To mark the National Day of Prayer on May 4, Skylight, a sister organization of Patheos, compiled a comprehensive survey of Americans aged 18-64 last month on prayer, providing an interesting insight on this subject. There are a large number of charts and graphics on the response to various questions. I am going to provide my perspective here from an Islamic viewpoint on a selected set of questions and responses. Before I dive into the specifics, it would be prudent... Read more
I am about to do my Iftar and then fly out of town for the weekend but felt like I need to express my gratitude for this rather rare intersection of the holy week(month in the case of Muslims) for the people of the three major Abrahamic faiths. The Passover and Easter week generally coincide during each spring. For the past year and the next couple of years, the month of Ramadan is also falling and crosses over the passover... Read more
I am not a Christian but this is some sort of a confession that my spirituality had waned lately. I was still firmly rooted in my faith in One true God and the articles of faith in Islam, but the soul was restless and I lacked peace of mind. I was still searching for that alluded internal peace. I was distracted by the rat race and the mechanical aspects of our fast paced life. I was too busy at work.... Read more
Ramadan Kareem/Ramadan Mubarak to everyone. I love the spring, the summer time and the winter holidays but the Ramadan trumps them all as I will explain below. And most of all, the month of Ramadan can fall during any of these times of the year because the Islamic lunar year has 354 or 355 days and every year it falls back about 10 days on the Gregorian calendar. As you know, Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims around... Read more
Year 2022 is in the rearview. At the time of this writing, some parts of the world have already said goodbye to 2022. The year 2022 was a year of turmoil and triumph, both from a global and Muslim perspective. The war in Ukraine and Iranian protests took the center stage. Rise of Islamophobia, especially in India and France continued. I will share the highlights and the lowlights from a Muslim perspective, and will also share some personal and family... Read more
A Sunni Muslim man was arrested this week and charged with murdering Aftab Hussein on July 26, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on Aug. 1. He is also suspected of killing two other Muslim men, Naeem Hussain on August 5 and Mohammed Zaher Ahmadi on November 7 last year. What is most troubling is that these murders are linked to anti-Shia hatred and may signal the arrival of target killings in America. There has been an outpouring of support (and the... Read more
Muslims around the world, especially the Shia Muslims, are observing Ashura, the 10th of the month of Muharram, tomorrow on August 8. It is a day to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the year 680 CE in the land of Karbala. It is a time to pay tribute to him and his family and companions of 72 people fighting the army of the tyrant and corrupt leader at the time, Yazid son of... Read more
Muslim literally means a ‘submitter’, but it implies someone who believes in One true God (Allah in Arabic) and that Muhammad was the last Prophet. The question has been asked whether being a Muslim a race. The short answer is a ‘No’. In fact Islam transcends race and racism as I will explain below. In addition to the mandatory belief in One true God (Allah), and Prophet Muhammad, Muslims also believe in the Qur’an as the literal word of God,... Read more
Before I go over the famous Muslims in America, let me start dispelling a myth, at least among some political circles, who is not a Muslim- past president Barack Obama. The list of “famous” Muslim Americans is going to be long. Let me start by naming a few who are no longer with us but are household names and need no further introduction. Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X (AKA Malik el Shabazz). Muslims have been an integral part of American... Read more
Muslim pilgrims around the world gathered today at Arafat, near Mecca on the Day of Arafah. At the time of my writing, many of them are moving on to the next stop at Muzdalifah. This year’s official Hajj date is July 9. This very special day brings back so many great memories from my own, most memorable journey from five years ago. In the end, I will also share the lessons beyond the rituals of Hajj. Muslim pilgrims from around... Read more
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