Category Archive

There’s always more stuff popping up online.  And I like stuff.  Via deenport, 2 new sites that show a lot of promise:

Soul Resources - “English language resources that meet contemporary Muslim community needs in Western English speaking environments”

Abu Dhabi Khutbahs and More- “Welcome to the Abu Dhabi Khutbas & More blog. Our plan is to start making available the weekly English khutbas that Shaykh Jihad Brown delivers, as well as articles that he writes for one of the major newspapers out here. In addition where there are talks, lessons and other stuff taking place we’ll be sure to upload it for the benefit of all!”

 

So now I’ve added Abu Dhabi to the list of potential places to move to in the future.  I’d like to find a place that has traditional muslim scholars who teach in english, but where there are also a lot of opportunities to learn arabic.  If we move somewhere within the US, it would either be to Chicago or the Bay Area.  Abroad, it would probably be somewhere in the UAE.

Of course, it would help if I knew what I want to do with my life.  AbuS thinks I should get certified to teach english as a second language.  And I guess that’s as good as anything right now, since I really have no clue what I want to do.  I tried my hand at teaching (briefly), but the alternative certification program I was with bit big time.  I think if I am going to teach again, I’ll go the more traditional route – university based education, internship, student teaching, the whole 9 yards.

Of course, ESL is the default expat job that often doesn’t work out too well.  Izzy Mo is doing and my friend Mollydid the expat thing in the corporate world, but do I really want to work in the corporate world anymore?  Argh!

mkay?

Yes, some muslims drink.

But that doesn’t make it ok.

Is Alcohol Filth?

Alcohol declared haram in the Qur’an

My maternal grandfather and I were the only ones in my immediate family who were left handed.  Every time we went to their house, I would inevitably end up reading his copy of The World’s Greatest Left Handers:  Why Left-Handers are Just Plain Better Than Everybody Else.  I never felt any stigma about my left handedness, because obviously left handed people were teh awesome.  No stigma that is, until I became a muslim.

Now, it’s not been terrible, but even aside from the ahadith that recommend using the right hand to eat, using one’s left hand is considered a faux pas in many of the muslim cultures that dominate the masjid.  And if one favors their left hand, people do tend to notice.

But, it looks like there are quite a few converts who are also left handed.   I wonder if the independent spirit that seems to thrive among lefties draws us to islam in greater numbers than our portion of the total population?   In general, lefties think differently, and perhaps that different thinking leads us to be more willing to explore a religion outside the “norm” for spiritual fulfilment?

Perhaps we should start a club – we could all get together and commiserate about how difficult it is to eat with our right hands and the evil looks we get at the masjid when we give up and use our left to shovel the biryani down at iftar time. 

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I try to eat with my right hand, partially to fulfill a sunnah of the Prophet (saws), but also to avoid the constant naseeha of strangers coming up and telling me not to eat with my left hand.

Why do we leave using the left hand?

It is a sunna to use the right hand for noble matters, and the left hand for lowly matters, whenever reasonably possible.  This is a general recommendation. It is not sinful or prohibited to use the left hand; doing so without need is, however, blameworthy because it is going against recommended Prophet practice.

Sayyida `Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) related that, “The Messenger of Allah loved using the right in wearing his shoes, combing his hair, purification, and in all his matters.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

She also related that, The Messenger of Allah’s hand (blessings and peace be upon him) was for his purification and eating, and his left for the toilet and anything lowly. [Abu Dawud; Nawawi declared it rigorously authentic in his Majmu`]

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) said, “It is from the sunna that you enter the mosque with your right leg, and leave with your left leg.” [Hakim]

The hadiths related to this are numerous.

Ibn Daqiq explained that this is a general recommendation from which certain particulars have been excepted, such as entering the washroom, cleaning one�s private parts, leaving the mosque, and the like, for the sunna in these is to use the left. [Sharh Umdat al-Ahkam]

Some people are just born left handed, what do they do?

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

 

It is in of itself superior to use the right hand for all noble matters, for this was the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyida A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) said that the he (Allah bless him and give him peace) liked to use the right in all matters.

In matters requiring dexterity, such as writing, there is no harm in a left-hander using their left hand. However, one should avoid eating with the left hand, because it is a specific sunna, and dignified conduct, to do so with the right hand.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani.

Using the Left Hand for Dhikr

Walaikum assalam,

It is recommended to do all noble things with the right hand. If one does this, with an intention of following the noble way of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions), one is rewarded. But one is not blamed for non-performance of such matters. [Imam al-Ayni, Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari]

The same applies, Imam al-Ayni says, to eating with the left hand. The vast majority of the scholars, except the Literalists, held that it is recommended to eat with the right hand, but it is not something that is sinful or blameworthy if left out, unless one does so out of disregard or disrespect for the sunna of the Beloved of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

Therefore, it is permitted to do dhikr with both hands. Some scholars preferred this, so that all one’s fingers would bear witness for one’s worship on the Day of Judgment. Others preferred that one limit oneself to the right hand, because, as `A’isha (Allah be pleased with him) mentioned, “The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) like to use the right in all things.”

Thus, it is a difference of preference, not permissibility.

Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani

If you know me in the real world and/or have followed my blog for awhile, you’ll know I’m all about making grand plans and goals.  Ramadan rolls up, ooo I’m gonna read a juz a day, pray all my prayers on time, and go to taraweeeh 3 times a week at least inshaAllah.  Two weeks into Ramadan, I’m barely able eek out the faraid, let alone any extra acts of ibadat.

Why?  Because I haven’t taken the time to invest in building a foundation for my deen.  Sh. Abdul Sattar goes into this concept in depth in his talk building a foundation.

Basically, look at a small child building a tower out of blocks.  They’ll stack one block on top of another, until it all tumbles over.  Why?  Because they have  small foundation of a single block.  Over time, they’ll learn that if they build a wider base, they’ll be able to build a taller tower.

It’s the same with ibadat and our deen.  I get all motivated after listening to a lecture, attending an event or in preparing for Ramadan.  I have a million things I want to do for Allah (swt).  But, I’ve got nothing to build on.  My preparation of shoddy and the foundation is shaky at best.

So it’s obvious what I have to do next right?  Start laying a solid foundation, so that when the time comes, be it Ramadan, or an inspiration from Allah (swt), I’ll be able to build up my deen.

I have a small foundation laid out with my fard prayers alhamdulilah.  The first step to expand it will be to add daily quran reading inshaAllah.  Nothing huge, nothing that I’ll look at it a week from now and be like, I can’t do this.  Nope, for now, it’s just 10 minutes of reading the Qur’an each day, in english. 

Wish me luck and if you want to join me in securing your foundation, leave me a note in the comments

From Imam ar-Rabbani via Sunnipath:

The Shari`ah has three parts: knowledge, action, and sincerity of motive (ikhlas); unless you fulfil the demands of all these parts, you do not obey the Shari`ah. And when you obey the Shari`ah you obtain the pleasure of God, which is the most supreme good in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an says: “The pleasure of God is the highest good.” Hence, the Shari`ah comprehends all the good of this world and the next, and nothing is left out for which one has to go beyond the Shari`ah.

The tariqah ["way"] and the haqiqah["reality"] for which the Sufis are known, are subservient to the Shari`ah, as they help to realize its third part, namely, sincerity. Hence they are sought in order to fulfil the Shari`ah, not to achieve something beyond the Shari`ah. The raptures and ecstasies which the Sufis experience, and the ideas and truths which come to them in the course of their journey, are not the goal of Sufism. They are rather myths and fancies on which the children of Sufism are fed. One has to pass over them all and reach the stage of satisfaction (rida) which is the final goal of suluk ["travelling", i.e. the Sufi path] and jadhbah ["overwhelming love"]. The purpose of traversing the stages of of tariqah and haqiqah is nothing other than the realisation of ikhlas which involves the attainment of rida. Only one out of a thousand Sufis is graced with the three illuminations (tajalliyat sih ganah) and gnostic visions, given ikhlas and elevated to the stage of rida.

Sh. Faraz Rabbani has started an excellent podcast teaching from Fada’il al’A'mal by Imam Diya’ al-Maqdisi.  I’ve transcribed a most of the first short podcast that was posted on the 20th of April. 

A poster on a board I frequent announced today that she had recently left islam, due in part to the extras that muslims insisted needed to be followed outside the Qur’an.  SubhanAllah, how great is Allah (swt), that I put on my ipod over my lunch break and this very podcast plays?  In it, Sh. Faraz introduces the text and speaks about why we learn the sunnah.  Sh. Faraz speaks as follows:

 

Verily in the Messenger of Allah, the most beautiful of examples for whoever seeks Allah and the last day and makes much remembrance of Allah (33:21)

So what is our intention in learning the sunnah?  It is what Allah (swt) tells us in this verse “Verily in the Messenger of Allah the most beautiful of examples for whoever seeks Allah and the last day and makes much remembrance of Allah.”  So our goal in learning the prophetic guidance and learning our deen, what is it?  It is to seek Allah (swt), to become people of meaning.  We are seeking Allah.  We are seeking His absolute good pleasure.  We are seeking closeness to Allah (swt) in this life and the next.  We are seeking to be those beloved to Allah, of those who love Him, those who remember Him, those who are granted the contentment and serenity that only comes through being of those who remember Allah and live that remembrance.

Verily it is by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest (13:28).

And the way unto the love of Allah (swt) is by love of the Messenger (saws) and through living his radiant example.  Allah’s Messenger (saws) tells us that

 None of you believes until I am more beloved to them than their wealth, and their parents and their children and all people.

And Allah (swt) tells us about our condition of our love for Allah (swt) being true:

Say if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you (3:31).

This is an address to the Prophet (saws) to tell all humanity, say if you love Allah, if you love God, follow me, follow the messenger, and Allah will love you.

What do we seek in life?  We seek Allah, we seek to be beloved to Allah, to be pleasing to Allah and the way to that, the door to the Divine is the emissary of God, our beloved Messenger (saws). 

And so we should be very clear in our intention in this.  And we’re seeking knowledge that is of benefit, knowledge that we are bringing into our lives and that we strive to live in the most beautiful of ways with the sense of yearning for Allah (swt) and for our standing with our Lord.  So to be people who’s worship is characterized by excellence and beauty and who’s conduct in life is characterized by excellence and beauty, for that is that beautiful example, that excellent example that is the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Alhamdulilah.  The Lord truly listens and answers His servant’s prayers.   I asked Allah (swt) to guide me and to show me what I need to do in order to strengthen my deen, and alhamdulilah, it’s right there in front of me.  A sheikh and his knowledgable wife visited the twin cities this weekend and it was exactly what I had been looking for.

I just wish I had remembered to bring a notebook and a working pen.  I had to dig out my little hello kitty notepad and the broken pen from my purse to take attempt to take notes.  The bottom line was that sin weighs us down.  It depresses us and takes the good from us.  We need to be constantly making tawbah, for Allah (swt) is All Forgiving and loves to forgive.  And if we ask for forgiveness, inshaAllah tala, Allah (swt) will give it to us.

The sheikh also related a story from Hasan al Basri (ra)  that I have heard before, but that was just as powerful the second time as the first:

Here is a tale of a child raised by his widowed mother in the time of the great Hasan al-Basri. She was a pious, devout Muslim who would regularly attend Imam Hasan’s Quran dars. She valiantly tried to raise her son on the correct path, but unfortunately when he reached the age of adulthood, he gained control of his inheritance and fell in with the wrong crowd.

With seemingly limitless funds at his disposal, he sinned his youth away.

And all throughout, his mother, a devout servant of Allah (swt), would constantly implore him to return to the right path. But he constantly refused, choosing instead to follow his nafsi whims and desires. Many times she brought him to Hasan al-Basri, who would calmly and politely admonish him, but to no avail. Even the words of the great Imam could not bring about the desired affect.

Years passed and Imam Hasan grew to tire of his wayward shenanigans and resolved that maybe Allah (swt) had simply not written for the boy to be guided. Yet, the mother remained steadfast, as only a mother could, in her wishes to reform her one and only child. Every morning, when he would return from his nights of mischief, she would call on him to make amends with his Creator and return to the path of righteousness.

As he got older and due to the effect of his foolhardy ways, sickness befell him and he became bedridden. Having squandered his wealth, seeing the weakness of his once sturdy body, and with death lingering around the corner, only then did he realize the error of his ways.

His unrelenting mother was by his bed, reminding him that it was never too late to repent. Even though his worldly life was wasted, he still had the chance to salvage his afterlife with sincere atonement, she repeated to him.

Sensing his mortality, his heart finally softened and he responded with a query, “After a life of sin, I don’t know how to repent. Can we go to Imam Hasan?”

Sensing a bit of hope, she excitedly replied, “My dear son, you are too sick to walk and I am too old to carry you, but I will rush and beckon him to come here.”

When she reached him and requested his company with her son, he remembered the countless failed efforts and quickly wrote him off, “My dear sister, I have the Quran lesson for which I must prepare. Over a thousand students will come and I owe it to them to properly present my lesson. Besides, your son has consistently ignored my advise, rejected any efforts to reform and basically rejected the message of Islam so many times that I fear he is beyond assistance.

“Should I not spend my time for those who are coming to seek the knowledge, who have shown a keen interest, who are trying to please their Lord? I’m sorry but at this time, I really cannot make it.”

Dejectedly, she quietly whispered to him, “Then at least when the angel of death visits him, can you come to our home and lead the Janaza prayer over him?”

He sharply rebuked her, “Throughout his entire life, I have never seen your son pray a single prayer, fast a single day, attend a single Juma’a. I fear that he has left the ranks of the Muslim and thus, I am sad to say that praying over him would not be permitted.”

With a broken heart, she returned home to inform her dying son of the tragic response by Hasan al-Basri. Upon hearing that even the great Imam Hasan refused to pray the Janaza over him, he burst into tears and made his dying wishes, “Oh my mother, I have lived a life of shameless sin and indulgence. I have wronged everyone that I have known. I have disappointed you and I have disappointed my Lord. So please, when I die please do not bury me in the company of Muslims, for I fear that they will be undeservedly disturbed by my cries of pain and misery.”

And with his weeping mother by his bedside, he continued, “And before you bury me, please take my corpse, tie it to the wild dogs on the street, and let it be dragged through the streets where my final fate in this life will match my eternal fate in the hereafter.”

With that he breathed his last breath.

And at that same moment, a knock came on the door. Startled, the grieving mother got up to answer it and found Hasan al-Basri standing there. He explained, “As I was preparing my lesson, I fell asleep and it was then that I heard a voice say ‘Oh Hasan, what kind of wali are you of Mine, that you have refused to pray the Janaza over another wali of Mine?’”

How amazing is Allah (swt)’s forgiveness, that after a lifetime of complete and total waste, a moment of sincere repentance is enough to become a wali of Allah (swt)?

I really am feeling amazing right now and feel like there is some real direction in my life.  Please make dua for me that this feeling remains and that Allah (swt) continues to guide me.

…Imam Suhaib Webb’s FREE class continues tomorrow. 

online!  via Dervish.

 uber spiffiness   Granted, it doesn’t do one much good if they don’t speak arabic, but I’m sure the husband will enjoy this.

Who: Suhaib Webb
What: Lessons from Risalah al-Mustarshideen
Where: Online
When: Every Saturday at 5pm EST / 4pm CST starting April 4th
Why: “Take this opportunity to grasp an understanding of purification based on the broad universal principles of Islam, ingrained within its noble texts and practiced by the early Muslims. This is your chance to, not only learn this important text, but to be the pens that translate it into your societies.”

From Umar Lee:

Quote from Umar Lee:

Romantically, the fairy tale “fluffy” version of love that is the norm today was also strange to the Sahabah and in the history of Islam, outside of Rumi (who many if not most consider to be a deviant) there is very little in terms of a history of romance being glorified by learned religious men.

Ibn Taymiyyah on the concept of “love”. From Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/129):

Love is a psychological sickness, and if it grows strong it affects the body, and becomes a physical sickness, either as diseases of the brain, which are said to be diseases caused by waswaas, or diseases of the body such as weakness, emaciation and so on.

Alhamdulilah ibn Taymiyyah isn’t the be all and end all of islam.

I may have mentioned once or twice (or a billion times) that my husband is a fan of ibn Hazm.  He often laments that most of ibn Hazm’s works aren’t translated into english and plans to one day undertake a translation project of his legal rulings.

One of the works that is in english is Ṭawq al-Ḥamāmah, The Ring of the Dove.  It’s an entire book devoted to the topic of love, from one of the scholars modern salafis admire.

Of the Nature of Love

Of Love–may God exalt you! -the first part is jesting, and the last part is right earnestness. So majestic are its divers aspects, they are too subtle to be described; their reality can only be apprehended by personal experience. Love is neither disapproved by Religion, nor prohibited by the Law; for every heart is in God’s hands.

Many rightly guided caliphs and orthodox imams have been lovers. Of those who have lived in our beloved Andalusia I may mention `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mu’awiya, the lover of Da`ja; al-Hakam Ibn Hisham; `Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Hakam, whose passion for Tarub the mother of his son `Abd Allah is more famous among men than the very sun itself; Muhammad Ibn `Abd al-Rahman, well-known admirer of Ghizlan who bore him ‘Uthman, al-Qasim and al-Mutarrif; and Al-Hakam al-Mustansir, adorer of Subh mother of Hisham al-Mu’aiyad Billah, who refused to interest himself in any other child but hers.
Such instances are extremely numerous; and but for the rightful claims of our rulers upon the respect of all Moslems, so that we ought to recount concerning them only such stories as illustrate martial resolution and the propagation of the faith-and their amours were after all conducted in the privacy of their palaces and in the bosom of their families, so that it would not be at all seemly to report on them-but for this I would certainly have introduced not a few anecdotes illustrating their part in the love-business. As for their men of State and pillars of Empire, their tender romances are indeed innumerable; the most recent instance being the affair we were witnessing only yesterday between al-Muzaffar `Abd al-Malik Ibn Abi ‘Amir and Wahid the cheese monger’s daughter, a grand passion which so transported that great nobleman that he actually married the girl; she was subsequently ` inherited’ by the-grand–vizier `Abd Allah Ibn Maslama after the fall of the `Amirids; and when `Abd Allah in his turn was put to death, she became the consort of a Berber chieftain. I was told of a similar instance too by Abu ‘l-`Aish Ibn Maimun al-Qurashi al-Husaini: Nizar Ibn Ma` add, ruler of Egypt, would not look upon his son Mansur Ibn Nizar his successor on the throne, the one who claimed to be a god-for quite a time after he was born, so as to spare the feelings of a certain ’slave-girl with whom he was deeply in love; yet he had no other male issue but this child to inherit his kingdom and keep his memory green.

Of the saints and learned doctors of the faith who lived in past ages and times long ago, some there are whose love lyrics are sufficient testimony to their passion, so that they require no further notice. It will be enough to mention only one name: ‘Ubaid Allah Ibn `Abd Allah’ Ibn ‘Utba Ibn Masud was famous for his tender verses, and he, as we remember, was one of the celebrated Seven Jurists of Medina. As for Ibn `Abbas, a single sentence once uttered by him amply dispenses with any need for further quotation; he pronounced the weighty judgment, ” This man was slain by love: there is therefore no case for blood wit or retaliation.”

Concerning the nature of Love men have held various and divergent opinions, which they have debated at great length. For my part I consider Love as a conjunction between scattered parts of souls that have become divided in this physical universe, a union effected within the substance of their original sublime element. I do not share the view advanced by Muhammad Ibn Dawud-God have mercy on his soul! -who followed certain philosophers in declaring that spirits are segmented spheres; rather do I suppose an affinity of their vital forces in the supernal world, which is their everlasting home, and a close approximation in the manner of their constitution. We know the secret of commingling and separation in created things to be simply a process of union and disassociation; every form always cries out for its corresponding form; like is ever at rest with like. Congeneity has a perceptible effect and a visible influence; repulsion of opposites, accord between similar, attractions of like for like these are facts taking place all round us. How much more then should the same factors operate within the soul, whose world is pure and etherial, whose substance is volatile and perfectly poised, whose constituent principle is so disposed as to be intensely sensitive to harmony, inclination, yearning, aversion, passionate desire and antipathy. All this is common knowledge it is immediately observable in the moods which successively control every man, and to which we all accommodate ourselves successfully. Allah Himself says, “It is He that created you of one soul, and fashioned thereof its spouse, that he might find repose in her” (Koran VII I8g). Be it noted that the reason God assigns for man’s reposing in woman is that she was made out of him.

If the cause of Love were physical beauty, the consequence would be that no body defective in any shape or form would attract admiration; yet we know of many a man actually preferring the inferior article, though well aware that another is superior, and quite unable to turn his heart away from it. Again, if Love were due to a harmony of characters, no man would love a person who was not of like purpose and in concord with him. We therefore conclude that Love is something within the soul itself.

Sometimes, it is true, Love comes as a result of a definite cause outside the soul, but then it passes away when the cause itself disappears: one who is fond of you because of a certain circumstance will turn his back on you when that motive no longer exists. I have made this point in the verses, which follow. 

My love for thee shall aye endure
As now, most perfect and most pure;
It brooks no increase, no decline,
Since it’s complete, and wholly thine.

I cannot any cause discover,
Except my will, to be thy lover,
And boldly challenge any man
To name another, if he can.

For sure, when any thing we see
Of its own self sole cause to be,
That being, being of that thing,
Lives ever undiminishing

But when we find its origin
Is other than the thing it’s in,
Our losing that which made it be
Annihilates it instantly.

While I’m not an adherent to ibn Hazm’s legal methodology, I do appreciate the non fiqh books that I have access to – The Ring of the Dove and his work on other religions.  Good reads, if you have the time.

Sorry to go MIA.  I’ll respond to comments soon inshaAllah.

Happy 1430/2009!  As always, I make resolutions, but perhas this year, I can actually keep them?

Dunya:

• Walk every week day during my lunch hour, if even for 15 minutes
• Do ab exercises everyday
• Lift weights 3 times a week
• Only spend $20 on eating out each month
• Learn Caribbean and Vietnamese cooking
• Show Squeaky in the HHP category at a TICA cat show.

Akhira

• Complete the 40 grand and keep on going inshaAllah
• Never leave a salat without doing x amount of dhikr
• Learn a new ayah every week
• Leave ____ sin (sorry, that one’s private)

As always, inshaAllah inshaAllah inshaAllah.

mashaAllah.

Introducing Zaytuna College

Islam has never become rooted in a particular land until that land began producing its own religious scholars. During its twelve-year history in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zaytuna Institute has helped a generation of American Muslims appreciate the enduring legacy of Islamic scholarship. Now, Zaytuna has arrived at a new chapter in its history—and, God willing, in the history of Islam in America.

Please join Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf during this special evening as they introduce Zaytuna College, discuss the need for establishing an accredited institution of higher learning, describe the details of the Bachelor’s degree programs the College will offer, and introduce the Bay Area Muslims who will help make it a reality.

Finally, they will invite you to support Zaytuna College, where future generations of Muslims can begin to shape the land in which they live.    

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With precise vision and the right lens, a picture says more than a thousand words. The editors of Illume Magazine are searching for freelance photography for our thriving periodical. Pictures may be used in both print and electronic media.

Illume Magazine is an emerging publication that emphasizes the Arts and we endeavor to present the talents of photographers. This call for submissions is open to those of all ages, races, cultures and religions.

The Muslim-American experience can be conceptualized and expressed through commanding imagery just as the power of language in literary and journalistic works found in Illume Magazine have.

Help us to incorporate a total sensory experience with the contribution of your visual insight.

I finally got my Eid present. Nope, not the husband’s fault. I ordered Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance a few days before Eid and promptly forgot about it. A week ago, I remembered and was like, where the heck is that book? Before I had a chance to email and ask, I received an email that it was shipped. It arrived yesterday. Obscenely long processing time aside, I’m uber excited about this book!

When I read, I tend to skim. This works fine if you’re reading a hundred pages a day for a college course, or Harry Potter, but it doesn’t work when you’re studying sacred knowledge. One needs to read deliberately, reflecting on each word. Alhamdulilah, the set up of this book is quite conducive to this. Imam al Muhasibi’s text is in bold, and Imam Zaid’s commentary follows in a normal font. Imam Zaid’s commentary serves as a jumping off point for reflection on the words of the original author.

From page one, this book has tremendous benefit. In fact, these first few sections are right in line with what I’m studying in my Sunnipath course on the Creed of Imam Tahawi. Alhamdulilah.

An excerpt from page one:

All praise is fittingly rendered unto God, the First, the Preexisting, the One, and the Majestic.

Something can be first and also have a beginning. Adam was the first man, but he had a beginning. God is unique that He is the first with no beginning. His existence necessarily precedes all other existence, and all else in existence owes its existence to Him, the Creator. Hence, He alone is preexisting. One holding this unique distinction is deserving of all praise for all else owes its existence to Him. This is the foundation of the most credible arguments for the existence of God. Acknowledging God as preexisting and eternal allows us to avoid the logical problems arising from infinite regress, when trying to account for the origin of creation, and the appearance of an obvious effect, in this case, the creation, without the existence of a causal agent, the creator.

 This book is awesome.  Seriously, seriously awesome.  It’s not something you can sit down and read in large chunks.  I’m going to read a paragraph each night and then just reflect as I fall asleep inshaAllah.  Awesomeness to the nth degree, mashaAllah.

How often do we just sit and think about Allah (swt)?  How much of our day is devoted solely to Allah (swt)?   How much of our day is taken up by the mundanities of the dunya?   Get up, get dressed, go to work, go to the gym, come home, eat dinner, veg in front of the TV or computer.  Make all your salat on time if you’re lucky.  Time for dhikr or reading Qur’an?  Phffft!  Go to bed, get up and start it all over again.

an excerpt with some questions for reflection in purple: 

God alone, and none other, is the true Deity, the Necessary Existent, who is Creator, Producer, Fashioner, Provider, Giver of life and death, and Wise Disposer (Think about each of these names.  What do they mean in relation to you, to the world, to creation, to life itself?); who has perfected everything He has created, and excelled in everything which He has made; who directs all things with ultimate precision, and has determined everything He has decreed (Think about your life.  Every action you’ve taken.  Everything, good and bad, that has happened to you.  How is each thing the best possibility for you?). He alone is the true God, Pre-existent and Eternal, worthy of inward and external worship (What are inward and external worship?  Which of these do you do each day?  What more could you do?), exalted above all blemish, who possesses the most exalted attributes and the most beautiful names. His are might and majesty; none shares in His essence, attributes or actions.  There is no other God than He.

 

Anyone else have any other questions to spark reflection on this passage?

mashaAllah!  Sh. bin Bayyah’s DIL is starting a blog:

Bismillahi Rahman ar Rahim

It’s common knowledge that it is harder for us women to get our questions answered by our beloved shuyukh due to many reasons. I hope with the start of this blog that will be no more.

Since moving to Saudi and living in close contact with Sheikh Abdallah I have come to realize how much untapped knowledge he posseses. I know there is also a lack of his work in english which is also being worked on. I have never seen someone understand both life in the west and the correct balance of our deen as well as Sheikh Abdellah Bin Bayyah. He is truly a veiled treasure, and I wish to share this beautiful man with my beloved sisters in Islam.

Send your questions to question.binbayyah@hotmail.com. I hope to answer most at  least weekly. Plus I would also like to start putting up a weekly note from the Sheikh addressed to us women touching on diverse topics. Please feel free to give me any advise on what you would like to see as this is all new for me. Thanks.

What do you give to someone who is interested in Islam?  A Quran without a doubt, and a biography of the Prophet (saws) sure.  But when it comes to a general intro to Islam book, I’ve never found one that I’ve been 100% comfortable with.  Most are too salafi in orientation for my liking, or are too focused on the halal and haram and the rules, and not enough on the heart.  Up until now, I’ve made my own intro binder that I give to newbies and those interested in the religion.

Alhamdulilah, those days are now behind me, because someone has finally put out a book that I love.  Submission, Faith & Beauty, written by Dr. Joseph Lumbardand put out by the good folks at Zaytuna conveys the message of Islam with beauty, grace and balance.  Based on the hadith Jibril, the author writes about Faith (iman), Submission (islam) and Beauty (ihsan) using the Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet (saws).  Hot button, oft misunderstood issues like gender, sharia, fatwas and jihad are sprinkled throughout the book, but in a way that naturally connects it to the main theme of the book, and not in an overly apologetic manner. 

It’s not a large book.  The pages are glossy and colorful photos are spread throughout.  It should be approachable for just about anyone.  The language is simple and quite eloquent.  Any arabic jargon is succinctly defined in english.  It clearly captures not only “to do” aspects, but also the very heart and spirit of the faith. 

If you’re looking for an introduction to Islam, this is it.  Order from Zaytuna before October 5th, and it’s 20% off.

Via Seekers Digest:

cambridge khutabs etc featured khutbas and other talks by Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad, among others.  Coolness.

And, playing follow the linkage, I stumbled upon this – Muslim Songs of the British Isles.   You can download/print out sheet music for a variety of english songs with muslim themes.  Coolness times 2.  I’m all over this.  Despite the husband coming from a musical family, I don’t think he knows how to read sheet music.  I think it’s time to change that.

Allah Akbar

Alhamdulilah, I signed up for Introduction to Islamic Belief for the fall semester at Sunnipath.  It’s a birthday present from the husband   He’s so sweet.  He said sign up for anything you want, but not a sufi class.  Ah honey, I need to take those sufi classes to earn the degree inshaAllah.  Oh well, you’ll have to pay for those on your own.  Thus continues the joys of living in a zahari/shafi’i sufi marriage.

However, I must give him credit where credit is due.  Even though he is not a fan of tasawwuf (ok, that’s an understatement), he hasn’t stopped me from exploring that path.  Alhamdulilah.

If anyone is taking this course, let me know.  We could be study buddies.

Poking myself out of my antipathetic slumber:

Fasting: the Book of Assistance by Imam Haddad

You should work only for the hereafter in this noble month, and embark on something worldly only when absolutely necessary. Arrange your life before Ramadan in a manner which will render you free for worship when it arrives. Be intent on devotions and approach God more surely, especially during the last ten days. If you are able not to leave the mosque, except when strictly necessary, during those last ten days then do so. Be careful to perform the Tarawih prayers during every Ramadan night. In some places it is nowadays the custom to make them so short that sometimes some of the obligatory elements of the prayer are omitted, let alone the sunnas. It is well known that our predecessors read the whole Qur’an during this prayer, reciting a part each night so as to complete it on one of the last nights of the month. If you are able to follow suit then this is a great gain; if you are not, then the least that you can do is to observe the obligatory elements of the prayer and its proprieties.

Muslim devotees offer “Tarawi” prayers on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta on August 31. Families across Indonesia are having to cut back during Ramadan as rising food and fuel prices limit spending power for the nightly festivities. (AFP/File/Jewel Samad)

A Lebanese Muslim man prays during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at a mosque in Sidon, southern Lebanon September 3, 2008. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/ Sharif Karim (LEBANON)

An Egyptian boy looks up as his father prays on a street during the first day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in Tukh, about 60 km (38 miles) north of Cairo September 1, 2008. Muslims around the world congregate for special evening prayers called “Tarawih” during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when they abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset. REUTERS/Amr Dalsh (EGYPT)

Blind Muslim women read the Braille Koran during Ramadan in Jakarta September 3, 2008. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Dadang Tri (INDONESIA)

The 77 Branches of Faith

by Imam Ashraf Ali al-Tahanawi

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said “There are over 70 branches of faith. The highest is to bear witness that ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ (la ilaha illallahu muhammadur rasulullah). The lowest is the removal of harm from the road. Modesty is also of faith.” We will therefore mention these qualities.   

30 QUALITIES ARE CONNECTED TO THE HEART

1. Belief in Allah

2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence.

3. To believe in the existence of angels.

4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore.

5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone.

6. To believe that Allah Most High as knowledge of everything from before-hand and that only that which He sanctions or wishes will occur.

7. To believe that Resurrection will definitely occur.

8. To believe in the existence of Heaven.

9. To believe in the existence of Hell.

10. To have love for Allah Most High.

11. To have love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)

12. To love or hate someone solely because of Allah.

13. To execute all actions with the intention of religion alone.

14. To regret and express remorse when a sin is committed.

15. To fear Allah Most High.

16. To hope for the mercy of Allah Most High.

17. To be modest.

18.To express gratitude over a bounty or favour.

19. To fulfill promises.

20. To exercise patience.

21. To consider yourself lower than others.

22. To have mercy on the creation.

23. To be pleased with whatever you experience from Allah Most High.

24. To place your trust in Allah Most High.

25. Not to boast or brag over any quality that you posses.

26. Not to have malice or hatred towards anybody.

27. Not to be envious of anyone.

28. Not to become angry.

29. Not to wish harm for anyone.

30. Not to have love for the world.

7 QUALITIES ARE CONNECTED TO THE TONGUE

31. To recite the testimony of faith (kalimah) with the tongue.

32. To recite the Quran.

33. To acquire knowledge.

34. To pass on Knowledge.

35. To make dua.

36. To make the zikr of Allah Most High.

37. To abstain from the following: lies, backbiting, vulgar words, cursing, singing that is contrary to the Shariah.

40 QUALITIES ARE CONNECTED TO THE ENTIRE BODY

38. To make wudu, ghusl, and keep one’s clothing clean.

39. To be steadfast in offering salaat.

40. To pay zakaat and sadaqatul fitr.

41. To fast.

42. To perform the Hajj.

43. To make i’tikaaf.

44. To move away or migrate from that place which is harmful for one’s deen.

45. To fulfill the vows that have been made to Allah.

46. To fulfill the oaths that are not sinful.

47. To pay the kaffarah for unfulfilled oaths.

48. To cover those parts of the body that are fard to cover.

49. To perform the ritual slaughter.

50. To enshroud and bury the deceased.

51. To fulfill your debts.

52. To abstain from prohibited things when undertaking monetary transactions.

53. Not to conceal something true which you may have witnessed.

54. To get married when the nafs desires to do so.

55. To fulfill the rights of those who are under you.

56. To provide comfort to one’s parents.

57. To rear children in the proper manner.

58. Not to sever relations with one’s friends and relatives.

59. To obey one’s master.

60. To be just.

61. Not to initiate any way that is contrary to that of the generality of the Muslims.

62. To obey the ruler, provided what he orders is not contrary to the Shariah.

63. To make peace between two warring groups or individuals.

64. To assist in noble tasks.

65. To command the good and prohibit the evil.

66. If it is the government. it should mete out punishments according to the Shariah.

67. To fight the enemies of deen whenever such an occasion presents itself.

68. To fulfill one’s trusts (amana).

69. To give loans to those who are in need .

70. To see to the needs of one’s neighbour.

71. To ensure that one’s income is pure.

72. To spend according to the Shariah.

73. To reply to one who has greeted you.

74. To say Yarhamukallah (Allah have mercy on you) when anyone says Alhamdulillah (All praise is Allah’s) after sneezing.

75. Not to cause harm to anyone unjustly.

76. To abstain from games and amusements contrary to the Shariah.

77. To remove pebbles, stones, thorns, sticks, and the like from the road.

subhanAllah, did I not just post that I feel this calling to seek sacred knowedge?  Seriously, subhanAllah, look what launched today.  Reading through this, I feel more than a calling.  It’s almost as if Allah (swt) is pushing me down the path to seek sacred knowledge.  

I feel this would also be an opportunity for me to make up for all the fluffing through school I’ve done in the past.  I think I never felt challenged in school, so I just coasted through, getting great grades, but not really studying.  Then I hit language classes and I crashed.  I had no study skills to speak of an no motivation.  Yeah, a D in French sophmore year of college ruined my shiney good student image forever.  But now, if I put my heart and mind to it, maybe I can redeem myself here, where it really matters.

inshaAllah I’m going to make istikhara tonight and work out the finances with the husband.  Please make mega duas for me, I’m so excited! 

 

I have a one and a half hour commute in the morning and evening, giving me three hours of time to fill.  Usually I’ll be listening to NPR podcasts, but alas, I’ve misplaced my ipod cord.  Thus, I can’t update or charge my ipod.  So, I’ve started to read again.  It’s mainly been fluffy novels my mom has picked up for me at goodwill, but there’s been some substance there too.  From that substance, I have two recommendations:

   Scattered Pictures: Reflections of an American Muslim

A collection of essays by Imam Zaid Shakir.  While many of them can be found online, there’s nothing quite like having a book in your hands instead of a bunch of lose sheets of printer paper.   Plus, the book contains an essay of his conversion narrative, that I haven’t found anywhere else.  That essay alone makes this book worth buying.

 

                      
The Heirs of the Prophets 

I’m actually not reading this one on the bus, since it’s a dense tome.  I tend to skim when I read, and this one requires a lot of concentration.  It’s a translation of ibn Rajab’s commentary on the hadith of Abu Darda

Abu Darda (ra) narrated that Kathir ibn Qays said: “I was sitting with Abu Darda’ in the mosque of Damascus.  A man came to him and said: “Abu Darda, I have come to you from the town of the Allah’s Messenger (saws) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Allah’s Messenger (saws). I have come for no other purpose.” He said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (saws) say: ‘If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allâh will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion..’”  (Abu Daud 3634)

Although I’ve only just begun this book, mashaAllah I’ve benefited enormously.  It’s a kick in the behind for me to ramp up my seeking of sacred knowledge.  It made me want to leave everything where it was and hop a plane to Yemen or Jordan or Egypt to seek knowledge at the feet of the heirs of the Prophet (saws).  inshaAllah one day ya Rab!

…if only I had a more of it.  Then I’d sit and watch everything on the newly re-designed Radical Middle Way website.  I’m hoping that they’ll put up videos of all the Habib al Jifri events from earlier this month.  From what I’ve heard, they were awesome and increadibly beneficial to those who went.

To watch when I get home from work:

Clip from SunniPath Answers Live event. This answer addresses the issue of Ashari vs. the Maturidi tenets of belief. Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali.

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Iqra!

The first word revealed to our beloved Prophet  was a command – iqra – to read, to recite.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, the Quran was what drew me to Islam.   I read it voraciously at first, and sought to own as many copies as I could afford.  I’m reluctant to admit, but now more often than not, my extensive Qur’an collection sits and gathers dust.  Rarely have I picked them from their place of honor on the top shelf of my religious books collection and engaged with them. 

Every once in awhile, I’ll vow that I’ll read the entire quran.  But, inevitably I’ll fail.  I’m a fast reader, and over the years, I’ve perfected a form of skim reading that allows me to get the gist of a novel or textbook without actually having to read each word.  However, this method does not translate well into Iqra or into understanding.  I’ll turn page after page, only to realize later that I have no clue what my eyes just passed over.  I’m aware of the problem and will conciously try to slow down, but the habit dies hard.  Eventually, I get frustrated and quit.

In an effort to break the slump, I’ve decided to WRITE! while I read.   Everyday, inshaAllah, I’m dedicating 20 minutes to the Qur’an.  Half of that time, I will read x number of ayat, first in the Muhammad Asad translation with commentary, then in one or 2 other translations.  I have a journal I bought specifically to become my quran diary, and in it, I’ll write about those ayat.  Questions, thoughts, reflections, how these ayat relate to my life, it just has to be something related to the verses.  The second 10 minutes will be dedicated to reading the ayat in arabic. 

I know 20 minutes isn’t a terribly long period of time.  Heck, I spend more time each night watching television.  But, I figure that if I set a larger block of time out, like an hour, that when things get busy, I’ll just shuffle quran reading time down to the bottom of the list and skip it.  By chosing a shorter period of time, it’s more managable and inshaAllah that means I will be more likely to do it every day.  

The goal then, will be to read the entire quran in english and arabic, AND to understand it.  What good is it if I skim through, and when I’m finished I gain nothing?  inshaAllah with this endevour, I’ll develop my relationship with the book and with it’s author, Allah .

Want to take this journey for yourself?  Here are some resources that may help you along the way:

• The Qur’anic Journal: why and how?
• al Tafsir
• Soundvision’s Qur’an Page
• Easy Dictionary of the Qur’an
• The Qur’an: A user’s guide

Dear readers, please share any resources you have or any thoughts on how you engage with the Qur’an, and how you seek to understand it better.

 

http://www.funci.org/en/

Definately a worthy place to wile away the hours online.  Their online exhibition of Iraq is particularly awesome.

[IMG]img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/rahma/islamic%20salutations/bismillah.gif[/IMG] 

I never went to a new muslim class.  Come to think of it, I’ve been to very few real life based classes.   One of the reasons is because the teachers rarely state their biases outright.  One has to have a certain level of sophistication in order to detect the leaning of the materials.  At least from what I’ve seen, many classes aimed at new muslims or that cover the basics, have a strong salafi leaning.  But do they tell you that?  Noooo.

For example, I went to an aqidah class a few months back.  Everything was chugging along when wham, “there are several groups who have very similar aqidahs to ahl al sunnah wa jamaah, but they are deviant.  Asharis, maturidis…”  Argh!  *pulls hair out from under hijab*

If you’re going to teach an aqidah class, you have two choices.  One, teach the basics that all the different aqidah schools agree on.  They agree on most.  Why dwell on disputed points like the literality of Allah’s [IMG]img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/rahma/islamic%20salutations/allah.gif[/IMG] hand and foot?  Why declare a large portion of the sunni muslim ummah to be outside of ahl al sunnah wa jamaah?

The second choice is to state right out from the front – this is an aqidah class from x perspective.  Don’t pretend that your point of view is the be all and end all of islam.  Muslims have been disagreeing about this for centuries, and those differing points of view have survived through to this day.

These two choices hold true for all classes.  Welcome to Islam 101.   Now that we’ve gone over the 5 pillars and the 6 articles of faith, we’re going to go into some fiqh issues.  One thing you all should know is that although Islam is based on the book of Allah [IMG]img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/rahma/islamic%20salutations/allah.gif[/IMG], and on the example of His beloved Messenger [IMG]img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/rahma/islamic%20salutations/pbuh.gif[/IMG], muslims do differ on certain points.  Don’t worry yourself about these differences at this point in time, but do realize that over the centuries, the greatest scholars of this ummah have disagreed, but did so in a polite manner without declaring their opponents kufar.  In this class, we’ll be teaching from x perspective.  If you hear something that contradicts what you’ve learned here, don’t be scared, don’t try to argue.  Note that different view point, and bring it up in the next class.  inshaAllah we’ll discuss it then, and inshaAllah it will help you understand.

Ah, someday…

That’s why I love Sunnipath.  You know where they’re coming from.  You know their biases.  Their Islam 101 classes are Essentials of Islam (Hanafi, Maliki or Shafi’i).  You know what you’re getting right up from.

Ok, with that ramble out of the way, here’s the NPR story.

From Lampost Productions via islamica

by Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson

They came in fact to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal who used to say that if your nose bleeds then you have to renew your wudu. Imam Malik said that if your nose bleeds you do not have to renew your wudu. So they went to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and they said what if you were praying behind somebody and they have a nose bleed and they don’t renew there wudu, do you continue to pray behind them? And Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “How can I refuse to pray behind somebody like Imam Malik? I have daleel (evidence), he has daleel; I have solid daleel, he has solid daleel.” The companions of the Prophet (s) took different things from him and went out to the various parts of the Muslim world and they taught those different things in those various parts. All of them got what they taught from the Prophet (s) so Imam Malik has his point of view and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal has his point of view. This was the spirit of our pious ancestors, and this is what we have to get back to.

Just when I thought I had exhausted the (decent portions) of the islam section at my local library, I turned the corner, and low and behold, there’s a whole bunch more on the other side of the shelves!  I grabbed as many as I could comfortably carry to the office, and now instead of mindlessly staring at the tv, I can shove my nose deep between the pages.

 My reading list:

 Desperately Seeking Paradise:  Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim - I really enjoyed this memoir that read like a romp through the last 40 years of muslim history.  The movements Ziauddin Sardar was involved in (FOSIS, the Pre-Murabitun sufi group), the people he met (Anwar Ibrahim, Sheikh Nazim) and the places he traveled (Revolutionary Iran, KSA, Malaysia, Pakistan) made this particularly fascinating for me as someone interested in the diversity of the modern muslim ummah.  Also, being married to one of the only ibn Hazm fans I know (actually, now that I think about it, he’s the only ibn Hazm fan I know), it was comforting to know that ibn Hazm is not only of interest to modern day salafis, but that Zia finds him fascinating as well.

Coincidentally, via Deenport, I found that he’s starting a new blogging the quran project that looks like something to watch. 

 

My Father’s Notebook  - a novel by an Iranian leftist in exile in the Netherlands, it tels the story of a boy and his deaf-mute father from the time of Reza Shah through the Revolution.   While not an Islamic novel, Islam does play a role.   The Qur’an is quoted throughout, the father is a practicing muslim, and the book begins and ends with the story of the people of the cave.   It was an easy read, and there wasn’t anything offensive or anti-islam about it.

 

The Qur’an: A User’s Guide - Farid Esack’s On Being Muslim was one of the books I picked up when I began to seriously consider Islam.  I don’t remember much about it (which isn’t suprising, seeing as how I managed to cram it in while studying for midterms), but I do remember that it soothed many of the doubts and put my mind at ease.  I guess I should probably look for it next time I’m at the library. 

Anways, I’ve only started reading it this afternoon but already this book is fascinating.  In the introduction, Farid divides those with a relationship with the Qur’an into 6 categories:  The uncritical lover (ordinary muslims), the scholarly lover (confessional/orthodox/practicing scholars), the critical lover (skeptical, but still muslim scholars), the friend of the lover (participant observers who, while not muslim, still appreciate the beauty of the book and respect muslims’ relationship to it), the voyeur (revisionist scholars) and the polemicist (who seem to be everywhere these days).

While Farid probably falls in the critical lover category, he pledges to present ideas from all perspectives.  I enjoyed what I’ve read so far, partially because he references a ton of different scholars of the quran.  When I come across these references, I mention the name to the husband and we can have a little chat about them.  In particular, just in the first few pages, he mentions two female egyptian scholars, ‘Aishah ‘Abd al-Rahman and Zaynab al-Ghazali al-Hubayli that have gone on my list of people to investigate.

 

Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications – I can’t tell you how excited I was to find this book.   The section on salat in Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship have been increadibly beneficial to my salat, so I can’t wait to see what benefits await in this section of Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din

 

The Removal of Cares – I’m a little hesitant to read this, as I’ve heard time and time again that sufi texts are meant to be taught, not mass produced and sold for students to muddle through on their own.  I’m saving it for last, and may just return it without reading.

How do I love Sunnipath?  Let me count the ways…

1.  Free courses from time to time

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/twmf_w4N0BM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]    

In the special free 3-week course The Hadith Jibril: Exploring the Core of Prophetic Guidance, learn how the meanings and lessons of the Hadith Jibril relate to your life. Understand how the three dimensions of the religion—Islam, Iman, and Ihsan—interconnect and define the true believer.

 

 

I tried to register this morning, but alas, the registration page kept processing…processing…processing…inshaAllah I’ll try again later today.  I’m so excited to see courses like this offered.  I had briefly flirted with writing something up based on the Hadith Jibril to give to new muslims, as it provides all the basics a newbie needs.  But, alhamdulilah, people with more knowledge than I are already doing it, so I’m off the hook for now.  I recently inquired with my masjid about helping with the new convert program, so inshaAllah I’ll be taking notes for things that I could use if they need my assistance.

Via Seeker’s Digest:

 How spiffy is this?   Definately something that would be more worthwhile than television, don’t ya think?  Islam related courses include:

• Anthropology of the Middle East
• The Architecture of Cairo
• Religious Architecture and Islamic Culture
• A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society
• Topics in South Asian Literature and Culture
• The Making of Modern South Aisa
• Islam, the Middle East, and the West
• The Middle East in the 20th Century
• Politics and Religion
• Issues in Foreign Policy since 911
• Islam, Global Politics and US Foreign Policy
• Democracy and Global Islam
• Kashmir and Afghanistan: Religion, Ethnicity and the Strategic Balance in South Asia
• Tariq Ali: War, Empire, and Resistance
• Conversations with Berkeley Faculty: Ira Lapidus

Al-Wasatiyyah: The Lost Middle Path

Bearing in mind this concept of the whole totality of a Muslim character, we can realize that a true Muslim is not rigid nor too progressive, not a rejectionist nor an extremist. Rather, he is the middle in between these because he treads in the middle path for which he is created and to which he is supposed to stick in order to realize the commands of Allah and fulfill his mission as a vicegerent on earth.

How do I love you?  Let me count the ways…

 Via Deenport, the quarterly Zaytuna Newsletter.  Can one make hijri within a non muslim country, cuz dang, I want to move out to Berkley! 

But, until the time where it’s actually possible to move out to California, I’m very excited about the distance learning courses offered, and inshaAllah will be taking the getting right with Allah (swt) one, if I can sign up for it before it starts this weekend.  Looking at it, a set of lecture CDs costs $20-60, and oftentime these are recordings of courses offered at Zaytuna.  This way, you get the lecture and access to the teacher via forums, alhamdulilah.  Then, when the course is done, burn em onto a CD and wa’la, you’ve got another set of CDs.