Khawatir

Ruminations: Welcoming Ramadan Without Excitement

Notes on guarded hearts, the poverty of correctness alone, and seeking a tradition where love is not a rare visitor

Feb 19 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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Scaffolding, Not Salvation

On formation without villages: what we ask from structure, and what it cannot give.

Feb 12 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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Proximity ≠ Piety

On access as a currency—and the heart’s habit of ranking without admitting it.

Feb 5 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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January 2026

"It's not my money"

Where provision passes through our hands, and the heart is asked to remember its place.

Jan 29 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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When Mountains Disappear

A reflection on the passing of Dr. Yaqub Mirza, quiet stabilizers, and the call to become mountains who hold the Ummah steady after loss.

Jan 21 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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November 2025

Ruminations: Father-Son Conversations

The unseen inheritance we give our children: courage, honesty, and the strength to stay gentle.

Nov 15, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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October 2025

When Companionship Became a Community – Part 2

From first principles to floor plans: practicing suhba (companionship) here and now.

Oct 30, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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When Companionship Became a Community – Part 1

Suhba (companionship) as formation: the Prophetic architecture of belonging.

Oct 15, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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September 2025

Friendship: Deep, Not Wide

A story of nearly 20 years of friendship—imperfect, unlikely, and maybe, just maybe, for the sake of Allah.

Sep 30, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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The Trials of Transition: What We Leave, What We Carry

To leave is to lose, but also to trust that Allah writes more than we can see.

Sep 15, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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August 2025

The Chatbox Can Listen, But It Can’t Care

Why AI Can’t Replace the Sacred Bonds of Human Companionship

Aug 30, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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From Good to Great: Why You Can’t Bypass the First Step

“Bury your existence in the earth of obscurity, for whatever sprouts forth, without having first been buried, flowers imperfectly.” – IbnAtaillah…

Aug 15, 2025 • Abdul-Malik Merchant

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