Shaytan’s Tricks
Most people most of the time do not intend to do bad things (crimes and sins, like lying, stealing, defrauding, raping, killing, backbiting, etc.). Most people most of the time intend to do good things (or ‘neutral’ things, things whose good or bad value is not known). The Shaytan would be wasting much of his energy…
Mixed classes for men and women
Some people from India, where I used to teach, have put to me the following question: Why now do you teach classes in which men and women students share the same space? [By ‘the same space’ is meant a space without any sort of physical partition.] Since the question addresses my own practice, I am obliged to answer for myself.
The Month of Ramadan
Translated by Dr. Abu Zayd They asked: What is the meaning of the month of Ramadan? I replied: It is a month of blessings, abundance, happiness, and beauty. In it, the Qurʾān was revealed as guidance for humanity, guidance that is self-evident and clear....
Notes on Surah al-Shu’ara’
This surah addresses the intense anxiety that God’s Messenger, salla l-lahu `alayhiwa-sallam, suffered on account of the negative responses he got when he conveyed to the people the message God had commanded him to convey. It seems that he blamed…
Thematic Overview: Surah Al ‘Imran
The tried and tested way of teaching the Qur’an is to work through it verse by verse, striving to deepen our experience of the words of God, and to improve conscience and practice of the religion. That said, there is also some merit in stepping back…
Critical Reflections on Feminism
What I have to say is in two parts: (1) some critical reflections on the direction of contemporary feminism; and (2) an account of three perspectives on how to pursue reforms in the norms and conventions that negatively affect women in Muslim communities.
Benefitting from our Differences
When the believers are in dispute over a matter, they should defer it to God and His Messenger. We cannot obey this command if there is in our community any established institution to which religious differences and disputes among Muslims must be referred.
Tafsir Series
[Surah Al-Anbiya | Surah al-Hajj | Surah al-Muminun | Surah al-Nur] In this year-long course with Shaykh Akram Nadwi, four important chapters (surahs) of the Quran will be studied with theological, legal and spiritual emphases.