George Galloway, Islamophobia and Black Hawk Down

Here are a couple of clips from a rather forthright speech given by George Galloway back in 2006:

George Galloway - Islamophobia Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnB66wXe1xY

George Galloway - Islamophobia Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PKDL7lfHR0

If you like these, you should also watch George Galloway Savages Sky News, since it's a classic exposure of the double-standards in the media when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For those who don't know, Sky News is a London-based and Rupert Murdoch-owned TV news channel.

On that note, I'll mention that an excellent exposé of Murdoch, entitled Mr. Murdoch Goes to War, appeared in the most recent issue of The Atlantic. It's by Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, and well worth a read not only for the well-researched content, but to savor Bowden's prose. Those of you who have only seen the very bigoted (if not outright racist) film of the same name, which was really nothing but a U. S. government sponsored "Hooray for our team!" propaganda flick, might wonder why I speak of Mark Bowden in a positive manner. Well suffice it to say, as in most cases, the book is not only much more detailed, but much more accurate, than the movie.

Indeed, the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, actually makes an honest attempt to show the Somali point-of-view about what went on in Mogadishu back in 1993. Not only is it critical of the entire multinational misadventure in Somalia, but it exposes some of the heinous crimes of the American military. This includes a ruthless and cowardly helicopter attack on "a gathering of elders, intellectuals, poets and religious leaders" and their families (click here and here for more details on this "slaughter") which was conveniently left out of the movie (and about everything else that discusses American involvement in Somalia). Needless to say, since it hit the theatres the year after 9/11, Black Hawk Down—the movie—was hell-bent determined to portray the Somalis simply as evil Muslims consumed by a bloodlust which drove them to want to even kill people who were (allegedly) there just to help them. Those same faults, however, certainly don't apply to the book. Needless to say, it's rather sad to see the work of an investigative journalist, who seems fairly determined to document actual events, distorted so that it appeals to a mush-brained public that is more concerned about a couple of Black Hawk helicopters that went down than it is with hundreds of black people, most of whom were civilians, who went down. Well just another example of not only the one-eyed Dajjalian nature of the corporate-owned media, but of how patriotism will trump ethics almost every time.

Deen on...

On the Direction of Ibn Taymiyya

A few days ago I posted a new animated banner to the top right of this blog, and I hope that all of my readers noticed. It, as well as this post, was meant to serve as my contribution to promoting Shaykh Gibril F. Haddad's latest book, The Refutation of Him (Ibn Taymiyya) Who Attributes Direction to Allah. This is the most recent effort by not only Shaykh Gibril, but many other scholars as well, who are striving to stem the contemporary tide of theological anthropomorphism that self-proclaimed "Salafis", backed by petrodollars, are actively spreading.

In light of the fact that these well-funded activists, craftily hiding under the guise of their deceptively false claim of being the true Ahl al-Sunnah, are having a negative impact on Muslim communities throughout the globe, a translation of this key tract is very timely. Just as it was necessary for a scholar who was a contemporary of Ibn Taymiyya to pen a response to his glaring errors, having a translation of this key work available for those wanting to avoid the errors of those who take their 'aqidah from Pharaoh is of paramount importance in well.

The book in question is a translation of a "short theological tract, Fi Nafi al-Jiha, or On Denying Direction to God, by the Ashari theologian and celebrated Shafi’i jurist, Qadi Ibn Jahbal (d. 733/1333), is a clinical rebuttal of the controversial fatwa, the Aqida Hamawiyya, penned by his legendary contemporary, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). It is considered, rightly, a classic manifesto of anti-literalism, which will be an indispensable reference for advanced students of Islamic theology, other professional theologians, and modern academics needing primary source materials in English or a source book on the controversies surrounding Ibn Taymiyya’s theology." The Forward to The Refutation of Him (Ibn Taymiyya) Who Attributes Direction to Allah is written by the honorable Shaykh Muhammad Afifi Al-Akiti and the Table of Contents has been made available on-line as well.

While on the subject of Ibn Taymiyya, I'll mention that I'm currently reading, and very much enjoying, the newly released Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology. Unsurprisingly, the editor Tim Winter (a.k.a. Abdal-Hakim Murad) has something to say about Ibn Taymiyya in this fascinating intellectual and theological history. After recognizing (on page 7) that "the three great Sunnî theological schools"—yes, that's three and not two—consist of "Ash'arism, Mâturidism and Hanbalism" and mentioning (on page 9) that "extremist Hanbalites" might not necessarily be representative of this theological school as a whole, the noble Shaykh later (page 10) goes on to mention the most well-known proponent of this "extremist" view, Ibn Taymiyya:

"Certainly, it is intriguing that the Hanbalî alternative in most places represented no more than a small fringe, just as the Hanbalî definition of Sharî'a remained the smallest of the rites of law. The iconic hard-line champion of this school, Ibn Taymiyya…is not conspicuous in the catalogues of Islamic manuscript libraries; his current renown is a recent phenomenon. Ibn Taymiyya was, indeed, imprisoned for heresy, a relatively unusual occurrence, and it would be hard to imagine Muslim society, or its rulers or scholars, punishing more philosophical thinkers like Ghazâlî, or Razî, or Taftâzânî, in the same way. 'Hard' Hanbalism offered a simple literalism to troubled urban masses, and occasionally won their violent, riotous support, but the consensus of Muslims passed it by."

This criticism of the "simple literalism" and "corporealism" of the "extremist Hanbalites" needs to be understood in the context of maintaining the "original collective spirit of sancta simplicitas" (page 8), and one also needs to recognize that "Monotheism, however, is never as simple as most of its advocates would wish" (page 6). For anyone familiar with the editor's Contentions 8, his description of "false Salafism" as "an unsuccessful flight from complexity" might well be brought to mind!

I was excited to see that a forthcoming title, edited by Mohammed S. Ahmed and Yosef Rapoport, entitled Ibn Taymiyya and His Times (Oxford University Press, 2008) was referenced...so we'll be looking forward to that, insha'llah.

Those wanting a brief discussion of the theological issue that Shaykh Gibril F. Haddad's new book addresses in detail, please see Allah Exists Without Place or Direction at Sunni Answers...an invaluable resource for responses to the neo-Salafi heresy.

Deen on...

DIY Islam versus Shafi'i Fiqh

I came across this the other day at the at-Talib blog and think it's worth reading, especially for those who believe it's okay to make off-the-cuff judgments when they come across an (allegedly) authentic narration that seems to contradict the rulings of their madhhab:

Invalidating Wudu by Touching a Member of the Opposite Gender
Answered by Shaykh Taha Karaan

Please realize that this in no way is meant to defame the good name of Dr. Zakir Naik, since it's not even clear if this is truly his view. Rather, it's the slipshod methodology of so-called "Do-It-Yourself Islam" that we're trying to expose here, not the (alleged) opinion of any one individual.

Those wanting more information on Shafi'i fiqh (i.e. jurisprudence), I highly recommended reading Reliance of the Traveller, exploring the Shafi'i Fiqh section at the Seeking Ilm blog and taking some of the courses ([1][2][3][4]) at SunniPath.com.

For more details on this particular fiqh issue, read The Proofs that Touching A Woman Breaks Wudhu' at Seeking Ilm. Likewise, Sidi Abul Layth's Responding to the Question of Why I Chose the Shafi’i School was just recently posted, so check that out as well.

Deen on...

Imam Zaid on Obama...Again

Well it seems that there's going to be one more Obama post after all...and this probably won't be the last one either. I just wanted to let my readers know that, as something of a follow up to his Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and the Fate of America (which I discussed here), Imam Zaid Shakir has written Hopefully, Obama is Not a Used Car Dealer in which he analysis the presidential candidate's unfortunate statements regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Enjoy...

Two New Sirah Books in English

There are two new books of sirah (Prophetic biography) which every English-speaking Muslim should be aware of. Actually, one of them—Our Master Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (ASWS)—has just been published, while the other—A Portrait of the Prophet: As Seen by His Contemporaries—is will be released shortly, insha'llah.

The first title, Our Master Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (ASWS): His Sublime Character & Exalted Attributes, is a translation of a work by Imam ‘Abdallah Sirajuddin al-Husayni of Aleppo, Syria. The book, which is described as "incredible expression of Prophetic love," is translated by Khalid Williams, contains an introduction by the great Shaykh Muhammad b. Yahya al-Ninowy, and is the second publication by Sunni Publications (in cooperation with Marifah.net). The author of the Arabic original, Imam ‘Abdallah Sirajuddin al-Husayni, was "not only a Hafiz, a leading scholar of Hadith and exegete of the Qur’an, but also a true Saint, referred to by scholars as ‘The Pole of Prophetic Love of our Times’. His book is the product of true scholarship and virtue." Preview chapters of this heartfelt work of Islamic piety can be found here and here.

The second book, A Portrait of the Prophet: As Seen by His Contemporaries, is a translation of Imam Muhammad ibn 'Isa at-Tirmidhi's famous Ash-Shama’ilal-Muhammadiyya—and, yes, this is the same Imam at-Tirmidhi (died 209 AH) who compiled the canonical hadith collection known as Sunan al-Tirmidhi. The present work, usually known simply as Ash-Shama'il, is published by Fons Vitae, translated by Muhtar Holland, contains a forward by Hamza Yusuf, an introduction by Kenneth Honerkamp and calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya...so need we say more? No doubt, a quality translation of Ash-Shama'il is long overdue since it contains "a famous and a most indispensable collection of authentic traditions (ahadith), listing the main texts from which to glean the beautiful attributes, both moral and physical, of the Holy Prophet"—salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa salam. This is a book that every English-speaking Muslim should have in their home library, since it's an indispensable tool for not only learning more about the Prophet—salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa salam, but instilling love for him as well.

Deen on...

Ibn Taymiyya and Logic

Earlier this month, the Al-Kashif Al-Saghir blog launched an excellent seven part series ([1][2][3][4][5][6][7]) entitled Critiquing a Critique: Shaykh Sa’id Fawda on Ibn Taymiyya and Logic. However, in contrast to this somewhat piecemeal (although very welcomed) effort, Marifah.net has posted a well-crafted 10-page (100 KB) Adobe Acrobat document of the same essay which can be downloaded here. I recommened reading Critiquing a Critique: Shaykh Sa'id Foudah on Ibn Taymiyya and Logic for those wanting to better understand Ibn Taymiyya's somewhat tortured relationship with Aristotelean logic. Those desiring to read even more about this topic, including a translation of some of Ibn Taymiyya's thoughts on Greek logic, should obtain a copy of Ibn Taymiyya Against the Greek Logicians, by Wael B. Hallaq.

Deen on...

Abdal-Hakim Murad on the New Jahiliyyah

Here's a link to a video of another interesting lecture by Sidi Abdal-Hakim Murad:

Welcome to Mercy
by Abdal-Hakim Murad
The Radical Middle Way

I thought the study that he mentioned, which determined that the Muslim country with the highest proportion of Muslims who pray five times a day is...Indonesia, was quite interesting.

Also, his insights into the common "New Jahiliyyah" mentality of new Muslim converts who feel that "if only we can only get rid of those grumpy old Urdu-speaking gentlemen from the committee of the local mosque, the mosque will be a beacon of light and everybody's going to convert" are certainly spot on. Indeed, all four forms of neo-Jahiliyyah that he discusses are very acute in our communities and thus important for all of us, not just converts, to understand.

The importance of his statement that "it's all ultimately to do with the state of the ego...those who flourish in Islam are those who use Islam as an opportunity to bash themselves" cannot be overstated.

By the way, a new book on Classical Islamic Theology, of which he's the editor, is now available in the U.S.

Deen on...

A Couple of New Films Related to Palestine

I recently learned about a couple of new films related to the brutal occupation of Palestine, the Zionist State of Israel, Norman Finkelstein, double-standards in the media, the lies of Alan Dershowitz, land-grabbing Jewish settlers, etc., etc., ad nauseum:

Occupation 101
http://www.occupation101.com/

American Radical
http://www.americanradicalthefilm.com/

Fellow bloggers, please make an effort publicize these!

Deen on...

Jewish Settlers Caught in the Act

To all fellow bloggers who want justice for Occupied Palestine, please promote this video as much as you can:

'Jewish settler attack' on film
By Tim Franks
BBC News, Jerusalem - 12 June 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7451691.stm

While you're at it, check out the website of B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, since they keep track of all such ugly, brutal and cowardly attacks on Palestinians. Also, if you're in the UK, purchase some products from Zaytoun.org in order to help out our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Zaytoun is an "ethical business established to support marginalized farming communities in Palestine. Palestine is the home of the olive tree, supporting over half the population & dominating the agricultural landscape. Zaytoun finds a market place for Palestinian produce in the UK....As a non-profit company our primary objectives lie with the welfare of the producing communities. We invest in empowering farming communities & developing the agricultural infrastructure in Palestine."

While I'm on the subject of the Zionist State, I guess I should mention this article, since it serves as another piece of evidence showing that Israel is really only a democracy for Hebrew-speaking Jews. Currently, the Israeli Arabs are de facto second-class citizens, but some want to make this status de jure...so read Arabic 'Threatens' Israeli Supremacy to find out more.

Please don't forget to promote the video!

Deen on...

Al-Albani - More Wahhabi than the Wahhabis?

A big kufi-tip to MR for posting the text of Al-Albani’s Revolutionary Approach to Hadith (and I purposefully specified "text" since I sure didn't need that picture). This article serves as just another piece of documentation showing that the late Nasr al-Deen al-Albani felt that the overwhelming majority of Muslim scholars since the time of the Salaf—indeed very close to all of them—had gotten Islam all wrong. Due to this, he abandoned not only the traditional methodologies—lock, stock and barrel, but the jama'ah and consensus of the scholars as well...and then he naysayed anyone who disagreed with him. His claim to be "more faithful to the spirit of Wahhabism than ‘Abd al-Wahhab himself" should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his outlook, since he seemingly believed that almost every Muslim in the Ummah was mixed up and that it was his duty...since he was the one person in 1,300+ years to finally understand Islam correctly...to fix them all.

Needless to say, not only is this approach extraordinarily arrogant (which is just another sign that he didn't study under traditional shuyukh), but incredibly dangerous as well. For those who don't understand why, please start off by reading The Superiority of Fiqh Over Hadith, by Shaykh Gibril F. Haddad, which explains why simply having a knowledge of hadith just doesn't cut it—never has, never will. After that, you should read Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad's Understanding The Four Madhhabs: The Problem with Anti-Madhhabism, since it exposes the flawed thinking of those who are against following a proper school of thought (i.e. madhhab). Finally, those wanting more information about al-Albani, should take a look at Al-Albani - Concise Guide to the Chief Innovator of Our Time, since it contains considerable details. For those wanting to know even more, consider purchasing a copy of Albani and His Friends: A Concise Guide to the Salafi Movement, also by Shaykh Gibril F. Haddad.

Deen on...

The Legacy of Muslim Women

I recently obtained a copy of Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam, by Muhammad Akram Nadwi, which provides a great deal of detail on contributions made by women in the field of the hadith sciences and other areas of Islamic scholarly endeavor. So far I've only flipped through it, but that was enough to show me that it's a book that all scholarly-minded sisters will want to add to their libraries.

In addition to that, I was recently made aware that Gorgias Press has published an English translation of Bint al-Shati's The Wives of the Prophet. The original Arabic work was written by Aisha Abdel-Rahman (1913-1998), whose pen name was Bint al-Shati', back in 1959, so it's nice to finally have an English translation...albeit one that's a bit pricey. I was unaware of this translation until a few months ago, when a renowned scholar that I know recommended this book to someone who wanted to read a biography of the wives of the Prophet—salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salam, and based on the description of the book, I can see why. As described by the publisher, this book "is an account of the family life of the Prophet Muhammad, concerning the noble ladies who lived in his house. The author tries to visualize the life of each of the women, their relationships with the Prophet, and their roles as wives and women. The work is based on authentic Islamic sources such as Tabari, Waqidi, Ibn Ishaq, and Ibn Hisham. The author concentrates on the life of Muhammad among his wives, and on his treatment and discipline of them. This text gives an insight into the life of women at the beginning of the Islamic Era."

It was based on this, that I selected The Wives of the Prophet to be the Book of the Month for May/June 2008.

Deen on...

One More Obama Post

Although I've blogged on him before ([1][2]), I guess he deserves one more since he won the nomination...but certainly not for his statements about Israel and Iran. On the hypocrisy of all that, check out George Galloway Refutes Barack Obama, which Mujahideen Ryder linked to yesterday. In short, ne'er a word is said by Washington politicians against the Zionist State that not only has nuclear weapons, but has waged offensive war against every one of its neighbors (the most recent of which was its invasion of Lebanon in 2006). On the other hand, a country that lived under a brutal CIA-backed dictator for years, had to defend itself against a US-backed attack by Saddam Hussein and, at least since 1979, has not waged a single aggressive war is threatened with annihilation by the nuclear-armed United States (who illegally invaded one of Iran's neighbors in 2003). Folks, this is Islamophobia at its finest.

I liked The Obama Post (Because There had to be at Least One) which I found at the North Africa Notes blog. This posting indirectly points out that one of the biggest problems we have out there, O Muslims, is people believing that they get educated by watching television. Now hear this: You don't get educated by watching television, you get indoctrinated. I love the quote by Thomas Jefferson which says, "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Amin!

Indeed, people (Muslim or otherwise) without a sufficient knowledge of history and an understanding of the way the media operates (and a background in rhetoric, logic, ethics and politics...but history most of all...certainly doesn't hurt either) will just get played like a flute. They don't call it an "idiot box" for nothing (and here is an example of what might happen if you watch it too much). Indeed, it's just another way for the government to spread its lies and for large corporations to sell you more junk that you don't need. So if you're determined to watch TV because you're convinced that you need to watch the (propaganda) news, at least read about how to watch TV news and how the government uses the media to manipulate public opinion—and always remember, it's our media, not theirs.

And I should mention that this is not meant to imply, based on the aforementioned blog posting, that this is a problem just amongst Muslims, or even Moroccans, since this is a worldwide and very human problem. However, if about a century ago you'd told traditional Muslim 'ulama that the day will come when the overwhelming majority of Muslim houses will contain a box, controlled my the disbelievers and their cronies, which produces moving pictures (including ones of nudity and violence) and sensual music—and that Muslims will be happy to have it in their homes (and even watch it in Ramadan!)—they might well have done takfir on you! If TV itself isn't a big one-eyed Dajjal, it's certainly preparing the way for him.

In spite of the fact that Obama has pledged support for the criminal land-grubbing State of Israel, I think I have to agree with MR that he's no doubt a much better choice than John McCain. John McCain and his Islamophobic cohorts ([1][2]) would not only be a disaster for Muslims around the world, but a foreign policy disaster for the United States in general. Barack is certainly the big favorite amongst the younger generation, as these very interesting statistics make rather clear (kufi-tip to MR again), and he's a big favorite in most foreign lands as well. Although some Moroccans might be surprised when he doesn't profess Islam then announce his heartfelt support for Hizbullah and Hamas as soon as he takes office (Reality check!), he'll most likely handle things in the Middle East much better than McCain would...wa Allahu 'alim.

Before closing, I suggest that anyone who is not familiar with MP George Galloway watch these three ([1][2][3]) clips. Whether you agree (which I mostly do) with everything he says or not, it's nice knowing that at least one politician left in the world still has a set of gonads. That first clip is a classic, since it exposes the utterly myopic and biased approach that the media takes when it comes to Israel. On that note, watch this and read this as well.

Deen on...

Transcending Jerusalem

Earlier this week, a renowned Muslim scholar (who will remain anonymous) let me know about the Transcending Jerusalem website. The purpose of the site is to both promote a book by the same name and host its nine Acrobat .pdf files (111 pages total).

Transcending Jerusalem is essentially a book of comparative religion in which Almighty God, scripture and the lives of the prophets—peace be upon them all—are discussed in light of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The author, Peter Stockton, "from his perspective as a Muslim, reflects on this troubled history" of Jerusalem. I haven't read all of the book yet, although I have printed the entire thing, but based on the recommendation, I plan to over the weekend, insha'llah.

In the links section of the site I found a pointer to the website of Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, whose writings ([1][2][3]) on comparative religion from a Muslim perspective I have enjoyed and benefited from (although not always agreed with) over the years.

Enjoy...

On This Day 66 Years Ago...

...the United States Navy took the liberty to line the bottom of the Pacific Ocean with four Japanese aircraft carriers. These were the same four carriers ([1][2][3][4]) from which the attack on Pearl Harbor was launched on December 7th, 1941. In six short minutes, the tide of World War II in the Pacific was turned (although neither side actually realized it at the time).

An excellent new book on this decisive naval battle is Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway, by Jonathan Parshall. This book is revisionist in the best sense of the word, since it was written only after a great deal of painstaking research and analysis, including a lot in the IJN archives. Indeed, this 640-page work is detailed and thorough almost to a fault. However, the fact that it's so well written makes it worth the time, as least for those who are interested in such matters.

Shattered Sword should easily elbow aside Gordon W. Prange's Miracle at Midway, which was pretty much the most well-known book on the subject for years, as the definitive book on the battle (so far). From what I recall from reading a couple of them years ago, Prange's books are generally novel-like and well-written, but they tend to overstate American accomplishments and only provide a rather one-sided point-of-view. For an excellent look at the battle from the viewpoint of an experienced Japanese aviator who participated in (sort of, since he was sick at the time) the battle, read Mitsuo Fuchida's Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan.

Quite a few times while reading Prange's Miracle at Midway I would think "Lucky, lucky, lucky!" when learning about some of the things the U. S. Navy managed to get away with. However, Jonathan Parshall makes it clear in Shattered Sword that the Japanese commanders really fouled up an almost certain victory, and that Prange overstated the allegedly "miraculous" (meaning "very, very lucky" in the way he used it) aspects of what transpired. This was so overstated in Miracle at Midway (and take due note of the book's title) that it could almost conjure up notions that Divine favor was clearly on the side of the American fleet. However, although all experts agree that a lion's share of the credit for the U.S. Navy victory certainly goes to Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance for the key decisions that he made when really in a pinch, Jonathan Parshall's research makes it abundantly clear that Japanese buffoonery and indecisiveness at the higher levels of command must take their fair share of the blame as well.

All of this should be understood in light of the fact that Japan's fleet, aircraft and pilots at the time were both quantitatively and qualitatively superior to what the Americans had on the scene at Midway (not counting the land-based planes that were actually stationed on the island of Midway...but they ended up being useless anyway). This less than stellar Japanese performance stands very much in contrast to the very professional and audacious conduct of senior Imperial Japanese Navy commanders in the opening phase of the war, especially in regards to the planning and conduct of their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. All of these early successes seemed to have happened in spite of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who remains the favorite whipping boy for those looking for someone to blame for Japan's eventual naval defeat in the Pacific. Not only did he not really finish the job at Pearl Harbor, due to being overly cautious, but he lost four fleet carriers at Midway, also largely due to being too cautious...thus preparing the way for the IJN's total defeat.

My thanks to Wikipedia's "On this day..." section for bringing all of this to mind!

Some Qur'an Related Links

I was recently informed about The Koran Interpreted website, where you can download "English Audio of Islam's primary sources" (in a 16,398 KB zip file which contains seventeen MP3 files). The English reading is based on A. J. Arberry's translation (i.e. The Koran Interpreted) which I still consider to be one of the best English translations out there today. Although I prefer to listen to the Qur'an being recited in the original Arabic, I do recall that as a new convert I sometimes enjoyed listening to cassettes of an English translation. This reading and translation are much superior to that one, so I'm confident many out there will benefit from it, insha'llah.

On that note, I'll mention that my favorite translation of the Qur'an, especially for outreach (i.e. da'wah) purposes, is M. A. S. Abdel Haleem's The Qur'an, published by Oxford World's Classics. Sure, I could knit-pick a few things that he says in the introduction and, as with any translation, question some of his word choices. However, not only is his English less archaic than Arberry's, but in contrast to many translations, it uses "God" in lieu of "Allah", as well as the Biblical names of the prophets that are familiar to most English readers (i.e. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc.). This is critical when spreading the word amongst English-speaking people, since although a few open-minded and well-educated people will always be able to overcome the cultural and language barriers that they often face when dealing with Muslims, most cannot (at least not without a struggle).

Although experience tells me that quite a few Muslims feel otherwise, I strongly believe that when you make da'wah to English-speaking people you should actually speak to them in the English language...and that means as close to 100% pure English as you can get. Call me crazy if you'd like, but that's how I feel. Personally, I think this kind of goes along nicely with both the spirit and manifest meaning of Qur'an 14:4: "And We sent not a Messenger except (to teach and preach) in the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them. Then God misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."

Anyway...some of M. A. S. Abdel Haleem's other work, such as Qur'anic Orthography: The Written Representation Of The Recited Text Of The Qur'an and Grammatical Shift For The Rhetorical Purposes: Iltifat And Related Features In The Qur'an, is excellent as well and can be found at Islamic-Awareness.org.

I'll also mention QuranExplorer.com, not only because it was established by a friend of mine, but because it's got a flexible set of tools and nice interface. This site also offers Live Online Quran Tutoring, so check it out.

A nice, and fairly new as far as I know, Qur'anic search tool goes by the name QuranicRealm (although the URL is searchquran.net). Even though it was good for its time, I like QuranicRealm much better than the old MSA-USC Qur'an Database. Not only does QuranicRealm let you search in English, Arabic or phonetic transliteration, but the search engine is easier to work with and it provides results in Arabic, transliteration and up to six different English translations. Overall, a very useful on-line tool.

Deen on...

A Sunnite versus a Mu'tazilite

The Sunni Answers blog had an excellent posting yesterday that included the following very telling little dialogue (which I haven't altered, but only reformatted a bit to hopefully make it a bit easier on the eyes):

I have mentioned it elsewhere, but it is useful to recount the debate between Al-Qadi 'Abdul Jabbaar of the Mu'tazilite sect, and the great Imam of the Sunnis of the time, Abu Ishaq Al-Isfaraayini.

When the two met, 'AbdulJabbaar said, “Exalted is Allah, who transcends the obscene.”

(While this is a sound expression, what he meant to say was that Allah does not create evil. This is blasphemous, because Muslims must believe that Allah is the only creator, as it is stated in the Quran that He created everything, and that no one wills anything except by His Will.)

Imam Al-Isfaraayini (418 AH) realized what he had implied and responded, “Exalted is Allah, who nothing happens in His dominion but by His Will.”

The Mu'tazilite then made another attempt and said, “Does our Lord like to be disobeyed?”

Al-Isfaraayini quickly replied, “Could He be disobeyed against His Will?”

Upon that 'Abdul Jabbaar tried again to defeat his adversary and said, “If God denied me guidance, then ruled that I be destroyed for it, has He treated me fairly?”

Al-Isfaraayini calmly answered, “If He denied you something that was yours, then He would have been unfair, but if it was not rightfully yours, then Allah does with His creation what He wills.”

'Abdul Jabbaar fell silent, and could not argue further. After all, Allah is the true owner of all creation.

Count that as our 'aqidah lesson of the day! I've seen Christians, normally of the uneducated Bible-thumping variety, say that Satan, not Almighty God, is the "Creator of evil". When asked, "So you believe that there are two Creators?" they either just agree (seemingly without grasping the theological ramifications of what this implies), try to change the subject (a common tactic amongst missionaries), or get a blank stare on their face (a result that occurs quite often when people talk about subjects that are way out of their league).

Deen on...