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When Scholars Spoke Truth: Why American Muslims Must Build Their Own Scholarly Class, by Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد Throughout Islamic history, scholars have often been placed in difficult positions when their religious integrity brought them into tension with political authorities. This is not a flaw of Islam — it is a reality of human power. Real‑time scholarship sometimes requires…
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Context Matters: Why American Muslims Must Think Locally and Learn Globally, by Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد A scholar of Islam is a scholar of Islam — whether he is from here or from abroad. And it is important to acknowledge that Islamic studies has always included both Muslim and non‑Muslim scholars. So, the idea that we “reject…
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Why Black American Muslims need to be talking about order, and governance, and talking about it now, by Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد Throughout much of Islamic history after the Khulafa al-Rashidoon, the roles of the ‘alim (scholar) and the sultan (ruler) were often separate. The Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman empires, among others, were largely led by political and military figures who, while (ideally)…
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Why Muslim Communities must document and record it’s history, by Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد When we document the story of a masjid or a community, we are doing far more than preserving dates and names. We are capturing decisions, their consequences, the moments of unity, and the fractures of discord. We record what worked—and just…
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An Open Letter (Naseeha) to the Imams at the upcoming “From Faith to Power” Summit: from Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد Dear Respected Imams, leaders, and organizers of the upcoming African American “From Faith to Power” summit, Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatallahi wa barakaatuh. This letter is meant as naseeha to imams of this conference, focusing on the vital role of Black American Muslim…
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The Distinct Trajectory of Salafism in Black America: Why it was Different from Other Muslim Societies, by Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد “People act according to what they know. And people know according to what they have lived.” — Ibn al‑Qayyim The story of Salafism in Black America cannot be understood by simply tracing the movement’s doctrinal origins or its global spread. It must be…
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The Origins of the Salafi Three‑Fold (Trinity)Tawḥid System: From Medieval Pedagogy to Modern Salafi Doctrine, by Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد “This is the Book wherein there is no doubt, a guidance for the God‑conscious.” Qur’an 2:2 Few ideas are more central to modern Salafi identity than the division of tawḥīd into three technical categories: tawḥīd al‑rubūbiyya, tawḥīd al‑ulūhiyya, and tawḥīd al‑asmāʾ wa‑ṣifāt. For many Muslims—especially converts and those shaped by…
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THE SALAFI APPEAL, WHY IT ATTRACTS POOR BLACKS IN AMERICA, by Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد When we talk about the rise of Salafism among Black American Muslims, we must start from a place of honesty and compassion. These brothers and sisters come from our neighborhoods, our families, and our social conditions. They are not outsiders; they…
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Racism in Muslim America Is a Spiritual Disease—And American Muslims Can No Longer Afford to Ignore It, Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد By any honest measure, racism is not just a social problem; it is a spiritual disease. And it’s not a problem just in America—it’s a problem in Muslim America. The Qur’an tells us that Allah created human beings in different colors, tribes, and nations as…
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The Fatwa That Fueled a Revolt: When Mecca’s Scholars Fought to Keep Slavery, Imam Luqman Ahmad
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَعْد Slavery has always been a touchy topic in the Muslim world. In 1855, when the Ottoman Governor of Hijaz sent the order banning slavery to the District Governor of Mecca, he was instructed to read the order aloud in the sharia…
Imam Luqman Ahmad Mosque Without Borders 