By Ammar AlShukry Cross-posted from: https://www.facebook.com/ammarpoetry/posts/532319246788139 I had some fun writing this one. Purely fictional, no offense intended. I met Ahmed, he was a dejected fellow, I asked him why he was looking so mellow, He told me, when I converted to Islam, I was told that I was joining ... Read More »
Nina was, in her words, “one of the lucky ones”, and when she tells her story, she says the one thing that made the biggest difference in her life was having Fatimah as a friend. And the only regret that she has till today is that she didn’t realize this blessing sooner… Read More »
“Shaykh, today is the first time I am coming to a mosque in 20 years. I have not prayed in twenty years. My wife who is sitting in the front with me is a Christian and it is her first time ever in a mosque. During your lecture, three different men have approached my wife and asked her to move to the women’s side of the room. She does not know a single person here and does not feel comfortable sitting by herself. Hence, we sat in the front row together.” Read More »
“When you say the shahādah, all your sins are wiped away. And you feel new.” But Jessica didn’t feel new. She didn’t even feel peace. She just felt…lonely, incredibly lonely. How would she tell her parents? They would kill her… Read More »
This online curriculum was designed to help new Muslims build a proper foundation in the structure of a “learning path”. It is formed so that only one step appears at a time. Once you complete one section and take a quiz to test your understanding, your next step in the learning path will appear, and it will continue this way until the curriculum is covered Read More »
By: Ustadh Suheil Laher “If you don't convert to (my sect) you might as well not convert to Islam!” exclaimed the 'uncle' to the young Christian lady. The lady's husband, a Muslim, had requested his elder friend to come and help explain to her why Islam is so important to ... Read More »
There is the need of making mosques and Islamic schools accessible that the community could accommodate newcomers with special needs. A mentoring scheme would be helpful to educate people who come in with mental health issues. They need to understand the individuals’ needs and be able to fend off unwarranted and not very helpful “help” and advice from people who do not understand either their needs or the religious rulings related to them, or sectarian elements who want to recruit them. Read More »
As the icing on the cake, many also have to deal with drama from the Muslim community itself. Common issues include being pressured to change everything about their life overnight, being judged for not yet wearing hijab or dressing properly, accusations of being a spy because of their non Arab/Desi heritage, and many other issues. A story from my local community displays this all too well: A brother had recently taken his shahadah, and soon after, he came to his first Friday prayer. A man in the Masjid heard this new Muslim brother praying in English and approached him saying, “You’re going to Hell if you pray like this.” Read More »
Why can't the FBI send informants who constantly invite people to open soup kitchens, to visit the sick, and to care for orphans? Why can't those informants take down the names of people who meet such invitations with hard hearts and then let the local imam know that these are people who need to find the sweetness of Iman? Read More »
LONDON — The sister-in-law of former prime minister Tony Blair has converted to Islam following a visit to Iran, saying she is a “proud member” of the Muslim community. Lauren Booth has given up alcohol and pork, prays five times a day and has not ruled out wearing a burqa ... Read More »
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