A Modern Examination of
Relations between Muslims and Non-Muslims in light of the
Prophetic model
By Dr. Ali Suleiman Ali
One can say with full assurance that the messengers
of Allah are the best model examples to emulate. Thus, Prophet
Musa is a working Torah, Isa is a working Gospel and Muhammad
is a working Qur’an (Peace be upon them all). Our
discussion is related to how the Prophet Muhammad treated
his non-Muslim contemporaries. Looking into the Qur’an
and the Seerah of the Prophet, I found that human relationship
in Islam might rely on four or more principles:
1. All of Mankind are decedants of Prophet
Adam and Eve (Peace be upon them)
2. At- Ta’ ruf (Acquaintance)
3. At-Ta‘awun (Cooperation for common interest)
4. Freedom of Choice
An Examination
of Alternative Islamic Education Models for Muslims in America
By Dr. Muneer Fareed
This past decade has been witness to a quest
for Islamic knowledge among Muslims in the United States
that goes well beyond enrolment in Islamic schools or even
graduate studies in Islam. Many in fact turn their backs
on local programs and opt instead for full fledged traditional
programs still being offered in the Middle East and South
Asia , or for programs of a shorter duration designed specifically
for Muslims in the West. We will discuss reasons for this
development, the academic content of the various programs,
and their likely impact on Islam in the United States.
Muslim Americans
between Public and Private spaces
By Dr.
Abdul-Hakim Jackson
The great Ibn ‘Atâ’al-Iskandarî
once asked rhetorically: “Shall you reform your outward
appearance while your inner reality remains in shambles?”
He went on to state that in such a case, “Your likeness
will be as that of a leper who wears fine clothing while
pus and matter flow underneath. Shall you reform that which
the people observe but not your heart which is for your
Lord (to observe)?” What is the proper balance between
our public and private practice of Islam? Should we emphasize
a public maximum and a private minimum or a public minimum
and a private maximum? Where is Islam, and where is Îmân?
This presentation will focus on these questions and contemplate
a response.
