The towering literary artist of our own blood-drenched century, Franz Kafka, notes:

"Art, like prayer, is a hand outstretched in the darkness, seeking for some touch of grace which will transform it into a hand that bestows gifts."

-The Cornel West Reader, "The Spirituals as Lyrical Poetry," pg 469.

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

"No PowerPoint presentation

or elegant online lecture can make up for the surprise, the frisson, the spontaneous give-and-take of a spirited, open-ended dialogue with another person."

-Darryl Tippens, provost of Pepperdine University quoted in Arthur C. Brooks Op-Ed in today's NYT "My Valuable, Cheap College Degree."

"It is said that Rome was not built in one day, nor Stanford in a century; but it is being built, quietly, honestly, steadfastly, stone after stone."

-David Starr Jordan, Stanford's first president.

[Cited in this article about Stanford alum and Yale Law professor, Stephen Carter's commencement address at Stanford from 1994. Kufi tip to Dr. Sherman Jackson for introducing me to Professor Carter's works.]

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi on al-Hiwar (40 min clip) الانتفاضة العربية الشيخ محمد أبوالهدى اليعقوبي قناة الحوار 2013 01 17

http://youtu.be/5e5ipMM7G58

Monday, February 4, 2013: "Newman and the University: A Symposium on Religion and University Education"

http://www.thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events-nyc/2012/11/16/february-2013-newman-and-the-university-a-symposium-on-relig.html

Hope to attend, iA!

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | John Sexton | PBS

Interview on one of Bill Moyer's last shows on PBS with someone who's been a hero of mine for at least the last year - .John Sexton - about his seminar (and upcoming book [March 7th, 2013]) "Baseball as a Road to God"

http://youtu.be/jB1hN_jnMH8

Dreamer by Langston Hughes

I take my dreams

And make of them a bronze vase,

And a wide round fountain

With a beautiful statue in its center,

And a song with a broken heart,

And I ask you:

Do you understand my dreams?

Sometimes you say you do

And sometimes you say you don't.

Either way

It doesn't matter.

I continue to dream.

"Martin and Malcolm: Implications of their Legacies for the Future" with Dr. Cornel West and Imam Zaid Shakir.

Was honored to witness this historical coming together of two great souls in December of 2005 in Oakland, CA, ma sha Allah.

"On the evening of Friday Dec 2, 2005, a jubliant audience gathered at the Calvin Simmons Theatre in Oakland to share in the knowledge, wisdom, and insight of Dr. Cornel West and Imam Zaid Shakir in their enlightening lectures on the implications of the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X for the future. According to Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Martin Luther and Malcolm X are no longer isolated icons before whom you worship, they are part of a vital tradition and a vibrant heritage, yet they represent the highest standards of courage, conviction, commitment, and they are the standards against which we measure ourselves. Furthermore, Imam Zaid Shakir stresses, in keeping these two towering figures legacy alive in our times, they were relavant to those beyond their faith, demographic, and national communities. Their messages are relevant internationally.

The footage of the event in this set will also give the viewers a new direction. Hopefully, help provide spiritual and intellectual roots that are a source of stability as we wade into the deep and dangerous waters swirling around a world increasingly severed from the firm moorings of transmitted wisdom."

http://www.newislamicdirections.com/store/item_detail/malcolm_and_martin

Mawlid with Imam Zaid Sunday

https://www.facebook.com/events/274106876051708/

Hidaya School Mawlid An Nabi Celebration

Sunday, February 3, 2013

• -Multicultural Mawlid an Nabi Celebration -Come share in the remembrance of the Beloved of Allah. Reflect on his teachings. Renew your commitment to his way of life. -Enjoy Various Nasheed (Ilahije, Ilahi, Naat....) in Multiple Languages -Quran Recitation -Performances by Children of different Islamic Schools -Food/Refreshments -Speech by Imam Zaid Shakir and Sheikh Moutaz Charaf -Time : 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM For More Information Please Contact: Ammar Charaf 551-486-9730 Ammar.Charaf@gmail.com

New book from University of Chicago Press: Mucahit Bilici: Finding Mecca in America: How Islam Is Becoming an American Religion

 “A work of considerable originality, Mucahit Bilici offers a well crafted and insightful analysis of the complex process of integration that Muslim immigrants face in the United States since 9/11. Bilici’s look at Islam as a religion in the American system is rich and rewarding.” -José Casanova | Georgetown University

"Finding Mecca in America weaves social theory and concrete ethnography into a significant contribution on Muslims in the United States, illuminating broader questions about the integration of minority and immigrant groups along the way. This is an important work and a joy to read." -Eboo Patel | President, Interfaith Youth Core and author of Sacred Ground

University of Chicago Press page: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo14127843.html

Author's site: http://mucahitbilici.net/

Faculty page at John Jay City College

CV Amazon link

Twitter

Hoping to use Twitter more...my user name is i_baad as Imam Zaid would call me :)

https://twitter.com/i_baad

The Purpose of the Mawlid - Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad

Habib Umar's talk at mawlid in the Emirates الحبيب عمربن حفيظ -أدلة الاحتفال بالمولد النبوي الشريف

Luknawi Fatwa On The Mawlid Al-Sharif

http://mimber.org/blog/fatwa_on_the_mawlid_alsharif.html

Qasaid (playlist)