I am sure other Islamic Centers also must be involved in activities with their neighbors and local communities, but I want to share my views about what Islamic Center of Rockland is doing, and start a discussion to learn from each other and figure out a best way  forward and respond to legitimate concerns as well as counteract onslaught of  propaganda and misconceptions.

Islamic Center of Rockland hosted the first discussion session of Interfaith on March 11, 2012. There will be multiple sessions held on all three religions, Islam, Christianity  and Judaism. The topic of first session was ” Islam ” . The Islamic Center of Rockland did a great job in arranging this session. It was well-organized, the    lecture hall was full, and I think about 70 to 80 % of the audiences were American Christians and Jews. Local politicians also attended the forum.The speaker and panelists did a great job in their presentation and by adding the human history and stories made the discussion very interesting and effective. Some of the questions raised and discussion included, the commonality in three Abrahamic religions, the veil issue, Sharia Law, the US constitution and Sharia Law, Democracy in Islam, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and extremist elements, Islam in Saudi Arabia, mixing of local customs and culture in Muslim Societies with Islam and confusion it created in minds of west in differentiating the two. The panelists did a very good job of keeping the focus of on commonality among three religions and avoiding the friction points.

During the snacks the discussion in small groups also continued. Most of the discussion in small groups included the same topics but I think the Sharia Laws were the main focus. These discussions were more on personal level. Distribution of English Translation copies of Quran and pamphlets prepared by Mr. Azeem Farooki was a great idea. One of the pamphlet on the Lecture by Professor Mark David Welton , who teaches Sharia Law at US Military Academy at West Point, mentions that 90 % of the Sharia Law is in US Constitution, is worth reading.

About two weeks ago Islamic Center of Rockland held a session on “Prevention of Domestic Violence In Muslim Community “. It was held with the co-operation of Rockland Family Shelter and AWAKE, an Asian Women’s organization. The focus of this session was awareness about domestic violence in light of Quran and Sunna and its prevention. The discussion and video presentation in this session was extra ordinary. This session was also attended by American Christians and Jews.

Islamic Center of Rockland also joins other organizations for charity on Christmas, Thanksgiving and other occasions.

I think such activities in co-operation with local organizations are more effective and have more impact. These sessions  give us the chance to interact with our neighbors at human level, and this way they don’t see us in some scary abstract image as projected by media.

I think following are the points of discussion:

1- Is this the most effective way to address the legitimate concerns of our neighbors and counteract propaganda and misconceptions?

2- What other Islamic Centers are doing in this regard on local level ? By sharing this information we can learn from each other.

3- Questions and comments on what was said during these sessions and individual comments after the session. This will help other Islamic Centers to learn the points of discussion.

4- Individuals who attended the Lecture by Professor Welton or others who are knowledgeable should share the basis of comments made by Professor Welton ” 90 % of Sharia Law is in US Constitution”. I think it is based mostly on civil rights, individual rights and equal justice for all in the Constitution Amendments. Similar views are expressed by Professor Abou El Fadl in his writings about Democracy in Islam.

5-Any other comments or questions?

Fayyaz Sheikh

PLEASE FORWARD THIS POST TO YOUR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF YOUR ISLAMIC CENTER AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE PART IN THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION

Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

Of the many books and profound philosophical treatises written by the great ibn ‘Arabi, these lines of poetry are probably his most famous.

This short verse says so much with its few words. Like the caravan it mentions, if we follow it we are led into wide open lands as yet undreamed of�

This selection is an excerpt from Ibn �Arabi’s long poem The Interpreter of Desires. The Interpreter of Desires is a multi-layered love poem that, like the Song of Songs in the Bible and many of the courtly love songs of the Troubadours, reveals itself to ultimately be an exploration of the soul’s yearning for God. It is a tale of a holy pilgrimage to Mecca, in which the hero meets a young Persian woman of pure beauty named Nizham (Harmony). This encounter with such a perfect embodiment of harmony inspires an ardent quest that becomes a quest for the True Beloved, for God.

My heart has become able
To take on all forms.

The heart, in this sense, is not just how we feel love, it is the center of our awareness. It is like the mirror that reflects what we focus it on. In other words, the heart, the core of awareness, doesn’t just feel, it takes on the form of what we love. This is why we ultimately become what we love and fixate on.

But a master doesn’t fixate that love. When we profoundly open, we find everything — everything — reflected within the heart. Every person. Every creature. Every object. Every thought. We find all of existence reflected within the heart.

And each reflection is recognized as the Beloved. While we ourselves become formless.

It is a pasture for gazelles,
For monks an abbey.

It is a temple for idols
And for whoever circumambulates it, the Kaaba.
It is the tablets of the Torah
And also the leaves of the Koran.

Can such an awakened heart then reject any school of awakening?

I believe in the religion
Of Love
Whatever direction its caravans may take,
For love is my religion and my faith.

But, of course, one must understand what real religion is. It is not stone walls or steeples. It is not crosses or crescents. It is neither creeds nor rituals nor books. …Though any one of those, properly approached, can open the door.

Like all true masters, ibn ‘Arabi reminds us that the true religion is nothing less than — Love.

And remember, the mystic’s love is not just some nice philosophical ideal. It exists. It is experienced — an overwhelming, blissful experience of wholeness, interconnectedness, and joy. Limited notions of the self are washed away, replaced by a warm, all-embracing vision of reality, where the heart has grown wide enough to recognize everyone and everything at rest within itself. Words fail, but that pulse of universal life does not.

That — THAT is what religion is.

Taken from SACRED GEOMETRY by Miranda Lundy

Islam and the State

by

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

It is generally understood that the founder of Pakistan wanted to make it an Islamic democratic welfare state. In later times as well, this concept about Pakistan continued. In these times, people who are the advocates of a revolution and a change also say so. If the common masses are inquired, a vast majority will attest to this concept. There are excellent exemplars of democratic and western states in the western world; so it is not difficult at all to understand what such states are. However, the question arises: What exactly is implied by an “Islamic State”? One of its models can be seen in the monarchy of Saudia and another in the theocracy of Iran. However, if Islam is understood directly from its sources, it does not accept both these models. Thus it is essential that the requirements of Islam regarding the political system of the Muslims be stated here so that in this light people can evaluate the promises and measures of their leaders.

Following are these requirements:

1. Those who call themselves Muslims and regard Muhammad (sws) to be the last prophet of God, are diligent in their prayer and are ready to pay zakah to the state, they shall be regarded as Muslims and the rights which they specifically enjoy by virtue of the Islamic shari‘ah shall be given to them in all circumstances.

This means that they are not the subjects of a king but equal citizens. No discrimination shall be made between them in the state system and the laws of the state. Their life, wealth and honour shall hold sanctity – so much so, without their consent a state will not impose any tax on them other than zakah. If a dispute arises in their personal affairs like marriage, divorce, distribution of inheritance and other similar matters, then it shall be decided in accordance with the Islamic shari‘ah. They shall be provided with all the essential facilities for their daily prayers, the fasts of Ramadan and hajj and ‘umrah. They will not be forced by the law to submit to any directive which reflects a positive injunction of Islam except the prayer and the zakah. They will be governed with justice and fairness on the principle of amruhum shura baynahum (their system is based on their consultation). Their public wealth and assets shall be reserved for the collective needs of the society and shall not be given in private ownership; in fact they shall be developed and looked after in such a way that the needs of people who are not able to financially support themselves are fulfilled from their income. If they pass away, they shall be enshrouded and prepared for burial according to Muslim rites; their funeral prayer shall be offered and they shall be buried in the graveyard of the Muslims the way Muslims are buried.

2. It shall be the responsibility of the government to organize the Friday and the ‘id prayers. These prayers shall be held only at places which are specified by the state. Their pulpits shall be reserved for the rulers. They themselves will deliver the sermon of these prayers and lead them or some representative of theirs will fulfill this responsibility on their behalf. Within the confines of the state, no one will have the authority to organize these prayers independently.

3. Law enforcing departments shall be primarily reserved for amar bi al-ma‘ruf and nahi ‘an al-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil). Thus the most pious of people will be selected as the workers of these departments. They will urge people to do good and forbid them all what mankind has always regarded as evil.

4. The state shall always adhere to justice (qa’im bi al-qist) with regard to its enemies as well. It will say the truth, bear witness to it and will not take any step which is contrary to justice and fairness.

5. If the state enters into agreement with someone within its jurisdiction or with someone foreign entity, then as long as the agreement exists it shall be honoured both in letter and in spirit with fully honesty and sincerity.

6. If a Muslim is guilty of murder, theft, fornication, falsely accusing some of fornication (qadhf) or spreading anarchy and disorder in the land and a court is fully satisfied that he does not deserve any lenience as per his personal, familial and social circumstances, then those punishments shall be meted out to him which the Almighty has prescribed in His Book for those who have whole-heartedly accepted the call of Islam.

7. Dissemination of Islam to all parts of this world shall be organized at the state level. If any power of the world tries to hinder this effort or persecutes Muslims, then a state as per its capacity will try to remove this hindrance and stop this persecution even if it has to lift arms for it.

 (Translated by Dr Shehzad Saleem)