At the Masjid: Pixie's Style

My Masjid is two separate houses side by side, one for men, and one for women. Each has its own wudu facilities and multiple rooms for salat. We have speakers in our side to hear the prayers announced and to hear the khutbah (though on warm days we leave the windows open so the speakers aren't always needed). One special thing about our Masjid is, is that the woman's side isn't actually attached the men's (the Masjid proper) and so it is a Musalla (prayer hall) rather than a Masjid. That means, if you have your period, you can still come to hear the khutbah, and women who are interested in learning about Islam, don't have to don hijab to just come in and listen/speak to us. I find this has been very easy for us in terms of dawah oppurtunities, and our convert community is, alhamdulilah, growing especially in terms of women.
We have cooking facilities as well, as and the Musalla acts (since it is not a Masjid) as a social gathering point for different Islamic occasions, such as studying sessions (Qu'ran and ahadith), ikikahs (Islamic baby showers:D), iftars.... Our imam is also very approachable for the women in that he will email you back about anything, providing sources of hadith ect, or if you disagreed with or did not understand something in the khutbah...
Since our Masjid is separated from the men, I can wear whatever I want inside. I can wear the minimum requirements for salat instead of full jilbab, and if I am not praying, then I can be comfortable in non-hijab clothes... When coming into the masjid, I tend to like to wear traditional abaya (black, maroon, green, brown---ya know, the darker colours), and wear my shayla over my face (I pull it over my eyes and nose---lol, I am not one of those women with what men consider a sexy mouth LOL, unlike a few other sisters I know, hey there Boxie and Aalia ...I know to cover my eyes). When I'm inside I just pull the shayla back up over my forehead since I believe it is best to pray with an uncovered face. I only wear a mouth covering niqab if I know I have to be seated among the men for some event, like when we had an educational program at the University for non-muslims about fasting where Boxie, S, and I were the only women among the brothers.
If I am wearing a full face of make-up (because of something I am doing after salat) I cover the overly made up parts of my face upon entering and leaving the masjid, like below: BTW, these are all my clothes, but some of the women posing in them are not me (my little sister for example). Please do not remove or repost from this blog any pictures that could be me without my written permission. Love you all for the sake of Allah!

And P.S Coffee Catholic: the Masjid, is the Islamic Mosque, one and the same:D

Comments

Stacy K. said…
Your clothes are all so cute MashaAllah. I think its really fun that your sis dresses up in them for your pics. Your masjid sounds like a really nice one to visit.
Yasemin said…
I totally agree with Stacy aka Fahiima, it's sweet that you dress up together. I especially love the pink and te matching bag. Mashallah, but I love the olive one so much too. Is this the new one you were looking into getting? Love you endlessly!
In the first picture there's a woman studying a book. Is this a book that helps explain the Koran? When I lived in Alaska I tried to find a masjid so that I could visit and ask questions and ask to help understand the Koran but there were no muslim organizations anywhere near where I was located. (And in Alaska you can't just hop on an interstate highway and zip to the next city LOL!)

I'm in the same position here ~ living on an island way up north, no muslims anywhere. It's hard to learn about Islam! I know that there are websites and free books. I've read a lot of the *basics* but what I'm looking for is more in depth studying. Are there such materials available for non-Muslims living a bazillions miles outside of civilization? And can they be aquired with discretion? Out here, everyone sees the mail and they'll be like, "Michelle had a box of Muslim materials delivered to her house!!!!"

I have visited a lot of Muslim forums and things and while the people there are very helpful it usually boils down to two things: addresses for free info about the basics and, "Islam is the true faith so CONVERT RIGHT NOW!" LOLOL!

Also, I have locals that cyber-stalk me and read everything I post on forums and things... it's so creepy. So now I don't really feel safe asking in-depth questions on the internet. I feel like a paranoid wacko. Everyone's watching me... LOL

I'm so homesick. I wish I was back home in America in a city with my husband and kids. But I'm stuck here for life! I never, ever realized that I would feel like this but racism is everywhere it seems! No one can escape it.
Pixie said…
Stacy: Jazzakallah kheiran. Yeah, my sister is soooo sweet. She let me dress her up in an Afghani burrqa to take picture of it downtown:D Maybe a little to gullible:D

Actually, at first, my masjid can be kinda scary for new-commers (aproachable in form but hard on listening), in a sense that our Sheikh uses Qu'ranic language (such a kafirun) to refer to non-muslims... But when you know him and understand more than language of the Qu'ran itself, you know when things are personally meant (on a human level) or on Allah's level. As a new Muslim, I couldn't pic up the difference and the Sheikh and his daughter were very patient with me. People also often misunderstand the term for jihad. They mix it with terrorism, when what he means is, pray five times a day people, wear proper hijab women, take your sons out of school to attend the firday khutbah at the masjid people, fast ramadan, save for hajj, give in charity, stop backbiting and watching things on TV and the radio that you shouldn't.... LOL. Don't talk about Palestine until you've been there or talk to those who have. Ect. Actually, he isn't scary at all:P And is one of the few Sheikhs that is all up front with convert and virginal girls about sex and marriage and the like from an Islaic stand-point. He is highly protective of the women here in our community. So that's nice.
Pixie said…
Lisa: LOL, no, the new one I was going to get is a plain overhead black abaya... This is a jalibiyia I've had since Oman. Yeah, my sister is sweet. Y agrees with me, She is not capable of anything more evil than a child's selfishness/laziness and that's her only bad quality whatsoever. If the world were made up of people like my sister, less would be accomplished, but there never would have been a Hitler. LOL.
Pixie said…
Coffee Catholic: you can always email me at the email address I left on your blog post about the Church and I can then email you my real email. I can see about (coyly-lol) sending you some books on the subject. Three interesting ones are Islam and Christianity (I forget the author but I'll look it up). This book is gone through by a few scholars (some Christian, some Muslim) using the same authentication techniques we Muslims use on our hadiths on the Bible. As Muslims since, the Bible has been changed so much and is only a continuous written history, it is like our hadiths (some real, some made-up, and some altered). This book scientifically goes through the chain of narrations and politics of the Bible. I personally loved it. Also any book about the history of Islam, such as "When the Moon Split" would be a good read, since it tells the story of the Prophet's life, and I will have to look for you for a good basics about the Qu'ran. Oh and there is a book about the history of women in the Qu'ran. Very good read. And the "Ideal Muslimah" for what a Muslim woman is supposed to be ideally.
Ok, I'm feeling really stupid (LOL!) but which blog post about the Church?! I don't see a comment from you or an email addy... I made a post ranting about "nearly being fed up being Catholic"... but there's no Pixie there lol
Pixie said…
This post!

http://catholicorkney.blogspot.com/2009/06/golgatha-monastery-papa-stronsay-island.html
LOL!! I have not gone to that blog in ages! Sorry I missed your comment!!
Yasemin said…
After knowing you both more, I agree that there wouldn't have been a Hitler. Too bad we weren't born in that time. Love you Pix.
Fatou Thioune said…
assalamu alaykum pixie
can you ask aquestion please for me to your imam? insha'Allah
i wanted to know about praying in a room with pictures of human beings or animals. i know those pictures are shirk and angels dont enter houses with those pictures. but what about if i go to someones house and its time for praying, and they have those pictures. do i pray there? or do i not and wait until i get home? what about i live in a house whith people who refuse to take them off and i have no choice but to stay in that house. do i still pray there? thanks a lot
ellen557 said…
Wow, that is such a wonderful situation! I wish we had something like that near me - we only have actual mosques that have a partition up I think.
Your clothes are stunning! <3
Pixie said…
Wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto Habibti: I have asked for you. It may be a week before I get a reply back though.
Pixie said…
ellen557: I really do prefer it.:D
Fatou Thioune said…
assalamu alaykum thanks for asking. its okay if it is one week insha'Allah khayr
i have been always against dividing women and men because in the time of the prophet salalahou alayhi salam it wasnt done that way. but reconsidering that we women dont wear the same attire than the sahabiyas did. and men dont lower their gaze. we have no choice. during the jumuah prayer, we always tell the men not to use the womens door. they dont listen they use it anyway
Anonymous said…
Could you give me some more information on the "Islam and Christianity" book you mentioned to Coffee Catholic, please? I would love to read it and get some more in depth information...Thanks so much! ^_^

Would it be easier to give you my email? I don't know (o_O)

-Ducky
Pixie said…
Ducky: I'll do a post as soon as I find the book--- lol, I don't remember the title but it is a small cute little book with a red cover....
Almallena said…
Asalaam walikum,

I'm just curious, when you wear makeup...it doesnt get on your niqaab? How does that work?
Pixie said…
Almallena: wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakato

Yes, it does. So my black niqabs have lipstick stains.... It really doesn`t matter cuz the stain doesn`t go through. And it`s not like, he he he, having a drool or soup stain...
Sarah said…
So what's the answer to praying in a house that has images??