Reading the Quran: A Primer in History, Facts and Context

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Imam Salim Chishti

The Quran is certainly unlike most books most modern audiences are familiar with, because unlike them, it does not present a linear argument. Understanding  Continue reading →

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Fanna-Fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali Ensemble | Indian American Magazine | Events | San Jose CA | India Currents

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Imam Salim Chishti

May 24, 2018 @ 7:30 pm – Presenting the ancient sufi tradition of qawwali with deep devotion & ecstatic rhythms, the internationally renowned Sufi Qawwali ensemble Fanna-Fi-Allah will visit San Francisco during their 20th annual tour, carrying the flame of tradition, devotion and mysticism.

Source: Fanna-Fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali Ensemble | Indian American Magazine | Events | San Jose CA | India Currents

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The shimmering, khamosh dargah

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Imam Salim Chishti

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | LALITA IYER

It is among the few structures to have incorporated classical European elements within its architecture.

Hyderabad: Crowded lanes, recalcitrant two-wheeler drivers, rash four wheelers and you make a right turn hoping the lane is large enough for a vehicle. And then the surprising roominess, the attempts at modernity among the traditional. Many cars are parked outside and then the haleem hundi that stays tightly shut, waiting for the month of Ramzan when it will be cooked and served to all. Continue reading →

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Working to protect the Quran and women’s rights | News | dailyuw.com

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Imam Salim Chishti

Editor’s Note: [I am happy to see this article and happy that UW is helping the cause! But I must just clarify one thing from the beginning of the article – there have always been women who have done serious and valuable Qur’an interpretation. From the Prophet’s (saw) time even to the present day. The fact that in certain countries/cultures women are demeaned and given second class status is not Islamic at all. So this resurgence of women’s position in Islam is a harder struggle for women in those cultures and they should be encouraged and applauded for their bravery and their knowledge.] Continue reading →

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Mystic Mantra: Spiritual illumination of Wahdat-ul-Wujood

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Imam Salim Chishti

Asian Age, April 26, 2018
Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi

The Sufi philosophy of Wahdat is actually derived from Tawheed, the basic Islamic tenet of monotheism.

India’s mystics — both rishi-munis and Sufi saints — were able to go beyond the man-made religious boundaries only because they practiced Advaita or Wahdat-ul-Wujood (unity of being) at an experiential level and not just in academic discourses. But today we are deprived of that divine bliss as we engage merely in intellectual exercises on the spiritual experiences like the unity of existence (wahdat-ul-wujood), universal brotherhood (ukhuwat-e-insani) and a deeper personal relationship with the Almighty (wisal-e Ilahi). Continue reading →

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