User talk:Leo Africanus

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[edit] Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia. Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! By the way, you can sign your name on Talk and vote pages using three tildes, like this: ~~~. Four tildes (~~~~) produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question to the village pump or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!

Whosyourjudas (talk) 20:47, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

You're welcome. It's great to have contributors starting new articles that are actually worth keeping! --Whosyourjudas (talk) 21:28, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Iman Zain al Abidin

"Isn't this page the same as Ali Zayn al Abidin? Why the separate pages? Can't we redirect one to the other? The usual way I have heard him referred to is Imam Zayn al Abidin, btw. But I am just the son of a Sayyid and not really a Shia.—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 23:19, Oct 27, 2004 (UTC)"

It's an updated version of the Ali Zayn al Abidin that tries to standardise content by arabicising relevant terms rather than using persian equivalents. It includes reference to al-sahifa al-sajjadiya and adopts sections of the foreward to the same by Prof SHM Jafri.

I've merged them into the ali ibn husayn page as although he is affectionately know as Zayn al-Abideen to devotees, all esle will probably first come across him as the son of Husayn.

Leo Africanus 00:26, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

One of the best things I like about the Wikipedia is the fact that we can redirect stuff and provide alternative spellings. I agree that the Arabic spellings and terminology is the "correct" one, especially for historical figures that were Arabs [Zainal Abideen was half-Persian, though], we should provide alternative spellings. And alternative ways one can see references to topics.—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 03:12, Oct 28, 2004 (UTC)

Can't argue with that. By the way, the rickshaw blog is a revelation! Leo Africanus 11:51, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

So you are going to send contributions for the Rickshaw blog? You have me very curious; where are you based?—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 20:02, Oct 28, 2004 (UTC)

I'm trying to rack my brains for one that isn't already mentioned. I'm UK based but was in Delhi last year during my medical electives, mainly visiting vestiges of Mughal rule! Leo Africanus 20:06, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

So what's the African connection?
And I don't agree with your Arabizing the spellings of all historical Muslim names. You keep changing "Hussain" to "Husain" or "Husayn", for example. The last two are actually the least common ways of spelling that name in the Muslim world, or anywhere, come to think of it. I have lived in Nigeria and Pakistan and spent extensive time in India. That covers more than half the Muslim Umma. And even the records of the Hashemite court of Jordan call their previous king "Hussein". See their offical website.—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 20:19, Oct 28, 2004 (UTC)

Parents are from East Africa and 4 or 5 generations back I hail from India. The name itself is that of the central character in the eponymous book by Amin Maalouf.

Personally I'm keen on 'Hussein' too, but someone prior to my arrival had redirected all to Husayn so I presumed that was the agreed consensus. As for arabicising the names, it's closer to what the characters whould have referred to themselves as. As for drawing conclusions from the opinion of the majority... Leo Africanus 20:55, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Personally, I believe that encyclopedias should capture how reality exists, as well as mention what different people want it to be. And this is a matter of how a name from other languages and cultures—and these names have a place in more than one culture; Mohammad, to use the commonest example, is spelled "Mehmet" in a Turkish context and is an important name there, too—are rendered in English. Overemphasizing what would be a wonderfully phonetic rendition of a name or word does a disservice to readers who might come looking for something they have commonly seen rendered a different way.
And having grown up in West Africa with Pakistani parents who are both history teachers, I am familiar with Leo Africanus; I was curious how you came to use it.—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 21:37, Oct 28, 2004 (UTC)

Hence the need to standardise spelling and judicious use of redirecting. Otherwise I'm sure that if the other Muslim 'blocs' representing the remaining half of the Muslim world were to mobilise we could be in store for countless more spelling alternatives.

I didn't intend to patronise you re: Leo Africanus. I read the book and was inspired. Leo Africanus 23:07, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Okay, I have done an edit of "Ali ibn Husayn" the way I would want it. What say?—iFaqeer | Talk to me! 22:03, Oct 28, 2004 (UTC)

Excellent. No qualms at all. Leo Africanus 23:09, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Mahdi / Mahdi army

Hello Leo, I was wondering whether you would know more on the Mahdi Army and the Mahdi. From the name, it looks that the 2004 Army is inspired on the religious belief of the returning Mahdi. Do you have any sources on this one? Thanks in advance, Bontenbal 21:06, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)

The Mahdi is the Islamic/Muslim word for Messiah. And with the Shia thread in Islam being more strongly Messianic than the Sunni half, the name "Mahdi Army" for a "militia" is like calling a Christian equivalent the "Army of Jesus", or, say, the Jesuits?—iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 22:03, Nov 9, 2004 (UTC)
Hi Bontenball. IFaqeer's observation is spot on. However, you are right in suggesting that the name given to the militia is inspired by the Mahdi's role in Shi'a eschatology. I understand that al-Sadr is of the view that the Mahdi's return from occultation is imminent. As a descendent of the Imams and a scion of a well-established scholarly family perhaps he feels obliged to raise such an army. Reports suggest that he claims the army "belongs to the Mahdi".Leo Africanus 18:56, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for your clarifications! Bontenbal 21:36, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks for the link

I see you added the Rickshaw Blog to the fav links listed on your User page. Cool! Thanks!!!67.118.240.18 00:33, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC) (sorry, signed it wrong yesterday: —iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 18:59, Nov 17, 2004 (UTC))

no problems. Leo Africanus 22:51, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Africa-related regional notice board

I have created Wikipedia:Africa-related regional notice board.—iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 05:29, Dec 7, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Islamic Calendar

As creator of the Sha'aban page and a man seemingly knowledgable about Islam I wanted to mention that User:70.177.192.220 has been going through trying to help out with pages about the Islamic calendar months. I was not sure how to deal with it so I tried, on the Rajab page, to organize his information some and link to the site he copied from and make it better match their terms of usage. When he editted your page that already had information on it I was not sure how to clean it up so I figured I would notify you and ask for your advice. Thanks. -gren

Thanks for letting me know. He seems to be cutting and pasting from another site with what seems to be quite extraneous information at times! Probably best to politely refuse his revisions. Leo Africanus 22:56, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Muslim educational institutions

Just started Muslim educational institutions. Please take a look and see if you can help.—iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 00:27, Feb 26, 2005 (UTC)

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