Monthly Archives:' March 2014
A young Muslim woman professional boxer
Another awesome example of a Muslim woman making a name for herself…and proving the hijaab is not a barrier at all!
http://www.ottawasun.com/videos/3404378084001#.UzgVikXUB3s.facebook
All about Malala...
Malala is obviously a much-talked about personality who stands for education and women in Islam. Here are a few links about her, and especially about her father’s role and support of her throughout.
This is a TED talk by her father: http://www.ted.com/talks/ziauddin_yousafzai_my_daughter_malala?utm_medium=on.ted.com-facebook-share&utm_source=m.facebook.com&awesm=on.ted.com_f07bS&utm_campaign&utm_content=awesm-bookmarklet
And this is a short but FANTASTIC clip on Malala’s attitude towards the Taliban threat (as discussed with Jon Stewart) – really a must-watch with our children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrWttENgWNE
Football and hijab
Check out this amazing example of solidarity with a Muslim girl 🙂
http://www.upworthy.com/a-girl-was-kicked-off-a-soccer-field-for-her-hijab-so-her-team-scored-one-against-intolerance?c=ufb1
An inspirational young Muslim woman :)
A young Muslim woman doing awesome things – one to watch with our children!
http://www.upworthy.com/a-woman-who-is-changing-the-world-shares-how-she-learned-to-do-just-that
Umrah Idea 13: Take a thin blanket with you
One last minute idea i got from a friend before i left was to take a thin blanket with us. Thin enough to fit in a bag but blanketty enough to cover our kids while they rest/sleep in the haram.
This is especially handy for when in Masjid-un-Nabawi/Masjid-ul-Haram at Fajr times or after Isha when it gets a bit chilly! Now the only challenge is carrying them back to the hotel 🙂
Umrah Idea 12: Watch these videos with the children to understand the stories behind it all...
There are some great clips out there which explain the importance of Zam Zam water, the story of Prophet Ibrahim and Bibi Hajar, and how Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail build the Kaaba back up again.
These will help children get more of an understanding of the philosophies of much of what we do in the Umrah rites, Inshallah!
Here they are:
Story of how Bibi Hajar came to be in Makkah and the well of Zam Zam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrxCVfDTE2U
Another cartoon on Zam Zam water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzHX8SlJkoM
The building of the Kaaba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuPHP9rHYTg
Umrah Idea 11: Take some games!
I know I’m stating the obvious here, but unlike other holidays, the focus of going to Umrah is less entertainment-based and more spirituality-based.
This necessarily means that there will be lots of time where we will need to entertain the kids or provide them with things to do, as there is only so much time we can be at the haram, praying, etc.
As well as packing the usual card games, colouring packs, etc, why not take some Islamic games along too?
Buzz Ideazz stocks some games for all ages, and they are either foldable games and so weigh practically nothing and take up little or no space at all, or are small boxes. The only exception is Islamic Brain Quest which is a little heavy, but it is filled with so many questions to help pass the time AND encourage learning that it is worth it’s weight
P.S. Wouldn’t it be awesome to play a game about the Prophet while sitting in his mosque?!
Here is the link to check out the games for yourself:
https://buzzideazz.com/product-category/games/
Umrah Idea 10: Here's one for the adults...
If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to Umrah for yourselves, look no further. This journal was INVALUABLE during our trip… it’s available for download as well as hard copy!
Check it out here: http://www.qfatima.com/index.php/q-shop/qziyara-qshop
Umrah Idea 9: Take Buzz Ideazz's Umrah Journal!
So in the Iraq series, we talk about encouraging our children to keep a journal to write their thoughts/duas in, make a scrapbook with all their mementos in, and we also mentioned the importance of having child-friendly information about the trip.
Alhamdulillah, all these three concepts have been incorporated into our latest product – the Umrah Journal!
It is with the printers and will be with us early next week so please do get in touch if you would like us to send out a copy straight away to Inshallah get to you in time. Alternatively, we can arrange a mutually convenient time to pass them on!
Umrah Idea 8: Take a floor chair!
OK so I’m honestly not saying this because Buzz stocks them (!) – these chairs are a LIFESAVER!
Rolled up they can just be slung over the shoulder when going to and fro, and when sitting in the haram they are so convenient… I’m normally one who shifts a lot when sitting on the floor but with the chair i was able to comfortably sit in the same position for ages, and therefore was able to focus on reciting duas, or whatever i was doing!
Especially if you have a child who still sits on your lap – my 6 year old was on my lap loads and it was still very comfortable – I could easily lean back and still have back support for the both of us!
Check them out here: https://buzzideazz.com/shop/floor-chair/
