SISTERS – The new magazine for Muslim women

By Safa Suling Tan SISTERS is finally out in print! I remembered when I reviewed it when it first launched as an online magazine, my gripe was that I was not able to hold it in my hand and flip the pages as I immersed myself in the stories and advice from my fellow sisters. Now I can, and what a wonderful experience it is! Yes, reading SISTERS is an experience. It makes you smile and cry and it touches you like no other magazine in the world could or would. And you actually learn something useful that would be of help in your life! It has tantalising colours and gorgeous images. And what amazing pictures they are in SISTERS. They are bold and striking, and very emotive! Each picture is thoughtfully chosen and placed and complements the subject of the article perfectly. The font used is nice, round and big as well, not those small ant-like types we have to squint and hold it close to our noses to read and develop an ache in the eye in the process. You might have your fancy, but I like to skip the contents page and discover the wonders inside myself as I flip through the magazine to see all the different things it has to offer, the colours and pictures, the many titles and subject matters, and then pick one. Many a time, I tend to go for the shorter pieces first, and slowly intersperse them with the longer, weightier ones as I go along.   The first piece I picked was on '5 steps to regaining that lovin feeling'. You most probably thought 'how typical'! But being all sugar and spice and everything nice, I wanted to see what a fellow sister with ten years of marriage and five children under her belt had to say about keeping that fire exciting! Then there was the 'Confessions of a New Muslim Tramp' which makes one smile sheepishly as we acknowledge the symptoms within ourselves …then you have the heart rendering stuff which kicks your gut and make you scrunch your face up as if you feel too, the heartache and grief that these sisters who lost their babies did. 'The mothers of Bayt ul Hamd' was such a heart wrenching piece that I could not help as my eyes welled up. What I love about these heart tugging articles are the wonderful Qur'anic quotes and Islamic reminders from our sisters. We are reminded of Allah's love, compassion and mercy, and His promise. 'Barren but blessed' is my personal favourite I must say. I thought it was a beautiful piece. The ending is so sweet and moving and happy it made me smile, and almost weep. I could feel the sister's joy and love so poignantly. If the emotional, inspirational stuff is not your cup of tea, then 'Come round for coffee!' (no pun intended). The magazine is holistic; it looks at, addresses and feeds all the facets of a Muslim woman – from self, to faith, family to home, community and world, to looks and tastes. We have the quirky and light pieces like '4 ways to brighten your home', the fashion tips and pictures of pretty clothes that every woman loves to see like 'Silver linings', the educational and informative like 'Top tips for taking children on Hajj' and 'Guardians of the Orphans', the girl power stuff like 'Sisters doing it!' and 'A passion for pixels', the Iman boosting like 'The beauty of the night prayer' and 'Ways to attain the love of Allah (swt)' and so much more. Reading SISTERS is having an intimate chat with a circle of close friends. I felt their joys and sorrows, understand their triumphs and falls. They are sharing with me their life's experiences, thoughts and struggles, and giving me an insight into how we Muslim women are to cope with hard knocks, think with wisdom, feel with passion, live with strength, and grow with patience. Whether it is '10 things to hand down to your daughter' or 'You and your business', 'Superfoods from the sunnah' or 'The kitchen beautician', there is something for every sister.   For more details, log on to www.sisters-magazine.com   *Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account.  Al-Imran(3):19 As Salaamou Alikum , Baraka Allaahu Feeki, Ummismail  http://www.sisters-magazine.com?a_aid=1805