Reviving The Balance

With the advent of technology, the entertainment industry has flourished and become immensely popular. Combine this with the exponential advances in technology, and the result is an increasing number of ways to amuse ourselves. As a result of such advances, Muslim react in a variety of manners towards entertainment. Some label entertainment as completely forbidden. This sometimes includes parents who say no to almost everything that their young ones deem to be ‘fun’, without providing them with suitable alternatives. Others, who do not want to take this extreme approach, fall into the trap of excessive use of – and even addiction to – various sources of entertainment, without any limits.

In Having Fun the Halal Way, Ismail Kamdar explores the teachings of Islam regarding entertainment. Drawing upon the Quran, the Sunnah and the understanding of the righteous scholars of Islam, he provides a detailed and balanced analysis of the topic. He not only explains the detriments of the current entertainment industry, but also suggests alternative means to have a good time with friends and family members.

In this book, the author has widely described the main principle of Taqleed. He says that Allah and Prophet Mohammed (SAW) has not ordered us to follow any opinions and interpretations. So there’s a possibility of being correct or incorrect in the opinions because there are many issues on which the Imams had different views and they explain them according to their own reasons and speculations, but the real and true Islam is based on the book (Quran) and Prophet’s Sunnah.

Allah says: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith until they make you judge in all disputed matters between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decision, and accept them with full submission.” And the prophet said: “I leave you with two things as long as you hold them tightly, you never go astray: they are the book of Allah and my Sunnah.” In this sense, the author has described the difference between different Madhahib (madhabs/mazhabs), and their views and urged to follow only the Quran and Sunnah.

Rites and Selected Etiquettes for those intending to Perfom Hajj & Umrah and Visitors In this book the author calls attention to the most important things that those who intend to perform Hajj, Umrah or Visiting the Prophets Mosque in Medinah must have as provisions. The author has made his work brief and arranged its topics according to their priorities. the author mentions a considerable number of sayings of the people of knowledge and calling the attention of the reader to some important matters.

Organizations must have rules of order to facilitate their debate and to fill in the procedures not detailed by their constitutional documents. While most American organizations are content to operate by Robert’s Rules of Order, Muslim organizations have often wrestled with questions over whether the rules of order systemized by a Western military figure are in accord with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

This book tackles the matter directly and takes into account the Qur’an, the sunnah, Islamic manners and the history of Islamic consultation and leadership to provide a simple, practical guide to organizational procedure that can be incorporated into the governance of Muslim organizations. The book includes advice on writing bylaws and on complying with the best practices of the U.S. Dept. of Justice in a way that is Islamically authentic, transparent, and accountable. It provides a basic starting point for any Muslim organization while allowing for flexibility so that organizations may make any variations they require within their own bylaws and constitution, so that it can accommodate differing schools of thought on Islamic law. In its discursive approach it is an essential primer for understanding the value of rules of order and the Islamic context for their application. The Islamic Rules of Order has been adopted as the rules of order of the Association of Muslims Social Scientists.

This book offers a detailed presentation of the theory of Muslim law (usul al-figh). Often regarded as the most sophisticated of the traditional Islamic disciplines, Muslim jurisprudence is concerned with the way in which the rituals and laws of religion are derived from the Qur’an and the Sunna – the precedent of the Prophet. Revelation, which is given to man to restore unity and help him achieve a just and devout order in society as well as in the soul, must be interpreted so as to render it practicable in every culture, while not betraying its spirit and immutable provisions. To achieve this, additional sources of legal authority are recognized, including consensus (ijma), analogical deduction (qiyas), public interest (maslaha) and local customary precedent (urf). In employing these, the jurist guards the five principles which it is the purpose of Islamic law to uphold, namely, the right to life, sound mind, property, lineage and religion.