Sabr and Shukr

Zain Bhikha - Here I am

2009-09-05T01:18:00.001-04:00

Surah 24: An-Nur (The Light) Verses 23-42

2009-02-20T03:35:00.001-05:00

I recently read parts of a book titled "Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race" by Edward W. Blyden which compared the lives, cultures, and statuses of "Mohammaden Africans" and "Christian Africans” as viewed through the eyes of Europeans during the late 1800s. I was surprised to learn that even at that time, many Europeans realized the effect Islam had upon a natural society that followed pagan religions (by natural I mean largely unaffected by modernization). It seems, Blyden said, that the “Mohammadan Africans” felt, in temperament, character, and general self-awareness of one's status, equal to white men and thus, were indeed equal in intellectual conversation and “cultural and moral practices.” The reasons Blyden gives for this are: 1.) In Islam, as soon as one became a Muslim, he/she was a free man/woman and in servitude to none but the highest Being, Allah. 2.)When an African man/woman converted to Islam from the pagan religion which he/she followed, the first task was to learn to read the Quran and gain knowledge from scholars; that is, gaining intellectual knowledge became a kind of worship and was highly encouraged. 3.) Once he gained even some part of that knowledge, he learned of the previous scholars, kings, theologians, travelers, and highly respected men within the tradition of Islam who were of African descent. He realized their merit and saw that others of his race were truly considered equal to white men (if not in a higher social standing due to their knowledge). Blyden specifically mentions that one of the first African persons they learned of was also an extremely important man in Islamic history -- Bilal (peace and blessings be upon him), who was given the most honored position by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to serve as the first caller to prayer when Islam was established. 4.) In contrast, when African's from pagan backgrounds converted to Christianity, they were told that the white man was 'superior' and reading and education were strongly discouraged -- the reasoning? That a man (such as an African) who would never be fit to use letters did not have a need to learn them. I don't think Blyden was implying that this was the case throughout all Christian converts, but it was for a vast majority of the one's he observed.

Anywho, after reading this, I went back to the ultimate source for all Muslims, the Quran. I knew that at the time the Quran was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) slavery was still in practice** , but never bothered paying much attention to the verses regarding it because ( thank God) they don't apply much today. But subhanallah, when I went back to read these verses closely, I was somewhat surprised to find so many rules for the RIGHTS of slaves in Islam…

The verses in this video contain some of them and are pretty self explanatory.

In addition, this Surah of the Quran also contains verses about several other issues: The etiquette of visiting people's homes, as well as rulings for interactions between the opposite sexes and maintaining a high level of modesty. Lastly, verse 35 till the end (of this video) contain the famous Verses of Light which discuss, through the use of parables, the struggle to attain knowledge and closeness to Allah (swt).

Is it simply a coincidence that the verses discussing one’s closeness to Allah (swt) and those having to do with others’ rights and protecting modesty come right after one another?

I think not. :)

-Sumeyya

ps – I wrote this in a rush so didn’t cite the pages from the book; look it up on google, that’s where I found the book!

**(From a social standpoint however, it is interesting to note that in 7th century Arabia, slavery had little to do with race or ethnicity and more to do with war and power; that is, those taken as slaves were usually prisoners of war and not taken as slaves because of the color of their skin or their ethnicity.)

Knowledge Travels - Word Of The Day (16/02/09)

2009-02-19T02:36:00.001-05:00

Ok, had to post another one; this one is too cool and has a really good lesson too!

Every letter in the Quran has its right. When you recite, are you giving it its right?

Mashallah!

Sumeyya

Knowledge Travels - Word Of The Day (17/02/09)

2009-02-19T02:30:00.001-05:00

Cool little series started to learn Arabic...
and now, I need to get back to finishing my 'wajibat' ! :)

Sumeyya

Sexual Relations in Islam [1 of 5] - Muhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari

2009-02-04T22:35:00.001-05:00

In a time where marriage, especially as portrayed by the media, is considered boring, and artificial, shallow relationships based on lust are encouraged, how can we as Muslims living in Western societies adhere to the Prophet's sunnah and how do we define 'romantic love' in accordance with Shari'ah and Islam? This is part 1 of 5 of a lecture (and one of three lectures given at a conference titled 'Beauty of Marriage in Islam' held in the UK January 20th, 2009) by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam-al-Kawthari. At the heart of it all is the issue of fulfilling others' rights: a wife's right, a husband's right, a child’s right, and most importantly, the concept of Taqwa, or fear of Allah, that leads us to fulfill each other's rights in the best manner possible, as exemplified by the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad ('alayhi salatu wa salaam).

Sumeyya

Happy New Year: Muharram

2008-12-30T22:02:00.003-05:00

Coincidentally, both the Muslim new year and Gregorian new year happen to fall around the same date this year; yesterday, Monday December 29th, 2008 was the first day of the Muslim new year, 1st Muharram 1430. So to everyone who celebrates either, Happy New Year! May Allah (swt) accept our previous years' deeds and help us to reach higher goals in the future, insha'Allah.

As we start the new year, don't forget the blessings of the month of Muharram:

1. It is the best of months for general voluntary fasts, after Ramadan.
2. It is especially recommended to fast the 10th of Muharram (known as the Day of `Ashura), with a day before it or after it. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, quoting Kasani's al-Bada'i`]
3. It is also virtuous to give in charity on this day.
[Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Sunnipath]

I've posted below an excerpt from sunnipath.com written by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani about the month of Muharram, particularly the day of 'Ashura. I hope it will be beneficial!

Sumeyya

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Day of `Ashura: The Tenth of Muharram

It is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he was asked about fasting the Day of `Ashura [10th of Muharram]. He said, "I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fast a day while more avid to seek its virtue than this day," meaning the Day of `Ashura. [Bukhari (2006), and Muslim (1132)].

The Day of `Ashura has great virtue, and tremendous sanctity (hurma). The virtue of fasting it was known among the Prophets (peace be upon them all). Both Prophet Nuh and Prophet Musa (peace be upon them both) fasted it.

The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to fast this day even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)]

When he migrated to Medina, and found the People of the Book fasting this day and venerating it, he ordered the Muslims to fast it, and encouraged it so much that even the children would fast it.

It has been reported in both Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), that, "When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) reached Medina, he found the Jews fasting the Day of `Ashura, so he asked them, 'What is this day you are fasting?' They said, 'This is a tremendous day. Allah saved Musa and his people on this day and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted it out of thanks, so we fast it too.' The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'And we are more deserving of Musa than you are.' So he fasted this day, and ordered that it be fasted." [Bukhari (2004) and Muslim (1130)]

At the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) made the determination not to fast this day alone, but with another day [for example: either before or after it], in order to differentiate from the People of the Book.

It has been reported in the Sahih of Imam Muslim (Allah have mercy on him), also from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that, "When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fasted the Day of `Ashura and ordered his companions to fast it, they said, 'O Messenger of Allah! This is a day that the Jews and Christians venerate.' So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'When next year comes, if Allah wills, we will fast the Ninth [of Muharram with it].' But the next year did not come before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) passed away." [Muslim (1134), Abu Dawud (2445)]
And it is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (Allah have mercy on him), from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Fast the Day of `Ashura and be different from the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it." [Ahmad]

Giving in Charity on the Day of `Ashura

It has been reported from Abd Allah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As (Allah be pleased with him), that "Whoever fasts `Ashura it is as if he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity this day it is like the charity of an entire year."

Mourning on the 10th of Muharram is an Innovation

As for the mourning and grieving of the Sh'iah on this day because of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with him and his father), this is of the actions of those whose actions in this life are misguided while they think that they are doing well. Neither Allah Most High nor His Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace) commanded us to mourn on the days of the tribulations of the Prophets, or their deaths, let alone anyone else.

[Also: The fuqaha have mentioned that it is an innovation to consider Muharram a month of mourning. It is not disliked to marry in this month. It is a highly reprehensible innovation to participate in the rituals of the Sh'iah in mourning the death of Husayn (Allah be pleased with him).]

Some of the Virtues of the Day of `Ashura

It is a day in which Allah forgave an entire people. Tirmidhi relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to a man, "If you want to fast a month after Ramadan, then fast Muharram, for it has a day in which Allah forgave an entire people, and He turns to others in repentance in." [Tirmidhi (841)]

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani
Amman, Jordan

Burda Part 1 - Talib al-Habib

2008-12-09T20:13:00.001-05:00

This (and recitation of the Quran) is the most soothing sounds to hear when your under stress. As finals are looming around the corner, I've been playing this over and over again. May Allah(swt) grant us all a good close to this year, insha'Allah!

-- Sumeyya

p.s. -- This is a recording of an online event held at www.sunnipath.com last year at Eid al Fitr (2007). The artist is Brother Talib al Habib from the UK. This version of the burda has not been recorded by him (professionally) so this is all that's available as of now.

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE USA! :)

2008-11-04T23:38:00.003-05:00

"I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America.

-Langston Hughes

Obama or McCain?

2008-11-04T01:23:00.005-05:00

Either way, history will be made:

1.) We'll have a president who MIGHT change things (c'mon, your not that easily brainwashed by 'hope'!) Or...
2.) We'll have a public that's lost all belief of validity and legitimacy in its government [or has that already happened with Bush vs. Gore?].

Anywho, that was my half baked sentiment night before election day.

Here's to hoping that the next four years... don't bring us Palin. Ok, sorry, I was trying to keep this nonpartisan. Didn't work.

Sumeyya

Why Is The World Obsessed With Hate?

2008-10-10T00:40:00.008-04:00

A big thumbs up goes to Imam Zaid Shakir for speaking for the Muslim Ummah when he wrote the article, "Obsessed With Defemation and Falsehood."

The article was, of course, in response to the hate propaganda film, "Obsession" made by... (you guessed it) an Israeli organization by the name of the Hasbara Fellowship Program, "which aims to train students to be effective pro-Israel activists on their college campuses" (NYTimes, Karen W. Arenson). The producer was Raphael Shore, "a 45-year-old Canadian who lives in Israel" (Arenson) who made the film with the hope that it would "spur action against Islamic terrorism" [which is, in all honestly, the most vague of labels. I mean, what the hell does the word 'Islamic terrorism' imply? Does it tell us who, among the world's 1.84 BILLION Muslims, are referred to as terrorists, or, does it simply want us to assume that all those who follow the religion of Islam [hence the word Islamic terrorism] are terrorists?]. Shore goes onto define this label by (of course) his own opinions, and supports his opinion with pictures and videos of fanatical suiciders, power hungry dictators, and the ever inflammatory link to Hitler.

I will give him credit for mentioning (exactly twice, once at the beginning and once at the end) that not all Muslims are terrorists. However, this is after showing over an hour worth's of mind bogglingly, jarred connections between how "islamic terrorism" is extremely prevalent in Muslim societies all over the world. So, thank you, Mr. Shore, for calling out that most of my community are power hungry, fanatical suiciders hell bent on destroying the world. At least you implied that there is a .001 fraction of us who are not. What a rosy picture you paint.

Anywho, I don't want to be sidetracked, so let me get to the point: I'm writing this not because I want to publicize the movie any more than it's already been publicized (I'd like to see it die a well deserved death alongside other such propoganda from the Zionist state), but because I would rather that someone hear of it from me, an American Muslim, instead of finding out about it through another source, who would have either 1.)Their own agenda or 2.) Be so thoroughly brainwashed by the falsehood in the movie that they are rendered incapable of any orignial foresight into logical, clear facts, leading them to spit out exactly what they've heard in the movie, regardless of the fact that history negates these falsehoods completely.

Whew! Felt good to get that off my chest.

But, of course, I (unlike the producers of this film) don't like to label an entire race or group or nation of people upon the views or charactor or actions of a few and usually small minority of idiotic people who happen to want to force their views and ideology upon others. [And yes, I'm being purposefully vague as to who this small group of people are so that I may further stress the fact that these groups exist in every society, large or small, progressive or backward, and that to judge said society upon their views is to look at that society through a very narrow lens.]

I don't believe (as do the producers of this film) that all American's are really as ignorant/stupid/lazy as goes the stereotype. I believe that we are able to check the facts of history ourselves, and realize that this film is bieng distributed, RIGHT BEFORE ELECTIONS, for a very specific reason. I also don't believe I have to spoonfeed my readers the message. You get it, don't you?

Thus, I present to you, an article written by one of America's foremost speakers on Islam and the West, Imam Zaid Shakir, and implore you to read it. If you've seen the movie, then I'm practically begging you to read it; afterall a mind is a terrible thing to waste, and a lifetime obsessing over hate is even worse.

Sumeyya

Imam Zaid's Article: http://www.newislamicdirections.com/nid/articles/obsessed_with_defamation_and_falsehood/

Forgivenes and Justice: Meditations On Some Hadiths

2008-10-07T20:14:00.008-04:00

Written by: Abdal Hakim Murad, from http://www.masu.co.uk/

(1) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed for pardon for his people, and received the reply:

‘I have forgiven them all but acts of oppression, for I shall exact recompense for the one who is wronged, from his oppressor.’[1]

In the Qur’an, God is just, and requires justice; but he is also forgiving, and requires forgiveness; in fact, its references to the latter property outnumber those on justice bya ratio of approximately ten to one. [2] Islamic theology has not always been clear how the ensuing tension is to be resolved. ‘My Mercy outstrips My wrath’ is a well-known divine saying,[3] but one which nonetheless is far from abolishing God’s wrath. Indeed, a righteous indignation about injustice is integral to the prophetic representation of God’s qualities, and from the earliest moments of its revelation, the Qur’an links God’sexpectations of His creatures to justice towards the weak. Often the same texts are explicitly eschatological, affirming that those who do not uphold God’s justice in thisworld will be at its receiving end in the next. Indigenous Arab religion can expect a stern retribution, given that its demands are for tribal solidarity, not for the upholdingof universal canons of justice.[4] The idol cannot demand justice, only retribution (tha’r); and the prophetic vocation must therefore link the destruction of paganism with the establishment of a code of justice which overturns Arab norms by refusing to discriminate between the tribes. This hadith is to be read against the background of clan vendettas: instead of seeking collective retaliation against a miscreant’s tribe, the victim of injustice is to appeal to the new law, and to recall that all apparent imbalances will have a just settlement at the judgement seat.

(2) There is an act of charity [sadaqa] to be given for each part of the human body; and for every day over which the sun rises there is a reward of a sadaqa for the one who establishes justice among people.[5]

Justice (‘adl) is due balance (i‘tidal): it is impartiality. The same word is employed to describe the balance of the body’s four humours. When these are in balance, right thinking and health are the consequence. When they are not, the Qur’an speaks of the last day when ‘their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness to what they used to do.’ (24:24)

To purify the body from the disorders which both engender and result from sin, a system of worship is gifted in revelation, which culminates in the placing of the forehead, the symbol of human pride and of self-oriented thought, upon the earth. The tongue ‘gives charity’ by praising God, and by speaking words of reconciliation.The hands do so by working to earn a lawful income, and by striving to right wrong sin society. Taken together, the purifying ‘charity’ offered by the parts of the believer’s body always has a social impact, the highest aspect of which must be to ‘establish justice’, not only by avoiding unbalanced temptations, but by working to establish a political order in which justice is safeguarded. Political work is thus conceived as a sacrifice. Never is political authority ‘sought’, in the conventional profane understanding, for a hadith says: ‘Do not seek political power, for if you obtain it byseeking it, it will be given power over you.’[6] This refers to a selfish, egotistic pursuit(hirs) of power, rather than to the selfless seeking of power for the sake of the establishment of justice for others.[7] The model is the Prophet, peace be upon him, who endangers himself in order to establish God’s justice in a feuding Arabia, and who ends his life in holy poverty, despite the advantages he could have gained from having been born into the aristocracy.

(3) I have forbidden injustice for Myself, and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.[8]

Here God himself is speaking: this is a so-called ‘Holy Hadith’ (hadith qudsi).[9] This text establishes that the ‘political’ life is not dissociated from the ‘religious’; not just because the believer should recognise an integrated set of values in all he or she does, but also because by cultivating the political virtues we conform ourselves to the ‘qualities of God’. Hence the often-cited hadith, ‘Emulate the qualities of God.’[10] In this somewhat Platonic understanding, the ground of ethics is in God, whose detailed moral excellences are the source of human values. The alternative is seen, at least byAsh‘aris, as a form of dualism. The ruler’s subjects may thus recognise his actions asmoral by reference to revelation, and will consider any injustice as a blasphemy against God. Leaving political decisions to individuals who reject justice as a blessing grounded in a heavenly archetype is to cultivate the mentality of Pharoah, who ‘exalts himself in the land’, and ‘divides its people into groups’. (Qur’an, 28:4)

(4) Umm Salama narrated: ‘God’s Messenger, upon him be peace, never went out of my house without raising his eye to the sky and saying: “O Lord God! I seek refuge in You lest I stray or be led astray, or slip or be made to slip, or cause injustice or suffer injustice, or do wrong or have wrong done to me”.’[11]

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as a saintly being who has ‘emulated God’s qualities, must manifest His justice as well as His mercy. Here Islam and Christianity tread very different paths. The Christ of the Gospels, despite incidents such as the ‘cleansing of the Temple’,[12] preaches a passive witness; the Prophet of Islam also receives persecution patiently, but also strives to establish justice politically, with a mercy that may come through rigour. No doubt this is not the result of a deep clash between ideals, but rather is the consequence of incommensurable contexts: Islam, too, advocates non-confrontation when oppressed by a massively powerful empire;[13] and Christians have moved away from the pacifism of the Gospels, fearful of the consequences of failing to control tyrants. Yet in the founding stories the differing emphasis is clear. Some Muslims have regarded this as grounds for reproach: according to Shabbir Akhtar, ‘a Muslim face toface with a Pilate would have given the Roman chap a lot more to do than merely wash his hands’;[14] a view that neglects the cautious stance of classical Muslim jurists over resistance against overwhelming odds. But a characteristically Muslim optimism about the reformability of structures is also, no doubt, at work.[15]

(5) God’s messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Whoever sees something he dislikes in his ruler should be patient, because whoever leaves the community [jama‘a], even by one fraction, and then dies, has died the death of the Age of Ignorance [jahiliyya].[16]

This hadith forms part of a substantial body of revealed texts which seem to insist on political quietism in the face of misconduct by rulers. Unsurprisingly, it lay at the centre of a storm of controversy. Most Sunni scholars maintained the view that once a caliph had been chosen (ikhtiyar), it became unlawful for Muslims to rebel against him. For the Hanafis (the most widespread school of law), ‘if the ruler is oppressive, or corrupt, he is not to be deposed,’ the reason being the fear of civil war (fitna), which had been the besetting evil of the Age of Ignorance before Islam. This quietism was resisted by the Mu‘tazilite and Kharijite sects, by many Twelver Shi‘ites, and also by some Shafi'i Sunnis.[17] The institutional separation of the ulema class (ahl al-qalam), who were funded by their own mortmain endowments (awqaf), from the ruling family and its military formations (ahl al-sayf), which reached its peak in the Ottoman theory and practice of religious statecraft, nonetheless gave the preachers the duty of condemning the sultan’s abuses, and defending the interests of the poor and weak.[18]

In the late twentieth century the classical Sunni view came under fire from radical reformers. Khomeini, departing from Sunni and Shi'i tradition, advanced a theory of governance by the religious scholar (vilayet-e faqih), while in the Sunni world individuals frustrated by the religious establishment’s reluctance to challenge abuses bypost-colonial regimes repudiated the old quietism, and advocated militant struggle against governments which, they held, were answerable to Western powers rather thanto the values of their own subjects, and were hence unworthy of Muslim allegiance.Typically, and ironically, it seems that this sea-change in Muslim political thought is the result of Western influence.[19]

(6) God’s Messenger, upon him be peace, then made the rounds of the House, and prayed two rak‘as of prayer. Then he went to the Ka‘ba, and, holding its door-jamb, said: ‘What do you think I will do?’ They replied: ‘The son of a brother, and the nephew of a mild and merciful man!’ [This exchange was repeated three times.] Then God’s Messenger, upon him be peace, said: ‘I declare, as did Joseph: ‘There is no blame upon you this day. God shall forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’ (Qur’an 12:92) And they left the mosque as though they had been raised from their graves.’[20]

The tension between justice and forgiveness is given an iconic representation by this account of the Blessed Prophet’s approach to the defeated Meccans, a moment whichis the political culmination of his career. The Meccan elite had sought to assassinate him, and to eliminate his fledgling community in Medina. Now helplessly in hispower, they must have expected annihilation, in accordance with the accepted Arab principles of vendetta. Instead, they are freed, and are not taken to task for their actions. Even Hind, wife of the Meccan leader Abu Sufiyan, a woman who had paid for the assassination of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza, and had then chewed on his liver on the battlefield of Uhud, was not punished. Instead, the Prophet (peace be upon him) chooses to quote Joseph’s words, spoken as he forgave his errant brothers who were finally in his power in Egypt.

Such a scene recalls the moral arguments which surrounded Nelson Mandela’s Truth and Justice Commission in South Africa.[21] The rule of a corrupt ethnic elite was at an end; the policy of fomenting discord between tribal groups was terminated. As the Prophet peace be upon him goes on to say, ‘People are all the children of Adam, and Adam is ofdust.’[22] What purpose could be served by strict justice?

Major symbolic moments in the history of Mecca are often given eschatological significance. The city itself is a sanctuary (haram), declared such ‘on the day God created heaven and earth.[23] As such, it stands a little outside human justice. For many jurists, those who seek asylum in its mosque may not be dislodged, whatever their crime. And the Hajj is clearly an anticipation of the Judgement, when all shall congregate to stand before God. Muslim eschatology represents the same tension between justice and forgiveness. On one hand, it insists that ‘whoever has done an atom’s weight of good, or evil, shall see it,’ (99:7-8), for ‘there is no injustice on that day.’ (40:17) Yet on the other hand, justice is tempered. The principle that God’s mercy outstrips His wrath dominates the scene, and, as with the conquest of Mecca, the figure who represents the inclusion of forgiveness in God’s justice is the Prophet, peace be upon him. Just as he offers an amnesty to the sinners of Mecca, Muslim orthodoxy believes that he intercedes for humanity before the judgement seat. Terrified of God’s justice, humanity takes refuge beneath the Prophet’s banner, since he is the only one who is not saying ‘Myself! Myself!’ Instead, he cries, ‘My Lord! Save! Save!’, and the strict application of God’s justice appears to be set aside, in favour of mercy. The Mu‘tazilites, preoccupied with justice above all other divine qualities, were obliged to reject these hadiths.[24] But for mainstream Sunni sources, it is thus, supremely, that the Prophet becomes ‘God’s Beloved’ (Habib Allah).[25]

(7) God’s Messenger, upon him be peace, said: ‘I smile because of two men from my nation, who shall kneel in the presence of the Lord of Power. One of them says: ‘O my Lord, grant me retaliation for the wrong which my brother did to me.’ And God says: ‘Give your brother that in which he was wronged.’ ‘O Lord,’ he says, ‘none of my righteous works remain.’ Then God the Exalted says to the man who made the demand: ‘What shall you do with your brother, seeing that none of his righteous works remain?’ And he replies: ‘O my Lord! Let him bear some of my burdens in my stead!’ And God’s Messenger wept, as he said: ‘Truly, that shall be a fearsome Day, a Day when men have need of others to bear their burdens.’ Then he said: ‘God shall say to one who made the request: ‘Lift up your head, and look to the Gardens.’ This he does, and he says: ‘O my Lord! I see high cities of silver, and golden palaces wreathed about with pearls. For which Prophet shall they be, or which saint or martyr?’ And he said: ‘They belong to whomsoever pays me their price.’ ‘O my Lord,’ he says, ‘And who possesses such a price?’ ‘You possess it,’ he replies. ‘And what might it be?’ he asks, and He says: ‘Your forgiveness of your brother.’ ‘O my Lord!’ he says, ‘I have forgiven him!’ Then God the Exalted says: ‘Take your brother’s hand and bring him into Heaven.’ Then God’s Messenger recited His word: ‘Fear God, and make reconciliation among yourselves.’ (Qur’an 8:1)[26]

Adjacent to the doctrine of intercession in the classical theology manuals is the concept of radd al-mazalim, the ‘Restoration of Wrongs’. We shall be burdened, not only with direct punishment from God, but with the sins which others are relieved of in order to compensate them against us for our wrongdoing against them. On that day, ‘God shall take the horned sheep’s case against the hornless one.’[27] Here, according to this well attested hadith, humans as well as God have an opportunity to forgive.

Towards the close of the classical Friday sermon, the preacher recites the Qur’anic passage which runs: ‘God enjoins justice and goodness.’ (16:90) The first is clearly not sufficient; or the second would not have been mentioned. Islam’s is a God of justice,but also of mercy. The extent to which the latter virtue can override the former in political life can only be defined in a very limited way in books of law. In Islamic legal culture, which grants the judge more discretion than the heavily statutory jurisdictions of the West, the judge has much room for mercy. In the Religion of Wisdom and Compassion, which deeply trusts human beings, it is no surprise that he should have been given this privilege. But his responsibility is grave, and if he is to escape God's own Rigour, he must first defeat his ego. Sufism, the schoolroom of the selfless virtues, thus becomes the most fundamental juristic science.

For the footnotes [too long to add in here], please see:

http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/HadithsonJustice.pdf

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani's Reminder About Shawwal!!

2008-10-05T20:23:00.005-04:00

Picture This: Hungry Hippo - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

"I know you feel like this [the above], but remember to fast six days during this month of Shawwal, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) recommended. The can be done consecutively or non-consecutively–and you can combine intentions of performing a make up (qada’) fast and these fasts. "

"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six from Shawwal, it is as if they fasted the whole year.” [Muslim, on the authority of Abu Ayyub (Allah be pleased with him)]."

-- Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

P.S. -- I reproduced this from http://www.seekersdigest.org/ (his blog)

What is a Madhhab?Why is it necessary to follow one?

2008-09-22T00:34:00.004-04:00

©Nuh Ha Mim Keller 2000
*Reproduced from www.masud.co.uk

The word madhhab is derived from an Arabic word meaning "to go" or "to take as a way", and refers to a mujtahid's choice in regard to a number of interpretive possibilities in deriving the rule of Allah from the primary texts of the Qur'an and hadith on a particular question. In a larger sense, a madhhab represents the entire school of thought of a particular mujtahid Imam, such as Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi'i, or Ahmad--together with many first-rank scholars that came after each of these in their respective schools, who checked their evidences and refined and upgraded their work. The mujtahid Imams were thus explainers, who operationalized the Qur'an and sunna in the specific shari'a rulings in our lives that are collectively known as fiqh or "jurisprudence". In relation to our din or "religion", this fiqh is only part of it, for the religious knowledge each of us possesses is of three types. The first type is the general knowledge of tenets of Islamic belief in the oneness of Allah, in His angels, Books, messengers, the prophethood of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and so on. All of us may derive this knowledge directly from the Qur'an and hadith, as is also the case with a second type of knowledge, that of general Islamic ethical principles to do good, avoid evil, cooperate with others in good works, and so forth. Every Muslim can take these general principles, which form the largest and most important part of his religion, from the Qur'an and hadith.

The third type of knowledge is that of the specific understanding of particular divine commands and prohibitions that make up the shari'a. Here, because of both the nature and the sheer number of the Qur'an and hadith texts involved, people differ in the scholarly capacity to understand and deduce rulings from them. But all of us have been commanded to live them in our lives, in obedience to Allah, and so Muslims are of two types, those who can do this by themselves, and they are the mujtahid Imams; and those who must do so by means of another, that is, by following a mujtahid Imam, in accordance with Allah's word in Surat al-Nahl,

" Ask those who recall, if you know not " (Qur'an 16:43),

and in Surat al-Nisa,

" If they had referred it to the Messenger and to those of authority among them, then those of them whose task it is to find it out would have known the matter " (Qur'an 4:83),

in which the phrase those of them whose task it is to find it out, expresses the words "alladhina yastanbitunahu minhum", referring to those possessing the capacity to draw inferences directly from the evidence, which is called in Arabic istinbat.

These and other verses and hadiths oblige the believer who is not at the level of istinbat or directly deriving rulings from the Qur'an and hadith to ask and follow someone in such rulings who is at this level. It is not difficult to see why Allah has obliged us to ask experts, for if each of us were personally responsible for evaluating all the primary texts relating to each question, a lifetime of study would hardly be enough for it, and one would either have to give up earning a living or give up ones din, which is why Allah says in surat al-Tawba, in the context of jihad:

" Not all of the believers should go to fight. Of every section of them, why does not one part alone go forth, that the rest may gain knowledge of the religion and admonish their people when they return, that perhaps they may take warning " (Qur'an 9:122).

The slogans we hear today about "following the Qur'an and sunna instead of following the madhhabs" are wide of the mark, for everyone agrees that we must follow the Qur'an and the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). The point is that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is no longer alive to personally teach us, and everything we have from him, whether the hadith or the Qur'an, has been conveyed to us through Islamic scholars.

So it is not a question of whether or not to take our din from scholars, but rather, from which scholars. And this is the reason we have madhhabs in Islam: because the excellence and superiority of the scholarship of the mujtahid Imams--together with the traditional scholars who followed in each of their schools and evaluated and upgraded their work after them--have met the test of scholarly investigation and won the confidence of thinking and practicing Muslims for all the centuries of Islamic greatness. The reason why madhhabs exist, the benefit of them, past, present, and future, is that they furnish thousands of sound, knowledge-based answers to Muslims questions on how to obey Allah. Muslims have realized that to follow a madhhab means to follow a super scholar who not only had a comprehensive knowledge of the Qur'an and hadith texts relating to each issue he gave judgements on, but also lived in an age a millennium closer to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his Companions, when taqwa or "godfearingness" was the norm--both of which conditions are in striking contrast to the scholarship available today.

While the call for a return to the Qur'an and sunna is an attractive slogan, in reality it is a great leap backward, a call to abandon centuries of detailed, case-by-case Islamic scholarship in finding and spelling out the commands of the Qur'an and sunna, a highly sophisticated, interdisciplinary effort by mujtahids, hadith specialists, Qur'anic exegetes, lexicographers, and other masters of the Islamic legal sciences. To abandon the fruits of this research, the Islamic shari'a, for the following of contemporary sheikhs who, despite the claims, are not at the level of their predecessors, is a replacement of something tried and proven for something at best tentative.

The rhetoric of following the shari'a without following a particular madhhab is like a person going down to a car dealer to buy a car, but insisting it not be any known make--neither a Volkswagen nor Rolls-Royce nor Chevrolet--but rather "a car, pure and simple". Such a person does not really know what he wants; the cars on the lot do not come like that, but only in kinds. The salesman may be forgiven a slight smile, and can only point out that sophisticated products come from sophisticated means of production, from factories with a division of labor among those who test, produce, and assemble the many parts of the finished product. It is the nature of such collective human efforts to produce something far better than any of us alone could produce from scratch, even if given a forge and tools, and fifty years, or even a thousand. And so it is with the shari'a, which is more complex than any car because it deals with the universe of human actions and a wide interpretative range of sacred texts. This is why discarding the monumental scholarship of the madhhabs in operationalizing the Qur'an and sunna in order to adopt the understanding of a contemporary sheikh is not just a mistaken opinion. It is scrapping a Mercedes for a go-cart.

LIGHT UPON LIGHT: Surah al-Noor, Verses 35-40

2008-06-26T03:24:00.001-04:00

The video isn't much (I'm not sure what language the translation is in), but this is possibly the best recitation of Surah Al-Noor I've ever heard. It's recaited by the amazing Shaykh Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy... just close your eyes and let the beauty and warmth of Allah's words wash over you... cleansing your heart.

The translation of what he is reading is below.

NOTE: Verses in the Quran do not necessarily tell a story, but many times [as in this case] Allah conveys a message through parables which have many layers. You can look at it/or read it at face value, but understand that the true meaning [in this case] lies in realizing the value of light (ie knowledge), and accepting that knowledge is not something we humans can attain through our own, but is, like everything else, given by and through Allah's will. This is by no means a full explanation of the verses below; rather its a very basic explanation. Please pick up a Qur'an with extensive commentary to explain the verses in their entirety. [Literally, the explanation runs about a four pages long!]

Finally, the translation:

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.

(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),-

By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),-

That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth provide for those whom He will, without measure.

But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!"

- Surah al-Noor, Verses 35-40

The Meaning of Sabr and Shukr

2008-06-08T15:50:00.004-04:00

I was going to write a piece on the different meanings of "sabr" and "shukr," as it is the name of this blog. For those who don't know, shukr translate to gratitude. However, there is no word in English that comprehensively covers all the complexities of the word "sabr." Wiki gives a concise defenition: 1.)To actively or passively bear physical challenges and 2.) to remain spiritually steadfast.

However, since sabr and shukr are very important aspects of spirituality, the book Hayatul Muslimeen by Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi devotes an entire chapter to its discussion. I was going to post the chapter, but since I don't own rights to the book, I'd rather not take the chance (!) :)

Here's the link, so check it out if you'd like! >> http://www.al-islam.edu.pk/islamic%20books/ch-23.htm

Till next week, insha'Allah!

- Sumeyya

Sura Qiyamah (Judgment Day) Mishary Rashed Alafasy

2008-06-08T01:28:00.001-04:00

What could I possibly say that the Surah doesn't cover? Indeed, this world is like a glass castle; at first beautiful, but as you get closer, it's fragility and transparency is realized -- in the end, it is apt to quickly dissapear. True success lies only in the sincere rememberance of Allah(swt).

Oh Allah, guide me unto a path that is straight and one that leads only towards You, Most High. My Lord, guide me to be in the shade of those whom are beloved by You in this world and the next.

And finally, oh Allah, have mercy upon my parents as they did have mercy on me when I was young....

-- Sumaiya

Imam Abu Hanifa was good!!

2008-06-01T20:40:00.004-04:00

(I got this from http://www.haqislam.org/)

Imam Abu Hanifah and the Atheist

Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest approached them. He said to them, 'I don't believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you're wasting your time! Bring me your best debator and I will debate this issue with him.'

The best debator at the time was Imam Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. A messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the city, where Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was, in order to tell him about the athiest who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah Rahimullah saying, 'Oh Abu Hanifah, an athiest is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!' Abu Hanifah Rahimullah told the messeneger that he would be on his way.

The messenger went over the River Tigris once again and to the Royal Palaces, where everyone including the athiest awaited the arrival of Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. It was sunset at the time and one hour had passed, but Abu Hanifah Rahimullah still hadn't arrived. Another hour had passed, but still there was no sign of him. The Muslims started to become tense and worried about his late arrival. They did not want the athiest to think that they were too scared to debate him, yet they did not want to take up the challenge themselves as Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was the best of Debators from amongst the Muslims. Another hour passed, and suddenly the athiest started laughing and said, ' Your best debator is too scared! He knows he's wrong, he is too frightened to come and debate with me. I gurantee he will not turn up today.'

The Muslims increased in apprehension and eventually it had passed midnight, and the athiest had a smile on his face. The clock ticked on, and finally Abu Hanifah Rahimullah had arrived. The Muslims inquired about his lateness and remarked, 'Oh Abu Hanifah, a messenger sent for you hours ago, and you arrive now, explain your lateness to us.'

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah apologised for his lateness and began to explain, while the atheist listened to his story.

"Once the messenger delivered the message to me, I began to make my way to the River Tigris, and on reaching the river bank I realised there was no boat, in order to cross the river. It was getting dark, and I looked around, there was no boat anywhere nor was there a navigator or a sailor in order for me to cross the river to get to the Royal Palaces. I continued to look around for a boat, as I did not want the athiest to think I was running away and did not want to debate with him.

I was standing on the river bank looking for a navigator or a boat when something caught my attention in the middle of the river. I looked forward, and to my amazement I saw planks of wood rising to the surface from the sea bed. I was shocked, amazed, I couldn't believe what I saw seeing. Ready made planks of wood were rising up to the surface and joining together. They were all the same width and length, I was astounded at what I saw.

I continued to look into the middle of the river, and then I saw nails coming up from the sea floor. They positioned themselves onto the boat and held the planks together, without them being banged. I stood in amazement and thought to myself, 'Oh Allah, how can this happen, planks of wood rising to the surface by itself, and then nails positioning themselves onto the boat without being banged?' I could not undertsand what was happening before my eyes."

The athiest meanwhile was listening with a smile on his face. Abu Hanifah Rahimullah continued, "I was still standing on the river bank watching these planks of wood join together with nails. I could see water seeping through the gaps in the wood, and suddenly I saw a sealant appear from the river and it began sealing the gaps without someone having poured it, again I thought, 'Ya Allah, how is this possible, how can sealant appear and seal the gaps without someone having poured it, and nails appear without someone having banged them.' I looked closer and I could see a boat forming before my eyes, I stood in amazement and was filled with shock. All of a sudden a sail appeared and I thought to myself, 'How is this happening, a boat has appeared before my eyes by itself, planks of wood, nails, sealant and now a sail, but how can I use this boat in order to cross the river to the Royal Palaces?' I stood staring in wonderment and suddenly the boat began to move. It came towards me against the current. It stood floating beside me while I was on the river bank, as if telling me to embark onto it. I went on the boat and yet again it began to move. There was no navigator or sailor on the boat, and the boat began to travel towards the direction of the royal palaces, without anyone having programmed it as to where to go. I could not understand what was happening, and how this boat had formed and was taking me to my destination against the flow of water. The boat eventually reached the other side of the River Tigris and I disembarked. I turned around and the boat had disappeared, and that is why I am late.'

At this moment, the athiest brust out laughing and remarked, "Oh Abu Hanifah, I heard that you were the best debator from amongst the Muslims, I heard that you were the wisest, the most knowledgable from amongst your people. From seeing you today, I can say that you show none of these qualities. You speak of a boat appearing from nowhere, without someone having built it. Nails positioning themselves without someone having banged them, sealant being poured without someone having poured it, and the boat taking you to your destination without a navigator against the tide, your taking childish, your talking rediculous, I swear I do not believe a word of it!"

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah turned to the athiest and replied, "You don't believe a word of it? You dont believe that nails can appear by themselves? You dont believe sealant can be poured by itself? You dont believe that a boat can move without a navigator, hence you don't believe that a boat can appear without a boat maker?"

The athiest remarked defiantly, "Yes I dont believe a word of it!"

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah replied, "If you cannot believe that a boat came into being without a boat maker, than this is only a boat, how can you believe that the whole world, the universe, the stars, the oceans, and the planets came into being without a creator?"

...............................................................................................................................................................

Transcribed from a lecture delivered by Shaykh Ahmad Ali.

Ya Ummati!!!

2008-04-24T21:35:00.001-04:00

Abu Huraira said: The Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: There is for every apostle a prayer which is granted, but every prophet showed haste in his prayer. I have, however, reserved my prayer for the intercession of my Ummah on the Day of Resurrection, and it would be granted, if Allah so willed, in case of everyone amongst my Ummah provided he dies without associating anything with Allah.

-- Shahih Muslim (Kitab al-Iman,0389)

Nasheed titled, "The Prophet" by Dawud Wharnsby Ali

Baby I'm A Soldier

2008-04-10T01:27:00.005-04:00

I don't believe that people are inherently evil.
I don't believe that people have hearts that are stone cold.
People, whether soldiers or not, are not machines, no matter how much we may try to train them to be.
Sometimes, all we need to awaken ourselves is a little insight. And empathy.

This is a song by Kareem Salama, an Egyptian-American artist. Check it out.
Much love,
- Sumeyya

Baby I'm a Soldier (K. Salama)

He was a soldier who’d only been married two or three years ago
And he put his hands on her knees that night and he said I gotta go
She said why would you leave this home and me; I thought I was your baby girl
And he wiped away the tears from her eyes and said they’re sending me to save the world.
And you know I love you and I pray to God that he’ll join us once again
But now its time for this simple man to be one of the few good men...

(Chorus)

Cause baby I’m a soldier and I hear those trumpets calling again
And our kings and queens are saying this is a fight we must win
For truth and justice and for the way we live our life
And baby I’m a soldier in front of God I swore I would fight

Across the ocean and miles away there stood another man
Eighteen years, hugging his mama saying I’ll defend this land
Mama held her baby and cried and clutched him telling him not to leave
She said what will I do without my baby boy; son I’m begging you please
He said I love you mama but duty calls; I’ll write you everyday
She said I lost your daddy like this and I don’t wanna lose you this way.

(Chorus)

But Mama I’m a soldier and I hear those trumpets calling again
And our kings and queens are saying this is a fight we must win
For truth and justice and for the way we live our life
And Mama I’m a soldier in front of God I swore I would fight

Well the battle raged and shots rang out the two men fell to the ground
And they looked into the eyes of each other and were shocked at what they found....

One man saw the mother of the other in that young man's eyes
And the other man saw the crying and screams of the other man's beloved wife
And the two men stared across that smoky field and whispered to each other
Maybe you weren’t the demon they said, maybe you were really my brother

But I’m glad we’re passing cause I don’t think that I could forgive myself
For fighting you but maybe God will and we can live together in bliss

(Chorus)

Cause Ladies we were soldiers and we heard those trumpets calling again
And tell the kings and queens that sometimes there are fights no one wins
But we know for sure that there’s evil out there we must fight
But please be sure that this is one of those times

And please be sure to remember my mama and wife
And please be sure to think of my brother on the other side.

The Subject Came Up...

2008-04-09T00:54:00.007-04:00

I was talking to some friends the other day about where one should get sacred knowledge, and the subject inevitabely came up: Are Paki/Indo scholars worth it?

Honestly, at first I was shocked because I never thought that the ethnicity of a scholar was important (or whether Arabic was his/her language) because wouldn't you rather focus on the piety, character, taqwa, and above all, knowledge of the scholar instead? Admittedly, mastery of the Arabic language is a component of how much knowledge a scholar has, but if your studying the Qu'ran/Sunnah, every reputable scholar whom you study under will know the Arabic language very well, even if he/she does not necessarily speak it. But then I realized that my friend was referring to cultural factors; ie in Paki/India, culture and religion are too mixed up to get a sound education in the Islamic Sciences.

Well, true, in the general population, culture and religion are mixed up. But not necessarily in the Dar ul Ulooms or with the Shuyuks themselves, especially, those whose life's work has been concerned with the preservation of traditional Islam. And, I think, one would find that culture and religion are mixed up EVERYWHERE, not simply in the Indo/Pak world, but in pretty much any Muslim country. In non-Muslim countries (US, England, etc), culture sometimes plays less of a role simply because thier culture is so much at odds with the moral guidelines of Islam, so we tend to focus more on religion, less on culture....

Anywho, I was thinking about this discussion, and later, found a question at daruliftaa.com (Leicester, UK) that was almost identical. The article below also touches on some other issues in obtaining knowledge...Check it out:

http://daruliftaa.com/question.asp?txt_QuestionID=q-18034012

P.S.
For those of you who have studied abroad or here, with Arab or Indo/Pak scholars, what do you think about this (culture/relgion? And does it affect the knowledge you recieve at certain places, and also, does mastery of the Arabic language [particularly speaking it] make a scholar more/less reputable?) I'm just interested :)
PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE TOO!!!

- Sumeyya
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong, or to expose him and win victory over him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray - O Lord, help him so that truth may flow from his heart and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side, he may follow me; and if truth be on his side, I may follow him. " — Imam As-Shafi’i

'Ishara' By Nazeel Azami

2008-03-28T12:50:00.001-04:00

Talib al Habib - Light of Dawn

2008-02-23T16:42:00.001-05:00

Always relaxing to listen to when stressed... :)

Habib Ali al Jifri: On Violence, Suicide Bombings, and Women in Islam.

2008-01-02T14:00:00.001-05:00

Habib Ali al-Jifri

Founder of Tabah Institute, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Habib Ali al-Jifri traces his lineage to Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet.
Born in Yemen, but currently residing in Cairo, Habib Ali studied Islamic jurisprudence from local scholars in the Hadramawt. He would later found the Tabah Foundation for Islamic Studies and Research in the United Arab Emirates, an institution promoting the study of traditional Islamic sciences. Habib Ali has given numerous speeches espousing the need for tolerant and moderate discourse in Islam.

Muslims Speak Out
By: Al Habib Ali Al Jifri

First Question: What is Jihad? Under what circumstances does Islam sanction the use of violence? What would you tell would be suicide bombers who would invoke Islam to justify their actions?

THE ISLAMIC TRADITION UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNS ANY TYPE OF AGGRESSION TOWARD INNOCENT CIVILIANS.

Islam does not sanction armed struggle except when opposing an aggressor who occupies another’s land or in order to help remove oppression from oppressed peoples.

The concept of jihad in the Islamic tradition carries the meaning of exerting all of one’s resources and energies in order to arrive at the realization of truth, preparedness to make sacrifices for the sake of doing good, and reaching out to others with goodness, seeking nothing in return save the contentment of God.

The root of the word “jihad” in Arabic is to struggle or endure hardship; expending energy & resources. When this is applied to the Islamic context it becomes the effort to advance goodness and enlightenment. This is the doctrinal understanding found in the original and defining religious texts.

The greatest expression of jihad is the struggle (Ar. mujahada) against the ego in order to bring about its spiritual purification and growth. This jihad is known as the “Greater Jihad” amongst Muslims.

Other forms of jihad are: the Jihad of “word”; the Qur'an tells us: {and struggle against them with it (i.e. with the Qur'an)} (Qur'an, Chapter: 25, verse: 52). The Prophet (peace & blessings upon him) said “the best jihad is that of speaking a word of truth to an unjust ruler”. Other forms include the jihad of educating, the jihad of building functional economies and eradicating poverty, and the jihad of politics, diplomacy and constructive policy creation. However, it is the jihad against injustice, which can include armed struggle as a last and conditional resort, that has dominated the spotlight in our times. As the reality of Jihad has to do with reaching the truth, doing goodness, and reaching out to others with this goodness, armed struggle really has no place here except in two circumstances:

1. Defense against an aggressor (conditioned by right ethical conduct); or

2. To secure for people the freedom to choose their own path to religious truth.

THE ISLAMIC TRADITION FORBIDS SUICIDE; IT FORBIDS ANY FORM OF HARM TO INNOCENT PEOPLE. THE ISLAMIC TRADITION ADVOCATES THE RULE OF LAW IN THE STRONGEST TERMS.

Islam forbids the taking of life so what drives the suicide bombers to just that?

The question about suicide bombings is misleading in that it tends to be framed in such a way as to focus on the “suicidal” nature of the act alone. However, there is something worse at the heart of this. It is the issue of the treachery, the betrayal of the trust that all innocent people must be permitted to assume as part of a mutually dependent social order. This observation in turn, leads into another question. Is this any more or less horrific than a person who sits behind a button which he presses – bringing death and destruction to thousands – and then returns to his routine without an afterthought? No, both are horrific, and both require humanity to wake up and take responsibility for its actions.

Two things tend to be confused here, one of them is agreed upon, the other is a point of difference.

1. The one we all agree upon is that the crime of these people is that of taking innocent lives, as well as the additional devastation that it brings. This is something which was forbidden by Islamic Law 14 centuries ago, only later to become rejected by modern human conscience.

2. The point of difference here is in the silence of the unasked question: who is responsible for these young people reaching such a point of despair that they would actually want to blow themselves up and others along with them?

Are they alone in the perpetration of such acts? Or can we add to the list of responsible parties the absence of mature and holistic Islamic learning. An absence that has left gaps in people’s understanding of their religion, gaps which extremists are all too quick to fill with disinformation which perpetrators then proceed to act upon. One of the teachings of Islam (which the perpetrators of such acts have missed) is that no matter what hardships and afflictions a person experiences, it can never justify doing anything which contradicts Islam’s ethical framework.

Will it ever be possible to reach a point where people can feel safe from the specter of being accused of “terrorism” for simply positing questions about the extreme injustices and oppression experienced by societies in the Developing South? Injustices driven by pressure from quarters which exert an undue influence on the international community and its institutions rendering them incapable of protecting citizens from such iniquities to the point that young people despair of having a fair legal system, or fair international institutions. These young people may then find themselves listening to the voices which call for vengeance justified by misinterpretations of sacred texts; giving young people promises of paradise in exchange for their miserable situation. Wherever injustice reigns supreme, and hope is lost you find suicide.

In normal criminal cases we give a lot of importance to the forensics and the background of the crime and hold accountable the society which gave rise to the criminal personality; while still holding the criminal responsible for his actions. In the case of the crimes perpetrated by these bombers our accountability is even greater; and the need for investigation and analysis greater still. It is a sad situation that we have arrived to; rectification and healing will require maturity and courage from all communities.

I repeat: Islam categorically condemns the acts carried out by the bombers on the Twin Towers of New York, the Trains in Madrid, the London Bombings and all other attacks aimed at innocents.

Lastly I am grateful for those who have opened a channel of dialogue for individuals seeking to work together and extend bridges between people of sagacity, for the purpose of reclaiming the mantle of leadership from the hands of extremists on all sides who would lead our world into discord and instability. Increasing the circle of dialogue, understanding, and the clarification of differing viewpoints is a reassuring indicator for the future of our small and intimate world.

Second question: No response.

Third question: What are the rights of women in Islam? How does Islam’s view of male and female equality differ from the Western view?

FAIRNESS TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER TOKEN FORMS OF EQUALITY.

The mistreatment and abuse – mental, physical, and social – of women takes on multifarious forms. Some of those forms are based on a misunderstanding and misuse of religious teachings; while it should be known that any person who mistreats a woman or girl in any way is not called anything but a criminal in our Shariah legal framework.

However, there is a conflation that takes place between the oppression of women versus the philosophy of radical equality on the one hand and the detailed differentiation between a mono-one-size-fits-all gender equalization along with a complete disregard for the immense role that women play in society as mother, educator, caregiver, and homemaker on the other. Real equality is to pay the same due respect to the roles that only a woman can play in society that is granted to other socio-political roles; roles that she very often maintains the capacity to perform also if provided the same opportunities. It remains one of the injustices of our age that the criteria for “success” and “worth” have been centered on everything except the qualities and accomplishments of our mothers and those who care for us, imbue us with our identities, and raise our children. We must however, not neglect the situation of many, many women worldwide who have no choice except to play the role of both mother & father, nurturer & provider because of the extreme difficulty of their circumstances. For these reasons I find myself in need of emphasizing that it should be mutual completion of one-another that should be the foundation of the relationship between genders; rather than the cacophony of wrestling voices that we hear today in the talk of gender rights.

Posted by Al Habib Ali Al Jifri on July 23, 2007

washingtonpost.com

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

2007-11-04T21:44:00.001-05:00

Ok, so this blogging stuff is slightly more than what I bargained for. Besides the fact that my original goals of posting something useful at least once a week is in ruins (more like once a month), I find I don't have barely enough time to thoroughly research a topic and put it up. What with school and work and life, its hard enough trying to keep myself motivated!

But, last week an opportunity came up that I had to write about. I mean literally, I HAD to write about it for my Sociology class. :) Not that I wasn't interested in the first place, but what better than a grade to force you to write about something interesting and very relevant? I edited the previous post (which was pretty much a rant about the topic); here's the more polished version:
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TONY LAGOURANI EVENT (NOVEMBER 1ST, 2007)

Tony Lagourani, a young man who was recruited to Iraq in 2004 as an interrogator, gave some sociological insight into the abuse perpetrated by the soldiers in Iraq, particularly in Abu Ghuraib. His book, “An Army Interrogator’s Dark Journey in Iraq,” discusses his experience.

He arrived in Iraq during 2004, before any of the Abu Ghuraib scandals. Before he went to Iraq, he said, he and other interrogators had recieved "cultural training" -- from a man who had never even met an Arab or a Muslim. This was supposed to help them understand the people they would be interrogating. They were taught out of a book authored by an Israeli (government?) official which pretty much listed "Arabs as lying, cheating, driven by violence, and in every way different from 'normal' people." It even went on to say, and these are the speakers' words, "they have a different grip on reality... they are very violent." To sum up, it was a book which was trying to justify Israel's continued occupation and violence in Palestine and other Arab countries, geared towards a Western audience. This was thier cultural training. This is the mindset they had going to Iraq.

Further, Lagourani went on to say, that when he arrived in Iraq, they were given very vague instructions on how to interrogate the prisoners -- highly unusual because in the Army, as everyone knows, you are told what to do from Day 1: how to walk, talk, dress, act, how to carry out the most minute of duties. The army is not a place where one is told to "Be creative," there are rules for everything and the good soldier follows those rules out to perfection. Yet, in Iraq, the orders given from the generals were vague, 'make them talk'. They were told to use, and I quote, "stress positions, temperature (hypothermia), military dogs, sleep deprivation waterboarding [forceful drowning]" etc. to make them talk, and were not told what NOT to do; (there was a host of other things he mentioned, but this is merely what I scribbled down).

These forms of torture went on for days, if not weeks. “We were aware,” Lagourani said, “that these forms of torture violated the Geneva Convention for treatment of Prisoners of War, but our generals told us that these prisoners were not even covered under the Geneva Convention, that in fact, a new class had been created for them, ‘Enemy Combatants’.” Thus, he said, "we followed orders."

I lost track of the number of times Lagourani repeated this phrase: "we followed orders" or "we were ordered to do so" -- which is essentially the basic premise of Milgram's Experiment of 1961: that rational, normal, 'good,' people will continue to obey authority against their better moral conscience. This is a classic example where Milgram's experiment was proven to be right. Lagourani, and many other soldiers' claim was always, "we followed orders." They were conditioned since the first day in the military that to be a successful soldier, one would unquestionably obey authority.It's also an example of Zimbardo's Prison Experiment of 1971; that when given an unprecedented amount of power, even the most 'good' people will become corrupt and abuse that power. Because the soldiers guarding the prisoners at Abu Ghuraib had such power, and because the rules given to them on how to treat the prisoners were very vague, many soldiers misused their power and abused the prisoners.

Lagourani gives an example that supports this idea: He [Lagourani] was guarding a prisoner who had stolen a can of Benzene oil (the type to fuel heaters/stoves with). The prisoner had nothing to do with the war, nothing to do with terrorism. It was 3am in the morning, he [Lagourani] was sleep deprived (though obviously not as much the prisoners, whom were kept awake for weeks on end), and sick of being constantly under attack. He wanted to take his stress out on someone whom he could have complete dominance and control over.... Since there was no one else around [to stop him], Lagourani said, "I thought, you know what, screw it. I'm goanna beat the hell out of this guy." At this point, his moral consciousness caught up with him. Although he did not go through with the actual act, this example proves Zimbardo’s premise right – that even though Lagourani was, generally speaking, a good person, when put under stressful conditions and given extraordinary power, he was willing to abuse that power.

And finally, the Abu Ghuraib discussion also raised questions of deviances and norms. Was it, in fact, a deviant act for the few soldiers (according to the media, Lagourani stated otherwise) to abuse the prisoners? Or is it completely normal when everyone else, or the vast majority of soldiers, were committing the same act? To answer these questions, one has to look at the defenitions of a norm to define deviance. The two types of norms -- normal and normative --cover both these circumstances. Statistically (if we are to believe Lagourani [who said that most soldiers did abuse the prisoners], not the media) then this act was normal by all means. Because more than 50% of the soldiers in Iraq did abuse the prisoners, then the incidents at Abu Ghuraib are normal. However, if one looks at it through a "normative" defenition, based on values of equality and justice before the law, then this was defenitely a deviant act becaue the prisoners were not given basic human rights, and were violated of rights givent to them under the Geneva Convention, Article 3, that states, "[POW's] shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, including prohibition of outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment." Thus the defenition of deviance varies with the defenition of the norm.

The discussion raised important questions of American involvement in the Middle East, and the treatment of any people -- be it Iraqi's, Arab's, or American's -- in accordance with the most basic of human rights, that is, to be treated with dignity. Instead of American's asking "Why do they hate us?" the discussion begs the question "Why would they like us?!"

As one audience member put it, "How can I, as an American citizen, be proud to call myself an American, or even, truthfully call this country 'Democratic' when my administration allows and sanctions these acts to happen -- and continue?"

Abu Ghuraib was not a stranded event -- war crimes, especially with American soldiers [as they are always the occupier, not the one bieng occupied] are rampant simply because of the extraordinary power they [American soldiers] hold. We, as Americans, need to understand that these acts are bieng committed in our names and with our tax dollars. We must realize that to the world outside the US, "Americans" not "American officials" or the "Bush Administration" are the real perpetrators of the acts, and it is to us that they point the finger of blame.

Peace everyone, I'd seriously reccommend Lagourani's book if you want to learn more about this subject.

Sumeyya

RAMADAN MUBARAK!

2007-09-23T00:48:00.000-04:00

Ramadan Mubarak everyone!!

As this blessed month approaches, let us remember the saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting), leaving his food and drink."

Moral of Hadith: Fasting does not mean simply abstaining from food and drink. For our fast to be accepted, we should abstain from vain talk, backbiting, lying, looking at or listening to haraam things (i.e. pictures/tv/music), and outbursts of anger. These are things that we should ideally practice all the time, not just in Ramadan, but especially in Ramadan if we want to be deserving of the rewards of this month.

The rest is up to Allah, Most High.

So, to reap the best benefits from this month, I won't be posting much for a while, or at least until after Ramadan and Eid are over. Bye, Salaam, and Peace everyone, see ya'll in a month's time.

And again, Ramadan Kareem! :)

BTW, here's a quick blurb on Ramadan for any non-Muslim readers:

Ramadan is the 9th Month of the Islamic Calender, and the most Holy Month for Muslims.

It is the the month in which the Quran was revealed, and is also known as "The Month of the Quran" becasue reading the Quran often during this month is loved by Allah (swt). In fact, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to recited the Quran, in its entirety, several times during the course of this month. Many muslims make it a goal to finish the Quran at least once during this month.

The second part of this month that is imperative and fard (obligatory) for Muslims is fasting during the month of Ramadan. In the Quran it is said, "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint..." (2,183). Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown. I found a pretty good defenition of fasting from Wikipedia...normally not a great resource for Islamic knowledge, but hey, it works for this:

"During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam as well as refraining from lying, stealing, anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backbiting, and gossip. Obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided; sexual intercourse during fasting hours is also forbidden. [Qur'an 2:187] Purity of both thought and action is important.

The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to their God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, sacrifice, as well as sympathy for those who are less fortunate, intending to make Muslims more generous and charitable.

The third part of this month that is important to Muslims is Qiyam ul-Layl, or "The Night of Power." It is a blessed night, (found in the last ten days of Ramadan) where one night of worship is equivalent to a thousand months, where God's mercy and forgiveness are there for any who seek it. There's alot more to it, but that could likely take up an entire post, so for now, just know that "The Night of Power" is in Ramadan.

What else? I don't think I've forgotten anything major. Again, this is just a broad, sweeping, overview of the month of Ramadan. ( Oh yeah, Ramadan is also a blessed month because Shaytan, or Satan/Iblis is locked up, and the gates of Hell are closed and those of Heaven are open, i.e. God's mercy descends upon everyone in this month.) For more information on the details of Ramadan, try this article from Sunnipath.com: http://search.sunnipath.com/BL/search.php?start=0&end=10&q=ramadan

Salaams and Peace! (Whoops, looking back now, I guess it wasn't a 'quick' blurb.)

Sumaiya