MuslimMatters.org Discourses in the Intellectual Traditions, Political Situation, and Social Ethics of Muslim Life

When I was giving a Hajj seminar a few weeks ago for a group of participants from our community, I noticed that every individual was concerned about his or her Hajj check list more than anything else. They were literally paranoid and afraid that they might miss something or that ... Read More »

… who is the fairest of us all? That's what the question is, usually – but today is different. Dhul Hijjah is upon us. The hujjaaj (pilgrims) have already embarked on their noble journey to an even more noble destination, to perform the sacred rites ordained upon the Ummah since ... Read More »

This is a continuation of Hajj journal, chapter 1. The first leg of our trip took us from New York to Madīnah. Once we got to the airport I continued to muse on the things for which I would ask God's forgiveness. In a lecture I had listened to in ... Read More »

My husband and I went on hajj two years ago, alḥamdulillāh, and I kept a journal of my experiences. I'm sharing it here, and will do so over a series of posts. I've made minor editing changes and have left out people's names. Although I've taken out some of the ... Read More »

This was quite an interesting Ramadan for me, and one that has personally affected me in a number of ways. What follows is a compendium of sorts of some of my personal thoughts, observations, and reflections of the month that has now passed. May Allāh (swt) accept our good deeds ... Read More »

Whether you are celebrating 'Īd today, tomorrow or on Saturday, the staff and specialists of MuslimMatters wishes all our readers and friends a blessed 'Īd. 'Īd Mubarak! TaqabAllah Minna Wa Minkum (May Allāh Accept From Us and From You) Related Posts: Celebrate with your community, don't let moonsighting issues become ... Read More »

This is an old piece that I hastily wrote in regards to the annual disputes about the number of rak`ahs for Tarawih and moonsighting. I am simply resubmitting it here without editing. For the people of my locality (Houston), tonight is the last night of Ramadan: Read More »

Courtesy of Sh. Haitham Hamdan at Multaqa Ahl al-Hadith:   Over 250,000 palestinians praying in Al-Aqsa masjid Read More »

The Triangle of virtue- Part II: The Qur'an and Taqwa (Part 1 can be found here) There is no doubt that the Qur'an is the book of Allāh, His eternal word and divine miracle. Muslims know that and believe it with all their hearts. They know it was sent down ... Read More »

Synopsis: This article seeks to discuss, in moderate detail, the fiqh ruling on giving zakāt al-fiṭr in the form of money instead of staple food item. In this author's opinion, although it is best to give zakāt al-fītr in staple food, there is no unequivocal evidence to suggest that giving ... Read More »