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Our kids have no filters. They go to school or work and meet someone and they find themselves to be compatible, and over some time, they fall in love and the next thing they want to do is get married. Our founding father’s dreams are being realized, most certainly, Rev. Martin Luther King’s dream to […]

I routinely talk with the parents of the bride and the groom, over 500 such calls to bring everyone on the same page, it is not easy. Cultural translation is difficult. I officiated a wedding in Los Angeles, the father of the Hindu bride skipped the wedding because I was going to recite in Arabic

Islam, a belief system, was designed to foster inclusive societies where everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, or culture, could feel secure and at peace. When people embraced this system, they were not required to alter their names, dress, food, or any other cultural practices, emphasizing the inclusivity of Islam. The fundamental beliefs are: 1)

Interfaith marriages are gaining ground and the one verse that is constantly discussed is verse 2:221 from Sura Baqarah in the Quran. Some among us are tied to a point of view expressed by scholars from earlier period of Islam, and some understand it as it applies to them in the timeless Quranic point of

Citation verse 10 of Surah Al-Mumtahinah (60). Interfaith Marriages generate a lot of questions, particularly among Muslims. Questions like “Can a Muslim woman marry a non-Muslim?” “Is it Haram to marry outside Abrahamic faiths?” “Should one convert to another’s religion? “Do Hindus believe in one God?” “Do Sikhs worship Idols?” A plethora of inquiries come

Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse Anyone who subscribes to the following three fundamental values is known as a Subscriber or a Muslim; the traditional word is submission. These ideals result in living in peace and harmony with oneself, fellow humans, and the universe. The purpose was to create cohesive societies where every human feels secure about

What is Ramadan about ?God guides us through different religions, and every religious guidance, for that matter, is for our benefit. Its purpose is to restore equilibrium within us to live in peace and tranquility. The real purpose of religion is to create a cohesive society where every human feels secure about his faith, race,

Yesterday, the bride and groom were in tension before wedding, as the bride’s parents and uncles were super conservative Muslims and wanted the nikah ceremony to be traditional. Indeed, of the nearly 400 ceremonies 10% were traditional Nikahs, and equally 10% were secular, a few Hindu and Christian and the rest 80% were interfaith marriages.

I am pleased to share a few concerns I learned from conversations with Sikh-Muslim couples. I hope my responses help the couple and parents to be on board with each other. When a Sikh falls in love with a Muslim or vice-versa, they have to cross many hurdles to bind that relationship into marriage. They