New Audio: Patience and Gratitude by Ustadh Abdullah Ali -in English & Arabic

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TheStar.com | living | Lust at work

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BBC - Religion & Ethics - Sharia: The philosophy of Sharia

For Muslims, life did not begin at birth, but a long time before
that. Before even the creation of the first man. It began when God
created the souls of everyone who would ever exist and asked them, “Am
I not your Lord?” They all replied, “Yea.”

God decreed for each
soul a time on earth so that He might try them. Then, after the
completion of their appointed terms, He would judge them and send them
to their eternal destinations: either one of endless bliss, or one of
everlasting grief.

This life, then, is a journey that presents to
its wayfarers many paths. Only one of these paths is clear and
straight. This path is the Sharia.

Divine guidance

The Great Mosque in Damascus, Syria ©

In
Arabic, Sharia means the clear, well-trodden path to water.
Islamically, it is used to refer to the matters of religion that God
has legislated for His servants. The linguistic meaning of Sharia
reverberates in its technical usage: just as water is vital to human
life so the clarity and uprightness of Sharia is the means of life for
souls and minds.

Throughout history, God has sent messengers to
people all over the world, to guide them to the straight path that
would lead them to happiness in this world and the one to follow. All
messengers taught the same message about belief (the Qur’an teaches
that all messengers called people to the worship of the One God), but
the specific prescriptions of the divine laws regulating people’s lives
varied according to the needs of his people and time.

The Prophet
Muhammad (God bless him and give him peace) was the final messenger and
his Sharia represents the ultimate manifestation of the divine mercy.

“Today
I have perfected your way of life (din) for you, and completed My
favour upon you, and have chosen Islam as your way of life.” (Qur’an,
5:3) The Prophet himself was told that, “We have only sent you are a
mercy for all creation.” (Qur’an, 21:179)

Legal rulings

The
Sharia regulates all human actions and puts them into five categories:
obligatory, recommended, permitted, disliked or forbidden.

Obligatory
actions must be performed and when performed with good intentions are
rewarded. The opposite is forbidden action. Recommended action is that
which should be done and the opposite is disliked action. Permitted
action is that which is neither encouraged nor discouraged. Most human
actions fall in this last category.

The ultimate worth of actions
is based on intention and sincerity, as mentioned by the Prophet, who
said, “Actions are by intentions, and one shall only get that which one
intended.”

Life under the Sharia

The
Sharia covers all aspects of human life. Classical Sharia manuals are
often divided into four parts: laws relating to personal acts of
worship, laws relating to commercial dealings, laws relating to
marriage and divorce, and penal laws.

Legal philosophy

God
sent prophets and books to humanity to show them the way to happiness
in this life, and success in the hereafter. This is encapsulated in the
believer’s prayer, stated in the Qur’an, “Our Lord, give us good in
this life and good in the next, and save us from the punishment of the
Fire.” (2:201)

The legal philosophers of Islam, such as Ghazali,
Shatibi, and Shah Wali Allah explain that the aim of Sharia is to
promote human welfare. This is evident in the Qur’an, and teachings of
the Prophet.

The scholars explain that the welfare of humans is based on the fulfillment of necessities, needs, and comforts.

Necessities

Necessities
are matters that worldly and religious life depend upon. Their omission
leads to unbearable hardship in this life, or punishment in the next.
There are five necessities: preservation of religion, life, intellect,
lineage, and wealth. These ensure individual and social welfare in this
life and the hereafter.

The Sharia protects these necessities in two ways: firstly by ensuring their establishment and then by preserving them.

• To
  ensure the establishment of religion, God Most High has made belief and
  worship obligatory. To ensure its preservation, the rulings relating to
  the obligation of learning and conveying the religion were legislated.
• To
  ensure the preservation of human life, God Most high legislated for
  marriage, healthy eating and living, and forbid the taking of life and
  laid down punishments for doing so.
• God has permitted that
  sound intellect and knowledge be promoted, and forbidden that which
  corrupts or weakens it, such as alcohol and drugs. He has also imposed
  preventative punishments in order that people stay away from them,
  because a sound intellect is the basis of the moral responsibility that
  humans were given.
• Marriage was legislated for the preservation
  of lineage, and sex outside marriage was forbidden. Punitive laws were
  put in placed in order to ensure the preservation of lineage and the
  continuation of human life.
• God has made it obligatory to
  support oneself and those one is responsible for, and placed laws to
  regulate the commerce and transactions between people, in order to
  ensure fair dealing, economic justice, and to prevent oppression and
  dispute.

Needs and comforts

Needs
and comforts are things people seek in order to ensure a good life, and
avoid hardship, even though they are not essential. The spirit of the
Sharia with regards to needs and comforts is summed up in the Qur’an,
“He has not placed any hardship for you in religion,” (22:87) And, “God
does not seek to place a burden on you, but that He purify you and
perfect His grace upon you, that you may give thanks.” (5:6)

Therefore, everything that ensures human happiness, within the spirit of Divine Guidance, is permitted in the Sharia.

Sources of the Sharia

A girl studying the Qur’an ©

The primary sources of the Sharia are the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Qur’an

The
Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet gradually, over 23 years. The
essence of its message is to establish the oneness of God and the
spiritual and moral need of man for God. This need is fulfilled through
worship and submission, and has ultimate consequences in the Hereafter.

The
Qur’an is the word of God. Because of its inimitable style and
eloquence, and, above all, the guidance and legal provisions it came
with, it ensures the worldly and next-worldly welfare of humanity.

God
Most High said, “Verily, this Qur’an guides to that which is best, and
gives glad tidings to the believers who do good that theirs will be a
great reward.” (Qur’an, 17:9) And, “There has come unto you light from
God and a clear Book, whereby God guides those who seek His good
pleasure unto paths of peace. He brings them out of darkness unto light
by His decree, and guides them unto a straight path.” (Qur’an, 5:15)

The Prophetic example (Sunna)

The
Prophet’s role was expounded in the Qur’an, “We have revealed the
Remembrance [Qur’an] to you that you may explain to people that which
was revealed for them.” (16:44)

This explanation was through the
Prophet’s words, actions, and example. Following the guidance and the
example of the Prophet was made obligatory, “O you who believe, obey
God and obey the Messenger,” (4: 59) and, “Verily, in the Messenger of
God you have a beautiful example for those who seek God and the Last
Day, and remember God much.” The Prophet himself instructed, “I have
left two things with you which if you hold on to, you shall not be
misguided: the Book of God and my example.” [Reported by Hakim and
Malik]

Derived sources

There are two agreed-upon derived sources of Sharia: scholarly consensus (ijma’) and legal analogy (qiyas).

Scholarly consensus

The
basis for scholarly consensus being a source of law is the Qur’anic
command to resolve matters by consultation, as God stated, “Those who
answer the call of their Lord, established prayer, and whose affairs
are by consultation.” (42:38) Scholarly consensus is defined as being
the agreement of all Muslim scholars at the level of juristic reasoning
(ijtihad) in one age on a given legal ruling. Given the condition that
all such scholars have to agree to the ruling, its scope is limited to
matters that are clear according to the Qur’an and Prophetic example,
upon which such consensus must necessarily be based. When established,
though, scholarly consensus is decisive proof.

Legal analogy (Qiyas)

Legal
analogy is a powerful tool to derive rulings for new matters. For
example, drugs have been deemed impermissible, through legal analogy
from the prohibition of alcohol that is established in the Qur’an. Such
a ruling is based on the common underlying effective cause of
intoxication.

Legal analogy and its various tools enables the
jurists to understand the underlying reasons and causes for the rulings
of the Qur’an and Prophetic example (sunna). This helps when dealing
with ever-changing human situations and allows for new rulings to be
applied most suitably and consistently.

Beyond ritualism

Hassan II Mosque, Morocco ©

The
ultimate aim of those who submit to the Sharia is to express their
slavehood to their Creator. But the Sharia does bring benefit in this
world too.

This way has been indicated in a Divine statement conveyed by the Prophet.

My
servant approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have
made obligatory upon him, and My servant keeps drawing nearer to Me
with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his
hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand
with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me,
I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely
protect him.Prophet Muhammad, reported by Bukhari

If
the legal dimension of the Sharia gives Islam its form, the spiritual
dimension is its substance. The spiritual life of Islam, and its goal,
was outlined in the Divine statement (mentioned above).

The
Prophet explained spiritual excellence as being, “To worship God as
though you see Him, and if you see Him not, [know that] He nevertheless
sees you.

The spiritual life of Islam is a means to a realization
of faith and a perfection of practice. It is to seek the water that the
Sharia is the clear path to, water that gives life to minds and souls
longing for meaning.

It is this spiritual life, at its various
levels, that attracts Muslims to their religion, its way of life, and
to the rulings of the Sharia.

And those who believe are overflowing in their love of God.Qur’an 2:165

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Deeds are built upon the foundation of sincerity

ReflectOnThis: Clarification of the Subtleties of the Knowledge of Those Brought Near

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Umrah 2008 « Al-Madina Institute

• July10th-20th 2008
• Saudi Airlines Round Trip (leaving from JFK, returning to Washington Dulles)
• 3 Nights Hilton Hotel (Triple Occupancy)- Mecca
• 6 Nights MovenPick Hotel (Triple Occupancy) - Madina
• Shaykh Muhammad Bin Yahya Ninowy will be covering Seerah based on a commentary of the Burda of Imam Busiri
• Shaykh Mohsen Al’Najjar will be teaching a course on Ihsan (cleansing the heart) based on a Commentary of Al Hikam of Ibn Ata’illah
• We will visit holy sites in Mecca and Madinah which include: The Birth Place of the Prophet (alayhis salam), Masjid al Jinn, Arafa, Muzdalifa, Waqf Al’Fil, Masjid Quba, Masjid Qiblatayn, Masjid Al Jumuah, Masjid Rayyah, Uhud, Khandaq, and Badr)

For those who would like to Join the group from outside of America, Al Madina will not be able to arrange your Flight and Visa. We will arrange your land package.

Cost: $2,350 Per Person (Triple Occupancy), or $2,550 Per Person (Double Occupancy)

L I M I T E D S E A T S

For more information please click here. InshaAllah one of the representative will contact you asap…

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Surprising reasons you’re not having sex - CNN.com

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A student`s Blog: Living Islam [Hanafi]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever avoids unclear matters safeguards their religion and their honour. And whoever falls into the unclear falls into the unlawful-like a shepherd grazing around a sanctuary such that it is feared that his flock will end up within. Verily every king has a sanctuary, and Allah`s sanctuary is His prohibitions..“

Imam Suyuti [May Allah be well pleased with him]: Whoever accepts to act without knowledge accepts to disobey Allah.

Faraz Rabbani notes:

“The soundness of the heart rests not just upon spiritual things. It’s not just doing the good , like you pray a lot and fast a lot and do a lot of dhikr.

These are important things but aren’t the key to the soundness of the heart.

Nor is activism and doing a lot of social and community things the key to a sound heart.

Nor is it worship alone.

Nor is it having the right understanding.

Nor is it knowledge alone.

Rather, the key to a sound heart is being a person who makes good their submission to Allah Most High in all things–to be a servant of Allah in everything .Wherever you find yourself, you should find yourself submitting to Allah Most High. You should always be within the limits of Allah.

And how beloved a servant of Allah you are is to the extent that you submit with excellence, in all things.”

Living Islam (Hanafi) Essentials of Living the Sunna in the Modern Age Taught by: Sh. Faraz Rabbani Live in the modern world in accordance with the radiant example of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be upon him, through learning the rulings related to food, dress, gender interaction, earning a living, permissible and impermissible speech, and guarding your heart according to the Hanafi madhab.

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The furious media and public reaction to an address on religious law by the head of England’s established church is an index of Britain’s deep social crisis, says Tina Beattie.

Rowan Williams and sharia law | openDemocracy

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The controversy over the Archbishop’s remarks on Shari’a rumble on. Last week, in the hours before the full text became available, concerned voices were raised, worried that he was advocating legal separateness for Britain’s largest minority. Many commentators became understandably angry.

As the weekend wore on, however, my impression was that the mood slowly shifted. There were signs that more people were actually reading the Archbishop’s lecture, which was written as a subtle reflection on the right relationship between faith, law, and citizenship in the modern state. And the criticisms grew more muted.

Many leapt to his defence. Others took the view that Dr Williams might well be right, but should have expressed himself in a way that could not have been misinterpreted.

It is now clear to most that Dr Williams, far from recommending some kind of parallel law for Muslims, was pointing out that informal religious tribunals which already adjudicate on a limited number of civil - never criminal - matters, in a way which is entirely legal under arbitration laws, should be more systematically brought under the regulation of the legal system. He was not commending greater separateness, or an expansion of Muslim courts - quite the opposite.

Although his prose is sometimes dense, I know he thinks this because a few weeks ago I was with him in Singapore, where we were shown how many of the city’s religious minorities, including the Muslims, have their own courts to deal with civil matters such as marriage and divorce. He is interested in the challenge that religious diversity poses to a secular legal system. But he is sure that social cohesion is best served when there is a mechanism by which arbitration conducted within communities can be formally related to national law.

A storm in a teacup, then? Not quite. The issue of how faith is acknowledged in law will continue to be a tricky one, and not just for Muslims. For instance, one recent poll showed that nine percent of Americans think that the Bible should be their country’s only source of law, and that percentage is growing.

For me, my major reaction to this dispute has been a sadness that so many of us so readily leap to judgement.

In the Koran itself, we read: ‘O people of faith! If a person brings you some news, inquire into it carefully, lest you should harm others unwittingly, and afterwards be sorry for what you did.’

So what will be the fallout? One can only hope for something positive. Muslims know that their heritage of legal wisdom, the Shari’a, bears many very different interpretations. Secular law is the same. So in the midst of this flexibility, there is hope for a constructive dialogue. And if the Archbishop has helped that process along, many of us, of whatever faith, will be grateful.

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“Whoever hastens a matter before its time is punished by losing out on it.” [Fiqh Principle, Life Wisdom]

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YouTube - the sound of tears (a song/nasheed of repentance)

The Radical Middle Way - Q-News: Habib Ali, A Mercy Warrior

The first thing people notice about Habib Ali al-Jifri is his smile - broad, welcoming, honest. But beneath his gentle demeanour is a steely determination to engage in a genuine dialogue on the meaningful role Islam and Muslims must play in the West. He’s no pushover. Well read and well travelled, Habib Ali is a compelling religious scholar who brings a keen sense of social justice and relevance to his teaching. A critic of the economic and political policies that have brought misery to places like Iraq, Palestine and Africa, he is a spiritual activist who calls on Muslims to reject the path of anger and seek a higher moral ground. Abdul-Rehman Malik reports from London, Copenhagen and Abu Dhabi on the man and his mission.

“With all due respect, I simply cannot understand the nature of the devotion you have for your Prophet,” the journalist said incredulously. “There is simply nothing I think of that holds that kind of sacred value for me. Perhaps, my love for my children is the nearest thing I can think of.”

“Yes,” exclaimed Habib Ali al-Jifri, smiling. “We both love our children and would sacrifice anything for their well being. We feel even more love and adoration than that for our Prophet. He is dearer to us even than our own children, even more than ourselves.” [Read on]

Swindon man slept only 14 minutes a night | Society | The Guardian

For almost two decades, Philip Skeates woke up dog tired, even though he had just spent a good 12 hours in bed. He would get up for breakfast, then stagger back to bed until noon. By eight at night he was nodding off.

Eventually his wife persuaded him to seek medical help. Her husband, 39, was completely exhausted, and she was suffering too.

To the amazement of experts, he was diagnosed with one of the worst cases of sleep apnoea - a condition that causes the airways to close - that had ever been seen in Britain.

Islamic banking - too Islamic for some? | Reuters

Islamic finance has surged as more of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims demand services that comply with their beliefs, but the religious link may also be a barrier to growth in non-Muslim and even secular-leaning Islamic states.

The industry not only faces barriers in the West, but even in some Muslim states which may have an interest in appearing more secular.

150 Things NOT to Do on a Thesis/Dissertation Defense

 1. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise for the singing of our National Anthem…”

  2. Charge 25 cents a cup for coffee.

  3. “Charge the mound” when a professor beans you with a high fast question.

  4. Describe parts of your thesis using interpretive dance.

  5. “Musical accompaniment provided by…”

Qibla Locator (www.QiblaLocator.com)

Howstuffworks “How Igloos Work”

YouTube - Owais Raza “Awesome” Video-English Naat

O mighty Allah
Thanks to thee
Allah has chosen
Us to be
To send salam
Upon Nabee
Always during night and day

[Edited. Needed a PhD candidate in Desi-Islam (well, Islamic Studies on a desi-topic) to catch the mistake.]

PC World - Business Center: ‘BlackBerry Blackouts’ Urged for Work/Life Balance

OTTAWA (Reuters) - It may be wishful thinking, but a Canadian
government ministry has sent out a directive to its employees urging
them to relax and not to use their BlackBerry smartphones at night or on weekends and holidays.

Trying to re-establish a proper balance between work and life,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada is starting by trying to cut the
chains to what some have called CrackBerries.

The department’s deputy minister, Richard Fadden, sent out a memo asking employees to implement a BlackBerry “blackout” between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and on weekends and holidays.

“Work/life quality is a priority for me and this organization because
achieving it benefits us both as individuals and as a department,”
Fadden wrote.

“When we can ‘balance’ our work and personal
responsibilities, we, as a team, stand to not only serve and perform
more effectively, but also to attract and keep employees to help us
build a stronger Canada.”

YouTube - Poem in Praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) read by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

The great spiritual master Sayyidi Shaykh Raslan al-Dimashqi said,

“Knowledge is the way to action, and action is the way of knowledge..”

Beneficial knowledge is knowledge that relates to the actions we must perform in order to seek the pleasure of Allah–and to improving those actions by imbuing the spirit of sincerity and excellence in them.

Action that is sound and pleasing to Allah is action that is based on knowledge–whether it be spiritual works or worldly matters.

The sign of the true people of knowledge is that they act on their knowledge.

The purpose of both knowledge and action isn’t knowledge or action. It is only Allah Himself. Seeking Allah; His Pleasure; His Closeness; His Love….

And Allah alone gives success.

Southern California InFocus - Zaid Shakir: Homegrown imam and leader

New Islamic Directions

Black History Month should be of interest to every Muslim, especially in America. It is estimated that upwards to 20% of the Africans enslaved in the Americas were Muslim. [1] In some areas, such as the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia, and parts of Virginia, the percentages of Muslims in the slave population may have approached 40%. [2] The fact that the search of a random African American, Alex Haley, for his roots led him to a Muslim village in West Africa is indicative of the widespread Muslim presence among the enslaved population here in the Americas.

At this critical time in the history of our country, it is important for Muslims… [read on]