The good folks at SunniPath have a bunch of exciting new online courses on Islam which will begin on February 25th. While I occasionally find myself in disagreement with them on some important matters (e.g., their view of Shiah Islam, their approach to gender issues), these are admittedly not simple questions and in any case I have nothing but praise for this innovative and important work.    They're offering a wide range of courses by traditionally trained scholars--some of whom are … [Read more...]

Chanced upon a great website on Islamic thought.  I particularly appreciate its broad scope and holistic vision. Note:  The "Major Voices" index page (which lists thinkers in alphabetical order) does not work properly, but you can reach the same information via the "Through the Ages" page (which lists the same figures, but chronologically). Center for Islam & Science Home Page Center for Islam and Science (CIS) is dedicated to the promotion of research and … [Read more...]

Speaking of SunniPath, we happened to have dinner with a Shiah friend and his wife last night and I was shown some  statements posted on there concerning the Shiah tradition that really saddened me. While I don't always agree with SP, I've always been impressed by the profundity and knowledge of its contributors, and can only pray that I one day attain a fraction of their erudition and insight.  So I was quite surprised when I saw a posting that included the following … [Read more...]

On a side note, I think it would be interesting to explore the extent to which these beliefs about Harun Yahya might as Mahdi might conflict with his interpretations of biological evolution.  If you can interpret all these ahadith so figuratively--I haven't reviewed their site closely, but I'm assuming they're doing some fancy footwork to set the stage for HY being the Mahdi and/or Promised Messiah--I wonder why you can't interpret the Quranic narrative on Adam & Eve to allow for … [Read more...]

It has occurred to me that the fact the title of my last entry ("Rejecting a "Mahdi" vs. rejecting the idea of the Mahdi") refers to the Mahdi while the link leads to a Harun Yahya-affiliated website concerning not the Mahdi but rather the Promised Messiah (i.e., the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (as)--a belief shared in some form by Muslims and Christians alike) might cause some confusion, or at least cause the reader to wonder whether I know the difference between the two. … [Read more...]

Apparently, there are some who believe that the noted (and, in my estimation, vastly overrated) anti-Evolution polemicist Harun Yahya is the Mahdi.  I don't know whether HY himself has made this claim, though it seems unlikely that people would be promoting him as such without his tacit approval. What I find most interesting about this is not that he may have made this claim, but rather how vicerally so many Muslims react against the very idea. For the record, I have no interest in … [Read more...]