Lessons on the Pitfalls of Modernity in ‘The Road to Mecca’

Muhammad Asad’s autobiographical account The Road to Mecca (1954) is a fine work that moves between various genres, including historical narration, adventure tale and conversion story, presenting numerous entertaining anecdotes. More intriguing, however, is the unique and fascinatingly nuanced insight that Asad (formerly Leopold Weiss), gives into a soulless and lost Europe of the early twentieth century juxtaposed by his discovery of a strikingly different world. This was a world which had preserved a connection to the Divine throughout spheres in human life, predominantly infused by Islam, i.e. the lands which are now widely known as the MENA region. Continue reading Lessons on the Pitfalls of Modernity in ‘The Road to Mecca’

Halal Consumption and Our Spiritual Health

We must be scrupulous in what we eat because the rest of human civilization depends on us. The actions of non-Muslims are not as important as the actions of Muslims — it is the actions of Muslims that govern the welfare of the entire planet. We are responsible for what happens in the world. Our good deeds have a good impact and our bad deeds have a bad impact — not only on the physical environment but on people. Continue reading Halal Consumption and Our Spiritual Health

رمضان: شهر مناهضة الإمبريالية

لقد عتاد المسلمون على العيش في حالة دفاع دائمة كثمن لوجودهم، ونشروا بسهولة تفسيرات لممارساتهم الدينية والثقافية. قد تكون هذه صفقة مقبولة وحتى مستحسنة للحفاظ على السلام في المجتمعات الحديثة المتنوعة، ولكن مع حلول شهر رمضان المبارك، لا يمكن للمرء أن يتجاهل الصبغات الحديثة المميزة في التفسيرات المتداولة لفوائدها العديدة. يتجاهل الخطاب المعاصر حول هذه الفوائد بشكل متزايد جوهرها الأخلاقي والميتافيزيقي، ويقدم تفسيرات مادية بدلاً … Continue reading رمضان: شهر مناهضة الإمبريالية

Soetsu Yanagi: ‘The Beauty of Everyday Things’

“The Beauty of Everyday Things,” is a compilation of writings by Soetsu Yanagi (1889 – 1961), an art historian and philosopher of religion, who founded the Mingei (民芸) movement of Japanese folk art, inspired by the beautifully hand-crafted objects created by ordinary and often unknown artisans for everyday use. [1] Influenced by John Ruskin and William Morris, his writings on Mingei integrate aesthetics, metaphysics, nationalism and material production. Alongside supporting the efforts of artisans to preserve traditional techniques, Yanagi also founded the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in 1936, which is still open and active today. Continue reading Soetsu Yanagi: ‘The Beauty of Everyday Things’

The Ibn ‘Arabī Connection: How Akbarian Metaphysics Shaped South Asian Sufism      

To those that, like me, spent their lockdown evenings watching Diliriş: Ertuğrul, Ibn ʿArabī will be a familiar name. Draped in the robes of a dervish, Ozman Sirgood’s character wanders the landscapes of medieval Anatolia, dispensing scriptural wisdom and delivering spiritual guidance to the eponymous protagonist and his plucky tribespeople. Continue reading The Ibn ‘Arabī Connection: How Akbarian Metaphysics Shaped South Asian Sufism      

علماء المسلمين في اليابان: التفكر في الإسلام في مجتمع غير مسلم

ما يلي مقتبس من محاضرة الدكتور قييم ناوكي ياماموتو ، العلماء المسلمون في اليابان: التفكير في الإسلام في مجتمع غير مسلم. وهو جزء من سلسلة محاضرات من ثلاثة أجزاء بعنوان “شرق آسيا والإسلام: الحاضر والماضي والمستقبل” في مركز الدراسات الآسيوية والشرق أوسطية (CAMES). تم اختصار النص وتحريره للتدفق مع بعض التعليقات الإضافية من قبل الدكتور ياماموتو. أظن أن معظم الناس ليسوا على دراية بالتاريخ الإسلامي … Continue reading علماء المسلمين في اليابان: التفكر في الإسلام في مجتمع غير مسلم

From Principles to Patients: Darul Qasim College’s Approach to Islamic Bioethics

What is the ‘Muslim’ response to June 24th, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to develop their own standards for abortion laws? How can shifāʾ — the all-encompassing cure mentioned in the Quran — inform the modern drug development pipeline? Where can Muslim physicians draw on their desire for ihsān (excellence) to improve care for patients, be they Muslim or not? Muslim physicians likely account for at least 4.5% of all practicing physicians in America, but beyond our strength in numbers, what else can we offer to the broader society that is informed by our Islam? Continue reading From Principles to Patients: Darul Qasim College’s Approach to Islamic Bioethics

Transgender Ideology: A Book Review of Ryan T. Anderson’s “When Harry Became Sally”

In under 300 pages, Anderson discusses the wide range of affected areas: political development, specifically civil rights strides under the Obama administration; medicine; philosophical incoherence of the movement; the experiences of individuals regretting undergoing sex-reassignment procedures (“detransitioners”); reforms in education to indoctrinate children; coercion to align with the latest evolution of the ideology; cultural and media forces; the encroachment into single-sex spaces and the harm to women especially. Continue reading Transgender Ideology: A Book Review of Ryan T. Anderson’s “When Harry Became Sally”

Towards An Islamic Theory of Culture Part III: It Starts and Ends With Tawḥīd

The theocentricity of Islam is distinguished from other faith traditions through the principle of tawḥīd (absolute monotheism). Faruqi argues that tawḥīd is not merely a tenet of creed, but also a philosophical foundation. All matters of a Muslim’s life, his belief, spiritual and social obligations, are all in service of tawḥīd. When taking Islam as an entire system of thought rather than a set of customs and superstitions, tawḥīd is the philosophical foundation upon which it stands. All endeavors, be they personal, social, political, intellectual, scientific or artistic, must be in service of this sublime divinity.  Continue reading Towards An Islamic Theory of Culture Part III: It Starts and Ends With Tawḥīd

Sports as Sacred and Secular Activities

The modern world is witness to how sports have transformed from merely physical (and at times mental) exercises to economic, cultural, and even political forces to be reckoned with… [however] H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad  argues that despite its despiritualized and industrialized form today, the popular pastime of sports turns out to have sacred origin and importance. Continue reading Sports as Sacred and Secular Activities