Disqus - Latest Comments for AbulHussein

Re: Towards Gaining A Sound Understanding of Islam (Part 1 of 2)

AbulHussein — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:55:25 -0000

Hope all is well Abu Malik. It would be of benefit if this was a series on CD and a book.

Abul-Hussein

Re: Islam and Hip Hop by Brother Ahmad James

AbulHussein — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:15:44 -0000

Salman C, hope your well. There was an attempt on part to address your question if you wish you can refer to it. It is a separate post published on www.altranslators.com The reason for answering there is due to space and because the question you posed seemed to demand a worked out answer rather than a sporadic comment.

Abul-Hussein

(from the lower tier of the students of knowledge)

Re: Islam and Hip Hop by Brother Ahmad James

AbulHussein — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:05:19 -0000

Where we have to be on guard is the tendency to fall into the illusion of believing that rational argumentation independent of principled and textual grounding in the Shar'iah is what establishes correct practice and belief for the Muslim. In other words, we can debate without limitation and with sophistication but in the end not all opinions are equal. Rather, there must be a dividing factor for the Muslim and in this and all matters the criterion is the Shariah not sophisticated arguments or experience or social norms and custom or dreams or visions or mystical encounter (experience) or what we feel.

This is where we need a shift in the Muslim community in the West. The shift needed is one which we come to understand the guiding authority of Shariah in the life of the Muslim. To date in the West we are of the assumption that argumentation is what establishes the legitimacy of practice in Islam so that the Ulema have no importance in education due to all matters returning to intellect in this case opinions. Because we live in democracies everyone feels entitled to an opinion and to voice that opinion regardless of the merit of the opinion or its soundness or groundedness in Shariah. So, we see opinions launched from the intellectual to the rude but in the end they all have little to do with Shariah. It is in this atomosphere of a cacaphony of ideas and a democratic market place of opinions that people are working out their understanding of Islam rather than in an educational context and setting.

The Qur'an poses this question to us for reflection: -"Is it the case that the person of understanding and knowledge is equal to the person of ignorance?"

Not all opinions are equal.

Re: Guiding Rule On The Islam-Culture Debate

AbulHussein — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:49:43 -0000

An Clarifying Example:

Shariah allows for the "financee" to be seen before marriage.

Two corrupt customs justify two extreme practices with regard to the finacee:

1.) The prospective husband is prevented from seeing the financee before marriage
2.) The prospective husband is given free rein to see and spend unrestricted and unsupervised time with the finacee

Here custom deviates from the original intent of the Shariah with regard to the finacee.

Another example:

The term Sufism has many meanings.

In one case Sufism means tazkiyyah (purification of the self through dhikr and prescribed worship)

In another case Sufism means the practice of seeking help (istigatha) from the dead of the Muslims especially those who are regarded saintly.

In Shariah purification of the is a prescribed matter therefore Sufism when it means tazkiyyah it is a matter prescribed by the Shariah. So although it is a loaded term -Sufism- rather than argue about its soundness we look to the meaning of the term. In the case it falls in line with Shariah we accept it and in the case it goes against Shariah we reject that meaning without falling into dispute over terms.

In the case of Sufism being considered by custom to mean istigatha then in this case we reject it. By custom istigatha has been confused with tawassul or intersession. Sufism as a term has become identified closely with istigatha and confused to be restricted to it. Therefore, we must understand what Shariah declares about istigatha and what it declares regarding tawassul. Tawassul (intercession) as a term has come into dispute, immediately, it is condemned as being an innovation that is kufr because it is considered Shirk and this is because it is confused with istigatha (imploring aid and support of others, in this case the dead). Intercession on the other hand varies in meanings the majority of which are agreed upon by all the scholars because of their groundedness in the Shariah. But there is one meaning for tawassul that is disputed and that is to ask Allah something by the honor of a person that is dead regardless of their status as a Saint or Prophet. The Ulema differ over this practice and many consider it to be a matter of fiqh not aqeeda and others consider it to be a matter of aqeeda.

These terms, then, are obscured by custom so rather than debate about them we have to understand what is intended by their usage in various scenarios while looking to the Shariah to understand their legitimacy before we totally reject or totally accept these terms.

Allahu Al'am

Abul-Hussein

Re: Islam and Hip Hop by Brother Ahmad James

AbulHussein — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:54:07 -0000

To Ahmad James and others hope all you are well. There are a number of issues to be addressed here but I will limit myself to a couple of important topics two in number.

Firstly, it is disheartening to see that most readers who commented on the original post (Hip Hop In The 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America) did not read the post closely and rather than dialogue there was a flood of rebuttals and assumptions that were not so brotherly. In my estimation much of what was said in the comment box was flawed and emotional and deviated from focus on the original post this is why I took to silence rather than becoming intimately involved in interacting. The reason being is that there was no chance to speak about things in a systematic, intellectual and principled manner rooting ourselves in Islamic values and Islamic sciences.

A good portion of the readers who commented on the original post demonstrated little charity in interpretation and illustrated a faulty understanding of the intent of the post. To begin with the main error committed by readers is that many accused me of equating Hip Hop with Satanism. This is an error, in actual fact, the readers failed to pay close attention to the title of the post: “Hip Hop In The 21th Century.” What was being spoken of was the state of Hip Hop in the 21th century. Hip Hop as it was understood in the 70’s and 80’s was not included in the observation. Many an accusation was wielded at me but I found these accusations faulty given that they assumed I consider “Hip Hop and Islamic American Nasheed to be of one accord and this I do not consider to be the case.

With the exclusion of one reader who commented most readers rose immediately to the defense of hip hop and failed to address the problems of rappers considering themselves prophets and the problem of satanism and satanic symbolisms in hip hop. This was the issue at hand much less addressed is the glorification of acts that are sinful and those which are kufr if we leave the other two issues aside. Where was the underground hip hop world at when 50 cent the commercial artist claimed a Ghetto Qur’an? If we took Islamic brotherhood as a first principle then why was I called to justify my knowledge of hip hop that is to illustrate my intimate knowledge of it we do not begin as brothers in Islam this is why hip hop was given preference over us being Muslim brothers something even the 5% nation would not even do.

Secondly, there is a tendency for people to quote fatwas about music and the article “Cultural Imperative” to argue broad points regarding hip hop and culture. This illustrates a serious problem and a major misunderstanding. Fatawaa and the article “Cultural Imperative” are not enough to argue for or against what we are seeing happening in the music industry whether it is commercial or underground. What is happening is that people are entering Islam and find it difficult to shake off the hip hop world and identify with it as their primary culture so there is a tussle to maintain a hip identity while being Muslim. This is no new reality this has been the case for over 10 years now the difference between now and then is that there is a push to justify the reality under a fatwa or an article. What we need is to have a discussion on “Urf” (Custom) in Shar’iah given that it has no legislative status on its own rather in order for “Urf’ to be deemed sound it has to coincide with a principle in Shar’iah. On another note, there is a vast difference between dhikr circles and hip hop ciphers at least in a Sufi circle (irrespective of the legitimacy of it in Shariah) the self is not glorified. Lastly, there is no “cultural imperative with out learning and character training any cultural imperative which does not give the Qur’an a central role and the Sunna guiding authority and Islamic tradition a chance to inform practice and understanding is no Islamic program for civilization. We ought to be careful to refer to the Cultural Imperative article as a way to justify practices without nuancing what is being justified. Had this conversation taken place some years ago Islam would have had the upper hand rather than argue for hip hop we would have argued to understand how to make hip hop more Islamic. When someone is ready to address the rise of satanism in hip hop in the 21th century or the question of the notion of civilization and culture in Islamic thought I will be here to listen.

AstagfirUllah Wa Atuubu IlaiHi

Abul-Hussein

Re: A Challenge To Muslim Hip Hoppers and Entertainers

AbulHussein — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:38:53 -0000

One of the obvious differences between this stage that we are in -in da'wah- is that there used to be a fervor for learning the Deen and enthusiasm to practice the Deen and that seems to be dwindling. In fact, we do not see the same type of influx into Islam today that we saw sometime ago to be more precise in description we are witnessing an exodus from Islam in not in belief and practice then in practice and in attitude..

After about 12 years now the reality on the ground is quite different than what it once was here in the US. After the 9-11 disaster we Muslims woke up to being in America and part of America but now we are drowning in the social problems of America the very problems that indigenous Americans sought to reform by coming into Islam. Instead of being a model community in America it seems we are either against "the evil empire" or "immersed into the dark culture of the empire" we have not come to a possession where America is home and we are working for the well being of ourselves and others. In other words, there is an ideological shift and disorientation Muslims are suffering after not only the cold war but after 9-11.

There is an attitude, in the community, which demands that one prove oneself by debate and then it is in the discretion of the listener as to what is sound and reasonable and what is not regardless of understanding and standing in knowledge. Consequentially, we end up in a pool of varying and at times contradicting opinions, it is here that frustration reigns about what Islam is and how to practice and how it applies to life and in this case what is says about things such as listening to and practicing music and the arts. The new layer to the culture of debate is to claim the right to define what moderation is. So that a person is immoderate if his or her opinion is to one's disliking either rejected in part or in whole.

Here there is a word of wisdom to be take from Shaikh Allamah Abdullah Bin Bayyah (h). He said: "it may be the case that the person of knowledge is moderate but claimed extreme because the society he resides in is so "loose" that their cultural context distorts their image of what is moderate and what is not" So determining the moderate if it is properly done is to define moderate according to the principles of Shar'iah and evidences least we run the course of giving the intellect free rein in determining the halal (beauty) and the haram (ugly) without guidance from Shar'iah.

With that said there is a pressing need to study Islam in a systematic manner and being enthusiastic about its study and practice least we be consumed by the uprise of secular popular culture. In the fiqh of priorities we have to ask what takes precedence: arguing for supporting Muslims in the entertainment industry or pushing for reviving Islam through its study and practice? What fails to come into discussion here is that the idea of Muslim entering the arts is no new concept. In fact, American Imams (African-Americans) pushed for the idea of using the arts over 10 years ago some of us rejected that notion and pushed to study and learn instead and this is why there is a small minority of Muslim Americans who have "some" understanding of Islamic Sciences. Another question of importance here that is going unaddressed is: are we directing "entertainment" with an Islamic veneer at Muslims or is this a da'wah medium?

In the Islamic world the arts were dominated by the spirit and themes of the Qur'an and the attitude of the musician was guided by Islam, his very expression and tone is that really the case today where there is no Islamic empire or state? As Muslims in America the debate about the arts is much more than just a debate about music, its halalness or haramness but it is a debate about how will we work out our identity in this Nation in which we enjoy the freedom to believe to reject Islam. The way Muslims determine how to deal with the arts must be based on knowledge and not whim for it not only affects the youth of Islam but America as a whole and Europe too. Therefore, we need to really be cautious about what effects our acts will have upon others as well as ourselves. I sincerely doubt that music is being used as a da'wah tool in the manner Cat Stevens has employed it (Yusuf Islam) it seems more like some are working out their struggle with popular culture, with themselves and their identity rather than being models of Islamic values in a world in which values are contested. How we work out the question on the arts will determine how we proceed as Muslims in America and how we will contribute to reinstill popular culture with values that will save the West from moral implosion.

Re: Knowledge,Internalization, Submission: A conversation with Napoleon

AbulHussein — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:30:11 -0000

Extreme? Or manifesting an effort to be on the Siratul-Mustaqeem! May Allah (swt) the Lord of the Worlds aid those who sacrifice from themselves, from their desire to come into the practice of Al-Islam.

There is no doubt that we ought separate between "nasheed" and music as understood in the popular consciousness but the question we must continue ask until we receive an answer is: "has music become like alcohol in that there is some benefit in it but the harm is greater?"

Re: Fatwa: Using stem cells in scientific experiments by Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyah

AbulHussein — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:01:56 -0000

Ibn Masood, how are you I hope well and close to Allah. You bring up an excellent points beloved brother which leads to a series of questions. Such as, is abortion allowable and when is a fetus or zygote considered a human (person) etc. Also as a question of importance and relation to what was said is the question of when is a life in the womb considered to be possessed of legal capacity (Ahliyyah)? Is it Halal to use the human body of human tissue for scientific inquiry.

These questions need address. Maybe Shaikh Suhaib can post some of the latest positions on such grave topics.

Thank you Ibn Masud for the mindful thoughts. This is truly the fiqh we need it is very relevant to today. So thank you too Shaikh Suhaib for posting the fatwa in the first place.

May Allah reward you both.

Abul-Hussein