For all the twelve years I have spent writing and blogging on the internet, I always balked at the idea of talking about the “Dunya” stuff. i.e all that stuff that the “beauty and lifestyle bloggers/influencers” talked about.
I was adamant about sharing only beneficial stuff on the internet – Most of the time.
Why? I didn’t want to encourage wanton commercialism, greed and possibly, envy. But most of all, I didn’t want to come across as being shallow. 🫠🫠🫠
But the truth is, I enjoy some of that stuff!
I love handbags, home decor, books, beauty and skincare, a bit of clothing, travel, etc. and I am not hesitant about leaning into this side of who I am. But only offline.
Many times, I would get excited by a skincare product or a pair of shoes or handbag that I had discovered and would want to share it with my friends and subscribers but I’d stop myself. “Nah, there’s no need to share that”, I’d say to myself.
But if it’s really such a bad thing to encourage others upon, why am I indulging in it?
Also, is it even bad or wrong to enjoy the things of this world and talk about them?
After doing a lot of soul searching, I realised that my real issue was fear.
I was afraid of the slippery slope of the internet world. Sadly, we all know of many a “Hijabi Blogger” who began with different intentions but ended up somewhere else. May Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’ala) return our hearts back to Him when they deviate. Aamin
Like many people, I have a love/hate relationship with SM. I am afraid of falling into error but I also want to present my whole self (within the confines of my Islamic faith).
I am a Muslim woman who loves to share Islamic reminders, but also one who loves to squeal about her latest love for minimal ethereal jewelry and her dream to own a Lady Dior. I am the woman who wants to share lessons from a Halaqah she attended or a lecture she watched on YouTube with her friends but also wants to share links and recs to the most Instagrammable cafe and beauty salon on the high street 💁🏾♀️
And as far as I know, there is nothing wrong in all of the above. Moderation, Discipline and mindfulness of Allah’s boundaries are the names of the game. And that is where the real work lies.
So, what do you say?
Is this type of balance and self-control achievable? 💪🏾
Or is it just a pipe dream? 😬