islamic_circles
06-02-04, 04:15 PM
On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the abolition of the Islamic
State Islamic Circles presents:
A 4-DAY COURSE ON THE HISTORY OF ISLAM
Conducted by an exclusive panel of leading world experts in Islamic
history, research and translation into the English Language:
* Sidi Abdassamad Clarke
* 'Alimah Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley
* Al-Hajj Ahmad Thomson (QC)
* Sidi Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison
* Al-Hajj Idris Mears
* Dr Asadullah Yate
The course will run over two consecutive weekends.
Dates: Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th March 2004
Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th March 2004
Time: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm (each day)
Venue: Central London (Zone 1)
Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an: "Say: 'Travel in the land and see how
Allah originated Creation'." (29:20)
Alhamdulillah Muslims are beginning to learn the Deen and improve
their understanding of different aspects of Islam. However, one major
aspect which has been seriously lacking and upon which very little
emphasis has been placed is the 'History of Islam'. Muslims do not
know their history let alone the history of other civilisations. They
feel it is boring or even irrelevant to their present time. Muslims
are often more inclined towards heated debates about the intricacies
of Usul Al-Fiqh or Jarh wat-Ta'dil. Our ignorance of the past is not
the result of a lack of information, but of indifference. We simply
do not believe that history matters. History does matter. It has been
said that he who controls the past controls the future. Our view of
history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it dictates
what answers we offer for existing problems and our outlook for the
future.
The first Islamic State was established by Prophet Muhammad (saw)
in Madinah in 623 C.E. Within 30 years of his death, the Khilafah
had extended all across the Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, Persia
and into Northern Africa. Later, it went on to cover Spain, West
and East Africa, South East Asia, India, Eastern Europe and Central
Asia. However, was it 1400 years of purely Islamic rule where people
lived in a utopia and all the caliphs ruled by what Allah had
revealed, or were matters more complicated? Indeed the situation
was far from simple. After the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs,
other than a few exceptions such as Umar ibn Abdul 'Aziz (ra), the
khilafah became characterised by factionalism, worldly motivated
monarchs and tyrants until its eventual demise in 1924 C.E. At each
juncture in the history of Islam there are great lessons to be
learned, not only for Muslims but peoples of other faiths and
ideologies too.
The course aims to cover the following areas:
1. Al-Khulafá Ar-Râshidûn: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmân, 'Ali (pbut)
2. The Civil Wars (The Great Fitnah)
3. The Umayyads: Rise, achievements and decline
4. The Abbasids: Rise, achievements and decline
5. Islam in Spain (Al-Andalus)
6. The Mongols and Genghis Khan: The effects and impact
7. The Mughals of India
8. The Ottomans: Rise, achievements and decline, including the era
of Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Recommended Prerequisite: Seerah of the Prophet (saw)
The aims and objectives of course are:
1. To seek the pleasure of Allah by obeying his command of seeking
knowledge of the deen of Islam.
2. To educate Muslims about their history from an Islamic perspective.
3. To supplement those jama'at and organisations working to re-establish
the Islamic way of life with 'real substance' as opposed to slogans.
4. A sense of appreciation of the world we live in today and a deeper
understanding the reality of the Muslims today in the context of
our Islamic history.
5. A desire to learn and further investigate into the History of Islam
with an objective frame of Islamic reference and the necessary basic
tools to facilitate this.
About the Teachers:
1. Abdassamad Clarke is the translator of a number of classical works,
including "The History of the Khalifahs Who Took the Right Way", based
on Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuti's "Târíkh Al-Khulafâ". It is a classical
text presenting some of the most authentic traditions regarding the
first four caliphs of Islam, the integrity and wisdom they displayed
in their governance, and their contributions to that body of practice
which is known to us as the Sunnah. Other books translated or written
by Sidi Abdassamad include, "A Madinan View on the Sunnah", "The Clear
Victory", "Year of the Elephant", "Drops from an Ocean" and Ibn Abi
Zayd al-Qayrawani's manual on Maliki fiqh "Kitâb al-Jâmi'".
2. Aisha Bewley is one of today's most prolific translators of
classical Arabic works into English. She is well-versed in Maliki
jurisprudence, with a deep understanding of the Arabic as well as
the significance and context of the teachings and history of Islam.
Her knowledge is born of experience and direct transmission, not
merely academic theory and learning by rote. For more than twenty
five years she has been involved with making the contents of many
classical works in Arabic more accessible to English-speaking
readers for the first time, including Al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik
and Qâdi 'Iyad's Ash-Shifâ.
3. Ahmad Thomson was educated both in Zimbabwe and England, and
having travelled widely, he was fortunate enough to escape having
too rigid a cultural moulding or social conditioning and accordingly,
although brought up as a Christian, recognised and embraced Islam
for what it was. He is a currently practicing as a barrister and is
deputy chairman of the Association of Muslim Lawyers (AML). He has
written widely on a number of Islamic issues, particularly the
history of Muslim Spain. His contributions have included, "Jesus,
Prophet of Islam", "Islam in Andalus", "For Christ's Sake", "Dajjal
the Antichrist", "Blood on the Cross", and many more.
4. Idris Mears embraced Islam in 1973. He is currently the director
of the Association of Muslim Schools based in Nottingham. He studied
Arabic at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo and his
speciality is History, particularly the Ottoman Caliphate.
5. Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison is currently the Director of Education
at The Norwich Academy and The Institute for Language & Continuing
Education. He is also a full-time teacher at the Academy School
based in Norwich. Sidi Uthman has spend time in several European
countries. His speciality is Islam in Africa and is author of "The
Forbidden Dialogues: The Impact of Islam on the Future of the African
Diaspora" and "Trade First - A New Approach to Pan-Africanism for
the Coming Millennium".
6. Dr Asadullah Yate studied at the University of Cambridge and
received his doctorate in 1987. He has translated several classical
texts of historic significance, such as Abul Hasan al-Mâwardi's
"Al-Ahkâm As-Sultâniyyah: The Laws of Islamic Governance", "The
Secret Garden" of Shaykh Sa'd Ad-Din Mahmûd Shabistâri, and is one
of the co-translators of Ibn Rushd's masterpiece on comparative fiqh
"Bidâyat al-Mujtahid wa Nihâyat al-Muqtasid". Dr Yate is presently
engaged in a translation from Arabic of al-Kitáb al-Mufíd of Shaikh
Ash-Shinqíti and Necip Fazil's Ulu Hakan from Turkish.
ALL WELCOME: Muslims and Non-Muslims
* Entry is by BOOKING ONLY
* Those who turn up on the day WILL be declined; please spare yourself
and others the embarrassment and book in advance
* Payment is by cash up-front for all 4 days irrespective of whether
you attend less than 4 days
* Registration Deadline: 3rd March 2004
* Cancellations after 3rd March will incur a small fine
For further information call 07092 032 136 or 07092 032 763.
To book a place please contact one of the following:
E-mail: islamic_circles@hotmail.com
Tel: 07092 032 136 / 07092 032 763
State Islamic Circles presents:
A 4-DAY COURSE ON THE HISTORY OF ISLAM
Conducted by an exclusive panel of leading world experts in Islamic
history, research and translation into the English Language:
* Sidi Abdassamad Clarke
* 'Alimah Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley
* Al-Hajj Ahmad Thomson (QC)
* Sidi Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison
* Al-Hajj Idris Mears
* Dr Asadullah Yate
The course will run over two consecutive weekends.
Dates: Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th March 2004
Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th March 2004
Time: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm (each day)
Venue: Central London (Zone 1)
Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an: "Say: 'Travel in the land and see how
Allah originated Creation'." (29:20)
Alhamdulillah Muslims are beginning to learn the Deen and improve
their understanding of different aspects of Islam. However, one major
aspect which has been seriously lacking and upon which very little
emphasis has been placed is the 'History of Islam'. Muslims do not
know their history let alone the history of other civilisations. They
feel it is boring or even irrelevant to their present time. Muslims
are often more inclined towards heated debates about the intricacies
of Usul Al-Fiqh or Jarh wat-Ta'dil. Our ignorance of the past is not
the result of a lack of information, but of indifference. We simply
do not believe that history matters. History does matter. It has been
said that he who controls the past controls the future. Our view of
history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it dictates
what answers we offer for existing problems and our outlook for the
future.
The first Islamic State was established by Prophet Muhammad (saw)
in Madinah in 623 C.E. Within 30 years of his death, the Khilafah
had extended all across the Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, Persia
and into Northern Africa. Later, it went on to cover Spain, West
and East Africa, South East Asia, India, Eastern Europe and Central
Asia. However, was it 1400 years of purely Islamic rule where people
lived in a utopia and all the caliphs ruled by what Allah had
revealed, or were matters more complicated? Indeed the situation
was far from simple. After the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs,
other than a few exceptions such as Umar ibn Abdul 'Aziz (ra), the
khilafah became characterised by factionalism, worldly motivated
monarchs and tyrants until its eventual demise in 1924 C.E. At each
juncture in the history of Islam there are great lessons to be
learned, not only for Muslims but peoples of other faiths and
ideologies too.
The course aims to cover the following areas:
1. Al-Khulafá Ar-Râshidûn: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmân, 'Ali (pbut)
2. The Civil Wars (The Great Fitnah)
3. The Umayyads: Rise, achievements and decline
4. The Abbasids: Rise, achievements and decline
5. Islam in Spain (Al-Andalus)
6. The Mongols and Genghis Khan: The effects and impact
7. The Mughals of India
8. The Ottomans: Rise, achievements and decline, including the era
of Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Recommended Prerequisite: Seerah of the Prophet (saw)
The aims and objectives of course are:
1. To seek the pleasure of Allah by obeying his command of seeking
knowledge of the deen of Islam.
2. To educate Muslims about their history from an Islamic perspective.
3. To supplement those jama'at and organisations working to re-establish
the Islamic way of life with 'real substance' as opposed to slogans.
4. A sense of appreciation of the world we live in today and a deeper
understanding the reality of the Muslims today in the context of
our Islamic history.
5. A desire to learn and further investigate into the History of Islam
with an objective frame of Islamic reference and the necessary basic
tools to facilitate this.
About the Teachers:
1. Abdassamad Clarke is the translator of a number of classical works,
including "The History of the Khalifahs Who Took the Right Way", based
on Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuti's "Târíkh Al-Khulafâ". It is a classical
text presenting some of the most authentic traditions regarding the
first four caliphs of Islam, the integrity and wisdom they displayed
in their governance, and their contributions to that body of practice
which is known to us as the Sunnah. Other books translated or written
by Sidi Abdassamad include, "A Madinan View on the Sunnah", "The Clear
Victory", "Year of the Elephant", "Drops from an Ocean" and Ibn Abi
Zayd al-Qayrawani's manual on Maliki fiqh "Kitâb al-Jâmi'".
2. Aisha Bewley is one of today's most prolific translators of
classical Arabic works into English. She is well-versed in Maliki
jurisprudence, with a deep understanding of the Arabic as well as
the significance and context of the teachings and history of Islam.
Her knowledge is born of experience and direct transmission, not
merely academic theory and learning by rote. For more than twenty
five years she has been involved with making the contents of many
classical works in Arabic more accessible to English-speaking
readers for the first time, including Al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik
and Qâdi 'Iyad's Ash-Shifâ.
3. Ahmad Thomson was educated both in Zimbabwe and England, and
having travelled widely, he was fortunate enough to escape having
too rigid a cultural moulding or social conditioning and accordingly,
although brought up as a Christian, recognised and embraced Islam
for what it was. He is a currently practicing as a barrister and is
deputy chairman of the Association of Muslim Lawyers (AML). He has
written widely on a number of Islamic issues, particularly the
history of Muslim Spain. His contributions have included, "Jesus,
Prophet of Islam", "Islam in Andalus", "For Christ's Sake", "Dajjal
the Antichrist", "Blood on the Cross", and many more.
4. Idris Mears embraced Islam in 1973. He is currently the director
of the Association of Muslim Schools based in Nottingham. He studied
Arabic at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo and his
speciality is History, particularly the Ottoman Caliphate.
5. Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison is currently the Director of Education
at The Norwich Academy and The Institute for Language & Continuing
Education. He is also a full-time teacher at the Academy School
based in Norwich. Sidi Uthman has spend time in several European
countries. His speciality is Islam in Africa and is author of "The
Forbidden Dialogues: The Impact of Islam on the Future of the African
Diaspora" and "Trade First - A New Approach to Pan-Africanism for
the Coming Millennium".
6. Dr Asadullah Yate studied at the University of Cambridge and
received his doctorate in 1987. He has translated several classical
texts of historic significance, such as Abul Hasan al-Mâwardi's
"Al-Ahkâm As-Sultâniyyah: The Laws of Islamic Governance", "The
Secret Garden" of Shaykh Sa'd Ad-Din Mahmûd Shabistâri, and is one
of the co-translators of Ibn Rushd's masterpiece on comparative fiqh
"Bidâyat al-Mujtahid wa Nihâyat al-Muqtasid". Dr Yate is presently
engaged in a translation from Arabic of al-Kitáb al-Mufíd of Shaikh
Ash-Shinqíti and Necip Fazil's Ulu Hakan from Turkish.
ALL WELCOME: Muslims and Non-Muslims
* Entry is by BOOKING ONLY
* Those who turn up on the day WILL be declined; please spare yourself
and others the embarrassment and book in advance
* Payment is by cash up-front for all 4 days irrespective of whether
you attend less than 4 days
* Registration Deadline: 3rd March 2004
* Cancellations after 3rd March will incur a small fine
For further information call 07092 032 136 or 07092 032 763.
To book a place please contact one of the following:
E-mail: islamic_circles@hotmail.com
Tel: 07092 032 136 / 07092 032 763