Latest News

Tariq Ameer Named Lehigh’s New Director of Muslim Student Life/Imam

The arrival of Tariq Ameer, Lehigh’s new director of Muslim student life/imam, on May 30 marks another step toward creating a campus climate that champions leaders who continue to work toward making Lehigh a campus for everyone. Read More

An L.A. School That Breaks the School-to-Prison Pipeline

On an unassuming building on Los Angeles’ Slauson Avenue, a signboard reads Islah Academy. Inside is a celebration of the students’ Muslim and Black identities. Posters of Nipsey Hussle, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali decorate the walls; shelves are stocked with books featuring Black lead characters. Sneakers of varying sizes are neatly arranged around the prayer room, where students sit cross-legged alongside community members to listen to the school’s founder, Imam Jihad Saafir, deliver the weekly Friday sermon. Read More

The Bigger Picture: Understanding Loss, Sacrifice, and Purpose in Dhul Hijjah

Time and time again, sitting with hundreds of patients in my role as a hospital chaplain, I’m learning that the most powerful spiritual discoveries come at different times and in different ways for every one of us. And yet, many of the lessons learned through crisis and hardship mirror the deeper wisdoms already embedded within the sacred rituals of Hajj – which in turn relates to finding purpose in Dhul Hijjah. Read More

Our African American Siblings Are Speaking, Are We Listening?

In the Fall of 2018, we surveyed Muslims of Hispanic/Latino descent and asked what is the one thing they would want the Muslim community to know about them. We gathered 25 responses and released an article called, “25 Things Latino Muslims Want you to Know.” The purpose of the piece was to educate the general Muslim body about the Latino Muslim community and its dynamics, to debunk common stereotypes about Latinos, and to lend a voice to a marginalized sector in the Islamic community and in the United States. Read More

Bayan Islamic Graduate School Announces $1,000,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation

Bayan Islamic Graduate School formally announces it has received a $1,000,000 grant from explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation, in support of Bayan’s mission to educate the next generation of Muslim leaders and scholars to better serve the community and dispel misunderstanding about Islam as a global faith tradition. Read More

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

The 2025 Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) Commencement ceremony was held on Saturday, April 25, 2025. The ceremony recognized the Class of 2025 and included a graduate processional in academic regalia, graduate recognition, faculty participation, and congratulatory greetings from leadership. Watch Here.