- Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
-
Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari Full name Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari Born England Era Modern era Region Islamic scholar School Hanafi Main interests Islamic law, Islamic finance, Lecturing Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari is a public speaker and author of Islamic books and translator of several Arabic works to the English language.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Born in Leicester, UK, Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari started learning about Islam from a very young age and memorized the Qur’an at the age of nine. He initially studied the Arabic language and various other traditional Islamic sciences including Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), Hadith and Fiqh at Dar al-Uloom, Bury, UK. He also received Ijazah in Hadith from the late Grand Mufti of India, Shaykh Mahmud al-Hasan Gangohi and underwent a one year course of specialization in the science of issuing religious verdicts (Fatwa). He also studied in the Arab world.
Career
He is a teacher of various traditional Islamic sciences and Director and Researcher at the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence. He is a Board Member of the Al-Qalam Shari’ah Scholars Panel, established for Muslim consumers and businesses for Shari’ah-based guidance. He is also an Advisory Member of the Islamic Medical Ethics Forum (IMEF)and a Shari’ah Advisor on Islamic Banking.
Works
His authored books include Islamic Guide to Sexual Relations,[1] Birth Control & Abortion in Islam,[2] and The Issue of Shares and Simplified Rules of Zakat. He has also published Shaykh Zakariyya Kandahlawi’s Wujub I’fa’ al-Lihya (the obligation of growing a beard) and Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri’s Mabahith fi Aqa’id Ahl al-Sunna aka: Al-Muhannad ala‘l-Mufannad (Discussions in the beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunna), both with critical analysis and footnotes in Arabic.
Controversy
In February 2011, University of York student media reported on the controversy surrounding al-Kawthari's visit.[3] [4] Various campus groups launched an official complaint on the grounds of social cohesion, focusing on a recent report by Civitas.[5] Key criticisms included allegations that al-Kawthari's views "legitimis[ed] rape," and accusations that his opposition to women traveling more than 48 miles without their husbands was inherently sexist. The Member of the UK Parliament for York Outer, Julian Sturdy also weighed in on the debate, stating, "I believe in the absolute importance of freedom of speech, but I am not happy that this vile speaker is using the university as a platform to create tension in the community."[6]
Defenders of al-Kawthari, including the University of York Islamic Society, stated that his views were taken "bizarrely out of context" and accused the campaigners of hypocrisy in selectively defending free speech.[7] A statement by al-Kawthari responding to the allegations was read on BBC York.[8] Following the controversy, al-Kawthari delivered the talk entitled "Misconceptions of Islam" on February 16, 2011 without incident.[9]
His talk was delivered to a packed lecture hall of both students and the general public. The speech was preceded by children handing out flowers and a recital of a blessing and praise to Allah from the Koran. He began by hoping to dispel media propaganda and portray real Islam, saying “a human is an enemy of that which he/she is ignorant of”. He rejected extremism and terrorism in Islam, stating the two meanings of ‘Islam’ are submission to God and peace. He added that Islam “promotes and encourages peace” between Muslims and non-Muslims and the Koran teaches Muslims to treat other faiths justly and live amicably in society. Al-Kawthari said Islam contains “no compulsion, no force, no exertion” in trying to make people follow Islam and Muslims can interact with non-Muslims as long as it doesn’t affect them following Islam. Practicing religion well assures a good relationship with Allah and a good next life, he added.
Al-Kawthari spoke also of Islam attitudes to human rights, including kindness to animals and trees, pointing out various similarities between Judaism and Islam.
He defended penal laws, some of which are seen as controversial and out-dated in Western countries, such as stoning and amputation, and insisted they are not always followed and must be taken to court and are only enforceable in Islamic States, which Britain is not.
He then moved on to laws about sex and marriage, about which he has written a book, stressing the importance of equal rights within a marriage, respect and consideration.
The evening ended with a question and answer session, which raised some controversial and challenging questions about homophobia and honour killings. Al-Kawthari argued that honour killings are a result of culture, not religion, and ended by hoping Islamaphobia will reduce, not only here at York, but across the country. [10]
References
- ^ http://www.turath.co.uk/tp/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=24
- ^ http://www.whitethreadpress.com/publications/birth_control.htm
- ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2011/02/14/mass-controversy-over-visiting-islamic-scholar/
- ^ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/6478/21/ from theyorker.co.uk
- ^ http://www.civitas.org.uk/press/prcs87.php
- ^ Hiu, Chiifen (February 13, 2011). "Islam Week speaker causes controversy". the yorker. http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/6478/21. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/islamophobia-watch/2011/2/14/civitas-inspired-campaign-against-speaker-at-york-university.html
- ^ BBC York (statement starts at 1:05.20).
- ^ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/news/6508/ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/news/6508
- ^ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/news/6508/ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/news/6508
- Muhammad ibn Adam's Biography
- http://www.whitethreadpress.com/authors/muhammad_adam.htm
- http://www.turath.co.uk/tp/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69&Itemid=28
- http://www.sunnipath.com/about/shaykhmia.aspx
- http://www.lamppostproductions.com/node/189
External links
Categories:- British Muslims
- Living people
- Muslim scholars
- Muslim scholars of Islam
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
