Umm Zakiyyah's Blog, page 24

Walking Guilty, the Weight of Doubt & Sin

I thought I had it all figured out. I know that sounds cliché, naïve even, but it’s true. I wasn’t going to compromise my soul.  I wasn’t going to open myself up to sin. I wasn’t going to Hell with my eyes open. Yes, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I knew I’d have to […]

She Couldn’t Have Sex, Interview with Tasniya PART 2

Tasniya Continues Discussing Suffering from Vaginismus    In the blog “Her Body Says No to Sex,” Umm Zakiyyah gives a brief introduction to the condition vaginismus, which is described by Drs. Ditza Katz and Ross Lynn Tabisel in their book Private Pain: Understanding Vaginismus & Dyspareunia as “a panic attack in the vagina,” which is […]

She Couldn’t Have Sex, Interview with Tasniya PART 1

Tasniya Discusses Suffering from Vaginismus   In the blog “Her Body Says No to Sex,” Umm Zakiyyah gives a brief introduction to the condition vaginismus, which is described by Drs. Ditza Katz and Ross Lynn Tabisel in their book Private Pain: Understanding Vaginismus & Dyspareunia as “a panic attack in the vagina,” which is often […]

Her Body Says No to Sex

Understanding Vaginismus © A few months ago, a group of Muslim girls relaxed in my friend’s living room watching television with my friend’s daughter. I was upstairs chatting with my friend about some projects we were working on for the youth. Later one of the girls came to me, clearly upset. “Why do Muslims do […]

Muslim Girl, the novel

Coming May 2014 (insha’Allah)… Faith turns to shame, confidence to doubt, and conviction to rebellion. Inaya was only nine years old when her mother converted to Islam and moved the family to Saudi Arabia. Excited about the move and their new faith, Inaya learned Arabic, memorized Qur’an, and inspired Muslim girls to wear hijab and […]

Is Music a Pillar of Islam?

It’s a common saying that you’ll know a tree by its fruits. And in my life, time and time again, I’ve found this to be true. Whenever I’m talking to someone about my own spiritual journey, I often share my stages of spiritual development and how with each step I’ve taken, I’ve seen the magnificent […]

Why Islamic Proofs Are Not My Focus

Part 2: Why I Write What I Write   Naturally, when discussing an Islamic matter in my posts, I’ll present Islamic evidences where necessary and relevant. But these proofs are intentionally not exhaustive or extensive because, for the purpose of this blog, presenting Islamic proofs is not my focus. Here’s why: My Reflections Are Informal […]

Why I Write What I Write

Part 1   As I discussed in the introduction video “I Never Thought It Would Be Me,” I was inspired to start UZ Reflections videos, blogs, and podcasts due to my own spiritual struggles after I witnessed so much of the “religious tug-of-war” going on in many Muslim communities—until I doubted I even had the […]

Is Beauty Evil?

“It’s really difficult to walk around Muslims feeling broken inside, and the only thing they think needs fixing is a piece of cloth on your head.” —from the journal of Umm Zakiyyah   I suppose it was inevitable that I’d write this blog. I myself have been on multiple sides of the hijab experience, and […]

I Never Thought It Would Be Me

Author Umm Zakiyyah discusses how she once doubted she could be Muslim, and how this spiritual struggle inspired UZ Reflections videos, podcasts, and blogs on spiritual crisis and rebirth.