REVIVING THE ISLAMIC SPIRIT – KNOWLEDGE RETREAT
WESTIN HARBOUR FRONT HOTEL – TORONTO, CANADA

DEC 25, 2007

IMAM SHAKIR

QUESTIONS FOR LAST NIGHT…

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THESE NOTES WERE TAKEN BY ME AND ANY ERRORS IN NOTE TAKING ARE MINE AND SHOULD NOT REFLECT ON THE SCHOLARS WHOSE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE IMPARTED UPON US AT THIS GATHERING. PLACES WHERE I HAVE LOST TRACK OF OR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE FULL MEANING OF THE TEACHER I HAVE PLACED ..?

I POST THESE NOTES FROM THE KNOWLEDGE RETREAT 2007, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SPREADING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE. IF ANYONE DERIVES BENEFIT FROM IT, ALHAMDU’ILLAH.

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HOW TO CHOOSE A MADHAB – WE IN WEST SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY CONCERNED WITH MADHABS – BETTER A FIND A GOOD TEACHER AND LEARN – PICKING AND CHOOSING IS PROBLEM WHEN DON’T KNOW THE POINTS OF ONE OVER THE OTHER?

HADITH ABOUT DECEASED – NOT TO CRY? – CRYING IS THE NOT PROHIBITION – IS A NATURAL EMOTION – PROBLEM IS WITH NIHAHA – EXCESSIVE MOURNING AND WHALING LIKE THE ARABS IN IRAQ ON TV BEATING THEMSELVES GRIPPING THEIR CLOTHES THROWING A FIT

AQSA PARVEZ – SOME PEOPLE HAVE SICKNESSES AND PERVERTED PATHOLOGIES – POST COLONIAL CONDITIONING PART OF – ASSERT ONESELF EVEN IF MEANS MURDER MIGHT IS RIGHT ATTITUDE IS VERY DANGEROUS PSYCHOLOGY –

HIJAB MANDATORY – YES ALSO FOR MEN – AURA SHOULD BE COVERED – MEN MODEST ALSO – MEN USED TO COVER THEIR HEADS BEFORE 20TH CENT – DRESS CODE HAD NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT – TO BUILD SOLIDARITY BETWEEN OBLIGATIONS BETWEEN SISTERS + BROTHERS

NIKAB MANDATORY – HANAFI SCHOOL SAY YES –

HIJAB COLOR RESTRICTIONS ANY – MALE AND FEMALE COLORS SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND NOT ATTRACT ATTENTION – EXCESSIVELY BRIGHT IS NOT GOOD

EATING HALAL MEAT – READILY AVAILABLE SO REALLY NO EXCUSE NOWADAYS NOT TO BUY- COSTS MORE SO WHAT PAY MORE FOR YOUR DEEN – PAY MORE AND EAT LESS – TOO MUCH MEAT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR SYSTEM ANYWAYS – DON’T MAKE YOUR STOMACH THES GRAVEYARD OF ANIMALS – A FAMOUS SAYING

WHICH MORE IMPORTANT CALLING TO ALLAH OR ISLAM – ONE OF THE SAME – BUT CALL IN NICE WAY GIVE THEM GLAD TIDINGS AND CALL THEM WITH WISDOM AND GOOD REMINDERS AND IN BEST MANNERS – WITH GENTLENESS

MOON SIGHTING VS MOON FIGHTING – SABOOBT – FOR SUNNIS SHOULD BASE ON SIGHTINGS – TODAY IS JUST POLITICS SAD AND IS PATHETIC – NOW BECOME INSTITUTIONALIZED AND CANNOT BE DISCUSSED NOW – BUT TO SET DATES IN ADVANCE AND NOT CONCERN WITH MOON IS A GRAVE INNOVATION

EID AL ADHA NOT TIED TO STANDING AT ARAFAT – FOR 8 YEARS HAD NO HAJJ BUT STILL HAD EID AL ADHA IN EARLY ISLAM – AFTER HAJJ WAS INSTITUTED THEN EID AL ADHA WAS STANDARDIZED – BEFORE THEN NO MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS TO INFORM ALL OF DAY OF ARAFAT OR EID AROUND THE WORLD

COMPANIONS DISCOURAGED QUESTIONS – AS MERCY TO UMMAH – SHOULD AUDIENCE ALSO REFRAIN – THEY DID FOR A DIFFERENT REASON – THE MORE QUESTIONS THE MORE ANSWERS AND MORE POTENTIAL OF CONFUSION AND LESS LEEWAY – ALSO WOULD ALLOW PERSONAL IJTIHAD – WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT FOR OURSELVES WITHOUT PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM)

GOOD SCHOLARS ALWAYS ENCOURAGED QUESTIONS – NOT BAD ADAB TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS – ARROGANT PERSON NEVER ASKS BECAUSE THINKS KNOWS ALL – AND SHY PERSON NEVER ASKS – TWO EXTREMES NEITHER GAIN KNOWLEDGE –

ASK FOR PATIENCE? – PEOPLE WILL NOT BE TESTED IN EXCESS OF WHAT THEY CAN BEAR

HALLOWEEN TRICK AND TREAT – OK TO TAKE KIDS – NO THE BASIS OF IT IS MAGIC AND SPIRITS – LIKE HARRY POTTER WAS INNOCENT AT FIRST AND CUTE NOW IS MUCH DARKER – THEY ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH CHILDREN ANTI RELIGIOUS CULTURES AND THINKING – AVOID IT

BIRTHDAYS – OK BUT NOT ENCOURAGED – IS NOT A RELIGIOUS AFFAIR – SHOULD NOT OVERLY COMMERCIALIZE IT AND CHEAPEN ITS VALUE OR MEANING – DO SOMETHING MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WITH THEM SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND BE THERE – DO ACTIVITY WITH THEM HIKING OUTDOORS PLAYING

PIG LEATHER IN SHOES – SHOULD TRY TO AVOID – MALIKIS FOR IS OK – IF DRY THEN IMPURITIES DON’T SPREAD BUT IF SWEAT THEN IT WILL SPREAD – IF BECOME UNAVOIDABLE THEN ALLAN KNOWS BEST

WHY SHIA SCHOOL NOT ONE OF THE 4 SCHOOLS OR MADHABS – DURING HISTORY OF SCHOOLS UNDER SUNNI AUTHORITY – ZIADI’S AND JAAFRI’S STUDIED UNDER HANAFI AND SHAFII SCHOOLS AND THEIR RULINGS ARE VERY CLOSE AND SIMILAR

FAJR PRAYING – TRULY A JIHAD CANNOT GET OUT OF BED – BEFORE SLEEPING MAKE DUA AND GET ALARM THAT HAVE TO WALK TO AND SAY AUZU BILLAH… BEFORE SHUTTING OFF

WHEN OVERCOME WITH BLESSING OF MONEY – WHAT TO DO WITH – THANKS GIVE – THEN SHARE IT IN WHATEVER FEEL YOU ARE BLESSED WITH THEN SHARE IT – WE ENRICHED YOU SO DON’T TURN AWAY – SHARE

ONCE MAKE TAUBA THEN THAT SIN IS ERASED?

TRIAL AND PUNISHMENT DIFFERENCE – WHEN EMERGE FROM PUNISHMENT NO MOVEMENT FORWARD – WHEN INCREASE IN CHARACTER AND LEARNING THEN WAS TRIAL

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE GET MARRIED – WHEN EDUCATION FINISH OR WHEN CAN SUPPORT SPOUSE – MARRIED PEOPLE CAN ALSO CONTINUE EDUCATION THERE ARE PLENTY OF FAMILY HOUSING UNITS ARE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES DESIGNED FOR FAMILY COUPLES WITH CHILDREN- LOOK FOR RELIGION FIRST – IF CAN SUPPORT AND FEAR FITNA THEN SHOULD GET MARRIED – MARRY MUSLIM AND MARRY SOMEONE FROM HERE BECAUSE SISTERS NEED GOOD HUSBANDS – OTHERWISE DYSFUNCTION IN COMMUNITY WILL OCCUR – LEAD TO SOCIAL FRUSTRATION – FITNA AND FASAD

CAN POINT FEET TO KABAH – IF FORCED TO THEN CAN COVER FEET TO PREVENT SIN BUT SHOULD TRY TO AVOID – NOT HARAM BUT PROPER ADAB NOT TO POINT TO KIBLAH

QADAR VS NASEEB – DECREES OF ALLAH WILL MANIFEST..?

COMMERCIAL MORTGAGES BROKER – NOT LENDING BUT ANALYZE – HARAM JOB OR NOT- SAYING OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) THAT DUST OF INTEREST WILL TOUCH EVERYTHING HADITH – SHOULD LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB GREATER HARM TO JUST LEAVE AND AFFECT LIVELIHOOD – ENCOURAGE TO FIND ANOTHER OCCUPATION – AVOID INTEREST AS MUCH AS CAN