#imam karim abuzaid

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Colorado Imam Karim Abuzaid taught a children's class at Chicago's Darul Quran Mosque on June 30, 2024, in which he instilled into the children that their number one goal in life is to die as a Muslim and go to Paradise. He also instructed the boys in the class not to look at the girls while they were delivering their answers. Video of the class was streamed live on Karim Abuzaid's YouTube channel.

Karim Abuzaid: "What would be your number one goal in this life? What do you want to achieve out of this life?

[...]

"One goal – what do you want from this life? Okay, we said no collective answers, raise your hand and I'll pick you. I am going to pick the sisters sometimes, but I expect you not to look at the sisters, and if a sister speaks, you are not going to look at her, right? Because you are supposed to lower your gaze, right?

[...]

"What is your number one goal in this life?"

Children: "To go to Paradise!"

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Beautifully penned by Imam Karim AbuZaid (abbreviated):

When oppression or injustice becomes widespread, and believers find themselves alone with no one to help them except Allah, He intervenes in His perfect timing.

This assurance is a recurrent theme in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

The story of al-Ahzab serves as a powerful reminder of this very principle. In a time of peril, when the Muslim community in Madinah faced seemingly insurmountable odds, they turned inwards, fortified their faith, and leaned on their absolute trust in Allah. As [Allah informs us] in Surah al-Ahzab (33:10-13), their situation was dire:

🌸 ❛When they came upon you from above and below you, and when the eyes turned in fear, and the hearts reached the throats… The believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking.❜

Despite the magnitude of the threat, their faith never wavered. They held steadfast to the promises of Allah and His Messenger [ﷺ]. Their perseverance was rewarded, as the Qur'an further elucidates in Surah al-Ahzab (33:22):

🌸 ❛When the believers saw the confederate forces, they said: "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger told us what was true." It only increased them in faith and submission.❜

In drawing parallels to the present struggles of the people of Gaza, let this historical account remind us of the Divine promise. When the odds seem overwhelming and external help appears distant, let us remember that the One who intervened during the Battle of the Trench still oversees our affairs.

[creepingsharia]

Meet Iman Jodeh: Islamist Candidate for Colorado’s House of Representatives

Note: Jodeh had almost 3x the number of votes as her Republican challenger in their respective primaries.

by Ahnaf Kalam

She seems more interested in Palestine’s politics than Aurora’s.

Residents of Colorado's House District 41 are concerned with several perennial issues that resurface every election year. The Aurora suburbs are experiencing crumbling transportation infrastructure, increasing cost of living expenses, and a massive upsurge in homicide and other violent crime.

Promising to tackle these issues, the district's Democratic Party candidate Iman Jodeh is running on a progressive platform of criminal justice reform and minimum wage increases. Yet, Jodeh's involvement with an Islamist mosque and her history of pro-Palestinian activism reveals an alternative agenda that stands starkly at odds with her constituents' values.

Jodeh, who ran unopposed in the primaries, will face off against Republican Bob Andrews for control of the House district, which includes a large portion of the southeast Denver metroplex. According to the Sentinel, Andrews – who is running on a platform of "small government" and "fiscal responsibility" – faces an "uphill battle" to defeat Jodeh after the previous Republican candidate to run for District 41 lost to the Democratic incumbent by 30 points.

Further complicating Andrews chances has been an inability to raise money for his campaign. By late September, Jodeh had collected $58,000 in campaign contributions, compared to a mere $4,000 raised by her opponent.

Jodeh should credit her fundraising success to a series of high-level endorsements, such as from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Planned Parenthood Colorado. In September, she was among the speakers selected for the Biden campaign's "100 Women for Biden" virtual event. But unbeknownst to her progressive supporters, Ms. Jodeh is the spokesperson for the Colorado Muslim Society (CMS), a mosque with a lengthy history of preaching homophobia, misogyny and intolerance.

In early June, CMS published its guidelines for re-opening during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a provision that restricted women from attending the mosque until further notice -- with no explanation given as to why. This prohibition was subsequently amended days later in an updated posting, but only after this author contacted Jodeh to inquire about the discriminatory policy. She has failed to respond as of this printing.

Jodeh has been the CMS spokesperson for many years, where she represented Muslim clerics such as Karim Abuzaid, the mosque's senior imam between 2010 and 2014. Among the gratuitous bigotry and extremism regularly espoused by the Salafist cleric, Abuzaid once notably preached to a Denver congregation that fornicators should be flogged and adulterers stoned. In the same sermon, he told worshippers that the AIDS virus is a punishment from Allah for practicing homosexuality. More recently, Abuzaid blamed the coronavirus on homosexuality during a live webinar.

In February 2020, CMS hosted an event by the Muslim Legal Fund of America featuring Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour, who used her platform to advocate for convicted Al Qaeda operative Syed Fahad Hashmi and express support for Noor Salman, the wife of slain Pulse Nightclub shooter Omar Mateen. Sarsour is a notorious anti-Semite who was ousted from her position as chairwoman of the National Women's March in 2019 as a result of her inexcusable history of anti-Jewish bigotry.

American Islamists have been quite active in allying with progressive and feminist movements, but below the surface, the beliefs and doctrines to which they adhere are often incompatible.

Still, Jodeh has succeeded in convincing the press that her apparent fundamentalist beliefs have no bearing on her progressive politics. In a recent interview with Arab News, the congressional candidate attempted to clarify her unique brand of feminism by whitewashing Quranic scripture:

"In Islam, there's a chapter in the Qur'an called 'Al-Nisa' or 'The Woman.' There is not a chapter called 'The Man,'" she explained. Yet, Jodeh's interpretation completely neglected to mention the theological reasons why women, unlike men, require a chapter in the Quran prescribing gender-based rules.

Even in the contemporary West, Islamic scripture may yield grotesque abuses of women's rights. For instance, a 2011 study from the Tahirih Justice Center found at least 3,000 cases of forced marriage in the U.S. over the preceding two years, with the majority of cases coming from the Muslim community.

So long as Muslim leaders ignore these regressive practices, which are often legitimized by Islamists, they stand to continue. Such is the case in Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar's district, where the Hennepin County Medical Center reports that 99 percent of Somali women have suffered from the worst category of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Despite its prevalence among her own constituents, Omar shut down a question about FGM during a Muslim political convention, calling it "appalling" and a "waste" of time.

In addition to her willful ignorance of these issues, Jodeh's constituency should also be concerned with her obsessive focus on the Palestinian resistance, which seems to overshadow her commitments towards climate change, health care, and criminal justice reform. In the same Arab News interview, the Denver-born Palestinian-American said that her love for Palestine is ingrained, and that "she was never just American, she was Palestinian American."

"This is my identity, I will never abandon this narrative, because I feel I have an obligation to all Palestinians everywhere to advocate when I can," she said.

But what about her obligation to the diverse families living in southwest Aurora and Arapahoe County?

Jodeh's activism on behalf of Palestine spans years. In December 2017, she was interviewed while protesting President Trump's decision to declare Jerusalem the official capital of Israel. As she was speaking to a reporter, the crowd of demonstrators could be heard chanting: "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!", a popular slogan of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and an implicit call for the destruction of Israel.

Moreover, Jodeh founded the nonprofit "Meet the Middle East," purportedly to educate Americans on the region and foster improved relations between two distinct cultures. However, a closer look at Jodeh's curriculum demonstrates that she is truly concerned with a single objective: depicting Palestinians in a positive light, while mostly ignoring other diverse ethnic and religious communities located in the Middle East.

Jodeh should consider that her overwhelming focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict may well be alienating Democrats who do not share her enthusiasm for Palestine. She could learn from the March primaries in Illinois, where U.S. congressional candidate Rashad Darwish's pro-Palestinian activism may have alienated many Arab and Muslim voters – even though portions of his district were situated in the "Little Palestine" of Chicago.

Among other things, residents of Aurora are most concerned with their property taxes, the rising cost of living, and the eternally congested and perpetually under-construction highways in Aurora. While Jodeh has been racking up endorsements from prominent Democratic groups and individuals over the past few months, she doesn't appear to have much experience in addressing any of the larger issues that locals find concerning.

Instead, Jodeh's entire campaign is predicated on her credentials and experience as a pro-Palestinian activist, and as an educator on Islam and the Middle East – issues that most Aurora residents likely consider inconsequential to their personal prosperity.

[khutbahs]

Ibn al-Qayyim said regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains: "And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron. And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful. And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels. And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver. And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver. And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey. And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth. And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh. And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire. And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor. And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver. And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it. And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years. And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long. And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

[islamhudaa2]

A Nation That Never Dies | Powerful Khutbah – Imam Karim AbuZaid

A Nation That Never Dies | Powerful Khutbah – Imam Karim AbuZaid

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❛Chapter 25 of the Holy Quran, Surah al-Furqan, portrays the attributes of Ibad Ar-Rahman, also known as The Faith Servants of the Most Merciful. Allah Almighty draws a beautiful comparison between the stars in the sky with the duties of His servants on Earth in verses 61-77.

According to Imam Bukhari in his Saheeh, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala created the stars for three purposes: as an adornment of the sky, a cast [to drive away] Shaytan, and as a guide. Narrating it differently than these three reasons leads to errors, unhappiness, and acquiring unknown knowledge.

Similarly, the Ibad Ar-Rahman carry out three essential tasks on Earth.

The first task is to offer guidance based on the teachings of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The second task is to beautify the religion of Islam through their exemplary character, embodying values such as honesty, kindness, generosity, and compassion. The final task is to protect the religion from distortions and false interpretations by speaking out against innovations and devious scholars.

In today's world, where people are lost, confused, and searching for answers, the guidance offered by Ibad Ar-Rahman is crucial. They follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was sent as a mercy to all of humanity.

Their good character is a critical aspect of their service to Allah. They strive to please Allah and serve His creations, not motivated by personal gain or self-interest.

Lastly, Ibad Ar-Rahman plays a vital role in protecting the religion of Islam from deviations and innovations. They speak out against those who seek to distort the teachings of Islam, serving as the guardians of the authentic message of Islam.

In conclusion, the comparison between the stars in the sky and Ibad Ar-Rahman in Surah al-Furqan highlights the essential role that the servants of the Most Merciful play in this world: by offering guidance, serving as an ornament to the religion of Islam through their excellent character, and protecting the religion from deviations.

May Allah guide us all to be among the Ibad Ar-Rahman and fulfill our duties with excellence and sincerity.❜

— Imam Karim AbuZaid

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Have you read Surah al-Kahf today (Friday)? Here are some beneficial reflections written by Imam Karim AbuZaid on the surah:

❛Surah al-Kahf addresses the topic of trials and tribulations by utilizing storytelling. If we categorize these trials, they can be divided into two areas: matters of belief, and matters of desire.

The surah provides four stories, with two focusing on matters of belief: the story of the companions of the cave, and the story of Musa and al-Khidr (may the peace and the blessings be upon both of them as prophets of Allah). These stories highlight the importance of steadfastness in faith and the acceptance of Allah's wisdom, even in challenging situations.

The other two stories in the surah revolve around matters of desire. The rich man's story and Dhul Qarnain's explore the temptations of wealth, power, and authority. These stories caution against succumbing to worldly desires, and emphasize the need for humility and righteousness.

Overall, Surah al-Kahf uses these stories to teach important lessons about remaining steadfast in faith, resisting temptations, and seeking Allah's guidance in navigating life's trials and tribulations. It serves as a reminder to prioritize spiritual values over worldly pursuits, and to seek success in the sight of Allah rather than in pursuing personal desires or positions of power.❜

[hussainfahmy]

5 Evidences That Allah Exists | Imam Karim AbuZaid