The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

I was up in New York City this past weekend and Monday photographing and attending the lecture series by Zaytuna Institute as a part of their Minara program, held at NYU [actually, it was held at Cooper Union but it seemed to be a joint custody affair] entitled: For God & Country, showcasing Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and professor Khaled Blankinship from Temple University. Sunday’s event at NYU was an all-day affair and both speakers gave very insightful talks. In particular it was great to hear and see Dr. Blankinship interact with a broader audience, many of whom may not have been familiar with him. He is without a doubt a school of impeccable character and pedigree and his knowledge reaches into many branches of the various sciences from religion to history. I put up a someshots from the event on as well a few from Monday’s book signing/talk at Columbia featuring Richard Bulliet, author of The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization. For those interested in modern conversations about the inclusion or exclusion of Islam from the Western pale, I recommend his book as a thought provoking read. Here’s a few images from that even as well.

The following is an article about the Sudanese bassist and composer, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, that was originally published in Down Beat Magazine, July 4th, 1963. The article was written by Bill Coss. Beyond an excellent insight into the workings of a master musician, Abdul-Malik ties the thread between knowing the Creator and knowing one’s world. Given Modernity’s fractured vision on the relation of things, Abdul-Malik’s words are erudite and moving. He was also a stellar musician of world-class calibre. Hat tip to Doug Benson for the resource. May Allah have mercy on his soul.

In some degree, all music is about something. But what it is about, its contents, differs widely and generally determines its essential worth.

For composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik the content encompasses all the sciences. particularly the sociological, ethnic, and theological. The easiest thing to say would be that Abdul-Malik is different from most jazz musicians, and both his brief biography and the development of his thought immediately show that difference, while at the same time serving as a primer for youngsters who might aspire to be what Abdul-Malik considers the complete musician.

All his conscious development has come from religious convictions. “People think I am too far out with religion,’ he said. “But it is so necessary to know the Creator, to know the rules of being - what it means - to know the commandments, to know you are commanded to use your intellect and will… That allows you to advance in all subjects. How else can you know about life? And music is life.

“You must do subsidiary study. All music has its own history, of course, and you need to know that, but it is also important to know the non-musical side of a people. That way you learn more about their music. By studying a people’s habits, you find their musical expressions.

“That you are commanded to do. The whole health of the world is based on each contributing to one another: doctors, bakers, musicians. If musicians want to co-operate, they must be masters of all scales which will broadcast to the receiver of the mind.”

“Really, a musician should be in excellent condition, physically, mentally, professionally, and scientifically,” Abdul-Malik continued. “I have studied all the elements: animals, insects, plants, space – the universe - old and new jazz but most importantly the Creator.

“How can you play beauty without knowing what beauty is, what it really is? Understanding the Creator leads to understanding the creations, and better understanding of what you play comes from this. How can you understand fully without knowing the start, the continuation, and the ending? Read more this entry »

Work work, teaching work and freelance work combined with a nasty cold have buried me under and avalanche. Here’s a short gallery of shots from the Zaytuna sessions this November. Enjoy.

It’s amazing that it’s already November. This year has just flown by. So last night had me in gracious company, photographing the first day of MANA’s conference here in Philadelphia: The State of Blackamerican Islam. Such keynote speakers included Dr. Aminah McCloud, professor Amir al-Islam, and of course, the esteemed Dr. Sherman ‘Abd al-Hakim’ Jackson. For more info in the event, see MANA’s web site. Here’s short photo gallery of some images from last night.

Enjoy

Update

I have posted the final version of the web gallery - you can take a look here. Imam Johari also has some thoughts.

I also wanted to say thanks to MANA for letting me come and shoot and for all the MANA volunteers who, when I didn’t know where I was going, they did!

Like many of you, I had high hopes going in to this conference and I have to say that I’ve left with some additional high hopes as well. One aspect of this conference that really sank in to me last night was how happy and motivated people seemed to be after coming out of the various workshops. That is a commendable achievement on behalf of MANA and the workshop leaders, speakers, and coordinators. Hat tip to Muhammad Khalifa, who besides looking dapper in his suit, really ran around and seemed to glue stuff together.

I saw a lot of old, friendly faces. And by old, I mean OLD!! Damn!, what happened? I moved away from Michigan about eight years ago and it’s funny - when you leave a place, it has a tendency to remain a time capsule for you. And so do the people you know there. Many were shocked to find that I even live in Philadelphia now, many of us having lost contact through the years. This provided a great way to reconnect. I also had a chance to meet many new faces. I guess I should put up a better looking picture of my self as people kept saying, “oh, you’re Manrilla. I saw your picture online”. It’s amazing how well read this blog is sometimes. I enjoyed meeting other fellow bloggers, Tariq and Umar. I hope we can do so again.

One last thought; we really need to hang out more often. I say this as I saw so many people who were overjoyed at seeing faces that they hadn’t seen in years. I think the other part about this conference that gave me some more food for thought is the need for Muslims to really associate and get out and spend time with one another. And we don’t always need a conference for that. Though I am happy to hang out in Reading Terminal eating sandwiches that’ll drive my cholesterol through the roof. See you next year

It’s been one year since I started shooting, Philadelphian: The Low-Fi Shots Series, with my cellphone. It’s been an amazing project thus far. One of the main reasons is that it’s just not possible to do photography like this with a “normal” camera. People and society have come to “know” what a camera is and react in two ways: hostile or posed. I’m interested in neither. This series has allowed me to crawl into a social space that is worthy of examination: the quotidian existence of us all. Whether it be on a trolley headed home after a long day’s work or going to work early in the morning, still half asleep or comatose, this series shows us “as we are”. The black and white images allow me to peel back any exterior layers and reveal something more intimate. It is amusing when I get responses like, “you shot that on your cellphone? How?” The simple answer is it’s not the camera but rather the subject matter. To be fair, though, the cellphone camera allows me to photograph and yet not be recognized as a photographer. And no, the lens isn’t tack sharp. For me, it is akin to a Holga but I can still make phone calls with it! You simply have to embrace the limitations of the device as if they were advantages.

So stay tuned for more Low-Fi Shots. The series can be viewed here.

It was my supreme pleasure to play host to Charles for the past few days. My only regret is that it was far too short. I hope Charles can find his way back to Philly to visit again soon.

Charles is one of those rare creatures in which you can strike up any mode or subject of conversation with. From religion to politics, traveling, food - you name it. It has been such an unexpected joy to get a chance to see him. He looks good and is taking his condition well, with a spirit that is well-tempered. I have found a tremendous amount of inspiration just observing how he carries himself these days. I can only hope to match his temperament. I’ve included a couple of small shots from his visit. We all had a great time with you, Charles. Philly is all the more lonesome without you. Please grace us with your presence again.

One love little brother,

A short sample of a couple of images from today’s shoot, continuing to capture material for the American Muslim Experience. More details to come. Many thanks to Shaykh Hajj Musa, for his time, energy and devotion to this project. At 84 years old, his energy is truly inspiring! Enjoy.

Imam Anwar Muhaimin

Hajj Musa

They say [well, ok, so I say it] that everyone has at least two faces. This is especially true in front of the camera. I had the pleasure of photographing the MANA Shura meeting in Philadelphia this weekend. Enjoy the shots. Click the link below to the entire gallery. Enjoy.

Read more this entry »