Articles filed under uncategorized

Chocolate Chip Cookies

By: Maryam Adham I have a problem. I love to bake. And when I get an impulse to bake something it is almost impossible to shake it. Now, the problem is, since I bake so much I often run out of staples (butter, eggs). So this leads to frantic internet searches for substitutions and alternate recipes. Sometimes these turn out to be total flops. Other times they actually turn out good enough to make again (butter-less, egg-less,... Read More →

Chapter 18: The City of the Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wasallam) (Hajj series)

Visit MuslimahSource.org every Monday and Thursday for a new chapter to this Hajj adventure. In the cold, I barely wanted to move, but someone was tapping me and gently tugging the covers off of me. In a calm voice someone helped lift me up and slowly walk me to another bed, then tuck me into it. I was coughing, my nose was stuffy, my eyelids were heavy. Why was it so cold? What was happening? Was it fajr... Read More →

Dear Gaza

To my brothers and sisters in Gaza: I love you so much. It pains me to be distant from you. Though in my heart you are near, my limbs still long to be in your presence – my eyes to see your faces, my lips to kiss your cheeks, my arms to embrace your bodies. My chest aches as it inhales the air of lands devoid of you. My knees protest as my steps take me further from you. My mind weeps as it comprehends that I cannot... Read More →

Your Life Means Something, You Decide What

What’s the purpose of your life? We Muslims pride ourselves over this one verse in the Qur’an 51:56 because this is where Allah explicitly states why He created us: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” That’s pretty cool, having the meaning of life laid out for us in one simple sentence. It makes sense too. The five pillars of Islam are to testify our faith, pray, fast, give... Read More →

Lose Some Weight, or Gain Some Faith? ©

By: Umm Zakiyyah “Oh, I envy you!”  The woman’s eyes were wide as she stared at Aya’s thin physique  from where the woman sat next to Aya on the couch, where they both held small glass plates of dessert, as did the other women in the room. Aya smiled slyly as she carelessly finished off her second slice of German chocolate cake, using the side of her fork to scrape the glass saucer free of dark, rich icing before... Read More →

Egypt: Protesting with Prayer

By: Noha A. They say nationalism is the religion of the modern man. And perhaps for many it is. I, however, never knew what to say when people ask me where I’m from. I’d say the facts, “I was born in Maryland, and my parents are from Alexandria, Egypt”. That was never really who “I” was. Yes, I was part of the intricate “Arab culture” but more than that, I seek to be a... Read More →

Reflections from an Accidental Teacher (Part 1)

By: Tricia Pethic Kids are little adults. In spiritual terms, the same diseases of the heart that we see in adults, begin to manifest at an early age. At age five, one can already identify leaders and followers. One can already see racism (learned at home), and manipulative behavior. There are also positive traits, like generosity and compassion. When a child falls down, why do some children stop and ask “Are you OK?”... Read More →

A Blueprint for Immortality: The Case of Prophet Ibrahim (as)

By: Zahra M. Since the beginning of time on earth, life as known to human beings has one key certainty: death. We as humans see death around us and know it will come one day or another. Some people have tried avoiding death by finding how to become ‘immortal’. They’ve spent their lives searching for the ‘fountain of youth’ which will keep them young forever or tried discovering medicines which will keep them... Read More →

Bowing Our Heads in Humility

By: Mariam Al-Kalby Moi, mi, ana, and well, me. The reigning attitude or motto that has permeated our way of thinking is all about the individual. I slaved through stacks of textbooks to get to UCLA, I have worked so much overtime interning at the law office to pay my tuition. I got this position as a director to pay for the house I bought; my Lexus is the money I earned by selling my shoe business. Our life is saturated... Read More →