An icy freeze can be quite harsh. Many living things are not able to survive it. Others die a little bit, holding on to just enough life to regrow again once the freeze is over. A freeze can also be a beautiful thing to behold, at once somber and silent, foretelling a chance for a stronger, brighter future.
Aida Azlin is a Singaporean residing in Morocco, who runs an online global community called AA Plus for Muslim women. For the last eight years, she has been writing a weekly newsletter called Tuesday Love Letters. Aida is a proud ‘cat mom’ and loves to host guests in her home.
It was a cold winter day and bits of icy snow were still falling on the windshield. I was in the passenger seat of our station wagon and my mother’s mouth was set in “stress.” She said, “When we go inside, you will hear me apologize for being late, and blaming the snow. This is a white lie. We shouldn’t ever lie. But if I don’t, I might lose the appointment.” I was a little bit in awe—my mother was about to lie. I walked into the hair salon with ears and eyes paying close attention. And she did mumble something to the receptionist about our precarious ride to the shop, after which we were hustled over to a waiting space and quickly given our turns.
This is an acrylic painting that I made for my final project of my Ribaat Academic Institute Tajwid class that I was enrolled in this semester with Anse Dr. Saadia Mian.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, USA, Maryam Marie LaConte is a mother and grandmother who has lived in many different places over the course of her 72 years. She attributes her most important experiences to her twelve years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1986 to 1998, where she worked and embraced Islam. She was able to study tajweed and Arabic while there, and is now returning to traditional studies after retirement through the Ribaat Academic Institute.
It’s that time of term again. Registration has quieted down, questions and calls asking for information about courses have trickled to just a few here and there, and the work of scholarship is in full swing. As we in the administrative offices plan for next term, next year, and beyond, this term’s classes are ongoing in the background, and as I stroll through the virtual halls of Ribaat, I can hear the buzzing of teachers teaching, students learning, and keyboards clicking.
Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is from Leeds in the north of England. This full-time writer, poet and community educator enjoys facilitating creative writing for young people and providing spaces for people to ask questions about the world and how to improve it. She has been a student with the Ribaat Academic Institute since 2018.
Love for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a critical point of faith in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ himself says “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind,” (narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari). And Allah (swt) tells us in the Holy Quran:
Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Rabia Nagda moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 14. She immigrated in pursuit of a higher education. She now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and three children. Along with her family obligations, Rabia works as a pediatrician and regularly speaks in her local community on topics regarding parenting, nutrition, and improving mental health in teens. She serves on the Texas Committee for Nutrition and Health and is working with other volunteers to provide easy access to health and nutrition for more pediatricians in the state.
Here we are at the start of a new season, a new academic year. The summer can be a fun and crazy season, with travel, trips, and visitors. Here at Rabata, the summer was full of beautiful gatherings and inspiring achievements. With the Ribaat Retreat, we had a gathering of beautiful souls, Ribaat students, teachers, and volunteers in one place learning, growing and worshiping together.
