Towards A Fiqh For Minorities: Some Basic Reflections

The concepts of citizenship and the accountability of government have never been discussed as separate topics in Islamic Jurisprudence. In Citizenship and Accountability of Government: An Islamic Perspective, Prof. M.H. Kamali brings together these two subjects, traces their origins in the Qur’an, theSunnah of the Prophet and the practice of the first four caliphs; follows their integration under different branches and discussions of the rights and obligations of Muslims in Islamic law; and finally, advances possible applications for each subject to modern Muslim states and to the position of Muslims living in non-Muslim countries.

Citizenship and Accountability of Government: An Islamic Perspective includes discussions of: the definitions of citizenship; the rights of citizens; the duties of citizens; citizenship laws; the concepts of dar al-Islam (abode of Islam); dar al-harb (abode of war) and the dar al-‘ahd (abode of treaty); the ummah and the nation-state; government as a trust; the selection of officials; the relationship between authority and citizens; corruption and the misuse of public funds; despotism and dynastic misrule; the right of complaint; the limits of obedience; impeachment of officials and heads of state; the foundation of institutions of accountability.

In addition to the topics of citizenship and accountability of government, this volume contains a discussion of freedom of movement in Islam which is the last of the fundamental rights in Prof. M.H. Kamali’s series on fundamental rights and liberties in Islam. Freedom of movement is included in this volume as it was never discussed as a separate topic in Islamic jurisprudence and therefore has certain similarities with the two other subjects of this volume.

The birth of human being is a most amazing phenomenon. The physical cycles that the body of woman must endure in order to maintain this act of creation should be respected to the highest degree. Allah mentions that our mothers have born us with difficulty and struggle and because of this are due the highest respect. one among many of the difficulties that women must brave, are the doubts that these conditions present to the correct obervance of her religion. How is her fassting affected, how are her prayers affected, how is her ability to pursue her studies, and how are her conjugal relations affected by her ever changing physical condition in relation to her as the sole vessel of the birth of man. A really valuable publication by Darussalam for all Muslim woman to study

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.

Worship in Islam is in-depth study of the nature and significance of Islamic spirituality by Abul A‘la Mawdudi (1903–79), one of the leading Muslim intellectuals of the twentieth century, with special reference to the concepts of God’s Oneness (tawhid), the finality of Prophethood (risalah) and the Islamic system of worship (‘ibadah) with a focus upon prayer (salah) and fasting (sawm) and their role in the development of the Islamic personality and Islam’s social order. The distinguishing feature of Mawdudi’s approach is his elaboration of the social dimension of worship, which extends the traditional approach found in Islamic jurisprudence, with its focus upon ritual and self-purification, to consider worship’s transformative role in social life. Presenting a holistic view of the Islamic system, Mawdudi highlights Islam’s social, economic and political dimensions, which he argues has the capacity to resolve emergent issues and problems that humankind faces.

This historic text should be of wider interest to both students and specialists in contemporary Islamic thought, and includes an introduction by Professor Anis Ahmad.

Edited and translated into accessible English by Ahmad Imam Shafaq Hashemi, this book is an authoritative compilation by a leading Islamic twentieth-century revivalist on the central matter of worship’s role in Islam.