Open Thread Sunday 10.11.09 | Q of the Week

14 Comments

1. 

   Nahyan

   October 11, 2009 at 1:10 PM

   I’m feelin those YQ tweets right there, mashaAllah.

   Especially,

   Never say “I don’t have time to do this” because what you really mean is “I don’t care enough about ‘this’ to make time for it.”

   Reply
2. 

   Arif Kabir

   October 11, 2009 at 3:18 PM

   The classical debate on, “Show me respect!” and “It’s time you earned it!” :)

   Reply
3. 

   Ikram Kurdi

   October 11, 2009 at 3:19 PM

   I don’t know about the origins of Halloween, but celebrating national festivals shouldn’t become a religious issue IF there is nothing haram in them. Kids having fun is not haram.

   Reply
   • 

     Ahmad AlFarsi

     October 11, 2009 at 3:32 PM

     The Origins Of Halloween

     http://www.history.com/content/halloween/real-story-of-halloween

     (this is why Muslims shouldn’t celebrate Halloween…)

     Reply
     • 

       student

       October 12, 2009 at 12:59 AM

       Are origins always relevant? The origin of the names of the days of the week are mostly if not all pagan deities. Only a fringe would say we shouldn’t use them.

       Not arguing that Halloween is okay. Just that we need a more rigorous explanation than “its origins are unislamic.”

       Reply
       • 

         Ahmad AlFarsi

         October 12, 2009 at 11:34 AM

         I agree that we definitely need a much more rigorous explanation than simply pointing out the origins, and we hope our shuyukh will be able to provide a detailed fatwa with rigorous proofs as to the prohibition of Halloween and the fiqh of other non-religious holidays.

         However, if we were simply to follow the hadeeth “istafti qalbak” (consult your heart), and look at the origins, practices, and evil fruits of Halloween altogether, the sincere heart would inshaAllah know that this is something to stay far far away from. wa Allahu a’lam.

         Reply
4. 

   student

   October 12, 2009 at 1:05 AM

   The problem with “I don’t care enough…” Is that it is often misinterpreted as “I don’t care, period.”

   If I said “I don’t care enough about memorizing the Quran” people will think I am some sort of heretic.

   Of course, one can insist on being blunt and ignore people’s weak irrational minds, but it is easier to avoid long explanations and arguments.

   Sorry if this comes across as robotic to the extent of missing the point of the inspirational quote. Caffeine is partially responsible for this.

   Besides, I don’t care enough about how this comment comes across. :)

   Reply
5. 

   sister in deen

   October 12, 2009 at 7:40 AM

   The ‘youngest headmaster in the world’

   http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8299780.stm

   Reply
6. 

   Ummaichanour

   October 13, 2009 at 10:17 AM

   A little story… My grandmother, the wife of a presbyterian minister, hated the concept of her children begging for candy during halloween. She didn’t mind dressing up as characters from stories, but the begging was not acceptable to her sensibilities. As I understand the story, one year there was a need for winter coats, so she instructed her daughters that when they rang the doorbells they were to ask for coats for the needy instead of for treats. The next year it was shoes. Her husband saw that this was an opportunity for children to be instrumental in helping other children. They started “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF”. This is their greatest legacy which has raised tens of millions by children and for children. It is possible for traditions to change and that the intentions of what people are celebrating to be completely different then the origins. As a child I dressed up in costumes based on silly characters or costumes that made me feel beautiful for a day, the ghoulishness was not ever a part of the day, it was a day to feel good and to do good…….But today as a mother who feels that my responsibility for the deen of my children is stronger than tradition, I do not allow my children to participate. I do however crave a way for my children to participate in an activity that would be zakat from children to children.

   Reply
7. 

   Amad

   October 14, 2009 at 9:29 AM

   An appeal for a fellow blogger’s son’s medical treatment.

   Yusuf mentions on blogistan:
   Abu Sinan’s has appealed for help as he needs treatment for his autistic son, Sinan, which is starting to get expensive as medical insurance does not cover the only effective treatment:

   Please see this post on Abu Sinan’s blog. And you can donate easily by using the paypal button on it.

   I want to remind myself first and everyone else, that regardless of our disagreements on matters of deen or duniya, Muslims are bonded by the words of Allah and His Messenger. And one brother’s misfortune is another brother’s opportunity to reinforce our ties as Muslims, and at the same time earn ajar and blessings from Allah.

   I hope the readers here, who responded to the calls for Imam Siraj brilliantly, will take a few moments to make a donation, no matter how small or large for the brother’s son.

   Reply
8. 

   Px

   October 14, 2009 at 12:22 PM

   Salam,

   Since this is Open Thread so I’m just thinking aloud with these thoughts:

   So I’ve been reading MM from it’s very inception, and it has definitely come a long way with the kind and quality of material they put here. Their line up of authors has improved too. However, I clearly remember that they started off with the usual stuff including ‘sufi’ bashing. As they become more famous they seems to have turned the whole thing around and have developed this intellectual schizophrenia- especially regarding their moderation of comments.

   Another point I’ve noted: the FOBS, yes FOBS writing for MM (without naming any name), have this weird sense of entitlement and belonging. Their writings seem to suggest that only BAD ever came out of their country of origin (which in most cases is Pakistan). It’s funny how MM moderators routinely call out ‘arm-chair’ criticism, yet they do the same thing about their own ‘origins’. Is it because it’s a cool thing to do? Is it because being associated with Pakistan now something really shameful? Or is it because as one FOB writer, who left MM, suggested that most Pakistanis are just a bunch of jahils and nothing can be done about them? Similar suggestions and quips are routinely made about Pakistan which sometimes suggest that there are barely any mosques in Pakistan that following sunnah, then you have them suggesting that Pakistan is only full of extremists. And, when I make a valid criticism and answer back with things that are TRUE, it gets censored? Masha’ Allah ‘alaykum.

   So, one thing at least I would like to know is what on earth is MM’s moderating policy, because it seems haphazardly innocent; only comments that would suggest that people disagree with anything on MM, or are somehow threatening its monolithic groupieness strangely disappear.

   I know, this comment probably won’t see the light of day, but you know AMAD an answer would be nice which you probably aren’t gonna give (If you do delete this last sentence please, thanks). :P

   Reply
   • 

     amad

     October 14, 2009 at 1:42 PM

     Since you called me out, despite the fact that about 15 people moderate at any time,

     As for moderation policy:
     http://muslimmatters.org/faq/

     Furthermore, moderation occurs at the discretion of the shura when comments are highly disrespectful of people of knowledge, when comments are trollish (which can be subjective but blog-writers are blog-owners in some sense so they have the right to decide what they feel is trollish), and when commentators have a history of being disruptive, full-stop (urdu translation:nuqtah).

     As for comments that suggest that we only talk about terrorism conducted by Muslims and not by non-Muslims, those comments are as disingenuous in addition to not being factual. See this comment for a list of posts that talk about injustice against Muslims and Muslim lands.

     Oh, here are references to Mufti Taqi Uthmani on MM (since you had mentioned him somewhere as well)… oh yeah, he is from Pakistan. So something good does indeed come from Pakistan. As for why many of the writers with Pakistani origins aren’t too psyched out about Pakistan, well, you probably should ask Zardari about it… he may have the answer.

     Reply
     • 

       Px

       October 14, 2009 at 2:51 PM

       For a moment you got me there bro…BUT it seems like it’s not only the disruptive individuals who get their comments “moderated” (?). It appears some well respected individuals, who are probably known to some of the mashaykh here also seem to sense something’s wrong?

       See: http://peacebruv.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/missing-comments/#comment-97

       As for comments that suggest that we only talk about terrorism conducted by Muslims and not by non-Muslims, those comments are as disingenuous in addition to not being factual. See this comment for a list of posts that talk about injustice against Muslims and Muslim lands.

       Not sure why you bothered mentioning this, because I fully support Shaykh Salman’s message.

       (As for Pakistan not sure what to make of your response, maybe you’d rather not do to improve Pakistan in some way or other…ah well)

       Anyway nice talkin’ after a while bro, I appreciate your response, Barak Allahu feek (I mean this…) :)

       Reply
9. 

   MM Associates

   October 14, 2009 at 4:18 PM

   About moderating comments, I actually think we moderate way too few of them. If it were up to me, I’d axe almost half of them. Then when someone would complain about it, I’d respond with: “Boo hoo, cry me a river.”

   But alas, I’m not in charge. :p

   By the way, Amad almost never moderates posts, so don’t put the ‘blame’ on him.

   -J.Hashmi

   Reply