My paper on the the emergence & evolution of zahir al-riwaya in the Hanafi school has been published in IL&S. Insha'Allah, it is a beneficial contribution.
Entering the middle of Ramadan, many people confront what might be called monotonous routinisation.
The early Ramadan "excitement" fades. You are just going through the motions. The mind wanders in prayer. Worship seems dull. You slow down.
Here is some advice:
How much Quran have you read since Ramadan ended?
Are you still waking up for Fajr?
Have you been to the mosque since the Eid prayer?
Do you still have a routine of qiyam al-layl?
Did Ramadan change you?
The moment a pseudo-intellectual who waffles endlessly when asked the simplest questions & presents himself as a courageous moral warrior for fighting culture wars exposes himself as an ignorant, cowardly fool of a man.
If three Muslim dudes were filmed celebrating some attack, you'd bet the news would plaster it everywhere and they do.
Zionists celebrate the destruction of lives/property all the time in mass numbers. Crickets. May Allah either rectify these people or rid this world of them.
Two periods in Ramadan in which the nafs prods a person to slow down:
- the middle of Ramadan after the initial spike
- after the 27th night, the pinnacle
We’ve passed the 27th. Do not become lazy. Your moment of acceptance with Allah might be written in the final days.
Peterson: "I'm trying to figure out how to be a Jew and a Christian and a Muslim at the same time..."
Sh. Hamza interjects: "But become Muslim. That's the best way..."
Best part of the podcast.
Be confident and clear when speaking about Palestine. There's no reason to cower, be on the back foot, or speak in the language of "both sides".
The facts establishing that Israel is an oppressive, immoral, evil apartheid state are abundant and indubitable.
1. Muslims in China (God preserve them) have a rich history that most of us do not know. It is likely that the first Muslims entered China only a few generations after the Prophet as part of Arab embassies & traders who settled in port cities and along the Silk Road.
You'll prob. find among the 49 martyrs those we typically view as the "Friday Muslim", the uncle, the aunty, the run-of-the-mill Muslim.
What is their rank now with God? What was the deed they did that made God enlist them with the martyrs? Where do they stand in your eyes now?
Can I pray Eid at home?
This is the answer I provided last week: According to the Hanafi school, the Eid prayer cannot be performed in the home. If one misses the Eid prayer with one's local congregation, he performs salat al-duha instead. (Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, 2:175-76)
If you're working all day in Ramadan, do the following: when leaving for work say, "God, I am going to work while fasting in order to support my family, to be able to assist the poor/needy, & with the intention of following the sunna of your prophets who worked for their rizq."
I fully stand with my brother, Dr. Omar Suleiman, against this despicable smear by the most hated man in congress.
Dr. Suleiman has honourably stood up for innocent Palestinian men, women, children - regardless of their religion - who have been subject to decades of oppression.
Colin Allred embraced & welcomed this antisemite cleric to the House.
Today, he’s accusing BOTH Israel and America of “genocide”? That is utterly false and a blood libel.
Does Allred agree?
"When I got my diagnosis, I immediately thought about whom I have to make things right with. If you're going to differ with one another, differ with love. Let go of the petty grievances. Are we really going to wait till the Day of Judgement to sort it out?"
- Ustadh Usama Canon
I'm in the beginning of my career.
If no university hires me for my remarks on Palestine, so be it. I won't stop. I'll get a license to be a construction worker or something & work to earn the provision that Allah has written for me.
A small sacrifice. Allah takes care of all.
I’m an academic that lost job opportunities & colleagues because I spoke out for Palestine. My rule of thumb is if people don’t want you due to their moral ambiguity then you’re better off without them. Do the principled best you can in any situation & minimise later life regrets
If we spent 3 hrs in the latest controversy (glued to Twitter, debating etc), that’s the equivalent of potentially:
- reading 6-9 juz’ of Quran
- sending 3500 short salawat
- seeking 10000 istighfar
- performing tarawih twice
This is the priority for 99% of people.
Five things serve as a cure for the heart:
i. reflective reading of the Quran
ii. an empty stomach
iii. night prayer
iv. supplications in the early morning
v. keeping the company of the righteous.
- Ibrahim al-Khawwas
Please make du’a for Mufti Taqi Usmani. His car was attacked by gunmen, which resulted in the martyrdom of his guard and injuries to his driver. Mufti Taqi is safe.
Please make a prayer for the deceased, their families, and for Mufti Taqi. May God preserve him and us.
This is a stark reminder: the state of Israel isn’t simply at war with Hamas but at war with Palestine - Palestinian men, women and children, Palestinian Muslims and Christians, Palestinian young and old.
All of Palestine.
Dear world,
Israel just bombed a Christian hospital in Gaza and murdered over 500 Palestinian civilians. White phosphorus chemical bombs confirmed by human rights watch was not enough to open your eyes. Over 1000 dead children wasn’t enough. Will you open your eyes and act now?
For fasting to have the desired effect of disciplining the nafs & weakening its worldly desires, these three adab are needed:
1. Stay awake while you are fasting & actually experience the pangs of hunger/thirst
2. Do not eat excessively during sahur and iftar
3. Do not complain
One issue with celebrity preacher Islam in places like the U.S. is not only the placing of young, sometimes unlearned, people on the leadership pedestal but also, and relatedly, in its discourse lacking any reference to the great living scholarly figures of prior generations.
1/3rd into Ramadan, there are two "risks" to your current ibada: (i) going into decline, or (ii) monotonous routinisation.
The latter is where you just go through the motions. Qur'an doesn't penetrate like it did at the beginning. The mind wanders in prayer. Ibada seems dull.
Forcing your nafs to do things it dislikes is a way of disciplining it. The more you discipline it, the easier it becomes to demand good deeds from it.
Even the smallest changes make a difference. How many of us rush through our tasbihs when bowing/prostrating? Try to recite...
In this moment, none of us should forget that Allah created moments of despair & utter helplessness to see who among us runs to Him & who among us forgets Him.
The person we love the most - the Prophet - always did the former while never giving up on his mission.
A sign that a person has more attachment to the world than to Allah is that he feels burdened when commencing prayer and relief when ending it.
Someone who is attached to Allah cannot get enough of prayer. He is eager to commence it, feels relief in it, & is saddened to end it.
Brothers and sisters: it’s Ramadan. You might not live to see another. Stop incessantly tweeting and arguing about this or that political issue. It’s not really changing anything.
Use this month to discipline your nafs’ addiction to social media.
Blessed Ramadan to all.
There are two periods in Ramadan the nafs prods a person to go into lazy-mode:
- the middle of the month after the initial Ramadan spike,
- after the 27th night, the pinnacle
We’ve passed the 27th but don’t be lazy. Your tawba & acceptance might be written in these final days.
The US killed an evil man responsible for much suffering.
I won’t praise the US action though. They did it for their own interests.
I’ll praise God who sometimes rids one evil entity through another evil entity.
In the end, all of them will face His perfect justice.
In Paradise, our Palestinian martyrs will have no recollection of their suffering.
Paradise will engulf them in utter happiness & joy. There will be no more tears, nor sorrow, nor pain. The world for them will vanish, replaced by God and His bounties. They are at last free.
In Islam, everything centres on Allah.
He is not an after-thought. He is not a decoration to sprinkle onto your actions to give it a religious veneer. He is not one of many things to give consideration to in the journey of life.
He is meant to be everything.
"The biggest fitna for the people of knowledge in our age is the desire to attain fame and earn the praise of people."
- Mufti Taqi Usmani (God preserve him)
A few things that are harmful to students embarking on seeking knowledge today (among other things):
1. Constantly sharing their journey with others on social media.
2. Putting themselves forward as individuals who can teach/guide while in the early stages of study.
The striking down of Roe is the right decision- morally & legally, from an Islamic perspective.
Ignore the usual knee jerk emotional reactions as well as the common talking points of “Islam isn’t pro-life or pro-choice”, “Muslims will now be stripped of rights” etc. Meaningless
It is related that Allah said to Musa, "I will have mercy upon My servants, both those who are tested by adversity & those spared from it."
Musa asked why mercy was needed for those spared.
Allah replied, “Because they are not grateful enough for My saving them from it.”
There is no such thing as “authenticity” or “representation” when it comes to sin.
There is only concealment, shame/regret, fear, repentance, and possible counsel.
Anyone pushing for authenticity & representation here is doing the work of the devil.
a) Renew your intentions & recognise it is not about "feeling" spiritual: These 'low' states are sent precisely as a test to see whether we try to lift ourselves up, turn to Allah, & continue striving to do our best. Are you after the spiritual feeling or Him?
May Allah's names al-Mudhill, al-Qahhar, al-Khafid, al-Mumit, al-Muntaqim, al-Muqsit, al-Maniʿ, and Malik al-Mulk manifest themselves on the oppressors of the Palestinians.
"Islamic law is nuanced" is a correct statement. Anyone who denies it has not studied the discipline. However, the nuanced nature of Islamic law never stopped jurists from reaching firm conclusions, seeing their conclusion as correct, and critiquing other views.
Try not to automate your donations this Ramadan. Sincerity and connection is best found in the moment of action, not in some robotic process running in the background.
If you’re afraid of forgetting to donate, set daily reminders (e.g. on your phone) and have access…
Obligatory prayers take priority over Tarawih & are more emphasized as a congregational-mosque practice.
Yes, attending Tarawih is convenient for many since it’s at night (after work & school), but try to pray at least *some* of the obligatory prayers in the masjid as well.
"Talking to the dead" is apparently shirk.
Meanwhile, the Prophet when entering a Muslim graveyard would say, "Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the graves... We will join you, insha'Allah. I ask Allah for well-being for us and for you." (Muslim)
This is what Islam offered when it gained power in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
Compare it to what the modern Zionist ideology offers - only death, injustice, oppression, and destruction.
The first move of shaytan after Eid against many is to make them lax about Fajr. No more suhur—>no more need to wake up right before Fajr (or just stay awake till then).
Be vigilant of his plan and try to maintain the practices you were able to establish in Ramadan.
ʿAli b. al-Fudayl used to buy goods from the [local] neighborhood merchants. Someone told him: “You could buy them cheaper if you shopped at the city market” He answered, "These merchants have settled in our neighborhood in the hope of serving our needs." (al-Risala)
Whosoever forgets death is inflicted with three things:
- delaying repentance
- lack of satisfaction with possessing what is sufficient [for his needs]
- laziness when it comes to worship.
(Tanbih al-ghafilin)
The human shayatin come out for their normal Ramadan routine.
As I said once before, we should never be afraid or hesitant to state:
1. Israel is an oppressive, immoral, & evil apartheid state that must be boycotted & pressured to cease their crimes.
Two things we should never be afraid or hesitant to state:
1. Israel is an oppressive, immoral, & evil apartheid state.
2. Palestinians have every right to protect, defend, & fight for their lives, property, honour, & dignity against this occupying force
#GazaUnderAttack
One really sad consequence of our hyper-gendered discourse & drawing battle lines between genders is how we receive the words of the Prophet ﷺ.
Instead of seeing his blessed words as directed at us for our good, we read it as directed *against* us or people.
"Sincerity has three signs:
- when the praise & blame of people become equal in your eyes
- when you become oblivious of your good deeds as you are performing them
- when you forget about your reward for your good deeds in the Hereafter."
- Dhu'l Nun al-Misri (al-Risala)
Take out time this Ramadan to supplicate for the oppressed everywhere. Do it with sincerity from the depths of your heart. Shayatin among men still roam free this month. Pray to God to save the ummah & others from their evil. Hasbuna Allah.
- A Muslim woman was nearly lynched for wearing a dress with Arabic letters spelling "hulwa".
- Non-Muslim Sri Lankan factory manager was beaten, killed, & set on fire for removing posters with religious content. He had removed them due to renovation works.
Lynching someone who defaces the Quran is not indicative of an “Islamicate biomass” or collection of lower quality citizens of the Ummah — it is simply a natural and expected response by any Muslim who loves Allah and his book to a heinous crime against Allah, his messenger ﷺ,
The Prophet said, "It will be said to children on the Day of Resurrection, 'Enter Paradise!' They will say, 'Our Lord, not unless our fathers and mothers enter.' God will say, 'Enter Paradise, all of you and your parents'" (Musnad Ahmad)
Yousef, baby Omar, and Raihan have all now returned to their Lord.All 3 were strolling in this world as a happy family when a drunk driver plowed into them ending their lives. I pray that all 3 now will stroll together in the gardens of paradise in eternity without fear or grief.
Sh. Nuh Keller’s translation of the Quran. Nearly two-decades of work. Sh. Ali Hani pictured on the right - Sh Nuh sat with Sh Ali regularly in private lessons for a long time going through the tafsir of the Quran for this translation. May Allah accept.
Habib ʿUmar: The Palestinians standing up against the enemies of God who have stolen/plundered their land & have spread mischief are engaged in an act that is among the greatest & loftiest ways of celebrating the Prophet (blessings upon him)
[note: it is the month of his birth]
c) Do not fall for the nafs' trap: one of its traps is, "It is ok to skip tarawih today because you did it so good in the first week" or "it is fine to recite only a little Quran today" etc. Push back against the urge to become lax and know you might not see another Ramadan again
A horse was stolen from al-Rabiʿ b. Khuthaym (d. 63/682-83). People said, "Pray to Allah against the person who stole it!" He replied, "O Allah, if he is rich, turn his heart [to guidance], and if he is poor, enrich him & make him free of need." (al-Zuhd of Imam Ahmad)
b) Keep on with the sahur: This is the first thing many start to skip as Ramadan proceeds. But the Prophet (blessings upon him) said, "Partake in sahur for indeed there is blessing in it." Wake up, eat a good breakfast, do a little ibada. Get the day off to a blessed start.
The righteous spend their whole lives trying to master the ability to recognise insincerity, ostentation, worldly motives & attention seeking in their actions.
When they were able to recognise this in some actions, this was seen as a great blessing from Allah, one that gave...
This is just ignorance.
Anyone who has even a cursory understanding of Deobandis & Wahabis will know they are very different.
Deobandis are not "diverging sharply" from Sunnism. They are Hanafi, Maturidi, & serious proponent of Sufism. That places them squarely within Sunnism.
An excellent thread on the Deobandi religious strand, to which the Taliban subscribe. Remarkable how 2 ideologies, Deobandi and Wahhabi, came to life almost at the same time in totally different areas but are so similar to each other yet diverging sharply from mainstream Sunnism.
Repentance should be accompanied with remorse and also elicit joy. We think we're turning to God. It's Him turning to us.
Rabiʿa was asked, "If I decide to turn to God in tawba, would He turn to me?" She said, "Only if He were to turn to you would you be able to turn to Him."
So many of us struggle with sincerity in private: rushing through prayers, thoughts of other than Allah in our worship, treating our ibada like a checklist to be ticked off, etc.
What chance do we have on these social media platforms that are literally designed to centre "me"?
I remember a lesson Sh. Nuh Keller gave me once: Don't compromise your religion to be the best in what you do and get ahead; be the best at what you do and people will respect you and your religion.
We have set up a gofundme page to support the wife and two-year old daughter of my friend who, at the young age of 34, suffered cardiac arrest & a severe brain injury. Likelihood of survival is v. low.
Please share & support with whatever you can.
A great friend of mine who I've known for nearly twenty years went into cardiac arrest today. He suffered severe brain damage. He is on a ventilator. Survival is unlikely.
I went to HS with him, then the same college. We both turned to Islam together, joined the same tariqa...
We should all make heartfelt du'a for our Palestinian brothers/sisters.
We think our du'as aren't answered b/c Quds isn't being freed from the yolk of oppression.
But maybe that one Palestinian family who continue to live through this horror with dignity are aided by your du'a.
It is obligatory for parents to teach their young children what they will be obligatory for upon attaining puberty: purification, prayer, fasting, etc., and teaching them the impermissibility of fornication, homosexuality, stealing, drinking, lying, backbiting.
- Imam al-Shafiʿi
I remember Sh. Hamza once remarking how a sign of the decadence of modern society is that the 'entertainer class' occupy the highest pedestal - admired, imitated, sought.
In past Islamic societies, they were usually the lowest. The righteous - ulama, awliya - were the highest.
"A number of us may find ourselves at home a bit more under the current jalal of Allah. You have to know that the Sufi only benefits from jalal. So when the times get rough, this is the maximum period of benefit for the Sufi."
- Shaykh Nuh Keller (Allah preserve him)
Everything for us has become a form of "content" that we consume. Many consume war like they do an exhilarating Netflix series.
But war is a sober & serious matter. It concerns real lives, real people, real suffering. It is not "exciting". It is not something to be giddy about.
Someone saw al-Jahiz in a dream & asked him, “What did God do to you?” In response, he recited:
"Don’t ever write with your hand anything that you will not be happy to see on the Day of Judgement." (al-Risala)
God save us.
The brazen and wilful idiocy and immorality of the media who continue to frame such actions as "clashes" despite what is not only apparent on the ground but also after being corrected on this point a million times. Disgusting.
May Allah protect our Palestinian brothers & sisters
I had covid last week (pray for my health). Mother messaged to check up. I said I was fine but I’d feel much better if I had the new 15 vol. commentary on Hidaya by al-Saruji (& shared link). Mother asked if I was asking her for a gift. I replied that I didn’t say that.
Today:
"I passed by people who had cooper nails and they were clawing at their faces and necks. I asked,' Who are these, Gibril?' He said, 'They are those who ‘eat the flesh of people’ (49:12) and attack their honour.'" (Abu Dawud)
Fix yourselves this Ramadan before you face this.
Ustadh Usama Canon has passed away.
To Allah we belong and to Him we return.
May Allah have mercy upon him & grant his family patience and strength during this difficult time.
There are going to be so many people who have and will continue to die alone in hospitals without any family around them due to COVID-19.
Though a very difficult time for them, this advice by the BBSI to Muslim healthcare professionals & chaplains is v. important. Please read.
We have a fundamental misunderstanding of our religion & a deep spiritual malady if we find the sentiment expressed below as controversial.
The often subtle (and other times express) downplaying of the metaphysical is a real and big problem.
Reminder:
1. Israel is an immoral, evil apartheid state.
2. Palestinians have every right to defend & fight for their lives, property, honour, & dignity against this occupying force.
3. All Muslims are obligated to aid them to the best of their abilities & capabilities.
Signed.
Even if the petition has little chance of stopping the release of this heinous film, registering ones objection to it is something that should come naturally to us out of ghayra for those Allah loves & honors, inshallah.
Learn what constitutes manliness from our pious predecessors, not online daʿwa figures & polemicist types who reduce it certain physical activities like playing ball or lifting weights (or being a tough guy on Twitter).
Read up on futuwwa & muru'a. What do our scholars say?
"It is better to be exterminated entirely than to give away the Holy Land."
- Abdal Hakim Murad, 13th Contention
"Were every Muslim only to spit simultaneously at Israel, it would drown."
- Abdal Hakim Murad, 16th Contention
The online, social media, celebrity-like daʿwa scene is, pardon my tone, becoming a joke: combination of all the "lack ofs" (ʿilm, adab, ikhlas, muru'a, etc)
Seriously, just find some low-key, upright, & knowledgable scholar to look up to. It would be much better for people.
"Islam's awareness that when human nature (fitrah) is cultivated rather than suppressed, men and women will incline to different spheres of activity is of course one which provokes howls of protest from liberals: for them it is a classic case of blasphemy. But even in the..
When death came to Bilal, his wife cried, "What a painful affliction!" He responded, "Rather, what a happy occasion! Tomorrow I will meet my beloved, Muhammad & his party!"
(Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Kitab al-Muhtadarin, pp. 207-8; Ibn al-Jawzi, Kitab al-Thabat inda al-mamat, pp. 108)
Some points, among others, that I remind myself of every Ramadan:
1. Suhur is baraka.
2. The fast suppresses the bestial nafs & puts our weakness, thus our neediness, in acute focus. For this, you must feel the pangs of hunger. So, spend your fasting hours awake, not snoozing.
This answer by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam confirms the original opinion I preferred (namely, that Eid cannot be performed in normal homes) and also the statement below that there *is* scope to allow Eid at home in congregation even in the Hanafi School.
Perfectly fine.
If it makes one feel better, there are ways of reading the Hanafi school that would potentially allow Eid at home (congregation is a condition) especially in the current context, but I personally and strongly favor the other view for a variety of reasons.
If you believe the religion operates like a lottery where you need to get lucky with the right moment to win the ultimate prize of Allah's mercy & acceptance, the "automate your charity/worship to guarantee X" model makes sense.
But Allah and His religion are greater than this
A gentle correction: as our teachers taught us, the striking or imposition of the hand on the chest or back is a Prophetic gesture associated with driving away evil influence (waswās) & conferring blessing.
There are numerous reports in this regard.
Good information in this that shows the balance of the Prophet ﷺ in his dealing with his wives, very different from what Compassionate Imams and feminist shaykhaz preach in their distorted, feminist, women-worshipping version of Islam.
The apartheid state led by this war criminal has:
- Destroyed every university in Gaza
- Killed over 100 university professors
- Damaged or destroyed 90% of schools
- Killed over 5000 students
- Killed over 250 teachers
- Brought schooling to a close for 600,000 Palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty.
At the end of the day, this is your battle with your nafs. We must push through just like we push through with so many othe things even if the "feeling" is absent. We worship because Allah deserves it, not for spiritual highs. And remember that death can strike at any moment.
Other schools also have opinions permitting performing Eid at home. Given the current situation, one may choose to follow this view in order to maintain the performance of Eid and make it a day of joyous celebration and worship for one's family.
(End)
Simple.
The moment we are in right now has an element of takhwif - God causing fear in people.
But remember what Abu'l Qasim al-Hakim said: "The one who is afraid of something runs away from it, whereas the one who fears God runs to Him.”
He wants you to run to Him.
So Christians only break their silence when Christians are killed?
Do you know Palestinian Christians have been subjugated for as long as Palestine has?
Do you know 80% of them fear attacks from Jewish settlers & 60% believe Israel aims to expel Christians from their homeland?
Well said, Charlie. I have been disgusted by the propagandists pretending a Christian church was not bombed.
Christians were killed.
No Christian should stay silent.
The experience of the Prophet ﷺ at Ta'if is one of the most profound moments in the entire sira for me. Brimming with lessons.
I was thinking today: the Prophet ﷺ is not described as angry or resentful after the ill treatment he received from the people of Ta'if.
How many times have we heard of someone afflicted with COVID-19 and said, "Allah, I am grateful for the well-being you have given me"?
Then ask that for every adversity people around us face.
Allah have mercy on us.
The Shafi`i school permits Eid prayer at home (individually or as part of a congregation) because they deem the Eid prayer as similar to any other nafl prayer. For the precise method of performing it, one should consult a Shafi`i scholar. (al-Nawawi, Rawdat al-talibin, 1:578)