Message International
Articles
Essays, interviews and reporting from the magazine published by ICNA since 1989 — a place to expand your horizon on faith, family, society and humanity.
The Collection
Transforming Your Reality
”This is the fourth and final article in a series entitled “Under the Throne of Allah: Dua and Dhikr.” Take a minute, take a few deep breaths, and focus on…
A History of Muslim Americans’ Political Engagement
Muslim engagement in U.S. politics spans decades, journeying from Republican to progressive. During that time, American Muslims also have become more intimately involved, shifting from a position as mere spectators…
My Brother is Gay: Navigating the Intersection of Religion and Family An interview with Imam Wesley Lebron
This interview first appeared on the Muslim Home Newsletter July 12, 2023. It has been reprinted with the author’s permission and has been edited for content and length. In a…
Islam and the Romans: Early Muslim-Byzantine Interaction
The Islamic world and the Roman Empire share a millennium of history, beginning with reported interactions between the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Byzantine Emperor Heraclius and ending…
Reclaiming the Sunnah of Adoption and Foster Care: An Interview with Basmah Salam
Adoption and foster care are topics seldom discussed in many Muslim circles today. However, caring for orphaned children and at-risk youth is a practice repeatedly mentioned in our Islamic tradition…
National Poetry Month: An Ode to Faith, Visibility, and the Conversations We Don’t Forget
Some conversations never leave you; rather, they linger and leave a mark. Years ago, I experienced such a moment, and from that moment a poem was born. It was 2012,…
Beyond Ramadan: Taking Its Lessons Farther
For many people, Ramadan is celebrated with others, from community iftar dinners to collective taraweeh prayers as well as numerous gatherings aimed at charity or worship. However, some of us struggle with social anxiety and isolate to cope, while others may be grappling with a loss and crippling grief, and still some…
The Power of Saying No: A Reflection on Boundaries
For so long, I believed being a good person meant being available to everyone. That translated into helping, fixing, and showing up no matter how tired, thinly stretched, or quietly…
The Beauty of Allah’s Names Al-Fattah & Al-Wadud
Every year during Ramadan I attempt to learn more of Allah’s great and majestic names. I know a few friends who can recite all 99 names of Allah (SWT) from…
Cleaning Heart-Blockages with Dua and Dhikr
This is the third article in a series entitled “Under the Throne of Allah: Dua and Dhikr.” There can be seasons in life when, outwardly, you may be doing everything…