Madelina Nuñez Madelina Nuñez is a Ph.D. student in American Studies at Purdue University. She currently studies Latino, Muslim, and Latino Muslim communities through the lens of food and foodways. Nuñez holds an M.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago in [...]
Najwa Awad Najwa Awad is a psychotherapist and fellow at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research who is passionate about helping Muslims heal, grow, and thrive after adversity. She has a private practice, Amanah Family Counseling, in which she provides online and in-person counseling to children, adults, and [...]
Islam has three holy sites, Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. Jerusalem, known as al-Quds or Bayt al-Maqdis in Arabic, is a holy site for all three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Because each of these three religions are Abrahamic, they all emphasize monotheism and share a reverence for many [...]
Justin Parrott (Abu Amina Elias) In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful Advocating violent conquest or terrorism is one of the most common accusations against Islam, but it is also deeply uninformed of Islamic teachings, history, and theology. Muslims can point to many, many verses in [...]
What is Jumuʿah? Friday (Jumuʿah in Arabic) is the holy day for Muslims. Jumuʿah comes from the same root word as gather and congregation. On Fridays, Muslims attend a special prayer in the afternoon called the Jumuʿah prayer. The Friday prayer is commanded by God in the Qur'ān: “O [...]
Do Islam and Judaism have anything in common? Are they two religions that are radically different and at constant odds? There is a common perception that Muslims and Jews have been at odds for hundreds of years. Consequently, it is often stated that the “Muslim-Jewish conflict” can never be [...]
Dr. Susan Douglas What is the basis for accommodation policies on religious holidays in public schools? The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects the freedom of religious expression for groups living in the United States, including worship, places to worship, and the ability to practice their religion. [...]
Dr. Naved Bakali What is Islamophobia? A phobia can be described as an irrational fear of something, like spiders, confined spaces, heights, etc. So, could one assume that Islamophobia is simply an irrational fear of Islam and Muslims? The term Islamophobia can be somewhat problematic, as it assumes [...]
Dr. Widaad Zaman “Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may develop self-restraint" (Qur'ān 2:183). The first command to fast in the Qur'ān contains inherent wisdom behind why we should fast – to develop self-restraint. This [...]
Sumayyah Meehan The religion of Islam is deeply rooted in the heart of New Zealand. According to the International Muslim Association of New Zealand, there are an estimated 60,000 Muslims living on the windswept shores of the tiny Kiwi-state today who make up just 1% of the population. [...]
