By Shannon“Religion and my gender are my two primary identities, the most significant lenses through which I see the world.” – Rachel Lieberman Every book marks the beginning of a journey for a reader. Some journeys are long, some are short, and some are so profound that it’s questionable if they ever happened at all. My…
By Hira UddinScrolling through my social media news-feed, I was intrigued when I saw “Practicing Islam in Short Shorts.” Since my initial click, I have read Thanaa El-Naggar’s article several times because it has caused me to reflect upon my experience both as a Muslim individually and a woman, respectively. Meanwhile, other Muslim women and men were also divided in…
By Samreen AnwarWa-(a)l-‘Asr(i). ‘Inna-(a)l-‘insana lafi khusr(in). ‘Illa-(a)lladhina ‘amanu wa ‘amilu-(a)s-salihati Wa-tawasaw bi-(a)l haqqi wa-tawasau bi(a)s-sabr(i) “By the Time. Indeed! Man surely is in a loss. Except those who believe, and do good deeds, and mutually enjoin truth and mutually enjoin patience” (‘Al-‘Asr 103: 1-3) Al Asr- The Passing Time. One of the shortest chapters in the Quran but…
By MG StaffIn distressing times, we may find ourselves asking the proverbial question: why me? It might seem like our whole world is beginning to fall apart. But, what we must always remember is that these trials and tribulations are the signs of a deep love Allah harbors for his servants. Calamities are good for the believer in…
By Dina Goldstein’s latest project involves deities, actors, the green-screen and a whole lot of makeup. This Canadian artist set out with a controversial idea in mind: bringing religious characters to life behind the camera. The pop surrealism emphasizes a plethora of color, emotion, and blatant modernism to accentuate the theme Goldstein had in mind: A…
By MG StaffThe day has arrived again. Halloween—known for its pumpkins, costumes, and of course, candies. But are candies and costumes all there is to Halloween? While many Muslims are getting ready to head out trick or treating with their little ones, there are others who are spending the night at home or at the masjid. Today, Muslims are…
By Guest BloggerI made the first compromise of my marriage before I was even married. Had you asked me four years ago where I thought I would be in my life right now, I would have given you an answer that in no way would have reflected my current situation. I had big plans to move to New York by…
By mahaStraight. Uncomplicated. Simple. If I had to describe my relationship with God in three words, these would be it. A couple of years ago, I found myself struggling with a bad case of friendsickness (which is like homesickness, except that you miss your friends all the time). ‘Till this day, I’m still not sure how…
By HabeebaDuring the semester, it’s quite easy to get swamped with a bunch of classes and drown in a heavy workload. Readings and papers, exams and quizzes. Extracurricular activities, events, family, friends, and sleep. It’s a lot to organize and schedule. One very important item is missing from that list: religion. I’ve been guilty of this…
By Sara“A man asked a Muslim man: Why do your women cover their bodies and their hair? The Muslim man smiled and took two sweets, he opened one and kept the other closed. He threw them both on the dirty floor and then asked: If I asked you to take one of the sweets, which one…
By SaraLiberation has always been a hot topic. Liberation isn’t an ideal, but a journey; it means to break the inevitable chains of societal norms and to rise above whatever causes one pain or hardship. For Muslim women living in Western society, it is particularly hard to decide where to turn when the question of liberation…
By maha“Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us that Faith is never static. It increases and decreases, or waxes and wanes. It is our responsibility to assess where our faith is, and make it our duty to constantly work towards improving it.”1 It is a sunny, yet chilly Wednesday morning, as I sit inside one of my university’s…
By bubblesI started this blog with a promise: to be honest about my experiences. Well, I have been wanting to write about set backs I have had for a while now but I felt ashamed and scared of how people would react. But, I made a promise, and the whole reason I started this blog was…
By samiaWhy do you wear the hijab? Muslims and non-Muslims alike have asked me the same question countless times. While it is true that Islam, in addition to the spiritual enlightenment, has preferred women to wear the hijab for their safety and modesty, there are additional important reasons worth mentioning. I wear the garment for a…
By samiaAre you feeling a little distant this first week of Ramadan? Do you feel as if you have not accomplished much during the blessed month? Without doubt, I can assure you that you are not the only one. Sometimes we have programmed ourselves in the first few days to merely fast and then break it…
