MUHAMMAD HASSAN ILYAS’S ADDRESS AT A UNITED NATIONS–HOSTED SESSION
Last month in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, an important official side event was held on the theme: “The Taliban’s Political and Social Exploitation of Religion and Its Effects.” The Ghamidi Center’s Director of Research & Communication, Muhammad Hassan Ilyas, was formally invited to speak. More than 200 ministers, diplomats, and global experts attended. In his remarks, Hassan Ilyas stated that the Taliban have used Islam as a weapon, the result of which has been a severe infringement of the fundamental rights of Afghan women and children in particular. He clarified that true Islam rests on justice, mercy, and consultation, whereas the Taliban’s model is founded on coercion and oppression. He warned that the Taliban’s political and social exploitation of religion is not merely Afghanistan’s problem, but a global threat. Confronting this danger, he argued, is not only a military matter; it requires an alternative intellectual and educational narrative. He further deemed essential the amplification of the voices of scholars, women, and youth leadership, the refutation of fabricated fatwas, and the protection of the oppressed.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND AUDIOBOOK OF AL-ISLAM
The Ghamidi Center has completed the English translation and audiobook production of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s book Al-Islam. This work is a concise and accessible summary of Ghamidi’s celebrated treatise Meezan, presenting Islam in a straightforward manner, stripped of technical debates and elaborate argumentation. The English translation and audiobook of Al-Islam will soon be available across the Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning’s publishing and broadcast platforms.
THE ISSUE OF TRIPLE DIVORCE
Within the Center’s ongoing video series addressing 23 objections, the current theme is “Ijtihadi Applications.” These sessions review Ghamidi’s ijtihad-based applications to date and scholarly critiques thereof. In the September 2025 sessions, Ghamidi presented arguments in support of his position on talaq thalathah (triple divorce) and divorces pronounced in anger, reaction, or heightened emotion. These sessions can be viewed on the Ghamidi Center’s YouTube channel.
HUJJATULLAH AL-BALIGHAH
The Ghamidi Center has launched a new scholarly series titled Hujjatullah al-Balighah. In it, Muhammad Hassan Ilyas poses his questions and difficulties regarding key discussions in Shah Waliullah al-Dehlawi’s renowned work Hujjatullah al-Balighah, and Javed Ahmed Ghamidi offers his analysis and commentary. The September 2025 sessions addressed foundational topics such as the basis of the religious sciences, the relationship between Quran and Hadith, the method of acquiring religious knowledge, and the objectives of the Shariah. Recordings are available on the Center’s YouTube channel.
AFKAR–E-GHAMIDI Syed Manzoor ul Hassan, research scholar at the Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning and editor of the monthly Ishraq (US), has long been advancing Islamic thought through his writings, especially by elucidating and explicating Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s ideas. He has now also begun a series of topical talks. “Afkar-e-Ghamidi” is a weekly program that presents these themes in accessible terms. Last month’s episodes were titled: “The Sole Source of Religion: Muhammad (PBUH),” “Does Islam Intend Democracy or Autocracy?,” “How Should We
Teach Religion to the New Generation?,” and “Is a Woman’s Testimony Half (compared to that of men)?” The recordings are available on the Ghamidi Center’s YouTube channel.
SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM—AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ATHEISM
Last month, the Center’s Director of Research & Communication, Muhammad Hassan Ilyas, held a dialogue with Mr. Haris Sultan on “Some Misconceptions about Islam—Against the Backdrop of Atheism,” in which Mr. Ilyas offered reasoned and scholarly responses to various atheist critiques of Islam. Among the questions discussed were: “Is it not unjust to consign a morally upright person to Hell merely for not believing in God?”, “Has the Quran’s essential intent failed to remain preserved?”, “Why do jurists deem death the penalty for apostasy?”, and “What do Sufis hold regarding the punishment for apostasy?” The conversation also explored women’s rights in Islam and common misconceptions about women. The recording is available on the Center’s YouTube channel.
ASK GHAMIDI
In the Center’s ongoing online Q&A sessions titled “Ask Ghamidi,” some of last month’s prominent questions included: “How can Muslims build themselves as a community?”, “What distinguishes the shirk of the polytheists from that of the People of the Book?”, “What is Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s view on the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia defense agreement?”, and “What is meant by the nafs (self)?” Recordings are available on the Center’s YouTube channel.
WEEKLY LESSONS IN QURAN AND HADITH
In September 2025, during the Ghamidi Center’s live sessions on Quran and Hadith, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi taught verses 21–41 of Surah al-Hajj. In the Hadith lessons, key themes discussed included: “Imitating Previous Communities and an Incident of a Companion,” “My Ummah Will Also Follow the Ways of Former Nations,” “The Prophet’s Admonition to His Ummah,” and “The Prophet’s Disavowal of Rebels Against the Public Order.” Recordings are available on the Center’s YouTube channel.
TAFHIM AL-ATHAR SERIES
Under the ongoing “Tafhim al-Athar” series, the September 2025 sessions addressed significant topics such as “The Caliphate of Umar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz,” “Do Not Make the Quran a Means of Worldly Gain,” “Learn the Quran and Ask Only from God,” “Teaching and Dissemination of the Sunnah in the Prophetic Era,” and “The Background to the Companions’ Jihad.” Recordings can be viewed on the Center’s YouTube channel.
Q&A WITH HASSAN ILYAS
On the well-known YouTube channel “Muslim Today,” the series “Ask Hassan Ilyas” continues. This question- and-answer program features Mr. Ilyas responding to audiences’ intellectual, theological, and religious inquiries. In September 2025, notable topics included: “Why did the Quran direct the Jews to return to the Torah?”, “How should we understand the Quran?”, “What is the best argument for the existence of God?”, and “Does Islam forbid the study of other religions?” Recordings are available on the Ghamidi Center’s YouTube channel.
THE GHAMIDI CENTER’S ONLINE KHANQAH
In last month’s sessions of the Center’s ongoing online khanqah, key points discussed included: “God Administers All Affairs Himself,” “The Difference Between Receiving Reward and Avoiding Punishment,” “Our Changing Motives,” and “The Four Stages of Human Development.” Recordings are available on the Center’s YouTube channel.
SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM IN BOOK FORM
The Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning has now published its Sunday School curriculum in book form. The curriculum comprises nine books designed for Grades 1 through 9. Tailored especially for Muslim children living in non-Muslim countries, it is based on Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s teachings and his book Meezan. It is considered an excellent choice for Islamic Sunday schools and for parents who homeschool. The textbooks can be ordered directly from the Ghamidi Center’s website.
ILM O HIKMAT: WITH GHAMIDI (ILM O HIKMAT GHAMIDI KAY SAATH)
In September 2025, the weekly program featuring Ghamidi on “Dunya News” aired three episodes on “A Five- Point Plan for the Survival of the Muslim Ummah—A Critical Appraisal” and one episode on “What Is Shirk?” Prominent questions discussed included: “Does Islam endorse the current economic order?”, “Is progress possible without reforming the education system?”, “Why is shirk such a grave sin?”, and “Is the negation of shirk embedded in human nature?” Recordings are available on the Ghamidi Center’s YouTube channel.
DR. SHEHZAD SALEEM’S ONLINE PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS
Each month, Dr. Shehzad Saleem holds online private consultation sessions. In these sessions, people seek counsel regarding various personal and family matters. Over thirty sessions were held last month, addressing parental challenges and issues faced during adolescence.
ISSUANCE OF FATWAS BASED ON RELIGIOUS OPINIONS
The Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning, Al-Mawrid USA, is frequently approached regarding the legal applications of Shariah. Inquiries often relate to marriage and divorce, inheritance, and other socio-economic matters requiring applied opinions. Last month, several fatwas were issued to address such needs. These were prepared by Muhammad Hassan Ilyas in the light of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s thought.
CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG MINDS
Last month, Dr. Shehzad Saleem delivered a detailed lecture on “Challenges faced by Young Minds,” discussing the mental and emotional issues confronting youth, academic pressure, societal expectations, and the obstacles to personal development. The recording is available on the Ghamidi Center’s YouTube channel.