Saleem Safdar

To the orphans, widows, homeless, victims of natural disasters, and those cast away and forgotten by the world in which we live, Edhi Sahib was a saint. He represented the best qualities of Islam. Altruism. Humanitarianism. Compassion for the needy and helpless. He was a beacon of hope in a sea of despair; a role-model and hero to many.

The death of Muhammad Ali is a great loss to not only the world of sports, but to Muslims and humanitarians everywhere. He represented some of the best qualities in modern sportsmen, and had an infectious smile and affable personality that in many ways reflected the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him). He left behind a wonderful family and a society that is enriched for his having sojourned therein. He will be missed. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) grant Muhammad Ali the highest ranks in paradise, and grant him bliss and peace in the afterlife. Ameen.

"Salam Neighbor" is an eye opening film that explores the lives of Syrian refugees, their hopes, fears, and experiences.

Beginning our actions in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful, is an indicator of spiritual enlightenment and success.

Ya Allah, from the depths of degredation you lift me with your light, nur ala nur, it penetrates the darkness of my black heart like the brightness of stars in the sky that radiate hope to the destitute and dreams to lovers. From your embrace let me never fall…

They light up the darkness like the radiant light of stars from distant galaxies who have come to send salutations upon the full, bright, luminescent moon. Their faces, some like artwork by Monet, others like landscapes by Ansel Adams, tell the stories of their lives, carrying onlookers with them down the rivers of their experiences in their furrowed brows or the freshness of the spring like waters of their youthfulness that know no fear and unlimited potentialities, the hopes in their bright eyes or the regrets in the tears that fall from their visual orbs like a deluge after a drought that had left their souls cracked and vapid like old and moldy bread that has been left out too long.

Time has value, hence the phrase time is money. There is a common shared knowledge among self-aware beings that this abode, this station, and this world, is temporal. The way of life for a Muslim is one that necessarily makes its adherents aware of the value of time, as believers bow and prostrate to their Creator five times a day.

It was New Year's Day. Sami woke up, excited to see what 2014 had in store for him. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Head? Check. Nose? Check. Ears? Check. So far, the new year had not brought him anything new. Sami ate breakfast, and looked at a book that he hoped to complete soon. It was about The Wright Brothers and their first flight. Sami loved flying, so his Mom had brought him the book from the library last week.

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).