There is a lot of confusion surrounding the practices of Sufi tariqas (orders) as well as the role of the shaykh in said tariqas. Where did tariqa originate from and what exactly is the role of the shaykh within a tariqa? How does a shaykh help his mureed (disciple) and are there limits to how …
https://muslimlink.ca/in-focus/in-shaykh-s-clothing-supporting-muslim-survivors-of-spiritual-abuse Here is an interview with In Shaykh’s Clothing founder Danish Qasim on spiritual abuse with Muslim Link in Canada
What do we mean by “spiritual abuse?” Does it have a universal definition? What are actions that people often call forms of spiritual abuse, but are in fact, not? Danish Qasim wrote a primer in our introduction section: Defining Spiritual Abuse – How and We Use the Term.
Introduction Over the past couple of years, claims involving spiritual abuse such as secret marriages, sexual abuse, bullying, and financial fraud have come to surface in the Muslim community. Community members have attempted to address these claims in varying ways from ‘outing’ alleged perpetrators to lawsuits to communal redress. One method of communal redress some …
Introduction When our team at In Shaykh’s Clothing makes policies for organizations, we use corresponding national standards as a guide and work with organizations to determine their best practices and ethical expectations based on their Islamic understanding. This is the only way to have concepts such as inappropriate behavior and unethical behavior clearly defined and …
We have unfortunately created a culture of praise where we vouch for someone’s piety without truly knowing them. We see fan pages for teachers and social media comments loaded with praise from people who do not truly know them. We also have a tendency to see someone’s work or their positive results as proof of …
Joint Post by Shaykh Rami Nsour and Attorney Danya Shakfeh Rami Nsour: I was threatened with a defamation lawsuit after calling out the behavior of a shaykh. I uncovered a series of aggressive proposals with female students of his, trying to coerce them into secret marriages. He would urge them not to tell their parents, …
This is Part 2 of our interview with Mufti Nawaz. (Click here for Part 1). In this interview we focus on the benefit of religious teachers exercising precaution in dealings with the opposite sex and money, as well as the need for all Muslims to not blindly trust religious leaders. Mufti Nawaz studied in South …
A minder is someone whose job is to look after and protect others. They are respected authorities and seen as gatekeepers in a community. But how do we ensure that the minders are doing their jobs? What mechanism can we employ to ensure they are working in the interest of their beneficiaries versus their own …
بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم لا تُفسِدوا فِي الأَرضِ قالوا إِنَّما نَحنُ مُصلِحونَ أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ المُفسِدونَ وَلٰكِن لا يَشعُرونَ When it is said to them: “Make not mischief on the earth,” they say: “Why, we only want to make peace!” Of a surety, they are the ones who …