Ayasofya: The Dagger Removed
‘’Either I will conquer you or you will conquer me”; this sentence, uttered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, referred to Istanbul. This city has a subtle connection with the sacred Islamic cities of Mecca and Jerusalem; the qibla (direction of prayer) in Istanbul is towards both the Ka’ba and Al-Aqsa. For us Muslims, it is a beautiful blessing to face both the first qibla in Islam … Continue reading Ayasofya: The Dagger Removed
Relics of Triumphalism
Hagia Sophia has a storied heritage, but at no time has she been living in the past. Her walls embellished with marvelous Abrahamic vestiges of the distant past, Hagia Sophia excites aesthetic envy the world over. Strings of naked lightbulbs line the confectionaries and kebab stands that populate her casual vicinity in warm summer evenings—her odd, mismatched minarets visible across the Bosporus from Üsküdar, where … Continue reading Relics of Triumphalism
Has Religion Made a Comeback?
Giant Turtles, Big Bang Cosmology, and the End of Materialism I remember sitting in my world history class as a nine-year-old learning that the silly and primitive people of the past used to believe that the earth rested on a giant turtle. I vaguely recall being taught that these simple and primitive people used this turtle to explain earthquakes: anything that sits on the back … Continue reading Has Religion Made a Comeback?
Humanism between Islam and the West
A Book Review of Ali Shariati’s Marxism and Other Western Fallacies Ali Shariati Mazinani was an Iranian revolutionary and sociologist whose work is largely on the sociology of religion. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century[1], and has been dubbed the “ideologue of the Iranian Revolution.” Despite experiencing an illustrious career shortened by an early … Continue reading Humanism between Islam and the West
A Critique From Above: A Reflection on Revolts
No time in recent memory has seen ‘violence’ laid bare as much as in our current political moment. The violence of concern is that of colonial racism – a violence produced by the secular nation-state. Of course, the modern form of lynching visited upon George Floyd is not news to anyone aware of the costs of late capitalism and neocolonialism. Yet, as an Ummah, we … Continue reading A Critique From Above: A Reflection on Revolts
Intolerance is at the Heart of Liberalism
The incoherence of liberalism is going to need a better defense than the one offered by Douglas Murray. Liberalism, as Douglas Murray rightly points out in his Spectator piece, is in the dock and subject to a new “cultural revolution.” Murray’s piece reflects an ever-growing pessimism across western societies that the edifice upon which liberalism was built is giving way to a “woke” progressivism concerned … Continue reading Intolerance is at the Heart of Liberalism
الحجاب: ليس جسدي، ليس اختياري
بدأتُ ارتداء الخمار (غطاء الرأس الإسلامي، ويعرف بالحجاب) عندما كنت في العاشرة من العمر. كنت قد تأثرت بصديقاتٍ متحجبات أكبر مني سنًا، وآمنت حينها بأنه الوقت المناسب لارتداء الحجاب أيضًا والعمل بما يقتضيه. وبعد مضي أكثر من عشر سنين مَنَّ الله تعالى عليَّ بالاستمرار في الارتقاء في مسيرتي نحو الامتثال لمقتضيات الحجاب ظاهرًا وباطنًا. إنها سير باتجاه الستر والتصرف بطريقة أؤمن أنها ترضي الله عز … Continue reading الحجاب: ليس جسدي، ليس اختياري
Hijab: Not my Body, Not my Choice
I started wearing the khimar (Muslim head covering, commonly known as hijab) when I was ten years old. I was influenced by older friends who practiced hijab and I believed that it was the right time for me to start implementing it as well. More than a decade later, God has blessed me in continuing to progress in my journey to conform internally and externally … Continue reading Hijab: Not my Body, Not my Choice
Wading with Musa
Tell them you follow Musa. That we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death before reaching Tuwa. Ever since the mother of Musa casted her baby down the river, He’s been wading in the water. Wade in the water Wade in the water Children wade, in the water God’s gonna trouble the water Did he not meet his share of troubles, Struck … Continue reading Wading with Musa
Islam and the Secular Age: Q&A with Dr. Khalil Abdurrashid
Traversing Tradition and Yaqeen Institute have collaborated to provide a question and answer follow-up to Yaqeen Institute’s research papers, allowing readers further engagement with the author. In this article, we had the blessed opportunity to ask Dr. Khalil Abdurrashid questions about his article, Islam and the Secular Age: Between Certainty and Uncertainty. Dr. Khalil Abdurrashid is the first full-time University Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University, … Continue reading Islam and the Secular Age: Q&A with Dr. Khalil Abdurrashid
