Usrah@Masat

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. (more…)

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? (more…)