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I was forced to leave Gaza in February, and  I am unsure what my future looks like.

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Masaa was born on 7 October 2023. 

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Christophe Gomart tramples on European Parliament rules.

Five children bond with pregnant visitor whose presence brought temporary relief.

Abu al-Abd and his family always looked forward with hope to a better future.

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Israeli occupation forces killed Ramzi Abu Sahloul, who sheltered over 300 displaced people in Khan Younis.

Hamtramck, population 28,000, has new Trump campaign office weeks from election in hopes of gains in swing state

That the Trump campaign would open an office in Hamtramck, a tiny city of around 28,000 people north of downtown Detroit, less than a month before the election, speaks to a particular curiosity of the 2024 presidential race.

About 40% of Hamtramck’s residents are of Middle Eastern or north African descent, 60% are believed to be Muslim Americans, and the city has an all-Muslim city council.

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What is chaplaincy, anyway? And what do Muslim chaplains do? How do they fit into the grand scheme of the da’wah world? Zainab bint Younus speaks to Chaplain Sondos Kholaki about Islamic chaplaincy, the role of Muslim chaplains, and Ch. Sondos’s experiences in the field of hospital chaplaincy. This episode is a dive into more than just the medical healing you find at hospitals, but the spiritual healing journeys that also take place there.

Chaplain Sondos Kholaki serves as a hospital staff chaplain and a community chaplain in Southern California. She is a board-certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). Sondos earned a Master of Divinity degree in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School/Claremont School of Theology. She is the author of Musings of a Muslim Chaplain (2020) and the co-editor of Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America (2021).

Related:

The Bigger Picture: Understanding Loss, Sacrifice, and Purpose in Dhul Hijjah

Book Review – Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America

Muslim Chaplains In An Evolving Profession

The post [Podcast] Hospitals and Healing: Islamic Chaplaincy | Ch. Sondos Kholaki appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

“O abode of the Kurds, blessed is your dwelling place, where the moons of knowledge shine
I was pleased with what you have become, a garden with flowers of investigation, in which classes are flourishing
For us, there are scholars in you; when I mention them, my heart is scorched, and my emotions overflow.
Masters who illuminated our knowledge with their insights, as they clarified what the ages had dispersed
Their schools have become beacons of knowledge, with a gaze fixed on the highest of places
They sacrificed their souls to preserve that by which the Shariah of the chosen Prophet speaks
Connoisseurs who have traversed the depths of study, with their understanding surpassing the overflowing seas
They preserved the knowledge of Shafi‘i, like suns that shine brightly in the eye and the heart.”

-Uthman b. Sind al-Wa’ili (d. 1826)

(Kurds being historically located in the landlocked Upper Mesopotamia and the Zagros mountains, and the seafaring Melayu people occupying the Malay Archipelago)

One may ask, what connects Kurdistan and the Nusantara? Kurds were once a frontier Muslim people too, living on the periphery of the Muslim heartlands. After all, the first mosque in Anatolia was built by the Kurdish Shaddadid Emirate after the battle of Malazgird in 1071. Similarly, in the Kurdish lands, there was very little armed resistance to the Rashidun armies as well, as attested to by early historian al-Baladhuri “the lands of Jazirah were one of the smoothest conquests.” Jacobite Christians (a plurality among Kurds) even helped the Caliphate fight against the Byzantines

However, my aim with this article is to present the history of the spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago through the lens of the Kurdish teachers. Kurdish scholars (Mullas) dominated the teaching positions in Mecca and Medina during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of the common era which were destinations of pilgrimage, and eventually the de-facto Muftis of the entire Hijaz region. Islam’s arrival in the Malay Archipelago, which includes parts of modern-day Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines, is a fascinating historical process marked by trade, cultural exchange, and gradual conversion over several centuries. Islam began to spread to the Malay Archipelago through trade routes established by Arab and Indian merchants.

From Trading Routes to Sultanates

By the 7th century, traders from the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent were active in Southeast Asia, bringing with them Islamic ideas and practices. In addition, Muslim traders from Gujarat and the Coromandel Coast established trading posts and settlements in the region. The influence of Indian Muslim scholars and the Sufi faqirs further facilitated the spread of Islam. The spread of Islam was–like elsewhere- gradual, with local rulers and influential figures converting to Islam acting as catalysts. One milestone was the Sultanate of Malacca, founded in the early 15th century, played a crucial role in the spread of Islam. The sultan, Parameswara, converted to Islam and became known as Sultan Iskandar Shah. Islamic sultanates and kingdoms began to form, and they became centers of Islamic learning and culture. Sultanates like those in Aceh, Johor, and Sulu promoted Islam through their influence and control over trade routes. The arrival of European colonial powers, such as the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, also influenced the spread of Islam. While colonial powers often sought to control and convert regions to Christianity, they also had to contend with established Muslim societies. In that decisive era, our story comes in.

Kurdish Scholars and Indonesian Scholarship

After the initial introduction of Islam, Indonesians played a significant role in its further spread by traveling to Mecca and other holy cities to seek spiritual knowledge and deepen their understanding of the faith. Despite the long distance and challenging journey, many Indonesians undertook the Hajj and often spent several years in the Hijaz for study. In the seventeenth century, a period for which we have considerable information, Indonesian Islam was heavily influenced by Indian traditions. The most prominent mystical order at the time was the Indian Shattariyyah, and a key mystical text was a short work by the Indian author Burhanpuri. Other religious texts studied in the region were also popular in India.

G.S. Smithard; J.S. Skelton (1909) – The Coming of Sheik Joseph

However, according to the scholar Martin Van Bruinessen, this Indian influence did not come directly from the subcontinent but through Medina and Mecca. Teachers in Medina introduced the Shattariyya to the first Indonesians, with Ibrahim al-Kurani (d. 1690), an elite Kurdish scholar, being particularly influential. Kurdish scholars were often sought after by Southeast Asian students in Arabia, partly due to the shared Shafi`i legal tradition, but also due to a deeper spiritual affinity. This connection was most evident in the areas of mysticism and devout practice, where Indonesian and Kurdish Islam found their closest similarities.

Two great Indonesian scholars were apprentices of al-Kurani (Gorani), the famous ‘Abd al-Rauf al-Fansuri al-Sinkili (d. 1695) and Yusuf al-Maqassari (d. 1699), taking the ijazat of the tariqahs Shattariyyah and Khalwatiyyah from him. ‘Abd al-Rauf was one of the first major saints of Islam on the archipelago and had great influence in the spread of Islam in Aceh. Sheikh Yusuf of Java was destined to become a preacher of Islam in the Cape of Good Hope after his exile due to his participation in the war against the Dutch. Al-Kurani probably had more students from the archipelago considering the dozens of epistles and fatwas he wrote in response to the emerging issues of the people of Jawa (then referring to the whole archipelago).

Afterwards, the Mufti of Medina was to be another Kurd, Muhammad b. ‘Abd ar-Rasul al-Barzanji (d. 1694), the ancestor of all the Barzanjis of Arabia and India. His great-grandson Ja‘far b. Hasan (d. 1764) authored ‘Iqd al-Jawahir, a prose remembrance of the life and times of the Prophet (peace be upon Him) that would be known in the East and the West of the Islamic world as “the Barzanji” Mawlid, a household name on the archipelago. His biography of Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani, similarly, became popular in Indonesia. The Barzanji family retained Muftiship of Medina for 64 years, but the Barzanji teachers continued to have Indonesian students well into the 20th century.

Our next Kurdish teacher is the namesake of many Indonesians who –to this day- have “Kurdi” as their first name. Yes, a portion of the pious Indonesian population have and continue to name their children after scholars and authors of popular books in the Islamic sciences. Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Kurdi (d. 1780) is the main Mufti of the Haramayn and a high authority in the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence. He is the author of Hawashi al-Madaniyyah, a supercommentary on Ibn Hajar’s sharh Muqaddimah al-Hadhramiyyah, which is held in high regard by the Indonesian scholars, but he was also the teacher of a number of disciples from the archipelago, namely the Borneo-native Muhammad Arshad al-Banjari, the author of the most important Malay fiqh work, Sabil al-Muhtadin, who was greatly impacted by the Sheikh’s charisma. Khalidi records that oral tradition has it that ‘Abd al-Samad al-Falimbani as well as two less well-known scholars, ‘Abd al-Wahhab Bugis and ‘Abd ar-Rahman Masri from Jakarta join Muhammad Arshad in attending al-Kurdi’s lectures in Medina, and return to Indonesia together in the 1770s when the al-Kurdi sends them there to instruct their compatriots.

Coming back to the more spiritual teachers, we get the world-renowned Mawlana Khalid al-Kurdi (d. 1827), while he himself was not known to have disciples from the archipelago. Although he got the Naqshabandi Taqriqah from Abdullah Dehlawi and popularized it back home, his student Abdullah al-Arzinjani had multiple Indonesian disciples, chief of whom was Isma‘il Minankabawi who spread his teaching among his people. Arzinjani founded a Zawiyyah on Mount Abu Qubays in Mecca which became a hub of students from the archipelago and at one point had dedicated Malay-speaking instructors. Another Khalidi-Naqshabandi master was Muhammad Amin al-Kurdi (d. 1914) of Erbil, a murid of the Sheikhs of Biyarah, he wrote what’s according to Van Bruinessen the most widely read Naqshabandi manual called Tanwir al-Qulub.

The Islamic Richness of the Current Malay Archipelago

One reason for the prominence of Kurdish teachers among Indonesian Muslims could be the shared adherence to the Shafi‘i madhhab, which Indonesians have followed since at least the 16th century, similar to the Kurds. This contrasts with most other Arabs, Turks, and Indians, who follow different schools of thought. To this day, Indonesians studying in the Middle East often find it easier to connect with Kurds because of this commonality in religious practice. Another aspect is the historical proficiency of Kurdish scholars in both Fiqh and Sufism which were strongly sought by those students. Geopolitical factors have positioned the Kurds as intermediaries among three major Islamic cultural traditions: Persian, Arabic, and Ottoman Turkish. Located at the crossroads of these regions, Kurdistan partly separates and connects these cultural centers. For centuries, Kurdish intellectuals have been proficient in their own languages as well as Persian (the literary language of India till the 19th c.), Arabic, and Turkish. This multilingual capability has enabled them to serve as bridges between these diverse cultures. Many Kurdish scholars studied in one part of the Muslim world and later taught in another. This openness to adventure was what pushed Ahmad b. Ismail al-Kurani (d.1488) to travel to the east and west ,and finally find himself in Ottoman lands. It was his mastery that earned him the Sultan’s confidence, to the extent that he gave him carte blanche to rectify his wayward son Mehmed –future conqueror of Constantinople- and prepare him for the Sultanate; and rectify he did, reportedly even beating up the future Sultan for persisting in his folly.

This connection shows how the Islamic world is deeply interconnected and how –in this case- Kurdish scholars helped bridge gaps between different cultures and regions. Their contributions highlight the rich history of Islamic scholarship and cultural exchange, and also discredits the thesis that Islam was spread by the sword, and similar tropes. Those scholars connected Islam (practice), Iman (faith), and Ihsan (spiritual cultivation), thereby forming a harmony between the mind, the soul, and the body in their teaching.

 

Related:

– Perpetual Outsiders: Accounts Of The History Of Islam In The Indian Subcontinent

– Islam In Nigeria [Part I]: A History

The post The Dissemination Of Islamic Knowledge In The Malay Archipelago appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Renewed wave of genocidal violence against Palestinians in northern Gaza.

A family's journey of displacement across Gaza.

The body you wake up in is not the same as the one you fell asleep in the day before. During the night, a few strands of hair have fallen out. Nails have grown by an imperceptible amount. Countless skin, bone, and muscle cells have died, and countless more have multiplied to take their place.

The changes we experience each day run deeper than just the physical realm. By the grace of Allah , our souls leave our body in the night and are returned to us when we wake up. But the soul which returns is also not quite the same. It has grown and reacted to the events of the previous day. Its maturity level and the way it processes new information has also changed.

This growth, this temporary nature, is an inherent aspect of the dunya. Our souls and bodies change daily, as do our environments, our relationships, our financial status, and every other element of our lives. Allah mentions this countless times throughout the Qur’an:

“And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason?” [Surah Al-An’am: 6;32]

And yet, we become so deeply attached to that which we know is temporary. The nature of man is such that he naturally wants to plan. He wants to optimize, control, and build the future according to his own specifications. He doesn’t do well with uncertainty; when the smallest piece of his intricate plan goes awry, he falls into panic. How quickly does he forget the statement of Allah ? Our Lord is the best of planners.

One of the most difficult things to do as a Muslim is to take a step back. When we desire control and do not have it, we know that the One who is always in control has our best interests in mind. Bad things may happen in the present. But we know that Allah is Ar-Razzaq, the Provider, and He will provide us with our needed sustenance. We know He is Al-Hakim, the Just, and He will let no slight against us go unanswered. He is Al-Basir, the All-Seeing, and He watches every moment of our struggle.

What is Husn Al-Dhann?

Seeing the best in each other [PC: Masjid MABA (unsplash)]

Husn Al-Dhann, literally translated, means “thinking good thoughts”. It is a practice we are encouraged to maintain with our Muslim brothers and sisters: to always see the best in them. When we see another Muslim doing something good, something righteous, we think highly of them for it. And when we see them seemingly doing something wrong, we make excuses for them. We do our best not to have negative opinions of our brothers and sisters, even when our eyes tell us something is amiss.

Maintaining Husn Al-Dhann is an excellent way to improve our interactions with others. From a spiritual perspective, it helps prevent awkward scenarios involving false accusations of sin or losses of trust. Slander is a major sin in Islam, but by being a person of Husn Al-Dhann, we protect ourselves from imagining topics to slander others about. Beyond that, maintaining Husn Al-Dhann simply makes us kinder people. If we’re always making excuses for others, if we’re truly looking at the best in them, our interactions with our brothers and sisters will shine. By focusing on what others do right rather than what they do wrong, we will uplift those around us and be a source of strength for our companions to overcome their own weaknesses.

Applying Husn Al-Dhann to Allah

Husn Al-Dhann is something we are encouraged to display in every aspect of our lives, with all of our Muslim brothers and sisters. It is strange, then, that we often fail to extend to the Creator the same courtesy that we give to the created. We make excuses for the failings of our brothers and sisters, but when life events don’t go our way, or a du’a is not answered how we expect, we turn on Allah and fall into pessimism. We believe that Allah doesn’t love us, or that he is not listening to our prayers. Though we may know in our minds that Allah . It means remaining in a state of gratitude and humility when things go our way, and seeking out kernels of goodness when they don’t. It means being consistent in our dua’s, even when we do not see them being answered.

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;186]

Allah has promised the believers that He listens and responds to them. He has also given us many opportunities for du’a that are not rejected, including while traveling, while fasting, and during the rain. What He has not promised us, however, is an answer exactly to our own specifications.

“Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;216]

Weighed down by trials [PC: Masjid MABA (unsplash)]

Part of Husn Al-Dhann is accepting that Allah sees the full picture and we do not. Perhaps the job we so desperately pray for will lead to a haram source of income. Maybe the person we desire so deeply to marry will instead cause us sadness and strife. Often, when we hyper-focus on a single solution to our problems, we lose track of the bigger picture. Allah may offer us something that is better for us, but because we have tied our happiness to this one specific element of the dunya that we want, we cannot even take advantage of this alternative blessing.

A reliable method of avoiding this is to not to be too specific in our du’as. Rather than asking for a specific job, ask Allah for provision. Rather than asking for a specific person, ask Allah for a righteous family. Doing so still addresses our problems without locking us into a single solution. A perfect example of this is Musa . In Surah Al-Qasas, we see Musa lose everything he had grown up with: his home, his wealth, his adoptive family, his entire people. However, at his lowest moment, he does not ask for any specific thing. He does not beg Allah for food, shelter, or protection. Rather, he says:

“So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, ‘My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.’” [Surah Al-Qasas: 28;24]

This is an encapsulation of Husn Al-Dhann in Allah . Despite the tests he has been put through, Musa believes that his Lord wants what is best for him. When he asks, he simply asks for provision, and leaves the rest in the hands of Allah . And look what provision he receives! Shortly afterward, he gets married, gains employment under Sho’ayb , and settles down in a new place. Allah knew what he needed and gave it to him without him even asking!

The concept of Husn Al-Dhann in Allah may be best summarized by an adage often taught to elementary school children: you get what you get, and you don’t get upset. We have no right to become angry with Allah when our plans fail; in life, we get what we get, and we say alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah for that which is good, as it is a blessing from Allah , and alhamdulillah for that which is bad, as it means we are being honored with a test. It is said that when Allah wants to raise the status of a believer, He does two things: He puts a test in their life, and He places patience in their heart. We see this play out time and time again in the stories of the Prophets. By taking everything in life as an opportunity from Allah , we lock ourselves into an optimistic mindset that constantly brings us closer to our Lord.

Husn Al-Dhann Among the Sahabah

When reading stories of the Sahabah, it is immediately evident that each one of our righteous predecessors experienced the early days of Islam wildly differently. While each of the Sahabah underwent their own deep tests, these tribulations often manifested in different realms of life. Some Sahabah underwent brutal physical torture. The experiences of Khabbab , for example, sound like a description of Jahannam in worldly life. When Khabbab’s master found out that he had converted to Islam, she covered his back in burning coals, burning and scarring him. This mutilation was so severe that the flesh on Khabbab’s back fully melted off, and he was permanently disfigured for the rest of his life.

Many other Sahabah did not have to endure such immense physical torture, instead facing tests of finance, family, or community. Some, certainly, were tested more harshly than others. But among the Sahabah, there was no sense of jealousy, no sense that the perceived “ease” of a certain person’s test was somehow unfair. The men and women of early Islam instead fostered an environment of mutual support, where the intricacies and issues of life were dealt with as-is. This, again, represents a form Husn Al-Dhann: having faith that one’s tests are tailor-made for them.

Conclusion

Ultimately, being a person of Husn Al-Dhann means that one practices a type of Islamic optimism. Such a person is consistently uplifting of their brothers and sisters, focusing on their best and brightest qualities. This person is also unwaveringly trusting in Allah , no matter what tribulations arise in their life.

The Qur’an and Sunnah provide an “emotional first aid kit” that we can utilize as we aspire to be this person. The stories contained therein offer a wealth of advice to guide us through difficult situations. Learning more about those who overcame similar tests in the past is key to assisting us through our tests of the present. Additionally, expanding our knowledge of Allah’s Mercy, Love, and Provision can provide hope in trying times. Connecting with religious texts and the stories of our predecessors strengthens the faith that is at the core of Husn Al-Dhann. As the oft-quoted verse promises us, hardship is, without fail, accompanied in some way by ease.

As we deal with the inevitable challenges of the dunya, we can take solace in the fact that our Lord wants only that which is best for us.

 

Related:

– When Problems Have No Solutions: Making Peace With Endless Trials

– The Story of Yunus: Lessons of Trials, Dawah, and Patience For Our Lives Today

The post Husn Al-Dhann: The Path To Islamic Optimism appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Hermann Kelly takes delight in the destruction of Lebanon.

People recount the horrors of Deir al-Balah’s Rufaida school massacre.

My young cousin Ahmed has been displaced so many times he no longer remembers his home.