Love, InshAllah
Relevant and timely. Interested in learning more? Check out this writer’s take on the issues. Read more
Relevant and timely. Interested in learning more? Check out this writer’s take on the issues. Read more
I wrap layers upon layers of dense black cotton around my head, reveling in the warm ritual of it; throw a splash of crimson lipstick onto my lips, frustrated at how little of a canvas I have to work with, and stop when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. My eyes scan from the top of my head down to my covered neck. I look absolutely beautiful. This is not an ego thing, it’s a spiritual... Read more
My fiancé Ahmed came to the US from his native Turkey in part to escape from the societal pressures of his culture. This resonated with me, because I left small-town Oklahoma for a similar reason. We both wanted to make our way in the world unfettered by other people’s expectations. But, when it came time for him to propose, he ran it by his family. Naturally, they asked if I was a Muslim. When he said no, they gave him... Read more
Calling all American Muslim men: Can you feel the excitement building? The deadline for your stories on love, sex & intimacy is in TWELVE days! Make your voices and perspectives heard. Read more about the anthology, to be published by Beacon Press in February 2014, here. Submissions are due by March 31st. Thank you for spreading the word! Read more
The 2nd Pillar of Islam Was the Hardest Prayer always came at the worst times: just as my brother and I were poised to wrestle for the prize of Julie’s 9-year-old heart or in the middle of a street football game when I finally got my turn to be quarterback. That’s when my mom’s voice rang out like an opera singer from her kitchen window, “Salah, boys, time to pray!” I could almost hear the glass breaking in every apartment,... Read more
“Looking for love is tough at the best of times and it can be even harder when your pool of potential partners is small. Welcome to the world of being young, single and religious. We take an engaging look at the highs and lows of three Muslim singletons, who have never even had a relationship before, as they begin their journey’s to find ‘the one’.” This episode of Strictly Soulmates aired in the UK in February 2012: Read more
It started with a wink. 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... Read more
Editor’s note: Writer and Love InshAllah anthology contributor Deonna Kelli Sayed is coming on board as a www.patheos.com/blogs/loveinshallah editor and our first monthly columnist! Look for her column, “Thoughts of a Wasat Girl” every second Wednesday of the month! I delivered a lecture about almost two decades ago at a regional conference sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) on Islam in America. That academic-type gathering occurred years before my marriage, in the middle of graduate school,... Read more
Pot Roast and Imperial Justifications “how come you don’t cover your hair?” my breath punches out of me in one big gasp as I pretend not to hear her “so how come you don’t cover your hair like all the women in your country?” she asks me again persistent, insistent, she is unaware that there is any problem with her question I am slow to answer trying to sort out what just happened 30 seconds ago we were talking about... Read more
Check out the International Museum of Women’s phenomenal new exhibition Muslima featuring art, voices and stories from Muslim women around the globe. And here’s Love InshAllah‘s op-ed commemorating International Women’s Day: Muslim Women Take Back the Mic Everyone has an opinion about Muslim women, even those — especially those — who have never met one. As Muslim women born and raised in America, we are tired of hearing everyone — politicians, pundits, men and women of other faiths (or those not adhering to... Read more
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