Read an article here on one of the contemporary hadith scholars of Morocco: http://badii.maktoobblog.com/3605/%D8%AE%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%8F%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%8F%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AF-2/
Shaykh ‘Abd ul-Hamid bin Badis
I recently came across an interesting and less well known scholar from Algeria, called ‘Abd ul-Hamid bin Badis (1889 – 1940), rahimahullah, a student of Muhammad at-Tahir bin ‘Ashur and Shaykh al-Islam Hussayn Ahmad Madani. He was one of the most influential scholars of Algeria in the last century and a grerat reformer, opposed agains the French colonization. I came across his name in the book of women hadith scholars by shaykh Mashhur Salman because he promoted the idea that women need to study.
Shaykh bin Badis wrote a tafsir on the Qur’an with the title: Majalis al-Tadhkir min Kalam al-Hakim al-Khabir. This book can be bought here: http://www.arabicbookshop.net/main/details.asp?id=184-428
Here I’d like to provide some links to interesting articles with regards to him for those who want to find out more about him:
Biographical info
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelhamid_Ben_Badis
- http://kaka38829.skyrock.com/2074130207-Abdul-Hamid-bin-Badis.html
- http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f43/extracts-majalis-al-tadhkir-imam-ibn-badis-17955/
Videos
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USrAFN-avYo
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0cbmbiKAE0&feature=related
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUjupv6kfKA
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXOinF_bxmY
Interesting paper: “Ibn Badis and modernity”: http://www.ipedr.com/vol17/12-CHHSS%202011-H00039.pdf
Filed under Scholars
Maqra’ah London 2011
THE MAQRA’AH IN LONDON, DECEMBER 2011
A blessed gathering of the recitation/reading of 2 famous ahādith compilations
Bismillah, as-salatu wa’s-salāmu ‘ala Rasulillah.
This blessed gathering took place on the 25th and 26th of December 2011 in a mosque in (East) London under the supervision of the learned 85 year old shaykh, ‘allamah and musnid Ya’qub al-Qasimi hafizhahullah (and we continue to pray for his health as he wasn’t really well just before the event) and it was organised by Al-Buruj Press.[1] They had organized other maqra’at previously.[2]
I was blessed to attend this gathering (majlis of dhikr) through the mercy and will of Allah Ta’ala and all praise and thanks belongs to Him alone. I have had the burning desire and intention to go to a maqra’ah for the last couple of years ever since I read about it on the internet. Now Allah made it possible for me at the last moment al-hamdulillah. My good friend and brother Z. from the Netherlands also attended the maqra’ah.
Shaykh Ya’qub al-Qasimi from Dewsbury (and originally from Gujurat, India) is one of the most senior scholars of the UK and he has got very high asānid in all major ahādith collections. He is the headmaster of the Ma’had al-Bahuth al-Islāmiyyah in Dewsbury.
Read were the books “al-Muwatta” from imam Malik bi riwayati imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani and the “Shama’il” of imam at-Tirmidhi (rahimahumullah).
Shaykh ‘Ali Khalfaoui (originally from Algeria) hafizhahullah -an experienced reciter apparently- recited all the ahādith masha’Allah, in total around1400 ina very fast pace. The first day we finished reading around 900 ahādith from the Muwatta and the second day we read the remaining 100 ahādith from the Muwatta and the approximately 400 ahādith from the Shama’il. On the first day mufti Shabbir, another senior ‘alim of the UK, dropped by for a short while to read a couple ahādith from the Muwatta.
I’m told shaykh ‘Ali Khalfaoui has more than 80 ijāzāt in the Islamic sciences. He is a teacher at the recently established London College of Islamic Sciences (LICS). More background info on him can be read on the website of LCIS.[3]
Some 30 (male) students were attending the reading those 2 days. The students didn’t only come from different parts of the UK but even from outside of the UK. There were (male and female) students from the USA, France and the Netherlands.
Shaykh ‘Ali started with relating the well-known musalsal “Hadith of Rahmah” to all the students (I assume through the chain of shaykh Ya’qub).
Moments to remember
When shaykh ‘Ali introduced shaykh Ya’qub he made a gesture that will be remembered by those who saw it. Shaykh Ya’qub took shaykh ‘Ali by his hand and gestured him not to tell too much about him and stop praising him. That was a very touching and beautiful moment and it showed the humility / humbleness of shaykh Ya’qub.
Although shaykh ‘Ali read very fast he was still able to discover some few mistakes in the prints / copies of the texts.
While reading the ahādith about the death of the Prophet s.a.w.s. at the (end of the) Shama’il he was very emotional and almost cried. He needed to stop shortly to be able to continue.
The second day shaykh ‘Ali highlighted and explained some ahādith from the Shama’il, which was very nice indeed. Especially the hadith of ‘Umar’s coming to Sham (nr. 927 in the Muwatta) and the hadith on the people of Hijr (nr. 966 in the Muwatta) were impressive.
The sitting and sleeping on the floor for 2 days. As one brother said: “No pain, no gain.” As Westerners we are used to sitting at chairs and on desks. Compared to the shaykh the students were very young and he also sat on the floor for 2 days masha’Allah. Sitting and sleeping on the floor also teaches one humility.
The receival of the ijāzāt. An ijāzah khassah with regards to the 2 texts and an ijāzah ‘ammah with regards to the Sahih Sittah with the full sanad of shaykh al-Qasimi.
One of the students told me afterwards –when we received the written ijāzāt– that we actually received a very high sanad which we share with around 20.000 to 30.000 ‘ulama from the subcontinent. If you start thinking about this and look at were you are, you can only be(come) humble.
The brotherly and peaceful atmosphere. Sleeping and eating in a mosque for 2 days, which is a form of ‘itikāf, with other brothers. The fact some Tablighi jama’ah people also stayed in the mosque made it even more special. As always they were showing their ikrām and doing khidmah, masha’Allah.
The khatm on the second day by the imam of the mosque (and the attendance of all the people who prayed maghrib), shaykh ‘Ali and shaykh al-Qasimi. Shaykh al-Qasimi gave -what seemed- a monumental and historical speech in (I assume) Urdu. Afterwards I asked a brother what he told in summary. Two points are worth mentioning here:
1.) Who could have thought 50 years ago a maqra’ah of hadith would take place in the heart of London?
2.) The importance of the sanad in islam.[4]
Shaykh ‘Ali clarifying the asānid of shaykh al-Qasimi to some students.
Lastly I’d like to state it was a pleasure to meet several students from Cordoba Academy at the maqra’ah.
When leaving for home from the mosque we nearly waited for 2 hours to take a bus back to our place of stay. For me this was almost too much but my fellow brother and traveller said: “We have the asānid, does everything else really matter?”
Now some people might wonder what a maqra’ah exactly is.
The term “maqra’ah” refers to the reading or recitation of a text, usually an ahādith collection or book, in an intense fashion over a number of sittings on usually continuous days or as best as possible by the participants. The recital is usually supervised by a scholar who has an ijāzah in that text and is aware of the subtle intricacies of the text and sanad and is able to ensure an authentic transmission during the reading. The reading is normally incredibly fast, only carried out by the most proficient students or scholars, utilising various styles of qirā‘ah, all faster than then well known Qur’ānic hadr speed. It needs to be very fast of course if the expected speed of at least a 1000 ahādith per day is to be achieved (with isnād).[5] To have an idea how it works see here: http://cordobaacademy.lefora.com/2011/12/28/maqraah/
The recited books
The first book we read was the famous “Muwatta” of imam Malik through the narration of imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani, the student of imam Abu Hanifah and imam Malik and a teacher of imam ash-Shafi’i (also a student of imam Malik; he even memorized the Muwatta at the age of 10 in only 7 nights), may Allah be pleased with them all. This is just 1 out of the around 80 narrations/versions of the Muwatta, of which the narration of imam Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi is the most well known.[6] [7] For those who are interested: imam ad-Daraqutni and others wrote books describing the differences in some of the versions of the Muwatta.[8]
What are some of the differences between the narrations of imam al-Laythi and ash-Shaybani? For example:
- Firstly, the number of ahādith. The narration of al-Laythi has 853 marfû’ traditions.[9] The narration of ash-Shaybani has 1007 ahādith and āthār.
- Secondly, specific and important ahādith: the hadith of intention (“innama’l-‘amālu bi’n-niyyāt”) for example is not found in the version of al-Laythi.
- Thirdly, the version of ash-Shaybani is from a Hanafi scholar while the version of al-Laythi is from a Maliki scholar. Although imam Muhammad does not include imam Malik’s accounts of the ’amal of Madinah, and Malik’s own judgements and explanations of different points of fiqh from the Madinan point of view, in their place he substitutes his own judgements and the judgements of Abu Hanifah (and others), may Allah show him mercy, but nevertheless sometimes opting for the position of Malik where it is based on a stronger hadith. In this respect, although the book is not the final word on Hanafi fiqh it is a fascinating glimpse of the crystallisation of the Hanafi madhhab in a very early stage.[10] We can read in the book many times for example: “Muhammad said: ‘We adhere to this (..)’ or ‘That is the verdict of Abu Hanifah (..) ’.” etc.
The riwāyah from imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani actually differs significantly from most other riwāyāt.
Shaykh ‘Ali actually read from the excellent commentary on the version of ash-Shaybani by shaykh ‘Abd al-Hayy al-Lucknowi (rahimahullah), called “At-Ta’liq al-Mummajad”. This commentary is partly translated into English and published by Turath Publishing.
The maqra’ah brought into (my own) mind that for example in Fez, Morocco, (at the time of sidi Ahmad Zarruq rahimahullah) they used to organize public recitations of the “Mudawwanah”. The Mudawwanah is a work of Maliki fiqh next in importance to the Muwatta. Especially the “juridical Sufis” used to memorize the Mudawannah.[11]
The second book we read was the famous Shama’il of imam ‘Abu ‘Isa at-Tirmidhi on the character -inwardly and outwardly- of the Prophet s.a.w.s. This book contains around 400 ahādith. Also this book has been translated into English alongside with an excellent commentary by Shaykh ul-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi rahimahullah.[12]
Purpose(s) and benefits of a maqra’ah
What are the purposes and benefits of a maqra’ah?
A. Purposes
First of all one needs to know and realize that the science of hadith can generally be divided into two divisions:
1. ‘Ilm ar-riwāyah: science of narration and transmission of ahādith
2. ‘Ilm ad-dirāyah: science of explanation of ahādith
Without this knowledge and realization one can’t understand the maqra’ah from the outset.
The main purpose of a maqra’ah is (solely) riwāyah and for that reason the maqra’ah is more suited to students of knowledge whom already have a grasp of the Arabic language and good understanding of hadith through prior study (i.e. dirāyah).
A main purpose nowadays is the preservation of isnād and the comparison between various manuscripts/editions/versions/prints of the text by the readers. With this the maqra’ah offers an opportunity to correct the mistakes therein.
As for the preservation of the isnād: all attendees are granted an ijāzah of samā’a with the full chain of narrators.
This all might confuse some people. At a maqra’ah there is a lack of time to fully reflect upon the wisdoms and secrets of the text and there is little time for an explanation of difficult and strange phrases/words of the ahādith.
In reality, attendees have to appreciate and beware of the fact that a maqra’ah is not a lesson, or a commentary, or a study or anything else that will cover such queries as above, rather it is used by those attendees to perfect their recitation, to become familiar with the narrators, and most importantly to make “dabt” or affirm for themselves the exact content of a particular text or source.[13]
The maqra’ah is a good opportunity to learn gharā’ib of the ahādith since in order to know their meanings you have to initially know they exist and what hadith-collection they are in. It is also a good opportunity to get familiar with the language used in the hadith and to get familiar with certain words and terms.
B. Benefits
The benefits of a maqra’ah are well-known to the scholars of our ummah for many generations yet due to the difficulties of our time and the modern day context, we have seen a drop in this art and beneficial sitting, alongside the other problems experienced such as the free-time of the supervising scholar, the lack of scholars with the correct credentials to lead, the lengths of the texts, the unsuitability of the students etc.
Some of these benefits are:
- to attain the barakah of sitting in these blessed gatherings and to sit with the ‘ulamā and other students of knowledge
- to get connection with the sunnah and the books that contain the sunnah
- to gain closeness to the Prophet s.a.w.s. through the sanad. The sanad gives one a direct connection through an unbroken chain of reliable narrators to him s.a.w.s. One brother at the maqra’ah illustrated this by taking the hand of another brother after asking him about the purpose of the maqra’ah.
- to be aware of the ahādith (in the recited texts)
- to gain a good understanding of the tabwib and tartib of a book and the main ahādith in each chapter. This is essential when a student of knowledge engages in research and a maqra’ah facilitates that.[14] This will also give the student more insight in the different chapters of fiqh books. The scholars who compiled their collections didn’t just randomly put ahādith a certain place in their book. They did this with wisdom and for a certain reason. The Muwatta (both versions mentioned above) for example starts with a bāb on the times of prayer where most other collections start with ritual purity or the hadith of intention. Why this is was highlighted by Hamza Yusuf when asked but I can’t remember exactly what he said.
As for myself the maqra’ah benefitted me in that I learned something about the adab of a student.
A maqra’ah is a sunnah of the scholars
Here are some examples of known scholars of the past who partook in a maqra’ah and details of how they did it.
- al-Khatīb al-Baghdādi
He read the entire Sahīh of imam al-Bukhāri upon Ismā‘īl b. Ahmed b. ‘Abdillāh al-Dharīr al-Hīrī, according to the riwāyah of one of its most famous narrators, al-Kushmīhanī. He recited it completely in three sessions, two of them starting at maghrib and finishing at fajr time, and the last session starting late morning and finishing at fajr. (See: Tārīkh ul-Baghdād) This equates to over 7500 hadīth.
- Al-‘Izz b. ‘Abd us-Salām
Known as the Sultān of the ‘Ulamā’, he (rahimahullāh) recited the lengthy Nihāyat ul-Matlab of imām al-Haramayn al-Juwayni in three days. Ibn Fahd narrated in Lahdh ul-Alhādh: “Our shaykh al-Hāfizh Burhān ud-Dīn (al-Halabi) said: “I was told that shaykh ‘Izz ud-Dīn b. ‘Abd us-Salām would leave for the masjid on Wednesday with a copy of the Nihāyah of imām al-Haramayn and stay there all day, through Thursday and into Friday just before the (Jumu‘ah) prayer, reading this book.”” A few scholars disputed this claim due to the huge size of the Nihāyah to which shaykh Sirāj ud-Dīn al-Bulqīni explained that this was not impossible simply because Imām ‘Izz ud-Dīn knew the book so well, and had no problems understanding it and thus had no need to stop and ponder over difficult issues.
This is classically what the maqra’ah focuses on, the reading as opposed to the stopping and reflective pondering, which is to be reserved for times of study and learning the text as opposed to its recital.
- Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah
His reading and periods of isolation are well known; his student Ibn ‘Abd ul-Hādi mentions in “Mukhtasar Tabaqāt ‘Ulama al-Hadīth” that Ibn Taymiyyah recited the “Ghaylāniyāt” in a single session. The Ghaylāniyāt consists of almost 1100 ahadith with isnād.
- Al-Hāfizh al-Mizzi
Al-Hafizh Abu’l-Hajjāj al-Mizzi recited the “Mu‘jam ul-Kabīr” of at-Tabarāni upon al-Birzāli in sixty sessions.
- Al-Hāfidh adh-Dhahabi
Imām adh-Dhahabi (rahimahullah) has narrated to us much of the way of the ‘ulamā’ and their love of the maqra’ah to revise texts and partake in the blessings of hadith as well as getting closer to the sources and evidences of sacred knowledge. But other types of books were also recited as he himself explains, that he recited the Sīrah of Ibn Hisham upon al-Abarqūhī in only six days, despite its size.
- Sirāj ud-Dīn Ibn al-Mulaqqin
This great muhaddith read two volumes of imām at-Tabari’s “al-Ahkām” in a single day, as narrated in “al-Lahdh ul-Alhādh”.
- Hāfizh Zayn ud-Dīn al-‘Irāqi
The great muhaddith recited the Sahīh of imām Muslim in six sessions, as narrated by al-Fāsi in “Dhayl ut-Taqyīdand” in Lahdh ul-Alhādh, which adds that in the final session, al-Hāfizh al-‘Irāqi read the whole final third of the Sahīh also in the presence of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali with his own copy. This was all read upon the great Ibn al-Khabbāz, the muhaddith of his time, who had his own isnād direct to imām Muslim by samā‘a. It is also narrated in Dhayl ut-Taqyīd that al-Hāfizh al-‘Irāqi recited the monumental Musnad of Imām Ahmad upon Ibn al-Khabbāz in thirty separate sessions!
- Al-Hāfizh Ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalāni
The imām of the muhaddithīn, the one without comparison in this most noble of sciences. Taqi ud-Dīn al-Fāsi and as-Sakhāwi both described Ibn Hajr’s recitation as very fast, yet beautiful, and compared it to that of al-Khatīb al-Baghdādi. We have mentioned above his reading of al-Jāmi‘ as-Sahīh of imām al-Bukhāri in ten sessions, which as-Sakhāwi later added were of four hours each in length and thus only 40 hours in total! Ibn Hajr himself mentions in his biography of his Shaykh, ‘Abdullāh b. ‘Amr b. ‘Alī al-Hindi Abi’l-Ma‘āli (d. 807 AH) in his book “al-Majma‘ al-Mu’assas li’l-Mu‘jam al-Mufahras” that he himself recited the entire Musnad of Imām Ahmad upon Abi’l-Ma‘āli in fifty three sessions. Ibn Hajr again mentions in his al-Majma‘ al-Mu’assas that he recited the Sahīh of imām Muslim upon his shaykh Ibn al-Kuwayk (d. 821 AH) in five sessions. As-Sakhāwi elaborated further that this amounted to approximately two and a bit days. As-Sakhāwi said in “al-Jawāhir” that Ibn Hajr recited “as-Sunan al-Kubrā” of imām an-Nasā’i in ten sessions, each session lasting approximately four hours, finishing from it in crowd consisting of the noble and the imams on the Day of ‘Āshūrā’ of 814 AH. Please note that there are almost 12000 ahadīth in this book! As-Sakhāwi also said in al-Jawāhir that Ibn Hajr recited as-Sunan of imām Ibn Mājah in four sessions. Ibn Hajr mentioned in his al-Majma‘ al-Mu’assas during the biography of ‘Umar b. Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Bālisi (as-Sālihi) that he himself recited “al-Mu‘jam as-Saghīr” of imām at-Tabarāni upon the shaykh in a single session between Zhuhr and ‘Asr – Ibn Hajr’s students considered this was the fastest the shaykh had ever recited, especially as there are approximately 1500 ahadīth therein![15]
Thoughts and reflections on the maqra’ah
Shaykh ‘Ali explained to us that shaykh al-Qasimi read the Sahih Sittah twice during his studies after concluding years of study at the madāris he attended. We actually read the Muwatta and the Shama’il in the beginning of our studies, the other way around, subhanallah.
I felt like following in the footsteps of previous tullāb ul-‘ilm and seekers of hadith who travelled hundreds of kilometres to gather and listen to ahādith. And the fact that there were students from other countries even strengthened this feeling more. This was very special. The fact someone travelled all the way from the U.S.A. to listen to ahādith reminded me of classical times and the likes of imam al-Bukhari and Fatimah bint Qays, may Allah be pleased with them, just to mention two examples. The reason I mention Fatimah bint Qays is I attended shaykh Akram an-Nadwi’s course on women hadith scholars the day before the maqra’ah.
I spoke with shaykh ‘Ali and we both thought we should revive or rather introduce the maqra’ah in the Netherlands. This would be a unique and historical event in the Netherlands, where this phenomenon is not known at all. The fact another Dutch brother and me attended this maqra’ah, as what you could call the only representatives of the Netherlands, feels kind of special. Out of almost 1 million Muslims in the Netherlands Allah chose us to be there. To realize you are most probably the two only Muslims in a tiny country like the Netherlands who have such a high/short sanad going back to the Prophet s.a.w.s. makes me feel very blessed indeed and at the same time it humbles me.
Next to this -after having obtained some few ijāzāt next to the ones received at this maqra’ah- I (as a poor and weak slave of Allah) realize I need to bring the sunnah more alive in my own life and that of others around me. I possess something very valuable which can not be expressed in material things, which will be part of my (family) heritage (after I leave this world), which needs to be passed on and guarded carefully. That will be the legacy I leave behind bi idhnillah.
Another thing is that I felt more part of the Prophetic heritage than ever, more connected to Islam and the Prophet s.a.w.s. than ever before. I felt part of something that brings life back to the sunnah, revives the sunnah.
Sometimes we come across people who claim the Hanafi madhhab disregards the ahādith while after a maqra’ah you are assured this is not the case at all. The scholars from the Hanafi madhhab from the subcontintent are at the forefront of the study and preservation of the hadith collections.
Tips for students who want to attend future maqra’at
- Take your copy of the book, even if accompanied by the English translation. It is better to try and read with the reciter. This also improves your concentration and focus. Solely listening without text is harder.
- Learn Arabic properly. Attending a maqra’ah is definitely an incentive for learning and studying Arabic.
- Check your intention(s). Remember the first hadith in the famous collection of imam an-Nawawi rahimahullah: “Actions are based on the intentions behind them (…).”
With this I ask Allah to bless and forgive all attendees of the maqra’ah and to enlighten their hearts with love for and knowledge of Allah and His Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s.. I also ask Allah to make more of these maqra’at possible all over the world. This in light of what Jonathan Brown (in the introduction of his dissertation “The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim”) calls “reinforcing a sense of Sunni communalism” amongst the different groups and sects out there, as instigated by the great Nizam al-Mulk rahimahullah when he organized a reading of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Lastly I end with one of the last sayings of the version of the Muwatta of al-Laythi where Luqman al-Hakim radiy Allahu ‘anhu advises his son: “My (dear) son! Sit with the learned men (‘ulama) and keep close to them. Allah gives life to the hearts with the light of wisdom as Allah gives life to the dead earth with the abundant rain of the sky.” (Kitāb ul-‘Ilmi, Bāb ma ja’a fi talabi’l-‘ilmi)
[1] See: www.alburujpress.com
[2] For some videos of a previous maqra’ah, see here: http://cordobaacademy.lefora.com/2011/12/28/maqraah/#post0
[4] About the importance of the sanad see: http://cordobaacademy.lefora.com/2011/06/15/the-uniqueness-and-importance-of-isnaad/ and: http://baytulhikma.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/the-importance-of-isnad/
[5] See: http://cordobaacademy.lefora.com/2011/07/27/what-is-maqra-recital-of-complete-sahih-al-bukhari/
[6] See Bilal Philips, Usool al-Hadeeth, pag. 159.
[7] On the different versions of the Muwatta see: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Hadith/muwatta.html
[8] See: http://www.ilmgate.org/on-calders-organically-grown-text-with-emphasis-on-muwatta-of-malik/
[9] See: http://www.deoband.net/1/post/2011/5/muwatta-imam-malik-an-introduction.html and here: http://www.cordobaacademy.com/muwatta-of-imam-malik.html
[10] See: http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/product_info.php?products_id=353 This is the link to buy the English translation of “The Muwatta of Imam Muhammad” as it is called. There is also an Engish translation of the version of al-Laythi by Aisha Bewley.
[11] See Scott Kugle, Rebel between Spirit and Law; Ahmad Zarruq, Sainthood, and Authority in Islam, pp. 61-64.
[12] This commentary can be read online here: http://www.tamilislamicaudio.com/download/Books/Shamaail-e-Tirmidhi.pdf
Filed under Hadith, Random thoughts, Scholars, Texts, Uncategorized
The importance of isnad
- Al-Hakim reports through Thabit ibn Qays, that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said to his Companions:
“You (the Sahaba) are listening and receiving from me and people (at-Tabi‘un i.e. the Successors) will listen and receive from you. Then people (the atba‘ at-tabi‘in) will listen and receive from those (the Successors) who listened and received from you. Then people (the fourth generation) will listen and receive from those (the atba‘ at-tabi‘in) who were the audience and recipient of the Successors, who had listened and received from you.”
[Related by al-Hakim in Ma‘rifa ‘Ulum al-Hadith, p. 60.] - According to ‘Abdu’llah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“May Allah brighten a man who listened from us something and then passed it on to others exactly as he heard it because many a person to whom something is transmitted retains better than the person who first heard it.”
[Related by at-Tirmidhi in as-Sunan, vol. 5, p. 34 # 2657; and Ibn Maja in as-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 85 # 232.] - According to ‘Abdu’llah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be well pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“May Allah keep him enjoying and rejoicing who heard something from me, remembered it and kept it well in his mind and then narrated it (to others).”
[Reported by al-Imam ash-Shafi‘i in al-Musnad (p. 240) and ar-Risala (p. 401 # 1102); and at-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. 2, p. 126 # 1541.]
- According to Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be well pleased with him), he heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:
“May Allah grant him happiness who heard a tradition from me, learnt it by heart and conveyed it to others. There will be many jurists who will narrate the tradition to better jurists than themselves and there will be several others who will not be in truth jurists at all.”
[Related by Abu Dawud in as-Sunan, vol. 3, p. 322 # 3660; and Ibn Maja in as-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 86 # 236.]
- According to ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Transmit from me may it be only a verse. And there is no harm in narrating events from the Children of Israel. And he who deliberately fabricates a lie on me builds his abode in the Fire.”
[Related by al-Bukhari in as-Sahih, vol. 3, p. 1275 # 3274; Ibn Hibban as-Sahih, vol. 14, p. 149 # 6256; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal in al-Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 159, 202, 214.] - According to Abu Qarsafa (may Allah be well pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
“Whatever you hear from me, narrate it to others and never say anything but truth. And whoever will fabricate a lie on me for him a house will be built in Hell.”
[Reported by at-Tabarani in Turuq Hadith man Kadhaba ‘Alayya, p. 146 # 155; and in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. 3, p. 18 # 2516.] - According to ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and his father), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Obtain knowledge and facilitate and do not complicate. And if anyone of you feels infuriated he should keep silent.”
[Related by Ahmad ibn Hanbal in al-Musnad, vol. 1, p. 239; and al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, p. 95 # 245.] - According to Abu Hurayra (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Learn the Qur’an and (the knowledge of) the shares of inheritance and teach them to the people because I am going to depart (physically).”
[Related by at-Tirmidhi in as-Sunan, vol. 4, p. 413 # 2091; and an-Nasa’i in as-Sunan, vol. 4, p. 63 # 6306.] - ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf al-Muzani (may Allah be well pleased with him) narrated:
“The Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Bilal ibn al-Harith (may Allah be well pleased with him): “Know.” He submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! What should I know?” He said: “Know, O Bilal.” He submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! What should I know?” He said: “He who revives of my Sunna that which ceased after me will get his rightful due as much of recompense as will be due for its practitioner without any decrease in his recompense. And he who initiates a misleading innovation disgusted by Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) will incur the same sin which will be on its perpetrator without any mitigation.”
[Related by at-Tirmidhi in as-Sunan, vol. 5, p. 45 # 2677.] - According to Abu Hurayra (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“He who sticks to my Sunna at the time of mischief and strife will get reward of a martyr.”
[Related by Abu Nu‘aym in Hilya al-Awliya‘, vol. 8, p. 200; and Haythami in Majma‘ az-Zawa’id, vol. 1, p. 172.] - According to ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and his father), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“He who upholds my Sunna at the time of strife will be granted reward of one hundred martyrs.”
[Set forth by al-Imam al-Bayhaqi in Kitab az-Zuhd al-Kabir, vol. 2, p. 118 # 207.] - According to Abu Hurayra (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“The holders of justice from among the successors will learn the knowledge of hadith. They will put an end to the extravagance of the extravagant, the fabrication of the heretic and false interpretations of the ignorant.”
[Set forth by at-Tabarani in Musnad ash-Shamiyyin, vol. 1, p. 344 # 599; al-Bayhaqi in as-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 10, p. 209 # 20700; and ad-Daylami in al-Firdaws, vol. 5, p. 537 # 9012.] - Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi reports in al-Kifaya (p. 121) through ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him and his father) that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
“O Ibn ‘Umar! Your din is your faith. Indeed it is but your flesh and blood (it is your life). Therefore, you should be very careful about whom you are receiving it from. Receive it from the pious and the steadfast and do not take it from those who are leaning astray.”
- Our master ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be well pleased with him) used to say:
“Soon there will come people who will discuss and debate with you on the Qur’anic verses which are figurative (i.e. they contain abstract and allusive meaning). So deal with them by means of sunan because the people of sunan know the Book of Allah more (than others).”
[Related by ad-Darimi in as-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 62 # 119.] - Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi reports from our master ‘Ali ibn ‘Abi Talib (may Allah be well pleased with him) in al-Kifaya (p. 121) who said in the mosque of Kufa:
“Inquire about the people from whom you are receiving this knowledge (of Qur’an and Sunna). Indeed this is your din.” - Al-Imam Muslim in the preface (al-Muqaddimma) of his as-Sahih (vol. 1, p. 8) has entitled a chapter:
“Narration from a reliable authority and leaving liars aside is mandatory in ash-shari‘a and science of hadith in order to eliminate any doubt of perjury in narrating knowledge from the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).”
Following this, al-Imam Muslim entitled another chapter in the preface (al-Muqaddimma) of his as-Sahih (vol. 1, p. 14):
“Declaration of the fact that the chain of authority is part of the din and there should be no narration except from a reliable chain of authority.” - Al-Imam Muslim also reports from al-Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin (through his own chain), who states:
“The science of chain of authority and narration of hadith is din itself. You should check whom you are receiving your din from.”
[Related by Muslim in al-Muqaddima (preface) to his as-Sahih, vol. 1, p. 14.]
This saying of al-Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin was narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba with some different words:“The science of chain of authority and narration of hadith is din itself. You should check whom you are receiving it from.”
[Related by Ibn Abi Shayba in al-Musannaf, vol. 5, p. 334 # 26636]
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi reports these words from the Successor ad-Dahhak ibn Mazahim in al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya (p. 121). - Al-Imam Ibn Sirin again states as reported by al-Imam Muslim:
“Before the fitna (civil war and political segmentation which emerged as the reason of fabrication of hadith), they never felt any necessity to ask about the chain (because all authorities before the period of fitna were undoubtedly honest, truthful, trustworthy and reliable). After this fitna had occurred they started asking the narrator to mention their chain of authority before them; and if the knowledge of din was narrated from an authority belonging to Ahl as-Sunna they used to accept his transmission; and if he belonged to Ahl al-Bid‘a they rejected it.”
[Related by Muslim in al-Muqaddima (preface) to his as-Sahih, vol. 1, p. 15; and Tirmidhi in al-‘Ilal, p. 739.] - Al-Imam Ibn Sirin again states as reported by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:
“In the early days, people never felt any necessity to ask about the chain (because all authorities before the period of fitna were undoubtedly honest, truthful, trustworthy and reliable). But when this fitna had occurred they started asking the narrator to mention their chain of authority before them so that they could accept the hadith transmitted by an authority belonging to Ahl as-Sunna and could reject the hadith transmitted by Ahl al-Bid‘a.”
[Related by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 122.] - Al-Imam Ibn Sirin states:
“(In the early days,) people never felt any necessity to ask about the chain (because all authorities before the period of fitna were undoubtedly honest, truthful, trustworthy and reliable). But in later times people started asking the narrator to mention their chain of authority before them so that they might check. If the narrator belonged to the people of Sunna, they wrote down the hadith, and if he did not belong to people of Sunna, they did not write down the hadith from him.”
[Related by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 122.] - Sa‘d ibn Ibrahim narrated:
“Nobody should narrate the knowledge of Allah’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) except the reliable authorities.”
[Related by Muslim in al-Muqaddima (preface) to his as-Sahih, vol. 1, p. 15.] - Furthermore, al-Imam Muslim quotes from amir al-mu’minin fi’l-hadith ‘Abdu’llah ibn al-Mubarak, who states:
“Al-Isnad (the chain of authority) is a necessary part of din. If there was no chain of authority then everyone would have said whatever he wanted to say.”
[Related by Muslim in al-Muqaddima (preface) to his as-Sahih, vol. 1, p. 15.] - Al-Imam Muslim elaborated further from al-Imam ‘Abdu’llah ibn al-Mubarak, who says:
“Between us and between the people who receive from us there are pillars of reliance and these are the chains of authority.”
[Related by Muslim in al-Muqaddima (preface) to his as-Sahih, vol. 1, pp. 15, 16.] - Al-Imam Sufyan ath-Thawri is reported by Ibn Hibban and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi as saying:
“The isnad is the weapon of a Muslim (who is the receiver of the knowledge). If he is not equipped with the arms, how is he going to fight (and defend himself)?”
[Ibn Hibban, al-Majruhin, vol. 1, p. 27; al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith, p. 42.] - Al-Imam Abu Hanifa says as related by Yahya ibn Ma‘in and reported by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya (p. 231):
“Knowledge should be received only from a transmitter who learns the text by heart and has a deep and perfect understanding of the meanings of what he is transmitting.”
- Al-Imam Abu Hanifa further says, as related by ‘Abdu’llah ibn al-Mubarak and reported by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:
“When someone reads the text in front of a muhaddith or an authority (to get it verified), then he is allowed to transmit from him to others.”
[al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 303.] - Al-Imam Malik is reported by al-Khatib in al-Kifaya as saying:
“Be Godfearing and scrutinize the credibility of the person whom you are receiving this knowledge from.”
[al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 124.] - Al-Imam ash-Shafi‘i is reported by al-Bayhaqi as saying:
“The one who accepts the knowledge from somebody without the sanad (chain of authority) is like a person carrying a bundle of wood with a snake in it and he does not know. It may bite him (anytime).”
[al-Bayhaqi, al-Madkhal ila as-Sunan al-Kubra, p. 211.]
Al-Imam ash-Shafi‘i is quoted by as-Sakhawi as saying:
“He who seeks to collect hadith without chains of transmission is like the one who collects wood at night.”
[Related by as-Sakhawi in Fatha’l-Mughith, vol. 3, p. 4.] - Al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal is reported by as-Sakhawi in Fatha’l-Mughith (vol. 2, p. 69) as saying:
“If the ijazat (license of transmission through a chain of authority) was neglected and denied, then the reliable knowledge would be destroyed.”
- Al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal also said:
“Asking for the higher chain of authority (al-isnad al-‘ali) is the sunna of the righteous predecessors.”
[Ibn as-Salah, ‘Ulum al-Hadith, p. 150; al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Jam‘ li-Akhlaq ar-Rawi wa Adab as-Sam‘, vol. 1, p. 123.] - Ibn ‘Uyayna said:
“A hadith without any chain of transmission is nothing. Certainly the chains of transmission are a ladder of the texts by which one reaches the texts.”
[Related by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 393.] - Ibn ‘Awn is reported by al-Khatib in al-Kifaya as saying:
“I said to ash-Sha‘bi: ‘Shall I not narrate a tradition to you?’ Ash-Sha‘bi replied: ‘Do you narrate the tradition from the alive or the dead?’ I said: ‘From the alive.’ (To this) he said: ‘Do not narrate to me the traditions from the alive.’”
[al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 139.] - Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam is reported by al-Khatib in al-Kifaya as saying:
“One day I mentioned a hadith in the presence of al-Imam ash-Shafi‘i in my childhood. So he said: ‘Who has narrated it to you?’ I replied: ‘You.’ He asked: ‘Whatever tradition I narrated to you it is as I narrated to you, but beware of narrating traditions from the alive.’”
[al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 140.] - Ibn as-Salah has reported in ‘Ulum al-Hadith (p. 150) from al-Imam Yahya ibn Ma‘in. When he was asked about his wish, he replied:
“(My wish contains two things:) seclusion in my house (for uninterrupted remembrance of Allah) and isnad of high ranking authorities (to receive the righteous knowledge through the shortest chain).”
- Hammad ibn Zayd is reported by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya as saying:
“We visited Anas ibn Sirin in his disease. So he said, ‘Be Godfearing, O group of the youths, and scrutinize the credibility of the person whom you are receiving these ahadith from, because this is your din.’”
[Related by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Kifaya fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaya, p. 122.] - Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Aslam at-Tusi said:
“A short chain of transmission is in fact being close to Allah.”
[Related by Ibn as-Salah in ‘Ulum al-Hadith, p. 151; and al-Khatib al-Jami‘ li-Akhlaq ar-Rawi wa Adab as-Sam‘, vol. 1, p. 123.]
- Al-Imam Ibn Hibban says in Kitab al-Majruhin (vol. 1, p. 89):
“I hope that out of this Umma they (the travellers and the seekers of the knowledge of as-Sunna, al-hadith, al-athar and al-akhbar who put their efforts to differentiate between the sahih and the mawdu‘ through the verification of the isnad) will enjoy the extreme proximity of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) in Paradise. (This is so, because they spent their lives in a very highly esteemed service to the Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him]).”
- ‘Allama ibn Taymiyya states in Minhaj as-Sunna an-Nabawiyya (vol. 7, p. 37):
“The isnad is one of the exclusive virtuous characteristics and Allah’s great blessings on this Umma. It is also a great peculiarity of the din of Islam and it is a salient identity of Ahl as-Sunna. Ar-Rafida did not pay great attention to isnad, because they confirmed only such as accorded to their desires and the sign of a false isnad (in their eyes) was opposing their desires.”So, Allah created for us trusty reporters for chains of transmission and promulgation of din because both chains of transmission and promulgation are of the characteristics of Umma. None of the preceding communities of the former Prophets has passed who was granted such a high status of learning that the Prophet and his scholars would preach din by means of unbroken and uninterrupted chains of transmission between them. Allah Most High bestowed this superiority on the Umma of the Final Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) which is the best of the communities and honoured the scholars of this Umma from the Companions down to the hadith-narrators with the proprieties of hadith. And in this Revelation: “Or some remnant of knowledge (of the bygone people in transit down the line) [al-Qur’an, al-Ahqaf, 46:4.],” there is a pointer to the chains of transmission of hadith and its narration. This pronouncement in the glory of chains of transmission is due to the narration of din and the eminent authorities from the Successors have described it as we have mentioned before in detail.
- The significance of the chain of transmitters and authorities can be further illustrated through the statement of al-Imam Ibn Maja (one of the six great Imams of as-sihah as-sitta). He has reported a hadith on the reality of iman in the preface of his as-Sunan (the same has been reported by al-Imam at-Tabarani and al-Imam al-Bayhaqi), whereby he narrates from ‘Abd as-Salam ibn Abi as-Salih Abi as-Salt al-Harawi from Sayyiduna ‘Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida, from Sayyiduna Musa ibn Ja‘far al-Kazim, from Sayyiduna Ja‘far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq, from Sayyiduna Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, from Sayyiduna ‘Ali ibn Husayn from Sayyiduna Husayn ibn ‘Ali, from Sayyiduna ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, from Allah’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him). At the end of the text of hadith he quotes:
“If this isnad (chain of transmitters and authorities) is read upon a person who is insane (majnun) he will certainly be cured.”
[Reported by Ibn Maja in as-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 25 # 65; at-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat, vol. 6, p. 226 # 6254 & vol. 8, p. 262 # 8580; and al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman, vol. 1, p. 47 # 16.]Here lies the blessings (al-barakat) of the names of the blessed persons who belong to Ahl al-Bayt and all of them are the Imams of al-wilaya (sainthood).
The words of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) are always contained in the text of hadith and not in the chain of authorities; the chain of authorities only consists of the names of reliable persons who are the blessed transmitters. Al-Imam Ibn Maja has not directed towards reading the text of the hadith upon an insane person, but has rather emphasized reading the names of the transmitters, which is the chain of authorities; just invoking the names on a patient has become a spiritual treatment. This is the ‘aqida of al-Imam Ibn Maja, al-Imam at-Tabarani and al-Imam al-Bayhaqi; the same has been mentioned by al-Imam as-Suyuti, as well as by al-Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, the great and famous student of ‘Allama Ibn Taymiyya. According to all of these authoritative statements of the Imams, who are the real transmitters of din and the knowledge of hadith to us, it is clear and evident that before the substance and content one is inevitably supposed to rely on the chain and authority. These are the people who narrated the knowledge of din. If they are proven to be reliable, it is only then one would have access to the acceptance of substance and contents of the hadith. Before placing emphasis on the text, they have given all the importance to the chain. In any hadith the text is known as the matn and the chain of authority is known as the sanad or isnad.
The text contains the message of Islam, the teachings of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and the substance of the Shari‘a and the Sunna, whereas the chain consists of personalities. Reliance has been placed on the personalities, prior to the actual content. The Imams have declared the chain of these reliable personalities as a part of din. Here lies the significance of personalities in Islam — the real transmitters of the din from the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
- Al-Imam at-Tabarani reports through ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Abbas:
“The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said: ‘Oh Allah! Bestow mercy on our khulafa’.’ The Companions asked: ‘Who are your khulafa’?’ He (blessings and peace be upon him) replied: ‘Those who will come after me and narrate my ahadith and my sunna and transmit them to the Umma.’”
[Related by al-Imam at-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat, vol. 6, p. 395 # 5842.]
That is why the Holy Qur’an in sura al-Fatiha has commanded us to follow in the footsteps of the blessed personalities in order to achieve al-hidaya (guidance) and al-istiqama (steadfastness):
“Show us the straight path, the path of those (personalities) upon whom You have bestowed Your favours.”
[al-Qur’an, al-Fatiha, 1: 6, 7.]
Reliable and blessed personalities have been declared to be symbols of al-hidaya and it has been made compulsory to identify and follow them. On the other hand some people have been made symbols of ad-dalala (misguidance) and the wrath of Allah. The Qur’an has commanded us neither to follow them nor to be in their company. As stated in sura al-Fatiha:
“Not of those who have been afflicted with wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.”
[al-Qur’an, al-Fatiha, 1: 7.]
The Holy Qur’an has defined the “blessed people” in sura an-Nisa’:
“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him), they are the people who shall be in the company of those (spiritual dignitaries on the Last Day) whom Allah has blessed with His (special) favour: Prophets (an-Nabiyyun), the Truthful (al-awliya’ and as-siddiqun), the Witnesses (of Truth [ash-shuhada’]), and the Pious ones (possessing Allah’s nearness – as-salihun). And how excellent these companions are!”
[al-Qur’an, an-Nisa’, 4: 69.]
(Taken from: http://www.minhaj.org/english/tid/8718/A-Profile-of-Shaykh-ul-Islam-Dr-Muhammad-Tahir-ul-Qadri.html#5)
Important note and disclaimer: I don’t follow Tahir ul-Qadri or any of his teachings, nor do I represent or am I involved with his movement.
Hanbali fiqh online in het Nederlands
Kijk en luister hier de videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeZwxR35NYM
Filed under Fiqh
Matn al-Kharidah al-Bahiyyah
Recently I had the honor (alhamdulillah) to receive the English translation (and ijazah of sam’a) of the widely accepted Ash’ari ‘aqidah matn (and poem) al-Kharidah al-Bahiyyah (from shaykh ad-Dardir r.) by shaykh Ahmad Saad from London. See here: http://www.ahmadsaad.com/courses.html (scroll down).
Here is an audio recording of a previous reading of that matn by him: http://www.4shared.com/audio/_9agkNuW/Al-Kharidah_Al-Bahiyyah_audio_.html
A sharh of this text can be read here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21559222/Sharh-al-Kharidah-al-Bahiyyah-of-Imam-Ahmad-ad-Dardir
From January 2012 Seekersguidance.com is offering an online course on this matn insha’Allah.
Another English translation of this text was done by shaykh Abu Ja’far al-Hanbali: http://mahdinnm.blogspot.com/2011/02/book-release-creed-and-way-of-muslim.html
See also here for a translation: http://hujjatulashariyya.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/imam-ad-dardir-al-asharir-a-and-his-aqeedah/
Filed under 'Aqida
Mukhtar al-Hadith
Mukhtar al-Hadith by Habib ‘Umar
While I was translating this text into Dutch (with the permission of Habib ‘Umar), we have also recently witnessed an English translation of the small hadith collection Mukhtar al-Hadith by Habib ‘Umar hafizahullahu ta’ala by the Ribat Institute in UK (see here: http://ribat.org.uk/index.php/community/events).
The original Arabic text can be downloaded here: http://seekerofthesacred.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/mukhtarhadith.pdf .
The English translation can be bought here (but elsewhere online as well): http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/product_info.php?products_id=3897
This booklet has also been translated to Swedish: http://ghazali.se/bocker.htm
It is the first text taught on the riwayah al-hadith (transmission of hadith) – curriculum of Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.
As we can read in the booklet the ahadith are drawn from the work Shifa al-Saqim by ash-shaykh al-Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (for his bio: http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?69803-Habib-Muhammad-bin-Abdullah-al-haddar-RA) This work itself is a selection of ahadith from as-Suyuti’s Fayd al-Qadir.
Some extra information about the text:
- It consists of 59 ahadith with the full chain of narration. Mentioned is the collection in which it has been recorded and the hadith gradings are given as well here and there. In the footnotes more info is given on the narrators and the sources.
- The purpose of the text is to memorize the ahadith.
- There is a foreword of Habib ‘Umar.
- The booklet contains a biography of Habib ‘Umar.
- In the back of the book the short biographies are given of the narrators of the 59 ahadith.
Allahumma inna nasaluka qalban saliman wa la qalban saqiman.
Filed under Book reviews, Hadith
Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia
Read here: http://www.islam.gov.kw/eng/books_lib/list.php?cat=1 (39 parts) and some info in English on the work: http://www.islam.gov.kw/eng/topics/current/index.php?cat_id=5
Filed under Fiqh
At-Tibyan by an-Nawawi
Filed under Books / library
The Prophet ‘Imran
Not many people know about the Prophet ‘Imran a.s. or that he was a Prophet. A whole chapter/surah in the Qur’an has been named after his family: Aal ‘Imran (3). The Jews called him a liar because his wife gave birth to a daughter: Maryam (mother of Prophet ‘Isa a.s.), and the Christians took this from the Jews and forgot about him almost. The Qur’an and Islam came to re-establish / confirm he is a Prophet of Allah indeed, although not mentioned among the commonly other 25 Prophets mentioned in the Qur’an. The Prophet ‘Imran a.s. has been buried in the city of Salalah, Oman. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSWARoLybe0&feature=player_embedded#at=30
Filed under Did you know that...., Famous persons
The Prophet Daniel (a.s.) in Islam
May be not as known as the other 25 Prophets (a.s.) explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an, there are other Prophets, like the Prophet Daniel (a.s.) for example.
He has been mentioned by imam Ibn Kathir (r) in his book on the “Stories of the Prophets” (translated to English). Ibn Kathir mentions there is some debate / difference of opinion on the question if he was a prophet or a saint. Ibn Kathir relies for a great deal on Ibn Abi ad-Dunya (r.). See here: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/Prophet/daniel.htm
The Prophet Daniel (“Danyal”) was also mentioned by imam at-Tabari (r.) in his ‘Tarikh‘. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Daniel
Shaykh Haytham al-Haddad tells a little story here about the Prophet Daniel a.s.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46G-p0-8FCo&feature=player_embedded
Here is a book in Arabic on the Prophet Daniel: http://www.4shared.com/file/158712005/4297d15c/___online.html
Filed under Uncategorized
300 mosques in Palermo, Sicily (Italia)
I recently read read there used to be 300 mosques -subhanallah!- in Palermo when the Muslims ruled. What about the state of these mosques now? One signpost in a church remembers of this great heritage and some churches which look like mosques with red domes, that’s it. Islam was wiped out from Italy. Read an article here on the islamic history of Sicily: http://islamquranscience.org/2010/08/intellectual-history-of-islamic-sicily/
Filed under Did you know that...., Interesting articles
Audio and mutoon for the student of knowledge
Here are two useful websites:
1.) http://mutunmp3download.blogspot.com/
2.) http://www.freewebs.com/ahlussunnah/memorizationtools.htm
Filed under Texts
The use of ahad ahadith in matters of ‘aqidah
This is an ongoing debate. Imam al-Shafi’i wrote about the usage of khabar al-wahid in his book “al-Risalah”. Bilal Philips writes a great deal about it in his book “Usool al-Hadeeth” as well. Some people say it is not allowed in matters of ‘aqidah. Here is a collection of some articles on this issue:
- http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2009/05/27/establishing-matters-of-aqidah-with-hadith-ahad/
- http://www.qss.org/articles/Aahaad.html
- http://abdurrahman.org/sunnah/thehadithisproofitself.pdf
- http://saheefah.org/2007/12/01/hadith-ahad-and-hadith-mutawatir/
Magic Lawh
Check this article from brother Marc Manley on the “Magic Lawh”, a good way to memorize the Qur’an, tested by many: http://www.marcmanley.com/2010/02/22/tips-on-memorizing-the-quran-magic-lawh/
Filed under Interesting articles
How to tie the imaamah
Filed under Uncategorized
Understand Qur’an
Great and easy way to learn the Qur’an through free courses: www.understandquran.com
Filed under Uncategorized
From Tarim to Granada
From “Tarim to Granada”, a great documentary about Habib ‘Umar in Spain: http://t2g.radicalmiddleway.co.uk/
Jonathan Brown
Here is a new video: http://vimeo.com/7216747
His book on the canonization of the Sahihayn: http://attahawi.com/2009/05/18/the-canonization-of-al-bukhari-and-muslim-the-formation-and-function-of-the-sunni-hadith-canon-by-jonathan-brown/
Filed under Books / library, Hadith
Encyclopedia of Canonical Hadith by Juynboll
The “Encyclopedia of Canonical Hadith” by Juynboll can be downloaded here for FREE: http://www.4shared.com/document/pu0wvLgs/Encyclopedia_of_Canonical_hadi.htm
Filed under Books / library, Hadith
