Muslims In Your Backyard

What is the Ummah? What is the concept or ideas that go behind what we call the Ummah? Muslims often mention the "ummah" and will often mention the need for unity within it but have we really ever considered what this means or what it would look like? Muslims in the 21st Century, especially younger Muslims, have a tendency to yearn for this idea of the united Muslim ummah especially due to the failures of many Muslims states to provide safety and security for its peoples. This is why I wanted to focus today's episode on going through some of my own ideas and thoughts about the Ummah and the questions that I think are important about the idea of the Ummah.

Hadith: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6011

Canada's history in the creation and implementation of Residential Schools aimed at the destruction and elimination of Indigenous cultures within Canada through the forcible indoctrination of Indigenous kids will be discussed in today's episode. Although this episode does not directly relate to Muslims or Muslims issues, it is important as Canadian citizens and as Canadian Muslims (or Muslims in other countries) to be aware of these injustices and their lasting impacts on indigenous communities. As Muslims we are meant to be people who push for justice and peace amongst people. The push for recognizing injustices should not just stop at a person's religious affiliations. I hope to give an introduction and provide some facts about the impacts of these schools.

In today's episode I'll focus exclusively on politics and recap what we saw and experienced through the 2021 Canadian Election. I'll first go through some of the general results and some interesting results that occurred and then dive into what these results may say about the future in tackling issues like Islamophobia. After that, I'll explain the differences between the First Past the Post and Proportional Representation as voting systems as well as the positives and negatives of Canada's First Past the Post system.

His name was Yusuf but the world knew him as Salahuddin. In today's episode I'll begin a new series on Past and Present Muslim heroes by examining the life of Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi. The episode will not cover his entire life or contain a full historical background but will instead focus on aspects, moments and lessons that we can learn from Salahuddin. Many people look up to Salahuddin but very few take the time to truly understand who he really was and what his legacy for the Muslim ummah is.

The Quran was sent down as a guidance for humanity and to provide knowledge about the world. Although many of us may read and recite the Quran, we must also take time to reflect on the message that we are being sent. This is called "tadabbur" and is a process of reflecting on the Quran which I will discuss based on an article from Yaqeen Institute. In addition, I will talk about how we can improve our habits in reading the Quran as well as connecting it to our daily lives as younger Muslims.

Yaqeen Instiute Article: https://yaqeeninstitute.ca/read/paper/keys-to-tadabbur-how-to-reflect-deeply-on-the-quran#ftnt7

Since the London attack, there has been an outpour of support for the Muslim community within Canada and a greater amount of support for the Muslim community. Within this however, Islamophobia is a reality for many Muslims across Canada and even with the outpour of support, attacks against Muslims have continued. Reporting on hate crimes and creating awareness are crucial components that the Muslims community must continue to do, but there must also be greater accountability towards those who dismiss islamophobia within the government. Action must be taken to ensure that Federal, Provincial and Municipal actors do not ignore the issues related to Islamophobia.

The Hajj is not only one of the most important pillars of Islam but a pilgrimage that is far more than just travelling to Mecca and observing the rites and practices of the Hajj. As Muslims and especially as younger Muslims, it is essential to reconnect and evaluate what our connection is with the Hajj and more importantly our connection to the Kaaba. The uniqueness and beauty of the Hajj and the Kaaba is unmatched and a crucial reason for the spiritual power and connection that so many feel when they visit the Holy City of Mecca.

Islam has existed and been practiced in many varieties of cultures and countries, yet it seems when we think of Islam the only picture that comes to our mind is that of the Middle East. Why is that? Islam does not exist in one geographic area and is instead a diverse religion encompassing a variety of cultures. As younger Muslims, learning about the history of different cultures and identities will allow us to better understand where Islam exists and more importantly what it means to be Muslim in the 21st century.

The Story of the Lion King: https://orias.berkeley.edu/sundiata

In the wake of the London terror attack in Canada, we have seen an increased awareness towards Islamophobia as well as support towards the Muslim community. At the same time, there has also been an increased attempt to not only downplay the increase of islamophobia but instead of sympathizing or humanizing Muslims, there has been a concerning amount of scrutiny towards Muslims by some actors. This scrutiny and its narratives will be examined in this episode.

What is the Muslim Identity? Where does it come from and how do we fit our ideas of Islam into our understanding of our own cultures? As Muslims it is important in a world where Islam is often at the forefront of discussion to not only understand where we find our roots of our faith but also the strength in using this faith within the 21st century. In doing so we should begin to answer what it means to be Muslim.