I suppose the difference between the convert and the activist is that the former was moved by their search for the truth, whereas the latter is moved by the politics of identity. Hence the mutual incomprehension and distrust. One is called to communitarianism, the other to honour God. One was seeking goodness and virtue, the …
With one breath you demand Husn Al-Dhan in respect to what your brother does in private; with the other you cast aspersions on the intentions of all others, attributing to them all manner of evil. With one breath you tell us that Husn Al-Dhan means not just to think well of your brothers, but to …
Slander and gossip can be difficult to bear, especially if what is said about you is diametrically opposed to reality. In the past, I wasted an age wondering, “How do you defend yourself when you don’t know what has been said about you?” Mostly, by the time it occurred to me that I should challenge …
This lunchtime, father and son decided to risk walking to the village mosque across the valley for Friday prayer. Fortunately we encountered no wild beasts en route, as we had feared. The only dog, the docile creature coiled up on the doorstep of the mosque, more interested in catching forty winks than challenging unfamiliar guests. …
Is it not interesting that the Quran consistently rebukes those who hide, cover or conceal the truth? That being the case, shouldn’t those who consistently conceal the truth amongst us give pause for thought? Instead of devotedly advocating for others by concealing or obscuring the truth, should we not instead focus our minds on the …
It is strange to me that the idea of being progressive has negative connotations amongst many modern Muslims. Strange, because it seems to me that Islam was a progressive force in its nascent period. At a time when people were committing infanticide for fear of poverty, it prohibited it. At a time when slavery was …
While warning of the underhand plots and plans of Zionists, racists and other assorted bogeymen, the self-aware would add, “So don’t be a tit.” And by tit they would mean, “Don’t be a hypocrite.” Or, “Don’t be immoral.” Or, “Don’t lie and cheat.” In short, don’t behave in a way which provides those assorted bogeymen …
Jummah prayer proves a little tricky here. There is a mosque across the valley, in direct line of sight from my desk. I have walked there once or twice, following the road along the crest of the hill. It’s only about a mile, with a few gentle inclines, and takes about fifteen minutes. The drawback: …
We oppose extremism not because we are compromised in some way, but precisely because the Messenger, peace be upon him, is reported to have warned his people to beware of extremism in religion, noting that those who came before were ruined by it. Indeed, this is how the Quran addresses some of those people who …
They advocate for the poor and disenfranchised, therefore they’re innocent! Really? Who’s to say they don’t have a split personality? Who’s to say they don’t hide behind their activism? Can a person not be both good and bad? Can they not have good days and bad days? Can they sometimes aspire to greatness, and sometimes …
Islam isn’t a protest movement. It’s supposed to reform our whole being. It’s meant to make us better people. If it’s not, we’re doing it all wrong.
With regards to faith, in every era we witness a period of revival followed by decline. Usually the revival follows a period of intense suppression or generational neglect. The decline occurs when the next generation forgets the struggles of the last. Like life itself, faith is cyclical. It comes and goes, ebbs and flows. Both …
Despite living in a country where the athan is everywhere heard five times a day, we discover cousins, nieces and nephews extremely far from faith. But this is not really a surprise. It took my wife to move to another country to make her own spiritual migration. In her case, she travelled from a Muslim …
It’s always good to encounter those who verify and cross-check everything, and refuse to take anything on face value. That is the pursuit of truth made real. May those who seek find the truth they yearn, and may the truthful benefit from their truthfulness.
