Abu Siyaam

From "Blogspot" to "Wordpress"

2011-06-02T18:35:00.005+01:00

As-Salamuwalikum,

I have decided to move from the classic "BLOGSPOT" to "WORDPRESS" now, the blogspot days were great but the move is required, the ex-bloggers will know what I mean...

So the new address for Abu Siyaam is: abusiyaam.wordpress.com

Abu Siyaam.

Returning to Seeking Knowledge after learning Arabic

2011-04-24T09:54:00.017+01:00

Without a doubt, being in the path of seeking knowledge is a great blessing granted by Allah (SWT) upon His slaves. The verses and the reports which talks about the virtues of being on this path are too many to account.

Those who have tread the path of seeking knowledge knows the sweetness of being upon this path, and those who have come out of it, yearn and long to return back to it. Perhaps after coming out of seeking knowledge, one may recall the moments and the memories that had passed by him whilst being upon that noble path. Whether these moments were good or bad, it results to one thing for many, the longing to go back to that time once more. For many of us this may not be possible, as one may have commitments, or have busied himself with the worldly matters, or the worldly matters have kept him busy.

It was known from the Salaf, that once they had embarked this path of knowledge, they truly kept them self busy with it and did not let the worldly matters busy them; the accounts of the Salaf are many, and from some of their statements:

Abu Yousaf al-Qaadi said: “Knowledge is something that will not give you even a fraction of itself until you give it all of yourself.”

Al-Khatib Al-Baghdaadi mentioned in his Jaami’: “The knowledge is not granted to except he who shuts down his factory, destroy his garden, abandon his friends, and whose closest relatives have died, such that he does not have to attend a funeral!”

Az-Zubair ibn Abi Baks said: “My niece said to our family: “My uncle is the best to his family. He did not take a second wife or purchase a slave.” So I said, “My wife said that these books of mine are more distracting for me than three other wives would be.””

Az-Zarnooji said: “Muhammad bin al-Hasan ash-Shaibaani would not sleep at night. He would place his books on front of him, and if he became bored of one book, he’d move to another...”

Some of the quotes from them may seem very extreme to the reader, but they reached their stations because of the way they were. From these statements what we understand that the Salaf gave a lot of their time to knowledge, and they kept away from things that would distract the gathering of their thoughts and their concentration for knowledge.

As mentioned many of us may not be able to return to seeking knowledge, such as travelling abroad again after returning, sitting in the circles of the knowledge’s, moving from one country to another – so what is the solution? One may say, ‘I have my collection of Arabic books, so I will just read them!’ This may be a solution for some and not for others. People vary in the way they learn the best, some learn the best by hearing, others by seeing and whilst others learn the best through interaction.

For a person who has learnt the basic Arabic, it may be more confusing at times as what to do or where to start, after returning from learning Arabic, some may be even sitting in idle, and whilst others may be sitting in circles which are not ‘juicy’ enough for them. What we wanted to do here is to lay down a basic study plan for the brothers and sisters who know basic Arabic. It can also be used by the English speakers, if these books and lectures are also available in English. Before laying down the study plan, we should lay down some pre-conditions; otherwise it will be just another study plan.

The Pre-Conditions:

Intention: Having the correct intention for knowledge is very important, as it is what drives a person to do it. So the intention should consist of: gaining nearness to Allah (SWT), seeking Al-Jannah, seek knowledge to lift ignorance from oneself and from others, to bring life to His Shar’iah and to defend it against those who oppose it and desire to give it a false interpretation. So one must feel that he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. When one feels exhaustion from seeking this knowledge, let him return to his intention to re-energise.

Patience and Consistence: To be consistent at doing that action, even if it is something insignificant. Great fruits results from being consistent in an action. Some of the Salaf said: “Whoever is not patient upon the humiliation of learning will spend the rest of his life in the blindness of ignorance, and whoever is patient upon it will spend this life and the next in a state of honour.” Ash-Shafi said: “Be patient upon the sourness and the dryness of knowledge, because failure in knowledge is turning away from it. And he who does not taste the sourness of knowledge for an hour, will swallow the humiliation of ignorance for his whole life.”

Having a ‘fixed’ Time Slot: Ibn al-Qayyim’s saying is sufficient: “Getting what you want depends on cutting of habits and attachment to anything else.”

With these pre-requisites, one should engage in study, these pre-conditions are his companion in his road to knowledge.

The Methods:

Method One: Audio Learning in Arabic

This is a great way of learning after picking up the basic Arabic language. One may not be able to be with the teachers physically or bodily but can reap the same benefits, as if the person was present in those lessons, by listening to it. Some people learn best by listening, so this is the ideal path for them. Audio learning is great in another sense, for example if a person did not understand an issue he can always go back to it [by rewinding], which at times is not possible in some of the circles of knowledge.

Most of the lectures that take place in the Mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) in Medina are recorded and are available. These lectures are very beneficial. So, that student who wished to sit with scholars of Medina and did not get that chance, then this is the closet he will get to them. By listening to these lectures, it is as if you are sitting in the Prophet’s Mosque and being with scholars of Medina! Their methodology is excellent too; it covers all the levels in learning: from the beginners, to intermediate and to higher – so when one finishes with the first level, they can move to the next. The study plan is as follows for the first level:

Usool al-Fiqh : Al-Waraqaat

Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah : Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyaah As-Sa’adi

Al-Fiqh : Umdat al-Fiqh

Al-Meeraath : Ar-Rahbiyyah

Fiqh al-Hadith : Umdat al-Ahkaam

Asmaa’ wa as-Sifaat : Al-Waasitiyyah

At-Tawheed : Al-Usool Ath-Thalatha

Al-Mustalah : Al-Bayqooniyyah

Al-Hadeeth : Al-Lu’lu wa al-Marjaan

An-Nahu : Al-Aajroomiyyah

Ar-Raqaaiq : Al-Waabil As-Sayyib

At-Tafseer : Aysir at-Tafaasir

How to study these books?

One should not be afraid by the number of books nor by the number of lectures in each of these subjects:

Firstly, return to the pre-requisites.

Secondly, do not take more than two or three books in one go. Take perhaps two books, one for the evening and one for the morning.

Thirdly, listen to ‘one lecture a day only’ from each chosen subject.

Forthy, do not just listen to lectures, take notes from it – either in a separate note book or just add footnotes to the book that’s being studied. Do not write down everything the Shaykh says, but write in summary from.

Fifthly, in this way complete ‘all’ the lectures for that specific book. Have a little chart on the wall, with the names of the books – once you have completed a book, write down the date of completion. This will give you motivation for you to start and finish the next book.

Sixthly, once you have finished a book, choose another book to start. Remember to take around two at a time; the aim is to finish with understanding and not take many books and not finish any of them.

In this way, finish the first level, and then move on to the next. This way of learning and finishing this study plan may take a long time – even years – but do not let this dishearten or scare you, think about the virtues and fruits that you will reap from it. If the Medina lectures are not available to a person, one can simply study the same books which were taught by other Shaykhs – which are available in islamway.com as I believe.

Method Two: Learning by Reading

Some people benefit more by reading than listening. A student of knowledge should train himself to read a lot. But just reading many long books at times may not yeild fruitful results, one should always try to summarize that book, by passing every chapter – this will broaden one understanding and multiply one’s knowledge as it will be with him in a summarized form. It is great to having passion for books, but its rights needs to be given to it; the least one should do is read its foreword and its index to know at least what the book contains. A study plan for this type of learning for the Arabic speakers has been written in detail, refer back to: abuqutaybah.blogspot.com

Method Three: Visual Learning

This is probably the most beneficial way of learning for most people, as it involves interaction and mixing with the teacher and students. This may not be available abundantly for the Arabic speakers in London and the West in general, so it can be somewhat difficult. But I believe that there are some lessons that takes place in Arabic, one need to inquire and do a bit more research. If no avail, then perhaps the next best option is to search for visual lectures that are available on the net or try to attend circles of knowledge – even if it is in the English language as not to distant oneself away from knowledge totally. Allah know best.

Abu Siyaam.

Jihaadi Nasheed

2010-11-18T06:46:00.004Z

The onlookers are seeing that the Muslim society in the West experiencing tribulations and pressures from every direction, especially when an individual begins to hold on to his Deen. We know that many allegations will be thrown at the practicing Muslim, as it has been foretold by our Prophet (pbuh). Some allegations thrown at Muslims, makes one laugh while others makes one cry. I recollect one controversial issue that occurred during my university days – which caused me to write this post – where an individual’s life was made very difficult because he reverted to Islam, and because of the sudden changes people saw in his appearance and character.

Many individuals that lives in the West, and then enters in the circle of being a ‘practicing Muslim’ may have noticed certain trends as to how a person is in their early days of ‘practicing Islam’, what interests them, what they go through in the initial stages etc. This individual may go through certain oft-repeated steps and phases initially, before this Muslim matures in his Deen over the years. One of the things I happen to notice, from many individuals, friends and family – the listening of nasheed, especially those individuals who were heavily entrenched in listening to music during their jahiliyyah; whose lives were revolved around music. So the nasheed was an alternative form of entertainment for them, from the lyrics of R‘n’B, Hip-Hop and the likes of them.

The word nasheed in Arabic means raising the voice when reciting verses and making the voice sound beautiful and gentle. The word nasheed is the singular and the plural of it is anaasheed. The true Islamic anaasheed does not contain lamella phone instruments, string instruments, or wind and brass instruments. The only instrument commonly allowed is the duff, which is a small hand drum, similar in size to a tambourine, but lacking bells.Anaasheed are popular throughout the Islamic world. The material and lyrics of anaasheed usually make reference to Islamic beliefs, history, and religion, as well as current events – in general.

It is nothing strange for an individual that had started practicing Islam to listen to anaasheed even if it happens to be ‘jihaadi’ anaasheed. What is strange in the face of a Muslim, perhaps even non-Muslims, when these anaasheed are labeled as “incitement for extremism” and the person who listens to it is labeled as “extremist”– whether these accusations are from government officials or ignorant Muslims, which has been witnessed and experienced.

Firstly, what needs to understood is that Arabic anaasheed is not effortlessly understood by even the lay-Arabs because of the rich and deep usage of Arabic Language in them. Some of the anaasheed are in the form of poetry, which makes it even harder to be understood. Hence, if it is difficult for a lay-Arab to understand such anaasheed, then it is even harder for a person with little Arabic background. I recall some years ago, asking some individuals (non-Arabs) who studied abroad for a year or so to translate a few phrases of a nasheed but it was very difficult upon them. If this is the reality of anaasheed, then how much understanding will a newly practicing person have of such anaasheed who does not have background in the Arabic language – which are most individuals in the West? The answer is, very little or even nothing. Anaasheed has become like a culture amongst newly practicing Muslims, call it the “nasheed culture” if you like. So if these ‘jihaadi anaasheed’ was sending out so called ‘messages’- it simply will not be understood!

Secondly, even if it was understood, by listening to it – is it logical to accuse that person of being extreme? The answer is obviously no. Lets strike an example from the music industry to illustrate this point which these people fail to perceive: ‘Gangster Rap’ music often includes many foul lyrics about raping, killing, shootings, revenge attacks on other gangs, fornication etc. Now if an individual listens to such jargon, can this person be accused of rape, murder and etc without any evidence simply because this individual listens to it? Obviously not – the same is applied for the individual who listens to anaasheed.

Finally, the listeners find anaasheed as a source of relaxation and entertament to pass time, and an alternative to all the haraam music that promotes evil and the following of lusts and desires. So such allegations are obviously false.

As Muslims, listening to anaasheed which are halaal, should not be a justification or a mean for us to be far from listening to the Qur’an – and this is very rampant these days. Being a Muslim, our focus and priority should be the listening to the Qur’an and benefitting from the many benefits within it. Anaasheed which are free from music, are permissible. Many of the anaasheed we find these days are musical, occupying many people and distancing us from the Qur’an. The Muslim should protect himself in falling into such pit-holes. There are some points Shaikh Munajjid mentioned regarding listening to anaasheed, which are as follows:

Not using forbidden musical instruments in nasheed.

Not doing it too much or making it the focus of the Muslim’s mind, occupying all his time, or neglecting obligatory duties because of it.

Nasheed should not be recited by women, or include haraam or obscene speech.

They should not resemble the tunes of the people of immorality and promiscuity.

They should be free of vocal effects that produce sounds like those of musical instruments.

They should not have moving tunes which make the listener feel “high” as happens to those who listen to songs. This is the case with many of the nasheed which appear nowadays, so that the listeners no longer pay any attention to the good meaning of the words, because they are so entranced by the tunes.

Just wanted to write these brief words, as some accusation such as the one mentioned are so bizarre, yet – many Muslims have accepted this idea and may even feel as if they are doing something extreme if they happen to be listening to such material.

Abu Siyaam [written from Taiz]

Mukhtasar al-Khiraqi: The First Matn’ of the Hanbali Madhab

2010-03-05T15:54:00.004Z

This post will be a concise book review regarding the first matn’ [text] in the Madhab of Imam Ahmad. I had a drive to write about this particular book because my search to find a copy of this matn’ has finally come to an end after five years!!! That’s right, I have finally managed to purchase a copy of this rare book! Al-Hamdulilah! It is very interesting to note, the publishers of this book is called: “Daar An-Nawaadir”. The word “nawaadir” is from the verb nadhar’ yanduru’ which means, “to be rare” and “to be uncommon”, – and the word “nawaadir” is the plural of “naadira” which means, “rarity” or “rare thing” – so publishers were certainly accurate about their claim, as this book took me almost five years to locate and purchase!

The Author:

He was Abul Qasim Umar ibn Ali al-Husayn bin Abdullah bin Ahmad al-Khiraqi [d.299 AH] He was a prominent Hanbali jurist from Bagdad. He was first guided to Hanbali School by his father and Al-Khiraqi knew the two son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Abdullah and Saalih. Al-Khiraqi’s father was very closely associated with companions of Ahmad, and he mostly associated himself with the very close companion of Ahmad: Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi [d.275 AH]. Al-Khiraqi studied under Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi, Harb al-Kirmani and two sons of Ahmad: Abdullah and Saalih. He was also a pupil of Abu Bark al-Khallah (d.311 AH).

The Book:

The Mukhtasar is a comprehensive treatise covering the whole range of legal issues. The treatise at hand is known as Mukhtasar al-Khiraqi as well as Al-Mukhtasar fee al-Fiqh. As mentioned before, it is first book that was written for the Madhab of Ahmad. It is book in fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence]. Al-Khiraqi is the one who summarised the responsa of Imam Ahmad into a book form.

As per normal, as it is a fiqh book it has been written in masaa’il format, with hardly any quotation from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This shows us that this method of teaching fiqh through masaa’il has existed for a very long time, and it is not something new. It also shows us that a student in his initial stage in seeking knowledge should not study fiqh via hadith primarily. Secondly, a beginner should cease from requesting for evidences at every single issue and should have a certain degree of trust upon his teacher/sheikh. The student should gradually build himself in this way and understand the masaa’il through evidences from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Studying fiqh through hadith come at later stage.

The book itself has been divided into sub-books [kitaab] and then the sub-books have been divided into sub-chapters [baab], containing the different issues. I can’t confirm if the author actually divided the book in this way, but what is apparent from the pictures of the manuscripts – it seems so. The book contains two thousand and three hundred masaa’il according to Abu Ishaaq.

All the books in fiqh, such as al-mutoon, as-shrooh, al-hawaashe, al-mukhtasaaraat from the Madhab until now is one way or another way related to this book! Subhan-Allah!

Ibn al-Bannaah said in the introduction of his explanation of Mukhtasar al-Khiraqi:

“Some of our sheikhs used to say: ‘There are three mukhtasaaraat in three subjects that I have not come across the likes of: al-Faseh’ by Thalab, al-Lumah’ by Ibn Jinney and al-Mukhtasar by al-Khiraqi, no one who engages himself with these [books] and understands them as they should be understood, will succeed and surpass.”’

Al-Haafid Al-Deyaah’ said:

“I saw Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in a dream. He dictated to me an issue in fiqh. So I said: ‘This is in Al-Khiraqi.’ And then he (Imam Ahmad) said: ‘Your companion, al-Muwaffaq did not fall short in his explanation of Al-Khiraqi.”’

From these narrations we understand the position and the status of this book in the Madhab of Ahmad.

The Commentaries:

This matn’ has had many commentaries attached to it, in fact it is the most commented upon matn’ in the Madhab of Ahmad. According to Yusuf ibn Abdil-Hadi [d.909 AH], there were three hundred commentaries of Al-Khiraqi available during his time. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd [d.1429 AH] listed twenty eight commentaries of Al-Khiraqi in his Madkhal. As we can see that this book has been heavily commented upon, Insha-Allah as a sign of its acceptance.

The first commentary of the book was by the author himself, Al-Khiraqi. So, he was the first person to author a book in fiqh for the Madhab and the first person to comment upon it also! This unfortunately has not reached us. I have only come across only three commentaries, which are available in print:

The First: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah [d.620 AD]. Without any doubt, the greatest of the commentaries is Al-Mughni; it has been praised by Hanbali and non-Hanbali scholars alike. The Shafi`i mujtahid Imam Al-Izz bin `Abdus-Salam held back from giving verdicts until obtaining a copy of Al-Mughni. Al-Mughni builds on the previous works of Ibn Qadamah [i.e. Al-Umdah’, Al-Muqni and al-Kaafi’] by adding opinions from the other Madhabs from the Companions and early Imams whether it is still followed or extinct. Also, he brings in the opinions within the Mathab with a particular emphasis on what is transmitted from the Imam (Ahmad). The evidence for all of these various positions are included, and then a defence of the predominant position in Ibn Qudamah’s opinion. The book is also full of minute branch issues.

The Second: Al-Wadih by Abdur-Rahman ibn Umar ibn Abul-Qasim al-Basri [d.684 AH]. This is available in three volumes, and it has been completed.

The Third: Sharh’ al-Zarkashi ala al-Khiraqi by Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Zarkashi al-Misri [d.772 AH]. This is available in five volumes. The author actually authored two commentaries upon the book; the first being a detailed commentary and the second being an abridged version. He was not able to complete the abridged version, but this was completed by a later scholar from the Hanbali School.

Al-Hamdulilah! With this we have completed the brief book review of Mukhtasar al-Khiraqi. Until the next post: As-Salamu’aliykum wa-Rahmatullah wa-barkaatuh.

Abu Siyaam

What comes after Seeking Knowledge?

2009-11-02T12:32:00.017Z

Implementation and action:

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The two feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters) about his life - how he spent it; about his youth - how he took care of it; about his wealth - how he earned it; and where he spent it and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge he acquired."

(at Tirmidhi)

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Verily Allah says: O son of Adam, free yourself for my worship, I will (in turn) fill your chest with satisfaction and remove your poverty, and if you don't I will fill your hands with distraction and will not remove your poverty." In another narration, "I will fill your chest with distraction."

(Ahmad, at Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and others)

And we should hasten in the implementation:

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "There is hesitation in everything except in the actions of the Hereafter."

(Abu Dawud)

And do the actions with perfection and this is achieved by leaving that which don't concern him:

The Prophet (pbuh) "From a man's perfecting his religion is his leaving alone that which does not concern him".

(Ahmad in his Musnad, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and others)

In Fayd ul Qadeer, the author [al Manaawee] writes in explaining this hadith: “It is understood from this that from a man's deficiency in his religion is his indulging in that which does not concern him. This includes everything of secondary importance, whichever form it may take. What should concern him is all that relates to the essentials of his livelihood, that which fulfills his need for sustenance, clothing, keeping himself chaste thereby, and the like thereof from the necessities of life, excluding those things relating to his own personal pleasures. He should be concerned with all that relates to his salvation in the Hereafter, that being Islaam, imaan, and ihsaan. In this way he stays safe from ruin, all forms of evil and from argumentation. This is part of perfecting his religion, firm establishment of his piety and keeping away from following his desires. Whereas striving to accomplish other than this is loss of irreplaceable valuable time, in doing what he was not created for. So whoever worships his Lord, with realization of his closeness to his Lord, and of his Lord's closeness to him, has perfected his religion, as has proceeded".

With this brief post, I would like to say, Jazakumullah Khair, may Allah reward you all for visiting this blog. As from now on I will be not able to put up posts as regularly as I would like to do so due to some commitments. Until next time, I will end with the greetings of Jannah, may Allah (SWT) make us from amongst them! Ameen!

Assalamu’ alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Your brother Abu Siyaam.

Characteristic of a Seeker!

2009-10-24T11:30:00.004+01:00

Narrated by Ibn Abee Haatim ar-Raazee:

I entered upon the students of hadith and I passed by the circle of Qaasim al-Joo’ee. I found a group sitting around him and he was speaking. Their appearence amazed me and I herad him saying:

“Seize the benefit of five things from the people of your time: When you are present you are not known; When you are absent you are not missed; When you are seen your advice is not saught; When you say something your saying is not accepted and When you have some knowledge you are not given anything for it. I also advised you with five things: When you are treated unjustly then do not behave unjustly; When you are praised then do not become happy; When you are criticized do not be upset; When your are not believed do not become angry; And if people act deceitfully towards you do not act deceitfully towards them.”

Ibn Abee Haatim said: “So I took that as my benefit from Damascus.”

How to act during a lesson?

2009-10-15T12:46:00.005+01:00

I wanted to write this article to remind myself and by brothers and sisters about manners that one should observe during an Islamic lesson. This is something that is very easy to forget at times as most of us have been raised up in the west and many of us have not travelled abroad and sat amongst the scholars and students of knowledge to observe and imitate their manners in classes. This is especially important for those brothers and sisters who are looking to seek in-depth knowledge of the Deen to become callers of Islam, serious students of knowledge, scholars or to become leaders. Having good manners opens many doors of goodness for a person; in fact it is reported in an authentic hadith that good manners will be something that will be very heavy on the Scales. Good manner is to deal with people as you like to be dealt with. Our discussion here will only deal with in-class manners.

Firstly; coming to the class early and not strolling in late.

This shows ones zeal, determination and enthusiasm for seeking knowledge. The Salaf always practiced this in their quest for knowledge.

‘Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal narrated that he heard his father say: “Sometimes, I would want to go out early to hear hadith. So, my mother would grab my clothes, saying: “At least wait for the prayer to be called and the people to wake up.” I would go out early to the classes of Abu Bakr bin ‘Ayyash and others.”

However, if one cannot come on time or cannot attend the lesson then one should inform the teacher and apologise beforehand.

Secondly; greet everyone with the salam and one should greet the Sheikh or the teacher with extra attention and honor. One should come to class with best clothes and the best perfumes on. Also one should attend the classes fully equipped with a note pad and a luscious pen to write down the knowledge. The person should come to class in a state of wudu’ and be well groomed – all this will physiologically prepare for the intake of the knowledge. One must feel like a seeker of knowledge to become a student of knowledge.

Thirdly; sitting down properly.

How is this achieved? One should try to sit on the edge of the circles, avoid sitting too close or at the middle of the circle.

Imam az-Zarnooji said: “It further behooves the student not to sit too close to the teacher during a lecture except under necessity. In fact, it is important that the pupils sit in a semi-circle at a certain distance from the teacher; this is more appropriate [in showing] due respect.”

Al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) that Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah said: “Ka’b was with ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, and he sat far from the circle. ‘Umar reprimanded him for this, and Ka’b said: “O Commander of the Believers! From the wisdoms of Luqman and his advices to his son are: “O son! If you sit next to the ruler, allow enough space for one man between you and him, as someone might come along who is more important to him than you, and would then have to get up and move, and this would be a form of degradation for you.”””

Muhammad Raslaan further clarifies this issue by saying, “He should not lean against a wall or pillow in the presence of his shaykh, or place his hands on them. He should not give his shaykh his side or back, and should not lean on his hand to the back or side... He should sit with humility and character in the manner of a student, not a teacher. He shouldn’t raise his voice often without a reason. Rather, he should sit in front of his teacher fully attentive and listening, and shouldn’t precede him in explaining or answering a question. And he shouldn’t make anyone get up from his spot, and if anyone takes his spot, he shouldn’t take it back unless there is some benefit in doing so. He shouldn’t sit in the middle of the circle unless there is a need for this, and he shouldn’t sit between two companions except with their permission...”

In addition to all these points, one should not sit whilst stretching his legs towards his teacher or his fellow students; this is not from good manners. Secondly, one should not sit or occupy the teacher’s seat which then forces the teacher to move elsewhere! If one is new to a circle, and the person does not know where the teacher normally sits – the person should ask his fellow students who have been attending before him to clarify this.

Fourthly; during the lesson itself.

Imam az-Zarnooji said: “And do not begin speaking in his presence without his permission, and do not speak to any great extent before him without his permission.”

Bakr Abu Zayd added: “Do not precede him in speech or in your steps, or talk excessively in his presence, and do not continually interrupt him while he is speaking or during his lecture. Do not continually pester him for an answer to your question and avoid extensive questioning especially in the presence of an audience, for indeed this attracts self-delusion [on your behalf] and [causes the sheikh] to become bored.”

The students should have the best manners in dealing with his fellow students and this itself is a manifestation of respect for the teacher and the class itself. The person should avoid getting angry, showing annoyance towards a fellow student, making jokes in the class and laughing loud and excessively. In the west, we are so costumed to these things in our everyday lives and thus we forget when we fall in to these things. All these things mar the relationship between that student and the teacher, and one is deprived of much good in his seeking knowledge.

Al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Ahmad bin Sinan al-Qattan said:“Nobody in the class of Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi would even speak, sharpen a pen, or smile. If he saw that someone spoke or sharpened a pen, he would get up, put on his shoes, and go home.”

‘Abd ar-Rahman bin ‘Umar said that a man laughed in the class of ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi, and he asked: “Who laughed?” Everyone pointed to the man, and he scolded him: “You seek knowledge and laugh? I will not teach any of you for a month!”

Also, Waki’ and his students were as if they were in prayer during their classes, and if something happened in the class that annoyed him, he would put on his shoes and go home and Ibn Numayr would get angry and leave, and his face would change colour if he saw someone sharpening a pencil.

Imam az-Zarnooji further said: “In seeking knowledge, it is essential to listen to [words of] knowledge and wisdom with reverence and veneration, even if one hears the same question and same words a thousand times. It is said that when one’s respect [for knowledge] after [hearing it] a thousand times is not equal to his respect the first time [he heard it], he is not worthy of knowledge.”

Muhammad Raslaan wrote: “He should not precede the shaykh in explaining an issue, answering a question, or showing his knowledge of a matter before his shaykh. He should not cut him off in speech and then talk, and he shouldn’t speak with someone else while the shaykh is speaking to him or the class.”

So what we learn from all these statements is that one should take the seeking knowledge seriously; it is a serious matter – it is worship, some scholars said, “Knowledge is a secretive prayer and the worship of the heart.” One should constantly strive to shun the bad manners that have accumulated over the years. In doing so, it will help the person excel in knowledge, Insha-Allah.

Fifthly; asking questions in the class.

We have already touch upon this issue, asking questions and having dialogues is a great way to learn but there are times and place for it. During the class itself, one should avoid asking questions. The questions should be asked in its correct place, in doing so one should be soft and gentle in asking the correct questions. If one has a question, it should be just noted on the side to be asked after the class if the teacher permits it. One should also avoid asking questions when the teacher is tired or when is in a hurry. The teacher may not refuse to answer a question or a request even though the teacher may be tired or busy, but this will certainly cause annoyance to the teacher – which one should definitely avoid! One should generally avoid asking for things or requests during the class from the teachers as this may put the teacher in inconvenience.

If the teacher asks, ‘Did you understand this issue?’ – The person should not say, ‘Yes!’ unless he has actually understood the issue at hand. The person should not be shy from saying, ‘I don’t know.’ or ‘I don’t understand.’ if he did not understand it. This is the time when a person should speak because the teacher has asked him a question. The fellow students should be patients if they have understood the issue.

Mujahid (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Nobody who is either too shy or too arrogant will learn this knowledge.”

‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “How excellent are the women of the Ansar! They did not let their shyness prevent them from learning the Religion.”

Al-Khalil bin Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “The station of ignorance is between shyness and arrogance.”

Finally; departing from the class.

One should leave the class after the teacher has permitted this. If he needs to leave before the class ends, he should inform the teacher beforehand. If he needs to leave during lesson, he should apologise and seek the teacher permission before departing, i.e. ‘I seek your permission to leave Sheikh.’ Before leaving, one should greet the teacher and make a du’a for him, i.e. ‘Jazakumullah Khair...’ and make his way after greeting the fellow students.

We will end with a comprehensive statement from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) which summarises what has come before.

‘Ali (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “From the rights of the scholar are that you greet the gathering and then greet the shaykh specifically; you should sit in front of him; you should not point here and there, wink, etc. in front of him; do not come out and tell him that fulan differs with him in a given matter; do not backbite anybody in his presence; and do not ask him intricate and complicated questions. If he makes a mistake, make an excuse for him, and it is upon you to honor him for the Sake of Allah, the Exalted. If he needs something, you should be the first to tend to his need; do not attract attention in his circle; do not grab his clothing; do not insist on something if he is too tired; do not think that you can have enough of his friendship, as he is like the palm tree from which you wait for something to fall on you.”

And Allah (SWT) knows best. Abu Siyaam.

The Enjoyment of studying Fiqh!

2009-09-23T11:31:00.002+01:00

I still remember when a brother once upon a time told me to start attending a fiqh class that was about to start in our local area. I had no idea what the word ‘fiqh’ even meant then, and I still remember asking that brother, “What is fiqh akhee?” Certainly, never did I imagine back then that I would really love and appreciate this Islamic science, which I never knew or even heard about previously! All praise is for Allah (SWT), Who guides and teaches us.

Undeniably, studying and understanding the knowledge of the Deen is a lofty station. Knowing one’s Deen is definitely a sign of goodness, something which is loved by Allah (SWT). It is reported in an authentic hadith that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “If Allah wants good for a person He gives him fiqh [understanding] of the Religion.” [al-Bukhari]. The opposite is also true; there is a weak hadith which states that, “Whoever does not learn the fiqh of his Deen, Allah does not care about him...” – this hadith is weak but the meaning is correct. This means that the reverse understanding [maf’hoom] of the authentic hadith of al-Bukhari is this weak hadith, i.e. “Whoever does not learn the fiqh of his Deen, Allah does not care about him...” Generally learning and studying fiqh is a towering post, it is nobility, it leads to taqwa of Allah (SWT) – in this light, one of the pillars of the Hanafi School, Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaane said:

“Learn! For learning is an adornment for one who possesses it, a virtue and a prelude to every praiseworthy action. Profit each day by increasing [your] learning and swimming in the seas of beneficial knowledge. Give yourself up to the study of jurisprudence [fiqh], for the knowledge of jurisprudence [fiqh] is the best guide to piety and the fear of God, and it is the straight path to the ultimate goal. It is the milestone leading to the ways of proper guidance; it is the fortress that saves [one] from all hardship. Indeed one godly person versed in jurisprudence [fiqh] is more powerful against Satan than a thousand [ordinary] worshippers.”

What a profound and an insightful statement this is! The asl of this statement is actually from a hadith attributed to the Prophet (pbuh). So many benefits can be derived from this, and it shows us the importance and virtues of fiqh. It is rather sad to hear sometimes from people, when they make statements about fiqh that are not praiseworthy in itself, such as: “Fiqh does not increase my emaan!” or they may say, “Fiqh is a bit dry to study!” Perhaps, these statements are made because of certain preventing factors, which prevent the person form attaining the benefits of studying fiqh.

So what is fiqh? Az-Zarnooji said, “Jurisprudence [fiqh] is the science of the fine points of knowledge.” Furthermore Imam Abu Hanifa said, “Jurisprudence is a person’s knowledge of his rights and duties.” Attaining the fiqh of the Deen is not just praiseworthy action but it required from everyone to some degree.

For one to attain the fruits of his action, one must know how to perform that action well. Similarly, it is not reasonable for one to worship Allah (SWT), by which, one prevents himself from entering Hell-Fire and attains admittance into Paradise – except through having knowledge. So to perform an act of worship perfectly, one must learn and understand that which leads to the perfection of that particular act of worship. Also we should mention here, that the only thing Allah (SWT) commanded the Prophet (pbuh) to invoke Him for more is knowledge; Allah (SWT) said, “...And say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge...” [Taa-Haa: Verse 114]. Ibn Hajar commented on this verse, and said: “...And say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge...” is a clear indication of the merit and the excellence of knowledge, for Allah never commanded His Prophet (pbuh) to invoke Him for more of anything other than knowledge.”

Comprehension of the Deen is important as it leads to useful knowledge upon which righteous actions depend. It is one of qualities of the seekers of knowledge to gain understanding of Islam by deriving the issues of fiqh by applying the [comprehensive] principles. This takes much exercise and by immersing oneself in the sea of knowledge under the supervision of the scholars; behind knowledge of the deen is gaining understanding. Gaining of understanding; regarding this, Bakr Abu Zayd said, “It is this characteristic in particular that gives you precise distinction and the correct gauge as to the extent of your acquisition [of knowledge], and the ability to derive [rulings]...”

We will end with a few of the many personal benefits that were attained from studying fiqh with a teacher who loves to teach fiqh also:

Having confidence, that the action performed was done in the best way and Insha-Allah it will be accepted.

It drives a person to keep away from performing an act heedlessly.

It gives tranquillity in the heart; free from satanic whispers and doubts.

Having hope that we are amongst the people that Allah (SWT) loves and not be among those people Allah (SWT) does not care about.

The understanding gives one the confidence to teach and help others.

The fiqh shows the great wisdoms behind the Shar’iah.

The One Who legislated the Shar’iah is Al-Aleem Al-Haakim [All-Knowing and All-Wise] about His creatures.

Fiqh actually increases one’s emaan! This especially occurs when a teacher can inter-link the fiqhi rulings with Allah (SWT), the ‘Aims of the Shar’iah’ and etc.

If the teacher has a passion for a subject, it derives the students to love that subject also.

It prevents one from thinking in ‘black and white’, anti-Dhahiri!!!

It gives one more of a dynamic mind frame.

Fiqh leads to learning of more detailed fiqh; it is never-ending.

Finally, to some extent, it starts to makes one wiser in the way one views things and one starts to attain some wisdom.

Subhan-Allah! Even the ways the classic fiqh books are arranged are full of wisdom. Initially, we start to study the ‘The Book of Purification’ as this is a pre-requisite for what comes next, ‘The Book of Prayers’, which is followed by the other acts of ibaadah. Mu’amalat [transactions] is studied after ibaadah – as it is ‘need’ for one to know about these matters, it is required in our daily lives. The fiqh books are arranged in such a manner that it is like a ‘process of life’ from the beginning to the end of the book. Straight after ibaadah, one studies ‘The Book of Trade’– which is a ‘need’ for our living, following this, comes ‘The Book of Marriage’, once we know about buying and selling we are able to move on to marriage because without the knowledge buying and selling we cannot deal with marriage. The fiqh books are arranged in this manner with wisdom. One scholar may vary from another scholar.

In conclusion, there is a lot of goodness in learning fiqh; one should immerse himself in the study of fiqh. It allows a person to build in ones deen and allows one organise his deen and dunya like the beads of a necklace. And Allah (SWT) knows best.

Abu Siyaam

From The Jahiliyyah of the West to Islam??

2009-08-08T23:06:00.003+01:00

All praise belongs to Allah (SWT) who has guided us to Islam. For many of us who had being brought up in the West, the concept of Islam and being a practicing Muslim was indeed a strange and abnormal thing. Many of the people who had come out from the thickness of Western jahiliyyah into Islam have their respective stories to tell about how they came in to Islam, how it felt at the beginning as a practicing Muslim, about their struggles, their high’s and their lows and etc. I am sure that those brothers and sisters who left the ugliness of the jahiliyyah felt a sense of relief, comfort and enjoyment after discovering the beauty and the splendour of Islam – even though that person may have been born into a Muslim family! I am sure many of the brothers and sisters who left jahiliyyah – remember purchasing their first Islamic book, or that first thobe or their head-gears, and the bliss they use to feel soon as they did anything Islamic! They would have a tremendous amount of zeal to implement the Deen or try to get close to the Deen, whether it’s by trying to grow a ‘trendy’ beard, leaving the rap and R‘n’B tracks for the jihaadi nasheed, or just moving from cigarettes to she’shaa’s!!

For many people, it was that Islamic awakening, the yearning to do more as a newly practicing Muslim after experiencing a bad past, tasting that sweetness of Islam and Emaan – which made them very zealous and keen about the Deen. But unfortunately, few years down the line, this zeal is no longer present. The motivation, the aspiration, the eagerness and the zeal is void; to the extent it becomes very difficult for a person to perform the waajib prayers or to attend the masjid and the person remains in that state for many years after becoming a ‘practicing’ Muslim. And we seek refuge in Allah (SWT), some people start to reminisce and bring to mind their jahiliyyah and some people stop practicing totally!

So the question at hand is: How does one move up in their Deen and remain steadfast?

This is such a great issue for all of us. Scholars of the past have written volumes and volumes just on this topic, an article like this will do justice to such a great matter. The aim of this article is just to highlight some problems that we should pay attention to, not for a detailed discussion of the question at hand.

Most of the people after becoming a ‘practicing’ Muslim, naturally concentrate on doing those outer actions more. Islam, the Prophet (pbuh) explained it as the outer actions of the limbs such as words and deeds, so this includes the shahaada, the prayers, the zakat, the fasting and etc. As for Emaan, the Prophet (pbuh) explained in Hadith Gibreel as inward beliefs; comprised under emaan are the inner actions of the heart. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali says in Jaami al-‘Uloom, “Comprised under emaan there is trembling of the hearts at the remembrance of Allah and their humility at hearing His mention and His Book, and increasing in emaan from that, making reliance on Allah (SWT) a reality, fear of Allah (SWT) secretly and openly, contentment with Allah as Lord, Islam as Deen and with Muhammad (pbuh) as Messenger, preferring destruction with the greatest types of pain over kufr, being conscious of Allah’s nearness to slave...” – then he goes on to list many other actions of the heart. Emaan is higher in grade than Islam.

Allah (SWT) said, “The desert Arabs say, ‘We have Emaan.’ Say: ‘You do not have Emaan.’ Say rather, ‘We have become Muslims’, for Emaan has not yet entered into your hearts.” Surah al-Hujuraat (49), Verse 14

Ibn Kathir regarding this verse said, “This honourable Ayah provides proof that Emaan is a higher grade than Islam, according to the scholars of the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah. This is also demonstrated in the Hadith of Jibril, peace be upon him, when he questioned the Prophet about Islam, then Emaan then Ihsan. Thus, moving the general matter to one more specific, then even more specific; [so] emaan is a more exclusive grade than Islam.”

So knowing this, a person should aim be to move up as Islam is at the basic level. A person cannot just jump from one level to another without first establishing himself firmly on that level, perfecting that level, being steadfast at that level, being musataqim. People at times feel at times a ‘rush’ of emaan, i.e. when coming into Deen – this feeling in itself is not enough for a person to move up and be upright in Islam.

So firstly, it is about being istaqim – being upright.

Ali ibn Abi Talhah narrated from ibn Abbass concerning His words, “Those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah!’ and they go straight [istaqaamoo’]...” Surah al-Ahqaaf, Verse 13, that he said, “They unswervingly continue with the discharge of His obligations...’ [Reported in at-Tabari 24/115]

Sufyaan ibn Abdullah said, I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, say to me something in Islam about which I will not ask anyone other than you?’ He (pbuh) said, “Say, ‘I have emaan in Allah.’ Then go straight [isataqim].” [Reported by Muslim, 38] Different explanations has been for the term ‘istiqaamah’ from the Salaf – but Ibn Rajab summarizes it in these words, “Istiqaamah [upright] is travelling the straight path [as-siraat al-mustaqeem] and it is the correct Deen [ad-deen al-qayyimah] without turning away from it to the right and left. It comprises doing all acts of obedience, those which are outwards and those which are inwards and similarly giving up all acts which are forbidden...”

Istiqaama upon Islam, Insha-Allah will help a person to move up in the Deen. So it is the continuation of worshiping Allah (SWT), and increasing upon that and not falling short in that. This is what is lacked among the newly ‘practicing’ Muslims; they may be doing certain actions for a period of time such a praying in jama’ah, seeking knowledge, doing extra voluntary deeds etc and then they stop or start to decrease in it until they do the bare minimum – even which becomes difficult for them. Such a person at this stage does not find sweetness in Islam and just wants to do the minimum and eventually the person starts to move away from the righteous people and try to find comfort elsewhere, i.e. in the thoughts, the events and the people from their jahiliyyah days and in Allah (SWT) we seek refuge!

Secondly, the thing that aids this istiqaamah is seeking knowledge and being continuous.

By seeking knowledge, the person is taken out from the darkness into the light, by it the person’s mind opens, by it the person’s hearts is illuminated, by it many other doors of goodness opens, by it the person becomes reformed. The best of those in Jahaliyyah are the best in Islam – that is, if they seek the knowledge. This is a very important driving factor for a person to do righteous deeds, keeping away from the forbidden – being mustaqim.

Al-Hasan said, “There is two types of knowledge: knowledge on the tongue, and that is proof of Allah (SWT) against the son of Adam, and the knowledge in the heart, and that is the useful knowledge.” The scholars fear Allah (SWT) the most because of the [useful] knowledge [in the hearts], thus they worship Allah (SWT) more – it inspires to act more. The useful category of knowledge which drives a person to act is the knowledge of Allah (SWT), and of His Names, Attributes and actions which necessarily require that one fear Him, have awe of Him, magnify Him, submit to Him, love Him...and so on, as mentioned by Ibn Rajab al-Hanabali.

As long as knowledge remains on the earth people will be guided. The remaining of knowledge is the existence of those who bear it. In our time, the ‘thirst’ for knowledge has increased with the increased numbers of those who bear it; this is a great opportunity for us especially living in the West to seek and move forward. Due to people leaving this path of knowledge, many people do not progress in their Deen as a whole – and they remain stagnant or they ‘burn-out’ after a period of time.

Thirdly, paying attention to ‘actions of the heart’ and working on them as well.

This was alluded to earlier on; the actions of the heart include: fear, hope and longing, trust and reliance, awe, and love of Allah and etc. All of this is inter-linked with the outer actions of the limbs and istiqaamah.

It is important to have a sound heart also. Ibn Rajab said, “If a heart is sound and there is nothing but love in it but love of Allah and love of what Allah loves, and fear of Allah and fear of falling into what He dislikes, then all of the actions of the limbs will be right, and there will arise from that his avoidance of all forbidden things...If the heart is corrupt and it is overcome by fallowing whims and his seeking what he loves even if Allah dislikes it, then all of the limbs’ movement will be corrupt, and will give rise to every act of disobedience...”

This is established in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The Prophet (pbuh) used to say his supplication: “O Allah! I ask you for a sound heart [qalbann-saleem].” [Reported in Ahmad 4/125]. The sound heart is one which is safe from all defects and disproved things.

Al-Hasan said, “Tend you heart, for what Allah needs from the slave is soundness of their hearts.”

Abu Ya’qub an-Nahrajuri said, “Everyone who claims to love Allah (SWT) and does not comply with Allah’s Commandments, then his claim is false.”

If the ‘actions of the heart’ is not paid attention to, this will mean that the ‘bodily actions’ will not flow consistently and thus there will be no istiqaamah.

Insha-Allah, if a person can do all that was mentioned, a new leaf will turn – meaning, they will not wish not to incline towards the jahiliyyah days due to the sweetness of Allah (SWT) as their Lord, Islam as their Deen and Muhammad (pbuh) as their Messenger.

And Allah (SWT) knows best.

Abu Siyaam.

Being a Book-Worm!!

2009-07-28T13:19:00.006+01:00

The ‘book therapy’ is a must for the seekers of knowledge. Some scholars have stated that the dire need for books due their great benefits, are more than the need to breathe. Many have also written books just about how to treat one’s books. The students of knowledge are filled with the passion for knowledge and always had a strong passion for books. Unfortunately, due to some people not understanding the importance of this matter, many people withhold from spending their money on books. And those people who actually have a passion for knowledge and books are ridiculed. So, you might have a person saying to them, ‘You are a book worm!’ or they say to them, ‘Is this all you do, just read?!’ and the likes of that due to their ignorance of the matter. The books written by the great scholars of Islam are instruments of knowledge, through it one gains access to understanding the Deen, through it the Deen is preserved, through it one expands his chest and opens his mind.

The Salaf dealt with their book with great manners and would excel and strive in gaining the right collection of books. To attain a book, a person should not hold back due to ‘tight-fistedness’ – and it is amazing how we can waste so much money on food, friends, going out etc, but when it comes to books; one of the instrument that will help you to worship Allah (SWT) better – we tend to hold back! When it comes to Deen; we have become in a state where we want every thing to be for free, and anything to do with the Deen has to be attained without any effort! Due to great benefits of books, if one needs a book – one should not hold back and try to attain that book, whether that is through buying, borrowing or loaning.

The issue about borrowing and lending books out. I am sure many of us have experienced that when we have lent a book to a person, that book was never seen again. Or it could be that, one of us borrowed a book from someone but that book is sitting on our bookshelves for many years [I am sure we are all guilty of this!]! So, should one borrow out their books to anyone?

The books are indeed tools by which one attains knowledge, and one should not limit the understanding and spreading of his knowledge by just collecting and accumulating all the books. It is encouraged to lend your books to those who will not damage them; although some scholars have said that, even knowing this, one should still loan out his books since it is a form of assisting each other in gaining knowledge, and due to the virtue and reward of lending out books. There are many statements from the Salaf, regarding lending book and not withholding:

And al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Waki’ said: “The first blessing of Hadith is that you lend out your books.”

Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “Whoever is stingy with his knowledge will be tested with one of three things: he will forget and be unable to memorize, or he will not benefit from it, or he will find himself losing his books.”

Yunus narrated that Yazid said to him that az-Zuhri said: “O Yunus, beware of the treachery of books.” So, Yunus asked: “And what is the treachery of books?” He said: “That you keep them from their owners.”

al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “It is not from the actions of the cautious or the scholar that you take a man’s hearing and books and keep them with you. Whoever does this has wronged himself.”

But there were scholars from the Salaf who refrained from lending out their books such as Sufyaan and ar-Rabi ibn Sulaymaan.

If one borrows a book, he should immediately give it back if the owner requests it. Obviously, the one who borrowed the book should return it as soon as he is done with it and thank the lender and reward him with good; perhaps buy a little present or so. It is useful sometimes just to write your name, in the corner of the book – why? We all have a tendency to forget. I remember a brother telling me story, that how he lent a book out to a brother, and he saw that brother with that book, and when he said to the borrower, ‘That’s my book!’, the other brother rejected this claim! Obviously, this is due to forgetfulness, and these kinds of situations and conflicts can be avoided, perhaps by just writing you name in the books. This will avoid any ill-feelings, regrets, hate etc and Allah (SWT) knows best.

Other basic etiquette regarding books:

If you purchase a book do not put it into your library until you have had a browse through it, or read its forward, its index and a few extracts from it.

It is best that the book not be placed directly on the ground in order to avoid getting it dirty or wet and keeping it away from the reach of the little ones.

One should pay special attention to how he organizes his books, and should do so in accordance with the virtue, importance, and significance of each book. So, he should place the noblest book above all the others, and then work his way down gradually. So the Qur’an would come first, followed by books of Hadith, then comes the explanations of the Qur’an, then the explanations of Hadith, then the books regarding the principles (usul) of the Religion, then the principles of Fiqh, then Fiqh, then grammar and language, then Arabic poetry, then general poetry.

If one is going to write footnotes, then one shouldn’t write except the important points related to that particular book, such as a point of confusion, a parable, an example, a mistake, etc as mentioned by Muhammad Sa’ad Raslan.

One should not write between the lines. Although some did this by writing in red between the lines, it is better to leave this totally.

Just an addition side point; Being a student of knowledge one should not forget the responsibility [towards ones] classes. After the actual class, one must revise, memorise and have questions ready for the next class. If a person just attends classes and do not do anything thereafter, there is something wrong with the person or his intensions. If one does not have layers of knowledge through summarization, memorisation etc, it is just information. Whatever one learns, one should summarise, memorise, and ask questions [about what was studied previously]. If one does not ask while studying a book, such a person will not be able to teach that book.

And Allah (SWT) knows best.

Abu Siyaam

Watering the Seed of Knowledge and being One!

2009-07-09T00:50:00.004+01:00

Allah (SWT), said, “And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah [i.e. Allah's covenant] and do not separate.” Surah Aal-Imraan (3), Verse 103

Regarding the verse Ibn Katheer said: “[It] orders sticking to the community of the believers and forbids division. There are several Hadiths that require adhering to the Jama`ah (congregation of believers) and prohibit division. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, “It pleases Allah for you to acquire three qualities and displeases Him that you acquire three characteristics. It pleases Him that you worship Him Alone and not associate anything or anyone with Him in worship, that you hold on to the Rope of Allah altogether and do not divide…”

Just wanted to write about this brief issue that was on my mind for a little while.

Indeed we are living in a time, where there is much confusion and mystification about Islam, amongst the people in general. We find that around us there many grey areas and many things that seem gloomy and may not be clear to the common folk. There is no doubt that within these confusing times, the Muslims are witnessing an awakening to knowledge by the grace of Allah (SWT). If Allah (SWT) has made easy for you the doors to seeking knowledge, then know that He (SWT) has made it easy for you worship Him on insight.

In saying this, we still face much confusion and conflict amongst the people who have started to practice and those who have embarked on the path to knowledge in many issues, some, which we can even call it fundamental issues. Due the lack of supervision and the correct nourishment, these differences between them cause’s enmity and hatred to flair among them, to the extent that one group will dissociate from another group or an individual from another individual. There are so many different cases like this.

For example, some people try to separate the act of Jihaad and Seeking Knowledge. These ideas amongst some people, who are seekers of knowledge, assume that if you are on the path of knowledge – there is no Jihaad. This is obviously wrong; to assume that there is Jihaad without knowledge, this is incorrect, and to assume that the scholar or the seekers of knowledge can’t do Jihaad, then this is also wrong. Some people claim that we need to be strong first before Jihaad, but in reality the strength is through Jihaad. This is indeed a major issue at hand, which is causing divisions amongst the Muslims, on large and small scale.

So, it ever so important, if Allah (SWT) has made easy for you the path to seek knowledge, that you are overlooked, nourished, supervised, throughout this journey in order to safeguard and protect yourself from stumbling in the midst of seeking and acting upon the knowledge.

One must protect one’s self from, intellectual, ideological, behavioural, divisional, and partisanl as mentioned by Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd.

Indeed, no walaa’ and baraa’ should be pledged in sectarianism and partisanship. The people servitude to Allah (SWT) [al-uboodiyyah], are not renowned to people with names which they are know by i.e. ‘He is a salafee!’ and similarly they are not known bound to any one activity i.e. ‘He is a jihaadi!’ In fact, as mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyum in his explanation of the commentary of the Sufi text ‘Manaazil As-Saa’ireen’ by Abdullah al-Ansaari al-Haruwi covering tazkiyyah said, “...for indeed this a defect in servitude and it is restricted servitude. As for unrestricted servitude, it is where a person is not know by a specific name from amongst its meanings because he answers all the call of servitude regardless of the type [of worship], and her participates in all activities of all the people of servitude...”.

In the path of knowledge, whilst studying and learning, one should have humbleness and keep that humbleness; out of humbleness, do not give fatwaa’ or reject fatwaa’ – whilst seeking knowledge, there is more input. Seeking knowledge is different, it changes your character, and not it changes you. One should be distinguished in worship and in ones closeness to Allah (SWT). One should observe sincerity, seek knowledge to follow the Truth, [the path of the Salaf], to please Allah (SWT), to lift ignorance from one’s self and others, and to understand the Deen deeply to defend it. Indeed the Saved Sect are distinguished and known for their knowledge, fighting for the sake of Allah (SWT), love of Allah (SWT) and forsaking the Dunya. May Allah (SWT) make us from amongst them! Ameen!

Abu Siyaam

How the Salaf dealt with their teachers?

2009-06-07T17:21:00.006+01:00

Al-Hamdulilla! We all witness in our land that the circles of knowledge’s are flourishing. And you see that the youth has the yearning to quench their thirsts from the ‘pools of knowledge’. Not long ago here in London, people did not have this zeal and awakening for attaining deep Islamic knowledge. Indeed this high aspiration in knowledge is a praiseworthy thing in Islam, in fact having high aspirations is one of the characteristics of Islam. This Islamic awakening is one of the bounties from Allah (SWT). I recall not long a ago, many of the brothers and sisters who were practicing then, used to attend talks and seminars which would at most, last a day or so but nowadays the way of passing and attaining knowledge has definitely changed in my opinion.

Nowadays, we have many circles of knowledge on a daily basis with the increased numbers of shaykh’s, ustatad’s, institutions etc. Also nowadays we witness that, rather than having just talks and reminders on a one-off occasion, on particular issues – the carriers of knowledge are teaching classical books that were studied systematically by the Salaf. So often, you would find that a teacher would start a classical text and try to finish it page by page – even if takes a year or so. Indeed scholars of the past have laid down the methodology of seeking knowledge and its levels. It is always essential to ground oneself in every subject by perfecting its basis and perfecting a concise book with a shaykh. And it is just amazing to see that this is actually happening in London – in the hearth of kufr and shirk.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a beginner seeker of knowledge would study the following books in the following subjects: ‘Al-Usool ath-Thalaathah’ in Tawheel al-Uloohiyyah, ‘Al-Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah’ in Tawheed Al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat, ‘Al-Arba’een-Nawawiyyah’ in Hadith, ‘Nukbatul-Fiqr’ in Science of Hadith, ‘Umdatul-Fiqh or ‘Zaad ul-Mustaqni’ in Fiqh, ‘Al-Waraqaat’ in Principles of Fiqh and ‘Al-Aajuroomiyyah’ in Arabic grammar – in this manner they would seek knowledge there.

Subhan-Allah, nowadays these few mentioned books for the beginners have been witnessed being taught in London also, so you see the students rushing from one circle to another, discussing, inter-mingling with the shaykh’s and students of knowledge’s etc. This is truly a bounty from the Lord of the Worlds – Who wanted this for us here in London. Books that are even higher than those mentioned above are also being taught, this all really due to awakening for the thirst for knowledge and the teacher’s eagerness to pass on the knowledge, and to Allah (SWT) belongs All-Praise.

Knowing all this; how Allah (SWT) has blessed us for giving this awakening, for pursuing this noble path, for allowing us to go out of our ways to attain the gems – we must realize and build within ourselves some ‘pre-requisites’ before and during in our roadmap to seeking knowledge. Without such ‘pre-requisites’ one would definitely be heading to the path of destruction.

Indeed it is Allah (SWT), Al-Aleem Al-Kareem – who teaches us all that we know. If Allah (SWT) did not want us to know something, we would not know that issue. Indeed, Allah (SWT) has made the scholars the inheritors of the prophets. They are the means, through them Allah (SWT) brings out the people from the darkness into the light, through them the individual is purified, through them societies are reformed. It is a must upon us to take into consideration the scholar’s status for indeed it is the token of success, acquisition and prosperity as mentioned by Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd (ra). For one to be truly successful in this path – one should make their teacher an object of reverence, honour, appreciation and courtesy. Unfortunately, this is lacked much in London and the West in general – what we want do here is to quote some amazing statements from the Salaf about how they were towards their teachers – to give us an insight. Through theirs manners, they became who they were. May Allah (SWT) make us from amongst them! Ameen!

Abdullah bin al-Mubarak said: “I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge.”

Ash-Sha’bi (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Zayd bin Thabit prayed a funeral prayer. A mule was then brought for him to ride away on, and Ibn ‘Abbas came and took hold of its reigns to lead him away. So, Zayd said to him: “Let go of it, O cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This is how we were commanded to treat the scholars!””

Ayyub said: “A man would sit with al-Hasan for three years and not ask him anything out of awe and respect for him.”

Ishaq ash-Shahidi said: “I would see Yahya al-Qattan praying ‘Asr. He would then lean on the base of the mosque’s minaret, and standing in front of him would be ‘Ali bin al-Madini, ash-Shadhakuni, ‘Amr bin ‘Ali, Ahmad bin Hambal, Yahya bin Ma’in, etc. – all asking him about Hadith while they were standing up. This would go on until the Maghrib prayer, and he would not offer any of them to sit, and none of them would sit out of awe and respect of him.”

‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Harmalah al-Aslami said: “Nobody dared to ask Sa’id bin al-Musayyab about anything until he would seek his permission, just as the ruler’s permission is sought for something.”

Ash-Shafi’i (may Allah be Pleased with him) was criticized for his humility to the scholars, and he said: “I humble myself to them, and they honor me. And you will not be honored unless you humble yourself.”

Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah be Pleased with him) said to Khalaf al-Ahmar (may Allah have Mercy on him) : “I will not sit except between your hands. We were commanded to be humble to those we learn from.”

And ash-Shafi’i (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “I would turn the pages of my books in front of Malik (may Allah have Mercy on him) in a very soft, quiet way so that he wouldn’t be bothered by its noise, out of respect for him.”

Dealing With a Harsh Teacher:

Ash-Shafi’i said: “Two men used to visit al-A’mash. One of them was interested in Hadith, and the other was not. So, one day al-A’mash got mad at the one who was interested in Hadith. The other man said: “If he got mad at me the way he did at you, I wouldn’t come back to him.” So, al-A’mash said: “Therefore, he is an idiot like you. He leaves what will benefit him due to my bad manners.”

Ibn Jama’ah (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “The seeker of knowledge should withstand his teacher’s harshness and bad treatment, and this should not turn him away from him. He should give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to any bad actions on his part, and should respond to any harshness from his shaykh by apologizing himself, repenting to Allah, seeking His Forgiveness, and placing the blame on himself. This will preserve his love for this shaykh, will protect his heart, and is more beneficial for the student in this life and the next.”

Some of the Salaf said: “Whoever is not patient upon the humiliation of learning will spend the rest of his life in the blindness of the ignorant, and whoever is patient upon it will spend this life and the next in a state of honor.”

Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be Pleased with him): “I humbled myself as a student. So, I became honorable as a teacher.”

Ibn Jurayj said: “I did not gain what I gained from ‘Ata’ except with my softness with him.”

Visiting the Teacher:

And Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “I found most of the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in this neighborhood of the Ansar. I would wait at the door of one of them, and if I wanted permission to enter, I would’ve gotten it. However, I wanted him to be pleasant when meeting me.”

And Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah narrated that Abu al-Husayn said: “Ibn ‘Abbas used to go to one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), seeking to ask him about Hadith. It would be said to him: ‘He is asleep.’ So, he would lay down in front of his door waiting for him, and it would be said to him: ‘Do you want me to wake him up?’ He would say: “No.”

And Ma’mar narrated that az-Zuhri said: “If I came to ‘Urwah’s door, I could’ve entered if I wanted to. However, I would sit outside and wait out of respect for him.”

Ahmad bin Sinan al-Qattan said: “Nobody in the class of Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi would even speak, sharpen a pen, or smile. If he saw that someone spoke or sharpened a pen, he would get up, put on his shoes, and go home.”

And ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin ‘Umar said that a man laughed in the class of ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi, and he asked: “Who laughed?” Everyone pointed to the man, and he scolded him: “You seek knowledge and laugh? I will not teach any of you for a month!”

As you can notice my dear brothers and sisters, the Salaf had great deal of respect for their teachers – which we should emulate to be successful on the roadmap to knowledge. And Allah knows best.

Abu Siyaam [written in Taiz, Yemen]

Words of Wisdom...

2009-05-21T01:19:00.010+01:00

Some words of wisdoms and benefit for the one going through Trials, Tribulations and Adversaries:

“Do not look at the test itself but look at One Who the test is from…”

“Be like a tall tree with a purpose, if a stone is thrown at it, it simply lets its fruits drop…”

“There is your Rabb Who provided you with solutions to yesterday, and He (SWT) will similarly provide for what is to come tomorrow…”

“What can my enemies do to me! My gardens and paradise are in my heart; wherever I go they are with me. If my enemies kill me, I become a shaheed and if they exile me from my land, I am given the privilege to tour the Earth and the creation of Allah (SWT). If they imprison me, they assist me to fulfil the greatest purpose of my creation, and they honour me by leaving me alone to worship Allah (SWT)…”

“Be among those who, when blessed, give thanks; when tried, persevere; and when sinful, seek forgiveness…”

Is it a Trial or Punishment?

2009-05-19T14:24:00.008+01:00

Many people ask these questions: 'What's the difference between a trial and punishment?' 'Am I being tried or punished?' There are differences between the two cases. So, When is it a trial? When is it a punishment? How does one know? Ustad Abu Hasan said:

It is a Trial - when you are doing your utmost responsibilities with the best of quality. Doing your waajibaat, sunnan, mustahabaat, doing your best with your mother, your kids, [etc] – then, it is a trial. When you are fulfilling you fundamentals, your obligations, fulfilling the rights of Allah (SWT) and the creation, and you do not see [yourself] doing any wrong – then, it is trial.

It is a Punishment - when the person is committing sins. When this trial [as punishment for him] comes, the person either begins to:

a) Commit more sins.
b) Begins to slack on the fundamentals, in the obedience [of] the fundamentals, waajibaat and sunnan.

If Allah (SWT) has mercy on the person, then He (SWT) will punish him with the trial, but – that punishment will bring him close to Allah (SWT) i.e. the sinning person is punished with jinn or an evil person, [then] the person asks Allah (SWT) to help him. This is the majority of the believers. Allah (SWT) trials a person who commits sin with punishment, then the punishment becomes a source [for the person to get close to Allah (SWT)].

Very Interesting Conference!

2009-05-14T21:55:00.010+01:00

ModernIs'la'm

Abu Zubair - Abu Talhah - Faisal Hanjra

Abu Talhah - Principles of Modernism

Faisal Hanjra - Modernists and the Global Ummah

Abu Zubair - Callers to Modernism

In our conference this month we will be looking at the Modernist movement. This movement is not a new one by any means but it is one that is that is in the limelight today as the war against the sunnah continues.
In this conference Lewisham Islamic centre we will be focusing on three key issues surrounding modernism. First the principles of modernism - we need to be clear on exactly what principles the modernists hold to. We will also look at the modernists and their concept on the global ummah i.e. their beliefs and ideas concerning khliafah, one ummah, identity etc. Finally we will be looking at the callers to modernism past and present as it is important to know who began this movement and who is pushing for this movement today insha'Allah.

Please pass on this information to other brothers, sisters, websites, forums etc.
Barakallah Fikum

Lewisham Islamic Centre, 363-365 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6NZ

Tel: 0208 690 5090

DATE AND TIME: 31st May 2009 - 5:45pm

This conference is part of The Deviant Groups Series at Lewisham Islamic Centre: Allah sent down this blessed message to the Prophet Muhammad , he conveyed the message to his family. He then conveyed this message to the people of Quraish, then the tribes of arabia. After his death his noble companions took on this heavy burden of conveying the message and Islam spread all over the world. The Messenger of Allah told us that his ummah will divide into 70 plus groups, all of them being in the fire except one, that one being those who stick to the Qur'an and Sunnah. This month at Lewisham Islamic Centre we will be focusing on groups that went astray from the sunnah, some even leaving the fold of Islam. This month at Lewisham Islamic Centre we will be focusing on the Ahmadiyyah, the Shia, the Nation of Islam, the Sufis and the neo-Salafis.

The Congregation Prayer

2009-04-06T22:30:00.006+01:00

Salah is one of the greatest deeds. Salat ul-Jam’ah is a key feature of this religion. It brings Muslims together, it has many benefits. This is a brief discussion regarding the rulings of Salat ul-Jam’ah. This discussion is based on a book by Sheikh Salih al-Sadlaan entitled, ‘Salat ul-Jam’ah’ – it covers all the main aspects of the congregational prayer. The article here deals with the main rulings that pertain to the congregational prayer.

1) Whom the Congregation Prayer is sanctioned?

a) Men b) Free [non-slave], c) The absence of any excuse, and d) that the Prayer being prayed is obligatory.

2) The number which constitutes a Congregation

Ibn Qudamah said in al-Mugni: ‘The congregation is considered to be such with two people; if a person were to lead his salve or wife, they would have attained the excellence of congregational prayer.’

The child does not make up the number for a congregation prayer according to Hanbalia, however the child only be considered a follower in the optional prayer because the Prophet (pbuh) led Ibn Abbaas while he was a child in the Tahajjud prayer.

Abu Musaa reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Two and more constitute a congregation.”

Recorded by Ibn Majah

3) The Position of the Prayer that must be caught to be considered ‘Part of the Congregation’

If one says the opening takbeer before the Imam says the salam.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “When the iqaamah has been called for prayer then does not come to it running, rather come to it walking calmly. Pray that part of the prayer which you catch and complete what you missed.”

Recorded by Muslim

4) Congregational Prayer on other than a Masjid

It is permissible.

Ibn Qudamah said: ‘It is permissible to pray in congregation at home or in the desert.’ Al-Buhuti added in Al-Raud Al-Murbi: ‘Praying in the mosque is the sunnah.’

Jabir reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “I have been given five things…The earth has been made a mosque and has been made pure and purifying for me. So whoever from my nation comes across the time of prayer, let him pray.”

Recorded by al-Bukhari

5) The Ruling of a Congregation of the Obligatory Prayer

Congregation prayer is Fard ‘Ayn but it is not a condition of the prayer [such that the prayer would be invalid if not prayed in congregation];

Abdur-Razzaaq in his Musannaf said: ‘…it is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School and the opinion adhered to by most of their scholars.’

Ibn Qudamah said in al-Muqni: ‘Congregation prayer is obligatory upon men for the five obligatory prayers but it is not a condition.’

Ibn al-Qayyum in his Kitaab as-Salah said: ‘All of the previously mentioned Qur’anic verses and ahadeeth prove that congregation is obligatory and that it is not permissible to leave it unless one has a valid excuse, such as fear and illness…It is the clear opinion of the Hanbali School of thought…’

If one can hear the adhaan by voice – it is Fard ‘Ayn to attend the congregation.

6) The Ruling of Congregation for the Optional Prayer

Salat-ul-Kusoof [lunar or solar], Salat-ul-Istisqaa, Salat-ul-Eidayn and Salat-ul-Traweeh; it is sanctioned [Sunnah] to pray in a congregation.

The nawafil that are prayed individually [such as those with the obligatory prayers or any other nawafil prayer that is prayed during the day or night]; it is permissible to pray these in congregation according to the Hanbali scholars.

In al-Mugni it states: ‘It is established from the Prophet (pbuh) that he did both matters and his predominant course in praying the optional prayers was to pray them individually.’

7) The Time when the people stand for the Congregation Prayer

It is reported in al-Insaaf [2/38-29]: The Hanbali scholars are of the opinion that it is preferred to stand when the Mu’adhdhin says, “qad qaamatis salah”. The use of the term Mu’adhdhin herein referring to the one saying the iqaamah is in accordance to the terminology that they use.

8) Repeating the Congregation Prayer in the same Masjid

The Prayer is repeated, being led by an Imam who is not the appointed Imam, after the appointed Imam has led his congregation. The scholars fall into three opinions concerning this:

If each congregation prayer is completely independent and separate from the other, then this is unrestrictedly permissible, [al-Sadlaan].

It is allowed. This is the main opinion of Imam Ahmad.

Abu Sa’eed reported that: ‘A man entered the masjid and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) just finished praying with his Companions so the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Who will give charity to this person and pray with him?” A man stood up and prayed with him.’

Recorded by Abu Dawud, at-Trimizhi and Ahmad

9) Repeating a Prayer in Congregation

Al-I’aadah – according to the Hanbali’s it means: to perform something a second time. There are many scenarios:

a) A person prays alone and then finds a Congregation

Every prayer can be repeated except for Magrib according to the Hanbali’s.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “…When you come for prayer and find the people praying, pray with them, even if you have already prayed. It will count as optional prayer for you and this will be counted as the obligatory prayer.”

Recorded by Abu Dawud [abridged]

Why is Magrib not repeated? [They, [the Hanabila] argue that if it were to be repeated, the number of rak’ats would end up being even].

In al-Mubdi it mentions: The Magrib prayer has only been legislated with 3 rak’ats in order to make the total number of rak’ats [of obligatory prayer] prayed during the day and night both odd. Also repeating the Magrib would mean one that one has prayed 3 rak’ats of optional prayer and this has no basis in the Shar’iah. Therefore the Magrib prayer is not be repeated.

b) A person prays in Congregation and then finds another Congregation

In al-Mugni it states: The prayer can be repeated but with the condition that this prayer be established while the person is in the masjid or he enters the masjid and the people are praying. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School.

The proofs:

Hadith of Jabir bin Yazeed al-Awwad: “…If you have prayed in your houses and then come to the masjid to the find a congregation there, pray with them. It will be counted as optional prayer.”

Hadith of Abu Mahjan ad-Du’lee: “…When you come, pray with the people even if have already prayed.”

Hadith of Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree: “…And if the prayer is established while you are in the masjid, pray and do not say, ‘I have prayed and so I will not pray again.”

In al-Mugni, the action of Mu’aadh bin Jabal is referred to, wherein he used to pray Isha in congregation behind the Prophet (pbuh) and then return to his people and pray this same prayer again with them. The narration is explicit that he prayed Isha in congregation on both occasion and the Prophet (pbuh) did not object to his action. Hence, this proves the permissibility of repeating the prayer in congregation for who has already prayed in congregation.

The reason for using these ahadeeth is that their general sense includes the sanctioning of repeating a prayer for the one who has prayed alone and the one who has prayed in congregation. [al-Sadlaan]

Also, the actions of the Companions are used, as well as underlying reason and analogy for further proofs of this opinion.

c) The Follower repast the prayer because he was standing in the wrong place

Standing alone in the Last Row:

His prayer is not valid and it is necessary for him to repeat the prayer if he has performed one complete rak’ah in this state. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School. Reported in al-Mugni and al-Insaaf.

Al-Baghawee recorded via his chain that Waabisah bin Ma’bad said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw a man praying on his own behind the last row and ordered him to repeat the prayer.”

Recorded Abu Dawud and at-Trimizhi

Also the statement of the Prophet (pbuh) when he saw a man praying alone behind the last row: “…Repeat your prayer for there is no prayerfor the one who prays alone behind the last row.”

Standing on the Left side of the Imam:

In al-Mugni it states: His prayer is not valid and it is to be repeated if he completes one rak’ah while standing on the left side of the Imam. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School.

Hadith of Ibn Abbaas: ‘I spent the night at my aunts. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stood to pray the night prayer. I stood and prayed on his left side. He took hold of my head and made me stand on his right.

Also the lengthy Hadith of Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansaaree: “…So the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stood to pray and I came and stood on his left side. He took me by my hand and directed me to stand on his right side…”

Recorded in Muslim

d) The Person Repeating his prayer because he has prayed behind a Sinning Imam

Imam is a sinner in respect to his ‘Actions’:

In al-Mugni it states: His being an Imam is not valid and therefore who prayed behind him should repeat their prayer. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School.

Hadith of Jaabir: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) addressed us saying: “O people! Repent to Allah before you die…” [At the end of the hadith there occurs] “…Do not let women lead men or a Bedouin lead the Muhaajir, or a sinner lead the believer unless he be strengthen with authority such that the believer fears his sword or whip.”

Reported by Ibn Majah

In al-Insaaf it states: If the Imam openly sins, his leading is invalid and those who pray behind him have to repeat their prayer. As for the one who does not openly sin, it is valid to pray behind him. This is a reported position of the Hanbali School.

Imam is a sinner in respect to his ‘Beliefs’:

The Prayer is unrestrictedly void and whoever prayed such an Imam has to repeat his prayer. This is the chosen opinions of the Hanbali School as reported in al-Kaafee.

The proofs:

Allah’s Statement:

“So is the one who believes no better than the one who is rebellious and wicked? They are no equal.” Surah Sajdah, Verse 18

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Appoint the best of you to be your Imams, for indeed they are your representatives between yourselves and your Lord.”

Recorded al-Baihaqi

The second opinion reported from the Hanbali School is that if the Imam is calling to his innovation or openly manifesting his evil, the prayer prayed behind him is invalid and is to be repeated. However if the Imam is not calling to his innovation nor openly manifesting his evil, the prayer prayed behind him is valid and is not to be repeated. This is reported in al-Kaafee.

The third opinion from the Hanbali School is that the prayer is valid but disliked. This is reported in al-Majmoo.

e) The reciter repeating his prayer because he has prayed behind one who can not recite correctly.

The meaning of Ummee according to the Hanbali’s, it means the one who cannot recite the whole of al-Fatihah well, he leaves out a word or a letter, or makes grammatical mistakes such that the meaning is altered. Refer to al-Mugni. In al-Mugni and al-Insaaf it states: If the one who cannot recite correctly was to lead those who cannot recite correctly, their prayer is valid. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School. If one who cannot recite correctly were to lead a mixture of those who can and cannot recite, then the prayer of those who cannot recite is valid, but the prayer of those who can recite is not valid and needs to be repeated.

If one person who cannot recite correctly were to lead another who can, the prayer of both of them is not valid and needs to be repeated. This is because the one who could not recite correctly intended to leadwhile, in fact, he prayed by himself.

f) The one who has intended an Obligatory prayer repeating his prayer because he prayed behind one who has intended an Optional prayer

It is obligatory that the Imam and the follower be in agreement both outwardly and inwardly. Therefore it is not permissible for the one who intends to pray an obligatory prayer behind someone who is praying an optional prayer. This is the chosen opinion of the Hanbali School, as reported in al-Mugni.

The proofs:

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Indeed actions are by intensions, and for every person is what he intended.”

Recorded al-Bukhari and Muslim

The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “Indeed, the Imam has been appointed only to be followed, so do not differ with him.”

Brief Explanation of Hadith Jibreel

2009-02-22T21:05:00.007Z

By Ustad Abu Talha

On the authority of Umar also who said: ‘One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), there came before us a man with extremely white clothing and extremely black hair. There were no signs of travel on him and none of knew him. He [came and] sat next to the Prophet (pbuh). He supported his knees up against the knees of the Prophet (pbuh) and put his hands on his thighs. He said, ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Islam is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast [the month of] Ramadhaan, and to make the pilgrimage to the house if you have the means to do so.” He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully [or correctly].’ We were amazed that he asks the question and then he says that he had spoken truthfully. He said, ‘Tell me about Imaan [faith]?’ He [the Messenger of Allah] (pbuh) responded, “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last day and to believe in the divine decree, [both] the good and the evil thereof.” He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully.’ He said, ‘Tell me about al-Ihsaan?’ He [the Prophet] answered, “It is that you worship Allah as if you see Him. And even though you do not see Him, [you know] He sees you.” He said, ‘Tell me about [the time of ] the Hour.’ He [the Prophet (pbuh)] answered, “The one being asked does not know more than the one asking.” He said, ‘Tell me about the signs.’ He answered, “The slave-girl shall give birth to her master, and you will see the barefooted, scantily-clothed, destitute shepherds competing in constructing lofty buildings.” Then he went away. I stayed for a long time. Then he [the Prophet (pbuh)] said, “O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger knows best.’ He said, “It was [the Angle] Gabriel who came to teach you your religion.”

Recorded by Muslim.

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General Comments about the hadith

This is hadith is known as ‘Hadith of Gibriel’; it is also called ‘Umm al-Sunnah’ as this hadith encompasses the meaning of the Sunnah as a whole. From this hadith; one can lots of manners, manners between a student and teacher. Also it tells us about what is Islam? This is a very comprehensive hadith about Islam – because the Prophet (pbuh) said: “…It was [the Angle] Gabriel who came to teach you your Deen.” – all the topic mentioned in the hadith is included as part of the Deen. Imam al-Qurtubi said: ‘It should be called Umm as-Sunnah…’ – it has all the knowledge of Islam in this hadith:

Islam - aspects of fiqh

Imaan - aspects of aqeedah

Ihsan - aspects of inner actions

‘One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), there came before us a man with extremely white clothing and extremely black hair. There were no signs of travel on him and none of knew him….’

‘One day…’ meaning any day; The Companions left the man alone which came to the Prophet (pbuh); they did not interrogate him, it shows their noble manners – they did not do this, even though this man was not known to them.

The Angels are able to take human forms; Gibriel (as) came to the Prophet (pbuh) in many forms. The Prophet (pbuh) saw him in his real form as well; had 600 wings that covered the horizon. Angels have a ‘real existence’ – this is a proof. Gibriel (as) used to resemble a man known as Dhuai al-Kalbi.

‘…He [came and] sat next to the Prophet (pbuh). He supported his knees up against the knees of the Prophet (pbuh) and put his hands on his thighs...’

From this hadith, one can pick up manners and etiquettes in seeking Knowledge. There is a saying: ‘Manners comes before Knowledge.’ Scholar will look at a person’s manners before they give out the Knowledge. The Knowledge requires ta’deem – glorification. Gibriel (as) sat ‘knees to knees’ and put his hands on his own thighs – this is more respectful.

‘…He said, ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Islam is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast [the month of] Ramadhaan, and to make the pilgrimage to the house if you have the means to do so.” He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully [or correctly].’ We were amazed that he asks the question and then he says that he had spoken truthfully. He said, ‘Tell me about Imaan [faith]?’ He [the Messenger of Allah] (pbuh) responded, “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last day and to believe in the divine decree, [both] the good and the evil thereof.” He said, ‘You have spoken truthfully.’ He said, ‘Tell me about al-Ihsaan?’ He [the Prophet] answered, “It is that you worship Allah as if you see Him. And even though you do not see Him, [you know] He sees you…”

Although Gibriel (as) addressed the Prophet (pbuh) as – ‘Ya Muhammad!’ – which was a bedouin custom, the Companions despite this does not interfere.

The Prophet (pbuh) upon being asked the questions mentioned above; he gave brief and simple answers to the questions.

Islaam - practical actions / external.

Emaan - explained as belief / internal

Ihsaan - gave a simple answer

‘…He said, ‘Tell me about [the time of ] the Hour.’ He [the Prophet (pbuh)] answered, “The one being asked does not know more than the one asking…’

If you do not know an answer to a question, say: ‘I don’t know.’ Imaam Malik said: ‘To say: ‘I don’t know’ is half of knowledge.’ Once, a man travelled much to ask Imaam Malik something. Upon asking, Imaam Malik did not know the answer. The questioner asked: ‘What will I say to my people once I get back?!’ Imaam Malik said: ‘Tell them Malik don’t know.’ Zarabozo said: ‘Indeed, many of the early scholars had a reputation for saying, ‘I don’t know.’

‘….He said, ‘Tell me about the signs.’ He answered, “The slave-girl shall give birth to her master, and you will see the barefooted, scantily-clothed, destitute shepherds competing in constructing lofty buildings.” Then he went away. I stayed for a long time. Then he [the Prophet (pbuh)] said, “O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger knows best.’ He said, “It was [the Angle] Gabriel who came to teach you your religion.”

[With all this questioning] the Companions did no say: ‘Who is this man?’ or anything like this. [This was because of excellent manners.] Even when the Prophet (pbuh) asked: “O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” The reply was: ‘Allah and His Messenger knows best.’ Even if they knew the answers, out of manners, [they would behave like this, Allah Knows best.].

Whatever ever is part of this hadith; it is part of the Deen:

Seeking Knowledge

‘Knowledge is Qur’an and Sunnah.’ ‘Knowledge is what Allah (SWT) said and what the Prophet (pbuh) said.’ Everything else is path leading to this, or a tool – Arabic, Grammar, Usool etc, all studied to get to the Knowledge.When seeking knowledge, one must go to the right person. The person most qualified in accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah. A scholar is a person who has the knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The one who is a muqall’id is not an alim. Must ask the right person; this is the Deen – must go to right person to seek it.

Allah (SWT) said:

“So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not…”

Surah an-Nahl, Verse 43

‘Asking questions is half of Knowledge.’ Unless you ask you will not know, it is recommended – one can not remain upon ignorance. [There is no shyness in the Deen] A woman asked about wet dreams that she had to the Prophet (pbuh).

Knowledge is taken away by the death of scholars;

Anas bin Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Among the signs of the Hour will be disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance.”

Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim

Ibn Hajr al-Asqalanee said regarding Hadith Anas: ‘Indeed it will not disappear except with the deaths of the Ulama.’

Questioning and asking; from the hadith it can be concluded that Gibriel (as) asked about important matters in Deen and Dunya. Where there is no benefit – no good in asking. It should help you in your Deen and Dunya; the purpose of asking is to learn. It is permissible for a person to attend a gathering and ask questions on a topic to make people aware of the issue.

Imaam an-Nawawi said: ‘Should observe good manners on front of the teacher.’ Not like the Sufis; who lower their heads, walk behind the sheikh, carry sandals etc – this is wrong type of manners.

If a stranger came, no one would be able to distinguish the Prophet (pbuh) from the other Companions, this was his modesty. We should be equal with others.

Islam

One must utter ash-Shahadah to enter into Islam. Shahada has to be with knowledge; one must know what he is testifying to, and secondly have belief of that [shahadah]. The hypocrites knew about it but did not believe in it. So in summary, ash-Shahadah is based on:

1) Knowledge

2) Acceptance of that knowledge

‘…La ilaaha illa-Allah…’

This is the greatest statement one can say. Hadith about the scales which will shoot up due to weight of this word; [Ref: Al-Ashqar, 5/338] To realise the meaning of ‘La ilaaha illa-Allah’ is our purpose. Many say it, but negate it with their actions. ‘La ilaaha illa-Allah’ – is translated as, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.’ Allah (SWT) is the One who is worshipped; there are many other gods, which are false – so they don’t deserve any worship. Al-Ila is perfect in every sense; the only One that is perfect is Allah (SWT) – so none deserves this worship except Allah (SWT). In Tawheed – must negate all aspect of uloohiyyah to other gods and affirm it for Allah (SWT) only. The Arabs understood al-shahada thus they did not testify to it, as it must reject other gods. Unless we single out Allah (SWT) alone with tawheed – we will not gain power on earth.

‘…and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah…’

It must be followed by this; Allah (SWT) is the One to be worshiped, through the way the Prophet (pbuh) did. He is the one showing us the way. The implication of this is that one follows him, takes his guidance, see him as an example and worship Allah (SWT) as he did.

This shahadah protects a person’s blood:

Hadith Usama is well known; A Companion killed a person whilst in battle who declared ‘La ilaha illa-Allah’ as he was about to be killed. The Companion killed the man because he thought the man was trying to escape death when it came before him. This incident was reported to the Prophet (pbuh) and he said: “…did you open his chest [to see if he was a believer]?...”

Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that there is none worth of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer and give the Zakat. Then, if they do that their blood and wealth will be protected from me – except in accordance with the right of Islam. And their reckoning will be with Allah, the Exalted.”

Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim

This is where it stops, can not kill them.

‘…to establish prayers…’

The Prophet (pbuh) mentioned it in order of importance:

1) Shahadah

2) Salah

‘Swal’lo’ [performing prayer] and ‘Iqam us-Salaah’ [establishing the prayer] are different.
Iqamu as-Salah’ is higher; it is that, one does everything for it to be accepted; pre-requisites, conditions, obligations, etc. It is more than just praying. To do it in the best way, thinking about each action – in this way it keeps the actions alive and not just let it be mere rituals.

If the prayer is abandoned; it means part of the Deen is missing, the Deen is not complete. Islam is built upon these five pillars, if this is taken away, it will have a weak foundation. The prayer is the greatest manifestation of the submission to Allah (SWT) – that you bow to no one else but Allah (SWT).

‘…to pay the zakat…’

It is obligatory with conditions. The need of zakat is great, once the Muslims had a welfare state where no one would go hungry. It purifies ones wealth. Zakat is due on gold/silver, livestock, [merchandise good and agricultural produce]. Zakat is given to eight categories of people as mentioned in the Qur’an. It is obligatory to find out if you need to zakat or not.

‘…to fast [the month of] Ramadhaan, and to make the pilgrimage to the house if you have the means to do so…’

Fasting is another pillar of Islam. Pilgrimage – if one has the means to; transportation and costs.

Imaan

“It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last day and to believe in the divine decree, [both] the good and the evil thereof.”

The six things the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned were matters of Imaan;

Imaan in Allah (SWT):

There are four points; must accept all – if it is not there, Imaan is not complete or not there.

1) Allah (SWT) exists;

It is a real existence; al-wajood – Muslims do not differ over this. When the messengers (as) were sent, none disputed about this aspect – all believed in the One True God but the problem was with uloohiyyah. It was nature of the fitra to have this belief about the One True God, but now with advanced science and technology – people are raising the question: ‘Does God exist?’ – it was something that was not debated about before.Giving dawa – when it comes to giving dawa, need to know where they are coming from – giving dawa to atheist will be different from giving dawa to a polytheist.

The proof of existence of the creation, leads one to know that God exists. We are here, who put us here? Even with evolution theory – where did it start from? Even that single cell – someone or something must have put this cell in that place? Who was it? The creation – how did it come together? Its must of either:

Created it self

Created by something else

The first is impossible, the second is the only possibility – this creator is Allah (SWT). Allah answered this in the Qur’an:

“Or were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators?”

Surah At-Tur, Verse 35

The atheist may ask: ‘Who created God?’ The reply: This is not a valid question – we can go on for ever; have to accept it that there has to be creator who has created everything, who was self exiting and this is Allah (SWT). There is no beginning of a Creator. [Story of Abu Hanifa and the atheists] The existence of Allah (SWT) is a real existence; not just in our mind and its different from our existence.

2) Rubobiyyah

Rubobiyyah; Lordship on His Oneness consists of three things:

In Creation [al-Khalq] – only One to give life and death

In Command [al-Amr] – controlling and maintaining everything

In Dominion [al-Mulk] – everything belongs to Allah (SWT)

Allah (SWT) creates something from nothing. Humans change one form to another. Allah’s ownership is not limited, He does what He wants.

3) Uloohiyyah

Only One to be worshipped; make Him One to be worshipped. Ibn Taymiyyah said: ‘Ibaadah is everything Allah (SWT) loves, anything you do or say externally or internally.’ Ibaadah is based upon love and veneration. Allah (SWT) is deserving of that, can not take the right of Allah (SWT) and give it to someone else. This is what the Prophets (as) came with to struggle with their people.

4) Asmaa wa as-Sifat

To make Allah (SWT) alone in all this;

Who is Allah (SWT)? How dose one know about Allah (SWT)? Who is God? How is God? Can we know God by reason? Only way to know Allah (SWT) is via the Scriptures – through reason alone, we will [not] know the Unseen. If you don’t have this knowledge, one can not worship Allah (SWT) properly. Allah (SWT) has Beautiful Names and Attributes.

The Beautiful Names:

Has numerous Names; Are they just names and that’s it? When it is to with Allah (SWT) – it tells us a description of Allah (SWT). Example, the Names; Ar-Rahmaan – He (SWT) has Rahma, and the Name Al-Hay – He (SWT) has no beginning nor has an end. Some of His Names will be revealed to us in the Hereafter. Believe in Names and Attributes without:

Rejecting the meaning [ta’teel]

Giving it another meaning [tahreef]

Making similarity to creation [tamtheel]

Asking the ‘how’ of it [ta’keef]

The Attributes:

Anything that exists has descriptions. If you take these descriptions of Allah (SWT) away, it is to say He (SWT) does not exist. Every Name of Allah (SWT) gives an Attribute but not necessarily the other way. He has Hands, but not like ours. We affirm it for Him and not distort its meaning by saying that it means ‘power’ or ‘favour’. Allah (SWT) has a Face; but He has not given us a description of it. We affirm it, not make it similar to creation, nor ask of the ‘how’ nor interpret it. Many groups went astray in this aspect.

Imaan in the Angels:

1) They exist;

It is real existence, have a physical/real form.They were created solely to worship Allah (SWT), they can not go against that. The jinn and the humans have a choice.

2) Their creation varies; believe in their attributes as stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah

Allah (SWT) created them in an amazing form; Gabriel (as) has 600 wings in his real form; from this hadith, it shows that they can take other forms. The wings of the angels are not as we know ‘wings’ to be – it is a matter of the unseen.

3) Have been given certain duties;

4) Believe in their names and their duties that we have proof of;

Their numbers; Allah (SWT) knows best. About the night of Israa’ the Prophet (pbuh) said: “…Then I was taken up to the Much-Frequented House. Everyday 70,000 angels enter it, and they never return to it, and when they leave another 70,000 come…”

Recorded by al-Bukhari 6/103, and Muslim 1/147

Al-Bayt Al-Ma’moor is reported to be parallel above al-Ka’bah, on the seventh heaven. In the first heaven is Bayt al-‘Izzah – where revelation came down from to the Prophet (pbuh) over 23 years.

Imaan in the Books:

1) The Books were revealed by Allah (SWT), truly from Him (SWT);

2) Believe specifically about the ones we know about, and the ones we don’t know about;

3) Believe everything that Allah (SWT) revealed in it;

The Qur’an has abrogated all the previous Books, such as the Taurah, Injeel, Zaboor and Suhuf al-Ibraahim wa Musaa.

Imaan in the Messengers:

1) They were sent by Allah (SWT) to every nation;

2) All fulfilled their obligation of delivering the Message;

3) Believe in all of them, without differing;

Twenty five of them have been mentioned in the Qur’an; two Prophets (as) have been mentioned in the Sunnah; Sheeth (as) and Yoosha’ Ibn Noon (as).

4) There were more sent then the ones mentioned;

This is indicated by Hadith Abu Umaamah: 124,000 prophets, among whom 315 were messengers – this is reported in Musnad Ahmad.

Ar-Rasool comes with a new message/scripture; but An-Nabi comes to reform the same message. What about Adaam (as)? There was no prophet before him – so a nabi does not necessarily have to follow a rasool. Every rasool is a nabi, but every nabi is not a rasool. Khatam an-Nabi – it shows that no prophet or messenger after the Prophet (pbuh).

Imaan in the Last Day:

It is to believe in everything that will happen after death; taking out of the soul, questioning of the grave, al-barzakh, Paradise, Hell-Fire, etc. A person’s ‘last day’ is when they die.

Imaan in Al-Qadr:

In the hadith, the ‘tu’mina’ is repeated to show the importance of al-Qadr. Belief in al-Qadr consists of four pillars:

1) Belief in the Encompassing Knowledge of Allah (SWT);

He (SWT) does not learn anything new nor does He (SWT) forget anything. He Knows the past, present and the future. His Knowledge is perfect and complete.

2) Belief that Allah (SWT) has written everything in Al-Lauh Al-Mahfooz;

Till the end of time; no additions or subtractions. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: “Allah wrote the decree of His creation 50,000 years before He created the heaven and the earth…”

Recorded by Muslim 4/2004

3) Nothing happens except by the Will of Allah (SWT);

Once Allah (SWT) wills it, it happens. If He (SWT) does not will it, it does not happen.

4) People’s deeds are created and decreed by Him (SWT);

Allah (SWT) created us and our actions. If Allah (SWT) did not create, that means people created it – which are not true. This does not deny our own choice – freewill. Two sects deviated in this issue: Al-Qadariyyah believed that there is no al-Qadr; basically Allah (SWT) does not know before an action takes place. Al-Jabariyyah they believe people are forced! Al-Ahl as-Sunnah believe in al-Qadr and people have choice to do good or bad, [freewill].

End of explanation…for now!

Classes on ‘Asmaa wa as-Sifaat: Lum’at ul-‘Itiqaad

2009-02-04T21:30:00.000Z

Al-Hamdulilah a fresh new class on the Names and Attributes of Allah (SWT) will be starting in South London. The book that will be studied is called Lum’at ul-‘Itiqaad and it was written by great scholar Ibn Qudamah [d.620AH].

About the Book: Lum’at ul-‘Itiqaad

This book has been translated in English as, ‘The Radiance of Faith’ and ‘The Sufficiency in Creed’.

Ibn al-Uthaymeen said, in explaining the title: ‘The word lum’ah occurs in the Arabic language with many meaning, one of which is ‘sufficiency in livelihood’. This meaning is the most appropriate one with regard to the subject of this book. Therefore the meaning of Lum’at ul-‘Itiqaad here refers to having sufficiency in correct belief, which is according with the way of the predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them. What is meant by the term ‘Itiqaad is the rational conviction that one is determined on. So if it confirms to the reality then it is correct and if it is not then it is corrupt [i.e. false].’

This book is one of the great classic and scholarly works concerning the Belief and Creed of a Muslim. It outlines fundamental principles and precepts for every Muslim to have knowledge of. Ibn Qudamah lists ninety-five points on various topics of the Islamic Aqeedah. These points include discussions on Allah’s Names and Attributes, the conditions of mankind on the Day of Judgement etc. The author of this discussion on Creed has talked at great length of following the way of the Salaf and the scholars of Hadith in regard to this issue. Thus you will see that he has filled his book with Qur’anic verses, reports from the Hadith, statements of the Companions and sayings of the righteous scholars.

Regarding this book Ibn al-Uthaymeen said: ‘In this book, the author (ra) gathered together the main points of the Islamic Aqeedah. For this reason, the Board of Educational Institutes assigned this book to be studied and taught during the second semester of the first year of study, so that it may serve as a pillar upon which one can establish his Aqeedah at this stage.’

About the author

Ibn Qudamah was a possessor of an upright and correct Aqeedah, being an honourable and pious worshipper of Allah (SWT), and following the regulations laid down by the Salaf. He was a leader in with regard to knowledge and action. And this pure Aqeedah [of his] produced an overwhelming effect for him in his life, such that it was said about him: “Whoever sees him, then it is as if he has seen on of the Companions.” The one who said this was Ibn al-Jawzee. Refer to my previous post regarding Ibn Qudamah. I will quote some of the statements of Scholars about him to show some of his virtues:

Abu ‘Amr Ibn As-Salaah said: “I have not seen the likes of Sheikh Al-Muwaffaq.”

Ibn Taymiyyah said: “No one possessing more understanding of the Religion entered Shaam, after Al-Awzaa’ee, other than Sheikh Al-Muwaffaq.”

Al-Mundhiree said: “He was a faqeeh, the Imaam. He narrated hadith in Damascus, issued fataawaa and taught classes. He authored many books, both short and long, on the subject of fiqh, as well as other subjects.”

Ad-Dhahabee said: “He was one of the eminent Imaams and an author of many books.”

Ibn Katheer said: “He was the Sheikh ul-Islam, an Imaam, a scholar, outstandingly proficient. There was not found in his era nor before it by a long span of time, anyone possessing more [understanding] fiqh than him.”

Explanation of the book

Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen [d.1421AH] did an excellent explanation of this masterpiece. It has been translated in English but I am not sure if it is out of publication but I will give the details of it anyway.

The Explanation of Sufficiency in Creed by Ibn al-Uthaymeen and published by Al-Manhaj Publication.

Time, Venue and Teacher

Every Wednesday, 8.15 pm [after Isha prayer]

Morden Islamic Centre, 2a Crown Lane, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5BL

Ustadh Nabeel Shahzad Ul-Haq; He has studied at the Islamic University of Madinah. He was awarded a BA in Shari'ah followed by an MA in Aqeedah.

For further information please contact Brother Shahid on 07939 297 812. And this class is open to bothers and sisters.

Enjoy!

A New Circle!

2009-01-28T23:47:00.001Z

A new circle of knowledge will be starting in central London and it is totally free! It will be a class on Aqeedah’. I will give a very brief review on the subject topic, the book that will be studied and about its author Insah-Allah.

Thalaathatul-Usool

This is very concise book about Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah. So what is this term tawheed?

Literally tawheed means ‘unification’ [making something one] and it comes from the Arabic verb wahhadah which itself means to unite, unify or consolidate. When the term tawheed is used in reference to Allah (SWT): It is the belief that Allah (SWT) is One, without partner in His dominion – this is Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah. Allah (SWT) is One, without similitude in His Essence and Attributes – this is Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat. And that Allah (SWT) is One, without rival in His divinity and worship and this is known as Tawheed al-Ulooheeyah or Tawheed al-Ibaadah. So true tawheed is the belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT), His Oneness in His Essence and Attributes and worshipping Him alone with no partner or associate. The science of tawheed has been traditionally divided in this way – the three overlap and are inseparable. The omission of any of the above mentioned aspects of tawheed is referred to as shirk; the association of partners with Allah (SWT).

As this book is about Tawheed al-Ulooheeyah or Tawheed al-Ibaadah – let us speak a little more on this. Allah (SWT) said: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.” (51:56). Indeed Allah (SWT) did not create us in vain but created us for a noble purpose and a noble aim, which is to worship Him. To fulfil this worship Allah (SWT) has sent Prophets, Messengers and Books over and over again, Allah (SWT) said: “Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid false gods.” (16:36). Many times we find in the Qur’an that Allah (SWT) has told us to worship Him and not commit shirk.

Tawheed al-Ulooheeyah necessitates the denial of all forms worship to other than Allah (SWT). All forms of worship must be directed to only to Allah (SWT) because He alone deserves worship. Worship [ibaadah] is a word which covers all words and actions, inward and outward, that Allah (SWT) loves and is pleased with.

The book Thalaathatul-Usool deals with this aspect of tawheed. It was written by Sheikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab [d.1207 AH]. This is the first book a student of knowledge would study in this field of tawheed – then followed by al-Qawaaid al-Arb’ah, then Kashf ush-Shubuhaat and finally Kitaab ut-Tawheed as mentioned by Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd (rh). All these books were written by Sheikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab and they all concentrate on Tawheed al-Ulooheeyah.

Sheikh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab

The Sheikh was born in the town of ‘Unayzah in the year 1115 AH in a household known for knowledge, nobility and attachment to the religion. He himself memorized the Qur’an before reaching the age of ten and studied fiqh of which he learnt a great deal. He sought knowledge day and night and he used to memorize the books of the various branches of Islamic knowledge. He was granted deep understanding and a very high degree of intelligence by Allah (SWT) and he devoted his time to research, study and writing. He travelled through out Najd and to Makkah and studied the books of knowledge with the scholars. Then he travelled to Medina and studied under the scholars there.

He was a leading Hanbali jurist and a theologian of Najd; more notably remembered as the pioneer of the revivalist movement which began in the Arabian Peninsula, and continued to influence various Islamic movements until today.

Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab was living in a situation much like the Prophet (pbuh) himself, wherein most of the people were dedicated to acts of ignorance and idolatry and only a small number of people were still dedicated to the true religion of their ancestor Abraham. Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab wanted to take the people back to the knowledge of Allah and to keep them from the greatest thing that Allah had prohibited, shirk. Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab could not remain quiet in such a setting. His knowledge and his faith drove him to act. It drove him to try to save those poor people who were following the devil and their desires.

He died in the year 1206 AH. May Allah (SWT) have mercy on him.This is a very brief biography of the Sheikh, however Sheikh Jamaal al-Zarabozo has witter a three hundred and eighty-eight page biography on the Sheikh, which is available in English; “The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab” published by ‘The Ministry of Islamic Affairs.’

The Sheikh wrote Thalaathatul-Usool in order to convey to every Muslim that which is obligatory upon him to know – in fact the ‘three principles’ [Thalaathatul-Usool] are based on the three questions that will be asked in our graves.

Explanations of this Book

Many explanations of this precious book has been done, I will list the ones that’s available in the English Language; Title, Author and Publication:

Explanation of the Three Fundimental Principles by Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen and published by Al-Hidaayah.

Notes to the Three Tenets by Abdur-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim and published by Dar al-Khair

A Gift for the Intellects in explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Islam by Ubaid ibn Abdullah al-Jaabiree and published by Salafi Publication

Also Sheikh Saalih al-Fawzaan has done an explanation which is out in English also, but I do not have the title for it, I have been told that his explanation of it is very good.

Location and Venue

MBS, Boscobel Street, London NW8 [Edgware Road Station]
Friday’s 6pm
Ustad Abdul-Aleem Alomgir Ali [Egypt]

Hope this helps.

Patience in Hardship and Seeking Knowledge

2008-12-27T22:23:00.002Z

‘Hardship’ is a Friend

At times it will be very difficult to worship Allah (SWT). Doing haram and worshipping the Satan is very easy. ‘Hardship’ is a friend who will escort you to Jannah.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When Allah (SWT) created Paradise, He told Jibreel (as), ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, no one will hear of it but will be eager to enter it.’ So He (SWT) surrounded it with hardship and said: ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, I fear no one will enter it...’”

Reported by Nasa’i, Trimidhi and Abu Dawud

The dunya has been made like a prison. We are very restricted, not free, can not talk to anyone – it is just like a prison. Indeed the Prophet (pbuh) spoke the truth when he said: ‘Dunya is a prison for the believers…’ If the dunya is a prison, we should be ready to endure the hardship with patience. No matter how hard it may get, as long as one knows the secret of all secrets, Insah-Allah they will succeed. This is where the secret lies – when someone knows the purpose of their life. The salaf truly understood this; one of them described how he dealt with trials:

“I thank Allah (SWT) for four reasons…

1) For a more severe trial has not come upon me.

2) For allowing me to be patience

3) For allowing me to attain some reward for my patience

4) For not allowing this trial to come between me and my Religion…”

Ibn Taymiyyah also said: “The real prisoner is some one whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passion.”

So just remember, no matter how hard it gets, the relief is near and ‘hardship’ is a companion of those on the Straight Path.

Seeking Knowledge is a Lonely Path

People who have depth of Knowledge – Allah (SWT) praise them.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever follows a path to seek Knowledge therein, Allah (SWT) will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the house of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, but tranquility and peace descends upon them, mercy envelops them and Allah (SWT) makes mention of them amongst those who are with Him…”

Reported by Muslim

There are levels of knowledge; you have ‘surface knowledge’ and then it goes deeper and deeper. It is never ending like the ocean – wide, big, huge and deep. The deeper you go, the more breath you need, and more you have to strive, the more you have to be patient – it becomes dark and then you find the jewels! It is a lonely path where you are by your self. No one to cry to except your pillows or your books! No one to talk to, every seconds feels like and hour. It is a lonely path but and honorable one in the sight of Allah (SWT). The Knowledge is so vast, no one can grasp it, no one can say: ‘I have grasped it!’

To gain the light of Allah (SWT), you need to deserve this light, you will not deserve this light if you do not respect who carries this light. One should respect the knowledge, respect the People of knowledge and respect the place of knowledge. Feel like a student of knowledge and you will become a student of knowledge, the struggle for the Knowledge found the best of the people. When knowledge is given – it is like wahy; do not turn your back from this path while people are searching for the Truth. Everything comes through knowledge; seek until death [yakeen] comes. When the Truth comes, hold on to it with firmness. In this time and place, it is indeed hard to practice your Deen but know my brothers that when someone practices in Jahaliiyyah – they are higher in rank than the one ho practices Deen once Jahaliyyah has been removed. The best of you in Jahaliyyah are the best of you in Islam – that is, if you seek the Knowledge. May Allah (SWT) make us patience on this path! I will end with a fawaid:

“…Do not worship the action, but worship Allah (SWT) through the action and do not look at the test but look at the One Who the test is from…”

Preserve by Memorising and Writing down Knowledge!

2008-12-12T23:02:00.005Z

I just wanted to address two important features a student of knowledge should have to become a serious seeker which Insha-Allah will make a world of difference in the approach to Knowledge. Much of this was advice given to us by Ustad Abul-Hasan which I wanted to share; I hope you benefit from it.

Memorising the Qur’an and the branches of Knowledge

Know that, memorising is from Allah (SWT) and forgetting it is from Satan. Allah (SWT) ‘opens’ the breasts so that they can memorise. The Prophets (as) memorised the revelation. The whole Qur’an was memorised by the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) was the greatest of the Qari’s and the greatest of the Muhad’dith! Is there anyone better than him in hadith?? No! We forget this sometimes; he was the best of the Qari’s, best of the Muhad’dith, best of the Fuqaha’ – he was great in everything. So Allah (SWT) ‘opened’ his breasts for this memorisation to take place.

Memorising problems:

Memory problem could be a result of many things such as ‘ayn, hasad’, sihr’ or it could be just a natural cause. All these can be taken care by some means. A lot of people are concerned when they can not memorise or can’t retain the Qur’an and the other branches of Knowledge. When someone is concerned about their memory, it is a good sign. Why is this a good sign? We should know that Allah (SWT) will not even get us in this situation of thinking about ‘bad memory’ if we are not the right people to memorise. The person who is not meant to memorise, will not come to the conclusion that: ‘I have to memorise.’ The person who Allah (SWT) does not want him to memorise; he will not memorise. Such a person will not come to the conclusion and say or even think that: ‘I have a bad memory.’ Whoever of us is memorising, Allah (SWT) has brought us this far so that we can memorise! He (SWT) makes it difficult so that you try again and again.

Remember Allah (SWT) made the Qur’an very easy to memorise than any other book in the world. Allah (SWT) said: “And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember, but is there any that will remember?” Surah al-Qamar, Verse 17. Regarding this verse Al-Qurtubi said, “This means ‘We have made it easy for Hifdh and we will aid whoever wishes to memorise it so is there anyone who seeks to memorise it that We may help him?”

We should aim to memorise the Qur’an, it gets easy day after day – the main thing is to be consistent at it even if it means memorising one verse a day. The problem with us is we try one day and the next day we don’t! The one who loves it will memorise it; one must have love for the Qur’an. The virtues of memorising of the Qur’an are numerous as you all know, in fact books have been written on it! The one I came across and found it beneficial was ‘Al-Asbab al-Meeena alal-Hifdh’ by Sheikh Mahmood al-Misri (Abu ‘Ammar) – and All Praise belongs to Allah (SWT), this has been translated by sister Farhia Yahya in English, entitled: ‘Causes that aid in the memorisation of the Noble Qur’an’. I am not sure if it’s been published, but it can be obtained from islamicawakening.com.

Writing down the Knowledge!

Know that: ‘Knowledge is like hunting and writing is like tying your prey.’ – if you do not tie it, it will get away, so write your knowledge down.

Writing! Why should one write or take notes in the Circles of Knowledge? The memory does not does not retain everything. How easy do we forget what we exactly did few days ago or even few hours ago – so what about Knowledge, which needs to be accurate and precise! Knowledge is written down for preservation and revision, leading to do ‘ibaadah with that knowledge. One may say: ‘We have many books and audios in this so and so topic.’ The reply to this is: Seeking knowledge with the use of all the senses, such as hearing, seeing and along with writing the knowledge down – one is more likely to understand the topic when he goes back to his notes many years later, rather than just reading from a book or listening to an audio lecture. It is well known that seeking knowledge in presence of the scholars is the best way to learn and to understand knowledge due the interaction and the focus of all senses towards the knowledge and the scholars. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd [d.1429AH] said: ‘Bind the knowledge with writing…’ – there is also a hadith to this meaning from the Prophet (pbuh). It is reported that Imam Malik never let anyone in his class without a pen and paper. One must write in class. If one does not write in class, it shows that you know: which leads to ar-Riyaa’ – which kills sincerity and if you have riyaa’, it shows you have a disease in your heart. If you do not write it shows either you know or you are arrogant. Be attentive in knowledge. The teacher tells you to write – to benefit you, so reap the benefits. And Allah (SWT) knows best.

That is what Allah (SWT) has allowed me write, may Allah (SWT) make us among the preservers of the Deen. I will end with a fawaaid’:

“Learn whatever you want to learn, yet Allah will not make your learning worthwhile unless you practice what you have learned…”

Actions are by Intensions...

2008-11-25T18:00:00.014Z

By Ustad Abu Talha

This is explanation of the well known hadith, which all Muslims must know about. Its a brief explanation but a very useful one in understanding this precious gem. Hope you benefit from it.

On the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Abu Hafs Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying: “Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, [then] his migration was for Allah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for that which he migrated.”

This was related by the two Imams of the scholars of hadith, Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismaaeel ibn Ibraaheem ibn al-Mugheerah ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushairi al-Naisaboori in their collections of authentic hadith which are the most authentic works compiled.

This is one of the greatest hadith, although it is well known – it is only Umar who narrated it. The chain from Umar to Yahya Ibn Saeed [Ref: Zarabozo, 1/111] is the only authentic chain for this hadith. From Yahya Ibn Saeed, it becomes mutawatir.

Ali ibn al-Madani said: ‘No authentic chain except this chain.’

Many scholars start of their work by quoting this hadith first, this is what Imam Bukhari also did – this is to show that intension comes first, and it should not be for anyone other than Allah (SWT). Imam an-Nawawi starts three of his books by quoting this hadith first.

Abdur-Rahman Ibn Mahdi said: ‘If I wrote a book, I would put this hadith in every chapter.’

Imam ash-Shafi said: ‘This hadith is a third of knowledge. It comes in more than seventy chapters of fiqh.’ Meaning; all worship requires intension, to make wudu, to pray, to pay zakat – it comes in many areas of fiqh.

Imam Ahmad said: ‘The principles of Islam are based on three ahadith: Hadith Umar – “Actions are but by intensions…”; Hadith Aisha – “Whoever invents in this matter of ours what does not belong to it, then it will be rejected…”; and Hadith Numan bin Bashir – “The halal is clear and the haram is clear…”’

Why did Imam Ahmad say this? Looking at the Deen as a whole, it is about doing halal and keeping away from the haram and there are some ‘grey areas’. Doing the halal and keeping away from the haram is reported in Hadith Numan bin Bashir; but to do this, it has to be according to the Shar’iah, which is reported in Hadith Aisha. Furthermore an action is not accepted unless it is done for Allah (SWT), which is reported in Hadith Umar – and thus these three ahadith are the basis of the principles of Islam.

Allah (SWT) said: “Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” Surah al-Mulk, Verse 2

Fudayl bin Ayyad said that ‘best in deed’ means those of you who are most sincere and most correct in their actions.

If it is pure and not correct; it is not accepted. If it is correct and not pure; it is also not accepted. It has to be correct and sincere to be accepted by Allah (SWT).

“Surely, all actions are but driven by intentions…

There are two meanings given by the scholars:

Action to be correct; intension must be correct. Restricts actions to worship only.
The actions are caused by intensions. Intension is a reason for action. It is not restricted to worship only.

“…and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended…”

Meaning the result of that intension – example; a person make the intension for wudu and so he will have wudu. The consequence of that intension is what a person will get.

“…Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, [then] his migration was for Allah and His Messenger…”

Then, the Prophet (pbuh) gave this example. Meaning the cause for the person’s migration; that person will get that.

“…and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for that which he migrated.”

This case is something else – dunya – that person will get what he migrated for.

Zarabozo said: ‘The Prophet (pbuh) belittled the goal of the person who migrated for some worldly purpose by stating, ‘Then his migration is for it.’ With out explicitly stating what was being referred to.’

Intension – an-Niya /al-Qasd /al-Iradah

Two different aspects:

Fiqhi point of view
Spiritual aspect

In the fiqhi aspect, it is further divided:

Where one distinguished an act of worship from a natural act; example – wudu or just wash the limbs. Intension differentiates an act of worship from a normal act.

Distinguish one act of worship to another act of worship.

In the spiritual aspect, it means: who the action is for; is it for Allah (SWT) or for someone other than Him? If it for Allah (SWT) – it is referred as Ikhlas. If it is for other than Allah (SWT) – it is referred as Shirk.

Allah (SWT) also uses iradah – [want] in the Qur’an: “Among you are those who want the dunya and among you are those want the akhirah.” Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 152

Migration – al-Hijrah

It means to move lands of the disbelievers to the lands of Islam. It can be wajib or mustahab.

It is wajib when you can not practice your Deen; when you can not do your fard ‘ayn duties – one must leave.

It is mustahab when one can leave a bad place for better place where the person can worship Allah (SWT) – as this was the case with the man who killed a 100 people; Hadith Sa’id al-Khudri, found in Bukhari and Muslim.

Hijrah is till the end of time.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “There is no hijrah after the Conquest of Makkah but there remains jihad and intension.”

Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim

The meaning of the hadith is, there is no hijrah from Makkah to Medina because Makkah had become part of the Islamic state – but there is other hijrah till the end of time.

There were three aspects in the migration from Makkah to Medina:

1.Migrate from Kufr to Islam

2.Migrate from fear to safety

3.Migrate from sin to obedience

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “The Muhajir is the one who avoids what Allah has prohibited.”

Recorded by al-Bukhari

The Prophet (pbuh) gave the example of migration in Hadith Umar although it can apply to any other act, [such as jihad, seeking knowledge, and giving charity.]

[The well know hadith of Abu Hurairah about the first three people to be thrown into the Hell-Fire shows one must have the correct intentions.]

The intension for seeking knowledge is to remove ignorance; worship Allah (SWT) with certainty. Allah (SWT) will make the path of Jannah easy, bless your efforts and make easy for you to learn.

Learning for riya – is the first to enter the Fire; Hadith Abu Hurairah, found in Muslim and an-Nasa’i.

Types of Actions

Riya – the action is invalid, not accepted

Action is for Allah (SWT) and for others – this is rejected, one can’t do it partly.

Abu Hurairah narrated: ‘The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah, Blessed and Glorified be He said, ‘I am the One Who is not in need of any partner. If anyone carries out an action in which he associates with Me someone else, I will leave him with what he has associated with Me.’”

Recorded by Muslim

The original intension was for Allah (SWT), the Satan come to that person inspiring it to be beautified for someone. If a person repels it, it is ok. If the person allows it to continue, it is negated.

Sincerity

It takes it years of ‘Jihaad of the Nafs’ because the Satan is always there. ‘Jihaad of the Nafs’ is not the greater of the Jihaads.

Signs of Ikhlaas –

‘Al-Mukhlis is the one who hides his good deeds just as he hides his bad deeds.’

Whether people praise or dispraise you, it is the same – this is a sign of sincerity as the action is done only for the Pleasure of Allah.

Sahl ibn Abdullah said: ‘There is nothing more difficult on the soul than ikhlaas because the nafs has no share in it.’

The one who thinks he is sincere needs sincerity. ‘Al-Ikhlass needs ikhlaas…’ – one can not think that he is sincere.

Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Layla – when he used to do his night prayers – and if someone would come he would pretend to sleep. Another Salaf said that he fasted over twenty years and even his own family did not know!

People used to go out of their ways to make their deeds private; now we go out of our ways to get people to know about our good deeds.

Imam ash-Shafi said: ‘I wish people had taken this knowledge and people did not ascribe it to me.’

Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim

Their book of Hadith is the most authentic source after the Qur’an. Majority say that Sahih al-Bukhari is more authentic then Sahih Muslim – although some say Sahih Muslim; in term of arrangement it is better. The strongest ahadith is when they both agree upon a hadith, the Sahih al-Bukhari followed by Sahih Muslim. Imam an-Nawawi said that the scholars agree upon this.

Why is Sahih al-Bukhari better in level?

It is because the condition the Imam laid out – if two narrators did not meet, he would not narrate from them and this is not the case with Imam Muslim.

Narrating from al-Khawarij is ok – as they don’t lie. The Shia’s are the worst to narrate from as lying is part of their religion.

This is the end of the explanation; may Allah (SWT) make us from amongst His sincere slaves.

The Circles of Knowledge!

2008-11-15T15:46:00.005Z

This is a very brief list of classes in Fiqh and Aqeedah that are ongoing in London which are very beneficial for those who want get in-depth understanding of these two topics – as far I know they are all free! I have given the books and its authors a very simple introduction, including the timing and the location for these classes.

FIQH:

Manhaj as-Salikeen

This is a concise book in fiqh; it deals with the most important matters in fiqh. It is a good book to start with for a student of knowledge who will be introduced to the subject for the first time; it does not go into much detail or into the difference of opinions. It is written in such a way that understanding of it is easy for beginners.

It was written by the great Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahmaan bin Nasir as-Sa’adi (d. 1376). He was prominent jurist, exegete, and grammarian with a great interest in poetry. He was extremely intelligent and had memorized the Qur’an by the age of eleven after which he devoted himself to studying under the scholars of his land, by the age of twenty-three he was already teaching. He devoted himself entirely to learning and teaching until he became the leading religious authority in the land, with students of knowledge flocking to him from all regions. The author was an expert in fiqh and usul-ul-fiqh, initially he was Hanbali in madhab, and then he progressed in his studies by studying the works of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyum and no longer restricted himself to the Hanbali School. However he would never censure or look down upon those who followed a particular school of thought. He contributed many works in different subjects, the most of celebrated of them: Taysir al-Karim al-Mannan in exegesis; Manhaj as-Salikeen a primer in fiqh. His students include Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen and Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin ‘Aqil. This book has had a two volume commentary by Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin Jibrin entitled as Ibhaaj ul-Mu’mineen. In the near future a commentary in English may be published Insha-Allah.

MBS, Boscobel Street, London NW8
Friday’s 6pm
Ustad Abdul-Aleem Alomgir Ali [Egypt]

Umdat ul-Fiqh

This is a basic manual of fiqh for beginners also. It covers the basic rulings that every Hanbali needs. The book gave only the predominant opinion for each position of the Hanbali madhab.

It was written by the great Hanbali scholar Imam Muwaffiq Al-Din Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d. 620). He acquired so much knowledge and understanding of the Deen that he surpassed the companions of his study gatherings, showing an extraordinary ability. Thus, the knowledge of the Hanbali madhab and its principles fell upon his shoulders. He was one of the major Hanbali authorities and the author of the profound and voluminous book on Law, al-Mughni, which became popular amongst researchers from all juristic backgrounds. Ibn Taymiyyah said about him: ‘No one possessing more understanding of the Deen entered Shaam [Damascus], after Al-Awzaa’ee, other than Sheikh al-Mawaffaq’. The author of the book did not concentrate on evidence; he did tend to begin each section with a hadith that the student can use for figuring out many of the unmentioned branch issues. The objective of this book is for developing an all-round surface understanding of jurisprudence, without confusing the student with difference of opinion within the school. This text was famously explained by Sheikh Bahaa ud-Deen al Maqdasi, entitled: 'al 'Uddah Sharh al 'Umdah.

Lewisham & Kent Islamic Center, 363-365 Lewishham High Street,
London SE13 6NZ [www.lkic.org]
Wednesday’s 7.30pm
Ustad Faraz Farhat [Medina]

Zaad al Mustaqni'

Zaad al Mustaqni is an abridgement of the book Al-Muqni which was written by Ibn Qudamah for the intermediate level in studying fiqh. One of the later scholars of the madhab took Ibn Qudamah’s Al-Muqni and reduced it to the predominant position in the madhab, removed extraneous issues, and added some things that were necessary. His book is known as Zaad al Mustaqni it was greatly accepted, and some scholars said that whoever has memorized Al-Zaad is fit to be a judge. While the book is indeed short, it gives the basics for the Hanbali madhab, including some things not even found in books twice its length.

Zaad al Mustaqni was written by Imam Sharaf ud-Deen Abu an-Najaa al Hajjaawi (d. 968h), originally from Quds and then settled in Salihyah Damascus. He was distinguished figure amongst the latter Damascan Hanbali scholars, and the author of two important manuals that were to remain the basis for verdicts amongst the Hanbalis until today: Zaad al Mustaqni and al-Iqna’. Many famous commentaries, short and long have been written for this masterpiece; for further detailed review of this book, click on to abuqutaybah.blogspot.com.

Al-Hamdulillah this book is actually being taught in two places in London at the same time; East and West London! So no excuses for seekers of knowledge!

Al-Muntada, 7 Bridges Place, Parsons Green London SW6 4HW [www.almuntadatrust.org]
Friday’s 7.30pm
Ustad Wasim Kempson [Medina]

Al-Ansar Islamic Education Centre, 833-835 High Road
Goodmayes, Essex IG3 8TD [www.masjidansar.com]
Friday’s 8pm
Ustad Abu Talha [Medina]

AQEEDAH:

Al-Wasatiyyah

Regarding Tawheed as-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat this is the first book a student of knowledge should study. This book explains the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah (SWT). It was written when the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah was strange and the other false beliefs were common.

It was written by the great Sheikh ul-Islam Taqi ad-Din Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728). He came from a Hanbali family known for its piety and religious knowledge. Ibn Taymiyyah spent most of his life in Damascus. He struggled against the numerous innovations that had appeared among the Muslims. He is remembered for his invaluable contributions, not only to the Hanbali School of jurisprudence and theology, but also to the rich Islamic heritage. He also produced many students of high caliber; names such as Ibn al-Qayyum, ad-Dhahabi and Ibn Kathir are but some of his virtues. Besides being a great intellect, he was also a mujaahid and he fought valiantly against the Tartars and others.

This book was written because some judges of Waasit complained to Ibn Taymiyyah about the people’s misguidance and innovations. For this reason the book is called Al-Aqeedah Al-Wasatiyyah. He was taken to court for writing these things. This book had many commentaries; the well known ones are by Ibn al-Uthaymeen and al-Harras – these are both available in English.

Lewisham & Kent Islamic Center, 363-365 Lewishham High Street,
London SE13 6NZ [www.lkic.org]
Saturday’s 7.30pm
Ustad Abu Talha [Medina]

At-Tahawiyyah

This is a book for the higher students of knowledge. Although it is a very small book, it is very comprehensive. It is an accepted text for all times which covers the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.

It was written by Imam Abu Jafar At-Tahaawi (d.310), he was born in Taha, a town in Upper Egypt. His father was a scholar of hadith and literature. He began as a student of his maternal uncle al-Muzani, a leading disciple of Imam ash-Shafi. However, Imam Tahaawi felt drawn to corpus of Imam Abu Hanifa’s works, eventually joining the Hanafi School. Most of his works were in the field of fiqh. At-Tahaawi studied under various hadith scholars whose number reaches three hundred. The outstanding qualities of his writings are a thorough research, abundance of material and an attractive manner of presentation. Ad-Dhahabi said of him; ‘At-Tahaawi was an outstanding, intelligent scholar of repute.’

The greatest of the commentaries of this book was by the great scholar Imam Ibn Abu al-Izz al-Hanafi, this work is known as Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah. The abridged version is available in English but the English is not that great. The full version is available on PDF.

Al-Ansar Islamic Education Centre, 833-835 High Road
Goodmayes, Essex IG3 8TD [www.masjidansar.com]
Saturday’s 8.00pm
Ustad Shaqur Rehman

All Praise belongs to Allah (SWT) for allowing these circles of knowledge to be existing in the heart of Kufr for us to benefit from.

Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi al-Hanbali (541 - 620 AH)

2008-10-20T23:05:00.001+01:00

By Musa Furber

Muwaffaq Al-Din Abu Muhammad `Abd Allah bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Qudamah Al-Maqdisi Al-Hanbali, a faqih and Sheikh Al-Islam. Born in 541 AH during the month of Sha`ban, near Nablus in the vicinity of Quds. During that time, the Crusaders had taken control of Quds so Ibn Qudamah's family emigrated to Damascus, where they originally settled near Bab Al-Sharqi (the eastern gate of the city) and after two years moved to Qasyoun mountain in an area now known as Muhya Din, but originally name Salihiya after the salihin of Bani Qudamah that lived there. During that time Al-Muwaffiq had been memorizing Qur'an, learning basic knowledge from his father, and learning from the mashayikh of Damascus.

He then went to Baghdad where he read Mukhtasr Al-Khiraqi with Sheikh `Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jaylani (Allah be well pleased with him); it was a book he had already memorized in Damascus, and this was an intensive and precise reading. Sheikh `Abd Al-Qadir then passed away, so Al-Muwaffaq took from a few others sheikhs and then returned to Damascus. There he began to teach and author works in various disciplines.

He passed away on `Eid Al-Fitr 620 AH, and was buried above the Jami`a Al-Hanabilah in Salihiya. May Allah have mercy upon him.

The great Hanbali scholar Imam Muwaffiq Al-Din Ibn Qudammah Al-Maqdisi developed a program taking students from the very beginning of their studies to the very end: from having no specialized knowledge in the fiqh to being a mujtahid. His program consisted of a series of books, moving the student toward the grand goal in stages.

The first book is Al-`Umdah, a basic manual of fiqh for beginners. It covers the basic rulings that every Hanbali needs. The book gave only the predominant opinion for each position. While Al-Muwaffiq did not concentrate on evidence, he did tend to begin each section with a hadith that the student can use for figuring out many of the unmentioned branch issues.

The second book is Al-Muqni`, which added to the above by mentioning different opinions for a given issue without telling the student which is the predominant opinion, and by adding some additional branch issues.

The third book is Al-Kafi, which introduces evidence for the positions in the mathab.

The fourth book is Raudhat Al-Nathir, a book in usul al-fiqh. It is a condensed version of Imam Al-Ghazali’s Al-Mustasfa, but instead of championing the Shafi`i usul it champions the Hanbali.

The fifth and final book is Al-Mughni, which builds on the previous works by adding opinions from the other mathabs from the Companions and early Imams (Allah be well pleased with them) whether still followed or extinct, the opinions within the mathab with a particular emphasis on what is transmitted from the Imam, the evidence for all of these various positions, and then a defense of the predominant position in Ibn Qudammah’s opinion. The book is also full of minute branch issues.

So, this was the program that Al-Muwaffiq set down, and these are some of the many books he authored. In today’s circumstances it is very easy to scoff at his a program and consider it far fetched, but it did indeed produce a good number of Hanbali mujtahids, and his final book Al-Mughni has been praised by Hanbalis and non-Hanbalis alike; it an Imam Al-Nawawi’s Al-Majmu`a are two of the more essential books of fiqh muqarin. The Shafi`i mujtahid imam Al-`Izz bin `Abd Al-Salam held back from giving verdicts until obtaining a copy of Al-Mughni.