1) Khadija (radi allahu anhu- May Allah SWT be pleased with her) The elite businesswoman 

Even before her marriage to the Prophet Muhammed (sallahu ilayhi wasalam- peace be upon him) Khadija (ra) was an important figure in her own right, she was a successful merchant and one of the most elite figures of Makkah. She had an integral role in supporting and propagating the new faith of Islam and had the honour of being the first muslim. Khadija (ra) actually initiated the marriage with our beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw) and sent a proposal to him. Does this seem submissive at all to you? To me i see an amazing woman who was successful, courageous and determined. A role model. The first muslim, and the woman us muslim ladies look upto.

2) Ai'sha (radi allahu anhu - May Allah SWT be pleased with her) The Scholar

Most famously known as the wife of the Prophet (saw). She was the most beloved wife of the Prophet (saw) and they had a playful and fun relationship. She was perhaps the most influential woman in the Muslim community after the death of her husband and propagated his message to the world. She led an army, the most famous hadiths are narrated by her, she was involved in politics and scholarship. This was by no means a timid lady, this was a remarkable woman who fought in battles, she was independent, she was strong.


3) Asiya (radi allahu anhu- May Allah SWT be pleased with her) - The symbol of patience who stood upto the Pharaon (Pharaoh)

She was a hero, she was the wife of the greatest enemy to Islam yet she rose and she stood against her husband. She was tortured by him and asked to denounce her faith, but she did not. She stood defiantly and held firm onto her belief. She displayed immense patience in the most difficult of trials. She perfected her deen in such a way that she earnt her place in the Holy Quran. Asiya saved a great Prophet of Allah (Musa alayhi salaam) and nurtured him to greatness. This woman chose death over living a life of luxury and royalty. She chose paradise and dreamt of it. She wanted to be close to her Lord. A muslim woman who displayed supreme patience. When i think of this amazing lady i think of strength, that is what first comes to mind.


4) Nusayba b Ka'b Ansariya also known as Umm Ammarah ( radi allahu anhu May Allah SWT be pleased with her)- The Warrior

A member of the Bannu Najjar tribe and one of the earliest reverts to islam in madinah.  She took part in the battle of Uhud in which she fought using swords and shields against the Makkans. This lady shielded the Prophet Muhammad (saw) from enemies during the battle and even sustained several lance wounds and arrows as she cast herself infront of him to protect him. She fell unconscious after sustaining many wounds, and it is said that when she woke up the first thing she asked was if the Prophet (saw) was ok.  This woman was a warrior, she was brave and courageous. Submissive? I think not!

5) Summayah bint Khayyat (radi allahu anhu- May Allah SWT be pleased with her)- The first Martyr in Islam

The first person to be martyred for having adopted the faith of Islam. Summayah was a devoted wife and mother, she gave all her love to her two sons. She became muslim at a time when it was not accepted, and anyone who outwardly showed they were muslim were in danger of their lives. This lady was brave enough to openly say she was a muslim. Summayah was told that if she stuck by her choice to be a muslim she would be tortured. She stood firm in her beliefs. She was threatened to be killed but did not give up her religion. Summayah was then killed and became the first martyr of Islam. This woman was steadfast in her belief till her end, the prospect of being killed did not phase her. She was not going to give up islam.

The above are just a very few examples of the kind of women us muslim women look upto, the traits these amazing women displayed is what we can only dream of having. These are our heroes, these are the women that make us want to be better, they are not submissive, they are powerful. As a muslim woman, i look at the traits of women like the ones mentioned above and this is what i aspire to be, it is what my religion teaches me to be. Islam does not teach me to be submissive but rather to be the opposite.

So am i #traditionallysubmissive? Or Am i dominating? The truth is i am neither. I do not need to label myself as anything, and i will not label any muslim women, or any woman in fact, because we are all different beings. So stop labelling us as timid, branding us as opressed women or claiming we are dominated. We are independent, we are strong and we are successful.

Here's to celebrating what muslim women really are! Amazing, wonderful, and liberated!

You may think this reflection will begin from when I got on the plane to begin my pilgrimage, the journey of a life time. Well you're wrong. This journey did not start on 17/09/15 but started the day I was born. I was born a Muslim and one of the pillars of Islam is to complete hajj. My real desire to complete this sacred act actually came in 2012, this is the year I chose to wear my hijab. 2012 was a special year for me where I learnt a lot and was a life changing year for me in various ways. I became closer to my Lord. A close friend of mine went to do hajj this year too, so I watched a tv show on Islam Channel called 'footsteps of Ibrahim' everyday just to see what actually happened when people went to do hajj. Alhumdulillah I am so glad I watched this show. I watched everyday and my heart yearned to go to Makkah and Madinah just by hearing the pilgrims talk about their journey thus far. I then spoke to my family and with a little persuasion my dad agreed to arrange a trip to complete umrah. 

April 2013- When my heart skipped a beat

Alhumdulillah (All praise be to Allah) we went for our umrah trip! Mum, dad, me and my brother. I was SO happy, as it took a few months persuasion to get dad on board but we got there and it was beautiful and a life changing experience. Getting on that plane, hearing the pilgrims chant labaik- it sent shivers down my spine (in a good way). The first sight of kabah, the amazing feeling of being there with my family, it was truly a wonderful experience. I used to dream of seeing the kabah and now I was finally here, Allah invited me and I was so grateful for this experience. As cliched as it sounds, when you see the kabah, your heart really does skip a beat.

This experience made me realise I needed to come back, in fact I didn't want to leave the place. But one thing I knew for sure was this is where my heart and soul felt at ease and this is where I belonged! I was SO coming back here.

The rest of 2013,2014 and beginning of 2015 I kept badgering my dad about hajj and saying we needed to go and that now was the perfect time. My dad wasn't so sure and didn't feel 100% ready but every now and again I would keep raising it and saying we really do need to go. I prayed and made dua for Allah swt to allow us this honour of going to do hajj. 2014 flew by and there was still no solid plan of hajj. I was sad and disappointed by this but didn't give up. At the end of 2014 I again insisted to my dad that we must go and kept pushing, he was warming to the idea. 

2015- Perseverance and prayer

My dua to Allah was consistent on this matter (going to do hajj) and I prayed everyday for the invite to come from Allah. I spoke to my dad some more and he agreed that yes we would make arrangements to go, we didn't research much till about March, and I was beginning to worry that we may miss out again this year. However in May we spoke to my amazing Uncle who referred us to a group he knew that arranged trips and finally we were getting closer. Just before Ramadhan I began to push dad to make arrangements to pay deposits etc and we finally got there (at this point I still felt it could go either way) but I kept praying for it. The intention was there, the longing for hajj was there all we needed now was for Allah to accept this intention and alhumdulillah after Ramadhan this was done and it was all paid for.

Everyone kept telling me I was so lucky to be going but it wasn't sinking in for me, I guess when you want something so badly and it finally happens it becomes hard to believe. The day it hit me I was going was actually the day of my hajj seminar when the shaykh leading it said how honoured he felt to be in the company of the guests of Allah. This one sentence touched my heart and bought a tear to my eyes. It was happening, a dream was about to come true and a prayer was about to be answered.

September 2015- A dream came true, a prayer was answered.

The dream had come true. The shopping and prep was all done and everyone was at my house visiting me and my family, wishing us well and asking us to pray for them. This was happening and I felt a little numb, a little afraid but very excited. It was a whirlwind. Before we set off to travel I went to see two of the most precious people in my life- my grandparents. My grand father had been extremely unwell so this was a very testing time for us all, this goodbye was particularly emotional and tear filled. Luckily he had come home from hospital just before we left for hajj so it was good to leave knowing he was on his way to recovery. I gave them both a heartfelt hug, and we set off. My uncle and brother dropped us off, I was really sad to be leaving my brother behind and knew I would miss him and felt sad he couldn't experience this with us- but it wasn't his time right now and in sha Allah I hope it comes for him very soon. Before embarking on this journey, i sent a message to my family highlighting why i loved them all and what they meant to me, who knew if i would ever get this opportunity again....so it had to be said. Emotions were at a high and the journey began.

I'm not going to give a day by day account of everything that happened whilst we were there as I would be here forever writing so I will go onto the significant acts of hajj and what they meant to me spiritually. Hajj is such an amazing experience and I will tell you why, you feel every emotion possible, you are tested beyond what you can imagine, you feel like you will not make it but you carry on, the strength you have there you won't have at any other time and the trials you encounter during the few days of hajj are trials that will make you wonder if you can get through this experience. The result - well words cannot describe that, it so so amazing that I can't even begin to explain it. No words can do that feeling justice.

8th Dhul Hijjah- O my Lord, here I am at Your service, here I am.There is no partner with You,here I am.Truly the praise and the provisions are Yours,and so is the dominion and sovereignty.There is no partner with You.

The words of labaik are just words of such beauty, we are telling Allah SWT that we are here at his service, the sole purpose of hajj- an act of worship to Allah SWT.

This is the day our hajj began, we proceeded to mina where we would be staying in tents, this was a vast difference to what we had experienced thus far which was a 5* luxury hotel. I knew what was to come was going to be a challenge, but hearing my group leaders words of inspiration telling us his was our hajj and to make the very most of this one experience of a life time made me determined to do my best. The men began to chant labaik in the coach and my excitement grew, it was happening and were pilgrims. We had the honour of being the chosen ones this year and I just could not help but smile at the thought. We arrived at the tents and I could see this was going to be harder then I thought but we all carried on and did our best whilst encouraging each other. The thing with hajj and staying in these tents is that you are literally taken back to basics and this basic I had never known before. I had never experienced this type of living condition before. It was tough. But those around you become your support and like a family. My heart warms when I think of the people I spent this time with.

9th Dhul Hijjah - day of arafah - Prophet Muhammad (sallahu ilayhi wasalam) said 'hajj is arafah' 

We spent the day in arafah, the most important day of hajj where we prayed, repented and prayed some more. This was our day, we were pilgrims and we needed to make the most of the special day. It was extremely hot, it was tiring but this was the day that meant everything. The significance of this day is that hajj is only valid when the day of arafah has been observed. Some Hadith say that arafah is the place Adam (as) and Hawa met once again when they were sent down to earth. There are many Hadith which state the importance of arafah, therefore this alone highlights that this is a special day which requires one to submit themselves in prayer to Allah.

Muzdalifah - the night spent out on open ground 

Once the day of arafah ended we made our way to muzdalifah to sleep on the open ground for the night. Why do we do this? Well for me this made me think of the day of judgement of judgement where we will have nothing and everyone will be frantic looking for good deeds to add to their list. Sleeping on that hot ground, the heat burning my back made me think of how the grave would be, of course this would be nothing compared to how it will all be in reality but none the less made me ponder and reflect. This is the night one should rest as the next day is challenging and any bit of energy possible is needed. I couldn't sleep at all this night, it was dusty, congested and extremely hot. I thought of all my loved ones this night and missed them. I collected my stones for the next day and waited for the night to end.

10th Dhul Hijjah - Ramy Al Jamarat - the symbolic stoning of shaitaan (the devil)

This is the most challenging part of hajj in my opinion, this is the day we walked and walked and walked. I have never walked so much in my life, it was hot and I didn't think I would make it through this day. From muzdalifah we walked to Jamarat and we began our stoning. The reason behind the stoning is; it reacts the experience of Ibrahim (alayhi salam), the devil appeared him three times, at each of these appearances Angel Gibrael said 'pelt him' so Ibrahim (as) did this seven times each. Ibrahim (as) pelted the devil each time he tried to deter him when he was about to sacrifice his son. The pebbles were thrown to get rid of this temptation. We enact this ritual during hajj. 

After the final stoning we made our way back to Makkah, this day was amazing. We had finished everything we needed to do and guess what?? This was the day i turned 30!! Alhumdulillah. I actually felt like the luckiest woman alive at this point. 30 years ago on this day my amazing mother gave birth to me, my mum and dad became parents, and today they had completed each part of their hajj, and i was with them. We had completed a pillar of islam. What a beautiful experience. My 30th celebrated by completing hajj with the very two people who bought me into this world. I always wanted to do hajj, i tried for a few years and it happened at such a perfect time. It became all the more special, for me, my mum and my dad. We completed this pillar on the day i turned 30. I don't really celebrate birthdays to be honest, but this was the best present i could ever have imagined. This was from Allah. Sometimes we feel things aren't happening for us, but we don't realise that Allah does everything in his appointed time. And when it does happen, it is all the more amazing. On this day i missed my brother especially, i wished he could experience this with us and made a special dua for him. I missed all my friends and family and prayed that they all get to experience this beauty as soon as possible.

Hajj is a journey of a life time, everyone will have something unique about their hajj experience and we could all write pages and pages about it. My aim was to keep this brief but because hajj is so huge, it becomes impossible to write about it and keep it brief. It isn't possible to be brief in this topic.  Once you have that sincere intention in your heart for hajj, watch how Allah opens those doors for you. Hajj is so amazing it is beyond description, during it i felt like i couldn't get through it as it was so testing, but the minute it was done....guess what? I wanted to go back and do it all again. The minute i returned to London, i wanted to go back.

My heart yearns for another opportunity to be one of the hujjaj again, and i felt this the minute my hajj ended. This experience humbles you, you realise that all the materialistic things mean nothing, all that really matters is Allah. Allah guides you through it and gives you the strength beyond what you can imagine. Allahuakbar- Allah is the greatest.

The hajj journey doesn't end here, it carries on for life. You keep those precious moments with you for a life time. When you return it may not get easier, it may get harder- life is a test and we need to keep reminding ourselves to be better. And so the journey continues.......

This is my reflection of my hajj experience, #HAJJ2015.

Muzmatch, single muslim, pure matrimony, halfourdeen,rishta aunties, suggestions from friends, suggestions from family. No wonder why those searching for marriage are SO overwhelmed, getting married seems to get tougher as the years go on. Everyone knows someone who is struggling! It is now a lot more common for girls to find themselves hitting 30 and still unmarried. This is seen as awful in the asian culture, how can a girl aged 30 still be single, either she is too fussy, or there is something wrong with her. Well no, not at all. Just because someone is taking their future seriously and not willing to marry just anyone it doesn't mean they are abnormal. There is always more to what meets the eye, maybe she was focusing on her career, maybe she had a bad experience, maybe her family have put impossible restrictions on her. Yes we all know that there are many factors. It isnt because she is abnormal or fussy or weird.

The truth is times have changed, people have changed and have different priorities in life. So when a girl is ready to get marriage questions like 'why did you leave it so late' should not be thrown at her.  Now i am speaking from a female perspective but i'm sure men can also relate. I will speak of my experiences as a sister, and my observations of the hurdles faced when looking for a potential spouse.

Family requirements

We are living in strange times where there are some families who are so open minded Alhumdulillah, but then there are the others who place restrictions on their children which are not islamic and neither are they fair or realistic. This is where it starts getting tough, you are looking for someone to meet your criteria right? Nope, they need to meet your families criteria too, and once they have, the question arises do you even meet his families criteria? 

I understand the importance of family involvement and the family's blessing, but with so many needs to meet the task becomes even harder. Especially in asian families, we have huge families and everyone will have an opinion.  This is where it gets complicated. So once you have passed the hurdle of finding someone you like, you then have another hoop to jump through. I think the prospective bride and groom's needs and criteria need to be met first and foremost....however this isn't always the case and it starts to become all about the family. Again i will reiterate that yes family is important, but lets not forget that it will be the couple living together and spending their lives together. So please listen to your parents views when considering a partner but don't forget your own needs in the process- there needs to be a balance.

Expectations 

As times get harder in the quest for marriage ironically expectations seem to rocket. We are all guilty of this at times.  And why not, we all want the best for ourselves don't we? We deserve the best right? Yes we do....but we need to realise we can't  have EVERYTHING we want.

Brothers:

I've come across brothers who want a devout modestly dressed wife who looks like Kim Kardashian.... Sorry but HELLO how contradictory is this. If you want a pious and modestly dressed wife please take into account that it is unlikely she will be contoured to the max, plastered in foundation and wearing six inch killer heels. It just won't happen. So men please be realistic in this department, if you say you want a pious and devout wife, look past a woman's appearance look at what her character and heart is like. And if you are lucky, many have been, you may find a naturally beautiful sister who is devout ;) 

Sisters:

Sisters....we aren't perfect in our expectations either. So you want a built and muscular brother? When was the last time you went to the gym or ate healthy? Or you want a 6 foot practising, hot, bearded brother who is a high earner too? Isn't a bit  much to ask for? If the man ticks a few of the boxes why are you not considering him? You cant have everything you want in life, so learn to think about what is most important to you and lower those expectations a little. First and foremost look for man who has deen, a man who is good to his mother, his sisters etc and look at his character. If you're lucky you may get someone who ticks all your boxes, but if not don't just eliminate those who don't and give people a chance. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us in many hadith about the various characteristics which one looks for in a spouse and their relative importance and which ones determine success in sha Allah and Allah's blessing on a marriage. Among those hadith:

"A woman is married for her deen, her wealth or her beauty. You must go for the one with deen, may your hands be in the dust! (if you fail to heed)" [Muslim]

We all need to take heed from this hadith! In sha Allah ( Allah willing).

Attraction: not giving people a chance

So we are suggested someone but one of us or both haven't even given it real consideration before saying NO. You have met the person and you didn't feel that attraction. Ok fair enough, but how can you tell from one meeting if you are attracted to someone? Sometimes it may be a person's personality that wins hearts, can one meeting really make you the best judge? First meetings can result in many feeling nervous and not showing how they really are, so please do not write people off from just one meeting. A friend once said have three meetings, this will give you a better indication on if you can click with the person or not. I think this is great advice, it gives you good time to genuinely assess a person. The first meeting you may think 'im not attracted', the second meeting you may think 'hmmm i get on with this person' and the third (penultimate) meeting can be the decider on if you wish to progress or not.  Always meet with a wali/guardian as islam prescribes. Do it the correct way.

So we just need to give people a chance, attraction and likability doesn't always come straight away. Be a little more open minded, who knows it may lead to success and wedding bells. If someone meets a lot of your criteria don't let looks be the decider, looks fade however character and personality will remain. Of course we all want someone we are attracted too, all i am saying is don't just go by looks, look at the whole package when deciding. Don't just write people off because they do not look like supermodels. 

It is a struggle, it is tough, it's a hard game. But if we all have a flexible approach and mindset things may improve. Families that are making it tough for people need to stop and reassess things, is the motive to see your child happy or is it to meet your own needs and the worry of what others think. Put your children and their happiness and future first, and children respect your parents views and advice and  hopefully this will keep everyone happy. Uneccesary restrictions that are contrary to islam are not making things easier they make it harder. As if it wasnt hard enough. Brothers/ sisters who are seeking a spouse, be realistic, be open minded and give people a genuine chance. Don't just write people off, who knows it may have been a bad picture, it may have been a bad hair day or the person may have been nervous. 

By being more open minded (both families and the ones searching for a spouse) things could be a lot easier. Just because you have passed the conventional age, it doesn't mean it's too late, or that there is something wrong in you. Everything happens in Allahs appointed time. When Allah wills it will happen.  

Lastly but not least always follow the correct islamic etiquette when looking for a spouse, there will be more barakah (blessing) in this. 

"They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them" (Noble Quran 2:187) 

May Allah (swt) grant us all pious spouses. Ameen ❤️

What i ordered: 

Winter tube skirt in black and cream. The black looks a little more like a dark grey then a black but nonetheless i am very happy with both purchases.

Delivery

As i said above, i was so impressed with the speedy delivery that even before i had opened the package i was already pleased. Once i opened it, i was even happier. 10/10 for delivery!!

Quality

The material seems like good quality, it is warm and comfortable to wear. Obviously i cannot comment on the long term durability of the skirt, but for now to me it seems like the skirts are excellent in quality from just the feel of the material. I have high hopes that this will give me at least  few wears.

Price

The skirts cost £16.00 each and come in a range of colours.

How i wore mine;

What i liked about these skirts is they are versatile, they can be worn in a smart way but you can also opt for a more casual look in them. I wore mine with a denim shirt, white t-shirt and boots, but as you can see in the pictures i also tried it out with a black lace top for work. I can also picture this skirt looking good with a sweat shirt, and converses to give it a more sporty look. Maybe i'll try that out next time ;)

So if you are looking for modest wear, which is reasonably priced and looks good then please head over to Moon Boutiq. I promise you, you will not be disappointed! They have plenty of lovely items, long flow tops, abayas, dresses, skirts. Check it out, you won't regret it! I know i didn't!

Food; When in a group of more then 4 you need to choose from a set menu (which i think is quite restrictive to be honest) but we decided to go for the £29.99 chicken menu. This included a starter- lots of different mezzes, salads and bread. Chicken and rice for the meal. It also included a desert which was baclava with mint tea.

Third generation Pakistani in the UK- What is that?

You may be wondering what a third generation Pakistani is? I may have it wrong, but in my opinion a third generation Pakistani in the UK is where your grandparents migrated here and then settled, made a life, had children who then had children. Those children are us, we are the third generation Pakistanis! 

My grandfather came here at a young age and built a little empire for himself, he struggled, he worked extremely hard, fended for his wife and children aswell as the extended family, his children (who were the second generation) got married and had children and here we are! I'm one of them and i call myself a third generation child. 

For us 3rd generation kids, our grandparents came here with nothing, they had it so tough, beyond what we could imagine. Hardwork. Dedication. Determination.They worked hard so that we could be what we are today- established. We do our 9-5 and feel we have worked extremely hard but little do we know what our grandparents went through. I can only begin to understand through stories my mum, aunts and uncles tell me. Their parents were so busy working hard and grafting (and rightfully so as they were trying to secure a future for their kids) that the kids were practically left to bring themselves up. Those kids grew up and became the second generation Pakistani's in the UK, they struggled too as they were torn by two cultures but having both parents from Pakistan they swayed more to the Pakistani side of things. It's only when they went to work full time that they learnt about different ways of life and that there was a lot more to the world. They had children (us) and through what they learnt in their lives they managed to give us a little more of a balanced upbringing. Something which the elders may not agree with so much as we tend to sometimes have opposing views which they cannot understand. I completely get that they don't understand us sometimes, after all we have been bought up in a completely different environment to our grand parents generation and at times they feel we have forgotten our roots. But we haven't at all, we just don't have the same love and passion they do for it. That's to be expected as we didn't spend our lives and childhood in Pakistan. We spent it here.

*On a side note- there is a huge generation gap between us and the 1st generation especially- this is something i will write about soon.

Growing up in London as a third generation Pakistani kid i was always somewhat confused about my identity. The real confusion started in my pre teen years, I started to be embarrassed of my heritage, the clothes and everything else. I hated curry, well actually i'm still not a huge fan of it unless it is chicken jalfrezi which i love! The confusion came from having a father who was born and bred in Pakistan and having a mother who was the complete opposite. Lots of conflicting views! I was torn between the pakistani culture vs english culture. For me at that age, English culture won. I preferred English food, clothing and the rest of the norms. As i got older and into my teens i began to appreciate my pakistani heritage more. When i was 13 years old i was lucky enough to visit Pakistan for my cousins wedding and i loved it. I met cousins and got to know them really well and learnt about Pakistan and the way of life there. So at the age of 13 my eyes actually opened and i saw what Pakistani culture was about.  I still preferred life in London, and was more inclined to the English culture- not surprising as this is where i was born and bought up and this is where i am most comfortable. However I did like Pakistan, and i did want to go back again. I learnt it was a beautiful country, with amazing views and scenery, delicious food and lots of clothes shopping. The weather was great too! Having said that, i missed London, my home and i preferred it.

Now i think about it, i wasn't actually experiencing the true English culture, it was actually a fusion of English/pakistani culture and this is exactly what being a third generation pakistani is. We have a mixture of cultures, we don't entirely understand the pakistani culture, a lot of it we disagree with, but some of it we love. Then comes the English way of life, we cannot completely embrace this either as we have our islamic values we must adhere too. You won't see us in the local pub, or on a night out in a club in central London. So because of this we can tend to struggle with our identity and often feel we are neither her nor there. We do not always agree with some of the things that come out of Pakistani culture as at times they can contradict what Islam teaches us. Islam takes prevalence over all cultures, culture is fine in my religion so long as it does not contradict the teaching of Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu alayhi wasalam) and the Quran.

So where are we? Where do we stand? What is our identity? The answer is, we just don't know. It is a struggle, but we are content and just go with the flow. In some ways we are lucky, because of our upbringing and diverse environments we have been exposed to we can get along with people from all walks of life. The fusion of cultures we have been exposed to makes us that little bit more tolerant and understanding. Unlike the older generations, we are more open minded and see beyond things. We have friends from different backgrounds, and we love that. 

The foundation of this contentment is islam, this is what gets me through everything. I have found that my generation has many who are seeking knowledge and being drawn closer towards islam, it is wonderful to see how so many are getting into the deen as compared to before. The confusion of identity, the struggle, the being neither here nor there when it comes to culture is all amazingly balanced by my faith. Once you have your foundation correct the rest all falls into place. Islam brings me peace, even though there are many tests in life including this identity struggle i have found happiness through Allah. My heart belongs to the one and only Almighty, the a magnificent, the lord of the worlds. Through this faith my eyes see that everything is beautiful, everyone is amazing in their own way, and we are truly blessed. 

I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this, not just Pakistanis but all the others who have ended up here in the UK through the migration of their parents or grandparents. I love that we live in such a diverse country! 

So as many of you may have heard, Italian designer label D&G have launched a hijab and abaya range. My initial opinion was, wow this is great- this will encourage more women to dress modestly and will also help the western world to become more accepting of modest dressing. I stick by this opinion, it is great to see the likes of Mango, DKNY, Uni Qlo and now D&G embracing dressing modestly.

I personally will not be going out and buying anything from this collection simply because i would not want to fork out £££s for abayas from D&G when i could get something just as nice, if not nicer from places like INAYAH and AAB. I prefer their styles, and think they look a lot better and cost a fraction of the price. i think this range will attract rich Arabs who are happy to spend this much on clothing just for the name. I'm not to keen on the designs they have launched, and nothing stood out to me enough to spend those extra pounds. 

Out of all the designs i found the black floral hijab most appealing, and the cream abaya with black lace. See images below.

I'll keep this post short and sweet! This is not a review of the range as i haven't purchased it to be able to give a review, it is just my initial thoughts! My opinion is; yes it's great to see how mainstream designers are now embracing the abaya,hijab and generally modest clothing. It is very encouraging and i hope this will help the western world see the beauty of hijab. However, i don't think it will appeal to the every day Muslimah due to the huge price tag.

So today we spontaneously decided to eat out at Proper Burgers in Leyton. I've driven past this place many times and have always wanted to try it, so when my aunt mentioned she was going i decided to tag along. I wasn't doing much else so thought this would be a great chance to try something new and local.

As we walked into the restaurant the first thing that stood out to me was the 80's theme, walls tiled with cassettes and a mural of the underground. My first impressions e 'wow this is different!' We were seated right away and given a menu to order. The place seemed quite buzzing and busy which is always a good sign. 

I really liked the quirky post it notes on the table about their recommendations for the day

What i ordered 

Once we sat down we looked at the menu, which had various burgers with interesting names such as 'Stinky Joe' which was a double beef burger with gherkins, cheese tomatos and sauerkraut. I opted for the 'Brieberry' which was a grilled chicken steak in a brioche styled bread bun, as the name suggests the burger contained brie. This is somewhat different to what i am used to in a burger, but i loved it. I like the way the cheeses other then the usual cheddar as used in this restaurant- it makes it unique as compared  to your standard burger. I ordered mash potato (which was actually my favourite part of the meal) it was nice and fluffy and contained spring onions in it. This definitely got the thumbs up from me 👍

I always like to have a nice mocktail with my meal so i was very pleased to see they had this on the menu. I went for a 'proper cosmo' which was a mixture of passion fruit, lime and cranberry juice. It tasted good, but not as good as my usual fav which is a 'strawberry mojito' or a 'strawberry dacquiri'. 

Overall opinion: 

The food was good, well cooked and presented nicely. The only thing i would say here is it took a while to be served to us and we did need to give them a nudge to speed it up. However, baring in mind it was a Saturday night and it was busy i can't complain as this is to be expected.  Other then this the service was great, and staff were very friendly, hospitable and polite. Great customer service!

Would i recommend it to others: 

If you fancy a burger then yes i would recommend this place to you, they have some nice milkshakes and deserts too so could be a place to grab a desert aswell as some food. 

Cost £

I think for a local burger bar some people may find this a little over priced, but the fact the burgers are somewhat different to your usual burger i think the price was quite reasonable.  I paid £14.95 for my meal, but didnt have a desert.  So all in all, not a bad price!

Good points:

Interesting decor

Great customer service

Tasty burgers

Burgers on a different level to your standard burger

Would i go back again? Yes, i certainly would. Next time i will definitely be saving some space in my tummy for some desert.

Try it out, and let me know your views.

Want to dress in a modest manner but don't know where to start? Read on and let your journey begin.......

There is just something so beautiful about dressing modestly. Not only is it one of Allah's commands but it really is a protection for us women. For me dressing in a modest manner brings me confidence, contentment and happiness.

I know there are many ladies out there who want to wear hijab, and dress modestly and speaking from experience one thing that use to deter me was my current wardrobe and those annoying inner voices. The thoughts that used to play on my mind were  'my current wardrobe is just not suitable', ' i will have to go on a long search for modest clothing, it will take me forever' 'where do i start, I'm not quite ready to wear an abaya but i really do want to dress modestly', 'i wont look good''. Im sure I'm not the only one who has had these thoughts, even now i still feel there is a lot of room for improvement and am still striving to better myself in this department. 

But remember, everything beautiful is covered, a woman who is dressed modestly is like a pearl in its shell. All precious things are covered and protected and ladies we ARE precious.  We do need to protect ourselves, our honour and our beauty.

The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens. Be that pearl. 

The great thing nowadays is that fashion has taken a step in the modest direction, this is wonderful for all us hijabi's and sisters who choose to dress modestly as we have so much more variety out there. I'm writing this post to help any sisters out there who need a little help in dressing modest but trendy at the same time. It is possible to be both believe it or not.

My staple items are my cullotes, baggy jumpers and loose fitting long shirts. I can never have too many of those three items. With cullotes i tend to wear fitted tops and a boyfriend blazer or cardi as a cover up. With the baggy knitwear tops i tend to wear fitted trousers or jeans, and with long loose fitting shirts i go for either fitted trousers or jeans.

When shopping i don't really go for designer brands unless its a special occasion, i shop so much and only wear my clothes a few times so designer seems a bit of a waste of money for me especially as i get bored so easily of my outfits. Having said that, bags- that is something i will always splash out for- i have a nice collection of designer bags but tend to wear the same ones over and over again! 

So would you like to know what my favourite shops are for buying modest clothes.....well carry on reading and i will give you a list of afforable hijab/modest friendly shops where i find myself more then often..

1. Zara - i find that Zara will always have something modest that i can purchase. If you are looking for loose fitting tops, long shirts, or long skirts this is the place to go. In the summer they always have the nicest summery blouses that are modest and pretty at the same time. Zara also bring out long dresses and skirts every summer- so when looking for modest clothing be sure  to check out Zara. And it gets better.....i found this winter especially that they have been catering again for the modestly dressed woman by bringing out knitwear dresses which are long, i tend to buy a size or two bigger in knitwear as it can be quite figure hugging so to avoid that i go up a size.  The last item i purchased from Zara was a long maroon knitwear dress with slits on each side- one size bigger of course just to make it a looser fit. Zara never fails for me, be it for when im looking for modest clothes in the summer or something warmer for those chilly winter days.

2. Aab- i have only bought a dress and a few shirts from Aab but i love all their designs. The con for me with Aab is that they are quite pricey, however due to the quality being so good i do not mind forking out a little extra for their pieces. They have a good sale on too every now and again. With Aab you will most certainly find many modest options, all their range is quite modest. So if you haven't got the time to shop around and need modest clothing urgently this is the place to go, rest assured you will find something here. My last item from here was a long line shirt with stripes going down, i like it because it is modest but at the same time trendy. I dont go a size up for Aab clothing as they are designed to be modest anyway. 

3. H&M- what i like about H&M is that it is very reasonably priced and i will always find a nice baggy jumper that keeps me cozy on a cold day. They even have long shirts and loose fitting tops so i just cannot complain. The most recent item i purchased from h&m was this pretty black oversized jumper- it has detail on the neck which is sort of like beaded work (not sure how good a description that is) but its pretty, modest and cosy so what more can a girl ask for ey...:)  H&M are also good for accessories for example necklaces to go with those plain tops you have that need a little jazzing up. If you are looking for long sleeved tops to wear underneath any sleeveless or short sleeved tops you have (as a cover up) then rest assured you will find a variety of these in many colours at H&M. 

4. New Look - I'm quite surprised myself that new look made it to my list of faves but i will tell you why. They are reasonably priced for a start, their range has improved a great deal and they always have long cardigans which if you dress modestly you will know is a must in your wardrobe. You can never have enough long cardigans.  Also their shoe collection (flats and heels) is not bad too- especially for everyday wear, work etc it is cheap and cheerful. The last item i bought from here was a cape with fur on the collar, the perfect cover up! Im loving capes at the moment. We haven't had much of a winter so these are ideal, i have a few of them and shouldn't buy anymore but they are hard to resist. 

5. ASOS- i love ASOS first of all because its online, i love online shopping as im not a fan of crowds and shopping centres so ASOS is perfect. ASOS is great because is has a mixture of brands (mostly high street brands) and some low end luxury too. They always seem to have loose flowy tops which always grab my attention. Another good thing about ASOS is if you want something a little glitzy for a night out or for a special occasion you are likely to find something here especially during the summer months. Dresses - long and short, skirts, cullotes, oversized jumpers, shirts and loose fitting trousers are all items you will most likely find on ASOS. The last item i bought from ASOS was a longline winter coat which is slightly oversized in beige. I love it because it is a great thing to throw on over an outfit when you want to pop out and also can be dressed up with heels for a more classy and sophisticated look- it definitely does the job for me and is very versatile. Im quite petite so i was unsure about a long coat, i was worried it would drown me but this looks just fine.  

The list above is not exhaustive however i didn't want go on too much! Those are the ones that have come to mind and are the places i find myself buying from all the time! There are also many great sites online where you can shop, i will write about these some other time.

Sometimes dressing modestly can sound like you cannot be fashionable at the same time, but my advice is play around and find your own style. Once you do, you will love it. I know i do.  

Remember, be the pearl <3