In this post, I have attempted to put my incredible experience of Hajj in a series of ultra short videos, to hopefully inspire you to one day take the same journey, realizing that words and videos cannot do justice to accurately reflect on the inspirational-high I felt. To say that my Hajj was an amazing experience is the understatement of my life. It was physically the most demanding trip I have ever undertaken, yet the most uplifting by far. From... Read more
I left my hotel room around 9 a.m. for the Friday prayers at Kaa’ba, with the thought that I would beat the crowd, as we had about three and a half hours before the Friday adhan ( call to prayer). Well, everyone must have thought the same, as I found out the gates to the mosque were already closed! The Grand Mosque was already full and pilgrims were lining up in the yard leading to the mosque and onto the streets... Read more
For the most part, no one is allowed to actually enter inside Kaa’ba, which is the black cube in the center of the Grand Mosque, or Masjid e Haram. I am sharing one of my experiences when I was inside the Masjid e Haram, also known simply as ” the haram.” The kaa’ba is in the middle of the masjid, and one of the corner bears the Hajre Aswad, or the black stone, believed to be an rock from the... Read more
After long and tiring flights from California to Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, we took the flight to Madina several days before the actual Hajj was to begin. We arrived in the Prophet’s city around 10:30 p.m., some 30 hours after leaving home. The fatigue quickly evaporated by the sight of the lights of Madina and in particular, the mosque of the Prophet, known as Masjid an-Nabawi. Though visiting the Prophet’s mosque and the city of Madina, which welcomed the Prophet Muhammad... Read more
To visit Mecca to perform Hajj is a dream of all Muslims. Read more
It seems that if a white supremacist Christian kills others in a clearly hate-inspired violence, it does not fit the bill as domestic terrorism. Read more
Islamophobia, like anti-Semitism is on the rise. Despite the new found-fame, Islam and Muslims remain largely unknown. The article aims to narrow the gap between those who want to know more about Muslims and those who are looking to dispel the myths. “So what are some of the stereotypes you heard people say about Muslims?” “Muslims are terrorists.” “Muslim women are oppressed.” “You know, go back home. You are foreigner.” “Not all Muslims are terrorists. But all terrorists are Muslims”.... Read more
Muslims have been widely accused of labeling Jews and Christians as “infidels”, and many point to the teachings of the Qur’an as the basis for that belief. They further believe (and often promote) that the Qur’an incites hatred towards the Jews and the Christians. When I started to study the Qur’an over two decades ago, I paid close attention to the passages pertaining to the Jews and the Christians. As I mentioned on my post Spiritual Travelogue of a Born-Again Muslim,... Read more
As Christians observe 40 days of Lent leading to Easter, let’s share Islamic teachings on Jesus. Was Jesus a Jew or a Christian? If he was a Jew, how do you reconcile that the “founder” of Christianity was not a “Christian” himself? Why do 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe think Jesus and his disciples were actually Muslims- but not in the way Muslims are traditionally viewed. Jesus and Mary have a very high status in Islam and in the... Read more
Are acts of God really acts of God? The facts will shatter many long-held beliefs. Why does the Kind, Most Merciful God lets people suffer as a result of floods, tornados, earthquakes and other natural disasters, and as well as personal tragedies? Your heart melts looking at the images of the victims and their loved ones, and you want to fly, if you could, to go help them. You still do whatever you can to help alleviate the sufferings. Ever wonder if... Read more
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