notes

A Letter to The Fallen Children of Gaza

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Feb 21, 2024 at 7:51 am

To my young Palestinian brothers and sisters, the fallen children of Gaza, you continue to die because those capable of stopping the massacre instead repeat, like drunk parrots, “Israel has a right to defend herself.” To “defend” herself against you children who never had a chance to grow to defend…

notes

Let Us Mock the Muslims (For We Traffic in Mockery)

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jan 21, 2024 at 6:27 pm

Let Us Mock the Muslims (For We Traffic in Mockery) Mockery: Behavior or speech that makes fun of someone or something in a hurtful way. Mockery of entire groups has effectively been criminalized in Western societies. One would think thrice before publicly mocking Jews, African Americans, homosexuals or many other…

notes

The Crime of The State

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jan 03, 2024 at 9:02 pm

Was it the crime of the state, Or the state of the crime That has my body, soul, and mind Suspended in air; Awaiting the moment, Dreading the time, That will mark its descent to the ground With a thud; Like the thud of a bomb, Like the thud of…

notes

A New Year’s Thought

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jan 01, 2024 at 7:05 pm

May all seeking it come to know peace. May all of the wars, violence and conflicts cease. May the fools come to see the folly of their ways. May those suffering come to know better days. May the weary find rest, may the homeless find shelter.…

notes

They Do Not Care

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Oct 19, 2023 at 1:50 pm

I begin by offering my condolences to the families and loved ones of every innocent Palestinian, man, woman, and child who has been unjustly killed during the ongoing illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Likewise, I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of every…

notes

A Statement Deserving Our Support

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

May 29, 2023 at 8:21 pm

Navigating Differences: Clarifying Sexual and Gender Ethics in Islam Last week, a group of Muslim scholars released a statement outlining a reasoned and reasonable response to the growing challenge the LGBTQIAP+ movement presents to the Muslim community. The statement is timely owing to growing confusion in the community resulting from…

notes

On The Passing of Mouaz Al-Nass

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Apr 27, 2023 at 7:52 pm

We often say that some people come into our lives. In many cases as quickly as they come, they go. We might even forget the mundane encounters with many of them, which, if we strain to search the deepest recesses of our memories, we might say we have known them.…

notes

Imam Khalil Abdur-Rahman

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Feb 22, 2023 at 10:58 pm

So many blessed people have been passing away. May Allah have mercy on Imam Khalil. He attended a seminar I taught a few months ago and I was blown away by his humility and encouragement even as he was an intimate part of the history I was teaching. He has…

notes

Farewell to Brother Mansour Ansari: No More “Humazatin’ and Lumazatin’

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Nov 12, 2022 at 6:10 am

إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُون Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un I first met Brother Mansour Ansari in Washington DC in 1981. It was probably at one of the many rallies occurring around that time in support of the Iranian Revolution, or one of the many causes the Revolution…

notes

Importance of Being a Very Public Muslim

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jun 10, 2022 at 4:18 pm

In the climate of fear and mistrust of Muslims being carefully cultivated by some elements in this country it is extremely important to be a very public, very visible, very talkative Muslim. Some Muslims would tend to shun this advice thinking that by “laying low” and being almost invisible they…

New Islamic Directions is dedicated to bringing to our visitors a fair and balanced presentation of Islam and its basic teachings.

We are a balanced nation whose historical advance has only been possible when that balance created the spiritual and intellectual space for some of the most brilliant minds known to humanity to flourish.