By akhalilA popular video being circulated on Facebook features a man asking Arab children what the names of certain animals and insects are. The children reply in English (owl, alligator, ladybug) and when asked to identify the animals in Arabic, they have no idea. Sad, but not surprising. About year ago, I went to Egypt, and one…
By akhalilI recently wrote a post about how mosques should become more accommodating spaces for children and mothers, and that includes proving a babysitting services. Unfortunately, that might not always be the case, so what is a mother to do if she has young kids? Sure, she can just stay pray at home, but there’s nothing that…
By akhalilThe prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that black seeds cure everything but death. Inspired by this hadith, a young Muslim woman, Zobaida Falah (25), decided to create healthy snack bars made with black seeds and other wholesome ingredients like honey, almonds, and coconut, launching her own nutritional bar company (CURE M.) filled with…
By akhalilI want to apologize to all the mothers at the mosque that I used to judge before I became a mother myself, thinking to myself while trying to focus on prayer “I would never let my kid run around wildly like that.” Two kids later, and I rarely go to the mosque because I am often…
By akhalilIt is not unlikely to meet a person who is a second-generation immigrant who speaks very little of his parent’s native language. I have met several people whose families immigrated to the U.S. years ago, but unfortunately the children grew up speaking only English at home, and the parents did not spend time or make…
By akhalilRecently, I compiled a list of some of my favorite children’s books for Ramadan. As an educator and a mother, I’m always on the search for excellent children’s books written by Muslim authors. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I heard that yet another brand-new children’s book about Ramadan was released just in time for Ramadan. Of…
By akhalilEGYPTAIR flight MS804 was announced missing earlier this morning. EGYPTAIR’s Twitter account denied the speculative reports that terrorism was behind the attack, saying “EGYPTAIR denies all misleading information published by news websites and social media channels regarding the reasons of the disappearance of EGYPTAIR flight MS804 and the company confirms that the reason of disappearance hasn’t been yet…
By akhalilAlthough Zeinab Mohamed bakes cakes and other sweet goodies for others, she received a not so sweet message from one of her customers. Mohamed, who runs a cake business from home called SweetcakeZ in Grand Rapids, Michigan, received a message from one of her customers to cancel the order she put in because Mohamed and her…
By akhalilMany of us have goals in Ramadan such as reading more Quran, giving charity, and praying on time. Some have the goal of staying fit and healthy during Ramadan, since some may actually tend to gain weight due to a lack of exercise and over-eating at iftar time. We asked five fabulous and inspiring healthy…
By akhalilA recent video by a Saudi Arabian therapist explaining how to properly beat a wife, the “proper” way, has recently gone viral. He explains that the wife should not be hit by a large stick, rather a siwak (a small wooden toothbrush). We won’t go into details, but you can watch the video, if you…
By akhalilThere’s always been a big debate over the permissibility of nail polish and if it interferes with making wudu (ablution) for prayers. As for myself, I’ve always opted not to wear it, except during my period, when I’m not praying. Let’s face it–it actually makes me look forward to my period a little bit. But now,…
By akhalilMuslims being elected to prominent positions within their respective governments is becoming a thing now, and we love it. Following London’s election of Sadiq Khan as mayor, Germany has now elected a Muslim woman to parliament. Muhterem Aras has been elected in the German state parliament as a speaker. In this historical moment, she also…
By akhalilA Muslim student at a high school in Los Angeles had her name listed as “Isis” on her yearbook photo. Many believe that putting the name “Isis” under a headscarf-wearing Muslim woman’s photo was no mistake, but instead a deliberate action. Bayan Zehlif, a junior at Los Osos High School, wrote a Facebook post about how she…
By akhalilIf you grew up bilingual, then one of your parents probably has an accent. You might have been embarrassed at it some point in your life while growing up (probably during your obnoxious teenage years), but finally realized how awesome your mother’s accent is. Here is a list of why your mother’s accent rocks. 1-…
By akhalilNot sure what to get for your mother on Mother’s Day? Here is a list of things your mom is secretly hoping for, but probably won’t tell you. This will make you her favorite child. Clean your room without her asking you several times a day. In fact, you should clean the whole house and…
