fiqh & usul al-fiqh
-
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
-
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
-
Ibn Taymiyyah’s Golden Rule On Bid‘ah
Religiously, bid‘ah has been defined by the scholars with slightly varying expressions, all of which revolve around the idea expressed by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali: الْمُرَاد بِالْبِدْعَةُ: مَا أُحْدِثَ مِمّا لَا أَصْلَ لَهُ فِي ِالشَّرِيْعَةِ يَدُلُّ عَلَيْه – ‘What is meant by bid‘ah is: That which is newly-introduced, having no basis in the Sacred Law to substantiate it.’1 Although the definitions of Continue reading
definition of bid’ah, false notions about bid‘ah, Ibn Taymiyyah on whether the mawlid is a bid‘ah or legitimate difference of opinion, Ibn Taymiyyah’s principle concerning bid‘ah, Ibn Taymiyyah’s true view on bid‘ah, is reciting the Qur’an for the deceased a bid‘ah?, things that people think are bid‘ah but are not, understanding bid‘ah in Islam -
On Following Concessions & Relaxed Rulings in Islamic Law
Q. Is it true that part of Islam’s legal culture is the idea that a normative religious ruling (‘azimah) can be temporarily replaced by a concessionary ruling (rukhsah), in order to lift hardship? A. Yes it’s true, but with conditions and caveats. Let me explain: ♦ The Holy Qur’an says: يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ Continue reading
-
Taqlid & Madhhabs: the Good, Bad, and the Ugly [2/2]
The second part of this article explores the prohibited forms of taqlid which, unlike the prescribed type (see Part I), may rightly be called “blind following”. It also corrects some of the misguided notions and far-fetched interpretations in this regard; interpretations that are falsely peddled as being the stance of our past Imams and pious predecessors. Continue reading
can a muslim pick and choose between madhhabs?, conditions for following a madhhab, Ibn al-Qayyim on taqlid, Ibn taymiyyah on taqlid and madhhabs, madhhabs vs. Qur’an and Sunnah, must a Muslim follow one madhhab?, prescribed and prohibited taqlid, salafi myth about taqlid and madhhabs, taqlid is not blind following, truth about taqlid -
Taqlid & Madhhabs: the Good, Bad, and the Ugly [1/2]
Must each Muslim know the proofs behind a religious action before performing that act? In Islam, what counts as “proof”? Is accepting a fatwa of a qualified Muslim scholar on trust, without knowing his legal reasoning, blind following? Can ordinary Muslims who’ve had no legal training evaluate proof-texts and identify the strongest view. How can Muslim Continue reading
correctives & clarifications, fiqh & usul al-fiqh, knowledge & learning, salafism reconsidered, theologyal-Dhahabi on what qualifies as ijtihad, al-Shanqiti on the two types of taqlid, can a non-jurist weigh-up proofs?, definition of ijtihad, Ibn Qudamah on the consensus of taqlid, Ibn Taymiyyah on the lawful taqlid, meaning of taqlid, only innovators deny taqlid, the layman and religious learning, three types of forbidden taqlid, what type of taqlid is prescribed in Islam? -
Jihad & Martyrdom, War & Peace
Is Islam a conquest ideology more than an actual religion, as some now claim? Is Jihad identical to ‘perpetual war’ in Islam’s grand political scheme of things? And is the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ mostly about blood and gore and body counts? These are the issues addressed here. Muslim scholars have long identified two types of jihad Continue reading
death toll in the great civilizations, does islamic civilisation have the greatest body count?, Hostility is reason for jihad not disbelief, Ibn taymiyyah and defensive jihad, inner and outer jihad, is Islam inherently violent?, is jihad fought to convert people?, jihad al-nafs, jihad in Islam, Muslim holy war, Muslim jurists and UN Peace Charter, philosophy of jihad in classical and contemporary Islam, rules of war in Islam, the greater jihad, truth about jihad, truth about Muslim martyrdom, vital in Islam, war in Islam, was the Prophet a war monger?, were the Prophet’s battles defensive or offensive?