Ghuydar Bashmaf

I am still in awe of that moment, standing next to the casket of our hero who proudly proclaimed Black and Muslim American identity. I almost broke down reciting the Qur'anic verses at his funeral service, and remain awed by what the janaza of Muhammad Ali told us about both him and ourselves.

With humility and deep sadness, we mourn these beautiful souls and ask Allah for strength to not fall prey to negative reactions, but to emulate the prophetic response to our loss: prayer, reciting and contemplating the Quran, standing by their families, and walking in their footsteps of positive activism for the community.

The puzzling question that often comes to mind is, if God is merciful, more than a mother to her child, then how can He punish anyone, believer or nonbeliever, of His creation? How can He promise hellfire to those who disbelieve?

The Olympics are finally here! They give a chance for everyone to set aside politics, grudges, and the difficulties of life to celebrate human dignity and sportsmanship, and to cheer for the best achievers in a fair competition. Unfortunately, the anticipation of such emotional warmth is countered by a Winter Olympics atmosphere that is much "colder" than usual, with increasing waves of human rights violations, security concerns with extreme measures, and deep restrictions on the freedom of journalists and activists.

He called people to realize this existence through love. He saw that love is only real when it leads to the One. Mawlana Rumi loved Allah. To him, love was the means, not the goal! Al-Madina's group, now visiting Turkey on their spiritual tour, made a stop in Konya to visit Mawlana Rumi. Here are few images from their visit two days ago, and it's a chance to share some of Rumi's poems:

The classic Talaa AlBadr, the song commemorating the arrival of the Prophet in Madina, remixed with additional lyrics to reflect the state of the hearts, pain, hope, and immense love of the Prophet that Muslims feel. It is through this love that we connect with ourselves, the community, and most of all, with the Divine.