By HareemSarah asked— My faith has been weakening gradually for the past few months. I don’t feel at peace when I pray like I used to, and I can’t concentrate no matter how hard I try. I’ve asked God to bring me closer to Him, but even then the request doesn’t come from the heart. I…
By emma“It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God. But the converse is also true: It is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people. Hence, it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam.” -Pope Francis Welcoming…
By GiselleThis past May, Stephanie Diaz was amongst the many 2013 graduates, as she received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Oklahoma. Aside from completing her undergraduate degree, she was undergoing a spiritual journey. Stephanie, like many other converts, began comparing Catholicism, Christianity, and Islam. “When you don’t have the relationship…
By HabeebaShow of hands: who has trouble focusing during prayer? The first step to conquering a problem is realizing there is one, right? The five daily prayers shouldn’t be a quick jumble of Arabic words and physical movements thrown together for a span of a few minutes. But with our minds in 20 places at once,…
By SaraInsha’Allah everyone’s been having a fruitful and blessed Ramadan; it’s the perfect time to pick up good habits and maintain them throughout the year. We tune ourselves up mentally and spiritually for the sake of Allah (SWT), so why not physically too? After all, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “The strong believer is better and more…
By SaniaIt’s almost that time! The time for Eid a beautiful celebration that I cannot wait for every year! Amazing food, vibrant clothes, and most important spending time with our family and friends. The most exciting part growing up was the new outfit I got to wear on Eid–and it still is! It is our one…
By AmaniI’m really tired of the “only men should attend prayer at mosques” mentality. Just because women don’t have to go doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t, or that Muslims can discourage them from going. Women were given the privilege of being equally rewarded for going or not going to the mosque in order to empower their…
By Ainee FatimaIf you’re a comic book enthusiast, you might be familiar with Sooraya Qadir — known as Dust from X-Men: The first Muslim X-Men character who happens to wear a traditional black burqa and niqab while fighting crime. Her special powers include the ability to transform into and control sand. But recently, Pakistan has emerged with…
By HareemAmina asked: Q: How can I convince my parents to let me wear hijab? Since I was 10, I’ve wanted to wear hijab. I’ve always been more mature than the students in my class. I’m going to seventh grade and taking two high school classes and one 8th grade. Last year after doing tons of…
By Laila AlawaI always felt as though my life, my being, my very self were forevermore saddled with the very expectations of generations before me, dusty individuals, their fervent whispers carrying, moving, traveling, across centuries of near-still air, air rippled only with the occasional revolution, scented softly with rosewater and hot Arabic coffee, that their unfulfilled wishes,…
By emmaA woman protests in Paris, with a sign that says, “The veil covering your eyes is much more dangerous than the veil covering my hair.” Insults and physical aggression; a climate of fear ignored by, if not created with the full complicity of, law enforcement; Islamophobia: that is the reality in many non-Muslim countries. While…
By mahaIt goes without saying that the summer season is the best time to celebrate Ramadan. Despite the long hours of fasting and the heat, we are given much more time to make the most out of the month than we would if Ramadan were during the school year. Unfortunately, many of us are still faced…
By NidaStarting a fashion line for Muslim women has always been a dream of mine; as a young Muslim girl, I’d have trouble finding the perfect hijab or the ideal shirt in terms of sleeves, length, color, or style. All the Muslim-owned stores were the same — solid colors, jilbaabs, maybe even a few shalwar kameezes….
By GiselleWhen we hear the term “minority,” our minds often think of race — and many of us are confounded within the boundaries of this term. This past year, and really, this past decade, I have been thinking of the minority in terms of religion. For many of you who are still in college, especially your…
By HareemTrigger Warning: Rape. Q: Does Islam require a victim to provide four witnesses before it can be proven that she was raped? This is, unfortunately, a very common and very serious misconception amongst many Muslims — not only the average Muslim, but Muslims who would call themselves scholars of Islam. The very short answer to…
