*****SATURDAY DEC.

28TH***** o 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Aspirations of a Believer In the twenty-third chapter of the Quran, Allah outlines the elements of a true believer: "The faithful have succeeded: those who pray humbly, who shun frivolit y, who pay the prescribed alms, who guard their chastity... ...those who are fai thful to their trusts and pledges and who keep up their prayers are given Paradi se as their own, there to remain." The Companions of the Prophet, may God be ple ased with them, were such people and thus the world was forever changed. How can we capture the transformative power of our faith? What are the appropriate prio rities of a believer? And how does one adorn himself with these timeless virtues to live a life of purpose? This talk will discuss how true change first begins with introspection and self-purification, in turn creating communities of believ ers built on love of God and love for humanity. o Shaykh Zahir Mahmood o 3:45 PM - 4:30 PM Light-Skinned Muslimah Seeking Doctor: The Jahaliyyah of Matrimonials Countless Muslims are using the search engines of the Internet to search for a s pouse. However, a quick perusal of Muslim matrimonial websites reveals how basic Islamic principles are ignored. A person s income, race, and color or worse yet, skin tone are often greater considerations than a person s piety. The pictures tha t accompany many profiles are indecent. How safe are these sites, especially for w omen? Why are Muslims using virtual meat markets to find a potential spouse? How c an our communities facilitate young people s search for a spouse? What does our re ligion have to say about contacting perfect strangers of the opposite sex for lov e and friendship ? How can we better address the real crisis that lies beneath Ligh t-skinned Muslimah seeking Muslim doctor to share life with ? o Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan o 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM Respecting Others: Seeing the Other in Brother and the Brother in Other It is an odd coincidence that the English word brother contains in it the word othe r, while the Arabic word for other (akhar) contains in it the word for brother (akh). Shaykh Abdallah b. Bayyah recently said that we only realize our full humanity through engagement with the other. While a brotherhood of belief is central to t he teachings of Islam, a broader brotherhood includes all the children of Adam a nd Eve. The Qur an does not differentiate among Muslims, but does differentiate pe ople outside of Islam: belligerent, friendly, polytheist, Jew, Christian, People of the Book, and so on. Modern Muslims, however, often do the reverse: they cat egorize Muslims into many types, and lump all others into simply kuffar. How do we define disbelievers? How do we treat people of other faiths? In the multi-fai th societies of the West, how do we navigate secular waters while maintaining ou r religious identity without losing sight of our shared humanity? All of this an d more will be explored in this session. o Ambassador Shabazz, Prof. Tariq Ramadan o 5:45 PM - 6:15 PM Lifeboat Islam: What to Do When the Ship s Sinking Muslims in the past had great civilizations and institutions that lit up the wor ld with knowledge and beauty. Now we live in a time when Muslims have lost pre-e minence, and a global civilization has emerged that is often antagonistic toward s Muslims and their faith and practices. In many parts of the world, Muslims are the objects of disdain and suspicion, and our youth are embarrassed by our low status among nations and religions. But the Prophet (God's peace and blessings b

e upon him) never despaired: he used the ship as an analogy for humanity and sai d that if those at the ship s helm are not within God s limits, the ship will sink. What does lifeboat Islam mean? What are the essentials we need to focus on in the absence of institutions supported by states? When we can take only what we can c arry, what must we take, and what must we shed? What must we abandon from the fo rmer grand ocean liner of Islam to ensure the viability and practicality of our faith in a time when too many Muslims are busy pointing fingers at each other be cause the pant legs are too long or the beard is too short? o Imam Siraj Wahhaj o 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM Is it Time to Build an Ark? Noah, the Prophet of the Flood The story of Noah s Ark is foundational to both Western and Muslim traditions. The Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) preached for almost a thousand years, but when people did not heed his message, he prayed for their destruction. Noah (peace b e upon him) was commanded to build an ark to preserve what was necessary for a n ew start. In light of the current state of humanity, and our many gross transgre ssions, which include floods caused by the melting of polar ice caps, perhaps it is time we take this story to heart and reflect on its meanings so we may glean from its wisdom and guidance for our present condition. Today, our scientists s eem to be playing the role of prophets, issuing clarion calls to prevent imminen t global catastrophes. And yet, like the people of Noah (peace be upon him) befo re us, we ignore these dire warnings. This talk will look at the Prophet Noah (p eace be upon him), his trials, his patience, and his triumph over adversity. It will also focus on what we can do to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, and how we can build spiritual arks of meaning to save us from the flo od of heedlessness engulfing humanity. o Imam Zaid Shakir o 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM When Worlds Wither: Guidance in the Latter Days The signs of decimation and devastation are all around us. Species are becoming extinct at alarming rates. The oceans acidity levels are rising and now threaten the great coral reefs and many aquatic species. Tuna fish will not be around in 25 years because of overfishing. Meanwhile, jellyfish are dominating the oceans, which marine biologists warn is an ominous harbinger. Some scientists believe w e as a species may not survive this century. Such prognostications echo what som e Islamic scholars, including Imam al-Suyuti and Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, arg ued: the 15th century would be Islam s last. We know from our Prophet (God's peace and blessings be upon him) that he came to usher in the last days and to remind people of the imminent end. What are its signs? How do we make sense of the apo calyptic news we see daily, and what do we do about it? How do we protect our ch ildren from the depression and despair so common to the hearts and minds of too many of today s youth? This talk will address these and other questions. o Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

*****SUNDAY, Dec. 29TH***** o 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM In the Name of Islam: On Whose Authority? The Qur an commands, Obey God, and obey His messenger and those with authority amon g you (4:59). Who are those with authority and in charge of our affairs? What are our obligations as Muslims living in secular states? Are we obliged to follow a ll the laws of the land, or can we make exceptions? What is the role of scholars

in guiding the affairs of Muslims, and what should Muslims do when scholars the mselves disagree? Who has authority in our faith, and how do we identify that au thority? What is the difference between a mujtahid, alim, faqih, mullah, da iyyah, imam masjid, qari, khatib, and Google mufti? How do lay persons differentiate am ong them? o Shaykh Abdalla Idris, Imam Mohamed Magid o 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Syria, Egypt, and Libya: What is Happening, and What Can We Do Here and Now For nearly three years now, Syria has been aflame in war, and the toll of human suffering is beyond measure, with more than 100,000 deaths, five million people displaced, and over a million homes destroyed. It started with a brutal and ruth less response to a peaceful protest and escalated from there. Next door in Egypt , an attempt to throw off the yoke of sixty years of military rule in the guise of civilian governance led to the military removing the mask and revealing the l ong-standing reality: a military dictatorship. In Libya, over forty years of opp ression was overthrown only to leave a country scrambling for order amidst inter nal chaos and conflict. This session will focus on the harsh realities in these nations, provide a Qur anic perspective, and address what we in the West can do to help alleviate the suffering. o Prof. Tariq Ramadan, Sr. Dalia Mogahed o 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Break For Breakfast o 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM The Simple Math of Success: Self Ego = Divine Change + Happiness

The Qur an tells us that God does not change the condition of a people until they c hange their own condition (13:11). We also know that the Prophet (God's peace and blessings be upon him) told us that our greatest enemy is the ego that resides between our two sides. What is the ego (nafs), and why is it such a formidable f oe? The current Muslim crisis can be solved only by divine change. But first we must learn to change our own condition so that it may help bring about the chang e we want in the world. This talk will include a Qur anic diagnosis and treatment plan for the current Muslim crisis. o Ustadh Omar Suleiman o 11:15PM - 11:45PM Jefferson s Qur an Islam and America s Founding Fathers When we think of early America, Islam does not come to mind. Yet some of America s Founding Fathers, all highly educated men, had read the 1734 translation of the Qur an by George Sale and were familiar even with the life of the Prophet (God's peace and blessings be upon him). The historical evidence reveals that Islam was not unheard of in 18th century America. Benjamin Franklin mentioned Khalid b. W aleed in his autobiography but felt no need to add a footnote explaining who he was, which indicates the literate public was familiar with the name. Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States of America, and during Preside nt John Adam s administration, one-third of the federal budget was earmarked for t ribute to the Ottoman States of Algeria and Libya. This talk, by a scholar whose new book Thomas Jefferson s Qur an: Islam and the Founders has sparked much interes t and controversy, will shed light on this long ignored aspect of American histo ry and its relevance to the current discourse about Islam and the West. o Dr. Denise A. Spellberg o 11:45 AM- 1:00 PM

Islam in Search of Muslims: What Can We Learn from the Life of Nelson Mandela? Nelson Mandela was arguably the most beloved statesman and leader of our generat ion. Why do so many people praise him irrespective of their political leanings? What was it about Mandela that transcended politics? This session will examine t he life, times, and struggles of this South African leader that reveal, in the l ight of Islamic teachings, why our Prophet s Sunnah, when practiced even by those outside of our faith, engenders love and respect in others. Mandela, for example , resorted to violent resistance only after he exhausted all non-violent means t o end the oppression of his people. Even those on the far right of the political spectrum have defended his advocacy of violence. Newt Gingrich, for instance, r ecently wrote that Mandela was deeply committed to a non-violent approach, until you had a South African dictatorship which made it impossible to have anything t hat was purely non-violent. Gingrich went as far as to compare Mandela to the Fou nding Fathers of America. What were the qualities and characteristics that made Mandela so unique and drew such approbation? More importantly, what is the role of patience, principle, purpose, forgiveness, and magnanimity in effecting chang e in human hearts and society? o Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Zahir Mahmood o 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Break For Lunch 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Special French Session - Room 701 Le pardon Les enseignements de l islam relatifs cette question; que rvle-t-il quant l islam et otre engagement dans l humanit ? o Prof. Tariq Ramadan o 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Love is the Foundation of Faith Belief is often an act of love. We believe those we love, and we love those who are truthful with us. Describing the believers who would replace those who turn away from their religion, the Qur an says, God will bring forth a people whom God l oves and who love God (5:54). What does love of God mean? What is its relation to f aith, and how do we engender more love in our hearts for Allah and His Prophet ( God's peace and blessings be upon him), who said, None of you truly believes unti l he loves me more than his family, wealth, and even his own self ? How do we spre ad more love and harmony in an increasingly fragmented Ummah, given the Prophet s words: None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves fo r himself ? o Imam Siraj Wahhaj o 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Breaking the Spell: Revealing the Dark Influences on Popular

Occulture

Anyone with even a modicum of exposure to popular culture can see a pervasive oc cult element in films, television, and music. Vampires, sorcerers, witches, secr et society references, and satanic rituals have come out from the shadows and on to center stage in popular culture. Those of us of a certain age have witnessed the increasingly graphic depiction of violence that began with the game-changing 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. This trend now includes a multi-billion dollar game industry with titles like Grand Theft Auto and School Massacre. Coupled with the vi olence is the disturbing pornification of culture that has resulted in another mul ti-billion dollar sex industry of exploitation and degradation. Lest we forget, a dark soundtrack to all of this blares out from car stereos and smartphones str

aight into the ears of our youth, lulling them into a stupor in which reflection and reality to them are as distant and faded as the once bright lights of the n ow lost night sky. This unsettling talk will take a serious look at the forces b ehind these trends, their agendas, and the damage they have already inflicted on young minds. It will also give practical means to mitigate the influence in our homes and communities, and provide strategies for combating it. Please note: Gi ven the subject matter and the use of some graphic images, please consider this session rated PG 13. o Shaykh Hamza Yusuf o 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Unmosqued: The Crisis of Sacred Space The word unmosqued has entered the English language recently to define the growing phenomenon of being alienated from mosques. Many youth, women, and Muslims tryi ng to live more committed lives find too many mosques and Islamic centers either unwelcoming or downright hostile. This talk will address the current status of mosques in the West, and how they can better serve our community and through bet ter service help remosque our unmosqued Muslims. Imam Suhaib Webb, a graduate of A l-Azhar University, is one of the most well-known Imams in North America and an outspoken critic of many of the practices that alienate Muslims in need of sacre d spaces. He will share his analysis and address how mosques and Islamic centers can begin to serve, not sever, those in need. o Imam Suhaib Webb o 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM Reviving the Islamic Arts - Entertainment Session o Maz Jobrani, RAIHAN o 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Agenda to Change Our Condition o Habib Ali Al-Jifri, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf , Sr. Dalia Mogahed, Imam Zaid Shakir, Imam Suhaib Webb, Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, Imam Mohamed Magi d , Shaykh Zahir Mahmood