This year’s Bay Area Mawlid has been finalized. We are blessed to have Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Tahir Anwar and rising nasheed superstar Nader Khan from Canada participating in this year’s event.

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009

Time: 5:00pm

Venue: Chandni Restaurant, Newark, CA

Tickets: $20 available online

Contact: mawlidconference@gmail.com or 510.744.3692

For centuries, the vast majority of Muslims have gathered in celebration of one of the greatest events in the history of the entire universe, the Mawlid or the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam). Through the recitation of the Majestic Quran, readings from the Seerah (Prophet’s biography), and the recitation of the Qasidah Burdah (Poem of the Cloak) we have the opportunity to show our gratitude to Allah ta’ala for having sent amongst us His final and last Messenger.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says, “Verily Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam). O, Believers! Send blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

Taking heed of this incredible verse, Muslims send their blessings upon the Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) every day. And each year, on this special day, communities in every corner of the world come together to commemorate the miracle of his birth, the legacy of his life, and the station of perfection that he alone occupies in this world and the next(may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Join us in celebrating the Mawlid of our Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) in renewal of our faith and commitment to the way of our beloved Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) and his heirs, the rightly-guided scholars of the past and the present. We look forward to your presence with our scholars and friends in a night filled with inspiration and continuous praise!

At a recent event, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf presented a new paper, titled “Climbing Mount Purgatorio: Reflections from the Seventh Cornice”. The event was The Social Costs of Pornography, a consultation organized by the Witherspoon Institute at Princeton University. This event was held in December 2008. Click here for more details about The Social Costs of Pornography event.

And click here to download Shaykh Hamza’s paper: “Climbing Mount Purgatorio”.

The consultation on The Social Costs of Pornography was organized by the Witherspoon Institute in conjunction with the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Washington, DC and held at Princeton University, December 11 – 13, 2008. The consultation was hosted by Robert P. George, Senior Fellow of the Witherspoon Institute and McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University. This meeting assembled leading experts in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurophysiology, philosophy, sociology, law, and political theory to present a rigorously argued overview of the problem of pornography in our society and to make recommendations. The primary purpose of the meeting was to examine the real nature of pornography in its moral and social consequences.

It is essential to note the scholars who participated in this consultation represent a wide range of political perspectives, but share a common interest in addressing pornography’s devastating social cost. At the two-day-long consultation, ten scholars delivered papers on subject-specific aspects of pornography’s impact, and approximately twelve scholars served as discussants throughout the meeting. This format ensured that the papers will be energetically critiqued in order to promote a fair and in-depth assessment of the issues in question.

Here’s a special treat for IslamCrunch readers: an exclusive look at a new project of the Zaytuna Distance Learning Program – the DeenLoad series.

Curing Extremism

The DeenLoad series offers single lectures for download. The first series is titled Curing Extremism with Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

In this timely download, Imam Zaid, Shaykh Abdal Hakim and Shaykh Hamza diagnose and offer curative solutions to one of the most pressing problems we face as a globalized human society…. religious extremism.

Is Islam intrinsically extreme? Who’s to blame? What is the role that the individual, the community and the society at large can play in combatting and preventing religious extremism?

Find the answers to these essential questions and more in this critical series.

Click the link to purchase the download: http://zikrcast.com/Distance_Learning/deenload.php

We highly recommend the video download. It is high quality video in 640 x 480 mp4 format.

Another special treat: for every person who adds a comment to this post with sincere feedback on why you enjoy or dislike IslamCrunch, will receive a discount code for $1.00 off the sale price. If you leave a video comment, you will receive a $2.00 discount code.

LECTURE OUTLINES

Part 1 by Imam Zaid Shakir

• Particular dynamics of Muslim life in Britain
• What shapes who we are
• Parallels between the ghettos in the US & Britain
• Distorted understanding of “the other”
• The reality of low self esteem amongst the youth
• Fighting with the wrong weapons
• Superficial reactions to social ills
• Changing our perception of western societies
• Taking advantage of the opportunities that Western society offers
• Being a community of balanced
• Forging a new vision of change for our youth
• Doing more to help more

Part 2 by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

• The bewilderment of this age
• The guiding Ship of Faith
• Unity amidst diversity
• The response of the believers and the response of the hypocrites to trials
• A multitude of choices and conflicting voices
• Following the scholars or ones whims
• The tranquil stability of the believers
• Projecting inner ugliness onto Islam
• Aiding the enemies of Islam with our wrong actions
• Spreading the message of Rahmah

Part 3 by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

• Defining terms & limits
• Living in a culture of extremes
• Causing our own suffering
• To whom is our allegiance
• Interacting with the law of the land
• Understanding civil disobedience
• Studying the Prophetic model of social reform
• Advice for Muslims living in the West
• Perceptions of Muslims in the West
• The question of assimilation and integration
• The potential benefits that Muslims bring to society
• A call to wisdom
• The example of the Bee
• The best defense

Both Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir have been invited to the National Prayer Service for the inauguration of the new president, Barack Hussein Obama.

Additionally, they have been invited to be speakers at the Muslim Inauguration Celebration. This event is a joint sponsorship of the Washington Academic Leadership Institute and the Muslim Social Network. The Honorary Host Organization is the Congressional Muslim Staffers Association. More info can be found here: www.musliminauguralgala.com and the Facebook event page.

Confirmed speakers: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir and Imam Tahir Anwar, Sister Rabia Khedr

Sunday, May 11, 2008 (Mother’s Day) in Fremont, California. Special tribute to Sidi Abdul Sattar Rydhan.

Organizers: Zaytuna Institute & Rumi Bookstore & SBIA

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=17092165855&ref=mf

The organizers are looking for donations. Sponsorship packages are also available ($1000 – full reserved table, $1500 – full reserved table + your organization’s logo on all promotional material). We are seeking sponsors from women’s organization. If you are interested, please contact us.