Ramadan Reflections: A Conversation

O what joy it is to see you again

Our friend, teacher and guide

Come, set our souls aflame

Let our bodies glow

Open the windows of heaven

Let the sweet aroma engulf our senses

Let our tongues be quenched from the thirst of dhikr

Fill our empty stomachs with the love of al-Khaliq

Let our eyes overflow with the yearning of His forgiveness and mercy

Open the doors at each side of our heads

So that the brain can hear Qur’anic invocations and salawat

and become stronger

Let the duff, that pumps blood around our bodies,

continue its rhythm of praise

Help us to spin a cocoon of prayer

So that we can one day 

sprout wings of true belief

And fly to our Lord

to become closer to Him

Take away the anchor of Dunya

So that we can drift to Him easily

Ultimately, leave us in a state of Taqwa

© By  Adnan Tariq   28/09/2007

New Video by Sami Yusuf: Asma’u Allah فيديو كليب سامي يوسف - أسماء الله

Sallam alaykum (peace)

Below is the new video by Sami Yusuf.  Enjoy

With thanks to Hahmed

Poem: [No title]

Allah plants the seed

Prophets are the roots

Shayukh (scholars) are the fruits

 

 

© By  Adnan Tariq   26/09/2007

Pledge of Mutual Respect and Cooperation Between Sunni Muslim Scholars, Organizations, and Students of Sacred Knowledge

Below is a pledge of mutual respect and cooperation between Sunni Muslim scholars, organizations and students of sacred knowledge.  To summarize, it’s a pledge of unity.  Imam Suhaib Webb states on his blog that this is the work of Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah and the senior scholars in the West such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Yasir Qadhi. 

Mujahideen Ryder is making a list of Muslim bloggers who endorse this pledge.  Add your name!

This pledge is a true blessing in this blessed month!

May God accept out efforts and prayers.  May He unite us and forgive our sins.  May He bless and reward all the individuals behind this pledge and those who have signed it.  Ameen.

With thanks to Imam Suhaib Webb, Abu Eesa,  Mujahideen Ryder and the brother who started the DeenPort thread about this pledge, for making me aware of this pledge.  May God reward them all.  Ameen.

Please pass the word on.  Email this and place the pledge on your blogs.  Thanks!

 

Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all together, and be not divided. (Qur’an, 3:103)

Surely, those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah; then He will inform them of what they used to do. (Qur’an, 6:159)

In light of the Divine Word, we recognize that the historical nature of Sunni Islam is a broad one that proceeds from a shared respect for the Qur’an and Sunnah, a shared dependence on the interpretations and derivations of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and a shared respect for the writings of a vast array of scholars who have been identified by their support for and affiliation with the Sunni Muslims and have been accepted as the luminaries of Sunni Islam - as broadly defined.

Likewise, detailed discussions in matters of theology are the specific domain of trained specialists, and proceed on the basis of well-defined principles and methodologies, which are beyond the knowledge of the generality of Muslims.

Our forebears in faith, with all the dedication, brilliance and sincerity clearly manifested in their works, have debated and discussed abstruse and complex issues of creed and practice, and have failed in most instances to convince their opponents of the veracity and accuracy of their positions.

The average Muslim is only responsible for knowing the basics of creed as they relate to a simple belief in Allah, His Angels, Scriptures, the Prophets and Messengers, the Last Day, and the Divine Decree.

Recognizing that the specter of sectarianism threatens to further weaken and debilitate our struggling Muslim community at this critical time in human affairs, and recognizing that Allah, Exalted is He, has given the Muslim community in the West a unique historical opportunity to advance the cause of peace, cooperation, and goodwill amongst the people of the world, we the undersigned respectfully:

- Urge Muslims to categorically cease all attacks on individual Muslims and organizations whose varying positions can be substantiated based on the broad scholarly tradition of the Sunni Muslims. We especially urge the immediate cessation of all implicit or explicit charges of disbelief;

- Urge Muslim scholars and students of sacred knowledge to take the lead in working to end ad hominem attacks on other scholars and students; to cease unproductive, overly polemical writings and oral discourse; and to work to stimulate greater understanding and cooperation between Muslims, at both the level of the leadership and the general community;

- Urge Muslims in the West, especially our youth, to leave off unproductive and divisive discussions of involved theological issues that are the proper domain of trained specialists, and we especially discourage participation in those internet chat rooms, campus discussion groups, and other forums that only serve to create ill-will among many Muslims, while fostering a divisive, sectarian spirit;

- Urge all teachers to instruct their students, especially those attending intensive programs, to respect the diverse nature of our communities and to refrain from aggressive challenges to local scholars, especially those known for their learning and piety;

- Urge our brothers and sisters in faith to concentrate on enriching their lives by deepening their practice of Islam through properly learning the basics of the faith, adopting a consistent regimen of Qur’anic recitation, endeavoring to remember and invoke Allah in the morning and evening, learning the basics of jurisprudence, attempting to engage in voluntary fasting as much as possible, studying the Prophetic biography on a consistent basis, studying the etiquettes that guide our interactions with our fellow Muslims, and the performance of other beneficial religious acts, to the extent practical for their circumstances;

- Finally, we urge the Believers to attempt to undertake individual and collective actions that will help to counter the growing campaign of anti-Islamic misinformation and propaganda that attempts to portray our religion as a violence-prone relic of the past unsuitable for modern society, and by so doing justify indiscriminate wars against Muslim peoples, occupation of Muslim lands, and usurpation of their resources.

Saying this, we do not deny the reality of legitimate differences and approaches, nor the passionate advocacy of specific positions based on those differences. Such issues should be rightfully discussed observing established rules of debate. However, we urge the above measures to help prevent those differences from destroying the historical unity and integrity of the Muslim community, and creating irreparable divisions between our hearts. Further, we do not deny the urgency, especially in light of the situation in Iraq, of efforts to foster greater cooperation between diverse Muslim communities. Hence, this document should not be seen as negating any statements, or declarations designed to foster greater peace and harmony between diverse Muslim communities. However, we feel, as Sunni Muslims, a pressing need to first set our own affairs in order.

In conclusion, having called our brothers and sisters to act on these points, we, the undersigned, pledge to be the first to actively implement them in response to the Divine Word:

Do you enjoin righteousness on the people and refuse to follow it yourselves and all along you are reciting the scripture!? Will you not reflect? (Qur’an (2:44)

We ask Allah for the ability to do that which He loves. And Allah alone is the Grantor of Success.

Signed,

Abdelrahman Helbawi
Abdul Karim Khalil
Abdullah Adhami
Abdurraheem Green
Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
Abu Aaliyah Surkheel Sharif
Abu Eesa Niamatullah
Aisha Faleh AlThani
Asma Mirza
Cheikhna B. Bayyah
Dawood Yasin
Ebadur Rahman
Faraz Rabbani
Fuad Nahdi
Gul Mohammad
Haitham al-Haddad
Hamza Yusuf
Hasan al-Banna
Ibrahim Osi-Efa
Jihad Hashim Brown
M. Abdul Latif Finch
M. Afifi al-Akiti
Mehdi Kader
Mokhtar Maghroui
Muhammad Alshareef
Muhammad Ash-Shaybani
Muhammad ibn Adam
Omar Qureshi
S. Abdal-Hakim Jackson
Shamira Chothia Ahmed
Siddique Abdullah
Suhaib Webb
Tahir Anwar
Talal Al-Azem
Tanveer Hussain
Tawfique Chowdhury
Usama Canon
Usama Hasan
Walead Mosaad
Yahya Rhodus
Yasir Qadhi
Zaid Shakir

Evaluating the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current System for Selecting US Presidential Candidates

A strength of this system is the increased level of participation by voters.  Back in 1968, which was the last year of the previous system, only 11.7 million American voters (11% of the voting age population) took part in the nomination process.  By 1988, it became a staggering figure of 35 million (21% of the voting age population).  Moving on, another advantage is that there has been a significant increase in the choice of candidates.  Way back in 1968, there were only five presidential candidates to choose from.  Three Democrats and two Republicans.  However, moving forward to the year 2000, the candidate number had increased to 14.  12 Republicans and 2 Democrats.   The current process is opened up to outsiders, or politicians who don’t initially have a national reputation.  This would include people such as Jimmy Carter (1976), Bill Clinton (1992) and Howard Dean (2004).  Another strength is that the power of party bosses is taken away, thus lessening opportunities for corruption and making the process more democratic.  One last advantage of this system is that the tough race through the primaries is seen by some as an appropriately demanding test for a demanding job.  For instance, back in 1992, Senator Paul Tsongas, who had fought back from cancer to run for the presidency, was perceived to have had a lighter schedule than his rivals.  Many admired Tsongas as a person and liked his policies; however the primaries showed that he didn’t have the physical resilience to be president.   

A weakness of this system is that there is widespread apathy from voters and boredom.  Admittedly many people do take part in the nominating process than was the case 30 years ago.  But, the 36 million voters who participated in presidential primaries and caucuses in 2000 only represented a meagre 15% of the voting age population.  Another disadvantage is that primary voters are unrepresentative of the voting age population. Decreased turnout would not matter so much if the voters were a representative cross section of the voting age population.  But they are not.  Voters in the primaries are usually older, better educated, wealthier and more ideological than the voting age population as a whole.   Due to this, certain types of candidate, especially more ideological ones, usually do better in primaries than they should do.  For instance, in 1996, Pat Buchanan, who was a conservative Republican, won at least 20% of the vote in 26 primaries.  In six of those primaries his vote exceeded 30%.  Pat Buchanan would never reach anything like those percentages in a general election.  It is noted that some feel that the process seems far too long.  For example, Senator John F Kennedy, in 1960, announced his candidacy for the presidency 66 days before the first primary.  In preparing for the 2004 campaign, Senator John Kerry announced his candidacy for the presidency 423 days before the first primary!  The process is also very expensive, as candidates need to raise a large amount of funds, so they need to start their campaigns as early as possible.  Thus, campaigns are now longer and expensive.  Due to ‘front loading’, there is little time to raise money once the primaries have started.  It needs to be done before they begin so candidates start early.  In 2000, Al Gore raised $33.8 million and received another $15.3 million in matching funds.  George W Bush however raised a massive $91.3 million!  Many critics say that the media, such as television, dominate the process too much.  In the pre-reform era, decisions in regards to candidates were made by professional politicians.  They were the people who truly knew the candidates.  Back then, the role for the media was limited.  However these days, the voters rely on the media for information about the candidates.  Some feel the media is not suitable for this role and have become ‘king maker’, replacing the previous party bosses.  Loevy (1995) writes:  

“Our present nominating process has become a televised horse race focusing more on rival media consultants and advertising executives than on competing ideas, programmes, or even the character of the candidates… Popularity poles, slick spot ads, and television coverage of the early primaries offer episodes and spectacles and the average citizen is hard pressed to distinguish significance from entertainment.” 

Primaries can easily enter into bitter personal battles.  An example of this was in the 2000 Republican primaries.  A McCain television commercial accused George W Bush of lying, likening him to President Bill Clinton.  “That’s about as low as you can get” retorted Governor Bush.  Other examples of campaigns that have become bad tempered were those of George Bush senior and Pat Buchanan in 1992 and between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy in 1980.  It is however no surprise that the eventual nominees in both these contests went on to lose the general election. 

It seems voters have no confidence and time for disunited parties.  One last criticism is that there seems to be a lack of ‘peer review’, which eventually leads on to test presidential qualities.  What I mean here is that in the pre-reform era, candidates were largely selected by other professional politicians.  This is called ‘peer review’ which is the judgement of one’s colleagues or equals.  These politicians had a good idea as to what qualities were necessary in order to be a successful president.  Nowadays however, presidential candidates are chosen by ordinary voters who can’t be expected to know much about qualities which are needed to become president.  Due to this, primaries seem to test campaigning qualities rather than presidential qualities.  Professor Jeane Kirkpatrick spoke of how professional politicians are “uniquely qualified” to choose candidates because “they know the nature of the political job.”  Professor Austin Ranney states that parties are now “the prizes, not the judges” in the nomination process.    

To conclude, no one is saying that the reforms introduced after 1970 have been completely useless and that the US should return to the era before the reforms were adopted, when party bosses used to sit in smoke-filled rooms.  However, there are some suggestions for reforms which would improve the nomination process.  Mostly the reforms are to do with the timing of primaries and giving professional politicians more of a role in selecting candidates, without losing the democratic process.  Three possibilities for reforms are regional primaries, weighing votes for elected politicians at the National Party Convention and a pre-primary mini convention.  Regional primaries would divide the US in to four parts.  Northeast, south, Midwest and west.  Four days could be set aside for these regional primaries: the first Tuesdays of March, April, May and June.  The order would change every four years, with the region that went last in the previous election, going first in the next one.  A second reform would require the political parties to come up with a mechanism for weighing the votes of elected politicians.  This includes, members of Congress, state governors, city mayors and so on, at their National Party Conventions.  This would increase the role of ‘peer review’ and the roles of parties themselves.  The last reform is the most radical.  It would need an introduction by both parties of a pre-primary mini convention.  These would be held before the main primaries and would be much shorter and less expensive.  The main attendees would be all major elected office holders of the party.  The main aim of the mini convention would be to approve a list of up to three presidential candidates who would then run in the main primaries.    

The Search for Authenticity-by Shaykh Suhaib Webb

New Video by Native Deen

Sallam alaykum (peace!)

Below is the new video to one of the songs from Native Deen’s new album, which will be released later in the year insha Allah (God willing).  The message is clear in the song.  Listen and learn

Foundations of the Spiritual Path

Sallam alaykum (peace)

Please click below to download the PDF document.

Foundations of the Spiritual Path

By Sidi Ahmad Zarruq: Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

ISNA 2007 Speech Made By Imam Zaid Shakir

ISNA 2007 Speech Made By Shaykh Hamza Yusuf