As a member of the South Asian community, I have attended numerous iftars that seem more like parties than iftar gatherings. If you’re a Muslim you’re probably thinking, “Iftar ‘parties’ and ‘gatherings’ are the same thing, dummy!” Sadly, our community has failed to distinguish between the kind of parties we host during most of the…
Try to recall the last time you achieved something big, commendable, note-worthy. Straight A’s? A promotion? Election into a high position? Admission into a competitive university? Most of us have experienced the sweetness of success. Some of us view it as a blessing. Fewer of us recognize the Source of it and remember to thank…
The month of Ramadan can often become an excuse to not exercise and to overindulge in food. But this month is not meant to be used as a crutch for laziness or a reason to eat whatever we want. We forget that keeping our bodies healthy can be an act of worship and in turn,…
Between attending classes and work and studying and an internship, finding the time to make food for iftar can be very difficult for Noor Teebi, a third year at UCLA who is spending her first Ramadan on her own. Being away from home for the first time, many other Muslim students face the same unexpected…
The month of Ramadan we have just entered is a time when we purify ourselves from our physical and worldly desires. While we curb our temptations in this month to detach ourselves from this dunya, this consumer society we live in, conversely, encourages indulging in the desires of our nafs, our ego. It’s really unfortunate…