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
Making Your Muslim Community Latino-Friendly Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month
Is your Islamic center Latino-friendly? If you find yourself not sure how to answer that question, it may be time to take a closer look. Latino Muslims represent the fastest-growing…
Morning Rituals That Can Change Your Life: How Discipline Fuels Peace
There once was a time I believed peace would only come once life slowed down, once my “business” stabilized, once my children were older, once emails stopped piling up, once…
Islam, Ikigai, and Intention: Living a Purpose-Driven Life
Today, consider this: Were your actions driven by purposeful intentions, or were you simply reacting to the immediate demands of the day, surviving and holding on by a thread?” How…
Whom Do Our Representatives Serve? Foreign Lobbies and American Loyalty
As an American watching our democracy strain, I’m increasingly troubled by a question fundamental to self-governance: Whom do our elected representatives truly serve? The outsized influence of foreign lobbies, operating…
The Gaza Memorial We Owe Our Children
Many generations have faced singular tragedies, moving them to promise, “Never again.” Yet they often confront another tragedy which tests whether those words have sincere meaning. Today, Gaza has become…
Independence of a Nation
In July 2026, the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary, its semi quincentennial, marking the birth of a nation. Indeed, on July 4, 1776, and as part of the Second…
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…