#cambridge muslim college

[buzdansermaye]

Ramadan Mubarak!

As we are less than two days away from Ramadan, here are some of the videos I have taken inspiration from while planning for the holy month:

Ramadan Prep 2024 | Dr. Omar Suleiman & Sh. Yaser Birjas

Ramadan Joy and Gaza Depression | Khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman

Fueling Your Faith: A Guide to Preparing for Ramadan | Dr. Omar Suleiman

How To Start Ramadan Right | Khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman

Preparing for Ramadan 2024 - Nouman Ali Khan, Live at NHIEC

What is Your Goal for Ramadan? Dr. Haifaa Younis | Mifftaah

Tahajjud: Waking Soul & Society | Ramadan Prep

Making Every Moment Count – Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera

Get Ramadan Ready – Abdal Hakim Murad: Keynote Speech

[thestateofardadreaming]

Every time, his words are an eye opener. Very inspiring. Can't wait for Ramadan to begin.

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

The author, PhD candidate Prahlad Iyengar, continued, “One year into a horrific genocide, it is time for the movement to begin wreaking havoc, or else, as we’ve seen, business will indeed go on as usual … As people of conscience in the world, we have a duty to Palestine and to all the globally oppressed. We have a mandate to exact a cost from the institutions that have contributed to the growth and proliferation of colonialism, racism, and all oppressive systems. We have a duty to escalate for Palestine, and as I hope I’ve argued, the traditional pacifist strategies aren’t working because they are ‘designed into’ the system we fight against.”

In a statement distributed by the CAA, Iyengar accused MIT of weaponizing the disciplinary system to persecute him.

“On Friday, MIT administration informed me that as a result of this article, I have been banned from campus without due process and that I face potential expulsion or suspension,” he said. “These extraordinary actions should concern everyone on campus. My article attempts a historical review of the type of tactics used by protest movements throughout history, from the civil rights movement to the struggle to the fight [sic] against South African Apartheid here on MIT campus.”

MIT has not responded to The Algemeiner‘s inquiry regarding Iyengar’s punishment, but according to excerpts of its letter to Iyengar, the administration told him the article “makes several troubling statements” and could be perceived as “a call for more violent or destructive forms of protest at MIT.” In retaliation, CAA is calling on students to harass David Randall, an associate dean, until he relents and revokes Iyengar’s punishment and Written Revolution‘s temporary suspension.

“On Pacifism” is not the first time that elite college students have endorsed violence in the name of opposing Israel and furthering the Palestinian cause.

In September, during Columbia University’s convocation ceremony, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a group which recently split due to racial tensions��between Arabs and non-Arabs, distributed literature calling on students to join the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s movement to destroy Israel.

“This booklet is part of a coordinated and intentional effort to uphold the principles of the thawabit and the Palestinian resistance movement overall by transmitting the words of the resistance directly,” said the pamphlet distributed by CUAD, a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) spinoff, to incoming freshmen. “This material aims to build popular support for the Palestinian war of national liberation, a war which is waged through armed struggle.”

Other sections of the pamphlet were explicitly Islamist, invoking the name of “Allah, the most gracious” and referring to Hamas as the “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Proclaiming, “Glory to Gaza that gave hope to the oppressed, that humiliated the ‘invincible’ Zionist army,” it said its purpose was to build an army of Muslims worldwide.

[moonriserworld]

reading r.f. kuang’s babel right now and after skimming through some locked reddit threads i am so disappointed by the reception.

spoilers ahead, and disclaimer that i am only on chapter 21, but i went looking for a discussion about how their plan to cover up after lovell was a little lacking, and what i found instead were hundreds of disappointed (apparently) white readers tone policing the author. calling her a bad writer, unsophisticated, and overly simplistic. Arguments that are so profoundly rich with irony as these are nameless white readers discussing the qualifications of an asian cambridge/oxford/yale graduate, but i digress. i can easily enough dismiss these criticisms as inane and incomprehensible to anyone who values non-western intellect.

the criticism i have seen over and over again though, which infuriates me to the point of hysterics is that the book is too “preachy”. again and again and again dozens of people posted and hundreds of people upvoted that kuang’s book about the evils of colonialism wasn’t subtle enough. that it’s too in your face, the characters are too aware of “modern” discussions and opinions of colonialism, and that her heavy handed, over-articulated critique shows her youth and inexperience.

i could scream.

because why should colonialism be subtle? why must people of color assuage our indignation to accommodate the feelings of our oppressor’s descendants? why must the cruel, ceaseless destruction of hundreds of world cultures be boiled down to a beautiful metaphor? why is it that books about the evils of capitalism and discrimination can be so easily understood in the fantastical dark academia pieces of white authors, but the second the discussion shifts to imperialism and white supremacy, we must speak in similes and hushed whispers?

does reading about western missionaries intentionally devastating the lives and cultures of people of color for dominance and profit feel like preaching to you? imagine how the natives feel. for monolingual, white intellectuals who base their intellect purely off of western morality and philosophy, this book may certainly feel like a lecture, but for the marginalized communities who to this day speak the languages of their colonizers, this is just reality. a reality that in upper academia is still discussed in stilted, awkward tones because it would require considering where their endowments comes from. and kuang would know that, as someone who graduated from such institutions thrice.

for those that say her character’s speak with too much modern disdain and comprehension of colonialism, these opinions are not modern. the novel takes place in the 1830s, slavery, indentured servitude, and genocide were common practices of the western empires, and i can promise you none of their victims would be upset by admitting so. to say that the cantonese protagonist, with his indian muslim and haitian best friends, the three of whom were torn from their colonized home countries and now make up 75% of the incoming class of oxford’s most prestigious college, should not hold beliefs of anti-imperialism and should not have the vocabulary to express such, is so completely absurd and insulting I can’t even dignify it a response.

make no mistake, it is not that i cannot believe the outrage, because it is so very believable, but i cannot fathom how someone can deign to call themselves a reader and so flagrantly despise learning the experiences of others.

something that was particularly fascinating to watch was when someone mentioned achebe’s things fall apart, lauding it as the faithful brother to babel’s prodigal son. in an interesting reversal of roles, this black author’s novel was presented as the model to which minority writers should aspire to. subtlety, intrigue, mysticism, a delicate string of scenes and plot points to allow the reader to internalize the profound pains of cultural oppression without pointing too many fingers at whose doing the oppressing. because it is simply ‘more powerful’ to draw a beautifully direct parallel to a rhetorical issue than to point at the true source of our real world, ongoing crisis. now this is INSANE if you’ve read things fall apart, but for those that haven’t, not only is this a deeply mischaracterized description of achebe’s novel, but is precisely the rhetoric that both novels aimed to critique.

no novel is perfect. i still have yet to finish babel, and some comments I’ve seen about dialogue and characterization choices, with which i often disagree, i see the merit and validity of such arguments. however listening to the mindless degradation of this work by white, self-proclaimed academics, who offer nothing of note besides overly-intellectualized statements of cultural insecurity, frustrates me on a level i struggle to put to words in any language.

anyways back to reading! i don’t imagine my thoughts are of much note, but if i have anything interesting to say, i’ll give an impassioned key smash when i finish

[beardedmrbean]

(Reuters) -Harvard University will provide additional protections for Jewish students under a settlement announced on Tuesday that resolves two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of becoming a hotbed of rampant antisemitism.

Harvard said it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, including specific examples of discrimination and harassment, when evaluating whether conduct violates its non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies.

The university will also address Frequently Asked Questions about its policies online, report annually for five years on its enforcement efforts, and provide training on combating antisemitism to staff who review discrimination complaints.

Harvard's settlement resolves a lawsuit by Students Against Antisemitism, and a lawsuit by Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education and the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

Both lawsuits were among many accusing major universities of encouraging antisemitism after war broke out between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, leading to several months of pro-Palestinian protests on American college campuses.

Marc Kasowitz, a lawyer for Students Against Antisemitism, in an interview said he had "great confidence" that Harvard was committed to protecting its Jewish students, including those targeted simply for supporting Israel.

"Statements about destroying the state of Israel, murdering Israelis, and that sort of thing are antisemitic statements," he said. "That gives us confidence that these measures are going to be very, very protective of the interests and rights of Jewish students on the Harvard campus."

HARVARD PLEDGES A 'WELCOMING' CAMPUS

Jewish students accused Harvard of selectively enforcing its anti-discrimination policies, including by tolerating their being maligned as "murderers" and subjected to a viral "die-in" where attendees accused Israel of war crimes.

They also accused Harvard of hiring professors who promoted anti-Jewish violence and spread antisemitic propaganda.

Last June, Harvard task forces on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias each found a Cambridge, Massachusetts campus beset by discrimination and harassment, including toward people with pro-Palestinian as well as pro-Israel views.

Both lawsuits accused Harvard of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion and national origin.

The FAQ includes a statement recognizing that many Jews consider Zionism part of their identity, and that discrimination or harassment targeting Jewish and Israeli people can also violate Harvard's policy if directed toward Zionists.

"We are committed to ensuring our Jewish community is embraced, respected and can thrive at Harvard," a university spokesperson said in a statement.

"We are resolute in our efforts to confront antisemitism and will continue to implement robust steps to maintain a welcoming, open, and safe campus environment where every student feels a sense of belonging," the spokesperson added.

Both settlements include unspecified monetary terms. Harvard did not admit wrongdoing.

TRUMP'S IMPACT

Alexander Kestenbaum, a Harvard Divinity School student and plaintiff in the Students Against Antisemitism lawsuit, did not settle and will keep seeking compensatory damages. His new lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The settlement came after a federal judge in Boston refused to dismiss both lawsuits.

Kasowitz said President Donald Trump's statements about how his administration would protecting Jewish students' rights was "certainly helpful" in reaching the settlement.

Students Against Antisemitism settled similar litigation against New York University last July, and Kasowitz said the group was pleased that campus life for Jewish students there has "dramatically improved."

The group is still pursuing Title VI cases against Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. Those schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

[irrespub]

Global and Indian Education Excellence: Top 10 Universities in 2023

Higher education plays a vital role in shaping future leaders, innovators, and researchers. Every year, rankings of the Top 10 Best Universities in India and the Top 10 Universities in the World in 2023 highlight institutions that excel in academics, research, and global reputation. These rankings help students and professionals choose the best universities to advance their careers and education.

Top 10 Best Universities in India

India is home to some of the most prestigious institutions that offer world-class education. These universities are known for their academic excellence, research contributions, and strong alumni networks. Here are the top 10 universities in India:

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore – A leading research institution known for its strong programs in science and engineering.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi – Recognized for social sciences, international relations, and liberal arts education.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi – Offers a wide range of programs across disciplines, from humanities to medical sciences.

University of Delhi, Delhi – A top choice for students seeking quality education in arts, commerce, and science.

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) – IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras are among the top technical institutes in the country.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore – A private university excelling in engineering, business, and health sciences.

Jadavpur University, Kolkata – Known for its strong programs in engineering and social sciences.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal – Offers top medical and technical education.

University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad – Recognized for research in science and humanities.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh – One of the oldest universities, offering diverse academic programs.

These universities contribute significantly to research, innovation, and quality education in India.

Top 10 Universities in the World in 2023

Globally, universities are ranked based on academic performance, faculty expertise, and research impact. The Top 10 Universities in the World in 2023 set the benchmark for higher education.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA – A global leader in science, technology, and innovation.

Stanford University, USA – Known for entrepreneurship, business, and engineering excellence.

Harvard University, USA – Offers world-class education in law, business, medicine, and humanities.

California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA – Specializes in science and engineering research.

University of Oxford, UK – One of the oldest and most prestigious universities, excelling in multiple disciplines.

University of Cambridge, UK – Renowned for its rigorous academic programs and influential research.

ETH Zurich, Switzerland – Leading in technology and engineering studies in Europe.

Imperial College London, UK – Specializes in science, engineering, medicine, and business.

University of Chicago, USA – Known for its strong economics, social sciences, and law programs.

National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore – One of Asia’s top universities with global recognition.

These institutions attract students and scholars from around the world, providing top-tier education and research opportunities.

Choosing the Right University

When selecting a university, students should consider various factors, including faculty expertise, research opportunities, campus infrastructure, and global reputation. Whether looking for the Top 10 Best Universities in India or the Top 10 Universities in the World in 2023, thorough research and careful decision-making are essential.

Education continues to evolve, and these universities remain at the forefront of academic excellence, innovation, and global leadership.

[sunaleisocial]

Fotini Christia named director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/fotini-christia-named-director-of-the-institute-for-data-systems-and-society/

Fotini Christia named director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

Fotini Christia, the Ford International Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, has been named the new director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), effective July 1.

“Fotini is well-positioned to guide IDSS into the next chapter. With her tenure as the director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center and as an associate director of IDSS since 2020, she has actively forged connections between the social sciences, data science, and computation,” says Daniel Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the Henry Ellis Warren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “I eagerly anticipate the ways in which she will advance and champion IDSS in alignment with the spirit and mission of the Schwarzman College of Computing.”

“Fotini’s profound expertise as a social scientist and her adept use of data science, computational tools, and novel methodologies to grasp the dynamics of societal evolution across diverse fields, makes her a natural fit to lead IDSS,” says Asu Ozdaglar, deputy dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Christia’s research has focused on issues of conflict and cooperation in the Muslim world, for which she has conducted fieldwork in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen, among others. More recently, her research has been directed at examining how to effectively integrate artificial intelligence tools in public policy.

She was appointed the director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) and an associate director of IDSS in October 2020. SSRC, an interdisciplinary center housed within IDSS in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, focuses on the study of high-impact, complex societal challenges that shape our world.

As part of IDSS, she is co-organizer of a cross-disciplinary research effort, the Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism. Bringing together faculty and researchers from all of MIT’s five schools and the college, the initiative builds on extensive social science literature on systemic racism and uses big data to develop and harness computational tools that can help effect structural and normative change toward racial equity across housing, health care, policing, and social media. Christia is also chair of IDSS’s doctoral program in Social and Engineering Systems.

Christia is the author of “Alliance Formation in Civil War” (Cambridge University Press, 2012), which was awarded the Luebbert Award for Best Book in Comparative Politics, the Lepgold Prize for Best Book in International Relations, and a Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association. She is co-editor with Graeme Blair (University of California, Los Angeles) and Jeremy Weinstein (incoming dean at Harvard Kennedy School) of “Crime, Insecurity, and Community Policing: Experiments on Building Trust,” forthcoming in August 2024 with Cambridge University Press.

Her research has also appeared in Science, Nature Human Behavior, Review of Economic Studies, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, NeurIPs, Communications Medicine, IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, American Political Science Review, and Annual Review of Political Science, among other journals. Her opinion pieces have been published in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, among other outlets.

A native of Greece, where she grew up in the port city of Salonika, Christia moved to the United States to attend college at Columbia University. She graduated magna cum laude in 2001 with a joint BA in economics–operations research and an MA in international affairs. She joined the MIT faculty in 2008 after receiving her PhD in public policy from Harvard University.

Christia succeeds Noelle Selin, a professor in IDSS and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Selin has led IDSS as interim director for the 2023-24 academic year since July 2023, following Professor Martin Wainwright.

“I am incredibly grateful to Noelle for serving as interim director this year. Her contributions in this role, as well as her time leading the Technology and Policy Program, have been invaluable. I’m delighted she will remain part of the IDSS community as a faculty member,” says Huttenlocher.

[jcmarchi]

Fotini Christia named director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/fotini-christia-named-director-of-the-institute-for-data-systems-and-society/

Fotini Christia named director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

Fotini Christia, the Ford International Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Political Science, has been named the new director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), effective July 1.

“Fotini is well-positioned to guide IDSS into the next chapter. With her tenure as the director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center and as an associate director of IDSS since 2020, she has actively forged connections between the social sciences, data science, and computation,” says Daniel Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the Henry Ellis Warren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “I eagerly anticipate the ways in which she will advance and champion IDSS in alignment with the spirit and mission of the Schwarzman College of Computing.”

“Fotini’s profound expertise as a social scientist and her adept use of data science, computational tools, and novel methodologies to grasp the dynamics of societal evolution across diverse fields, makes her a natural fit to lead IDSS,” says Asu Ozdaglar, deputy dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Christia’s research has focused on issues of conflict and cooperation in the Muslim world, for which she has conducted fieldwork in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen, among others. More recently, her research has been directed at examining how to effectively integrate artificial intelligence tools in public policy.

She was appointed the director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) and an associate director of IDSS in October 2020. SSRC, an interdisciplinary center housed within IDSS in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, focuses on the study of high-impact, complex societal challenges that shape our world.

As part of IDSS, she is co-organizer of a cross-disciplinary research effort, the Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism. Bringing together faculty and researchers from all of MIT’s five schools and the college, the initiative builds on extensive social science literature on systemic racism and uses big data to develop and harness computational tools that can help effect structural and normative change toward racial equity across housing, health care, policing, and social media. Christia is also chair of IDSS’s doctoral program in Social and Engineering Systems.

Christia is the author of “Alliance Formation in Civil War” (Cambridge University Press, 2012), which was awarded the Luebbert Award for Best Book in Comparative Politics, the Lepgold Prize for Best Book in International Relations, and a Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association. She is co-editor with Graeme Blair (University of California, Los Angeles) and Jeremy Weinstein (incoming dean at Harvard Kennedy School) of “Crime, Insecurity, and Community Policing: Experiments on Building Trust,” forthcoming in August 2024 with Cambridge University Press.

Her research has also appeared in Science, Nature Human Behavior, Review of Economic Studies, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, NeurIPs, Communications Medicine, IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, American Political Science Review, and Annual Review of Political Science, among other journals. Her opinion pieces have been published in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, among other outlets.

A native of Greece, where she grew up in the port city of Salonika, Christia moved to the United States to attend college at Columbia University. She graduated magna cum laude in 2001 with a joint BA in economics–operations research and an MA in international affairs. She joined the MIT faculty in 2008 after receiving her PhD in public policy from Harvard University.

Christia succeeds Noelle Selin, a professor in IDSS and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Selin has led IDSS as interim director for the 2023-24 academic year since July 2023, following Professor Martin Wainwright.

“I am incredibly grateful to Noelle for serving as interim director this year. Her contributions in this role, as well as her time leading the Technology and Policy Program, have been invaluable. I’m delighted she will remain part of the IDSS community as a faculty member,” says Huttenlocher.

[lboogie1906]

President Dr. Irfaan Ali was born Mohamed Irfaan Ali (April 25, 1980) in Leonora, Guyana to Mohamed Osman Ali and Bibi Shariman. He has one brother. He was reared near Demerara village, and his early education began at the Cornelia Ida Primary School there. He completed his secondary education at St. Stanislaus College in Georgetown, where he was an active participant in the sport of cricket.

He received a BA in Business Management from the University of Sunderland. He earned an MA in Manpower Planning, a Post Graduate Diploma in International Business, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Finance from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and an LLM in International Commercial Law at the University of Salford. He earned a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the West Indies.

He became a member of the National Assembly of Guyana and worked with the Ministry of Housing and Water and the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce. In 2015, he held the position of chair of the Public Accounts Committee while he co-chaired the Economic Services Committee of the Parliament of Guyana. His goal was to distribute at least 50,000 house lots to the indigenous community by 2025.

Ali married Arya Kishore Ali (2017), an economist. They have one son, Zayd Ali.

In 2017, he was selected as the presidential candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. In 2020, he was sworn in as Guyana’s Ninth Executive President. His party won 33 seats in the National Assembly, while the Association for National Unity/ Alliance for the Cambio won 31 seats. He became the first Muslim president of this South American nation. He is the second-youngest person to be appointed or elected president of Guyana.

In 2021, The President’s Diary, a weekly television program, debuted in Guyana, showcasing his activities. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[futileflower]

The Man Who is Forgotten!

This is the story of a man who at the age of 19 joined the British Indian Army. He was deployed in South Africa during the Second Boer war (1899-1902). This is where his story of great determination begins, as it happens in the battlefield the soldiers had to salute the British National flag the Union Jack. The idea of showing devotion towards the national flag stuck with him and he dreamed of designing a national flag for India.

Pingali Venkayya was born on 2nd August 1876 in Bhatlapenumarru village of Andhra Pradesh. A man with many distinct virtues, Pingali completed his graduation from Cambridge. An agriculturalist, and also an educationist, he helped setting up many schools in his village of Machilipatnam.

As he rejected the concept of displaying the British flag during Congress meetings, Venkayya was inspired to create a flag for the Indian National Congress while attending the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in 1906 in Calcutta, which was led by Dadabhai Naoroji. He released a book about flags in 1916. A National Flag for India was the title of the booklet. There were 24 different flag designs in it. The first flag, known as the Swaraj flag, had two red and green bands that stood for the country's two largest religious groups, Hindus and Muslims. A charkha, which stood for Swaraj, was also present on the flag. Venkayya added a white band on Mahatma Gandhi's recommendation. White stood for world peace.

"Pingali Venkaiah who is working in Andhra National College Machilipatnam, has published a book, describing the flags of the countries and has designed many models for our own National Flag. I appreciate his hard struggle during the sessions of Indian National Congress for the approval of Indian National Flag,” Mahatma Gandhi had written in Young India.

However, though being one of the key architects who shaped modern India, he died in rather abject poverty. Recently some prestige was inferred upon his legacy by the Central government by issuing a post stamp but till this day he is largely forgotten by the post-independence subsequent generation of masses.

[abdur-rahman-blog]

Samir Mahmoud: Lessons from the Cave - Session 1: Quranic Storytelling

Peace, one and all… As part of our attempts to explore Surah al-Kahf more deeply, I wanted to share this excellent short course, by Samir Mahmoud and the Cambridge Muslim College.

[thestateofardadreaming]

Kings & Queens – Abdal Hakim Murad: Friday Sermon

In the passing of the Queen we are reminded of the words of The Ever Living, “Wherever you may be, death will catch up with you, even if you are inside high castles” [Qur’an 4:78]. Though the optics of opulence are not from the faith, they can – and have – served the faithful over the course of Muslim history. The story of the King of Ethiopia from the life and times of the Messenger ﷺ illustrates the Prophetic recognition of nuance, and the value of highlighting similarities rather than differences – something that the new King, Charles III, has been doing for many decades as Prince, in regards to Islam and the West.

[commiedervish]

“Those who come to Islam because they wish to draw closer to God have no problem with a multiform Islam radiating from a single revealed paradigmatic core. But those who come to Islam seeking an identity will find the multiplicity of traditional Muslim cultures intolerable. People with confused identities are attracted to totalitarian solutions.”

— Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, lecture on Salafism & Disregarding Sacred Tradition

[anakegoodall]

"Stewarding the Earth" – Rhamis Kent: Midday Meditations 1

“Stewarding the Earth” – Rhamis Kent: Midday Meditations 1

[ladyhearthkeeper]

Plan Your Ramadan with 🔴Ramadan Live – Abdal Hakim Murad  Cambridge Muslim College    

[avdaciter]

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ⁝⁝⁝

— dilara yilmaz, 33, cis woman (she/her), werewolf. — her birthday is october 27th, making her a scorpio. her rising sign is taurus and moon is capricorn. — born in istambul, turkey but moved to london to live with her maternal aunt's family after her parents died in a tragic car accident. — has spent most of her life trying to be the best at everything, so her aunt wouldn't see her as a bigger burden than she already felt like she was. — studied business management with marketing ba at the city, university of london. has masters degrees in finance & economics from cambridge university and digital humanities from ucl. has some diplomas in digital marketing and consumer behaviour. — was accidentally turned into a werewolf four years ago by an ex-partner, which sent dilara deep into research on the supernatural world and it brought her to fenrir's wood, as well as the fenrir pack three years ago — due to her hard-working nature and good relationship with her alphas, she was able to work her way up in the pack and has been appointed their second-in-command after the murders.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 ⁝⁝⁝

— though not the warmest person out there, dilara is ones of the most loyal friends one could ask for. — had a lovely childhood with her family in london, despite the trauma that losing her parents left in her at first. — does pilates and yoga on her spare time to keep herself in shape and goes on runs around the city whenever she needs to clear her head — is bisexual — is fluent in english & turkish and is currently studying mandarin — is not much of a practicing muslim nowadays, but she was brought up in the faith, and she respects ramadan the best she can. she also always carries pretty headscarves in her purse in case she needs one. — hates the feeling of owing people things.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ⁝⁝⁝ anything and everything goes, but here are some suggestions:

›› childhood friends (( probably from london — ; ›› college friends (( from any of the institutions listed above ; ›› her ride or die (( hazal duymaz ; ›› close friends (( — ; ›› exes that ended on good terms (( m/f/nb ; ›› exes that ended on bad terms (( m/f/nb ; ›› on-again/off-again relationship (( m/f/nb ; ›› pack members (( fenrir pack — lennon davies  ; ›› frenemies (( reza harris ; ›› neighbors (( wood road — malee apinya  ; ›› yoga/pilates buddies (( malee apinya  ; ›› her go-to person (( barista, bartender — asli ozacar ; beautician, etc ›› hook-ups (( m/f/nb — asli ozacar ; 

𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ⁝⁝⁝

Dilara was born in Istambul, turkey to a rising businesswoman and a heart surgeon, although, she doesn’t remember much of her parents, who were killed in a car accident in the winter of her 5th birthday and it forced her to move to London to live with her maternal aunt's family. While she had a lovely upbringing, it did leave a sense of owing her aunt something in her heart, which, at the same time, has made her very aware of the relationships she's built because she didn’t want to feel like she was owing people anything.

She built her career in Marketing in companies in the UK, while also managing her studies. She currently works for Nielsen’s Oxford branch as the head of their Marketing team.

Was brought up in the Muslim faith, and, although she does not practice the religion as she used to, because having become a werewolf has made her question her faith, fate and all in between; but she still respects Ramadan and always carried a headscarf in her bag in case she might need it.

Dilara became a werewolf four years ago, when a romantic partner accidentally bit her close to the full moon. Although the relationship didn't last for much longer after that, it changed her life completely. She moved to Fenrir's Wood three years ago in search for more stability in her supernatural life by joining the Fenrir's Pack.

She might not be the most open person you'll meet and at often times it’ll take her a while to let others in on what is going on in her life, Dilara is definitely one of the most loyal people you'll ever find. Once you’ve earned her trust and respect, she will fiercely protect you and stand by you through thick and thin.