Pistas para una interpretación contemporánea del Qor'an (1)
Corán & Sunna - 21/02/2008 9:40 - Autor: Silvio Sergio Scatolini Apóstolo - Fuente: Webislam
Vota:- Resultado 35 votos
Qor'an, XXXVIII, 87-88. Siglo IX-X.Resumen de la contribución de Angelika Neuwirth, “Structural, linguistic and literary features,” págs. 97—113, en Jane Dammen McAuliffe, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur‘an. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
En este resumen presento las ideas básicas expuestas por Angelika Neuwirth en la mencionada contribución suya.
La importancia del enfoque dado por la profesora Neuwirth radica en su concentración en el texto y las pistas que él mismo nos da acerca de su historia. Ella estudia el texto coránico desde su punto de vista literario, como texto árabe. Es precisamente del análisis de las azoras y sus componentes que la autora extrae sus sugerencias acerca de la historia de la compilación del texto codificado canónico (el mushaf al-Qor’an).
Según Neuwirth, la falta de interés en la cronología de la Historia de la Salvación en el Qor’an diferencia a este último de la Biblia. Mientras que las primeras azoras del primer período mecano tienen una carga primordialmente escatológica (es decir, se concentran en el futuro, sobre todo en el Día del Juicio), las azoras subsiguientes se concentran en el diálogo y la polémica con los contemporáneos del Profeta y su estimada relevancia escatológica. Los motivos que “suenan” históricos (por ejemplo, las menciones de los profetas extra-bíblicos y de Moisés) no tienen, sin embargo, una finalidad verdaderamente histórica o historiográfica. Tales referencias son parenéticas, es decir, exhortativas, interesadas en el presente de las audiencias coránicas (pág. 97). El Qor’an es más una colección de predicaciones en molde (más o menos) poético que una compilación de historias. El texto presupone que sus oyentes ya conocen las historias que él interpreta y comenta. Es por esta razón que no viene al caso contrastarlo con la Biblia judeo-cristiana en términos de la narratividad. El Qor’an tiene un interés misionero, pastoral o espiritual, y no historiográfico acerca del pasado en sí mismo. El pasado sólo es interesante para el Qor’an cuando sirve para aclarar la situación religiosa y ética presente y futura.
El criterio básico para la interpretación
La tesis central de la profesora Neuwirth es que la azora es la unidad básica de significado en el Qor’an. Dicha afirmación vale sobre todo para las azoras mecanas. Podríamos concluir, entonces, que la idea de leer el Qor’an en vistas del Qor’an mismo no es del todo adecuada, pues el contexto primero en vistas del cual se ha de buscar el significado y sentido de cada azora es la azora misma.
La organización del texto coránico teniendo en cuenta el tamaño de las azora, más bien que su posición en la historia de la revelación, muestra que la tradición tendía a encarar cada azora individualmente, o en sí misma. Más aún, tanto la división más moderna del texto en versículos numerados como la más tradicional en partes especificadas para el aprendizaje de la recitación no son significativas ni para la búsqueda del significado ni del sentido del texto. Ellas sirven una finalidad puramente práctica (pág. 98). Dicho de otro modo, la azora es la única unidad referencial en el Qor’an con significación hermenéutica.
Las azoras no presentan todas el mismo estilo literario. En general, las azoras siguen el estilo del saÿ‘ (el estilo preferido de los encantadores árabes) y son así una especie de prosa rimada (fasila) cuya rima era más libre que la rima poética propiamente dicha (qafiya) (pág. 98). Se puede decir que el versículo constituye la base del edificio del texto rimado, tanto en las azoras mecanas más antiguas (que presentan una rima de más calidad poética o más elaborada) como en las medineses más tardías (con una rima más simple y suelta).
Para la autora, juzgando a partir del texto que tenemos, la versión tradicional de que las azoras fueron compiladas en un código coránico completo y único durante el califato uzmaniano no es imposible, pero no puede ser probada (pág. 99).
La más inmediata consecuencia de la codificación del Qor’an es que las azoras que habían sido compuestas prolijamente fueron yuxtapuestas a azoras que no presentan, por un lado, ni una unidad temática, ni una consistencia estructural y rítmica, por el otro. Hay también azoras cuyo análisis muestra que fueron unidades orales contextuales desde el comienzo, mientras que hay otras que contienen material cuyo estilo rítmico sugiere que fueron escritas desde el principio. El término “azora” perdió de este modo cierta significación como género literario.
El Qor’an pre-canónico
Neuwirth repite una vez más que los datos disponibles acerca de la compilación del Qor’an (incluyendo los fragmentos descubiertos recientemente) no contradicen esencialmente la versión tradicional. Se puede, pues, aceptar que las azoras que tenemos se remiten al Profeta.
Si bien el Qor’an se presenta a menudo a sí mismo como un texto para la recitación (la palabra qor’an está relacionada con el vocablo Sirio qeryana, que quiere decir “leccionario, recitación litúrgica”, pág. 101), gran parte del texto coránico da la impresión de ser un texto escrito.
El término qor’an (con el sentido judeo-cristiano de “leccionario litúrgico”) y el término kitab (“libro”, con el sentido de “escritura sagrada”) revelan no sólo dos facetas o cualidades del texto, sino también dos tipos de material textual y dos momentos en la vida del texto coránico: una fase netamente oral (más poética y con claves mnemotécnicas al servicio de la recitación) y otra escrita (pág. 101).
Mientras que el término qor’an implica el dramatismo de la recitación y técnicas intratextuales de memorización (la rima y el ritmo) visibles en las primeras azoras mecanas, el concepto de kitab conlleva la idea de preservación escrita, con una cierta fijación, y sin la necesidad de estrategias mnemotécnicas.
Partiendo del testimonio textual, Neuwirth descubre signos de la segunda fase ya en azoras mecanas. Desde entonces, los elementos para la recitación y la escritura se habrían desarrollado juntos. Si bien la autora ha aplicado su método a las azoras más cortas, su enfoque no ha sido aún utilizado por los académicos en el análisis de las azoras medineses.
Una de las sugerencias más iluminadoras de la autora es que “para reclamar el Qor’an pre-redaccional, es esencial entender que la intención no era de que el Qor’an fuese visto como libro [en nuestro sentido del término] sino como texto para la recitación” (pág. 103). Una vez que se haya aceptado la oralidad esencial primera del texto sagrado (es decir, del Qor’an como texto que requiere ser actuado, recitado), se la puede usar para investigar la historia del desarrollo del texto coránico. Ésta sería una búsqueda histórica y, a la vez, una interpretación del Qor’an que parte, como lo pide la tradición, del Qor’an mismo.
Para la autora, las “cadenzas” simplificadas de las azoras tardías, basadas en terminaciones en ~un e ~in (las cuales no pueden compararse con la calidad poética de las azoras tempranas) es un signo de que su contexto existencial, o Sitz im Leben, no era el de la recitación vívida. Además de los cambios en los diseños del sonido, las azoras tardías contienen comentarios extras, espiritualizados o moralizantes (por ej. Q. 12:29 y 33:27) que dejan ver que tanto el texto coránico como la comunidad para la que estaba destinado ya no eran los mismos que en el período inicial mecano.
Los elementos vitales para la estructuración de las azoras
Las primeras azoras desarrollaron estructuras que no existían en la literatura árabe, por ejemplo, los motivos escatológicos. No derivaban su verdad de razones teológicas, sino de la belleza poética de sus formas (pág. 104). Son comunes las estructuras del tipo de “cuando (idha)…, entonces” (ver Q. 81:1-13) y “en lo referente a (fa-amma/wa-amma)…” (ver Q. 101:6-9). También se encuentran los himnos de los signos (Q. 76:6-16; 15:16-25; 25:45-50), los cuales sobrepasan en frecuencia a las polémicas de los signos (Q. 21:30-33). Hay también himnos en sí, en los que se alaba a Dios o canta Sus obras en la historia (Q. 87:1-5; 53:43-49). Hay además narraciones cortas, como la invasión de la Meca (Q. 105), el mito de Zamud (Q. 91:11-15) y la historia del Faraón y Moisés (Q. 79:15-26). No se puede olvidar el mazal (la parábola), el cual tiene una función claramente parenética, o exhortativa (Q. 68:17-33; 14:24-27; 36:13-32).
Hay casos también en los que el Qor’an se refiere a la historia de la salvación tomada del Libro, o al-kitab, que es externo a la recitación y más amplio que ella. La diferencia entre estas historias y sus equivalencias bíblicas es que el texto coránico hace explícito el contenido ético-moral de las historias, mientras que la Biblia lo deja implícito. No hay dudas que el objetivo de la revelación coránica era la proclamación a y exhortación de una comunidad concreta; el texto se parece más a un sermón en vivo o anotado que a un libro de lectura.
Se puede observar en el texto coránico que los motivos del desierto —típicos de las azoras mecanas del primer período— van siendo reemplazado en los períodos medineses, sobre todo en las azoras más largas, por las figuras bíblicas.
El estudio del texto revela que, a medida que la comunidad crecía, los pasajes coránicos comenzaron a manifestar la adquisición de una nueva finalidad: el uso litúrgico. No se trata ya de la proclamación inicial en los primeros años del ministerio profético de Muhámmad sino de un texto que es usado cuando la comunidad se reúne.
Durante le período medinés medio, el género literario del debate juega un rol importante en la forma de la revelación (ver Q. 53:59ss.; 111:1ss.; 107:2-7). Este género cumple también una función didáctica: entrena a los musulmanes en el arte del debate (ver, por ejemplo, los pasajes que tratan de “dí/digan”, Q. 10:20) y de la apologética a favor de la revelación (ver Q. 74:54-55).
Otro elemento nuevo en las azoras medineses son los elementos que la tradición ha entendido como alusiones a acontecimientos importantes en la vida de los primeros musulmanes; por ejemplo, la batalla de Badr (Q. 3:123), Uhud (Q. 3:155-174), la expulsión de los Banu Nadir (Q. 59:2-5), el sitio de Jaybar (Q. 48:15), la expedición de Tabuk (Q. 9:29-35) o el sermón de despedida del Profeta (Q. 5:1-3). Sin embargo, vale notar que estos elementos no recibieron un rol literario importante (pág: 109).
Hacia los años finales de la carrera del Profeta se ve ya que el texto recitativo atrae más y más hacia sí las características del kitab, o escritura (pág. 107s.). El atributo de escritura no había sido identificado en un comienzo con un libro terreno en particular, sino con el ámbito de la providencia divina metafísica. Sin embargo, más tarde, al ser integrada en la oración ritual, la recitación de la revelación histórica se volvió citación de un libro sagrado cuyo arraigo en la vida concreta de una comunidad particular estaba siendo más y más olvidado. La idea de que el texto era una guía concreta, estrechamente ligada a sus receptores y ofrecida a medida que los primeros musulmanes surcaban las sendas de la historia fue siendo reemplazada por la idea de que era una guía eterna y universal, desconectada del contexto dentro del cual se dio o se la recitaba/leía.
De este modo, el estudio del texto coránico y sus formas nos ayuda a descubrir la historia misma de la comunidad dentro de la cual y a la cual dicho texto fue revelado. En lugar de empezar el análisis con las fuentes extratextuales (por ejemplo, la sira, o biografía del Profeta), la autora comienza con el texto coránico mismo.
La azora como género literario
Las primeras azoras son:
de una pieza (Q. 111), con finalidades exhortativas (Q. 94), escatológicas (Q. 95; 100; 101),
bipartitas (con un voto: Q. 92:1-13, y una polémica: Q. 92:14-21) o
tripartitas (exhortación: Q. 74:1-10, polémica: Q. 74:11-48, y afirmación del Qor’an: Q. 74:49-56).
Este grupo de azoras se caracteriza por su autoreferencialidad: la clave para entenderlas está en sí mismas. Su Sitz im Leben, o contexto, es el de la proximidad a la Ka‘ba, en la Meca, y los ritos relacionados con ella (pág. 110).
La azora 15 marca un cambio radical en la vida de la comunidad en la Meca. Por vez primera se alude a la escritura como parte constituyente de la vida litúrgica de los primeros musulmanes (ver también Q. 36:2; 37:3; 38:1; 43:2; 44:2; 50:1; 2:2; 10:1; 12:1; 13:1; etc.). La mención de la qibla, o la orientación de la oración, transporta a los musulmanes de su localidad física a otra localidad con valor espiritual, Jerusalén (Q. 17:1). Las azoras del segundo y tercer período mecano reflejan un ritmo litúrgico comparable con las ecteniae ortodoxas (responsorios iniciales y conclusivos) y la lectio (lectura meditativa de la escritura) de los monjes cristianos. El texto se vuelve más denso y con un mayor número de referentes semánticos, lo cual testifica que no se trata ya de azoras cortas para la recitación sino de revelaciones en miras del texto escrito (pág. 111). Las narraciones cortas van siendo reemplazadas por pasajes con finalidades discursivas.
En el período medinés, las azoras casi han abandonado la estructura tripartita y la sofisticación de composición del período mecano. Aparecen las azoras retóricas, o el sermón (Q. 22; 24; 33; 47; 48; 49; 57 y hasta la 66). Comienzan con una referencia a la audiencia (ver Q. 22:1) y muchas se parecen a los salmos bíblicos (Q. 59; 61; 62; 64). El Profeta no es sólo el transmisor del texto revelado, sino también parte de la audiencia (ver Q. 33:28) o un co-actor junto a Dios (ver Q. 33:22). Más allá de las mencionadas, se hallan otras azoras mucho más complejas, especialmente las “azoras largas” (Q. 2; 3; 4; 5; 8 y 9) cuyo proceso de composición o compilación es casi imposible de reconstruir (pág. 111).
Comparto el deseo final de la autora de que se estudie el texto de las azoras medineses (pág. 111) para poder elucidar, partiendo del texto recibido, la historia del proceso de la revelación y de la formación de la comunidad musulmana, por un lado, y la compilación del mushaf al-Qor’an, por el otro.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
A true Love Story
I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring ..
A True Love Story
2/14/2008 - Social Religious Family - Article Ref: IC0802-3511
Number of comments: 36
By: Hesham Hassaballa
IslamiCity* -
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
She was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, being a prominent businesswoman. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again.
Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she - a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society - could not do it herself. So, he started working for her.
After he came back from his first business trip, she asked her servant, whom she sent with him, about him and his conduct. The servant amazed her by his report: this young man was the kindest, gentlest man he had ever met. Never did he treat the servant harshly, as many others do. Yet, there was more: as they traveled in the heat of the desert, the servant noticed that a cloud had followed them the entire time, shading them from the blazing sun. The businesswoman was quite impressed with her new employee.
Not only that, this new employee proved to be an astute businessman in his own right. He took his employer's merchandise, sold it, and with the profits bought other merchandise that he sold again, thus profiting twice. All this was enough for her: the embers of love in her heart that were once extinguished re-kindled again, and she resolved to marry this young man, who was 15 years younger than she.
So, she sent her sister to this young man. She asked him, "Why are you not married, yet?"
"For lack of means," he answered.
"What if I could offer you a wife of nobility, beauty, and wealth? Would you be interested?" she told him.
He replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned her sister, the young employee chuckled in amazement.
"How could I marry her? She has turned down the most noble men in the city, much wealthier and prominent than me, a poor shepherd," he said.
"Don't you worry," the sister replied, "I'll take care of it."
Not long after, the wealthy businesswoman married her young employee, and it was the beginning of one of the most loving, happiest, and sacred marriages in all of human history: that of Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid. When they were married, the Prophet was 25 years old, and Khadijah was 40. Yet, that did not bother the Prophet one bit. He loved her so deeply, and she loved him as deeply. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him six children: 2 sons and 4 daughters. Both the sons died in young age. Khadijah was a source of immense love, strength, and comfort for the Prophet Muhammad, and he leaned heavily on this love and support on the most important night of his life.
While he was meditating in cave of Hira, the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Qur'an and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. The experience terrified the Prophet Muhammad, and he ran home, jumping into Khadijah's arms crying, "Cover me! Cover me!" She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and relate to her his experience.
The Prophet feared he was losing his mind or being possessed.
Khadijah put all his fears to rest: "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal - a scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture - and he confirmed to the Prophet that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Last Prophet.
After his ministry began, and the opposition of his people became harsh and brutal, Khadijah was always there to support the Prophet Muhammad, sacrificing all of her wealth to support the cause of Islam. When the Prophet and his family was banished to the hills outside of Mecca, she went there with him, and the three years of hardship and deprivation eventually led to her death. The Prophet Muhammad mourned her deeply, and even after her death, the Prophet would send food and support to Khadijah's friends and relatives, out of love for his first wife.
Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died, so much so, that his later wife A'isha became jealous of her. Once she asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."
Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad's multiple marriages. There are many who smear the Prophet as a womanizing philanderer, citing his multiple marriages. This is absolute propaganda. As a response to those who malign the Prophet , IF the Prophet were anything of the sort, he would have taken advantage of his youth to do such a thing. But he did not! At a time when it was a common custom to have multiple wives, the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with Khadijah.
It was only after Khadijah died, may God be pleased with her, that he married other women. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care after them, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic (and barbaric) Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.
In a song about the Prophet and Khadjiah, Muslim rappers Native Deen sing: "We look for stories of love in places dark and cold - When we have a guiding light for the whole world to behold." Many of what we call "love stories" today are nothing more than stories of lust and desire, physical attraction disguised as love.
Yet, I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring as that of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. It is a shining example of what an ideal marriage is, and if I ever claim that I love my wife, I must gauge my actions with that of the Prophet. As the country commemorates Valentine's Day, and everywhere we turn this month, "love is in the air," I cannot help but reflect upon, what is to me, the greatest of all love stories: that of Muhammad and Khadijah. Even with all of its amazing and creative talent, Hollywood could not have come up with a story greater than this.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a physician and writer based in Chicago. You can visit his blog at www.drhassaballa.com.
A True Love Story
2/14/2008 - Social Religious Family - Article Ref: IC0802-3511
Number of comments: 36
By: Hesham Hassaballa
IslamiCity* -
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
She was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, being a prominent businesswoman. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again.
Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she - a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society - could not do it herself. So, he started working for her.
After he came back from his first business trip, she asked her servant, whom she sent with him, about him and his conduct. The servant amazed her by his report: this young man was the kindest, gentlest man he had ever met. Never did he treat the servant harshly, as many others do. Yet, there was more: as they traveled in the heat of the desert, the servant noticed that a cloud had followed them the entire time, shading them from the blazing sun. The businesswoman was quite impressed with her new employee.
Not only that, this new employee proved to be an astute businessman in his own right. He took his employer's merchandise, sold it, and with the profits bought other merchandise that he sold again, thus profiting twice. All this was enough for her: the embers of love in her heart that were once extinguished re-kindled again, and she resolved to marry this young man, who was 15 years younger than she.
So, she sent her sister to this young man. She asked him, "Why are you not married, yet?"
"For lack of means," he answered.
"What if I could offer you a wife of nobility, beauty, and wealth? Would you be interested?" she told him.
He replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned her sister, the young employee chuckled in amazement.
"How could I marry her? She has turned down the most noble men in the city, much wealthier and prominent than me, a poor shepherd," he said.
"Don't you worry," the sister replied, "I'll take care of it."
Not long after, the wealthy businesswoman married her young employee, and it was the beginning of one of the most loving, happiest, and sacred marriages in all of human history: that of Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid. When they were married, the Prophet was 25 years old, and Khadijah was 40. Yet, that did not bother the Prophet one bit. He loved her so deeply, and she loved him as deeply. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him six children: 2 sons and 4 daughters. Both the sons died in young age. Khadijah was a source of immense love, strength, and comfort for the Prophet Muhammad, and he leaned heavily on this love and support on the most important night of his life.
While he was meditating in cave of Hira, the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Qur'an and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. The experience terrified the Prophet Muhammad, and he ran home, jumping into Khadijah's arms crying, "Cover me! Cover me!" She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and relate to her his experience.
The Prophet feared he was losing his mind or being possessed.
Khadijah put all his fears to rest: "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal - a scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture - and he confirmed to the Prophet that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Last Prophet.
After his ministry began, and the opposition of his people became harsh and brutal, Khadijah was always there to support the Prophet Muhammad, sacrificing all of her wealth to support the cause of Islam. When the Prophet and his family was banished to the hills outside of Mecca, she went there with him, and the three years of hardship and deprivation eventually led to her death. The Prophet Muhammad mourned her deeply, and even after her death, the Prophet would send food and support to Khadijah's friends and relatives, out of love for his first wife.
Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died, so much so, that his later wife A'isha became jealous of her. Once she asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."
Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad's multiple marriages. There are many who smear the Prophet as a womanizing philanderer, citing his multiple marriages. This is absolute propaganda. As a response to those who malign the Prophet , IF the Prophet were anything of the sort, he would have taken advantage of his youth to do such a thing. But he did not! At a time when it was a common custom to have multiple wives, the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with Khadijah.
It was only after Khadijah died, may God be pleased with her, that he married other women. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care after them, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic (and barbaric) Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.
In a song about the Prophet and Khadjiah, Muslim rappers Native Deen sing: "We look for stories of love in places dark and cold - When we have a guiding light for the whole world to behold." Many of what we call "love stories" today are nothing more than stories of lust and desire, physical attraction disguised as love.
Yet, I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring as that of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. It is a shining example of what an ideal marriage is, and if I ever claim that I love my wife, I must gauge my actions with that of the Prophet. As the country commemorates Valentine's Day, and everywhere we turn this month, "love is in the air," I cannot help but reflect upon, what is to me, the greatest of all love stories: that of Muhammad and Khadijah. Even with all of its amazing and creative talent, Hollywood could not have come up with a story greater than this.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a physician and writer based in Chicago. You can visit his blog at www.drhassaballa.com.
Monday, February 18, 2008
ALMA in Atlanta.. by Siri Carrion
Bismillah
Feeling the connection
When you meet people from your home country or the city were you where born it feels so great! There is an instant connection, but when you meet another Muslim from your country or city there seems to be this instant bonding that takes place that you cannot describe.
Alhamdulillah, ALMA (Atlanta Latino Muslim Association) had its first meeting/lecture on Feb 16, 2008. My intention was to bring the Latino community together to put a face to a name and have dinner and just get to know each other. But you know Allah is the best of planners.
My plan was this, to invite Hajji Yousef Maisonet from Mobil, AL to come and speak to our small Latino community and describe his experience in Dubai at the Imam training program. Inshallah, I wanted to hold the first gathering at the Masjid. As it turned out, one Masjid was scheduled to have its old roof taken off and a new one put on. I called in another favor from the Amir at another masjid. As it turned out, they too had an event already scheduled. Alhamdulillah, Bro. Franco and his wife suggested I have the meeting at his home. Well Allah knows best and he is Akbar.
There where about 20 + people in Brother Franco’s home. I had cooked a pot of pollo guisado and arroz con gandules. The brother had some food catered as well so no one will go home hungry. As we were eating the sisters were able to share their stories about their children. And the men discussed issues with in Islam and giving dawah. Around 4pm we got the presentation going. I introduced myself and my organization to the group while Hajji Yousef set up.
Hajji Yousef is a well accomplished photographer and journalist. His DVD presentation was just beautiful. The pictures he chose where just magnificent. During the presentation he narrated and described in more detail the pictures he emailed to me. Well in my mind this was the end of the show and everyone can go home.
Well Allah had another plan. Subhan Allah, there where several brothers from area Masajid. One brother in particular is the Vice President of ICNA in the southeast region. Subhan Allah, This brother was so moved with what I had put together, by the grace of Allah, he almost jumped out of his seat to dance. The short of it is this, they have a clinic and extra space in a highly populated Latino community and he offered us the use of this room to do dawah, hold classes or whatever else we want to do for the community. ALLAHU AKBAR! Believe me I did not know this small gathering would turn out to be so grand and beautiful. I was not asking for anything. I just wanted to bring people together to say we are Latino and Muslim. I just wanted to connect with my latino muslim brothers and sisters. In no way did I expect for these wonderful brothers to offer my small organization so much! ALLAHU AKBAR! That is truly a blessing.
So now the latino community has a place to meet and give dawah to other latinos and just have a place to reconnect with our culture. Inshallah Allah will continue to bless those who are giving dawah for the sake of Allah. Ameen. Inshallah, we will continue to be successful and see the latino community grow by leaps and bounds. And Allah knows best.
Shareefa Siri M Carrion, Founder
ALMA
Feeling the connection
When you meet people from your home country or the city were you where born it feels so great! There is an instant connection, but when you meet another Muslim from your country or city there seems to be this instant bonding that takes place that you cannot describe.
Alhamdulillah, ALMA (Atlanta Latino Muslim Association) had its first meeting/lecture on Feb 16, 2008. My intention was to bring the Latino community together to put a face to a name and have dinner and just get to know each other. But you know Allah is the best of planners.
My plan was this, to invite Hajji Yousef Maisonet from Mobil, AL to come and speak to our small Latino community and describe his experience in Dubai at the Imam training program. Inshallah, I wanted to hold the first gathering at the Masjid. As it turned out, one Masjid was scheduled to have its old roof taken off and a new one put on. I called in another favor from the Amir at another masjid. As it turned out, they too had an event already scheduled. Alhamdulillah, Bro. Franco and his wife suggested I have the meeting at his home. Well Allah knows best and he is Akbar.
There where about 20 + people in Brother Franco’s home. I had cooked a pot of pollo guisado and arroz con gandules. The brother had some food catered as well so no one will go home hungry. As we were eating the sisters were able to share their stories about their children. And the men discussed issues with in Islam and giving dawah. Around 4pm we got the presentation going. I introduced myself and my organization to the group while Hajji Yousef set up.
Hajji Yousef is a well accomplished photographer and journalist. His DVD presentation was just beautiful. The pictures he chose where just magnificent. During the presentation he narrated and described in more detail the pictures he emailed to me. Well in my mind this was the end of the show and everyone can go home.
Well Allah had another plan. Subhan Allah, there where several brothers from area Masajid. One brother in particular is the Vice President of ICNA in the southeast region. Subhan Allah, This brother was so moved with what I had put together, by the grace of Allah, he almost jumped out of his seat to dance. The short of it is this, they have a clinic and extra space in a highly populated Latino community and he offered us the use of this room to do dawah, hold classes or whatever else we want to do for the community. ALLAHU AKBAR! Believe me I did not know this small gathering would turn out to be so grand and beautiful. I was not asking for anything. I just wanted to bring people together to say we are Latino and Muslim. I just wanted to connect with my latino muslim brothers and sisters. In no way did I expect for these wonderful brothers to offer my small organization so much! ALLAHU AKBAR! That is truly a blessing.
So now the latino community has a place to meet and give dawah to other latinos and just have a place to reconnect with our culture. Inshallah Allah will continue to bless those who are giving dawah for the sake of Allah. Ameen. Inshallah, we will continue to be successful and see the latino community grow by leaps and bounds. And Allah knows best.
Shareefa Siri M Carrion, Founder
ALMA
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