Blogs

You Can't Create the Future by Cursing the Past

Every unpleasant thing that has happened to you—the broken heart, the shattered dream, the crushed expectation, the lost cause, the missed opportunity—has not happened to you because you deserved it. It has not happened to you because you needed to learn certain lessons from the pain and suffering of it. It has happened to you because you live in the mix, in the middle of all things, in the convergence of multiple forces pulling in different directions.

Serve All Women

#MeToo #YesAllWomen The hashtags are new, but the crimes they refer to are not. The oppression, the violence, the inequality, the discrimination that men have inflicted on women throughout known history must come to an end. All men are implicated. There is no escape for any of us, not even us nice guys. In one way or another, all of us men committed the crimes (or did nothing to stop it) and in one way or another, all of us men must end it.

Book Announcement: Remember Who You Are

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT and COVER REVEAL: In a time when Islam is understood less and less, I humbly offer my first book on the practical interfaith spirituality of the Quran for Muslims, Christians, Jews, and all people of faith. Remember Who You Are: 28 verses from the Holy Quran to help you discover your true identity, purpose, and nourishment. Each verse is translated into simple English along with a commentary on how to practice that verse in your daily life.

Five Gems from the Quran

[The following translations of the Quran are adapted from those made by M. M. Pickthall. His translation is a bit dated, but it still carries a certain charm.] Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, The Beneficent, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment, Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path, The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

Aga Khan III on the Basics of Islam

[Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III (1877-1957) was a Muslim leader and statesman. He was the 48th Imam of the Ismaili community, the first president of the All-India Muslim League, and the President of the League of Nations from 1937-38. The following excerpt is from a chapter entitled “Islam, the Religion of My Ancestors” from his book, World Enough and Time: The Memoirs of Aga Khan (1954).] I shall try, to give in a small compass a clear survey of the fundamentals of Islam, by which I mean those principles, those articles of faith, and that way of life, all of which are universally accepted among all Muslim sects.

What the Quran says about Peace and Kindness

[The following translations of the Quran are adapted from those made by M. M. Pickthall. His translation is a bit dated, but it still carries a certain charm.] Blessed be He Who hath placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and hath placed therein a great lamp and a moon giving light! And He it is Who hath appointed night and day in succession, for him who desireth to remember, or desireth thankfulness.

What the Quran says about Moses and Pharaoh

[In Islam, Moses is one of the great messengers of God, along with all the other prophets in the Bible. The following verses from the Quran tell the story of Moses from birth to the beginning of his mission to Pharaoh when God assigns Aaron to help him. The rest of the story is told in other verses, but this set of verses gives us a taste of how much Judaism is part of the same family of religions as Islam.

What the Quran says about Mary and Jesus

[In Islam, Mary has an honored status with God and Jesus is one of the great messengers of God, along with all the other prophets in the Bible. The following verses from the Quran tell some of the story of Mary and Jesus and John the Baptist. Other parts of the story are told in other verses, but this set of verses gives us a taste of how much Christianity is part of the same family of religions as Islam.

What the Quran says about Interfaith Understanding

[Islam is considered the latest articulation of the religion that God has articulated over and over again in different places and different times to different peoples. That means different messengers have been sent in the past who have established different religions. As long as such a religion affirms the oneness of God and the importance of ethical relations among people then it is a religion that God accepts. The following verses from the Quran give glimpses of this interfaith/multi-faith understanding.

What the Quran says about the Beauty of Nature

1 God sendeth down water from the sky and therewith reviveth the earth after her death. Lo! herein is indeed a sign for a folk who hear. And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the refuse and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers. And of the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes, whence ye derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment.