Imam Mikaeel Smith

Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith (Michael V Smith) is an Islamic scholar, writer, and activist striving to meet the educational needs of communities at the Qalam Institute in Texas. He served as the Islamic & Quran Coordinator and Islamic Studies Teacher for the Tarbiyah Academy. Imam Mikaeel previously served as a resident scholar at the Islamic Society of Annapolis and the Islamic Society of Baltimore. At the age of 18, he embraced Islam after reading the Qur’an and the Autobiography of Malcolm X. Within a year after his shahadah, Imam Mikaeel enrolled at the Dar ul-Uloom al-Madania in Buffalo, NY, where he learned to read Arabic and memorized the Qur’an. In 2008, he traveled overseas to study Arabic at the Jami’a Abu Noor in Damascus, Syria. Imam Mikaeel is passionate about meeting the needs of students of knowledge, building Islamic literacy, working with youth, and striving for social justice.

Stories By Imam Mikaeel Smith

Imam Mikaeel Smith

The Etiquettes of Sacrifice for Eid al Adha

As Eid al-Adha approaches, the staff at MuslimMatters thought it would be beneficial to include some reminders about this blessed Sunnah. For your convenience, we have...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Emotional Intelligence: A Tool for Change

Why do we consider emotional intelligence to be half of the Prophetic intellect? The answer lies in the word “messenger.” Messengers of Allah are tasked with...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Humpty Dumpty: A Subtle look at Human Interaction

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

How Liberal Alliances Will Destroy Muslims

Muslims leaders in reaction to the Donald Trump effect have created alliances with far-left liberals. Post-modern world views intrinsically challenge the authority of revealed scripture and...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Public Intellectuals and The Confidence of The Ignorant Man In The Information Age

In my last article on the American Muslim campaign against established knowledge, scholarship, and academia, I attempted to bring to the forefront of Muslim discourse the...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Established Knowledge and the American Muslim Campaign Against It

Recent social media conversations amongst American Muslims indicate that American Muslim laity have fallen victim to an anti-intellectual trend which has gripped American culture. Anti-intellectualism is...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

In the Land of Trump, Making the Musa Move: The Case of the Shop Keeper in the Hood

[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]s Arab and South Asian Muslim immigrants to America, their children, and grandchildren invest blood, sweat, and tears building social capital (the networks of relationships...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

A Spiritual Disease in American Muslims Making Them Gods Above God

Over the last two years, Muslim bloggers and writers have published countless articles that challenge or outright reject the traditionally normative Islamic view on social issues...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Islamic Pedagogy and Critical Thinking: Does Islamic Pedagogy Want Critical Thinkers?

Recent discussions about the critical thinking skills of students who graduate from Islamic religious institutions have brought to question the aims of an Islamic pedagogy and...
Imam Mikaeel Smith

Listening to Angels

His words are soft and comforting, like that of a mother. In everything he says, I can hear a smile in his voice, and sometimes...