The Best of 2013

2013 was a whirlwind here at www.patheos.com/blogs/loveinshallah! We brought on gifted writer Deonna Kelli Sayed as co-editor as well as several wonderful monthly columnists, launched an advice column, created space for poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and featured countless guest posts by readers like you!

Here are some other highlights from our year:

Most popular posts

In It Started with a Wink, writer and lawyer Nura Maznavi shared her journey to the altar, along with some witty and wise advice for readers searching for a partner.

My husband David and I met on Match.com when he showed up in my weekly report of new guys on the site matching my preferences. He had an awful profile picture (think: taken with a cell phone camera in a moving car), but I loved everything else about his profile, from the description of himself to what he was looking for in a partner. So, I virtually winked at him. He sent me a message the next day

Fast forward 16 months and I was moving to Chicago as his bride.

It sounds easy enough but my road to the altar was a long and arduous one.

In Yes, this is about Marriage, law student Maryam wrote about the struggle between personal and professional ambitions and the future her parents envision for her:

Tell us we’re being picky. Tell us there is no perfect man. Tell us our standards are impossible. Tell us to compromise.

Say what you want. The truth is: you don’t understand.

The post that went global

Our Single in the City columnist Ihssan Tahir’s beautiful tribute to her stepfather, Step Baba, went viral, resonating with readers around the world.

Now, as an adult, I sometimes look at my middle-aged father and realize how blessed I am that he was placed in my life. It amazes me how Allah places love and mercy between the hearts of people. The love He placed between my parents was Allah’s mercy to me as well.

As one reader commented, “As a newly divorced mother of two, your article has given me hope that there are good men out there.”

Most controversial posts

In ‘Arranged’ Marriage an anonymous writer shared why she capitulated to her family’s demands:

I am madly in love with a good man.

Next week, I am going to marry another.

You read about stories like this. But you never understand how it could happen now, in the 21st century.  You never imagine it could be you.

In How I Met My Son’s Mother, Canadian writer Mezbauddin Mahtab set off a firestorm with his frank and honest account of his search for a wife:

I wanted a wife whose priority was to find a good husband and raise a proper, Islamic family. If that meant taking a little bit of time off from work during the early childhood years, and thus not keeping up with one’s professional peers, so be it. For that, I was told I was a chauvinist.

Mezba’s post triggered eight blog posts in response, from female & male writers.

Most frequently asked questions

A quick glance at our search terms and the questions being sent to the advice column reveals that a lot of people are looking for advice about sex. In Clueless about My Wedding Night, our advice columnists, Shy Desi Boy and Miss Sunshine, dispensed invaluable tips to a young virgin about to be wed:

This is your first time, dear one; don’t expect to blow her mind because there is a 99% chance that you won’t. That’s okay. Whether you’re her first partner or her 100th, this is her first time with you. Enjoy getting to know one another. Explore one another’s bodies and minds together until you find all the many ways your unique body pleases hers and vice versa.

Sex is sensual. Use your senses.

The other popular question was: Why doesn’t my husband want to have sex?

You have the right to sexual fulfillment within your marriage. Wanting to have sex with your spouse is not a problem; it’s a critical part of a happy marriage for most people.

We hope you enjoyed reading the diverse and thought-provoking pieces featured on our blog in 2013.!

In the new year, we invite you to continue sending in your stories and questions. We also hope to meet you on our upcoming book tour in February for the new anthology Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex & Intimacy.

Wishing you a beautiful & blessed 2014!