Islam

Sustainable Halal Meat is Making Inroads in Muslim Communities

November 4, 2019
On a tidy two-lane road outside Columbus, Ohio, a hand-painted sign in red and white script hangs on the edge of a corn field. It reads “Bismi Allah Farms,” derived from the Arabic phrase “bismillah,” meaning “in the name of Allah,” or God, and a word said in reverence by practicing Muslims numerous times a day. But “farm” is a bit of a misnomer. The four-acre operation, run by Ahmed Fram, a Moroccan immigrant and his family, is actually a licensed halal slaughter facility, where a centuries-old, sacred religious ritual converges with modern demand in a two-car garage retrofitted for the... Read more about Sustainable Halal Meat is Making Inroads in Muslim Communities

hadith

Hadith is a narrative account or report of Muhammad’s deeds and actions. These reports were preserved and later collected to form the Sunnah of the prophet, second only to the authority of the Qur’an for knowing how to live in proper submission to God.

mihrab

The mihrab is the niche in the wall of a mosque indicating the direction (qiblah) of the Ka’bah in Makkah, thus the direction of ritual prayer.

Lawsuit: Muslim boy questioned at Ohio school about religion

November 1, 2019
The parents of a 10-year-old Muslim boy who said he was questioned by an Ohio student teacher about his patriotism and religious beliefs and was told to undress to determine if he had been physically abused at home have filed a federal lawsuit claiming the boy's civil rights were violated last November.
The lawsuit filed last week names the Lakeview Local School District, a teacher, the student teacher and a school nurse as defendants. The district is based in Cortland, roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of...
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ta’lim

Ta’lim means “education, teaching.” Most Muslim communities offer classes called ta’lim to teach new Muslims about the Qur’an and hadith, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and especially the performance of religious duties such as the salat (ritual prayer).

Islamic Society of North America

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) was established in 1982 to serve as an umbrella organization for Sunni Muslim student and professional groups across the country. ISNA, with national headquarters in Plainfield, Indiana, sponsors national and regional conferences, youth camps and educational opportunities and publishes the magazine Islamic Horizons.

Moses; Musa

Moses is a Biblical prophet who is credited with leading the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and teaching them the divine laws at Mount Sinai. The story of Moses is told in the book of Exodus in the Bible and is also told in the Qur’an, where this prophet is called Musa.

Muslim Students Association (MSA)

In 1963, the Muslim Students Association (MSA) was organized to promote religious unity, through education and mutual aid, among Muslim international students at North American colleges. The MSA laid the groundwork for numerous national organizations, including the Islamic Medical Association (1967), the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (1969), the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (1972), and the Islamic Society of North America (1982).

New England art exhibition shows another side of American Muslims

October 28, 2019
Next week, the Massachusetts State House in Boston will house a collection of artwork by 24 Muslim artists from the Midwest to Massachusetts. The artwork is part of the annual art series “More Than My Religion,” now in its fifth year, a project organized by New England Muslim artists to reflect American Muslims’ multifaceted identities beyond their religious practice. “We’re focusing on American Muslims because their narrative has been the most hijacked,” said organizer Irum Haque, a pastel artist in Westford, Massachusetts. “We want to reclaim who we are and tell our own real stories. And... Read more about New England art exhibition shows another side of American Muslims

High school athlete, 16, is disqualified at her cross-country meet for wearing Nike hijab

October 25, 2019

An Ohio high school athlete was disqualified from a cross-country meet for wearing a Nike hijab.

Noor Abukaram, who is a student at The Bounty Collegium, was preparing to check in for the Sylvania School District's race at Owens Community College in Findlay, Ohio, on Saturday when her coach was told there was a problem with her uniform.

The 16-year-old has competed with the Sylvania Northview High School girls cross country team for the past three years and has never had a problem with her Nike...

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'Border Church' and 'Border Mosque' team up for prayer service

October 24, 2019
For more than a decade, the Rev. John Fanestil, a United Methodist minister, has held a Sunday service at Friendship Park, a historic meeting place on the U.S.-Mexico border overlooking the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Tijuana. While Communion is celebrated each week, Fanestil began the nonsectarian Christian ministry to help preserve the park as a public space where family members separated by their immigration status can interact, even if their interaction takes place through border fencing. But in recent months, Border Church, or La Iglesia Fronteriza, has blossomed into a... Read more about 'Border Church' and 'Border Mosque' team up for prayer service

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