IMAGINE THE SCENE. Egypt versus Argentina. A penalty shootout. Millions watching. The Egyptian team stands on the pitch. One kick will decide history. The impossible happens. Egypt defeat Argentina. The Arab world erupts. Social media explodes. Flags wave. Streets fill with celebrations. Commentators speak of one of the greatest moments in Egyptian history. Then imagine … Continue reading What Makes a Nation Great?
IN SURAH AN NUR, Allah makes a promise to the believers: وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا ٱسْتَخْلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى ٱرْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِى لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْـًٔا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ Allah has promised those … Continue reading The Purpose Behind the Promise
ACROSS THE WORLD today, one of the most serious questions facing democratic societies is the relationship between wealth and political power. Modern democracies are built on the principle of political equality. Whilst every citizen has a right to vote and participate in public life, what we find repeatedly is that those with the deepest pockets … Continue reading Big Money, Political Power, and the Islamic Alternative
THERE ARE FOUR major stories in Surah al-Kahf. Each explores a different trial that human beings encounter in this life. Yet while the first three stories in the surah struck me almost immediately, I found myself struggling with the fourth. Not because it was difficult, but because, on the surface, it seemed almost plain. A … Continue reading Power Without Corruption
EVERY SUMMER, MANY Muslims living in Western countries face a familiar challenge. As the weather warms, standards of dress often become increasingly revealing. Whether walking through the city, commuting to work, shopping, or taking children to the park, it can feel as though the believing heart is being tested at every turn. For many believing … Continue reading Lowering the Gaze
JUST OVER A week ago, east London witnessed a horrific road traffic incident. Five young men were travelling in a car when it left the road, struck a roadside pillar and burst into flames. Two were pronounced dead at the scene and another was critically injured. Three men travelling in a second car were later … Continue reading Justice Without Losing Mercy
Have you noticed how modern life issues are presented to us? They come with their solutions proffered and our only task is to choose between them. Are you conservative or progressive? Capitalist or socialist? Traditional or modern? Religious or secular? Left-wing or right-wing? The debate is framed, the sides are staked out, and we are … Continue reading The Choices We Are Given
ONE OF THE most remarkable features of the Qur’an is its refusal to discuss violence in isolation from history. Modern political discourse often begins at the moment violence becomes visible. The Qur’an, however, insists on asking what came before. This is especially evident in the verse: ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِۦ ثُمَّ بُغِىَ … Continue reading The First Act Is Not Retaliation
ON ASHURA MANY of us reflect on the day Allah granted victory to Musa (as) over Pharaoh. We remember the sea splitting, the end of a tyrant, and the salvation of a persecuted people. But perhaps the most important question is this: How did Musa (as) become the kind of person whom Allah granted such … Continue reading Before the Sea Split
THREE MONTHS AGO, as war erupted between Iran, Israel and the United States, I wrote an article: The Fall of False Shelters: What the Attack on Iran Teaches the Ummah. The central argument was simple. Whilst Muslims should oppose war and the killing of innocents wherever it occurs, we should not confuse any modern nation-state with … Continue reading Power Without Agency, Revisited
Living For Islam 