This article is a follow-up to the previous week’s piece “The Lost Art of Writing”. The Print Culture and Dar al Islam A brief gloss on print culture would be instructive in understanding the historical relationship between oral cultures and the written word. The Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan’s (1911 – 1980) The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962)—a study of “print culture” in pre-modern Europe through Gutenberg’s innovations— … Continue reading Reviving Writing
As the Muslim world once again becomes safe for Madhahib, or Sunni legal schools of thought, the next ‘elephant in the room’ must be addressed: creed. Muslim creed is probably the most hotly debated subject in modern Muslim history. Historically, most debates regarding Muslim creed were between Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah (Orthodox Sunnis) and heretical groups. Today, the debates focus on who constitutes Ahl al-Sunnah … Continue reading An Introduction to Kalam
One of the most convoluted paradigms of thought to emerge throughout recorded intellectual history is postmodernism. Postmodernists themselves take pride in Jacques Derrida’s elusive and difficult writing style, presenting it as a protest against elitist standardization of writing [1]. Derrida is considered the founding father of deconstructionist philosophy and one of the main figureheads of postmodernism. A French Jew born and raised in Algeria, his … Continue reading An Introduction to Postmodernism and its Implications
A Book Review of Sea Without Shore by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller The depth and breadth of the Islamic tradition is beyond comprehension, with countless transformed souls having carried the torch of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ since his passing from the physical world. Technical names for the sciences of Islam based on the Hadith of Jibril took firm grounding, with Islam, Iman, and Ihsan becoming … Continue reading Rekindling Muslim Scholastic and Spiritual Consciousness
In English Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim Les musulmans ont souvent du mal à expliquer les crises de foi qui se manifestent dans la génération à venir. «Ils ont besoin de prier davantage» ou «ils sont ingrats» sont des réponses courantes et dédaigneuses, qui réduisent les crises à une médiocrité dommageable. Qu’est-ce que la prière sans connaissance? Quelle est la gratitude sans conscience de qui on devrait … Continue reading L’importance de la croyance dans notre époque
In recent years, the right wing’s increased outward animosity towards Islam and Muslims has driven Muslims to become disillusioned with the conservative Republican party. Muslim immigrants to the United States used to disporportionately vote republican in the years preceding 9/11. George W. Bush’s campaign made calculated attempts to win over Muslims. Analysts attribute this behavior to republican politician Grover Norquist stating that because Muslims are … Continue reading Reconsidering the Liberal Asylum
In Englishبالعربية Aller à la mosquée et trouver des brochures de livres sur les « miracles scientifiques du coran » est devenu une chose banale. Beaucoup de prédicateurs, apologistes, ou encore même de musulmans du quotidien qui font de la dawah, continuent d’utiliser cet argument afin de prouver que l’islam est la « vérité ». Ils continuent étrangement à utiliser ce genre d’argument malgré toutes … Continue reading Déconstruire l’argument des miracles scientifiques du coran
A standout moment from early Islamic history is that of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who upon being challenged by a woman in a public place, famously declared, “The woman is right, and Umar is wrong.” Muslims, when affirming the position of women in Islam, often repeat this event, which took place when Umar was the Khalifa. The pre-colonial Muslim world is littered … Continue reading Is Toxic Masculinity Islamic?
In English Los musulmanes se han acostumbrado a vivir en perpetuo estado de defensa como precio por su existencia, desplegando fácilmente explicaciones para sus prácticas religiosas y culturales. Esta puede ser una transacción aceptable e incluso recomendable para mantener la paz en diversas sociedades modernas, pero con el mes del Ramadán en marcha, no se puede ignorar los matices claramente modernos en las explicaciones que … Continue reading Ramadán como antídoto al consumismo materialista
In English ﷽ Es el mes de ramadán, en que fue revelado el Corán como dirección para los hombres y como pruebas claras de la Dirección y del Criterio… [2: 185] Mientras presenciamos un otro Ramadán y recibimos sus numerosos obsequios – tanto tangibles como intangibles – nos incumbe a nosotros reflexionar sobre la centralidad del glorioso Corán en este mes sagrado y esforzarnos por … Continue reading Ramadán: el mes del Corán
