Minaret: £150k | Imam: £15k
In a few remarks that garnered much debate, a well-known and respected UK scholar, Sheikh Zahir Mahmood, recently wrote: We have minarets worth £150,000 but only pay £15,000 for the imam. We invest more in structures than in people. We must be the only community with such utter lack of any vision. Nobody was guided by a minaret! The issues raised are three-fold: the physical structures of mosques, the investment into Imāms and community fundraising. This article briefly outlines some of the debate and concerns surrounding these issues and highlights possible avenues for tackling them; so that we are not…
The Propaganda Genius of “What British Muslims Really Think”
On Wednesday night Channel 4 documentaries aired “What British Muslims Really Think”. According to the host, Trevor Phillips, it is a unique new survey reveals how British Muslims really think. And I can honestly say it was a treat. There is so much that can be said about this thinly veiled call to arms against British Muslims and so much to comment on the political implications, criticisms on methodology of collecting findings, problems with sourcing etc. But that can be found in numerous other articles written by a great many political voices across a great many organisations. For me though, as…
Protect yourself from mutilation after death
Know that the heart of the man who is engrossed in this world and is given over to its vanities and harbours love for its appetites must certainly be neglectful of the remembrance of death. Thus failing to recall it, when reminded of it he finds it odious and shies away. Such are the people of whom God has said: “Say: Lo! The death from which ye shrink will surely meet you, and afterward ye will be returned unto the Knower of the Invisible and Visible, and He will tell you what ye used to do.” The Messenger (sall Allāhu…
“Repent, Believe and do Righteous Work”
And those who do not invoke with Allāh another deity or kill the soul which Allāh has forbidden , except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allāh will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful. In these verses Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) presents a fearful, final abode of torment for those who…
Now it’s Syria’s turn for help
{وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ {10 {أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ {11 {فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ {12 {ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ {13 {وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ {14 And those foremost will be the foremost . These will be those nearest to Allāh. In the Gardens of delight (Paradise). A multitude of those will be from the first generations . And a few of those will be from the later time (generations). In a time wherein there exists multitudinous opportunities to attain such a status, why is it that the ‘Foremost’ on the Day of Judgement – those brought close to Allāh – will comprise of a majority from the first 30 or so years…
Inspiring advice from the wife of Sh Ibn Uthaymeen
Our Islamic heritage is extraordinary. The scholars and teachers, students and seekers, and dā’īs and activists we have produced have left behind a legacy unmatched by any other academic or philosophical pursuit. It is testament to their commitment to their religion, their particularness with preserving narrations, and their implementation of what they learnt into their daily lives that we are able today to quote word for word thousands of aḥādīth of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) and thus preserve all his teachings. What is often left unrecognised, however, is the support these great scholars received. We often overlook…
A lesson on assimilation from Surah al-Kahf
إِنَّهُمْ إِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِي مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَنْ تُفْلِحُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And never would you succeed, then - ever." (Sūrāh al-Kahf: 20) By definition, assimilation is the process of adjusting to a group or nation, merging traits so that the ideas and culture of a people are inculcated by an individual, allowing for the complete absorption into the host population. ‘Literally “becoming alike,” assimilation refers to the process whereby once dissimilar groups become similar in their interests, attitudes, and behaviour.…
Reflecting on your mirror
The Lost Art of Reflection The miraculous richness of Islamic scripture is not limited to the glorious Qur’ān, which without a doubt changed the world as we know it. Rather, as Jibrīl (‘alayhi al-Salām) used to teach the Prophet (sall Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) the Qur’ān, he would likewise teach him what we know now to be the sunna. Referring to the divine origin of the content of the sunna, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “I was given the Qur’ān, and something else like it.” Along with the content being of divine origin, the Prophet (sall Allāhu…
Jihadi John’s route to violence needs intelligent analysis not emotional rhetoric
Jihadi John's route to violence needs intelligent analysis not emotional rhetoric The Washington Post recently released allegations that the identity of ‘Jihadi John’ is a British man named Mohammed Emwazi. In this article Emwazi is described as having ‘started to radicalize after a planned safari in Tanzania following his graduation from the University of Westminster’. Amid this shocking possibility is the rising question of why a person who has grown up in the UK, such as Emwazi, would leave this country, seeking belonging elsewhere. Springing to mind are popular theories such as the conveyor-belt theory and other such tunnel-visioned models…