Islam

Observance of the Muslim holy month of fasting, prayer and festivities is being curtailed in many parts of the world due to COVID-19. But in some countries, the pandemic hasn't dissuaded the faithful.

The virus is upending burial traditions across cultures, from the washing of the body of a loved one in Iraq to the gathering of mourners in Israel.

"Islam doesn't permit practices that would put human life in danger," said the head of religious affairs in Turkey, one of a host of Muslim-majority countries to curtail gatherings at mosques.

Forty years ago, militants held one of Islam's holiest sites — Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque — and thousands of pilgrims hostage for two weeks. Though they failed, they shaped the future of the region.

As she leads free walking tours through Harlem, Katie Merriman highlights the ways in which the history of Muslims is part of the history of New York City.

I haven't been to a mosque in ages. I had no idea how to celebrate the holiday — or whether it was appropriate for me to do so.

After Donald Trump's election, Dr. Ayaz Virji started giving talks to mostly white, Christian audiences in rural Minnesota to try to dispel misconceptions about Muslims. He faced a lot of backlash.

Despite a rise in religious doctrine from the government, a recent survey shows a dip in the portion of people identifying as religious, compared with a poll in 2008.

Michael Muhammad Knight's new book on the religious figure is designed to seduce, educate, and irritate its audience into curiosity about Islam and Muhammad — and on all three fronts it succeeds.

The government hopes to reform seminaries, which are often seen as places where students are indoctrinated with extreme interpretations of Islam. Experts argue the entire education system must change.

Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun fled her family during an overseas trip and tried to fly to Australia, but was stopped in Thailand. The U.N. refugee committee has declared her a refugee. "I'm happy," she says.