Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

In the Name of Allah,
Master Fard Muhammad,
The Beneficent, The Most Merciful
To Whom Praise is Due Forever

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beautiful and Beloved Sisters!

The Dining Room is the official dining area. We use special glasses, dishes, linen, etc. when we entertain. This room is a pleasant and cheerful room. Everything is orderly therein. The food is good for your body and your health. The conversation is good for your spiritual upliftment. Good food, good surroundings and good conversation are the makings of a successful and peaceful meal.

HOW TO CLEAN THE DINING ROOM

* Wash table and dust – everyday

* Clean chairs – as needed

* Sweep or vacuum floor – everyday; mop once a week, or as spills occur

* Dust furniture – everyday

* Put away items – Do not let them accumulate

* Wash table linens – every time they are used, pre-treat stains

* Dust curtains and wall ornaments – every day

* Change curtains – every three months

* Rearrange room to give a fresh new look – with the changing of the seasons

* Wash all china in china cabinet – once a month

* Wash windows (or have them washed) inside and out – at least twice a year (in some places you may need to wash them more often)

* Wax all furniture; table, chairs, cabinet, etc. – every week

* Keep fresh flowers in the dining room, as we do all over our house.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim
In the Name of Allah,
Master Fard Muhammad,
The Beneficent, The Most Merciful Saviour and Deliverer
To We, The Lost and Found Members of The Aboriginal Black Nation
In the Wilderness of North America

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Dearly Beloved Beautiful Black Sisters!

We are charged with the responsibility of Keeping House. This does not just mean keeping the house clean and orderly. Keeping house also includes ensuring the house is run smoothly, efficiently and effectively.

Our husbands are responsible for providing the finances to maintain the house, however, we are responsible for doing everything to keep the house maintained. Our husband makes sure there is money in the bank, but it is our responsibility to make sure his money is wisely spent on everything and only things necessary for the upkeepment of the house. (English just doesn’t suffice! So, I coined “upkeepment.” You probably say I could just use “upkeep” but that’s like a noun and I wanted an ongoing process)

We must keep accurate records of every penny we spend, so that a.) We are always ready to present to our husband a detailed outline of where and how his money is being spent and b.) We can better prepare ourselves for future spending by knowing exactly how much is spent and on what.

There is a big push by utilities and other services for us to switch to paper-less billing. I am old-fashioned and have been keeping records on paper for the past four years. However, as I am becoming more comfortable with computers, I am making preparations to do all of my bookkeeping on the computer.

One way I am preparing is by learning the program EXCEL.

At the end of every month, I have been manually computing all of my spending by keeping track of all receipts and bills in a 2-inch 3-ring binder. I separate my spending into categories, i.e. Food, Non-Food Products, Services, Bills, etc.

**Single Sisters should also keep accurate records of spending to help with budgeting and to identify and eliminate any areas where waste is occurring. And, so you will be prepared when Allah Blesses you with a husband.

Learning EXCEL will make bookkeeping easier. I have already started learning it and have already been able to use some of the keyboard shortcuts that I didn’t know previously. (Hakim and I love “Control + Z” 😉 ) I can’t wait to see exactly how much easier learning this program will help with accounting. Here is the link to the EXCEL Tutorial.

If you use EXCEL with your record-keeping, please comment and share some of your experiences with your Sisters, who may be “newbies” (like me!). Thank-you!

***UPDATE***

So, I’ve been using Excel for about a year now, and I honestly don’t know HOW I ever got by without it!

It makes my accounting 1000 per cent easier.

I have made a template that I use every month.

I JUST GO THROUGH ALL OF MY RECEIPTS, FILL IN THE CELLS AND LET EXCEL DO THE MATH. NOW, IF YOU CAN LEARN EXCEL, IT WILL MAKE YOUR BOOKKEEPING A BREEZE!

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim
In the Name of Allah,
Master Fard Muhammad,
The Beneficent, The Most Merciful Saviour and Deliverer
To We, The Lost and Now Found Members
Of The Aboriginal Black Nation of The Planet Earth
All Praise is Due to Allah

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Sisters!!

Our bedroom is the place where we retire to rest and sleep. It is the room where we keep our personal possessions. In actuality, it is the most personal room for each member of our family! We want to be sure to keep our bedrooms in the best possible condition to ensure peace of mind and contentment upon entering and as long as we remain therein.

We groom ourselves in our bedroom. We show affection and devotion to our husbands there. We tend to our children there. We discuss our most pressing business matters there. We rest our heads and sleep there. We pray to Allah (God) there so our bedrooms should always be kept in immaculate condition as we prepare to go before Our Saviour, Master Fard Muhammad, To Whom Praise is Due Forever.

THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE TO KEEP THE BEDROOM PROPERLY CLEAN

* Make beds – every day; as soon as you get up

* Change linen – once a week or after sex, which can be more than once a day; for children – change bed 2 or 3 times a week, if child is sick, every day

* Put dirty clothes in hamper – as soon as you take them off

* Clean closet – once a month and every 6 months

* Rearrange dresser drawers, sort clothes – once a month

* Keep all furniture (bed, dresser tops, tables, desks, etc.) free of clutter at all times

* Dust furniture – every day

* Wax wood furniture – once a week

* Sweep or vacuum floor – every day (mop once a week or whenever spills occur)

* Remove and beat throw rugs – every day

* Curtains: Dust – every day; Vacuum – once a week, Change – with the changing of the seasons

* A redecoration of the room with the changing of the seasons will ensure a fresh, new look and keep the room one hundred per cent “right and exact.”

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim
In the Most Holy Name of Allah,
Master Fard Muhammad,
To Whom We Forever Give All Holy Thanks and Praise

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Sisters!

The kitchen is the place where all of the cooking for the family and/or guests occurs. Because the food we eat is for the sustaining of our bodies, it must be prepared in a place where there is cleanliness and order. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) teaches us that our floors should be clean enough to eat off of them.

HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE IN THE KITCHEN:

*Wash dishes – after use

*Cook meals – children twice a day and adults once a day

*Wash counter-tops – after every use

*Wash table – after every use, including the top, underneath and all legs (table)

*Clean chairs – when needed, but if you have children three-years-old or younger, clean every day

*Wash shelves, cabinets – once a month and whenever spills and smudges occur

*Scour pots and pans – once a month generally and whenever burned

*Sweep and mop floor – every day, and after spills (after mopping do not let your floor air dry. Get a big, old towel, stand on it and proceed to dry off your floor. You can return your kitchen to normal sooner rather than later and eliminate the inconvenience of having to wait for it to air dry.)

*Beat rugs – every day

*Take out trash – every day

*Wash trash cans – every week

*Wash walls – whenever spills occur and overall, twice a year

*Change curtains – every three months, unless the area is smoked up, then change them in the right way

*Clean stove – after every use, but once a week do a good overall cleaning

*Clean refrigerator – overall, once a week, but clean any spills whenever they occur. Clean the outside (including the top) every day

*Wash kitchen linen – once a week, separately from clothes

*A general cleaning is done every week, and every three months a changing and rearranging of furniture and decorations helps to bring a fresh new look, along with what we call a major cleaning.

*Fresh Flowers are a MUST in our kitchen.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim
In the Most Holy and Righteous Name of Allah,
Master Fard Muhammad,
The Beneficent, The Most Merciful
The Lord of All the Worlds

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beautiful and Beneficent Sisters!

The place we call “bathroom” is more than just a room where one takes a bath. It is the room where all bodily functions concerning the element of waste removal are performed. Oral hygiene is performed in the bathroom as well as all other aspects of cleaning and grooming one’s body. The bathroom is a place that calls for a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. Decorating with real or artificial flowers or pictures of flowers adds a nice touch. Regularly burning incense or oils in the bathroom ensures a consistent, pleasant fragrance.

Here is a guideline on how to properly clean the bathroom:

CLEANING THE BATHROOM

* Get acquainted with your toilet 🙂 The toilet is an area to which we should pay special attention, for obvious reasons. There is no need to purchase toxic chemicals to keep in the bowl if you clean it properly. I use Ivory bar soap to clean and then disinfect with bleach. (Make sure you clean the toilet first if you are going to use bleach.) Clean the entire toilet; Reservoir (lid, front, sides, bottom, and as much of the back as you can), seat cover (top and bottom), seat (top and bottom), toilet bowl (the entire top, inside and outside). Be sure to clean the front, sides, bottom and that little skinny part behind the toilet. Clean the wall behind the toilet and the floor round the toilet. (Don’t just rely on the mop.) Also, don’t miss that little, hidden part underneath the seat where it is fastened to the toilet.

GENERAL CLEANING

* Wash toilet, tub, shower and sink – after each use

* Replace washcloths and towels – every day or two to three times a week depending on your children’s play and the type of work your husband does

* Wash mirror – after everyone has finished with their grooming, at the end of the day and whenever needed

* Sweep and mop floor – every day (wax floor once a week)

* Wash walls – once a week

* Beat rugs – every day

* Wash and change floor rugs – two times a week

* Change shower curtain – once a week for a family of four or more

* Keep all clean towels orderly

* Change guest towels – once a week or after use

* Remove all products and clean out medicine cabinet – once a week

* Keep all cleaning supplies and implements orderly.

* Do a major cleaning every night, disinfecting everything.

** Additional Tips **

**Don’t wait until the roll of toilet tissue runs out completely before replacing it. When you see it getting low, replace it with a new roll and place the old roll on top of it.

**Teach your children to flush immediately, when making bowel movements. This will prevent the smell.

**You should also provide wet wipes for use after bowel movements and for freshening up during menstruation.

BISMILLAH

PLEASE CLICK ON THE BOOK COVER

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum!

One of the things Our Saviour, Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom praise is due forever, promised us upon our submission to Him is A GOOD HOME. He Wants Us To Live In A GOOD HOME and the best way to ensure our home is a GOOD HOME is to keep it clean. It may not be spacious but it can and should be comfortable and, most importantly, clean.

In The Nation of Islam’s Muslim Girls’ Training and General Civilization Class (M. G. T. & G. C. C.), we are taught that the first step in cleaning and maintaining a clean home is to GET RID OF CLUTTER.

PROPER STEPS TO GET RID OF CLUTTER

* A good house keeper knows when it is time to throw a thing out.

* Keeping unnecessary items (old papers and magazines, clothes no one wears, old letters, cards, books, bills, toys, dishes, shoes etc.) causes clutter.

*  If items must be kept, they should be kept neatly and put away.

*  Each item should have a specific practical place. For example, toys can be kept in a toybox in the play area.

* Some things may need several homes: pencil holders should be placed in the kitchen, in the office, near the computer and near the phone.

* Wicker baskets are great “homes” for things. They can hold magazines in the den, pine cones in the bedroom, or combs, brushes and hair accessories in the bathroom. They are also decorative, look good in almost any home decor, and keep things very close to where they will be used.

* The more convenient it is to put something away, the less likely it is to end up as clutter.

* Teaching children (or other family members) to put things away can be accomplished by consistent modeling and insistence. Organizational skills can be taught in stages. Start teaching them from the cradle.

* Getting rid of clutter and learning new habits can happen over night. Start by not allowing new items (clutter items) to linger in your home. Flyers, newspapers, bulletins, school newsletters, letters and bills are good examples. Though not all incoming clutter is paper-based, probably over half of it is. Once read or dealt with, anything of paper origin should be filed or put in the garbage can.

* A lot of incoming clutter hangs around the house simply because it was not dealt with as soon as it arrived.

* One piece of invaluable advice is to make it a rule to never pick up a piece of paper twice. As much as possible, paper should only end up in your hands once. Often we read things and then put them somewhere to be put away later. Later, of course, the entire thing must be sorted out of a pile of other junk, and reread. If things are dealt with immediately (or, in the case of bills, filed away immediately), they don’t become clutter.

* Another thing that adds to disorganization and clutter in the home is that many people hang onto paper clutter (and other kinds of clutter as well) because they think they may need it down the road. All clutter, as soon as it has been dealt with, or has served its purpose, should be thrown out.

Schedule a day, that you will spend removing all of the clutter in your home. Arm yourself and your children with garbage bags, and the will to clean. Take a deep breath, and throw away all of the unnecessary items. ANYTHING that is NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for your family’s well-being should be thrown out. Ask yourself, “Do I need this?” “When was the last time I used/wore/needed this?” If the answer is “No” or “I can’t remember” then that particular item is definitely fodder for the trash can or The Salvation Army.

Plan to spend all day clearing your house of CLUTTER. That way you can do the most thorough job without time restraints. The larger the home or family, the more time it will take. You may even have to schedule multiple days to complete each room but don’t quit until the job is complete. And don’t get sidetracked and waste time reminiscing and getting all sentimental. Our Beloved Messenger (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him) taught us that we should not hold onto items based on sentimental value. 

* Also be aware, it is going to get messy, but we have to destroy before we can rebuild.

Take breaks periodically, and celebrate your accomplishments as they come! When you finish your bedroom, go out and buy some fresh flowers to enhance the beauty of your new clutter-free boudoir. When you finish the kitchen, make some homemade ice cream and enjoy it on your new clutter-free island.

Once you have gotten rid of all of the clutter, you must now make a conscious effort to actively apply the bullet points listed above, to maintain a clutter-free environment. Once a month, go through your junk drawer in the kitchen and throw out any items no longer of use. Clean out your file cabinet of all the warranties for the items you just threw away. You should also clean out your closets with the change of seasons. And set aside time every day for dusting. Dusting requires that you put away any items out of place. Doing this daily helps prevent clutter from building up.

Pretty soon, you will develop an internal radar that will alert you to items that are out of place, and you will instinctively and immediately pick them up and put them away. This way, your house will remain clean and you will never have to do a major “Clutter Removal” again. Allah U Akbar! (Allah Is The Greatest!)