Converting to Islam: The Highs and Lows
My Conversion Experience Editor’s Note: The convert/revert experience within the Muslim community, in a time of Islamophobia as well as hateful media and political rhetoric towards Muslims, can pose many challenges for the new convert. Individuals convert to Islam ...
Child Abuse & the Muslim Community
Child abuse is the dirty little secret no one wants to talk about yet in many homes across the world, it’s as prevalent today as it was centuries ago. According to www.childhelp.org, “Over 3 million reports of child abuse ...
Anger Management
“Anger is the energy that people use in order to act. But when you are angry, you are not lucid, and you might do wrong things” ~Thich Nhat Hanh. Dr. Nafisa Sekandari and Sr. Hosai Mojaddidi Anger, as an ...
A Mother’s Reflection of Grief & Loss in Islam
“Whoever finds love beneath hurt and grief disappears into emptiness with a thousand new disguises.” Rumi Guest Post: Majidah (Margaret) Comparetta In 1999 I embraced Islam. The journey to Islam was long and experiential. I became involved with Westernized Sufism ...
Top 10 Effective Parenting Strategies
“It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can’t tell my children to ...
Mirror Mirror on the Wall…
For victims of other forms of abuse, one way to begin the healing process on your own is by evaluating the standards with which you judge yourself. Ask yourself, “Whose ideal of me am I trying to live ...
Personality Disorders
“My significant other right now is myself, which is what happens when you suffer from multiple personality disorder and self-obsession”. -Joaquin Phoenix Popular films like Fatal Attraction, Silence of the Lambs, and the more recent Silver Linings ...
Let Your Actions Be Your Child’s Teacher
By Dr. Parisa S. Popalzai It’s ancient wisdom that our actions speak louder than our words—or when it comes to our children, our screaming. As parents, most of us are seeking advice on best parenting tips so that our ...
Irrational Fears and OCD in Children
On Friday, May 23, 2014, ABC’s 20/20 presented a very informative and realistic view of how Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) impacts the lives of children and their families. These children were followed over a 5 year period and ...
Living with Schizophrenia: One Woman’s Story
Original Source: Huffington Post Sonia’s story The one message I’d like to give to people about schizophrenia is that yes, it is severe illness that can affect your life in a very complex and negative way. But people who have ...
Handling a Break-Up with Dignity
“Once you divorce women, and they have reached the end of their waiting period, then either retain them in all decency or part from them decently. Do not retain them just to act mean with them; anyone who does that ...
Coping with Trauma
“Just as the body goes into shock after a physical trauma, so does the human psyche go into shock after the impact of a major loss.” –Anne Grant What does it mean to experience trauma? What if one day you ...
6 Things NOT to Say to Someone Who is Divorced
By Amal Killawi and Zarinah Nadir Divorce is never easy. But it’s the reality for 50% of American couples and 31% of American Muslim couples. With these statistics, you’re likely to have friends or know people in your community ...
10 Steps to Overcoming Envy
Dr. Nafisa Sekandari and Sr. Hosai Mojaddidi Abu Huraryah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When one of you sees someone who has been blessed more than him in money or appearance, then let him look ...
Is Your Child ODD? Understanding Oppositional Defiance Disorder
“For many people, one of the most frustrating aspects of life is not being able to understand other people’s behavior.” All children, especially when tired, hungry, stressed or upset, can act oppositional from time to time. This oppositional behavior might ...
Can Shopping Be An Addiction?
When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It’s a whole different way of thinking. ~Elayne Boosler For some going to the mall with their friends and splurging on beautiful items is thrilling. Some ...
15 Parenting Mistakes Well Intentioned Parents Make
“We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt Parenting is a difficult job, and one in which we all make ...
7 Ways To Move On From A Broken Heart
“The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it…” – Nicholas Sparks Although all of us humans can share the experience a broken heart at some point in our lives, only the broken ...
Why Paradise is Under Her Feet: Mothers as Leaders
A mother’s heart is a patchwork of love. ~Author Unknown Guest Post: Dr. Parisa Popalzai One day I was speaking with a mother of five children about her life and aspirations. After giving her a brief summary of my education ...
Ten Effective Stress Solutions
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” -William James Dr. Nafisa Sekandari and Sr. Hosai Mojaddidi The American Medical Association links stress to 60% of all human illness and disease. Stress can ...