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

In my mind, if I were to be asked this question, I would reply back and say, Uncle, when you married your wife, how much money did you have in your account? Of course that will result to an automatic rejection, but that is besides the point. Read More »

This is a guest-post submitted by Brent Graham, a native of Down Under (Australia): When I first started to read an English translation of the Qur'an (also known as Qurʾān) that was available in my Secondary College's Library, Christianity was my professed religion. I can still remember today how fascinated ... Read More »

We parents in the West will have to work hard to discover methods to instill “respect” in our children as we make our own values and draw our own lines, preferably, taking the best of both East and West. In fact, we should consider ourselves lucky that we are exposed to both of the cultures and are able to offer the best of both to our children. We will make mistakes, but we must learn to quickly recover, avoid repetition and improve. Although it is difficult, it is worth the constant struggle (juhd). Read More »

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I strongly believe that there is a need for one of the parents to be the children's friend, especially while living in the West. What I mean by friendship is to have a kind of relationship with the children where parents themselves take “initiatives” in explaining issues to them that are normally avoided, and giving them a level of confidence that they can practically and literally approach their parent with any and every question they may have. Read More »

When I find myself getting upset with my children for disrespecting me, my irritation increases more if they ask me how they were disrespectful or why their action or statement was disrespectful when they didn’t mean it in disrespect! The genuine confusion on their faces is so apparent that I find myself speechless, but at times I confuse them further by throwing a set of answers, ‘the way you talked’ (tone), ‘what you said’ (words), ‘they way you looked’ (body language). As I confuse them more, I leave myself far more frustrated because I fail to define to them, and to my own-self first, what I mean by “respect!” Read More »

If you are tempted to dress up in a costume, and celebrate a rite that is antithetical to Islamic celebrations, then stop, think, and go to the masjid instead! If you really want candy, go to the grocery store and buy some. What about kids coming to your door-steps? Leave ... Read More »

In some very interesting cases, the Arabic language offers multiple plurals for the same word. It is curious that the Qur'an uses both the plural renditions in the examples cited. This necessarily leads to an inquiry into what differences there are between them. Read More »

Lessons from the financial crisis we are seeing. Read More »

So, Irshad, I say to you: Stop lying about this secret fear that all Muslims have in taking you as their Muslim hero. I went to American colleges, I interacted with hundreds of American Muslim youth, 1st and 2nd gens, and if there is one thing that they don't have enough of, is fear of any authority. So, your unproven, self-serving claim of a massive Manji-loving underground Muslim youth movement has neither any scientific data, nor any significant anecdotal backing. Rather, Muslims, even those with minimal Islamic practice, can't stand your self-righteousness, egotism, and your role as an Islamophobia-creation tool. Read More »