/ Jan 02, 2019 07:31 PM Master the Basics of Coding in Under Two Hours in Interactive Steps and Visual Examples Methods for using this guide: View the online version on this page (scroll down) Download a free PDF version Download a free Mobi version (for e-readers and ebook-reading apps, zipped) Buy the Kindle version on Amazon Buy the paperback version […]
/ Apr 09, 2019 06:13 PM This page contains the full text of Learning Quranic Arabic for Complete Beginners by Ikram Hawramani. You can get this book on Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle ebook. Learning Quranic Arabic for Complete Beginners ✽ A Step by Step Self-Teaching Guide to the Arabic Language of the Quran Ikram Hawramani 2019StewardsPublishing STEWARDS PUBLISHING Copyright © 2019 Ikram Hawramani First […]
/ Apr 09, 2018 06:50 PM / 13 Comments on A new approach to the Quran’s “Wife-Beating Verse” (al-Nisa 4:34) / 16543 viewsIn this essay, I present a plausible framework in which traditional scholarly interpretations of 4:34 can be considered correct without this becoming support for violence against women. I argue that the error has not been in understanding 4:34 but in scholarly efforts to justify it. There is a new line of justification that has so […]
/ Nov 17, 2018 03:28 PM / No Comments on The Muslim Plan for Western Civilization: There is No Plan / 6428 viewsDo Muslims hope to establish a World Caliphate? It is undeniable that some Muslims, including religious scholars, look forward to one day there existing a new Islamic empire that represents “true” Islam and that brings back the glory of the olden days. As is usual with fantasy-land Islam, the thinking is top-down, the caliphate has […]
/ Sep 27, 2017 06:38 PM Selected and Translated by Ikram Hawramani Copyright © 2017 Ikram Hawramani A Brief Primer on Ibn al-Jawzi Abū l-Faraj ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ibn al-Jawzī (1116 – 1201 CE) was a major historian, hadith scholar, jurist and popular preacher in medieval Baghdad. He is said to have written over a hundred works (some mention as many as […]
/ Aug 08, 2017 07:21 PM / 16 Comments on Reconciling Islam and Darwinian Evolution: Al-Ghazali’s Matrix and the Divine Template / 23707 viewsIntroduction (Download this essay as a PDF) This essay demonstrates the relationship between Islam and science/rationality through my effort to reconcile Darwinian evolution with the Quran. I am as much a “Darwinian” as any evolutionary biologist and as much a believer in the literal meaning of the Quran as any conservative Muslim. By showing how […]
/ Oct 01, 2017 09:00 PM Selected and Translated by Ikram Hawramani Copyright © 2017 Ikram Hawramani Hawramani.com All Rights Reserved A Brief Primer on Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah Ibn al-Qayyim[1] was born in Damascus on January 28th of the year 1292 CE, equivalent to the seventh of Ṣafar of the year 691 AH. His full name is Abū ʿAbd-Allah Shams al-Dīn […]
/ Jan 16, 2017 03:18 AM / 6 Comments on Inconsistencies in the Harry Potter Books / 4599 views Introduction This page lists all of the errors and inconsistencies I’ve found throughout my many readings of the entire series (I have Stephen Fry’s reading of the books on my phone as an audiobook, to which I sometimes listen when I’m resting or trying to fall asleep). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone What Object […]
/ Jul 04, 2018 08:16 PM / 1 Comment on Is Islam really pluralistic? An Islamic defense of pluralism / 5931 viewsIf Islamic teachings can be used to defend pluralism, that tells us something very important about the future of Islam. My views are not unique; they are similar to those of the great twentieth century Egyptian scholar Muḥammad ʿAbdallāh Drāz (1894 – 1958 CE), who defended a similar vision in many of his articles and […]
/ Oct 25, 2017 04:44 PM / 2 Comments on Islam, the Good Parts: A Basic Income System that Encourages Employment, Productive Investment and Automation / 4883 viewsWithin the next 50 years, most of the jobs that today employ people will not exist, because robots and computers will be able to do them better and cheaper. Over the past 50 years there has been much talk of artificial intelligence, and much of it was empty and little came out of it. The true […]
/ Jul 08, 2018 09:42 PM / 1 Comment on The Point of Marriage in Islam (and the Problem with Romantic Relationships Outside of Marriage) / 8354 viewsAn essay on the question of whether romantic relationships outside of marriage are acceptable in Islam, and if not, why. Why is marriage such a big deal in religiously conservative societies? Why can’t people just enjoy themselves without involving everyone and their mother in their private affairs? Islamic law does not have anything strict to […]
/ Nov 07, 2018 04:03 PM / 2 Comments on Why Digital Piracy is Ethical and Necessary / 12960 viewsDisclaimer: This is an academic essay on the ethics of digital piracy. It is not a call for breaking the law by pirating. Some jurisdictions punish piracy severely, therefore the risk is entirely your own if you choose to break the law by pirating content. For my proposal for a digital library that makes piracy […]
/ Jun 28, 2018 09:29 PM / 7 Comments on Mysticism without Sufism: A Guide to Tahajjud, Islam’s Meditation Practice / 8938 viewsWhat does mainstream Islam offer to someone who wants a deep, meaningful and permanent connection with God? When it comes to Islamic mysticism, Sufism is often treated as its main and perhaps even only outlet. But the truth is that it is quite possible to have deep, mystical practice as a Muslim without going through […]
/ Nov 09, 2017 03:44 PM / No Comments on A Biography of Ahmad Moftizadeh / 2099 viewsKak Ahmadi Muftizada: Darwazayak bo Xabateki Nanasraw (کاک ئەحمەدی موفتیزادە: دەروازەیەک بۆ خەباتێکی نەناسراو, Ahmad Moftizadeh: A Gateway to an Unknown Struggle) is a 394-page Kurdish biography of the great Iranian Kurdish leader Ahmad Moftizadeh written by Sarwat Abdullah, apparently published in 2010. I have been reading all available materials on Ahmad Moftizadeh, since he is […]
/ Apr 30, 2019 06:59 PM / 10 Comments on The Philosophy of Pornography and Masturbation / 19708 viewsWhy is it wrong to watch pornography? Even if a person is not religious, they will still feel guilt and shame about a porn-watching habit. Where does this come from? Even the most free-thinking and atheistic person will have reservations about watching pornography with their family, even if everyone in the family is an adult. […]
/ Sep 28, 2017 08:19 PM / No Comments on Understanding Islam’s Sophisticated Approach to Slavery: Why Muslims Practiced Slavery in the Past, and Why They Reject it Today / 2459 viewsBelow are my preliminary thoughts on why Islam’s tolerance for slavery is not necessary unethical. It may sound like nothing but empty apologetics to defend Islam’s toleration of slavery and say that Islam’s goal was to abolish it, when Islam’s Prophet ﷺ and his companions all practiced it widely. And generally this is what much of […]
/ Aug 05, 2018 05:42 PM / 4 Comments on Islam and Depression: A Survival Guide / 9623 viewsPlease note that this article is not meant as a replacement for medical help, but as a supplement to it. What does Islam have to offer someone who has been suffering depression for years and sees no end in sight to their suffering? Depression is not sadness and cannot be cured by thinking positively as […]
/ Sep 11, 2017 06:59 PM / 2 Comments on The Islamic View of Sex Education and Adolescent Exposure to Sexual Scenes in Novels and Films / 3155 viewsMy child loves to read books. Some of the books she wants to read mention sex. She is 13 years old and I don’t know when to allow her to read those books or even when to tell her about sex. I need help with this. Thank you! When a child reaches puberty (and I […]
/ Mar 13, 2019 08:53 PM / 6 Comments on Reconciling Free Will and Predestination in Islam with al-Māturīdī and Ibn Taymiyya / 9350 viewsRecently I have been reading many works on Islamic theology (kalām) in order to find answers to certain questions and paradoxes inherent within the Islamic theological worldview. Since I was already familiar with Ashʿarite theology (Islam’s dominant theological school), I decided to focus on al-Māturīdī (d. 944 CE), who represents Islam’s alternative yet orthodox theological […]
/ Nov 11, 2018 04:59 PM / No Comments on What is the best way to avoid habitual sins? / 1935 viewsAssalamu’alaykum, I wanna ask how to find myself and get back on the right path back? Im lost. Like so lost. Ive been feeling so tired with life and everything but i still keep on sinning. Like why is it so hard for me to understand that this life is temporary. Im sorry im emotional. […]
/ Mar 04, 2017 03:44 PM / 11 Comments on Why God Allows Evil to Exist, and Why Bad Things Happen to Good People / 25380 viewsIntroduction There is a surprising amount of confusion among the religious, even among clerics and scholars, when it comes to understanding why evil exists and why God stands aside when so much suffering happens throughout the world. Most of us express wonder when we see some horrible catastrophe happen, or when we see evil individuals, […]
/ Aug 11, 2018 06:53 PM / No Comments on The appropriate way to approach and propose to a Muslim woman / 22245 viewsSalam, A man with good intentions and a clean heart, finds a young lady attractive and has heard very pleasant things about her. Mashallah, she is gorgeous and after getting to know her, he is very sure about the decision of inshallah making her his wife. Pure intentions, clean heart, no ill means wallah. However, […]
/ Dec 06, 2018 02:54 PM / No Comments on The Universal Digital Library: A Platform that Makes Digital Piracy Unnecessary, Funds Creators, and Makes eBooks, Games and Software Affordable / 2624 viewsIn my previous essay Why Digital Piracy is Ethical and Necessary I discussed why there are no proper digital libraries: publishers pretend that digital goods cannot be sold. They demand continuous rents for digital products they give to libraries, making things like ebooks costlier (and for more difficult to lend due to various licensing clauses) than printed […]
/ Oct 10, 2017 10:00 PM / 1 Comment on God has not abandoned you: Regaining your sense of purpose when life feels spiritually empty, lonely and meaningless / 17289 viewsI would appreciate some advice. I pray all my prayers on time and I read Quran daily, along with other forms of worship, but I feel so numb & empty. I feel like I have no purpose in this life, like if I died it won’t even matter. I don’t affect this Ummah in any […]
/ Feb 07, 2019 05:06 PM / No Comments on The Philosophical Reason why Homosexual Relationships are “Wrong” / 2181 viewsSome preliminary thoughts on homosexuality that uses the Western philosophy of personhood to argue that homosexual relationships are morally wrong. Although homosexual desires can be natural and blameless, acting on them is harmful. In this essay, I will argue that among the elite and highly-educated, we can have “proper” male homosexual relationships between two men […]
/ Apr 10, 2019 03:28 PM / No Comments on The Dark Side of Swearing: The Philosophical Reason Why Using Profanity is Wrong / 1787 viewsA philosophical investigation of why using various forms of profanity is dangerous and harmful in the long-term. Included is a discussion of why using the word “sexy” casually is wrong. The line “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” from the 1939 film Gone with the Wind was one of the most shocking examples of profanity that had been shown on screen up to that time […]
/ Jun 30, 2017 06:42 PM / 1 Comment on What to do when your spouse is less religious than you / 3735 viewsA question I received recently: I am in my early twenties and have married a woman who comes from a Muslim family. After marrying her, I have found that religion is not very important to her. I had wished to marry a woman who was my equal in faith, so that we could create a […]
/ May 18, 2019 01:55 PM / 1 Comment on The proper way to position feet when sitting in salah / 6921 viewsSelam what is the proper way of positioning feet during sitting/ kneeling aspect of prayer. I see some websites instruct to sit on the L foot and right foot is erect. I like to sit on top of my heel while my feet are next to one another keeling of course. It is easier position […]
/ Oct 05, 2017 01:06 AM / No Comments on Muslims may use “God” instead of “Allah”, and why most converts to Islam should keep their pre-Islam names / 1620 viewsThey say in our doctrine that the word “God” is way different than “Allah”, and shouldn’t be said as long as the Kuffar use it. We as Muslims differ from what they came with.. Similar to what happened when Adan was first confirmed. What’s your take on that? The Saudi scholar Ibn Uthaymeen says there […]
/ Nov 15, 2017 07:42 PM / No Comments on What is the Islamic way to treat cruel and repugnant relatives? / 321 viewsI have relatives (we’re all Muslims) who have mercilessly beaten the poor and vulnerable, mocked and treated the poor like they’re sub-human, and just overall have vile character. As a result, I have no respect for them. I can’t help but be filled with a degree of bitterness and scorn towards them. Is that considered […]
/ Jul 26, 2017 02:52 PM / 4 Comments on On Islam, Homosexuality and Homosexual Muslims / 2960 viewsYou don’t have to answer this because its a very complex question but do you think you can be Muslim and gay? And how should we as Muslims feel about gays? How shall we treat them? How do you reconcile Islam (in the sense it is a religion that discourages/disagrees with homosexuality) with homosexuality? Is […]
/ Feb 20, 2019 02:06 PM / 1 Comment on Believing Women in Islam (2019) by Asma Barlas and David Raeburn Finn / 1583 viewsBelieving Women in Islam: A Brief Introduction by Asma Barlas and David Raeburn Finn is a short book that attempts to present the main ideas of Barlas’s longer work “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Quran. First, I should mention that I believe that any self-respecting and civilized man should demand that his female mate […]
/ Jul 11, 2018 04:47 PM / 2 Comments on Why the hijab is still obligatory (and why it is not only a vestige of 7th century Arabia) / 4135 viewsBelow is a response I wrote to someone who sent me a YouTube video in which the speaker argues that the hijab was necessary in ancient Arabia due to sexual harassment but that it is no longer necessary in the modern world I will first speak of the problem with her way of thinking, then […]
/ Apr 20, 2019 07:01 PM / No Comments on A Quranic Phenomenology of Atheism / 1768 viewsIt is common in religious thought to dismiss atheists as obstinate wrongdoers who reject religion out of a combination of irrationality, egotism and their preference for their base desires. But if we appreciate the great honor and dignity that God bestowed on all of humanity (the angels bowed down to us), we should perhaps be […]
/ Mar 13, 2019 10:11 AM / No Comments on Best friends and soulmates / 1328 viewsBrother, is there such thing as a best friend? I’m the type of person who thinks that I only allow myself one best friend, but after a few failed friendships, I’m starting to believe such thing never actually exist. Was it because my previous failed friendships? And also, is it true that soulmate can be […]
/ May 10, 2017 04:32 PM / 7 Comments on How to get a demo of the OneDrive File Picker JavaScript SDK to work on a local development server / 14271 viewsAfter getting the Google Drive file picker working on the page of a project I’m working on within just a few hours, I was faced with the task of getting the OneDrive JavaScript Picker to work, which I almost abandoned because of Microsoft’s brain-dead documentation. After hours of watching Microsoft videos and piecing together documentation, […]
/ Sep 14, 2017 12:20 AM / 1 Comment on What to do if all the negative coverage of Islam and online Islam-bashing affects you / 656 viewsI’m from India and I see a lot of negativity towards Islam and it saddens me very much. Filthy comments made about Islam and people who practice Islam. I usually do not indulge in such arguments/comments because there is no point but it effects me. Please help Jazakallah khair That is a promise of the […]
/ Nov 04, 2018 06:48 PM / 5 Comments on A Hadith Scholar Presents New Evidence that Aisha was Near 18 the Day of Her Marriage to the Prophet Muhammad / 30664 viewsThe age of Aisha bint Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with her and her father, at the time of her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH is one of the thorny issues in modern Islam, used as one of the main talking points against Islam by Islam’s detractors. How could God’s Prophet, a widower […]
/ May 24, 2019 04:51 AM / No Comments on What is the best time to perform witr? / 724 viewsAssalamu alaykum Please how many raka’ats is the Witr prayer and when is it best observed.. is it before going to bed or shortly before dawn? Jazakallahu khayran Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Witr should be performed as the last prayer of the night before dawn. The best time to perform it is related to the best […]
/ Oct 21, 2017 06:17 PM / 1 Comment on Conflicts of Fitness: Islam, America, and Evolutionary Psychology / 1943 viewsConflicts of Fitness: Islam, America, and Evolutionary Psychology by A.S. Amin is a highly original examination of the dynamics of gender and sexuality within Western societies on the one hand, and within Islamic societies on the other. As someone who has been working on reconciling Islam and evolutionary theory and on developing a post-feminist theory […]
/ Sep 29, 2017 07:17 PM / 2 Comments on Dating and Relationships in Islam: What is Allowed and What is Not / 17343 viewsIs dating and having relationships totally forbidden in Islam? I will start with a description of an example scenario of the way dating and relationships work in Islam, then will clarify the Islamic stance. If a woman works somewhere, and there is a man there that she likes and who likes her, and both of them […]
/ Feb 26, 2018 12:09 AM / No Comments on Can one read or listen to Quran online without wudu? / 6436 viewsDo we have to get ba-wudu even if we reciting or listening Quran online? There seems to be general agreement that qira’ah (reading/listening to/reciting aloud the Quran) can be done without wudu. The only thing that most agree should not be done without wudu is touching a book of Quran (i.e. a mushaf) (however, the highly respected […]
/ Oct 14, 2019 08:46 PM / No Comments on Is it permissible to use a credit card to build credit? / 614 viewsSalam, I’m a 19 year old canadian and a few days ago I was kind of pressured into getting a credit card. He said I’ll have to start building my credit for my life ahead, mentioning not being able to rent or get housing without a credit score among other things. Since he mentioned that, […]
/ Apr 11, 2019 03:28 PM / No Comments on The Islamic way to spend wealth: are luxuries permissible? / 1767 viewsAslamalaikum brother, I was wondering about the islamic principles on how to spend money. For example if someone had a good job and made good money and therefore lived lavishly but still followed the 5 pillars of islam and gave charity, would their religious deeds be deemed hypocritical due to their lifestyle. I feel very […]
/ Aug 09, 2018 05:56 PM / 2 Comments on What the Prophets Teach Us About the Proper Etiquette of Dua (Supplication) / 1628 viewsIn answer to questions regarding the nature and ideal manner of supplication in Islam The true servant of God is the one who accepts whatever the Creator decrees. If he asks of Him and He answers, he considers that a privilege granted by Him, and if he is denied, he considers that an act of […]
/ Sep 26, 2017 04:09 PM / 2 Comments on How is it fair that unattractive women have difficulty getting married? Why does God allow this? / 2051 viewsI was reading your blog post and I keep wondering isn’t the system unfair? That the most attractive woman will get men and the unattractive not . As an unattractive female I can’t get married although I wish First I will explain why the world is the way it is, then I will explain the […]
/ May 14, 2019 01:46 PM / No Comments on The right way to end an argument / 951 viewsSalam, the Prophet PBUH said there is reward to leave an arguement even if you are in the right, so when My mother tried to argue with me about giving food to the cat (that would otherwise go in the trash). It was v late at night and she was increasingly getting angry and I […]
/ Apr 07, 2019 02:25 PM / No Comments on What is the one right way to pray (perform salah)? / 680 viewsAsalam Walikum, I was still wondering what would be the right way to pray? Ik different scholars have different opinions but in a ONE answer, what would be the right way to pray? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, It is sufficient to learn to pray from a source you like and respect, which is how most Muslims […]
/ Sep 27, 2017 07:20 PM / No Comments on The Quranic and Prophetic Way to Treating Non-Muslims / 911 viewsMy father says we must hate Buddhist and Hinduists because they are mushrikin. I don’t really hate them or see them as enemy. Is that normal? There is no reason to hate them. Hatred often causes you to be blind to the good qualities in the person you hate and to only see the bad […]
/ Sep 22, 2017 12:38 AM / 1 Comment on The Islamic way to getting over a breakup / 5267 viewsI have issues regarding relationship. Well I broke up with my boyfriend few months ago. Usually when this happened lovers will not contact each other. Unfortunately, we have the same group of friends. I am trying so hard not to feel mad or sad every time I see him yet I still cant control my […]
/ Oct 28, 2019 02:33 PM / No Comments on Taking pills to prevent pregnancy without telling the husband / 460 viewsHi, is it wrong if I take pills to prevent pregnancy without telling my husband? I’ve been married for almost 6 months now and he did not take any prevention bcs he wants it to happen naturally. He said that he’ll be happy if we can have kids and can wait for Allah rizq whenever […]
/ May 03, 2017 09:00 PM / 1 Comment on My Chronic Fatigue Treatment Program / 986 views[August 28, 2017 Update: I have unpublished this book as the program, which seemed to work well for many months, has stopped working reliably. As I’m not certain of the value of the information presented in it, for now I will keep the book unpublished.] In this essay I will summarize the treatment program I […]
/ Feb 01, 2018 06:32 PM / No Comments on Learning to love God again / 404 viewsI want to know how to heal from the religious abuse I’ve been through in my life. I can’t find any resources online for Muslims. Most people I have read had issue with religious abuse have left. I don’t know how to heal that part. Maybe if I seek a professional they might tell me […]
/ Nov 12, 2019 09:08 PM / No Comments on Can Muslims use utensils in which pork or alcohol were cooked or stored? / 846 viewsIf a non muslim cooks pork or anything that has alcohol using our kitchen utensils such as pan, can we muslim still use it or do we have to throw it away? It’s sufficient to wash it thoroughly, then you can use it like any other utensil. Reference: Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)
/ Jan 29, 2019 06:09 PM / No Comments on Why do Muslims use Jewish names? / 628 viewsSalaam,my mom said after she gave birth to me she named me “Yakup” after that she said she fall asleep and she saw a dream,she said “I was in water and there was a lot of people in the water with her too,water was so clean and then everybody told me” Look that’s prophet Yakup” […]
/ Nov 19, 2019 02:30 PM / No Comments on Can newlyweds use birth control? / 510 viewsBrother, is it okay for a newly-wed couple not wanting to try for baby for their first sex? Is it okay to wear condom to prevent pregnancy until later we do it again for the desired time and moment? Islam permits birth control, so you are free to use it for as long as you […]
/ Nov 09, 2019 07:47 PM / No Comments on What are the best duas? / 881 viewsWhat are some of the best duas? What are some things to ask god for? Below are my favorite duas which I try to make after every prayer: To forgive your sins. Allahumma innaka affuwwun tuhibbul afwa faafu anni (O God, you are the Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness, so forgive me.) To guide you and […]
/ Mar 17, 2018 04:11 PM / No Comments on On which scholar’s opinions to follow and scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ) / 1856 viewsI don’t mean to offend you in any way but I just want to know (because I find other Islamic sources different from your answers sometimes). But I’m wondering when people ask you a certain thing on your blog , do you go after the scholars who give the fatwas/explanations that sounds most logic or […]
/ Jun 07, 2019 04:01 PM / No Comments on The separation of church and state in Islam / 870 viewsWhat is your opinion on separation of church and state. Is such thing possible in Muslim countries? Separation of church and state only matters if one envisions the state as an authority that forces certain behaviors on the population. This is mainly a concern for elitist intellectuals who think that a small number of intellectuals […]
/ Nov 14, 2019 03:58 PM / 2 Comments on Why Your Teenager Hates You / 13299 viewsAs a parent, you spend years tiring yourself to raise a child, only to watch them become a hostile teenager who thinks of you as something of an enemy who wants to control their lives. No matter how much you tell them that you have their best interests at heart and that you want them […]
/ Jan 07, 2019 02:14 PM / No Comments on Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science / 1665 viewsNidhal Guessoum’s Islam’s Quantum Question (originally published in French in 2009, published in English in 2011) is well worth reading, mainly for its detailed refutation of various pseudo-scientific defenses of Islam and the Quran that have been offered by others. His detailed critique of Iʿjāz literature and its supporters (such as Zaghloul El-Naggar), who purport to show scientific […]
/ Apr 22, 2019 05:03 PM / 2 Comments on Why We Should Stop Using the Word “Islamophobia” / 3405 viewsRecently the British philosopher Roger Scruton was sacked from his government position for stating in an interview that Islamophobia is a propaganda word “invented by the Muslim Brotherhood”, among other statements. The interview was intentionally redacted by the journalist to put Scruton in the worst light possible. Since then the journalist has disappeared from social […]
/ Oct 28, 2019 02:22 PM / No Comments on How to pray when classes get in the way / 654 viewsالسلام عليكم I live in Finland where in the winter the days are very short and because of that we have to pray duhur, asr, and maghrib within short hours of one another. My school is far from home and while we do have a place to pray there’s often many of men there and […]
/ Jun 24, 2019 03:14 PM / No Comments on Can a woman take off the hijab for an online suitor? / 2168 viewsSalam alaikum. Brother, what are your thoughts on a man who found a woman in an online dating site, whom wants to get to know of her, felt good connection after few conversations because they have lots in common, but asks her to take off her hijab before any agreements for marriage? He didn’t force […]
/ Apr 24, 2019 03:18 PM / No Comments on Is it permissible to use the name “Wahhab” without “Abdul”? / 1127 viewsAsalamalaikum It is permissible to use Wahab/Wahhab name without Abdul or a similar prefix. According to a fatwa by the website IslamOnline (which is overseen by the respected scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi), using the name Wahhab without “Abdul” is not permissible because it is specific to God. The fatwa refers to the opinion of Ibn Qayyim […]
/ Jul 14, 2019 06:47 PM / No Comments on On the use of pseudoscience to defend Islam / 297 viewsWhat are you views on people using anecdotes with a lot of mistakes and also pseudoscience to give dakwah or reminders. They will then say that their main point is to remind to do good deeds. I believe that it is unacceptable to use any kind of falsehood for the sake of Islam. The first […]
/ May 23, 2017 05:33 PM / No Comments on A guide to adding Google Drive (and OneDrive) upload functionality to Froala / 1249 viewsFroala is a great JavaScript editor until you try to extend its functionality. Its documentation is horrible and there is little extra functionality you can add without having to do a lot of reverse-engineering and reading of GitHub comments. Below is a guide to my solution for adding a Google Drive button to the Froala […]
/ Dec 07, 2019 04:03 PM / No Comments on Is the best salah the longest? / 765 viewsAssalamualaikum. I want to ask that is it true that the best salah is when you stand the longest… Is it true? And why is that? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, The reward for a good deed depends on the effort and sacrifice we put into it. So standing longer in prayer is better because we spend […]
/ Dec 26, 2017 10:24 PM / No Comments on What is the best dua for marrying well? / 550 viewsWhat kind of dua can I make to marry someone who is extraordinary person? Speak to God the way you speak to someone you love and ask Him what you want. You do not need special words. You do not even need words.
/ May 24, 2019 03:53 AM / No Comments on Will God answer the prayers of a woman who does not wear the hijab? / 905 viewsAlslam alikum Does not wearing hijab can be reason for not responding for my prayers (Du’aa) that I have been asking Allah for along time I’m so disappointed Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, God can have many reasons for not answering prayers at the time we expect and in the way we expect. We cannot say with […]
/ Jul 21, 2018 08:09 PM / No Comments on There are billions of non-Muslims, so how can Islam be the one true path? / 1331 viewsIt’s hard for me to imagine that there are populations and populations who barely have clue what Islam is and yet it is the one true path. What will happen then to these people? God’s purpose in building this universe was to make it possible for humans to exist who love Him and believe in […]
/ Sep 21, 2017 10:24 PM / No Comments on The Last Mufti of Iranian Kurdistan (And a Critique of Political Islam) / 1315 viewsThis book is a beautiful tribute to the memory of Ahmad Moftizadeh, may God have mercy on him, containing a detailed and well-supported biography of the man and detailing his works and beliefs. As someone whose (Sunni) family spent the late 80’s and most of the 90’s in Iranian Kurdistan, Ahmad Moftizadeh and Nasir Subhani, […]
/ Dec 08, 2019 03:31 PM / No Comments on The proper way to sit during salah and where to gaze during tashahhud / 4869 viewsSalam! I have two questions about prayer: during tashahud, do you have to look at your raised finger and does not looking invalidates the prayer? What about the tashahud position: do you have to sit on your left foot? I find that that position difficult and I’ve always sat on my both crossed feet, is […]
/ Dec 28, 2018 12:59 PM / No Comments on The Way of the Spiritual Muslim / 745 viewsMy new book The Way of the Spiritual Muslim is now available on Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle ebook. This book contains all of the sayings of Ibn al-Jawzī and Ibn al-Qayyim from my previous books along with new sections presenting the sayings of Ibn ʿAbbās, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, al-Fuḍayl bin ʿIyāḍ, Imam al-Shāfiʿī, Imam Aḥmad, Imam al-Ghazālī, Jalāl al-Dīn Rumi and Ibn ʿAṭāʾ-Allāh.
/ Dec 26, 2019 09:58 PM / No Comments on Is it permitted to use interest to save for marriage or college? / 461 viewsSalam! We have been going through hard circumstances since I’m born. It has always been hard for us to meet our ends. My mum has saved some amount of money for my marriage now, she wants to fixed deposit it in the bank. So that until I get married she can afford my brother’s university […]
/ Jan 17, 2019 07:16 PM / No Comments on Is it permitted to use the student loan interest deduction? / 516 viewssalamu alaykom, i know that student loans are haram but i have one that I’m paying off from when I didn’t really know it wasn’t okay. my question; on taxes in the U.S. you can put down the interest you paid on student loans as a deductible on your tax return filing and get some […]
/ Mar 27, 2019 05:09 PM / 14 Comments on Probablistic Hadith Verification: Combining the Science of Hadith with Legal Theory / 13860 viewsA Quick Preview Let us say we are faced with two hypothetical authentic (i.e. ṣaḥīḥ) hadiths from a respected collection such as Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, with the following chain diagrams, and we are trying to decide which hadith is stronger and better attested. The first hadith below has four transmitters (the four on the right), all […]
/ Oct 12, 2017 04:11 PM / 2 Comments on Should Muslims boycott the Hajj because of Saudi repression and war crimes? / 989 viewsI’ve read that when we do hajj we are financially supporting the Saudi government to oppress people in it’s country and also to kill people in Yemen. Is it true that they use hajj revenue for bad stuff? I doubt there is a major country in the world that does not kill innocent people whenever […]
/ Sep 21, 2019 04:10 PM / 3 Comments on Ayesha, At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Book Review) / 6601 viewsAyesha, At Last is a 2018 novel by Uzma Jalaluddin, a Canadian Muslim. It is her first novel. The publisher stresses that this is a Muslim version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This comparison is very unfair to Austen’s great masterpiece and sets readers up for disappointment. The story is a melodramatic and unrealistic […]
/ Nov 19, 2018 07:19 PM / No Comments on Dealing with missing someone after a breakup / 3264 viewsAssalamualaikum,what do we do when we miss someone so dearly,It just literally kills us on the inside,I wanted him to make me halal but he rejected me in a kind way Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Tragic life events such as breaking up with someone we love will invariably cause us to suffer. There is no way […]
/ Oct 31, 2017 07:16 PM / No Comments on How and From Where Do We Begin? By Ahmad Moftizadeh / 2963 viewsChon u La Kwewa Dast Pe Bkain (“How and From Where Do We Begin?”) is a 170-page Kurdish book based on interviews with Ahmad Moftizadeh done after he was released from prison (and soon before his death) and perhaps some of his writings. It provides an overview of his thinking processes regarding various matters, especially the proper […]
/ Jan 21, 2019 02:58 PM / No Comments on The simplest way to do a nikah according to Islamic law / 1636 viewsAccording to a fatwa on IslamWeb (run by Qatar’s Islamic Affairs Ministry), the nikāḥ ceremony is simply this: the man, woman, her guardian and two witnesses should gather together (this can be done over a video call if some of these people are not living close to each other). The witnesses must be respected members of the […]
/ Apr 16, 2019 04:44 PM / No Comments on Solving the Problem of the Codification of the Sharia / 1685 viewsAbstract I argue that the existence of an inherent contradiction between the Islamic Sharia and codification is imaginary and caused by paying insufficient attention to the nature of the workings of the Sharia and how it relates to the state. So far codification has meant the imposition of the hegemony of the state over the […]
/ Mar 19, 2019 03:51 PM / 3 Comments on What is the correct way to preform ghusl? / 12009 viewsJust take a shower and make sure that the water reaches your entire face and body. As long as you do it with the intention of ghusl then that is ghusl. Source: Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)
/ Nov 09, 2019 08:10 PM / No Comments on My opinion on the site IslamQA.info / 3836 viewsAssalamualaikum What is your opinion of the website Islamqa.info? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, IslamQA.info represents a brand of Islam that’s not followed by the majority of Sunni Muslims in the world. It’s often called Wahhabism. It often has good answers when it comes to questions on the very basics of Islam, such as rulings on the […]
/ Jul 25, 2018 04:37 PM / No Comments on How lenders contribute to decreasing native populations in industrialized nations: Housing prices, wages, interest and low fertility rates / 1014 viewsThe following chart from a BBC article (archived link) shows how home prices in the UK increased much faster than wages between 1975 and 2005. If you ask “Why are wages not increasing fast as home prices?” you are asking the wrong question. What we are seeing above is a literal land grab enabled by […]
/ Aug 10, 2017 08:54 PM / 1 Comment on Using PUT to RESTfully upload an image to a server with jQuery AJAX and PHP / 5046 viewsWhen uploading a single image to a known location, for example a user uploading an image to use as their profile image, using a PUT request for the upload makes more sense than POST if you are trying to follow REST principles. I couldn’t find a complete solution online, so the following is what I […]
/ Nov 15, 2014 04:12 AM / No Comments on Using jQuery and JSON to recover from a failed TablePress save / 778 viewsI was happily working away on my 700+ row table in TablePress, saving occasionally. Server issues came up and I was prevented from saving for a few hours. Eventually the server was back up again and I wanted to save, but I ran into the dreaded Ajax save failure message. Even using shift+save did not […]
/ Feb 27, 2017 08:29 PM / 1 Comment on Why the Banks are So Powerful and Why the Bible and the Quran Forbid Usury: Charting How Interest Creates Obscene Wealth Inequality / 2699 viewsImagine if in 1913 the real economy of the US had $100 billion in capital, while the banks and money-lenders had only $1 billion. Given everyday economic circumstances, by 2017, the wealth of the real economy would have grown to $2163 billion (with a 3% economic growth rate). Meanwhile, the wealth of the banks and […]
/ Jul 25, 2017 05:53 PM / 5 Comments on What happened to Islamic civilization? Why did Muslims fall behind in science and technology? / 4327 viewsI wanted your in depth opinion on a particular observation. Muslims, historically speaking, have been responsible for hundreds and thousands of scientific discoveries. What happened to us? Why are we in the stage we are? Only 100 years ago, which is just a little more than one human lifetime, the Ottoman Empire was a sovereign […]
/ Dec 26, 2019 10:00 PM / No Comments on Is supermarket cheese halal? How to find halal cheese / 1239 viewsAssalamualaikum what is your preferred opinion on whether cheese is halal or haram? I’ve read online that during the manufacturing process rennet can become mixed in with the cheese and therefore it is doubtful? It’s very hard to confirm with companies if that happened and also I read one opinion that said the companions ate […]
/ Nov 05, 2018 05:25 PM / 3 Comments on The two salvations: How erotic beauty is a false category of beauty / 7395 viewsIn his 2009 book Beauty, the wonderful British philosopher Roger Scruton says many insightful things about beauty. His book inspired me to create my own Islamic theory of aesthetics in which I assert that a beautiful thing is nothing other than that which brings us face-to-face with God. The reason that the most beautiful and picturesque […]
/ Apr 19, 2018 04:10 PM / 3 Comments on A Traditionalist Critique of the Islamic Prohibition on Taṣwīr (Making Drawings and Statues of Humans and Animals) / 15373 viewsTo many Muslims today, it will sound patently absurd if someone were to tell them that it is a mortal sin for them to draw a cat. But some religious scholars would tell you that drawing a cat is an act of taṣwīr (the depiction of living things in paintings, sculptures and elsewhere), a sin for which […]
/ Jun 25, 2018 04:45 PM / No Comments on Ending technological servitude: On the need for tariffs on Internet companies (and others) / 701 viewsIn my view the most important reason why protectionism is necessary, or at least one of the most important reasons, is the prevention of technological servitude. A simple example illustrates the point: Your country cannot be a pioneer in aerospace technologies if your country is not producing airplanes. If all of your airplanes come from China, the […]
/ Mar 22, 2018 09:32 PM / 1 Comment on The Road to Maturity: On Dealing with Life’s Unsolvable Problems / 6586 viewsEvery person’s life seems to contain problems that have no solution. Such problems can last for years, even decades. Among such problems are: Poverty: A person’s life may be denied many joys and contain many indignities brought about by poverty. Having a disabled child: An otherwise happy and wealthy couple may be force to worry […]
/ Feb 18, 2019 03:11 PM / No Comments on The History of Salafism: The Making of Salafism by Henri Lauzière / 2166 viewsHenri Lauzière’s 2016 book The Making of Salafism is about how Salafism as we know it today was invented in the 20th century. I discovered Lauzière’s work through reading his 2010 article “The Construction of Salafiyya: Reconsidering Salafism from the Perspective of Conceptual History,” in the International Journal of Middle East Studies. That article overturned many of my […]
/ Dec 05, 2019 08:22 PM / 1 Comment on Dealing with a Muslim father and husband who watches pornography / 2430 viewsAssalamualaykum. May Allah bless you and your family for your efforts to help this ummah, aameeen. I want to ask your advice about my dad who secretly watched porn videos on his phone. Me and the whole family, especially my mom, were devastated. We thought he already made a توبة, but this morning my mom […]
/ Dec 26, 2017 10:23 PM / 2 Comments on The purpose of hijab in Islam / 4636 viewsSo recently, I found out about the Quran being vague about the hijab. This person was saying many scholars argue that it’s left vague so that it can fit into any culture. But I heard many sheikhs say that it’s haram to not wear the hijab, even if it’s uncommon in your society.I don’t have […]
/ Jul 15, 2018 06:48 PM / No Comments on Forgiving society’s shortcomings and wrongs as a Muslim / 243 viewsAt first, I became a Muslim willingly, yes, my surroundings and family had a great role in it, but you see I had a choice, and I made it myself. Now that I grew up I realized that it was a false one. I was never really given the choice. Deep down I know it’s […]
/ Apr 21, 2019 02:34 PM / No Comments on Islamic Law and Jurisprudence: Studies in Honor of Farhat J. Ziadeh / 750 viewsIslamic Law and Jurisprudence: Studies in Honor of Farhat J. Ziadeh (published 1990) is a collection of papers written in honor of the Palestinian-American professor Farhat Jacob Ziadeh (1917-2016), founder and first chairman of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington. I bought this book after seeing it cited […]