Who is Allah? | Islam Explained
To the Grieving Convert
Melissa Barreto To the convert grieving the loss of thier non-Muslim loved one: You are not alone. When my mother passed, it was unexpected. The phone call came at night. I was folding laundry. I picked up the call and when my brother’s voice cried out through the [...]
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Saima Mehboob Why is there so much suffering in this world? Someone very close to me lost his only child recently. He buried his 24-year-old son, three years after losing his wife. A small family of three, now a heart-broken man of one. The loss of his son was sudden, [...]
What is the Islamic Calendar?
The Islamic calendar, also called the Hijri calendar, is used in many parts of the Muslim world either in replace of or along with the Gregorian calendar. The Islamic calendar is based on 12 months and follows the lunar system. The names of these months are Muḥarram, Ṣafar, Rabīʿ al-Awwal, [...]
Why I Converted to Islam
Convert Profile: Sister Autumn Interviewed by Laura El Alam Why Choose Islam? In the modern world, with a wealth of information at their fingertips, people can easily learn about and experiment with many different faith traditions. Some choose to eschew religion completely. Allowed the freedom to follow [...]
Spirituality without Religion?
Saima Mehboob “I’m not a religious person. But I’m spiritual.” For 35 years, I could relate. I grew up in a very conservative Muslim home, with a heavy South Asian influence. Cultural traditions often blended into Islamic practices, and it was never clear to me where one [...]
One Immigrant’s Journey to Islam
Habeeba Husain When Colombian immigrant Giovanni Herran began mentoring a young Muslim brother involved in drug dealings, robbery, and assault, he never thought the relationship would be a means of his own conversion to Islam. “He told me that my behavior, that my akhlaq (manners) reminded him of [...]
Hajar the Wife of Abraham: An Example for All
Habeeba Husain The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Makkah which is an obligation upon every financially and physically able adult Muslim to perform at least once in a lifetime. During the Hajj, there are a number of mandatory rites and rituals. Many of them date back to [...]
Coming to Islam: An Interview with a Convert
Habeeba Husain High school senior Zakia Rodriguez’s biggest dream for life after graduation was to become a professional musician. Posters of performers covered the walls of her New Brunswick, N.J. bedroom, and sheet music was everywhere. She spent hours practicing her flute. “That was the only thing that [...]