Muslim Microlessons are regular spiritual nuggets by Omer Mozaffar, who has received Islamic studies training both through traditional and academic sources, and has addressed theological, personal, social matters for college students of all sectarian outlooks. We know that actions are judged by intentions. We often, however, confuse intentions with yearnings….
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The following was published as a Facebook post by the author. It is reprinted here with permission. It has been edited for clarity. I’ve spent the past week in and out of a lot of conversations about the new Hulu show ‘Ramy’. Those conversations have waded through expressions of disgust…
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This Ramadan, my top most resolution is to have a more efficient month of reflection, self-restraint, charity, learning and spiritual renewal. I frequently struggle to keep up with life and maximize my time in doing so. Over the years I’ve come across apps and resources that help me keep track…
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If your to-do list is anything like mine, you have some grand aspirations to make this Ramadan your best one ever! And you can achieve anything you set your mind to… if you use the following tips to set yourself up for success. Here are three tips for making smart…
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What do we do when life becomes difficult? In times of uncertainty, struggle, and loneliness, it is easy to wonder if God really hears our prayers. We can seem like such an insignificant part of His creation. Why would He care for us, we may ask, when we are often…
Read More“Men are the qawwamoon (protectors and maintainers) of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they [the men] support them [the women] from their [the men’s] means.“ Qur’an 4:34 Most Muslims, and perhaps even some non-Muslims, are familiar with this contentious Qur’anic verse. The Arabic…
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I have found myself contemplating death ever since I returned from Hajj a few months ago. People perform Hajj to fulfill a religious obligation to God, to renew their faith in God, and to experience a sense of community with Muslims from around the world. In this sense, Hajj is…
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1979. I’m seven-years-old piled in a hatchback with my three siblings. I hear the gravel crunch under the car’s wheels as it slows down and my father’s voice announces softly “It’s ‘asr (the afternoon prayer) time.” As cars rush by on I-5, I kneel with my family some forty feet off…
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When I arrived for Eid-ul-Adha prayers at Noor Cultural Center in Toronto, my hopes were not high. I have been, over the years, to dozens of mosques, in half a dozen countries, on four continents. Sometimes, I’ve been looking for a mosque to call home, a source of intellectual and spiritual…
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Ramadan of 2018 came to a close two weeks ago and the holy month reminded me of a tragedy—a wholly preventable one—that took place during Ramadan of 2015. Three years ago about 1,000 Pakistanis died during Ramadan. They died because piety was thrust upon these impoverished day-wage workers. You see, Pakistani dictator…
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