islam today - Issue 21 / July 2014

July/ 2014 Issue 21, Vol. 2 Special Ramadhan Edition islam today intends to address the concerns and aspirations of a vibrant Muslim community by providing readers with inspiration, information, a sense of community and solutions through its unique and specialised contents. It also sets out to help Muslims and non-Muslims better understand and appreciate the nature of a dynamic faith.

Editorial team Managing Director Chief Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor Health Editor Art Editor Layout and Design Design and Production

Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour Amir De Martino Anousheh Mireskandari Kawther Rahmani Laleh Lohrasbi Moriam Grillo Raha Design Group Nasser Hasani/Saeeid Saffar Nejad

Contact us Information Letters to the Editor Article Submissions www.islam-today.net Follow us on Facebook

info@islam-today.net letters@islam-today.net submit@islam-today.net www.facebook.com/islamtodaymag

Contributors Alexander Khaleeli Ali Jawad Batool Haydar Hannah Smith Julia Khadija Lafene Reza Murshid Sabnum Dharamsi

ISSN 2051-2503

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Disclaimer: Where opinion is expressed it is that of the author and does not necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher or islam today. 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.

C o n te n ts

From the Editor

Masterpiece

5 Life & Community 6

Broadening our reach

Tender is the Night; Living between worlds Sabnum Dharamsi discusses the symbolism of day and night, life and death and the blurring of the boundaries between the two in light of the month of Ramadhan

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Graffiti Art El Seed

The Trojan Horse plot and future of Islamic Education Hannah Smith analyses the situation after the Trojan Horse Ofsted reports arguing that the repercussions of this incident pose a huge challenge to the Muslim community, its culture and its survival in Britain

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The letter Kaf, ink on paper by Ali Omar Ermes

Graphic Design ‘Diluvium I’ by Rostarr

Is the Muslim world suffering from a crisis of authority?

The rise of self-proclaimed spokesmen of Islam has created a confusing and dangerous situation in the Islamic world. Ali Jawad discusses the reasons for such predicament

Place to Be The street

ARTS 12

Heritage Earthenware bowl with Kufic inscription

Mixed Media Sundus Abdul-Hadi

In the Spotlight

Addendum

Nasser Mansour

The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts

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C o n te n ts Opinion 16

Boko Haram and the spectre of foreign intervention Reza Murshid assesses the impact of yet another reckless group intent on tarnishing the name of Islam while presenting itself as Islamic

Cover 18

The month of Ramadhan and the essence of worship In a society driven by a philosophy of maximisation and acquisition there is a strong risk that our religious life will become affected by this very philosophy, argues Alexander Khaleeli

Feature 22

The month of Ramadhan; A time to grow Batool Haydar talks about the realisations that Ramadhan brings - that we are much stronger than we think and we all have the ability to change

Faith 24

Understanding virtue and vice

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MERS

Recognising our shortcomings is an important step towards self-development. Julia Khadija Lafene explains how it is done

Health The appearance of a new dangerous disease in Saudi Arabia means that pilgrims must take extra precautions explains Laleh Lohrasbi

Glossary of Islamic Symbols The letter(s) after the name of the Prophet Muhammad(s) stands for the Arabic phrase sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, meaning: ‘May God bless him [Muhammad] and grant him peace’.

The letter (a) stands for the Arabic phrase ‘alayhis-salaam, ‘alayhas-salaam (feminine) and ‘alayhimus-salaam (plural) meaning respectively: (God’s) Peace be with him/ her/ or them.

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F rom the

Edito r

Broadening our reach

Amir De Martino

S

Chief Editor

tarting from the holy month of Ramadhan, islam today comes out in a slightly changed format. As a service to the larger community of Muslims around the world, we have decided to broaden our reach to as many people as possible by producing a free-subscription digital magazine.

We will continue to work with the same rigour and professionalism as we have for the last twenty issues in order to provide an informative and educational magazine for our readership.

As per our initial intention, islam today will continue to address the concerns and aspirations of the Muslim community by providing readers with exclusive and focused contents, with the added bonus of the possibility of free distribution - allowing our readers to pass the magazine on to their family and friends. Therefore, from this time forward, islam today will be a bimonthly, digital magazine. Contents can be accessed directly through our website.

The July/August issue of islam today coincides with the Islamic month of Ramadhan, therefore it seems appropriate to give a larger proportion of pages to articles related to one of the pillars of the Islamic faith.

In the cover story for this issue, Alexander Khaleeli discusses the negative effect that today’s lifestyle can have on our spiritual and religious practices with specific reference to Islamic fasting. The powerful forces of secularism, corporate globalisation, and

consumerism are a constant threat to the foundation of our belief system.

Khaleeli expresses concern on how a culture of maximisation dictated by material interest is slowly creeping in, effecting the way we understand our devotional acts of worship and influenced by the dichotomy of quantity over quality.

It is evident that as a new generation of Muslims are born and raised in the West we need to constantly reevaluate our practices and ensure that we don’t look at our faith as a mere cultural expression of what we are, nor do we appraise our faith in terms of how rich and powerful we might have become as a community.

Practices of abstaining from food, drink, etc., in the holy month of Ramadhan entails multiple layers of symbolism which require attentive reflection and introspection to be fully comprehended. Our individual attitude and how we relate to them has bearing on our acts of devotion - thus we can feel things either deeply or superficially.

The piling up of religious practices devoid of true understanding can lead to religious exhaustion. Quality and constancy should be the focus of religious practices and not sheer quantity.

As Prophet Muhammad(s) reminds us: ‘The most beloved deed to God is the most regular and constant, even though it is little’.

Quality stands for the essence of thing while quantity signifies its material aspect. It is therefore in the realm of quality that we should concentrate especially when dealing

with matters related to worship.

As Imam Ali(a) has said: ‘One hour of reflective thinking is higher (in the eyes of God) than one year of worship’. This relationship with quality should also be encouraged in other aspect of our lives.

Often enthused by our eagerness, we tend to get involved in all sorts of projects or initiatives in an effort to maximise our engagement. Such obvious dispensation of energies would eventually result in the decrease of the quality of what we do. In the life and community section Ali Jawad discusses in his clear and thought-provoking style, the crisis of leadership in the Islamic world at a time when the historical centres of Islamic learning have been marginalised, with many group and individuals emerging from nowhere claiming to be the ‘true representatives’ of the Faith. In such a scenario it is important to ensure that groups and individuals who provide Islamic guidance are associated or approved by reputable centres of Islamic learning.

As for the team of islam today, with the above in mind and with the awareness of the possibilities of gaining God’s rewards, especially during the month of Ramadhan, we shall move forward in this new phase of the publication with the hope of fulfilling a part of our responsibility towards our readers and our Faith.

We shall value your continued readership and invite you to keep sending in your comments and feedback.

Ramadhan Mubarak

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From the

counsellor’s chair

Tender is the Night ; Living between Worlds

The Holy Month of Ramadhan provides us with the opportunity to utilise the dark hours of the day for worship. Sabnum Dharamsi discusses ‘the juxtaposition of day and night, life and death and the blurring of boundaries between the two’ “Why get tied to a hag like this world, and for such a price?

And for a ration of three loaves, why think of the sword and the knife?

At night the Beloved always returns, take no opium tonight, Close your mouth to food and know another taste.” )Rumi, The Ruins of the Heart, translated by Edmund ‘Kabir’ Helminski(

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n this month, the Of course, there are blessed month of the more obvious bits We have to go beyond thinking of Ramadhan Ramadhan, I wanted of advice. Many articles to share something have been written by as an opportunity to temper the indulgences of more personal Muslim doctors and the body, but rather a time to understand a little with you. I wanted to health professionals share with you thoughts who have seen fasting bit about how it removes the cobwebs from our about the tenderness as a motivator to better minds and purifies our hearts. of the night in month physical health and an of Ramadhan and its opportunity to give up significance for healing smoking and eat more and well-being. healthily. and especially what that means at As a counsellor, I help people with But what I mean is a kind of inner a deeper level. The holy month of the problems that we all experience, health – a health not only of the Ramadhan is an intensely powerful but I am also concerned with being mind, but a deeper health, one month and this article is an invitation proactive in relation to well-being, which exists within our hearts. to embrace all that it has to offer.

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We have to go beyond thinking of understood, we know that not to the space to quote it all, but here Ramadhan as an opportunity to have sufficient sleep affects our are a few excerpts from another temper the indulgences of the body, brain function, our ability to learn poem by Mawlana Rumi, who but rather a time to understand and interact with others, and it can explains further: a little bit about how it removes also upset the balance of many “Earth is not the final rest the cobwebs from our minds and hormones, including insulin.

Of a bird born of that sea. purifies our hearts.

Indeed, for God says: No we are pearls of that ocean So, I specifically want to discuss the And if it weren’t so why would ‘Splitter of the dawn, He has made nights of month of Ramadhan. Many Wave upon wave arrive? ..... the night for rest, and the sun and scholars have written about the Beyond this world is a world the moon for calculation. That is spiritual meaning and significance That has no boundaries” the ordaining of the All-Mighty, the (Rumi) of these blessed nights, but in this All-Knowing’. (6:96) In month of Ramadhan, we can, article I would like to focus on the I believe, by His Grace, feel more tenderness of those nights.

But I believe it is also important to easily the boundlessness that is the People often say that the most release ourselves from the veils of truth beyond our everyday illusions. difficult thing in Ramadhan is not conditioning, and when we do, we It reminds me in a way of that shift refraining from eating, but the see that truth is there. The Qur’an of perspective that we experience disturbance to their sleep patterns says, ‘God…created the heavens when someone close to us dies; - particularly in more northern and the earth in Truth’ (15:85). we are reminded of what really climes when Ramadhan falls in matters. summer and the nights are short This is what Rumi is calling us to in It sounds paradoxical, but being and the fasting days long. We are the poem above, to give up, as he conscious of night, with its closing more often awake at night, and if says, the ‘opium of sleep’. of the day and its activity, reminds we sleep, it is often only to wake When we don’t sleep, perhaps we us of death. It can be a lonely time before fajr. for many, particularly that So what is good point just before the first about this? It means light, when most suicides our attachment to The juxtaposition of day and night, life and death occur. everyday reality is and the blurring of the boundaries between the The juxtaposition of disturbed. day and night, life and The word Qalb, two, enable us to acknowledge our frailty and death and the blurring meaning heart in submit to our intangibility, and maybe glimpse of the boundaries Arabic, comes from between the two, enable the root qalaba, to the Hand behind all things. us to acknowledge our turn. The healthy frailty and submit to our heart is one which is can bear witness to that intangible intangibility, and maybe glimpse not fixated or held captive by the tender sacredness that falls over the Hand behind all things. It’s not illusory pleasures and anxieties that and through us like a protective uncommon, though frightening, to are the nature of this world. Often sheath. It is as though our selves, experience dark times in ones life. we become creatures of habit, the personas and roles we inhabit And those dark times are there following routines that stultify us most of the time become dislocated. with purpose, to encourage us to and lead us to live shallow or In the night maybe we begin to face this reality, that life and its robotic existences. taste how it doesn’t matter whether pleasures are temporary. Facing In this verse, it’s as if God is telling we are beautiful or ugly, rich or the night, is in a way to face death, us that there are people who are poor. We perhaps temporarily and when and if we can do so, life alive but only exist: loosen our identification with our is all the more sweet. roles of brother, sister, Imam or ‘…. they have hearts with which In month of Ramadhan, protected sweeper. In doing so we create a they do not understand, they have

by His grace, especially on the space for worship in our otherwise eyes with which they do not see, Nights of Qadr, when there is peace preoccupied hearts. We discover they have ears with which they do till the breaking of the dawn, I have His Names; His Vastness – the not hear’. (7:179) witnessed transformations occur. unseen becomes apparent, almost Truly, Tender is the Night. like even our bodies feel like a Of course, we are human too, temporary envelope; we are living and the mercy of Islam is that it between worlds, timelessly. And I recognises that most of us struggle believe something in us, something to keep vigil everyday. Lots of us in the way we are designed, needs Sabnum Dharamsi is a therapist and love sleep, and for good reason. We to experience this feeling of co-founder of Islamic Counselling know scientifically, how important Training. beyondness. sleep is to our well-being. Even It’s a long poem and I don’t have though so little about sleep is

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The Trojan Horse plot and future of Islamic Education

The issue of how governmentfounded Islamic Schools are run has been the focus of the UK government attention. Hannah Smith explains how this will affect the Muslim community, its culture and its survival in Britain

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he threat of creeping Islamification and an insidious takeover of British secular state schools has dominated newspaper headlines over the past year culminating in the frenzied ‘Trojan Horse plot’ scandal in Birmingham in the past month. The ‘Trojan Horse plot’ has exploded in recent

beliefs and cultural practices have been labelled as ‘extremist’ and opposed to British values, calling into question the future of Muslim governance, the education of Muslims and all forms of Islamic education.

The prelude to the Birmingham ‘Trojan Horse plot’ began in September 2013 when the AlMadinah Free School was investigated following complaints of nepotism within Common Muslim beliefs and cultural practices the governing body have been labelled as ‘extremist’ and opposed and changes to school policies.

Although to British values, calling into question the originally formed as future of Muslim governance, the education a faith-based Islamic school, conservative of Muslims and all forms of Islamic education.

Muslim practices had eventually been adopted which had months against a backdrop of not originally been agreed to by the unendingly vicious Islamophobia Department of Education, which in the press that highlights every oversees all state-funded Free weakness and mistake of the schools. Al-Madinah was eventually Muslim community. The school closed following a damning row has exposed Muslim governors inspection that categorised the and staff guilty of imposing Islamic school as ‘dysfunctional’ and failing culture and belief upon secular in every category. The headlineschool staff and pupils in breach of grabbing scandal of Al-Madinah state legislation. Common Muslim School was an ominous forewarning 8

to the Muslim community about the government’s attitude toward certain Muslim beliefs and practises and their place in British schools.

The Al-Madinah scandal has been followed in recent months by an unprecedented emergency inspection of 21 secular state schools in Birmingham. Ofsted, the official school inspection authority, was called in by the Department of Education following a hoax letter which accused some school governors of trying to impose Islamic culture upon secular schools and forcing out head teachers where they failed to comply. Although the number of incidents of malpractice revealed by the inspections was very small, the fear-mongering fuelled by the media that has surrounded the ‘Trojan Horse plot’, or ‘Islamic takeover plot’, has created irrevocable mistrust of Muslim governors and leadership and led to a cataclysmic shift in what is considered extremist belief that could forever impact upon how Muslim beliefs are perceived and tolerated in wider society.

Of the 21 schools inspected only 5 were found to have inappropriately adopted Muslim beliefs and habits

into a secular school ethos. One school, Oldknow Primary School, was probably the worst perpetrator having used school funds to pay for a trip to Saudi Arabia in which only Muslim pupils could attend, and in some classes and years standard aspects of the curriculum such as music and art were omitted to suit some Muslims’ interpretation of Islam, while Islamic interpretations of Christmas and evolution were imposed upon pupils. Such Islamic cultural practices and beliefs, for which schools such as Oldknow Primary School and Park View Academy have failed their inspections and are being taken over, are widespread in the Muslim community, including amongst Shi’a. Instead of being accused of discrimination or altering the ethos of a secular school, these schools failed because they apparently eschewed ‘extremist’ views and are failing to prepare their students for life in modern Britain.

Prior to this ‘Trojan Horse plot’ furore, the label extremism had been preserved for violent beliefs associated with Muslim terrorists.

Extremism has now been redefined as an opposition to ‘British values’ and the notoriously fuzzy notion of British values has been defined by the Department of Education as: ‘democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs’, although there is an implicit suggestion that in light of the ‘Trojan Horse plot’ some faith-based beliefs are intolerable.

While it is clear that some actions of Birmingham schools, such as preventing Muslim students from attending a local Christian school, did not go far enough to respect and tolerate the beliefs of others, unfortunately in labelling such practices as extremist many commentators have ignorantly extrapolated the association of conservative Muslim beliefs and extremism to dangerous lengths; Hazel Blears, former Communities Minister, in support of the Education Secretary, blurted out on Radio 5 Live, that a person going to the mosque five-times-a-day is a sign of extremism! If this is a sign of extremism, and in opposition to British values, then what space

is there for religious belief and asked by the government what it practice in modern Britain? is doing to protect children from The inevitable outcome of the extremism. Michael Gove, Secretary Birmingham schools will be the for Education, has said that if the tighter regulation of Muslim association could not provide culture within schools and greater ‘robust’ assurances, ‘appropriate checks upon Muslim staff and steps’ could be taken. Furthermore, governors. Just days after the final the Department of Education will Birmingham Ofsted reports were consider how Ofsted can better unveiled, mainstream newspapers insist on all schools teaching a reported that 58% of voters now believe faith schools, which can give priority to applications ...the fear-mongering fuelled by the media from pupils of their faith that has surrounded the ‘Trojan Horse plot’, and are free to teach only about their own religion, or ‘Islamic takeover plot’, has created should not be funded by irrevocable mistrust of Muslim governors the state or should be abolished. I believe this is and leadership and led to a cataclysmic a positive step because if shift in what is considered extremist belief. we are to aspire to a great British society founded on real British values of equality and justice, then our state- balanced curriculum. funded schools should promote no Sadly, the Muslim community and religion over another and instead its institutions that uphold such teach about the diversity of faith conservative beliefs have failed to and belief, allowing children to respond to this challenge. Without make their own religious choices. any credible arguments and serious This should include scrapping the public dialogue, it is likely that the requirement for acts of religious government will continue to take it worship to be wholly or mostly upon itself to regulate the Muslim conducted according to broadly community including dictating its Christian beliefs. own preferred version of Islamic The biggest blow to the Muslim beliefs. This is already evidenced community of this whole saga, through the recent announcement however, will be the inevitable by the Department of Education crackdown upon Muslim faith of an optional code of conduct for schools and madrasahs. Since privately-run madrasahs that will the schools in Birmingham were require them to carry out criminal criticised and put in special checks on all staff, inspections for measures for their failure to deliver corporal punishment and teaching a ‘broad and balanced curriculum’, of a government-sanctioned a criterion which applies to both curriculum.

There are also state-maintained and independent initiatives such as the ‘Curriculum schools, it is likely that many for Cohesion’ in the pipeline independent Islamic schools will which will teach pupils in Muslimalso be threatened with closure majority areas about the history if they impose cultural habits or of Muslims in Britain. It is surely teach a narrow curriculum which very embarrassing for the Muslim omits subjects such as music, community - and heartbreaking art and drama, which many that it is both incapable of regulating educational policy-makers and itself and is losing control of its own politicians argue inadequately future. prepare young people for life in modern Britain. The Association of Muslim Schools UK, which Hannah Smith has an undergraduate holds statutory responsibilities degree in Geophysics from Imperial in relation to state Muslim faith College London and the University schools and provides guidance of Oxford, and a Masters degree to another 143 independent in Geology from the University of Muslim schools, has already been Michigan.

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Is the Muslim F world suffering from a crisis of authority?

With the disappearance of authoritative centres of learning in the Islamic world, myriads of groups and individuals have become self-proclaimed spokesmen of Islam. Ali Jawad explains where the problem for this situation lies 10

or the average observer, the discourse on Islam has become painstaking perplexing in recent years.

In the media, the faith has become inseparably associated with an endless series of barbaric acts and horrific crimes. Each time an event shocks the human moral conscience, one forebodes the hand of some militant Muslim outfit. The recent kidnapping of more than 200 school children from the Nigerian town of Chibok fits into this narrative.

In the aftermath of the kidnapping, a wide-range of Muslim organisations and public figures have stood up to categorically condemn the actions of Boko Haram.

Their leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a lengthy video peppered with ‘Islamic’ symbolism in which he glorified the kidnapping. For those for whom the media constitutes the principal source of information about Islam, this incident is merely the latest in an endless series of horrific crimes associated with the faith.

Both those who condone and condemn such crimes substantiate their positions by resorting to Islam as their source of inspiration. In the face of such a serious dichotomy, how is the average Muslim, let alone the non-Muslim, able to distinguish between the two versions of faith? For Muslims who regard their faith as the cornerstone of their moral, social and ideological identity, the very notion that their faith would offer two contradictory answers to the same question is utterly illogical.

Many Muslims have chosen the convenient position that militant groups are simply utilising faith as a façade for deeply political agendas. It has corrupted their religious outlook and emptied it of its profound essence, leaving in its wake an ugly outward form. Although this is undoubtedly true, it fails to properly remedy the profundity of the problem - at least from the point of view of the outside observer. Ultimately, the question boils down to: ‘who speaks for Islam?’ Or rather, who possesses the right to speak for Islam?

In the Islamic context, the question concerning authority is neither novel nor has it arisen by the irresistible juggernaut of modernity. Since its early beginnings, the subject has been intensely debated. By the second century after hijrah (Islamic era) the Muslim community already consisted of tens, if not hundreds, of different schools of thought in jurisprudence, theology and philosophy. Despite the multiplicity of schools, by the second century after hijrah there existed defined structures of authority for each respective school of thought. Generally, students in the various sciences of Islam, especially jurisprudence, affiliated themselves to a particular school at whose head was their scholarly master or guide. Students who reached a certain level of qualification would then be accredited by their mentor, and thereby receive an ijazah (license) from their mentor as an expert in jurisprudence.

In modern times, the set of structures that held together and promoted this vibrant atmosphere has all but dissipated. It is important to note that whilst the reality of the past was not as idyllic as some would have us

believe – there were fringe groups injunctions often show utter disdain of the absolutist, takfiri current such as the Khawarij, individual for traditional institutions, and all- should rightly be viewed as an scholars and even entire schools of too-easily issue their opinions as historic anomaly and not the thought that were co-opted to do statements of fact. norm. Although the confluence of the bidding of the political powers of Secondly, and perhaps more several factors including Western the time. Nevertheless, there existed importantly, it is vital to emphasise colonialism, the decline of traditional reasonable structures of authority. the individual responsibility that institutions of Islamic learning, and The discussion of authority in Islam rests on each of our shoulders the deceptive utilisation of the is thus a well-beaten path. from the perspective of faith. At the sacred symbolism of Makkah and According to the UCLA-based law core of its worldview, Islam elevates Madinah by the Kingdom of Saudi Professor Khaled Abou El-Fadl, the role of the intellect. Whilst the Arabia, paints an ominous picture, ‘Muslims have suffered a crisis of individual may not be qualified to this trend is ultimately fleeting in authority that has deteriorated derive Islamic rulings, one still has the grand scheme of history. Imam to the point of fullAli(a) summarised the predicament when fledged chaos’ in the the community was modern age. Moreover, plagued with a similar the ‘disintegration In the Islamic context, the question concerning challenge during his of the traditional authority is neither novel nor has it arisen by the time. His lasting sermon institutions of Islamic preserved in the Nahjul learning and authority irresistible juggernaut of modernity. Since its early Balagha (sermon 18), meant a descent into beginnings, the subject has been intensely debated. underlines the prea condition of virtual eminent place of the Holy anarchy in regard to the Qur'an. Confronted by mechanisms of defining contradictory positions Islamic authenticity’.

As a consequence, the threshold an obligation to ensure that the put forward by claimants of faith, of scholarship was diminished to source one defers to is properly there is no solution but to return the point of non-existence. The qualified to fulfil that function, and to the Holy Qur’an with its endless situation has devolved into the where necessary, provide the burden marvels and its subtlest intricacies equivalent of a high school science of proof to establish their claim on a in search for lasting solutions.

In dealing with the crisis of authority student being qualified to perform given stance. brain surgery. The Internet age has There are many like Abou El-Fadl in the Muslim world, there are no opened the doors for all and sundry who depict the current dynamics immediate solutions. There is no to declare themselves scholars and in cosmic terms, in which so- escaping that much of the woes that we face as an issue religious verdicts ummah are attributable in the name of Islam. to this phenomenon, Today, all one needs to Today, all one needs to do is launch a website or post which has been further do is launch a website amplified by the poweror post a video, assemble a video, assemble a fanbase, quote a bit of scripture games within a region a fanbase, quote a bit to instantly transform into an overnight authority of great global interest. of scripture to instantly At the same time, it is transform into an figure capable of speaking about any injunction or clear that there rests an overnight authority figure important duty on the capable of speaking Islamic teaching. shoulders of individual about any injunction or Muslims in regards to Islamic teaching.

A couple of important caveats called puritans are pitched against how they experience and practice are in order at this point. Firstly, moderates. Whilst there is some their faith. At another level, we must whilst scholars such as Abou truth to this over-simplified canvas, emphasise the importance of the El-Fadl principally focus on the much of its associated narrative traditional institutions of higher literalist, takfiri current of thought should be viewed as sensationalist Islamic learning in an age in which as the principal provocateurs and drama. While the traditional the very word ‘traditional’ is deemed beneficiaries of this disturbing institutions of Islamic learning may pejorative. Lastly, during such dark erosion of authority, they are not have been woefully impaired in times it is important to resort to the the only such actor. Individuals many quarters of the Muslim world, firmest ‘handholds of truth’. and groups that are often labelled the broad majority of Muslims moderates or progressive reformists keenly appreciate the importance who take it upon themselves and necessity of rightful authority. Ali Jawad is a human rights activist and political to issue verdicts on religious The significant vocal strength analyst with a keen interest in international diplomacy.

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ARTS Art Editor Moriam Grillo

Heritage Earthenware bowl with Kufic inscription From Nishapur, Western Iran, 11th century CE. Inscription reads: ‘He who speaks, his speech is silver, but silence is a ruby’

This bowl from Nishapur creates a simple contrast between the black Arabic script and white glazed ceramic.

This elegant decorative arrangement of the Kufic script, with its tall fine letters has a clear and sweet message. A message that presents a different form of nourishment than expected.

In the spotlight Nasser Mansour

‘The first thing God created was the Pen. He created the tablet and asked the Pen to “Write”. And the Pen replied “What shall I write”? He said “Write My Decree” of My Creation till the Day of Resurrection. Then the Pen traced that which has been ordained’. Tradition from the Prophet Muhammad(S) Nasser Mansour is a celebrated artist with a doctorate in the Arts and major in Arabic calligraphy. As well as being Professor of the art of Arabic calligraphy at al-Balqa University, Mansour is revered for having created one of the most iconic pieces of Islamic Art from the 21st century. His work entitled ‘Kun’ is composed of ink and gold leaf on paper.

Whilst Western art is essentially iconic and motivated by image and form, Islamic art is carried for the most part, by geometry, pattern and literary text. Each element of this sacred art is hinged on precise, often mathematical formulaic outcomes. Mansour’s work is no different. His execution of the craft reinforces a deep understanding of the rules of calligraphy, something which even in his unique artistic expression he chooses not to defer from.

The word ‘Kun’, translated as ‘Be’, appears eight times in the Qur’an in seven different chapters. The term relates to the beginning of creation and God’s instruction, ‘kun fa-yakun’ - ‘be and it is’.

Through the use of a simple word, Mansour fuels the imagination, with a reminder of the power of God, in the hearts of those that know. For those unlettered individuals, for whom the calligraphy is indecipherable, the beauty of his work is still successful in rousing something within the heart.

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The letter Kaf, ink on paper by Ali Omar Ermes From Libya, 1991 CE

Masterpiece ‘Arabic is an ideal visual form to break the barriers of communication of people and languages. Not only in its literary expression, but also in its silent musical expression. [Through] the use of space, colour and the power of shifting places in their quiet and noisy effects’. - Ali Omar Ermes.

Ali Omar Ermes is an artist and writer on social and cultural issues. Born in Libya in 1945 Ermes studied design at Portsmouth School of Art and Design, before going on to study briefly at the Central School of Art in London.

Ermes’ work can be placed into one of three groups. The first, are those works which are made up of a single letter form. The next group is works which conveys a series of words or phrases. Then there is his more complex work which explores the aesthetic of letter-forms in a patterned and rhythmical way.

This painting, from the first group, is of the letter Kaf and is accompanied by a poem of the Abbasid caliph alMansur (754-75 CE). Ermes uses this aesthetic often; the use of a solitary letter accompanied by a poem from antiquity, each informing the other.

The poem is about the injustices of society. Ermes juxtaposes the fine and discreet lines of poetry with his own work which is written in a large and bold form. He describes poetry as the ‘medium between the visual movement of the image, and the universe to which it belongs’.

The subtle presence of the poem adds to the fundamental quality of his solitary letter. While the letter itself serves to highlight the dynamism of the Arabic form.

The versatility of the Arabic alphabet will remain a source of inspiration for artists from around the world. Whilst artist Ali Omar Ermes uses strong, expressive brush-strokes and colours to express his creativity, other artists, although applying the same discipline, use differing materials and ideologies in order to convey their own unique message.

Here, Ermes uses the Maghribi script, a script synonymous with North Africa, and Libya, his homeland. Ermes paints his single letter-forms with a large brush, selecting letters which draw references from a variety of regions and calligraphic scripts. Yet, despite this, Ermes’ art does not yield to the laws and tenets of Arabic calligraphy.

Though his letters are created from free-flowing brush strokes, they are also occupied by an air of innovation which is quite far from tradition, thus allowing it to stand alone, occupying its own definitive position and its own visual language which is more readily identifiable than any Arabic script might be.

Ermes is chair of the Muslim Heritage Centre in London.

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Graffiti Art ‘I like graffiti because it brings art to everyone. I like the fact of democratising art’. - El Seed Because of his merging of graffitistyle street art and calligraphy, French Tunisian artist, El Seed calls his art Calligrafitti.

Born in La Chesnay, France in 1981, El Seed grew up speaking Arabic. His art is inspired by his Tunisian roots and in particular the injustices that were experienced in his homeland. It was the revolution in Tunisia in 2011 which acted as a catalyst for his career as an artist, forging an awakened man to arise from a childhood lived in an abject land and an adolescence which had rebelled against his heritage.

El Seed’s work is beautiful and dynamic, incorporating traditional Islamic style with a contemporary approach which is not just seen through the influence of graffiti but also in the way he translates the movement and fluidity of the words and their meaning.

El Seed is inspired by the Iraqi artist Sundus Abdul-Hadi and the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, two people that he feels have displayed immense courage and integrity in speaking out against injustice. Something that El Seed is himself inspired to do.

His work can be found on street walls in America, Canada, the Middle East and Europe.

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‘Diluvium I’ by Rostarr

El Seed

Graphic Design ‘I don’t see anything as making a mistake. I guess it’s just my personality to create in this way. Not feeling too concerned about making a mistake. I think that if you can feel a brush stroke or see a drip, that’s human’. - Rostarr Romon Kimin Yang, aka Rostarr, is a painter, calligrapher, and filmmaker living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Rostarr studied graphic design in 1989, one in a series of creative stepping stones which started with his love of drawing as a young child. Rostarr recalled his early inspiration came from comic books and animation. During his adolescence, Rostarr was heavily influenced by hip hop culture and grafitti, and its emphasis on freedom of expression. This interaction allowed him to begin to identify with himself as a creative being.

His early work was based on improvisation with the use of the whole body.

An art practice which incorporated large canvases placed on the floor, plastic overalls and copious amounts of paint. For these projects, Rostarr would move freely on the canvas creating swathes of colour. Something Rostarr says was influenced by the cultural scene of the time. His approach to art then was more akin to automotive art such as Dadaism and Surrealism. Expressions said to be derived from the subconscious without the necessity for theory or rules.

His time as a graphic designer led him to focus on the power of imagery, which led him to develop his own visual style called ‘Graphysics’, a merger of graphic design and physics, strong visual imagery and energy, creating the geometric dynamism which is clearly apparent in his work.

In the search for something that reflected an aspect of himself, Rostarr began to make his work more abstract in the hope of seeking a subtler meaning. His work that most inspires me are the pieces which are heavily influenced by calligraphy. Rostarr says that he was drawn to calligraphy by the beauty of the lines, adding that every stroke appeared like poetry, whether he understood the words or not.

What interests me most about Rostarr is how he has taken a feeling, a mood or mindset and used that quality to inspire his work. His work is organic. The first few strokes dictate what the final piece will be and is a spontaneous process which he has said surprises him every time.

Seeing how it will start, based on a feeling, and being confident enough to go where it leads him, Rostarr has learnt to be wholly open to the process. In reverence of the outcome, knowing it is truly beyond him, yet within him at the same time.

‘Art is so much bigger than you. I feel like it healed me in a lot of ways and and gave me any opportunity to see who I really am, like my mirror, allowing abstract thoughts and feelings to come out. It’s really personal’. - Rostarr

Place to be

The street

As risqué as it sounds, I thought a chance to enjoy the increasing warmer weather and bask in the sunshine - as well as getting a little fresh air - suited this month’s ‘place to be’.

The work of street calligrapher Mohammad Ali, also known as Aerosol Arabic, can be found on streets in Casablanca and Amsterdam, as well as major cities within the UK. Take a look outside, you may be surprised to find calligraphy presented in another way.

Mixed media Sundus Abdul-Hadi

‘The complexity of our postmodern lives has both limited and made limitless our capabilities to reference our past.

But we rarely take time to heal and tell our own story’.

Sundus Abdul-Hadi is a young Canadian artist of Iraqi heritage. Abdul-Hadi’s work is provocative and laden with symbols that are reminiscent of the remnants of conflict - a response to the Arab springs,and past and present conflicts in the Middle East. I found Abdul-Hadi’s work shockingly startling and uneasy to observe.

But what is war? Abdul-Hadi has formulated a way to challenge the grotesqueness of discord by using its symbols to emphasise the horrors. Something that is easy for those living beyond the borders of violence to be oblivious of or strategically ignore. The skill of Abdul-Hadi is that she is able to convey a clear message of antipathy, one that is told in two striking dimensions. As a mixed media artist, Abdul-Hadi uses her paintings alongside photography and text to tell her stories, which are a desperate plea to end injustice and recognise the barbarity that is borne of aggression. Preoccupied by the Iraqi lore connected to her heritage, Abdul-Hadi paints the politics of contention in such a way that all areas of the Middle East are unified in the same portrait of struggle. Not ‘history’, but ‘her’ story. Through her artwork Abdul-Hadi hopes to empower the countless number of stories that would otherwise go unheard and are overpowered by the dictatorship of the mainstream. Abdul-Hadi references Sumerian mythology in her work in the hope of connecting fundamental themes of human existence - social, spiritual or other - in the belief that history repeats itself, leaving lessons to be learnt from those who have gone before us.

Addendum Everything you’ll see at the Summer Exhibition at The Royal Academy of the Arts, represents what is happening in the art world right now. New and recent art created by everyone from emerging artists to the biggest names in contemporary art and architecture, showcasing a wealth of artists from the Islamic world.

The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts

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Moriam Grillo is an international artist.

She holds Bachelor degrees in Photography, Film and Ceramics.

She is also a freelance broadcaster, photographer and writer.

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Opin io n

Boko Haram and the spectre of foreign intervention Behind the facade of an Islamic identity, the Boko Haram militants in northern Nigeria must be understood as another opportunist group intent to obtain favour from a Nigerian government says Reza Murshid

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ver the past months, the world has witnessed the callousness of the perpetrators of a heinous crime in Nigeria - the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls as they slept in their dormitory at night. At the height of this crisis, the world was also a witness to a grotesque show of bravado. After agonising for weeks about the fate of these hapless girls, the world community was treated to a video clip of the leader of the abductors.‘I abducted your girls’, said Abubakar Shekau, the shadowy leader of Boko Haram, with a grin on his face, ‘and I will sell them in the market, by God. I will sell them off and marry them off’. Immediately after this taunt went viral, Islamophobic media outlets like Fox News and antiMuslim bloggers went into overdrive, repeatedly juxtaposing adjectives such as ‘Islamist’ and ‘Muslim’ with the word ‘terrorist’.This despite repeated condemnations from different Muslim thinkers, authors, organisations, and even Muslim heads of state all over the globe.

Numerous examples abound, but here are two of the most important: - Al-Azhar in Egypt, considered to be among the oldest and most credible Sunni institutions of higher learning in the world, said in a statement that 16

‘this action does not relate to the noble teachings of Islam in any way.

Al-Azhar demands the release of these girls immediately.’

- Iran’s vice-president for Women and Family Affairs issued a statement, condemning the action

by Boko Haram as a bonanza for the Muslim bashers and said that ‘such acts will boost [the prevalence of] Islamophobia, and are set up to smear Islam’.

All the statements made by rational, educated Muslims around the globe were completely ignored by journalists covering the incident, who seemed bent on bashing Islam and Muslims, in effect helping to give far more airtime and press coverage to the incoherent speech of a misguided, self-proclaimed radical Muslim than the majority of Muslims who condemned such actions.

It is as if there is a secret pact between extremist cult-like fringe groups claiming to be Muslims and the hatemongers who would rather obliterate the whole Muslim population. Boko Haram unleashes its random acts of violence on unsuspecting victims, giving the gleeful right-wing press more reason to brand them ‘Islamists’, notwithstanding our firm and repeated condemnation of such acts.

Extremism, Root Cause of Oppression

Boko Haram has emerged in northern Nigeria, in a region mostly populated by Muslims and largely ignored by the central government.

Oil-rich Nigeria is now considered the wealthiest country in Africa. Its economy recently overtook South Africa as the largest on the continent after the West African nation’s gross domestic product surpassed that of Pretoria. The size of the economy expanded by more than three-quarters to an estimated 80 trillion naira ($488 billion) for 2013.

Unfortunately, this immense wealth has not translated into better living conditions for the Muslims in the north. Boko Haram initially emerged not as an armed group, but as a social movement aiming at returning to pure Islam, supposedly as a way to empower the dispossessed Muslims in the north. But somewhere along the way they lost sight of pure Islam, whose Prophet is known to have advocated education for both men and women. The group, whose name means ‘deception’ or ‘Western education is sinful’, has engaged in senseless cruelty and wanton violence against civilians. Founded in 2002, Boko Haram’s first violent action came in 2009 when it launched an

uprising in the North, which was immediately and brutally suppressed by the Nigerian military. Some 700 people, including innocent bystanders, were killed as a result of the military crackdown. The military also turned over Boko Haram’s charismatic leader, Mohammed Yusuf, to the police. But hours later the police presented Yusuf’s lifeless body to reporters. The reporters who saw Yusuf’s bullet-ridden body were incredulous as they heard the police claim that he was killed in the shootout after he had tried to flee. (It was actually after his death that the more radical members gained the upper hand in the group because they always pointed to the brutal way in which their leader was murdered.)

between Afghanistan and a possible intervention in Nigeria in the near future are obvious enough to raise fears that perhaps the recent actions of Boko Haram were just yet another false flag ordered by Western military strategists to gain control of the oil-rich nation.

We have recently been reminded about the false flags in Ukraine and Turkey, both allies of the United States. In Turkey, the government has been in deep trouble after a secret tape recording of its top officials was uploaded onto YouTube, in which they are heard planning a terrorist attack on their own land in the hope of starting a war against Syria.

And there are plenty of signs that Boko Haram could well serve the same purpose for internal and external powers. Their activities occur suspiciously close to elections, and often enough to lead some analysts to call them ‘guns for hire’.

Boko Haram violence invariably spikes A Scenario All-Too Familiar 12-18 months before the presidential Most Muslims around the globe have elections. The next general election is been watching the events in northern in 2015.

Nigeria with consternation. While The Nigerian press has revealed that being totally against the actions of a number of leading Nigerian officials Boko Haram, they are worried about (senators, governors, etc.) have been in the repetition of the Afghan scenario direct communication with Boko Haram’s

by Western powers, i.e., members.

The group almost the use of the defence of acts as a franchise for violence. women’s rights as a pretext In return for favours and goods, to unleashing military they suggest, it engages in acts of aggression against Nigeria. terrorism.

So far Boko Haram has The First Lady of the United been shown to have connections All the statements made by rational, States, Michelle Obama, within Nigeria’s own political elite. followed in the footsteps educated Muslims ... were completely Now if the group starts offering its of her predecessor Laura ignored by journalists covering the services to powers outside Nigeria, Bush when she took over it is quite possible that we may see President Obama’s weekly incident, who seemed bent on bashing full-scale civil war in this resourceradio address to condemn Islam and Muslims, in effect helping to rich country, leading eventually to the actions of Boko Haram a formalised division of Nigeria and express concern for the give far more airtime ... to the incoherent into the impoverished Muslim abducted girls. speech of a misguided, self-proclaimed north and the rich Christian south.

Only a decade ago, the According to the White House, United States and Britain radical Muslim than the majority of there are already ‘boots on the instigated a war against Muslims who condemned such actions. ground’ in the shape of top security Afghanistan ostensibly experts who are supposedly there because the Taliban refused to help the Nigerian military find to turn over Osama Bin and free the abducted girls. If the situation eventually Laden. But in the run-up to that war, one more reason spirals out of control in the northern states, the United was added to invade Afghanistan: to improve the lives States, Britain and France could also be tempted to of Afghan women. Laura Bush reeled off the indignities send in their armed forces.

After all, in the past decade that Afghan women had suffered at the hands of the every time these ‘boots’ have landed, they have landed backward Taliban. Taking over her husband’s radio suspiciously too close to an oil well or a mineral mine, address in November 2001, she reminded others that and Nigeria has an abundance of both. her husband’s war was a just one because after this war Afghan women would be liberated. So the similarities

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Cover

Ramadh and the essence worship 18

han of As the pervading philosophy of maximisation extends to all aspects of our life, Alexander Khaleeli warns us of the risk of turning the spiritual experience of fasting during the month of Ramadhan as yet another task for us to tick off

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s many of us cast worried glances at the gradually lengthening daylight hours, discuss strategies for maximising nighttime food consumption, and fill our social media feeds with articles extolling the benefits of fasting, the omens are clear – the month of Ramadhan is coming.

For some, this is indeed an ominous time. Unless you plan to go on an extended retreat in the furthest reaches of the southern hemisphere (and you had the forethought to book some time off from work), this may well be the longest, hottest month of Ramadhan you have ever experienced in this British Isles.

So, for the majority of us, there is a real danger that instead of enjoying this month of fasting, we are going to focus all our efforts on just surviving it.

It must be said that part of the reason for this is the modern capitalist consumer culture in which we live…because time is money (as indeed is everything else) and economic growth is king, there is a constant pressure to maximise our productivity, whether this is by accepting zero-hours contracts, burdening ourselves with more debt or raising the age of retirement. And this does not apply just to the world of work, but to our personal lives as well. There are apps and devices out there which promise to make us better, healthier and more efficient; we can read faster, organise our lives faster and even relax faster. Every drop of potential must be squeezed out.

Arthur Miller’s warning looms large: ‘A man is not a piece of fruit!’

And in this world of relentless efficiency, we can sometimes treat the fasting of the month of Ramadhan as yet another task for us to tick off. Taught implicitly to view everything in worldly or monetary terms, we look at it as belonging in the same category as ‘Meeting at 2.30 pm’ or ‘Pick 20

up milk on way home’ – a chore we must balance with our other worldly chores. And as a chore, we will want to get it done with the least amount of effort necessary, grinding ourselves down to do only the bare minimum (basically being hungry for a very long time) and not enjoying it at all.

Yes, fasting is supposed to be difficult – if it wasn’t a challenge, it wouldn’t be worth doing – but it is a difficulty we are supposed to relish, like the feeling you get after a good workout. That is why the Prophet(s) says: ‘Someone who fasts will experience two joys – the joy of iftar (breaking the fast) and the joy of meeting his Lord’.

Classical scholars explain that this joy of iftar should spring from the sense that God has made you successful in your fast, rather than the knowledge that we can eat and drink again. In other words, when we break our fast we should feel a sense of achievement rather than one of mere relief.

But at the opposite extreme is an attitude which also comes from being immersed in a culture which worships productivity, namely, we see the spiritual value in Ramadhan, but we unwittingly transpose the same mentality of efficiency into our acts of worship. This means that we focus on the quantity of our worship rather than its quality; we push ourselves to read just one more page of the Qur’an, just one more du’a (supplication), just one more salah (prayer). Eventually, we exhaust ourselves and numb our hearts to the simple pleasure of seeking nearness to God. Our worship, though abundant, becomes robotic and unfeeling.

We forget that, in this most holy of months, even our sleep is transformed into worship; Imam Musa ibn Jafar al-Kadhem(a) says: ‘Take a nap [while fasting] for God feeds and quenches the one who is fasting in his sleep’. God did not tell us to fast so that we could be better automatons, but so that we could be better people –

‘Prescribed for you is fasting as it was prescribed for those who were before you, so that you may be wary’ (2:183) – so while we should certainly look to make the most of the month of Ramadhan, this doesn’t mean we should turn Ramadhan into mundane work.

Done properly, Ramadhan is the perfect antidote to this obsession with productivity.

Jamal ‘Abd al-Nasser, who was determined to modernise Egypt along secular lines, famously said that a modern, industrial country cannot afford to fast for a whole month every year because of the physical strain that fasting puts on the body. But that’s precisely the point. The Prophet(s) said: ‘For everything there is a zakat (Islamic tithe), and the zakat of the body is fasting’.

When we pay zakat – or any kind of religious tithe – on our wealth, we do so in recognition that this wealth is not truly our own, but rather something that has been entrusted to us by God. This is something easy for us to recognise because wealth is something extraneous to our sense of self, something which can be gained and lost rapidly; it exists in tangible external forms whether as money or as the goods and services we purchase.

On the other hand, our physical body is much more integral to our sense of self; it is taken for granted that our bodies are our own and always have been, and our bodies give a convincing illusion of actually being identical with our self or ego (a misconception which Ibn Sina’s ‘floating man’ thought experiment was intended to challenge).

Therefore fasting – as a kind of zakat – has the rather radical effect of showing us that our bodies are neither identical with our selves, nor do they belong entirely to us. By denying our bodies their basic necessities and desires during daylight hours, we actually demonstrate that there

must be some faculty within us which has dominance over our physical bodies and, since it is the body that demands these things, this faculty cannot be a purely bodily or physical phenomenon but must actually transcend the body in order to command it. This is, of course, the intellect, which God says, in a tradition, is the dearest of His creatures and the basis on which He rewards and punishes. So our bodies, while obviously closely attached to our selves, are not actually identical with them (This also should remind us that we will one day die and leave these bodies and this life and move on to a new life after death).

While we use these bodies for most of the year to seek our own worldly benefits, in the month of Ramadhan we must pay the zakat of our bodies by using them to fast for God. This does not mean Unless you plan to go on an extended retreat we cannot work, play in the furthest reaches of the southern or otherwise enjoy life for this month, only hemisphere ...this [Ramadhan] may well be that – whatever we the longest, hottest month of Ramadhan you may do – we will have the constant reminder have ever experienced in this British Isles. that this body is only So, … there is a real danger that instead of a temporary abode for our souls, and that enjoying this month of fasting, we are going therefore we should to focus all our efforts on just surviving it. focus our efforts and energies not on squeezing out every ounce of ‘productivity’ from our bodies, but instead on preparing the bodies we will have in the next world.

For those of us in the British Isles, I’d like to finish by sharing a tradition very relevant to fasting this year: ‘Whoever fasts for God on a day of extreme heat and is afflicted by thirst, God will appoint over him a thousand angels who will wipe his face and wish him glad tidings until he breaks his fast, and God will say: ´How lovely is your scent and your spirit! O my angels! Bear witness Alexander Khaleeli is a researcher that I have forgiven this one his and student in the Islamic Seminaries. He has a BA and MA sins!.´ in Islamic Studies.

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Fe a tu re

The holy month of Ramadhan is a time for resolution and revolution. Batool Haydar seeks to discover the best way to make this month a new beginning in every way

A SEASON FOR THE SOUL The Month of Ramadhan; A Time to Grow ‘Rajab is the month of God, Sha’ban is my month and Ramadhan is the month of my Ummah.’ – Prophet Muhammad(s) Finally! That time of the year that we await with such eagerness has arrived.

The preparations for fasting, the excitement of spotting the new moon that heralds its commencement and the welcoming of an atmosphere that is unique to Ramadhan – these are the things that occupy us as this month begins.

We have made it through Rajab and Sha’ban and are blessed once more to arrive at the doorstep of the month of Ramadhan. Are we ready to journey through it and take what it has to offer? In the previous months, we started the process of change within ourselves, doing away with some negative habits and adopting positive traits. Now is the time to harvest the fruit of our efforts.

To Last a Lifetime

There is an abundance of both verses and traditions that emphasise the greatness of the month of Ramadhan and its status above all other months.

‘The month of Ramadhan is one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and the Criterion’. (2:185) The most important aspect of the month of Ramadhan is that it includes Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Decree). Considered the climax of the Islamic year, this night is equal to a thousand months - in essence a lifetime. It is in the few hours of this night that believers can literally change their destiny and create an influence over their future in the coming year.

The Four R’s of Rebirth

The month of Ramadhan is both a journey and a destination. Our travels through the days of this month determine where we will reach at its end. Eid al-Fitr is ideally supposed to be a celebration of the cleansing of the soul and the rebirth of a new identity that is more dedicated to seeking nearness to God. The following concepts may help to keep you focused on this as you begin your own personal quest.

The act of placing ourselves before God with comprehension of the burden of imperfection we carry that only He - the Most Perfect - can lift off from our shoulders, creates a deep connection with the Divine.

1. Repair

The best solution to any problem for a Muslim is to turn to istighfar (repentance).

The Prophet(s) has said, ‘Nothing is more favourable to God than a repentant believer.’

The act of placing ourselves before God with comprehension of the burden of imperfection we carry that only He - the Most Perfect - can lift off from our shoulders, creates a deep connection with the Divine.

It requires that we acknowledge every flaw, every act of disobedience and every sin committed. When we begin to get a better sense of how vast the gap between what we are and what we were created to be is, we establish the start of a true relationship with Him. It is only when our hearts are soft enough that seeking forgiveness becomes an act woven with desperation that we begin to realise there is absolutely no other entity that can absolve us except the entity that we have wronged.

And for such sincere repentance there is only acceptance, as God says in the Qur’an, ‘Indeed I am All-Forgiving toward him who repents, becomes faithful and acts righteously, and then follows guidance’. (20:82)

2. Revive

A heart that has been humbled is more receptive to change and more determined to grow. The month of Ramadhan is the ideal time to water the heart and embed the positive changes you want into it.

Of the many supplications recommended for recitation in this month, perhaps the most beautiful is that of Iftitah (Opening) that is recited every night in this 22

month. Its themes vary from the serene to the serious and its verses are poetic prose telling the story of a Lover and his Beloved. The verbal imagery used evoke feelings of awe, admiration and love for a Creator who is perfect in His attributes of both Jalaal (Majesty) and Jamaal (Beauty).

‘All praise to God, in Whose awe the heavens and its dwellers quiver...’. Following this we then recite: ‘All praise to God, Who answers me whenever I call Him, covers up my shortcomings while I disobey Him...’

The contrast between His awe and Love creates a deeper understanding of how much we need God and how He is always there for us.

3. Rediscover

One of the highest recommended acts for the month of Ramadhan is to recite the Qur’an. Sadly, this practice has become more cultural than spiritual. For many, this is the one and only time in the entire year that they will recite any verses of the Qur’an. Few try to read either the translation or exegesis of any of the chapters.

Having put in such effort in the past months of Rajab and Sha’ban, this month of Ramadhan is a prime time to start rediscovering the Qur’an as we recite it.

It is through the Qur’an that He speaks to us of all this Knowledge and Wisdom.

An exploration of this treasure trove of infinite depth begun this month would be a spiritual adventure that would outlast our lifetime!

4. Resolve

As the Season of Worship comes to an end, we all usually nurture the hope that we have in some way progressed towards our aim of becoming closer to God. However, we often allow this hope to remain only a passive wish. With the passing of Eid, we become lax and feel that we need to wait for the following year to begin our efforts again.

The best way to truly celebrate Eid is to be determined to continue the path of change and progress for the rest of the year. Every day passed without some effort on our part is an opportunity wasted and lost forever.

Through the nights of Qadr, when the bond between our spirituality and Divine acceptance is at its peak, we should firmly embed the resolve to hold on to the path of progress for the rest of the year and seek the strength to be able to do so.

A New Life

There are many life-changing events which are imposed on us that we have no control over. We may not have the power to change them but we have the power of faith and endurance to overcome them. But that doesn’t mean change comes only though them - we can change ourselves as well.

The month of Ramadhan helps us to reclaim the power of faith, and it is a prime time that makes change easier and smoother. For these thirty days, we change habits that are deeply embedded in us and we do so literally overnight.

Yet, by the end of the month, the new system is so much a part of us that we go back to our old ways with a sense of reluctance.

The question to ask is: Do we have to go back to our old ways? If we feel reluctant towards adopting certain habits again, perhaps they were never meant to be part of our lifestyle. This is a good time to decide how much control we want to have over our way of living. These are the essential realisations that the month of Ramadhan brings with it: that we are stronger than we think and we all have the ability to change – drastically – with ease.

It is through the Qur’an that He speaks to us .... An exploration of this treasure trove of infinite depth begun this month would be a spiritual adventure that would outlast our lifetime!

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

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F a ith

Understanding virtue and vice: During the month of Ramadhan many of us will be aiming at self-improvement. Julia Khadija Lafene offers a few reflections on the nature of vice and virtue and how we could use this knowledge to improve ourselves

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e all think we know what is virtuous meaning and application. For example, and what isn’t, but only God is the divorce is disliked by God, and would owner of absolute virtue - a thing be a vice if someone divorced a wife or which the soul longs for, and the husband frequently and irresponsibly for self tries to express, yet it often perverts virtue and a ‘new model’. However, if spouses cannot turns it into vice, brought about by whims and get on, or if there are serious failings on wrong choices. But even these vices are part of the either side, it is permitted as the lesser of plan for our learning in this realm of existence! two evils. At the same time there is ample In this realm, because there are no absolutes, allowance for reconciliation. God is merciful there are no absolute virtues and vices; whether to humankind when they make mistakes and an action is virtuous or not depends on whether gives them a chance to put things right. it is appropriate to the situation and its outcome.

Generosity is regarded as one of the main Appropriateness means choosing the correct virtues, but if it is inappropriately applied, it course of action by using can become a vice. A discrimination and good Quranic verse warns us sense, based on the not to stretch out our Islam does not accept the doctrine of ‘original fundamental values and arm so far as to make principles given to us by ourselves destitute, nor sin’, so people are not born bad, however our Creator. We should to hold it too close to avoid labeling someone ourselves so that we if … (ego) has been allowed to get out of as a ‘bad person’. Islam become niggardly (17: control, his or her character will be bad unless does not accept the 26 & 29). In the Gospel, doctrine of ‘original Jesus is reported to corrective measures are taken. sin’, so people are not have said, ‘If you have born bad, however if the two coats, give one lower self (ego) has been away’. He did not say allowed to get out of control, his or her character ‘give them both away’. These principles of action will be bad unless corrective measures are taken. seem to be obvious common sense, but most of When God gives us His laws and rules in the us are not following them. Some people spend Holy Qur’an, we are often told not to ‘exceed the ridiculous amounts on weddings, getting into debt limits’, to maintain the ‘mizan’, or balance; here as a result, because they are not applying these we are supposed to use our ‘aql (intelligence and principles. Spending to make others think well of knowledge) and furqan (discrimination) to decide you is not true generosity! Others refuse to give on the best course of action, knowing that a wrong when they can afford it out of fear for their own action can harm not only others, but more likely provision. The Holy Qur’an reminds us that wealth also ourselves. So people who see shari’ah as rigid is transient and Imam Ali added that we should and unchanging have not understood its true not let our wealth own us.

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A lesson for the holy month of Ramadhan way we express it that matters. We need to be very honest about the source of our anger: is it truly a reaction to injustice or is it connected with our own psyche?

The month of Ramadhan will soon be with So how do we deal with such a weakness? Having us, so let us ask ourselves: recognised the source, we respond from our higher What are my own weaknesses and vices? self, first by calling upon God for help and guidance, Where do these originate? then taking time for reflection on how to react. Once What action can I take to deal with these we are aware of the virtues which are opposite to weaknesses? such vices we can begin to practice them. 70:19-28, For a start it is very useful to use a trusted and other verses, point out that our vices will lead to friend as a mirror. We can ask our friends to undesirable outcomes and awareness of them can tell us frankly what they see as our weaknesses in cause us to turn towards our Lord. return for doing the same for them. We can do this The month of Ramadhan gives us the ideal constructively instead of critically and judgmentally. opportunity to break It is important for the habitual patterns of our self-knowledge to the lower self: the time reflect on the origin of we usually spend eating these weaknesses,which Anger often originates from a sense of injustice, and drinking can be is often something used for reflection and which is a good quality, but it is also one which that happened in purification of the self. childhood. This needs can become perverted into excessive reaction.

The outer abstentions to be acknowledged and rules of fasting are and worked on. Action Recognising this state in oneself is the first well-known, but these depends on the particular enable us to practice step towards controlling the lower self. vice, but usually involves inner abstentions from observing oneself and our illusions about doing the opposite of ourselves, which veil what one usually might us from witnessing our Lord.

It is, for example, an do in such a situation. illusion to think I am at all virtuous through my An example might be a person who has a very hot own doing for God is the source of all virtue. In the temper, who gets angry easily and sometimes loses month of Ramadhan, especially, I need to recognise his temper altogether about things which seem this with humility. trivial to others. Anger often originates from a sense of injustice, which is a good quality, but it is also one which can become perverted into excessive reaction.

Khadija Lafene has a degree in Modern History from Recognising this state in oneself is the first step Julia Oxford University. Born in India, she lived and taught in Nigeria towards controlling the lower self. Again the Holy for 16 years and has worked as a lecturer in Language and Qur’an warns us about excessive anger, and advises Learning Support in the UK. Since embracing Islam she has us to forgive others (3:134). This does not mean that studied Islamic psychology and self-knowledge. we should not be angry about injustice, but it is the What action can we take to improve ourselves in the month of Ramadhan?

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H e a lt h Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi

MERS

The ability of viruses to mutate quickly puts human beings continually at risk of contracting new illnesses.

Laleh Lohrasbi examines a relatively new but powerful killer virus behind the recent infectious outbreak in Saudi Arabia

T

he pilgrimage to Makkah has become an all year round activity, with large crowds of believers converging on the holy city every month – thus making the city a perfect environment for spreading new diseases.

Although the main source of the virus is not known, it is thought that mammals play an important role in the transmission of the virus, especially bats and camels.

SARS, which originated from China, quickly spread to two-dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, killing 800 people. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Since its 2003 outbreak, there has been no known cases of SARS reported anywhere in the world.

In September 2012, Saudi Arabia reported two cases of a mysterious SARS-like virus, which resulted in one death. This unknown virus was found to be similar to SARS, thus raising concerns ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage of a possible epidemic. Later in 2012 the virus was identified as a new coronavirus and the 26

disease was named the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

In early 2014, the rate of infection in Saudi Arabia surged and an outbreak of associated illnesses in hospitals in Jeddah and Riyadh was reported. The total number of infections nearly doubled in April and continued to rise by a further 25 percent in May. In May 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a total of 636 cases worldwide, which included 193 deaths, making the mortality rate 30%. In the same month, Saudi Arabia reported 32 new cases of MERS and 9 more deaths from the deadly virus, bringing the total deaths in the country to 126.

Although the main source of the virus is not known, it is thought that mammals play an important role in the transmission of the virus, especially bats and camels.

MERS-CoV (the corona virus which causes MERS) has been identified in camels in Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and in bats in Saudi Arabia.

It is very likely that the virus infected humans by air or after the consumption of infected camel milk or meat.

All cases have been linked to countries neighbouring the Arabian Peninsula including Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the West Bank and Yemen. Cases reported in other countries are mostly travel-related.

1- Symptoms MERS is a pneumonia-like disease, and the symptoms are very close to SARS. The main difference between SARS and MERS is the renal failure associated with the MERS-CoV. The most common symptoms of MERS include a 100.4° F – 38° C fever, cough, breathing difficulties, chills, chest pain, body aches, sore throat, malaise (a general feeling of being unwell), headache, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, runny nose, renal (kidney) failure and pneumonia. Most sufferers develop severely acute symptoms, while a few show mild symptoms and a minority have no symptoms at all. Those in contact with MERS patients arriving from Hajj were examined for MERSCoV, and only after examination they showed symptoms of this illness.

2- Spreading Close contact with an infected person should be avoided as MERS is an air-borne influenza, or flu- like disease; the spreading process happens through small droplets of infected water and is disseminated through sneezing or coughing. Wearing masks or keeping a distance of at least three feet should be considered when near an infected patient. Touching a surface that has been touched by an infected patient can also transmit the disease, so washing hands regularly is essential for both the infected person and the healthy person. Health care providers and family members should take these warning seriously.

Other high risk groups are patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, chronic lung disease and heart conditions, the elderly, organ transplant recipients who are on immuno -suppressive medications, and cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Pneumonia - the most common complication - is the number one cause of death in affected patients. The respiratory problems can become so severe that the patient needs a mechanical respirator. Organ failures, like kidney failure and septic shock, occur in a significant number of patients, but people with chronic diseases like diabetes are more vulnerable to complications.

3- Prevention There are two peak periods for visits to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia - one towards the end of Ramadhan, and the other during hajj. Authorities have requested pilgrims to wear masks as a precaution against the MERS virus, while elderly and patients with chronic diseases are advised to postpone their pilgrimage.

Pilgrims have also been asked to be extra careful with hygiene, to use paper tissues when sneezing or coughing, and to make sure that they are up-to-date with all their vaccinations.

Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Touching the eyes, nose, and mouth

with unwashed hands should be avoided, as they are common ways for contracting a virus. Regular disinfecting of surfaces like door-knobs and tables with an antibacterial cleanser is also a good precaution.

Undercooked meats (especially camel’s meat), or unsafe water can be avenues for transmitting the disease and should be avoided. Raw fruits and vegetables should be peeled or boiled.

4- Treatment According to WHO, there is no specific treatment for MERS, but supportive medical care can be provided by doctors to help relieve symptoms. If any case of pneumonia-like symptoms in travellers to Saudi Arabia or neighbouring regions is observed, it is better to directly refer them to a hospital where diagnostic tools and supportive cares, such as mechanical respirators are more readily available.

Supportive care does not improve or treat the illness, but may help in controlling complications and side effects, as well as providing comfort for the patient.

Fever should be controlled by effective anti-fever drugs like Ibuprofen. Headache and body pains can be decreased by painkillers. The most important thing to do is to check and sustain the functions of vital organs, such as the liver, kidneys and heart. It should be noted that antibiotics are completely useless in the case of MERS, as well as any other viral disease.

5- Vaccine In September 2013, a team of scientists from the Autonomous University of Madrid developed a strain of the MERS-CoV that could be used to develop a vaccine against the deadly pathogen. A couple of other research groups, like the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic, or Hemispherx Biopharma, a company developing treatments for viral infections, and Novartis Vaccines, also worked on developing a vaccine for MERS but despite the early announcements, to date no known vaccine has been developed.

‘Finding an attackable target on the surface of a virus is relatively easy these days, and there’s nothing about the MERS virus that is likely to make it difficult to attack.

But testing the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine could easily take six years and will likely cost around half a billion dollars’, says Philip Dormitzer, Global Head of Virology for Novartis Vaccines.

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As viruses can mutate quickly, the financial risks could be much more exorbitant than currently predicted.

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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