#peopleinislam

People in Islam: Sayyed Mahdi al-Modarresi

Born in Kuwait in 1977 from the well known Modarresi family which contains many scholars and jurists like his father Sayyed Hadi Almodarresi, following his father’s footsteps, Sayyed Mahdi pursued his studies at al Qa’em Theological Research Institute in Damascus, the Islamic Seminary in Qum, Iran, and supplementary education in the United States and Australia finally graduating after studying core studies in Islam, philosophy, sociology, and politics.

Writing his first book, About the Signs of Allah and His Greatness at age 15, Sayyed Mahdi has since written many books in English and Arabic. He often spends his time traveling around the world speaking to Muslim youths on the dangers of this dunya, understanding the role of the Muslim in the 21st century, and the effects of our sins.

If you would like to know about Sayyed Mahdi al-Modarresi, you can see more of his lectures on Youtube.

People in Islam: Lauren Booth

Lauren Booth is a sister who converted to Islam in September 2010 while visiting the Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran giving surprise to those who had not known her until recently. Her political connections in England made her conversion to Islam a big topic to discuss, since she is the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, where she opposed his inter-faith working groups which were designed to “silence the voices of Muslims”.

As a journalist Sister Lauren has traveled through many Muslim nations and speaks often at events on how Islam helps humanity and the innate characteristics of the faith in pursuing peace and justice. She currently works for Press-TV in Iran.

People in Islam: G. Willow Wilson

Muslims for hundreds of years have been pioneers in art, doing exceedingly well in all forms of visual expression. This includes the modern age, where comic books have found their inner deen with creations like Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson.

Willow was born in New Jersey, USA to atheist parents but came to Islam and moved to Cairo where she married. An avid comic book reader, her childhood in comics influenced her as an adult. Leading her to expositions like Comicon and as a Muslim speaking about her conversion to Islam to youth in universities and in interviews. As well as writing her own memoirs and Alif the Unseen, she has written for DC Comics in the graphic novel Cairo. Her work is an inspiration to young Muslims and reverts around the world.

People in Islam: Sheikh Mustapha al-Majzoub

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon. To God is whom we belong, and to Him is our return.

In our present day and age, completely selfless heroes are seen as tales told in times well past. Whether it’s the stories of Ali ibn Abi Talib fighting courageously on the battlefields to defend an infant Islam, Husayn defending his family against advancing soldiers, or Salah ad-Din, who sought to free Muslim lands from encroaching European forces.

Islamic history has seen many martyrs, those who died defending those who could not defend themselves. On August 19th, 2012, Sydney sheikh Mustapha al-Majzoub, who had gone to Syria to help those in need, was killed in a rocket attack by government forces. May Allah grant him Jannah for his selfless actions, leaving a comfortable home and community to participate in helping his nation.

As sheikh of Sydney’s Lakemba mosque, he led the Sydney community in standing up for the lives of the oppressed, speaking to the Ummah in family relations and how to always be mindful of Allah (swt). He also has many Quranic recitations on Youtube, beautiful recitations like Surah An-NasandSurah Al-Ikhlas.

As a man of faith, of this deen, he knew not all things were permanent, and left a touching letter to his wife before he departed for Syria which reads:

“Wallahi, if there is anyone I’d like to describe as a warrior and a hero, it’ll be my wife Rawya (Umm Amaar) she made the great sacrifice of sending her husband across the oceans and the lands, she gave up her comfort of being close to her husband for the sake of benefiting people she never met, she carried the risk of never seeing her husband again in this world, she carried the heavy load of looking after our 3 children alone and never complained. Wallahi when she found out I’m travelling far away she didn’t complain once, rather she only said "I hope to be with you in Jannah if we don’t meet again in this world” and she said to me not to worry about my children and that she’ll never marry anyone again if I was to be martyred. I thank her for everything and I thank Allah from the bottom of my heart for blessing me with her and I ask Allah to reward her immensely for being the best friend I could ever have.

Wallahi I would never think of having any other wife second to her because “She’s all I can ask for”.

For all of Sheikh Mustapha’s sacrifices in this dunya, may he be rewarded fully in Jannah, and by Allah’s will may Sheikh Mustapha meet his wife there.

People in Islam (Special Edition): Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad.

As I try to collect my thought on Khadijah, one of the four most pious women on the face of existence, I realize that we have done much injustice to this great of a personality. A thriving character who has been an utmost inspiration and motivation for our beloved and holy Prophet Muhammad, Khadijah is regarded as a master mind of intellect and spirituality. As we observe her many sacrifices for the religion of Islam, we realize that she is one of the best, if not the best, heroes of our time.

Born from one of the most highly regarded clans in Arabia, Khadijah inherited her father’s business talents and vast wealth after his death in 585. While travelling along with her caravans in places in Arabia and parts of Syria and Yemen, a man of great character stood on the sideline to observe her talents, seeking for a job. This man was Muhammad. 

Because of her outstanding character and bravery, Khadijah was regarded as Khadijah the Great, Princess of Quraish, and The Pure One. Sources even suggest that Khadijah neither believed in nor worshipped idols; she used to feed and clothe the poor while assisting relatives and friends with disabling financial situations. And because of this, Muhammad adored her.

And within a few years of working for Khadijah (aha! Please note the sunnah of Muhammad in this instance, where working for a woman was not problematic, even during the times of Ignorance), Muhammad realized that Khadijah was an impeccable woman whom he loved with utmost certainty. Hence, they soon married. 

After being Muhammad’s supporter, mentor, female best friend, lover, adviser, and genuine companion, she was the mother of Fatima, the first daughter of Muhammad who was named after Khadijah’s own mother. She was the mother of Fatima, the grandmother of the two chiefs of Paradise, Hassan and Hussain, the first and most beloved wife of Muhammad, and the main supporter of the religion of Islam.

And when death greeted her, Muhammad mourned her for years to come, praising her to all of his wives about her steadfastness and beautiful personality that none of them together could have ever encompassed. 

Assalama Alayka ya Khadijah tu Kubra, Ameerat Quraish, wa Al Tahira al Mathlooma. 

People in Islam: Nawal el Saadawi – Egyptian feminist, author, and women’s rights advocate.

Among the most controversial and outspoken women of the century, Nawal el Saadawi has been an interesting search. An Egyptian feminist, socialist, and author, Nawal has been accused of apostasy for her “radical” ideas of Islam with regards to fundamentalism, women’s rights, and religion. Despite the fact that many of her books have gone banned by Egypt’s ex-President Anwar Sadat, she has found motivation to battle against the claims that have been presented upon her. And with that, for many Arab feminists, she is an ultimate inspiration.

Accordingto sources, Johannesburg’s Mail & Guardian describes her as “One of Egypt’s most outspoken women [and] the new Salman Rushdie.“ And since she began to write over 25 years ago, El Saadawi’s books (27 in all) have concentrated on women, particularly Arab women, their sexuality and legal status, and because of this, she is understood as successful. 

To visit her facebook, like here. To visit her official website, click here. To read an one on one interview with Nawal, read here. And to read more about her, click here.

People in Islam: Khalid Latif – New York Police Officer, Executive Director of NYU Islamic Center, Imam at local masjid, and motivational speaker.

As a native New Yorker who attends a Catholic private college, Khalid Latif was the first person I turned to for inspiration, motivation, and assistance when deciding to establish a Muslim Student Association at school. Even though it did take a while to finally meet up with him (considering his busy schedule), his level of concern was beyond comforting. 

Also known as the Imam or spiritual speaker for the Friday prayers in the basement of a church in downtown Manhattan, Khalid Latif is also a Chaplain for the NYPD. When Muslim students (not only in New York University, but in other universities and local colleges) were threatened by several NYPD officers in terms of security, Khalid Latif arose to not only defend, but to encourage some form of educational awareness by promoting several workshops to keep Muslim students safe. 

It comes as no surprise that Khalid Latif has no conflicting agendas or problematic compromises with regards to being a practicing Muslim along with a Chaplain of the NYPD. As an American Muslim woman, I am proud that Brother Khalid represents the religion of Islam in the way that he does. He is not only a great person to be around and work with, but a wonderful Muslim in all regards. 

To like his page on facebook (which he personally updates), click here. To follow him on twitter, click here. And to listen to his lecture on how “its tough being a girl,” watch here.  Also, to read his Ramadan reflections that are published in the Huffington Post, you can find them here.

People in Islam: Ani Zonneveld

A Malaysian-born singer, Sister Ani Zonneveld is a Grammy Award winning musician and LGBT-rights, interfaith activist within the Muslim community, being the president and co-founder of Muslims for Progressive Values and editor of the book Progressive Muslim Stories.

Before her time as a notable activist, Ani was a well established musician who wrote songs in the style of hymns for Muslims, some of her songs are Prayer of LightandIn My Soul.

If you would like to know more about Ani Zonneveld, you can find her website here.

People in Islam – Leila Ahmed: writer, activist, spokesperson 

Leila Ahmed, one of the most prominent Muslim female scholars in the contemporary world, is a powerful figure to hundreds of thousands of Muslims and non Muslims alike. 

Born to a Turkish woman and Egyptian father, Leila Ahmed is an Egyptian American writer on Islam and Islamic feminism. After reading her great work, Women and Gender in Islam, I’ve come to particularly admire all that Leila Ahmed presents in terms of intellectual discourse and studies. 

According to several sources, Leila Ahmed earned her doctorate degree from the University of Cambridge; when she moved to the U.S, she was appointed professorship in Women’s Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst. By 1999, Sr. Leila taught Women’s Studies and Religion at Harvard Divinity School, earning many certificates of recognition for her hard work in teaching and writing, which you can read more about here. 

To read her article on Foreign Policy, titled “Veil of Ignorance,” click here. For a more detailed description, click here. To watch a video of Leila Ahmed, please click here.

People in Islam: Susan Carland – sociologist, teacher, lecturer

Named in 2009 as one of several Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow by the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Susan Carland is a Muslim sociologist. She is a lecturer in politics, sociology and gender studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. 

Viewed by many as a great example of Muslim woman, Susan completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science and in 2007, she was completing her PhD, researching leadership challenges facing Western Muslim women. In 2004, she received the Australian Woman of the Year award. Unsurprisingly, she is the co-creator of the Victorian Convert Support Service, and has managed the Islamic Council of Victoria’s youth wing, Grassroots. 

To read little more about Susan, read this interview here. To watch someof her panel appearances here. Also, you can read some of her transcripts here (just scroll to the bottom).

People in Islam: Sheikh Abdal-Hakim Murad – Teacher, Professor, Scholar, and Author

It’s unfortunate that I’ve listened to this brother’s lectures and seen him appear on several documentaries and have failed to grasp and remember his name. Alhamdulilah, with the help of several suggestions, I’ve come to understand who Sheikh Murad is and be able to to more research so that we can describe his level of expertise and intellect at a just level.

Brother Abdal-Hakim Murad, the Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College in the UK, was voted most influential British Muslim thinker by Jordan’s Royal Strategic Islamic Studies Center. He translated a number of Islamic texts in English, like some of Imam Ghazali’s work, which is extremely important for our students right now who aren’t as well learnt in Arabic as he is. 

Also, Brother Murad studies and gives lectures at a number of places, included Singapore, Australia, Spain, and Malaysia. In his spare time, Murad writes a number of books. In fact, His most recent book is Commentary on the Eleventh Contentions (which he just recently published). 

If you’re further interested in Cambridge Muslim College, watch their introductory Youtube video here. To read more about Brother Murad, read a lengthy description here. For one of his lectures on Crisis of Modern Consciousness (the Q&A session), listen to this. To like his fanpage on Facebook, click here.    

People in Islam: Imam Johari Abdul-Malik

Many misconceptions are abound about Islam in this day and age, the most prevailing is that there are no Muslims standing up against terrorism, and by not doing so are giving silent agreement to the war tactic.

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik is not an exception, but the rule. A convert from a Anglican home, as the first higher education Muslim Chaplain in the United States at Howard University, Imam Johari has spent his years fighting against perceptions about Islam, against Israel apartheid, interfaith dialogue on issues like HIV and AIDS, and domestic violence.

His speaking ventures include a presentation on the Family of the Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), the issues within the Ummah and the larger perception of Islam in American culture for both Muslims and non-Muslims. If you’d like to know more about Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, feel free to go to his website and download his podcasts and read his blog.