bitesize islam

Motivation
Shari’ah. What’s the first thing that comes into your head when you hear that word? If you’re not Muslim, chances are it’s something negative; harsh punishments, oppressed women etc. Something old fashioned having no place in today’s world. If you’re a Muslim you will at the very least have some vague idea what the Shar’iah is and rather than negative thoughts filling your head, the word Shari’ah will engender feelings of pride and bring to mind positive images of justice and equality.

How can the same thing be understood so completely differently by different people? Who has the right idea, and what exactly is the Shar’iah? It is undoubtedly one of the hot topics of today yet is misunderstood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The first misunderstanding to clear up is that the Shar’iah is not just one monolithic entity but is actually a complex body of Islamic Law comprised of different sciences or ‘uloom. Bitesize Islam aims to present the Shari’ah and these different ‘uloom using a simple and easy to follow approach. Commonly used terms will be defined and topics broken down logically in the hope that as this blog develops it will go some way in helping both Muslims and non-Muslims understand more about Islam, its aims and objectives and how it goes about achieving them.

About the Author
Faraz Mir is an IT and Software Consultant currently working in the field of Asset Finance. He recently returned from a soujourn, living and studying in Cairo, Egypt where he pursued further studies in the Arabic Language and the Islamic Sciences.

He has experience working in Islamic organisations in the UK including the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) of which he is a local shoora (council) member for the Luton branch. He is of the opinion that a correct and holistic understanding of Islam is an essential component in the development of the British Muslim personality and that Islam by its very nature, inherently encourages fresh thinking, renewal and revival. Faraz is a firm believer in the importance of grassroots community work in forging this personality and to this end is the Group Scout Leader (GSL) for Bedfordshire’s only Muslim scout group, the 25th Beech Hill Scouts, part of the national Scout Association and the Muslim Scout Fellowship (MSF).

Note: The knowledge presented on Bitesize Islam is based almost entirely on studies which were completed in Cairo over the 2007-2008 period. I do not claim to be a scholar or authority on Islamic Law, rather I am merely a student who feels the responsiblity to share what I am learning with others in order increase understanding of God’s final revelation to mankind, Islam. This endeavour is undertaken in the spirit of the Prophetic words, “Convey from me even if it is one verse” [Bukhari].

Anything beneficial on this blog is due to the inherent beauty of Islam and to my wonderful teachers foremost of which is Shaykh Majdi Khalifa, whom I have been blessed with an opportunity to learn from. If there are any mistakes, please point them out as I too am just a student trying to find his way on the path to God.

Kind Regards
Faraz Mir

[Banner photo courtesy of: Zeeshan Alam]