There is a saying--in Farsi, I think--that one tells their dearest friends. It means, "May I be sacrificed for you." I think it is why, when his father asked him if he would die, Isma'il said yes. To God, he said. May I be sacrificed for you. This, like any act of love, was misconstrued. …
Category: Islam
Quranic Verses and Misconceptions: The Limiting of 24:33
If you've been reading this website for a while, even if you're not Muslim, chances are you've caught the drift from a couple of posts that the Qur'an is absolutely gorgeous. Since I spend a lot of time here discussing the more seemingly formidable verses (see the entire "Misconceptions" tab) I haven't quite explicitly demonstrated …
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Islamic History and the Women You Never Hear About: Fatima Muhammad Al-Fihri
Did you know the first institution granting academic degrees in the world was founded by a Muslim woman? Of course you didn't. Fatima Muhammad Al-Fihri's university, the University of Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco, is still in operation today. It is the world's oldest institution of education to continually operate, and after its construction in 859, …
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Prophet Maryam and Her Successor, the Prophet Muhammad
Although I've already written about Maryam as our Prophetess, I'd like to expand on her significance by comparing the cosmological role of our Prophet Muhammad to that of our Prophetess Maryam. There are several interesting parallels between Maryam and Muhammad; the first and most obvious is not only that both recieved word from the Archangel …
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It’s the 2nd day of Ramadan and my fast has already been interrupted for the next 7 days.
Since it's been a while since I've written here, I'll remind everyone asking What is the meaning of this!, that according to mainstream interpretation women should avoid applying nail polish because it acts as a barrier (we're suddenly against barriers now) between the water during wudu--ritual purification before prayer--and the surface of the nail. However, …
The Universal and Historical are not Contrary: Reconciling Interpretative Applications in Approaching the Qur’an
"And certainly we have propounded for humanity in this, the Qur'an, every kind of parable, so that perhaps they would recollect a recitation without any crookedness, so that perhaps they would be Godfearing." (Qur'an 39:27) Many Islamic theorists and exegetes are resistant to the idea that specific Qur’anic regulations refer to a historical period; this is …
The Sixth Pillar
And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of God and for the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper"? Qur'an …
the fatal feminist 