Ayman Ismail

And at the time, I was like, this is so dumb.

Why are we learning to put one hand over the other?

Does God really care if you put your left hand over the right hand?

We were learning that side of it.

Right.

But as I got older, I think I finally am like at a point now where I've found the meaning in all of those years of being in Islamic school.

All of that money, all of that pain and arguing.

And now, you know, because now I have kids.

I have two kids, alhamdulillah.

And...

I'm starting to feel really insecure in my ability as a parent to transfer that knowledge by myself.

I don't think I can teach them to really understand the mechanisms of being a Muslim because it is like a physical practice, just as much as it is a spiritual one.

I'm not totally confident in my ability to teach them that.

I don't even speak enough Arabic myself to pass it down.

And there was this moment the other day, you know, I have an aunt in Egypt.

She and I talk on the phone all the time.

I love her dearly.

And I was really excited because my kids were in the car.

And so I put her on speakerphone and I was like, they're in the car.

You should say hi.