The very first revelation came down with one bold word and one unmistakable command—Read! Though crystal clear in its wording, it has been variably interpreted and celebrated throughout history. In this brief article, Dr. Akram reveals his own thoughts on this misunderstood command. For him, it is no endorsement of education or the sciences, but an emphasis of the prayer, which is of central importance in the Islamic faith.
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In this monograph, Dr. Akram continues his personal reflections on the Qurʾān, in this case, on the idea of the Qurʾān as a straightforward Book that is free of aberrations and crookedness, which many human beings have attempted to muddle with their restrictions and excesses, all of which mar the pure and straight Qurʾānic path.
Download pdf for full version with Arabic text.
In this brief article, Dr. Akram revealed some of his insights into the timings of prayer and how they relate to the profound Ibrāhīmic call: I love not the things that go down!
Download in pdf for full version with Arabic and footnotes.
In this monograph, Dr. Akram briefly discusses the Tarawīḥ prayer of Ramadan, which has unfortunately become a point of contention in many Muslim communities.
Download pdf for full version with Arabic and footnotes.
In a previous monograph, Dr. Akram revealed some of his insights into the timings of prayer and how they relate to the Ibrāhīmic call. In this one, he takes a deeper look at the number of units of prayer in a full day, expounding on their wisdom and touching on some brief issues relating to the obligatory and supererogatory prayers, the Witr prayer and the Tarāwīḥ of Ramadan.
Please note that this translation has been revised as of May 21, 2018 to correct two mistakes.
Download for Full version with footnotes and Arabic
The tension between reason and revelation as a source of knowledge has manifested itself repeatedly and persistently throughout the annals of Islamic intellectual thought, particularly in the field of kalām (scholastic theology). Reason was deemed to be based on a set of rational precepts, derived from a predominantly Hellenistic tradition, whereas revelation was transmitted and not rationally known. This ʿaql-versus-naql divide surfaced in later times in the forced comparison between ḥadīth as a set of transmitted reports— often presumed to be fallible—and philosophy as a set of intellectually derived principles, generally considered reliable and certain. In this monograph, Dr Akram clarifies the fallaciousness of this comparison and the true differences between both.
Between Hadith and Philosophy pdf
Imlā al-Khāṭir Series
In this series, which he names Imlā al-Khāṭir (literally, “dictation of thoughts”), Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi follows in the tradition of the Ḥanbalī scholar Ibn al-Jawzī’s Ṣayd al-Khāṭir and shares with the world his reflections on a variety of topics ranging from theology to law, history to heart softeners, philosophy, education and more. Composed in a casual, conversational style consisting of questions followed by their brief answers (each portion predicated by qālū/qultu, “they said”/”I responded”), he utilizes therein the highest level of Arabic, reflecting his love of the language and his extensive expertise in Arabic grammar and rhetoric. These short but poignant reflections are part of the balāghah genre and tradition of Arabic literature. It should be noted that these translations, done by his senior students, serve as a guide and can never fully match the style, tone and eloquence of the original Arabic. Also note that Dr. Akram does not necessarily review each translation and is not responsible for any errors, improper word choices, or the likes, that are an inevitable part of the translation process.
سلسلة إملاء الخاطر | Imlā al-Khāṭir Series
A Centre for Arabic and Islamic Sciences
Oxford . London . Online
In this monograph, Dr. Akram expounds on his thoughts on the discipline of history—often neglected in Islamic syllabi and curricula—while sharing some biographical material on the teacher who influenced his approach to history the most: Shaykh Abū al-ʿIrfān Nadwī.
Imlā al-Khāṭir Series
In this series, which he names Imlā al-Khāṭir (literally, “dictation of thoughts”), Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi follows in the tradition of the Ḥanbalī scholar Ibn al-Jawzī’s Ṣayd al-Khāṭir and shares with the world his reflections on a variety of topics ranging from theology to law, history to heart softeners, philosophy, education and more. Composed in a casual, conversational style consisting of questions followed by their brief answers (each portion predicated by qālū/qultu, “they said”/”I responded”), he utilizes therein the highest level of Arabic, reflecting his love of the language and his extensive expertise in Arabic grammar and rhetoric. These short but poignant reflections are part of the balāghah genre and tradition of Arabic literature. It should be noted that these translations, done by his senior students, serve as a guide and can never fully match the style, tone and eloquence of the original Arabic. Also note that Dr. Akram does not necessarily review each translation and is not responsible for any errors, improper word choices, or the likes, that are an inevitable part of the translation process.
سلسلة إملاء الخاطر | Imlā al-Khāṭir Series
A Centre for Arabic and Islamic Sciences
Oxford . London . Online
