burn this letter history tells us what is written will burn one flick of your lighter two, science, and three: the flame it’s not so cruel love, see how the ink is cradled in the paper its body lengthening in rhythm disappearing in time, logic stands to prove art has nothing to lose the words themselves will live god knows like metal flowers against the last horizon — Abeer Hoque is a Nigerian-born, Bangladeshi-American writer and photographer. She has held... Read more
This meme-based marriage proposal made made us teary-eyed. We never thought memes could mean to much! Meme Proposal | Tim * Audrey from Crazy Monkey Studio on Vimeo. Read more
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. Our entire lives, we are taught to be driven and motivated, to set high goals, that women are just as capable as men, that societies are built on the backs of strong women, that we should never give up our dreams because we face obstacles. Then we grow... Read more
Love, Inshallah is happy to showcase our resident geek. We take this opportunity to wish her a wonderful, magical birthday! Last year, I wrote about turning thirty years old and defying the hype and expectations that surround that number. I felt brave and strong and true, fortified by my ideas and the steps I’d taken to finally start following my own expectations. I was on a journey dammit, and nothing was going to stand in my way. This week, I... Read more
The response to our post, “Arranged” Marriage, was overwhelming. We heard from hundreds of readers expressing sympathy and concern for the writer forsaking the man she loved for another due to family pressure. The post left us curious to hear a man’s perspective, especially as we edit our upcoming anthology Salaam Love: Muslim Men on Love, Sex, and Intimacy (Valentine’s Day 2014, Beacon Press). We’re publishing one male response we received, below. *** My name is “Fuz,” and I loved a woman who... Read more
Your Mother Needs a Foot Massage "Heaven," Muslims say, "lies at the feet of mothers." But dear mothers, I have seen your bare feet, blackened by the parking lot as you fetch your sandals after salat. Your whole lives in India and Pakistan, in the Middle East and Africa spent shoeless, walking through deserts and jungles, gravel roads, across river beds to scrub laundry in the rapids. And the damage is severe: the chipped dry skin of your... Read more
‘Love InshAllah‘ editor Ayesha Mattu writes a love letter to Muslim fathers on Father’s Day. Originally published by The Huffington Post. For every stereotype about Muslim women, there are as many about Muslim men. Muslim men are boxed in between the angry terrorist and rampaging, honor killing father with no space in between for nuance or celebration. And yet, there is a disconnect between these extreme depictions of Muslim men and what I — and most other American Muslim women I... Read more
Our love this Friday for Takin’ it to the Streets – a Muslim-led arts and music festival on Chicago’s South Side taking place tomorrow, Saturday, June 15th. Streets is produced by the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), a globally recognized organization that aims to change, serve and inspire by working on social justice issues, delivering a wide range of direct services, and cultivating the arts in urban communities. Love, InshAllah editors Ayesha and Nura will both be at the festival – make... Read more
Dear Love Inshallah, At the age of 25, I am fairly new to the world of Muslim dating (or dating at all). I’ve always internalized messages from my community telling me that “dating is haraam” and have stayed away from men for the most part. Over the last few years, I began speaking with suitors, mostly via phone or email, and always with marriage as the end goal. I would always end things early if I didn’t see things working... Read more
Love, InshAllah
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