MSI Press Blog

  Ramadan Kareem to all who are beginning this sacred month. Ramadan is, at its heart, a time of caring for others—a month when mercy is practiced quietly, without arrogance, and compassion becomes a daily discipline. Fasting from dawn to sunset is not only an act of worship; it is a way of sharing, in a small and embodied way, the experiences of those who live with hunger every day. It is a reminder that empathy is not abstract. It is felt in the body. Daily life shifts during Ramadan. Mornings begin before sunrise with suhoor, the pre‑dawn meal taken in the stillness of a world not yet awake. Work continues, school continues, life continues—but with a softened pace, a gentler awareness of one’s own limits, and a heightened attentiveness to the needs of others. As sunset approaches, kitchens fill with the familiar sounds of preparation, and families gather—sometimes in small circles, sometimes in large, joyful crowds—to break the fast together. In many places, generosity becom...

    Today's book excerpt comes from  When You're Shoved from the Right, Look to the Left   by Omar Imady . HONEY AND HUMILITY After all the animals had been created, many decisions had to be made. One of these decisions involved who would be entrusted with carrying an amazing substance called honey. The animals started to argue with each other, each trying to prove why it should be selected for this special task. The angels arranged for a competition to resolve the dispute.   First, the elephant stepped forward. “I am clearly the most qualified. Not only do I have an enormous belly where all the honey can be kept, but I also have a trunk that is perfectly designed for the task of inserting the honey into containers.”   Next came the lion. He roared a few times and then said: “Honey needs to be protected, and who is more qualified to protect it than the king of the jungle?”  Then the horse stepped forward. “Honey,” the horse proclai...

  Today's book excerpt comes from When You're Shoved from the Right, Look to the Left   by Omar Imady . THE SHEEP THAT NEVER LOST HOPE There once was a sheep who dreamed of walking in the very front row of her flock, but each time she tried to move towards the front, she was pushed back by her strong and mighty sisters and brothers. “Know your place, sheep,” they would whisper. “Even the very last row is too much for you.” Day after day the sheep would try to move towards the front row, and day after day she was pushed back with sarcasm. A dawn arrived when the shepherd, after having directed his flock towards the usual northern pasture field, suddenly stopped and decided he would try out a pasture field to the south which he had heard about from one of his friends. With his rod, he gestured to his flock to turn towards the opposite direction and suddenly the sheep, who had never lost hope, found herself in the very front row. For more posts by and about Omar and ...

  Excerpt from When You're Shoved from the Right Look to Your Left: Metaphors of Islamic Humanism (Omar Imady) FOR A FEW SILVER COINS Once a man heard about a place where people worshipped a tree. “These people are under a delusion. They have  replaced the glory of the transcendent God, the secret of all that is alive, with a mere tree? I must save them from this path. I must cut down this tree.” And so, the man climbed on his horse and headed toward the tree. When he got there, he picked up his ax and began to strike at it. People ran to him, yelling, “Stop! This is our most sacred tree.” But everyone who tried to push him away from the tree failed. He was simply too strong and too determined. When everyone was about to give up, an old man approached him and said, “Listen, my friend. The truth is that you have severely surprised these people. They are all very devoted to this tree, and they will be very hurt if they see it cut down today. However, if you were to wait just un...