Hmmm. What you’re suggesting here is very alarming. Maybe you should be specific about WHICH category of brothers and sisters you want to give the benefit of doubt to. Because, last I checked, The mureeds were also our brothers. And there are many sister mureedas as well, along with the Hajji Meryam. So if a ‘brother’ says you’re house is on fire, and another claims it isn’t, Where does the benefit go to? Maybe you should ask which one is sufi…make it easier for yourself. Last I checked in the beginning of the article you were giving the most benefit to the “honest journalism”, because of course she deserves your benefit, as the Media is just FULL of honest reporters, ESPECIALLY when it comes to reporting on the integrity of muslims…ah, ah,…careful…

Thank you bringing these issues to light.

You wrote:
>..you should appreciate that rather than ask the NYTimes to retract the article.
>The journalist interviewed almost 20 people in
>her story.

Mashhallah I hear they do a lot of interviewing at Guantanomo as well. Must make it pretty good place! I like to think it is the end result, and not the amount of interviewing they do which should be judged. End result judged in the response above.

An editorial, is absolutely in the works. Lets see if they publish it. As for what will be in it, it will mostly come from the points I raise in this authorized response.

Be that as it may, I still feel that the article did an honest job at investigating the article and you should appreciate that rather than ask the NYTimes to retract the article. The journalist interviewed almost 20 people in her story.

If you dont like the article, you have your right to write your own editorial that the NY Times may publish in response to this article. Why don’t you do just that, rather than continue to complain about the media as Muslims love to do. In fact, get your shaykh to write an editorial!

Mashahallah.. yes, the MSA was protected, the Muslim community in Long Island was protected.. enjoy your protection

On what authority does Nayyer Imam speak about the Nakshibendi Tariqa? Please inform me of a fact rather than opinions.

Well, of course, a Mureed of Shaykh Nazim at a minimum would have authority to question the authority of a particular sufi order… is he a mureed of Shaykh Nazim?

Shaykh Nazim trumps all in regards to matters involving the Naksibendi Hakkani’s, doesn’t he?

You know that Shaykh Nazim leads the Nakshibendi tariqa of Shaykh Kabbani as well as Shaykh Abdul Karim, right?

Did you look at what he has said about Shaikh Abdul Kerim in my post above?

Nayyer Imam’s comments have to do with Shaykh’s authenticity as a representative of the Nakshibendi Hakkani order.

I’ve been involved with the Nakshibendi’s both Shaykh Hisham and Shaykh Abdul Kerim for years. There are some political things going on that people were not even aware of (obviously, now they are). Shaykh Hisham’s organization chose to expose these things… Alhamdullah, though the audio of our mutual Shaykh Nazim speaks for itself.

Its obvious you haven’t read a thing, please read.. respond with facts/points… Jazakallahkhair. wassalam

You criticized Brother Nayyer Imam, a man who works tirelessly for the Selden/Stony Brook community and have questioned his authority. What right do you have to question his authority? Oh wait, its because ur a shaykh’s mureed and hes not, right?

Mashallah, its great that u make ur good amount of money, and have ur education. But I really believe you should re-think and re-analyze your critism of an honest investigative journalist. The reporter clearly distinguished that speicic group with the world of Stony Brook’s MSA, the greater Muslim community in Long Island, Islam in general, and Sufism in particular. (Sister Sanaa said good things about the Naqshbandi order.)

If you think this is media bias, i dont even want to ask what type of media you actually go get your news from.

Wa Allahu’Alim.

H.Ahmed, three students are mentioned in the article, so do you mean you know two of the three? ~66%?

Wow, I’m Shaykh’s mureed and I’m still good at math, alhamdulillah.

The reporter absolutely confused Islam.. If you choose not to read my specific objections, that is fine. Otherwise, please respond to the points mentioned, inshahallah.

This is response approved by Shaikh himself, so I believe even though I am not a Stony Brook graduate, as a mureed I can comment on it. I also obtained Shaikhs approval to post this response, since it involves him much more than little ol’ me.

Alhamdullah I make a good amount of money a year, and I’ve known shaykh for years. Never asked a penny from me.

I feel I’m pretty well educated as well… and probably my blog would not get much attention if otherwise.

Please respond to specific points mentioned in my response in the article. Jazakllahkhair.

Both sides have extremes BASED on the article. Chittick said it best, people are biased towards sufis.

Read a discussion about this article here: http://www.hahmed.com/blog/2006/04/09/nytimes-article-leaving-stony-brook-to-follow-a-sheik/#comments

Again, I appreciate your concern in trying to defend your muslim brethren, but why dont you let the Muslim community at Stony Brook speak and hear their voices before condeming the NY Times and an honest investigative journalist?

You can use http://www.bugmenot.com to find an existing registration that works.

Here is one that works

username: greensleeves5
password: grenadine

Do I have to register to see the article or is it available elsewhere?

I was waiting to hear what you would say… I knew the article was fishy, but the fact that two of the three guys actually did graduate… subhan’Allah. That “shaykh” “sheik” thing would have been funny were it not so pitiful…

Jazakallahkhair, Sidi Alex.

-yursil