Malcolm X underwent a spiritual journey after leaving the Nation of Islam that led him to embrace mainstream Sunni Islam. During his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, he was deeply moved by the sincere brotherhood he witnessed between people of all races and colors worshipping together. This experience caused him to recognize the power of Islam to erase racial divisions. He came to believe that America needs to understand Islam because it is the one religion that can rid society of racism by teaching the oneness of all humanity. His journey demonstrated how Islam can transform individuals by leading them from erroneous beliefs about race to the truth and light of a faith that judges people solely based on their piety and righteousness.
Islam under siege, living dangerously in a post honor world by akbar s ahmeddocsforu
THEMES FOR t h e 2 1ST CENTURY
-Mam Under Siege goes beyond assigning guilt, to understanding the world that
' z^Hucpd such hatred and misunderstanding. In this sometimes personal and
consistently courageous meditation on the uncertainties of our time, Akbar Ahmed
offe"s hope by focusing on shared notions of honor and human dignity.-
Tama^a Sonn. President of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies
-Akbar Ahmed is one of the wisest and bravest writers on Islam. This work confirms
his reputation as a savant in the field.
_............. _
__
. 1
/
• 21/
?4
A
Chris Rojek, Nottingham Trent University
-Akbar Ahmed's understanding of the relationship between politics and culture sets ;
Touts W. Goodman. Dean. School of International Service. American University RR
him apart from other analysts of contemporary Islam.
I
In this groundbreaking book. Akbar Ahmed, one of the world's leading authorities on
Islam who has worked in the Muslim world but lives in the West, explains what is
going wrong in his society by referring to Islamic history and beliefs. Employing
theological and anthropological perspectives, he attempts to answer the questions
that people in the West are asking about Islam: “Why do they hate us?" “Is Islam
compatible with democracy?" “Does Islam subjugate women?" “Does the Quran
preach violence?’ These important questions are of relevance to Muslims and to non
Muslims alike Islam Under Siege points out the need for, and provides the route to.
the dialogue of civilizations.
September 11.2001. underlined the role of Islam in our time. In its demographic spread,
its political span, and its religious commitment. Islam will be an increasingly forceful
presence on the world stage in the twenty-first century. While some scholars predict that
there will be a dash of civilizations, others see a need for a dialogue of civilizations.
This book will help students, scholars of politics, sociology, international relations, and
cultural studies, and reporters as well as a more general audience interested in some
of the most important issues of our time.
j
w
■' £
st -
-
w
J
Akbar S. Ahmed is Ibn Khaldun Chair off Islamic Studies, American University,
The True Status of Women in Islam. The veil and its meaning in Islam and the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as a brief look at the Islamic stance towards women. The concept of veiling in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Shedding light on the status of the women in Islam, this book explains that women were ill-treated and humiliated in many cultures and how Islam put an end to all this injustice, gave women their proper status.
Islam under siege, living dangerously in a post honor world by akbar s ahmeddocsforu
THEMES FOR t h e 2 1ST CENTURY
-Mam Under Siege goes beyond assigning guilt, to understanding the world that
' z^Hucpd such hatred and misunderstanding. In this sometimes personal and
consistently courageous meditation on the uncertainties of our time, Akbar Ahmed
offe"s hope by focusing on shared notions of honor and human dignity.-
Tama^a Sonn. President of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies
-Akbar Ahmed is one of the wisest and bravest writers on Islam. This work confirms
his reputation as a savant in the field.
_............. _
__
. 1
/
• 21/
?4
A
Chris Rojek, Nottingham Trent University
-Akbar Ahmed's understanding of the relationship between politics and culture sets ;
Touts W. Goodman. Dean. School of International Service. American University RR
him apart from other analysts of contemporary Islam.
I
In this groundbreaking book. Akbar Ahmed, one of the world's leading authorities on
Islam who has worked in the Muslim world but lives in the West, explains what is
going wrong in his society by referring to Islamic history and beliefs. Employing
theological and anthropological perspectives, he attempts to answer the questions
that people in the West are asking about Islam: “Why do they hate us?" “Is Islam
compatible with democracy?" “Does Islam subjugate women?" “Does the Quran
preach violence?’ These important questions are of relevance to Muslims and to non
Muslims alike Islam Under Siege points out the need for, and provides the route to.
the dialogue of civilizations.
September 11.2001. underlined the role of Islam in our time. In its demographic spread,
its political span, and its religious commitment. Islam will be an increasingly forceful
presence on the world stage in the twenty-first century. While some scholars predict that
there will be a dash of civilizations, others see a need for a dialogue of civilizations.
This book will help students, scholars of politics, sociology, international relations, and
cultural studies, and reporters as well as a more general audience interested in some
of the most important issues of our time.
j
w
■' £
st -
-
w
J
Akbar S. Ahmed is Ibn Khaldun Chair off Islamic Studies, American University,
The True Status of Women in Islam. The veil and its meaning in Islam and the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as a brief look at the Islamic stance towards women. The concept of veiling in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Shedding light on the status of the women in Islam, this book explains that women were ill-treated and humiliated in many cultures and how Islam put an end to all this injustice, gave women their proper status.
The status of women in Islam, is an issue that is pertinent in present times; both due to the divergence of cultural practices in the Muslim world from the Islamic perspective and the erroneous perception in the West, that Islam subjugates womenfolk.
A dispassionate study of the primary sources of Islam, along with an analysis of the position of women in societies where
Islam was implemented, actually proves that for women Islam is a special blessing.
“Prior to Islam," write the authors of The Cultural Atlas of Islam, "a woman was regarded by her parents as a threat to family honor and hence worthy of burial alive at infancy. As an adult, she was a sex object that could be bought, sold and inherited. From this position of inferiority and legal incapacity, Islam raised women to a position of influence and prestige in family and society."
The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable because men and women are different, in their physiological and psychological make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations, as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality", which could be misunderstood to mean equality in every minute aspect of life, rather than overall equality.
The Spiritual Aspect
The sacred text of the Glorious Qur'an and the history of early Muslims bear witness to the fact that women are considered as vital to life as men.
Islam refuted the idea that Eve tempted Adam to disobey God, and thus caused his downfall. The Qur'an says that they both disobeyed, and negates the idea that women are a source of evil.
In a world where women were no more than objects of sexual gratification for men, and at a time when the religious circles argued over whether women were human or not, possessing souls, Islam proclaimed:
"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female."
[Al-Qur'an 49:13]
"O Mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, from them scattered countless men and women. Fear Allah, through whom you demand your mutual rights and reverence the wombs (that bore you), for Allah ever watches over you."
[Al-Qur'an 4:1]
Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights and duties, and their Lord promises them in the Glorious Qur'an:
"Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other."
[Al-Qur'an 3:195]
Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations.
The Social Aspect
Women have as much right to education as men do. Almost fourteen centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad (p)1 declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim, male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history.
Islam elevated the position of women in society and treated them on an equal footing with men, and in some cases, as a mother for instance, clearly gave them precedence over men. Thus when a man asked Prophet Muhammad (p): "Who is most entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" the Prophet (p) replied, "Your mother." The man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) said, "Your mother." Again the man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) repeated, "Your mother." The man asked for a fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) then replied, "Your father."2
On another occasion, when a man came to the Prophet (p), and expressed the desire to join a military expedition, the Prophet (p) asked him if he had a mother. When he replied that he had, the Prophet (p) advised him, "Stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet."3
Right to Education in Islam PerspectiveFadzliRohami1
Education is very important in Islam, even the first verse of the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, indicates the importance of education in Islam, the verse began with the word "Iqr'a," which is an Arabic command that means "read," and it implies the concepts of "learning," "exploring," and "seeking enlightenment."
"Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. "
(Surah Al Alaq Verse 1-5)
This pamphlet aims to discuss some of the beauties, benefits and unique aspects of Islam as compared to other beliefs and religions.
1. Close Relationship with the Creator
2. Positive Outlook on Life
3. Pure and Clear Concept of God
4. Emphasises Both Evidence and Faith
5. Forgiveness of Sins
6. Accountability and Ultimate Justice
7. Practical and Balanced Way of Life
8. Universal and Timeless Message
How to Become a Muslim?
Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process. All that a person has to do is to say a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Shahada), which is pronounced as:
“ashhadu alla ilaha ilal Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”
These Arabic words mean, “I testify that There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
Once a person says the Testimony of Faith (Shahada) with conviction and understanding its meaning, then he/she has become a Muslim.
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes.
This is the definition of Allah/God from Qur’an:
1. Say, “He is God, the One.
2. God, the Absolute.
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is nothing comparable to Him.”
—Qur’an 112
The Quran answers such questions as where we came from, why we exist and what we should do. This Book describes the existence, the unity, the power and the mercy of God. The Quran speaks of God, and introduces God as the Merciful, the Creator and the Forgiver. The description of God is the most important message of the Quran.
In order to worship God, we have to know Him well otherwise we may form a distorted concept of Him and then go astray. God is nothing like a human being or like anything that we can imagine and he is the only one worthy of worship.
There is nothing similar to God.
—Quran 42:11
Muslims turn to the Quran and Sunnah for guidance in all areas of life, including include health and medical matters. The Prophet Muhammad once said that "Allah did not create a disease for which He did not also create a cure." Muslims are therefore encouraged to explore and use both traditional and modern forms of medicine, and to have faith that any cure is a gift from Allah.
The status of women in Islam, is an issue that is pertinent in present times; both due to the divergence of cultural practices in the Muslim world from the Islamic perspective and the erroneous perception in the West, that Islam subjugates womenfolk.
A dispassionate study of the primary sources of Islam, along with an analysis of the position of women in societies where
Islam was implemented, actually proves that for women Islam is a special blessing.
“Prior to Islam," write the authors of The Cultural Atlas of Islam, "a woman was regarded by her parents as a threat to family honor and hence worthy of burial alive at infancy. As an adult, she was a sex object that could be bought, sold and inherited. From this position of inferiority and legal incapacity, Islam raised women to a position of influence and prestige in family and society."
The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable because men and women are different, in their physiological and psychological make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations, as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality", which could be misunderstood to mean equality in every minute aspect of life, rather than overall equality.
The Spiritual Aspect
The sacred text of the Glorious Qur'an and the history of early Muslims bear witness to the fact that women are considered as vital to life as men.
Islam refuted the idea that Eve tempted Adam to disobey God, and thus caused his downfall. The Qur'an says that they both disobeyed, and negates the idea that women are a source of evil.
In a world where women were no more than objects of sexual gratification for men, and at a time when the religious circles argued over whether women were human or not, possessing souls, Islam proclaimed:
"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female."
[Al-Qur'an 49:13]
"O Mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, from them scattered countless men and women. Fear Allah, through whom you demand your mutual rights and reverence the wombs (that bore you), for Allah ever watches over you."
[Al-Qur'an 4:1]
Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights and duties, and their Lord promises them in the Glorious Qur'an:
"Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other."
[Al-Qur'an 3:195]
Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations.
The Social Aspect
Women have as much right to education as men do. Almost fourteen centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad (p)1 declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim, male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history.
Islam elevated the position of women in society and treated them on an equal footing with men, and in some cases, as a mother for instance, clearly gave them precedence over men. Thus when a man asked Prophet Muhammad (p): "Who is most entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" the Prophet (p) replied, "Your mother." The man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) said, "Your mother." Again the man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) repeated, "Your mother." The man asked for a fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) then replied, "Your father."2
On another occasion, when a man came to the Prophet (p), and expressed the desire to join a military expedition, the Prophet (p) asked him if he had a mother. When he replied that he had, the Prophet (p) advised him, "Stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet."3
Right to Education in Islam PerspectiveFadzliRohami1
Education is very important in Islam, even the first verse of the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, indicates the importance of education in Islam, the verse began with the word "Iqr'a," which is an Arabic command that means "read," and it implies the concepts of "learning," "exploring," and "seeking enlightenment."
"Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. "
(Surah Al Alaq Verse 1-5)
This pamphlet aims to discuss some of the beauties, benefits and unique aspects of Islam as compared to other beliefs and religions.
1. Close Relationship with the Creator
2. Positive Outlook on Life
3. Pure and Clear Concept of God
4. Emphasises Both Evidence and Faith
5. Forgiveness of Sins
6. Accountability and Ultimate Justice
7. Practical and Balanced Way of Life
8. Universal and Timeless Message
How to Become a Muslim?
Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process. All that a person has to do is to say a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Shahada), which is pronounced as:
“ashhadu alla ilaha ilal Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”
These Arabic words mean, “I testify that There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
Once a person says the Testimony of Faith (Shahada) with conviction and understanding its meaning, then he/she has become a Muslim.
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes.
This is the definition of Allah/God from Qur’an:
1. Say, “He is God, the One.
2. God, the Absolute.
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is nothing comparable to Him.”
—Qur’an 112
The Quran answers such questions as where we came from, why we exist and what we should do. This Book describes the existence, the unity, the power and the mercy of God. The Quran speaks of God, and introduces God as the Merciful, the Creator and the Forgiver. The description of God is the most important message of the Quran.
In order to worship God, we have to know Him well otherwise we may form a distorted concept of Him and then go astray. God is nothing like a human being or like anything that we can imagine and he is the only one worthy of worship.
There is nothing similar to God.
—Quran 42:11
Muslims turn to the Quran and Sunnah for guidance in all areas of life, including include health and medical matters. The Prophet Muhammad once said that "Allah did not create a disease for which He did not also create a cure." Muslims are therefore encouraged to explore and use both traditional and modern forms of medicine, and to have faith that any cure is a gift from Allah.
1. “America needs to understand Islam,
because this is the one religion that erases
from its society the race problem.”
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and such overwhelming spirit
of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this
Ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham and all the other Prophets of Holy
scriptures. For the past week I have been truly speechless and spellbound by the
graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors...” - Malcolm X
-Malcolm X
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Born in poverty and obscurity on May 19,
1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm Little,
the fourth child of Earl and Louise Little,
rose to become one of the most dynamic
Black Nationalist leaders of his time. He felt
the sting of racism and was denied opportunity
from his earliest years, from most, if not all, of the
existing institutions of the day. Without the
possibility or hope of upward mobility, with less
than a ninth grade education, a life of crime was
practically inevitable for young Malcolm.
brother Reginald, who explained about his new
faith. And Malcolm became fascinated with the
doctrine taught by Elijah Muhammad. Soon after,
he embraced the “Lost and Found Nation of Islam”,
based in Chicago and headed by Elijah Muhammad.
Malcolm received his “X” symbolizing his unknown
African tribal name. It was also a candidate’s first
step into the “Nation”.
After his arrest and subsequent incarceration,
Malcolm began reading a variety of literature made
available to the prison by a rich philanthropist.
From the time of his release from prison, in 1952,
until he left the “Black Muslims”, (as the followers
of Elijah Muhammad were called in those days),
Malcolm X became not only the organization’s
most articulate spokesman, but one of its architects
and most ardent supporters.
Religion, race and world history were his favorite
subjects. He also had time enough to review his old
life-style. He began receiving letters from various
family members.Two of his brothers, Philbert and
Reginald, began writing him about a religious
leader named Elijah Muhammad. At first he
thought it was a scam to get his prison sentence cut
short. But Malcolm began listening to his younger
Malcolm’s only concern was to change the condition
of his people, long victimized by social injustice and
institutionalized racism. His approach to this state
of affairs was to focus attention on them, by
reminding the powers of his day of their responsibility for those conditions. He stressed the
importance of not perpetuating such conditions
because of self-hate, ignorance, and substance abuse.
2. the spiritual journey of Malcolm X
After falling out with Elijah Muhammad in 1963
and leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm undertook the journey that every person of the Islamic
faith must, as a religious obligation. The Hajj or
pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
These two events culminated in a complete turnaround in Malcolm’s views on both his religion
and his approach to the problems of racism and
oppression of blacks in America.
While performing the pilgrimage rites at the first
house of worship built for the worship of the One
God, Malcolm saw something he had only heard
about, or dreamed of before: the true equality of
man, as believers of all colors, and all social levels, stood to worship... the One God.
Understanding the true message of Islam as
taught by the Prophet Muhammad (p)1 , Malcolm
now saw that the problems facing man were usually the direct result of the rejection of those
beliefs and practices commanded by God from
the earliest times. He also understood that all
men could live together as one when they accepted the belief that the best of men are those who
sincerely worship God and maintain the duties
God has placed on men regarding their interaction and their relationship with one another.
In his own words, as told to Alex Haley, Malcolm
wrote “Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and such overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and
races here in this Ancient Holy Land, the home of
Abraham and all the other Prophets of Holy scriptures.
For the past week I have been truly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me
by people of all colors. I have been blessed to visit the
Holy City of Mecca ...There were tens of thousands of
pilgrims, from all over the world.They were of all colors, from blue eyed blonds to black skinned Africans. But
we were all practicing in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in
America had led me to believe never could exist
between the white and the non-white.
“America needs to understand Islam, because this is the
one religion that erases from its society the race problem.Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have
met, talked to, even eaten with people who in America
would have been considered “white”, but the “white”
attitude had been removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen such sincere and
true brotherhood, practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color.
“You may be shocked by these words coming from me.
But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen and experienced has forced me to rearrange much of the thought
patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my
previous conclusions. Despite my firm convictions, I
have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to
accept the reality of life as new experience and new
knowledge unfolds. I have always kept an open mind, a
flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of
the intelligent search for truth.
“I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans
could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too,
they could accept in reality the oneness of man—and
cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms
of their “differences” in color.”
What better testament could there be to the unifying
power of Islam, the faith of over one billion people,
comprising one fifth of the human race. This was the
only faith Malcolm believed in, one that could rid the
thus by which we should also judge our fellowman. Says the Glorious Qur’an:
“O mankind we created you from a single (pair)
of a male and a female, and made you into nations
and tribes, that ye may know each other.
Verily the most honored of you in the sight of god
is (he who is) the most righteous of you and
god has full knowledge and is well acquainted
(with all things).” [Al-Qur’an 49:13]
Malcolm’s only concern was to change the condition of his people, long victimized by social
injustice and institutionalized racism. His approach to this state of affairs was to focus attention
on them, by reminding the powers of his day of their responsibility for those conditions
world of the evils of racism. Islam is a faith that rejects
the ideas of inherent racial or nationalistic superiority
and that acknowledges the nobility of all men as their
birthright.This was the only religion whose message was
powerful, yet subtle, enough to capture the heart of this
man possessing an indomitable spirit, of resolute convictions and of faith in the Almighty Creator of the
Universe. The change of his name from Malcolm X to
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz symbolized his final stop on the
journey from the darkness of erroneous beliefs to the
truth and the light of Islam.
There is one verse in the Glorious Qur’an, which not
only restates the common origin of man, explains the
division of humanity into nations, or race and tribes,
tells us that the object and purpose of this division was
also the ultimate unification of humanity, but goes a step
further: It points out to us the one and only criterion,
the only standard by which man is judged by god, and
this criterion is not his color, nor his
race, not his social standing or caste, not
even his skill and the degree of his intelligence. It is something which to achieve lies
within reach of every human being, black or
brown, white or yellow, rich or poor,if only he made
an effort to cultivate it within himself.
This verse of the Holy Qur’an is the answer of
Islam to racism, an answer which, as far as the
Muslim community is concerned, did not remain
a pious exhortation but sounded the death knell of
racial discrimination in the world of Islam as borne
out not only by the example set by the Prophet
Mohammed (p); but also subsequent events in the
history of all Muslim nations and by the general
attitude of the Muslims until the present day.
1 (p) here stands for “peace be upon him”