Outward Compassion, Inward Rigour

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 16 June 2005 - Cambridge - 1 hr 35 mins 56 secs

In this talk, the sheikh discusses the role of the shari'a and the ulema in our age. We are closer now to the time when, in the words of the well-known hadith, a person who does one-tenth of what is prescribed will be saved. It is an age when we fear that being too demanding in our religion will drive people away from it, yet without steadfastness and scrupulousness we risk being swamped by the demands and temptations of modernity. The sheikh discusses how people of genuine knowledge resolves this tension by being gentle and compassionate with others and helping them see the Mercy of Allah, glorified and exalted is He; but at the same time themselves practising and worshipping with rigour and discipline. In this of course, they have the supreme example in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was a mercy to the worlds and in his daily life the most generous and hospitable of men; but who in his own behaviour and worship was the most ascetic and self-denying. Sadly many people today act in the opposite away, and so by ostensibly (and often ostentatiously) calling people toward good they actually subvert the real role of religion in people's lives. In the second half of the talk, the sheikh discusses the life and work of Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, who notably embodied the wisdom of being attuned to the needs of the age. Born in Baghdad in 736 AH (1335 CE), he lived in a society still traumatised by the aftermath of the Crusades and even more so by the Mongol invasions. He exemplified the work of the real ulema whose teaching and preaching was a source of healing and comfort to those around him. May Allah reward him and protect the people of knowledge who live among us today.

Please don't be put off by the faint sounds in the background coming from another room (including apparently a choir practice!). Such is life in Cambridge!

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Society & Solitude

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 12 June 2009 - Cambridge -1 hr 12 mins 44 secs

We often feel the need to 'get away from it all', an impulse which seems to reflect a strange paradox of modern society. On the one hand, we can be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of daily life, always part of a busy crowd. Yet at the same time, are we truly connected to what is around us? Or are we somehow cut off from a genuine relationship with our environment and fellow human beings, always 'alone in the crowd'? In this talk, the sheikh reflects on the spiritual importance of solitude, and discusses how to cultivate the inner sense of stillness and realisation it can bring. But he also reminds us that this cannot be achieved at the cost of actually cutting ourselves off from society. Rather it should be enhanced by channelling it to transform our relationships with those around us, following the incomparable example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) whose mission began in the solitude of the Cave of Hira but which continued in the upliftment of his people and all of mankind.

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Travels, Tests & Intentions

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim - Cambridge - 5 June 2009 - 20 mins 37 secs

At a time of year when many of us are planning a summer trip, this sermon relates to the theme of travel in the Qur'an and hadith. The sheikh reminds us that, as with all actions, the most important aspect of travelling is forming a clear intention. The scholars have divided travel into that which takes us away from something disliked or toward something desirable and beneficial for us. The rich history in Muslim cultures connecting travel and the search for sacred knowledge is of course paradigmatic in this respect. The Qur'an also encourages to consider the example of the ancient civilisations that came before and how they declined - something we can easily do today to make what otherwise would be meaningless tourism an experience that can bring us closer to the reality of creation. Even the process of travelling, can be a means to refine the character and increase in remembrance of God. Just a simple train ride or a wait in an airport lounge takes us out of our comfortable daily routine and can therefore raise our consciousness of our surroundings. In these ways, the sheikh explains, what might otherwise be a simple summer holiday can become a form of guidance and upliftment inshaAllah.

(Hopefully you will notice an improvement in the sound quality of this recording compared to previous postings, since alhamdulilah we have started using a better recorder. There are still older recordings we will post over time, but inshaAllah anything new recorded will be of higher quality.)

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'To every people a guide'

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 29 May 2009 - 26 mins 40 secs

Islam is often perceived as an exclusive religion, dividing humanity into believers and non-believer. It is true that that the Divine Message of the Qur'an is rigorously uncompromising in its demand for a clear distinction between right and wrong, truth and falsehood. But, as the sheikh reminds us in this sermon, these divisions do not necessarily correspond to divisions between different religious groups. Muslim does not always mean right, and non-Muslim wrong, although we often act is if they do. Discussing the Christians of Najran, the response of Waraqa b. Nawfal to the Prophet Muhammad's message (peace and blessings be upon him), and other examples, the sheikh elaborates on this important aspect of the Qur'anic message. Perhaps uniquely among ancient scriptures, the Qur'an asserts the correct belief of more than one religious community. The sheikh also touches on the role of Khadija (may God be pleased with her), Waraqa's cousin and of course the Prophet's first confidant and follower; thus highlighting another compelling aspect of the Prophet's mission which the ummah could do so much more to bring alive today.

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Hypocrisy & Sincerity

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 22 May 2009 - 23 mins 39 secs

In this sermon, the sheikh relates a hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the qualities that indicate hypocrisy (nifaq) in someone's heart: telling lies, breaking promises, distorting the truth in an argument and breaking one's pledge. He highlights the seriousness of these faults because of God's command to be among the people of truth and sincerity (sidq), and discusses how they can affect us in everyday life.

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Religious Freedom & the Sunna

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - June 2008 - 1 hr 18 mins 17 secs

In this talk, the sheikh discusses the role in the modern world of following the sunna ('example', 'practice') of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He begins by analysing the fragmentation of the modern world, in which different aspects of human existence and even of an individual are disconnected from each other. As humanity learns more and more about the material details of our existence, there seems to be a correlating reduction in our real understanding of the overall meaning of creation and our place in it. Yet how can we find an antidote to this in the practice of the Prophetic sunna, which, superficially at least, is concerned with the very fine details of our day-to-day life? The sheikh explains the importance firstly of the fact that it is a source of harmony by allowing us to integrate our outward and inward states and conform both to the fundamental reality of our existence. Secondly, the sunna is a shelter and liberation from the imprisonment with which our uncultivated egos (nafs) and desires (hawa') threaten us. To the modern eye, trained to judge only by the criterion of personal freedom, limiting oneself to a prescribed type of behaviour seems a surefire route to misery and repression. Yet what real freedom is there in living according to the unrelenting demands of the nafs, which will always push for more and more because any apparent happiness it finds in transitory acts is just as fleeting? Unfortunately, for many of us religion has become just another way of acting out the hyperactive impulses of our unquiet souls. But, the sheikh reminds us, its real function is just the opposite - a route to inner contentment (sakina) and thereby freedom.

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More Good Links

For those of you who might not have seen them, two lectures very worthwhile checking out:

- Sheikh Abdal Hakim on 'America as a Jihad State', delivered at King's College in London a fortnight or so ago

- Sheikh Hamza Yusuf penetrating analysis of the social costs of pornography, given at Princeton University late last year