Significance of Henna Rasm
Henna nights are traditional nights where the bride’s and groom’s families apply henna onto the couple’s hands. It is a tradition or “rasm” and is predominant in South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. The henna is applied to beautify and cleanse the bride’s hands and is often paired with turmeric cream (ubtan).
The night is a joyous pre-wedding event often accompanied with singing, dancing and harmonious laughter. Many brides always remember their henna night as the final gathering before their big day and departure (ruksati).
It is a truly blessed and traditional occasion. Fortunately, in this profession I have had the opportunity to accompany and meet many brides on this auspicious occasion. I will keep you all tuned and updated as I attend and post pictures.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Irvine Mehndi/ Henna Night
I had the honor of attending the mehndi ceremony of Mr. and Mrs. Ahmed on a perfect December evening.
Upon entering the hall I saw a glorious turquoise and purple stage draped with gold ornaments. People were wearing an array of bright emerald greens and sunshine yellows. The outfits were intricate and elegant in design and the music was loud.
As I looked towards the stage I saw the groom waiting for his bride with an air of anticipation. Everyone around me was eating, laughing and taking pictures. As we sipped on our hot chai the bride made her grand entrance. She was veiled in a white dupatta, accompanied by her family members, all of whom were carrying small henna trays.
Thus, began the mehndi festivities and one by one all of the friends and relatives applied henna onto both of the groom and bride’s hands. Each person going onto the stage and giving blessings and good tidings for the new soon-to-be-married couple.
It was a perfect evening, and after the rasm was complete, everyone danced and sang songs.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Pregnant Belly/ Baby Shower Henna
It is wonderful to know that the appreciation of good Henna art has acquired universal appeal. Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to a baby shower. There, all the guests showered the Mom-to-be with a variety of gifts. I had a unique gift of my own, Henna tattoos. The Mom-to-be really enjoyed the art, and the best part is that my Hanna does not contain any artificial chemicals so it is safe for most people. You can make elaborate designs or get anything written with Henna. The Henna leaves a temporary mark which lasts 5-10days. It’s a special gift for every Mom-to-be. Don’t hesitate to contact me for your special event!
xo, Sana Yousuf
Holiday Season!
Hello Friends,
December was the season of holiday parties, made special by Henna. Henna is getting more and more trendy day by day and I am happy to be a part of it. I enjoyed every moment and i am looking forward to 2016. Lets see what this year brings…
xo, Sana Yousuf
Young Muslims Youth Conference April’14
Yesterday, I was honored to be a part of the Young Muslims Youth Conference that was held in Anaheim, California. The conference has done a magnificent job of establishing networks of youth group across the United States and Canada, which they call “NeighborNet”. Here is an excerpt from The Young Muslims Youth Conference describing “NeighborNet” in their own words:
Each NeighborNet is a dynamic youth group which attempts to build a solid understanding of the principles of Islam amongst its members by helping them put these principles into practice. By providing the youth with an Islamic atmosphere where they can form bonds of brotherhood with their peers, they become comfortable with Islam and its teachings. We stress the importance of knowing, understanding, and fulfilling our individual and collective obligations as Muslims.
Henna holds a very valuable position in the Islamic culture. The prophet (pbuh) was known to use henna for a variety of purposes. Today, it is primarily used for beautification purposes, primarily in wedding ceremonies and Eid festivities. At this NeighborNet conference, I was proud to be the only henna artist making henna designs on girls. In the future, I hope that the neighborhood of NeighborNet will grow and the whole world will start to appreciate the value of henna.
xo, Sana Yousuf
LA Times Festival Of Books April’14
Hello everyone, The WhyIslam team, organized a successful interactive da’wah mega-booth at the 19th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books held at the University of Southern California. I was at honored to be one of the Henna volunteers, spreading the message of Islam as well as promoting the beauty of Henna. It was a wonderful experience both spiritually & socially. Henna became a stepping stone for people toward Islam. Many people experienced Henna art for the first time and had many questions about Islam as well as Henna. The best part of Henna is that it is temporary and lasts about seven to ten days. At the two days of the event, we made hundreds of Henna designs, distributed about 1500 copies of the Quran and 2000 brochures which resulted in 31 conversions Alhumdullillah! I look forward to other opportunities to promote my faith as well as my art.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Islamic Art Expo!
One more wonderful experience at the Islamic Art Expo held at the Queen Mary really wants to share with all of you. I participated by making exquisite henna art on the attendees. The attendees, who came from all walks of life, really liked and appreciated the henna art. Henna art has been part of the Islamic culture for centuries and is now gaining popularity in western cultures. OC Henna will be present to promote Henna art in all such events. The Queen Mary remains an awesome place for any event.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Orange County Events
OC Henna prides itself in being a repeat vendor at many Orange County events. We have served carnivals, community picnics and a wide array of public festivities. Our henna tattoos are a perfect compliment to a child’s face paint or a bare back. We bring our very own setup to all of these events and enjoy making someone smile with our temporary tattoos. OC Henna also has an ample selection of designs for everyone in attendance. It is always a pleasure to frequent these gatherings in the lax SoCal atmosphere.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Mega School Carnival at ICSGV!
Greetings,
I was a participant at the ICSGV Mega School Carnival which I enjoyed along with the other participants. People always like my beautiful Henna designs and I always find pleasure by bringing smiles on their faces. My participation in university events, cultural events and religious events has always brought smiles to peoples faces. Regardless of the event type, henna always brings happiness.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Henna Crown
A new way to cheer up Alopecia patients! Alopecia is a condition characterized by intense hair loss that leads to baldness. Getting henna done (henna crowns) on the scalp not only cheers up the patient but also is a clinically proven way to restore hair growth. I was proud to not only bring a smile to a patient’s face but also to help her with the condition. I am looking forward to bringing more smiles.
xo, Sana Yousuf
Corona Mayoun/ Mehndi Night
The “mayoun rasm” is similar to a mehndi night, because it’s primary focus is on beautification and purification. The bride and groom sit whilst her friends and family adorn them with mehndi (henna) and ubtan (turmeric cream). Often people enjoin these two traditions together and both rasmay are conducted simultaneously.
I carefully prepared my outfit for this mayoun as it was a “Peacock” themed night. Everyone was to be wearing blues and purples and I, of course, had to follow this trend. As I ironed my outfit I was truly excited to know how the decorations would look like.
I put on my outfit, applied makeup generously, and put my hair in a tight braid. I hassled my husband a little to hurry as I was really anticipating this night. Soon enough I was on my way covering the distance between our small coastal city to the Inland Empire.
Peacocks hold traditional significance in many South Asian cultures and are seen as a marvelous and magnificent creature. As I entered the house I saw a beautifully crafted peacock right inside. There were two more adorned upon the fireplace mantel. There was a small section for floor seating, where people would sit and play the dhol (drum) and sing wedding songs.
I took a seat on the floor with my friends whom were also wearing a different shade of blue. I felt right at home. We began the sangeet, singing and clapping emphatically. The bride and groom made their entrance upon our loud banter.
The bride was wearing no makeup in her traditional peela jhora (yellow dress) and her fiance equally as simple. Everyone slowly made their way onto the stage to apply ample amounts of ubtan (turmeric cream) and mehndi (henna) onto the bride and groom. After, we ate, sang, and ate some more dancing the night away. It was a night to remember with all the comfortability and warmth.
xo, Sana Yousuf
OC Henna 