Muslim Womenpreneurs links.

I picked up some business cards from the extravaganza and thought I would share them with you.


Timeless Modesty - www.NALATM.com

Khatbah Matchmaker - www.Khatbah.com

 Resolve Dispute Resolution Services- resolvedisputes.org

Nabila's Fresh Flowers - nablilasflowers.com

Yasmine's Fashion - boutitasamir@hotmail.com  (women's clothing,scarves and accessories)

NutraBee - www.nutrab.com (premium honey and organic herbal products)

Mosaic Event and Party Rentals - www.mosaiceventrentals.ca

Eda's Gifts - www.edagifts.com

Masrawiyah style - see on facebook (oriental wear and patchwork)

Being Me - www.Being-ME.org (women only conference)


Fatima Omar Khamissa Marketing and Coaching -marketingthehealers.com

Zabiha Halal -Zabihahalal.com

Eastern Attires - www.easternattires.com

MinMaxx realty - minmaxx.com

Zoha South Asian Boutique - www.zoha.ca

New Life Fertility Centre - www.newlifefertility.com  (Canada's Highest Success Rates)


Licks Halal Homeburger - 5029 Hurontario St @ Eglington, Mississauga

Forever Living Products - www.foreverliving.com (natural bee , personal care and skin care products)

Eid Shopping Extravaganza

Muslim womenpreneurs will be having an Eid Shopping Extravaganza on Sunday October 30. If you're in Mississauga this weekend, check it out.

Friday Nasihah - Striving for Social Change

Living The Quran Striving for Social Change Al Hajj (The Pilgrimage) - Chapter 22: Verse 78 (partial) "And strive (jihad) in Allah's way as you ought to strive..." The Arabic word Jihad means to strive ones utmost for an objective. In Islamic terminology, jihad refers to well thought-out, strategic and organised actions, guided by Islamic values and principles, taken by an Islamic movement to enjoin good, forbid wrong practices and to remove obstacles in the way of advancing positive social change. These actions, dependant on the context and circumstances, can be either intellectual, social, political or military. In other words, jihad engages a movement directly with the main stream of society and world affairs. This enables it to face the emerging challenges and to influence their direction for achieving an Islamic change. All possible means within the limits set by Islam can be employed for this purpose. In short, jihad aims at: Striving against the evils within oneself. Intellectually challenging ideologies, beliefs and ways of life that conflict with God's Way. Challenging and engaging with societal powers for eradicating social evils, immoral ways, and wrong practices. Striving to liberate people from oppression and injustice. Influencing positive social, economic and political change in society according to Islamic ideals. Jihad is a duty upon Muslims. This duty cannot be ignored or evaded. All the noble Prophets of Allah strove against corrupt powers and unjust practices, and the Muslims are encouraged to do the same. Simply sitting in mosques, meditating, praising God and praying all day long without any practical efforts and struggle, cannot lead to much positive change in social conditions. Compiled From: "Building A New Society" - Zahid Parvez, pp. 158, 159

Understanding the Prophet's Life Ten Greatest Days Even for those not performing the pilgrimage, Hajj, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijja are considered very sacred and a time for increased reflection, seeking Allah's forgiveness, doing good and various other forms of worship. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) has said about the first ten days of Dhul Hijja: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing (Bukhari). Ahmad and at-Tabarani recorded from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah said, "There is no day more honourable in Allah's sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allah than those done in these ten days. So say tahlil (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah: La ilaha illallah), takbir (Allah is the greatest : Allahu Akbar) and tahmid (All praise is due to Allah : alhamdu lillah) a lot [on those days]." [Reported by Ahmad] Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allah said, "There are no days more loved to Allah for you to worship Him therein than the ten days of Dhul-Hijja. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power. [i.e., Lailatul Qadr]." [This is related by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi] Jabir reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah (9th of Dhul-Hijja). On this day Allah, the Almighty and the Exalted One, descends to the nearest heaven, and He is proud of His slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, ‘Look at My servants. They have come from far and near, with hair dishevelled and faces covered with dust, to seek My mercy, even though they have not seen My chastisement.' Far more people are freed from the Hellfire on the Day of Arafah than on any other day.” [Ibn Hibban] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spent the day at Arafah until almost sunset. Then he said, “O Bilal, ask the people to be quiet and listen to me.” Bilal stood up and asked the people to be quiet and listen to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the people were quiet, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O people, a little while ago Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to me. Gave me salutations from Allah and informed me that Allah has forgiven those who spend the Day at Arafah and those who stop at Al-Mashar Al-Haram, and that He has guaranteed them [relief from] debts.” [Ibn Al-Mubarak] Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “On no other day does the Satan feel so belittled, humiliated, and angry as he does on the Day of Arafah. The reason for this is the mercy of Allah that descends (this day) and the forgiveness that He grants to people for major sins, except the day of the Battle of Badr, which witnessed a far greater mercy of Allah descending upon people, which caused great sadness to Satan." (Reported by Malik and Al-Hakim). Generally, all good deeds are rewarded highly at this blessed time. These actions include praying, reading Quran, making Dua (supplication), giving in charity and being good to our families. Compiled From: "The first 10 days of Zul Hijjah: why they matter" - SoundVision.com "Virtues of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah" - Salih Al Munajjid

Blindspot! Powerful Questions Questions are more transformative than answers and are the essential tools of engagement. They are the means by which we are all confronted with our freedom. In this sense, if you want to change the context, find powerful questions. Questions create the space for something new to emerge. Powerful questions are those that, in the answering, evoke a choice for accountability and commitment. They are questions that take us to requests, offers, declarations, forgiveness, confession, gratitude, and welcome, all of which are memorable and have a transformative power. Questions that have the power to make a difference are ones that engage people in an intimate way, confront them with their freedom, and invite them to cocreate a future possibility. Powerful questions are the ones that cause you to become an actor as soon as you answer them. You no longer have the luxury of being a spectator of whatever it is you are concerned about. Regardless of how you answer these questions, you are guilty. Guilty of having created this world. Not a pleasant thought, but the moment we accept the idea that we have created the world, we have the power to change it. Powerful questions also express the reality that change, like life, is difficult and unpredictable. They open up the conversation - in contrast to questions that are, in a sense, answers in disguise. Answers in disguise narrow and control the dialogue, and thereby the future. We can generalize what qualities define great questions, and this gives us the capacity not just to remember a list but also to create powerful questions of our own. A great question has three qualities: It is ambiguous. There is no attempt to try to precisely define what is meant by the question. It is personal. All passion, commitment, and connection grow out of what is most personal. It evokes anxiety. All that matters makes us anxious. It is our wish to escape from anxiety that steals our aliveness. If there is no edge to the question, there is no power. Compiled From: "Community: The Structure of Belonging" - Peter Block, pp. 101-106

All American Muslim

I just love  TLC and this November I know what I'll be watching; All American Muslim. This show was taped in Dearborn, Michigan, a place I've only been to once. This should be interesting. We have Little Mosque on the Prairie which is fictional and makes converts look like twits, so I hope this reality show put Muslims in a better light.

James Yee

Last month's book club choice was by James Yee. Here is a video in which he describes his ordeal. To get a better understanding read his book For God and Country.

The Dying Room

Someone mentioned this documentary in their comments on a news story. I've always been disgusted with China's one child policy and their preference for males over females. India is also like this even though they can have as many children as they wish. Females are seen as burdens in both societies just as they were in Arab culture 1400 years ago. Thank God Islam came to change that. But in China where you are basically not allowed to have or practice your religion and in India where the majority are Hindus these practices are still thriving. What sickens me too is that at the beginning of the show they mention how whitey just strutted into China and told them how to live; your population is too big, do whatever it takes to stop it. I feel ashamed to be part of the white race which continues to bully the rest of the world with their so-called superior ways. But of course the blame lands on China as well for holding onto these antiquated ways which in the past led to giving up their girls for adoption or abandonment as well. In Malaysia it is so common to find Malays with Chinese background because the Malays would adopt the unwanted girls from Chinese couples in Malaysia. Poor little girls who will never grow up. Meanwhile the men kidnap women from South-East Asian countries and force them to be their brides!

All I Want for Eid is...............

Kindlefire! What's not to like for a nerdy bookish person like me? Colour books and magazines,email, wifi friendly,lightweight and it even has movies and shows. Also it would end a lot of clutter since there really is no more room in the shoe for more books and magazines. Actually this will be launched after Eid (Nov 15). Looks like they forgot us and are focusing on Christmas, sob. Anyway it can be a late Eid present, I'm not fussy. My heart's on fire for Kindlefire.

Put Me Where I Belong.

Last night while driving, my daughter (dd3 - 11)  started to read duas out loud from her dua book that the teacher had given her. She was reading in English and then she said one which caught my attention so I told her to re-read it. It was about Allah putting you in the best place and I wondered if it meant paradise or on this earth. So I asked our quran teacher and she told me that it was a dua of Nuh (Noah) alaihi salaam. It was the one he made when entering the ark. She said it was for this earth and it asks Allah to give us the best landing. Its usually made when travelling. I told her why I wanted to use it and she said I could use it for that too. What's my reason? I want Allah to put me in the most righteous place, a place where I belong. Would you like to learn it with me? Its short, don't worry. By the way Noah has always been my favourite prophet and not because of his ark full of animals but because everyone laughed at him and in the end he was the last one laughing.

Noah's Dua

Wa qul rabbi anzilnee munzalaam wa anta khayrul munzileen.

And say :"My Lord, cause me to land at a blessed landing place and You are the best of those who bring to land."

What is the Librarian Reading?

I have some friends who volunteer at the mosque library in another city and I decided to ask one of them what she was reading. I know my other friend is reading the book I lent her; Just Five Minutes. The title of the book that the other friend is reading is one I haven't even heard of; The Dragon Fighter.     This would have been a great read for my book club but now 2012 is all booked up.

Are you a Muslim librarian or do you know one or a bookshop owner or seller? If so, what are you reading? Or maybe you are a teacher and have something to suggest that your students are reading or you, yourself. Share with us those great titles you've come across and my readers will sure to be grateful to hear some other suggestions besides mine.

Friday Nasihah - No Compulsion

Living The Quran No Compulsion Al Baqarah (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verse 256 (partial) "There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right way is henceforth distinct from error." This reflects the honour God has reserved for man and the high regard in which man's will, thought and emotions are held, and the freedom he is granted to choose his beliefs, and the responsible position he is afforded to be judge of his own actions. Freedom of belief is the most basic right that identifies man as a human being. To deny anyone this right is to deny him or her humanity. Freedom of belief also implies the freedom to express and propagate one's belief without fear of threat or persecution; otherwise, that freedom is hollow and meaningless. The Arabic text, using a generic negative, imparts a negation of the very idea of compulsion. When it comes to matters of belief, not only should these never be imposed by coercion or compulsion, but there cannot even be an option to use such a means of conversion or persuasion. Although the meaning and application is general, several incidents are reported to have occasioned the revelation of this verse. Here're a few: A man's two sons converted to Christianity and wanted to migrate to Syria in the company of Christian traders who had come from there. Their father however embraced Islam and enquired the Prophet (peace be upon him) if he could force them into Islam. Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). It was a custom among the Ansar of Madina that if a woman's sons did not survive, she vowed that if the child lived he would be converted to Judaism. There were many such Judaized children in Madina. When Banu Nadir were banished they wanted to carry along those children with them. The Ansar maintained that since it was before the advent of Islam they would not let their sons go with them. So Allah revealed this verse to say that whoever wanted to stay back could do so and whoever wanted to go was free to do so (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Abu Dawud, Nasai). Compiled From: "In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol. 1, pp. 325, 326 "Tafsir Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, Vol. 1, pp. 315, 316

Understanding the Prophet's Life Pioneer Environmentalist "There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift." [Al-Bukhari, III:513]. The idea of the Prophet Mohammed as a pioneer of environmentalism will initially strike many as strange: indeed, the term “environment” and related concepts like “ecology”, “environmental awareness” and “sustainability”, are modern-day inventions, terms that were formulated in the face of the growing concerns about the contemporary state of the natural world around us. And yet a closer reading of the hadith, the body of work that recounts significant events in the Prophet’s life, reveals that he was a staunch advocate of environmental protection. One could say he was an “environmentalist avant la lettre”, a pioneer in the domain of conservation, sustainable development and resource management, and one who constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between man and nature. From all accounts of his life and deeds, we read that the Prophet had a profound respect for fauna and flora, as well as an almost emotional connection to the four elements, earth, water, fire and air. He was a strong proponent of the sustainable use and cultivation of land and water, proper treatment of animals, plants and birds, and the equal rights of users. In this context the modernity of the Prophet’s view of the environment and the concepts he introduced to his followers is particularly striking; certain passages of the hadith could easily be mistaken for discussions about contemporary environmental issues. Compiled From: "Prophet Mohammed: A Pioneer of the Environment" - Francesca De Chatel

Blindspot! Halloween Halloween has evolved and been influenced by a number of different cultures and religions, the most important of which are paganism, the Romans, the Celts (the people of Ireland, Scotland, Britain, Wales) and Christianity. However, almost all of the traditions surrounding Halloween as we know it today can be traced back to the Celtic Day of the Dead, a pagan holiday. Samhain was the name of the Druid god of the dead. The Druids were a religious order amongst the Celts. On this day, they would try to appease their Lord of Death. These Druids also believed that witches rode on broom sticks and that ghosts were the cause of supernatural occurrences. The belief was that on the eve of the Celtic New Year (which for them was October 31), the souls of the dead people roamed the land of the living. The Devil, spirits and witches were also believed to be moving about and at the height of their power. Halloween was also a time for MAJOR Shirk (making partners with God). There were games and rituals which involved fortune-telling. Young people, for instance, would try to see what their marriage prospects were using omens like apple pairings that were thrown over their shoulders, or nuts being burned in a fire. The Pope, in the eight century, decided to Christianize this pagan holiday since he wanted people to abandon the occult and idolatrous practices associated with it, and made November 1 All Saints' Day or All Hallows' (Holy) Day. This is a day to remember all of the Christians who died for their faith. October 31 was then considered All Hallow's Eve, and this word later evolved into the modern day Halloween. Following is some advice from the Islamic scholar, Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, to Muslims on dealing with Halloween: 1. Avoid it, it's a night of evil. Satan is our open enemy and we do not play with evil. 2. Trick-or-treating is really kids begging for candy. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked and discouraged begging. 3. Remember that some Satanic movements have engaged in dangerous acts, like rape and kidnapping on Halloween. 4. Despite our position regarding this holiday, we must respect the rights of those who believe it is a part of their religion or consider it to be just a little fun. Compiled From: "Where Does Halloween Come from?" - SoundVision.com

Eid Stamps in Canada This Year!!!!!!!!!!!

United States had them years ago and now finally Canada Post is selling eid stamps. You can also make your own stamps and post cards. Check it out here.

Movie Night - Inspirational and Funny

On the weekend I rented two good movies I thought I would share with you. I picked them because they were both inspirational and regarding health matters. First we watched Soul Surfer about a teen girl who wants to compete in a surfing championship but ends up getting her arm bitten off by a shark beforehand. This movie is all about how she overcomes her disability and moves on. The second movie was Extraordinary Measures and is about a father with 2 kids that have Pompe disease, a kind of muscular dystrophy and how far he went to help them by searching for a cure. It was great to see that despite so many obstacles he was able to fight for a chance for his kids. Finally hubby and I had our own movie night at the theatres and watched The Big Year. Its about 3 guys competing to see who can find the most bird species in North America but you don't get a prize! I thought this movie was funny and sweet and original for a change. Its not a, you must go see this movie, type of thing but if you are looking for a new concept then this is it. And is there any movie with Steve Martin that isn't good?