28 Rabiʻ al-Awwal 1444 AH
يٰٓاَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اِنَّآ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ شَاهِدًا وَّمُبَشِّرًا وَّنَذِيْرًاۙ
“O Prophet, indeed, we have sent you as a witness and as a bearer of good news and warning.”
33:45
Assalamu alaykum, Welcome to The Qarawiyyin Newsletter!
With Rabi al-Awwal now behind us, we pray that all were able make the most of the auspicious month. In this edition of our newsletter, we share two articles honouring the character of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, alongside a new book list featuring titles looking at his life and legacy. May Allah increase us in our love for our beloved Rasūl.
In recent weeks, we have again seen the hijab abused by various ideologues - weaponised by the unjust and scapegoated by those with an agenda. May Allah grant His divine justice. We include two articles below that highlight how we should navigate the status of hijab in Islam and the discourse surrounding it.
Finally, it has been barely a month since we were given the news of the death of Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi, a man who leaves behind a monumental legacy. May we always remember him for speaking truth to a tyrant, and his unwavering support for the oppressed. Have a listen to Episode 20 of The Qarawiyyin Podcast for an in-depth analysis of his position during the Arab revolutions.
If you are interested in submitting an article or have an idea you want to pitch us, please fill out the submission form on our website.
Hijab: The Limits of Choice
“If an act is an obligatory function of being religious, then there is simply no option of choice as far as one believes in the religion”.
Fadilah A. reflects on implications of discourse surrounding hijab, considering dynamics of emphasising choice.
Refuting the Historical Negation of Hijab
"If Islamophobia ultimately succeeds when Muslims start foregoing religious practices, narratives such as Ali’s are equally, if not more, dangerous."
Aisha Hasan dissects a famous TEDx Talk arguing against the necessity of hijab.
Reflections on Rabi’ al-Awwal
You will be polished with each salat upon him ﷺ, beautiful not because of what you are, but what you see. Innocent children think the ocean is blue because, in merely laying beneath the sky, it takes on one of its attributes. Perhaps by simply gazing upon you ﷺ, I may take on your hue.
Five of the Qarawiyyin Project’s contributors put forward their reflections on the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
To Love as He ﷺ Loved
If only we were to revive the wisdom of the Messenger ﷺ. How he yearned to help those in need! Rasūlullah ﷺ used the mistakes of other people as an opportunity to empower them, not break them. So why then do we so often resort to harshness and humiliation when someone errs?
Authored by our first cohort of interns, this piece reflects on how the Prophet ﷺ taught us to love.
Ep. 20: “Islam and the Arab Revolutions” | Book Talk
Usaama Al-Azami’s Islam and the Arab Revolutions: The Ulama Between Democracy and Autocracy analyses the rhetoric of religious scholars throughout the Arab Spring. Focusing on the Egyptian revolution, Al-Azami explains what defines the factions standing for or against the revolution and assesses their key figures, including Ali Gomaa, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, and Abdullah Bin Bayyah.
On Episode 20, we discuss the content of the book, the role of ulama in politics, and how to navigate their problematic stances.
Listen to Episode 20 below, or find your favourite platform — including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more — here on Anchor.
You can find all previous book lists in the literature section on TQP website.
Book List: Rabīʿ al-Awwal
There is no shortage of writing devoted to the most praised, the greatest of all mankind: Rasūlallāh ﷺ. Works on sīrah alone number in the thousands. To mark this Rabīʿ al-Awwal, we have compiled a list of books focusing on Prophet Muḥammad’s ﷺ life, teachings and rights upon us.As well as periodically updating our resource bank, here we share some other insightful ;contributions from prominent Muslim figures and organisations.
VIDEO: Female Scholarship: Representation or Tokenism? - Muslim Women Scholars Shaykha Sarah Ahmed and Zainab bint Younus interrogate the assumptions and criticisms made against female scholarship and highlight the importance of uplifting female scholarship in both local and global spheres.
ARTICLE: Why Yusuf al-Qaradawi Still Matters - Dr Usaama al-Azami Dr Usaama al-Azami discusses the impact and importance of Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, looking at why he was such a polarising figure in the Middle East in recent years.
If you have any questions, feedback or would like to feature in our next newsletter, let us know. Email us at contact@qarawiyyinproject.co or visit our website to find out more about our article submission process.
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Until next time, Assalaamu Alaykum.