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Aqeedah and Fiqh

Dhahabi’s Gifts of Gold – 1

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gold1.jpgImam al-Dhahabi’s gifts of gold providing answers to ever-important questions and thoughts:

  1. What is preferred: seeking knowledge or engaging in acts of devotion?
  2. Remembrance of people is a malady, whilst remembrance of Allah is a remedy…
  3. Can someone with sound foundation of fiqh and knowledge blindly follow a madhab?
  4. What should our position be on Yazid b. Muawaiyah?
  5. What is the “right” sufism or way-faring?
  6. Is Allah “everywhere”?
  7. Should I spend great amounts of money to acquire the Prophet’s (S) confirmed relics? How much can I love them?
  8. What is Ijma’ and Sunnah?

Here are the gifts from Dhahabi (Click here for PDF file)

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Abu Aaliyah is the founder of The Jawziyyah Institute, a leading institute for Islamic moderation and contemporary thought in the United Kingdom. Sidi Abu Aaliyah has been in involved in Dawah and Islamic teachings since 1986. He has translated a number of books from the Arabic language into English such as "The Exquisite Pearls". Abu Aaliyah's written works and audio lectures can be found online.

34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. aarij

    August 17, 2007 at 12:45 PM

    I love it! Gold from the golden Imam :)

    Jazak Allah khairan.

  2. AnonyMouse

    August 17, 2007 at 4:05 PM

    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?

  3. Editor

    August 17, 2007 at 10:20 PM

    Wow. Pure gold. Platinum even. Jazakallahu khair kathir.

  4. Nuqtah

    August 18, 2007 at 4:50 AM

    [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 โ€˜alaihi wa sallam), should we make a point of going to see them as an expression of our love?[/quote]

    Why not?

  5. aarij

    August 18, 2007 at 9:53 AM

    “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 โ€˜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!

  6. Abu Muhammad

    August 18, 2007 at 11:51 AM

    Alhamdu lillah that was most beneficial. Barak Allahu feek.

    Although I must say the discussion on taqleed was a little chest constricting. With an Ahlul Hadeeth background the madhab approach feels like drowning!

  7. Nuqtah

    August 18, 2007 at 12:49 PM

    Madhhabs are the only way to salvation.

    :p

  8. Abu Muhammad

    August 18, 2007 at 3:33 PM

    There’s been a push recently in the UK towards sufism and adherence to the madhabs.

    Whilst there is no doubt we are in urgent need of tazkyyah of the nafs, we must remain balanced. There certainly needs to be a push to towards reciting the Quran on a regular basis, reading nawafil and sunnah prayers consistently, alongside an increase in dhikr and zuhud.

    Unfortunately there also seems to be a push towards specific sufi concepts that contradict the sunnah such as the pledge to a shaikh. Also a kind of revival of the Ashari madhab in aqeedah which many sufis adhere to etc.

    We must differentiate between authentic traditions of sulook and the methods of the people of innovation.

    Barak Allah feek Abu Aaliyyah for providing excellent articles on your website. I read them again and again. Alhamdu lillah.

    Joking aside. On the madhab issue one of the tullaab ul ilm I know is translating benficial articles that expound the methodology of Ahlul hadeeth which is very misunderstood by a lot of the madhab followers.

  9. Abu Muhammad

    August 18, 2007 at 3:37 PM

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

  10. aarij

    August 18, 2007 at 4:36 PM

    br. Abu Muhammad…I fear you have opened a can of worms here!!

  11. ibnabeeomar

    August 18, 2007 at 8:14 PM

    wow!! i just read this and it is absolutely amazing! jazakallahu khayr

  12. AnonyMouse

    August 19, 2007 at 2:07 AM

    Aarij – exactly what I was thinking about (authenticity).

  13. Nuqtah

    August 19, 2007 at 3:35 AM

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

  14. Hassan

    August 19, 2007 at 9:53 AM

    “Madhhabs are the only way to salvation.”, I hope brother Nutqah you were joking, very strong statement.

  15. Nuqtah

    August 19, 2007 at 12:47 PM

    Yep, it was an exaggeration.

  16. Abu Muhammad

    August 20, 2007 at 12:25 PM

    Shaikh Fawzaan has an explanation of Zaad which is in english now. I must recommend it. Available from House of Knowledge Birmingham UK.

  17. ibnabeeomar

    August 20, 2007 at 12:45 PM

    abu muhammad.. can it be purchased online?

    also his mulakhas al fiqhi has been translated into english as well

  18. Nuqtah

    August 20, 2007 at 1:16 PM

    Abi Muhammed if you are talking about this book:http://www.islamicgoodsdirect.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/72

    I’ve seen it and read some bits from it. It’s got a salafi slant to it, but still very useful. Wouldn’t reccomend it to a Hanbali muqallid though :)

  19. ibnabeeomar

    August 20, 2007 at 1:19 PM

    oh ok thats the one i was referring to, its 2 volumes.

  20. Abu Muhammad

    August 20, 2007 at 7:45 PM

    Mulakhas Al Fiqhi is “an abstract of a book entitled Ar Rawdul Murbi fi Sharh Za’adul Mustaqni including its footnotes, written by Shaikh Abdur Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qasim (rahimahullah), bearing in mind that I (Shaikh Fawzan) added some remarks, when necessary”.

    That was a quote from the intro of the book.

    It’s really quite excellent as a person can learn fiqh with its evidence. This would further help a person understand where scholars derive rulings.

    So I really would recommend it to any studious brother or sister. In fact I’m almost sure that Ustadh Tawfique mentioned it on a paltalk revision lesson for one of the Al Kauthar courses.

  21. Abu Aaliyah

    August 21, 2007 at 8:27 AM

    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.

  22. Amad

    August 21, 2007 at 9:09 AM

    jazakAllah khair Shaykh Abu Aaliyah for stopping by to clarify some of the issues.

  23. aarij

    August 21, 2007 at 9:27 AM

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

    โ€œTaqlid, Madhhabs and Muslim Unityโ€
    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.

  24. Nuqtah

    August 21, 2007 at 2:43 PM

    Barak Allahu feek Ustaaz for your response, I really appreciate.

    [quote]โ€œTaqlid, Madhhabs and Muslim Unityโ€ – which I compiled about ten years ago (and which will inshallah be posted on the Jawziyyah Institute website after Ramadan, inshallah) [/quote]

    Ahh I’ve heard of this treatise. A brother I knew had a pdf. of this paper, but he didn’t share it with us. So, it would be cool that you finally share it with the laity :)

    [quote]. 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 โ€ฆ as tullab, we have to make everything long (including this post). The project was tentatively started and then just ground to a natural halt. Iโ€™m not quite sure if the end effort would have been of great benefit to the English speaking Muslims. How much of the muโ€™amalat would have been practicable today – or even the issues related to zakat, for that matter?
    [/quote]

    Sidi I’m sure you made your decision to halt with good reasons, and good intentions, but I would completely disagree. There has been a recent surge in the West (atleast in N. America) of people suddenly adhering to Shafi’i and Maliki Madhhab in large numbers. One of the important factors that brought about this change is availability of material of Maliki and Shafi’i fiqh in ENGLISH. And Hanafis arent too far behind either they’ve been churning translations upon translations (White thread press, Azhar academy, Turath Publishing etc).

    The only under-represented madhhab is the true ‘Hanbali’ madhhab (one has too keep in mind that salafized translations aren’t consider too worthy anymore by many). So I would like you to reconsider your decision.

    JZak Allahu khair.

  25. Hassan

    August 22, 2007 at 7:55 AM

    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.

  26. Pingback: muslimmatters.org » Suhaib Webb’s “Departure” from “Traditionalism”

  27. Pingback: muslimmatters.org » Dhahabiโ€™s Gifts of Gold - 2

  28. Nasir Muzaffar

    September 6, 2007 at 3:05 PM

    can u please explain what does” bata-like” mean

  29. ibnabeeomar

    September 6, 2007 at 3:25 PM

    bata is a famous company in pakistan that makes slippers :)

  30. Nasir Muzaffar

    September 6, 2007 at 4:26 PM

    can some brother please elaborate on this joke

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

  31. Nasir Muzaffar

    September 6, 2007 at 4:33 PM

    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

  32. Antonymous

    September 7, 2007 at 1:12 AM

    btw Bata is NOT a paki company ….
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bata_Shoes
    Bata Shoes (in Czech Baลฅa, also Baลฅovy zรกvody) is a large, family owned shoe company. It is currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and operates 4 business units worldwide โ€“ Bata Europe, Bata Asia Pacific-Africa, Bata Latin America and Bata North America. It has retail presence in over 50 countries, production facilities in 26 countries. In its history the company has sold 14 billion pairs of shoes.
    Contents

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