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

I traveled to Riyadh to meet Shaykh Ibn Baz, carrying with me a copy of an invitation to a concert in our city Dammam in Saudi Arabia. To tell you the truth, I was not sure if my visit would make any difference; these types of concerts were supported by some powerful people in that region. I had only met Shaykh Ibn Baz a few times up until that point and I didn’t even think he knew me as I was only a freshman in college. So here I was, an unknown freshman, entering the office of the Mufti of Saudi Arabia. Read More »

Today we will hear from a teenager from North Carolina who will be sharing how she feels about the hijab. What Hijab Means to Me by Hufsa Lodhi Freedom is the true sense of well-being in which you feel as if you can accomplish anything, liberated of burden. It is ... Read More »

A masjid needs to see itself as a spiritual hospital – taking in anyone who is seeking guidance, self-betterment, or just a place of peace. What if a hospital emergency room were to hang up a sign that said, “No Sick People Allowed”? That's exactly the attitude we find in many masājid. Read More »

I asked Shabbir if he was having problems with his father. “Yes, plenty,” he said. “My father needs to understand this is not a Punjabi village. This is Washington, DC, the capital of the United States of America.” He paused and then said: “My father should know I am not an FOB (freshly off the boat). I was born here. I am an American.” Read More »

“It’s time that the youth take the initiative and lead the community. This convention is an outlet for the youth to have their issues highlighted, as they see fit. Most conventions have separate parallel programs for youth, while others attend the regular convention. IamY seeks to bridge the gap and have the entire community and family focus on important issues youth face. Read More »

The Shafia family practiced what would be termed cultural or cafeteria Islam. This is the Islam in which immigrant parents raise their children in a relatively secular household but then expect them, the girls especially, to behave as law abiding, pious Muslims. This pick-n-choose ‘Islam’ is epitomized by double standards for girls and boys; where boys are free to gallivant late at night and the girls can dare not be seen working on a school project with a boy. Read More »

I wanted to dedicate this one session to what I feel is one of the most pressing issues in the lives of Muslim youth and one that I have come to experience myself personally at one point in my life. As I’ve had the opportunity to travel more recently and interact with many young people across the country, I’m noticing it’s not a problem localized to one community or limited to one specific kind of person, but rather it’s happening pretty much almost universally. I guess I want to term it a crisis of faith, and a crisis of confidence in the religion. Read More »

By: Abu Ibrahim Ismail Perhaps you've tried to ignore it as I have. But you cannot. Why? Because it's everywhere. No, it's not the wildly fluctuating winter temperatures. It's not the political wrangling in Washington. It is Harry Potter. Last summer, the final installment in the Harry Potter movies came ... Read More »

Bullying is an equal-opportunity crisis, affecting students of every age, 
race, and creed. The dimension that makes the bullying of Muslim students 
particularly disturbing centers around the open prejudices and fears of 
adults, giving the green light to non-Muslim children that it’s okay — even 
patriotic — to discriminate. Muslim students report that an administrator at 
one school screamed at a 13-year old to remove her hijab (religious head 
scarf) until the girl broke down in tears. A guest speaker at another school 
handed out literature demonizing Islam in a social sciences class. When 
adults, especially educators, join in the bullying, it’s not only hurtful, 
say students, it’s a betrayal of trust. But educators have found that when 
just one caring adult supports a student, it can make a world of difference, 
creating a positive ripple effect that goes beyond one student and one 
classroom. Read More »

By: Hafiz Sohaib Baig Transcript: بسـم الله الرحمن الرحيم   I will first start with a verse from the Qurʾān, which I will recite in Arabic and then read the English translation.   “Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” ... Read More »