After many months on planning and revising, my first-ever kids book is finally available to the public: “Aliyah’s First Ramadan.”

( This is the back cover- the front cover can be found on the right side bar)

This is a story of a young girl, Aliyah, and her first time fasting Ramadan. Conflict ensues when she is at school and the teacher yells, “SNACK TIME!”  Find out what happens in this fun rhyme book!

I’m really excited about this book because it’s so fun to read out loud to kids. The illustrations were wonderfully drawn by Br. Mohamed Qovaizi, and the final product really exceeded my expectations, walhamdulillah. I can honestly say I did my best to publish this book with ihsaan.

My appeal to you, the reader:

If you have kids of your own, younger siblings, nieces, nephews or even friends who have kids — buy this book and send it out to your email lists.

Any profits from this book will, inshaAllah, HELP FACILITATE HAJJ for my husband and I. So this project is extremely important for so many different reasons.

This book is for kids ages 4+

Two Formats of the book to chose from:

1. You can purchase the PDF online version of the book for $11.99 or

2. You can purchase the physical book to be shipped to your home for$19.99 – inshaAllah.

I really recommend the physical copy of the book, because it’s a lot funner for kids to actually hold and filp through the pages, not to mention it’s easier for reading at bed time .

May Allah ‘az wa jal accept this from me and from you, ameen.

Wassalamu Alaikum,

Shirien

Alhamdulillah, as you all can see Egyptian Gumbo has undergone extensive surgery. Belal did a great job with the graphic work mashaAllah, and alhamdulillah I can honestly say I couldn’t have explained a better design to fit my site better than what he executed (so Jazak Allahu Khairan).

Tonight according to us is the 27th night of Ramadan. And I thought to break into my blog and reap the blessings of this night, I thought I’d upload my traditional uploading of beautiful Quran recitations for you all onto my blog for those of you who would like to download them inshaAllah- in return I humble ask that you keep me and my family in your dua.

——————————————

Khalid Al-Juhaim

Surat AlFatiha:

Download audio file (001_Al-Fatehah.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://www.qaree.info/helaly/J/Youssof_1429/001_Al-Fatehah.mp3

Surat Al-Hadid:

Download audio file (057_Al_Hadeed.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://www.qaree.info/helaly/J/Sad_1429/057_Al_Hadeed.mp3

Surat Saad:

Download audio file (038_Sad.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://www.qaree.info/helaly/J/Sad_1429/038_Sad.mp3

Surat Muhammad:

Download audio file (047_Muhammad.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://www.qaree.info/helaly/J/Sad_1429/047_Muhammad.mp3

Surat Al-’ala:

Download audio file (Al_A3la.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_01/Al_A3la.mp3

Surat Al-Kafiroon:

Download audio file (Al_Kafiron.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_01/Al_Kafiron.mp3

Surat Maryam:

Download audio file (Mariam_Juhaim.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_06/Mariam_Juhaim.mp3

Surat Ar-Ra’d

Download audio file (Arra3d_Juhaim.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_04/Arra3d_Juhaim.mp3

Part of Al-Anfaal:

Download audio file (Part_Anfal_Juhaim.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_01/Part_Anfal_Juhaim.mp3

Part of Surat Yunas:

Download audio file (Part_Yones_Juhaim.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_01/Part_Yones_Juhaim.mp3

Part of Surat Yusuf:

Download audio file (Part_Yosef_Juhaim.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_04/Part_Yosef_Juhaim.mp3

–

Dawud Al-’Asoosee

Part of Surat Al-Anfaal:

Download audio file (Part_Anfal_Dawud.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_01/Part_Anfal_Dawud.mp3

From Surat Yusuf:

Download audio file (Part_Yousef_Sa3idi.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_03/Part_Yousef_Sa3idi.mp3

Suratul Infitaar:

Download audio file (Infitar.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_03/Infitar.mp3

–

Majid Al-’Anzi

From Surat Yunas

Download audio file (Part-Younes-Majid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_02/Part-Younes-Majid.mp3

Surat Ibrahim:

Download audio file (Ibrahim_Majid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_04/Ibrahim_Majid.mp3

Surat Al-’ala:

Download audio file (Al_A3la_Majid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_04/Al_A3la_Majid.mp3

Surat Al-Kafiroon:

Download audio file (Al_Kafiron_Majid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_04/Al_Kafiron_Majid.mp3

–

Qutaydah Al-Zuweed

From Surat Yunas:

Download audio file (Part_Yones_Zwid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_03/Part_Yones_Zwid.

Part 1 of Surat Yusuf:

Download audio file (Part_Yosef_Zwid.mp3)

To download simply go to the link below, highlight the address bar and press “Ctrl” + “s”

http://al7ekma.n11n.biz/uploads/ramadan1430/Masjid_Alkabir/Tahajud/N_03/Part_Yosef_Zwid.mp3

InshaAllah, I’ll be doing this as soon as I can get a certain somebody *ahem Belal* do give EG a facelift.

Keep us all in your dua ishaAllah.

-Shirien

I was updating my about page, when I thought I’d share this with everyone. Thousands of people have come my blog in the past six months and many have been curious as to:

1. What the blog is about.

2. Who am I and what I do (or am currently doing).

__________________________________________________________________________________

(1) Many people have come to me asking, “What the heck is GUMBO!” and then there are the others that ask, “What the heck is an EGYPTIAN!” (<– usually the hicks.)

Egyptian Gumbo in essence encompasses not only the content of this blog, but encompasses me as an individual.

I’m a Muslim woman living in Louisiana, who just so happens to also be an Egyptian who loves to eat a good bowl of gumbo ever once in a while. Gumbo is a traditional Louisianian dish made with rice, soup, okra, any type of meat, and many spices.

I guess “Egyptian Gumbo” would mean we’d have to substitute the soup for mulokhayyah, but let’s just say Egyptian Gumbo is more theoretical.

This blog’s aim is to talk about media with an Islamic angle, everyday life of Muslims, everyday life of Louisianians but mostly a combination of all three topics in one post.

(2)

As for me, I’m a 21 year old sister who has less than a year till she graduates from Louisiana State University. I’m a Mass Comm. major with a concentration in public relations and a minor in business. I served a columnist for “The Daily Reveille” for about a year and a half in which I wrote about Islam, trying to shed a little light to the “far right” part of the country on the essence and true nature of the religion.

After hundreds of hate-mail I then decided to move on because it was getting a little boring.

So what am I doing now?

Well, along with being a full-time student, I own my own PR firm, Minbar Media (site currently under construction).

• I am the PR/Marketing coordinator for Bayyinah Institute as well as Leechon.

• I’m also heading a public relations campaign for the Big Buddy Program (site being redesigned) of Baton Rouge, an organization that helps mentor underprivileged kids.

• Along with that, I’m currently authoring a book called the “Sunnah of Persuasion” which highlights, in essence, the “art” of persuasion but through the examples used by the prophet, salallahu alayhi wa sallam.

• I’m also currently in the middle of setting up/ recording a class for Message Mastery that will basically be “Media Writing 101.” This should be finished and ready to launch in 2009, inshaAllah.

How do I have time for everything? Wallahu alem, it’s from the barakah of Allah. And I thank Allah ‘az wa jal for providing me with all these opportunities to better serve him.

So that’s EG in a nutshell. And I’m really honored to have you all visit my blog. Barak Allahu feekom.