This Sunday I returned to hosting our Fajr Club Breakfast at Middle Ground and teaching our tafsīr class: Understanding the Qur’ān. We resumed with the beginning of the Sixth Chapter, Sūrah al-Anʿām.

The chapter of the Qur’ān is revealed at a turning point for the Muslims. The Prophet ‎ﷺ and the Muslims in Makkah are facing increasing hostility and yet the despite this, the message is still, if slowly, spreading. And so the first thing we commented on was one of the characteristics of the Qur’ān, namely how it repeats the same motifs, the same wordings, over and over. Why?

So let’s start with the opening three verses:

the translation of which is:

All praise belongs to Allāh Who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light. Yet incredulously the kāfir indiscriminately sets up equals besides their Lord.

He is the One Who created you from clay then appointed a fixed term for your death and another known only to Him—yet somehow you all are still wrestling¹ with this simple truth

He is the Only True God in the heavens and the earth. He knows whatever you conceal and whatever you reveal, and knows whatever you do!

First, it’s important to note that while this is the sixth chapter/sūrah of the Qur’ān, it is not the sixth in chronological order. In fact, not even close. While it is essentially agreed that it is a Makkan sūrah it does have a few verses that were revealed in Madinah, meaning that it was right before and even leading into the Hijrah (the migration from Makkah to Yathrib, later known as Madinah). It is generally estimated to somewhere around the fiftieth sūrah revealed. How is this important?

Allāh repeats Himself throughout the Qur’ān, sometimes verbatim. So when we see Him saying al-Ḥamdu lillāh (all praise belongs to Allāh) this is not the first, nor the last, that this phrase it mentioned. As we mentioned, this is coming on the cusp of the Hijrah: there are many who’ve taken their shahādah already and still others taking it at the time of this Sūrah’s revelation meaning:

One might think of it like those coming to the Friday khuṭbah:

• Some walk in late;

• Others are there before it starts;

• Others yet come right as the khuṭbah starts.

Therefore we can see that it’s beneficial to keep repeating the same thing because people are constantly still coming into Islām. It’s also a reminder to those that have been going along this journey all along to not forget: al-Ḥamdu lillāh. And this reminder of al-Ḥamdu lillāh comes at a time when there are big shifts on the horizon; major turbulence is just down the road. I liken it to a kind of motivation speech to troops who are about to embark on a major mission:

One can see that in these three mighty verses, Allāh reminding is reminding his believers that He is in control and that even the road ahead with be difficult, it is His plan that will ultimately prevail and that no matter what they face, whatever losses they may suffer, all praise belongs to Allāh.

You can watch the full lesson on YouTube:

1. The verb يَمْتَرُونَ comes from the root of م+ر+ى built on the wazn of اِفْتَعَلَ and its meaning is “to struggle” or “to wrestle with” not merely to be “in doubt” as many translations put it. While the kufār of Quraysh did indeed have their doubts but the deeper meaning is that they are internally, and needlessly, struggling to admit the truth.

al-Salāmu ʿalaykum everyone. It might be almost August but it’s a new start for us here at Middle Ground! Yes, we’re back with new classes, activities and a new website.

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Here’s a rundown of this week’s happenings:

1. Middle Ground Jumuʿah

   1. Start time: 1PM. This never changes throughout the year.

   2. This week’s khaṭīb: Imam Marc Manley.

   3. Topic: Striving To Be The Best Believer.

   4. Link to the live stream: https://youtube.com/live/qtpqBkbPJJY?feature=share

2. Friday Night Ḥalaqah

   1. Starts after Maghrib prayer. Ṣalāh is approx. 8:15PM.

   2. Study circle for the whole family.

   3. Link to the live stream: https://youtube.com/live/P_jNwS9L8D8?feature=share

3. Fajr Club

   1. Starts after Fajr Prayer. Salah is at 5:15AM.

   2. Fajr Club Breakfast: Middle Ground’s world-famous coffee and breakfast. Come and get to know your community! Right after Fajr Prayer.

   3. Understanding the Qur’ān: a class taught by Imam Marc, explaining the Qur’ān (tafsīr). Starts after Fajr Club Breakfast (approx. 7AM).

As we mentioned we also have a new website: www.muslim.center. Here you can see everything that’s going on at Middle Ground including which of the daily prayers are being offered:

You can see the prayer times right on the home page. There’s also info on becoming a volunteer if you’re interested in opening the Center for prayers.

You’ll also find many of Imam Marc’s blog posts and articles as well as other supplemental material from our classes. We hope you’ll have a look.

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Welcome [back!] to Episode 50 of the Middle Ground Podcast with Imam Marc Manley and brother Dawud Aleman. We discuss our absences, life in the intervening year or so, and how we still cultivate hope and faith in the ridiculous times we’re living in.

Watch the podcast on YouTube as well:

Welcome back to another episode of the Middle Ground Podcast. This one will be short and sweet as I share some feedback from a brother who reached explaining that he felt burnout and longing from ideological fatigue.

al-Ḥamdulillāh it was my pleasure to speak at the 10th Annual Family Symposium for Muslim Family Foundation: Roots of Wellness, alongside Dr. Deana Helmy, sister Ahlam Gheith and Shaykh Ḥasan Radi.

Being a non-professional I wanted to bring a somewhat different perspective to the table to challenge and, in shā’ Allāh, improve how Muslim, mental health professionals and otherwise, look at and trust the wester secular approach to healing the human soul.

In the talk I referenced mainly two works of interest.

1. Hunter, James Davison. The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age Without Good or Evil. Basic Books, 2000.

2. Rieff, Philip. The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith After Freud. Harper Torchbooks, 1968.

Many thanks to Muslim Family Foundation, Dr. Ali Al-Saadoon, the panel members, all who attended and especially brother Mohamad Nasser for inviting me.

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al-Ḥamdulillāh I was invited again by the gracious folks at Masjid al-Fatiha of America, located in Azusa, California. I’ve worked closely with this family-run masjid for years.

al-Salām ‘alaykum everyone. Just a few words on the recent phenomenon of allegedly fake AI videos of war criminals and what we should think of that.

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The following are some words I put together regarding a discussion at ifṭār the other night:

المسلم المعاصر في خُسران من وجوه كثيرة، ومن أبرزها أنّه يتفكّر كإنسان مغلوب. فبدلا من أن يذُمّ نفسه ينظر إلى الآخرين: مثلا الكفار أو اليهود. ولا ينظر إلى نفسه؛ فيُسقط مشكلاته كلها على الآخرين ولكن الأسلوب القرآني أن يَدينَ الإنسان نفسه. وإضافة إلى ذلك لا يرى في…

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Let’s take a quick look at the rules which apply to numbers and counting objects.

Numbers One and Two

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Many Muslims today speak of “love”: for Allāh, for the Prophet ‎ﷺ, etc. And while having love for Allāh and the Prophet ‎ﷺ are indeed noble ambitions it would also seem that the current emphasis on love has come at the cost how we see obedience. It would seem for some Muslims today that talk of fearing Allāh and striving for obedience is akin to negativity. Others have conflated love with mercy. But the Qur’ān, however, addresses these qualities quite differently and separately.

If we examine how the Qur’ān commands us to fear Allāh, such admonitions are unencumbered and straightforward. In contrast love is conditional:

or that there are those that Allāh loves, and those He doesn’t:

and

In other words love—especially love to Allāh and/or His Prophet ‎ﷺ is proven through devotional commitment (ittibāʿ) and obedience (ṭāʿah), not merely self-selecting sentiment.

As for mercy (raḥmah), Allāh says that it encompasses everything:

In fact, Allāh’s mercy—in this life—extends even to those who don’t believe in Him or even reject Him outright. Yes, Allāh shows mercy to the believer and the non-believer alike (though not necessarily equally). In fact, as we leaned in our Satuday ʿaqīdah class, Allāh’s mercy can be understood as having two branches if you will: the aforementioned all-encompassing mercy for everything and everyone in this life, and a specially mercy reserved for those who believe in Him for the Next Life. The point being here is that we should not collapse mercy into love.

A great example of this is the sotry of Qarūn (Korah, in the Bible). His story illustrates how misplaced love—especially of wealth—can blind judgment. Those around him admired him, even coveting to be in his place. But when Allāh caused the earth to swallow him, they realized that Allāh alone expands and constricts provision. In fact, in the Qālūn (Madanī) reading of the 82nd verse, we see an additional highlight that differs from the Ḥafṣ reading,

in the reading according to Qālūn, it becomes,

In the latter case, the verb in the passive voice underscores our powerlessness and the need for fear in order to sober and reorientate our hearts.

So much of today’s “spiritual” discourse turns faith into a dopamine-trap where we seek to obtain, or in some cases, avoid, a certain mood. On this treadmill of mood chasing fear is always “bad,” love is always “good.” But what we are in need of today isn’t just obtaining the perfect “vibe” but instead, we need to be taught the skills which are necessary and conducive to contemplation and reflection. We need to return to a knowledge-based engagement with the Book of Islām which means we’re going to have to study. Systematic study. Yes, we’re going to have to learn the language of revelation—Arabic—because everything in our Dīn flows from the Qur’ān in its language (as well as the Sunnah). These sciences of revelation are not the tools of gatekeepers; they are the tools by which we can authentically and effectively contemplate (tadabbur) and reflect (tafakkur) with consistency and discipline, not just sentiment.

It goes without saying that we all need an emotional bond with the Qur’ān but feelings built on hawa (emotions/passions) and speculation won’t suffice in and of themselves. Real attachment grows out of consistent and rigorous learning. Beware of performative “piety” that entertains yet leaves you without acquiring the tools to learn. Seek teachers who impart methods, not just stories. The onus is on you to choose paths and mentors that raise the waterline of knowledge so you can truly engage this Book with is “guidance for the God-fearing” (hudan lil-Muttaqīn).

This short talk is meant as an invitation, not an admonition. A pray that we can all build a sturdy foundation of knowledge from which love can spring deep from within that well.

Ask yourself: why would anyone settle for junk when a far greater feast awaits? I wrestle with this analogy every time I take my daughter for sushi. Once she came to know “the good stuff” she’s no longer satisfied with grocery store sushi. Only the good stuff.

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There’s no doubt that modern psychology and psychotherapy have influenced and changed how people think about God and their religious traditions. Muslims are no different in this matter. In fact, the only question which remains is to what extent is the impact and what might be the remedy and how we might return to a more authentic understanding of the …

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Modern political rhetoric, on the Right and the Left, share a common trait: they are both proponents of victimization ideologies. For the Left, chief amongst their grievances are the transgressions of white people. The legitimate protests and resistance against white supremacy have come to form a kind of secular telos for the Left; an end in and of it…

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There are many challenges to modern life which Muslims have to face. One particularly daunting challenge is the challenge of modern psychoanalysis and its impact on how Muslims understand Islām, themselves, and morality in the modern world. But Muslims are not alone in this challenge and a great many western academics from various religious and secula…

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This video is an excerpt from my Saturday class on ʿaqīdah (creed and beliefs), discusses how the "problem" of good and evil are understood and resolved via the guiding light of the Qur’ān and the Sunnah.

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Welcome to Episode 46 of the Middle Ground Podcast. In this episode I want to discuss a new (and disturbing) trend I’ve noticed in the social media landscape, namely Muslims making videos in which they claim the non-practicing Muslims are somehow actually “doing Islām more” than those who do. Can this be true? You can listen to the audio podcast or watch the video below.

Welcome to Episode 45 of the Middle Ground Podcast. For this episode I’m sharing an excerpt from my Saturday class on ʿaqīdah, otherwise known as “creed”; i.e., the things we Muslims must believe in and things we must reject. But the study of ʿaqīdah is much more than a list of do’s and don’ts. It should ultimately impact our character as well. I share a anecdote of a lesson I recently learned while visiting my 92-year-old father in the hospital.

I was recently asked a question by a student who was attending another study session in which the teacher quoted a ḥadīth of the Prophet ‎ﷺ in which he stated ‎ﷺ,

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There are many milestones and areas of proficiency students of Arabic seek. Chief amongst them is the ability to read without the vowel markings (tashkīl/ḥarakāt). And while vocabulary acquisition plays an important role in that so does knowing some of the finer points of grammar. For this short lesson, let’s look at another such milestone: the active…

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