What follows is a presentation of the basic essentials of Hanbali fiqh. Rather than use any one text, I have distilled these rulings from four relied-upon (mu'tamad) primers in the school: Ibn Qudamah's ‘Umdat al-Fiqh; Ibn Balban's Akhsar al-Mukhtasarat; al-Qudumi's al-Ajwibat al-Jaliyyah and al-Hajjawi's Zad al-Mustaqni‘. The plan, God-willing, is to serialise these fiqh essentials over the coming weeks and months; commencing with purification. ♦ OUTLINE: Purification is…
Adab: Being People of Beauty
'Pious character, refined behaviour and moderation constitute one of seventy parts of prophethood,' said the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. [Al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, no.468] Another hadith records the Prophet, peace be upon him, as saying: 'Nothing is heavier in a believer's scales on Judgement Day than beautiful character.' [Al-Tirmidhi, no.2003] Yet another links beautiful character and…