islam today - issue 33 - March 2016

i s s u e 3 3 vo l . 4 March 2 016

i s l am t o d ay

Prophecy, Yesterday and Today  D i al o gu e o f re l i gi o n s o r cl as h o f ci vi l i s ati o n s ?  S ah i fah Al S aj j ad i yah 

Publisher

islam today issue 33 vol. 4 March 2016

islam today magazine is a monthly magazine published by the London based Islamic Centre of England. It focuses on the activities of the communities affiliated to the Centre, reflecting a culture of openness and respect towards other religious communities both Islamic and non. The magazine is available in paper and digital format.

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March 2016

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Content

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Prophecy, Yesterday and Today - Report on the annual interfaith conference

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Abraham: A role model and guide of Mankind

by Hujjatul Islam Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

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Dialogue Of Religions Or Clash Of Civilisations?

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Masters in Islamic Studies at the Islamic College

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Inner Contentment; How can we find it in this turbulent world?

by Julia Khadija Lafene

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How much Love? by Batool Haydar

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Art by Moriam Grillo

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‘Zika' - The globetrotter virus by Laleh Lohrasbi

20 The 37

th

Anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran

Conference raps extremism and sectarianism

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Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah: A Guide for a Spiritual Life Conference report

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Children Corner by Ghazaleh Kamrani

26 What & Where - Listing of Events islam today March 2016

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Interfaith

Prophecy, Yesterday and Today; annual interfaith conference

Set between a neighbouring Church and the Islamic Centre, Christians and Muslims meet once more for their annual encounter

T

he Prophet Abraham seems to be a good starting point for a dialogue between Islam and Christianity, and so this year’s interfaith event organised by the Islamic Centre of England, the Christian Muslim Forum and the Parish of St AugustineKilburn chose the character of Abraham and the concept of ‘prophecy’ as its main theme. This conference, entitled ‘Prophecy, Yesterday and Today’ took place on 6th February 2016 and was held both at St Augustine Church and the Islamic Centre of England in London.

Speakers, who included Muslim Imams and Christian priests, shared their views about the concept of prophecy and highlighted commonality as well as differences between the two faiths regarding the role and figure of a prophet.

Rev. Maggie Hindley gave a brief account of Abraham’s life according to the Holy Bible. She mentioned the story of

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Abraham’s exodus from Ur to Syria, then to Egypt, and finally his settlement in Palestine in a place know today as Al-Khalil or Hebron. She briefly mentioned the story of Isaac and Ishmael and the story of sacrifice according to the Christian and Jewish traditions.

Shaikh Bahmanpour accordingly gave a brief account of Abraham’s life, or as he is known in Arabic, Ibrahim, according to the Holy Qur’an. He said the story in the Qur’an does not mention most of the names and places, but focuses on the lessons that can be learned from it. He mentioned several verses from the Qur’an about Ibrahim, in particular the ones related to the story of breaking the idols.

Later Dr Damian Howard from Heythrop College, University of London took the podium and explained his views on the idea of prophecy with a focus on God’s covenant with Abraham. He said that God made his covenant to Abraham

as the father of Israelites to make them victorious against their enemies as well as giving them land and prosperity. The question was how God would fulfil this promise? He said if you put yourself in the shoes of the Jews around the time of Jesus’ birth, you would have found yourself in misery and under the yoke of Roman rulers. Thus from their point of view, it is a question that how God would fulfil his promise and set them free from oppression.

Dr Howard said that the birth of Jesus was the peak of this fulfilment. This time God himself came to the rescue of his people and brought hope to them. However many Jews did not recognise this blessing and opportunity to the extent that Jesus chose his disciples from a fringe society of Galilee. He continued by saying that the advent of Jesus fulfilled God’s covenant with Abraham and now all humankind and not just the Jews were included in God’s covenant as God’s children.

In his address, Dr Shomali said that Ibrahim is a personality from whom one can always learn something new regardless of whether you are an expert in theology or not. He mentioned that after succeeding in many of God’s tests, Ibrahim was elevated to the position of ‘Imam’, meaning ‘leader’ of the believers. He also recited verses from the Quran about Ibrahim and mentioned stories from hadith about his faith, his humbleness and his hospitality. He emphasised of the role of reason in Ibrahim’s faith and the way he argued with the idol worshipers about God. Ibrahim however did not consider reason alone to be sufficient and prayed to God to reveal the kingdom of heaven to him.

Finally in the morning session Rev Amos from St Augustine Parish Church led the audience in a tour around the church,

showing them paintings of different Biblical stories and stressed the importance of visual art in Christian theology.

In the afternoon session held in the Islamic Centre of England Sister Anjum Anwar she talked about her experiences as first a member and later as a trustee of the Christian Muslim Forum. She mentioned the story of thee prophets according to the Quran, namely Zachariah, John the Baptist and Jonas. She said that we could learn a lot from their stories and the way they, like us, made mistakes. The important lesson in her view is to recognise the mistakes and to repent.

Shaikh Bahmanpour described Abraham as not only a patriarch but a prophet. He mentioned the different ways of receiving God’s message and argued that according to the Quran those who are close to God have the capacity of receiving his message. He made it clear that only in the case of prophets this message is ‘wahi’ or a divine and legislative revelation.

Rev Amos expounded on the meaning of prophecy according to the Bible and explained that it is not necessarily the same as in Islam. In Christianity, prophets are not always infallible, not all have books of revelation. He mentioned that in prophethood it is important to sacrifice, just as Abraham did with Isaac. He said that through baptism everyone could become a prophet and spread the message of Jesus.

Dr Chris Hewer said that a prophet is a person who speaks the truth in the face of oppressors and tyrants. According to him, prophecy is standing against oppression, thus we have many contemporary prophets as well. He called the prophets the conscience of humankind who speak the truth. He also

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touched upon the different meanings of prophet and prophecy in Islam and Christianity and the continuation of prophecy according to his view up until our time.

Dr Shomali closed the conference by explaining the various views of Islamic schools of thought regarding the issue of prophets’ infallibility. The event concluded with a public Q&A session. 

A full video of the event can be streamed from the Islamic Centre’s website:www.ic-el.com/en/multimedia

Abraham: A Role Model and Guide for Mankind

By Hujjatul Islam Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

A

braham is one of those personalities about whom we will always have new things to discover. I think we have not yet been able to understand the greatness of this man in the Qur'an.

The Prophet Abraham has a unique and central position in the Qur'an. He was chosen by God as a role model, as a standard for all mankind. In chapter 2, verse 124 we learn that Abraham is chosen by God as an Imam, that God tried and tested Abraham in all possible ways and that then God told him that now He was appointing him as a leader for all mankind.

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [God] said, “Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, “And of my descendants?" [God] said, “My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." Qur'an 2:124 We should not regard him only as a leader for that era; from that time onwards, human beings have studied and followed him..

This is similar to the way in which the Qur'an in 3:96 introduces the Ka'aba as “the very first house ever built for humanity". Abraham reached a point at which God was pleased. In the same way that this house was a house for all human beings for all time, Abraham is a leader for all mankind. Abraham is a point of reference. He is so important that he is accepted by all then and now. When we read the Qur'an we realise that at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, Jews, Christians and Muslims all had great

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respect for Abraham. He was a source of authority and everyone wanted to justify their particular position by referring to him.

It can be argued from the Qur'an that Abraham was the founder of Islam. Thus the Prophet Muhammad(s) reinstated the religion of Abraham whose core message was submission to God. The Qur'an says: “When His Lord said to him, ‘Submit' he said: ‘I submit to the Lord of all the worlds.' Abraham enjoined this upon his children......saying, ‘My children! God has chosen for you this religion (submission to the truth) do not die unless you are submissive to God. "(2:131 & 132) ‘Muslim' signifies the person who bows in obedience to God, who acknowledges God alone as their Sovereign, Lord and Master and the only object of worship, devotion and service, who unreservedly surrenders themselves to God and who undertakes to live their life in accordance with the guidance that has come down from God. Islam is the appellation which characterises the abovementioned belief and outlook which constitutes the core and kernel of the religion of all the prophets who have appeared from time to time amongst different peoples since the very beginning of human life on earth.

In Abraham's life, we find something that can inspire all human generations regarding how to be submissive to God

and at the same time how to treat people with care, mercy and love and how to be like a father for everyone while remaining totally devoted to God. Abraham was a man of deep thought. Faith should be accompanied with this kind of deep thought rather than close mindedness. He thought carefully about how people worshipped stars and the sun or the moon.

However the Qur'an tells us that he was not satisfied with conventional knowledge; he was a man of aspirations. Abraham asked God, “Please show me the kingdom of earth" and “Please show me how You revive the dead.”

Allamah Tabatabai said Abraham wanted to know how God revives the dead and not just how the dead are revived which showed the height of insight. Abraham was a hospitable man. According to Jewish literature, the house of Abraham had no walls! This might mean that there was no barrier between him and people who wanted to meet him. Islamic sources indicate that he was a person who always loved guests and if he had no guests he used to go outside to find people with whom he could share what God had given him.

When Abraham was thrown into a fire the Angel Gabriel went to offer to help him and Abraham replied: “From you, no." which meant: My Lord knows my situation and there is no need to ask you for help.

Another story goes that there was a time of starvation and Abraham had no food at home to provide for his family and people so he decided to go to his friend in Egypt to take some flour from him. However when he arrived there he could not find anything and returned with nothing. For a man like Abraham this was very embarrassing so just before reaching his town he filled his bags with soil and then went home and slept.

When he got up he smelt fresh bread so he asked his wife where she obtained the flour for it. She replied that she made the bread with the flour his Egyptian friend had given them. Abraham then said, “Indeed it is from my Friend, but He is not Egyptian.” 

There is a story whereby once Abraham went out to find people whom he could invite to his house. On returning home he was surprised to find a young man in his house or coming out of his house. Abraham asked him with whose permission he had entered the house and he said with the permission of the Lord of the house. Abraham then realised this must be a person to whom God Himself had given permission.

That angel then told Abraham; God has chosen someone as his friend and I have come here to tell this person the good news. Abraham never thought it was him. Such humbleness is the sign of a religious person.

Abraham then said: “Who is the one who has been chosen as a friend by my Lord so I can serve him till I die?"

The angel said: “Actually it is you!”.

Abraham asked: "Why?” The angel then mentioned some of his good qualities saying: “You have never asked anyone other than God for help, but you never said no to people when they asked you for help.”

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Dialogue of Religions A

nice Roman Catholic nun recently invited me to speak about Islam to students living in her community residence. I accepted with some alacrity because I firmly believe in the idealism and sincerity of the young. All the more important therefore to engage with them on the burning question that is this article’s title.

I made it clear from the outset that I would approach my subject from the point of view of religious dialogue. My ministry as a priest being one of friendship with Muslims, I wanted to make it clear that I reject the notion of a ‘clash of civilisations’, namely, that the West is at war with Islam. It is a pernicious idea advocated by extremists both in the Christian and Muslim worlds. In order to avert the danger of a deadly confrontation, dialogue between adherents of the two great monotheistic faiths is morally imperative. That was the line I took.

In my presentations I tackled topics like: a) what Christians need to know about Islam; b) whether we can join forces working together for world peace; c) whether we can pray together; d) the nature of sharia’ e) the concept of the Caliphate; f) the problem of violence, e.g. ISIS; g) the difference between Sunnis and Shia’.

I also spoke about the idea of prophecy in the two religions; Jesus and Mary in the Qur’an; common beliefs like angels, the Final Judgment, Heaven and Hell, a future life and immortality; halal and haram; the roles of reason and philosophy; whether Muslims and Christians have common enemies.

Although, like many priests, I do not dislike listening to the sound of my own voice, I enjoyed most the Question and Answer session. The relations between Shia’ and Sunni was one the first questions put to me. A male student inquired as to the persecution that the Shia’ communities have often suffered in history. That cannot be denied. It resulted, amongst other things, in an awareness of the nature of evil, suffering and martyrdom which are, I think, one of the

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hallmarks of Shia’ spirituality and self-awareness. Today, however, authoritative Shia’ voices call above all for unity amongst all Muslims. The lethal perils of division and sectarianism, fomented by mischievous enemies of dialogue and peace, hardly need to be emphasised.

Naturally, the matter of violence came up. I pointed out how it must not be forgotten that not only Christians but Muslims too are amongst the prime victims of that violence.

One of my examples was that of Ahmed, the French police officer brutally murdered while lying wounded on the pavement by the extremists who slaughtered the journalists of Charlie Hebdo in Paris. I suggested how much of this violence, expressed in the obnoxious idea of takfir, can be traced back to figures like the medieval theologian Ibn Taymiyya and then, via Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi sect, finds its most brutal expression in the bloody actions of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria. Declaring fellow believers unbelievers can only have the hideous results we know all too well.

Is the Jesus of the Qur’an the same as the Jesus Christ of Christians? That was a challenging one. Islam’s holy book refers indeed to ‘Issa al Masih’, Jesus the Messiah. However, Muslims do not attach to the title of Messiah the same meaning as Christians do. Jesus in the Qur’an is a virgin’s son, he works miracles, raises the dead and so on. But the Qur’an also denies that Jesus is divine and that he died on the Cross. Still, he is called ‘Son of Mary’ and I drew attention to the fact that there are more verses about Mary in the Qur’an than there are in the New Testament.

Furthermore, the figure of Mary is indeed especially cherished by many Sufis and Muslim women. We might then focus on the wonderful image of the Mother of Christ as a bond and link of unity between us.

Why aren’t non-Muslims allowed to enter two of the holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina? Is there a hadith to that effect, as some claims? That there will be only one religion in Arabia? But if ‘Arabia’ includes Yemen, there was a very

or Clash of Civilisations? large community of Jews living in Yemen – some are still intercession, confession and so on. We can certainly pray there – until 1949. Anyway, the holy cities are a special case. for, intercede for each other’s good. And we can adore the Is it a matter of asserting the supremacy of Islam over other Creator mystically together, too, I believe. But some official religions? Of saying to others ‘you are unclean, you are not and public prayers would be difficult to share. Prayers in the like us’? I cited the reasoning of a Wahhabi fellow who told name of the Christian Trinity would be unacceptable to me: ‘Just as you would not give me your Holy Communion, Muslims. But let us above all rejoice in the splendid fact for the same reason I would not allow you entrance to the that we are all believers in prayer. The wicked do not pray, holy cities.’ My answer was: ‘Well, I would first want to know let us bear that in mind. why you would like to partake of the Christian Sacrament.

Were you genuinely searching for a spiritual insight into In both Islam and Christianity Jesus comes back at the end Christianity? An experience of the Sacred? If so, I might of the world. Are the two respective views of his return consider offering you Communion. Likewise, why shouldn’t reconcilable? In answering that mighty question, even a non-Muslim desire to enter Mecca and Medina in search tentatively, it is important, I said, to consider how of the Holy? If so, why would profoundly Jesus’ return you ban them?’ may joyfully surprise us.

Naturally, the matter of violence came up. I A stimulating question came Because it might well run pointed out how it must not be forgotten that not from a girl who asked counter to many only Christians but Muslims too are amongst the whether the wearing of the conventionally ideas and prime victims of that violence. hijab or head covering is expectations. Surely that is mandated in the Qur’an or how it should be. He not. This is debated amongst scholars. I advanced the surprised, shocked his ethnic people, the Jews, when he opinion of an Arab alim friend of mine. He argues that came as Messiah. He may stun all humanity even more at verse 59 in Sura al-Ahzab is addressed not to women in his Second Coming. general but to the Prophet Muhammad’s wives. Most Did the students like what I said? I am not sure. Well, at Muslim scholars will disagree. However, the general context least no one left before I finished!  of invitation to modesty and decency should be stressed, I said. Besides, whatever the scriptural origins of the hijab, it cannot be denied that many Muslims now consider it part of the Islamic traditions and customs. To ban it from certain areas of public life, like the French state does, appears arrogant, even oppressive.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is an Prayer. Can we pray together? I related how often Muslims Anglican priest, cultural critic have asked me for my dua’, my praying for them. I always and a religious controversialist, working on religious dialogue. regarded it as a great privilege and obligation to comply.

His last book ‘The Dark Side of But can we also share a prayer space, praying at the same England’. An exposé, is and in the same place? To answer this question we should available on Amazon Kindle. distinguish which type of prayer we are discussing. There are prayers of formal worship, adoration, petition,

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Life &

Community

Masters in Islamic Studies at The Islamic College of A d v a nc e d S t ud i e s

I

slamic studies is quickly becoming one of the most popular subjects to study. As Islam begins to play a more influential role in current events, both in the UK and abroad, a deeper understanding of its core principles, its history and its future has never been more important.

At the Islamic College of Advanced Study, our Master’s programme in Islamic Studies is unique because it offers an insider’s view of Islam.

Students are exposed to a variety of academic perspectives on Islam and encouraged to engage in critical thinking and take up ground-breaking research on various aspects of Islam and Muslim civilisation.

Our lecturers are foremost experts in areas ranging from Quranic sciences, Islamic law and jurisprudence, as well

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as current issues in the Muslim world with special reference to Muslims in Europe. As one of our students, you can expect to be challenged academically and to develop rewarding and lasting relationships with our community of staff and students.

The Core Modules of the MA in Islamic Studies include:

•Sources of Islamic Knowledge •Islamic Theology •Methods and Perspectives in

Islamic

Studies

"I love the diversity of thoughts and perspectives we are exposed to. I think this is incredibly important as it encourages students to question and understand different perspectives. I think this is important because it promotes mutual respect and tolerance of different opinions.” - Hoda Elsayed, Islamic Studies Student

Designated Modules offered also include: Islamic Law Islamic Mysticism Islamic Philosophy Authority in Shi’a Islam Classical Islamic History Islam and Modern Politics and Modernity

• • • • • •

As well as studying core subjects, you will have the opportunity to take modules dealing with the current discussions taking place within the Muslim world, such as:

•The role of women •The relationship between Islam and government •The status of Muslims living in the West.

This programme gives a comprehensive understanding of Islam as both a way of

“I always wanted to study more about my religion, especially with the current increasing islamophobia, I think it is important for us Muslims to be more educated about our religion. I spent most of my life time studying pharmacy and working in the health sector. I am honoured here in this College to have famous religious experts in my community as my teachers. As Muslim women, we normally don’t have much access to our religious leaders as we created a boundary, although they are willing to be part of our journey in this life. Therefore, it is of enormous importance to have this possibility to increase my knowledge and share my enthusiasm with students and be part of my community.” - Maad Raji, Islamic Studies Student

life and a system of belief.

The Islamic College offers a unique environment for the study of Islam. Our focus is purely the study of Islam and Muslim societies and we have become a specialist centre for teaching and research in this field.

All MA classes take place in the evenings offering flexibility to those working during the day. Students also have access to the student journal, distance learning and the library facilities.

For more information regarding applications or other courses offered at the Islamic College please visit our website http://www.islamic-college.ac.uk/

“The lecturers were fantastic! My favourite class was Methods and Perspectives in Islamic Studies which was clearly helpful for understanding different methodologies and how they can impact on ideas and conclusions within the Islamic world.” - Zahra Kamal, Islamic Studies Student

“The MA programme in Islamic Studies surpassed my expectations and I have found it thoroughly enjoyable. From ‘Theology’ to ‘Islam and Modern Politics’, the diversity of the course offerings perfectly fitted my interest in Islamic Studies.”

- Huda Fartousi, Islamic Studies Student

Entry Requirements

Relevant undergraduate degree

Duration

1 years (Full­Time), 2 years (Part­Time)

Fees

MA Islamic Studies: UK and EU Students: £5,700.

International Students (Distance): £5,700 MA Islamic Law: UK and EU Students: £6,800.

International Students (Distance): £6,800

Financial Assistance

Scholarships may be available to students on this course

Awarding Body

Middlesex University

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Faith

How can we find it in this turbulent world?

A

sk most people what they want most in we are able to deal with pain and suffering by life and they will probably reply understanding its meaning. Several Quranic ‘happiness’: ask them the meaning of verses pertain to this: ‘happiness’ and they may well refer to “Do men imagine that they will be left alone material and earthly things like having because they say, ‘We believe and will not be enough money, a satisfying job, a nice family, tested?” [29:2] good health, being loved etc. But we all know that When going through difficult and painful periods few of us achieve all this without many in life, we acknowledge that this is a test, but our challenges, and even if we have it all, many of us task is then to reflect on why we are being tested are still not content. It at this particular moment. seems that the human Trust, Righteousness, Truth and Endurance, What is the lesson in this being is programmed to which should be our priorities, reflect the situation? It may be be a seeker, to be Divine attributes, so cannot be of time happening because we restless, longing for bliss have made a mistake or otherwise they are also subject to loss. and happiness, but have not acted correctly, looking for it in the or to teach us to rely more wrong place. There is absolutely nothing wrong on God. Also God does not test us without with seeking halal (legitimate) security and offering us help and solutions. He says he will not enjoyment – we all need these things while in this burden a soul with what it cannot bear. [2:286 world - a modicum of physical and psychological and 53:38-42] We know that the difficulty will needs have to be fulfilled so that we can turn our pass, that he loves his creation and that if one minds to the higher goals. door closes another will open. (Chapters 93 & However, happiness based only on earthly things 94]. is invariably ephemeral; we never know when they Many spiritual teachers say we should always be might be taken away from us. If we tuned our thankful, not only when all is well, but also for New Year resolutions to our inner state rather what we have been denied. We may discover that than outer longings, we could achieve a true state something we disliked in fact brought us some of contentment whatever the world throws at us. kind of advantage in the end. Difficulties are As Imam Ali(a) said, ‘The answer is within you, if necessary for our spiritual growth. you but knew it’. We need to develop a spiritual Modern culture seems to suggest that if we are philosophy which gives us access to inner peace, not ‘happy’ all the time there is something wrong and durable inner contentment. This does not with us; in fact living in this world means dealing mean we never feel pain or endure suffering but with duality and opposites. We should not

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pretend we have no negative emotions; they are necessary and have to be witnessed and acknowledged, so that we can learn from them and replace them by positive thoughts and actions where appropriate. When we feel overwhelmed, we can seek help from friends, various therapists, support groups and the company of like-minded companions. ‘Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling thinks might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you.’ (Forty rules of Love by Elif Shafak) It is also useful to remember that others are worse off: I have been most impressed by the faith of refugees escaping from war. I heard children as young as twelve, separated from their parents; expressing their faith that God is helping them. I have often found the inspiration and example of great souls in dealing with hardship of immense benefit. Among the Prophets we have Ayyub (Job), Yusuf (Joseph) and Isa (Jesus) and the great ladies Maryam, Fatima and Zainab, (peace be on all of them) all of whom defied evil and difficulties through faith in God. We can also find personal examples in our lives, my own stepmother being one of them. She could have moaned about her crippling arthritis, but she was always cheerful and refused to let it affect her contentment. This was partly because she prided herself on loving and taking care of us, her family. Let us remember the priorities in the life of a seeker: “By Time (Asr). Verily Humans are in Loss Save those who Trust (aamanu) and do righteous deeds (saalihat), and exhort one another to Truth (haqq) and exhort one another to Endurance (sabr)". [Chapter 103] In this chapter loss is linked to time because it is concerned with our self-memory, our accumulation, acquisitions, obsessions, goals, all of which come to an end.

Trust, Righteousness, Truth and Endurance, which should be our priorities, reflect the Divine attributes, so cannot be of time otherwise they are also subject to loss. Although in this world we are subject to time, we have within us a timeless

capacity that is not of time; otherwise there is loss. Transformed living is the life of the soul manifesting divine attributes in time and space. To manifest these attributes, as well as correct action, we need to find ways of entering a timeless state, especially when we are agitated, upset, ‘rushed off our feet’. This will give us a feeling of being grounded in peace.

Spiritual practices or prayer, remembrance, reflection and meditation can help us. Salaat (prayers) & dhikr (remembrance of God) properly performed are when we step out of the prison of time, for a few minutes. These are times of stillness as if the whole world is put on hold. All spiritual traditions have teachings & practices to help the seeker achieve inner contentment. I have found it beneficial to adapt some of these, for example yoga breathing and mindfulness to promote a healthy mind and a tranquil heart in a healthy body.

As the believer journeys to God, by God’s grace, and under his protection, s/he will achieve a state of higher awareness. S/he will expect the best of God and have no expectation of anyone other than him. ‘Those who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of God. Verily in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest!’ [13:28] this is the state of the ‘nafs almutma’inna’, or contented self. [89:27-30]’ 

Julia Khadija Lafene graduated in Modern History from Oxford University. Since embracing Islam she has studied Islamic psychology and self-knowledge.

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How Much Love?

“The day when a man shall flee from his brother, his mother, his father, his spouse, and his children, each one of them on that day will have a concern which will occupy him."

(The Holy Qur'an, 80:34-37)

H

aving a child enriches your life in many ways: you see the same old things with fresh eyes, rediscovering the world as they explore it for the first time, you begin to understand that words like ‘priority' and ‘important' actually apply to very different things than you had assumed, you smile more, you cry more, you feel more.

However, children also take away some things. Mostly, it's unimportant things you didn't really need like sleep, time, energy, attention... but one of the most profound things that you find yourself searching for in the months after you first embrace parenthood - motherhood especially - is your identity.

It is a subtle, gradual loss and perhaps that is why it is not given the same focus and emphasis that the biological and emotional changes that come with parenthood are. There are plenty of tips on how to 'sleep when the baby sleeps' or make sure you get some ‘me-time', but less emphasis given to the feeling of loss and emptiness you feel when you realise that you are no longer able to do the things that you thought were a part of who you were.

It could be simple things like having to sacrifice foods you like because they don't work for your baby or not having those ten precious minutes to have a shower/comb your hair/find clean clothes, or it could be bigger things like not being able to get back to work with the same proficiency as before or simply not having the mental energy to work at your usual capacity even when you do find the time.

In whatever form or shape these losses occur, they slowly build up day by day until suddenly you wake up one day and feel a nostalgia for the past, a sense of hostility towards the present and a sort of resistance to what the future will continue to demand from you. A rebellion grows within you, except that you don't know exactly what it is that you are rebelling against.

You yearn for a sense of accomplishment and in the moments when you find a gap of time to yourself, you feel the emptiness left behind by the ghost of who you were and the knowledge that you can never truly, completely be that

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person again. Accepting the reality that your life will now always be entwined with that of your children, never free of thoughts, concerns and worries about them is a process that seems simultaneously natural and alien.

The source of these feelings could be the fact that you have now become an extension of another person, that your ego is no longer in charge of itself and will have to battle for your attention for the rest of your life. We consider this blending of our identities with those of our offspring the ultimate honourable sacrifice, but is this truly the case?

Who Owns You? The ego was created to be sacrificed only at the altar of submission to its Creator. We were never meant to love others so much that we would give up our purpose of life for theirs. This is true especially of parents and children, for how is a parent without purpose supposed to bring up children who will be aware of theirs?

The home truth that we must all realise voluntarily in this life - or have it thrust onto us forcibly in the next - is that the people we make the strongest bonds with might turn out to be the people who abandon us when we expect the most from them. This is not because they don't love us or because of a flaw in their character, rather it is the nature of humanity and how people behave when faced with circumstances beyond their imagination or understanding.

The Qur'an succinctly describes the true transitory nature of all relationships in the following verse: “The guilty one will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children, his spouse and his brother, his kin which had sheltered him, and all those who are upon the earth, if that might deliver him.”(70:11-14) While we place our hope in the Mercy of our Creator, we also balance this out with a healthy sense of awe with regard to His Justice, and thus we assume that we will more likely have some guilt to shoulder on the Day of Accountability. Will we then become people who turn on

Batool Haydar looks at what it means to love children enough to see them through this life and safely into the next

our family? Or will they turn on us? And how will we deal with this kind of abandonment and betrayal?

The kind of relationship we have with our children and the kind of bonds we teach them to build with others establishes both our and their understanding of what a true relationship should be like. If we teach them that loving is about the strength of emotion we have for the other person, then they will become individuals who concentrate on simply feeling.

It is imperative that we encourage the basis of feelings to be on a foundation of conscious thought. We must teach our children that knowledge and intellect should guide us in deciding who deserves our respect and affection. We have to show them how to chose friends and base their relationships on a mutual attachment to noble qualities and a will to strive towards submission to God. Such relationships allow people to walk down their own individual paths and yet lead them towards the same goal their Creator.

This last is the most important lesson for parents and children. We tend to dream of bringing up sons and daughters who will be what we could not be, or pushing them to achieve heights of success that we did not reach.

We want our children to be good people, to have virtuous qualities, but we inculcate these traits into their

personalities as separate habits, not as life skills that should be a part - if not the core - of their very nature.

Our greatest responsibility is to learn how to distance ourselves enough from our children to be able to see what is good or bad for them from a third-person perspective.

The aim of bringing up children is only - and only - to introduce them sufficiently to God, His Message and His Messengers in order for them to set off on their own personal journey towards discovering their purpose in Life.

All the other pleasures that come with watching them grow and thrive are simply the gift of a Merciful Creator Who rewards our efforts in guiding new souls towards Him by giving us a taste of the pleasure He has when He see us grow towards spiritual adulthood. In essence, parenthood is a beautiful symbiotic relationship in which two sets of individuals nurture each other's growth to their full potential. ď Ź

Batool Haydar is a wordsmith who has written many articles and blogs

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Art Art Editor Moriam Grillo One 2 One Painting - In the Spotlight 300 “We can only talk about the way a painting is done, as there are no statements, at least none that I know of, that could define art in a comprehensive manner. What was defined as art fifty years ago is very much different to what we call art today."

- Babak Roshaninejad Babak Roshaninejad is a self-taught painter from Hamedan in north western Iran. Hamadan is the oldest city in Iran and said to be one of the oldest cities in the world. In keeping with his own heritage, Roshaninejad's work is rooted around his concerns with history and social philosophy.

His paintings have a strong graphic influence and use colour in a minimalist way. Each study, be it still life or portraiture, offers a similar simplicity alongside strong outlines. Roshaninejad has been described as a painter of the mundane. The starkness and restraint of his imagery serves not only to reflect his unique style but his feelings about how we identify with ourselves in modern times, as does his way of taking the time to record the ordinary through the use of traditional materials such as oil paints and canvas. This is a considerate and lengthy approach considering photography and graphic design could achieve the same ends more swiftly.

The generosity in his artistry is also reflected in his copious use of paint and the animated strokes of his palette knife, a visual metaphor for a rapidly changing world, offering far more content than can be balanced by substance.

Roshaninejad is not just an artisan but a philosopher, a conduit that does not just encapsulate the cultural heritage of his ancient city, but manages to extrapolate contemporary connections which ground the minutiae of the everyday in a deeper meaning and context. His work allows us to use his work as tools for reflection, to witness the perpetual recycling of the moment. It is a pertinent reminder of the transitory nature of the life of this world.

Engage Faith In Art The Craven Gallery Skipton I visited the private view of this exhibition and can recommend it. It is the first of its kind and showcases the work of exceptional artists. There is also a display of art produced during community workshops run by two of the artists involved. It’s a wonderful example of social engagement and makes the process of creativity accessible to all. The exhibition ends on March 28 so do try to get there if you can.

Craven Museum & Gallery, Town Hall, High Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 1AH The Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday – Saturday 10am-4pm Admission is free For further information telephone: 01756 706407

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Inspire Ghulam Farid Rafiq-Calligrapher My favourite piece on display at the Faith In Art exhibition in Yorkshire was a painting entitled ‘Sleeplessness’' by calligrapher Ghulam Farid Rafiq. The piece is a colourful rendition of longing and soulfulness reflected by Rafiq's energetically repeated brushstrokes of ink on paper. Based on a love poem the piece is constructed by an over layering of calligraphy reiterating lines and couplets from the original poem. It reminded me of a series of Persian poems by Hafiz I had purchased at a book fair in Sweden almost two decades ago. These poetic compositions consisting of repetitively flowing letters in rows from right to left were complimented by other verses suspended at 90 degrees. In keeping with this tradition, Rafiq hopes to convey the vastness of the world imagined in the verses by overlaying lines of texts in different coloured inks. By adding colour to reflect the richness of the verses, Rafiq takes this stylisation of poetry further adding to its traditional visual language with a style that is all his own.

Photo Exhibition Sand in My Eyes Photographer and author Enikö Nagy has spent several years collecting everyday moments in photography and spoken word from more than 45 tribes and ethnic groups across 30,000 square kilometres of Sudan, in some of the hardest-to-access regions of the world. Presenting very different images than expected from Sudan, this exhibition draws from more than 26,000 photos and 2,500 pieces of oral proverbs, legends, myths, poetry and songs. The London showing of the exhibition is copresented by the Brunei Gallery, SOAS and the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan and is to tour Germany; Austria; the Netherlands; Norway; Belgium; France; Italy; Spain; the USA and Sudan. The book Sand in My Eyes: Sudanese Moments published in 2014 by UNESCO will be available from the SOAS Bookshop accompanying the exhibition.

Venue: The Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG Time: 10.30 AM - 5.00 PM Admission: Free

Moriam Grillo is an international artist.

She holds Bachelor degrees in Photography & Film and Ceramics, her current projects include a commission for the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

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Health Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi

‘ZIKA’ THE GLOBETROTTER VIRUS Discovered in 1947 the Zika virus has spread across the world on the wings of a mosquito.

Laleh Lohrasbi takes a closer look at the possible agent of a new epidemic

T

ens of thousands of pregnant women across South America have been infected with the Zika virus as the outbreak continues to sweep across the Americas.

For only the fourth time since 2007 the epidemic has prompted WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern. Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, has defined the recent cluster of microcephaly and neurological disorders in Latin America and the Caribbean as an "extraordinary event" and a public health threat to other parts of the world which requires a united response.

Zika is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

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The combination of broad geographical distribution of mosquito species that can transmit the virus, the absence of immunity against the virus throughout the world and lack of both a vaccine and rapid, reliable diagnostic tests raises concerns that Zika virus disease will spread globally.

Moreover, conditions associated with this year's El Nino weather pattern, which causes droughts in parts of the world and floods in others, are expected to increase mosquito populations greatly in many areas. There have been also reported cases of sexual transmission with the virus spreading to people who have not visited affected countries.

About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become ill. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. The most common symptoms are fever, rash,

joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes), but people usually do not get sick enough to go to hospital. Although GuillainBarre syndrome, a rare nervous system disorder that can cause temporary paralysis has been linked to the infection, the biggest concern is the impact it could have on babies developing in the womb and the surge in microcephaly.

Microcephaly is a congenital disease which causes below average head size and stunts the growth of the brain. It can be deadly if the brain is so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate the functions vital to life. Children that do survive face intellectual disability and development delays. The prognosis for Zika-linked cases of microcephaly appears ominous, but it's still too early to know the full picture.

There will be a generation of babies with disabilities, which poses a huge social, economic and public health problem.

The stage of pregnancy in which the mother is infected can affect how severe the impact is on the child. Exposure to infection in the first trimester of pregnancy may lead to more severe problems, while exposure to the Zika virus later in pregnancy when major brain structures have been formed, may result in different outcomes.

Zika outbreaks have been reported in many countries and the virus continues to spread. Public Health England has confirmed four cases of Zika virus in the UK. In total, seven people have been diagnosed with Zika in Britain in the last three years but more than half of those have been reported since January.

Brazil had fewer than 150 cases of microcephaly in the whole of 2014. But more than 4,700 cases have been reported since 22 October 2015. The link with Zika has not been confirmed, but WHO says it is "strongly suspected". So far more than 1.5 million Brazilians have caught Zika. Both Brazil’s Zika outbreak and the spike in microcephaly have been concentrated in the poor and underdeveloped northeast of the country - the prosperous south-east, where Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are located, is the second hardesthit region. Colombia’s national health institute has reported 31,555 cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the country, including 5,013 pregnant women. Disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.

Rio de Janeiro will host the Olympic Games between 5 and 21 August 2016. If Brazil and the International Olympic Committee aren't up to the challenge, as they think they are, their decision to proceed with the games could detrimentally impact much of the globe. The United States Olympic Committee told U.S. sports federations that athletes and staff concerned about the Zika virus should consider not going to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August. European countries also have the same concerns.

Jessica Ennis-Hill's coach said British athletes competing in the Olympics in Brazil should not be based in the city because of the risks of contracting the illness.

The possibility of virus transmission through sex is considered an important factor in spreading the disease in the countries with no native Aedes mosquito. Men returning home from affected countries are advised to use condoms if their partner is pregnant or might become pregnant. This should be done for 28 days after coming home if there are no symptoms and for six months if Zika symptoms do develop. Zika virus has also been found in other bodily fluids including saliva and urine, but it is not known whether the virus can spread through these routes. There is no evidence that women can transmit the disease by sex.

Two recent independent studies now believe pyriproxyfen – a pesticide used to kill mosquitos – may be the real cause of microcephaly. The researchers from Brazil and Argentina – point out that in 2014 the government started adding pyriproxyfen to the drinking water supply in the area of Brazil where the majority of microcephaly cases have been reported. The researchers point out that Zika has spread across Africa, Asia, Micronesia since it was discovered in 1947 and epidemics have been reported across the globe without any associated outbreak of microcephaly.

However this hypothesis is not supported by another report published in the New England Journal of Medicine which said that traces of Zika virus was found in the brain of an aborted foetus with severe microcephaly in Slovenia. The infant’s mother, from Europe, had probably been infected with Zika in Brazil. 

Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is a pharmacologist. She has worked as an editor for the medical section of “Hamshahri”, a daily newspaper in Tehran.

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Reports 37th Anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran

Conference raps extremism and sectarianism

‘

Prejudice is completely and utterly against faith’ was the outcome of a recent conference held by the Islamic Centre of England in London. The one-day conference on 7th February 2016 was held under the title of ‘A Revolution against Extremism and Sectarianism’. Speakers at this conference acclaimed the Islamic Revolution of 1979 as a movement against extremism and sectarianism. They cited quotations from Imam Khomeini’s sermons prior to and after the revolution in which he reassured all Iranians irrespective of their faith to enjoy equal rights. In his words, all Muslims whether Shi’a or Sunni as well as other believers including Jews and Christians were equal and the revolution would preserve their rights.

Dr Zahir Parviz, the former president of the UK Islamic Mission, said that the Islamic revolution in Iran was a universal movement against tyranny and didn’t belong only to Iranians or Shi’a Muslims. According to him, from the very beginning, all Muslims around the world, either Shi’a or Sunni felt proud of the Islamic revolution. He talked about the importance of unity in Islam and said that bringing peace and unity to humankind was the main aim of all holy prophets. He said that the Islamic revolution caused a historical shift, in which Islam took the centre stage, after centuries in the background.

The Iranian charge d’affaires in the UK, Mr Hassan Habibollahzadeh spoke of the official policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in regards to sectarianism. He emphasised that Iranian foreign policy is based on certain principles stemming from three sources: Imam Khomeini and

Ayatollah Khamenei’s teachings and decrees based on Islamic jurisprudence, as well as the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He added that all three of these sources are clear in considering the unity of the Islamic world and the prosperity of all Islamic countries as an unchangeable principle. According to him, the doctrine of Iran’s foreign policy in all aspects of cultural, economic and diplomatic relations is to encourage unity and avoid any divisions or sectarianism. Among them, he mentioned Iran’s principled policy on supporting Palestinians’ rights regardless of any sectarian concerns.

Reverend Abi-Doumeth, from the Lebanese Christian Community in the UK, mentioned that the Catholic Church in 1968 declared the first day of the Christian calendar as a day for peace. He said that bringing humanity to peace and love was the main goal of all religions and prophets.

Referring to the Qur’an, hadith and the Bible, he concluded that Islam and Christianity both share this goal. He expressed his admiration for the Islamic Republic of Iran for its equal treatment of all Christians and Muslims, mainly Christians’ freedom in their religious affairs as well as the abundance and freedom of churches in Iran.

Lastly, Sheikh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali, director of the Islamic Centre of England, took the podium. He said that the Islamic Revolution gave confidence and dignity not only to Muslims but also to all the believers in God. He said that God’s prophets were mainly scorned and rejected by their people. They however succeeded in their mission gradually and through sacrifice, struggle and endeavour. However some individuals continued their corrupt conduct under the

Sheikh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

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mask of religion. He stressed that any sectarianism is a remnant of jahiliyya (the preIslamic age of ignorance).

Dr. Shomali added that Imam Khomeini, despite being a prominent Shia scholar was never lured into Shia-Sunni division. He always talked about Islam, the Muslim ummah and more generally about all mustadh’afin, the poor and the oppressed, regardless of their faith. He rejected the idea that Imam Khomeini’s inclusive attitude was tactical by reminding us that he held this view during the strongest and most popular stage of the revolution when he did not need any external support.

Dr Shomali emphasised that according to Islam, prejudice and bigotry are against faith (imaan).

He said that prejudice, pride and envy could awaken the inner impurity and evils, as happened to Iblis according to the Qur’an, and turned him into Satan.

According to Islamic beliefs, Iblis disobeyed God’s direct order to bow to Adam because of his pride. 

Mr Hassan Habibollahzadeh

Reverend Abi-Doumeth

Dr Zahir Parviz

Conference report

Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah (Psalms of Islam):

A Guide for a Spiritual Life

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ahifah Al Sajjadiyah or as it is known to the English speaking world, the Psalms of Islam, is a collection of prayers written by the great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad(s), Imam Ali ibn Husayn(a) popularly known as Imam As-Sajjad(a), considered the fourth Imam of Shi’a Muslims. The book, which was written about 1300 years ago, has influenced many Muslim scholars and left its impact on Islamic civilisation in many different ways.

The Islamic Centre of England in London organised and hosted the first scholarly conference on Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah on the 13th of February 2016. In this programme scholars and speakers presented their thoughts and ideas on the theological, mystical and historical aspects of this important Islamic text.

In the morning session, which was held in Arabic, the first speaker, Sayyid Abd al-Mun’im al-Hassan, a consultant and lawyer from Sudan, gave an account of Imam Sajjad’s(a) life and his struggle during the difficult early Umayyad period .

He spoke about the deviation from the Prophet’s path that occurred in the Islamic community of that time and of the several uprisings against the rulers that took place. In this period, Imam As-Sajjad(a) had the duty of leading the Ummah in Islamic knowledge as well as transmitting the message of Karbala (Imam Hussain’s(a) martyrdom). Thus, in this volatile period, he chose to accomplish these duties by means of prayers. Mr al-Hassan explained that Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah is not just a simple book of prayers, but a collection of ethical, philosophical and theological lessons.

He also said that As-Sajjad(a) used prayers as a means of political resistance, similar to the method of Prophets for

whom, according to the Scripture, prayer (dua) was a mighty weapon. He mentioned that political responsibility was a very important issue in the Imam’s view and this shows in his Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah.

Next speaker was Dr Imad Hamroun, a scholar and university professor from France. He also touched upon Imam As-Sajjad’s(a) difficult time under the Umayyads and said that today we must read the Sahifa Al Sajjadiyah in a way more appropriate to our times. He argued that the political identity of the Shi’a first took its form in Imam Sajjad’s time and became more distinct during the time of next two Imams, Imam Baqir(a) and Imam Sadiq(a).

In the English session, the first speaker Professor Dickson, talked about the place of Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah in everyday spiritual life. She said that Imam Sajjad(a), despite his infallibility, was aware of all human sins and temptations, thus used this awareness to teach us how to fight those temptations by praying. She also said that any human suffering could potentially be a sign of God’s grace and a window to redemption.

Dr Rebecca Masterton argued that Sunni Sufism is heavily influenced by the Imamiyah school of thought, and its school of mysticism (Irfan). She showed that many of the classical concepts of Sunni Sufism were borrowed from Shi’a texts. In other word, Shi’a Imams were the first teachers of Irfan. She explained that the concept of love between the Creator and the created first became popular after the event of Ashura and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn(a). She mentioned that Junaid al-Baghdadi and

many other Sunni Sufi mystics learned these concepts from Shi’a texts and specifically from Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah.

Dr Ghulam Abbas Lakha focused on the history of the commentaries of the Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah. The first commentary that was written on the margins of the Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah, according to him, was by Muhammad Ibn Idris al-Hilli. This was to be followed by another commentary by al-Kaf’ami. He said that it took about 500 years for Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah to become popular in the Islamic world, mainly thanks to the conversion of Iranians to Shi’ism. According to Dr Lakha, after that, at around the beginning of the 18th century we began to witness an eruption of commentaries on Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah by several scholars. This tradition continued, and is still thriving today, especially in Iran.

Hujjatul-Islam Dr Muhammad Ali Shomali, the director of the Islamic Centre of England, provided the closing remarks. He emphasised the importance of opening a scholarly debate about Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah and thanked the speakers for their contribution in this debate.

He mentioned that the relation between the Creator and the created and the qualities of this relationship has always been one the most debated and challenging concepts in philosophy. It is the question of how a unique and single God interacts with a diverse creation.

He said that Imam Sajjad(a) in the Sahifah, more than anything teaches us about this relationship. Through Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah we learn how to interact and talk to God, something that would have been impossible without the presence of divine revelations.

Dr Shomali said that among twelve possible relations between God and humanity all are one directional except love. Love is the only truly mutual relation that we have with God. We love him and he loves us. This cannot be said about other relations such as that between Creator and created. He talked about the importance of the concept of love in Sahifah Al Sajjadiyah, and by reciting selected passages of this book explained how it teaches us that in the realm of spirituality we must be ambitious and humble at the same time.

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Children Corner Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani image 1

image 2

A

nbar is only seven. As a Muslim girl she has decided to start praying as Muslims do, to get into the habit of performing her Islamic rituals from an early age. But there is a problem with the way she is performing her prayer. Our illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani has made it visible for us in her drawings. Anbar’s problem is that her hair is showing through her headscarf.

Looking at image 1, it shows that her hair is out. Now let’s look at image 2. She has realised what to do. Her hair is not showing and her scarf (Julbab) is now covering her hair properly.

Ghazaleh has captured this difference so as to explain how Anbar should dress while praying. But she has also cleverly left some other differences in each image for you to have fun finding them.

Now without looking at the answers on the left, try to find five differences Ghazaleh has purposely made between these two images.

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What & Where Through March

Venue: Arab British Centre, 1 Gough

Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an Conducted by Shaykh M S Bahmanpour

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

A Room for Damascus

Square, London, EC4A 3DE

Duration: 6 weeks + 4 hours Final Project (16 hours) Time: Wednesdays, 6.00 PM - 8.00 PM Fee: £205

More info: http://www.arabbritishcentre.org.uk/event/c reative-calligraphy-march-april-2016/

3 March

A V&A Display of an 18th Century main reception room in Syrian upper class houses. These rooms were the focus of hospitality and the objects announced a family's wealth and status. This display is the earliest western collection of such a room.

Venue: Islamic Middle East, Room 42, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL, UK Time: 10.00 AM - 5.45 PM Fee: Free

Islam & The West (Academic Lecture) The Centre for the Study of Islam and the West, Queen Mary University of London, is holding its 2016 Lecture by Professor Carole Hillenbrand (University of St Andrews), entitled 'Saladin: The Man and the Myth'.

Venue: Skeel Lecture Theatre, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, London E1 4NS Time: 6.30 PM - 9.30 PM Entry: Free (registration required).

Register at:

2 March Creative Calligraphy Course by Joumana Medlej This non-traditional calligraphy course will not involve the use of reed pens and repetitive copying. Instead, it will return to the original source of Arabic calligraphy, the Kufi family of styles, and study it with a modern design approach. Kufi was the first Arabic script to be consciously made beautiful, and unlike the later round scripts with their strict rules, it can be constantly reinvented and is not tied to any given tool or medium.

Students will learn the essence of the letters and how it expresses itself in different styles; spacing, proportions and the uniquely Arabic concept of kashida; compositional approaches including the highly specialised Square Kufic. Each of these design notions will be accompanied by a practical exercise to anchor the theory and allow students to learn from each other. The course will culminate in a final project where the student chooses a word or phrase and creates their own composition for it.

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https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/islam-thewest-lecture-2016-prof-carole-hillenbrandtickets-20105227276

4 March Saladin & The Third Crusade A one-day symposium that will represent the inaugural meeting of a new international research network examining the history of the Third Crusade. Speakers include: Abdul-Rahman Azzam, Peter Edbury, Taef El-Azhari, John Gillingham, Helen Nicholson & Linda Paterson.

Venue: Institute of Historical Research, Malet Street London, London WC1E 7HU Time: 9.30 AM - 4.30 PM Entry: Free (registration required).

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saladin-andthe-third-crusade-a-one-day-symposiumtickets-20105498086

5 March Muslim Heritage of Bengal The Muslim Heritage of Bengal is an opportunity to learn about the origins of Islam in Bengal and the role it has had over the last few hundred years. A highly relevant course to learn how Islam came and shaped Bengal and the wider area.

The course will include an overview of Muslim History of Bengal from earliest times to today, an introduction to the Life and Works of several prominent Muslim personalities.

Venue: London Muslim Centre, 82-92 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1JQ, UK Time: 10.00 AM - 5.00 PM Fee: £21 Register at: http://www.alburujpress.com/courses/cours e/243/

Islamophobia Awards 2016 IHRC's Islamophobia Awards are back and in 2016 they promise to be bigger and better than ever. Including a gala dinner, the satirical awards show aims to raise awareness of Islamophobia while poking fun at those who have outrageously displayed their prejudice for all to see over the past year. Real awards are also given to those who have battled against Islamophobia - often against tremendous odds. There'll also be LIVE stand-up comedy from Nabil Abdul Rashid and other entertainment.

Venue: The Clay Oven, 197 Ealing Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA0 4LW

Time: 6.30 PM - 11.00 PM Tickets: Range from £40 - £65 Booking: http://shop.ihrc.org/islamophobia-awards2016

Path of Mercy The Human Relief Foundation will be holding a 3 course dinner in aid of Syrian

refugees as part of their Path of Mercy project which is aimed at helping refugees and migrants following the current refugee crisis. The project also offers guidance and support for individuals, small groups and charities who wish to help.

Venue: Piccadilly Banqueting Suite, 372 Stratford Rd, Birmingham, B11 4AB Time: Doors open at 6.00 PM, Start time 6.30 PM Fee: £5 Tickets: Call 0121 439 3838

Coalition in response to increased discrimination against Muslims in day-today life, including David Cameron's comments about the 'traditional submissiveness' of Muslim women, the Prevent programme in schools and the war on Syria.

Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP Time: 6.30 PM

16 March

13+) Taught by Shaykh Hicham Bounni, this course will run for 6 sessions every Saturday. Become familiar with Arabic Calligraphy and different calligraphy styles; learn to write confidently in three classical Arabic Calligraphy styles; learn to make a qalam and mix ink. Achieve a Level 1 Arabic Calligraphy Award (fully certified) at the end of the course.

Venue: Westwood High School, Kelsall Street, Oldham, Lancashire, OL9 6HR Time: 10.00 AM - 12.00 PM Fee: £40 (all equipment provided) Booking: Call 07723 430 928

The Archaeology of Islamic Identities in Bahrain A seminar by the Department of Theology and Religionat the University of Exeter.

The seminar will be conducted by Tim Insoll (University of Manchester) whose study explores the archaeological correlates of Islam in Bahrain, where he finds that ‘Islamic identity’ is no singular condition: communities are diverse, exhibiting a culture that is rich, multicultural and complex.

Venue: Amory B316, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 Time: 2.00 PM

18 March 6 March Ladies High Tea ­ Me & My Best Friend A ladies only event with guest speakers and an auction in aid of Women refugees.

Venue: Hotel Malmaison Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1RD Time: Doors open 12.00 PM Tickets: £15 Booking: Call 07976 376 747

10 March Stop Scapegoating Muslims A public meeting called by Stop the War

University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG Time: 10.30 AM - 5.00 PM Admission: Free

Venue: Bloomsbury Central Baptist

From 5 March Level 1 Arabic Calligraphy (Females Age

accompanying the exhibition.

Venue: The Brunei Gallery, SOAS

Photo Exhibition ­ Sand in My Eyes Photographer and author Enikö Nagy has spent several years collecting everyday moments in photography and the spoken word from more than 45 tribes and ethnic groups across 30,000 square kilometres of Sudan, in some of the hardest-to-access regions of the world. Presenting very different images than expected from Sudan, this exhibition draws from more than 26,000 photos and 2,500 pieces of oral proverbs, legends, myths, poetry and songs. The London showing of the exhibition is co-presented by the Brunei Gallery, SOAS and the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan. The book Sand in My Eyes: Sudanese Moments published in 2014 and Foreword by UNESCO, will be available from the SOAS Bookshop

20 March Spring Funday Organised by the Global Rahmah Foundation, a family day of fun including rides, stalls, food stalls, Mickey and Minnie mouse and a BBQ.

Venue: Jans Conference Centre, Blackburn Time: 1.00 PM - 5.00 PM

26 March The Grand Bake Off Compete in The Grand Bake Off organised

by Muslim Hands and help raise funds for Syrian Mothers. With four different categories to enter and opportunities to win big prizes, register your interest early and be the first to know when the official registration opens! Categories include: Juniors, Teens, Technical and Showstopper.

Venue: The Great Hall, 1 Adelaide Rd, London, E10 5NN

For more info & fees: Email farjana.aziz@muslimhands.org.uk

Disclaimer: islam today does not necessarly endorse or recommend any of these events. Their contents and individuals or groups involved in them. We are not responsible for changes to times, fees or venues. Further information should be sought direclty from the organisers.

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