Sub-topics to be discussed:-

1- Tazkirah: Youth’s role in reappraisal of Islam.
2- Culture of excellency: Where art thou?
3- Agenda to change our condition: A brief summary of Shaikh Hamza Yusuf’s book.
4- Islamization: Diversity in expression is key.
5- Are we ‘Islamists’ or Muslims?
6- Islamic civilization & the west: Harmonization or antagonism?
7- Are there any shared values between “us” and “them”?
8- Kemalism and Erdoganism: Bridging secularism, Islamism, and democracy.
9- The Erbakan vs Erdogan trend (’traditionalist’  vs ‘reformist’)
10- “Conservative democrats” or “Muslim democrats”?
11- Pragmatic strategist: Al-Ghazali or Ibn Taimiyya’s approach?

Note: An article presenting the discussion of the topics will be posted after Usrah

Read the rest of this entry »

…and He has enumerated everything in numbers.

QUR’AN (Al-Jinn 72:28)

I was reading Lost History in the subway: When I read this verse, I was awestruck… “Why haven’t I heard of this verse before?” I wondered, what is the context of the verse? What precedes this fragmented verse? Is He talking about the universe?

He alone knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries. Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him. So that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord, and He encompasses what is with them and He records the number of all things. (Al-Jinn 72: 26-28)

An excerpt from Micharl Hamilton Morgan’s Lost History (Pp 82-90):

A pivotal force in creating these numbers and formulas is a Persian man born in about 780 in the faraway town of Khiva, Khorasan province, known as Khwarizm to the Arabs, in Central Asia. He is named Mohammad al-Khwarizmi, literally Mohammad of Khwarizm. Read the rest of this entry »

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jurusalem

In 638, the Christians were forced to surrender Jerusalem to Muslim control under caliph Umar al-Khattab. In a remarkable gesture for the time, Sophronius invited Umar to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but Umar refused the invitation, saying, “If I had prayed in the church it would have been lost to you, for the Believers [Muslims] would have taken it saying: Umar prayed here.” In other words, Umar declined the offer, fearing that accepting the invitation might endanger the church’s status as a Christian place of worship: The Muslims might break the treaty and turn the church into a mosque. Such was the respect that caliph Umar showed towards the place of worship of other religion. Today, we witness attacks on churches by Muslims in our home country. These irresponsible acts are in complete contradiction with the great spirit shown by the rightly-guided caliph Umar. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a glossary at the end of this article on certain scientific terms and Malay terms which may help the reader to understand the article better.

When you hear about “kahwin dulu, baru dating“, probably in your mind you will be thinking about a guy with a kopiah 24 hours on his head marrying a girl who wear the tudung labuh or even a niqaab, better known as purdah at Malaysia. Your first instinct will also probably be, “I pray, I fast, I wear tudung, but I am not these extreme ‘alim people. I need to get to know my partner for life inside out. So, I need to date him, to know whether we are serasi or not.” I perfectly understand your concern. I understand that you are not ‘crazy’ enough to just jump into a marriage without knowing who your partner really is. So in the end, this kahwin dulu baru dating trend becomes an exclusive thing among people who are active in dakwah and jemaah, while the muslim masses are walking together holding hands or ‘hanging out’ at restaurants at KLCC, Mid Valley, etc. Some of these people are perhaps incurable, but I believe some just don’t get how kahwin dulu baru dating can actually work. I will try my best to show you that kahwin dulu baru dating actually works, and romantic love is hogwash in supposedly spotting the ideal partner for a long-lasting marriage. Read the rest of this entry »

Come and register as volunteer for RIS 8!

Jom datang RIS 8 ramai-ramai!

Need to find an accommodation during your stay at Toronto for RIS 8?

The Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) convention was first held in 2003 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and it was quite a hit, with 3500 attendees. Since then, RIS is been held annually during the winter break at Toronto, and the attendance has grown three fold in subsequent years, with the 2006 convention is reported to have over 15 000 attendees. The official attendance figure for the 2007 convention is not out yet, but I would vouch that this year’s hall is even more pact than last year’s.

Over the years, distinguished scholars from all over the world have become speakers at RIS, including the likes of Tariq Ramadhan, Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad (T.J. Winter), Dr. Abdal Hakim Jackson, Bilal Abu Ameenah Philips, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Syaykh Riyadh ul Haq, Tariq Suwaidan, Imam Zaid Shakir, and of course Syakh Hamza Yusuf himself.

One of the major attractions of RIS is its nasheed concert, which is usually held as the last event of the convention. Famous nasheed artists like Sami Yusuf, Native Deen, Najam Sheraz, Outlandish (hip-hop group, of course), Hamza Robetson, and Raihan (Ye la, yang itu la, Raihan mana lagi!) have made appearances there. This year, the concert is held as a separate event from the convention, due to ’some other reasons.’ There was also a special screening of the film, Al-Ghazali: The Alchemist of happiness with commentaries by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf at this year’s RIS entertainment session (the new name for the separate concert).

After giving you these staggering figures and facts, the first question that comes to your mind might be, “Who is the organizer?” Well, the answer is, there is no official organization which organizes this convention, and the closest one that I can give you is: This event is “A Unique Youth Effort.” To give you a further hint, Syaikh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, and Tariq Suwaidan have perfect attendances as speakers for RIS thus far – albeit, Tariq Suwaydan didn’t make it to this year’s convention due to unavoidable, outside circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »

Revelation of Hijab

O Ye who believe! Enter not the dwellings of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless permission be granted you. But if ye are invited, enter, and, when your meal is ended, then disperse. Linger not for conversation. Lo! That would cause annoyance to the Prophet, and he would be shy of (asking) you (to go); but Allah is not shy of the truth. And when ye ask of them (the wives of the Prophet) anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not for you to cause annoyance to the messenger of Allah, nor that ye should ever marry his wives after him. Lo! That in Allah’s sight would be an enormity. (Al-Ahzab: 53)

The Hijab was revealed in Madinah. It was during the prophet’s sa.w. walimah with Zaynab binti Jarsh, where the companions stayed up too late until the prophet was tired, but he was too shy to tell them to go away. Literally the word hijab means curtain/partition. The coming down of the hijab refers to the verse that requires curtain to be put in the apartment of the prophet to separate his wives from other people.

Social and public space is shared. There is not even separation between public space and private space during the prophetic time. Houses during that time sometimes didn’t have doors, sometimes no curtain at the doors, and cooking are done outside at times. There was no partition of space.

The coming of hijab is first of all the distinction between private and public space: In the household of the Prophet s.a.w. there will be privacy. So guests coming from outside, they don’t see everything in his household.

Other verse on Hijab:

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (Al-Ahzab: 59)

Seclusion of Women

Seclusion of women to the house in terms of they never being allowed to leave is also mentioned in the Qur’an. The question is, in what context is it mentioned? Read the rest of this entry »

Assalamualaikum brothers and sisters!

I would like to announce the opening of this very website that would include our Usrah or any religious discussions, articles, debates, arguments, standing points, facts and everything from the very high end bulletins to the lowest row of mind thoughts!

But still, remember that Islam is an open-ended religion that promotes mind thinking and thorough thoughts. So, ask anything if there’s doubts as there’s no such thing as a stupid question, okay?

Salam!

From your very own admin.

Mr. Admin!