As SalaamAlaikum Sister,
I am a new mom (DS is 9 weeks today) and new to mothering.com. I was wondering if there were many Muslim mamas on here yesterday and stumbled onto this thread today! I don't have any questions or suggestions, but I just wanted to say hello.
InshAllah you are all well and enjoying your families this weekend 
(To the sister who was moving to Dubai... have you gone yet? A friend of mine lived over there, if you PM me I can give you more info...)
wa alaykum assalam, zakareyasmama—welcome, and congratulations on your new baby.
)liquesce, i was hoping you would be along to post, for exactly this reason. 
i am in agreement about interlibrary loan. it has been my very dear friend since starting on this journey—source of my best reading material. i appreciate the title suggestions.
Also, interlibrary loan networks FTW.
Interlibrary loans rock! I haven't thought to use it for islamic books(our library already rocks!) but they've gotten me any book I could have wished for so far in my doula studies, I've only had to buy the books that I actually wanted to buy and have on hand, and be able to loan out, etc.
Did I mention interlibrary loans rock? hahaha
Salamu Alaykum Sisters! Welcome ZakareyasMama!
I love my libraries, too! Have been nearly living there lately, as they also have all the computer equipment (printers, scanners) and photocopiers I've needed for the relocation process. Excited to learn that Dubai has a public library system. They collect a fee to join, but still all in all a great opportunity, and one many places don't have.
Dh has been over there now for a week, and the kids and I are scheduled to go in a little over 2 weeks. I still have a lot to tend to here before we go, and the kids will attend school right up until the day before we leave, but the time is really moving now. I'd rather have dh's help with all this stuff, but at the same time, emotionally now the kids are really focused on getting there and seeing him again, taking away their focus on who and what they will be missing. Allah knows best.
Salaam Mamas,
Things have been crazy busy and disorganized in my neck of the woods so I have barely had time to read mothering.com, let alone post. I love the discussions that have been going on here and I love that the discussions are always so informed.
We are going to be moving, too, sometime toward the end of the summer. While my husband didn't get the overseas job, he did get an offer on the east coast and we are going to be relocating there. I'm excited, but nervous.
More later. Love to you all. 
Assalamu Alaikum Mamas:
I have no idea if it will be gentle discipline/MDC friendly, but tomorrow night Bayyinah is hosting a parenting talk online.
Special lecture online tomorrow!
Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda will be giving a special lecture on raising children tomorrow (Tuesday) instead of his weekly Tafseer class at the Islamic Center of Irving after Isha prayer (9:30pm central time)..."
I've used their learn to read Qur'an DVDs...and hear Br. Wissam speak..and have been really impressed by these guys. Thought I'd post it for those who might be interested.
Peace.
Thanks for the heads up, umsami! I have also really enjoyed the lectures from Abdal Hakim Murad that you posted. Thank you so much for making me aware of that source of wisdom. I especially loved his khutbas on "The Idol Within" and "Repentance and Purification."
I am feeling so grateful these days for the many amazing and (culturally, financially and practically) accessable online resources in spiritual education that are available. And that includes you wonderful women. Thank you! And alhamduliLah!
Also, I would like to wish 1jooj and youngspiritmom peace and blessings in their relocation journeys.
Salaam everyone,
I haven't posted on this thread in a very long while, but I am here with a question.
After much prayers finally I am pregnant!! :D Now, I'm going on 27 weeks, but have no clue about baby name. We didn't find out the gender of the baby on purpose, just wasn't important. Healthy baby is what we are after.
Now, the question is: What is the defination of "Islamic/Muslim name"? Does this mean the name has to be in Arabic even if it's not our native language? I always hear about naming babies with Islamic names and in my culture (Bengali) it has always been names of Prophets (for boys), Sahabas, or Wives/daughters of prophets. Sahabis for girls. However, I am curious to know if naming a baby that has "good meaning", but the origin probably let's see Hebrew, Turkish, Iranian..what have you would that be "Islamic" or "unIslamic"? Anyone has any idea?
FWIW, if we have a boy, my heart is set on Musa...but for a girl is where I/we are having little bit of dilemma...names like Khadijah, Fatima, Moriam are all in our families and I don't want to repeat these. The only one is left is Asiya, which I like quite, but my husband is not so keen on this. The one he wants for a girl, apparently (he has no idea) is Hebrew origin and it means "God has answered"..I mean, really that IS the case! But, I am wondering about the Islamic part of it.
TIA :)
Mabrook! Musa is a great name! We had the opposite problem. I had so many girl names I liked but no boy names... of course we had a boy then! lol
As far as which names are Islamic, Allah knows best, but I believe preferred names are as you said, names of Prophets, and Sahabas. I read that it's not good to name girls with angel names because it is a practice of non believers to feminize angels.
Some girl names I like:
Sarah, Sajdah, Hadiyah, Zaineb, Sumiyah, Amina, Aya, Farzana, Hafsa, Jameelah, Duaa, Liyba, Zarinah...
I think the idea is that a name with a bad/disliked meaning such as Christian or something that refers to something haram would def be bad to name your child. If someone converts and his/her name is this, he/she should change it (there is a hadeeth about this, sorry I don't have time to look it up I think it's in Bukari). However if the name has a good meaning but isn't Arabic or a common Muslim name, then it would be okay, but maybe not totally favored. Living in a non Muslin country I think we should make sure our kids have Muslim names so they don't just blend in with everyone else.
Sorry gotta run the babe is fussy!
First, ZakareyasMama, I'm sorry I neglected to congratulate you on your new baby and welcome you! May he live a long, healthy life!
noorjahan, congratulations! I don't have any insight on Islamic names. My daughter's name is Arabic but not oriented towards any religion. It does have a nice meaning, but not a uniquely Islamic one. (Edited to add: And the reason her name is Arabic is because my husband is an Arab, not for any religious reason.)
I was wondering if any of you have any thoughts on this. I love salat. It keeps me grounded and feels like a wonderful gift. I also love wudu'. So when I menstruate and can't do wudu' or salat, I really feel naked and just, less in touch with God even though in reality "Allah is closer to us" than our jugular vein. (My menstruation usually lasts about a week, so that means a week without wudu' and salat!) What do you do during menstruation to stay in touch and focused in religion?
When you have your period, you should make wudu when the time for prayer comes in, and sit in your normal place of prayer for the length of time you would be there for salat, and make dua'a. you can't read qur'an with the intention of quran, but you can read qur'anic dua'at.
I will take another opportunity to recommend the SunniPath class on the fiqh of menstruation - it's personally obligatory knowledge on every woman who will menstruate, and every man who will marry, have daughters or otherwise be in a position where he is responsible for teaching girls about menstruation, but it's something that most people don't know, and aren't really eager to learn :(
and again, everything referenced in this post are rulings according to the hanafi school :)
Assalamu Alaikum Sisters:
sky_and_lavendar--I'm glad you're enjoying those talks. Alhamdullilah, it's becoming easier to find things in English. I remember when I first reverted many many moons ago, the only thing I could find was this Introduction to Islam TV program that used to be on Maryland Public TV (I think) once per week. (Might have been a different station.)
Welcome ZakareyasMama. :) 
As for names, I remember reading that as long as it's a good name, it's OK. I've never had any trouble with girl names (although we only have one DD)... boys have been more difficult, because we've been trying to walk the line between easy for people here to pronounce (as well as my family), Muslim, and not being too much of a no-fly list name. Let's see....girls... Sara, Zara, Aisha, Aminah/Aamina, Khadija, Jamilla, Jehan, Jannah, Basimah, Afaf, Iman, Maram, Halimah, etc.
Regarding salat/wudu during menstruation, honestly, I hate having to stop praying because I do feel cut off. Especially if my prayer has been going really well, it's hard to stop...and then get going again. I think the key is to remember that you are still supposed to make du'a--so take the time to make du'a during the regular salat time if it helps you. I also have a book of pieces of the Qur'an in English only which I read... or listen to stuff on my iPod. I try to look at the prohibition as a gift from Allah(swt)--and accept it with gratitude. I remember having horrible periods in my teens--and I couldn't imagine praying or doing anything during those times.
Noorjahan~
Wa salam and congratulations. :D Names do not need to be Arabic. And considering the global makeup of the Muslim world, I would venture to guess that a significant portion or likely even a majority of Muslims' names are not.
boys have been more difficult, because we've been trying to walk the line between easy for people here to pronounce (as well as my family), Muslim, and not being too much of a no-fly list name.
We had the same issue!! My FIL insisted we name him Ahmed, which personally I didn't like. So poor baby ended up with Syed Ahmed Zakareya.... I call him Zakreya but they call him Ahmed... He's gonna be sooo confused!
Noorjahan~
Wa salam and congratulations. :D Names do not need to be Arabic. And considering the global makeup of the Muslim world, I would venture to guess that a significant portion or likely even a majority of Muslims' names are not.
Yes, to the bolded. Names do not need to be Arabic, and it isn't "more Islamic" to have a historically "Islamic" name. The only islamic criterion for names is that they have a good meaning (or, just not a bad meaning).
That said, we chose to name our DS(and future DC) with names of prophets and sahaba with the hope of fostering a love and affection in them for those prophets and sahaba. I have one friend who has 4 daughters(going on 5, mashallah) and she has named them all after female martyrs and amazingly strong women, with the hopes that her daughters will emulate their strength and iman.
My kids do have Arabic names, but my son's name is just a popular Arabic name, not really a religious one ... we chose it because we liked it and we intended to be living in an Arabic-language country, so for as much as a PP said she does not want her child to just blend in, we were the opposite ... we explicitly didn't want to mark our son out as different. (Says she who is right now raising her kids in New Jersey. 
) And my daughter's name is simply her father's favorite name for a girl. Had I not named her for that sentimentality I probably would have simply named her Rose or something. There would have been absolutely no religious advantage in naming her Warda, Arabic, over Rose, English, or any religious disfavor upon naming a child either.
Thank you ladies for your input! I definitely feel better knowing it doesn't have to be Arabic...as long as it has a good meaning. Interestingly, the name we chose for girl though is Hewbrew in origin, also it's in Arabic...different meaning. "God has answered" and "the Bright" respectively...I guess not bad at all.
Now onto my second question- do you know of any duas to recite for easy/safe labor?? That's the most important thing lately on my mind. I heard reciting sura Mariyam everyday is good...anything else? TIA!
Thank you ladies for your input! I definitely feel better knowing it doesn't have to be Arabic...as long as it has a good meaning. Interestingly, the name we chose for girl though is Hewbrew in origin, also it's in Arabic...different meaning. "God has answered" and "the Bright" respectively...I guess not bad at all.
Now onto my second question- do you know of any duas to recite for easy/safe labor?? That's the most important thing lately on my mind. I heard reciting sura Mariyam everyday is good...anything else? TIA!
Any dua's that you can think of for children. That Allah will make them of the muhsineen, and that he will protect them, and provide for them, and guide them, and make you beneficial parents to your children. and allahuma aatina fidunya hasanat wa fil akhirati hasanat wa qina adab annaar I also make duaa that allah will make my children hufadh of qur'an inshallah
I was also addicted to surah yusuf and surah ibrahim while pregnant :P
curious, which name are you talking about?
"Now onto my second question- do you know of any duas to recite for easy/safe labor?? That's the most important thing lately on my mind. I heard reciting sura Mariyam everyday is good...anything else? TIA!"
Don't forget that you can make any du'a you want--they don't have to be pre-existing...or in Arabic...or anything. So, I would ask Allah(swt), the source of all Mercy and Compassion, for a safe labor...for an easy labor...etc.
When you have your period, you should make wudu when the time for prayer comes in . . .
I will take another opportunity to recommend the SunniPath class on the fiqh of menstruation . . .
Thanks for your detailed response! What you suggest actually makes sense, to help maintain continuity and have a sense of increasing God consciousness. I actually do know the requirements in the madhab I generally follow in these matters, though I haven't taken any courses. Maybe in the future, Insha'Allah.
Regarding salat/wudu during menstruation, honestly, I hate having to stop praying because I do feel cut off. Especially if my prayer has been going really well, it's hard to stop...and then get going again. I think the key is to remember that you are still supposed to make du'a--so take the time to make du'a during the regular salat time if it helps you. I also have a book of pieces of the Qur'an in English only which I read... or listen to stuff on my iPod. I try to look at the prohibition as a gift from Allah(swt)--and accept it with gratitude. I remember having horrible periods in my teens--and I couldn't imagine praying or doing anything during those times.
I really appreciate your personal perspective on this. It's practical, comforting and wise. Thank you!
I am kind of an Islam podcast addict these days, whether menstruating or not. The number of podcasts (of lectures, khutbas, radio shows, interviews, ect.) I listen to in a normal night (my toddler's still breastfeeding quite a lot) is a bit crazy. I've actually been trying to shift to doing more du'a and zikr and less listening to podcasts. I never was very "into" du'a. The idea of asking for Allah's help seemed a little... egotistical to me. But then I realized maybe it's egotistical not to ask for help. Abdal Hakim Murad has (I think?) a commentary on this in one of his podcasts, actually! Anyway, thanks for your suggestions and your reminder to appreciate the salat vacation.
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