Editor’Space
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem
For the writers…
I believe that there was a time, at the start of my life as a Muslim, when I thought that I would one day reach a stage where I had it all figured out. This idea was particularly pervasive when I reached certain milestones in my Islamic practise: when I started to offer my five daily prayers regularly; when I began to wear the hijab full-time; when I took down my treasured statues from the mantelpiece. At the time, I thought that once I had begun to traverse this road of iman in earnest -no doubts, no holding back, no half-measures – it would be onwards and upwards, non-stop to the summit.
It is only with the benefit of hindsight that I am finally able to admit to myself how wrong I was. While becoming a Muslim is the result of testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allah and that Muhammad (SAW) is His slave and messenger, actually being a Muslim is not accomplished by any single act, no matter how great or how small. Rather, being a Muslim is a continuous process of self-improvement, an ongoing search for knowledge and wisdom, a constant exercise in self-critique, humility and striving for the love of Allah (SWT) through word and deed.
Once we have reached a certain point in our Islamic practise, it is so easy to forget that there are still improvements to be made, still flaws to be worked on, still temptations to be warded off and that, while certain battles may have been won, the war is far from over.
It is at times like these that I thank Allah (SWT) for giving me my job at SISTERS Magazine. Time and time again, the amazing sisters who write for us – sharing their most personal and meaningful experiences and their profound insights into life as Muslims – serve as beautiful, powerful reminders to me. They remind me that I still need to up my game, that I am still far away from where I could be, from where I want to be, from where I need to be. I feel honoured to play a part in bringing their work to the public and, hopefully, helping other sisters and brothers to strive to fufil their potential as Muslims.
May Allah (SWT) bless our wonderful SISTERS writers, bless their words and bless their many readers, ameen.
Wasalaam
Na’ima B. Robert
PS. If you’re wondering what inspired this editorial, look no further than two articles in the Self section of this issue, ‘Concealed Blessings’ and ‘Have baby, will study!’ Would love to hear which articles did it for you in this or past issues. Get in touch via email to [email protected].