A message from Sidi Rami Nashashibi from IMAN – Inner-city Muslim Action Network based in Chicago. Sidi Rami is a good friend, a wonderful person and an inspiration to us all. Please support IMAN.

#####

Assalamu Alaikum, I pray this reaches you all in the best of health. As many of you may know IMAN’s programming in the areas of Direct Services, Social Justice Organizing and Arts and Culture have increased and strengthened exponentially over the last several years. Among the things IMAN is doing to financially sustain this level of programming is aggressively pursuing foundation support and grant opportunities.  Our talented and extraordinarily committed staff is becoming more and more proficient in this area.

One shining example of all this can be seen through the work and commitment of Asad Jafri, IMAN’s Arts and Culture Director. Asad just recently wrote and submitted a proposal to the Case Foundation for youth programming entitled “Leaders of the New School.” The proposal advanced to the final round by being among only 20 projects selected from a field of 5,000. For this IMAN secured $10,000 to support the project.

Now we have another opportunity to secure an additional $25,000 if we can become one of the four final proposals selected through an online voting process that ends tomorrow, Tuesday April 22nd, at 11:59pm.

It’s simple; whoever gets the most online votes wins. Take two minutes to click on the link below to select the “Leaders of the New School” project along with three other projects of your choice and submit your selection along with an email address. One vote per email address.  Please make sure your vote counts by clicking the link in the confirmation e-mail that will be sent to you.

Click Here to Vote

Please pass this along to your respective lists, the support is greatly appreciated.
–
Rami Nashashibi
Executive Director
IMAN
www.imancentral.org

Thanks to Sidi Ebadur Rahman for the reminder to vote.

Registration for the Zaytuna Distance Learning Program Spring 2008 Quarter is now live. Please visit: http://www.zikrcast.com/Distance_Learning/index.php

GETTING BACK TO BASICS: ISLAM 101 (NEW!)
by Imam Zaid Shakir
A course explaining the basics of Islamic belief and worship with a concentration on the elements and issues that are essential for the sound and practical practice of Islam in our time. Appropriate and beneficial for not only the new Muslim, but for any Muslim living in the West, this course will cover “the Five Pillars,” “the Articles of Faith,” aqidah, basic fiqh, and critical issues such as appropriate gender relations and how to defend oneself against the attacks currently being levied against Muslims.
(Registration: Audio – $40 / Video – $60)

THE PROPHETIC CHARACTERICS PART III (NEW!)
by Ustadh Yahya Rhodus
A study of the inward and outward characteristics of the Prophet, upon him be peace, from his practices and personal effects to his noble attributes, taking from the text of the late scholar Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabahani, Wasa’il al-Wusul ila Shama’il al-Rasul (“The Means of Arrival to the Characteristics of the Messenger”). Studying the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah, upon him be peace, fills one’s heart with love for him and inspires one to follow his great example.
(Registration: Audio – $40)

Also available: THE PROPHETIC CHARACTERISTICS PART I & PART II

Read the rest of this entry »

The winter season not only hosts The Reviving The Islamic Spirit convention in Toronto but also the ALIM Winter Program. This year, the weekend program is hosted in the Silicon Valley area at the site of our former workplace, the Muslim Community Association.

This year’s theme is titled “Is Islamic Thought Dying?”

This years Winter Program will critique the future of Islamic learning and educational institutions. The conference will discuss, among other things, William Chittick’s recent book entitled, “Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul: The Pertinence of Islamic Cosmology in the Modern World.” The book will serve as a springboard for discussion on the broader issues and intersections of Islamic and Western approaches to learning and knowledge.

Chittick and others have argued that Islamic thought is dying, failing prey to the more short term oriented perspectives of Western educational systems. The ALIM scholars will provide meaningful critique on understanding classical Islamic texts within modern educational systems.

Topics like impediments to Islamic learning, the role of ‘progress’ and ‘ideology’ in Western and Islamic thought, the centrality of tawhid to knowledge, and changes in the Muslim view of knowledge through history, among others, will be addressed through a critical lens.

The following scholars will be leading the sessions:

Dr. Muneer Fareed
Dr. Abdul-Hakim Jackson
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
IImam Zaid Shakir

For more info, please visit: AlimProgram.com

Registration: Click Here to Register Online!!

Tuition: $125 Student, $150 Professional, $250 Couple (includes all meals, not lodging)

Here are some videos with Dr. Muneer Fareed and Dr. Abdul-Hakim Jackson (who we just met again at RIS 2007).

We just received notice that the well-known North American company, Al-Safa Halal, that specializes in frozen packaged halal food will be sold to a Muslim company. Formerly owned by non-Muslims, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the ‘halalness’ of their products. Hopefully this announcement will dispel any concerns that Muslims tend to panic over instead of worrying about more important issues.

We are not overlooking the importance of consuming zabihah products (we fully support the Zabihah movement and do not subscribe to any ‘convenient’ non-zabihah fatwas). We only hope that more concern and efforts would be directed to issues that are detrimental to the growth of Islam.

We would like to hear your comments on Al-Safa, the state of halal or zabihah food in North America and/or Europe. Please add them in the comments section.

Announcement Regarding the Sale of AL SAFA HALAL

Mr. Adnan Durrani and American Halal Company, which is wholly owned by him, has signed a binding agreement to purchase AL SAFA, North America’s leading HALAL brand. Mr. Durrani will be the new Owner, Chairman and Chief Halal Officer (CHO) upon the closing date, which is anticipated to be early next year. Directly reporting to Mr. Durrani will be Steve Hahn (S.VP & COO) who co-founded AL SAFA HALAL in 1999. Mr. Durrani is a prominent member of the Muslim community and a charter member of the American Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies, as well as being a highly successful food entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Mr. Durrani will be managing AL SAFA HALAL on a full time basis, bringing together two decades of experience in building niche food brands into major household brand names. He was also a founding partner of Stonyfield Farms yogurt, now the largest organic yogurt brand in the world with over $350 million in sales. Mr. Durrani commented, “I am extremely excited about buying AL SAFA. I have always felt it is the only true halal brand, especially since it is hand slaughtered which I am dedicated to. Just as I did for organic foods, I intend to build AL SAFA and American Halal into the most recognized and trusted Shariah compliant halal food company in North America.”

Following this brief announcement will be an official press release from Mr. Durrani’s office as the closing nears.

Note: this announcement was received via email from Al-Safa.

It is with great honor to announce that our designer was featured on Khadija O’Connell’s Barakah Life Blog yesterday. Since our designer did not want any announcements, we would like to request everyone to visit Khadija’s blog to read about Zaytuna’s prestigious Alexander Russell Webb Award, how the physical award was designed and developed and a bio on Brother Mohammed Webb.

Zaytuna Institute presents the Alexander Russell Webb award

“in recognition of an individual’s service to the greater American society in helping its citizens better understand Islam.”

 

Visit Zaytuna’s site to read about this year’s award presentation event. The award has been presented to the following individuals:

• Dr. Sulayman Nyang, of Howard University
• Dr. Waheed Rana of St. Louis
• Ms. Gray Henry-Blakemore, director of Fons Vitae Book Publishing of Louisville, Kentucky