How to answer: Why aren’t you fasting? Why aren’t you praying? Where do babies come from? for kids
We all know how loaded this question is and, if unprepared, answering can be awkward, to say the least. Yet, it’s not just young children who…
The Moon, Money and Motherhood: Conversations with a New Wave of Muslim Leaders
What do sighting the moon, purifying your wealth and the postpartum rest period have in common? A strange question, I know, but they are each…
Sunnah ways: Mindful eating this Ramadan
Mindful eating is nothing new, but in reality, it is so difficult to practice, especially at iftar time during Ramadan, as Ramadan approaches it’s important…
Make Palestinian Iftar dish Musakhan with Jenan
Musakhan is the national dish of Palestine and it’s a dish that is cherished by so many. It’s made with layers of fluffy bread, drenched…
We break down what “100% donation” and “no admin cost” policies actually mean
During the month of Ramadan, we often hear charities marketing “100% donations” or “no admin costs” – buzzwords that imply your donations only go to…
12 Duas For Pregnancy and Childbirth
From the day you decide to have a child to the day Allah blesses you with one, every experience related to pregnancy and childbirth is…
Ramadan Children’s Books with diverse families and characters
Ramadan now offers us so much choice in terms of resources for our children, decorations and reading material. I remember just a few years ago…
15 online classes and videos series to follow this month
The month of Ramadan is the perfect time to focus on our personal reflection and growth. Thankfully, the online community of Muslim discussions and reminders is…
Leave the bad habits behind this Ramadan
I remember the first Ramadan I experienced during the pandemic where people around me, including myself, felt disappointed for not being able to go to…
Welcoming Ramadan into our homes – A practical guide
As we await the arrival of Ramadan, lots of us are busily preparing our hearts, writing du’a lists, setting Qur’an recitation goals, and carefully setting…
19 Islamic and Muslim character books for kids about Ramadan, Eid and everyday life!
Please note this article was written and copied in 2021, See here for 2022 Book recommendations One of the best ways to bring Ramadan and…
The Motive, Week II, Why not go for a day trip to Cambridge?
This week in The Motive, why not go for a day trip to Cambridge? There’s plenty to do in this historical, picturesque city. 🚣🏽♀️ You…
Surah Al-Kahf Female Reciters Project
How many female reciters do you know? Recitations of the Qur’an by Muslim women are by no means a modern phenomenon. The presence and legacy…
A reminder on the benefits of communal worship
Most of us have spent the past two Ramadans alone or at home with families. While spending time alone in reflection and contemplation is encouraged,…
Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? Uncomfortable with Authentic Blackness
It’s effortless to succumb to the existing state of affairs today in reference to race. Nevertheless, to stand up for racial identity in link to…
The Motive brought to you by Halal Gems
Introducing The Motive. Every week we’ll be sharing our best recommendations from @halalgems and @amaliah_com. Whether it’s a review of the latest arts and culture…
This is What India’s Hijab Ban is Really About
Over the past few weeks, India has become a battleground for a disturbing rise in the persecution of Muslims. At the centre of this struggle…
How Prevent is putting Muslim Children in Danger
Prevent culture appears in the British Muslim psyche as a nebulous but engulfing force, suffocating Muslims in all spheres of public life. The strategy was birthed…
Book Review: Tangled in Terror by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan
For the vast majority of Muslims, Islamophobia forms a part and parcel of everyday life. From education, healthcare, the legal system, to the workplace,…
Why Willow Smith’s New Book Deserves to be Cancelled
Orientalist tropes often rely on patronising and dehumanising depictions of groups of people where their cultures are essentialised, exaggerated and generalised. Such depictions are a…
25 Muslim Women Reciters of the Qur’an You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
For some of us, our earliest memories of the Qur’an are images of our mothers or grandmothers rocking back and forth reciting from their well-loved…
What taking off my hijab taught me about the glorification of sin
Over the last few years, I saw the harmful development of a society devoid of God and spiritual observance, and filled with surface-level gimmicks to…
Narcissism in men: the Red flags you need to watch out for
The subject of narcissism has been worn out in recent years, but not much has been said about the growing narcissism we face in our…
6 Books to read on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
We’ve taken to social media to once again ask for recommendation on books and resources specifically about the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. For those of us…
Anti-Blackness, Dehumanisation and Hypocrisy in the Coverage of Russia’s War on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine following months of military build up on the country’s border. Russia has been conducting…
Swim or sink: the Trojan Horse Affair as a witch-hunt of the forever ‘underclass’
During the 16th and 17th Centuries, hysterical witch-hunts and trials swept across large parts of Europe, as religious strife combined with a range of endemic…
5 Changes To Make to Your Skincare Routine To Help Protect it From the Cold
With stormy, cold weather in recent weeks making temperatures plummet, it’s safe to say that the cold season is here to stay. With the…
The Mother Tongue as Resistance – Reflections on the subtle power of our native languages
In July 2018, my dad passed away. He had never spoken much, but so many of his words are forever etched in my brain. “Roti…
10 things that helped me decide if I want to have children or not
This is one of the first generations that has been able to intentionally choose if they want to have children or not at such a…
Back in the Day: Can a 90’s generation ever be duplicated?
My strongest memories of childhood derive from the simplicity of the times. It was idyllic, nostalgic even. It felt like we lived in low jeopardy…
11 Vegan Beauty Staples To Include In Your Routine Now
Veganism is much more than what you eat, it’s a lifestyle. It may sound very cliche but it’s very true. According to The Vegan Society,…
A call to our communities: Institutional misogyny is real, and we must acknowledge it before we can address it
*Editor’s note: Please note that throughout the article we reference “recent” in relation to the first incident mentioned. I write these words in a state…
How to talk to your kids about money
What was the first lesson you learnt about money? Who did you learn it from? What we learn about money as children and the habits…
Book Review: You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen
It’s 2017 and the UK is reeling from the aftermath of the horrific Manchester bombings. I remember hearing about the news of the attack and…
4 Women Tell Us How They Prepared Financially To Have Children
Making the decision to have children can be one of the most exciting journeys you embark on and while Barakah follow each child that comes…
Sunday Circles: Rajab, Spring, & Fresh Starts
First published in 2018 “We are living in a miracle. We inherited this world without knowing how miraculous this world is.” A wise lady said this…
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