IQRA

IN MEMORY OF DR. HASSAN HATHOUT - A Man of God, A Man of Love

On Saturday, April 25, the world lost a pioneer in American Muslim movement, a medical ethicist, a poet and a powerful voice for reform. Throughout his life, Dr. Hassan Hathout (1924-2009) was always known for carrying a message of love.

“The passing of Dr. Hassan Hathout is a profound loss to our community,” said MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati. “He promoted love as a key element of faith—loving everyone, friend and foe, while working for justice. We are committed to expressing our gratitude for his lifetime of work in the cause of Islam by continuing to work for the Islamic values of mercy, justice, dignity and equality for all.”

Dr. Hathout was a multi-cultural physician, ethicist, and poet. He grew up in surroundings where love of God and country, and call of duty, were pivotal. With much talent, learning, discipline, and meditation, he was able to combine a highly successful career in academic medicine, ethics, and theology. (READ MORE)

A Grand Scheme for Ethical Elaboration

  By Muneeb Nasir

Tariq Ramadan in his book, Radical Reform: Islamic Ethic and Liberation, addresses Muslim societies and communities everywhere with a bold call for radical reform.

 

The publisher, Oxford University Press, writes in its description of the book that ‘it is bound to provoke controversy and spark debate among Muslims and non-Muslims alike’.

 

Ramadan argues that radical reform demands not only the equal contributions of scholars of both the text and the context, but the critical engagement and creative imagination of the Muslim masses.

In response to this call for critical engagement, a group of interested and courageous readers in Toronto have been meeting to discuss and reflect on the author’s bold proposals for reforming Muslim minds - see Reading Circle schedule here

 

Reflections on 4th  week reading,  Elaborating An Applied Islamic Ethics: Pages  113 - 155

The playing field will need to be leveled for transformational reform to take place.

 

The two revelations (the text and the Universe) and the two sets of scholars (of the text and context) are to be on equal footing and the textual scholars are to have a double specialization.

 

This will change the authority relationship in elaborating norms and ethics which is currently weighted in favor of the textual scholars.

 

Going further, to produce applied Islamic ethics requires reclaiming what it means to be truly ‘Islamic’ and reconsidering the higher objectives.

 

Labeling this and that ‘Islamic’ may comfort and connect but may not reflect that it is based on ethical principles, the norms and goals that are to orient the knowledge acquired.

The Power of Courage

By Shelina Merani

The Power of Courage was one of the topics of discussion at a two-day intensive workshop in Paris recently where the European Muslim Presence network met to study the latest book by Tariq Ramadan, Radical Reform, Islamic Ethics and Liberation.

Fortunate to have the author himself there, Tariq Ramadan started the discussions by explaining that the process of reform starts by engaging with the world. In doing so, we are finding meaning and ultimately  answering the call of our creator. The concept of “reform” therefore should not be a foreign concept to Muslims.

Radical Reform highlights two major problems in the Muslim world which are hindering reform.

The first problem is that of leadership. Muslim scholars rarely come together to debate and drive reforms. Instead, they are more satisfied in talking among themselves in isolated circles.  Not serving the community, but instead being served by it.

Courage Wanted

By Muneeb Nasir

Tariq Ramadan in his book, Radical Reform: Islamic Ethic and Liberation, addresses Muslim societies and communities everywhere with a bold call for radical reform.

 

The publisher, Oxford University Press, writes in its description of the book that ‘it is bound to provoke controversy and spark debate among Muslims and non-Muslims alike’.

 

Ramadan argues that radical reform demands not only the equal contributions of scholars of both the text and the context, but the critical engagement and creative imagination of the Muslim masses.

 

In response to this call for critical engagement, a group of interested and courageous readers in Toronto have been meeting to discuss and reflect on the author’s bold proposals for reforming Muslim minds - see Reading Circle schedule here

 

Reflections on 3rd  week reading,  Determining the Sources of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence: Pages  - 84 - 112

 

It will take courage to move from techniques to substance, from means to higher ends and from passivity to activity.

 

In addition to creativity and confidence, it will take courageous scholars to propose ethics that goes beyond those based on necessity (darurah) and need (hajah) to ones based on justifications.

Planting the Seeds - History of the Islamic Foundation of Toronto Part 2

BY MUNEEB NASIR

The coming together of the early immigrant Muslims in Toronto to build an organization and establish a centre for their religious, cultural and social activities had an air of excitement among members of the newly formed Muslim Foundation in 1968.

While there were established mosques in other parts of Canada, such as in London, Ontario, as well as, in Edmonton, Alberta,  the community in Toronto in the early 1960s had one fledgling centre, established by Albanian immigrants.
 
Early in the 20th century, a sizeable number of Albanian immigrants settled in the city and through the activism of one of these early Torontonians, Mr. Rajjab Assim, the Muslim Society of Toronto was formed in 1911.

This pioneering work led to the establishment of the Albanian Mosque in 1954 in the Keele and Dundas area of the city and it served the cultural and religious needs of the Albanian Muslims. 

In the early 1960s, religious services for the small Muslim population in the city were primarily being conducted in rental facilities and homes.

In 1965, Muslim students attending the University of Toronto established the Friday services (Jumu’ah) in the institution’s historic centre, Hart House.

The Theology of Tariq Ramadan

Tariq Ramadan has emerged as one of the most influential Muslim theologians in the world today.

In this important book, Gregory Baum presents for the first time an introduction to several key aspects of Ramadan’s theological enterprise.

Baum examines Ramadan’s work historically within an interfaith perspective, drawing several parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity.

His comparison of the debates in the two traditions suggests that reform and renewal are compatible with the substance of both Catholic and Muslim traditions.

After a brief account of the evolution of Catholic theology up to the Second Vatican Council, Baum introduces Ramadan’s published work and theological orientation, examining both within the historical development of Islam.

He outlines Ramadan’s theology of God, humanity, and the universe and discusses Ramadan’s interpretation of sharia, the divinely revealed Islamic way of life.

The book then addresses what fidelity to Islam means for Western Muslims and contrasts Ramadan’s theology with the theological liberalism advocated by some Muslim authors.

Sharing the core of our beliefs

By Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

New York, New York - As he travels to Turkey on 7 April, US President Barack Obama takes the next step to fulfil his pledge to address the Muslim world. Some critics have warned him: don’t do it. I believe they are wrong. This is just the right thing to do, and Obama is the one to do it.

The president will speak at the UN Alliance of Civilization’s forum in Istanbul as a way to talk directly with Muslims about finding common ground for peace.

Critics say Obama should not try to engage the “Muslim world” because there is no such unified thing. They say this will play into Osama bin Laden’s narrative because he portrays himself as the protector of the “Muslim world”. They say the conflicts in the Middle East, with Iran, within Iraq and between Pakistan and India are not rooted in religion, but are secular fights over land, influence and control. (READ MORE)

Death and Islam

By Dr Abduljalil Sajid

For Muslims, life decides the afterlife

The whole life of a Muslim constitutes of a trial and test by means of which his final destiny is determined. For him, death is the return of the soul to its Creator, God, and the inevitability of death and the Hereafter is never far from his consciousness. This serves to keep all of his life and deeds in perspective as he tries to live in preparedness for what is to come. For Muslims, the concept of death and the afterlife in Islam is derived from the holy Qur'an, the final revealed message from God. (READ MORE)