How Can Muslims Respond to the Paris Attacks?

It seems to bring back to life the hours after September 11th. Now in Paris twelve journalists are dead at the hands of two murderers shouting "Allahu Akbar." How it is possible to shout something like this while killing people is a mystery. Maybe they do it just for this reason: to stain the name of Islam. The real offense against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was committed by those two crazy kill...

Free Speech à la française

The tragic attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo should prompt sincere reflection.  For many Muslims, the incident raises once again the question of how and if the dictates of their religion should be lived and understood in a world constantly in flux, a world in which many of the assumptions and hopes of Islam’s moral and legal vision can seem outdated.  As in the case of other attacks carried ...

Dr. John Andrew Morrow

The traditional sources for knowing and understanding the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) include the Qur'an, the Hadith, and to a lesser extent, the Sirah. Dr. John Andrew Morrow has brought attention to what may be considered another foundational set of source material. As the result of research that took him to churches and monasteries across the Middle East, Dr. Morrow has collected a set of writ...

Tour Turkey with Omid Safi

Dr. Omid Safi is one of the leading voices for Islam today. An accomplished scholar, he is a Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, and serves as the Director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center. LastProphet.info had the honour to receive Dr. Safi at our offices in Istanbul last year and talk with him about his book, ‘Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters’. Dr. Safi w...

Director Muhammad Bayazid

How can the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) be relevant to our own lives today? The miniseries ‘Inspiration’ explores the timeless nature of the Prophet’s message by telling the story of a young American Muslim who draws on the example of the Prophet to help confront the personal, professional and spiritual challenges he faces in his daily life. Muhammad Bayazid is a Syrian ...

Mosque attacks in Sweden

On Thursday December 25, 2014 - Christmas Day - an arson attack was carried out on a mosque in Eskilstuna, Sweden, while a group of Muslims were gathered inside for prayer, injuring five people. The Expo Foundation, a Swedish non-profit co-founded by writer Stieg Larsson that raises awareness of discrimination, claims at least 12 mosques were attacked in Sweden this year, and as this article was ...

Albanian Mawlid

Together with frequent contributor Abdal Hakim Murad LastProphet.info is honoured to present a short clip from the recording of a mawlid performance filmed at the Fatih mosque in the city of Durrës, Albania. The mawlid is sung in Albanian from a translation written by Hafiz Ali Ulqinaku in 1873 of Suleiman Chelebi’s famous 15th century mawlid. Hafiz Ulqinaku was an extraordinary figure whose...

The last living 'Sahibi'

In the deserts of northern Jordan there is a tree that stands alone within hundreds of miles of emptiness. It is believed that over fourteen hundred years ago under the shade of this tree a meeting took place between the young Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Christian monk Buhira. The story about the rediscovery of this living link to the Prophet is recorded in the documentary 'The ...

Majid Majidi Launches Promo For New Film

Filmmaker Majid Majidi, in the finishing stages of making his new film “Muhammad” got interviewed recently and promoted his film’s message, saying, “I wanted to share and spread the right understanding of Islam.” With an unheard-of budget and entire city sets built for the occasion, “Muhammad” has a lot riding on it. Majidi gave a massive promotional push for his film during the interview. Thi...

Calligraphy Exhibition Opens in Washington

A new Islamic calligraphy exhibition commemorating the 1443rd year of prophet Muhammad's birth opened here Friday.   Islamic Culture and Art Platform, in cooperation with Yildiz Holding, a Turkish multinational, and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), exhibited pieces by famous calligraphers, including Turkish. They include verses from the Qur’an, deeds of prophet Muhammad and...

Love of the Prophet Muhammad Exhibition

Growing alongside Islamic civilization, the art of calligraphy flourished for centuries. In April, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was celebrated with special programs all around the country. As a part of the celebrations, the calligraphy exhibition "Hicaz'dan Istanbul'a Hz. Peygamber Sevgisi: Aşk-ı Nebi" (Love of the Prophet Muhammad from Hejaz to Istanbul) was held a...

If You Don't Like the Mawlid, Watch Out!

The birthday of the Prophet, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, is a great blessing for our community and, indeed, for all believers. So if we know the day, it should renew our joy manifold times. The Mawlid (his birthday) has traditionally been a time to reflect on – and be grateful for – our Prophet, peace be upon him, and his life, miracles, and the sacrifices he made on behalf of his comm...