islam doesn't speak, muslims do | "the ink of the scholar is worth more than the blood of the martyr" – Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Rabia al-Adawiyya (aka Rabia al-Basri) was running through the streets of town, Basra, one day with a pail of water in one hand and a burning torch in the other. When asked what she was doing, she responded, “I want to put out the fires of Hell, and burn down the rewards of Paradise.” She was then asked why, to which she responded, “They block the way to God. I do not want to worship from fear of punishment or for the promise of reward, but simply for the love of God.”
John Stewart’s commencement address at William and Mary. Pay particular attention to the section the “greatest generation,” and where he talks about Bethseda. We do need a new greatest generation, but not necessarily a military one. This country needs to be rebuilt, and we need to find the passion that makes us Americans; we just can’t be “no them.” We are better than that.
Education, and the resultant intellectual engagement with the world around us, is one of the tenets of faith in the Islamic tradition. By turning our back on our intellect, we are turning our back on the trust (amânâ) that God has given us; by turning our back on understanding God’s creation, we are turning our back to God; by claiming we can know God, we deny God. What role does America play in keeping the Islamic tradition alive?
Just came across this website entitled Project Syndicate. It is an international association of quality newspapers devoted to: 1. Bringing distinguished voices from across the world to local audiences everywhere; 2. Strengthening the independence of printed media in transition; and, 3. Developing countries as well as upgrading their journalistic, editorial, and business capacities. As part of their coverage, Project Syndicate has a section on Islam, which is really quite good and may be of interest to islamicate readership. Here is the introduction by the featured contributor, Mai Yamani. “Whether because of the perceived defeats inflicted upon Muslims by the outside…
Al Gore was on fire last night. Speaking at the function arranged by MoveOn PAC, Gore blasted the Bush administration for various crimes. It was a compelling speech that showed Gore’s conviction and passion. It came four years too late for Gore, but I hope that Kerry was taking notice. Gore claimed that America had lost its moral compass, that its ideals and foundations were being systematically undermined, and that the current administration were incompetent at best and criminally negligent at worst. It was a rousing performance that will probably be re-shown on CSPAN. Ghostdog says “four stars and two…
As a counter to Bernie Lewis, Feisal Abdul Rauf has written a book entited “Whats Right With Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West”. I have not read it yet, but am intrigued with the title. Has anyone read it? If so, can you post a review. Here is the text from the books jacket: “One of the most pressing questions of our time is what went wrong in the relationship between Muslims and the West. Continuing global violence in the name of Islam reflects the deepest fears by certain Muslim factions of Western political, cultural, and economic…
I have nothing against military dictatorships if they happen to be installed in one of the most unstable and fragile flashpoint countries in the world such as Pakistan. During his tenure as President of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf has done and said the right things. He has been very critical of the extremist elements in Pakistani society and seems intent on seeing a modern and tolerant Pakistan take root. He is fighting an uphill battle against the MMA, while he tackles education reform, closes madrassas, and tries to reign in boombastic imams. He has had to deal with secretarian violence and…
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Iqra1 in the name of your Lord Who created humanity from a clot Iqra for your Lord is Most Generous Who taught humanity by the pen What it did not know. Qur’an (96:1-5) This selection is the first revelation of the Qur’an; a declaration of the Prophet’s (PBUH) mission and a declaration of it’s intent. Iqra. God has taught us much, much that we did not know. God has taught us by the pen, but that act of teaching is not yet complete, the Qur’an also says (31:27): Even…
I [Rabbi Ephraim Oshry] explained to the adoptive father that his reward would be immense without recognition of having the boy called to the Torah by his name, for he had saved this child from death about which our sages say, “Whoever maintains one Jewish life is considered as if he had maintained the whole world.” G-d will doubtless reward him for his righteousness in raising the boy and educating him in the way of goodness, and grant him many blessings and bounty. Oshry, Efroim, and B. Goldman. Responsa from the Holocaust. Rev. ed. New York: Judaica Press, 2001. On…