- hijabis get really excited over pretty scarves
- they also like to collect pins and brooches
- we get asked a lot of questions and it can be annoying or it can be amusing, just depends on our mood and personality and how the question is phrased
- common questions include:
- βnot even water?β (referring to fasting)
- hijabis hear a lot of βdo you sleep in that?β (we donβt) and βwhere is your hair?β (in a bun or a braid, usually)
- βis it mooze-slim or mozzlem?β (the answer is neither, itβs muslim, with a soft s and accent on the first syllable)
- βee-slam or iz-lamb?β (itβs iss-laam, accent on the first syllable)
- βhee-job?β (heh-jahb, accent on the second syllable)
- βkor-an?β (no. quran. say it like koor-annn, accent on the second syllable)
- people tend to mess up our names really badly and you just get a sigh and a resigned nod or an awkward smile, maybe a nickname instead
- long hair is easy to hide, short hair is harder to wrap up
- hijab isnβt just covering hair, itβs also showing as little skin as possible with the exception of face, hands, and feet, and not wearing tight/sheer clothing
- that applies to men too, people just donβt like to mention it ( i wonder why)
- henna/mehendi isnβt just for special occasions, youβll see people wearing it for fun
- henna/mehendi isnβt just for muslims, either, itβs not a religious thing
- henna/mehendi is not just for women, men also wear it, especially on their weddings
- there are big mehendi parties in the couple of nights before eid where people (usually just women and kids) gather and do each otherβs mehendi, usually just hands and feet
- five daily prayers
- most muslim kids can stutter through a couple verses of quran in the original arabic text by the age of seven or eight, it does not matter where they live or where theyβre from or what language they speak natively
- muslim families tend to have multiple copies of the quran
- there are no βversionsβ of the quran, there has only ever been one. all muslims follow the exact same book
- muslims have no concept of taking Godβs name in vain, we call on God at every little inconvenience
- donβt use islamic phrases if you donβt know what they mean or how to use them. we use them often, inside and outside of religious settings. in islam, it is encouraged to mention God often and we say these things very casually, but we take them very seriously
- Allahu Akbar means βGod is Greatestβ (often said when something shocks or surprises us, or if weβre scared or daunted, or when something amazing happens, whether it be good or bad; itβs like saying βoh my godβ)
- Subhan Allah means βGlory be to Godβ (i say subhan Allah at the sky, at babies, at trees, whatever strikes me as pleasant, especially if itβs in nature)
- Bismillah means βin the name of Godβ and itβs just something you say before you start something like eating or doing your homework
- In Shaa Allah means βif God willsβ (example: youβll be famous, in shaa Allah) (itβs a reminder that the future is in Godβs hands, so be humble and be hopeful)
- Astaghfirullah means βi seek forgiveness from Allahβ and itβs like βgod forgive meβ
- Alhamdulillah means βall thanks and praise belong to Godβ and itβs just a little bit more serious than saying βthank godβ (example: i passed my exams, alhamdulillah; i made it home okay, alhamdulillah)
- when i say we use them casually, i really mean it
- teacher forgot to assign homework? Alhamdulillah
- our version of βamenβ is βameenβ
- muslims greet each other with βassalamu alaikumβ which just means βpeace be on youβ and itβs like saying hi
- the proper response is βwalaikum assalamβ which means βand on you be peaceβ and itβs like saying βyou tooβ