Peace and blessings, As you may now know, I am scheduled to take my Shahada (official conversion to Islam) over the weekend. I am excited, I am anxious and, yes, I am scared. I don’t think that anyone in North America in a post 9/11 wouldn’t be. I know far too well how my brothers and sisters in Islam are depicted in the media. Similarly, I also know how extremist some Muslims can be. I feel once again, stuck between two worlds. Growing up, I was always the “daughter of the gay guy” to my straight peers, and the straight … Continue reading Last minute fears…

Of every aspects of Islam, the duty of charity placed on every Muslim is probably my favourite. Many people often forget that we are one large brother/sisterhood of humanity, charity is the epitome of all moral and just treatment of our fellow man. The Golden Rule dictates to treat others as you would like to be treated. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), in one of the hadith states: “Not one of you truly believe until you wih for others what you would wish for yourself” (An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith 13, p. 56) That in itself is the true Islam but to go above and beyond is … Continue reading Five pillars examined: 3 – Charity (Zakaat)

There has been lots of talk lately about the Higgs Boson or “God particle”. From my understanding, this particle comes to explain the Big Bang and other concepts in physics. What has been interesting in the discovery of the Higgs Boson is the religious debate revolving around this discovery. So many claim that now that we can scientifically explain the Big Bang, there is no reason to wonder “who lit the match”. God, has no reason for being if science can explain the universe… A friend of mine asked me this week: do you still believe in God in spite … Continue reading Believing in spite of science