MUSLIM JOURNAL ONLINE

Muslims in the United States possess great freedoms, and potential. Upon pondering (reflection) over the conditions of the Muslims in the United States it is very possible to conclude fairly that there is much to be expected from a people who enjoy freedom and prosperity. 

In another light when we come to understand how freedom and wealth are understood in Shar’iah we learn that they are married to responsibility. 

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The need for organization in today’s world has become essential to being a functional part of society. He who is not organized does not move forward and risks becoming irrelevant. Without proper management of time, resources, services and most importantly people an organization is risking failure. Individuals too run the risk of making a disaster out of life and for this reason prosperity and to some extent peace of mind are related to organization.

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Emran Qureshi and Heba Raouf Ezzat 

In their correspondence, Emran Qureshi (journalist and expert for Islam and human rights) and Heba Raouf Ezzat (lecturer for political science and womens’ rights activist) discuss the role of the sharia in Islamic countries and in how far sharia laws are compatible with human rights.

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Dr. Mohammad Hashim Kamali

There are two sources of shari’a (Islamic law): revealed and non-revealed. The revealed sources of Islamic law are the Qur’an and hadith (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions), whereas the non-revealed sources consist of rationality and ijtihad.

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• Maulana Maudoodi (r) in his work, The Four Basic Qur’anic Terms, set out to examine the way four set Qur’anic terms have been used over the ages and more particularly how their usage changed from their original Qur’anic intent.
• What Maulana Maudoodi came to determine was that terms change in meaning with time and this change can take us away from understanding the Qur’an if the terms are grounded in the Qur’an. Consequently when terms change with time they loose their original intent.

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The first generation of Prophetic followers (r) was a generation that understood practically the importance of translating understanding into action. Islam for that generation was a “way of life,” a set of general and 

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Author: Abul-Hussein

Reference: Seerah an-Nabi, Shibli Nu’man

Produced by: Al-Translators

With little doubt for the Muslim the first generation of the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) is a model generation, worthy of imitation and the foundation of understanding and practice. The rationale for situating the first generation as a model generation is grounded in the fact that they accompanied revelation and accompanied the seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (saw). This privilege afforded them an understanding of how Islam is practiced, of its objectives and aims. Their understanding of knowledge was one which forged a jam’at out of a scattered people and that jam’at acting upon the principles they acquired by way of learning.

There are some qualities that the inner-circle of possessed that are necessary to come to know if we are to correct our orientation and practice. These qualities are as follows. The first generation of Islam, in specific, those who first ascented to the Prophethood of Muhammad (believing in its validity) were people in search of truth and people of character. Secondly, they were people who had issues with the worship of idols and thirdly they were people who restrained themselves from blind love of the world plus they were devoid of status.

It was these qualities the qualities of a core sound belief, good manners and discipline in relation to the world that set the foundation for their Islam. So that the orientation they possessed before their commitment to practice Islam was one which allowed the depth and breadth of Islam to penetrate their belief, manners and actions. The Qur’an transformed that group because they allowed themselves to be fertile ground for its teachings and guidance. The disposition of the Companions who converted to Islam was one of acceptance, understanding and action. It was because of this disposition that they benefited from revelation and then transformed and benefited the world while transforming and benefiting themselves.