SAKINA ISSUE 20 by sakinamagazine

SPRING 20

table of contents

Copyright © 2020, SAKINA Magazine All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any format without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by SAKINA.

Assalamu aleikum and hi friends Issue #3 is finally here! As it gets sunnier and the mood gets brighter, summer is right around the corner. Spring is about much needed change and it's also a reminder that after darkness comes light. With much uncertainty we are facing this year, this season is a reminder to stay hopeful. Seeing nature rebirthing is a moment for reflection. This issue we hope to bring just that - a breather, rest and time for self-reflection. Whatever chapter you are in your life, spring reminds us that there is always a new chance, a new beginning and it's never too late. We hope you enjoy this spring issue. With love always, Naima A & Naima B

Check in

What do you want less and more of to balance your life?

How can you provide for total relaxation, fun and rejuvenation in the next month?

What was your peak experience or accomplishment these last months? Your main challenge?

Make a list of your fears. What fears are you ready to work through?

G E N T L E

R E M I N D E R

I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better

Maya Angelou

Progress looks different on everyone

In recent years, the term mental health has been used and abused in the media, and people talk about mental health now more than ever. So, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and join the conversation. As human beings, we are constantly searching for contentment and happiness, and we often equate well-being, whether it be social, emotional or psychological, with materialistic and title-based accomplishments. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to someone else, especially if someone looks like you or shares the same interests as you. This begs the question: Are there any benefits to comparing yourself to someone? Short answer; no. And here’s why.

"Comparison is the devil’s work" Comparison is the devil’s work. Well, not entirely, I believe it is, to some extent, natural for us humans to look to others in hopes to understand ourselves better. However, comparing yourself to someone else is a surefire way to end up displeased. Firstly, you don’t know that you would feel content or happy having the thing they have. You're not even certain they’re happy with what they have.

But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” Al-Quran 2:216

"Do not compare yourself to a feed someone creatively directed." Muting the background noises

God forbid you choose to take a nonacademic route or decide to marry “late” because it will come with continuous questioning on your choices. Not only do expectations leave little room for uniqueness, but they also put an enormous pressure on us to achieve goals that are not in our control. I think we’ve all learned to mute the outside noises regarding how we should live our lives, at least to some degree. However, it’s another conversation when those noises come from yourself. This is normal and can occur very often sometimes. They can easily be mistaken for your own intuition. However, ask yourself, what is the basis of these inner thoughts?

Is it to further you in the path you have chosen for yourself or are you convincing yourself to fit into a mould because it is comfortable. To ignore, avoid and endure your inner voice comparing you with others can be hard, but regardless of how hard it is, it’s very important to do so. There are better ways to spend your time than comparing yourself to someone else. Taking a break from social media might be a start. Another way to tackle this problem is to surround yourself with people that celebrate uniqueness. In conclusion, choose to spend your time wisely, and focus on things that will benefit you, comparing yourself to someone else. At the end of the day, you set the standards for what success feels like.

Burn the problems in alphabetical order smoked to ashes ashes to ashes grey smudges cling to the skin that burnt it first, proving that unhappiness has been fought with Zamzam water whispered with prayers of peace transforms into a tsunami of holy water that washes it off the skin The tongue is no longer heavy with loss, so the plosive sounds that come from the mouth fail to hurt their victim Hurt is a word that the skin is now allergic to It is soothed by reciting duas with prayer beads that were borrowed from their mother’s bag Reciting words that their tongue mispronounces A hijab with a colourful decoration smiled and sent an invitation for conversation, to have tea and open up about _______ All she got was “no comment”.

IN THE MOOD FOR SPRING

Asiyo Ali

By Najma Ali

It is not an overstatement that coding has quite frankly changed the world. In today’s climate, many people are learning how to code in order to better themselves and make a bigger impact in the world. Technology influences our way of life and one of the best ways of becoming acquainted with the basics of technology is through coding. Learning how to code has helped me to discover the inner workings of technology. You’re probably wondering now, but how can coding change your life? You see, developing my professional skills and creativity made me become more self-confident and therefore made it easier for me to progress in my career as learning technical skills led to me having more awareness of how the world functions and the many ways in which technology influences our way of life. Coding is unique in the sense that it transcends every kind of sector and career and can be an added bonus to your skillset as a growing professional. One organisation that gave me the opportunity to learn how to code was Code First: Girls. Code First: Girls is a multi-award winning nonprofit organisation based in the UK that teaches young women how to code in order to become more technically confident in their abilities. This is because the tech sector has been historically maledominated and Code First: Girls is on a mission to diversify the industry.

Now if there’s one thing Muslim women know very well, it’s the issue of being in male-dominated spaces and need to create space for ourselves. I’m of the opinion that more young Muslim women should be considering avenues that they normally wouldn’t do due to restrictions that may be placed on our gender. One way I propose in doing this is learning how to code. Think about it; technology is everywhere and is rapidly advancing. Learning how to code will equip you with skills like problem solving and you will therefore become self-sufficient. Most importantly, coding will benefit you regardless of what sector you choose to work in. "Coding is unique in the sense that it transcends every kind of sector and career and can be an added bonus to your skillset as a growing professional." And get this, Code First Girls’ community classes are free; they’re especially created for young women aged 18-23, that are working or that have graduated from university in the last years or are currently in university. Now I’m not promoting Code: First Girls just for the fun of it. This is an organisation that has legitimately changed the lives of many women and it has become a pioneer in the tech field. So far, they have taught 10,000+ women how to code for free and are on a mission to have taught 20,000 women to code by the end of 2020.

A couple months later, I started learning the basics of Python (backend programming), to create webbased applications. This course was undoubtedly more complex than the first one but that was expected. Though it was hard, I started understanding how programming languages differ from each other, and how they also complement one another like a jigsaw puzzle. At the end of my second course, I successfully learnt how to make a more advanced interactive website this time using web applications, especially Python.

Coding has helped me immensely and has opened the doors of technology for me. As someone with a “qualitative” background, I had never considered technology or anything computer science related prior to discovering Code: First Girls.

Photography: Ikram Abdulkadir Creative director: Naima B, Naima A & Hamda issa Styling: Naima A & Naima B Model: Jasmin Sangin

Dress: Humana Sweater: Zara

Jacket: Humana

Shoes: ASOS Bag: YesStyle Dress: Humana

Jacket: Zara Blouse, Jeans & Purse: Humana

EDITOR

NAIMA ALI

NAIMA BASHIR HAMDA ISSA

ISSUE THREE, SPRING 2020 PHOTOGRAPHY: IKRAM ABDULKADIR ART DIRECTION: SAKINA

COVER DESIGN: NAIMA BASHIR SPECIAL THANKS TO: HUMANA SECOND HAND