Islam, Seekers Guidance, SeekersHub Global, SeekersHub Sydney

Knowledge without Barriers

Raidah Shah Idil

Help Take Sacred Knowledge to the Ends of the Earth with a Donation this Ramadan

It’s been a busy past few weeks! I’ve been teaching a 3-week class on menstruation based on the Shafi’i school of thought, which has been a fantastic opportunity to revise, teach, and learn new things from my students. There’s nothing like curly questions based on real-life scenarios.

Donating to Knowledge without Barriers is a way of supporting students around the globe, including teachers like me. Please give what you can to support students of knowledge around the world! They don’t only learn, but  also benefit the communities they live in by transforming knowledge into action.

Knowledge without Barriers has given me the opportunity to study courses like the Prophetic biography (Meccan Dawn and Medinan Nights) and deepen my understanding of Shafi’i fiqh (Islamic Law For Seekers: Worship (Shafi’i)).

Although most of the courses have ended for this semester, an available course is a reading of Imam Ghazali’s Ihya Ulumideen. The course is taught by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

Check out the Academic Calendar to see when Registration opens next (Dec 9 2013) and when courses begin (Jan 6 2014). I’d personally recommend all the courses I’ve done, including the course on marriage.

 

Islam, Seekers Guidance

Mercy, The Stamp of Creation

Raidah Shah Idil
1350860_hand-in-handI really enjoyed reading this blog post about Dr Umar Faruq Abdullah’s paper, titled Mercy, The Stamp of Creation. Dr Abdullah’s genius lies in his connection to the Prophetic reality. His paper was a reflection on my favourite hadith (Prophetic narration), and a reminder to be kind:
“People who show mercy to others will be shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, and He who is Heaven will be merciful to you.” [Tirmidhi]
Kindness doesn’t just include kindness to others, but also to ourselves, to plants, and to animals. In my experience, kindness is underrated. It’s also one of the best values to hold. Here’s to being a kind person!
Beauty, Writing

Brevity Mag piece: Cheekbones

Raidah Shah Idil

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I read an excellent short piece on Brevity Mag – Cheekbones, by Patricia Park.

Her piece was quietly compelling, and it felt like a glimpse into the inner world of North and South Korea. I’ve only ever heard about South Korea, so it was definitely refreshing to hear a different take on the North.This quote from the piece made me smile and shake my head. My mother has high cheekbones.

A woman with strong cheekbones is bound to have a hard life. “Her husband gonna die. Her children giving her the hard time. She has to do laundry and it’s so hard work.”

Gotta love these folk wisdoms.

 

freelance, Life, Writing

Peril mag submission

Raidah Shah Idil

Screen-Shot-2013-06-05-at-4.55.41-PMI’m happy to report that I’ve just submitted my Connected/Disconnected piece to Peril Magazine. Click on the link to find out more about the call for submissions. Binaries are always so fascinating (hot/cold, dark/light, good/evil) and it’ll be really interesting to read what gets published.

There’s still time to submit – the deadline is November 1st!

I really enjoyed this piece, Passing As An Asian. The author made me chuckle at several points, and I loved how she drew her piece to a close. The peaceful, funny and reflective note made me think about my own life and where I am today. There’s some real gems in Peril Magazine, so trawl through and enjoy!

Arabic, art, Beauty, Family

Sign up to my brother’s Traditional Arabic Penmanship Course!

Raidah Shah Idil

1176238_411181718990830_976042544_nEver wondered about the secret behind writing Arabic beautifully? Now you can learn the elegant ruq’ah script in an exciting 6-week course!

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming course with my brother. It starts this Saturday, so there’s still time to register!

I’m keen to learn how to write more legibly, and with significantly more speed and accuracy. I have the classic student problem of fast and neat English writing and slower and less legible Arabic writing, so here’s to the spirit of self-improvement! And better note-taking when I’m studying fiqh etc.

Interview, Islam, SeekersHub Sydney

“The Middle Way – Avoiding Extremes” SeekersConversation is tonight! Discussions on #westgate

Raidah Shah Idil

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Join us tonight 7:30 pm, at SeekersHub Sydney for a night of riveting discussion with guest speaker Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and Imam Afroz Ali! Our centre is located at 299 Belmore Road, Riverwood.

Teaser questions for tonight:

  • How can you explain all the ‘extreme’ behaviour erupting all over the Muslim world, as well as in Muslim communities in the West?
  • Some claim that the term ‘moderate Muslim’ is apologist and irrelevant, because all Muslims ought to be moderate. Do you agree or disagree?
  • What are your thoughts on Westgate Mall massacre in Kenya?

I’m looking forward to audience participation, so bring your questions and join in during Q&A time!

Islam, Life, SeekersHub Sydney

Join our SeekersConversation this Sunday, Oct 6th!

Raidah Shah Idil

373Free up your Sunday night and join us for another riveting SeekersConversation!

Sunday’s topic is a hotly debated one: The Middle Way – Avoiding Extremes. There’s no shortage of discussion about extremism in the world today, especially when it comes to the context of Muslims living in the Muslim world and the West. Responses vary from those who are quick to condemn Islam as being the cause of extremist behaviour, to the apologists who present a candy-floss version of Islam. I don’t support either extreme (ha), but I am open to a nuanced, balanced and genuine discussion about the causes and cures of extremism.  

I’m looking forward to facilitating a balanced discussion with our esteemed speakers, and I hope that all attendees will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the topic. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is flying all the way down from Toronto to participate in the weekend’s events, so don’t miss out on your chance to watch him in action. Joining him is Imam Afroz Ali, our teacher and the founder of Al-Ghazzali Centre, now known as SeekersHub Sydney.

Audience members, please feel free to participate in the Q&A section of the night – your questions make a great event even better. If you have any questions leading up to the event, please post your questions here.

In the spirit of fostering positive discussions to build more cohesive, open and connected communities, check out the Radical Middle Way website.

More information about Sunday’s SeekersConversation:

The Middle Way – Avoiding Extremes
With Shaykh Faraz Rabbani & Imam Afroz Ali
Facilitated by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

Time: 7:30pm, 6th of October
Location: 299 Belmore Road, RIVERWOOD 2210

An evening of discussion and insight on the causes and cures of extremist behaviour, and how the community can address the crisis in education and spiritual vacuum which can produce disturbed and distorted understandings.

SeekersConversations address issues affecting our communities, discussed over light refreshments.

Cost: Free. This is part of Knowledge without Barriers (donations welcome)

Family, History, Life, Opinion

Balik kampung

Raidah Shah Idil

kampungAs I write this, Irfan and I are getting ready to visit my family in Melaka. I’m excited to visit the place where many generations of my maternal ancestors were born. Migrating at a young age can disconnect families from extended family and our heritage, and I’m glad that I’m able to reconnect with mine, after so long.

I haven’t visited Melaka in years! I think the last time I visited was when I sixteen or seventeen, and I came with my parents and siblings. Today, I’ll be introducing my husband to my grand-uncle for the first time.

On another note, Love InshaAllah posted my “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” article. I’m still so amazed at how much my story connected to readers around the world. Being vulnerable can be scary, but also very, very rewarding.

Islam, Seekers Guidance

Purification of The Heart blog post

Raidah Shah Idil

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAClick here for my SeekersGuidance blog post on the Purification of The Heart lecture by Shaykh Yahya Rhodus.

The venue was quite full by the time the Shaykh arrived after being stuck in traffic. From speaking to the locals here, I get the impression that the traffic jams in KL are almost a force of nature!

Shaykh Yahya requested that we start off the night with Qasidahs – Qad Kafani and Ya Allimal Sirri Minna. There was an English Qasidah too, led by Shaykh Yahya, but I don’t remember the title. Qasidahs are jam-packed with deep, spiritual meanings and there’s something soothing and healing in them, even if you’re not entirely sure of the meaning. Click here for one of my favourite recitations of Qad Kafani, by Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad.

Listening to Shaykh Yahya’s talk really reminded me about how important it is for me to make this a conscious, daily effort to purify my heart. It’s so easy to get caught up in the lull and rush of daily life. I especially appreciated his five practical tips because it’s one thing to be inspired in a talk, but it’s another matter to put what I learned into practice, for the rest of my life.

These practical tips are relevant to Muslims across all walks of life. You could be a doctor in Africa, a writer in America, or a politician in Turkey – your heart will benefit from nourishment and polishing. SubhanAllah. No matter where you are in your life and whatever state you find yourself in, there is always goodness in turning your heart to Allah.

Does anyone have their notes from Imam Afroz Ali’s talk on Friday? I’d appreciate it if you can drop me a line on my blog. Thanks in advance!

In other news, I’ve come across some fantastic notes by Sister Shagufta Pasta about the “Exploring the Qur’an with Shaykh Yahya Rhodus” series. Jazakillah khayr Sis Shagufta, for the reminders.

Islam, Life, Seekers Guidance

From Madinah To Malaysia – my SeekersGuidance blog post

Raidah Shah Idil

imagesCheck out my first SeekersGuidance blog post: From Madinah To Malaysia: Reflections by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil.

It’s been such a blessing to be present in Kuala Lumpur during the Haul (ceremony of remembrance) of Imam Al-Haddad. Being here at this time has been very serendipitous – when my husband and I booked our tickets to Malaysia, we had no idea so many events would be held! Alhamdulilah for Divine Providence. It’s been so inspiring to be in the presence of scholars, and a beautiful reminder of what really matters in life. Meeting the different sisters from the KL gatherings has been lovely too.

We had a brief reunion with Imam Afroz Ali today after his talk at UTM Masjid. We got to meet Professor Dr. Muhammad Zainy Uthman too! I’ve been watching his videos on Professor Al-Attas, and it was so cool to meet him in person. And then we got slightly lost on the way to another meeting lol. Thunderstorms here are intense, and traffic jams take on a whole new meaning when there’s almost zero visibility.

In other news, we attended the Questions For The Tall White Man event last night and it was so, so awesome to talk about the hard stuff with Shaykh Yahya. He really did keep it real. The night ended with beautiful Qasidah recitations, with the foot-tapping beat of Malay drums (kompang). FUN! More about this later, inshaAllah.

Random note: There is so much amazing food here! And so affordable. Talk about needing to restrain the nafs lol.