Written by Safia Farole.

As Muslim Americans we know its summer when unleashed dogs are running through parks – much to our horror, when shamelessness abounds on the streets, and when temperatures reach degrees that make hijab seem unbearable (you know what I mean sisters).  Okay, life as a Muslim in summer may not be that tumultuous, but while the sights and sounds of summer may be familiar to everyone, there are important summer health tips that everyone should pay attention to. Many Muslims observe hijab, but just because we are covered up doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from summer health recommendations. With 2010 shaping up to be the warmest year on record, more and more Muslims should find it important to pay heed to how environmental factors affect lifestyle choices. The following is a list of some recommendations on how to enjoy the hot weather without harming our health. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, neither is it medically authoritative, but these lifestyle tips are designed to help Muslims live productively while staying true to their identity.

STAYING HYDRATED

You’ve probably heard this a lot throughout your life, but one of the most important tips for good health during summer is to drink plenty of water. These following tips for staying hydrated were adopted from FitSugar:

1. Eat your water: Foods that are filled with water, like watermelon, provide a healthy and juicy source of nutrition, which makes staying hydrated easy and delicious.
2. Hydrate before exercising: Whether exercising outdoors or indoors, drinking water before doing so will grant you more longevity in routine.
3. Stay hydrated at work: Just because you’re indoors doesn’t mean you have to cutback on water intake. Making it a habit even while indoors will make it easier to do so when you spend time outside.
4. Have enough on hand: Water is a luxury. When you read this statement think of the amount of dehydrated people suffering around the world (not that your aunties, uncles, and parents don’t make you feel guilty enough about it). But the good thing is it’s cheap. Be sure to keep a good supply of water when you go camping, hiking, or on short trips and vacations.
5. Keep a reusable bottle with you: This is a really easy way to keep the habit of water consumption. Plastic bottles are okay to reuse, but consider stainless-steel bottles if you are hardcore eco-friendly.

SUMMER SKIN CARE TIPS

Alhamdulilah, as Muslims (especially sisters), we cover a lot of skin regardless of season. But in summer time, the exposed areas, such as face, hands, and maybe feet, deserve some attention. The following are tips that will help you stay safe while keeping it halal when you step outside.

1. Exfoliate to get rid of dry, dull skin: For those not into cosmetology, exfoliation “involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface.” Chemical or physical exfoliations can be used to maintain clear and healthy skin. For help finding good products to use, go to your nearby Walgreens or Bartels and head to the beauty isle. According to WebMD you should first “wet your entire body in the bath or shower” and “apply exfoliating cleanser to your loofah or washcloth, and scrub, using gentle, circular motions.” There are exfoliating products available that are appropriate for the entire body or just for the face – both are good options for a religious population that is used to wearing lengthy garments season round.
2. Moisturize to hydrate: After you exfoliate, the next step is to moisturize the skin. According to dermatology specialists quoted in the WebMD article, “If your skin is only a little dry, you can use a liquid moisturizer and if it’s very dry, you can use a cream moisturizer.” But whatever type of moisturizer you use, take care to choose one that doesn’t clog pores, which can easily occur in days of humidity.
3. Apply Sunscreen: This is where Muslims should pay particular attention. As mentioned earlier, sisters may underestimate the necessity of applying sunscreen when stepping out because many already cover all body parts besides the face and hands. Sunscreen helps to protect our skin from getting burns, so its helpful to use on sun exposed areas. According to dermatologists “how high a number of sun protection factor (SPF) you need depends on how fair you are…people with fairer skin, lighter hair, and lighter eyes often need stronger sun block than their darker counterparts”. Dermatologists also recommend that everyone “wear a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher with a broad-spectrum agent that protects against UVA and UVB rays.” Not all moisturizers contain SPF, so be sure to select one that does if you are planning to spend time outdoors. It is important that you apply a generous amount of sunscreen and that you apply it before leaving home, given that it takes about 15 minutes to kick in. According to dermatologists, sunscreen lasts for about two hours, so be sure to reapply it every two hours if you are engaged in frequent outdoor activities. So, with the amount of skin that sisters and brothers have exposed, they should take care to apply sunscreen on those areas.
4. Don’t forget the skin on your feet: Every day we place significant stress on our feet, and hot weather prompts us to partake in even more activities, so don’t forgot about your feet! If you experience peeling, cracking skin, or callous on your heels, be sure to consult a physician, but there are also over the counter remedies such as exfoliating creams that can help. And take care to keep your toe-nails cut and clean because cutting the nails is part of the fitrah, as the Prophet (SAW) said: “The fitrah is five things: circumcision, removing the pubic hair, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, and plucking the armpit hairs.” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). Dermatological advice has only recently caught up to this prophetic instruction that has been around for over 1400 years!

HIJAB: KEEP IT COMFORTABLE AND STYLISH

You know what I mean sisters. It’s easier to layer up during the winter months, but in the summer it can be a challenge to find clothing that is both comfortable and halal-friendly. I can personally attest to the many mornings of ravaging my closet to find suitable clothes for work, and I know others can relate. I’m not a fashionista, but going for lighter hijab garments is the best place to start. According to WikiAnswers, and to conventional wisdom I’m gathered through the years, its better to wear light-colored clothing during hot weather. Light-colored clothes reflect light better, and will keep you cooler, whereas darker shades absorb heat – making you feel warmer. I hope these tidbits help make your next foray into the closet easier!

Much of this advice may be old news for many readers, but in light of our interactions with the environment around us and our attempts to honor religious obligations, I hope readers find it refreshing. Stay safe, stay halal, and enjoy the weather.

REFERENCES:

• AlJazeera-English. 2010 on Track to be Hottest Year.  http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/2010717132048381555.html
• Answers.com. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_people_wear_light-colored_clothes_on_sunny_days
• FitSugar. 10 Ways to Stay Hydrated this Summer.  http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Ways-Stay-Hydrated-Summer-9053736
• http://www.kleankanteen.com
• Islam-qa. Ruling on Men and Women Letting their Nails Grow Long. http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/1195/cutting%20nails
• WebMD. Summer Skin Makeovers. http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/summer-skin-care-8/5-skin-care-tips?page=3
• Wikipedia. Exfoliation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exfoliation_(cosmetology)

I recently read the following narration reported from Imam Malik ibn Anas (radiya Allahu Anhu) in “Risalat al-Wafiyah”:

(Click Image to Make it larger)

Translation:

“It was narrated to us by Khalf ibn Ibrahim al-Maliki who said: It was narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Haywayh An-Naysaburi, who said from Ibrahim ibn Jumayl from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, that my father narrated to me [i.e. Imam Ahmad] from Surayj ibn An-Nu’man from Abdullah ibn Nafi’ who said that Malik said, “Allah is in the heavens, and His Knowledge is in every place.“

Translation of Footnote by Abi Anas Ar-Rashidi – the pseudo-salafi (published by Dar Al-Basirah):

Its chain is Sahih: and it is reported ffrom Abdullah ibn Ahmad in his Sunnah (11) and Abu Dawud in his “Masa‘il” page 263 and Al-Lalaka‘i in “Sharh al-’Itiqad” (673) and Al-Ajuri 695 and Ibn Battah in Al-Ibanah (110) and Ibn Abdul Barr in At-Tamhid 7/138 all of them by way of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. And its chain is Sahih. And Shaykh al-Albani (rahimahullah) said in Mukhtasar Al-’Uluww page 140, “Its chain is Sahih.” [End Quote]

So this is what he says! This same individual, in his hopes to weaken narrations, stated that Mutarrif ibn Abdullah ibn Mutarrif, the nephew of Malik Ibn Anas was also weak – a blatant blunder! This was also quoted on “Jami’ ibn Taymiyyah” website claiming that somehow this means that Allah is in the heavens “in his essence”¹ ! Rather, Allah is transcendent above and beyond what these people claim, and it would have befit them to remain silent as the salaf did about this matter! Let us review the chain of this narrative and see if it is truly “Sahih“!

A Review of the Chain:

From Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Surayj ibn An-Nu’man.

Surayj ibn An-Nu’man: Declared thiqah (trustworthy) by Abu Hatim [Jarh wa ta'dil page 304], Ibn Ma’in, An-Nasa‘i, Ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Sa’ad, Al-’Ijli and others. The only one to criticize him was Abu Dawud who said of him, “He was thiqah (trustworthy), though he made ghalita (blunders) in his narrations.” Hafith Ibn Hajr al-’Asqalani said of him in his Taqrib, “Trustworthy, yahim qalilan (small weakness). (Taqrib 2218, to which grading Hafith S. Arna‘ut disagrees in his Tahrir At-Taqrib)”

Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa’igh: Hafith Ibn Hajr Al-’Asqalani said of him, “Trustworthy and authentic [when narrating from] the book, and in his memorization is weakness (Taqrib, 3659).”

Those who praised him:

Abu Zura’ah said, “There is no problem with him (la ba’asa bihi).” An-Nasa‘i said, “laysa bihi ba’as and in another narration he said, “Trustworthy”. Ibn Ma’in considered him established. Al-’Ijli said of him, “Thiqah!” Abu Dawud said, “ِAbdullah was knowledgeable with Malik. He was a companion of Fiqh, and perhaps he would point/refer to Malik (dall ‘alal Maalik).”

Those who criticized him:

Abu Talib narrated from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal that he weakened him. In the “Questions of Abu Dawud for Imam Ahmad page 178 it says, ‘He was not good in narrating, and he was a companion of Ra’i (opinion).’ [See al-Mizan of adh-Dhahabi as well, though he narrates this with a slightly different wording.] There are actually several different wordings of his criticism of ibn Nafi’ As-Sa’igh. We have provided a summarization of them below taken from “Mawsu’at aqwal al-Imam Ahmad fi Rijal al-hadith”:

Click Image To Enlarge

You will see that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal did not accept his narrations from the above quotes.

So it becomes clear then, that the very individual who established this chain, and who the pseudo-salafis claim to follow, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (radiya Allahu ‘anhu) criticized Abdullah ibn Naf’i as-Sa‘igh as weak, and did not deem his narrations worthy of establishing knowledge.

Abu Zura’ah also has a report contradicting his praise by his saying, “Ibn Naf’i as-Sa‘igh is Munkar al Hadith…” [Su'alaat Al Bardiji for Abu Zur'ah Ar-Razi] Abu Hatim said, “He was not a preserver of hadith (Hafith), he was weak in his memorization and [when narrating from his] book he is more authentic.”

There are two reports of criticism reported from Imam al-Bukhari:

Imam Al-Bukhari said of him, “In his memorization is something (shay‘, i.e. defect).” [Tarikh as-Saghir] And the other quote manifests his disdain for his reports, though he deemed his reporting from his book to be more authentic than his memory [Tarikh al-Kabir].

Ibn Hibban said in his Ath-Thiqat about him, “He is Sahih when he narrates from his book, though when he narrates from his memory he possibly makes mistakes.”  Imam Abu Ahmad Al-Hakim said, “He was not a Hafith (a hadith memorizer) according to them [i.e. the scholars]. (Tahdhib of Ibn Hajr) There is another report from him from as-Sijzi that al-Hakim said he was ‘thiqah‘ [Su'alaat as-Sijzi lil-Haakim 188]

In the Mawsu’at al-Aqwal Abul Hasan ad-Daraqutni we find the following criticism:

al-Barqani said that he asked Ad-Daraqutni about ibn Nafi and he said, “A Medinan faqih (jurist), Support [from other narrators] must be sought for him [yu'tabir bihi].”

Ibn Hajr reports from al-Ajuri from Ahmad ibn Hanbal that he heard him saying, “Abdullah ibn Nafi’ was the most knowledgeable of people in the opinions of Malik and his narrations, he preserved all of the hadith of Malik, and then he entered in the end of his life into doubt (shakk).”

Ibn ‘Adi criticizes him in his Al-Kamil saying,

“And Abdullah ibn Naf’i reported from Malik anomalous reports.” (page 1556)

The above are clear criticisms from the highest authorities such as Imam Al-Bukhari, Ahmad, Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban, Ibn ‘Adi and others questioning the reliability of Abdullah ibn Nafi’ ibn Sa’igh in both narrating from Malik and narrating hadith. Gathering the words of the Imams about Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa’igh one says:

“He is authentic in narrating from his book, but from memory he is weak, and he reports anomalous reports from Imam Malik!” Thus such a narrator can not be accepted as proof!

Conclusion:

Much to the dismay of the pseudo-salafis, this athar from Imam Malik is not preserved and is weak, not Sahih as claimed by the editor Abi Anas Ar-Rashidi (and others) who, in his dishonesty, did not narrate a single criticism of the Imams upon Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa‘igh, though does not hesitate to disparage the Imams of Islam who are declared trustworthy by them! There exists here another anomaly, and that is that none of the companions of Imam Malik reported such a narrative. If such was the “well-known” creed of Imam Malik, then why would only one of his many established companions narrate such? This fact shows that the weakness of Abdullah ibn Naf’i is certain.

Another interesting point in this discussion is that “Imam” Al-Albani seemingly contradicts himself on the point of Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa‘igh as pointed out by Shaykh Gibril Haddad. He points out in the refutation that we are going to reproduce below:

Al-Albânî in his notes in Mukhtasar al-’Uluw (p. 140) criticized al-Kawthari for citing al-Sa’igh as weak in his introduction to al-Bayhaqî’s al-Asmâ’ wa al-Sifat (p. 0), but he himself cites him as weak in al-Silsila al-Da’ifa (2:231-232) as pointed out by Shaykh H.asan al-Saqqâf in his edition of al-’Uluw (p. 397 n. 708)

The quote alluded to here by S. Hasan Saqqaf is that Al-Albani deems weak a chain in which Abdullah ibn Nafi’ is in.

So as you can see al-Albani does not weaken this chain solely because of Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa‘igh, but he does utilize Hafith Ibn Hajr’s grading of “Thiqah (trustworthy), Sahih [in narrating from his] book, and in his memory he is weak.”

This same standard he did not use when supposedly “refuting” Al-Kawthari! Such is certainly nothing new from Al-Albani! He contradicted his own rulings and principles numerous times much to the dismay of his own followers!

Sidi Gibril scathingly refuted  the utilization of this athar by the pseudo-salafis with the following points:

The report attributing to Imâm Mâlik the words: “Allâh is in the heaven and His knowledge is in every place” is a condemned (munkar), anomalous (shâdhdh) report of questionable authenticity narrated through Ah.mad ibn H.anbal from Surayj ibn al-Nu’mân al-Lu’lu’i (4)  from ‘Abd Allâh ibn Nâfi’ al-Sa’igh from Mâlik. (5)  Imâm Ah.mad himself declared ‘Abd Allâh ibn Nâfi’ al-Sa’igh weak (da’îf), Abû Zur’a frowned at his name and declared him “condemned” (munkar), al-Bukhârî questioned his memorization, and Ibn ‘Adi stated that he transmitted oddities (gharâ’ib) from Mâlik. (6) As for the content of the report, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattah Abû Ghudda noted in his commentary on Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr’s al-Intiqa’ that it is contradicted by what is firmly established in mass-transmitted narrations from Mâlik and by al-Sa’igh’s other report from Mâlik omitting the above words.(7) The report is made further dubious by the fact that Mâlik was well-known to condemn any statements about the Essence and Attributes of Allâh Most High other than sound reports, particularly statements that suggest anthropomorphism.(8) Al-Awzâ’î said: “Whoever holds on to the rare and unusual positions of the scholars has left Islâm.”

Footnotes For the above:

4) Misspelt Shurayh in al-Saqqâf’s edition of al-’Uluw (p. 396 #340) and al-Mahdî’s edition of al-Shari’a (p. 293 #663-664). Shurayh ibn al-Nu’mân al-Sa’idi al-Kûfî is a Tâbi’î who died before al-Sa’igh was born

5) In Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr’s al-Intiqa’ (p. 71), al-Dhahabî’s Mukhtasar al-’Uluw (p. 247), and al-Ajurrî’s al-Shari’a (p. 293 #663-664).

6) Al-Dhahabî, Mîzân (2:513-514 #4647); al-’Uqayli, al-Du’afa’ (2:311), Ibn ‘Adi, al-Kamil (4:242 #1070=4:1556); Abû Hatim, al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil (5:183); Ibn H.ajar, Tahdhîb al-Tahdhîb (6:46-47 #99). Dr. Nur al-Dîn ‘Itr, however, states in his margins on al-Dhahabî’s al-Mughnî fî al-Du’afa’ (1:513 #3396) that al-Sa’igh is very reliable when narrating from Mâlik and that Ibn H.ajar declared him trustworthy (thiqa) in al-Taqrîb. Yet, the latter grading was downgraded to “truthful” (sadûq) by al-Arna’ût and Ma’rûf in al-Tahrir (2:277 #3659). Al-Albânî in his notes in Mukhtasar al-’Uluw (p. 140) criticized al-Kawthari for citing al-Sa’igh as weak in his introduction to al-Bayhaqî’s al-Asmâ’ wa al-Sifat (p. 0), but he himself cites him as weak in al-Silsila al-Da’ifa (2:231-232) as pointed out by Shaykh H.asan al-Saqqâf in his edition of al-’Uluw (p. 397 n. 708)!

7) In Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, al-Intiqa’ (p. 71 n. 3 and p. 73).

8 ) For example, Mâlik said: “Allâh is neither ascribed a limit nor likened with anything” (lâ yuhaddad wa lâ yushabbah). Ibn al-’Arabi, Ahkam al-Qur’ân (4:1740)

9) Cited by al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm al-Nubalâ’ (1997 ed. 7:99).

(source: http://www.livingislam.org/n/slfm_e.html#fn-4)

Shaykh Wahby Sulayman Al-Albani also refuted the utilization of this athar of Imam Malik saying:

وما يرويه سريج بن النعمان عن عبد الله بن نافع عن مالك أنه كان يقول : ” الله في السماء وعلمه في كل مكان ” .لا يثبت .قال الإمام أحمد : عبد الله بن نافع الصايغ لم يكن صاحب حديث وكان ضعيفا فيه . قال ابن عدي : يروي غرائب عن مالك . وقال ابن فرحون : كان أصم أميا لايكتب .وبمثل هذا السند لا ينسب إلى مثل مالك مثل هذا وقد تواتر عنه عدم الخوض في الصفات وفيما ليس تحته عمل كما كان عليه أهل المدينة على ما في شرح السنة للألكائي وغيره

He said, “It is not established…” After quoting some of the reports weakening Abdullah ibn Nafi’ As-Sa‘igh – and adding to the list of Imams who criticized Abdullah Ibn Nafi’ As-Sa‘igh that of Imam ibn Farhun Al-Maliki – he states, “And it is mass-transmitted that Imam Malik did not delve into the attributes of Allah …” [See his Sharh of Idah ad-Dalil of Badr-ud-Din Ibn Jama'ah]

May Allah grant us all tawfiq Amin.

And peace and blessings be upon the Messenger Muhammad, his family, companions, and those who follow him!

1. http://www.taimiah.com/index.aspx?function=Printable&id=2377&node=10642#2

German soccer gets ruling on Ramadan fasting

BERLIN (AP)—A Muslim group and German soccer authorities said Wednesday they have determined that professional Muslim players may break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

The announcement followed a dispute involving second-division club FSV Frankfurt, which last year gave a formal warning to three of its players for fasting.

During Ramadan, devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, abstaining even from water. The club had a clause in contracts stating that wasn’t allowed without its express permission.

Germany’s Central Council of Muslims said it sought advice from Al-Azhar in Egypt, the pre-eminent theological institute of Sunni Islam, and elsewhere.

Al-Azhar ruled that if a player is obliged to perform under a contract that is his only source of income, if he has to play matches during Ramadan, and if fasting affects his performance, then he can break his fast, the council said.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research supported that ruling, it added.

“The Muslim professional can make good the fasting days in times when there are no matches, and so continue to pay God and the holy month of Ramadan honor and respect,” Aiman Mazyek, the general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims, said in a statement.

He noted that “keeping the body healthy plays a leading role in Islam.”

“We very much welcome it that an arrangement has now been found that allows players to carry out professionally their work in high-performance sport and in doing so live their faith to the full,” FSV Frankfurt manager Bernd Riesig said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-germany-ramadanfasting

I really geek out on podcasts. I even make lists of my favorites. I’m a junkie, simply put.

The various downloads on my iPod really run the gamut, too. From sports, to news, to general academics, my typical day’s playlist can be quite eclectic. Being a father, I also consult iTunes for the latest tips and trends in personal finance. To that end, I’m a big fan of Marketplace Money.

The show, which airs weekly on various public radio networks, dissects all the latest financial news and provides genuinely insightful commentary. There’s a segment, too, where personal finance experts answer questions from callers on a wide range of subjects. Imagine my surprise though when a recent episode of this program featured a question from a Muslim mom on shariah-compliant savings.

You can listen to Sr. Emily’s story at the end of this post. She comes in at around the 19:50 minute mark. (NOTE: As with most podcasts, this one includes musical interludes)

To summarize her tale: Sr. Emily is the mother of five boys..including two sets of twins…may Allah grant her sabr! Add to that, one if her kids is a special needs child – a challenge that presents both unique difficulties and blessings, as Sr. Abez recently documented. Sr. Emily called in to the show to get some advice on building up savings that took into account the financial demands of her large family and her household’s low income. As she made sure to note and explain, any advice the expert gave had to also adhere to Islam’s prohibition on interest.

Before extracting some larger points from Sr. Emily’s story, I’d just like to remark on how much strength it takes to be in her position. Raising one child is not easy, let alone five (no doubt rambunctious) boys. The stress of financial worry makes things all the more difficult. Yet, she faces these challenges head on and doesn’t do so at the expense of her deen. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that it’s rocks like her that are the worldly foundation of this ummah and of everything great it accomplishes. May Allah grant all our mothers the highest reward in the hereafter. Ameen!

Now, for the broader significance of this public radio moment:

• A “normal Muslim” on American Media: No need to run through the litany of examples. If an Arab or Muslim is on TV or radio in the US, they’re more likely than not burning a flag/effigy, yelling “death to” something or other, or generally acting in an anti-social manner. These nut cases have such a stranglehold on our public image that it’s an absolute breath of fresh air when a Muslim is featured on a mainstream broadcast speaking in calm tones and sans fire and death. Kudos to the folks at Marketplace Money.
• Resisting assimilation: Through her desire to both live in American society and live according to Islamic teachings, Sr. Emily echoes the vast majority of Muslim-Americans. Seeking general shariah-compliance in all you do, and specifically in regard to financial transactions, is far from the extremist position that many right-wing commentators here and abroad make it out to be. “Moderate Muslims,” as Madeleine Albright (of all people!) said at a CFR conference early last year, “do not believe moderately. They believe passionately about moderation.” The integrative, rather than assimilative path that many Muslim-Americans seem to be on certainly reflects Ms. Albright’s sentiment.
• A virtual absence of Islamic financial guidance: There are about six million Muslims in America. There are also around that many “financial experts” in this country. Yet, it seems as if not one of them caters to the halal investment crowd. While the average Muslim-American is, alhamdulilah, well off relative to the average American in general, there are still a great many Muslims in this country struggling to make ends meet and in need of financial guidance. Unfortunately, the vast majority of scholars knowledgeable in Islamic finance don’t take a proactive approach to giving advice. What’s needed these days is not a simple rendering of verdicts on this or that financial transaction, but holistic plans that offer a rundown of all the various shariah-compliant products available from traditional and Islamic institutions. Put simply, we need our scholars to come to us with options and ideas rather than wait for us to come to them for rulings.

Financial concerns are among the top stressors for any family. There is a vacant niche for scholars (who don’t merely cater to the high net worth individuals) that are both cognizant of the global  financial market’s products and knowledgeable in the nuances of Islamic finance. A podcast or weekly YouTube series is not that hard to set up and, for my money, would be a great benefit to all Americans.

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Friday, July 23rd, 2010

I arrived at my hotel after a peaceful and surprisingly enjoyable 27 hour bus ride from Chicago to Houston.  I’ve had mixed feelings about this year’s Ilm Summit – one week less, Shaykh Yaser Birjas on paternity leave, and Wisam Sharieff MIA until Monday.  Would Ilm Summit III captivate me the way the previous two had?

At this point, it’s hard to say.  Maybe my role in this year’s Ilm Summit contributed to my complicated feelings.  There was no Belal Khan this year to capture our days in high def.  Instead, there was just me with a 5.0 megapixel Droid camera, which makes for an awesome phone, but a terrible memory keeper.

Fast forward to  6:00pm, more than a full hour before the first session and already, the competition for front row has begun.  And as maddening as the competition can be, it was a good sign that Ilm Summit 2010 would continue it’s tradition of pushing the students and teachers to give their best, leaving it all on the table, come what may.

Opening Act:  Shaykh Uthman Khan of al-Shatibiyyah Institute

Whoa, no Ustadh Wisam yet, but Shaykh Uthman?  Sweet!  We began with a recitation of the Qur’aan by Shaykh Uthman and alhamdulillaah, the opportunity to experience hearing his recitation is a special blessing of its own. Check out the video at the end of the post to enjoy some of it, insha’Allah.

The Class Welcome:  Shaykhs Yasir Qadhi and Waleed Basyouni

It’s easy to underestimate the value of traveling for knowledge, but our teachers would not let us forget the significance of our travel.  Can you imagine being mentioned in the same breath as those great scholars of the past who traveled seeking knowledge?  I certainly can’t, and we could never be compared in significance to what those scholars achieved with their travels, and the benefit they brought, but we nonetheless, we were reminded that we are seeking knowledge, and that the blessings of such an undertaking were tremendous.

Who’s Teaching This Year’s Ilm Summit?

If there was ever a time to turn into an absolute head-over-heels islamic studies teacher fan boy, this is it.  Besides the teachers I’ve already mentioned, we have Shaykh Jamal Zarabozo visiting us to teach 10 classes on Fiqh al Buyu’ – transactions, investments, and money matters.  And if you want to add more fan boy awestruck geeky wonder upon geeky wonder, Shaykh Salah as-Sawy will be in the house, covering the Constants and Variables of Islamic work, insha’Allah.

More to come this tomorrow, insha’Allah.  Check out the photos and video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s the books I’m reading this summer. I need to pick the order, any recommendations?

• Native Son, by Richard Wright
• In Contempt, by Chris Darden
• Without a Doubt, by Marcia Clark
• Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
• Runaway Jury, by John Grisham
• Crisis, by Robin Cook
• Intervention, by Robin Cook
• Learn Objective-C on the Mac
• Beginning iPhone 3 Development:Exploring the iPhone SDK

You oughta see my movie list:

• Highlander
• Beverly Hills Cop
• Blade: Trinity
• Taxi Driver
• Family Guy: Something Something Something Dark Side
• Airplane!
• Willow
• Inception
• Dinner for Shmucks
• Scott Pilgrim versus the World
• Salt
• Khuda Kay Liye
• The Big Lebowski
• Death Note
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• The French Connection
• No Country for Old Men
• Coming to America
• The Best of the Colbert Report
• No End in Sight
• The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
• Toy Story 3
• The Last Airbender
• The A-Team

Did I miss any?

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“Diapers cost a lot,” said my friend, when we met on her visit to her home country five months after she had her first baby. She looked into my eyes, searching for acquiescence,”….right?” As our children lay playing around us, I nodded, and stopped myself in time from insensitively blurting out, “But this is just the beginning”. I knew how inappropriate that would sound to a new mother who was assessing the extra expenses related to her baby for the first time in her life. Understandably, she was going through the initial adjustment phase of becoming a new parent, and needed only encouragement from her experienced friends.

We all have our expenses: the bills, the monthly payments, and the extra expenditures that crop up out of nowhere, especially for those of us who have families to support, viz. parents and siblings, or spouses and children.

Shortly after we pass the two-decade milestone in our lives, we wake up to real life, and realize that it is not all eat, drink, and be merry. For some, this wakeup call comes much earlier due to straitened circumstances. For others, it might come a bit late – when they finally start shouldering more responsibility.

Either way, one inevitably realizes sooner or later in life that money is the life-blood we need to be able to keep bringing food to our tables, and that this money is earned through hard work. We should neither waste it on frivolities, nor should we withhold it from ourselves or others out of miserliness.

Additionally, we should never undermine the relationships we have with our families, because these bonds were created by Allah, and He records and rewards even the small, seemingly insignificant bits of good we do to them – even what we see as trivial, of the things we give them, that are included in their rights upon us.

Recently, I came across a hadith that really opened my eyes to how we should all look at our family-related expenses and liabilities. It also reminded me of the importance of one’s intention whilst doing mundane, everyday tasks that we really don’t view as acts of worship, such as buying one’s child a small toy, or going out for the weekly grocery run.

[أخرجه أحمد، والبخاري ، ومسلم]

It is narrated from Abu Mas’ud al-Badri [رضى الله عنه] that the Messenger of Allah [صلى الله عليه و سلم] said,

“Without a doubt, when a Muslim spends money on his family while considering (the action as worship), it is an act of charity”.

[Reported by Imams Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim]

This short but profound narration gives us tremendous consolation: if we renew and rectify our intentions regarding spending on our family, to do so for the sake of Allah as an act of sadaqah (charity), Allah will count these expenditures as such, insha’ Allah.

The key words in the hadith are وَهُوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا - meaning that the spender, whilst spending on his or her family should, in his heart, intend or consider that spending as a sadaqah. The words احتَسَبَ يَحْتَسِبُ اِحْتِسَابٌ imply to reckon something, to seek reward from Allah for something, to count something as eligible for  reward. In a verse of Surah at-Talaq, Allah mentions:

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

“And He (Allah) will provide for him (the believer) from where he does not expect/reckon; (from whence does not occur to his mind).” [65:3]

In the above verse, the same word is used to imply that the believer doesn’t “reckon” from where Allah will provide for him.

Therefore, we can conclude from the above hadith that we should “count” or “reckon” our spending (نفقة) on our families (اهل) as charity (صدقة) when we spend on them in any way, whether big or small.

We find ourselves inundated by extra expenses during some months of the year. This is especially so around vacation season, with the costly Islamic summer camp, the plane tickets required for importing parent(s) for the summer, or the shiny new workbooks to keep the children constructively occupied. We dread receiving the doctor’s bill and having to fill costly medicine prescription, upon taking a sick dependent to the doctor’s clinic. And we anticipate with some foreboding, magnanimous four-figure bills, as our children grow older and prepare for college.

Graduation parties, Eid dinners, transatlantic flights to reinstate biological ties and bring smiles across elderly faces. School fees, fuel and rent charges, furniture and electronics costs. Clothes and accessories, a mini van, a bigger home for growing broods. The list is endless. Sometimes, when we see no end to the costs in sight, yet almost always come face-to-face with the rock-bottom of our monthly/weekly budget, we do tend to get a bit down in the dumps.  That is the time when we need positive reminders that our spending, depending on our intention, will be counted as a charity, even through we’ve seen it as an “expense”.

There is absolutely no way that we can guarantee provisions for the ones whom Allah has brought into this world, as He is the Provider. However, He has entrusted us with fulfilling our responsibilities towards them, and these duties are their rights upon us.

We should keep reminding ourselves of the intention behind each and every thing we do. This will enable us to renew this intention, and hence ensure that our book of deeds records all our actions, even those that appear to the world as “expenses” or “liabilities”, as deeds truly done to please our Creator (with full اِحْتِسَاب).

Ramadan Preparation

As the sacred month of fasting is around the corner, please share with us what is the best way in your opinion to prepare mentally, spiritually and physically to spend the best Ramadan ever inshaAllah. Do you listen to any special lecture? Do you follow a special routine? Do you write down the goals you want to achieve by the end of the month?

By the way, we should fast Sunday July 25, Monday July 26 and Tuesday July 27. Those are the 3 white days of Sha’baan (inshaAllah). Qatada ibn Milhan said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to command us to fast the white days: the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” [Abu Dawud]

Burqa on NPR

Listen to our MM Associate Sr Hebah Ahmed as she was interviewed by NPR News to give her opinion on the recent controversy around the world about the Burqa.

Pakistan’s Fake-Degree Scandal

In June, the Supreme Court and a parliamentary committee asked the country’s 1,170 parliamentarians to prove that they are bona fide university graduates. So far, the list of suspected fake-degree holders includes two senior Cabinet ministers and others close to President Asif Ali Zardari. In one of the cases, a provincial lawmaker from former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League–N claimed to have obtained a master’s degree in 2002, graduated from college in 2006 and finished high school in 2007. He should be “disqualified for stupidity, not fraud,” Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab, commented on Twitter. Another lawmaker claimed to have graduated from high school at the age of 10, prompting local wits to dub him “Doogie Howser, MNA [Member of the National Assembly].”

Full Story: Time Magazine

Palin invents word ‘refudiate,’ compares herself to Shakespeare

As Sarah Palin reinvents English, the “Ground-Zero” Mosque debate is still raging, even if it’s not really a mosque. As Faisel Abdul Rauf, the chairman of the Cordoba Intitiave puts it: “It will have recreational facilities, meeting rooms, an auditorium, banquet facilities, prayer space for many religions and other amenities that a community needs to be healthy, vibrant and strong.”

More on his views here

Ummah Films became a household name due to the popularity of the vlogs produced by the comical Baba Ali. They have now released their second short film, titled: Doctor, Director, which you can watch below. It only cost $7000 to make and was partly financed from public contributions. It falls under the genre of bitter-sweet romcom, providing a glimpse into the emotionally charged, socially awkward world of Islamic proposals. A Muslim version of Meet the Parents – without the gross out comedy.



Click here to view the embedded video.

I personally enjoyed the video masha’Allah, though I have decided to hold my full critique for another day. But what did you think of it?

There are moments in life, unexpected, that unfold before our eyes, leaving us in wonder over the Power of the Almighty, subhanahu wata’ala. Sometimes, Allah sends forth a person who speaks words, few in number, weighty in sincerity, that forever changes our lives.

Shaykh Saleh Al-Meghamsi (may Allah preserve him), Imam of Masjid Quba, went through such a humbling, lesson-laden moment that leaves us with much to reflect on.  He relates his story saying:

I was in the intensive care unit, just beginning to regain consciousness after undergoing a 24 hour open-heart surgery, when the nurse in charge of me noticed a change in the blood. He informed a doctor, who informed another. A third doctor was then called, until 14 people, among them doctors and professionals, had gathered to discuss what they should do regarding my case. They were reading the signals from the devices over my head, and although I had no idea what the situation was, I could read fear in their faces. It seemed that the signals were not pleasant. They called Dr. Adam, a successful Sudanese doctor, to come and see. He studied the monitor and concluded that there was congealed blood on the heart and that it had to be removed. The news came down on me like a thunderbolt . The doctor sought my permission, and although fear began to overwhelm me, Allah guided me to utter the shahadah, followed by my head nodding in agreement.

I was disconnected from the devices around me, and the doctor left to prepare for the operation. At that same moment, there stood to my left a Lebanese nurse who seemed to feel sorry for me due to the situation I was in. Allah guided her to gently remind me:

‘Listen. Salli ‘ala al-Naby (send blessings on the Prophet), and your Lord will relieve it.”

Instantly, like anyone would respond, I said:

‘Allahumma sallee ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala Aali Muhammad.”

Just like that, I said it.

I said it and all the blood came down.

The signals indicated by the machines differed, and they were unsure as to what had occurred. They called the doctor back. He arrived, looked at the screen and said; ‘Shaykh Saleh, what we wanted to do and rid you of, Allah rid you of it from above the 7 heavens.’

This story is not about Saleh (the shaykh). It is about that woman whom Allah granted tawfeeq (success) to speak these simple words of reminder. And this is based on the teaching of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam), when Ubayy bin Ka’b said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries.”

And Allah saved us from this distress with the sending of peace and blessings on his Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam).

But again, this is not about me personally, it is about the success of this woman, so that we do not think poorly of the Muslim women. If someone were to see her guise and dress, they would not assume that she knew Allah even for the blink of an eye. While I, known as the Imam and khateeb of (masjid) Quba, it did not cross my mind to say those words.

_________________________________________________

The story carries messages that we ought to reflect on for a moment. From the advice of the nurse, we are brought back to the teaching of the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) to his companion, Ubayy bin Ka’b (radhiAllahu anhu), when he taught him that sending many salawaat on him is a cause of forgiveness and relief from worries.

Ubayy bin Ka`b relates: I said, “O Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam), I send much blessings on you. What proportion of my prayer should I devote to (sending blessings on) you?” He said, “As much as you like.”
I said, “A quarter?” He said, “As much as you like, and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then a half?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased then it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then two thirds?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries and your sins will be forgiven.”(Jami’ Tirmidhi).

From the Shaykh, there is an example of humbling oneself and accepting the advice of others, regardless of the position we hold.  Although he is a person of knowledge, this did not prevent him from heeding the advice of the nurse, responding with immediate action.

Finally, we should never underestimate the value of a simple word of advice. Whatever we know, an effort should be made to teach it to others.  Do not belittle a sincere reminder, of appropriate timing, to your Muslim brother and sister. It may have a dramatic effect on their spiritual well-being; on their heart. Perhaps even literally.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Written by Safia Farole, our newest MuslimMatters Associate writer. Please welcome sister Safia!

This time of year many Muslim students across the country graduate from colleges and universities. A lot of them sit through commencement speeches that are peppered with words of wisdom, reflection, and advice for life. Particularly, for undergraduate students commencement speeches mark the end of one’s formal education (unless they will be continuing on to graduate school) and the progression into the “real world.” Yet, with all the precious gems of good natured advice that are weaved throughout these speeches, hardly will you find words of reflection on the purpose of life and the significance of an educational degree in this endeavor. Understandably, most higher education institutions in the US are secular, so one shouldn’t expect commencement speeches that are laced with deep philosophical issues. I, myself having sat through several commencement speeches this spring, including my own, found that I was yearning to have things put into perspective.

What I came across in these speeches is that they were often structured by a theme, be it failure, imagination, legacy of women’s rights struggle, dance, or psychology. The question that kept coming to mind was what would a commencement speech be like if a Muslim student were graduating from a fully accredited Islamic University right here in the US? Inshallah, I believe that dream can one day be realized. But back to those speeches I had to sit through. As many other students will agree, the life advice found in these speeches, even as delivered by non-Muslims are often useful things to keep in mind as we enter an ever more challenging world. But as Muslims our entire religion is a code of ethics, and we cannot talk about advice and inspiration without acknowledging our link to our Creator. I came to the conclusion that the best commencement speech has already been delivered. It was delivered 1400 years ago by the best human being to walk this earth. In his final sermon, the Prophet Muhammad confirmed the delivery of his message, and he gave us true gems of wisdom that are essential for the Muslim throughout the journey of life. No one else can do it as succinctly as he. Below I share with you some of these timeless reminders from his last sermon that I’m sure graduates can also reflect on.

“O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.”

“Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.”

“O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you…Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.”

“O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.”

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.”

“So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, No Prophet or Apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.”

Now THAT is what I call a commencement speech for all time. I’ve selected only a few passages from the Messenger’s last sermon, but understand how comprehensive these brief words are. In the sermon he (SAW) reinforces for us the essentials of our living – following the Quran and his Sunnah. Furthermore he (SAW) covers the many forms of injustice that are perpetrated through acts of aggression, finance, relations with women and in interracial conflict. What is even more riveting about this sermon is that it is not bound by time or borders. Truly, the advice found in the sermon is one that the Muslim should keep in mind at any stage in life.

A college degree may not be worth what it was a couple of decades ago, but with it Muslim students are joining the ranks of an elite community, in a country where more people continue to obtain a bachelors degree. Some of this year’s graduates are going to continue education in professional schools (i.e. in medicine, law, pharmacy, etc.), others are going to graduate school (i.e. to earn a Masters degree, PhD, etc.), and the final group of graduates are going to hunker down in their parents home to ride out the recession and weather a bad job market. Whatever the scenario, upon completion of a degree the first thing a Muslim should say is “Alhamdulilah” – all praise is due to Allah, without whom we could not have accomplished anything. Thereafter, as the famous saying goes “with great power comes great responsibility.” As cliché as it sounds, knowledge is power, and with certainty most of us are leaving college having learned information or skills that are important for living. The next step is to use those skills to serve our communities. One thing I learned in my undergraduate experience is that universities and colleges are institutions that hold a lot of influence in the lives of ordinary citizens. Professors and lecturers have the ability to shape opinion and set the discourse on crucial issues, many of which have to do with Islam and Muslims. This is one reason why I urge Muslims to pursue positions in higher education – if we are not setting the narrative, it gets filled in a vacuum. A career in academia is not for everyone, and speaking from a podium in a lecture hall is not the only way to set the agenda concerning Muslim affairs. But whatever Muslim graduates decide to do, be a mentor. Help others in your community to navigate the currents of college life and inform them of the vast array of skills that the Ummah needs. I encourage Muslim students who are currently in college or college-bound to look beyond the confines of a career in professional fields such as medicine and law. Allah knows we need a lot of Muslim and Muslimah doctors and lawyers, but lets also invest in Muslim oceanographers, anthropologists and sociologists. All I’m saying is don’t limit yourself, explore your options and tailor that to your skill set. And whatever you do, don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments. Congratulations Muslim graduates of 2010!

Compiled by Abu Layth

Imam Muslim narrates the following hadith in his Sahih:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏قَالَ يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ فَيَقُولُ ‏ ‏مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ ‏

“Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Our Lord – Blessed and Exalted is He! – descends every night to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: Who is supplicating Me so that I may answer him? Who is asking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?”

Shaykh ul-Islam, Imam An-Nawawi says in his Sharh Sahih Muslim,

هَذَا الْحَدِيث مِنْ أَحَادِيث الصِّفَات , وَفِيهِ مَذْهَبَانِ مَشْهُورَانِ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ سَبَقَ إِيضَاحهمَا فِي كِتَاب الْإِيمَان وَمُخْتَصَرهمَا أَنَّ أَحَدهمَا وَهُوَ مَذْهَب جُمْهُور السَّلَف وَبَعْض الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ : أَنَّهُ يُؤْمِن بِأَنَّهَا حَقّ عَلَى مَا يَلِيق بِاَللَّهِ تَعَالَى , وَأَنَّ ظَاهِرهَا الْمُتَعَارَف فِي حَقّنَا غَيْر مُرَاد , وَلَا يَتَكَلَّم فِي تَأْوِيلهَا مَعَ اِعْتِقَاد تَنْزِيه اللَّه تَعَالَى عَنْ صِفَات الْمَخْلُوق , وَعَنْ الِانْتِقَال وَالْحَرَكَات وَسَائِر سِمَات الْخَلْق . وَالثَّانِي : مَذْهَب أَكْثَر الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ وَجَمَاعَات مِنْ السَّلَف وَهُوَ مَحْكِيّ هُنَا عَنْ مَالِك وَالْأَوْزَاعِيِّ : أَنَّهَا تُتَأَوَّل عَلَى مَا يَلِيق بِهَا بِحَسْب مَوَاطِنهَا . فَعَلَى هَذَا تَأَوَّلُوا هَذَا الْحَدِيث تَأْوِيلَيْنِ أَحَدهمَا : تَأْوِيل مَالِك بْن أَنَس وَغَيْره مَعْنَاهُ : تَنْزِل رَحْمَته وَأَمْره وَمَلَائِكَته كَمَا يُقَال : فَعَلَ السُّلْطَان كَذَا إِذَا فَعَلَهُ أَتْبَاعه بِأَمْرِهِ . وَالثَّانِي : أَنَّهُ عَلَى الِاسْتِعَارَة , وَمَعْنَاهُ : الْإِقْبَال عَلَى الدَّاعِينَ بِالْإِجَابَةِ وَاللُّطْف . وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَم . ‏

This hadith is from the hadith of the Sifat (of Allah  ), and regarding it there are two well known madhdhabs: the first, and it is the madhhab of the salaf and some of the Mutakallimin (scholars of kalam) that it is believe in their [i.e. the attributes] reality according to what befits Allāh ta’ala, and that the literal meaning that we commonly apply to ourselves is not what is meant, and that one does not speak regarding its interpretation while holding the belief that Allah   ta’alā is free from the attributes of the created, and from translocation, and movement, and the rest of the attributes of created beings. The second is the madhdhab of the majority of the Mutakallimīn, and a group from amongst the Salaf, and it is what is reported from Mālik and al-Awzā’ī that they are interpreted figuratively but only according to their appropriate contextual meanings. On this basis there are two interpretations (ta’wils). The first is the ta’wil of Imam Malik ibn Anas and other than he, that its meaning is the descent of His mercy and decree and His angels. [as is said regarding the Sultan ...] and the Second interpretation is that it is an Isti’arah (metaphor) to signifiy turning to (iqbal) to those who supplicate to Him with fulfillment by answering [the du'aa] and showing lutf (kindness, generosity) [to those beseeching Him].

[Sharh Sahih Muslim; Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, number 1261 of hadith.al-islam.com of Sahih Muslim]

Shaykh ul Islam, Imam An-Nawawi (qaddasa Allahu Ruhu) quotes Imam Malik and Al-Awza’i as making ta’wil, that is interpreting this hadith away from its literal meaning, as ‘the descent of His mercy and decree and His angels’. Note here that Imam An-Nawawi only quotes two schools:

1) The school that believes in these texts, without believing in their literal meaning, and to adopt silence in discussing them. This method is called tafwid.

2) The school that interprets them, and this is Imam Malik and Awza’i's reports.

He does not report a third school, a school revived in our time, that endorses the literal meaning – the meaning which entails corporeality and displacement for Allah – and us thus rejecting such a schools validity in Sunni creed!

Abu ‘Umar Ibn Abdul-Barr quotes in his Tamhid an authentic report from Imam Malik regarding this hadith:

“And it is reported from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Jabali, and he was from the trustworthy Muslims of Qayrawan who said, it was narrated to me from Jaami’ ibn Sawadah in Egypt saying, it was narrated to us from Mutarrif from Malik ibn Anas that he was asked about the hadith ‘Verily Allah descends at night to the heavens of the earth’, so Malik said, “His command descends!”

This was reported in At-Tamhid of Ibn Abdul-Barr Vol. 7 page 143, who says – even though quoting this – that the majority of the Imams of the Sunnah affirm this hadith saying ‘He descends just as Rasulullah said, while believing within his hadith, without delving into the modality (wa la yukayyifuna), though he says further down the page, “And it was said by a people of Ahlul-Athar also: ‘His command descends, and his mercy descends’. This was reported from Habib, the Katib (transcriber) of Malik, and other than him. And this was rejected by another group from them…[and he goes on saying that Allah does whatever He wills etc]…and then he quotes the above. Take note that Ibn Abdul-Barr was criticized in creed by the scholars of the Sunnah, especially by the Malikis, see Sidi Gibril’s brief bio of Ibn Abdul-Barr! Also take note that such literal belief was not affirmed by Shaykh ul Islam Imam An-Nawawi in his commentary of this hadith! Hafith Al-’Iraqi, the Shaykh of Hafith Ibn Hajr said of Ibn Abdul-Barr, “He is one of those who hold that Allah has a direction, therefore beware of him.” [Tarh At-Tathrib 2:382]

This exact wording quoted by Imam An-Nawawi from Imam Malik was also narrated without chain from Ibn Sayyid Al-Andalusi Al-Batluyusi in his work “Al-Insaaf”:

“And for this hadith there are two Sahih interpretations that do not allude to tashbih (likening Allah to the creation). The first is what was alluded to by Imam Malik rahimahullah [then he quotes as Imam An-Nawawi did]…”

Imam Ibn Sayyid Al-Andalusi, born 444 A.H. died in 521 A.H. during the reign of Amir Al-Mu’minin Ibn Tashfeen, starts his explanation of this hadith by saying,

“The Mujassimah (anthropomorphists) made his ‘nuzul‘ literal (haqiqi), exalted is Allah above what these oppressors [and in another manuscript - ignoramuses/Jahilun] ascribe to Allah ! And the ‘Arifin of Allah have consensus that Allah does not ‘displace’, as displacement is from the attributes of the temporal/created entities!” [page 84 of his Insaf, published by Dar Al-Fikr, Damascus]

To download this book of benefit click here.

I am currently only able to find two chains for this athar from Imam Malik, and it seems it is the only available regarding this specific issue:

1) The one mentioned by Ibn Abdul-Barr from Habib that he narrated without chain. The certain problem is with Habib, who is Habib ibn Abi Habib Abu Muhammad Al-Misri who is definitely questioned by the scholars of hadith. Ahmad declared him “not trustworthy”. Ibn Hajr said about him in his Taqrib, “Matruk (abandoned), declared a liar by Abu Dawud and a group [of scholars].” [entry 1087 mu'assasah ar-risalah] This certainly makes the chain rejected.

2) The second athar narrated with full chain by Ibn Abdul-Barr.

In Kashf Al-Al-Hathith the author quotes another athar that goes through Jami’ that is reported by Ibn Al-Jawzi who declared Jami’ to be “majhul – unknown”. Ibn Hajr in his Lisan Al-Mizaan says about him,

جامع بن سوادة عن آدم بن أبي إياس بخبر باطل في الجمع بين الزوجين كأنه آفته قال حدثنا آدم ثنا بن أبي ذئب عن الزهري عن أبي سلمة عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه مرفوعا من مشي في تزويج بن اثنين أعطاه الله بكل خطوة وبكل كلمة عبادة سنة ومن مشى في تفريق بين اثنين كان حقا على الله أن يضرب رأسه بألف

صخرة من جهنم خرج بن الجوزي هذا الحديث في الموضوعات من طريق محمد بن إسماعيل بن العباس الوراق وكان أحد الحفاظ الثقات عن علي بن محمد بن أحمد الفقيه عن جامع هذا وما عرفت علي بن محمد وروى له الدارقطني في غرائب مالك حديثا من وجهين عنه عن زهير بن عباد عن أحمد بن الحسين اللهبي عن عبد الملك بن الحكم عن مالك عن نافع عن بن عمر رفعه آخر من يدخل الجنة رجل من جهينة فيسأله أهل الجنة هل بقي أحد يعذب فيقول لا فيقول عند جهينة الخبر اليقين الدارقطني الحديث باطل وجامع ضعيف وكذا عبد الملك بن الحكم

He quotes here Imam Ad-Daraqutni who says in his Ghara’ib Imam Malik a report Daraqutni deems null (batil), and says about Jaami’, “Da’if (weak).” This weakening by Ad-Daraqutni was also quoted in Maqasid Al-Hasanah¹.

I could not find praise for Jaami’ and so it seems that this athar is weakened by him being present in the chain.

I saw in the Tahqiq of Risalat Al-Waafiyah of Abi Amru Ad-Dani by the pseudo-salafi Abi Anas Ar-Rashidi published by Dar-Al-Basirah, the claim that Mutarrif ibn Abdullah ibn Mutarrif  was weak, the nephew of Imam Malik ibn Anas. Ibn Abi Hatim reports from Abu Hatim that he said regarding him, “Honest (Saduq), but he mingled hadith.” Ibn ‘Adi said of him, “He reports manakir (which means singularly narrated narrations).” This is of course all that they quote regarding him. They do not however quote the view of Hafith Ibn Hajr  who says about him in his Taqrib, “Thiqah (impeccably trustworthy)”, and Ibn Hajr in his Tahthib refutes the claim of Ibn ‘Adi saying that the problem is not with Mutarrif but from an individual who reported from him named “Ahmad ibn Abi Dawud ibn Abi Salih Al-Harrani” who was a liar, so he argues that nothing is wrong with Mutarrif ibn Abdullah. They also do not quote the view of Imam Ad-Daraqutni who says about him, “Thiqah (impeccably trustworthy)” or the words of Ibn Sa’ad, “He was thiqah…” or the inclusion of him in Ibn Hibban’s Thiqaat! [Tahthib At-Tahthib of Hafith Ibn Hajr] So such an aspersion upon this chain is preposterous and uncalled for by the pseudo-salafis!

I have also seen people criticize Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Jabali, of whom Ibn Abdul-Barr says in his own chain of this hadith “He was from the thiqaat (trustworthy) Muslimin in Qayrawan!” Al-Khatib said of him, “It is said (qil) he is a rafidi!” Nevertheless they did not attack his memory, and this athar does not support his bida’ah, and Ibn Abdul-Barr knew what he was talking about considering he was from this man’s region and made such an open claim praising him.

Conclusion:

It seems, and Allah knows best, that this chain has weakness in it due to Jaami’ being from its narrators. This is not an extreme weakness though, as the pseudo-salafis would have us believe, for at worst he is da’if as Imam Ad-Daraqutni stated, and at best he is majhul. Mutarrif is thiqah, as is Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Jabali, even though some will boldly deceive to weaken this chain further. The first chain goes through Habib who was deemed abandoned. So it does not seem based upon the principles of hadith, that it could be utilized to strengthen the hadith of Jaami’.

Nevertheless, the language of Arabic does support such ta’wil as shown by Ibn Sayyid in his Al-Insaaf which you can download above. Such ta’wil was also validated in the language by Shaykhul-Islam Imam An-Nawawi in his Sharh. Imam An-Nawawi held that the safest opinion regarding the sifaat is to believe in them as they come, without believing the literal meanings as such would be tashbih, and remaining silent about its interpretations as he stated in his Sharh Sahih Muslim.

It is interesting to note that in the Risalat Al-Wafiyah of Abi ‘Amru Ad-Daniy there is an authentic athar from Nu’aym ibn Hammad and Ishaq ibn Rahuwayh (radiya Allahu anhuma) of them saying:

“Whoever likens Allah ta’ala to anything of His creation is a Kafir (disbeliever)!”

[Lalaka'i in Sharh Al-'Itiqad #936, with and authentic chain and Ibn 'Asakir in his Taarikh 17/612] Abi ‘Amru Ad-Daniy also says about the hadith of Nuzul,

“…and His nuzul is ‘how’ He wills, tabarak wa ta’ala, without hadd, without howness (takyif), and without ascribing to Him displacement (intiqaal), and without zawaal.” (pages 22-23)

May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad , his family, his companions and those who follow them until the hour Amin.

May Allah grant us all Tawfiq!

[Note this article is fluid and may be updated at a later time]

1. http://www.islamweb.net/hadith/display_hbook.php?hflag=1&bk_no=1849&pid=353638

1. Make repentance to Allah , devote to Him a day of fasting.
2. Make salawat upon the Prophet, for example: Allahuma ṣalli ‘ala Saydina Muḥammad, ‘abdika wa rasulika, Nabi ‘ummiyi, wa ‘ala alihi wa ṣaḥbihi wa salam. (O Allah , Bless our liegelord Muhammad, Your servant and messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, and his folk and Companions, and grant them peace.)
3. Petition Allah to spare the Ummah from disaster and to guide these people.
4. Petition scholars and community leaders to intervene and mediate.
5. Contact them yourselves (with compassion, gentleness, and adab); remember they are doing this because they feel threatened by us, believing us to be violent distorters of their truth and way of life:



I’ve tried several times to begin this article and this is my third attempt. I’m supposed to be writing about special needs parenting from an Islamic/Muslim/Spiritual point of view, and the challenge is finding a balance between the bitter and the sweet. I have had some experience, my son Khalid was born with autism, a neurological disorder with complex genetic causes and no known cure. He woke up crying every two hours from the day he was born until he was almost three. He learned how to talk just last year and he occasionally still freaks out if you laugh too loudly in his vicinity. He used to bang his head against windows and walls and cry until he threw up. He’s made wonderful progress, Alhamdulillah, but at the end of the day, he still has autism, and we still have our daily challenges.

It’s hard to understand autism from the outside, and to be fair, no two people are affected in the same way. On the severe end of the scale, there’s our friend Dan, who does not talk, cannot walk properly and was in diapers until 13. His parents put him in leather gloves to prevent him from biting his hands to the bone when he is frustrated. On the other end of the spectrum is our friend Zaina, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of autism that Hollywood likes – she’s extremely intelligent, is physically normal, but so socially impaired that she barely talks, cannot make eye contact, and cannot even begin to understand the complexities of interacting with other people. My son Khalid is somewhere in the middle. He has his funny quirks, but he can pass for physically normal unless he’s spinning in circles or flapping his hands. He’s no genius, and his mental age may be behind his physical age, but he’s slowly learned his ABC’s and even attempts to play with other children. Alhamdulillah, his autism is moderate.

In the two years since his diagnosis, I’ve learned more about patience and trust in Allah than I had in my entire life before that, and having a child with autism has been a blessing that I cannot imagine living without. I’m sure there’s more to learn still, but I know that once upon a time, I thought waiting for an hour was a long wait. Until a few months ago, putting Khalid to bed took an average of an hour and a half every night – sometimes less, often more. I would sit next to him, or lie down next to him, and wait for the screaming, bouncing, kicking, pinching and crying to fade into silence. And I had to sit quietly, and not move or talk, and do my best to imitate some sort of maternal rock as the storm of Khalid battered against it.

I didn’t do a very good job at first, I would yell at him to lay down, and he would become scared and cry. So I would yell more, and he would scream, and I would yell more, and it would escalate until he would be shaking with fear and I with rage and at some point it occurred to me that my own son was genuinely terrified and couldn’t understand why he was being yelled out. And then, Allah gave me sabr, and then a diagnosis, and then the understanding that Khalid wasn’t disobeying, he just had no idea what was going on.

Even today, when Khalid is having a weird night and half an hour turns into an hour and a half, I just sit in the dark and do dhikr, or plan the next day, or think, and if he’s still not tired after about two hours, we just get up and go play for a bit. I’ll have a glass of water and maybe even a cookie. Khalid will get on the computer (yes, he uses the computer) and play games for as long as is takes for him to start looking tired, after which we’ll go back to bed again. And I’ll sit next to him in the dark, and he’ll roll around and count his toes, or sing quietly to himself, and occasionally he’ll sit up to make sure I’m still there, but eventually he will doze off and I can finally get to bed, sometimes three or four hours after we “went to bed.” And before you accuse me of being exceptional, Aal’s mother spends three hours just feeding him, three times a day. And he still hits himself.

Yes, I have a lot of stories. We autism moms tend to gravitate towards one another, not because we have a manifesto or a secret handshake, but because at the end of the day when your child took off their dirty diaper in the mall and got lost in the parking lot and wouldn’t eat their lunch because some of the carrots were too orange, no one else will understand you except for another autism mom.

Another mother, Noura, called me a few weeks ago, and she had that quiver in her voice that we all get from time to time when we need to break down a bit so that we can put ourselves back together. She had been trying to get her daughter into a school, and no school would take her. She had been trying to get her daughter into a swimming class, but when she went for her first trial, the instructor refused to accept a child with “such behaviors.” Noura had been running desperately from one place to another to get her daughter accepted into social and educational programs of any sort, because her daughter will be turning eight and has never been to school. She told me these things crying over the phone, frustrated and burnt out and just needing to hear something to keep her going. “I just don’t know,” she kept saying, “I don’t know what else I can do.”

I didn’t know what else she could do either, except for what I do, which is to ask Allah for help. We have been told that a child’s Jannah is beneath his or her mother’s feet, but in some cases, a mother’s Jannah may be beneath the feet of her special needs child. And perhaps the father’s too, Allahu Aalim. The tables get turned on both parents, and those who were relying on their grown children for care in their old age are instead preparing to care for grown children who cannot feed, bathe, or even clothe themselves. Instead of looking forward to retirement, parents dread the time when they can no longer earn an income to support their children.

If you want to see an adult cry, ask a father or mother what will happen to their special needs daughter or son after they die. If you could see inside of their head, you would see an exploding matrix of questions, fears, worries, and desperate plans. You would re-read every news story you’ve ever read of neglect or abuse, or even rape, of special needs adults by paid caretakers who take advantage of individuals who do not know how to defend themselves or even speak. You would hear the point and counterpoint of a mind divided between wanting more children who could potentially care for the child, versus not wanting to risk having another child with the same genetically linked condition. You would see mental excel sheets tallying savings and money spent on current treatments versus saved for future life-long care, and money not saved for the education of the other children, and you would see a lot of figures in red. Special needs parenting is expensive. And scary. But here’s something unexpected – it’s also beautiful, and humbling, and when undertaken with trust in Allah and faith in His decisions, it is the catalyst for spiritual evolution.

Recognizing that our special-needs children are a trial as well as an opportunity to earn blessings, we are able to change the stories we tell ourselves. When we look at our children, and Shaitaan whispers “Why you? Why your child? How could God do this to you? It’s not fair,” we can bravely answer back. Allah chose me for this because He knew I could handle it, and He never gives anyone more than they can bear. I am not Khalid’s Rabb, Allah is, and when I die, He will look after Khalid with a love seventy times greater than my own. I can only save so much money and teach his sister to look out for him only so much. Khalid’s care is with Allah. His rizq is with his Lord. And he may never learn how to work and he may never get married or hold a job, and he may die alone, or he may die before I do, but he will be raised as an innocent – one who will be exempt from the fear of judgment because he never knew what sin was. If he never had a job, then he will never be asked about his wealth. If he never speaks, he will not be asked about lying. And these things are terrifying for me to think of, to type even, but I know that Allah has given my son autism for a reason, and all of Allah’s reasons are good reasons.

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Allah `azza wa jall said: ‘Verily, from amongst My slaves is he whose faith cannot be rectified except by being inflicted with poverty, and were I to enrich him, it would surely corrupt him.

Verily, from amongst My slaves is he whose faith cannot be rectified except by wealth and affluence, and were I to deprive him, it would surely corrupt him.

Verily, from amongst My slaves is he whose faith cannot be rectified except by disease and illness, and were I to make him healthy, it would surely corrupt him.

Verily, from amongst My slaves is he who seeks worship by a certain act but I prevent that from him so that self-amazement does not enter his heart. Certainly, I run the affairs of My slaves by My Knowledge of what is in their hearts. Certainly, I am the All-Knower, All-Aware.‘”

[Reported by al-Tabarani]

Sometimes, when I look at Khalid I wonder what life would be like if he were ‘normal.’ He has the most enormous, beautiful brown eyes. He skin is a light olive, he has silky dark hair and a smile that could melt the polar ice caps. Perhaps normalcy would be too dangerous for Khalid. Or maybe he would be fine, maybe the autism is for me. I know with absolute certainty that if my son did not have autism, I would not have been a dedicated parent and a desperate Muslim. If I had not been pushed through fear for his future and hardship through the present, I would never have understood what it really meant to pray. My trust in Allah and acknowledgement of his Rububiyya (Lordship) would never have moved beyond the superficial. Can you dread for your child’s future without losing hope in Allah’s mercy? Is your taqwa greater than your fear?

It has taken me some time, but I can finally thank Allah for Khalid’s autism. It may save him from accountability , and it has definitely saved me from living in the unreal world – one where I care more about my child’s postgraduate degree than his iman. And while I have an entire lifetime of challenges to look forward to, I am keeping faith that Allah intends nothing but good for Khalid and I. If that means waiting until the resurrection to see my son as a normal young man, then so be it. Khalid and I will meet again at Al-Kauthar, and sit in Jannah with an eternity of ease to make up for one small lifetime of hardship.

May Allah have mercy on all Muslims, and ease whatever difficulties they are facing, and strengthen their iman and increase them in sabr, and reunite them with their loved ones in the company of the righteous. Ameen.

“Ku membiarkan hatiku untuk merindui-Mu, Ku menghamparkan sakitku untuk tatapan Kamu, Bersama-Mu harapanku, Hilang dalam terang yang membutakanku, Aku lemah tanpa Kamu, Ku ingin-Mu dampingi ku, Aku fahami aku bukan terbaik untuk diri-Mu, Aku menunggu cinta dari-Mu, Agar ku sempurna, Dan mungkin hari yang satu, Terus ku tertunggu, Hanya satu…”

by Yasmin Mogahed

There is a time of night when the whole world transforms. During the day, chaos often takes over our lives. The responsibilities of work, school, and family dominate much of our attention. Other than the time we take for the five daily prayers, it is hard to also take time out to reflect or even relax. Many of us live our lives at such a fast pace, we may not even realize what we’re missing.

But there is a time of night when work ends, traffic sleeps, and silence is the only sound. At that time—while the world around us sleeps—there is One who remains awake and waits for us to call on Him. We are told in the hadith qudsi:

“Our Lord descends during the last third of each night to the lower heaven, and says: ‘Is there anyone who calls on Me that I may respond to him? Is there anyone who asks Me that I may give unto him? Is there anyone who requests My Forgiveness that I may forgive him?’” (Bukhari and Muslim)

One can only imagine what would happen if a king were to come to our door, offering to give us anything we want. One would think that any sane person would at least set their alarm for such a meeting. If we were told that at exactly one hour before dawn a check for $10,000,000 would be left at our doorstep, would we not wake up to take it?

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has told us that at this time of night, just before dawn, He will come to His servants.  Imagine this. The Lord of the universe has offered us a sacred conversation with Him. That Lord waits for us to come speak with Him, and yet many of us leave Him waiting while we sleep in our beds. Allah (swt) comes to us and asks what we want from Him. The Creator of all things has told us that He will give us whatever we ask.

And yet we sleep.

There will come a day when this veil of deception will be lifted. The Qur’an says:

“[It will be said], You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.” (Qur’an 50:22).

On that Day, we will see the true reality. On that Day, we will realize that two rak`at (units) of prayer were greater than everything in the heavens and the earth. We will realize the priceless check that was left on our doorstep every night as we slept. There will come a day when we would give up everything under the sky just to come back and pray those two rak`at.

There will come a day when we would give up everything we ever loved in this life, everything that preoccupied our hearts and minds, every mirage we ran after, just to have that conversation with Allah. But on that Day, there will be some from whom Allah (swt) will turn away… and forget, as they had once forgotten Him.

The Qur’an says:

“He will say, ‘My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?’ [Allah] will say, ‘Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.’” (Qur’an, 20:125-126) In Surat al-Mu’minoon, Allah says: “Do not cry out today. Indeed, by Us you will not be helped.” (Qur’an, 23:65)

Can you imagine for a moment what these ayat (verses) are saying? This is not about being forgotten by an old friend or classmate. This is about being forgotten by the Lord of the worlds. Not hellfire. Not boiling water. Not scalded skin. There is no punishment greater than this.

And as there is no punishment greater than this, there is no reward greater than what the Prophet ﷺ describes in the following hadith:

“When those deserving of Paradise would enter Paradise, the Blessed and the Exalted would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say: Hast Thou not brightened our faces? Hast Thou not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Fire? He would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would be dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.” [Sahih Muslim]

But one does not need to wait until that Day to know the result of this nighttime meeting with Allah (swt). The truth is, there are no words to describe the overwhelming peace in this life from such a conversation. One can only experience it to know. Its effect on one’s life is immeasurable. When you experience qiyam, the late night prayer the rest of your life transforms. Suddenly, the burdens that once crushed you become light. The problems that were irresolvable become solved.

And that closeness to your Creator, which was once unreachable, becomes your only lifeline.

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This was a letter written on the occasion of a new circle opening in Tampa, Florida, for people to gather for what the Shadhili tariqa knows as a “Latifiyya“.  Typically it is held once a week, people recite the name Al-Latif a thousand or so times, there is a group, and a brief lecture.

The command to call on Allah by the Beautiful Names, the Attributes by which He makes Himself known to His creation, is of a general nature.  A question that might arise is whether this is enough to justify the practice you have all gathered to celebrate in, namely calling on the name al-Laṭif one-thousand times and participating in a prayer shared in one voice appealing to Allah to manifest Himself by the subtle quality of His Gentleness to His creation and to exalt the immense rank of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his folk in every moment and time.  There will be some who deny that this is enough because of their understanding that only the practice of the Prophet was sound, and that everything beyond what he approved of is cut-off.  The basis for their claim is the hadith: “Beware of matters newly begun, for every matter newly begun is innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in hell.”  While I appreciate the care and concern in preserving the authenticity of the religion that this view shows, it is problematic for a number of reasons, particularly if it were to be used to censor the gatherings of group remembrance that have been practiced by pious Muslims for centuries.  Perhaps the most straightforward evidence against this notion is another hadith:

من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها بعده من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شيء ومن سن في الإسلام سنة سيئة كان عليه وزرها ووزر من عمل بها من بعده من غير أن ينقص من أوزارهم شيء ‏

“Whoever institutes a good practice in Islam has its reward and the reward of all those who practice it until the day of judgement without lessening the rewards of the latter. And whoever institutes a bad practice in Islam bears its onus and the onus of all those who practice it until the day of judgement without lessening the onus of the latter.” [Narrated from Jarir ibn Abdullah in Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and Ad-Darimi]

The meaning of the word sanna in this hadith is ‘to start an act without precedent’. This was also used by the Prophet Muhammad when he said that the son of Adam was the first to commit murder (Awwalu man sanna Al-qatl) as reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

[Note: The pseudo-salafis argue that this hadith was specifically said in the case of giving charity, and is thus restricted to such. This is correct, however, irrelevant  to the evidentiary aspect of the hadith as the scholars of Usul maintain that 'The import of the evidence is in its generality, not [limited] to the context in which it took place.’ (Al-’Ibratu lil-’Umum, la li-Asbab Al-Wurud) Another false argument by them is that what is meant is “whoever revives a Sunnah”, yet this is not what the hadith says linguistically, and these nay-sayers have no proof that this hadith means such.]

And another hadith that serves to contextualise the condemnation of new practices to those that contradict what is already established as part of the religion, “Whoever innovates something into this matter of ours which does not belong in it will have it rejected”. [Bukhari, Muslim, and others]

So from this hadith we can draw the analysis of the “opposite” that if someone does innovate something into this matter of ours that belongs in it, will have it accepted. Shaykh Nur-Ad-Din Al-’Itr said of this hadith, “This hadith is the clearest proof for the innovation of guidance!“

Coupled with the numerous hadiths that praise those who gather to remember Allah , the numerous examples of Prophetic companions who introduced their own practices both during and after the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his folk), and the simple fact that the scholars of our religion from every one of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, & Hanbali) have vouched for the permissibility and merit of such gatherings; my personal conviction is that such gatherings as this are of those that are accepted and rewarded by Allah , Mighty and Majestic.

General examples from the words of the Prophet Muhammad include the following narrations:

عن ‏ ‏أبي هريرة ‏ ‏أو ‏ ‏عن ‏ ‏أبي سعيد الخدري ‏ ‏قال ‏قال رسول الله ‏ ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏إن لله ملائكة ‏ ‏سياحين ‏ ‏في الأرض ‏ ‏فضلا ‏ ‏عن كتاب الناس فإذا وجدوا أقواما يذكرون الله تنادوا ‏ ‏هلموا ‏ ‏إلى ‏ ‏بغيتكم ‏ ‏فيجيئون ‏ ‏فيحفون ‏ ‏بهم إلى السماء الدنيا فيقول الله على أي شيء تركتم عبادي يصنعون فيقولون تركناهم يحمدونك ويمجدونك ويذكرونك قال فيقول فهل رأوني فيقولون لا قال فيقول فكيف لو رأوني قال فيقولون لو رأوك لكانوا أشد تحميدا وأشد تمجيدا وأشد لك ذكرا قال فيقول وأي شيء يطلبون قال فيقولون يطلبون الجنة قال فيقول وهل رأوها قال فيقولون لا قال فيقول فكيف لو رأوها قال فيقولون لو رأوها لكانوا أشد لها طلبا وأشد عليها حرصا قال فيقول فمن أي شيء يتعوذون قالوا يتعوذون من النار قال فيقول هل رأوها فيقولون لا فيقول فكيف لو رأوها فيقولون لو رأوها لكانوا أشد منها هربا وأشد منها خوفا وأشد منها تعوذا قال فيقول فإني أشهدكم أني قد غفرت لهم فيقولون إن فيهم فلانا الخطاء لم يردهم إنما جاءهم لحاجة فيقول هم القوم لا يشقى لهم جليس ‏

“Narrated from Abu Hurayrah or Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri that Rasululah (saaws) said, “Allah has angels that go throughout the earth in addition to the angels that write the deeds of the people (kuttab). So when they find a group of people doing dhikr of Allah , they call to one another: “Come to that which you have been seeking! They will come and cover them up to the lowest heaven…” [Sunan Tirmidhi english edition 3600, Bukhari, Muslim with different wordings though the same meanings]

And also:

‏ ‏الْأَغَرِّ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ ‏ ‏أَنَّهُ شَهِدَ عَلَى ‏ ‏أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏ ‏وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ‏أَنَّهُمَا شَهِدَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ‏ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏ ‏أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ ‏مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا ‏ ‏حَفَّتْ ‏ ‏بِهِمْ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمْ الرَّحْمَةُ وَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ السَّكِينَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمْ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ ‏

Al-Agharr Abu Muslim narrated that he bears witness, from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, that they bore witness, from Rasulillah (saaws) that he said:

“There is no group of people that remembers Allah , except that the angels encompass them, mercy covers them, and tranquility descends upon them; and Allah makes mention of them before those who are with Him.” [Muslim in his Sahih and Tirmidhi in His Sunan  english edition 3378]

إن لله تعالى سيارة من الملائكة يطلبون حِلَقَ الذكر، فإذا أتَوا عليهم حفُّوا بهم

“That Rasulullah (‘alayhis salam) said, “Verily Allah sends out angels seeking the gatherings of dhikr, and when they come upon them, they encompass them.” [Reported by Al-Bazzar and Al-Haythami said it was "Hasan"]

[Note: If one would like more proofs for congregational dhikr Imam As-Suyuti's treatise on the issue has been translated into English.]

Muslims the world over sing poetry together, poetry that is virtuous in meaning from masters both ancient and contemporary, and this is not condemned.  The idea that gathering to remember Allah as a group is condemnable is awkward when both the litany that we recite here and religious songs and poetry are not unalike in being the composition of mortals rather than Divine Revelation — particularly when performing this litany obviously falls within the general commandment to make use of the Beautiful Names by which Allah adorns Himself in the Qur’an.  The generality of the hadith cautioning us to avoid matters of blameworthy innovation is simply not enough to restrict the generality of the command to call on Allah by His Names: this has been the understanding of the scholars of this Ummah from past to present.  And Allah is the Most Knowledgable of those possessing knowledge.

Dhikr, or remembrance (particularly in the context of religious meditation, awareness, learning, invocation, and reflection), possess a light, a beatitude, and a remedy for the one engaged in it.  That these gatherings uplift and illuminate the heart, and facilitate matters in both our daily and religious lives by the blessing and sanctity attached to the object of our remembrance, has been attested to even in my own personal observation of those who attend such gatherings regularly.  When our own teacher was asked for a commentary on the Laṭifiyya, his reply was that the people who attend the Laṭifiyya are its commentary.  The unanimous verdict of the spiritual masters of Islam is that those who remember Allah have more than those who fail to do so, and those who gather for the sake of Allah have more than those who attach themselves to pettiness.  The sheer act of remembering Allah is a manifestation of Allah ’s love for the one He bestows that success.  The lantern of gnosis and Imam by scholarly consensus, Junayd of Baghdad, declared that belief in the spiritual path is a form of sainthood in and of itself.  Another Shaykh of our spiritual chain, Ibn ‘Ata Illah al-Iskandari, advised us never to despair of calling on Allah as those who knock at the door are nearly inside. Those who immerse themselves and give themselves fully to the Laṭifiyya are certainly knocking on a mighty door.  May we remain in each other’s prayers.  And all praise belongs to Allah , the Lord of all being.

I recently posted an article entitled “The Ease and Simplicity of Islam“. It was actually one chapter of a booklet I wrote but did not publish yet, “Top Ten Reasons why I love Islam”. In the next chapter, I explored the other perspective, which is also a major reason why I love Islam, its depth and vastness in terms of knowledge:

Despite Islam being a simple religion to understand and practice, it is at the same time very deep for those who love intellectual pursuits. Islam caters for all types of people, as a result it is simple in the basics, yet for anyone who wishes to learn more, the sciences of Islam are so many and so deep that you can study them all of your life without running out of books and topics to study.

Islam is the ultimate gift for those seeking intellectual challenges. It is so deep that the knowledge of Islam is often described as an ocean without any shores. Islam has many sciences to choose from in your studies, perhaps you would like to study the Aqeedah (belief system) of Islam in depth. This would include studying the many books on Tawheed, prophethood, the after life, angels, jinn and destiny, as well as the deviant sects, their beliefs and refutation. There are many books on each of these topics, some basic that all Muslims must read, and others in more details for those who want to learn more.

Perhaps you would like to understand the Quran better. This would mean studying the many books of Usool-Tafseer (principles of interpretation), the many translations of its meaning and the many books of Tafseer (interpretation). Again, the basic message of the Quran is simple and easy for anyone to understand, yet if you study all these fields, you will keep discovering more and more depth in the meanings of each verse.

Perhaps you would like to study the hadith in detail. This would mean learning the Usool-Hadith, learning which hadith are weak, fabricated and which are authentic, studying the many books of hadith and the many books explaining them. There are thousands of hadith, and sometimes you will find entire books explaining just one hadith! Again, hadith are generally short and sweet and easy to understand, yet they can be very deep for those who wish to explore their depth even more.

Perhaps you would like to study Fiqh (Islamic law) in detail. This would mean studying the Usool-Fiqh, the many opinions on each issue, the different dimensions and situations involved, the relevant hadith and Quranic verses and to figure out the strongest opinion on each issue. The study of this area can consume your entire life, yet the basic knowledge of this science can be found in just one or two books, however it can get very deep for those looking for a challenge.

Perhaps you would like to study Islamic history in detail. You can study the lives of so many prophets, companions and great Islamic scholars and personalities and learn from their beautiful examples. You can also study the history of the Islamic civilization and its impact on science and education. You will not find any other religion, which has so much information about their prophets and heroes. The books of Islam can teach you minute details about the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) life, physical descriptions and mannerisms, as well as deep lessons learnt from all these things.

As one can see, there is so much to learn about Islam, Islam is simple and easy to practise for the average person yet so deep and amazing that you can never run out of things to study. It is this depth that attracts many intellectuals to Islam.