correctives & clarifications
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How Much Knowledge Do I Need for Da‘wah?
Q. DO I NEED to be a scholar or student of knowledge to make da‘wah? And what about the hadith: ‘Convey from me, even if it is one verse. [Al-Bukhari, no.3461] Does this mean that anything I know about Islam, large or small, I can preach and teach to others? A. Perhaps a good place Continue reading
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Ibn Taymiyyah’s Letter on Muslim Unity
THIS POST LOOKS at how Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah advised some people who were in the grip of an intense and frenzied theological dispute, which was unleashing untold fitnah, had gone beyond bounds, and was inciting mutual hatred, schisms and boycotting. The lessons the Shaykh is hoping to impart, and get us to take to Continue reading
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Clothes that Scream Attention!
ONE HADITH STATES: ‘Whoever dresses in clothes of attracting attention (shuhrah, lit. ‘fame’) in this life, Allah shall clothe him in garbs of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection.’1 The way we dress can and often does, therefore, have to do with the inward state of our souls. We are told in the scholarly commentaries Continue reading
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On True Salafism, False Salafism & Ijma‘ Theology (2/2)
Keen readers of the blog might realise that the last time I addressed the issue of Salafism and orthodoxy was when this blog first started, back in 2012. I haven’t returned to the subject till now. The reason for that is straightforward. This is a day and age, and it’s probably been like this for Continue reading
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Reward for Reading Qur’an Without Knowing the Meaning
Q. Is there any reward for reading the Qur’an in Arabic, even if you don’t know or understand the meanings? If so, what would be the point? ♦ A. Alhamduli’Lah, wa’l-salatu wa’l-salam ‘ala rasuli’Llah. This nagging question has been around for a while. But only recently has it begun to be argued about in a Continue reading
contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, pillars of religious practice, qur’an, tafsir, tadabburimportance of reflecting on the meaning of the Qur’an, Is it allowed to read the Qur’an without understanding?, Is it sinful to recite the Qur’an without understanding it?, Is there reward for reading the Qur’an without meaning?, the greater purpose of the Qur’an, the Qur’an and the salaf in Ramadan -
The Hanbalis & Merry Christmas: To Greet or Not To Greet?
Q. Is it true that Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal and classical Hanbali scholars allowed Muslims to offer Christmas greeting to Christians? Based on this, a few fatwas today now allow us to wish our Christian friends, family or colleagues a Merry Christmas. Is this correct? A. I’ll address the issue of whether Hanbali jurists allowed offering Christmas greetings Continue reading
Bin Bayyah’s fatwa on Christmas greetings, Can a Muslim take part in Christmas parties and celebrations?, can Muslims wish others a Merry Christmas?, Hanbalis forbid Christmas greetings, Islamic ruling on giving Christmas greetings, the Hanbali view on offering Christmas greetings, what does the shari’a say about offering Christmas greetings? -
Muslim Fitnah-Makers & their Fascist Fiqh!
This is a piece discussing how Muslims can be divided into three categories in terms of religious knowledge, and how the middle category is where much of the ummah’s woes and fitnahs spring from. And as counter-intuitive as it may sound, this middle problematic category are those that are commonly referred to as the more committed Continue reading
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Is Din ‘Private’ Religion & Is Iman ‘Blind’ Faith?
This article revolves around three questions: (1) Does translating din as ‘religion’ imply that it is only a private matter, having nothing at all to do with the public sphere – which is what people usually associate with the term religion? (2) If iman is translated as ‘faith’, does that not suggest it is ‘blind Continue reading
consider Islam, contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, da’wah & muslim apologetics, knowledge & learning, theologyis faith in Islam blind faith?, Is iman the same as faith?, Islam insists on reason-based faith, islam is not just va religion but a way of life, Islam the way of life, Islam’s theology insists we should believe by way of reflection, justification for God’s existence, meaning of din in Islam, meaning of iman in Islam, proofs for the existence of God