Pamela K. Taylor

Pamela K. Taylor

co-founder, Muslims for Progressive Values

"On Faith" panelist Pamela K. Taylor is co-founder of Muslims for Progressive Values and director of the Islamic Writers Alliance. She is a member of the national board of advisors to the Network of Spiritual Progressives, and served as co-chair of the Progressive Muslim Union for two years. Taylor is a strong supporter of the woman imam movement, which seeks the full participation of Muslim women in every aspect of life, including the pulpit. In July 2005, she became the first woman in centuries to officiate Friday prayers in a mosque when the United Muslim Association of Toronto and the Muslim Canadian Congress invited her to serve as guest imam. (This event followed a number of services, sermons and prayer sessions led by women held in private venues because no mosque agreed to host them.) In February 2006, when the former Grand Mufti of Marseilles visited Toronto, he requested that Taylor lead him in congregational prayer as an unequivocal demonstration of his support for female imams. Taylor has also been active in interfaith dialogue for 20 years, both in local initiatives and speaking at numerous conferences, universities, and churches. She received her MTS from Harvard Divinity School, and writes regularly on spiritual matters and the Islamic faith. She has essays in Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions (2006) and the forthcoming The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics (2007). She has written hundreds of articles and opinion pieces for newspapers, magazines, and journals, and is an award winning poet. Close.

Pamela K. Taylor

co-founder, Muslims for Progressive Values

"On Faith" panelist Pamela K. Taylor is co-founder of Muslims for Progressive Values and director of the Islamic Writers Alliance. She is a member of the national board of advisors to the Network of Spiritual Progressives, and served as co-chair of the Progressive Muslim Union for two years. Taylor is a strong supporter of the woman imam movement, which seeks the full participation of Muslim women in every aspect of life, including the pulpit. more »

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words for the week -- on adultery and forgiveness

Since the topic of adultery has come up on the thread with forgiveness, here are two examples of forgiveness in the case of adultery or pre-marital sexual relations, which is also considered a sin in the Qur'an. The first is the present world; the second is in the hereafter.

Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Number 812:
(this is in the section dealing with adultery, so while the crime remains unexpressed, it has been understood to be illegal sexual intercourse -- adultery or pre-marital relations)

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

While I was with the Prophet a man came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed a legally punishable sin; please inflict the legal punishment on me'." The Prophet did not ask him what he had done. Then the time for the prayer became due and the man offered prayer along with the Prophet , and when the Prophet had finished his prayer, the man again got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed a legally punishable sin; please inflict the punishment on me according to Allah's Laws."

The Prophet said, "Haven't you prayed with us?"

He said, "Yes."

The Prophet said, "Allah has forgiven your sin."


and:


Bukhari,Volume 7, Book 72, Number 717:
Narrated Abu Dharr:

I came to the Prophet while he was wearing white clothes and sleeping. Then I went back to him again after he had got up from his sleep.

He said, "Nobody says: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' and then later on dies while believing in that, except that he will enter Paradise."

I said, "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft?"

He said. "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft."

I said again, "Even if he had commited illegal sexual intercourse and theft?"

He said. "Even if he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft."

I said again, "Even it he had committed illegal sexual intercourse and theft!"

He said, "Even If he had committed Illegal sexual intercourse and theft, and despite Abu Dharr's not liking it."

Abu 'Abdullah said, "This is at the time of death or before it if one repents and regrets and says "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. He will be forgiven his sins."

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