Category: islamic journey

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You know you don’t have to do that!

Stephanie Roy

Peace and blessings. So Ramadan is right around the corner and I am, I must admit, dreading the long hours of fasting in the warmest weather of the year. Ramadan in Canada will be taking place during some of the longest days of summer averaging 17.5 hours between dawn and dusk. Yet, Ramadan was –and is– a large contributing factor to why I am a Muslim. After my first 30-day fast, I was in awe of  the insight it gave me on my body, on the greatness of God’s power of creation, and God’s ability to instill a will into … Continue reading You know you don’t have to do that!

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Ain’t No Hollaback Girl!

Stephanie Roy

The sexual harrassment of females at the hand of males is nothing new and far too often, women are told that they are to the ones with the ability to control the harassment. Even worst, women are recurrently told that they should take harassment as a form of flatery. That is unnacceptable! Would you accept that your mother, sister or wife be harassed, touched our catcalled in your presence? Of course not! Then why is it implied that we should take it as a compliment when the comments are turned towards us? Luckily, the Qu’ran and multiple hadiths speak of … Continue reading Ain’t No Hollaback Girl!

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The Power of a Smile

Stephanie Roy

Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings upon him) very famously said that charity could be done in a number of manners, including bearing a smile to a stranger. Smiles have mysterious effects on people.Even from the lips of a stranger, a smile can change a day. As I call it, a smile is the curve that makes the world go round. Because smiles are contagious! And I’m not just talking about the social construct that smiles must be returned but also about the fact that happiness spreads from one person to the next like wildfire. In this world where too many … Continue reading The Power of a Smile

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On rights and wrong…

Stephanie Roy

Ever since I’ve begin wearing a head scarf, I’ve been receiving the looks of friends and strangers alike: looks of admiration, looks of curiosity, looks of reprisals. Those looks are, in most situation, reinforcement of the purpose of my hijab. I feel protected and empowered, but, more importantly, I feel closer to God than ever. The comments I receive also range from extremely positive to negative. Some, however, are meant as neutral and they can cause me the most pause. One of those comments came through a conversation about my scarf: “what about our right to feel safe?” The reality … Continue reading On rights and wrong…

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Kicking off the habit

Stephanie Roy

The more it goes, the more I realize that most aspects of my life can be considered as habits. From the food I eat, to the people I speak to, my comfort levels lie in the knowledge, commonality and familiarity. I try as much as I can to grow and improve, but sometimes I find change difficult. Difficult, not because of the effort required to accomplish that change, but difficult because it requires that I change all the habits which revolve around that element. For example, when I decided to start wearing hijab, what I found difficult was adapting the … Continue reading Kicking off the habit