Seth Carney

He stood there, in a black trench coat, a black kufi, a black dress shirt, and a black tie. Whiter than me, it seemed, maybe because he was wearing black on black, or perhaps because, as I would find out later, he didn’t like being out in the sun because it hurt his eyes. An [...]

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Foundations of American Islam

About two years ago, I wrote an article which appeared on Imam Zaid Shakir’s website, and which is now currently housed on the Dar al-Islam website islamamerica.org. In the article, I tried to articulate a vision of Islam which all American Muslims would find, at the very least, reasonable. At the same time, I hoped [...]

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the feel of destiny

There is a soft wind which carries a light moisture. An enveloping coolness. And there are stars set against a clear night sky, and dark woods, occasionally tempered by warm lights from welcoming homes.
There is nothing in the world that feels like this. New England. God. Me. This is the closest thing I can imagine [...]

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The Allmighty…

…Dollar. As much as we hope to be above it, it consumes us. It is too palpable. Too real. Too much imbued, however weakly, with other things we want (power, sex, fame, influence, independence, etc.).
I hesitate to talk about this. I was taught from a very young age, both explicitly and implicitly, to not talk [...]

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A mother’s wisdom

I remember, after 9/11, when Shaykh Hamza Yusuf was on TV, working hard to deal with the craziness in which we were all living. Later that night, when the program was over, my mom turned to me and said, “I like him.”
During the VH1 “Behind the Music” special on Yusuf Islam, he mentioned that he [...]

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sincerity

I wrote a short article a while back which appeared in Islamica Magazine. It is about the struggle to be sincere – something with which we all must grapple. You may read it on Islamica’s website (link provided below). I also recommend that you become a regular reader and/or supporter of Islamica. It is one [...]

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Ya al-Razzaq! Ya al-Wahhab!

Sometimes I wish I had the ability to fulfill other people’s needs immediately. I see a homeless person on the street, and I wish I could rent them an apartment, pay for them to get some job training, spend some time with them and help them get back on their feet. I meet a friend [...]

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recommendation

Our responsibilities weigh on our heart sometimes. One responsibility weighs on me particularly.
Over the years, I have been obsessed with the idea of “due diligence.” Usually this concept relates to law or business, but I have applied it to religion. I have been obsessed at times with digging deeply into the myriad human constructions that claim [...]

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