• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-28: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-21: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01… http://t.co/CuQjgrQX #
• Video Review: My Journal by Smart Ark: Asalaamu Alaykum. The video coming at you today is another product from S… http://t.co/I5ZL7eFH #
• Download my FREE ebook, "Balancing Life as a Muslim Mom" Today! http://t.co/1D0rFuQK #
• The power of social media #infographic http://t.co/2l8gQpqA #
• Simple #infographic to help you get started with major social media sites. http://t.co/DPYBZTNl #
• Canopies fully opened in the courtyard of Al-Masjid An-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. http://t.co/4ksF5CTX #
• Dr. Ed Sobey knows that kids learn to love Science by making them "do" Science. http://t.co/zrPzgLIJ #
• Ohana = Family. And, our Family can not live without this awesome, interactive, fun, addictive brain http://t.co/GpKo7lTb #
• The ROI (Return On Investment) of Using Social Media – Is Social Networking Effective? #infographic http://t.co/3iArLRfJ #
• Are You a Happy Small Business Owner? Check out these stats to keep you motivated! http://t.co/c6slotam #
• How Brands Can Effectively Engage their Consumers Using Social Media & Who to Work With. #infographi http://t.co/O6i80J7f #
• Fascinating Tips To Use Pinterest as a Lead Generator to Your Blog. http://t.co/RlMqYGe3 #
• Want to See Where Muslim Women Hang Out the Most on Facebook? http://t.co/Va2TY18w #
• Find Out Who the Top 50 Muslim Mom Bloggers Today! http://t.co/QiTS2mxP #
• 33 Facebook Terms Kids Use That Every Parent Should Know! Topics: Sex, Drugs, Depression & Cyberbull http://t.co/ufljKted #
• Who Uses LinkedIn & Why. #infographic http://t.co/muz2Cm3O #
• Best time for retweets, Facebook likes, Blog comments, and Email clicks. Do You Work on the Weekend? http://t.co/IBAPzEwp #
• Free Science Resources & Projects for Kids. http://t.co/upFHivxI #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-02-04 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Asalaamu Alaykum. The video coming at you today is another product from Smart Ark. It’s a beautiful hard-cover spiral-bound journal, with sections for various things like contact information, an address book, drawings, and more! Take a look at Mama Sabra’s My Journal:

Do you keep a journal? How often do you write in it?

Video Review: My Journal by Smart Ark is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Here are some of my most-used apps on my iPhone from 2011. I have included my top picks from various categories. Enjoy!

1. Food

Two great recipe apps! Both of these apps have step-by-step directions and a variety of recipes to browse!

• Allrecipes
• Taste of Home

2. Islam

• QuranExplorer and ALafasy are excellent Qur’an apps.
• Kids DUA has some great supplication for kids to say including when waking up, upon completing the meal, when wearing a garment.
• Allah Made The World is also a wonderful book app for kids!

3. Entertainment

• Words with Friends is a fun app that is similar to Scrabble, and you can play it with your friends! Great for vocabulary learning, too.
• Kindle is an excellent app to download and read books from.

4. Travel

These are all must-have apps for when you are traveling anywhere in the U.S. or world! They will help you find restaurants, hotels, and activities.

• TripAdvisor
• TripAssist
• AroundMe
• Groupon

5. Health

• MyFitnessPal is a wonderful app to track calories and exercise. You can also add your friends and encourage each other and stay on track!
• If you are a runner, download iMapMyRUN which helps track how many miles you run and routes.

6. Social

Excellent social media apps I have been loving:

• Pinterest is a virtual pinboard with many different categories.
• Instagram lets you share and edit photos.

What were some of your favorite apps in 2011 and that you will continue to use? Have you tried any of the apps I mentioned? If so, which do you love?

photo credit: jtbrennan

Favorite iPhone Apps from 2011 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Audio Post- Life in Gaza: Making a Family Du’a When Apart is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-21: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-14: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01… http://t.co/OptE53lJ #
• Audio Post- A Muslim Kid’s School Lesson: From the Remembrance of Mama to the Remembrance of Allah: Bismillah. I… http://t.co/xJQNqowV #
• 5 Ways to Keep the Kids Busy While You Work at Home: I’ve been working from home as a freelance writer for seven… http://t.co/1v0E6JzV #
• Video Review: Smart Ark’s Islamic Cards: Asalaamu Alaykum. We have a short video review today of beautiful Islam… http://t.co/pxYKBZqn #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-28 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Asalaamu Alaykum. We have a short video review today of beautiful Islamic cards from Smart Ark. The stationery is blank on the inside so you can write personal messages to your friends and family. The cards come with matching envelopes, too. Check out the review below:

How often does your family give cards to one another? Do you prefer writing your own message? Share your opinions with us in the comments!

Video Review: Smart Ark’s Islamic Cards is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

I’ve been working from home as a freelance writer for seven years now. My children were all under the age of four when I first began seriously pursuing home-based writing opportunities. If finding paying gigs was the most challenging aspect of working from home, keeping my children worked a close second.

In the beginning, I imagined myself parenting by day and writing at night; and although I logged in a few late nights to meet pending deadlines, I quickly realized that writing all night couldn’t be my regular working schedule when I was expected to wake up each morning before fajr, and stay awake to manage the children and the household throughout the rest of the day. I was my children’s caretaker 24/7, so I realized if I was going to write, I would have to figure out how to carve out time for writing during my busy, unpredictable days with children underfoot.

Working at home with my children involved some trial and error in the beginning, but eventually we figured out how to make it work. Every family is unique, and various factors come into play when you work at home with children, such as, age and the number of little ones in your household. Most of these tips are for children age 10 and under (because that’s the age group I’m dealing with in my household), but hopefully you’ll find some of the following suggestions helpful:

Keep Your Kids on a Schedule

I have to admit I didn’t operate on much of a schedule before I had children. Today I doubt I could survive without one. Experts say children thrive on having a routine and knowing what to expect. I agree. I learned to keep everyone on a daily routine that involved sleeping, waking, and eating at the same time each day. I also schedule things like television and computer time, outdoor time, nap time and quiet time. I deviated from the schedule once or twice and immediately noticed that everyone was crankier and more out of sorts than when the schedule was in place. I find it’s much easier for me to plan my work schedule around my children than the other way around.

Baby-Proof and Enclose Your Work Area

When my toddler twins started walking around the house, I immediately bought safety gates to keep them and their three-year old sister enclosed in the same room where I worked so I could keep a close eye on everyone. A baby can slip away unnoticed very quickly. Keep toys in the area (rotate them regularly because children can grow bored playing with the same toys over and over again), and you can check your email, or work on projects requiring more concentration while they play.

Keep Workbooks, Coloring Books and Crayons Accessible

Workbooks, coloring books, pencils, markers and crayons can keep kids busy while you work. Your child may really like the idea of “working” on her own project along side you.

Create an “Activity Area”

Create a small “activity station” you keep stocked full of items like blank paper, construction paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, play dough, chalk, stencils, glitter, glue, stickers and more. Put a small table in the designated area with the understanding that your children will make a mess while working, but it will keep them well preoccupied and stimulate creativity.

Wear Your Baby

Newborns and nursing babies love nothing more than being snuggled up close to Mommy, feeling her warmth, smelling her scent and hearing her soothing heartbeat. A sling, or baby carrier, makes it easy to keep your baby close while you respond to emails, update blog posts or research writing opportunities. There are many different cultures around the world where it is customary for mothers to wear their babies while working. There are experts that say “sling babies” learn more than babies left to lie in carriers and cribs because they spend more time alert and quietly interacting with their environment which leads to enhanced visual and verbal stimulation.

Do you work from home? If so, how do you keep your kids busy?

 photo credit: danielmoyle

5 Ways to Keep the Kids Busy While You Work at Home is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Bismillah.

In this post, we have for you a special close-up of the Sabra girls’ braids, styled especially for them by their Mama. There are fun twists on the typical “boring” braid. You can see in the pictures below the creativity in the French braids, inverted braids, and more! Accompanying the photographs is the above podcast, in which Ponn shares the story of her girls going to school with the braids, the compliments they’ve received, how it reminds them of her, and a reminder of how we all need to be grateful to Allah.

Be sure to listen until the end of the roughly 4-minute podcast and leave your response to Ponn’s question in the comments.

Audio Post- A Muslim Kid’s School Lesson: From the Remembrance of Mama to the Remembrance of Allah is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-14: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-07: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12… http://t.co/Bg5PvFwT #
• Breakfast for the Working Mom: The Most Important Meal of the Day: I am the first one to admit that I rarely eat… http://t.co/4ZN8BZP7 #
• Video Review: Islamic Posters: Asalaamu Alaykum! This week’s  video review features four Islamic posters from Sm… http://t.co/5JvytfVn #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-21 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Asalaamu Alaykum! This week’s  video review features four Islamic posters from Smart Ark that can be used to decorate different rooms in the house, especially a child’s room for study. The subjects of the four posters are:

1. The Arabic Alphabet
2. Arabic Numbers
3. 5 Pillars of Islam
4. Hajj- A Very Special Journey

Check out the video review below:

We hope you like the review. Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts or questions about these posters from Smart Ark!

Video Review: Islamic Posters is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

I am the first one to admit that I rarely eat breakfast.  Between getting my boys up, dressed, and backpacks organized and having to get myself dressed and ready for work it usually doesn’t happen. In November I challenged you to create a family calendar and commit to cooking and eating a home- cooked meal three days a week.

How did you do?

This month I want to include breakfast into the plan.  Planning and preparing is a huge part of this, especially if you’re a mom working outside of the home.  It’s so easy to wake up and head out the door without eating something. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and can provide a great opportunity to start your day on a good foot.

Just in case you don’t want to take my word for it, I enlisted the help of registered dietitian and nutrition consultant Nour El-Zibdeh to provide some expert advice.  Nour states, “Eating breakfast regularly helps people lose weight. Eating breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism. There are about 8-10 hours between the last meal or snack you eat at night and when you wake up in the morning. Breakfast literally means breaking the fast–the fast your body goes through at night. The energy you fuel your body with by eating breakfast kicks your body out of starvation and triggers it to start burning calories.” As Muslims we know how important fasting is and also how important breaking that fast is.  Skipping the breaking of the fast slows us down for the rest of the day!  ”When people eat a good breakfast, they are less likely to overeat at lunch and in the afternoon,” El-Zibdeh says.

So what should we be eating?

Often, people resort to ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, baked goods, and pastries for breakfast because they’re quick or because of misleading nutrition advertising. However, these products tend to be high in added sugars and fats and low in whole grains, fiber, and protein. The best breakfast meal is one that includes protein, fiber from whole grains, a small amount of healthy fats, and fruits or vegetables. I recommend microwaving 1/2 c rolled oats with low-fat milk for 2 minutes, then adding a handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, or almond butter) and fruits (fresh berries, fresh finely chopped apples or pears, chopped dates, raisins, bananas), and spices such as cinnamon or ginger. Use ripe fruits for more sweetness and if you want more, you can add a very small amount of honey or 100% pure maple syrup. Eggs are another excellent source of protein. Hard boil some and store in your fridge for few days for a quick protein-rich breakfast on weekdays, or bake a frittata loaded with veggies on Sunday and heat in the microwave Monday morning. I also recommend tomato and cucumber slices or stick with eggs. ~ Nour El- Zibdeh

I’ve got a great breakfast recipe that combines all of this expert advice along with the practical needs of a busy mom.  Breakfast Power Balls are a favorite of our entire family.  They are easy to make (even the kids can get involved) and they are something I can grab as I head out the door.  Not to mention they are full of natural ingredients – not processed!  Here’s how to make them.

Breakfast Power Balls

Base Ingredients

• 1 cup Nut Butter (almond, peanut, pecan, any nut butter will work)
• 1/2 cup good quality raw honey
• 1 cup oats
• 1 tbsp protein or whey powder (optional)

Do you struggle with breakfast?  This month, challenge yourself to eat a good, healthy breakfast at least 3 mornings a week.  Add this into your meal planning calendar!

Special thank you to Nour El-Zibdeh for providing nutritional advice for this article.  Nour is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Northern Virginia.  You can visit her blog Practical Nutrition and find her on Twitter for more nutrition information and advice.  

Breakfast for the Working Mom: The Most Important Meal of the Day is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Halfway through January already, SubhanAllah–Glory be to God. The four numbers that make up the year 2012 have not registered in my mind just yet because I have been on my winter break. It was almost thirty days of relaxing at home most of the time sprinkled with seeing family and friends, reading, and working the rest of the time. None of those days consisted of writing the date on the upper left-hand corner of my notebook.

Back to School, Again

That changes tomorrow because I will face, yet again, another first day of school, InshaAllah. It used to be nice–getting the jitters and butterflies of the first day just once a year, but now in college, it’s twice a year. Twice a year I need to engage in awkward small talk in hopes of igniting new friendships. Twice a year that I need to adapt to new professors’ teaching and grading methods. Twice a year I need to spend money on buying used textbooks. Twice a year I end up procrastinating writing term papers. Twice a year I stress studying for midterms and final exams. Twice a year I need to search around campus to find new places to pray and new places to study. So it’s officially 2012. It has been for 16 days. It’s a new year, which means it’s about time for a new semester.

Past Experiences with Change

I’m the type of person who isn’t very fond of Change. Not that Change has been particularly mean to me at all–in fact, I’ve had quite the opposite experience with Change. At the end of sixth grade, Change made me find myself in a new academic environment. Not the kind with long hallways, and crowds of students bumping into each other when the bell rang; rather, a quieter abode– a private Islamic school at the site of a masjid, inhabited by the people I now consider my best friends and role models. Change pushed its way into my life once again, when it came time for me to leave my comforting tight-knit-community of a school and move on to bigger things–college. That, and this is no lie, scared me beyond all reason. The transition from a small class of 14 students to a class of thousands of freshman was scary, but more frightening than that was the concept of adulthood. After college, I won’t formally be labeled a student anymore, though having been one most of my life. The first day of the unknown world of what lies ahead after these two and a half years I have remaining as a student is what is truly scary.

I acknowledge I am getting a bit ahead of myself. So perhaps I should share these three important tips that I have found successful in my numerous past first-day anxieties whether it was for school, work, any experience really.

My First-Day Tips

1. Breathe. Take a minute to grab your head and put it back on straight. Step outside or open a window and take a deep breath of fresh air.
2. Prepare yourself. If you’re walking into your first interview, have the proper materials–resume, cover letter, proper attire. First day of class? A pencil/pen, paper, books won’t do you harm. When you’re prepared, materially and mentally, you have less to be worried about.
3. Make du’a. When you have done whatever you can to make your first day go smoothly, leave the rest up to God, and be satisfied with the results.

How do you deal with your first-day anxiety? We would love to hear your tips!

It’s a New Year is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-07: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-31: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12… http://t.co/14c9BtyY #
• Feelings While Praying at the Kabaah: Bismillah. The comments of sister Debbie & Diana on my opening audio annou… http://t.co/h73cXvpa #
• Ponn Sabra of American Muslim Mom to be Interviewed on Muslimahs Working at Home: I’m a big advocate of home-bas… http://t.co/qT5QZKOX #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-14 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

I’m a big advocate of home-based business ventures. For the past seven years, I’ve been self-employed, and it’s allowed me the flexibility to earn an income and be available to my husband and four children when they need me. My passion for entrepreneurship led to the creation of my blog, Muslimahs Working at Home. My goal is to encourage Muslim women to achieve home/work life balance, creative and financial freedom through entrepreneurship.

How to Start a Home-Based Business

I often receive emails from women asking about how to get a home business started. After receiving several inquiries I decided to publish a special series where I interviewed several Muslim women who operate successful, home-based ventures. In these interviews, the sisters answer questions about how they got started, what (if any) training is required, share recommended resources, and much more.

6-Week Home Business Interview Series

Each Monday, a new Interview publishes on the blog. The 6-Week Home Business Series  has been publishing each Monday for the past five weeks, and there are only two interviews left. I’m so excited that Ponn Sabra, founder and publisher of American Muslim Mom has agreed to participate as the final interview of the series. Ponn will share invaluable information about how she got started blogging and how shehas turned blogging into a profitable home business venture.

Ponn’s Interview is scheduled to publish at Muslimahs Working at Home on Monday, January 16, 2012, insha’Allah (God willing). Stop by to see what Ponn and the other sisters have to say about their own journeys toward self-employment.

Ponn Sabra of American Muslim Mom to be Interviewed on Muslimahs Working at Home is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Asalaamu Alaykum! Today we would like to share an adorable video produced by Little Big Kids. We have been huge fans of their work since we introduced them to the Eid Gift Guide and hosted a very fun and informative interview with the founders and owners, in which they share how they involve their whole family in their business startup too. InshaAllah, they have big plans to share Spring 2012, so stay tuned!

Islamic Themed Wall Clocks for kids from Little Big Kids on Vimeo.

 How do you like the video? We think it’s so cute, and the wall clock is great addition to any child’s room. It reminds the kids, as well as the adults, to keep Allah, glory be to Him, in the center of our time.

Video from Little Big Kids is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Bismillah.

The comments of sister Debbie & Diana on my opening audio announcing my journey to our Sacred Kabaah, caused me to write this quick post.

Sister Debbie Al-Harbi commented:

Salaam Alaikum, Dear Sister Ponn. I want to know the feelings of praying at the Kabaah. Tell us your emotions as you go through your journey Hajj. All my love, Sister Debbie.

Wa-alaykum asalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu dear Sister Debbie. There are no words to fully express what it was like praying at the Kabaah, subhanallah, Glory is to Allah. The only true feeling I had when I was in sujood at every single prayer in the Masjid al-Haram was ‘I just wanted to die and return to our Lord & Creator.’

I felt an immense amount of happiness, fulfillment, peace, safety, security, and pleasure. It’s an undescribable feeling, to be SO happy that anyone would want to die; but as I tried to explain to my girls in a non-depressing way–I just felt that everything is good, right, nothing-is-wrong, and so IF my sins are forgiven for making this Hajj, and I am granted a Hajj Mabror (accepted & completed Hajj) by Our Lord, than please Oh Allah, take me now–pure and innocent as a baby.

However, once I sat up from that first sujood, I returned for the next sujood and begged that I’d return to my girls; so together my husband and I can come back with them for Umrah. I wanted to impart all that I learned, all that I gained, and all that I experienced with my girls.

Alhumdulilah, Praise be to Allah, Half my du’a was answered, in that I returned to my girls; and inshaAllah, we are working our way back to our most Sacred House. Ya Rabb. Ameen.

The next comment was from Diana Grant. She said:

This is a very heart warming message from you Ponn… I admire you for your good deeds and hope for your success in your journey.

MashaAllah, mashaAllah, mashaAllah, God has willed, all that I am; and all that I pray to be as His true servant. My actions and words come from Him alone, so please dear Diana, come praise Him and Only Him as I do, beg for His forgiveness and stay true to His straight path. Ya Rabb Ameen.

Please be a part of the discussion by leaving a comment below. JazakAllahu Khayr.

photo credit: Tab59

Feelings While Praying at the Kabaah is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-31: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-24: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12… http://t.co/Cohk5HFX #
• Audio Post: Salam From Jeddah– En Route to Hajj: Asalaamu Alaykum! Today, Alhamdulillah, we have another special… http://t.co/QyjXfDME #
• Video Review: Prayer Times A Book of Colours By Smart Ark: Asalaamu Alaykum. Another Thursday means another vide… http://t.co/hQ0KOZUY #
• Life in Gaza: Fresh Fish Friday Family Fun: SubhanAllah, Glory be to Allah. The one and only week-end day in Gaz… http://t.co/HBqxmjw7 #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-07 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

SubhanAllah, Glory be to Allah. The one and only week-end day in Gaza is Friday, so all of the adults sleep in after Fajr. The kids, however, actually run downstairs–YES–right after the time when shurook (daybreak) occurs to either play soccer or build their orchard and gardens.

MashaAllah, after my taking pictures of the various trees, all the kids decided to make the land beautiful. They’re all landscaping by building a bigger canopy for the cocktail (passion fruit vines), designing the land, and planting herbs because it’s winter, shittah, or rainy season.

On One Fishy Friday…

This one Friday, Sido (grandfather) went to the bahar (sea) after Fajr prayer and came up with a garbage bag nearly-full with fresh sardines. Already cleaned, all one neice had to do was rinse the fish in the water really quickly as Sido made the fire. The 3-dozen neices, nephews, Sido, Teta (grandmother) & I (all of the other adults slept in, but this was a new experience for me) enjoyed a fun Friday morning of fresh fish. It was a joyous occasion. For the bigger fish, my girls and I were taught how to pull the skeleton out and eat this delicious meal.

Please share what you do on Fridays as a family. Does it start on Thursday night even though we live in a country with a work week of Monday-Friday? This is another blessing of homeschooling in America–we’ve always prioritized Friday as faith and family time.

We’re curious, have you ever had fish for breakfast before? Please share your thoughts below.

Life in Gaza: Fresh Fish Friday Family Fun is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Asalaamu Alaykum. Another Thursday means another video review for you! Today, we have a video of Ponn and her girls reading  a book by Smart Ark called “Prayer Times: A Book of Colors” to “Little Ponn.” The book is hardcover with sturdy pages. It goes over the five prayers that are a part of a Muslim’s daily life and also the colors with the beautiful illustrations. You can find the book on Smart Ark’s website.

Please share your opinions on the book and what ways you find helpful in teaching your kids the basics about prayer and colors!

Video Review: Prayer Times A Book of Colours By Smart Ark is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

•  “Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk”– “Here I am at Your Service, Oh Allah.  Here I am at Your service.” People from all over the globe are gathering for the completion of one common goal–Hajj Mabrook.
• Allah doesn’t burden a soul more than it can bear– We must realize that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows best what we are capable of.
• Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wa sallam)– He completed the Hajj in the best way possible, and every Muslim should strive to do the same. That means no complaining or whining and no anxiety or aggravation.
• Each difficulty comes with an experience– Things happen to us for a reason. Therefore, we must learn from mistakes and hardships. No one said Hajj was easy, so any difficulty faced has a beneficial factor to help us become wiser human beings.

Insha’Allah you’ve all enjoyed this audio. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and share this post with your friends and family.

Audio Post: Salam From Jeddah– En Route to Hajj is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-24: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-17: Five Fun Tips to Teach Kids Arabic… http://t.co/4Zgjhy7u #
• Audio Post: From Mecca to Medina to Palestine: A Secret Revealed Asalaamu Alaykum! As you may have realized Ponn… http://t.co/Mi2j2Tq6 #
• The Medina Experience: Bismillah. As revealed in our previous audio post, Ponn has been traveling to the most sa… http://t.co/XSBC3KA0 #
• Life In Gaza: Fresh Fruit From Our Backyard: Just by looking at a few pictures, we can get a quick lesson in all… http://t.co/YUZUVpyu #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-12-31 is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Just by looking at a few pictures, we can get a quick lesson in all of the following subject areas (and more!):

• Arabic
• Biology
• Geography
• Health
• Natural living

Life In Gaza: Fresh Fruit From Our Backyard is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Bismillah.

As revealed in our previous audio post, Ponn has been traveling to the most sacred lands in Islam–Mecca, Medina, and Palestine. Outside Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, there are umbrella-like canopies–nearly 200 of them! This video shows them opening:

Canopies fully open.

These next few images were taken after Fajr while awaiting shurook (daybreak). SubhanAllah, what an experience it must have been taking a picture of something so beautiful that we have only seen in photographs taken by others on the internet. Realizing its reality–seeing it in person. Stepping on the land that the beloved Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam himself stepped on when Islam itself was born and established.

Masha’Allah, with much patience and fortitude, SubhanAllah, Ponn was one of 50 women in her group of 150 Americans, and was blessed enough to pray in the Nobel Rawdah, which is the area between the Prophet Muhammad’s  salallahu alayhi wasalam minbar (where he lead prayer) and the room that contains his grave.

The Prophet Muhammad’s  salallahu alayhi wasalam was reported to have said,

“The area between my house and my Minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise and my Minbar is upon my Pond.” (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim.)

May Allah accept a completed Hajj (Hajj Mabror) and the du’a (supplications) made in the Noble Rawdah. Ameen.

Share with us your experiences of Hajj and Umrah, or what you look forward to most on your planned future pilgrimage, Insha’Allah.

The Medina Experience is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

A Secret Revealed

Asalaamu Alaykum! As you may have realized Ponn has been missing from American Muslim Mom for the past couple months. Listening to her debut audio linked above, as well as reading the title of this post, will explain that she has been traveling to the 3 Most Sacred Lands for all Muslims–Mecca, Medina, and Palestine.

I’ve been overseeing American Muslim Mom, at Ponn’s direction, and I’ve been anticipating her  motivational stories and lessons learned from her journey. I’m glad that I can finally share this news that’s been a secret for the past few months–that Ponn’s one and only dream of going to Hajj before she dies came true, Alhumdulilah.

Ponn has served as my mentor and adviser in business for many months now. I’ve summarized the knowledge I’ve gained working alongside her in this post from July. I’ve also contributed various posts that Ponn has helped me edit which you can read here. Specifically in my end-of-summer internship post, Ponn not only serves as my mentor and adviser, but also one of my inspirations and friends. I wasn’t sure if we would be working again after the summer, but in the middle of the semester (around October), I received an email and later, a follow-up phone call. As Ponn shared her most incredible good news about Hajj, I was actually faced with a decision to oversee her American Muslim Mom blog network, as well other online businesses–a very daunting task and responsibility. I felt I could take on the challenge and began to scribble down detailed notes of what needed to be done to run the sites. However, I cannot say honestly I was confident about it everyday, because I did run into problems, and on a couple rare occassions, I felt I couldn’t handle it. But, Alhumdulillah, everything worked out, and now I can say that I’m truly blessed to have gained this professional experience and continue to do so.

The fact that Ponn even asked me to do this was flattering, because it displayed her confidence in my abilities–abilities sometimes I forgot I had. I felt only like a business partner for a very short period of time. Instead, our relationship has progressed more towards a sisterhood, with her as my Khalto (Auntie) is Islam.

While it’s easier to just read a post, I recommend everyone to listen to this audio, and if you can’t right now, download it so you can listen later. Ponn’s message from her overseas journey is so extremely heartfelt, genuine, and moving.

American Muslim Mom’s Journey to Our Sacred Lands – Audio Notes

• A full shift to the Islamic calendar
• Hajj, a life-long goal achieved Insha’Allah
• Praying as if it’s our last prayer
• Stay in Gaza writing the How to Perform Hajj book
• The importance of the Arabic language
• Doing everything for the sake of Allah

InshaAllah, God willing, Ponn will pray in the third of the most sacred masajid, Masjid Al-Aqsa in Al-Quds, Jerusalem while on this journey. May all Mu’minyn (true believers) pray in the Sacred Houses of Allah. Ameen.

 Please comment below with what you’d like to hear about the holy pilgrimage, Insha’Allah. JazakAllahu Khayr, wa salaamu alaykum.

Audio Post: From Mecca to Medina to Palestine is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

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