99 & Sudan

Our Story

Born from faith.
Built for Sudan.

Nubian architecture

A Simple Idea

99 & Sudan began with a question: How do we transform spiritual practice into humanitarian action?

Sudan faces the world's largest displacement crisis. Over 12 million people have been forced from their homes. And yet, the world barely pays attention.

We decided to change that—one sibha at a time.

The Craftsman

Meet Kareem

Kareem Attia left a career in petroleum geochemistry searching for something deeper. That search led him from Brooklyn to Al-Azhar University in Cairo, where he's now studying Islamic sciences.

In 2016, a shaykh gifted him a sibha he cherished. When the string frayed, he couldn't bear to lose it—so he learned to repair it himself. That curiosity led him to Ammu Nasr, a master craftsman in Cairo who became like a grandfather to him. Under his mentorship, Kareem learned the craft bead by bead.

Now through his brand Barakah, Kareem creates one-of-a-kind sibhas using olive wood from Palestine, ebony from Sudan, and precious gems sourced globally. He makes a dua before stringing each piece. "The sibha is a beautiful rope between you and God," he says.

We source all our sibhas from Kareem—so when you purchase from us, you're supporting Sudan relief and students and craftsmen alike.

@barakah.eg
The collection

مَن فَرَّجَ عن مُسلِمٍ كُربةً من كُرَبِ الدنيا، فَرَّجَ اللهُ عنه كُربةً من كُرَبِ يومِ القيامةِ

"Whoever relieves a believer's distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue them from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter."

— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Ready to make your dhikr count?

O Allah, protect our country Sudan. O Allah, spare us from trials, apparent and hidden. O Allah, grant our land security, safety, peace, and Islam. By Your mercy, O Most Merciful. O Allah, spread security throughout our land. O Allah, spare us from all trials, apparent and hidden. O Allah, unite the people of Sudan upon truth. O Allah, unite our word. O Allah, bring together our ranks. Whoever wishes good for us and our religion and our land, let good come by their hands. And whoever wishes otherwise, let their plotting return upon them. O Allah, replace our hardship with ease. And our worry with relief. By Your mercy, O Most Merciful.