There is a lot of discussion concerning why Muslims do not celebrate Christmas, even though they accept Jesus as their Messiah, and this more so deals with the paganistic aspects of the day than anything to do with Jesus himself. Even scholars of Christianity acknowledge that the 25th of December was selected for liturgical purposes,Continue reading “Islam and Christmas”
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Mirza Ghalib, the Musk Deer and Imam ‘Ali
Mīrzā Ghālib in both his Persian and Urdu poetry has used the imagery of the musk deer and the Ka’bah in honor of ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib.
Abu Nuwas, in praise of Imam ‘Ali al-Rida (‘a)
I answered: “I am unable to praise an Imām for
Whose father [the Prophet (ṣ)] Gabriel was a servant.”
Mirza Ghalib’s Revelatory Rebuke of Hamzah Khan
“the maqṭa’ (final verse) of the poem of prophethood is the maṭla’ (first verse) of the poem of Imāmat…”
Malcolm X and Macaulayism; the Intersectionality of Epistemological Oppression
Malcolm X and Macaulayism; the Intersectionality of Epistemological Oppression Written by: Shabbir Agha Last year (2020), on the anniversary of her father’s assassination, Ilyasah Shabazz was giving a lecture about her father’s philosophy and what he was desperately trying to accomplish in the last days of his life. She began her talk by quoting herContinue reading “Malcolm X and Macaulayism; the Intersectionality of Epistemological Oppression”
Question on ‘Ismah
What is ‘ismah, and why do Shi’i Muslims believe in it? Earlier in the year, a [Sunni] chaplain at an American university sought our help answering this oft-repeated question, and the following was our response: Grammatical Answer: The controversy surrounding the concept of ‘ismah (عِصْمَة) is largely due to an incorrect orientalist-era translation from theContinue reading “Question on ‘Ismah”
Open Letter to the Imams of Friday Prayers, From Concerned American Muslims
بسم لله و بالله و الحمد لله وكفى وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى In the name of Allah, by Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and peace be upon those servants of His whom He has chosen al-Salamun ‘Alaykum Hadrat al-Shaykh / al-Sayyid al-Muhtaram: The pulpit of our beloved Prophet (s) is aContinue reading “Open Letter to the Imams of Friday Prayers, From Concerned American Muslims”
Story of Imam Musa al-Kazim and a descendant of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab
Story of Imām Mūsā al-Kāẓim and a descendant of ‘Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb Translated by Shabbir Agha Abbas We find in Tārīkh al-Baghdād, continuing Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-’Alawī’s (d. 358/969) narrative of the life of Imām al-Kāẓim (d. 183/799) based on his grandfather Yahyā b. al-Ḥasan’s* report. The report is as follows: “My grandfatherContinue reading “Story of Imam Musa al-Kazim and a descendant of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab”
Economic Justice in the Qur’an; Our Personal Responsibility
Economic Justice in the Qur’an; Our Personal Responsibility By Agha When it comes to the practice of ‘American’ Islam, it seems that there is a hyper-focus on building, maintaining, and expanding mosques. While there is no doubt that mosques represent the heart of Islamic life, where we seek guidance and education, as well as spiritualContinue reading “Economic Justice in the Qur’an; Our Personal Responsibility”
Días de Los Muertos an Exercise of Resistance
Días de Los Muertos an Exercise of Resistance In the previous few centuries there has probably been no group of peoples that has faced more violent oppression and cultural erasure than the indigenous populations of the Americas, specifically those once held by the Spanish empire. These Spanish colonizers barbarically slaughtered, pillaged, and raped the nativesContinue reading “Días de Los Muertos an Exercise of Resistance”