Category Archives: Commentary
A Decade in Review, an Emotional One
Thinking back over the past 10 years, I find my mind racing to recall all the things meaningful to me during this time. Some of it is just a blank in my mind, some extremely vivid. Rather than a chronology of the various events and happenings of the last 10 years I’ve decided to review my emotions this decade.
Boys Don’t Cry
Lots of times we as men as told “crying isn’t manly.” It is a stereotype taught to us as men from the time we are small. Not through words necessarily, but many times by the way we are allowed to express our emotions & how emotional interactions are modeled for us. Crying is a natural […]
Does Islamic Law take a Position on Slave Reparations?
Welcome Development, Cautious Celebration Princeton theological seminary recently announced that it would be awarding 27 million dollars in scholarships as reparation for its involvement in the history of slavery, although it – as an institution – was not involved in the slave trade itself. The PTSEM was founded in 1812. While it did not own […]
Fathers: A Door of Paradise
“One who resembles his father has done no wrong…” Its said that Ru’ba b. Ajjaj once saw the generosity of ‘Adi b. Hatim, and so he recited this line: بأبه اقتدى عدي في الكرم *** ومن يشابه أبه فما ظلم “It was his father that Adi followed in generosity *** and one who resembles his […]
Video: Can I claim a tax deduction for paying my zakat?
Lots of people ask me year after year, “I’ve paid my Zakat, is it wrong for me to claim a tax deduction? Am I benefiting from my charity by taking a tax deduction?” In this video I answer the question “Can I claim a tax deduction for paying my zakat?” 1- How tax liabilities and […]
Video: Can a Muslim convert inherit from their non-Muslim relative?
In this video I discuss three issues: 1- Can Muslims inherit from non-Muslims? Here I go over the classical opinions on the topic. 2- The difference between a testamentary gift and inheritance. The former being allowed in all cases. 3- The principle of the appropriate preservation of wealth that may go to waste. Addendum […]
2018 Year in Review – Community Activities Report
Salam Alaikum, Last December I decided to go on a social media hiatus, allowing myself time to reevaluate my priorities and focus on self-care. Looking back, what I found was that 2018 was a year of both growth & loss, a year of challenge & improvement. By taking time away and allowing myself the ability […]
Video: Does Rape Require Four Witnesses Under Islamic Law?
In this short video Joe Bradford discusses the differences between Zina and Rape with regards to consent, the nature of each act, and the process for proving each, and how equating one to the other is an injustice that is antithetical to the faith of Islam of the whole. Update: Here’s a Facebook link to my […]
The Kavanaugh Hearings, Morality, and the Appointment of Judges under Islamic Law
So with all this appalling #KavanaghHearing news, I figured I’d comment on the inherent virtue jurisprudence of Islamic law in it’s appointment and regulation of judicial appointees. So first, what does a judge do? A judge’s (Arabic: Qāḍī’) basic function is to resolve disputes and allocate rights to litigants. The Qāḍī retains not only the […]
Religious Studies versus Islamic Theology/Law – Religion For Breakfast
If you are unfamiliar with the “Religion for Breakfast” YouTube channel, please give it a look and subscribe. It’s one of my favorite channels. Andrew Mark Henry does a wonderful job of making complex topics on religion accessible. In the video below, he touches on the general difference between religious studies & theology. You can […]