cambridge khutbas etc. show

cambridge khutbas etc.

Summary: In the Name of God the Source of Mercy and Compassion. May He bless His Beloved Messenger Muhammad and grant him abundant peace. This blog collects Muslim sermons (khutbas), talks and other resources (etc.) for anyone interested in Islam. Many of the sermons are by Sheikh Abdul Hakim Murad (a.k.a. T. J. Winter) of Cambridge University, hence the name.

Podcasts:

 The People of Harmony | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 11 March 2016 - 21 mins 26 secs 'And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.' (Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 28) In this sermon the Shaykh talks about the qualities of the people who desire only to please the Almighty. The Shaykh mentions the ‘wool wearers’ amongst the sahaba (ra) who were the best examples of those who submitted fully to Allah. He goes on to mention how the modern material world gives us a delusional notion of status, pushing us to fantasise about being with those who have nothing to offer our spiritual soul, seeking for role models amongst celebrities and the elite of society; thus going directly against the prophetic tradition of seeking the company of the people who are in remembrance of their Lord.    Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 19.6MB)

 Drawing Closer to Allah | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 20 November 2015 - 30 mins 28 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING In this sermon the Shaykh covers the true meaning of the of the great Hadith Qudsi of Islam named by the ulama as Hadith an-Nawafil. In the Hadith, Allah himself describes to us the divine love and the journey that we must take to draw near to Him. Furthermore, Allah Almighty describes how the journey should progress to result in earning his love. It is an extraordinary blessing that Allah Almighty has given us this opportunity to earn the divine love.  The nawafil (supererogatory) acts of worship, are what really progresses this journey for us, enabling us to make the most of the capacity that has been entrusted to us in this world. This sulook, or spiritual pathway, must be a constant effort to counter the lower desires and make the right choices in life at every moment of our lives. The Shaykh then goes onto describe what it means to be a Wali, the one who Allah truly loves.  Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 27.8MB)

 The Curse and the Promise: Religion and Violence | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Lecture - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - St Martin-in-the-Fields church, Trafalgar Sqaure, London - 2 November 2015 - 42 mins 57 secs - Transcription Pending Part of the Autumn Lecture Series at St Martin-in-the-Fields, focusing on religion and violence, reflecting upon both how faith can become the cause and perpetrator of conflict and persecution, and also the victim. But can our faith and our understanding of God also provide the promise for the healing of our nations? The lecture series covered the perspective of the three Abrahamic Faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. St Martin-in-the-Fields invited Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad as a guest speaker to explore these themes from the perspectives of the Islamic faith.   Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 39.3MB)

 The Curse and the Promise: Religion and Violence Q&As | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Question & Answer session  - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - St Martin-in-the-Fields church, Trafalgar Sqaure, London - 2 November 2015 - 35 mins 16 secs - Transcription Pending Part of the Autumn Lecture Series at St Martin-in-the-Fields, focusing on religion and violence, reflecting upon both how faith can become the cause and perpetrator of conflict and persecution, and also the victim. But can our faith and our understanding of God also provide the promise for the healing of our nations? The lecture series covered the perspective of the three Abrahamic Faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. St Martin-in-the-Fields invited Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad as a guest speaker to explore these themes from the perspectives of the Islamic faith. This is the question and answer session which followed the Shaykh's lecture. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 32.3MB)

 Honour Thy Neighbour | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 30 October 2015 - 22 mins 24 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING 'Worship Allah, and do not associate with Him anything, and be good to parents and to kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the close neighbour and the distant neighbour… ' (Surah An-Nisa, Verse 36) The Quran and the Hadith emphasise the importance of honouring our neighbours.  Who are our neighbours and what are their rights.  In this sermon the Shaykh explores this fundamental aspect of our Deen which instructs us on how we should conduct ourselves with those around us regardless of their faith. The right relationships with our neighbours is paramount to the building of cohesive communities and to ultimately earn the pleasure of Allah Almighly. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 20.5MB)

 The Seven Dragons | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 12 Feb 2016 - 24 mins 15 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING 'And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. ' (Surah Al-'Ankabut, Verse 69) The Shaykh describes the seven deadly vices that can destroy the inner soul and which inhibit happiness. He describes the the importance of the inward struggle that is paramount to overcome these vices. Taking lessons from the great story of Surah Yusuf which lays out the method that one must embrace to earn the help of the Almighty against all the vices.   Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 22.2MB)

 The Fully Integrated Life | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 9 October 2015 - 25 mins 16 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING 'Allah bears witness that there is no god except He, and the Angels and the ones endowed with knowledge, upright with equity (bear witness). There is no god except He, The Ever-Mighty, The Ever-Wise...' (Surah al-Imran, Verse 18) As the new academic year begins the Shaykh talks about how one should approach the balance needed in life, to put everything where it deserves to be put. How should one manage the different influences and complexity of life as a student. How does one find the right balance between what may seem Deen and what may seem Dunya. The Shaykh explains how we must strive for the fully integrated life and shares some useful tips from the works of Hujjat ul-Islam Imam Al-Ghazali. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 23.1MB)

 Thankfulness to The Bestower | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 7 November 2014 - 20 mins 52 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING Allah has given the poor human blessings beyond his power to imagine, yet he finds comfort in ingratitude. Belief is thankfulness (shukr) to the Bestower. The Holy Prophet prayed at night not to atone for some sin, but simply out of a thankfulness so powerful that his tears flowed. Allah’s universe is fine-tuned to support matter and life; we live in the midst of extreme improbability. ‘But few of My servants give thanks.’ Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 19.1MB) Download Partial Transcript (docx, 110kb)

 Consciousness Beyond Mindfulness | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 30 January 2015 - 22 mins 49 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING ' O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow...' (Surah al-Hashr, Verse 18) The Shaykh talks about the importance of attentiveness and self-awareness. He describes the journey to full consciousness through a process of self accusation. How does the soul ascend beyond the mere mindfulness that has become popular in contemporary secular meditation; to achieve real awareness encompassing the moral dimension, the awareness which underpins sincere Tawbah. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 20.8MB)

 The Singularity of Intention and Will | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - October 2012 - 27mins 39secs 'Do not push aside those who call upon their Lord morning and night desiring His Face...' Surah Al-'An`ām, verse 52 The Sheikh begins this khutba with this ayah, which touches on the key Qur'anic concept of irada and niyya, will and intention. A 'key counterbalance to excessive exteriority', these principles are the gateways the Almighty uses to judge our actions in this earthly realm. Famously Imam Bukhari begins his great corpus of Sahih Hadith with the foundational narration starting "actions are by intentions". Quite often when discussing intentions, the idea of sincerity is mentioned, a translation of ikhlas. Whilst this translation is common, the Sheikh points out that ikhlas can be defined not simply as sincerity but rather as a purification of an entity to its most singular essence. Thus in this context the believer is asked to have a singularity of intention in all his or her affairs. Judgement is not by ones goods and wealth but with, as the Qur'an says a sound heart, qalbin saleem. As Imam Ghazali notes one can't have singularity of intention without having a sound heart. The uproarious tumult of our desires doesn't settle just because we simply want to have a pure intention. This comes only with the purification of the heart, for as the Qur'an says "truly he succeeds that purifies it". Photo of the grave of Umm Haram, known as Hala Sultan taken at the Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca, Cyprus by the CKETC team. Listen to this khutba Download thus khutba (MP3, 25.3MB)

 Purity: Half of Iman | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 5 December 2014 - 21 mins 16 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING '…and Allah loves those who purify themselves.' (Surah Tawbah, Verse 108) In this sermon, the Shaykh explores the importance of purity in Islam. He explores how outward and inward purity is integral to the human psyche and how this relates to morality, right and wrong, and the natural dignity which is unique to humans. The human soul craves that which is pure and thus the soul finds happiness in that which is pure. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 19.4MB)

 The Straight Path | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 21 November 2014 - 19 mins 47 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING '(As for) those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised.' (Surah Fussilat, Verse 30) In this sermon the Shaykh explores 'Istiqama'. How can we navigate the journey of life and take the path that will give us success; the path of extraordinary blessings; the path of no fear, no grief and the path that will take us ultimately to the promised gardens, God willing. He goes on to identify some of the pitfalls that can lead the human soul to deceive itself and lose its way on the journey. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 18.54MB)

 The New Hijri Year | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 24 October 2014 - 20 mins 4 secs TRANSCRIPTION PENDING 'And whoever migrates in the path of Allah shall find abundant recompense and breadth.' (Surah al-Nisa, Verse 100) On the last day of the year the Sheikh describes some heroic events in the Sira of the Blessed Prophet, which is divided into the Makkan and the Madinan periods by the Hijra. Unlike the Exodus, which ended with divine punishment, the Hijra brings an age of forgiveness and hospitality and charity. The example of Asma bint Abi Bakr shows Islam’s generosity of spirit, and its complete rejection of the values of the Jahiliyya. Listen to this talk Download this talk (MP3, 9.18MB)

 Shari'a and the Modern World | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Circle - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - April 2012 - 1hour 14mins 48secs In this circle the Sheikh tackles the fraught topic of Shari'a and what form and role it has taken and might take in the contemporary context. A number of notable contrasts are pointed out in comparing religious law, which is the only credible legal system that can claim to be associated with Universals, with post-Enlightenment codes. Shari'a is thus described as a both a celebration of peoples' innate rights that can't be transgressed, but also as means of ennobling one's self through the promulgation of virtues and dignity. Thereby the religious law protects others as well as ourselves from ourselves, respecting the rights of God and His servants, ideally and in reality facilitating an atmosphere of serenity and repose. This contrasts sharply with modern civilisation's championing of the virtues of individualism whilst also being the most tightly regulated and legislated age in history; the cracks in the system are being all too evident to see.  The second part of the circle includes an informative sketching out of different forms of law; statutory, case-based and juristic law, the latter representing the classical Islamic model. The Sheikh outlines how Islamic society traditionally had minimal interference from the state, with the qadi and mufti regulating law at a local, personal level. This system started to change in the 19th century following Ottoman changes to the statutory system, as well as Colonial interventions in other Muslim lands. The question that the circle then examines is in the modern 'Arab Spring' era, can contemporary attempts at establishing a religious law be credibly considered as such, when they are rooted in the post-colonial nation-state with all that this involves, in contrast to the system of shari'a that had operated for many centuries previously? Listen to this circle Download this circle (MP3, 71.4MB)

 The Ethics of the Prophet | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Circle - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - February 2012 - 1hour 14mins 48secs In this circle the Sheikh tackles the topic of ethics and what it means within the context of Islam. He begins with a fundamental point; that in the foundation of Islam as with other great faiths the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was no mere theoriser; he laid down no well outlined manifestos or texts titled 'ethics'. Instead he, foremost amongst the greats of the religion, took history by the horns and changed it for the better in a natural way. It was up to those who followed, up to our day, to discover the spirit of how the Prophet was able to take his people and turn them around in an unprecedented time and manner. Many who followed him tried to find that subtle thing, that charisma, that made people hand over the keys to their hearts to him in a way that unified a land that had never been brought together before. It is revealing to note what his wife A'isha - may Allah be pleased with her - said about him: kana khuluquhu al-Quran, his character was that of the Qur'an. The message of Islam is thus intertextual, in a way the Book and the messenger are two facets of the same thing. Thus the Sheikh notes that Akhlaq, 'character traits', is the Islamic term for ethics. The Sheikh outlines the current polarities of the age, where a post-Enlightenment West claiming to have found a Universal basis for ethics that apply to all human beings clashes with an often Muslim world that is seen as puritanical and backward. Sheikh Abdal Hakim goes on to see whether the virtues of the the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, can go some way to bridging this divide that is felt so keenly in contemporary society.  Picture taken in the Eski Camii (Old Mosque) In Edirne, Turkey. Taken by the CKETC team. Listen to this circle Download this circle (MP3, 68.5MB) 

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