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.
Society
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…
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,…
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…
Making Malcolm X: How His Sister Ella Little-Collins Shaped His Life
Many regard Malcolm X as one of the most influential activists in American history. Throughout his life, he was a voice for Black empowerment; even after death, he loomed large as…
Gambling: A Social Justice Issue, Not Merely a Moral Debate
Gambling is often framed as a matter of personal choice or individual morality, an issue of self-control, ethics, or private behavior. While moral considerations are not irrelevant, reducing gambling to…
The World Has Dry January. Muslims Have Allah’s Guidance
With January nearly over, it’s likely you’ve heard about Dry January when New Year’s resolutions inevitably come up. You’ve probably seen this term floating around your social media feed, talked about in your workplace, or popping up in turn-of-the-year and mid-January news articles. In late…