chinese women imams http://www.daylife.com

This question caused some debate a few years ago. Generally there was a big NO from the Muslim clergy who weighed in on this issue. Interesting one person did say it is permissible. Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Guma, declared that woman-led prayer of mixed-gender congregations is permissible, so long as the congregation agrees to it. According to a report by the satellite news channel Al-Arabiyya, Sheikh Guma declared in an interview on Egyptian television that there is no consensus among religious scholars on the issue of female imamat of mixed gender congregations, pointing out that respected scholars like Imam Tabari and Imam Ibn Arabi found the practice permissible. “The Mufti added that, in such issues where there are disagreements, then the situation rests with the specific people concerned. If (the congregation) accepts a woman as imam, then that’s their business, and there is nothing wrong with that…

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com

Very high on the list of things REALLY important to people part of the Christian Right is proselytizing. And very high on their potential targets for people who need to hear their message is people in the Muslim world. So one wonders had their leaders really thought out their position on Obama. Was it really a smart thing to try to paint him as a closet Muslim. To me that was a bit of cutting off one’s nose to spite the face. Had the Christian right even considered the enormous proselytizing opportunity that the reality of Obama offered them? Here is a man with the name of Barak Hussien Obama. His father was Muslim and his step father was also Muslim, giving him a strong Muslim influence early in his life. And yet today he is smart, successful, extremely well liked and a practicing Christian of over 20 years and…

Abraham’s sacrifice http://www.uruknet.info/pic.php?f=abrahamsacrificesisaacicon_sm.jpg

Last couple of years Christmas (one of two most important Christian holidays, the other being Easter) and Eid ul Adha, one of two most important muslim holidays have been very close together in December.

But Muslim holidays follow a Lunar calendar that is 10-11 days shorter than the Gregorian/Solar calendar. This year Eid ul Adha, marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage (which commemorates the life and sacrifice of Abraham) was on this Monday, Dec 8.

Next year it will be in November, a little after Thanksgiving and it will be 30 years before it comes again in December.

Here in America it was nice, in some ways to have the Muslims celebrating their holy day close to the Christian holy day.

Eid Sacrifice http://www.mydigitallife.co.za/images/aksn1p3r/eid-ul-adha/eid_slaughter.jpg

The Kaaba during Hajj http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/Mosques/Makkah/kaaba3.jpg

http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/why-people-are-religious/

I wanted to write a blog about the sad situation with Christians in the middle east (especially Iraq) talking about how they have lived there harmoniously and prosperously for over a thousand years and how the recent events have destabilized their situation like never in a thousand years. In doing the research I saw this article from nearly two years ago about the Archbishop of Canterbury Mr. Dr. Rowan Williams speaking strongly to bring attention to their plight.

Archbishop of Canterbury Mr. Dr. Rowan Williams

It reminded me yet again how many times Anglicans (or Episcopals in USA) are often foremost in speaking up in matters of faith to support those needing support. A few months ago Dr. Rowan Williams spoke in support of allowing Sharia law in UK to help settle domestic issues within the large Muslim minority in UK. Though there was a large outcry from many to oppose this when…

It is obvious to Muslims familiar with the Quran that the death penalty for apostasy is not rooted in the Quran. Different Prophetic sayings were interpreted by many scholars as using the Death penalty if acts of treason were associated with the conversion from Islam, rather than as a punishment for apostasy itself. I was very happy to come across this article on the BBC web site presenting this topic in a very balanced and informative manner, especially to non-Muslims.

“Last week, British teacher Daud Hassan Ali, 64, was shot dead in Somalia. His widow, Margaret Ali, said her husband was targeted by Islamists who ‘believe it is ok to kill any man who was born into Islam and left the faith’.”

Whether the ‘Islamists’ really killed him for that reason of not is open to debate, especially in such a lawless country as Somalia. But I am aware that many Muslims…

A couple of months ago I received a call from Tim Townsend asking if I would be interested in taking part in the Post Dispatch ‘blog about religion’. I did not take me long to call him back and accept the invitation. I was not naive about the task at hand. In 2 short months before that, my personal blogging experience gave me a taste of what it means to share my thoughts with the public. I have already experienced some harassment and insults by some readers, but it was, and still is, a worthwhile experience.

With the Post Dispatch Civil Religion blog, the challenge for me was a bit different. Now I have many distinguished co-bloggers who have a lot more expertise in writing and most have formal religious training. But more importantly, I am the only Muslim in the group. I may even be the only Muslim voice many of…