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Hussein Rashid: A Gay Mosque?

Hussein Rashid: A Gay Mosque?.

The recent story of a gay mosque in Paris raises conflicted feelings in me. On one hand, I recognize the need for safe spaces of worship, where people are not constantly being threatened for who they are. However, I also fear that creating a separate mosque perpetuates stigma by allowing other Muslims to avoid having discussions about what a truly devotional space could look like.

Imam Ali’s Supplication for the Holy Month of Sha’ban « Darvish

Imam Ali’s Supplication for the Holy Month of Sha’ban « Darvish.

“Oh God! Enlighten my existence with the illumination of thou Sacred Essence whose cheerfulness and joy is far superior than any other pleasure, so that I become absorbed in Thee completely, getting cut off from others, fearing Thee and paying attention towards Thy commands. Oh Thou possessor of splendor and majesty and salutations of God and lots of greetings be upon Muhammad and his Holy Progeny”

Tweeting the #Quran 2012/1433 #ttQuran [update]

[update]: I was negligent in mentioning Aziz' Ramadan post this year. Also, based on his suggestion, I am updating the tag to #ttQuran. My goal is to keep a Ramadan diary this year, to truly reflect on the blessings of the month. Please help keep me honest and complain when I don't post.

Ramadan is back. Time to talk about tweeting the Qur'an again. Previous years' thoughts and rules:

Traditionally, Muslims read the Qur'an in its entirety over this time, in a section a day. The Qur'an is split into thirty sections, called juz', and one section is read each night. This year, I have been thinking it would be fun to tweet the Qur'an for Ramadan. Coincidentally, Shavuot came, and several people I follow on Twitter tweeted the Torah. Since that experience seemed to be successful, it further cemented my belief that this would be a good idea. Some guidelines for tweeting the Qur'an:

1. Anyone is welcome. You do not have to be Muslim.
2. The point is to provide greater access to the Qur'an, so please tweet in English, regardless of the language you read in. Multiple language tweets are welcome.
3. You should tweet verses that appeal to you each night, not the entire juz'. Some of you may wish to do the whole juz', but the idea is that we find comfort in the word of God, and we approach it and understand differently every time we come to it. Each night, there are certain verses that will have more power/resonance. Simply tweet those.
4. Include chapter and verse numbers using "Arabic" numerals, eg. 1:1, 33:72, etc.
5. Some verses may be too long for 140 characters. Split the tweet. Summarize. As you will, but make sure you make it clear what you are doing, and include the verse number.
6. You should feel free to offer commentary on why you chose that verse. If you know some tafsir, please include as well, if relevant.
7. Tags: please include #ttQuran .
8. You do not need to commit to reading/Tweeting every night. However, when you do Tweet, please make sure you are on the same juz as everyone else.

If there are are other guidelines you believe should be included, please leave them in comments and I'll move up some to the main post.

 

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Progressive Scottish Muslims: Islam design tartan unveiled is far from representative. Islam and Muslims are not a monolith.

Progressive Scottish Muslims: Islam design tartan unveiled is far from representative. Islam and Muslims are not a monolith..

My view: But is 'Islam' a culture? In the same way that we can talk about our Scottish culture? If so, which Islam?  Which 'Islamic' country does this tartan represent in terms of all the Muslims in diaspora who live in Scotland?   Then this raises the question about whose Islam?  Is this a Shi'a, Sunni, Ahmadi, Alawi 'Islam' tartan?  Muslims are not a monolith and nor is 'Islam' --- this is certainly not a progressive move

Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi: Fathers Day: A Love Letter to Muslim Fathers

Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi: Fathers Day: A Love Letter to Muslim Fathers.

All of my life, Muslim men -- from my father to my uncles, from my cousins to my friends -- are the ones who have nurtured, supported and protected me. They've cheered every success, inspired me to push higher with my personal and professional ambitions, and believed in me even when -- especially when -- I did not believe in myself.

Chaplain works to be ambassador for Muslim faith, U.S., Army | Mobile Augusta

Chaplain works to be ambassador for Muslim faith, U.S., Army | Mobile Augusta.

At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Maj. Khallid Shabazz is physically imposing. But what seems to intimidate some people more than his size is the little crescent moon stitched above the name tag on his uniform. That crescent identifies Shabazz as one of five Islamic chaplains, called imams, in the Army. It’s a position that often draws considerable attention and sidelong stares given that America’s armed forces have fought Muslim extremists for more than a decade.

The new face of Muslim American leadership by Hussein Rashid - Common Ground News Service

The new face of Muslim American leadership by Hussein Rashid - Common Ground News Service.

Religious leaders must be able to speak in the language and culture of the people they represent. In America, that means tending to one of the most diverse Muslim populations in the world, especially as distinctions linked to ethnicity or sects within Islam become less and less important for the Muslim American community.

Islam in Mexico – Inside Islam

Islam in Mexico – Inside Islam.

Although traditionally known for its strong Catholic community, Mexico is also home to a small yet diverse community of Muslims.

Remembering the Heroism and Ethic of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) in the Persian New Year «

Remembering the Heroism and Ethic of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) in the Persian New Year «.

Some months ago when I first wrote this piece, I was thinking about the beginning of Ramadan. Today, a few months on I am thinking about the beginning of Navroz, the Persian New Year. There are beginnings everywhere. The Qur’an begins with the fatihah. There is a tradition that the entirety of the knowledge of the Qur’an can be found in the fatihah; the entire fatihah is contained in the first line, bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim, everything in that phrase is found in bismillah; all of that knowledge is found in the first letter, beh – a boat-shaped letter with a dot underneath; all of the knowledge of the beh is found in the dot, and that dot is Hazrat Ali. The fatihah begins our prayers; it begins our interaction with revelation. All of that is encompassed in a dot. That dot is Hazrat Ali. The first dot of the Qur’an, the meaning of the Qur’an, the beginning of the line of Imams, Hazrat Ali (a.s.). Who is the king of men? Who is the Lion of God? Who is the hero without peer? Who is Hazrat Ali?

Teaching Kids the Holy Quran...with Legos!

I’ve blogged on occasion about Legos. You might remember me mentioning The Brick Testament,which retells a number of famous (and in some cases shocking) stories from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Well, I appear to be the last person in the Islamophere to notice the wonderful blog Teaching Kids the Holy Quran, which aims to do the same for the Quran, but with some innovative twists.

via akramsrazor.typepad.com