alhaddad.org

This Khutbah was delivered by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd’Allah, scholar in residence at the Nawawi Foundation in Chicago. It was delivered at the compound of the Muslim Youth Organization (MYO) in Georgetown, Guyana, on April 2. Given that it was ‘Good Friday’ Dr. Umar decided to address the topic of the Islamic perspective of the Christian doctrine of the Crucifixion of Christ. The Khutbah was given at the request of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) and the executive of Queenstown Jama Masjid. Because the Masjid is being reconstructed MYO is the temporary home for its Jumu’ah Khutbah.

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Masha-allah, Dr Umar Faruq’s works are always so pertinent … this one is another gem.

Source: Nawawi.org

The earlier Nawawi Foundation paper Islam and the Cultural Imperative addressed the necessity of establishing an authentic indigenous Muslim cultural presence in America. Living Islam with Purpose complements that paper by offering an operational framework for accomplishing the task. This framework consists of  “five operational principles,”  which are discussed at length and illustrated with examples:

* Trusting reason
* Respecting dissent
* Stressing societal obligation
* Setting priorities
* Embracing maxims

These five principles are central to the Islamic tradition and embody the practical wisdom and consummate sensibility of the Prophetic teaching. The paper emphasizes the need for American Muslims as a whole to become directly involved in their self-definition and the construction of their future as individuals and communities. This task cannot be left to others or to chance; the five operational principles provide an invaluable resource for determining the way forward. Living Islam with Purpose focuses on the American Muslim community but is relevant to Muslims everywhere, especially those in the West.

Download & Read Full Article [Nawawi.org]

Dr Umar Faruq Abd-allah relates this story from his CD  Famous Women in Islam . He also comments that this story has all the elements of a great block buster hollywood movie.

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Khowla daughter of Al-Azwar became a heroine when her brother Darar was taken prisoner by the Romans. She disguised herself as a horseman then took a position in the rows of the fighters in the battle of Ajnadien. (in Palestine in the fourteenth year after migration).

During the most intense fighting the Muslims saw a veiled horseman, who they could only see his eyes, riding a large horse with a spear in hand; attacking the Roman infantry like a raging fire. Thus causing the cavalry to displace and killing the soldiers. She caused such havoc that the people thought it was Khalid ibn Walid (may Allah show him mercy).

Suddenly, the people saw Khalid and their astonishment grew. Then they asked him who the veiled horseman was. He replied, “I am more astonished than you about the bravery of this horseman.”

Then Khalid cried out to the army, “O’ soldiers attack with the veiled horseman.” Then they attacked with them; broke the ranks of the enemy and gained victory.

When the veiled horseman came out at the end of the battle he was surrounded by the Muslim soldiers and asked, “Who could you be, O’ brave soldier?” but their perplexity increased when the veiled horseman turned away without answering. Then Khalid came and asked, “Who are you, O’ veiled hero? Reveal yourself to us. You have moved the hearts of the people and my heart through your actions. Who are you?”

When Khalid insisted, the horseman answered saying, “I do not wish to display myself to you O’ leader except out of my shyness towards you. I am Khowla daughter of Al-Azwar, Darar’s sister who was captured by the polytheists.”

Khalid shouted, “Bless you O’ daughter of Al-Azwar. No army will be defeated with the like of you in it!”

Later she and the Muslims freed her brother from the Romans. More information can be found out about her in Famous Muslim Women Cd set by Dr Umar Abdullah Farooq.

Source page 76-77 Silsila ta’lim Al-loghat Al-Arabiyya, Al-Musawa Al-Thalitha, Kitab Al-Qiraat

Translation by arfan shah

Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah Wymann-Landgraf
February 2000

In the 10th century C.E, Hroswitha—Saxon princess and earliest known German poetess—wrote of Cordoba, the caliphal capital of al-Andalus, that it was: “the ornament of the world.” In the Age of Hroswitha, Islam and civilization were synonymous. The Abode of Islam had a fabulous beacon in the east: Sunni Persia, and another, more spectacular, in the west: al-Andalus

Christian historians in the Middle Ages spoke of “the two Spains,” one Christian and the other Muslim. They meant by Spain, “Hispania”: the Iberian peninsula—Spain and Portugal—not the political entity called Spain today. There was no doubt which of the “two Spains” was the greater and more splendid. Europeans have called the Andalusians Moors and their culture, Moorish. Our names: Moore, Morris, Maurice, and Moritz, were medieval forms of “Moor” and “Moorish”.
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