are comfortable and not too thick because remember, you'll put on a cardigan afterwards. trust me, you would would wanna be seen all sweaty in your clothes. 
another friendly reminder, in choosing the right cardigan to match your dress top, i would suggest you guys NOT to go with the TOO SHORT cardigans, that when you put on the cardigan, their length are somewhere near the breast area. that's not really cool, because they are not so comfortable, as you'll have the urge to pull the cardigan forward and sometimes, when you lift up your hands, you'd reveal the armpit area. this is due to the size of the cardigan, they are just so small. as a fashionable Muslimah who practices the teachings of Islam, you might wanna forget about them.go with the cardigans which are somewhat near your waist area. keep the cardigans no longer that your waist area, so that they'll look just nice with the dress top.
and we're also done with the dress top. 

DRESS

summer dresses

now, we're talking about real dresses, the full-length dress. because we've discussed so much about the cardigans and the fabric of the dress above, this part would be rather short than the above two. again, make sure the fabric is not the type that would stick to your skin, because that would reveal your body shape, which means you're revealing your aurah. my suggestion is go with the summer dresses. they are absolutely thin and light fabrics and they come in a variety of colours and fabrics.
one friendly reminder is to ensure that the dresses do not reveal any parts of your legs. 

pretty cocktail dress

also, i found that cocktail dresses *which are appropriate* are also beautiful and you can try them. but of course, they may be a little bit expensive and most of them are made according to your body shape. but you can go ahead and try one, but again, follow the guidelines we've discussed above. 

so, that's pretty much it on this entry about tops. i hope you guys enjoy browsing through the pictures. i tried making it as simple as possible. i hope i didn't burden you guys with the guidelines. any problem or questions, feel free to ask. i will try my very best to answer them.
thank you for reading! Wassalam...

P/S: for the Part 1, please visit here

the dream

I know this is silly and I know it’s just a dream. But in my dreams, he held her hands and hugged her tight. And at that moment, the feelings I had watching them was really unexplainable. It wasn’t jealousy, it was more of, ‘Why? Why would you hug her?’

In reality, the girl has a boyfriend and somewhere inside of me screamed and shout, ‘hey, you have a boyfriend. How could you hug another guy?’ 

but you know and I know that’s not really the point.

Am I really falling for this guy?

But again, some part of me thought in my brain, while I was asleep, ‘I don’t deserve this guy. I mean, he is not the one for me’ but then, again, another part recalled the conversation I had with my sister before.

She said no matter how we take care of ourselves, obey God, cover our aurah, and do all the good deeds, and if it’s stated in the Luh Mahfuz that you’d get married to a guy who’s just above average, the normal guy who doesn’t really go to the mosque to pray or has lots of girlfriends, then, you’d still get married to him. He’s a good guy, but not as good as you, but you can’t argue he’s not good enough for me or he hasn’t reached my standard to being my husband. That’s not right.

So, don’t worry. I know they were just crazy feelings and thoughts, because I am super duper tired due to the futsal training and all. It’s not like I’m seriously thinking of marrying him. You see, when the time comes, everything would fall right into its places.

fashionable Muslimah-part 1

Assalamualaikum, everybody. 
as promised, i will elaborate more on how to a fashionable Muslimah. some people may argue on the need to be fashionable when Islam teaches us to be modest. in my personal opinion, living as a Muslim in this era, we need to show the rest of the world how awesome Islam is. i mean, people would be able to see how 'open' Islam is actually, as long as you obey certain conditions. and i will try my very best to make this practical and easy for you guys to understand. plus, i believe you'd feel a little bit easy to transform yourself into a better Muslimah in a step-by-step approach. 

i'll try to make this easy, so we'll begin from the head and we'll go all the way to the feet.
*i'll break them into smaller parts so that this entry would not be too long and i could add up more images*

HIJAB
hijab is a piece of scarf which you use to cover your head and hair. i think by now everybody knows that covering your head and hair is compulsary in Islam. how to be fashionable yet still covering your aurah?

Pashmina scarf

~ wear a shawl that is not see-through fabric. try the Pashmina scarf. it's long and the fabric is soft and light. you can put it on your head in whatever way you desire.
but if you would still like to go with the see-through scarfs, i would suggest you to wear a Syrian scarf on the inside, insert the scarf into your blouse or shirt and you can style the scarf whichever way you want. even though the scarf is see-through, people wouldn't be able to 'peek' and see your neck, coz you have another protective layer of scarf on the inside. ^_^
~ you can also try the Indon scarf *tudung Indon*. it's easier as you wouldn't need any brooches or pins. and there are so many styles in the market now.

some of the latest styles of
tudung bawal

~ well, i almost forgot about the tudung bawal which has been in the market for as long as i can remember. there's different sizes of tudung bawal in the market. 45' inches, 55' inches and even 60' inches. there are available in various colours and patterns. there are also a lot of ways to style the tudung bawal. you can go online and check them out.
~ and of course we have the tudung bulat. i wouldn't say tudung bulat is not fashionable. it's how you wear them and the way you present yourself with it that determines whether you're fashionable or not. the only way to make them fashionable is by picking colours that match your dress or blouse and always make sure that the top of the tudung is neat. most people's tudung bulat gets a little messy on the top, just above the forehead. if you've tackled that part, you're fashionable already. 

there's one thing i would like to highlight here. no matter what style of hijab you've choose, please make sure that your hijab covers your chest area, and part of your back. these are part of aurah as well. 
it's your choice to wear whatever you desire. it's okay if you'd like to stick with the tudung Indon all your life, but there's nothing to lose to try all of the hijab styles mentioned above. well, let me tell you on my hijab transformation over the years.
i started with the tudung bawal 45' inches because at that time, that was the only shawl available. then, i went on with the Pashmina shawl for some time until i alternate them with the see-through hijab with Syrian shawl underneath. there were times where i'd only wear the Syrian shawl to class. *i'm a very lazy girl* 
and now, i am wearing the tudung bawal 60' inches. 


i'd end my entry with this few words:
cherish every step you take, embrace the moment. live life to the fullest with the teachings of Islam.

i wish all of you good luck in experimenting every styles of hijab. and i hope i've provided sufficient information for all of you. if you feel the explainations are rather lack-y, just let me know. i'd improve my writing. *do comment, don't feel shy* 
thank you so much for your support.

P/S: next entry would be about dresses. *i'm excited*

that's me! in my 60' inches purple tudung bawal