Laura El Alam About twenty ago, a cashier at a store looked at me in my modest clothing and said, “You couldn’t get most women in this country to put on a headscarf.” “Well,” I replied cheerfully, “you couldn’t get me to take it off!” Although I tried [...]
In Islam, the concept of confession differs from religions that require admission of sins to a religious authority. Instead of outward declarations to another person, Islam emphasizes a private, introspective process of repentance directly between the believer and God. This approach is rooted in the Quran and the teachings [...]
Habeeba Husain Philadelphia born and raised Angelina Rivera grew up participating in church every Sunday at her mother’s request. She considered herself Christian and was fairly practicing. Interestingly enough, she said it was because of her regular attendance in the congregation and listening to the pastor that questions [...]
For over 1,400 years, the Quran has moved hearts and minds with its poetic elegance and moral guidance. Yet beyond its spiritual teachings lies a linguistic miracle, a text that uses grammatical precision and structural ingenuity to convey timeless truths. For non-Muslims curious about Islam, these subtleties offer important [...]
Laura El Alam Those of us who embraced Islam as an adult have many years of life experiences behind us. The things we did and the people we spent time with shaped us into who we are. While not all of our pre-Islamic habits, friends, and behaviors were [...]
When the crescent moon appears, Muslims around the world pause. Homes buzz with excitement, mosques fill with light, and families gather with a shared mission. For 30 days, they fast from sunrise to sunset, pray late into the night, and give generously to those in need. To outsiders, these [...]
Interview By: Melissa Barreto Candice Elam's Journey to Islam Candice Elam, DNP, FNP-C, accepted Islam 19 years ago. Like many converts, her choice meant practicing a new religion, navigating changing family dynamics, and learning how to maintain her own identity in the wider, and often ethnocentric, Muslim communities. This [...]
Have you ever wondered about the diverse stories and history of Islam among African Americans? This article introduces 5 books that unpack this rich history. Spanning from slavery to the present day, these books reveal the trials and triumphs of Black Americans who found solace, activism, and identity in [...]
By: Saulat Pervez 9/11: How the World Changed Forever September 11, 2001, changed everything. We who had led carefree lives centering on our individual routines, blissfully uninformed about international events or the politics of far-flung places, were caught unawares. A stunned nation watched with horror, filled with hurt and [...]
The Transformation of Muslim Americans Post-9/11: From Internal Reflection to Engaging with Society The tragedy of 9/11 transformed the Muslim American community in many ways. Muslims learned to communicate with the media, to defend Islam in the face of sweeping generalizations, and to develop alliances across religious lines. At the [...]
