SAN ANTONIO – For nearly 30 years, an Islamic business on the Northwest Side has been serving the needs of San Antonio’s Muslim community.
The gift shop, named The Sunnah the Better, is a place the local Muslim community has relied upon for years to get merchandise that is not commonly sold here.
The shop is located at 5772 Evers Road and sells clothing, head covers, books, games and much more. It also caters to non-Muslim and other International customers.
“We’ve been in the community, the Islamic community here for a very long time. When there was only one mosque here, now they’re 10 or more. So we’ve been serving the Islamic community as well as some Christian groups,” said Salaam Bey, assistant manager.
Turajii Shakoor started selling these items out out her vehicle and later at local markets. She and her husband Salaam Bey opened their brick and mortar store about 10 years ago.
“We carry a wide variety of gifts and items to celebrate different things. So we’re also kind of known sometimes as the international gift shop,” said Bey.
“We try to carry items to make the Islamic community here feel at home. When they come into our store, they can feel right at home. Things are familiar to them. And so, we try to offer that,” Bey added.
As the only Islamic gift shop of its kind in the San Antonio area, it carries more importance as Ramadan, also known as the Holy Month, started on Friday.
“It’s a month where we focus solely on worship. It’s a month of sacrifice because of course, we don’t eat or drink during sun up. We try to focus and be our best that we can be,” said Bey.
Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days. It’s a time of self-reflection, spirituality and prayer. Bey says it’s also an opportunity to focus on helping one another.
“We always are looking for some way to get those blessings during this holy month. And that may mean feeding the homeless, which we do at Haven for Hope. We also collaborate with Christian charities, as well as other outreach organizations,” said Bey.
Bey says his wife and their family are proud to serve San Antonio’s growing Islamic community and be a beacon of Muslim faith.
“I think it’s San Antonio itself that draws people in and certainly, the Islamic community is no different,” said Bey.