Skip to main content

Posts

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Politics of Appeasement

Working within the system, simply does not work. As a matter of fact, it took a  revolution  to  reform  the system from within. However, the double-discourse employed by the Muslim Brotherhood seemingly misses this point. From within, the reformist methods adopted by the Brotherhood through Parliamentary participation are justified through a strategy of  incrementalism (tadaddaruj) [1] .  Meaning that steps are taken incrementally within the system, to reform it – with the intention of eventually taking power and transforming those elements of the establishment incommensurable with Islam. To the Islamophobic West, the Brotherhood reassures policy makers in Washington D.C, Paris, and in London that they do not, and will not pursue an Islamic State. Not even a majority in Parliament. But only a sizable bloc in parliament as to maintain the ‘democratic nature’ of the government and to embrace values such as ‘plurality’. Recent talks between the U.S and the Brotherhood are indicative th

Migrating from one mujtahid to another

The following is a translation from the Arabic book “The Islamic Personality' Volume 1 by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. Please refer to the original Arabic for accurate meanings. This section is part of a wider chapter about Ijtihad and Taqleed please refer to it for more elaboration on the topic.  Allah (swt) has not ordered us to follow any mujtahid , imam or mazhab, rather He (swt) ordered us to adopt the hukm Shar’i . He ordered us to adopt what the Messenger (saw) brought and to abstain from what he (saw) has forbidden us. He (swt) said: وَمَا آَتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا “ And whatsoever the Messenger (saw) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” [TMQ Hashr: 7].  Therefore, the Shari’ah does not deem it right for us to follow the people except the rules of Allah (swt). However, the reality of taqleed has led the Muslims to follow the rules of certain mujtahids whom they have assigned as imams for

Penal Code in Islam

The following is the translation of a chapter from the Arabic book 'Al-Fikr al-Islami' (The Islamic Thought) by Sheikh Mohammad Mohammad Ismael Abduh, an Assistant Professor at the Egyptian University (now known as Cairo University) in the past.   Allah (swt) legislated the punishments in Islam as deterrents and consolations. They are deterrents in order to deter people from committing the crimes. They are also consolation for they take away from the Muslim the punishment of Allah (swt) at the Day of Judgement. The fact that the punishments in Islam are deterrents is established by the text of Qur’an. Allah (swt) says: “And there is life for you in retaliation, O men of understanding.” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 129] The fact that Allah (swt) made life in the retaliation means that carrying out the retaliation (punishment) is what saves the life. This  is not by saving the life of the one who was punished, for in the retaliation (punishment) is his death and not his life, rather th