Fathers Every Day
Shame on us if we think a copycat holiday for our fathers is any way to honor them. Burdened with the responsibility to provide for their immediate and extended families from the moment they reach adulthood (by Islamic standards that's puberty) our young men grow into the leaders of our households through marriage and the passing on of their elders. Ever increasing in their understanding of the m...

Call to Prayer
One of the five pillars of Islam is the ritual prayer (salat) which is performed by Muslims around the world five times a day. How Muslims know that the prayer time has come is by the adhan, or the call to prayer that is recited from the minaret of a mosque. The first adhan was recited in the first Hijri year, or 622 CE. Bilal was the first Muslim to deliver it, and ever since, it has been an et...

A Call to Mankind
I had heard those words before.  Strange and mysterious initally, with time I learned what they meant.  If I had heard them before becoming a Muslim, I had no idea what they were.  Like someone who is not Muslim recently told me, "I thought they were different each time."  But they weren't.  They were always the same but not like a chant.  It was not a mindless act to...

Successfully Enduring
The deep green leaves of the ivy covering the wall that ran along the sidewalk fluttered in the cool spring breeze as I made my way downhill on a morning errand.  The sky was clear blue with the occasional puffy cloud.  Having the sun to brightly highlight and warm all it touched, others too were out taking advantage of the fine day. Ahead and to my right, a covered Muslim lady had come...

Mom Deserves Better
Whether it began with the ancient Greek tradition of mother worship epitomized by a celebration for Cybele, an important mother of Greek gods, or in ancient Rome with a holiday dedicated to Juno on which mothers were given gifts, it has taken on many forms since then.  From being a day to visit one's Mother Church in the 16th century United Kingdom and Ireland to a day when mothers calle...

Where to?
With the decision made months in advance, the tickets are purchased, and the planning begins. As the date approaches, the list of things to do fluctuates in length as one thing is marked off and five more need to be added. The closer the departure date comes the more matters of greater detail come to mind. "Okay, I have to remember to pack an extra of this or that just in case. And, oh yeah,...

Who’s the Master?
Being his school's administrator and counselor for several years, I observed him from the moment he arrived at the school to register that first summer.  He was the tall, silent type that could easily be misread as insecure.  But if one paid attention, one could see in his eyes the spark of strength and intellect that the lay just below the surface. As he found his place among the o...

Lost Hopes
Slowly I climbed the steep hill toward my destination.  Reaching the place where I was to turn, I paused for a moment to catch my breath.  The subtle morning breeze caused the edge of my scarf to flutter as it cooled and refreshed me. Turning to my right, I gradually descended along the dead end street to a high wall partitioned by a heavy metal gate.  Through the vertical bars mak...

A Name to Remember
When my daughter was a year old, it became very clear that I would not be able to satisfy her companionship needs. She needed someone whose only responsibility was to play with her. She needed a sibling. It was wonderful when my husband and I found out that our daughter would soon have a brother. As with our daughter, we made a list of names that might suit our son. It may seem cliché to s...

Drenched by Dua’a
It was a beautiful Ramadan morning in early fall. With a pleasant breeze and the sun periodically shining radiantly through the puffy white clouds above, I hurried out the door to my meetings. Having chosen mostly black attire as a reflection of the importance of these meetings, I felt the warmth of the sun every time it peaked through the clouds as I ventured by taxi, ferry boat, and then on fo...

Building Human Beings
It was a small white frame house with a huge back yard and five ancient, towering pecan trees that lined the outside of its semi-circular drive.  From the road, one could see the entrance of the building behind the trees.  The black paint on the wrought iron columns of its tiny porch were pealing, but on the door was a newly printed out sign welcoming all to this house being used as a s...

Taking it to Heart
The purple ring... that was the favorite from her stackable toys as a toddler.  Her parents gave her everything they could to enrich her life and ensure that she mentally and physically developed as rapidly as possible.  Hour after hour, day after day, they played with her trying to teach her how the world works. She learned quickly.  Sometimes more quickly than her parents wanted ...