Every one of us is a climber in a certain sense. Some of us seek avidly after reaching the top of the ladder of fame, others climb the ladder of wealth, or the ladder of power, or of knowledge, etc. The kinds of ladders to ascend are so many to the extent that one gets the… Continue reading The Ladder of Ethics
Many people attack Muslims saying: “You people have no understanding whatsoever, you don’t even know who it is whom you worship. For your own good, know that you are worshipping the moon, for Allah is the name of the “Moon god.” You even follow in your traditions the lunar calendar. Can’t you understand that all… Continue reading Unravelling “Allah”
History holds amidst its pages centuries of persecution under the authority of religious figures. Those so claimed to be “MEN OF GOD,” committed all kinds of crimes under the sweet claim that “God willed it.” If you carefully read history, you will come to understand that those men’s purpose was not religion, but power- power… Continue reading Power & Religion Symbiosis
A friend once asked me, “How do I differentiate between a truly knowledgeable scholar, and a fake one?” His question came amidst a long conversation in which we were discussing the reasons that make some people follow radical extreme religious movements. My answer was simple, I said, “The way to distinguish between them is easier… Continue reading Symptoms Of Religious Extremism
Have you ever heard of such a thing as “unconditioned acceptance”? There is no such a thing, right! Actually, when I gave it a thought, I realize that I’m totally wrong. If you ponder over motherhood, you will instantly get the idea. A mother bears her child inside her womb for 9 months. She goes… Continue reading Unconditioned Acceptance
One cold winter night years ago, I was walking with two friends in downtown Cairo. The weather was extremely cold, and most streets were empty. When we approached Tal’at Harb square (one of the famous squares in Cairo), we saw a homeless old woman sleeping on the sidewalk, covering herself with a blanket, and trembling… Continue reading Blessings Are In What’s Minimal
My idea in Orientalism is to use humanistic critique to open up the fields of struggle, to introduce a longer sequence of thought and analysis to replace the short bursts of polemical, thought-stopping fury that so imprison us in labels. [Edward Said, Orientalism, 2003]. It has become a tradition among many people to label “the other”… Continue reading Labeled of the Earth
Many non-Muslim thinkers, historians, poets, politicians, etc., studied Prophet Muhammad’s life, and spoke publicly, or even wrote books describing the man whose life they explored thoroughly. Some of them were among the most renowned during their time, and they still are. By all means, you don’t have to embrace someone’s ideas in order to respect him or… Continue reading Conqueror of Hearts
Among the biggest controversies storming the media is “Islam & Terror.” Of course this is a big issue that could never be dealt with in one short post, but I consider this post to be one in many to come. The main purpose of this quick post, is to shed some light on how Muslim… Continue reading Islam & Terror Controversy
We often hear people say, “Good luck,” “hard luck,” among other expressions related to their belief that luck controls their fate. This is absolutely dumb; you make your own luck, not the other way around. Many people build their expectations upon their hopes or intentions. They think that if their intentions were good enough, the… Continue reading How To Make Your Own Luck
Islamic Methodologies Made Easy 