I returned from the mosque after the ‘asr prayer, as evening cast its veil over Oxford, that city which pulses with knowledge and thought, enwrapped in a gentle breeze that caressed the soul as it stirred the fallen leaves. It was then that the esteemed delegation knocked at my door, carrying with them the fragrance… Continue reading A Scholarly Gathering in Oxford
Why Has the Culture of Questioning and Critical Thinking Receded in the Arab and Islamic World?
It is neither surprising nor unnatural that great civilisations are founded upon the shoulders of questioning, nor that advanced nations ascend by virtue of that first moment when a person casts a searching, restless gaze upon what surrounds him, and asks: why? how? when? The question, at its root, is not merely a word uttered,… Continue reading Why Has the Culture of Questioning and Critical Thinking Receded in the Arab and Islamic World?
Why?
One of the great truths of human history is that questioning and research are the very factors that lay the foundations for any nation’s progress, intellectual awakening, and scholarly development. When a person loses the ability to think, to examine, and to arrive at the truth on the basis of evidence, decline becomes his inevitable… Continue reading Why?
Nadwat al-ulama: As a Project of Ecumenism in the Early Modern Period
In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Indian Muslims confronted a complex array of internal and external challenges that critically undermined their communal cohesion and collective advancement. Paramount among these were entrenched theological and jurisprudential divergences that fragmented the ummah into competing sectarian and legal factions. These internal fissures frequently escalated into acrimonious disputes,… Continue reading Nadwat al-ulama: As a Project of Ecumenism in the Early Modern Period
Dīn, Opinion and School of Thought
Islam is not merely a religious system or a collection of rituals and acts of worship, but a comprehensive, divinely-revealed code of life that, in the light of revelation, provides guidance to man in every aspect of his individual, social and spiritual existence. Its foundation rests upon the Noble Qurʾān—the direct speech of the Lord… Continue reading Dīn, Opinion and School of Thought
The Prophets and the Philosophers
They said: We study the views and doctrines of the philosophers, and their brilliance captivates us, their subtleties astonish us, and we almost feel a sense of delight at their call to respect the intellect, liberate the will, cast aside blind following, rebel against every certainty, and question every given—until it seems to us that… Continue reading The Prophets and the Philosophers
Nurturing Writing Instinct and Intellectual Awareness in the Students of Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ
The Arabic language, ever since its light first shone upon the land of India, was never merely an instrument for speech or writing. It has always been something deeper, more profound in impact, and higher in status in the hearts of its people. It was—and still remains—a living inheritance, passed down as one would pass… Continue reading Nurturing Writing Instinct and Intellectual Awareness in the Students of Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ
The Serious and Honest Pursuit of Truth
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Research is the serious and honest endeavour to attain truth and correctness. It is precisely this quality that distinguishes the human being from other creatures and becomes the very evidence of his dignity and nobility. Every person ought to adopt the path of research in every affair of his life. To… Continue reading The Serious and Honest Pursuit of Truth
The Value of Time in the Life of Students
Time is universally acknowledged as the most precious and irreplaceable resource available to humankind. Unlike material possessions or financial assets, which may be lost and subsequently regained, time is permanently beyond retrieval. For students entering higher education, particularly those transitioning from the school and family to the domain of independence, an acute understanding of time’s… Continue reading The Value of Time in the Life of Students
Between Soundness and Truthfulness
The evening was pleasant, the air still, save for a gentle breeze slipping through the windows of the sitting room, brushing our faces, and instilling in the soul a sense of calm. We, a small group of companions, had gathered in that old room to which we would retreat whenever the busyness of the day… Continue reading Between Soundness and Truthfulness