In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Most Merciful

Assalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Ta’ala wabarakatu

It’s really important to start any endeavor with the name of Allah in the hopes that He’ll bless you and inspire you. As this site is about inspiration for the Hijabi lifestyle it’ll encompass a wide range of subjects, from faith to relationships, work, fashion and beyond.

One of the fun things about this site will be the fashion section where we feature a new look each day. Hopefully the looks will inspire you as you decide whether to start wearing hijab, or give you ideas of new ways to wear your hijab. Feel free to request a certain look for example for a job interview, for prom, for meeting up with the in laws or just for hanging with the girls.

One of the first things I want to talk about is the Quran because without taking care of your inner being, your outer shell is just that a shell.

I’ve been inspired by a friend who is memorizing some Sura’s to start re-memorizing the Quran. As a child I memorized many Sura’s. There were also other Sura’s which although I hadn’t memorized, I had listened to so many times that I knew the verses though not necessarily in order and could only recite along with Sudais or Shurraim and not by myself.

So I’ve decided to challenge myself and this time around when I re-memorize the Sura’s intend to do so with comprehension. Because as a child my goal was simply to memorize as many Sura’s as I could and know more than anyone else around me. I completed that mission and not having much competition gave up after awhile and just finished reading the Quran without memorizing.

Now I have the opportunity to understand the words that I recite in prayer. The chance to make sense of what Shurraim is saying as I recite along with him in my car, which is where I do most of my Quranic listening and reciting these days.

I started with Surat Nuh which is Sura 71. I picked it because I noticed while in the car listening to Sudais that I knew all the verses although I didn’t know exactly which came next.

So I spent an afternoon memorizing the verses in order along with the translations. And Alhamdulillah, I can cross it off my list. For me the exciting part isn’t only that I’ve memorized the sura, but that I’ve added to my Arabic vocabulary.

Here are some of the words I’ve learned in their different tenses.

Kawmi = my people
Da-awtuhum = preached to them / performed  da’awah
Siraja = lamp
Jihara = aloud
Nahara = daytime
Malakum = what’s wrong with you/ what happened to you?

I hope that as I add more Sura’s to my list, that my vocabulary list grows as well. You’re welcome to join me on this journey. I’ll post the Sura’s as I start them and the vocabulary words I’ve learned, or remembered and together we can grow in our knowledge of the Quran and Arabic.

May Allah bless you and make you among the muttaqqeen.