For as long as I can remember, I’ve wrestled with myself. Not with life’s external hardships — though they come and go — but with the quieter, deeper battle of how to remain present, purposeful, and disciplined when my mind seems to drift, loop, or spiral into distractions I never truly chose. It has always …
Let me broach a subject few of us scarcely dare. For the past eighteen months, witness to the horrific violence and suffering that has unfolded in Gaza, I’ve repeatedly asked myself one question. Why would Hamas launch such a devestating attack on Israel knowing it would almost certainly bring catastrophic consequences upon the Palestinian people? …
Sometimes in the quiet hours of the night, clarity arrives. The past night was like that, wrought with the heaviest of dreams. Waking in the morning, I felt moved to ponder what each vignette of the night might mean. In turn, tentative understandings compelled me to reconsider the paths I’ve been walking of late. Already, …
To be truthful requires a conscious effort. A decision. A commitment. It could be said that with the tools at our disposal, more effort is required than ever before. Our deen declares, “Do not mix truth and falsehood.” But technology now enables us to generate realistic images that look like photos, video that is sometimes …
Does faith require us to disbelieve our own senses? For some, the answer is yes, disbelieving even what their own eyes see. They may even disbelieve signs on the horizons and within themselves in order to hold onto what they wish to believe. But the faith I hold to encourages the use of reason and …
I find it so tiresome that so much energy in our communities is spent refuting one another — Muslim against Muslim — in endless debates and arguments. For me, Islam is a practical, living path, meant to shape how we treat others, how we walk through the world, and how we orient our hearts towards …
There are three passages from the Quran that have accompanied me throughout my journey of faith, no matter where I turn, from the earliest days to the present. The first is the infamous story of the cow, where people were asked to slaughter an animal as a sacrifice. This story unfolds with the people demanding …
I nearly came to believe in Islam in 1997. For a week, I secretly fasted in the month of Ramadan, unseen. But then I read a polemic in the university library written by a pseudonymous Christian author which blew my nascent faith to smithereens. I nearly believed again months later, but this time I responded …
Oh dear, another argument in which I am made to feel like a traitor for defending the ethics of our own tradition. I say that Islam prohibits targeting civilians. That we are not allowed to mutilate, torture or take vengeance on the defenceless. That taking civilians as hostages feels like hirabah (banditry) to me. That …
What are we to do when those calling us to faith are the worst of us? When the voices that claim to defend the deen are the ones that strip it of its beauty. When they speak the truth of the tongue, but the heart is dry. When they carry knowledge like a burden, not …
“What type of Muslim should I be?” A good one. “No, I mean, what kind?” Yes, a kind one. Kind and compassionate. Forgiving and merciful. Charitable and generous. Honest and upright.
It’s daft to think that the moment you utter your shahada you will have arrived at your destination. It’s an achievement, without a doubt, but you’re yet to contend with the sectarians vying to make you their kind of Muslim. Your testimony of faith is merely the start of your adventure. From here on, there’s …
Just because someone has set themselves up as an online influencer speaking about Islam, it doesn’t make them a religious authority. The ability to speak well or attract a following doesn’t necessarily correlate with deep religious understanding or sincerity. In fact, the influencer world often rewards traits like charisma, self-promotion, and constant visibility — traits …
Strange are the believers who devote themselves to exposing the heresies of others. These the kind who would rather push them out of the deen than accept them as they are. Don’t worry about my soul. Only I’m responsible for that. Concern yourself with your own.
When people are sent my way, seeking help, I think there may be hope for me yet. An opportunity to do a few good deeds. But when I am left to my own devices, I am nearly in despair, fearing, “This could be the end of me.” How is it that I am drawn to …
