Articles

The greatest architect who lived and that most of the world likely does not know was born in Central Anatolia on or around April 15^th, in the year 1489 or 1490. He was born into a Christian family and in the year 1512, he was levied into the devshirme, the tribute youth system enacted by Sultan Selim, and was inducted into the janissary cadet training program of the Ottoman Court. He chose the name Sinan.

A young companion once came to the Messenger ﷺ asking for permission to fornicate. The companions present at the time erupted with rage and told him to stop talking.

There is a famous story that I learned in my childhood of a man who committed a great sin and then came to an Imam to ask him what to do.

Once the smoke of July 4^th fireworks and grills wafts away it will probably dawn on you that Ramadan is less than a week away. Anxiety about the long hours of fasting and the heat sets in. Long gone is the winter Ramadans of your youth, where you would come home from school and nap for an hour before you broke your fast with Mama’s homemade basbousa.

Once the smoke of July 4^th fireworks and grills wafts away it will probably dawn on you that Ramadan is less than a week away. Anxiety about the long hours of fasting and the heat sets in. Long gone is the winter Ramadans of your youth, where you would come home from school and nap for an hour before you broke your fast with Mama’s homemade basbousa.

I loved the X-Men, A band of diverse mutants with special powers uniting to fight evil. Wolverine was my favorite; he has these super sharp adamantium claws that can retract from the top of his hand, not to mention his super healing ability. Then there was Cyclops, he would shoot plasma rays from his eyes and was married to the telepath Jean Gray. Storm, she could fly and control the weather, beckoning lightning bolts at her whim zapping all bad guys in sight.

We often act on our perceived religiosity by quickly condemning others, as if it somehow comes with the territory. The length of my beard, the perfect placement of my hands in prayer and my impeccable recitation somehow puts me on the higher rank of the spiritual totem pole and I become the judge, jury and executioner of your spiritual life.

Ramadan this year is a spiritual P90x of sorts, taking our bodies and spirits to the limits. Most of us will be fasting sixteen-hour days in sweltering temperatures.

There was a time in history when Christmas was more than getting thirty percent off the newest flat-screen at BestBuy, or anticipating Macy’s super holiday sale.

We often get so swept up in the routine of life that we take our marriages for granted. Thankfully Allah has given us a perfect portrait in the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him and his family) to help break that routine. Here are five practical and powerful lessons from the Messenger to help rekindle our relationships.

In early September Al-Madina Institute held a spiritual tour of Istanbul accompanied by Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui and Ustadh Moutasem Atiya. Fifty participants partook in event (Al-Madina Institute never exceeds one bus to further enrich the experience).

Given the current world affairs, I recently walked into a local prayer hall expecting to hear words filled with advice on loving the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and living the Prophetic example.