The Middle Ground Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Ever wonder why there seems to be two systems of classification for Arabic dictionaries? Pre-modern dictionaries have one system (the “bāb and faṣl” system, as we’ll see) and modern dictionaries have another.

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In modern dictionaries like Arabic-English Lexicon (1863), better know as Lane’s Lexicon, by British orientalist, Edward William Lane, or Arabisches Wörterbuch (1952), know in English as A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (1961), or simply, Hans Wehr, by German orientalist, Hans Bodo Wehr, where the sorting and classification proceeds in alphabetical form, from the first, second, and third letters (and forth or fifth in those rarities). For example, a-l-f (أ+ل+ف) would precede q-f-l (ق+ف+ل) if one were looking up the words ‘ulfah (ألفة/”affection”) and qaffāl (قفّال/”locksmith”) respectively in those dictionaries. But in classical dictionaries like al-Ṣiḥāḥ, by Transo-Turkic lexicographer Abū Naṣr al-Jawharī, the last letter of the root (the “bāb”) is how words/roots are sorted. So for instance, b-ḥ-t (ب+ح+ت) would precede n-a-t (ن+ع+ت) if one were looking up the words na’t (نعت/”characteristic”) and baḥt (بحت/”pure”) respectively:

يسلّط هذا المعجم الضوء على أحد أنظمة التأليف المعجميّ عند العرب أي نظام الباب والفصل أي أن الحرف الأخير من المادّة الأصليّة هو الباب وأن الحرف الأول منها هو الفصل، وأن الباب هو الأصل وأن الفصل هو الفرع، ويشير إلى أن هذا النظام أوْقع المؤلفين في مشكلة بالنسبة إلى الألفاظ المعتلَّة الأواخر إذ لم يستطيعوا أحياناً التمييز بين ما كان واويَّ الأصل أو يائيّة.

“This dictionary sheds light on one of the systems of lexicographic compilation used by the Arabs, specifically the system of ‘bāb and faṣl.’ In this system, the last letter of the root word is the ‘bāb’ (the sorting letter), and the first letter is the ‘faṣl’ (secondary sorting letter). The ‘bāb’ is considered the primary category, while the ‘faṣl’ is a secondary one. The text also points out that this system led to difficulties for the compilers, particularly regarding words with weak or defective (مُعْتَلَّة/muʿtallah) endings, as they were sometimes unable to distinguish between roots ending in a ‘wāw’ or a ‘yā’”. — from Dr. Hishām Ṭa Ha Shallāsh’s Muʿjam al-Afʿāl al-Wāwiyyah al-Yā'iyyah (Compendium of of Verbs Ending with Wāw and Yā’)

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Welcome to Episode Thirty Three of the Middle Ground Podcast. We’re your hosts Imām Marc and brother Dawud Aleman. Narratives. Arabic. All Muslims prize this language. Everyone wants to learn it. But for so many of us, Arabic remains an elusive goal despite the Qur'an being revealed in it. Why?

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This episode can also be found on YouTube:

In shā’ Allāh we hope to start our new class, Facilitating the Learning of Arabic for Devotional Studies – The Arabic Reader (تَيْسِيْرُ تَعَلُّمِ اللُّغَةِ العَرَبِيَّةِ لِلدِّراسَةِ التَّعَبُّدِيَّةِ - القارئ العربي) soon.

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Welcome to Episode Twenty Three of the Middle Ground Podcast. Myself, Imam Marc, and brother Dawud Aleman. In this episode our hearts are heavy with the passing of our beloved brother Jamal (Alexander) Ramsey, may Allāh have mercy on him. Brother Jamal was quite beloved by everyone in the community and had such a caring spirit about him. But his passing also reminds us of the importance of having our earthly affairs taken care of so we do not cause undo hardship on our loved ones we leave behind. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

This episode can also be found on YouTube as we are now live streaming all of our episodes there as well.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah al-Baqarah v. 180: “It is prescribed that when death approaches any of you…a will should be made.”

* Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim no. 1614: “A Muslim is not entitled to inherit from a non-Muslim, and a non-Muslim is not entitled to inherit from a Muslim.”

* My Wassiyah – Make an Islāmic will.

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Welcome to Episode Twenty One of the Middle Ground Podcast. Myself, Imam Marc, and brother Dawud Aleman, are your hosts for exploring the topic of Artificial Intelligence. Should we fear it? Is it all bad? Are we all going to lose our jobs or become the victims of Skynet? As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

This episode can also be found on YouTube as we are now live streaming all of our episodes there as well.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah al-Naḥl v. 8: “And He creates what you do not know.’”

* Sūrah al-Qaṣaṣ v. 68: “Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills.”

* From The Joe Rogan Experience #2152 – his interview of (former?) actor Terrence Howard.

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Welcome to Episode Twenty of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. In this episode we discuss the increasingly toxic world we live in and the consequences as a society of being completely divorced from how our food and medicine is produced. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

This episode can also be found on YouTube as we are now live streaming all of our episodes there as well.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah al-Baqarah v. 11: “When they are told, ‘Do not spread corruption in the land,’ they reply, ‘We are only peace-makers!’”

* Sūrah al-Insān v. 8: “[They] and give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.”

* Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim no. 2939: a ḥadīth which reminds us of the Dajjāl and the fake nature of food today.

* For more on how we developed into siloed communities, cut off from our food production, read Carolyn Steel’s very good Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives.

* Dr. Rima Laibow – the Medical Director of the Natural Solutions Foundation – her talk on the Codex Alimentarius and its history and impact on our food and health systems.

* Dr. Lee Merritt’s talk: "Why You Need To Care About 'Codex Alimentarius'.”

* Vaccine Excipient Summary [PDF].

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Welcome to Episode Nineteen of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. We’re excited to accounce that we’re now streaming the MGP on YouTube. Head over to our YouTube channel and subscribe so you’ll be notified for the next live stream.

In this episode we discuss the current situation with student protests across the nation against the genocide and illegal war in Palestine. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah Yūnus v. 83: “But no one believed in Moses except a few youths of his people, while fearing that Pharaoh and their own chiefs”

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Welcome to Episode Eighteen of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. We discuss a recent encounter of a young man who came to Middle Ground, seeking some clarification on how to explore the truth-claims of Islām, to which I introduced the idea of Christianity being a “black box” when it comes to ascertaining its truth-claims. We explore this and other themes as it relates to understanding how Islām and Christianity are different and also how a non-Muslims assumptions about Christianity may problematize understanding Islām according to its own criteria. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah al-Jāthiyah v. 23: “Have you seen those who have taken their own desires as their god?”

* Paul C. Vitz, The Self: Beyond the Postmodern Crisis:

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Welcome to Episode Seventeen of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. We discuss my recent heart attack, facing mortality, and what change, if any, has it had on me. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

قال شُرَيْح ابن الحارث القاضي

إني لأصاب بالمصيبة فأحمد الله عليها أربعة مرات

أحمد إذ لم يكن أعظم منها

وأحمد إذ رزقني الصبر عليها

وأحمد إذ رزقني للاسترجاع لما أرجو من الثابت

وأحمد إذ لم يجعلها في ديني

Shurayḥ ibn al-Ḥārith stated,

“Whenever I am afflicted with some great difficulty, I praise Allāh four times:

I praise Him that it was not greater than it was;

I praise him that He gave me the wherewithal to withstand it;

I praise Him that He gave me the means to say, ‘to Allāh we belong and to Him are we returning’;

And I praise Him that He didn’t make it a test for my faith.”

Other references in this episode:

* Musnad Aḥmad no. 8945: “The believer is friendly, for there is no goodness in one who is neither friendly, nor befriended.”

* Sūrah al-Anfāl v. 50: “If only you could see when the angels take the souls of the disbelievers, beating their faces and backs.”

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Welcome to Episode Sixteen of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. We discuss Ramaḍān, fasting (ṣiyām/ṣawm), ṣabr (perseverance), as well as some of our first experiences with fasting when we were new Muslims, and what it’s like to withdrawal from the world for a little while. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

Other references in this episode:

The reference I made to al-Zubaydī’s work on Arabic grammar, Tāj al-’Arūs min Jawāhir al-Qāmūs, in which he highlights the grammatical root of fasting (ṣāḍ+waw+mīm) means, “to grasp; to hold on to” as well as “to stop"; to withhold”:

* Sūrah Maryam v. 26: “I have taken vow of silence to the Most Merciful (al-Raḥmān)”;

* Sūrah al-Zumar v 10: “Only those who persevere for My sake will be given their reward without limit”;

* Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #2685: “Whoever loves to meet Allāh, Allāh loves to meet them”;

* Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1152: “In Paradise there is a gate which is called al-Rayyān through which only the people who fast would enter on the Day on Resurrection”;

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Welcome to Episode Fifteen of the Middle Ground Podcast. I am joined again by my brother Dawud Aleman. We discuss economics via UK inequality economist Gary Stevenson, investing, and the importance of Muslims cultivating resources for themselves and the communities they live in. As usual, we discuss all topics in light of the Qur’ān and statements from the Prophet, ‎ﷺ.

Other references in this episode:

* Sūrah al-Nisā’ v. 32: “And do not covet what Allāh has given some of you over others”;

* Investing and financial literacy with Shaykh Joe Bradford;

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