There are number of verses in the Qur’an that reveal leadership qualities of Prophet Muhammad. One of these is the following verse:
It is by some mercy from Allah that you have been gentle with them. Had you been rough and hard of heart they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, ask for forgiveness for them, and consult them. Then when you have resolved, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who trust Him. (3.159) Continue reading
After delivering the third Abdullah Yusuf Ali Memorial Lecture on 16th of February 2013, brother Saif Eldin Hassan Elawad interviewed me for Al-Rābiṭa, the monthly Arabic magazine of the Muslim World League. You can download the interview from here. If you would like to download the full issue, you can download it from here.
Yesterday, I published an article on the option of using the length of the fasting day in Mecca or Medina when fasting Ramadan in northern locations where the fasting time can be unreasonably long. I discussed flaws in the argument of those who object to this method and the incompatibility of their thinking with the objective of Islamic Law. I also quoted well-known scholars who approved of this method.
In this article, I am going to give simple instructions on how to calculate the start and finish times of the fast everyday following the length of the fast in Mecca. Continue reading
Last year I published an article about The Length of the Fasting Day of Ramadan in which I discussed the fact that in high latitude cities, the length of the day or night can be unreasonably long for Muslims to fast from down to sunset or too short for fasting to make sense. I also covered the broader concept of differentiating between the general principles that underline the Islamic law, which do not change with time, and the implementation details, which are subject to change. Continue reading
The democratically elected but now deposed President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, seems to have managed in the twelve months he was in power to upset a lot of people on all sides of the political divides. This culminated in mass demonstrations that had not been seen since the overthrow of the dictator Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian Defence Minister, Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, then decided that it is the responsibility of the army to unseat the President. When the news of the coup d’état was announced, the demonstrating masses went into raptures. Continue reading
Having a strong faith that one’s religion is the ultimate truth usually implies that it is more truthful than other religions. This kind of faith is often seen as one of the sources, if not the main source, of fanaticism and intolerance. This conclusion is drawn from observing that such people believe that their religion is the best. While this observation is true, linking fanaticism to one’s strength of belief in their faith is superficial. It fails to uncover the real, more fundamental cause. Continue reading
The highly respected and influential Sunni cleric Shaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi recently attacked the Syrian regime and called on Muslims to join the military resistance in that country. He also declared that he had been wrong in defending the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah in the past in front of clerics of Saudi Arabia. He said those clerics showed more maturity and knowledge than him. This declaration earned Qaradawi a phone call from the Saudi king to thank him and the praise of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Asheikh. Continue reading
Simon Jenkins, who is a journalist I respect, wrote a very good article about the Boston terrorist attack. The title of the piece gives away its main point: After the bomb, mass hysteria is the Boston terrorist’s greatest weapon. He convincingly argues that the huge publicity that the “terrorists” behind this outrage are getting is exactly what they wanted. They wanted to disrupt the lives of people, and by politicians and the media spreading hysteria, they are helping the terrorists with their agenda. Continue reading
Trust is a fundamental foundation of human relationships. Trust enriches and strengthens the relationships people can have, while the lack of trust greatly reduces and limits their interactions. This is true of all kinds of human relationships. Continue reading
I will be giving the third Abdullah Yusuf Ali Memorial Lecture, which is organized by the Islamic Book Trust (IBT). The lecture will be at the Conference Hall, the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), Jalan Elmu, off Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is on 16th of February 2013, 3.00 pm. The lecture is open to the public but priori registration is required. Registration is free. This is the registration page on the organizer’s website. For more information about the event, please visit the lecture page on the IBT website.
The event will also witness the launch by IBT of a paperback edition of my book Abrogation in the Qur’an and Islamic Law: A Critical Study of the Concept of “Naskh” and its Impact. I have therefore chosen for the lecture a topic related to this book: “Is the Mushaf a complete record of the Qur’an? The controversy of abrogation.” A summary of the lecture is available here on my website.
