Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: His Enduring Relevance in Our World

A few years ago, a friend of mine shared an interesting realization with me. Faced with different challenges throughout her life, she was walking home from work, hiding all the disappointments her tired face was showing in the darkness of the Sarajevo night. “I felt as if all my hopes lost hope and disappeared,” she shared, smiling. Surrendering slowly to the gloominess of her heart, she looked at the lights of a billboard in front of her and saw these words: 

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Preserving the Ijaza Tradition in a Modern World: Ribaat’s Ijaza Retreat

Students from all over the world attend Ribaat’s online program in beginning to advanced levels to enhance their Quran recitation. Our most advanced students enter the Ijaza Track, with the goal of receiving an ijaza—a traditional certificate that links a student to a chain of transmission going all the way back to the Prophet ﷺ. 

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Beatific Baqara for Cool Converts

“Learn Surat al-Baqara? Me?? Ha! You have to be kidding!” I remember my initial derisive thoughts surfacing when I toyed with the idea of reading the longest surah in the Quran, all 48 pages with 286 ayaat in the original Arabic.  I dismissed the thought as unrealistic and left it at that until about a year ago, someone suggested that I, an older convert become acquainted with Surat al-Baqara, the second Surah of the Quran, and read it daily for it contains “barakaat”—blessings as well as protection from evil. Presented below  are a few tips from a skeptic-transformed-proponent for all converts to learn Surat al-Baqara, myself included!

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Be Like a Bird: A Ramadan Reflection

I stared. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the frozen figure. Anyone walking across the wooden bridge past me would’ve avoided the weird Muslimah caught in a trance. But I didn’t care, knowing that I could be witnessing something straight out of National Geographic, minus the British commentator. I waited, holding my breath, not wanting to miss the slightest movement to prove my suspicion. It had to be what I thought it was.

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