Jane Austen, the 18th century English novelist, the literary queen of love and marriage, once wrote, “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” Most of …
No, My Husband Didn’t Convert Me
I met a new sister at the masjid last week. Like many people who were born to a Muslim family in a Muslim-majority nation, she was curious to know how …
Representation Matters: Islamic Books for and with Latino Children
Fifteen years ago, my husband and I, both Latino converts to Islam, welcomed our first son to this world. Alhamdulillah, he was the first Muslim child born into our families, …
The Power of Protests
In January of 2015, two young Muslim men burst into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical French magazine in Paris. They found the room where fifteen staff members were …
Staying Focused on Your Goals: Challenges, Obstacles, and Solutions
As human beings, we all have dreams that we wish to achieve in life. However, some of us continue to dream, while others wake up and chase those dreams, giving …
Black History Month in The Muslim American Consciousness
With few noteworthy exceptions, historical accounts of the achievements and struggles of North American people since the colonization of the land by Europeans has been written overwhelmingly from the vantage …
The End of Innocence in Seven Hours
The United Nations recognizes the existence of 195 countries in the world, including the non-voting entities of Palestine and the Vatican. Egypt, established as a single kingdom by King Menes …
Native Americans and Muslims: Shared Experience of Historical Trauma
The first generation of Muslims living in North America, those who immigrated here in the mid-20th century, know a great deal about the impact of colonialism— because they either experienced …
Soulmates: Do They Exist in Islam?
If you have ever been invited to a walima, a Muslim wedding, you probably received a fancy invitation with this popular ayah inscribed beautifully across the front: “And We created …
Political Evolution of Muslim Americans: An Historical Perspective
Sustained European contact with Muslims goes back at least to the late 7th and early 8th centuries when in 711 CE, Tarik ibn Ziyad, the Berber-appointed governor of Morocco, led …