For my Muslim brothers and sisters in light of recent events:

If you are a Muslim or Muslimah disheartened by recent events in the U.S. and around the world, remember to hold fast to your faith.  If you are facing challenges in your life, hold fast to your faith.  Remember why you embraced Islam in the first place.  Whether you were born into a Muslim family or are a revert, at some point you made a conscious choice to say:

Ash-hadu an la illah il Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadur RasoolAllah
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

If a Muslim is accused of or has admitted to killing innocent civilians, it does not change the fact that Allah is One.  If you left your husband because he was abusive, that does not change the fact that Allah is one.  If your wife left you and took up with your best friend, that does not change the fact that Allah is One.  If your local Muslim mechanic cheated you and overcharged you, that does not change the fact that Allah is One.

Tauheed is true irrespective of the actions of Muslims (or non-Muslims).  If you have a math class with the world’s meanest teacher, and he tells you that one plus one is two, that remains a fact regardless of the fact that he’s a nasty human being.

Muslims are mere human beings.  They make mistakes.  Sometimes big ones.  Muslims grow poppies whose sap is made into heroin, and other Muslims insert needles into their arms and shoot up that heroin.   Muslims beat their wives and burn their children with cigarettes.  Muslims get drunk.  Muslims cheat in business and overprice their wares.  Muslims call non-Muslims “kaafir” and try to harm them.  Muslims commit fornication and have babies out of wedlock.  Muslims do bad things.

Allah is One.  This is why you are Muslim.  You believe this.  You might be disgusted, disheartened, exhausted, put-upon, wanting to hide, but this simple truth will sustain you.  You are not wrong to believe this.  You are not wrong to believe in the tenets of Islam. You are not wrong to believe in humility and modesty and chastity and all the TRUE teachings of Islam.

Don’t be afraid, don’t be ashamed, and don’t think you are all alone.  There are over one billion Muslims on the planet, and there are a lot more good ones than bad ones.  The good ones don’t get on CNN or Fox News.  They don’t trumpet their goodness or toot their own horns.  They just do what they do.  They pray, they fast, they give zakah and whatever charity they can afford on top of that.  They raise their kids to not litter and to be kind to animals and never make fun of schoolmates.  They hug their spouses and call their moms and dads just to check in.  They live according to the Qur’an and Sunnah as best they can and are role models not because they stand behind a podium and lecture, but because they walk the walk.  Look for the ones who do good behind the scenes.  Look for the quiet ones who always seem to be serene, though life’s challenges touch them just like they touch us.  Look for the ones who love.  Look for the ones who know that Allah is One.