Items

• 2022-06-25

  Exploring Cairo

  I visited Cairo in the summer of 2022. I decided to upload a picture of myself overlooking the city of Cairo. It was my first time visiting a Muslim country and a non-Western country. This was the main reason why I wanted to go. I chose to upload this picture because it reminds me of the awing experience of taking in Cairo for the first time. There were still a few Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time, but the Egyptian authorities didn't seem too interested in actually enforcing them at the airport or anywhere else. I took this photo on Anthony Bourdain Day (June 25th). Anthony Bourdain and his show are one of my major inspirations to travel and experience the wider world.
• 
  2020-03-13

  COVID 19, and its affect on my morality

  During the Pandemic, I actually had the time to sit and reflect on my religion and take time to learn from Allah swt. I strengthened my relationship with him and became a better Muslim throughout these times during the pandemic. The pandemic has provided an unexpected opportunity for many individuals to deepen their connection to their faith, again, including myself. As I found myself with more time for introspection and reflection, I was able to delve into the teachings and practices of Islam in a way that I hadn't before. This period of isolation allowed me to prioritize my spiritual growth and strengthen my relationship with Allah. I am grateful for this newfound connection to Islam and am committed to continuing my journey of Islam. "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book 2, Hadith 12) This hadith emphasizes the importance of treating others as we would like to be treated, which is a fundamental principle of Islam. It highlights the idea that our faith is not just about personal piety, but also about fostering a sense of community and compassion for others. By loving and caring for our fellow human beings, we can strengthen our connection to both our faith and to each other, which is especially important during times of hardship and uncertainty like the pandemic.
• 
  2020-04

  Saved

  The pandemic has not only been a devastating experience but a time of reflection.
• 2022-04-29

  College & Religion ft. COVID-19

  When I was in the second semester of my freshman year at ASU studying Computer Science, we had started hearing word of a virus slowly spreading around the world. Halfway through that semester, it had reached a point where my universities had shut down in-person sessions and ASU had announced initially a 2-week online period, which then quickly ended up being the rest of the semester. For someone who was extremely to get the full college experience, it was very disheartening to have to cut out a decent chunk of our college life. However, with time and acceptance of the current world situation, I was able to quickly adapt and thrive with the new fully-online learning environment. Although, amidst being able to adapt to the new university online life, it was a very different story when it came to my religion. As Muslims, we are very accustomed to being a close-knit community. It is an obligation to attend a group prayer on Friday afternoons on a weekly basis. This is something I have been attending ever since my parents had taught me this at a young age. However, with the way the virus was spreading and considering how crowded mosques tend to get at Friday prayers, they were forced to close down. This had a major affect on many Muslims as it is a big part of our daily routine. On top of that, when the month of Ramadan had come around, mosques could not stay open for the late-night prayers that everyone was so accustomed to attending on a daily basis. With a little more time and a lot of prayers, this year mosques has opened at full capacity for weekly Friday prayers and nightly prayers at the mosque for the month of Ramadan. From a religious perspective, COVID-19 had taught a lot of us to develop more patience than we were initially used to and have faith in our religion that at the end of the day, whatever happens in this world always has an underlying reason.
• 
  2020-04-23

  The Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama Movement and the Pandemic

  Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is the world's largest Muslim organization. This article describes it's efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-30

  The Indonesian Muhammadiyah Movement and the COVID-19 Pandemic

  This article describes the ways in which the Indonesian Muslim Muhammadiyah organization responded to the onset of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-17

  Finding Peace Through Religion

  This is a photo of a part of the mosque I attend. This was significant to me because of the impact that religion has on my personal life. I feel as if I have always referred back to religion in my times of need, so when the world was in a very difficult spot, I turned to the thing that always seemed to help me. COVID has turned the world on its head since its arrival, and there seems to be no answer for it. It took countless amounts of lives and left so many others in bad shape. It created a sense of unpredictability for everyone around the world, not knowing if they, or someone they loved, would be infected with it. At the end of the day, it has been something we have learned to live with. As I mentioned earlier, my religion has always proved to be a relieving factor in my life. I would turn to it in my times of need when I felt uncertain of what could happen. In the times we have gone through, my religion has allowed me to voice my concerns and find comfort where I couldn’t find in other places. I always felt as if it was something that I could turn towards. This photo shows a Munara, as we say in Bosnian. It is a pilar that typically sits in front of mosques and allows Imams to call for prayer. When this call is heard, people are reminded to give some of their time to worship. I feel as this pilar can also represent what religion meant for me during the pandemic we were living through. When I see it, I would get reminded to pray and connect myself with God to seek answers for my problems. This would allow me to alleviate my stress and gain peace of mind through prayer. Each person would find comfort in different ways during this pandemic, for me, it was hearing this pilar call me back to something I could not forget about.
• 
  2021-07-22

  Hajj pilgrimage 2021

  This CNN article/photos show how the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is impacted by COVID for the second year in a row. The article states that, typically, 2 million Muslims worldwide go to Mecca for the Hajj, but this year, it is expected that only 60,000 residents will attend. Worshippers must be fully vaccinated and nonresidents are not allowed to attend.
• 
  2021-04-02

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 107

  George Floyd trial
• 
  2021-03-20

  If This Ain't the Energy You're Coming At

  Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch • If this ain’t the energy you’re coming at: — •Anti-Blackness •Stolen land •Asian hate crime •Deportations •Kids in cages •US imperialism •Islamaphobia •Anti-Semitism — Then I don’t want it. — If you can’t see how all these movements are connected & how every attack on one of us is an attack on us all, then I can’t help you. It’s only unity for me. — Speech by Isabel Kang from @krclaorg, originally posted on @aapiwomenlead.
• 
  2021-02-22

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 102

  Armageddon in the Mideast
• 
  2021-02-16

  "The Nation of Islam, Caring for the Black Body, and Vaccine Hesitancy"

  The history of the Nation of Islam and its resistance to traditional American medical practices adds critical context to explain why some African Americans do not want to COVID vaccine.
• 
  2020-11-09

  Covid-19 and Religious Observance

  Religious observance was one of the many aspects of daily life affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In my home country of Bahrain, congregational prayers were prohibited in mid-March, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. The Friday prayers were restricted to only a single mosque, Bahrain’s largest. Under normal circumstances, Muslim congregants would stand shoulder to shoulder in prayer. This was no longer the case as seen in the photo, social distancing and mask wearing was enforced. The Islamic call prayer (the Azan) was altered, the normal line summoning the faithful to prayer “come to prayer, come to good deeds” was instead replaced with the line “pray in your homes” (as seen in the attached video, which I recorded in Bahrain on). It was surreal hearing this for the time. The Covid-19 pandemic was the first event, at least in my lifetime, where this was done. Historically, this had precedents in times of plague. Moreover, the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, which draws millions to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia every year, was this year limited to a symbolic 1,000 pilgrims. Having attended the Haj myself a decade earlier and been in the midst of the human masses that descend on Mecca, it was very strange to observe the images of the few socially distanced pilgrims which undertook the Hajj in late July 2020.
• 
  2020-10-04

  Saudi Arabia Reopens Religious Travels

  Saudi Arabia opens up religious travels after having suspended them for over 6 months. Visitiors are now allowed to go on pilgrimige and holy visits.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Perspective of a First Generation Pakistani American University Student: The benefits of a campus and the difficult transition to the "Virtual Classroom"

  #CSUS #HIST15H
• 
  2020-04-13

  Are COVID-19 Restrictions Inflaming Religious Tensions?

  This article discusses how some countries in the Middle East view the religious restrictions such as the closure of Shia shrines in Iraq and Iran and the cancelation of the hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia as a form of violation of religious practices and repression of religious minorities. It is said that these restrictions will negatively impact how people view their government leaders.
• 
  2020-03-20

  ‘None of Us Have a Fear of Corona’: The Faithful at an Outbreak’s Center

  This article reports about the world's largest Islamic missionary movement with over 16,000 participants in Asia. Tablighi Jamaat is a century-old missionary movement that depends on the charity of mosques to give shelter and is one of the largest faith-based movements in the world. Because of this four day movement hundred of participants have tested positive for COVID-19. One participant states, "Whatever happens to us is God's will".
• 
  2020-03-23

  Mass Religious Gathering In Pakistan Leads To Fresh Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread

  The diplomat Ahmed Rabi said there was supposed to be a two-day gathering on march 12th in eastern Pakistan. The gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat which is a Muslim missionary group brought together thousands of Muslim preachers from 80 countries and they have raised concerns about the spread of the virus. One member Arif Rana said the gathering was canceled on March 12th because of rain but the Punjab chief master said it ended because of the coronavirus fears.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Prayers restricted across Central Minnesota mosques amid COVID-19 fears

  The article discusses the fears regarding religious gatherings and COVID-19 in central Minnesota. Specifically, the mosques and islamic religious centers of central Minnesota recently called for an end of mass gatherings, prayers, meetings, and weekend classes until it would be considered safe to do so. While many members of the community agree with the decision of local congregation leaders, many have concerns with the virus interrupting the famous islamic tradition and holiday of Ramadan. As Ramadan starts in April and lasts well through May, many people are worried they will not get to pray or worship during this religious holiday. While congregation leaders have not quite extended shut downs that far in advance yet, they said they will not hesitate to act in order to protect the community.