News Archive
Feb 18, 2024
The Sunnah and Wisdom of Repeating After the Muʾadhin and Related Rulings
It is considered sunnah for the person listening to the adhān to follow his call silently [by repeating after him].
Usages of the Word ‘Sunnah’
As for the word ‘sunnah’, it has two usages. One as a technical term used by the jurists and the other is its use by the Legislator.
When used by the jurists, the word ‘sunnah’ refers to any action deserving of reward for the one who performs it, but the one who chooses not to engage in it is not deserving of punishment.
When used by the Legislator, the word ‘sunnah’ refers to the path set by the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and is inclusive …
Feb 18, 2024
Refuting the Six Foundations of Jamāʿah al-Tablīgh
The foundations and fundamental principles which Muḥammad Ilyās al-Ḥanafī al-Diyūbandī al-Jushtī1 called people towards after the formation of the jamāʿah al-tablīgh are:
The word of goodness: “There is nothing worshipped in truth except for Allāh”
Performing ṣalāh
Knowledge and remembrance
Honouring every Muslim
Sincerity
Travelling in the path of Allāh
The First Foundation
As for the good word “There is nothing worshipped in truth except for Allāh and Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Messenger of Allāh”, such words hold no benefit except for the ones who say it with thei…
Feb 18, 2024
Stages of Creation, Divine Predestination, and a Blessed or Calamitous End
Narrated by Abū Abd al-Raḥmān ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) narrated to us—while he is the truthful, to whom only the truth is revealed: “Indeed, every person is created within the womb of their mothers. They spend forty days as a drop of semen, then another forty as a blood clot, then another forty as a lump of flesh. Then, an angel is sent and his soul is breathed into him. He is then tasked with the writing of four: his provision, his duration of life, his actions, and whether he will be in happiness or despair. So indeed—by Allāh, none …
Feb 18, 2024
Knowledge of the Unseen Is the Dominion of Allāh Alone
Allāh says:
قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
“He said: “O Ādam! Inform them of their names,” and when he had informed them of their names, He said: “Did I not tell you that I know the Ghayb (unseen) in the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing?”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:33)
Al-ʿAllāmah Abd al-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād comments:
This verse proves the encompassing nature of the knowledge of Al…
Feb 17, 2024
Answering Christian Doubts: Jesus Is Described as the “Spirit of Allāh” in the Qurʾān
The Christians claim: The noble Qurʾān has related that ʿĪsá (عليه السلام) is the spirit of Allāh—the Most High—and His word.1 This is consistent with our (Christian) belief.
In refuting this statement:
It is impossible for the meanings of Allah’s reference to His “word” and his reference to a “spirit” (al-Nisāʾ, 4:171) being God incarnate in the creation of ʿIsá (عليه السلام) as alleged by some Christians. For how can it be possible, for one with even an iota of intelligence, to describe ʿĪsá (عليه السلام) with godly attributes —calling him by it publicly and explicitly, to the exten…
Feb 17, 2024
The Ruling on Calling the Adhān and Iqāmah in the Ears of the Newborn
Imām Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Chapter concerning calling the adhān in the right ear of the newborn and calling the iqāmah in his left; With regards to this, there are several (mistakenly accepted) aḥādīth:
On the authority of Abū Rāfiʿ (رضي الله عنه): I saw the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) call the adhān in the ears of Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī after Fāṭimah had birthed him. Narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī who said: This ḥadīth is authentic.1
Narrated by al-Bayhaqī in ‘al-Shuʿab [al-Īmān]’ on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said…
Feb 17, 2024
The Obligation of Straightening the Rows and Attaining Perfection Therein
The Ruling of Straightening the Rows of the Congregation
It is from the sunnah to straighten the rows when performing congregational ṣalāh. As the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to order this saying: “Straighten your rows”1, guiding and directing his companions to this to the extent that they fully comprehended and understood it from him. One day, when he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came upon the congregation and the iqāmah was called, he found a man whose chest was visible [due to his forward position in the row], He said: “Servants of Allāh! You must indeed straighten your rows or Allāh shall…
Feb 10, 2024
Advice on How to Navigate Mixed Family Gatherings
Interacting with Non-Maḥram Relatives by Marriage
[Q]: It is customary in the south to refer to the wife of your uncles (i.e. your mother’s brother’s wife or father’s brother’s wife) as one’s ‘aunty’. In doing so, they subsequently view it permissible for her to display herself at gatherings (as if she is a blood relative). She frequently comes to welcome others to her home without touching the guests. Her age exceeds forty years. She will come to the door and welcome guests, displaying herself. What is your opinion on this?
[A]: Our opinion is that any woman displaying herself to anyone o…
Feb 10, 2024
The Unhinged Methodology: Scholarly Guidance for Those Bothered by Refutations
There are people bothered by knowledge-based refutations, even if these refutations are based upon evidence from the book of Allāh, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the statements of the Imams. What provokes them is typically one of two things:
Uncontrolled emotions which overcome the intellect, creating a blur (regarding the situation) until the individual becomes confused and blind, meaning blind in insight. This first type of people believe that refutations are synonymous with tabdīʿ (declaring someone an innovator), thinking that the critic is declaring the refuted to be an innovat…