(Continued from “Seeking Guidance” on October 19, 2011.) There is no sure-fire way to be 100% certain that we’re making the right decisions. However, there is a way to be confident that we’re heading in the right direction. And it’s not by seeking out signs and omens or consulting tarot cards or fortune-tellers. There is only one source of perfect advice and guidance and that is God. Some people dislike that answer. Either they don’t [...]
A newborn baby operates on instinct. She doesn’t decide when she cries or sleeps. He’s at the mercy of the adults in his life to make all his decisions for him. But as she grows older, she becomes increasingly independent. And part of that independence is learning to make your own decisions. The good parent teaches his child to make decisions wisely and responsibly. This can seem like an overwhelming task because making decisions isn’t [...]
I came to Islam through the notion of cheap grace. I first heard of the term in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who was executed by the Nazis. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship (1948), he explained cheap grace this way: “Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like a cheapjack’s wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at [...]
You could argue that Allah uses our feelings of regret and guilt to get us to return to Him, not to crush us in a cycle of self-recrimination and self-loathing.
My mom was a musical fan and I often heard the song “Summertime” playing on her stereo during my childhood. The first line goes, “Summertime, and the living is easy.” But I have to tell you: I don’t feel that way about summer. Especially the last two years since I’ve been a Muslim. For one thing, dressing modestly is hot! And I don’t mean that in the “attractive” or “sexy” sense. I dread going out [...]
This is a video of a brief talk given by Matt Cutts about how anyone can do anything for 30 days. I thought it was especially appropriate for Ramadan. Even though Ramadan is eagerly anticipated by Muslims, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get through. And it’s going to be especially hard this year with the heat and the long summer days. (I was able to add Arabic subtitles to the video; you’ll have [...]
I’m still glad I’m a Muslim and I’m actually a lot more comfortable with it than I was for the first few months. I won’t lie to you; those days were hard. First of all, I felt so out of my element. So much of being a Muslim is cultural and I’m definitely not from that culture. I’m as WASPy as you can get, or at least I was until I became a Muslim. (WASP [...]
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