What’s the real meaning of Islām?
Islām: Peace or Submission? Islām: a word we hear so often, yet fail to recognise the essence of what it really means. Whichever way one looks at the question posed, there is a dilemma. If we say Islām means peace, then why does Islām permit the use of force in certain instances (as do most religions and ideologies)? And if we say that Islām means submission, then why should man submit himself to something even though we live in an era of freedom and liberation? The meaning of Islām When trying to understand the meaning of a word in Arabic,…
The hysteria of Brunei’s sharia-based penal code
Background On the 30th of April 2014, the Sultan of Brunei announced the introduction of Islamic laws relating to criminal justice. May the 1st was the official enforcement date for the first phase of the ‘Syariah Penal Code Order’, which incorporates Islamic laws into the existing criminal justice system. The Sultan stated: “Today I place my faith in, and am grateful to Allāh the almighty, to announce that tomorrow, Thursday 1st May 2014, will see the enforcement of sharī‘ah law phase one, to be followed by the other phases,” he said, according to the AFP news agency. This incident can…
A Heart free from Rancour: Salāmatuṣ-Ṣadr
One of the challenges we face in the field of da’wah as well as generally in our communities, is the problem of harbouring ill thoughts about others. There can be no doubt that unless controlled by the principles of Islām, such feelings can have a disastrous effect on our communities, especially in the field of da’wah. The Muslim community in the West is very diverse, with different groups, trends and schools of thought and so it becomes very easy for differences to arise. Some of these differences often lead to a sense of resentment and hatred which can easily tarnish…
The Language of Mercy in Contemporary Islamic Discourse
In the Bible it states: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” It also states: “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end…
The Death of Sheikh ‘Abdul Karīm Zaydān (Raḥimullah)
“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 dinār nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it, takes an abundant portion.” On Monday the 27th of January 2014, corresponding to the 25th of Rabī’ al Awwal 1435 a great scholar, thinker, prolific writer, teacher and activist passed away; Sheikh ‘Abdul Karīm Zaydān, may Allāh (Subḥanahu wa ta'āla) have mercy upon him, forgive him and raise…
Maqra’ah of the book of ḥadīth: al Aḥādīth al Mukhtārah
By the grace of Allāh (Subḥanahu wa ta'āla) and His tawfīq, an intensive reading (maqra’ah) of a collection of aḥādith took place on Sunday the 12th of January at Redbridge Islamic Centre in Ilford. The reading was overseen by Sheikh Haitham al Haddad (Ḥafidhahullah) and the chosen text was: al Aḥādīth al Mukhtārah fī al Uṣūl wal Aḥkām wal ādāb wa ghayrihā (Selected traditions related to the principles, rulings and etiquettes etc of the religion) by the great scholar, Sheikh ‘Abdur Raḥmān bin Nāṣir as-Sa’adi (d.1956), who was the main teacher of Sheikh Haitham’s teacher, Sheikh Abdullāh bin ‘Aqīl (Raḥimullah).…
Gender Relations in Islām
Backdrop Hysteria took over the media in recent weeks regarding the issue of gender segregation in public institutions in the UK. Such hysteria is not uncommon amongst the press these days as there seems to be a rise in sensationalist media reporting over issues which have been accepted by British society for decades, such as the issue of the niqāb, beard and now gender segregation. It needs to be made clear from the beginning though that this article is not simply a reactionary piece to the islamaphobic antics of the media, since the whole discourse has a number of facets…
Do you know how to deal with fallacious discourses regarding Islām? – Part 2
How should a Muslim deal with & reply to specious arguments (shubuhāt) regarding Islām?
How to Deal with and Reply to Specious Arguments (shubuhāt) Regarding Islām – Part 1
It is of paramount importance that a person connects his heart to Allāh and the afterlife in order to protect himself from the traps of shubuhāt and their adorned illusions.
How should we respond to the death of Mandela?
*Read; Nelson Mandela- a big loss but...!* There can be no denying that the news of the death of Nelson Mandela has probably reached the homes of most parts of the world. He was an iconic figure, for that there can be no denying as well. Adulation and praise for his efforts and changes that he brought about are flooding the media and social media alike. Even the once upon a time haters of Mandela amongst western politicians have also joined the bandwagon of mourning his death and mentioning him with praise. The adulation for his achievements has transcended beyond…
