Dr. Abdullah's Blog

The intellectual history of Islam is inseparable from the contributions of Iran (historical Persia). From the earliest centuries of Islam to the modern era, Iranian scholars have played a decisive role in shaping nearly every branch of Islamic knowledge—ranging from Qur’anic exegesis and hadith to philosophy, science, literature, and spirituality. Their contributions reflect not only scholarly excellence but also a remarkable ability to synthesize diverse intellectual traditi

The making of modern civilization is often narrated as a triumph of European ingenuity, yet such a narrative conceals a deeper and more interconnected intellectual history. Long before the rise of the Renaissance, Iranian Muslim scientists had already laid critical foundations for what would later become modern science, medicine, and philosophy. Working across the great centers of learning—from Rayy and Nishapur to Baghdad and Isfahan—these scholars transformed inherited know

The history of religion is inseparable from the history of memory. Revelation does not descend as a bound volume; it enters the human world as voice—heard, internalized, and transmitted. Between utterance and inscription stretches a delicate interval in which communities assume the burden of preservation. In that interval, memory becomes both vessel and filter. The sacred is not merely received; it is carried across years, across generations, across shifting historical landsc

In every age, humanity has been tested. Yet each era fashions its own language of trial, its own texture of calamity. Ours is an age where affliction does not always descend as famine or war, but flickers silently through glowing screens—entering hearts through comparison, tongues through haste, and communities through division. The digital world has not replaced the ancient human condition; it has amplified it. The Qur’an reminds us with solemn clarity: “And We will surely t

Every generation has its own Karbala—a moment when truth and justice are tested. In history, Karbala was the battlefield where Imam Hussain and his family gave their lives to protect the true message of Islam. They stood against those who claimed to be Muslims but had abandoned justice, compassion, and truth. Yazid silenced those who loved the Prophet and refused to support Imam Hussain’s call for justice, peace, and freedom. They were complicit in this rebellion against God.

In every age, there appear a few rare souls who quietly redefine the meaning of success. Their legacy is not inscribed in the language of wealth, titles, or worldly recognition, but in the lives they touch and the hope they restore. Their achievements are measured not in possessions but in compassion. Saghir Aslam belongs to that small and noble lineage of people whose lives remind us that the truest prosperity lies not in what one accumulates, but in what one gives away. Lik

Washington, D.C., March 2026  — As tensions escalate following U.S. military strikes on Iran, several American Muslim organizations have issued statements urging restraint, constitutional accountability, and a renewed commitment to diplomacy. While their language and emphases differ, the statements collectively reflect concern among Muslim civil society leaders that further escalation could endanger civilians and destabilize an already fragile region. The Muslim Public Affair

The report “Zakat Report: Hundreds of Millions in Fake, Wasted and Hoarded Donations—A Review of 17 Zakat-Collecting Nonprofits” by Ahmed Shaikh, published in March 2026, is a critical financial examination of major Muslim charitable organizations operating in the United States and internationally. Drawing on IRS Form 990 filings and financial statements, Shaikh analyzes the fundraising and spending practices of seventeen prominent zakat-collecting nonprofits that together re

Justice is, undeniably, a heavy and loaded word. It is invoked with solemnity in marble courtrooms and thundered from the pulpits of places of worship; it is debated in the hushed halls of parliaments and chanted in the streets during protest marches; it is the subject of bitter family quarrels and the foundational premise of international treaties. Tyrants lay claim to it to justify their iron grip, while reformers demand it to shatter those very chains. Every ideology, no m

Beneath the tempestuous waves of political history and the intricate currents of theological divergence, the vast ocean of the Islamic faith is sustained by profound, shared depths. The overwhelming majority of Muslims, across both the Sunni and Shīʿa traditions, draw their spiritual lifeblood from the same foundational beliefs and sacred practices. To understand the relationship between these two great branches of Islam is to recognize that they are not two disparate rivers,

The Mississippi River originates at Lake Itasca. Lake Itasca is located in northern Minnesota, inside Itasca State Park. From this modest lake — small, quiet, almost humble — the river begins its long journey southward. Its total length from Lake Itasca to the Gulf is approximately 2,340 miles (3,770 km). From north to south, the river flows through or forms borders of the following states Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa Illinois Missouri Kentucky Tennessee Arkansas Mississippi and

To understand the magnitude of the void now opening in Tehran, one must first recognize what Ayatollah Ali Khamenei truly represented. He was never merely a sovereign; he was the architectural keystone of the Islamic Republic. Beneath his mantle rested the apex of constitutional and religious authority, the final, unassailable voice on matters of security. He served as the strategic umbrella for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), acting as the grand arbiter of its

The global Shia Muslim community, comprising roughly 10 to 13 percent of the world's Muslim population, represents a complex tapestry of religious devotion, political mobilization, and geopolitical significance . Often viewed through the monolithic lens of Iranian state policy, the reality of the global Shia population is far more diverse. Their loyalties are divided among competing centers of religious authority, their political views are shaped by local contexts as much as

Across centuries, human misinterpretation of sacred words has deepened wounds rather than healed them. What was meant as moral illumination became tribal possession. Subtle, destructive whispers—born of pride, fear, and power—distorted promise into exclusion. And so the suffering continues, not from revelation itself, but from its corrupted reading. There is a sentence that has echoed for millennia across deserts and empires, across prayer halls and parliaments: In the Book o

Every year, near the close of Shaʿbān, a familiar scene unfolds across the Muslim world. On rooftops and desert ridges, along coastlines and minarets, men and women lift their eyes toward the western horizon. The sky glows faintly after sunset. The air holds anticipation. Somewhere in that fading light, the thinnest arc of silver may appear—the crescent that marks the beginning of Ramadan. Yet in observatories and research centers, another scene unfolds. Astronomers, heirs to

Ramadan calls us to reflect not only on what we eat, but on what our choices support.  Will we buy dates from large corporations and supply chains that help finance injustice, violence, or the silencing of people seeking freedom? Or will we choose family-owned farms that believe in human dignity, ethical labor, and justice? Food carries values. Every purchase tells a story. In a month devoted to compassion, restraint, and moral awareness, choosing dates grown by responsible f

At the heart of Islam stands the Kaaba, the first House devoted to the worship of the One God and the direction of Muslim prayer across the world. Draped over it is the Kiswah—a black silk mantle embroidered with Qur’anic verses in gold and silver—an object whose meaning lies not in luxury, but in reverence. To touch it is to remember humility; to preserve it is to honor a trust shared by generations. Long before Islam, Arab tribes covered the Kaaba to signal sanctity. With t

In recent months, rumors have circulated on social media suggesting that the United States is moving toward banning halal food and products. These claims have generated understandable concern among Muslim communities. A careful review of U.S. law, however, reveals a very different reality. There is no federal or state ban on halal products in the United States. What does exist in several states are halal labeling and consumer-protection laws—designed not to prohibit halal foo

Bangladesh is preparing for a watershed moment in its democratic history. On 12 February 2026, the South Asian nation will hold elections for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament). This vote comes after years of political turmoil, including the dramatic 2024 popular uprising that led to the ouster of long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the formation of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Accompanying the parliamentary election

Humility was his dress. Love was his breathing. Politeness was his language. Simplicity was his style. Dr. Atiq Alam Siddiqi did not announce his service. He lived it. He moved through communities quietly, stitching together what history, fear, and neglect had pulled apart. When he arrived in America, Muslims were few, fragmented, and often invisible. When he returned to Allah ﷻ on January 11, 2026, more than 300 Muslim centers stood across the landscape—organized, respected