Spirituality & Community

“Punishment is now unfashionable… because it creates moral distinctions among men, which, to the democratic mind, are odious. We prefer a meaningless collective guilt to a meaningful individual responsibility.”
~ Thomas Szasz

Indeed, the Holy Spirit has breathed into me this inspiration: Surely a soul will not die until it completes its appointed time and receives its sustenance. So be mindful of God and seek beautifully

I’m not a Palestinian. I can’t tell you about Palestine.
I am not a Jew. I cannot tell you about Israel.
But there is something that I can tell you about. I am an American. I am a Muslim. I can tell you about those two things and my personal experiences as an American and as a Muslim. I can also tell you about are my areas of expertise. Islamic Law, thought and financial ethics, among other things.

Every phone call cuts like a knife.
When you’ve lost a loved one, the last thing you want to do is answer the phone or be around someone, but then again the one thing you want most is some normality, so you pick up the phone and open the door. Clarity of mind is something sought after, not something to be expected at this time. Some people call you not knowing, and wonder why or how you can be so despondent or stand-offish to them. Others would call and say with the sensitivity of a schizophrenic “Sorry for your loss, but hey you know what can I say…” Silence from some may be safe, but not sound in the hurting heart. There are though those that actually console, ask real questions, make dua, and most importantly let you know they are there for you. Not that they are in fact physically there, but the sentiment and the short visits are what counts.

Don’t wear your religion on your sleeve and announce it as the only thing that defines you. MSA shows up on your resume, fine. Hijab, fine. Let your qualifications shine through.

So for example, an interviewer says “So, tell us about yourself”

Karl Marx (1818-1883) — the well known Prussian philosopher and economist — is probably the most read (both in animus and  admiration) thinkers of the modern-era yet one of the most misunderstood. To the average layperson, Marx represents the most prominent voice of diaphanous anti-capitalist sentiment; in general, the cynosure for any and all non-free market thought. To the more academic minded, Marx is synonymous to the conflict theory of history: all major movements in history are the result of two competing economic groups — namely, the working-class and the capitalists.

The terms (or concepts of) “Islamic Economics” and “Islamic Finance” have become buzzwords among both lay and academic Muslims. And while the average person has some quasi-educated opinion on the subject of economics, I have found that most do not truly understand what the field actually studies. Some of the most common explanations of what economists actually study are: the stock market; money; banking; taxes and interest rates; and, general business and entrepreneurial methods.