Symbolism And Allegory In Qur’aan
The Message of the Quran Translated and Explained by Muhammad Asad (Formerly Leopold Weiss) When studying the Quran, one frequently encounters what may be…
Of saints and sinners
James Astill writing for The Economist says that the Islam of the Taliban is far removed from the popular Sufism practised by most South…
Amir Khusro’s lasting tryst with love
PRANAV KHULLAR writing here At the heart of the Sufi mystical experience lies the Zikr or remembrance of God. In its musical expression through…
On Damadam Mast Qalandar
Renuka Narayanan writing for the Hindustan Times So many wake-up calls The unrelenting terror trail across India recalls young Pakistani author Raza Rumi’s wistful…
Revisiting the concept of Jihad in Islam
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand)* The word ‘jihad’ is derived from the root juhd, which means ‘to strive’ or…
No One Is Left Hungry at Ajmer
“No one goes hungry in Ajmer during Ramadan” – NDTV – New Delhi, India By Rajan Mahan, For Muslims of south Asia, the Sufi…
Indonesia’s green madrassas
Rather than harping on the divisive rhetoric of tribe, sect and political persuasion, we have a theological and teleological imperative to green our society…
Origins and traditions of Sufism and its music
By Rasha Elass Sufism is the ascetic element of Islam and it derives from the Sunni tradition. Scholars trace the word to two possible…
Imam Hussain: The Beloved of the Beloved
By Syed Salman Chishty Shah Ast Hussain Among the Belivers are Men ,who delivered their promise to Allah (Ayah 23/ Surah Al-Ahzab) On the…
Sufism and its reality
Summary of a speech delivered by Syed Asmat Gilani Up till the 19 century, the dominant thought in the West was that ‘science’ was…
Weird science – the perils of Muslim scholarship
I am posting Ziauddin Sardar’s article published in the New Statesman (August 21,2008) that explores the ‘nonesense” of some Muslim scholars who claim that…
Issues in Madrassa Education in India
Yoginder Sikand’s new book Issues in Madrasa Education in India published by Hope India, Gurgaon is a promising publication. Here is a review by…
A modern Ottoman – the Turk Gulen wins the intellectuals’ poll
The Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, winner of the intellectuals poll undertaken by Prospect, has been hailed as “the modern face of the Sufi Ottoman…
Muslims feel like Jews of Europe – UK Minister
What an alamring statement coming from a Minister in the UK. Britain’s first Muslim minister has attacked the growing culture of hostility against Muslims…
William Chittick on Islamic Mysticism
Farah at her blog has done a remarkable thing by selecting some excellent quotes from an essay called “Islamic Mysticism” by William Chittick Full…
Fascist Wilders should be ignored
“..calling it a film is to abuse both the English language and the legacy of cinema” Yesterday, a friend sent an internet link to…
Islamic poster art in India – and South Asia
This piece entitled, My Name is Green, published in the weekly Outlook India traces how “forged in the cultural ferment of a century ago,…
Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s fatwa on alcohol
DOHA (AFP) – Prominent Qatar-based Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has sparked controversy by issuing a religious edict allowing Muslims to consume tiny amounts…
More on Data Saheb
Lahore Metblog has published a lovely post on Data Saheb of Lahore today During the urs the shrine and its whereabouts are beautifully lit.…
Turkey in Radical Revision of Islamist Texts
Turkey is working on a revolutionary new interpretation of the Prophet Mohammed’s reputed sayings, known as the Hadith. The project is aimed at allowing…