Muslima Success

When you think of it, our lives are a series of relationships. From the moment we are born, there is an instant relationship with our mothers and it is indeed one of the most beautiful relationships.  In Islam, the relationship between us and Allah (SwT) is also instantly commenced when the  Athan (the call to prayer) was softly made in our ears shortly after our birth.  Then we start to form relationships with other close relatives, friends, neighbours, teachers, and employers. And then, in sha Allah, we form one of the most important relationships in our lives, which can be the basis for a healthy and strong family and society – and that is the relationship with our spouses and children. Allah (SwT) beautifully describes the relationship between spouses in the Quran by stating: “ And among His signs is this that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put  love and mercy   between your (hearts); verily in that ...

Many people will spend months and sometimes even years preparing for a wedding that will last a few hours, not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars invested as well.  But how many people actually prepare for  marriage  itself, which could last a lifetime, by ensuring they have selected the most suitable partner, based on the criteria set out by the Quran and Sunnah and the advice of experts in the field of forming healthy relationships that lead to successful marriages?   Unfortunately, it seems like we are facing a crisis as the rate of singles, the average age of marriage, as well as the rate of divorce have all increased in our Muslim community.  It is especially alarming that the rate of divorce has increased in the first year or two of marriage, indicating the couple may have lacked in-depth knowledge of the personality and life style of each other before the marriage was completed, as well as possibly lacked the commitment needed to make the marriag...

Many people will think about finding the ‘one’, the love and mercy that Allah (swt) promises us in the Quran, and whether a soul mate really exists out there. Alhamdullilah, I do believe that soul mates exist. I do believe that marriages can and should have the love and mercy that Allah promises us in the Quran. And I do believe that you should find tranquility and happiness in your marriage in sha Allah. Many times, it seems like concepts such as love and soul mates are only associated with pop culture movies and therefore are over-exaggerated and unrealistic. However, if we look into our own Islamic traditions, the stories of pure love and the idea of having two souls be a fit for one another, certainly does exist. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was only married to our mother Khadijah for 25 years and over a year after her death, when he was asked if he would re-marry, his blessed head dropped down and tears dripped from his eyes whilst he said “And is there anyone after ...

Most of us can agree that the vast majority of us need and want a committed relationship – we want to love and be loved. As social beings, we need intimacy and connection with a community of friends and family, and a stable marriage that meets our emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. If this is the case though, then how come the divorce rate is not going down, and the marriage rate is not going up? The following are the top 20 Challenges that face singles today: 1. Not knowing what you’re looking for; having unclear expectations 2. Having a long “grocery list” and looking for the one person to match it 3. Living in fear that you will repeat past experiences 4. Not healing before starting a new relationship 5. For women, feeling that their biological clock is running out 6. For men, fearing to start a family and stay committed 7. Lowering of standards by older singles, or giving up or settling because they’re afraid they will always be alone 8. Not knowing where to meet suitable pa...

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