How to Be a Good Muslimah

Assalamu’alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathu

(Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing)

Dear brothers and sisters, welcome back to my ordinary blog.
Today I would like to talk about Muslimah, what’s Muslimah? Muslimah is a woman who believes in Islam (a Muslim woman). But today, I will not talk much about what Muslimah is.
Here I will talk about how to be a good Muslimah according to some Islamic books I’ve read and what I had learned in Islamic High School.

1. Niyyah from the heart

Before we do something, make sure we know what we do. Same like to decide to be a good Muslimah.

2. Wear the hijab

If you are truly devoted to turning over a new leaf and becoming the best Muslim girl that you can be, wear the hijab. The hijab is not just a piece of cloth that covers hair, it covers and protects your whole self, including your manner
isms, speech, your gaze, your heart and even your health.
(Read too: The Benefits of Wearing Hijab)
It changes you mentally and spiritually. Think of it as a way for Allah Azza wajjal to protect the women. As soon as you wear the hijab, your whole perspective on self-respect and values will automatically change. In fact, women are not allowed to pray without the hijab since the hadith of the prophet Muhammad sallalahu alaihi wasalam reads "the prayer of a woman will not be accepted without the headcover". Hijab is mandatory, as explained in the Quran 33:59-60 women should cover to be recognized as part of the Muslim group, while in 24:30-31 women are told to pull down their head covers and make them long enough to cover their breasts with a "khimar" which means "something which covers the head". The word is from the same root word for alcohol, since it is a substance when consumed covers and clouds the head and the mind.
By wearing the hijab, people will know our identity as a muslimah. Here I will give you an example, could you guess which one of this picture is a Muslimah and a non-Muslimah?

3. Dress modestly

This means that you have to cover your whole body. You have to wear loose clothes. Hijab is not supposed to be fashionable. Rather, it is a command from Allah (SWT). Avoid clothes that are too tight such as skinny jeans. Remember that it is obligatory to cover the whole body except the face and hands, which are highly recommended, although some scholars held the view that it is obligatory. If you truly believe according to the evidence it is obligatory, then go ahead and make an effort to cover your face with the niqaab and your hands with gloves as no harm can come from it. This also helps you to change your whole outlook on what is acceptable and what is not.

4. Pray five times a day sincerely

Before you get on the prayer rug, learn what the prayer words mean to enhance your contemplation within prayer. If you do not speak Arabic, try to find some translated versions of the prayer words and take some time to read and understand what the words mean. Start making prayer a normal part of your day, the way eating is a need of ours, our spiritual food is prayers.
Pray sincerely. Affirm that Allah is the closest to you with His knowledge. Always pray on time, never delay. Never do things that will prevent you from doing tasks that are of much greater importance. Nothing can be more important than obeying that which Allah asks of you. Even while working or studying, halt everything you are doing and go to the nearest mosque to pray. If somebody were to ask you where you are heading, say that you are answering Allah's call to prayer.

5. Never waste your time on useless things. Time is a blessing, make sure the way you use it always comes as fruitful. Use your time with something which is recommended in Islam, such as:

- Pray in the middle of the night

Pray when most people around you are sleeping soundly. The name of the prayer is Tahajjud. The night is the most efficacious time to pray.

- Read the Quran

Read the Quran and also try to read the translation of the Quran and truly try to understand its meaning. You can read the translation in English or your language as well. Reading the Quran will help you establish a useful relationship with Allah and will also allow you to understand how beautiful the religion is. Listening to it (you can find videos online) also makes you feel closer to Allah.

- Recite His name every time (Also known as Zikr in Islamic terminology) Reciting Allah's name will ultimately make you a strong Muslim because you are constantly reminded of what good He has done for you and all of the humanity.

- Fast

Fast for the right reasons. Do NOT fast because you want to impress others or because you want to feel superior in terms of the popularity you will gain when you get fitter. Fast with the intentions to please only Allah, and to get the reward for doing so. Additionally, fast because you will be able to perform your prayers correctly and effectively and want to be responsible for your health. Nevertheless, fast in order to relate to those who do not have privileges like food and water. Fast twice a week, preferably on Mondays and Thursdays. Fast during the month of Ramadan and also on the day of Arafah, which is on the 9th of Zulhijjah. Allah will forgive all the sins you have done for one year before and after should you fast on the day of Arafah.

- Always help the poor and orphans by any means possible. Feed them; give them some money, and purchase new clothes for them.

6. Be grateful for everything you have, be it spiritual, mental, or physical. The more gracious you are, the more you will realize how much you have been blessed.

By doing this, Allah willing, you will be stronger because you will believe that Allah is omnipresent.

7. Respect the opinion of others.

No opinions can be "bad" or "stupid". You should treat them as gems, or learn to derive gems from them. Without opinions, things will never get better. If you do not like an idea, do not invalidate it right away; instead, add on to the idea to improve it.

8. Never lie

Allah hates his adherents to lie to others. Your integrity will directly have an impact towards your dignity. People will look high upon you if you are honest and true to whatever you say. Unless the lie will actually cover up somebody else's shame or will avoid distress for everybody, lying is not permissible. For instance, if your friend has stolen money from his parents, you should not tell others that your friend has stolen money before.

9. Be good to your family,

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The best of you is he who is the best to his family." Accordingly, be kind to them, always support them.

10. Keeping good company

Hang out with good friends. You should want to make friends who share your mission of being a good Muslim and influence you to do better. If you are lucky enough, you might spot a Muslim girl your age. Be sure to make friends with a Muslim girl if you find one. You can tell her how you are trying to be a better Muslim, and she might be able to help! Never forget that mixed gender friendships are fraught with danger and therefore strictly forbidden in Islam outside marriage.
Avoid negative influences, including old non-believing friends (as hard as it may be, the reward of breaking links with them is well worth it) who may have had a bad influence or who bring out the negative characteristics in you. Even though the Shaytaan (the devil) can tempt us, it is our responsibility as Muslims to fight these temptations and urges by increasing our faith and spirituality.

11. Be gracious towards your parents.

They work very hard to sustain the lives in their households, which includes a lot more than putting food on the table. Your mother suffered great pains to bring you into this world. What have you done to say thanks to them? They have brought joy to your life by buying you presents every now and then. Have you acknowledged that and appreciated them? Do whatever they expect of you and you will surely be fine in the eyes of Allah.

12. Learn more about Islam

Know what you have to do (which is called 'wajib' things) and what you can't do (haraam things). The Internet is a valuable source to search for Islamic rules and regulations and the punishments that apply if they are broken. Make sure to go on correct websites for authentic sources of information. Islamic punishments may sometimes seem severe, but Muslims consider the Shariah to be a gift from Allah (SWT) that protects society and guides the believers to follow His way.

13. Repent if you have committed a sin

Allah shall forgive you, In Sha Allah. Try to not repeat the same sin again. After all, He is the one you shall meet in the afterlife, so obey his law and He shall give you paradise.

14. Take it day by day

If you make it a priority in your mind that you want to strive to be the best Muslim girl possible, you will achieve this goal without even realizing it! Every time you are about to do something, think: "Is this something good or religious?" If it isn't, don't do it! Simply remind yourself and be ready to stop yourself, just in case. Every single moment of every day must be devoted to pleasing Allah (SWT).

15. Pick your sources very wisely.

Don't read off the Internet a lot, and make sure that what you're reading is a fact, not an opinion. Islam is between you and God; that relationship is sacred. You must not let anyone interfere with that. It is very likely that people will disagree with you, so don't let them affect your own point of view.
In order to be a good Muslimah, you are obliged to believe in what the Quran and Hadith say, as in the Quran it says "Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger." It is wrong to neglect belief in Hadith, but one should always check to make sure they are sound, or take them from a trusted source like Sahih Bukhari or Muslim (two books of Hadith) [Find out if a Hadith Is Authentic or Not].

May this post can useful for all of us especially for me, Aamiin. Don’t forget to click like button if you like it and share if you think that this article is useful or comment if you wanna ask something about this post.
Thanks for reading this article and visiting my blog. See you in my next post.

Wassalamu’alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakathu
(And peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing).