By Wendy Diaz

Sep/Oct 2024

The groundbreaking documentary film “New Muslim Cool,” produced by PBS, debuted in 2009 and offered a glimpse into the lives of Hamza and Suleiman Perez, two Puerto Rican American brothers who embraced Islam during the late 1990s. Fifteen years after the film’s release, the brothers, particularly Hamza, have evolved from youth to influential community leaders. 

Nevertheless, a non-Muslim audience who comes across it through streaming services such as Amazon Prime would never know about Hamza Perez’s growth beyond the film. Even if a curious spectator scans the internet for more information, news articles, video clips and academic papers focus mostly on his life in 2009. “New Muslim Cool” continues to be used as an educational tool in classrooms worldwide. However, his post-documentary growth and impact on his local community deserves more recognition. 

Cradling his newborn grandson in a Facebook post, the grinning Hamza looks vastly different from his depiction as one of the infamous Mujahideen or M-Team duo performing revolutionary hip-hop vocals while wielding machetes portrayed in the documentary. He sports a gray pinstriped thobe, a burgundy velvet fez hat and noticeable traces of henna color the tips of his salt and pepper beard. Although visibly more mature, his demeanor remains vibrant and youthful.  

“‘New Muslim Cool’ was released in about 2009, but we really started filming in 2004, so that is a 20-year stretch. A lot has changed,” Perez said. Indeed, plenty has changed for Latin American Muslims in the U.S., whose visibility has steadily increased since 9/11. A Pew Research Center demographic portrait of Muslim Americans from 2011 reported that 6% of U.S. Muslims identified as either Latino or Hispanic. In 2022, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s (ISPU) American Muslim Poll found that 9% of the approximately 3.5 million Muslims in the U.S. are Latino — approximately 315,000. As more Latinos convert or are born into Islam, Muslims who converted in the late 1990s and early 2000s are aging into new roles. 

“New Muslim Cool” followed the Perez family as they settled in Pittsburgh and navigated the intersections of Puerto Rican urban culture and new Muslim identities. During filming, Perez got married, had his third child with then-wife Rafiah and the FBI raided the Light of Age/North Side Mosque, which he helped co-found. 

Perez has since divorced and remarried in 2011, and is now the father to a total of eleven children. He recently became a grandfather after his eldest son Ismail, who appears in the documentary, started a family of his own. 

Giving Up Music

Shortly after the film’s international success, he stopped performing and left the music industry to focus more on religious studies. His mother, who seemed to show concern and even disapproval for Perez’s decision to abandon his Christian upbringing, converted, along with his father, grandparents and other extended family members. Perez traveled to West Africa to study Islam, received certifications in religious sciences and became an imam. He attributes his personal growth to the study of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Although the audience sees a dedicated Perez beginning to study and even teach Islam to the inmates at his local prison in “New Muslim Cool,” he was still in the initial stages of his conversion. He moves from Massachusetts to Pittsburgh to start a new life with his family. The post-9/11 atmosphere of suspicion presents a series of hurdles to his professional and spiritual growth. His career as an outspoken rapper and songwriter calling for revolution and rebellion haunts him as he begins working in the prison system as a chaplain. 

Perez begins studying Islam in depth at the local mosque and attempts to distance himself from some of his songs’ contentious lyrics. These initial stages of his evolution are portrayed in the documentary film, but the audience is left with a half-hearted portrayal of the Latino convert experience. 

He believes that the Muslim experience for Americans in general, and for Latino Muslims in particular, differs from that of foreign-born Muslims. He now feels like he’s more connected to his Islamic identity than his culture after having been Muslim for over a quarter of a century.  

More Than Conversion 

Media coverage and academia often focus on the “phenomenon” of new conversions and ignore the presence of decades-old converts as well as second- and third-generation Latino Muslim families. Harold Morales, author of “Latino and Muslim in America: Race, Religion, and the Making of a New Minority” (Oxford University Press, 2018) said, “There is so much more to Latino Muslims than conversion, yet this is the most dominant emphasis in news stories on Latino Muslims. The myopic focus on conversion is evident through a quick reading of headlines.” 

Converts like Perez and his family, who accepted Islam a few years prior to or after 9/11, have now been Muslim for over two decades. And yet they rarely receive any attention from the news or academia on how their roles have changed.  

“I’m very respectful of my family’s culture, and I teach certain aspects of it that are good, but I don’t compromise on the aspects of it that are haram and toxic,” Perez said. “Islam is everything to me, and it is way more important to me than being Puerto Rican.” He cautions against prioritizing cultural heritage over Islamic principles. Emphasizing Islam’s core importance in his life, Perez urges fellow Latino Muslims to uphold its teachings above all else and not to compromise religious beliefs for cultural acceptance. 

Perhaps motivated by Latino Muslim resonance with Islamic Spain, he encourages them to study works like “Ash Shifa” (Diwan Press; 7th ed., 2010; trans. Aisha Bewley), written by Andalusian scholar Qadi Iyad ibn Musa al-Yahsubi (d.1149-50), to deepen their understanding of Islamic principles and prophetic manners. Perez envisions a transformative potential if Latino Muslim leaders prioritize spiritual purification and sincere intention above all. 

Shortly after the release of “New Muslim Cool,” Perez was permanently barred from the jail in which he interacted with inmates as a Muslim chaplain. However, his outreach work did not end there. For over two decades, he has been instrumental in pioneering initiatives to uplift children, particularly those from Pittsburgh’s low-income neighborhoods. His work as the coordinator of BOOTUP (Building Our Own Technology, Uplifting People) and establishing the Ya-Ne Youth Alliance for Networking and Empowerment at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh highlight his dedication to empowering youth through education and mentorship. 

When a young Perez detached himself from music completely after “New Muslim Cool,” he cited concerns for his spirituality. Surprisingly, M-Team’s controversial Clash of Civilizations album is still available on platforms like Spotify. However, this former M-Team member is far removed from the militant lyrics from 2005. Twenty years later, his primary focus is community building, social welfare and peaceful dialogue. 

In an April 14 Facebook post, Perez wrote, “Our community consists of 98 percent converts who have dedicated their lives to helping spread and teach Islam.” Attached to his post was a crowdfunding drive for Masjid Anisa, the “First ever ‘Built from The Ground Up’” mosque in Pittsburgh, home to many reverts or converts. 

A closer, unbiased exploration of Latino Muslims’ lives reveals that they are indeed more than their conversion stories. A decade and a half after the documentary graced the screens, Perez has transitioned from a seemingly overzealous and admittedly “ignorant” youth to an indispensable leader and mentor to hundreds of fellow Muslims and non-Muslims, both Latino and non-Latino. 

The story of Hamza Perez reflects a broader trend within both the Gen X and Millennial Latino Muslim communities. Across these generations, numerous converts have emerged as influential figures, assuming roles as imams, educators, advocates and social servants. 

Echoing the words of Morales, “The new generation will read about the historical and cultural links between Latino ethnicity and Islamic religion from websites and social media and from journalists and scholars. They will be a new kind of Latino Muslim, one whose central narrative will lie beyond the scope of conversion.” 

By leveraging their unique backgrounds and experiences, Gen X and Millennial Latin American leaders are shaping the present landscape and laying the groundwork for a vibrant and more inclusive Muslim American community.

Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, poet, translator, and children’s book author. She is the Spanish content coordinator for ICNA-WhyIslam. She is also the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, a nonprofit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in the Spanish language.

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By Sheima Salam Sumer

Sep/Oct 2024

Emergency Rooms and hospitals are filled with people. Doctors’ offices have long wait times. Pharmacies are brimming with medication in every color, size, and shape. Yet some people are still chronically ill. All the medical and pharmaceutical advancements are still not providing complete comfort and cure. That is making some turn to natural medicine that focuses more on a mix of a nutritious diet, exercise, herbs, massage, and acupuncture. Islamic Horizons asked some Muslim doctors and patients about their experiences with natural medicine. 

Mohammad Ayubi, a board-certified psychiatrist in Jacksonville, Fla., believes that Muslims should consider using natural medicine, if it’s based on sound knowledge.

“I believe we’re now in a time when conventional medicines are the standard and override alternative medicine. The Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that for every illness there is a cure (“Sahih Muslim” 2204). At that time there were no pharmaceutical companies. That means there was a cure in the natural world. Honey — even water if you blow on it and say Surah al-Fatiha — could be a cure.” 

Salman Khan, an internal medicine doctor based in Richmond, Va., believes that alternative medicine should be considered only if its evidence based. “It needs scientific rigor,” he stated. 

“Muslims should consider alternative medicine because it is the way of the Prophet,” said Jawad Bhatti, a medical doctor and an alternative medicine practitioner from Midlothian, Va., who has studied natural medicine. “Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s “al-Tibb al-Nabawi” [Prophetic Medicine] recommends natural medicines from different plants and foods.”

Some Success Stories

One of Dr. Ayubi’s patients is a 40-year-old army veteran. He had major pain issues — chronic pain which started in the military after extensive abdominal surgery. He had complications, so the doctors gave him a lot of opioids and conventional medication. He got dependent on them and then was discharged from the military while addicted to these pain killers. He also had bipolar disorder from childhood.

 “When he came to me, he was always depressed, even suicidal,” Dr. Ayubi said. “He’d overdose accidentally or intentionally on his opioid medications and then would end up in the hospital. I looked at his chart and realized that he had never been given a good trial of lithium. Lithium is a metal and it’s natural. It’s the lightest metal in the periodic table. It comes as a salt — usually lithium carbonate, lithium chloride — and so in my book it’s an alternative medicine because it’s totally natural. Lithium is one of the most abundant substances on earth. So, we gave him a trial of lithium and he had unbelievable results.” After 10 years of being suicidal and depressed and going in and out of hospitals, within a month he was in a stable mood — no more suicidal thoughts. He was able to avoid opioid medication and move on with his wife and his children.

Yasmine Ilham* from Columbia, S.C., found relief in natural remedies for her painful hemorrhoids caused by childbirth. “The doctors prescribed me multiple expensive medications for my issue, but they did not solve the problem. When I saw an infomercial about natural cures on TV, I decided to do more research. I found an all-natural ointment that worked much better than the expensive prescription ones.” 

Dr. Bhatti also shares a success story. “Depression is a main cause of many diseases. Depression is caused by a malfunction of the gut microbiome/bacteria. Bacteria are important synthesizers of hormones for the brain and body. Hormones are the power plants for the body. They fight against diseases. So, if the bacteria are not making hormones for the brain, you get depression and anxiety. The conventional solution is to increase selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), but I believe that more hormones need to be made in the first place. We need to give proper nutrition to those bacteria.”

He relates a story about a Muslim woman who was depressed for years. She couldn’t work because of depression and was always quarreling with her husband. They were on the verge of divorce. 

“Doc, I tried everything in conventional medicine,” she said. She was desperate, unemployed, and about to divorce. I suggested that she take one tablespoon of Metamucil 2-3 times daily. After one week she was able to get back to work. After two weeks, she was no longer getting a divorce. After 3 to 4 weeks, she was on vacation with her husband. And after 6-7 weeks she was pregnant, even though she’d had endometriosis. She now has four kids.”

The psyllium in the Metamucil fed the good bacteria in her microbiome. Dr. Bhatti is not against conventional medicine either. “I’m saying take the full treatment. Take the medication you need, but you must also feed your microbiome. You must work on the source of disease.” 

Some Disappointments

Not everyone however, achieves such great results. Hamza Ahmed*, in Virginia is currently struggling with a disease about whose origin’s doctors are unsure. After trying various options, he shares, “Regrettably, alternative medicine has not helped. Acupuncture has a very narrow Medicare or insurance coverage. Also, diet-based medicine has not done anything for me.”

However, he’s not pleased with conventional medicine either. After a new set of chemotherapy sessions, he lost the ability to talk clearly and even to walk with stability. The doctor keeps insisting that they are not side effects. His toddler grandchild thinks that he is not talking because he is sleeping, and goes around telling everyone, “Don’t talk to Grandpa, he is asleep.”

Dr. Bhatti believes that major diseases stem from the stomach, so fixing the microbiome in the gut can solve many health problems, such as cancer. For cancer specifically, he recommends pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), drinking hydrogen water and stopping all sweets — including fruits — for 12-14 weeks. 

He remarked that a lot of stomach issues are related to acid. “Heartburn meds are not helping. They stop the production of acid, but people with heartburn already have low acid, so if you stop the production of acid, it impedes digestion. You have to look at the mechanism of the whole thing. Supplement your food with raw apple cider vinegar. It helps digest food, improves overall health, and helps brain health. In my opinion, you need to change your dietary habits a lot. Medicines are chemicals. They have side effects on the liver and kidneys. The body is not designed to take all those chemicals. You can’t patent natural remedies, but you can patent chemicals and medicines, so there’s a financial agenda here.”

Cure is From the Almighty

Dr. Ayubi encourages patience because most natural medicines take time to work. “The bottom line with natural medicines is that they take time. You have to be patient — they do work. They’re slow, but with fewer side effects.” 

He reminds us that it all starts with God. “Only Allah can cure. He’s your Creator and He can take care of it. Also, you should give charity regularly– it’s very important. The charity confirms your belief in the Creator and that only He can cure. The Prophet said charity will protect you from afflictions and illnesses. Also, we believe that you shouldn’t be drinking alcohol or smoking. Both are very dangerous. These are the four important principles that I encourage Muslims to know when they take alternative medicine: belief in Allah the One Creator, giving charity specifically for that medicine and for that illness, and no alcohol or smoking.”

He shared a story about Prophet Musa (alayhi salam) where he had a headache. His ummah brought him medicine and he wouldn’t take it. Then Allah sent Jibreel (alayhi salam) to him who said, ‘You have to take something — if you don’t, you’re not going to get cured of this headache.’ So then he was inspired to take the medicine. They brought him a plant and he took it and was cured. “Allah wants you to take something from what He has created in the natural world, but the bottom line is that only Allah can cure, and so you should never fall into the belief that medicines cure. It can be considered a sin.”

“One of the most important things I’ve learned as a Muslim doctor is that it’s a sin to believe that medicines cure, or even alternative medicines cure,” Dr. Ayubi said. “We believe only Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) can cure, but through the medicines that He created on Earth.” This echoes a hadith, “If a cure is applied to the disease, it is relieved by the permission of God Almighty” (“Sahih Muslim,” 2204).

Sheima Salam Sumer is the author of “How to be a Happy Muslim Insha’Allah” and “The Basic Values of Islam,” as well as a tutor and life coach.

*Some names have been changed for privacy

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By Muhammad Muiz Azeem

Sep/Oct 2024

For a long time the Muslims of Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital, have faced a serious issue. Despite comprising 8% of its population — roughly 20,000 Muslims out of the city’s 2.5 million population — there was a noticeable gap in the community’s existing institutions: plenty of mosques, but a severe lack of services to address the significant hurdles confronting them. Clearly, many needs weren’t being met or noticed.

The founders of Darul Falah Islamic Centre (DFIC) faced such challenges too. So in 2017, they opened doors to a space that quickly became a hub of Islamic activities, particularly in the downtown area. From its humble origins, DFIC is now a beacon of Islam within the city and the province as a whole. Recently, after a massive nationwide fundraiser, DFIC was able to purchase a property in central Regina to create a masjid and community center that serves as a focal point for its activities.

Along with many of its peers, DFIC provides nikah (marriage) support, hifz (memorization) programs, youth clubs, janazah (funeral rites), counseling, and mental health support. These activities are incredibly beneficial to Regina’s Muslims. For instance, although mental health remains a generally undiscussed or even taboo subject within many Muslim families, DFIC has made great efforts to make such support accessible to anyone by employing licensed Muslim therapists who recognize and understand their patients’ unique issues. Care is provided to nearly everyone, and free therapy sessions are available and accessible to those who are zakat-eligible and financially vulnerable. 

Another notable initiative is the nikah support. Many young Muslims can attest to the difficulty of finding a potential spouse. DFIC simplifies and streamlines this process by serving as both matchmaker and wedding planner so that Muslims with similar values and interests can connect and form a lifelong bond. 

The licensed fine option agency, part of the Ministry of Justice’s Fine Option Program, is not an alternative to sentencing. Rather, it gives people the chance to settle fines by doing unpaid supervised community service work at a rate of Can$11.60 per hour. The ministry administers the program with organizations like local nonprofits or an individual, who then assign suitable community service work to people who register to settle fines and advise the court of the assignment’s outcome. Promoting responsibility and repairing relationships with the community are values that align with DFIC’s restorative doctrine. These initiatives distinguish the center from other masjids.

Another unique factor is their settlement services for international students. Due to an increasing number of students, DFIC has started to support them. Many of these students feel as though they receive little support, for they have access only to simple services like the food bank. This isn’t enough for those who are under immense pressure, be it financial, social or academic. 

To address this, DFIC provides numerous services such as  airport pick up on arrival; the “2-day essential help” in obtaining crucial documentation (e.g., a social insurance number, a bank account, a Saskatchewan health card, a bus pass and some groceries); and an orientation to the city, including the hospital, the university, the grocers, mosques and other places. DFIC volunteers put in immense effort in this regard which is a testament to their faith.

DFIC has not forgotten our seniors either. To combat loneliness, the center organizes “compassionate calls” that check in on them so they can talk with someone. It also convenes “Mubobbi Adda,” a gathering where seniors can pass on wisdom to the youth. Among food and refreshments, different generations learn from one another in a welcoming environment. As many elderly have mobility issues and cannot come to the mosque, DFIC has started a pick-and-drop service for jummah prayer. This initiative is a great step in ensuring that our elders are taken care of. 

DFIC’s new green initiative seeks to foster cooperation and camaraderie within the community. The first effort is the recycling program, which collects and sells recyclable material. Another initiative is the community garden, where members plant, care for, and share produce with others. 

Clearly, DFIC has made its mark on the community and on all of Regina for that matter. Its leaders, although traditional in their beliefs yet forward-looking in their outlook, have done what the community needs. The provided services and initiatives have provided immense benefit to Regina’s Muslims and serves as a source of inspiration to other mosques in Canada.

Muhammad Muiz Azeem is a student at the University of Regina.

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By Ameena Fatima 

Sep/Oct 2024

When she needed to help a family friend escape an abusive situation, Zena Chaudhry learned quickly about the realities of navigating the shelter system for Muslim women. Seeing the microaggressions, lack of sensitivity and absence of accommodations for religious and cultural practices, she knew something had to change. And that’s when Sakeenah Homes (now Sakeenah Canada) was founded. 

Sakeenah Canada strives to provide the essential support and services that empower women to become healthy, independent and thriving members of society. This charitable organization has come a long way since its inception in 2018. Starting with just remote casework services, it now operates nine transitional homes nationwide and shelters in Toronto, Brampton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina and St. John’s, as well as the first long-term housing project for Muslim women and children located in Windsor, Ontario.

Sakeenah Canada’s transitional shelter program consists of a plethora of services designed to help women with every facet of their journey toward independence. The process starts when a client calls in and is assigned a caseworker. If needed, she and her children receive immediate shelter in a transitional home. Along with receiving food, shelter, essentials and therapy in the home, women work with their caseworkers to build up their life skills and education, get access to the legal resources they need and are even offered reconciliation services, when appropriate.

Caseworkers also connect women with employment, long-term housing opportunities and to the diverse network of mental health therapists and counselors. The existing child and youth programs offer holistic support with age-appropriate programs in the areas of socio-emotional learning, social and life skills, mentorship and more. 

Chaudhry and her growing team are seeking to change the nature of social work services and fill the gaps to uplift people in all circumstances. Sakeenah Canada also offers remote casework and mental health services, as well as an innovative food program to tackle food insecurity: The People’s Market — full of  cultural foods, halal meat, dairy products, fresh produce and non-perishable items available in a traditional food bank setting — is set up like a grocery store so they can shop in a dignified manner. Since its inception, the market has served over 2,800 families and distributed over 160,000 food items. It hopes to expand its service to a second location later this year. 

Filling the Foster Care Gap

The next critical gap the organization is working to fill is foster care. As North America’s first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children, a status it achieved in 2022, its goal is to ensure that Muslim children in the foster care system receive culturally and religiously sensitive care in a safe and loving environment. From receiving halal food and accommodating observances like Ramadan, to respecting beliefs and attire, every child deserves to feel safe and secure in his/her foster homes. 

The journey hasn’t been easy, for it also involves trying to dismantle the Muslim community’s apparent distrust of children’s aid agencies. The Children’s Aid Society’s recent accreditation of Sakeenah Foster Care has gone a long way to mitigate some of this distrust. 

The process of becoming a Sakeenah Foster Care foster family, which involves comprehensive training and sensitivity to the needs of all children, lasts for three to six months. While the agency welcomes children of all faiths and cultures, it prioritizes equipping foster families with the necessary tools and support to provide the best possible care on all levels. Sakeenah regularly hosts community outreach programs to recruit more foster families, partnering with masjids and local organizations. To date, over 300 Muslim families have shown interest and many have begun taking the steps toward becoming foster families. 

Beyond the basic requirements, Sakeenah Foster Care, recognizing the trauma of placement changes, provides mental health services and financial assistance for extracurricular activities, thereby ensuring that these children feel included and supported within their communities. 

Looking ahead, Chaudhry envisions slow and steady growth and establishing a strong presence in Ontario before expanding to other provinces. However, her goal extends beyond borders; she hopes to bridge the gap in the U.S. as well, ensuring that every child who needs a foster home can find one that respects and understands his/her cultural and religious identity.

In essence, Chaudhry’s pioneering efforts are not just about changing the foster care system, but about creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all children. With Sakeenah Foster Care leading the way, the future looks brighter for Muslim children in Canada and beyond.

Find out more at www.sakeenahcanada.com

Ameena Fatima is a freelance writer.

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By Luke Peterson

Jan/Feb 2024

The African American experience in the U.S. has been connected to the practice of Islam, particularly Sunni Islam, since before the country’s foundations. It is known, for example, that between the years 1701 and 1800, millions of Africans were brought to what became the U.S, through the inhumane commercial exchange known as the Triangular Trade — the three-legged British-Africa-America route that made up the Atlantic slave trade — which saw trafficked and abused Africans in bondage traded as property to wealthy elites throughout the American colonies. 

Through kidnap, rape, and pillage committed by the European slavers, this widespread and shameful practice (which was not, as is sometimes suggested, limited to plantation owners in the ante-bellum American South) brought thousands of observant Muslims to the Americas against their will. In all, some suggest that as many as 3 million African Muslims were kidnapped and deposited across the Americas, and the Caribbean throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries (Sylviane A Diouf, “Muslims in America: A forgotten history, Feb. 10, 2021).

As many as 30% of Africans trafficked in chattel slavery during this period were Muslims, many of whom documented their experiences in writing. Historians and chroniclers like Ayuba Suleiman Diallo and Bilali Mohammad recorded their experiences as slaves in America, leaving behind both words and deeds instructing subsequent generations about slavery, black identity and, critically, early American Islam. Other records show Arabic served as a clandestine lingua franca for maintaining Islamic traditions while also eluding abusive slave owners, who classified literacy as a criminal activity. 

Others still, some freed and many still enslaved, fought under the banner of the U.S. during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and during the Civil War to decide, once and for all, their freedom and their future within this country. Traditional Arabic and Islamic names are documented across military muster rolls from those bloody conflicts as testimony to their presence in this country’s earliest armies. 

A view into 21st-century’s America’s cultural and political milieu, however, would see the denial of Islam’s long presence here, as it would seek to treat African American Muslims as something exotic or other within the national religious and cultural fabric. And though it may be true that the vast majority of African Americans have traditionally identified as Christian (79% of the community, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center study), Islam has remained both a visible and stable presence within the African American community throughout the 20th century. 

Indeed, some African American leaders identified Islam as their people’s natural religion, leading to the foundation of its most famous offshoot, the Nation of Islam, founded in Detroit during the 1930s. While many regard its teachings as heretical, the Nation’s influence in the black American community grew during the 1950s and 1960s under the charismatic leadership of Malcolm X, — who many consider charismatic” — among other prominent Civil Rights figures. After returning from hajj, though, Malcolm X renounced the Nation’s teachings and encouraged his followers to convert to traditional Sunni Islam. He also changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, sought to end internal strife among the various camps working toward equality for African Americans and attempted to create a unified movement across disparate civic and social movements. 

This message of unity, and the threat he continued to pose to the conservative, white establishment, may well have sealed his fate as a conspiracy of operatives assassinated the visionary leader at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on February 21, 1965. Three members of the Nation were convicted, but long-standing evidence suggests that they were not the sole perpetrators of the crime. And in June 2022, two of those convicted for the murder, Muhammad Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam, were exonerated and subsequently awarded a large cash settlement by the state and city of New York. 

Things Begin to Change

This reversal of fortune coincided with a sea change in political representation for the Black Muslim community. Specifically, midterm elections in November 2022 saw electoral victories by more Muslim representatives and more Black Muslim representatives at the federal, state and local levels than any other time in American history. These elections boosted the visibility of African American Muslim leaders like Zaynab Muhammad (D-Minn.), Munira Abdullahi (D-Ohio), Ismail Mohamed (D-Ohio), Mana Abdi (D-Maine) and Deqa Dhalac (D-Maine). 

Their successes mirror the wins garnered on the federal level by prominent African American Muslim congressional representatives Ilhan Omar (D) and Keith Ellison (D), both from Minnesota. For his part, Ellison has held offices within the Democratic Party at both the state and federal levels — and continues to do so in his current position as Minnesota’s state attorney general. From 2022 onward then, an argument can be mounted attesting to new levels of representation, prominence and political influence for Muslims, and specifically for African American Muslims.

And the Most Prominent Individual Targets Are …

Perhaps predictably though, this newfound national prominence prompted an ugly, nativist backlash from the conservative, white and nominally Christian establishment. During Ellison’s 2022 campaign for Minnesota’s attorney general, for example, his opponent Jim Schulz (R) coordinated with Minnesota for Freedom, a right-wing advocacy group funded by the Republican Attorneys General Association. Schulz’s campaign relied upon blatantly racist and Islamophobic tropes within campaign ads that dramatized cities on fire and prison inmates rallying to support Ellison. In an open letter signed by 67 Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders from Faith in Minnesota, an interfaith activist group based in Ellison’s home state, this ad campaign was denounced as a form of hate speech. 

Ellison has also been the target of hate speech and white nationalist vitriol both online and in print — even in foreign countries. In his “Burn This Book: What Keith Ellison Doesn’t Want You to Know: A Radical Marxist-Islamist, His Associations and Agenda” (CreateSpace: 2018), Trevor Loudon accuses Ellison of being a “radical Marxist-Islamist,” a by-now common, right-wing epithet linking oxymoronic scare words together to generate nativist and white supremacist fears of the specter of the other.

Ellison’s battle with endemic racism and Islamophobia perhaps pales in comparison, though, with that endured by his colleague and fellow Minnesotan, Ilhan Omar. Omar, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, embraces a progressive domestic and foreign policy agenda. This includes vocal criticism of the broken American tax system that sustains the uber-rich, mostly white elite, while allowing tens of thousands of citizens to go homeless. 

She has further won popular support among members of the minority American left for openly criticizing the Israeli oppression of Palestinians, an uncritical foreign policy position embraced within the U.S. and corporate America, leading to the grotesque enrichment of a number of weapons manufacturers, among them Raytheon and Lockheed-Martin. 

Omar is so staunch in her advocacy for human rights in Palestine that she authored and proposed an unprecedented bill in the U.S House of Representatives that would cut off military aid to Israel due to its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilian population during October and November. 

And though these policy positions have proven Rep. Omar’s dedicated support for a committed group of progressive, American political activists, voluminous amounts of online bile and racist condemnation for the egregious crime of publicly criticizing the U.S. political and economic relationship with Israel continues to follow her, including from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. This racist and Islamophobic criticism culminated in a public censure of Omar in her position in the U.S. House as she was expelled from the Foreign Affairs Committee in February of 2023. 

Calling out the motivations of her political opponents, Omar concisely opined, “I am Muslim. I am an immigrant. … Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?” Omar would later assess her ouster in terms of the centrist, white nationalist American viewpoint, stating, “This debate today is about who gets to be an American.”

Who, indeed? Speaking specifically to the African American Muslim experience, clearly, if Ellison and Omar are representative of this community, then the country as a whole has many miles to go before we truly embrace Black Muslim identity and learn to value it, thereby ensuring that all Americans, everywhere, are viewed as equal in perpetuity. 

Luke Peterson, Ph.D., Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, The University of Cambridge–King’s College, investigates language, media and knowledge surrounding political conflict in the Middle East. He lives in Pittsburgh, where he regularly contributes to local, national and international media outlets.

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By Nayab Bashir

Jan/Feb 2024

A mosque is often known as a Muslim’s second home. If you have nowhere else to turn, you can turn to the house of God. Those who have frequented mosques since early childhood find themselves comforted by the call to prayer and the familiarity of the lined carpets. If you know how to pray, wherever you go in the world you’ll know what to do in a mosque. North American Muslims have made their local communities “friends like family,” and visiting mosques frequently has become part of their identity. 

Yumi Ota (aka Khadija) is a journalist, social media personality and homeschooling mother of three living in St. Louis, Miss. A revert with no Muslim family members or old friends who share the faith, she has found that the mosque feels like home and community. It’s her emotional solace, the first place she goes to pray, meet new friends and raise her children. Ota and her husband make it a priority to take their children to the mosque often. She has enrolled her children in Quran memorization programs as often as six days a week. Although the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis’ Daar Ul-Islam Masjid has a room for mothers with young children, Ota found it too small and often crowded — and nowhere near large enough to meet the needs of St. Louis’ expanding community. 

A Japanese-American married to an Indian-American, Ota is aware of the importance of personal identity. Through her studies in journalism, she has learned that minority children raised within a community of the same race or religion grow up more confident of their identity. Muslims are a minority in both Japan and India, and so family participation in the local mosque’s activities is something for which they are both grateful. The mosque’s atmosphere and people help them raise their children to be unapologetically Muslim. 

“Any mosque for me, the only place I can be truly alone and cry my heart out when I am sad or stressed,” Ota said. “I want my children to feel the same way and love the mosques and eventually serve the community in them, God willing.” 

Muslim parents also want the next generation to have this security and love. While many mothers turn to their mosques for solace and clarity, and seek to guide their children to do the same, this is not always a simple and easy feat. Unfortunately, at times, mothers of young children receive unsolicited advice and criticism. Ota remembers this happening multiple times when her children were younger. Some of the people weren’t just critical — they were downright rude. 

She’s not alone in this experience. Many have accounts of their own childhoods in which they recall being scolded, while others have faced it with their children.

Seher, a professional organizer, content creator and social media manager, faced similar issues with her local Atlanta mosque. She knew the importance of taking her children to the mosque regularly so they would stay close to Islam and grow up within a like-minded community. However, once there she was asked to leave just for keeping her children next to her while praying, even though they were sitting quietly in one place. This very discouraging incident made her feel disconnected.

Many mosques had programs for children over the age of five, but not for those as young as her children. Although they had access to local libraries, fairs and parks, this disconnect was isolating. Even more important, as the brain develops rapidly between the ages of one through five, she considered an Islamic foundation essential. But in 2018, the concept of Islamic programs for her children was nonexistent in Atlanta. And so she reached out to friends Samia and Asra and co-founded the Iqra Kids Club (IKC). 

Together, the trio started their program at a mosque they felt had always emphasized the importance of family: the Roswell Community Mosque. They began hosting monthly programs in early 2018, and continue to do so. IKC seeks to introduce Islamic lessons and morals to toddlers and preschoolers in a fun and interactive way. Learning at their sessions is always a hands-on experience. Moreover, both parents are encouraged to attend to make it a family-bonding activity.

IKC aims to instill in children a joyful and meaningful connection to the mosque by creating a welcoming environment. Forty children join the group at each event, often with parents and siblings. A relevant Islamic topic is chosen, explained via an age-appropriate story, nasheeds, puppet shows, videos and crafts. Children learn about important values through interactive play and feel welcome. They look forward to the next session and ask their parents when they can go to the mosque again! 

Seher’s initiative has caught the interest of various people across North America. Many are hoping to start a toddlers’ program at their local mosques too. Furthering her efforts, the trio has started writing detailed lesson plans, along with craft templates, that will be available in 2024. 

Seher’s personal mission is that nobody should be turned away from the mosque. She’s working to help others understand that the bond with the mosque starts at a young age. All mosques should have a Mother’s and Father’s room for toddlers, along with toys and books to keep them busy while their parents pray. These rooms should be equipped with speakers and screens so they can see the congregation. Having such facilities will encourage more parents of young ones to visit the mosque, pray and listen to talks, because the absence of children today could lead to emptier mosques when they are older. 

As the Turkish proverb says, “Dear Muslims, if there are no sounds of children laughing in the back as you are praying, fear for the next generation.” It’s understandable that worshippers wish to pray or contemplate undisturbed. There’s no disrespect toward them. Parents shouldn’t let their children run wild in the house of God, be rowdy, spill drinks or litter. However, if they’re just being kids, that should be okay. 

In the mosque of the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), children were both welcomed and accommodated. Even the Prophet disliked to trouble the mother of a child crying during prayer. We can see this illustrated in the following hadiths:

• The Messenger of Allah would pray holding Umsama bint Zaynab bint Rasulillah. He would put her down when he prostrated and then pick her up again when he stood up (“Sunan Ibn Bukhari,” 114),

• The Prophet said, “When I stand for prayer, I intend to prolong it. But on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short, for I dislike to trouble the child’s mother” (“Sunan Ibn Bukhari,” 707), and

• “The Messenger of Allah came out to us for one of the two later prayers, carrying Hasan or Hussein. He then came to the front and put him down, said takbir for the prayer and commenced praying. During the prayer, he performed a very long prostration, so I raised my head and there was the child, on the back of the Messenger of Allah, who was in prostration. I then returned to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah had offered the prayer, the people said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! In the middle of your prayer, you performed prostration and lengthened it so much that we thought either something had happened or that you were receiving revelation!’ He said, ‘Neither was the case. Actually, my grandson made me his mount, and I did not want to hurry him until he had satisfied his wish’” (“Sunan al-Nasa’i, 1141).

No parent wants their child creating chaos in the mosque, and everyone is doing what they can to prevent that. The next time you hear a giggle or the pitter-patter of small feet, please consider the importance of that child feeling safe in a mosque and returning to it throughout his or her life. 

Nayab Bashir is a literature aficionado with an English literature degree to prove it. A mother of three children under ten, currently staying home with her youngest, and “studying for the LSAT.”

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By Ayah Siddiqui

Jan/Feb 2024

In the circle of life, the name you might one day see on a sign outside an office door or embroidered on a physician’s white coat can make its way to a headstone. When a loved one passes away, there are so many things the family members left behind have to do. When emotions are high and energy low, families should ideally not have to squabble over things like gravestones. 

If you visit cemeteries in North America, you will see many tombstones inscribed with the deceased’s name and birth/death dates. Some of them may also have religious symbols, excerpts or even pictures on them. Muslim scholars have different responses about Islamic rulings regarding tombstones. 

“Marking the spot of the grave is recommended,” said Imam Azhar Subedar (Islamic Association of Collin County mosque, Plano, Texas). “It is recommended for identification purposes. But anything beyond recognition is considered makruh – discouraged, but not forbidden.” He said that anything extravagant is discouraged and that graves shouldn’t have monuments built upon them. 

The Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) placed a stone on Uthman bin Math’un’s (radi Allah ‘anhu) grave and said, “I am marking my brother’s grave with it, and I shall bury beside him those of my family who die” (“Sunan Abi Dawud,” hadith no. 3206).

However, there can be a difference of opinion on the details. “It is offensive to place an inscription on the grave,” according to Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, a Shafi‘i scholar. In his “Reliance of the Traveler,” a classic manual of Islamic law, he said an exception can be made if the deceased is a religious scholar so that he may be visited and honored. Imam Ahmad believes that unless one is an Islamic historical figure, his/her grave should be flat and unmarked. 

Options in North America 

Many North American cemeteries have areas separated by faith, and most are willing to accommodate your preferences and religious practices. It’s common to see the Muslim section having flat markers and name plates, as opposed to standing headstones. 

In addition, having a headstone is usually the choice of the deceased’s family, for no law requires that one be purchased, especially because doing so can get expensive. This was the case with the Usmani family in Houston. 

“My maternal grandfather doesn’t have a tombstone,” said Fasih Siddiqui. “No one in the family could afford it at the time. Then when my grandmother died, we didn’t place a tombstone because they believed it was against Islamic law.” 

Different families have different ideas about whether tombstones are allowed. Siddiqui’s family is originally from Pakistan, where some believe that adding a tombstone can make the grave pakka (completed). Once a grave is pakka, it has the potential to become a shrine. In addition, there is fear of bid‘a (innovation), such as visiting graves to ask the deceased to intercede and get prayers answered.

Rasekh Siddiqui, Fasih’s father, elaborated on why many people in Pakistan think this way. He related the story of a man who passed away many years ago in Karachi. His family believed they should mark his grave so that they could visit it and recite the Quran there. Obviously, having the tombstone would help identify the grave. 

But as the months went by, they began finding more and more markings on the grave, each one more elaborate than the last. Upon finding the man who was enhancing the grave, they asked him “Why did you do this?” and he replied that the grave belonged to a great saint and should be revered. The family decided to tear down what he had built, fearing that it would be worshiped.  

There are many examples of saints’ burial places becoming places to which people travel to make a sacrifice in hopes that the saint will pray to God for them. This is where the fear of bid‘a and shirk (associating partners) starts.

In contrast to the Usmani family, the Mohammed family of Murfreesboro, Tenn., have different thoughts. “My parents were buried in Nashville. Both of their graves had stones. They were gray-colored stones, about 14 inches in height and 12 inches wide,” said Azmath Ali. “Their markers contained their names, birth dates, and the day they died. My mother’s grave also had an inscription that said who she was the wife of.” 

The Mohammed family believes that gravestones can be used according to Islamic guidelines, as long as the intention is solely for identification purposes. 

Cemetery Requirements 

If a family does decide to get a gravestone, they should inquire about the size and material requirements from the cemetery. While some cemeteries may say you need to buy a gravestone from them, it is usually not required. You can provide their guidelines to any other company. Some places may also need a special beveled edge or other specifications for lawn mowers and snow removal around the gravesite. Even if you order a gravestone from a Muslim  company, the cemetery does the installation. 

Death is anyways a stressful time for the family. If these matters are sorted out in advance, it can be one less thing to worry about when you have just lost a loved one. 

Ayah Siddiqui, a student in McKinney, Texas, enjoys reading and learning about current events from several points of view.

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By Amani Salahudeen

Jan/Feb 2024

When Dr. Suzy Ismail was 11 years old, she was disappointed that she couldn’t relate to any character in her favorite series, “The Babysitters Club.”

“None of them looked like me or my friends, and none of their families resembled mine,” Ismail said in an interview with Islamic Horizons. “As much as I searched for relatable characters in the 1980s, I couldn’t find any books with Muslim characters in middle grade novels at that time. So I started thinking about writing such a novel series with characters who looked more like me. But I never got around to writing until many years later when ‘The BFF Sisters’ book was born.”

She stressed the importance of wanting her children and other Muslim youth to feel represented by the books they read. Since “The BFF Sisters,” Laila Sabreen, Hanna Alkaf, S.K. Ali, Uzma Jalaluddin and other Muslim authors have written more relatable characters and themes. Ismail believes that the community must continue to support these authors so that Muslim youth can see more such books in the future.

While Ismail began her writing journey as a fiction author, she has now transitioned into non-fiction. “When Muslim Marriage Fails” is about the misunderstandings and more serious issues that frequently result in divorce. The stories and commentary in the book also give unmarried readers who want to get married a better understanding of the hazards that can rapidly snowball in the ruin of an otherwise salvageable situation. The book dives deep into the five specific divorce narratives from each spouse’s point of view.

She’s also working on a parenting book and “Mending Broken Hearts,” which is centered around recovering from loss and grief. Additionally, she mentioned having a few unfinished novels waiting to be revisited when time permits. Ismail believes that by filling voids in literature with their own stories and experiences, Muslim authors can inspire others to find their own unique voices.

“If you love to write, then do it! Don’t be crippled by self-doubt or imposter syndrome. If you see a need or a void, whether it’s on a specific topic or in a character, fill that void with your author’s voice. Your voice, your thoughts and your ideas are all needed, and you never know who will see themselves in your stories — fiction or nonfiction. In doing so, your readers may connect and find their own unique voice through your writing as well,” Ismail said.

She also has an academic book, “Counseling the Collective,” in the works. This book is based on her dissertation research and the work conducted at Cornerstone, which she founded.

Cornerstone’s foundation

Cornerstone, a nonprofit organization focusing on youth, family and relationship rebuilding, has partnered with a U.S. refugee resettlement group to provide spiritual psycho-socio emotional wellness programming to all incoming refugees.

Cornerstone consists of five departments: Marriage & Family: Premarital education and intervention, marriage facilitation, divorce discernment, blended and joint family dynamics, and parenting • Youth: Self-esteem, confidence, identity, spirituality, and sexuality • Grief/Loss & Anger Management: Perinatal programs • Addiction Integration Interventions & Life Changes: Geriatric care and transitions, such as college and career planning and • Refugee Integration: Offered in several languages to meet refugee needs.

 In each of these areas, Cornerstone offers workshops, seminars, programs, support groups, education and intervention sessions. Despite being stigmatized by Muslims, therapy can help individuals understand their struggles and spirituality, strengthen self-esteem, and guide them through life’s rough patches.

“The spiritual component of intervention cannot be left out of therapeutic intervention, particularly with clients from cultures in which faith, family, and community are integral parts of emotional resilience,” Ismail contended.

Speak from the heart

Drawing on her experience as a public speaking teacher, she advises students to speak from the heart and to prioritize authenticity in communication. Passion and interest shine through when speaking on familiar or meaningful topics and create a connection with the audience.

 “Authenticity is so critical in communication. And when we speak about topics that are familiar to us or mean a lot to us, our passion and interest shines through, and that excitement is felt by the audience,” she remarked.

Her work focuses on building healthy families and communities, making topics such as relationships, emotional resilience, overcoming hardships, marriage, parenting, youth, identity and the pursuit of God’s pleasure her favorites. 

“I’m passionate about building healthy families and communities. So, any topics that revolve around relationships, emotional resilience, overcoming hardships, marriage, parenting, and youth, would fall into my favorite topic category” she said.

Discuss mental health

Ismail urges parents to openly discuss mental health with their children. She emphasizes the importance of not stigmatizing such struggles and of treating them with the same significance as physical ailments.

“Parents, please don’t make mental health taboo!” Ismail implored. “Depression, anxiety and so many other mental health struggles are just as important to address as physical illnesses. Be open and empathetic, not dismissive, in understanding your child’s experiences and in recognizing the need for and importance of having these conversations and destigmatizing the topic of mental healthcare. And then seek help! Know the resources available and schedule that appointment for you and your child today.”

She reflects on the journey of parenthood, recognizing how quickly children grow up and emphasizing the need for parents to guide, teach and encourage while realizing that they don’t own their children. Her hope is that by instilling a foundation of seeking God’s pleasure in their children’s lives, they will leave their own positive mark on the world.

Establishing a work-life balance

Maintaining a work-life balance is crucial for any individual, including busy individuals like Ismail.

“Keeping trust in God and seeking His pleasure first and foremost in your mind as the foundation of everything you do makes a huge difference,” she remarked. “I also have an incredibly supportive husband and awesome kids, alhamdulillah, who’ve always managed to pick up the pieces when I’m feeling pulled in a million directions. We often try to be superheroes and do everything on our own, but surrounding ourselves with those who love and support us every step of the way is like having your own cheering squad that encourages you, especially at the lowest moments when you feel somewhat overwhelmed,” she added.

Dr. Suzy Ismail (MA in communication, Master of Philosophy in human services and a Ph.D. in human services) is a visiting professor at DeVry and Rutgers universities. An expert in refugee emotional resilience, she has received awards like the Ambassador for Peace and the Visionary Muslim.

Amani Salahudeen, currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in education at Western Governors University, has a bachelor’s in journalism and professional writing from The College of New Jersey.

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By Yerusalem Work

Jan/Feb 2024

“We live in a mostly secular world that may have lost its connection to the divine,” said Tahira Wellman, a chaplain at New Jersey’s Hackensack University Medical Center. She’s the only Muslim chaplain in its pastoral care department. 

Yahya Hendi, the first full-time Muslim chaplain at an American university, was hired in 1999 by Georgetown University. Due to its small Muslim student population, Hendi, who was chosen to enlighten non-Muslims about Islam, has focused on the interfaith community.

Muslim chaplains work in hospitals, universities, prisons, and many other settings. Mutahhir Sabree (administrator, the Distance Learning Prison Initiative) works to provide free courses in Islamic Studies to inmates nationwide. Interacting with more than 3,000 male and female inmates, he teaches and prays with them, as well as encourages them to identify with the prophets of Islam and the multitude of spiritual stories in the Quran, such as the lives of prophets Yusuf and Ayyub. 

The challenges believers face aren’t unprecedented, for “Verily, with hardship comes ease” (94:5). Success is within reach with the proper attitude and a concerted effort. Our goal is to set forth the right intentions and attain the results that will please God.  

Muslim chaplains enter the profession from a variety of routes. Some pursue a seminary degree; others travel to the Middle East and North Africa for a deep dive into Arabic studies and to obtain authentic traditional knowledge of the Quran and Sunna. Some begin as volunteers, while others are trained in pastoral care. Whatever the route, these individuals can play a vital role in the lives of knowledge seekers — both beginners and advanced. 

Muslim chaplains must not only have a robust knowledge of Islam, but also be aware of developments in today’s philosophical discourse, including the arts and sciences. The postmodernism taught in universities can deter many Muslims — plagued with doubt — from practicing their faith. Objectivity is considered a myth, and subjectivity is exalted. Speculation as well as free association replace order with chaos. Even third-wave feminism disrupts the intellectual pursuits of Muslim feminists, for feminism looks different in Islam than it does in opposing ideologies. Muslim thinkers can take the reins and offer practical solutions for navigating one’s way through the world in a way that is compatible with Islam. 

Joshua Salaam (president, Association of Muslim Chaplains) has traveled the world performing with the popular nasheed singers of Native Deen. Currently a chaplain at Duke University, armed with a Doctor of Ministry from Hartford Seminary (now the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace), has studied Christian-Muslim dialogue in depth on the graduate school level. 

“Chaplaincy is a nice blend of art and science,” Salaam said. “Chaplains who receive official training in pastoral education learn the art of listening without the presence of their own biases. This allows the chaplain to get the individuals where they want to go instead of where the chaplain thinks they should be. Mastering this tool is an art. But the tools themselves are a science.” 

We have so much to learn from his vantage point. 

Chaplaincy Challenges

Like other fields of work, chaplaincy also has its challenges. Since a chaplain is forbidden to proselytize, even when Chaplain Wellman believes a non-Muslim patient would benefit from Islamic teachings, she cannot initiate such a conversation. Instead, she extends psycho-spiritual support and tries her best to embody prophetic character in her interaction with patients, as “a sort of silent da‘wa.” 

Wellman has helped clients overcome the fear of shame when navigating a culture in which families don’t speak out about hardships. In one case involving a wife being her husband’s sole caregiver, Wellman enabled her to vocalize her fear and burden while improving her self-care approach and help-seeking behavior. The solution often comes from the client, because the chaplain simply facilitates the treatment by providing a safe space for exploring the client’s need, moving from survival to self-actualization. 

Wellman also helped disentangle a client from the cycle of abuse imposed by a Muslim, which was distancing her from Islam. Many times an abusive relationship causes a person’s faith to plummet. However, due to Islam’s virtues and God’s mercy, she modeled a mirroring exercise that helps people imagine a world without harsh human judgment and abuse of power. 

Ultimately, she believes a person’s connection with God is what really brings about change. A chaplain can advise, but it is truly Allah subhanahu wa ta‘ala who guides,” she said.

The ISNA Chaplaincy Program

ISNA’s active chaplaincy program is dedicated to offering services to Muslim chaplains through endorsement, education and training, and leadership development. This program endorses chaplains serving in the Army, Air Force, Navy, prisons, hospitals, universities and other institutions. ISNA honors them by qualifying them to offer care, spiritual guidance, support families in times of grief and loss, ensure religious freedom and offer similar services. 

One of this profession’s foremost benefits is the privilege of representing Islam in mainstream American society. As an ambassador for Islam and a professional chaplain, you’ll have the opportunity to share and exchange your Islamic life experiences with colleagues from multiple faith or even non-faith backgrounds in a very collegial and non-threatening manner.

In addition to either performing or providing religious services, as well as attending to their clients’ other spiritual or pastoral care needs, Muslim chaplains are responsible for organizing and conducting all Islamic religious services (e.g., the Friday, funeral and Eid prayers). Held to high standards, they abide by strict ethical considerations (e.g., privacy and freedom from discrimination based on age, ethnicity, gender or disability) and follow the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) conduct. They listen without bias to clients facing grief, worries, fears and other pivotal, life-changing pressures. Counseling may be one-on-one or occur in groups –large or small. 

While the annual salary for an entry-level Muslim chaplain is, on average, approximately $45,000, military chaplains often make significantly more — an average of $90,000 per year. If you’re interested in becoming a chaplain, complete the application process on ISNA’s website (isna.net/chaplaincy-services), undergo a background check and abide by the Muslim Chaplain Code of Ethics. 

Yerusalem Work, a creative writer and the membership director of the Congregational Library Association, has a heart for interfaith dialogue and is a passionate community builder. A holder of a master’s degree in library science and prolific author, she regularly blogs and self-publishes her writing. Her short stories and poetry have been published in Muslim Matters and Tysons Interfaith. She considers it an honor and a pleasure to write on Islamic themes.

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By Hamza Mohammed

Jan/Feb 2024

According to the Common Application, more than 1.2 million students in the U.S. applied to four-year colleges for the 2023 academic year. To pay tuition, many of them turn to student loans, which often come with high interest rates. As a result, many Muslim students struggle to find a way to pay for higher education while avoiding riba. Unfortunately, some find themselves forced to forgo their pursuit.

According to a March 2023 Forbes report, each year it’s common to see students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds applying to college. About 54% of applicants hailed from the most affluent 20% of ZIP codes, compared to just 7% from the bottom quintile.

The Texas-based A Continuous Charity (ACC; https://acceducate.org) seeks to solve this problem by providing interest-free loans. The organization, which receives funds directly from donors as well as through local fundraisers, helps Muslim college students achieve their goals of higher education. 

Founded by a Community

Dr. Athar Haq founded ACC in 2013. Having received a loan from his parents to cover his costs while pursuing his medical school degree, he wondered why this process couldn’t be replicated on the community level. Thus, he and a group of friends began to lend money to Muslim students in need of loans. As the loans were repaid, they would lend the received money to the next student in line. 

Seeking to support more Muslim students through halal interest-free loans, they formalized their model and registered ACC as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Over their almost 10-year existence, ACC has gone nationwide and has branches in Illinois, California, Florida, Ohio and other states.

This year, ACC is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As of this date, it has prevented over $3 million from being paid in interest and provided over $5.5 million in educational support to 400 students nationwide.

Local Benefits with Local Rewards 

ACC loans are available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents attending a college or a four-year institution, working on a master’s or doctorate program or enrolled in a professional doctorate program in the U.S. They are also open to students who are starting their higher education, those who require more financial support to complete their degree, as well as those who have completed their higher education but have an outstanding amount of interest-based loans.

In the last application cycle, ACC received about 250 applicants — this number increases each year. Recipients are chosen based on many factors, among them merit, quest for Islamic knowledge, need for the loan and community involvement. 

“We envision that ACC awardees are attached to the Muslim community and are highly likely to re-invest their time and talent back to enriching the community,” stated Hakeemah Cummings (outreach and partnerships specialist, ACC).

As part of the application process, interviews are conducted over the phone or by video conferencing. The loan amount given to each student is based on the strength of his or her application, the amount requested and the amount of funds raised by ACC during that calendar year. Once awarded, the loan is paid directly to the applicant’s financial or educational institutions. Priority is given to those students who apply in an area where local fundraising takes place. ACC calls this “local benefits with local rewards” and seeks to reward the community’s generosity by prioritizing this benefit.

The Structure of Loans and Refinancing

ACC works to ensure that paying back the loan doesn’t become a burden by creating a personalized repayment plan for each successful applicant.

“We aim to make it easier on students,” said Cummings. “The maximum length of a loan from ACC is four years. Loan amounts are calculated based on the amount that a student will be able to pay back over the term considering their income and field of study. ACC works with every student to create an individual timeline and repayment schedule that works with these and other factors.”

ACC works with students who are unable to pay their loans due to extenuating circumstances by reassessing their loan payment schedule. If they cannot repay their loans due to becoming eligible for zakat, ACC has a limited capacity to forgive their loans with the zakat donations they receive. In addition to providing loans to students seeking a higher education, ACC also offers options to refinance existing student loans during their application cycle. 

The Legacy Fund

For those seeking a continuous donation opportunity, a sadaqa jariya (ongoing charity), ACC created the Legacy Fund. 

When the organization receives the donation, it loans that money to a student seeking higher education. As the money is paid back, it is then recycled to provide a loan for another student. Thus, the donation becomes a continuous source of reward for the donor, for it continues to be given over and over as each student benefits from it. ACC requires a minimum of $10,000 to start a legacy fund and sets up the fund once it receives the money. A legacy fund can also be started in honor of another person.

ACC believes not only in helping current students achieve their higher education goals through interest-free loans, but also in being prepared to help the next generation of students. As a result, the organization is establishing an endowment: the ACC Waqf . 

To achieve this as well as its other goals, ACC’s members hope to convince 100,000 individuals to donate $10 a month. They believe in the “power of numbers” and that receiving this small donation from supporters will enable them to reach their $10 million endowment fund goal quickly. 

Student Reflections

Ismael Gad, a student at the University of Ohio’s Knowlton School of Architecture, is working on his master’s in landscape architecture. He first found out about ACC at its booth during the MAS-ICNA Convention in Chicago. While pursuing his degree, Gad was one of only a few students selected to receive an Architectural Research Travel Award through his school. This award allowed him to research the landscape and culture, as well as to meet with the residents of Battir village in Palestine during the summer of 2023.

The ARTA grant is structured to reimburse a student only after the trip has been completed. The ACC loan thus helped alleviate Gad’s burden of paying for the trip until the university reimbursed him so he could focus on the experience.

“The application was relatively easy, compared to other applications I have filled out,” Gad said. “It didn’t feel painful at all. I would definitely recommend ACC to other students in need of an interest-free loan.”

Christopher Azdar, a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent School of Law pursuing a Juris Doctor degree, found out about ACC in late 2020 while searching for scholarships and grants to help cover the cost of law school. He considered ACC to be unique in terms of why applicants are trying to avoid riba and how their quest for Islamic knowledge can help them pursue higher education. 

“The application was very easy to navigate, and the ACC team was very responsive when I had questions,” he remarked. “The loan has been an additional push for me to continue to excel inside and outside of the classroom.”

After submitting all the necessary documents and completing the interview, Azdar received the loan, as well as loans throughout the last three years of his education. 

Azdar stated that this loan has been very important to him, because as an undocumented person (DACA) he is ineligible for many scholarship opportunities. These loans helped him attend law school while avoiding unwanted debt and interest. In addition, he didn’t have to delay his education to raise the money himself.

“Their approach to support the next generations is very forward-thinking. In order to have a strong ummah, we need Muslims in all areas and that means we need to support them in every step to get there. ACC provides the support needed to allow many students to pursue their education in a halal way,” said Azdar. “ACC has created the infrastructure to help support students, but it is up to the community to help support ACC however we can. Even with small donations and raising awareness, we can help build future leaders in all areas.“

Hamza Mohammed, an avid reader who attends Farragut High School in Tennessee, enjoys writing in his free time.

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