The Quest for Knowledge

 

Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani (may Allah have mercy on him) was the Grand Mufti of Pakistan. His life was spent in teaching and learning. He qualified from Dar ul Ulum Deoband and then also taught there. He was the chief Mufti of the Dar ul Ifta there.

He said once: “Whenever I am going anywhere and observe anyone delivering a sermon or reminder, I stop even for a while to listen to him even if I am in a hurry, for Allah may have inspired him with something that is beneficial to me.”

This was the Grand Mufti to whom people, including the ulama (scholars) came to solve their difficult issues. During his time the people giving the sermons were generally younger than he, his students, or students of his students, or even their students. But he did listen to them so that maybe he might learn what he did not know.

He said further

Don’t teach the small thing, teach the main thing.

There are so many groups. If you try to identify each group and each sub-group, your task will never really end as they can go on forever.

So what group are we?

The thing to understand is that just look in the Quran.

What is the dawah? What is the teaching and call of all Prophets and Messengers? That is the real thing.

Those differences on minor things that are in the branches of Islam should be discussed in the classroom. When in public outside the classroom focus on the more important issues that are the fundamentals of religion.Fundamentals of religion like imaan, belief in Allah, the hereafter, submission to Allah, taqwa, piety, fear of Allah, amanah (keeping trusts)… These are major issues really. Teach people to become pious God-fearing people.

Just think that

Quran Memorising Advice

Question:

Assalaamu ‘Alaykum, please could you give me some advice on memorsing the Quran such as techniques

Every Muslim has Nūr ul Imān (Light of Faith)!

Maulāna Ashraf ῾Ali Thānvi rehmatullāhi ῾alayh replied to a questioner that every Muslim has Nūr ul Imān (Light of Faith) in him, whether its effects are apparent or not.

A similitude of this is like a handsome person who blackens his beautiful face and thus conceals his beauty. Then as soon as he washes his face with soap, the beauty shines like the full moon. Similarly, the Nūr ul Imān of most of Muslims has been concealed due to increase in disobedience (of Allāh’s commandments), but inshā’allāh as soon as they repent and increase in their Istighfār, their hearts will shine with Nūr.

Malfuzāt Hakīmul Ummat Malfuz # 412 – vol. 1 pg. 311

Imam Abu Yusuf discussing Fiqh on his deathbed

Here we see the judge and Imam Abu Yusuf (Ya’qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari al-Kufi, later al-Baghdadi, born in 113AH, died 182AH, may Allah have mercy on him), the companion of Imam Abu Hanifah, and his student who spread his knowledge and madhab, the judge of the three ‘Abbasid rulers: al-Mahdi, al-Hadi, and al-Rashid, the first to be called Qadi al-Qudat (the Supreme Judge): we see him on his deathbed, during his last moments in this life, discussing a matter of fiqh with some of his vistors, in order to benefit and teach, and not wishing to lose the last moment of his life without making use of it in benefiting himself and being beneficial to others. His student al-Qadi Ibrahim ibn al-Jarrah al-Kufi, later al-Misri, said

Tasawwuf (Sufism)

Maulana Maududi mentions in “A Short History of the Revialist Movement in Islam” regarding Tasawwuf:

True to God, I bear no personal grudge against the tasawwuf presented by these great reformers; in spirit it was indeed the real tasawwuf of Islam, nothing different from ihsan. But what I think should be carefully eschewed are the mystic allusions and metaphoric references, the mystic language, and the continuance of a peculiar mystic lore, customs and traditions. Obviously, the real Islamic tasawwuf does not stand in need of this particular mould. Some other form and some other

The Origins of Shirk

From that which has been established in the Sharee’ah (prescribed law) is that mankind was – in the beginning – a single nation upn true Tawheed, then Shirk (directing any part or form of worship, or anything else that is solely the right of Allaah, to other than Allaah) gradually overcame them. The basis for this is the saying of Allaah – the Most Blessed, the Most High:

“Mankind was one Ummah, then Allaah sent prophets bringing good news and warnings.” (Soorah Baqarah 2:213)

Ibn ‘Abbaas – radiallaahu ‘anhu – said: “Between Nooh (Noah) and Adam were ten generations, all of them were upon Sharee’ah (law) of the truth, then they differed

Elevated Graves & Domes

To solidify (make mausoleums out of) the graves of the Auliyaa and build domes thereupon

It has been clearly stated in the Ahaadith of Nabi (salallahu ‘alayhi wasalam) that as far as possible, graves should not be desecrated and disrespected, that is, one should not sit on the graves, walk upon them, urinate or defecate on them, change their form, etc. All such acts are prohibited in the Shariah. The grave of a believer is a resting place in the Aalam-e-Barzakh, which should be respected, and not desecrated.

Some say that building structures around graves is a sign of respect and therefore should be allowed, The question arises as to whether building up of the graves and building solid structures around them and placing domes upon them, is included as respect or not. The answer is simple and straight-forward

Four Ways to Reform Ones Inner-Self

Allah Most High has granted Hujjatul-Islam Imam Ghazali rahimahullah a peculiar understanding of the intricacies of the human soul, along with a remarkable talent of instruction and moral grooming. Imam Ghazali holds that there are four ways to recognise one’s evil traits.

Unity of the Ummah

 

UNITY OF THE UMMAH

By: Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani (rahimahullah)

[English Translation]

An exellent treatise by the late Grand Mufti of Pakistan on the major issue of disunity amongst Muslim scholars and groups. A must read for those scholars, students of knowledge and activists running Islamic organisations on how they should deal with this great obstacle.

Uploaded by: kondori.wordpress.com

Ikhwan Syllabus- The Message of the Teachings

Ikhwan Syllabus:

THE MESSAGE OF THE TEACHINGS

By Imam Shaheed Hassan al-Banna

Shariah Today

Ml. Ashraf Ali Thanvi writes in Al-Intibahat al-Mufeedah:

“Arguing from the conditions prevailing in the modern world, one may still raise a doubt, and say that one daily observes that if one tries to follow the Shariah, one has to face many obstructions in conducting the ordinary business of life, which only shows that its injuctions are not suitable for this age. We would reply that the complaint about life becoming difficult can be justifiable only if all the people follow the Shariah, and yet the business of life should get obstructed. And this nobody can prove. The difficulties which one has to experience these days are due to the fact that those who do not follow the Shariah far outnumber those who do, and when this minority has to deal that majority, a tension is sure to follow. Thus the real source of difficulties is our present way of life, and not the injuctions of the Shariah. It is just like physician instructing a patient to eat ten different thing, and the patient not being able to get any of these in his village. The impediment, in this case, lies not in the science of medicine, but in the condition of the village market.”

The Shariah & Raisons D’être

Taken from Answer to Modernism (Al-Intibahat al-Mufeedah) by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi:

“The sixth error is again related to the injunctions of the Shariah. Some people invent certain raisons d’être for these injunctions on the basis of their personal opinion, and insist on making the validity of the injunctions depend solely on the presence or absence of these very raisons d’être. In consequence of this, they start misinterpreting, distorting and even annulling the injunctions laid down by the Holy Qur’an and Hadith.

A Brief History of Prophethood & Religions from Adam (AS) to Muhammad (SAW)!

Now let us cast a cursory glance at the history of Prophethood. Let us see how this long chain began, how it gradually unfolded itself and finally culminated in the Prophethood of the last of the Prophet, Muhammad (ﷺ).

The human race began from one man: Adam. It was from him that

The Place of Politics in Religion

It has become well-known of Christians that they distinguish between religion and politics by their well-known dictum “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”. It is thus as though religion has no relationship with politics and politics has no connection with religion. This worthless concept has slowly advanced to its ugliest form in recent times in the name of “secularism” (al-’almaniyah) or “secularisation”

The Spirit of `Ibadah

`Ibadah (act of worship) is an Arabic word derived from `abd (a slave) and it means submission. It portrays that God is your Master and you are His slave and whatever a slave does in obedience to and for the pleasure of his Master is `ibadah. The Islamic concept of `ibadah is very wide.

Sticky: Who am I?

“I am a traveller seeking the truth, a human searching for the meaning of humanity and a citizen seeking dignity, freedom, stability and welfare under the shade of Islam.

I am a free man who is aware of the purpose of his existence and who proclaims:

“Truly, my prayer and my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; no partner has He. This I am commanded and I am of the Muslims (who submit to Him)!” [Quran 6:162-163]

This is who I am…

…who are you?”

Imam Hassan Al-Banna Shaheed

_________

To learn more about Islam see the page: Resources for Non-Muslims

_________

What it means to be Muslim

The Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wasalam) has enjoined us to believe in

Quran translations are not enough!

Advice to The Youth Who Love to Refute