Daybreak Press

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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Talk Amongst Yourselves: How Writing Conferences Can Keep You Going

Let’s face it: writing is a lonely business. Some writers thrive on that solitude, soaking up the silence, communing with nature, or staying up all night while the muse is playful and sleeping all morning. Other writers experience that solitude as an energy slump – a necessary part of the craft but only necessary enough

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Social Justice in Literature: Shooting Kabul By: Isra Cheema

The harsh reality of our lives is that many individuals face injustice – especially those who belong to different social groups. Literature has become a leading platform through which many advocates of social justice seek to change the way mainstream individuals view the world. In the book Shooting Kabul, N.H. Senzai does just that in

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