About this Meetup

Most of us get introduced to religion in childhood. The meanings and interpretations we have are derived from what our parents and teachers told us and how we have evaluated it within our minds. As a result each of us has a particular understanding of what Islam is, and what the Quran says.

Many have learned about Islam as a list of do?s and don?ts, without a larger meaning. We are not supposed to do certain things, and many times this seems to limit our enjoyment of life.

Many think of Islam as mandatory rituals such as prayers and fasting. The ritual demands are very strict and burdensome and we feel guilty that we cannot carry them out.

Many think of Islam as a label which allows them to belong to a community. It feels good to be with our own kind, and talk about social and political issues of concern to our community.

There is the great volume of communication on television, radio and the internet. And most of it is negative towards Islam. Many Muslims are affected by these images and are wondering what good, if any, is in their religion.

In this forum we take a different view. We discuss what is often not talked about.

Islam became a worldwide religion because it is based on principles of wisdom that teach people how to live successful and meaningful lives in all ages and in all circumstances. It is true that the interpretations of these principles has degraded with time, but the uplifting and inspiring ideas are there for us to see, and bring into use.

It is useful to briefly recall the life of Prophet Muhammad. His father and mother died when he was a child, and in his youth he worked as a shepherd. When he was in his thirties he became contemplative and used to spend many days in a cave outside Mecca. When he was in his fortieth year he received a revelation from God. Initially he was bewildered by this experience and the only person he confided with was his wife. As time passed he received more revelations, and a time came when God told him that he has to teach other people. When he began speaking to people about this he encountered tremendous resistance.

Thus began Prophet Muhammad?s struggle. He persisted inspite of the opposition and the opposition intensified. As years passed a few people were convinced of what he was saying and became ?Muslims?. The powerful tribal leaders in Mecca tried every technique available to prevent Muhammad from teaching his message. This included personal and physical abuse, assassination attempts and boycott of Muhammad?s family and followers. Thirteen years later Muhammad received an invitation of welcome from a few people in the town of Madina, three hundred miles to the north. Muhammad and his companions migrated to Madina and were for the first time able to establish their community. Although their numbers now gradually increased, their enemies in Mecca still did not leave them alone. They gathered armies and attacked Muslims in Madina several times but were unsuccessful in uprooting them.

Eventually, twenty two years after Prophet Muhammad began his mission, his followers were numerous and strong enough that they went as an army to Mecca and took it over. In this way the Prophet Muhammad?s mission was successfully accomplished, and all the people in the Arabian peninsula became the followers of his religion during his lifetime.

At every stage of his mission Prophet Muhammad received revelations. The Quran is the compendium of these revelations, the guidance God gave to the Prophet to succeed in his life-purpose. God guides him on every aspect of life. This includes instructions on what he should do to grow out of his personal limitations, how to develop his relationship with God, how to overcome fear, how to communicate with others, what are the right moral values, how to deal with those who were opposed to him and how to organize his community?s affairs.


The result that Prophet Muhammad succeeded in his mission in a major way makes him a compelling role model. He started out alone and with zero resources and accomplished a huge positive change in the world. His mission was selfless and he shared his wisdom with others freely. Although in an immediate sense the Quran is the guidance God gave to his Prophet, its great value is that it conveys truths that are universal, applicable to people living anywhere and at anytime.


If we study the Quran in a free and open discussion we can learn key insights that are essential for succeeding in our lives, no matter what our background or present situation is. Dr. Abdulhameed has successfully conducted such discussions for several years on Long Island. He will be leading our discussions here.

Some of the topics from the Quran we plan to discuss over the coming months relate to the following:

What is positive faith and how we can develop it.

Why we cannot find fulfillment without a purpose in life, how to develop a purpose and how to achieve it.

Who God is and how we can develop a personal relationship in with Him.

What beliefs lead to success in life, and what beliefs lead to failure

How do you know who would be a good life-partner for you.

How to have positive self-esteem

Why it is necessary for men and women to participate on an equal footing for any endeavor to succeed.

How to make all our relationships loving, healthy and meaningful.

How to be free of fear.

How to motivate yourself under any circumstance.

How we can learn to be positive in tough circumstances

How to develop friendships based on loyalty and commitment.

How to be totally healthy and energetic.

How to live well without being greedy or covetous

Our discussions are open, free and participatory. No opinion is considered out of bounds. The only condition is that the dialogue be civil and not contentious. Please join us.