هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they may increase even more in their faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise.
48:4
Welcome to The Qarawiyyin Newsletter!
By the will of Allah, we have entered the new Hijri year, 1443 AH, may it be full of prosperity and khayr! We ask you to keep the Ummah in your duas; may Allah free the oppressed, grant every Muslim peace in this life and the next, and keep us firm on His path.
Of the many blessings this month, one we are most grateful for is the end of the 20 year occupation of Afghanistan. The US invasion cost the lives of thousands of innocent Afghan men, women and children, destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, and stunted the development of them as a people and as a nation. We pray that Allah grants the people of Afghanistan a fair and capable leadership, bringing them peace, stability and dignity.
However the situation in Syria has taken a turn for the worse, with the regime launching attacks on Daraa, which has now been under siege for over 2 months with many Syrians fleeing due to starvation and bombardment. We have included a few verified charities below who are providing aid on the ground in both Afghanistan and Syria. And as always, do not underestimate the power of du’a.
Amid the news of multiple Muslim figures betraying the trust of the community and abusing their positions of authority, we would like to remind our beloved sisters of the very real phenomenon that is spiritual abuse - please stay vigilant, familiarise yourselves with the red flags and be mindful of the gender boundaries established by Islam. We have compiled some resources that we hope will be of benefit insha’Allah.
And lastly, we are saddened by the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, one of the leading figures in the Kashmiri Jihad and resistance against the Indian regime. May Allah accept his lifelong efforts for the liberations of his people and grant him martyrdom.
Critiquing influencer culture
With the rise of dubious individuals within our community, now more than ever before we must be critical of who we give our attention to and platform, but we must also analyse the wider culture that makes way for such individuals to obtain influence.
Living under occupation – A voice from Kashmir
Kashmir is one of the most highly militarised zones in the world, occupied by the Indian military and often cut off from the rest of humanity with social media blackouts and restricted phone access. These extreme measures are taken by the Indian regime in hopes that the world will forget Kashmir, and with regret maybe we have. But just as the oppression and occupation is still in place, the Kashmiri struggle for freedom is very much alive so it is incumbent on us to ensure we remember them.
‘We really need more female scholars’ – a response
The need for more female scholars is often expressed as the solution to various issues afflicting our Ummah today, yet the reason for the disparities is rarely comprehensively addressed. If we truly desire Islamically-educated female role models for our communities, we must sincerely assess in detail the various reasons for this phenomenon.
Idolising Imams – An interview with Dr Shadee Elmasry
In this old interview with Dr Shadee Elmasry from 2017, he touches upon some important points regarding the the role and responsibilities of the Imam, and the culture of acquiring Islamic knowledge.
Podcast Ep. 15: With the Qur’an | Shaykha Maryam Amir
Shaykha Maryam Amir joins the Qarawiyyin Podcast for a conversation on women seeking religious knowledge: access, barriers, missteps, and successes. We discuss the challenges women commonly face when attempting to access even basic information about their deen. Shaykha Maryam dispels misconceptions regarding women reciting the Qur’an, and illustrates the power of reciting and memorizing the Word of Allah ﷻ.
As well as periodically updating our resource bank, here we share some other insightful contributions from prominent Muslim figures and organisations.
ARTICLE: The Other Afghan Women - Anand Gopal Based on a series of interviews with the forgotten Afghan women living in the rural areas of Afghanistan whose voices have been largely ignored - we learn of the reality and desperation of their situation, and how war and occupation have devastated their lives. A poignant read, exposing a stance that somewhat diverges from the mainstream narrative.
RESOURCE: The Afghan Eye With the recent advancements in Afghanistan, it has taken centre stage in global politics. The immense coverage of the issue has, unsurprisingly, resulted in widespread misinformation and propaganda. The Afghan Eye is made up of two independent Afghan analysts, who aim to provided a counter-narrative, filling in the gaps and connecting the dots in the county's very long and comprehensive history. They are currently holding regular livestreams to address the shifting narrative with the opportunity for live questions and answers. Make sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
PODCAST: Taliban 2.0 & The Road Ahead - The Tripolitan ft Sangar Paykhar On this episode of The Tripolitan, Sangar Paykhar of AfghanEye joins the host in delivering what one may call a crash course on the Taliban and the situation in Afghanistan - with his thoughts on the future of this region. A good listen for those with little background knowledge on a complex issue.
ARTICLE: Darul Qasim’s Position on the Moral and Legal Obligations for Muslims Regarding Sexual Crimes Darul Qasim attempt to provide clarity and offer general guidelines on cases and matters pertaining to allegations of sexual crimes and the Muslim community’s treatment of the accused and the accuser.
ARTICLE: Who can we trust? - Danish Qasim for Muslim Matters Danish Qasim is experienced in working with victims of spiritual abuse, and here he aims to shed light on the characteristics and traits of spiritual abusers, hopefully allowing the reader to recognise their tactics. He has spoken extensively on spiritual abuse, and recently discussed how to tackle the issue with The Muslim Vibe. His website, In Shaykhs Clothing is a great resource on equipping Muslims with the practical guidance to recognise abuse and stand up to it.
DONATE: - Afghanistan Emergency Appeal - One Nation - Ansar Relief Foundation انصار خيريه بنسټ - Afghanistan Emergency Relief - Helping Hand - Molham Team - Syria Appeal - One Nation - Syria Medical Aid - Ummah Welfare Trust
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.