New Islamic Directions
Shorter reflections and statements on the events of the day.
Imam Zaid Shakir · July 28, 2012
Ill Fares the land, to hast'ning ill a prey; Where wealth accumulates, and men decay. Oliver Goldsmith British-Irish author (1730 - 1774) In his final book, Ill Fares the Land , Tony Judt laments the materialism and selfishness he saw destroying the…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · July 3, 2012
She taught Ella and Billie Holliday how to sing. She made Miles Davis cool and taught Duke how to swing. She gave Malcolm his X and made Martin a king. Without her Michael Jordan wouldn't have six rings! Will you marry my daughter? She gave Nat…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · June 15, 2012
Death and destruction tend to be associated with Muslims, but the Prophet reminded, “God is Beautiful and He likes beauty.” For many people, including some Muslims, it has become difficult to associate Islam with beauty. The popular view of Islam is…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · May 22, 2012
Text of Imam Zaid's Commencement Speech At Brighter Horizons Academy, Dallas, Texas (slightly edited for Publication) You are blessed to have your graduation occur on a memorable day that you should never forget. Today is May 19th. It is the date of…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · May 1, 2012
War Chronicle How many babies will you kill? Before you realize, each time you kill an innocent that it's your heart that dies. A way of life that's steeped in blood from sea to shining sea. murder behind the veil of lies, proclaimed as liberty. The…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · March 24, 2012
When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Friedrich Nietzsche In the aftermath of the murderous spree in France, allegedly committed by a French "Jihadi," Mohammed Merah, it should be clear to any observer that the so-called Jihad…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · February 17, 2012
As Syria hurtles towards destruction, with the ongoing bombardment of Homs and the escalating assault on Hama, Dar'a, Idlib and many other Syrian cities and towns by a regime consumed by hubris, we can see clearly how political violence can lead to…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · November 24, 2011
The Hadith of Gabriel (Jibril) is considered by most Muslim scholars to be one of the fundamental texts of our religion. It presents, in a comprehensive way, the foundations of Islam. This is made clear by the fact that the Prophet, blessings and…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · October 30, 2011
God mentions the origins of the pilgrimage, when He orders Abraham: “Proclaim the pilgrimage to humanity; they will respond, coming to the Sacred House on foot, riding every possible conveyance; coming from every distant path.” (22:27) It is related…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · October 18, 2011
This essay was begun a few days before the date marking the passing of ten years since the attacks of 9/11. I was unable to finish it until now. Charles Dickens opens his classic, A Tale of Two Cities , with this famous anaphora: “It was the best of…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · October 4, 2011
The Roads to Peace The roads to peace are paths of war, The gentle dove will leave her scar. The moral men to say the least, Will kill us all to get their peace. The roads that lead to victories gained, Are filled with people full of pain. Only our…
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Imam Zaid Shakir · September 11, 2011
I remember well the fateful day of September 11, 2001. I was locked in Jami' al-Khayr at the far western end of the Damascene neighborhood of Muhajireen. Most masjids in Syria are locked between the prayers, with the exception of the evening and…
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