The Islamic Shari‘ah of Preaching

Allah Almighty has explained his shari‘ah regarding preaching in detail as He has done in some other spheres. As we ponder over the Qur’anic verses pertaining to preaching, we find that the duties prescribed in the shari‘ah are different for Muslims in different capacities. The duties revealed for Muslim scholars are different from those of general Muslims. Similarly, the preaching responsibility of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) was also different; the consequences it gave rise to are also specific to his preaching endeavour alone. The present article outlines the categories for which different preaching responsibilities have been prescribed, and then probes into the preaching endeavour of the Holy Prophet (sws).

Ghettoisation of Muslims: Trends and Consequences

There is an ongoing conflict between Hindu extremists and other minorities in India. Muslims, being a minority in India, have morbidly been victimized by Hindutva and other such fundamentalist sects. As extremists refer to the same sources, which other people of the same faith revere, they quite ably manipulate their position in order to achieve their own self-righteous ends. India has shivered several times under the wave of extremism. This has had a deep impact upon the social psyche of the Muslims. In this article, the authors explore the terrible trends and consequences of such unbridled extremism.

Reconciling Democracy and Islam    

From the time that democracy has been appreciated as a universal value, there has been a debate on its moral justification and its compatibility with Islam. It is clear that Islam prescribes a political system based on consultation. This is, however, a substantive instruction. Consequently, there has been heated debate on the legal form that may fulfil the requirements of this divine substantive instruction. The detractors of democracy do not find it in consonance with Islam. Muzzafar K ‘Awan takes the opposite position. While explaining the views of ‘Allamah Iqbal and Fethullah Gülen, he shows how democracy is just as compatible with Islam.

Editor’s Mail: Trivializing Homosexuality

This mail is yet another addition to the ongoing debate on homosexuality in this journal.

Your Questions Answered

Dr Khalid Zahir answers questions on the need of an Islamic state for propagation of the message of Islam, whether a secular state is a win-win solution for Muslims and other people, on Islamic banking and on whether we can help others by money earned un-islamically.

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