notes

I Stand With Ilhan

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Mar 08, 2019 at 1:22 pm

Today marks International Women’s Day. Among other things, the day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the amazing contributions women make to our lives, families and societies. With their grace, dignity, forbearance, sacrifice and courage, women enrich our lives in countless ways. Speaking of courage, what better day…

articles

The Unfinished Business of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jan 21, 2019 at 10:25 am

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,…

notes

The Listening of the Soul

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Dec 14, 2018 at 5:47 pm

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…

notes

Where Islam and Nationalism Collide

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Dec 13, 2018 at 10:20 pm

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…

notes

Reflecting on Quiet Lake and Snow

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Nov 21, 2018 at 5:57 am

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,…

notes

On The Passing of Dr. Sulayman Nyang

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Nov 13, 2018 at 9:23 am

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…

notes

Final Follow-up on The Kavanaugh/Blasey Ford Affair

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Oct 01, 2018 at 10:38 pm

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…

notes

Siding With The Truth

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Aug 15, 2018 at 8:47 pm

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…

news

25 Influential Muslims

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 26, 2018 at 7:48 am

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 for this country’s nearly 3.5 million Muslims, a diverse and…

notes

The Blessed Man

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 26, 2018 at 7:35 am

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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