Brothers Account of the Rihal Programme

I met a brother, called Sagir Hassam, known to all his close friends and family as "Hagi almost over a year ago during my charity fundraising campaign to walk up Mount Snowdon.

This brother is a brother with much energy, you would think he has a power plant connected to his orifices, never mind Duracell AA long lasting batteries. However his heart is in the right place and that what counts. He embarked on a journey last month on the Rihla Programme and yesterday came to present and share his experience with his colleagues and close freinds.

More about the Deen intensive programme can be found on:

http://www.deenintensive.com/

Another very close brother of mines, Zakaria Timms also went on this programme. I was very much moved by the presentaion, especially the warmth of brother Hagis love for learning about Islam, Our Prophet (pbuh) as well as the smallest and beautiful things that he had experienced on his journey.

There were many people that brother Hagi had mentioned and my mind is not so great in trying to download them now onto cyberspace so easily, I will IA endeaver to do as this is something I would like to learn more about.

This years program was held in the blessed cities of Madinah, Mecca and Taif during the month of July.

The Teachers that were present in the Rihla programme included:
Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah
Shaykh Abdullah al-Kadi
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
Ustadh Abdel Hadi Honerkamp
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Ustadh Yahya Rhodus

I will look more at the works of these scholars in due course IA.

Islam Expo Compilation

Islam Expo 08'

I attended the four day extravaganza of Islam Expo over the weekend! Well went on Saturday and Sunday and it was very fruitful Alhamdullilah.

Events included:

-Nasheeds - Zain Bikha and Outlandish to name but a few
-Arts and Crafts: Caligraphy Workshops - I had a one hour session on this and it was fabulous!
-Calligraphy Gallery - Amina Maliks' artistry was on view here, that sister has some talent, M'A.
- Souk Stories performed by Khayaal Theatre
- Lectures and Seminars - Jonathon Steele, Yvonne Ridley, Geroge Galloway, Tariq Ramadan to name a few
-Qur'an Recitation by Sheikh Mohammed Jebril and Sheikh Ahmaad Saad
-Muslim in Sport - 5 aside football competition

All in all well worth it, bring on the next one I say!

The Fight of Our Lives

From Hadhramaut to Sylhet to Whitechapel: Reflecting on the Dawah of Shah Jalal

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

Born Timothy J. Winter in 1960, Abdal Hakim studied at the prestigious Westminster School in London, UK and later at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first class honours in Arabic in 1983. He then lived in Cairo for three years, studying Islam under traditional teachers at Al-Azhar, one of the oldest universities in the world. He went on to reside for three years in Jeddah, where he administered a commercial translation office and maintained close contact with Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad and other ulama from Hadramaut, Yemen.

In 1989, Sheikh Abdal Hakim returned to England and spent two years at the University of London learning Turkish and Farsi. Since 1992 he has been a doctoral student at Oxford University, specializing in the religious life of the early Ottoman Empire. In 1996, he was appointed University Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge.

Sheikh Abdal Hakim is the translator of a number of works, including two volumes from Imam al-Ghazali Ihya Ulum al-Din. He gives durus and halaqas from time to time and taught the works of Imam al-Ghazali at the Winter 1995 Deen Intensive Program in New Haven, CT. He appears frequently on BBC Radio and writes occasionally for a number of publications including The Independent and Q-News International, Britain's premier Muslim Magazine.

He lives with his wife and children in Cambridge, UK.

Shaykh Habib Ali -Al Jifri

Shaykh Habib Ali -Al Jifri - See the official English site of this very well spoken Shaykh.

http://www.alhabibali.org/english/

Globalised before Globalisation

http://www.radicalmiddleway.co.uk/events.php?id=2&art=29

Shaykh Abu Sondes Overview

Shaykh Abu Sondes

Prophetic Seerah Course

The Prophetic Seerah Course taught by Shaykh Abu Sondes

Traditionally many courses on the Prophetic Seerah have provided a
descriptive account of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This
course is unique as it provides students the essential 'analysis'
of the Prophetic Seerah by breaking down the life of the Prophet
(pbuh) into stages and looking in detail at the important lessons
that can be derived. Particular emphasis is given to the methods
of delivering the Islamic call (da'wah) to others. The Prophet
Muhammad (saw) is a model of human perfection. It is only through
the study of his life, actions and words that Muslims have hope
of following in his footsteps.

By the end of the course students should feel motivated to emulate
the responses and reactions of the perfect role model by analysing
the Seerah. They will also acquire a higher appreciation of the
events which the Prophet (saw) endured and feel inspired to attain
Allah's pleasure by identifying the most important sources of the
Seerah. The course will cover: The Purpose of Studying the Seerah,
Characteristics of the Seerah, Sources of the Seerah, and Lessons
from the Prophetic Seerah.