The Muslim Ummah is faced with many problems but often Muslims themselves are to blame. Consider the latest phenomenon of the thug al-Baghdadi and his declaration of the Khilafah. The noble concept of the Khialfah is being ridiculed by mass murderers and rapists using Islamic terms. The ill-conceived project is bound to collapse soon and with it will die the misplaced hopes of thousands of Muslim youth.
Muslims opposed to the extremist ideology espoused and practiced by the likes of al-Qaeda, have to be careful not to become unwitting tools of imperialism.
The cliques that run mosques in North America pursue their own narrow agendas without addressing the burning issues or paying attention to the needs of the people. This has resulted in alienating most Muslims.
Sister Salina Khan challenges the conventional, ritualistic approach to performing Hajj and explains her experiences during the last Hajj.
Muslims have become fond of building cathedral style masajid where all kinds of restrictions are imposed. Sister Salina Khan argues that masajid should become centers of activism for social, political and economic justice.
This writer has never had the privilege of performing Hajj. It may be many years before I am able to do so, although I hope and pray to have the opportunity before the end of my time on this earth, insha’allah.
The Fiqh Council of North America, which is linked to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), has issued an astonishing statement regarding the date of Eid al-Adha, which amounts to a recommendation that Muslims ignore the commandments of Allah.
Any Muslim considers Hajj to be a journey in repentance and submission, and hopes to return home cleansed of all sins, like a new-born baby. Hajj is an arduous undertaking beginning with the hijra (migration) of the Muslim from his or her place of abode to Makkah in preparation for the performance of various rites.
Zamfara, an overwhelmingly Muslim state in northern Nigeria, adopted Shari’ah law on October 27, amidst celebrations by the area’s Muslim population and widespread support among other Muslims in the country.
The topic of women in Islam has long been a favourite with modern writers, many of whom have advanced their careers on the backs of the ‘oppressed’ Muslim women whose cause they claim to champion.
What kind of people would open fire with automatic weapons on a group of worshippers in a mosque who had just completed Fajr prayers and were sitting to recite the Qur’an? The only answer is: coldblooded murderers and professional killers. To call them anything else would be outrageous.
The assumption that western culture is inherently superior to all other cultures is the vantage point from which all social and religious philosophies are judged by the west. Muslim societies are, thus, regarded with special interest, fear and ignorance.
THERE are apologists and then there are apologists. And then there is Sai’d Al-Ashmawy, former chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Court and the author of 15 books on Islam.
