RECENT FROM Attitudes
Study: Radicalized Muslims Have Little Actual Knowledge Of Islam...
Extremists and Islamophobes alike have attempted to paint violent factions within Islam as the true expression of the faith. But a new study gives credence to what countless Muslim leaders, activists and scholars have argued: that groups like the self-proclaimed Islamic State are Muslim in name alone. A group of German scholars at the Universities of Bielefeld and Osnabrück analyzed 5,757 WhatsApp messages found on a phone seized by police following a terrorist attack in the spring of 2016. The messages were exchanged among 12 young men involved in the attack. The attack itself was not identified in the report. Deutsche Welle noted that the timeframe suggested it may...
RECENT FROM Sports
Boxing Champ Launches Sports Hijab...
A boxing champion from the East End has created a sports hijab to help more Muslim women get into combat sports. Ruqsana Begum (below) – who is the current British female Atomweight Muay Thai boxing champion – runs personal training sessions and women-only sessions in the sport at the Osmani Centre in Whitechapel. She said: “I came up with the idea during the Olympics. I was interested in the story of an American athlete who was told she couldn’t compete wearing her hijab due to health and safety reasons, so her father created one that was approved for her to fight in. “I thought if they can create one...
RECENT FROM Service
Is Islamic Law an Answer for Humanitarians?...
DUBAI, 24 April 2014 (IRIN) – Humanitarian action today is largely taking place in Muslim-majority countries where some combatants turn to Islamic law, among other sources, to guide their military behaviour. As a result, in the last decade, aid and advocacy agencies have increasingly tried to understand Islamic law in order to use its humanitarian provisions as tools of negotiation with armed groups in the Muslim world. This is particularly helpful in engaging Islamist armed groups, some of whom reject international humanitarian law (IHL). Some aid agencies try to situate their arguments for access or protection of civilians within a religious context, sometimes using scholars, mullahs or other religious...
Prophet Muhammad a unique historical figure
The prophet Muhammad is certainly one of the most influential figures in history. Michael H. Hart, in his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, puts Muhammad at the top of the 100 most influential personalities. More than a billion people across the world follow Muhammad and take him as their guide, mentor and leader. Muslims’ respect, love and reverence for Muhammad are deep and genuine. Out of regard, Muslims always say “Peace be upon him” every time they invoke his name. Muhammad’s legacy is far-reaching and permeates every aspect of Muslim life. Today, Saturday, coincides with the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Interestingly,...
Mawlid Al-Nabi 2012: Muslims Celebrate The Birth Of The Prophet Muhammad
Mawlid al-Nabi (also Mawlid, Milad) is the observation of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. In 2012, Mawlid al-Nabi is observed on Feb. 4 by Sunni Muslims and Feb. 9 by Shia Muslims. The earliest account of the observance of Mawlid can be found in 8th century Mecca. Historically, this was a festival of the Shia ruling class and the first official public celebrations occurred in Egypt towards the end of the 11th century. Gradually it spread throughout the Muslim world, with the first Sunni Muslim celebration taking pace in 12th century Syria. However, Islamic scholars and theologians are divided on whether observing Mawlid is permissible within Islam. The vast majority of Wahabi scholars forbid the celebration of...
Muslims celebrate the Prophet’s birth
Muslims celebrate Mawlid an-Nabi (Mevlid Kandili), which marks the birth of the Prophet Muhammad today. During the Mevlid Kandili, a large number of people go to the mosques, pray to Allah (God) until late night. Prophet Muhammad was born in the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar, in A.D. 571. Muslims consider him God’s mercy to the world as he is the last in a series of monotheistic religions’ prophets and the person who presented Islam to the world. His personality and manners are seen as a sacred model to be emulated by all Muslims....
Timothy Winter Puts Islam and Violence into Perspective
Delivered during Cambridge University Islamic Society’s Experience Islam Week (EIW) 2010 by TJ Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad). Islam, violence, and terrorism: three words that are too often combined without a second thought. What is Islam’s stance on violence? Do Muslims really condemn terrorism? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtIaQt_26s0[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFUsKACFFDM[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldREBPQynkQ[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fim1Db0wz2g[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93gRj-1DVlc[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0OPPirUEwE[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9gTMC6KrKU[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjviGxCbip4[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21SiLVqEqhc[/youtube]...
A Conversation With: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan About the Salman Rushdie Affair
Following the controversy over author Salman Rushdie’s appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival, which ultimately ended with even a video conference with Mr. Rushdie being cancelled, India Ink is speaking with Muslim leaders about the situation, their feelings about his “The Satanic Verses” and whether politics played a part. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is the founder of the Center for Peace and Spirituality, New Delhi. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honor in India, and the Demiurgus Peace International Award. Malavika Vyawahare spoke to him this week at his home in New Delhi. Q. What is your reaction to the protests against Salman Rushdie’s participation in the Jaipur Literature Festival? A. These protests...
Why women convert to Islam
QMI AGENCY FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012 11:09 AM EST A landmark project exploring why women convert to Islam wraps up at England’s prestigious University of Cambridge this weekend. Organizers say that one of the main reasons for hosting Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain is “a general sense of frustration” with the media’s “one-dimensional portrayals of female conversion.” They say that these focus on women who marry into the faith, and suggest that they do so at the expense of their independence and liberty. “Judging by what the media tends to write about Islam, you would expect liberal-minded, intellectually-engaged women from non-Muslim backgrounds to give it a wide berth,”...
Liam Neeson may convert to Islam: Actor says he’s considered ‘becoming a Muslim’
Liam Neeson may have found a new faith during his time filming in Istanbul. The Irish actor admitted to the U.K.’s Sun newspaper that he is considering giving up his Catholic beliefs in order to become a Muslim. Neeson, 59, went on to explain that Islamic prayer “got into his spirit” when he spent time in the Turkish city working on the action-thriller “Taken 2.” “The call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it’s the most beautiful, beautiful thing,” he told the newspaper. “There are 4,000 mosques in the city,” he added. “Some are just stunning, and it really makes...
Why We Must Learn America’s Islamic History
by Engy Abdelkader “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…” So we were taught in primary school. But, did you know that the captains of two of the three small Spanish ships comprising Columbus’s fleet were in fact Muslim? Martin Alonso Pinzon the captain of the Pinta and his brother Vicente Yanex Pinzon the captain of the Nina helped organize Columbus’ voyages which introduced Europeans to the New World. The Pinzon brothers were in fact Muslims related to Abuzayan Muhammad III, a Moroccan Sultan. I note this because American Muslims are often mispercieved as foreigners unwilling to assimilate. Yet, a survey of modern Islamic history and early American religious...
Afghan Calligrapher Creates World’s Largest Koran
By Emma Graham-Harrison and Hamid Shalizi KABUL | Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:33pm EST (Reuters) – An Afghan calligrapher has worked for five years to create the world’s biggest Koran, a bid to show the world that Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage and traditions have been damaged but not destroyed by 30 years of war. The lavish book has pages 2.28 meters (90 inches) by 1.55 meters (61 inches) in size, and has been certified as the world’s largest by the Afghan ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs, according to the Kabul cultural centre that houses it. The previous claim to the title was for a 2 meter by 1.5 meter copy unveiled last year in Russia’s...
Bacon, Deli Meat May Raise Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Risk rises 19% per serving of processed meat, study suggests CBC News Posted: Jan 13, 2012 3:51 PM ET Bacon or sausage? You might want to rethink that decision. Consuming processed meat regularly may increase a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer, though the risk is still low, says a new study. A meta-analysis of 11 studies involving 6,643 people with pancreatic cancer suggests an elevated risk of the disease when consuming processed meat such as bacon, cold cuts and sausages. In the study, men who ate red meat also showed an elevated risk of the disease, while women did not. The authors believe this is because men generally consume more red meat than women. For every 50...
Quick Links
