This just reminds me of the ideology Western countries have about their need to "fix"people and make them more civilized.

I wonder if Omar converted to Christianity as a way to almost show gratitude because majority of the principles between Islam and Christianity are similar.

Did Omar convert to Christianity?

Different than mulk malik is arabic for ruler

Honestly feel as though this question is still relevant enough to be asked today to Muslims in America

Arabic?

Constant gratitude is an important principle in Islam. There is always a fine line between being well off/success and struggling. Thus we should always remain thankful for the blessing that we are used to having such as our health, family, friends, and financial stability.

This reminds me of something I read in the Quran which read along the lines of "belief only carries faith so long as the reality remains hidden. When it is revealed to mankind what the true purpose of this life then saying you believe will carry no weight. Similar to how when you study for a test that knowledge you are memorizing will only be valuable when you are sitting in the classroom taking the test. After, when the answer key is shown your answers even if you changed to the correct choices won't change what you said on the test.

Arabic word for country or land refers to Allah controlling the whole world and having it in his hands.

Direct translation of Bismiallah an invocation that Muslims use before they read Quran or do any other tasks. Simply a way of asking God for help in whatever you're about to do.

In Islam patience is often the cure prescribed for the many trials of this world and the Day of Judgement is an example how having patience in this world will lead to success in the next.

This is really powerful

Does Christianity have elements of polytheism? In the Holy Trinity Father, Son and the Holy Spirit each is classified as its own separate entity yet a whole. Jesus is the son of God, a prophet but revered as God also. I have always heard people pray or thank Jesus as if he was another deity yet it is always contrasted by the fact that he is God's son. I have never gotten a full grasp of the concept.

I'm still confused as to what this means

It said that prayer in congregation gives each Muslim who does so 27 times more blessings than if each had prayer alone. It is an obligation on Muslim men to go to the Friday prayer if able ad optional but encouraged for women.

Referencing the ummah or the community of Muslims around the world.

Alcohol is prohibited in Islam due to the extent to which is alters your state of mind and behavior not to mention the bodily damage it can do. Pork is also prohibited as it is quoted in the Quran to be a filthy animal which should not be consumed.

This is why there are no pictures of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him face as he wanted to avoid any forms of idolatry or shirk (associating partners with God). Committing shirk is one of the major if not the biggest sin in Islam.

Fridays are the holy days for Muslims where there is a congregational prayer similar to Sundays in the Christian faith.

This is new and surprising information to me I did not expect there to be such a heavy Islamic presence in the South during the slave trade.

This word is always thrown around in the media but most people don't truly understand what this means. The word jihad simply means struggle. Whether that be religious, financial, or emotionally it is not confined to the struggles of persecution. Media outlets have created a negative connotation for this word that tends to scare non Muslims.

I think the term religious is ever changing depending on who we surround ourselves with and our own perceptions. In today's society Muslims who pray five times a day are deemed extremely religious however, that obligation is the bare minimum required of all Muslims. Everybody struggles in their belief regardless of their denomination and the most important part of religion is sincerity/intention. People should always strive to do their best whether thats completing the bare minimum or going above and beyond, this is all subjective.

This is a struggle today still in this country and many others. The influences from our environments can either encourage or deter us from the staying true our values and core beliefs.

I see a lot of this in jewelry today where influence from Islamic or Muslim countries has become a trend. The evil eye for example popular in Iran and Sufisim has now become a trendy pattern in fashion and jewelry.

Persecution was present in the early days of Islam where Muslims would pray and gather in secret. At that time death was also a possible punishment for disobeying the Pagan rule.

This type of behavior is human nature as people tend to stick with those who are similar and comfortable with them. However, Islam encourages respect and inclusivity with neighbors and communities regardless of their faith.

This looks like its referencing a taweez which are amulets filled with scriptures of the Quran worn for protection. These are very common in South Asia and amoung the Sufi denomination in Islam.

Seems to be a variation of Jummah the name of the congregational prayer on Fridays.

The way Muslim women dress has always been a topic of conversation and conflict in some countries. European nations such as France have extremely rigid views on the modesty Muslim women must have with clothing. So much to the extent of banning burqaas and niqabs. However, in Christianity nuns are always dressed with the same guidelines in place as Muslim women yet not many people try to challenge this.

It is interesting to see the change of the name from Bilal ibn Sulayman to Ben Sullivan. I think this represents the beginning of Western and Christian influence on African and other minority communities.

Although names are very indicative of our origin and identity it is always not as simple. Many people name their kids religious or cultural names from a culture they don't identify with solely for the reason that they like it. Our name usually is a good indicator of our religious and ethnic background but we have to take everything with a grain of salt.

It still blows my mind that the concept of slavery was actually implemented and people were enslaved. The repercussions of that time are obviously still present today and is a major cause for the divide we have in this country. I wonder how the concept of slavery was invented and how it was implemented with such ease.

Reference to Prophet Musa or Moses

What country are these languages spoken in or descended from?

Our name holds so much about our identity whether it be about our religious, cultural or familial history. From personal experience I have the same disposition discussed in the text that if I hear a name which sounds similar to where I'm from I'm automatically intrigued.

What is the literal translation of this term?

I wonder if Muslim slaveholders had different/better treatments towards slaves or if they were just as bad. I also wonder how prominent Muslim slaveholders were considering most of Muslims talked about here are of African American descent.

African American Muslims during this time had to address discrimination from two issues at the time stemming from not only race but religion as well.

I never knew there was a huge dominance of Muslims in the South at that time. From my own biases I always assumed that smaller Southern towns were't accepting to non Christians. However, after reading how prominent they were my perspective has shifted into a more positive light.

wow I didn't know this, very surprising.

Coming to the US Christianity was probably largely imposed on them. It is sad to see that their rights, freedom, identity and religion were all stripped away from them.

shadah, sawm, zakaat, hajj and salat

I think this statistic is mainly due to the fact that they are practicing in a country where Islam is not the main religion.

This is a very steep difference.

In the Muslim world I would say most countries are strong advocates for education.

Religion is a way of life not just a routine of obligations.

I think it is difficult to grow up in a society where some things are commonly done which go against core principles in your religion. However, being in those situations is the true test of faith. It comes down to whether you truly understand why you don't/do something and if you are able to be strong.

Voter education is important especially in minority groups among immigrant who may not entirely understand the governmental processes in the US.

It is important to recognize that although Muslims face discrimination those who are African American face discrimination stemming from race and religion.

Islam actually gave women rights before the Western world did. In Islam the husband is financially obligated to take care of his wife rather whatever money the wife earns is completely in her own holding. It is Islamically wrong for the husband to demand or take his wife's money he is religiously obligated to provide and the wife can contribute if she wants to.

I think it is impossible to agree completely with one political ideology. Being labeled as liberal or conservative has almost fallen into the category of a blanket statement as it affects how people perceive you immediately.

This statistic is also dependent on accessibility to mosques as well not just the desire/want to go.

I know that on majority of forms which require you to list your race Middle Easterns are forced to pick white since they don't identify with Asian.

Linda Sarsour is actually from my town!

In Islam if you're not able to afford hajj you are excused from performing this obligation.

I absolutely love the feeling of Ramadan. It is no doubt physically taxing but I find it to always be a month full of self reflection and enables me to feel stronger about my faith.

Shahadah, salat, sawm, hajj, and zakaat are the five pillars of Islam.

Reminds me of Kyrie Irving who is also professional Muslim basketball player

New York is one of the best cities in the world where people are able to take pride in their identity due to the large population. I have always wanted to go!

I agree with this statement I identify strongly with both my Muslim and American identities.

Some of the countries in the Muslim world have extremely corrupt governments where people are cheated out of their rights. Political instability is a significant factor behind immigration. For example, the Iranian Revolution of 1978 caused a significant influx of people to the US.

I'd say this is the driving force behind not only Muslim American immigrants but most immigrants.

Amazing!

It is extremely important to recognize these acts of kindness as it is to talk about the acts hostility. This country is full of very accepting and optimistic people who are the reason why immigrants end up calling this place another home.

I wonder how come US schools still don't recognize Eid holidays within the system. The absences are excused yet, for being the two major holidays of the second largest religion in the world I think the system should create a school wide holiday.

I have always admired how articulate President Obama is and think these kinds of statements should be reminded to our country. Not only in relation to Muslims but to other minority races and religions.

These facts are really interesting and surprising. It makes me wonder why we never learned any of this in school. Are these treaties with Muslim countries not an important part of American history and this country's rise to success/stability?

I never knew this, very interesting.

Many people don't know much about Islam but one if its core principles is respect. Respect to the environment, non Muslims, Muslims who practice similarly to you and also to those who don't etc. It is important to go to the source of a religions core teachings to understand it as opposed to bias media reports.

This reminds me of inspiring politicians such as Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

While I think this is a nice statement I don't think America has reached this level of openness. Ongoing movements such as Black Lives Matter have gained attention over the past 2 years however, the fight for equality has been going on since the creation of this country. Not only for African Americans but Muslims and other minorities as well. I acknowledge that there are as many good people in this world as there are bad and hopefully more it still doesn't excuse us for fighting for a fairer justice system.

Regardless of what this country's politicians may do it has undoubtedly provided opportunities of success for a multitude of people. The undebatable freedoms given in this country are truly one of a kind and deservE to be recognized and appreciated.

This reminds me of the common debate of whether the US is a "melting pot" or "salad bowl." A question of do citizens retain their heritage and identity or do they feel welcomed into a cohesive American one.

I appreciate this statement as Muslims are responsible for the discovery of many ideas that we use today such as algebra, coffee and even the concept of university.