5 Safar 1444 AH
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ١٥٦ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ ١٥٧
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the rightly guided.
[2:155 - 157]
Assalamu alaykum, Welcome to The Qarawiyyin Newsletter!
We pray you are all keeping well and settling into the new Islamic year. Whilst many of us are occupied by the mundanity of life, some parts of the Ummah are being tested with the harshest of trials. Pakistan has been hit by devastating floods, taking over a thousand lives and displacing millions. We ask you to keep our Pakistani brothers and sisters in your dua’s, may Allah grant them ease and protect them from all harm. There is urgent need for food, medical aid and shelter — we have linked a few verified campaigns below, please donate generously.
This month, we have a new article, podcast episode and book list to keep you all busy! 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.
A Meditation on Death in Istanbul, Xiwen Yang
'By sewing Death into the very fabric of the mundane, the city landscape of Istanbul invites one to contemplate on the fleeting nature of al-hayāt al-dunyā.'
In our latest article, Xiwen Yang writes on the culture of Death in Istanbul.
Podcast Ep. 23: American Muslim Exceptionalism | Butheina Hamdah
Which comes first: nation or ummah?
On Ep. 23, Butheina Hamdah joins us to discuss her research on American Muslim exceptionalism. We examine the impact of American exceptionalism on the Muslim psyche, as well as how American Muslims perceive the broader ummah. As calls for an indigenous Islam in America gain traction, questions of nationalism’s compatibility with an ummatic worldview come to the fore.
Listen to Episode 23 below, or find it on 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: Muslim Fiction
In our latest book list, we explore the exciting world of Muslim fiction – weaving Islamic tradition and history into myth-making and adventure.
Islamicate Book Reviews - "Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands" by Hadia Mubarak
In a regular series of conversations, Dr Usaama al-Azami and Dr Omar Anchassi discuss books from the academic field of Islamic studies and reflect on what they mean for both the field, and Islam and Muslims in the modern world. The latest episode looks at Hadia Mubarak’s "Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands"
Hamza A. Tzortzis Talks About His Favourite Books, Blogging Theology
The books discussed:
Hope Wanted by Antonis Samarakis
Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Testimony: A Philosophical Study by C. J. Coady
Love, Intimacy and Contentment by Imam Al-Ghazali
Divine Perfection: Christianity and Islam on Sin and Salvation by Dr Osman Latif
Coercion by Alan Wertheimer
On Being Human: How Islam Addresses Othering, Dehumanisation and Empathy by Dr Osman Latiff.
As well as periodically updating our resource bank, here we share some other insightful contributions from prominent Muslim figures and organisations.
EVENT: Ummatics Colloquium: Coping with the Modern State Dr. Jonathan Laurence will be presenting a paper in relation to his recent book, Coping with Defeat: Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and the Modern State. Examining upheavals in geography, politics, and demography, Coping with Defeat considers how centralized religions cope with the loss of prestige. Date: Sep 1, 2022 10:30 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
EVENT: Imam Bukhari & his Sahih, Karima Foundation Karima Foundation are running a one-day course which will attempt to substantiate the authenticity of the extraordinary book of Imam Bukhari, introduce students to his life and methodology and also clarify the moral discomfort of some of its content. Course instructors include Dr Jonathan Brown, Dr Belal Alabbas and Mufti Muntasir Zaman.
PODCAST: Manifest(ing) Shirk – Zodiac Signs, Crystals, And Manifestation | Shaykha Aysha Wazwaz Zainab bint Younus speaks to Shaykha Aysha Wazwaz about New Age beliefs and practices, tawheed and shirk, and the curious phenomenon of young Muslim women wholeheartedly embracing the concept of “the Divine Feminine.”
FUNDRAISERS: Pakistan Flood Relief - Pakistan Flood Appeal, Islamic Relief - Pakistan Flood Appeal, Ummah Welfare Trust - AlKhidmat Foundation Pakistan
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.