Regarding the Shi’i shaykh from Dearborn who is scheduled to give the invocation at Trump’s inauguration: I have known the Shi’i shaykh for about 20 years who is scheduled to give the invocation at Trump’s inauguration. I did the prayer in the Michigan legislature…

Regarding the Shi’i shaykh from Dearborn who is scheduled to give the invocation at Trump’s inauguration:

I have known the Shi’i shaykh for about 20 years who is scheduled to give the invocation at Trump’s inauguration. I did the prayer in the Michigan legislature when it approved electoral votes for Obama in his first presidency which started in 2009.

Based upon my own spiritual evolution, I would not perform any invocation for a presidential ceremony now. Though I am not a scholar, I find it unbecoming for those who are perceived as scholars as well as those who are du’at to participate in such ceremonies especially when the immoral positions of both parties are clearly known. I also do not believe that scholars and du’at should endorse politicians and political parties in America based upon principle. I did not even endorse a very close friend of mine in the last election cycle based upon principle though I have immense love for him. This is my position.

The Dearborn shaykh publicly endorsed Trump, and Trump won the Muslim vote in Dearborn. Thus Trump is rewarding Muslims with this token. If we are honest, Trump recognizing Muslims in his acceptance speech, inviting Muslims to work in his administration, and having an imam give the invocation at his inauguration are different in symbolism at least from his first term in which his administration treated American Muslims like the plague. Our community in mass played this game and was used by Democrats prior to 10/7/2023, so I find it to be inconsistent that some are outraged about this invocation yet had no problems with the prayers of imams and attending iftars for Obama and Biden who both furthered war crimes against Muslims and reduced our civil liberties with spying on us, putting us on watchlists and promoting alphabet soup in public educational institutions.

Politics in many ways is an ijtihadi affair, so I am not going to browbeat the shaykh. However, I am taking the path of Imam Zayd bin Ali, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam ash-Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, and Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani رضي الله عنهم which is to not endorse nor be close to politicians except to advise them if possible or criticize about their wrongdoing in public policy.

#TowardsSacredActivism

https://youtu.be/OJSEf54E5HQ?si=-dVQxKq7pZ8NxHK5

True tasawwuf or purification of the heart is not enveloped in mysticism and secrets. There are some charlatans and groups operating like low key cults in North America under the banner of tasawwuf. The ridiculous stories that continue to be relayed to me by brothers and sisters who are experiencing these has to be addressed. I normally stay away from polemics, but these activities are spiritually and emotionally dangerous.

Signs of a pseudo-sufi leader or a semi-cult are:
1) If you are being overtly or subtly told that you will be punished in the akhirah for choosing another shaykh or leaving a group. I just had a conversation with a brother about this yesterday in which I told him that this is incorrect.
2) When a claim of creed is made in the name of a grand shaykh that has no basis in the Qur’an and authentic ahadith. Creed is established upon certitude, and the possibility that since the Qur’an and authentic ahadith were silent on an issue that it can be made into an issue of creed is foolishness that can lead to heresy. We’re not talking about fiqh here but ‘aqidah.
3) When you as a sister are being pressured or rushed to marry someone within a group by a shaykh or muqaddam without having a family member or a wali outside of the group question the man. I have personally heard several cases of this in which students with recent criminal records of serious consequences were concealed from sisters.
4) When a leader when asked about his sanad or who were the teachers that he studied with and what books did he get permission in, he hestitates or brushes off the question. Claiming a dream without producing names or certifications does not cut it.
5) Dissuading students who are not brand new murids from sitting in learning circles of others outside of their group. I counseled a brother who was in a semi-cult that was browbeat for studying Arabic from a teacher who wasn’t in their group even though no one in that group in his city was qualified to teach high level Arabic!
6) Circles in which the shari’ah is not mentioned at all or is downplayed and marginalized. Virtually no mention of halal and haram takes place. Also know that opposite gender touching from shaking hands, hugging, or being in a hadrah holding hands are all unacceptable.
7) That the worst person in the group or tariqah including one who currently commits zina and openly drinks alcohol is better than the upright, pious Muslim outside of that group. I know of more than one brother who was told this in a particular group. The most recent one who is now studying at al-Azhar was basically liberated from such foolishness.

These are a few items that I have heard over recent months from first hand accounts or have eyewitnessed myself.

Spirituality has nothing to do with goofy-ism.

“Three are from the gates of the righteous: One who is generous with his self, one who speaks a good word, and one who is patient when harmed.”

- Sayyiduna Ali كرم الله وجهه

#Futuwwah

https://youtu.be/lttmig9o-yU

https://youtu.be/whTxtzYSstM

‏" وفي طبقات مجد الدين:
أن زفر [ صاحب أبي حنيفة ] حفظ القرآن في سنتين من آخر عمره، فرُئِيَ بعد موته في المنام، فسُئل ما حالك فقال: لولا السنتين لهلك زفر "

?شرح مسند أبي حنيفة (ص٤٥)

“I am a slave to whoever teaches me a single letter.”
- Imam Ali رضي الله عنه

Of course, his teacher was our master Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم who has right of complete obedience.

This is an indication of the ennoblement which we should show our teachers and the debt of service that we owe them. That also entails subduing the ego and completing permissible tasks that may be uncomfortable. This is not an easy task for many of us who grew up in the West that have not gone through traditional learning and are accustomed to things being easily accessible.

Regarding Mehdi Hassan’s recent video criticizing Muslims who advance voting for a 3rd party candidate this election:

1) There was no “Muslim ban” under Trump, just a temporary slowdown of persons getting in from 5 Muslim majority countries which people from Yemen and Syria still got in during his presidency. We need to be truthful and accurate - وقولوا قولا سديدا

2) Obama’s drone warfare killed more than Trump’s though he put the blame on Trump for drone escalation killings of Muslims

3) Obama, not Trump, began arming UAE and Saudi in the most intense bombing of Yemen.

4) Trump didn’t literally tell people to inject bleach for COVID-19 though Trump behaved like an idiot.

*Worse than all of these was Mehdi placing blame on imams for starting off a statement, encouraging voting 3rd party, with the Qur’an about ayah of standing for justice in which he said that quoting the Qur’an is “weaponizing” Islam then references religious extremism and extremists. He is centering his secular, leftist framework and sensibilities while using an Orientalist trope to advance that we should separate our deen from politics.

In full disclosure, I am a signer of that imams letter.

We should not demonize any Muslim whether they vote for Harris, 3rd party or Trump. I take the common Muslim as being against genocide and sincere in their voting, but Mehdi is peddling inaccuracies here. That’s not acceptable given his large platform.