Respect is an integral part of most cultures and societies, touching everyone from little children to elderly adults. But who decides who deserves respect? And how does a person show respect? These questions have differing answers in the various cultures, but Islam creates a universal foundation which may unite many cultural ways of life. The respect discussed in this article will focus on parents respecting children, which in turn, will lead to children respecting their parents and others.

 For several decades, Americans have come to know Islam and Muslims through the images and pictures of crisis and conflict covered in the media. Earlier generations formed their opinions of the Muslim world through images of the Arab oil embargo and Palestinian terrorism, or perhaps by Orientalist images of camels and harems. I am part of a generation that came of age in the 1980s, and therefore my earliest memories of international political events were the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the subsequent American hostage crisis in Iran which lasted 444 days, and the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. This was my introduction to the world of Islam. Schools did not teach Geography or World History during my time, movies only served to reinforce my prejudices, and with the exception of a co-worker of my father’s, whom I met on one occasion as a child, I had no other encounter with anyone of the Muslim faith. By the time I entered college, I was predisposed to being suspicious of Muslims and to attributing to them the worst possible intentions. 

The tragedy of Karbala and the tragic end of Imam Hussein are the ceaseless story of the battle between good and evil in this world. They reflect the historical conflict of the line of the prophets against the followers of the devil, rather than an individual animosity between Imam Hussein and his opponents, as some writers try to depict.1 The encounter between the dignity of human beings and their greed has been embodied by the killing of Imam Hussein at the hands of the Umayyad authorities.

When commemorating Muharram, we are not just marking the passage of time, rather we are remembering the beginning of an era in history that is filled with lessons and teachings from unique people who embodied all the ideals of humanity, giving, and sacrifice for the sake of preserving values and morality. For if we wish to be successful and noted in history, we must study the great figures throughout time and understand how they lived, learned, and leveraged their capabilities, potential and environment. From this viewpoint, we will focus on a number of factors about commemorating Muharram, the start of the Islamic year.

The life of Jesus Christ is a topic of intense interest and discussion in today's world, especially within the field of religious studies. While many of these discussions take place within a Christian context, the increase in interest in Islamic studies has caused many non-Muslims to inquire as to what Islam says about such a personality. Islam has offered its own unique perspective on Prophet Jesus, ranging from his birth to his return with Imam Mahdi (the 12th and final Imam). This article will attempt to address a few issues regarding the Islamic perspective on Prophet Jesus that are of interest to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

In the teachings of Islam, Imam Mahdi (the 12th Imam of the Progeny of Prophet Mohammad) is the person who will rise near the end of time and rid the world of tyranny and injustice, replacing them with justice, peace, and general well-being for the world. Imam Mahdi will also resolve the many distortions in religious teachings generally and any misinterpreted Qur'anic teachings more specifically, thereby making his mission one of both intellectual and spiritual natures. His mission’s profound purpose is to bring humankind closer to God by removing the many obstacles which have arisen through the corruption of individuals, groups, and societies. The eventual rising and mission of the twelfth Imam has been outlined by Prophet Mohammad and the eleven Imams who succeeded him as well as by various Qur’anic verses, such as 5:4, 7:128, 21:105 and 24:55.

The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is primarily discussed in relation to the miraculous birth of Jesus. It goes without saying that this miracle by itself is enough to confer greatness on her. However it does not fully explain why Mary is one of the greatest women that ever existed. The aim of this article is to examine the miraculous birth of Jesus along with other aspects of Mary’s life to gain an understanding of her lofty position in Islam. We will first discuss her noble family lineage, and then her birth and the circumstances surrounding it. We will also discuss the divine decision to choose Mary above all women for the honor of having a son without male intervention. The above examination will provide an Islamic view of Mary the mother of Jesus, and we will conclude with a brief look at the differences between this view and the Christian view of Mary.

Interfaith initiatives are one of the major successes of the Muslim community in the United States. With these initiatives, Muslims have been able to reach out to different religious groups, including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. On many occasions, this has resulted in strong and lasting bonds of friendship between these groups. It is not uncommon for Muslims to regularly attend synagogue or church services, or for Christians, Jews, and others to observe Friday prayers at a number of mosques around the country. Such cases are most frequently observed in larger cities, such as Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Dearborn, to name a few. It is important to analyze the process of interfaith dialogue, understand its role in Islam, and create effective strategies to make the best use of such initiatives.

The Qur’an lies squarely at the center of the Islamic system of guidance. It is the fountainhead of Islamic learning and the ultimate standard for judging the veracity and merit of all other propositions. Accordingly, Muslims maintain a reverence for it inasmuch as it is the word of God; we regularly read it in Arabic whether or not we understand it, and the particularly conscientious among us may even study its translation and exegesis. All withstanding, I believe many of us lack a sophisticated understanding of the precise role the Qur’an is meant to play in the guidance of humankind. In what follows, I offer some thoughts to help develop such an understanding and to outline a methodology for practically and realistically benefitting from the Qur’an.