Modern science has a theory about how the world was created, but it’s an assumption, and even scientists will tell you that they don’t have enough evidence. Allah has explained how he made the world for us in a few verses of the Quran. In the first instance Allah affirms that He created the world: … Read more
Postmodernism can be very briefly summed up as a refusal to accept anything just because someone— particularly someone in power— told us so. In this view acceptance of truth is a personal affair; if something seems true to us it should only be because we see the truth in it. Some might argue that the … Read more
There’s no question that the Quran forbids sexual activity outside of marriage. But have you ever thought of why this might be? It’s clear from human history and experience that sexual desire is at the same time a precious gift that must be protected and a volatile force that must be controlled. Without it there … Read more
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. “How can we be happy?” A million dollar question, and yet it has a very simple answer. Now even science agrees that happiness comes not from having a million dollars but from activities that can be incorporated into everyday life. The newly emerging field of positive psychology has earned much attention from … Read more
I know a dear elderly Muslimah who keeps goats, chickens, and a pet dog at her small rural home. The goats and chickens are well looked after, healthy, and content. One day one of her grandsons brought her yoghourt as a gift. As much as she loved yoghourt, she gave it to her dog so … Read more
We were having a dinner table discussion about the intellectual value of television. We all agreed that television could be an important source of information. “But,” I pointed out, “the problem with television is that it doesn’t teach you how to tell the difference between truth and lies. You need to learn that from books.” … Read more
In the Quran when Allah first introduces Himself, He calls Himself “Rabbul aalameen”— The Master of the Universe. The Master is the one who owns us, nourishes us, and cherishes us, and He does so for the rest of the universe as well. But who is this Master? The first description given of Allah by … Read more
Are you afraid of Muslims and Islam because of what you see in the news? It is perfectly understandable, but let us talk a bit. What really is Islam, the faith that I and many others ascribe to? The gist of Islam is the belief that as human beings we have been created by God … Read more
With the Christmas season coming up, many people are getting involved in lots of discussions about how the belief about Jesus (peace be upon him) is different in Christianity and Islam. That is indeed a very important discussion and one that needs to happen. However, through that sometimes we miss out on what lessons the … Read more