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” I wrote my first story at the age of 12 or 13, and it was modeled after the ‘Nancy Drew’ series. I lost that text during our travels. My red diary of poetry on the other hand, is still with me today, with the actual date of every poem I ever wrote. This leads me to think that maybe I did not think much of my story at the time! But later, when I had little nieces and nephews growing up in the West, I wrote my first stories for them. The escapades of the delightful Arab-Muslim characters I wrote about was in a town called Marj-el-Amal, or Marjella, actually modelled after Damascus! “

“It all started one day when I rushed to rescue a beautiful cake I had just iced and decorated, keeping all hands away from it until I had enthusiastically photographed it. Art is art, I was told after the accolades had died out and the treat was safely tucked into. Why don’t I showcase my fine talent, and dip my eager knife into a palette of inedible cream, swirling flowers onto a canvas rather than a cake? No one will eat that, I was assured, and I can gaze upon it to exhaustion. And that’s how it was. My first ever painting is that of the bouquet of red and blue flowers in a Chinese vase. It is in oils, painted with a palette knife. Yummy! “

“I’ve tried them all, and found that water-color requires discipline which I don’t like being bound to. Acrylics offer the same free-flowing freedom, and my most recent chosen medium was acrylics (see the mother and child painting). Most of my landscape paintings are in oil-colours, which I love mixing and overlapping, while my portraits tend to be in pastels. I really enjoy pastels, perhaps because of the connection I feel as I literally touch, stroke, and blow upon every inch of my subject. Pastels to me are much like finger painting to kids: it’s fun!”

“The way I see it, Peace-building begins at the foundations and throughout its construction, until ‘Peace’ is established where it can resist violent conflict, as a structure that can last.

To effectively build Peace we must be guided at an early age to see and treat others as mirror-images of ourselves, to think more systemically, and to see everything as circular in nature. When we realize that every issue is multi-causal and multi-determined, it becomes difficult for us to lay full blame on any single party. Responsibility for the problem -and also the solution – is shared amongst all, and the balance of our ‘building’ is maintained.

Peace-making on the other hand, seeks to end violent conflict after it has already taken place, with the ‘peace-maker’ ideally maintaining neutrality and helping the parties settle their differences through negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. Peace-makers will fail to broker peace whenever they lean to one side of the conflict or focus on their own self-interest. As for a ‘lasting’ peace, that higher achievement would necessitate Peace-makers to start at the ground, ie: at Peace-building.

This is why a Peace-builder would make an excellent Peace-maker, and not the other way around.”

“Today humanity lives in an area we can span in nano-seconds. The Qur’an is the ‘Holy Book’ of almost one fourth of today’s world population, and how it is understood shall necessarily impact us all in varied, yet increasing measure.

Such impact is quite obvious today in the Arab Awakening, where many feel that it is time that their suppressed voices get heard, while others are uneasy that democracy might catapult ‘Islamic’ governments into power. If people understood the Qur’an, the term ‘Islamic’ would be an aspiration, and no group would be so labeled because Islam is not about ‘religion’ (the man-made concept which divides us) but about the attempt to maintain the flawless standard of Accountability which unites us: Accountability to God on the private, personal level (where we answer to Him Alone) AND Accountability to each other on the public, social level (where we answer to everyone).

Based on my research and what I have seen of the Qur’an’s universality and its positive influence at raising our personal awareness and potential, I feel certain that a correct understanding of its concepts can help us mend the rifts which divide us and present us with the groundwork necessary for building peace.”

” Today’s understanding of many Arabic words has evolved from their original definition when the Qur’an was revealed more than 14 centuries ago. This is why, in certain verses, what the Qur’an is perceived to be saying and what it actually says are two different things. It is such misinterpretation which has played a role in creating problems and conflicts.

Through researching the linguistic origin of words by way of a 1,000-year old Arabic lexicon and by studying Qur’anic context and cross-reference, we note how certain words were misunderstood -to our own detriment as Muslims. One such word is ‘Shukr’ which, rather than expressing mere feelings of gratitude, is about exerted effort at literally appreciating whatever we have, as opposed to doing nothing and allowing it to depreciate. Oldest lexicons and the history of early Muslim societies both provide evidence to the prosperity generated by this understanding. We are in dire need of such knowledge; it is time we raised our focus from feelings to actions.

Also, looking at the world in general today, we see the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality gaining ground everywhere, whereas the Qur’an has always projected a universal message. Its verses call mostly upon Those Who Attained Faith /allatheena aamanu addressing those who, after having accepted the basic accountability standard of Islam, have attained Eman/faith and trust in God and His Messenger. It calls upon Humanity in general/al naas, upon the People of the Book/ahl al kitaab (the Jews and Christians), upon the Prophet/al nabi, and tells us how God had earlier called upon other Prophets. The name of Prophet Moses, for example, appears 136 times in the Qur’an while Prophet MuHammad’s name appears 4 times. In fact, when we see Islam as the universal standard of accountability to which God invites the entire world, we are not surprised to note that the Qur’an never calls upon Muslims/al Muslimeen or addresses them by name, probably because all who sought the accountability standard of peace/silm/islam at one time were considered ‘Muslim.’ The Qur’an is indeed so much more universal than most people realize. “

“It certainly is true that prejudice breeds prejudice, but if each of us was to fulfill the definition of being a ‘cognizant human/ insaan,’ we would NOT be fostering or ‘breeding’ it! (‘Insaan’ in Arabic is someone who is active in finding and offering comfort and companionship, as opposed to ‘alienation.’) The Qur’an tells us that we were created males, females, communities, and tribes so as to ‘follow through and become familiar with each other…’ (HQ 49:13).
So what happened to us, that we forsook the very definition of who we are and the purpose for our diversity? The Qur’an tells us that even as a specie (before developing into cognizant beings), we were ‘bashar,’ an Arabic word which denotes tidings of goodness and beauty. We therefore bear sole responsibility for the existence of prejudice, because ‘prejudice’ with all its ugliness does not grow of itself, but is something we learn. Indeed, Prejudice (Ddagheenah) is condemned in the Qur’an as an impairment of heart /mind.
Prejudice makes people serve a narrow, man-made set of values. Feeling allegiance to their particular group or society, they usually posit noble goals as an excuse for their alienation from the rest of humanity, often invoking the name of God as a ‘raison d’être.’ By doing so, they prevent themselves from seeing any goodness in others, and feel antagonistic towards them. If we look back through history, we’ll find that ‘terrorists’ have always existed by other names, and have sprung mostly from such sectarian backgrounds.
On the other hand, those who are free of prejudice are also free to give pure allegiance and reverence to the Creator of this existence and to embrace the values which He has laid out for Humanity. That universal set of values is not only well-known to us all, but it also holds us all to a single standard of accountability, AND is already agreed upon by most ‘groups’ on this earth! Known by different titles, with slight variation, it is for all intents and purposes one and the same: See the ten Qur’anic ‘Inviolables’ of the Straight Path in Qur’an 6:151-153, the Biblical ‘Ten Commandments,’ the ten Yamas and Niyamas of Hinduism, the and the Ten ‘Precepts’ of Buddhism. So to those who say that ‘such-and such’ a group ‘does not share our values’ I say: It is Prejudice and Greed which keep Humanity divided and attempt to pollute these beautiful values which could unite us!

It is true that certain mis-explanations of Qur’anic verses, coupled with people’s prejudices (‘Muslim’ and ‘anti-Muslim’) has helped paint us so negatively today. But although that is indeed unfortunate, our goal should not focus on helping ‘repaint’ this picture. Our goal should be about helping to generate awareness of who we are in relationship to creation and Creator, highlighting the fact that Awareness on the personal level -plus Peace on the communal level- are essential for Humanity to thrive and achieve Potential.”

“What I seek is an understanding of the ‘original intent’ of the 1,400 year old Arabic Qur’an… therefore, rather than being considered ‘new,’ the understanding I am looking for is actually as ‘old’ and ‘authentic’ as possible. Finding these original definitions is possible thanks to the efforts of countless scholars and researchers who have compiled Arabic Lexicons more than 1,000 years ago, and to those who have preserved their work and published it. But I do realize that any original definition might be seen as ‘new’ today, simply because it is reappearing to people who didn’t know of its existence!

But before all that, Intellect is our innate tool by which we process information according to the six components of ‘iqra.’ We also study and compare traditional explanations and translations, always bearing in mind that any conclusion must be validated within the context of the Qur’an itself.

The ‘tools’ employed are therefore Intellect, Qur’anic context, old Arabic lexicons, and of course: research, research, research.”

“Certainly. But I don’t argue with them. I only present my findings, hoping to be corrected linguistically or through Qur’anic context in case my research was inadequate. That is why I try to have linguists -who are also people of deep faith- assessing my findings before I present them to others.
So, when someone truly wants to know, or offers more accurate research, we have a discussion not an argument, and we both benefit.
Research is never final and should be constantly reviewed, especially with regard to the timelessness of the Holy Qur’an. This is why now, in 2023, I am revising the entire thousand-page Qur’an Blog of 2010-2013.”

“We are accountable to God and to our Parents, to Relatives, to the Destitute, to Wayfarers and Refugees, to the Environment, to our children, to preserving the Family, to preserving Human Life in general, to caring for orphans, to giving due measure and weight, to minding our own business, and to treading the Earth gently. We are accountable to the commandments presented in the Qur’an, which are similar to what has been presented throughout time, in God’s Compilation.”

“As I understood from the Qur’an, heedful awareness (Taqwa) is at the root of our existence, the Primal Existence (when we acknowledged God before arriving to this world). It is the measure of how we ultimately construe this Immediate, Lesser Existence –Dunya, and is the catapult upon which we are launched to our Final Existence -Aakhira.

As Cognizant Humans, our heedful awareness not only guides our growth in life, but each of us is literally marked out/ distinguished by our level of awareness and intention:

Qur’an 2:282: ………واتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّـهُ
“….. be heedfully aware of God, and God shall indeed mark you out/distinguish you…”

As recent scientific discoveries indicate, our awareness and intention actually change us on the genetic level; they change our DNA . I find that most interesting!

If heedful Awareness relates directly to our growth as Cognizant Humans, and if by focusing we can actually make genetic changes in our physical makeup… what unimaginable heights can awareness help us reach, psychologically and spiritually?

It is by being heedfully aware that we can achieve our potential. Taqwa/ Heedful Awareness’ is therefore directly related to our growth as human beings. It is our path to God.”

“The concept of ‘eternal hell’ and what we understand as ‘punishment’ are more related to our perception than to what the Arabic Qur’an says.
Indeed, we are free to choose, but let us first agree that, in any society, ‘freedom to do what we choose’ is limited by the equal rights of others (as in the saying ‘Your freedom ends where mine begins’). Also, freedom is curtailed by circumstances, whether related to environment, upbringing, individual character traits or psychological make-up. That is why each of our actions earns us specific consequences and each of us is judged individually, by what we are truly responsible for (HQ 19:95).

People who deny Accountability will naturally be those who commit the most wrongs in this immediate life, and (after having remained non-repentant) it is only fair that they suffer the consequences they’ve earned for hurting others and becoming liable to them. The Qur’an does not speak of ‘punishment’ but rather shows us how each misdeed earns its perpetrator a certain ‘Consequence,’ ‘Recompense,’ or ‘Return’ (عقب/جزي/عود), which is none other than a Product of his/ her own doing.

The words we use in Arabic- ‘aaqibah/ iqaab-عاقبة/عقاب – literally mean ‘what follows on one’s heel’ (although some may have mistranslated these words as ‘punishment’).

So, if we were to wonder ‘when’ such non-repentant persons shall endure the consequences of their own actions, the answer would be that although they are likely to begin suffering the consequences in this immediate life, the full measure shall be delivered to them in the Afterlife. But we cannot know ‘for how much/ how far/ how long’ that would be simply because ‘time’ is relative to our present existence. All we know is that it would be as God wills it (HQ 6:128), sometimes ‘for the duration’ of the existence of the Exalted Expanses (‘skies’) and the Earth (HQ 11:107).
There are two words we need to define here: The word ‘khalid’ which we mistakenly understand as ‘eternal,’ and the word ‘jahannam’ which we take to mean ‘hell.’

According to our1000 year old Lexicon:
• ‘Khaalid’ means ‘inclined to something,’ ‘stuck fast’ in it so that it fits, like a ‘khuld’ – خلد-or a mole snug in the ground.
• ‘Jahannam,’ quite specifically, is the bottom of an abyss.

Therefore, we can understand from these definitions that such persons shall endure the consequences of their negative actions while being stuck fast at the bottom of an abyss. So, one consequence of ‘Denial’ in this life is the ‘Deniers’ finding themselves, as the Qur’an tells us (HQ 95:5), in the ‘lowest of the low’ أسفل سافلين…
What a difference between that state, and those who are enjoying quite a different ‘consequence’ … those whose sense of Accountability and Trust in God had kept them ‘foremost’ in performing good deeds, and then elevated them to fulfilling Potential!
So yes, generally speaking: We are free to choose our way in Life within our circumstances, without encroaching upon the rights of others, each of us being judged individually by what we are truly responsible for, earning the consequence for our actions.”

“That is a tough question… but in the verses (HQ 4:123-124) which address the ‘wishful thinking’ of ‘religious’ groups I see a ‘Divine rule’ which should be hung on the walls of every Mosque, Church, and Synagogue, and indeed in all our homes:

“Whoever commits a misdeed shall be repaid for it, and shall find no Protector or Helper, other than God. And whoever performs Goodness whilst being Faithful, such shall enter the Garden, and shall not be shortchanged even in the smallest of measures.”

Enough with each group seeing itself -and behaving- as superior to everyone else!

We are all inherently equal.
Every deed counts and is recompensed.
None of us shall be wronged.
God Alone is our Protector.”

“I love speaking about my work. We would have to work out the logistics together, and see how your plans and mine convene.”

“To gain perspective based on Qur’anic intent, rather than common interpretation and application. By revealing the original intent of the Qur’an, I envision a shared perspective where Humanity is one, God’s Message has always been one, and our Future can become one we all look forward to.”

Thank you! The journey was quite taxing, taking years of research, revision, translation and rewrites before the book was finally put together in 280 pages of Arabic, and 320 pages of English (which include the original Arabic texts). The strain was heavy, not just upon my family, but also upon my health, keeping me awake countless nights asking God for guidance.

The Arabic book underwent rigorous linguistic assessment and was approved by Islamic scholars as well as the Ministry of Awqaaf and Islamic Affairs before finally going into print. Ihyaa’ Faatihat Iqra was published by Dar Al Fikr, Damascus, Syria, in late 2022, its second print coming out a few months later. The English version, Revival of the Iqra! Principle, was published in mid-2024 by Amana Publications, Maryland, USA. and, God-willing, will have similar success. Both books have received glowing reviews for which I am more than grateful and humbled.