Friday, January 3, 2014

A Review of Abdal Hakim Murad's Commentary on the Eleventh Contentions by Riyaz Timol

Some of the courses at Cambridge Muslim College

Modern Muslim History
 
Presents the major events and trends of the last two centuries with a focus on understanding contemporary debates surrounding religion, state and political participation in the Muslim world. Students will analyse the shaping of the Muslim world during the colonial period and the impact of reformist thinkers whilst relating these to the contemporary situation of the Muslim world, including the rise of the modern Islamic movements.


Modern Religious Thinkers

Introduces the main trends and figures in recent Western theology, examining the notion of a public theologian and how it differs from the Islamic classical roles of a scholar. Various Western theologians are considered, together with their responses to challenges from the Enlightenment and modernity. Figures discussed include Hans Kung, Martin Buber, Richard Niebuhr and Paul Tillich.

Religious Ethics in the Modern World

Analysing contemporary questions of scientific innovation, climate change and ethics, this module aims to view these issues through an engagement with Islamic thought and jurisprudence. Students will relate the concepts of ijtihad and fatwa, together with Islamic legal experts, to examine these contemporary discussions.

http://www.cambridgemuslimcollege.org/diploma/modules/

Abdal-Hakim Murad Interview (March 2013)

Congratulations on entering your fifth year at the Cambridge Muslim College, what was your vision for the college and has this been fulfilled?
Our sense when we founded the college was that the first significant generation of British Muslims had the honour of building the mosques and now the time has come to work on the message being given in the mosques. Often listeners complain that our imams are not dealing with the real issues of modern British Muslim men and women, and especially the youth. Their culture is too different. So the College was created to produce a new generation of relevant Muslim leaders who really understand modernity, British culture, and the issues of the youth.
http://www.fifteen21.com/shaykh-abdal-hakim-murad/

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Book (2012): Muslim Youth: Challenges, Opportunities and Expectations

Many Muslim societies, regardless of location, are displaying a ‘youth bulge', where more than half their populations are under the age of 25. An increasingly globalized western culture is rapidly eroding ‘traditional' ideas about society, from the family to the state. At the same time, there is a view that rampant materialism is creating a culture of spiritual emptiness in which demoralization and pessimism easily find root. For young Muslims these challenges may be compounded by a growing sense of alienation as they face competing ideologies and divergent lifestyles.

Muslim youth are often idealized as the ‘future of Islam' or stigmatized as rebelling against their parental values and suffering ‘identity crises'. These experiences can produce both positive and negative reactions, from intellectual engagement and increasing spiritual maturity to emotional rejectionism, narrow identity politics and violent extremism. This book addresses many of the central issues currently facing young Muslims in both localized and globalized contexts through engaging with the work of academics, youth work practitioners and those working in non-governmental organizations and civic institutions.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/muslim-youth-9781441119872/

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New: Montmorency's Book of Rhymes by Abdal-Hakim Murad

Join dear Montmorency as he indulges his sweet tooth, the Pasha of Salonica whose family fears for his health, Aisha Featherstone-Pugh who is having trouble with her ablutions, and the Masjid Mouse from Merry Lane who never forgets his prayers in a delightful collection of rhymes relayed in the style of the classics. Using rich and vibrant language, T.J. Winter transports us to a fabulous world of unforgettable characters while Anne Yvonne Gilbert brings the rhymes to life through her heartwarming illustrations, ensuring this book its place as a treasured classic amongst children living in both the East and the West.
Amazon
Kinza Press