Reason & Revelation - What Is The Balance?

There has been so much debate and confusion throughout the history of Muslims regarding the role of reason and its place in comparison to revelation. There are some who argued that reason is superior because it is a pre-requisite for understanding the revelation and there are others who argued that revelation is superior because it directs the reason in the right way. No doubt both reason and revelation are from Allah. The proper use of reason should lead one to Allah and His revelation. However when one finds the revelation what then is the role of reason? If reason has a role then how should one balance between reason and revelation? How did the Prophets and Messengers do this?

These are very important questions for us and Allah has showed us the answers to these in the Qur'an itself through various stories. The story that stands out the most in this regard is the story of Musa (AS). There is a great deal of his life mentioned before he becomes a prophet so that we can understand how Musa (AS) used reason without revelation. Then he becomes a prophet and receives revelation but does not abandon reason. The way he uses reason now is even more intriguing. One example of this is his encounter with the "mysterious" Khidr. There are many more examples given in the Qur'an

The Story Musa (AS) in The Qur'an Seminar on Saturday (tomorrow) looks at this phenomena in detail. This is your golden opportunity to explore the balance between reason and revelation in the seminar by one of the leading scholars and thinkers of the west today Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi. Of course this is only one of many aspects of the story of Musa (AS) discussed in the seminar, for other aspects please read the previous posts below. This is the last chance to register online.

The Story of Musa (AS) in The Qur'an

Lessons for The 21st Century

By Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

When: Saturday 24th March 2012 Time: 10AM - 6PM

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Advance/On-line Tickets: From £18 onwards

Facilities: Free parking, Crèche/Childcare, book stalls, food stalls, free 2-nights stay at the mosque

Register on-line to book your place now and save 50% or more on standard ticket price.

Testimonials: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Previous Posts

Immersion Method - How To Inspire & Teach Your Child Using Qur'anic Stories

When Musa (AS) Came To Britain...

Arab Spring or Muslim Spring?

Musa (AS) - The Prophet Who Built Islam

Musa (AS) - The 21st Century Liberator of Muslims

Immersion Method - How To Inspire & Teach Your Child Using Qur'anic Stories

Qur'an is a book and the source of guidance. But the way it teaches guidance is unlike any other book. Qur'an employs what Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi calls the "Immersion Method of Teaching" where the reader or listener is drawn in to be immersed in the context of the message. The Qur'an achieves this by way of stories, parables, metaphors and examples. This method is far superior than any other way because the motivation for understanding and action is generated internally within people themselves.

Sadly we are unaware of this method or neglect it and employ what is called the "Instruction Method of Teaching" where people are told what to do from outside. Generally this is the way employed in modern schools and universities. Although this method has its place we extend it far beyond its useful domain and employ it too widely and more frequently. This is very ineffective for teaching higher human traits such as values, character, creativity, motivation, bravery, love, sympathy, faith and courage which are the foundations of any great human being.

A session on the seminar on Saturday would be looking at the Immersion Method - how Allah has chosen to teach people through the story of Musa (AS) in the Qur'an. It is interesting to note that the name of Musa (AS) is mentioned 140 times in the Qur'an - far more than any other name and it would become obvious why it is so at the end InshaAllah. This is an essential seminar for anyone who is interested in inspiring and teaching themselves and others.

Special Offer: Children Go Free [Promotion Code: CHILD-DISCOUNT]

The Story of Musa (AS) in The Qur'an

Lessons for The 21st Century

By Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

When: Saturday 24th March 2012 Time: 10AM - 6PM

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Advance/On-line Tickets: From £18 onwards

Facilities: Free parking, Crèche/Childcare, book stalls, food stalls, free 2-nights stay at the mosque

Register on-line to book your place now and save 50% or more on standard ticket price.



Testimonials: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Previous Posts

When Musa (AS) Came To Britain...

Arab Spring or Muslim Spring?

Musa (AS) - The Prophet Who Built Islam

Musa (AS) - The 21st Century Liberator of Muslims

When Musa (AS) Came To Britain...

"By no means! my Lord is with me! Soon will He guide me!" - Musa (AS)

“We have more claim to Musa than you” - Muhammad (PBUH)

Musa (AS) did not physically come to Britain but his true message has reached Britain quite a long time ago. One of the core missions of Musa (AS) was to liberate the people from the slavery of the Pharaonic systems to the servitude of Allah. Despite his message why is it that people still remain as slaves to the modern world?

Today Muslims are the people of Musa (AS) as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “We have more claim to Musa than you (i.e. the Jews)”. But our hearts, minds and souls are trapped and we have become slaves to our own fears as well as to the systems of our time. We have become slaves to modern ideologies, modern ways of living, modern structures and our own egos and desires as Iqbal expresses in the following poem:

“…he gives away his soul to save his body; and although the name of God is on his lips; the object of his worship is the ruler’s might; a might which is a living, growing lie and which gives birth to nothing but more lies. It is an idol which is god to you so long as you kneel down and worship it, but which falls to the ground if you stand up to it. The real God provides both life and bread, while the false god provides bread but takes life. The real God is One; this god is in a hundred bits. The One is Providence; the other is a helpless thing. The One heals gaps; the other breeds disunity. The false god teaches men to be his slaves, divesting their eyes, ears and minds of faith.”- Allamah Iqbal

The only way to liberate ourselves from this slavery is to turn to the message of Musa (AS). The story of Musa (AS) is mentioned in the Qur'an more than any other story for a reason. But for many, the understanding of the story is very superficial - no more than how a little child would understand it whereas the insights and lessons from the story are immense. So is it not time for us to return to the deep and profound message of Musa (AS)?

The Story of Musa (AS) in The Qur'an

Lessons for The 21st Century

By Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

When: Saturday 24th March 2012 Time: 10AM - 6PM

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Advance/On-line Tickets: From £18 onwards

Facilities: Free parking, Crèche/Childcare, book stalls, food stalls, free 2-nights stay at the mosque

Register on-line to book your place now and save 50% or more on standard ticket price.



Testimonials

"Of all the scholars I have had the opportunity to study with, I have found Shaikh Akram Nadwi to be the closest, in knowledge, manners and teaching, to how I would imagine some of the great Hadith scholars of the past would have been. He has a vast knowledge of Hadith and Fiqh, a down-to-earth, humble, approachable style, and great teaching ability. His classes are not just beneficial from a learning perspective, but also to marvel at the awe-inspiring wealth of knowledge of our scholars masha Allah. His 40 volume work going through the biographies of some 8,000 women scholars of Hadith is a monumental endeavour. The mere fact of its existence can be a major talking point in discussion with Muslims and non-Muslims, and is almost a stand-alone proof of Islam's unparalleled wealth of female scholarship." - Dr Omar Mahroo, Cambridge/London

"Jazakumullah khair for the efforts of the MEOC for arranging these blessed gatherings of knowledge. The seminars I've attended so far have several elements that make them very special, starting from the choice of topics themselves which cater to the more profound needs of the people rather than addressing some superficial issues that seem to be more fashionable today. Even the content of the seminars and the manner of teaching by Shaikh Akram Nadwi are directly focussed towards developing a deeper understanding of these issues. In these seminars, one gets a glimpse of the years of learning that have gone into the brilliant scholarship of Shaikh Nadwi. Furthermore his knowledge seems to be blessed by an acute understanding of the needs of the Ummah. The seminar on the 'Legacy of Ibrahim (a.s.)' was exceptionally beautiful, wherein, the Shaikh in his own words confessed that he was attempting to transmit, not knowledge, but the state of his heart, to the others present. While the knowledge and the insight that one gains into the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the history of Muslims through these seminars is invaluable, I personally feel that these sessions are more than just one-day courses. I am inclined to call them gatherings of Remembrance of Allah, and we all know the blessings of such gatherings!" - Mohini Verma, PhD Student, Cambridge University

"Alhamdulillah I've attended 3 seminars of Sheikh Akram's so far, and Insha Allah I will keep coming back for more! He was introduced to me by my brother who attends his study circles regularly in Oxford. I loved the seminar on Women scholars in Islam, it was a total eye opener into what a Muslim woman's role in society is, which surprisingly (or not) goes against many cultiural and conventionally held notions of Muslim women. My other favourite one was the tafseer of Surat al Fatiha and the last ten surahs, I will not be exaggerating when I say that I truly found it mind blowing. Sheikh Akram is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge but Masha Allah he always carries himself with the utmost humility. I have already had a look at the list of future seminars and I think MEOC is doing a great job in giving the layman an opportunity to have an exciting insight into the world of Muslim scholarship with its choice of highly intellectual topics. Last but not least, its a great opportunity to meet new people of diverse backgrounds. Well done all of you and may Allah reward you for your efforts." - Dr Fathima Shyma Fazal, Boston, Lincolnshire

More Testimonials: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Previous Posts

Arab Spring or Muslim Spring?

Musa (AS) - The Prophet Who Built Islam

Musa (AS) - The 21st Century Liberator of Muslims

Arab Spring or Muslim Spring?

"Revolutions and quick changes can never establish the Religion of Allah. What we are seeing today especially in the Middle-East is Allah checking the corrupt and oppressive people to ease the situation and provide space for the population. This is the Sunnah of Allah and it happens throughout the history. However this is not the real change. The real change is when people improve in their worship and obedience to Allah"
- Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi

Many Muslims are excited about the so called Arab Spring thinking that real change is going to take place within the Muslim Ummah. However the Arab Spring is no more than a part of a cycle where one group of people is checked by another group of people by Allah (SWT).

"... And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds." [Qur'an 2:251]

"... And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned ..." [Qur'an 22:40]

When injustice and corruption prevail Allah checks those responsible by means of other people to ease the situation for the population so that people will have the space to think, work and worship properly. However these changes do not mean that the people have improved. The real change is when people improve in their worship and obedience to Allah, i.e. when we bring about a "Muslim Spring" within the Ummah.

How can we achieve a Muslim Spring? This is no easy task like the Arab Spring. This is the domain of Prophets and Messengers. They all called people to the worship and obedience of Allah. The Prophet who stands out the most in this respect in the Qur'an is Musa (AS) as his story is mentioned in different ways more than any other story. So we cannot but return to the story of Musa (AS) and study it deeply if we are to achieve a Muslim Spring. So here is the opportunity to have an in-depth understanding of the story of Musa (AS) in the Qur'an (as you may have never done before) with deep reflections and scholarly insights from Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi.

The Story of Musa (AS) in The Qur'an

Lessons for The 21st Century

By Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

When: Saturday 24th March 2012 Time: 10AM - 6PM

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/register.html

Advance/On-line Tickets: From £18 onwards (prices may go up on 10th March 2012)

Facilities: Free parking, Crèche/Childcare, book stalls, food stalls, free 2-nights stay at the mosque

Register on-line to book your place now and save 50% or more on standard ticket price.



Testimonials

"Alhamdulillah I've attended 3 seminars of Sheikh Akram's so far, and Insha Allah I will keep coming back for more! He was introduced to me by my brother who attends his study circles regularly in Oxford. I loved the seminar on Women scholars in Islam, it was a total eye opener into what a Muslim woman's role in society is, which surprisingly (or not) goes against many cultiural and conventionally held notions of Muslim women. My other favourite one was the tafseer of Surat al Fatiha and the last ten surahs, I will not be exaggerating when I say that I truly found it mind blowing. Sheikh Akram is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge but Masha Allah he always carries himself with the utmost humility. I have already had a look at the list of future seminars and I think MEOC is doing a great job in giving the layman an opportunity to have an exciting insight into the world of Muslim scholarship with its choice of highly intellectual topics. Last but not least, its a great opportunity to meet new people of diverse backgrounds. Well done all of you and may Allah reward you for your efforts." - Dr Fathima Shyma Fazal, Boston, Lincolnshire

"Jazakumullah khair for the efforts of the MEOC for arranging these blessed gatherings of knowledge. The seminars I've attended so far have several elements that make them very special, starting from the choice of topics themselves which cater to the more profound needs of the people rather than addressing some superficial issues that seem to be more fashionable today. Even the content of the seminars and the manner of teaching by Shaikh Akram Nadwi are directly focussed towards developing a deeper understanding of these issues. In these seminars, one gets a glimpse of the years of learning that have gone into the brilliant scholarship of Shaikh Nadwi. Furthermore his knowledge seems to be blessed by an acute understanding of the needs of the Ummah. The seminar on the 'Legacy of Ibrahim (a.s.)' was exceptionally beautiful, wherein, the Shaikh in his own words confessed that he was attempting to transmit, not knowledge, but the state of his heart, to the others present. While the knowledge and the insight that one gains into the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the history of Muslims through these seminars is invaluable, I personally feel that these sessions are more than just one-day courses. I am inclined to call them gatherings of Remembrance of Allah, and we all know the blessings of such gatherings!" - Mohini Verma, PhD Student, Cambridge University

More Testimonials: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/register.html

Musa (AS) - The Prophet Who Built Islam

"It is evident that the founder of this Religion is Ibrahim (AS), Musa (AS) built it and it was completed by Muhammad (SAW)" - Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

The above quote may come as a surprise to some. But a careful study of the Qur'an indicates that Musa (AS) was responsible for building the Millah of Ibrahim (AS) to the form that we have today. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) came only to complete it. He (SAW) said:

"I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah)..." [Qur'an 46:9]

"My position in relation to the prophets who came before me can be explained by the following example: A man erected a building and adorned this edifice with great beauty, but he left an empty niche, in the corner where just one brick was missing. People looked around the building and marvelled at its beauty, but wondered why a brick was missing from that niche? I am like unto that one missing brick and I am the last in the line of the Prophets" [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Therefore ones understanding and practice of Islam cannot be complete without a deeper knowledge of the previous Prophets and Messengers - especially Ibrahim (AS) and Musa (AS). Many Muslims think that the previous Prophets are for earlier nations and that they have nothing to do with us. However the reality is that they are a part of the development of the Millah and their stories are an essential part of our Religion. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself was asked to follow and take lessons from the previous Prophets by Allah (SWT).

What is essential for us from the previous Prophets is given to us in the Qur'an. Therefore Musa (AS) takes a central part in our Religion as his story is repeated in the Qur'an in many different ways, more than any other story. Here is the opportunity to have an in-depth understanding of how Musa (AS) built Islam, with deep reflections and scholarly insights from Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi.

Story of Musa (AS) in The Qur'an

Lessons for The 21st Century

By Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi

When: Saturday 24th March 2012 Time: 10AM - 6PM

Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk

Advance/On-line Tickets: From £18 onwards
(prices may go up on 10th March 2012)

Facilities: Free parking, Crèche/Childcare, book stalls, food stalls, free 2-nights stay at the mosque

Register on-line to book your place now and save 50% or more on standard ticket price.



Testimonials

"Alhamdulillah I've attended 3 seminars of Sheikh Akram's so far, and Insha Allah I will keep coming back for more! He was introduced to me by my brother who attends his study circles regularly in Oxford. I loved the seminar on Women scholars in Islam, it was a total eye opener into what a Muslim woman's role in society is, which surprisingly (or not) goes against many cultiural and conventionally held notions of Muslim women. My other favourite one was the tafseer of Surat al Fatiha and the last ten surahs, I will not be exaggerating when I say that I truly found it mind blowing. Sheikh Akram is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge but Masha Allah he always carries himself with the utmost humility. I have already had a look at the list of future seminars and I think MEOC is doing a great job in giving the layman an opportunity to have an exciting insight into the world of Muslim scholarship with its choice of highly intellectual topics. Last but not least, its a great opportunity to meet new people of diverse backgrounds. Well done all of you and may Allah reward you for your efforts." - Dr Fathima Shyma Fazal, Boston, Lincolnshire

"Jazakumullah khair for the efforts of the MEOC for arranging these blessed gatherings of knowledge. The seminars I've attended so far have several elements that make them very special, starting from the choice of topics themselves which cater to the more profound needs of the people rather than addressing some superficial issues that seem to be more fashionable today. Even the content of the seminars and the manner of teaching by Shaikh Akram Nadwi are directly focussed towards developing a deeper understanding of these issues. In these seminars, one gets a glimpse of the years of learning that have gone into the brilliant scholarship of Shaikh Nadwi. Furthermore his knowledge seems to be blessed by an acute understanding of the needs of the Ummah. The seminar on the 'Legacy of Ibrahim (a.s.)' was exceptionally beautiful, wherein, the Shaikh in his own words confessed that he was attempting to transmit, not knowledge, but the state of his heart, to the others present. While the knowledge and the insight that one gains into the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the history of Muslims through these seminars is invaluable, I personally feel that these sessions are more than just one-day courses. I am inclined to call them gatherings of Remembrance of Allah, and we all know the blessings of such gatherings!" - Mohini Verma, PhD Student, Cambridge University

Testimonials: http://courses.meoc.org.uk/p/testimonials.html

Registration: http://courses.meoc.org.uk