Abd Al Rahman, the runaway prince, was no longer running.

he has finally reclaimed Al Andalus.

usually, this is where the story ends.

but for Al Andalus, this was just the beginning.

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ruling Al Andalus was not as easy as it seemed.

there were still a lot of rebellions despite the majority of the population agreeing of having Abd Al Rahman rule them.

he tried to solve it in the way he has always done, peacefully, he didn’t like wars and fighting unless it was his last resort.

after finishing this business, he started thinking of ways he could begin building his empire. and the first thing he did was creating a strong army.

he wanted his empire to be as secure as it could get, knowing it was still vulnerable in certain areas.

the army mostly consisted of local andalusian men, berber and any other nationality that lived on their land.

with his army, he secured the borders from the northern east and northern west. Abd Al Rahman was a military genius. he didn’t just settle for army on the ground, he also created a fleet as well as multiple ports.

Abd Al Rahman kept growing and strengthening his army until by the end of his ruled it reached 100 thousand soldiers.

another thing he focused on was religion and knowledge as well as law. Abd Al Rahman enforced the principle of enjoining what’s right and forbidding what’s wrong (الامر بالمعروف و النهي عن المنكر).

he loved architecture so he filled the capital with intricately designed buildings, the most famous one of them being the mosque of Cordoba.

it was originally part of the church of San Vicente, but Abd Al Rahman purchased half of it and turned it into the mosque of Cordoba.

now, the muslims and christians were sharing the same place for worship.

how beautiful is that?

this scene alone reflects the good rule of Abd Al Rahman. there was no racial or religious racism. everyone lived together in harmony.

the mosque of Cordoba was a mix of umayyad and old andalusian style(from the remains of the church), giving it it’s unique look.

Abd Al Rahman built the first house for minting islamic currency in Andalus. he also built multiple gardens the first and largest one was Al Rusafa. it was deliberately modeled as the one located in Syria since Abd Al Rahman loved it.

Al Rusafa wasn’t just a garden, it was the earliest known precursors to a botanical garden, predating the botanic gardens of the European Renaissance by centuries.

Abd Al Rahman planted in it everything he could get his hands on, seeing which one is fit for the type of weather in Andalus and which won’t grow there. he planted a wide range of plants, ranging from rare ones to flowers, and different kinds of fruits.

everything he could think of.

historians say that without Abd Al Rahman, islam would’ve vanished from the iberian peninsula.

at just 25 he did all of that and more.

it wasn’t just what Abd Al Rahman did, it was also how he was.

Abd Al Rahman was very humble and kind person. he used to walk between his people without any guards following him. trusting his people and in return they reciprocated his trust.

he cared about people’s feelings. even though he was chased by everyone, he didn’t let that change his behavior and maintained his good nature,he also revived a whole empire.

and when he had his sons, he kept silently assessing them, and observing their behaviors to see which one is fit to be successor. he didn’t favor one over the other or choose his eldest cause of his age.

he wanted to be fair and to choose the best one fit to rule.

and after many thoughts and istikhara(prayer to help), he chose his younger son, Hisham.

Abd Al Rahman believed he had chosen his successor, but was Hisham truly the one?

Read previous chapter

honestly, after knowing the story of Abd Al Rahman. I found myself genuinely inspired by him.

he was a man who lost everything before turning twenty. his home, his family, his status. and instead of disappearing into that loss, he started building himself again from nothing.

and now he’s a ruler. maybe that's the real lesson hiding under all these hardships and battles, it's not about never losing anything. It's about what you choose to do after that loss.

p.s. this writing is not a full detailed story of it’s history, it includes only the main incidents and turning points.

the andalus history is so much more richer than this.

i would recommend you listen to my fav scholar whom i took my information from Full Playlist

unfortunately though its only in arabic, so for only english speakers, i will do my best to relay their story.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

whenever i think of girl boss, Elle Woods always comes to mind.

she is well dressed,smart,friendly,confident and hard working.

Elle Woods is the embodiment of being both feminine and strong.

a literal girl boss.

she has it all figured out and that’s why i wanna learn from her.

let’s get started.

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Stop treating femininity and intelligence as opposites

when Elle walked into harvard law all pink and bubbly, everybody didn’t take her seriously.

they thought she came here for fun. she was a joke to them.

they were probably like “give her a couple of weeks and she’ll drop out”.

but her actions and determination was the real plot twist.

she proved herself while still being the definition of feminine. you can still love fashion, makeup, books and everything that makes you girly without it overshadowing your capabilities and talents.

because being girly represents who you are and your personality, not what you’re capable of.

it’s not one thing or the other, they coexist.

and i think it’s a beautiful thing to dress according to your personal style and reflect your personality through it. i think it is part of what makes us unique.

and you know what they say:

“you can never be overdressed or overeducated”

i fully believe in this.

Adopt the “what? like it’s hard?” mindset

when Warner doubted Elle’s skills and intelligence to join and succeed in harvard law, she didn’t let that shake her.

she turned it into her motive to be even better. she challenged his mentality and his limitations. she worked on herself and acquired the skills that makes her the best at what she does while still being unapologetically her. she aimed for the stars not for where Warner’s limit was.

because who said it was hard?

you or them?

if they said it, it reflects their limitations not yours.

so, don’t knock it until you actually try it and see for yourself.

Elle believed in herself, she didn’t make a plan B because she already knew she got this.

and she really did.

don’t let embarrassment or rejection stop the plot

Elle didn’t cower when she got laughed at by her coworkers. it didn’t make her quit being herself.

or when she was rejected by Warner.

because embarrassment is just a different way to learn a lesson or improve yourself.

don’t look at it as if it’s the end of the world.

because it’s not.

i used to see it that way and keep thinking about the same awkward moment everyday for the whole month.

but now, i see it differently.

i look at it as a way to grow.

rejection can be redirection.

and the goal isn’t to be immune to embarrassment or rejection, it’s becoming someone who moves on despite it.

you don’t need anyone’s approval to validate your potential

take yourself seriously before expecting others to.

at first Elle was desperate to prove that she really belonged in harvard law and had a mission to win Warner back.

but when she stopped treating harvard like a means to an end,and actually started aiming to become a great lawyer instead.

that’s when she succeeded.

she realized that other people’s opinion weren’t qualifications.

only her validation was the one she really needed.

so don’t wait for anyone to tell you that you’re talented or qualified to do something. you know yourself and your skills and that’s enough.

believe in yourself first.

in the end, Elle Woods started as a girl who wanted to be chosen but ended as a girl who chose herself. so be like Elle and choose to build yourself.

thanks for reading.

i hope this helped you even if a little.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

imagine sitting on the beach.

the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the air smells of salt and summer.

and the feel of the warm smooth sand underneath your feet.

the ultimate peaceful time.

and afterwards you go back home,but instead of sitting on the couch scrolling on your phone you still have fun. how? by hobbymaxxing and trying new things.

that’s exactly how i wanted my summer to be.

a mix of relaxation, hobbies, adventures and trying new things.

so let me share with you what i do to fill my cup this summer, so you can get ideas for your next adventure.

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1🎀being a tourist in my own country

this summer i made a promise to myself that i’m not spending it home,i’m gonna explore like a tourist. and lucky for me Egypt has A LOT of cool places to visit.

i visited historical places like the grand egyptian museum, and it was insane. it is actually as grand as they say. me and my sis did not finish it all despite being there for a couple of hours.

there’s so much to see and learn. there was antiques from the egyptian era mostly and also from different eras in Egypt like the greek and roman. and the gift shop is amazing.

i also visited a super cute neighborhood called Zamalek. it’s directly next to the nile. walking there is so peaceful, huge trees surround you from both sides.

the architecture of the buildings is meticulously made and beautiful,and it has a very vintage feeling to it. there, i went to the Zamalek art gallery and a few other cute galleries as well.

it is filled with random shops, art galleries, jewelry stores,flower shops. everything.

i passed by the coolest Diwan bookstore and cafe, also tried a small local smash burger place.

there was a park there i visited to have a picnic. Zamalek is such a vibe and has soo many activities you can do.

2🎀hobbymaxxing

since of course i can’t go out every single day. so on the days i stay at home sometimes i hobbymax and sometimes i doomscroll.

but when i hobbymax it’s usually reading,it’s my personal fav hobby. also have been coloring in my cute coloring book lately.

and something i really wanna try is bedazzling, i’ve been seeing it everywhere and it looks super fun.

3🎀styling my outfits and going to cute coffee shops

one thing about me is that me and styling are best friends.

seriously.

sometimes i dream about styling an outfit that i have in a specific way and i can’t wait to wake up and see if it’ll work.

and if i go to a cute coffee shop,have a yummy drink and take ootd pics? then my day is perfect.

4🎀practicing my fav sport

recently i rejoined my fav sport ever,which is boxing.

you guys don’t understand how it genuinely brings me so much joy.

i can play it for hours and never get bored.

every punch i throw feels like i’m releasing all my negative energy and excites me to throw the next one.

these were some of the things that fill my cup this summer, my fav thing has been going to new places.

i’m curious to know what do you guys do to fill your cup this summer?

i hope this helped you even if a little.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

abd al rahman I was about 19 years old when he fled from damascus.

he fled with his younger brother, al walid, and his freedman, badr.

they had nowhere to go, no one to help them, or any idea of what’s waiting for them.

what mattered to them at this moment was to flee.

to run with their lives.

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they headed toward the euphrates river trying to lose the killers that were chasing them.

the abbasid riders caught up to them at the river and managed to trick abd al rahman’s younger brother into going with them, promising safety.

he was killed on the spot.

abd al rahman was heartbroken but he had no other choice but to continue, and that’s what he did.

badr, abdabd al rahman’s freedman was his trusted companion.

him and abd al rahman wandered toward north africa.

they moved through palestine, egypt , libya before reaching tunisia.

the goverener of tunisia at the time was abd al rahman ibn habib al fihiri.

ibn habib wasn’t welcoming , he was wary.

he had his own ambitions to turn ifriqiya (mondern tunisia) into an independent state under his own new dynasty. he saw abd al rahman as a potential rival.

abd al rahman felt ibn habib’s hesitation so he sought shelter among his mother’s people.

a berber tribe.

the berber were not from africa and not arab as well, it was said they originally came from europe.

at the time when abd al rahman finally found a place to settle, he stayed hidden for a while till he reached 23 years.

after almost half a decade living in hiding , he kept thinking to himself will he be staying hidden forever despite being a prince and can revive his kingdom?

it wasn’t an easy feat since he was wanted from everyone at this point, if he just poked his head he will be targeted.

despite this,he decided it was time to act.

for the next months, he spent it in hiding as a fugitive. he moved, plotted, and planned.

biding his time and quietly building contacts with useful people and every umayyad citizin he knew of before he ever set foot in spain again.

al andalus at this time was ruled by yusuf al fihiri, relative of abd al rahman al fihiri.

the kingdom was in disarray. it was split by tribal rivalry, racial tention between arabs and berbers. many acts of revolution due to their deep hate of yusuf.

abd al rahman realised that that was his perfect moment to move.

it was now or never at that point.

abd al rahman sent badr across the strait into al andalus to understand what’s the situation there.

the umayyads where loved by everyone, they were known for there wisdom, good manner, jihad for the sake of Allah, their good islam and many more good things.

so in andalus they had many supporters even ones from different tribes as well.

their mission worked.

they successfully convinced elements of the population and berber to support abd al rahman’s claim before he even himself aimed.

he did all of this at just 23 years old, can you imagine?

two years later after preparing themselves fully, it was abd al rahman’s time to step his foot.

before striking though, abd al rahman sent a letter to yusuf asking him to hand him al andalus without a fight, but yusuf didn’t like what he read so he sent an army to fight abd al rahman.

since he already built up backing among the yemeni settlers and many others, he was ready to fight back against yusuf’s army.

he moved against yusuf in the battle of musarah.

of course it wasn’t a good thing for two muslim parties to meet at war, but due to the circumstances and the many fitnas and revolutions made this the wisest solution.

it was a tough battle, yusuf had a huge army of soilders when abd al rahman relied only on the different people he came to recruit.

but with his faith and trust in Allah, abd al rahman defeated yusuf.

and yusuf ran away from the battle.

and they had a tradition that the winning party in battle keeps following the defeated party and kill the rest of them.

but abd al rahman refused to do this and stopped his soliders from going after them, because the other party was also muslim. plus its not from our religion to do these type of things.

quite the opposite actually.

in our religion, when we win a battle it’s not allowed for us to track the people who fled and kill them. muslims cannot also harm or kill their prisoners.

if you read the adab(manner) of war in islam, you will be impressed.

the fact that there is a specific manner in war in the first place says it all.

it’s really beautiful how islam is merciful even in war.

i want to add that despite these abbasids being not good,not all of them were like that.

some really good people came afterwards.

abd al rahman entered cordoba and was proclaimed emir in the cities main mosque.

by this, abd al rahman reclaimed his land.

and was ready to rewrite islamic history.

this was the end of chapter two of the andalusia series, i hope you enjoyed it.

p.s. this writing is not a full detailed story of it’s history, it includes only the main incidents and turning points.

the andalus history is so much more richer than this.

i would recommend you listen to my fav scholar whom i took my information from Full Playlist

unfortunately though its only in arabic, so for only english speakers, i will do my best to relay their story.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

Figuring It Out ☕🌸💭

Once upon a time in Andalus: The Beginning

i lived many years…

Read more

a month ago · 6 likes · 10 comments · Figuring It Out ☕🌸💭

one day when i was at school, a quran teacher came to our class.

she wanted to speak with us about the hijab.

i was in 5th or 6th grade i think.

and at that time quran teachers took it as their responsibility to talk to us about hijab, salah and everything since most girls started getting their periods already.

the teacher gave a little introduction and then asked “does anybody want to say something about the hijab?”

at that time my mom had just told me a really good quote that i wanted to share,but i was a very shy person.

mind you, nobody else raised their hands to say anything so i was extra terrified.

i then braved out and said it, “my mom told me that hijab is the oyster and you are the pearl”.

the teacher really liked it.

and i do too.

that’s exactly what i wanna talk about today.

that precious things are not often on display, their always hidden from watchful eyes and unwanted attention.

a rare gemstone necklace? stored in a locked box. a pearl? covered by a shell. the ugly money papers for gods sake? kept in safes.

muslim women? covered by hijab.

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covered means precious

it is known that anything luxurious, like nice cars, jewelry, etc. isn’t available to everyone.

same thing for muslim women.

islam wants the muslim woman to feel precious, protected, and special. not every passerby can see their beauty. only who deserves it.

Allah honored women through modesty, since it doesn’t just protect the body, it protects self respect, boundaries, dignity, and a person’s heart.

elegance through modesty

true elegance begins with knowing your worth. cause when you know it, you stop needing to prove it.

it is the quiet confidence of ceasing to please everyone and starting to please your Lord.

elegance is a feeling, a state of being.

not because of what you’re wearing, a flashy car, or how much money you own.

it’s what you don’t need.

that’s when modesty comes in. not needing someone to confirm that you’re, in fact, well dressed. or that you need to show just a little bit of hair to fit in. or that your burkini is too modest.

seriously though?

elegance is being confident in what you do, and not looking back at what anybody says about it.

cause if you are pleasing Allah, who else do you need to please?

the propaganda of oppression

some people want to spread the propaganda of hijab being oppressive. when they so loudly speak of “freedom of living”.

but isn’t spreading the idea of showing more skin to be excepted is also a form of oppression or what?

why are they fussing so much about muslim women covering up and not busying themselves with other important matters?

who knows?

anyway, i wanted to end this essay with this line.

“and do i take off my hijab when i go to sleep? that’s a secret i’ll never tell. xoxo,muslim girl”

iykyk.

in the end, modesty and elegance have never been opposites, they were always two sides of the same coin. may Allah keep us steadfast on the right path.

this was a reminder for me and you <3

i hope this helped you even if a little.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

i lived many years.

seen many wars.

had many names.

but there was a name that changed me forever.

Al Andalus, the place where islamic history was rewritten.

and this, is my story.

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before the iberian peninsula (spain and portugal) became islamic, it was ruled by king roderic of the visigoth kingdom.

it was a christian kingdom that had replaced roman rule around the 5th century.

but around the early 700s, the kingdom was struggling.

since the monarchy was elective, not hereditary, there was a constant power struggle with the nobles, social inequality and political instability.

all of these weakened the kingdom.

and in 711 CE musa ibn nusayr, governor of north africa, part of the umayyad caliphate, and tariq’s superior, sent tariq ibn ziyad and an army of mostly berber soldiers to spread islam in the visigoth kingdom.

tariq’s forces crossed the strait of gibraltar (jabal tariq) that connected the atlantic ocean with the mediterranean sea. they met with king roderic and the war started.

due to the weakness of the visigoth kingdom, they were defeated despite their large number.

the muslims in the next months negotiated with the rest of the cities. either they became muslim or paid the tax. they all agreed. the muslims secured cordoba, toledo (previous capital), seville, malaga, granada and much of the peninsula.

by 718 CE, the muslims controlled nearly all of iberia except the mountainous north.

their ruling was said to be prosperous but with some tension. there were traders coming and going from all over the world. they reformed the currency system, making the first gold dinar and silver dirham.

the umayyad empire was one of the largest in the world.

it was said that they ruled from spain west to india east.

but there was the lasting resentment of the new muslims that stuck like a thorn in their side. despite converting, they were treated like second class citizens. there was also the problem of the new taxation.

after 89 years of ruling from damascus, the umayyad caliphate collapsed.

the last umayyad caliph, marwan II, met with the abbasid army at the battle of the great zab in mesopotamia (modern iraq).

the umayyads were defeated and marwan fled, then later was killed on the run.

with the caliph was killed, the abbasids moved to eliminate the rest of the umayyad family.

they invited 80 remaining members of the umayyad family to a banquet offered as a gesture of reconciliation at a location near jaffa.

it was a trap.

the ummayads were not coming to feast.

they were coming to be feasted upon.

the abassids killed them before the meals were even brought out.

every last prince killed.

every father.

every brother.

every son.

was gone.

except one….

i hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new series that talks about the Andalus(islamic spain) history. and next chapter will be even more exciting cause i’m writing it from a character’s POV 🤭.

i will upload a new chapter each week inshallah.

thanks for reading.

p.s. this writing is not a full detailed story of it’s history, it includes only the main incidents and turning points.

the andalus history is so much more richer than this.

i would recommend you listen to my fav scholar whom i took my information from Full Playlist

unfortunately though its only in arabic, so for only english speakers, i will do my best to relay their wonderful story.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

whenever i came across the words living for the sake of Allah , i always thought of fasting,praying,Quran and all of these form of ibada.

and don’t get me wrong, obviously it is an essential part of living for the sake of Allah. but it doesn’t represent it fully though.

the meaning of it is deeper than that.

and this is what i will talk about in this post, let’s get started.

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living for the sake of Allah isn’t limited to the ibada i mentioned earlier, it means to make every part of your life an act of worship.

from the moment you open your eyes till you go to sleep.

oh, and even when you’re sleeping.

intentional living in islam means to turn off the autopilot button and start thinking of why you’re doing what you’re doing.

why are you eating healthy? to nourish the body that Allah gave you as amanah. why you’re exercising? because prophet Mohamed(SAW) said that the strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak one. why are you dressing well? because there is a hadith that says that Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.

do the same in every action you take.

add a niyah(intention) that pleases Allah.

that’s how you earn good deeds everyday, on everything that you’re doing.

even in sleep.

imagine if you sleep with the niyah (intention) of resting your body so that you’re able to wake up early for tahajjud or fajr? then even your sleep is a form of worship.

honestly, it’s these moments that remind me of how merciful and kind Allah is with us.

cause of how easy Allah makes it for us to worship him and to be better.

May Allah guide us all to the right path and make us better muslims.

this was a reminder for me and you.

i hope this helped you even if a little.

p.s i am going to start a series on here to tell the story of andalus (muslim spain) but like in kind of a creative way so stay tuned <3

sincerely, Mariam💌

a race.

this how life feels like nowadays.

no, actually. a sprint.

every time you open social media, you see someone starting a business,buying a car, a house, getting married, and the list goes on.

and you sit there wondering what have you achieved in your life. wondering how they’re all so successful and when your time will come.

well actually, we’ve all been through this phase and we relive it everyday.

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something i noticed in myself recently, is that whenever i’m on social media, i always unconsciously compare myself to others. whether it’s their editing style, their skin, fashion, etc.

and i never actually knew i was doing that until i caught myself one time thinking and realized this.

comparing our lives to others itself is a normal thing. but with the rise of doomscrolling and excessive use of social media. comparison is now a constant thing people go through.

comparison of our lives to content online is unhealthy because we all know that most of it is edited fake stuff. a person can be posting about a dream trip they’re on, showing how luxurious and fun it is. but behind the scenes can be fighting with the people there, and having the worst time of their lives. and there are so many more examples of this.

people online (and coming from someone who creates content herself) share their highlight moments of their lives or just specific content that doesn’t showcase their actual lives,unless their content is their lifestyle. that’s why comparing ourselves to influencers is unrealistic and unfair.

what you need to do now is focus on yourself. compare your present self with your previous one. how much did you improve? what are you proud of yourself for? and what you wanna start working on?

your competition is yourself. why? because let’s be real. you will never be them, and they will never be you either. that’s why focus on becoming who you wanna be, and start working towards it.

islam makes it easier for us to stop comparing, because everyone has his qadar(fate) written already. if something is meant to be yours, no one will be able to stop it from coming to you. and if something is not written to be yours, no amount of connections will let you have it.

only way to change your qadar is by making duaa, so if you really want something. duaa is the way to go.

in the end, remember that the only valid comparison is to your previous self.

i hope this helped you even if a little.

sincerely, Mariam💌

low imaan is such a hard phase we as muslims pass through.

because we wanna be better so bad, we wanna repent.

but our sins have built a thick wall between us and between repenting that is kinda hard to break.

personally, these days my imaan has been so low i desperately wanna break out of it. i miss feeling the sweetness of imaan and the beauty of worshiping Allah in the best way i can.

that’s why i wanted to write this post. let’s get started.

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when i was scrolling through pinterest, a post caught my eye. it was about the ayah in the Quran that said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ

“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
— Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11)

i knew this ayah, but it hasn’t come up in my radar these past few months. so, i completely forgot about it. it came to me when i really needed it. when i was just sitting there hoping that by some miracle my low imaan just vanishes into thin air.

but this ayah woke me up.

because this ayah is literally telling us that Allah will not change the condition of a person until they change what is within themselves. this ayah literally meant to do the opposite of i was doing.

Allah is telling us in this ayah to start getting closer to him. start repenting,bit by bit. and of course there will be bumps a long the way, but that doesn’t mean for us to quit. it mean to keep going and keep fighting ourselves and the shaytan.

because shaytan will not leave us, cause if he did we would be able to do this faster and easier. but don’t let shaytan make you lose faith in Allah’s mercy. Allah is the most merciful, his mercy encompasses everything. and Allah literally is more merciful to a believer more than a mother is to her child.

there is a hadith Qudsi narrated by the Prophet (SAW) in which Allah says:

...وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً.

“...If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by an arm’s length. If he draws near to Me by an arm’s length, I draw near to him by two arm’s lengths. And if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.”

Allah is literally motivating us and encouraging us to come closer to him, to keep trying even if in the smallest of ways and He will be there to help us.

And remember that no muslim is perfect, and the best of muslims are the ones who repent.

this was a reminder for me and you.

i hope this helped you even if a little.

sincerely, Mariam💌

Once i became a hijabi and took it seriously, it became a huge part of my personality. wearing it makes me feel empowered, because i’m both covering my body and protecting myself from unwanted attention as well as being myself and enjoying life at the same time. i also feel blessed that Allah chose me to be a hijabi and i won’t ever take it for granted. May Allah guide every girl who wants to become a hijabi <3

but to be honest, it wasn’t always this way. when i first started wearing the hijab, i absolutely hated it and i didn’t know how to wear it properly or the hijab shape that fits my face. i felt that it prevented me from being a cool girl, being fashionable and all that. but as i grew older, the more i understood why we wore it and started to love it.

many people, especially the west and some muslims too, have the idea that if you’re wearing the hijab then you’re oppressed or forced to wear it. and that you’re not qualified for certain things only because you’re covered. which is what they want people to think about muslim girls. but obviously this is completely wrong. since the revelation to Prophet Mohamed (SAW) to this day, muslim women have made and are still making history with their contributions. and that’s what we’re gonna discuss today, the achievements of some incredible muslim women.

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1) Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA)

when talking about successful muslim women, it’s a must to start with Khadija (RA). Khadija was the first wife of the Prophet (SAW). she worked in trade, her caravans roamed between Makkah and Madinah and cities in the middle east. She was one of the most successful and wealthiest traders in Makkah to the extent that her trade volume equaled all other Quraysh traders combined.

Despite that, she was known as the “pure one”. because all this wealth and status didn’t stop her from being noble, honest, humble and pure. she had an amazing reputation in society and business. Khadija (RA) also defied social norms. because at the time where girls were being dismissed and had no social standing and babies were being buried alive, she built and maintained a business empire while having a wonderful heart.

i have so much more to say on Khadija (RA) because her story is incredibly inspirational, but i have a couple other amazing women to talk about, so let’s go.

2) Mariam al-Asturlabi

what initially brought my attention to Mariam, was her name (cause it’s my name too). but once i knew her story i was definitely impressed.

Mariam lived in the 10th century in Aleppo, Syria. she learned the craft of making astrolabes (a scientific instrument invented before the telescope to help them determine time, qibla, direction, prayer times and more) from her father. she was famous for her well use of the instrument but also for her perfect precision in building them.

her instruments were known to have mathematical accuracy, durability and beautiful artistic engraving. Mariam wasn’t just an artisan, she was a full on engineer.

3) Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA)

Aisha (RA) was the youngest wife of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) and the daughter of his bestfriend Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (RA). Aisha (RA) is one of the greatest scholars of Islamic history. she had a remarkable memory that made her narrate more than 2000 hadiths, much of what we know of the Prophet (SAW) is from her.

Aisha (RA) was a teacher. she taught many things like Quran and hadith, Islamic and inheritance laws, poetry, Arabic and more. she was an expert in Islamic law, senior companions would often seek her opinion on difficult issues. she advocated for women’s education and through her legacy she proved that women’s minds can change the world.

her relationship with the Prophet (SAW) was honestly one of the best ever. when i heard their story i was in awe of how Prophet Mohammed (SAW) was this gentle and loving. it’s honestly my favorite love story ever.

4) Lubna of Córdoba

Lubna was originally an enslaved woman. she was born in Andalus (Islamic Spain) in the 10th century. but despite her origins, she managed to rise to one of the highest intellectual positions in the Umayyad court with her intelligence and education.

Lubna became highly educated in many subjects such as maths, calligraphy, languages, poetry and a couple more. she was especially known for her exceptional memory, beautiful handwriting and analytical mind.

she worked as a royal secretary and helped in managing the royal library of Qordoba, one of the largest libraries in medieval Europe. Lubna traveled around the world just to acquire rare books. she also solved complex math calculations mentally and explained them to students.

Lubna’s story shows that women contributed in all fields of science and literature and that with hard work anything could be achieved.

i personally love the Andalus (islamic spain) era and history so much i could read about it all day.

Honestly this is the best and my fav post i’ve written so far, i loved reading about these women and learning their stories. If there’s one thing to learn from them is to keep working on your dreams till you reach them.

i hope this helped you even if a little

sincerely, Mariam💌

when i was younger, i was always afraid of being seen alone. whether it’s doing stuff alone, going to places or even just hanging out on my own. i was really scared that people would think that i was lonely or had no friends.

at that time, i was young and all i cared about was my friends’ and people’s opinions on me and i was a highly certified people pleaser as well. i was so scared of their opinion that i wouldn’t be caught dead sitting alone, and even if i did i always felt insecure and uncomfortable. i think many kids think that (i mean, my little brother also thinks so)

but after growing up and understanding the difference between being alone and being lonely, and began to understand myself a little. i wanted to do more things alone and i actually enjoy it, so i wanted to learn how to be more comfortable doing things by myself hence this post.

solo experiences can be the most informative because you get to connect with yourself without any external influences and see how you behave on your own. this teaches you to depend on yourself, builds confidence and makes you learn to make your own decisions. it personally helped me a lot with my confidence and social anxiety.

going on solo dates doesn’t have to be sad or lonely, they’re actually powerful, because the fact that you can sit with yourself and actually enjoy your time when most people are afraid to do so is empowering. there are some really cool solo date ideas to try like:

• exploring a museum or art gallery

• going on a coffee date and bring a journal or coloring book

• pottery or any art workshop

• going to the farmer’s market

• picnic date

• visiting a bookstore

some of these are things i've already tried, and some are on my list.

in the end, remember that going on solo dates can be both fun and empowering.

i hope this helped you even if a little

sincerely, Mariam💌

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a lot of people confuse setting boundaries in relationships with being mean or rude.but actually it’s the complete opposite and relationships that don’t have clear boundaries are considered unhealthy.

boundaries are considered a form of self-care and an act of love not rejection.because if someone actually cares,they would want you to feel comfortable around them so they would respect your boundaries.and people who deliberately ignore or step over them or even “joke” about your boundaries and what makes you uncomfortable, are not people you wanna be around.

i know setting boundaries at first feels really awkward and hard.i’ve always felt that and i always second guess my decision after telling them or wonder if i took it too far,but like anything it gets easier over time.

in order to set a boundary, you have to identify what’s bothering you or what you’re struggling with and how it’s affecting your relationship.like for example a friend who keeps asking to copy your homework or a manager who keeps asking you to work overtime.after understanding your needs , communicate it to them in a polite and nice way and check if their behaviour changes accordingly, and remember that you dont have to over explain yourself and your not responsible for their reaction as well.

in the end, it’s not a selfish thing to set boundaries in a relationship , it’s necessary and whether they accept it or not defines who they are not who you are.

i hope this helped you even if a little

sincerely, Mariam 💌

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choosing a uni major has got to be one of the most confusing things ever. Because you don’t know what to choose, one of your hobbies, something with a high salary or something completely new.

and that’s a problem i faced when i was applying for uni. i wasn’t sure what i wanted and i wasn’t convinced that uni was the means to my dream life. but as a person who likes creativity i thought about joining the applied arts college or something.

but my plan changed suddenly once i heard about cybersecurity. i instantly became obsessed with this major and the idea of it and forgot to research about it or what it actually takes to work in cybersecurity. and as a girl who hated (and still hates) computer science and coding i didn’t know what was coming my way.

since cybersecurity wasn’t a major on its own in the unis i applied for, i had to study it through computer science as one of the branches they offered at the college, but as a girl who didn’t know the risk she was taking i agreed, and maybe it was one of the dumbest decisions i made.

because i ended up hating coding with my whole heart and not wanting to study it or think about studying it or think the way programmers think. to the point that i wanted to switch majors in my second semester but that didn’t happen and i realized that i was stuck. but i didn’t want to see it that way cause i believe there’s kheir in everything.

so i decided to shift my perspective. instead of seeing it as a burden i thought of it as an opportunity to learn new things and as a way to widen my knowledge and also meet new people. and at the end of the day it’s just part of my life not all of it. i even romanticized uni to make it feel less annoying (i have a post on it if you’re interested)

not gonna lie, this major is still hard as hell and it challenges me every single day. but i don’t feel mad about it now alhamdulillah. i just hate studying it though. and honestly i feel excited cause i’m supposed to finally study cybersecurity fully next sem (can you please make duaa for me to get in? cause there is still an exam or something like that)

i hope this helped you even if a little

sincerely, Mariam 💌

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A couple of days ago, I did a no-scroll Friday to try to force myself not to spend every free minute of my day doomscrolling on my phone with no purpose or something to learn. It’s in a vlog if you wanna check it out.

And I noticed two things that happened to me because of this. The first thing is that I’m more focused on what I do. I don’t feel distracted or like my thoughts are scattered, to the point that even when I’m having breakfast, I feel like I enjoyed every bite. It was my first time noticing something like that.

The second thing that I noticed is that I found the time to do things. At some point, I just sat there staring at the wall, doing nothing. This is the time that we’re searching for .to learn that new skill or language, or to do whatever we want.

I know that I’m wasting my potential, my brain health, and literally my life by doomscrolling my days away, and that’s why I wanna actually stop it. Not gonna lie, it was hard that day. I even kept opening my phone just to swipe between my homepages, opening whatsapp, gmail, and the photos app to watch the footage I filmed for yt. Super random apps I know.but it was the part where i almost clicked on instagram or tiktok , but i didn’t alhamdulillah.

but it being hard , doesn’t mean its impossible.we just gotta try harder.cause i’m seriously sick of constantly wasting my time.

anyway, i hope this post motivated you to start controlling your doomscrolling.and this is your sign to start now.

Sincerely, Mariam 💌

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i never thought i’d be one of those people who doesn’t enjoy uni, but unfortunately, i am.

when i was looking for universities to join, i didn’t care about the academics as much as i cared about the campus and how big, aesthetic, and cute it is. i was going to uni for the vibes, not to learn.

but funnily enough, i ended up in the ugliest uni with no campus, but with good academics. and i didn’t like it at all.

so i thought the best way to make it bearable was by trying to romanticize it, and i did, hence my “romanticizing uni” series on instagram.

so in this post, i’m gonna share with you some ways to romanticize uni if u have a boring uni experience like me, or just if u want it to be extra good.

1.Bring your fav drink

bringing your favorite drink that you made with all the topics and add-ons that you love, and make it it extra special.trust me it’ll make your day so much nicer.

2.Wearing a cute outfit

choosing a good looking outfit and doing your makeup and hijab well is gonna boost your mood and make you feel more confident too.(i do this everyday at this point)

3.Romanticizing studying

changing your space from your desk to a cute library or coffee shop makes a huge difference from studying at home.i recently went on a study date with one of my high school friends and we were so productive and finished all the tasks we had faster than if we’d done them at home.

4.make post-exam food traditions

i recently discovered this one and i will be trying it this upcoming finals season inshaallah.its really cool.

5.do reset days

for me fridays are my fav,they’re always so peaceful and calm and i love to reset and recharge on them.

these were some ways to romanticize uni , i hope this post helped you even if a little.

Sincerely,Mariam 💌

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The other day, I was getting some dessert with my family, and while I was walking back to the car, churros in hand, a little girl came up to me and asked me if she could take a piece. I’m not gonna lie, I was shocked and confused, and I felt like there was something wrong because nobody had ever asked me this before. I thought people nowadays just ask for money?

So I was about to refuse until my mom told me to give it to her, and I did. Later, I asked my mom why she didn’t ask for money to buy one for herself, and she told me that she just wanted to try it and see how it tastes since she doesn’t have the ability to get one.

This made me realize how overly blessed we are. This mundane life is everything someone else asks for: having no health issues, food on the table, education.everything.

So I wanted to make this post to point out some blessings we forget to thank Allah for.

1.Being able to buy any food i’m craving

it’s a huge blessing to always have food when were hungry and we dont need to work or search for it,or even ask it from anyone.and it’s an even bigger blessing when we’re craving a special type of food and were able to get it right away without thinking twice or counting our money seeing if its gonna count.

2.having a healthy body and brain

Having a body and mind that are fully functioning without machines attached or medicine running through our veins is something to thank Allah for every day. No, scratch that, every moment. Without this blessing, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard life would be. Alhamdulillah for being able to move, see, hear, and talk.

3.being safe

Safety is mostly overlooked because we all take it for granted, and at first, I didn’t notice it until it was brought to my attention. Looking at neighboring countries and others around the world, and seeing all the wars, destruction, fear, and scary insane stuff that is happening, safety should not be taken for granted. Being able to live normally while others are suffering makes us thank Allah twice for this safety. May Allah protect them and ease their suffering and pain.

These were some blessings most of us (including me) forget to thank Allah for, and as Allah said in the Quran ,If we tried to count Allah’s blessings, we would never be able to number them.

This was a little reminder for me and you.

sincerely,Mariam 💌

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i was talking with one of my friends at uni, and i asked her about topics she wants to see more people talk about (to get inspo for my posts, ofc 😏), and the first thing she told me was people pleasing and how it has increased in our generation.

i immediately loved the idea because 1. she’s right, it’s very common, and 2.i struggle with it.so, thank you (you know who you are) for this idea.

during that convo, i realised that people pleasing doesn’t necessarily come in one shape, as not being able to say no. it has many forms, like excessively caring about people’s feelings. i always thought it was caring and sensitivity, but after my conversation with my friend, i don’t think so anymore.

now i think it’s very related to people pleasing.because caring about people’s feelings(i mean the excessive type) comes from caring what they think about you.so you always overthink every step you’re doing.this is the type i struggle from.

so in this post, i wanna talk about types of people pleasing, and how to work on decreasing or stopping it. i’m gonna cover some of them and the easiest ways to work on overcoming this problem, since this isn’t scientific research. feel free to learn more on your own.

these are (some) types of people pleasers. i was honestly impressed by the different types, cause i thought it was gonna be just one or two more, but there are quite a few, like:

1. the yes person

it’s the popular type, where people agree on anything, even if they would rather say no.

2. the empath

this one is for the people who hyperfixate on people’s feelings and try to fix them.(like me)

3. the comparer

this person is the one trying to fit in with everyone, and constantly compares themselves to others.

4. the entertainer

they want to be entertaining and fun to be liked by others. (never knew it was people pleasing)

5. the perfectionist

wanting to excel in everything and beating themselves up for the smallest mistake. (didn’t expect this one either)

now that we know some of the types, it’s time to see how to work on overcoming them.

• Set firm boundaries: define your boundaries and protect them, and realize it’s not selfish.

• Embrace discomfort: expect to feel scared, awkward, or embarrassed while working on this, cause it’s really uncomfortable (coming from someone who constantly puts herself in uncomfortable situations to learn).

• Buy time: avoid immediate, automatic “yes” answers and give yourself some time to think or get the courage to refuse. try saying “i’ll check my schedule.”

and this is it. i honestly learn so much while writing these kind of posts, cause it forces me to search, and i am actually learning it with you. i take this as an opportunity to learn and start the things that i was procrastinating. i hope this post helped you like it did me.

sincerely, Mariam 💌

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Old cartoons are some of the coolest shows that were ever made. When kids were kids and the world was a little more normal. So I’m going to share some of my absolute favorites.Let’s get started

1.Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is one of the cutest and most amazing shows i’ve watched.i remember i used to wake up early specifically to watch the one with real people in it,it was such a cozy feeling.

2.Totally Spies

this show understood the assignment of girlhood.the details they took care of like the fashion,makeup and gadgets where everything.honestly the gadgets where the best part.me,my sis and cousin each had own own character.i was sam (my fav).i’m sure every girl who watched this show did this at some point.

3.Fulla (middle eastern barbie,but better)

this one, my middle eastern girlies will know.fulla was like the middle eastern version of barbie,but better.i occasionally open the theme song on yt cause it brings me so much nostalgia.and of course we can’t forget the fulla gum,it was tough as a rock but we bought it for the stickers.

4.Care bears

Care Bears was another super cute cartoon. I remember watching it when I was so young and trying to decide whether I was the pink, the purple, or the yellow one.

5.Sophia the first

sophia was such a comfort princess character.for some reason she felt closer than the other disney ones.i loved her more,maybe cause of her age? that she was young like we were?

5.Doc Mcstuffins

If I were ever a doctor, it would be because of that cartoon. I used to build my own small house with cushions to be like hers, and then pretend to treat my toys. It’s such a comfort show.

I still love these cartoons to this day, and I’ll definitely do a rewatch as well. What was your favorite cartoon? Is it one of the ones I mentioned? i hope you loved this post as much as i did.

Sincerely,Mariam 💌

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the way you give advice matters more than the advice itself.

i recently had an encounter with one of the girls with me at uni. she was advising me against praying with trousers and that i had to wear a skirt over them for my prayer to be better. regardless of how true this piece of advice is, what bothered me was not that she gave me this advice—what did is the way she gave it.

she was nice, even seemed caring, but the way she advised me made me not want to see her again. she kept repeating it every time i stepped foot in the masjid to pray, and it got so annoying to the point that i just got a skirt with me to wear in case i saw her in the masjid or she came in while i was praying so she wouldn’t bring it up again (astaghfirullah, of course). it’s not that i don’t want to be better at my prayer, it’s that this information was new to me and i wanted to check first if it’s 100% true and my clothes are long and modest so i didn’t see the point.

and i talked to her about it and that i would still search to be sure, but she never stopped. the fact that she made me reach this point is not okay, because giving advice was never about controlling people—it was about guiding them to the right path, and then leaving them to their own devices.

we all know that akhlaq is a huge factor in islam. it can either form a bond or break it, and that’s what Allah said to the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the Quran.

this ayah exactly explains what happened to me and many others. it also confirms that advice without a good way of expressing it creates the opposite effect of what the advice should have done.

advising someone in islam must be done with sincerity, gentleness, and kindness. there should be no hints of arrogance or shame in your words, and it’s better to do it in private, not in front of others (like what happened to me), to avoid embarrassment or humiliation.

i hope this post helped you understand the way of advising people correctly, and also not to be so hard on each other deen-wise, because everyone has their own struggles. for some people it shows (like hijab), and for others it does not.

sincerely,Mariam 💌

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The Day of Arafah is the day Allah (SWT) perfected His religion and approved Islam as a way of life. It’s the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, the greatest day of the year. The Prophet ﷺ also said that Hajj is Arafah, which shows how important the Day of Arafah is.

Why is this day important?

Fasting the Day of Arafah removes the sins of the past year and the upcoming one. Like, imagine not having any sins because the sins we did last year? Gone. The sins we will still do next year? Also gone. Look how Allah is making it easy for us to return back to Him and try again.Honestly it’s the best time for us to try getting closer to Allah.

The Day of Arafah is also the day where the most amount of people are saved from the Hellfire, as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.”

I think this is our sign to start preparing ourselves for the Day of Arafah and the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah in general, because it’s the perfect opportunity to try again, even if in the smallest of steps.

Why is Duaa encouraged in this day?

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “The best duaa is the duaa on the Day of Arafah.” Allah’s mercy is everywhere on that day, so prepare all your duas , everything you wish for in this dunya and the next and pray to Allah on the Day of Arafah.

Dhul Hijjah is about leaving all our attachments in this dunya and focusing on our ibadah and getting closer to Allah, and sacrificing our most beloved things in this dunya for Allah, just like Prophet Ibrahim was about to sacrifice the most important thing to him in this dunya—his son.

May Allah accept our duas and repentance, and save us from the Hellfire. I also recommend watching Omar Suleiman’s video on Dhul Hijjah.

This was a little reminder for me and you <3

Sincerely,Mariam 💌

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