Beauty isn't makeup...

Makeup is like a drug. Once you start, it becomes impossible to stop. You don't feel satisfied with what you see in the mirror. It's like every time you look in the mirror all you see is your faults and flaws. People think you wear makeup to impress others or to make yourself stand out, but between yourself you know that's just not true. You can't stand your natural look, makeup makes you feel more better about yourself. Makeup makes you feel more confident. MAKEUP MAKES YOU.

But we both know that makeup is nothing more than a mask. You can't escape your flaws. No matter how much product you use to conceal that dark spot or whatever it is your concealing. It's still going to be there. It's not magically going to disappear. Your flaws are what makes you the person you are. No matter how hard you try, you can never change that. You can imitate others, but you can NEVER be them. Those that you claim to be "perfect" are obviously not perfect if they spend most of their money in correcting and adjusting their body features. No one in this world was created perfect and no one shall be perfect. I guess it's time that we accepted that. It's time we accepted ourselves for who we really are.
But let's get this straight. If you are using makeup in order to beautify yourself for your husband or you are in a place with only your mahrams or females present then you are not causing fitnah and there shouldn't be a problem. Makeup is not Haram. But once you start wearing makeup outside that's when the fitnah begins. Men are told to lower their gaze and we as females should not make it difficult for them. Beautifying ourselves in public goes against what Hijab really stands for. We may wear our Hijab and Abayah to prevent fitnah, but what use is it if our faces are like artwork? We all know makeup enhances our features and this is something we should try to refrain from when out in public. For the Quran says:

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women...and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful." Qur'an 24:31

Stopping the usage of makeup is no easy task. It takes courage and and belief in yourself. I know this because I've experienced it first hand. People would always just tell me to stop, for them it wasn't such of an issue but for me makeup was everything. It would make me frustrated. I would get angry because no one seemed to understand. But one person changed me. They made made me realise that it was only me that could put an end to this. They made me understand what I was doing was not only going against my religion but it was also affecting me as an individual. They made me realise that Allah created me the way that I am, if I wasn't perfect in the eyes of the people I was perfect in the eyes of the Creator. What could be greater? That person understood I was too into makeup for me to stop it completely so they suggested that I stopped one product at a time. Alhamdulilliah one by one I eventually got to the point where I was left with nothing more than just mascara. It was hard, I'm not going to sugarcoat that, but if you honestly want to stop for the sake of your Lord and for yourself, try it. Make the intention that you are doing this for yourself and only for yourself and I promise you with the help of Allah you'll get through.
Makeup is like a mask, a mask which only you can remove. Those flaws that you hide are what makes you and do not deny that. You are beautiful the way you are, but you will only believe that once you remove that mask you so dearly cling to. We become so obsessed in beautifying ourselves on the outside, when in reality it should be the other way round. Makeup does not define who you are, but rather what defines you is that person inside you, that person you conceal with products, products that rob your TRUE and inner beauty.

Inner beauty needs no makeup...  something for a of us to think about. May Allah Protect us 

اللهم أمين

The candle light

Candles have been in existence from the Roman era. A simple object that provides so much. One small candle has the power to illuminate a whole room. You may be thinking why is she going on about a candle.. well let me tell you. This candle represents so many of us today but we do not seem to realise it. Whilst this candle may be doing so much i.e. providing light or scent or whatever it is, the candle itself is slowly dying. Each second that candle illuminates, the more it melts and before you know it that candle is no more. So how does this analogy describe us? Think of yourself  as being that candle.. and think of the illuminating flame being your knowledge; knowledge you love so much to share with everyone else. You love to benefit and better others, but what about yourself? Whilst this candle is so consumed in illuminating it's surroundings the thought that its slowly dying seems to has escaped it's mind. The same thing with us. Whilst we are too busy advising and warning others we seem to forget about ourselves. We forget to apply that knowledge to OURSELVES. You may be going around and increasing the Imaan levels of your fellow brothers and sisters but when was the last time you sat down and judged your own? There is great reward in advising someone and an even greater reward if that person puts that advise into practice. But what use is it to you if you don't follow it yourself? When thinking about it, it just does not make sense. In the example of a fire, it's as if you help everyone else out but you decide to stay in whilst fully aware of it's consequences.
As reported by Usaamah ibn Zayd our Prophet (SAW) said:

"A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of (Hell) Fire will gather around him and say: O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself." (Bukhari)

Correcting other's mistakes and advising people is not a flaw, but we should start amending our mistakes and shortcomings before anyone else. On the day of judgement we will be held accountable on our own actions not anyone else's. We do not want to be labelled a hypocrite. May Allah protect us. This should be a reminder for us all. It's easy advising others but for once let's just pause and look at ourselves. 

"Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do" (61:3)

Oh Allah! Do not make us amongst those hateful people. Purify our intentions and allow us to do what is good. اللهم امين يارب العالمين

(Jazakallahu khair to that Sheikh who left me pondering.. May Allah increase you. Ameen)