Ramadan Reflection – God is Beautiful, and He Loves Beauty

Last updated on: August 1, 2012 at 7:57 pm By Guest Contributor

By Muqtedar Khan The holy month of Ramadan has come again, and millions of Muslims worldwide count their blessings. They feel fortunate that they are getting one more opportunity to rededicate their lives to God; another chance to reboot their spiritual orientation. For many Muslims, Ramadan is a boot camp for rituals. Pray more, play less is their mantra. And, so it should be. Prayer is the simplest and the easiest way to constantly reconnect with God. Muslims are obligated... Read more

Muslim Women Make History at London Olympics

Last updated on: July 30, 2012 at 8:42 pm By Guest Contributor

By Nadia S. Mohammad Though it has just begun, the London Olympics already holds a series of historic firsts, especially for Muslims and women around the world. To begin with, the organizers aim to make the London Olympics the first “green games,” developed with the goal of environmentally friendly and sustainable construction. Muslim women have held pivotal roles in bringing this goal to fruition. Of note are Zaha Hadid and Saphina Sharif. Sharif, a civil engineer, was an on-site director ensuring that the clearance of the Park... Read more

Where’s My Space to Pray in This Mosque?

Last updated on: July 31, 2012 at 4:16 pm By Guest Contributor

By Hind Makki I’d like to share with you a story from the reign of Umar, the second Caliph of Islam (may God be pleased with him) which carries powerful lessons today. One of the wives of Umar bin Al-Khattab used to offer the Fajr and the Isha prayers in congregation in the Mosque. She was asked why she had come out for the prayer as she knew that Umar disliked it, and he has great ghaira (self-respect). She replied,... Read more

Children Carry the True Ramadan Spirit

Last updated on: July 25, 2012 at 5:49 pm By Guest Contributor

This piece is part of our ongoing series on Ramadan, featuring reflections, stories, and articles from Muslims and non-Muslims on their Ramadan experiences. Keep checking altmuslim for new pieces throughout Ramadan. By Muneeza Tahir This Ramadan, children around the world will wake with their parents in the quiet before dawn — sleepy but excited to be big enough this year to be included in the rituals of fasting. They’ll rub their eyes and smell the aromas of fava beans, nihari,... Read more

Realistic Ramadan Dreams

Last updated on: July 25, 2012 at 5:50 pm By Guest Contributor

This piece is part of our ongoing series on Ramadan, featuring reflections, stories, and articles from Muslims and non-Muslims on their Ramadan experiences. Keep checking altmuslim for new pieces throughout Ramadan. By K. Nur Like much of the world, I am busy with the first week of fasting in Ramadan. It is a time where the energy is wonderful and intense. So many Muslims around the world are praying for a fruitful Ramadan. Great things are happening now! Ramadan remains deeply... Read more

Moon Sighting or Calculations, We’re All Team Ramadan

Last updated on: July 20, 2012 at 3:44 am By Guest Contributor

This piece is part of our ongoing series on Ramadan, featuring reflections, stories, and articles from Muslims and non-Muslims on their Ramadan experiences. Keep checking altmuslim for new pieces throughout Ramadan. By Rabia Chaudry Across the globe, Muslims prepare for battle — an annual melee that shows little mercy, pitting brother against brother, child against parent, wife against husband. Forget teams Edward and Jacob. The teams here are deeper entrenched than the most enamored teenage heart. Thursday night, July 19,... Read more

Welcoming Ramadan This Year without Family, But with a Community

Last updated on: July 18, 2012 at 7:56 pm By Guest Contributor

This piece is part of our ongoing series on Ramadan, featuring reflections, stories, and articles from Muslims and non-Muslims on their Ramadan experiences. Keep checking altmuslim for new pieces throughout Ramadan. By Hind Makki The Muslim day begins at night. Following a lunar calendar means that we welcome the new day when the sun sets. This year Ramadan, for those who follow calculations, will begin after sunset on Thursday July 19. I plan to welcome the holy month that night... Read more

Send Us Your Ramadan Reflections and Stories

Last updated on: July 16, 2012 at 4:33 pm By Guest Contributor

If there is a trending topic in the Muslim world, one that already big and will skyrocket in the weeks to come, it is Ramadan. Muslims around the world are preparing for this holy month of fasting and reflection, partaking in online Ramadan prep classes, making their plans for how to maximize the spiritual benefits of the month, and preparing for the long fasts to come. The social networks are flooded with Ramadan events, status updates, and tweets, calling people’s... Read more

PBS Documentary Showcases Islam’s Contribution to Civilization

Last updated on: July 5, 2012 at 10:23 pm By Guest Contributor

Nearly four in ten Americans hold an unfavorable view of Islam and Muslims. That number has remained steady since 9-11. Several factors contribute to this negative perception, certainly none greater than Muslims — albeit a few — who commit terrorism in the name of Islam. The media exasperates this negativity, as aptly noted in Edward Said’s 1981 classic Covering Islam. However, some media outlets are more egregious than others. A 2011 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that the majority of... Read more

This Fourth of July, Celebrate Outside of the American Muslim Sphere

Last updated on: January 18, 2017 at 7:37 pm By Guest Contributor

By Khurram Dara The last year or two has been a bumpy road for American Muslims. From the Loews advertising fiasco with TLC’s “All-American Muslim,” to the never-ending Murfreesboro mosque protests, to the NYPD surveillance program, it has become apparent that as one controversy cools down, another comes up along the way. Right now, we’re in one of those troughs, one of those lulls in action, with many American Muslims awaiting the inevitable controversy to erupt. Why the sense of... Read more