By Laura El Alam Which highly addictive drug is readily available in stores worldwide, sanctioned by most societies, and openly consumed everywhere from sporting events to business meetings? If you guessed alcohol, you are correct. Because it is so ubiquitous, many people don’t think of alcohol as a drug. [...]
Ayah Aboelela The semester I learned about orientalism as an undergrad marked a clear before and after in my life. Because once I understood what orientalism was, I simply couldn’t un-see it—and it was everywhere. From fantastical movies like Disney’s Aladdin, to classic, high-school syllabus books like Charlotte Bronte’s [...]
Meena Malik What should a person do about their cultural identity when they enter Islam? Do they walk away from it or adopt a new one as a Muslim? The good news is that there is no such thing as a singular “Muslim culture” that needs to be embraced [...]
Hamza Dudgeon Converting to Islam is often not just a religious conversion, but also entails learning the culture(s) of your local Muslim community. Learning about a new religion and possibly new cultures can be daunting to the new convert. Hence, this article is here to help! Connecting to Community [...]
In a hurry? Check out the infographic. 877-WHY-ISLAM Brochure Request a copy View in PDF In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Since the beginning of human history, worship has played a central role in people’s lives. [...]
The Shahada or Testimony of Faith The First Pillar of Islam The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in [...]
On their own, human beings cannot be fully guided, understand God, the hereafter, or the purpose of life. Accordingly, God communicated to mankind by selecting prophets who would deliver his message to the rest of humanity. To convey the purpose of existence to humans, God sent clear and practical instructions [...]
by Habeeba Husain It was my freshman year of college when I was first asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?” A fellow freshman girl who shared two of my four classes raised the question during a conversation consisting of mostly small talk. I proceeded to answer her in the negative [...]
Islam is often painted as being a religion of hatred and unrestricted violence. Donald Trump said “I think Islam hates us.” Islam is not a person and therefore cannot hate. Furthermore, it is unclear who “us” is since Muslims are Americans as well. He was perhaps regurgitating the false notion [...]
by Habeeba Husain Our hearts are heavy in these last days of Ramadan. The Muslim community lost a young, beautiful soul, 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen from Virginia some days ago. After completing the pre-dawn meal with her friends, she was on her way back to the mosque when a man took [...]
