Leadership

I want to tell you about some exciting upcoming events!  Lots of exciting news… a masterclass, weekly live, special offers and book launch!   Communication Masterclass I had some valuable feedback over the last few months regarding the Cherished Seasons course. Ladies told me that […]

Communicating with others is always easier when both people are in rapport with one another.  It makes the whole process easier. Rapport [raˈpôr, rəˈpôr] (Noun) a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate […]

For Men & Women  Out with the old? Let’s face it:  our lives are not like those of our parents and we need a new template that defines a successful marriage.  My father, may Allah protect him and grant him health (say Ameen, please), had […]

The new front page! Check out Cherished and Successful’s new frontpage this month.  Come and join us while we embrace our guardianship roles this month! During this month, we have the following amazing lineup: Embrace your roles of responsibility by connecting to Allah’s names of […]

In October 2019 me and Jawad went to Konya and visited the burial place of Mevlana Rumi.  In the Mevlana Museum, I saw his tasbih – huge and awe-inspiring.  How many times had Allah’s name been invoked upon those beads?  How many salawats had been […]

For Men & Women  With our beloved Ramadan around the corner, here are some tips on how we can manifest the four traits in this blessed month. Leadership Enter this month purposefully, carving out time for your priorities and delegating fairly among the family. Make […]

Dear Cherished Sisters, SubhanAllah, just as I thought the dust was settling in the sisterhood, we moved once again. I wasn’t happy with how isolated we were in the sisterhood – and I especially wasn’t happy with the flawed activity feed and notification system – […]

One morning, the sun, as was his daily practice, sought permission from his Lord to rise, and as it climbed high into the sky, one part of his brightness lit up and beamed down on the earth. It travelled through the cosmos, entering the earth’s […]

We have had some positive coaching breakthroughs recently, and I just wanted to share some that particularly stand out: One lady said she had had her old, trusted copy of Fascinating Womanhood on her bedside table for years, and it was so old and worn.  […]

Use the gifts you receive from Allah ﷻ to give back to Him. Last year, in October 2019, my husband Jawad and I went to Konya to celebrate his 50th birthday mashaAllah.  There we saw the whirling dervishes outside the resting place of Mevlana Rumi. […]

For Men & Women  As April is the month of creating A Balanced Life, in this article let’s look out how we can create a balance between husband and wife and everything else that can often ‘get in the way’ of a loving, respectful, and […]

When things get difficult, what do you do? I pray.  And then I write. In 2013 I posted a story written by Agnes Slight Turnball in 1888 called When Queen’s Ride By.   It is such a beautiful story, I wrote about it my book The […]

For Men & Women  As March is the month of connecting to our purpose, I recently wrote a post Why Do You Do what You Do? and in the following article, I wanted to explore how we connect to our purpose when we are loving, […]

Hold On To Good Habits It has never been a more important time to have a loving and strong marriage. During this time of difficulty, hold on to your good habits so you and your spouse can be a source of strength and peace for […]

BismiLlah. This March in The Cherished Muslimah Sisterhood, we have been connecting to our purpose and really focusing on why we do what we do, and when others don’t join in, do we just stop and give up? I was coaching a lady this month […]

Salams Dear Cherished Readers, I pray you are well!  I’m so busy being a world-famous author (!) and setting up my courses that I never get the chance to blog anymore – and I do miss that! I’m going to be live in the studio […]

As salamu alaikum For those of you who don’t know me already, I’m Sara Malik, and I live in Hounslow, England, and I’m a marriage coach.  I’ve been helping women to create nourished lives and marriages for over ten years, alhamduliLlah! I’m so happy to […]

Alhamdulillah! Who our of my loyal readers can remember the days when we had an online community at Cherished and Successful?  I’m so happy to tell you that it is back again!  All praise is for Allah, the best planner and the gatherer of thoughts […]

The four traits align perfectly with the four seasons. Spring is all about leadership, a time for new beginnings and new growth. Summer is for love… and manifestation, enjoying the fruits of one’s labour. It’s a time for busy-ness and activity.  Autumn is the season of […]

I’m so excited to share my news with you! As most of you know, my online coaching and workshops have both been dormant on the back-burner for many years – while I was trying to get my material sorted – yes it has taken this long!  But alhamduliLlah, it has all come together so perfectly.  I am so grateful and appreciative to Allah for sending me everything.   From the amazing Beacon Books who approached me, not the other way round and got me to wake up from my sleeping beauty state to the amazing way the whole coaching model has fallen into place so beautifully, with Allah, The Designer and Fashioner, sorting all out for me beforehand and it was just there for me to notice!

Happy 2020 to all my Cherished Readers. I’ve been in my pyjamas all day!  And I woke up with a red eye! I think its because a vessel must have burst while I was rubbing it, or perhaps it was because I was at a […]

To all the ladies who signed up to my mailing list on the first unofficial book launch to The Four Traits of a Cherished Muslimah, and to all my Cherished Readers! Alhamdulillah, all praise is for Allah, I can’t believe it, my book, which has […]

06-12-19 Dear Cherished Readers, It is the much-awaited publishing day for The Four Traits of a Cherished Muslimah, AlhamduliLlah. You can get it from: Beacon Books Amazon (UK) Amazon (US) The Book Depository – Free International Shipping I am so grateful to Allah!  Ya Rabby, […]

This is a question I get asked a lot – and I totally get it, because I have asked the same question myself, a lot!  It may seem as though if a book is written for exclusive women, it is reinforcing the notion that the […]

All praise is for my Lord! The Four Traits of a Cherished Muslimah is finally available to pre-order! In case you didn’t know already, these are the four traits: Leadership Love Wisdom Justice Are you tired of putting in all the effort and find yourself […]

The Four Traits – namely: leadership, love, wisdom and justice are for everyone, whether you are married, single, male or female.  Yet, I wrote this book from the perspective of a married woman – because that’s who I am!  I regularly point out to all […]

Somebody recently asked me what had happened to the booklist I had online, which I realised had inadvertently gotten lost – what better an opportunity to compile another one.  Here, my cherished readers, are my 99 best-loved books!  I love all of these books for […]

So what defines is a Cherished Muslimah? You may think that she is a Muslim woman who is cherished by her husband, and I do believe that this is a good aspiration to have, but that’s not really what I’m getting at. Let’s take a moment to break down the word ‘Muslimah’.

What are the Four Traits of a Cherished Muslimah? With only 3 weeks to go until publishing week, I am very excited and nervous too!  InshaAllah, it’s time my baby comes out into the world and to be honest I feel like I just want […]

Dear Cherished Readers, Update: I’ve been working hard with my publishers to get my baby out into the world! Beacon Books have been amazing, mashaAllah, and my editor Siema is so wise! She picks up on so many nuances that I don’t even notice and […]

I am so excited that my book is about to get published very soon inshaAllah! Alhamdulillah, my publisher at Beacon Books has been so great in helping me get this baby of mine out there to my readers!  Once it’s published I will be ready […]

For those of you who follow my posts, I recently shared how I had delegated the cleaning in the house so that I could fit in homeschooling amongst all my other responsibilities, and how I was having some challenges with my loved ones, to the point where I was thinking ‘should I just get a cleaner?’

Well, those challenges eventually led to me getting a cleaner!

Coaching is always so insightful! We have so much information presented to us every day on social media, that sometimes it seems everyone else understands things just like we do.  Yet when I see a lady have an ‘a-ha’ moment during coaching, I am amazed […]

Homeschooling has brought its own challenges with housework and cooking, so delegation has been the key. But what about when family members fall short and don’t do their bit? How can we remind without blowing up?

Dear Cherished Readers I pray you are all well. It’s been a while since I posted and there is a big reason for that: I don’t know where to start! And now, after returning from a blessed trip to Egypt, I just feel like I […]

Yesterday I purchased a printer.  It came with a special promotion: £40 off, I was told to visit the PC World website and click on ‘cashback’. So once I was home and the printer was set up, I asked my son to apply for the […]

When I was young, I used to love listening to Bob Marley singing: “Please dont you rock my boat, cause I dont want my boat to be rockin anyhow; Please dont you rock my boat, no, cause I dont want my boat to be rockin […]

Flashback: when I was 26 I started going to a ladies middle eastern keep-fit class. The lady was mysterious and in-tune with her essence. After our class was over and we were all sitting, relaxed, she started talking to us about connecting with our selves, […]

Today my hubby and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary alhamdolillah!  Shukr Allah it has been 20 years of love, laughter and tears! We’ve got here through our own bespoke tailor-made efforts and lots of prayers.  Someone asked me the other day what the […]

I started of my Surrendered journey realising that women can be really disrespectful to men – in the way they talk to them and in the way they talk about them.  So I started watching my language when I spoke to him and also when […]

I was at a women’s only fund-raiser yesterday for my child’s old school (I did tell you that I’m homeschooling him now, didn’t I?) where I had the fortunate opportunity to hear an uplifting and encouraging speech by Sister Rahma, who is a counsellor and […]

I’ve not written a proper article in a while.  I had put writing on a back burner whilst I focused on the family, and at times I felt despair because I was in uncharted territory and I didn’t have a map:  the teenage years. Well, […]

Kindness is a supremely feminine and highly desirable trait – Prince Charming always fell for the kindhearted Princess and not the wicked witch (no matter how beautiful she was). Kindness is also an asset in men, but is traditionally associated with nurturing, sweet and loving […]

Surrender to Allah Allah is enough for me, there is no god but him, I have put my trust in him and he is the lord of the mighty throne (9:129) Allah is enough for us and the best of guardians. (3:173) Lo, in the […]

By Agnes Slight Turnball, 1888. Jennie Musgrave woke at the shrill rasp of the alarm clock as she always woke—with the shuddering start and a heavy realization that the brief respite of the night’s oblivion was over. She had only time to glance through the […]

I always wanted an Aloe Vera plant so you can only guess how happy I was to buy one from a hippy chick at a farmers market. “What can I use it for?” I asked with the enthusiasm of a new Aloe Vera owner.”Burns” she […]

One of the first exercises most on-line marriage courses ask students to do is to look for naturally surrendered or fascinating wives and explain what makes them so. To my horror many participants respond by saying they don’t know any surrendered or fascinating wives. I […]

I was talking to a poorly friend the other day and was reminded of the poem I wrote a few years ago where the different parts of my body were talking to my Self and giving it a good telling off for the abuse that […]

Dear Abused & Oppressed Sister, You do know that your husband doesn’t love you, don’t you? He wouldn’t punch you in the face, if he loved you. And now that he has beaten you up and is feeling sorry for you with your black eye […]

Do you have someone in your life who is only too happy to point out the areas that are less than perfect – ‘this lasagne has a tad too much salt’, ‘that child has a snotty nose’ or ‘My, what big ears you have my […]

You know how Fly Lady talks about ‘hot spots’, her name for the parts of the house which gather clutter and the clutter somehow manages to reproduce until you have clutter, son-of-clutter and grandson-of-clutter on the same horrible surface? This is my hottest spot. It […]

I am, by nature, a brutally practical creature. Fortunately I married a man who is equally practical. For years we lived in a house devoid of ornaments, silk flowers, vases, oil burners, indoor plants and the like. The surfaces that other people would use to […]

For centuries men were needed by their womenfolk. We needed them to provide us with a safe space to raise our children and to survive. It was men who risked injury and death by hunting and fighting predators and other tribes when our ancestors lived […]

Many men, for whatever reason, spend much of their day in the house. My father did because he was self-employed and his business was based at home, my husband was at home during the day when he was a student, while he worked nights as […]

Alhamdolillah!  This year starts off with becoming more organised with blogging, and also starting to re-write my mentoring material.  In doing so, I found out that I started blogging in January 2009, just after gaining freedom from my eldest son’s 11+ preparation!  Times flies!  He’s […]

Here’s an empowering article written by Andy Merret from the Family Relationships Magazine, entitled: The six Ms essential for fathers raising daughters. An article for fathers to help them teach their daughters about assertiveness, their own finances, anger, and communicating directly with the men in […]

Hi folks!  I am joining Bonnie, from House of Grace, in her Organise Your Life Party!  She is posting weekly organising tips based on the book Organize Now! by Jennifer Ford Berry. After reading Cara’s inspiring post about her Dailies, I am going to write […]

“Stephen Covey, in his book First Things First, notes that those who accomplish very little are probably spending a large amount of their 16 hours in the Quadrant of Deception and the Quadrant of Waste. In his book he highlights four quadrants where one can […]

This interview is part of our In The Footsteps of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) interview series- Introducing Sr. Sara Jawad Malik, a marriage mentor and a very Productive Muslimah. Founder of Cherished and Successful online magazine and online community. Here we go, […]

Dear Self. This is a plea that you intervene And stop what’s going on Things cannot continue like this We need a relief and we are Not Getting it. We feel let down, who can we turn to But you? It leaves us bewildered How […]

Your free online coach, cheerleader, and fairy-godmother for decluttering and organizing your home and life! Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome)?  Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn?  Hopeless and you don’t know where to start?  Don’t worry friend, we’ve been […]

A lot of women have young children, and find it hard with sleepless nights, poorly kids, feeling unwell themselves as mums… and life seems to be a roller coaster ride. When trying to surrender, when the topic of self care comes up, a lot of […]

Does my husband really want a more bossy babe on his arm? Ok this is my concern. Even though surrendering is making a massive positive impact on my marriage there is this one niggling doubt. Do men secretly, deep down want a fiesty independent woman […]

Learning childlike behaviour is not difficult, even for the most invincible adult women. Just watch spoilt little girls – especially the ones who are nearing middle age. Observe what they say and how they say it; the high pitched voice, the wide eyed look and […]

The story so far: David and Agnes are the junior partners in a firm of solicitors. After years of working together they are firm friends and spend time together outside work socially, they have so much in common – a shared career, shared goals, the […]

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. […]

  How to Find All the Love, Approval and Appreciation You Ever Wanted.  Let Byron Katie take you on a journey within. Question all your negative beliefs about other people and turn them round with personal breakthroughs. Updated: Use Katie’s 4 Questions to find out […]

Happy Upcoming Friday everyone! Don’t forget to get your houses ready for the weekend so you can kick of your shoes and enjoy! Friday’s Essential Checklist: Finish off any extra ironing and put it away, Clear your hotspots, Dry dust all screens, tops and sills, […]