The Bookish Hijabi Writes

"!میں کہ رہی ہوں نا بھیّا ڈھائی سو250 روپے سے ایک روپیہ زائد نہیں دوں  گی..." اُس کی نرم اور مترنم ہنسی اُس چھوٹی مگر نفیس دکان میں گونجی تھی۔   اور دکان دار کی آنکھوں کی چمک میں یک لخت کئی گنا اضافہ ہوا۔  اُس نے چونک کر اُس دوشیزہ کی سیاہ نقاب کی جھری سے ہلکی سی نظر آنے والی شفاف کانچ آنکھوں میں دیکھا جن میں کسی سمندر کی نیلاہٹ کا عکس جھلک رہا تھا۔  "چلیں جی، آپ اتنی محبت سے اصرار کر رہی ہیں تو 250 ہی صحیح۔ آپ بھی کیا یاد رکھیں گی کس رئیس سے پالا پڑا تھا!"  وہ وارفتگی سے اُس کے نقابی چہرے کو تکتے ہوئے بولا۔  "ہممم وہ تو ہے ، بھیّا۔"  عادلہ کو دکان دار کے لو دیتے لہجے سے  یکایک ہی عجیب سا احساس ہوا ۔ اُس نے یوں ہی اپنے نقاب کو شانوں پر مزید پھیلایا، آنکھوں پر چشمہ کا پہرا چڑھایا اور سر کی جنبش سے شکریہ ادا کرتے ہوئے اپنا من موہنا سوٹ تھامے کھڑی ہو گئی جو دکان دار 450 سے کم نہ بیچنے پر بہ ضد تھا لیکن اُس کی 20 منٹ کی تکرار اور اصرار بالآخر رنگ لائی۔   "واہ بھئی، 250 روپے میں اتنا نفیس اور دلاویز سوٹ! "  "پورے 150 روپے کم"...

I   hunted for the stars, chased fluffy clouds,  Mining earth's depth where secrets shroud. I even cast nets in the vast realms of the sea,  In search of the missing puzzle piece inside me. I sought hues to complete my vibrant rainbow,  Without it, life appears a dead, haunting volcano. As the skies queried, "What drives you so crazy?" Earth echoed, "You're still young, take it easy!" Oh, wish you'd know, a fire's been  burning within me, stinging like a bee,  Since I embarked on the magical train  of adolescence and met 'Ms. Puberty'. Unbeknownst to them, my heart smolders,  Embers of longing amid my fragile shoulders. An inferno of desire breaks my ribs, A plea, "Set me free" escapes my lips.  So listen, oh ignorant, I'm in pursuit of love ! To soothe my baffled soul,  with its warm glove.  I seek a beloved who settles my tangled heart,  Like an ocean lull the shore, its sweetheart. All of a sudden , the cloud veiled the mo...

Dear Ghaza!  With the wings of imagination, I soared towards your soil, Ghaza. But as soon as my vision met with your land, a turbulent sea of crimson greeted me, a sight that tore at my heart.  The poignant and pungent smell confirmed that it was none other than blood.  Blood in all its possible tragic forms.  The blood of innocent children robbed of their laughter and play. The blood of women, their beautiful smiles, and their longings for their future were cruelly extinguished.  The blood of men who should be dreaming of brighter tomorrows. The blood of elders who should be witnessing the joy of their loved ones.   And even the blood of infants who've not yet stepped out in this harsh world.  Oh, Dear Ghaza, that vivid, scarlet river told me stories of stolen innocence, shattered dreams, and unfulfilled wishes.  It cried out, narrating tales of oppression, transgression, brutality, and above all inhumanity.  The crimson tears of this...

  With a heavy heart and tearful eyes, I closed the book pdf. Moving it to the "Books I've recently read" folder, I felt like letting go of an old friend. This beautiful book journey, which began with goosebumps, ended with tears. But wait,   Which book? The book adorned with these mesmerizing lines: " People lived because she killed. People died because he lived " Guessing? One. Two. Three. Boom! Uh-huh, it is none other than: "WE HUNT THE FLAME!" A page-turning, magical fantasy filled with action and adventure written by the renowned Hijabi American author Hafsa Faizal.  Image copyright - Hafsa Faizal The fact that one of us has written a New York Times bestseller is a great honor for Muslim girls, especially Niqabis! It was almost 2 years ago that I got to know this book. A fantasy with an Arabian setting, written by a hijabi, I couldn't dream of more! Thus, I was super excited to read it, but to my disappointment, it wasn't available ...

YOU ARE LOVED! Yes, you read it right! Believe me! My dear sister, who is reading it at this very moment, consider it for yourself.   ( The first addressee is my nafs) You are loved by a secret lover.  Every day and every night, you do not even realize someone is waiting for your repentance. Someone is taking care of every minute thing of you, whether you are aware or not.  Someone loved you yesterday and loves you still. Always have and always will.  We, humans, spend our whole lives searching for true love. Movies, novels, songs, everything revolves around love. But, guess what? You already got a secret lover.  You desire to be loved. Don't you? Yes. Exactly! Every human being wants to be loved.  And when someone is loving you and caring for you, you don't even acknowledge it? While your secret lover is none other than your creator, your sustainer Allah! The king of kings. The creator of the entire world.  It is impossible to overestimate how mu...

 MY HIJAB STORY " I won't let you come with me if you wear this burqa. Understood?" Mrs. Khan fixed her brown furious gaze at the 12-year-old girl who was insistent on wearing a burqaa and beginning Hijab.   After being unable to convince her father, she was trying to persuade her mother. She was pretty sure that her mother would definitely support her. It was none other than her mother who taught her to wear a head scarf at an early age, even with criticism from people.   But, oh no! Her mother's statement was like an arrow from the heavens that sent the earth trembling in terror and shaking her feet.   With faltering steps and a heavy heart, she decided to try the tool of last resort and stood before her Merciful Lord. She prayed to Allah that if you want me to do hijab, then make me steadfast on it from this very day. Help me now. Please!   When she moved her head to the left reciting "Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah", a strong and confident girl woke up ...