Agenda to change our condition pdf download

While the premodern Muslim world had many problems, we se the heartland remnants of cities that were once centers of learning, culture, commerce, and trade, as well as examples of some of the most stunning architecture, gardens, and parks that engendered awe in the eyes of all who gazed upon them. Beautiful and inspiring madrasahs schools , where the love of Allah and His Prophet was instilled in the hearts of the students along with a rich understanding of the din religion of Allah and with memorizations of His Book, have been replaced by secular institutions that instill in people a disdain for the past and a boredom that lingers long after the last empty book is closed and an equally empty carcer begun.

This is our state. Division reigns supremc—distrust, suspicion, and conspiracy theories linger in our communities, and we blame everyone but our own selves for our present condition.

Most Muslims now live under the yoke of tyrannical governments that, through abusive systems of rule, generate an indolence and lassitude that make Muslims among the least productive people on earth. The religion has become a refuge for angry youth who uscitasa political platform to rage against the injustices of the West; they should instead remind people what the visionary Malik b.

Some, like the eminent historian Arnold Toynbee, cyen recognize in it a spiritual power that could help reinvigorate the dissipated state of society and its life-threatening social ills. No doubt, dark clements in every society oppose true Islam, but they are a minority and in no way represent the interests of the broader society.

We, on the other hand, are given leave to invite people, yet we do not. This is not to deny that there are some who oppose the spread of Islam, Among such people are those who will not sit idly by and allow others to invite people to Islam without attempting to undermine Muslims, cause dissension in the ranks of believers, and place obstacles along the path.

They ultimately manifest disbelief in a very real way, and their existence is a test from Allah to distinguish real believers from hypocrites. In order to fulfill this, we must first be witnesses unto ourselves: prabl os Wb Gut oy st Do you command people to righteousness and forget yourselves? The second is outer transformation through struggle with the vices and degrading aspects of society—this means working toward the realization of so- cial justice and a culture that embodies moral comportment, protects children, and enhances family and community life.

The first four chapters elucidate a simple yet effective means to transform our inner world. The final chapter affirms the necessity of civic involvement and productive work in the outer world. According to Raghib al-Isbahant, there are wo main reasons why Allah created human beings.

The first is to worship Allah, which is only completed with inward purity: Z ere ees ry ae 2d yall 4 ia BW ides Yy ial Uy They were only commanded to worship Allah with purity, making the religion solely for Him. Inorderfor usto realize our God given potential within our lifetimes, we must break the cycles of stagnation by abandoning methods that have proven ineffective in fulfilling our responsibilities as people committed to Islam.

We can accomplish this only by changing our current condition—this requires courage, commitment, and above all, critical introspection. Government is now encroaching on every aspect of our lives. Privacy, once honored and respected in all societies, is breached daily by sophisticated technology capable of monitoring virtually everything we do.

We will need to assume a tremendous responsibility to change the state of our families. We must raise our children outside of the modern schools that are designed to make them no more than functional literates. We absolutely must remove our children from state schools and design, build, and support life-enhancing places of learning.

It is also imperative to abandon cruel and punitive child rearing techniques, as this is the primary source of social dysfunction and hypocrisy. The eminent scholar, Imam Ibn Khaldiin, identified this problem in the Mugaddimah: Severe punishment in the course of instruction does harm to the student, especially to little children, because it is among the things that make for bad habits.

Students, bondsmen, and servants who are raised with injustice and arbitrary force are overwhelmed by it. It causes them to feel oppressed and results in inertia. It makes them indolent and induces them to lie and be insincere.

That is, their outward behavior differs from what they are thinking or feeling. This is because they fear that if they tell the truth, they will be punished and will suffer tyrannical treatment. Thus, they learn deceit and trickery.

This becomes habitual and part of their character. They lose that attribute that accompanies all social and political organizations and gives people their humanity, namely, the ability to protect and defend themselves and their homes, and they in turn become dependent on others for this, Indeed, their souls become lazy and lose the desire to acquire the virtues and qualities of good character.

This invariably causes them to fall short of their human potential and never realize their humanity. This iswhat has happened to every people who have come under the yoke of tyranny and learned through it the meaning of injustice. We can easily prove this by simply observing anyone who is not in control of his own affairs and has no authority on his side to guarantee his personal well being.

Unfortunately, those who grow up in despotic cultures often internalize those same governing patternsin their homes. In fact, congruence theory illustrates how the aggregate of homes that make up a society is inevitably a reflection of the same patterns of authority used in other social institutions, including and most importantly the government.

Our children are our future and our legacy. We must take back the divine and inalienable right to raise and nurture them with love and fairness. This in no way implies that all schoolingis bad, butmost of the schools that presently exist aremore effective in stunting the intellectual, spiritual, and social growth of our youth than in nurturing them.

Home schooling is a viable option that should be seriously considered, and it has proven over the centurie: to be one of the most effective means of educating a healthy and be- nevolent child. It is rooted in the Book, the Sunnah prophetic tradition , and the example of ous pious predecessors.

We hope that you will commit to implementing it to the best of your ability and that you find a group of brothers or sisters to work together with you.

Now is the time to set out on the greater jihad with the proyision of trust, the armor of the Book and Sunnah, the steed of health, and the sword of resolve. Let us set out first and then see how long we can last.

God willing, a divine wind will blow on our backs, our fect will become light, and wondrous fellow wayfarers will show up with sustenance just when we thought we had none. OursuccessisbyAllah, upon Himwe place our trust,andto Himdo we return. Hamza Yusuf Sandala, Inc. Imam Muslim b. Imam Abt Nwaym Ahmad b. Syed-Rizwan Rizvi. Anonymous JWUsx1. Modern Muslim Theology argues that theology is a creative process, rather than a purely academic pursuit, and discusses how the Islamic tradition can help contemporary practitioners negotiate their relationships with God, with one another, and with the rest of creation.

It explores such themes as the contexts in which religious leaders move, leadership in communities of faith, leadership as taught in theological education and training, religious leadership impacting social change and social justice, and more. Topics are examined from multiple perspectives, traditions, and faiths.

Signed chapters are written in language and style that is broadly accessible. Each chapter is followed by a brief bibliography and further readings to guide students to sources for more in-depth exploration in their research journeys. A detailed index, cross-references between chapters, and an online version enhance accessibility for today's student audience.

As the U. Muslim population continues to grow, Islamic schools are springing up across the American landscape. The essays collected in this volume look behind those walls and discover both efforts to provide excellent instruction following national educational standards and attempts to inculcate Islamic values and protect students from what are seen as the dangers of secularism and the compromising values of American culture.

Also considered here are other dimensions of American Islamic education, including: new forms of institutions for youth and college-age Muslims; home-schooling; the impact of educational media on young children; and the kind of training being offered by Muslim chaplains in universities, hospitals, prisons, and other such settings.

Finally the authors look at the ways in which Muslims are rising to the task of educating the American public about Islam in the face of increasing hostility and prejudice. This timely volume is the first dedicated entirely to the neglected topic of Islamic education. He ultimately creates an intimate portrait of the school and provides a new introduction to Islam as it is being lived and re-envisioned in America.

This volume provides an objective analysis of current trends and developments in the beliefs and practices of Sufis in Britain.

Sufism is a dynamic and substantial presence within British Muslim communities and is influencing both religious and political discourses concerning the formation of Islam in Britain.

In the 21st century Sufis have re-positioned themselves to represent the views of a 'Traditional Islam', a non-violent 'other Islam', able to combat the discourses of radical movements. Major transformations have taken place in Sufism that illuminate debates over authenticity, legitimacy, and authority within Islam, and religion more generally.

Through examining the theory and history involved, as well as a series of case studies, Sufism in Britain charts the processes of change and offers a significant contribution to the political and religious re-organisation of the Muslim presence in Britain, and the West.

A valuable resource for readers interested in the role of Islam in contemporary U. This book gives an account of the ways in which Islamic traditions have contributed to the construction of modern Muslim selfhoods. Nik Nazmi was the youngest elected representative in the general election when he won the Seri Setia state seat in Selangor. Nik Nazmi has written books in Malay and English. Youth Work and Islam provides an eclectic focus, reflecting it duel inspirations of its title.

It considers how youth work can be informed by Islam but at the same time looks at how practice can be pertinent to young Muslims, their community and relationship with wider society. In this book Sadek Hamid and Brian Belton bring together a range of thinkers and practitioners who exemplify and analyse this situation. This not only produces much more than a straightforward view of informed practice, it also presents a broad and humane understanding of the character and possibilities of youth work over a broad perspective.

Centrally, while the work demonstrates how Islam and Muslims have contributed to the development of youth work, it also puts forward ideas and standpoints that demonstrate how Islam can continue to inform practice, add to its humanitarian ethos and even make our work with young people in general more effective. It is also a useful and readable text for social workers, teachers, police officers, clerics, medical professional and anyone wanting a more informed understanding of how faith perspectives can inform and refresh attitudes, approaches and enhance work with individuals, groups and communities.

Who has the authority to speak for Islam and to lead the stunningly diverse population of American Muslims? Do their ties to the larger Muslim world undermine their efforts to make Islam an American religion? Offering rich insights into these questions and more, Grewal follows the journeys of American Muslim youth who travel in global, underground Islamic networks. Devoutly religious and often politically disaffected, these young men and women are in search of a home for themselves and their tradition.

Through their stories, Grewal captures the multiple directions of the global flows of people, practices, and ideas that connect U. Probing the competing obligations of American Muslims to the nation and to the umma the global community of Muslim believers , Islam is a Foreign Country investigates the meaning of American citizenship and the place of Islam in a global age.

In recent years, Islam — whether via the derivatives of 'Political Islam' or 'Islamism' — has come to be seen as an 'activist' force in social and political spheres worldwide. What such representations have neglected is the strong countervailing tradition of political quietism. Political quietism in Islam holds that it is not for Muslims to question or oppose their leaders.

Rather, the faithful should concentrate on their piety, prayer, religious rituals and personal quest for virtue. This book is the first to analyze the history and meaning of political quietism in Islamic societies. It takes an innovative cross-sectarian approach, investigating the phenomenon and practice across both Sunni and Shi'i communities.

Contributors deconstruct and introduce the various forms of political quietisms from the time of the prophetic revelations through to the contemporary era. The authors describe a wide range of political quietisms and assess the continuing significance of the tradition, both to the study of Islam and to the modern world today.

As members of the modern age, we sometimes feel disconnected from the world of the Bible. But if we look closely, we can see that although cultures change, our basic challenges stay the same.

We still struggle with issues like community, justice, economic stress, political tensions, and cultural and ethnic differences.