by aishaaarshad
During the span of 23 years, Allah revealed the entire Quran bit-by-bit through His angel Gabriel to the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in response to circumstances at the time or to specific questions that were posed. But why was the Quran revealed in stages? Did God make it up as He went along? Actually the book already … Read More Two revelations
by aishaaarshad
At some point we’ve all been there. Whether we were born Muslim or are new to the faith, at some point we start to doubt ourselves, and we start to doubt our faith. Is God real? Is religion a scam? Is Islam still relevant? It’s no wonder when we consider all the forces of doubt weighing on us. The rise of atheism, extremism, and … Read More Reboot
by aishaaarshad
When I interviewed Mr. Shalabi, an award-winning charter school principal for our MAP (Muslims for American Progress) research study at ISPU (the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding), he shared with me an interesting finding from his dissertation research. Entitled “The Identity Crisis of Arab American Students in American Public Schools”, he shared that students who tried to fit in by completely shedding their … Read More Religion and culture
by aishaaarshad
The whole world is grasping for guidance. Self-help books are selling at an all-time high. People are seeking advice on everything from how to be a better person, to how to be successful in business, how to improve our relationships, and how to achieve optimal health. As Muslims we should always be striving to improve ourselves in every area of our lives. But sometimes … Read More Grasping for guidance
by aishaaarshad
Sometimes in our feverish attempt to defend our faith, we forget that Islam is already beautiful. It is already perfect, because it is Divinely ordained. To change anything that is already perfect can only bring about its imperfection. When we stick to the authentic method of interpreting the texts of Islam, we will leave with one finding: that Islam is balanced. It is neither … Read More Already Beautiful
by aishaaarshad
My friend just shared with me these writings from renowned 13th century scholar and poet Jalaluddin Rumi… What Is Poison ? He Replied With A Beautiful Answer – Anything Which Is More Than Our Necessity Is Poison. It May Be Power, Wealth, Hunger, Ego, Greed, Laziness, Love, Ambition, Hate Or Anything. What Is Fear ? Non Acceptance Of Uncertainty. If We Accept That Uncertainty, … Read More From non-acceptance to acceptance
by aishaaarshad
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn How many of us are really aware of our own thinking? How many of us are aware of the implications of our thinking in the different areas of our lives, including our faith? In … Read More Cultivating mindfulness
by aishaaarshad
“The critical habit of thought, if usual in society, will pervade all its mores, because it is a way of taking up the problems of life. Men educated in it cannot be stampeded by stump orators … They are slow to believe. They can hold things as possible or probable in all degrees, without certainty and without pain. They can wait for evidence and … Read More Education in the critical faculty
by aishaaarshad
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” – Henri Bergson, French Philosopher and Educator According to the Pew Research Center, the fastest growing religion in America today is “None”; that is, no religion. The religiously unaffiliated, or “None’s” now make up 19% of the U.S. adult population. The religious None’s include those who don’t identify with any religion, as well … Read More The Rise of the Religious “None’s”
by aishaaarshad
As a graduate student in Educational Technology, we were reminded over and over again about the importance of lifelong learning – especially in the 21st century. We learned that learning never ends, especially in our technologically driven world where change is the only constant. I wholeheartedly agree. We ought to learn as much as we can about technology, our professions, relationships… even our hobbies. … Read More Being a lifelong learner
