Poetry of Harmony
January 30, 2006
“In Islam, religious songs are designated by the generic term ‘inshad’, from the root ‘n-s-h-d’, meaning to aspire to something, or to seek, to have an aim, to go in search of something. The word ‘nashid’, formed from the same root, means a hymn or a canticle, and a ‘munshid’ is a hymn-singer or cantor… The mystic poets most frequently encountered in this repertoire include ibn al-Farid, al-Nablusi, al-Barzanji, al-Bura’i, and al-Busiri [May Allah Sanctify Their Secret]”
— From the information booklet of The Path Of Ecstasy CD .
Straits Times Interviews Prof Khaled About The Great Theft
January 23, 2006
John Bradley interviews Prof Khaled about his latest book, The Great Theft that has been described as ‘the most dramatic manifesto from an American Muslim since the September 11 attacks’.
In the interview — Straits Times 23 Jan 2005 (page 19) — Prof Khaled speaks about the book and also about his experiences while he was visiting Singapore last year. While he recalls his pleasant meeting with the Minister In-charge of Muslim Affairs, he is saddened by an incident during one of his lectures in Singapore where ‘the Wahhabi party came to the lecture and they were so remarkably rude and disruptive’.
Prof Khaled, while in Singapore, also graced Wardah Books with his presence. He spent a couple of hours in the bookshop, pointing out books of note. We were all touched by his intelligence, drive and above all, his humility. He wrote (in Arabic) in the Wardah Guestbook: ‘Praise Allah for the poverty of my knowledge’.
The Great Theft is available from Wardah Books.
