Hamza Yusuf

[Wigon]

As a non-Muslim I also have listened to some of Sheikh Hamza Yusuf's lectures and while his early lectures pre-9/11 I didn't always agree with, in his later lessons he seems to have redoubled his efforts to tackle very very deep questions about Islam and Western cultures. I believe he does so with great wisdom that is apparent even to non-Muslims.
I also recognize, as someone who has begun the long journey of studying Islam, that he bases his lectures very very carefully on Hadiths. What really impressed me however is that rather then simply spout out Hadiths in his lectures, he takes care most of the time to say whether the Hadith is a strong Hadith or whether the Hadith is a weak Hadith. However even the weak ones he will say sometimes are full of wisdom that bears paying attention to. I find him to be very moderate in his beliefs but very careful to explain why he is a moderate and why he believes that he is following the traditional form of Sunni Islam according to not only Hadiths, but what past scholars have ruled on the Hadiths from all of the Madhhabs. He also is very good at having dialog with Salafis and more conservative Muslims. He listens to them patiently and is able to both agree and disagree with them on matters and is always respectful. In the same manner he does not seem to always agree with Sufis either but likewise is respectful to everyone. That is why I see him as a moderate who is very careful and methodical in his reasoning and studies in Islam and the science of the Hadiths.

So for me personally he is someone who I believe offers great hope for Muslims in the West and who overall is a very very wise and well educated man. Thanks be to Allah we have wise Muslim leaders such as Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. May Allah give him strength and blessings in these tough times.

Wigon

[mujahideenryder]

shaykh hamza yusuf is the man!!!!

www.zaytuna.org

check that out

[Wigon]

This statement of yours would be true depending on the defenition of "Sufi." He has several lectures and talks in which he deals with the topic of Sufism, and it's in more than just a so-called positive light. All in all, he is totally pro-Sufi. It's just the way he words his speeches that makes things confusing. Read some of the books he has edited and pre-faced.

I agree that he certainly isn't anti-Sufi. I was just saying that he will most definitely NOT agree with some of the more radical Sufi Imams who hand out fatwas that are far outside Islamic teachings. However he does recognize the imporance of the core teachings of Tasawuuf in which inward spiritual development is highly important to Muslims so that they may lead by example in the communities and have firm control of their nafs.
But I've not heard of him recommending for Muslims to pray many times more then what is required, to whirl in circles, to incoporate music in Dhiker, etc... that some Sufi groups practice. On many issues he seems to me to be quite conservative... and as I said, he does a good job discussing the strenghts and weaknesses of the Hadiths that he bases his opinions on as well.

Thats why overall I see him as fairly moderate and wise man who I am currently using as a bit of a guide towards traditional Islamic teachings on contravercial issues as he tends to do a good job at weighing both sides of a disagreement in interpretations.

Wigon

[Wigon]

Sorry for my reply being WAAAY late. I just recently started checking this email box again as I had forgotten that this was the email I used for this forum.

I agree with you overall, although keep in mind that even that most powerful Salafi Shaykhs such as Ibn Tammiyah and later, Syed Qutb (of the Islamic Brotherhood in Egypt) had been scholars of Taswuuf. The problem is that they didn't follow the teachings very well and only took out of it the parts that they liked and threw out the parts they didn't like....that or they simply did not practice what they preached. However when I look at the horrible things they went through I have compassion towards them and feel great sadness as I can feel deep pain in their words when I read their writings.
I guess what I'm saying is that one can be a Muslim, but still not always a very good Muslim and perhaps with wrong understandings due to life experiences that shape how we understand what we are taught.

However in the case of Hamza Yusuf I think you are correct. He is an excellent Shaykh and I have researched his teachers and where he studied. All excellent places of learning and excellent scholars.

The sad thing is that everytime he says anything about peace and tolerance, the neoconservative so called "Islamic scholars" like Robert Spencer (who has massive influence in Washington D.C.) and Serge Trifkovic IMMEDIATELY say that he is practicing taqayyah (deception) and "stealth jihad." This infuriates me! That is why moderate Muslims don't have a voice because the extremists on both sides slander them and accuse them of being "the enemy". Thankfully many intelligent Muslims support him and I hope that he will begin producing counter-propaganda to all the horrific stuff that you find all over masjids calling for the elmination of all kufr cultures and nations in the name of Islam. The neoconservatives easily get ahold of such material as they have apostate spies who attend mosques, gather such literature, and then spread it all over the internet. It is ironic that they portray this extremist literature as "REAL ISLAM" or "TRUE ISLAM". They don't realize that they are actually helping the extremists who as we speak, are destroying hundreds of years of rich Sufi heritage, philsophy, tolerance in nations like Indonesia and Malaysia.
The reason why I think that extremist Salafism has been successful in these countries against Sufism is because...quite honestly much of their Sufi practices is indeed full of Bidah (like the belief in reincarnation common in Indonesia). Because their Tasawuuf theology is weak and corrupted, the more extreme Salafi take advantage of this and have ordered attacks on Ramayanah theatres (traditional Hindu theatre teaching morality lessons that are not against Islam and are thousands of years old), attacks on Batik artists, and on master Kris knife makers....an art of knife making that is a central part of Indonesian culture and heritage. They say it is because the knife making incorporates pagan traditions and thus must be destroyed. I friend of mine from Malaysia recently told me that even the traditional clothes they wear has come under attack and more and more Malaysians are dressing now as Arabs.

That kind of thing is insane as it destroys thousands of years of rich culture and a tradition of tolerance and deep spirituality. They also don't distinguish between what is "tradition" and what Indonesians actually believe is Islamic. However this is not without reason. As I mentioned above indeed many Indonesian scholars are deviated but the reaction to them by Salafi has been very harsh I think.
I hope that Islamic schools like the Zaytuna foundation can work to send out scholars of tasawuuf to go into countries like Indonesia to bring about some sense of moderation and balance between tradition/culture and Islam in order to put them on a good solid path in Islam without destroying their unique cultures. This type of thing is what scares many Westerners as they fear that Muslim populations will likewise attempt to elminate and suppress their culture in an attempt to make them more Arab at the cost of freedom of thought and expression that has driven Western civilization (as well as other civilizations during their peaks).

On my part, as a cultural anthropologist specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies, I am working towards fascilitating moderate Islamic movements and educating non-Muslims about them. But it is an uphill struggle and very very difficult especially when I have zero funding and I'm currently unemployed.


Wigon

[Talib84]

3 yrs later

[Ahmed]

After reading your previous posts, I realize that you are from South Africa and might not have heard much about Shaykh Hamzah Yusuf. I don't recall he has ever been to South Africa. Oh well...Yes He is from Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaah and I think he follows the Maliki Madhab (not sure peeps...correct me if I'm wrong...) and yes he is authentic.

In the past year, I have heard one moving live lecture. That was by Shaykh Hamzah Yusuf when he came over to our Masjid. I requested him to lead Maghrib prayers but he refused politely so I was the Emam. His speech was sooo practical. Many times, speakers mention Quranic verses and Ahadith but they don't apply it to the modern context and how they are applicable today. Like the Hadith he discussed about was on deriving benefit from five things before five. His commentary on the five things was amazing. It was so practical....Yeah sooo....

I really like his speeches....

agree

on all counts

[Wigon]

3 yrs later

Again I apologize. I had not realized that anyone was responding. Neverltheless the topic remains very important today.

Wigon

[Dhul-Qarnayn]

Has anyone heard any inspiring new speeches by the Shaykh recently? Any on YouTube or something?

[loveProphet]

After reading your previous posts, I realize that you are from South Africa and might not have heard much about Shaykh Hamzah Yusuf. I don't recall he has ever been to South Africa. Oh well...Yes He is from Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaah and I think he follows the Maliki Madhab (not sure peeps...correct me if I'm wrong...) and yes he is authentic.

In the past year, I have heard one moving live lecture. That was by Shaykh Hamzah Yusuf when he came over to our Masjid. I requested him to lead Maghrib prayers but he refused politely so I was the Emam. His speech was sooo practical. Many times, speakers mention Quranic verses and Ahadith but they don't apply it to the modern context and how they are applicable today. Like the Hadith he discussed about was on deriving benefit from five things before five. His commentary on the five things was amazing. It was so practical....Yeah sooo....

I really like his speeches....

Exactly Masha'Allah!