Has Hamza Yusuf ever condemned the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan?

[Sunni_Student786]

As salaamu alaykum.

I was just wondering, Has Hamza Yusuf EVER publicly condemned the U.S. led wars in Iraq or Afghanistan? I am not asking about whether or not he has condemned certain actions undertaken in the execution of those wars, but if he has condemned the wars themselves.

If someone could tell me in what capacity, if any, he has PUBLICLY condemned the launching, or the continuing, of either of those wars by the U.S., I would appreciate it.

Please provide web links, magazine quotations, or any other such relevant information, not just what people have said they have heard in private from him or those associated with him.

Jazakallahu Khair.

Wa'salaam.

[alibaba]

shouldnt have come back....but one comment...

majority of the muslims keep condemning the war on Iraq ... but if you ask the Iraqi people...they thoroughly support it..plus..I have a coupla Iraqi friends of mine who think it is silly of me to be against the..war....nukes or no nukes ...Saddam had to go....and there was no way for him to go w/o a war....

sure they want the oil....sure they killed many people......but if they didn't Saddam would....and he would opress his own people as well!!!

They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: "Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members." tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein.
(Chapter #2, Verse #217)

after all opression is worse then slaughter

he killed thousands upon thousands of Kurds and Shia muslims.......there was no justification for it....

unless of course we have Saddam supporters in our midst?

[Abdullah]

shouldnt have come back....but one comment...

majority of the muslims keep condemning the war on Iraq ... but if you ask the Iraqi people...they thoroughly support it..plus..I have a coupla Iraqi friends of mine who think it is silly of me to be against the..war....nukes or no nukes ...Saddam had to go....and there was no way for him to go w/o a war....

sure they want the oil....sure they killed many people......but if they didn't Saddam would....and he would opress his own people as well!!!

They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: "Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members." tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein.
(Chapter #2, Verse #217)

after all opression is worse then slaughter

he killed thousands upon thousands of Kurds and Shia muslims.......there was no justification for it....

unless of course we have Saddam supporters in our midst?

your coupla friends dont represent the iraqi people..

.the kuffars have killed millions by imposing illegal sanctions since '91 forget the war..

so what you suggesting brother not condemn their actions??

[ahsanirfan]

As salaamu alaykum.

I was just wondering, Has Hamza Yusuf EVER publicly condemned the U.S. led wars in Iraq or Afghanistan? I am not asking about whether or not he has condemned certain actions undertaken in the execution of those wars, but if he has condemned the wars themselves.

If someone could tell me in what capacity, if any, he has PUBLICLY condemned the launching, or the continuing, of either of those wars by the U.S., I would appreciate it.

Please provide web links, magazine quotations, or any other such relevant information, not just what people have said they have heard in private from him or those associated with him.

Jazakallahu Khair.

Wa'salaam.

i cant provide u a link.. because he said it on tv actually.. on Discover Islam TV.. on his visit to Bahrain... he did publicly condemn the war on Iraq at tht point.. and from his other talks u can discern his stance quite clearly... sorry abt tht tho.. cant really provide a link

[Goldi]

I have heard him personally. The condemnation of the war itself, it's lack of legality and so on, on more than 2 occasions.

Live at ISNA Convention, Live at the Ihya Foundation dinner in Toronto and Live at University of Toronto speech with Noah Feldman.

[Omar HH]

I have heard him personally. The condemnation of the war itself, it's lack of legality and so on, on more than 2 occasions.

Live at ISNA Convention, Live at the Ihya Foundation dinner in Toronto and Live at University of Toronto speech with Noah Feldman.

Rihla with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf series he was VERY critical.

jazakallahu khayrun

[jaylen]

I can't imagine any muslim wanting kuffar coming into their country, declaring war and do what the US is doing. And if these [clip] "muslims" don't get with the program they'll be next.

I just finished reading this article and the US is holding children as young as 8 or 11 in Abu Gharib..um now tell me again if you want the kuffar in your home.

read the article it is just as disturbing as the photos

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4339511.stm

muslims need to wake up before hell surrounds them.

<mod note: Regardless of who's being adressed let's please maintain proper adab in our speech :insh:.>

[Omar HH]

Also on Zaytuna's website they have that TV program he was on where he was also very anti-war.

Jazakallahu Khayrun

[Sunni_Student786]

Thank you for your replies thus far. If you guys could provide links or give me information on as to where I can personally view or read quotations of such condemnations, I would really appreciate it.

Furthermore, I asked not only about the war in Iraq, but also the one that is currently being waged in Afghanistan. If anyone could tell me whether or not Shaykh Hamza has CONDEMNED the war in Afghanistan, as well as the one in Iraq, PUBLICLY, and provide either web links, magazine quotations, etc., it would be most appreciated it.

Jazakallahu Khair.

[Harris Ibn Qureshi]

Thank you for your replies thus far. If you guys could provide links or give me information on as to where I can personally view or read quotations of such condemnations, I would really appreciate it.

Furthermore, I asked not only about the war in Iraq, but also the one that is currently being waged in Afghanistan. If anyone could tell me whether or not Shaykh Hamza has CONDEMNED the war in Afghanistan, as well as the one in Iraq, PUBLICLY, and provide either web links, magazine quotations, etc., it would be most appreciated it.

Jazakallahu Khair.


I am also interested to know if he publicaly condemned the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.And iam also interested in reading articles on his public condemnation if he has any....

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

why not ask him yourself if you are that concerned by it?

i for one personally know that he has - no need for magazine articles and so forth.....

in any case, why do all ask?

it is as if you wish to hear that he hasn't, so that accusations can be made against him..... honestly, why can't people leave the shaykh, our muslim brother alone.

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

if you listen to his oxford talk in the uk, which i attended, he was quite clear in that he NEVER supported the bombing of afghanistan....

[faqir]

Asalamu alaykum,

I have heard Shaykh Hamza condemn the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions on many occasions but the brothers want links / articles....


Here are some links I had saved for the brother to explore for the time being:


Traditional Education in an Age of Terror - Sh. Hamza answers some of the slander against him in this lecture:

http://209.41.170.97:8080/ramgen/%7Ezmedia/audio/Shaykh%20Hamza%20Yusuf%20-%20Traditional%20Education%20in%20an%20Age%20of%20 Terror.rm

[move forward to 17 minutes]



ISNA Speech:

http://www.isna.net/vision/convention/2004/session7a.ram

[skip to 1:24]



America's Tragedy transcript of the Q&A at the end [and link to transcript of speech]:

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/issues/us_tragedy_islamic_view_qa.htm



Islam-online article:

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2001-10/02/article13.shtml




BBC thought of the Day:

http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=65



More later, inshaAllah.

[faqir]

as salamu alaykum

if you listen to his oxford talk in the uk, which i attended, he was quite clear in that he NEVER supported the bombing of afghanistan....


There was that one talk I had on CD [the ?Bristol one with the black cover] where Sh. Hamza was introduced as the advisor to Bush and Sh. Hamza stated something along the lines.. I am not Bush's advisor, I did give him some advice which he did not take.......[laughter]


Sheikh al-Junaid said,

"The Sufi is like the earth, filth is flung on it but roses grow from it."

[Harris Ibn Qureshi]

as salamu alaykum

why not ask him yourself if you are that concerned by it?

i for one personally know that he has - no need for magazine articles and so forth.....

in any case, why do all ask?

it is as if you wish to hear that he hasn't, so that accusations can be made against him..... honestly, why can't people leave the shaykh, our muslim brother alone.

Calm down brother, we are asking a legitimate question. Don't rush to conclusions. You think if we had access to hamza yusuf we would post our question on these boards? why don't you give us his contact info, so we can directly ask him?

Jazakallah for some of the links, i would really like to have more sources to look at.

[Hypermodestmuslima]

Live at the Ihya Foundation dinner in Toronto and Live at University of Toronto speech with Noah Feldman.

Live from Canada...

DO they have any videos/dvds/lecture cds from the Ihya foundation dinner...perhaps the brother can use that to answer his query for sources...

[Goldi]

Live from Canada...

DO they have any videos/dvds/lecture cds from the Ihya foundation dinner...perhaps the brother can use that to answer his query for sources...


Unfortunately for us (and him) the video for that event is not available at the moment. But boy did he have a blast up there. By that I mean this: Imagine saying to Shaykh Hamza, Shaykh you have unlimited time to talk about anything YOU want. ya, it was good.

[ahsanirfan]

Unfortunately for us (and him) the video for that event is not available at the moment. But boy did he have a blast up there. By that I mean this: Imagine saying to Shaykh Hamza, Shaykh you have unlimited time to talk about anything YOU want. ya, it was good.

must have made the rest of your body numb..... u cudnt think after that cud u?

[Omar HH]

I think we've sufficiently proven Shaykh Hamza's (may Allah [SWT] preserve him) stance.

[Mujib]

As-Salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

On the first post 9/11 BBC program – I believe it was the first – Shaykh Hamza referred to the war on terrorism as state terrorism. That was before Iraq, I believe, so it must have been in reference to Afghanistan.

The link should still be available at the Zaytuna site.

Was-Salam

[Goldi]

must have made the rest of your body numb..... u cudnt think after that cud u?

quite the contrary. it made me (like always) think and contemplate more and more. exit from a state of ghafla is essential.

[Harris Ibn Qureshi]

Here is an article i found written by sh hamza yusuf on sept 11.. http://masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/shhamza_sep11.htm


A Time for Introspection
by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf



This article first appeared in Q-News, the Muslim magazine,
www.q-news.com.

On September 11th our lives changed forever. We witnessed an act of aggression that in many ways does not have a parallel in past or present times. There are several elements that make this act unique, from the use of civilian planes as weapons of mass destruction to the attack on the most widely recognised skyscrapers in the world. Nor have we ever witnessed the terrible indictment of Islam as having a part to play in such a heinous crime, writes Hamza Yusuf.



Muslims were seen rejoicing in some parts of the world in a display of what can only be called shamaatatul 'aadai', which is rejoicing at the calamities of ones’ enemies. This is something explicitly prohibited in Islam and was never practiced by the Prophet of Mercy, upon him be prayers and peace. We have seen images since of American flags burning to further arouse the wrath of a nation filled with grief, confusion and anger. Again, Islam prohibits the burning of flags according to the explicit verse, “Do not curse [the idols] of those who call on other than Allah, thus causing them to curse Allah out of animosity [toward you] and without knowledge.” This verse prohibits even the cursing of false gods because of the consequences. We have also seen image after image of Muslims with beards and turbans, who by all outward means look religious and pious - but are they really?

Unfortunately, the West does not know what every Muslim scholar knows; that the worst enemies of Islam are from within. The worst of these are the khawaarij who delude others by the deeply dyed religious exterior that they project. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said about them, “When you see them pray you will consider your own prayers insignificant. They recite the Quran but it does not exceed the limits of their throat.” In other words, they don’t understand the true meanings. The outward religious appearance and character of the khawaarij deluded thousands in the past, and continues to delude people today. The Muslims should be aware that despite the khawaarij adherence to certain aspects of Islam, they are extremists of the worst type.

Our Prophet said, peace be upon him, “Beware of extremism in your religion.” Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect. Zealots are a plague upon religion. These extremists come in two types. The first is a reactionary extremist who falls far right of a centre-point. Reactionary extremists do not want any pluralism; they view the world in melodramatic, black and white, good and evil terms. They are good and anyone who opposes them is evil. From among the Muslims these are people who ‘excommunicate’ any Muslim who fails to share their interpretations of the Quran. They use takfir and character assassination as a tool for marginalising any criticism directed at them. They are used often by the Western media in order to scare simple people and cause them to believe that Muslims are insane. Unfortunately, our communities provide them with much fuel to fire their incendiary flames.

The second group are radical extremists, who while they are almost identical with the former group, differ in that they will use violence to further their cause. They are actually worse than the first. They believe like every nefarious secret society before them that ‘the end justifies the means.’ They see any act as acceptable if it will further their ‘cause.’ This is blatantly anti-Islamic for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Islam’s means must reflect its noble ends. Any means that does not embody the core truths and ethics of Islam is not from Islam and thus denounced as aberration. Secondly, Islam is not a secret society of conspirators who no one knows what they are planning. Islam declares openly its aims and objectives and these are recognised by good people everywhere as pure and congruent with their own wisdom and traditions. In the case of many of these extremists even the non-Muslims recognise that no religion of any weight could sanction the taking of innocent lives. The Quran says that the Torah and the Gospel have guidance and light and that the Quran came to fulfil these prior dispensations. Good Christians and Jews who believe in God and live ethically upright lives have no frame of reference for such acts, so how could these acts be from Islam, which confirms what has come before it?

Thirdly, they are invariably people who have never taken a true spiritual path to God and nor have they studied the humanities. I can almost guarantee that you will not find a scholar of poetry among the whole vile lot of these people. They have no true knowledge of Arabian culture, which is centred in the idea of futuwwa; a word akin to the western word chivalry. The terrorists posing as journalists who killed Ahmad Shah Masuud were cowards of the worst type. Killing themselves was not bravery but stupidity, but killing one’s enemy in such a way is the worst form of treachery and the Arabs have many poems denouncing such type of people.

Our real situation is this: we Muslims have lost theologically sound understanding of our teaching. Islam has been hijacked by a discourse of anger and the rhetoric of rage. We have allowed for too long our mimbars to become bully pulpits in which people with often recognisable psychopathology use anger - a very powerful emotion - to rile Muslims up, only to leave them feeling bitter and spiteful towards people who in the most part are completely unaware of the conditions in the Muslim world, or the oppressive assaults of some Western countries on Muslim peoples. We have lost our bearings because we have lost our theology. We have almost no theologians in the entire Muslim world. The study of kalaam, once the hallmark of our intellectual tradition, has been reduced to memorizing 144 lines of al-Jawhara and a good commentary to study it, at best.

The reality is we are an Umma that no longer realises that Allah is the power behind all power; that it is Allah who subjugates one people to another; that He gives dominion to whom He pleases and He takes it away from whom He pleases. Our understanding of tawhid has fallen into such disarray that we can no longer introspect when afflictions befall us and then wonder in amazement at why the Americans seem incapable of introspection. Indeed, I personally attended a memorial service in San Francisco with over 30,000 people and the Reverend Amos Brown said in no uncertain terms that America must ask herself what she has done either wittingly or unwittingly to incur the wrath and hate of people around the world. Muslims on the other hand, generally prefer to attack the West as the sole reason for their problems when the truth is we are bankrupt as a religious community and our spiritual bankruptcy has led to our inability to even deliver the message of Islam to Westerners in a time when they were giving us platforms to do so.

It is ironic that the Western media while producing many vile programs on Islam has also produced and aired material of the highest quality with a high level of accuracy only to be vilified by Muslims because it was not good enough. Where is our media? Where are our spokespeople? Where are our scholars? Where are our literary figures? The truth is we don’t have any - and so instead of looking inward and asking painful questions such as why we don’t have such things and such people, we take the simple way out by attacking people whom Allah tells us will do mean things, say bad things and plot against us. And always when we are warned we are told to be patient, to work for the good, to trust in Allah, to return to Allah, to implement our deen.

Conspiracy or not, we are to blame for the terrible backlash against Muslims. The simple reason is that when a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about.

[ahsanirfan]

your point being?

[Sunni_Student786]

as salamu alaykum

why not ask him yourself if you are that concerned by it?

i for one personally know that he has - no need for magazine articles and so forth.....

in any case, why do all ask?

it is as if you wish to hear that he hasn't, so that accusations can be made against him..... honestly, why can't people leave the shaykh, our muslim brother alone.

I have not asked him myself because, as another brother noted, I do not have direct access to Shaykh Hamza. Even though you have no need for magazine articles and such because you personally have heard him condemn both wars, I have not and am in need of them because I would rather rely on something a bit more concrete than the anonymous testimony of individuals in cyberspace. I do not think that anyone should be offended by this. If anything, I think that this is how it should be since it was because of people reliance on others statements, without verifying them, that the propaganda campaign against Hamza Yusuf began in the first place.

The accusation that has been levied against me in the last paragraph is totally unfounded and incorrect. I am not trying to find a reason to slander any Muslim, nor do I believe that I have any, nor do I want any, nor would I even if such grounds existed.

I am not "leaving the shaykh alone" because I would like to have some clarification on his stances on many issues since his stances became incredibly clouded and the manner in which he carried himself, and spoke, in his most public and publicized appearances have left, in my estimation, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Muslims in the West with ridiculous views on a number of political and fiqhi matters, as well as some concerning Islamic basics. The claim that the term Jihad has not been used in a militaristic sense even once in the Quran is among them. I don't know how many people I have come across who now, based on that statement, really, truly, believe that there is no such thing as a military Jihad in this day and age directly because, according to their own statements, of Shaykh Hamza's "excellent" exposition of the issue of Jihad on national TV. Even more numerous are those, who again cite Hamza Yusuf's "perspective"/"approach" to Islam and the post-9/11 world, who have told me to pray that George W. Bush, a kafir, is guided, and that Hamid Karzai, who is collaborating with the Kufaar, is also guided, while, in the same breath, spewing venom at fellow Muslims being attacked by the kufaar in many military theaters all over the world. I find it amazing how we are quick to point out how we should excuse our brother Hamza Yusuf's actions, which may have been wrong, but were well-intentioned, yet we can't extend that same courtesy to those who be wrong in their actions, but who have good intentions and are willing to give up their lives for what they believe to be in the best interests of the Ummah. Apparently Allah has given us the ability to see into the hearts of those being slaughtered by non-Muslims around the world and to somehow determine that their intentions are not to rectify the condition of the Ummah.

Does this mean that I do not recognize Hamza Yusuf as a scholar? No.

Does this mean that I do not believe that we make excuses for our brother
Muslim when he does something that may seem to be incorrect? No.

Does this mean that I do not believe that we should ALWAYS assume that our fellow Muslim brother has the best of intentions at heart when he/she tells us that they are trying to do what they believe is best for the Ummah? No.

But what I am saying is that such courtesies should not be selectively extended unless the reason for doing so is FIRMLY grounded in the Shariah.

I hope that this clarifies my stance and that none will entertain incorrect notions about me regarding this matter.

Wa'salaam.

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

<<The claim that the term Jihad has not been used in a militaristic sense even once in the Quran is among them. I don't know how many people I have come across who now, based on that statement, really, truly, believe that there is no such thing as a military Jihad in this day and age directly because, according to their own statements, of Shaykh Hamza's "excellent" exposition of the issue of Jihad on national TV.>>

what he said was true. i stand by it, so does Shaykh Gibril Haddad, and so Shaykh Buti also said the same. there are four occurences of the word 'JIHAD' as it written here, (not any other derivative), in the qur'an.... none of them exclusively indicate a military meaning; this is proved by the various tafsirs as well. he also has said that jihad is military in shari'a, and that he does not deny it! no contradiction, but i agree, can be misleading.


<<Even more numerous are those, who again cite Hamza Yusuf's "perspective"/"approach" to Islam and the post-9/11 world, who have told me to pray that George W. Bush, a kafir, is guided, and that Hamid Karzai, who is collaborating with the Kufaar, is also guided,>>

there is no harm in doing that, is there?

<<I find it amazing how we are quick to point out how we should excuse our brother Hamza Yusuf's actions, which may have been wrong, but were well-intentioned,>>

the difference is, his actions are not seen as wrong by many...

<<yet we can't extend that same courtesy to those who be wrong in their actions, but who have good intentions and are willing to give up their lives for what they believe to be in the best interests of the Ummah.>>

...which more people agree ARE wrong, (depending on which actions you mean).

[faqir]

Akhi Pahlawaaan Khan, did you listen to the links I posted? Did you read the articles?

The reason I ask is that the following can found there wrt what Shaykh Hamza said about JIHAD:


About jihad, there is no verse where jihad is specifically used to refer to war, and you can look through the entire Qur'an. When Allah speaks about war, He uses the word qital. Jihad is a general, comprehensive term that includes a military endeavor that is for the truth, but it has the broadest meanings in the Qur'an. It includes all that Muslims struggle to do. For example, building schools is a jihad; fighting the nafs is a jihad; and so forth. That is why the Qur'an does not limit the word. Juhud just means struggle, and that was what I meant in the interview. There are verses where it does refer to martial combat, but it does not specifically limit the term to that one use, and that is why we do not have a "holy war," so to speak. The struggle for the sake of Allah is a high thing.

[Sunni_Student786]

Shaykhs-Pir Sahib,

In response to your first paragraph, GF Haddad said that what Shaykh Hamza said was true with respect to the Makkan Suras, not the whole of the Qur'an. Reread the article that he wrote regarding the matter if you do not agree with me.

Furthermore, I never claimed that there existed an outright contradiction between his statements immediately after 9/11 and when he sought to clarify those same statements, so I do not see why you cite the fact that there is no contradiction. What I have maintained, if you actually read my post carefully, is that he did make, and has made, ambiguous/misleading statements that have led, in my estimation, hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the West with an incorrect view of the concept of Jihad and what the Qur'an has said regarding the matter. I myself have met personally met dozens. I can understand the Shaykh's reasons for doing so, but that does not mean that those statements still have not misled many a Muslim.

When you quoted me as saying, "Even more numerous are those, who again cite Hamza Yusuf's "perspective"/"approach" to Islam and the post-9/11 world, who have told me to pray that George W. Bush, a kafir, is guided, and that Hamid Karzai, who is collaborating with the Kufaar, is also guided", you should have first read the entirety of my sentence before replying "there is no harm in doing that, is there?". Had you read my entire sentence, you would have seen that my objection did not stem from the fact that people pray that a Tyrant and his Muslim collaborator are guided, but that people say that we should do while, in the same breath, spewing venom at fellow Muslims being attacked by the kufaar in many military theaters all over the world. That is what I objected to.

Lastly, if you think that there are not a comparable number of people who believe that his actions, while well-intended and the result of his best ijtihad, were wrong, as there are people who think that his actions and statements were correct, I honestly won't comment for fear of this degenerating into a post that one would more readily find on some of these Salafi forums. But I will say that you are wrong if you believe that the Shariah allows for us to not excuse to try to excuse our brother's actions, even when they are wrong, so long as we make clear that we believe those actions to be wrong. It does not matter how many people think that those actions are wrong. The correctness of their actions are not being contested, but whether or not we should find excuses for our brothers and pray for their forgiveness and guidance. I will always pray for my Muslim brother, who may be erring, to be guided if I pray the same for a kafir and his Muslim lapdog.

And Bro Faqir, yes I went through those links and his stance is now clear, at least to me, although he is still playing a semantics game that most Muslims in the West that I have come across have been utterly confused by.

May Allah guide and give success to our Muslims brothers and sisters all over the world who are giving up their lives in, what they believe to be, the way that is in the best interests of our Ummah while we sit behind internet message boards and are more likely to pray for a Kafir Tyrant's guidance rather than our, seemingly, erring Muslim brother.

[Sunni_Student786]

Oh yeah, bro Faqir, where did you get that quote from? Has Shaykh Hamza personall posted here on sunniforum?

[faqir]

Salam alaykum

Akhi, if you had read the articles I had linked you would not ask me that question - you will find it in the q & a session of the transcript from his talk entitled "America's tragedy" - I have posted the link above, do read it again.

I hope I have been of some help.

Wasalam.

[Abu Usama]

Salam,

look, at the end of the day, it is not necessary for Hamza Yusuf to publically criticise the war in iraq and afghanistan. And, if he thinks that staying away from openly and all-the-time criticising america will serve the interests of the muslims better, then in that case he will not criticise and it would be better.

The truth however, is that the hamza yusuf of today is a shell to the hamza yusuf of the 90's. If you want to listen to Hamza Yusuf as i like to remember him, then visit:

http://www.malik.net/.islam/mp3/lectures/hamza_yusuf/

and listen to his talks on the dajjal and secularism, cos they're a whole lot more beneficial than all his talks nowadays on combatting terrorists in the muslims ummah.

[Harris Ibn Qureshi]

What me and pahlawaan khan as well as others are tring to say is basically this. Hamza Yusuf is a well learned scholar of Islam and has done a great service to North American muslims. He is to be respected as a learned leader unlike other leaders of our day and age who hold high positions with little or no knowledge.. However, he is not free from criticisms that he has unjustly accused muslims of commiting terrorism with NO EVIDENCE. This has been brought up in the other posts, but some members of this board have resulted into complete blind accusations and rushed to conclusions "that someone insulted their sheikh". Also many of us suggest that Sh Hamza remain silent instead of accusing muslims of such heinous crimes without any proof. And if he is made to condemn 9/11 and the likes he do it in a way that doesn't accuse the muslims, but condemn the actions. His stance should have been like Mufti Ebrahim Desai...

WE LUV SH HAMZA AND OUR BROTHERS at ZAYTUNA INSTITUTE and SH NUH who by far is the greatest product of the west to the muslim world in our day and age.......

[Sunni_Student786]

Thank you my brothe for your excellent articulation of your own stance, which happens to coincide exactly with my own.

Jazakallahu khair.

[salman]

Salamu Alaikum

Everyone please keep in mind that Shaikh Hamza is *not* a Faqih, but only a "Da'i" as he has himself stated. Thus, his opinions are not "legal verdicts" but merely "opinions" which he is completely entitled to.

[usman a]

sorry to go off topic a bit ,but the other day i saw him on tv and his beard was gone he just had a goaty ,i was surprised i mean what happened to him and what does he think of the beard now

[faqir]

He has always had a goatee beard and that is considered sufficient in the Maliki school of law.

For the rulings of the beard according to the different schools visit:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3398&highlight=beard


Wasalam.

[ahsanirfan]

brother faqir he did not always had a goatie i saw him on a video of tasfeer of surah najm he had a fist length.

when was tht..? he's always had a goatee man.. if u kindly gimme a link to this vdo.. i will really appreciate it

:jazak:

[Abu Suliman]

saalam i have not got a link but i got that video from i.p.c.i one of my friends borrowed it to me if you live in u.k try them they might still have it.

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

i make dua that Allah keep us steadfast on islam in these days of fitna aameen.

he has changed, but that doesn't mean the change was incorrect. he wears suit and tie when making dialogue with the west - because this is what they recognise as smart, and often time one can be seen as an 'outsider' straight away by wearing ethnic clothing. he is american, and so wears what is considered smart in the west. however, with only Muslims, he dresses like a Muslim.

regarding his beard - fist length is not a requirement in the school of Imam Malik; so whether he did or not is irrelevant. a goatee is permissible in the school of Malik; apart from the fact he cannot grow hair on his jaw..

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

...brother, i don't believe he does so because he is ashamed of the sunnah clothing - like i said, it is definitely has more of an effect in dawa. those people in the community who switch off when they see their already prejudiced view of Muslims may change their mind when they see someone like Shaykh Hamza, or even Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad...

at the end of the day, all these comments upon Sh. Hamza have largely come from the lay muslims, not the ulama... i don't really see any scholars from ahl al-sunna attacking him, or even criticising him - do you?

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

...i think this thread's question has been answered already - maybe its time to quit here?

[Abu Suliman]

yes i do know scholars who critised him and they are very highly respected ulema.

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

well, the respected ulama i personally know haven't. if anything, they have nothing but praise for him... and any public condemnation regarding Shaykh Hamza has only come from salafis, jihadis and HT-types...

the fact is, some people are still holding on to what happened straight after 9/11 while the rest of us are going by what he says more recently...

[Goldi]

There's no real need for this thread. It's become pointless now.