We regularly receive emails from customers about a couple of websites that use our images, without our permission, to sell their own products. Here is one we recently received from a wonderful sister:

Salam,

I nearly placed an order on a site because their items were so similar to yours. I then realized that the pictures were from your previous seasons. (I think so anyway). The site is called

barakallah.com.

Are these your resellers? If so I apologize.

However I have read very negative feedback for this site from Muslimah blogs.

Allah hu Alim

Regards,

(A very nice sister whose name we would like to protect)

P.S. I bought my items from Shukr instead, Alhamdulilah

We would like to thank the sisters and brothers who brought to our attention the fact that these websites are using our photos (without our permission). May Allah reward you.

Only certified SHUKR re-sellers and affiliates have the right to use our photos.

Currently, those re-sellers are:

(USA) AL MUHAJABAT

(USA) HIJAB FASHIONS

(Canada) BAHIYA COLLECTIONS

(France) IQRA SHOP

(France) ORIENTICA

(Singapore) AL QISMAH

(UK) THE ISLAMIC ESTABLISHMENT

(Germany) SILK ROUTE DESIGN

Any other websites, including Barakallah.com, are not affiliated with us. The photos on other sites have been taken without our permission, and the clothing they are selling is not related to our products. SHUKR quality is only guaranteed when it is sold through our website. You can identify genuine SHUKR clothing simply by looking at the label. All of our clothing features SHUKR’s distinctive label at the neck with our logo on it. If the garment doesn’t have our label, it isn’t genuine SHUKR clothing.

Every collection that SHUKR features on our website has an extraordinary amount of hard work behind it. Each product starts in the sketch pad of our designers before it moves to the pattern cutters and the garment workers. We have a quality control process where every garment is inspected. We package and ship these products overseas for sale. When we photograph our garments, we hire a professional photographer, pay models, rent locations, and provide transportation and food. The photos are then processed for the website by our staff. In all, the work of approximately 100 people, from sewers to graphic designers, goes into the products and photographs you see on our website.

When others take advantage of the hard work the Muslims at SHUKR have done without permission or compensation, those Muslims are harmed. SHUKR works hard to create a product and brand that is unique. We feel sure that companies that aim to serve the Muslim community would not knowingly harm other Muslims. Each company has something unique to offer the Muslim community and should do their own work to highlight and showcase that unique something, rather than relying on the work of others.

Please be careful when ordering from online sites. It is an excellent idea to ‘GOOGLE’ them for reviews before you commit yourselves to any transaction.

If there are every any questions about whether or not a product you see online is actually a SHUKR product, always feel free to contact us through our SUPPORT SITE or to call us. In the UK we can be reached at +44 208 090 7151, and in the US, you can reach us at (203) 304-2379.

Source : Shukr

Wishing all Muslims a blessed Maulid Ul~Rasul.

Tabassum Siddiqui – Head Designer

Tabassum has been the Head Designer of SHUKR for the past 4 years. Before SHUKR, she had worked with designers in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe. She had received covetable offers with well-known international designers, but all the while she was searching for a way to continue with design, but in an Islamic environment. Then the offer to join the SHUKR team came, changing everything.

Tabassum was born in the United States and has been traveling and moving globally since she was 6 months old. She has a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Studio Arts from University of California at Davis, and an M.S. in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her life experiences and education, combined and her natural talent in art and design, have had a major impact on the work she does at SHUKR. In addition to English, her native tongue, she also speaks French. After marrying her husband and settling in Southern Spain, she has added Spanish to the list.

From the first idea, to the sketches, to the fabric selection, to the technical explanations of the designs, to the fittings and photoshoots when she is in Damascus, Tabassum is chiefly responsible for the men’s and women’s collections for SHUKR. Apart from design, she also contributes to any aspect of the company that requires any creative or artistic direction, which could include photoshoots, magazine features, marketing campaigns, as well as meeting with the SHUKR clients at Islamic conventions. Tabassum is also the Style Contributor for SISTERS-a UK based Muslim Women’s online and print magazine. You can read about her ideas on style and latest tips each season.

Her favorite part of the job is when she starts a new collection. It’s a euphoric time, because each new collection breaks new ground. She looks forward to `scratching’ for new concepts, ideas, and trends. Never knowing where the next idea for SHUKR’s new collection will come from makes the search all the more interesting and challenging.

What clothes is Tabassum currently loving? At the moment, she loves the Geometric Flared Skirts, which was inspired by a sidewalk in the Spanish island of Mallorca one summer. The flattering fit and unique design of the waistband, the elegant drape, and the fact that it is one of the few items that accommodates her very tall frame has made her add three of them to her wardrobe.

What does Tabassum have ‘shukr’ (‘gratitude’) for? Tabassum has ‘shukr’ for Allah (swt) for giving her a loving and wonderful family and husband who have supported her work as a designer and have helped her acheive her goals. With the support of her family throughout her studies and work, she is now able to share her talent and expertise with SHUKR to bring the best of design for all Muslims.