The Qur’ān and Us – Part II

Something which the Muslims and indeed the non-Muslims have come to realise is the immense power of the Qur’ān – once tasted, never forgotten.

Muslims throughout history dream about it day and night, wondering how incredible it would be if they could memorise it.

Others dream how great it would be to recite like the masters of old, being able to capture the hearts of those listening in an intense and indeed overpowering moment of feeling, enchanted by His Words and Wisdom; didn’t he (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, “Hasbuk! Hasbuk!” (Enough! Enough!) unable to continue with the power of His words upon him.

Students of knowledge and scholars alike wonder how it would be if they knew the true meanings of His Verses ‘azza wa jall; a gift that very few will ever have the pleasure and satisfaction of achieving.

Then we have the general Muslims who might have given up on trying to commit this miracle to heart but are willing to sacrifice everything they have in order that their children will become the next generation of preservers – they wait patiently in order to receive their promised crowns of light in the next life, at the hands of the intercession of their offspring.

And what of the non-Muslims? There are those who have wondered all their lives what all the fuss was about and there are others who have entire departments working for them in order to destroy its message and power.

Others have already given up and realised that as long as the Qur’ān exists amongst the Muslim nation, it will never be overcome. It is of little surprise then to see that after the failed efforts to fabricate, deviate and destroy its message, new attempts centre on banning the book entirely from public access.

This would be laughable if it wasn’t something already alluded to by Islamic practice and tradition. The way of our early fathers was to commit the Qur’ān to personal memory, with the physical book (mush-haf) version being a luxury. To this effect, the Prophetic injunctions to memorise the Qur’ān and the excellence and honour of such an action in addition to the rewards promised by Allah ‘azza wa jall, make this a clear priority in the life of the practising Muslim.

Add to this the declaration of the Creator, “Hence, indeed, we have made this Qur’ān easy o bear in mind; who, then, is willing to take it to heart.” (al-Qamr, 17) and thus we should try and investigate as much as possible how to memorise as much of this blessed book as we can.

The only problem is to decide on which method to use in memorising the Noble Book and thus enter the company of that exclusive honoured group: the Preservers of the Scripture.

This series was written based on the author’s experiences of the ultra-traditional method of the Shanqiti tribe in North West Africa yet one should be quick to realise the immense difficulty of trying to apply this blessed method with our present situation in the West.

The problem becomes clearer when we look at the basic Shanqiti method: arising early at Fajr time, utilising that blessed morning period for a few hours to read the chosen pages to ones Shaykh, and then after having it corrected, proceeding to write out the chosen verses a number of times and then repeated continuously for often as much as a couple of hundred times to commit it to memory. The rest of the day is spent in revision, in tandem with other students to check each other and the valuable teaching of other younger children to further cement previous memorised portions. After the Maghrib prayer, there will be a further revision period of the day’s appointed portion as well as the revision of yesterday’s pages. An early night would be encouraged and thus we have a general outline of what happens in a traditional mahdhara such as found amongst the tribes of the Shanqitis, with a few minor variations to suit specific schools.

So what’s wrong with trying to apply that here in the West or more specifically the UK?

Firstly, one should always be realistic about ones ability and logistically prepare themselves for what they are able to do. Those who are truly serious about their desire to memorise the Qur’ān will often take a few years out to travel to a specialist centre in the Muslim world to be able to dedicate themselves to this most noble of tasks. The sheer silence and pristine environment of the Saharah Desert or the mountains of the North West Frontier in Pakistan has its own blessing in trying to pursue this aim, out of sight of mobile phones and internet connections and the other numerous distractions that day-to-day life bring.

Unfortunately, the above scenario will remain just a dream to many, especially those who are married, something which invariably proves to destroy ones crack at serious study despite all the time and effort expended in choosing a partner “who will want to go abroad and study seriously with me”, only to find parents, pregnancy and a new home suddenly appear out of nowhere to change ones life direction.

For those who are willing to try and implement some form of classical system into their daily routines living in the West, unfortunately come across many hurdles which de-motivate the individual which perhaps a clearer picture of the task ahead might help to avoid. Part of that clarity would be to be realistic about ones working day in the UK.

The tremendous variation in the length of the night is probably one of the single most key factors. During the summer, one is unable to go to sleep until very late, often 11-11:30 pm but yet will have to arise before 4am for the Fajr prayer. With no siesta in the working day, it is very difficult to expect to work on just four hours sleep for a full twenty four hour working day to allow oneself to revise after Fajr when the majority of people will utilise the post-Fajr period to prepare sleep-wise for the working day. Although there will be a further period for study available later on in the day during these long days, it is a time of noise, business and family and hence not conducive to memorisation as are the early Fajr hours.

This extreme then flips to very long nights in the Winter which brings its own problems of late Fajr prayer times (hence not allowing any time post-Fajr because the working day has begun) which require students to rise early in the dark of Tahajjud and stay awake, something which is more difficult to do in terms of memorisation.

Throw into this the lack of qualified scholars to revise with, the constant distractions of modern day life in a developed country and most importantly, the fact that our hearts collectively are too dark with mistakes and sin to allow space for the light of the knowledge of God and we really have a problem on our hands. All this, and when we remember that the Qur’ān itself has been made easy and joyous to recite and memorise, we recognise that it is our merry selves that have made it so difficult!

One details these issues only to bring a sense of realism to our endeavours to become Preservers of the Holy Scripture. Although we want to encourage everyone to become closer to the amazing miracle that is the Qur’ān, we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the rewards promised by Allah for the memorisers are something achieved in a flash without utter dedication. Did anyone expect the Qur’ān to intercede for us on the Final Day just based upon our mere good intentions?

What this means is that we have to be dynamic in our approach to becoming closer to the Qur’ān, and in particular when it comes to memorisation. Muslims will continue to live the lifestyles they currently do and the Qur’ān will need memorising as it always has. As times evolve, we can adapt without having to betray our heritage and culture.

The Muslim Arab world in particular has been studying many modern-day memorisation techniques that have been developed by leading thinkers and academics from the West, modified to fit the religious context Muslims desire and are claiming good results already due to their suitability to the Western lifestyle. This can be seen as similar to the boom in online-based Islamic learning systems as well as intensive weekend seminars and case-based learning models which have only become popular due to the scholars that have endorsed them as the replacement to classical learning for those unable to pursue the normal route in the West.

Also it should be noted that some will still be able to derive the principles of the classical methods of numerous repetitions and utilise times more conducive to their working day, and then cleverly make use of opportunities with their Shaykh a few times a week and depend on high quality digital recordings of the Qurrā’ to maintain discipline and authenticity on the other days. This has been witnessed widely by this author in the West, and alongside a greater concern from parents to use their children’s free early years to memorise the Qur’ān whilst young with parental supervision and other modern media aids, has proved to be a real solution for those who are willing to confront the challenges of modernity face-on with a sincere, patient and dynamic attitude.

And with Allah is all success. It is He we ask to grant us ability - indeed, He is All-Capable of that.

Do you want the good news or the better news?

The good news is that we have another new Muslim to add to the Cheshire ranks.

Alhamdulillah for the blessing of Islam - my goodness is it enough for us as a blessing!

The better news is that the image you get of footballers on the back pages isn't so accurate after all...

:-)

It's back.

:-)

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing away of Shaykh 'Abd al-Ghaffar Hasan this morning in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The Shaykh has been ill for some time now. You will probably know of the Shaykh in that he was the father of our beloved teacher Shaykh Suhaib Hasan and thus the grandfather of Imam Usama Hasan of Leyton, East London.

This is incredibly sad news for many of us who benefitted from him and not just for the obvious news of the loss of more of our senior scholars as we slip further into times of ignorance.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

Please take some time out to ask Allah 'azza wa jall to shower His Mercy upon him.

The Janazah prayer will be held tomorrow in Islamabad after the Jumu'ah prayer insha'Allah, almost certainly at King Faisal Masjid for those fortunate enough to be there to pray over him.

Rahimahullah rahmatan wasi'ah.

The Cricket World Cup has truly been overshadowed by the shocking news of the death of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistani cricket coach.

All deaths are unfortunate but for the sporting world, and significantly the Pakistani cricket team, it is difficult to imagine a darker hour.

Many were amazed that even the gutsy Woolmer would take on what has to be one of the highest pressure jobs and most difficult positions in sport – to manage a cricket team that enjoys and indeed suffers from the fanatical support of hundreds of millions of Pakistanis, intrinsically linked to the corrupt politics of the country and all this in addition to the nuances that working with Pakistani culture bring.

People blame Pakistanis for being conspiracy theorists but how can we not be when a year in the life of the Pakistani cricketing fraternity throws up a greater story-line than any Hollywood movie could dream of weaving? What other soap-opera could produce a team where religion, ego, dictatorships, skill, corruption, power, quality, pride, arrogance, grittiness, hedonism, cheating, drama and every other adjective you can imagine to describe the ups and downs of the Pakistani cricket team?

And all this handed on a plate to the quintessential Englishman Bob Woolmer to try and sort out. Good luck Bob everyone said at the time. Luck obviously would count for nothing.

Aside from the marvellous professional that he was, it was his human touch that was most impressive. Trust me, it’s not easy to go to foreign countries and cultures to ply your wares; it’s hardly ever going to be enough money to do so anyway. His acceptance of the ICC’s development manager role for the smaller non-cricket playing nations indicated it but it was his acceptance of the Pakistan position which really proved that, despite the cynics and his pay package at the time, this was someone who really was in love with the sport and wanted to hone and perfect the art in a country that has more talent than any other, despite the obvious dangers, threats and pressure applicable to a white Englishman foreigner.

Personally this was nothing new to me. Since the day he came visiting the Ilford Cricket Festival as the coach of Warwickshire at the time, and he and his team signed the bat of this young Essex cricket fan, you could see his real innocent, sincere and indeed childlike enthusiasm for the beautiful game and its development in the youth and all others not exposed to its finer and more honourable points. When I think of him now, I just feel like I lost a close friend; that is how much I read and followed his opinions and advice.

Anyone who kept up with his Cricinfo column and his commentary in the wider media recognised that this was a voice of unparalleled authority in the game coupled with a sense of calm, gentleness and ease that was just asking for thugs like Shoaib Akhtar and his cronies at the PCB would totally use and abuse.

I feel most of all sorry for him that apparently no-one from the practising Muslims in his team were successful in giving him the gift of faith before his death. I feel sorry for his family. I feel sorry for cricket. I feel sorry for sport for it has lost one of its greatest ever teachers and scholars.

But what now for Pakistan? A team in such disarray has been thrown almost impossibly into a greater state of chaos and anarchy. Bob Woolmer brought back a little quality, honour and unity to the Pakistan team. He raised the international profile of the team and indeed country, on the field with his skill and off the field with his positive statements on the unifying and religious nature of the team and their culture, despite how difficult it must have been for him.

Isn’t it unbelievable that it is the English foreigner coach who pays with his life, whether out of shock and stress or something even more sad, rather than all the corrupt politicians and under-performing players being held more accountable for their actions? Could it possibly be worse from a PR point of view that the martyr for the cause to rectify the Pakistani cricket team was a foreigner?

Who on Earth will take such a job now? What effect will this have on some of the players in the team? Where does Pakistani cricket go from here?

There is only one answer, and in fact, there has always only ever been one answer in Pakistan: Allahu A’lam.

Who said I supported Pakistan anyway?

It's Ronaldo we support up here, Ronaldo. Yeah.

And hey it doesn't matter as long as the Indians get battered too.

:-)

We spent all of last year discussing the rights of our mothers in the explanation to al-Adab al-Mufrad (which we hope to re-start in about a months time).

This is a nice reminder though on the same topic. Submitted by Zakariya Goga, jazahullahu khayr.


Mothers Day

During the mid 18th century “Mothering Sunday” was the traditional day of the week specifically set aside to honour the mother for her duties to the family in England. Following the industrial revolution this custom was deserted due to the very nature of capitalism which by extension pre-occupies one’s psyche with the self. It was not until 1915 that this “Mother’s Day” was made an international holiday through the fortitude of Anne Jarvis (USA), who endeavoured to establish a set day in the year to commemorate mothers worldwide following the death of her own beloved mother.

Again, it is that time of the year. The whole world honours the mother - for 24 hours – and that is it.

I am obliged to write this short article following my reflections on the recent birth of my child and the endeavour of his mother in looking after him along with the rest of the house; a phenomenon I admit to my own limitations in simply changing a nappy.

Our pristine religion called for this celebration of our mothers as being a necessary action, intrinsic in the nature of parenthood, and in particular with regards to the mother. It comes as no surprise now, at the myriad of familiar verses of the Qur’an and Hadith in indication of this honour, and certainly not the least unexpected that Imam al-Bukhari’s first chapter in his great work al-Adab al-Mufrad began with the chapter on Motherhood.

It is exceptionally difficult to appreciate the state of pregnancy/labour unless one is in that state. Nine months of first hand experience travelling through this emotional and physical rollercoaster as my wife’s “pregnancy/birthing partner” resulted in myself immediately and profusely apologising to my mother for each time I have simply distressed her; and that was the least.

The sleepless nights, washing of defecation, feeding on demand, disruption of personal life, stress at the thought of the immunisation process, concern over a snuffly nose or a graze, constant pursuit of keeping warm, gifts, toys, silly faces and embarrassing songs – the list is endless. And all of the above mentioned is only for the first 6 months of life.

So now each time I witness my son’s nappy being changed or the sound of baby songs at 3am, a tear finds it’s way on my cheek, and the du'a “Rabb-irham huma kama rabbayaani saghira” (“Oh my Lord, show mercy of them as they did when I was small”) is moist on my tongue.

Remember the words of ibn ‘Abbas, which is a reflection of all the verses of the Qur’an and Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “I do not know any action that will bring one closer to Allah than showing kindness to the mother” [Adab-al-Mufrad]

Smile often, plant kisses on her forehead, embrace her each time you meet, once a week make breakfast in bed, and shower her with flowers, scent, delicatessens regularly – as it is the regular actions that embed in the hearts real affection or abhorrence between two parties.

Much Ado About Hijrah


Fewer issues cause as much angst and disputation, whether at the top level of scholars or amongst general laymen, as does the ruling concerning Hijrah or technically “the emigration from the land of non-Muslims to the land of Islam.”

I wish to make the following various (and totally random) points to clarify what some of you may have understood from what I have said in a khutbah given in 2003 and various postings since then and thus to provide for reflection for those arguing about it.

- Firstly at the onset so as to make my intentions clear and save everyone reading on if they so wish, I follow the opinion that it is not an obligation upon the Muslims living in non-Muslim lands to make Hijrah unless they are prevented from performing the very basic aspects of their religion.

- This is an issue which has been differed over, more so in recent times by the contemporary scholars reflecting the fact that it is (in general) a relatively new problem. This difference in essence reflects their varying understanding of what “difficulty in practising their religion” actually means and whether the Muslims really are better off in their non-Muslim lands than other Muslim lands they might be able to move to.

- That said, Muslim minorities have always existed in pockets distributed in various non-Muslim lands and areas throughout the last 1400 years; the scholars in general preferred their living with the Muslims under the rationale that their practising of their religion would become more pure, safer and more complete. The classical books of fiqh are replete with statements confirming the obligatory nature of Hijrah unless the Muslims were amongst tribes and people that didn’t restrict their practices.

- It becomes an absolute obligation for the Muslims to make Hijrah if they are unable to fundamentally perform their religion because Allah ‘azza wa jall says in Sūrat’l-Nisā’:

“Verily, as for those whom the angels take while they are wronging
themselves, they say, 'In what condition were you?' They reply, 'We were weak and oppressed in the Earth.' They say, 'Was not the Earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?' Those will find their abode in Hell, and what an evil destination.” (4:97-98)

- Remember again that as the exegetes of the Qur’ān tell us, this above verse refers to in principle those Muslims who were fighting against the Islamic state on the side of the Polytheists, and those who are unable to practise their religion at all. At the very least, this verse is a severe warning for all Muslims who live in non-Muslim lands to assess their roles and functions in those societies.

- The inability to perform ones religion leads to the absolute individual obligation of emigration to any other place that allows one to do that, worst case being to another non-Muslim land and best case a true Muslim country running by Sharī‘ah as it should be (and not as it has been claimed to be in the last 100 years). This is of course from the basics of Maqāsid al-Sharī‘ah i.e. that to preserve ones religion takes priority over preservation of life and wealth and other necessities.

- Also, one must understand that the above verse does not obligate moving to an Islamic state but rather to where there is no fear, weakness and oppression i.e. where the person can live safely in security and confidently practise his/her religion fully. This can be seen in the action of the Companions who were sent by the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) from a land of warring and oppressive non-Muslims to another non-Muslim land (Abyssinia) with its own set of problems yet ultimately being ruled with justice and peace and hence allowing the Muslims to practice their Deen to an acceptable level.

- Also note, there is no evidence to show that the Companions were forced to return back to the Islamic state once the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took control which would of course have been the case if it was an obligation. Rather they returned out of their own volition.

- Other than in this extreme situation (where one cannot pray, dress modestly and worship etc), there is no clear-cut evidence that puts the Muslims in sin for not emigrating to a Muslim land. The only other exception (which was also differed over) is when the Khalīfah gives a command to the Muslims to do so – unless it is impossible, to disobey him would be sinful according to the majority. Others opined that as a result of their refusal to make Hijrah, their families would not get the full-amount of blood money due if that country/area was attacked as can be found in the books of fiqh. Naturally this discussion doesn’t apply when a Jihād is declared for which it becomes obligatory for the Muslims to participate in.

- It is not lost on you I am sure that rather than having a Khalīfah calling us to Dār’l-Islām at the moment, we have many Muslim leaders trying their very best to make it is as wholly difficult as possible to live in a Muslim country. That is of course, if you can make it in. Once in, and as a foreigner, you can guarantee that you’re already as big a suspect on the “War on Terror” as you think you might be back in the West, except that at least you have a fair chance of escaping torture back in Blighty. At least the Lib Dems and Gareth Peirce might be watching your back.

- Likewise, to slightly complicate the issue albeit admittedly this does not provide legal evidence in this debate, it would be absolutely impossible to house the hundreds of millions of Muslims that live in Europe, the USA, India, China etc into Muslim countries. This is a geographical, social, cultural and most importantly a political fact.

- At the very least, this reality would lead to a change in the conditions affecting a fiqhi (legal) ruling on the obligatory nature of Hijrah as is well known from the principles of usūl ul-fiqh.

- Muslims should realise that in principle, they belong in Muslim lands where they can practice their Islam with strength, respect and honour. A Muslim shouldn’t normally leave such a land for the land of the non-Muslims except temporarily for a specific legal reason. It is sheer folly to try and argue otherwise. As for the Muslim born and living in a non-Muslim land, it is recommended for him to be in a land where Islam is fully established, so that he can enjoy and utilise the strength of the nation in expressing his religion.

- The oft-repeated ‘narration’ of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) which many use as the main evidence to prohibit the residence of Muslims in non-Muslim lands namely:

بعث رسول اللَّه صلى الله عليه وسلم سرية إلى خثعم فاعتصم ناس منهم بالسجود، فأسرع فيهم القتل، قال: فبلغ ذلك النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فأمر لهم بنصف العقل، وقال: «أنا بريء من كل مسلم يقيم بين أظهر المشركين» قالوا: يا رسول اللَّه لِـمَ؟ قال: لا تراءى ناراهما

Jarīr b. ‘Abdullah is reported to have said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent a battalion to the tribe of Khuth‘um. Some of the members of the tribe sought salvation in performing prostration. However, the battalion hurriedly killed them. When the Messenger of Allah heard of this, he ordered their families to be paid half the amount of blood money and said, “I am free from every Muslim who lives amongst the Polytheists.” We asked, “Why is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “You could not distinguish between their two fires.” (i.e. between who were Muslims and who were non-Muslims)

This narration was collected by Abu Dāwūd and Tirmidhi. It was graded weak by al-Bukhāri, al-Nasā’i, Abu Hātim al-Rāzi, al-Dāraqutni as well as many others (see ‘Ilal al-Hadith of Abu Hātim, No. 942). Such a weak (and mursal) report cannot be used as evidence that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has prohibited for Muslims to remain amongst non-Muslims.

- For the sake of argument even if the above narration was authentic, it doesn’t in any way indicate that it is impermissible for Muslims to live amongst non-Muslims. Rather it indicates, as is found in the books of fiqh under the chapters of jināyāt and diya, that those who choose to live like this will take responsibility for their own lives. So for example, if a Khalīfah established himself as a leader of the Jihād in Afghanistan and decided to launch a nuclear attack against the UK in retaliation to the invasion of 2001, and we British Muslims all died alongside British non-Muslims, our extended families would not be able to claim for blood-money, or could only claim limited damages against the Khalīfah, as discussed and differed over by the Fuqahā’. This is because we chose to live here despite being warned by the leader not to. If the above hadith was authentic, then it is the same: the leader declaring himself free of any liability arising out of Muslim or peaceful non-Muslim deaths.

- At the same time, no-one should be so naïve to believe that Muslims have it all good in the non-Muslim lands just because Muslims are able to pray, fast, cover their hair and get double stamp duty exemption. Those scholars who obligated emigration did so for the hidden and subtle damage that occurs to the belief and faith of the Muslim as they live their lives and sub-consciously ingest the diseases of disbelief and hypocrisy. Please do not patronise these scholars and those who sincerely make Hijrah in the belief that they are protecting their families and religion. “And for every man is that what he intended.”

- This fact should make many Muslims in the non-Muslim lands be very careful and weary in case they are indeed in sin. And no doubt, many Muslim families have fallen foul of our religious requirements especially when it comes to protecting the family, failing miserably in the tarbiyyah of their children who are now the biggest drug users and abusers, dealers and pimps in this country; and if not drugs then the Asians and then British Muslims have reached a greater percentage of inmates in the British prison system than their percentage of the population of this country.

- Likewise, one shouldn’t be so naïve to believe that one will become a better Muslim by being in so-called Muslim countries for it often leads to the exact opposite for some. Hence, one should deal with the issue on an individual case-by-case basis; it is all about the maslahah and the mafsadah and whether the good outweighs the bad.

- People need to judge their own situations specifically and make decisions that are well thought out and planned that will be the best for their Deen and Dunya and future generations, ensuring that priority is given to the Right of Allah ‘azza wa jall and then promote His justice throughout the world as the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said collected by Imām Ahmad (1420):

"البلاد بلاد الله، والعباد عباد الله، وحيثما أصبت خيراً فأقم"،
“The lands are the Lands of Allah, and the servants are the Servants of Allah, so wherever you come across good, then stay there.”

- The Muslim who lives in non-Muslim lands doesn’t have to feel guilty every day and night just because they might not be a scholar or a student of knowledge helping and guiding other people, as is mistakenly quoted by some. Rather the obligation concerns the preservation of ones own religion and then the propagation of it as a gift to others only if one has that particular ability. And God does not burden a soul more than it can bear.

- Just because the level of fitnah in “The West” is high (although rapidly reaching parity in many Muslim lands) it is not the answer to run away and not a reason to obligate Hijrah; this isn’t just because of the old adage established by ‘Umar (radhy Allāhu ‘anhu) of worship in times of fitnah being better and more rewardable. Rather if you believe that by moving to some Muslim land (or even the Khilāfah established upon Prophethood) that you will be protected from fitnah, then you have made a huge mistake.

- The land/country/area that you reside in will not become some sudden shield for you if your heart is still diseased and your mind ignorant from the laws, principles and details of Islam. It is of no surprise to learn then that when Abu al-Dardā’ settled in Palestine and wrote a letter to his very close friend Salmān al-Fārisi (radhy Allāhu ‘anhum) inviting him to leave Iraq where he was staying and return back to “al-‘Ardh al-Muqaddasah” (the Holy land of Palestine), Salmān replied:

ان أبا الدرداء كتب إلى سلمان الفارسي ان هلم إلى الأرض المقدسة فكتب إليه سلمان ان الأرض لا تقدس أحدا وإنما يقدس الإنسان عمله

“The land never makes someone holy; rather what makes man holy are his actions.”

- The real issue is the level and quality of your Islam after your Hijrah. There are some people who take a greater portion from their prayer performed in more difficult circumstances surrounded by fitnah in the lands of disbelief than those who are absent in mind and indeed absent in heart whilst standing in front of the very Ka‘bah itself. Never has a Prophetic narration made more sense than when one actually experiences this reality.

- It is wholly incorrect to argue against the benefits of making Hijrah to a Muslim country because of illegal bribery, corruption, inefficiency and lower modern standards. Indeed those who live in the non-Muslim lands who know anything about how Governmental agencies and departments work will recognise that all the above occurs here too – but just in a more subtle form and indeed “legalised.”

- We must remember that the reason for Hijrah is to become closer to Allah and use all possible resources to reach that objective in whichever land you reside. Hijrah to some Muslim countries in the form of job promotion to the Middle East or returning back to countries of ethnic origin to live with extended family might be all well and convenient, cheaper, provide high quality education for the kids at private foreign schools (the irony!) and eventually lead to an easier life but has Hijrah been done because one is sick of tired of working 9-5 every day or because it is for the pleasure of your Lord?

- Back to the issue of “being able to practice ones religion”. A good working standard could be that which was offered by the hadith of Fudayk (radhy Allāh ‘anhu), despite the difference over its authenticity:

– وكان قد أسلم، وأراد أن يهاجر فطلب منه قومه وهم كفار أن يبقى معهم، واشترطوا له أنهم لن يتعرضوا لدينه، ففر فديك بعد ذلك إلى النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – فقال: يا رسول الله إنهم يزعمون أنه من لم يهاجر، هلَكَ فقال النبي – عليه الصلاة والسلام –: "يا فديك أقم الصلاة، واهجر السوء، واسكن من أرض قومك حيث شئت"

A Companion called Fudayk became Muslim and wanted to make Hijrah but his people, who were non-Muslims, wanted him to stay, and promised him that he could practice his religion freely. He came to the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, they claim that the one who doesn’t emigrate is destroyed,” to which the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, “O Fudayk, establish the Prayer, stay away from sin and then live in the land of your people wherever you wish.” (Ibn Hibbān, 4861)

What are the key points or conditions then of living in a land like ours: to establish the prayer i.e. you must be able to perform all your prayers at any time without any problem. Secondly, that you must stay away from and protect yourself (and family) from as much sin as possible. If you are sinning yourself or having problems with prayer which are related to your location, then you must leave – it becomes a fardh al-‘ayn and that’s why the asl of Hijrah is obligatory, i.e. that one moves to a place where Islam can be established and the Deen can be practiced.

In conclusion to all these many random points, listed here only really to show the depth of the discussion concerning Hijrah and illustrate some potential mistakes that protagonists on both sides are guilty of, I would like to end with this:

The practical reality (and not the legal ruling of course) is that there are millions of Muslims who are firmly settled in their countries and societies from birth and who have a huge responsibility to safeguard their Deen and that of their families, friends and communities. Many have claimed that the grass is greener on the other side but it has proved anything but for a small number of Muslims who became too concerned with the external Hijrah and left the internal Hijrah for later.

The internal always comes first, then followed by the external. If we can all focus how to purify our lives and preserve our surroundings the best we can, we might be able to fulfill the Prophetic injunction which precedes any physical Hijrah to another land, rather it starts with the internal Hijrah obligatory on every soul in every corner of the Earth, namely:

المهاجر من هجر ما نهى الله عنه

“The real Muhājir is the one who leaves that which Allah has forbidden.”

For many millions of Muslims, the only Islam they know is the particular nuanced flavour of Islamic culture they live out in their various communities around the world. Although it might be possible yet very difficult for many Muslims to try and adapt totally to a new culture and way of life in a Muslim country, they are not obligated to leave their current areas as long as their particular flavour of Islam tastes the same as the blessed Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). By the way, a change in the packaging is okay.

And Allah ‘azza wa jall knows best.

This was only forwarded to me tonight so that means tomorrow night, you should either go there and support CagePrisoners (because remember, ala National Lottery, it could be YOU next...), or you'd better be studying along with me or you could sit at home and watch Pop Idol or Ice Skating or whatever fraud phone-in bakwas they're pushing these days. Yeah.

An evening with Moazzam Begg

Fundraising meal for the Cage Prisoners campaign and Respect with guest speaker Moazzam Begg (ex-Guantanamo Bay prisoner) and speaker from Respect - the Unity Coalition.

7.30pm, Saturday 10th March
Saffron Restaurant, Old Town Hall,
Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester.
Tickets £15 (£10 unwaged - £8 children - under 5s free)

To help us plan this event successfully please could you book in advance. This will help us in ordering the right amount of food. You can book in three ways

1. Call Nahella on 07976 616 091
2. Reply to this email (request the number of tickets and then pay cash/cheque on the door)
3. Book online and pay by credit/debit card at http://www.respectnorthwest.org/moazzam

Ok, apologies for being late on this especially after those who have been querying.

The first Season of our class, the explanation of al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imam al-Bukhari (r), will be showing on air tonight on the Islam Channel.

As the students will remember, it is a 50-minute class but Islam Channel have cut it in half into two 25-minutes programmes and re-edited the show with their own intro and whatnot (and hence all good/bad feedback to them and not PG!). The first part will be tonight at 10pm and then the second part will be on Sunday 4pm.

Thereafter, it will be shown every Tuesday and Thursday at 10pm. Then every Sunday at 4pm, there will be the full 50-minute version shown as a repeat for those wanting to catch up on the previous week’s two 25-minute episodes, rather like the Eastenders omnibus that all of you watch (yeah we know) every Sunday at 3pm. I advise all those students who wish to revise Season One to pay attention to this particular 4pm time-slot as it will be more conducive to your own notes.

Hopefully one day, PG shall host the full un-edited classes on some kind of server-thingy when someone shows them how to do something like that. Don’t hold your breath.

Also, following the good news of avoiding an operation on my knee wal-hamdulillah, we hope to be starting the second Season of al-Adab al-Mufrad, same time, same place maybe around April 13th, but we’ll keep you posted insha’Allah.

Finally there is a sister in difficulty, new to Manchester with two children who is urgently looking for accommodation. I don’t have full details yet but if anyone in the Manchester/North West area can help, please get in touch via here or normal channels or the PG site/brothers.

Jazākaumullahu khayran.

I wanted to watch an old movie favourite of mine but haven't found the time. It's called "No Retreat No Surrender".

Good film you know. Maybe Amjad you could recommend it to Aisha sometime...

;-)

It's good to see that Saifullah is still proving, wal-hamdulillah, that leaving Cambridge for Sri Lanka hasn't affected the quality of our premier Islamic site on the web - a website that has made our lives a whole lot less stressful (and actually, rather lazy to be honest!) when having to deal with the plethora of Orientalist shubuhat and the like.

Long live the Indians. And pay up to keep the website running itself too - otherwise known as "defending the Deen" and "saving oneself by Sadaqah".

Yeah.

Documentary Evidence For Early Islam

For those who were recently asking about how to understand Taqlid, Hood comes up with the goods bang on cue, saves me a whole load of time and so he's a jolly good fellow.

And so say all of us, us, us.

Taqlid

An interesting dilemma facing scholars in modern times is how to approach the issues of eclipses - or more accurately, whether we should promote the actions recommended during an eclipse well before the actual event due to the technological advances that have enabled us to accurately predict the exact second when it will occur. Hence, the awe of the moment is almost lost as people wait for it to happen and you should know that it is a definite 'illah in eclipses to shock and remind the people of the Power of Allah 'azza wa jall. The sudden nature of eclipses is indeed part of that.

Frankly, we have little choice but to remind ourselves of what to do because if we don't, then the majority of us don't have a clue when it does happen - should we stand there and gawk at it or take advantage and follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and try to gain the pleasure of Allah instead?

Anyway, there will be a full lunar eclipse tomorrow night (3rd March) starting technically at 8pm-ish (GMT) but the serious stuff occuring between 9.30pm to 11.30pm-ish and then finishing just before midnight. Alhamdulillah, at least being vague about the exact times might instill some emotion when it does actually fully occur and then instead of wasting time with 'Match of the Day', or even worse sitting there hand in hand with your girlfriend/partner/mate wondering "O how romantic!", we might try and follow the Sunnah instead.

And hence, in the best of Blue Peter fashion, here's a little something that I prepared earlier. Well, a few years ago. Whatever.

Understanding Eclipses the Islamic Way

So I'm walking down this aisle in the supermarket, concentrating on the shelves as I'm in a rush and then I hear someone to the front of me on the left hand side say, "Err...excuse me...".

You know, in one of those exact voices you do when you want some help from the shelf-stacker on trying to find the sugar or the boxed raisins.

Anyway, I ignored him of course. I thought to myself, "Does it look like I work here? Does this dress look like a uniform to you??"

I heard the same guy again (but I didn't see what he looked like) ask the same thing and I ignored him again, not out of rudeness of course, but this really was a case of the questioned knows no more than the questioner. Or so I thought.

Anyway, I actually hear him for a third time. This time I turned around (as I was just about level to him now down the aisle) and I realised that a little old lady shopper had now stopped at his side to respond. The guy was white, about 45 odd, in casual jeans etc. Looked normal.

"Can you please tell me what this label says?" he asked her.

He couldn't read. He wasn't looking for any products or anything. He just wanted someone to read the label for him.

Woops. Now that's what I call my baistee being done.

Moral of the story: as my teacher always used to say (whilst I was obviously daydreaming), "Never assume son, for it only makes an ass out of u and me."

:-(