Syed Manazir Ahsan Gilani[1] Translated by Waqar Akbar Cheema The dark and swirling clouds of intellectual rebellion and mental unrest, what we call kufr, can be torn apart only by rays that flow, directly or indirectly, from the fountain of Prophethood. Whenever doubt and apostasy stir within an otherwise practising Muslim community, whether or not other Read more
The Masnavi as a Bulwark of Faith Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema [divider] It is well known that Hind bt. ‘Utbah (d. 14/635), the wife of Abu Sufyan b. Harb (d. 31/652), chewed the liver of Hamza b. ‘Abdul Mutalib after he was killed by a slave named Wahshi (d. ca 25/645) during the Battle of Uhud (Shawal 3/December 624), the second major encounter
On Hind bt. ‘Utbah Chewing Hamza’s Liver Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Muhammad Ibn Sa’d’s (d. 2330/845) work “Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir” or “Tabaqat al-Kubra” is an important source of information regarding life and times of early Muslims including a detailed account of events and aspects the life of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Part of the work covering the life of the Prophet was
Moinul Haq’s Translation of Ibn Sa’d’s Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir Read More »
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi*[1] Translated and Annotated by Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract Belief in the advent of Imam al-Mahdi is an important tenet for the vast majority of Muslims across sectarian lines. However, some have come to question the decisiveness of the hadiths concerning the advent of al-Mahdi, especially based on Ibn Khaldun’s arguments in
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Translated by Adeel* These days the idea that women should work with men on equal footings is pressed upon with full force. The influence of modern western thought has spread this idea across the globe without considering as to why man and woman have been created with physical differences if they
Should women go out and work like men? An Islamic Perspective Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema 1. Introduction Every nation has a natural tendency to polish its history. All nations do it and they do it even at cost of distorting facts. Not that distortion of facts is anyway justified, but the attitude is natural somehow. However, in our society we come across people who are going against
Jalaluddin Khwarazm: A Visionary Leader | An Intrepid Warrior Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema It is popularly held that on hearing about the injury of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) during the battle of Uhad Uwais al-Qarni broke all his teeth. Earliest well known source mentioning the story is Tazkirah al-Awliya of Farid ad-Din al-Attar (d. 607 AH). He relates that Uwais had the following conversation with
Unverified Story of Uwais Al-Qarni Breaking his Teeth Read More »
Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal “Assessed in the most general terms, the Islamic scientific tradition can be seen as having passed through the following major phases: (i) a formative phase under the shade of Islamic religious sciences; (ii) a quick maturation through the massive infusion of data, information and theories from the Greek, Indian and Persian traditions;
6 Phases of the Islamic Scientific Tradition Read More »
Dr. Hidayet Y. Nuhoglu The time lag of almost three centuries which elapsed between Gütenberg’s setting up his press and Müteferrika’s publishing his first book Van Kulu has been interpreted in various ways by contemporary historians, which resulted in the common belief that this was one of the main reasons for the Ottoman State’s backwardness.
Ottomans and the Printing Press: Answering Misconceptions Read More »
Leslie P. Peirce We in the West are heir to an ancient but still robust tradition of obsession with the sexuality of Islamic society. The harem is undoubtedly the most prevalent symbol in Western myths constructed around the theme of Muslim sensuality. One of the most fertile periods for the production of texts and images
Myth and Reality of the Ottoman Harem Read More »