A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahim ‎ wrote, on the 10 th August 2014, on the usage of the term “ islam ” in the Qur’an.   He said that throughout the Qur’an, the term, “ islam ”, as well as its derivatives such as “ aslma ”, “ aslamu ”, “ muslim ”, “ muslimun ” and others, has been used in the literal sense of “submission to God”.   In this sense there are two meaning elements involved: belief in one God and moulding one’s life in the light of this belief that is, living righteously.   The Qur’an does not use the term, “ islam ” and its derivatives in an institutionalised sense, meaning the religion propagated by the Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w. ), with its specific belief system and law.   This is why the Qur’an Describes past prophets such as Ibrahim ( a.s. ), Musa ( a.s. ) and ‘Isa ( a.s. ), and their followers as “ muslims ”, ‘those who submitted to God’, that is, they believed in one God and lived righteously....

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.   One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.   The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “ diyn ”, “ islam ”, and “ shari’ah ” in concrete fiqhi terms.   The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.   Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.   Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms.   Now we address antonyms of the term, “ islam ”.   What is meant by antonyms of “ islam ” here are terms which the Qur’an or the sunnah put in juxtaposition to the term, “ islam ”, and have a contrary meaning to t...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.   One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.   The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “ diyn ”, “ islam ”, and “ shari’ah ” in concrete fiqhi terms.   The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.   Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.   Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms.   Now we address synonyms of the term, “ islam ”.   By synonyms, it is meant those terms which were used during the time of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) as having the same meaning as islam .   Such terms include hana...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.   One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.   The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “ diyn ”, “ islam ”, and “ shari’ah ” in concrete fiqhi terms.   The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.   Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.   Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms.   Now we address antonyms of the term, “ islam ”.   What is meant by antonyms of “ islam ” here are terms which the Qur’an or the sunnah put in juxtaposition to the term, “ islam ”, and have a contrary meaning to that of ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.   One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.   The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “ diyn ”, “ islam ”, and “ shari’ah ” in concrete fiqhi terms.   The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.   Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.   Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms.   From the very beginning, the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) invited the Makkans to God and to islam .   After accepting the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) teaching, his closest friend, Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swi...