Salaamualaikum and Hello all!

Summer may officially be starting on June 20th, but it feels like it’s already here and bursting with the potential of possibilities, with COVID numbers slowly decreasing (Alhamdullilah!) and those who are vaccinated for COVID increasing. It almost feels like it’s moving a little too fast (for me, personally), especially with the CDC changing its mask recommendations, (honestly I wish we could ease into the lifting of COVID safety protocols a little slower, but that’s just me and my anxiety), it is exciting to look forward to a summer of healing, ease and some fun!

Indulge me with some Mamma happiness: My daughter (my middle child) is graduating from high school, and we are so grateful to Allah (S) for seeing her and all our children through this challenging year. (Read this ode to students written by a teacher to get you in the feels!) With graduation season in bloom, we’ve got a great gift guide for you as well as articles coming this month about how to throw a fabulous party for the graduate in your life and a letter of advice for our grads.

We are also looking forward to a summer of mood-brightening color and verve, which is our focus for June. We have a bevy of beautiful new spring and summer colors for you (marked with "new color" stickers) in our Chiffon, Jersey and Bamboo Wovens as well as in our Ultimate Underscarves. Our fashion writer Rowayda will be bringing you color trends for spring and summer (and how they translate to our hijabs) as well as refreshing your wardrobe with the latest in summer fashion (done in a modest and vibrant way). Let’s break out of our yoga pants and sweat suits and embrace dresses, linens, lightweight cardigans and other summer staples! (Whatever Rowayda recommends!)

We want to explore how we all color our world in various ways, whether it’s bringing back fashion into your life, increasing acts of service, nurturing friendships or even travel. After a year when so much was stripped away from us, how are you pursuing that which feeds your soul, colors your life and enjoins some good into the world?

We are also bringing you the best of summer escapism reads from Layla, who knows a thing or two about what makes for a great story, and we’ll continue our focus on color by looking at hijab and wedding style in various cultures. With so many weddings being delayed these past several months because of COVID, the wedding season started early – as soon as Ramadan ended. What’s the best hijab to pair with your wedding outfit? Will you be wearing a Desi lehnga or an elegant maxi dress? We will help you figure out what’s what!

As summer gets underway and things continue to, Insha’Allah, become safer for us to meet in various capacities, we know easing out of a pandemic mindset will come with its own set of challenges like it did when quarantining, lockdowns and sheltering-in-place began. Trying to navigate these spaces – when to mask and when it’s ok to ease up, what is safe to do, and what COVID protocols we should permanently adopt – is something we will also explore on the blog.

June also marks one year since George Floyd was brutally murdered in Minneapolis, and with the ongoing occupation/oppression of Palestinians on our minds after the latest bombings in Gaza and attacks on Al-Aqsah masjid, we cannot discontinue our self-education about the Black Lives Matter movement, racial injustice, Palestinian oppression and other movements that matter to Muslim women and Muslim communities in general. We know that these stories can get heavy, but it’s imperative for us on the blog to continue to cover these things, as we have been doing. We hope these stories are helpful, informative and educational for you.

Let’s all take a deep breath and make du’a that as we slowly return to social events and summer activities, everyone continues to be healthy and safe. We are looking forward to all the fun, colorful, interesting and informative stories we plan to bring you on the blog. Let us know in the comments below what you want to read about as well!

Take care, keep us in your du’as (as you are in ours), and always start with Bismillah.

Editorially yours,

Dilshad