The Cult of “Specialness”: Why I Live for God, Not Society

November 27, 2017 By Guest Contributor

Written by Anonymous Members of the American middle class are raised in a nation of strivers, a nation founded on the right to pursue happiness. Their discontent is “productive.” It gets things done. The drive to do better pulls them through graduate school and up career ladders, through salary negotiations and gym sessions. Claiming dissatisfaction with the status quo is just something everyone does. Everyone is trained in the West to strive for More, Better, New, and Now. “Think Different”... Read more

4 Ways You Can Support Muslim Converts This Holiday Season

November 22, 2017 By Kaya Gravitter

The holiday season can be very hard for Muslim converts — not just Muslim holidays, but the ones they used to (or still) celebrate with their family. Personally, seeing Christmas decorations everywhere and hearing Christmas music makes me sad. This is because I still have not gotten that same exciting feeling I used to get on Christmas morning, running down the stairs and seeing all the presents under the tree. So, imagine seeing all of this nostalgia and not being able to... Read more

Holiday Reflections: Gratitude for the Small Things in Life

November 20, 2017 By Stephenie Bushra Khan

Each morning I wake up in the coziness of my soft, warm bed, my black cat sleeping near my head. It’s still dark, because we are approaching the winter months, and the rain for which we Californians are grateful is lightly making its sacred tapping upon the roof. I do not want to leave the bed, as I’m listening to my husband make his Fajr (pre-dawn) prayers. The usual routine of getting up and praying, then making breakfast as he... Read more

Fighting the Stigma of Mental Illness: This is My Story

November 17, 2017 By Stephenie Bushra Khan

Since the age of six, I have struggled with mental illness. This was because of great losses in my life, including losing my family at a young age. I was taught never to express my grief. I was told not to talk about the death of loved ones – to go on as if nothing had happened. I could not take the injustice of my siblings being put into an orphanage by my abusive father. I was told that I... Read more

Red Pill or Blue Pill? | Accepting the Reality of the Afterlife

November 13, 2017 By Iman

In a famous scene from the movie “The Matrix,” the main character is offered two pills: a Red pill and a Blue pill. He is told that he can take one or the other, and that his decision will affect him for the rest of his life. The Blue pill will keep him living blindly, like the rest of humankind. The Red pill will show him the reality of their existence. The man picked the Red pill. Many of us... Read more

Finding Strength in God

November 10, 2017 By Stephenie Bushra Khan

When I was young, my grandmother would work outside in the yard, and she would make gardens and terraces out of dirt piles. She could bake really well, and she could knit intricate designs. Mentally and physically, she was very strong. I was just the opposite of my grandmother. She called me Milk Toast because I had a soft heart and voice. She worked in a furniture factory for 50 hours a week to support my brother and I, after... Read more

Dear Hijabi Sisters: We, the Silent Muslim Men, Admire Your Strength & Courage

November 8, 2017 By Guest Contributor

(I hope this doesn’t end up being too cheesy. I’m lactose intolerant anyway, so I’ll try to remove the cheese.) Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim (In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful) Dear Hijabi Sisters, We really think it’s absolutely amazing that you wear the hijab. Especially those of you living in the West! I can only imagine what it feels like to undertake this; it’s not something I can ever experience (nor do I want to…). The... Read more

When Your Pride Hurts More Than Your Pain | On Motherhood & Strength

November 6, 2017 By Samrah Abdi

She’s 40 minutes late. I keep clicking at my phone, hoping that looking at the time will help. “Hamza, get back here!” I quietly yell as he wallows his way back to me. “Do not go down the hallway or we will go back in the car. Do you want to go back in the car?” I ask with an empty threat. He nods his head in the negative. “Ahmed, it’s not nice to peek in the door while the... Read more

Finding Perspective: Understanding the World Around Us

November 3, 2017 By Stephenie Bushra Khan

There is a great deal of evil in the world. As we go about our daily lives, we hear about genocides, terrorist acts, and threats of nuclear war. Yet we go about our days mindlessly, as if this could never happen to us. We have forgotten our humanity. Meanwhile, the earth is crying through earthquakes, droughts, and storms. Here I am rocking in a rocking chair outside a cabin, on a mountaintop surrounded by oak trees. I’m sitting here, writing.... Read more

Why Are Converts Not Given a Fair Chance at Marriage?

November 1, 2017 By Kaya Gravitter

I am writing this article to shed light on a problem within our ummah that I hope we can fix. Many people don’t realize they are doing it, or even realize that it’s wrong. When looking for a wife, it’s alright to have certain preferences of who you want to marry, but if your reason for not marrying a certain person is purely for racial reasons, that is just not right. It is 2017 — you should be more diverse in your mindset. We need to... Read more