Consider us your Muslim Spark Notes.
By Khalood KibriaFeb. 21, 2016 marks the 51st death anniversary of Muslim-American civil rights leader Malcolm X, also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. Malcolm X spent his entire life challenging a system that discriminated against him due to the color of his skin. His eloquent speech and powerful rhetoric influenced millions, and they continue to inspire the…
By Fatima NBlack History Month is a month to celebrate and honor the achievements, actions and experiences of Black individuals. While we honor icons such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks, let us honor icons from our own community, our Black brothers and sisters. Being both Black and Muslim is no easy feat….
By Guest BloggerFull Transcription: Last night I had a dream, That Anne Frank came to me, Guarded by an army of pencils and notebooks. She said: When you write, write every moment of your life. You’ll never know when it might be your last. And never forget the bad moments either. Because when your greatness is there…
By akhalilI often get disappointed when it’s Black History Month and Islamic schools and mosques ignore it. Many will shrug it off and not address the significance of this month because they don’t know how to celebrate it with young children. As an educator and mother myself, celebrating Black History Month with young children is important…
By SyjilMuslims are one of the most racially diverse faith groups in the United States, despite common misconceptions. Black Muslims account for about a quarter of American Muslims, making them the largest racial group within the American Muslim community. While most of these black Muslims converted to Islam within the last 70 years, Islam’s history in…
By Tahira AyubEvery person has experienced or will experience injustice at different points in their lives. Sitting through biased lectures in classrooms, fighting with siblings, or even reading the news, injustices are present at different levels of potency. With the sweeping increase of Islamophobia in today’s global society, sometimes it feels like injustice is inevitable and that…
By Sabha AbourThe New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) received $1 million dollars to install security cameras within public housing throughout Harlem in 2012, and they never did it. Due to this negligence, Olivia Brown, a 23-year-old college student and public housing resident was brutally shot and killed in the East Harlem housing project neighborhood. Her mother…
By Guest BloggerA Right Way to Grieve? When a Muslim loses someone to what would seem like the jagged claws of death, we recite an ayah from the Quran, إِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ (Innalilah wa inna ilayhi rajioun). This translates to “We belong to Allah (SWT) and To Him we shall return.” I often feel that people…
By Guest BloggerComing to Islam for me wasn’t an exceptional experience. The tendency for people who have converted to Islam to consider ourselves “reverts” holds a lot of truth to me – because submission to Allah (swt) is a sort of natural state, accepting Islam later in life is a return to something we’ve always known. I…
By Guest BloggerToday I heard a voice call the words which were whispered into my ears on the day I became Ameera. I washed my feet, hands, neck, face, under a tap of marble and gold. And I watched hundreds more do the same. I knelt in the sun, between women behind men the wind turning my…
By Happy Black History Month to proudly black men and women and children around the globe, and everyone out there that has faced hardships because of the color of their skin. This month is all yours. And to celebrate, we are bringing the 40 best #HistoricPOC tweets, a hashtag launched by @Karnythia, to light. Enjoy, have fun,…
By Guest BloggerLady Fidda was originally from Ethiopia. It has been narrated that she was of royal blood, but was captured and brought to Arabia. She was freed by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and afterwards served his daughter, Sayyidna Fatimah (AS), as her maid-servant. Sayyidna Fatimah divided her house work equally between herself and Lady Fidda, and they…
By Guest BloggerA luminous figure in this series who was a companion is Barakah (RAA) also known as Umm Ayman. Umm Ayman was Abyssinian and a servant of Abdullah bin Abdil Muttalib, the father of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). When Aminah, the mother of the Prophet died, Umm Ayman took over as primary care-giver of the Prophet. …
By Guest BloggerDuring Black History Month, I have the intention of writing brief summaries, not in depth biographies, of some of the early figures in Islamic history who were black. My usage of the word black, for the sake of what I plan on writing, will not be restricted to Nubians and Abyssinians but also for Arabs…
By AmaniWe know that history hasn’t been written by the oppressed. Those who hold the pen also hold the power to retell the story and shift public perceptions to serve a variety of purposes, from maintaining the status quo to marginalizing those who have had roles in shifting it. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not exempt…
