Islam today october 2016 issue 40

issue 40 October

vol. 4 2016

islam today

 Identity & the Other  Understanding God's Plan  Ashura and its Relevance Today

islam today issue 40 vol. 4 October 2016

Page: 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.

Editorial team Managing Director

M. Saeed Bahmanpour

Chief Editor

Amir De Martino

Managing Editor

Anousheh Mireskandari

Layout and Design

Innovative Graphics

Contact us Information

info@islam-today.net

Letters to the Editor

letters@islam-today.net

Article Submissions

submit@islam-today.net

www.islam-today.co.uk

Contents

3

From the Islamic Centre's desk

4

Palermo: a historical host

7

Identity & the Other

9

The opening ceremony of Hawza Ilmiyya of London

10

Understanding God’s Plan

14

Islamic Belief System

16

Art

18

A guide for the fresher

20

Faith

22

Interfaith

24

Children Corner

23rd Symposium of Shi‘a Scholars, Imams and Preachers in the UK Eid al-Ghadir celebration and Allameh Tabatabaei Award 2016

Amir De Martino reports on the 28th Congress of (Union of European Arabists and Isalmists) Palermo, Italy

Dr Shomali's address at the 28th Congress of Union of European Arabists and Isalmists

By Abbas Farshori

Dr Shomali’s speech at the summer gathering of Focolare Movement Ashburnham - England

A student account on the Risalat course, educational trip to Iran 14th-27th August

One 2 One With Salman Sheikh - Curator and advocate for the Arts

Follow us: islamtodaymag @islamtodaymaguk

Publisher The Islamic Centre of England 140 Maida Vale London W9 1QB Tel: +44 20 7604 5500 ISSN 22051-2503

Disclaimer: All information in this magazine is verified to the best of the authors’ and the publisher’s ability.

However, islam today shall not be liable or responsible for loss or damage arising from any users’ reliance on information obtained from the magazine.

2

islam today

October 2016

By Maryam Haneef

Ashura and its relevance today

By Hujjatul-Islam Ahmed Hanee

Ramon Lull: The wise man from Majorca

By Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Ashura Commemoration

by Ghazaleh Kamrani

26

What & Where Listing of events

From theIslamicCentre'sdesk

23rd Symposium of Shi‘a Scholars, Imams and Preachers in the UK 24 September 2016

T

he Islamic Centre of England in London hosted the 23rd annual symposium of Shi‘a Ulama in the UK. The main theme of this year’s meeting was historical background and the current situation surrounding the takfiri doctrine. Takfiri is a general name given to a sect or a school of thought in Islam that tends to excommunicate other schools of Islam, accusing them of heresy. In this symposium speakers discussed theological roots of the takfir (excommunication) in Islam and its recent militant manifestation.

Dr Mohmmad Ali Shomali, the head of Islamic Centre of England was the keynote speaker of the symposium. In the beginning he emphasised the importance of the month of Muharram and the ten-day mourning for Imam Husayn(a) as a golden opportunity for Islamic centres and scholars as this is the busiest time of the year with the highest number of people attending mosques and centres.

His message to other Imams was to try to educate those outside their community, whether Sunni brothers or non-Muslims about the philosophy and the message of Ashura and Imam Husayn(a).

On the topic, he said that takfir or excommunicating others or accusing them for being heretic or non-believer has had a long

history in all religions. He pointed out that Islam, unfortunately, is not an exception. Referring to the commentaries on the Qur'anic verse 4:94, Sheikh Shomali pointed out how Prophet Muhammad(s) condemned the takfiri approach of Usama ibn Zayn. He said anyone who utters the declaration of faith (shahadah) is a Muslim unless they deny the unity of God, deny that Muhammad(s) is his messenger or deny an essential part of the faith such as the daily prayer or fasting of Ramadan in a manner that amounts to denying the Prophet’s message.

He expressed his worries that similar tendencies should creep into Shi’a scholars and preachers. He said that according to all major Shi‘a scholars and jurists, Sunni brothers are not only our brothers in faith but also a vital part of our very souls.

There were three specialised committees during the symposium: 1) Jurisprudential approach to takfir in Islam.

2) Historical and theological considerations about takfiri thought in Islam.

3) Priorities of tabligh (preaching) in the month of Muharram.

Each discussed the topic in a more focused manner. Later each committee gave a short report of their discussions to the general meeting.

Eid al-Ghadir celebration & Allameh Tabatabaei Award 2016

E

id al-Ghadir was celebrated in the Islamic Centre of England on 18th September 2015. Eid al-Ghadir is the commemoration of the day on which Prophet Muhammad(s) appointed Imam Ali(a) as his successor during his last Hajj pilgrimage to Makka.

During this Eid celebration, winner of the second ‘Allameh Tabatabaei Award’ (AT Award) received their prizes from Sheikh Shomali, head of th Islamic Centre of England. The AT Award is given to top CGSE and A-Level students in the UK every year. It is open to all students to participate by registration. This year thirty CGSE and A-Level Muslim students with outstanding results of A+ and A* received their certificates and a cash prize. They also received a subsidised trip, as well as access to a series of workshops and mentoring schemes.

In this ceremony, Sheikh

Somali talked about the lessons of Al-Ghadir and its importance to contemporary life. “It is of tremendous importance in our time as a lesson in sustaining our individual and communal identities while under constant threat from new media, modern ways of communication and social networks, etc”, Mr Shomali said. He acknowledged the new technologies bring benefits and opportunities in many respects but also mentioned a number of challenges they bring. He pointed out on the importance of family and community values and called for serious reflection and dialogue on sustaining identity and cohesion of individuals and communities in the face of such fast changing technologies. He talked about lessons that can be learned from other communities but asserted that the discussion remains open for the Muslim community to reflect and find its own answers. The award ceremony continued with four poem recitations, followed by congregational evening prayers. islam today October 2016

3

Report

Palermo: a historical host Amir De Martino reports on the 28th Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants (Union of European Arabists and Isalmists) from Palermo Italy

T

he biannual academic conference of the Union Both academic and political personalities spoke about the Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants significance of having this congress in Sicily – Palermo is a (UEAI) on the theme ‘Re-defining a Space of region with a rich history formed by layers of cultural Encounter - Islam & the Mediterranean; Identity, experiences, a result of the variety of people that have alterity and interactions’, was held between the 12th and conquered and settled in it.

15th of September in Palermo, Italy. The event was From the various discourses it was clear that the organised by the UEAI and the University of Palermo and inhabitants of this land proudly recognise and celebrate the sponsored by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sicily history of this land and its people have much in common Region and the City of Palermo. Founded in 1962, the with the people of the African side of the Mediterranean. In Union Européenne des Arabisants et fact from 827 to 1061, Sicily was under ...the Union Européenne des Arab rule. They had taken it from the Islamisants is the most prestigious association of European Arabists and Arabisants et Islamisants is Greek Byzantines. Arab Islamic rule of Islamicists with over 300 senior the island represents a period of the most prestigious scholars of Arabic and Islamic studies enlightenment in which cultural, social association of European representing most European nations. and economic reforms had a profound In this year’s congress, 120 scholars Arabists and Islamicists with and long-lasting impact. Arab rule in from all parts of Europe presented Sicily passed through three North over 300 senior scholars of African dynasties: the Aghlabids, the papers over a period of five days. The Arabic and Islamic studies work of the conference started with an Fatimids, whose power base was in inaugural session held in the Great Hall representing most European Cairo, and then the Kalbids. In 948 of the Palazzo Steri with welcoming Hassan al-Kalbi declared himself Emir nations. speeches by Prof. Fabrizio Micari, of Sicily, but he was challenged by rival Rector of the University of Palermo, Prof. Leonardo “emirates” which emerged on the same island. Eventually Samonà, Director of the Departmentof Humanities, Prof. the island was divided into three administrative districts, Antonino Pellitteri, University of Palermo, Prof. Leoluca whose names survive still today: Val di Mazara, Val di Noto Orlando, Mayor of Palermo, Prof. Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila, and Val di Demone. By becoming part of the Islamic world President of the UEAI. Sicily joined the most advanced civilisation of its time and The opening lectures were delivered by: Prof. Mohammad benefitted enormously. New agricultural techniques were Ali Shomali (Director of Islamic Centre of England introduced which gave birth to new crops such as almonds, London) , Prof. Mohamed Hassen (Faculté des Sciences aniseed, apricots, artichokes, cinnamon, oranges, pistachio, Humaines et Sociales, Université de Tunis) and Prof. pomegranates, saffron, sesame, spinach, sugarcane, and Antonino Buttitta (University of Palermo). watermelon. Eventually after nearly 200 years of Islamic

4

islam today

October 2016

UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI PALERMO

level with cultural exchanges via the work of universities rule new conquerors descended upon this rich and fertile and the involvement of organisations and institutions land. These were the Normans, the same people that outside of the athenaeum. conquered England.

In this respect the organisers of the congress in cooperation The Normans were quite appreciative of superior civilisation with Department of the Region of Sicily and the office of and admired the rich and layered culture in which they Mayor of Palermo arranged a workshop in one of the many found themselves, taking on the attributes of Muslim rulers historical palaces of Palermo ‘Palazzo Cefala’, with the title in dress, language and literature. Soon the court of Roger II “Besides the tunnel. The role of Universities and Culture.” became the most luminous centre of culture in the The members of the panel were: Dr Sebastian Guenther, Mediterranean, attracting scholars, scientists, poets, artists (University of Goettingen and vice and artisans of all kinds.

In Arab-Norman Sicily laws were issued Indeed, for a brief period of president of UEAI), Dr Adham Darawsha (Consulta of Culture), Prof. in the language of the community to history Arab-IslamicGeorges Dorlian (University of whom they were addressed: Balamand – Lebanon), Prof.

Mohamed governance was based on the rule of Norman Sicily was the most Edweb (University of Tripoli), Prof. law so there was justice. Muslims, Jews, civilised place in the Mohamed Hassen ( Faculté des Byzantine Greeks and Latin Normans western world. This Sciences Humaines et Sociales – Tunis) worked together to form a society that created some of the most extraordinary cohabitation however come Prof. Antonino Pellitteri (University of Palermo), and Palermo councillor buildings the world has ever seen. to an end when the Giusto Catania.

Indeed, for a brief period of history Normans were superseded The discussion centred on the Arab-Islamic-Norman Sicily was the importance of culture and how the most civilised place in the western by the Hohenstaufens universities can work or contribute in world. This cohabitation however come this area. The role of the student appears to be to an end when the Normans were superseded by the fundamental through programmes of exchanges with Hohenstaufens and there began a deliberate policy of universities across the Mediterranean area in order to help genocide against the Muslims and the Jews which made the further understand each other’s cultures. The panellists high culture of the past a recent memory.. It is a memory expressed regret that at present these exchanges are not with which the participant and organisers of the 28th taking place because of the current upheavals in Arab and Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Muslim countries of the region.

Islamisants are fully cognizant. It is in this spirit that the It was in this context that Dr Shomali set the tone of his objective of the congress has been to initiate and facilitate a speech in his inaugural address to the participants of the better understanding of the Arabo-Islamic culture of the congress. He underlined the importance of one’s identity Mediterranean not only in academia but also at a social

islam today October 2016

5

and of understanding our own position in relation to the two pages) ‘other’, not in an exclusivist and distancing way but an The initiatives of the Mayor of Palermo with regard to inclusive and connecting one. He further stressed that facilitating the settling of people of other cultures and creating an identity based on fear and exclusion does religions in the city of Palermo are significant. not work in the world we are living in now.

Acknowledging the role and contribution that they make If we reflect on how religions, cultures and traditions have to the city the Mayor set up a body made up of developed we will realise that there representatives of various ethnic has always been a central question communities that will give them a voice and that is how to keep the Dr Shomali set the tone of his and is directly connected to the office adherents of one’s faith and how to of the Mayor. The body is officially speech in his inaugural convince them that by remaining on as the Consulta of Cultures. The address to the participants of known ‘the inside’ of the circle of a Consulta is supposed to represent all the congress. He underlined those who have a non-Italian particular religion, tradition or culture they would be better off. This nationality or who have acquired Italian the importance of one’s is very much related to issue of This is a consultative organ identity and of understanding citizenship. identity, understanding your position that will advise local politicians on in relation to other people. our own position in relation to administrative and political decisions Unfortunately, and no religion is that affect their lives. the ‘other’, not in an exempt from it, to demonstrate this is the closing remarks of the 28th exclusivist and distancing During to distance ourselves from others. So congress of the UEAI Professor Pellitteri way but an inclusive and it means instead of being more explained how it has been the intention constructive and productive in saying of the scientific committee of the connecting one. what we are, we focus on saying or congress to involve various sections of demonstrating what we are not. the city rather than only the university. Dr Pellitteri For example if I am a leader, Muslim, Christian or Jewish, thanked all the participants and organisers giving a special and I am trying to keep my community together to make thanks to all students who volunteered to help in the day sure they do not deviate from the path, I may say, if you to day running of the congress. Their involvement stay with us you will go to heaven and if you go to others underscores how ultimately they must be the beneficiaries you will go to hell. of all this work.  This is a kind of identity which is based on fear and exclusion. This type of thinking will not work in the world we are living in today. (text of Dr Shomali’s lecture on next

6

islam today october 2016

Identity & the Other Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali's address at the 28th Congress of European Professors of Islamic and Arabic Studies Palermo - Italy 12th September 2016 Peace be with you. Salaamun Alaykum.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

I’m very delighted to be here today with you in this beautiful, historical place, and also on a day that we celebrate the great Feast of Adha – or the feast of sacrifice when God accepted the offer of Abraham and indeed ransomed Abraham’s offer of sacrificing his son with a sheep. We know that this day will be a blessed day for all people, all over the world.

I have been to Italy many times. Since 1999 I have been coming to Italy but not to this part of Italy. So it is also a new experience for me to be here. I always love to come here because we keep talking about Sicilia in Iran but this is the first time I have the honour of being here. And therefore I am grateful to God the Almighty for this blessing and grateful also to Professor Pertili and the organisers of this conference.

What I would like to share with you are a few reflections.

These reflections are something that I say, but not necessarily as a Muslim. I think these are reflections that we as human beings and as believers in any kind of revelation may share. I would be very delighted to receive your comments and ideas afterwards.

If we reflect on the way religions and cultures and traditions have developed, we realise that there has always been a central question, and that is how to keep your people – your adherents – together; how to convince them that by being and remaining inside the circle of this religion or tradition or culture, they will be better off; and how to make sure that they do not go away. This is very much related to the issue of identity, and understanding your position with respect to other people.

Unfortunately, many times – and I don’t think any religion or tradition here is an exception – many, many times, the way to prove and demonstrate that you would be better off

remaining in this circle/religion/tradition, was by distancing yourself from others. So instead of being more constructive and productive and saying what you are, the focus was on what you are not. And this, I think, is a problem.

So for example, if I’m a Muslim or Christian or Jewish leader, in order to keep my community together and make sure that they don’t deviate or go astray, I will say, “If you are with us you’ll go to Heaven, if go to the other direction, you’ll go to hell.” “Do you want to go to hell?” “No.” So you remain with us.

So this is a type of identity which is based on fear and exclusion. And for sure, this type of understanding is not going to work in the world that we live in today. If it has worked in the past, it is because there were so many different types of distances – not only geographical, but cultural, communicational, and other types of distances.

The world was very divided. You could live in a town or even a country in which you have no people of other faiths.

This is not the world of today. And this type of fragile understanding of your identity and of your religious affiliation is not going to work in this world, and definitely not in the future. We need to have a different type of understanding that is based on what you have and what you can offer to other human beings, and what you can appreciate of what they have, and how to relate to them.

Being able to relate to other people is a very essential part of every person’s identity today. I cannot be a good Muslim today or a good Iranian today unless I know how to relate to other people, how to accommodate them in my own identity.

And for sure for us as believers in God this is also a very important part of our faith. How can we believe in God, the One, the creator of all mankind, and then fail to care for part of the creation of God?

islam today October 2016

7

For us, not only is every human being unique, and every human being carries the sign of God, but also every animal, every bird, every insect, every flower, every drop of water is significant because it is a sign and manifestation of God. So now, we need to rethink our understanding of our identity. Let me give you an example. If you look at the human body, for sure we have different organs and different parts. We have our eyes, our ears, kidneys, a heart. Every organ has some function; every organ has some identity. But if their understanding of their role is to exclude others, to boycott others, to attack others, then we are not going to survive. You can be a kidney, you can be an eye, you can be an ear, you can be a heart, you can be a brain, you can be a hand or leg, but you can only survive if you understand how to relate to others and define for yourself a role in a bigger unity.

Or for example, we can be citizens of different cities in a country. We can, for example, be from Palermo, we can be from Rome, […] or Florence. There are two ways of understanding ourselves. One is that our city is the only city that matters in the world. We are special people. We are unique. We don’t bother ourselves with what is happening to the rest. Or we can be proud of being citizens of this city, but at the same time be respectful to other cities; help them develop and prosper because we know that in a more developed Italy, we would all be better off. Or we would be better off if we have a better Europe, or a better globe.

So, this type of understanding is, I think, what we need. And when I look at the Qur’an, I see that this is actually the plan of God. God has done lots of things in His creation and legislation so that we would move towards unity. But unfortunately, the sad reality is that even with the things that God has given us to unite us, we started fighting.

There’s a beautiful verse in the Qur’an which talks about people initially being a united nation: (Mankind were a single community).

There was a time when people were all united, but then they started differing. Then they started conflicting. And then God had to send prophets with codes of law to save them from those differences. But do you know what happened?

They started differing on those codes of laws. So Moses came, Jesus came, the Prophet Muhammad came. They

8

islam today october 2016

brought unity to people, but then afterwards their own followers started fighting over what was supposed to bring unity.

And sometimes people of the same religion excommunicate each other, kill each other. And now you can imagine what they may do with people of other religions.

Is this the plan of God? No. The plan of God is that humanity should get united around the truth. But He doesn’t want to force His plan: (Had God wished, He would have brought them together on guidance) Had He wanted, He was able to bring us all together around the truth by force. But God doesn’t do things by force. He gives us the idea; He helps us, He inspires us, but He also asks us to take over the job. And this is what we need.

And I think one of the places in which we can try to establish a model of mutual recognition, mutual respect, mutual love, and unity, is in this part of the world around the Mediterranean. There are so many opportunities here, especially a long history of living together and understanding each other’s language – not only the language that we speak, but the language that we think in and the language of the heart.

As I listened to what the mayor of Palermo said and the way he respects the cultures of his fellow Muslim citizens, it gave me lots of hope. This shows that we can have this model of respect and unity in a place like Palermo. I think then, by showing this and offering this testimony to other people in other parts of the world, they would all be inspired, because I think that what we very much lack today is good examples.

Bad examples are there and they are also advertised, publicised, and magnified.

But good examples, unfortunately, are not as well publicised..

So I am grateful to God that we have such a beautiful cohesion between Islamic culture, Christian culture, European, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean - all different types of cultures here. And I’m sure that if we understand how to relate to each other in a constructive way, each of these subcultures would be better off, and the unity that we establish would put us in a good position to be able to relate to the rest of the world.

Thank you very much for your attention. (In the end our claim is that all praise be to God, Lord of the worlds). 

The opening ceremony of

Hawza Ilmiyya of London

T

he Hawza Ilmiyya opening ceremony was held on 14th September 2016 as teachers and students alike celebrated the beginning of the academic year. The event was attended by over 75 students from the Hawza and pre-Hawza programmes with numerous respected teachers also joining in.

Naturally proceedings began with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, to signify the reliance on the pleasure of God that is held by all seekers of Islamic knowledge.

Sayed Jalal Masumi's heartrending recitation was a testament and reminder of how practice and initiative can serve sincere seekers of knowledge.

In addition, Sayed Ja'far Naji provided some recitations of remembrance of the Ahlulbayt; to establish the divine link the family have to the Qur'an, just as students of the Hawza should also have with every turn of every page of every book, in every class.

Keynote speeches by Sheikh Dr Isa Jahangir and Sheikh Mohammad Ali Shomali were utilised to disperse valuable gems of advice and attentively imbibed by students cherishing the resumption of their studies.

There were reminders of the history of the Hawza, and why it is an honour to align with that rich tradition of Islamic academia. The very existence of a Hawza at this stage of development in the West is a testament to the efforts of the likes of Ayatullah Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi

and Ayatullah Bourujerdi (ra).

The future of the Hawza was also a vital discussion.

Gone are the days of struggling to establishing the Hawza, students were told. It is now time to prove the worth of the institution. The last three years have successfully established an effective infrastructure, academic presence and global network of seminaries; now it’s time to reap the fruit of this labour.

The effect of Hawza is not restricted to the limitations of contact-study classes. Extra-curricular initiative must be a natural urge of anyone attempting to justify the title of ‘talaba'.

Independent reading is no longer optional, and ‘mubahatha' (discussions) is no longer sporadic. For structural learning to achieve its aims, the Hawza student must embody their study.

This challenge was etched into the students’ faces as each enquiring mind listened attentively to such advice whilst mentally formulating reading lists and pondering on the need to maximise from the lessons of the various teachers.

Indeed the enjoyment of gaining knowledge is a thing worth seeking, and the Hawza Ilmiyya of England represents an institution by which to achieve this.

By Abbas Farshori (3rd year Hawza Student)

islam today

October 2016

9

Un d e r s t a n d in g G o d ’ s Pl a n What we mean by God’s plan

I

want to say a little bit about what God’s plan is – although I am very insignificant and I could not begin to say for sure what God’s plan is. But at the same time I think there is something in God’s plan that He wants us to understand. I will therefore try to say to God and to you believers in God what I think is God’s plan.

My understanding of God’s plan, based on philosophical thinking and on the Holy Qur’an, is that He wants humanity to be united around the truth, but not by force. He did not want us to be created as united people by force. He wants us to choose freely to be united.

Unity is something that cannot come by force; it has to come by love. The Qur’an says: ‘And should their aversion be hard on you, find, if you can, a tunnel into the ground, or a ladder into sky, that you may bring them a sign. Had God wished, He would have brought them together on guidance. So do not be one of the ignorant.’

(6:35)

10

islam today

October 2016

Had he wanted he could have put all people together under His guidance. He helps us and guides us to move towards unity, He inspires us, but He does not force us to establish this unity. Therefore, God has done two things: 1. In creation, He has created us from the same mother and father.

The fact that God is our creator should be enough for us to feel united, but on top of that God has created us from the same father and mother, and this should give us the sense of being from the same family. Even if we were not from the same mother and father we should have still been united as human beings created by God, but with the same mother and father we have more emotional feelings that we are all children of the same father and mother.

2. The Qur’an says the reason behind giving us different colours and languages and being in different nations and tribes is so that we know each other, and so that we gain mutual knowledge and recognition.

If we all looked the same it would be boring. This diversity makes life better and makes the forging of relationships

Following an invitation by the Focolare Movement, Hujjatul-Islam Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali, attended their summer gathering (The Mariapolis), in Ashburnham, England, where he had the opportunity to address the congregation. After introducing the history of the relationship between the Focolare Movement and Shi'a Muslims (see islam today issue 38) he delivered the following lecture:

easier, as you can identify who is who. If we all looked the same we would just need different fingerprints, and whenever you met someone all you would need to do is to check the fingerprint to identify with whom you are talking.

This is the beauty of the colourful mosaic or carpet that we have - different colours in different places.

But unfortunately some human beings did not get the message, and they thought God has created people in different colours for them to claim they are better than others and cleverer. Some philosophers even did not understand this and they justified slavery by saying that some people are physically stronger and some are intellectually stronger, but this was not the plan of God. His plan was for us to be one family with different colours, so that there is more beauty, and so that it is easier to identify with one another and have relationships.

Revelation When it comes to revelation, what we understand from God is that God has not sent prophets with different messages.

To every nation He has sent messengers and these messengers have brought the same message. Perhaps the details are different, and it could be that there are some variations in the conditions in order to address different issues, but the essence is the same. One of the beautiful things we find in the Qur’an is the use of ‘book’ – we say ‘people of the book’ for Christians and Jews, and perhaps even Muslims are ‘people of the book’. This means we all believe in the need for divine guidance and revelation. In the Qur’an we have many verses in which God talks about the book in singular form, for example:

‘If they impugn you, those before them have impugned [likewise]: their apostles brought them manifest proofs, [holy] writs, and illuminating book.’ (35:25) This verse mentions not ‘books’, but ‘book’. But in some verses we have for example that Mary believed in all of the ‘books’ of God, or believers believe in all the ‘books’; so is it ‘books’ or ‘book’? My understanding is that God has sent one book but it has manifested to us in books; it is one book but different editions or versions of the same book. If you read these books carefully you will realise it is one book from one source, not different books.

So the Qur’an says that God sent messengers and prophets to all nations and provided them with law after they started differing. There was revelation but then law came when they were divided. But, unfortunately, what happened was that the people who were given these messages and books to be saved from differences and conflicts started differing on the books; this means that there were differences before and also differences afterwards.

For example, Islam brought unity. In Medina, there were tribes killing each other and they were tired of this. They invited the Prophet Muhammad to come to Medina to bring peace. The Prophet brought unity to them, but then after he died again there was disunity.

islam today October 2016

11

This is unfortunately a common practice among human beings: God gives us something to unite us but after some time we learn how to fight over that unifying thing. Look at what happened in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and all religions: first we have something that unites us then we start fighting about this unifying factor. A leader comes but then after he passes away people start fighting over what he was teaching them.

God has a plan that we should be united but he does not force this; He keeps sending prophets and books calling for unity. The plan of God was not to have different religions but one religion and that is the submission to the absolute truth, beauty, and love; and that is one religion but we have given it different names. Then, even in the same religion we sometimes fight; we say ‘you are not Christian, I am a real Christian’, or ‘you are not Muslim, I am Muslim’ and we fight each other, kill one another, and excommunicate each other.

Why is this so? We are all supposed to be believers in the same religion and that is submission to God, the absolute truth.

12

islam today October 2016

Such a practice is going to continue, but finally this world will reach a point that we will be united by our will and not by force. This world will not end without us being united around truth. Who is going to be the pioneer to take humanity to this unity? This is something we can hope to be qualified for, if we work hard. And if we do not do this and our generation does not manage to achieve this then another people and another generation will. But it will definitely happen. Humanity will be united and at the end of time we will no longer have different religions, different schools, and different orientations.

We will be able to understand how we all should really focus on God, the one absolute truth, and how we can love each other. I can learn from my prophet and from another person’s prophet and I can see beauty in all of them, and for us these things will be nothing but different signs of the same God and different manifestations of His. We need to move in that direction.

What I have witnessed after so many years, and now it is perhaps nineteen years since we first met Focolare, is that I think the Focolare spirituality is a very important gift of God to move in that direction. And now, I think after nineteen or eighteen years, because since last year I have been saying this in public, I think with full trust that this is a right type of approach to unity.

And now I know why these people are so nice – they are really and truly nice! These are people who have tried to empty themselves of ego; they do not have hidden or selfish agendas; they want to serve God by being the voice of unity and love. This is what makes the Focolare very special.

Of course, thanks to God, I have seen other Christian and Muslim groups like this but for me Focolare are very special as I have spent more

time with them and I have seen what they have done. So, whilst not denying or underestimating the efforts of other people, I can say with confidence that this is a movement that has been inspired and is helping us towards the direction of unity.

When work for unity is done properly, by its very nature it is not be confined to any tradition or denomination or religion. It is impossible to work for unity and be just Catholic or Christian or Muslim or Shia or Sunni. Unity is such that if you work on it people will be happy to be with you; whereas if you stress on differences people will increasingly leave you. When we work on unity and on God Who belongs to everyone, then we will see more and more people coming to us.

It is interesting, as we heard today, that even Chiara at the beginning did not feel this spirituality will be for people outside the Catholic Church, but then she gradually realised how the spirit is working, and this is something that started in Northern Italy with some Catholic girls but it is not going to remain there, and God will take it to other places. It is our responsibility to help this message spread and I think this is

the message of all people who truly believe in God and the people who are well-informed about their faith, not ignorant or short-sighted or narrow-minded ones. Furthermore, any person who causes division, tension, conflict, or violence is someone who has not understood his faith. This is the least we can say, i.e. if there is no mischief in his heart then at least we can say there is ignorance. How can faith lead towards killing? How can belief in God bring tension, disorder, and conflict? It is impossible! Either the faith is not a real faith and is just a kind of mask to cover the reality or it is ignorance. True faith should always bring peace and unity to individuals, families, and local communities, as well as national and international stages. We have to build unity over unity. There is no way to confine unity to one space; unity spreads all over the world and we have to be voices and ambassadors for that.

Conclusion I want to thank God again for this gift of knowing the Focolare movement and knowing my Focolare brothers and sisters, and I pray that our journey be inspired all the way by God so we can better understand and fulfil our responsibility towards this unity.Thank you very much.ď Ź

An interesting after lecture Q&A session is also available on youtube: Unity of God and Unity in God by Dr Shomali, Mariapolis, Sussex, 10th August 2016

islam today

October 2016

13

Islamic Belief System

A participant of the second Risalat summer course, provides an account of the educational trip to Iran that took place from the 14th to the 27th of August 2016

F

or two weeks in August this year, we attend the Islamic Belief System summer course in Qom and Mashhad, hosted by the International Institute for Islamic Studies (IIIS).

This event brought together participants from all over the world, male and female, of all ages and backgrounds, each one sharing the desire to gain knowledge from some of the best teachers in the field of Islamic studies. Truly, we were not disappointed.

On arrival, we were greeted at the steps of the Yaravan-e Mehdi(atfs) conference facility by friendly faces, and this was the place we were to spend the next 11 days studying, as well as sleeping, eating and most of our general rest time.

The second day we were there, the opening ceremony took place in the presence of Sheikh Mohammad Ali Shomali.

The subjects taught were centred around the course manual “Islamic Belief System�. We went through the topics of Prophethood, Imamah, Anthropology, Ahkam, Theology and the Hereafter. These were taught by extremely knowledgeable teachers in the field and were coeducational except for the Imamah classes which were separated by gender. Classes were filled with probing and often excited debate, which was encouraged and even enjoyed by some of

14

islam today October 2016

the teachers. Plenty of opportunities to ask questions were given during class time, and many students are still in contact with teachers, having been given email addresses and contact numbers by teachers with an invitation to question them further in the future.

Our lessons began at 9:00am daily and we had four lessons before noon prayer, each of them lasting 45 minutes with a 15-minute break in between. A discussion time was allocated at 4:00pm daily for student groups of 3-4 people to talk about the lessons. This was highly encouraged, however, many of us were not sure initially how to best utilise the time. But after some probing, we realised what a valuable opportunity this was to delve a little deeper into the course work.

The final lesson of the day took place at 5:10pm and was usually followed by a group Ziyarat to Lady Masoomah(a) in Qom, which was around a 15-minute coach ride away. The proximity to Lady Masoomah(a) was really the icing on the cake and many of us looked eagerly forward each day to the Ziyarat, gaining such spiritual benefit from these precious moments inside the Haram. While we were there the Haram was extremely busy as the week before the course began had been the commemoration of the birth of Lady Masoomah(a)

and the birth of Imam Rida(a). One evening while we were staying in Jamkaran, the ladies had a fun evening, consisting of games and quizzes on an Islamic theme, which really helped to build bonds between the sisters. At the same time, the brothers, whose number was about half that of the sisters, had their own merry evening with a quiz night.

Our trip was further enhanced with visits to local museums and points of interest which were very educational. Our outing to Al-Marashi al-Najafi Library in Qom was especially memorable and we were honoured to be given special time on a well-organised tour, viewing rare manuscripts and being able to watch workers rectifying old books. Some described it as the favorite of all their visits, if not the highlight of their whole journey.

We even managed to climb Mount Khidhr on one of the evenings, which was rather strenuous, but nonetheless invigorating and the achievement was highly satisfying. In addition, the team took candidates to see Golzar-e Shohada which is the martyrs’ cemetery in Qom, and Bayt al-Noor which is the place where Lady Masoomah(a) stayed before she tragically died in Qom on her way to visit her brother Imam Rida(a).

On Tuesday evening we had the blessing of reciting Dua Tawassul in Masjid Jamkaran, and on Thursday evening we went to the Haram of Lady Masoomah(a) to recite Dua Kumayl. Each of these occasions cannot be described in words…only by experience can one truly understand the uplifting surroundings and soul-moving environment of those beautiful moments.

One of the most amazing events and unforgettable evenings was the trip down to the complex basement to discover their hidden treasures. A heart-wrenching museum and exhibition of Imam al-Mahdi(atfs). Truly it was a unique masterpiece and an evening that brought many of the sisters to tears. It is hard to put into words. However, to sum the exhibition up would be to say that it was a view of the world in its present condition, showing the causes of the chaos of mankind and illustrating the only solution to the problem – Imam al-Hujjat(atfs).

Our journey to Mashhad was on the following Tuesday, where we stayed for the remainder of the course in a beautifully clean and welcoming hotel not too far from the shrine of Imam Rida(a). Needless to say that the evening Ziyarats to our beloved Imam(a) were amazing and we all tried to quench our thirst for closeness to God within his holy precinct.

Some of the lessons on the Hereafter by Sheikh Shomali took place in the hotel’s garden restaurant, which was relaxing and very enlightening. The other lesson took place within the actual shrine buildings which was a lovely experience. Sheikh Shomali was kind enough to meet participants in their country groups on one evening, trying to get a feel for the challenges of each community with a view to attempting to work with its members on a long term basis.

Eventually, the course concluded on the last Friday morning, with candidates taking their exam. The questions themselves were based upon the lectures rather than just the course material. The results were wide ranging but all those who participated, regardless of their marks, felt like they had truly benefitted from the course overall and that the exam was merely a gauge to see how much knowledge they had retained rather than the sole aim being to come out with shining marks.

The closing ceremony took place within the lecture rooms of the shrine of Imam Rida(a), on the last Saturday morning before departure. Attendees were all presented with a certificate of attendance - even one young candidate who had been attending with her family received an honorary certificate.

It was a privilege to spend those two weeks with such wonderful teachers, mentors, workers and fellow students. It is a journey never to be forgotten and will always remain in our hearts and minds. We are looking forward to perhaps attending another similar course in the future and would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking a well-organised and knowledge filled venture. 

islam today

October 2016

15

Art Encourage, engage and inspire “Our mission is to increase the appreciation, understanding and awareness of Islamic art. We hope to show the beauty of Islam through the beauty of Islamic art." - Salman Sheikh This month, I'm in discussion with upcoming, Salman Sheikh, charting the rising interest in contemporary Islamic Art and listening to his plans for a curated exhibition in Manchester at the end of October. Salman is the co-founder of Islamic Imprints, a new and dynamic company set up in 2013 showcasing the beauty of Islamic Art. Its main objective is to remind us of the wealth of our Islamic heritage, to encourage dialogue between faiths and help to build bridges between different communities and faith groups in order to encourage harmony and understanding.

Islamic Imprints is very much a passion project for Salman who over the last four years has spent a significant proportion of his time encouraging public engagement as well as building relationships with artists nationally and globally. This summer saw the success of his first major exhibition at the Living Islam festival in Lincolnshire where his company had the opportunity of showcasing, to two thousand attendees, the work of eighteen Muslim artists.

The gallery sympathetically displayed work in a range of media ranging from acrylic and watercolour, leatherwork and ceramics to digital print and hand embroidery.

One 2 One With Salman Sheikh Curator and advocate for the Arts How was this new venture received by the public?

Our exhibition at Living Islam was a fantastic experience for all involved and has been hailed as a huge success. We were blown away by the responses we received from guests of the gallery. The exhibition was well placed in the centre of the festival and provided a completely new experience for the majority of our visitors. Many people remarked that they had little or no experience with the arts and had ‘never seen Islamic Art displayed in this way’. It was humbling to know that for many of our visitors we have inspired or refreshed a love of the arts. Furthermore we were astounded by the level of investment into the arts by our communities. Sale of artwork is a secondary motive for Islamic Imprints Art Gallery but through purchasing the art our communities are not only supporting the work we do, but also the artists themselves. By investing in the industry they are showing our artists that they are respected, supported and that their work is loved. This is such a crucial message that we hope to deliver to all of our artists.

Amongst the guests we also spoke to many budding artists of all ages who were ready to kick-start a career in the arts. This was the very mission statement of our exhibition; to inspire, to emotionally connect, to motivate.

You will present your second exhibition at the Muslims Lifestyle Expo in Manchester to a potential audience of 10,000. What should we expect when we visit?

We propose to take our guests through a global celebration of Islamic Art ranging from the

16

islam today October 2016

more contemporary styles coming out of West to the traditional skills of the East. Guests will be exposed to a variety of techniques and media that artists use to manifest their creative spirit. From canvas to leather, wood to textiles, guests will be blown away by the diversity and beauty on show.

Guests will be challenged throughout to unearth the secrets each piece is hiding and to discover its story. Guided by the artists themselves they will be able to explore the diverse nature of Islamic Art through which their own creativity and emotions will undoubtedly be stirred. From the novice to the connoisseur, this gallery is open to all and will allow each individual to connect on their level. The range of workshops, lectures and performances are designed to entice, to entertain but most importantly to inspire those who wish to create - those that gave up on a passion or those yet to start. Islamic Imprints Art Gallery has made it its mission to not only increase the appreciation of Islamic Art in the UK but further to inspire and empower a new generation of artists to celebrate and embrace their own creativity. ]slamic Imprint Gallery is a new venture for you. How do you envisage it developing from here?

This project is the beginning of the long process to achieving our aims. We are expecting both the planned collaborative event to be a great success but are realistic in the knowledge that far more needs to be done after this. Based on the feedback from our 2016 project we will develop another plan for 2017. It is intended that this will include smaller, more community based events in order to reach a different community and demographic.

It is hoped that this project sets a precedent for the future and that with each event we take one step closer to harmonious living and tolerance.

There is much scope for extension of this project through distinct events such as Art Galleries, poetry, spoken word nights, artistic workshops and more.

“The art space that we will create is not simply a gallery that is easy on the eyes – it is a true multi-sensory experience. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the world of Islamic art where they can appreciate and learn more about the art and the artists whilst being challenged to understand, to connect, to feel." - Salman Sheikh As well as being co-founder and CEO of Islamic Imprints Art Gallery.

Sheikh, 22, is a fourth year dental student who, with his training, is able to provide free emergency healthcare in conjunction with the Refugee Crisis Foundation in Calais and surrounding camps.

The Islamic Imprints Gallery will be at the Muslim Lifestyle Expo, Event City, Manchester from 29th – 30th October showcasing a diverse range of artists and artwork from across the Islamic Arts World.

For more information: www.IslamicImprints.co.uk www.facebook.com/IslamicImprintsuk info@islamicimprints.co.ukot only support Moriam Grillo is an international artist. She holds Bachelor degrees in Photography & Film and Ceramics.

islam today September 2016

17

Life & Community

T

A Guide for the Fresher

he waiting is finally over. A new chapter is beginning in your strange and exciting life. After all the stress and anxiety of searching for the right course, the right university, going to open days, falling in and out of love with different campuses, cringing at writing a personal statement and even worse, having it read and scrutinised right in front of you, and then finally submitting the dreaded UCAS form only to realise that now nothing is in your hands.

whole country to get their papers marked and converted into UMS (whatever that is).

The whole Summer is now a means of spiritual development. You have never prayed the way you do now, reading all the duas so that all the cosmos unite to lift the grades you need to be lifted. And so like a pure soul you go to results day in August, also known as ‘The Day of Judgment’, to open the sheet of paper that determines your future.

Hopefully out of the five universities you’ve chosen, one of them likes you, and unless you are really lucky to have an unconditional offer you would most likely have been one of the many who gave your absolute 110% in May and June to meet your offer.

At this point, you may leap with joy. The Uni has said YES! It’s a perfect match made in heaven and you run off into the sunset. On the other hand, you may have missed the grade, narrowly or by a large margin, which means there are many phone calls to be made, emails to be sent and nails to bite.

At the end of it all, no matter which of the 99 routes you take to gain the right of passage to university, it will still be an exciting and important part of your life.

We all know how cruel examinations can be. You get high marks in the tests you thought you didn’t do well in and low marks in the ones you thought were a breeze. And when finally the umpteenth hurdle of exams are over and it’s Summer you have to wait an awfully long time for the

18

islam today

October 2016

I’m about to enter the second year of my degree, so I’m not

a total veteran in the field of university life. Having had a particularly tortuous route to my university, I was very nervous on my first day and found it a very daunting experience. Soon though, all the nervousness left me and now I’ve met amazing people. I love my course and my campus is like my second home. Sometimes I do think back to how worried I was and wish I had known some things earlier. Here are some of the tips I would give myself if I were starting university all over again: 1- Make friends - Have fun: There are lots of socials in the first few weeks of uni for new students (freshers). However, there’s a good chance that a lot of the popular socials and events will allow alcoholic beverages and may be in pubs etc. Note however, that there are still other societies such as faith societies that will let you to have fun in a ‘halal’ way. (Shout out to Ahlulbayt Islamic Societies). Just check up the society’s Facebook page where they will be advertising their upcoming events.

They often have fun and cool interfaith events as well.

There’s no avoiding the potentially awkward situation of being asked to attend a party (in a pub for example), especially if you are living on campus. Take it as an innocent suggestion by someone who doesn’t know you and kindly decline the offer. It will make your life easier to set clear boundaries from the start. There are lots of students who share the same values as you and trust me; others will respect you for being honest and not just following the crowd.

2- Live a little: •Make university life interesting. Step out of your comfort zone. Join a society that you have no clue about. Learn a new language, join the rock climbing society...

•At university you are perfectly positioned to make a difference in society. There are so many resources at your fingertips that there is no reason to not actively fight for a cause you are passionate about. So if gang violence or poverty makes your heart ache, then use your university to campaign and raise awareness. Don’t leave uni without having made meaningful change in your environment.

3- Study, study, study: •With all the social gatherings and activism you’re hopefully going to participate in, you still have to study! This is not the first time you’re hearing this, but it is really important not to leave studying to the last minute.

Chances are no one at university will chase after you as rigorously as they did at school. Deadlines are set in stone.

There is zero sympathy for late assignments and in fact, the

uni has already estimated the number of students they expect will fail the course. Don’t be included in that statistic.

Make friends with the senior students. They can offer you the best advice and information about your course. They can also recommend loads of useful resources to you.

4- Think critically about your faith: •This is a very important tip. University atmosphere is booming with new ideas, creative thinking and exploring new possibilities. All of these are great characteristics of an academic environment. However, just as it is possible for someone to rethink their views on ideas like Socialism and etc. due to their surroundings; it is also possible for one to lose faith as a result of the environment.

At university you are bound to be questioned about your faith at some point. Believing in God is now very much out of style. Remember that Islam encourages us to think critically about our religion and not to accept anything blindly, so it is important to have concrete reasons for why you believe in God and Islam. Unfortunately, I have seen many Muslim students who have felt embarrassed to talk about Islam and believing in God. It is important to be knowledgeable about your religion and contemporary issues affecting religion as well as being proud of your beliefs. This will no doubt be an asset in any discourse and also help you to engage effectively in discussions.

These are just a few tips I can offer to the first year students.

Know that everything will work out. Your university experience will be unique to you and no matter how many tips and advice you get, there will still be something unexpected wrapped up inside. Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Keep in touch with your family if you live on campus. Cherish the free food, free housekeeping and zero rent if you live at home.

Put your trust in God and thank Him for bringing you this far and looking after you every step of the way. Know that He did not bring you all this way to leave you now.

There will be drama, highs and lows, but you are poised on the cusp of a very exciting journey that can help develop your fullest, magnificent potential. 

Maryam Haneef is a member of ABSoc and a medical student.

islam today October 2016

19

Faith

Ashura and its I

n the present Islamophobic social and political climate, at a time when extremist Muslim acts of terror and bloodshed dominate the news, many Shias feel fear or nervousness about commemorating Ashura as something that feeds the current stereotype of Muslim bloodthirstiness. On closer examination of the Ashura epic, however, we find that indeed it not only illustrates for us all that is noble in the human spirit, but it is also is a commentary on the cruelty and savagery of the religiously misguided that is an eerie prediction of what we are experiencing today.

On the surface, the epic of Ashura is about jihad on the battlefield and the heroism and sacrifice that entails. If we restrict our view to this, it would not provide much guidance to us in non Muslim environments like the west where we are not engaged in violent warfare as the extremists would like us to think. There is another approach and that is seeing the epic of Ashura on the level of meaning and symbol, as well on the level of human psychology. It is on this level that much can be learned.

The struggle of Imam Husayn(a) and his companions is an outward reflection of the struggle between good and evil in the human soul and all the other actors, good and bad are representative of the inner forces in that struggle.

Whilst outwardly we all identify with the Imam and his supporters and condemn and disavow his enemies, in reality we sometimes behave like them and their personalities could reflect our own. The people of Kufa, for example knew that Husayn was right and that the Umayyad regime was tyrannical and wrong, they invited

20

islam today

October 2016

the Imam to come and govern them. This implied forming a base to withstand and combat the political domination of the Umayyads. Like we all do, they were lying to themselves, a character flaw, which in the science of akhlaq (character formation) is considered another form of lying called, lying in intention and determination.

This is a kind of lie when someone lets themselves believe that they could do something while in reality they do not have the capacity to do it and would abandon that activity at the slightest difficulty. This self deception is especially morally questionable when one easily abandons achieving high ideals when faced with the threat of material loss as the people of Kufa did; and especially poignant when the weak-willed give a promise to support a spiritual leader and back down to save their skins abandoning him to his fate.

The same problem affects us in our souls. When we embark on a spiritual exercise but abandon it in favour of worldly interests, for example, or wanting to be charitable but avoiding it because we fear loss, or embarking upon doing the night prayer but abandoning it because we prefer to sleep. The more we do this the weaker we make our Husayni spirit until we end up making Islamic practice into a fetish, that is, admiring good works and feeling some sense of accomplishment due to this admiration without doing them ourselves.

The epic of Ashura is full of examples of people who compromise their values and ethics for worldly position and possessions, but also of those who shift their allegiances from being on the side of the wrong to the side of the good.

s relevance today Hurr is an excellent example of this. His story moves from being instrumental in preventing Imam Husayn and his caravan from escaping the approaching army, to his changing sides and then to his eventual repentance and death. At first he is the consummate soldier, defined by his discipline and strong sense of duty following the orders of his superiors. As soon as he finds out that the intention of his commanders was to kill the grandson of the Prophet, he is dramatically confronted with his conscience. Truth and realisation gives him a stark choice; it’s one between success and power on one side and death, having this world or losing it on the other, a choice between heaven and hell. While others easily chose this world, Hurr, clearly distressed, chooses heaven.

It is after choosing the next world over this one that he is truly prepared to repent.

One cannot repent before one chooses the afterlife as the goal of one’s existence. It is because we lose sight of the true goal and get caught up in the petty goals of this world that we continue to sin, for sins are the result of ghaflah or forgetfulness.

Hurr shows us that choosing heaven over earth is not an easy one, it is almost traumatic. He is described as pacing up and down and trembling so much that others thought it very uncharacteristic of the brave and valiant soldier that he was. It tells us something, it tells us that it is not a flippant thing done in comfort and relaxation. One has to experience a crisis where the choice is stark and threatening to make the proper choice of the afterlife.

in ambush and as a group, scatter when frontally attacked. As a group they behave with rabid hostility when they gang up upon the fallen companions of Husayn and strike them with frenzy. They represent the true nature of the unbridled ego or nafs. It is a soul that is wild and animalistic, one that finds psychopathic pleasure in depriving others of their rights, property and freedom, a soul that is motivated only by plunder, profit and expropriation.

When we look at the atrocities of Daesh, Jabhat al Nusra, Al Qaeda and groups of this kind, the Shia, familiar with the trials of the Husayni family and Companions see great similarity. Both groups take great pleasure in beheading people, murdering prisoners and disfiguring bodies. Like the enemies of Imam Husayn, one can see the smiles upon the faces of these criminals as they hold up the severed heads of their enemies.

There is no kindness in their hearts. They stand as testimony to the fact that religiosity is not enough to restrain the vicious animals we hold inside, it is only the self restraint of piety and the wisdom of the actualised intellect that can do so.

Hujjatul-Islam Ahmed Haneef is a Muslim scholar and a researcher at the Islamic Centre of England.

The armies of Yazid are portrayed as a savage horde that is as cowardly as they are vicious. As individuals they hide

islam today photo by Mohammad Baqir Mireskandari©

October 2016

21

Interfaith

Ramon Lull: The wise man from

P

resent-day package tour visitors to the pleasurable Balearic island of Majorca may find a passing, perfunctory reference to Ramon Lull in their guide books. My own extravagantly compares him to Stephen Hawkins and Bill Gates. Bit bizarre! Lull’s idea of a universal science might conceivably connect him with the Cambridge scientist, and his ‘thinking machine’ to the Microsoft entrepreneur, but the Majorca mystic, poor as a church mouse and fit as a fiddle till ripe old age, would hardly rejoice at the compliment.

Lull’s lifelong passion was Islam. Born in 1232 in Palma, a mere three years after the recapture of the island from the Moors by the Catalan King Jaime I, he grew up in a ‘multicultural’ environment, with Jews, Muslims and Christians freely mingling around him. A well-to-do fellow and a royal courtier, married with children, Ramon was also a bit of a poet, a troubadour. At the age of 30, one night he was in his room, writing verse, inspired by his infatuation for a lady whom he loved with ‘wild love’. It was then that Christ appeared to him, changing his frivolous life forever. Donning the habit of a Franciscan ascetic, Ramon, St Francis-like, gave away all his earthly goods and devoted his life to God alone. The form that his new life took included the study of Arabic and of Islamic thought and texts.

Indeed, the mystic’s first published book was on the logic of the Muslim writer Al-Ghazali. Another of his 300 known works, The Book of the Lover and the Beloved (actually the 99th chapter of a torrential novel, Blanquerna), which I enjoyed reading while in Majorca, states explicitly that its composition is based on Sufi methods. This remarkable book consists of 366 paragraphs, one for each day of the year. It exemplified a steady, relentless dialectic between the Lover – the human soul – and the Beloved – the infinite, revealed God

22

islam today

October 2016

Majorca

who is both in and beyond the world, with Love providing the amorous link between the two.

Later, on a modest, low local mountain – only 542 metres - Puig Randa, a handsome-faced young shepherd, or perhaps an angel, disclosed to Lull the idea that his celebrated masterpiece, The Great Art, was to take.

Analogies with a super algebra, computer model, thinking machine, proto-word processor and the like are of limited use. Basically, Lull was aiming to construct no less than a universal conceptual tongue, a prodigious lexicon which embodied all forms of knowledge, religion included. It was meant to show its necessary relation with God’s essential attributes. These daring ideas he illustrated with diagrams and figures, which still hold a peculiar fascination, as well as a certain suspicion…Genuine, new revolutionary paradigm or pie in the sky?

Jonathan Swift is said to have had our Ramon in his sights when he satirised the follies of the grand academy of Lagado in Gulliver’s Travels. Argentinean writer J.L. Borges also lampooned Lull’s thinking machine, first by stating that it was unable to think a single thought, and then, in mock-recantation, asserting that it could think ‘too much’.

In the end, though, Borges conceded the machine’s utility ‘as a literary and poetic device’. I doubt that the Majorca scientist-kabbalist would have felt flattered by that judgment.

Swift and Borges unfairly caricature Lull. Humanist thinkers of the Renaissance like Pico della Mirandola and Giordano Bruno highly valued his ideas – they viewed them as a wonderful mnemonic technique, a scientific art of memory. Philosophers like Leibnitz admired him and pursued his vision of a world superlanguage. If indeed Bill Gates had ever heard of Ramon, I would not be

Drawing of Lull - Intelligent machine- in his famous book

Basic Overview of the travels of Ramon Lull

of Christian Europe. Happily, it is not true that he was stoned to death in North Africa, aged 84. It is certain he died later in Majorca. The legend of his suffering a martyr’s death is pious hagiography, not history. Still, it must have come in handy when he was beatified – proclaimed a Blessed – by Pius IX in 1847. His feast day falls on October the 16th.

too surprised if he held him in some regard. Borges, a declared unbeliever, deliberately ignores Lull’s central, overarching and overriding aim: the Divine. All his labours are devoted to providing a visionary interfaith theology, a mystical-rational model of divine contemplation, a royal way to the One God of the three monotheistic faiths.

Years ago, before the tomb of Blessed Ramon, hidden in the dark interior of the fine St Francesco Basilica in Palma, I spent some time quietly meditating. Was there a hint of his presence hovering about? The parish priest, with whom I spoke about Lull, told me that those who visit both the church and the windy summit of Mount Randa often report spiritual highs. Of course, that is possible, but I prefer to remember the mystic’s words, of a strongly Sufi flavour, from Blanquerna: ‘The Lover was singing the praise of his Beloved. He said he had transcended place, because he is in a placeless place. Therefore, when they asked the Lover where his Beloved was, he replied, “He is - but no one knows where.”

Yet he knew his Beloved was in his remembrance.’ 

The monastery La Cura in Randa Here I come back to Islam. In an age echoing with alarming clamours of crusades and reconquistas, Lull offered an approach to the rival/sister religion that was based not on confrontation and violence, but on knowledge, intellectual conversation, spirituality, even synthesis. He is best seen as a kind of pioneer, a bridge-builder between civilisations, a wise, righteous Christian who today would be ideally well-equipped to lead the much needed, worldwide rapprochement between Cross and Crescent.

What response Lull received from his Muslim interlocutors is not clear. With sages, Sufis and theologians he would have dialogued pretty well. With the ordinary, grassroots believers…I suppose it would have been a different story. I guess it would not be all that different from what a Muslim preacher at the time would have experienced in the cities

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is an Anglican priest and cultural critic, working on religious dialogue. His last book ‘The Prophet and the Priest', is available on Amazon Kindle.

islam today

October 2016

23

Children Corner image 1

Ashura commemoration

D

ear Children, Assalam Alaikum After the first few weeks of school, I hope you are well settled into your school routine and can now concentrate on doing your homework.

This month our illustrator, Ghazaleh Kamrani, has drawn a scene from a very important and heartfelt occasion which this year falls on 15th-16th October, the event of Ashura.

I don't think there is a single Shi‘a Muslim child or adult who does not know about the significance of the day of Ashura. Many children participate in the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn(a) and of his 72 faithful companions and family members.

In the Shi‘a world, no one year passes without us shedding tears, beating our chests and reciting sad praises in memory of our Imam and the shuhada (martyrs) of Karbala.

We all know the importance of keeping these traditions alive. By repeating the stories - as if they happened yesterday - families pass on the story of Karbala from generation to generation. They are told to their children

who in turn tell them to their children. We sit around in the mosques and listen to the speakers who in the most heartfelt tones narrate the stories. The stories of Abbas, Ali Asghar , young Bibi Ruqayyah….

But children you must remember our Imams sacrificed their lives so that we can today learn about Islam and keep it alive. Imam Husayn doesn’t want us to do anything to hurt ourselves or cause bad scenes during these commemorations.

Imam's message and his words, especially on his last day,was what we should inform people and make sure we are not only concentrating on rituals. Attending mosques and religious gatherings is interesting and spiritual but telling people about our Imams and their lives have much more benefit.

In these pages we have tried to demonstrate our traditions in a fun way. Look at images 1 and 2. Compare them and find the differences our illustrator has left for you.

The correct answers are in image 3. Enjoy!

Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani

24

islam today October 2016

image 2

image 3

islam today

October 2016

25

What & Where Through October

8 & 9 October

Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an

I Am Her ­ Life & Leadership Lessons from Women in the Qur’an

Conducted by: Shaykh M S Bahmanpour Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale, London W9 1QBMore Time: Every Friday starting at 7.30 PM Tel: 0207 604 5500

Open House Dialogue Various topics discussed in an open platform Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale, London W9 1QBMore Time: Fortnighly on Tuesdays starting at 18:45 PM Tel: 0207 604 5500 More Info: https://www.facebook. com/OpenHouseDialogue/?fref=ts

6 October ­ 6 November

AlMaghrib Institute is proud to introduce this ground-breaking seminar about why women aren’t like men. They think, talk, and act differently. That’s why women are vital to the conversation, the Dawah scene, activism, and the public sphere. In this seminar, you will experience: Female role models in the light of the Qur’an, rising above female misconceptions and limitations, Encouragement to lead lives of influence and contribution, core empowerment from the Qur’an and leadership that creates change both in public and at home.

Road, Chadwell Heath, RM6 4BD 9th - Oasis Academy MediaCity UK, King William Street, Salford, Manchester M50 3UQ Time:10.00 AM - 6.00 PM Fee: £30 More info:http://almaghrib.org/seminars

14 October

Venue: Arab British Centre, 1 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE Time:Thursdays, 6.00 PM - 8.00 PM Fee: £180 More info : http://www.arabbritishcentre. org.uk/event/islamic-art-architecture

26

islam today

October 2016

Venue: The New Bingley Hall, 1 Hockley Circus, Birmingham, B18 5PP Time:10.30 AM - 8.30 PM Fee: £5.99 More info: http://bestofbritishmuslims.com /?page_id=10

Venue: 8th - Mayfair Venue, 1078 High

‘Islamic Art and Architecture in Central Asia and Iraq: In this course you will travel to the legendary lands of Central Asia inhabited by nomadic tribes, and criss-crossed by the caravans of European and Far Eastern merchants. You will analyse the advent of Islam and the important role played by the Mongol dynasties in re-shaping the geography of this remote part of the world.

You will stop by the most iconic cities and you will be stunned by the remarkable religious complexes, the tall domes, the beautiful tile decoration, the metalwork ewers inlaid with golden and silver and the pottery bowls, enriched with the precious lustre techniques. Your journey will be completed by an insight in the miniature painting, especially the Herat school, and in the carpet production of Central Asia and Iran.

innovative thinkers and influential doers who come from a variety of backgrounds. It will truly be a place where the audience will benefit from coming together as bright ideas will be shared about Islam and Muslims. It will also provide stories of inspiration as stories of achievements are shared. In addition, the Convention provides an opportunity to network with others and to learn about new ventures.

There will be stalls and an exhibition area

An Introduction to Ebru (Turkish Marbling) The art of marbling paper, or Ebru, is a traditional Turkish decorative art. It provides tranquillity to the spirit and teaches the art of patience. Why not try your hand at marbling and take your very own Ebru pieces home?

16 October Real Lives, Real Stories A Human Relief Foundation event aimed at allowing you to experience an emotional roller-coaster as you hear hard hitting stories from Land and Sea by Syrian Refugees. Feel the struggle and experience the horror through an immersive 4D theatrical performance and artistic glow performance.

Venue: Stockport Town Hall, Edward Street, Stockport, SK1 3XE Time: 5.00 PM - 9.00 PM Fee: £5 More info:https://www.hrf.org.uk/events /reallives

Venue: SOAS University, Room: B102 Fee: Early Bird (before 7 October) £25 inc. materials. After 7 October: £35 plus Materials: £5 Contact: therabbaniproject@hotmail.co.uk

15 October MAB Best of British Muslims Convention 2016 This Convention is about celebrating the achievements of British Muslims.

Inspirational talks will be delivered by

Birmingham Half Marathon ­ Run for Orphans 2016 Join us in the UK’s second city, home of the Balti Triangle and the perfect stage for marathon enthusiasts and athletes to compete and take in some of the city's most iconic sights including the Bullring in the city centre, Cadbury World in Bournville and Edgbaston cricket ground.

All for a great cause too!

Venue: 19-21 Ombersley Road, Birmingham, B12 8UR

Time: 8.00 AM - 4.00 PM Registration Fee: £35 Fundraising Target: £200 Contact: Kamran Uddin - 07813061443

abdullah.maynard@hotmail.com Time: 2.30 PM - 5.30 PM Fee: £50

More info: http://www. ukislamicevents.net/#event

of knowledge.

Venue:Room 34, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Time: : 1.15 PM - 2.00 PM Fee: Free, drop in

20 October Keeping Faith in Foreign Affairs

23 ­ 30 October

Dr. Edward Kessler will examine the role of faith in international affairs and diplomacy, reflecting on demographic changes around the world, including the growth of nonreligious groups, and implications for society and government. He will discuss the UK context, including the latest research from the report of the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life chaired by Baroness Butler-Sloss, as well as developments overseas. In an increasingly pluralist but also unsettled world, how do we keep faith in Foreign Affairs?

Sahara Trek 2016

29 ­ 30 October Human Relief Foundation is giving you the opportunity to trek 100Km in the Sahara Desert this October. The challenge is an opportunity to make a difference to many Syrian refugees. The £2,500 target you raise will go towards food, clothes and shelter for those who have fled for their lives.

Contact: 020 7377 6759

The First Kingdom: Rise and fall of the Umayyads If history was not important God would not have captivated us with the stories of old in the Qur’an. History is important because it nourishes the mind just as food nourishes the body; gaining knowledge about our past better equips us to deal with what the future holds. Learning about the Umayyad era especially helps us pinpoint problems we are experiencing in this century among Muslims and work towards solutions.

25­ 30 October Venue: MBI Al Jaber Building, LMEI, 21 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EA Time: 5.45 PM

The Big Drive ­ Rediscover Andalucia

More info:

The Big Drive is back on the road again!

Join us as we drive 2,605KM across Europe to reach our destination in Spain – Granada. Muslim Hands is working with The Great Mosque of Granada to help improve the gardens and library and provide ongoing financial aid.

http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/events/details? year=2016&month=10&day=20#ID1101

22 October

Instructor: Bilal Ismail Venue: Queen Mary, University of London (The Bancroft Building), Mile End Road, E1 4NS Time: 8.30 AM - 7.00 PM Fee: £60 More info: https://www.alkauthar.org/ course.php?course=716

29­ 6 November Anxiety: phobias / OCD and Islamic counselling Anxiety sits at the meeting place of thinking and feeling. Some people see anxiety as an irrational fear but rational or not anxiety, phobia and obsessivecompulsive disorder, can take control of a person’s life. In Islam the heart (the Qalb) is meant to be unattached so that it can turn to the will of God, part of developing the health of the heart is the management of anxiety. This talk will explore anxiety in the context of Islam and ways to manage it. Abdullah Maynard has been an Islamic counsellor for 20 years independently and with the Lateef Project. He also teaches Islamic counselling.

Venue & Booking: Email

6 days, 4 cities, 1 destination. Limited spaces. Register now to avoid disappointment! Please note the minimum number of participants per car is 2 people per car, and maximum is 4 people per car.

Venue: London, Paris, Barcelona, Granada Registration fee: £300 per person.

Target: £2000 More info: https://muslimhands.org.uk /events/2016/the-big-drive

Trek the great wall with us!

Human Relief Foundation is giving you the opportunity to trek the Great Wall of China this October. The challenge is an opportunity to aid those n need with the £3,500 target funds you raise.

Venue: The Great Wall of China Contact: Mustafa on 01274392727

28 October Islamic art in Central Asia A gallery talk by Roberta Marin an independent speaker. Gallery talks last 45 minutes and is suitable for all levels

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.

islam today

October 2016

27

The Holy Prophet Muhammad(S) said: Surely, there exists in the hearts of the believers, with respect to the martyrdom of Husayn (A.), a heat that never subsides.

Mustadrak al-Wasail vol 10 pg. 318