Assalaamu Alaikum (peace be unto you),
Before I start talking too much about myself, please do at least one of these three things.
First, like ILM on Facebook. It’s easy to do, feeds my ego, and keeps you up to date with my weekly posts (I usually do two a week).
Second, go to the bottom of this page, and join my email list. I know, you probably got a whole bunch of junk in your email and you don’t want anymore. Believe me, I understand.
But if you do, I’ll send you this great khutbah (Islamic sermon) a friend of mine gave (mp3 download) for free called “The Dajjal.” And if you decide you don’t like the emails I’m sending you (they’re all Islamic, not-spammy, and really beneficial) you can always unsubscribe.
And yes, you get to keep the khutbah.
Third, if you’re on Twitter follow ILM on Twitter. All of the updates are posted there, and I even use it to hang out and spread the message of Islam to unsuspecting victims. It’s also a good way to send me a quick message since I just about always have my cell phone (mobile for you Brits) on me.
My name is Abu Ibrahim Ismail, founder of Islamic Learning Materials. I know when I visit a website, I like to know a little about the people behind the words. Therefore, assuming you feel the same way, I’m going to give you a little information about myself.
I am an American Muslim. I was born Muslim, but both of my parents were born Christian. I grew up mostly in Brooklyn, New York, though I currently live in the Southeastern United States.
Let me first tell you that I love Islam. I have studied Islam both in West Africa and at Darul Uloom in Trinidad and Tobago. And currently, I’m working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Studies from Islamic Online University.
I don’t consider myself a Sheikh or anything like that, but I have a lot to offer and teach you. I want to share what I know about Islam with others.
My secular education was obtained at Bethune-Cookman University. I graduated in 2002 with a degree in Accounting.
Islamic Learning Materials (ILM) is an attempt to make Islam more understandable to the average, English-speaking Muslims. ILM is based on the premise that Islam is simple and should be taught in a simple manner.
One of the problems I find with many Muslim blogs is that they fall into one of two extremes:
Either they are too scholastic and boring and give long detailed explanations of common Islamic topics. These websites tend to have huge blocks of writing in small print and use language that even I have a hard time understanding.
Or they go to the other extreme and make Islam some sort of plaything. The blog may talk about fashion, food, politics, and oh yeah, Islam every now and then. And most of the Islamic information they give is the author’s opinion with no proof from Quran and Sunnah.
You won’t find that here, Inshallah.
I try to deliver brief, interesting, motivating, and entertaining pieces of advice backed by verses from the Quran or quotations from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
There’s nothing wrong with pure, scholarly Islamic websites. Sometimes we need straight-edge, textual, Islamic facts and information.
And there’s nothing wrong with a worldly, fun-loving website. All of us can’t be scholars.
But sometimes, you just you just need a spiritual pick-me-up, a little bit of good, brotherly advice with sound knowledge behind it.
And that’s what ILM is for.
I try to focus more on spiritual matters. By that I mean encouraging Muslims to become better Muslims. Or encouraging non-Muslims to understand Islam better. That’s why I write these articles in a casual, magazine style. I don’t want to bore you with facts and figures; I’d rather encourage you (and me) with the truth.
It doesn’t matter what type of Muslim you consider yourself. The articles in this site are about general Islamic principles; things we can all agree on. I am personally a Sunni Muslim and I consider myself a pretty strict and by-the-book Muslim. But I know my sins and that I may be lower in the sight of Allah than you. Therefore I try not to propagate any specific Islamic school of thought, methodology, or idealism.
But I do insist on following the Quran and Sunnah as it was understood by the first three generations of Muslims.
I hope you enjoy this site and enhance your understanding of Islam. If there are any inaccuracies in the information I’ve provided, feel free to contact me.
