Modesty and the Muslim athlete
First, we must acknowledge the hypocrisy: That is, how college and pro football players can make a play that sends thousands of fans in the stadium — along with millions […]
Justice or Else: What role do athletes play in the movement?
My father and I were two of the hundreds of thousands of people — two of perhaps one million, according to some estimates — who gathered in front of the […]
Top 10 active Muslim boxers
It’s interesting how a catchy nickname and a strong hit of nostalgia can override conventional wisdom. While basketball fans spend this week and the next (and the next) debating the […]
Muhammad Ali urges Iran to release Muslim-American journalist
Parkinson’s disease has taken a lot from former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, but it has not taken the boxing legend’s faith in Allah [swt] nor his commitment to social […]
Q&A with journalist Ismael AbduSalaam
In the sports world, “hustle” means more than diving to recover a fumble or booking it from first base to third with a headfirst slide. And the word “hustler” doesn’t […]
Inside the ring with referee Kamal Hasan
In his paid profession as a paralegal and in his side gig as a boxing referee, Kamal Hasan thrives in environments where maintaining order among fierce competitors is imperative. His […]
UPDATE: Dion Waiters, Islam and the national anthem
Part of my day job is to watch news wires from sports media outlets around the world to find the most interesting and important stories as soon as they’re published. […]
Nine sports figures among ‘The Muslim 500’
Six active athletes, one retired star, one retired legend, and one behind-the-scenes power broker made their way onto the 2014-15 edition of “The Muslim 500,” an annual list of the […]
Identity: Making a change
Thirteen months ago, I sat down with my father at a cramped International House of Pancakes on a busy Sunday morning to tell him that I would be converting to […]
Abdul-Aleem’s hoop dreams are set in Mecca
Athletes are rarely afforded the opportunity to write their own ending. For every one who makes it all the way to the professional level and gets to retire from their […]
