#Islamic values

[laiqverse]

The Holy Quran and Graphic Design: An Artistic Approach to Spreading the Message

The Holy Quran is a revered and cherished text for Muslims, containing the word of Allah as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Throughout history, the Quran has not only served as a source of spiritual guidance but also inspired countless artists and designers. In recent years, graphic design has emerged as a new and exciting medium for the expression and interpretation of Quranic verses. This…

[hsmagazine254]

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr: Fostering Joyful Traditions In Parenting - H&S Education & Parenting

Nurturing Family Bonds & Cultural Roots During The Festive Season As families around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the joyous occasion marking the end of Ramadan, parents have a unique opportunity to create lasting memories and instil meaningful values in their children. Eid al-Fitr is not only a time of feasting and festivities but also a time for reflection, gratitude, and acts…

[mibeau]

[Book Review] 🌻Will You Love Me?🌻 by Norhafsah Hamid

🧮 Score: 3.55/5.00 . 📌“...I sincerely believe that knowledge can also be shared through stories.” - Norhafsah Hamid.

■ Kudos sister! Allahumma barik! I valued the existence of this book very much since I rarely see books on this concept in our local market. (Maybe it is just me, not well-exposed) . ■ This book is a part of Norhafsah Hamid’s “Trilogy” of the three musketeers; Hassan, Amy and Nieza. Book #1 -- Time will Heal; centered on Hassan, book #2 -- Will You Stay?; focused on Amy, and this book #3 -- Will You Love Me?; Nieza is the protagonist. I enjoyed all the quotes from Rumi. <3 .

■ When I started the book, I was expecting a brief introduction to Nieza’s life, followed by her love story with Harris. But, I was surprised. The book explores various aspects and themes. Family, friendships & the unseen! The main theme should be keeping our faith and reliance only on Allah SWT. Within the narratives, the author includes many duas, supplications, tazkirahs & other useful facts.

This is a great novel for adolescents and young adults! Packed with lessons. .

■ I highly appreciate the author's idea in highlighting the issues of Malay superstitions in our society and how to deal with them. A much-needed awareness campaign, praise-worthy! The surprise elements in this book are good, too. . ■ However, the book is less enjoyable due to the sentence structure. The storytelling is not as smoothly English as I would like it to be. Sometimes, it feels stiff, ‘kaku’, as if the sentences were translated from other languages or forced to fit the paragraph.

Also, I find the dialogue to be childish. Didn’t reflect them as working adults. Their conversations give “The Lizzie McGuire” vibes. The language used is seemingly polite and innocent. I mean if one, or two characters is naive is okay, but almost all the characters are like that, even the “villains”, who sound like school bullies in children's books, mean yet still naive.

Moreover, Nieza was supposed to be a loner growing up until she met Hassan & Amy in the UK. I just can’t understand why she felt lonely when her friends are not with her though. It feels contradicting. And her shallowness managed to make me annoyed. She was portrayed to be the patient & wise one. But what I get was she’s quite fragile and sheltered. She’s pampered by her loving family. Or most people are actually like the characters in the book? And I am the weird one? Perhaps, I am too fussy.

In an attempt to be romantic, Harris’ character can be a bit stalker-ish. I’m sorry that I have too much criticism. .

■ Nonetheless, in most parts, the descriptions of many scenarios are pretty sweet. I found myself smiling from time to time. Towards the end, it is a bit sad. I understand Nieza’s grief. The first cut is always the deepest. . ■ Overall, this book is attractive to teenagers. Simple, well-wrapped plots, mostly predictable. Not many emotions felt as I was anticipating. I did not shed any tears. Could be because I am older now and have experience? To compare, Novel Ayat-Ayat Cinta is way heavier. The emotions changed as my perspectives changed from when I first read that book to the time I re-read the book a few years later. . --- ● Buy new copies here:

● Buy a preloved copy here:

[downfalldestiny]

"Our values should extend beyond the present, beyond our nation,

and beyond our species 🌊 !".

[quotidian-oblivion]

for the Melrin ask - Worst thing you think Merlin ever did. im so curious about this one

I had to think so much about this one too.

I don't know. I love Merlin, he's my favorite character. I justify everything he does, even if it's bad. That's what happens with any favorite fictional characters.

I don't want to say "Not telling Arthur sooner" or "Mistrusting Mordred" or "Poisoning Morgana" or anything of the like because, to be fair, that's a given. It's something a lot of us will lament about. Mainly because the writers did not do their job properly (imo).

I'd say, the worst thing he did, to me, is be passive.

I'm bringing up my own values and morals here because I believe that Merlin ruined himself and all of Albion by being passive. By listening to the dragon and not doing his own research. By being whatever Arthur needed him to be. By taking things upon himself. By not trusting others because that's what he was told.

If Merlin had been a little more assertive and a little more sure of himself and what he wanted, then the show would have gone on in an entirely different direction. But he's passive. For the majority of the show. The biggest time where he's not is in the first scene where he challenges Arthur because he wanted to stay true to his ideals and values which was to stand up against bullies who prey on the ones who can't defend themselves against them.

If he had been more assertive, he would have told Arthur earlier, he wouldn't have poisoned Morgana, he would have trusted Mordred or even Gwaine and the others more.

But he let himself be led by Destiny and Kilgharrah and Gaius and whoever else advised him rather than take some time to think things through first. Like Arthur does.

The thing about Merlin and Arthur here is that Arthur really is bolder than Merlin, but in a different way. He is bold in a way Merlin lacks, which is with practical and tactical matters. He questions Merlin's judgement, questions his father's judgement, Gaius's judgement. Agravaine was a main villain for season 4 because of his perfect ways of manipulation and deceit in a way that it got past Arthur's critical thinking and assertiveness. Arthur doesn't take things at face value and is willing to consider different ways things can go and the show mostly shows that when it comes to questioning Merlin's judgement (like about Agravaine and the siege tunnels and about Gwen at first etc). But in the first few seasons, he questioned his father's judgement a lot too but the fandom mainly focuses on Merlin's opinions vs Arthur's even though he and Uther had met head-on-head multiple times.

Arthur doesn't take things at face value which is why it's possible for so many magic reveal fics to look and be accurate.

But Merlin does. Merlin takes a lot of things at face value. He took Kilgharrah's sayings at face value, he took Gaius's (good-hearted but misguided) warnings at face value. He took what the druids said, what Edwin Muirden said, what Julius Borden said, what that druid seer in the Diamere episode said, and so many others at face value. Just accepted it without thinking much about it and went forward.

Don't get me wrong, Merlin has a very strong moral compass and moral thinking. But he lacks critical thinking. Something which Arthur doesn't lack. They complete each other in this way.

But if we're not looking at all that then I'd say the worst thing I believe Merlin ever did was poison Morgana because- WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MERLIN, DID YOU NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER FUCKING SOLUTION???? HOW ABOUT GETTING MORGANA OUT OF THE CASTLE? HUH? WHAT THEN? WHAT ABOUT TELLING HER THAT HEY, I'M GONNA POISON YOU BUT DW I HAVE THE ANTIDOTE SO THAT I CAN REVIVE YOU AGAIN WHEN MORGAUSE COMES AND LIFTS THE SPELL BC I KNOW THAT YOU DONT WANT THIS EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK UTHER SUCKS. I MEAN, THE USED THAT PLAN SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY, WHY COULDN'T THEY USE IT THIS ONCE???????

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

[hussyknee]

"We don't hate Jews and fight them because they are Jews. Jews are people of a religion, and we are people of a religion. We love all people of different religions. My brother even if he is my brother and he is a Muslim—if he steals my house and kicks me out, I will resist him."

— Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin, founder of Hamas.

[al-firdaus]

There’s a reason why you are here. Allah gathered all the elements of the universe so that you could be in this world. Allah chose you. You are relevant, you are important, you are valued. So keep going until the day comes that you meet Him, well pleased and well-pleasing to Him.

[roobylavender]

This whole thread is so....

https://twitter.com/orikkunn/status/1754831427903074488?t=WbVE9Fu585pxZFXPbr_JlQ&s=19

It's pissing me off actually and I search the word hijab on their account and in one of their tweets they said "I think hijab is a bad thing" ??? I need non-muslims who speak on Islam without any knowledge to stfu

i'm going to apologize beforehand if this is upsetting in any way bc i'm sure you were expecting a different response but while i feel like op's wording could have been better in this thread specifically—i like their wording in this thread more—i do generally agree with them. i definitely understand there's a gut reaction to any critique of islamic practices esp in the context of modern orientalism and islamophobic sentiment, but i also think that muslims (and people of any religious faith, really) can simultaneously acknowledge that some criticisms of faith, while driven by racism and/or xenophobia, are also validly driven by a worthwhile contention with women's material circumstances over the course of history. in the other thread i linked above i think op is very much correct in that it's not constructive nor useful to criticize individual people. many individuals do choose to dress more modestly of their own volition and are privileged enough to have that available to them as a choice and nothing more bc of the environment they grow up in and the familial interpretation of religious tenets they're taught. but i don't think people are wrong when they acknowledge the larger context within which women are advised to dress modestly and how those standards of modest dress compare with those imposed on men in comparison. there's an undeniable dichotomy there and at least in my islamic upbringing i've been taught that the way some of these things diverge along the lines of gender is preordained and not meant to be perceived as inherently oppressive towards one gender or the other. a thing is simply bc it is. but religion isn't really something you can view within a vacuum much as that would be ideal. it is connected to the material circumstances of women in the real world and i do allow myself to sit with that reality even if it's weird to process at times bc i still consider myself a muslim and have no plans on ex-communicating myself

personally i like to dress modestly in the sense that i don't wear very exposing clothing. i've grown up wearing pants for my entire life. my parents are lax enough that i'm allowed to wear t-shirts but i can't wear anything where my armpits are directly exposed so that means no sleeveless tops. i can't wear anything with a deep neckline either unless i have a higher positioned undershirt on underneath. and again, i'm not particularly bothered by any of that. i do toe the line on a few occasions but generally i'm ok with how i dress bc by now i'm used to it. that being said, i know the reason i've come to be okay with dressing this way is bc it's how i was taught to dress, and towards the specific end of maintaining modesty and emphasizing on the shape of my figure as minimally as is possible without having to outright wear a bag lol. that is at large a structural reality of muslim practice towards women, regardless of what individual women choose to do in their own homes where they have the liberty to choose. and as i mentioned above, i do think we have to sit with that reality even if we acknowledge it opens us up to abuse by other people who may not have the best intentions. this is why, for example, i've really come to frown upon the way ex-muslims (esp when they're women) are almost mocked by the extant muslim community for logically reacting to patriarchal oppression under the guise of religion. bc at the outset, materially, there is no choice presented to these people. and even if there is ideologically a choice within the tenets of the religion itself, with respect to women in particular, there is still a defined gender dichotomy and hierarchy that cannot be denied and that is quite regularly used to perpetuate the oppression that many of them try to escape

what's hard to do and what requires a knowledgeable, concerted effort on our part as muslims is trying to balance the nuance of the oppression we are accessory to against the nuance of our own oppression for who we are. it's certainly cruel that we have to do so much to parse all of this because racist, xenophobic imperialists are incorrigible people who will co-opt anything if it's beneficial to them. but all the same, we do have that responsibility at minimum. we have to learn to sit in the uncomfortable reality that while many of us as individuals may choose to practice the way we do, that choice may yet be colored by how we grew up within organized religion, and it obscures our ability to recognize that while we think it's a choice for us as individuals, it's certainly not a choice on a structural level, and that's something we should vehemently argue against maintaining the status quo of

[theinfinitedivides]

aight ok now that i've watched ep 7 i see some folks are review bombing KTL on MDL bc of the Arab prince storyline,,,,,, what are our thoughts

[hsmagazine254]

Ramadan Reflections: Fostering Gratitude & Generosity In Children - H&S Education & Parenting

Exploring Creative Ways To Instil Values Of Thankfulness & Giving During The Blessed Month The holy month of Ramadan is not only a time for fasting and spiritual reflection, but also an opportunity to instil important values in our children. As parents, we have the unique chance to nurture qualities of gratitude and generosity in our little ones, shaping their characters and preparing them to be…

[wayoftawakkul]

They said, “go where you are valued”.

So I ran back to Allah.

سبحان الله 🤍

[suraiiya]

sometimes i really really miss the feeling of belonging that the inner monologue of 'im muslim' affords but then i get a glimpse of people tearing each other apart and quoting shit about Lot and homosexuality and i reluctantly sink back to where i am.

[alchemisoul]

Shit got me so hot I had to make a meme about it. When you're in Saudi. You do as the Saudis do. Or you fucking die. We are more patient here than you would be of us. Too much so. You have taken our kindess for a weakness. No we do not share your values no more than you share ours. You refuse to adapt to our values. And yet here you are. Why? You have come to the wrong place. The West will not adapt to you. Get in line. Or get the fuck out. Make a fucking choice.

#apoSTATEofMind

#infidels

#heretics

[lesewut]

"Mercy is innocence, so it can not be a guest in every heart."

Chaldun, Ibn “Geography is Destiny” is taken from the original work of 1377 “Muqaddima”, presented by Turkish philosopher Mesud Topal. Critically interlinking the ideas of Chaldun and the inability of (Islamic) World to truly live the essential requirements of tolerance, education, justice and peace.

"The Right can just be protected with justice."

Not present in the collective consciousness, in the flow of history overshadowed by other great thinkers such as Avicenna and Averroes, forgotton at the tipping point of the former height of the Islamic world and detached by the rising Europe,  I would like to present an enriching and progressive thinker, who, due to his wealth of ideas, no matter what effort, can only be presented fragmentarily in terms of its size and foresight: 

Ibn Chaldun (*1332) is considered the first historian of the Islamic world.  His achievements in the field of sociological research are outstanding and his  understanding of history shows a polyvalent and profound analysis. 

Perhaps he is the first to show the various interconnections and influences of geography (from weather to the borders) on human life, therefore its Qadar (~ fate) and thus on the development of dynasties.  [Cf. Ptolemy “Tetrabiblos” - the influence of stars and planets, based on place on birth] 

"The strength of a government can only be based on justice, courage in truth and mercy."

In his work "Mukkaddime" (Turkish spelling) further aspects are analyzed,  such as the duties of a government towards its population   (main task: Ensuring peace, welfare, justice) or how the individual as part of society -  (according to Aristotle's zoon politikon + al-Farabi "The Virtuos City"   depiction of an idealized state, see Plato "Politeia")   has a special obligation to continuously work and constantly educate oneself. 

"Man is an entity that denies not having understood his own mind."

Acquiring knowledge is an essential part of Islamic values.  Already Hz. Muhamed used to say "And if knowledge is in China, strive!"  Because only healthy, intelligent people can form a healthy and sustainable system of government.  Therefore, man's main goal should be to acquire knowledge and education,  to approuch to the Truth and to learn how to distinguish right from wrong.  (the confusion of concepts leads to irreparable damage, the Truth and the Right  are no longer protected because they are no longer recognized = beacon of moral apostasy) 

"Man does not die of hunger, but because of habits."

Ibn Chaldun also places a special requirement on the state to guarantee the education of its citizens,  for "to leave a man uneducated is to lose him." 

Also he states that the transfer of knowledge should not falter and sets requirements  to teachers who are supposed to be competent and learning methods of "authority, memorization and undisputed constraints" hinder the enlightment of the learner, because it is particularly significant to illuminate why it is so important to aspire education . 

Ibn Chaldun repeatedly emphasizes that there is no other salvation for man  than constant striving and learning.  Only education leads to salvation and so the individual should strive for he has the duty not only towards society and God, but especially for the one's own happiness. 

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Fern Oppenheim, David Bernstein and Eran Shayshon

Published: Jun 14, 2024

While the Jewish world was reeling from the inhumanity of the Oct. 7 massacre, an immediate aftershock came in the form of the anti-Israel rallies on college campuses and on the streets of major cities. Since that time, the protests have only intensified. Opposing Israel has become fashionable in some circles. Campus activists feel imbued with a sense of historic mission, perceiving themselves as the modern embodiment of the protest movements of the 1960s. Many Jewish professionals and lay leaders remain overwhelmed and unclear as to how to proceed. Years of investment in countering various forms of antisemitism have been proven inadequate. It should be clear by now that we need a new strategic approach and a comprehensive plan to enact it.

The post-Oct. 7 reality dictates a strategy that counters underlying ideological currents, places Jewish concerns in the context of broader American interests and upholds American and Western values. The current focus on antisemitism makes it appear that the strife on and off campus is a Jewish problem rather than an American problem. Antisemitism is low on the relevance scale for most Americans, but the health of American society is central. Based on our assessment of what went wrong, current survey data and key trends, we believe that the Jewish security is inextricably linked to firming up larger support for American values and a renewed commitment to the U.S.’s key geopolitical interests. We further argue that American Jewish organizations should prioritize work with new partners in civil society who share this mission and who should take center stage in effecting a larger cultural shift. In short, we believe the best defense against antisemitism is restoring the commitment of Americans to the nation’s founding principles under which American Jews and other minorities have thrived.

What went wrong?

The anti-Israel narrative — Israel as an apartheid, colonialist enterprise — gained limited support on college campuses over the past few decades. Yet trends in survey data indicate that while the anti-Israel narrative caused a slow erosion of support for Israel, the overwhelming majority of college students remained neutral and attitudes towards Jews were largely unaffected. In fact, the data through 2016 indicates that, even in the face of hostile campus rhetoric, most college students and most Americans cared little about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The issue was just not relevant to them and they remained in the “middle” — neither “core supporters” nor the “unreachable.” Likewise, antisemitism among college students remained low. Research indicated that the large group in the middle represented an opportunity as it could be swayed towards Israel once it was shown the broader face and humanity of the Israeli people.

So if the same anti-Israel narrative has been around for decades, what explains the dramatic increase in its acceptance now? Simply put, anti-Israel forces have found a way to make their cause relevant to a growing swath of Americans by linking it to the significant cultural and ideological shifts over the past ten years.

With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014 and changes in the social media landscape, a binary ideology that divides society into oppressors and oppressed, skyrocketed in popularity on campuses. Anti-Israel groups successfully aligned themselves with activist groups representing marginalized communities, thereby significantly expanding the cohort of young Americans sympathetic to their cause. For the first time, Jewish students found themselves excluded from student social justice activities due to their sympathies towards Israel.

In the heated aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, this binary, oppressor-oppressed ideology found new audiences outside campuses. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, which frequently enshrined the oppressor-oppressed ideology, gained broad-scale penetration into numerous mainstream institutions including business, government, media, science, medicine, culture, K-12 schools, etc. So while the State of Israel and, now, Jews are seen by many as white, privileged oppressors in a broad swath of institutions, Hamas is increasingly seen as a legitimate resistance movement representing the marginalized.

It is important to note that notwithstanding the titular expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, protests against Israel on U.S. campuses are about far more than the Jewish state. Instead, they are often part of a larger agenda that aims to reshape the power structure, dismantle the larger social order, defund the police, undermine the very notion of meritocracy and undo the market economy and concept of private property. Many protesters on campus explicitly cite this larger worldview as a motivation for their campus activism. 

Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that in the wake of Oct. 7, most surveys of young people show high levels of support for Palestinians/Hamas and declining support for Israel. The majority are no longer in the swayable middle. Moreover, for the first time since the Anti-Defamation League began measuring such trends, young Americans are more likely to believe antisemitic tropes than older Americans. In short, by aligning with cultural shifts occurring among the progressive left, anti-Israel forces — many representing extreme Islamist perspectives — have successfully made their narrative relevant to many young Americans.

While the Jewish community was busy maintaining support for Israel in the political arena, ideologues sought to and succeeded in changing the culture. We are now experiencing the downstream effects of our collective failure to counter dangerous cultural trends.

A strategic pivot

If Israel is to retain American support down the road and if Jews are to be safe in this country, then action must be taken to reverse these cultural shifts. For the most part, the Jewish community has responded to the post-Oct. 7th onslaught with well-funded efforts to counter antisemitism and anti-Zionism. It is not doing enough to make its case more relevant to Americans than it was years ago, unlike the anti-Israel camp, which broadened its appeal in the intersectional arena.

Yet there is good news amid the bad. In this highly charged environment, Israel and its allies have lost support among college students, but not among most Americans. Raucous anti-Israel protests on campuses have alarmed many Americans, who are concerned that these anarchists pose a clear and present danger to the U.S. The Jewish communal world needs to take a page from its enemies’ playbook and make its cause more broadly relevant by aligning with the significant percentage of Americans who believe in the American dream, oppose chaos and support the principled use of American power in the world. Jews represent only 2% of the American population; we cannot win this battle on our own.

The Jewish community needs to work with those who are already fighting back on various fronts and to catalyze the energies of those who may be concerned but are not yet taking action. The focus of such coalitional efforts must be on strengthening the American narrative and values, not on antisemitism or Israel. And these efforts need to be led by diverse American voices rather than Jewish groups, as they will be seen as more believable and less likely to have an agenda. In short, the Jewish community needs to lead from behind.

We are currently developing a white paper that lays out in greater detail the needed strategic shift and will be holding sessions in person and online in the coming months. For more information, email: americanvaluesstrategy@gmail.com