Interfaith Marriages

Muslim Background of Dr. Mike Mohammed Ghouse

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Nikah, Civic, Secular and Interfaith Wedding Officiant
Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse

Hamza Yusuf, founder of Zaytuna College

As of 12/26/2023, Dr. Mike Ghouse has officiated 357 marriages. It is a joy to see two individuals find peace in each other to lead a happy and harmonious life. The soul mate is the one who makes life come to life, and you have found the right person and feel safe with each other. Indeed, it is the creator, who places love between two individuals so that they can live in harmony and tranquility (Quran 30:21). Compatibility is the key to an enduring relationship (more about compatibility below).

Ghouse has officiated weddings in 33 Cities from Boston to Los Angeles, Miami to Seattle, and in many cities in between. He has officiated weddings in couple’s apartments, condos, homes, backyards, wedding venues and the destination weddings in Cancun, Cozumel, Mexico City, Toronto, other nations, and Disney World. He has officiated Nikah over Zoom in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the world.

Besides officiating Interfaith Marriages between Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Humanists, Jews, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists, Ghouse also officiates traditional Nikah ceremonies among Muslims from different traditions such as Sunni and Shia and their many denominations. As a believer in Rabbul Aalameen (Lord of the universe –ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ) and follower of Rahmatul Aalameen (Mercy to Humanity – وَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةࣰ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ) he considers himself as Mukhlooqul Aalameen – مخلوق لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ i.e., a being for the good of all humanity.

Frequently, he has conversations with parents, and most support their kids’ choices as they trust them, and want the best for them. A few parents, however, want to know more and then endorse the relationship. No matter how difficult it is for some parents and kids to accept the interfaith relationship, they all have accepted over a period of time. They see that God brings two souls together to live in tranquility (30:21), and when parents support the relationship, it brings tremendous joy to their children.
Two parts: The Pluralist and the Muslim
 The pluralist part is on page 11

THE MUSLIM MIKE GHOUSE

There are over 1500 published articles on Islam, we are pleased to share a few links:

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. We hope to put together a book to be taught at Muslim Schools about the values Islam contributes to creating a better world. It is a seminal and original article in Islamic literature; nothing like this has been written before. https://worldmuslimcongress.org/20-common-sense-islamic-values/

Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback

What does God want and Quranic verses on compatibility

As CEO of the universe (Rabbul Aalameen Q1:2), the causer of the universe wants to see his creation live in harmony and offers guidance through the Quran (55:1-11, 49.13) and other holy books. He would have created all of us exactly alike had he wanted (5:48), but he made each of us unique with our thumbprint, eye print, DNA, taste buds, and many other uniquenesses. Our families are a microcosm of that model; the mother or father wants their children to get along. Indeed, the CEO of Google or a small business wants all their employees to get along for a smooth-running operation. God is no different; he wants all of us, the 8 billion of us, to get along and live in harmony.

Islam is about creating cohesive societies where every human feels secure and at peace; peaceful societies is the end goal of Islam. Indeed, the mission of Prophet Muhammad was to create and develop such societies; his role was a peacemaker (Rahmatul Aalameen Quran 21.107), a conflict mitigator, and a goodwill nurturer. Jesus, is a part of Islam, and had said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Per the Quran and the Prophet, Islam is not a new religion. The monotheistic tradition began with Prophet Abraham, Moses further refined it, Jesus capped it off, and the final touch was given by Mohammad (pbuh).

Anyone who subscribes to these three values; i) There is a causer or creator and the sustainer to whom we must be thankful for our life, and all that we have available to us to cherish (Q 55:10); a good life, caring parents, siblings, parents, children, friends and a compatible spouse and all the good things life offers, ii) a belief in the accountability of our actions, and iii) caring for what surrounds us; life and the environment. That is all God wants (2:62- read Asad’s explanation), and the Quran is not about him but his wisdom is for us to live in tranquility, peace, and harmony.

Over 50 verses in the Quran call on humanity to think and reflect on each verse and not be blind believers. If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. Unfortunately, our cultural practices do not align 100% with the teachings of Islam or any religion for that matter.

Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Bahai, Zoroastrianism, and all other faiths are equally committed to creating cohesive societies where every human feels secure.

Every faith group went through persecution at one time or another in their history; they added layers of protection to safeguard their community and interpreted the verses to suit their current situation. Religions are not petrified; their wisdom applies to all times;

The Quran is for all times, and we must look for it. It is for Mutafakkarun (Those who think and reflect Q30:21). For example, 1400 years ago, when the Prophet told us to go to Mecca to perform Hajj, everyone understood it to be riding on the Camel. Then, 200 years ago, when someone wanted to go to Mecca, they thought of going on a boat (from India, Indonesia, and other distant places), and 50 years ago, you talked about going by an airline; today, you think about which airline? The essence is the same – going to Hajj, but its application goes with the current times.

Most Muslims understood verses explained by past scholars to be the final truth; it was a different time. They wanted to keep their flock together. Hence, Muslims started believing that only a Muslim can marry a Muslim to be compatible (2:221), whereas the verse is actually about compatibility and not religion.

Indeed, the story is the same with all religions, and also, they allowed their boys to marry girls from other faiths or no faiths, but not the other way around. It was simply because, in old times, the girls were dependent and did not work outside the home, but that is not the case today. All of us are equals in the eyes of God, where you are accountable for your own actions on the Day of Judgment.

The Quran explains compatibility in verse 2:221 as marrying someone familiar with your lifestyle instead of someone beautiful/handsome or rich. The second part of the verse has a similar meaning: do not marry someone who is Mushnik – i.e., someone who does not believe in the sovereignty of God, thus not accountable to any. You cannot have two bosses. Here, the bottom line is accountability and compatibility. A lot is understood and written about Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Jewish marriages but very little about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim-Sikh, or other marriage issues; please visit the Muslims for Progressive Values site for more information.

Hindus defined compatibility by matching Janam Patri or Kundli or planetary location. It worked for them (all faiths) when they lived in monolithic societies and found interactions with other people unacceptable. Today, we live in a society where the entire God’s creation lives together and women and men are equal in all aspects of life.

When I interview the couples, I found their compatibility to be genuine, it is pure love devoid of any filters. In the end, if you love someone, most things don’t matter and life becomes a joy.

There is no place in the United States where you will not find people of different faiths, races, ethnicities, and nationalities working, studying, traveling, and even marrying together. Two people will fall in love as they find compatibility in each other; what matters to them is whether they can get along and live in harmony. The filters like nationality, religion, language, race, and other uniqueness are personal to them, as personal as how much sugar or salt they take with their tea and food. Their compatibility is authentic and genuine. Ultimately, God wants all of us to live in harmony; faith is an internal value that shapes your personality.

The Quran explains compatibility in verse 2:221 as marrying someone familiar with your lifestyle instead of someone beautiful/handsome or rich. The second part of the verse has a similar meaning: do not marry someone who is Mushnik – i.e., someone who does not believe in the sovereignty of God, thus not accountable to any. You cannot have two bosses. Here, the bottom line is accountability and compatibility. A lot is understood and written about Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Jewish marriages but very little about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim-Sikh, or other marriage issues; please visit the Muslims for Progressive Values site for more information.

My Work at World Muslim Congress

World Muslim Congress is a think tank, committed to building cohesive societies. It is about how Islam can contribute to creating a better world for every human being. Please visit our YouTube Channel Muslims Together at https://www.youtube.com/c/MuslimsTogether/videos

  1. Our Impact – Fellow humans have started differentiating between Islam and the acts of the extremists, and fellow Muslims feel in tune with the Universal values of Islam that makes the world a better place.
  2. Our History — WMC was established in 2003, and the website was up in 2006
  3. Our Mission — Is to highlight the universal values of Islam.
  4. Our Vision — is for Muslims and fellow humans to see Islam as a system to create peaceful societies and not rule or dictate anyone.
  5. Our Goal — is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls toward each other.
  6. Our Accomplishments — have dealt with Islamophobes and have mitigated their extremism – a few items are listed below in the subtitle “Our Work”
  7. Our Agenda — is to build cohesive societies where every human feels secure about who he/she is.
  8. What is a Cohesive Society? A community or a nation where every member of the society feels secure about his/her ethnicity, faith, culture, and political and sexual orientation.
  9. Our Strategy — It is to bring individuals and communities together to see different points of view to enlarge their understanding of Islam. The more we learn about each other firsthand, the fewer the conflicts (49:13)
  10. Human Rights — We have stood up for the “rights” of every human being, from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between. One of the requirements to be a follower of Islam is to stand up for Justice for all of Allah’s creation, “if one cannot stop injustice and oppression, the least one can do is speak up” – Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
  11. Religious Freedom — We have stood up for the religious freedom of almost all humans and are a signatory to over 100 letters to the President and the US Department of State to take action against those leaders that violated religious freedom.

Authorization

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his last sermon said, I am leaving this book, the Quran to you, if you follow it, you cannot go wrong. In nearly 50 verses, God says that there are signs for those who are mutafakkarun – i.e., those who think and reflect. It is alright if you follow what is given to you by the past Ulemas, but true Islam is Questioning, thinking and reflecting. If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. The Prophet did not assign Shaikh Alim or Al-Azhar University to interpret the book for you, you have to do it on your own. That is the authority he has given to each of us to understand Islam. Our work

  1. Dealing with the Quran Burning Pastor – if funded, we plan on making a movie about free speech and what is sacred. By the way, he is dead now. http://quranburningpastorterryjones.blogspot.com/
  2. Pastor Robert Jeffress said, “Quran is a false book written by a false Prophet, see what we did after that. http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/
  3. Responding to creeps like Geert Wilders attacking Quran http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/
  4. Put on your thinking cap while reviewing this Blog http://sharialaws.blogspot.com/
  5. Defending the Ground Zero Mosque on Fox News http://groundzeromosque.blogspot.com/
  6. There are over 200 Videos on the YouTube – fighting with Fox News in defending Islam
  7. There is so much done – but can put together a few samples of my work.


Our Mantras at the World Muslim Congress:

  • If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam.
  • Conflict Mitigation and goodwill nurturance was Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) formula of dealing with every conflict.
  • If you don’t believe in the equality of humans in your thoughts, words, and actions, you have not understood Islam.
  • The essence of Islam is to create cohesive societies through justice, kindness, and care to make every human feel secure about their faith, race, ethnicity, culture, or any other uniqueness.
  • Islam is not for governance; Islam is for living a peaceful life with oneself and what surrounds.
  • The role of every Muslim is Islah-al Alam, which is to fix the problems and restore harmony among humans and the environment.


THE PLURALIST MIKE GHOUSE

Mike’s passion is Pluralism – i.e., respecting and accepting the otherness of others in religion, race, politics, society, culture, food, and the workplace. In short, Mike has conducted over 40 workshops on all faiths, from Atheism to Zoroastrianism and every religion in between; likewise, 780 hours of radio talk shows from Atheism to Zoroastrianism were relayed on the air. About 1500 articles on Pluralism, the essence of religions, festivals of the world, etc., were published. Much has been written about him, and he has published articles in Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, Washington Post, New York Times, Religion News, Times of India, Saudi Gazette, Jakarta Times, Malaysia, and about 300 papers worldwide.

The more we learn about each other, the fewer the conflicts and the greater the peace of mind. Who does not want to live in peace and harmony? You are who you are, and I am who I am, and by accepting that practical idea, we will have a smooth sailing life.

Pluralism is applied in interfaith marriages. We officiate civil, secular, religious or Muslim Nikah ceremonies, and if the couple prefers to go with interfaith marriage with civic and their two traditions running in parallel tracks, we love to do that. It has helped over 17000 people walk out of 357 marriages less apprehensive and more accepting. about each other’s faiths. When your family members and friends hear how your two faiths enrich your marriage, it opens their hearts and minds toward each faith.

We urge you to explore Mike’s work at the non-profit, tax-exempt organization. www.CenterforPluralism.com

Life Time Achievement award from President Biden- attached below

Some of the many accomplishments as a pluralist.
http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/

60 Pages of Summary representation of the work https://theghousediary.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Mike-Ghouse-Profile-60-Pages-06.05.18.pdf

Life Time Achievement Award from President Biden

+


Religion Writer of the Year

About my Family

My father was Yelahanka’s (A suburb of Bengaluru in Karnataka state, India. Mayor (1953) – the one in black cap on the right front

My Father as a deputy Mayor participating in the mayor’s conference in 1952 in Mandaya, India, organized by Kengal Hanumanthiah the Chief Minister of Karnataka (formerly Mysore State). Please remember, my town had a population of 20,000 and among them 150 were Muslims, yet, they elected him as the mayor. Such was a pluralistic inclusive town and my father was one of the most popular Mayors of the town, every one called him Mamu – Uncle. This page is from the book they had published for the conference in Mandya. The language is Kannada.

​​

MORE ABOUT COMPATIBILITY IN THE QURAN

As CEO of the universe (Rabbul Aalameen Q1:2), the causer of the universe wants to see his creation live in harmony and offers guidance through the Quran (55:1-11, 49.13) and other holy books. He would have created all of us exactly alike had he wanted (5:48), but he made each of us unique with our thumbprint, eye print, DNA, taste buds, and many other uniquenesses. Our families are a microcosm of that model; the mother or father wants their children to get along. Indeed, the CEO of Google or a small business wants all their employees to get along for a smooth-running operation. God is no different; he wants all of us, the 8 billion of us, to get along and live in harmony.

Islam is about creating cohesive societies where every human feels secure and at peace; peaceful societies is the end goal of Islam. Indeed, the mission of Prophet Muhammad was to create and develop such societies; his role was a peacemaker (Rahmatul Aalameen Quran 21.107), a conflict mitigator, and a goodwill nurturer. Jesus, is a part of Islam, and had said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Per the Quran and the Prophet, Islam is not a new religion. The monotheistic tradition began with Prophet Abraham, Moses further refined it, Jesus capped it off, and the final touch was given by Mohammad (pbuh).

Anyone who subscribes to these three values; i) There is a causer or creator and the sustainer to whom we must be thankful for our life, and all that we have available to us to cherish (Q 55:10); a good life, caring parents, siblings, parents, children, friends and a compatible spouse and all the good things life offers, ii) a belief in the accountability of our actions, and iii) caring for what surrounds us; life and the environment. That is all God wants (2:62- read Asad’s explanation), and the Quran is not about him but his wisdom is for us to live in tranquility, peace, and harmony.

Over 50 verses in the Quran call on humanity to think and reflect on each verse and not be blind believers. If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. Unfortunately, our cultural practices do not align 100% with the teachings of Islam or any religion for that matter.

Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Bahai, Zoroastrianism, and all other faiths are equally committed to creating cohesive societies where every human feels secure.

Every faith group went through persecution at one time or another in their history; they added layers of protection to safeguard their community and interpreted the verses to suit their current situation. Religions are not petrified; their wisdom applies to all times;

The Quran is for all times, and we must look for it. It is for Mutafakkarun (Those who think and reflect Q30:21). For example, 1400 years ago, when the Prophet told us to go to Mecca to perform Hajj, everyone understood it to be riding on the Camel. Then, 200 years ago, when someone wanted to go to Mecca, they thought of going on a boat (from India, Indonesia, and other distant places), and 50 years ago, you talked about going by an airline; today, you think about which airline? The essence is the same – going to Hajj, but its application goes with the current times.

Most Muslims understood verses explained by past scholars to be the final truth; it was a different time. They wanted to keep their flock together. Hence, Muslims started believing that only a Muslim can marry a Muslim to be compatible (2:221), whereas the verse is actually about compatibility and not religion.

Indeed, the story is the same with all religions, and also, they allowed their boys to marry girls from other faiths or no faiths, but not the other way around. It was simply because, in old times, the girls were dependent and did not work outside the home, but that is not the case today. All of us are equals in the eyes of God, where you are accountable for your own actions on the Day of Judgment.

The Quran explains compatibility in verse 2:221 as marrying someone familiar with your lifestyle instead of someone beautiful/handsome or rich. The second part of the verse has a similar meaning: do not marry someone who is Mushnik – i.e., someone who does not believe in the sovereignty of God, thus not accountable to any. You cannot have two bosses. Here, the bottom line is accountability and compatibility. A lot is understood and written about Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Jewish marriages but very little about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim-Sikh, or other marriage issues; please visit the Muslims for Progressive Values site for more information.

Hindus defined compatibility by matching Janam Patri or Kundli or planetary location. It worked for them (all faiths) when they lived in monolithic societies and found interactions with other people unacceptable. Today, we live in a society where the entire God’s creation lives together and women and men are equal in all aspects of life.

When I interview the couples, I found their compatibility to be genuine, it is pure love devoid of any filters. In the end, if you love someone, most things don’t matter and life becomes a joy.

There is no place in the United States where you will not find people of different faiths, races, ethnicities, and nationalities working, studying, traveling, and even marrying together. Two people will fall in love as they find compatibility in each other; what matters to them is whether they can get along and live in harmony. The filters like nationality, religion, language, race, and other uniqueness are personal to them, as personal as how much sugar or salt they take with their tea and food. Their compatibility is authentic and genuine. Ultimately, God wants all of us to live in harmony; faith is an internal value that shapes your personality.

The Quran explains compatibility in verse 2:221 as marrying someone familiar with your lifestyle instead of someone beautiful/handsome or rich. The second part of the verse has a similar meaning: do not marry someone who is Mushnik – i.e., someone who does not believe in the sovereignty of God, thus not accountable to any. You cannot have two bosses. Here, the bottom line is accountability and compatibility. A lot is understood and written about Muslim-Christian and Muslim-Jewish marriages but very little about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim-Sikh, or other marriage issues; please visit the Muslims for Progressive Values site for more information.

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse
Cell: (214) 325-1916

Muslim Wedding Officiant – Muslim Wedding Officiant
Author – American Muslim Agenda
President, Center for Pluralism 
Director – World Muslim Congress
Profile – The Ghouse Diary

Future – Shaping America’s Future

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a Social Scientist, Public Speaker, thinker, author, newsmaker, and Interfaith Wedding Officiant. He is deeply committed to Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, Human rights, and religious freedom. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism, Director at the World Muslim Congress, a think tank, and a wedding officiant at Interfaith Marriages. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, and “Standing up for others” and “Madame President” are coming soon. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. His mission is to open people’s hearts and minds toward fellow humans.  More about him at TheGhouseDiary.com

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