IWS Interview – Noha Ali

Inspiring Women Series are to showcase some of the successful modest women out there, who succeed not inspite of their hijab but because of it.

Noha Ali is a Parenting Consultant, Health Coach, TV Host, Blogger, Co-Founder of N Republic, and has been delivering several workshops on parenting, health and nutrition for the past 9 years.

When did you start wearing hijab? Tell us a little about your journey.

I started wearing hijab when I was a teenager. I don’t know why but it was something inside me that urged and encouraged me to wear it. I always joke about it and say it could have been one of my parents prayers that put that feeling inside me. By time, it became part of me just like it is hard for anyone to go out on the street with no shoes on. Now that I think about it, I’m so glad I had the courage to do it then because I could see how harder it would have become for me the more I postponed it.

You come from a bi-racial family,  how did that affect your upbringing?

Honestly, my parents weren’t so happy about my decision (at least this is how I felt) since they thought I was too young for that. Yet when they could see that I was insisting on taking this step they let me do it. They considered it a teenage whim, I guess, that would only last for a few days. Fortunately, it didn’t and may Allah grant me al-thabaat.

You have your own line of prepared healthy food, tell us about it.

As a new mum, I always suffered from the lack of healthy food options for my child. I had to do everything from scratch and it was so time consuming when free time is just a luxury at this phase in life. Knowing that kids are so active and can’t sit for too long to eat their food, I created recipes where my children could benefit from as much as possible: I made sure that each bite contained most-if not all-of the nutritional elements their bodies needed. I made sure I hid veggies inside protein and protein inside veggies. The kitchen for me became like a lab where i’m constantly experimenting with different mixes.

 When other kids came to our house, they used to love this kind of food I presented to them and the parents were amazed at the fact that they ate it all while they were so picky at their own homes and would never eat all this hidden food inside. They would take the recipes from me but complain about not having enough time and energy to go through all this. This was when I always got this comment: “Please make these available for everyone as we have nothing similar in the market and mums are so desperate”.

This is when I decided to take this step and created my first menu which kept on developing through the years until my husband-who is a great marketer- joined in and N-republic was created. We are very selective about the quality of the ingredients we use. We started off with prepared food for kids meals and lunchboxes but ended up catering meals that the whole family loves and share together. We also introduced the first homemade Egyptian nut butters to the market. It makes our day when we get comments from our clients telling us how happy they are since it is the first time their children eat healthy food while enjoying and craving it at the same time. We believe health is happiness and our favourite quote is an ancient Ayurvedic proverb: “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need”

You frequently give workshops and offer advice related to nutrition and parenting, tell us more about that and how you manage a family along your busy career.

I used to work as a university teacher until I had my first child. Just like any new mum, I felt so ignorant about dealing with my baby and felt a huge responsibility that I wasn’t fit for. I wondered if there is a place that could teach me how to be a mum, how to feed my baby and how to deal with him but unfortunately I didnt find any. Being in the academic field, reading books or articles weren’t enough for me so  I took it to a further level and started studying about kids nutrition, parenting and psychology and I got certified in both alhamdulilah. I decided to change my career path as I got much more interested in this field than my previous one. This is when I decided to hand in my resignation at the university and carry on in this career. To this day, I still take additional courses myself as I believe we should constantly develop ourselves and nourish our minds with knowledge.

Being a mum is a full time job really, so I couldn’t actually work outside the house before my kids started going to school. It wasn’t in my capabilities to do both jobs at the same time unlike other mums who can.  So this is when I was doing my studies, assignments and exams early in the morning before they wake up or late at night during their sleep time.

When they started going to school, this is when I could go out for work. I usually work during the day on weekdays not weekends so I’m back before they come back from school. I actually enjoy what I’m doing, whether studying, writing, giving workshops or meeting up with clients, this always adds to me because I’m constantly learning new things that directly benefit me and my family and helps us grow.

You had a popular show running in Ramadan called “نور بيوتنا” Please share with us that experience and what would you say to hijab wearers who are aspiring to be in the media?

 This was an amazing experience that I recently had. It was a platform for me to share what I’ve been learning with a larger audience and also learn new things with them through my guests whom I interviewed. It felt like doing what im used to do everyday but with a camera in front of me: learning and teaching at the same time. I hoped I could help people to progress and change their lives through sharing with them knowledge in a practical way that they could really apply. We only dealt with topics related to Nutrition and health since we were filming during the holy month of Ramadan where we have a mix of both healthy and unhealthy eating habits at the same time so we focused on the healthy ones and gave alternatives to the unhealthy ones.

I think things have started changing now. We have quite a few amazing TV presenters wearing hijab such as Do3aa Amer, Mona Abdelghani, Do3aa Faruk and many others. I believe we should start focusing on the inside of the person and the content she is going to present more than her outward look. I think the era of superficiality and the stereotyping of how everyone should be dressed like is starting to change.  It is the core that really counts.

What is your favorite hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  and why?

Oh this is a tough one because they are so many…in this new era of all the new self-help tools and sciences…I believe the best coaching curriculum was given to us through the Prophet ﷺ ..Studying his life per se teaches us all those skills that all the new sciences are teaching us so that we empower the mind, heart, body and soul.

Of the hadiths I love are the ones about ((أَلا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ, وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ, أَلا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ))..

And  (( مَثَلُ المؤمنين في تَوَادِّهم وتراحُمهم وتعاطُفهم: مثلُ الجسد، إِذا اشتكى منه عضو: تَدَاعَى له سائرُ الجسد بالسَّهَرِ والحُمِّى ))…

as they show on an individual level how each part of our body is connected to the other and on a societal level how each human should be connected to the other humans following the same manner the bodily organs are.

I also have so many favourite quotes that belong to Imam Abi Hamed El Ghazali and Sayedna Ali ibn Abi Talib may Allah be pleased with them.

Best advice you were given?

I was given so many beautiful advice two of which are: Our heart is like an almond. It needs a shell to protect it, otherwise it will never stay fresh and healthy. The shell is our 3ibadat and the nut is the heart. It is very important to make sure you are protecting the heart with this shell as much as it is important to make sure you are aware that the heart is still there and alive.

The other amazing advice that I always remember is that life is like prayer. Just as in prayers we stand, bow and kneel to the ground just to stand up again, our faith as well as our life go through cycles of ups and downs so remember that after every fall there’s a stand and after every عسر there is a يسر .

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years from now, I hope I will be able to use more advanced tools, means or techniques that would still meet my mission. My goal or mission in life is to keep on developing myself and others. I’d really like to make a difference in this world, to revive hope and positivity again, to help others solve their problems and never give up, to do a sort of اصلاح في الارض  . I love Oprah Winfrey and I hope I can make the difference she has made in people’s lives.

On a personal level, I wish I can replenish my heart and meet God with قلب سليم so please pray for me that I achieve my goal.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone struggling with hijab, what would it be?

Hijab is a commitment that needs a bit of sacrifice and a strong will. It is an act of worship like any other yet what is different about it is that it could last-nonstop- for a long period of the day. If you are out of the house for say 5 hours with your hijab on, it is an act of worship that lasted for 5 hours in a row (how many people can pray for 5 hours in a row?) With this mindset, im given the strength to go on.It also helps when your circle of friends  are  giving you the support you need for every decision you make.

 I’d also recommend we pray for God’s support and help and also constantly remind ourselves of the Prophet’s prayer ﷺ :

 اللَّهُمَّ أعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ، وَشُكْرِكَ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ