Islam 301

Using the common language of academics, we commonly call the introduction to Islam by the name “Islam 101.”  From there, we would speak of the basics of Islamic thought and practice by the name of “Islam 201.”  This posting represents an “Islam 301″ providing detail on how to believe, imagine and follow life as a Muslim.  The common believer does not need anything beyond an Islam 201, but in our era of mass information (and by extension mass misinformation), it becomes necessary to develop Islamic Literacy.  

Should we Muslims be Liberal or Conservative?

[A repost of an old entry, with some modifications.]

Another area where I think too many Muslims make too many mistakes.

As the story goes, the Muslim masses are supposedly “conservative,” and those who are “liberal” tend to identify themselves as “liberal,” implying that they are different than the Muslim masses. In some cases, we use this latter term to mean “intellectually enlightened” and in other cases, we use this term to mean “loose with certain rules of social conduct.”

Ten Lessons I Learned in the Past Year

10 – Good company benefits me immensely.

Holiday Seasons

Sometimes we start feeling self-conscious about the holiday seasons. I grew up in Chicago; every winter, I unwittingly get into that mood that we call “the Christmas Spirit.” I don’t know what it is. I suppose it’s the memories of winter break, being cozy in my blanket, or playing in the snow. I never celebrated Christmas, never had a Christmas tree, and doubt I ever will. I loved Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but those shows never inspired me to learn anything about Christianity. Rather, it was my own Islamic study that inspired me to learn about Christianity.

The Tenth of Muharram on the Eleventh of Muharram

God’s wisdom is so amazing, that one of the most sacred and celebrated days of the Islamic Calendar is also one of the saddest. 

Junk Food for the Soul

It is a central principle of Islam that the heart is owned by its owner and by its Owner. At the heart of Islam is the notion that you own your heart. Meaning, none can control your heart, save for you and your Creator, the One we call the “Turner of Hearts.”

Regardless of how much someone may try to coerce your heart, the most that anyone can do is to coerce your body and your emotions. But, your heart is beyond the reach of anyone but you and your Owner. You can reveal the contents of your heart, or hide them, but the secrets of your heart are yours. Outsiders, however, will seek to seize them and replace them.

In our culture, however, we find four insidious methods for coercing the heart. Rather, these methods seek to reach as close to the heart as any outsider can. The first method involves atrophying the heart itself. The second method involves inhibiting any growth. The third method involves clouding it. The fourth method involves splitting the heart. But, any of these methods only work against us if we allow them to work against us.

Reclaiming the Moment from the Quicksand of Fear and Grief

The greatness of Imagination is that it allows us to make sense of things very remote from us. In addition to pondering over the effects of the Sun in our immediate lives, we can also imagine the Sun itself as it lives in Outer Space. In reflecting on the condition of a people, we can also imagine the forces in the past that brought us to this condition. A lifeblood of childhood is the use of imagination. Imagination also helps the adult remove unnecessary boundaries in his or her thinking. Much imagine is healthy; rather, much imagination is necessary. There are two types of imagination, however, that are destructive: Fear and Grief.

Ten Days. Ten Days. Ten Days.

[Repost]

By the end of the first ten days of fasting you are deflating the balloon down to its natural shape; you will have a glimpse into your true personality.

The Melee for Control

In the melee for authoritative control, Ideology has long competed with Business.  Both share the same goal: Ideology seeks its dominance over competing ideologies, hoping for the establishment of Utopia, while the goal in Business is simply monopoly.  The best Ideologies are, like the best Businesses, those that serve the consumer.

Wrestling with Anonymity

For the past month, I’ve been really struggling over the issue of self-promotion.  Meaning, I’ve consciously remained as anonymous as possible on matters relating to my work, especially those matters related to Islam, leaving it up to the Divine to elevate or debase me.