Faith

Believe – A Journal Review

Posted on by Papatia

believe cover

Summary: …a raw list…of the rules, obligations, guidelines, regulations, orders, directives, instructions (or however you’d like to perceive them) derived from the 114 chapters, 6,236 verses and 77,449 words in the Quran – the Holy Islamic book.

Author’s Name: A.E.

Publisher: Prolance

Review: Believe is 34 pages long. I thought it was about what to do and not do with the Quran. But Believe is a simple journal filled with Quranic verses to help the believer live and act by golden rules.

It can definitely be useful when looking for a quick Quranic verse to support a point because the book is divided into 5 easy categories:»»worship »»character»»giving & taking»»relationships »»eating & dressing. In the last section, I found it a bit peculiar that there is a lot of stress on Quran (24:31); I mean the verse is mentioned three times. It would have been better if Quran (33:35) was also added to balance out things. Even adding Quran (24:30) would have worked too. That said, the »relationships » part before the last part helps into smoothing things out because men’s duties are also highlighted.

Moreover, Believe can be used as a reflective tool. Having read the whole transliterated version of the Quran myself and working on reading the whole Arabic version, I recommend using Believe in addition of this short guide titled The 5 R’s of Tadabbur al-Qur’an: A Family Halaqah Guide by Umm Afraz Muhammed. Muhammed’s short guide is about sixteen pages including front and back covers. It’s also an easy and simple read. Check it out here.

The 5 5s of Tadabbur al quran

Below is a sneak page for Believe. Each of these pages is followed by a page to jot down thoughts or ideas.

sneak page of do and donts of the quran

You can purchase Believe here.

Thank you for reading,

~ A Ducktrinor Mom ~

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IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE : THE DUCKTRINORS BOOK I & BOOK II BY PAPATIA FEAUXZAR

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A MUSLIM YOUNG ADULT BOOK CENTERED AROUND THE DEEN

DALLAS, TX — March 28th, 2018. DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING officially released  The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II by American and Black Muslim Author, Papatia Feauxzar.

The author has written in many genres but she still feels like a child at heart. “I wrote ‘The Ducktrinors‘ to inspire the Muslim Youth so that they realize that they have more than enough Muslim heroes to fashion themselves after.” — Papatia Feauxzar

DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING is republishing tome I titled Hanifa with the much awaited tome II titled Malik with this edition.

“Papatia’s work is addicting in that love of the craft is immistakable through her skill. I’m seriously enraptured with the level of detail involved with everything from content to technical aspects of The Ducktrinors and as a word nerd myself I now aspire to the honor of reviewing all her works… Papatia’s world is one of style. May it be laced with Divine grace…it is as Allah wills…”— Maryam Miller, Maryam Miller Writes

“Finally! Papatia Feauxzar has tapped her distinct noveling style into a fast-paced, futuristic novel with a decidedly Muslim flavor. As one of Papatia’s editors, I think that I’ve read almost all of her stories, and Ducktrinors is definitely my favorite, so far. Although it’s written mostly for a younger audience, Papatia has crafted another fun, slightly-awkward, but smart female protagonist in Hanifa Ducktrinor, and I enjoyed watching her problem-solve to save the world (and her own behind!)… I’m also excited that this is a series, as we just don’t get enough of them! Looking forward to more and more from Papatia, insha’Allah.”— Brooke Benoit, A Clichéd Life

“This book is a mixture of sci-fi, futuristic, and it also has a strong Islamic theme. Hanifa and her team have surely grown on me and I can see them being likable amongst the teens. The good versus evil reminded me a lot of the end of times.”— Mrs. Shoohada Khanom, Children Book Author of Kamilah the Butterfly, Imagine, Who Could I Be, and Little Blue Skater Boy.

“… Unique – in a great way. It blends sci-fi, futuristic, and dystopia pretty well. Neat gadgets – mechanical horse and some other tech ideas were pretty neat. Sylas is a bad guy people can hate. Dawud is a great side character. Jihad gets a bad rap these days because of the crazy people running around with suicide bombs. It’s interesting to see the Secular sect portrayed as the bad guys.”— Julie C.Gilbert, The Collins Case (Heartfelt Cases Book 1)

“…This is a wonderful story, written beautifully and filled with great Islamic historical references. It was breathtaking to read a story so relevant today. From the outset you are deeply connected to the main character and her struggles and you’re gripped to read on and discover what will be of her and her family. Such a great, exciting read, with highs and lows and a story that really does take you on a journey of what it means to be Muslim for Hanifa.”— Sarah Javed, Author of I’m So Angry!

The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II additionally received several acclaimed feedback and critics from editors. Feauxzar shared one with us.

“I love that you feature a Muslim protagonist whose faith is important to her, and this aspect of her life is a huge part of the story, yet the genre itself is a poignant (and timely) sci-fi/dystopian. So cool! …One of your best writing assets in this draft is your ability to write engaging, authentic dialogue (yay!). This is no easy feat! “— Kate Angelella, Angelella Editorial. Experienced YA/MG editor, formerly of Simon & Schuster Children’s Books.

Join DJARABI KITABS PUBLISHING from March 31st to April 4th, 2018 for the blog tour.

About the author:

Papatia Feauxzar is an American author, barista, and publisher of West African descent living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She holds a master’s degree in Accounting with a concentration in Personal Finance. After working as an accountant for a corporate firm for almost five years, Feauxzar decided to pursue Accounting from home while homeschooling her son. She is currently working toward obtaining her CPA license. Feauxzar then plans to obtain her PhD in Accounting.

She also blogs at Between Sisters, SVP! or A Ducktrinor Mom . She is the Love and Relationship Editor at Hayati Magazine. She has written for AboutIslam, MVSLIM, and SISTERS Magazine. You can visit her websites at www.djarabikitabs.com or www.fofkys.com.

The Ducktrinors Book I & Book II is available on Djarabi Kitabs Publishing‘s website , Amazon on eBook, hardback and  paperback formats, and Fofky’s Online Book Cafe.

CONTACTS

Djarabi Kitabs Publishing

PO BOX 703733

Dallas, TX 75370

USA

Email: editor@djarabikitabs.com

Originally published at Djarabi Kitabs Publishing‘s website here.

Review of ‘Muslim Girl-Growing Up – A Guide To Puberty’

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Summary: “How can I prepare her for this new phase? I wanted to find a resource that can explain the details of this special stage while also integrating the important aspects of it from the Islamic religion. Being from the West, most books I found only explained the physiological changes. But I found that Muslim girls, especially ones from Western countries, need to know more about the religious implications of this stage. So I decided to write this guide to help young girls understand the basic things a Muslim girl should know about puberty, including the religious aspects that come along with it. However, this guide is just a starter to the journey ahead.  I encourage parents to talk with your teens and pre-teens about this important stage of life to have a full and thorough understanding.” – Natalia Nabil

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About the Author: Natalia Nabil is a mother of two girls. She was born and raised in Egypt where she received her Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communications from Ain Shams University. Shortly after she began working in public relations and marketing. After marriage, she moved to the United States and is bringing up her daughters in, what she calls, unfamiliar territory. That is why she wanted to write this book, not only as a resource for her growing girls but for the many Muslim girls growing up who could use a guidebook on all things puberty-related.

About the Illustrator: Melani Putri is an illustrator based in Jakarta, Indonesia. After finishing her visual art education at Bandung Institute of Technology, she has been focusing on children’s book illustration and has won the National Folktale Illustration award in 2016. Her illustration works include children’s books, greeting cards, posters and stationery. Please visit her website at www.memels.com.

Thoughts: Muslim Girl, Growing Up is a good start point to use in helping a Muslim girl transition into adolescence. It covers topics of puberty, stages of puberty, menstruation, what a girl needs to know before, during and after puberty, hygiene, and privacy. Like I said, it’s very solid and succinct. Masha’Allah.

Now, just be aware that based on your madhab (Islamic doctrine or school of thought), you might not completely agree with everything from the scholars’ point of views (e.g. the steps of ghusl part) or even the author at times (e.g. braids and ghusl). Nonetheless, the book has a solid base on how to instruct Muslim girls from start to end about menstruation. Check out the sneak peek page below.

sneak peak page muslim girl

I received a free copy for my honest opinion. You can buy Muslim Girl, Growing Up: A Guide to Puberty on Amazon or at the publisher’s website here.

Thank you for reading,

~A Ducktrinor Mom~

 

5 Ideas to Help Children Memorize Allah’s Names and Attributes

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"Mommy, Who Is Allah?"

Memorizing and understanding Allah’s Names and Attributes can be a difficult task especially for children. Children learn at their own pace, which means sometimes it may take some time. Below is a list of wonderful resources aimed to ease the task of memorizing and to simply make learning fun.

http://www.muslimkidsguide.com/5-ideas-to-help-children-memorise-allahs-names-and-attributes/

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Allah Al-Aleem – A Review

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Bismillah,

Allah Al-Aleem Front Cover

Age Range: I would say 3+

Author: Bint Abdul Hamid

Illustrator : Zahra Gulraiz

Publisher: Prolance

Price : $12

What to expect: An introduction to one of the many attributes of Allah: Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing)

Summary: The best gift we can give our children is the knowledge of Tawheed, to know their Creator. Knowing Allah by His names will help establish their roots, and help them to attach to Allah out of love of His perfection. May Allah help us to fulfill the responsibility of bringing up our children knowing Allah and worshipping Him alone.

Thoughts: Allah Al-Aleem is a must have for young Muslim readers and young muminun. It exposes them early on to the qualities of their Al-Khaliq (The Creator). Children have so many questions. We try to answer them as much as we can and sometimes we fall short. For instance, “Mommy, why is the sky blue?” The answer to this question will not be a short reply to small minds.

Sneak Peak Page

Allah Al-Aleem Sneak Peak Page

Parents can appease the curiosity of Muslim children by telling them that only Allahu alim (Allah knows best). Insha’Allah, with  Allah Al-Aleem as a supporting teaching aid, the muminun will be satisfied with some of the answers we give them.

Launch Poster Al Aleem

Rating : 4/5

Jazakh’Allah khair for reading,

~A Ducktrinor Mom~

*I received a free copy for my honest feedback*

A Small Fortune of Books – Djarabi Kitabs

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Between Sisters, SVP!

Assalamu aleikum dear bloggers and readers,

Small fortune books.JPGDjarabi Kitabs Publishing‘s e-store is now live alhamdullilah. You might ask why I chose to do this when these books can be found at major distributors.

Well for one, mine are tax free. And two, finding Muslim books in a sea of other books has led many to believe that Muslim voices haven’t been written yet. Yes, we need more voices but writing is not a new thing to us. Many of our works have been destroyed when the House of Wisdom in Bagdad was sacked or by Muslims themselves due to ignorance. Timbuktu in Mali also has valuable manuscripts that are still buried in the people’s homes or in the ground out of trust issues. People are afraid that giving them to the public will cause them to be stolen or misused.

There are MANY, MANY, MANY…books written by Muslims out there…

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Accessories Reviews

Posted on by Papatia

review 1 pic 2

Assalamu aleikum,

I received some pretty nice gifts to review masha’Allah. It’s the revival of the Muslim golden era alright! So let’s get to it.

AZYAAN JEWELRY

pins 1

The pins are really strong and colorful like I like them. You can get them here. These will make a wonderful addition to my daily hijab assortments. I think I should fancy up a bit going forward just because!

blue pin review

The blue pin above is my favorite masha’Allah. I can’t wait to wear it on Ramadan Eid if I live to see it insha’Allah! You won’t believe the acrobatics I had to pull to take simple picture! *Laughs* Alhamdullilah, it’s not too shabby.

You can get a discount at Azyaan online which is in Denton, Texas. Expect me one day sis out of the ‘blue’! Anyways dear readers, please use the coupon code below to make a purchase insha’Allah.

Coupon code Azyaan online

AYEINA

ayeina-books

These gratitude journals are also sold at Azyaan mentionned earlier alhamdullilah.

azyaan

The one I received from the boutique is a mini journal that fits pretty much anywhere especially in a woman’s purse. Azyaan is the only US supplier at the moment so hurry up and get a copy before she runs out! Because walaye, they do fly off the shelf! I actually did a review for it here but I started another 30 day journey again. I’ll share the review once again with you when I’m done insha’Allah. In the meantime, I can tell you this though, on day 8 which was this past Saturday, I met Haleh Banani! I recognize her soul before even seeing her face from afar. I kept telling my husband, ‘I know this woman.’ Until we got closer and she waved at me. She was so nice and lovely masha’Allah! We chatted a bit and exchanged numbers. I told her who I was hehe… She knows I don’t look anything special ;).

Ah hb

THE BIG RECONNECTING SELF LOVE JOURNAL

self love

I have been on a self love journey since the beginning of the hijri calendar and this is very nice to have. The text is in black and the designs are simply lovely masha’Allah. My two younger sisters received a copy each masha’Allah. That’s how generous the authors have been alhamdullilah! You can buy your copy here insha’Allah.

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Give each other gifts and you will love each other.” This is what it is indeed.

self love 1

Now, I’m supporting these works with reviews and listings. Please support with your wallets. Haha! One Ummah, One Goal insha’Allah. Allah is Ar-Razzaq (The Provider) so let’s not worry as he’s in charge #rizq #alhamdullilahforseries #hijabpins .

Jazakh’Allah khair for reading.

Masalam and Houb salam,

Papatya*

6 African Muslims Who Brought Islam To America You Should Know — Hayati Magazine

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america

As a Muslim of West African origin living in the United States, my Muslim-ness is always contested by Europeans, Americans, and even clueless Africans. They ask me questions like: “Are you Muslim?” and “Were you born Muslim?” I get asked these questions a lot by Americans because Islam is something that was made to sound……

via 6 African Muslims Who Brought Islam To America You Should Know — Hayati Magazine

Sleep in God’s Protection – An Interfaith Children’s Book Review

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Author:  Elizabeth Lymer

Publisher : Aneesa Books

Description: A bedtime book for young Muslims, Jews, and Christians, in which flowers close their petals, plants close their leaves, and babies close their eyes. ‘God’s peace be with you. God made the night. It is time to close your eyes tonight.’ It includes the prayer of Abraham for his sons (upon them be peace). This title was made specifically as a gift for a baby’s special religious occasion, and generally for interfaith Abrahamic families and friends, and it is only available via Amazon.

Review: Behold, the latest addition to our children’s books collection: Sleep in God’s Protection. I ordered this a few weeks ago, and it was sitting at the leasing office all along unbeknownst of me. Subhanallah…the things I do sometimes.

Anyways, when we finished reading Sleep in God’s Protection, the hadith “When the wings of the night spread , keep your children in, for the devils come out at that time” came to mind. We’re all vulnerable during our sleep especially babies.

Sleep in God’s Protection gives both the child and the parent an assurance that God will protect them during the night. About 26 pages, it’s also an interfaith children’s book because the foundation of Sleep in God’s Protection lays upon Abraham’s (aleihi salam) prayers to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for the safety of his children – Ishmael and Isaac).

Our Rassullulah (sallallahu aleihi wassalam) also repeated the protection supplications to his grandsons; Hassan and Hussein (May Allah be pleased with them) and told them the origin of the duas.

To continue, Sleep in God’s Protection is also very colorful, and we enjoyed the rich colors used and the simple texts. My little ABsaurus cooed and spoke utter gibberish throughout our different reading sessions. He recognizes some letters since we’re learning the alphabet alhamdullilah.

Get your copy here on Amazon.

Our Rating : 5/5

Jazak’Allah khair for reading,

~A Ducktrinor Mom~