Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 04. October 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds us that Allah in the Qur’an gave us Shariah, a path that we are instructed to follow. There are many people who think that Shariah is something as simple as a group of positivistic laws. However, laws that lead to practices are only half the process, because any practice decreed by law must have a purpose. If one is not following these laws with an understanding of why, how it fits in within the Shariah of Allah, then there is a fundamental breakdown. If it was simply...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 27. September 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his persona sums up the entire legacy of the entire line of prophets. He has embodied all of them in his single being as the last and final prophet. All of the prophets came with a singular message to humanity, and it was perfected over a long, protracted educational process about the implications of creation and being God’s creatures. Muslims are told that the Prophet Muhammad perfected the message, and that after the death of the...
Circles of Learning (Halaqas) · 06. October 2018
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his original Quranic commentary on Surah 104: Al-Humazah, which is directly relevant to the current state of affairs in the world. In the introduction, Director Grace Song discusses the travesty of the Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation and its implications from the lens of a Muslim woman convert.
Circles of Learning (Halaqas) · 28. July 2018
Part 1: In the introduction to the Usuli Institute Halaqa, Director Grace Song speaks about her experiences as a "recovering racist" in her journey after conversion. Dr. Abou El Fadl speaks about the Tariq Ramadan case; explains the difference between the Islamic law adjudication of zina (fornication) versus rape (a crime of terror); and discusses the #MeToo movement.