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Our message to the kiddos this morning. 😃

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Imam Azfar joined Pastor George and Rabbi Ari at St. Paul Lutheran Church for an important interfaith conversation on mental health and how faith communities can better support those who are struggling. A special thank you to Pastor Mark for facilitating the panel and bringing everyone together and for the lighthearted moments, including some friendly teasing over his Cleveland Guardians, while Pastor George proudly represented the White Sox! 😄 The conversation explored loneliness, depression, trauma, stigma, and the importance of creating faith communities where people feel seen, heard, and supported. Imam Azfar emphasized that seeking professional mental-health care is not a sign of weak faith, spiritual support and professional care can work together in the healing process. Pastor George reminded us to listen to learn, not simply to respond. Rabbi Ari shared a moving story of comforting a family after the loss of their child, reminding us that sometimes simply showing up, listening, and caring is what matters most. The panel also addressed hatred, discrimination, and dehumanization. Imam Azfar emphasized the need to stand against anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish hatred, anti-Black racism, torture, oppression, and injustice wherever they occur. Reflecting on generational trauma, Imam Azfar spoke about the children of Gaza and the devastating impact of war, displacement, and loss. Every child deserves the chance to play, laugh, attend school, and simply experience childhood. He also reflected on what Arab and Asian Muslim communities can learn from the Black community in America particularly its resilience, advocacy, organizing, and long struggle against structural racism. Thank you to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pastor Mark, Pastor George, Rabbi Ari, NAMI, and everyone who made this meaningful conversation possible. May God help us build communities where people feel seen, supported, and never alone. 🤍

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Thank you First United Methodist Church! ✊🏽

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“Why are YOU here?” Recently, many visibly Muslim Americans have been confronted with this question in public, not with sincere curiosity, but with suspicion or hostility. For many, the answer is simple: Because this is home. Muslims are part of the everyday fabric of this country; teaching, healing, building businesses, volunteering, serving neighbors, creating jobs, mentoring youth, and working every day to make their communities stronger. But a hostile question does not require a hostile answer. Even “Why are YOU here?” can become an invitation to know one another: “I’m here because this is my home. What’s your name? Let’s get to know each other.” You may notice a hijab, kufi, beard, or Muslim name first. But before any label, you are looking at another human being. Maybe we adults can learn something from children: see the person first. First, we need the love.

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Hope your children have a great school year!

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If you have 3 minutes, check out this unique, customized song created especially for our Summer Maktab 2026! 🎶☀️

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I received two very disturbing messages today before Jumu‘ah from Muslim sisters in our community. In both incidents, the sisters were alone, visibly Muslim in hijab, and simply minding their own business when men confronted them in an intimidating and threatening manner. In one incident, a sister was told: “Why are you here? Get the hell out of our country.” Alhamdulillah, a bystander saw what was happening and stepped in. To that person: thank you. We need more people like you. That is what being a good neighbor and a good American looks like—standing up for someone being targeted, even when they don’t look like you or worship like you. In the other incident, a sister stopped at a gas station after picking up her son from school. A man yelled racial slurs at her, opened his car door, and threatened that he was “going to come get” her. There were many people around. They watched, but sadly, no one stepped in. To our non-Muslim friends and neighbors, especially those who may never personally experience this kind of hatred: please don’t just watch. If it is safe to do so, speak up, get help, call the police, or simply stand beside the person being targeted. Your voice can make a tremendous difference. And especially to our sisters: please be vigilant when you are out alone. Be aware of your surroundings and prioritize your safety. Unfortunately, these spineless cowards seem especially willing to intimidate and threaten visibly Muslim women when they think they are alone and vulnerable. Don’t feel obligated to confront them. Get to safety and contact law enforcement when necessary. We will not allow hatred to intimidate us out of our own communities. We belong here just as much as anyone else. May Allah protect our sisters, our children, our families, our masajid, and all of our communities from hatred and violence. Āmīn.

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A word I refuse to surrender: Jihad. President Trump recently said, “We have jihadists being elected all over the place.” That statement highlights a much larger problem: in America, the word jihad has unfortunately become almost synonymous with terrorism and violence. But that is not what this beautiful word actually means. Jihād (جهاد) comes from an Arabic root conveying striving, struggling, and exerting oneself. In Islam, it means striving in the path of God. Sometimes that jihad is deeply personal: struggling against your ego, resisting temptation, controlling your anger, sacrificing for what is right, serving others, standing for justice, and striving to become a better human being. Perhaps President Trump could benefit from a little jihad himself, the kind that begins with struggling against our own ego, toxic anger, and prejudices. And yes, our tradition also uses jihad in the context of armed struggle, with its own moral and legal rules. We don’t need to erase that part of our tradition to explain the word honestly. But jihad does not mean terrorism. And “jihadist” should not be cynically weaponized by President Trump as a fearmongering label to make Muslim participation in American public life sound dangerous. When a sacred word belonging to the faith of millions of Americans is deliberately weaponized by a president as a political label to stir fear and suspicion, we should correct the distortion, not surrender the word. I don’t want extremists or politicians defining jihad for my friends and neighbors. Jihad is our word. It is a beautiful word. And Muslims should own it by living its true meaning: striving for the sake of God and for what is good.

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وان تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها

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Get ready for the school year with our special Back to School program: Lessons from Surah Al-Nur! 📚 ✨Join us this Thursday, August 6th, after Maghrib until Isha at Islamic Foundation North. 🕌🌙We are excited to host Shaykh Tariq Musleh and Imam Azfar Uddin for an inspiring and beneficial evening. 🎙️👥Arrive early to enjoy fun games and a “Dink with the Imam” pickleball challenge before the lesson begins! 🎲🏓A light, healthy dinner will also be provided for everyone in attendance. 🥗🍽️Bring your friends and family to kick off the new academic year with strong community vibes! 🚀🙌

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Tonight, we prayed Isha at the masjid without any electricity. It reminded me of the Prophet ﷺ who said: “The most burdensome prayers upon the hypocrites are Isha and Fajr. If they knew what was in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” The scholars explained that these prayers were especially difficult because there was little worldly recognition to gain from them. Allah tells us that the hypocrites prayed to be seen by people. When the lights are out and no one is watching, let’s still make our way to the masjid. Those are the moments when sincerity shines the brightest.