articles
The Unfinished Business of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Imam Zaid Shakir
During these days many in this country are commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born January 15, 1929. While most remember Dr. King for his soaring oration, symbolized by his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered before a sweltering throng at the Lincoln Memorial,…
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notes
The Listening of the Soul
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Islam holds humans to be a special creation. Ennobled by God, they are His vicegerent on earth and look forward to a sublime destiny. Their ancestor Adam was the exalted creature in whose direction God ordered the angels to prostrate, even while his splendor drew the envy of Satan. They…
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Where Islam and Nationalism Collide
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Islam contains teachings that clearly argue against the most important elements of nationalism. The nation-state, which involves wedding a specific people to a sovereign territorial entity, is a modern phenomenon. For example, the Italian city states did not unify into a coherent modern nation-state until the late 1850s. The unification…
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Reflecting on Quiet Lake and Snow
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The sun she rises over quiet lake. To let the snow know that there’s no mistake. To let the morning know that she’s alive. To let earth know that she will survive The folly of mankind and all his wars The pain, disfigurement and all the scars,…
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On The Passing of Dr. Sulayman Nyang
by Imam Zaid Shakir
I have been blessed to know Dr. Nyang for many long decades. He has been a teacher, mentor and an exemplary role model not just for myself but for countless others. He was a true giant who leaves a large pair of shoes that will be difficult to fill. When…
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Final Follow-up on The Kavanaugh/Blasey Ford Affair
by Imam Zaid Shakir
I appreciate the spirited discourse around the previous post that has been removed as well as the constructive criticism, and I understand the anger motivating many of you. I appreciate the advice from the educated and that of the laity -our religion after all is predicated on sincere advice. I…
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Siding With The Truth
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Yesterday, August 14, 2018, marked the passing of five years since the massacre of at least a thousand innocent protesters and the injuring of thousands more in Cairo’s Rabaa Square. Merely writing these words will generate charges of siding with the ousted Egyptian President, Mohammed Morsi, and the Egyptian Muslim…
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news
25 Influential Muslims
by Imam Zaid Shakir
By Daniel Burke and Madeleine Stix, CNN, May 4, 2018 We asked American Muslims to name the most influential people in their fields. Here’s what they said Who speaks for American Muslims? The short answer is, no one. No individual or group can claim to speak…
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The Blessed Man
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The blessed man he asks himself, “Who am I meant to be?” The people come they praise his words, But him they cannot see. Am I for real? Am I a fraud? Am I the one they see? The blessed man he just stands tall
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The Promised Land
by Imam Zaid Shakir
How many highways have we trod, In our unceasing journey unto God? The signs we pass are loud and clear, The path is steep the goal is dear. Onward we go by night and day This path we walk the only way. Some will give up their…
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articles
This is Who We Are
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Madeline Albright, infamously and casually agreed that over 500,000 dead Iraqi children who died during the six years US sanctions had been in place in Iraq to that point, “was worth it”. As the crisis over children being torn from their mothers’ arms at the US-Mexican…
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articles
The Human in the Qur’an
by Imam Zaid Shakir
The human being began his journey as a physical creature with the direct, unmitigated creative act of God.” “Once the human has been animated by the spirit, he can undertake his primary purpose: namely, to worship and to know his Lord.” Today, we can…
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articles
God’s Plan and Muhammad Ali
by Imam Zaid Shakir
It is time we started listening to Ali. It is God’s plan. The analytical methods which postmodernism has given birth to are qualified by many sad features. One is the rejection of the idea of greatness. These methods leave no space for great men or women. What we find instead…
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Divided We Fall?
Islam in the Age of Identity Politics
Feb. 22, 2019 | 7:30pm
Berkeley, CA
notes
Today is Husband Appreciation Day
by Imam Zaid Shakir
In the literature discussing Futuwwa, which has been translated as Muslim chivalry, there is the story of a young man who was engaged to marry a particularly beautiful woman. Before the wedding day, his fiancée was afflicted with a severe case of chicken pox which left her face terribly disfigured.…
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On “Punish A Muslim Day”
by Imam Zaid Shakir
Now that “Punish A Muslim Day” has passed uneventfully we should really take stock of the general immaturity permeating our community. This nonsense should never have seen the light of day. It is like the so-called movie denigrating the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) several years back. It had…
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news
Stephon Clark’s Memorial and Funeral
by Imam Zaid Shakir
By Dale Kasler, Nashelly Chavez, Tony Bizjak And Benjy Egel March 29, 2018 10:42 AM Updated March 29, 2018 05:33 PM Stephon Clark was buried Thursday following a funeral service bristling with politics and raw emotion for the 22-year-old Sacramento man whose shooting death by police 11 days…
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notes
Women’s Day 2018
by Imam Zaid Shakir
International Women’s Day is on 8th March. The day has been set aside to celebrate the social, economic and political accomplishments of women. March is a most appropriate month for such a celebration. In the northern hemisphere, March signals the arrival of spring and the blossoming flowers whose colors and…
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