Disclaimers:

No. 1. This is not a fatwa (an Islamic legal ruling), I do not have the authority to issue one. This article is simply a summative analysis of some of the possible options available to Muslims, particularly those living in the United Kingdom, to purchase a suitable accommodation and the Islamic positions regarding these options. If you need a fatwa for your specific circumstance, please seek out a qualified, competent, and respected scholar in your locality.    

No. 2. The fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) scope of this article:

Fiqh is either madhab-based (according to one of the four established legal schools) or comparative, and in both approaches, precise attribution is very important. Therefore, due to my own personal limitations, the fiqh sections of this study will rely on the Ḥanbali madhhab from the works of both classical and contemporary sources. 

Where relevant, I will also refer to the following Fiqh councils and Sharia boards: The European Council for Fatwa & Research; Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI); The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA); and The Islamic Council of Europe. It should be noted that these respected organisations do not always strictly adhere to a single madhab (some may do so depending on the background of its scholars and the community that they serve) and therefore these institutions may incorporate elements from different madhabs when issuing fatwas (legal rulings) and resolutions.  

_____________________

Introduction

Muslims in the UK will have a number of reasons for wanting to purchase a home: a genuine need for a place to live for themselves and their families, or even economic reasons such as investing or retirement planning. Differing scholarly views on the methods to purchase a house have always been one of the most intensely debated topics for the last few decades. Despite the numerous fatwas, articles, books, lectures, workshops, and podcasts on the topic, Muslims are far from reaching a decisive conclusion on the matter. This has caused a huge amount of alarm and concern for many Muslims.

In this article, I want to delve into the following topics before concluding: 

1. Social and Private Renting;
2. Social Dealings and Transactions in Islam;
3. Conventional Interest-Based Mortgages; 
4. Islamic Home Purchase Plans;
5. Other alternative ways to purchase a house; 
6. Summary; and
7. The responsibility on the average Muslim 

Before that, let us have a brief look at how the Qur’an and Sunnah view the concept of a home or dwelling.

A Necessity and Place of Peace

A home is one of the basic necessities for a wholesome and balanced life. Allah says in the Qur’an: 

“And Allah has made your homes a place to rest…” [Qur’an: 16:80]

“A house in Arabic is called a ‘maskan’ because it offers inhabitants a place away from the demands and pressures of the outside world to find peace, tranquillity, and rest.” [PC: Julian Hochgesang (unsplash)]

The purpose of a house is to allow humans to enjoy peace and comfort for their heart, body, and mind. Since most people work outside of their homes, the real purpose of a home is to return after a hard day’s work and enjoy a sense of peace and rest. In the highly commercial world that we live in, people often spend huge amounts of money on extravagant fixtures and furnishings, which can sometimes diminish the main purpose of a home, which is to bring peace and comfort. When elegant houses are compared to modest (even smaller) homes, the dweller who is blessed with peace and comfort in his heart, body, and mind is certainly in a better position. As we can see, peace is the highest purpose and the greatest aim for possessing a home.1

In fact, the Arabic term ‘maskan,’ which also means house, is derived from the Arabic verb ‘sakana,’ which means to calm down, to be at ease, and to feel tranquil. Hence, the words ‘sukun’ and ‘sakinah’ mean calmness, tranquillity, peacefulness, serenity, etc.2

Therefore, a house in Arabic is called a ‘maskan’ because it offers inhabitants a place away from the demands and pressures of the outside world to find peace, tranquillity, and rest.3

The Prophet said: 

“Part of a man’s happiness includes a good neighbour, a comfortable mount and a spacious abode.”4

In another Hadith, he (saw) said: 

“Four things are part of happiness: a righteous wife, a spacious abode, a good neighbour, and a comfortable mount. And four things are part of misery: a bad wife, a bad neighbour, a bad mount, and a small abode.”5

We are also taught by the Prophet (saw) to make dua to Allah (swt) for a spacious home. The Messenger (saw) is reported to have said in dua one night: 

“Oh Allah, forgive me my sins, make my house spacious and bless me in that which You have provided for me.”6

Now that we have established that a home is a necessary part of the life of every human being and a cause for their worldly delight, let us explore some of the ways Muslims can secure a place to live in the UK. Some have argued that a residential home can be acquired through renting, whether in the social or private sector, and therefore, purchasing a home is not really required. 

Let us start by exploring these two options:

SECTION 1: SOCIAL AND PRIVATE RENTING Social Housing

Gone are the days when anyone who applied for a home through their local council would eventually be given one to rent (after spending a period of time on the waiting list). Nowadays, for the vast majority of local councils, socially rented homes are reserved for those who have a particular need (e.g., those with a disability) who are unable to rent in the open market. 

This is due to the housing crisis in the UK, which is one of the biggest economic and social challenges the country faces. Soaring housing prices, leading to a shrinking social housing stock and increasing homelessness, have left millions of households without the ability to secure stable and affordable housing.7

Furthermore, the Localism Act 2011 has seen an end to ‘lifetime tenancies’, allowing local authorities and registered housing associations to offer fixed-term tenancies (ranging between one, two, or five years, depending on the local council) and also introduce different levels of rent (social and intermediate).8  Even those with ‘lifetime tenancies’ could face massive rent increases pegged to their earnings or local private rent levels, which has been debated by the Government several years ago. 9

Nevertheless, if you are one of those few people in the country with a council home and a lifetime tenancy, and social rent, you are in an extremely rare and privileged position, one that you should be very thankful to Allah for!

Private Renting

In the private sector, there are huge differences in rent levels across the country, making main cities very expensive for those on an average salary. This has led to a new diaspora of young people moving out of big, expensive cities like London to more affordable places in the UK. 

Moreover, if you rent from a private landlord, the landlord is entitled to take their property back at any time. They can serve you a notice for eviction and ask you and your family to vacate the property.10 Coupled with this huge risk of lack of security, private renters also often have to accept very poor living conditions due to the lack of affordable housing in their local area.11

These are some of the challenges that lead some Muslims to the decision of wanting to own their own home in order to avoid the pitfalls of being trapped in private renting. 

SECTION 2: SOCIAL DEALINGS AND TRANSACTIONS IN ISLAM 

It is important at the beginning of this section to point out the following:12

1. Islam encourages work, development, and progress, as the Messenger of Allah said:

“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak one. Be keen to do what benefits you; rely on Allah and do not act as though you are powerless. When you have a problem, do not say: ‘If I had done such and such, the result would have been such and such’. Rather, you should say: ‘This was decreed by Allah, and Allah does what He wills.’ For saying ‘If’ opens the gate for Satan.”13

2. Allah has entrusted us with the responsibility to care for and cultivate the earth. 

3. While Islam recognises the brokenness of the heart before Allah to be a virtue, it does not condemn wealth and prosperity, nor does it condone poverty. This is clearly shown where the Messenger of Allah said to ‘Amr ibn al-Aaṣ:

“Lawful money is excellent for a righteous man.”14

In this hadith, there is a reference to the two factors that determine whether or not money is a blessing for someone: how the person acquired it (lawful, i.e., halal money) and how he or she spends it.

4. Islam cautions that one must rely on Allah , for it is He Who decides who earns money and how much they will earn. A person who seeks money through haram (forbidden) means will not truly benefit from it by becoming content and feeling blessed. The Messenger of Allah said:

“O people, fear Allah and be moderate in seeking a living, for no soul will die until it has received all its provision, even if it is slow in coming. So fear Allah and be moderate in seeking provision; take that which is permissible and leave that which is forbidden.”15

5. Finally, wealth is condemnable if it distracts the heart from seeking Allah’s Pleasure, or if it causes one to be arrogant and disrespectful.

Therefore, there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to purchase a home, whether one is driven by a genuine need or even a wish or desire, as long as purchasing a house can be done in a halal (permissible) manner.  Before we look at the means by which Muslims purchase homes in the UK, let us explore the conditions for valid transactions that are found in our books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). 

Selling and Trading in Islam 

Selling is permissible by consensus.16

“Muslim scholars agree on the permissibility of trade in general, as Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) has widened its rulings and has not prevented transactions except if they contain harm for the creation in their religion or their wealth.” [PC: Cytonn Photography (unsplash)]

Allah says: 

“But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba.” [Qur’an: 2: 275]

Therefore, many aspects of trade are halal (permissible) according to the Qur’an, Sunnah, the consensus of the scholars, and qiyas (analogical deduction).17 Muslim scholars agree on the permissibility of trade in general, as Allah has widened its rulings and has not prevented transactions except if they contain harm for the creation in their religion or their wealth.18

Pillars & Conditions required for Halal (Permissible) Transactions in Islam and their possible Hinderances or Impediments

The following is a summarised framework based on the authorised Hanbali view from ‘Sharḥ al-Muntaha al-Iraadaat’:19

• Pillars:

1. The two contracting parties 

2. The object of sale 

1. The format of offer and acceptance, whether verbal or non-verbal 

• Conditions: 

1. Legal maturity of both parties 

2. Mutual consent 

3. The object is inherently sellable 

4. It is owned by the seller 

5. It is deliverable 

      6 & 7. It is known to both parties, as is the price 

• Hindrances: 

1. Sales during a prohibited time, such as during the Friday khuṭbah

2. Sales that entail riba or lead to harm

      3. Sales that damage social cohesion, such as outbidding or soliciting another’s offer 

      4. Sales by a city dweller on behalf of a nomad 

Parties to a contract can also place conditions within a contract; these conditions within trade transactions can either be valid or invalid.20

Valid Conditions:

• Valid conditions are those that do not invalidate the aims and objectives of the contract and therefore must be fulfilled. 

The Prophet said: 

“Muslims must keep to the conditions they make.”21

• The first type of valid conditions of trade agreements is those that support and facilitate the contract by conferring a benefit on the seller or the buyer, e.g., taking a deposit or deferring payment. 
• The second type of valid conditions of trade agreements is those that stipulate using the product in a certain way. E.g., a seller of a house can stipulate that the new owner stay for a certain period before selling again. 

Invalid Conditions:

• The first type of invalid condition is that which nullifies the whole contract, e.g., stipulating a contract within the main one. An example is when someone says, “I will sell this item to you on condition of you renting me your house.” This is because the Prophet forbade concluding a selling contract based on another conditional contract.22
• The second type of invalid condition is a condition that is null and void itself, but it does not nullify the entire contract. For example, a seller imposing on a buyer that he must never sell the item that he had bought. This is invalid because the Prophet said: “If anyone imposes a condition which is not in the Book of Allah, then that condition is invalid even if he imposes it one hundred times.”23 This condition is invalid, but that does not invalidate the whole contract. 

Therefore, a sale is permissible (halal) as long as the above-mentioned pillars and conditions of a valid sale are fulfilled and the transaction is free of any hindrance to validity and free from an invalid condition that nullifies the whole contract. This opens up the possibilities of options in a contract where either party (the buyer or the seller) can cancel the deal before parting24 or after parting if there was a violation (cheating or deception).25

Riba (usury)

The greatest hindrance in a contract is Riba (usury). Dealing in Riba is one of the gravest sins. All of the heavenly revelations have prohibited dealing in Riba, and Allah warns those who deal in it with the severest of threats.  

Allah, the Most High, says in the Qur’an: 

“Those who consume Riba will stand (on Judgement Day) like those driven to madness by Satan’s touch.” [Qur’an: 2: 275] 

And: 

“Allah has made Riba fruitless and charity fruitful. And Allah does not like any ungrateful evildoer.” [Qur’an: 2: 276]

He (swt) also says: “O believers! Fear Allah, and give up outstanding Riba if you are (true) believers.”  [Qur’an: 2: 278]

Because,

“If you do not, then be aware of a war with Allah and His Messenger! But if you repent, you may retain your principal – neither inflicting nor suffering harm.” [Qur’an: 2: 279]

In addition to these Qur’anic verses that warn against Riba, the Prophet has also stated that Riba is one of the great destructive sins.26

What is Riba?

Linguistically, the word Riba in Arabic means an increase, while in Fiqh, it refers to an increase in particular things. It is divided into two categories27: Riba al-Nasi’ah (Riba of Delay) and Riba al-Fadl (Riba of Excess):

A. Riba al-Nasi’ah (Riba of Delay)

This type of Riba refers to a delay of two types: 

• First Type – increasing the debt on the borrower of money (by way of an interest rate). This is the origin of Riba al-Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance)28. This is when a creditor lends money, then, when the time comes to pay, he offers the person in debt more time to pay in return for more money to be paid in addition to the principal debt. This results in an excessive increase in debt and the inability of the borrower to be able to pay off the debt. 
• Second Type – selling goods of the same type but in excess, with a delay in the delivery. There are many examples of this, such as selling gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt, as the Prophet said: 

“Gold is to be paid for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt, like for like and equal for equal, and payment is to be paid hand to hand.”29

This type of Riba also includes selling any type of these items for the same on credit.

B. Riba al-Fadl (Riba of Excess)

This type of Riba refers to selling an item for another of the same type but in excess or taking something of a superior quality for its inferior quality. The Prophet stated that this kind of transaction is prohibited in six items: gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates, and salt.30

As for the modern currency that exists, such as banknotes, the same ruling of gold and silver also applies to money as they share the same property as gold and silver (value that can be measured).  

Riba can also occur when lending money against a specified interest rate. This is where a person or institution (like a bank) gives a loan to a customer with the condition that the loan be paid back (either in full or in instalments) with additional interest. The ‘interest’ here falls into both types of Riba (an-Nasi’ah and al-Fadl) and therefore, paying it is from amongst the major sins. The same applies to loaning someone money with the condition that they pay back the loan with additional ‘interest’ on top. This is the most common form of Riba in the modern financial systems, and it is the complete opposite of what Allah describes a qard’ hasana (goodly loan) should be. 

Allah says: 

“Who is that would loan Allah a goodly loan, so He may multiply for him times over.” [Qur’an: 2: 245]

This verse refers to all forms of spending for the sake of Allah which includes lending money to those in need. It likens these acts of spending to giving a loan to Allah which indicates a great reward and virtue of giving interest-free loans to people.31

Also, the Prophet said: 

“Whenever a Muslim gives a fellow Muslim a loan twice, it will be like giving charity once.”32

Therefore, although lending money when someone who is in financial difficulty contains a risk, it is ultimately considered an act of kindness. Relieving the distress of any believer is greatly appreciated by Allah, who will, in turn, relieve the distress of the lender.33

Thus, lending money is from amongst the best types of sincere actions; it is a contract of excellence and kindness. However, if there is a stipulation for compensation or benefit, and this becomes part of the agreement, then all of these types of loans that bring about benefit are usurious.34

A War with Allah and His Messenger !

It is this type of Riba (Riba al-Jahiliyyah)35 where the lender lends money and then (for additional time / late payment) adds more interest when the customer is unable to pay is the type of Riba threatened with a war with Allah and His Messenger (saw). Allah (swt) doesn’t mention anyone with the threat of war in His revelation except for three people:36 

a) the polytheist;

b) the usurer; and

c) the one who shows hostility to His walee’ (close servants of Allah).37

Moreover, Allah does not confine the sin to the lender on interest alone; the borrower who pays the interest, the writer of the promissory note, and the witness to it are also accomplices to this major sin as the Prophet warned: 

“Allah has cursed the one who takes interest, the one who pays it, the two persons who witness the deed, and the one who writes the contract.”38

Therefore, depositing money into a bank and receiving interest is also prohibited as it is a form of Riba.  

Wisdoms Behind the Prohibition of Riba

The underlying reason for the prohibition of Riba is that it involves injustice, unfairness, and encourages inequality, which Islam forbids due to its deep concern for the moral, social, and economic welfare of mankind.39

Some of the wisdoms include: 

(a) protecting foodstuffs from being monopolised by people who can get larger quantities of the food used by poor people, in exchange for the better kinds that they possess;

(b) Earning money through interest means there is less incentive to work;

(c) It allows raising the value of capital in the face of labour by allowing money to beget money rather than through real investment and dependency on labour;

(d) Interest can lead to greater gaps between the economic levels in society;

(e) Interest has the power to trap the poor into vicious cycles of debt, leading to bankruptcy; 

(f) Charging interest on loans makes people less likely to do the good deed of offering interest-free loans; 

(g) People are more likely to take part in productive business ventures that involve some reasonable risk if there is no interest;40

Thus, in a society where interest is lawful, the rich benefit from the suffering of the poor and as a result the rich continue to get even more wealthier while the poor get poorer. This creates socio-economic classes separated by huge gulfs, leading to anger, envy, hatred, and contempt of the poor towards the rich, which in turn, threatens the social order of society and encourages civil unrest.41

‘Interest’ vs Riba – are they not the same thing?

It should be noted here that although the word interest has become synonymous with Riba in our modern age, not every ‘interest’ equates to the major sin of Riba. It is important to clarify the difference between the financial term ‘interest’ and the Sharia (Islamic Law) term ‘Riba.’ They are not always the same thing, as there are some transactions that contain ‘interest,’ however, they are permitted by the Shariah as that particular type of interest does not equate to Riba. 

One example is ‘bay’ al-ajil (deferred payment sales).42 It is permissible even if the instalment price is higher than the upfront cost, as agreed by The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly the Organization of Islamic Conference), in Resolution # 51 (6/2), where they stated: 

“Increasing the price for deferred payment over the immediate payment is permissible. It is also permissible to state the price of the commodity for the immediate and deferred payments. However, the transaction is not valid unless the two parties of the contract agree on the form of the transaction: immediate or deferred.43“

For example, if someone purchases a phone and it has two prices: an upfront purchase price of £500 or an instalment price of £550 (to be paid in twelve instalments with the additional interest of 10% – £45.83 each month). This additional £50 added to the price of the phone is due to the 10% added interest. However, because the timeline and figures have been agreed upon from the onset, the vast majority of scholars would permit such a transaction. This is provided that the item is going from the seller to the new owner without the intervention of a third-party finance company.44

As we have illustrated, many types of transactions are permitted in Islam, but for the purpose of this article, let us focus on the following halal (permissible) transactions in Islam:  

1. Buying;45
2. Selling;46
3. Renting/leasing;47
4. Loans (giving and receiving);48 and 
5. Mortgages.49

It is well known that buying, selling, renting, and giving/taking a loan are all permissible so as long as conditions of the Sharia are met (e.g., consent, ownership, etc) and none of the impediments are present (e.g., invalid condition, Riba, etc). A lesser-known fact is that a mortgage is actually allowed in Islam.  

Mortgaging refers to placing an item with a lender in order to secure a loan; collateral in case of non-fulfilment of the loan. This is permissible according to the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Scholars.50

Allah says in the Quran:

“… And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit [should be] taken.” [Qur’an: 2: 283]

It is also known that the Prophet himself took a mortgage when borrowing from a Jewish trader in Madina.

A’ishah narrated: 

“The Prophet passed away while his shield was mortgaged with a Jew for thirty sa’51 of wheat.”52 

Hence, it can be seen that there is nothing inherently haram (unlawful) regarding mortgages in enough of themselves. So, what is it then that makes conventional interest-based mortgages a forbidden transaction and therefore clearly haram?

SECTION 3: CONVENTIONAL INTEREST-BASED MORTGAGES 

In a conventional mortgage transaction, four things are taking place: 

1. Buying and selling: person A is purchasing a house from person B, who is intending to sell his/her house.;
2. Borrowing money: Person A is borrowing money from a bank to pay person B for the purchase price of the house; 
3. Mortgage: the bank that is lending the money will only do so by placing the house at their disposal (as collateral) to guarantee that the debt is repaid; and then 
4. Repayment with added ‘interest ’: the money that was borrowed from the bank will now have to be repaid over 25-30 years in monthly instalments with added interest on top of the principal loan. This interest rate is reviewed every two to five years, depending on when the fixed rate of interest expires.   

As we have seen, the above three transactions appear in our classical books of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and are therefore considered to be valid transactions. If that is the case, then why are mortgages considered haram? 

Islamic mortgaging. [PC: Jakub Zerdzicki (unsplash)]

From the above illustration, the answer is obvious – the main thing that makes purchasing a house with a conventional mortgage haram is the fourth stage (repayment of the loan with added interest).53 The addition of interest on the loan, which has to be paid over time, makes the contract a Riba contract as it falls into both types of Riba (an-Nasi’ah and al-Fadl) and is therefore forbidden in Islam. 

However, the European Council for Fatwa and Research states that it is permissible to use a conventional mortgage to purchase a house in one limited situation.54

The scholars who advocate this view still reiterate the clear Sharia position – that dealing with interest is haram (forbidden) and is one of the greatest sins; however, they make an exception to someone purchasing a house for the purpose of residence only.55 

These respected Scholars urge Muslims living in the West to do their best to establish alternatives that are acceptable to Islam, and if a person can rent without causing himself much hardship, then he should be content to do so. However, if a person has no other place to live and does not have enough money to purchase the house outright, and taking a mortgage is the only alternative, they state that a person can do so as long as the following conditions are strictly observed: 

1. The house to be purchased must be for the buyer and his household;
2. The buyer must not have another house; and
3. The buyer must not have any surplus of assets that can help him buy a house by means other than mortgage.

This fatwa is based on the following two major juristic considerations:

Juristic Consideration No. 1: The agreed-upon juristic rule, which states that extreme necessities turn unlawful matters lawful. 

This rule is derived from five Quranic texts, amongst them:

“But whosoever is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits; (for him) certainly, your Lord is oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Qur’an: 16: 115]

Moreover, jurists have established that hajah (need), whether for an individual or a group, can be treated in equal terms with darurah (extreme necessity). Hajah or need is defined as those things that put Muslims into some difficulty. Darurah (extreme necessity), on the other hand, is that which Muslims cannot manage without. Allah has lifted difficulty as stated in Surat Al-Hajj and Al-Maidah:

“And He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship” [Qur’an: 22:78], and “Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His favour to you that you may be thankful.” [Qur’an: 5: 6]  

Any house that meets the criteria set up by the definitions of hajah and darurah, as mentioned above, is one that is suitable for the Muslim family in terms of size, location, locality, and amenities.

The fatwa is built on the rule of darurah or hajah, which is treated in a similar manner to darurah; the Council stresses that there is another rule that governs and complements the rule of extreme necessity and need. This rule states that what has been made permissible due to extreme necessity must be dealt with great care and taken in measure. It should be restricted to the category of people who are in real need of a house. Moreover, this fatwa does not cover taking up a mortgage to buy a house for commercial reasons or for any purposes other than personal use (residence).

Juristic Consideration No. 2: It is permissible for Muslims to trade with usury and other invalid contracts in countries other than Islamic countries. 

This opinion is held by a number of renowned jurists, such as Abu Hanifah, his colleague Muhammad As-Shaybani, Sufayn At-Thawri, Ibrahim An-Nakha`ie, and, according to one opinion of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, which was declared as true by Ibn Taymiah, according to some Hanbali sources. It is also the declared opinion of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.56

However, despite the arguments put forward by senior scholars such as the late Dr Shaykh Yusuf al-Qardawi (rh), this fatwa has been extensively challenged by many notable scholars57, including Dr. Shaykh Salaah as-Saawi (AMJA) in his book ‘A Polite Reconsideration of the Fatwa Permitting Interest-Based Mortgages for Buying Homes in Western Societies.’

Dr Shaykh Salaah as-Saawi argues that the two juristic principles upon which this fatwa relies have been misapplied and therefore the fatwa is erroneous. Here is a summary of his examination of the fatwa:  

(I) Regarding Juristic Consideration No. 1 (extreme necessities turn unlawful matters lawful), Dr. as-Saawi argues:

• In fiqh, hajah (need) is whatever is required for ease and the removal of constriction, which usually leads to difficulty and hardship, accompanied by the loss of benefit. If it is not taken care of, then in general, it causes difficulty and hardship;
• The concessions are only valid to take advantage of when the person is practically involved in their causes, e.g., one intending to travel cannot benefit from the concessions of travelling merely through the intention; rather, he must be practically involved in travelling.
• As for the difference between hajah (need) and darurah (necessity), the two can be differentiated from several aspects, including: 

1) Necessity is more severe than need – necessity is based upon doing what is an absolute must, and a person cannot leave it, whereas need is based on making things easier, which a person can do without; 

2) Necessity allows the forbidden, whether the necessity affects an individual or the community. In contrast, need does not entail allowing the forbidden, unless the need is that of the general community. This is because every individual has unique needs all the time, and it is not possible to have a specific law for every person, unlike necessities, which are rare; 

3) The exclusive ruling that applies to necessity is a temporary allowance of what is forbidden by the text of the Shari’ah. This allowance ends with the disappearance of that necessity and is limited to the person for whom the allowance is due to his necessity. 

• As for rulings which are established based on need, they do not revoke any text of the Qur’an & Sunnah, but only oppose principles and qiyas (analogical reasoning), and they are established in a permanent manner by which those in need and others can benefit from them.

Therefore, even though a home is, without doubt, one of the necessary needs of the human being that must be fulfilled, it does not have to be acquired through ownership only. Rather, this need can also be fulfilled through renting or any other way in which a home can be acquired.

(II) Regarding Juristic Consideration No. 2 (the permissibility for Muslims to trade with usury and other invalid contracts in non-Muslim countries), Dr. as-Saawi argues:

• In the presence of clear, definite texts transmitted regarding the prohibition of riba al-nasi’ah, the evidence, which is assumed to be from the Hanafi school, is very weak and cannot be relied upon; 
• The other widely-followed Madhabs (schools of jurisprudence) did not accept the view of the Hanafis in this matter, and even Abu Yusuf, student of Imam Abu Hanifah rejected this view.;
• Thus, Hanafis do not permit riba or other definitely prohibited matters in non-Muslim countries, as is often mistakenly assumed.

A summary of Shaykh as-Saawi’s study: 

1) The prohibition of riba in both its forms, fadl and nasi’ah (which includes the prohibition of bank interest) must be emphasised and endorsed. This is what was established by all the fiqh assemblies in different parts of the Islamic world; 

2) Riba can only be permitted by necessity. Anyone who is faced by a situation of necessity must turn to the people (of knowledge) who have the authority to issue a fatwa whom the person trusts regarding their knowledge, so that they can determine the extent of his necessity; 

3) Need is treated like a necessity in allowing the forbidden when the required conditions are fulfilled. These conditions can be summarised as follows: 

1. The occurrence of need according to its Islamic legal understanding. This is to repel harm and weakness, which diverts people from engaging in and carrying out the matters of livelihood, not for comfort and luxury; 
2. The absence of valid alternatives. This means that the haram is widespread, and all paths to the halal (e.g., renting) are blocked; and
3. The lack of capability to move to other areas where valid alternatives can be found. 

4) Therefore, the basic principle regarding one who is unable to own a home in a halal way involving no riba or doubt is to be content with renting; 

5) When renting entails difficulty and clear hardship due to the size of the family or other factors, it is allowed to grant them a concession to own a house in this manner, in light of the rules mentioned above. This is only after consulting with the people of knowledge to determine the extent of this need;

6) It is a necessity to provide Islamic alternatives to the problem of financing housing. This is either by creating Islamic institutions or by persuading the Western banks to amend their contracts in dealing with the Islamic minorities in such a way as to agree with the requirements of Islamic Law; 

7) Appealing to those capable in the Islamic world to build investment projects to provide housing for those needing it amongst the Muslims settled in Western societies. Such projects could be via the well-known forms of valid transactions such as musharakah, murabahah, istisna’, renting-ownership schemes, etc.58

SECTION 4: ISLAMIC HOME PURCHASE PLANS

“Legal maxims play an important role in interpreting and applying Sharia principles to contemporary financial practices.” [PC: Signature Pro (unsplash)]

The topic of Islamic Mortgages or ‘Home Purchase Plans’ (HPPs), as they are widely known, falls under the category of financial transactions in our books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). The framework for governing these transactions has been derived from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, Ijama’a (consensus of jurists), and Qiyas (analogy). A deductive study of these evidences has led to the establishment of several rules and governing principles (legal maxims) for determining the Islamic rulings of financial transactions. Legal maxims play an important role in interpreting and applying Sharia principles to contemporary financial practices.

A note on the Maxims of Islamic Law (Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya)

In terms of the acceptance of legal maxims of the Sharia among the scholars, they are divided into the following two categories: a) maxims, which are accepted and utilised by all scholars from different schools of Islamic law (madhabs); and b) maxims that are accepted by scholars from certain madhhabs, but rejected by others. The following are five comprehensive major maxims in Islamic Law (fiqh) that are accepted by scholars from all four of the legal schools (madhabs), even though they may disagree on how they are applied to specific matters of fiqh: 

1. Matters are determined according to intentions; 
2. Hardship entails ease; 
3. Harm must be eliminated
4. Certainty is not overruled by doubt; and 
5. Custom is a basis for judgment.59

These five major maxims also have branches that lead to further corollary maxims which can be applied to Islamic financial contracts.60

Some of the other important Islamic legal maxims that are applicable specifically to Islamic financial contracts include (but are not limited to):61 

1. The default position of contracts is that all contracts and transactions are halal (permissible) and correct, and no contracts can be considered as haram (impermissible) except with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Messenger (saw);62
2. All contracts must be free from gharar (gross uncertainty), dhulm (harm), and Riba (usury);63 and
3. The essence of contracts is their goals and meanings, not their words or forms.64

Therefore, in order for HPPs to be considered Islamically impermissible, a scholar would have to prove in a substantial way, the presence of one or more of the following in the contract:

1. Gharar (gross uncertainty/ambiguity);
2. Dhulm (harm);
3. Riba (usury);

With these principles and rules in mind, let us now look at Islamic mortgages – more commonly known as Home Purchase Plans (HPP), which are intended to be structured in a way to help avoid Riba. Currently, there are three different types of HPPs:65

     A. Ijara (a rent-only agreement – the alternative to the conventional ‘interest-only’ mortgage):

The bank buys the property you want to buy, and you pay them rent with the condition that you buy the property from them at the end of the term.

The bank also leases the house to you for a fixed term at an agreed monthly rent.

     B. Murabaha (profit sale).

The bank buys the property and gradually sells it to you at a mark-up price, which you pay in monthly instalments.

The ijarah model is most commonly used for buy-to-let properties, whereas murabaha is most commonly used for commercial properties. These type of agreements are rarely used for UK residential home purchases.  

   C. 𝗗𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗵 (partnership):

This is the most common way residential home purchases are currently conducted. In this model, the bank will own most of the house (typically 80%), and the customer will own the remaining 20%. The bank will lease the customer their portion, the customer then pays the bank monthly rent for the portion that the bank owns, while also slowly buying back shares of the house – purchasing equity, until the customer eventually has 100% ownership. 

Examining the different contracts that are currently available in order to discuss their merits and defects according to the Sharia is a highly laborious and technical exercise that is beyond the scope of this article. Therefore, let us limit our exploration to the most common way banks offer Islamic finance products finance residential homes, which is the Diminishing Musharakah + Ijarah contracts. 

Case Study: a closer look at the Diminishing Musharakah + Ijarah method

The next few steps will illustrate what happens in an Islamic Bank HPP contract, which will help us establish the facts and thus help us understand the substance of the contract:

Step 1: The bank and the customer purchase a house together for an ‘acquisition cost’ of £100K. The customer pays £20K and the bank pays the remaining £80K. This gives the customer a 20% ‘initial share’ of the house, and the bank retains the remaining 80% of the share. 

Step 2: The customer then signs a co-ownership agreement to reflect his/her shares. In the same co-ownership agreement, the customer must agree to buy the bank’s ‘Initial Share’ of the Property for the ‘Acquisition Cost.’ 

The above two steps conclude the Diminishing Musharakah agreement.

Step 3: The bank then requires the customer to simultaneously enter into a ‘lease agreement.’ In this agreement, the bank requires the customer to pay rent on their ‘share’ of the house for as long as the customer hasn’t fully paid off the bank’s share of the property.

This is where the Ijarah agreement comes in.

Step 4: The customer will also take out the relevant buildings insurance to insure the property. 

This is another obligation the customer alone takes responsibility for. 

Step 5: Completion – the customer moves into the property, pays monthly rent + acquisition payments for around 25 – 30 years until they have purchased all of the bank’s shares. At this point, the property will belong to the customer fully. 

The above is a very simplified illustration, and this type of Diminishing Musharakah + Ijarah transaction method is currently used by most banks and is approved by respected Islamic scholars.66 

However, critics of this model have argued the following: 

     a) HPPs are a debt instrument, and therefore contain Riba

When the customer signs a co-ownership agreement to reflect his/her shares and agrees to buy the bank’s share of the property for the acquisition cost, this clause, in substance, results in the bank selling its ‘initial share’ to the customer immediately. It also results in the co-ownership effectively coming to an end. This is because the customer has now purchased the bank’s share and has full beneficial ownership and full risk of the house, as the bank no longer takes risk in the property. The customer now owes the bank £80K as a money debt, which the bank agrees the customer can pay over several years.

Despite the fact that both English law and Islamic law recognise beneficial ownership, here, the sale has taken place from the very first day, and the customer begins to owe the bank a money debt. A binding obligation to purchase now and a binding obligation to purchase in the future both create a money debt. 

Result: Critics of this method conclude that the above example indicates that this type of HPP is a debt instrument, and therefore any ‘rent’ payable by the customer is actually Riba. 

Some other contentions of HPPs in general include:

     b) With HPPs the Bank does not fully share the ownership risk;

In the case of HPPs, if the bank buys 80% and the customer buys 20% (as illustrated in the above example), then the bank owns the majority of the house. It should therefore be obliged to fulfil the duties of an owner and share the risk of loss. However, in an HPP, the customer pays the stamp duty, takes out the buildings insurance, and is ultimately responsible for any damage to the property. 

Also, if the value of the houses decreases, a customer who defaults under such contracts can find himself required to guarantee the bank’s original capital contribution to the property purchase, which is higher than the decreased lower price. This is called negative equity. In a true musharakah agreement, loss and gain must be shared equally. 

     c) Combination contracts

The Prophet said: 

“It is not permissible to sell something on condition that the purchaser lends you something. And it is not permissible to have two conditions in one transaction. And no profit is permissible unless possession has been taken of the goods. And you cannot sell what is not in your possession.” 67

Modern HPPs have two (or sometimes more) contracts for every purchase (co-ownership agreement, leasing agreement, service agency agreement, etc), where each contract is interdependent on the other.

   d) Islamic Banks use the LIBOR to set the rent, rather than using the local rent levels 

This does make the HPP more affordable; however, using the LIBOR (The London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) is the same method used by conventional banks to calculate interest rate averages. 

Setting rental levels in line with market interest rates is not in itself haram, just like a Muslim restaurant owner can sell non-alcoholic mocktails at the same price as alcoholic cocktails. However, linking the rent levels to LIBOR can cause gharar (gross uncertainty) in the contract. This is because the customer won’t know how much rent to pay the bank until the beginning of each new period, despite being contractually bound to rent the property for the subsequent period. If interest rates increase dramatically, then the amount of rent will also increase, and the customer may find himself locked into the payment of very high rental rate that he/she cannot afford.

     e) Fractional reserve banking and money creation 

Most of our money supply is created by private banks that deal in interest (Riba), who simply create money. Unfortunately, some Islamic banks have been found to do the same.68

     f) HPPs use hila (legal trickery) 

Islamic law also prohibits hila (legal trickery) as a mechanism to avoid clear haram acts. This can produce a usurious loan from otherwise permissible contracts. 

Scholars who oppose the current Diminishing Musharakah models offered by Islamic banks also argue that each of the steps in the transaction (i.e., buying, leasing, promising to purchase, etc) are, on their own, perfectly fine and valid according to the Sharia. However, when these transactions are combined and one agreement depends on the other, the outcome results in a Riba contract.69 

For example, in the following framework, the individual transactions mentioned below are completely halal:

• An interest-free loan (which is something that is recommended);
• A gift (which again, is something recommended); and
• A promise.

Taken individually, these three transactions are completely valid. However, if they are combined in a single contract, where one agreement is contingent on the other, the result is Riba.70

Shariah standards of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) on Diminishing Musharakah contracts

It is worth noting that although the Shariah standards of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), while recognising and approving Diminishing Musharakah contracts, they prohibit the following: 

1. The promise to purchase further shares should be independent of the partnership contract. Therefore, it is not permitted that one contract be entered into as a condition for concluding the other;
2. It is not permitted to stipulate that one partner bear all the cost of insurance and maintenance on the ground that he will eventually own the subject matter of the partnership; 
3. It is not permitted to stipulate that the equity share be acquired at their original or face value, as this would constitute a guarantee of the value of the equity shares of one partner (the bank) by the other partner, which is prohibited by the Sharia.71

Scholars who oppose the HPPs that are currently available do not permit them, as they sincerely believe it is possible to produce genuinely Shariah-compliant Islamic property financing contracts under English law. Furthermore, they feel that to permit the current models on purely contractual grounds is a flawed strategy for the Muslim community in the UK. Moreover, it is argued that this will risk the development of home purchasing products that include a proper implementation of Islamic finance principles and, therefore, may be a tool for the suppression of the beginning of an interest-free economic renaissance.72 

Scholars who champion the current HPP structures, however, have detailed responses to the above-mentioned criticisms.73 Here is a brief summary of the way they respond to some of the criticisms: 

(I) HPPs are a debt instrument, and therefore contain Riba

This is a mischaracterisation of the HPP construct because when a customer purchases a home, the following is taking place: 

• The Islamic bank is an entity that owns the freehold and holds it on trust for the customer. The customer is then gradually buying out the Islamic bank;
• Therefore, the customer is not the owner of the house from the very start.

An Islamic HPP is understood under English law to slowly facilitate the gradual transfer of beneficial ownership from the bank to the homeowner.

(II) With HPPs the Bank does not share in ownership risk fully

The Sharia allows for any party to forgo their right as long as this is mutually agreed upon. For example, a wealthy woman can forgo her right over her husband to spend on her. Therefore, whatever is mutually agreed upon before the contract is concluded must be abided by as the Prophet said: 

“The Muslims are bound by the conditions, except for a condition that forbids what is permissible or permits what is forbidden.”74

(III) HPPs use combination contracts

• HPP is based on two independent contracts; 
• As long as the two contracts can be clearly distinguishable and broken into separate parts with no interlinking, and there is clarity on the price and the items, then this would be permitted by the Sharia.  

(IV) Islamic Banks use base-rate-pegged values to set your rent, rather than using the local rent level

• There is nothing inherently wrong (impermissible) in using any external factor (including LIBOR) to calculate rent.  

The above are very simple summaries of often very highly technical arguments made by scholars who have sufficient knowledge, education, training, and practical hands-on experience, both in terms of the Sharia and the UK law (England & Wales), as well as awareness of industry expectations and norms.  

Irrespective of which side seems more convincing, it is impossible for the average Muslim (non-scholars and specialists) to take a definitive view either way, doing so would be very disingenuous. 

SECTION 5: OTHER ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PURCHASE A HOUSE 

The final option to purchase a house is via the new models of Islamic home financing that have emerged over recent years. These are known as Shared Ownership Products and are provided by companies like WayHome, Your Home, Keyzy, CrowdToLive, Heylo, and Pfida (formerly Primary Finance), amongst others.

These models are all different from the conventional mortgages and Islamic HPPs and provide an alternative debt-free financing structure. 

From a Sharia perspective, there are currently no objections to these new Shared Ownership Products75, meaning they are fully Sharia-compliant.

However, there are some practical drawbacks, which include: 

1. Currently, these products are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as they act more like a landlord than a traditional bank; 
2. Customers will be paying the market rate rent on the portion that they do not own of the purchased property; 
3. Lack of FCA authorisation also means: a) with some companies, customers are not allowed to fully purchase the entire house due to tax reasons; b) other companies will charge the customer double stamp duty (as the exemption only applies to regulated institutions like Banks); c) there is less clarity and transparency as to what a customer is actually paying compared to the mortgage market (as there is no obligation for these companies to be transparent like regulated bodies); and d). Shared Ownership Products are more expensive than conventional mortgages and Islamic HPPs;
4. Accessibility is also another issue, as customers have to get onto long waiting lists (up to five years) to access some of these products. However, with companies like Pfida, investing with them can radically reduce this time on the waiting list.  

Despite this, these companies offer new and innovative ways of operating, which include: 

1. Allowing the customer to take a payment ‘holiday’ and pay through equity;
2. Supporting the customer during the process of buying and helping to vet the house, and even to negotiate the deal with the vendor;
3. Allowing customers to purchase a home with no upfront deposit and simply pay through the rental agreement; and
4. Allowing the customer to continue renting the portion of the house that the company owns with no obligation to purchase further shares. 

SECTION 6: SUMMARY

In summary, we have discussed the following: 

Option A: Renting – we have seen that acquiring a home to rent from a social landlord is almost impossible for most people. Renting from a private landlord comes at a huge risk and can be very expensive depending on where you choose to live. However, since there are obviously no Sharia objections to renting, this remains a good option for most people. 

Option B: Taking a conventional interest-based mortgage – the ‘one house for residential purposes’ rule to permit a conventional mortgage still remains the official opinion of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. This verdict is for residential homes only (not buy to let) and is limited to one per person, i.e., a home to live in, not to do business or rent out to make money from. However, from the onset, this fatwa has been extensively challenged by senior scholars and therefore remains very controversial. 

Option C: Islamic Home Purchase Plans – this option is also not free from issues. All the scholars and specialists in the field of Islamic finance will agree that Islamic HPPs are certainly far from perfect in terms of meeting the full requirements of the Sharia. The divergent Scholarly opinions range from some scholars permitting HPPs (despite their flaws) due to our modern economic and commercial context at one end of the spectrum,76 to other scholars concluding that Islamic HPPs are exactly the same as interest-based mortgages, if not worse, and therefore also haram.77     

Option D: Shared Ownership Products – these products do not have any Sharia objections; however, they are more expensive and come with practical challenges, such as accessibility, as well as structural issues relating to the lack of FCA approval and regulation. 

SECTION 7: THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE AVERAGE MUSLIM REGARDING THIS TOPIC 

As we have seen, Option A: renting (social or private) and Option D: opting for a new type of shared ownership product are completely free from any Sharia objections, and neither option involves any kind of debt, like taking out an interest-bearing mortgage. On the other hand, purchasing a home through a conventional mortgage or an Islamic HPP remains a very controversial issue with diverse views and opinions on either side. The fatwa to permit the use of an interest-based mortgage is a matter of ijtihad (a struggle to exercise personal judgment in Islamic Law by a qualified scholar). Likewise, the current models of HPPs are also the result of scholarly ijtihad. Hence, there may never be a uniform opinion regarding either option, as opinions based on ijtihad will always have an element of doubt and never reach a state of certainty like matters where permissibility and prohibition are very clear and well known.  

The Ulema (scholars) have stated that if the fuqaha (Islamic jurists) reach the degree of ijtihad and issue a verdict, they will be rewarded for their efforts even if they are wrong, as the Prophet said:

“If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct, he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get one reward.” 78

This Hadith exonerates the mujtahid (scholar capable of ijtihad) from sin, and promises him a reward because he is qualified to make ijtihad and he has done his absolute best, but it also clearly states that he can be mistaken.

If the scholars differ on a matter, the correct view is that one of the positions has to be incorrect, as something cannot be simultaneously halal and haram in the sight of Allah . So, what then must the average Muslim (layman) do regarding these heavily contested differences of scholarly opinion?

The answer is the following, where Allah says in the Qur’an: 

“Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” (Qur’an: 16:43)

The Prophet said: “If you did not know, why didn’t you ask, the cure to ignorance is to ask.”79

With heavily contested and debated issues such as this, the laity are not required to examine and understand all of the evidences and intricacies regarding both sides of the argument. However, despite this, it is still very important for Muslims to be somewhat acquainted with an overview of the various arguments offered by different scholars, as well as the drawbacks to these arguments, in order to make an informed decision if they intend to go down the route of purchasing a house. 

Even after reading through the arguments, sincerely conducting your own thorough research, consulting people of knowledge, the average Muslim will still have to largely rely on taqleed (choosing a scholar or a fatwa issuing authority) who is qualified and trustworthy, and then following that scholarly view on this particular matter. This type of taqleed is permissible for the ordinary person or even a person of knowledge who has not reached the status of Ijtihad in knowledge or in a particular field, because the one who is limited in a particular field is like an ordinary person in it.80 And if and when a person takes a decision based on a valid ijtihad, then it is impermissible for anybody to criticise him.81 

However, it is very important to note that Muslim scholars have unanimously agreed that it is totally prohibited (haram) for a Muslim to follow the compromises and concessions of scholars, such that a person finds the concession of a particular scholar and then follows it.82

A note on Muslim unity 

While these issues are fiercely debated by scholars on both sides who hold strong views regarding these matters, it is important for us not to let these issues of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) cause any disunity amongst the Muslims.   

Allah commands us to: 

“And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah83 and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you – by His grace – became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be (rightly) guided.” [Quran: 3:103]

He also tells us that: 

“The believers are but one brotherhood, so make peace between your brothers. And be mindful of Allah so you may be shown mercy.” [Quran, 49:10]

 Regarding unity, our Prophet (saw) said: 

“The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like a single body: if one part of the body feels pain, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”84 

He also said: 

“Do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade; but be you, O servants of Allah, brothers.”85

Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that no matter what opinion you follow, or how strongly you feel about a certain issue, that these matters of fiqh differences should never be the cause of sectarianism and disunity in the Ummah. 

SECTION 8: CONCLUSION 

As Muslims, we must exercise caution in regard to every aspect of our faith. 

A note on Taqwa (God-consciousness) and Wara’ (scrupulousness)

Tawqa means being God-conscious and living a life of righteousness, piety, and self-restraint from all sinful acts. 

Allah says 

“O you who have believed, have tawqa and be with those who are truthful” [Qur’an 9:19]

The Prophet said:

“Have taqwa wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and behave with good character towards people.”86

Wara (scrupulousness), on the other hand, entails not only striving to stay away from things that are haram (unlawful) as well as exerting one’s best to avoid that which is disliked (makruh), but it also entails abstaining from all doubtful matters in fear of falling into haram.  Wara also means staying away from some halal things due to fear of it leading to something that is haram or makruh.  

The Prophet said: 

“The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are matters unclear that are unknown to most people. Whoever avoids these unclear matters has absolved his religion and honour.”87

He also advised: 

“Leave that which you are in doubt for that which you are in no doubt.”88

The above two Hadiths indicate that when the scholars differ on a matter, it is recommended to remove oneself from the difference by doing an action that the scholars agree upon.89

The temporary nature of this life 

In the end, we must constantly remind ourselves that this world is temporary and our real home is in the Hereafter, in Paradise. 

Allah tells us that: 

“Every soul will taste death, and you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will (indeed) triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” [Qur’an: 3:185-191]

He also tells us that:

“This worldly life is no more than play and amusement, but far better is the (eternal) Home of the Hereafter for those mindful (have tawqa of Allah). Will you not then understand?” [Qur’an: 6:32] 

But if there is a real and pressing need to purchase a home, we must do so whilst maintaining our duty and faithfulness to Allah . 

After weighing out the arguments both in favour and against, as well as the practical, legal, and financial challenges, a strong contender seems to be Pfida90 for the following reasons: 

1. Debt-free

There is no obligation to purchase the company’s share of the property. There are also no early or late repayment fees for not purchasing equity.

2. Not pegged to interest

The rent is not pegged to interest rates or LIBOR. Instead, it is determined by a number of factors, including the local rental market, and annual rent reviews are capped to reduce uncertainty.

3. Affordability

The property is sold to the customer at the original purchase price, and not at the current market value. They provide rental discounts to make sure it remains affordable for the customer. 

4. True risk sharing

If the property decreases in value or there is a shortfall upon sale, proceeds are split according to respective partnership share. This is fundamentally different from a bank, which has the first call on the proceeds of a sale, and the customer may end up with nothing upon repossession.

5. Ultimate flexibility

Customers can manage their Pfida home account online to change the target equity payment when they need to or opt to pay rent only in any given month.

6. Choosing what to do with your equity 

By introducing an equity buffer, means that there is less risk of defaulting on payment. This allows the customer to pay in equity if they cannot afford the rent. They can also then purchase it back again once they are in a better financial position, in their own time.

The model adopted by Pfida is fully Sharia-compliant and seems to offer a true risk-sharing partnership. 

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

***

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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24. Al-Qahtani, Dr. Syed ibn Ali Wahf, ‘Ar-Riba: idraruhu wa aatharuhu fi daw’e al-kitab was as-sunnah,’ (1984, alukah.net)
25. al-Uthaymeen, Shaykh Saalih, ‘Shar Mumti ala zaad al-Mustaqni’ (Dar Ibn Jawzi, 2005), vol. 8
26. al-Uthaymeen, Shaykh Saalih, ‘Shar Usool min al-ilm al-Usool’ (Dar Ibn Jawzi, 2001). 
27. At-Turki, Sulayman ibn Turki, ‘Bay’ at-Taqseet wa Ahkamuhu,’ (Dar Shibelia, KSA, 2003)
28. Ghazali, Nasrun Mohamad, Sawari, Mohd. Fuad Md, Ghalia, Bouhedda and Alhabshi, Syed Musa Syed Jaafar, ‘The Fiqh Maxim Al-Ghunm Bi Al-Ghurm: A Critique on Interpretation of the Maxim Relating to the Risk-Return Concept in Islamic Banking and Finance,’ (ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, Volume 16, Number 2, 2024)
29. Ibn Taymiyyah, Taqi al-Din, ‘al-Qawa’id al-Nuraniyah’ (Dar Ibn Jawzi, 2012)
30. Ibn Nujaym, Zain al-Abideen ibn Ibrahim bin Muahmmed al-Shaheer bi ‘Asbah wa an-Naza’ir ala Madhab Abi Hanifa an-Nu’man’ (Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1999)
31. Isma’eel, Dr. Mohammed Bakr, ‘al-Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya baina al-asa’la wa tawjih,’ (Dar Manar, 1997). 
32. Khattab, Dr. Mustafa ‘The Clear Quran’ (theclearquran.org) 
33. Khan, Ibrahim ‘Islamic Mortgages are a debt and therefore haram – Why this Analysis is Mistaken’ (islamicfinanceguru.com)
34. Khan, Ibrahim ‘What is An Islamic Mortgage? Why is it Islamic?’ (islamicfinanceguru.com)
35. Philips, Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal ‘A Commentary on Usool al-Fiqh Made Easy,’ (United Arab Emirates, 2003)
36. Ramli, Muhamad Amirol bin, ‘ISC550 – Qawaid Fiqhiyya – Kitab Review – Book Review – Ashbah wan Nazair fi Qawaid wa Furu’ Fiqh Syafi’yyah – Jalahuddin as-Suyuti,’ (MARA University of Technology, www.researchgate.net/publication/371137887, 2023)
37. Saleem, Haider, ‘Pros and Cons of an Islamic Mortgage’ (www.islamicfinanceguru.com)
38. Saleem, Haider ‘What Makes an Islamic Mortgage Halal?’ (islamicfinanceguru.com)
39. Sharief, Dr Salah, ‘Buying a House with a Mortgage: A Muslim’s Dilemma’ (www.linkedin.com, May 2024)
40. Saiti, Buerhan & Abdullah, Adam. ‘The Legal Maxims of Islamic Law (Excluding Five Leading Legal Maxims) and Their Applications in Islamic Finance,’ (JKAU: Islamic Econ., Vol. 29 No. 2, pp: 139-151 (July 2016) DOI: 10.4197 / Islec. 29-2.12
41. Umar, Dr. Shaykh Sajid, ‘Fatwa: Student Loans are Permissible’ (www.islam21c.com)
42. Yusuf, Bassam ibn Sulayman ibn Ali, ‘Hilyatu adh-Dhakha’in wal-adab bi-shar Nur al-Basai’r wa al-baab’ (Waqfiyyatu at-Tahbir, 2018). 
43. ‘Al-Qawa’id Al-Fiqhiyyah (Legal Maxims of Islamic Jurisprudence): A Translated Compilation’ – written by Islamic University of North America (Mishkah), 2013
44. Lecture notes from ‘The Coherence of the Sharia’ by Dr. Hatem al-Haj 

Websites 

1. www.qur’an.com
2. www.aboutislam.com
3. www.tenantsupporthelpline.co.uk
4. www.prince-evans.co.uk 
5. www.shelter.org.uk
6. www.aaoifi.com
7. www.amjaonline.org
8. www.islamicfinanceguru.com
9. https://iceurope.org/
10. www.pfida.com
11. www.e-cfr.org
12. https://shamela.ws

 Lectures

1. Islamic Finance Q&A – Dr. Yasir Qadhi and Dr Main Al-Quda (www.youtube.com)
2. Islamic Financing / Mortgages – Dr. Yasir Qadhi and Dr Hatem Al-Haj (www.youtube.com)
3. Leasing a Car with instalment payments at a Higher Price – Dr. Yasir Qadhi (www.youtube.com)
4. What every Muslim Needs to know about Riba – Dr. Yasir Qadhi (www.youtube.com)
5. Ruling on Mortgages & ‘Sharia Compliant’ Loans – Dr. Yasir Qadhi (www.youtube.com)
6. Islamic Mortgages: Everything you need to know, how they work, where to get one and how (www.youtube.com)
7. Where to get a UK Islamic Mortgage in 2024? (www.youtube.com)
8. Are Conventional Mortgages halal if there’s no alternative? (www.youtube.com)
9. Islamic Mortgage Alternative – Primary Finance – The Deep Dive (www.youtube.com)
10. Is Islamic Banking Really Islamic? An insider’s view with Harris Irfan (www.youtube.com)
11. No Riba House for Muslims Finally – Pfida’s Home Provision Scheme (www.youtube.com)
12. The Riba Series – Mufti Faraz Adam (www.youtube.com)
13. The Coherence of the Sharia – Dr. Hatem al-Haj (www.youtube.com)
14. Khulasa Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya – Al-Mushayqih, Dr. Khalid (www.youtube.com)

 

1     Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Qur’an.com)2    aboutislam.com3    Ibid4    Narrated by Ahmed (15409), classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani in ‘Saheeh al-Jaami,’ no. 30295    Classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani in ‘Saheeh al-Jaami,’ no. 8876    From a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3500), classed as Hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (1265)7    www.tenantsupporthelpline.co.uk/blog/uk-housing-crisis/8    www.prince-evans.co.uk 9    https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_and_research/policy_library/consultation_response_pay_to_stay10    https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/eviction/eviction_notices_from_private_landlords11    Two million private renters put up with poor conditions to find a home (Shelter, May 2022)12    Dr. Al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 479-840. ‘Umdat ul-Fiqh’ is a summary of the fiqh of Ahmed ibn Hanbal by one of the greatest jurists of the Hanbali Madhab, Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (1147-1223).13    Sahih Muslim 2664 14    Adab al-Mufrad (297) by Imam Bukhari, graded Sahih according to al-Albaani15    Sunan Ibn Majah 214416     ‘Muntaha al-Iraadaat’ by Taqi ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Fatuhi al-Hanbali (died 1520) also known as Ibn an-Najar is based on the official opinions of the Hanbali Madhhab. This is taken from Shar Muntaha al-Iraadaat li al-Buhuti (Maktaba al-Shamela), by Imam Yunus al-Buhuti (1592 – 1641) who was one of the greatest specialists of the Hanbali Madhab.17    This is taken from ‘The Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence’ By Dr Shaykh Dr Saalih Al-Fawzan which is based on his explanation of ‘Ar-Rawdul-Murbi’ fi Sharh Zadul-Mastaqni’ (vol 2, p. 9), by Imam Yunus al-Buhuti (1592 – 1641) was one of the greatest specialists of the Hanbali Madhab. 18    al-Sa’di, ‘Nur al-Basai’r’ (1991), p. 3219    al-Buhuti, ‘Shar Muntaha al-Iraadaat,’ (Maktaba al-Shamela)20    Dr. al-Fawzan, ‘The Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence’ (vol 2, p. 19-20).21    Abu Dawud (3594) [4/16] and At-Tirmidhi (1352) [3/634]22    At-Tirmidhi (1234) [3/533] and An-Nasa’i (4646) [4/340]23    Al-Bukhari (2155) [4/467] and Muslim (3756) [5/380]24    The Prophet (saw) said: “Both the buyer and the seller have the option (of cancelling or confirming a deal) as long as they have not parted and are still together.” Al-Bukhari (2112) [4/420] and Muslim (3833) [5/415]25    Dr. al-Fawzan, ‘Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence,’ vol 2, p. 23-34 and Dr. al-Mushayqih, ‘al-Khulasatu al-Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya,’ p 42-43.26     Al-Bukhari (2766) [5/481] and Muslim (258) [1/273]27    . Classically, Scholars have categorised Riba differently; however, this is the categorisation of contemporary Ulema (scholars). The only difference between the classical and the contemporary scholars is the way it is presented. 28    at-Turayfi, ‘Tafsir wa al-Bayaan li ahkaami al-Qur’an,’ (2018), p. 54929    Muslim (4039) [6/16/ and Ahmed (9605) [2/438]30    Muslim (4039) [6/16/ and Ahmed (9605) [2/438]31    Dr. al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 527.32     Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapter (19) Lending, 243033    Dr. al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 52734    Ibid, p. 53135    At-Turayfi, ‘Tafsir wa al-Bayaan li ahkaami al-Qur’an.’ p. 54936    Ibid, p. 54937    Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Allah said: ‘Whoever shows hostility to a close servant of mine (walee’), I have declared war upon him…” Al-Bukhari (6502) 38    Narrated by Ahmed, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’I, and Ibn Majah, and also by at-Tirmidhi who graded it as as-Sahih. 39    Dr. al-Qardawi, ‘The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam’ (1960), p. 263 40    Dr. al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 499-50041    Dr. al-Qarwadi, ‘The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam,’ p. 26342    Dr. al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 52143    Dr. al-Haj, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh Explained,’ p. 49444    The use of an intermediary finance company who loan the customer money on a fixed rate of interest is the most common way car finance is arranged in the UK. These companies will usually lend money on interest to the buyer in order to help the with the purchase of the product (in our case a new car). The buyer will then pay back the loan with the added interest which equates to Riba and is therefore prohibited. 45    al-Buhuti, ‘Shar Muntaha al-Iraadaat,’ (Maktaba al-Shamela).46    Ibid47    Ibid48    Ibid49    Ibid50    Ibid51    Sa’ is an old measurement. One Sa’ equates to three litres. 52    Bukhari and Muslim53    In the UK, conventional and Islamic banks also oblige the customer to insure the house in order to protect themselves against loss in the case of a fire or natural disasters. The discussion on the Islamic ruling on commercial insurance is beyond the scope of this article. Please refer to a competent scholar or reputable fiqh council. 54    www.c-cfr.org55    This excludes taking a conventional interest-based (Riba) mortgage for a business property or for the purpose of renting out that property in order to benefit from the rental income. 56    www.c-cfr.org57    Dr. as-Sawi, ‘A Polite Reconsideration of the Fatwa Permitting Interest-Based Mortgages for Buying Homes in Western Societies’ (2001) p. 70-8558    Ibid, p. 65-6659    Dr. al-Mushayqih, ‘al-Khulasatu al-Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya’ (2024)60    Ibid. p. 14261    For a details discussion on Islamic legal maxims related specifically to financial contracts please refer to ‘Qawa’id al-Aqd,’ by Dr Khalid al-Mushaqih (Professor of Islamic Law at Qaseem Islamic University, KSA). 62    Dr. al-Mushaqih, ‘Qawa’id al-Aqd,’ p. 12. According to this rule, it is not necessary for banks or other lending institutions to place ‘halal’ certificates on their websites. Rather, it is for those who disagree with their model to show that the product contains a prohibited feature. Nevertheless, due to the spread of Riba and other haram (unlawful) features in most contemporary financial transactions and to gain consumer confidence, the practice of publicising ‘Sharia compliant’ certificates has become common.63    Dr. al-Mushaqih, ‘Qawa’id al-Aqd,’ p. 4364    Dr. al-Mushayqih, ‘al-Khulasatu al-Qawa’id al-Fiqhiyya’ (2024), p 12. This subsidiary Maxim comes under the major Maxim ‘matters are judged by the intention behind them.’65    At the time of writing (July 2025), these three are the most commons type of HPPs available and since Islamic finance is forever developing, there may be different models available in the future. 66    Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah (rh), Dr Shaykh Nizam Yaqubi, Mufti Faraz Ahmed and others. This information can be found on the websites and Sharia Compliant Certificates of different HPP providers. 67    Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Nisa’i; classed as Sahih by many scholars68    Haider, ‘Pros and Cons of an Islamic Mortgage’ (www.islamicfinanceguru.com)69    Dr al-Haddad, ‘Islamic Ijara Mortgages by HSBC and Other Banks,’ (2004)70    Ibid71    AAOIFI Sharia Standards, (2015), p. 346 – 34872     Dr al-Haddad, ‘The Islamic Mortgage: Paradigm Shift or Trojan Horse?’ (2006)73    Khan, ‘Islamic Mortgages are a debt and therefore haram’ (islamicfinanceguru.com)74    Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1352)75     Please note these new debt-free Shared Ownership Products are NOT the same as the older and widely known shared ownership products that have been available on the open market for the past two decades where the customer takes out an interest-baring mortgage to purchase a share in the property and then pays rent for the remaining share which is usually owed by a housing association. 76    Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah, Dr Shaykh Nizam Yaqubi, Mufti Faraz Ahmed and others. This information can be found on the website or Sharia Compliant Certificates of different HPP providers.77    Dr. al-Haddad, ‘The Islamic Mortgage: Paradigm Shift or Trojan Horse?’ (2006)78    Sahih al-Bukhari 7352, Sahih Muslim 171679    Sunan Abi Dawud 33680    Dr Philips, ‘A Commentary on Usool al-Fiqh Made Easy,’ p.223-22481    Dr as-Shithry, ‘Usul al-Fiqh for the Muslim who is not a Mujtahid’ (2022), p. 3882    Ibid, p.2083    Allah’s covenant84    Sahih Muslim85    Sahih al-Bukhari86    Sunan at-Tirmidhi 198787    Bukhari and Muslim88    At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’I and Ahmed89    Dr as-Shithry, ‘Usul al-Fiqh for the Muslim who is not a Mujtahid’ (2022), p. 38.90    This is the position of The Islamic Council of Europe (Shaykh Dr Haitham al-Haddad and Shaykh Dr Sajid Umar).

The post To Buy Or Not To Buy, That Is The Question: An Analysis Of Possible Home Purchasing Options For Muslims In The UK appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Cryptocurrency is Deek’s last chance to succeed in life, and he will not stop, no matter what.

Previous Chapters: 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

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies ˹it more˺ to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.” – Quran 2:261

Anonymous Gift

Deek went to the hospital gift shop, bought a t-shirt with an image of Yosemite Valley, changed in the restroom, and stuffed his dirty red shirt and suit jacket into a plastic bag.

On impulse, he took a rideshare to Masjid Madinah. It was not even close to Dhuhr time, but the musalla would be open. He made a generous wudu’, washing himself thoroughly. Wearing one of the backpacks and carrying the other, he entered the musalla. It was cool and quiet, with thick carpets, calligraphic paintings on the wall, and no sound but the turning of the ceiling fan. There was no one there except Imam Saleh, sitting in a corner, reading the Quran. Deek waved to him, then prayed. It felt good to lower his head before Allah.

When he finished his prayer, he handed one of the backpacks to Imam Saleh and murmured, “Donation for the masjid.” Not waiting for a response, he walked out.

As he stood in front of the masjid, swaying with exhaustion, Imam Saleh came hurrying out, carrying the backpack. He was a tall man with midnight-black skin, a sharp nose, and a fist-length beard, wearing a gray thobe, Arab slippers, and beige kufi.

“Brother Deek! Are you sure about this? It’s a lot of money.”

Deek gave him a weary look. “You’re not going to refuse it, are you?”

“That depends. Are you sure you can afford it? Your first obligation is to your family.”

“I guess you haven’t heard about my situation. Yes, I’m sure.”

Saleh smiled. “I don’t listen to gossip. Why, what is your situation?”

Deek sighed. Might as well tell him, why not? “I made a lot of money in the cryptocurrency market. More than I could have imagined. But I’m struggling a bit.”

Saleh nodded slowly. “Any rapid change in life can be disconcerting. But remember that there is one relationship that never changes.”

“You mean between me and Allah.”

“Exactly. No matter how much wealth you have, you are destitute before Allah. You need him now as much as ever. More, in fact. Keep to the deen, keep your salat. They will steady you and keep you on the lighted path. In any case, alhamdulillah. I’ll announce this donation to the community, it will fire them up and bring in more, inshaAllah.”

Deek nodded. “Don’t mention my name, please. Strictly anonymous.”

The Imam gave a half shrug. “MashaAllah. Good for you, akhi.” He looked up and down the street. “Do you need a ride?”

Deek gave a tired smile. “It’s okay.”

“Come see me,” the Imam said, “if you’d like to talk about anything at all.”

Atop the Covers

Back in his hotel room, he wanted to take a scalding hot shower, change his clothes, and make himself a big breakfast with the groceries he’d bought a few days before. But he had no energy to even order room service. Not even taking off his street-stained pants, nor the heavy knife that hung from his hip, he dropped the remaining backpack on the floor and collapsed into the huge bed, lying atop the covers. It was as if the bed were a grave that opened up to greet him.

Morro Rock

As he fell asleep, he heard the fountain splashing gently. It brought up a memory of sitting on the beach with Rania, listening to the waves lapping the shore. It was the first vacation they’d taken together. They’d been together for a year, and saved a little money, so they’d said goodbye to the sweltering Central Valley summer and spent a week in Morro Bay, where the sun shone gently and the cooling fog rolled in off the sea.

They rented bicycles and rode out to the amazing Morro Rock, rising sheer out of the coastal water like the head of an awakening colossus. They took a bay cruise and spotted sea otters and dolphins. Visited the skateboard museum, of all things. And enjoyed the king-sized bed in the motel room. That bed had been almost as comfortable as this one.

He had a vague thought that there was something he was supposed to do today. But darkness crept in around the edges of his mind, and he could not remember. The bubbling of the fountain was a siren song that pulled him down. Soon he fell into a mile-deep sleep, even as the sun rose high in the sky outside, casting sharp-edged shadows through the curtains.

Pain and a Pant Suit

Rania Al-Rashid stepped out of her house and took a breath, letting the late morning sun warm her face. She pressed a hand into the hollow of her aching lower back and rubbed it in circles. It helped a little. But the ache never went away entirely. This time, the pain had been activated the day Deek left, when she fell on her tailbone in the driveway.

This morning, she’d rolled out of bed and fallen onto her hands and knees. Desperately swallowing two naproxen tablets, she waited until the agony retreated, like a hyena knowing it would not make a kill this day.

Nevertheless, she looked good, and she knew it. She wore a gray rayon pant suit with a four-button waistcoat and a two-button silk-lined jacket, atop a white dress shirt. Her gray hijab was tucked into the shirt. Her low-heeled black cabaret loafers were comfortable yet professional.

She’d parked her gold colored Honda Accord on one side of the driveway, in case Deek came home and wanted to park his Porsche in the garage. She walked to it and swiped a finger across the roof. The car needed a wash.

She had a complicated relationship with cars. You couldn’t function in a widely spread country town like Fresno without a car. But driving made Rania nervous.

The Accident

Her mind went back – as it had so many times, whether she wanted it to or not – to that day when her father had let her borrow the family Camry to drive her younger brother, Hasan, to his soccer game. It was a Saturday morning in spring. She was seventeen years old and had just gotten her license a month before.

Hasan sat in the passenger seat, chewing sunflower seeds and spitting them into a paper cup. The windows were down. She was listening to music on the radio and dancing in the seat, obeying traffic laws but not really paying attention, not scanning her mirrors or looking right and left as she’d been taught in driving school. The light turned green at Maroa and Ashlan, and Rania started forward immediately. She never saw the pickup barreling through the red light until the screech of tires split the air and the rear of the Camry lifted like a kicked can.

She remembered the sound—like a steel drum splitting in two. Then pain, like a white flash in her lower back. Not sharp, but deep, as if something important had been torn or jarred loose. There was no blood—only sunflower seed shells on her face and in her hair.

Hasan was shaken, but fine. Rania was hospitalized for two days, and then released with instructions on how to care for her back. Exercises, rest, ice, and medication only when she needed it.

The pain receded for a while, then returned like a stalker—during college finals, during shifts on her feet, during pregnancy. Now it was a familiar companion, flaring under stress then fading, but always waiting.

There were moments when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore and would go mad. Then there were times when she was grateful for the pain, wallahi, she welcomed it, because it was teaching her. It humbled her, and reminded her of what mattered in life. It kept her dependent on Allah.

She could be annoyed by a thousand things, from a colleague who chewed gum noisily to not having eggs in the fridge; but when she was in pain, all she wanted was for the pain to disappear. Nothing else mattered.

So when the pain disappeared for a time, she found herself deeply grateful, and aware of the beauty that permeated the world. The neighbor’s cat, sunning itself on her back patio, was a living miracle. The taste of raspberry yogurt, the weight of Deek’s hand in hers, Sanaya and Amira’s good health, all these things were monumental blessings, and Rania was all the more aware of them because of her constant, nagging teacher, whose name was Pain.

To this day, she could not stand sunflower seeds, however.

Looking for Signs

She got in the car and headed to her meeting. Her daughters were meeting Deek for lunch in just a little while. Rania had not been invited, but might have tagged along anyway, just for the opportunity to talk to her husband. But this meeting with the architect was important.

She had done a tremendous amount of research in preparation for this meeting. She had $100,000 to spend to build Deek his own full-sized home office and library. It would be fully equipped with its own bathroom, a hardwood desk, split AC and ceiling fan, leather sofa, and wall-to-wall bookshelves. The $100K was all the money that Deek had left her. She could not spend a penny more. It would have to be enough.

Would this bring Deek back to her? Allahu a’lam. There was no way to know. But she knew Deek; he was always looking for “signs.” Before they had married, he once asked, “What if I wanted to move away from here, would you be okay with that?” And she replied, “I would go with you to Nepal, Antarctica, or the Burmese jungle. As long as we are together.” He later told her that was the sign he was looking for.

More recently, after he’d put in a few years of work on the cryptocurrency thing with no success, Rania had occasionally suggested – gently – that perhaps it was time to go back to teaching. But Deek insisted he was waiting for a sign.

This office would be his sign, as well as a concrete expression of her regret for doubting him, and for the five years he’d spent working in the walk-in closet. Deek was a highly intelligent man, and she should have trusted his ability.

During these days apart, she had missed his embraces, and the way he always lightened her mood after a long day at work. She missed his back massages, so helpful when the pain flared up. She missed his lame jokes (Why did the cell phone see a therapist? Because it kept feeling drained). She even missed his well-intentioned -though clumsy- help in the kitchen.

She didn’t care about the money, truly. He could keep it all for himself, or give it all away, and she would not utter a peep. She just wanted her husband back, the father of her children, the man she loved.

Design Negotiations

The architect’s office was located in a stylish building with a metallic facade that swept up into the shape of a sail. Rania stepped into the sunny conference room clutching a slim binder. She ignored the pain in her back, which was tolerable at the moment – merely an annoying and insistent reminder of the steady grind of time and age. Overall, she felt calm and professional, even if the film of sweat on her forehead said otherwise.

Across the glass table, Mr. Lewis—her architect—spread out a set of glossy renderings for the new office/library addition. He gave her a warm smile.

Mr. Lewis was a big, broad-shouldered man with close-cropped red hair. He looked more like a football player than an architect. But, she told herself, that wasn’t fair. People judged her on her appearance every day. She shouldn’t do the same to others.

“Looks great, Mrs. Al-Rashid,” he said. “To hit these design goals—built-in walnut shelving, clerestory windows, radiant-heated stone floor—you’re looking at about $160 a square foot once permits, engineering, contractor fees, and finishes are rolled in.”

Rania opened her binder. “That’s over my budget,” she said evenly. “And over the standard rate. I’ve reviewed the California Residential Cost Data. Fresno averages are closer to $130 per square foot for mid-range builds. So you can deal with me fairly, or I’ll find someone else for the job.”

Mr. Lewis smiled thinly. “I assure you I was not trying to cheat you, if that’s what you’re implying. You wanted walnut shelving and radiant stone flooring. Those are premium features and cost more. But if you switch to painted MDF and simple porcelain tile, we could shave 15%. I can get you down to that $130 target. You just have to work with me and trust me. I’m an honest businessman.”

Rania nodded, feeling chastised. “Very well. I’ll need an itemized spreadsheet. And since I’ve already applied for our Fresno permit, include any plan-check resubmittal fees.”

Mr. Lewis grinned. “You’ve done your homework. You sound like a pro.” He began typing on his laptop.

After twenty minutes of discussion, reviewing options, and note-taking, Mr. Lewis rapped on the table. “Okay. With the adjustments we’ve made, we’re at $130 per square foot. That’ll leave you room in your $100,000 budget for furniture and lighting.”

Rania offered a small, satisfied smile. “Perfect. Let’s move forward.”

She stepped out of the office already sketching a new quilt pattern in her head. This quilt would go on the wall and would be the perfect finishing touch to Deek’s dream workspace.

Masjid Treasures

Zaid Karim pulled up to Masjid Madinah just in time for Dhuhr prayer. His assistant Jalal sat in the passenger seat.

He’d spoken to Aunt Faiza that morning and learned that she’d talked to Jamilah late last night, California time. Jamilah had narrated the dream of a Palestine in Jannah, and Munir’s presence there.

“I’ve been telling everyone about the dream,” Faiza said. “It gives people hope, including me. It is spreading quickly.”

When Zaid told her that he was sending her thirty thousand dollars, she said, “Allah bless you Zaid, but what I truly wish is to see you. I need family by my side.”

Zaid could not say no to that, and had booked a flight to Amman immediately. He would pray Dhuhr and be on his way, leaving the car with Jalal.

In Masjid Madinah there were a dozen people gathered for salat, including men and women. Zaid knew most of them:

Faraz, the Bangladeshi facilities manager, was obsessed with cryptocurrency. Bayyinah, a Syrian hafiza with a gentle voice, was a mother of seven but always had time to teach Quran. And of course, Imam Saleh, tall and traditionally dressed as always. He was highly educated and was the kindest man Zaid knew.

These people were regulars. Deeply faithful, productive individuals, all of them carried their own special lights, shining in a color like no other, serving the community in a way that no one else could. Each of them was a treasure, and a representation of what a Muslim should be.

It was wonderful to visit grand masjids in other countries, but there was nothing like praying in your local masjid, because it was your second home, and home was the place that always took you in. It didn’t matter whether it was fancy or bare-bones, because you were standing in front of Allah, Master of the universe, Who at the same time knew and cared for every crawling ant, every plant stretching to the sun, and every man or woman weeping in the dark.

A Favor

After salat, Zaid sat cross-legged in front of Imam Saleh.

“I’m leaving for Amman. Make dua’ for my trip to be successful, and for my Aunt Faiza, as her son Munir just returned to Allah.”

Imam Saleh put a hand atop Zaid’s hand. “Of course, akhi. May I ask a favor? Will you have time for a side trip?”

Zaid was surprised that the Imam would have anything for him to do in the Middle East, but if there was anyone in the world he trusted fully, it was this man.

“We have a relationship,” the Imam explained, “with a Palestinian refugee camp outside Amman. It’s called the Gaza Camp. You may know that Gazan refugees in Jordan have trouble obtaining services like education and healthcare. And many are hungry.”

Zaid was surprised to hear this. “No, I didn’t know.”

“Could I give you money to deliver to the camp? You can give it directly to the UNRWA administrator, his name is Hamid Sabah. He’ll use it to buy food aid and health care supplies. Or if you’re in any way uncomfortable, you can rent a truck and buy flour, rice, and beans yourself, and deliver it.”

“I’m fine with delivering the money to Hamid. I’d be happy to.”

Imam Saleh opened a backpack that had been sitting against the wall. It was stuffed with cash. The Imam counted out one hundred thousand dollars and put it into a plastic bag for Zaid.

“MashaAllah! Where did this come from?”

“Anonymous donor. Just this morning, actually.”

Zaid gave a sly smile. “Is the anonymous donor tall like you, with curly hair, and named after a rooster?”

Saleh lifted his eyebrows in genuine surprise. “You truly are a detective. But as I said, it’s anonymous. I cannot confirm or deny.”

As Zaid left the masjid, he asked Allah once again to bless Deek Saghir. The man was like a blind and good-hearted elephant, crashing through the forest, knocking down trees and injuring himself, but in the process opening up paths and sowing the seeds of growth.

Half My Kingdom

Deek dreamed again that he was a treasure hunter, but this time he had finally found the treasure!

The desert burned like a sea of molten glass, but the weight of his haul—ancient coins, velvet sacks of gems, golden statuettes—was a crown of impending power. Riding slowly across the desert, swaying atop the camel’s back, he could already hear the clink of payment, feel the gazes of admiration, taste the gratitude owed to him. The wind carried the echo of plans: new houses, debts erased, favors bought, and most of all, vindication.

He barely noticed his lips cracking, the river of sweat down his spine, the cottony roughness in his throat. His waterskin was empty, but no matter. Water could be found.

The desert betrayed him. The familiar wells on the caravan maps were bone-dry, as if the earth had swallowed its own mercy.

He staggered on. The treasure grew heavier by the moment. His throat was a hot chimney full of ashes. He dropped to his knees, the soft sand giving no comfort.

Then she appeared.

Queen Latifa’s robes were the color of weathered stone and twilight. Her eyes held the quiet depth of a well that had never run dry. She carried a single waterskin, ordinary in shape, and held it out with both hands.

“Latifah,” he croaked. “I’m so happy to see you. I need water.”

Her gaze didn’t flicker. She didn’t smile. She asked, simply, “What will you trade?”

“But you’re my friend.”

She withdrew the waterskin, hiding it in her coat.

“Half!” Deek gasped. The words came fast, his thirst overriding all considerations. “Half of my treasure.”

She handed him the waterskin, and he tipped it back and drank. Coolness slid down his throat like a balm. He tipped it back further and drank more, and yet more, greedily, until the skin was empty and his belly was full. He was saved.

A deal was a deal. He began unloading his packs, dividing everything in half.

Soon, he felt the need to relieve himself. He had drunk too much too fast. He continued to divide the treasure until the job was done. Hoisting her half onto impossibly strong shoulders, Latifah walked away.

Deek’s need to relieve himself was urgent. He walked behind a large rock, but release would not come. The pressure in his bladder became sharp and unrelenting. He doubled over, his breath catching in bursts. Any moment, his bladder would burst, and he would die. He stumbled to his remaining treasure and plunged his hands into a pile of coins. They were worthless.

Latifah appeared as if she had never left. She watched him with the same still weight.

He looked up at her, eyes wide. “What do you want? I cannot answer nature’s call. I am dying.”

“What would you give for release?” Her tone held no scorn, only the quiet truth of arithmetic.

“The other half. Take it all.”

“You are free.”

Deek stumbled behind the stone again and relieved himself, weeping in relief. When he returned, having cleansed his hands with hot sand, Latifah was still there. She studied him closely.

“What is a treasure worth,” she asked, “If you would give half to take water in, and the other half to let it out?”

Deek had no reply. The treasure lay dully on the desert floor, for Latifah had not taken it. Deek’s chest heaved. He felt smaller than the grains of sand, and the desert’s vast emptiness felt like a reflection of the hole inside him.

Latifah grinned, and suddenly she was his old friend again, the one who sang, acted, dispensed wisdom, and ate mac ‘n cheese at two in the morning. “Catch you on the flip, brother Deek. Last word: Be a good husband and a good dad.” She walked away, vanishing into a mirage.

Her words seemed to echo: “Dad… Baba… Dad…”

Surprise Visitors

“Dad!”

“Baba!”

He tried to open his eyes, but they were crusted shut. Reaching up, he found a bandage on the left eye. That’s right… He was blind in that eye. Rubbing the crust out of the right eye, he opened it.

He was in the hotel room, lying face-up on the rumpled bed, one arm dangling toward the floor, still wearing the filthy suit pants he’d had on when he was attacked and fell in the gutter. The knife was still in its sheath, but had twisted beneath him, causing his belt to tighten uncomfortably around his waist. His red shirt and jacket spilled from a plastic bag at the foot of the bed.

Sanaya and Amira stood above him. Their eyes roamed the palatial suite, then returned to him.

“Baba?” Amira whispered. She reached out, gently touching his shoulder. “What happened to you? You look like you’ve been in a war.”

Deek blinked his right eye blearily. “Girls?” His voice was husky, throat thick. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“We have a lunch date!” Amira protested. “We got the maid to let us in.”

“What happened to your forehead and your eye?” Sanaya demanded. She placed her fists on her hips, just as her mother did when she was angry. “Why are you wearing a knife? What on earth is going on here, Dad?”

* * *

[Part 19 will be published next week inshaAllah]

 

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:

Trust Fund And A Yellow Lamborghini: A Short Story

If Not You, Then Who?

 

The post Moonshot [Part 18] – Half My Kingdom appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم وسيد المرسلين وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين

[The detailed work of al-Imām Abī ʿAbdullāh Shihāb al-Dīn al-Tūrbishtī al-Ḥanafī, Maṭlab al-Nāsik fī ʿIlm al-Manāsik, contains sections on the virtues of the Levant and its people, its importance now, in the past, and in the end of times, followed by a section on al-Aqṣā, a translation of which may similarly follow. All of these shed light on the spirit of the Levantine peoples, particularly the Palestinians, in light of current events, for where many others would break apart in the advent of such atrocities—in the face of the loss of families, bloodlines, destruction of homes and one’s homeland as well as all that he had ever known—the Palestinian, as Taha Abderrahmane succinctly indicates, remains to be the embodiment of the Perfect Man (al-Insān al-Kāmil) in our age, proclaiming God’s praise and treading forward with duty regardless of what befalls him. This is not detached from the blessings the Levantine lands have been imbued with. As such, there may hardly ever be a more appropriate time to recount their virtues and significance—not to succumb to the civilizational weakness of the ummah and romanticize the anguish of our brethren, but to remember the nobility of the land we fight for, its inhabitants, and the sacrifices of those who have entrusted the torch to us that we must carry. May we be proven worthy.]

God, the Exalted, said, “Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed.”1 This verse indicates the virtue of al-Aqṣā from two perspectives.

One, [it refers] to the night journey undertaken by the Messenger ﷺ from the Ḥarām thereto so that he may fulfill his particular position in the most perfect of manners, complete his ﷺ status as the noblest of the Prophets, and so that for him the two virtues may be gathered and a qiblah from the two may be preferred.

Two, it is an indication to the blessings dedicated for its surroundings, for the blessing being connected to the general surroundings are closer and more complete in relation to the meaning than for the case to be restricted to the mosque alone, and so there is an exhortation towards the affirmation of the blessings that are perpetuated from it to the worlds.

Then we understand from the meaning of the statement that the most beneficial of these blessings and exalted in welfare is the foundation upon the earth of the Mosque, which necessitates the perpetuation of blessings in its surroundings. It is as the root, and the surroundings as the ancillary, and as such the latter follows in being blessed, as is the case for the surroundings of the Ḥaram in relation to the Bayt al-Ḥaram.

And which land may be more blessed than the one which God has chosen for his faithful servants? There is not a place therein where so much as a fingertip may reach except that a Prophet had prostrated thereupon or glorified God. None has preceded it in attaining this status except Masjid al-Ḥarām.

From the time of the one who spoke to God—Moses, peace be upon him—it was a station of prayer till the time of the abrogation [of the Mosaic prophethood]. Seventeen months following the emigration, Muḥammad ﷺ faced it, before which he prayed therein with the Prophets during the night of Isrāʾ. It is blessed from every aspect, and so, then, we do not say that today it retains the same honor it did as the days prior. Rather, it has become even more honorable by the virtue of the Messenger ﷺ turning to it, being taken thereto during the night journey, and praying in it. The virtues of the two Sanctuaries are even greater in nature, but these do not decrease from its virtue, but attest to and increase its noble nature.

It is more noble to supplicate to God, the Exalted, by being in its vicinity and praying therein, seeking closeness to Him by visiting it. The Messenger ﷺ particularly designated it as a place of visitation along with the two Sanctuaries.

It was narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger ﷺ said, “Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: Masjid al-Ḥarām, my own Masjid, and Masjid al-Aqṣā.”2

He, may God be pleased with him, said, “The Ḥarām was mentioned, as was the Aqṣā in the Book, in the form of adjectives. As for what has come in the Sunnah, they are majorly in the form of annexations, like the saying ‘congregational mosque (Masjid al-Jāmiʿ) and ‘truth of certainty’ (ḥaqq al-yaqīn), indicating the mosque on a given day in which a congregation is held or the truth of certainty belonging to a specific matter. The Ḥarām is the Mosque of the greater nation, whilst al-Aqṣā is the mosque of a smaller portion.”

There is another facet of this to uncover, which is that the Arabs connected larger ideas to singular words when there were two different words to denote a particular concept. As such, they would use “al-Aqṣā” to denote the mosque, but this carries the larger meaning of the larger compound as was mentioned by the Messenger ﷺ and his companions.

Masjid al-Aqṣā is an Islamic name. It has come in some ḥadīths in the form of Masjid al-Īliyāʾ. We have cited this facet in the first chapter of our book, and such is how it was known prior to the advent of Islām. It was also referred to by Uri Shalem, by the People of the Book, in Hebrew. It was said that it means “House of Peace” (bayt a-salām)—this is how it was known to the Arabs. Al-Aʿshā said,

Wealth has been carried—

To the ends of Amman, Homs, and Uri Shalem.

Abū Naṣr al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Sajzī called it Uri Salem—with an “s” (sīn), and the “l” appended with an “-e/-i” (kasrah)—as if he was Arabizing it. From a ḥadīth from ʿAṭāʾ, it was mentioned in some books, “Give Uri Shalem the glad tidings of the rider of the donkey.” (This is in reference to the Messenger ﷺ when he journeyed during the night of Isrāʾ.) As was narrated from Kaʿb, “Paradise is in the Seven Heavens, centered by Bayt al-Maqdis, for which it was called Uri Shalem (the Complete Light).”3

He said, God be pleased with him, that the d (dal) Bayt al-Maqdis is pronounced only slightly, followed by an -i vowel (kasrah). It was named such for it had been purified—cleansed—of sins. It was also said that it was to be pronounced as Bayt al-Muqaddas.

It was narrated from Anas bin Mālik that the Messenger ﷺ said, “I arrived in an animal larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, which would place its hooves [when it ran] as far as its sight [went]. I mounted it, and Jibrīl, peace be upon him, was with me, and so we left. He told me to dismount and pray [after a point], and so I did. He asked, ‘Do you know where you prayed? You have prayed at the center of emigration (Madīnah). He said again [later], ‘Dismount and pray.’ I did so, and he asked [again], ‘Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed at the Ṭūr of Mount Sinai where God [the Exalted] had spoken to Mūsā, peace be upon him.’ [We traveled some more] and then he asked [once more], ‘Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed at Bethlehem where ʿĪsā, peace be upon him, was born.’ I entered Bayt al-Maqdis afterwards, and the Prophets were gathered before me, peace be upon them, and Jibrīl walked me to lead them [in prayer].”4

If it is asked that the statement that “I prayed where the emigrants stepped [foot] in” contradicts the ḥadīth of Jarīr—“Indeed, God, the Exalted, revealed to me, “Whichever of these lands you settle in will be the place of your emigration: Madīnah, Bahrain, or Qinnasrīn.”5—why is it that the first report involves specification and the latter choice?”

We respond that the difference comes due to history [and timing], which does not imply a deficiency on any part. It can be said thus that he was inspired before the Isrāʾ for what was mentioned in the ḥadīth of Jarīr, before or after which the night of Isrāʾ was clarified to him. He had been informed about his migration but was unable to stay in Madīnah. He made it easy for his companions, as appeared in his saying: “I was shown your place of migration. I was shown a salty land with palm trees situated between two volcanic stones.”6

From what supports this is that a group of anṣār (Helpers) met with the Messenger ﷺ, who spoke to them about the situation. They said, “When we return to our people, we will convey this ḥadīth.” The following year, twelve men came and pledged allegiance to him upon Islām—this was the first pledge of al-ʿAqabah. They promised to arrive the following year with the rest of their people and take him to their homeland. The year came, [the promise was fulfilled,] and this was the second pledge of al-ʿAqabah. The majority of the people of knowledge held that the Isrāʾ was after the first pledge of al-ʿAqabah and before the second. There are also those who say that it was prior to the hijrah by a year, or a year and two months, or sixteen months. Further positions were not mentioned to us.

If the ḥadīth of Abū Mūsā is asked about, wherein the Messenger ﷺ said, “I saw in my dream that I emigrated from Makkah to the land where dates grow, and I was afraid that it was al-Yamāmah or Hajr, when it was [in fact] the city of Yathrib.”7 We say that this report does not contradict the previous one, as he said, “I was afraid (fa-dhahaba wahlī, literally meaning “my fear turned to…”).” This is not based on an opinion or anything of the sort, but is a grammatical matter that is not concerned with the knowledge of Prophethood in any form.

“When it was [in fact] the city of Yathrib”—there are differences concerning what led to his fear, so the reality was clarified to him. It is the same whether it was explained to him during the dream or whilst he was awake.

It was narrated from Dhū-l-Aṣābiʿ that he said, “O Messenger of God [ﷺ], if we are tested with remaining after you [have passed], what do you command us to do? He responded, ‘Upon you is Bayt al-Maqdis. Perhaps God [the Exalted] may provide you with offspring who visit it [frequently].’”8

With a chain tracing back to al-Ṭabarānī, it has also been narrated via Dhū-l-Aṣābiʿ that he asked, “O Messenger of God [ﷺ], should we be tested with remaining after your passing, where do you command us [to go]? He replied, “Upon you is Bayt al-Maqdis. Perhaps offspring will be made for you who will visit the Masjid frequently and be delighted.”9

It was narrated from Dhū-l-Aṣābiʿ that he said, “O Messenger of God [ﷺ], if we are tested with remaining after you [have passed], what do you command us to do? He responded, ‘Upon you is Bayt al-Maqdis. Perhaps God [the Exalted] may provide you with offspring who visit it [frequently].’” [PC: Cole Keister (unsplash)]

If this ḥadīth is proven, then it acts as an addition (ziyādah) in the evidence we have already established and follow, enriching what we have thereby mentioned. For which virtue is more complete and greater than choosing a particular place for travel which is greater than all places save for the Two Sanctuaries (Ḥaramayn) and for the performance of prayer—none compares save for the Two Mosques.

As for the virtues of prayer therein, we have mentioned several aḥādīth prior.

Regarding the virtues of praying in Bayt al-Maqdis, we have also mentioned several reports. Among those is what has been narrated from Abū-l-Dardāʾ, may God [the Exalted] be pleased with him, that the Messenger ﷺ said, “Prayer at the Masjid al-Ḥarām is similar to a hundred thousand prayers, at my Masjid a thousand, and at Bayt al-Maqdis five hundred.”10

It was also  narrated from Abū-l-Dardāʾ that the Messenger ﷺ said, “The virtue of prayer in the Masjid al-Ḥarām, compared to prayers outside of it, is a hundred thousand [of such]; in my Masjid, it is like a thousand; and in Bayt al-Maqdis, it is like five hundred.”11

With a chain tracing back to Aḥmad al-ʿAssāl, it was narrated from Abū Dharr, may God [the Exalted] be pleased with him, who said, “I said, O Messenger of God ﷺ, is prayer at your Masjid more virtuous than prayer at Bayt al-Maqdis? He replied, ‘A prayer in my Masjid is better than four prayers there (i.e. Bayt al-Maqdis)—a blessed place for prayer. It is the land of gathering and resurrection.’”12

If it is said that this report contradicts what has preceded, we respond that these reports, if they are taken from Saʿīd bin Bashīr Abī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the leader of Banī Naṣr from the people of Damascus, then many of the aʾimmah of the text[-ual sciences] have spoken regarding this, saying, “He had a poor memory and atrocious handwriting.”13 On Saʿīd bin Sālim al-Qaddāḥ—Abū ʿUthmān al-Khurāsānī—they narrated, “He would make several mistakes in narrations, and would bring reports the opposite way.”14

The matter is thus as Abū Dharr had narrated, which is the first of the reports mentioned. God [the Exalted] had increased it in its virtue by mentioning it beside, and subordinating it to, the virtue of the mosque of Madīnah.

If it is asked, “Why is the matter not settled in the heart?” We respond that the matter is based upon sayings on the virtues of prayer in the mosque of the Messenger of God ﷺ, which is equivalent to a thousand prayers offered elsewhere. This is all based on authentic textual evidence as opposed to statements that lack such decisive proof, and God [the Exalted] knows best.

If it is then asked, “Did the authentic texts not establish that prayer in the mosque of the Messenger ﷺ is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere save for the Ḥarām, which implies that prayer al-Aqṣā and other masājid are of the same value? How is this contradiction resolved?”

We respond that it has been established in the reports of Abū-l-Dardāʾ and Abū Dharr, and it is possible to resolve [the apparent contradiction] between the two, which is to affirm that prayer in al-Aqṣā would have resembled prayers elsewhere save for the Two Sanctuaries if not for what we have already established [in terms of it being equivalent to five hundred prayers in typical circumstances]. God [the Exalted] is aware of its authenticity.

It was narrated from ʿAbd-Allāh ibn ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger ﷺ said, “Sulaymān, the son of Dāwud, when he created Bayt al-Maqdis, asked God [the Exalted] for three things: judgment that would correspond to God’s own, and it was granted to him; for a kingdom unlike which none will arise thereafter, and it was granted to him; that the one who enters his mosque does not do so except to pray therein, and leaves it sinless as the day he was born.”15

It was narrated from ʿAbd-Allāh bin ʿUmar that he heard the Messenger ﷺ say, “Sulaymān, the son of Dāwud, asked God [the Exalted] for three things. He was granted two of them, and I hope the third came to him as well. He asked his Lord for judgment that would correspond to His own, and he was granted such; he asked for a kingdom unlike which none would have, and he was granted such; and he asked that when a man leaves the mosque—meaning, Bayt al-Maqdis—having intended nothing but prayer therein, leaves so sinless as the day he was born. We hope this was granted as well.16

He said, may God be pleased with him, this (i.e., the issue of leaving Bayt al-Maqdis sinless after prayer) matter is connected to hope, for he was not inspired with an answer with regard thereto, nor was he made certain regarding it. However, even if this affair was not clarified specifically, it was still done so on a general level due to his saying that “[the supplication of] every Prophet is answered.”17

He said, God [the Exalted] be pleased with him, the addition (ziyādah) in this narration— according to what we have narrated from the book of al-Nasāʾī—is not reliable, due to the position of ʿAbd-Allāh bin Muḥammad bin Saʿīd bin Abī Maryam al-Miṣrī. Ibn ʿAdī, regarding him, said, “He was neglectful and did not know what left his head or would purposefully lie.”18

It was narrated from Maymūnah, the freed slave of the Messenger ﷺ, that she said, “O Messenger of God [ﷺ], instruct us regarding Bayt al-Maqdis.” He replied, “Go there and pray therein”—the land was in a state of war at the time–“and if you cannot do it, then send oil so that its lamps may be lit.”19

He [Ibn Mājah] said, may God [the Exalted] be pleased with him, that in some chains of the report, it has been narrated as follows: “Go there and pray, for prayer therein is as a thousand prayers elsewhere.”20

It was narrated from Abū Hurayrah, may God [the Exalted] be pleased with him, that the Messenger ﷺ said, “Whoever passes away in Bayt al-Maqdis, it is as though he has passed away in the heavens.”21

Abū Jaʿfar Luwayn said, “What is meant in the report is not Bayt al-Maqdis itself, but the city in which it is located.”

Our master said, “In the chain (isnād) of this ḥadīth is Yūsuf bin ʿAṭiyyah Abū Sahl al-Ṣaffār al-Baṣrī, who is weak. Even if the report is proven, the implication of the saying that ‘it is as though he passed in the heavens’ carries a tone of reverence of the place and its loftiness and the safety of the Muslims who pass away therein, for the people of the Heavens are not amongst the punished due to their own elevated nature and the particularization of the place that has been indicated.”

Then we mention that it is the greatest of frontiers of Islām—a House wherein the Prophets had worshipped [God, the Exalted]—where the Muslims had gathered to overpower their enemies, for which much blood was shed at the beginning of the sincere servants of God [the Exalted]. But when the Commander of the Faithful, ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, arrived, they became afraid, their hearts trembled, and their thoughts became troubled. Unable to find a way out, they requested safety in a state of subjugation. Terror had filled them—they departed, with God [the Exalted] having weakened their foundations, broken their supports, and disappointed their hopes.

Following their end came [new] generations—a time of seizing a novel opportunity—a group from Banī ʿUbayd camped there and took control, making clear the faults in their defenses and the futility of their hopes. God [the Exalted] then willed that their capabilities should be weakened and their structures destroyed after ninety years of rule by the King and mujāhid Nūr al-Dīn Muḥammad bin Sanqar [al-Zengī], may God sanctify his martyrdom and elevate his soul. He was a pillar of the Abbasid Caliphate—may God [the Exalted] raise its position and increase its supporters—who unsheathed his sword with his battalions whose mention extended to the horizons, rising [in the lands] with the dawn of Islām [in the lands], till the Holy Land was freed of the filth [it possessed prior], save for the Holy House (al-Bayt al-Muqaddas), as it was difficult for him due to the protection surrounding it and impenetrability. He thus took control of its highs and lows for fifteen years. Then he, God have mercy on him, passed away after much service, his memory being remembered in verses:

I said, “May God allow their souls to thrive”—

As though I saw them, and only them.

So whoever passes from good attains [further good],

And whoever is absent, through his remembrance is still present.

After his rule, al-Nāṣir Yūsuf bin Ayyūb stood to power, may God reward him for the good he brought for Islām, and so he took what he took, and so did they. He restricted their capacity to breathe for seven years, until they were finally uprooted and the truth was established in their place.

It has reached me from him, may God have mercy on [his soul], that when he conquered the land and ordered the washing of the rock from impurities, he used his beard instead of a broom [out of reverence]. It is no wonder that God, the Exalted, raised his status when he humbled himself before His Majesty, and honored through him the Ayyūbids. Any breach against the religion, through their presence, remained closed, and schemes of the misguided repelled, until weakness befell them through the sight of what al-Malik al-Kāmil witnessed.22 By God’s grace, he was astute, using his cunning to shield his shortcomings, and being a steed that raced past to be unable to recover from faltering. He retained some things, and yet others eluded him. The words of the poet proved true23:

Seeing is for the eyes that remain dormant [on the visible],

And witnessing is for that which is not present.

The fury of the dīn and the bed of humiliation were unleashed upon al-Quds, a place of mercy. A poor man from the Ḥijāz walked to Bayt al-Maqdis after the days of the formation of the heinous truce—not out of necessity—and there he saw the foul ones—the bearers of defilement—treading within the purified Mosque. He turned his eyes towards the guard posts, which had now become pens for pigs and seats for those worse than pigs. The zeal of Islām stirred within him as did the generosity of faith, and so he sang:

O king whose aspirations

Have struck the domes of glory above the highest stars

We have laid forth what we have out of concern for the kings of the Levant, the guardians of the truth, in the event that their hearts soften towards the enemies of God [the Exalted] and the enemies of His Messenger ﷺ, and out of compassion for them to wear the armor of shame and be clothed therein. God [the Exalted] honored them by honoring the religion and elevated their rule by elevating His Word. Were honor sought through anything other than those, God [the Exalted] would have turned away from them, their power leaving them, and the earth becoming narrow for their presence despite its vastness.

Whoever ponders upon these words will come to know that it is a reminder for the intelligent and an exhortation towards the negligent. We ask God [the Exalted] to grant us and them success in fulfilling the right of that land and the re-establishment of its sanctity, for it is a place designated for His worship, the exaltation of His Name—a place rendered for sending forth His Revelation, blessed by the Holy Spirit, characterized by an increase in rewards for prayer and iʿtikāf therein for iḥrām (for ḥajj) on one’s path to Masjid al-Ḥarām. We have previously mentioned a ḥadīth narrated from Umm Salamah, may God be pleased with her, from the Messenger ﷺ in the chapter on times (bāb al-mawāqīt).

There were those who had assumed iḥrām from the muhājirīn and the fuqahāʾ from within their population. Amongst them was ʿAbd-Allāh bin ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him; from the anṣār was present Muʿādh bin Jabal; and from the tābiʿīn Kaʿb al-Aḥbār and others. We have previously mentioned others from various generations.

My heart gives in due to the dissipation of this virtue. Although I hail from the Ḥijāz, this intention had come to my heart when I had only been a child. I was light on my feet and able to walk well, and yet I was not taken. Now, I grieve over the loss of that blessing, as I am in my sixties, or have at the very least struck my sixtieth year, and I do not despair that my Lord will grant me the capacity to fulfill this long-cherished desire, enabling me to reach that noble station. It is the place described to quench the thirst of those devoted to God [the Exalted], and to fill with hope the souls of those who were neglectful prior. It is hardly surprising [that it occupies such a status], given that its soil was made more virtuous through one Prophet after another—particularly through the friend of the Most Merciful, may God’s salutations be upon him.

Upon him, from the beloved, every day—

The peace of God when peace is remembered.

I was afraid to seek the landmarks of our faith—

The days of your reign in the lowest of the earth.

Are you not from a noble people?

Blessed roots bring a blessed nature to the tree.

You erected the banners of guidance to crush disbelief,

With a dangerous spear and sharp blade.

They came to destroy what has been established.

I have determined—not the eyes of envy—

That you have seated the enemies of the Messenger,

Raising their sons to the status of the [believers] who prostrate.

Respect the Sharīʿah, for it has changed—

The Law of the Canon has been altered.

Many a covenant was taken from Prophets—

All blasphemed by wine and swine, O Promised One.

My grief lies for the Purified House, for it

Has housed many infidels.

Be honored upon Islām, lest you meet [the fate] of those

Who strut proudly in the mosque.

If you do not fear the gloating of the envious,

The stubbornness of the tyrant, and the power of the aggressor,

Beware the tears of the Muslims and their grief,

And the supplications of the pious.

Remember when you stood in regret, seeking forgiveness

In a day now past from the Prophet Muḥammad.

The Cross has united its supporters—

So O Nation of Islām, does [Islām] have its supporters?

Blessed is the one destined to be the neighbor of that noble Prophet and his noble children.

As for the virtues of the Holy Land and its abundance of characteristics—which the one who spoke to God [the Exalted] asked to be brought to him within a distance of a stone’s throw—[we will mention the following].

It was narrated from Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, “He asked God that the Holy Land be brought to him within the distance of a stone’s throw.” He added, “The Messenger ﷺ said, ‘If I were able, I would have shown you his grave which lies beside the road, beneath a red dune.’”24

The road to Al-Aqsa [PC: Levi Meir Clancy (unsplash)]

This is the last of what we had intended to establish in this book, and we are not free of the remaining portion regarding the investigation and refinement concerning what was initially indicated at the beginning of this book. By God [the Exalted], it is as a lump that lies in a throat that one chokes on which no patience may endure. To God [the Exalted] do we complain, and to Him is our resort. He is the One who grants strength to the weak from the strong, and avenges the oppressed from the oppressor—to Him do we seek forgiveness for the slips of our tongues.

So in conclusion, we return to what we had begun with in the opening. Thus, we say, with a tongue entwined with humility and need, rather than one with eloquence and freedom: O God, by Whose grace good deeds are completed, by whose Words bones are scattered, by Whose signs the heavens and the earth are cut open, and by Whose Names the mountains are set firm: we praise You whilst acknowledging our inability to ever be able to do so sufficiently, and thank You whilst noting our deficiency in doing so. We ask you to send your blessings upon the one who guided us to You—the Prophet of Mercy, Muḥammad , with the purest of blessings and the most perfect of greetings, and to bestow him with the highest of ranks.

[Bestow such as well] upon his family who followed what he legislated and followed the light which was revealed to him—we ask that you bestow upon us from the radiance of Your Glorifications what delivers us from the darkness of ignorance, and guide us thereto [as You protect us from] missteps. Teach us the greatest of ways with which we may glorify You by which we may attain safety from misery and attain Your pleasure on the Day of Meeting. Allow us to taste the coolness of Your forgiveness and the sweetness of Your love, from what we find from You in the essence of life and the delight of subsistence, and not be rendered needy from any other than You—not rendered humiliated by any except You and be fearful or hopeful of any other; in distress except through Your exaltation; in abundance except by Your Face; and in annihilation except in You.

Reward our parents and those who guide us with a reward that fulfills their right on our behalf, and do with us and them as befits You; fulfill our hopes, for we have extended to You the hands of supplication, O Guider of the perplexed, and the Face of those who ask; O God, assist the nation of Islām by filling their schisms and uniting their spread, for the rupture has spread far and wide.

Preserve, O God, Your Prophet Muḥammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in every branch of his fountainhead and tree—the bringer of guidance with the party of truth. O God, support him with a support… from which stem the signs of victory and triumph. O God, this House—the stronghold of Your religion and the nest of Your friends, is from Your creation and subtlety. Help the builders [of nations built in Your Name], the helpers of those who call to You, and soldiers who fight for You. Break, O God, those who seek to break us, and strike them with a crushing force to break their faces and backs. Do not, O God, allow the party of Satan and tyrants to attain victory over those who have witnessed and held firmly to the truth in Your path. Indeed, You are Most Noble and Merciful (al-Karīm al-Raḥīm). Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and salutations be upon our Prophet Muḥammad and his family.

 

Related:

– The Glorious Virtues of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa

– 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Masjid Al-Aqsa

1    Al-Isrāʾ, 12     Al-Tirmidhī, 3263    It was cited by Abū Mūsā al-Madīnī in al-Majmūʿ al-Mughīth fī Gharīb al-Qurʾān, 1:108, and Ibn al-Athīr in al-Nihāyah fī Gharīb al-Ḥadīth, 1:804     Sunan al-Nasāʾī, the Book of Prayer, 4505    Al-Tirmidhī in his book on the Virtues of the Messenger ﷺ; al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī in al-Mustadrak, 3:3; al-Ṭabarānī in Muʿjam al-Kabīr, 2417; some others have narrated the report as well from Jarīr bin ʿAbd-Allāh, may God be pleased with him.6    A part of a report narrated by al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ in Kitāb al-Kafālah7    A part of the ḥadīth narrated by al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ in the Book of Virtues/Signs of Prophethood in Islām, 34228     Al-Ṭabarānī, Muʿjam al-Kabīr, 42379    Ibid, 423810    Mu“jam al-Kabīr; it has likewise been narrated in al-Haythamī’s Majmuʿ al-Zawāʾid, 7:711    Al-Bazzār, Musnad, 414212    Al-Ṭabarānī, Musnad al-Shāmiyyīn, 271413    Ibn Abī Ḥātim, al-Jarḥ wa-l-Taʿdīl, 6:414    Ibid15    Sunan al-Nasāʾī, Book of Masājid, 69316    Al-Ṭabarānī, Muʿjam al-Kabīr, 1455417    A part of a ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah, may God, the Exalted, be pleased with her, and its verification has preceded18    Ibn ʿAdī, al-Kāmil fi Ḍuʿafāʾ al-Rijāl, 4:25519    Sunan Abū Dāwud, Book of Prayer, 40720    Sunan Ibn Mājah, 1407; al-Ṭabarānī, Muʿjam, 55; Musnad Abū Yaʿlā, 708821    Luwayn al-Maṣṣīṣī, Juzʾ fīhi Ḥadīth, 9222    Al-Malik al-Kāmil Muḥammad ibn al-Malik al-ʿĀdil Muḥammad bin Ayyūb, Abū al-Maʿālī Nāṣir al-Dīn, was an Ayyūbid Sultan who passed away in the year 635 AH. See: Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-Aʿyān, 5:7923    Maḥmūd al-Warrāq. The verses were taken from his Dīwān, 106.24    ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Muṣannaf; this source builds on al-Qurṭubī, al-Mufhim li-mā Ashkala min Talkhīṣ Kitāb Muslim, 6:222

The post The Virtues Of Al-Aqsa And Traveling Thereto: A Translation From Maṭlab Al-Nasik appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

My wife and I have been thinking a great deal about how we divest our children from accolade culture when it comes to understanding how they value themselves in the world, and how they value their relationship to Allah .

This has not been as easy as it might seem, largely because the world is built on a diet of measuring ‘success’ – thus a successful child is one who attains high marks, receives accolades, has multiple degrees, until they are then successful in a high-paying profession. We’ve tried to make little adjustments to try and redress this; for instance, we might celebrate an end to their exams, as opposed to celebrating at the point of their results being released. To even purchase them gifts based on their effort, not based on their results.

Ultimately, we have been trying to encourage our children to experience the world as one that is connected to ihsan and taqwa – to not measure themselves by what the world informs them of what makes a human valuable.

Over the last two years, I’ve had the examples of others informing me of what a life filled with dignity looks like. The son of a friend took part in the Cambridge University encampment to protest the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The son was calling me seeking advice about what the encampment should and should not be doing. After a while, I called my friend to ask him about his son’s degree being at risk, and how he was engaging this action. My friend explained that he initially balked at the idea that his son might not be able to complete his education, but then reminded himself that a fulfilled life cannot be reduced to a degree from Cambridge, but has to be in the stances we take at times when courage is needed – no time more pressing than the midst of a genocide. I was impressed by my friend’s position – it seemed validating to know that other parents were willing to support their children take stances that might materially impact their futures.

More recently, I came to support the protests taking place at the SOAS Liberated Zone, where students have been attempting to force SOAS to divest from Israel academically and financially. In the process of making their demands, there has been a process of repressing pro-Palestinian voices among the student body by the SOAS student union and the administration of the Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib, known for calling the police on his own students during his previous role as the chancellor of a university in South Africa.

Among those who took part in the protests at SOAS is Haya Adam, a second-year Law and International Relations student who was suspended pending an investigation by the university. Although excluded from university premises, Haya continued to protest against the university and her personal treatment, highlighting the layers of complicity. Always at these protests, you will meet the wheelchair-bound Aunty Azza, the mother of Haya, staunchly standing by her daughter’s stance, regardless of the outcome. When you look at Aunty Azza, you don’t see a fear of her daughter’s future; you see a complete certainty in Allah’s Promise that a life lived in dignity and in defence of the oppressed, is far more valuable than anything else. Haya herself maintained that while she would always fight her suspension, she would never apologise for her advocacy of the Palestinian people.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak at a protest in support of Haya. As I listened to the other speeches and heard from Haya herself, I realised that there was very little I could actually do for her, other than express my solidarity. The protest was taking place just outside of the gates of SOAS, and I looked at the buildings that I would once frequent for my own Master’s in Law, having graduated twenty-one years ago. Seeing Haya, a small but very powerful young Muslim woman, I wanted to express my heartfelt solidarity, and so, when I took to the platform, I expressed that I would burn my SOAS Master’s certificate should she be expelled from the university – as an act of solidarity for her. My words were met with a great deal of applause, with Aunty Azza specifically taking me aside to thank me for my proposed gesture.

Two weeks later, I heard the news that Haya was indeed expelled after a sham investigation process. I thought back to my own public commitment to her that I would burn my certificate– and so I did, recording it to highlight my anger at the SOAS administration. This didn’t seem enough, though. It didn’t seem much of a sacrifice to just burn a piece of paper that I could easily re-order if I needed one again. I felt that there was no real sacrifice at the end of such a symbolic act. The following morning, I wrote to the SOAS administration to inquire into the process of having my degree unrolled from the university, as there is no formal process in doing so.

Since then, while the vast majority of people have expressed their support for my actions, there have also been some who questioned the efficacy of such an act. For them, burning or rescinding an accolade that I worked hard to attain (and I really did nerd out during my Master’s) was an unfathomable act. Why waste the time, effort, and money?

The first real answer is: because I told Haya I would do so. I hope that as long as I am alive, Allah will make me a man of my word, and because I had promised this, I decided that I would actually follow through. But, in the process of going further and seeking to rescind the degree, I came upon a different motivation for myself; one that desired to divest from these institutions and the stranglehold they have over what we consider to be a dignified and honoured life. That the Master’s degree means nothing to me in the midst of a genocide – that there is nothing that the accolade was able to give me that I could not have learnt from a book.

People spoke of it in terms of sacrifice, but to me, this small act of solidarity with our young sister was minimal at best. I did not go out and encourage others to do the same, and of course, they are welcome to. But this was not so much about how much change this would bring, as much as it was about divesting myself from a love of what we are taught ‘empirically’ makes us valuable. Haya, Aunty Azza, and our friends standing with them sent me their du’as, as did Palestinians – and so, all that is left is a hope that Allah accepts it – what is more valuable now? The du’as of the oppressed, or the certificate from a colonial institution invested in a racially segregated apartheid state? I haven’t come to think of it as a sacrifice, as much as it now feels liberatory.

Right now, there are hundreds of predominantly non-Muslims who have expressed their public support for the banned direct action group Palestine Action in the UK, forcing the police to arrest them. Just over a week ago, my friend, colleague, and former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Moazzam Begg, chose to be arrested alongside this group – all for the sake of sacrificing and taking risks to defend Palestine. Such actions are breaking the asphyxiation imposed on us by the global War on Terror – that arrest, charge, and conviction can no longer be seen as something to be ashamed of, but rather something that we celebrate as more and more people take risks for Palestine.

The world is changing, and with that, we must change our relationship to it. Can we encourage ourselves to sacrifice in different ways? Can we see our children expelled from their university campuses? Can we see ourselves being arrested for the sake of standing up for a cause? Can we see ourselves divesting from the very institutions that create harm in the world? If we can, then inshallah we will win – even if that means material loss in this life.

 

Related:

– Whistleblower Exposes Aid Organization’s Links With Israeli Military

– Foreign Affairs Official Resigns Over Gaza Genocide

 

The post On Burning Accolades And Sacrificing: Asim Qureshi Speaks Out About Decision To Burn His SOAS Degree appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

By Faheem A. Hussain

In the dusty corners of the internet, a cryptic yet increasingly influential movement within Muslim digital discourse has begun to stir. Known as SAIF, or Society of Alternative Islamic Futurology, it fuses Islamic traditionalism with radical techno-futurism. Born in the margins of digital space, SAIF rejects both the stagnation of the modern Muslim nation-state and the nostalgic retreat into medieval forms. Instead, it dreams—aggressively, brazenly—of an Islamic future built not through reform, but rupture. This is not traditional modernism. It’s something more raw, more unpredictable—a young vitality, still wild, unshaped, but alive.

I. The Provocation of SAIF Thinking Alongside SAIF

What, then, is SAIF?

This is not an explainer, nor a polemic. It is an attempt to think alongside SAIF—to take it seriously not as settled doctrine, but as a provocation worth wrestling with. Like all speculative movements, its coherence lies not in consensus, but in mood, tension, and the dangerous vitality of half-formed thought.

Marginal Digital Ambition

SAIF is a loud, discordant voice at the margins—digital in medium, but worldly in ambition. One that insists it has something urgent to say about the world beyond X. Recently, its champions[1] have claimed a corner of the internet, launched a website, and begun outlining its vision. That vision has stirred discomfort. Dismissed as trolls, internet seekers, even as heretics, its members draw both ridicule and fascination. People ask: Is this a cult? Why do they speak in riddles? Who even understands what they’re saying? And, of course, the ever-present complaint: Who chose that unreadable font on the website?

II. The Technologies It Mythologizes Techno‑Optimism and Cynicism

Yet, beneath the chaos, there is something compelling. SAIF articulates an unmistakably optimistic vision of technology, laced with biting cynicism. It’s a messy constellation of ideas: AI-driven futures, crypto-economies that aim to seize power from states, and a commitment to radical decentralization.

Mythologizing Decentralization

What links these technologies in SAIF’s imagination is their potential to wrest sovereignty away from the state. AI is not just automation, it’s a frontier of theological and epistemological reconfiguration. Crypto is not just finance: it’s a challenge to the state’s monopoly of the mint. Decentralization is not chaos: it’s an invitation to reimagine the ummah outside the architectures of nationhood. SAIF doesn’t merely adopt these tools; it mythologizes them, seeing in each a kind of divine hacking of modernity itself. It is a vision not of reforming the state, but of rendering it obsolete.

I won’t pretend to grasp all of it. The language is sometimes elliptical, even esoteric. But I sympathize with the impulse. There’s something undeniably attractive in this herculean, even romantic, effort to wrest control from Muslim states that seem to have abandoned their world-historical destiny. Yes, the postcolonial state was once a vital node in the fight against imperialism. But today many have become little more than praetorian guards—corrupt, visionless, self-serving. China’s model, for all its sins, at least pairs its corruption with infrastructural ambition.

So why then should we assume these tendencies, the relentless centralization of the state and the centrifugal forces of decentralization new technologies open up, cannot coexist? As Anthony Giddens, and others have pointed out,[2] modernity is marked by countervailing forces.[3] Even as some state institutions centralize power, others fragment and disperse. As the meme goes: ‘why not both?’

III. SAIF’s Political Accelerationism Accelerationism Defined

These tensions come to a head in SAIF’s most controversial impulse: Accelerationism[4]. This isn’t just a “pox on all houses.” It’s more radical, more uncompromising. SAIF appears to argue that the current liberal international order must fall entirely before something new and viable can emerge. And it is falling—before our very eyes—as China, the long-slumbering giant, begins to awaken. But SAIF pushes beyond observation; it exults in the unraveling: Let the U.S. fragment. Let the West burn its own credibility. This isn’t quietist despair; it’s strategic anticipation, even encouragement.

Strategic Anticipation vs. Conservatism

I confess, I’m more ambivalent about this. Perhaps it’s my own conservatism speaking, a conservatism I recognize and question. Yet I understand this despondency towards the shackles of the present. Even as the Neo-reactionary Nick Land[5] is endlessly quoted in SAIF circles, this giddy philosophy of accelerationism[6] is less a doctrinal commitment of SAIF than a sweeping broom of history that sees in the destruction of the present, glimmerings of the future. A future it’s determined to wrest and make in its own discordant image. This is not theory-as-program; this is theory-as-detonator.

Still, I hesitate. Acceleration burns indiscriminately. Fire burns the wheat with the chaff. And yet I see the appeal: in a world where gradualism has failed, where state-led reforms are hollow, and where the scholars, the guardians of tradition have little to say about our planetary and technological futures—one begins to understand the desire not for gentle reform, but for rupture.

IV. Aesthetic Obscurity and Elitism Obscurity as Experiment

Then comes the question of form. Critics often complain that SAIF is incomprehensible. And, to be fair, some of it is. The website, too, seems designed to reverberate rather than explain. But in some ways, maybe the obscurity isn’t needless. Perhaps SAIF, like certain modernist efforts before it, reminds us of what the philosopher Wittgenstein said of Heidegger, famous for the impenetrability of his philosophical prose, of ‘running against the very limits of language’.

That doesn’t justify every lapse into obfuscation—but it does suggest that something more experimental is underway. Perhaps the familiar languages and citations will only lead us back to the same old dead ends. Maybe it’s time to break the walls, to risk dreaming anew, even if that means embracing a fractured and strange prose. Modernists have done this before; why not again?

Elitism and the “Biomass” Critique

The charge of elitism also sticks. SAIF too often oscillates between dreams for the masses and a poorly concealed disdain for them; the biomass[7] as it uncharitably calls them. It is not just impolite; it risks repeating the dehumanizations SAIF otherwise resists. Yet, even this hostility, discomforting as it is, emerges from a raw frustration at the inertia of Muslim collective life.

V. Modernity Without Capitulation Escape from Stale Binaries

Dr. Sherman Jackson

SAIF’s provocations don’t emerge from a vacuum. They are in dialogue, sometimes obliquely, sometimes explicitly, with deeper intellectual efforts to escape the stale binaries that dominate Muslim discourse.

One of the more provocative thinkers that SAIF cites, though by no means identical to it—is the work of Shaykh Dr. Sherman Jackson. His book Islamic Secular[8] mounts a radical challenge to the key intellectual binaries that govern so much of contemporary Muslim thought; the specific relationship between the Secular and Religious, with most arguing that in Islam there is no Secular. The book, controversial and dense, doesn’t offer easy solutions. But it does do something more important: it reframes the terrain. The Islamic Secular is a book that challenges much of what is taken-for-granted in the shallow shoals of much of contemporary Muslim thinking.

Islamic Secular Reframing

That the Islamicate needs to modernise—a truth long evident to anyone who has seriously reflected on its present condition—now finds powerful articulation in a leading thinker, native and rooted in Islamic tradition, offering a rigorous and compelling argument to many who once believed they had to choose between piety and modernity.

Jackson forces us to ask whether a Muslim engagement with modernity must come at the cost of religious integrity, or whether another path exists, one in which secularisation can be understood in Islamic terms, rather than simply inherited from liberal genealogies. In doing so, he opens up new pathways of thinking: whence before, in order for Islam to modernise and go forward, it must liberalise and Westernise; now we can conceivably modernise without necessarily Westernising.

This intellectual grounding does not validate SAIF, nor does it tame it—but it does help explain why, even when it veers into the polemical or absurd, it resonates. What we’re witnessing is not just aesthetic rebellion. It’s the stirrings of a deeper civilisational anxiety: how to remain faithful without remaining frozen.

VI. The Stakes of Imagination Civilisational Urgency

So why does all this matter? Who cares about some obscure movement on the edges of social media? Because if we don’t make room for these provocations, we resign ourselves to a future shaped entirely by others.

Imagination as Our Rarest Resource

The stakes aren’t academic. They’re civilizational. In an age where the Islamic world is too often reactive, tethered to outdated scripts or imported frameworks, SAIF dares to wrest the horizon back. Not to mimic, but to myth-make. To resist the slow death of imagination. If we cannot afford to be naive, we can even less afford to be stagnant. And whatever else SAIF may be, it is not stagnant.

Imagination is the rarest resource in our intellectual economy. If we do not make space for speculative energy—wild, abrasive, half-formed—we surrender the future. The Islamic world often repeats the past or mimics the West.

When Muslims invoke a mythologized past as a salve for the present, as if nostalgia alone will birth the future; when fiqh-maximalists offer nothing beyond more law and more piety; when conformity is prized over imagination, it becomes clear how narrow our collective vision has become. When people are being killed in the name of piety, and scholars cling to ossified traditions with little to say about the actual future, SAIF’s provocations, however brash, begin to look less like noise and more like signal.

One need only walk through Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, even Dubai—the unmistakable sense is not that the future has arrived, but that it’s already leaving us behind. While dawah brothers argue theology on YouTube, the very ground beneath us hums with change we scarcely register. Even if you don’t share SAIF’s disdain for the “biomass” or its critique of legalist orthodoxy, you can’t deny that the critique itself arises from something real. There is something here.

VII. Genealogies and Lineages Historical Echoes of Futurism

Even as we watch it bloom—and maybe eventually wither—perhaps this is what it felt like when Islamic thinkers first discovered the radical futures of the West. When Ottoman reformers grew tired of the false promises of vested interests. When Cairene intellectuals stood both fearful and intrigued before Western technologies, and now, increasingly, Chinese ones. There is something wild in this modernity, something vital. Perhaps that explains the childlike innocence—yes, a good kind of naivety—of those discovering they may be the only ones both frightened by AI’s unknowns and enamored by its possibilities. Who wonders aloud about the future of money, and what crypto might do to a state long defined not only by violence, but by the monopoly of the mint.

Futurist Tradition in Islam

And so while SAIF’s wild futurism may seem like an anomaly, it has a deeper lineage. In some ways, it echoes the disorienting awe of the Nahda thinkers, the reformers of the Ottoman Tanzimat, or the Afghani–Abduh lineage; men who gazed at European steam engines and printing presses and asked not only “what is this?” but “what might we become if we mastered it?” They saw science and technology not as threats, but as instruments Muslims had to reclaim to restore dignity. They, too, were accused of heresy, elitism, and incoherence.

Those individuals were not merely reformers, but speculative futurists of their age. They dreamed of a world where the ummah could rise again – not by copying Europe, but by mastering its tools and exceeding its limits. And like SAIF, they were animated by the conviction that a future could be imagined that was neither Western mimicry nor medieval retreat, but something more vital –  something that was theirs.

New Futures

And yet, in so many ways, SAIF is an atypical modernism. Many of its contributors are not anti-traditionalist. Some are deeply traditional, even arch-traditionalist. What unites them is the conviction: that Islamic civilization will rise again, and that new futures must be imagined to make that possible. This is not a traditionalism that believes old solutions will suffice for new problems. It’s a traditionalism that knows the future must be shaped, not inherited.

For SAIF, ‘wisdom’ is not the property of others – a belief that betrays a lack of confidence of the faithful, when the opposite is true. Indeed wisdom is not a closed archive, but a living challenge. The believer’s confidence must include the ability to adapt, to wield, to absorb —and from it all, transform. The believer can wield, and force our vision of the future that is rightly ours. In that confidence, SAIF is unified, even in its dissonance, all its various visions and voices.

VIII. Final Thoughts Provocations and Collective Vision

SAIF isn’t a tight ideology. It’s a series of provocations, a set of thought experiments. In that sense, it reflects the Ummah itself: overlapping visions, contradictions, tensions. But at least it’s a vision wholly turned toward the future, not with despondency or despair, but with strategic ambition.

Fellow Travellers in Speculation

For all these reasons, while it may be a small, obscure internet tendency today, the broader civilizational future of Islam may have to look something like this. In SAIF’s strange prose and electric provocations, we might just glimpse the first sparks of what must emerge, that is if Muslim civilization is ever to rise again and take its rightful place under the sun.

This, I think, is why I’m cautiously optimistic. SAIF, or something like it, is indeed necessary. Perhaps SAIF will fragment; too obscure, too abrasive, too unstable. But where else are such attempts being made? Where else is the future imagined, not as a crisis to be avoided, but as a space to be seized? We ought not to see SAIF as Islamicate thought in its final form, but as an early experiment. Some of the ingredients of a future vision are already here, scattered, unstable, perhaps, but unmistakably present. And that, for now, is enough.

So while I’m not a SAIF member or even an advocate, perhaps insofar as this is all true, I too am a fellow traveller. And perhaps in some sense we all are, and perhaps in some sense we all must be.

Bio

Faheem A. Hussain is an independent researcher exploring questions at the intersection of Islamic thought, philosophy, and modernity. He holds a BA (Hons.) in Arabic and Islamic Studies from SOAS, University of London, an MA in Philosophy from Heythrop College, and a PGCE in Religious Studies from Roehampton University. His writings—often situated between tradition and speculative reflection—can be found on Substack at faheemahussain.substack.com and occasionally on Twitter @FaheemAMHussain.

Footnotes:

[1] One of the main figures is the anonymous account of @ibnmagreb for more of his thoughts can be found here in Iqra Post Substack. A detailed interview can be found here in – INTERVIEW: IBN MAGHREB – https://qawwam.online/interview-ibn-maghreb/

[2] Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of liquid modernity offers a profound lens through which to understand the fluid and transient nature of contemporary society. In his seminal work, Liquid Modernity, Bauman explores how the shift from “solid” to “liquid” modernity has transformed various aspects of human life, including identity, relationships, and work.

Emma Palese’s article, Individual and Society in the Liquid Modernity, provides an in-depth analysis of Bauman’s theories – Individual and Society in the Liquid Modernity – https://springerplus.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2193-1801-2-191

[3] Anthony Giddens’ concept of modernity emphasizes the simultaneous processes of centralization and decentralization within modern institutions. In The Consequences of Modernity, Giddens discusses how modernity inherently involves globalizing tendencies that both centralize and decentralize social structures. He notes that while certain domains experience increased central control, others witness decentralization, reflecting the complex dynamics of modern societies. See The Consequences of Modernity

A shorter introduction can be found in Giddens’ essay “The Globalizing of Modernity” delves into these themes, highlighting the inherent globalizing nature of modernity and its impact on social institutions. – https://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/aod/Text/Giddens.pdf?

[4] Loathe as I am ever to cite a wikipedia article; it is surprisingly good – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerationism(accessed 28/05/25). But see this critical review of it ‘A U/ACC PRIMER’ – https://xenogothic.com/2019/03/04/a-u-acc-primer/ Well worth reading

[5] This is perhaps his most famous essay – ‘A Quick and Dirty Introduction to Accelerationism’ – https://web.archive.org/web/20180113012817/https://jacobitemag.com/2017/05/25/a-quick-and-dirty-introduction-to-accelerationism/

[6] A compelling history of the movement is perhaps this ‘Accelerationism: how a fringe philosophy predicted the future we live in’ – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/11/accelerationism-how-a-fringe-philosophy-predicted-the-future-we-live-in

[7] See this article What’s a “Biomass”? – by Abvdullah Yousef one of the key provocateurs of the movement.

[8] This review is published by Ahmed Askary, @pashadelics, the editor-in-chief of another new and exciting Muslim publication, Kasurian, determined to grapple with Islam’s present and future.

The post The Promise of SAIF: Towards a Radical Islamic Futurism appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Cryptocurrency is Deek’s last chance to succeed in life, and he will not stop, no matter what.

Previous Chapters: 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

“When money speaks, the truth is silent.” — Yoruba proverb

A Fast Drive

The next few minutes passed in a daze. Deek’s breathing was shallow and rapid, and his skin felt clammy. Hot blood ran down the side of his face. Somehow, Marco loaded him into the passenger seat and single-handedly lifted Shujaa and dumped him in the back. His musky Yemeni cologne permeated the car’s interior. Who puts on cologne to attack someone?

History repeated itself as Deek found himself once again injured and being driven somewhere. His shirt was wet against his skin. His entire face hurt. The night was dark and suffocating, and the lights from the streetlights made him wince. He groaned and pressed a hand to his eye. Reaching for the seat lever, he reclined the seat until, with a jolt, it struck Shujaa’s legs.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Marco said. “You need the seat elevated to slow the bleeding from your head.”

But Deek could not raise the seat again, as he didn’t have the energy to sit up.

Marco – sitting on shattered glass and not caring – drove fast, making Deek rock from side to side. At one point he stopped, and Deek – feeling hazy and on the edge of blacking out – saw his friend step out of the car and pitch the gun into an inky black canal.

Shujaa recovered consciousness and began to moan, “Baba’s sendin’ me back to Yemen ‘cause o’ you, he’s sending me back. Ain’t nothin’ for me there, I’ll die there. He says I’m a loser and a failure, he don’ want me around. An’ is all your fault ‘cause you took my car. Why you got this stupid saxophone on top o’me, get it off.” He went on like that.

Sometime later – Deek couldn’t say how long – pulled up in front of Fresno Community Regional Medical Center. As strong hands helped him out of the car and onto a mobile gurney, he could smell the burning rubber of the car tires. Marco had turned that Porsche into a rocket.

Bleach and Lime

“What happened to you, sir?” a woman’s Indian-accented voice asked.

“Glass in my eye.”

“Let us see. Move your hand.”

Inside, the hospital was chilly and loud, with people calling out, machines beeping, and doors opening and closing with a hiss. The corridors smelled of bleach and lime.

The gurney moved quickly, then rose in an elevator. An injection flooded into his arm. The pain faded, and as he sank into warm quicksand, he thought of Rania’s dark eyes and gentle hands. He needed her to toss him a line and pull him out. He needed her to save him.

Desperately Alone

Deek Saghir woke up slowly, like a post-apocalyptic sun rising over a devastated world, yet shining onto a few green shoots springing up from the wasteland. His throat was dry, and his head was light, but he felt little pain. He opened his gummy eyes, then realized that he could only see out of his right eye. Reaching up a hand, he found his left eye bandaged, along with his left eyebrow and temple.

He was in a hospital room. Dim lighting, air whispering through a vent. A clear night sky outside the window, broken up by the silhouettes of two palm trees.

The delicately clear state of mind he had enjoyed for the last several days was gone. Deek’s chest was as full of emotion as a sea cave is full of water when the high tide rushes in. He felt desperately alone. He would have given his left hand at that moment for a hug from his wife.

What was this chaos that his life had become? Alone all the time, violence at every turn, thoughts of poverty and loss haunting him? Driving a wedge between himself and everyone he loved by throwing around piles of cash, as if money were a substitute for genuine caring and love. A substitute for actually being there. What was that saying, that ninety percent of success was just showing up? And wasn’t that true for family as well, that ninety percent of being a father—a good, genuine, loving father—was just showing up?

And he was not showing up. He had abandoned his daughters. How could he have done that? How had he not missed Sanaya’s quick wit, making fun of her university professors, sharing with him clips of old baseball games on YouTube—she’d played little league as a kid and been obsessed with the sport ever since—and telling him funny stories of the crazy things she witnessed at his job at the convenience store?

Or his dear Amira, always teasing him, losing to him at chess but never quitting, teaching him Spanish phrases and street slang that she learned from her Chicana friends at school, and always letting him know how much she loved him?

What was wrong with him? Tears came to his eyes. He moaned and rolled onto his right side, grabbing handfuls of his hair. The Namer’s potion had healed his terrible wounds after that first attack and cleared his mind, allowing him to fly in the sunlight above the clouds. But at what price? Yes, Deek was an emotional man, but by separating him from his emotion, the potion had divorced him from his own heart. Just as his family had been split asunder, he was like a great tree cut in half by a chainsaw.

Healed Wounds

Startled by the sound of a snore on his left, Deek rolled onto his side to see with his right eye. Marco slept in a chair against the wall, his arms hanging limp, and the back of his head resting on the wall.

“Marco.” Deek’s voice came out low and hoarse, and he tried again, wiping his tears with the sleeve of the light blanket that was draped over him. “Señor Marco Feliciano Colón Tirado.”

Marco woke with a start, wiping non-existent drool from his chin. “You scared me, I thought I was back in Catholic school. How do you feel?”

“Where am I?”

“Fresno Regional. They operated on your eye. It’s…” Marco checked his phone. “Four in the morning.”

“Am I blind?”

“No, they say you’ll be okay.”

“Can I get some water?”

“Do you mind if I turn the light on?”

“Turn it on, man. Please turn it on.” Maybe banishing the external darkness would lighten his heart as well.

Marco filled a cup of water from a pitcher on the counter against the wall. It was cool and delicious, and Deek downed it all in one glass, then met Marco’s eyes.

“Ay Dios!” his friend exclaimed.

“What?”

“I saw you after those thugs attacked you. You were all beat up, dude. Black eye, split lip, blood coming out of your mouth, and blood pouring down the side of your face. Now look!”

“What?” he was getting annoyed. How was he supposed to know what he looked like?

“Your face is mostly healed. Just very light bruises. I mean, I can’t see the bullet wound, but the rest of your face looks good.”

You Saved Me

Deek knew right away what had transpired. The Namer’s potion had used up the last of its strength healing his physical wounds, and had burned itself out in the process. That was why he was so emotional. His usual loving, desperate, bitter, envious, proud heart was reasserting itself.

Rather than feeling pleased that his wounds were healing quickly, he felt his pulse spike as guilt washed over him. Who was he to be worthy of such gifts? He was a wreck and a shame.

For just a moment, he considered going back to the Namer and asking for another dose. But no, he could not live his life in an artificially imposed state of rarefied clarity. He had to exist here, on the ground, in the real world. He had to learn to express love, be a good husband and a good friend, and to power it all with his heart, rather than a drug. This was his task: to wrestle with his own bitter soul and win the battle unaided.

He realized as well that Marco did not know that Shujaa was the one who had attacked him. Marco thought the thugs had done it. He must not have seen the first part of the fight. And – Deek remembered – Marco had saved his life. He remembered it as clearly as if it were a vision rising before his eyes: Marco swinging that trumpet like Jackie Robinson at bat, then grabbing the gun and scaring the thugs away.

He dropped the empty glass on the bed between his legs, reached for his brilliant and talented friend, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Oh! Qué pasa?”

“You saved me.” His voice was raw with emotion. He pushed Marco away to look him in the eye. “You could have been killed. What’s the matter with you?”

Marco blushed. “You’d have done the same for me.”

“Yes.” Deek sat back. “I would. Oh! Your poor trumpet! I’m so sorry, man. You have to let me pay for -” he froze. “Marco, where’s my car?”

“In the hospital parking garage.”

“With the window busted out?”

“I haven’t exactly had time to get it repaired.”

Deek groaned in dismay. “You remember the backpack I tried to give you at the restaurant?”

Marco laughed. “How could I not? It’s not every day you see that much -” Now it was Marco’s turn to pause. His eyes widened. “Don’t tell me it’s in the car?”

“Under the passenger seat. And there’s a second backpack with an equal amount under the spare tire. If it’s still there.”

“Ay Dios! I’ll be right back.”

Psychic Bond

“Wait! I need my phone. Where’s my phone?” Had it been lost in the fight? His crypto wallets – and secret phrases – lived on that phone. Losing them would be disastrous. His stomach tightened at the thought.

“It’s here with the rest of your stuff.” Marco opened a cabinet and handed over a large plastic bag. Then he dashed out of the room like an Iranian spy with Saddam Hussein’s secret police on his tail.

Deek pawed through his bloodstained clothes, found his pants, and took his phone from the pocket. The screen was cracked, but the phone turned on and worked normally. Alhamdulillah. His shoulders sagged in relief.

Notifications popped up, showing several voicemails and messages from Rania. She had begun calling yesterday afternoon, only a few minutes after the attack had occurred. This didn’t surprise Deek. He and Rania had always shared a psychic bond. He knew how that sounded, which was why he never told anyone. But Rania always knew when he was in trouble, distressed, or hurt. In fact, now that he thought about it, he realized that rather than a two-way mental bond, it was Rania with the gift. She also knew when Sanaya or Amira were in distress. She was the one with the psychic boost.

“Habibi,” the first voicemail went. Hearing her voice brought Deek actual physical pain, like a heavy weight on his chest. Tears came to his eyes. “I know something is wrong. Call me right away, or I won’t be able to sleep.”

There were other voice messages along the same vein, each more panicked than the last.

Rather than call her at this hour, Deek wrote a text: “As-salamu alaykum honey. You’re right, I was in trouble. I got attacked on the street. But all is well. Just a few cuts and bruises. I’ll check in with you tomorrow inshaAllah.”

He checked his crypto wallets. The bull run was still plowing forward. His net worth was up another ten percent. He swapped some of the meme coins for stablecoins and utility coins, and shut it down. Sleepiness was washing over him like a river overflowing its banks, but he fought it, slapping his right cheek.

Dew On A Flower

Marco returned wearing two backpacks. “I’ve been peeking around corners, worried I’d run into Rania.”

Deek laughed. “She doesn’t work here. She’s at Kaiser, across town. Now listen. Your trumpet is ruined because of me. I want you to take $20K out of the backpack. No arguments! Get yourself the best trumpet money can buy.”

Marco pursed his lips, considering, then did as Deek had told him. He fanned the money beside his face. “I could get a custom Monette with this much money. A horn with a voice like liquid metal. Darkness wrapped in velvet, then dew on a flower.”

Deek’s smile stretched from cheek to cheek. “Beautiful. And don’t forget what I said.”

“You want to hear me recite the Quran.”

Deek nodded slowly. “You said it.”

“I might have a surprise for you on that front.”

Deek tried to say, What do you mean? But the words came out slurred. His eyelids were falling and he could not stop them, any more than a deep-sea diver can lift the sea off his own shoulders.

The Best People

a forest where people lived in slender white towers hidden among the trees…

He slept fitfully, waking up often either to drink water or urinate. Dreams came like a grave robber’s hammer, smashing a path into the hidden tomb of his heart, blow by blow: Rania had disappeared, but was said to have been sighted in a forest where people lived in slender white towers hidden among the trees. Deek sped through the forest in the Porsche, but could not find his wife… He was in London. He was supposed to meet Sanaya and Amira for lunch, but he was lost, and every turn took him deeper into a gray slum where the buildings shifted and changed shape…

Somewhere in the middle, he prayed Fajr, then went back to sleep. The next time he woke, bright sunlight was streaming in through the window. The palm trees were brown and green against a blue sky.

There was no sign of Marco, but a short Filipina nurse with tired eyes and a wide nose was checking his pulse. When she saw he was awake, she smiled and left the room without a word.

A tall, dark-skinned doctor wearing black scrubs and a white coat entered the room. Her blue hijab marked her as a Muslim, and her glasses were thick enough that if you were lost in the woods you could use them to focus the sun and start a fire. Deek thought she looked Pakistani, and his guess was proven correct when she spoke in a British-Pakistani lilt.

“I’m Dr. Ali. Let’s see how you’re doing.”

“What’s my prognosis?” Deek didn’t want to look like a one-eyed pirate for the rest of his life, with people pointing at him.

“Excellent. You will have to wear that patch for three days, then a clear eye shield for a bit.” She pointed to her own temple. “We sutured the laceration.”

He breathed a smile of relief. “Alhamdulillah. Thank you so much. Are you Pakistani?”

She gave a half-shrug. “Yes, British Pakistani. Why?”

“The best people in the world.”

“Pardon?”

“You Pakistanis.” He was filled suddenly with effusive affection toward this doctor. He was as fond of her as if she were his own sister. It was not a romantic attraction. He was simply grateful.

“I never met a Pakistani,” he went on, “who wasn’t honest and intelligent. In every smile, in every deed, they bear the Ummah’s hope in word and creed.” This was something he’d heard at a poetry recital at Masjid Madinah, and had stuck in his head.

She pulled her head back and grinned in amazement. “Why Mr. Saghir! Who is that by?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Well. Your wife must love hearing such poetry.” She pointed to Deek’s wedding ring. “Speaking of which. Your friend wouldn’t give us your family’s contact info, and we could not open your phone. Do you want us to call your wife?”

“Not just yet. I don’t want her to see me like this.”

She tut-tutted. “You should know better. Husbands and wives see each other in every condition. Up or down, happy or sad. But now that you mention it…” She reached out and grasped Deek’s chin, turning his head one way and the other. “There’s hardly anything to see. You look tired, but aside from that, the speed of your recovery beggars belief. Only once before have I witnessed this kind of thing. I’m going to take this bandage off.” She peeled the bandage from the side of his head, then took a pair of glasses from her coat pocket and leaned in, studying the bullet wound.

B Flat

“This is… I don’t know what to say. The wound is completely scabbed over. You don’t even need a bandage anymore.” She tossed the bandage in the biohazard bin. “I must ask. How did you get this wound?”

Again, he felt that flash of guilt and irritation. So what if his wounds were healing quickly? It wasn’t his fault. “What do you mean?” he demanded.

“It appears to be a gunshot wound, but because it’s superficial, I can’t be sure. If it is, I am obligated to report it to the police.”

Police involvement was the last thing Deek wanted. He had not committed a crime, but he didn’t want to open a can of worms as the police investigated the gangsters, Shujaa, Bandar, and who knew what else

“A gunshot wound? My goodness! I remember being beaten with fists. And someone swung a trumpet as well.” Putting his college drama class skills to good use, for once.

“So it’s not a gunshot wound?”

“There was definitely a trumpet.”

To his surprise, Dr. Ali laughed. “As you wish, Mr. Saghir. I’m not a bobby. We’ll call it a trumpet wound. I’d say about a B flat. Because, you know, you be flat on your back.”

This terrible joke coming from a doctor with a British Pakistani accent sent Deek into a fit of giggles. It took him fully ten seconds to shut it down.

A Strange Question

The doctor’s face grew serious. “May I ask a strange question?”

“Sure. What?”

“Have you consumed any sort of holistic medicine? A liquid? Maybe… A dark blue liquid?”

She was describing the Namer’s potion. He studied her face, but her expression was unreadable. The people in the Namer’s neighborhood all knew her, but Deek had the distinct feeling that talking about her to strangers would be wrong.

He changed the subject. “Can you tell me about the young man who was brought in with me? Shujaa?”

“Is that his name? We have him as a John Doe. He was severely concussed and lost a lot of blood. He is in an induced coma. Do you have contact information for him?”

Again, Deek was not sure of the right thing. Shujaa had been moaning that his father wanted to send him back to Yemen. But it was not Deek’s place to interfere. He gave the doctor Shujaa’s full name and Bandar’s name, which she wrote down.

This would be the moment to reveal the fact that Shujaa was the one who attacked him. The police would be called, and Shujaa – if he recovered – would go to jail. But Deek said nothing. He pitied the foolish young man. Shujaa had suffered enough.

“Do you mind,” Dr. Ali said, “if we revisit the previous topic?”

“Which was?”

She glanced around, then spoke in a whisper. “The Namer. I would like to meet her.”

There. She’d said it. There was no doubt now what she was after. “I’ll pass on the request. That’s all I can do.”

The doctor shrugged. “Well, you can be discharged at any time, Mr. Saghir. Come back in three days to swap your eye patch for a clear shield. Do pass on my request.” She turned and left.

As impressed as Dr. Ali had been by Deek’s poetry recitation, she had been even more amazed and disturbed by his rapid recovery. He wondered what she wanted with the Namer. To learn from her? Or something more sinister? He snorted at the foolishness of his own thoughts.

Servants of Al-Ghani

Rising stiffly from the bed, he changed back into his dirty, bloodstained suit, which smelled like a street gutter, then realized he did not have the car key.

He texted Marco: “Do you have the car?”

As he was washing his face and pouring a cup of water, the reply came: “I took it to get detailed and have the window repaired. They’ll call you when it’s ready. You need a ride? I could borrow a car.”

“No, it’s fine.” He would take a rideshare.

He had intended to see Rania last night, after dropping off Marco, but he needed rest. A dark tide was creeping in at the edges of his mind. The Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, had crossed the sea, and now the water was crashing back in on itself, and Deek stood in the center like an idiot.

Who did he think he was, running around with a ton of money, thinking that everyone he loved and cared about would genuflect before him in gratitude? When in reality they were all servants of Al-Malik, Ar-Razzaq, Al-Ghani. Allah was the King and Master of all. He was The Provider from Whom all sustenance was derived, and He was The Most Rich, whose wealth never diminished, even if He were to grant the wishes of every human and jinn who had ever lived. Deek himself was no one, nothing. He was a supplicant, a beggar.

As Deek walked out of the hospital, exhausted and carrying almost half a million dollars in cash, he realized he was out of ideas. He did not know what his life meant, what the money represented, or what he should do beyond the next meal, or the next desperate sleep.

* * *

[Part 18 will be published next week inshaAllah]

 

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:

Trust Fund And A Yellow Lamborghini: A Short Story

If Not You, Then Who?

 

The post Moonshot [Part 17] – When Money Speaks appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

When the Taliban swept back into power in August 2021, they did more than reclaim Kabul—they began a radical experiment in governance. At its helm sits an elusive figure, Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, whose influence is felt more through edicts than appearances. From the corridors of power to the dusty streets of provincial towns, a new political order is being constructed—one rooted in religious legitimacy rather than technocratic expertise, national pride over international approval, and strict social norms over liberal freedoms. The result is a nation marked by contradiction: a government praised for restoring basic security even as it restricts girls from classrooms; a leadership hailed for rooting out corruption yet hindered by a lack of professional capacity; and a movement unified in appearance but quietly divided over the realities of state-building. On the ground, a complex picture emerges of a populace enjoying newfound security yet stifled by social constraints, and growing cracks between the ideals of the Islamic Emirate and the realities of running a fractured nation still reeling from decades of foreign occupation and civil strife.

Often referred to by his religious title Amir al-Mu’minin—a term historically used to denote the ruler of the Afghani people—Hibatullah Akhundzada was appointed Supreme Leader by the Taliban Leadership Council in 2016 and assumed ultimate authority over the Afghan state on 15 August 2021, following the Taliban’s spectacular victory over U.S.-backed forces after two decades of war. Since then, Akhundzada has seldom appeared in public and never addresses the press or the international community directly, helping curate a near-mythical status in Afghanistan. The Supreme Leader sits above any bureaucratised governmental positions, freeing him from the formality of government, and allowing his role to remain organic and uncompromising. Whilst he is rarely seen or heard, his edicts from above, conveyed through decrees and intermediaries, are profoundly felt by the people he rules over, and his numerous decrees have transformed the country’s system of governance.

When I found the opportunity to ask government officials and provincial governors about their enigmatic leader, I sensed both reverence for his position and deference to his authority, partly from a deeply rooted culture of obedience but also–after decades of war and instability–there is an appreciation of the need to close ranks in what is a period of vulnerability. Among his many executive powers, Akhundzada is responsible for governmental appointments at all levels, from the prime minister and other members of the cabinet to judges and provincial and local leaders.

The officials I spoke to working in the municipality of Kabul confirmed as much. The deputy mayor jovially explained how he had absolutely no relevant experience or expertise for his current role but was appointed by virtue of his achievements as a mujahid on the battlefield, his knowledge of Islam and his reputation for honesty and integrity. This, one senior scholar of the Taliban explained, is the defining feature of their system of governance: “This is the first time since the time of the Sahabah that the ulema control of all branches of government,” he proclaimed, arguing that their leadership has proven more effective than the so-called specialists who previously held these positions.

One such individual was Mohammed Khalid of the Mayoral Office, who appeared visibly delighted to have the opportunity to present the accomplishments of his administration. Speaking from the Mayoral complex—once occupied by U.S. forces—he eagerly outlined their initiatives aimed at tackling corruption and improving operational efficiency. Among the successes he highlighted were the cleaning and expansion of a canal in Kabul, the development of water distribution systems, and the planting of two million trees—all achieved with limited resources and at a fraction of the expected cost.

Khalid also described bold internal reforms, including the dismantling of several projects tainted by nepotism and the dismissal of 1,860 government employees whose primary activity appeared to be the misappropriation of public funds. The meeting concluded with a quiet acknowledgement that, despite the administration’s earnest efforts, further progress would require the support of skilled specialists, and ingenuity alone was not enough to elevate Afghanistan to the next stage in its development. “Tell the world the truth about what you see,” Khalid told me. “If there are mistakes, be open about it”. My visit to the Kabul Municipality reflected my broader impression of the departments and officials I encountered: warm, welcoming, and dedicated, yet constrained by international isolation—an issue that is, to some extent, of their own making.

The Taliban’s presence is now firmly established throughout the country. Even a short drive through Kabul involves passing multiple checkpoints manned by smiling, youthful, Kalashnikov-clad guards. Yet, their presence rarely feels oppressive or intrusive. Many locals attest to a transformation in the overall security situation. Before 2021, people were hesitant to even use their mobile phones in crowded public areas. To my amazement, I passed open-air currency exchangers handling bundles of cash, some even pushing wheelbarrows full, seemingly without a care in the world. The streets are unexpectedly clean and orderly, with a sense of calm and tranquillity that locals, having endured two decades of violence and instability, are vocally appreciative of, even while harbouring grievances with other aspects of the Taliban’s rule.

At the forefront of recurring grievances during my stay was the issue of girls’ education. Whether speaking to a street vendor in Kabul, a former Taliban fighter, or current ministers, the longer I remained, the more frequently I encountered frustration over the Taliban’s current ban on girls attending secondary school and beyond. Schools for Quran and Islamic studies are still open to girls of all ages, but secular education remains out of reach. One particularly striking conversation was with a civil engineer and long-time supporter of the Taliban, who expressed deep frustration over the lack of a clear plan for female education—he has daughters of his own and is desperate for them to have access to schooling.

Even senior figures within the current administration admit that the education ban has become a major obstacle to Afghanistan’s reintegration into the global economy, acknowledging that the two primary barriers to international recognition are the restrictions on girls’ education and ongoing security concerns. Notably, there are reports of some high-ranking Taliban members sending their own daughters to study in countries like Pakistan or Qatar—an indication of the internal divisions that exist beneath the movement’s outward display of unity. At the same time, the Taliban have appealed to members of the Afghan diaspora, particularly the intelligentsia, to return and help rebuild the country. But many have declined, unwilling to compromise their daughters’ education in exchange for appeals to national pride.

I spoke directly with one of the Taliban’s most respected scholars on the issue, who offered a passionate defence of their policy. He insisted that the Taliban is not inherently opposed to girls’ education, but views the current restrictions as a temporary measure aimed at shielding Afghan society from what he described as the corrosive influence of Westernisation. In his view, girls’ education has been used as a vehicle to undermine Islamic values and reshape women’s roles in ways that conflict with their moral framework. He was eager to point out that thousands of girls’ schools still operate across the country, where secular subjects are taught, and he assured me that education for girls would resume once the system had been comprehensively restructured in line with their principles. However, the core concern remains: no timeline has been provided—a fact that offers little comfort to those hoping for a swift return to normalcy.

This points to a broader issue within the new system of governance: a lingering uncertainty rooted in the absence of communication with the Afghan public. One senior minister candidly acknowledged this, telling me, “We are good in a practical sense, but we are not so good at communicating our message.” It’s a fair assessment that aligned with what I observed—whether in the absence of public explanations for the strict social edicts issued by the newly formed Department of Calling to the Good and Forbidding the Evil, or in the failure to articulate a clear political vision for the country’s future.

When I asked a senior official from the Interior Ministry about a timeline for the long-promised constitution—and whether it would be ratified by the people—he answered only the first part, saying a committee is currently working on its composition alongside the Supreme Court and the Supreme Leader. Notably, he gave no indication of a timeline. Perhaps more troubling is the lack of clarity around the question of leadership succession. In systems where power is concentrated in a supreme leader, authority is rarely relinquished except through death. The Taliban have given no indication of how a future transfer of power would take place. This ambiguity fosters further uncertainty, undermining efforts to build stability, reassure the population, and attract much-needed foreign investment to a country still reeling from decades of war.

This complex transition from insurgency to statecraft was perhaps best illustrated during a journey into the mountains of Paghman. As we set off for a hike through the breathtaking mountain passes, we were joined by Abu Khalid, a former mujahid turned government official. With a Kalashnikov slung casually over his shoulder, he climbed into the 4×4 and greeted me with a warm, affectionate smile. Having fought through two decades of war, Abu Khalid carried with him an endless trove of stories—tales of battles against U.S. forces delivered with vivid detail and tireless enthusiasm. Gazing out of the window, a glint in his eye and a faintly melancholic smile on his face, he spoke of his fallen comrades: “They were the lucky ones. They achieved martyrdom. Now we carry the heavy burden of running the state.” In that moment, I saw a man proud of their victory, yet quietly yearning for a simpler time—when the path was clearer, and the mission less burdened by the complexities of governance.

Afghanistan is often referred to as the graveyard of empires, and en route to Panjshir province to meet its governor, we encountered a stark visual reminder of that legacy — a vast expanse of decimated Soviet tanks stretching into the mountainous horizon. As we clambered over the rusting remnants of a once-feared empire, I was struck by how, for many, the Taliban have come to symbolise unwavering resistance to imperial domination — first against the Soviets in the 1980s, and more recently against the Western coalition over the past two decades. In their shift from insurgency to governance, their refusal to compromise on core principles or bow to international pressure regarding their vision for society has earned them admiration across parts of the Global South, where the spectre of Western imperialism is ever present. “It is important for us to maintain the mentality of Jihad in the people — the U.S. has done a lot of damage to the mindset of the people,” one senior official told me, highlighting the continued emphasis on preserving their ethos of religious struggle in a post-conflict era.

Afghanistan today stands at a fragile crossroads. Under the Taliban’s rule, the country has emerged from the chaos of occupation and civil war into a fragile order, one defined more by security than by inclusion. Despite the many contradictions at the heart of the Taliban’s rule, what I encountered across Kabul and beyond was a nation cautiously recalibrating after decades of war. Beneath the rigid ideology and the lingering opacity of leadership, there exists a cadre of officials determined to deliver change—often with limited resources but abundant resolve. From municipal reforms to local security improvements, there are signs, however modest, of a government attempting to build from the ruins of occupation and civil strife. The challenges are undeniable: restrictions on education, the absence of clear constitutional direction, and the lack of specialist expertise remain pressing concerns. Yet within the movement itself, and among its rank and file, there are voices calling for pragmatism and reform. If those voices grow louder—and are heeded—the Islamic Emirate could gradually shift from insular authority to engaged governance, rooted not only in religious conviction but in the trust and participation of its people. If the Taliban can evolve from rigid rulers to responsive stewards, Afghanistan may yet chart a path forward—one that honors its principles while finally breaking the cycle of isolation and instability.

Related:

[Podcast] Man2Man: Afghanistan Beyond the Headlines | Abdullah Zikria

The post Afghanistan’s Experiment: Progress and Peril Under Taliban Rule appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Isn’t fantasy football just for fun? How could it possibly be haram?

Omar Usman tackles the topic of sports gambling amongst Muslim men, how it has become unexpectedly common and acceptable, and the serious repercussions of gambling at a societal level. If you enjoy watching (and betting on) sports, or know someone who does, this khutbah is necessary to listen to and share with your friends!

Related:

Fiqh of Entertainment | Ismail Kamdar

The post [Audio] How Sports Gambling is Destroying Muslim Men | Omar Usman appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[Read Part 1 Here]

Still Relevant

The Bosnian genocide that reached a pinnacle thirty years ago provoked widespread grief and horror both among Muslims and in the “West”. Yet little has been learned from the Bosnian tragedy, whose lessons continue to be relevant today both in Bosnia itself and in the wider world. This article will examine how the Bosnian genocide and issues around it retain relevance today.

The United States and Europe’s Sphere of Influence

The most obvious point of relevance is, of course, the fact that the United States and much of the rest of Europe still treat the former Yugoslavia as a “sphere of influence”, with regional envoys and ambassadors acting more as suzerains among squabbling vassals. In the case of Bosnia this was rendered official through the 1995 Dayton Accord, which entrenched the Serb-majority areas as a “state within a state” and insisted on a cyclically rotating leadership, based on ethnic group, that precluded any real settlement, truth, or reconciliation.

The respite that the Serb ethnonationalists received via the American war would encourage Serbia to turn on Albanians in Kosovo; when this happened, the United States flung on the mantle of rescuer and bombarded them so fiercely that they were forced to retreat. Washington then adopted the Kosovo region, which became an officially independent country in 2008 yet still retains enormous American influence, so that in recent years attempts to break away from American tutelage have met with regime change.

This means that the Yugoslavia conflict was never resolved but only “frozen”, and Serb irredentism unchecked: as recently as 2020 Washington urged a regime change against a Kosovo government seeking to break free from the American fold, and threatened the same government after it was voted back in power and confronted Serb irredentists. It is ironic that the United States’ continuing hegemony in the Balkans requires a maintenance of the same divisions whose resultant war Washington had claimed to stop in the 1990s.

Ethnonationalism and its Muslim Victims

Outside the region, there are eerie similarities between much contemporary nationalist politics and the Yugoslavia case. The way that Serb ethnonationalism, and to a lesser extent its Croat counterpart and rival, trained on an “alien” Muslim enemy was key both to the former Yugoslavia’s collapse and the Bosnian genocide.

With the officially universalist ideology of socialism in retreat, the 1980s saw a surge of nationalism throughout Yugoslavia, and this was most damagingly harnessed by Serbia premier Slobodan Milosevic. He attained a mass following largely by presenting Yugoslavia’s supposedly cosmopolitan establishment as indulgent toward ethnically-Albanian Kosovar criminality at the expense of the gallant Serbs. Yugoslavia had long feuded with Albania and this lent venom to the idea that Yugoslav Albanians were a fifth column, though in fact the crimes attributed to them were equally to be found among other groups.

In fact, of course, the Yugoslavia establishment was quite accommodating to Serb ethnonationalism, particularly under Milosevic, but the very fact of minoritarian participation meant that he could portray himself as champion of the Serbs and harness state resources toward Serb supremacism. From Kosovars to Croats and then Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) Serb ethnonationalism espoused by Milosevic, and taken even further by many regional ethnonationalists, found one enemy after another and provoked a backlash.

In the particular case of the Bosniaks, the Muslim factor was particularly key: they were presented as either the descendants or easily-led collaborators of Ottoman Turks, and various ideologists—even Biljana Plavsic, who briefly sat on Bosnia’s elected council—espoused racialist ideologies to argue for their inferiority. The parallels with numerous, mainly but not exclusively far-right, parties in and outside the West today are too obvious to notice.

Modern Parallels

Geert Wilders in the Netherlands made his career with sustained vilification of Muslims. Germany’s far-right competes with establishment “centrist” Friedrich Merz, who describes Arabs in animalistic terms. France has long been infamous for homogenizing autocracy against minorities in general, and Muslims most particularly under the cover of laicite.

In the same way as Milosevic fixated on Albanian “criminality”, various British far-right parties have adopted a racially selective approach to the issue of crime and sexual abuse and grooming gangs, which are to be demonstrated against only if of a certain hue and background; rabidly anti-Muslim minister Michael Gove contrived a much-hyped scandal by claiming that Islamists were trying to infiltrate British education. A large number of American politicians, especially those closest to Israel, have made careers of impunging Muslims.

Hindutva radicals

Nor is this an exclusively Western phenomenon: the attempt of India’s Hindutva trend to expunge Muslims from Indian society has ranged from total revisionism of the same sort that Serb ethnonationalists pursued against Bosniaks to everyday organized harassment to massacres, among whose key architects Narendra Modi was rewarded by becoming prime minister. Media, of both rightwing and liberal variety, is often willing to play along.

Though European states have made a habitual policy of issuing condolences every July, it appears that few have learned the lesson. This is epitomized in the glib condolences on the Bosnian genocide issued by European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen, herself an unambiguous supporter of a genocidal Israeli state whose extermination campaign against Palestinians has relied on much the same rabid anti-Muslim viciousness and often the same strategies, such as ethnic cleansing for territorial supremacy, that the Serb ethnonationalists used in Bosnia.

Western Indifference

It should be noted that, much as Israel’s anti-Muslim propaganda found a willing ear in Europe and North America, even the Bosnia of the 1990s was viewed with callous indifference if not outright hostility by major European leaders. Francois Mitterrand bluntly rejected the idea of Bosnia as a viable European state; any doubt that this was related to Islam could be cleared by the remarks of British officials who spoke of a “painful but realistic restoration of a Christian Europe”.

Despite a centuries-long heritage, Bosnia’s Muslims were viewed not only by random bigots but at the top levels of government as alien by virtue of their Islam. That so many Bosnians held onto Islam in such circumstances is a remarkable feat and a sign of Allah’s favour. Decades of secularization in the Balkans at large has led to a frequent tendency to view Bosniaks as only nominally or culturally Muslims, yet their commitment to their religion and identity under the harshest duress was remarkable.

Foreign Governments: Sympathy and Muted Support

One major difference between the 1990s and the current period was the initiative of many Muslims, both governments and private individuals, in attempting to alleviate Bosnia’s plight. A United Nations embargo, which practically left Bosnia defenceless against already-armed opponents, came under considerable criticism from Muslim countries; though several joined the United Nations peacekeepers, they were vocally critical of the mission’s passiveness.

Pakistani units led by Qasim Qureshi, Bangladeshi units by Fazlur-Rahman, and Egytian units led by Hussein Abdel-Razek manned important fronts but made no secret of their discontent, particularly at the inequity of the embargo. In fact Pakistani spymaster Javed Nasir made an attempt to break the embargo, for which the United States pressed Islamabad to sack him in spring 1993.

Gulf States Humanitarian Aid and Frictions

Hasan Cengić, Bosnian Finance Minister (1992–1995), known as the “Flying Imam” for his diplomatic fundraising flights.

It was only a year later, when Washington was able to mediate between its primary vassal Croatia and Bosnia, that it turned a blind eye to Iranian weapons, sent by Ali Fallahian and Akbar Torkan. Other governments, such as the Gulf states, sent humanitarian and financial support, particularly such Gulf states as Saudi Arabia—handled by future king Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, who had experience doing the same for Afghanistan’s anticommunist insurgency in the 1980s—and Kuwait.

The Bosnian finance minister Hasan Cengic, whose frequent journeys abroad to obtain support earned him the moniker of “Flying Imam”, particularly aimed to get support. Valuable as donations were, they were occasionally delivered through zealous advocates of the Islamic schools predominant in Arabia, who would occasionally object to what they perceived as Bosniak irreligiosity.

One tract by a foreign volunteer, using Kuwaiti official channels, to chide the Bosniaks for what allegedly incorrect religious practices provoked a sharp response from Bosniak preachers such as Dzemaluddin Latic and Enes Karic: not only were Bosniaks emerging from years of enforced secularism but their school of Islam anyway differed. These frictions were relatively rare but were later exaggerated for political reasons after the United States assumed the role of suzerain in the Balkans: they were used to portray foreign Muslims at large as intolerant fanatics unaccustomed to Bosniak tradition.

The Cost of Paranoia: Foreign Fighters and Their Betrayal

Undoubtedly the most famous aspect of foreign support were mostly Arab foreign fighters recruited to the Bosniak army. These came largely independent of state support, though Bosnia’s opponents accused Sudanese diplomat Fatih Hassanain of recruitment. The best-known figure, though he actually left Bosnia quite early on other commitments, was Hadrami recruiter Mahmoud Bahadhiq, known as Abu Abdul-Aziz Barbaros for his red beard.

Muhammad Habashi (Abul-Zubair), from Makkah, was another Arabian volunteer who set up a volunteer battalions. A Hezbollah force from Lebanon, led by Ali Fayad, also arrived in support. The Bosnian army set up units, led by Asim Koricic, Amir Kubura, Serif Patkovic, and Halil Brzina, to work with the Arabs, as did local volunteers organized by the preacher Nezim Halilovic. The most famous foreign Muslim unit was led first by a Libyan doctor, Abul-Harith, and then Jamal Abul-Maali.

Media Propaganda and Smear Campaigns

Not only did Serbian media vilify these foreign fighters to scaremonger about a Muslim invasion on the gates of Europe, but their propaganda found welcoming ears abroad. Several Israeli writers and analysts poisoned the discourse. A case in point is Yossef Bodansky, a rabidly anti-Islam “expert” for the American congress. He acted on behalf of both the Israeli and Serbian governments, and regularly scaremongered about Bosnia’s “radical” regime: over the next fifteen years he would produce similar alarmist propaganda ranging from Chechnya to Sudan. Anti-Muslim alarmists such as Steven Emerson also made their name in American security circles by scaremongering on Bosnia.

The upshot was that the American “rescuers” of Bosnia were singularly suspicious of “Islamism” in Bosnia and sought to contain it. The 1995 Dayton Accord, which institutionalized ethnic cleansing campaigns against Bosnia under an American protectorate, was accompanied by the assassination of Abul-Maali, which was widely suspected on American intelligence. Just months earlier a more radical militant who had taken refuge in Denmark, Talaat Qassem, entered the Balkans, only to be abducted at Croatia in the first “extraordinary rendition” carried out by American intelligence. Qassem had links with Ayman Zawahiri’s insurgent organization against Cairo, and an acquaintance with Anwar Shaaban, another Bosnia volunteer who disappeared at about this point. Such episodes were used in a guilt-by-association smear campaign accusing Bosnia volunteers at large as Qaeda: after 2001, this became an entire sub-genre within the counterterrorism industry.

Consequently the United States also became more paranoid against foreign Muslims in Bosnia. Many Arab fighters had married and lived law-abiding lives in Bosnia after the war, with the protection of Alija Izetbegovic’s government. After Izetbegovic died, the United States exerted increasing pressure on Sarajevo to monitor or expel the Arabs, warning that their retention might jeopardize Bosnia’s entry into the European Union. In the late 2000s the United States systematically undermined Bosnian interior minister Tarik Sadovic, complaining that he would not crack down on the Arabs.

“They Look Alien”

Abu Hamza, a Syrian volunteer during the Bosnia war.

Exploiting and exaggerating the brief religious friction between Arabs and Bosniaks from the 1990s, American diplomat Raffi Gregorian tried to portray a crackdown on Arabs as a defence of Bosniak tradition against fanatics: “They look alien,” he snapped. “They talk alien. They act alien. This is a parochial society that has its own approach to Islam, and they don’t fit in.” In the prevalent paranoia of the “war on terror” there was simple scope to remark on the irony of an American diplomat asserting who was and was not alien to Bosnia, about Arabs who had risked their lives to help the country against a genocide. The contrast with the glowing coverage of, for example, foreigners fighting in Ukraine—even those of pointedly radical, such as far-right, colours—is too stark to miss.

The truth was of course that these “aliens” had risked their lives to help Bosnia against the hostility or indifference of various foreign states, and even the helpless political inaction of most Muslim countries. With little meaningful justice for Serb genocidaires, it is hardly a surprise that in recent years Milorad Dodik, the unrepentant leader of this Bosnian-Serb unit, has aggressively resorted to the same sort of rhetoric that coloured the genocide, nor that Bosnia’s governments have generally been helpless to do much about it. The genocide remains keenly relevant in Bosnia because the rhetoric and political frameworks that incited it run rampant under the American-European aegis.

Conclusion: Lessons Still Resonate

The Bosnian genocide is also relevant abroad. For millions of foreign Muslims in the 1990s it was a shocking reminder of the depth and extremes of anti-Muslim nationalism; for minority Muslims in particular it served as a wake-up call to how far supposedly neutral institutions might go to shield the worst anti-Muslim crimes. With an even bloodier genocide taking place today that has killed, maimed, starved, and expelled Palestinians by the millions in the most sadistic ways; the strained efforts of various institutions throughout the West to deny the evidence of their eyes in favour of Israel; and the impunity with which Israel’s supporters regularly incite anti-Muslim animus from Amsterdam to Los Angeles—the lessons of the horrors experienced by Bosnia’s Muslims in the wreckage of Yugoslavia resonate with us today.

Related Posts:

History of the Bosnia War [Part 1] – Thirty Years After Srebrenica

Go Visit Bosnia

 

The post History Of The Bosnia War [Part 2] – The Continuing Relevance Of The Bosnian Genocide appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Alḥamdulillāh.

This is not a clickbait title. It is a serious question—one that haunts countless Muslim hearts around the world, especially as they witness genocide broadcast in real time, funded and shielded by the world’s most powerful empire. And now, as Israel continues to brazenly bomb Syria—again and again—without a single missile fired in return, without even the illusion of deterrence, the truth becomes undeniable: Israel never sought a just peace, and it never will. Its record is long and well-documented by countless international institutions and human rights organizations—marked by massacres, ethnic cleansing, an entrenched apartheid regime, flagrant violations of international law, and the continued occupation of Palestinian land. And America gives Israel everything it needs to do that and to dominate, destabilize, and subjugate our Muslim people—defending it at every level, from UN vetoes and massive military aid to proxy wars, diplomatic impunity, economic coercion, and total narrative control through its monstrous media apparatus.

And let me be clear at the outset: this is not an expression of hatred toward Jews, so don’t be quick to dismiss it as an anti-Semitic rant. As Muslims, we have lived alongside Jews for centuries, and—aside from the hypothetical case of Unitarian Christians who uphold Mosaic law—no religion is closer to Islam—ritually, legally, and theologically—than Judaism. We yearn for a just peace, one in which we can welcome our Jewish cousins back—from the Euphrates to the Nile—not as overlords, but as co-citizens, with dignity and justice for all.

So let us begin. But before we proceed further, let me distill the reality into two unshakable premises—both supported by overwhelming evidence and visible to anyone not numbed by propaganda or paralyzed by moral confusion. These are not abstract positions. They are the foundation upon which this entire discussion rests, and if one cannot accept them, it is unlikely that anything that follows will make sense.

1. Two Premises We Will Not Debate

Premise 1: Israel is an evil entity—not merely a misguided aggressive state. It is a settler-colonial project grounded in ethnic supremacy and systemic dehumanization. It seeks to dominate and subjugate the surrounding Muslim region—indeed, Muslims from Casablanca to Jakarta—by brute force, espionage, sabotage, and genocide.

Premise 2: America enables this. Some used to say Israel is the West’s arm in subjugating Muslim lands. Today, the stronger case may be the reverse: that America is subordinated—morally and politically—to the Zionist project. Whether one calls it a “special relationship” or strategic alliance, the fact is that America has become so entangled in Israeli interests that its institutions, diplomacy, and credibility are routinely sacrificed for Israel’s impunity.

I will leave aside the CIA’s covert operations, regime changes, and empire-building. What I want to focus on here is the primary reason why America is hated across the Muslim world—its undying, militant, and shameless support for Israeli crimes against our people over the last 77 years.

2. So, Should We Hate America?

If it is true—as the evidence overwhelmingly shows—that Israel has spent decades committing massacres, enforcing apartheid, and occupying Palestinian lands and other territories of neighboring countries, and if it is equally true that the United States protects, funds, and shields it at every level, then the question is not rhetorical:

Should we, as Muslims, hate America?

There are three common answers:

An absolute yes—fueled by righteous anger, but often collapsing into indiscriminate rage that blurs moral distinctions, alienates allies, and undermines strategic action.
An absolute no—which too often amounts to denial, normalization, or silence in the face of horror.
A muddled answer — driven by confusion, personal entanglement, or a performative pursuit of hollow intellectualism, often resulting in moral paralysis or the quiet normalization of injustice.
I reject all three. What we need instead is a fourth position: not neutrality, not moral compromise, but principled clarity. One that recognizes the full extent of America’s complicity, names it without hesitation, and yet insists on responding with justice, discipline, and purpose—not blind fury or empty slogans. This is not about softening the truth. It is about staying anchored to it—so that our resistance is not only fierce, but meaningful.

3. What Do We Mean by “Hate”?

This may be the first question we need to ask ourselves: Are we hateful people? Does Islam allow us to hate a country, a people, a civilization?

To answer that honestly, we must begin not with their slogans, but with our own tradition. Then we can examine what others preach—and whether they live by what they claim.

Don’t be fooled by propaganda that tells you to “love your enemies.” They want you to love the ones who buried your children under the rubble—as they continue to bury them. They want you to love the settlers in al-Khalīl (Hebron) who terrorize the indigenous population, your brethren, and subject them to unthinkable daily humiliation and violence. It is not enough for them to steal your home; they want your embrace as they do it.

Yes, we hate oppression and the oppressors. We love our human family—the children of our father Ādam (ʿalayhi al-salām)—but we do not love evil or those who embody it. We do not suspend moral judgment in the name of abstract universality. We hate evil and we hate those who embody evil, insofar as they embody it. But we do not hate their transcendent egos—their souls—for we still hope for their repentance, their guidance, and ultimately their salvation.

This is not emotional vindictiveness. This is al-barāʾ—the principled disavowal of injustice and those who persist in it.

4. What Is “America,” and What Shapes Its Conscience?

Some ask, “But what is America? Is it the land, the system, the elites, or the people?” It’s a fair question. We must always distinguish between parts and wholes. Just as it is crude to reduce individuals into their collectives, it is equally misleading to ignore the existence of larger structures, dominant trajectories, and the reality of a collective conscience—a national posture that emerges through patterns of behavior, policy, and public sentiment.

And the American collective conscience regarding Israel is shaped by several dark and destructive forces:

a. Apocalyptic Religious Fanaticism

Among a significant segment of evangelical Christians, the Zionist project is not about justice or history. It is about facilitating the return of Christ. They believe Jews must return to Palestine, even if it means war and bloodshed, to fulfill prophecy. Unlike Catholics, many evangelicals also carry a theological inferiority complex—believing that Jews are divinely chosen in an absolute and ongoing sense, even by bloodline. As Muslims, we do not deny that righteous among the Children of Israel were chosen by God at specific times in history. But that chosenness was always contingent upon faith and obedience—not ethnicity—and it was never a blank check for oppression.

b. Projected Guilt from European Antisemitism

Europe’s centuries of violent antisemitism—culminating in the Holocaust—have produced in Western societies a deep guilt. But instead of facing their crimes, many have outsourced the cost of that guilt to the Palestinians. Support for Israel becomes an act of catharsis, even if it means cheering on oppression.

c. Social Darwinism

Among certain secular elites, Israel is admired not in spite of its ruthlessness, but because of it. Its material success, military dominance, and strategic cunning are seen as self-justifying. Within this framework, power is its own proof, and survival its only ethic. The fact that Israel can impose its will is taken as evidence that it has the right to do so—regardless of the moral cost or human toll.

d. Mass Apathy and Propaganda

Many Americans do not know, do not care, or have been deliberately misinformed. A media apparatus that is not only corporate but deeply corrupted, cynically manipulative—shamelessly complicit in manufacturing consent for war and whitewashing Israeli crimes—works hand in hand with bought-and-paid-for politicians and a deeply compromised educational system to produce a public too apathetic to care and too distracted to ask.

e. Political Cowardice and Corruption

From Congress to the White House, fear of AIPAC and the broader Israel lobby defines American politics. Some officials are morally weak; others are fully bought. Some are bribed, and some—like Jeffrey Epstein’s known associates—are likely blackmailed. And Epstein, after all, is just the one who got caught. We don’t know how many Epsteins are still out there, nor how deep the web of compromise runs. But the result is the same: a political system that safeguards Israeli impunity at virtually any cost, even when it violates American interests, morality, or global standing.

f. Identitarian Religiosity and Islamophobia

For many in the West—religious and secular alike—support for Israel is not just about Israel. It is about opposition to Islam itself. Islam has long been cast as the civilizational “Other,” and in a world increasingly fragmented by culture wars, many view Muslims not as fellow citizens of the world, but as ideological threats. For some Christians, Islam is the antichrist religion. For many secularists, it is a relic of the past. In this framework, Israel becomes a symbolic bulwark of the West against the rise or resurgence of Islam—no matter how unjust its actions may be.

g. Imperial Realpolitik

For much of the 20th century—especially during the Cold War—Israel was seen as a vital outpost for American power: a stable, militarized ally in a volatile region, serving as both intelligence hub and deterrent against Soviet-leaning Arab states. In that era, Washington viewed Israel as a necessary tool to maintain Western dominance over oil routes, suppress regional independence movements, and counterbalance nationalist or Islamist uprisings.
But times have changed. The Cold War is over. Most Muslim-majority countries today are not anti-American by default, and many are open to meaningful partnerships based on mutual interest and respect. In fact, the economic, demographic, and geopolitical advantages of fair alliances with the Muslim world far outweigh the diminishing returns of blind support for an apartheid regime that isolates America, inflames global resentment, and tarnishes its credibility.
America has everything to gain by reassessing this obsolete arrangement—and everything to lose by clinging to it. Yet America remains blindfolded.

h. Antisemitism

You may be surprised to see this listed here, and you may have expected antisemitism to be a force aligned with the Palestinians. But we are a nation committed to justice, and we strive to see things as they are. Some antisemites are motivated by religious resentment toward Jews for rejecting Jesus and may feel closer to Muslims who honor him as one of the greatest messengers of God and his mother as a virgin and saint. Yet, most antisemitism today is rooted not in theology, but in delusions of racial or ethnic supremacy. And those who harbor such views may despise not only Jews, but even more other Semites—namely Arabs, and by extension, Muslims. It is worth remembering that many of the political forces that supported the creation of Israel were driven not by sympathy for Jews, but by a desire to relocate their so-called “Jewish Problem” to lands far away from Europe. That tragic calculus had nothing to do with justice for either people—and we are all still living with its consequences.

5. But There Is More to America Than That

Yes, the system is corrupt. But no, it is not absolute.

a. Individuals of Conscience Still Speak Out

There are journalists, activists, clergy, and ordinary citizens who continue to speak the truth—not out of political opportunism, but from a place of moral conviction. Some are secular humanists, animated by the belief in the equal worth of all human life. Others are Christians who draw on the ethical core of their tradition— not on identitarian religion, apocalyptic fantasies, or the theology of empire, but the example of the prophets. Many have paid dearly. Rachel Corrie gave her life standing in front of an Israeli bulldozer to protect a Palestinian family’s home. Aaron Bushnell died in flames outside the Israeli Embassy to protest a genocide the world dares not name. Norman Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, was effectively pushed out of academia—denied tenure and marginalized—because he defended Palestinian rights with unflinching integrity and dared to challenge the sacred myths of power—they are proof that conscience still breathes, even within a system built to suppress it.

b. Fragile but Functional Institutions

America still offers, for now, limited space for dissent. The judiciary remains independent to a great extent—often capable of resisting political interference and upholding constitutional rights. But freedom of speech, while constitutionally protected, is not always consistently or equally granted—especially when it comes to criticism of Israel or advocacy for Palestinian rights. Social, professional, and institutional pressures often suppress certain voices long before the courts ever intervene. And even the judiciary is ultimately constrained by laws crafted by a legislature increasingly compromised by lobbyists, ideological capture, and foreign influence. If these trends continue, even the remaining institutional safeguards may not hold.

c. Real Patriots Still Exist

There are Americans who love their country not because it is powerful, but because they believe in what it claims to be. They see blind support for Israel—especially when it undermines American values or endangers its true interests—as a betrayal of the country’s founding principles. For them, dissent is not treason; it is a responsibility. They want an America that is respected, not merely feared; admired, not resented. And they understand that such an America cannot coexist with the defense of apartheid, military occupation, and the open shielding of war crimes.

6. To Muslims Abroad: Don’t Be Naïve—And Don’t Be Divided

This message may not reach you. But if it does—and you still do not see Israel as your existential enemy—then you are either comatose, or you have been bought. And if you still believe that America can serve as a fair broker between you and Israel, then you are dangerously mistaken—for it is not brokering peace, but managing your submission.

To the leaders, diplomats, and strategists among you:

No one is asking you to fight America. But you must:

• Refuse to be controlled by it.
• Use your diplomatic and economic leverage to pressure it.
• Stop allowing it to divide, intimidate, or co-opt you.
• You may hate one another, but if you had any sense of responsibility or strategic awareness, you would unite against the one power that stands in the way of your collective rise. That power is Israel—sustained, protected, and emboldened by America. I can’t help but laugh when I hear that you had a “meeting with your American counterparts.” Counterparts? In what sense? Your unity and cooperation are not luxuries. They are not merely religious mandates or strategic preferences—they are necessities. They are a condition for your survival in a world of superpowers.
• A unipolar world is harmful to all—even to the unipole itself. Allah says: ﴿وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ﴾ — “Were it not that Allah checks some people by means of others, the earth would be corrupted” (al-Baqarah 2:251). Build alliances with the Global South, including states like Russia, despite its past and present flaws—and others seeking emancipation from a collapsing world order—one that grows more openly hypocritical by the day, and may soon drop its mask entirely to reveal the face of Renaud de Châtillon. Pete Hegseth’s face, frankly, is not far off.

To the people:

You are looking at America from a distance. No one can blame you for focusing on the collective impact—the violence, the instability, the devastation you feel in your daily lives. And how could I possibly tell the parents of children buried beneath rubble not to hate the entity that supplied the weapons and shielded the killers?

I only ask this: take a closer look at the picture every now and then—examine its details. When you do, you’ll see that America is not a monolith. The reality inside is more layered and more conflicted than it appears from a distance. And I know that most of you already do.

I also ask that you:

Demand that your leaders act with dignity and strategic clarity—but also understand their constraints. Even China cannot reclaim what it sees as its own island, Taiwan, for fear of confronting the American military machine. Do not expect your governments to do what even superpowers hesitate to do.

Instead, work for righteous governance—without plunging your lands into chaos. There is a place for armed struggle, such as in the case of Syria under mass butchery, but most of the time, civil and principled struggle for reform is safer, more enduring, and more consistent with our religious values. Your enemies want to see you divided, disillusioned, and self-destructive. Do not give them that satisfaction.

And most importantly: be introspective. Your enemies did not make you weak—they only exploited the weakness you left unaddressed. They have benefited from your divisions, your corruption, your disorganization. Be angry with America. But be angrier with yourselves.

7. On Asymmetric Warfare and Moral and Strategic Limits

If the West stands firmly behind Israel, does that mean Muslims must suspend resistance until they are strong enough to defeat the entire Western bloc militarily? No—it doesn’t work like that. The West will not support Israel forever. It will stop when the cost becomes unbearable—politically, economically, and morally.

But until then, Muslims around the world ask: What should we do? Does asymmetric warfare have a legitimate role in resisting Israeli hegemony and oppression?

Sometimes asymmetric warfare is the only option—but necessity does not excuse lawlessness, and desperation cannot replace guidance. In Islam, warfare must be governed by Sharīʿah, not by emotion or expediency. Also, asymmetric resistance is sometimes necessary, but often insufficient—and it can never replace long-term strategy aimed at decisive, just, and lasting victory. It may delay defeat, but it rarely delivers final success unless it is part of a broader vision rooted in divine guidance, moral discipline, and strategic clarity. Here are some guiding thoughts:

We do not mirror our enemies’ crimes.
Islam forbids us from targeting women, children, and medics—even if our enemies do so without remorse. Moral clarity is not a luxury; it is a command. Yes, those on the weaker side often lack the luxury of precision. And yes, it is unimaginably difficult to maintain moral discipline while your children are buried under rubble by an occupier defending apartheid. But الدنيا سجن المؤمن—“this world is the prison of the believer”—and the Sharīʿah, when rightly understood, does not place us at an insurmountable disadvantage. It binds us to justice, not helplessness.

Asymmetric warfare is costly to the weaker party.
In Islam, leaders are not permitted to recklessly endanger their troops or populations. Sharīʿah requires that the expected benefit of armed resistance must clearly outweigh the potential harm. This decision must not rest with religious scholars alone. Their role is to outline the moral and legal parameters. But the actual assessment of benefit and harm must be made by those with expertise in warfare, politics, intelligence, and public welfare. Moral legitimacy depends not only on intent, but on responsibility and sound judgment.

The decision to take Muslims to war belongs to legitimate leadership
Islam does not grant individuals the right to unilaterally initiate warfare—whether symmetrical or asymmetrical. Acting without authority (iftiʾāt ʿalā al-sulṭān) is a violation of the Sharīʿah and a betrayal of communal trust. No individual has the mandate to drag an entire people into war based on personal judgment or zeal. On this, there is—and should be—no disagreement, not only among scholars, but among all sane and responsible people.

Public opinion matters—now and always.
The war for global perception is not trivial. The Prophet ﷺ took great care to consider how actions would be interpreted, and how they might affect the long-term credibility of the message. He once said, “So that people do not say…” (لا يتحدث الناس) when refraining from an action that could be misunderstood. Caring about how we are seen is not weakness—it is wisdom. This is even truer when we cannot defeat our enemies militarily and must rely on moral clarity, global awareness, and public support to sustain our struggle.

Build power—don’t merely react.
Allah says:
﴿وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم﴾

“And prepare against them whatever you are able…” (al-Anfāl 8:60)
This is not just a call to arms—it is a call to capacity. Asymmetric warfare may resist occupation, but it rarely delivers decisive or enduring victory. Even in Vietnam and Afghanistan, America was not forced into military surrender—but it was outlasted, outmaneuvered, and compelled to retreat, unable to impose its political will despite overwhelming force. But Palestine is different. Israel will not leave. And America will not leave Israel—unless the cost becomes too high to sustain.

The Prophet ﷺ said three times:

‏”ألا إنَّ القوَّةَ الرَّميُ ألا إنَّ القوَّةَ الرَّميُ ألا إنَّ القوَّةَ الرَّميُ”

“Indeed, strength lies in shooting.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Today, “shooting” means delivering the most accurate and devastating strike—faster and farther than your enemy. This requires not only weapons, but excellence in science, engineering, and systems. But military power is not built in isolation. A B-2 bomber isn’t built on physics alone—it depends on an entire society cultivating long-term investment, human development, discipline, creativity, and trust.

And even that is not enough.
A society that achieves technological mastery but neglects justice and righteousness will not be honored by God. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“كيف يقدس الله أمة لا يؤخذ لضعيفهم من شديدهم؟!”

“How can Allah sanctify a nation in which the rights of the weak are not taken from the strong?”

And even justice is not the final goal. If our efforts are not for Allah, then even our achievements are weightless. Allah says:

﴿وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا﴾

“And We will turn to whatever deeds they had done, and make them as scattered dust.” (al-Furqān 25:23)

So let our short-term strategy and long-term vision move in harmony—toward a revival that is powerful, principled, and anchored in God. Asymmetric warfare may be a phase in our struggle, but it must not become our identity. It is a response, not a strategy; a tool, not a philosophy.

8. To Muslims in America: You Live Inside the Picture

You do not have the luxury of distance. You see this system up close. And if you allow your anger to collapse into total despair, you will never help change it. You live inside the picture. And while it’s necessary to step back at times to see the whole, your proximity also binds you to the details: to the institutions, the individuals, the mechanisms, and the nuances. You must learn to engage both the part and the whole—to see the system for what it is, and to act within it wisely and effectively.

You must:

• Channel your rage into purposeful action.
• Build institutions.
• Leverage the system’s contradictions, and use its remaining efficiencies to advance justice wherever possible.
• Work with allies of conscience.
• Speak truth to power—wisely.

Yes—hate the corrupt elements of the system and its protagonists, and stay angry at the entrenched forces that profit from your despair and feed off injustice—those who manipulate power, suppress truth, and normalize cruelty:

• The corrupt political class that sells its conscience to lobbies and careers.
• The legacy media that manufactures consent for war and buries the truth under distraction.
• The religious fanatics who long for Armageddon and sanctify genocide in the name of prophecy.
• The racists and supremacists who refuse to see your children as human, your pain as real, or your lives as worthy.

But do not reduce all of America to these forces. Let your anger sharpen your vision—not blind it. Do not allow rage to erase the virtues that still exist within this system, or the individuals of conscience who, in some cases, have done more than you or me in defense of truth and justice.

If your hatred becomes blind, you’ll be unable to act with clarity or purpose. And if you are so overcome that you can no longer function here emotionally or spiritually, no one can blame you for seeking peace elsewhere. That may well be the wisest choice for your well-being and the well-being of your family.

But for those who remain: Don’t be domesticated. Don’t be defeated. Don’t be consumed.

Final Thoughts

In Gaza, I witnessed firsthand how non-Muslim American doctors were embraced by the people—even after it became known that they were American. The doctors were surprised. I was not. This is who we are. This is what Islam teaches.

Stay angry. But stay just.
Be sharp. But be kind.
Be strategic. But be principled.

And never forget: this is not merely a struggle for land. It is a struggle for the future of truth and justice—for the dignity of all humanity.

وصلى الله على محمد والحمد لله رب العالمين

Related:

Over 85 Muslim Scholars, Leaders And Institutions Say Muslim Nations Can Take “Concrete Action” To End Gaza Genocide

The post The Terrorist Entity of Israel Is Our Existential Enemy — Should We Hate America? appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Cryptocurrency is Deek’s last chance to succeed in life, and he will not stop, no matter what.

Previous Chapters: 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

“Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it.”
– Quran 2:154

The Doors of Grace

Zaid Karim Al-Husayni walked in the door of his apartment and smiled, luxuriating in the aroma of Iraqi food that filled the place. He was bone tired, not so much physically, but emotionally. His heart was like an old rug, beaten to knock the dust off, only to find that the stains were permanent.

The apartment, at least, was a haven. Safaa had decorated it in the style of a traditional Arabic home. A low daybed beneath the window was piled with embroidered cushions in rose and cream, and a brass tray held Safaa’s silver teapot and two tiny glasses. Above, an ornate filigree lantern hung from the ceiling, casting warm light onto a mosaic-tiled floor of terracotta and cobalt.

Safaa had done a phenomenal job. Zaid felt so at peace here.

“As-salamu alaykum,” he called out. “Bismillah, ya Allah iftah lee abwaba rahmatik.” O Allah, open for me the doors of your mercy.

The girls ran to greet him, and he dropped to one knee to embrace them. Anna was growing like a weed, and seemed taller every time he came home. She preferred plain clothes, like jeans and oversized t-shirts, and would not wear anything colorful or frilly. Hajar, on the other hand, looked like a wrapped dollop of sunshine in a ruffled yellow dress, and with a yellow ribbon in her hair.

“Guess what, Baba,” Anna said. She had begun calling him Baba unbidden about a year ago, and he never stopped her. She knew very well who her biological parents were, and she retained her given name – Anna Anwar. But for all genuine purposes, Zaid and Safaa were her parents now. Legally as well, since they had formally adopted her.

“Hajar says she wants to marry Ishaaq. I said she should find a boy with more qualities.”

“He has lots of qualities!” Hajar protested.

“Oh, really?” Zaid smiled. Ishaaq was a Yemeni boy in Hajar’s class. Zaid had always thought the two of them didn’t get along. “Like what?”

“Like he can draw a perfect circle, and he knows all the jokes.”

“Those qualities seem good.”

Hajar smiled. “You want to play Life with us?”

Zaid stood up, threw out his arms like an opera conductor and sang, “The game of Life, the gaaaaaame of Life, you will learn about life when you play the game of Life!”

Hajar threw back her head and laughed, while Anna said, “What is that, a commercial from the 1800’s?”

“You girls go play your game,” Safaa said. “Baba and I have to talk about grown up stuff.”

“Yucky,” Hajar commented, and the girls scampered off.

The Envelope

Safaa leaned in for a kiss. He pulled her close, embraced her and closed his eyes, reveling in her scent. He tightened his arms, squeezing her, and she gave a delighted laugh. When he released her she took his hand and said, “Come. I have something to show you.”

She led him to the bedroom, sat him on the bed and took an envelope out of a dresser drawer. “Deek Saghir stopped by. He dropped this off.”

Zaid took the envelope. It was heavy and full to bursting. He knew right away what was in it. On the front there was a note: For a true hero. The least I could do.

Zaid’s mouth turned down, and a sour feeling rose in his gut. “Did you count it?”

“It’s one hundred thousand dollars.” She raised her eyebrows and grinned as if to say, Isn’t this an exciting development!

“I told him he only owed me $1,500. I’ll return the rest.”

Safaa sighed. “This again, baby? Why are you so determined to turn away money?”

Zaid’s mouth opened, then closed. He couldn’t tell her the details of what he’d done to rescue Deek. He couldn’t tell her that this was blood money. One hundred thousand? That was thirty three thousand per life taken. The cost of a new car. Was that what a human life was worth now, a car? If a man’s life was worth a mid-sized sedan then what about a child’s life? A scooter? The envelope felt like a brick of lead in his hands. He dropped it onto the bedspread.

Safaa studied him. She knew him well, and even though she didn’t know the details of what he’d done, she must have read some of it in his face. She took his hand gently.

“After you rescued Anna, I told you that you didn’t need me at all, that it was all of us who needed you, do you remember?”

“Sure.”

“Maybe that was true then. But now, baby, all we need is each other. You, me, Hajar and Anna. We don’t need this money. If you want to return it, I won’t object. But listen, sweetheart. This isn’t dirty money. It’s gratitude. You saved Deek in some kind of way, I know that. Every dollar in that envelope is a debt we all owe you, and you deserve every cent. I know you carry weight in your heart, but let me carry this one for you. I’ll take the money and spend it for our family, and I will carry the burden. I’m so proud of you—always.”

Zaid wanted to reply, but the words were caught in his chest like a butterfly in a net. He nodded.

Rather than embrace him, Safaa pushed him onto his back, straddled his torso and began to rain mock punches on his head. “Who’s the tough guy now, huh?”

Zaid laughed and called out for the girls. They came running, and he said, “Mama is beating me up, help!” With squeals of delight, the girls grabbed pillows and began to hit Safaa. The envelope fell off the bed and rolled under a nightstand. In that moment, Zaid forgot Deek, who was like a living Janus coin. He forgot Badger, and the teenage girl he’d returned home, and Bandar, and even Panama, and luxuriated in the joy of a moment like a precious pearl in a long string of gems. Allah had always been good to him, and always would be.

“I surrender!” Safaa pleaded. “Help, Zaid!”

He gave a mock villain’s laugh, and grabbed a pillow.

Letters and Books

He was still laughing when the cordless phone on the nightstand made a sound like a bird’s warble. He answered with a smile, but it faded as his father said, “As-salamu alaykum Zaid.” There was a softness to his tone that surprised Zaid, but worried him.

They’d spoken only once or twice since Zaid’s return from Panama. It wasn’t that Zaid blamed him for Mom’s behavior. Just that they had little to say to each other. After a lifetime of seeking attention from an emotionally absent father, a lifetime of hoping and wishing for a dad who would play with him, attend his school events, talk to him, notice him, Zaid had finally given up.

Although… His father had written to him regularly when he was in prison. They were not emotional, “I love you and stand by you,” kind of letters. That wasn’t his father’s style. More like, “I’m working on a major engineering project, your mother has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, Uncle Tarek sold the store…” That kind of thing. Yet even these dry notes were more than many had done, and – Zaid knew – were an expression of love.

On top of that, his father had sent books. Every month, Zaid received a new book, and even though Zaid never requested any particular book, his father always seemed to send something appropriate. Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, about the desperation of the Russian political prison system. A collection of Palestinian poetry of resistance. The incredibly detailed Life of Muhammad by A Guillaume. A sci-fi novel about a bodyguard pursued across multiple worlds by an alien race. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and Muhammad Asad’s Road to Mecca. And so on.

Zaid couldn’t keep more than five books in his cell by regulation, so he would read the books and then donate them to the prison library.

He still sometimes thought of that library, and what new prisoners must think coming into the pen and finding – instead of the usual collection of Louis L’Amour westerns – an eclectic collection of sci-fi books, Arab poetry, and Islamic treatises.

His father, absent though he may have been, had earned himself a lot of goodwill in Zaid’s heart with those letters and books.

Bad News

“Wa alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah. It’s good to hear from you, Dad.” Saying this, Zaid realized that he sincerely meant it.

His father cleared his throat. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I have bad news, however.”

Panic rose like a geyser in Zaid’s chest. “Is it Mom?”

Safaa said something to the girls, and they trotted out. She closed the bedroom door, then returned to sit very close to Zaid, taking his hand.

“No,” his father said. “Baby Munir died last night. He went into a seizure and his heart stopped.”

The world narrowed. The breath he was about to take stalled. He heard something like an intake of air from the other side—maybe a sympathetic reflex, maybe nothing—and then his father continued, “Faiza called me this morning. She’s handling it. There will be a small memorial in Amman. I don’t know yet what the arrangements are. You can do whatever you think is appropriate.” His words were precise, like measurements on a blueprint—accurate and clear, with an almost imperceptible hint of concern.

Zaid didn’t speak for a long moment. There were more tears inside him than water in the Mediterranean, that warm and fruitful sea that kissed the shores of Gaza, but from which the Gazans were not allowed to fish.

The tears did not come, however. There would be a time for that.

“How is Aunt Faiza?” he asked finally, and the question came out smaller than the grief that had already rolled through him, and now lay like foam upon the surface of his inner sea.

“She’s keeping it together,” his father said. “She asked after you. Said you were the one who always talked to her when she needed to not fall apart.”

“Are we…” Zaid wasn’t sure what to ask. “Are we doing anything?”

“I cannot go to Amman right now, if that’s what you mean. You may do as you desire. Do what’s right.”

The “do what’s right” landed like a hand on his neck. Zaid had spent so much of his life trying to figure out what that phrase meant when it came from his father—was it obedience? Was it presence? Was it performance? He had no translator for grief that arrived wrapped in the same language that had once been a whip.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, and it came out brittle. His father made a small sound that could have been either acknowledgment or impatience.

“Take care of Safaa and the girls.”

“You take care as well,” Zaid managed, then realized that his father had already hung up.

Money’s Purpose

“What is it?” Safaa asked quietly.

“Baby Munir died.” The words were hollowed out by a lifetime of grief for his homeland and his relatives who had suffered and died. The old, complicated catalog of feelings—guilt, frustration, love, helplessness—rolled through him, heavy as the envelope that had tumbled under the nightstand and now lay somewhere out of sight.

The envelope! The money. His mind spun. The $100,000 had felt too heavy earlier, the numbers like a ledger of lives—how many had been paid for, how many had slipped away. Now the same stack of money was a bridge. Deek’s mess of debt and salvation folded back on itself: the man he’d pulled from the jaws of death had, without asking, given him the means to keep another small part of his own family from vanishing without acknowledgment.

Even as he thought this, his mind recognized the coldness of the mental arithmetic, and he recoiled. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t a trade: saving Deek’s life in exchange for a consolation prize for Faiza. Who was he to measure Allah’s grace, or to act as if he had a part in managing the balance? Astaghfirullah.

“Ya Allah,” he whispered, “Forgive me for counting what only You can weigh.” He let the impulse settle into something purer: he would send Aunt Faiza the money not to settle a debt or to manipulate the mizan – the heavenly scale that weighed all people’s deeds – but as an act of love. Nothing more..

Safaa put her arms around him, whispering Islamic prayers and words of comfort.

“I’m going to send Aunt Faiza thirty thousand dollars to cover the funeral costs, and to help with her living situation, inshaAllah.”

Safaa rubbed his back. “Of course, habibi. Whatever you want.”

“Allah have mercy on Deek Saghir,” Zaid said. “May Allah grant him good in the dunya and the aakhirah.”

“Ameen.”

Jamilah Al-Husayni

“I need to call Jamilah.” His cousin Jamilah Al-Husayni had a special fondness for Baby Munir. She deserved to know what had transpired.

Jamilah lived and worked in a rehab clinic on the Northern California coast.

Jamilah lived and worked in a rehab clinic on the Northern California coast. She returned every four or five months to visit her mother and brother in Madera, but no one knew her phone number and precise address except Zaid—‘for security,’ she’d insisted, because the patient she cared for needed privacy.

“You’re a private eye,” she’d once told him with a wink. “You know how to keep secrets. That’s why you’re the only one with my phone number. I expect discretion.”

Zaid had taken this act of trust seriously. Her number was saved in his contacts as simply “C” for cousin. As he pressed the call button, the room was quiet—only the soft rustle of the girls playing somewhere down the hall, the ordinary sound of life trying to push past the weight in the air.

Her voice came through, a little breathless. There was a whipping sound like a strong wind. “Zaid? Hold on, I’m sitting on the patio and the wind is coming off the ocean. Let me go inside.”

Zaid heard a door slide open and closed, and the background noise quieted. “It’s been too long. Where are you now?”

“In Fresno,” he said. “Home. Safaa is with me, you’re on speaker.”

“Safaa!” Jamilah exclaimed. “I miss you so much. We need to get together. How are the girls?”

Safaa’s tone was subdued, knowing what was coming. “They’re great, alhamdulillah. Anna calls us Baba and Mama now. Hajar wants to marry a boy named Ishaaq because he draws perfect circles.”

Jamilah laughed. “My cousin Shamsi has a checklist too, but that’s not on it.”

“I need to tell you something,” Zaid said. “It’s not good news.”

There was a pause, and when Jamilah spoke again her voice was subdued. “I think I know. Baby Munir returned to Allah, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Who told you?”

“No one. And I wasn’t actually sure.”

“He died last night. Allah have mercy on him,” Zaid said. “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.”

Without missing a beat, Jamilah recited an ayah from the Quran in Arabic, then translated:

“Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it.”

The ayah hit Zaid like a cold ocean wave, shocking him. SubhanAllah! His father had said that Munir had “died,” and Zaid had parroted the statement to Safaa and Jamilah. But no! We never speak of the shuhadaa that way. I know better. But sometimes I forget.

“You’re right,” he said. “Jamilah?”

The line went quiet, save for a faint hum that rose and fell. Had the line been disconnected? “Hello? Jamilah?” The sound continued. Safaa touched his arm and mouthed, “She’s crying.” Zaid closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and waited.

The Dream

Almost a full minute later, Jamilah spoke, and her voice was surprisingly strong. “The heart grieves, and the eyes weep, but we know the promise of Allah is true.”

Zaid mouthed the word, “Wow,” to Safaa. Who was this woman he was talking to? Jamilah had changed so much in the last few years. The younger Jamilah had been impulsive, angry, and sometimes arrogant, but this Jamilah was pious and wise beyond her years. His cousin kept a lot of secrets, but Zaid was sure that something profound must have happened to remake her in this way.“I knew something had happened,” Jamilah went on, “or was about to. I dreamed of baby Munir last night.”

Zaid didn’t expect the small hitch in his chest, the way his breath caught. “What did you see?”

“Falastin,” she said, and the word came out like a prayer. “Palestine. * (see author’s footnote). Not demolished homes and kids shot by snipers. Not murdered journalists, kidnapped children, bulldozed farms. No bombs falling. No. I saw a new Palestine being built in Jannah, block by block, street by street, town by town.

There is a new Falastin being built in Jannah, and it is glorious. Streets paved in gold bricks catch the sun and hold it like a promise. All the millions of Palestinians who hold keys to demolished or stolen houses? Those houses are being perfectly rebuilt with stones from the hills of Palestine. Everywhere there are arched doorways and domed roofs decorated with carved plaster swirls and rosettes. Courtyards with bubbling fountains, colorful tiles, and marble floors, and every home is finished with inlaid jewels and mother-of-pearl.

Families sit in their courtyards eating platters of grilled fish, musakhan, maqluba, bread, hummus, and olives. Children play football in the street, and these kids are strong and smiling, with eyes like bright stars.

There are vast orchards of tall olive trees, heavy with fruit. Cows and sheep graze the grass-covered hillsides. Fishermen return with great hauls of sea bream and sardines. Artisans make cheese, linen, and olive oil, just for the joy of it.

No one is hungry, no one is frightened or grieving. Laughter, love, and dhikr fill the air, and the sun shines as gently as a kiss. All those who believed and did righteous deeds have gardens beneath which rivers flow, just as the Quran promises.

I was there. It is real. I stood there, on those streets. The air smelled like sea salt, fresh bread, za’tar, and jasmine. Everywhere I heard the sound of people reciting the Quran. The adhaan sounded from a shining silver masjid, and the sound was so sweet it made me weep. People streamed to the masjid from every direction, men in white thobes and kefiyyehs, women in traditional red and black dresses with tatreez embroidery. They strolled to the masjids happily, swinging their children, and praising Allah.”

“That’s incredible,” Zaid said. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” Beside him, Safaa wept quietly, covering her mouth. He put an arm around her and held her tight.

Jamilah went on, and Zaid heard a tremor in her voice now. “Munir was there. I recognized him right away. He looked a lot like you, Zaid, when you were young. He wasn’t a baby, but a boy of ten years old, healthy and laughing. Thick brown hair and a big smile. He was doing a freestyle rap praising Allah, and other kids were standing around him, smiling and listening. He glanced my way and grinned, like he knew who I was.

And guys, those Palestinians… All the shuhadaa were there, and all who have been imprisoned and tortured, but they were whole people. They carried no weight, they weren’t healed because they were never broken. Because we Palestinians do not break.”

Still Me

Zaid didn’t answer immediately. The sound of his own breathing filled the silence, thick and raw. He felt something behind his eyes, warm and wet. He swallowed it down. “Tell Faiza,” he said. “Tell her what you saw. Let her know he’s somewhere better. That she’s not alone in carrying him.”

“I will,” Jamilah said. “I’ll call her tonight, inshaAllah.”

Zaid exhaled. “You’ve changed so much,” he said quietly. “Remember when I ran into you in San Francisco, and you were sitting on that armchair on the sidewalk, wearing your cycling outfit? Sometimes I miss the crazy Jamilah of the past, but I think the new Jamilah is a lot happier.”

He heard the sound of Jamilah’s smile. “There are places that try to break you, and places that build you back up. “I’m in a place that builds people back up. You’re right, I’ve changed. I was foolish and arrogant back then. I’m still me, Zaid. Just… Some of the edges have been softened. Things are clearer. Safaa, you’re so quiet. Are you still there?”

Safaa wiped her nose on Zaid’s sleeve, then said, “You’re a special person, Jamilah.”

“And you, Safaa, are the rock that my cousin leans on, and the light that shows the way.”

Safaa smiled and brushed tears from her cheeks.

“Should we do something for Faiza?” Jamilah wanted to know.

“I’ve got it covered,” Zaid said. “I’m sending her a good amount of money. Courtesy of a brother named Deek Saghir.”

“In that case,” Jamilah said, “Allah barik feek, ya Deek Saghir. Allah bless you, whoever you are.”

After the call, Zaid remained sitting, thinking about Jamilah’s dream. Allah had given her a true dream, which was one of the signs of imaan. He felt it acting as a salve inside him, softening the ragged edges of his wounds. He clung to it as a talisman, believing in it fully.

The dream did not erase the suffering of the Palestinians. The evil being committed against his people was unfathomable. But after all he’d been through, Zaid had come to grasp a certain truth: the dunya did not make sense without the aakhirah. In the dunya, people sometimes got away with their crimes, and innocents died without recompense.

By changing the time scale, by adding a dimension to human existence, and by factoring in a Day of perfect judgment when every stone and tree would be a witness, the aakhirah changed everything.

* * *

Footnote: this dream of Falastin in Jannah was dreamed by one of the residents of Gaza a few months ago. It was narrated to me by someone who heard it from that person. It was specifically a dream of a new Gaza being built in Jannah. I fully believe it to be true. In this story I changed it to Palestine more generally.

[Part 17 will be published next week inshaAllah]

 

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:

Gravedigger: A Short Story

The Deal : Part #1 The Run

The post Moonshot [Part 16] – A Palestine In Paradise appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Over 85 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders, and institutions today released a joint statement expressing their view that the governments of Muslim-majority countries, including Arab Muslim nations located near Palestine, can take “immediate and concrete action” to secure an end to the Israeli occupation’s escalating genocide in Gaza.

Signatories to the statement argue that these Muslim-majority nations have the unique opportunity, legal authority, and moral basis to take various steps, such as:

1. Ending any economic, diplomatic, intelligence, and military relationships with the Israeli government, including the so-called Abraham Accords.

2. Announcing consideration of an embargo on global oil and gas sales that directly or indirectly contribute support to the Israeli government’s genocide.

3. Banning the use of their country’s airspace and the use of any military bases within their country to support the Israeli government in any way.

4. Opening their side of Gaza entry points like the Rafah crossing and facilitating the travel of aid trucks, medics, journalists, demonstrators and others who wish to approach the crossing and demand entry.

5. Organizing a unified diplomatic mission to a Gaza crossing with senior government officials personally leading an aid convoy and refusing to leave until Israel allows unlimited aid to enter freely by land routes.

The full statement reads:

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. All praise and thanks belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May peace and prayers be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported that the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”

We, the undersigned Islamic scholars, religious leaders, and institutions, write today to share our view that the political leaders of the world’s Muslim-majority nations should take greater, concrete action to stop the ongoing genocide of our brothers and sisters in Gaza.

We wake up every morning to see new images of men, women and children in Gaza whose rib cages protrude through their skin because of starvation, whose heads have been hollowed out because of Israeli snipers, or whose bodies have been charred like charcoal because of a bombing.

We also see the Israeli occupation stealing more swathes of land across Palestine and threatening to expel surviving Palestinians from Gaza. We see mercenaries opening fire on crowds of starving Palestinians seeking food.

We see that, even under increasing international outcry, an insufficient trickle of aid enters Gaza while the death toll from both starvation and Israel’s indiscriminate attacks rises daily.

Despite the efforts of various human rights groups, brave journalists, nations like South Africa, and millions of protestors around the world, the Israeli occupation is now reaching the final stages of its campaign of extermination and expulsion.

The common regional response to Israel’s crimes—a foreign ministry issuing a statement of condemnation that calls on unnamed members of the international community to stop the genocide—has not stopped the genocide. Neither have calls for the deadlocked, ineffective and unrepresentative UN Security Council to take action.

Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working.

We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the “international community” to grow a conscience. This is especially true of Arab Muslim nations surrounding Palestine.

We believe that these governments have the unique opportunity, legal authority, and moral basis to take greater, immediate and concrete action to pressure the Israeli occupation to end this carnage.

Although a genocide should matter to every single human being regardless of their faith, this genocide against a predominantly Muslim population carried out by an openly racist, anti-Muslim government should especially matter to the ummah of Prophet Muhammad . So should the fate of Palestine, including Masjid Al Aqsa.

Although we recognize the geographic, financial and military limitations that some governments in the Arab Muslim world face, it appears to us that these governments have many unused tools at their disposal.

Some of these governments control the most important parts of global oil production. Some of them host military bases used to resupply and support Israel. Others control airspace that is critical to the Israeli government and its ability to rearm. One controls a border crossing with Gaza. These nations have leverage. They just haven’t used it.

We therefore today express our view that the governments of Muslim-majority nations should go beyond harsh statements and diplomatic entreaties. Specifically, we believe that these governments could help end the genocide by:

1. Ending any economic, diplomatic, intelligence, and military relationships with the Israeli government, including the so-called Abraham Accords.
2. Announcing consideration of an embargo on global oil and gas sales that directly or indirectly contribute support to the Israeli government’s genocide.
3. Banning the use of their country’s airspace and the use of any military bases in their country to support the Israeli government in any way.
4. Opening their side of Gaza entry points like the Rafah crossing and facilitating the travel of aid trucks, medics, journalists, demonstrators and others who wish to approach the crossing and demand entry.
5. Organizing a unified diplomatic mission to a Gaza crossing with senior government officials personally leading an aid convoy and refusing to leave until Israel allows unlimited aid to enter freely by land routes.

Over the past two years, people around the world have bravely protested to demand an end to the Israeli occupation’s genocide in Gaza. These protesters—many of them not Muslim, Palestinian or Arab—risked their jobs, reputations, and safety to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Now the governments of the Muslim world have an opportunity to reflect the wishes of their citizens by taking brave, unified action to help our brothers and sisters in Gaza.

We believe that if they take the aforementioned steps and use other appropriate tools at their disposal in an attempt to stop the genocide, the entire Muslim world and people of good faith around the world will rally around them.

We close with a prayer.

May Allah grant the highest rank of Paradise to our brothers and sisters who have been martyred in Gaza, heal those injured, and comfort those who have lost loved ones.

May Allah forgive the ummah for failing to do more to help our brothers and sisters in Gaza.

May Allah guide the political leaders of the Muslim world to take effective action for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and uphold justice for all.

May Allah inspire all of us to strive for justice with sincere intentions, wise decisions, effective strategies and successful outcomes.

May peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad , his family, and his companions.
Ameen.

CURRENT SIGNATORIES
Individuals

• Imam Mohamed Abdel Salam,  Puyallup Islamic Community Center (PICC)
• Dr. Ismahan Abdullahi
• Imam Sedin Agic
• Aftab Alam, President, The March 15th Forum
• Shaykh Ibrahim Ali
• Hafiz Ikhlas Ansari
• Nihad Awad, National Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations
• Sheikh Abdullah Ateeque
• Shoaeb Basha, Executive Director, American Muslim Health Professional
• Dr. Hatem Bazian, President of Northern California Islamic Council
• Noorgul Dada, Chairman, Noor Islamic Cultural Center
• Imam Mohamed Dahir
• Dr. Abdelhafid Djemil
• Imam Seyed Ali Ghazvini
•  Imam Khalid Griggs, Executive Director, ICNA Council for Social Justice
• Dr. Ayman Hammous, Executive Director, Muslim American Society
• Dr. Suleiman Hani
• Dr. Altaf Husain
• Imam Ahmadullah Kamal, IQRA Cultural Center
• Muhi Khwaja, American Muslim Community Foundation
• Yasser Louati, Comité Justice & Libertés (Committee for Justice and Liberties)
• Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Deputy Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations
• Shaykh Suhail Mulla
• Imam Saeed Purcell
• Dr. Yasir Qadhi
• Imam Mohamed Mukhtar Sayid
• Emad Sabbah, President and Co-Founder, Ethaar
• Imam Ali Siddiqui, Former Chairman, Peace with Justice Center, LaVerne, CA
• Chaplain Ahmed Shedeed, President, Islamic Center Of Jersey City
• Dr. Omar Suleiman
• Dr. Hebatullah Taha, President of the Board, CAIR Los Angeles
• Imam Suhaib Webb
• Hena Zuberi, Editor-in-Chief, MuslimMatters

Organizations

• • Ahlulbayt Islamic Center of Columbus
  • American Islamic Cultural Center
  • American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP)
  • American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
  • Arizona Muslim Alliance
  • Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
  • Center for Education and Research Nahla
  • Center for Religious Tolerance (Masjid Usman) San Diego
  • Comité Justice & Libertés (Committee for Justice and Liberties)
  • Council of Sacramento Valley Islamic Organizations (COSVIO)
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
  • Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center
  • Ethaar
  • Greenview Madani Center
  • Hamzah Islamic Center
  • Hershey Islamic Center
  • Husaynia Islamic Society of Seattle
  • Islamic Center Of Jersey City
  • ICNA Council for Social Justice
  • Imam Council of Metropolitan St. Louis
  • Islamic Council of Victoria
  • Islamic Association of North America (IANA)
  • Islamic Center of Pennsylvania
  • Islamic Center of Irving
  • Islamic Center of Morgantown
  • Islamic Center of San Diego
  • Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
  • Islamic Community Center of Atlanta
  • The Islamic Society of Central Delaware
  • Islamic Society of Chester County
  • Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
  • Islamophobia Studies Center
  • Islamic Center Masjid Al-Sabereen
  • IQRA Cultural Center
  • Kurdish Community Islamic Center
  • Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)
  • The March 15th Forum
  • Muslim American Society (MAS)
  • Muslim Community of Nassau County
  • MAS Sacramento Region
  • Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
  • Muslim Community Of Folsom
  • Muslim Girl
  • Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
  • Muslim Students Association (MSA National)
  • North American Imams Federation (NAIF)
  • Noor Islamic Cultural Center
  • Prince George’s County Muslim Council
  • Rihla Community Services
  • Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims (SALAM)
  • Shia Muslim Council of Southern California
  • Tri-City Islamic Center
  • US Council of Muslim Organizations
  • We Love Our Neighbors
  • World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations

If you are an Muslim institution, scholar, imam, or organizational leader, and you would like to sign the statement, you can do so here.

The post Over 85 Muslim Scholars, Leaders and Institutions Say Muslim Nations Can Take “Concrete Action” to End Gaza Genocide appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[Content warnings: violence, rape, antisemitism, Islamophobia]

 

In Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World, Mark Twain wrote, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.”

For Arnesa Buljušmić-Kustura, a survivor and scholar of the Bosnian genocide, writing about the aftermath of a well-documented war was—and is—no easy task. She describes Letters from Diaspora: Stories of War and Its Aftermath on its back jacket as “a fictionalized portrayal of immigrants living in Diaspora based on the real stories Bosnian people have shared with her throughout her years of living in the United States.” 

This sentence provides the audience with all they need to know—while the stories are fictionalized, they are not falsified.

Falsification is a modification designed to intentionally misinform readers. Fictionalization is reimagination, specifically to provide others with a fresh perspective.

In fictionalizing, an author may change a name, rephrase a sentence, or alter the structure of a testimony—but the essence of the story is preserved. In Letters from Diaspora, Buljušmić-Kustura has done just that—compile and combine survivors’ stories she’d heard with her ear and transform them into stories with heart.

“Fifty years after the world said ‘Never Again’ to the horrors of the Holocaust, genocide took place on European soil,” says the organization Remembering Srebrenica. Despite years of multicultural and multiethnic coexistence, rising racism and Islamophobia led to neighbors killing neighbors. Serbs and Croats pitted themselves against Bosniaks, who were primarily Muslim. 8,000 believers were senselessly murdered, and their remains are still being dug up to this day.  

“While it has been [30] years since the war and genocide, the Bosnian population remains unhealed and too traumatized to speak publicly of the horrors they lived through,” the author’s note prefaced (Buljušmić-Kustura, 12). This statement echoes again in multiple letters. Rabija, whose first letter serves as an introduction to the silence surrounding the Bosnian genocide as a whole said, “We are afraid and yet we speak very little about the fear that we feel. I often wonder if my Bosnian friends do not speak about our past for fear it will repeat itself again.” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 21-22)

It’s understandable why a survivor may not want to be noticed so publicly and to live their lives recounting horrific incidents to audience after audience. Some may also not want to relive those terrible memories over and over again. Others feel significant pressure to put their identifying information out into the world, where it lives forever on ink and paper. To combat this, assigning a pseudonym to a survivor’s story can be liberating. The anonymity grants dignity; a rawness that might not otherwise be shared with others. Should a reader come across a survivor in real life, the reader would have no idea—and the survivor may prefer that, to continue navigating through their lives free of interrogation, no matter how innocent. Protection is as much of a priority for the dissemination of survivors’ accounts as is publication. By weaving some stories with others and assigning new names to each one, Buljušmić-Kustura directed this masterfully. Indeed, with some of the details given, it takes an expert to handle with care. 

“I saw them burn.” This is just one harrowing part of Jasmina’s letter. “I saw his body on the footsteps of the home I believed would hold our children one day. Is [thirty] years enough time to get over that? How can I get over that?” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 26)

Fictionalization is also helpful in cases of protecting a survivor’s physical safety. Genocide deniers and members of hate groups routinely threaten the safety of survivors, directly and indirectly. Neo-Nazis, for example, once fought to march to assert their First Amendment rights to freedom of expression and protest in Skokie, IL. Skokie, in 1977, was home to hundreds of Holocaust survivors, and those citizens were rightfully opposed to a thirty-minute show by those Neo-Nazis to wear swastikas (Goldberger). The ACLU accepted the case, and after a lengthy legal battle, the neo-Nazis were told to demonstrate in Chicago instead. A few years later, the wider community responded to that demonstration by building the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie.

It’s a similar situation of safety for Bosnian-Americans, especially those who choose to return to their cities of origin. Hana shared in her letter, “[W]hen I returned to my hometown, two of the men that forcibly took my body were in the line next to me. They were free. They were happy even. […] Is that the kind of injustice I must live with? To know that the men that held me captive for a year, that abused me every day for a year, are able to go on and have happy lives?” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 42)

“I saw them burn.” [PC: Tim Mossholder (unsplash)]

A confrontation is a risk for survivors of any tragedy. In multi-layered chaos like prolonged war and becoming an international refugee, many cannot feasibly track their tormentors down. Even if they do, as Selma did, they often see the system fail them:

“I interned at The Hague. I saw the faces of those responsible for the deaths of my loved ones and one by one they gave them sentences that were too lenient, in my opinion. In some cases, they did not even give any sentences. I saw the faces of genocide and yet I could do very little to give them the punishment they deserved.” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 50)

The last reason, flexibility, may seem to center around the writer, but it can still revolve around the survivor. Writers are charged with telling a story. To do so requires not-so-simple decisions of craft. Detailed responses from interviews may have to be cut out due to word counts and page limits. When speaking to multiple survivors, some of the accounts are repeated, for no fault of their own—but unfortunately, audiences often complain of too much similarity between them. There’s a pressure to only highlight the unique parts of every survivor’s story; otherwise, they might not be read.

Buljušmić-Kustura did this masterfully in diversifying each letter, even the ones about loss. Safet mourned how Islamophobia and racism severed the ties between him and his Christian Serb friend (Buljušmić-Kustura, 30-34).

It’s the details like this that give the audience empathy and each account memorability. Sabahudin perhaps said in his interview that his mother, father, brothers, and neighbors were brutally slain. But a certain pain evokes within us when the author poetically ends one part of his testimony with “All of their blood creating one large puddle.” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 58) 

Our stomachs coil. Our eyes water. It’s as if Letters was sent to our personal mailbox, and we’re communicating with a long-lost friend. A human being, like us.

There are tender moments, too. We feel as though Ivana is chatting with us, sharing how she was a Christian at the start of the war and became a Muslim after it ended, despite the vile propaganda around her. (Buljušmić-Kustura, 60-66) Alma predicted that after another exhausting American party, she would return to her own home and think of how weddings were done in Bosnia. “I won’t dance, but I’ll close my eyes and I’ll send my mind back in time to the days I used to dance all night, until my feet bled.” (Buljušmić-Kustura, 72)

So let us uphold a real survivor’s dignity, safety, and story through fictionalizing. In doing so, we put the “art” in articulating—to share a story well-told and well-remembered.

 

Related:

– History of the Bosnia War [Part 1] – Thirty Years After Srebrenica

– Rising To The Moment: What Muslim American Activists Of Today Can Learn From Successful Community Movements During The Bosnian Genocide

The post The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth?: A Case For Fictionalizing Testimonies Of Atrocities appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Cryptocurrency is Deek’s last chance to succeed in life, and he will not stop, no matter what.

Previous Chapters: 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

“(When) wealth is hoarded—its owner neither enjoys it during this life nor receives any recompense for it in the Hereafter.” — Ibn al‑Qayyim, Madarij al‑Salikin (Ten Useless Matters)

Ashlan Gardens

Still sitting in his Porsche, Deek called Marco, who answered with, “How did the Moon Walk Motel work out for you?”

“I got ki-” He’d been about to say, I got kidnapped, until he remembered he must not talk about that.

“You got what?”

“I, uh, got killed by that sagging mattress. Are you free? I want to take you to The Purple Heifer for dinner. My treat.”

“Purple Heifer! Did an uncle die and leave you a fortune? Heck yeah, I’m free.”

“Pick you up in an hour.”

Before the Purple Heifer, Deek had another stop to make. He stuffed $100,000 into a Marco Polo envelope, sealed it, and jotted a note on the envelope:

For a true hero. The least I could do.

He didn’t know exactly where Zaid Karim’s office was, and wasn’t about to drive around the East Belmont ghetto carrying a fortune in cash. Instead, he headed for Zaid’s apartment, which was on Ashlan Avenue near the national guard base. Deek and his family had been there for dinner a few times, and he was confident he could find it.

He ended up wandering around the Ashlan Gardens apartment complex for ten minutes until he found an upstairs apartment with a sticker on the door that said, “Laa ilaha il-Allah” in Arabic.

Coriander and Lime

When Safaa answered the door wearing sweat pants, an embroidered Arab shirt, and a loose orange scarf, Deek was momentarily nonplussed. He always forgot how much she looked like Rania. Safaa was taller than Rania and more slender, but their oval-shaped faces and large dark eyes were nearly identical, as were their rich brown complexions.

Thinking of Rania, he was suddenly hit with a pang of longing. What was she doing at this moment? Did she miss him? Was she lonely?

“Deek!” Safaa shook her head at him, smiling. “Why are you giving my cousin a hard time, huh? You even made Zaid go looking for you.”

The scent of Iraqi cooking emanated from the apartment. Deek could identify the distinct smell of caramelizing onions and garlic, the lemony-floral lift of coriander, and the sour-bitter tang of sun-dried lime. Safaa and Rania’s mothers were sisters, and the two of them had no doubt learned to cook all the same dishes. Deek could probably guess exactly what Safaa was cooking, based on the scent.

In the background, he heard the two girls arguing about what ingredients to put on a banana split.

“If you make it all chocolate,” Anna was saying reasonably, “it’s not a banana split. A banana split is supposed to have vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.”

“You’re not the banana split police,” Hajar countered.

“Zaid’s not here,” Safaa added. “He and Jalal found that missing girl. They’re taking her home.”

Deek had no idea what Safaa was talking about. Zaid had rescued yet another missing girl? Unbelievable! The guy was a hero from a fairy tale.

“Are you going to adopt that one too?”

Safaa laughed. “No, silly. She’s nineteen!”

“Oh, uhh…” Deek held out the envelope. “This is for Zaid.”

Deek held a fervent hope that neither Zaid nor Safaa would be offended by this payment. Zaid had implied that Deek’s money was dirty money. That was unfair. He’d worked hard for this wealth, and he wanted to do something for the man who had put his life on the line for him. How else could he show his gratitude? He wasn’t a sage who could change a person’s life with a word. He wasn’t physically powerful, nor was he the kind of charismatic friend whose companionship everyone yearned for. But Allah had blessed him with wealth. This was what he had to give.

Safaa accepted the envelope, then read the note. “That’s so sweet! Zaid will love it.” She hefted the envelope, lifting it up and down. “Deek… this feels like cash. Is this money?”

Talking to Safaa was so weird. Even her mannerisms resembled Rania’s. Knowing that his own wife, at such a moment, would find something to chastise him for, and fearing that Safaa might do the same, he decided to beat a quick retreat.

“I have to go,” he blurted. “Thanks for everything!” And he was gone.

The Purple Heifer

Deek picked up Marco in front of the SRO. His friend stood amid the riffraff of the neighborhood, holding a trumpet case and looking as carefree as a bird on the breeze.

At about 5’8”, Marco was shorter than Deek, but aside from that, he could have been an actor or model. Even at the age of forty-five, his golden bronze skin – courtesy of his Puerto Rican heritage – was smooth. His black hair was thick, and naturally fell into waves that caressed his ears. He wore old hi-top sneakers, jeans with holes in the knees, and a clean but faded Miami Heat t-shirt. Deek knew that these worn-out clothes were not a deliberate fashion choice but simply the result of poverty, yet Marco managed to make it all look casually stylish.

Marco stuffed his trumpet case behind the passenger seat and climbed in. His hands roamed over the dashboard as he exclaimed, “Dude! What the heck is going on?”

Deek grinned. “I’ll tell you in a bit. Why did you bring the trumpet case?”

“Purple Heifer has a live piano player. I thought I might join in for a number.”

“They’ll let you do that?”

“I’m well known in the Fresno jazz scene.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Marco gave him a wry look. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”

The Purple Heifer Steakhouse at the corner of Shaw and Cedar had been a Fresno fixture for decades. It was known for its flame-grilled steaks, wild-caught shrimp, crab cakes, lobster tails, exotic burgers, and more. It wasn’t the most expensive restaurant in town, but to guys like Marco and Deek (or the guy Deek had been last week), it might as well be a millionaire’s resort.

Approaching the restaurant, Deek could smell the cooking beef from half a block away. The popular eatery was huge and dimly lit, which was one of the reasons Deek had chosen it. He asked for a corner booth. The piano player, a sixtyish man in a black suit and top hat, was playing a lively yet smooth song that might have been Brazilian jazz. The restaurant was busy, with a lot of conversations happening at once, but the music managed to float above it all, and Deek found himself tapping his foot to the beat. He was excited for what was about to happen, and couldn’t wait to see his friend’s reaction.

A Gift

Once they’d ordered, Deek set a backpack on the table.

“This is for you.”

Marco poked the backpack with a finger. “Books? I have plenty of books in storage. No space in my room.”

“Not books.”

“Better not be a practical joke like one of those expanding snakes, I’m serious.” Feeling the backpack tentatively, he unzipped it and peered inside, then, miffed, gave Deek a lopsided frown. “So it is a joke! What is this, Monopoly money?”

“It’s as real as the Porsche.” Deek lowered his voice to a whisper. “It’s two hundred thousand dollars. It’s yours, as a gift from me for your friendship.”

Marco wobbled in the chair as if he might fall. Deek half rose, reaching for his friend. Why did people keep reacting like this to the sight of money?

Marco gripped the edge of the table with one hand and waved Deek off with the other. “I’m okay,” he said, and the words sounded squeezed. “Where did this come from?”

Briefly, Deek explained what had happened in the last week, though not delineating the full extent of his wealth.

Three Reasons

Marco reached into the backpack and felt around, touching the money. Then he closed the backpack and sat back. Sweat had broken out over his forehead. Finally, he pushed the backpack across the table to Deek, rumpling the tablecloth and nearly knocking over Deek’s water glass.

Marco’s lips were tight. “I can’t accept this.”

“Why not?” Deek’s voice came out louder than he intended, and he lowered it to an intense whisper. “You’re living in an SRO. I want to help you.”

“Three reasons,” Marco spoke slowly but firmly. “One, my friendship is given freely. It requires no payment or gift.”

Deek tried to reply, but Marco held up a hand. “Two, it’s a little insulting, as if you don’t believe that I can create my own better future. Three, make no mistake, there’s a part of me that would be happy to take this cash. But how long would it last? Two or three years? I might buy a car, which brings further expenses, and rent an apartment, buy nice clothes, pay off my student debt, and voila – the money’s gone. Then what? I come to you asking for more? At which point you begin to doubt my sincerity. No, our friendship must be a steady, controlled reaction, not an exothermic burst that blazes with heat, then dies.”

“I would never – “

Again, Marco held up a hand. “Look, Deek. With the money you have now, people are going to swarm around you. They will want to sell you things, borrow from you, make business deals, solicit donations, learn your crypto methods, or pretend to be your friends in order to freeload. You will begin to doubt everyone’s intentions. I won’t be one of those. You will always know I am your true friend, because I will always pay my own way.”

People Help The People

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to squeeze in a song before the food comes.”

As Marco spoke to the piano player, Deek gripped his water glass so tightly that it cracked. He was fed up with people acting like he was the devil trying to corrupt them with a gift of wealth. If Marco were hungry, would he refuse a meal? If he were sick, would he turn away a blood transfusion? Why did people behave so bizarrely when it came to money?

Marco had his trumpet out. The piano player began a slow song, and Marco soon joined in. The song was moderately paced but sad, like a man pleading for forgiveness from a lover he had never meant to harm. At first, the despondency of the song deepened Deek’s bitterness, but Marco’s trumpet rose and fell like a bird riding the currents between land and sea. Deek’s breathing eased, and he sat back in the seat and closed his eyes. The restaurant became hushed as conversations were stilled. When the song was over, applause broke like a crashing wave.

Marco tried to leave, but the audience called for an encore. For the second song, they played a mid-tempo jazzy number, and Marco sang. Deek had heard Marco sing little snatches of tunes before, but never a full-throated number like this. His voice was low and strong, like the running of a river swollen with spring rain. He belted out a song about a man in love with a woman on an October night, and wanting to dance with her beneath the moon.

“I didn’t know you could sing like that,” Deek enthused afterward.

“As I said, there’s a lot you don’t know.”

“I would really love to hear you recite the Quran in Arabic one day. It would be amazing to hear it in your voice.”

Marco nodded. “Could happen. I like a challenge.”

The food came, and they ate, but the atmosphere was subdued. Deek sawed away at his steak and potatoes, and Marco picked at a shrimp platter. Later, Deek could not have said what they talked about, or if the food was tasty. When the check came, Marco tried to pay his share. Deek held the check away from him and returned it to the server with a hundred-dollar bill.

“What was that first song?” Marco asked. “The one that was sad at first, then swept up like a tidal wave.”

“People help the people.”

“That’s ironic.”

Marco gave a slight smile – the first Deek had seen since the money reveal.

Shadow In The Lot

It was dark when they exited the restaurant. The parking lot was half full, and a movement in the corner of the lot caught Deek’s eye. That part of the lot was empty except for a small, battered car parked beside a cinderblock wall. A man ducked into the car and closed the door. From this distance, Deek could not be sure, but the man had looked vaguely like Shujaa, the Yemeni youth who had sold him the Porsche.

“Did you see anyone over there?” he whispered, pointing.

Marco leaned forward, squinting into the shadows. “By that car? No.”

Deek’s eyes bored into the darkness. He could walk over there… but it was very dark. The man could have been anyone. He shook it off. “Let’s go.”

When he dropped Marco off at the SRO, his friend punched him gently in the shoulder and said, “I’m happy for you, brother. I will always be here for you.” Marco dropped two twenty-dollar bills onto the dashboard. “For my dinner.”

Before Deek could protest, his talented and handsome friend shut the car door and walked away quickly. Deek considered chasing after him, but there was no way he could leave this car -and all the cash inside it- unattended in this neighborhood.

In fact, looking around at the neighborhood, Deek felt suddenly nervous. A group of young men, pants riding low on their hips, stood in the recessed doorway of a building across the street. Their attention seemed unnaturally focused on Deek and his Porsche. Only a few steps away from the Porsche, a white woman with the lean body and aged, sore-spotted face of a meth addict took a long swig from a wine bottle, then threw the empty bottle into the street, where it shattered with the finality of the very last broken promise. A man in a filthy tweed coat, his bare chest exposed, probed a trash can, looking for the treasure of a recyclable can.

Two girls in black clothing and boots, their hair shorn on one side only, faces bearing so many piercings they could have opened a jewelry shop, strolled through the chaotic scene with no sign of fear.

Starfish

Quickly, Deek locked the doors, then stuffed the backpack full of money deep under the passenger seat. He was about to put the car in drive and take off when his eyes settled on a thin, blond-haired boy who could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen years old, curled up with a puppy in a recessed doorway. The boy wore old jeans and a gray sweatshirt that was several sizes too large. He was not asleep, but lay looking out at the street. Peering more closely, Deek saw that the boy had a small pocket knife in one hand. His other arm curled protectively around the puppy.

He suddenly felt ashamed. Here he was, walking around with hundreds of thousands of dollars, while there were kids on the street with nothing to eat and no safe place to sleep. But this was the way of the world, wasn’t it? Luxury perched on the back of poverty. And it wasn’t him who had made it like this.

But maybe he could be part of the solution.

He remembered a story he’d heard once about a boy on the beach. Thousands of starfish have washed up onto the beach, where they will die. The boy picks them up one by one and throws them back into the sea, saving their lives. An old man comes along and says, “You can’t save all these thousands. What you’re doing doesn’t matter.” The boy throws another starfish into the sea and says, “It matters to that one.”

People help the people. That was the only way to make sense of this crazy world. He slid his hand into his pocket, intending to take $1,000 out of his wallet to give to the boy. Discreetly, of course.

Ambush

His driver’s side window shattered. He shouted in shock and surprise. Shards of glass rained upon him, and instantly he felt a blinding pain in his left eye. He cried out and put a hand to his eye. With his other eye, he saw a brown arm snake inside the car and unlock the door, and the next thing he knew, he was yanked out of the car.

He fell onto the filthy sidewalk, landing on something wet that crunched beneath him. Leftover soda in a cup, he hoped. He tried to stand and fight in spite of the terrible pain in his eye, but a foot drove into his stomach, forcing the air out of him and making him grunt in pain. He vomited semi-digested steak and potatoes onto the sidewalk. As he was retching, a fist crashed into his cheekbone, then another into his mouth, and another and another, hitting his nose, jaw, ear, and skull. He tasted blood in his mouth, hot and metallic. But apparently that last shot hurt the attacker’s hand, because the man cursed in Arabic.

Deek recognized the voice. It was Shujaa. It had been him after all, back at the restaurant! He should have trusted his gut.

Rage rose inside him like a high tide on a rough sea. “Not again!” he thought. “I will not let this happen again.”

Deek was many things, good and bad, but he was not a coward. The Iraq of his childhood had been a place of hardship and violence. He’d seen bodies in the streets and had witnessed the aftermath of battles and bombings, yet had gone to school, to the store, and played football in the street. The words “surrender” and “give up” did not exist in his vocabulary. His entire personality was based on persistence and determination. When he was kidnapped last week, the only thing that stopped him from fighting back was that his wrists and feet were bound. Otherwise, he would have struggled and fought to the point of death.

As Shujaa pulled back his foot to kick, Deek rolled into the young man’s legs and wrapped them with his arms. Shujaa shouted in surprise and fell. Deek heard a cracking sound as the young man hit the ground, and Shujaa’s body went completely still, half on the sidewalk and half in the street. One arm lay in the dirty gutter, and the knuckles of both hands were bloody.

Come And Try

Pushing off the sidewalk, Deek rose to his knees. Shujaa lay at his feet, unmoving, a small rivulet of blood trickling from the back of his skull. Perhaps he was dead, Deek did not know.

With his good eye, Deek saw that the group of young toughs from across the street had approached. They stood only a few meters away. A twenty-ish and muscular man with a shaved head, dressed in blue basketball wear and a bulky blue coat in spite of the warm weather, stepped forward.

“Y’all put on a show,” the man said. “But we gon’ take that car now.”

Deek held a hand to his agonizing left eye, as if he could isolate and capture the sliver of glass cutting his eye open. His lips were split, and he couldn’t breathe through his nose. His stomach felt like it had been taken out, trampled by a horse, and put back in. His right hip throbbed with pain. Yet not for a moment did he consider stepping aside and letting these gangsters take his car. Casually, he undid the clasp on the knife sheath and drew the long, wicked blade.

Holding the knife down at his right side, but clearly visible, he said, “Come and try then.” He would cut them all down, just like Zaid Karim would do.

Another of the young men, thinner and younger, also dressed in shades of blue and purple, and with braided hair to his shoulders, reached into his coat and drew an automatic pistol. He tilted the weapon sideways and pointed the barrel at Deek’s head. “Ain’t no try. Hasta luego, fool.”
The man was going to kill him. Deek’s eyes widened, and his breathing slowed. How could it end like this? Shot to death over a stupid car?

So be it. La ilaha il-Allah. He raised the knife and took a step forward.

The barrel of the gun flashed, there was a loud bang, and something struck Deek in the face. He stumbled backward yet did not fall. The gangster had shot him. The man had shot him in the face, yet somehow he was still alive.

Trumpet

He had no vision in his left eye, so it caught him completely by surprise when Marco stepped in front of him from the left and swung his trumpet as hard as he could. It struck the side of the gunman’s head with a loud gong, and the gangster fell like a brick, the gun skittering away. The other thugs shouted, but Marco threw the trumpet at them, darted forward to grab the gun, and began firing shots into the air.
The gangsters scattered, comically holding up their pants as they ran.

Marco tucked the gun into his waistband, snatched up the trumpet – which was now dented and bent – and hurried to Deek.

“Get in the car, bro. We have to get out of here. Put your knife away.”

“He shot me.”

Marco gripped Deek’s head and studied the left side of his face. “It’s a graze. Right along your left eyebrow. You’re very lucky.”

Swaying on his feet, Deek peered across the street. Where was the boy? The homeless blond kid? People help the people. He was going to throw a starfish into the sea. It would matter to this one. But the boy was gone, frightened away by the violence of the street. Poor kid.

Once again, the world was telling Deek that his money was no good. But money was what he had to offer, so he and the world would have to come to a compromise. Either that, or they would fight a ten-round heavyweight match, and only one would stay standing at the end. And right now, at this moment, Deek was still standing.

The street was dark and dirty. Someone had lit a tire on fire in an empty lot down the street, maybe to stay warm. Sirens were approaching. The thugs could return at any moment, maybe better armed this time. Shujaa was still bleeding and unconscious on the ground. Deek gestured to him: “Him too. We can’t leave him.”

* * *

[Part 16 will be published next week inshaAllah]

 

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:

Hot Air: An Eid Story [Part 1]

As Light As Birdsong: A Ramadan Story

 

The post Moonshot [Part 15] – People Help The People appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

There’s still a month left of summer, and summer vacation is one of the best times to pick up those books you’ve been meaning to get around to, or to pick up some new titles that you didn’t have time for before! Here’s the latest MM roundup of summer reads for all ages.

Non-Fiction Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America by Aymann Ismail

As a millennial Muslim woman, I am very familiar with the memoir-like narratives of my peers, but rarely do I see reflective pieces by Muslim men… so when I received an ARC of this book, I was excited. I want to know more about Muslim men’s experiences with faith & fatherhood & being Muslim in a non-Muslim land.

Alas, I did not find what I was looking for in this book. Perhaps it was my own expectations of what personal growth looks like, especially if faith is involved. Don’t get me wrong – Aymann is not a terrible writer – and I can understand that growing up Muslim in America is a challenging experience that’s different for everyone. I just… expected something different.

Instead, what I got was a very 2000s-esque take (think Taqwacores cut scene of making du’a after smoking weed with some Muslim female friends in college), resentment over religious parents (he does show them appreciation and grace, but I still found his takes frustrating), a lot of rambling about preserving Arab identity…

That’s not to say that the entire book was a write-off. There were certainly thoughtful sections where the author reflected on his parents’ reasons for being as they were, considering his own growth as a father and what that means to him, and the book does end on a mildly redemptive note (for both Aymann and his father). The entire book could have used a lot more critical editing and development, but even with all my critiques, I think it’s a good starting point for Muslim men to have conversations around their roles as Muslim fathers – and for Muslim women like myself to get a glimpse of what that looks like.

Bigger Than Divorce by Makeda Yasenlul

“Bigger Than Divorce” by Makeda Yasenlul is a pretty unique book in the Muslamic genre, being the only book I’ve come across so far that talks about divorce (or rather, living the aftermath of divorce) to a Muslim female audience.

What I really like about this book is how pragmatic it is. This is not about wallowing in angst – and as someone who has spent a significant portion of her life riddled with angst, I can tell you that there are limits to enabling the wallowing.

This pragmatic approach – which acknowledges the hard emotions of divorce, but doesn’t just sit in it – is refreshing because it’s all about moving forward in a healthy way. I appreciated the grounding in spiritual wellbeing, beginning with considering one’s purpose in life as a slave of Allah, and using our relationship with our Creator as the foundation of building the next chapter of our life post-divorce.

For the most part, this book is for folks who have gone through “average” divorces, not for those leaving traumatic or abusive relationships. However, I do think there’s value in this book for most people who have experienced divorce, as the advice and suggestions are applicable to many.

As the first Muslamic book that I’ve read on divorce, I’m glad this book exists (and I don’t hate it or find it trite!). Here’s hoping that we’ll have more great books on the topic in the future inshaAllah!

Fiction Where the Jasmine Blooms by Zeina Sliman [Adult Fiction]

Following two Palestinian cousins, Yasmine – living in Canada – and Reem – living in a refugee camp in Lebanon, this story covers multiple themes (sometimes to its own detriment). From Palestinian grief to an abusive marriage, from missing family members and mysterious letters (and also a K-drama actor Muslim convert), this book never quite figures itself out. (Also, the blurb calls this a “political historical thriller and a Muslim feminist love story.” It is neither.)

The writing is not bad at all, and in fact at times is quite powerful – especially reflections on family, grief, and Palestinian history. The writing style reminds me a lot of Arab/ Muslim novels from the early 2000s, except that it is utterly unapologetically Muslim rather than riddled with internalized Islamophobia. I loved that there was no pandering to the Western/ nonMuslim gaze, and no holding back on critiquing Israel and its imperialist stooges.

This debut novel holds a lot of promise for the author’s future works, and is definitely worth checking out despite my editorial critiques!

Salutation Road by Salma Ibrahim [Adult Fiction]

Sirad is a London-raised Somali girl, and she seizes opportunity to board the secret bus to cross over into a Somalia where her parents had never left, where her father never abandoned her family, and where a different version of herself lives… just as restless as Sirad herself. Even when she returns to London, Sirad never truly seems to know herself or what she’s meant to do. When she has the chance to meet Ubah – her alternate self – again, Sirad must make a decision that will impact her sense of self forever.

Featuring traveling across time and space, this is a unique new novel in the Muslamic sci-fi/ surrealist genre.

Hand Me Down Your Revolution: An Anthology of Stories, Poems, and Memoirs by Muslim Youth [Adult/ YA]

Muslim Youth Musings is a fantastic literary organization for aspiring Muslim writers mashaAllah – and they’ve just published their first anthology!

From the magical realism of Mariam Siddiqui’s “Where the Crimson Roses Bloom” to the amusing “Jamal’s Kufi,” the deeply moving “A Love Letter to Muslim Kids in Public Schools” by Jaweerya Muhammad and Maryam Vakani’s gorgeous prose (I especially loved “Rituals for the Grieving” and “Mother Wound”), there’s a little something for everyone.

Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid [YA]

“Odd Girl Out” by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid is a great Muslamic take on quintessential YA: a teenager going through big life changes, dealing with the drama… and in this case, also facing Islamophobia.

Maaryah Rashid’s life is uprooted by her parents’ divorce, in more ways than one. She has to leave behind her glamorous life in Dubai to live in the middle of nowhere, Essex; she’s the only hijabi at her school and the target of a nasty Islamophobic bully… AND her mom is so busy falling apart after the divorce that she doesn’t seem to notice Maaryah’s own grief, loneliness, and struggles.

I love that there are repeated references to salah, hijab as an act of worship, and what being Muslim means in the West. On the flip side, there’s also flirting and physical contact between Maaryah and boys, without it explicitly called out as haram/ wrong.

As with most Muslamic YA that touches on various teenager-y things (boys, parties, various haraamness), I recommend this for 15+ (and for parents to be having discussions with their children about how to navigate all these issues from an Islamically ethical perspective).

Kid Lit Amina Banana and the Formula for Winning by Shifa Saltagi Safadi [Early Chapter Book]

The Amina Banana series is an early chapter book series following Amina, a young Syrian girl who has recently moved to America. She tries to overcome different challenges by coming up with secret formulas – in book one, for friendship, and in book two, for winning the spelling bee.

What I love about these books is how they tackle universal themes: struggling academically, getting along with friends and not-friends at school – with a deep understanding of newcomer-specific challenges… and most importantly, infusing Islam throughout. Du’a is heavily emphasized in this book, and I love how organically the lessons are woven in! The illustrations by Aaliya Jaleel really bring a lovely touch throughout. [Purchase here using the code “MBR” for 15% off!]

Eliyas Explains What Prophet Muhammad Was Like by Zanib Mian [Early Reader]

I don’t think I can ever stop telling people how incredible Zanib Mian’s books are, Allahumma baarik laha – especially the Eliyas Explains series. In this most recent installment, Eliyas learns all about RasulAllah (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) from his parents and uncle – and how to apply the Prophet’s character to his own everyday life.

As with every Eliyas Explains book, this one is perfect for kids who have otherwise short attention spans. It’s an easy to read early chapter book, there are different fonts and little illustrations to engage young readers’ attention, and there’s always plenty of funny little bits alongside the Islamic information and wholesome storytelling that makes the story remain engaging. [Purchase here using the code “MBR” for 15% off!]

The City of Jasmine by Nadine Presley [Picture Book]

“The City of Jasmine” by Nadine Presley, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee, reminded me how much I love stories of others’ homelands.

I’m not from Syria, but Nadine’s gorgeous descriptions of the Umayyad masjid, Qal’at Dimashq, the Barada river, marketplaces and bookstores and kitchens and courtyards, all made me fall in love with the blessed lands of Shaam. Each page is a work of art – the illustrations are beyond stunning, and I flipped back to certain spreads multiple times just to enjoy them better! [Purchase here using the code “MBR” for 15% off!]

The Boldest White by Ibtihaj Muhammad/ SK Ali [Picture Book]

“The Boldest White” by Ibtihaj Muhammad and SK Ali is the third book in this iconic series illustrated by Hatem Aly!

I loved that the story started with and incorporated so much Islamic representation throughout, with a focus on salah. While the core of this story lies in Faizah learning to gain courage through her fencing lessons, it is interwoven with love for Islam, salah, and the Ummah.

While Eid is mentioned, we don’t really know which Eid it is, and I do wish the opportunity had been seized to highlight Eid al-Adha and make it a more meaningful part of the story. In all honesty, I felt like the actual storytelling was a little weaker and somewhat disjointed in this book compared to the others, but it is still beautiful and worth getting to complete the collection. [Purchase here using the code “MBR” for 15% off!]

Related:

From The MuslimMatters Bookshelf: Palestinian Literature For All Ages

From The MuslimMatters Bookshelf: Your Go-To Summer Reading List

The post From the MuslimMatters Bookshelf: Summer Reads for All Ages appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

We read about purification the Holy Qur’an:

 

“And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.“ [Surah Al-Baqarah;2:222]

Given that the context of the verse is about women’s menstruation, the first thing included in the idea of purification, or taharah, is purification of the body from physical and ritual impurities. Scholars further include in it all the other types of purification, the consummate summary of which has been given to us by Ibn Qudamah, who wrote:

‘Know that purification has four levels: Firstly, to purify the body from ritual impurities, physical impurities, and excretions. Secondly, to purify the limbs from sins and disobedience. Thirdly, to purify the heart from its odious traits and deplorable vices. Fourthly, to purify the innermost being from all else save Allah , exalted is He; this being the ultimate goal.’1

The verse tells us a fundamental principle, which is that Allah loves — and that in itself is a profound thing — those who frequently turn to Him in sincere contrition and repentance, and those who actively purify themselves and who are purified. Thus, after purifying one’s basic beliefs concerning Allah and the meaning of life and the purpose of existence, by declaring the two shahadahs, the whole process of reshaping ourselves starts. And where does it begin, practically in our tradition? It begins with the fiqh rules regarding the purity of water, and then to use this water to cleanse and purify our limbs according to the shari‘ah. Then, at least outwardly, we are in a purified state to bow and pray. That is where it all begins. This is where the reshaping truly starts: with outward purification.

Is that all there is to purification, just the issues of fiqh al-taharah; of bodily hygiene? Absolutely not! For as we saw in Ibn Qudamah’s schematic, there’s much more to it. For beyond this level of taharah, there is restraining the limbs from what is unlawful (haram). This involves keeping our tongue, eyes, and ears pure by averting our hearing or gaze, or caging our tongue, from what Allah has forbidden; doing so seeking His good pleasure or rida.

The third degree moves us from the outward to the inward: the diseases and impurities of the heart. It is where we roll up our sleeves to spiritual combat the pride, vanity, hypocrisy, and/or insincerity within us, for instance. But so much of the time, the heart gets so rusted that we become desensitised to the heart’s vices. Unlike physical impurities, whose presence can be seen or smelt, this inner filth can’t be sensed by a person. We often require someone with a purer soul to point out to us that we are giving off a bad spiritual odour. Otherwise, we are usually none the wiser. It is this obligatory, inner purification of the heart that begins to make all the difference.

As for the fourth degree, which, for the likes of us, is almost unimaginable, it is keeping the heart focused on Allah and mindful of His Presence in our lives. Any distraction at this profound degree is a veil, almost like a sin, and hence a kind of impurity. Religion is about awakening to Allah . It is about vigilance and remembrance of Allah . Heedlessness is an impurity that must be cleansed. This is the fourth degree: to empty the heart of whatever distracts it from Allah .

A cardinal trait in our spiritual wayfaring, or suluk, says Ibn al-Qayyim, is that of reigning in our desires; our tendency to step out of the light and into the shadows. He said:

‘The wayfaring of one seeking Allah and the Afterlife will not be sound except with restraints: Restraining one’s heart to seek and want only Him, training it to turn away from all but Him. Restraining the tongue from whatever will not be of benefit to it, training it to constantly remember Allah and all that increases it in faith and knowledge of Him. And restraining the limbs from sins and doubtful acts, training them to fulfil the obligations and recommendations. He must not part with such restraints till He meets his Lord.’2

With that being so, the journey to Allah practically begins from the outside in. It is with the fiqh rules of outward, bodily, and ritual purification (taharah), along with a few other day-to-day shari‘ah duties, that true inward, spiritual purification (tazkiyah) is activated and gradually realised.

***

[This article was first published here]

 

Related:

– IOK Ramadan: The Importance of Spiritual Purification | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep30]

– Practical Tips for Purification of the Heart

 

1    Ahmad b. Qudamah, Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 2000), 30.2    Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, al-Fawa’id (Makkah: Dar ‘Alam al-Fawa’id, 2009), 74.

The post Purification Of The Self: A Journey That Begins From The Outside-In appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[Dedication: For every woman who stood at the threshold of a sacred space and wondered if she was truly welcome. For the unheard, the unseen, the unwavering.]

They built it with marble and calligraphy, arched domes echoing the names of God. But somewhere between the minbar and the boardroom, the sacred was traded for the familiar.

The masjid, once a refuge for the broken, now feels like a lounge for the well-connected. Decisions made behind closed doors, while the women outside whisper their needs into the wind.

They say it’s about tradition. But tradition never silenced Maryam when she cried out in labor beneath the palm. It never turned away Khadijah’s wisdom, or Ali’s courage to speak truth to power.

No—this is not tradition. This is dunya dressed in thawbs and titles, where family ties outweigh community cries, and silence is the currency of comfort.

I wrote to them. Not to accuse, but to ask: Is there room for me here? They answered with nothing. And that nothing said everything.

Still, I believe in the masjid. Not the building, but the promise. The one etched in every sajdah, in every tear that falls unseen.

So I will keep knocking. Not because I need their permission— but because I refuse to let them turn God’s house into a gated estate.

They speak of unity from the pulpit, but practice division in the shadows. Their circles are tight, their ears closed to unfamiliar names, their hearts armored in comfort.

I’ve seen the way they greet their own— smiles wide, hands extended, as if Jannah were passed through bloodlines. And I’ve seen the way they glance past others, like we are footnotes in a story they’ve already written.

But I am not a footnote. I am the daughter of Hajar, the sister of Sumayyah, the echo of every woman who stood when the world told her to sit.

You may not answer my email. You may not open your doors. But I will not unwrite my truth to make you more comfortable.

Because the masjid does not belong to you. It belongs to the One who hears the whispers of the unseen, who counts every tear that falls when no one else is watching.

So I will keep walking— not toward your approval, but toward the light that never needed your permission to shine.

They say sabr, but only to the silenced. They say adab, but only to the unheard. They weaponize patience like a leash, hoping we’ll stay quiet, grateful just to be near the door. But I was not made to shrink for the comfort of men who confuse control with leadership.

They build platforms, but only for those who echo their comfort. They host panels on justice, while ignoring the injustice in their own prayer halls. They speak of the Prophet ﷺ, but forget how he stood for the orphan, the widow, the stranger— not just the familiar faces in the front row.

And still, they wonder why the hearts of women grow quiet, why the youth slip out the back door, why the call to prayer no longer feels like a call home.

And Still, I Believe

Because faith was never theirs to gatekeep. It lives in the breath of the unseen, in the footsteps of the overlooked, in the hands of those who build even when no one thanks them.

I will not wait for their invitation. I will write my own welcome, etch it in the sky with every prayer, and walk boldly into the sacred as if I belong— because I always did.

 

Related:

– Podcast: Revisiting Women-Only Tarawih | Ustadha Umm Sara

– Friday Sermon: Including Women in the Masjid

The post When The Masjid Mirrors The Marketplace: An Ode To Inclusion In Faith appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Cryptocurrency is Deek’s last chance to succeed in life, and he will not stop, no matter what.

Previous Chapters: 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

“Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” — Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

An Unspoken Promise

Driving his Corvette, Deek bought two backpacks at a sports store. Remembering Zaid’s habit of always carrying a knife – or two – he decided to emulate him. After the kidnapping, he never wanted to be caught unaware or unarmed again. So he purchased a gorgeous fixed-blade hunting knife with a hardwood handle and an 8-inch engraved Damascus steel blade that swept up to a point. It came with an attractive leather sheath decorated with sunrise motifs.

This type of knife, the clerk explained, could not legally be concealed. It must be worn openly. Outside the store, Deek ran his belt through the sheath’s loop. The knife hung heavy on his hip, as deadly as a rattlesnake. It was an unspoken promise and threat, saying words that Deek would not have to utter out loud.

Deek had never been a fearful, nervous type – he’d grown up in a country torn by sectarian violence, where nevertheless he had gone to school, run errands, and played football in the street. Yet with the knife on his hip, he stood taller. He had to resist the impulse to rest his hand on it, like a gunslinger of old.

Doing Things Differently

On the rare occasions he visited Lubna, he usually brought chocolate bars for the kids, partly because they loved it, and partly to annoy Lubna, as he knew she didn’t approve of giving the kids candy. This time, he wanted to do things differently. So he stopped at a fresh juice store called Aseer, owned by a Palestinian brother. He purchased seven blended juices, one each for Lubna, her husband Amer, and their five kids.

Standing in the juice shop, he was very aware of the knife on his hip, and felt that everyone must be staring at him. But although he did notice the occasional glance, no one seemed to care much.

Back in the car, he transferred $200,000 into each backpack, leaving one million in the Halliburton case. The last $100K he stuffed into an envelope that went in his own pocket.

On the drive to Lubna’s house, he caught himself stroking the leather knife sheath on his hip, and forced himself to stop. This merciless, single-minded piece of steel had a magnetic pull. Such things were meant to be used, or why make them? But Deek did not actually want to use it. Maybe he should have gotten pepper spray instead.

Lubna lived in a modest three-bedroom house in a marginal neighborhood of southwest Fresno; the kind of neighborhood that was fine during the day, but where people locked their doors firmly at night. She had followed in Deek’s footsteps and become a school teacher, while her husband Amer was an auto mechanic. Deek knew that they struggled to make ends meet. It had taken a toll on their marriage, and they had actually divorced once, then remarried for the sake of the kids.

He rang the doorbell, still wearing his gray suit, red shoes, and red dress shirt, and with the knife hanging on his hip. He regretted not taking the time to change. Lubna would see his outfit as extravagant or foolish. He carried the Halliburton briefcase in one hand and a cardboard carton with the juices in the other. He’d hidden the two backpacks beneath the spare tire in the trunk of the car.

It was five thirty in the afternoon. Lubna should be home, but Amer might still be at the auto shop.

Immediately, he heard the sounds of running feet, and at least one child calling out, “I’ll get it!” The door swung open, and there stood four kids ranging from ages 5 to 13. The only one missing was the baby, Basim, who was a year and a half old. As soon as they saw him, the children cheered.

“It’s Uncle Deek!” Aliyah shouted.

Look Who It Is

Lubna showed up with the baby on one hip. She was 5’5” and wiry, with curly black hair that fell to her shoulders. Her proud nose, straight shoulders, and soulful black eyes were much like his own, but where Deek was bulky, Lubna was slender, bordering on skinny.

“Well, look who it is. Your wife has been calling twice a day looking for you. What kind of stunt did you pull this time?”

Deek was still in the ultra-clear frame of mind granted to him by the Namer’s potion. His emotions were there, but they were two-dimensional, like a child’s stick figure drawing. Normally he would have responded negatively to Lubna’s jibe, but this time he gazed at her calmly, noticing her air of strength that was belied only by the dark circles beneath her eyes. A few small age spots had appeared along the line of her left cheekbone. He had never before imagined Lubna getting old. He felt a gentle wave of understanding wash over him, that the core idea of family was shared experience. You came from the same place, grew up together, aged together, and were buried together.

For half a breath, he wanted to cry, but found nothing there. He wondered if this was how normal, healthy people experienced the world. He didn’t think so.

“I brought fresh juice.” Deek held the carton out. “Can I come in?”

Lubna met his gaze, then took in his appearance. “What’s with the getup? You look like a cross between an Italian film star and Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier.”

“That’s a compliment. Crockett opposed Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act. He believed in respecting the rights of the indigenous people.”

“So you haven’t completely forgotten everything from your teaching days. Crocket died at the Alamo, you know.”

Deek gave a half-shrug. “Well then, you all may go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.”

Lubna almost smiled – Deek saw the corners of her mouth twitch – before she looked away and said, “This isn’t a good time for a visit. I told you that. I just got home from work an hour ago, dinner is on the stove, and the kids haven’t done their homework.”

“It’s an inconvenient time, I see that now. I’ll try not to stay too long. Please.”

Lubna sighed. “Fine. Come on.”

Leave Me Out Of It

Deek sat at the breakfast nook in a corner of the kitchen, bouncing Basim on his knee while Lubna prepared dinner. The kitchen was filled with the odors of the Iraqi foods that Lubna had learned to prepare at their mother’s side: masgouf (grilled fish), kibbeh (rice and potato balls filled with minced beef), and margat bamya (okra stew).

The kids had happily taken their juices and gone off to play. Deek had brought a strawberry-banana juice for Amer, but since the man wasn’t home, he sipped it himself. It was ice cold and delicious.

“Obviously you and Rania are having a fight,” Lubna commented. “I wish you would leave me out of it.” She’d set her own juice – straight up mango puree, which Deek knew she loved – on the kitchen counter.

Deek cleared his throat. “Lubna. I wasn’t kind to you when we were growing up. I don’t think I’ve ever been kind to you. I’m deeply sorry. You were a good kid, happy and talented in many ways. And now you’re a good mother. You deserved a better brother than me.”

These were truths that Deek had always known in his heart, but had never possessed the clarity or courage to speak out loud. Now, however, under the influence of the Namer’s potion, he could express these things without being overwhelmed by guilt and shame.

Lubna stopped stirring the pot of okra stew, and turned to face him fully. She looked unbalanced, as if Deek had just tried to hit her.

You’re Dying

“What’s the matter with you? Why are you saying this?”

“Because it’s true. I remember so many times when we were young when I put you down. I insulted your appearance, your voice, your cheerful attitude, the closeness you had with Baba and Mama, and none of it had anything to do with you. It was all my own jealousy and insecurity. I wished I could be like you, and I was jealous of the way you were able to love our parents sincerely and be loved in return. The reality is that I admire you and I love you. You’re very important to me. I can never apologize enough for not showing you that.”

“I have to sit down.” Lubna dropped the wooden spatula into the pot of okra and turned off the stove. Then she backed up until she reached the wall, and slid down to sit on the floor.

She looked up suddenly, sharply. “You’re dying. You’re sick? You have cancer?”

“No! Why would you think that?”

Basim burped, and Deek put the boy on his shoulder, patting his back. Were you supposed to do that to an 18-month-old baby? The boy smelled like baby powder. He squirmed, and Deek set him down on the floor, where he sat cross-legged, playing with his toes.

“You left your wife,” Lubna said. “Now you show up here wearing that ridiculous outfit and saying these things you’ve never said in your life. You have never told me you loved me before, ever. Not once. What am I supposed to think?”

You Need A Place To Stay

Basim used Deek’s pant leg to pull himself to a standing position, then walked unsteadily toward his mother. She held out her hands, making encouraging noises.

“I was thinking of changing my name,” Deek said.

“Are you kidding? To what?”’

“Asad.”

Lubna pursed her lips. “Look. I get that maybe you feel like ‘rooster’ is not a dignified name. But Mama named you Deek for a reason. Don’t you remember our rooster in Iraq, when we were kids?”

“Of course I remember.”

“He was huge,” Lubna went on. “And so beautiful, with a big chest and blond hair.”

“Chickens don’t have hair.”

“You know what I mean. Remember when a big stray dog came after the chickens once, and Deek attacked him without fear? He used to wake us up for Fajr prayer right on time, like a muaddhin. He even protected the cow’s calf when a raven attacked it. Mama loved that bird.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s talk about something else. Families should support each other, don’t you think? I mean, hypothetically, if Baba had been a successful businessman and made a lot of money, he would have shared it with Ammo Ali and Tant Reem, don’t you think?

Lubna’s nostrils flared. “Baba gave us everything we needed.”

Deek made a placating motion. “I know. I’m talking about anyone. If one family member becomes rich, don’t you think it’s normal to share that with the rest of the family? There’s a saying in the South: Lift when you climb. It means -”

“I know what it means. I get it now. You need a place to stay. Rania kicked you out. So you’re trying to guilt me into taking you in.”

“No, I’m not expressing myself well. Let me just get to the point.”

Lubna snorted. “I wish you would.”

Basim had reached Lubna and sat happily in her lap. Deek walked over to his sister, snagging her juice along the way, and sat beside her. The white tiled floor was cool and very clean. He was careful not to look directly into her eyes, as she generally did not like that. He handed her the juice. “Drink it.”

Lubna sipped the juice absent mindedly, then said, “Mm. It’s good. Mango.”

“Here’s the thing. You know I’ve been trading cryptos for five years.”

Lubna rolled her eyes. “Of course. Your white whale. Your obsession. I can’t stand to talk about that anymore, I’ve told you so many times – “

“In the last week,” Deek interrupted, “it’s gone well for me. Very, very well. I made a lot of money. Alhamdulillah.”

“Okay, so… you came here to boast?” She sipped the juice again.

“No, Lubna. I’m trying to say that I care about you, and I’m sorry for all the harm I’ve caused, and I want to share my good fortune with you.” He pushed the briefcase across the floor to her. “This is for you.”

Lubna released the snaps on the briefcase and opened it. She stared at the stacks of banded currency. “What is this?”

“A million dollars.”

Renaissance Islamic Academy

His sister looked at him with wide, amazed eyes. Then, slowly, her face began to darken. “Unbelievable,” she said. “This is unbelievable.”

Seeing the rage building in Lubna’s eyes, Deek felt his stomach drop. This was not going as planned.

“So,” Lubna said, biting off the words and spitting them out. “After half a lifetime of bullying me, you come here with a million dollars – a million dollars! – and say you love me, and you think you can buy my forgiveness and love? Like I’m some kind of high-priced escort, and you can pay me to say the words you want to hear…”

She went on like that. Deek immediately realized his mistake. Lubna was almost as proud, stubborn, emotional, and honor-bound as Deek himself. He should not have brought the money, not yet. Today should have been only about his declaration of regret and love.

His mind raced. An idea came to him.

“You misunderstand. It’s not free money. I want to hire you for a job.”

Lubna stopped talking. Breathing hard, she jiggled and shushed Basim, whose face had twisted up like he was about to cry. She put her finger in the juice and stuck it in Basim’s mouth. He immediately stopped fussing and smiled happily, reaching for the juice cup.

“What job?”

“I want to start a full-time Islamic school. I’ve thought about this a lot.”

This was actually true in a way, as it was a fantasy or mental exercise Deek had bounced around in his mind from time to time, knowing he would never have the resources to make it happen.

“We need an Islamic school that teaches not only math and science, but also Islamic art, poetry, and even the Prophetic sports. Also, we need Arabic teachers who are qualified to teach Arabic as a second language, using modern methods of language instruction, not just rote memorization like in the Arab world.”

He glanced surreptitiously at his sister and saw that she was nodding in agreement. Encouraged, he went on:

“And we need Islamic instruction that teaches kids why they are Muslim, and prepares them for challenges to their faith from ideologies like atheism, consumerism, and nihilism, and readies them as well to deal with hatred and Islamophobia.”

“That’s so important,” Lubna agreed.

Deek flashed a smile. “I also want to offer scholarships, so that we have Muslim children from all ethnic and economic backgrounds, not just a bunch of rich Arabs and Pakistanis. I want this to be a Renaissance school, with a broader scope than the one my daughters attended. In fact, I want to call it Renaissance Islamic Academy.”

Hammurabi

“That actually makes sense,” Lubna muttered. “I’ve had some of the same thoughts. Are you sure you don’t just want revenge against Dr. Ajeeb? I know how much you hate him.”

Lubna knew him well indeed, but Deek realized with a start that he hadn’t even thought about Dr. Ajeeb in days. Just last week, he’d wanted to drown the man in the river, but the chain-smoking principal of his children’s former school had now become irrelevant.

Hammurabi padded into the kitchen on silent feet. The old white cat was small and lean, with patchy fur and an eye missing from a long-ago fight. He’d never liked Deek, and had always hissed at him. This time, however, he pushed his head against Deek’s arm and meowed. Deek scratched the little guy’s head and rubbed his cheeks. The cat circled around him, meowing and rubbing against him.

“Aliyah!” Lubna bellowed, causing Deek to nearly drop his juice cup.

The girl came running, juice cup in hand. At 13, she was Lubna’s eldest. She took after her mother, with a short, wiry frame, and curly brown hair. She was a bright, polite child, and Deek had always liked her.

“Yes, Mama?”

“Feed Hammo.”

“Okay, Mama.” The girl took a bag of cat food from a cabinet, then froze, staring wide-eyed at the briefcase on the floor. “Is that real money?”

“Never mind that.” Lubna pushed the briefcase closed with her foot. Aliyah poured food into a bowl and fed the hungry cat, though her eyes kept darting to the briefcase. When she was done, she ran off to play with her siblings as Hammo munched noisily, turning his head to see the food with his one eye before taking a bite.

A Lot More Than a Million

“I don’t care about Ajeeb,” Deek continued. “He got fired a few years ago anyway.”

Lubna gave the baby a little more mango juice, then sipped some herself. “I guess that’s good. But anyway, I already have a teaching job, and I’m not about to give it up for some half-baked plan cooked up by you alone, with a million dollars in a briefcase.”

“I have a lot more than a million dollars. I have enough to buy or build a facility, hire staff, and create an endowment that would obviate the need for constant fundraisers. And I’m not hiring you to be a teacher. I want you to be the principal. I would be the executive director, but I would be hands-off. You would run everything. Your salary will be $200,000 per year, with an $800,000 signing bonus. That” – he pointed to the briefcase – “is your first year’s salary and bonus.”

“You really have that much money?”

“I have over fifty million dollars.” Which again was technically true, though his actual net worth was closer to one hundred twenty million, at last count.

Lubna’s mouth fell open. She started to speak, then stopped.

“This is the first time,” Deek commented, “I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words. It’s a good look on you.” He immediately regretted the words. That was the old, bullying Deek talking, not the new Deek.

“Sorry,” he added. “Just a dumb joke. I’m at your service.”

I Don’t Owe You

Lubna’s eyes were tired, and her mouth had turned down at the corners. It wasn’t anger this time, but exhaustion, or so it seemed to Deek. She gave the baby more mango juice, and he uttered a happy, “Ababadado!”

With a grunt of effort, Lubna stood and went to the kitchen window, which looked out onto the backyard. With her back to him, she put her forehead to the glass and rocked the baby on her hip. It occurred to Deek that she was done with him. She didn’t want to talk to him anymore. He stood to leave. He supposed he should take the briefcase, but he paused, unsure.

“It’s weird,” Lubna said, still with her back turned, “how Hammo likes you now.”

Deek cleared his throat. “They say animals can sense sincerity.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you… Was there anything else?”

Lubna turned to face him. Her breath had left a patch of condensation on the window.

“I accept your offer.” His sister’s face was as hard as the foundation of the house in which they stood. “We’ll talk about the details later. For now I want to be alone. I appreciate what you said, but I feel like I’m being manipulated somehow. And just to be clear, this doesn’t put me in your debt. I didn’t ask for it. I don’t owe you anything. You should leave now.”

“You’re absolutely right. But I meant what I said. I’m sorry for how I treated you, and I love you.” He walked away. Just as he stepped out through the door, he heard the sound of Lubna weeping quietly.

In the car, driving away, he told himself that he hadn’t lied. Yes, he’d given her a way to accept the money with honor. But starting a school was a great project, and Lubna was an excellent choice to run it. He also noted that she hadn’t doubted him when he told her how much money he had. That meant a lot to him.

It occurred to him that being the founder of such a school would grant him prestige in the community. At one time this thought would have excited him, but now it did not move him, and he dismissed it as unworthy. He thought about his experience on the planet Rust. When he’d learned that Earth had been destroyed, all he’d cared about had been his family.

And the truth was that the Earth really would be destroyed. Every being on Earth is bound to perish, Shaykha Rabiah had recited. Only your Lord Himself, full of Majesty and Honor, will remain. Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?

My Treat

He got in the car, drove a few blocks, then pulled over and sat. In his lifetime, Lubna had been angry at him more times than he could count, but today she’d acted as if, in trying to give her money, he had stabbed her in the heart. She’d done all but cry out, “Et tu, Deek?”

Lubna was a difficult personality, which was the problem. She was too much like Deek. They reflected each other’s worst personality traits. Who wanted to look into a mirror that showed you at your worst?

It would be different with Marco. Deek planned to give his indigent friend $200,000. Marco had grown up poor and still struggled to earn enough money to eat. This would change his entire life’s trajectory. Deek couldn’t wait to see the look on Marco’s face when he opened the backpack and saw all that cash.

He called Marco, who answered with, “How did the Moon Walk Motel work out for you?”

“I got ki-” He’d been about to say, I got kidnapped, until he remembered he must not talk about that.

“You got what?”

“I, uh, got killed by that sagging mattress. Are you free? I want to take you to The Purple Heifer for dinner. My treat.”

“Purple Heifer! Did an uncle die and leave you a fortune? Heck yeah, I’m free.”

“Pick you up in an hour.”

* * *

[Part 15 will be published next week inshaAllah]

 

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

Zaid Karim, Private Investigator, Part 1 – Temptation

 

The post Moonshot [Part 14] – Money And Love appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

For many in the American Muslim community, recent news about a major change in politics felt like a spark of hope in a time of despair.

“The IRS now says pastors can endorse candidates,” headlines across the country read.

Some mosques took this news to mean that they could now allow imams and khatibs to speak freely from the minbar about politicians, endorse candidates who reflect the American Muslim community’s values, and hold accountable those politicians who support genocide, occupation, and Islamophobia.

The sense of urgency to take bolder political stands at our houses of worship is understandable and deeply felt, especially in the wake of the Israeli apartheid government’s ongoing campaign of extermination and expulsion in Gaza.

However, our two organizations—the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, CAIR, and the political advocacy group CAIR Action—are strongly advising mosques not to permit speakers to endorse political candidates, in order to protect their tax-exempt status. Here’s why.

As part of settlement discussions in an ongoing lawsuit, National Religious Broadcasters v. Long, the Internal Revenue Service has asked a federal court to enforce a new interpretation of the Johnson Amendment that could permit pastors and other speakers at houses of worship to endorse candidates.

For nearly 70 years, the Johnson Amendment has kept tax-exempt religious institutions and charitable nonprofits from engaging in partisan candidate endorsements. Some faith leaders — particularly in evangelical Christian circles — have long bristled at the restriction.

But for many of us, it has served as a guardrail that keeps our sacred spaces from being transformed into partisan campaign organizations that can influence elections without oversight, abuse their tax-exempt status, and flood politics with even more dark money funneled through charitable donations.

To be clear, the court has not yet made a decision about the Trump administration’s request to require the IRS to reinterpret the Johnson Amendment by permitting speakers at houses of worship to endorse candidates. It is unclear whether or when the court will ultimately enforce the government’s interpretation and whether, how, or when the IRS would do so.

For now, the Johnson Amendment remains the law of the land. Until Congress revises the law, a court clearly reinterprets the law, or many houses of worship begin permitting speakers to endorse candidates with clear approval from the IRS, the safest thing for mosques to do is to continue on as if nothing has changed about the law, which prohibits 501(c)(3) institutions from officially endorsing or opposing candidates.

Until further notice, mosques should still not permit speakers to endorse candidates.  

Let’s be honest: this comes at a frustrating time.

Many mosques have felt powerless over the last 21 months. We’ve watched with anguish as tens of thousands of Palestinians were slaughtered in Gaza with U.S. weapons and political cover. Many feel that voting isn’t enough. That writing op-eds, holding vigils, and organizing protests are not enough. Some wonder: if our spiritual leaders can’t even say who we should vote for, what good is our voice at all?

We hear that. And we feel it too.

But here’s the truth: mosques can still do a tremendous amount.

They can — and should — host candidate forums.

They can — and should — organize voter registration drives.

They can serve as polling places, conduct civic education sessions, invite representatives from all sides to discuss the issues, and host forums on topics such as Palestine, civil rights, immigration, and surveillance.

Imams and khateebs can still speak out forcefully on policy, on justice, and on values. They just can’t say: “Vote for Candidate X.”

This doesn’t mean we disengage — it means we organize smarter, speak louder, and mobilize together.

Through CAIR, CAIR Action, and our partners across the country, Muslim communities have already led historic voter turnout efforts, educated our youth on legislative advocacy, pushed back on surveillance, and fought to stop war funding. We do all of this without the risk of violating IRS rules — and we do it with integrity.

In fact, it is our independence that gives us power.

The Quran commands us to “stand firmly for justice” [Surah An-Nisa; 4:135].  It also teaches wisdom, patience, and strategy. In this election season, let’s use every legal tool available to us — organize, educate, mobilize, and vote. Let’s hold every candidate accountable to the values of justice, dignity, and peace. And let us protect the spiritual integrity of our sacred institutions from being used as tools of political partisanship.

Let us act with power, with clarity, and with purpose. Not for a candidate. Not for a party.

But for our people.

 

Related:

– Beyond Badr: Transforming Muslim Political Vision

– Politics In Islam: Muslims Are Called To Pursue Justice

 

The post For Now, Making Endorsements At Mosques Is Still Off-Limits, But Using Our Civic Voice Is Not – A Message From CAIR appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

For many Muslim students, college is not just a time of academic rigor; it’s a crucible of conflicting ideologies, challenges to faith tradition, and unprecedented personal tests. And when things fall apart – when Islamophobia hits campus, when spiritual doubts creep in, when burnout begins – it often feels like there’s no safety net.

This is where Muslim chaplaincy could make all the difference.

Too often, teenage students are forced to shoulder immense emotional and spiritual labor for themselves and their communities. The demands of leadership roles in on-campus Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) can quickly escalate far past what they were initially meant to be. What would it look like if Muslim students had someone trained, trusted, and spiritually grounded to turn to? How beneficial might it be if students had someone beyond their own peers to take advice from? Someone embedded in the institution who could guide them not just in times of crisis, but through the quiet work of faith formation?

Such an individual is a reality for far too few Muslim students in the United States. However, the presence of a Muslim chaplain in this role could revolutionize the experiences of hundreds of thousands of Muslim undergraduates across the nation, helping build a generation of highly educated students who effectively integrate their faith identity into their day-to-day lives.

This model of care and mentorship is not foreign to our tradition. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad was not just a leader and lawmaker – he was a murabbī, a healer of hearts and soother of souls. Countless stories from the sīrah detail his compassion for the needy, ill, and impoverished. As the Qur’an says:

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” [Surah Al-Ahzab: 33;21]

Emulating the Prophet goes beyond just observing rituals of prayer and worship; it means fostering communities rooted in mercy, emotional health, and spiritual resilience. At its essence, chaplaincy carries forward this Sunnah of emotional and spiritual caregiving.

The Landscape: Muslim Students on Campus

The presence of Muslim students as an organized body on US campuses is a recent development. Although Muslim student organizations were founded as early as the 1940s, the modern MSA system began at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1963. Muslim chaplaincy did not exist until 30 years later when the first part-time Muslim chaplain was hired at Wellesley College. Six years later, at Georgetown, the first full-time Muslim chaplain was introduced1.

“The growth of the Muslim student population – and their increasing visibility on campus – has outpaced institutional support available to them.” [PC: Kawah Kaos Dakwah (unsplash)]

This progression mirrors the increasing Muslim population in the United States, from approximately 100,000 American Muslims in 1960 to nearly 4 million today. However, the growth of the Muslim student population – and their increasing visibility on campus – has outpaced institutional support available to them. Many student bodies still struggle to maintain a dedicated prayer space, have access to ḥalāl food options in dining halls, and receive accommodation for religious events such as Eid. MSAs consistently advocate for the rights of Muslim students, but the inherently transient nature of university student bodies and their relative isolation from larger communities often leads to a lack of continuity or sustained change. Ultimately, while MSAs have and continue to serve as spiritual hubs, event organizers, and advocacy spaces, they were never designed to bear the full weight of students’ religious and emotional needs. What began as grassroots community-building has, over time, become an essential but overstretched safety net.

Impacts of Participation in Campus Religious Life

Though research is limited regarding Muslim university students specifically, numerous studies confirm that spiritual care and chaplaincy play a significant role in maintaining student mental health and overall well-being across Christian and interfaith communities during college years. Faith community support, in particular when directly led via chaplaincy, is integral in proactively addressing distress points for college students.

A comprehensive study by Saliba (2024) underscores the multifaceted contributions of university chaplains to mental health within the context of suicide prevention. Chaplains surveyed across international communities were reported to engage in various preventive practices, such as referring students to mental health professionals, offering community life services, providing support during exam periods, and discussing images of God or other religious figures. These activities not only address spiritual distress but also foster a sense of belonging and support among students, which are crucial factors in mitigating suicidal thoughts and behaviors2.

Beyond addressing student distress from a spiritual perspective, participating in an active, chaplain-led faith community may indirectly alleviate academic distress as well. A 2021 study undertaken at Baylor University found that Christian students who attended on-campus church services at least once per week had higher GPAs, reported improved mental focus and academic resilience, and were less likely to engage in academic dishonesty than those who did not3. A study conducted by UCLA of over 100,000 incoming freshmen at institutions across the country found that students with high religious engagement had significantly higher rates of being able to find meaning in hardship and feeling at peace, indicating a greater ability to deal with hurdles in both their academic and personal lives4. Though data is ultimately limited on the direct influences of chaplains on student wellness, it stands to reason that chaplaincy involvement generally leads to a stronger and more active on-campus faith community, which is indicated to increase student wellness across multiple sectors of life.

However, while such involvement may be a reality for Christian communities on campuses, Muslim representation is sadly lacking. As universities have expanded religious life offices to serve Christian, Jewish, and interfaith populations, Muslim students were often left without a parallel advocate or advisor. While the aforementioned chaplaincy roles established at Wellesley and Georgetown in the 1990s and early 2000s marked a turning point—not only as acknowledgments of Muslim student presence, but as acts of institutional responsibility—significant work remains to be done.

Research conducted by a chaplaincy consulting firm confirmed the presence of approximately 150 Muslim chaplains across the over 4000 colleges in America, meaning less than 4% of US college communities have access to a chaplain5. This creates a vacuum in moments where spiritual care is most needed.

The Role of a Chaplain

Such an absence of spiritual care and leadership can leave a significant void in the lives of college students as they navigate critical stages of identity development and moral alignment. Having an adequately trained and engaged spiritual leader is integral for guiding Muslim students towards healthy, deen-centered lifestyles.

“Muslim chaplaincy stands out as a vital resource that bridges faith and modern campus life.” [PC: Nathan Dumlao (unsplash)]

A Muslim chaplain is not an imam in the traditional sense, nor are they simply a counselor. Rather, they occupy a multifaceted role spanning pastoral care and counseling, religious mentorship, advocacy, interfaith engagement, and more. Based on their background, a chaplain may provide one-on-one mentorship and support, lead prayers and faith seminars, give academic advice, coordinate with institutional leadership to ensure Muslim student needs are met, or advocate externally for their student body. It is important that they have a solid grounding in Islamic tradition, as well as adequate training in contemporary elements of chaplaincy such as mental health work, to allow them to respond meaningfully to the diverse needs of their students.

The nebulous boundaries defining a chaplain’s responsibilities can be both empowering and challenging. While they may have the freedom to interpret their role as they see fit, they may also become overwhelmed with burdens that are outside of their field of expertise. As Muslim chaplaincy becomes more widespread in higher education, it is crucial to establish shared guidelines about the scope and nature of their role. This includes articulating expectations for prior training, ensuring access to ongoing training and support from older chaplains, and fostering collaborative relationships across university leadership. Doing so not only helps chaplains thrive in their roles, but also ensures that Muslim students receive the holistic, faith-sensitive support they deserve during one of the most formative periods of their lives.

Conclusion: A Call to Invest in Our Students’ Spiritual Future

In an era when students face increasing pressures around identity, purpose, and belonging, the presence of a Muslim chaplain can offer much-needed spiritual grounding, guidance, and advocacy. As institutions of higher education continue to diversify and expand their understanding of student wellness, Muslim chaplaincy stands out as a vital resource that bridges faith and modern campus life. 

But to fully realize the potential of this role, we can’t rely on universities alone. It will take the entire Muslim community – students, alumni, donors, community leaders, and everyday Muslims – to help build the scaffolding around chaplaincy positions and ensure Muslim students are not left spiritually adrift.

Here’s what you can do:

• Support institutions that train Muslim chaplains, such as The Islamic Seminary of America, the Association of Muslim Chaplains, and Boston Islamic Seminary. These programs ensure that chaplains are both Islamically grounded and professionally equipped for pastoral care.
• Reach out to your alma mater. Ask whether they have a Muslim chaplain on staff. If not, advocate for one. Share resources and help them understand the unique challenges Muslim students face.
• Encourage your local masjid or community center to connect with nearby campuses. Even part-time chaplaincy support—one day a week—can provide a lifeline.
• Give if you’re able. Many chaplaincy positions begin as donor-funded roles. A single scholarship, endowment, or fundraising effort can change hundreds of lives.
• Keep Muslim chaplains in your du‘ā. Their work is often quiet, emotionally demanding, and under-recognized. Pray for their strength, sincerity, and impact.

By investing in the development and sustainability of Muslim chaplaincy, we can help colleges and universities cultivate more inclusive, spiritually attentive environments. Let’s ensure that our students don’t walk their journeys alone. Let’s build a future where faith and education grow hand in hand.

 

Related:

– [Podcast] Hospitals And Healing: Islamic Chaplaincy | Ch. Sondos Kholaki

– From The Chaplain’s Desk – Reap The Rewards Of Being Mindful Of Allah

1    Husain, A. (2013, March 4). MSA national: For 50 years, ‘Students’ has been its middle name. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msa-national-for-50-years_b_1940707 HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msa-national-for-50-years_b_19407072    Saliba, S. M. (2024). The contributions of university chaplains, as spiritual care professionals, to suicide prevention: Results from a European expert panel. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 27(2), 222-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2024.2341079 3    Dougherty, K. D., Glanzer, P. L., Robinson, J. A., Ratchford, J. L., & Schnitker, S. A. (2021). Baylor faith and character study: Methods and preliminary findings. Christian Higher Education, 21(3), 168-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/15363759.2021.19295644    Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., & Lindholm, J. A. (n.d.). Overall Findings. Spirituality in Higher Education. https://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/findings/5    Mantas, N. Z. (2023, April 7). How one Muslim chaplain created a Ramadan handbook for campuses. Interfaith America. https://www.interfaithamerica.org/article/muslim-chaplain-ramadan/

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