Checking In

Hi, everyone!

Feels like forever since I’ve even looked at my site! But it feels good typing in this little white box again as I prepare to return to regular content. If you missed my last post, I mentioned that I would be staying away from posting online as much as I usually do due to the month of Ramadan.

For those who aren’t aware of the connection between Holy Month and why I’ve become a bit of a recluse, it’s a month of making good habits a priority and putting them into practice, to put it very simply. It’s not just starving from sunrise to sunset every day for thirty days. It’s a time where Muslims work on themselves, their connection to their Islam, ask for forgiveness, give more to charity and try their best to maintain a level of respect toward everything they do. For some, they seek to become closer to Allah (God) through various means, and for everyone it’s often different and subjective, but from those viewing it from the outside, it can be confusing! It can seem confusing why some are wearing a headscarf only during this month, or why some aren’t at all. It can seem strange why some of us will go to mosque while others won’t, why some will give charity while others maybe aren’t. It can seem confusing why some of the good habits aren’t maintained when the month is over.

It doesn’t make us hypocritical. It’s a time where we are invited to strive for perfection and try and experience what it’s like to be the best version of ourselves, both for our Creator and everyone we encounter. We’re invited to get to know our good side and hopefully love that person we practice being! The idea is that hopefully, some of those good habits will stay with us afterward, whether it’s Ramadan or not. And yes, many of us will go back to our old habits after. We may even slip up during Ramadan itself! But it’s still better to try and be a better person, than to go through life thinking everything we do is perfectly acceptable. It’s better that we gave to charity for one month, for were it not for this month making us aware, we may never give or persevere at all.

For me personally, everything I just mentioned along with personal reflection took preference over creating content online and attending events. It’s not a must, but just a personal choice I made. 3,5 weeks later, I find I swear less, gossip less and I have become more mindful of my choices and future, among many other things. I wore a head scarf (hijab) every day without fail out of respect for Ramadan and the beautiful opportunities it gives us as Muslims, despite knowing I won’t wear it afterward. And for those of us who love our religion and are proud of it, we get so excited every year when Ramadan rolls around! It’s never an inconvenience and you do not ever have to feel sorry for us. Every year, it makes me so grateful to be a Muslim.

That being said, there is one week left of Ramadan and I truly wish to make the most of it! At the same time, I’m very excited to start producing new work online and pushing myself further. I’ve kept my head down and ears closed this year and worked harder than ever before and it’s definitely paid off, and I don’t plan on changing that habit for anything anytime soon. Also, I miss you guys!

For those who are fasting, I wish you the best of everything this week. And thank you to everyone else for just generally being awesome, patient and so kind to me. I want to spice up my content too, so let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see more of, be it on the blog, Snapchat (aqeelahxo) or anywhere else.

See you all again very soon!

xx

*Sunglasses by Miu Miu at Sunglass Hut