Stories

When I asked non-Muslim students at UCLA what they know about Islam, some mentioned prayer and making pilgrimage, but two answers were most common: “Islam requires women to wear hijab” or “It had tons of rules and rituals”. When one looks up “Islam” in the dictionary, this is the definition he/she will find: “the religion […]

For my Master’s Degree, I attended a Private Catholic College in Los Angeles. Unlike my experience at UCLA, there weren’t a lot of Muslims attending in the evenings, which is when I would take my classes.  What was nice about this school was that there was a designated room for Muslims to perform their prayers,

This was our first year attending MSA West and while every one had a different reason for attending whether it was to gain a “spiritual high” or to “find the one”, our purpose was to learn how to have a better connection with our creator and learn anything that MSA West had to offer. We

When I was in middle school, I attended a public school where the majority of the students were Christian. There were literally less than ten Muslims in the whole school. In my class of around thirty students, there were only two Muslims, me and another boy whose name was Mohammad. Because my name is Michelle,

A couple years ago, my siblings and I decided to go to Panera Bread for Iftar. This was my first time going there, so I was excited to try the food. I ordered a turkey sandwich because it looked delicious on the menu, and it came with a side of soup. It was minutes before

One evening, my brother and I went to coffee bean, and we saw a man digging in the trash. My brother and I go to coffee bean on a regular basis and this man was also one of the “regulars”. He usually sits outside with his dog and has a cup of coffee. He is

Marie : Hey, a couple of friends and I are going out tonight to a frat party. Want to come? Salma : No I can’t. Marie: Why not? Salma: Because I’m Muslim, and I am not allowed. 5 minutes later… Marie: We are going to take a couple of tequila shots before we go. Since

My little brother Sunny and I both work part-time in a hospital, and after work, we both go to the hospital chapel to pray. What I love about the chapel is that it is open to all faiths. Sometimes when I walk in, I see a Muslim praying on a rug in one corner, a

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When anyone of you stands for the prayers, Satan comes and puts him in doubts till he forgets how many rak’at he has prayed. So if this happens to anyone of you, he should perform two prostrations of Sahu [forgetfulness] while sitting.” Sahih al-Bukhari 1232, When it came to salah, often

On my commute to and from school, I sometimes watch Islamic lectures on my smartphone. Not too long ago, while I was on the bus, I remembered a post on the UCLA MSA page  mentioning Hamza Yusuf’s “Life of the Prophet,” so I decided to listen to it. Right next to me was a man, and when