Circumspecte

So, today's a special day in the Islamic Calendar. It's the day of Arafat - a day when all the Hajj pilgrims descend upon Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia under a state of "Ihram" (purity) and commune one on one with Allah. It's an open doorway to the heavenly chamber where gratitude, asking for forgiveness, committing oneself and praying for anything really rule supreme. Mount Arafat has a huge significance in Islam. It is believed that Adam and Eve found each other at that location after being cast out of paradise. It is also believed that Judgement Day will take place at that very mount. Perhaps, the most important thing about Mount Arafat for the world's millions of Muslims is the fact that it was on that very mountain that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) "perfected" Islam with his final sermon. For my Muslim brothers and sisters, I believe this is a great reminder about our rights and responsibilities as Muslims, and for how we should lead our lives. Fo...

Salam (Peace Be Unto You)! This post was supposed to be a quickly copied article or embedded video on Eid-ul-Adha (The Festival of Sacrifice), but after some thought I decided to just write an entire post on Islam's second most important festival. Besides, it's been a minute since I wrote a good letter, and given how far we've come since my last Islam-related post during Ramadan, I believe I owe God one. However, before I get into all the juicy details about the different shapes, sizes and aromas of the succulent lamb chops that grace Eid, I'd like to talk a bit about another equally important event in Islam - and probably the singular largest gathering of people in the world - that is sometimes overlooked in the haste for the Eid holiday: the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The Fifth Pillar of Islam: Hajj Islam has five pillars or foundations that each Muslim is required (or should I say tries their best) to follow: Khalimat Shahaddah (bearing witness to the Oneness of ...