Ramadan 2017 has been filled with blessings. However, feelings of grief and fear have also surfaced, with news of so many tragic hate crimes targeting various faiths, races and marginalized groups. As a mother, I want all children to be safe and shielded from the tragedies that hit daily headlines. Read more
Whether it’s neighbors who proudly display Trump signs on their lawn, or the casual racism of allies who expect all Muslims to condemn the actions of a deviant few, to those who can laugh off Trump as a blip on America’s political history while his administration puts the lives of others in danger, it’s been a challenge this year to find the peace this holy month usually brings. Read more
Today, countless Muslim parents across the country may be telling their daughters not to wear the hijab, advising whether they should attend mosque services or not and cautioning them to be hyper vigilant as they go out in public. It does not have to be this way. Read more
Young people in our highly individualized times need faith to be meaningful, relevant and fulfilling. They need us to parent them according to where they are and who they are, not according to who we are and from where we have come. Read more
If you’re reading this, you’re probably groggy from a night of seeking forgiveness and hoping for reward from God on a powerful night. It is my honor to greet your tired eyes and empty bellies. The hope that we can maybe improve the world around us even incrementally is incredibly healing. Read more
Rumi concludes the story by reminding us of how difficult it is to tame the wily nafs. He says: “It needs a Moses to kill the dragon.” For me, this not only underscores the importance of fasting and other practices that strengthen one’s personal will, but also of making a conscious connection to the prophets as inner archetypes of embodying the Divine Will. Read more
Once these campaigns cross into the six-digits we consistently hear, “Why so much? How are the funds going to be used? Why not share the funds with other worthy causes?” These are all fair questions. For example, Nabra’s campaign started with a goal of $10,000 and now is at $300,000+. Perhaps the funeral will cost a few thousand, but then what? Read more
The hardship is in having to restrain our own power because our physical deprivation acts as the reminder that real power -- true power -- is found not in exertion, but surrender. Read more
Human beings are brought into the world incomplete and can only be completed under the influence of heaven. It is during Ramadan that we are disassembled and reassembled along lines truer to our innate nature, and through this process come to humbly accept our need for the Divine. Read more
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Beauty and the Beast – Which of the Two Faces of Islam Will Prevail?
The challenge and struggle of our generation is which face of the House of Islam will triumph? Will it be the beautiful face briefly outlined above or the beastly dimension that will continue to dominate our airwaves? One very much hopes that just like the Beauty and the Beast story line, where the Prince and Belle host a ball for the kingdom and they dance happily ever after into the sunset, that the story line of the Islam also has a beautiful ending, Read more