I’m sitting here, contemplating a great many things, as my younger brother commands dusty buttons to take actions of killing villages and children on his game controller. In Urdu, my mother yells and him to turn the volume down, and for me to get up and prepare dinner, as a girl should do. In that…
Tag life
This Is What It’s like Being a Muslim DACA Recipient in America
I learned I was undocumented very early on in life. When I moved to Brooklyn from Egypt at the age of three, I was filled with hope and excitement. I heard stories about how safe America was, how the promise of jobs and opportunity was everywhere. My education would be free, accessible and unparalleled. I…
What I Learned about Life, Love, and Family While Living a Nomadic Life
I come from a traditional, Pakistani-Muslim family. I was raised to speak fluent Urdu, made a few trips to my parents’ homeland, wore traditional clothing, etc. Culturally, I wasn’t allowed to go to too many places. No sleepovers, no frequent mall trips with friends, things of that sort. I attended a college that was in…
This Muslim Woman Co-Founded the Kuwait Poets Society
Within the past few years, the people of Kuwait, a Middle Eastern country, started noticing a positive aura to the artistic ambiance in the nation. Kuwait has always been an advocate for the arts, with national museums and such projects displaying so. The youth, though, have not always been caught up. I grew up in…
How to Stop Following the Crowd & Live Your Own Life
This world is not what I expected it to be. Today, societal trends overpower talent and hard work, making it difficult to truly shine. Standing out and being yourself is the only way to stay real and not be corrupted by corporate branding and their fabrication of images. People have been brought up to judge…
The 6 Randomest Places I’ve Prayed
You know how it is. You’re going about your day and then – BOOM – it’s prayer time. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said the whole world’s a mosque, right? Here are my top seven improvised mosques: 1) Fitting Room Let’s start with an oldie, but goldie. The fitting room is always a good place for a…
The Importance of Mental Health in the Muslim Community
Having just graduated with a masters in mental health, I feel like I need to educate those around me about how important it is. Sadly most of us over look issues having to do with our mental health. When we have issues with our physical health we usually go for a check up to our…
The Constitution of Medina
So Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers were now in Medina, in an attempt to escape the growing hostility, religious intolerance, and persecution of Mecca. They had migrated to Medina in the year 622 in search of freedom and peace. This year is also known as the year of migration, or hijrah. This is later…
Spreading the Message in Mecca
Muhammad (SAW) began to meditate in the cave of Mount Hira to escape the corruption of Mecca and dwell on the deepest questions of life to which he could not seem to find answers. It is well known that he spent the entire month of Ramadan at this familiar retreat. It was then, in the…
Life in Fast Forward…
I thought about writing this article as I was making myself tea. I was thinking about how fast time goes by. I was reminiscing of a time sitting with my friends. I could hear the laughter like it was yesterday, the conversation like it was today. That memory is not because of how good of…
Are You A Carrot, An Egg, Or A Coffee Bean?
From Qisas.com A certain daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another…
Supplication: the Weapon of the Believer
In the fast-paced, demanding world of today, we often find ourselves in tight situations, and it is in these situations that we are in need of many things. Problem is, we don’t do anything to achieve them. We may sit around and dream about that new car, or the money that we long to earn,…