Khadijah: Assalamualaikum wa rahatulahi wa brakatu dearest sister, thank you for taking the time to participate and may Allah make this project grow into something great hoping it reaches out to non-Muslims and Muslims alike. Ameen ... Please tell me a bit about yourself (where you are from, your cultural background, your likes and dislikes- doesnt have to be Islamic)
Amira: Walaykum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu Loveliest Sister, Jazakillahu Khayran for thinking of me and making me part of such a wonderful initiative Mashaa Allah...I feel very honored indeed....Ameen ya Rabb for the wonderful Dua'a you said at the beginning...I pray our Ummah grows from strength to strength and people see the beauty in Islam that has been hidden like a treasure as far away from the world as possible...Alhamdoulilah we were given the opportunity to find this beautiful treasure of ISLAM....
My Roots are purely Indian (very dramatic people we are) but I consider myself more African in nationality as I have spent most of life including my childhood in Accra,Ghana and a few other African countries and currently living in Mombasa,Kenya....
I love Allah and our beautiful Deen of Islam as any other Muslim....
I like food both cooking and eating it,hiking because being close with nature makes me happy and I find peace in it since I seem to appreciate the intricate details of just a few of Allah(Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) creations....I like reading books,I enjoy doodling,sketching my own little clothing designs,Jewelry making,interior designing etc....I guess in short I like to be creative as my mind works best when I am making something....Just a few of the many blessings I cherish Alhamdoulilah
I dislike from the bottom of my heart the flow of misinformation and spreading of Islamophobia as I feel frustrated by it, since I still live in with my Non Muslim Family and anytime they think Islam is good someone comes and misinforms them, I used to love listening to Music once upon a time but now I simply can't stand Hip Hop and all the other genres of Music out there, I dislike politics for many reasons especially the unfairness in Africa makes me sad and the I dislike when the people I cherish the most in my life suddenly have an attitude change towards me,I dislike proud people etc....
Amira: Walaykum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu Loveliest Sister, Jazakillahu Khayran for thinking of me and making me part of such a wonderful initiative Mashaa Allah...I feel very honored indeed....Ameen ya Rabb for the wonderful Dua'a you said at the beginning...I pray our Ummah grows from strength to strength and people see the beauty in Islam that has been hidden like a treasure as far away from the world as possible...Alhamdoulilah we were given the opportunity to find this beautiful treasure of ISLAM....
My Roots are purely Indian (very dramatic people we are) but I consider myself more African in nationality as I have spent most of life including my childhood in Accra,Ghana and a few other African countries and currently living in Mombasa,Kenya....
I love Allah and our beautiful Deen of Islam as any other Muslim....
I like food both cooking and eating it,hiking because being close with nature makes me happy and I find peace in it since I seem to appreciate the intricate details of just a few of Allah(Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) creations....I like reading books,I enjoy doodling,sketching my own little clothing designs,Jewelry making,interior designing etc....I guess in short I like to be creative as my mind works best when I am making something....Just a few of the many blessings I cherish Alhamdoulilah
I dislike from the bottom of my heart the flow of misinformation and spreading of Islamophobia as I feel frustrated by it, since I still live in with my Non Muslim Family and anytime they think Islam is good someone comes and misinforms them, I used to love listening to Music once upon a time but now I simply can't stand Hip Hop and all the other genres of Music out there, I dislike politics for many reasons especially the unfairness in Africa makes me sad and the I dislike when the people I cherish the most in my life suddenly have an attitude change towards me,I dislike proud people etc....
Khadijah: How was your life(style) like prior to Islam? Were you religious at all?
Amira: My life style prior to Islam was ok but there was a lot of emptiness in my heart and soul as I kept seeking for answers to the questions running through my head...I was born into a Hindu family but later on my family converted to Christianity and I decided to seek something more that I could never find in Christianity that is the TRUE ONENESS OF GOD...Growing up as a child I can always say Islam fascinated me and no one wanted to tell me about it...I wanted to learn more but I was always taken away from it or Islam was hidden away from me...I would not say i was religious and the most prayerful person but I had morals and believed there was a Superior force up in the skies but I did not find the true identity until when I found the treasure of Islam and I believed deep down in my heart that there is only 1 GOD but the religions around me did not offer this ONENESS of GOD to me...Even if they think they believe in 1 GOD somewhere down the practices,beliefs or scriptures the idea of the ONENESS used to disappear in front of me...I was a party girl from the tender age of 16 and had my shares of experiences but Alhamdoulilah Allah loves me and He alone saved me from many bad situations even when I was not a believer...Allah still had Mercy on my Soul...Allahu Akbar...
Amira: My life style prior to Islam was ok but there was a lot of emptiness in my heart and soul as I kept seeking for answers to the questions running through my head...I was born into a Hindu family but later on my family converted to Christianity and I decided to seek something more that I could never find in Christianity that is the TRUE ONENESS OF GOD...Growing up as a child I can always say Islam fascinated me and no one wanted to tell me about it...I wanted to learn more but I was always taken away from it or Islam was hidden away from me...I would not say i was religious and the most prayerful person but I had morals and believed there was a Superior force up in the skies but I did not find the true identity until when I found the treasure of Islam and I believed deep down in my heart that there is only 1 GOD but the religions around me did not offer this ONENESS of GOD to me...Even if they think they believe in 1 GOD somewhere down the practices,beliefs or scriptures the idea of the ONENESS used to disappear in front of me...I was a party girl from the tender age of 16 and had my shares of experiences but Alhamdoulilah Allah loves me and He alone saved me from many bad situations even when I was not a believer...Allah still had Mercy on my Soul...Allahu Akbar...
Khadijah: How did you learn about Islam, what made you take your shahadah (testimony of faith to become a Muslim)?
Amira: Growing up I had Muslim friends but they weren't exactly what we call practicing Muslims, I definitely had a lot of questions to ask them but they were very limited in their answers....I was seeking for knowledge but it wasn't in depth until after I took my Shahadah since sadly no one had made an da'wah attempts on me.But my first real contact was when I went on vacation to Egypt and heard the Juma'ah Adan for the very first time which simply moved my whole soul, I did not understand the word they were saying but those beautiful words were calling me to it....Now I know why it is called Adan (Call to prayer) Alhamdoulilah I am Muslim....My second encounter would be a dream I had where I saw myself wearing a Purple Hijab and crossing the road and this was before I could move to Kenya and before I knew it I wore my Hijab after my shahadah and crossed the road exactly how I saw myself in the dream....Alhamdoulilah...The biggest even that made me take Shahadah was, ever since I was a kid I used to have horrible scary nightmares and I used to listen to Music to make me fall asleep,it got pretty bad that I even suffered from minor insomnia,one night I was scrolling through the radio dial and by mistake I landed on a Islamic radio station where they were reciting the Quran and I had never heard something so beautiful in my life before.Once again I did not know what they were reciting but it just amazed me and I could not stop listening,I went to my bed and popped in the earphones and heard it as tears rolled down my cheeks....My heart just knew it had to be the truth and what I was searching for.....That very night I slept like a baby and my nightmares stopped and Alhamdoulilah I don't get them up to now....The very next day I started seeking for Islamic literature and called up couple to my Muslim friends and forced them to take me to an Emam because I wanted to say my Shahadah....Sadly my friends thought I was joking and found me crazy and they were reluctant to take me but I forced them to take me and as I said those beautiful words tears rolled down my cheeks since the Emam told me the meaning of the words I was reciting and every part of me knew and believed ISLAM IS THE TRUTH....The answers I was seeking for were in Islam...The trinity in Christianity was my biggest reason I could not accept Christianity as the truth not forgetting the contradictions in the Bible,Why do people have to pray through an intermediary like Jesus (pbuh) when you can talk to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) directly??? all these questions were answered clearly in OUR BEAUTIFUL DEEN OF ISLAM...Alhamdoulilah
Amira: Growing up I had Muslim friends but they weren't exactly what we call practicing Muslims, I definitely had a lot of questions to ask them but they were very limited in their answers....I was seeking for knowledge but it wasn't in depth until after I took my Shahadah since sadly no one had made an da'wah attempts on me.But my first real contact was when I went on vacation to Egypt and heard the Juma'ah Adan for the very first time which simply moved my whole soul, I did not understand the word they were saying but those beautiful words were calling me to it....Now I know why it is called Adan (Call to prayer) Alhamdoulilah I am Muslim....My second encounter would be a dream I had where I saw myself wearing a Purple Hijab and crossing the road and this was before I could move to Kenya and before I knew it I wore my Hijab after my shahadah and crossed the road exactly how I saw myself in the dream....Alhamdoulilah...The biggest even that made me take Shahadah was, ever since I was a kid I used to have horrible scary nightmares and I used to listen to Music to make me fall asleep,it got pretty bad that I even suffered from minor insomnia,one night I was scrolling through the radio dial and by mistake I landed on a Islamic radio station where they were reciting the Quran and I had never heard something so beautiful in my life before.Once again I did not know what they were reciting but it just amazed me and I could not stop listening,I went to my bed and popped in the earphones and heard it as tears rolled down my cheeks....My heart just knew it had to be the truth and what I was searching for.....That very night I slept like a baby and my nightmares stopped and Alhamdoulilah I don't get them up to now....The very next day I started seeking for Islamic literature and called up couple to my Muslim friends and forced them to take me to an Emam because I wanted to say my Shahadah....Sadly my friends thought I was joking and found me crazy and they were reluctant to take me but I forced them to take me and as I said those beautiful words tears rolled down my cheeks since the Emam told me the meaning of the words I was reciting and every part of me knew and believed ISLAM IS THE TRUTH....The answers I was seeking for were in Islam...The trinity in Christianity was my biggest reason I could not accept Christianity as the truth not forgetting the contradictions in the Bible,Why do people have to pray through an intermediary like Jesus (pbuh) when you can talk to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) directly??? all these questions were answered clearly in OUR BEAUTIFUL DEEN OF ISLAM...Alhamdoulilah
Khadijah: What have you noticed about yourself since you became Muslim?
Amira: The biggest change in myself would be the fact that I respect my body a whole lot more in terms of consumption of alcohol,smoking,clothing,
Amira: The biggest change in myself would be the fact that I respect my body a whole lot more in terms of consumption of alcohol,smoking,clothing,
Khadijah: What does Islam really mean ? And what is a Muslim?
Amira: Islam for me is not just a religion but a complete way of life....Islam goes beyond salat and the other basic pillars of Islam....Islam gave me an identity and status as a woman in the society....Islam liberated me from the slavery of following the desires of this Dunya.....Islam taught me how to be selfless and care more for humanity as a whole....Islam taught me to be patient and see the good that is behind something that I thought was bad for me....Islam is 1400+ years old but the Holy Quran, Authentic Sunnahs and Hadeeths have the answers to everything and it is so relevant up to now and I believe that is another beautiful Miracle of Islam that you cannot find in any other religion....I can go on forever about the beauty of Islam and what it means to me because I am in LOVE with MY DEEN just like any other Muslim who knows and values the treasure of ISLAM....Alhamdoulilah.....I am sure my answer will be very generic but these are one of the many reasons I love being Muslim...its the fact that a Muslim is a person who gives total submission to the Will of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) in every aspect of their lives and they are able to say Alhamdoulilah in good or bad situations not because they are supposed to but rather because it is truly from the heart and they are not affected by what has happened since this is just a temporary place for us as the Saheeh hadeeth states..."Be in this world as if you were a stranger or traveller"...thus you are not attaching yourself to the things of this Dunya but only attaching yourself to the Love and Mercies of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala).....A Muslim is someone who can control themselves even in the peak of their anger....All that defines a Muslim to me or any other Muslim would be the Seerat and Sunnah of Our beloved Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam)....If any of us Muslims can even have a fraction of the character of Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) that I think would summarize the TRUE DEFINITION OF A MUSLIM....
Amira: Islam for me is not just a religion but a complete way of life....Islam goes beyond salat and the other basic pillars of Islam....Islam gave me an identity and status as a woman in the society....Islam liberated me from the slavery of following the desires of this Dunya.....Islam taught me how to be selfless and care more for humanity as a whole....Islam taught me to be patient and see the good that is behind something that I thought was bad for me....Islam is 1400+ years old but the Holy Quran, Authentic Sunnahs and Hadeeths have the answers to everything and it is so relevant up to now and I believe that is another beautiful Miracle of Islam that you cannot find in any other religion....I can go on forever about the beauty of Islam and what it means to me because I am in LOVE with MY DEEN just like any other Muslim who knows and values the treasure of ISLAM....Alhamdoulilah.....I am sure my answer will be very generic but these are one of the many reasons I love being Muslim...its the fact that a Muslim is a person who gives total submission to the Will of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) in every aspect of their lives and they are able to say Alhamdoulilah in good or bad situations not because they are supposed to but rather because it is truly from the heart and they are not affected by what has happened since this is just a temporary place for us as the Saheeh hadeeth states..."Be in this world as if you were a stranger or traveller"...thus you are not attaching yourself to the things of this Dunya but only attaching yourself to the Love and Mercies of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala).....A Muslim is someone who can control themselves even in the peak of their anger....All that defines a Muslim to me or any other Muslim would be the Seerat and Sunnah of Our beloved Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam)....If any of us Muslims can even have a fraction of the character of Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) that I think would summarize the TRUE DEFINITION OF A MUSLIM....
Khadijah: What misconceptions would you like to clear up that many non-Muslims have about Islam?
Amira: The biggest misconception I would like to clear up would be that ISLAM is not some mysterious barbaric religion that was copied from Christianity since many Non-Muslims perceive Islam this way...Islam does not teach terrorism or any sort of violence.....The Islamic Shariah is not a huge bunch of restrictions that oppresses women and on the other hand gives men all the liberty to marry more than one wife thus promote womanizing among the Muslim men.....But rather it emphasizes on the importance of family bonds,human relations,restrict men and women from fornicating and other forms of immorality in the so called "Liberated Societies" of the West....It liberates the women from the modern day slavery of being sexual objectifying by men, it gives her honor and respect...The benefits of Shariah are endless Mashaa Allah...Our Beloved Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallam) was not a man suffering from a mental illness and neither was he a pedophile and the authentic biography of the Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) clear up all the lies concocted against him and Islam....Islam is not a bunch of mysterious rituals that Muslims follow blindly.....Islam does not promote hate speech as many other religions encourage hate speech against Islam......There are good and bad people in every religion,race,cast or creed that does not make all the Muslims bad,extremist fanatics who love to bomb and kill anyone on the street who is a Non-Muslim......No Islam wa never spread by the sword as the way Christianity was spread under the Roman and other Empires....May Documentaries made by Non Muslims illustrate the Truth on how Islam was actually spread....The Conflict between Israel and Palestine is not a Muslim and Arab lead history as many generations have been taught to believe.....Islam does not tell us to hate the Jews and Christians but it is what the Non Muslims simple assume of Islam...The misconceptions are many Subhan Allah but these are just a few I would love to begin help clear up Inshaa Allah
Amira: The biggest misconception I would like to clear up would be that ISLAM is not some mysterious barbaric religion that was copied from Christianity since many Non-Muslims perceive Islam this way...Islam does not teach terrorism or any sort of violence.....The Islamic Shariah is not a huge bunch of restrictions that oppresses women and on the other hand gives men all the liberty to marry more than one wife thus promote womanizing among the Muslim men.....But rather it emphasizes on the importance of family bonds,human relations,restrict men and women from fornicating and other forms of immorality in the so called "Liberated Societies" of the West....It liberates the women from the modern day slavery of being sexual objectifying by men, it gives her honor and respect...The benefits of Shariah are endless Mashaa Allah...Our Beloved Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallam) was not a man suffering from a mental illness and neither was he a pedophile and the authentic biography of the Prophet (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) clear up all the lies concocted against him and Islam....Islam is not a bunch of mysterious rituals that Muslims follow blindly.....Islam does not promote hate speech as many other religions encourage hate speech against Islam......There are good and bad people in every religion,race,cast or creed that does not make all the Muslims bad,extremist fanatics who love to bomb and kill anyone on the street who is a Non-Muslim......No Islam wa never spread by the sword as the way Christianity was spread under the Roman and other Empires....May Documentaries made by Non Muslims illustrate the Truth on how Islam was actually spread....The Conflict between Israel and Palestine is not a Muslim and Arab lead history as many generations have been taught to believe.....Islam does not tell us to hate the Jews and Christians but it is what the Non Muslims simple assume of Islam...The misconceptions are many Subhan Allah but these are just a few I would love to begin help clear up Inshaa Allah
Khadijah: From your personal experience, what can you tell us about dressing modestly in hot weather?
Amira: Dressing modestly and hot weather can be a concern of many Muslimahs but knowing that you are doing all of this for the sake of Allah makes your sweating problem very minute....It can seem as a trial and test for us....But just a tiny advice on dressing....Try to wear more of cotton fabrics during the hot days,T-shirt fabrics seem wonderful for hot weather,choose somber or pastel colour hijabs and abayas and try to stay a way from jet black heavy fabrics since black absorbs a lot of heat and if you have a health condition like me then you may end up passing out on the street...This is a basic hijab requirement but during the summers you can opt for even looser garment as they give you more ventilation and room for some air....Inshaa Allah....All of the above have worked for me and even during the hottest weather here in Kenya I don't feel hot....Alhamdoulilah...Cotton is the way.....
Amira: Dressing modestly and hot weather can be a concern of many Muslimahs but knowing that you are doing all of this for the sake of Allah makes your sweating problem very minute....It can seem as a trial and test for us....But just a tiny advice on dressing....Try to wear more of cotton fabrics during the hot days,T-shirt fabrics seem wonderful for hot weather,choose somber or pastel colour hijabs and abayas and try to stay a way from jet black heavy fabrics since black absorbs a lot of heat and if you have a health condition like me then you may end up passing out on the street...This is a basic hijab requirement but during the summers you can opt for even looser garment as they give you more ventilation and room for some air....Inshaa Allah....All of the above have worked for me and even during the hottest weather here in Kenya I don't feel hot....Alhamdoulilah...Cotton is the way.....
Khadijah: What would you like to tell the world if you had 5 minutes ?
Amira: Allah and God are the same not an Arabic God as many Non-Muslims think.Islam truly is a peaceful religion.Please stop prejudicing Muslims and learn the TRUTH of Islam from the good practicising Muslims not from your pastor,preacher,priest etc...Respect Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) he was not as you have been programmed to think by your belief system or media....Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) was the best of mankind indeed you can find his true character from the Authentic Hadeeths and the authentic Biography written by Muslim and Non-Muslim writers alike...Keep seeking knowledge and eventually just like me and other reverts you will know Islam is the Truth and not what you thought it was Inshaa Allah....
Amira: Allah and God are the same not an Arabic God as many Non-Muslims think.Islam truly is a peaceful religion.Please stop prejudicing Muslims and learn the TRUTH of Islam from the good practicising Muslims not from your pastor,preacher,priest etc...Respect Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) he was not as you have been programmed to think by your belief system or media....Our Beloved Nabi (Salallahu alayhi wa Sallaam) was the best of mankind indeed you can find his true character from the Authentic Hadeeths and the authentic Biography written by Muslim and Non-Muslim writers alike...Keep seeking knowledge and eventually just like me and other reverts you will know Islam is the Truth and not what you thought it was Inshaa Allah....
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