Islam today september 2016 issue 39

issue 39 vol. 4 September 2016

islam today

 Shi‘a Muslims and the World Council of Churches

 History made; iftar at the Chilean presidential palace  The Ka‘ba; Centre of Spiritual Energy

Contents

islam today issue 39 vol. 4 September 2016

islam today magazine is a monthly magazine published by the London based Islamic Centre of England. It focuses on the activities of the communities affiliated to the Centre, reflecting a culture of openness and respect towards other religious communities both Islamic and non.

The magazine is available in paper and digital format.

Editorial team Managing Director

M. Saeed Bahmanpour

Chief Editor

Amir De Martino

Managing Editor

Anousheh Mireskandari

Layout and Design

Innovative Graphics

Page:

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Report Shi‘a Muslims and the World Council of Churches Interview with Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

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Summer Retreat on Social Wilayah

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History made; iftar at the Chilean presidential palace

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ART

Kawthar Learning Circle’s first annual summer retreat with Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali

Latest trip of Hujjatul-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Razavi to Chile

Love & Living Islam

by Moriam Grillo

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Life & Community Hawza in a Nutshell - Lessons on Akhlaq

Contact us

by Ezra Hashme

Information

info@islam-today.net

Letters to the Editor

letters@islam-today.net

Article Submissions

submit@islam-today.net

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Faith The Ka‘ba; Centre of Spiritual Energy

by Tahereh Shafiee

www.islam-today.co.uk Follow us: islamtodaymag @islamtodaymaguk

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Interfaith Pilgrimage to a holy place: an image of the soul’s journey to God

by Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Publisher The Islamic Centre of England 140 Maida Vale London W9 1QB Tel: +44 20 7604 5500 ISSN 22051-2503

Disclaimer: All information in this magazine is verified to the best of the authors’ and the publisher’s ability.

However, islam today shall not be liable or responsible for loss or damage arising from any users’ reliance on information obtained from the magazine.

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Health Magnesium; Invisible deficiency

by Laleh Lohrasbi

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Children Corner Back to School

by Ghazaleh Kamrani

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What & Where Listing of events

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Report

Shi‘a Muslims and the World Council of Churches

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n the Christian world Catholics are centralised under dialogue, I gave another lecture on Muslim Christian the authority of the Pope while Orthodox and relations. especially Protestant Christians have many different A few months ago, I was invited by the Ecumenical Centre of denominations. In Geneva, there is the headquarters the World Council of Churches to teach in their annual of the World Council of Churches which is an umbrella summer course. Every summer they offer a three-week organisation for 345 churches, both Orthodox and course for Muslims, Christians and Jews from different Protestant, with an executive committee that meets countries. Apart from studying it also gives them a every three months. They have maintained a chance to live together and experience and dialogue with Shi‘a Muslims for over 20 develop honest friendship. years.

The course is structured in a way that Every In November 2015, I was part of a Muslims, Christians and Jews listen delegation participating in a and attend each other's summer WCC offers a threedialogue looking at ways to presentations. My task was to week course for Muslims, prevent violence, especially in the deliver two sessions of 90 name of religion. Among the minutes introducing Islam Christians and Jews from different delegates were members of the followed by a Muslim lady, a countries.Apart from studying it also scholar from Lebanon, who was Anglican Church, the Armenian Church, the Church of Pakistan supposed to talk about migration gives them a chance to live and Shi‘a Muslims from Iran. in Islam. Every year there is a together and experience and I travelled from the UK and there theme and this year the theme was were other participants from migration, reflecting the recent large develop honest Germany, Iran Lebanon, Pakistan, scale exodus affecting Europe. The friendship.

Switzerland, the United Kingdom and course also includes spiritual sharing and United States of America. The discussion was scriptural reasoning sessions as well as visits of very positive and fruitful. I provided a Shi‘a perspective on the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, how to address the problem of violence in the name of mosques and the Museum of the Reformation in Geneva. religion and explained that there are three elements in the Having accepted the invitation I travelled to Geneva from 26Shi‘a Islamic teaching namely rationality, spirituality and 28 July. There I met some of the professors and had informal search for justice that when applied correctly can help to meetings and discussions with the students but the main avoid extremism and fanaticism. This point was unanimously activity was to deliver the course. I started my presentation by accepted by all delegates who saw them as positive elements providing some statistics about Islam and Muslims in general, for any religious tradition to consider. In that round of giving an overview of the landscape of Islam followed by

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The director of the Islam Centre of England, Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali, explains the background to Shi‘a Muslim relations with the World Council of Churches following his recent trip to Geneva

information on the historical background. This was particularly well received especially by non Muslims. I made references to the Bible, in particular to Genesis, where the prophesy about the 12 leaders that will descend from Ishmael(a) is told and I also explained how from the two sons of the Prophet Abraham(a) we have the descendants of the Arabs from Ishmael(a) and Jews from Isaac(a). Then I explained how Islam was introduced by the Prophet Muhammad(s) as a continuation of the tradition of Abraham(a) and cited verses from second chapter of the Qur’an which describe Abraham(a), Ishmael(a), Isaac(a), Jacob(a) and their descendants as followers of one religion that is Islam, in the sense of submission to God. The Prophet Muhammad(s) therefore reinstated the religion of Abraham(a).

After this introduction I began to talk in general about the common beliefs of Muslims and also mentioned the differences among them where relevant. Using as a textbook my book, Islam: Doctrines, Practices & Morals, we began to discuss the sources necessary for understanding Islam. I explained that the Qur’an, the most important source for Muslims, represents God’s revelation word by word. If our Christian friends want to understand how important the Qur’an is for Muslims, it might help to think of the Bible and Jesus(a) all in one, since for Christians Jesus(a) is considered as revelation from God - “word was made flesh.”

Continuing with the Qur’an, I said that this book is the same

for all Muslims across the world. I then discussed the meaning of the sunna (traditions) of the Prophet and the significance of the sunna for Muslims followed by an introduction of the Ahl ul Bayt(a) - The Prophet’s Family - and explained how respected they are by all Muslims, but emphasising the very special place it occupies in Shi‘a Islam.

I also introduced the other sources of Islam like ijma‘ (consensus) and ‘aql (intellect)... Then I spoke about Islamic doctrines such as Tawhid (unity), explaining the meaning of ‘unity of God’ and how the unity of God is reflected in creation and revelation, meaning that the essence of revelations is the same, originating from the One God. I also explained how unity of God should be reflected in the unity of mankind. Then we discussed divine justice explaining that this is accepted by all Muslims but with degrees of difference existing among the various schools. We touched upon the importance of social justice and how the unity of God should be reflected in the unity of mankind.

Next we addressed the subject of prophethood. I said that God has provided guidance to humanity in the form of intellect but also by sending messengers to every nation. I said how some messengers came with specific scriptures like Abraham(a), Moses(a), Jesus(a) and Muhammad(s) and explained the relationship among the various scriptures and how the Qur’an is considered the last of God’s revelations to humankind. A discussion of the differences between the concept of Imamate according to the Shi‘as and the

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Caliphate for the Sunnis was included. I spoke about the Twelve Imams and the concept of the Mahdi who according to the Shi‘as was born around 869 CE and is still alive (but in occultation) while for most Sunni Muslims he is yet to be born. Both denominations have narrations that describe how the return of Jesus(a) will take place at the same time as the reappearance of the Mahdi(a).

Resurrection and accountability before God on the Day of Judgement were also discussed before going into an introduction of Islamic religious practices which included the daily prayers, almsgiving, fasting in other religions and in Islam, hajj (the pilgrimage), and the connection of this ritual to the prophet Abraham(a). I explained the meaning of the term jihad understood to be a struggle in the way of God in order to bring good to one’s personal life, family or the community/society. This can be carried out by ‘pen’, by ‘tongue’ or through ‘medical help’. Jihad can also include the defence of one’s country against invaders or helping oppressed people. All types of jihad should be conducted with pure intentions and only for the service of God, truth and not for any personal or sectarian gain. An introduction to the concept of ‘enjoining the good and prohibiting the evil’ was given explaining how every Muslim should try to help others in their journey towards perfection.

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In the second session, I gave an introduction to the Muslim way of life based on moral virtues.

Perhaps for some students this part was more interesting judging by the comments received afterwards.

I talked about those values that relate to our relationship with God like remembrance of God, trusting God, servitude to God, and repentance. Then we moved on to the relation with one’s self, how we should be controlled in our desires and emotions to make sure that they do not lead us into immoral actions. We discussed self-purification, reasoning, thinking, learning and busying oneself with one’s own problems instead of finding problems in other people. Then I moved to values with respect to other human beings in general, with our parents, our children, elderly people, the sick. Not to be missed was our relationship with the environment. At the end, we had a Q&A session.

Overall it was a very good experience for me and I hope also for the participants. People showed much interest in learning about the connection between Prophet Ismail(a) and Ishaq(a) and how the Prophet Muhammad(s) comes from the same line of Abraham(a). Particular interest was shown in the moral and ethical life; more specifically when I spoke about humbleness in the relationship between different divine Prophets and religions and how they are basically from the same substance.

I also talked a little bit about my understanding of the relationship between Islam and Christianity and the importance of improving this relationship.

There was also an opportunity to discuss with the director of the ecumenical centre of the WCC the idea of having a

workshop on interfaith for about 20 Shi‘as from the UK and other countries who are or would like to be active in this field. This would give them a chance to know the Reformation and Protestant movement more closely and also to visit the WCC and the Geneva HQ of the UN insha Allah.ď Ź

A brief history of WCC The World Council of Churches is an umbrella organisation established to promote ecumenical encounters among all Christian churches. Its formation was the direct consequence of the first national world assembly of churches held in Amsterdam in 1948.

Initially it comprised only 147 Protestant churches and a few representatives of the Orthodox Church. These later increased to 340 adherents, including all denominations of the Orthodox churches.

Its current membership is 349 organisations. The membership is made up of most of the main Christian churches with the bulk from Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations. The Catholic Church is not an official member although it is present in the various gatherings as an observer.

The WCC is based at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation's members include denominations which claim to collectively represent some 590 million people across the world in about 150 countries, including 520,000 local congregations served by 493,000 pastors and priests, in addition to elders, teachers, members of parish councils and others.

The objective of the WCC is to move principally towards the unity of Christians, but latterly it has also established ecumenical activity with members of other faiths.

Photograph: The founding of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam - 1948

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Summer Retreat on Social Wilayah

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awthar Learning Circle’s first annual summer retreat with Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali took place this August at an outdoor facility located in northern Ontario.

This retreat brought together the Kawthar Learning Circle students from all over Canada, namely the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver, and allowed them to reinforce and strengthen their relationship of wilayah amongst one another. Other seekers of knowledge from diverse backgrounds also attended the retreat, which resulted in approximately 60 participants, including children.

The three-day, two-night programme included three lectures on social wilayah, two interactive Quranic tafsir discussions, two segments on the importance of spiritual tools, and two interactive question and answer sessions. The sisters were also blessed to have Sister Israa Safiedine from Dearborn, Michigan amongst them as she led a number of interactive and inspiring discussions and answered their questions with great care and detail. Sr. Israa is a writer, teacher, and educational consultant who specialises in Islamic instruction.

From September 2016, she will be teaching at the Hawza Ilmiyya of England.

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The first lecture on social wilayah focused on its definition whilst underlining that it is the core of every religion. Sheikh Shomali began by expressing how much this crucial concept has been neglected, despite the central role it can play in building strong fraternal bonds in all faith-based communities. The positive response the Sheikh has received from past initiatives encouraged him to continue to propagate and spread the message of social wilayah.

By surveying several verses of the Holy Qur’an based on wilayah (2:166; 9:71; 10:62), he presented the horizontal and vertical dimensions of such relationships as multi-directional associations that contribute to the formation of two distinct camps, namely haqq (truth) and one of batil (falsehood). In an effort to define wilayah, Sheikh Shomali explored its intrinsic qualities of ma’rifa (knowledge), ta’a (obedience) and mahabba (love), with a description of the multidimensional manifestation of each quality in both camps.

Having set the theoretical backdrop of social wilayah through its qualities, he approached the definition of wilayah by considering the relationship between both camps and exploring its opposing concept, namely ‘adawa (enmity).

Citing various narrations and excerpts from ziyarat, he established ‘adawa as a party or group committed to intercepting the opposing group’s success. On the other hand, wilayah is defined as a party committed to a shared goal and destiny that sees the success of one member as a shared success, and the loss of one member as a shared loss.

Finally, the Sheikh explained that there are two camps but three types of people: Awliya Allah (Friends of God), Awliya Al-Shaytan (Friends of Shaytan) and Mudhabdhabeen bayna Dhalik (neither here nor there, with no clear aims or objectives; unfortunately, many times the majority of people fall in this camp). The third group are not organised and do not actively and consciously pursue any common goals.

Members of the camp of the truth should not think that everyone who is not with them is against them. They should try to communicate to others especially those who are undecided and stand in between two camps. Of course, this should happen whilst remaining unwavering to one’s loyalty to the truth.

The second lecture addressed common misconceptions of wilayah and explored its practical side. Sheikh Shomali explained that wilayah is not simply a belief or doctrine; rather it is something that needs to be practised and actualised to the full extent. Furthermore, as indicated in the first lecture, wilayah is not limited to the relation between one person and his Master; rather it connects all members with each other as well as their leader.

To further elucidate this concept, Sheikh Shomali drew on a number of ahadith and a multitude of passages from ziyarat and duas, namely Ziyarat Ashura, Ziyarat Ameenullah, Dua Ahad, Dua Iftitah, and Dua Nudba. From this collection of references, he concluded that wilayah is not only about one’s relationship with God or Imam Mahdi(a); rather, it is the way that one has defined one’s position in this world by associating with certain people and disassociating from the opposite group, leading to the development of intimate bonds of brotherhood with people who share the same

mentality and understanding. For this, one must be ready to sacrifice one’s comfort and pleasure, even to the extent of giving up one’s life. This is truly social wilayah.

Sheikh Shomali then dedicated some time to underlining the significance of loving for the sake of God as well as developing trust among the faithful in order to achieve social wilayah. The lecture concluded with an interactive discussion with the participants on how to love purely for the sake of God and how to overcome some of the challenges of achieving social wilayah.

The third and final lecture continued in emphasising the various directions of the relationship of social wilayah and how one’s love for God can be measured by one’s love of others for the sake of God. The concept of the appearance of comradeship (ja’at al muzamala) is introduced along with an exploration of how the unity of Shias and the establishment of social wilayah amongst each other is intimately linked to the reappearance of Imam Mahdi(a). Sheikh Shomali then explored one’s role in paving the way for the Imam by first putting into practice social wilayah, establishing unity amongst each other and in the communities, and resolving internal affairs and conflicts. Through exploration of hadiths, Sheikh Shomali acknowledged that determination is a necessary quality of the companions of Imam Mahdi(a) and he underlined that without unity, one’s iman (faith) is incomplete.

In closing Sheikh Shomali interactively explored the practical considerations and steps that can be taken to start the pursuit of unity and social wilayah.  Full version of this article available from www.islam-today.co.uk

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History made; ift Chilean presiden After five years continuous efforts, the Muslim communities in Chile were able to organise an iftar (breaking of fast) at the Chilean presidential palace last Ramadan.

Hujjatul-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Razavi was one of the special guests. On his return from his third visit to Chile he gave us the following report

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his was your third trip to Chile, what was the purpose of it?

This trip was an important one since for the first time in Chilean history and possibly in Latin America; the local Muslim communities were able to have an iftar ceremony under the sponsorship of a head of state. Chilean Muslims were invited at the presidential palace La Moneda, by the country president Michelle Bachelet.

Representatives of the country’s Muslim communities, guests and visiting scholars such as Sheikh Faisal, Sheikh Ghassan and I were invited. Regrettably Sheikh Ghassan, head of the Shi’a Islamic Centre, had to cancel due to the death of his father in Lebanon.

There were Sunni, Shi’a and Sufi Muslims. People as far afield as Iquique in the north of Chile attended the function.

Iftar started with the Maghreb azan (evening call to prayer), prayers and meal in presence of the president. We thought she will come quickly and go, but she remained with the guests throughout the evening.

The President was the first to address the invitees. In her talk, she mentioned that this would not be the last time that an iftar would be arranged in the palace and that she intended to establish it as a continuing tradition.

During the dinner the Shi’a Muslim community presented her with a gift on behalf of all the Muslims -

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a Persian handcrafted vase and a miniature art work which I personally brought from London.

She was very appreciative of it.

At a later date we also had an opportunity to invite government officials to the Shi’a Islamic Centre of Chile in the Las Condes area of Santiago.

Among the attendees of this official iftar were representatives of the Orthodox Church, Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian and Saudi ambassadors, university professors as well as the personal representative of the Chilean president for religious affairs.

I was very fortunate to meet the distinguished guest Ignacio Sanchez, head of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, who was very pleased to have attended the iftar and later facilitated my visit to ten universities across the country where I gave lectures and talks.

You also attended the Al-Quds Day. Tell us about it?

In Chile Muslims do not have Al-Quds Day in the streets so Shi’a Muslims have been organising Al Quds Day at the centre by inviting officials and ambassadors from Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

We were pleased to see the Palestinian ambassador and some members of the Palestinian Club. This club is a very influential organisation in Santiago. I briefly explained how this day came about, and gave a short history of Al-Quds and its importance for Muslims. I also underlined the position of this city and how it belongs to all monotheistic religions and not a single tribe or ethnic group. The

tar at the ntial palace

significant part of this commemoration came when the Palestinian officials acknowledged and thanked the late Imam Khomeini for initiating such a day.

I was then invited to the Palestinian Club for an iftar and seated next to the mother of the Chilean President, Mrs Angela Margarita Jeria Gomez. She was exExecutive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (2010-2013). Among the guests there were some military officials and also the ambassador of Vatican in Chile, Mons. Ivo Scapolo. The ambassador also personally praised Imam Khomeini’s initiative in establishing Al Quds Day which was a touching gesture.

Have you had any discussion with the Vatican Ambassador?

I was invited to visit the Vatican embassy in Santiago and the ambassador. I had a long discussion with Ambassador Scapolo about Islam, the differences between Shi’a and Sunni schools of thought, etc. He was interested to get further clarification on who are the terrorists and who is behind Daesh (ISIS) and other related topics.

In my short stay I was fortunate to have several meetings such as this. After Ramadan, I also had a meeting with the archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello. The cardinal had previously met the two Muslim Shi’a representatives, but in a less formal setting. In this

occasion media were also present as well as other delegates. We were all warmly received but in an official way. The archbishop was very friendly and very welcoming, and open to dialogue. He explained that in accordance with the directive of Pope Francis, this year was named The Year of Hope and Mercy.

He believed that our presence in Santiago provided a great opportunity for further dialogue and meetings. In this same meeting one of the bishops, in the presence of the archbishop, expressed the view, based on his research, that Saudi Arabia was behind the support for Daesh/ISIS and their activities to which the archbishop appeared to agree. I also visited a left-wing University in Santiago in completely different setting.

Can you tell us more about this visit?

My last meeting was at the University of Art & Social Sciences in Santiago where I was invited by chair Edward W. Said to be the member of a panel discussion on ‘Islam and geopolitical imperialism’ co-sponsored by the Centre for Islamic Culture in collaboration with the Chilean Committee for Solidarity with Palestine.

I was not asked to talk about religion, but I explained that as a minister of the religion, I

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could speak about social justice through the teachings of the Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad(s), Imam Ali(a) and the practices of the Ahl-ulBait(a).

The University is privately founded and currently has around 1000 students of which around 700 are from the deprived countries of Latin America. I spoke to some professors who had left their jobs at places such as Preston, Berkley and Harvard to be part of this university.

Being mostly from a leftist/communist background some of the professors were not interested in discussing religion or

acknowledging its importance, but I told them that insisting on not having a religion on its own is a religion. The session was followed by many good questions and answers. After my talks one of the former professors from Berkeley University told me he had discovered that he was a Muslim because Islamic principles on social justice did not contradict his way of thinking.

When I arrived there I did not shake hands with ladies and perceived that somehow, they got offended but once the ice was broken the same ladies were keen to talk to me and learn more about Islam. My talks were very short but the Q&A section was quite long, mostly with the academic staff and some politically left-leaning students who made an effort to pop in briefly and ask interesting questions.

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What is planned for the future?

Just before coming back, I visited the Muslim graveyard.

Unfortunately some Sunni Muslims are objecting to the burial of Shi’a Muslims in the Muslim allotment and this has created a big problem and a major concern for us. When I was there a Shi’a Muslim passed away and because of their rejection the body was buried in a Christian graveyard, with a Christian ceremony. That encouraged me to arrange a meeting with the officials of the graveyard and explain the Shi’a Muslims’ requirement. Fortunately they have agreed to allocate a plot of land uniquely for Shi’a Muslims with 400 graves on three levels.

We are considering buying the whole area and then selling it according to demand. The purchase of multiple plots makes financial sense at it would be cheaper. When all these arrangements are made we will look for donations or a big company to buy the whole lot and sell it later as per the requests of the Shi’a population. This is one of the practical plans we have for the future. The community is also looking for a piece of land to build an Islamic centre. This would have to be an iconic, purpose-built place, a building reflecting Islamic culture and architecture becoming an attraction also for nonMuslims.

A similar building already exists in Chile, in the northern city of Iquique, established by the Moroccans. It attracts many visitors.

How did you find the cooperation among various followers of Ahl ul Bayt(a)?

My last trip took 25 days mostly during Ramadan in which I was able to assess the community.

There is some intracommunity cooperation, but much more is needed.

Santiago is a very big city and Shi’a Muslims are scattered in different places.

For example during Ramadan the Afghanis had iftar within their houses. The Pakistanis did come to the main Shi’a Islamic Centre although they have managed to buy a flat for their gathering right in the middle of the town where the Pakistani community is located. Most of them are single and first generation immigrants. We have two groups of Lebanese, some arrived in Chile 130 years ago losing their religious identity over time to rediscover it later. They can be considered ‘reverts’ to Islam in the real sense of the meaning. The Islamic Centre of Chile is run mostly by these ‘reverts’ and Chileans convert to Islam. There is another Lebanese group who are new arrivals; they are mostly single. They live very close to their businesses and they hold their iftar nearby. Their area is far away from the Shi’a Islamic Centre.

They assist the Centre but they have their own gatherings.

I do believe there is a need for a religious scholar to be based there with his own office where he can visit all the communities and meet their members without being affiliated to any existing organisation or community.

Ideally a minimum of three scholars are required to be there permanently, for the south, central and northern areas. This is something we have been discussing and to which are looking to find a speedy solution.

There are certainly conditions for the Shi’a Muslim community to flourish there, but at the moment due to lack of places for Islamic education, no sooner do children finish school than families leave Chile and go to Brazil and Argentina as there are better facilities for Islamic upbringing of the youth. There is an area in South America known as known as the ‘Shi’a Triangle’ between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, where recent Shi’a Lebanese migrants come

together. According to Sheikh Faisal almost 250 people attend the morning prayers and around 500 people attend other daily prayers.

I will be visiting this area in my next visit to assess what kind of assistance can be provided.

Visiting the Antarctica part of Chile is also in our plans but that would be in summertime.

Sayyed Razavi will, Godwilling, be visiting Chile in the coming Islamic month of Muharram. 

Hujjatul-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Razavi is the head of the Family Section at the Islamic Centre of England

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Art Loving and living Islam “At the Living Islam Festival, a beautiful space where we can celebrate our faith and heritage, it was heartwarming to see that the reality of British Muslims is far from the narrative we are exposed to." - Rosina Haujee Arts and Culture organiser This summer I have been busy on a number of projects.

One of the most rewarding has been a legacy project in conjunction with the Islamic Society of Britain to celebrate their 25th anniversary. I had the privilege of being one of six artists being showcased at the Living Islam festival in Lincolnshire.

The Living Islam Festival or LIfe takes place every two to four years at the Lincolnshire showground and has been running since 2002. The event is a project aimed at encouraging Muslim youth to feel empowered by their faith and to develop a strong and balanced Muslim identity.

There are scouts and other enriching activities for children and young adults, and also inspiring talks, panel debates and activities for parents to indulge in.

My activity took part in the newly established Arts and Culture marquee and involved the facilitation of a mural, two in fact, in collaboration with visitors to the festival. It was a chance to encourage people to be

creative, and to unite hearts for one common purpose. Participants of all ages and all walks of life took part in the tile making project. It was a labour intensive affair that called on each individual to prime and roll out the clay before using bespoke cutters to forge their tiles.

To my surprise, and delight, the workshops were oversubscribed with participants having to wait patiently for a rolling pin to become available. It was rewarding for me to witness them taking the

opportunity to engage in art, an activity which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing yet is greatly underestimated.

They placed their pieces of clay on the framed board that would later house the finished mosaic. This afforded them the chance to see how the work would eventually develop as a contribution to a greater good. Here was an example of art being used for social action; to improve the wellbeing of those involved and to foster stronger relations with those slightly removed socially, culturally or religiously. “This really was an amazing space - wish I'd had a bit more time to spend there!" - Hifsa Iqbal

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Clay is a sacred material. We are made of clay and there lies an intrinsic connect between it and us.

In my workshops I share this revelation with participants and asked them to gently mould the clay in between their hands in order to make this physical connection. Many express that the clay has a grounding and calming effect and come away from the workshop feeling pleased by the experience. The motivation behind this project was to create a piece of artwork that would stand as a legacy for the four days we collectively spent together to enrich and inspire

our lives. In that time we were able to complete two mosaic murals consisting of over 1,700 tiles in two distinct colour ways.

The finished pieces will stand as a reflection of the harmony and beauty that unfolds when individuals come together with good intentions. And a testimony in the times of poor media representations of Muslims, that the beauty of Islam, as reflected through its art, is and will remain one of the strongest points from which we can remind the world of the majesty and splendour our religion encapsulates.

“Islam and Muslims are not filled with hate – we are filled with love and compassion, kindness and generosity, patience and sincerity. All of which were evident in abundance at the Living Islam Festival 2016." - Hifsah Iqbal, event organiser.

The Arts and Culture marquee at LIfe 2016 showcased a wealth of Islamic Art through the work of contemporary Muslim artists. It included photography by Sara Russell and Rooful Ali, storytelling by Jumana Moon, geometric pattern presented by Saba Rifat, Toqeer Sethi offering poetry and song and myself showcasing ceramics.

The Islamic Society of Britain was established in 1990 with the aim of developing a deeper understanding of Islam amongst British Muslims and those of other faiths and no faith. In order to achieve this aim, ISB seeks to undertake social action work to improve neighbourhoods and the country for the common good.  Both murals will be housed in Islamic centres in London and Manchester For more info visit: www.isb.org

Moriam Grillo is an international artist.

She holds Bachelor degrees in Photography & Film and Ceramics, her current projects include a commission for the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

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Life & Community

Hawza in a Nutshell Lessons on Akhlaq

by Ezra Hashme

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his year the Olympics have been somewhat of a learning curve. Watching the athletes perform brilliant feats with complete composure and finesse is always a joy. Some athletes come close to perfection but still not good enough for gold because another comes along and outperforms the prior.

You can literally feel the winners’ jubilation, the sorrow of the vanquished and elation of the supporters. One or two questions came to mind; what separates the very best from the rest? And what preparations did they go through to be where they are?

After reading many inspiring stories, a common theme kept repeating itself. Many athletes’ live similar lives; uphold the same rules and by sticking to the fundamentals they garner success. The following fictitious character is the embodiment of many Athletes striving and dreaming for success. We’ll call him John Doe. For young John, it all started with a dream, a dream familiar to us all, which is a dream of success. His dream was to become an Olympic champion. The difference between him and the rest of us is he tried to make this dream a reality.

John had some natural talent but wasn’t the fastest nor the strongest, there were others who were physically better. But John had a dream; he had ample drive and dedication. John worked hard to overcome his limitations but still lost. He was told that, he was too small, too weak and would never be able to do it. Even his family doubted him. However he didn’t give up; he listened more, read more and slowly learnt the secrets of his art. He learnt to live a clean life, staying away from anything that could harm him or limit his abilities. While all his friends went partying he stayed home to rest and prepare for the next day.

At dawn while the whole neighbourhood was still fast asleep, he was up and already doing his routines. He tore a muscle, which set him back a few weeks. He learnt to rehabilitate himself. As soon as John got better he slipped

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and broke a leg. The doctors’ advice was to take it easy with the training but John was as resilient as ever. The more set backs encountered through injury and rejection the more he learnt the benefit of patience.

While others were eating and drinking what they wanted, John restricted himself to a strict diet. His taste buds were always craving for the tastes and pleasures of life but he had to stay strong and keep those urges under control.

This was the hardest challenge because John loved a kebab and curry. Being surrounded by people who occupied themselves with many distractions sometimes John’s temptations would take the better of him.

However he learned very quickly that the more he got involved with these meaningless distractions the further away he was from the goal of being an Olympic champion.

In his field he slowly climbed the ranks but it was still too low and his climb was too slow. He wanted more, he expected more from himself and so he did more, utilising the idea that if one wants to become a master in a field then he/she should dedicate at least 10,000 hours. He adopted this idea and became successful. He was selected for the Olympic team and finished 5th overall. This might look like a failure for some but he tried hard, worked to the best of his abilities and made it with the best.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” - Muhammad Ali John’s lifestyle and that of other athletes have a remarkable resemblance to the Muslim way of life. We wake up early to pray, we limit our diet and only eat what’s halal. We fast for spiritual and physical wellbeing and we control our urges and many more things. Our aim is not to win a gold medal as we are not preparing for the Olympics. We do this not

just for a few years but every day for the rest of our lives. So why do we do it? We do this only to get closer to the one true love. That is where the pleasure in this world comes from and the unimaginable pleasure waiting for us in the next world.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” - Rumi Our aim is to achieve a pure heart; only a pure heart can be a vessel that can hold the pure love. We cleanse this heart of ours with the best detergent in the known universe; you’ve guessed it, a good akhlaq.

In ethics there are three views: 1. Teleological view: An action is only good based on its outcome. What is a good end? A good end can be any goal, for example some material gain, happiness or even gaining proximity to God. Even though at first glimpse it seems like a good viewpoint it does have its drawbacks. We can’t always claim the ends justify the means; I can’t break into someone’s house to perform my prayers; can we argue that this is for the greater good or that we are seeking closeness to God?

2. Deontological view: An action is good regardless of the outcome. This seems more plausible but don’t you think it’s a little narrow-minded? I am committing a good deed, so I care not what the consequences are.

A companion of Imam Sadiq(a) rushed to the Imam and said: “Oh Imam, I have heard terrible news. This person has been going around and saying this about you”. Imam Sadiq(a) became angry with his companion. He said: “The person who committed backbiting towards me shot arrows in different directions. I did not hear him so it is as if the arrow missed me; but by telling me this news, you have picked up the arrow from the ground and aimed it at my heart."

The man must have thought he was protecting the Imam by telling him this truth, in reality he was hurting him. So sometimes even if the action seems good we have to think about the consequences.

3. Virtue ethics: This argues that an action is good when it come from a good quality.

We’ll continue this topic next month insha Allah (God willing). 

Ezra Hashme is a third year student at Hawza Ilmiyya of England

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Faith

The Ka‘ba; Centre of Spiritual Energy “A person who circumambulates this House (the Ka‘ba) seven times and performs the two Rak'at

Salat (of Tawaf) in the best form possible will have his sins forgiven". Prophet Muhammad(s)

Imam Ali(a) said: “Those who go to Makkah for obligatory and voluntary pilgrimage (Hajj and Umra) are the envoys of God and His gift to them is forgiveness".

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D

uring the month of Ramadan we had the opportunity to recite many supplications requesting God to grant us the possibility of performing the sacred Hajj-pilgrimage to Makkah this year and in years to come.

For those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to carry out this important ritual this year, there is a sign that maybe, after all, our worship during the month of Ramadan has been accepted by God. Pilgrimages to holy places are not exclusive to Islam; in fact almost all religions have similar practices in one form or another. Holy places in general and places of pilgrimage in particular have a specific characteristic that enables the body and the soul to fall into unison with each other and with the energy that emanates from the place itself. These are ideal places to achieve divine consciousness and enlightenment. But just as the fasting of Ramadan distinguishes all other fasts from the fast in Islam, the Hajj is a pilgrimage like no other pilgrimage in its mode, essence and symbolism. In the preparation for this important journey we have found great companions in the preceding, spiritual laden months of Rajab, Shawwal and Ramadan.

An adequate preparation increases the opportunities of reaching the core of this great journey. Hence the ascetic practices that we are encouraged to perform in these preceding months should equip us with the tools we need to take with us on this unique journey.

The Hajj pilgrimage offers us yet another chance to testify to the oneness of God and to witness and celebrate the oneness of humanity as the creation of God, without discrimination on the basis of race, nation or gender. People prepare for the grand pilgrimage and the union of humanity is its social significance. During the Hajj, Makkah becomes the most spiritually energised centre of the world and even possibly in our known universe. In fact Makkah remains an active spiritual centre at all times, as a result of being the focus point for one fifth of the world's population during their daily prayer.

According to the Islamic teachings, it all began at the beginning of human history, from the first man; Adam(a), who first built a house dedicated to God's remembrance.

Later down the centuries the house was re-modelled by the prophet Abraham(a). In the Qur’an we read the following statement from Abraham(a): “Our Lord! I have settled part of my descendants in a barren valley, by Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may maintain the prayer”. (Qur’an 14:37).

God accepted the prayer of the prophet Abraham(a), the patriarch of three major monotheistic faiths.

For centuries, millions of people yearned to go to the sacred symbolic house, the Ka‘ba, to perform the sacred pilgrimage. Due to the destruction of the Ka‘ba through the ages, Prophet Abraham(a) together with Ishmael(a) reconstructed the Ka‘ba (Baitullah - the House of God). It was Abraham(a) who actually established the rituals of the Hajj, which was to recall the events and practices of his life, his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael(a).

Following the same ancient tradition, the Hajj has become the largest annual pilgrimage in the world with Muslims of all denominations, races and nations coming together from all corners of the world. This ritual is listed as one of Furoo-ad-Deen (branches or pillars of Faith) and takes place during the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah.

This year more than two million people will begin the journey of their life and will gather in Makkah and around the Ka‘ba in the heart of its valley, to answer the call of their hearts. The period of performing rituals of Hajj occurs between the 8th -12th of Dhul Hijjah. This year Dhul Hijjah is expected to commence around the 3rd or 4th of September with the week of the Hajj beginning on the 10th or 11th of September 2016.

Among the several rituals of this pilgrimage there is the distinguishable performance of tawaf (circling) of the Ka‘ba. Seven times we circle the house of God, repeating the ritual devotions in Arabic: “Lord God, from such a distant land I have come unto Thee.... Grant me shelter under Thy throne."

Caught up in the whirling scene, lifted by the poetry of the prayers, we orbit God’s house in accord with the atoms, in harmony with the planets and the Universe. If you were in Makkah during the Pilgrimage you will hear this sacred chanting coming from every heart, every direction and every being around you: “Labbaik Allah Humma labbaik Labbaik la sharika laka labbaik Innal hamdaWan-ni'mata Laka walmulk Laa sharika lak”.

My Lord, here I am at Your service, here I am. There is no partner with You, here I am. Truly the praise and the provisions are Yours, and so is the dominion and sovereignty. There is no partner with you.

by Tahereh Shafiee

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Interfaith

Pilgrimage to a holy place: an image of the soul’s journey to God

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‘Journey to the Holy: The Pilgrim as a Spiritual Explorer’: Says Frank Gelli I’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim” runs the end line of writer John Bunyan’s famous hymn, “He who would valiant be”. Indeed, Bunyan’s celebrated work and English literature classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress, is an allegory of the Christian life as a spiritual trek. A journey and a return, through manifold tests, trials and temptations, back to the Creator.

Christians have always believed that the Holy has especially manifested itself at certain sites. Jerusalem is the most important but so also are the tombs of eminent saints and martyrs, like those of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and St Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England. The key motive is devotion, a desire to beg help from Heaven, for oneself or for others. The pilgrimage can also be undertaken in thanksgiving for graces received or as an act of penance, to atone for certain sins or simply to strengthen the pilgrim’s faith.

The Christian tradition of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem goes back a long way. In 326 AD St Helena, mother of that Roman Emperor Constantine who rescued the Church from pagan persecution, travelled on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

A zealous woman of faith, Helena wished to visit the places connected with Christ’s life, death and resurrection. She then built churches on the Mount of Olives and announced the discovery of the True Cross. Her example gave the impetus to the great Jerusalem pilgrimage of the Middle Ages. A later

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pious traveller was an Iberian nun called Egeria. Her detailed reports of the Holy Week liturgies in Jerusalem also stimulated Christians everywhere to pursue the same experience. The stream of pilgrims never dried up. Actually, it still goes on.

A pilgrim is not to be confused with a tourist. His expedition must involve spiritual preparation and prayer, deliberate facing of hardships, financial and physical sacrifice. It demands discipline and effort. Sometimes a violent man went to Jerusalem because of remorse for the crimes he had committed. England’s King Henry IV was struck by disease after usurping the throne of his predecessor Richard II, whom he had murdered. A seer told the King that he would not die until he had seen Jerusalem.

Henry prepared himself for the task and he did indeed die in Jerusalem – only, it was not the holy city in Palestine but a chamber so named in Westminster Abbey, after he was taken ill there. Divine irony, as well as chastisement, perhaps…

The pilgrim could be either solitary or travel in company.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is a case of the latter.

After Archbishop Becket in 1170 was slain at the altar in his Cathedral, pilgrims from all over England flocked to his shrine at Canterbury. It became one of five great centres: Rome, St Michael at Mount Gargano (Michael being the Archangel of that name), Santiago de Compostela and, of

course, Jerusalem. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 23 stories, related by members of a group of pilgrims on their way to St Thomas’ shrine. Chaucer was not a pious writer and his tales are sometimes licentious or merely entertaining but others show genuine piety and zeal. The Prioress’ Tale, for instance, shows martyrdom as a gift of divine mercy and a bringer of grace. Alas, at the Reformation the shrine was pillaged and destroyed by the monstrous Henry VIII. Today prayerful pilgrims have largely been replaced by heedless, cameraclicking tourists.

Thank God, Britain retains two living pilgrimage sites. One is at Walsingham (once housing a replica of Jesus’ house at Nazareth) in England and the other at Haddington, in Scotland. Both dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Protestant iconoclasm devastated them but pilgrimages were revived in the last century. I have many times led my parishioners to Walsingham and gone alone to Haddington.

Uplifting places. An old friend of mine, Lord Lauderdale, now with the angels in Heaven, was the prime mover behind the Scottish Marian pilgrimage. He was a faithful Anglican and told me: ‘I feel my duty to repair some of the harm my ancestors did to this tremendous place’.

A somewhat peculiar if temporary mutation befell the Jerusalem pilgrimage after 1009. Until then Christian pilgrims went always unarmed and the Arab authorities in Palestine did not molest them. That was until Cairo’s despotic and erratic Caliph Hakim had the Church of the Holy Sepulchre demolished and began imposing harsh

restrictions on Christians. Other incidents followed later.

Pilgrims then armed themselves for self-defence. The Jerusalem pilgrimage rapidly transformed into a crusade. The sad results are well-known. However, Crusades over, the ancient tradition of a peaceful religious journey was happily restored. When the young St Ignatius of Loyola visited Jerusalem in 1553 in fulfilment of a vow, the only minor hassles he met was not from Muslims but from local fellow Christians!

Unlike the Haj to Mecca, mandated for Muslims in the Qur’an, there is no single, central place of pilgrimage which all Christians are commanded to visit. For an analogy with Islam, you perhaps should think of Sufis and Shia, who, alongside the obligatory Haj, often travel to various shrines of sainted men and women. In some cases people of the two religions even mingle together at the same place. F.W. Hasluck, in his fascinating ‘Christianity and Islam under the Sultans’, tells of many Christian sanctuaries in the Ottoman Empire frequented by Muslims and of Islamic ones revered

by Christians. A priest told me that it is not uncommon today to find Muslims visiting the Catholic shrine of Fatima in Portugal. The name of the Prophet’s beloved daughter presumably is what attracts them there.

Finally, there is a surprising connection between pilgrims and explorers. This has been traced by the profoundly religious poet T.S. Eliot in his Four Quartets. He declares that in the end, like the traveller who set off to explore distant lands, the pilgrim will find himself back at home where he started and know the place for the first time – and be much enriched for it. A thought well worth meditating on. 

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is an Anglican priest and cultural critic, working on religious dialogue. His last book ‘The Prophet and the Priest', is available on Amazon Kindle.

The Alto del Perdon mountain statues representing pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago near Pamplona in Spain.

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Health

M

agnesium is the second most important essential minerals for humans.

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

Without magnesium we could not produce energy, our muscles would be in a permanent state of contraction, and we could not adjust the levels of cholesterol produced and released into the bloodstream.

Although magnesium is naturally present in many foods, added to other food products, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids and laxatives), it's quite possible to be deficient and not know it. This is why magnesium deficiency has been dubbed the "invisible deficiency." By some estimates, up to 80 percent of Americans are not getting enough magnesium and may be deficient. And 70 percent of women in the UK are reported to have an inadequate intake of the mineral.

Magnesium is a macro-mineral, which, unlike trace minerals,

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is needed by the body in large amounts. The average human body contains about 25 grams of magnesium.

While beans and nuts, whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat bread, and green leafy vegetables were once commonly consumed are good sources of magnesium, in the last century due to industrialised agriculture and changing diets, magnesium consumption has increasingly diminished. Modern diets contain foods which not only have low magnesium but also eliminate the existing amount of the mineral from the body.

Most dark coloured sodas contain phosphates. These substances actually bind with magnesium inside the digestive tract, rendering it unavailable to the body. So even with eating a balanced diet, by drinking soda with meals magnesium is flushed out of the system.

Refined sugar is not only a zero magnesium product but it also causes the body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys. The process of producing refined sugar from sugar

cane removes molasses, stripping the magnesium content entirely.

Drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soda regularly, also elevates the risk for magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium levels are controlled in the body in large part by the kidneys, which filter and excrete excess magnesium and other minerals. But caffeine causes the kidneys to release extra magnesium regardless of body status.

Once magnesium enters the body through food supplements, or topical applications, it is broken down and released to form independent magnesium atoms, or “ions”.

In its ionic form, magnesium has a positive charge, commonly noted as Mg2+. Magnesium cations function as a part of the structure of the body through their presence in bone. But arguably more important is their function as cell regulators in hundreds of chemical reactions throughout the body. Magnesium is used by every organ in the body, especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys. Most magnesium is stored in bones and organs, where it is used for many

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency initially include appetite loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and weakness. As the deficiency progresses, you may experience numbness and tingling, seizures, muscle cramps, personality changes and abnormal heart rhythms. Recommended daily allowances of magnesium for men is 400 milligrams and 310 milligrams for women. Many investigations have found the top 10 magnesium enriched foods as below:

biological functions. The secret of magnesium’s far-reaching impact on the body is how it functions within the cells.

When magnesium levels get too low in the body, blood tends to clot even if there is no wound, cut or haemorrhaging. When this clotting occurs within blood vessels, it creates the risk of heart attack or stroke. The secretion of adrenaline increases abnormally. Cells begin to over-respond to the stimulation of adrenaline stimulation.

Cholesterol production and metabolism become abnormal.

All muscle cells, including those in the heart and blood vessels, tend to contract and become unable to relax. There is increased production of free radicals and susceptibility to oxidative stress. Arteries stiffen and develop a buildup of plaque as a result of too much bad cholesterol and too much calcium. Glucose is not properly processed as a result of insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes and a whole spectrum of other disorders, all leading to heart disease.

Assessing magnesium status in the body is difficult because most magnesium is inside cells or in bone. The most commonly used method for assessing magnesium status is measurement of serum magnesium concentration, even though serum levels have little correlation with total body magnesium levels or concentrations in specific tissues.

Other methods for assessing magnesium status include measuring magnesium concentrations in erythrocytes, saliva, and urine. No single method is considered satisfactory. 

1. Spinach — 1 cup: 157 milligrams 2 .Chard — 1 cup: 154 milligrams 3. Pumpkin seeds — 1/8 cup: 92 milligrams 4. Yogurt or Kefir — 1 cup: 50 milligrams 5. Almonds — 1 ounce: 80 milligrams 6. Black Beans — 1/2 cup: 60 milligrams 7. Avocado — 1 medium: 58 milligrams 8. Figs — 1/2 cup: 50 milligrams 9. Dark Chocolate — 1 square: 95 milligrams 10.Banana — 1 medium: 32 milligrams

Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is a pharmacologist. She has worked as an editor for the medical section of “Hamshahri”, a daily newspaper in Tehran.

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Children Corner image 1

Back to school

D

ear Children, Assalam Alaikum

I hope you’ve had a lovely summer holiday and are ready to go back to school. It was a long holiday and some children might find it difficult to go back to the normal routine of going to school and study. Some of you feel happier staying at home with your families or prefer to have longer holidays in order to play and be cheerful. But don’t worry, the holidays will come again.

Now it is time to concentrate on your school work.

Everybody knows the importance of studying and although your family would love to have you with them all the time, they still want you to be well educated and ready to face the world.

Now look at image 1 which our illustrator Ghazaleh has drawn for you. It is the first year of school for Ali Akbar. He does not want to let go of his mum. He keeps crying and asking his mother to stay. All the other children are looking at him and feel sad for him. At the same time they are surprised that he doesn't like to go to school where they can all be friends, learn new things and play.

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Now look at image 2. Here comes the kind teacher who during her teaching years has seen many children who find it difficult to go to school alone. They feel shy and most probably afraid. The teacher has come to comfort and encourage him. She introduces Ali Akbar to the other children so as to break the ice.

But Image 3 shows a different story. It is now three o’ clock in the afternoon and Ali Akbar's mother has come to pick him up. Although Ali Akbar is happy to see his mother, he appears to be reluctant to leave school and go home as he has had such a lovely first day at school.

There is nothing better than a good, understanding and patient teacher and good, friendly class mates. We all remember our first day at school and although we might have been too shy to take out the time to befriend other children we eventually found our way and often after many years, we still think of those friends and our kind teachers.

We wish you a happy and wonderful school year! Enjoy your time.

image 2

image 3

Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani islam today

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What & Where Through September Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an Conducted by Shaykh M S Bahmanpour Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale, London W9 1QBMore Time: Every Friday starting at 7.30 PM Tel: 0207 604 5500

Open House Dialogue

walk itself lasts approximately six hours (including a lunch break!)

Venue: Meeting point - Euston Station, London NW1 2RT Time:10.00 AM sharp Fee: Registration £5, Sponsorship £75 More info: https://www.facebook.com/ events/ 1212765205414150/

7 September ­ 12 October

Various topics discussed in an open platform Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale, London W9 1QBMore Time: Fortnighly on Tuesdays starting at 18:45 PM Tel: 0207 604 5500

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/OpenHouseDial ogue/?fref=ts

3 September Calligraphy Tour 2016 Join us on our calligraphy tour and delve into something new and exciting whilst helping our Orphans Worldwide campaign.

We will be joined by the talented Samiur Rahman from House of Calligraphy who will guide you on your master class in calligraphy. The best part of the day is you get to take away a piece of beautiful artwork created by YOU and gift it to a loved one.

Calligraphy Course In this non-traditional calligraphy course, students will not use reed pens and repetitive copying. Instead, they will return to the original source of Arabic calligraphy, the Kufi family of styles, and study it with a modern design approach. They will learn the essence of the letters and how it expresses itself in different styles; spacing, proportions and the uniquely Arabic concept of kashida; compositional approaches including the highly specialised Square Kufic. Each of these design notions will be accompanied by a practical exercise to anchor the theory and allow students to learn from each other.

The course will culminate in a final project where the student chooses a word or phrase and creates their own composition for it.

Venue: Arab British Centre, 1 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE Dates: Sept 7, 14, 21, 28 and Oct 5, 12 Time: 6.00 PM - 8.00 PM Fee: £205 More info: http://www.arabbritishcentre. org.uk/event/creative-calligraphy-course/

Venue: Hasanat College, Leigh Road, Brimingham, B8 2YH Time: 10.00 AM - 4.00 PM Fee: £30 sign up More info : https://muslimhands.org.uk/ events/2016/calligraphy-tour

The Great London Monopoly Walk SKT Welfare proudly presents to you The Great London Monopoly Walk 2016! Join #TeamSKT as we travel up and down the real life Monopoly board, paying a visit to each of the famous streets in London! The

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Time: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PM Fee: Free drop in

10 September Glass making, cutting and trading in the Sassanian empire A gallery talk by Anne Haworth, independent speaker. Gallery talks last 45 minutes. They are given by Museum staff or guest speakers and are suitable for all levels of knowledge.

Venue: Room 52, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG

Gardens of Paradise (Lecture) The phrase most frequently used in the Qur’an to describe the Gardens of Paradise is “Jannat tajri min tahtiha al-anhar”, ‘Gardens Underneath Which Rivers Flow’: these gardens are the archetype upon which all traditional Islamic gardens are based. They also contain some profound spiritual symbolism. The talk will be given

by Emma Clark, PSTA. Venue: High Wycombe Library, HP11 2DH Time: 2.00 PM - 3.00 PM Fee: £5

15 September Textiles of the Islamic World Textiles of the Islamic world are wide ranging and exquisite representing many different histories and cultures through form, colour and pattern. John Gillow - who will be leading this talk - is an expert in his field and both entertaining and informed!

Venue: High Wycombe Library, HP11 2DH Time: 6.00 PM - 7.00 PM Fee: £5

17 September History of British Muslims Symposium Cambridge Muslim College is pleased to announce the forthcoming symposium on the history of British Muslims. Various speakers will address important historical figures and events. Supper will be provided Program available: http://www.cambridgemuslimcollege.org/w p-content/uploads/British-Muslim-Historyprogramme.pdft

Venue: Cambridge Muslim College, 14 St Paul's Rd, Cambridge CB1 2EZ Time: 9.30 AM - 7.00 PM Fee: £10

Depression and Islamic Counselling

27 September

This short programme on Muslim mental health will address some of the core mental health difficulties experienced in the Muslim community from the perspective of Islamic counselling. The talks are open to the public for Muslims and mental health professionals. Islamic counselling based on the teaching of Islam is a therapeutic approach to working with mental health problems that has been practised in the Muslim community for 30 years Abdullah Maynard has been an Islamic counsellor for 20 years independently and with the Lateef Project.

He also teaches Islamic counselling.

Stories From Palestine

Venue details & Booking: Email Abdullah Maynard abdullah.maynard@hotmail.com Time: 2.30 PM - 5.00 PM Fee: £50 More info: http://live-timelymda9duxu.time.ly/event/islamiccounselling-working-with-head-heart-andthe-resilience-of-children-a-maynardbirmingham-2/?instance_id=3475

22 September

Event organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Venue: Desmond Tutu House, Ashgrove, Bradford BD7 1BN Time: 6.00 PM - 7.30 PM

Venue: High Wycombe Library, HP11 2DH Time: 6.00 PM - 7.00 PM Fee: £5

Speaker Dr Ahmad Achtar of Heythrop College, London talks about what we really know about Islam. The conflicting messages today are confusing but the original message was so simple and emphasised peace and tolerance.

Venue: Bucks County Museum, Aylesbury, HP20 2QP Time: 6.00 PM - 7.00 PM Fee: £5

More info:

http://urbanmuslimwoman.co.uk/ Islamic Buildings Restoration Buildings from across Islamic civilisations express the countries and cultures of their origins but through them are woven basic Islamic principles and philosophy. Waleed Arafa has built buildings in far flung places and uses these experiences to convey the importance of restoration.

Venue: High Wycombe Library, HP11 2DH Time: 6.00 PM - 7.00 PM Fee: £5

1 October Arabic and arabesques: Themes in Islamic art A gallery talk by Carolyn Perry, independent speaker. Gallery talks last 45 minutes. They are given by Museum staff or guest speakers and are suitable for all levels of knowledge.

Venue: Room 34, British Museum, Great Exploring The Islamic Faith

Venue:The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, 86 Duke St, Mayfair, London W1K Time: 4.30 PM - 10.30 PM Fee: Normal ticket - £49, VIP - £65 +

£2.75 (booking fee)

29 September

Ethics and Islam ­ The Muslim Farmer Speakers Lufti and Ruby Radwan discuss why environmental ethics are central to Islamic philosophy and practice. Learn about how a working farm in Oxfordshire operates with respect to these principles and why this is so necessary today..

to inspire future generations with messages of empowerment and support.

The show, now in its 6th year, returns once again in London to empower women with motivating speeches; spectacular exhibitions, a dazzling runway show with Islamic designers, live entertainment, a luxury dining experience.

Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Time: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PM Fee: Free, drop in.

6 October Pilgrims' Progress, Pilgrims' rest: in search of the camps on the Hajj roads to Mecca In this talk, Claudine Dauphin, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, discusses recent fieldwork investigating the archaeology of two pilgrim roads in Jordan, running 425km from the Syrian border to the Saudi Arabian frontier. Using RAF aerial photographs of 1953, and applying modern archaeological methods, the main Hajj road was plotted, and six medieval and twelve Ottoman camps and caravanserais were discovered. This study allows us to reconstruct the natural landscapes of Hajj pilgrim resting places in Jordan as ‘sacred landscapes’ – a first in Islamic landscape archaeology.

Venue: BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Time: 4.00 PM - 5.00 PM Fee: Free, booking essential

The Urban Muslim Woman Show '16 A pioneering event that is aimed solely at promoting strong and independent female professionals, entrepreneurs, designers and students within the Muslim community. It is a celebration of the many achievements and successes of Muslim women and aims

Disclaimer: islam today does not necessarly endorse or recommend any of these events. Their contents and individuals or groups involved in them. We are not responsible for changes to times, fees or venues. Further information should be sought direclty from the organisers.

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