I Am a #SAHM - are YOU?

A NEW movement has begun for Muslimahs worldwide!

Come join us here 'I Am a Stay at Home Muslimah!'

It is to empower fellow sisters who want to stay at home.

This is your right and your choice!

It is time to educate our families and communities and to live a healthy, guilt-free #SAHM life now! :)

How to Create your own Spiritual Retreat

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Yes, I wrote it - for my personal and spiritual development organisation.

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Little Brown Birdies

...When I was little - back in the 80's - there were lots of little brown birdies in my garden - always. They used to be everywhere. They sang from dawn til dusk and kept me company whilst I played with my dolls and teddy's in the garden.

They looked a bit like this (not my picture)...

But then I watched a program on BBC 1 (or 2) and they said that the once famous little brown garden birdie was on the brinks of extinction - since 2002!

And then it dawned upon me! I hadn't seen these birdies for such a long time. I do love bird watching, so I was familiar with the different types of birds that came to my garden.

Suddenly I became very upset. It was as though a part of me was being torn off - washed away - my childhood - my beautiful, beautiful childhood.

So I started talking to Allah Ji - as I do - and told Him how much I was missing these little brown birdies and made lots of dua for them and lo behold - by the mercy and will of Allah (swt) the Most Gracious, in May I spotted a little brown birdie in my garden - and another and then another and then SIX in total! By Allah! By jaw just dropped to the ground and I screamed; 'Mama! Mama! Look! My little brown birdies are back! Allah answered my dua and sent me my birdies!!!

And so then I had to feed them. I mean they were a special gift sent to me to bring back beautiful memories of my childhood. They were my responsibility! But WAIT! I didn't have a bird feeder?!

No worries! My creative right brain and turBo flowness got down to some serious creative business!

And so I made my own home bird feeder! :)

Here's the first one. I filled it up with bread and hung it up onto the pear tree and then waited. And waited. And waited! But they didn't come. They just sat on the rose bush! Maybe they couldn't see it - or see the food in it. So I left them over night and then at 5am the next morning, bright and early I ran into the garden to find...well...where was it? I couldn't find the bird feeder. Oh my God, what happened to my bird feeder? Where did it go??? I looked everywhere - in the garden - at 5am! Did someone steal it? Someone came into my garden? My heart was racing like a F1 sports car! And then, over yonder, I found it and this is what had happened to it! (See picture). Was it squirrels? Rats? Lord knows! But they climbed the tree over night, cleaned out the birdie feeder and cut the string (scoobie string) and threw it away! No, I wasn't happy either!

So later that day, I got back to work and I found something else in the kitchen and here it is - my birdie feeder. And masha'Allah, it's been a very successful feeder - it's kept those pigeons busy as well!!

A close up of some bread. I also fed them roti.

Here's how it looks.

And there you have it...hanging proudly on the pear tree! My homemade birdie feeder for my little brown birdies - my gift from Allah - my childhood memories! :)

The Rights of Nature

The Green Deen

...“It is He Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and with it we bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth green stalks, from which We bring forth thick clustered grain.” Al-An’am

Following from yesterdays post where we looked at the 'Rights of Animals in Islam - today our theme is about 'Nature' and all the green stuff Allah (swt) has created - the Rights of Nature.

Our deen - Islam - is holistic and teaches us about everything - how to look after and care for everything.

Allah (swt) did not create anything in vain or for no reason. If we don't have sun, day, night, food, water etc - we won't be able to live. Allah (swt) has created everything for a reason - and it all helps our existence here on the planet.

We need to look after our greenery - look after and preserve the rain forests, trees, vegetation's, plantations etc.

How can you start straight away? With your own Garden!

I've always loved greenery and love nature. I'm getting back into it and will be doing some all important gardening stuff with mama (OK, well I was supposed to do all the veggie planting two months ago - but got busy - I shall now always make it a priority!)...(see 'Gardening Part 1 post below).

If you don't have a garden - keep some plants in the house - my house is full of indoor plants - its an indoor amazon rain forest!

Join a green-reservation org - join local park reservation project, plant and grow your own.

We need to look after our greenery because Allah will question us about it. We all need to get started right away. So go on, off you go, female or male, go buy an indoor/outdoor plants, mow the lawn, un-weed the weeds - go get green-fingered today and remember the ayah above insha'Allah.

..."and he it is who spread the earth and made in it firm mountains and rivers, and of all fruits he has made in it two kinds; he makes the night cover the day; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect." Surah 13; Verse 3

Allah (swt) always asks us to reflect - because by reflecting we see His beauty and perfection and we draw closer to Him and our ibaadah is strengthen - everything is aligned and our souls is at ease and peace.

..."then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your lord submissively. there comes forth from within it a beverage of many colors, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this (life of bees) for a people who reflect." Surah 16; Verse 69

...that picture is from my local park - its gorgeous masha'Allah (: