immortal technique, again

I just got Immortal Technique's album Revolutionary, Vol I yesterday and it's really good. I definitely recommend it. Minimal tight beats, clear delivery. It reminds me of some old KRS-ONE. Elenamary was recently blogging on political hip-hop and Immortal Technique in particular.

rabia al-adawiyya

If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore you for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.

-Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya, 8th century Muslim woman saint from Basra (Iraq)

Rabia was one powerful soul. A former slave who is easily among one of the most charismatic figures in Muslim history. Given the stories which are told about her, she must have been a formidable woman.

It is related that Ibrahim ibn Adhan, a very holy person, spent fourteen years making his way to the Ka`ba because in every place of prayer he prayed two ruk`u and at last when he reached the Ka`ba he did not see it. He said to himself, "Alas, what has happened to my eyes. Maybe a sickness has come to them."Then he heard a voice which said, "No harm has befallen your eyes, but the Ka`ba has gone to meet a woman who is approaching." Ibrahim was seized with jealousy and said, "O indeed; who is this?" He ran and saw Rabi`a arriving, and the Ka`ba was back in its place.

Extensive set of links on Rabia from the Other Women's Voices site

too good to be true?

Sahih Muslim
Book 001, Number 0050:

It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira: We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr and Umar were also there among the audience. In the meanwhile the Messenger of Allah got up and left us, He delayed in coming back to us, which caused anxiety that he might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with him; so being alarmed we got up. I was the first to be alarmed. I, therefore, went out to look for the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) and came to a garden belonging to the Banu an-Najjar, a section of the Ansar went round it looking for a gate but failed to find one. Seeing a rabi' (i. e. streamlet) flowing into the garden from a well outside, drew myself together, like a fox, and slinked into (the place) where God's Messenger was.

He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is it Abu Huraira?

I (Abu Huraira) replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah.

He (the Holy Prophet) said: What is the matter with you?

I replied: You were amongst us but got up and went away and delayed for a time, so fearing that you might be attacked by some enemy when we were not with you, we became alarmed. I was the first to be alarmed. So when I came to this garden, I drew myself together as a fox does, and these people are following me.

He addressed me as Abu Huraira and gave me his sandals and said: Take away these sandals of mine, and when you meet anyone outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but Allah, being assured of it in his heart, gladden him by announcing that he shall go to Paradise.

Now the first one I met was Umar.

He asked: What are these sandals, Abu Huraira?

I replied: These are the sandals of the Messenger of Allah with which he has sent me to gladden anyone I meet who testifies that there is no god but Allah, being assured of it in his heart, with the announcement that he would go to Paradise.

Thereupon 'Umar struck me on the breast and I fell on my back.

He then said: Go back, Abu Huraira,

So I returned to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and was about to break into tears. 'Umar followed me closely and there he was behind me.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be on him) said: What is the matter with you, Abu Huraira?

I said: I happened to meet 'Umar and conveyed to him the message with which you sent me. He struck me on my breast which made me fall down upon my back and ordered me to go back.

Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: What prompted you to do this, 'Umar?

He said: Messenger of Allah, my mother and father be sacrificed to thee, did you send Abu Huraira with your sandals to gladden anyone he met and who testified that there is no god but Allah, and being assured of it in his heart, with the tidings that he would go to Paradise?

He said: Yes.

Umar said: Please do it not, for I am afraid that people will trust in it alone; let them go on doing (good) deeds.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Well, let them.

If you stop to think about it, this hadith is pretty amazing. Some might try to downplay the significance of this message and say that other conditions for entering Paradise are implied but the import of the prophet's (saaws) words had to be radical and upsetting enough for Umar (ra) to strike Abu Huraira (ra) and knock him on his back and be worry that people would stop doing good deeds.

no god but God

The last quote from Ibn al-Arabi made me think about the question of what does Islam say we must do to enter Paradise. Some people seem to have a very narrow notion of what those conditions are while others seem to have a very expansive notion.

There are a number of interesting hadith which suggest the latter:

Sahih Muslim
Book 001, Number 0039:

It is narrated on the authority of 'Uthman that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. He who died knowing (fully well) that there is no god but Allah entered Paradise

Sahih Muslim
Book 001, Number 0048:

It is narrated on the authority of Mu'adh b. Jabal that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Mu'adh, do you know the right of Allah over His bondsmen? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: That Allah alone should be worshipped and nothing should be associated with Him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: What right have they (bondsmen) upon Him in case they do it? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That He would not punish them.

Sahih Bukhari
Volume 1, Book 3, Number 131:

Narrated Anas:
I was informed that the Prophet had said to Mu'adh, "Whosoever will meet Allah without associating anything in worship with Him will go to Paradise." Mu'adh asked the Prophet, "Should I not inform the people of this good news?" The Prophet replied, "No, I am afraid, lest they should depend upon it (absolutely)."

That raises the whole question of what it means to believe that "there is no god but Allah"? Should we just tell ourselves "since I'm not worshipping sticks and stones, or Zeus and Odin, or Mary I'm okay" or is there more to it than that?

race relations: an islamic perspective

This is another very brief piece from the ISPI site called Race Relations: An Islamic Perspective by Inam-ul-Haq. In some ways, alot of it has been said before. But I think the most interesting part of the piece is the quotation from Ibn al-Arabi's poetry:

My heart has become capable of absorbing all forms
It is a pasture for gazelles and
A monastery for the monks
A house idols
Kaaba for the pilgrim
The tablet of Torah and the scripture of the Qur’an
I adhere to the religion of love in whatever direction its caravan advances
This true religion of love shall be my religion and my faith

More later...

a network of the just

Here is a paper entitled "A Network of the Just": A Muslim-American's reflections post 9/11/'01 from the International Strategy and Policy Institute, which is a kind of Muslim think-tank based in Chicago. Even though the paper was written in the wake of 9/11 there are some interesting comments about the immigrant Muslim perspective, and its call for a future "network of the just" is even more relevant today.

rappers rhyme for change in senegal

Locally produced rap has been growing since the early 1990s. It is one of the top-selling genres in a country obsessed by Youssou N'Dour, the world-famous artist who sings rather than raps. Senegal is a centre of west Africa's vibrant home-grown music scene centred on the Mbalax style of dance music, derived from traditional beats and popularised by N'Dour. In the early '90s, bands such as Daara J recorded albums in Wolof, the most widely spoken African language in the former French colony. They became the voice of a generation eager for jobs and education but frustrated by corruption, inefficiency and a lack of opportunities.

Unlike American equivalents, Senegalese rappers rarely glorify violence or the ruthless pursuit of money but tackle issues from poverty, religion and sexuality to politics. "Each time the people go to the ballot boxes, it's because they're hoping for a true change. But sadly I always hear the same cry," says the opening line of Didier Awadi's song Le cri du peuple (The Cry of the People).

to read the whole article from The Austrialian
pickpocketed from Ginny's blog

islam and world peace: explanations of a sufi

The book (available online) Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi comes from the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship. I read this book a long time ago around the time I first became Muslim. It stood out for me because in a practical sense Bawa Muhiyaddeen is a Muslim pacifist. Even though he passed away in 1986, I've been hearing about him more these days. I think his message is appealing more and more to Muslims.

Here is the rest of their online library and here is the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship website.

ihsan: badshah khan

A recent entry on the Ihsan blog about Badshah Khan's Islamic Nonviolence. Badshah Khan was a Muslim from the Indian sub-continent who "fought" against the British along with Gandhi using the analogous methods to lead a non-violent Muslim movement.

the quran and non-violence

Whenever the issue of Islam and non-violence and Islam comes up, I almost always think about how the Quran describes the story of Cain and Abel, and how it differs from the Bible's account. Reading the Bible, I got the impression that Cain basically snuck up on Abel and hit him upside the head with a big rock. But in the Quran, it is described as follows:

[5.27] And relate to them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth when they both offered an offering, but it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. He said: I I will most certainly slay you. (The other) said: Allah only accepts from those who guard (against evil).
[5.28] If you will stretch forth your hand towards me to slay me, I am not one to stretch forth my hand towards you to slay you surely I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds:
[5.29] Surely I wish that you should bear the sin committed against me and your own sin, and so you would be of the inmates of the fire, and this is the recompense of the unjust.
[5.30] Then his mind facilitated to him the slaying of his brother so he slew him; then he became one of the losers

So instead of being surprised by Cain, Abel totally sees it coming and chooses not to kill his brother. This is not to say that Islam insists on pacifism (it obviously doesn't). Islam teaches that in this violent unjust world, sometimes aggression needs to be held in check by force. But what the above shows is that within the Quran there are also examples of non-violent resistance.

more on sherman jackson

I might as well be shameless. Why buy the cow... as they say in the dunya. Here is more on Sherman Jackson from The Manrilla Blog

might as well make it sherman jackson day

Here is Marqas at The Manrilla Blog blogging on Prof. Sherman Abdul-Hakim Jackson and providing quicktime audio of an interview with him. Here is a Planet Grenada entry from when Jackson's book, Islam And The Blackamerican: The Third Resurrection came out.

wandering into a place and beyond

a friend's blog I hope she keeps writing because I won't be seeing her for a long time and it would be nice to know what she is up to from time to time.

azhar usman

Azhar Usman, is a Muslim stand-up comedian living in Chicago. His website features a bio, satire, poetry, and information about bookings.

native israelis

From Muslim stand-up comedian Azhar Usman:
PALESTINIANS TO ASSUME NEW ETHNIC LABEL: ‘Native Israelis’

robert karimi

It was around Ramadan
and i was wondering whether i should
fast every friday for 40 days
and give up something like liver or C-SPAN for Lent.
or kick it with my muslim self
and just make fastin’ a daytime thing.
givin’ up rum&coke, chorizo and getting busy for 4 weeks.
then i heard a voice:
GET DOWN W/YOUR MUSLIM-CATHOLIC SELF

I first saw Robert Karimi on Def Poetry Jam doing a piece called get down w/yr. muslim-catholic self (Karimi is Iranian/Guatemalan). I think his work is really interesting, but I tend to be cautious about certain religious boundaries and to be honest this piece didn't sit well with me. It's a little hard to explain, especially given some of my previous entries on different religions, but my "inner Taliban" is very resistant to the idea of mixing and matching between Christianity and Islam.

I think it is a beautiful thing to treat people of different religions kindly and graciously and be mad cool with them. It is also great to recognize the positivity which exists in other religious traditions and respect the good things which they teach and practice. But I found it difficult to really "feel" the kind of syncretism he suggests in that piece. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

I think my feelings are connected to the fact that in my own religious journey, I developed some relatively clear ideas about what "Christianity" is and what "Islam" is, and the two can't really be reconciled in my mind. And so a desire for integrity (sense of "wholeness") required me to reject one and accept the other. When I became Muslim I had a strong urge to make a clean break with Christianity. I actually look forward to the prospect of (inshaAllah) having a family and not lying to my kids about Santa Claus, and not putting up lights, and not hauling in some big dead tree into the house and instead getting to celebrate Ramadan, and Ashurah, and the two Eids.

Another reason for my reaction to Karimi's piece has to do with how I think the nature of religion relates to the nature of ethnicity. Off the top of my head, I would say that ethnicity is essentially expressed by a collection of practices. It is in the food you eat. In the language you speak and the way that you speak it. It's in the clothes that you wear. The way you walk . The music you listen to or don't listen to. And so on. There are definitely limits to how far I would want to go with this, but ethnicity is almost something measurable, akin to cultural literacy. It is something which strengthens and fades with the passing of generations.

Religion, on the other hand, is not just a collection of practices, it is a matter of conviction. A Muslim is a Muslim is a Muslim. Whether or not they speak Arabic (or Hausa, or Urdu, or Farsi, or Swahili, etc.). Whether or not they eat briyani or bean pies. Whether or not they wear a baseball cap and baggy sweats or a turban and a shalwar kameez. There is no such thing as being half-Catholic or one-quarter Muslim. There are certain groups which, out of a sense of inclusion, try to promote the concept of being a "cultural Muslim" (Al-Fatiha and PMU come to mind) but in my opinion that approach is a bit misguided. It just makes the word "Muslim" less meaningful reducing it to a culture rather than a conviction.

Moreover, as Paul Tillich says, religion is a matter of your "ultimate concern". Faith has to do with what you believe in absolutely and without reservation. And from that perspective, you definitely can't have real faith in more than one religion at the same time. "You cannot serve two masters". I imagine that somewhere along the line Karimi is going to have to decide whether or not he feels more comfortable calling himself a Christian or Muslim or something else entirely different. But of course, I'm not his momma so ultimately it really isn't any of my business.

I don't pretend to be the perfect Holier Than Thou type of Muslim by any means. But I think we're just at different places. I think part of my reaction is that here is someone who identifies as Latino and also has some connection to Islam, but nevertheless I don't identify with him as much as I would have expected at first.

It's totally possible that above I'm taking this issue more seriously (and literally) than he intended. I actually imagine that Robert Karimi was simply exercising a certain amount of poetic license to talk about some things which were on his mind and he doesn't seriously try to take out his praying carpet and say a few Hail Marys to the East. I'm sure he's a nice person and I can still appreciate the rest of the body of his work in a positive way. But the piece which he performed on Def Poetry Jam just seems like a convenient springboard for me to say certain things.

(And he probably feels the same way).


quicktime performance by Robert Karimi at "Poems Y Poemas A Night of Latin Verse"
Profile of Robert Karimi from the e-poets network
Robert Karimi's KaoticGood website
a more academic look at his work entitled: Border-Crossers and Zeroes: Violence and Identity in Elia Arce’s performances and Robert Karimi’s “Self-the Remix” by Gustavo Adolfo Guerra Vasquez

anthrax is safer than poetry

Please help feed some poor starving poets. You can order online from The Wordsmith Press

Twenty one poems by the 2005 Ann Arbor Poetry Slam team. There is a huge talent in this group of poets and their talents run the gamut of genres and styles. There is literally something for everyone here. From the hilariously surreal "The Girl in the White Bikini Torments Me," to the stoic and sweet sadness of "A Comb for Ebony," to the delightfully silly "this poèm is entitled 'Forsooth Thy Moon Majestic'" to the inspirational "There are No Poets," you'll find something to make you laugh or think or even wince a little in painful recognition. Proceeds go to get the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam team to the National Poetry Slam.

bryonn bain

Here is a link to Bryonn Bain's own website

urban renaissance: youth and spoken word

I'm in a poetic mood these days so I decided to share. This is a transcript of a radio show from a while back where a cool confluence of conscious folks (Walidah Imarisha, Bryonn Bain, Chinaka Hodge, James Kass, Tiger Walsh, Antonio Elmo Mims, Bill Hollman, David Yanofsky and Asheena McNeel) come together to talk about the future of spoken word, spitting poetry along the way. My favorite piece has got to be Bryonn Bain's, "I used to worship in the Temple". I've only read it so I have to imagine what it would sound like with Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" in the background.

anida esguerra

Anida is a Muslim (among other things) spoken word artist and here is a page which gives a taste of some of what she is up to lately. I'm just glad that people like her are out there representing with amazing amounts of creativity and energy.