By Amin, on October 21st, 2009%
A big Shalom to Judge Richard Goldstone, author of the report on Gaza war crimes, for his impartial report and courage to tell us the truth as it is. He is not a politician, war crimes are just that. According to him (and international law) war crimes must always be investigated and perpetrators prosecuted, not just when it’s politically convenient – as in Sudan.
His latest intervention is so simple it is brilliant. Finally someone prominent, and not a Muslim, has said what we all knew, all the time. Judge Goldstone’s blunt rebuttal of the Israeli stance that the report will ‘harm the peace process’ is admirable:
“It’s a shallow, utterly false allegation… What peace process are they talking about? There isn’t one. The Israeli foreign minister doesn’t want one”. Continue reading A question of money
By Guest Contributor, on October 20th, 2009%
By Abu Muhammad
Syed Qutb’s accomplishments are without doubt. He struggled for justice and freedom and gave his life for that cause. We ask Allah to accept him among the Shuhada (martyrs) and the righteous. However, this does not mean that he or anyone else for that matter is immune from mistakes and error. Only the prophets of Allah are saved from this.
We do not blindly follow individuals, only the Prophet deserves that treatment. In the case of everyone else we should question and, if needed, correct them.
In his call for immunity from mixed cultural sources, Syed Qutb (as highlighted in my previous posts) made a mistake in regarding the whole of society as Jahili (in ignorance of Islam). This seems to go against the Islamic perspective of history and the succession of civilisations. Continue reading Qutb and the Jahiliyyah concept
By Abdullah Hasan, on October 19th, 2009%
Imam Ibn al-Jawzi and others mention that the Qur’an cites the word ‘Kufr’ in five different cases one of which is to deny the existence of Allah, the Messenger, etc. Linguistically there are various meanings but technically it means when a person does not believe in Allah or Islam.
I don’t want to delve into the deeper meanings of Kufr but when a person says he does not believe in Allah and the last day, should we not consider him to be a Kafir? (disbeliever/non-Muslim). It seems some people, due to their inferiority complex, want to even evade calling a non-Muslim . . . → Read More: Concept of Kufr
By Guest Contributor, on October 18th, 2009%
By Abu Muhammad
In ‘What I Believe’, Dr Tariq Ramadan’s latest book, he endeavours to clarify some of the misunderstood positions he holds. It is aimed at ordinary people, journalists, politicians, social workers, teachers and others, who do not have the time or perhaps sometimes the capacity to grasp the academic and philosophical language he employs in his writings. This book sets out to clarify the basic ideas which he has been advocating for more than twenty years.
This is long overdue. I have personally come across many people who attack and call Dr Ramadan and others of having deviant opinions and hence label him and the others like him of being deviant. When asked if they have read his works, the response almost always is in the negative. Continue reading What I believe
By Guest Contributor, on October 16th, 2009%
By Abu Muhammad
During a visit to the local historical attractions, while a student in Amman (Jordan), a classmate made a remark which started an enthralling discussion on religion, culture and revival.
While admiring the remains and colosseums the Romans left behind, which still dominate parts of the Jordanian capital, my classmate commented, ‘when the Islamic revival or the Islamic state is established, these and other similar buildings should be destroyed – firstly because they remind us of the tragic history and the suffering of the Muslims, and secondly, these are un-Islamic and therefore, they ought be removed from Muslim lands’.
This depicts the sentiment of many people who, in the opinion of some writers, view the world and its development through a one-dimensional perspective. Continue reading Cultural mixing and the Qur’anic Generation
By Hussain, on October 7th, 2009%
A very special guest came and has now sadly departed from us. We tried our best to prepare for it with sincere intentions. We tried our best to honour our guest by performing the fasts, doing extra worship and tried to change our behaviour. We even tried to impress upon it by thinking about others and gave in charity and invited family and friends for Iftar.
Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, faithfully and optimistically seeking reward shall have all his previous sins pardoned, ﴾whoever stands the night of Qadr, with conviction and due anticipation of reward, shall have his previous sins forgiven﴿.
But what has this special guest left for us that we are able to carry its sweet fragrances for the rest of the year? Continue reading Never say farewell
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