Look who’s feeling morbid.
The days devour my strength. The nights consume my mind. One day, the earth will eat me. Before then, sickness does.
Corporate Tips for Spiritual Wellbeing (lol)
So, I can’t remember exactly which colleague at which office recommended this to my husband, but I do remember which husband it was. It was you HF, don’t worry. (lol) Whether you’re in a meeting, or meeting other Muslims, or debating whether to say salaam…
The short version of the long story of how I broke my salah
Once upon a time a month ago, we begin the longest possible explanation of how I broke my Isha prayer last night. It started with two friends of HusbandFriend, each of whom lost their fathers within a week of each other. Inna lillahi wa inna…
Oh look, I have time to ramble again
Guess what, I retired. Officially, but somehow in my mind… temporarily? Ok, I don’t think taking a temporary break from work is called retirement. Traditionally that’s a vacation. I really did retire though. I no longer work for Muslimmatters.org, and it’s purely because I didn’t…
I was going to write a blog…
But in the distance, I can hear HF (aka Husband Friend) brushing his teeth and the rules are, whoever brushes their teeth and gets into bed first is the winner. And I know, that he knows, that I know what he’s doing, because he’s brushing…
Quarantine Renaissance, Day 1
AssalamuAlaikum Blogistan! Good news, we’re self-isolating due to the Coronavirus, aka COVID-19. It’s been well over a week since we’ve all been at home. HF is working from home, Khalid and Musfira’s school has been indefinitely postponed and Iman was already homeschooling so here we…
Once upon a time…
When dinosaurs roamed the earth, I wrote on this blog often. This blog had many purposes, one of which was to create something for my kids to read later. Well, it’s later now. I know this because over dinner last week, one of my kids…
We’re taking this show on the road!
We are excited to announce that the House of Cupcakes (this house, these cupcakes) is embarking on an epic road trip to… the Smokey Mountains! I am not sure who is more excited, me or the kids. The girls bought digital cameras with their Eidhi…
Ramadan Update
AssalamuAlaikum Internets! It’s Ramadan again, the first year that all three of my awesome mini-humans are fasting. They’re super-stars at Suhoor, and they’ve collaboratively cooked eggs for themselves the past three in a row. Khalid is 13. (OMG) Iman is 11, Musfira will be turning…
Looks like my blog is getting some guest writers. :)
I am sitting in my living room right now, surrounded by all three of my kids, on three laptops, all three of them giggling in glee and reading through their own category tabs. It’s quite an amazing and lovely feeling, watching them interact with the…
Eeeek! I have to write a speech in a week!
I have a speech at a conference in one week and I am nowhere near done. They assigned me the topic of maintaining faith despite failure. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and not believe they consider me an expert in…
Humans
Human beings are complicated. In the last year of my life, I’ve observed more of them close-up, and in-depth for longer periods of time than usual. How? By volunteering on a committee. I’ve learned that people who like to complain about things are usually less…
I’m freeeeee!
So Alhamdulillah, the long story of why my wrist hurt and typing became torture is summed up as thus: I had torn cartilage in my wrist – not because I was out fist-fighting or getting injured in air-guitar championships, but because I have a connective…
AAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEN
Of all the conversations I’ve had with my children about prayer, the reason we don’t say “Ameen” in Batman voice has been the most unexpected so far.
Khalid has a dream
Khalid rather causally informed me that he once a had dream that he was the illegitimate heir of both Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. And I’m not sure what’s funnier, the biological impossibility or Khalid’s usage of the exact phrase “illegitimate heir” in describing it.…
Hey, remember when I used to blog?
It was awesome. I loved it. I could just post stuff whenever I wanted to, and it served as an emotional catharsis, a spiritual brain-sorting, and a writerly exercise all in one. I want to restart. Not because I don’t have enough stuff that needs…
Are you my daughter-in-law?
A young woman with Down’s Syndrome (who has been baking for a long ole time already) gets rejected from too many bakery jobs. So she opens her own bakery. This video made me cry for so many reasons. I’m scared of what my son’s future…
Well, that escalated quickly…
When I dropped my children off to school this morning one of their little friends, who is six and in first grade, ran out of line to ask me a question. “Hey! Iman’s mom!” “Yes dear?” I answered. “Are you leaving the United States of…
Emotional Brickmail #seewhatIdidthere
If I threw a brick through your window could I tell you it was an amanah? Could I tape a little note to it that says “This brick is a sacred trust and by accepting this brick into your window you are now accountable, in…
Ilmfest and Ehlers-Danlos
Tafseriously? Pharoah was a jerk.
Haramalaikum: Bacon -vs- Bullying
Kids Ask: What’s the point of Jummah?
A few minutes before Jummah today, my son came and sat down next to me in a grumpy huff. “Momma, I just don’t understand…” He furrowed his lil brow angrily and said, “What’s the point of Jummah!” I told him I had the answer. But…
Mister Flamey-Cheeks, Abu Lahab
You might know the *what* of Surah Lahab/Masad, but do you know the *why*? Who was Abu Lahab, and why did he of all people get a Surah? And what’s up with his wife? Learn this in the most non-scholarly of all explanations, the first…
I Love: False Dilemmas!
If they asked you what you wanted for Christmas and you said “OMG A LOGICAL FALLACY!” then this video is for you! In which I explain why I love the False Dilemma and how people – and shaitaan too- attempt to trick you with it.…
Dreams from a first-world bubble
Human Mp3: How I quit music& learned Quran through mind-numbing commute time!
Once upon a time…Cockroach!
Dysautonomia and Me
Whether you want it or not, habibti. Cuz I didn’t want it but I got it anyway!
Questions?
AssalamuAlaikum people who are still here and haven’t died of boredom yet! October is Dysautonomia awareness month, and my next vlog will be about … drumroll please… Dysautonomia. So, any questions? Apart from “what the heck is that?” I’ll answer them InshaAllah as best as…
How’s Texas?
First Vlog: Headfirst into Imperfection
Following two months of zero update and almost a year of chronic hand pain, I’ve finally decided to start video blogging, even if the result is less than perfect. Perfection belongs to Allah alone. Yes, that is my excuse.
Cleaning House
So it’s crunch time. The house is being packed and sorted into a bazillion little piles, all bound in invisible string and tied directly to my heart. Every time a little pile- Khalid’s first artworks, Iman’s first story, Musfira’s baby blanket- fails to make the…
Elegant Mashups: Sword Song
So my brilliant writerly friends (who let me hang out with them sometimes) play a game in which we take two books, pick a sentence from each at random, and then attempt to connect the two in some semblance of sense. It is a tremendously challenging exercise…
الوالي Al- Wali, The Protecting Friend
Ya Wali, as we move to a new country with new people, where we will find both new friends new enemies, please be the Protecting Friend of my children. If my children face bullies, please protect their little hearts and bodies. If my children face loneliness…
30 Days, 30 Duas.
I have yet to, in my life, manage to post continuously for a thirty day stretch, but in the followup of an inspirational and much-needed pre-Ramadan meeting with my awesome circle of friends, I will now try. How many of Allah’s names do you know?…
Ramadan Craft: Ikea Fanoos
So in parts of the world other than America (where I grew up) there is a Ramadan tradition of lighting and decorating with Fanoos, or lamps. In parts of the world, like America (where I grew up) there is a tradition of crafting things for…
When Nineveh Met Taif: Gems from Ilmfest
It was a sad day in Ninevah. The Prophet Yunus, peace be upon him, was leaving. Angry, frustrated, and unable to continue what felt like a hopeless endeavor, he boarded the first ship out of town, leaving his homeland behind. He had tried and tried…
News
I’ve got news and you get to decide which category you want to put it in. See, if you live in Dubai, then you’ll consider that we’re moving to be bad news. If you live in Dallas though, then you’ll think it’s pretty good news,…
April is autism awareness month!
Alhamdulillah, very excited to be on the GreedforIlm podcast for World Autism Day talking social stigma in the Muslim community and spiritual coping for special needs parents. 🙂