Breastfeeding: Recommended by the Quran and Sunnah

Islamic and secular sources on the topic of infant care emphasize breastfeeding over other means of nourishment for the first two years of life. Guidelines on nursing and its role in the bond between mother and child are mentioned in both the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. And they need to be supported within our families and communities.

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Why I Named my Child Muhammad

One of the rights children have over their parents is that they are given good names. The 11th century scholar Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muḥammad al-Mawardi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his book Nasihat al-Muluk that “when a child is born, one of the first ways of honoring him and treating him kindly is to give him a good name, because a good name has an effect on the soul when first hearing it.” (p. 167). Of the beautiful names that we can give to our children are the names of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and the greatest of them was Prophet Muhammad…

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Las telenovelas y la resurrección del Islam en América Latina

El 1 de octubre de 2001, una telenovela brasileña llamada O Clone se emitió por primera vez en la televisión Rede Globo. Más tarde se vendería a más de 90 países. Su nombre fue traducido a El Clon para audiencias de habla hispana. El Clon fue la primera serie de televisión que revolucionó por completo la percepción de los musulmanes en América Latina, y no sería la última.

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Nurturing Native (& Foreign) Language Skills

I get this question so much from mothers whose attempts to pass down a native language to their children have been met with resistance. They are amazed that my children are fluent in Spanish despite being born and raised in the U.S. The truth is I am also struggling. It is a daily uphill battle that can only be overcome by prayers and keeping our eyes on the prize at the summit. Being bilingual or multilingual has huge advantages when it comes to cognitive development, academic performance, literacy, and in the workforce.

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Inspiring the Imagination

The benefits of imaginative play in children’s physical, psychological, and emotional development have been well researched and documented, especially in the last 75 years according to Psychology Today. It is no surprise that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, encouraged imaginative play in the children around him during his lifetime over 1,400 years ago.

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En Inglés, FamiliaWendy Díaz
20 Years of Hate, A Lifetime of Lessons

When I converted to Islam back in August of 2000, I knew it would be a gradual transition of adding regular prayers throughout the day, fasting during Ramadan, and changing my wardrobe. However, these changes proved to be minimal compared to the challenge of dealing with negative opinions about Islam and Muslims. I steered clear of the people who wanted to bring negativity in my life, but when the comments came from family, they were harder to swallow.

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Family Road Trip: Captivated in the Car

Finally, summer is here! And not just any summer. This is Summer 2021. According to the Center for Disease Control, over 67% of the U.S. population is immunized against the Coronavirus with at least one dose of a vaccine. Families are feeling comfortable enough to venture out and parents, especially, are ready to get their kids outdoors. Some are even planning vacations. There are still red flags though, with international travel limited and many countries maintaining strict travel restrictions.

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Familia, En InglésWendy Díaz
Finding Islamic Books for and with Latino Children

Fifteen years ago, my husband and I, both Latino converts to Islam, welcomed our first son to this world. Alhamdulillah, he was the first Muslim child born into our families, a blend of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian heritages living here in the U.S. His fitra, that innate faith in one Supreme Creator, was untainted unlike ours had been. He did not have to discover Islam later in life in his teens and twenties like his parents had…And so began our Muslim parenting journey, one that we are still striving to navigate efficiently as more and more challenges and blessings present themselves.

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Latino Muslims in America

Latinos continue to be the fastest growing minority in America and in Islam. If either of those facts come as a surprise, there is much for you to learn about our culture.

Latinos are a people from various countries and backgrounds, bound together by a shared language and principles, as well as a history of being victims of colonization, oppression, and injustice. Latinos have a lot in common with Muslims, and that is perhaps because we are descendants of European, African, and Indigenous Muslims. Islam is in our blood!

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El mes de Ramadán al estilo latino

El Licenciado Jamal A. (Díaz) Abdul-Karim es el director de la División Superior de la Escuela Al-Rahmah en el condado de Baltimore, Maryland. Es un converso de ascendencia cubana y nativo de Manhattan, Nueva York. Está casado y tiene siete hijos, desde los 29 y hasta los 50 años de edad…Le pedimos que compartiera sus pensamientos sobre la celebración del mes de Ramadán como musulmán latino.
¿Cómo se preparan usted y su familia para el mes de Ramadán?

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Ramadan Latino Style

Jamal A. (Diaz) Abdul-Karim is the director of the Upper Division of Al-Rahmah School in Baltimore County, Maryland. He is a convert of Cuban descent and a native of Manhattan, New York. He is married and has seven children, ages ranging from 29 to 50….We asked him to share his thoughts on celebrating the month of Ramadan as a Latino Muslim.

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What do empanadas and Eid have in common?

More than you think! Meet Omar Hernández, a not-so-average Muslim student in Ms. Khan’s 5th-grade class at An-Noor Islamic Academy. Omar still feels like the new kid at school. His life takes an unexpected turn when Ms. Khan gives the class an assignment about how their families celebrate the month of Ramadan. Will Omar’s family traditions make him more of an outcast at school? Find out in this one-of-a-kind story sure to inspire you and your taste buds!

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