notes

On the Passing of Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Aug 11, 2015 at 11:22 am

During my time in Damascus, I lived in many different neighborhoods: Zahira Qadima, Mukhayyam Yarmuk, Saha Shahbandar, Muhajireen, Suq al-Jumu’ah and Khurshid. Like a desert nomad in search of greener pastures, I was ever in search of a cheaper rent. My year in Saha Shahbandar was certainly challenging from one…

notes

Say No To War

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Aug 04, 2015 at 9:41 am

The political theorist, Carl von Clausewitz, famously said, “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” If that is the case, war is a politics that we do not need, because it only opens the door to mass murder, under the disguise of a political agenda. As Muslims we…

notes

Tears of The Yearners For The Meeting With God

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 30, 2015 at 4:22 pm

“Death is the most inescapable part of life. Upon entering into the world, no one can say, with absolute certainty, if a particular individual will be rich or poor, a glowing success or an abject failure. No one can predict if they, or anyone else, will live a long…

notes

Black Lives Matter

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 24, 2015 at 1:05 pm

My maternal grandfather is a Whitaker from Harris County, Georgia. His grandfather, who went by the name of Rich Eubanks (my grandfather, Richmond Whitaker, was named after him) was a slave, sold to an owner in Harris County from somewhere in Virginia. My maternal grandmother is a…

notes

On The Passing of Shaykh Shukri Lahafi

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 18, 2015 at 11:18 pm

The Muslim world has lost one of its giants with the passing of Shaykh Shukri Lahafi. Despite his stature, it is likely that anyone reading these words who is not from Syria has ever heard of Shaykh Shukri. Before I arrived in Syria, in 1994, to begin my studies there,…

notes

On Rebuilding Churches Burned By Terrorists

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jul 16, 2015 at 9:03 am

If we ask a simple, straightforward question concerning the initiative launched by Faatimah Knight to help rebuild the eight black churches that were either partially or totally destroyed by fire in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Clementa Pinkney, and the murder of eight of his fellow congregants in…

notes

How Deep Is Your Love

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jun 30, 2015 at 4:12 pm

Perhaps the greatest hit recording of the popular 1970’s disco era singing group, The Bee Gees, was “How Deep Is Your Love.” Among the lyrics of that song were the following touching words: “I believe in you You know the door to my very soul You’re the light…

notes

Pray For Pakistan

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jun 26, 2015 at 9:43 am

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Let us not forget the people in those parts of Pakistan who are suffering from a horrific heat wave. Almost a thousand people have perished, along with almost three thousand earlier this summer in India, may Allah’s mercy envelop them all. One of the characteristics…

notes

Will A Khalifa Solve The Muslims’ Problem?

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jun 22, 2015 at 5:49 am

This is brief response to recent comments about the need for a Khalifa. Brothers and sisters, do not think, simplistically, that the mere existence of a Khalifa will solve the Muslims problems. The Khilafa (office of the Khalifa) was ended by the order of Kemel Ataturk in 1924. At that…

notes

Q and A Time

BY IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

Jun 20, 2015 at 7:11 am

Question: Why is it so hard to call the massacre of African Americans in Charleston, South Carolina a terrorist act? Answer: Because all terrorists are Muslim, and Dylann Root, the confessed murderer is not a Muslim. Question: When obviously deranged Muslims commit acts of mass murder, why are they never…

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