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Travelling Home: Essays on Islam in Europe
How should we react to the new Islamophobic movements now spreading in the West? Everywhere the far right is on the march, with nationalist and populist parties thriving on the back of popular anxieties about Islam and the Muslim presence. Hijab and minaret bans, mosque shootings, hostility to migrants and increasingly scornful media stereotypes seem to endanger the prospects for friendly coexistence and the calm uplifting of Muslim populations.
In this series of essays Abdal Hakim Murad dissects the rise of Islamophobia on the basis of Muslim theological tradition. Although the proper response to the current impasse is clearly indicated in Qur’an and Hadith, some have lost the principle of trust in divine wisdom and are responding with hatred, fearfulness or despair. Murad shows that a compassion-based approach, rooted in an authentic theology of divine power, could transform the current quagmire into a bright landscape of great promise for Muslims and their neighbours.
In this series of essays Abdal Hakim Murad dissects the rise of Islamophobia on the basis of Muslim theological tradition. Although the proper response to the current impasse is clearly indicated in Qur’an and Hadith, some have lost the principle of trust in divine wisdom and are responding with hatred, fearfulness or despair. Murad shows that a compassion-based approach, rooted in an authentic theology of divine power, could transform the current quagmire into a bright landscape of great promise for Muslims and their neighbours.
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
33 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Abdal Hakim Murad
32 books382 followersTimothy John "Tim" Winter (born 1960), also known as Abdal Hakim Murad, is a British Sufi Muslim researcher, writer and teacher. His profile and work have attracted media coverage both in the Muslim World and the West. Conversant in both traditional Islamic scholarship and Western thought and civilization, Winter has made contributions on many Islamic topics.
Born in 1960, Winter was educated at Westminster School, and graduated with a double-first in Arabic from Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge in 1983. He then studied and taught traditional Islamic sciences at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt for several years, and spent several more in Jeddah, where he administered a commercial translation office and maintained close contact with Shaykh Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad. In 1989, he returned to England and spent two years at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London where he concentrated on Turkish and Persian.
Winter is currently the Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, Director of Studies in Theology at Wolfson College, and a doctoral student at Oxford University, where he is studying the relationship between the government and Sufi brotherhoods in the Ottoman Empire.[citation needed] Winter is also the secretary of the Muslim Academic Trust (London), Director of The Anglo-Muslim Fellowship for Eastern Europe, President of the UK Friends of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Director of the Sunna Project, which has published scholarly Arabic editions of the major Sunni Hadith collections.
Born in 1960, Winter was educated at Westminster School, and graduated with a double-first in Arabic from Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge in 1983. He then studied and taught traditional Islamic sciences at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt for several years, and spent several more in Jeddah, where he administered a commercial translation office and maintained close contact with Shaykh Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad. In 1989, he returned to England and spent two years at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London where he concentrated on Turkish and Persian.
Winter is currently the Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, Director of Studies in Theology at Wolfson College, and a doctoral student at Oxford University, where he is studying the relationship between the government and Sufi brotherhoods in the Ottoman Empire.[citation needed] Winter is also the secretary of the Muslim Academic Trust (London), Director of The Anglo-Muslim Fellowship for Eastern Europe, President of the UK Friends of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Director of the Sunna Project, which has published scholarly Arabic editions of the major Sunni Hadith collections.
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August 15, 2020
I've been meaning to read Timothy Winter for a long time and having finally done so was not disappointed. This is an erudite set of essays published in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic about the future of European Muslims as an indigenous part of the continent, including his own native England. Winter argues how and why Muslims should be a therapeutic presence which can comfort and support their neighbors rather than a pathogenic one which at best can be described as a problem to be solved. One of the most important components for Western Muslims to achieving this is getting past the ego-driven desires for status and revenge that often characterize minority-consciousness, particularly in cases where social relationships are influenced by a colonial history. This enslavement to ego is not only an obstacle to religion but is the source of so many worldly problems both large and small.
An authentically rooted religious identity cannot view itself as part of some race-centric immigrant diaspora that is alienated from its true home and stranded in a foreign and hostile land. Rather it views the whole earth as its home and speaks in the intimate language of every people. Historically Islam was at home in the good things of every country and every culture – even the Mongols were converted to Islam by Sufi preachers who adapted to and respected their cultural forms. It is important for minorities living in the West to let go of vengeful identities born during the anti-colonial period and perceive themselves as authentic Westerners who naturally enjoy all the permissible cultural practices and heritage of the place they live. In doing so they can also be a comforting presence to their fellow citizens of all backgrounds who are facing many challenges amidst the turmoil and flux of modern life. The solution to the modern condition of alienation and all its painful correlates is through the practice of tasawwuf, which allows one to see the signs of ones place in the world. In this way people who feel at home everywhere can help Europeans and others who are dealing with the painful experience of modern alienation and who fear the potential loss of their own identity. The practice is also a way for formerly colonized people to overcome the inferiority complexes and victimhood-based identities that provide fertile soil for toxic ideologies to grow.
Any worldview that is grounded in fear can never succeed in building anything constructive. At times religion is harmful to both the practitioner and the broader society because it is being built atop the hollow foundation of egotistic division between supposedly better (religious) and worse (not-religious) peoples. As Winter argues it is incumbent on those capable of transcending these ego-driven, particularistic ways of thinking to do so and to help others do so as well. Integration is in some ways harder today for immigrants because the once-stable bedrock of Western identity has shifted to an ever-shifting set of "values" that has no clear endpoint and is also capable of adjusting itself to exclude outsiders as political needs require. Winter writes against both the tanfiris, the ego-drunk Islamic extremists as well as the Lahabists the Islamophobes who are mired in fear and hatred the way the original Quraysh were. Instead he calls for being generous and empathetic to people, while exhaling the deep breath of relief that comes with realizing that one has arrived at their true home.
An authentically rooted religious identity cannot view itself as part of some race-centric immigrant diaspora that is alienated from its true home and stranded in a foreign and hostile land. Rather it views the whole earth as its home and speaks in the intimate language of every people. Historically Islam was at home in the good things of every country and every culture – even the Mongols were converted to Islam by Sufi preachers who adapted to and respected their cultural forms. It is important for minorities living in the West to let go of vengeful identities born during the anti-colonial period and perceive themselves as authentic Westerners who naturally enjoy all the permissible cultural practices and heritage of the place they live. In doing so they can also be a comforting presence to their fellow citizens of all backgrounds who are facing many challenges amidst the turmoil and flux of modern life. The solution to the modern condition of alienation and all its painful correlates is through the practice of tasawwuf, which allows one to see the signs of ones place in the world. In this way people who feel at home everywhere can help Europeans and others who are dealing with the painful experience of modern alienation and who fear the potential loss of their own identity. The practice is also a way for formerly colonized people to overcome the inferiority complexes and victimhood-based identities that provide fertile soil for toxic ideologies to grow.
Any worldview that is grounded in fear can never succeed in building anything constructive. At times religion is harmful to both the practitioner and the broader society because it is being built atop the hollow foundation of egotistic division between supposedly better (religious) and worse (not-religious) peoples. As Winter argues it is incumbent on those capable of transcending these ego-driven, particularistic ways of thinking to do so and to help others do so as well. Integration is in some ways harder today for immigrants because the once-stable bedrock of Western identity has shifted to an ever-shifting set of "values" that has no clear endpoint and is also capable of adjusting itself to exclude outsiders as political needs require. Winter writes against both the tanfiris, the ego-drunk Islamic extremists as well as the Lahabists the Islamophobes who are mired in fear and hatred the way the original Quraysh were. Instead he calls for being generous and empathetic to people, while exhaling the deep breath of relief that comes with realizing that one has arrived at their true home.
September 11, 2020
A powerful collection of thought-provoking essays that require multiple readings to digest.
July 16, 2021
This is a very serious and yet enjoyable collection of essays. Read them because they are full of erudition, of things both new and ancient. Of concepts which make the familiar yet anew and what is known with a fresh zest. Sparkling, yet something to mulch. Speaks of an uncommon mind, sagely even.
July 23, 2021
Want to sit down and write a proper review one day - this book deserves it. There is just so much information pouring into these pages, it's impossible to capture it all.
Travelling Home is more aptly described as an incredibly well read diagnosis of the challenges faced by Muslims in the 21st century. The language is detailed, complex and Sheikh floats from topic to topic, authentically grounding Islam in the realm of European culture and intellectual life.
A good 1/2 of the book centers around the Cultural Imperative hypothesis - Muslims need to focus on developing an indigenous culture, replacing or adjusting elements of their origin culture which aren't essential Islamically - i.e clothing, literature, language, where there is no specific Islamic requirement, should change to become local to the country. They need to act as healers for societies that are traumatised by a loss of meaning, as opposed to reactionaries hyper focused on the loss of civic rights at home and hostile foreign policy abroad.
The rest of the book focuses on how this can happen. I particulary enjoyed the sections on the Green Man and the possibilities for Muslim environmental activism (grounding it in a metaphysic and suggesting the launch of a real political movement, which could gain some serious momentum), and his exploration of the world of Islamic studies and the possibilities therein.
That being said, I do think the book is a bit arcane (drawing links that sound brilliant as prose, but somewhat clutching at straws in reality, as philosophers often do). I appreciate that this is for a European context, but for the Cultural Imperative hypothesis - there really isn't that much more integration that can be done? We're already eating pizzas, listening to Kanye, wearing t-shirts, etc. Indigenous cultures develop over a long time, and it is not easy to heal the greivances people have developed over the last few centuries with the uprooting of traditional lifestyles. Also, I feel like at times, the portrayal of Muslims (eg in sections about the Ulema/institutions not evolving, being uncritical, immigration, etc) is unfair - yes, there may be an issue of access, but there are plenty of talented, critically thinking, forebearing Muslims filling these roles right now.
Great reflection, but the final project seems very long term and restricted to select, priviliged crowds. Can definitely see certain segments of both the academic and traditional crowds objecting to bits of the book, but all in all, this is a great read.
Travelling Home is more aptly described as an incredibly well read diagnosis of the challenges faced by Muslims in the 21st century. The language is detailed, complex and Sheikh floats from topic to topic, authentically grounding Islam in the realm of European culture and intellectual life.
A good 1/2 of the book centers around the Cultural Imperative hypothesis - Muslims need to focus on developing an indigenous culture, replacing or adjusting elements of their origin culture which aren't essential Islamically - i.e clothing, literature, language, where there is no specific Islamic requirement, should change to become local to the country. They need to act as healers for societies that are traumatised by a loss of meaning, as opposed to reactionaries hyper focused on the loss of civic rights at home and hostile foreign policy abroad.
The rest of the book focuses on how this can happen. I particulary enjoyed the sections on the Green Man and the possibilities for Muslim environmental activism (grounding it in a metaphysic and suggesting the launch of a real political movement, which could gain some serious momentum), and his exploration of the world of Islamic studies and the possibilities therein.
That being said, I do think the book is a bit arcane (drawing links that sound brilliant as prose, but somewhat clutching at straws in reality, as philosophers often do). I appreciate that this is for a European context, but for the Cultural Imperative hypothesis - there really isn't that much more integration that can be done? We're already eating pizzas, listening to Kanye, wearing t-shirts, etc. Indigenous cultures develop over a long time, and it is not easy to heal the greivances people have developed over the last few centuries with the uprooting of traditional lifestyles. Also, I feel like at times, the portrayal of Muslims (eg in sections about the Ulema/institutions not evolving, being uncritical, immigration, etc) is unfair - yes, there may be an issue of access, but there are plenty of talented, critically thinking, forebearing Muslims filling these roles right now.
Great reflection, but the final project seems very long term and restricted to select, priviliged crowds. Can definitely see certain segments of both the academic and traditional crowds objecting to bits of the book, but all in all, this is a great read.
September 6, 2022
My first time reading a book of a collection of essays and I suspect I've been quite spoilt by the Shaykh's eloquent and erudite writing. There was a lot I had to ponder over and re-think reading these essays. I will need to re-read the book for sure with a more analytically minded approach but I have certainly already derived a great deal of benefit.
The most memorable chapters for me were of: British Muslim identity (belongingness of Muslims in Europe in general), the Shaykh's critique of certain extreme 'Tanfiri' groups (literally 'to turn away') outside of mainstream Traditional Islam, Zakat (and finance in general) in the modern age, Islamic studies in the West etc. There's plenty more but I need time to digest them.
There is a particular quality about the Shayk's writing in that while he outlines the dire nature of certain things, he always ends up making you feel quite optimistic somehow. It's probably that I haven't read much current scholars' works but I really appreciated this.
May God grant the Shaykh much success and rewards for his efforts!
The most memorable chapters for me were of: British Muslim identity (belongingness of Muslims in Europe in general), the Shaykh's critique of certain extreme 'Tanfiri' groups (literally 'to turn away') outside of mainstream Traditional Islam, Zakat (and finance in general) in the modern age, Islamic studies in the West etc. There's plenty more but I need time to digest them.
There is a particular quality about the Shayk's writing in that while he outlines the dire nature of certain things, he always ends up making you feel quite optimistic somehow. It's probably that I haven't read much current scholars' works but I really appreciated this.
May God grant the Shaykh much success and rewards for his efforts!
August 31, 2024
"They congregate also in those ghetto mosques which are the most despised spaces in Europe's unreal cities: in Frankfurt basements they chant the Divine Name while skinheads hammer the windows. They are the sign and affirmation that God is, according to the well-known report, "with the broken-hearted"."
Brilliant collection of essays, discussing different topics such as the Muslim seeing the entire world as their home and not just one particularly land, the need of an understanding of "urf" and "ada" (customs and traditions of a land and period), especially when it comes to muftis creating rulings for a certain land (in this context, creating a British Muslim culture), responding to hatred with "something more beautiful ", refraining from tanfīr (repelling people from religion), hypocrisy of the west and pushing "European values", discussing the Bosnian War in relation to "western values", and much more.
The Shaykh's language is unsurprisingly beautiful, discussing incredibly relevant issues in depth, and not in anyway discussing any of it from an elitist point of view (one of my fears before going into this book).
Ps. The references are fantastic and have already added a few of them in my reading list lol
Brilliant collection of essays, discussing different topics such as the Muslim seeing the entire world as their home and not just one particularly land, the need of an understanding of "urf" and "ada" (customs and traditions of a land and period), especially when it comes to muftis creating rulings for a certain land (in this context, creating a British Muslim culture), responding to hatred with "something more beautiful ", refraining from tanfīr (repelling people from religion), hypocrisy of the west and pushing "European values", discussing the Bosnian War in relation to "western values", and much more.
The Shaykh's language is unsurprisingly beautiful, discussing incredibly relevant issues in depth, and not in anyway discussing any of it from an elitist point of view (one of my fears before going into this book).
Ps. The references are fantastic and have already added a few of them in my reading list lol
July 1, 2021
I am already a fan of Abdal Hakim Murad. He is a rare genius and a blessing for the Muslim ummah. This book like his other books and lectures demonstrates his ability to join western and eastern scholarship and provide a perspective for us. However, it is important to note that this book specifically focuses on Islam in Europe. Especially, the first couple of chapters might be difficult for someone to understand from other parts of the world especially the middle east and south asia. But if one persists through it, one will definitely found many insights applicable in all contexts.
June 12, 2021
Having reached about the halfway point of this book, I am putting it down. To be very frank, it is incredibly unengaging. It's high level and lacks any sort of academic rigidity. In a number of places I was left thinking "this is absolute waffle".
There is no doubt Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad is very intelligent and sound. This book, being a collection of essays and speeches, just doesn't perform well. A speech is very different to a chapter of a book. It is a different audience, a different setting, a different expectation. Buried within the chapters are some true gems of reflection. But they are not enough to redeem it.
There is no doubt Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad is very intelligent and sound. This book, being a collection of essays and speeches, just doesn't perform well. A speech is very different to a chapter of a book. It is a different audience, a different setting, a different expectation. Buried within the chapters are some true gems of reflection. But they are not enough to redeem it.
August 25, 2020
This book is a gem both for the content and the style.
Take your time to read and think about each part.
As a European Muslim, I felt this book echoed some of my thoughts and gave me new insights. I will definitely reread it to go back to some of the key issues discussed.
I've highlighted many paragraph because of the good points made in them and the excellent command of language. This book feeds both the mind and the soul.
Take your time to read and think about each part.
As a European Muslim, I felt this book echoed some of my thoughts and gave me new insights. I will definitely reread it to go back to some of the key issues discussed.
I've highlighted many paragraph because of the good points made in them and the excellent command of language. This book feeds both the mind and the soul.
Read
November 28, 2025In this essay collection Abdal Hakim Murad (Tim Winter) explores Islam’s response to modernity and its future in an increasingly hostile Europe. As someone who has contemplated my future here, it was extremely relevant and informative. His prose was challenging and it took time to grasp his authorial voice but it was ultimately rewarding.
In summary, he advocates for a return to the timeless and traditional Islamic principles of jurisprudence and spirituality, oriented from a place of Haqq and Sidq, and rooted in compassion and conviction in Divine Omnipotence. In other words, the Sunnah which he posits as a therapeutic alternative to modernity. This “theological rather than sociological” proposal as it’s fleshed out, he admits, will ruffle some feathers. It certainly ruffled me and my underlying thought patterns but in the end his analysis was thought provoking an ideal foundation for much needed further discourse.
Meanwhile, his criticism bears down on those he calls the “Fearful”. Those with reactionary responses manifested in an egotistical and anger fuelled fundamentalism or a feeble capitulation. These detrimental approaches, emblematic of the modern age, are anti-Prophetic and ultimately reduce a comprehensive, vibrant and nourishing way of life (a Deen) into a spiritually devoid ideology (an -ism).
The essays begin by studying the status quo threats to Muslims posed by Liberalism and the rise of far-right National Populism while navigating where we belong in this context. Then there is the case-study of the very recent Bosnian genocide. The next couple of essays tackle the “Fearful” responses and this point marks the juncture where the essays shift from their diagnostic nature to a more prescriptive one and the author finally expounds his own position. Following this, the growth of atheism in Europe is examined as is the question of Islamic scholarship and knowledge production for British Muslims before concluding on ecological reflections and the inequitable global economic order
In summary, he advocates for a return to the timeless and traditional Islamic principles of jurisprudence and spirituality, oriented from a place of Haqq and Sidq, and rooted in compassion and conviction in Divine Omnipotence. In other words, the Sunnah which he posits as a therapeutic alternative to modernity. This “theological rather than sociological” proposal as it’s fleshed out, he admits, will ruffle some feathers. It certainly ruffled me and my underlying thought patterns but in the end his analysis was thought provoking an ideal foundation for much needed further discourse.
Meanwhile, his criticism bears down on those he calls the “Fearful”. Those with reactionary responses manifested in an egotistical and anger fuelled fundamentalism or a feeble capitulation. These detrimental approaches, emblematic of the modern age, are anti-Prophetic and ultimately reduce a comprehensive, vibrant and nourishing way of life (a Deen) into a spiritually devoid ideology (an -ism).
The essays begin by studying the status quo threats to Muslims posed by Liberalism and the rise of far-right National Populism while navigating where we belong in this context. Then there is the case-study of the very recent Bosnian genocide. The next couple of essays tackle the “Fearful” responses and this point marks the juncture where the essays shift from their diagnostic nature to a more prescriptive one and the author finally expounds his own position. Following this, the growth of atheism in Europe is examined as is the question of Islamic scholarship and knowledge production for British Muslims before concluding on ecological reflections and the inequitable global economic order
August 14, 2025
This is an important book for anyone interested in the subject of Islam in Europe. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad is a deeply knowledgeable and erudite scholar, equally well-versed in the Classical Islamic Tradition and in Western thought. Like Charles Gai Eaton, he embodies the image of British elegance and intellect. His “Englishness” permeates his writing, which can sometimes be challenging to follow, especially for readers, like myself, whose first language is not English.
This is a theology-based work, and it assumes that the reader is already somewhat familiar with the Islamic tradition. The book not only examines external factors — such as the roots of hostility and suspicion toward Muslims among non-Muslims — but also turns inward, addressing what the “Ishmaelites” themselves must do to change perceptions and foster understanding with their neighbors.
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad offers reassurance to European Muslims, reminding them that “The scandal of true religion is that God stands with the outcast” and that “God is with the broken-hearted.” These words, and this book as a whole, serve as both a mirror and a guide for Muslims living in the European context.
This is a theology-based work, and it assumes that the reader is already somewhat familiar with the Islamic tradition. The book not only examines external factors — such as the roots of hostility and suspicion toward Muslims among non-Muslims — but also turns inward, addressing what the “Ishmaelites” themselves must do to change perceptions and foster understanding with their neighbors.
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad offers reassurance to European Muslims, reminding them that “The scandal of true religion is that God stands with the outcast” and that “God is with the broken-hearted.” These words, and this book as a whole, serve as both a mirror and a guide for Muslims living in the European context.
May 30, 2025
Travelling Home is a lovely book of essays that makes up for its slightly outdated host of concerns with excellent writing and Murad's very compelling voice. The book is at its best when Murad is translating and interpreting directly from the sacred tradition; I am reminded of his criminally short translation of a section of Fath al-Bari. One thing that I think holds back "Traditional Islam" as the author calls it--the mainstream, bookish, mercy-focused, spirituality-friendly vein of Islam--in the West is that too many of the vehicles of the tradition do not have a learned command of the English-langauge literary tradition. Murad certainly has that, and puts it to use making a compelling case against fear and isolation from other faith communities or national artistic traditions. Reading as an American, I can't help but feel that in our place and time populist Islamophobia, while certainly present, is not as large of a concern as it is in Europe. I'm much more afraid of suburbia and the total disregard and outright disdain for the humanities.
March 26, 2023
A manifesto for the re-calibration of our discourse and prioritisation of purposes and tasks at hand. The below aptly summarises the thrust of what he is calling for:
“…instead of just complaining let’s see if we can come up with something more therapeutic and that I think is the more authentic religious response so really the core of the book is a Muslim theological argument about how we can change our discourse and flip it from being moaning and demanding rights and demanding protection and turning it into something more positive and proactive and I think more likely to be respected and certainly better for dawah which is what can we do to help this continent that’s in the grip of so many crises and you mentioned…”
“…instead of just complaining let’s see if we can come up with something more therapeutic and that I think is the more authentic religious response so really the core of the book is a Muslim theological argument about how we can change our discourse and flip it from being moaning and demanding rights and demanding protection and turning it into something more positive and proactive and I think more likely to be respected and certainly better for dawah which is what can we do to help this continent that’s in the grip of so many crises and you mentioned…”
September 8, 2021
Can Muslims feel at home in Europe? Is Islam a foreign 'otherness' that has no place in the west?
In his typical punchy and intellectual style, Abdal Hakim Murad persuasively argues that from a 'traditional' Islamic perspective, the Muslim can be home anywhere:
"Superficially Muslims look like outliers and visitors, even though deeply they belong, because they belong to God."
But he goes further. Not only can Muslims be at home in the west, but with the right approach and tools, they can even offer something beautiful to a society that is suffering the consequences of a spiritual vacuum.
It's hard work reading this book, so get your highlights and pens out. But it's worth it.
In his typical punchy and intellectual style, Abdal Hakim Murad persuasively argues that from a 'traditional' Islamic perspective, the Muslim can be home anywhere:
"Superficially Muslims look like outliers and visitors, even though deeply they belong, because they belong to God."
But he goes further. Not only can Muslims be at home in the west, but with the right approach and tools, they can even offer something beautiful to a society that is suffering the consequences of a spiritual vacuum.
It's hard work reading this book, so get your highlights and pens out. But it's worth it.
January 14, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Beyond his magnificent literary style, his thoughts are thoroughly developed and impeccably reasoned, making this a work I will revisit often. While I may not agree with him on everything, I find him to be a rare Islamic thinker capable of long-term vision, avoiding the reactionary rhetoric that often characterizes contemporary Islamic personalities, particularly online. This book has the potential to become a classic in the decades to come.
In the meantime, I will be paying close attention to the books cited in the references.
In the meantime, I will be paying close attention to the books cited in the references.
January 28, 2022
Some interesting ideas that unfortunately are not tenable in the real world. Very much the work of an ivory tower academic
January 23, 2024
What they said is true. Shaykh Murad is a hidden gem. You'll need to have good background knowledge of things in order to fully understand and enjoy. The depth and the research is Ma sha Allah. ♥️
January 28, 2024
A must read for all Muslims in Europe
December 5, 2021
An excellent book that contextualises the Muslim Ishmaelite in Europe and what role they can play in their adopted homelands. There are so many profound insights in this gem of a book, whose brevity hides the depth of the exposition.
A key insight touches upon freedom and the façade of freedom we supposedly enjoy in the west. The government controls almost all the real aspects of our lives that truly matter, schooling, economy, morals, law and let's us have freedom in what are trivial areas of life in the grand scheme of things.
But overall I would recommend this to any Muslim growing up in the west who struggles for a sense of religious identity and how to manifest that in the conflicting world of being visibly different and the natural human impulse of trying to fit in.
A key insight touches upon freedom and the façade of freedom we supposedly enjoy in the west. The government controls almost all the real aspects of our lives that truly matter, schooling, economy, morals, law and let's us have freedom in what are trivial areas of life in the grand scheme of things.
But overall I would recommend this to any Muslim growing up in the west who struggles for a sense of religious identity and how to manifest that in the conflicting world of being visibly different and the natural human impulse of trying to fit in.
January 1, 2023
All over the place not a happy read for a non-academic. Might be doable by the dry academic reader. I don’t have any doubt that the thinking of the author is powerful ; he sheds light on a new path of thinking not just seeing the idea. He’s trying to take you there and show you the way too. I’ll defiantly give the book another shot because i abandoned it half way. but I recommend the author to partner with some someone to make the thought journey less treacherous. We’re not at your level Dr. Abdullhakim! We want to learn from you, take it easy on us man 🙌🏼
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews