Cupping and Parenting Webinars

Two separate webinars I thought you might be interested in. Always wanted to know about cupping then sign up for this one.



Need advice about parenting try this.

Drink for My Nadoona Sisters

Looking for a way to perk up those 8 glasses of water that you should be drinking every day? Look no further…I present to you Sassy Water! Not only is it tasty, but sassy water is touted as a way to help you shed some extra pounds around your midsection by eliminating a buildup of contaminants, fat, and excess water weight.





You Will Need:
{8 ½} cups water

{1} teaspoon grated ginger

{1} medium cucumber, sliced thin

{1} large lemon, sliced thin

{12} mint leaves





Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher and refrigerate overnight.





The next morning, strain and drink all 8 ½ cups throughout the day.





Repeat for 4 days in a row...trying your best avoid any other beverages (coffee, soda, alcohol, etc.)







Why it works: Cucumber is natural diuretic, and helps the body release stored excess water. Ginger boosts metabolism and helps calm and soothe your GI tract.

Reminder June Book Club Choice

Has anyone read the May choice? The book of the month for June is Visibly Muslim. I think we will have some readers for this one. So far my library does not have this one but instead others for  later on in the year. Does your library have this one?

Nothing Tastes as Good...........

Just a reminder to my Nadoona sisters cuz I'm thinkin' of ya! Here is my new mantra
"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Just keep saying it to yourself. I hope all of you are doing well with this challenge and feeling more healthy everyday. We're halfway there and living on a prayer!

Curry Queen ( Niagara Falls) Sharing the Same Dream

Last week I went on a school trip with my kids to Niagara Falls. The one thing that was on my mind was where was I going to pray Zuhr and Asr on the second day. The first day was ok as we could do it at the hotel but the next day was a mystery for me. So I kept making dua for Allah to make it easy for me. I still remember 21 yrs ago when I was a Christian sitting on the fence of whether I would convert or not and I saw Muslims praying at Niagara Falls on the grass. It was one of the two things that motivated me to finally make the leap into Islam. May Allah bless those people always. Amin. So on the second day while my daughter watched a 4D movie I went on the hunt to find a spot. First I walked into a store and I looked around and saw hookahs and a pyramid and thought maybe this is a Muslim place. I asked the guy and he said that yes he was Muslim. I asked if there was anywhere around that I could pray and he said no. Not letting that defeat me I moved on and came across a halal sign in Arabic, one of the few things I can read in Arabic, lol. I walked up to the woman in hijab and asked if there was anywhere I could pray and she said that she could lend me a prayer mat to pray in her restaurant. I told her just wait I need to go get my daughter. I went back and got her but I didn't know where my son was as he was with another group. We went in and did wudu and prayed. Alhumdullilah these people opened their doors and hearts to fellow Muslims. May Allah reward them immensely. Amin. If you happen to go to Niagara Falls and need a place to pray and maybe even eat then please try Curry Queen on Clifton Hills in Niagara Falls. Alhumdullilah for Allah answering my prayer.

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Virtuous Knowledge Al-Jathiya (The Kneeling One) - Chapter 45: Verse 16-17 "And so it was that We granted the Children of Israel the Book (of scripture), the power to act, and the gift of prophethood. We also provided them with wholesome (food) and favoured them above all others in the universe. We also gave them clear directions in all their affairs, but it was only after they received such knowledge that they fell into competing groups, due to arrogant jealousy among themselves. Their Lord will judge between them concerning these points of difference on the Day of Judgment." Besides the sciences of philosophy and physics there are traditional and religious sciences, all of which are required to lead mankind to happiness and prosperity. In many instances, however, this has not been the case. The study of physical sciences has not always been put to good use; man has conquered space and is now almost fully able to see creation in action, as in the case of conception and the growth of human fetuses and embryos, but many people continue to deny God and insist that there is no creator. This is a salient feature of modern civilization in the East as well as in the West, and this anomaly we see with respect to empirical sciences can also be found among students of religious sciences. Becoming rigid and fossilized, they have lost their appeal and ability to influence human thought and world events. Religious books have become hollow volumes and most of the regression and corruption we witness in the world can be blamed on institutionalized religion and religious leaders and their followers. As a result of their corruption, the elders of Israel could be said to have been the first to belie Socrates' assertion that 'virtue is knowledge' because, as the verse points out, they abused and misrepresented the knowledge they had been given. So long as religious knowledge does not lead to purity, honesty, and justice, it is of little use or value. Today, there are men of religion as well as men of secular sciences who are totally corrupt but who might otherwise have served humanity very well indeed. Compiled From: "The Holy Quran: Guidance for Life" - Yahiya Emerick, p. 360 "A Thematic Commentary on the Quran" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali, pp. 552, 553

Understanding the Prophet's Life Respecting Animals The Prophet, peace be upon him, kept drawing his Companion's attention to the necessity of respecting all animal species. He once told them the following story: "A man was walking along a road, in very hot weather. He saw a well and went down to quench his thirst. When he climbed up again, he saw a dog panting with thirst and said to himself: 'This dog is as thirsty as I was.' He then went down the well again, filled his shoe with water and climbed up, holding it between his teeth. He gave the dog to drink and God rewarded him and forgave his sins." The Prophet was then asked: "O Prophet, are we rewarded for treating animals well?" And the Prophet answered: "Any good towards a living creature gets its reward." [Bukhari, Muslim] Through such traditions and his own examples the Messenger pointed out that respecting animals was part of the most essential Islamic teaching. He used all opportunities to stress this dimension. Compiled From: "Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 235, 236

Blindspot! Continual Sacrifices Some great sacrifices are such as are made once in life, like that of life. Some are very minor but must be made continuously. Their continuing nature makes them important because of many intangible aspects: Firstly, they require you to be ever-alert and watchful lest opportunities come and find you napping, indifferent, unmindful or unable to recognize them. Secondly, they require a steady and constant will, which requires a greater effort to maintain it. Thirdly, they are too small to qualify as acts of heroism. But they are no less effective for character-building, social organization and success. Even a drop of water falling steadily and persistently may make a hole in a rock. Fourthly, they are not called forth in moments of crisis; rather they must be made in the ordinary run of daily living. Despite being minor in nature, this makes them harder to offer. For faced with a great challenge, under an acute crisis, looking forward to an immense reward, it is always easier to summon all your inner resources, to summon the greatest will, to offer the best. Such is human nature. In a way we are required to make small, very small, sacrifices every moment in life. For at every step and every moment we are faced with a choice - however small - to go one way or to go the other way. Every choice made to please Allah means taking a decision to sacrifice something. Even, as you choose to offer Fajr (morning) Prayer, you sacrifice your sleep and the warmth of your bed. There are sacrifices to be made in regular day to day living - in home, in work place, in market, in social contact, in organizational work, even in privacy - which are likely to be missed. They are more difficult to make simply because they are not even recognized as suitable stuff for sacrifice. Compiled From: "Sacrifice: The Making of a Muslim" - Khurram Murad, pp. 27, 28

Winners of the Modern Hijab Giveaway

Using a random generator, the winners for the Modern Hejab giveaway are, for the clutch, number 3 which is
 MashhPotatoee. The winner of the gift card is number 1, which is Umm Zakariya. Congratulations, mabruk to both winners. Please send in your details to omwits at gmail.com and I will pass them onto Mona for your prizes.

Health Journey Part 7

So the journey continues....As part of my Nadoona program I am doing food substitutions now since last week and including this week. This is when we substitute food from our unique menus. For example I can have fish instead of chicken for supper and even seafood. For the first time in my life I had mahi-mahi. Its good! This weekend I also went for cupping again and had mostly dry cupping. You can really feel the suctioning. Much less intrusive than the wet cupping. Next time it will be mostly wet cupping and she will even do my feet insha Allah. She also gave me some arnica which I've tried before during pregnancy and I know it works well. She gave it me for my broken toe; hurts when I walk on it. Try it, arnica is great! Because of my broken toe I haven't been exercising and the doctor said the only thing I can do is exercises with my arms and swimming. So this weekend I also went swimming with my daughter who is also Nadoona strong! Ah, so refreshing and relaxing. Masha Allah. So I hope to do more to get in even greater shape insha Allah.

Only 2 days left for the giveaway!

Only 2 days left for the Modern Hejab giveaway. Will you be the winner?

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran The Longing Ibrahim (Abraham) - Chapter 14: Verse 39 (partial) "... surely my Lord hears all prayers." Abraham's long and humble supplication in this surah (verses 35-41), which also mentions a number of God's blessings and expresses gratitude and thanks for them, employing a fine musical rhythm, imparts an air of gentle tenderness and care which makes people's hearts long to be with God, and remember His grace and blessings. Abraham, the father of a long line of prophets, is seen as a pious servant who does not forget His Lord's grace, or his duty to be thankful for it. He is given as an example to be followed by God's servants who truly believe in Him, for, just before relating Abraham's supplication, the surah addressed them. We note how Abraham repeats several times the addressing phrase, "My Lord" or "Our Lord". This repeated acknowledgement of God's Lordship over him and his offspring is significant. He does not mention God by His attributes of Godhead, but instead by His Lordship. Godhead has rarely been subject to controversy in societies. Nor was it so in the ignorant society of Arabia at the advent of Islam. What people have always argued about is the Lordship of God, and the need to submit to Him in everyday life on earth. The Quran relates Abraham's supplication to the Arab idolaters, emphasizing his acknowledgement of God's Lordship to draw their attention to the fact that their own way of life was in complete contrast with what this supplication truly signifies. Compiled From: "In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 10, pp. 281-285

Understanding the Prophet's Life Upholding God's Protection Narrated by Anas, The Prophet, God bless and grant him peace, said, “Whoever prays our prayer, faces our qibla, and eats our halal meat is a Muslim who has God’s protection and then the protection of God’s Messenger. So do not betray God in His protection” (la takhfiru ‘llaha fi dhimmatihi) [Bukhari]. The word dhimmah has several meanings, including, “care, custody, protection, covenant of protection, compact, responsibility, answerableness, liability, inviolability, security, and conscience.” The Arabs say, “‘ala dhimmati,” meaning, “upon my word of honor.” According to this hadith, God has placed His protection over certain things – in the case of this particular hadith, Muslims, but more generally, according to the Qur’an, many other hadith, and Islamic law, His creation in the world. Hence, trees, wells, rivers, oceans, air, soil, food, animals, and most importantly people, irrespective of faith, color, or creed have God’s protection. However, God has made the human being the divine custodian of this protection. The above-mentioned hadith does not exclude people of other faiths. Those who are not Muslim, which includes people of all other faiths and not just the Abrahamic ones according to the Maliki and Hanafi schools, are people of covenant in Muslims lands, as was Ottoman practice for centuries; hence, they are called, “the covenantal people of protection” (ahl dhimmah). Included also in this category are nations that have treaties with Muslim nations and peoples in non-Muslim lands in which Muslims are living safely. In other words, all these people are in God’s and His Messenger’s protection. This is why, on the Day of Judgment, the Prophet, God bless and grant him peace, is the advocate of a person of covenant who was betrayed by Muslims against the Muslims who betrayed him. Of all God’s creatures, it is children who warrant the greatest protection due to their helplessness and innocence, which is why the punishment for violating them is severe. The Prophet, God bless and grant him peace, loved children and honored them on many occasions, such as calling them by honorific epithets or patting young ones on the head, leaving the scent of musk upon them for the rest of the day. In fact, the Prophet, God bless and grant him peace, visited one child whose pet had died in order to offer condolences and cheer him up. The Prophet, God bless and grant him peace, also cursed those who mistreated animals and told of a person punished in the hellfire for torturing a cat; contrariwise, he told of a prostitute forgiven for giving water to a dog dying of thirst. Terrible crimes perpetrated against children are also a sign that we not only have freewill but, according to our creed, that God is not obliged to intervene when we use it to break covenants of God’s protection and violate the inviolable. The ability to break this covenant of protection is called freewill. The rights and protection that God has given humans is to be upheld and honored by each of us. If anyone betrays that trust, then, in this world, the government has the authority and right to redress the wrong. In redressing the wrong, wholeness is restored, and healing can take place. If this does not occur, the victim must remember: there is a day when the divine redresser will right every wrong, heal every wound, fulfill every vow, and remove for all eternity the scars of this world that were unjustly inflicted by those who betrayed God’s protection. Compiled From: "When Children Suffer" - Hamza Yusuf

Blindspot! Celebrating Diversity When we hear the word diversity, we typically think of racial and gender differences. But there is so much more to it, including differences in physical features, dress, language, wealth, family, religious beliefs, lifestyle, education, interests, skills, age, style and on and on. The world is fast becoming a great melting pot of cultures, races, religions, and ideas. Since this diversity around you is ever increasing, you've got an important decision to make regarding how you're going to handle it. There are three possible approaches you can take: Level 1: Shun diversity Level 2: Tolerate diversity Level 3: Celebrate diversity Shunner's Profile Shunners are afraid (sometimes even scared to death) of differences. It disturbs them that someone may have a different skin colour, worship a different God, or wear a different brand of jeans than they do, because they're convinced their way of life is the "best," "right," or "only" way. They enjoy ridiculing those who are different, all the while believing that they are saving the world from some terrible pestilence. They won't hesitate to get physical about it if they have to and will often join gangs, cliques, or anit-groups because there's strength in numbers. Tolerator's Profile Tolerators believe that everyone has the right to be different. They don't shun diversity but don't embrace it either. Their motto is: "You keep to yourself and I'll keep to myself. You do your thing and let me do mine. You don't bother me and I won't bother you." They see differences as hurdles, not as potential strengths to build upon. Celebrator's Profile Celebrators value differences. They see them as an advantage, not a weakness. They've learned that two people who think differently can achieve more than two people who think alike. They realize that celebrating differences doesn't mean that you necessarily agree with those differences. In their eyes, Diversity = Creative Sparks = Opportunity. So where do you fall on the spectrum? Take a hard look. Think about a group that has contrary religious belief to yours. Do you respect their beliefs or do you write them off as a bunch of weirdos? The truth is, celebrating diversity is a struggle for most of us, depending on the issue. For example, you may appreciate racial and cultural diversity and in the same breath look down on someone because of the clothes they wear. Compiled From: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" - Sean Covey, pp. 184-185

Modern Hijab Giveaway

Modern Hijab Giveaway!

Mona from Modern Hejab is giving away some lovely items from her online shop. Firstly, a unique Bahrain clutch. I was amazed with these clutches and their Arabic calligraphy designs. How often do you see that? Can you just picture yourself with one at the mosque, an Islamic seminar or a halaqa?  The second, giveaway is a $10 gift card to be spent at her shop.

So how can you get these wonderful items?

1. Tell us how you are a "Modern Mohajaba" and  what it means to you.
2. Check out the shop and tell us what item you would want for yourself and why and also which one would you pick for a friend or relative and why.

You should also like the Modern Hejab on facebook  to stay up to date on their contests, giveaways and discounts! So what are you waiting for? You could be the first couple of winners in my first ever fashion giveaway.

The winner will be chosen on May 23! Don't miss out!

Welcome New Readers

Insha Allah I think there are some new readers and I hope you upgrade to become followers too. So this is a shout out to the Lovely Ladies of London and my Nadoona Sisters. Stick around because very shortly I will be having my first ever fashion giveaway. Let me know how you are liking my blog and any other comments. Always nice to 'see a new face'!!!

May 2013 Book Club Choice

Here is the choice for May 2013 ;

Muslim Women in America : The Challenge of Islamic Identity Today

Wanted Women

Finally I have finished this massive 500 page book,ugh, the things I get myself into. This  is a brand new book that I got from my library and it follows the lives of two infamous Muslim women. Even after all that reading I don't know what to think. Of course with Ayaan I had already heard about her and here in Canada we have Tariq so I'm used to that type. But when it comes to Afia I am at a loss as I know no one like that, I don't even remember hearing about her in the news. I sure learned a lot from this book in terms of Somali culture and history and about immigration in Holland. As for Pakistan I feel I am still in the dark as I feel that maybe the truth won't even come out in my lifetime. This book is written by a non-muslim but I find she tries for the most part to be fair but of course there is a bias. Allahu alim. Insha Allah one day we will know the truth about all these things.

Native Deen in Malaysia

Description of Paradise

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Pardoning Al Nisa (The Women) - Chapter 4: Verse 149 "Whether you publicize a good deed or hide it or pardon a (personal) offense (done against you), know that God has the power to pardon (all sins)." This verse embodies a moral directive of very high value to the Muslims. If a wronged person speaks out against a wrong-doer, he is quite justified in doing so. Even though this is a person's right, it is more meritorious to continue to do good both in public and in private, and to ignore the misdeeds of others. For one's ideal should be to try to approximate to God's way as much as possible. God with whom one wants to be close is lenient and forbearing. He provides sustenance even to the worst criminals and seeks mitigating circumstances in even the most serious offences. In order to become close to God, one ought to be generous in spirit and full of tolerance. True forgiveness occurs only when we allow ourselves to face the truth and to feel and release our emotions, including our anger, about what was done to us. It is completely premature to forgive if you haven't even acknowledged that you were harmed. When children are asked to forgive abusive parents without first experiencing their emotions and their personal pain, the forgiveness process becomes another weapon of silencing. The same is true of adults who rush to forgiveness. Many people have been brainwashed into submission by those who insist that they are "less than" if they don't forgive. Many people think that forgiving someone who hurt them is the same as saying that what happened to them was okay or that it didn't hurt them. But forgiveness doesn't mean that what happened was okay. It simply means that we are no longer willing to allow that experience to adversely affect our lives. Ultimately, forgiveness is something we do for ourselves. Compiled From: "The Holy Quran: Guidance for Life" - Yahiya Emerick, p. 78 "Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol 2, p. 101 "Healing Your Emotional Self" - Beverly Engel, pp. 113, 114

Understanding the Prophet's Life Never Wish Combat The Prophet, upon him be peace, insisted that combat be undertaken only for the sake of Allah; and never for the sake of transitory gain. Moreover, he used to caution his followers against their being the ones to initiate hostilities and against their provoking their enemies into action. Abdullah ibn Abi Awf related that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, waited, on one of the days on which he was to engage the enemy, until the sun had begun to incline, then stood among his followers and said: O you people! Never wish to meet the enemy in combat. Rather, seek your well-being from Allah. Yet, if meet them you must, then do so with patience. And know that Paradise is to be found in the shadow of the sword! Then he said, upon him be peace: 'O Lord! Revealer of the Book, Sender of the clouds, and Vanquisher of enemies! Vanquish them, and give us victory over them!' The defeat of the confederates at Madinah is an astonishing event. All the forces of disbelief on the Arabian Peninsula had joined to surround the Muslims in their city-state. The Muslims found themselves in a position so vulnerable as to bring them to the verge of extinction. There was not a glimmer of hope that their salvation could be brought about by any save the Almighty. It appeared that the Muslims had got themselves caught in a trap that would mean their ultimate destruction. Yet, the humble Prophet, upon him be peace, expected the help of the Lord to descend at any moment. The moment came: the confederates were taken unawares by the sudden churning of the atmosphere by gale-force winds that ripped away their tents, overturned and buried their provisions and sent them scattering into the desert in search of some escape from the terrible sand storm that had enveloped them and tossed them far from the secure walls of Madinah! Compiled From: "Remembrance & Prayer" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali, p. 176

Blindspot! True Citizenship Citizenship is not about voting, or even about having a vote. When we think of citizens as just voters, we reduce them to being consumers of elected officials and leaders. We see this most vividly at election time, when candidates become products, issues become the message, and the campaign is a marketing and distribution system for the selling of the candidate. Voters become target markets, demographics, whose most important role is to meet in focus groups to respond to nuances of message. This is the power of the consumer, which is no power at all. Through this lens, we can understand why so many people do not vote. They do not believe their action can impact the future. It is partly a self-chosen stance and partly an expression of the helplessness that grows out of a retributive world. This way of thinking is not an excuse not to vote, but it does say that our work is to build the capacity of citizens to be accountable and to become creators of community. We can see most clearly how we marginalize the real meaning of citizenship when the word becomes politicized as part of the retributive debate. We argue over undocumented workers, immigration, and the rights of ex-felons - and even their children. We politicize the issue of English as the official language and building a new wall on the Rio Grande that we will have to tear down someday. Citizenship as the willingness to build community gets displaced by isolationism in any form. It is not by accident that the loudest activists for finding and deporting undocumented workers are some of the leaders of the fear, oversight, safety, and security agenda. They are the key beneficiaries of the retributive society. If we want community, we have to be unwilling to allow citizenship to be co-opted in this way. The idea of what it means to be a citizen is too important and needs to be taken back to its more profound value. Citizenship is a state of being. It is a choice for activism and care. A citizen is one who is willing to do the following: Hold oneself accountable for the well-being of the larger collective of which we are a part. Choose to own and exercise power rather than defer or delegate it to others. Enter into a collective possibility that gives hospitable and restorative community its own sense of being. Acknowledge that community grows out of the possibility of citizens. Community is built not by specialized expertise, or great leadership, or improved services; it is built by great citizens. Attend to the gifts and capacities of all others, and act to bring the gifts of those on the margin into the centre. Compiled From: "Community: The Structure of Belonging" - Peter Block, pp. 64-65

Healthy Journey Part 6

Last week I started Nadoona officially. Actually I had a jump start and did some of  the requirements about a month ago. I did the weigh-in and measurements and did my food menu. I also tried to be more active which is a struggle with my leg problem. This week we are following the menu plan we were given and we did another weigh-in and alhumdullilah I'm making progress. I haven't been able to start the workout videos yet though as I have another health problem which I hope will heal soon insha Allah. May Allah make it easy for all the participants including my daughter Amin.

Good Food in the Hood

Muslim Women Do That

Take Some Time Out

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Desire Al Jathiyah (Kneeling Down) - Chapter 45: Verse 23 (partial) "Do you see the one who took as his god his own vain desire (hawa) and [consequently] God left him to stray?" Although in its literal sense, hawa can mean a passing whim, and inclination, or a desire, without necessarily leading to either the formulation or the expression of an opinion, the ulama have nevertheless used it to imply an opinion which originates in these impulses. Hawa has been defined as 'the pleasure-seeking inclination of the soul towards that which is not permitted by the Shariah.' The Quran refers to hawa in contradistinction to guidance (huda, dhikr), and identifies it with deviation from the truth which the Quran itself has expounded. It is in this sense that the Quran warns the believers, on no less than twenty-five occasions, against the dangers and temptations of hawa and the hold that it can have on the hearts and minds of people. The phrase 'capricious people' (ahl al-hawa) typically refers to those who say what they please, and who violate the truth by indulging in corrupt and distorted interpretations which are unacceptable to the believer. For, whenever opinion is allowed to follow personal prejudice and desire, it leads to divergence from the truth and even to outright falsehood. The personal desire to be the winner at all costs, regardless of the merit of one's case, and without concern for the well-being of others, is an instance of hawa. One of the worst forms of hawa is when personal craving for superiority and power masquerades under specious reasoning and plausible argumentation in the name of justice, piety, and truth. Compiled From: "Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 140-141

Understanding the Prophet's Life In Need of Allah No matter what noble status a believer reaches, he will always be in need of Allah and in need of worshipping Him. He will still have to ask of Allah and he will still need to seek refuge in Allah. This was the way of the Prophets and Messengers. They always had hope in Allah. Yet, they also had a fear of Allah, even though they were from Allah's most exclusive awliya (friend). The Prophet, peace be upon him, himself said: "By Allah, although I am the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what He will do with me." [Bukhari] If anyone believes that he has reached a level wherein he is no longer in need of Allah, beseeching Him and worshipping Him, he has become deluded. He will then be one of the enemies of Allah instead of one of His awliya. Indeed, as a person comes closer and closer to Allah, his reliance upon Allah, his understanding of his need for Allah and his worship of Him becomes even greater. Those are some of the signs that he is getting closer to Allah and is truly one of His awliya. Compiled From: "Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, p. 1440

Blindspot! Moral Authority Moral authority is primary greatness (character strengths); formal authority is secondary greatness (position, wealth, talent, reputation, popularity). The interesting thing about Moral authority is what a paradox it is. The dictionary discusses authority in terms of command, control, power, sway, rule, supremacy, domination, dominion, strength, might. But the antonym is civility, servitude, weakness, follower. Moral authority is the gaining of influence through following principles. Moral dominion is achieved through servanthood, service, and contribution. Power and moral supremacy emerge from humility, where the greatest becomes the servant of all. Moral authority or primary greatness is achieved through sacrifice. There are times of great chaos, confusion and survival when the strong hand of formal authority needs to be used to get things back on track, to a new level of order and stability or to a new vision. However, in most cases when people use their formal authority early on, their moral authority will be lessened. Remember that when you borrow strength from position, you build weakness in three places: in self, because you are not developing moral authority, in the other, because they become codependent with your use of formal authority; and in the quality of the relationship, because authentic openness and trust never develops. Compiled From: "The 8th Habit" - Stephen R. Covey, pp. 299-302

April 2013 Book Club Choice

Getting a little ahead of myself but just so I don't forget about all these good books I've been hearing about lately. The choice will be Neither This Nor That. Another teen book but with teens myself I like to get a handle on their experience.

Fly Like a Butterfly...

You may have noticed the ad for Sunnah Style on my blog which I've had for quite some time now. I finally ordered from them myself and got an outfit I have been thinking about for years! Hearing about Butterfly Abayas over the years always made me intrigued and I wondered how they were to wear. Recently I received my purple Butterfly abaya and wore it for Jumuah prayer. Alhumdullilah it came with the dua for wearing new clothes and I recited that before putting it on. The material is great for a spring day which it was. The temperature now is heating up though and I haven't tried it in above 20 degree temperatures. I also bought the matching shayla and its kind of thick compared to most and takes some time to pin. I love how the Butterfly abaya looks. Its so regal. You might accidentally hit something with the sleeves though. Sunnah Style is right here in Ontario so you get it pretty fast and can get it altered for an extra $2. If you like something simple yet elegant, this is for you. Its not bling bling so no worries. Dh loved it too. Masha Allah. Alhumdullilah. Interested? Just click on the ad on my blog.