revolution

September 19, 2013

The Rabble, the Ruwaybidah & We the People (Pt 2)

This is the second part of the blog piece I wrote for http://www.islamicate.co.uk (the first part may be read here). After the battle of Hunayn, a delegation from the Hawazin clan came to the Prophet, upon whom be peace, requesting the return of their wealth and captives. They were given a choice between one or Continue reading

politics & society, religion

Hobbes, Ibn Taymiyyah, importance of public security in Islam, masses as agents of change, mob mentality, mob rule, progress, progress in Islam, rebellion, religious ignorance increasing, revolution, ruwaybidah, society dumbing down, the reckless herd
August 13, 2013

The Arab Spring & the Need for Change

The following article was first published at www.islamicate.co.uk and is reposted here with kind permission and addition. Wherever we look in the world today, particularly in what is called the Arab world, it’s all about people wanting change: change that brings about better governance, social justice, individual freedom, better job prospects, brighter future. Decades of tyranny, repression and authoritarian rule Continue reading

activism, politics & society

Arab spring, fighting tyranny, huriyyah, Islamic politics, Middle-East uprisings, political change in the Muslim world, progress, revolution, tabdil, the Ramadan spirit, true freedom

About Me

My name is Surkheel Sharif (aka Abu Aaliyah). Born and raised in London, England, I began my more formal, but gradual studies of the Islamic sciences around the late 1980s (just a few years after having quit my degree in Astrophysics). I also gained an MA in Islamic Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 2009.

I’ve translated a few Islamic works from Arabic into English; one of them, a short text on Muslim spirituality, called The Exquisite Pearl (2000). I have also authored a few books, including: More Fish Please & the Earth’s Complaint (2011); Fussing Over the 15th of Sha’ban & the Golden Rule of Differing (2011); A Muslim’s Guide to Modernity (2025); and Salafism Reconsidered (forthcoming)

I am the founder and current Director of the Jawziyyah Institute (est. 1999): a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultivating an Islam true to its time-honoured tradition, relevant to its current context, and of benefit to wider society.

revolution

The Rabble, the Ruwaybidah & We the People (Pt 2)

The Arab Spring & the Need for Change