MuslimMatters.org Discourses in the Intellectual Traditions, Political Situation, and Social Ethics of Muslim Life

400 years ago, on precisely October 2nd 1609 CE., in the Iberian peninsula, the Spanish fleet escorted a diverse array of ships of many European nations from the port of Denia. The fleet’s destination was multiple landing ports in predominantly Muslim North African shores. It was the first shipment of deported Spanish Muslims who lived there for over a hundred and twenty years after the fall of Muslim Spain in Granada back in 1492 CE. These Muslims were known in history by their Spanish title the “Moriscos.” Read More »

The whole point of terrorism is the targeting of civilians to create fear and undermine civil law and authority because the perpetrators cannot wage a conventional war. As Muslims who care about the laws of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, we must always condemn such actions and their perpetrators. Read More »

The marketing, or perceived "commercialization" of Islamic knowledge, has been a huge source of controversy over many a cup of chai for budding Islamic activists. I want to take the discussion to a more macro level and force us to evaluate how the manner in which we market Islamic programs affects the perception of Islamic organizations, and to some extent 'ilm in general? Read More »

Islam is a religion meant to be easy and therefore Muslims set up organizations to deliver Islam to brothers’ and sisters’ locales. This is all fine until those same people stop learning Islam on their own because they figure they can just buy it in the form of Powerpoint slideshows, class notebooks, and conference badges – all giving access to wide selections of religious entertainment. Pretty soon it’s no longer about going to a seminar to learn about the fiqh of fasting. It’s about going to Organization X’s event for the sake of it being an X lecture with speakers A and B. Fame is in the name. Read More »

“The sisters would be interested, if they noticed any guys who would act mature. The main complaint I’m hearing on the girls’ side is that the guys aren’t acting like candidates that the girls would be interested in. For example, today when the shaykh mentioned the phrase “second wife,” the brothers started giggling and high-fiving like...boys! Just watch for the next couple of days and tell me what you think.” Read More »

alḥamdulillāh one of the things I have found myself doing more this Ramadan is searching the YouTubes for Qurʾān videos and recitation. I have posted my personal favorites below. There's no particular rhyme or reason to these – they just happen to be ones I enjoyed. So check them out ... Read More »

Gateway to all Ramadan related posts on MM With Ramadan right around the corner, it's time to start gearing up and adjusting our schedules accordingly. One of the things we have to plan for during Ramadan is tarawih. Now I'm not going to delve into a fiqh discussion in regards ... Read More »

As I've mentioned on more than one occasion, I am subscribed to alerts from They Work For You – a free site that allows the public to keep track of parliamentary proceedings. Even so, I will continue to remind you all of this fact, because I think everyone should make ... Read More »

This ummah is in danger, and something must be done, But first we must remember that as an ummah, we are one. Like a single body undergoing trials and tests, When one part feels the pain, it is felt throughout the rest. Read More »

Interview with Yaser Birjas on the Deen Show. Read More »