Tag Archives: Hadith

Invisible Heroes: Muslim Immigrants And Refugees In Our Community

Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. Maymuna is originally from Ghana and immigrated to the United States ten years ago. Her family had to remain behind. We first met when Maymuna knocked on my door one day. She had seen my name on … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Invisible Heroes: Muslim Immigrants And Refugees In Our Community

Welcoming Ramadan 2026: Five Songs on My Playlist Capturing this Holy Month

Zeyneb Sayılgan, Ph.D. Every year, Ramadan arrives in my home before the crescent moon is officially announced. It arrives in sound. A few days before the month begins, my daughter presses play. The first notes drift through the house, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bediüzzaman-Said-Nursi, Community, God, Islam, Prophet-Muhammad, Quran, Ramadan, Risale-i Nur | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Welcoming Ramadan 2026: Five Songs on My Playlist Capturing this Holy Month

Islamophobia in the Classroom: Memories of a Muslim Student

by Zeyneb Sayılgan, Ph.D. Being bullied in school is a painful experience. When this injury is inflicted by teachers, though, it reaches another level. Your trust in adults who are supposed to nurture, guide and protect you is fundamentally shaken. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bediüzzaman-Said-Nursi, Community, God, Islam, Prophet-Muhammad, Quran, Risale-i Nur | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Islamophobia in the Classroom: Memories of a Muslim Student

On Motherhood: Finding Fortitude In The Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings

Mom, Anne, Mutti, Daye – I have said “mother” in all of the four languages I grew up with.  Yet, it was only after I became a mother myself that I truly understood the depth and the meaning of what motherhood … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Islam, Quran | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On Motherhood: Finding Fortitude In The Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings

Death The Greatest Teacher: Three Life-Lessons From The Child I Lost

If you want advice – death is sufficient, says Muslim scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. True. Every time I visit the gravesite of my sweet three-year-old Meryem, I am painfully awakened in new ways. Her love and light continue to sustain and strengthen … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Islam | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Death The Greatest Teacher: Three Life-Lessons From The Child I Lost

The Grieving Prophet – How this Muslim Mother finds Comfort in Muhammad’s Sorrow

He buried his own six children. Three of them died in infancy and three others in young adulthood. His only surviving child – daughter Fatima – died six months after him. Prophet Muhammad was no stranger to death. His father … Continue reading →

Posted in Death | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Grieving Prophet – How this Muslim Mother finds Comfort in Muhammad’s Sorrow

The Hijra – Lessons from The First Muslim Migration for Today

This July Muslims entered their new Islamic year of 1446. Day one of the Islamic lunar calendar is based on a momentous event – the hijra or migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The early Muslim community who … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, God, Immigration, Interreligious Education, Islam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Hijra – Lessons from The First Muslim Migration for Today

Three Qur’anic Concepts that Guide my Interreligious Life

My Muslim upbringing has deeply influenced my personal and academic life. Through my journey, I’ve discovered that while my values are rooted in my faith, engaging with other traditions has significantly broadened my perspective. This mutual learning process not only … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, God, Islam | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Three Qur’anic Concepts that Guide my Interreligious Life

The Dead Teach Us Much About Life – A Muslim Experience of Memento Mori 

I wash dead bodies in my free time. Along with around seventy Muslim women, I volunteer to perform the last Islamic rites. It is a collective obligation in Islam: Some members in the community need to fulfill this religious duty … Continue reading →

Posted in Bediüzzaman-Said-Nursi, Community, Death, God, Islam, Risale-i Nur | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Dead Teach Us Much About Life – A Muslim Experience of Memento Mori 

Ramadan – Three Reasons Why All Can Appreciate this Muslim Season

Ramadan – the most joyous month for about two billion Muslims around the world – is around the corner. March 10/11 will mark the start of the holy season during which Muslims will begin to fast every day from dawn … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, God, Islam, Quran, Ramadan | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ramadan – Three Reasons Why All Can Appreciate this Muslim Season