Islamic Revival

The text of both the Qur'an and Sunnah address many topics such as, stories of previous Ummahs, the Day of Judgment, and others. However, the text which specifically addresses our actions of what to do or what not to do is referred to as Hukm Sharii. The term Hukm Sharii, in Arabic, means the address of the Legislator related to our actions. Islam addresses all of our actions, whether they are permitted or not. Accordingly, all of our actions have to be guided by the Hukm Sharii.Many Muslims are too quick to conclude that something is either Haram (prohibited) or Fard (compulsory) after a quick reading of an Ayah or a Hadith. Not all commands in the legislative sources are Fard or Haram. the rules which are used to differentiate the types of Hukm Sharii are again related to Usul al Fiqh.There are 5 different categories of Hukm Shariah.They are 1.Fard or Wajib(obligatory) 2.Mandoub(reccommended) 3.Makrooh(Disliked) 4.Haraam(prohibited) 5.Permitted Actions(Mubah) There are many misco...

The following is a translation from Arabic. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Question: I have known people to take as security/guarantee against a debt given to a debtor, if the debtor does not pay back the debt within a pre-agreed time, the creditor has the security which is a guarantee against the debt and in most cases the security is much more expensive and even many times the amount of the debt itself. What is the Shari’ah rule? Is it allowed under the Shari’ah to give or take loans against such security? Answer: It is allowed for a creditor to keep a security as guarantee of repayment against a loan that he gives to a debtor. It is reported by Muslim on the authority of ‘Aisha (r.a) about the Prophet (saw) that: «اشترى رسول الله r من يهودي طعاماً بنسيئة فأعطاه درعاً له رهناً» "The Prophet (saw) bought foodstuff from a Jew on deferred payment and pawned his shield to him as guarantee of payment." But the creditor keeps the mortgage (pawn) only as a security against the inability o...

A recent expose by Tehelka magazine in India has highlighted the savage butchery undertaken by Hindu extremists in the 2002 Gujarat riots with the complicity of the Chief Minister of the state and other officials. They reported late Thursday that their reporter, using hidden cameras, had spoken to some of the main rioters. The men told the reporter that Gujarat's chief minister, Narendra Modi, had encouraged them to massacre Muslims and prevented police from stopping the killings. Modi, who remains the state's chief minister — a post equivalent to a U.S. governor — is a leading member of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a press release issued on Thursday, Tehelka magazine mentioned that fresh evidence about the 2002 Gujarat carnage had confirmed that the killings of Muslims in the state was strategised and executed by top functionaries of the RSS, VHP and the Bajrang Dal, with the knowledge and sanction of the state authorities and Chief Minister Narendra ...

The publication of blasphemous cartoons to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has again shocked Muslims around the world. However what has proven to be even more shocking is that these cartoons have not been published in any western country; they have been published in Bangladesh by a local newspaper.The cartoons issue together with the recent riots demanding an end to emergency rule by the military has again highlighted the perilous state of affairs for Muslims in Bangladesh today. The seizure of power by a defacto military administration in all but name in January 2007 has proven that the model of democracy has yet again failed in another Muslim populated nation state. The current crisis was triggered as the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) led by Khalida Zia came to the end of it's 5-year tenure after winning elections in 2001. A 3-month caretaker government took over and was supposed to impartially oversee new elections. Instead protests and violence were the result as the BNP's b...

The following is a translation of an Arabic leaflet. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم It is prohibited for the Ummah to have such rulers over them who do not respect ties of kinship and violate the covenant The Pakistan Supreme Court, which met today, did not reverse validity of the Musharraf’s election as President for a second term as per the results of the elections held on 6/10/2007 despite the fact that he has trampled upon and violated all sanctities. The country has opened the floodgates to America in its brutal aggression Afghanistan, making Pakistan the frontal site for the American army to carry out its brutal massacres in Afghanistan. America then ordered him to send his army to fight Muslim tribes in the regions bordering Afghanistan where Musharraf sent some ninety thousand soldiers to fight and kill their own brothers in order to protect America and its stooges in Afghanistan. Musharraf ordered killing of tribal chiefs in Baluchistan, and others, and violated his agreement with the...

The following article written by a brother some time ago, it has been slightly ammended. In the mosques clergymen, scholars and Imams alike, wear specific garments while delivering a Friday khutbah or giving talks at conferences. What type of dress has Islam determined for Muslims? The use of word ‘clergymen’ in the above question, is indicative of a concept which has nowadays become widespread amongst Muslims and which therefore needs to be investigated. Unfortunately, it is an ill conceived concept that has been adopted and implanted in the minds of those who have been seduced by the Western culture, such as those ruling the Muslim countries today, along with their secular followers who like to see themselves as the ‘intellectual class’. The word ‘clergymen’ or ‘men of religion’ has become widely used in our society both as a term and as a concept since it was first introduced via the colonial disbelievers. It is even being repeated by some of our scholars, who do not realise the ser...

The ‘Concert for Peace In Darfur’ held in Wembley Arena London, has been hailed by some to be a great way for Muslims to help other Muslims. This concert featured as the main performer, the nasheed ‘artist’ Sami Yusuf. Who visited Darfur, with an Islamic charity organisation. He has publicised the plight of the Muslims in Darfur and in many ways re-enforced the narrative spun by the British government as to what happening in Darfur. This is hardly surprising as one the events sponsors is the British Foreign Office . Some Muslims, view the holding of such concerts as a charitable deed that Islam deems to be praiseworthy. They see it is an attempt to help Muslims that are less fortunate. More aware Muslims realise that often there is more than meets the eye when it comes to such events. The context needs to be examined before a sound judgement as how to view such events can be made. Western Foreign Policy Although the colonialist nations like the US, Britain and France make claims that ...