In this talk at the University of Florida, Dr Quick looks at the root of "racial" slavery while making a survey of what slavery was like during the time of the Prophet (P). What was, or is, the role of slavery in Islam? And is it possible that the concept of slavery has changed with time? This lecture is full of important historical information relevant for all races of people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Other topics discussed: stereotyping, the separation of Asia and Africa, Columbus, evidence of Muslims resisting slavery in the early Americas, the present-day economic-spiritual-psychological slavery, non-Muslim scholars not using primary sources, and the connections between Muslim slaves in Haiti & Africa.

Aboo Hurayrah(ra) reported that the Messenger(saw) of Allah(swt) said,

“Verily Allah(swt) does not look at your bodies nor at your appearances, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” (Muslim)

Commentary:

People today place great emphasis on clothing and physical appearance. Intelligence, ability, and even value is judged by the shape of the body, the colour of the skin, the texture of the hair, the features of the face or the cost of the shoes. Even piety is sometimes measured by a turban or a face veil. Allah Almighty (swt), is above our limited way of judgement and focuses on the essence of the individual. The heart is the root of our feelings and our conscience.

So people should be more aware of character (See Hadeeth #6) and actions than rhetoric and empty promises. This approach can enable us to overcome racism, pride and petty differences.

CAIRO ? Eighty scholars from 23 Turkish universities are working on a major project to classify and translate the Hadith (the collection of sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him). “Make no mistake, we are not after modifying or revising the Hadith,” Mehmet Gormez, deputy director of the religious affairs authority Diy and supervisor of the project, told IslamOnline in a phone interview.

“What we are actually doing is re-classifying, re-categorizing the Hadith and translating it into Turkish, no more no less.”

A hadith literally means “saying,” but in the Islamic technical sense, a hadith refers to the sayings of the Prophet, the Prophet’s acts, the Prophet’s tacit approval of an action or practice, or the Prophet’s attributes, whether physical or moral.

Gormez said the three-year project has to do with a new understanding of the Sunnah and Hadith and accordingly making them more understandable to today’s Turks.

He added that Turkish scholars working on the project, which will be completed by yearend, are taking early Muslim scholars, who had already revised the Hadith, as their basic reference.

“We have compiled all hadiths and read them to reclassify them anew,” he explained.

“We have also taken into account the unauthentic ones or those attributed falsely to the Prophet because to understand the true Hadith, you really need to (understand) the unauthentic sayings.”

Muslim scholars believe Hadith is integral to the understanding of Qur’an, since they are inseparably linked to each other.

They say it is impossible to understand the Qur’an without reference to Hadith because the Qur’an is the message and the Hadith is the explanation of the message by the Messenger himself.

Western Fuss

Gormez, a British trained theologian, said the re-classified Hadith will come in multiple volumes.

“It might be five or even six volumes; we are still not decided.”

He shrugged off media suggestions that Turkey was re-writing the Hadith and creating a new Islam.

“They made too much fuss and took the project out of its real context.

“We are neither fashioning a new Islam nor dare to alter the fixtures maxims of Islam,” Gormez said emphatically.

“The Western media have read what are doing from a Christian perspective and understood it in line with their Christian and Western cultures.”

When it comes to Islam, Gormez said, the Western media is used to focusing on women’s status and jihad.

Several British newspapers on Wednesday, February 27, ran stories on the Turkish project .

The Guardian headlines the story as “Turkey strives for 21st century form of Islam.”

A day earlier the BBC reported the project under the headline “Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts.”

Gormez also refuted claims they would and edit out some hadiths, especially about women.

“No Muslim in the right mind would dare delete any hadith or tamper with the Prophet’s heritage.”

Source: IslamOnline

Still to come after Part1.4 of Fiqh-us-Seerah:

5. The Early Years.
6. Young Adulthood to Marriage.
7. Marriage to Prophethood.
8. The First to Believe.

Still to come after Part1.3 of Fiqh-us-Seerah:

4. The Lineage and Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
5. The Early Years.
6. Young Adulthood to Marriage.
7. Marriage to Prophethood.
8. The First to Believe.

Thawbaan (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah(saw) said:

““The nations are about to call one another and descend upon you just as those who are eating invite others in sharing their food. Someone asked, “Will that be because we are few in number at that time?” He answered, “ No, at that time you will be numerous. But you will be froth/scum carried by the torrent. Allah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will put a weakness into your hearts”. Then someone asked, “What is that weakness?” He replied, “Love of the world and hatred of death.” (Reported in Aboo Dawood and he said that it is authentic - Hasan - Saheeh).”

Commentary:

The armies of the Western world and their allies are again pouring into the Middle East and surrounding the heartlands of Islam. Thousands of children have died in Iraq as a result of unjust sanctions. False justifications of fighting “terror”, or disarming governments which were created and armed by the same Western powers, are being used as a means of destroying the next generation of Muslim youth.

Where are the Muslim leaders and their huge armies? What has happened to the billions of dollars spent to prepare their own military defence systems? Surely the Prophet Muhammad(saw) did not speak from himself. Allah (swt)gave him a vision of the events of our times. Muslims are increasing in numbers throughout the world. Our masaajid and Islamic centres overflow on special occasions. Millions make earnest supplications on the Hajj, asking the Creator to lift this oppression from our backs and bring back the dignity and security of the past.

Something fundamental has to change in the essence of our Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) and his Companions did not have the support of millions of people or fabulous oil and mineral wealth, but Allah (swt) gave them authority in the land. They feared Him alone, and were not tied to the material world. They longed to meet their Lord and did not see death as an end but as a door leading to a better existence.

The time has come for Muslims to re-examine their relationship with the Creator and bring out the real Islamic personality that can transform a puppet, despotic ruler into a noble servant of humanity or a weak, humiliated Muslim into a mighty defender of Truth.

Still to come in Part1 of Fiqh-us-Seerah:

3. Highlights from the History of Arabia.
4. The Lineage and Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (s).
5. The Early Years.
6. Young Adulthood to Marriage.
7. Marriage to Prophethood.
8. The First to Believe.

Aboo Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

“This, my Ummah, is a nation that has mercy on it. Its punishment will not be in the Hereafter, but in this life. That being fitan(2), earthquakes, and murder.”(3)

Commentary:

Many people wonder why Muslims are suffering so much in the lands of Islam. These trials are punishment and purification for the corruption and oppression that exists within our Ummah. We should take heed from these tribulations and make constant tawbah (repentance) to Allah (swt). Maybe through our seeking mercy and not returning to our wrong actions, the calamities can be lifted. We can no longer only blame the West or the disbelievers for the calamities and crises that have befallen us. Islam is a complete way of life that is viable in all environments at all times, and when practiced accordingly, will lead to success, victory and peace.

2. Fitan, the plural of Fitnah, can refer to a trial, tribulation, punishment, temptation, confusion or calamity or wars between Muslims
3. This Hadeeth is reported in Sunan Aboo Dawood, Ibn Majah, and Musnad ibn Hanbal. Al Haakim, also, reported and authenticated it. Ath-Thahabi confirmed this position. See ‘Aun al-Ma‘bood of ibn Qayyim al- Jawziyyah, vol.11, Hadeeth #4258.