Story time: A young man wanted to go to college, but did not have the financial means for it. The universities in his area demanded the money upfront. He tried everything he could to save up, but still fell short. His dad told him that he will be able to save up the money and give it to him sometime soon, but he can’t say what the exact date will be at this point in time. The son had all... Read more
“You’re not wearing the hijab properly. Women who dress like that are cursed.” “Sister, you are misleading the younger generation of Muslimahs.” “You shouldn’t bother wearing the hijab at all if you are going to wear makeup/tight clothes.” “You are representing Islam in a bad way when you wear the hijab like that.” …Sound familiar? It does to me. Thankfully, I haven’t had anyone comment on my own hijab. But I see other Muslim women getting these kinds of comments... Read more
I’m often afraid to open the comments’ section on social media posts; I think many other people feel the same way as well. There’s just too high a chance of being bombarded with Islamophobic remarks, personal attacks, or witnessing verbal “wars” between other people. The Internet seems to bring out the ugliest side of people, which they usually keep hidden from those they interact with in person. Their most demeaning, condescending, and heartless thoughts spill onto the screen with no... Read more
Illustration by Julie Larah Dear Nabra, It has been a little over a week since you were killed. By now, some of the shock has worn off and the grief is settling in. Your name isn’t showing up on social media and news outlets as much as it was last week… But I want you to know that I, along with the rest of the American Muslim community and many around the world, have not forgotten for one second what... Read more
(This is part one of a series on adoption. Read part two here and part three here.) Somewhere in Pakistan, an unwanted baby girl is being left at the doorstep of a mosque or in one of the Edhi Foundation’s public cradles, with the hopes that a stranger will help her survive. Somewhere in Morocco, a little boy has been abandoned by his caretaker at an orphanage or even on the streets to fend for himself. Somewhere in America, a family with a... Read more
Oftentimes in our day-to-day routines, we get so busy that we forget to take time out for ourselves. Some of us may think that we simply don’t have time to spare, but it’s all about our priorities. Self-care doesn’t have to mean setting aside an hour every day to spoil yourself — it can be practiced in the simplest ways, which we sometimes don’t realize. Many of these can even be found in the Qur’an and sunnah… Check out the list below for... Read more
When I was about seven or eight years old, I started fasting during Ramadan. Not because I was asked or had to, but because I genuinely wanted to. It was something that the “grown-ups” did. I started off fasting only a couple of times during the month, and within a few years, was fasting every single day of Ramadan. It felt like a rite of passage. The only thing missing was knowing why I was doing it. Why was I... Read more
Have you ever been around someone who is fasting for Ramadan, praying taraweeh every night, and trying to finish a full recitation of the Qur’an during the month, but is also really rude to you? Or maybe they are known for lying and gossiping, having an anger management problem, or not practicing what they preach. They might even be picking and choosing what they want to practice from the religion, and which sins they don’t want to leave, while claiming... Read more
Written by Waseeq Mohammad “We all make choices in life, but in the end, our choices make us.” —Andrew Ryan (BioShock) As a Muslim gamer, there are so many things that come to my mind when I play video games. How much time is too much time spent on video games? Is the game I’m playing morally wrong? Are the actions of my character(s) justified? What do the choices I make in game say about me? Well maybe I’m the only... Read more
I have always disliked the concept of traditional bachelor/bachelorette parties. The whole idea of enjoy a “last night of freedom” before the wedding shows a lack of appreciation for and loyalty towards the future spouse. I could never wrap my head around how someone can claim to love one person enough to want to spend their life with them, but also be okay with going wild (sometimes even with other men & women) before they tie the knot. Unfortunately, some of us act... Read more
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