“Write hard and clear about what hurts.” – Earnest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast Dear Fellow Warrior, Spring has arrived. Through another difficult winter and the blessing of another Ramadan. And I know I have not written for several months now. This is actually the first blog post on Chronicles of a Warrior KQueen, the first…
Islam
A Tribute to Allah: Honoring Survival and The Ultimate Spiritual Transformation
“To Him We Belong. And To Him We Return.” – (Quran, 2:156) Dear Fellow Warrior, There is no perfect end of the year. No perfect close. It just needs to close. You need to cross that finish line. Because time never stops; it is the only resource that will always remain scarce. So I didn’t…
A Special “PhD Wedding” Anniversary: Hooded, Hijabi, & Unapologetic
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.“ – Dr. Maya Angelou Hasbiyallahu wa ni’amal wakeel. Dear Fellow Warrior, Recently, I shared a critical moment on social media, and I wanted that moment to be here, at its rightful place here as well. This past week, on December 16th, I honored four…
Defining Moments and Personal Milestones: A Mid-Year Video Update
“My Voice is Not an Apology.”– Nayyirah Waheed “The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.”– Mohamed Najumi Dear Fellow Warrior, I filmed this video last month, shortly after my last poetry performance on June 10th. It took me some time to edit… someday, I’ll have…
From the “Walk of Shame” to the Path of Mercy
“Whoever tells others about the blessings of Allah has shown gratitude.” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Tafsir ibn Kathir on Surah Ad-Duha) Dear Fellow Warrior, That night, after my last open mic poetry performance, as I walked back toward the metro, I reflected on all the adventures I had on U Street over…
If You Ever Miss the New “Old Elsa”…
Dear Fellow Warrior, If there is anybody in my “previous life” who happens to miss the new “old Elsa,” the Elsa before her recent inward revolution … It is hard to believe there is, considering when things got bad, most people disappeared from my life. But if you did once love her or care about…
The “Questioning?”: A Reflection on Pride
“You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don’t live the only life you have, you won’t live some other life – you won’t live any life at all.”— James Baldwin Dear Fellow Warrior, June is Pride Month. And all month, I have been struggling with something… Among the reasons why I…
Rising Unapologetically Muslim – An Islamic New Year Reflection
“Oh Allah, bring this year upon us with security, faith and safety, Islam, acceptance by the Most Merciful and protection from Shaytan.” (Mu’jam al-Awsat of at-Tabarani). Dear Fellow Warrior, This Friday marked the beginning of the Islamic New Year, 1447 AH, the blessed month of Muharram, which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) called “the Month of…