FIGURING OUT FIQH

Uh-oh.

Rules, rules and more rules.  

That’s what many people see the religion of Islam as - one big set of cans and can-nots.  

Yesterday a family friend who was visiting from the UK gifted us a box of chocolates. With my insatiable desire for anything sugar and cocoa, I lunged for the brilliantly gold-coloured box of Belgian beauties as soon as I had the chance.

But before I proceeded to greedily devour the joy that lay inside, I gave the ingredients a quick read just in case there was something dodgy in these heavenly bits of chocolaty goodness. 

And sure enough, just below where the main ingredients were listed, was a note in bold from the manufactures saying that these chocolates were infiltrated with alcohol.

Crestfallen, I alerted my family to this revelation and declared my intention to trash the now disgraced box of evil into the darkest, most deepest garbage bin I could find.

But much to my surprise, I was met with resistance.

“Don’t throw it!” exclaimed my grandma, incredulous that I would even consider throwing away uneaten food.

“We’ll give it to our neighbours. They’re Christian right? We can give it to them, they’ll enjoy it.”

Hold on a second.

Alcohol is prohibited because of its ill effects which are both physical and spiritual. Why would I subject my neighbours to these effects even if they consider it to be perfectly okay? 

“But it’s not haram for them!” retorted my granny. “The Jones would love a box of chocolate with a bit of booze. They drink in church every week anyways.”

Sharia, rules, fiqh, jurisprudence - call it what you wish - exists in order to create a morally upright society that is wired towards good and steered away from evil. 

Understanding that we can’t do certain things because it’s for our betterment is a huge step towards strengthening our faith. God doesn't make things impermissible just for the sake of it. Whether we can comprehend it or not, there is deep wisdom behind why we can or can't do things. 

It’s important to remember that the sharia is not meant to restrict us and make our lives boring or tasteless. Rather it’s a comprehensive code of conduct that serves as a guide by which we can live in order to achieve the highest levels of success both in this world and the next.

All it takes is a change of perspective. 

So tell me what you think. 

Would you have given those chocolates to your non-Muslim neighbours? 

THE CRIME OF SILENCE

" The darkest places in hell

Are reserved for those

Who maintain their neutrality 

In times of moral crisis "

Now, I can't confirm whether or not the above quote from Dante Alighieri's epic 14th century poem the Divine Comedy  is part of the myriad of tattoos that form Syed Ammar Nakshawani's forearms these days, but I'm sure you'll agree it's quite a powerful saying that resonates with the message of Karbala.

If there's one thing we can take away from Imam Hussain's (as) supreme sacrifice, it's to not remain neutral when we see injustice being committed in front of us.

Indeed the very essence of Imam Hussain's (as) mission is that through his death, he showed the world how to take a stand against falsehood in any shape or form, no matter how imposing the odds.

Through his death, he showed the world how to take a stand against wrong in any shape or form, no matter how imposing the odds. - See more at: http://charlatan.ca/2013/11/letter-hussain-belongs-to-everyone/#sthash.L57RrlcX.dpuf

Through his death, he showed the world how to take a stand against wrong in any shape or form, no matter how imposing the odds. - See more at: http://charlatan.ca/2013/11/letter-hussain-belongs-to-everyone/#sthash.L57RrlcX.dpuf

Through his death, he showed the world how to take a stand against wrong in any shape or form, no matter how imposing the odds. - See more at: http://charlatan.ca/2013/11/letter-hussain-belongs-to-everyone/#sthash.L57RrlcX.dpu

But then the question remains - how does one stand up to injustice and practice activism?

The Prophet (saaw) gives the answer to that question in a short, yet beautiful saying. He essentially outlines three courses of action we can take when we see falsehood in front of our eyes.

"If you see something wrong, change it with your hands. If you are not able to, then speak out against it. If you are not able to do that, then feel bad about it in your heart - but that  is the weakest form of faith."

I speak to myself first when I say that more often than, we find ourselves languishing in that third category, the stage the Prophet (saaw) calls the 'weakest form of faith'. We see something wrong in front of us but instead of actually doing something about it, we make 101 excuses not to act. Instead we pacify ourselves by feeling rotten and assuring out conscience that we personally are far away from such acts. 

Of course, it's not always practical to take action and 'change it with your hands,' but that second stage the Prophet (saaw) mentions is almost always a viable option. The second stage, 'speaking out,' doesn't mean standing in the middle of the street and yelling into a megaphone.

Take the example of Saudi Arabia's Sheikh Nimr and his recent death sentence. It probably wouldn't have been practical for most of us to jump onto the next flight to Saudi Arabia and pull-off a daring rescue mission. But we did Tweet, sign petitions and make noise. The absolute least we could have done was 'feel bad about it'.

The point is to strive to do the utmost that is possible under the circumstances - you be the judge and draw the line yourself. 

As lovers of Imam Hussain (as), we should feel a burning itch to do something the moment we hear about any kind of injustice. Paraphrasing Dante's words, there is indeed nothing worse than taking the course of inaction in times of moral crisis.

BOOK REVIEW: 101 WAYS TO CONCENTRATE IN PRAYER

Title: 101 Ways to Concentrate in Prayer 

Author: Dr. Ali Al-Hilli

Publisher: Sun Behind the Cloud Publications, UK

Pages: 191

Price: $11.99 / £6.99

In his book 101 Ways to Concentrate in Prayer, Dr. Ali Al-Hilli has gone above and beyond to offer a useful list of techniques that we can implement before, during and after our prayers in order to achieve higher levels of concentration.

Prior to writing his book, Dr. Al-Hilli conducted an anonymous online survey asking people how they would rate their concentration in prayer on a scale of 1-10 with one being poor and ten being perfect. 

The results were not surprising with 68% of people rating themselves between 1-5.

He then asked why they found it difficult to concentrate on their prayers to which 63% of participants replied that it was because their minds were always pre-occupied with other thoughts. 

Defining concentration

Dr. Al-Hilli starts by defining concentration in prayer as not just having as much attention as possible in what we are doing or who we are praying to, but also having the presence of heart. 

With that premise in mind, he guides the reader through the sacred journey of salaat, a voyage that begins well before we step on to the prayer mat. He divides the 101 tips into five categories - the prerequisites, the preparation, the prayer, spiritual upliftment, and finally medical and physical activities that can help improve our concentration in prayer. 

Research and religion
The book is rich with narration of the various mustahab actions that we can perform at the various stages of our prayers with everything from duas to be recited while we perform the steps of whudu to specific chapters of the Qur'an that are recommended to be recited in different prayers. 

Throughout his book, Dr. Al-Hilli strikes a wonderful balance between presenting ways to concentrate in prayer that are from purely religious sources like Qur'an and hadith, and tips based on contemporary research. He regularly draws on studies and books that have been written in the fields of concentration, memory, attention and productivity.

One such book he quotes is The Art of Concentration by Harriet Griffey. Griffey writes about how sitting still for a handful of minutes before carrying out a task can go a long way in increasing our ability to perform it the right way. These are tips we can easily apply to our daily prayers if we acknowledge that salaat is a rich and holistic process. 

Personal favourites 

One of the tips that stuck with me was #22 which states that we should strive to treat each prayer as if it is our last. It's a scary thought that the fajr salaat I hurriedly prayed a few hours ago could well be my last chance to call out to my Lord before I meet him.

Another one that stood out was #62: if you lose concentration, bounce back fast. Dr. Al-Hilli says, "If your focus during the prayer slips away, attempt to bounce back and use this as a warning and attention alarm to concentrate on the remainder of your prayer" (pg. 123).

What I liked about this book was how easy it was to read. The points flow smoothly from one to the other with some only being a couple of short paragraphs in length. The language and style that Dr. Al-Hilli uses is simple and relatable, and many of the tips he presents are practical so you can give them a shot straight away. 

Conclusion

All in all, 101 Ways to Concentrate in Prayer by Dr. Ali Al-Hilli is a fulfilling read that is sure to give you a fresh outlook on an act that we often turn into a ritual chore day after after. The author has given us the tools to derive maximum benefit from an act that is the 'pillar' of our religion, and it is now up to us to put them into practice and use what we can to reach higher levels in our salaat.  

Click here to watch a short promo video on the book or here to purchase 101 Ways to Concentrate in Prayer.  

WORSHIPPING TO THE HEART’S TUNE

 “These hearts come forth and go back” – Imam Ali (as)

It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the holy month of Rajab. But with its departure it leaves in its wake two more months of godly goodness, two months unrivalled in their sanctity.  

60 more days, culminating in the royal spiritual feast that is Laylatul Qadr, for us to march on in our quest to crush our egos and return to the path of Allah (swt).

But with these holy nights also come those seemingly endless amaaals that we’re all too aware of.

Namaaz after namaaz, tasbeeh after tasbeeh, dua after dua.

A question I ask myself whenever I try to worship (which really isn’t too often, maybe once in an Eid moon), is is my heart really into it, or am I just going through the motions, flipping through the pages of Mafitihul Jinan just because it’s an important night in the calendar.

The issue here is not to do with reward or thawaab. Allah’s (swt) unparalleled mercy promises that in abundance for anybody who turns to Him.

The question here is about how present our hearts are when we sit for hours on end, performing one act after the other.

What does it mean when Imam Ali (as) says ‘the heart comes forth and go back?’

You know that feeling when it’s time to pray but you just don’t feel like doing wudhu and heading for the musalla? Those times when it feels like a chore to sit down and recite even a few verses of the Qur’an.

That’s when the heart, like the tide in the ocean, has gone back and retreated.  

But there are also times when, inexplicably, you genuinely feel like gazing into the pages of the Qur’an. You yearn to sit alone on the prayer mat and speak to your creator through one of Imam Sajjad’s (as) magnificent supplications.

Your heart is receptive, and you WANT to get closer to God and connect with Him. This is when the heart, according to Imam Ali (as), has come forth.

In one of his many lectures, Sheikh Saeed Bahmanpour beautifully puts it when he says that in ibaadah, “follow your heart - don’t let your heart follow you.”

When it comes to worship, always strive to do what appeases the heart. If you don’t feel like reading Qur’an, then don’t force yourself to read the Qur’an.

Maybe try directing your efforts in reciting a small dua or performing a few units of prayers or even sitting in a quiet place and contemplating. Listen to your heart.

There is a joy in worship that can only be felt when the heart is in tune with our actions.

It only makes sense to stick to the basics by doing the wajib when you feel your heart has gone back. 

It just doesn’t add up to force mustahab actions down its throat, after all, our hearts are not bank accounts that will happily gobble up anything that comes their way.

YAUM AL GHAM (the Day of Sorrow)

There is a mosque in Cairo where some believe the head of Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third of the Shia Imams, is buried. While these narrations are not authentic, there is still a great deal of reverence given to that place of worship by both Sunnis and Shias.

A few years ago there was talk from an extremist Salafist group to bring down the shrine in Cairo, saying that to venerate a monument in that manner was akin to polytheism.

Al Azhar University, the biggest Sunni seminary in the world, spoke out strongly and said that if so much as a finger was laid on that mosque, there would be dire consequences.

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Simply put, Jannatul Baqi is a cemetery in Saudi Arabia. But it wasn't always a barren graveyard. Not more than 88 years ago, a mosque unparalleled in its beauty and grandeur stood over the graves of the many sacred personalities buried there.  

Yaum al Gham (the Day of Sorrow) is the day true Muslims around the world remember when that grand mausoleum was reduced to sand and rocks. 

A section of Baqi today

Here are the ‘5 W’s’ of the Day of Sorrow

WHO - Spurred by venomous Wahabi (also called Salafist or Takfiri) ideologies, Saudi Arabia's king at the time, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, ordered the demolition of Jannatul Baqi.  

WHAT - A stunning mausoleum in Saudi Arabia that housed the tombs of figures in Islamic history revered by both Sunnis and Shias was razed to the ground by bulldozers.

Four of the personalities buried there are those whom Shia Muslims regard as their Imams - the rightfully chosen successors to the Prophet Muhammad. One of those four is Muhammad’s other grandson, Hassan, who is Hussain’s older brother. The other three are descendants of Hussain.
 
Many other figures, including the Prophet's relatives, companions, and wives, which are revered by all Muslims around the world are also buried in Baqi.

The rest of the Shia Imams, numbering twelve in total, the twelfth of whom is believed to be occultation, are buried in grand mausoleums of gold in Iraq and Iran. All year round, millions of Shias from all parts of the world visit these shrines to pay their respects.

WHEN – The Baqi shrine was demolished on 21 April, 1925. The Islamic date was 8 Shawwal 1345.  

WHERE – Medina, Saudi Arabia. The graveyard of Baqi is located a stone's throw away from the green-domed Masjid Nabawi, one of Islam's most sacred mosques and the resting place of the Prophet Muhammad.

WHY- Among many things, Wahabis condemn grave veneration of any sort. Wahabism is a recently founded ultraconservative branch of Islam, criticized by mainstream Muslims both Sunni and Shia.

They say that history repeats itself and today, the holiest sites in Islam are still under attack.

The mausoleum of Hussain - Karbala, Iraq

In 2006 and 2007, the golden domed mausoleums of the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams in Sammara, Iraq were attacked in a bomb blast.

With Wahabism the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia today, talks are rife to destroy many more of Islam's holiest sites - including Masjid Nabawi. 

CAMPING IN QUEBEC

A couple of weeks ago I attended a camp that featured  Hajj Hassanain Rajabali.

Despite the pesky presence of black flies and mosquitoes (who seemed to have quite the appetite for human flesh), I had a super time at the camp with an awesome group of people, and benefited greatly from the sessions with Hajj Hassanain. 

Here and below is an article I wrote on the camp for Ottawa's monthly Muslim newspaper, Muslim Link.

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Photo courtesy of Emma Photography

The Ahlul Bayt Student Association (ABSA) at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa held their fourth annual spring camp over the Victoria Day long weekend.

Featuring world renowned English lecturer Hassanain Rajabali, the camp took place at CampAwacamenj Mino (around 70 km from Ottawa) and attracted more than 100 participants, mostly students, from Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.

Campers were treated to three days of canoeing, zip-lining, and rock-climbing and took part in interactive sessions with Professor Rajabali. Each night also featured a large bonfire, giving attendees a chance to unwind and spend time with the professor.

Currently living in Dearborn, Michigan, Prof. Rajabali is an internet sensation of sorts for his logical approach to debating with atheists. He has delivered lectures all over the world, and is the founder and director of Camp Taha, a 105-acre campsite that is the first ever Muslim-owned camp in North America.

“Camps are a beautiful place because it brings you down to nature,” he said. “As long as you resonate with good messages, the youth love you.”

He said he decided to invest his time and money into a camp instead of a community centre or a mosque because he feels there are already enough centres, and that each has its own ‘battle-zones’ between them.

“The best thing to do is to help them improve their unity and make them better,” Prof. Rajabali said. “They (mosques and centres) are essential, but the community needs more programs that are enhancing to the social status of the community.”

According to Hussein Beydoun, the president of ABSA at University of Ottawa, the presence of Prof. Rajabali had made this year’s camp extra special. He said that the goal of this particular camp was to give students a chance to learn more about Islam, and have fun at the same time.

“We wanted to do something completely different where they (participants) can socialize with each other, and at the end of the day take something home about the message of Islam and the message of Ahlul Bayt,” he said. “We gave people the perfect mix of both.”

For 18-year-old camper Adam Bawab, the camp was a chance to meet new people and benefit from a speaker he had previously only seen on YouTube.

“The best thing I like about him (Hassanain Rajabali) is that he connects with us as youths,” Bawab said. “He speaks with us and he doesn’t think of himself as higher than us – he’s very down to earth.”

Bawab said that a key point he took away from the sessions with Prof. Rajabali was the importance of balance.

“The biggest thing I’ll take back from the lectures and the time we spent with Hassanain Rajabali is the importance of balance in our lives,” he said. “When we talked about how everything needs balance, and after that particular speech, you can start realizing that everything really does need balance.”          

Another one of the messages that Prof. Rajabali conveyed over his lectures and Q&A sessions at the camp was that while external social pressures are a challenge that face youths today, problems also rise from within religious circles themselves.

“I think religious institutions and religious leaders do not represent religion properly, or they misarticulate the message,” he said. “When you do that what it does is it creates confusion in the hearts of people which leads them to become agnostics if not atheists – that’s a big challenge.”

Prof. Rajabali said that the enthusiasm displayed by the participants was refreshing, and a sign of good things to come.

“I see that they are very motivated, they really want to do something good, they’re very hungry,” he said.

 

KHARAB LAGSAAY (They'll feel bad)

"But they'll feel bad if we don't go!"

"Its just an extended family gathering, I'm sure it's fine."

"Everyone will be in hijab, so it's okay."

Ah, the conundrum that is mixed gatherings. To go or not to go, that is the question!

It's easily one of the biggest taboos in our communities today and in this post, I'd like to give my two dinars on it. I'll be drawing from what our scholars have said about the issue by referencing useful documents like this one.

Note: There's a small glossary at the bottom of this post for all you mzungus out there who can't tell the difference between a wiwa and walimo.

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So what do the scholars say?

Simple and straight, in gatherings where both sexes are expected to dress to impress, segregation between men and women with a barrier is to be observed.

Where mixed gatherings are allowed is in formal events like meetings, or when there is knowledge being disseminated. This is, of course, provided that hijab is observed.

Whether a partition like a barrier should be used or if it's okay for ladies and gents to simply sit in different sides of the room again depends on the situation.

Toronto's Syed Muhammad Rizvi has made a wonderful little chart regarding mixed gatherings. It's based on a series of discussions he had with Syed Sistani regarding mixed interactions between youths.

(click to enlarge)

I really like this line from that World Federation document:

"Islam does not allow free mixing between members of opposite gender but it allows decent and sanctified interaction."

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Wiwas!

Who doesn't enjoy attending weddings?

What with the endless supply of artery-clogging mitai and the reuniting of old relatives from half way around the world, it's a great time for everyone.  

But unfortunately it's usually at wiwas and the functions that come with them that the topic of mixed gatherings more often than not comes up.

Put it this way - when it comes to wedding functions, it's often the case that the ladies are dressed at their finest, and the men likewise. We've all seen it, shamelessly expensive clothes that make their first and last appearances at these functions. 

So think about it. 

If you put men and women together in a fancy hall with ambient lighting, add that little bit of 'halal music' that seems to be so fashionable today, and some kibao biryani and soda- all of a sudden you have a rather, what's the right word, loose social environment.

Thank God alcohol is haram. 

Put it all together and you might come to the conclusion that our ulema weren't just being unnecessarily strict when they warned against such gatherings.
 
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Would the Prophet attend?

A simple litmus test to gauge for yourself whether or not a gathering is one that is halal or not is this - stop for a second and think to yourself, 'can I imagine the Prophet (saaw) being present here?'

I know I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him at a mixed gathering where Islamic politics was being discussed.

But for some reason, the thought of the Prophet showing up at an 'Islamic' wedding function where men and women from different families mingle freely is laughable.

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What to do?

If for you, religion comes before your family or friends, then don't go. And do that happily, knowing that your Lord and your Imam is pleased with you.

Congratulate the family on the occasion, and tell them, respectfully, that you don't take part in unnecessary mixed gatherings.

By attending, you're showing there's nothing wrong with events like that. There's no point going home after and discussing with your friends and family how un-Islamic XYZ's wedding was.

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Parting thoughts...

I realize I may have hit a nerve or two with this article so I'd like to apologize in advance if I've hurt anyone. I'd also like to clarify that this post isn't directed at a particular family or wedding.

So leave a comment. Send me an email. Tell me what you think.

Do I need to relax and enjoy the show more?

Who knows, maybe I do.

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Glossary:


mitai:  Sub-continental sweets. More calories per square centimeter than the population of the Gaza Strip.

hijab: the physical and spiritual veil to be observed by Muslim men and women.

halal: allowed by religion.

haraam: disallowed by religion.

biryani: just the best dish in the whole world.

ulema: scholar, learned one.

kibao: the best, amazing, baap!

wiwa: wedding

walimo: reception/dinner after wedding

ummah: Islamic community

mzungu: non-Tanzanian, foreigner.