In the week leading up to the LA Muslimah Ramadan Market opening on Sunday, March 5 in Yorba Linda, founder Samreen Khan has had to battle the unusual weather in Southern California and tedious paperwork to ensure the market happens without a hitch.
Yet, she is willing to jump through administrative hoops because she believes this market is special and necessary for the Muslim community. The market, she said, is an opportunity for mostly Muslim women-owned businesses to showcase their products and have the community support them.
And Khan is not alone in thinking this way.
In the lead-up to Ramadan, women-led markets have been popping up to help families shop for decor, food, kids’ toys and books, and modest clothing, among other things, to prepare for the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.
In Mission Viejo, the Orange County Islamic Foundation, the local mosque, is hosting its annual bazaar on Saturday, March 11, organized by the Women’s Committee. And in Irvine, Shahzia Rahman and Lubna Saadeh are bringing the fifth edition of QuadM, a Ramadan market, on March 18-19.
During Ramadan, Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent moon is sighted for the new month. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is also a time for prayer and charity. Muslims believe that it was during Ramadan that God revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on Wednesday, March 22.
Rahman, an Irvine resident for more than 22 years before moving to Dallas in 2022, quit her job at Google when she became a mother in 2010. As her daughter became older, she wanted her to be around other Muslim kids so she started a play-based, parent-participation preschool at the local mosque. It was there that she met Saadeh, and their friendship blossomed.
In 2018, Rahman approached Saadeh with the idea of creating a market where small businesses could showcase their products. Saadeh, who had many friends who ran small businesses from their homes, thought it was a great idea.
“One of the biggest struggles we face as Muslim women and moms is not having access to be able to be away from our children for very long periods of time to follow our passions,” Rahman said.
They anticipated 10 vendors and 100 shoppers at the QuadM market — but it boasted more than 30 vendors and sold 500 tickets.
“I think that was the first time that we really felt like we had something here,” Saadeh said.
This year, the market has more than 90 vendors signed up to participate. And Rahman says they’re expecting up to 5,000 people to attend.
Since QuadM’s inception in 2018, Rahman and Saadeh have also noticed an increase in Muslim women-owned small businesses.
“Women have come to the market and seen that they can do this. There is a space for them to do this,” Rahman said. “They’ve made their hobby into something that they can share.”
Khan, the founder of the Yorba Linda market who also runs a modest clothing business, said these outlets give vendors an opportunity to find community, especially as some are first-time entrepreneurs and face challenges in starting their businesses.
“We provide emotional support, we share knowledge and resources,” said Khan.
Any time Khan runs into a roadblock in her business, she reaches out to other vendors — her sisters, as she calls them — and they help her. Sometimes, it’s just words of encouragement; other times it’s promoting her brand.
In recent years, businesses such as Target, Walmart and Party City, have created product lines, like Ramadan and Eid decor, aimed at the Muslim consumer. But Khan, a West Covina resident, said she shops at these local markets because it’s an opportunity to support a small business.
When Khan moved to Southern California from South Florida, she left behind her family and friends. Ramadan in South Florida was a time for her family to gather at her mother’s house.
“Since we didn’t have family, and we didn’t have close friends here, I wanted to decorate the house and bring that vibe inside the house,” Khan said.
Ramadan decor is a popular item at the markets, in addition to modest clothing for Eid, Islamic books and puzzles, handmade jewelry and halal food items. And Kainat Hamid, a mother of two living in the South Bay, is excited to peruse these items at QuadM again.
“For me, personally, it was a big thing because I didn’t have access to that stuff (Islamic books and resources) when I was growing up,” Hamid said of visiting the market for the first time last year. “To see some of that stuff for my kids, I like that.”
Hamid wants to make Ramadan special for her 3-year-old daughter. She has begun talking about the holy month with her, and at QuadM, she’s looking to buy books that will help her learn about Ramadan’s significance.
Markets like QuadM, Hamid said, also help highlight Muslim-owned businesses. Before attending and networking at last year’s event, she only knew of a handful of businesses, but after QuadM, she learned more and began following their social media pages.
LA Muslimah Ramadan Market will take place on March 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Yorba Linda Community Center. Entry is free but registration is encouraged on Eventbrite.
The OCIF Annual Bazaar is happening on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the mosque premises in Mission Viejo. Admission is free but visitors must register on Eventbrite.
QuadM will take place on March 18-19, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the New Horizon Community Center in Irvine. Tickets start at $5 and can be purchased on its website.
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