Government shutdowns, while uncommon, have occurred numerous times in the past.¹ However, not only was this most recent 43-day shutdown the longest in American history, but it was also the first time the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was suspended over a lack of allotted funding. SNAP benefits provide monthly food assistance to roughly 42 million Americans, or 12% of the population; 70% of SNAP recipients are children, seniors, and people with disabilities.² What people expected, and feared, became true once the shutdown dragged into November: people would not be receiving their SNAP benefits, it was unclear when (or if) they would receive them again, and they were now left scrambling to find food assistance elsewhere. Some states pledged to cover people’s SNAP benefits for the month of November, but this was only meant to be a temporary, partial fix.

With the end of the government shutdown, SNAP benefits have been restored, and SNAP will be funded through the end of the fiscal year in September 2026.³ While the immediate crisis has subsided, a greater, longer-term crisis still looms. Food continues to grow more expensive, while wages remain stagnant. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law in July 2025 will cut the SNAP budget by 20% over the next ten years, in addition to placing stricter work requirements on recipients.⁴ A vicious cycle is thus created where more people will end up needing help affording food, while access to help is made increasingly difficult for fewer benefits. Compounding this crisis, and one of the primary reasons for the shutdown, is the astronomical cost of healthcare in this country that regularly forces people to choose between seeking medical care and paying for other basic living expenses. 

I do not want to mince words or downplay this plight: I believe this is a moral failing of our government leaders. In a nation as wealthy and full of resources as the United States, there is no acceptable justification for why food insecurity is so widespread. Our government spends billions of our tax dollars each year on military operations around the world that cause, at minimum, societal and economic destabilization, and, at worst, genocide. Corporations and the richest Americans get tax breaks, while millions more must scrape by on their minimum wage paycheck or meager social security/disability payments. The scale of injustice being seen here is massive and dire, and it should disturb anyone who is paying attention and has a conscience.

As I spend time reflecting on this as a Muslim, I remember the many times in the Qur’an where Allah has urged the believers to feed those who are hungry. The two passages that have always stood out to me most regarding our duties to give come from Surah al-Balad and Surah al-Ma’un:

“If only they had attempted the challenging path! And what will make you realize what the challenging path is? It is to free a slave, or to give food in times of famine to an orphaned relative or to a poor person in distress, and–above all–to be one of those who have faith and urge each other to perseverance and urge each other to compassion. These are the people of the right.” [Surah al-Balad, 90; 10-18]

“Have you seen the one who denies the (final) Judgment? That is the one who repulses the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor. So woe to those (hypocrites) who pray yet are unmindful of their prayers; those who (only) show off, and refuse to give (even the simplest) aid.” [Surah al-Ma’un, 107; 1-7]

The message Allah shows us here is very clear: giving food to needy people is morally good, even in times of difficulty, and denying food to needy people is morally wrong. The verses of al-Ma’un in particular illustrate the hypocrisy of those who may follow the “letter of the law” (through outward acts of piety like salah) but disregard the “spirit of the law” by ignoring Allah’s Command to care for those who are vulnerable. Throughout the Qur’an, Allah frequently pairs “belief” together with “righteous deeds,” illustrating that our deen requires both from us in order to have sound faith. With these imperatives, it is our Islamic duty to address these issues to the best of our ability.

There is an oft-cited hadith from Sahih Muslim where our Prophet ﷺ says,

“Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart [by at least hating it and believing that it is wrong], and that is the weakest of faith.”

This is frequently used as a rallying call to action amongst Muslims, especially in situations where people may feel that there is little that they personally can do due to a lack of power or physical distance (for example, the genocides in Gaza and Sudan). In the case of the American hunger crisis, however, we are in a position to counter these evil actions (purposeful, artificial shortages of food resources) with our hands, tongues, and hearts. 

 – With our hands: The most direct way we can help our neighbors who are hungry is, unsurprisingly, to provide them with food or money for food. There are many ways this can be done, and some ways may be more beneficial to certain people than others. For example, in my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook, people regularly request and offer groceries and meals. Because this group has a large user base, requests for food are generally met quickly and abundantly.

“The most direct way we can help our neighbors who are hungry is, unsurprisingly, to provide them with food or money for food.” [PC: Nico Smit (unsplash)]

Alhamdulillah, Muslims have already been demonstrating a commitment to serve our neighbors. At the small Islamic school my daughter attends, one parent’s suggestion to provide food assistance to students and their families led to a fundraising campaign that has collected $1,300 for groceries. In a now viral TikTok series, a woman named Nikalie Monroe filmed herself cold-calling dozens of houses of worship requesting baby formula. She did not need the formula, but she wanted to conduct a “social experiment” to see how receptive religious institutions would be to people directly asking for assistance. Most of the churches she contacted either denied the request or directed her to different organizations, but a few places, including The Islamic Center of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, offered to help her get formula with no questions asked. Touched by this masjid’s generosity and quick response, donations have been pouring in, which the masjid says it will use to fund a food drive. These are beautiful examples of Allah’s Words being put into action, and illustrate how one kind act can birth even more goodness. Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.” [2;261]

 – With our tongues: This is where our recent experience with Palestine/Sudan activism will be useful. Get involved with advocacy groups that work towards policies that fight hunger and systemically address poverty and the massive income inequality in the United States. This can be on a national, state, or local level. For example, you could start or join a campaign for your local school district to provide universal free breakfast and lunch for its students, so no child will ever have to worry about skipping meals at school or having lunch debt.

Write and deliver a khutbah or bayan/khatirah about what the Qur’an and sunnah say about helping our hungry neighbors. If you’re a parent, talk with your children about hunger and how widespread it is, as well as what Allah has asked us to do to address it.

 – With our hearts: Du’a and taqwa are our greatest tools. Make heartfelt du’a asking Ar-Razzaq, the Provider, to bless us all with His Rizq (provisions). Ask Allah to help us in helping others, and that we may be agents for what is right. Remember how Allah has warned us against oppressing others, and ask Him to keep us from being among the wrongdoers and those who cause harm.

Pray that the hearts of those in power are opened and guided to the Truth, and that they use their power to enjoin goodness and justice for people, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized. 

We may not be able to solve problems like hunger alone, but inshaAllah each step we take to help our neighbors means one less person goes to bed hungry. May Allah bless and help those who are struggling in body, mind, and spirit, and guide us to always do what is pleasing to Him. Ameen!

Related:

– When The Powerful Eat Full And The Poor Go Hungry

– The Architecture of Withholding: When Charity Becomes Control

The post The Hunger Crisis: Reflections Of An American Muslim appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This is where Muslim chaplaincy could make all the difference.

Too often, teenage students are forced to shoulder immense emotional and spiritual labor for themselves and their communities. The demands of leadership roles in on-campus Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) can quickly escalate far past what they were initially meant to be. What would it look like if Muslim students had someone trained, trusted, and spiritually grounded to turn to? How beneficial might it be if students had someone beyond their own peers to take advice from? Someone embedded in the institution who could guide them not just in times of crisis, but through the quiet work of faith formation?

Such an individual is a reality for far too few Muslim students in the United States. However, the presence of a Muslim chaplain in this role could revolutionize the experiences of hundreds of thousands of Muslim undergraduates across the nation, helping build a generation of highly educated students who effectively integrate their faith identity into their day-to-day lives.

This model of care and mentorship is not foreign to our tradition. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad was not just a leader and lawmaker – he was a murabbī, a healer of hearts and soother of souls. Countless stories from the sīrah detail his compassion for the needy, ill, and impoverished. As the Qur’an says:

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” [Surah Al-Ahzab: 33;21]

Emulating the Prophet goes beyond just observing rituals of prayer and worship; it means fostering communities rooted in mercy, emotional health, and spiritual resilience. At its essence, chaplaincy carries forward this Sunnah of emotional and spiritual caregiving.

The Landscape: Muslim Students on Campus

The presence of Muslim students as an organized body on US campuses is a recent development. Although Muslim student organizations were founded as early as the 1940s, the modern MSA system began at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1963. Muslim chaplaincy did not exist until 30 years later when the first part-time Muslim chaplain was hired at Wellesley College. Six years later, at Georgetown, the first full-time Muslim chaplain was introduced¹.

“The growth of the Muslim student population – and their increasing visibility on campus – has outpaced institutional support available to them.” [PC: Kawah Kaos Dakwah (unsplash)]

Impacts of Participation in Campus Religious Life

Though research is limited regarding Muslim university students specifically, numerous studies confirm that spiritual care and chaplaincy play a significant role in maintaining student mental health and overall well-being across Christian and interfaith communities during college years. Faith community support, in particular when directly led via chaplaincy, is integral in proactively addressing distress points for college students.

A comprehensive study by Saliba (2024) underscores the multifaceted contributions of university chaplains to mental health within the context of suicide prevention. Chaplains surveyed across international communities were reported to engage in various preventive practices, such as referring students to mental health professionals, offering community life services, providing support during exam periods, and discussing images of God or other religious figures. These activities not only address spiritual distress but also foster a sense of belonging and support among students, which are crucial factors in mitigating suicidal thoughts and behaviors².

Beyond addressing student distress from a spiritual perspective, participating in an active, chaplain-led faith community may indirectly alleviate academic distress as well. A 2021 study undertaken at Baylor University found that Christian students who attended on-campus church services at least once per week had higher GPAs, reported improved mental focus and academic resilience, and were less likely to engage in academic dishonesty than those who did not³. A study conducted by UCLA of over 100,000 incoming freshmen at institutions across the country found that students with high religious engagement had significantly higher rates of being able to find meaning in hardship and feeling at peace, indicating a greater ability to deal with hurdles in both their academic and personal lives⁴. Though data is ultimately limited on the direct influences of chaplains on student wellness, it stands to reason that chaplaincy involvement generally leads to a stronger and more active on-campus faith community, which is indicated to increase student wellness across multiple sectors of life.

However, while such involvement may be a reality for Christian communities on campuses, Muslim representation is sadly lacking. As universities have expanded religious life offices to serve Christian, Jewish, and interfaith populations, Muslim students were often left without a parallel advocate or advisor. While the aforementioned chaplaincy roles established at Wellesley and Georgetown in the 1990s and early 2000s marked a turning point—not only as acknowledgments of Muslim student presence, but as acts of institutional responsibility—significant work remains to be done.

Research conducted by a chaplaincy consulting firm confirmed the presence of approximately 150 Muslim chaplains across the over 4000 colleges in America, meaning less than 4% of US college communities have access to a chaplain⁵. This creates a vacuum in moments where spiritual care is most needed.

The Role of a Chaplain

Such an absence of spiritual care and leadership can leave a significant void in the lives of college students as they navigate critical stages of identity development and moral alignment. Having an adequately trained and engaged spiritual leader is integral for guiding Muslim students towards healthy, deen-centered lifestyles.

“Muslim chaplaincy stands out as a vital resource that bridges faith and modern campus life.” [PC: Nathan Dumlao (unsplash)]

The nebulous boundaries defining a chaplain’s responsibilities can be both empowering and challenging. While they may have the freedom to interpret their role as they see fit, they may also become overwhelmed with burdens that are outside of their field of expertise. As Muslim chaplaincy becomes more widespread in higher education, it is crucial to establish shared guidelines about the scope and nature of their role. This includes articulating expectations for prior training, ensuring access to ongoing training and support from older chaplains, and fostering collaborative relationships across university leadership. Doing so not only helps chaplains thrive in their roles, but also ensures that Muslim students receive the holistic, faith-sensitive support they deserve during one of the most formative periods of their lives.

Conclusion: A Call to Invest in Our Students’ Spiritual Future

In an era when students face increasing pressures around identity, purpose, and belonging, the presence of a Muslim chaplain can offer much-needed spiritual grounding, guidance, and advocacy. As institutions of higher education continue to diversify and expand their understanding of student wellness, Muslim chaplaincy stands out as a vital resource that bridges faith and modern campus life. 

But to fully realize the potential of this role, we can’t rely on universities alone. It will take the entire Muslim community – students, alumni, donors, community leaders, and everyday Muslims – to help build the scaffolding around chaplaincy positions and ensure Muslim students are not left spiritually adrift.

Here’s what you can do:

• Support institutions that train Muslim chaplains, such as The Islamic Seminary of America, the Association of Muslim Chaplains, and Boston Islamic Seminary. These programs ensure that chaplains are both Islamically grounded and professionally equipped for pastoral care.
• Reach out to your alma mater. Ask whether they have a Muslim chaplain on staff. If not, advocate for one. Share resources and help them understand the unique challenges Muslim students face.
• Encourage your local masjid or community center to connect with nearby campuses. Even part-time chaplaincy support—one day a week—can provide a lifeline.
• Give if you’re able. Many chaplaincy positions begin as donor-funded roles. A single scholarship, endowment, or fundraising effort can change hundreds of lives.
• Keep Muslim chaplains in your du‘ā. Their work is often quiet, emotionally demanding, and under-recognized. Pray for their strength, sincerity, and impact.

By investing in the development and sustainability of Muslim chaplaincy, we can help colleges and universities cultivate more inclusive, spiritually attentive environments. Let’s ensure that our students don’t walk their journeys alone. Let’s build a future where faith and education grow hand in hand.

Related:

– [Podcast] Hospitals And Healing: Islamic Chaplaincy | Ch. Sondos Kholaki

– From The Chaplain’s Desk – Reap The Rewards Of Being Mindful Of Allah

The post The Urgent Need For Muslim Chaplaincy On Campus: An Investment In Spiritual Futures appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

These helpers had very limited resources to offer and share. Yet, despite living with simple means in the harsh desert environment, they were willing to embrace the newcomers with an attitude of compassion and utmost generosity. The emigrants as well understood that they were in no position to take this for granted. In a similar posture of selflessness, they contributed their best in advancing their new community. Conflict and concord were a reality of human relationships then as they are now. They muddled through the messiness of being in a community and ultimately made it work. The difficulties of creating a new sustainable social entity are acknowledged by the Qur’an itself,

“In His mercy God has turned to the Prophet, and the emigrants and helpers who followed him in the hour of adversity when some hearts almost wavered: He has turned to them; He is most kind and merciful to them.” [Surah At-Tawbah: 9;117]

However nostalgic this might sound, their mutual love, embrace, constant sacrifice, and tireless communal work were the seeds that launched the new expansion of the Islamic empire.  

Challenging the Dehumanizing Public Discourse on Immigration

I am an immigrant myself. Today, as I look back to this profound event that shaped the global Muslim community in profound ways, I am reminded that it takes both sides – immigrant and receiving communities – for societies to flourish. The climate crisis, global wars, and worldwide poverty force us to rethink our understanding of what it means to truly belong: Are national, territorial constructs, borders, and slim passports sufficient to capture the emergence of hybrid, fluid, and transnational identities? In the face of mass displacement, forced immigration, and the global refugee crisis, could we transcend seeing a human being from a simply utilitarian perspective? Are immigrants and refugees either a burden or a benefit  – socially, economically, and politically? Could we refrain from the dehumanizing, degrading, and otherizing public discourse and arrive at one simple fact: the immigrant and refugee is a stark and embodied reminder that life is fragile, stability and certainty are illusions, and that each of us can lose their livelihood and home within a moment.

Those of us who claim adherence to the Abrahamic religions, very well know that we were at the margins of society and that our very origin stories are rooted in the painful experiences of exile, refuge, and immigration. This is all the more reason that religious communities need to wake up from this historical amnesia and claim their responsibility in taking care of the newcomer and welcoming the stranger. It pains me that the fundamental dignity and worth of human life get lost in the dehumanizing public discourse on immigration.         

Towards a Holistic Approach – Sacred Responsibilities of both Migrant and Host

As an immigrant child myself, I have witnessed that these communities are the most loving, hardworking, resilient, and selfless people who deeply care. True, some too can fall into romanticizing their countries of origin while cultivating nostalgia for the past and embracing a so-called paradigm of rejection. Such an attitude does not allow for a view that their new place has to offer something valuable. Everything and everyone was always better “back home.” I know very well that such sentiments can be common and understandable in the early years of an especially forceful and involuntary immigration experience. They need to be acknowledged and worked through. Trauma, pain, sadness, and grief over so many loved ones, losses, and memories left behind are a reality. 

The hijra tells the story that in loss there can also be gain; that hardships can be blessings in disguise; and that in absence, abundance can be found. Both – receiving and immigrant communities – must display an openness to new possibilities. Acting in mutuality, solidarity, and unity can indeed be a reality when done holistically in calling all parties to their sacred responsibilities toward one another. In the words of Muslim theologian Bediüzzaman Said Nursi we must strive to emulate the cosmic brotherhood and sisterhood displayed throughout the creation. We can and must embrace one another (teanuk), support one another (tesanüd), respond to each other’s needs (tecavüb), and help one another (teavün). At our core, we are social beings intricately connected and interwoven. What affects one will affect everyone.

Anti-Immigrant Riots: A Contrast To The Teachings Of The Hijra

The recent anti-immigrant riots in the UK offer a stark and troubling contrast to the principles of mutual support and solidarity illustrated by the hijra and the teachings from the Qur’an and Islamic tradition. These riots, marked by violence and xenophobic rhetoric, reveal a disturbing trend of fear and hostility towards immigrants and refugees, highlighting the urgent need for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to these issues.

In the context of the hijra, the early Muslim community’s experience underscores the possibility of flourishing through mutual support despite adversity. The Ansar’s welcoming attitude towards the Muhajirun exemplifies how communities can overcome difficulties through empathy and cooperation. In contrast, the recent riots demonstrate a failure to uphold these values, with many immigrants facing hostility and dehumanization rather than the support and solidarity they need.

The events in the UK reflect broader challenges in addressing immigration, often fueled by economic anxiety, political rhetoric, and misinformation. These riots reveal how fear and prejudice can overshadow the principles of mutual aid and understanding.

Addressing the root causes of such hostility requires a commitment to fostering understanding and empathy, rather than succumbing to fear and division. The hijra’s lessons teach us that with openness, cooperation, and compassion, communities can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and solidarity. It is through embracing these principles and actively working to bridge divides that we can begin to counteract the negative trends seen in recent events and build a more inclusive and supportive society for all.

The first Muslim migration was an early success story showing that the human family must act with the full consciousness and deep understanding that we are part of an interdependent whole and that each of us is an important unique piece in the sacred fabric of life. Each of us is called to do our part in making community work through sharing our God-given selves and skills, our divinely entrusted wealth, the God-given land and resources as echoed in the Qur’an, 

“Those who believed and emigrated and struggled for God’s cause with their possessions and persons, and those who gave refuge and help, are all allies of one another […] But if they seek help from you against persecution, it is your duty to assist them, except against people with whom you have a treaty: God sees all that you do.” [Surah Al-Anfal: 8;72]

Related:

– Traditional Islam, Ideology, Immigrant Muslims, and Grievance Culture: A Review of Travelling Home: Essays on Islam in Europe by Abdal Hakim Murad

The post The Hijra : Lessons From The First Muslim Migration For Today appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Media portrayals of young Muslims’ sexuality have tended to focus on less insightful but more eye-catching questions. The hijab’s alleged repression of Muslim women continues to make headlines, and to inspire rebuttals championing Islam’s purported liberation of women from their objectification in Western capitalist societies. Until recently, mainstream media was captivated by stories linking the supposed sexual repression of Muslim men to religious violence. The hottest issue now is the question of Islam and homosexuality, especially the perceived conflicts between Islamic scripture and progressive politics. Implicit in much of this media coverage around Islam and sexuality is an underlying assumption: young Muslims are sexually repressed, ever-burdened by the disconnect between their other-worldly aspirations and their sensual present.

Of course, there are other stories too, such as those about the long tradition of explicit sexual discussion in Islam, or the much-discussed New Yorker piece exploring one way that Muslim college students are addressing their sexual desires: secret marriages. But such well-meaning articles risk reinforcing the notion that the many Muslims not giving in to their sexual desires—outside or inside marriage—are sexually repressed. In my own experience, and through extensive conversations with Muslim students and chaplains from different campuses across the US, I find a far more complex picture of Muslim sexuality. Young Muslims resisting sexual interactions make meaning of their choices in ways that disturb the neat links between desires, actions, and identities conceived in secular imaginaries. In resisting sex, Muslim students transcend the binaries of repression and liberation, the sexual and the spiritual. 

***

Given that most Muslim communities in the US disapprove of sexual relations before marriage, many Muslim students never have the opportunity to explore their sexuality—until they enter college. (I have obscured the identities of the students who spoke with me for this piece, for obvious reasons.) 

“The parental oversight is gone, you’re living in mixed-gender dorms, you have hormones raging inside you—it’s hard not to be tempted,” admitted Maryam. “You have freedom like you never had before.” 

For international students coming in from Muslim-majority countries, the contrast is dramatic. “There are literally no restrictions here,” reflected Wakeel, a graduate student. “Anyone can be in anyone’s room at any time. In my country, miles separated the gender-segregated hostels, and students attempting to cross the distance faced disciplinary action.” 

With logistical ease come the ideological challenges that make college life harder for Muslim students wishing to adhere to Islamic limitations on premarital sex. Many residential universities require all incoming students to attend safe-sex sessions. According to Sana, a sophomore at an Ivy League university, the takeaway is clear. “If you want to have sex—and who doesn’t!—only two concerns matter: one, is it consensual, and two, is it safe? Nothing else matters,” she said. “These lessons soften the moral question of premarital sex, so it starts to become more like an Islam problem than an ethical one.” 

Perhaps the biggest temptation is the pervasive party culture across campuses. For Muslims going to places renowned as “party schools,” the challenges are even harder. 

“When all your friends—including some Muslim friends—are going out every Thursday and Saturday night to have some fun, sooner or later there comes a point when the FOMO hits you hard,” said Zeeshan. 

He invoked a narrative that recurred frequently in my conversations: the story of Prophet Yusuf (the biblical Joseph). In one of the most evocative scenes in the Quran, a young, dashing Yusuf finds himself alone with the beautiful wife of the minister who purchased him. She locks all the doors before inviting him: “Haita lak (come on).” To some students, the cool breeze blowing across campus on party nights still carries that faint but unmistakable echo: Haita lak.  

***

Haita lak – [PC: Saif71 (unsplash)]

“I could avoid going to a party on campus—I’d just steer clear of the street where I knew there was trouble,” shared Ayhan, who graduated last year. “The bigger problem was when the dorm next door would have a party, and I’d get a text from my neighbor: Hey come over. It’s hard to say no because they know you’re in the room and they know you’re not doing problem sets Friday night at 9 pm.” 

Saying no can be a particularly thorny issue because some Muslim college students do attend parties—and have sex. Zahra, a junior, attends a large public school in which fraternities host events “where the entire point is to get drunk and get laid.” Invoking her Muslim identity to turn down these events is hard because there are other students—Muslims—who do attend such events. 

“I’m then in the awkward position of saying ‘sorry, I can’t come because Islam prohibits these,’ which indirectly sounds like I’m holier-than-them,” she said. 

But if she believes that Islam does prohibit sexual interactions outside marriage, isn’t that an accurate judgment? Zahra disagrees. 

“Look. There could be someone who goes to these events and commits many haram acts but is still dearer to God than me. ‘He knows better who is more guided’, the Quran tells us. So only God can judge individuals. But I can judge actions, because the same Quran has established a clear moral compass to distinguish between the permissible and the prohibited.” 

In practice, however, judgments are hard to avoid, and expressing one’s feelings, even to other Muslims, can be difficult. Muhammad grew up in a conservative Muslim-majority country, where religious gatherings—and many other public spaces—were segregated by gender. He was told that this promotes modesty. But even same-sex spaces can have their temptations.

“In my all-boys madrasa, there were one or two guys who I just couldn’t stop staring at,” recalled Muhammad. I would get goosebumps when they spoke to me or when our hands met. I couldn’t understand these feelings; they thrilled and frightened me.” 

Confused, Muhammad began frequenting a larger madrasa nearby, where many students lived on campus. The scholars there would openly warn against the temptations that other young boys could arouse—hence the madrasa’s policy, for instance, of prohibiting two students from sleeping under the same blanket. 

“I realized now that my own feelings were nothing unnatural but simply one version of the different trials through which Allah tests His slaves,” reflected Muhammad. “The temptations remained, but since they were acknowledged as temptations, I was able to better deal with them.” 

But when Muhammad came to the US for the first time as a college student, he experienced a shock. He shared his struggles with same-sex desires with some Muslim friends, at which “one of them jumped back, gasping ‘You’re gay!’” 

Here was Muhammad’s first introduction to the sexual culture of the US. 

“It’s a strange culture, where your feelings define your very being,” he said. “Unfortunately, Muslims are affected by such ideas too, so that the moment they hear you have certain desires, they put a label on you. And if you refuse that label, they think you’re closeted or something.”

Muhammad eventually found solace through an online support group. But his first few years of college life tested him to the brink, as he recalled:  “So many guys and girls around me were exploring their sexuality, and there were times when I wondered if I would get through with my chastity intact.”

For Muhammad, as for many of his peers, being in college is a bit like being Yusuf in the house of the minister: hearing the same invitation, facing a similar challenge—mustering the strength to refuse the call. 

***

How does one deal with powerful sexual desires without fulfilling them? For some students, the necessity of exercising caution in entering physical relationships comes from observing those who, as they perceive it, don’t. 

“You hear so many girls in physical relationships complaining about an overwhelming emotional emptiness, about feeling neglected and used,” said Fatima, a member of a peer counseling team on campus. “Even as you support them, you feel grateful that Islam protects you from such relationships.” 

To Ahmed, who admitted being envious of his friends in high school who were dating and pursuing romantic relationships, the experience of living with some of them as roommates brought a realization: “You know what, these guys aren’t actually happier than I am; in fact, many of them are pretty miserable!” 

Other students commit to avoiding intimacy in hopes of what they see as a more wholesome relationship in the future—marriage. “I strive to ensure I don’t do anything that I wouldn’t want my future spouse to have done,” was an ambition frequently echoed, as was the related goal of keeping oneself “pure” for the “one.” According to a Muslim chaplain at one Ivy League institution, this reasoning is particularly salient among Muslim men who are all too aware of the double standards that Muslim (and non-Muslim) communities have generally applied to male sexual relations as compared to female.

And the double standards are certainly prevalent. Most American Muslim families and communities avoid discussing female sexual desires, focusing on general discussions of modesty and “virtue.” The latter can sometimes be taken to unhealthy extremes, according to Rachel, a graduate from a college in NYC. 

“I had roommates who had boyfriends who would spend the night at our dorm,” she said. “I had a burning desire to explore that [sexual] side too. But I had so much fear. It was drilled into me that, if I sinned, my future husband would find out; I would be divorced, my life ruined, my family humiliated. I just wish someone had acknowledged my desires positively, or at least reminded me that no amount of past sins are greater than Allah’s Mercy.”

Even amongst her friends, noted Nura, a graduate from an elite private institution, female sexual desires could be taboo. Though some of her Muslima friends openly discussed strategies like running on a treadmill to cope with intense feelings, others shied away from any mention of them—even if it pertained to religious teachings. 

To illustrate, Nura recalled a time when she and some friends made wudu (a ritual washing of the hands, face, and feet; which is a prerequisite to performing the five daily prayers mandated on Muslims). On their way to the multi-faith prayer room on campus, one of them met a male friend and they hugged. She then asked the other girls to return to the bathroom so she could make wudu again. Nura was surprised for, per her understanding of Islam, nothing had transpired that would break the wudu. Her friend explained that Nura’s knowledge was correct according to the school of Islamic jurisprudence followed by Nura. However, the friend’s family had raised her in a different school which considers the wudu void if you touch a na-mahram, a person from the opposite gender (such as a friend or cousin) who you could legally marry. 

Upon hearing this, another girl rejoined that, actually, the wudu is void only if the touch arouses an intense bout of passion accompanied by fluid discharge. Controversy ensued.

“The other friends who were with us suddenly became visibly agitated and exclaimed that we shouldn’t be talking about such shameful things,” Nura recalled. “But the Quran itself mentions female desire!” 

***

The open acknowledgment of sexual desires in the Quranic account of Yusuf surprises some modern Muslims—the discussion appears to them a bit too explicit, perhaps even erotic. For centuries, however, Muslims across the world have celebrated the narrative, versifying it in poetry and illustrating it in manuscripts. This is partly because these Muslims recognized—as do many Muslim students today with whom I spoke—that powerful desires are a gateway to God.

Resistance through worship [PC: Ashkan Forouzani (unsplash)]

“In resisting his desires, Prophet Yusuf became closer to Allah ,” reflected one student. “Living on a campus with all these temptations is likewise an opportunity for me to get closer to God. But like Prophet Yusuf , I must be humble. When faced with the seductive offer, he sought refuge in Allah —and then ran to the door. So I have to ensure that even as I’m seeking Allah’s help, I also don’t put myself in spaces that I know are seductive.”

For Siddiq, the relationship between desire and spiritual growth was revealed during his sophomore year. Infatuated with a fellow Muslim student, he experienced heartbreak when she chose to remain his sister-in-faith. The experience, however, transformed him. 

“Until that moment, I had never tasted true love—love as an obsession, where you can only see this one person and everything else ceases to be visible, even to exist, [where] all that matters is to speak with her, to be near to her,” he recalled. “This, I realized, is a glimpse of how the lovers of Allah see Him,” he said. 

In terms of the Muslim profession of faith, La ilaha illa Allah (No god but Allah ), Siddiq now had experiential knowledge of that first negation: la. 

In his struggles with same-sex desires, Muhammad, too, has reached the conclusion that unfulfilled desires can lead to God. The way he sees it, “this world was never meant to be a place of ultimate fulfillment.” When Prophet Musa (Moses), out of his overwhelming love for God, desired to see Him, God replied: “You cannot see Me.” According to the reported sayings of Prophet Muhammad , the ultimate blessing in Paradise will be to gaze at God.

“This life, however, is not— cannot—be the place where the veils are lifted between the lover and the beloved,” said Muhammad. “So I strive to channel my insatiable feelings toward getting closer to Him, hoping for union in the next life. It’s not a solution for everyone, certainly, and it doesn’t always work for me, But it gives me strength, at times, and hope.”

Even to those students whose desires may find a permissible outlet in this world, the spiritual is not out of sight. For Urooj, fantasies of a fulsome sexual relationship after marriage are made more meaningful in spiritual terms: “The pleasure of sexual intimacy is a taste of the flavors of Paradise, according to our scholars. It’s something to enjoy together with one’s spouse, so that both may be grateful for the blessing bestowed by Allah .” 

Thinking about marriage has also transformed the very meaning of sexual intimacy for some Muslim students. Witnessing what he saw as the strained, sometimes broken, marital bonds of some of his close friends, Ahmed felt his rosy image of marriage wilting—until he spent time with what he described as more stable Muslim families. The peace and meaning he experienced in their homes alerted him to a new way of conceiving sex. 

“I realized that, in Islam, sexual intimacy is situated within a wider cosmic space of a much deeper relationship,” he said. “In contrast, for some of my friends who were sleeping around in college, the act had lost meaning. It seemed that they felt a post-climactic emptiness, like you feel after a binge watch, or when you devour a lot of dessert. On the other hand, these Muslim couples—even though they too would fight and quarrel—seemed to be basking in the pleasure, close to each other, closer to God.”

For Aysha, the realization that your relationship with your spouse could be a metaphor for your relationship with God came through reading: “I was perusing a 17th-century text on Islamic mysticism and came across the line: ‘does not every lover desire to be near their beloved in the darkness of night?’ I thought the author was describing marriage—he was talking about tahajjud (the voluntary night prayers).”

The seductive echoes of haita lak are thus not the only ones reverberating through the campus air; the morning breeze also rings with hayya ala al-salat (come to prayer), hayya ala al-falah (come to success)—the words of the azan recited in mosques across the US. To some, the two calls can often be heard simultaneously. Together, they symbolize the temptations and aspirations that college life presents for many Muslim students in America.

Related:

– Modesty And Gender In Islam: A Reconciliation

– A Statement From Straight Struggle Muslims

– How University Made Me a Better Muslim

The post Beyond Repression: Muslim Sexuality On Campus appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

As Muslims, we have full certainty that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him was the best of mankind, and we strive to be more like him through our actions and character. There is a

he way Muslim men are negatively perceived by non-Muslims has been antithetical to how Muslim men really are, especially when considering those who closely follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad . Muslim men who look up to the Prophet for guidance in character are not seen for who they truly are. They have been dehumanized and deemed as aggressive and oppressive for decades, but those who strive to truly encompass the character of the Prophet exemplify caring, gentle, and humane character.

A perfect representation of this would be the Muslim men in Gaza, where 98-99 percent of the population are Muslims (Central Intelligence Agency, 2023). Just recently, there has been a fairly slow shift in the way Muslim men are perceived due to the men in Gaza changing the notion of who Muslim men are as a result of what is happening in Palestine. There are many lessons we can learn from them as they show us what it means to be human and what it means to sincerely care about the well-being of others. 

Prophetic Qualities

The men in Gaza have taught the world what love and deep care for others look like. The attributes that the following examples provide from the Muslim men in Gaza similarly reflect the virtues and distinct characteristics found in Prophet Muhammad . In Gaza, there is the man who cradles his martyred baby as he writes “my heart…my moon, my life. I love you, my darling. You’re my heart and my pulse” on the shroud of his wife. This man’s love for his wife resembles the love Prophet Muhammad had for his wife Khadija. As they both mourn their wives, they express deep and sincere affection for them.

Another example is the grandfather who kisses his martyred granddaughter’s eyes and beautifully calls her “the soul of my soul.” The same grandfather kisses a little girl’s amputated leg and provides her with words of comfort. This man’s love for his granddaughter resembles the love Prophet Muhammad had for his grandsons and his kindness towards children resembles the kindness of Prophet Muhammad .

There are the doctors who grieve their own martyred family members as they take care of those who survived the same airstrikes. There are the doctors who refuse to leave critically ill infants behind even though it puts their lives in danger. There are the doctors who hold orphaned children and care for them like their own children. There is the paramedic who holds back tears as he plays with a baby saved from the rubble. These medical workers who care for babies and orphans resemble the way Prophet Muhammad used to care for orphans and would ask his Companions to protect them and to treat them well.

These actions do not go unnoticed by Allah . There is great reward for these people as the Prophet said

“I and the guardian of the orphan will be in the Garden like that (indicating with his forefinger and middle finger).” [Sahih (Al-Albani)]

There are the journalists who among their documentation of what is happening in Gaza are found caring for injured infants. There are the men who are digging through the rubble with their bare hands to save people regardless of what little strength they have. There are the men who are starving to make sure those around them have enough to eat. A reminder that the Prophet also said “the best of you are those who feed others.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 6236]

These are just a few stories from the many heroic examples of the men in Gaza. Even though they themselves are dealing with unfathomable circumstances, they exemplify incomprehensible resilience, love, and protection for others. 

Calling Upon Allah

Men in Gaza have not only taught us what love and deep care for others look like, but they have also shown us what true belief, remembrance, and reliance on Allah looks like. There are the men who encourage others to praise Allah amidst their grief. A reminder of the hadith reported by Ibn Abbas in which Prophet Muhammad said that “the first to be called to Paradise are those who always praised Allah in times of prosperity and adversity.” There are the injured men who spend their time reflecting on the words of the Quran. There are the men who call out “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we will return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it with something better than it.” This is a reminder of the hadith reported by Umm Salamah in which Prophet Muhammad said that

“No Muslim is afflicted with a calamity but that he should say what Allah has commanded him [” We belong to God and to Him do we return; O God, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it,”]…If he does so, Allah will replace it with something better.”

There are the men who consistently recite “Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best disposer of affairs” [Surah ‘Ali ‘Imran: 3:173] and those who consistently repeat “there is no might and no power except by Allah.” A reminder of the hadith reported by Abu Huraira in which Prophet Muhammad said

“Be frequent in saying ‘la hawla wala quwwata illa billah’ (there is no might and no power except by Allah). For verily, it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise.” [Sahih Muslim]

While we can never comprehend the level of faith the Muslim men in Gaza have exemplified, we can clearly see the strength their faith brings them. 

Lessons From Gaza

The men in Gaza are slowly shifting the narrative of who Muslim men are as the world observes them gracefully implementing characteristics found in Prophet Muhammad . As mentioned earlier, there are many lessons we can learn from the men in Gaza as they show us what it means to be human and what it means to sincerely care about others. They have reminded us to put others before ourselves in the most dignified way. They have shown us what it means to have faith and full conviction in the decree of Allah regardless of the situation we are in. They have reminded us how important it is to rely on our faith in times of extreme suffering and how our faith helps us cope with extreme grief and unfathomable pain. They have taught us to unapologetically care for and protect one another. The Muslim men in Gaza are continuing to remind us all, Muslims and non-Muslims, of what it means to be human and what it means to sincerely care about others.

May Allah grant the people of Palestine relief, may Allah accept their martyrs, and may Allah grant them full liberation. Ameen. 

Related:

– Podcast: Muslim Fatherhood & Masculinity Beyond the Manosphere | Sh Mohammad Elshinawy

– 6 Quranic Reflections On The Current Situation In Palestine

The post Prophetic Lessons From The Muslim Men In Gaza appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

The post A Statement From Straight Struggle Muslims appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

There is a chance for some family members to visit their loved ones at the hospital, but visitation restrictions might not make it possible for all loved ones to be together. These restrictions make it harder to celebrate Eid—even for family members remaining at home—because of how the family ends up more split. Patients at the hospital may also have dietary restrictions and may also face requirements only to wear hospital gowns. The act of dressing up for Eid is how a lot get into the Eid spirit that to take this out of the equation is as if one is not taking part in the Eid experience.

Eid is meant to be experienced by all Muslims, whether facing hospitalization or not. However, families facing hospitalization deserve care from the community during this time. Care from the community toward families facing hospitalization during Eid will ultimately support them in getting into the Eid spirit.

Below are 3 potential ways to extend care to families facing hospitalization during Eid:

1. Drop Eid meals at their homes the night before

Eid is the time to celebrate, and a way to celebrate is to cook various food even if more food is not needed. Leftover food from Eid tends to help extend the Eid celebratory spirit because food for Eid lasts for days. It is a way to mark a special occasion and have our favorites. Patients might face dietary restrictions, so it helps to know in advance what they can and cannot eat.

Knowing any food allergies within the family is generally helpful, too. If patients cannot eat, dropping food for the family is still a form of support. Primary carers within the family that go to the hospital daily are usually stretched thin, and many might not have the chance to cook. Dropping off food will ease the minds of carers and also ensure that they are taken care of, too. If the patient happens to be young, actively try to find out if they have siblings at home, and find out their favorite meals. This would make them happy even if they are momentarily upset about having their sibling and their parent as the carer away.

It would help to drop off Eid meals the night before because primary carers within the family might rush to the hospital early morning. Dropping off meals the night before allows primary carers to have a bite before leaving home. It gives them a chance to feel that Eid spirit and celebrate. It is also always a good feeling for the remaining family members at home to wake up to a table with Eid food ready. This can help family members left behind feel the Eid spirit.

It helps to communicate with fellow community members in advance on a system of dropping off food even after Eid. The communication of a system between members of the community ensures that there would not be too much food or even less. We as a community need to develop this habit of dropping food throughout the year for families dealing with hospitalization, especially during Ramadan, because this is how we can extend our support and care.

The chance to taste food from different community members allows one to be part of the Eid experience as a community, even if having to be away at the hospital. Patients also feel reassured once knowing that their loved ones are also looked after. This would ultimately aid their recovery, and through Allah’s permission, help them return home for the next Eid.

2. Ask carers how to help ease daily responsibilities—shift away from mere offers

It is very natural for primary carers to say that they do not need food or help once support is offered. This is because they do not want to be obliged or cause anyone to feel like they are put in difficulty. A lot of the time, primary carers are barely keeping it together and are deserving of caring support. They need to be looked after too, and need to be put at ease.

Patients at the hospital might also feel distressed when knowing that their loved ones do not have support. This ultimately impacts their health. It would, therefore, be helpful to ask carers how to help ease—and support—daily responsibilities.

The act of asking how to ease automatically does not make it an offer statement but rather a means to find solutions. It puts carers in the position of sharing how to ease their daily lives. If a carer does not open up on the first attempt, there is a chance they will on the second attempt. There is a higher chance of this occurring if it is stated that they are deserving of care and support, too, and it is our responsibility as Muslims. The act of asking how to ease daily responsibilities also allows us to understand and respect any boundaries carers might have. It helps understand their needs.

There might be responsibilities on Eid day that might be difficult for carers to fulfill, that knowing this in advance would put them at ease. If they usually have Eid traditions, especially towards children and family members, then see how to fulfill them. If hospitals allow more visitors, then enquire if the patient is comfortable with more visitors, so that carers can momentarily go home and rest. Reassure patients that they have the right to say no to any more visitors. The focus needs to be on how to grant more ease. It is harder to get into the Eid spirit when there are many hardships that finding forms of ease is the solution for families facing hospitalization.

3. Prepare gifts from the community for hospitalized patients

The best way to help patients get into the Eid spirit—especially if they face visiting and dietary restrictions—is to prepare gifts for them from the community. This could be flowers, a card containing messages from different people, or even video recordings to show how they are not
forgotten. This is a chance for patients to not only know, but feel, that it is Eid. It allows them to be part of the Eid experience. It is a way to let them know that they are loved and could also aid their recovery.

The hospital staff—if non-Muslims—would also know that this day is different compared to other days. Letting healthcare staff know that it is Eid, and what it means, would also give them a chance to help the patient celebrate Eid with them. Eid is meant to be experienced as a community. The hospital healthcare staff can be part of our community. The setting of a hospital can still be turned into a place where celebrations occur just by dropping off gifts for patients to receive. It may not be the ideal environment, but it is an environment deserving of continuous care, especially on celebratory days like Eid.

May all families facing hospitalization be given ease, and may all our family members be given the best of health to have many Eids beyond hospital walls. Ameen.

Related:

• Laylatul Qadr For The Busy Caregiver – MuslimMatters.org
• Overcoming Guilt On Eid During Turbulent Times  – MuslimMatters.org

The post Eid Is A Celebration For All: Caring For Families Facing Hospitalization During Eid appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

In this third part of the Dirty Da’wah series, I explore problematic trends in our online outreach to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Click here to read Part 1- Insulting in the name of Islam, or Part 2 – “Satisfying” Revenge In The Name of Islam.

And Now, To Dive In

Alex Jones is a right-wing radio host whose fame has been built on conspiracy theories and outrageous accusations. When the yogurt company Chobani began hiring refugees from Afghanistan and Syria, he accused them of “importing migrant rapists.”

He accused Hillary Clinton of operating a child sex ring below a pizzeria (PizzaGate) and created mass hysteria by “alerting” the residents of Texas to an imminent invasion by the US military – operation Jade Helm.

“This is sensational news, Texas is listed in red as a hostile sector…I told ya, I’m deep behind enemy lines folks. I mean this—we are listed as a hostile sector, they’re having Delta Force, Navy SEALS, with the Army, train to basically take over. This is over the top.” [source]

The hysteria became so widespread that the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, sent the Texas State Guard to monitor the exercises conducted by the US military, as a sort of ‘just in case.’

Alex Jones was most recently in the news for being ordered to pay nearly one billion dollars to the families of those killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He had been alleging that the shooting was another hoax, and that the “victims” and their “families” were actors. Twenty six people were killed, many of whom were elementary school children.

So what does this have to do with the Muslim community? It’s all big business in the industry of Manufactured Outrage.

On Outrage – Artificial vs. Organic

This really is a case where it’s better to go with organic. Good old natural outrage isn’t a problem. A certain amount of anger for the sake of Allah isn’t just permissible, it’s expected as a decent human. The Messenger of Allah said,

“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” [Sahih Muslim]

Not only is righteous outrage a natural response to the outrageous, it’s also a force of positive social change.

When 14 year old Emmett Till was brutally murdered,  his death “pushed many who had been content to stay on the sidelines directly into the fight” for civil rights. ¹ A photograph of Emmett’s mother standing beside the open casket of her son’s mutilated body was deemed to be one of the”100 most influential images of all time.²” by Time magazine.

Publications like What Has Happened to Me  and Guantanamo Voices tell stories that appeal to the righteous outrage we feel when a grave injustice has occurred.  How we respond to this grave injustice -or not- says as much about us as a society as it does individually.

“Of course, there is a good reason we feel an obligation to feel and express outrage: We assume it is a reliable force for social change. The absence of outrage in the face of the outrageous reflects a cowardly quietism, resignation, or apathy.” Professor Richard Thomson Ford. “The Outrage-Industrial Complex” Stanford School of Law

Righteous outrage, the kind that results from true injustice, spurs us to take positive action to rectify a wrong. It is a commendable and universal human response, and that is why manufactured outrage works so hard to impersonate it. Where righteous anger demands a response to factually established wrong, manufactured outrage demands action for a wrong that is established through misinterpretation, misinformation, or misrepresentation.

Also referred to as outrage porn, manufactured outrage refers to any media designed to evoke a strong backlash, particularly for the sake of getting online traffic. Politicians use the anger they incite to rile up supporters, or claim the moral high ground in order to tar their opponents. On slow news days, media outlets use it to inflate minor occurrences into major stories.

“The ubiquitous outrage of today is a perversion of this American custom of politics-as-entertainment: Now, instead of reflecting sincere and mature political engagement, conspicuous outrage takes the place of it.” Professor Richard Thomson Ford. “The Outrage-Industrial Complex” Stanford School of Law

Conflation And Conflict

Compared to plain old lying, outrage media is harder to dispute because it is built on a grain of truth that is then deliberately misinterpreted. That is why its purveyors are able to present the “evidence” that lends legitimacy to their claims. It’s like a wolf wearing what was part of a sheep, but no longer qualifies as one.

It makes things even harder when the wolf in sheep’s skin grows a beard, wears a kufi, and uses the defense of Islam to deter disagreement. It’s a bit of a hostage situation, where people are discouraged from disagreement for fear of attacking Islam.

Conflating the sanctity of their opinion with the sanctity of Islam itself, videos like these can be hard to disprove without a depth of Islamic study not available to your standard Muslim viewer.  Or, without taking a deep-dive into some of the nuanced topics so often misrepresented in over-simplified ways, and who has time for that?

There are many, many ways that this distortion is happening in the Muslim media, and in the next few installments of this series of Dirty Da’wah, I’ll be sharing a few specific examples. I will not be sharing the channel names or identifying information about the Muslim da’ees who are making the errors I discuss. For a full explanation of why, please see the disclaimer in Dirty Dawah [Part 1] Insult in the Name of Islam.

Dirty Da’wah [Part 1] – Insult In The Name Of Islam

Misrepresentation: Sisters On The Verge Of Kufr?

There are a number of videos in which Muslim influencers dishonestly rebuke other Muslims for things taken out of context, either through cherry picking, creative editing, or some other form of misrepresentation. 

For this section, I will be discussing an actual case of misrepresentation where a number of videos have been made ridiculing and criticizing the content of another da’wah channel.

This begins with two da’ees reacting to a video in which a group of Muslim women discuss the abuses that happen when polygamy is practiced improperly. The influencers begin their reaction three minutes after the source video begins, while one of the female hosts is in mid-sentence. She is heard to say, 

Sister 2: “- the environment around polygamy and what happens in the aftermath of it is really toxic and judgey and negative. There’s a lot of pressure to react in a certain way, there’s a lot of pressure to uh, accept that being like the automatic position. Like if you’re a Muslim you accept what God allows, so why are you struggling? Like what’s wrong with you? It’s bringing your faith into question and you’re – I hear it over and over, I want- I love Allah, I love this faith, this is something that Allah subhanallah wa ta’ala allowed, why is it breaking me? And I think that that’s what I want to talk about today.” 

Sister 3: “So women are questioning themselves? Questioning their level of faith because it is something breaking them? Is that being the experience that you’ve had with people that you’ve spoken to and worked with?”

Sister 2: “I think that it’s an opportunity to put a wedge between a woman and Allah subhanuhu wa ta’ala if she thinks that it’s being positioned that Allah azzawajal allowed me to do this to you.” 

Sister 3: “So it’s like the spiritual abuse, when something’s going on to happen and then I say I have this God card that says I can do it to you, so if you have a problem with it, you have a problem with God.” 

The impression that the viewer could take from this clip is that the women are discussing polygamy without any further context, and thus they are suggesting that polygamy itself is a form of spiritual abuse. Here the clip of the sisters is cut, and one of the da’ees in the video provides a disclaimer:

Da’ee 1: “Just to be just yeah, before the video starts – because we don’t want the sisters to be like you didn’t put the beginning bit. In the beginning bit they make it very categorically clear that they do not have an issue with polygamy itself. It is from Allah, but when we watch the video, we’ve yet to see – they said they wanted to touch upon the way the polygamy is done the wrong way, so we’re going to see if they even touch up on that. Just to give that disclaimer they said that. Now going straight to this.”

Da’ee 2: “I think what she said is highly problematic, she is not giving an example of where there is a miscarriage of justice from the Islamic paradigm. She’s just talking plainly about polygamy as an institution or as a form of marriage that Islam allows.”

Da’ee 1: “It’s clearly in the pretext, not even in the subtext of what these women are saying that just basically engaging in this act itself [polygamy] is a kind of spiritual abuse.”

Da’ee  2: “Exactly. This is verging on kufr.” 

The two da’ees are correct in that if the sisters in the video actually been declaring a halal thing to be haram, they would have been committing a major sin.

“Do not falsely declare with your tongues, ‘This is lawful, and that is unlawful,’ ˹only˺ fabricating lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.” [Surah An-Nahl: 16;116]

Muslim scholars agree unanimously that only Allah has the right to legislate halal or haram through the Qur’an or through His Messenger . In his book The Lawful and The Prohibited in Islam, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi – one of the world’s leading scholars before he passed away this September – wrote,

“Nobody is allowed to forbid something that Allah has permitted. If he did so he would be exceeding the limits set by Allah and claiming to himself what is a divine attribute of Allah. Moreover, those who accept and follow this man-made legislation will also be held responsible.”

That is why, had the sisters in this video been declaring polygamy to be haram, a correction would absolutely be in order.  In spite of how this refutation is positioned, that isn’t actually the case.

The two da’ees in the refutation video began their critique by skipping the context that clearly explained the topic of the video, and thus contradicted the basis for their reaction in the first place. Here is what the sisters were actually saying, from the beginning of the original video, without any omissions.

Sister Da’ee 1: “First of all, it’s really important for me to say Allah ‘azzawajal has spoken on this and we are not here to discuss whether this is good, bad – Allah has spoken. Polygamy is permissible just as monogamy is permissible. Allah has made it halal and that is not what we’re bringing to the table. What we are bringing to the table when we discuss polygamy is how it is done, the effect that it has on individuals as a result of how it is executed and yeah- that’s what we’re going to bring to the table, Bismillah.

Sister Da’ee 2: “So you started, we’re talking about execution and how it’s being done, not the principle in our faith. Um, because that’s to avoid all of this “it’s allowed, it’s not-“ we’re not talking about that. Um, so execution – how is this being done? What are the effects it has? It’s not being done right. It’s a big issue. By the vast majority it’s a big issue, because there are cases where it works, there are cases where people choose this, there are cases where all of the positives are there, but that’s not what we’re discussing. We’re discussing where it’s an issue, where it’s to where it’s detrimental.

“Um, and obviously we’re talking about the position. I think you can’t escape a related kind of issue, which is the issue of secret marriages, they’re kind of hand in hand in the way it’s being done. So you have the case of a woman who has been married for x number of years, has children or doesn’t, and for whatever reason her husband has remarried in some cases they know, and in some cases he tells her this is what I’m going to do, and in other cases it’s done in secret where she will find out after the fact in short period of time, or well after the fact. And what this does to her, I think in the cases that I’ve seen and worked with in my own life experience, the environment around polygamy and what happens in the aftermath of it is really toxic.”

And here, in the final half the last sentence is where the critique begins, deprived of context and the emphatic confirmation that polygamy is halal and that its permissibility was not up for discussion.  

“When a person calls his brother (in Islam) a disbeliever (kafir), one of them will certainly deserve the title. If the addressee is so as he has asserted, the disbelief of the man is confirmed, but if it is untrue, then it will revert to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

In the spirit of husne-zhann, in which we give others the benefit of the doubt, we can try to suggest that the two brothers somehow missed the entire point of what the sisters in the video were saying, and that their entire critique was a misunderstanding.

If that were the case, could the brothers not have communicated with the sisters directly and respectfully through any of their da’wah channel’s many social media accounts? (Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? YouTube?)

And if we assume the brothers to be making a genuine mistake, how do we explain why they did not take the video down when Muslim viewers pointed the discrepancy out in the comments?

When a Muslim makes a mistake, it is their job to repent, and if their mistake involves another person or party, it’s their job to apologize directly to them and make amends. 

If we are to assume an honest mistake, then we can look forward to the video being removed, and the two influencers replacing it with an apology and an explanation of what went wrong as soon as they found out. Over three months and 200k views later, we have yet to see one.

Rather than an honest representation, a private conversation, admission of error, or public retraction, in Dirty Da’wah like this is a pattern of criticism, refutation, and a toxic culture of reaction videos, as well as the subsequent reactions, reactions to the reactions, and the rebuttals to the reactions that have been reacted to. And a special mention must be made here, where that pattern is directed against Muslim women. 

Competing In The Sport Of Public Spectacle

When da’wah channels intentionally misrepresent information in order to refute, it’s hard to see the effort as sincere. It’s even harder when they double down on the misrepresentation and fail to correct it or apologize for it.

When videos like these stay online, we have to wonder who they are meant to benefit. With other da’ees being insulted, and Muslim viewers being misled, what exactly does content like this improve?

The bottom line.

“According to a variety of sources, YouTubers can make anywhere between $0.01 to $0.03 per view with AdSense, with an average of $0.18 per view.”  [Source]

Without paid sponsors or promotions, YouYubers make between 3$ to 5$ per 1000 views. When they allow Adsense to run on their videos, they can make $18 dollars per thousand views. Further revenue can also be generated through paid video sponsors, endorsements, and those prices depend on the amount of clout these platforms bring to the negotiating table.

Because platforms like YouTube incentive popularity (not accuracy), our religious outreach has fallen into the same popularity contest that news media has. In order to successfully compete for our attention – and thus, ad revenue – da’ees one-up each other in the quest for the most shocking, most infuriating, and most outrageous videos possible.

“News and media outlets know that headlines attract readers, so they use this to their advantage. Often times headlines feature an over-exaggerated display of events. With the right wording, the most mundane thing can be blown out of proportion.” – Rylan Vanacore, RIT Reporter

“Ideally we should be fulfilling the expectations we have of da’wah to begin with – good akhlaaq, and respect for one another,” says writer and activist Zainab Bint Younus, who has been involved in online da’wah for the past 16 years. “Instead, we get swearing, threats, and personal attacks.” 

“Public trolling is a threat used against Muslim women. I know plenty of Muslim women – Shaykhas and activists, who have had to retreat from the internet and public life or avoid talking about certain things because they know they will be harassed and attacked. They have people threatening their homes and families. This effectively pushes aside female da’wah/ scholarly participation, which in turn reinforces some of our community’s worst habits and patterns of disrespecting and even harming women.” 

The Cost The Muslim Community Pays

The net effect of sensationalized, misrepresented, and artificially inflated “controversies” like these is:

• The creation of conflict between da’ees, influencers, and scholars.
• Infighting between the respective viewers/subscribers at odds with each other.
• The discrediting of Muslim scholarship and institutions.
• The tainting of truth with the lies of intellectual dishonesty and sensationalism.

The Prophet reinforced the requirement of good manners and gentle speech – not only in da’wah, but in our lives as Muslim as a whole – in many, many ahadith. When Muslim influencers turn a dishonest spotlight of criticism onto other Islamic content, they set a combative tone for how others engage with the channels, scholars, and leaders targeted.

It’s hard to see this as good for the community, and harder to see “da’wah” like this as a good deed. Ibn Taymiyyah wrote in Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah, that:

“Likewise in responding to the people of innovation among rejectors and others, if its intention is not to clarify the truth, guide the creation, and offer them mercy and goodness, then it is not a righteous deed.

If he is harsh in condemning innovation and disobedience, his intention should be to clarify what is in them of corruption and to warn the servants of Allah, as in the texts (verses) of warning and others. A man may be boycotted as a discretionary punishment, and the objective of that is to deter him and those like him as an act of mercy and goodness, not as revenge and vengeance.”

While defending Islam is the responsibility of every Muslim, it cannot be separated from how Islam instructs us to do so: with sincerity, good manners, and the well-being of the other person in mind. Content that creates controversy to direct traffic through public anger isn’t actual refutation. It’s a lie, and what some da’ees gain from manufactured outrage, the Muslim community loses.

Part 4 of this Dirty Da’wah series is coming soon to a MuslimMatters near you.

The post Dirty Da’wah [Part 3] – “The Infuriating” | Manufacturing Muslim Outrage appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

A Neglected Prophetic Practice

Step-parenting is a neglected Prophetic practice, and unfortunately most men prefer to marry a woman who doesn’t have children. Likewise, there is scarce information or resources online on the importance of being a stepparent in Islam. In this brief article I wish to share some reflections on what I have learned as a stepparent, as I talk about the legacy of my stepson Ty.

Stepping Up To The Plate

Approximately five years ago, in January 2018, I shared the following quote on social media regarding my step-parenting journey:

“It takes a strong man to accept somebody else’s children and step up to the plate another man left on the table.” -Ray Johnson

I then wrote, “We need to step up to the plate and become stepfathers to children (boys and girls alike) that do not have positive father figures in their lives, and make a difference in their lives just as the Prophet Muhammad did with his stepchildren such as Umar Ibn Abi Salamah . I am trying to do the same with my stepchildren.”

The Best Example

The Prophet Muhammad was the best of examples in all aspects of life, and was a model on how to be a good stepfather. One of the wisdoms behind the Prophet’s marriage to Umm Salamah was to teach all of us how to treat and raise stepchildren. Umm Salamah had four children from a previous marriage before she married the Prophet . When the Prophet asked for her hand in marriage, she reminded him that she had children from a previous marriage and implied that this could potentially be an obstacle for her in getting married. In a beautiful manner, he reassured her that her children would be taken care of and all their needs would be met.¹ Thereafter, he proceeded to practically teach and serve as a role model to those children.

The Parenting, Love, And Discipline Of A Father 

We are living in an era where there is a severe shortage of fathers who are actively involved in the lives of their children and there are millions of fatherless children throughout the world. There are many articles, books, research studies, and lectures on this subject.

Unfortunately, this is also becoming very common in Muslim communities in the West in which there are thousands of single mothers raising children on their own.

Children who grow up without a father in their lives experience great adversity, are much more likely to engage in risky behavior, make bad decisions, and feel the loss and void of not having a father for their entire lives. We can hear the pain in Tupac’s voice when talking about the absence of a father in his life. Sadly, he speaks for millions worldwide:

“Now, ain’t nobody tell us it was fair.

No love from my daddy, ’cause the coward wasn’t there.

They say I’m wrong and I’m heartless, but all along

I was looking for a father, he was gone.”

Unfortunately, Ty’s biological father chose not to play an active role in his life, and had an estranged relationship with him for his entire life. Ty rarely visited his father and had little communication with him. Ty felt this loss and expressed it on multiple occasions. I did my best to fill this void and to be a positive father figure in his life.

* * *

The Importance Of Teaching Stepchildren Good Manners And Islamic Values

Umar , the son of Umm Salamah mentioned above, said, “I was a young boy in the custody of the Messenger of Allah , and my hand used to roam around the plate of food. The Messenger of Allah said to me, ‘O young boy. Say the name of Allah before you begin eating, eat with your right hand, and eat from the food that is closest to you.’ This remained my eating habit for the rest of my life.”²

Stepchildren are like sponges and eager to learn goodness from their stepparents and emulate them. Ty was a young convert to Islam and did his best to grow as a Muslim and learn about his faith. Actions speak louder than words, and I did my best to be a living example of Islam in the family house. He observed me offering my prayers regularly at his house, and after some time requested to pray his salat along with me. He worked very hard to learn how to make wudhu (ablution). He memorized Surah Al-Fatihah and the words of the salat in Arabic. He even was eager to perform the salat at-tarawih with me in 20 rakats, but I told him that it would be too much for him. He wished to emulate me, and did his best to do what I did.

One day, Ty requested that I take him to the masjid for prayers when I went. I vividly remember taking him to the masjid for the very first time and the happiness and fulfillment that I felt at that moment. Ty had expressed the desire to follow the Prophetic practice and adopt an Islamic name. He specifically wanted an Arabic name that referred to a protector. He considered a name such as Hafeedh (preserver, protector), as he considered himself the protector of his mother, his special needs brother, and even his teachers. Unfortunately, he passed away before officially taking on his new name.

The Fruits Of Labor 

In any stepparent-stepchild relationship, it takes two hands to clap, so to speak. In other words, parent and child must work together to foster a positive relationship. During our 8-year relationship and until his death, I can say that Ty was a kind, compassionate, and loving stepson. He was the most loyal and considerate son to his mother that I have seen or heard about in my life. He spent his whole life serving his mother and protecting her as best as he could. The Prophet Muhammad said, “Paradise lies beneath the feet of the mother.”³ I truly believe that Allah will enter my stepson into Paradise on the basis of this alone.

I can also say with confidence that I was closer to Ty than his biological father, and that he considered me to be his real father. Ty would often confide to his mother that he trusted me over his biological father. Shaquille O’Neal expressed a similar sentiment when he spoke about stepfathers who were there when biological fathers were not, making reference to his own stepfather Sarge:

“Cause he was the one who took me from a boy to a man. So as far as I’m concerned, he’s my father ‘cause my biological (father) didn’t bother.”

Sharing Firsts And Memories

I watched Ty grow from the age of 10 to a mature young man. I was blessed to provide and share many firsts in Ty’s life and create many unique memories, including his first flight on a plane, his first trip outside the country, his first deep sea fishing trip, his first snorkeling trip, and more. We rode ATVs together at Pismo Beach, did water activities in the Florida Keys, went deep sea fishing in the Pacific Ocean -during which he caught his first lingcod-, went all-night laser tagging multiple times, bonded with my biological son, dined out at halal restaurants in Bangkok, and even teamed up to cook wagyu steaks for 50 imams. His mother observed that participating in these activities with other Muslim youth and watching my example helped Ty grow into a man and a Muslim.

It is challenging to develop a relationship with and love another person’s children like our own. We naturally and automatically love our biological children because they are a part of our own flesh. On the other hand, the love between a stepparent and stepchild is not automatic, and instead develops over time. Likewise, not all children are able to openly express their love or even show it, especially autistic children or children with special needs. Ty showed love to me in his own way and I felt truly loved by him. His love language was service to others, through which he showed love through his actions more so than his words. He was a great cook, and barbequed for us, for my friends, scholar colleagues, and his Muslim friends on multiple occasions.

In light of the Quran, the source of true happiness for a person is watching their wife and children worshiping and obeying Allah . Seeing my stepson performing salat, learning the Quran in Arabic, and doing his best to practice Islam, has been one of the most rewarding, happy, and fulfilling aspects of my life. Observing his growth as a Muslim, and his death as a Muslim, has made the entire journey of being a stepparent worth it.

* * *

What Ty Taught Me

Ty was an excellent teacher and taught me how to sympathize with and accommodate individuals with special needs. He was autistic and was the first person with autism who I had the opportunity to interact with extensively. During our wonderful time spent together, I learned a great deal about individuals with special needs, their challenges, and about autism in particular. As an imam, this has given me an important experience in understanding and accommodating individuals with special needs.

As a whole, Ty made me a better person. He taught me that the relationship with a stepchild can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as one with a biological child. Going through the challenges and struggles of being a stepparent has made me a better person, better husband, as well as better imam and community leader. I would do it all over again if I had the chance, and I thank Allah and Ty for giving me this opportunity for self-growth, spiritual fulfillment, and memories that will last a lifetime. I pray that Allah will reunite Ty and I in Paradise. Ameen.

Marrying A Woman With Children

Unfortunately, many Muslim men will completely write off women with children and will not even consider marrying them. When searching on apps and matrimonial websites, they will purposely exclude women with children from the search criteria. Worse yet, some will even stipulate to a woman that she has to get rid of her children if she wants to get married to them!

Likewise, many men have a strong preference for marrying virgin wives who have not previously been married, even if the men themselves have been married multiple times and are middle-aged. As a result, they overlook good, pious matches and excellent potential spouses just because they are divorcees with children. If everyone marries virgins, who marries the divorcees and who brings up the children? The Holy Prophet taught us by example in the choice of women who he married.

There are great rewards for da’wah or Islamic outreach, propagation, and missionary work. Many Muslims travel to teach Islam, visit prisons or foreign countries for this purpose. In doing so, we often forget the great opportunity for da’wah in our own community and country in being a stepfather and reviving this forgotten Prophetic practice. Being a stepparent is a lifetime da’wah as opposed to a one-time visit or a trip of a few days.

There is a desperate need in the community for stepparents and I recommend that mature Muslim men and women choose to become stepmothers or stepfathers. However, they should do this solely for the sake of Allah and having hope in the reward in the hereafter. Likewise, they should do their best to follow the Prophetic model. I also advise current stepmothers and stepfathers to persevere through the adversity and difficult times, place their full trust in Allah , and have faith that Allah will ultimately make things work out for them just as he did for me inshallah. There will definitely be a positive outcome for those who fear Allah .

The Legacy Of Ty Cascia 

In closing, I would like to share some lessons from the legacy of Ty that I pray will live on.

1. Please remember Ty in your prayers and ask Allah to show mercy on him and forgive him. Every single one of us is in need of prayers, especially when we pass away.
2. If Ty was alive and could give a message to all of us, he would tell us to care for, love, serve, and cherish our parents. In particular, he would advise us to give special care to our mothers. Ty’s life mission was caring for his mother and he did so as long as he was alive.
3. Lastly, I would request on behalf of Ty that more of us consider becoming step mothers and step fathers, and teach our stepchildren by example. If this article and Ty’s story is able to inspire or touch even one person to be a better son or daughter to their parents, then it has been successful. Likewise, if this inspires just one person to become a stepparent or motivates one stepparent to persevere, then it will all be worth it and Ty’s soul will be at peace.

Related reading:

–The Role of a Step-Parent

The Role of a Step-Parent

– Parenting Older Kids: Focusing On Success In The Deen

Parenting Older Kids: Focusing On Success In The Deen

The post The Forgotten Sunnah Of Raising Stepchildren: Reflections On The Death Of My Stepson appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

The issue is the celebration connected with definitive declarations such as, “The top G accepted Islam!” and, “He’ll bring real masculinity back into this Ummah!” The issue is some Muslim men viewing a man who domestic violence shelters described as “capable of radicalizing men and boys to commit harm offline,” as a paragon of manhood. The issue is the glorification of a personality – pre-Islam – associated with exploitation of women. The issue is expressing unfettered jubilation without nuancing, “inshAllah through Islam he can find the best form of reformation.” The issue is the celebration, without any acknowledgement of the ramifications that the celebration is of his messaging before.

The Prophetic Tradition of Honoring Women

The Prophet took a generation of men and women who were from a culture which buried their own baby girls alive, to a generation of men who honored women, and women who saw honor in themselves.

This mentorship started from infancy, even in the most sacred space. The Prophet used to pray while carrying his granddaughter Umāma, and when he prostrated he placed her down and when he got up he carried her. [Bukhari, Muslim] Ibn Hajar quotes the scholar Fakahani in explaining that the Prophet   did so to show them in action how to honor girls. [Fat’hul Bari].

The comprehensive change of a generation is summarized by Omar’s statement, “In the times of ignorance, we used to have no regard for women whatsoever. But when Islam came and Allah made mention of them, this caused us to realize that they have rights upon us…” [Bukhari] 

Revelation transformed a culture of violence, ownership, and objectification of women to one in which women and men are, as described by the Prophet , “partners” [Ahmad], and as the Quran describes, “allies” [Surat At-Tawbah: 9;71]

Islamic law and Islamic history have shown us the depth of care and critical participation of women, as established by the mentorship of the Prophet :

1.Spiritual space: Aishah narrates about a Mother of the Believers that she was in i’tikaaf with the Prophet “..and she was bleeding in between her periods. She used to see the blood and she would perhaps put a dish under her for the blood.” (This was the bleeding of istihaadha, not menses, which take different rulings for prayer.) [Bukhari] 

If a Mother of the Believers would go to the masjid in istihaadha, and because of not having today’s hygienic resources would put a tray under her to protect the masjid from her blood, but would still pray in the masjid – then what does that say about a woman’s access and connection to the house of God?

2. Intimacy: While there is a depth and breadth of discussion on the issue from a legal perspective, Ibn Taymiyyah’s words speak to a recognition of women’s needs even in spaces wrongfully considered taboo: “Causing harm to the wife by not having intercourse is grounds for annulment in all cases, whether the husband did that intentionally or otherwise, and whether he was able to do it or not; it is like maintenance and even more important.” [Fatawa alKubra]

How often have women been made to feel like sex is only for men, that being sexual beings is only for men? And yet Omar himself changed law on how long men could serve in the army when he overheard just one woman complain she was sexually lonely without her husband. [Ibn Qudamah, alMughni]

3. Scholarship: Women scholars played a critical role in Islamic history. Aisha, the daughter of the great companion Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, taught Imam Malik. Sayyid Nafisa, the great granddaughter of the Prophet himself, was the teacher of Imam alShafi. Karimah alMarwaziyyah, the greatest hadith scholar of her time, was the teacher of alKhatib alBaghdadi. Shaykha Fatima bint Muhammad alSamarqandi was a scholar who the famous Salahudin alAyoubi and his predecessor Noor alDin would seek fatawa from, seeking advice on state matters. These are simply a handful of thousands of women scholars in our history. [Sh Akram Nadwi’s AlMuhadithaat, Ibn Hajar’s alIsabah fi Tamiz alSahaba, Ibn Sa’ad’s al-Tabaqat, and alSakhawi’s alDaw’ al-Lami’]

A Dangerous Following & The Muslim Male Reaction

The Prophet is associated with uplifting women. Contrast this with Andrew Tate, whose brand is associated with men who harm and objectify women. In fact, a sister who is working on publishing a study with a university sent me a message explaining, “I work in social services in England. I’ve come across several young men newly referred to the social services for violent behavioral challenges, and when interviewing and working with each of these young men in the last year we have identified at least 65% of them had consumed Tate’s material.” While she recognized this may be correlation rather than causation, she mentioned that the fact so many of them cited him by name is alarming.

Despite all this, before Tate even accepted Islam, some men micro-influencers were hosting him on podcasts and promoting him on their pages. They were platforming someone who was proud to have a webcam business of exploiting women for entertainment, who spoke and joked openly about committing violence against women, and objectified women in some of the most derogatory ways. These micro-influencers who platformed him are not scholars. In fact, I have heard men scholars in the past denounce Tate and warn Muslim men from following him. Why were these men hosting him as an example of manhood before he even became Muslim, when these views are so blatantly far from Islam?

Dear Brothers: When you praise Tate as a “true man” who can bring that manhood into the Ummah with his conversion, you communicate to many women that you literally do not care about what happens to your sisters.

Can you see why Muslim women, especially women who are victims and survivors of domestic violence, and those who work with women and children who are, could be terrified that Muslim men will adopt Tate’s pre-Islamic attitudes towards women? And even worse, now take Tate’s previous attitudes and deem them Islamic?

This week, sisters who have written publicly regarding feeling terrified about staying in this community because of many Muslim men’s loudly celebratory and un-nuanced reactions, have received death threats from Muslim men who follow Tate. These women were told they aren’t actually believers and they saw Muslim men on multiple live social media streams joking about raping them. Yes, they did report these accounts. But the fact that this has been the experience of so many women who have vocally expressed their concerns, is certainly in line with that same type of branding. 

Conversion

We welcome conversion joyfully. And we should all recognize that rectification takes time, support, and mentorship. Conversion is an opportunity to perfect not only one’s beliefs, but also one’s character in following the Pinnacle of character .

We should pray Andrew Tate will become the best of us and that we all become better. We should want him to have incredible support and mentorship to become his best self in front of Allah and in the footsteps of the Messenger . But that process- as we all recognize- takes time. And the fact that we aren’t giving him time before he is immediately lauded as an example and hosted on so many platforms, is alarming and speaks to the real issue.

This is not an issue of conversion. The issue is commentary on the reaction of some men in our community, the silence of too many in the face of those men, and the willingness for them to not only not recognize how their reaction is so viscerally painful for women, but also how violent some of these same “brothers” are when they disagree with their sisters, and the double standards of these same men when it comes to women.

So celebrate conversion, yes, but also recognize the necessity for public accountability and responsibility to uphold the Prophet’s mandate to men:

“…I enjoin you to be good to women.” [Bukhari]

Related reading:

– Reflections On The Muslim Reaction To Andrew Tate

Reflections On The Muslim Reaction To Andrew Tate

– Domestic Violence And The Muslim Community

Domestic Violence And The Muslim Community

The post It’s Not Andrew Tate’s Conversion, It’s Some Muslim Men’s Reactions appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.