Founder story

How it started

A year ago, my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and the job we had all moved to Ottawa for, laid me off, at the SAME TIME. Two small kids in tow, I quickly became everyone’s sole caregiver.

I didn't have time to look for new work and our friends and family only offered half-hearted support. There was no one to turn to except Allah.

Having hope in Allah helped me get through some of my toughest times. But it is hard to remember Allah in my busy lifestyle. How ironic? This is when I realized the importance of having reminders of Allah’s love around the house, so I started to beautify our newly moved into house with wall art to create a peaceful vibe. I quickly realized that most available islamic art was either too bold or the colors were too obnoxious, clashing with western home style. So I decided to create the art myself with verses from the Quran on a bed of earthy tones that would remind me of Allah and also beautify our western home.

And then, something amazing happened - help came from sources we didn't even know existed. It was clear to me that Allah was taking care of us. My wife’s treatments started to bear fruit, we were taken care of financially by my airbnb business. This inspired me to create Qälm Design that would beautify homes and remind people of Allah's never ending love and support for us, no matter the circumstances, so that they too could find peace and comfort in Allah's love.

A Tale of Love, Design and Prayers

I did not go to school for calligraphy nor did I study architecture or interior design. Neither did I learn the quran from a famous scholar. But what I do, I do from my heart and I can promise you that.