Tag: islam
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An Analogy and Apology for Mysticism
Let us imagine that a thoroughly modern man is transported many centuries back in time.
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Negotiating Allegiances: Muslim Universities in the Making of Postcolonial India
Laurence Gautier’s “Between Nation and Community” examines Muslim universities in post-colonial India, especially Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University, as crucial spaces for identity negotiation and nation-building, addressing communal anxieties while fostering secularism and pluralism amidst political complexities.
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Fasting as an Entry into a Transcendent Cosmic Realm
The author explores the crisis of meaning within modernity, emphasizing the loss of metaphysical grounding and identity amid neoliberal consumerism. It presents fasting as a transformative practice, aligning the self with divine attributes and serving as a resistance against hyper-individualism. Fasting purifies the soul, bridging human experience with transcendence and spiritual elevation.
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Beyond Function: Art in the Muslim Community
If you’ve ever visited an art museum with a gallery devoted to Islamic art, you probably saw many commonplace objects behind glass. Things like vases, plates, incense holders, and ink pots can be found in these galleries, adorned with intricate patterns and calligraphy. For the modern-day viewer, a question may arise when examining these highly…
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The Ramadan/Eid Bazaar
The Ramadan/Eid bazaar exemplifies the integration of morality within economic activities, fostering community connections while honoring religious values. By navigating the tension between secular and sacred realms, these bazaars help Muslims embody their ideals through practical engagement in economic life.
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Harmony Among Madhahib: Imam Al-Sha’rani’s Al-Mizan al-Kubra
The study of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) is marked by the existence of multiple schools of thought (madhahib), each offering distinct interpretations and methodologies in the application of Sharia. Among these, Imam Al-Sha’rani, a prominent 16th-century Egyptian scholar, stands out for his pioneering efforts in advocating for reconciliation and tolerance among these diverse schools. His book…
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Muslim Characters in Media: A Response to Inclusion Initiative Report
Ultimately, industries operating in this framework herald change and representation whilst establishing no ideal to evolve towards. This means religious values—or any sort of system of ethic—are bent to ‘to modernity’s will’. It is negotiated in the public space, an issue I discussed previously here. That means far from showing hijab or praying five times…
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Post-Capitalist Plastic Ummatics
Plastic ummatics moves between and into the state and society, all the while being confined by neither of the two. Plastic ummatics involves a profound process of unchaining. This unchaining is specifically a horizontal unchaining, an unchaining of human beings from the unjust domination of other human beings so that we can be free to…
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Islam and Democracy in the Twenty-first Century
Tauseef Parray’s recent study, “Islam and Democracy in the Twenty-First Century,” offers a comprehensive examination of the relationship between Islam and democracy. The book comprises seven chapters, excluding the introduction, drawing from the insights of thinkers and scholars from the nineteenth to twenty-first century, particularly those from Arab and South Asian regions. Despite recognizing elements…
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From Darkness to Light
God gave humanity a special kind of life, unique from the attribute of life associated with the rest of His creation to test their ability to submit to His Will and act in conformance to His Command. This temporary life is punctuated by death, and then the afterlife, where one will reap what they sowed—virtue,…