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The Struggle for Authority and Legitimacy in Movements

by islamciv

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate A reality that transcends sectarianism is the competition for authority and legitimacy. This has been commented on and observed by many sociologists, including one of the most famous religious sociologists, Max Weber. If you know anything about...

June 14, 2026
Featured, Society

Latest Articles

June 14, 2026

The Struggle for Authority and Legitimacy in Movements

June 14, 2026

Why Internal Conflicts Are More Vicious Than External ...

June 14, 2026

How Social Identity Fuels Intergroup Discrimination

June 13, 2026

Why Muslims divide: groups and cults

June 11, 2026

Exaggerating Minor Differences to Maintain Group Identity

June 9, 2026

How Sacred Values Lead to Intolerance and Division

June 7, 2026

Why Muslims Divide: The psychology of why the people closest...

May 28, 2026

Rethinking the Laws of Fiqh

May 27, 2026

Child marriages and Forced marriages are not permitted in ...

The Bay'ah

March 1, 2026

Legitimate authority in Islam

The famous sociologist Max Weber (d.1920) defines authority as “the probability that a specific command will be obeyed.”[1] He then...

by islamciv
February 5, 2026

4 ways of appointing a caliph

Dr. Wahbah Az-Zuhaili (d.2015) mentions four ways of appointing a caliph. He says, “The Fuqaha’ of Islam have mentioned four ways...

by islamciv
February 5, 2026

Bay’ah through Domination

The last way of appointing a caliph by the ummah is where a usurper or dominant sultan takes power...

by islamciv
October 15, 2025

Rethinking the Wali Al-‘Ahd (Designated Successor)

Continuing our series on the bay’ah, one of the core issues which needs to be addressed is how to...

by islamciv

Books

Books, Featured

Makkan Period: The Final Phase

Download the book Makkan Period: The Final Phase The Makkan Period of the Prophet’s ﷺ mission followed a clear and distinct path in pursuit of establishing Islam. This was...

July 4, 2021
Books, Featured

History of the Islamic State’s Institutions – Volume 1

Download History of the Islamic State’s Institutions – Volume 1 Introduction The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ established the first Islamic State in Medina with a distinct structure (ajhizaat) that continued...

August 15, 2020
Books, fatiha, Tafseer

Tafseer of Sura Al-Fatiha by Dr Fadhel al-Samarrai

Download the book Tafseer Surah Fatiha This book contains a draft translation of Dr Fadhel al Samarrai’s tafseer of the opening chapter of the Qur’an and mother of the book,...

October 16, 2017
Books

History of the Caliphs Timeline

This timeline outlines the names of all the Caliphs. Later editions will also include important historical events that took place under each Caliph. Download the timeline from here: history-of-caliphs-timeline  

August 26, 2013

History

March 1, 2026

Islamic History: Battle of the Masts

The early Islamic conquests have always perplexed western historians. How was it possible for the desert Arabs, who were...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Church of Holy Sepulchre

The Church of Holy Sepulchre is in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem and is one of the holiest sites...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Hejaz railway

In 1908 a new railway opened from Damascus to Madinah for use by the pilgrims travelling for hajj. Faced...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Letter of Gratitude from the Irish to the Ottomans

In 1845, the onset of the Great Irish Famine resulted in over a million deaths. The Ottoman Sultan at...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Ahdnama

The Ahdnama is a treaty between Sultan Mehmet II (Al-Fatih) and the Bosnian Franciscan Christians of the Catholic Church in 1463....

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Timbuktu Manuscripts

For centuries private households in Timbuktu have been preserving manuscripts detailing art, medicine, philosophy, and science, as well as...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: The Canon of Medicine

Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna in the West was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

If you paid a visit to the Cathedral of Córdoba in Spain today you would notice a number of...

by islamciv

Ruling

May 6, 2026

Mitigations against weaknesses in the caliph’s ability to...

May 5, 2026

Who determines if the caliph is capable to rule?

May 5, 2026

Disabilities which are impediments to the Caliph governing the...

May 5, 2026

Capability to rule vs lineage

May 5, 2026

Capability to rule vs infallibility

May 5, 2026

Capability to rule vs piety

May 5, 2026

How is a ruling personality developed?

May 5, 2026

What is the meaning of Al-Kifāyah (the capability to ...

May 4, 2026

A Ruling Personality

March 1, 2026

The meaning of Sultan, Jamā’ah and Ulu al-amr

March 1, 2026

Legitimate authority in Islam

March 1, 2026

Shura is a principle of the Islamic ruling system

March 1, 2026

The Objective of State and Authority in Islam

February 28, 2026

Scenarios for the emergence of a Unitary Islamic State ...

February 28, 2026

Maintaining a Unitary Islamic State

February 28, 2026

Election of Amirs in the absence of an agreed upon caliph

February 28, 2026

Election of Amirs in the Rightly Guided Caliphate

February 28, 2026

Administrative Divisions of the Prophet’s ﷺ State in ...

February 28, 2026

Devolution in the Islamic State of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

February 28, 2026

Areas of Devolution in an Islamic State

February 28, 2026

The Two types of Governor in an Islamic State

Beliefs

Beliefs, Featured

The Balanced Nation

By Dr Safi Kaskas This has been reproduced from Dr Safi’s Facebook page with some minor additions. The second chapter of the Qur’an – Surah Al-Baqara has 286 verses....

May 12, 2026
Beliefs, Featured

The Dangers of Religious Fanaticism

In this khutbah (sermon), Sheikh Yasir Qadhi tackles the subject of fanaticism, extremism and sectarianism which unfortunately we find among some sections of the Muslim Ummah today, especially those...

October 6, 2024
Beliefs

Allah is merciful to the believers at all points in their life and death

Introduction The Islamic Personality is a balanced personality. It is not extreme and it must contain both fear and hope for a believer to realise their full potential in...

July 2, 2024
Beliefs, Featured

If Allah is merciful how can He punish people?

by Ustadh Abu Yusuf If Allah is merciful how can He punish people?

November 2, 2019
Beliefs

Does the Qur’an say the earth is egg shaped?

REPRODUCED FROM THE SIBAWAY INSTITUTE Does the Qur’an describe the earth as being in the shape of an ostrich egg? وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا “And after that He spread...

September 23, 2019
Beliefs, Featured

How does the linguistic style of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ differ to that of the Qur’an?

BY AHMED GAMAL This article has been reproduced from islamiqate.com In a Nutshell: The linguistic and stylistic analyses show the Qur’an and the Hadith as two independently authored texts; each author...

May 18, 2019
Beliefs, Featured

Understanding the linguistic miracle of the Qur’an

by Ustadh Abu Yusuf Understanding the linguistic miracle of the Qur’an

February 9, 2019
Beliefs, Featured

JESUS: Man, Messenger, Messiah

BY HAMZA TZORTZIS. Nearly two billion Christians and over 1.5 billion Muslims believe in him, yet Jesus is perhaps the most misunderstood and misrepresented person in history. This talk...

December 24, 2018
Beliefs, Featured

Sinéad O’Connor reverts to Islam: “They are the people guided by their Lord. They are the ones who have success.”

Sister Shudada’ Davitt (formerly Sinéad O’Connor) has accepted Islam saying ‘This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey’. أُولٰئِكَ عَلىٰ هُدًى مِن رَبِّهِم ۖ وَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ...

October 27, 2018

Societal Issues

June 14, 2026

The Struggle for Authority and Legitimacy in Movements

June 14, 2026

Why Internal Conflicts Are More Vicious Than External ...

June 14, 2026

How Social Identity Fuels Intergroup Discrimination

June 13, 2026

Why Muslims divide: groups and cults

June 11, 2026

Exaggerating Minor Differences to Maintain Group Identity

June 9, 2026

How Sacred Values Lead to Intolerance and Division

June 7, 2026

Why Muslims Divide: The psychology of why the people closest...

May 25, 2023

The Power of Public Opinion

October 23, 2020

Only an Islamic State can protect the honour of the Prophet...

June 6, 2020

George Floyd: Time for a new conversation on racism

January 7, 2015

Islam’s view towards Freedom of Speech

December 18, 2011

Islam is the only cure to Britain’s alcohol crisis

November 20, 2010

The Attack on Halal Meat and How to Respond

Foreign Policy

February 28, 2026

Hilf al-Fudul is a model for international cooperation

Hilf al-Fudul (حلف الفضول) which means ‘Alliance of Excellence’ was instituted by the Quraish in Makkah before the advent of...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

The Caliphate must maintain an independent foreign policy

The caliphate is not an isolationist state. It will deal with other countries based upon a strict criteria set...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Devolution in an Islamic State: The Armed Forces

Al-Mawardi says, “If the territorial authority of this type of amir (Wali Khass) lies adjacent to a border he...

by islamciv
March 13, 2024

The protection granted by one Muslim is binding on everyone in the state

This is an extract from the book Al-Jihad wa’l Qital fi as-Siyasa ash-Shar’iyya by Sheikh Muhammad Khayr Haykal, chapter...

by islamciv
March 10, 2024

What happened when Khalid ibn al-Walid broke the laws of war with Banu Jadheemah...

A controversial expedition took place after the conquest of Makkah, when Khalid ibn al-Walid was sent on a mission...

by islamciv
February 24, 2024

Liberation of Jerusalem: Salahudeen’s mercy towards the Crusaders

Salahudin Ayubi liberated Jerusalem (Al-Quds) on Friday 27 Rajab 583 AH/12 October 1187 CE after Lord Balian of Ibelin,...

by islamciv
February 19, 2024

Islamic Conquest of Damascus: Rule of law at the height of war

ذِمَّةُ اَلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ يَسْعَى ِبهَا أَدْنَاهُمْ “The protection granted by one Muslim is like one given by them all,...

by islamciv
July 3, 2020

The Global Vision of the Early Muslims

BY ABU YUSUF الٓمٓ  غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ “Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated” (Ar-Rum, 30:1-2) Most commentators of...

by islamciv
September 14, 2019

Conquest of Egypt: The Coptic Ruler’s daughter said: “I feel that my life and...

When Allah enabled the Muslims to conquer Bilbeis in Egypt, they found therein the daughter of the Egyptian ruler...

by islamciv
December 25, 2018

Islam was not spread by the Sword

BY SHEIKH ABU ISLAM YUSUF SHAQEERO. This article has been reproduced from Islamic Revival. The least that can be...

by islamciv

Non-Muslims in the Caliphate

February 28, 2026

Islamic History: Church of Holy Sepulchre

The Church of Holy Sepulchre is in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem and is one of the holiest sites...

by islamciv
February 6, 2026

War and Peace in Islam: Non-Muslims entering Muslim lands

Continuing our series on War and Peace in Islam, some of the extreme Jihadi-Salafi groups in Iraq began killing...

by islamciv
December 15, 2024

Christians in 1970s Syria

This is an excerpt from John McHugo’s ‘Syria: A Recent History’ where he describes his experiences with the Christian...

by islamciv
October 5, 2024

Fanaticism breeds a hatred of kindness and compassion

By Yasir Qadhi  When people start going down the dark road of extremism, not only does one cease to...

by islamciv

Economy

February 28, 2026

Islamic History: The First Gold Dinars

The Islamic State has a bi-metallic currency based on gold and silver. This was first established by the Prophet...

by islamciv
February 28, 2026

Devolution in an Islamic State: Finance

State revenues and expenditure were always centralised even if the governor had full devolved powers over the collection and...

by islamciv
December 3, 2022

Contracts in Islam

Wael b. Hallaq says, “In fiqh, contracts do not stand as a separate category, in the manner, say, American or...

by islamciv
September 13, 2022

Pakistan: A Solution to an Ailing Economy

This article has been reproduced from Prophetic Economics Regarding the Current Economic Situation in Pakistan, it is vital to appreciate...

by islamciv

Tafseer

Featured, Rhetoric, Tafseer

Rhetorical Perceptions in Surah Al-Qari’ah

This is a translation from Dr Fadel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadel (b.1933) is a former Professor of...

May 27, 2026
Featured, Rhetoric, Tafseer

Rhetorical Perceptions in Surah Al-Takathur

This is a translation from Dr Fadel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadel (b.1933) is a former Professor of...

May 4, 2026
Featured, Rhetoric, Tafseer

Rhetorical Perceptions in Surah Al-‘Asr

This is a translation from Dr Fadhel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadhel (b.1933) is a former Professor of...

February 22, 2026

RSS Feed

Featured, Society

The Struggle for Authority and Legitimacy in Movements

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate A reality...

June 14, 2026
Featured, Society

Why Internal Conflicts Are More Vicious Than External Ones

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate Cognitive dissonance...

June 14, 2026
Featured, Society

How Social Identity Fuels Intergroup Discrimination

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate Social Identity...

June 14, 2026
Featured, Society

Why Muslims divide: groups and cults

This is part of a series of articles on disunity and division within the Muslim community and ummah at large. This follows on from Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s lecture on...

June 13, 2026
Featured, Society

Exaggerating Minor Differences to Maintain Group Identity

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate The...

June 11, 2026
Featured, Society

How Sacred Values Lead to Intolerance and Division

By Yasir Qadhi This is an extract from the lecture: Why Muslims Divide – The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate The...

June 9, 2026
Featured, Society

Why Muslims Divide: The psychology of why the people closest to you are the hardest to tolerate

This is a lecture given by Yasir Qadhi on 1st June 2026 which is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In this lecture Dr. Yasir Qadhi, explores the paradox...

June 7, 2026
Featured, Usul

Rethinking the Laws of Fiqh

It’s important to distinguish between sharia and fiqh. Sharia is the divine law, but fiqh (jurisprudence) which linguistically means understanding, is the derived rules of scholars. Deriving legal rulings...

May 28, 2026
Caliphate, Family Life, Featured

Child marriages and Forced marriages are not permitted in Islam

Child marriages are not permitted in Islam Muhammad al-Massari in his book ‘Women in Islam’ mentions: “Child marriages, like the ones practised in some backward societies around the world...

May 27, 2026
Featured, Rhetoric, Tafseer

Rhetorical Perceptions in Surah Al-Qari’ah

This is a translation from Dr Fadel Saleh Al-Samarra’i’s لَمَسات بَيانِيَّة لِسُوَر القُرْآن الكَرِيم ‘Rhetorical Perceptions in the Surahs of the Holy Qur’an.’ Dr Fadel (b.1933) is a former Professor of...

May 27, 2026

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