Ruqya is a valid and often necessary treatment for those affected by sihr (black magic or jadu), jinn, or evil eye. It is performed by a practitioner known interchangeably as a raqi or an aamil. A genuine raqi who is a person of taqwa, applying religiously sound methods, can indeed prove beneficial. The world of …
Homosexual acts are strictly forbidden in Islam. This matter is clear and decisive. Manipulative charlatans can nevertheless persuade some vulnerable Muslim men into these actions under the guise of spiritual guidance, or sulook, and through tactics such as brothers’ bonding activities and requests to journal intimate thoughts. Although the subject of sexual abuse of women …
The first thing to know about child sexual predators is that they are not an obvious and easy to recognize figure standing in front of a playground in a trench coat. Like predatory animals, a child predator disguises himself, sets up traps, and then attacks. Allah has entrusted parents to protect and raise their children. …
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم The decision to leave a shaykh or religious community can be a difficult decision with conflicting emotions and considerations. However, once you have made a decision to leave, there are further considerations such as whether or not to tell the shaykh you are leaving, and whether or not to maintain contact …
A hadith on the disappearance of knowledge states that after scholars die, people will take ignorant people as their leaders. They will answer questions when asked, but being misguided themselves, they will misguide others and lead them astray.[1] The wording in this hadith is quite different from literature on evil scholars. The blame here lies …
Shaykh Tarik Ata Shaykh Tarik emphasizes the importance of being prepared for instances of spiritual abuse. He shares that one of his own teachers would tell him about individuals using religion for self-gain. This prepared him to not be shocked when encountering issues of religious corruption. Shaykh Tarik shares different levels of practice we may …
The following account is written by a friend of mine. We studied Arabic together in the mid 2000s and then I lost contact with him. Some friends of his found In Shaykh’s Clothing helpful for the corruption they witnessed in Sufi tariqas and brought the work to his attention. When he looked at it, he …
By Ahmed Shaikh You have wealth, and the world has people in need. In a universe where “zakat-eligible” means anything it may seem zakat has become meaningless. It only is though if you let it. Zakat is an act of worship that relies on your judgement. This article is for those who want to donate …
Below are 20 points from the Fallout Story that deserve an analysis and explanation. The story revolves around a shaykh forcefully kissing and touching multiple women and the group justifying it through bogus spiritual reasoning. “Ali” who was once a murid of the shaykh took a stance against the abusive shaykh and was outcasted and …
Murids leaving an abusive tariqa face all sorts of backlash. Please read this interview with Zayd Mia on his experiences in an abusive tariqa and subsequent backlash. Danish: What initially drew you to the Shaykh and tariqa? Zayd: I was drawn to the Shaykh mainly due to a family connection. I had a handful …