Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia to Gradually Resume Umra Pilgrimage
Saudi Arabia is to gradually resume a Muslim pilgrimage which has been suspended for seven months because of the coronavirus pandemic. From 4 October, up to 6,000 Saudi citizens and residents will be allowed to undertake the Umra each day. Pilgrims from countries deemed safe will be permitted from 1 November, when the daily capacity will rise to 20,000.The Umra is an extra, optional pilgrimage tha...

Time Travel in the Quran
Time Travel in Islam, Christianity and Judaism Time travel events have been part of Islamic tradition and have been recorded in the Quran. There are at least four separate events in the Quran where time travel has been mentioned. A couple of these events are also recorded in the Old Testament. Interestingly, these events cover both kinematic and gravitational time dilation.  They are mentioned be...

The Hindu Temples Built by Muslims in Pre-colonial India
Demonising the Muslim rulers of old India has been the driving force of the country’s rightwing Hindu nationalist ideology, but history is witness to the immense contributions Muslims have made to protect and encourage Hinduism in the subcontinent. As India battles the rise of Hindu nationalism, primarily led by Prime Minister Narenda Modi, the legacy of its Muslim rulers have also come under at...

Islam's Anti-Racist Message from the 7th Century Still Resonates
One day, in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad dropped a bombshell on his followers: He told them that all people are created equal. “All humans are descended from Adam and Eve,” said Muhammad in his last known public speech. “There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a non-Arab over an Arab, and no superiority of a white person over a black person or of a black person over a white perso...

Hossam Gamea Leads First Halal Lunch Program in NYC
Many Muslim youth in the United States grow up eating only halal food, and for the majority in public school, that means being limited to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the few vegetarian options from school lunches. In New York, 38% of public-school students are Jewish and Muslim, and measures have been taken to accommodate students with Halal and Kosher dietary restrictions. The Islami...

Charlie Hebdo Republishes Cartoons That Prompted Deadly 2015 Att
PARIS — The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has republished the same cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam that prompted a deadly attack on the magazine in 2015, an act that will be seen by some as a commitment to free speech and by others as reckless provocation. The publication coincides with the start on Wednesday of the long-awaited terrorism trial of people accused as accompl...

Tips for Students of Islam: Grasping Terminology
For many a student involved in the first two years of Islamic studies, one of the hardest things to grasp and remember is the variety of terminology that one is taught. For example, in the field of ‘Aqeedah, you need to learn what is Tawheed, Shirk, Kufr, Nifaaq, Bidah, Risaalah, Aakhirah, Rububiyyah, Asma Wa Sifaat, Ibaadah, Ta’weel, Tashbeeh, Riya and many other terms.At the same tim...

Hajj in Pandemic
Photo credit: AFP Hajj 2020: What you need to know about this year's pilgrimage Islamic week-long ritual has been scaled back to a limited number of pilgrims because of the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia says it will allow only about 1,000 pilgrims residing in the kingdom to perform the Hajj this year, one day after it announced the annual pilgrimage would be scaled down due to the coronavir...

Infographic: Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Infographic: Qurbani (Sacrifice)

The Fifth Pillar: A Pilgrimage through the Meanings of Hajj
Why is Hajj the fifth pillar of Islam? What is its significance in our religion? Cambridge Muslim College started a daily video series with some live session on "The Fifth Pillar" Started with a Welcoming video by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, the program provides invaluable session on Hajj during these highly sacred and important days, Dhu'l Hijjah. The videos are available on "Cambridge Muslim Coll...

The Great Hagia Sophia Mosque
Hagia Sophia became a mosque once again and the first prayer after 86 years is performed in July 24, 2020 on Friday, “The Turkish people had to wait until July 10, 2020, for permission to pray at the Hagia Sophia... President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proceeded to issue a decree minutes later to announce that the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) would manage the Hagia Sophia, which would open ...