Who sits this side of the computer terminal, tapping out words that shoot out across the web? Nobody knows.
Deify not mere mortals, for it is liable to end in tears, nor set out seeking their approval. This is the lesson we learned when we admired the writer too much and praised them beyond their station, forgetting mashaAllah and subhanAllah, forgetting that everything is by the will of God. When we forgot our manners, …
‘What’s he twittering on about?’
What’s this Twitter business then? Crawling out of my cave recently, I learned that Twitter’s all the rage.
What’s this Twitter business then? Crawling out of my cave recently, I learned that Twitter’s all the rage.
Ignorance
Ignorance is a blameworthy state, while seeking knowledge is praised. I don’t doubt or deny this, but sometimes witnessing the great schisms between better Muslims than I, I start to take comfort from my ignorance. I cannot call myself a Salafi, a Sufi, a Traditionalist. I am none of these things, for my knowledge is meagre, my learning scant.
Ignorance is a blameworthy state, while seeking knowledge is praised. I don’t doubt or deny this, but sometimes witnessing the great schisms between better Muslims than I, I start to take comfort from my ignorance. I cannot call myself a Salafi, a Sufi, a Traditionalist. I am none of these things, for my knowledge is meagre, my learning scant.
There is a particularly coarse post out there in blogland by a convert to Islam about the alleged intrusion of those who ask, “Any passengers?” / “Are you expecting?” / “Don’t worry, I’ve known so many couples in your situation.” In my experience the people who ask these question are genuinely interested and / or …
It may be that there is some naivety in my Islam, it may be that these are my Meccan years, it may be that I am just a literalist. Still, I take these words to heart: Abu Musa said, “I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, whose Islam is best?’ He said, ‘The one from whose tongue …
A good soul reminded me of these things this very evening. As God wills, the advice we receive is always timely. So what excuse now do we have? I have quoted the Qur’an and hadith (narrations) directly from that advice: “And those who abuse believing men and woman, when they have not merited it, bear …
These are the days when we need to express love for one another. The nations are gathering around to devour our ummah just as people share a plate of food. First came the European states with their pens and rulers in the days of Empire, dividing up the Muslim world into bite-sized portions. These days …
It is interesting where my frequent digressions lead me. I have a tendency to see in other people’s writing what they did not intend, or never could have intended: the little snippet, the sentence or the word, which leads me off in an altogether new direction. Late last night I was thinking about that article …
When I was studying for my Masters degree in Publishing six years ago, I was interested as a recent convert to Islam in the question of safeguarding knowledge now that technology had brought publishing within virtually anyone’s grasp. As a new Muslim I was interested in the question of what constituted knowledge, given that I …
The power of words is astonishing. Some have the power to stir the emotions, to lighten one’s load. Others strike like a knitting needle pushed through the heart; that piercing pain that arises on receipt of harsh sentiments. Others still just perturb. Last night I could not sleep because words had unsettled me. My chest …
Something to keep in mind… Question 1: “Are these words true?” Question 2: “Are these words necessary?” Question 3: “Are these words beneficial?” Question 4: “Are these words kind?” If I think the answer is no, I should probably leave them in my head.
Sorry, don’t mean to be rude, but please, everyone, just shut up. The Book of James in the New Testament – Luther’s Epistle of Straw – always used to appeal to me during those agnostic days. Some words stay with me even now. …think of a ship: large though it may be and driven by …
Following my recent post ‘To blog or not to blog?’ some additional complexities surrounding the question of censorship occurred to me. Namely the question of censorship in the contemporary Muslim world and, secondly, how freedom of speech plays against the Islamic emphasis on the preservation of knowledge (think of the science of isnad verification, for …
Our blessed Prophet said, “He who truly believes in God and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.” For those of us who love to write, the implications of this are clear. To “Blog” brings with it responsibilities. Although I don’t consider myself a “Blogger” – simply a writer who finds the dynamic …
