islam today - issue 35 may 2016

issue 35 vol. 4May 2016

islam today

UUKK SShhii''aa && SSuunnnnii sscchhoollaarrss vviissiitt ttoo IIrraann

HHaawwzzaa iinn aa nnuuttsshheellll

TThhee RReeaalliittyy ooff SSuupppplliiccaattiioonn

2 islam today May 2016

Publisher

The Islamic Centre of England140 Maida ValeLondonW9 1QBTel: +44 20 7604 5500 ISSN

22051-2503

Editorial team

Managing Director M. Saeed Bahmanpour

Chief Editor Amir De Martino

Managing Editor Anousheh Mireskandari

Layout and Design Innovative Graphics

islam todayissue 35 vol. 4

May 2016

islam today magazine is a monthly magazinepublished by the London based Islamic Centreof England. It focuses on the activities of thecommunities affiliated to the Centre, reflecting aculture of openness and respect towards otherreligious communities both Islamic and non.The magazine is available in paper and digitalformat.

Disclaimer: All information in thismagazine is verified to the best of theauthors’ and the publisher’s ability.However, islam today shall not be liable orresponsible for loss or damage arisingfrom any users’ reliance on informationobtained from the magazine.

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Contents

islam today May 2016 3

The Impact of Christian-Muslim Relations on World PeaceConference organised by the Canadian Mennonite UniversitySpeech by Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali

Lessons on Islamic Beliefsby Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali

UK Shi'a & Sunni scholars visit to IranOrganised by ‘The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools ofThought’ by Dr Mohammad Khalid

Artby Moriam Grillo

Hawza in a nutshellby Ezra Hashme

The Reality of Supplicationby Sheikh Mirza Abbas Raza

St. John the Baptist; a Prophet of Christians and Muslimsby Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Navigating the world in the darkby Dr Laleh Lohrasbi

Children Corner'A Messy room ' by Ghazaleh Kamrani

What & WhereListing of Events

4

8

10

12

14

16

18

22

24

26

Page

he relation between Christianity and Islam is arelation within a family. Some people may saythat we should have dialogue as we don’t wantto fight, but this is very little and kind of

offensive. Christians and Muslims don’t need reason tohave dialogue. It is in fact the most natural thing we cando, first as human beings and secondly as people whohave so much to share, people who are part of the sameAbrahamic family. Spending time together to talk andshare ideas is the most natural action for us. If we do nothave this relationship then it would be surprising.

The relationship between Muslims and Christians hasbeen portrayed with tension, confrontation or at leastwith competition. Some people think we are competingin the same market, converting people to our ownreligion. This is not a right mentality. We are all believersin God, and to believe in one God, the God who ismerciful, not only for believers but for all humanity andthis makes us very close to each other. We underestimatethe great theology and heritage that we share.Just to understand the importance of this dialogue,imagine you are talking to an atheist who does not

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CCoonnffeerreennccee oorrggaanniisseedd bbyy tthhee CCaannaaddiiaann MMeennnnoonniittee UUnniivveerrssiittyySSppeeeecchh bbyy DDrr.. MMoohhaammmmaadd AAllii SShhoommaallii

T

Conference


Christians and Muslims

don’t need reason to

have dialogue. It is in

fact the most natural thing

we can do, first as human

beings and secondly as

people who have so much to

share, people who are part of

the same Abrahamic family.

believe in God, how difficult it would be to talk to himwhen you do not know or understand what his viewpoints are about life, and how difficult it would be toconvince this person that there is a God, and He is theCreator, the God to whom we should be grateful andresponsible, and talk about the Hereafter. To haveconversations with an atheist might take months and atthe end he may or may not accept our views. But whenwe are faced with a person from another faith whobelieves in God and is submissive to God, someone whohas devoted his life to God, unfortunately we take it forgranted. Why? Because we have little theologicaldifferences. I think it is actually a part of our

understanding and cognitive faculties that we are leadingthe way, that we are more sensitive to these differences.It is through our differences that we come to know eachother. It takes a lot of effort to see humanity underneaththe differences. If we don’t train ourselves, we only see thedifferences and this can be very divisive. Sometimes,husband of wife, after many years living together say theyhave nothing in common. How could this be possibleespecially that they have lived together for such a longtime? Because their differences have occupied theirminds that they are no longer able to see anything incommon.We don’t want to reach to the point that we say we can’tfind anything in common. Depends on how muchimportance and significance we give to the commonareas, or differences we can adjust in our relation withthe people. For me personally, the most important aspectis if the person is submissive to God. Therefore if Iinteract with a Christian who is submissive to God itwould be better for me than interacting with a Muslimwho is not. If God is the most important element andcentre to our lives, then we should be happy to be withthe people who believe in the same God.We have groups of people who have no experience of theLove for God. These people are lonely and they do suffera lot. We should feel responsible towards them. If we[Muslims and Christians] share with them the beauty ofthe faith and love for God, it would have much moreimpact than if we talk to them separately. If we [thefaithful] together invite non-believers to the faith wewould see a better result. Unfortunately what happenstoday is that religious people fight with each other, andsome people are just too happy to point out to this andconvince others that to stop all these tensions amongreligions it would be better that the entire world rid itself

TThhee IImmppaacctt ooff CChhrriissttiiaann--MMuusslliimmRReellaattiioonnss oonn WWoorrlldd PPeeaaccee

CCoonnffeerreennccee oorrggaanniisseedd bbyy tthhee CCaannaaddiiaann MMeennnnoonniittee UUnniivveerrssiittyySSppeeeecchh bbyy DDrr.. MMoohhaammmmaadd AAllii SShhoommaallii

CCaannaaddiiaann MMeennnnoonniittee UUnniivveerrssiittyy -- WWiinnnniippeegg MMaanniittoobbaa



of religions.Another issue is those who have faith but not in aright way. Those who take it upon themselves to havemonopoly upon God, for themselves, theircountrymen, or their religion. They possess God andtry to bring Him down to their own level and this doesnot make sense. If they love God, they should behappy to see others to do the same. Otherwise, theGod of humanity becomes the God of a religion, anation or a tribe. This is not God, but it is ego of thoseprojecting their god as God. We have to be possessedby God and we should ascend to His level. This is theway we could see the world His way. This does notmean that we should all be the same; we do not haveto see everything with the same eye. An artist may do1000 pieces of work, they might not all be the samebut if you appreciate him as an artist then you wouldlike all his work. Believers love everyone, as they seethe signature of God in everyone.We should be in such a level of consciousness andlove for God to reach this level, and this cannot beachieved without a degree of humbleness. We have anarration that says; “whoever is humble God willalleviate him and whoever tries to be arrogant God willpush him down”.In Islamic tradition, Abraham(a) is considered as‘Khalil’, friend of God. A story is mentioned in thetraditions of when Abraham(a) was chosen as the‘friend’ of God. One day when Abraham(a) entered hishouse, he found a man in it. He asked who he wasand who allowed him to enter Abraham(a)’s house. Theman said: “The lord of this house allowed me to enter.”Abraham(a) immediately realised he is an angel. Theangel had brought him the good news that God haschosen him as His friend. But Abraham(a) did not findhimself worthy of this benevolence and asked theangel: “Who is the one whom my Lord has chosen asHis friend, so I can serve him till I die.” He was sosubmissive to God that it did not matter to him whothe person was, as long as it was ordained by God. Hewas happy to serve him. This is opposite to Satan,according to Islam; Satan served God for 6000 years.He had, apparently, no problem with God, but Satanhad a problem with another person being nearer toGod than him. He was not able to show humbleness,but Abraham(a) did. I think we religious people needthat humbleness to let God enter into our hearts soHe would push us to the direction He sees fit.We have tried to use any occasion we could find to letour congregation to join programmes with Churches. Ipersonally have used these tribunes to spread dialoguebetween Muslims and Christians. I have talked onmany occasions on the story of Abraham(a), I havetalked about this in the holiest places we have such asQom. So what we say here to Christians we say to our

own people and I am sure our Christian friends do thesame.What I appreciate about some of our Christian friends,like Mennonites, Hemish,…is that they take theirreligion seriously. I love to see churches full. We do notlike to see worship places empty as this means peopleare keeping away from faith. I have said this before. Mychallenge is not Muslims who become Christians, oreven trying to convert Christians to Islam; mychallenge today is keeping faith in families in societyall together.For most of history Christians and Muslims did nothelp each other, they did not work together. Theyspread but on their own. There is no future for usunless we work together. The world is too connectedand too little, challenges are coming right in themiddle of our houses. We have to put up a commonfront, common values. I am very much convinced thatthere would be great relations between Christians andMuslims.We would have two challenges; those who do not wantany faith, and those who are extremists. Butunderneath, these two totally opposite sides areconnected. We have to wake up and face our problemstogether.

As Imam Ali(a) said: “people are either like you in faith,or similar to you in humanity”. And this should be ourstrategy.

https://youtu.be/nwanj71pM7E

World Peace andChristian-Muslim

Relations

Organised by Waterloo LutheranSeminary

Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali, also gave a lecture, entitled ‘TheImpact of Christian-Muslim Relations on World Peace’ inWaterloo. This conference was co-sponsored by the WaterlooLutheran Seminary and the Islamic Humanitarian Service.

Mohammad Ali Shomali [the director of the Islamic Centre ofEngland, and founding director of the International Institutefor Islamic Studies based in Qom, Iran] alongside theMennonite Central Committee, has co-ordinated manyMennonite-Muslim dialogues; cross-cultural studentexchanges; and teaching exchanges by Muslim and Christianscholars between seminaries in Iran and North America.

of religions.Another issue is those who have faith but not in aright way. Those who take it upon themselves to havemonopoly upon God, for themselves, theircountrymen, or their religion. They possess God andtry to bring Him down to their own level and this doesnot make sense. If they love God, they should behappy to see others to do the same. Otherwise, theGod of humanity becomes the God of a religion, anation or a tribe. This is not God, but it is ego of thoseprojecting their god as God. We have to be possessedby God and we should ascend to His level. This is theway we could see the world His way. This does notmean that we should all be the same; we do not haveto see everything with the same eye. An artist may do1000 pieces of work, they might not all be the samebut if you appreciate him as an artist then you wouldlike all his work. Believers love everyone, as they seethe signature of God in everyone.We should be in such a level of consciousness andlove for God to reach this level, and this cannot beachieved without a degree of humbleness. We have anarration that says; “whoever is humble God willalleviate him and whoever tries to be arrogant God willpush him down”.In Islamic tradition, Abraham(a) is considered as‘Khalil’, friend of God. A story is mentioned in thetraditions of when Abraham(a) was chosen as the‘friend’ of God. One day when Abraham(a) entered hishouse, he found a man in it. He asked who he wasand who allowed him to enter Abraham(a)’s house. Theman said: “The lord of this house allowed me to enter.”Abraham(a) immediately realised he is an angel. Theangel had brought him the good news that God haschosen him as His friend. But Abraham(a) did not findhimself worthy of this benevolence and asked theangel: “Who is the one whom my Lord has chosen asHis friend, so I can serve him till I die.” He was sosubmissive to God that it did not matter to him whothe person was, as long as it was ordained by God. Hewas happy to serve him. This is opposite to Satan,according to Islam; Satan served God for 6000 years.He had, apparently, no problem with God, but Satanhad a problem with another person being nearer toGod than him. He was not able to show humbleness,but Abraham(a) did. I think we religious people needthat humbleness to let God enter into our hearts soHe would push us to the direction He sees fit.We have tried to use any occasion we could find to letour congregation to join programmes with Churches. Ipersonally have used these tribunes to spread dialoguebetween Muslims and Christians. I have talked onmany occasions on the story of Abraham(a), I havetalked about this in the holiest places we have such asQom. So what we say here to Christians we say to our

own people and I am sure our Christian friends do thesame.What I appreciate about some of our Christian friends,like Mennonites, Hemish,…is that they take theirreligion seriously. I love to see churches full. We do notlike to see worship places empty as this means peopleare keeping away from faith. I have said this before. Mychallenge is not Muslims who become Christians, oreven trying to convert Christians to Islam; mychallenge today is keeping faith in families in societyall together.For most of history Christians and Muslims did nothelp each other, they did not work together. Theyspread but on their own. There is no future for usunless we work together. The world is too connectedand too little, challenges are coming right in themiddle of our houses. We have to put up a commonfront, common values. I am very much convinced thatthere would be great relations between Christians andMuslims.We would have two challenges; those who do not wantany faith, and those who are extremists. Butunderneath, these two totally opposite sides areconnected. We have to wake up and face our problemstogether.

As Imam Ali(a) said: “people are either like you in faith,or similar to you in humanity”. And this should be ourstrategy.

https://youtu.be/nwanj71pM7E

We should be in such

a level of

consciousness and

love for God to reach this

level, and this cannot be

achieved without a degree

of humbleness. We have a

narration that says;

“whoever is humble God will

alleviate him and whoever

tries to be arrogant God will

push him down”. islam today May 2016 7

Reports


n the 16th of April 2016 Sheikh Shomali held aspecial lesson with a group of teachers andmadressa educators. The purpose of the meetingwas to underline the importance of acquiring a

good knowledge of aqaed (doctrines of faith).The recent book by Sheikh Shomali titled ‘Lessons onIslamic Belief’ provided the basis of an interactivediscussion in which the participants were encouraged toask questions on the basis of what they had read from thebook.Before starting the three-hour session Sheikh Shomali gavea brief introduction explaining how the process of learningaqaed is a continuous one and it is central to our spiritualgrowth and self-development. He explained that increasingone’s knowledge of the doctrines of Islamic faith has atransformative effect on the believer. He also explained thatthe classification of the principles of faith into ‘roots’ and‘branches’ or pillars developed over the centuries as aconventional way to introduce Islam while the Islamic beliefsystem is made up of many more doctrines.He also added that perhaps it was now time to alsointroduce a definition the ‘fruits’ generated by theknowledge of ‘roots’ and ‘branches’. He identified these asvirtues emanating from the knowledge of the doctrines offaith, a core set of 5-10 virtues, the acquisition of whichwould determine our individual spiritual progress. SheikhShomali also spoke of the necessity of recognising andpresenting to others the characteristics of Shi’a Islam. Hebelieves that key characteristics of Shi’a Islam are:rationality, spirituality and search for justice, clearly evidentfrom the teachings and practices of the Imams from theProphet Muhammad’s Ahl ul Bayt(as) . A balance betweenthese characteristics will yield the right result and theexclusion of extremism, radicalism or passivism saidShomali.The first part of the session ended after a brief elucidationof the 5 usul-e-deen (roots of religion) of Shi’a Islamnamely: The Unity of God, Divine Justice, Prophethood,Imamate and Resurrection.The second session started with an exposition of the mostfundamental principle of Islamic faith: Tawhid (the unity ofGod). Sheikh Shomali posed the question to why Tawhid

has become the most important principle, why not theExistence of God, for example? He explained that in theQur’an the existence of God is not considered to besomething difficult for people to perceive and understandbut the challenge is to have a proper understanding of Godand the Qur’an focuses on elucidating this aspect of belief.

Sheikh Shomali then spoke of the effect on the person whois a true believer of Tawhid (muwahhed). When the light ofGod comes to one’s heart all problems disappear. In hisexposition Sheikh Shomali turned towards the clarificationof theological understandings pertaining to the nature ofGod and His attributes with references to the differencesbetween Shi’a Islam and other classical schools such as theAsharites.

In the Q & A session the participants discussed practicalways to transmit knowledge of aqaed when teaching youngpeople in madressas or schools. Here Sheikh Shomali gavesome practical advice on what aspects of aqaed to focus ondepending on the age and the knowledge of the student.He believes that when addressing young children andteenagers the most important thing is to find a way to makethem love God, to explain to them that God is the one whohas given them everything. Love for God is a preconditionto developing obedience towards Him but obedience isobligatory only at a certain age so there is no need tooverburden a child with obligations before it is due. Weneed to make our children develop love for God beforeanything else, he stressed. Other questions touched uponthe issue of intercession in Islam and on the nature ofProphets’ infallibility.

Interactive Session on Lessons on Islamic Beliefs -by Sheikh Dr Shomali 16/04/2016https://www.youtube.com/user/islamiccentre1998

More sessions are planned for the near future.

LLeessssoonnss oonnIIssllaammiicc BBeelliieeffss

O

n early April this year, through an initiative by ShaikhShomali (Head of the Islamic Centre of England) andin cooperation with the World Forum For Proximity, atrip to Iran was arranged for a delegation consisting

of nine prominent scholars belonging to different Islamicschools of thought includingSunni and Shia.During this visit we mainlystayed in the three historiccities of Iran: Qom, Mashadand Tehran. We had theopportunity to meet thegrand ulama and muftis ofthese places and benefited alot from their informative,academic talks full of love,sincerity and benevolence.The visits to the shrines ofHazrat Sayyeda Masoomahin Qom and Imam AliRedha(a) in Mashad weredeeply moving spiritualexperiences which shallremain with us forever.

All members of thisdelegation were highlyimpressed by the piety andsincerity of grand ulamasuch as Ayatullah Subhani (Imam Sadiq(a) Institute),

Ayatollah Jawadi Aomoli and Shahristani along with someothers they met at their respective centres. Theirinvaluable words on the topic of the unity of the ummah(Islamic Community) and the importance of brotherhoodwere precious pearls for our knowledge and future

direction.We visited the greatlibrary of AyatollahMar’ashi Najafi whichhouses over 40000manuscripts. The visits tosome of the greateducational institutes inthese three citiesincluding the HolyDefence Museum inTehran have provided anew momentum andzeal for our thought andpractice and weimmensely appreciatedthe great servicesrendered by the Islamicgovernment of Iran forthe last 36 years,especially in the field ofeducation.

The most importantthing that we achieved is gaining first-hand knowledge about

the rituals pertaining to the Shia school ofthought and also the policies of thegovernment of Iran. This first-hand experiencehas dispelled a great number ofmisconceptions some of us held about theShia faith and the government. Thesemisconceptions could have not been removedmerely through books and lectures. Forexample, the authentic views of the Shia ulamaof Iran with regard to Ahl al-Sunnah,companions of the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt ofthe holy Prophet were found to be quitecloser to the established stance of Ahl al-

I

UUKK SShhii''aa && SSuunnnnii

sscchhoollaarrss vviissiitt IIrraann


by Dr Mohammad Khalid

Sunnah, something which may provide a solid foundationfor increased unity between the two units of the Ummah.

This visit provided knowledge about the realities that havebeen misunderstood and misconceived by the majority ofAhl al-Sunnah and it needs tireless effort to unveil thesame realities to the majority of ummah. Some of themembers of the group belonged to the hard line branch ofAhl al-Sunnah and carried very negative stereotypes aboutShias. During their stay they took the chance to ask frankquestions based on their own negative sentiments, butsurprisingly they found the answers. They also expressedtheir own positive views and fascinating experiencesdirectly to Sheikh Shomali in the final meeting with him inQom on the day before departure.

During our stay in Iran, we also visited the famous regionknown as Turbat e Jaam, near the Afghan border. Thisarea takes its name from a great Sufi Shaykh, Ahmad Jamiwho passed away centuries ago. One of his descendentsand successors, Molvi Sharafuddin Jami, welcomed us andorganised a big public programme. This area is home tothe majority of Iran’s Ahl al-Sunnah. We visited the grandHawza established by the Shaykh, the shrine of ShaykhJami together with some other historic places. The peopleof this area welcomed our delegation and they expressedtheir optimism that the visit will play a positive role inimproving and strengthening the brotherhood and tiesbetween the two main communities of the ummah.

It was my first visit to Iran and I cannot accommodate all Ihave experienced in Iran in this short article. I was veryimpressed by the standard of cleanliness and hygiene

everywhere throughout Iran. The other noticeable thingwas the use the national language of the country, Farsi, inall branches of learning unlike some Muslim countrieswhich have imposed English to the detriment of their ownnational language.

The whole journey was fascinating and unforgettable andthe memories will stay with me for a long time to come.

The group also visited:- The Library of Masjid Aazam

- The Qur’an Museum - Aastan Quds Razavi - Imam Ali

ibn Musa Redha(a) Shrine

- The University and Library of the Proximity Forum

- The house, Hussainiyeh and the mausoleum of the late

Imam Khomeini (the Founder of IRI)

- The Noor Computer Research Centre - Qom

Dr Mohammad Khalid is a Researchscholar and lecturer of BirminghamUniversity. He is also Head of Education inJami Masjid Sparkbrook Islamic CentreBirmingham


By direction of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of

Iran - Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, ‘The World Forum forProximity of Islamic Schools of Thought’ (Majma al-Taqrib

Bain al-Madhahib al-Islamiyah) was established in October

1990. It has as its aim the reconciliation of different Islamic

groups.

or the next few months our Art coverage will coincide with the holy months of Rajab, Shaban andRamadhan. I want to take this opportunity to explore the deeper connotations of Islamic Art. Thismonth we'll be showcasing calligraphy. Traditional Islamic art is categorised by three forms: the word ofGod - Calligraphy, The Beauty of God - floral or Arabesque designs, and geometry - the Breath of God.

I have been in conversation with Calligrapher Ruh al Alam, founder of Visual Dhikr, an Islamic calligraphic artproject based on the use of art as remembrance. We discussed his motivations to use this art form as well ashis fascination with creating and drawing.

F

One 2 One

Ruh al AlamFounder of Visual Dhikr, an Islamiccalligraphic art project

How would you describe your workand what you do?My work has evolved over the years, butI would typically describe it ascalligraphic art inspired by spirituality,politics and society. Although not all ofmy work is in purely calligraphic form,nor is it simply just 2D, I have varied mywork across both the digital mediumsas well as recent exploration ofsculptural forms.

You trained as a graphic designer at Centra StMartins Art school, what made you take the initialstep from graphic design to calligraphy?Graphic design involves the extensive study and love oftypography. This, coupled with my own personal desire tosurround myself with spiritual artworkled me to develop my own scripts. Butafter having moved to Egypt to studywith traditional calligraphers, I receivedproper training to fully engage withArabic calligraphy. Naturally this helpedme develop my own script styles andnow my own Arabic typographic works.

You describe your art as visual dhikr,why have you chosen this term?The term came about when I began myearly exploration of spiritual work, whichwas borne out of a desire to decorate

my own space with work that Icould appreciate. However, due tothe lack of good availablecontemporary artwork that I feltresonated with me as a BritishMuslim. I was forced to attemptcreating my own. So this phase ofmy work was essentially putting theconcept of ‘dhikr’ (remembrance ofthe divine) into a visual form, sowherever you looked, it was areminder.

Why Art? Why have you chosencreative expression as a way oflife?It feels the most natural way for me.

Even though I did academically well in other areas, I alwayshad the urge to create something new and of my own,whether it was crafting something out of toilet rolls orcereal boxes as a child and now designing on a daily basis.Art comes in many forms and it allows us to expressvisually what simply cannot be communicated by words.The emotions that are expressed by art forms vary from

viewer to viewer, constantly bringinga sense of reflection andappreciation of craft or the content.In my work, I like to call it ‘VisualDhikr’, as was the name of my earlywork, which is a constant reminderof The Divine.

What inspired you to devise yourown Arabic fonts?As an artist and designer, there is aconstant desire to create new thingsand that is no different with Arabictypefaces. Due to the lack of good

Written in a newly adapted script based on classic Thuluth this artwork is inspired bythe saying of the Prophet, “The Pens have been lifted, the pages have dried.“ 2014

©Ruh al Alam

©Ruh al Alam

©Ruh al Alam


Art Editor Moriam Grillo

Art

available fonts in the Arab world (and the late up-take ofthe printing press), it means that often you are left withcrafting your own fonts for new design projects. This is thecase in my daily work at the design consultancy I foundedcalled Archetype. I also want to push the stylisticboundaries of Arabic typefaces and calligraphy, alwaystrying to create new approaches and contemporaryofferings.

How do you use your work to engage new audiences?Some of my recent work has been more generic in natureby not being explicitly spiritual, so as to appeal to a wideraudience, I feel everyone can appreciate the artwork,whether they fully understand it or not. This is why some ofmy recent typographic work has been received much betterthan I expected by a mainstream non-Muslim audience andsubsequently I have had my work published in a number ofbooks and exhibitions. I believe my work now aims to bemore universal, as the core spiritual message is universal.

Your work is inspiring. What do you hope people willtake from your work?I hope people are further inspired by my work. I know I geta lot of people creating work inspired by own and makingvariants used in various places. This is a way ofacknowledging the influence of some of the work Isuppose, although I’m not a big fan of the regular copyrightinfringement cases I have to deal with. I hope people takean appreciation of the messages in my work, where thefocus isn’t on me and my personality, but on the aestheticsor the divine remembrance.

Your work visually is unique and unlike any other Arabiccalligraphers I have come across. What (traditions/artisticmovements) influences/informs your style?I suppose my work is heavily influenced by many differentfactors, including my British upbringing, English andEuropean design and art trends/movements. I particularly

appreciate European Bauhaus, Japanese culture, calligraphyand typography and obviously contemporary designmovements.

What is it that drives you to do what you do? Whatare your motivations as an artist?I suppose you could say that I want to make a contributionin some way, both to people’s lives whether they have anartwork in their home or something to wider culture andour Islamic heritage. I want people to look back and beproud again about our visual and artistic tradition andwhat we do today informs the future development of allartistic outputs in some way.

Ruh al Alam is currently developing plans for an exhibitionscheduled to take place in Bristol later this year. Organisedby SalamShalom project, the event will be an interfaithJewish-Muslim exhibition of works based on faith. Watchthis space for further details.He also will be exhibiting a selection of his work at TheGrant Bradley Gallery in Bristol June 3 to July 3 as part ofthe Shared Spaces Festival 2016.

Moriam Grillo is an international artist.She holds Bachelor degrees inPhotography & Film and Ceramics, hercurrent projects include a commission forthe Queen Elizabeth hospital inBirmingham.

“One God” – a red screen-print calligraphic art in a unique custom scriptstyle reads: La ilaha ill Allah

©Ruh al Alam

©Ruh al Alam islam today May 2016 13


Life&

Community

magine you are standing outside a mosque, admiringthe magnificent architecture; while in awe, manyquestions arise such as: how was the beautifulbuilding assembled? Now imagine the mosque being

built in a time lapse; visualising it coming to life brick bybrick, one on top of another, each brick shaped for aspecific place and serving its own purpose. As thebuilding comes together beautifully, we question whetherthis masterpiece is actually in need of a minaret? Andwhat is thesignificance of aminaret?

The importanceof the minaret isinternationallyrecognised to bea unique featureof a mosque. Without the minaretone might confuse it for anotherbuilding, such as a Temple. It alsohas a significant purpose to attractthe attention of onlookers and callworshippers to prayer. If each brickrepresents each of the Prophets’contributions towards Akhlaq(Ethics), then the minaretrepresents our Prophet’scompletion of Akhlaq.

This analogy is a recap of what welearnt in last month’s edition - ourProphet saying he was sent only toperfect Akhlaq. A 15 year-old

heard this and his reply was ‘Cool story, bro’. It is a coolstory, but how do we proceed in learning this Akhlaq? Islearning enough or do we need to put this into practice?And can it only be learnt through situations of trial anderror?

A few years ago when I was learning Kung Fu, my firstlesson was on the art of punching, which I managed tolearn in five minutes. Noticing the teacher making his way

towards me, Iincreased thespeed of mypunches andtried to perfectthe motion. Myonly aim was to

impress my teacher; Iwanted his

recognition, approval and sense ofadmiration. Disappointingly, theonly response I received was, “Toperfect it, will take you a lifetime”.At that very moment I did notappreciate his remark, however,his statement remained with me,and only years later did Iunderstand the philosophy ofwhat he meant; learning a skilldoes not take long, but perfectingit can take a lifetime.The same applies to Akhlaq, welearn many good traits ofcharacter, for example, “Love foryour brother, what you love for

HawzaNutshell

by Ezra Hashme

in a

I

"We learn, we practise

what we have learnt and

we teach. All three

actions are continuously

practised and perfected,

with the intention of

gaining proximity to God.


yourself.” Many have heard this saying, but the ultimatequestion remains as to how many of us apply this inour lives? And out of those who do apply it, how manypractise with the aim of achieving perfection?

With this in mind, I would like to paraphrase a hadithin a ‘Love Muhammad(s) conference that I attended afew months ago. In one of the battles the narratorreports; A few Muslim soldiers were injured who wereeither sat or were lying injured next to each other. Thenarrator gave water to the first soldier who declined;saying my brother next to me is more in need, so waterwas provided to the second soldier. He had alsorefused, stating ‘that my brother next to me is morethirsty than I, please quench his thirst’. The narratorworked his way down, but all refused, insisting that thebrother next in line was in greater need of water. Hefinally reached the tenth soldier, only to find that hehad passed away. Upon this realisation, he desperatelylooked back at the remaining soldiers to help, but sawthat they had all passed away.

We can look at this narration from two different angles;either the soldiers were not wise enough to tend totheir needs or they developed so much compassion forone another that they could not bear quenching theirthirst first. I prefer the second interpretation because itwould take a great sense of discipline not to quenchone’s thirst when injured, but these soldiers, were in adesperate situation and still managed to love for theirbrother what they loved for themselves.

Sheikh Shomali elevated my Kung-Fu teachers’ advicein our first Akhlaq lesson. We learn, we practise whatwe have learnt and we teach. Allthree actions are continuouslypractised and perfected, with theintention of gaining proximity toGod. I learnt a lot in my firstAkhlaq lesson, even though it wasjust an introductory class. Laterduring the lesson, the sheikhmentioned a quote from thehadith, which stated that, weshould try to acquire the virtuesthat exist in God. At this point Ihad many questions crossing mymind, such as, why we are beingtold to become like God? But it

was I that misunderstood. Sheikh clarified that ourultimate aim is to have some of the traits of characterthat are all present in God. God is All-Just and weshould aim to be just. God is All-Wise and we shouldaim to increase our knowledge and wisdom. God is TheGreatest, and if we aim to be The Greatest, then wehave become arrogant, as there are some traits ofcharacter that are only reserved for God. Each trait weare commanded by God to perfect, God has made itincumbent upon Himself first. How wonderful is thisLord that I prostrate to daily. It gives the phrase ‘lead byexample’ a whole new dimension. I learnt two things in

my first class:

1. For a believer Akhlaq isjust as important asJurisprudence and faithbecause Akhlaq is thefoundation that faith is builton.2. We can only perfect ourAkhlaq by practising whatwe’ve learnt, so it is boththeoretical and practical.

"I had many

questions crossing my

mind, such as, why we

are being told to

become like God? But

it was I that

misunderstood.islam today May 2016 15

Faith

he blessed months of Rajab, Shab’an andRamadhan provide us with an opportunity to reflectupon the central theme of these months and that issupplication. These months encourage us to

participate more in the act of supplication. As the value ofeverything sits in its understanding (ma’rifa) as the firstShi’a Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb(a) mentions, let us focus a biton what this phenomenon is and how this reality can be amode by which man can reach his purpose.

Supplication (du’a) within the Islamic terminology isconsidered as one of the referents of the vocal dhikr(remembrance) and this transfer to and becomes a dhikr ofthe heart. Supplication (du’a) is also the most elementarymeeting point of ‘man as such’ and ‘God as such’.

The Bible says: “to love God ‘with all our strength’”, andrightly so. This strength is the strength to realise who he(man) is and the strength to realise who He (God) is. Du’aplays this great role in making man realise that he is‘nothing’ vis’a’vis God. As the Qur’an says, “O people whoare (essentially) in need of God and He is free of all wants”(35:15). In another instances the Qur’an indicates the‘essential need or poverty’ (faqr) of every created thing inthis fashion that “whatsoever is in the heaven and earthask (questions) God” (55:29).

Seeking, asking, and questioning point out to thatexistential ‘poverty’ (faqr wujudi) of creation. Furthermore,this also establishes the fact that all existence is in thestate of ‘perpetual supplication’. This type of meetingbrings about the true understanding (ma’rifa) of God, whoHe is. This type of supplication is what is considered byGod and this is indeed that true ‘call’ (du’a). God in the

Qur’an says, “if it was not for the supplication I would nothave looked towards you” (25:77). This state of seeking andasking is the very reason of subsistence (baqa). The “notlooking” of God will bring-about a state of annihilation forall creation. This theme of essential ‘poverty’ (faqr) is alsoone of the grand proofs of the existence of God in theIslamic philosophy introduced by Mulla Sadra (d.1640).

Prayers or Supplication (du’a)

Within Islam, prayers are usually considered as thecanonical prayers, the five daily ones. Nevertheless thetechnical meaning of prayers as in salah actually meansthe du’a itself. Furthermore, the daily canonical prayers areindeed a form of ‘calling’ (du’a) as well. Howevertraditionally speaking they are categories in a differentcategory.Muslims do use the sentence as ‘pray for me’ or ‘rememberme in your prayers’, which actually means that yousupplicate (du’a) for me or take my name in the du’a butnot in the salah as such. I personally would regard them asthe prescribed prayers through which that meeting doestake place in that sense of reality mentioned above. Thisindeed is due to the fact the God out of His Mercy wantshuman beings to be true to their nature (fitra); the faqr.

Categorisation of Prayers and Supplication

I would like to categorise prayers into three differentcategories, 1) the five daily prayers, 2) the supplicationswhich also includes the whispered supplications (najwa)and finally 3) the individual prayers were a person asks forwhat he or she really desires. Daily Prayers, which areobligatory and considered as pillar of Islam by the

T

T h e R e a l i t y o f S u p p l i c a t i o n


Prophet(s) are the most common way by which manconnects to God. These are prescribed in a certain fashionand certain times and indeed in them lay deep secrets.Those interested can refer to the books of ‘urafa or scholarsof spiritual wayfaring, such as Adabus salah and Sirr al-salah of late contemporary scholar Ayatollah Khomeini.

Supplication and Whispered Prayers

According to Imam Ali(a) supplication is considered as ‘thekey to success and righteousness’. The Prophet Abrahamand Imam Ali(a) were known to engage in supplication agreat deal. There seem to be three different modes in whichthe supplications are undertaken; the first is known as du’a,which means a call and it seems to be quite steady in termsof its voice and pitch. Then comes nudba (wailing). Thisseems to manifest a desperate situation of an individualand he wails out loud. Finally there is najwa (whispering)and they seem to indicate more of a connection to abeloved; God and the lover, the individual. It is usually thecase that the speech between two lovers is whispered in anintimate way even when it seems that no one is around.

What we see within all the three different modes is thema’rifi (knowledge and understanding) aspect of God in theessence of all supplications. To know God is to attributeHim and to explain His different complexities and this canbe the work of no one but those who have been purified byGod. As He says, “Glory to God, (He is free from the thingsthey ascribe to Him) except the sincere and purified ones”(37:159). In this respect the Shi’as are blessed to have theinfallible Imams to leave behind a grand legacy ofsupplications. Therefore, in the supplications of theprophets and the Imams we find a great deal of attributes

being ascribed to God and some are purely in His praisesuch as the famous Jaushan al Kabir, the supplication of‘arafa of Imam Husayn(a) or the second and third du’a ofSahifa Sajjadiya, and also the du’a called Nudba (wailing),which is recited on Fridays.The second pattern that we tend to see in supplications iswhere we seek good moral traits, and perfect qualities fromGod, although these seem to praise God first before seekingthose perfect qualities. Thirdly we have the supplicationswhich tend to seek worldly desires through this mediumsuch as protection from calamities, prayers for increase ofsustenance, returning of debts etc. Finally we havewhispered prayers which seem to increase the intimacybetween man and God.

In all these different modes, levels and categories, what iscommon is the explanation or description of who God isand who man is and what he must really become.Therefore, one can also suggest that supplication is amethodology of ‘being and becoming’ as well.

Sheikh Mirza Abbas Raza holds an MA inTheology from University of Birmingham. He iscurrently working on his Phd on IslamicMysticism (irfan) at the University of Exeter. Healso lectures at Hawza Ilmiyya of England andIslamic College of Advanced Studies in London.

T h e R e a l i t y o f S u p p l i c a t i o n


by Mirza Abbas Raza

Interfaith

he great German painter Grunewald has apicture in which he shows St John the Baptistwith an exceedingly elongated forefinger. Afinger pointing to the figure of Jesus standing

nearby. The same image is used in some Byzantineicons to express what Christians believe was the mainpurpose of St John’s ministry, the pointing out ofJesus as the expected Messiah. John thus was theprecursor who prepared the way for the coming ofChrist.I wish to suggest that St John points also to someexciting commonalities between Islam andChristianity. There are many Quranic passages inwhich he is mentioned and revered as a Prophet ofGod. St John’s miraculous birth, his preaching and hischastity definitely make him a thrilling connecting linkand a common ground between faiths. His figure istherefore an opportunity for religious dialogue andinterfaith work.

The Anglican Church has two major feast days namedafter St John. One celebrates his birthday, the secondhis martyrdom by beheading. The Eastern Church toogives him a position of high honour. He is alwaysportrayed next to Christ on the iconostasis, thepainted screen which separates the altar from the restof the building in all Orthodox churches. Moreover, allChristian communities at the beginning of the Easterseason read out the joyful account of his supernaturalbirth as recounted in St Luke’s Gospel.

In the Qur’an St John is called Yahya. This is a nameapparently related to the Arabic word ‘hayya’. It meansto make alive or to quicken. According to somescholars, the allusion is not only to the prodigy ofYahya’s birth – his father Zachariah being over 100

years old and his mother hitherto barren - but also tohis prophetic and preaching mission to renew theflagging faith of his people.

The Qur’an mentions St John several times but mostof the narratives about his nativity are from chapters 3and 19. It is uplifting to see the similarities betweenthose passages and what the Gospel of St Luke saysabout the Baptist’s birth. In both cases the good newsof the Prophet’s birth is announced by an angel.Another instance is that his father Zachariah remainsspeechless for three days. Yahya ‘shall be noble,chaste, a Prophet among the righteous’, the angelannounces.

St John’s self-denying lifestyle and personality aregraphically conveyed in the Gospels. That is broughtout in the clothes he wore – a rough garment ofcamel’s hair and a leather girdle around his waist – aswell as by the food he ate. No meat but wild berriesand honey. The Quranic use of the word ‘chaste’ alsoharmonises well with the Gospel narrative. But ofcourse St John was no detached, other-worldlycontemplative. A fiery messianic preacher, hesummoned the Jewish people to repentance, to begforgiveness for their sins and to accept baptism in theRiver Jordan. The language he used was prettyforthright: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you fromthe wrath to come?’ Unless the erring people changedtheir minds and their hearts, he told them, they wouldbe ‘thrown into the fire’.

There is some mystery about St John, however. Takefor example of his baptising Jesus at the beginning ofhis public ministry. That episode always presented apuzzle for Christian commentators. As Messiah, the

T

St. John the Baptist;a Prophet of

Christians and Muslims



chosen Christ of God, the Church teaches that Jesuswas sinless. But John’s baptism was one of remissionof sins. ‘I need to be baptised by you and you come tome?’, the astonished Baptist asked the Messiah. YetJesus, despite John’s remonstrance, willingly submittedto the ceremony.The reason Jesus himself gives in St Matthew’s Gospelis that it was ‘fitting’ he should publicly undergobaptism, presumably for the sake of Jewishsensitivities. Yet something of the puzzle endures.The plot thickens further when, after beingimprisoned by the tyrant Herod, St John from jailsends his disciples to Jesus with a challenging

question: ‘Are you the awaited Messiah or not?’ Now,as John had previously recognised Jesus as ‘the Lambof God’ and gone on to baptise him, why did he needto ask? Had St John, alone and under the atrociousconditions of his dungeon, perhaps fallen to doubtinghis own judgment? Human, all too human. Or wereperhaps his disciples jealous of Jesus and deliberatelyfailed to report their master’s words with all accuracy?That too would be only too human. Only Godknows…Another question might arise out of what Jesus says ofJohn in St Matthew, 11:14. On the face of it, he seemsto identify the Baptist with the Prophet Elijah, who

Stt JJoohhnn tthhee BBaappttiisstt wwaass aa PPrroopphheett ooff GGoodd aanndd hhoollyy mmaarrttyyrr wwhhoorreepprreesseennttss aa bbrriiddggee bbeettwweeeenn CChhrriissttiiaanniittyy aanndd IIssllaamm,, ssaayyss FFrraannkk GGeellllii


Saint John the Baptist by Robert Campin (1375 -1444)

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is anAnglican priest, cultural criticand a religious controversialist,working on religious dialogue.His last book ‘The Dark Side ofEngland’. An exposé, is availableon Amazon Kindle.

had died many centuries before. Some captiouspeople have sought to understand that ascription asmeaning that Jesus believed in reincarnation. Namelythat the soul of Elijah had been reborn into theperson of St John. But that interpretation is bothabsurd and unnecessary. All that Jesus meant wasthat the God-given spirit of prophecy possessed byElijah had also been bestowed on the Baptist.

The Gospel accounts of the death of St John areharrowing. We learn that the despotic Herod Antipas,ruler over part of Palestine, was angry because therighteous Prophet of God had accused him ofadultery. Herod had married Herodias, his brother’swife, therefore rendering his own marriage unlawful.The tyrant was angry. He wanted to kill John but,given his reputation as a prophet, he was afraid.Instead, he had him imprisoned in the dreadful, harshfortress of Macherus, on the Red Sea. One day, onHerod’s birthday, Herodias’ beautiful young daughterdanced before him. The old lecher was sooverwhelmed by passion that he swore to the girl: ‘Askme for anything. I will give it to you!’

The wicked mother then prompted her wantondaughter: ‘Ask for the head of John the Baptist!’ Andshe did. Herod the hypocrite pretended to be sorrybut he readily gave in. So the Prophet was beheadedand the head brought to the girl on a dish. Afterwhich John’s followers buried his body, then they wentand told Jesus.

According to Muslim tradition, St John’s body waslater buried in Damascus. Today the Umayyad Mosquethere houses his green-domed marble shrine, muchrevered by a constant stream of pilgrims, especiallywomen. During his visit to Syria years ago, Pope JohnPaul II saw the shrine and was deeply moved to be ina place so dear to Christians and Muslims alike. Heprayed for peace and reconciliation. A prayer stilltremendously necessary and topical, alas.

So, St John-Yahya. A Quranic verse that really strikesme is where God instructs the Prophet ‘to hold on tothe Book with strength’ (19:12). But John did notbring his own Scripture and so some commentatorsargue that the Book meant the Taurat, the JewishLaw. That reminds us that John was a Prophet ofJudaism as well. Excellent.

Lastly, is it not movingly significant that the Qur’anpraises Yahya with awesome words of blessing usedonly in connection with Jesus?‘So peace on him the day he was born, the day thathe dies, and the day he will be raised to life’ (19.15).How splendid!


Health

Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi

lind people face lots of challenges coping withdaily life. However, despite the challenges, nowblind people can read, get educated, browse theinternet and have access to most books and

media. Over the years lots of devices, methods and appshave also been developed to help blind people find theirway indoors and outdoors, but outdoor life is not just aboutfinding your way across the street to the grocery store orgetting to the right bus.

It is great to get out on a spring day to feel the world withall the body’s senses. Smelling the flowers and feeling thewind on the skin are uplifting but will not completely cheeryou up without seeing the dazzling lights and colours,watching a little child swinging or a bird washing hisfeathers in a fountain.

Microsoft released a video in their developer conferenceBuild 2016 to explain how the new intelligent softwaresystem called Seeing AI works. Saqib Sheikh, a Microsoftengineer who lost his sight at age 7, developed the app tohelp blind people navigate the world, seeing what is going

around them. . “It is an honour to share a stage with Saqibtoday. He took his passion and empathy to change theworld…” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during therelease of the video.

Years ago this was science fiction. Sheikh would never haveimagined it would be something that he could actually do.He says that talking computer technology inspired him todevelop the application: “For me it's about taking that far-offdream and building it one step at a time. I love makingthings that improve people's lives and one of the things I'vealways dreamt of since I was at university was this idea ofsomething that could tell you at any moment what's goingon around you," Sheikh said in the presentation.

The app uses artificial intelligence to capture images of theworld and process them in order to understand what ishappening. The app itself runs on smartphones and alsoon Pivothead smart-glasses, so the person can be hands-free. The Pivothead sunglasses are smart wearable deviceswhich have a camera. The person can take photos orvideos simply by touching the side panel of the camera, and

The application developed by London-basedSaqib Sheikh can help the blind to read textfrom posters or menus by clicking a photo ofthem. The app also guides them on how totake the photo. After taking the picture theperson can command the app to read out themenu.

BB

Saqib Sheikh – Microsoft engineer

Navigatingthe worldin the dark


Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is apharmacologist. She has workedas an editor for the medicalsection of “Hamshahri”, a dailynewspaper in Tehran.

Seeing AI will recognise objects like “a young man on askateboard jumping in the air”. The person using the smartsunglasses can hear it through the built-in sound feedbacksystem.The app on the smartphone can be used to take pictures ofdifferent objects and writings. For example a user can take aphoto from the menu on his phone. A voice in the appguides him until he's got the image centered, and theartificial intelligence will read for him the contents of themenu.The image capture and analysis software that the glasses (orsmartphone) uses is able to plug into Microsoft cloud-basedservices that will help determine what the user is looking at.The intelligence comes from ‘Seeing AI’, which is a researchproject that helps people who are visually impaired or blindto understand who and what is around them. Currently,image analysis software is able to determine the differencebetween men and women, the shape of standard objects(such as a desk, building, plate of food etc., the state offacial expressions (such as happy, angry, confused and soon) and whether motion is happening. The project is part ofMicrosoft's larger push to advance artificial intelligence andincorporate it into more aspects of life in the near future. Itis not indicated when, or even if, the project will be releasedas a commercial app.


Children Corner

Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani

image 1

hildren do you remember Ali Akbar? Ali

Akbar is a 7 year old boy, trying to be a good

person. But he sometimes gets bored and

tired of being a good boy. Or at least this is what he

says. You can see the result of his behaviour by the

state of his room. Oh dear! Look at that room. When

was the last time anyone tidied this room up.

Ghazaleh the illustrator of this story has told us that

in fact Ali Akbar's mother is constantly tidying up his

room for him. So I wonder why the room still looks

such a mess.

Apparently tonight they have family members coming

to visit them so the mother is busy preparing dinner.

His father is helping with homework his sister Anbar,

and his younger brother is too young to even to

allowed into such a messy room.

His mother has made it clear that none will help him

to tidy up his room as it is his responsibility.

Children can you imagine what a bad situation he let

himself into? He is desperate for help as his cousin

Javad is coming too. Ali Akbar would be embarrassed

to let him near his room.

C



So bad is the situation that he can’t even find his

favourite toys anymore. He does not remember where

he has put them. His rocket, his lovely books and

colourful car, where are they?! He keeps asking himself.

His mother is keeping well clear of the room but feels

sorry for him as everybody else is busy. He is really on

his own. But Ghazaleh is now telling us that Ali’s

mother is asking if any of us would be willing to help

him, only this time, to find his toys and tidy up his

room, then Ali Akbar will promise never to let his room

to get into such a state and not to create double work

for his mother. Now we are wondering if any of you is

prepared to help him, mind you only this once.

Ghazaleh has drawn a picture of all the toys and stuff

Ali Akbar cannot find. Look on the right.

All you have to do is to find these items on the image 1

(the one on the left) and mark them with a pencil. But

you have to be quick, his cousin is coming soon, and

he has to find his stuff pretty fast.

Let’s help him.

Then you can see how happy he will be when you findhis stuff. Look at his face in the image 2 he is alreadysmiling.

Thank you for your help.

image 2



Through May

Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an

Conducted by Shaykh M S Bahmanpour

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140Maida Vale, London W9 1QBTime: Every Friday starting at 7:30 PM

Weekly Dua Samaat

Recitation of Dua Samaat supplicationand Jamaat prayers held every week atKanoon Towhid, London.

Venue: Kanoon Towhid, 30-32 SouthertonRd, Hammersmith, W6 0PHTime: 30 mins before evening prayer everyFriday.

1 7 May

One Day Intensive Calligraphy Course

Suitable for those who have never studiedcalligraphy. The course will provide theskill to start using a calligraphy pen andcompose letters of Arabic in their differentstyles. The course will be taught byCalligrapher Ghulam Farid.

Venue: London and Leeds - Details givenupon Registration,Time: 10.00 AM - 6.00 PMFee: £30.00Registration:http://www.alburujpress.com/enroll/?enroll=course&id=248

4 May 1 June

Introduction to Islamic Art and

Architectures

This introductory course will take you tosome of the most iconic cities of the world,starting from Damascus, to Cairo and thenarrow alleys of the Islamic quarter, wherethe noteworthy buildings of the wealthyFatimid and Mamluk sultans have beensheltered for centuries. Your virtualjourney will then take you to Cordoba andGranada, known throughout history asimportant capitals of Islamic kingdoms

and complete your wandering by lookingat the pencil-like minarets of the Ottomanmosques in Istanbul and the colourfulpottery made in Iznik together with theshining white marble of the Taj Mahal inAgra.

Venue: The Arab British Centre, 1 GoughSquare, London, EC4A 3DETime: Wednesdays, 6.00 PM - 8.00 PM +Optional 2 hr visit to V&A's Islamic GalleryDates: May 4, 11, 18. 25 and June 1Fee: £180More info:

www.arabbritishcentre.org.uk/event/introduction-islamic-art-and-architecture-course

7 May

Scafell Pike Mountain Trek

Organised by Islamic Help in aid oforphans, this trek should prove to be aphysical challenge with a spiritual twist.

Venue:Wasdale Head, Seascale, CumbriaCA20 1EXRegistration Fee: £40Fundraising Target: £250Registration: call 07429 347407

Media Masterclass

Muslim Engagement & Development(mend) presents Media Masterclass, a oneday course on what, why and how themedia industry operates in the UK.

Venue: Muslim World League, 46 GoodgeSt, Fitzrovia, London W1TTime: 1.30 PM - 8.30 PMFee: FreeRegistration: email [email protected] orcall 020 8980 4591

7 8 May

2nd International Conference on Shi'i

Studies

The conference will run parallel sessionsthat will cover topics such as Qur'an &Hadith, Worldwide Islamic Heritage,Modern Thought, Philosophy and Shi'ismin North America and Europe, Fiqh and

Minorities, Kalam, Multiple Voices, Shi'ism inPre-Modern Iran and Surrounding Regions,Socio-political Issues and Contemporary Iran.

Venue: The Islamic College, 133 HighRoad, London NW10 2SWTime: 9.30 AM - 5.30 PMFee: Both days - £40.00 (£25.00 forstudents) / One day - £25.00 (£20.00 forstudents)Registration: www.islamic-college.ac.uk/shiistudies or [email protected]. Places arelimited!

13 May

Faith on the front line

A talk by Imam Asim Hafiz who has servedin the British Army and brings somethingof a unique perspective. As the first Imamand Muslim Chaplain to the British ArmedForces, he is conducting his own missionto help groups from different faiths andbackgrounds, to better understand Islam.The talk will delve deeper into the life ofMuslims and those of other faiths in thearmed forces and how their faith is acrucial part of their survival toolkit.

Venue: Abrar House, 45 Crawford Pl,Marylebone, London W1H 4LPTime: 6:45PM - 8:30 PMMore info:[email protected]

14 May

Stop the War Conference

Stop the War has organised a nationalconference in Birmingham. The conferencewill assess the impact of the Sykes PicotAgreement and the hundred years ofinterventions, occupations and wars thathave destabilised the Middle East region.Speakers include: Lindsey German &Salma Yaqoob and Maz Saleem from Stopthe War and John Hilary from the War onWant. There will also be workshops onthe arms trade and the Sykes PicotAgreement and its impact on the region.

Venue: Midlands Institute, Margaret Street,BirminghamTime: 11.00 AM - 5.00 PMFee: waged £5, unwaged £2

What&

Where


14 15 May

Advanced Avicenna (Ibn Sina) Weekend

Intensive Study

Studying the impact of his thought on theWest with Professor Yahya Michot [HartfordSeminary, USA] and Dr Jules Janssens [KULeuven, Belgium]. As the course is aimedat the advanced level, participants must befamiliar with the basics of Ibn Sin's life,work and thoughts, reasonableunderstanding classical Arabic andclassical Islamic Sciences including kalam,metaphysics, philosophy, and epistemology.Places are limited so pre-registration isrequired.

Venue: Birkbeck College, Malet Street,London, WC1E 7HXTime: Saturday, 9.00 AM - 5.00 PM /Sunday, 10.00 AM - 4.00 PMFee: £80 for one day, £100 for both daysBookings:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/advanced-avicenna-ibn-sina-weekend-intensive-study-2016-tickets-23036736499

15 May

MidShaban Grand Exhibition Call forSubmissions

The Islamic Centre of England hasorganised a range of competitions forvarious age groups with great prizes to bewon in each category. Competition detailsare:

. 5-10 years: Record footage of your childreciting a poem about Imam Mahdi(a.j.)

. 10-15 years: Paintings, artwork andpoems about Imam Mahdi(a.j.)

•15-20 years : Artwork, graphical design,poems or video clips about Imam Mahdi (a.j.)

Deadline: 15 May 2016Email: [email protected] address: Islamic Centre of England,140 Maida Vale, London, W9 1QB

Healing Minds: Nurturing Relationships

A ladies event focusing on mental health,wellbeing and empowerment of the family.Topics discussed will include: Depression,

Mental health and wellbeing,Communication and Relationships,Supporting your spouse, AlternativeTherapies; NLP coaching, Hypnotherapy,Art as a form of therapy and PositiveParenting followed by a Q&A session andRefreshments.

Venue: Mercure Parkside Hotel MiltonKeynes, Newport Road, Woughton on theGreen, MK6 3LRTime: 2.00 PM - 7.00 PMTickets: Early Bird - £15 (by 8th May)thereafter £18

19 May

An Alternative to Extremism

An Alternative to Extremism: Cooperationamong the Communities of differentreligious faith in multinational cities(Based on research projects carried out inLondon, Rome, Paris, Doha, and Delhi).

Conducted by: Dr. Shana CohenVenue:UNESCO Paris, Room IV

20 21 May

Shia Minorities in the ContemporaryWorld: Migration, Transnationalism andmultilocality

Global migration flows in the 20th centuryhave seen the emergence of Muslimdiaspora and minority communities inEurope, North America and Australia.While there is a growing body of researchon Muslim minorities in various regionalcontexts, the particular experiences of ShiaMuslim minorities across the globe hasonly received scant attention.As “a minority within a minority”, ShiaMuslims face the double-challenge ofmaintaining an Islamic as well as aparticular Shia identity in terms ofcommunal activities, practices, publicperception and recognition. Theconference will focus on Shia minorities inEurope, North and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, the Pacific Rimand East Asia that emerged out ofmigration from the Middle East and SouthAsia in the 20th and 21st centuries, inparticular.

Venue: Hollybank CHB002, University ofChester, United KingdomTime: 9:00 AM - 6:30 PMInfo: /www.chester.ac.uk/node/35376Fee: Free, registration required via email [email protected]

21 May

Reconsidering Religious Radicalism

Conversation about the way we talk aboutreligious radicalism. During this day-longconference, world-renowned keynotespeakers Lord Maurice Glasman, ProfessorPeter Mandaville, Professor NicholasAdams, and Professor Mona Siddiqui willgather together to address the substanceand semantics of religious radicalism froma variety of critical perspectives.

Venue: CIRIS, Clare College, Trinity Lane,Cambridge, CB2 1TLTime: 9.30 AM - 5.30 PMRegistration:

http://onlinesales.admin.cam.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?compid=1&modid=2&catid=1176Registration Deadline: 12 May

24 May

Postcards from the Middle East

A gallery talk by Seonaid Rogers, BritishMuseum. Gallery talks last 45 minutes.Suitable for all levels of knowledge.

Venue: Room 2, British Museum, GreatRussell Street, London WC1B 3DGTime: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PMFee: Free, drop in.

Disclaimer: islam today does not necessarlyendorse or recommend any of these events. Theircontents and individuals or groups involved inthem. We are not responsible for changes to times,fees or venues. Further information should besought direclty from the organisers.

islam today - issue 35 may 2016

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