Blessed Births & Beginnings

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 26th February 2010 - Cambridge - 27 mins 21 secs

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This sermon was given just after the celebration this year of the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and reflects on the importance of remembering and giving thanks for the blessings of Allah - none more necessary to thank and praise Him for than sending His Guidance through the example of the best of creation. Sheikh Abdal Hakim in particular focuses on the role of the mothers of some of the prophets (may Allah bless them all), by whose determination, love, strength and faith Allah renewed the manifestation of His Mercy in the world through the sons they bore and raised.

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Islam and/in/of the West Pt. 3

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 16th February 2010 - Cardiff - 46 mins 09 secs

The third installment of our loosely-linked trilogy on Islam and identity in the West, this talk was given by Sheikh Abdal Hakim at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University. Intriguingly entitled 'Can Non-Muslims Be Indigenous? Reflections on the Paradox of British Islam', it uses the work of Hilaire Belloc and G. K. Chesterton (particularly The Flying Inn, a fantasy novel set in a teetotal Britain under the sway of a renewed Ottoman Empire) to explore some underlying resonances between Islam and the religious culture and history of the British Isles. Beyond that, it somewhat defies easy explanation or summary, at least by this listener, but is all the more interesting for that. Enjoy!

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Ethics of Trade

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 19 February 2010 - Cambridge - 28 mins 15 secs

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What is the place of ethics in trade and business? Judging by the exploitation of the developing world through 'free trade' or the disastrously amoral speculations of international banks, one might conclude there is no place for them. In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim reminds us that despite the example of the major economic forces around us, we each have individual responsibilities when we engage in any kind of trade. The benefits of the justice and fair dealing mandated for us by the example of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings upon him) would of course have huge social benefits if all of us upheld them. But even more important than any worldly benefits of course, is Allah's reckoning of our dealings on the Last Day, when the everlasting profit or loss is accounted. May He forgive us our shortcomings and in His Mercy make the judgment easy upon us.

PS Part 3 of 'Islam in/and/of the West' next week inshaAllah.

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Islam and/in/of the West Pt. 2

Talk by Tariq Ramadan - 15 February 2010 - Cambridge - 43 mins 28 secs

The second part of this week's loosely-themed audio triptych, this talk was delivered by Prof. Ramadan at last month's CU ISoc Experience Islam Week. In 'Hostility, Loyalty and Change: the Future for Muslims in the West', he analyses the current situation of Muslims in the West and offers his thoughts on the future.

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Islam and/in/of the West Pt. 1

Talk by Abdal Hakim Murad - 8 February 2010 - London School of Economics - 45 mins 20 secs

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It's a triple header of talks this week, linked by the theme of Muslims living in the West. We start with this one by Sheikh Abdal Hakim, entitled 'Can Liberalism Tolerate Islam?', given at LSE Discover Islam Week, and kindly recorded and sent in by LSE ISoc. In it Sheikh Abdal Hakim inverts the usual framework of the debate about the relationship between Islam and liberalism, defined by the implicit or explicit suspicion of Muslims' ability to accept liberal values and the demand that they should do so. He unpicks this submerged 'intolerance of intolerance' in order to interrogate the significance of the secular orthodoxies liberal Europe has created, and considers how Muslims can and should respond to them.

Later in the week inshaAllah we will post a talk given in Cambridge recently by Prof. Tariq Ramadan on 'Hostility, Loyalty and Change: the Future of Muslims in the West', and in part three another recent talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim with the intriguing title 'Can Non-Muslims Be Indigenous? Reflections on the Paradox of British Islam'.

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Infinite & Finite

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - October 2007 - Cambridge - 33 mins 30 secs

Part of the beauty of Islam is its clarity and intelligibility: its fundamental creed is strikingly simple. Yet any expression within creation's finite limits of the Divine Infinite must necessarily result in some mysteries, hazy areas at the outer limit of what human language can express and human intellect comprehend. These have a different kind of beauty, and an important wisdom and lesson for us to appreciate. In this talk, Sheikh Abdal Hakim reflects on the meeting of the finite and the Infinite, in particular on the revelation of the Holy Qu'ran to the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon him.

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Love for the Sake of Allah

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 22 January 2010 - 27 mins 55 secs

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In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim discusses the significance of love for our fellow mankind that is purely for the sake of Allah, rather than for any worldly attachment or desire.

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The Certainty of Death

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 15 January 2010 - Cambridge - 21 mins 44 sec

In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim discusses the importance of appreciating the certainty of death. In the modern world, we are conditioned to think of death as the worst thing that can befall us, the worst punishment that could be inflicted. Yet in a hadith the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) called death 'a precious gift for the believer', a description that seems almost incredible to us. This does not mean we should seek death out or glorify it, since if it is Allah's decree for us to remain in this world for a longer time, we should be equally grateful and make the most of it by living well. But on the other hand we cannot forget the certain arrival of death, nor neglect to prepare for it. Those who attach too much importance to this world become blinded to the examples all around them, of the relative who is hit by a car or a friend who dies of a sudden illness. Those who learn from such sad experiences come to appreciate their true place in creation.

Many thanks to our brother Kacem who recorded this one at Omar Faruque mosque and sent it in.

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Poverty & Riches

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 30 October 2009 - Cambridge - 22 mins 30 secs

The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) famously prayed to be resurrected among the masakin (poor, downtrodden, oppressed), but what does it mean to be miskin and what was the prophetic attitude to poverty or hardship? In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim outlines the Qur'anic and prophetic description of the poor (fuqara') and shows why it is important not to be afraid of poverty as we often are today. This is not because it is necessarily a good thing in itself to be poor, or on the other hand a bad thing to be rich or powerful, but because of the beauty and dignity of cultivating reliance on Allah whatever one's outward state.

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The Story of Solomon

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 27 November 2009 - 25 mins 08 secs

In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim examines the role of stories in the Holy Qur'an. On one level these can seem simply entertaining or even fanciful, but within the stories are contained deep and important truths. This sermon focuses in particular on the story of Sulayman/Solomon (peace be upon him), whose miracles and power over different aspects of creation - by the grant of Allah - seem almost incredible, but which point to fundamental aspects of the relationship between the outward and the inward.

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Twlight of the Islamosaurs

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Oxford - 6 November 2004 - 50 mins 33 secs

As an early Eid present, here's a talk recorded five years ago by Oxford University ISoc and preserved over on IslamOnline.net. It's not one for the audio purists unfortunately but we've done our best. It's definitely worth a listen for Sheikh Abdal Hakim's perceptive and invigorating review of the history of Islamism. Through this reading, he makes an analysis of some of the most fundamental aspects of the umma's reaction to modernity and its current state. As a counter-point to these sobering reflections, he also offers some optimistic thoughts on the future. May you all have a blessed Eid inshaAllah, and may Allah accept the efforts of all this year's pilgrims.

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Marriage & Family Life

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 6 November 2009 - 24 mins 05 secs

In this sermon, Sheikh Abdal Hakim discusses the significance of marriage as a prophetic sunna, and how family life relates to internalising the seeking of Allah's pleasure and the practice of His religion.

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An Appeal From Cambridge

As-salaam 'alaykum wa-rahmat Allah wa-barakatuh.

As you all may know, we are raising money here in Cambridge to build the first purpose built mosque in this historic and prestigious city, which will accommodate the rapidly growing community here. Thanks to Allah, we have the land and we have a design for a beautiful and inspirational building. Now we reaching the stage of construction, and we need YOUR help to raise the necessary funds.

Historically, wherever Muslims have travelled, Islam has become embedded in the spiritual and cultural life of the local society. Whether the Muslims became the majority or not, the message they were blessed to bear ennobled and enlightened each place. For that to happen in the UK, we need mosques in towns like Cambridge and to support leaders like Sheikh Abdal Hakim.

You can help in at least these three ways:

1) Donate - whatever you can give will help. You can donate by credit card, cheque, standing order or bank transfer, and Just Giving will be added soon inshaAllah. Can you spare even just £1 or $1.50 - not even the cost of a cup of coffee - for each download you have made or will make? If each of you donated just that much, we could raise tens of thousands of pounds.

2) Spread the word - about the mosque project and about this site. Please tell all your contacts about the free downloads they can get here and encourage them to donate. Just one minute writing an email may be rewarded inshaAllah!

3) Pray for the success of the project - inna Allah mujib al-da'wat, so please pray for the Muslims of Cambridge and for the success of the mosque building project.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that, 'Whoever builds a mosque, desiring thereby Allah's pleasure, Allah builds for him the like of it in Paradise'. So please, for the sake of Allah and out of love for the religion of His Beloved and Final Messenger, help us in whatever way you can.

For those of you who have already donated or helped this project in any way, and to those who will in the future, thank you. May Allah reward you all and bless you.

The CKetc team

P.S. We've got more great content for the site coming up soon inshaAllah - inspirational khutbas and a MP3 of a talk from several years ago intriguingly entitled 'The Twilight of the Islamosaurs' - so check back soon!

Society & Solitude: Part 2

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 10 November 2009 - 56 mins 07 secs

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In this talk, Sheikh Abdal Hakim elaborates on some of the themes of a previous talk, discussing here the importance of companionship (suhba). He reads from a letter on the subject by Sheikh Sharafuddin b. Yahya Maneri, known as Makhdoom Sahib, a noted saint of the 13th century CE who lived in the Bihar region in India and was among the great spiritual leaders who brought Islam to what is today north-east India and Bangladesh. Sheikh Sharafuddin's letters were compiled by his students and studied ever since as an inspirational source of spiritual guidance. With reference to this letter on suhba, from the collection known as the Hundred Letters, Sheikh Abdal Hakim talks about the nature of suhba, and its importance for the individual and society, in particular for the relationship between the generations.

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