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…
Khawarij Ideology, ISIS Savagery: the Wahhabi Inspiration?
It has now been four years since I started this three part instalment. It's been over three years since I wrote the rough outlines for this third and final part. One thing or another, however, stopped me from completing it. But given Saudi Arabia's current socio-religious changes or transition under the Crown Prince Muhammad b.…
A Brief Word On Sufis, Sufism & Spiritual Wayfaring
Far from being foreign to Islam, sufism - the science of spiritual excellence ('ilm al-ihsan) and purification of the soul (tazkiyat al-nafs) - is a central aspect of the religion. In fact, it is its very core or heart. This is especially true when such sufism reflects the spirit of the early traditionalists or ahl…
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.…
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…