New Islamic Directions - Imam Zaid Shakir

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Know Your Enemy

by Imam Zaid Shakir

Imam Ahmad b, Sahl, May God have Mercy on him, mentioned, “Your enemies are four: The World, whose weapon is the people, and whose prison is isolation; Satan, whose weapon is satiation, and whose prison is hunger; The undisciplined soul, whose weapon is sleep, and whose prison is night vigil;… Read More

11 Comments

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Disabled Society

by Imam Zaid Shakir

The following poem is by a friend of mine, Imran Sabir, of Glasgow, Scotland. He shared it with me during my recent visit there. I am sure you will be moved by it as I was. I will let him tell his own story. Biographical Information I am 31… Read More

31 Comments

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Qualities of an Exemplary Leader

by Imam Zaid Shakir

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم و لو كنت فظا غليظ القلب لانفضوا من حولك فاعف عنهم و استغفر لهم و شاورهم في الأمر فإذا عزمت فتوكل على الله إن الله يحب المتوكلين القرآن ٣:١٥٩ Owing to Mercy from God, you were gentle in dealing… Read More

26 Comments

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Qualities of an Exemplary Leader

by Imam Zaid Shakir

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم و لو كنت فظا غليظ القلب لانفضوا من حولك فاعف عنهم و استغفر لهم و شاورهم في الأمر فإذا عزمت فتوكل على الله إن الله يحب المتوكلين القرآن ٣:١٥٩ Owing to Mercy from God, you were gentle in… Read More

4 Comments

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“Carrying the Word” From Emel Magazine

by Imam Zaid Shakir

‘Carrying the Word’ Reflections of an American Imam This cover article was featured in Emel Magazine’s May 2006 Issue http://www.emelmagazine.com Imam Zaid Shakir is, in many ways, the quintessential American: a youth with a two newspaper route, a high school football player,… Read More

3 Comments

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Should Muslims Use The “N” Word?

by Imam Zaid Shakir

Do not call each other by demeaning nicknames: How foul is a name connoting vileness... Al-Qur’an 49:11 I was recently involved in a forum entitled, “Should Muslims Use the ‘N’ word.” The event could have more appropriately been entitled, “Should Anyone Use the ‘N’ Word.” However, the reason for the… Read More

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Reflections on Black History Month

by Imam Zaid Shakir

Black History Month should be of interest to every Muslim, especially in America. It is estimated that upwards to 20% of the Africans enslaved in the Americas were Muslim. [1] In some areas, such as the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia, and parts of Virginia, the percentages of Muslims in… Read More

71 Comments

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and the Fate of America

by Imam Zaid Shakir

As we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on a national holiday dedicated to his honor, many people point to the surging presidential candidacy of Barack Obama as evidence of how far this country has come in terms of race relations since the days of the Civil… Read More

95 Comments

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History 1 on 1

by Imam Zaid Shakir

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue, An event that happened a bit too soon, ‘cause in sixty-nine they were on the moon. A happening not without precedent, The same place Galileo’s telescope went. Which isn’t to say we’ve become farsighted in… Read More

24 Comments

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Islam and Honor Killings (Revised)

by Imam Zaid Shakir

For that reason, we ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul for other than murder or spreading corruption in the land, it is as if he has killed the whole of humanity… Qur’an 5:35 One of the gravest charges levied against Islam, in terms of its… Read More

92 Comments

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The “Teddy Bear” Crisis (Expanded)

by Imam Zaid Shakir

The recent “Teddy-Bear” crisis in Sudan illustrates the failure of many Muslims to understand a stark reality; one that if left misunderstood will probably lead to a lot of unnecessary bloodshed in the Muslim world, and destroy the opportunity for many western, non-Muslim people to benefit, at a mass level,… Read More

34 Comments

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God’s Justice Will Not Sleep Forever

by Imam Zaid Shakir

The world’s greatest humanitarian crisis, as quiet as it is kept, is not in Darfur. While the situation there deserves the attention it is getting it is far less grave than the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Somalia. The nature of that crisis demonstrates much about the nature of US foreign… Read More

19 Comments

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Description of the God Conscious

by Imam Zaid Shakir

It is related that a devout worshipper by the name of Humam came to Imam ‘Ali, may God ennoble his countenance, and asked him to describe the God conscious people so vividly that he could almost see them. Imam ‘Ali responded: “Their speech is truthful; their clothing is moderate; and… Read More

22 Comments

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Reflections on 9/11 and Ramadan [1]

by Imam Zaid Shakir

By Imam Zaid Shakir September 11, 2007 This year, the birth of the invisible new moon, an event that will be followed in a day or two by the beginning of the month of Ramadan, upon the sighting of the waxing crescent in the evening sky, will occur on… Read More

33 Comments

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A Glimpse at Early Women Islamic Scholars

by Imam Zaid Shakir

The following is a transcript of a lecture delivered by Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi of Oxford University, on the role of women scholars in preserving and transmitting prophetic tradition (Hadith) in Islam. The original transcript has been edited by Imam Zaid Shakir to enhance readability. The Female Scholars of… Read More

114 Comments

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Fasting During Sha’ban

by Imam Zaid Shakir

Sha’ban is a month of good that introduces the great month of Ramadan. The Prophet, peace upon him, used to fast voluntarily during this month more so than in any other month. One of the motivations for that, as we will mention below, is that Sha’ban is the month during… Read More

18 Comments