Michael H. Hart
This book is solely involved with the question of who were the 100 persons who had the greatest effect on history and on the course of the world. I have ranked these 100 persons in order of importance: that is, according to the total amount…
cartainly we wrote in the Psalams
Multiculturalism in its normative sense is complementary to the attainment of global peace in the light of the Islamic eschatological Islamic belief in the coming of a global savior or redeemer, called the Mahdi, in the future. In fact, Islam depicts a scenario of universal…
in a world where
As human beings, we have a dire need to communicate with someone who is willing to listen to us and accept us without judgement. This is a need, and we continue to seek this need until we find an environment and means of communication that…
Nahj al-Balagha
Hanna al-Fakhoury, a Melkite priest (from Eastern Christian churches), philosopher and literary scholar has described the “Nahj al-Balagha” (The Way of Eloquence) as a selection of sermons, letters, quotations, and sayings of Ali ibn Abi Talib (as). He continues to describe it as one of…
Weren’t you headed for Kufa?
Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) was traveling with a non-Muslim. The man asked him where he was headed. Ali (as) responded, “To Kufa”. Ali (as) and the man traveled a distance together until the man decided to change his path. Ali (as) also followed the…
In his book, Muhammad’s Grave, Leor Halevi states that:
In his book, Muhammad’s Grave, Leor Halevi states that: “To pray for and then bury the dead in an orderly and coordinated way, the community needed a leader. To exercise leadership in the funerals of famous women and men was a privilege and an honor….
We can’t run away from our past
We can’t run away from our past. We may try to ignore it, bury it, and hide it, but as the saying goes, the past will eventually catch up to you. In many cases, the aftereffects of crimes committed in the past will continue for…
freedom of religion and civic rights
Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants with Christians can be viewed as establishing freedom of religion and civic rights for Christians living within the ummah. The Covenants were designed “to protect and defend peaceful Christian communities, not attack them”. The Prophet’s cordial relations with Christians were not due…
soft power of the Qur’an
The Qur’an, read judiciously alongside later histories, suggests that during Muhammad’s lifetime, Islam spread peacefully in the major cities of Western Arabia. The soft power of the Qur’an’s spiritual message has typically been underestimated in most treatments of this period. The image of Muhammad and…
The ridiculing of God’s messengers
The ridiculing of God’s messengers is nothing new. It can be seen during the time of Prophet Muhammad and the messengers before him. For instance, the Old Testament, book of Chronicles 2 states, ”The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through…
Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants with Christians
Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants with Christians can be viewed as establishing freedom of religion and civic rights for Christians living within the ummah. The Covenants were designed “to protect and defend peaceful Christian communities, not attack them”. The Prophet’s cordial relations with Christians were not due…
first hijra
During the first hijra, a group of Muslims led by Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib, the brother of ʿAlī, fled persecution from the Hejaz to the realm of the negus of Abyssinia, seeking refuge from persecution and possible annihilation. The negus (the Christian king of Ethiopia)…
Muhammad was a man at ease in the society …
“In spite of his shy and serious nature, Muhammad was a man at ease in the society. He was an affectionate relative and regularly sent messages and presents even to the pagans among his aunts and uncles and cousins. He never developed the common fault…