Dear Friends,
Al salamu alaykum! I pray you are well! Every week passes so quickly and it is hard to believe that we are already upon September, around the
corner from 2023. With the start of the school year, it often means that someone has put their finger on the fast forward button, and the next thing you know, the semester will be over and it
will be December. I wish everyone a blessed rest of the year with the power to press "pause" every so often to catch your breath and enjoy a moment of peace. :)
I am looking forward to our Q&A session tomorrow night for Surah 22: Al Hajj and Surah 48: Al Fath, two heavyweight surahs that were
nothing short of liberating, enlightening, and life transforming. It feels like we are nearing the end of our journey with Project Illumine as each surah leaves us with stunning conclusions that
seem to sum up existence in almost "simple" yet profound ways.
In addition to the many lessons of sacred space, sacred time, and the sacred domain of God on our planet, Surah Al Hajj especially
underscored for me the clearcut message that our purpose in our short time on earth is to witness and fight for justice, regardless of our human differences - differences in the broadest sense of
the word. God tells us that God will settle our differences in the Hereafter, but our mission is to stand up, speak out, and do something good. This does not mean judging, tearing each other
down, or fighting one another over differences, but lifting up, loving on, and looking past those things that draw us towards darkness rather than elevate us towards light. Surah 48: Al Fath was
a profound lesson of trusting in God, trusting in light, and learning that the path to "victory" is the path of divine light, where human beings make incredible strides in peace, beautiful
interactions with one another, and committing to God's ethical path. These two surahs alone, illuminated by Dr. Abou El Fadl's rigorous, expansive and deep research and reflection, were nothing
short of complete game changers for life. In my 28 years as a Muslim, I have never heard anything like what we learned in our engagement with Surah Al Hajj and Surah Al Fath in any Muslim space.
I only wish I could press that "pause" button for an extended period of time to truly review, reflect upon, and internalize the countless insights and life lessons these two surahs delivered! I
am truly grateful for the opportunity to re-engage these two surahs through the Q&A tomorrow!
**Please send me any questions you have on these surahs so we can work them into the session!**
THE "SHARE WITH A FRIEND" CAMPAIGN!!
The best antidote to Islamophobia is a powerful education, and we are extremely blessed to have a very generous donor come forward to aid us
in our mission. This donor was so moved by our new book, The Prophet's Pulpit: Commentaries on the State of Islam, that he has made it his cause to get a copy in the hands of every Muslim who is
committed to beauty and justice in Islam.
So, we are pleased to launch our "Share With A Friend" campaign! It is easy - if you have a friend who you feel will benefit from this book,
send me their name, mailing address and email, and we will send them a free copy with this lovely welcome and introduction card:
And as a thank you for helping us with this campaign, we will be happy to send you your choice of an Usuli T-shirt, Usuli Mug or an eBook
version of The Prophet's Pulpit (or a paperback if you don't already have one!). That's it! :)
I believe we are all connected and perhaps one or two degrees of separation from every thinking Muslim that can make a difference. Help us
get The Prophet's Pulpit in everyone's hands and elevate our collective knowledge and empowerment! Feel free to write me if you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions.
Also, if you know Muslim journalists, academics, activists, politicians or influencers that would benefit, definitely let me know so we can
send them a copy as well! May God bless our collective efforts!
Looking forward to today's khutbah and another incredible Q&A session! Hope to connect with you online soon insha'Allah (God
willing)!
In Peace and Hope,
Grace