Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA): MWA Celebrates International Day for Elimination o...

Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA): MWA Celebrates International Day for Elimination o...

Fourteen years of fasting and Ramadan gets better each time

If someone had told me fifteen years ago that I would be celebrating my 14th Ramadan this year, I may not have believed them. I was a practicing Christian at the time, actively participating in my journey towards spiritual discovery and content in my religion. In retrospect, Islam was the natural next step for me, but at the time, I was so involved in reading the Bible and reforming my lifestyle to reflect the values and standards illustrated in the Old and New Testaments, that converting to another faith was the farthest thing from my mind.

The most that I knew about Islam was that, Muslims did not eat pork and Malcolm X – El Hajj Malik El Shabazz – had embraced Orthodox Islam after leaving the Nation of Islam in the 1960's. 

As a Christian, I had begun covering my hair in modesty based on the scriptures in the New Testament Book of 1st Corinthians, had stopped eating pork and began altering my diet based on the Old Testament Book of Leviticus (although I had virtually stopped eating pork since high school after learning that pigs do not sweat – yuck!), and I prayed three times a day minimally as a way of building my relationship with The Creator.

After converting to Islam from Christianity in April of 1998, I was extremely eager to learn as much as I possibly could about my new religion, but I can honestly say that I may not have accepted the faith if I had not been introduced through reading the Holy Quran for myself.

When my husband, who had taken his shahadah before me, offered me a copy of the Holy Quran to read, I was not even aware that there was a separate Holy Book for Muslims, and so I did not have an opinion of it. He told me that the Holy Quran was a confirmation of the Holy Bible and a continuation of the religion of Abraham (pbuh). For that reason alone I opened it and gave it a chance.

I have written about the significance of the Holy Quran in my reversion to Islam before, and write about it again because it is such a clear sign for me. 

The first words of Surah Al-Fatihah were like rivers of cool refreshing water over my mind and Surah Al-Baqarah made my chest swell with emotion upon reading those first few sentences:

"This is the Book in which there is no doubt. It is a guide for those who are God conscious, who believe in the unseen, who establish regular prayers and spend in charity out of what We have provided for their sustenance; who believe in this Revelation which is sent to you and the Revelations which were sent before you and firmly believe in the Hereafter."

Each and every verse was a clear instruction – I instinctively knew that I was reading the truth – and everything that I had been seeking in Christianity was fulfilled in Islam.

With each Ramadan I gain a greater understanding of what it means to submit to Allah (swt), not only from the restrictions that come with fasting, but from the guidance of Islam's Holy Book.

Al-hamdulillah, 14-years after converting to Islam, I feel more dedicated than I have ever been. 

The most important aspect of Ramadan for me is the daily recitation of the Holy Quran, and every year I understand the revelation better and on a deeper level.

This year has been the most memorable by far and as Ramadan nears its end, I am extremely grateful for the experiences that I've had this month. I have met and interacted with Muslim sisters who have been an inspiration, and I am the most secure that I have ever been with my faith.

The blessings of self-restraint are more evident to me now than they have been in the past, and as I watch my son fasting and praying, I am filled with joy. He is fifteen years old now, but during my first Ramadan he was a toddler and I would hold him in my arms during salaat; now I line up behind him and my husband during prayer – it’s impossible to put the elation and happiness that I feel into words.

I pray that I may see dozens more months of fasting during Ramadan in the years to come, and that I may be permitted to experience lining up in prayer with my grandchildren one day. 

I will cherish the vision of breaking fast with my son, grandchildren, and a future daughter-in-law within my heart, and hope to witness such a blessing one day.

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012:...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012:...: Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA'S Janette Grant offers insight on children's b... : Farah Kinani. When a friend of...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Isahah Janette Grant shares poem Quiet Dawn

Peace and Blessings and Ramadan Mubarek!
This Ramadan has ushered many blessings as well as some tests and trials and I am ever grateful for the Bounty of Allah Ta'aala and His Grace. I would like to share a poem with prayers that Allah Ta'aala's Mercy always overshadow His Wrath, amin.

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Isahah Janette Grant shares poem Quiet Dawn: The Quiet Dawn A gentle stillness surrounds me while the world quietly sleeps the sun makes its climb towards the horizon and I offer a ...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: A journal entry by MWA member Zainab John; Ramadan...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: A journal entry by MWA member Zainab John; Ramadan...: It's day 6 of Ramadhan. Sleep just won't come, so at 1:15 in the morning I am awake, ready and eager to start my day. As I sit cross-l...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Aishah Schwartz shares her 28 July 2012 ifta...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Aishah Schwartz shares her 28 July 2012 ifta...: Roast beef in gravy with potatoes, milk and chocolate chip cookies for a snack. I'll use the extra portion of potatoes at suhoor with som...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Saba N. Taylor shares her Ramadan day seven ...

Muslimah Writers Alliance Celebrates Ramadan 2012: MWA's Saba N. Taylor shares her Ramadan day seven ...: Masha Allah, I love all things cheesy! Yesterday I was in the mood for enchiladas but did not have all the makings for it so I decided to ...

Ramadan Musings

Ramadan Musings

No matter how many times I read the Quran it is beautiful to me

And although I cannot fluently speak Arabic

When I hear its recital, so clear and musical in its original form

my eyes well with tears

and I know again

I am reminded

Of the Sovereignty and Mercy of Our Lord, Allah

So it is hard when I watch a news segment about Islam where the truth is twisted

Or when I notice someone retract with apprehension as they see me in my hijab

Because I know that if more people could see what I see in Islam and learn what I’ve learned of Islam there would be no room for fear

But Allah is the All-Knowing, the All-Aware

And He is the Best of Planners

So I offer a dua for peace and guidance

Or smile my brightest smile and keep faith that everything happens by Allah’s leave

Believing that Allah’s Mercy shall overshadow His Wrath

And loving life gratefully

For the opportunity to return to Allah

To return . . .

Copyright © 2011 Janette Grant

Poem: Ramadan Moon

Original Poem: Ramadan Moon
written by Isahah Janette Grant


O Ramadan Moon
perched upon a midnight sky
shine your light upon me
bear witness as I recite Quran this night

O Ramadan Moon
shimmering majestically as you obey Allah's command
mark our days of fasting upon the heavens
keep watch as we pursue Laylat al Qadir

O Ramadan Moon
receding as the sun embarks upon its morning journey
make haste in your return to us tomorrow
illuminate our paths as we strive this Ramadan



Copyright © 2011 Janette Grant

My Shahadah Story

I was a Pentecostal Christian when I was first introduced to Islam. Pentecostalism is a movement within Christianity that places special emphasis upon a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit and my particular church was based strongly upon reading the Bible and understanding the Word of God. So at that point in my life, I had been reading the Bible regularly and was familiar with what the Bible says concerning faith and righteousness. I had stopped eating pork because the Bible said that it was forbidden in Leviticus 11:7, I had begun praying every day, usually three times a day and I had even begun experimenting with covering my hair based on my interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:5.

I was first formally told a little bit about Islam after I had taken a leave from college to birth my son when my husband, who was still in school at the time and also a Pentecostal Christian, had come home one day and told me that he wanted to embrace Islam. Up until then, the most I knew about Islam was from what I had learned by reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X and I had not really formed an opinion. My husband began by explaining that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was not opposed to Christianity and then gave me a copy of the Quran to read for myself before forming an opinion or making a decision.

I accepted the copy and began reading right away. I discovered that much of what was written in the Quran corresponded with what I was reading in the Bible which was heartening, but I also discovered a beauty and depth to the Quran that I had not ever encountered in anything that I had ever read before that moment or since. Several verses brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face; it was truly amazing and enlightening. A few weeks later when my husband informed me that he wanted to make the shahadah and that he wanted me and our 1 year old son to go to the mosque with him I was excited. We re-married Islamically at the mosque and I took my shahadah as well. That was more than thirteen years ago and life has only gotten better and brighter since then, alhamdulilah.

And although the sparkle of my youth has dimmed a bit, the tug at my heart towards Islam has not waivered. There is a beauty in the religion that not everyone has the patience to discover but it is always there, ready to be revealed; ready to shine upon those who would seek it’s treasures.

I realize now in retrospect that there is a movement or rather, a current that has swept through my reality and quickened my spirit. When we are young and adventuring out into life on our own for the first time, we feel it, we sense it and are buoyed by it. Throughout recent history you can see the evidence of it: the student movements and civil rights changes of the 50’s and 60’s, the Rock the Vote movement of the late 90’s and early 21^st Century.

For me, the movement has reminded me of my duty and responsibility to first myself and then to others and with it comes the understanding that, in addition to witnessing and experiencing the beauty that is and belongs to God, I must do more than be the change I want to see in the world. I must also want for my brethren that which I want for myself. I must live knowing that my life is not only mine but part of the collective life of mankind. And although I can rehearse this and have heard others rehearse it, it is the living of it that tends to slip out of our grasp. Islam helps me to hold fast to this ideal with a strong handhold that does not, or shall I say, has not, failed me.

Breaking the cycle of abuse with Latifah Hameen

Latifah Hameen is an author and speaker from Irving Texas who has written extensively about the patterns and effects of relationship abuse. Although her writing is geared primarily towards teens and young adults, the counsel and advice can be used by men and women of all ages. She has been a practicing Muslim for 32 years and is a member of the Muslimah Writers Alliance, an internationally based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions of members of the Muslim community.

Sister Latifah was inspired to write about abuse after having been in abusive relationships with Muslim men throughout a 20 year period and says that Islam has influenced her writing through the strength that Allah (swt)*has given her to be able to tell her story of abuse; Allah is the Arabic word for God and is used in Islam. After attending a seminar on abuse, she noticed how difficult it was for her to sit through the seminar and decided to take the steps necessary to confront the abuse that she had experienced and the effect that the abuse had had upon her.

Her first book, Suffering in Silence: Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, was published by Spencer-Majeed Publishing in 2006 and is a self-help book in which Sister Latifah shares her experiences with abuse and seeks to educate on the abusive relationship cycle. In a radio program with Kingdom Ambassadors Worldwide Network (KAW), Sister Latifah explained the five different types of abuse and how to recognize the red flags of an abusive relationship. There is physical abuse, mental/emotional abuse, spiritual abuse, social abuse and financial abuse.

Physical abuse is the most obvious and encompasses physical violence in the form of hitting, pushing and shaking, etc. Mental/emotional abuse involves name calling and humiliation as well as manipulation and ignoring someone as a means of inflicting mental or emotional harm. Spiritual abuse can take the form of using religion to control another or withholding religious freedoms from someone. Social abuse involves keeping someone isolated and separating them from friends and family and financial abuse is comprised of withholding money and/or accountability for finances.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Breaking the cycle of abuse with Latifah Hameen - Houston Islam | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/islam-in-houston/breaking-the-cycle-of-abuse-with-latifah-hameen#ixzz1NU9Ztsit

Islam for Children at Creative Education and Publishing

The increase of Muslim citizens within the United States has prompted a surge in the creation of Muslim based businesses and islamic resources for English speaking Muslims. There are now dozens of Islamic shops and websites where American Muslims can find quality local goods and resources that are aligned with the standards of Islam and easily accessible without having to experience the added expense of having items shipped from overseas.

This is a welcome enterprise, especially in the form of Islamic Children's books and Arabic Language studies for children and the next generation of little Muslims growing up in the U.S.

One such enterprise has been led by Alameddine Kaddoura of Creative Education and Publishing. Creative Education and Publishing (CEP) is an Islamic children's books publishing company that has been based in Falls Church, Virginia since its beginnig over two years ago. CEP publishes children's books and a wide array of learning/teaching materials about Islam from Islamic board games to posters of the Arabic Alphabet.

His main mission at CEP is that children have fun as they learn.

When asked what had inspired Mr. Kaddoura to start such a business his reply was, "I browsed many publications in the Muslim Bookshops and I thought I can bring something new for our kids in the U.S. as most of the material is coming from overseas."

Mr. Kaddoura is trying to fill a gap. Although there are many Islamic children's books and several dozen Islamic publishers that exist because most of them are based in other countries they are not easily accessible for many parents and teachers. As a result of his efforts, Mr. Kaddoura has seen firsthand how the books and resources that he provides are welcomed by students, parents and teachers and he is always amazed by the positive feedback.

Mr. Kaddoura sees Creative Education and Publishing as pioneering in providing stories, posters and games that reflect the local circumstances of Muslims in the U.S. and in the West. Some examples are reflected in the story books that CEP publishes. One story published is about kindness to neighbors and the name of the neighbor is Charlie; he is not named Hassan or Tareq which are names normally associated with other Muslims. Another story addresses diversity and describes how a girl from Yemen copes as a Muslim with other students in the public school system.

For more information and to review some of the products available at CEP click here.

Global Pink Hijab Day October 27th

Global pink hijab day is scheduled for October 27, 2010 in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Muslims all over the world are invited to participate by wearing pink hijab scarves and pink ribbons on the 27th and by donating to cancer foundations throughout the month. Global pink hijab day was designed to encourage Muslim women and men to participate in breast cancer awareness activities and as a way of encouraging others to inquire about the hijab; the headscarf that many Muslim women wear as an outward demonstration of their faith.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded in 1985 by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical and Biologics Company that manufactures breast cancer drugs, and is celebrating 25 years of promoting awareness, education and empowerment of women and families this year. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month organization partners with AstraZeneca and several other corporate and government sponsors and has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues. NBCAM is a year round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, supporters, caregivers and the general public.

Locally, The Pink Ribbons Project is a Houston area organization that uses the arts to improve the quality of life for those touched by breast cancer. A calendar of their events for this month can be found here.

For information about or to participate in Global Pink Hijab Day 2010 click here.

Some Houston area restaurants are offering pink discounts and deals in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Some participating restaurants are Crave Cupcakes, Baker Street Pub and Grill, Flemings Steakhouse and Sullivan's Steakhouse.

Ramadan Mubarek!

Muslims around the world have developed numerous traditions for celebrating the month of Ramadan, but the constant truth that transcends each tradition and all cultures is the practice of abstaining from food and drink daily from sunrise to sunset for the entire month.

The Holy Qur'an reads in Surah 2:185:

Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear signs for guidance and for judgement between right and wrong. So everyone who is present at his home during that month should spend it in fasting but if anyone is ill or on a journey the prescribed period shold be made up by days later.

Fasting during the month of Ramdan is one of the Five Pillars of Belief in Islam. The Five Pillars are: 1. Iman or Faith in the form of the Shahada or declaration that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, 2. Salaat and establishing the five obligatory daily prayers, 3. Zakat which means giving in charity, 4. Sawm which means fasting for the month of Ramadan and 5. Hajj which is the obligatory pilgrimage required by all Muslims before the end of their life.

Although fasting is required by all Muslims, male and female, as a means of obeying the commands of Allah the Almighty, it is also as a way to glorify Allah and to show our gratitude for His having sent the Holy Qur'an to mankind. It is believed that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would receite the Qur'an every Ramadan and that it was during the month of Ramadan when the first revelations began.

Read more here on my examiner.com page!

Green living, green Muslims

Six hundred trees and a two acre native garden were recently planted in Houston as part of the Keep Houston Beautiful and Great American Cleanup initiatives; initiatives designed to reverse and/or reduce harmful effects to the environment. Although the roots of the modern environmentalist movement can be traced back as far as nineteenth century Europe and North America, it is important to point out that the scriptures of the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam promote many of the green living values that are espoused today.

Many Jewish laws concerning farming and thriving on the earth's surface support environmentally friendly values that promote care and sensitivity for resources. For example, in the book of Leviticus 25:3-4 it reads:

Six years thou shalt sow thy fields, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard.

And Jesus the Messiah, peace be upon him, a Hebrew and therefore an adherent to the laws of Moses, peace be upon him, imparted words of immense wisdom when he said that the meek shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 reads:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Islam also supports green living values and there are several scriptures in the Holy Quran that advise and admonish believers towards being grateful for the bounties that God bestows in the form of rain, clean rivers and the blessings of green, healthy trees and plant life. A few such scriptures are:

Quran 2:164: Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.

Quran 20:52-53: He replied: "The knowledge of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor forgets,- "He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.

Quran 27:60: Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice.

Islamic and Judaic traditions also go as far as to provide instruction during times of war and admonish believers not to destroy trees or to burn the land in war times. In the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him it is written in Malik's Muwatta book 23:3:10:

"I advise you ten things: Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly."

Judaic laws repeat a similar admonition in Deuteronomy 20:19-20 when it reads:

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them:

Read more here . . .

Jesus In Islam

Many Christians this week will be celebrating Consider Christianity Week as a means of equipping Christians with facts and evidence in support of Christianity for effective communication of Christian values with others. Christianity is considered the second of the three Abrahamic religions, the first being Judaism and the third Islam and should be understood within the construct of history and from it's position as part of a gradual process of revelation, however, it is not always understood as such. On account of this, there have unfortunately been numerous occasions throughout history where war and violence have erupted amongst believers of the Abrahamic religions with many such eruptions still reverberating today.

The Institute of Interfaith Dialog here in Houston recently held a panel discussion posing the theory that there is potential for a clash of civilizations between Christianity and Islam as a means of addressing some of the fears and misunderstandings between the two religions. And as realized during the panel discussion, there are as many points, if not more, that can be made in support of the numerous similarities bewteen Christianity and Islam as can be made in support of a potential clash.

One fact that Christians may not be well aware of is that Muslims also believe in Jesus, peace be upon him, and recognize him as one of those nearest to God. The Holy Quran, the Holy Book of scripture within the tradition of Islam reads in Surah 3 Ayat 45:

Behold! The angels said: "Oh Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of the company of those nearest to Allah;

Read More here

In Honor of Purple Hijab Day for Aasiya Hassan

My Sister
My sister is a confidant
My sister is a friend
My sister is the one I trust
To trust me till the end
My sister is a mirror
Who reflects my every flaw
And still she doesn’t judge me
And loves me even more
My sister is a looking glass
I see her beauty there
And yet there is no envy
There is no jealous glare
My sister is a muse
She inspires me to praise
My sister is a guide
She chastens all my ways
My sister is a jewel
A rare and precious stone
That I wear around my neck so that I never walk alone

Text copyright © 2001, 2010 Janette Grant

Islam and Black History Month

2010 marks the 34th year officially celebrating Black History Month. For generations, people have been celebrating and learning about the contributions of African Americans to American society since 1976 when Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, initiated the celebration of Black History Month as an extension to Negro History Week which he had established in 1926 as a means of documenting and researching the contributions of Africans to civilization. Woodson had seen first hand the lack of knowledge presented about African Americans while attending Harvard University, one of the top universities in the United States, and went about the task of rectifying the situation.

In effect, Black History Month became more than just a holiday; it became a way of rebuilding the psyche of American culture by reminding its citizens of teh great contributions that Africans and African Americans have made to the advancement of all aspects of society. Throughout the United States communities annually commemorate Black History Month with special events, concerts, lectures, plays, exhibits and various other forums to educate, inform and remind its citizens of African American achievements and discoveries.

In Houston, events like the Buffalo Soldiers display at local libraries and the Children's Express Theatre's presentation of the play, "The Freedom Train" at the African American Library at the Gregory School are just two examples of keeping our communities informed and thus more tolerant and better educated.

In light of that, a little known fact about the Islamic religion is that Islam was also rising to prominence among blacks iin the U.S. around the time that Negro History Week was being implemented by Carter G. Woodson.

Read More . . .

Haiti's government declares survivor search and rescue over

Haiti's government declares survivor search and rescue over

Muslimas Oasis | Purple Hijab Day

Muslimas Oasis Purple Hijab Day