Studying Islam can be overwhelming, especially when you start to realize not everyone is coming from the same point-of-view or moving in the same direction. How can you make sense of it all; how can you not loose your way; how can you stay firm to the pure intention of simply wanting to know more about your faith and tradition. These seven articles are my straightforward answers to these questions. They serve as my guiding light, my port in a storm, my North Star. Whenever I feel that the conversation about Islam is too much, too scattered, and too divisive, I go back to the concepts in these seven articles.