Disclaimer

This article is not intended to be a detailed examination of the complex Islamic rules of inheritance – such a task is beyond the scope of any one article. The components of inheritance in Islam, its conditions, its causes, impediments, categories, types and allocated shares, require many years of deep study and examination under a qualified and competent teacher and within the parameters of one of the legal schools1 (at least in the first instance). 

Rather, the purpose of this article is to explore the reasons why it is important to both study the rules of Islamic inheritance as well as seek professional advice (from a qualified scholar or fatwa council, as well as legal professionals) in order to draft a Will that can meet the requirements of Islamic law and be officially recognised by the law of England & Wales.  

I intend to combine over two decades of studies in fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) with my knowledge of the law of England and Wales to provide both a brief overview of selected categories of heirs of Islamic inheritance – primarily from the perspective of the Hanbali Madhab (school of Islamic Jurisprudence), and to outline practical steps Muslims can take to plan how their wealth and assets can be administered upon death in accordance to Islamic jurisprudence while complying with UK domestic family law.   

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Introduction

Most Muslims in the UK appear to be living in slightly less favourable economic circumstances when compared to the overall population. For example, a census report in 2021 conducted by the Office for National Statistics found that: Muslims were nearly four times more likely to live in overcrowded homes than the overall population of England and Wales; 45.6% of Muslims lived owner-occupied (compared with 62.8% of the overall population); 26.6% lived in social rented accommodation housing (compared to 16.6% of the overall population); and Muslims had the lowest percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years in employment (51.4% compared with 70.9% of the overall population)2.

However, despite this bleak picture, many Muslims in the UK are far from being poor. A groundbreaking report, ‘The Economic Contribution of British Muslims to the UK’s Growth and Prosperity, and the Risk of Exodus’3, published in 2024, found the following:

1. British Muslims generate at least £70 billion annually for the UK economy.
2. The British Muslim workforce contributes £42 billion, Muslim-owned businesses add between £16.3 billion and £24.7 billion, and charitable donations and volunteer time contribute an additional £2.4 billion.
3. British Muslims are vital in public sectors such as the NHS, where they hold over 46,000 roles, making critical contributions to healthcare, transport, and education.
4. The UK has emerged as the Islamic finance capital of the West, with UK-based Islamic banks controlling 85% of the total European Islamic financial assets, valued at £7.5 billion.
5. However, the report also reveals that British Muslims are 50% more likely to consider emigration than the average Briton and affluent British Muslims, earning over £62,000 pa, are 75% more likely to contemplate leaving the UK.

This report highlights the immense economic contributions made by British Muslims and the potential economic risks posed by immigration due to rising religious discrimination and dissatisfaction. The report also, when compared to the Census report of 2021, sheds light on the fact that there are huge economic disparities within the Muslim community in the UK. 

Therefore, regarding Muslims who have been blessed with wealth, it is important to ensure that this wealth is not lost and is adequately utilised to strengthen the Ummah first by ensuring that religious obligations regarding wealth are discharged. This includes fulfilling individual obligations like Zakat, which should be paid on time and to institutions that can distribute it properly; communal obligations like building masjids and madrasahs and ensuring that these are consistently provided for; and that recommended charity is paid as and when needs arise. And finally, that the rules of Islamic inheritance are strictly adhered to if one has any wealth to bequeath in his or her final act of justice in this life before returning safely back to Allah , the Creator. 

In this article, I want to explore the following topics before concluding with recommendations: 

1. Bequests and Wills; 
2. Categories of Heirs in Islamic rules of inheritance; 
3. Sharia vs UK law regarding inheritance; and 
4. Other matters that may hinder the application of the Islamic rules of Inheritance in the UK. 

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SECTION I: BEQUESTS & WILLS 

Waṣiyah is a verbal noun used to refer both to the act of bequeathing and to the bequeathed property itself4. It describes the declaration a person makes while they are still alive regarding their property. It also deals with the arrangements according to Islamic law to be carried out after their death. This is akin to a “will” in English law. Laws around inheritance in Islam are derived from instructions in the Qur’an and through the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad . 

Allah commands us in the Noble Qur’an to take care of our inheritance:

“It is prescribed that when death approaches any of you—if they leave something of value—a will should be made in favour of parents and immediate family with fairness5. ˹This is˺ an obligation on those who are mindful ˹of Allah˺.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;180]

Furthermore, Ibn Umar reported Allah’s Messenger as saying:

“It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequeath, not to let two nights pass without writing a will about it.” [Muslim]

Moreover, we learn from the Quran and Sunnah that when a person dies, they will be called to account for every major and minor action they did in this world, whether it was good or bad. They will be rewarded for their good deeds and punished for their bad actions. 

The first stage of that reckoning is in the grave. In the grave, the first thing we will be asked is: Who was your Lord? What is your religion? Who is this man who was sent amongst you?6

Then on the Day of Resurrection, we will be brought to account for every major and minor deed. The first thing for which we will be brought to account for then, will be our prayer7. 

On the Day of Resurrection, we will also be asked about other matters, including our wealth – how we earned it and how we disposed of it8.

So, the wise person should be keen to save themselves and prepare acceptable answers to these questions. 

Rulings of Bequests

Scholars of all four of the schools of Islamic jurisprudence have opined that it is wajib (mandatory) for someone with wealth (i.e. property, savings, investments, pensions, etc.) and liabilities (e.g. debts) to write a will detailing them. In addition to the rights of people, some scholars state that the rights of Allah that have not been fulfilled should also be added, such as unpaid zakat, vows and expiations, as well as Hajj if the deceased did not perform the mandatory Hajj9. 

However, they have argued that bequests are not recommended for those who have little or no money (and no liabilities). Despite this, those who have little wealth and have heirs who are poor, should not bequeath any portion of their estate because the heirs have a superior claim to it10.

The scholars also state that if someone has a significant estate and no liabilities, bequeathing is mustaḥabb (recommended)11. 

Some scholars, on the other hand, including az-Zuhri, held that it is wajib on all people. They cited the Prophet’s saying:

“It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him.” [Bukhari]

They also said that at first, it was agreed that the waṣiyah was obligatory, based on Allah’s saying: 

“It is prescribed that when death approaches any of you—if they leave something of value—a will should be made in favour of parents and immediate family with fairness. ˹This is˺ an obligation on those who are mindful ˹of Allah˺.” [Surah AlBaqarah: 2;180]

They argued that the obligation that was abrogated only concerned bequeathing to heirs who were later given fixed shares by Allah , not to those relatives who do not inherit12.

The majority of scholars argued that some of the Companions did not have a will, and the others did not blame them for this13. 

What Is The Best Amount to Bequeath?

Sa’d reported: The Prophet , visited me while I was ill in Mecca. I said, “I have some wealth. May I donate all of it?” The Prophet said, “No.” I said, “Half of it?” The Prophet said, “No.” I said, “A third of it?” The Prophet said, “Yes, a third, but this is still too much. That you leave your inheritors wealthy is better than leaving them dependent, begging for what people have. Whatever you spend on them is charity for you, even the morsel you feed to your wife.” [Bukhari]

This Hadith reported by Sa‘d indicates that the amount of a bequest is limited to 1/3 (one-third) of the entire estate. Scholars have all agreed on this as the maximum limit; however, they disagreed over the best amount: 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 were all mentioned. The chosen position in the Hanbali school is 1/5 – this was reported in Sunan al-Bayhaqi to be the position of Abu Bakr and Ali , albeit with a controversial transmission. Ibn Qudâmah (rh) added in al-Mughni14 that this was the position of most of the Salaf (the earliest generations of the righteous followers of Islam)15.

A person should also appoint any sane, trustworthy Muslim man or woman as an executor (of the bequest) to perform acts that are within the scope of the legal capacity of the testator (the person who has made a will or given a bequest), such as: paying his debts, distributing his bequest, and looking after his children’s interests16.

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SECTION II: ISLAMIC RULES OF INHERITANCE

The subject matter of this knowledge, ‘ilm al-farâ’iḍ or ‘ilm al-mawâreeth (the science of inheritance), relates to the estate of the deceased. It is a division of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) that also requires an understanding of mathematics. For this reason, it is usually mentioned as a separate discipline by itself, and mastery of it is rare, even among scholars. Learning this science in order to accurately distribute the estate of the deceased justly among the heirs as prescribed by Allah is a farḍ kifayah (communal obligation)17.

It goes without saying that learning this extremely important science must be done under the guidance and supervision of competent and qualified scholars. Understanding the Islamic laws of inheritance must be combined with a study of the philosophical foundation of family in Islam and the distribution of rights and obligations, because exploring this topic in isolation will lead to a distorted understanding. For example, giving daughters half the share of the sons may sound unfair; however, when one considers the obligation upon men to be responsible for providing for women in the Muslim family, one will appreciate the overall fairness and justice when things are examined holistically18. 

Do Islamic Inheritance Laws Favour Men Over Women? 

This myth is due to a misconception derived from a misunderstanding of a part of a verse from the Qur’an where Allah says: 

“Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female…” [Surah An-Nisa: 4;11]

However, this verse does not mean that men always receive more than women. Islamic inheritance laws are based on a wider, complex framework of Islamic finance grounded in financial responsibility. In this system, sometimes women receive less than men; however, there are also multiple cases where women inherit equal to19 or even more than20 men. All instances where there is a discrepancy between male or female heirs are when there is a difference in proximity between the heir and the deceased, or there is more of a responsibility of one party to provide for the other (e.g. men are obligated to financially support family members).

The objective behind the distribution of inheritance was to equalise all the recipients amongst the deceased’s family and treat women with justice and dignity21. So the idea that men always inherit more is an oversimplification; the reality is more nuanced, especially since there are several cases where women receive equal or greater shares of inheritance than men.

Islam was actually the first religion to assign women inheritance rights based on her responsibilities, and not her gender, as Allah said:

“For men there is a share in what their parents and close relatives leave, and for women there is a share in what their parents and close relatives leave—whether it is little or much. ˹These are˺ obligatory shares.” [Surah An-Nisa: 4;7]

It is for these reasons that Professor Almaric Rumsey (1825-1899) of King’s College, London, who was the author of many works on the subject of the Muslim law of inheritance, said: “The Moohummudan law of inheritance comprises beyond question the most refined and elaborate system of rules for the devolution of property that is known to the civilized world, and its beauty and symmetry are such that it is worthy to be studied, not only by lawyers with a view to its practical application, but for its own sake, and by those who have no other object in view than their intellectual culture and gratification.22” 

The heirs will inherit both the liabilities and assets of the deceased, but they are not required to pay off liabilities if they are more than the assets can cover, although it is recommended because the Prophet said23: 

“A believer’s soul remains suspended (from joining his befitting station) by his debt until it is settled or paid off on his behalf.” [At-Tirmidhi]

Thus, accurate distribution of wealth through the Islamic rules of inheritance is from amongst the most important matters in Islam. This is why the Prophet encouraged Muslims to learn the rules of inheritance and teach them to others. He ) said: 

“Learn about the inheritance and teach it, for it is half of knowledge, but it will be forgotten. This is the first thing that will be taken away from my nation.24”

Here, the Prophet refers to the rules of inheritance as “half of knowledge” because they contain most of the rulings that pertain to a human being in the state of death whilst the other rulings of fiqh pertain to how people should live life. 

In another narration, he said:

“I am a mortal and knowledge will be taken away and trials will appear until (there would be) two persons who would differ about a case of inheritance and cannot find anyone to give a judgement.25” 

Without doubt, what the Prophet said has now occurred as this branch of knowledge has been ignored and forgotten and is rarely taught to the average Muslim unless one undertakes formal training in the Islamic sciences in a well-known Islamic seminary or institute of higher education. It is crucial that as Muslims we revive this branch of knowledge in order to educate ourselves and preserve it in our communities, as it involves the rights of others, which is something that we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgement. 

The Prophet also said: 

“(Sacred) knowledge has three categories, anything else is extra; a precise verse, an established Sunnah, or a firm rule of inheritance.26”  

Umar ibn al-Khattab said: 

“Learn the rules of inheritance, for they are part of your religion.27” 

Islamic rules of inheritance refer to shares allocated to legal heirs by the noble Qur’an – these are prescribed shares of the estate which are to be given to those who deserve them. 

These laws ensure the correct distribution of the wealth of a deceased person. It is a right of those left behind among the deceased’s inheritors. Studying these rules entails learning how to divide an estate, its fiqh rulings, calculations and shares. 

After death, the following order takes place with regard to the deceased’s wealth:

a) Firstly, we use it to spend on his funeral expenses;

b) Secondly, we use it to pay off any debts that the person may have towards people or Allah ;

i) those debts related to mortgages take preference over general debts;

ii) Debts to Allah include things like Zakah, Hajj, etc.

c) Thirdly, we execute the person’s will up to one-third of their wealth;

d) Finally, we distribute the remaining wealth to their inheritors according to fixed laws in the Qur’an and Sunnah28.

If any property remains after that, it is to be divided amongst their agnate29 relatives.    

It is not permissible for anyone to try to change these laws of inheritance, which are decreed by Allah as He says:

“These ˹entitlements˺ are the limits set by Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted into Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever. That is the ultimate triumph! But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and exceeds their limits will be cast into Hell, to stay there forever. And they will suffer a humiliating punishment.” [Surah An-Nisa: 4;13-14]

Regarding the tafsir of this verse, Imam ash-Shawkani states:

“The word ‘these’, in the aforementioned verse, refers to the laws of inheritance which are discussed in the two verses preceding these two verses mentioned above. Allah (swt) refers to these laws as ‘limits’ because it is impermissible to exceed the limits of these rules or violate them. The phrase ‘…and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger…’ means: whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger in applying the laws of estate division or any other Islamic rulings, as implied by the general meaning of the phrase ‘…will be admitted by Him to gardens [in paradise] under which rivers flow…” 30

Imam ash-Shawkani then adds:  

It is related by Ibn Majah on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allah said:

“If anyone disinherits his heir, Allah will deprive him of his share in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.”31

Therefore, whoever changes any of the laws of inheritance and prevents them by either allowing an illegal heir to inherit, or disinheriting a legal heir or depriving a legal heir of his or her share, may themselves be forfeiting their place in Paradise as a result. 

The Most Important Evidences Regarding the Islamic Rules of Inheritance

There are three verses from the Noble Qur’an and one Hadith of the Prophet that address the bulk of the issues of inheritance by designating the heirs, their shares and the approach to dividing the estate:

The three verses are from Surah An-Nisa:

The First Verse:

“Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. If you leave only two ˹or more˺ females, their share is two-thirds of the estate. But if there is only one female, her share will be one-half. Each parent is entitled to one-sixth if you leave offspring. But if you are childless and your parents are the only heirs, then your mother will receive one-third. But if you leave siblings, then your mother will receive one-sixth—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. ˹Be fair to˺ your parents and children, as you do not ˹fully˺ know who is more beneficial to you. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” [Surah An-Nisa: 4;11]

The Second Verse:

“You will inherit half of what your wives leave if they are childless. But if they have children, then ˹your share is˺ one-fourth of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And your wives will inherit one-fourth of what you leave if you are childless. But if you have children, then your wives will receive one-eighth of your estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And if a man or a woman leaves neither parents nor children but only a brother or a sister ˹from their mother’s side˺, they will each inherit one-sixth, but if they are more than one, they ˹all˺ will share one-third of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts without harm ˹to the heirs˺. ˹This is˺ a commandment from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.” [Quran: An-Nisa: 4;12]

The Third Verse:

“They ask you ˹for a ruling, O Prophet˺. Say, “Allah gives you a ruling regarding those who die without children or parents.” If a man dies childless and leaves behind a sister, she will inherit one-half of his estate, whereas her brother will inherit all of her estate if she dies childless. If this person leaves behind two sisters, they together will inherit two-thirds of the estate. But if the deceased leaves male and female siblings, a male’s share will be equal to that of two females. Allah makes ˹this˺ clear to you so you do not go astray. And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.32” [Surah An-Nisa: 4;176]

There is also an additional verse from the Qur’an that concerns blood relatives, though it is not explicit, where Allah says:

“And those who later believed, migrated, and struggled alongside you, they are also with you. But only blood relatives are now entitled to inherit from one another, as ordained by Allah. Surely Allah has ˹full˺ knowledge of everything.33” [Surah Al-Anfal: 8;75]

The Hadith of the Prophet :

As for the Hadith of the Prophet , Ibn ‘Abbās narrated that Allah’s Messenger said:

“Give the stipulated shares to their owners; what is left over goes to the nearest male heir.” [Muslim]

Summary of the Main Categories of Heirs 

Below is a brief summary of some of the main categories of heirs in the Islamic rules of inheritance taken from Umdat al-Fiqh – a primary text of the Hanbali Madhab (school of law), written by Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi34. 

In the preface of his book Umdat al-Fiqh, Imam Ibn Qudamah said, “I included in it authentic narrations for their blessings and authority.” This was done to remind the student of knowledge that the spirit and foundation of this knowledge is the divine revelation (the Qur’an and Sunnah). The mere memorization of the rulings of different madhabs (schools of law) does not make one a Faqih (scholar of Islamic jurisprudence) until he or she knows their sources (proofs) and how they were deduced, and acts upon them with sincerity and devotion35.

CATEGORIES OF HIERS

The heirs belong to one of three categories:

1. Dhoo Farḍ (heirs with designated shares)
2. ‘Aṣabah (residuary heirs)
3. Dhoo raḥim (other kin)

  – First Category: Dhoo Fard – Primary Heirs with Designated Shares

Heirs with designated shares are 10:

[1&2] The spouses; 

[3&4] The parents; 

[5] The (paternal) grandfather;

[6] The grandmother;

[7] The daughters;

[8] The daughters of the sons;

[9] The sisters; and

[10] The maternal half-siblings. 

 – Second Category: ‘Asabah – Secondary Residual Heirs 

Residual heirs are due to blood relationships – they inherit in the instance that there are first category primary heirs with designated shares. These include aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews and other distant relatives36.

 – Third Category: Dhawi Arha’m (Other Kin)

These are the rest of the relatives or extended family who are neither: (i) first category primary heirs (with designated shares) nor (ii) second category secondary residual heirs (who are not entitled to a designated share). They may receive a share of the inheritance, only in the instance that there are no primary or secondary category heirs.

Hindrances to Inheritance

These include:

1) Difference in religious affiliation, meaning that the people of one religion shall not inherit from the people of another, because the Messenger of Allah said,

“The Muslim shall not inherit from the non-Muslim, nor shall the non-Muslim inherit from the Muslim,” [Muslim] and, “People of two different religious affiliations may not inherit from one another.” [Ibn Majah]

2) Killing (accidentally or intentionally); the killer shall not inherit from one whom he or she killed unjustifiably. 

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said:

“The killer does not inherit.” [Ibn Majah]

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SECTION III: ISLAMIC SHARIA VS UK LAW REGARDING INHERITANCE 

Since there are strict and uniform interpretations and guidelines around inheritance, seeking professional help and advice when compiling an Islamic will is of utmost importance in order to fulfil the obligations of Islamic inheritance and make the will legally binding and enforceable in the UK.

As we have seen, in Islam, the Shariah outlines how inheritance is to be distributed after a Muslim’s death.  These distribution laws are not something that can be amended according to individual preference. However, under the UK civil law, one’s estate and assets can be distributed according to an individual’s preferences as outlined in their will – this is the primary difference between an Islamic will and a conventional will.

An Islamic will is only acceptable as long as it is compliant with the Shariah, and binding as long as it is compliant with UK civil law. If an Islamic will is found to be invalid, a Muslim’s inheritance will be distributed in accordance solely with the rules of intestacy (i.e., the laws that apply in that particular land) – this, of course, differs from country to country.

Common Mistakes People Make Regarding Inheritance

1. Leaving everything to one spouse or heir;
2. Preferring one child over the other;
3. Having assets and liabilities, but no will;
4. Not taking adequate care to protect assets and their distribution upon death;
5. Not maintaining the correct documentation in order to identify assets;
6. Making a Will based on domestic law only; and
7. Bequeathing more than a third of one’s entire estate to charity. 

Consequences of Dying Without a Valid Will

1. Without a Sharia-compliant Will, or any Will, one’s estate may be more complex and difficult to administer, as well as being costly;
2. It will mean that assets will be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy in England and Wales, which do not include provisions for Sharia compliance

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SECTION IV: OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY HINDER THE APPLICATION OF THE ISLAMIC RULES OF INHERITANCE IN THE UK

1. The impact of marriage 

In the UK, a legal/registered marriage entails that all assets will be equally divided37 on divorce or automatically transferred to the surviving spouse upon the death of one of them (in the absence of a valid Will). This can have a huge impact on how someone’s estate is administered on divorce or death. Therefore, expert advice from Sharia scholars as well as lawyers needs to be sought in order to determine how to protect one’s assets (so heirs are not adversely impacted) and that a person’s Will is always divided according to the Sharia whether in a divorce or death. Wills, Trusts, and Prenuptial agreements can be the best way to protect one’s assets against unintended divisions. 

Nevertheless, this is a matter for Sharia Councils, Fiqh Academies and Lawyers specialising in Sharia-compliant Wills and Trusts.  

2. The Cohabitation Rights Bill 202638

This Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, is designed to shape the future of family law in the UK in order to better reflect modern society. When it becomes law, it will offer cohabiting couples a distinct and different set of rights from legally married couples, including enhanced legal rights, automatic inheritance rights and domestic abuse protection39. The bill is also considering making pre-nuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements automatically legally binding. 

This is a welcome move as it means that Muslims who are married according to Islamic law, with a valid Nikah ceremony (who have not had a civil marriage), will have greater rights and protections. This will strengthen the position of the Sharia council in determining matters related to marriage and may also lead to people taking the Islamic nikah more seriously, which may (hopefully) even lead to a reduction of divorces for petty reasons. This obviously excludes abuse or violence, which are legitimate grounds for divorce.   

Despite the positives, the Cohabiting Rights Bill (when it becomes law), just like a legal civil marriage, will impact how someone’s wealth and estate are administered on death or divorce. Again, just as in the case of a civil marriage, wills, trusts and pre/post-nuptial agreements may be the best way to protect one’s assets against unintended divisions. 

3. Workplace Pensions 

Another matter for Fiqh Councils/Academies is the question of private pensions, which can be inherited by a surviving spouse. Private pensions can consist of: a lump sum; death in service payment; and a monthly pension (paid like a salary). Which (if any) aspect of these amounts must be given to heirs, and which part can a surviving spouse keep for themselves, is a question that needs to be determined by Sharia scholars and Fiqh Councils. 

4. Life Insurance

Without getting into the Islamic ruling regarding commercial insurance that a person opts to pay for, some companies also offer their employees free life insurance as an ancillary company benefit (along with private health care, gym membership, etc.). The question to ask is, how do we treat life insurance payments (when paid out at the event of death)? Are they subject to the rules of inheritance, or is it to be treated like a ‘gift’ from a company to the surviving spouse?  

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SECTION V: CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

It can be seen that inheritance planning is extremely important for Muslims who have wealth that will remain after their passing. A properly drafted will can also help to avoid disputes and maintain peace after the death of a family member. If not dealt with correctly, inheritance can cause problems and quarrels among families.

Family members may feel they have been treated unjustly and not given their rights, and may harbour resentment towards those they feel have ‘taken their share’. 

Inheritance planning ensures that one’s wealth and assets are fairly given to those who have rights to them. 

It also means that the wishes of the deceased person are fulfilled, for example, if they wish for a certain portion of their wealth to be given as Sadaqah (charity). 

By correctly preparing for one’s death, one is ensuring the well-being of one’s family and of the Muslim community at large. 

Recommendations 

For Individuals: 

(i) Learn or, at the very least, familiarise yourself with the Islamic rules of inheritance;

(ii) Know who to ask (local Imam, Scholar, Fiqh/Sharia Council) and where to look (reputable organisations) for information regarding inheritance; and

(iii) Consult a solicitor/law firm who is experienced in writing Sharia-compliant and legally binding wills.  

Mosques & Islamic Institutions: 

(i) Educate your congregation regarding the importance of this topic and getting things right when it comes to inheritance planning; 

(ii) Run courses at your local mosques to teach people about inheritance; 

(iii) Da’wah organisations should make learning the rules of inheritance part of their teaching curricula together with other important subjects like aqeedah (theology), fiqh of worship and transaction, tafsir, Hadeeth, Arabic language, etc.

(ii) Since the science regarding the Islamic rules of Inheritance is very complex and detailed, it would be wonderful to see respected Islamic institutions and Fiqh/Fatwa councils create a tool (like Zakat calculators) or software where an individuals can input their details (heirs, financial assets and liabilities etc) and the software is programmed to divide the assets into their designated shares for the heirs. This could then be developed and refined to divide assets according to the rules and opinions of each of the established schools of law (Madhabs). 

One such tool exists here: www.almwareeth.com 

Allah knows best, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammed , his Companions and all his family. 

 

*****

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books & Articles 

1. Al-Buhuti, Shaykh Mansur, ‘Shar Muntaha al-Iraadaat’ li al-Buhuti,’ (www.shamela.ws)
2. Al-Fawzan, Dr. Saalih, ‘The Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence’ (al-Maiman Publishing House, 2011), Volume 2.
3. Al-Fawzan, Dr. Saalih, ‘Shar mukhtasa ala matn zaad al-mustaqni’ (Dar al-Aasima, 2004), Volume 3. 
4. Al-Sa’di, Sheik Abdurahman bin Nasir, ‘Nur al-Basai’r wa al-Baab fi Ahkaam al-Ibadaat wa al-Mu’amalaat wa al-Huquq wa al-Adab’ (Dar Ibn al-Jawzy, 1420h).
5. Al-Sa’di, Sheik Abdurahman bin Nasir, ‘Shar al-Qawa’id wa al-Usool al-Jaamia’ (www.moswarat.com).
6. Al-Sa’di, Sheik Abdurahman bin Nasir, The Path of the Wayfarer (Manhaj al-Salikin), (The Islamic Literary Foundation, 2014 – translated from Arabic by S. ‘Abd al-Hamid). 
7. As-Shithry, Dr. Sa’d ibn Nasir, Shar Nur al-Basai’r wa al-Baab fi Ahkaam al-Ibadaat wa al-Mu’amalaat wa al-Huquq wa al-Adab (Dar Kunuz Ishbayliya, Riyadh 2014).
8. Al-Haj, Dr. Hatem, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained: A Commentary on Ibn Qudamah’s The Reliable Manual of Fiqh,’ Volume 2: Fiqh of Worship and Commerce (International Islamic Publishing House, 2019). 
9. al-Uthaymeen, Shaykh Saalih, ‘Shar Mumti ala zaad al-Mustaqni’ (Dar Ibn Jawzi, 2005), vol. 8
10. Hollingsworth, Munazza (partner at RHJ Devonshire solicitors), ‘The Islamic Succession,’ (www.rhjdevonshire.co.uk). 
11. Khattab, Dr. Mustafa ‘The Clear Quran’ (theclearquran.org) 
12. Rumsey, Almaric, ‘Moohummudan Law of Inheritance and Rights and Relations Affecting It,’ (3rd ed. London: W.H. Allene, 1880. iii. Print.)
13. Ash-Sawkaani, ‘Fathul Qadir’ (https://shamela.ws/book/23623)
14. Siyech, Mohammed Sinan & Shah, Sofiah Laila, ‘The Economic Contribution of British Muslims to the UK’s Growth and Prosperity, and the Risk of Exodus’ (EQUI, 2024)
15. Umar, Dr. Sajid, ‘Preserving a Legacy: Exploring Islamic Wills and their Profound Impact – Part I & II,’ (www.sajidumar.com, 2023)

Websites

1. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/articles/religionbyhousinghealthemploymentandeducationenglandandwales/census2021
2. www.qur’an.com
3. www.islamicfinanceguru.com
4. https://shamela.ws
5. www.almwareeth.com
6. www.islamicrelief.com
7. www.islamqa.com
8. www.islamicaid.com
9. www.yaqeeninstitute.org

Lectures:

1. Dr Hatem al-Haj, Fiqh of Inheritance, lectures 1 – 14 (Muslim Central, June 2020)

 

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1    The madhabs of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam ash-Shafi’I, Imam Malik or Imam Ahmed (may Allah have mercy on them all)2    Religion by housing, health, employment, and education, England and Wales: Census 2021 (Office for National Statistics)3     Siyech, Mohammed Sinan & Shah, Sofiah Laila, ‘The Economic Contribution of British Muslims to the UK’s Growth and Prosperity, and the Risk of Exodus’ (EQUI, 2024)4    Al-Haj, Dr. Hatem, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ vol 2, p.155    . This ruling should be understood in light of the inheritance laws in 4:11-12, which give specific shares to parents and close relatives. Relatives who do not have a share may get a bequest of up to one-third of the estate.6    Abu Dawud in his Sunan (4753) and classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud, 2979.7    It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, `Look at My slave’s prayer, is it complete or lacking?’ If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, `Look and see whether my slave did any optional prayers.’ If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, `Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.” ((Narrated by Abu Dawud, 864; classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud, 770)8     It was narrated from Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 2422; classed as sound by Al-Albani in Sahih At-Tirmidhi, 1969)9    Al-Haj, Dr. Hatem, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ vol 2, p.1610    Ibid11    Ibid12     Ibid13     Ibid14    Ibn Qudâmah’s ‘Al-Mughni fee Fiqh al-Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal ash-Shaybani’ is considered by many to be the greatest compendium of fiqh written in Islam; he mentioned the positions both within and outside the Hanbali school, citing the various textual and rational proofs. 15    Al-Haj, Dr Hatem, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ vol 2, p.1716    Ibid, p. 2917    Ibid, p. 3518     Ibid19    . See calculations according to ‘Umdat al-Fiqh’ when the deceased leaves Maternal siblings (brothers and sisters from the same mother)20    . See calculations according to ‘Umdat al-Fiqh’ when the deceased leaves a daughter and a father or if the deceased leaves two daughters and a father.21    . Do Islamic inheritance laws favour men over men?’ (www.yaqeeninstitute.org)22    Ibid23    Ibid, p. 3524     Sunan Ibn Majah (2719) [3/315] 25    At-Tirmidhi (2096) [4/413] and Ibn Majah (54) [1/41]26     Abu Dawud (2885) [3/207], and Ibn Majah (54) [1/41]27    Ad-Darimi (2744) [2/779] and Ibn Abu Shaybah (31025) [6/241]28    As-Shithry, Dr Sa’d ibn Nasir, ‘Shar Nur al-Basai’r wa al-Baab fi Ahkaam al-Ibadaat wa al-Mu’amalaat wa al-Huquq wa al-Adab.’ p. 357 – 35829    Agnate relatives are those related on or descended from the father’s or male side. 30    Fathul Qadir (https://shamela.ws/book/23623)31     Ibn Majah (2703) [3/304] and Abu Shaybah (31032) [6/242]32    This verse is placed at the end of the sûrah and not with similar verses at the beginning to connect the end of this sûrah with the next one or, according to Al-Fakhr Ar-Râzi, either to tie the end of the sûrah with its beginning for emphasis, as found in 20:2 and 124 as well as 23:1 and 117, or to emphasize Allah’s knowledge, just like the first verse emphasizes His power.33     This verse ended a previous ruling that allowed inheritance between Muslims from Mecca (Al-Muhâjirûn, the Emigrants) and Muslims from Medina (Al-Anṣâr, the Helpers). Now, only relatives can inherit from one another, whereas non-heirs can receive a share through bequest, up to one-third of the estate.34    . Abu Muhammed, Abdullah ibn Ahmed ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d. 620 AH / 1223 CE) was the most distinguished author of Hanbali fiqh and the most verified scholar of the madhab. 35    Al-Haj, Dr. Hatem, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ vol 2, p.1536    Umar, Dr. Sajid, ‘Preserving a Legacy: Exploring Islamic Wills and their Profound Impact – Part II.’ 37    50/50 is the starting point; however, the Courts will consider many other factors before ruling on a final settlement.38    https://www.gov.uk39    https://ericrobinson.co.uk

The post Rules Of Islamic Inheritance: Dispensing One’s Final Act Of Justice In This Life appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Republicans and establishment Democrats blast victorious anti-genocide congressional candidates.

New UN commission report says that Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian children is key element in establishing genocidal intent.

Watch our interview with former Filton 25 political prisoner Zoë Rogers.

Ministers accused of being more hesitant to respond as Reform has risen in polls, due to fear of ‘saying wrong thing’

During the May local elections in England, a canvasser was out in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham campaigning for her party. At one doorstep, the occupant asked if she was Muslim. When she said yes, he told her she should be hanged.

It is one of dozens of stories that Akeela Ahmed, the head of the British Muslim Trust (BMT), the government’s official partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred, has heard in recent weeks.

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“Sustainable Childhood” courses don’t teach a Gaza mother how to stop the F16 nor change the path of a missile.

Shifa Saltagi Safadi is back with her latest book, and more writing advice for Muslim authors! How much Islamic rep is too much Islamic rep for kidlit? Do you really need to develop craft? Isn’t enough to tell Muslim kids just to be good Muslims? And can Muslim authors survive the advent of AI… or should they tap into it?

Tune in for writerly advice and a peek at the latest Amina Banana chapter book for the kiddos.

Synopsis:

The science fair kicks up a rivalry in book four of the delightful Amina Banana chapter book series from National Book Award-winner Shifa Safadi!

Finally, the science fair is here, and Amina Banana is ready to showcase her skills. But when she is paired with someone unexpected, the science fair suddenly becomes . . . UNfair.

All Amina wants to do is win the fair and impress her grandmother, who is visiting from Syria. Will Amina be able to develop a formula to help her work with her challenging partner?

 

 

 

 

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The post [Podcast] Shifa Saltagi Safadi and the Formula for Writing Muslamic Books appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Israel destroyed 16 CT scanners across the Gaza Strip during its ongoing genocide.

 

Hassan Aweys, the second-in-command of the Islamic Courts, was a longstanding target of the United States. (Picture: African Arguments)

2026 brings a seminal anniversary to the history of Somalia and East Africa, but also an important and overlooked one in modern American history. It marks twenty years since the United States cooperated with Ethiopia in an invasion of Somalia, overthrowing a short-lived, unrecognized, but effective administration of Islamic courts that had taken over Mogadishu by summer 2006. Not only did this Islamic Courts Union, as it was known, defeat a coalition of longstanding militia commanders, many of whom were on the payroll of American intelligence, but it also briefly established the closest thing to a functional and independent government that Somalia had had in fifteen years.

State Failure and Societal Resistance

At the turn of the millennium, it was fashionable to describe Somalia as the world’s first “failed state”, one with no functioning government that could reasonably claim to control, let alone govern, more than a fraction of its territory. The downfall of Siad Barre’s longstanding dictatorship in 1991 had reopened rifts that had in large part been exacerbated by the same dictatorship, and militarized by a widespread influx of weaponry during the 1980s. With the partial exception of a largely disparate Somaliland in the north, most of Somalia fragmented as notables from merchants to army officers to chieftains to politicians armed militias from their clans, giving the conflict a clan dimension.

Internationally, Somalia was best-known for the United Nations campaign sent purportedly to bring relief, and the American involvement that soon dominated this campaign. The famine was in fact largely over by the time that the Americans arrived, at the end of 1992, and critics pointed out that the mission seemed less a humanitarian endeavour and more an attempt to impose the new unipolar world order under a thin humanitarian cover. Both the United Nations and the United States played favourites among Somali factions in a way that prevented resolution of the conflict, while supposed peacekeepers frequently proved abusive and trigger-happy. That summer, after a militia commander Abdi Qeybdid ambushed foreign troops, the Americans effectively declared war on his Hawiye clan confederation that dominated the capital Mogadishu.

In total the American mission would kill three thousand Somalis over the course of the year, a third of these in an infamous last battle in October 1993, where Hawiye militants famously shot down a helicopter and killed eighteen soldiers. In a media atmosphere where Somali infringements were frequently amplified and vilified and foreign abuses received scant attention, the resultant and entirely misleading impression, which survives to this day in the United States, was that Somalia’s people had ungratefully bitten the hand that had tried to feed them. In more sophisticated circles, the continuing competition between Somali militias gave the country the moniker of “failed state”.

Even as intermittent conflict and cooperation between militias continued, Somali society independently rebuilt. Private merchants often provided services, setting up their own more disciplined militias for security. Clan resolution, where tribal leaders negotiated and mediated, were a frequent recourse, but these were limited since they rarely went beyond the clan. Islam was a more powerful glue, and at the local level various preachers, scholars, and Islamic activists set up courts at a local level to provide order and justice: one major example was the Ifka Halane court in Mogadishu. Somali businessmen, seeking a secure environment for their business and often hailing from a similar background, frequently collaborated with them: Ahmed Jimale, at one point Somalia’s richest merchant, was close to the Islamists. Militias had a more ambiguous attitude; some collaborated with Islamic networks but others saw them as rivals.

Ethiopian Interference

The Islamic courts’ influence came alongside a related and partly overlapping phenomenon, the war in the Somali-majority region of the Ogaden, adjacent to Somalia and ruled by Somalia’s “Auld Enemy” Ethiopia. During this period Ethiopia was rather a darling for the international community; its ruling government had overthrown their own dictatorial predecessors just months after the Somalis ousted Siad in 1991, but by contrast established a functional regime with nominal autonomy for Ethiopia’s different regions. Yet this autonomy was practically nonexistent in the much-abused Ogaden, where support for union with Somalia had been high for decades and over which the two neighbours had, similarly to India and Pakistan over Kashmir, repeatedly gone to war. In the mid-1990s Ethiopia launched a little-noticed crackdown in the Ogaden, and many of the Somalis who went to fight a jihad there were linked to Islamic networks, either Sufis or more famously the Salafi Itihaad network. Their profile soared when in 1996 Ethiopia launched the first of many raids into Somalia: the Islamists were often at the forefront of resistance.

Some Islamic networks had links with foreign fighters; for example, a young Qaeda network had established a small front in Somalia, applauded the 1993 ouster of the Americans, and returned American focus to the East African region by bloodily bombing American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania during the summer of 1998. This played further into Ethiopia’s securitized role toward Somalia: like Ethiopia, Washington viewed Itihaad-linked Somali Islamists such as Hassans Aweys and “the Turk” Hersi, former army officers who had become Salafi preachers and militant organizers, as enemies.

Ethiopia’s interest was not only in fighting Islamists or Ogaden militants, but also in preventing any single faction from achieving power that might challenge it: in this regard, it played off different commanders and clans, and offered a similarly shallow “federalist” solution, based on a quota of clans, to rule Somalia. Though Egypt and Eritrea contested Ethiopian influence, none matched its intrusiveness or skill at the game and the shadowy but crafty Ethiopian commander Tafasse Mamo repeatedly made the Somali borderlands his stomping ground for a decade.

In the early 2000s Somali delegates in Djibouti elected a government, albeit a weak one that existed more in name than reality. But this marked a challenge for Ethiopia, whose army raided and supported number of Somali commanders to challenge it under the pretext of demanding “federalism”: the most prominent such commander was Abdullahi Yusuf, who ruled the northeast region of Puntland and had longstanding links with the Ethiopians.

After the September 2001 Qaeda attacks on the United States, Ethiopia and its Somali clientele were able to present the government’s links with Islamic networks as a security threat: Somalia was often compared to the recently invaded Afghanistan as a new “haven for terrorists”. In turn, Washington blackballed both political leaders like Aweys and civilians such as Jimale, whose designation was only removed in 2016. Even Abshir Musa, a former inspector-general who had worked with the United Nations mission in 1993 and long lived in the United States, was targeted as a potential extremist because he had been a rival of Yusuf and had a reputation for Islamic rectitude.

American intelligence and military networks in the region threw their support behind Yusuf, who in a token election was selected as Somalia’s new ruler over a federalist regime. Like the preceding government, however, this only controlled patches of Somalia, mostly through commanders who were given ministerial titles. Even parliament speaker Sharif Aden, a merchant with good relations to Islamic networks, dismissed the new order as an Ethiopian method of “divide-and-conquer”.

Meanwhile, in 2003 American security, led by regional spymaster John Bennett and future Falluja commander John Sattler, had begun to pay off various militias to hunt “radical Islamists” on its behalf. These included militiamen affiliated with the government, such as prime minister Ali Gedi’s more powerful cousin Mohamed Dheere and the minister-commander Botan Alin. Even former opponents were paid off by the United States as preferable to “radical Islamists”: Qeybdid, whom the Americans had known as “Mad Abdi” in 1993, was now put on the payroll of American intelligence. Other American clientele included former rivals like Musa Yalahow and Mohamed Qanyare, who had fought on opposite sides of the Ethiopian campaign at Mogadishu in the 1990s. Despite his own links with Sufi networks, Yalahow turned on the Islamic courts; Qanyare, who had hated the Ethiopians, seems to have fondly imagined the United States, whom he admiringly described as “war masters”, as an alternative.

Over the mid-2000s American-funded militias raided Mogadishu in search of suspected “extremists”; in turn, Islamists mobilized. Perhaps the most famous of these was Aden Ayro, a bold but ruthless commander of Itihaad background linked to Aweys’ Ifka Halane court, whose notoriety soared after he excavated an old Italian cemetery in Mogadishu and replaced it with a mosque. A more mainstream figure was the official leader of the courts’ coalition, Sharif Ahmed. This Sufi preacher enjoyed considerable respect but was viewed by the United States as little more than a figurehead for such targets as Aweys and Ayro.

Abdi Qeybdid went from being a target of the United States, whom they attacked as “Mad Abdi” in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, to their collaborator in 2006. He has held several senior positions in Somalia since the 1990s. (Picture: HM News Updates, Youtube)

Slam Dunk for the Courts

In February 2006, three years after the militia strategy began, it was formalized as the “Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counterterrorism”. One member of this clunkily named coalition was Bashir Shirare, a militia-running merchant who had fallen out with one of Mogadishu’s wealthiest merchants, Abukar Adane. It was Adane, who funded what was probably the capital’s single largest militia but was linked to the Islamists rather than American intelligence, who funded the Islamic Courts’ spectacular backlash. In a dizzying series of counterstrikes that lasted into the early summer, the Islamic Courts routed one militia opponent after another: Shirare, Alin, Yalahow, Qeybdid, and Qanyare were forced to flight, and for the first time in fifteen years the capital came under the control of a single government. If we are to define governments by who controls the national capital, it was the Islamic Courts under Sharif Ahmed that were Somalia’s actual, though unrecognized, government by the summer of 2006.

What accounted for the Islamists’ staggering success? The binding effect of Islam, to which all Somalis paid homage but by whose restraining influences few factions abided, was a major factor:  despite the alarm over their supposed radicalism, the Islamic courts were simply more disciplined and restrained in their dealings with wider society: by all accounts Mogadishu was far safer under their rule than it had been for a generation before or since. This gave them the appreciation of Somalia’s large business class for the  security they provided: it was no coincidence that Adane, their first finance minister, was a major merchant. There were also links to both local Somali society, particularly in the Mogadishu environs, and the diaspora: the Islamists’ first foreign minister, Ibrahim Addow, was a well-respected scholar who had lived in the United States.

Similarly the courts used their links across political factions: for instance Islamist leader Khalif Adale, an in-law of the merchant Jimale, was also a clansman of Qanyare, who eventually surrendered his arsenal to him to keep resources within their clan. The Islamists were adept at bringing various segments of Somali society and political leadership to their side: their first defence minister was notable militia commander Yusuf Indhaadde, who had lately embraced religiosity. Other commanders, such as Yusuf Makaran in central Somalia and Hassan “the Turk”’s colourfully named Raskamboni militia in the deep south, would spread Islamist influence beyond the Mogadishu region over the next few months, though this brought them into collision with the Ethiopian military. In autumn 2006 Tafasse Mamo, the shadowy commander who had so skilfully manipulated Somali politics for a decade, was killed in a clash.

A self-fulfilling escalation

While the Islamist takeover was popular inside Somalia, it attracted alarm abroad. Abdullahi Yusuf’s coalition retained international recognition and used it. Their argument, advanced as well as an Ethiopian regime alarmed at a stable government in Mogadishu, made was that the Islamic Courts Union were similar to the Afghan Taliban emirate that the United States had overthrown and a magnet for “radical Islamists”; therefore, they must be overthrown.

This was the argument accepted by the United States’ diplomatic head for the region Jendayi Frazer, who overruled a contrary proposal by Sudanese diplomat Attaullah Bashir for a multilateral peacekeeping force and a compromise government; such forces had not worked in the past, but more to the point Ethiopia and the United States wanted to control this new, arbitrarily constructed front in the “war on terror”. Frazer and the United States’ regional commander, John Abizaid, worked secretly with Ethiopian premier Meles Zenawi and military commander Samora Yunis to plan the attack: the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq meant that it would have to be conducted primarily through Ethiopian soldiers, but with a small contingent of American commandos at key junctions.

The claim, advanced in the United States by neoconservative lobbyists including Israeli spies with longstanding links to Addis Ababa, was that if the United States did not preemptively defang the Islamists, radicalism and associated violence would somehow spread. It need also be remembered, as Somali archivist Abdimalik Warsame has pointed out, that a considerable proportion of the American military and foreign policy elite continued to resent Somalia: the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu had been their first defeat after the Cold War, and many were inclined toward revenge. It was commonplace at the time to point out Usama bin-Ladin’s approval for the 1993 battle, as if this indicated an inherent extremism in Somali society.

As with claims about Taliban support for international terrorism, claims of violent “radicalism” were greatly exaggerated. But during the height of the “war on terror”, exaggeration carried weight. Links with foreign “mujahideen” were subject to hysteria, and the Courts Union had plenty of links in the persons of Aweys, Ayro, Adale, “the Turk”, Indhaadde’s influential deputy Mukhtar Robow, and Mogadishu sheriff Abdullahi Nahar. While internationalist militants were by no means homogenous, by the end of summer 2006 several of them, under the leadership of a certain Abdullahi Arale, secretly formed a clique called Shabaab, linked to Qaeda’s local officials Fazul Haroun, Saleh Nabhan, and Tariq Abdullah. This clique was particularly influential in helping Hassan “the Turk” capture the deep south from Yusuf’s defence minister Barre Hirale and finance minister Abdullahi Farataag.

Yet Shabaab’s influence on Courts overarching policy was negligible. Emir Sharif Ahmed and foreign minister Ibrahim Addow continued to negotiate with the opposition, particularly Sharif Aden, and even more hardline colleagues like Aweys did not challenge them. It was only well after the American-Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, which began at the end of 2006, that Shabaab would grow in influence, eventually becoming the premier Somali militant organization. As with other fronts in the “war on terror”, violence spread through the region in large part as a result of the invasion. Far from a quick decapitation of “radicals”, the American war in Somalia, conducted mainly through airstrikes at this point, saw violence spread through East Africa, and twenty years later is approaching the United States’ longest war in history with no resolution in sight.

The post Slam Dunk on the Mogadishu Court: The Islamic Courts Union of Somalia appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Painting by Safia Latif

Our Prophet ﷺ never gave up on fasting on Ashura, which is the 10th day of Muharram (Sunan al-Nasa’i, 2416). The Quraysh used to fast on this day in times of Jahiliyyah, and so did he ﷺ when still in Makkah. Once he ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he ﷺ noticed that the Jews were fasting on this day too, commemorating that sayyidina Musa had triumphed over Pharaoh. He ﷺ turned to the Muslims and said “You (Muslims) have more right to celebrate Musa’s victory than they have, so observe the fast on this day” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 4680). In order for us to distinguish ourselves as Muslims from the Jews and the Christians and their practices, our Prophet ﷺ decided to fast on the ninth day of Muharram too if he ﷺ would get the chance to the next year (Sahih Muslim, 1134).

 

Once fasting became obligatory in Ramadan, fasting on Ashura was made voluntary (Sahih al-Bukhari, 4504). In this sense, fasting on the 10th of Muharram was part of the process to introduce fasting as an integral part of our religion. The fast’s reward on this blessed day is clearly known. When asked about it, our Messenger ﷺ said that it expiates the sins of the previous year (Sahih Muslim, 1162).

Earmarks of Truth

Let us go back in time. On the exact day of Ashura, sayyidina Musa found himself trapped as he and his Bani Isra’il, an oppressed nation of enslaved people who had been exiled in the desert for 40 years, were hot on heels by the corrupted army of Pharaoh, the epitome of despotism. The only thing they had left was their faith. At that terrifying moment, Allah guided him to lead his people to the edge of the rumbling sea. His people cried out in pure desperation that they would be overtaken by the tyrant’s army or swallowed by the waves, yet he encouraged them, full of faith, “Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me—He will guide me” (Surat ash-Shu’ara, verse 62). His words were barely out of his mouth when Allah ordered him to strike the sea with his staff. Allah then split the entire mass of salty water in halves as high as mountains so they could get to the other side safely, creating a path of freedom. The army of Pharaoh? They all drowned. It is a timeless reminder that, by the grace of Allah, steadfast righteousness nurtured by absolute faith always triumphs over tyranny.

 

On the 10th of Muharram precisely 1387 lunar years ago, in the year 61 AH, another pivotal moment in our shared past as Muslims took place. It was a particularly tense time, as the Umayyad caliph Muʿawiya had appointed his son Yazid as his successor. Hereditary succession was unprecedented in Islamic history. The decision had stirred growing controversy and grunting discontent. Sayyidina al-Husayn ibn Ali, one of the most beloved grandsons of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, took it upon himself to stand up against Yazid’s unjust governance and the moral crisis in which his fractured community had found themselves. What followed was a staggeringly unfair battle between al-Husayn’s troops, painfully limited in number, and the thousands of merciless Umayyad soldiers.

Tragically, al-Husayn ibn Ali was decapitated and mocked, and about seventy of his close family members and companions were martyred. Many others were captured. This battle, the Battle of Karbala, and the betrayal of al-Husayn, may Allah approve him, by the people of Kufa it stood for, would mark the start of the Second Fitna. However, it teaches us not to measure victory according to dunyawi standards. You have probably caught yourself doing this too. We often attach more worth to the means and forget the goal. Al-Husayn’s true success, however, comes in the Hereafter. His martyrdom is a symbol of his deeply-rooted faith and endless sense of justice. It is an ultimate testimony of honoring the notion of tawhid, of striving for the Truth and standing up for it.

Ashura questions

Ashura reminds us that every Pharaoh will drown eventually. Every oppressor, big or small, will go down. Allah can do this easily. For every Pharaoh there should be a Musa who does his best to drown the oppressor, even if he only has a stick. Our iman should be that stick. Sayyidina Musa did not know that the sea would split, but he relied on Allah regardless. Allah did the rest. His assistance is always there for those who do not give up on His wisdom and mercy, those who strive in righteousness.

Over and over, we turn to the guidance of our Prophet ﷺ, especially in times of darkness. Muharram, one of the four sacred months of the Islamic calendar, stands for new beginnings. It is the chance to revive our commitment to his sunnah, to his path. Not to the path of those in power, nor of the financial elite of this world. Through fasting on its tenth day, we express our gratitude to Allah for the victory He granted sayyidina Musa over Pharaoh, and we commemorate sayyidina al-Husayn’s bravery when standing up for what is right.

As Muslims, we do not act as mouthpieces for injustice. Submitting to our Creator means renewing our covenant to tawhid, which inherently means standing for His truth, for justice, over and over again, unshakingly. Ashura asks us a crucial question. Do we really express our love for our Creator by speaking kalimat al-haqq in the face of tyrants, small and big? Or do we merely give lip service to Allah’s path? Do we really face the Pharaohs of this world, within ourselves and within others? Or do we betray the oppressed and sell them out like the people of Kufa did to sayyidina al-Husayn? Do we really have the level of tawakkul and courage it takes to take a clear stance when we face what feels like insurmountable adversities in this earthly realm? Do we truly grasp that this is what leads to ultimate victory? In essence, undoubtingly knowing that Allah is with us is what it takes.

The Red Sea, which Allah split for Prophet Musa on the day of Ashura. Getty Images.

How you can strike the sea

 

This year, the 10th of Muharram falls on a Thursday so we can combine the intentions of fasting both sunnahs. In this day and age we need to stand with the oppressed and try to be the stick in the wheel of the tyrants. Merely fasting without reminding ourselves of this would be like praying without khushuʿ or reciting the Qur’an merely for the reward of reading its letters without trying to understand its meanings. Here are some steps you can take.

 

• Fasting with intentions that reflect the above. Fasting in Muharram is the best fast after the fast in the month of Ramadan (Sahih Muslim, 1163). Fast at least on Ashura, and if possible also the day before and/or after. Shortly after Ashura come the White Days, so you can fast those too.
• Do what it takes to nourish your belief that victory will come, even in unlikely circumstances.
• Reflect on what injustice entails, close to you and further away. We cannot allow ourselves to be oppressors to our own soul, to our family, friends, colleagues, spouse, children, our ecological environment… Which injustice in your life do you need to take care of before you stand in front of Allah?
• As Ashura is a day of forgiveness, who will you forgive this year?
• Follow up on news of our oppressed brothers and sisters worldwide, in your own circles and communities, in Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Kashmir, China, and elsewhere, and let it sink in. Feel it in your heart and pray for them.
• Reflect on how you can strike the sea, with the right intention. Which stick will you use to fight tyrants and their injustice? Put this into action against oppression according to your context and capacities, without seeking fame nor praise: post on social media, help out someone who is oppressed (for instance, overwhelmed by debt), organize, stand up against bullies, get involved in your own community, select a cause for which you want to use your talents for and strive, and get connected to those who have experience therein.

The post Ashura: A Stick in the Oppressor’s Wheel appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

As the caravan passes through Central Asia, Darius slowly falls in love, and Kuangren experiences something brutal.

Read Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16  | Part 17

* * *

Vast Blue Sky

The mountains gradually gave way to rolling grasslands that invited a man to breathe deeply, and a horse to run fast. Great green hills stretched to the horizon beneath a sky that was bigger than the world, while herds of horses grazed freely across the open country. The land too felt immense, but maybe it was only that there were few wells, fewer roads, and fewer signs that anyone had ever attempted to tame it.

At times I wished I too was a horse, so that I could gallop free across this sweeping land, my mane streaming behind me like a banner of victory. At other times the sky was so unrelenting that I had an irrational fear that a bird as big as a city would glide down and seize the entire caravan in its beak.

I wondered if this was what my father had felt like when he was released from prison. That the world was too large, that so much liberty was heady but frightening, as if he were a mouse that had been released from a cage, and now must fear the hawk. It made me uncomfortable and sad to think of my father being afraid. I shook these thoughts off and spurred my horse forward, to find Weili and chat.

The cold wind blew constantly, as if it too had escaped a prison and come to a land where it could gust as hard and carelessly as it wished.

“This is Kyrgyz land,” Longwei informed me as we rode alongside the wagons.

“How do you know?”

He looked offended. “I have been here before.”

We passed many nomadic settlements. Everyone in this land rode horses, even the children, with an ease and grace so natural it was as if they’d been born in the saddle. Maybe they had. These people lived in circular felt tents supported by wooden frames. Hundreds of these yurts – for so they were called, Longwei said – dotted the surrounding countryside. Smoke drifted lazily upward from their chimneys while horses, sheep and goats wandered between them. Men wore long coats trimmed with fur and tall felt hats, while many of the women dressed in bright embroidered garments decorated with silver jewelry that flashed in the sunlight.

Fight With A Nomad

I saw a man and his son practicing stick fighting. They carried long staffs, and danced around each other, whirling, thrusting and parrying. It reminded me of my practice sessions with my aunt Jade. I felt a pang of sadness.

To distract myself, I broke away from the caravan and rode up to the father and son. Dismounting, I bowed to the father, and he bowed back.

I tapped my chest. “Darius.”

The man pointed to himself. “Almaz.”

Gesturing wordlessly, I indicated that I would like to spar with him. Grinning, the man said something to his son, who tossed me his staff. Almaz and I bowed to each other again, and without preamble, he attacked. I parried his attack easily. The man was talented but limited in his repertoire, and slow by my standards, I spun and reversed, attacking from odd angles, giving the father something to think about. He grunted with the effort of blocking my blows. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

Still, I held back. I only wanted to have a bit of fun, not hurt the man.

As we fought, some of the caravan guards rode up to watch, and a number of nomads gathered around, including Almaz’s wife and children.

Almaz came at me with what I thought would be an uppercut strike. I leaned back to let it pass me harmlessly, but instead the tip of his staff dug into the ground and flung dirt in my eyes. Blinded, the next thing I saw was the tip of the staff at my throat, the father grinning behind it.

I laughed, held up a hand in surrender, and returned the staff to the boy. I was genuinely glad to have been bested. I had shown Almaz a few new moves, and he’d taught me something too. I shook his hand, and everyone applauded.

As I rode away, I looked back to see Almaz beaming as his friends clapped him on the back and congratulated him. Some of my fellow guards ribbed me about being beaten by a nomad, but Weili gave me a knowing smile, and I knew that she knew that I could have defeated the man at any time. I never forgot that smile, and the admiring look in her eyes.

A Bracelet and a Wooden Horse

We came to a city beside a broad river. High mud-brick walls surrounded clusters of flat-roofed buildings. Scents drifted to us before we reached the gates. Roasting meat mingled with fresh bread, horse sweat, leather, wood smoke and spices I could not identify. Merchants from a dozen lands crowded the roads leading into the city. Some led camels. Others drove wagons piled high with goods. I heard languages I could not begin to recognize.

The Five Stars caravan established camp on a flat topped hill. The city loomed on the horizon. Several merchants prepared to enter the city to see what goods they could acquire at the local marketplace, which Longwei called a suq. Two wagons were selected for the trip, along with a contingent of guards. To my surprise, Sergeant Karim chose me for the detail. He also chose Kuangren.

“If you disappear again,” Karim warned, pointing a finger at him, “I will nail your boots to a wagon. With your feet inside them.”

Kuangren considered this carefully. “You’re too good a man to do that.”

Karim gave him a serious look. “Don’t count on that.”

The suq was one of the most fascinating places I had ever seen. Narrow streets wound between market stalls crowded with carpets, silverwork, horse tack, bows, knives, embroidered clothing and goods from every corner of the world. One merchant sold hunting falcons. Another displayed exquisitely carved saddles. Yet another offered tiny painted figurines no larger than my thumb. I also saw many things, from bracelets and amulets to furniture and tea sets, that were decorated with Islamic designs, including geometric patterns, and the names of Allah and the Prophet. I assumed these items were here to catch the eyes of passing Muslim travelers.

I fingered a silver bracelet decorated with onyx stones that reminded me of Weili’s eyes. Feeling embarrassed, I nearly put the bracelet back, then bought it anyway.

Later I found a carved wooden horse small enough to fit in my palm. I told myself I admired the craftsmanship. The fact that it looked exactly like something Haaris would treasure had absolutely nothing to do with my decision.

No, nothing whatsoever. Still, I would hold onto it. Maybe someday I’d find someone to give it to.

A Muslim Land

Once the sun passed its zenith, the call for salat sounded from every direction. I gazed at one of the merchants in amazement. He grinned and nodded his head, giving me permission to investigate. Store owners everywhere closed their shops and exited the suq. Customers, travelers, tribesmen, nobles and servants streamed toward the masjids. That’s right, masjids, plural. There was not one grand masjid, like in Deep Harbor. Rather, there were masjids everywhere. I realized for the first time that all these people were Muslim. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck.

In my country Muslims were a minority. Deep Harbor was one of the most heavily Muslim cities in the land, and even there only a fifth of the population were Muslim. I had known, of course, that there were faraway lands where Islam ruled, but I hadn’t known that we had reached such a place. I felt almost like weeping, but couldn’t say why. I felt powerful, like nothing could threaten me.

I followed one group to a local masjid, performed wudu, and with my travel pack and dao on my back, prayed beside people of many lands. When the salat was over I found myself grinning and shaking hands with everyone. No matter what language they spoke, everyone knew how to say as-salam alaykum. A man might gesture at my size – for I had grown taller and stronger on this trip – and say, “mashaAllah!” Another pointed to my dao, then pointed to the sky and said, “Allahu Akbar!’ I wasn’t sure if this was an indication of approval, or a reminder that true power was with Allah.

Raiders!

By late afternoon our business was concluded and the wagons rolled back toward camp. It was only after we arrived that someone noticed Kuangren was missing.

Several guards exchanged resigned looks.

Ahmed sighed, Meilin rolled her eyes and Longwei merely shook his head and said, “Again?”

No one seemed especially alarmed. Kuangren disappearing was hardly unusual. In fact, it had become so common that we hardly knew whether to laugh, get angry or simply not care.

The sun had already set when the sound of galloping hooves shattered the evening calm. A lone rider burst into camp at full speed, his horse kicking up dust and covered in sweat.

“Raiders!” he shouted. “Raiders!”

It was Kuangren.

The camp erupted into motion.

Guards scrambled for their weapons while merchants took shelter behind the wagons. Horses whinnied nervously as teamsters rushed to secure them. I drew my dao and joined the line forming along the outer edge of camp. Kaungren slid from his beleaguered horse and gesticulated.

“Raiders!” he shouted. “Hundreds of them!”

“How many hundreds?” Karim demanded.

Kuangren shrugged. “A lot, probably.”

Hold Your Fire

A dark mass appeared on the horizon – hundreds of riders, coming fast from the direction of the city, and spreading across the grasslands as they approached. My stomach tightened. They came up the hill at a gallop, raising a cloud of dust behind them, their horses moving with the effortless grace of men born in the saddle. Bows hung from their shoulders, spears bounced against their backs, and curved sabers gleamed at their hips.

Our archers raised their bows. We had the high ground advantage. We could cut down a good portion of this attacking force before they even reached us.

“Hold your fire!” Karim shouted.

The riders continued to close the distance.

“Hold your fire!”

Something about the approaching force seemed wrong. They were certainly armed, but none had drawn a weapon. Nor were they forming for an attack. They were not trying to flank us, for example, nor was anyone shouting commands.

The riders finally slowed and spread out in front of the camp. At their center rode a wealthy merchant with a magnificent beard and an expression of such furious outrage that I reached up for my dao, though I did not draw it, for a young woman with thick chestnut hair, and dressed in embroidered riding clothes rode confidently by his side, mounted on a gorgeous spotted horse. She wore no sword, but a long knife hung from one hip, and she carried a bow on her back. Yet gold bracelets adorned her wrists, and one nostril was pierced with a gold ring. She resembled the merchant strongly, and was obviously his daughter. She was altogether quite impressive.

On the other side of the merchant sat an elderly man with a long beard, wearing an expensive coat. He was surrounded by heavily armed retainers, and might have been a tribal chief.

The rich merchant said something to the young woman, who slowly surveyed all the guards, then extended an arm and pointed.

Every head in camp turned to see what she was pointing out.

She was pointing at Kaungren.

Kuangren attempted a smile, which faltered and disappeared.

Karim strode up to him. “Raiders?”

Kuangren cleared his throat. “I may have misstated the case slightly.”

“What did you do?”

Kuangren shrugged helplessly. “I met the young lady in the suq.” He gestured to the lovely young lady.

“And?”

Kuangren chuckled nervously. “Well… It’s hard to talk to a lady when she’s with her chaperone. We found a quiet spot in a garden.”

Sergeant Karim took a step toward Kuangren. “And?” His tone was menacing.

“Come on, Sarge. I didn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to. How was I supposed to know her father is some kind of big shot? It’s not my fault that – “

Karim struck Kuangren with a series of blows so rapid I hardly followed them, ending with a fast chop to the side of the neck. Shocked, I watched as Kuangren crumpled bonelessly to the ground. The young woman cried out, not in satisfaction but in protest, and her father silenced her with a gesture.

Negotiations

The negotiations that followed consumed the better part of an hour. Translators moved constantly between groups while the merchant, the chieftain, several elders and Karim argued as Kaungren sat miserably on the ground, massaging his bruises.

The daughter herself seemed perfectly content with the situation. She stroked her horse’s neck and watched the proceedings with glittering eyes. I had the feeling this woman never did anything she didn’t want to do. On that, at least, Kuangren had not lied.

Her father, on the other hand, shouted and gesticulated continuously. More than once he took his bow from his back and nocked an arrow, aiming at Kaungren, whereupon our own people armed themselves in response. Each time the chieftain spoke a sharp word, and everyone settled back into an uneasy truce.

As the discussion continued, it became increasingly clear that there would be no peaceful solution that did not involve marriage. The father demanded it. The chieftain demanded it. Most surprisingly to me, the daughter seemed pleased at the prospect. Who would want to marry Kaungren of all people?

Eventually Karim made an announcement:

“Five Stars will provide compensation to the merchant and his tribe. The merchant’s honor will be restored. The caravan will continue unmolested.” He paused. “And Kuangren will marry the girl.”

For a moment there was silence.

Then Kaungren stood. “What?”

Karim folded his arms.

“You heard me.”

“I object.”

“I don’t care.”

“I can’t get married. I don’t even speak this woman’s language. Besides, I’m not fit for marriage. I’m a scoundrel. Sergeant, tell them I’m a scoundrel.”

“Trust us,” Meilin said, “they already know.”

“You will have to convert to Islam as well,” Karim said. “They will never accept their daughter marrying a disbeliever.”

Kaungren threw up his arms. “Doesn’t anyone know that we live in enlightened times? Such things don’t happen anymore!”

A Swordpoint Wedding

Things moved very quickly. Money changed hands. Ahmed was recruited to conduct the ceremony. A carpet was spread beside the campfire. Witnesses were assembled. The merchant sat proudly beside the tribal chieftain. I had the feeling that he was happy to be rid of his daughter, who seemed like a handful herself. I wondered if Kuangren knew what he was getting himself into. The daughter appeared delighted by the entire affair. Kuangren looked as though he had been condemned to death.

Ahmed cleared his throat and began in the name of Allah. The laughter faded as he recited a few ayat of the Quran concerning marriage and the creation of mankind in pairs. He then delivered a short khutbah on responsibility and kindness. It lasted less than two minutes. When he finished, he turned toward Kuangren.

“Repeat after me.” Ahmed recited the shahadah, and Kaungren – with a grimace – repeated.

Ahmed nodded, satisfied. “Do you accept this marriage?”

“No.”

Sergeant Karim took a step toward Kuangren.

“Let me ask again,” Ahmed said. Do you accept this marriage?”

Kuangren looked around as if seeking an escape route. The merchant glared. The chieftain narrowed his eyes. Karim took another step forward and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. It was not, I was sure, an empty threat. The bride smiled sweetly.

“Okay, then.”

Ahmed turned to the young woman and asked the same question. Someone translated. Her answer came instantly and enthusiastically.

“I accept!”

The surrounding tribesmen erupted into cheers. I found myself grinning. For some reason I wanted to seek out Weili and give her a nudge, as if to say, “What do you think?” But I knew that was beyond foolish.

The bride immediately wrapped her arms around Kuangren and kissed his cheek. More cheering followed. Kuangren stared into the distance as if contemplating whether being trampled by wild horses might improve his circumstances.

The celebrations continued into the night. Sheep were slaughtered, musicians appeared from somewhere, and gifts changed hands. We found ourselves sitting with these tribesmen, making mutually unintelligible conversation that consisted mostly of hand gestures, and sharing coffee and sweets. The merchant transformed from a man ready to start a war into the happiest father in Central Asia. The bride spent most of the evening sitting beside Kuangren, smiling at him and occasionally resting her head on his shoulder. Kuangren spent most of the evening staring into his bowl with the expression of a man trying to come to terms with a diagnosis of a terminal disease.

I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

When the celebrations were over, the tribesmen departed. A covered wagon was emptied, with its goods distributed among the other wagons, and it was given to Kaungren and his bride as their wedding suite, which I found somehow funny, embarrassing and scandalous.

A Brutal Judgment

The next morning, immediately after Fajr prayer, Karim ordered every guard assembled. Gone were the laughter and celebrations of the previous night. Even the air felt different.

We gathered in silence while dawn spread slowly across the grasslands. Kuangren stood among us looking tired and uneasy. His bride watched from their wagon, looking somehow satisfied and nervous at the same time. She clearly sensed that something was wrong, though she could not have known exactly what.

Karim waited until every guard was present. Then he began to pace before us with his hands clasped behind his back. Something that looked a lot like a bullwhip was looped and hung from his belt. This puzzled me, as my mind did not conceive of any possible use for it.

“Kuangren,” he said. “Step forward.”

With a half-grin, half-grimace, Kaungren stepped forward. He expected a stern dressing down, and was prepared to accept it with humility.

“I have tolerated your foolishness for months,” Sergeant Karim said. His voice was quiet, which somehow made it more threatening. “You drink too much. You gamble too much. You disappear whenever we pass near a town. You ignore orders. You ignore common sense. I have overlooked all of this because you fight well. So despite being an idiot, you are a useful idiot.” A few guards smiled despite themselves. Karim noticed immediately, and the smiles vanished.

The sergeant took a long, shuddering breath, and for the first time I realized that he was white-hot furious. He was trying to contain his rage. I had never seen him like this, and it frightened me.

Once again his gaze fixed on Kuangren. “Last night you endangered this caravan. You created enemies among the local population. You forced me to negotiate with armed men. You cost this company a substantial amount of money.” His voice rose with each accusation. “Had those negotiations failed, I might have lost guards, merchants, and teamsters. Good people. People who trust me to get them safely to Persia and back. All because you could not keep your trousers tied.”

The silence that followed was absolute. Even Meilin, who could make a disparaging comment about anything in existence, kept her mouth shut.

Karim held up the index finger of each hand. “You have two options. One, you and your bride may accept exile from the caravan. Your wages are forfeit. You can take your travel pack and weapons, and go wherever you wish. What becomes of you is not my concern.”

With the other index finger, he pointed to the nearest wagon wheel. “Option two, I tie you to that wheel and give you twenty lashes.” He drew the bullwhip from his belt and with a swing of his arm, flicked it. It billowed out as fast as lightning and gave a crack that made me jump.

“If you choose that option, you may remain in service to Five Stars, and there will be no further punishment.”

Twenty Lashes

For several seconds nobody moved. We all understood the choice. Thousands of miles from home, the caravan represented food, protection and survival. Without it, Kuangren would either have to settle permanently in a foreign land or attempt the impossible journey across half the world on foot, accompanied by a wife he had acquired less than twelve hours earlier. Or I supposed he could dump the wife at the city gates and run for his life.

He looked toward the distant hills, then toward the wagons. For the first time since I had met him, he appeared genuinely frightened. He opened his mouth to protest, then shut it.

“I’ll take the lashes,” he said quietly.

The punishment was carried out immediately.

Kuangren removed his shirt and was bound to a wagon wheel. He was a pale, skinny man with narrow shoulders. I couldn’t imagine what women saw in him.

Sergeant Karim rolled his shoulders and shook out the bullwhip. Around us, merchants emerged from their wagons and tents to watch. Even the horses seemed unusually quiet.

Karim wound up, swung his arm and let the whip fly. The first strike landed with a crack like a branch snapping in half.

I flinched, as did several others. A red welt appeared on Kaungren’s back, and while he grunted in pain, he did not cry out.

The second blow cut through the skin. The third opened it. By the fifth, blood streaked Kuangren’s back and dripped onto the grass beneath him. His bride began shouting in alarm. Longwei, who spoke some Kyrgyz, hurried over to her and attempted to explain what was happening. Whatever explanation he offered only seemed to upset her more. She tried to push past him and run toward her husband, but Longwei gently restrained her.

The sixth lash landed. Then the seventh. Then the eighth. Each impact sounded worse than the last. Kuangren’s entire body jerked with every strike, yet somehow he remained silent. Sweat poured down his face. The muscles in his neck stood out like cables. His breathing became ragged and uneven, but not once did he cry out. This surprised me. Though he was a good fighter, I had always seen him as a fundamentally weak man. I did not find him funny or cute. In fact, I realized now, I despised him. Seeing him whipped provided me with no satisfaction, but it didn’t bother me either.

Still, by the tenth lash I found myself staring at the ground. By the twelfth, several of the older guards looked disturbed. Meilin looked as serious as I had ever seen her. The bride wept.

The whipping went on. A movement beside me caught my eye. Ahmed had stepped forward. Not much. Only a pace. But enough that everyone nearby noticed. His face showed horrified resolve. For a moment I thought he was going to intervene.

Karim looked at him. No words passed between them. Yet something in Karim’s expression caused Ahmed to slowly step back into line.

When the whipping was done, Karim stepped forward personally and untied the ropes binding Kuangren’s wrists. The moment he was released, Kuangren’s legs gave out beneath him. He was unconscious.

The camp physician immediately ordered everyone away. Without really thinking about it, I volunteered to help. The old man looked surprised. “You know something about medicine?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Kuangren awakened as we treated his wounds. His hands clenched and unclenched around the blanket while the physician worked, yet he never complained.

“You know the worst part?” Kuangren said.

“What?”

“I’m not even sure I know my wife’s name.”

The physician burst out laughing.

I shook my head, though I couldn’t help smiling.

Blue Domed Mosques

The weeks that followed carried us westward through lands I had only seen on maps. Uzbekistan was a country of broad valleys, ancient cities and blue-domed masjids that gleamed beneath the sun like polished gemstones. These masjids were the most beautiful things I had ever seen, and I thought that Uzbekistan must be a piece of Jannah on earth.

With everything that had happened after our visit to Kyrgyz, I had never given Weili the bracelet I bought for her. Now, the moment seemed right. I knew she was stationed at the rear of the caravan, and as we passed through a glorious valley alight with wildflowers, I pulled my horse out of formation and dropped back to find her. Her long black hair was loose and whipping in the wind. Sergeant Karim would not like that if he saw it. She rode easily in the saddle, her eyes scanning the surrounding hills.

I nodded. “Any news?”

She snorted. “What am I, the town crier?”

I laughed. With a smile, keeping my voice casual, I said, “I got you something back in Kyrgyz. With all the excitement I forgot to give it to you.”

Her face lit up. “Really? What is it?”

I handed her the bracelet. “It reminded me of you.”

A smile brighter than the sun transformed her face. “It’s lovely! Thank you so much, Darius. That’s so nice of you. Next time don’t wait a month to give it to me, though.”

I laughed again. “Glad you like it!” With that I galloped forward to my station. I was pleased with myself for having played it just right, nice and easy.

We arrived at a city called Samarkand. I stood staring at buildings so beautiful they seemed unreal. Great turquoise domes rose above tiled courtyards covered in geometric patterns and Quranic calligraphy. Merchants crowded the markets selling melons, apricots, silk, spices and carpets from every corner of the known world. Everywhere I looked I saw evidence of centuries of wealth, learning and trade.

And all these lands were Muslim. For the first time I was beginning to understand the vastness of Islam. It was not a local religion practiced by a minority of people. It was, quite possibly, the dominant belief system of the world. Many on our caravan were not Muslim, and in a turnaround I found satisfying, they were now the minority. All around me I was surrounded by my brothers and sisters in faith.

Yet I saw pick pockets and the occasional street fight. A local merchant struck his wife in the face, and another whipped his donkey too cruelly. A drunk sat slumped against a wall. One businessman accused another of cheating. Being Muslim, it seemed, was not a cure-all for humanity’s problems. It did not turn men into angels. This was something I would have to ponder.

Beyond Samarkand, we traveled through Bukhara, where Islamic scholars seemed almost as common as merchants. Half the people we encountered seemed to have memorized much or all of the Quran. This astounded and inspired me. Zihan Ma would love this place. I wished our caravan could stay longer. I resolved that one day I would return to study here.

Ahmed nearly drove Karim mad by repeatedly disappearing into bookstores and madrasahs whenever we stopped for more than an hour.

“If the scholars kidnap you,” Karim warned him, “I’m not paying a ransom.”

Ahmed looked genuinely puzzled. “Why would the scholars kidnap me?”

“To make you listen to their stories.”

Ahmed laughed. “Hey, as long as you’re not going to bullwhip me, I’m fine.”

Karim turned away, all humor gone from his face. No wonder Ahmed almost never told jokes. He was terrible at it.

After our time in Bukahra, I began spending more time with my own copy of the Quran. I memorized all of Juz Amma, and began on Surat Al-Mursalat, and then Al-Insan.

Good Spirits

From there we entered Tajik lands. The roads climbed steadily into mountain valleys fed by icy rivers descending from distant snow-covered peaks. Villages clung to hillsides above terraced fields. Stone houses stood against slopes so steep I could not imagine building anything there. The people looked different from those we had encountered farther east, many with lighter skin, lighter eyes and sharper features than I was accustomed to seeing. At first they looked strange to me, but soon I began to find them quite beautiful.

During all this time I continued to ride with Weili at times, sit with her at the campfire at night, and teach her the Quran. She often wore the bracelet I’d bought her, and that made me happy. I taught a number of the short surahs of Juz Amma. She stumbled over some of the Arabic, laughed at her own mistakes, and occasionally became frustrated, but she persisted.

“I know that you believe deeply in Islam,” she said to me one night over a campfire. “You talk about Allah, and it’s as if you are talking about your best friend. It’s amazing to me.”

“Don’t you believe?”

She stared into the flames for a long moment.

“I don’t know. I have seen a lot of evil.”

It was an honest answer, and I did not try to change her mind with my words.

In exchange, she began teaching me archery. I quickly discovered that shooting a bow well was much harder than it looked.

“You are pulling with your arms,” she said one afternoon as I attempted to shoot a very large tree and failed. “Use your back.”

I understood the concept of not using the arms to power a movement. My father had taught me the same thing in martial arts. Power came from footwork, body rotation and body weight. The back, however, was foreign territory.

“My back is for loading crates at the dock,” I complained. “How am I supposed to use it to pull the bowstring?”

“You’re not on the docks. Be quiet and empty your cup.”

That made me laugh. I had heard that expression many times from Zihan Ma, but never from Weili.

“Where did you learn that saying?”

“What? You think I’m stupid just because I don’t know how to read like you?”

“Of course not,” I said hastily. “You are very intelligent. I admire your brain. I mean, I think you are the most, you know, I mean you’re great, and -”

“Oh, shut up and shoot.”

I released the arrow. “I hit it!”

“It’s the biggest tree in the world,” she said. “It’s the size of a house.”

Which was true. And the arrow had, in fact, barely struck the edge of it.

Slowly, something changed in me. I found myself waking before dawn in unusually good spirits. Chores that normally irritated me seemed less burdensome. I brushed horses, checked harnesses, repaired equipment and stood watch without complaint. Food tasted better. The weather seemed friendlier. Even Karim’s constant criticism became easier to tolerate. And I thought about Weili a lot. I looked for her, and smiled when I saw her.

One evening Longwei sat beside me while I sharpened my dao and Weili practiced archery a short distance away.

“You look at her too much,” he observed. “And you smile too much.”

“I do not.”

He recited one of his poems:

A bee finds a flower
and believes the sun rises for him.
The flower blooms.
The bee grows drunk.
Winter begins its unforgiving descent.
The flower that bloomed dies away,
and the world wishes only to survive.

“That is depressing.”

“You should consider it carefully.”

I threw a pebble at him, and he smiled sadly.

Orange Bellbird

Several weeks later we entered a broad valley filled with farms, orchards and prosperous villages. Long before we reached the largest town, however, we began noticing signs of unusual activity. Banners hung from rooftops and fences. Families traveled the roads in carts and on horseback. Musicians played in the streets, and entire groups of villagers seemed to be heading in the same direction.

A local merchant eventually explained the reason. An annual archery competition was being held. Competitors traveled from throughout the region to participate, and the winner received not only a substantial prize but considerable prestige. The moment Weili heard this, she became impossible to live with. For the remainder of the day she bombarded every local she encountered with questions about the competition, the rules, the bows and the previous champions.

Weili’s excitement was infectious, and I was excited for her. She and I had grown very close by this point. We spent a lot of our free time together, though always in public. Our relationship was not physical, but I found myself dreaming about her occasionally. Even though Kaungren’s wedding had been a fiasco held at swordpoint, I thought about it a lot. Kaungren’s bride was no older than Weili. Yet whenever I considered the prospect of marrying Weili, my mouth became dry, and sweat broke out on my forehead. I knew that Weili liked me, but beyond that I was not sure of anything.

By the time we pitched camp outside the town, half the younger guards wanted to attend the archery competition. Karim eventually relented and allowed a group of us to go, provided we remained armed and returned before sunset.

Longwei approached me as I secured my pack straps.

“Have you considered my poem?” he asked.

“Which one?” I didn’t have time for this.

He regarded me solemnly. “Never mind the poem. In the forests of Southeast Asia there is a bird called an orange bellbird. It’s small, but sings more beautifully than any lute or harp. When you hear it, you are reminded of Allah’s angels. You feel that the world is beautiful, and that everything is possible.

Yet if you catch it and cage it, you will be disappointed, for it will sit silently, and will soon die. You can never own an orange bellbird. You can only appreciate it from a distance.”

I made a helpless gesture. “Are we talking about flowers or birds?”

Longwei pursed his lips. “Neither. Enjoy the archery competition.”

* * *

As-salamu alaykum dear readers. Sorry for  the delay. But hey, I have you a double length chapter this week!

Come back next week for Part 19 – The Glory of Persia

Reader comments and constructive criticism are important to me, so please comment!

 

See the Story Index for Wael Abdelgawad’s other stories on this website.

Wael Abdelgawad’s novels – including Pieces of a Dream, The Repeaters and Zaid Karim Private Investigator – are available in ebook and print form on his author page at Amazon.com.

Related:

Pieces of a Dream | Part 1: The Cabbie and the Muslim Woman

Trust Fund And A Yellow Lamborghini: A Short Story

The post Far Away [Part 18] – The Flower Blooms, And The Flower Dies appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

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The chilling attacks that injured five men in Edinburgh at the weekend, including two who were struck as they left a mosque, have deepened the fear that many Muslims in Britain feel today. The case received remarkably little attention south of the border. A man has now been charged with five counts of attempted murder, allegedly “aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection”. The facts of these attacks must now be examined in court in due course.

What is beyond doubt is the real and growing fear experienced by Muslim communities in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. The US president has said that “I think Islam hates us”. Increasingly open Islamophobic rhetoric from political figures, and a muted response from others, as well as violence towards Muslims, have left many feeling vulnerable and frustrated.

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With their offices destroyed and their colleagues targeted, reporters must create new paths to continue their work.

Previously (in Part I), I discussed some of the rationale behind the pressing need for Muslims to pursue law and emerge as excellent, well-rounded practitioners grounded in the Islamic worldview. The following turns to the practical, drawn from my own experience, mistakes, and the mentorship I received.

How Do You Know You’re Ready for Law School?

There is no single moment of readiness; however, what you should have is clarity of purpose and a realistic picture of what the next three years (and further study) will cost, financially and spiritually. If you cannot articulate why you want to practice beyond a blasé desire “to help people”, that is a sign to spend more time researching and speaking with lawyers in the field.

The day-to-day of legal practice is unglamorous, and law school is a sustained exercise in pressure. Solely wanting to do good, inshaAllah, is not enough of an anchor when it is difficult, and it will get difficult.

Relatedly, another signal of readiness is reading seriously and widely. Law is a discipline built on close, critical reading and writing. You should already be someone who reads deeply: history, philosophy, journalism, Islamic texts, etc. If sustained reading feels like a burden now, law school will not fix that. The students who thrive are not necessarily the most credentialed; rather, they are ones who have trained themselves to sit with difficult material and write clearly. Start there.

A word on finances: law school is expensive. High debt constraints choices and naturally push people towards higher-paying work and away from precisely the paths – public interest, solo practice, nonprofit, etc – most likely to serve everyday Muslim legal needs. Before committing to any school, do the math honestly. Look at average starting salaries in the field you want to enter and run numbers against your projected debt. Note that scholarship negotiation is normal, expected, and unlikely to jeopardize your admission. If you have a stronger financial offer from a comparable or better institution, say so professionally and leverage it. Often, students leave significant money on the table simply because they feel it was presumptuous to ask. 

Getting In and Getting Through: Practical Advice

1. Map Out the Next Few Years

Before starting the law school application process, take time to map out where you want to be in the next 3-5 years. Think carefully about your ‘ilm goals, family goals, areas of interest, finances, and potential challenges, then speak to professionals in the field you aspire to enter. 

These conversations offer invaluable insights into the realities of the field, the steps you need to take, the timeline for achieving your goals, and what mistakes to avoid. Aiming for, say, expertise in tax law or the big-law route will look and make different demands on time, region, and (sometimes) tier of school, more than pursuing a judicial clerkship or becoming a solo practitioner.

I found it especially helpful to receive candid advice from other Muslimahs. All of them echoed that familial responsibilities should not be underestimated, but require diligent planning. A common concern is that being a Muslim woman in law will be impossibly difficult or require sacrificing marriage and family, but that is shaped by an outdated view of the profession, often modeled on the high-pressure, high-hour lifestyle of big law firms. In reality, the field is far more diverse. There’s a world of difference between litigating at a top defense firm and working remotely as corporate counsel, or building a public interest career. Government roles, nonprofit advocacy, academia, transactional versus litigation work, these all carry different demands, and many offered far more flexibility than I realized going in. The legal profession is vast, and with good guidance and planning, it can accommodate a wide range of life goals.

2. Pursue ‘Ilm Early and Consistently

I spent my summer before and during law school in Cairo with my husband, studying with different teachers, and now have returned for (inshaAllah) a year of studies. I recognize that this is not feasible for everyone. However, there are excellent programs in the U.S. that make it possible to gain exposure to ‘ilm, whether online or in-person, part-time or full-time. The point is, any engagement with good teachers is invaluable. Begin with foundational works that cover ‘ibadat (worship), then exposure to issues of mu’amalat (transactions and relationships).

Prior to making the decision to move abroad, I spoke with a few mentors, including the Assistant Dean at my school. She noted that while it is not uncommon for law graduates to immediately start pursuing advanced degrees like an MBA or a PhD, delaying entry into the workforce results in falling behind peers financially and career-wise. That was her only point of caution when I mentioned my goals, but otherwise, she was supportive. 

If I could do it over, however, I would have pursued ‘ilm earlier, and not just for spiritual reasons. It simply is harder when career considerations and familial obligations grow. Learning Arabic, for example, opens access to legal texts and compendia that are indispensable for anyone interested in Islamic jurisprudence. Doing so would’ve been easier for me to engage in and relate to my classes and research papers by bringing that depth of research.

3. Seek Mentorship and Good Suhbah (Company)

The legal field is already competitive, and depending on the school, it can be cutthroat. Law school is an isolating experience in many ways due to the demands on one’s time and relentless focus on performance. It builds discipline and good work ethics, but can quickly devolve into dreaded burnout and spiritual sickness.

During my first year of law school, I joined online legal ethics classes with Shaykh Amin Kholwadia of Al-Amin Ethics. Shaykh Amin’s focus on training Muslim professionals “to understand, present, represent, and re-present Islamic Civilizational values in their respective professions” bridged the gap between theory and practice I was looking for. It offered rigorous knowledge through an established methodology, tying back to the pursuit of ‘ilm point above, but also a space for mentorship and community, a rare combination that sustained me throughout my legal education.

Beyond the ethics classes, annual conferences and regular meetings became a crucial part of my suhbah and growth. They provided an opportunity to discuss challenges we were facing in our schools, receive guidance on applications and assignments, and engage with experienced legal practitioners and mentors with a similar mindset.

Good suhbah also provided a critical spiritual component. In the midst of demanding schedules and a hyper-competitive environment, being connected with individuals who prioritized faith and reminded me of my higher purpose kept me grounded. These were people who understood the unique challenges of weighing professional ambitions and religious obligations, and could reinforce the importance of maintaining integrity in both.

Conversations often extended beyond academic or career advice to reflections on how to approach legal practice as a form of service and accountability to Allah . This spiritual companionship was essential in navigating moments of doubt or moral compromise. Finding a support system that can do this, whether at your university, local mosque, or similar online classes, will be invaluable.

4. Engage with Your School and Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities provide opportunities to polish critical skills. Joining a law journal allowed me to engage in editorial decisions and contribute my own writing, offering a place to bring nuanced perspectives relating to issues like the niqab. The next year, we held a symposium on the topic “Emerging Issues in International Humanitarian Law,” wherein many speakers discussed war crimes in Gaza.

Involvement in student leadership or organizations that represent the broader student body is another meaningful way to engage and have our positions heard. Like with many fields, one of the challenges was the dismissive or anthropological treatment of religion, which was particularly intriguing at an institution that prided itself on serving minority communities, many of whom are deeply religious. But, constructive discussions with school leadership can make a difference. Our Muslim Law Student Association was able to provide feedback that led to reasonable accommodations for religious holidays, including Ramadan, which started with building a good relationship with the administration and being active on the campus, and then substantive discussions on bringing in guest lecturers and possibly even classes on religion and the law in the future. In another example, our Law Students’ Association signed onto a letter to affirm its commitment to protecting students who were being doxxed or threatened for their views in support of Gaza. The same association also held an open forum to gather perspectives for its statement addressing the violence in the Middle East. 

While graduate school is a different environment from the undergraduate level, where most are more occupied with full-time responsibilities, that doesn’t mean meaningful campus engagement should be left behind. Advocacy at this stage also builds real-world skills (coalition-building, strategic communication, institutional negotiation) that translate directly into legal and policy work. Additionally, the relationships forged at this time with faculty, admin, or fellow students become the ones that open doors down the line, which leads me to my last point.

5. Network Widely

Networking is essential, and limiting oneself to only Muslim circles can lead to an insular view of the legal system. While connecting with other Muslims, as noted above, is vital, engaging with non-Muslims is also critical for professional growth. Many areas of law (estate planning, corporate law, or even niche fields like arbitration) require collaboration with attorneys who have specialized experience. The opposite is also true; a non-Muslim attorney with Muslim clients in a region with little to no Muslim attorneys may often consult a Muslim attorney for guidance on certain issues. Attending webinars, conferences, or specialized training programs exposes you to a broader range of expertise and resources.

Every Muslim who enters the field with sincere intentions and a desire to seek sacred knowledge is, in some way, closing a gap that has had real consequences. The advice above is tailored towards providing a framework for entering the legal profession as a well-rounded individual, whose worldview informs the substance and direction of their work. The community’s legal needs run deeper than surface-level representation. Muslims dealing with issues of marriage, divorce, contracts, estates, disputes, etc., deserve attorneys who understand U.S. law and the moral and jurisprudential tradition that has shaped how Muslims understand their obligations. 

The work is long, the preparation longer, but as the community grows, its needs deepen, so too must the ranks of those equipped to serve it. Those who enter this field grounded in ‘ilm (sacred knowledge), supported by strong mentorship, and connected to a broader purpose, will be best positioned to practice law as a form of service and accountability to Allah , inshaAllah.

 

Related:

– The Limits Of Obedience In Marriage: A Hanafi Legal Perspective

The post So You Want To Become A Lawyer? [Part II] – How To Ready Yourself For A Career In Law appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.