The Risalah of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani

Because of Ramadhan I was going through the chapter on fasting in the Maliki fiqh-book the Risalah of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, rendered to English by F. Amira Zrein Matraji. Although the translation is not really great the nice thing about this book is you can read the English text which is accompagnied by the Arabic text WITH TASHKEEL. This makes reading the Arabic text easier, it builds your vocabulary and understanding of Arabic and you get familiar with fiqhi terms. In short this is very beneficial. I was inspired to do this after listening to a short explanatory course / lecture on the chapter of fasting by Rami Nsour from the Tayba Foundation (http://www.taybafoundation.org/instructors.html). It is said Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani was the “little Malik”, the second most important scholar in the Maliki madhhab after imam Malik. He wrote the Risalah when he was only seventeen years old and the text was originally meant for children and comes after having studied the Mukhtasar of al-Akhdari in the traditional Maliki curriculum. The lecture by Rami Nsour is very beneficial and once again proves you need to read and study a fiqh text with a teacher else you will misunderstand and wrongly apply some of the issues.

Here are some resources on Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani and the Risalah:

- The lectures (3) by Rami Nsour can be downloaded and listened to here: http://andalus.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/fiqh-of-fasting/ Enjoy!

- The translation mentioned above can be bought here: http://www.sunnipubs.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=60&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1

- Here is his biography: http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/seerah/0067.htm and here too: http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/article_info.php?articles_id=14&osCsid=b0d

- Another translation of the Risalah: http://www.iiu.edu.my/deed/lawbase/risalah_maliki/index.html

- A translation of another book by Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani on ‘aqidah called “A Madinah View”:  http://www.lamppostproductions.com/node/194#

‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam

I bought ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam, a book on fiqh ul-hadeeth, in Kenya in a cheap Indian print version, for only 1 euro. This book is especially popular with our Salafi brethren and explained by many contemporary Salafi scholars, some of them mentioned below. Here is what one can find online on this book:

- The whole book in Arabic: http://www.esnips.com/doc/28584ba2-ca84-4c80-a53a-5ff88e751231/UMDATUL-AHKAAM-ARABIC-TEXT

- ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam with the notes of shaykh bin al-Uthamin (in Arabic) – rahimahullah – under the name “Tanbeeh ul-Afhaam“: http://www.binothaimeen.com/soft/moton/OmdatAlahkam.exe  The book can be bought here: http://www.salafilibrary.com/slib/ See a short remark on the book here: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=6&Topic=3934

- Here a short translated (English) transcript of the sharh by shaykh al-Jabiri on the subject of menstruation: http://www.salafitalk.net/st/uploads/ACFDBD.pdf

- English translation and explanation of the first chapter on tahaarah by shaykh dr. Abdul Majid Ali, one of the students of Bilal Philips: http://drabdulmajid.com/explanationofumdatulahkaam.aspx 

- The explanation by way of threads / posts of ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam on the Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth forum: http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=663

- Fiqh ul-Hadeeth, the whole book including sharh; translated English text and lectures by shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abdur-Rauf Shakir: http://www.islamlecture.com/fhadeeth.htm

- Lectures and documents on the explanation of ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam “Tayseer al-’Allaam” (by shaykh Aal Bassaam): http://www.islamhouse.com/p/43394 (Arabic)

- Partly explanation of ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam in Dutch: http://www.al-yaqeen.com/nieuw/bibliotheek/rubriek.php?id=70 and here http://www.soennah.com/content/category/14/42/41/ (fasting / vasten)

This book is sometimes confused with the Hanbali fiqh - book -’Umdat ul-Fiqh-, as can be read here:   http://forums.islamicawakening.com/1241-post1.html and here: http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=5483

- An explanation with the name “Riyaadh al-Afhaam fi Sharh ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam” (Arabic) by Taj ud-Din al-Fakihani can be downloaded here: http://www.2shared.com/file/7188488/11dc1bc4/Riyaadh_al-Afhaam.html

- Lectures on the sharh of ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam by the late shaykh Ibn Jibrin rahimahullah: http://www.archive.org/details/ibnJibrin_umdat (Arabic)

- Lectures (Arabic) on the sharh by shaykh Ibn Daqiq al-’Ied “Ihkaam ul-Ahkaam” can be downloaded here: http://www.archive.org/details/Wakil-Ihkam-02

-  On the website of the Islamic Online University from Bilal Philips a free course can be taken on the “Fiqh of Tahaarah” based on the sharh of ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam “Tayseer al-’Allaam“, of which the documents can be downloaded here: http://kalamullah.com/fiqh-of-tahaarah.html

- Shaykh an-Najmi also wrote a sharh on ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam with the name “Ta’sis ul-Ahkaam“. This is mentioned in his biography: http://www.fatwa-online.com/scholarsbiographies/15thcentury/ahmadannajmee.htm

- A small book review on ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam can be read here: http://darul-fusha.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=88

- Lectures in English by the late shaykh Saleh as-Saleh on ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam: http://darul-fusha.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=88

- Lessons in English on ‘Umdat ul-Ahkaam: http://www.ibnfarooq.com/lessons.html

Muhammad Asad and Alija Izetbegovic (rahimahumallahu ta’ala)

Muhammad Asad and Alija Izetbegovic (rahimahumallahu ta’ala) were too great contemporary Muslim thinkers of the last century. Click on the following link and you will find a good read on how how they thought on the islamic state:  http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/essay01.php  Here is one of the quotes from that essay by Alija Izetbegovic:

“An islamic society without an islamic authority is incomplete and without power; islamic governance without an islamic society is either utopia or violence.“

Subhanallah what a powerful statement by him and how true this is. He was a man of great vision. We can see many examples of this in recent history, think of Somalia right now and what is happening there. I remember a statement by Muhammad Asad in this context that was also very true: “the implentation of the hudud laws is the final stage of the islamic state and not the other way around“. Or something like that, I can’t remember where I read it. This is the big mistake many islamic revival movements have made – in my humble opinion - when wanting to implement the shari’ah when they took power or want to take power in a certain state.

I encourage anyone to read the books mentioned in the essay above, including myself. I have read some of the things of Muhammad Asad like his biography “The Road to Mecca” (partly) and parts of his Qur’an translation and explanation. A beautiful documentary about his life with the same name also has been made recently and can be seen on the internet if you search well; I have seen it in Dutch. I have not read anything yet by Alija Izetbegovic although his books are available in English.