Dear Friends,

Salaamualaikum.

My apologies for getting this "top of the month" column out to you more than a week into January, but I have a good reason! The family and I just returned this weekend from an epic trip in which we were able to, by the grace of Allah (S), visit the three most holiest and important masajid for Muslims – Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem, Masjid Nabawi in Madinah and the Haram/Ka'ba in Makkah for Umrah.

In between we visited countless other mosques and sites that are important in Islamic history in a journey to teach our children more about this faith they were born into beyond what they read or hear about in lectures or halaqas. It was pretty special, especially our 24-hour-stint in Jerusalem given the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza.

(Have you emailed or called your elected officials to demand a ceasefire? Here is how you can do so.)

And so now we're back and playing major catch up, trying to re-acclimate to the general routines and responsibilities of our lives as we dive into 2024 and look forward to all there is to come at Haute Hijab.

And baby, there's a lot happening with HH that we are super excited about!

We are starting 2024 out right with a number of new hijab products and a brand new category of hijabs for you, something we've been wanting to bring you for the longest time. Now, I'd like to be able to tell you what this new hijab category is, but what's the fun in that? Share your best guesses with us in the comments below!

I will say though that it's a hijab category I've been personally waiting for since I joined HH five years ago. :)

We're also starting this new year with a focus on sustainability, our health and a zen-like approach in our thoughts and intentions. If anything, the last year taught us that we need to be lasered focus with clear intentions in everything we do if we are to achieve whatever our goals are.

The fight against injustice, against oppression, the fight for a healthier planet – all the things we want for ourselves as Muslim women and for our fellow humans is not something that is easily achieved. It's a long game that we continue to play, and to do so we must fortify ourselves, our mental, physical and spiritual health.

We'll be exploring all that on the blog this month, as well as a focus on centering our salah and prayer, as that is the heart of everything we do as Muslims.

So, join us as we say Bismillah and make our intentions to serve you in the best ways possible, continue to build community, and use our platform to stand up for justice. We have a long ways to go, but we have our faith and trust in Allah (S) to see us through.

"Hasbiya Allahu wa ni'ma alwakeel." Allah (S) alone is sufficient for us and He is the best protector.

Editorially yours,

Dilshad