Some thoughts on the news, religion and life in general
Archive for November, 2009
The sacred and secular
Nov 28th
Many classical and contemporary scholars divided the actions of the Prophet into distinct categories: Ibn al-Qayyim in several works including ‘Ilam al-Muwaiqqi’in; Ibn ‘Ashur in his treatise on Maqasid al-Shari’ah; Shah Wali Allah al-Dehlawi in his book Hujjat-Allah al-Baligha. However, the pioneer in this field was Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi, he explained the different types of the Prophet’s actions in his encyclopaedia of Fiqh entitled Al-Zakhirah.
The Prophet’s actions or intents are classified as follows:
- Legislative actions (Sunnah Tashri’yah): Prophetic actions that set a precedent to be emulated and followed. These are of two types, those stipulations that are intended for the whole Ummah, are binding until the Last Day; and others that are unique to a specific time, place, or a person, and are not included in the general genus of rules, binding for all.
- Non-legislative actions (Sunnah Ghayr-Tashri’yah): these are actions/intents of the Prophet that are not binding, like those Ahadith (traditions) which mention the way he ate, walked, his clothes, etc. These are ‘Adat or customary practices which change according to the cultures, time and context.
The Usuliyyun (scholars dealing with the principles of deriving law) also discussed the various instructions of the Prophet in his capacity as a ‘political leader’ and differentiate between this, and those actions/instructions in his capacity as a ‘divinely inspired prophet’ More >
Is Secularism good for British Muslims?
Nov 26th
Scholars such as Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi have written vehemently against ‘secularism’ in the Middle East and how it curtails the freedoms of many people. I have also tried to highlight the more ‘hard’ form of secularism of some states and regimes, and the totalitarian ideologies of certain parties and how it contradicts the principles of freedom, shura (consultation), justice and equality in Islam.
Having said that, secularism is not a definitive principle, its practise and implementation differs from one country to another based upon their political and social frameworks. Countries such as France and Germany, for instance, implement a ‘harder’ version of secularism – the hijab ban in France and parts of Germany is a prime example of this. Other countries such as Britain meanwhile adopt a more ’soft’ form of secularism.
A recent [controversial] report, ‘Contextualising Islam in Britain’, suggests Muslims in Britain should recognise the more soft or ‘procedural’ form of secularism in place, even though it has an established church More >
Bad breath and smelly socks
Nov 24th
I really struggled to complete my Asr prayer today! I was sandwiched between a man who would have won the smelly socks competition hands down, and another man whose breath smelled putrid. What was I to do?
The man with the bad breath kept on exhaling heavily which meant the unbearable smell emanating from within him floated silently yet violently though the air striking me like a heavyweight boxer. While every time I went for Ruku or Sajdah the rotten smell of sweaty, smelly socks reacted with the bad breath to create what can only be described as a suffocating stench! I literally held my nose and actually considered breaking my prayer! More >
Da’wah carriers – lessons from the Hijrah to Abyssinia
Nov 22nd
After 5 years of Da’wah in Makkah, the first 3 years of which were characterised by the secret approach, the last 2 years saw the message of Islam being proclaimed in public by prophet Muhammad and his companions. However Islam was still largely confined to Makkah. The situation in Makkah was deteriorating day by day. It was becoming quite clear to the ruling elite of Quraish that Islam was gaining followers from all clans and all sectors of society. They started to escalate their campaign of repression, violence and torture.
Those of the Prophet’s companions who were weak and lacked tribal protection were subjected to a merciless campaign of persecution. It was in this context that the Prophet encouraged his companions to migrate to Abyssinia, where Negus, the Christian King was known for his love of justice and fairness. Most historians explain the Hijrah to Abyssinia as a means by which the companions were fleeing to save their lives. More >
The question of Hijrah and citizenship
Nov 20th
Anyone who observes with a discerning eye the current political and socio-economic situation of the world and the particular demographics of the millions of Muslims living in the West and the challenges they are facing, will realise the fallacy of Hijrah as proposed by certain individuals and groups.
According to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 1.57 billion of the 6.8 billion world population today are Muslim. The report finds that there are approximately 317 million Muslims in non-Muslim countries living as minorities. In India for example, there are 161 million Muslims making up 13.4% of the total Indian population; in Ethiopia there are 28 million Muslims making up 33.9% of the population; in China there are 22 million Muslims making up 1.6% of the population; in Europe there are approximately 38 million Muslims - the UK having the 6th highest population of Muslims in Europe with 1.65 million Muslims making up 2.7% of the British population.
With this huge number living as minorities in non-Muslim countries, the idea of calling people to make Hijrah (migration) to ‘Muslim countries’ becomes silly. Where will they go? Which Muslim country will host them? More >
The narrative of inaction
Nov 17th
The inconsistency of being a Muslim today and living in America and the West in general reveals the wisdom behind the opinions that call for migration from the West. It is becoming more and more difficult to hold on to Islam in an environment that is becoming more hostile towards Muslims.
This part of Imam Anwar al-Awlaki alleged statement (above), published last week, sums up the underlying mood of his website after his release from a Yemeni prison. I’m not interested in criticising or condemning Imam Anwar as a person or his alleged remarks about Fort Hood per se, as he may or may not be the author. Although a recent report in the Washington Post also claims he says Major Hasan’s actions were acceptable in Islam.
My concern is the narrative along with its conclusion that is being promoted to Muslims in the west. More >
