'Two Ravenous Wolves'

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 7th October 2011 - 27mins 37secs

"Whomsoever wants of this lower life, We shall give him his fill in this lower life, and in it he will not be disappointed. It is these whose affair in the akhira is the fire; empty is what they used to do, and futile their former acts"

This is the unflinching Qur'anic designation of those who set fire on the earth, who set alight their egos and aspirations. In this first khutba of Cambridge University's Michelmas term the Sheikh describes those who, rather than act as gardeners, stoke the fires of the lower potentialities of the soul. The fires of the love of wealth and status, worryingly enticing to many of us are described by Imam Ghazali as 'rukna ad-dunya', pillars of this corrupt world. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself put it in his own unique way:

Even two wolves let loose in a flock of sheep would do no more harm more quickly than the love of status and wealth do to the religion of the Muslim believer.

The Sheikh goes on to note that the real crisis of modern humanity is that of status and wealth. In Ghazalian terms these could be described as the acquisitive desires for ownership of 'things' ('Who's on Forbes' list? What kind of car does he have?'), and hearts; the desire for fame. Unfortunately in a reflexive manner we tend to venerate those who have wealth and status, regardless of their qualities. This why Tony Blair can be held as the leader of the Middle East Quartet and head of a Faith Foundation; a Pied Piper leading his entranced faithful to the melody of his own fame.

Fortunately the Sheikh tells us that there is a way to banish these wolves that are baying at our door. Religion snaps us out of the trance. Islam is the sharp tonic that we need but it must be added it does not lead to us to the opposite extreme; only to the middle way. We do have the right to wealth, and a certain status, honour, sharafa. The shari'a grants us the right to property and the right to dignity; the crux of the matter lies in the intention behind what we do, whether we are Princes or paupers. The Sheikh highlights this point by drawing from the example of the Sahaba Abu Dujana, the famous Red Turbaned Samurai-like Warrior of Islam.

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Come Dine with Me

Talk - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - London - 10th May 2011 -  50mins 45secs

You were a prized falcon, trapped by an old woman.

Then you heard the Drummer's call,

and flew beyond space and time...

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi (may God be pleased with him)

Earlier this year Sheikh Abdal Hakim gave an address at an event hosted by Ulfa Aid. He began by outlining the homogenous monoculture bequeathed to us by globalisation, with its lack of family values but perhaps more importantly lack of a belief in the unseen, the magical. This age that we find ourselves in is not modern or post-modern but rather "post-everything"; an age in which the sarcastic quip and the cynical put-down is king. 

Despite this the Sheikh reminds us that within all humans is a capacity for wide-eyed amazement that cannot be entirely blunted. As a respected astrophysicist would have it, 'the strangest thing in existence is that existence itself can be perceived', and answers to the inevitable questions that arise can be found within Islam's cosmological narrative. In this age the truth is posited precisely where the power structures of the day would say it is not; God is not to be found with the well-fed investment bankers but with the seemingly impoverished taxi drivers that drive them around. These are the inheritors to the Ishmaelite tradition, for God is with the outcast, the downtrodden, the despised.

As Mevlana Rumi notes our task in this life is to respond to the calling of the drum. Humanity is not inherently sinful; rather we have forgotten our origins and the incessant beating of the drum led by the Prophets urges us to waken from our slumber, for as Mevlana says 'an-nawmu 'ala-l-ashiqi haram': 'sleep for the lovers is forbidden'. At its start this path can seem exacting. However this is a small effort to be made for us to become falcons, spread our wings and fly to that Court that lies 'beyond space and time'.

Talk published with kind permission of Ulfa Aid. Please visit the Ulfa Aid website, we can't recommend highly enough the work that they have been doing for countless around the world, may Allah bless their efforts and accept it from them.  They will be holding a 'Night Walk' along Southbank, London on 29th October to raise money for victims of the recent Japan earthquake, some more details to be found here. Another exciting development is the opening of the Ulfa Aid shop in Willesden Green next week. Called 'Rumi's Cave' it will be a versatile space that will - insha-Allah - be used as a cafe, antique shop, exhibition area and community centre. Please check the website and mailing list for more details.

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Photograph and videos taken from the Ulfa Aid website, 'Come Dine with Me' event.

 

Come Dine With Me - Abdul Hakim Murad ( Timothy Winter ) from Ulfa Aid on Vimeo.

Come Dine With Me - Abdul Hakim Murad ( Timothy Winter ) Q&A from Ulfa Aid on Vimeo.

Is Islam Compatible With The West?

Talk by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad - Luton - 2009

We know from the Holy Qur'an that "East and West belong to Allah" (2:115). We also know from the manifestation of Allah's religion throughout so many different times and places that His Guidance nourishes and uplifts humankind in any circumstance. Yet today we are dogged by the controversy of 'Islam versus the West'; and many people assume that the two are at best incompatible, at worst utterly inimical. In this talk, Shaykh Abdal Hakim discusses this perennial debate, and attempts to break down the monolithic assumptions that often accompany it.

This talk was originally sponsored by the Reflection Project at World Appeal. Many thanks to Sidi Junaid for sending in the audio, may Allah reward him.

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The Ship of Salvation Pt. 3

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Hounslow - April 2003 - 50 mins 46 secs

TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

The last part of this talk on the work of Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) and its relevance today. Apologies again for the delay posting it.

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The Ship of Salvation Pt. 2

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Hounslow - April 2003 - 1 hr 12 mins 45 secs

TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

The second of a three-part recording in which Sheikh Abdal Hakim discusses the work of Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) and its relevance to our situation today.

Thanks to brother Rich this time, who is helping out improving the quality of some of our recordings including this one - jazahu Allah kheir.

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The Ship of Salvation Pt. 1

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Hounslow - April 2003 - 1 hr 06 mins 06 secs

TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

This is the first of a three-part recording in which Sheikh Abdal Hakim discusses the work of Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) and its relevance to our situation today. He reflects on the significance of some of the 'deep structures' of Islam, and how it is designed, by Allah's Mercy, to carry humanity safely through the storms of history. The sheikh reminds us that despite the anger and fear that sometimes threatens to overwhelm the Muslim community, we can find reassurance in the divinely-endowed resilience and generosity of Allah's final religion.

This talk was originally given at Hounslow Jamia Masjid at an event called 'Reviving the Ihyaa', organised by the now (I believe) sadly defunct Light Study group. You can see the original video here. To the best of my knowledge, there is a new organisation doing similar work in the same area, called the West London School of Islamic Sciences, about which you may be interested in finding about or to which you might like to donate.

A big thank you to brother Junaid, who sent in this recording, may Allah reward him.

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UPDATE - the video for the 'Reviving the Ihyaa' event is actually up here on the WLSIS website and they have some other great resources on their Multimedia page.

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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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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Islam & Modernity

Talk by Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad & Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - SOAS, London - 1 February 2008 - 1 hr 43 mins 30 secs

Some very interesting and thought-provoking reflections by both speakers on the nature of modernity and Islam's relationship to it. The recording includes questions from the audience at the end. The quality is unfortunately not brilliant but the speakers are generally audible. Sheikh Haitham speaks first, followed by Sheikh Abdal Hakim from 53 mins 16 secs, followed by questions and answers from both after 1 hr 21 mins 05 secs.

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