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.
Stress and Anger
Stress is often, not always, the result of overburdening a system so that it cannot function normally. In extreme cases a person under stress is unable to rest or sleep, even when they know that rest and sleep are what they urgently need.
Departure of Scholars from the Way of the Ḥadīth Imāms
They asked: We attend your lectures and you point out all sorts of scholarly mistakes in the treatment of the Prophetic sunnah and the failure to fully grasp the approach of the Imāms of ḥadīth. So please inform us of the roots and origins of this fault and error.
Virtue of the Juristic Approach in Fiqh
They said: One particular matter really concerns us. I asked: What is that? They replied: People have differed in fiqh, as some take it from the jurists while others take it from the scholars of ḥadīth. I replied: Why do you always inquire about simple matters…
Between Hadith and Fiqh
They said: We were impressed by your article “Between Hadith and Philosophy”, benefitting from it, and thereafter, being able to distinguish between the nature of hadith and the nature of philosophy and their respective standards and measurements…
How to Motivate yourself for Study
Eating is possible but difficult and unpleasant when you have no appetite. Similarly, study is difficult and unpleasant when you have no curiosity and no puzzlement in respect of what you intend to study. Curiosity and being puzzled constitute…