"What does Islam say about music?" is perhaps one of the top 10 questions Muslims ask every day. This episode seeks to lay down some basic ground work, important scholarly references, and ultimately a straightforward answer. Enjoy!
This particular episode was a suggestion from a listener. Diplomacy is a large, large topic and this episode in no way, shape, or form answers all the questions. Rather, it is meant to be a conversation starter. Enjoy!
We all know the common complaint that Islam looks bad and is misrepresented. It doesn't help that it seems often times the worst elements of our community are those speaking on our behalf. If we ever hope for the Islam to make sense to us and to our children, it must be made to look good. Easier said than done, but at least we can lay out some final principles as we conclude this series within the Podcast.
We frequently hear the statement that Islam is valid for all time, place, and circumstance. Yet, the key underlying question associated with that statement is do we actually understand Islam at all? How can we ensure that our understanding is correct? More importantly, how can we pass it on if we don't understand it? In this episode I want to look at some of the keys we need to unlock the code of our intellectual heritage.
This was a hard episode for me to put together. There is so much back-and-forth today about issues of gender relations, how Islam treats women, inherit inequality of the Sharia towards women, etc. While this is not traditionally a first principle jurists speak of, I believe strongly that we need to include to help weed out practices that are not compatible with our belief system. Hopefully this will be just a beginning to a longer conversation.
Muslims talk about charity a lot, but mostly in the context of the community in need of charitable help. As a first principle, however, charity is more than financial assistance, it is a state of being aimed at helping people in need. In this episode I explore this concept hoping that we can all be more charitable and giving of our selves.
While I covered models of coexistence previously on this podcast, here I take several steps back to consider the concept of coexistence from a principle point of view. If we can understand that we all have more in common than we think, the ability to coexist not only becomes easy, but the only natural option.
The Hajj pilgrimage is the largest communal devotional act Muslims preform. While it is the trip of a lifetime, the blessings surrounding it are not limited to those on the actual pilgrimage. This episodes highlights the importance of the first ten days of Dhul Hijja and offers advice on how we can maximize the great rewards laying in wait.
This episode is a brief commentary on َQuran 45:23. It explores the power of the lower self and how only by turning to God can we dig ourselves out of the hole we so often find ourselves.
Why are some people passionate about issues that we might not care about? Why are some people willing to fight one another, indeed go to war against one another based on differing ideas? This episode provides a brief sketch on the power of perspective and time in flaming conflict, or quelling it.
In this episode I address the role of Islam in high-politics and low-politics (defined by me in the beginning of the episode). Faith, understood and practiced truthfully should engender a patriotic spirit. Why and how are some of the questions I try bring up and answer.
Eid al-Fitr is the culmination of the massive achievement of Ramadan. In this episode I offer some points on how to really make the most of this special day. Enjoy!
The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) is the peak of Ramadan and a tremendous opportunity for us to not only turn to God with sincere devotion and repentance, but to begin a new chapter in our lives. However, while we are used to hearing about the immense merits of this important night, it's easy to be overwhelmed and not actually know what to do. In this episode I offer a simple, yet effective program to help us make the most of this blessed evening.
The Battle of Badr is the most important and decisive battle from the life of the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace). It occurred shortly after the Prophet migrated to Madina from Mecca and took place during the first Ramadan fasted by the early Muslim community. There has always been a special relationship between Ramadan and conquest throughout Islamic history. However, it is the conquest of the self that we ultimately seek.
Ramadan is the peak of the Islamic calendar. It is the greatest opportunity we have to reset our spiritual system. While we let the body feast throughout the year, Ramadan is the greatest opportunity to let the soul feast. This episode is an overview that provides a simple framework of how to get the most out the month.
We do not live alone. We are constantly interacting, communicating, and dialoguing with others. Yes, the term "interfaith dialogue" frequently comes up in the context of religion, but in this episode I have something much more broad than that in mind. After all, these are our first principles meant to provide guidance for us in all aspects of our life. Hopefully this brief discussion will provide a framework for constructive communication and dialogue with others.
The eve of the 15th of Sh’aban is one of the most significant and spiritually important times in the Muslim calendar. It is a night that the salaf used to seek out and honor with pious devotion and sincere supplication. What follows is a very simple overview of the importance of this event and recommendations for observing it.
We cannot be who we are or do the things we do except through and by the natural world around us. The Quran and Hadith literature are replete with references to the animated nature of the environment, to the duty we owe the environment, and to the obligation to keep its balance. The environment is one of the meta principles of Islam, and since the natural world around us is in crises, it is ever more important that we learn what it means from our faith point of view.
The boundaries of civilizations and religions are fundamentally porous. It is common for them to speak to one another, to benefit from one another, and to work in tandem for common goals. Islam, as both a religion and civilization, is no exception and has been very open historically to learning and benefiting from others. In this episode I dissect this and also draw some contemporary examples.
In our current context it is common to hear discussions about the compatibility or non compatibility of Islam with certain trends. While there is no doubt that these conversations have always occurred, they seem to happen more today than ever before. In this episode I want us to start thinking about what we already know and believe about Islam, but to articulate it in the language of "paradigm". I think that this is really just the beginning of the discussion, and I hope to expand on it much mor...
Rajab is the 7th Islamic month and marks the countdown for Ramadan. It's also one of the four sacred months in Islam, and the month during which we commemorate the Prophet's Night Journey (Isrā') and Ascension (M'irāj). Lots of takeaways for this important month!
Have you ever asked yourself, "why do bad things happen to good people?" We all have, and sometimes this question leads us to questioning God. I was asked by a listener to give this question some attention and hopefully this discussion will offer some comfort to those amongst us suffering.
Sufism is a very important part of my life, and in previous episodes (17,19,20,21,22) I covered the spiritual discipline from the perspective of a practitioner. In this episode I approach Sufism from the perspective of a first principle to understanding our entire faith.
A frequent question is, "how do we deal with our intellectual past?" Is the past just that, the past, or is there benefit in for the here and now? Many people who seek to "reform" Islam see its intellectual past as stagnant and backward. I think this premise confuses the issues of the past with the methodology of the past. This episode discusses this.
The life of the Prophet (Sīra) is one of the most important aspects of the entire Islamic religion. In this episode I lay out some broad arguments of why it is fundamental for us to learn and study his life story. I also provide some thoughts on how we should think of this subject before we approach it.
There is no denying that Islamic law has a lot of literature about slavery and the freeing of slaves (known as manumission). While all Muslim jurists and Muslim majority countries have outlawed slavery, the legal discussions in these sections of the Sharia have utility beyond their original use. In this episode I discuss one such utility, known as the “subtle moment.” While a bit theoretical, it is extremely important in solving some of our more complex, contemporary problems.
Not everything we encounter is black and white. Islamic law takes that into consideration and contains within it a flexibility that allows a nuanced approach to complex, real-life issues.
My guest today is Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim. Muhammad is currently the Executive Director, North America for Quilliam International. Muhammad is not only a scholar of religion and Islam, but has been at the forefront of tackling violence and extremism in the US an abroad. I am very fortunate to have worked alongside him on very exciting projects, and I am even more fortunate to call him a friend!
This is a concise discussion on the importance of theoretical people/theoretical structures in Islamic law. While organizations and companies often time seem to function like people, a common theme in the Western world, they are actually not real people and are therefore theoretical in structure. This construct, while sounding a bit strange is important as it allows a great deal of flexibility in adapting nuanced services in the modern world.
The rulings of the Sharia carry a larger meaning than their specific legal context. The spirit or symbol behind these laws remind us of the greater purpose of religion and identity. In this episode, I explore this concept with some concrete examples from Islamic history.
