I have one question – re: Prophetic relics, does it mean that we laypeople should have such great reverence for them; and if we should be in a place that claims to house such relics (Islamic museums that say they have the cloak, hair, etc. of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), should we make a point of going to see them as an expression of our love?

[quote]I have one question – re: Prophetic relics, does it mean that we laypeople should have such great reverence for them; and if we should be in a place that claims to house such relics (Islamic museums that say they have the cloak, hair, etc. of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), should we make a point of going to see them as an expression of our love?[/quote]

Why not?

“I have one question – re: Prophetic relics, does it mean that we laypeople should have such great reverence for them; and if we should be in a place that claims to house such relics (Islamic museums that say they have the cloak, hair, etc. of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), should we make a point of going to see them as an expression of our love?”

Shaikh Yasir was telling us in Light of Guidance that the chances that these relics are authentic are like 1% or something. And we can’t really trace or verify it either.

Shaikh Yasir was even joking that if you go to a Pakistani/Indian Museum, RasoolAllah’s (SAWS) chappals become very bata-like, lol!

Madhhabs are the only way to salvation.

:p

BTW none of my negative comments were in any way directed towards brother Abu Aaliyah.

Brother Abu Aliyah, is it possible for you undertake the task of translating a basic ‘Hanbali’ fiqh text, such as zaad al mustaqni?

Yep, it was an exaggeration.

Jazakumullahu khayran for all your prayers and comments, and for your patience in waiting for my responses. So here goes:

1. As for the prophetic relics, it is probably more of an attitude than an act. Are our hearts filled with love, honour and reverence for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and for what is connected with him: his Family, Companions, traces and teachings. In other words, a yearning for all that is prophetic.

I’m reminded of the date-palm tree that he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to lean on before the pulpit was made. Al-Hasan al-Basri once remarked: “O people! the stump of the date-palm tree wept to the Prophet out of a yearning to be with him. You should have an even greater yearning to meet him.”

That we can’t meet him, but meet his relics will have to do. “Love,” as the saying goes, “demands no less.”

That some relics may not be authentic is an issue. But I suggest that being totally sceptical about the existence of such relics today has, it seems to me, a twofold problem. (i) is it imaginable that the entire ummah would discard every prophetic relic and not seek to preserve any of them? (ii) when will hearts have the opportunity to pour out reverence for the Prophet’s personage (as opposed to just his teachings). How do hearts spiritually grow with skepticism. I suppose it comes down to trust.

Finally, on this point, “Dhahabi’s Gifts of Gold:2″ has some narrations about Imam Ahmad and the prophetic relics, for anyone who wishes to check it out. So as Nuqtah rightly observed: “Why not?”

2. Absolutely no offence was taken, Abu Muhammad. I found all your comments respectful, frank and genuinely concerned for correctness. Admirable, mashallah.

May your ‘chest restrictions’ be soothed. Perhaps the paper: “Taqlid, Madhhabs and Muslim Unity” – which I compiled about ten years ago (and which will inshallah be posted on the Jawziyyah Institute website after Ramadan, inshallah) – could be a plank of wood for you in the raging torrents of taqlid and madhhabs? Alot, it seems, is about first defining terms.

3. Your suggestion, Nuqtah, of translating the Zad. This was a project that a number of tullab (inc. Sh. Tawfique, Yasir and myself) discussed for an overly long period … as tullab, we have to make everything long (including this post). The project was tentatively started and then just ground to a natural halt. I’m not quite sure if the end effort would have been of great benefit to the English speaking Muslims. How much of the mu’amalat would have been practicable today – or even the issues related to zakat, for that matter?

Shaykh al-Fawzan’s Mulakhkhas is certainly an excellent start (even though it’s not entirely Hanbali in that a number of its end conclusions differ from the mainstream of the madhhab, for the preferred opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah.

Shaykh Yasir’s concerns about having a suitable fiqh (loyal to the juristic tradition, relevent to our situation) is, perhaps, what we need to be focusing on. And Allah knows best.

4. Finally – and I don’t want to further prise open Aarij’s “can of worms” – an indecently brief word about an incredibly complex issue: sufism. Al-Dhahabi cautions us in his slim volume, al-Muqiza:

“The critic of a genuine sufi becomes the target of the hadith: ‘Whoever shows emnity to a Friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him.’ While one who abandons all condemnation for what is clearly wrong in what he hears from some of them, abandons the commanding of good and forbidding of evil.”

And Allah knows best.

Very tasty comments Shaikh Abu Aaliyah! Leaves us all yearning for more! May Allah multiply your rewards and put barakah in your efforts, ameen.

“Taqlid, Madhhabs and Muslim Unity”
This is gonna be a veryyyy good read, in sha Allah. This topic is a very hot MSA topic btw, and subhan Allah, I’d really like to know what to say and how to say it about this issue.

Salaam. Interesting, is there a reason that the hanbali madhab is prone to being “salafized”? (or this is not true statement). I think it is, and I think its because of its usul itself.

But I can be wrong totally.

In Pakistan there is a sufi group called , Barelvis
The members of this group wear green turbans and insist on wearing yellow chappal like sandals

They have now even started to hang pictures of the alleged footprints of the Holy Prophet in their mosques!!

They insist that by wearing these yellow sandals and hanging pictures of the footprints they gain Tabarruk

I hope All guides them to the straight path and protect us from their evil

Die Sjeik van die ‘Ibaad-u-Ragmaan Qadiri Jamaa’ah, Haji Achmat Damon al-Qadiri al-Chisti, nooi almal na die dhiekr-ullaah wat op Saterdag 23 Augustus 2008 by die Habibia Soofie Moskee in Duine Weg, Rylands Landgoed, sal plaasvind.
Plegtighede, Insha-Allah, sal:
1. die Maghrieb Salaah in die Habibia Soofie Moskee,
2. die adhkaar by die qabr van Sayed ‘Abd Al-Latif bin Qadi Muhammad Yusuf bin Qadi ‘Abd Al-Rahman al-Habibi,
3. die ‘Ieshaa Salaah in “die College”,
4. die hervatting van die Qadiriyya in die Moskee,
5. die du’aa, en
6. ‘n kort toespraak insluit.
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