BANNER Articles 1690x720

Articles

Do you really need to recline your seat?

I was on an international flight recently, and in true capitalist fashion, the airline packed us in like sardines.

It’s a flight. You deal with it. The discomfort is temporary.

But about two hours in, the chaos began. A few folks in my line of sight decided it was time to recline their seats. And just like that, three arguments broke out.

MORE INFO
1 May 2019

Bishr bin Harith: A Sinner Turned Saint

The story of Bishr bin Harith teaches us that we should never look at ourselves as lost cause, and seize the opportunity to run to the door of repentance.

15 April 2019

In the Shade of the Fig Tree

While we may long for an opportunity to purify the soul through a removal of the self from its current existence, in reality we are given the opportunity for purification of the heart over and over again throughout our daily life.

27 March 2019

Why We Must Recapture Scholarly Discourse from Extreme Bloggers

One cannot deny the move towards rhetoric and practice in the Western Muslim community that is more liberal, reformist, and progressive, but the extreme position some have taken in response to it is not only harmful, ineffective, and unwise, but decidedly un-Islamic.

21 March 2019

Living and Dying on a Prayer: How Jumu’ah Orients Us to the Next Life

In the wake of last Friday’s tragedy in New Zealand, we may find ourselves consumed by the images and the reporting, which then gives way to fears of future copycat attacks or reprisals. It is in such moments that each of us should look deeply at the significance of Jumu'ah and our central rites and traditions, as a way to connect us to the enduring reality of God.

11 March 2019

Goodnight Tales for Little Muslims: Chester and the Stomper

Goodnight Tales for Little Muslims is a collection of ridiculously interesting and thankfully short bedtime stories with spirit, soul and Islamic lessons for little ones.

22 February 2019

Spiritual Commentary on the Burdah: Part 6 - Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui

The aspirant realizes that he cannot tame his nafs by himself. We must tame the horse of our nafs/self by holding onto its reins.

14 February 2019

My Spiritual Visit to Ahl al-Bayt in Morocco

To embody our tradition we need to connect to those before us who transmitted and embodied the sacred law and spiritual refinement.

21 January 2019

Goodnight Tales for Little Muslims: Ibrahim's Secret

Goodnight Tales for Little Muslims is a collection of ridiculously interesting & thankfully short bedtime stories with spirit, soul and Islamic lessons for little ones.

14 January 2019

Keeping Our Intentions Clean in Turbulent Times

Our prayers and donations should be done for the pleasure of Allah, seeking nearness to Him. Worldly recognition should never be the primary motive.

11 November 2018

The Most Famous Poem Ever Written: Examining the Burda of Imam al-Busiri

The Burdah of al-Busiri is from among the most famous poems composed in honor of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. In this introduction to a new series of commentaries on the Burda, Iyad Ammar sheds light on the life of Imam al-Busiri.

5 November 2018

The One With Two Coarse Cloths – The Martyr of Tabuk

It is not only the famous Companions who are gifted an elevated status. There were many hidden ones, some whose stories have come to us, and some, undoubtedly, whom we will never know. And, to this day there are people amongst us who are beloved to God but who live in obscurity.

10 October 2018

How Self-Reliance Fosters Spiritual Contentment

When we become more self-sufficient and rely solely on God, the natural consequences are that we free ourselves from needing other people, which means we have less expectations of them and thus suffer fewer disappointments.