Style Inspiration: The Abaya Dress!

What is an Abaya? An Abaya is the long, usually black, shapeless garment that women are required to wear in Saudi Arabia and around the Gulf. It is also worn in other countries throughout the world especially in Nigeria, but it is not a requirement. The purpose behind the Abaya is to conceal the shape of a woman’s body and protect her modesty.

Perks And Benefits Of Wearing Abaya

1. It’s convenient – you don’t have to waste time to think of what to wear it with. Just put it on and pick whatever hijab because black goes with anything.

2. Stress-free - You know sometimes when you wear a blouse with a skirt/jeans you’re afraid your blouse might get stuck to the waist part of your skirt/jeans and it will show off your butt? That never happens with an Abaya (it’s even perfectly fine if you’re walking up the stairs and there’s a guy behind you!)

3. Saves money (more like curbs your desire to buy clothing accessories).

4. It’s comfortable – come on now, abayas are really comfortable. No need for further explanation.

5. It makes you look thin – It does.

6 . If you get married and get pregnant, you don’t have to buy maternity clothes. (or nursing clothes because a lot of abayas have the button in the middle kinda thing)

7 . You look ready for any occasion – Just got back from the supermarket? You realize there’s a wedding you need to attend? No worries, abayas are suitable for every occasion.

8. Its Fashionable and Modest – Like they say, you don’t have to show your body to show how beautiful you are. Wear the abaya, stay elegant and decent. You could from a variety of colours that suits your person and fashion sense.

Photocredits: @isharsapparel

                                @haddieeclothing, 

                              @icon_robeeheart 

                                      @modestmuslismahng 

Relationship: Six signs it's an abusive relationship!

Signs of Abusive Relationships
Are you in an abusive relationship which affects your freedom, curtails your independence and spoils the entire happiness of life? Are you well equipped with the knowledge and information on the ways of recognizing when the partner turns into abusive? Many people go on moving ahead with abusive partners as they misunderstand the abusive behavior of the partners as possessiveness, extra care or over affection.

But it is, in fact, an abnormality in relationships and if not realized in time and mended in the way it should be, abusive behavior can spoil the relationship and affect the entire peaceful atmosphere of life itself. Certain people misconceive abusiveness as physical attack or dominance. But in fact, abuse can be emotional, psychological, financial sexual or physical.

Psychologists reveal that many a time, abusive behavior is the result of imbalanced or unstable mentalities of the partner. When he/ she takes control over the partner or tries to express the affection excessively, it may become abusive. Abusive relationships are unhealthy and destructive for both the partners in relationships. There are certain visible signs of abusive relationships

Being Over Possessive
Being over possessive is the most obvious sign of abusive partner. Possessiveness is part of every relationship and it is a must-to-have factor of relationships. But in certain cases, the partner may become excessively possessive, even to the extent of obstructing the freedom and forgetting the dignity of the partner.
An over possessive partner may keep the track of your time and demand you to inform each and every movement of yours to the partner. In the modern world every human person, male or female, may need to interact with many people and move around many places. If the partner insists you to inform or get permission from him/her to do everything in life, then it's a kind of abuse. They may try to cut off all your social contacts and restrict you to even meet your friends and relatives.

Frequently Accusing
If your partner accuses you for every ill-happening in life, then he/she is exhibiting the sign of abusive relationship. They may always look you through the glasses of suspicion and may not let you take your own decisions. Many a times, the accusing may occur because of abnormal levels of affection and the partner is afraid or doubtful of your ability to perform certain actions. Whenever something goes wrong, he/she may assume that it is because of your inability, the mistake occurred.

Multiple Affairs
Having multiple affairs and being unfaithful to you in life is abusive, of course. Relationships mean mutual respect, understanding and faithfulness. A person in true relationship should consider the partner as one and only person in life, not just one among many. Having multiple affairs may make a person less committed and less affectionate.

Improper Criticism and Public Teasing
It is been observed that abusive partner may criticize improperly with a mind of destructing the partner. When somebody criticizes the partner unwontedly or tease the person before friends or strangers, then he/she is trying to implement the authority over the person in the most undesirable way. This is an obvious sign of abusive relationship.

Physical Abuses
Physical abuses like slapping, hitting, threatening etc., are most visible signs of improper relationship. People get into relationships not to be controlled over or dominated over. Instead of loving, caring and sharing, if any partner gets into physical threatening, then the relationship is to be ended. No one, even the life partner has rights over a person to abuse him/her physically. When a person gets into such activities, it is to be taken seriously and retained from such relationships at the earliest possible opportunity.

Sexual Abuses
Many people suffer from sexual abuses in relationships. Sex is not the aim of relationships, but only a means to attain happiness in relationships. The advised mode of sex is which gives happiness and satisfaction mutually. Many people get into the concept that any sexual activity is accepted in relationships. Many a time women become preys of weird fantasy of male partners. Everything sexual activity is accepted in relationships provided both the partners enjoy it. What is against this is abuse and to be resisted and avoided.

Parenting in Islam: The Children Rights!

Islam cares about childhood and Muslims regard children as gifts/trust from Allah (SWT). Parents will be held responsible for this trust on the Day of Judgement. Hence Islam pays particular attention to rights of children and to the proper manner to raise them, so that they will be equipped to face the difficulties of life. We must pay more attention to the best interests of the children. All these principles were mentioned in Noble Qur'an and Ahadith, which cares about the rights of child even before he or she is born. Before getting married, a man should choose the best possible woman to be his children's mother.

Children have the right to be fed, clothed and protected until they reach adulthood. The child has the right to a good education and a stable environment in which to grow up. Boys and girls, as well as orphans, possess these rights in full. Nevertheless Allah (SWT) and Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave parent certain obligations to assure children's rights.

Respect for human rights begins with the way that a community treats its children. Children's rights cannot be separated from human rights because children are the future generation. Taking care of the coming generation by protecting their dignity and providing them their needs is the most important thing for bringing up citizens best equipped to serve the community.

On the other hand child abuse weakens a child's ability to study and makes them nervous as they lose their sense of security. Many abused children go on to commit crimes and end up in prison. The family is the most important unit for forming the community by bringing up the next generation. So if there are problems in the home, children will be affected and the whole family and community will suffer.
O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones. Noble Qur'an, (66:6)

Parents are obligated not only to see to their religious training, proper education but also training in sports and self defense of their children. In addition, they must not show preference of sons and suppression or negligence of daughters.
Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "Observe justice in dealing with your children in the same manner in which you expect them to observe justice in being kind and good to you."

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "Whoever goes to the bazaar and purchases a present for the members of his family and brings it to them is like one who spends on the needy. However he should prefer daughters to sons because whoever pleases his daughter is like one who frees a slave from among the descendants of Prophet Ismail (A.S)

Early Morning Dose Of Inspiration! Read & Digest

There were only 15 minutes left before Salat-ul Isha.

He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib.

While making Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed.

His grandmother prayed with such tranquillity and peace.

He began making Dua and went down to make Sajdah and stayed like that for a while.

He had been at work all day and was tired, so tired.

He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting.

He was sweating profusely.

He looked around.

It was very crowded.

Every direction he looked in was filled with people.

Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting.

Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.

His heart was about to burst.

It was the Day of Judgment.

When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago.

Could this be something his mind made up?

No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this.

The interrogation was still going on.

He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name had been called.

No one could answer him.

All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and made
a passageway for him.

Two angels grabbed his arms and led him forward.

He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd.

The angels brought him to the centre and left him there.

His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his eyes like a movie.

He opened his eyes but saw only another world.

The people were all helping others.

He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of Islam.

His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was being cleared.

He pleaded his case,

‘I too was always on this path.

I helped others.

I spread the word of Allah.

I performed my Salah.

I fasted in the month of Ramadhan.

Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did.

Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not.’

He began to cry and think about how much he loved Allah.

He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his only protector was Allah He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over.

His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision.

At last, the decision was made.

The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd.

His legs felt like they were going to collapse.

He closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam.

His name was read first.

He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn’t be, ’How could I go to Jahannam?

I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah to others’.

His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat.

The two angels took him by the arms.

As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam.

He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help
him. He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Noble Qur’an that he read, he was asking if none of them would help him.

The Jahannam angels continued to drag him.

They had gotten closer to the Hellfire.

He looked back and these were his last pleas.

Had not Rasulullah [SAW] said,

‘How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah performed five times cleanse someone of their sins’?

He began yelling,

‘My prayers? My prayers? My prayers.?’

The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam.

The flames of the fire were burning his face.

He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had nothing left in him.

One of the angels pushed him in.

He found himself in the air and falling towards the flames.

He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard.

He wiped some dust off himself and asked him,

‘Who are you?’

The old man replied,

‘I am your prayers’.

‘Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire!

You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in’.

The old man smiled and shook his head, ’You always performed me at the last minute, did you forget?’

At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from Sajdah.

He was in a sweat.

He listened to the voices coming from outside.

He heard the Adhan for Salat-ul Isha.

He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu...

Umar&Aisha's lovely wedding pictures captured by George Okoro!

Today, we bring to you the wonderful pictures from the Nikkah of Umar and Aisha, which was held in Abuja and was beautifully captured by the talented photographer George Okoro....Enjoy!

Vendors

Photocredit: @georgeokoro @faboulousbanji

Make-up by: @jideofstola 

Bride's Dress by: @hudayya 

Venue Decor: @Bluvelvetmarquee 

Exclusive : Nikkah between Abd'Kabeer & Balikis!

We bring youlovely detailed pictures from the Nikkah and traditional wedding of Abd'Kabeer & Balikis which held at Ilorin kwara state.  Enjoy☺😉


                                              @bewkiss Bridal shower 

                                            from the Nikkah😍😘

The traditional look

                                          

Photocredit: @royal_images 

Make-up by:@lbvmakeovers 

Beads and asooke by: @bimmms24 

Reception Gown by: @styletemple