From the griots of wealthy empires of West Africa to the poets in America’s black ghettoes, the Prophet Muhammad has been a central figure in poetry of the African diaspora. Such poetry has lauded the Prophet for his sublime character and inspired the masses to emulate the virtuous principles that he exemplified in his Sunnah. In this article, we will examine poems throughout the African Disaporia in honor of Allah’s final messenger. West Africa As a young West African... Read more
In a previous article Stop Bickering and instead Continue the work of Malcolm X, I spoke of the urgent need for black Muslims to begin mass-producing Islamic content for oppressed Black communities. The following is a list of potential khutbas and lecture ideas aimed at reinvigorating Islam for black liberation. Each khutba idea is rooted in the collective experiences of black descendants of slaves in the western hemisphere in order to inculcate Islamic principles and spiritual lessons. First Khutba: Why... Read more
Editorial Note Black Orientalism is an intellectual movement that can be found in strands of Afrocentric thought. It seeks to associate Islam with the Arab subjugation of black people and posit Islam as an inherently anti-black faith due to the Arab Slave Trade. This line of thinking has been popularized by books such as The Destruction of Black Civilizations by Chancellor Williams and Afrocentric thinker Dr. Molefi Asante who argues, “the non-African roots of Islam played a role in dismantling The... Read more
In the Islamic tradition, Bilal Ibn Rabah was a black slave whose conversion to Islam provoked bitterness in the heart of his cruel slave master. As Bilal was subjected to excruciating torture in the hot desert, he held on tight to the rope of Allah by repeating “AHAD,” affirming God’s oneness and refusing to renege on his beliefs. The story of Bilal’s bravery—his willingness to endure severe suffering for the sake of Islam—spread throughout Mecca and eventually his freedom would... Read more
Gabby Douglas, a star African-American gymnast competing in the Olympics, recently ignited controversy for not placing her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem. Though Douglas issued an apology explaining it was out of negligence and not intentional, she continued to be subjected to widespread criticisms on social media. Some inquired to to whether her National Anthem Stance was a Silent Black Lives Matter Protest and questioned her patriotism. What critics do not realize is that there is... Read more
Pauline Hanson is an Australian politician who was recently elected to control the Australian senate after running on an anti-Islam ticket. On political advertisements, Hanson advocated,”No More Mosques, Sharia Law, Halal certification, Muslim refugees. With a history of xenophobia, she has given speeches titled,”Stop multiculturalism“, where she bitterly complains of Australia being “swamped with Asians.” Like Donald J Trump, Hanson believes that Muslim immigration is detrimental to the well-being and fabric of Australian society. ” Stirring up fear of... Read more
Islamophobe: “Look at ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other radical groups. It is clear that Muslims are just disproportionately prone to violence.” Are you a Muslim activist, writer, artist, or even just an ally in the struggle against Islamophobia? In this series, we will offer essential readings that will enable the Muslim community to effectively and robustly refute common Islamophobic claims. Such readings will empower us to flip the script entirely and to no longer remain in a primarily defensive posture.... Read more
In The Oppression of Muslim Women by White Supremacy, we learned how when it comes to Islam, white supremacy commodifies and discards narratives of women’s oppression based upon its own strategic interest. For example, the narratives of black Muslim women such as Safiya Bukhari and Tynetta Muhammad, who utilized Islam as a source of empowerment against the structural racism that they were subjected to in America, garner no where near the sympathies or attention by mainstream society as that of Ayaan Hirsi Ali.... Read more
Sajid Tarar, the founder of “Muslims for Trump,” was booed with chants of “No Islam!” emanating from the audience as he spoke at the Republican National convention. Tarar received what should have been a harsh wake up call, despite his sincere efforts to be palatable to the notoriously bigoted republican constituency; however, the very fact that he was associated with Islam rendered such efforts null a void. After all, Tarar was campaigning for Trump, a man who declared, “I think... Read more
In the Democratic National Convention, Bill Clinton declared, “If you’re a Muslim and love freedom and hate terror, stay here…” In light of this, as a black Muslim who loves freedom and hates terror, I am obligated to speak against Clinton himself for his complicity in the terror that continues to be inflicted upon black people through his passing of the notoriously racist 1994 crime bill that escalated the black incarceration rates and devastated entire generations of black families. Yet,... Read more
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