Wonder why you feel so good during Ramadan? Of course, it has a lot to do with you being on a spiritual high, but the biochemical basis may be because fasting causes our natural endorphins to kick in. Endorphins are associated with feeling of euphoria and help boosts our immunity. Read more
There is a beauty about this blessed and holy month that fills one’s soul with ease and comfort. But having recently moved to Beirut, Lebanon for my career, being without my tight knit family during Ramadan is not easy to swallow. I can be without food and water but being without the love of my family has proven harder than fasting. Read more
I do identify as Latina and American, which are identities that I appreciate and inherited. However, the identity that I strive to hold onto, to maintain, and to die on, is my Islamic identity. Read more
We cannot live in a time where a fight is needed and sit quietly. And do not be confused about it, we live in a time where a real fight is needed. Simply feeling bad about it in the heart which has been described as the weakest form of “faith” is not what this current moment demands of us. Read more
According to Jesus, we are all neighbors. (Luke 10:25-37) We need to learn again that our diversity is a source of our strength. It can be a major impetus for creativity in many fields. We need to learn from the Quran, as well as reason, that if God had wanted, He could have made all of us a single community, but instead He is testing us by means of what He has revealed to us. (Quran, 4:58) Read more
Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the so-called Muslim ban, setting the stage for a final resolution on this controversial–and potentially unconstitutional–policy. According to American Muslim Poll 2018: Pride and Prejudice, a new study released today by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, in partnership with Georgetown’s Bridge Initiative, most Americans oppose the ban (66 percent). The majority of the populous (63 percent) also opposes mosque surveillance, and most (79 percent) say that Muslims should be allowed to... Read more
One stitch at a time, I tell myself, and that’s when I realize it: We love in the moments of work that accumulate in a lifetime of devotion. The infatuation that one may feel for a crush or a luxury yarn can lead to love, but it can’t substitute for the work one must put in. Read more
We should be leading the way. Remember that ALL Muslims are being targeted, not just people from specific countries. Remember that ALL people that do not fit a “certain demographic” are being targeted. We need to stand together. Read more
[Quranists] claim that, as the messenger of God, it is Muhammad’s message that should really matter and that the Prophet’s personal decisions about his life (such as the way he dressed, whether he was bearded, or what he preferred to eat) have no religious significance. Read more
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Should Menstruating Women Pray/Fast? An Argument in Support
There is yet another reason that makes me question the Islamic origins of prayer ban during menstruation. According to the Quran (Ankabut, 45), one of the reasons why Muslims were instructed to pray was to prevent them from wrongdoing. If prayer has such a function, why would God prevent women from praying and reading the Quran during their menses? Read more