Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education

The Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education (NFIE) is a non-profit, tax exempt, religious and educational organization dedicated to serve Islam with a special focus on Tasawwuf(Sufism),

Saturday, March 23, 2024

A Dialogue on the Question of Islamic Cosmology: Traditional and Modern Understandings -Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr & Dr. Bruno Guiderdoni -Reviving the Islamic Spirit 2019 Convention in Toronto, Canada.


Dialogue on the Question of Cosmology: Traditional and Modern Understandings" This panel discussion happened between Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Dr. Bruno Guiderdoni on December 22, 2019 at the Reviving the Islamic Spirit 2019 Convention in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr is University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University. He remains one of the most influential Muslim scholars in the world for his work on Islamic tradition and philosophy. He is the only Muslim to be included in the Library of Living Philosophers and has written over 50 books and over 500 articles.

Dr. Bruno Abd al Haqq Guiderdoni is an astrophysicist and French convert to Islam. A specialist in galaxy formation and evolution, he has published more than 140 papers and organized several conferences on these subjects. Guiderdoni serves as Director of the Observatory of Lyon. Besides his extensive writings on science, he has also published around 60 papers on Islamic theology and mysticism and is now Director of the Islamic Institute for Advanced Studies.
Islam, Science and Muslims: PDF  Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal - https://cis-ca.org/_media/pdf/2003/1/A_isam.pdf


Book: Amazon - An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines - Dr.Seyyed Hossein Nasr - 

 
This is the only book to deal with classical Islamic cosmology as it was formulated by the Ikhwan al-S'afa al Biruni and Ibn Sina during the tenth and eleventh centuries. These figures influenced all the later centuries of Islamic history and in fact created the cosmological framework within which all later scientific activity in the Islamic world was carried out--the enduring image of the cosmos within which Muslims have lived during the past millennium. Nasr writes from within the Islamic tradition and demonstrates how, based on the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet, the figures treated in this work integrated elements drawn from various ancient schools of philosophy and the sciences. This book is unique in its treatment of classical Islamic cosmology as seen from within the Islamic world-view and provides a key for understanding of traditional Islamic thought. Biography Seyyed Hossein Nasr : https://www.nasrfoundation.org/biography.htm 

 Islam & Science Today: from Discord to Harmony - " Islamic Cosmology: Yesterday & Today - Dr.Bruno Abd al Haqq Guiderdoni - Quilliam UIP Meeting January 20, 2013 - Excellent Slides -


Friday, March 22, 2024

From Science to Faith: Using a scientific approach to strengthen faith by Adrien Chauvet, A Muslim Scientist

Tune your spirituality and observe the world through the interplay of science and religion, for The Signs of God do not lead to the same path. 

Rich in reflection, this book provides answers to a fundamental question: How can we approach faith using scientific methodologies and frameworks?


Review

The author impressively speaks from a vast scientific culture as well as a rigorous approach of the Islamic tradition. Accordingly, the author avoids falling prey to either scientific or religious dogma, precluding dialogue between two paradigms that are unfortunately seen as diametrically opposed to one another.

This book, punctuated with summaries that help the reader follow the argument, takes the reader on a journey across various themes such as the weather, electrons, waves, photosynthesis and the origin of life. But beyond scientific themes, it also addresses metaphysical themes such as freewill, predestination, good and evil, success and failure, renunciation and engagement. The author courageously tackles the question of evolution.

Hani Ramadan, Director of the Islamic Centre of Geneva

About the Author

Adrien Chauvet was born and raised in France, in a small village of Soultz-les-Bains. He was educated in a society in which science prevailed over all other forms of knowledge. Accordingly, he began his intellectual journey studying the natural sciences at Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. At the age of 21, he travelled to the United States to pursue his studies, convinced that science was the ultimate way of knowing the world. He obtained his Doctor in Philosophy in Physics from Purdue University. During his studies, Adrien had the opportunity to interact with American Muslims communities. The Islam he discovered not only resonated with his Christian upbringing, but also appeared to coincide with his scientific view of the world. Adrien embraced Islam at the age of 24. He then progressed in his scientific career, while seeking to refine the convergence of science and Islam. This book recounts Adrien’s journey of bringing together science and faith. 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

My life-long goal has been and continue to be one of seeking meaning about this world, my place within it, and the path I must take. This pursuit essentially seeks an inner peace, which my travails have come to indicate comes from Truth. By “Truth” I mean a conception of the world that is logical, practical and universal, i.e. encompassing all disciplines and all beings. I hope that this truth will give me the satisfaction of having made the right choice, and of being on the right path. And since I doubt that I am the only one looking for this kind of reassurance, I am here sharing my experiences.

Since a young age, I was immersed in the world of so-called “hard” sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. This socialization was first created by the scientists and teachers in my family. This nurturing was then reinforced in school, where I was acquainted with formal Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Through these studies I learned about the material world and about its governing laws. I also come from a place where the church’s campanile towers above all other houses in the town, and where chapels and crosses are scattered throughout the surrounding hills. I was thus raised as a practicing Christian. But besides the context of the church, religion was never made relevant in my every-day life. These monuments and rituals were only vestiges of a past that was made obsolete by science. Indeed, with modern sciences being in direct conflict with some of the Christian texts (when taken literally), I consequently left all religious practice and opted for a type of agnosticism. Religious moral and norms where still part of my mindset, but when it came to make sense of this world, I was conditioned to make science prevail over all other conceptual frameworks.

On the way to becoming a scientist, I however realized that science was not as “hard” as I initially thought it was. During these studies, I also had the chance to travel and discover various cultures and mentalities. Interestingly, out of all my experiences, only spirituality has allowed me to achieve a peace of mind and a sense of satisfaction that transcends the challenges of this life in a way that is lasting and all encompassing. It is only during my post-graduate studies where I was invited to Islam. I was appealed by its apparent logic and practicality. I then learned about the different aspects of this religion alongside local and international scholars, through private lessons, public lectures and through various scholarly and recreational travels. I discovered in Islam a much more convincing and practical philosophy of life that was not in apparent conflict my scientific background. As a result of my upbringing, I never put aside this love for science and I naturally decided to continue this spiritual journey in harmony with a certain scientific rational. More specifically, I sought to use this scientific rational to validate my spiritual quest.

While my religious studies were marked by spirituality, my scientific studies were instilled with materiality. Unfortunately, many people around me have set these two notions at odd with each-others by associating materiality with rational and

associating spiritual with irrational. Often times, material and spiritual ends up being opposed to each other to the point of becoming contradictory. Today, to believe without material evidences is absurd. Moreover, in the academic world, religion disturbs; it is synonymous with irrational, manipulative, old-fashioned and backward. Materialistic ideology, on the other hand, because it is founded on purely scientific ground, is of greater value. Indeed, why should we accept to be constrained by an ideology that is more than 1400 years old and to follow cultural practices in the name of a God whose existence we cannot scientifically evaluate? The secular discourse of today's societies is essentially fuelled by scientific advances used to discredit the existence of a superior entity. In general terms, materialist societies reject anything that cannot be measured by physical instruments. They reject anything that cannot be “dataified”. Whether it is from palaeontology, genetics, astrophysics, chemistry, etc., all the arguments and demonstrations lead us to believe that these so-called “exact” or “hard” sciences are worth much more than mere religious thinking; especially if our life choices depend on it.

To illustrate this opposition, let me narrate an experience I had during a visit to the University of Zurich, one of the leading research institute in Europe. It was in 2014 and, between two presentations of the Swiss Chemical Society, walking across the Irchel campus, I stopped in front of a small anthropology museum whose primary function was to illustrate the evolution of the human species through about twenty thematic booths. To my surprise, the first booth quoted a passage from the Bible stating that the world was only 6000 years old. This sentence was then ridiculed by contemporary scientific discourse. With implicit and abusive generalizations, the message was clear: the goal was to discredit religious views and make prevail a secular vision of the world supposed to be based on sound and objective scientific facts. A few meters further down the exhibit, the second booth proposed a genealogical tree of the human species. It explicitly showed by means of lighted pathways that after each discovery of ancient human skeletons, this tree had to be entirely remodelled… about a dozen times during the last century! A question naturally came to my mind: How on Earth, would such “scientific facts” be less illusory than a religious text, when both are subjected to equally aleatory interpretations?

The evolution of the human species is only one example, but the opposition between science and religion transpires throughout all aspects of our society. Whether it is through the radio broadcasts, newspapers or thorough our school curriculum, one is constantly incited to make prevail the scientific over the religious, the material over the spiritual. It is therefore without any surprises that many of my classmates choose to not believe in God as an outcome of their scientific studies. However, I argue that I found in Islam a logical and practical guide that allows me to walk along a rational path on spiritual land and achieve an inner peace.

In this essay my hope is to correct this apparent opposition between scientific and religious thinking. My goal is not to scientifically prove that God exists, at least not directly, but to demonstrate that scientific logic is not foreign to religious logic. On the contrary, I shine light on their complementarity and, consequently, justify, using scientific methods and arguments, a theist vision of the world, Islamically speaking. In

this aim, I share in a first chapter few of the introspective steps that I used to start this journey. The goal is to agree on definitions and on a frame of reference that helped me go beyond my “comfort zone”. In the second chapter I demystify science as it is perceived today. Through a series of examples drawn from my own experiences, I expose the limits of science. The goal of this chapter is to not fell prey to the current scientific dogma. In this passage I refer to scientific notions that I have simplified in order to make them accessible to non-specialists. Technical details are kept available in footnotes to satisfy the more curious. The third chapter is concerned with the establishment of a scientific theory and its requirements. I then compare these requirements to those that form the basis of faith, Islamically speaking. By comparing the two modes of thinking, the goal is to underline the rationality of the Islamic faith. It is in this chapter that I justify and describe an Islamic vision of the world. Consequently, the language used is biased, in the sense that it assumes the truth of Mohammed as a prophet. His name is then followed by the honourable mention “”, which means “May God’s peace and blessings be upon him”. Likewise, the mention of every other prophets is be followed by “” which means “Peace be upon him”, and that of the Companions of the Prophet  are followed by “”, which means “May God be pleased with him”. Some passages in this chapter also include extensive footnotes, which give the reader the choice to hover over or delve into the details of the arguments presented. I however encourage whoever is compelled by the so-called “scientific miracle of the Qu’ran” to read them carefully, as they address some of the common misconceptions. In a fourth chapter, I discuss the limits of a purely materialist thinking. The goal is to keep a harmony between the brain and the heart, between the intellect and the feelings, in our path towards God. Finally, in appendix is a more detailed discussion about the theory of evolution. The goal is to assess both the scientific arguments and the religious texts. With regard to the Quranic passages, I based all translations on the Sahih International. All verses are referenced according to the so-called Uthman codex. Regarding the prophetic narrations, they are referenced according to the electronic classification of the USC-MSA. Given the universal nature of the arguments in chapter one, two and four, this text is addressed to whoever is in search of spirituality, whatever their belief. It is only in the third chapter that I justify an Islamic world view, which implicitly leaves the followers of all other denominations the duty to justify their own beliefs. My goal is not to impose a vision of the world, but to propose one that I find appealing and to discuss it.


Source:https://www.amazon.com/Science-Faith-scientific-approach-strengthen/dp/1847741959


Dr.Adien Chauvet's Website : Dr Adrien Chauvet is an interdisciplinary Muslim scientist dedicated to exploring the interplay between science and religion.His research expertise bridges across the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and engineering. He studied fundamental physics in Strasbourg (France) and pursued a PhD in biophysics at Purdue University (USA, 2012). He then worked as a Marie-Curie fellow in bio-photonics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland) and at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). In 2016 he was appointed assistant professor of physical chemistry at the University of Sheffield. In his research, Dr Chauvet develops and applies novel laser-based spectroscopies and imaging techniques to characterise and assist the synthesis of novel functional materials; be it solid materials, single molecules, molecular complexes, polymers, and whole living organisms.Within the University of Sheffield, he is board member of the cross-faculty Energy Institute, for which he leads the development of early career researchers by upholding the equality, diversity and inclusion ethos. He is also part of the Institute for Sustainable Food as well as an active member of the University’s Muslim chaplaincy. https://dradrienchauvet.com/

Kalam Philosophy, Islam and Science by Bruno Abd-al-Haqq Guiderdoni - TV IslamScience - April 24,2020

Research Seminar given by Prof. Bruno Guiderdoni, at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, on November 20th 2018.

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/t7n6QvRaWp8?si=o6Tduuzvg28mGuGM


WikipediaBruno Abd al Haqq Guiderdoni (born September 30, 1958) is a French astrophysicist. He is a research director at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique), and a member of the Centre de recherche astrophysique de Lyon (CRAL). He was director of the Observatoire de Lyon from 2005 to 2015. His research is primarily concerned with the origin and development of galaxies. He has also written extensively on Islamic theology and mysticism.  Source: Full Biography  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Guiderdoni

IslamicityDr. Bruno Abd al Haqq Guiderdoni is an astrophysicist and French convert to Islam. A specialist in galaxy formation and evolution, he has published more than 140 papers and organized several conferences on these subjects. Dr. Guiderdoni serves as Director of the Observatory of Lyon. Besides his extensive writings on science, he has also published around 60 papers on Islamic theology and mysticism and is now Director of the Islamic Institute for Advanced Studies. Source:Full Article https://www.islamicity.org/by/bruno-guiderdoni

Islam on Web:

On Mystic Nature of Science: A Conversation with French Muslim Scientist Dr. Bruno Abd al Haqq Guiderdoni - Dr.Jafar Paramboor " In history, if you look the history of the Islamic world we have many Muslims who dedicated their lives to science, to the quest for science, whether these sciences were ʾulūm dīniyyah or ʾulūm ʾaqliyyah - religious science or rational science. If we want to use the classical classification, these are the examples which can be used for now. These people dedicated their lives to the quest for ʾulūm - all kinds of knowledge. They were also believers who were not disturbed by science because They were integrating all things with the prospects of thawḥīd, the oneness of God. So, they can put various levels of knowledge in harmonious construction without any conflict or any contradiction"


Islam & Science : Seeds for the Future - Bruno Abd-Al-Haqq Guideroni I am a scientist and I am a believer. As a scientist, my interest goes to the cosmos. I try to unravel the puzzles of the physical reality. As a believer, my interest goes to God and to his action within the human. I try to accept the mystery of the ultimate reality and the multiple ways it appears in the human condition. I feel deeply concerned by our 21st century. The terrible events of September 11 cast a dark shadow on it. Do we have reasons to hope again? Can we prepare seeds for the future? Do we still believe in the human?" Source:Full Article  https://islam-science.net/seeds-for-the-future-by-bruno-abd-al-haqq-guiderdoni-3486/

Thursday, March 21, 2024

A history of Islam and science - with Timothy Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad) - The Royal Institution - March 19,2024

 YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/7EKtVx2A6d4?si=l9D2__HnSQBEQNSb

Explore the rich history intertwining Islam and Science, with the esteemed scholar and University of Cambridge lecturer Tim Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad). This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 27 November 2023. In this enlightening lecture, we delve into the profound contributions made by Muslim scholars to the realms of science, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy throughout the centuries. Travel back in time to a Golden Age of Islamic civilisation, when knowledge flourished, and scholars pushed the boundaries of human understanding. Discover the ground-breaking discoveries of luminaries such as Ibn al-Haytham, Al-Khwarizmi, and Ibn Sina, whose works helped to lay the foundation for modern scientific thought. With meticulous detail and deep reverence, Winter illuminates the intricate connections between Islamic principles and the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Gain a deeper appreciation for the Islamic worldview that fostered an environment of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and empirical investigation. The lecture also presents a Muslim reflection on the current global threats posed by the irresponsible use of science and technology in areas including climate change, artificial intelligence, and genetic manipulation. What does Islamic theology have to contribute to these urgent contemporary debates? Join us for this captivating lecture as we walk through the corridors of history, highlighting the often-overlooked but profound contributions of Islamic scholars to the scientific landscape. Prepare to be challenged by the unusual but dynamic relationship between Islam and science and its enduring relevance to today's world. Timothy Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad) is an English academic, theologian and Islamic scholar who is a proponent of Islamic neo-traditionalism. His work includes publications on Islamic theology, modernity, and Anglo-Muslim relations, and he has translated several Islamic texts. He is the Founder and Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College, Aziz Foundation Professor of Islamic Studies at both Cambridge Muslim College and Ebrahim College, Director of Studies (Theology and Religious Studies) at Wolfson College and the Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at University of Cambridge.

The Royal Institution Website: https://www.rigb.org/

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Halqah Dhikr (Hadrah) 2024 :Al Marashli Ensemble - Arabic/English Subtitles- March 3, 2024

وصلة ذكر قادرية رفاعية تقدمها فرقة المرعشلي Al Marashli Ensemble نقلتها لكم بالتواتر عن الشيخ عبد القادر المرعشلي مؤسس الفرقة وعن جدنا الشيخ ياسين المرعشلي الرفاعي القادري البدوي رحمه الله تعالى ومنه عن شيخه شيخ الطريقة الرفاعية القطب السيد أحمد المراشحي السبسبي رضي الله تعالى عنه

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/nvl4-IsJunk?si=l7PEurbTohVd3Dsm

أداء فردي : محمد ياسين المرعشلي كلمات وألحان : تراث قديم (أنتم فروضي - قلبي يحدثني) لإبن الفارض رحمه الله (يا أيها النبي) للشيخ أبو الهدى الصيادي رحمه الله (مدد يا الله) أستاذ نذير العطار شيخ الحضرة : الشيخ هشام المغربي شيخ الاسلام القادري

كلمات الحضرة : هُوَ الله هُوَ اللهُ يا الله هُوَ اللهُ يا الله فيا ربِّ بالخِلِّ الحبيبِ محمدٍ نَبِيِّكَ وهوَ السيدُ المتواضِعُ أنِلنَا معَ الأحبابِ رؤيَتَكَ التي إليها قُلُوبُ الأولياءِ تُسَارِعُ فَبَابُكَ مَقصودٌ وفضلُكَ زائدُ وَجُودُكَ موجودٌ وعفوكَ واسعُ اللهُ يا الله اللهُ يا الله أنتُم فُرُوضِي ونَفلِي أنتُم حَديثِي وشُغلِي يا قِبلَتي في صَلاتِي إِذَا وَقَفتُ أُصَلِّي جَمَالُكُم نُصبَ عَينِي إِلَيهِ وَجَّهْتُ كُلِّي وسِرُّكُم فِي ضَميرِي والقَلبُ طُورُ التَجَلِّي آنَسْتُ فِي الحَيِّ ناراً لَيلاً فَبَشَّرتُ أَهلِي قُلتُ اُمكُثُوا فَلَعَلِّي أجِدْ هُدَايَ لَعَلِّي ما مَدَّ لِخَيرِ الخلقِ يَداً أَحَدٌ إلّا وبِهِ سَعِدا وبِذَاكَ مَددَّتُ إليهِ يدِي وبِذَلِكَ كُنتُ من السُّعَدا إني بالعُسرِ وباليُسرِ بِحِمَاهُ ألوذُ مَدى العُمرِ وأقولُ أغِثنا يا ذُخري وأَنِلنا من كَفَّيكَ نَدى بابٌ للهِ سمَا وعَلا قَدْرًا وامتَازَ بكُلِّ عُلا والكُلُّ بدعوتِهِ اتَّصَلَ باللهِ وحَازَ بهِ المَدَدَ لا أَرجُو غَيرَكَ إنْ جارَ دَهرِي وعَدِمتُ الأنصَارَ بِحَياتِكَ أَلقِ الأنظَارَ كَرَمًا يا أفضَلَ مَنْ سَجَدَ وعَلَينَا تَعَطَّف يا أمَلي بشِفَاءِ القَلبِ مِنَ العِلَلِ وعَلَينَا تَعَطَّف يا أمَلي بشفاءِ العَقلِ مِنَ الخَلَلِ وعَلَينَا تَعَطَّف يا أمَلي بشفاءِ الِجسمِ مِنَ الشَّلَلِ أيكونُ مُحِبُّكَ في وَجَلٍ وبِجَاهِكَ لا نخْشَى أحداً اللهُ اللهُ اللهُ الله اللهُ اللهْ لا إله إلا الله قَلبِي يُحَدِّثُنِي بِأنَّكَ مُتلِفِي رُوحِي فِدَاكَ عَرَفْتَ أمْ لمْ تَعرِفِ لَم أقضِ حَقَّ هَواكَ إِن كُنتُ الَّذي لم أَدْرِ فِيهِ أَسىً ومِثلِي مَن يَفِي ما لِي سِوَى رُوحِي وباذِلُ نَفسِهِ في حُبِّ مَن يَهواهُ لَيسَ بِمُسرِفِ فَلَئِن رَضِيتَ بِها فقد أَسعَفتَنِي يا خَيبَةَ المَسعَى إذا لم تُسعِفِ يا مانِعِي طِيبَ المَنامِ ومانِحِي ثَوبَ السِّقامِ به ووَجدِي المُتلِفِ عَطفًا عَلَى رَمَقِي وما أَبقَيتَ لِي من جِسمِيَ المُضنَى وقَلبِيَ المُدنَفِ فالوَجدُ باقٍ والوِصالُ مُمَاطِلي والصَّبرُ فانٍ واللِّقَاءُ مُسَوِّفِي إِن لَم يَكُن وَصلٌ لَدَيكَ فَعِد بِهِ أَمَلِي ومَاطِل إن وَعَدتَ وَلَا تَفِي فالمَطلُ مِنكَ لَدَيَّ إِن عَزَّ الوَفَا يحلُو كَوَصلٍ مِن حَبِيبٍ مُسعِفِ مدد مدد مدد مدد مدد مدد يا مُتَجَلِّي مدد مدد مدد مدد مدد يا مُتَعالِي مدد أصلح حالي وحالَ المُسلِمِين يا ربّ يا الله مدد يا الله أنتَ مُعِين للطَّائِعِين والطَّالِبِين وَصلَ هَواك مدد يا الله لجأنا إليك والعفوُ لديك من راحتيك اغفرْ لنا مدد يا الله نَوِّر فؤادي أنتَ يا هادي حُبَّكَ مُرادي مدد يا الله الوجدُ مني قد غابَ عنّي ذِكرك فتنّي مدد يا الله فاسمَح بالقربِّ واسعِف بالحبِّ لوعةَ قلبي مدد يا الله أرجوكَ المدد من غيرِ عدد فأنتَ السند مدد مدد مدد مدد بلا عدد يا الله يا أيُّها النبيُّ والكوكبُ الدريُّ أنتَ إمامُ الحضرة سلطانها الغيبيُّ همَّتُكَ الفعَّالة ويدُكَ الهطَّالة وأنتَ للرِّسالة أمينُها القويُّ لكَ اللِّوا والسُؤدَد والشرفُ المؤيد وأنتَ يا محمد ضمن الضريحِ حيُّ مُدَّنا بالأصحابِ والآلِ والأحبابِ والأربعِ الأقطابِ ما دامَ نشرُ ضَيُّ اللهُ الله ربنا وهو جليسُ الذاكرِ سلطانُ كلِّ الأولِيا البازُ عبدُ القادر أبشِر مُريدي بالسرور لا تَخشَ هَمّاً ولا كُدُور إنّي أنا الباز الغَيور أحمِيكَ من شرِّ العِدا اللهُ الله ربنا والبازُ الأشهب شيخُنا والأدهمي والبدوي وابنُ الرفاعي شيخُنا كفى الرِّفاعي شرفًا تقبيلُه كفِّ المُصطَفَى ولا تَحِد عن بابهِ وخُذهُ شيخًا وكَفَى آياتُهُ للعالمين مشهورةٌ في كلِّ حين ولكلِّ طرفٍ جاحدٍ أيعتري الشمسُ الخَفَا ربِّ بِطَهَ لا تُخيِّب أَمَلي جِسمِي تَوهَّى مِن إِسَاءَة عَمَلي جُد راحمنا بالعَفوِ لنا بالهادي وعِترته ختامَ الرُسُل كُن لِي مُجيرًا يا رَحِيم الضُّعَفَا كُن لِي نَصيرًا أَنتَ حَسبِي وَكَفَى يا مولانا حُسنَ الختام يا رجانا حُسنَ الختام بجاه محمّد عليه السلام يا فتّاح افتح لنا ابوابك واجعلنا من خِيرِة أحبابك سبِّبنا بأحسن أسبابك وأدخلنا جنة أحبابك لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر ولله الحمد لا إله إلا الله سيدنا محمد رسول الله حقاً وصدقاً وصلِّ وسلِّم على جميع الأنبياء والمرسلين وآلِ كلٍّ وصحبِ كلٍّ أجمعين والحمد لله رب العالمين

Friday, February 23, 2024

The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam: The Qur'anic Principle of Wasatiyyah : Mohammad Hashim Kamali

Book:In The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam, leading Islamic law expert Mohammad Hashim Kamali examines the concept of wasatiyyah, or moderation, arguing that scholars, religious communities, and policy circles alike must have access to this governing principle that drives the silent majority of Muslims, rather than focusing on the extremist fringe. Kamali explores wasatiyyah in both historical/conceptual terms and in contemporary/practical terms. Tracing the definition and scope of the concept from the foundational sources of Islam, the Qu'ran and Hadith, he demonstrates that wasatiyyah has a long and well-developed history in Islamic law and applies the concept to contemporary issues of global policy, such as justice, women's rights, environmental and financial balance, and globalization.
Framing his work as an open dialogue against a now-decades long formulation of the arguably destructive Huntingtonian "clash of civilizations" thesis as well as the public rhetoric of fear of Muslim extremism since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Kamali connects historical conceptions of wasatiyyah to the themes of state and international law, governance, and cultural maladies in the Muslim world and beyond. Both a descriptive and prescriptive meditation on a key but often neglected principle of Islam, 
The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam provides insight into an idea that is in the strategic interest of the West both to show and practice for themselves and to recognize in Muslim countries. 

Reviews"This scholarly book is a major addition to works that deal with 'moderate' Islam, still the Islam of the majority of Muslims, which is also traditional Islam. Drawing from a wide range of sources and many notable voices, Kamali presents an extensive range of issues from social justice to the environmental crisis, from spirituality to relation with other religions, all seen from the perspective of moderation or wasaÏiyyah, which is the authentic Islamic perspective. Kamali is to be congratulated for writing a much needed work on normative and genuine Islam at a time when so many strident forces and voices, both the non-Islamic and nominally Islamic, are seeking to eclipse in the eyes of many the authentic image of the Islamic religion." --Seyyed Hossein Nasr, University Professor of Islamic Studies, The George Washington University. "Extremely timely, bridge-building and opening new insights on the true content of Islam. An absolute must for all those fighting for a better understanding between Christianity and Islam. On the basis of neglected sources of Islam the author deals with salient issues such as jihad, women's rights, and inter-religious intolerance, demonstrating that the true Islam advocates for moderation as a cornerstone for religious pluralism." --Professor Dr. Rüdiger Wolfrum, Managing Director of the Max-Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law, Heidelberg, Germany. "For years Mohammad Hashim Kamali has been one of the leading scholars in the world articulating an understanding of Islamic law that is equally grounded in the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence and also responsive to the needs and sensibilities of modern Muslims. This book is at once the culmination of decades of thinking about justice, authority and knowledge in Islam and a major new statement about how Islamic principles of moderation can cohere into a comprehensive vision of religious morality. It will undoubtedly take its place as the major point of reference for this vision, and be studied closely across the globe." --Andrew F. March, Associate Professor of Political Science, Yale University. "Another accessible and learned work from one of the scholars who has done the most to bring Islamic law to a global audience and discussions of comparative law. And very timely." --Jonathan Brown, Associate Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and Associate Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. "With this book, Kamali (founding CEO, International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies [IAIS], Malaysia) adds to a long list of invaluable corrective studies on Islam targeting both scholarly and general readers... Kamali offers a convincing, sensitive reading of practices of religious pluralism among Muslims. A culmination of his decades of scholarship on Islamic law and jurisprudence, this book should serve as an important reference for years to come... Highly recommended." --CHOICE                                             "What I find particularly attractive about this book is that it is written in a style that both scholars and the general public will find accessible and yet without losing its academic rigour... Going beyond the pure theory of Wasatiyyah in this applied part of the book, Prof Kamali engages in a crucial set of meditations about how our Islamic traditions, when guided by the middle way, go beyond just dealing tolerantly with other religions." --His Royal Highness, Sultan Dr Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Sultan of Perak                                                         Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Middle-Path-Moderation-Islam-Wasatiyyah/dp/0190226838                          YouTube--Book Launch: "The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam" at IAIS Malaysia on 23 November 2015. Dr.Mohammad Hashim Kamali https://youtu.be/VheU9KMpFHY?si=xbXli8SkikJ2svpE                                   Dr.Kamali's Biography : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Hashim_Kamali                                                          PDF of Book (35 Pages):  https://www.karamah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-Middle-Grounds-of-Islamic-Civilisation-The-Qur%E2%80%99anic-Principle-of-Wasatiyyah.pdf                                                                





                       

Monday, February 19, 2024

The Mystics of al-Andalus: Ibn Barrajān and Islamic Thought in the Twelfth Century : Yousef Casewit

The twelfth century CE was a watershed moment for mysticism in the Muslim West. In al-Andalus, the pioneers of this mystical tradition, the Mu'tabirun or 'Contemplators', championed a synthesis between Muslim scriptural sources and Neoplatonic cosmology. Ibn Barrajān of Seville was most responsible for shaping this new intellectual approach, and is the focus of Yousef Casewit's book. Ibn Barrajān's extensive commentaries on the divine names and the Qur'ān stress the significance of God's signs in nature, the Arabic bible as a means of interpreting the Qur'ān, and the mystical crossing from the visible to the unseen. With an examination of the understudied writings of both Ibn Barrajān and his contemporaries, Ibn al-'Arif and Ibn Qasi, as well as the wider socio-political and scholarly context in al-Andalus, this book will appeal to researchers of the medieval Islamic world and the history of mysticism and Sufism in the Muslim West. Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Mystics-al-Andalus-Barraj%C4%81n-Cambridge-Civilization-ebook/dp/B06XTSP8LW?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Contents PDF https://assets.cambridge.org/97811071/84671/frontmatter/9781107184671_frontmatter.pdf

Dr. Yousef Casewit's Biography :Professor Casewit is a Qur’anic studies scholar at University of Chicago. His research interests include intellectual history of North Africa and al-Andalus, Muslim perceptions of the Bible, and medieval commentaries on the ninety nine divine names. He has several publications, most recently The Mystics of al-Andalus: Ibn Barrajān and Islamic Thought in the Twelfth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2017), a study on Ibn Barrajan’s life and teachings. He is also the author of a critical edition of a Qur’an commentary by Ibn Barrajan (Brill, TSQ Series, 2016). Source:https://divinity.uchicago.edu/directory/yousef-casewit