I've been out of touch with blogging ever since I started college haven't I. It has sucked out quite a bit of my life, I have to say and for the past two and a half years, my days have revolved around attending tutorials and lectures and my nights, meetings for my MSS. I spend my Semester Breaks working as an Assistant teacher over at early education centers to ensure that my teaching skills do not get rusty. If I actually do spend my time writing, I do so either on my private wordpress or my little pieces of paper at random hours of the night. In any case, I met up with a group of brothers and sisters today for a debriefing meeting for a Ramadhan event we had. Afterwhich, I spent some time with a college junior. Lol subhanaAllah, she mentioned about how she's been reading this blog for quite some time now but she never got the chance to find the right moment to tell me. LOL, wallah it feels different to actually meet your blog readers in real life. In any case, here's a shout out to you Aishah! <3 7abibty, you're so cute, I love you :*
Anyway, I did this quiz thingy about 2 years ago and imma try answering them all again and see how much I've actually changed. (Are you not glad, I am back to being a lifeless keyboard warrior? Hahahaha)
Name: A'qilah Saiere
Age: Turning 19 in December InshaAllah
Location: Singapore. (Oh God, I wonder when this is ever going to change)
Background: Javanese(Indonesian Extract)/Indian
Are you a revert? Nope, A born Muslim (Al7mdolellah!)
Have you been to Hajj or Umrah? YES! Al7mdolellah for the opportunity Allah swt granted me to witness His magnificent holy lands!
How many masjids have you been to? I've been to quite a number of mosques in the country itself and in Malaysia. I've also visited the mosques in the Al Aqsa compund, several in Madinah including Masjidil Nabawi as well as a couple in Makkah including Masjid Al Haram
Have you ever been involved with a masjid? A couple of times. Mostly when MSS collaborates with the Mosques for events.
Who are some of your favorite lectures by? Brother Suhaib Webb, Brother Nouman Ali Khan, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Bilal Assad and selected speakers on Huda TV
Who are some of your favorite recitors? Sheikh Mishary Al Afasy, Sheikh Abdur Rahman As Sudais, Qari Abdul Wadood Asim, Sheikh Maher Al Muayqali (He was the imam when I was in Makkah for the 6 days of Umrah <3)
Some of your favorite Islamic books? You can be the happiest woman in the world - Dr. 'Aid Al Qarni, Al Shamail Al Muhammadiyah - Al Tirmidzi, Bidayatul Hidayah - Imam Ghazali, Fathul Qarib - Imam Syafi'e
Describe your most memorable Eid: I can barely remember my past 3eids anymore but every 3eid has always been special because of the time with the family. Nonetheless, the one I remember distinctly was the last 3eid I spent with my grandfather.
When did you first start fasting? My parents trained me to fast since the age of 5. I started off with half a day of fast though.
When did you start hijab? Ramadhan 2008 :)
What's your usual outift like when you go out? Depends on how my mood is like. On lazy days I tend to just throw on an 3abaya lol.
What do you like about blogging? I love writing hence I channel my writing energy to blogging because I genuinely feel it's a catharsis for me.
Describe your first feelings wearing
Hijab: I remember being really nervous and horribly paranoid. I kept thinking I was getting stares and it made me start questioning myself if I was really ready. Al7mdolellah though, I have not lifted it off ever since. InshaAllah, I never will <3
Abayah: The best thing a Muslim ever came up with wallah. 3abayas are so comfortable and so easy to be around with. Not to mention how they are fit for almost any occasion, always allowing you to look your best even on days you're most lazy to dress up!
Niqaab: I wore it when I was in Madinah and Makkah and it was beautiful to be have another layer of covering. MashaAllah. I have massive respect for Niqaabis, wallah!
How do you pin your hijab? Again, it depends on my mood. On some days I wear the loose shayla style. Other days, the 5aleeji style. Sometimes the Dina To-kio style. These few days, I have on this casual wrap that I recently came up with. Really easy to go around with. :)
What was on the last prayer mat you made salah on? The mat I bought when I was in Makkah doing my Umrah over at Bin Dawood; Museum. It's a really pretty mat mashaAllah, it's some sort of the Palestinian colours actually. Here's a peekture -http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr24qsG3Vl1qd3ak7o1_500.png heh :) I love it so much. It's handmade from Kashmir! <3
What's your ideal iftar? Doner Kebab & Punch. Lol. Of course with dates and all that.
What type of adhaan really gets to you? Anytype of Adhaan gets to me. Particularly Al Haram's but subhanaAllah, Aqsa's Adhaan is just as enchanting!
What's something that annoys you at Jummah: When people are busy gossiping while the Imam's giving Khutbah. If they knew the amount of ajer they are missing out on, they'd understand the importance of keeping their traps shut.
What was the last surah you read? Surah Al Baqarah
Do you dry yourself after wudu? Not really but they usually tend to dry off by the time I have my hijab on to perform my Salah. Well yes, considering the desert of a country I live in, I am not surprised.
Do you brush your teeth for fajr salah? Usually, yes. Sometimes with just mouth wash though.
Whats the last Islamic thing you've been involved with? The most distinct memory I have of contributing to the Ummah is planning a camp on the fundamentals of Islam for freshmen in college.
What was the last convention you went to? The Early Childhood Convention. Somewhere last year I suppose...
Have you ever been part of an Islamic matrimonial site? LOL no.
What color is the rug in the masjid you usually attend? Green and Red... if I remember it right.
Is the masjid you usually attend separated? Yes. Muslimahs have a separate section in the building. Something like a balcony over the Muslimin ground.
Have you ever stood in a minbar? Yes, at Masjid Ibraheem in Palestine.
Have you ever washed a dead body before? No :/
What's the last thing you ate in the masjid? I had rice with gravy. It was Suhoor at the Masjid after Qiyamu layl
Where's the strangest place you've seen a Muslim working? I don't know. Nothing seems strange these days. The most odd of places you could possibly find a Muslim have turned into the most common ones. Astaghfirullah.
Have you ever posted a flier in the masjid? Nope.
Rate your masjid's bathroom: It's pretty clean Al7mdolellah.
Have you ever used a bidet for istinja? yes.
What's the weirdest thing that happened to you in salah? I was praying at Masjid Al Haram and this little boy just stood in front of me. I couldn't decide if I was to continue with my ruku' or like invalidate my prayer :/ lol
Isn't it annoying when the imam tells everyone to shut off their cell phones and someone's phone rings in the middle of salah? LOL. Yes. Unfortunately, most people just don't seem to be able to get simple instructions into their heads.
What's some of the best halal food you've had (from a non Muslim country)? I live in a Non-Muslim country and the best Halal food I have ever had was Kofta with Rice at Sheikh el arab at Arab st.
What was it like when you found out skittles were haram? Bleh.
What's something haram that you think most people don't know? I think people know them things are Haram, they just choose to ignore them facts and bring out their own fatwas to make justifications for their Haram actions. Oh well. C'est la vie.
What's the craziest hijabi fashion you've seen? I can't recall any that rings a particular bell in my head.
Lol mashaAllah, I think I have changed for quite a bit since the past two years. Nonetheless, it's all for the good inshaAllah.
Till next time!
A'qilah Saiere
