Articles

Salam Aref is a Muslim American designer and a student of Architecture who is introducing SiwarBox, a subscription box that delivers custom designed accessories inspired by Islamic architecture. Her project has more than one dimension to inspire and start a conversation promoting peace and Islamic art. In an interview with ImanWire, she delves into her unique initiative.

Shaykh Muhammad Ninowy

While you are in ṣalah, you should feel as though time stops. There is nothing in the universe and in life that exists that is worth anything.

They saw you and they fell in love

Their hearts a-flight, they soared above

I missed the chance to see your face

My soul, my heart, roams out-of-place

In the wake of the Orlando shooting, however, Islam’s disapproval of same-sex acts has come under renewed scrutiny. Some critics have argued that any disapproval of homosexuality is homophobic, and that any indulgence of homophobia lays fertile ground for violence against the LGBTQ community

The one time of the year in which the most Merciful has laid out the red carpet, we spurn His favors, choosing instead to find alternative ways to suckle our ever-dependent lower self.

We are a trust from God. We belong to Him. He is the Owner. The way we are, the way we shall use ourselves, the way we shall use our minds, our eyes, our ears, our hands, our tongues, our legs, our stomachs, our sexual organs – each one of those and more are trusts (amānāt) with us.

I am still in awe of that moment, standing next to the casket of our hero who proudly proclaimed Black and Muslim American identity. I almost broke down reciting the Qur'anic verses at his funeral service, and remain awed by what the janaza of Muhammad Ali told us about both him and ourselves.

The message of the Qur’an from the beginning until the end is that we as human beings are to be conscious of our relationships with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

What made Muhammad Ali (may Allah forgive and have mercy upon him) such a beloved figured to hundreds of millions of people worldwide was not simply his boxing skills and eloquence before he had Parkinson’s disease. Ali reflected values which are intrinsic in all humans—to incline towards justice over injustice and to sympathize with the oppressed over the oppressor.

Ramadan is not just about giving more time in prayer and dhikr, but about giving more of your wealth and yourselves in order to build a better tomorrow. As Muslims, to enjoy a win for the “haves” is to accept a defeat for the “have nots.” And perhaps instead of talking about the spirit of giving, we should acknowledge more simply that the spirit of Islam is to give.

The death of Muhammad Ali is a great loss to not only the world of sports, but to Muslims and humanitarians everywhere. He represented some of the best qualities in modern sportsmen, and had an infectious smile and affable personality that in many ways reflected the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him). He left behind a wonderful family and a society that is enriched for his having sojourned therein. He will be missed. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) grant Muhammad Ali the highest ranks in paradise, and grant him bliss and peace in the afterlife. Ameen.