The time leading up to the coming of Imam-e Zaman (as) is a time of reversal: when the servant rules the master; when the corrupt rule the just; when lies are believed and truth is disbelieved; when immorality is deemed good and morality is deemed bad; when those who were humble build tall buildings The Holy Prophet (s) has said ‘There will come a time for people when they will not respect their scholars except for their good clothing; they will not listen to the Qur’an except for the pleasant voice; they will not worship Allah except during the Month of Fasting; there will be no shyness in their women and no patience in the poor; there will be no prosperity for the rich since they will not be content with little and they will not be satiated by abundance. They will strive only for their stomach; their religion is money; their women are their qiblah; their homes are their mosques and they run away from their scholars just as lambs run away from wolves.’ (Waqayi al-Ayyam). It is with the coming of Imam-e Zaman (ajfs) that these reversals will be righted; that what was upside down will be turned the right way up, and this is good news for the followers of Ahl al-Bayt, who include Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, her husband Ali ibn Abi Talib, and their progeny.

For students of Islam and slavery. This illustrates how the practice of slavery by certain Muslim rulers contravened Islamic injunctions. It covers the history of the Zanj uprising against the 'Abbasid caliphate and also looks at traces of Islam in the culture of the Southern United States.

This paper aims to engage in a critical comparison of the spiritual authority of the awliyā’ in the Shī‘ī and Sufi traditions in order to examine an area of Islamic belief which remains unclearly defined. Similarities between Shī‘ī and Sufi doctrine have long been noted, but little analysis has been made on how and why these developed. Taking a central tenet of both, walāya, the paper discusses several of its key aspects as they appear recorded in Shī‘ī hadīth collections, and as they appear later in one of the earliest Sunnī Sufi treatises. By extension, it seeks to explore the identity of the awliyā’ and their role in relation to the Twelve Imams. It also traces the reabsorption into Shī‘ī culture of the the Sufi definition of walāya, taking as two examples the works of one branch of the Dhahabī Order and those of Allamah Tabataba‘i, a popular mystic and scholar of twentieth century Iran.

A powerpoint presentation which I have presented in various Muslim communities after witnessing female narcissistic abuse towards a male family member. The stereotype is that men tend to be covert malignant narcissists; however, women use particular strategies in their abuse, knowing that they will believed or aided if they hide their abuse by pretending to be a victim.

A collection of twenty lectures and two academic articles presented to audiences. Table of contents: Lectures: Transforming our Way of Being Entering the Prophetic Path The Return to Our Primordial Nature The Ethics of Brotherhood in Islam according to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib The Place for Islam in the Modern World Being Muslim in a Secular Environment Divine Justice Mawlid: Celebrating the Birth of Prophet Muhammad Ghadīr: Fulfilling the Sunna of Allah The Heart of Walaya Imamate as the Protecting Vessel of the Heart The Ontological Imam Zuhd in the Life of Imam ‘Ali Humanity in Nahj al-Balagha The Esoteric and Symbolic Significance of Fatima Imam al-Husayn’s Stand against Materialism Sayyeda Zaynab: Preserving a Gift of the Ahl al-Bayt: Seeing the Inward Reality of Things Conversations with Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq Initiation and the Qualities of the Shi‘a Following the Scholars in the Time of Occultation Articles A Comparative Exploration of the Spiritual Authority of the Awliyā’ in the Shī‘ī and Sūfī traditions. Walāya as a Response to the Self-Other Dichotomy in European Philosophy

This is a lecture that I gave at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, which discusses the common misconception that Sufism offers a peaceful and malleable alternative to Salafism. It demonstrates how prominent Sufi personalities have very often been involved in political intrigue, attempted coups and armed campaigns.

Course outline This course takes as its remit an overview of the earliest texts produced by Muslim historians, albeit with their own proto-Shīʿī or proto-Sunnī inclinations. While acknowledging that both Shīʿī and Sunnī scholars often treat these historical texts with caution, the course nevertheless examines various accounts and interpretations of Islamic history, beginning with the event of Saqīfa (12-13 AH/632 CE) and ending with the assassination of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (40 AH/661 CE). The identities and political leanings of ḥadīth narrators and the historians that relied upon them are analysed in order for students to obtain a clearer understanding of the possible motives and contexts that have influenced how historical accounts have been compiled. The origins of terms such as ahl al-bayt (‘people of the house’) and shīʿa (partisan; follower) are explored through their pre-Islamic and Qur’ānic use; and the social, political and economic strategies of various competing interests in relation to ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib and Banī Hāshim are also critically examined, providing an insight into the factors that combined to bring about his death. http://onlineshiastudies.com/early-shii-history-course/