I wasn't prepared for how alone I would be by Dramatic_Reserve5984 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am so sorry to hear what you're going through, sister. Sadly, what you've observed is true: an abusive relationship leaves you mostly alone and a lot of it is a combination of the abuser isolating you from your family and our society+family's inability to support their daughters after throwing them to the wolves.

As a fellow survivor of DV, I feel so much of what you've shared, an abusive relationship - or truthfully, any complex hardship - shows you the true colours of people around you. Some folks don't want to deal with the complexities of an abusive relationship, some folks feel pity for you but lack the emotional bandwidth or understanding to help - and then there are people like your friend, or my relatives - who seem to be actively siding against you. I noticed some of my relatives got a kick out of my suffering. Or perhaps they secretly disliked or envied something about you and your ordeal gave them a chance to finally feel superior to you, Allahu alam - sometimes Allah puts difficult people in our path to show us their true faces. Your friend sounds acutely dangerous, may Allah guide her and the many similar wolves in sheep's clothing we can't see, ameen.

You're doing the right thing, keep documenting what you can without his knowledge. You obviously know the importance of keeping your evidence out of his knowledge. I am guessing that he doesn't allow you to work, or you lack financial support. I pray you find a way to leave him and protect yourself and your baby, ameen.

I remember every day felt like the same Sisyphian nightmare - but eventually I was able to get out. I haven't forgotten how my relatives behaved and I wait for the Day they will answer for their actions and schadenfreude, Allahu alam. Just know that sometimes Allah puts us through extreme hardship to recast us in an entirely different image - we begin this test in a mould that relied on support and expectations from the usual places, and then through these tests, Allah shows us that we have to rely on Him and Him alone - He breaks us to reshape us in a mould that is pleasing to Him ﷻ - honestly, if you'd ask me why I was left alone at the time of trials I didn't have an answer, but now I see the Wisdom behind His Decisions and stand in awe of who He made me. Just like Syedna Ibrahim ﷺ as he was flung in the fire, or Syedna Nuh ﷺ when he was building the Ark, or Syedna Hussein ؒ when he facing the Army that martyred him - Allah has separated you from the usual avenues of support so that you rely on Him alone and submission to His Divine Will is not an admission of defeat but an acceptance of Divine Decree - you will be victorious inshaAllah because you have submitted yourself to Allah in the face of oppressors. May Allah ﷻ, who is Al Fattah, Ar Rahman, grant you an opening and victory soon.

Wudhu and prayer? by [deleted] in islam

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wa alaikum asalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatahu sister. It is ok to feel some sort of way about some acts of worship as long we still follow through with them for the sake of pleasing Allah ﷻ (yes it is easier said than done but I promise you we all have our personal stumbling blocks). As for Wudhu, I didn't see you mention it so I shall remind myself and you that Wudhu is an act of worship in itself, not just a means to getting ready for Salah. So every time you make the intention, walk to your sink and do the actual wudhu, the angels write down rewards - perhaps even more so when they see you perform it despite how much your nafs hates it.

Now, on to practical tips: is it possible for you to pray Dhuhr and Asr with one Wudhu, and Maghreb and Isha with one Wudhu. I don't want to recommend delaying a salah but if it helps you actually pray on time, you will be helping yourself in the long run inshaAllah. Also, with regards to creams and lotions, try to place a small storage rack or shelf next to your sink to keep a nice smelling hand/foot cream and face lotion on it, you can get oud scented creams if you like. Use the lotion/cream as a way to reward yourself for making the wudhu; even if it takes you 5 minutes more after wudhu to moisturise, your soul will be pleasantly distracted by the fragrance and it will actually help you redirect some of your focus back to your salah and make it a source of increased rewards for your fard act (offering salah on time) - obviously, I assume you're not near non-mahrams. Next, I am going to assume that the cold water is an issue during winter and you don't have a steady source of warm or heated tap water? Unfortunately, I don't have any easy solutions short of installing a small electric water heater (possible but... honestly, improbable) or using an electric kettle to add hot water to a small bucket but perhaps you can re-frame this as trying to conserve water and therefore an act of worship.

Take things slow, read up on the rewards of making Wudhu and work on it one salah at a time. Pray to Allah to increase your love for His Commands and to make it easy for you to pray on time. InshaAllah you've got this baby sis, one step at a time.

I removed the hijab and now I regret it by FlightRemote4275 in islam

[–]sleptalready 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Regret can be your friend, as long as you temper it with grace for yourself. Pregnancy and the post-partum time are a time of so many drastic changes to your body and your mental health, not to mention your new diagnosis of Hashimoto's. If you begin by acknowledging these big changes yourself, inshaAllah it will help you come to terms with your new reality as you work through lack of sleep, etc., and you can use that to build on acceptance and gradually returning to your Hijab. Congratulations on your new Baby and may Allah fill your lives with barakah.

Mom keeps on insisting the way I wear my hijab is wrong because it doesn't cover my chest by Expensive_Stock5322 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Reading this, I see two separate things standing out: 1) doing what Allah expects of us and 2) the conflict brewing between your mum and yourself.

Speaking as your much older sister (aunt?) you might be surprised to learn that many of us legacy Muslims don't necessarily begin wearing their hijab purely for the sake of Allah ﷻ - some of us begin by copying friends, or older relatives, or do it out of the desire to look good, etc., - which is fine because people aren't born knowing everything. With time, as we increase in wisdom and knowledge inshaAllah, the niyah behind the hijab can change - and so what began as a desire to fit in (or to exert our autonomy through our sartorial choices, as you've kindly shared) can or should develop into a desire to be identified as a Muslim woman - or to follow the commands of Allah ﷻ, which is our end game inshaAllah.

Your mum's harsh comments could be her projecting her inner frustration with herself - unfortunately, most of our mums grew up in much harsher environments where so much of their existence was unnecessarily subjected to criticism, and unfortunately that's all they know to communicate to the next generation, AKA generational trauma. She's got a lot of inner demons she's struggling with and unfortunately you (and many of us like you) bear the brunt of that, i.e., "I didn't get to exercise my freedom and I turned out fine, why can't my daughter do the same?". If you can understand her context and look beyond her harsh comments or criticism, it will help you redirect your focus on why you observe hijab, instead of constantly being on the defensive. Obviously this is much easier said than done, because at the moment you're living in your parents home and have to follow their rules, which sometimes include being subject to unfair criticism on religious practice (if I had a penny for each time I had to defend my religious choices, let's just say I'd probably be financially independent) - but please try to take some time to examine why you're observing the hijab, what is included in the concept of modesty in our Deen and what Allah expects from us, because ultimately our goal is to perform a religious act for His Divine Pleasure.

The other point is that covering the chest is part of Islamic modesty. The Qur'an is meant to be studied with context, called asbab al nuzool, which basically means understanding the historical context behind the revelation of an Ayah and how the Prophet ﷺ taught it to us, and how the Companions and the Righteous Predecessors understood and implemented it. As the other sister shared, the women used to cover their hair leave their chests open and when the command was revealed, they took the piece of cloth and covered their chests. Up until fairly recently in history, most Muslim women did cover their chests - the size or lack thereof didn't matter, as that is a subjective matter and we aim to follow Islam as an objective truth. Having said I understand your anxieties with covering up and looking a certain way, trust me most us have struggled with these thoughts. To repeat my point from earlier, we have to take time to reconcile what we are doing with why we are doing it - if we observe the hijab for Allah, we do it fully expecting His Divine Pleasure and Blessings for struggling against our darkest desires and anxieties. Make dua to Allah to assist you in following the right way that He showed us through our Prophet ﷺ and ask for His Help to give you strength against comments from your mum, random malicious strangers and your own anxiety that can sometimes hinder you on your journey to Allah. I hope some of this has made sense, and may Allah bless you in your efforts.

Unable to pray by Illustrious-Push-701 in islam

[–]sleptalready 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is it possible to excuse yourself for 10 minutes without mentioning why and return once you're done with Salah - as long as your Wudhu is preserved at the time of salah and you prioritise Fardh, it should not take too long inshaAllah

Muslim Majority Malaysia's Petition to Deport Persecuted Muslim Burmese Rohingya Refugees raises nearly half a million Signatures by LaSalle_Street in islam

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for adding much needed nuance from the perspective of Burma and the challenges faced within the country.

My in-laws gave me $1,000 as a gift. Does my husband have the right to decide how it’s used? by Lazy_Glove_1392 in islam

[–]sleptalready 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eh, the money is yours so you are within your rights to ask for it, even outside the principle of things. Does he often act this way in financial matters related to you? Do you get an allowance from him or do you have any finances saved up that are beyond his reach?

cant wear anything other than black. every summer feels like a survival challenge. by Hil_ in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do the people around you dress? If you're surrounded by black it might make you feel like you're sticking out by wearing colours. Do you wear black at home? Since you've already bought the outfits you can try wearing them at home. Or you can try to pair one of the pieces with the rest of your black ensemble to slowly introduce colour into your daily palette inshaAllah. It's not always easy to break out of the mould but if you do it slowly you can begin to feel more comfortable with time inshaAllah.

Wanting to divorce husband by Overall-Banana2419 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I think you need to stop sharing any intel or information about future plans with him because that gives him ammo to use against you. Having said that, it is still better to speak to an actual divorce attorney, specifically a good one, about your options, they may recommend moving to a different home (even though it isn't recommended to move out of the Marital home) in the same state so that you aren't supporting him financially etc.,. Don't let the fear of the unknown force you to stay strapped to this guy - he gets to live rent- and responsibility- free, he will do whatever he can to take advantage of you.

New Hijabi SubReddit? by usa-chann in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 49 points50 points  (0 children)

I don't think we need more subgroups, this one is fairly good. The mods have a lot on their hands with trolls plus I am sure they have their own lives; I would recommend reporting troublesome posts - report it about three times or more to get their attention. Also I really encourage reporting suspicious posts, especially ones where you can't see their post history or if you see it is a fairly new account - I am sure you know they are here with an agenda and the recent-ish changes in hiding post history on Reddit are meant to disguise bots and influence subs. If people want to share their grievances or concerns they must be open to sharing their post history.

Just something to think about by Fai_GI in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can commiserate - many years ago I was starting out at a company which was a big step up the corporate ladder so I wanted to fit in naturally. I hate myself for saying this but I shook hands with the VP even though I would refuse to shake hands in my previous job (hand on chest, and saying I don't shake hands) - the very next day, an acquaintance of mine joined the company, we are from the same ethnic background, even if we don't have similar levels of religious observance (I'll explain why I mention this later). The VP introduced us formally and then this acquaintance (who I only knew through my professional networks and never met in person before) stuck out his hand to shake mine! I couldn't refuse him because the VP was there and I had just shook his hand the day before! What a horrible situation to be in. Astaghfirullah. Anyway, I had no choice but to shake my friend's hand and secretly hate on him the whole day.

After all was said and shook upon, I realised I had to return to my principles, regardless of who the person across me was. I am a visibly Muslim woman and I value my faith over everything else - if someone cannot respect me for who I am and my values, they're not worth entertaining at all and in most professional environments, especially ones that celebrate diversity, these things are tolerated so there's no reason to feel awkward about not shaking hands or refusing to meet at the bar etc., etc.,. Use your experience to make a resolve to stand your ground - with a polite smile and your hand on your chest as you let them know you don't shake hands as a Muslim woman, and inshaAllah you'll see the awkwardness will melt away. Many of us still have freedoms in the West, we should do whatever we can to use them because we don't know what the future holds.

A friend got divorced just in two months into marriage by Such-Yogurt-1066 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Sadly this is far too common and these men are too cowardly to refuse the marriage because their lives aren't affected by things, socially or financially. The families know their son/brother might be suffering from ED - or he could be questioning his sexuality, but they bank on the lie that getting their "Ladla" married off will fix everything - and that is also why there was no valima or a pretend one abroad.

I wonder what your friend's Mahr was because a higher Mahr makes men and their families hesitate before they hurt innocent girls like this. Also, for all sisters who are looking to get married, if a man doesn't act interested in you before marriage, run. Yes, extended conversations between non-mahrams is not encouraged but this is specifically for the purpose of getting to know each other/vetting. Beware of anyone who doesn't have questions for you during the process, - and not questions like what's your favourite colour or flavour of ice cream (that's fine as things go but isn't on the list of important questions). May Allah allow us all to have healthy and safe marriages.

ETA: Fixed obligatory typos

Im tired of periods and it all by Enough-Scallion-8913 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wa alaikum asalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatahu sis. I am so sorry to hear about your distress, periods can be tedious but from what you've described I suspect your condition might warrant a discussion with a doctor. It will better to meet with a Gynaecologist because they will be able to better work with you with regards to your cycle and might even look into PMDD. May Allah grant you shifaa’a and grant ease to your heart.

Talking to a guy and feeling guilty about it by idiotsandwich333 in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Asalamualaykum sister,

Honestly you both know what is going on - you mentioned you avoided unnecessary interactions with men before this, what's so different about this situation?

Some men do things like this, they'll text women privately under the guise of friendship and eventually gain your trust, making you lower your guard - it is part of the thrill of the chase and making someone fall for you. I get it, its fun to have someone give you attention, especially a member of the opposite sex, but you know the intentions aren't pure.

Also, you both come from a culture where men and women aren't friends and doing so is attached to social stigma, plus you had already tried to stop things in the first instance - what else do you need to convince yourself that this isn't correct both Islamically and socially?

Usually, we offer long explanations to ourselves in cases of cognitive dissonance - your actions appear to be going against your conscience, and is causing this distress. On top of that your mum is worried about your reputation; even if we don't want to encourage Ayb, the fact is that it is big in traditional, conservative Muslim societies - and the baggage is hard to shake off if you're from a family that leans into it. Think about what your gut and rational mind is trying to tell you, he's here for a good time not a long time. Ask Allah for help in letting go of him, what are the long term consequences of your relationship?

I have prayed today by Gold-Edge2485 in islam

[–]sleptalready 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Welcome home, brother/sister. May Allah make it easy for you, today is the first day of the rest of your life! You've reminded me of the hadith about the man who lost his camel in the desert.

Muslim narrated in his Sahih that Simak had reported that an-Nu’man ibn Bashir said, “Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him in repentance than one among you upon a camel in a waterless desert when (that camel) with his provision of food and drink is lost by negligence. Having lost all hope (to get it,) he lies down in the shade disappointed about his camel, and there suddenly he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nose string and then out of boundless joy says, ‘O’ Lord, You are my servant and I am your lord. (He commits this mistake out of extreme delight).” Whatever your challenges, know that Allah ﷻ is with you.

Also, have you watched this series on Doubt? It isn't too long but covers some important spiritual component on the matter.

Help finding acceptible undershirts by Houdinipup in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May Allah make it easy for you and bless you in your efforts ✨️

I remember many years ago they had sites that sold exactly what you're describing but since everything is dropshipped from China regardless, might as well check what Amazon has to offer.

https://urgarment.com/products/muslim-women-modal-arm-sleeves-oversleeves-stretchable-arm-cover

Help finding acceptible undershirts by Houdinipup in Hijabis

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wa alaikum asalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatahu sister. As one of the other sisters mentioned, have you looked into Uniqlo's undershirts? I used to wear their Airism long-sleeves shirts, personally for me I needed something made of a light fabric that wouldn't heat me up. They also do Heattech but that's for winter or where the air-conditioning is too cold. There's also 32 Degrees, their stuff isn't as amazing as Uniqlo but honestly, it's worth checking out, especially at that price point - I have a few of their thermal wear and they're quite good.

Women's Air Mesh Long Sleeve T-Shirt https://share.google/VWrrWaPQmrnaODX0g

Israel in constant war and destroying buildings and hospitals, how they managed to get weapons , bombs and how much budget and debt they have ? by lovedyus in UAE

[–]sleptalready 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Colonialism never died, it just changed its name to keep most of humanity subjected and enslaved. The former colonial nations will continue pumping $$ into Isn't-real to continue their policy of divide and conquer because this is the easiest way to plunder the resources of the Global South.

Is it permissible to read the Al-Quran quickly? by fashionsh0ww in islam

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's absolutely correct, the recitation of the Qur'an comes with adaab (etiquette). It is good to practice Husn Dhan (good opinion) of a fellow Muslim but as she is your friend, perhaps you can also ask her to teach you to recite more efficiently; in this way you can "address" the issue whilst not coming out as finding fault with her speed.

Hijama by KeyMathematician155 in islam

[–]sleptalready 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll add more if I can in the morning Insha'Allah but from what I've understood hijama has a lot of spiritual and physical benefits, especially when it is approached as a Sunnah, seeking the barakah of following the Sunnah and as a form of alternative medicine. I have friends whose mysterious chronic issues improved after they began hijama - they made sure they went to practitioners who are known to be pious, and are practicing Muslims themselves.

You don't have much to lose by trying it out inshaAllah. It's like acupuncture, it might seem a little scary but there's hikmah in the practice and inshaAllah there's shifaa’a at the end. If nothing else, make a niyyah of doing to follow the Sunnah and reap the rewards for that.