One Chinese Muslimah =) Interviewed.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to hear about a blog called One Chinese Muslimah. Needless to say, the title caught my attention and I couldn't wait to get to know more about this sister =)I was fortunate enough to get to interview her and here's her interesting story....Enjoy!

  

Little Auntie: First of all, let me just say, thank you very much for agreeing to do this little interview....Let's get started! Just who is "One Chinese Muslimah"? 

Khadijah: Assalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wa barkahtu! You are very welcome and I couldn’t be happier to be interviewed by you!! I pray you and everyone who is reading this is in great health and a great state of imaan! Well, my name is Khadijah and I am Chinese Canadian and originally from Toronto. I went to Fashion school in Toronto, did some part-time modeling, and then ended up becoming a personal trainer. I am a full-time housewife who loves to cook and I am taking online Qur’an tafsir/tajweed course! I have no siblings and I really want to learn how to bake! Oh and I do some pattern designing (drawing) for fun! yayy!!

Little Auntie: Wow..from Personal trainer and model to Muslimah? How'd that happen and when did you add the word "Muslimah" to your identity? 

Khadijah: Hmmm, well, I was very materialistic and was very into the party scene back in Toronto. I was always VIP in the hottest parties and was very social. I realized that this lifestyle was not what I wanted mainly because of the people I was meeting and that there was more to life then fancy clothes, makeup, and parties. At the end of the night, the makeup came off and the loud music left a constant ringing in your ears and when the night is over, you realize that it’s the same rountine over and over and it just gets boring and almost becomes a chore to go out. I really turned my life around when I met my husband! He was just someone who came to the gym where I trained at (there are no gender segregated gyms in Toronto, well not that I knew of anyway!) and what started out as a conversation about Saudi Arabia turned out to a full on research about Islam! I began reading more about Muhammad (pbuh) and Khadijah (she is the reason why I chose the name!) and I was evening listening to Qur’an even though I didn’t understand anything but it really calmed my heart everytime i listened to it! I am really not sure what the turning point was but Allah had opened my heart and He had heard my cry for help all those years and I took my shahada in March of 2011 and got married right after Alhamdulillah.

Little Auntie: Alhamdillah!! Just amazing. :) Since you took your shahada in March of 2011, it's been a little over a year.  And somehow during that year, you decided to wear the niqab, right? Tell us, what prompted that decision? And what has your experience been with it?

Khadijah: I love the NIQAB!!!! It is just so beautiful and so precious. I feel like a queen when I am in my niqab. It is really the true meaning of beauty. It’s so modest and so mysterious! I went to a Islamic conference last summer and I saw so many sisters wearing niqab and one sister really stuck out to me. She looked so elegant and beautiful almost like a butterfly fluttering in the sky and I was thinking to myself “ I want to wear that!” and it took me some courage and the help of Allah and I started wearing it a few months ago Alhamdulillah! I haven’t gotten any negative reactions, it is a great way of dawah because some people are curious and want to know what I’m wearing. However, it DOES draw a LOT of attention and I sometimes feel that it does the exact opposite ( I mean instead of trying to “not be noticed” I am noticed ten times more than I am when I wear hijab and abaya, and that’s already a lot! Loll)

Little Auntie: alhamdillah, you haven't gotten any negative attention. I can imagine that the attention would be a little nerve wracking, but darling, don't worry about it defeating it's purpose or anything, because it's a different kind of attention. It's not like "OH, she's a HOTTIE", but like "Hmm, that's strange"...And you know, the prophet sallah Allahoo alyhee wa salam did tell us that Islam began as something strange and would return to something strange and to give glad tidings to the strangers. So that's actually a good thing,that you're "standing out"/ "different" from those around you.

But that said, besides the "attention", what do you think has been the hardest point you have faced since becoming a Muslim? Did you ever feel like giving up?

Khadijah: The hardest point thus far, would probably be I guess every day. It is a true struggle for me daily to stay consistent with my imaan. Imaan is like the waves of the ocean, some days there are high tides, other days there are low tides. I struggle constantly to try to stay focused with my studies or trying to always seek more knowledge. I used to be very lazy and that’s a big thing I am trying to tackle now! But Alhamdulillah, with constant duaa, Allah is the only one who can help me. There were times (when I had just became Muslim), where I wanted to stop wearing hijab because I became so frusturated and I wasn’t used to hiding my adornments (plus I was sweating so much! ) but I kept reminding myself that I was doing it for Allah and nobody else. Also, I lived in Toronto and it’s like a mini New York so many women are very stylish there and very “free”, I really wanted to incorporate my fashion with my hijab but I realized that would be far from being modest. IT was really a struggle!!! But Alhamdulillah I have come a long way and I am learning that I am to please my Creator and NOT the creation (well, except my husband) lol.

Little Auntie: I think you're so right. It can be such a struggle to not turn the hijab from a sign of submission to Allah to a fashion accessory. What you said is key: focusing on pleasing the Creator and not the creation, inshaAllah.

But you're still very much wanting to "help" the creation, aren't you? You started an initiative  called "Pious Muslim". What's that about?

Khadijah: Well, Pious Muslimah Initiative (PMI) is a non-profit organization where we unite sisters all around the globe. We want to unite the sisters through Islam and through doing sadaqah. MY sister in Mombasa, Kenya (who is my bestie and also a revert!) had this idea she started out with and she messaged me on my blog one day and asked me if I could be a part of it with her. I agreed of course and we have been working on this project since last year. Its very small and we don’t have many volunteers right now (only me and her and one other sister) but inshaa’Allah we will grow. We are currently working on a small orphanage called Al-Jazeera and it houses about 21 orphans with 2-3 caretakers. These orphans are aged 7-13 and are in desperate need of food and donations to support their housing bills and their Islamic school. We have received a few donations from some donors but we have a long way to go. The greatest thing about PMI is that every single penny goes directly to the orphanage. I send the donations that I have collected from donors and send it via Western Union to sis Amira in Kenya, and her and another sister directly go and buy food and deliver to the little sisters. I really hope that we could get some more help ! We are looking for more volunteers and more donations. Inshaa’Allah we will be able to unite sisters form all around the world for the sake of Allah.

Little Auntie: That sounds like such a good idea, ma'shaAllah! May Allah give you baraka and success. Well, Khadijah, what would YOU like to tell the sisters reading this?

Khadijah: Wow, this will be a long one! J Well, I would love to tell my sisters in Islam that I am always happy and wanting to meet new sisters! Since I became Muslim I wanted to make it a goal of mine to unite as many sisters as I could globally. I have really wanted to work together to preserve the unity and love of Islam (something that has been lost, sadly.) I really want to continue to spread what our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)  worked so hard to spread and preserve. I want to tell all the sisters out there who are struggling with their deen and just with every day life, you are not alone and you never are alone. You have Allah swt and your sisters are all here for you no matter what you think!! I feel that is is so important to have a strong support group of sisters who are all striving for Jannah and who want to help each other make it there. I want to also say that your companions are extremely important! Imaan is preserved through gaining more knowledge, taqwa and having the right companions! Also, to the young, old, new, born Muslims of today, fear Allah, fear Allah, fear Allah. We get so caught up with this dunya we often forget what our purpose here on earth is; and that is to worship, submit completely to Allah and Allah alone. I really want to let all the sisters know that, I have really been through all that glitz and glam, party scene and all that media nonsense. It really is not worth any penny that you see at all. Instead of buying a vogue magazine, pick up the Qur’an and remember the words of Allah and the Last Day. Time is going by faster, and the days are getting shorter and shaitan is getting stronger. We don’t know when death will creep up on us, but when it does, remember this, you will know the truth of Allah and his messenger (pbuh) and what He was trying to convey, but by then it will be too late to repent to Allah. Would you want to die doing something haram? Or would you want to die in the state of La ilaha ilAllah? Remember this : “This, because you took the revelations of Allah (this Qur’an) in mockery, and the life of the world deceived you. So this Day, they shall not be taken out from there (Hell), nor shall they be returned to the worldly life, (so that they repent to Allah, and beg His Pardon for their sins.) (46:35)  I hope that we will all be able to taste even the smallest fragrance of Paradise! My beautiful sisters in Islam, I pray we can all unite with love, compassion, and sincerity in this dunya and the Hereafter for the sake of pleasing Allah and Allah alone. Ameen! Please don’t hesistate to check out my bloggie www.onechinesemuslimah.blogspot.com J xoxoxox

Little Auntie: Thank you so much for those important words...a really important reminder :) And thank you so much for doing this interview. I pray that this inspires another sister out there to reflect on her own life...and the life she wants to be living =) 

May Allah bless you and your family, Khadijah =) Let's definitely keep in touch!