Month: July 2005

Intra-faith Shi'ism

On the Caliphate

islamoyankee

Tony had mentioned something about the Caliphate in the comments of an earlier post. And it got me thinking about the whole issue of what a call to a “Caliphate” could mean to OBL. Chapati Mystery has a really good post about the contemporary meanings of that term, and it really is a must read. My take was, and is, going to be slightly more historical. However, since they have filled in some of the contemporary background, my post will be abbreviated. [Just one criticism on the line “ some linear descendan[t] of the Fatimids found in a derelict bookstore…

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Current Affairs

From Afghanistan

islamoyankee

A friend is travelling through Afghanistan as part of a circus (yes, a circus). One of his more recent emails: Salaam from Karte Seh, Kabul, I hope this finds you safe and in good spirits. I have a new telephone number and mailing address in the U.S., noted at the bottom of this email. Nearly one month ago, what little I knew of Afghanistan I knew by pictures and words, maybe a couple good books, like “Kite Runner” or “An Unexpected Light,” and sound bites from the Boston Globe or Washington Post. Even if I knew better, I still had…

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Books Inter-faith Intra-faith Reading Lists

Reading the Qur’an – part 3 – Translations and Secondary Sources [updated][2x]

islamoyankee

[I’ve jumped a head to part 3 since several commentors have asked about translations and secondary material.] I’ve done one post already on the vagaries of Qur’anic Arabic. Learning Arabic does not really help in learning to read the Qur’an in the sense of its interpretive history, but it does help you appreciate the large semantic range of each word in the Qur’an. (A really good secondary source for this discussion, although somewhat technical, is The Qur’an’s Self-Image.) As a result, when I look up passages, I don’t rely on just one translation, but rather several. I also use languages…

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Current Affairs

Kill all Muslims

islamoyankee

Kill all Muslims must be the new AQ commandment. The targets in the bombing in London were in Muslim neighborhoods. They are killing Muslims in Iraq. Now they are blowing up children in Egypt. I ask this question repeatedly, what are they doing to help Muslims? (A meme I return to again and again.) 2:156 5:32

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Current Affairs

Enlightened Moderation…..

This is in today’s BBC.  I wonder how much of this is speaking to a Western audience vs what they have really taught.  Intersting that they only mention the martial component and not the spirtual component of Jihad. But it is good to see it any way:Pakistan clerics explain ‘jihad’Pakistan’s top Muslim clerics have said it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to preach the real concept of jihad, or holy war, to young Muslims."The situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine is radicalising young people," says Mufti Rafi Usmani, one of Pakistan’s highest-ranking clerics. "And an angry young man is…

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Intra-faith

Terrorists hate Muslims

islamoyankee

As has been pointed out in several places (1, 2, 3), one of the London bombs went off in a predominately Muslim area. There is a war occurring within the Muslim community; there are those who would throw out 1400 hundred years of intellectual history and development and who would bomb the ummah back to the time before the Prophet (PBUH) verse those who believe Islam is a religion that matures by the grace of God, and struggles with His majesty and revelation every day. I’ve commented before (1, 2, 3) on Muslim-on-Muslim violence. In this instance, I think it’s…

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Books Inter-faith Intra-faith Religion

Reading the Qur’an – part 1 – Interpretation

islamoyankee

The Qur’an (also Quran, Koran) is the Muslim holy book, believed to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – through the angel Jibra’il (Gabriel) – over the span of 23 years. The Arabic language of the time was a nascent language of literature, used mostly as a mnemonic guide in its written form; because of the close association of Semitic Languages (including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac) the turn of Arabic into a literary language was not unprecedented. The script did not (and still does not) mark short vowels, punctuation, differentiate amongst different letters, and depending on the scribe,…

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