-- But Will We Be a Part of It?
In this post 9/11 world, American Muslims now find themselves in the midst of a crucial intellectual battle – a war of ideas and values - in which we must defend our religion and way of life against people who are constantly trying to define us all as foaming at the mouth irrational medievalists and rabid animals.
The bigots are on a daily onslaught to lie, slander, defame and dehumanize us, yet the Muslims have yet to fully enter into this...
Many of us have heard it: "The brain is an organ. You have to feed it the right nutrients". While many of us talk about the heart, our weight and other things, how many of us know that what we eat can affect our brains? This should be of particular concern when it comes to our children as a poor diet has negative effects on a child’s brain development as well.
With that in mind, I wanted to share some information I found to let us know the importance of cognitive health in our children...
In the early to mid 1990’s there was an ‘explosion’ of people who accepting Islam in America – especially in the aftermath of the high interest in Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) May Allah have mercy upon him. By Allah’s grace, I was one of them.
We all wanted to change the world with this new vehicle (Islam) and become a light to the world. The problem was that – in our naiveté – in many cases, we threw away practicality and became slavishly literal with our Islam. This led to many mistakes...
I've gotten some comments about 'nationalism'the past few weeks whenever I have written about or advertised a community event such as working in a homeless shelter or a food bank. This may be confusing to some because most Muslims define nationalism (or tribalism or racism) as standing with one's people even if they are obviously wrong and/or believing one's people to be superior to all others.
However, over the past decade or so, nationalismhas been defined by some Muslim groups to include...
I spent my first decade in my hometown as a Muslim attending an ethnic masjid where the Imam did not speak English. The vast majority of the people at this masjid were of one ethnicity, the Khutbah was in their language, they spoke in their language in the masjid and they did things amongst themselves. That may sound wonderful, but the converts were left out.Eid would be a festive occasion for them having spent it with family and friends, while I – being single at the time - would spend...
For the past decade or so - with advances in DNA tests - there has been a debate over whether or not “race” is a social construct of a biological fact. I am not a scholar, but what I understand of “race” in Islam, seems to be yet another sign of the miraculous nature of our deen.
Last year, I read some articles that explored the question of “race” in medicine and whether or not race is a biological reality or a social construct.
Yes, groups of people are different and can be categorized into...
"He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah." (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
As Ramadan just began, the masjids all over the world will become more vibrant and full of activity. Many of us will stop by the masjid at maghrib time and find dates neatly laid out for us to break our fasts, then we will pray maghrib together. After salaat, many will eat at the masjid on the tables that have been set out, then pray ishaa and taraweeh. During the night, children (and adults) will spill food and...
If I wanted to simply be a tabloid writer, I could post a couple of “shocking” (but real) stories , but this is not my goal.
However, I mention these things only to make the point that the social issues many are facing in our community are very real and that something must be done about them. It does us no good to point our fingers at non-Muslims and say “hey they are worse!”
There is an entire legion of Blackamerican Muslim Children (many the products of “Stranger Marriages”) growing up...
Check all emotional baggage at the door before proceeding to read, because this is going to be a little controversial.
I was having a conversation with a Black American convert recently about the state of Black America, the racism of the Muslim world and where black American converts fit in this complicated mix.
During the conversation, I mentioned to him that as a black person rises in educational attainment and/or Socioeconomic Status (SES), they become more likely to marry outside of their...
Depression, I believe is one of the biggest issues quietly affecting communities.One day, I received a phone call from an old friend. This brother – if you saw him – personifies sternness upon the Sunnah. His non-Muslim mother had just passed away and he felt sad. He had not seen her in over three years and she’d never even met his wife and children. This had caused him to reflect on where his life had gone for the years that he had been Muslim. He was in an unhappy “stranger marriage”,...
Disclaimer :The contents on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of Jamaah At-Taqwa. All information is posted by visitors or gathered from different Islamic sites and other sites of interest. Restrictions may apply how you visit the site Jamaah At-Taqwa @ SHAW UNIVERSITY
Search Articles
