Category Archives: Commentary
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 […]
A Note on Addiction and Desire – Adapted from Ibn al-Qayyim’s Rawdat al-Muhibbin
Is desire bad? Much like expressing one’s anger, desire is not praiseworthy at all times, nor is it blameworthy. Excessive anger is blameworthy, as is excessive desire. How do we define excess in these situations? Excess is when their expression goes beyond what benefits or what fails to prevent harm. Despite there being acceptable expressions […]
What Effect does Sin Have On Faith? Suicide in Islamic Thought part 3
Introduction and Recap In previous entries, we covered the primacy of God’s oneness as a core tenant of Islamic belief inculcates in a believer self-accountability. Our acts, therefore, are not without repercussions. We will be judged for our actions, especially those that we perpetrate against others and ourselves, but also those we perpetrate against God. […]