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 bright yellow banana with small brown spots lies on a dark textured carpet next to a vintage dark-brown wooden door frame. The door is slightly open, revealing a glimpse of a shadowed hallway beyond. A dramatic shaft of light illuminates the fruit on the floor
    Nostalgia,  Reflections

    The 10:00 AM Ramadan Heist

    April 13, 2026 / No Comments

    We like to think of our childhood memories as deeply spiritual milestones. But if I’m being truly honest? One of my most vivid Ramadan memories involves a storage room, a locked door, and a very poorly timed snack. I wasn’t even hungry. That’s the funny part. It was only 10:00 AM. But the house was quiet, the day felt long, and I was… bored. And in the mind of an eight-year-old, the best cure for boredom is a forbidden banana. I remember the strategy. I snatched the fruit and made a run for the storage room—that dark sanctuary of old suitcases and dust. I didn’t just hide; I locked the…

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    A nostalgic watercolor collage inspired by growing up in Indonesia during the 1980s and 1990s. Vintage-style vignettes depict family gatherings, a busy bus stop, university students, roadside food stalls, and everyday public spaces where cigarette smoke was common. At the center, a thoughtful young girl imagines a whimsical smoker's helmet, while other scenes contrast smoky environments with modern smoke-free spaces and families enjoying fresh air in a park. Warm sepia tones and soft textures evoke childhood memories, changing social norms, and the importance of consideration for others in shared spaces.

    We All Smelled Like Cigarettes Anyway

    July 16, 2026
    A colorful, watercolor-style collage of iconic childhood characters and figures from 1980s and 90s Indonesian television. The top half features animated characters Doraemon, Shin-chan, and Chibi Maruko-chan alongside the live-action hero Ksatria Baja Hitam (Kamen Rider Black). The bottom half shows a realistic illustration of the Japanese drama character Oshin as a young girl and woman, and a portrait of the friendly dragon Si Komo with the smiling mentor Kak Seto. The entire composition is set against a soft, pastel-colored artistic background

    My TV Memory Lane, from Oshin to Si Komo

    April 13, 2026
    A collage of five photos showing the beautiful chaos of motherhood: scattered blue and green building blocks on a floor with a vacuum cleaner, a toddler sitting in a mess of flour on a dark wood floor, an overflowing dresser drawer with colorful laundry, a kitchen counter cluttered with dishes and tea, and a splattered paint mess. A yellow scribble at the bottom right symbolizes the mental load.

    An Example of My Jumbled Mind (The Forty-Tab Brain)

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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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