Time of Salat al-Asr

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وصلى الله على نبيه الكريم

وعلى آله واصحابه اجمعين

Umm al-Mu’minin Umm Salama asked Sayyidina Abi Huraira (radi Allahu anhuma) about the timing of the Salat, to which the latter answered:

 

صَلِّ الظُّهْرَ إِذَا كَانَ ظِلُّكَ مِثْلَكَ وَالْعَصْرَ إِذَا كَانَ ظِلُّكَ مِثْلَيْكَ

“Pray the Zuhr when the length of your shadow equals your height; and the Asr when your shadow is twice your height.”
(Al-Muwatta #9)

This is the position of the great Imam Abi Hanifa (rahimahullah). While Sayyidina Abi Huraira (radi Allahu anhu) prescribed praying the Asr prayer when the shadow of an object is twice its length, we find that many other Muslims who adhere to various other schools of thought pray the Asr much earlier, when the shadow of an object is equal to its length. Once Angel Gabriel (alayhis-salam) descended and led the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) in the five daily prayers. He led the Prophet in the Asr prayer when the shadow of an object was twice its length: 

ثُمَّ صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مِثْلَيْهِ

Then he (Gabriel) prayed the Asr when the shadow of everything was twice its length

(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi #149)

Conspiracy of Fixed Lunar Calendar (Moonsighting Controversy)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وصلى الله على نبيه الكريم

وعلى آله واصحابه اجمعين

Recently Fawad Chaudhry, a disgraced cabinet member in the current Pakistani government who now holds the portfolio of Minister of Science and Technology, stated that the government of that country will soon introduce a fixed lunar calendar based on astronomical calculations, particularly for the purpose of determining the beginning and end of Ramadan. This is another example of the devious agenda of Imran Khan`s government to gradually impose a state version of Islam on the nation. Since its inception, Pakistan has never had a truly Islamic government that observes and implements the Shari`a. Instead, there have been various governments, both civilian and military regimes, that used and continue to use the name and slogan of Islam for political convenience and legitimacy. Imran Khan himself, during his election campaign, put forward the slogan of Madina Riasat in order to dupe the general Muslim public of Pakistan into voting for him and his party. This is the same Imran Khan who is notorious for having a secular, irreligious lifestyle. Going clean shaven, keeping pet dogs in his home, and worst of all prostrating to tombs, are the well known public characteristics of the Prime Minister of this so-called "Islamic Republic". His hypocrisy of playing dumb and failing to condemn the naked persecution of our Muslim brethren in China by the Communist regime reveals just how disgusting and cowardly the man is. This being the condition of the Prime Minister, it is not surprising how thinly veiled the contempt for Islam there is among his hand selected cabinet. The obese pig Fawad Chaudhry has a record of pronouncing statements and outlining policies of his government that are manifestly inimical to the cause of Islam. As I said, the government`s decision to introduce a fixed lunar calendar for the next ten years based on astronomical calculations is part of a broader agenda to impose upon Pakistan a State sanctioned Islam and eliminate any dynamic manifestation of the Faith which is independent of state control. Such an agenda also includes, among other things, "mainstreaming" the privately run madaris, strictly monitoring the activities of the Ulama and preachers, and regulating the content of religious sermons. Now I am the first person to strongly criticize the corruption of the contemporary Ulama and our mainstream religious institutions. But State control and regulation of Islam is no solution. It can be likened to curing the disease by shooting the patient to death. Islam itself is meant to be a privatized affair independent of centralized control and State regulation, especially when the State is as tyrannical and fallen as it is today, and as it has been for centuries since the end of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate. After Allah Himself, the highest authority in our Religion is the institution of Prophesy. And in reality, this is a single authority because the Prophet is merely the mouthpiece for Allah, his authority being derived from his office of speaking on behalf of Heaven and not from his own self. Then how could we have received our Islam if the activity and words of the Prophet were subject to the authority of the central state, being regulated and monitored by the government? Therefore, in its very DNA Islam is skeptical of the State and foresees a constant struggle between the Prophet and the Pharoah, in our time, represented by the competing narratives of the saintly, ascetic and lettered men of Religion and the clean shaven, elitist ruling class that have their hands firmly gripped on the reins of political power.

Returning to the issue of astronomical calculations to determine the start and end of Ramadan, to be fair, this is an issue of legitimate jurisprudential difference. But by and large, the mainstream of the Muslim Umma, led by the traditionally educated and certified Ulama, have adhered to the method of visible moonsighting, based on the Hadith:

صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ ثَلاَثِينَ

Fast with its sighting and break fast with its sighting. But if it is obscured for you then complete thirty days.

With these words the Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) clearly instructed the Umma to initiate the beginning of Ramadan with the actual sighting of the crescent, and likewise to end Ramadan and begin the next month of Shawwal with the sighting of the crescent of the new moon. The fact that he (alayhis-salam) also instructed us to complete thirty days of the month if we are unable to sight the crescent due to obscurities such as cloudiness, haze, dust, etc., proves that the beginning and end of the fast of Ramadan is meant to be determined by visible moonsighting and not astronomical calculations. That is because astronomical calculations do not take into account the obscurity of the horizon due to things like cloudiness, haze, dust, etc. Those who assert that science has progressed to the level that we can manufacture a fixed lunar calendar that will precisely determine the occurrence of the lunar months years and years in advance must admit that even the latest scientific and astronomical methods of calculation and weather forecasting cannot predict the precise movement, formation of clouds and other factors that obscure the horizon even several days in advance, let alone years. As for the other version of the Hadith which states:

 

فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدِرُوا لَهُ 

But if it is obscured for you them calculate it

This is used as a basis for the position of using a fixed lunar calendar of astronomical calculations and disregarding visible moonsighting altogether. The truth is, however, that if we accept the interpretation of the Hadith that we are to make a calculated determination regarding whether the crescent should theoretically be visible or not if the horizon is obscured or cloudy, that is still not a justification for producing a fixed lunar calendar that determined the beginning and end of Ramadan years in advance. That interpretation would only be applicable on the eve of the 29^th of Sha`ban and Ramadan when the horizon is obscured or cloudy. In actuality, the meaning of this version of the Hadith is the same as the other, i.e., that if the horizon is obscured we are the complete thirty days even if the crescent would be visible if the horizon wasn`t obscured:

 

فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْدِرُوا ثَلاَثِينَ

But if it is obscured for you then calculate thirty days

This is the Wisdom of Allah; it is from the legislated ways of worship to actually visibly sight the crescent moon in order to begin and end the month of Ramadan. To change this method is not only an innovation, it is an evil emulation of the Jews who created their own calendar based on calculation in order to determine their months and festivals well in advance. Before the ancient Israelites would light fires to inform the people of surrounding areas of the beginning of the new month based on the sighting of the crescent moon. But then their rabbis and scholars played games with the Religion and created a new, fixed calendar for the purpose of fixing the seasons for the festivals and holy days. Did not our own Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) warn and rebuke us that we would follow the misguided ways of the Jews and Christians to the extent that if one of them walked straight into the hole of a lizard there would be one from this Umma who would blindly follow him into it as well?! As for the silly argument that we Muslims calculate the timings of the five daily prayers that are based on the position of the rising and setting of the sun and do not actually have to visibly observe that; the answer is that there is no instruction of ruya or visible sighting for that from the Sunna in contrast to the Prophet Muhammads (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) explicit instructions regarding determining the start and end of Ramadan in the Hadith I have cited.

Sadly, popular preachers and scholars with great name recognition have begun promoting the use of a fixed lunar calendar that is based on astronomical calculation rather than visible moonsighting. Figures like Yasir Qadhi, who is a member of the Fiqh Council of North America, have altered their traditional position on visible moonsighting in favor of calculation for the sake of keeping with modern trends. As I wrote in my critique of the modernist deviant Ghamidi, the agenda behind this push for adapting a fixed lunar calendar based on calculation to determine the beginning and end of Ramadan is to convenience those of our community who have to notify their employers in advance of when they wish to take a day off from work to celebrate Eid. Essentially it is this business interest that motivated a class of scholars and Muslim intellectuals to sell their Religion in legitimizing a fixed lunar calendar based on calculation and abandon the teaching of the Sunna to determine the start and end of Ramadan by visible moonsighting.

Reality of Tarawih (Part 2)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

Last Ramadan, I wrote a piece debunking the Shiite allegation that we Sunni Muslims are guilty of an innovation in the Religion by offering the well-known Tarawih prayer in this sacred month. The gist of the Shiite argument is that Qiyam al-Layl (the night vigil prayer) is supererogatory, and it an innovation to offer supererogatory prayers in congregation. As I wrote in that article last year, the premise of this argument is false because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did indeed lead certain of his companions in supererogatory prayers. But before I cite any examples from the Hadith, I wish to bring to the reader's attention the saying of Allah Most High in the Holy Quran:

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ

Indeed, your Lord knows, [O My Prophet], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you.

(Sura 73:20)

In explanation of the Words "and [so do] a group of those with you" al-Fayruzabadi writes in hisTafsir:

وجماعة من المؤمنين معك في الصلاة

"A jama'a [congregation] among the Believers with you in the Salat"

Al-Baghawi states:

يعني المؤمنين وكانوا يقومون معه

"That is, the Believers, and they stood [in prayer] with him"

Similarly, the great exegete al-Khazin wrote:

يعني المؤمنين، وكانوا يقومون معه الليل

"That is, the Believers, and they stood [in prayer] with him [in] the night"

These explanations are quite clear that a group of the Believers used to stand along with the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) in Qiyam al-Lail, a proof for its validity in congregation from the holy Quran itself.

As for the Sunna, sayyidina Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhuma) narrates:

"I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt, Maimuna, the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) slept for a part of the night, and late in the night, he got up and performed ablution from a hanging water skin, a light (perfect) ablution and stood up for the prayer. I, too, performed a similar ablution, then I went and stood on his left. He drew me to his right and prayed as much as Allah wished." (Sahih al-Bukhari #138)

Likewise, sayyidina Ibn Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) narrates:

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَطَالَ

I prayed with Allah's Apostle blessing of Allah and peace be upon him, and he lengthened [the prayer]

(Sahih Muslim)

As for the suggestion that it was the Prophet's second successor, sayyidina Umar (radi Allahu anhu), who initiated the innovation of praying the Qiyam al-Lail in congregation during Ramadan, the narration from which such a suggestion is apparently based disproves it. That is the Hadith of Abdir Rahman b. Abdin al-Qariyy, who narrates:

خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَانَ، إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِذَا النَّاسُ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلاَتِهِ الرَّهْطُ

I went out in the company of Umar bin al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

 

So even before sayyidina Umar (radi Allahu anhu) apparently organized the first Tarawih prayer, the people were offering the Qiyam al-Lail in congregation, albeit in small, multiple groups. Sayyidina Umar only organized them behind a single imam, into a single congregation. And this was his ijtihad, to which none of the other Companions objected, therefore, its validity has the backing of concensus of the Umma at that time. Of course, if the Muslims today wish to revert to praying in multiple small groups at the mosque for Qiyam al-Lail in Ramadan, that too is fine, but the general practice of us Sunni Muslims is to pray this prayer in a single congregation behind a single imam during Ramadan.

Cancer of Anti-Semitism

Having expressed my thoughts on the disease of racism, I will now discuss a particular widespread form of racism - anti-Semitism - in the Muslim world. Although Jewish people aren't the only Semites, the term anti-Semitism is understood to mean bigotry against Jews. According to Islam, Jews are People of the Scripture:

مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّـهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ ۞ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ۞ وَمَا يَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَن يُكْفَرُوهُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ ۞

Among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous. And whatever good they do - never will it be rejected from them. And Allah is Knowing of the righteous.

(Sura 3:113-115)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) condemned anti-Semitism. He married a pious Jewish lady, Safiyya bint Huyayy (Allah be pleased with her), who had beheld a vision that the moon was placed in her lap. At times, the Prophet's other wives would tease sayyida Safiyya on account of her Jewish heritage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) expressed grave displeasure at this, and would rebuke those of his wives who were expressing this anti-Semitism. On one occassion, when sayyida Safiyya complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding this anti-Semitic bullying, he reassured her by saying:

أَلاَ قُلْتِ فَكَيْفَ تَكُونَانِ خَيْرًا مِنِّي وَزَوْجِي مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَبِي هَارُونُ وَعَمِّي مُوسَى

"Why did you not say: And how are you better than me while my husband is Muhammad, my father is Aaron and my uncle is Moses?"

(Jami at-Tirmidhi, #3892)

And in another version:

إِنَّكِ لاَبْنَةُ نَبِيٍّ وَإِنَّ عَمَّكِ لَنَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّكِ لَتَحْتَ نَبِيٍّ

"You are the daughter of a Prophet, your uncle is a Prophet and you are married to a Prophet."

(ibid, #3894)

So in answering anti-Semitism, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cited the nobility of Jewish heritage and the Israelite Prophets. Apart from the Prophet's wife Safiyya, several other companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were Jewish, notably the rabbi Abdullah bin Salam (Allah be pleased with him), who is called a Witness from the Children of Israel in the holy Quran (Sura 46:10). Likewise, some of the greatest early scholars of Islam were Jewish converts, such as Ka'b al-Ahbar (Allah be pleased with him). Historically, the treatment of Jews under Muslim rule, while not always perfect, was a lot fairer than what they had to face in medieval, Christian Europe of persecution, inquisitions, Crusades and pogroms. In modern times we cannot ignore the horror of the Holocaust. It was during the Second World War that modern anti-Semitism began to penetrate the Arab world. The Farhud pogrom in Iraq in 1941, in which hundreds of innocent Jews were murdered by a campaign of pro-Nazi, Arab fascism under Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, is one of the darkest stains on our history. Nevertheless, I must point out that this modern anti-Semitism that spread like a cancer into the Arab world had nothing to do with Islam. It was an outcome of a secular, Arab nationalist and fascist ideology which was opposed by religious forces such as the Ulama. The Baath Party that arose in Iraq and Syria, and sadly persists in the latter country, is a toxic mixture of fascism, socialism and Arab nationalism, which seeks to supress the orthodox expression of Islam. Anti-Semitism is integral to the Baathist ideology. We Muslims have to recognize the nefarious agendas of both the far-right and far-left to inject an anti-Semitic narrative into our community. Anti-Semitism is associated with these two political extremes, but particularly with White European supremacism and xenophobia. It cannot be denied that the soured relations between Muslims and Jews because of the Israel/Palestine conflict has greatly fueled anti-Semitism in our community. We must never make the mistake of using the oppressive policies of a right-wing government in the State of Israel as justification to latch on to an anti-Semitic narrative that demonizes Jewish people. Islam teaches us justice, moderation, truth and sincerity: "do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness." (Sura 5:8) It is quite regrettable that a historically European narrative of anti-Semitism has penetrated much of the Muslim world. Disgusting anti-Semitic literature such as the fabricated Protocols of the Elders of Zion are being widely distributed in Arab book shops. We have to acknowledge this growing problem within our part of the world and launch an educational campaign to combat it.

Barbarism of Saudi Regime

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين

وعلى اهل بيته الطيبين الطاهرين المظلومين

ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله العلي العظيم

Tyranny and injustice continues unabated in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This time, the Saudi regime executed thirty seven mostly Shi'a men. Undoubtedly, these men were innocent of the charge of terrorism levelled against them. Their confessions were coerced after a brutal regiment of torture. The Saudi persecution of the Shi'a community is blatant. In January 2016, they executed a Shi'i cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, who had merely engaged in non-violent protest against the oppression of the Saudi government. The Saudi king, Salman, and his diabolical son MBS have surpassed their predecessors in the unabashed murder of innocents. Aside from the oppression of the Shi'a community, the Saudi regime has cracked down on all other peaceful dissent. It has imprisoned a throng of Sunni Ulama, including those who have expressed even the slightest degree of criticism or regret at the evil actions of the Saudi regime, such as its inhumane war on Yemen, its inexcusable blockade of Qatar, and the establishment of cinemas, concerts and other sinful activities in the sacred land of Hijaz. As I have stated several times before, the intensification of the tyranny of the Saudis in Arabia is a sure sign of the proximity of the promised Mahdi's advent. Whether or not the Saudi rulers are aware of their unenviable fate, we can rest assured that if the Imam al-Mahdi does indeed appear while the Saudi regime is still in power he shall overcome them and subject them to the retribution they have merited. It is widely expected that when the aged Salman dies, his wicked and satanic son, MBS, will become king. At that point there will be nothing to hold him back from unleashing the full throttle of his tyranny and cruelty against his domestic enemies, both real and imagined. I suspect that when the individual whom Allah shall make into our Mahdi flees Madina and seeks refuge in Masjid al-Haram it will be due to the fact that the Saudi ruler of that time will have issued orders to capture him. It is quite possible that this future Mahdi shall start out as a political dissident who raises his voice against the injustice of the Saudi government. Now to be sure, I too am critical of some of the elements that have been subjected to Saudi oppression, such as the Shi'a, feminists and women's rights activists, the Muslim Brotherhood, and certain activist clerics like Salman al-Awda and Safar al-Hawali who represent the Sahwa Movement in that country. Nevertheless, it is my religious and moral duty to speak out against oppression, even if those who are suffering from that oppression are primarily groups and individuals that I am strongly critical of on an ideological level. The execution of innocent people is an enormity in the Eyes of Allah Most High. In 1979, Juhayman al-Utaybi and his followers, motivated by apocalyptic zeal, seized control of Masjid al-Haram and announced the arrival of the Mahdi. That incident foreshadowed what is yet to come when the real and genuine Mahdi emerges and is given the pledge of allegiance in the shade of the Ka'ba. This time, however, there will be no smuggling of weapons into the precinct of the Sacred Mosque, and the regime's forces which will attack from the direction of the north shall be decimated through a natural catastrophe in a plain somewhere between the two sacred towns of Makka and Madina. Like Juhayman's uprising, the subtext animating the Mahdi's emergence is the widespread injustice of the Arab regimes, particularly the one that rules from Riyadh. In several Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) warned about the evil that comes from the land east of Madina, the Najd, where the sun appears to rise "between the two horns of Satan". Another fact which makes me believe these prophesied events are about to transpire quite soon are the parallel expectations of religious Jews and Christians. They too are expecting the coming of the Messiah or return of Christ respectively. That the world is heading to an era of crisis is undeniable. Climate change including due to irresponsible human activity and the drying up of rivers and lakes leading to a shortage of drinking water means great famines and droughts are in store for us. Generally speaking, prophecy in the Abrahamic tradition points to a period in the latter days of great famine and great wars among the nations the like of which has never been witnessed before. The present geopolitical situation has set the stage for an immanent clash among the superpowers and regional powers (United States, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, North Korea). I happen to believe that we are about to witness an extremely massive war, which may even be termed World War 3. This will be an armed conflict involving the United States and its allies against Russia or China and their allies. It may even be sparked by a smaller regional conflict that drags in these larger military powers, similar to how the First World War broke out with the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist. Now returning to Saudi Arabia, it will soon unveil its true, ugly face in the coming months by openly siding with the State of Israel which will seek to unilaterally impose its own settlement in the ongoing issue of Palestine. Though the Palestinian people and perhaps even their leadership, despite the latter's corruption, will naturally reject this so called peace plan which will require them to compromise immensely, Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states will accept it on their behalf. This will be the great betrayal which will embolden the State of Israel to intensify its colonization of the West Bank and ethnically cleanse the Holy Land of the Palestinians that remain. Israel is also on a collision course with Iran, and very, very soon we are going to witness a full scale war between these two which will likely result in the end of the Islamic Republic.

Disease of Racism (Part 2)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله العلي العظيم

I’ve often argued that a Muslim should ideally be de-racialized. Once you become a Muslim, your race is merely an incidental attribute and cannot be the basis of your identity. It is Islam, your faith, that replaces race or anything else like ethnicity, nationality, etc., in terms of identity. This is truly the only solution to the problem of racism or other superficial divisions among people that they have inherited. The advent of the modern nation state served to divide Muslims more than anything else in our history. Likewise, identity politics on the basis of race and ethnicity has further divided us and is a means of undermining our religious consciousness. Sadly, the majority of Muslims today may consider their nationality or ethnicity as their primary identity, relegating their religion to a secondary role in terms of identity. Religion for many is merely a private or individual expression and they have no sense of a Muslim communal identity or consciousness.

Having said this, I must point out that when a race of people suffer discrimination on the basis of their race, we have to acknowledge its existence and cannot bury our heads in the sand with the so-called “color-blind” philosophy. The reality of our time is that Black African people are the greatest victims of racism, discrimination and prejudice. There are historical reasons for why this is the case. While Muslims who are Black should de-racialize themselves like all other Muslims, we have to acknowledge the racial discrimination they have been subjected to and continue to be subjected to. In the United States, the prison industrial complex, racial profiling, police brutality, and discrimination in employment and housing are real issues that have significantly harmed the African-American community. We have to remember that a quarter of the Muslims in America are African-American, and that an estimated 64% of converts to Islam there are African-American. They are by and large the face of Islam in America, but have been neglected by the immigrant Muslim communities who largely run the organizations and institutions that represent our community. There is a tragic trend of different ethnic groups establishing separate mosques. I myself have personally witnessed mosques that are literally right next to each other, which have been established to serve different ethnic groups. It is not uncommon to hear “this is a Turkish mosque, this is a South Asian mosque, this is an African-American mosque, etc.” In countries like the United States, Muslims should take advantage and celebrate their ethnic and racial diversity. We should not be segregated into different mosques, but all worship in the same mosque. As for language barriers, that is a problem that can be easily overcome. It is true that the immigrant, older generation’s issue with the language barrier has in large part contributed to the establishment of ethnic-based mosques. But as younger American Muslims by and large speak and understand English, we have to make an effort to re-integrate our community and all worship together in the same mosques.

Disease of Racism (Part 1)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله العلي العظيم

Racism is a disease of the heart and a kind of spiritual blindness in which a person discriminates on things as superficial as skin color, hair texture, shape of eyes, nose, lips and other physical features. We may acknowledge our racial differences, but to think a race of people are superior or inferior on the basis of their race is sheer ignorance. Islam is the only Religion which seriously addresses the issue of racism, while some other religions like Hinduism actually perpetuate racism and construct a theological foundation for discrimination on the basis of race, caste and color.

A large fraction of the Muslim community hails from the Indian subcontinent and are descendants of Hindu converts, including myself. Although we are Muslims, our society and culture still carries a lot of undesirable baggage from our pre-Islamic, Hindu heritage, especially certain racist attitudes and behaviors. In fact, in some aspects we are worse than the Hindus. The prevalence of cousin marriage, for example, is largely a Muslim phenomenon. While Islamic law recognizes the validity of cousin marriage, this license has been used and abused by Muslims, especially certain South Asian and Arab communities, to create a tradition of first cousin marriage for generations upon generations. This has led to so many genetic, health problems due to lack of diversity in the gene pool. Interracial marriage, which is sadly considered a cultural taboo among so many Muslim communities, is actually something good and liked by our Religion, as evidenced by the Prophet’s own Sunna of arranging interracial marriages. Among the benefits of interracial marriage is that healthy diversity within the gene pool, which actually contributes to greater physical beauty and attraction along with improved health and physique. I myself am a product of a diverse marriage - my father hails from Hyderabad (India) and my mother is a Punjabi woman from Pakistan, whereas most of my other maternal relatives practice the common Pakistani-Punjabi tradition of first cousin marriage that has proven to be so destructive and unhealthy.

Colorism is another social disease among Muslims of South Asia. The thriving market of “whitening” products, which are quite harmful to the body and are known to cause skin cancer, is an example of how our culture prefers fair complexion and looks down on those who have more melanin in their skin. I view this phenomenon as evil and an example of the the Qur’anic condemnation of “changing the creation of Allah” (Sura 4:119). Likewise, the phenomena of nose jobs, lip injections or reduction surgeries, and African people using certain harmful chemicals and other products to “straighten” the natural texture of their hair, is a result of an inferiority complex which European cultural colonialism is largely responsible for. Allah created every race of human beings beautiful; each race has its unique features and beauty. But it is more important to focus on the inner beauty of the heart which increases with acts of compassion, good deeds and selflessness.

The Arabs have a greater responsibility to act upon the pure and honorable teachings of Islam. That they have largely abandoned this responsibility and are among the most corrupt of our community is quite self-evident. The mistreatment of South Asians, Africans, Filipinos and other non-White groups in the Gulf countries is a well known problem. Arab culture has a lot of racism directed at Black Africans due to the historic injustice of chattel slavery, a legacy of the pre-Islamic Arabs. Certain deragatory slurs are quite commonly applied to Black Africans by Arabs who must be shamed and called to account for this haram racism which, as I said, is a perversion of the heart. So although we have a problem of racism in the Muslim community, it is not comparable and at the same level as that which exists in non-Muslim societies like Hindu India, China, Europe and Latin America. In fact, often we Muslims are the victims of racism of non-Muslim bigotry, as is increasingly the case in Europe and America. Muslims have been subjected to genocide such as what happened in Bosnia during the 1990s, and more recently, the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Burma. In these genocides, Muslims were targeted not only on the basis of their faith, but also because of their ethnic and racial differences. These days there is a revival of White supremacism and racism in the Western world. While these far-right forces of White supremacy target many different non-White groups with their vitriolic hatred, we should always remember that they consider us Muslims as their greatest enemy. In other worse, we have the greatest stake in this global struggle against racism and prejudice. The recent horrific terrorist massacre at two mosques in New Zealand reveals how this racist and anti-Muslim bigotry is entering a dangerous, violent phase which we should not ignore.

To be continued