where are the scholars?

If my goal is to stop potential violence, the rage, the hate... to shine some divine light upon the darkness of ignorace...I think i must try to REACH the REAL audience, both the haters and the ones who will REACT to that hate with anger. Different forums for different people. I think the EXPERTS Must hold open introductory level events (free lectures at masjids instead of ballrooms for Muslims). For years i've wanted great scholars like Seyyed Hussain Nasr, Abdul Hakim Murad and Dr. Abou el Fadl to give talks to those uninitiated. Primarily because some of their devoted students fail to do a good job (sometimes a follower/disciple come off as a weirdo). ...an EXAMPLE: When i was an officer at MSA-UT i wanted to introduce my fellow muslims to the great teachings of orthodox sufism (which i believed to be one thing that can neutralize rage and take us closer to perfection) but the scholar i invited for an introductory talk entitled "the Lover and the Beloved" failed. I did all i could to get people to him, but he failed to capture them with his message. then there was students like Zaheer and Mustafa(Steve) who also spoke about sufism at an informal MSA cookie halaqa, they FELT the beauty of the qasidas they recited, but the audience did not, they too failed to capture the audience. (i praise their efforts)... but we must succeed, i'm tired of failed attempts. we must keep islam from being JUST a vehicle for rage, and our experts can probably give the BEST introductions to the sciences that make islam beautiful. but they must connect with their audience. even if its just on a small informal scale. why don't they do more? they should visit more masjids... so many opportunities are wasted at masjids, and MSA's? but maybe they already are doing this. maybe there are so few of them that there presence is not felt everywhere... - when it comes to the topic of theology or law, or dealing with injustice and rights in the face of oppression, its a subject the MASSES need an introduction to, aside from scholarly lectures at universities, exclusive AMILA retreats, or pricey MSG/Deen Intensive camps attended by those who already care. preeching to the converted. I hear that Dr. Seyyed Hussain Nasr doesn't even go to his campus jummah prayer. While I was in Austin, i didn't see Dr. Abou El Fadl at our late jummah. But, I will give them both credit for having students that ARE active. But like i said, We need the Experts to Give some good intros. Dr. Abou El Fadl has some great teachings for our time and place... but, it doesn't help when he or his students become overly critical of the preachers and activists (Hamza Yusuf or Siraj Wahhaj) that the masses listen to. You know what, "sidi hamza" and "imam siraj" connect with an audience. the masses love'em. the listening masses are the spreaders of beautiful teachings of love OR angry messagers of violence. if neither our experts, nor their students are able to connect with the masses, they should at least try to get their message to those leaders that the masses DO listen to. Has anyone presented Imam Siraj with "Speaking in Gods Name" and sat down with him to explain who exactly Dr. Abou El Fadl is, his teachers, his background? what he thinks about the book's arguments? and if he has any questions? Imam Siraj is one of our biggest and BEST leaders, and he's open minded too, its a shame if we dismiss him in our struggle against ignorance. for me, its not about islam as a social/political movement to replace the west. it IS about educating people about the nuances of the Way, which may help them understand better the Beauty of Allah in these times of difficulty. considering our ummah's defeated condition, i don't want my brother's or sister's rage-filled actions to be a cause of their suffering in the next world. How can i get my message to them? i want to tell them: "things are going to get worse bro, but there is something i learned from my heritage that helps me control myself, my rage, and it is something that is FROM... NO -its THE ESSENCE of the teachings of our Divine Beloved. its complicated but here's an intro etc.etc.blah.blah" Dr. Abou El Fadl's Tafseers, Fog of Self Deception, Building A Partnership With Allah and other halaqa tapes are AWESOME, i wish i had been there to benefit, six whole years ago, i can't see why they didn't taken place openly, our "liberal" MSA would have gladly publicized it as we did our arabic classes. Fine, maybe that was not the time... What about now? Is NOW the time? peace and love.

india smells like poo

here's the news item: http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/28/india.train/index.html
...let me summarize: about 50+ people dead in india when train carloads of hindu nationalists were set ablaze by angry people (maybe muslims). its the same hindu nationalists that have a list of historic masjids to be replaced by hindu temples. they believe that its an effort to re-establish temples that existed on those spots centuries ago. for those of you who aren't indian, here's some background info: WE indian muslims consider OUR destroyed masajid to be "shaheed." with such a mess after their first strike in Ayodhya, the government has prevented the construction of the temple to RAMA that the extremeists want to build on its site, as well as any other masjid's martyrdom, for fear of massive riots. but the temple's construction goes on (thousands of craftsmen off-site busy carving pillars). WE indian muslims believe that it can go up overnight cuz there are thousands of hindu volunteers ready to help and the police won't get in there way. this is why any hindu nationalist calls for a rally in Ayodhya are signs of trouble and violence.
...I visted several masjids that are on their hit-list. in Mathura, next to an existing temple for Krishna, there is a masjid Aurangzeb built over the ruins of an earlier temple to Krishna (as in Hare Rama Hare Krishna). Which itself, i read, was built over the ruins of a Buddhist structure.
...There is only one route to that masjid and the local hindu population park cows and water baffalos along that route. There was even feces all over the steps that lead to the gateway. Once there, I had to go through metal detectors and they frisked me before i was allowed to proceed, police were lounging around everywhere. I was interrogated when they saw me sketching. among the only two other non-police there, one was a hindu dude with a robe and marks on his forehead following me around. While i can understand the police "protection of the site" and was not angered by it, scraping poo off my shoes had me ticked. I wasn't there during a prayer time, but i wonder how many muslims want to go through all the trouble to pray there if there is a more peaceful alternative... An empty masjid sure is easier to demolish... If it was only as easy as saying "please don't blame me for something my ancestor did, and since you already have a temple right next door can't we all just get along. cuz destroying a centuries old mosque will only lead to feelings of hostility and frustration within a minority and could lead to violence and blood shed."... Go on, Rally in Ayodhya, but beware of the mess that you create. ***warning: read the rest at your own risk, it includes language that is intentionally designed to offend... here's the bigger picture: the militant extremist hindu's want sympathy. i find it hard to feel sympathy for anyone who creates an atmosphere of hate, then portray themselves to be innocent victims of aggression. that percieved aggression of the muslims is only being a reaction, a natural HUMAN frustration that reaches a limit, TRUE it must be controlled by the rational ability that God has given us. But, I'm not perfect, and this atmosphere of hate is a hinderance in my path to perfection. if my family is harassed, my movement is restricted, and on top of that my masjid is desecrated - can you blame me? of course i'll be a reactionary! and i will NOT apologize for it. my frustration goes beyond the point i can control with my love powers. it ozzes out as anger. my anger reaches the point where my hand becomes a fist and rises into the air. put RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE into that boombox, baby. push play and i will unleash my frustrated fist upon those who frustrated it... now we will dance in our cyclone of violence.... complicated discourse of islamic law or cosmology has lost it relevence to me at this moment (oh my beloved scholars, you failed to motivate my simple frustrated mind). its not about me having freedom. hell, its not even about my islam anymore. it IS about that damn hater hindu nationalist and me, it IS about my reactionary fist in his or her ugly face, my dirty-poo shoe kicking his or her ass, my rage does not discriminate... CONTROL yourself Asad, control is good, control is right... PART TWO: who's to be blamed for the carnage, and be punished by tribunals? The Haters? Those who React? Or those who failed to spread great teachings of love or justice before this whole mess began, those who failed to inspire a new generation of lovers of justice? Are we working to neutralize the root of the cycle? or will we sit on our buttox and complain about injustice (or stand on street corners holding stupid signs)? sometimes its government actions at the root but sometimes its also the beliefs and practices of a majority of the citizens, which a government only reflects...Nationalist Hindu cow-piss lovers frustrate my Indian Muslim family, white christian fundamentalist republican Israel-lovers frustrate immigrant American Muslims and african-americans. How will YOU (concerned/confused individuals affected by an atmosphere of hate) neutralize the creators of that atmosphere before MY RAGE is unleashed?By Dawah? By Love? By Education? By Politics? HOW?? Whose answer is best? I don't know...

keepin it platonic

about platonic friendship. i've now read more than a few classical books on muslim love theory, here's my observation. we can be compassionate to all, but if we seek real friendship, our scholars say that friendship and love are related. there is muhabat-love, which all muslims should believe in. it's gereral and can exist between all who cleanse their hearts of greed, pride and conceit. it has nothing to do with sexual urges. it has everything to do with being a beautiful person. but your inner and outer beauty attracts a beholder of beauty. lets not forget ishq-love, which some say is good, some say bad. the fire of ishq-love can ignite when one beholds beauty. the philosopher says that isqh-love seeks physical union. the mystic says ishq-love is an affair of the soul seeking a spiritual union. Didn't Al-Ghazzali say that love is an attachment between hearts. the heart, the soul, the spirit, the self, different names of that inner light. i was just an innocent by-stander when your terrorist thighs struck me down. after your beauty has lit my flame and the fire rages within. you can try to say: "just control your self, bro." to which the heretic-ashiq-lover will respond: "What Self?? You FOOL, My self exists NO-MORE! How can i control that which belongs to GOD, that Divine breath which gives life to this lump of clay. Didn't al-Ghazzali say that love emenates from my heart. Didn't al-Ghazzali tell me that i have more than one self? Didn't he say, to deny the others and let the Divine self shine through. Mine eyes, they say, are My windows to that soul. They have gazed... and witnessed a manifestation of HIS Divine Terrorist Beauty... (you think yo mama gave you those terrorist thighs)??? And Now you speak of CONTROL."HUSH asad HUSH!!! You have spoken too much!

groopies

about the hamza yusuf "groopies" and leaders/followers. In my journeys, i visited the graves and witnessed the devotees of Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya, Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer, Ali Hajweri in Lahore, Bahauddin Zakaria in Multan, Shabazz Qalandar in Sewan, Nizamuddin Awliya in Delhi. It is said that love is a blindness. sometimes in our passionate attachments to great scholars we lose our ability to see their and our own human deficiencies. but this issue must be handled delicately. i thank allah for giving me intelligent and articulate friends like usman and mathew and mairaj who took part in a much needed discourse on this subject on the muslimdisc list.

images of the prophet

just got back from one month in the land of my ancestors. a land famous for its miniature paintings. about pictures of our beloved prophet?!? aztaghfirullah! i've read much on and seen many persian miniatures, but... Some of the mi'raj pics are among the most beautiful works of art i've seen. They reflect MY civilization's ability to absorb the beauty of parent civilations as well as a desire to inject color and intricate geometric designs into our great book-based civilization. the artform probably came into existance because Mongols embraced islam but did not arabize themselves. plus, YOU try telling a Mongol or Turk warlord "images are haram." He'd slice off your head, then commision the paintings anyways. your poor severed blood-dripping head at the gates of the beautiful palace serving as a warning to other self righteous scholars trying to command good and forbid evil or brave souls trying to score iman points by speaking up to a tyrant. i don't know whats worse: Oppressive/Progressive Il-khanid, Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal princes sidelining sharia scholars, but sponsoring imaginative, unique, beautiful art and images of our beloved prophets in their poetry and history books (prophet Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite subject) or hyper-sensitive Muslims and idealistic activists ignorant about muslim history and art running around saying "there is no images in islamic art" or "we did not do what the christians did," ignoring centuries of our figurative art. maybe its a product of movements founded by arab or arab-wannabe activists who dismiss the history and contributions of non-arab muslim peoples producing a bunch of deluded followers. I can understand efforts to keep images of the prophet out of new productions. fear of iconization and all, but, its a shame that Non-muslim scholars seem to know more about our civilization than we do. we look like fools when they reply that those images of our prophet were from books produced BY MUSLIMS.