Islamic Revival

Are we witnessing one of the portents relating to the final hour? The aḥādith of the ‘ Ruwaybiḍah’ is often mentioned in various contexts and has been feature of traditional Islamic works of ‘ Fitan ,’ relating to signs before the day of judgment, including before the arrival of the cursed false ‘messiah’ – the Dajjāl . Textually, the traditions do not relate to a legal topic. As such, when cited they are not utilised in relation to developing or substantiating jurisprudence ( fiqh ). Rather, depending upon authenticity, the text relates to a possible description of a future state of events, where deception reigns. A fixed moment in time is not specified, but rather a period prior to the coming of the Dajjāl . Some in the contemporary era have given a rating of fair or good ( ḥ asan ) to a particular narration that mentions the ‘ Ruwaybiḍah ,’ others to the set of traditions overall. Partly this seems to be on the basis that there are other channels of reporting which it is h...

As much as some may behave to the contrary, there is no priestly or rabbinical order that is textually sanctioned in Islam.  The Qur’ānic text is replete with examples of censure given to the previous nations that descended into an abyss through their scholarship [e.g. 5: 44, 63; 9: 31, 34].  Whether that was altering the rulings for a miserly price, to taking the diktats of the priestly order above and beyond the revealed law. Scholarship underpinned by piety is neither conferred by virtue of holding any particular office, the mere presence upon a state-sanctioned committee, nor even by means that are inherited. Enchantment with or outright sycophancy towards those despotically holding political office is also not a sign of scholarship, let alone scholarly conduct.   Indeed, as we move inexorably towards the end of days, it is worth reminding ourselves of the words that the Prophet peace be upon him furnished us with concerning the ‘deceitful jurists.’...

I was asked to put together a political briefing on Macron’s so-called bill to outlaw separatism. Here is an edited copy (with thanks to Zakaria K). The ‘separatism’ Bill announced by Emmanuel Macron on the 2nd October is currently working its way through the institutions of the French executive. The proposed law is called the “Bill to Reinforce Secularism and Republican Principles”, the term ‘separatism’, once considered, has been removed. The Bill looks to update the 1905 law that officially separated church from state. The French Minis t er of interior, Gérald Darmanin announced on BFMTV 3 weeks ago that the completed draft will be presented to the Conseil d’État or Council of State. This is a quasi- legal branch of the French state that looks at bills to make sure it conforms to the French constitution. Based on the fragments that announced beforehand, it seems there are some constitutional difficulties with the bill. For example, the odd statement by Mr Darmanin th...

From The Thinking Muslim Ep.37 - The Arab Spring 10 years on: What went wrong in Egypt and Syria? - Dr Osman Bakash Listen using the links below and remember to subscribe so you never miss a show Apple • Spotify • Google • Breaker • PocketCasts • RadioPublic • Stitcher • TuneIn or on Alexa We are coming to the tenth anniversary of the Arab Spring, the momentous series of events that started in hope with the desperate act of a Tunisian vegetable seller. With the return of another pharaoh in Egypt, the impunity with which he has meted out retribution upon those that were opposed to the regime and the killing field of Syria, whose soil today stands soaked with the blood of martyrs, makes even the most optimistic person surmise that the Arab Spring has turned into what can be called a cold winter. Over the coming weeks and months, The Thinking Muslim takes a look at the tumultuous decade from multiple perspectives. What went wrong? How did an event that reverberated across Muslim c...

  Adapted from “The Inevitable Caiphate” 2012, Hurst and Oxford University Press Raziq appeared as a critic dressed in “Islamic clothing”, who saw Islam like Christianity, and the caliphate like the rule of the Church, and so for him secularism became “an Islamic solution to an Islamic problem” Ali Abdul-Raziq was an al-Azhar graduate from a political family who founded the Liberal Constitutionalist party, and the author of the book entitled “Islam and the Fundamentals of Ruling” which challenged the orthodox concept of caliphate. It was published shortly after the official abolition of the Caliphate by Mustafa Kemal in 1924. Due to family influence and affluence he was able to study in Oxford University before the outbreak of the Great War, but returned to Egypt to work as a judge in the shari‘a courts. In the midst of the general mourning over the fate of the caliphate post abolition, and a general consensus among the scholarly class in Egypt that the calip...

The following is from the translation of the Doctoral Thesis on the subject of Al-Jihaad in the Early Period of Islam, the Islamic Fiqh and the Current Era (Al-Jihaad Wal-Qitaal fee as-Siyaasah Ash-Shar’iyah) by Dr. Muhammad Khair Haikal The Fifth Study   Fighting (Al-Qitaal) in defence of the public sanctities (Al-Hurumaat Al-‘Aammah) within the Islamic society Introduction: About the definition of the Hurumaat Al-‘Aammah (public sanctities) and the general Shar’iy Daleel in respect to Al-Qitaal (fighting) for the purpose of defending them.   In the previous section we spoke about fighting in defence of the private sanctities; An-Nafs (self), Al-‘Ird (honour) and Al-Maal (property), or what has been called ‘Daf’u As-Siyaal’ i.e. repelling the aggression or assault.   There is another type or form of As-Siyaal (aggression or assault) which we will discuss now. That is the Siyaal (aggression or assault) upon the society, represented in an assault undertake...