Everyone at Sakina Design would like to thank the organizers and attendees at the 2010 RIS (Reviving the Islamic Spirit) Convention in Long Beach, California. We had a great time meeting everyone. It was an incredible experience meeting new friends, old friends, and even long-lost friends. Insha Allah RIS becomes a fixture of the Southern California community.
We were blessed to have a booth, surrounded by great organizations. Across from us, were our friends at CAIR, working hard to protect the civil rights of Muslims, and build strong bridges with the broader American community. Please keep up the great work! Also across from us were the brothers and sisters from Al-Maghrib. A special thanks to them for entertaining our daughter and her friend! And next to us was Sandala Productions, formerly known as Alhambra Productions. It was great meeting both Shaikh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir!
We even met some of the RIS organizers from Canada. Thanks for the kind words, insha Allah we have the opportunity to join you all in Toronto one day.
If you didn’t have the opportunity to be a part of RIS this year, please make sure you plan to attend next year. If they return to California, we will see you there insha Allah!
The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The best talk (speech) is the Book of Allah (Qur’an), and the best way is the way of Muhammad (Sunnah) … ” (Bukhari)
In light of this we suggest using ayat from the Qur’an and du’a that the Prophet (SAWS) taught us in your greeting cards. So if you know anyone having a baby or who just had a baby, maybe you can use this suggested greeting:
“May Allah bless you with His gift to you, and may the receiver give thanks and reach the maturity of years and be granted piety.”
[The reply is to say]
“May Allah bless you, and shower His blessings upon you, and may Allah reward you well and bestow upon you its like and reward you with open hands.” (An-Nawawi)
We were curious if our business decisions have done anything to help our planet. So we looked at our choice to use 100% post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper versus “regular” paper. Could we really have an impact in such a short time?
Thankfully, our paper company provided us with a convenient calculator to help us determine our impact. Just by choosing to use 100% PCW paper, we have saved:
Because the paper was also made with 100% renewable energy, we saved:
Source: Neenah Green Eco-Calculator, Savatree.com, H2Ouse.org, EPA.gov.
Suggested Greeting Message for Someone in Difficulty
The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The best speech is the Book of Allah (Qur’an), and the best way is the way of Muhammad (Sunnah) … ” (Bukhari)
In light of this we suggest using ayat from the Qur’an and du’a that the Prophet (SAWS) taught us, in our greeting cards. So if you know anyone going through a difficult time, maybe you can send them a card and use this greeting:
“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah, than the weak believer and there is goodness in both. Strive for that which will benefit you, seek help from Allah and do not despair. If a mishap should happen to befall you then do not say ‘If only I had acted….such and such would have happened’. Rather say:
‘Allah has decreed and what He wills, He does’ … for verily ‘If’ lets in the work of the devil.” (Muslim)
Where does your Company Logo come from? Is it Turkish?
We at Sakina Design do our best to combine the contemporary and traditional, creating a unique and elegant look. This concept goes beyond our products, permeating our entire company, including our name and logo. Judging from the response, we’ve been successful … if not a bit confusing. Some have even asked if we’re Turkish, to which we reply … hayir.
Joking aside … we do want to spread some clarity on this issue. We’re a U.S. company based out of southern California. Our approach is to pull on traditional Islamic art and give it a contemporary look.
To represent the traditional we have taken the name ’sakina’, which is the transliteration of the Arabic word for ‘tranquility’.
And to represent the contemporary we use a very clean and modern font. The connection to the original Arabic is retained by keeping the corresponding dots of the Arabic letters. The letter ‘a’ at the end of ’sakina’ is also reversed to make it look more like its corresponding Arabic letter. All this gives our logo a somewhat Turkish appearance. A society which also bridges the eastern and western worlds.
We hope this helps to answer your questions and clarify any confusion.
The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The best talk (speech) is the Book of Allah (Qur’an), and the best way is the way of Muhammad (Sunnah) … ” (Bukhari)
In light of this we suggest using ayat from the Qur’an and du’a that the Prophet (SAWS) taught us in your greeting cards. So if you have the opportunity to thank someone, maybe you can use this suggested greeting:
Jazaakallahu khairan
‘May Allah reward you with goodness’
…then you have indeed excelled in praising him.’ (At-Tirmidhi)
Sakina Design at the 13th Annual Regional MAS Convention
Although this year’s MAS convention was a small but intimate one, we still met many wonderful people and even some Sakina Design fans. I have to say, as the owners of a new company, it’s a very rewarding experience to have people recognize us and become our fans. Alhumdullilah!
I also have to give a special thanks to my brother who helped me so much, and his wife who made me the best curry after a long long weekend.
I also want to share with all of you what I saw at the bazaar:
1. Honeybeez Pastries
They make tasty baked goods. Although they don’t have a retail or online store, they do catering for events. I bought 3 boxes of their tea cakes and shared them with the other vendors. We all agreed they were YUMMY! All products are made with simple ingredients and are 100% halal. Highly recommended! [Honeybeez Pastries | 323.481.3246]
2. Samina Khan’s Exquisite Collection
Sister Samina’s booth was right next to ours. She sells beautiful shawls, blouses and jewelry. A sweet sweet lady, masha Allah. [Samina Khan | 310.488.0362]
3. The American Rememdies
This company makes all natural, mostly organic and 100% halal skincare products. I bought some products and am loving them. Check them out! [www.theamericanremedies.com]
4. Al-Madinah
They were also our next-store neighbor. They are a wholesaler of Islamic goods, carrying a wide variety of products. I still remember the yummy home-cooked food Brother Mohammad offered me, masha Allah. [Al-Madinah | yahya_m91@hotmail.com]
5. Azraq Jewelry
One of the labels of Sally & Ally, our partner at this year’s convention. They are two creative souls providing a wide range of products and services: from jewelry and t-shirts to style news and photography. Azraq Jewelry products are all handmade by Sally and Ally and they also take custom orders. [Sally & Ally | www.sallyandally.com]
6. MAS Convention Newsletter
Our greeting cards were featured in their official newsletter, “5 Things Under $10”. We just love to be mentioned … is that narcissistic or just successful marketing? ha ha ha!
Quality products start with quality designs. For this we thank our obsessive-compulsive graphic designer, who does not rest until every last detail is perfect. She spends considerable time contemplating the use of our products before even designing them. As a result, you will notice our wall art and greeting cards are flexible and convenient. Because of this process, our wall art can be used individually to fill small spaces, or combined to fill larger spaces. This insightful design strategy was also applied to our greeting cards. By using a “greeting insert” we allow our customers to use the same card for any situation.
After finalizing the design, we proceed to the next step, identifying manufacturers who can meet our quality standards. For our wall art, we work with a U.S. framer who hires craftsmen committed to high quality standards. Together we selected a recycled wood product that was not only eco-friendly and contemporary, but also stronger than any virgin wood. The printing process for the wall art naturally involves minor variations and imperfections as part of the process. However, if we feel these variations take away from the quality of the artwork, we do not allow it to be framed. This is accomplished through a painstaking process of going through each piece of art individually.
For our greeting cards, we utilize one of the latest techniques to create an elegant look and feel, laser die cutting. This technique is applied to high quality 100% post-consumer (PCW) recycled, chlorine-free paper. We also use thicker paper in order to maintain rigidity and give it a high quality appearance and feel. Instead of the traditional petroleum based inks, we use more eco-friendly soy-based inks. However, we don’t stop there. We also ensure that the inks contain no toxic heavy-metal compounds.
I hope this helps to explain some of the steps we’ve taken to produce quality merchandise that we hope will set a new standard for “Islamic products”.
Sakina Design is not only a company, but a cause that aspires to create a new standard by which Muslim businesses are judged. Like many Muslims in America, we have become frustrated with the quality and standards of many Muslim-run businesses. While we respect these pioneers, and thank them for the foundation they have provided, we feel it is time for a change. Not only should the Muslim-American community have access to Islamic products, but at standards that match or exceed those in the current U.S. marketplace.
Our principal complaint is the lack of Islamic decorations designed specifically for the Muslim-American consumer. What we see are products designed for overseas markets being imported to the U.S. They are either overly ornate or otherwise unappealing to our sense of taste and style. We also find most of these products to be low-quality, so even if we do like them, they appear cheap or break easily.
We believe the Muslim community deserves better. And we feel that the term Islam and Muslim should be attached to high quality products. Products that are designed and manufactured in accordance with the Islamic principle of ihsan (excellence). Products that appeal to our unique sense of aesthetics, that are durable and long-lasting, that are produced with their environmental impact in mind, and that take into consideration the health, safety and dignity of our fellow human beings.
And so the idea of Sakina Design was born. Here we produce contemporary, high quality, eco-friendly home decor, which pulls on the rich tradition of Islamic art. We uphold the highest standard of honesty in our business dealings. We also do not take or give interest and believe that charity should be an integral part of any good business.
At Sakina Design, we not only hold ourselves to these standards, but hope that we will set a new standard for Muslim businesses, and all businesses. This is possible only with the help and participation of the Muslim-American consumers. We will do our part in establishing and upholding these high standards, and we ask our customers to support us and all companies that uphold these ideals. Together we can change what is expected of Muslim businesses, and be proud of the label ‘Muslim Business’.
“May Allah bless you with His gift to you, and may the receiver give thanks and reach the maturity of years and be granted piety.”
We at 
