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Tag Archives: Religion
Another Swing into the Fullness of Islam
December 21, 2022 I don’t know how or why I found myself looking for a stream upon which I could set my vessel for a slide back into Islam. Muslims would say Allah was guiding me. I don’t know. It … Continue reading
The Convert Trap
Evidently, American converts face difficulty integrating into an accepting Islamic community. It’s bad enough that Islamic practice often conflicts with the American cultural milieu. Community provides the cushion and the impetus for all successful adjustments, yet instead of finding open … Continue reading
My Conversion Story
I’ve been asked to write my story. Immediately, I thought about the day I said shahada in Anis’s apartment. Then I thought about the day I said it in front of a Saudi sheikh, making it publicly official. Both accounts … Continue reading
A Singular Theory
Many people who are firmly committed to their religion are also firmly committed to the idea that those who belong to other faiths will be sent to Hell after they die. The concept of Hell exists as an absolute reality, … Continue reading
Another Ramadan
Ramadan begins today, another Ramadan. I’ve been a Muslim for maybe twenty Ramadans, but none of them have enriched me like those first ones in Riyadh. In fact, I actually dislike Ramadan in the United States, astaghfiruallah (may Allah forgive … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Ramadan
Tagged Fasting, Health, Islam, Ramadan, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Writing
6 Comments
Between the Opposites
I was talking to my cousin in Italy recently. He is an atheist. He says he cannot believe in a god who allows the pervasive suffering that lies inherent in the lives of human beings. The God who is called … Continue reading
Book Review: Love, Insha Allah
Book Review: Love, Insha Allah The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women Though Islam is growing in America, one bumps up constantly against ubiquitous incompatibilities between Islam and Western culture. Nowhere is this incompatibility more prominent than in an … Continue reading
Posted in Book Review
Tagged courtship, Cross-Cultural Communication, Islam, love, marriage, Religion
7 Comments
A Difference of Degree, not Substance?
With the approach of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we are seeing many programs on TV, on the Internet, and in print media, programs that honor the lost lives as well as try to heal the residual emotional trauma felt … Continue reading
Claiming a Religion— an Active Choice?
Who is a Muslim? Who is a Christian, Jew, Buddhist, etc? Is it enough to call oneself by any one of these names, or must we actually observe the distinguishing rituals? No one has a problem with taking someone’s word … Continue reading
A Downpour in the Desert –My Hajj Story
A Downpour in the Desert –My Hajj Story Most Hajj stories focus upon the sense of awe and inspiration that arise upon gathering in Mecca with thousands of Muslims from around the world, to perform one of the five pillars … Continue reading
Posted in Hajj, Islam, Life, Memoir, Saudi Arabia, Travel
Tagged Hajj, Islam, Mecca, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Travel
13 Comments
Marahm 