I often wonder what might have been written about the Prophet ﷺ if he had visited Japan, Europe, or the indigenous peoples of the American continents. We know, for example, that the Prophet ﷺ ate in the most beautiful way: clean, tidy and in the custom of the Arabs. He ate with his hands. If […]
Adab: The Distinguishing Quality Read More »
Today I sit at the mosque here in Minnesota and on my right are two American convert friends, on my left an elderly Somali woman, in front of me a Pakistani woman; down a little further are some Asian women, perhaps Malaysian or Indonesian; and the room is salt and peppered with Egyptians and women
The Arabic word “ribaat” in its origin means to stand at the frontline of danger against the enemy of God and to stand in such a way as that there are no gaps in the line. (Lisān al Arab) Today we face an enemy more dangerous than the enemy that carries sword and dagger –
Introduction to Ribaat Read More »
In Kindergarten teachers teach the seasons. They tell children that summer is hot and sunny, and that it is a time of play and fun. Autumn is a time of changing leaves, apples and pumpkins. Winter is snowy white, cold and spent mostly indoors. Spring is flowers and renewal; misty rain and lots of smiles.
Softly it falls. Each flake silently floats down to earth and creates a blanket of crisp, clean, white softness. It warms the eyes and brings a smile to the lips. It says ‘hush’ to the world. For a moment each window will hold a face peaking outside to assess the progress. Hands will wrap themselves
All Things Dangerous and Beautiful Read More »
As a child I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and wished that I had been born in her time. It was such a simple time, full of family values and happiness. I was sure I had been born in the wrong era. As an adult I read the sīrah of the Prophet (s) and
Come and Emigrate With Me… Read More »
Behavior and Husn al Khitām: Our debts to Allah have a grave effect on our afterlife, but Allah (swt) describes Himself as al Rahmān, al Raheem, al Wadood, al Ghaffar, al Ghafoor, and promises that His mercy is greater than His wrath; so with Allah we have hope of forgiveness. Our sins and shortcomings that
Behavior and Husn al Khitām Part 3 Read More »
Every February I find myself with itchy eyes, non-stop sneezing, a scratchy throat, tight lungs and a little skin bubbling to boot. Allergies come early in Damascus. When I was a child I had an allergy test. The doctor scratched my back up with innumerable substances to determine what I was allergic to and what
Alhamdulillah! We Sent 10,414,223 Salawat! Rabi al-Awwal came and went, and we reached our ten million goal of salawat. There were days I wondered and worried, and days I fussed and fretted. Then only a few hoursbefore the end of the month, the last 200,000 came in and we had reached our goal. I was
Ten Million Salutations Read More »
One of the most difficult parts of traveling is packing. Once upon a time, international travel meant carrying two huge suitcases per person. So for each child I could fill up with stuff. In one corner went their clothes, and the rest was filled chock full with books, shoes, bags, and miscellaneous fun stuff.I remember
