MuslimMatters

Shifa Saltagi Safadi is back with her latest book, and more writing advice for Muslim authors! How much Islamic rep is too much Islamic rep for kidlit? Do you really need to develop craft? Isn't enough to tell Muslim kids just to be good Muslims? And can Muslim authors survive the advent of AI... or should they tap into it? Tune in for writerly advice and a peek at the latest Amina Banana chapter...

Ustadh Justin Parrott explores how the Hajj ritual of stoning the Jamaraat has a deeper spiritual meaning for all of us to internalize and take forward into our lives.

Sh Abdullah Mullanee and Zainab bint Younus talk about the necessity of moving on from the nostalgia of the Golden Age of Islam, drawing from its lessons by being creative and building up our Ummah in new and exciting ways today.

Where does your dollar go? Mufti Abdullah Nana and Dr Shafi Lodhi talk about the concerning phenomenon of commission-based charity fundraisers in the Muslim community, which involve unethical and unIslamic practices that have been normalized by Muslim organizations.

Is Ramadan really a time to simply withdraw from the world? When we are fasting while witnessing genocides in across the Muslim world, are we really meant to turn to private worship and ignore what's happening? Zainab bint Younus speaks to Dr. Farah El-Sharif about what grappling with the concept of resistance in light of Islamic ethics, navigating scholarly advice to avoid politics, and the fears...

Dr. Saadia Mian covers the medical dos and don'ts of fasting, tips on staying healthy while fasting, and how fasting impacts insulin resistance, fertility, testosterone, weight gain, and more!

Ustadh Justin Parrott identifies the rarely-discussed spiritual disease of malice, and shares tips and tricks on letting go of the emotional and spiritual baggage of malice before Ramadan begins.

Anse Tamara Gray shares her story of accepting Islam and growing into a female scholar, establishing Rabata and launching the new Ribaat University, and the future of women's Islamic scholarship.

What does every new Imam need to know about being an imam? What do you do if you're in a small community with minimal resources? How do you manage joining a new community, learning the ropes, and not biting off more than you can chew? In this episode, Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy shares his advice for new imams, community building, and reflections on his own imam experience.

In this episode of the MuslimMatters Podcast, Zainab bint Younus speaks to Imam Dawud Walid about the political and cultural pendulum swinging to the right after the leftist allyship of the 2010s. She asks him about his book "Towards Sacred Activism" and what priorities Muslims need to keep in mind before choosing to engage with or seek allyship with political and cultural groups in the West. Are...

Celsabil Hadj-Cherif examines Muslims and Muslimness in politics, failed models of political (dis)engagement, and what it means to bring Islamic ethics into our political vision.

Amire Hoxha, author of "Amar's Fajr Reward," talks to Zainab bint Younus about writing as a minority within a Muslim minority, trends in Muslim bookselling, and what Muslim kidlit keeps missing out on.

Zainab bint Younus, Siraaj Muhammad, and Irtiza Hasan talk all things Mamdani: what his electoral success means for the Muslim community, what Muslims can learn from his strategies, and what we need to watch out for in the future.

Omar Usman tackles the topic of sports gambling amongst Muslim men and how it has quietly become a common vice in our community.

Faizan Syed of A Continuous Charity talks to Zainab bint Younus about what ACC can do for Muslims seeking riba-free higher education in the West, and what that means for our communities at large. If you're a university student, parent of a university student, or just want to help your community, this episode is for you!

Aliyah Umm Raiyaan and Zainab bint Younus talk about Aliyah's book "The Power of Du'a," developing a personal relationship with Allah, and how du'a can literally change your life.

Irtiza Hasan and Zainab bint Younus share a (belated) Ramadan Mubarak with the MuslimMatters family, sharing their own traditions and reflections on how to spend this Ramadan.

Muhammad Saad Yacoob dismantles the concept of decoloniality, recenters Islamic revolutionary thought, & advises the everyday Muslim.

Anse Hazem Gomez and Anse Eman Manigat share their own experiences as converts, discussing some of the most common and most difficult challenges that new Muslims face, as well as providing support to those experiencing backlash from family and friends. They offer advice, compassion, and a holistic understanding of maintaining Islamic values while strengthening family ties, too. 

"Does reading about jinn make Muslim kids want to do black magic or communicate with jinn?"  "How can Muslim writers include Islamic teachings and beliefs in fiction?" Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil is back to talk about her newly published Middle Grade fiction book, "How To Free A Jinn"! Zainab bint Younus asks Ustadha Raidah about Muslim kids reading jinn stories, maintaining Islamic principles when w...

In this podcast, Ustadh Mobeen Vaid and MuslimMatters Executive Director Siraaj Muhammad discuss the shifting political landscape for Muslim-American voters as frustrations with the Democratic Party’s stance on Gaza lead to increased support for third-party candidates and even Donald Trump. They examine recent polling data, endorsements from Somali community leaders, and challenges facing Kamala H...

Zainab bint Younus speaks to Sa'diyyah Nesar about her experiences as a Muslim living with disability, and what the Muslim Ummah needs to know to serve Muslims with disability better.

Zainab bint Younus speaks to Chaplain Sondos Kholaki about what Islamic chaplaincy is, how chaplains fit within the da'wah world, and her experiences as a hospital chaplain.

"When Only God Can See: The Faith of Muslim Political Prisoners" by Dr. Walaa Quisay and Dr. Asim Qureshi is a powerful book that functions as both bearing witness to the oft-untold stories of Muslim political prisoners held in the horrors of Guantanamo Bay, Egypt, and other “black sites” of illegal imprisonment and torture, and as an exploration of Islamic spirituality in the “University of Yusuf...

Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed shares her journey of studying Islam from her homeland of Maldives, to graduating from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, to becoming an alum and a teacher at Al-Salam Institute. She also talks about navigating da'wah as a career, and the struggles that women face in balancing family obligations and Islamic studies as a form of work.