Barakah Roots

Essays on faith, motherhood, memory, and belonging.

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A warm watercolor illustration of a family practicing appreciation and gentle guidance at home. In the foreground, a Muslim mother embraces her smiling son as he completes his schoolwork, celebrating his effort with quiet affection. In the background, a father offers calm instruction to another child while a young girl listens nearby. Golden afternoon sunlight fills the cozy room, where books, plants, a lantern, and cups of tea create a peaceful atmosphere. The scene reflects encouragement, mercy, family connection, and the balance between recognizing effort and offering loving correction.

The Missing Ten Percent

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A soft, warm watercolor illustration in a gentle children's book aesthetic showing a Muslim mother in a long cream-colored gown and a dusty rose hijab. She stands in side profile, looking thoughtfully into a large full-length mirror in a bedroom filled with amber afternoon sunlight. Her hand rests gently on her waist as she contemplates her reflection. In the background, elements of a full, busy life are visible: a neatly folded stack of laundry on a chair, a children's book titled "The Little Muslimah" on a nightstand, and a framed Quranic reminder hanging on the wall that reads "And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs (33:3)." Subtle, magical light effects and star dust trail softly across the foreground.

I See Myself in Her

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A warm watercolor illustration depicting a mother building systems to reduce daily friction. Prepared fruit, organized groceries, reusable containers, and helping children reflect the unseen accommodations many women create to navigate chronic fatigue, brain fog, and limited cognitive bandwidth.

The Neurodivergent Tax

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Muslim woman in a hijab sitting by the sea at sunset in a colorful watercolor illustration, reflecting on midlife, caregiving, and renewal.

The Inner Thoughts of a Perimenopausal Woman

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A vibrant watercolor illustration of a festive all-women's Muslim pool gathering. In the foreground, a large buffet table is filled with samosas, fresh fruit, popcorn, and drinks. Women wearing beautiful, colorful hijabs chat inside a decorated living room, while one mother looks out a large window to watch children happily swimming in a backyard pool with a pink flamingo float.

When Everyone Speaks the Language of Invisible Work

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  • A warm watercolor collage inspired by Surah Al-'Asr, featuring peaceful scenes of Islamic family life and spiritual reflection. A Muslim woman contemplates a sunrise, studies the Qur'an, journals, cooks for her family, teaches her children, makes dhikr with prayer beads, and walks alongside loved ones on a garden path. An hourglass symbolizes the passing of time, while soft golden light and tranquil landscapes evoke faith, righteous deeds, patience, and the quiet beauty of everyday worship.
    Faith,  Quran

    My Thoughts on Surah Al-‘Asr

    July 17, 2026 / No Comments

    Three verses. That is all. Three short verses that many Muslim children memorize before they fully understand what they are reciting. Yet generations of scholars have reflected on their depth. A statement widely attributed to Imam al-Shafi’i رحمه الله says that if people were to truly reflect upon this surah, it would be sufficient for their guidance, because it summarizes what a person needs for success in this life and the next. Every time I recite it, I find myself asking the same question: How can only three verses contain so much? By Time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and…

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    A vintage mixed-media collage centered around an antique world map, layered with torn papers, watercolor washes, old photographs of misty mountains and golden desert dunes, a brass compass, an old sailing ship, weathered keys and keyholes, gears, feathers, driftwood, pressed leaves, lace, and handwritten notes. The composition evokes themes of travel, memory, faith, belonging, and finding spiritual direction while journeying through a changing world.

    Finding Home in a Changing World

    July 13, 2026
    A warm watercolor collage depicting a Muslim woman through seasons of faith and gratitude. She is shown making du'a at night, reflecting by a sunlit window with the Qur'an nearby, organizing a well-stocked pantry, reading the Qur'an during a quiet afternoon, embracing her children, sharing a peaceful family meal, and sitting in contemplation during the rain. Additional vignettes feature a glowing lantern, a cup of tea, and a tranquil garden path at sunrise. Soft earth tones, gentle light, and cozy home interiors evoke themes of answered prayers, everyday blessings, remembrance of Allah, and finding beauty in ordinary moments.

    After Allah Answers the Du’a

    July 12, 2026
    A warm, sunlit illustration of a Muslim mother and young daughter sitting together on a prayer rug beside an open Qur'an, looking out through a large window toward a busy city street. Golden afternoon light streams into the room, illuminating bookshelves and creating a peaceful atmosphere that symbolizes faith, reflection, and raising children with guidance rooted in the Qur'an rather than the changing values of the surrounding world.

    When Ordinary Stopped Looking Ordinary

    July 19, 2026
  • A close-up, light and airy shot of a woman’s hands holding an open Quran. Soft morning sunlight illuminates the pages and a simple notebook and pen resting nearby. The scene is faceless and serene, focusing on the texture of the paper and the quiet moment of reflection.
    Islam,  Motherhood Unfiltered,  Quran,  Reflections,  Spiritual Perspectives

    Iqra, When My Mind Is Full

    April 11, 2026 / No Comments

    A quiet reminder for the days when everything feels like too much. When my mind is full, I don’t usually think about revelation. I think about what’s next. Who needs what. What I forgot. What I’m already late for. My thoughts move quickly—like tabs opening and closing faster than I can keep up. And in the middle of that noise, it’s hard to imagine a cave. A quiet place. A single word. Iqra. Read. In a world that constantly demands we do—to produce, to cook, to manage, to solve—it feels like a quiet mercy that the very first command given to our Prophet ﷺ was not a list of instructions.…

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    Vulnerability as a Woman’s Strength

    April 8, 2026
    Warm collage illustrating the emotional atmosphere of womanhood, home, and financial vulnerability: a Muslim woman browsing rugs and fabric in a store, children resting on a worn family sofa, coffee and budgeting notes beside a calculator, a cozy lived-in couch with a laptop and tea, and a beautiful dream living room with new sofas and a large rug. The collage reflects the longing for softness, beauty, dignity, and emotional ease inside ordinary family life.

    The Quiet Vulnerability of Financial Dependence

    May 12, 2026

    When “The Best” Feels Out of Reach

    April 9, 2026

About Me

Umm Abdallah

I’m an Indonesian mother of ten, now making a home in the Middle East. Most of my days are spent navigating the beautiful, heavy, and often messy reality of a large family and a body that requires me to move a little slower.

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