For all the faithful massive, I am delighted to tell you that the long wait is almost over:
I’ve just received this poster right now and I understand that various retailers will be getting hold of the boxset through PG in the next few weeks which is when advertising properly starts on TV and the internet etc.
Anyway, forget all the deeni content, trust me you’ll want this boxset just for my baistee being done in the two hours of outtakes at the end…
June 29, 2009 at 7:27 pm
ALLAHU AKHBAR!!
June 29, 2009 at 8:35 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/8123749.stm
so who didn’t check their wallets after reading this???
June 29, 2009 at 9:33 pm
SubhanAllah Iread top part first and was wow adab classes starting again, then went down the page and was erm ok!
June 30, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Same here! I react the same way whenever I see the words – AL ADAB AL MUFRAD. I’m chuffed the box set is out though alhamdulillah.
June 29, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I thought the same as you Akhi.
So Dear Sheikh, when will you be re-starting the adab classes?
June 30, 2009 at 4:50 am
Assalamua’laikum Ustadh Abu Eesa,
Masha’Allah the boxset looks great, I hope many people benefit from it insha’Allah.
Wa BarakAllahu Fik.
Remember me in your Dua’s.
June 30, 2009 at 7:54 am
out takes cool cant wait what else is on there??? bsides the lessons.ya sheikh is ok if i copy the image and send the image to friends and family? btw way how much is the cost? if directly brought from pg?
ps any student discount
June 30, 2009 at 7:55 am
60 qid maybe
June 30, 2009 at 10:09 am
June 30, 2009 at 10:18 am
June 30, 2009 at 11:26 am
One of AE’s old posts on the blessed month of Ramadaan.
There are things in life which are not very important, those which are quite important and then those things which are absolutely vital for our collective well-being.
Let this be a reminder to me and anyone else who wishes to read on – there is simply nothing more vital for us in our very short and limited lives than to take absolute maximum benefit from the blessed month of Ramadhân.
The really interesting thing about the statement of Allah, the Most High:
“So remind (them), for indeed the reminder benefits those who have faith,” [Al-Qur'ân 51:55]
is that those who have the pure characteristics of faith do indeed benefit, even though human nature by itself would seem to oppose that. Isn’t that sadly true? When someone believes they know what to do, they don’t necessarily appreciate being told again how to do it. If someone believes that they’ve heard everything they need to hear, it takes a seriously patient and magnanimous person to sit there and hear it again.
By now we’ve certainly heard all the Prophetic narrations on the blessings of this very special time; a time in which our righteous ones delight as the gates of Paradise are flung open, and in which our sinful ones breathe a sigh of relief and take time to reflect as the gates of Hell are locked up.
So at this moment of clarity, where the stomachs, hearts, eyes, ears, tongue and mind are all enjoying their greatest moment of purity, let us all try and make sure that we profit from the following points gleaned from the advice of our Pious Predecessors …
1. Make sure that this blessed month becomes a period of accounting for your actions, a revision of your daily routine, an opportunity for the betterment of your life for all your years to come. To enter Ramadhân not believing it to be so will be a total loss. You’ve actually made it all the way here now, so let’s reap the harvest! Think about all those who were aiming for this month but found a dark grave instead. Reflect on all those who woke in the morning but found that their evenings never materialised.
Consider for just a second as our scholars said: if you can’t change your ways and gain at such a blessed time then at what time will you change?!
2. Try to make sure you perform all of the tarâwîh prayers in congregation for the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Whoever prays with the Imam until he leaves, it is written for him that he prayed the entire night.”
3. Do not be wasteful or extravagant with your wealth, for not only is that impermissible, but you reduce the opportunities of giving more in charity for which you could be rewarded for. They said about the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he gave in charity especially during Ramadhân like the one who didn’t fear or even recognise poverty.
4. Commit yourself to continue after Ramadhân that which you have prepared yourself to do during Ramadhân. The salaf would say:
“The sign of one’s fasting being accepted from him in Ramadhân is the continuation of his good actions and character after Ramadhân.”
5. Remember: this is a month of worship and hence action, not lethargy and sleeping. This is even more relevant here in the West considering winter is so close with its short days and long nights. It is well known from the Companions, in emulation of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, that they used to say:
“Reap the benefit of winter by fasting its days and standing (in prayer) during the nights.”
6. Make your tongue habitual in the dhikr of Allah so that you don’t become from those:
” … who do not remember Allah except little.”
7. When you feel the pangs of hunger, just remember how weak you actually are, how dependent you are upon food and other such necessities from the immense blessings of Allah, may He be glorified.
8. Make a concerted effort to permanently leave that which doesn’t benefit you, but rather causes you harm. This is even more so when you are fasting. Maymûn used to say:
“The weakest of fasts is that in which only food and drink is left out.”
9. Remember: your actions are a trust from Allah so audit yourself like any successful company does; have you performed and fulfilled your deeds as is deserving of them? This obviously applies to all our actions such as prayer, dhikr, manners but particularly fasting. Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“Our fasts need istighfâr to make up for their deficiencies, and good deeds to intercede for them.”
10. Hasten to seek forgiveness from those whom you have oppressed in any way, before they take from your (very few) good deeds. Don’t forget, the greatest oppressive tool is the tongue so tether it as strongly as possible. Sha’bi narrated that ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“Fasting is not just refraining from food and drink, but refraining from lying, falsehood, backbiting and swearing (by Allah).”
Abu al-’Âliyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, used to say:
“The fasting one is in a continual state of worship until he says about another person that which they would not like to hear.”
11. Strive to feed the fasting one so that you can obtain a reward equal to his. Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to always break his fast sharing with the poor; if any of his family tried to prevent him from that, he would refuse to spend the night with them. It was also reported from him that whenever someone would come to him asking for food, he would give them his share and then return home to find his family had eaten what was left of food in his house. He would not let on and would end his fasting day without eating anything.
12. Know that Allah is the Most Generous and that He is the Most Merciful. He accepts the repentance of the penitent, more so than ever at such a special time.
13. If you have committed a sin or done something wrong which Allah, may He be glorified, has concealed for you from the people, know that this is an opportunity for you to seek repentance for those mistakes. Hasten to seek forgiveness and make sure that you do not return back to that sin.
14. Try to increase your knowledge of the explanation of the Qur’ân (tafsîr), the narrations of the Messenger, his biography (sîrah), and the principles of our religion – to seek such sacred knowledge is one of the highest forms of worship.
15. Stay away from such company and people which don’t benefit you; try to accompany righteous good folk as much as you can. Good people always spread their blessings to others.
16. Going significantly early to the Mosques is a sign of great love and desire to please Allah; a sign that you are in need of him at all times, not just those times in which all the congregation are together. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“The Companions would often spend much of their fast in the Mosque so as to purify it (i.e. purify the fast itself from useless talk, gossip, backbiting etc).”
17. Pay attention to those who are under your authority such as your family, guiding them to that which will benefit them in their dîn, for they will far more willingly take their example from you than from other people.
18. Do not go to extremes by preparing many different dishes for the iftâr meal. This leaves the women of the house no opportunity to benefit during the daytime of Ramadhân such as reciting the Qur’ân etc., especially if they are just busy cooking all day.
19. Reduce the amount of time you spend shopping in the night-time during Ramadhân, especially the last ten nights. This will prevent you wasting your time at such a precious and blessed period of your life.
20. Strive to spend these last ten special nights of Ramadhân standing in prayer. Remember: there is one particular night amongst these ten, known as laylat al-qadr which is in fact greater than a thousand months of worship. Surely to hit the jackpot on such a night is beyond our wildest dreams yet it is a jackpot available to everyone with no need to purchase a ticket and no need to take any risk – that’s gambling dîn style.
21. Don’t forget that ‘Eid is a special day of thanksgiving to our Lord, so don’t make it a day where you lose control of yourself, wasting all the good works of your heart and soul as it kept your desires in check for the entire month.
22. Set aside for yourself, even but for a small time, a period of isolation in the mosque known as i’tikâf – you will probably never enjoy such an intensely beneficial period for your soul to reflect upon how it is so cultured by day-to-day life in the 21st Century. This period of respite for the heart, mind and soul will allow you to replenish your vital organs with what they really need – the elixir of life which is nothing other than to be immersed in the worship of Allah, the Most Exalted.
23. On the festive day of ‘Eid as you enjoy yourself with your family, take a brief moment to remember all those brothers and sisters of ours who are orphans, stricken by poverty, famine and war. Know that if you have the ability to make a difference, hasten to such an excellent deed; if you are unable, do not forget to thank Allah for His unlimited favours He bestows upon us.
24. Set aside for yourself regular days of fasting throughout the year – don’t just make your relationship with fasting limited to Ramadhân only. Now that you have seen the rewards on offer for the fasting one, his special entrance of ar-rayyân in Paradise, his supplication which is not rejected, his closeness to his Lord during his fast, his moment of joy as he breaks it, his increased ability to refrain from the bad and embrace the good – now that you’ve actualised these benefits, carry them over to the six days of Shawwâl just after Ramadhân which is equivalent to fasting the entire year! Don’t forget also the middle three ‘bright’ days of every month, Mondays and Thursdays when our actions are presented to our Lord, as well as a host of other special occasions to double up from such as the Days of ‘Arafah, Tâsû’ah, ‘Âshûrâ’ etc.
25. Finally, reflect upon your overall condition; make an audit of all your daily affairs so that you can identify areas for improvement and rectification. These will include: sticking to the congregational prayers, paying zakât fully and on time, maintaining your family ties, being honourable with the parents, being mindful of your neighbours, rectifying old feuds and problems between previous friends and colleagues, cutting out extravagance and the wasting of wealth, culturing and educating those under your guardianship, being concerned with the affairs of your fellow Muslim brothers and sisters around the world, delighting in and then acting upon sincere advice, protecting oneself for riyâ’ (showing off), loving for your brother that which you love for yourself, not allowing yourself to fall into the trap of backbiting others. Carry on reciting the Qur’ân and reflecting deeply upon its meanings and last but certainly not least, humble yourself as you listen to His Words being recited.
The list could simply go on and on – surely there are enough points here to make even the most heedless one reflect upon their state and consider changing their actions for the better.
O Allah, give us the ability and strength to make this Ramadhân our Ramadhân, a time for change and maturity, a time for quality and success, amîn.
May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon His Beloved Messenger, his family and all those who follow in his footsteps until the Final Day.
June 30, 2009 at 12:44 pm
salam
i thought the same – when the classes bk on?
June 30, 2009 at 12:56 pm
If you care for your religion
It is reported that Ibn Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “Whoever wants to honor his religion and do good to it should avoid mixing with the ruler or sitting with the followers of desires (heretics, people of bid’ah), for sitting with them is more contagious than scabies.”
Ibn Waddâh, Al-Bida’ p136.
June 30, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I once watched a video of Hamza Yusuf in which during the Q&A session after it he was asked why he does not follow the prophetic tradition of trimming the moustache and letting the beard grow.
He became quite agitated and if I can remember correctly he said that he did nit get facial hair on his cheeks therefore could not grow a full beard.
Could somebody close to him possibly comment on this because everytime this is questioned I defend him on the basis of his reply to that question.
June 30, 2009 at 6:55 pm
perhaps defend him anyway without needing confirmation and furthermore make even more excuses for him inshaAllah
there are many brothers out there who just aren’t hairy.. may be hard for some to understand….espeically within the asian community..but some brothers don’t naturally have hair follicles extending from the chin to the side burns
June 30, 2009 at 5:56 pm
abu eesa does the boxset contain every single episodes of season 1 all 34? or watelse does it contain
June 30, 2009 at 11:05 pm
How many seasons have been completed?
July 1, 2009 at 5:28 am
Assalaam ‘Alaykum,
I was wondering which of these is a better purchase of the book?
I ran into two versions:
http://islamicbookstore.com/b8475.html
http://islamicbookstore.com/b2895.html
(just a sidenote there are a lot of random comments not having much to do with the topic..)
July 1, 2009 at 11:34 am
Lol thats so funny, are there really outakes at the end? hehe
July 2, 2009 at 4:26 am
the brother or sister asking regarding the two versions of adab al mufrad.there are many more not just to.my opinion will be UK Islamic Academy 1 its a good translation.as regards to Al-Saadawi Publications im not sure regarding the translation aswell as the publishers english mite be poor like ours isnt
July 2, 2009 at 4:28 am
kitaabun.com
July 2, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Salaamalaykum
!!!!!!!! I’ve waited three years for this, since I left Manchester
JazakAllahu Khayran
Was-Salaam
July 2, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Pakistan’s all-time Twenty20 XI
Posted by Imran Yusuf in Cricket, Featured Articles, Sport on 07 2nd, 2009 | 4 responses
Imran Yusuf picks his best Twenty20 team from Pakistan’s cricket history.
Pakistan will soon resume Test cricket action. But before we furrow our brows and put on serious voices and go back to admiring forward defensives, I thought I’d prolong the last few dizzy moments of our T20 World Cup hangover with something rather fun and speculative. Below is my all-time T20 Pakistan team – specifying the years in which players’ performances were best suited for T20 glory – followed by a pre-emptive defence of my selection. Indulge your inner cricket geek and send in your team changes.
1. Saeed Anwar 1997
2. Hanif Mohammad 1958 (wk)
3. Zaheer Abbas 1976
4. Javed Miandad 1986 (vc)
5. Inzamam-ul-Haq 2005
6. Shahid Afridi 2009
7. Imran Khan 1983 (c)
8. Wasim Akram 1996
9. Fazal Mahmood 1954
10. Saqlain Mushtaq 1999
11. Umar Gul 2009
Rest of15-man squad:
Waqar Younis 1994
Majid Khan 1977
Abdul Qadir 1987
Abdul Razzaq 2000
Openers and wicket-keeper
I doubt my pick of Saeed Anwar will raise any eyebrows, but I fear some will question the inclusion of the ‘Little Master’. To those who think he was too slow and could never have played T20, I point to one incident when Pakistan toured England in 1954. After a few matches in which Hanif, adhering to his prescribed role in the team of cautious guardsman, played a few defensive innings, the press were quick to term him a ’stone-waller’. Hanif was so riled by this that he went out in his next innings and blasted a lightning-quick 87, with 17 fours and a six.
A man who can bat over 16 hours to save a Test against the West Indies in the West Indies can, quite certainly, do anything with a cricket bat – and in any format. Indeed, we might extend this praise to cricket balls: in England, he once bowled three balls of an over with his right arm, the other three with his left. If T20 is about innovation and improvisation allied to solid technique, Hanif Mohammad should be the first name on the team-sheet.
His more-than-capable wicket-keeping is an additional reason to have him in the team. Wasim Bari and Moin Khan came close to making my line-up, but neither would edge out anyone else in the final eleven, so I’ve given the gloves to Hanif.
Middle order
Zaheer, Miandad and Inzy pick themselves. The only question is over their most suitable year. For Zaheer Abbas, I’ve gone with 1976, in which he scored an inhuman 2,544 runs in one season for Gloucestershire. Which year to choose from Javed Miandad’s long, brilliant career? In the end I settled for 1986, the year he hit the ’shot of the century’ in Sharjah. That tournament-winning innings was precisely the kind of attacking yet measured knock a number 4 or 5 needs to play in a T20 match.
Were Miandad to get out, the mature, experienced, paternal Inzamam-ul-Haq from 2005, chasing down targets in an almost Zen-like state, would surely do the needful. I was tempted to opt for the young, blasting Inzy who burst onto the scene in the 1992 World Cup, but there’s enough fire-power at the top of the order and from the lower order in this team.
All-rounders
Shahid Afridi won the player of the tournament award in the first T20 World Cup and should have won it in the second (the sympathy vote to Tillakaratne Dilshan was such a glaring case of daylight robbery that even a friend of mine who lives in a crime-ridden part of Karachi said he’d never seen anything like it). Sometimes all it takes is an innings, but Afridi provided two. His 50s in the semi-final and final of the 2009 World Cup made us all forget and forgive the last decade of disappointment. His varied leg-spin, so ideally suited to T20 cricket, has the unfortunate by-product of keeping Abdul Qadir out of the side.
For Imran Khan, I’ve prioritised the bowling. Following the 1982/83 series against India, and before a shin injury cut him down in his prime and stopped him bowling properly for two years, Imran was probably the best bowler the world has seen in the modern era. His official ICC rating of 922 points on January 30, 1983, is the third highest of all time. With his attacking batting, his quick-thinking captaincy, and his calculated, targeted bowling, there is no doubt Imran would have made an outstanding T20 cricketer.
With Wasim Akram, it was again just a case of which year to choose. I was torn between the youthful zest of his early years, culminating with those two balls in 1992, and the tail-end of his career when, off an extremely short run-up, he used all his guile and mastery to bamboozle batsmen all over the world. In the end I settled for the happy medium and chose 1996. He’s also an ideal number 8 batsman in this format, just the sort of big-hitter you’d want to come in with five to ten balls of the innings left.
Bowlers
Yes, it is not a typo or technical flaw: Waqar Younis really isn’t in my team. I realise this invites accusations of stupidity, insanity and perhaps even blasphemy. I also realise some of my friends will think I’m just trying to get my first death threat as a writer and consequently go about thinking I’m edgy and cool. You must believe me: I’d really, genuinely much rather have Umar Gul. Hear me out.
One imagines that Fazal Mahmood with his lateral movement of the ball – by all accounts, largely unplayable – and Imran Khan would open the bowling, perhaps with Wasim getting in an over or two before the spinners come on. With these three, all angles are covered: pace and bounce, swing and seam, accuracy and rawness, right-arm and left-arm.
The fourth fast-bowler would only be required to bowl at the death: Umar Gul has proved himself beyond reproach in this regard. He has not failed, not once. Ask him to bowl six yorkers in a row and he can do it. He could probably do it blind-folded. Waqar was superb with a new ball and even more lethal with a reversing ball. He was also a brilliant death bowler. However, a black, black mark hangs over his head. It is as black as the Bangalore skies through which a white ball repeatedly sailed high, high into the stands of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in 1996. Who can forget Ajay Jadeja and those 40 runs in two overs in the World Cup Quarter Final? Until Gul has his Jadeja moment, until he fails us once, he takes his place among this awesome pace quartet.
Finally, Saqlain just edges out Qadir and Mushtaq Ahmed for the specialist spinner’s slot. The quickest man to 100 ODI wickets had intelligence and variation, took wickets regularly, and could even be called upon to bowl at the death.
July 2, 2009 at 4:16 pm
he say,s some Honest facts and truths mah-shallah! pot calling the cattle black yes!
July 2, 2009 at 4:19 pm
sorry kettle!
July 2, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Muslim NHS dentist ‘tried to force patients to wear traditional Islamic dress’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5718982/Muslim-NHS-dentist-tried-to-force-patients-to-wear-traditional-Islamic-dress.html
July 3, 2009 at 8:27 pm
“Independence Day” Sh. Abdullah Bin Bayyah
Published by Suhaib Webb July 3rd, 2009 in General
The Question:
“Is it allowable to celebrate a holiday that commemorates the independence of my country?”
The Answer:
“A holiday [that commemorates] the independence of a country is not a [religious] holiday. The holidays which are forbidden [for Muslims] to observe are those with religious overtones [such as Christmas and Easter*] not the festive gatherings people observe due to certain events. Therefore, people are allowed to celebrate wedding anniversaries, birthdays or any occasion as such celebrations are not related to religious holidays. It is imperative that we work to remove the confusion surrounding this misunderstanding and the doubts that have affected many people [regarding this issue]. [Because of this misunderstanding] people find hardship and difficulty in their religion. Especially when a religious minded person holds [such non religious celebrations] to be from the major sins or rejected acts when, in fact, they are not.
Understanding an Important legal maxim [The origin of things is permissibility unless there is a text to the contrary]
The origin of things is permissibility so there is no problem with you attending such an event. The school of Ahmed [Hanabliah] allowed the celebration of al-’Atirah which was a sacrifice, during the month of Rajab, observed by the people who lived prior to the advent of the Prophet [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. Although the school of Imam Malik [Malikis] considered it disliked, since it was a practice from those days, the school of Ahmed allowed this practice since there was no text [from the Qur'an, Sunna or Consensus] that explicitly forbade it. Thus, this practice remained upon its original ruling, permissibility [here the sheikh is showing us how the scholars utilized the legal maxim mentioned above]. So, if people gather together to sacrifice there is no objection for them to congregate, celebrate, enjoy themselves and commemorate the independence of their country. Therefore, there is no hardship in celebrating such occurrences.
With regards to the statement [of the Prophet may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] that “Allah [The Exalted] has given you better than those (feasts): Eid al-Adha (Sacrificing) and the ‘Eid al-Fitr”, then “those feasts” were those with strict religious over tones: one a Christian holiday and the other a pagan one. In addition, the Prophet [may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] mentioned that the Islamic holidays were two: ‘Eid al-Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adha. But it is not understood from this that he [may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] forbade people from gathering and celebrating [other non-religious occasions]. Even if a person considered [such gatherings] disliked there is no need for him to bother others by making things difficult that were not prohibited by the Qur’an, the Sunna, the consensus [of the scholars] and where no agreement was reached within the schools of Islamic law.
This is because ease in matters [such as these where there is no prohibition and the origin is that of permissibility] is a must, and those statements that create hardship and burden [related to such matters], that are not based on explicit texts [that prohibit them], are weak. Thus, there is nothing that prohibits us from facilitating such matters for the people and giving them some breathing room because ease and facilitation are from the foundations of Islam: Allah says, “And He did not make any hardship for you in religion.” [Surah al-Hajj 78] and “Allah wants to lighten your burdens.” [Surah al-Nisa V. 28] and “Verily, with hardship there is ease. Verily with hardship there is ease.” [Surah al-Sharh V. 5-6]. The Prophet [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Facilitate [things] and do not make things difficult. Give glad tidings, and do not cause others to flee.” In closing, we reiterate that the foundation of Islam is ease and the independent interpretation of the legal sources [ijtihad of scholars] is respected but is not [equal to] texts from the Shari’ah [Qur'an and Sunna].”
May peace be upon you
Dr. Abdullah Bin Bayyah
July 4, 2009 at 9:54 am
The evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicates that celebrating birthdays is a kind of bid’ah or innovation in religion, which has no basis in the pure sharee’ah. It is not permitted to accept invitations to birthday celebrations, because this involves supporting and encouraging bid’ah. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Or have they partners with Allaah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not allowed…?” [al-Shoora 42:21]
“Then We have put you (O Muhammad) on a plain way of (Our) commandment. So follow that, and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allaah (if He wants to puish you). Verily, the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) are awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another, but Allaah is the Wali (Protector, Helper) of the muttaqoon (pious).” [al-Jaathiyah 45:18-19]
“Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any awliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) besides Him. Little do you remember!” [al-A’raaf 7:3]
According to saheeh reports, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does something that is a not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it rejected” (reported by Muslim in his Saheeh); and “The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those which have been newly invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” There are many other ahaadeeth that convey the same meaning.
Besides being bid’ah and having no basis in sharee’ah, these birthday celebrations also involve imitation of the Jews and Christians in their birthday celebrations. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, warning us against following their ways and traditions: “You would follow the ways of those who came before you step by step, to such an extent that if they were to enter a lizard’s hole, you would enter it too.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said, “Who else?” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”(/font>
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 1/115
July 4, 2009 at 10:23 am
can something be regarded as bida’a even when it is not being taken as a matter of worship or deen? I dont think most people celebrate birthdays because they worship the person whose birthday it is…likewise when people celebrate other things ….as the Sheikh explains clearly.
Also I hear people using the hadith of imitating the “kuffaar” to justify the disallowance various things. What is classed as imitation?Does it include wearing “western” clothing which is the clothing largely of the disbelievers, or speaking english (again a language spoken primarily by non muslims)?
July 4, 2009 at 10:38 am
Salaam
From curious – “Also I hear people using the hadith of imitating the “kuffaar” to justify the disallowance various things. What is classed as imitation?”
That is a good question which I am still trying to figure out. Ustadh AE, Do you have any comments on this?
I would also ask, how far do we take it in our daily life?
July 4, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Firstly:
The Muslims have no need to imitate any of the other nations in matters of religious rituals and acts of worship, for Allaah has perfected His religion and completed His Favour, and chosen for us Islam as our religion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
[al-Maa'idah 5:3]
Islam forbids the Muslims to imitate the kuffaar, especially the Jews and Christians, but this prohibition does not apply to all their affairs, rather it applies to matters of their religion and things that are unique to them, by which they are known.
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1397; Muslim, 4822.
This hadeeth indicates that it is haraam to imitate the Jews and the Christians, and that those who follow them and tread the same path as them are criticized. Islam has reinforced this prohibition, by describing those who imitate the kuffaar as being of them.
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3512; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 2691.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This at the very least indicates that it is haraam to imitate them, although the apparent meaning is that the one who imitates them is a kaafir.
Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 237.
The one who imitates the kuffaar feels that inferior and defeated, so he hastens to make up for his feelings of inadequacy by imitating those whom he admires. If these people were to ponder the greatness of Islamic sharee’ah and understand how corrupt is that civilization they are running after, they would realize that they are doing wrong and that they have forsaken something that is perfect and true for something that is imperfect and corrupt.
Secondly:
The types of imitation which are forbidden to us are many.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:
The things in which the kuffaar are imitated include acts of worship, such as imitating them in matters of shirk, such as building (structures) over graves, building shrines and exaggerating about them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May the curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and the Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” Al-Bukhaari, 425; Muslim, 531. And he told us that when a righteous man among them died, they would build a place of worship over his grave, and install images therein, and that they were the most evil of mankind. Al-Bukhaari, 417; Muslim, 528. Nowadays there are instances of major shirk because of exaggeration concerning graves, as is well known to scholars and ordinary folk alike. The cause of that is imitation of the Jews and Christians.
Another example is their imitation of the festivals of shirk and bid’ah, such as birthday celebrations, whether it is the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the birthdays of presidents and kings. Or these festivals of bid’ah and shirk may be named after days or weeks, such as a country’s national day or independence day, or Mother’s Day, or hygiene week, and other days or weeks that are celebrated. All of these have come to the Muslims from the kuffaar, for Islam has only two festivals: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Anything else is bid’ah and an imitation of the kuffaar.
From a khutbah entitled al-Hathth ‘ala Mukhaalafat al-Kuffaar (Exhortation to be distinct from the kuffaar)
In the answer to question no. 47060 we have stated that it is forbidden to imitate the kuffaar in the clothing that is unique to them and in the customs that are unique to them, such as imitating them by shaving the beard.
Thirdly:
The prohibition on imitating the kuffaar applies to their acts of worship and the customs that are unique to them and by which they are distinguished, not the things that they do and invent from which we may benefit. There is no sin on the Muslims if they share in that, rather the Muslims should be in the forefront of such things.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
With regard to the phrase “imitation of the kuffaar”, that does not mean that we should not use anything that they have manufactured. No one says such a thing. At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and afterwards the people used to wear clothes made by the kuffaar and use vessels made by them.
Imitation of the kuffaar means imitating their clothing and appearance, and the customs that are unique to them. It does not mean that we should not ride what they ride or wear what they wear. But if they ride in a specific way that is unique to them, then we should not ride in that way. If they tailor their clothes in a certain fashion that is unique to them, we should not do likewise. But if we have cars that are similar to theirs and fabric that is similar to theirs, there is nothing wrong with that.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12, question 177.
And he said:
The definition of imitating is when the imitator does something that is unique to those whom he is imitating. Imitation of the kuffaar refers to when a Muslim does something that is one of their unique characteristics. With regard to that which has become widespread among the Muslims and is no longer something by which the kuffaar are distinguished, then this is not imitation of the kuffaar, and it is not haraam because it is an imitation, unless it is haraam for some other reason. What we have said is what is indicated by the meaning of the word tashabbuh (imitation).
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12, question 198.
In the answer to question no. 21694 you will find a detailed discussion of the ruling on imitating the kuffaar. See question no. 43160 for further details.
Fourthly:
There are both beneficial things and harmful things in non-Muslim civilization. We should not ignore the good things and take the harmful things. This attitude was summed up by Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) who said:
Our attitude towards western civilization may be one of four things, and there is no fifth:
1- Ignoring this civilization, good points and bad alike.
2- Adopting it in whole, good points and bad.
3- Adopting the bad things and not the good.
4- Adopting the good things and not the bad.
The first three are undoubtedly wrong and only one of them is undoubtedly good, which is the last one.
Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 4/382.
Fifthly:
With regard to the words of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), “What the Muslims think is good is good before Allaah”, this does not refer to things that go against sharee’ah but which may be deemed good on the basis of rational thinking. Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Whoever thinks something is good issuing a ruling.” It does not refer to when one person thinks a thing is good but the majority of people do not. Rather this phrase may be interpreted in one of two ways, both of which are sound:
1 – That what is meant is traditions and customs that do not go against sharee’ah
2 – That what is meant is the proof of scholarly consensus, for the Muslims are unanimously agreed that thinking a thing is good is consensus which counts as evidence. So this thing must be good before Allaah as well. This is what is indicated by the words, “What the Muslims think is good.”
See al-Mabsoot by al-Sarkhasi, 12/138’ al-Faroosiyyah by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 298.
These interpretations mentioned above are applicable if we take the words of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) as applying to all the Muslims in general. But from the context it seems that he is referring to the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only, and not others. What Ibn Mas’ood said was: “Allaah looked into the hearts of His slaves and found that the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the best of all His slaves’ hearts. So He chose him for Himself and sent him with His Message. Then He looked into the hearts of all His slaves after the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and He found that the hearts of his companions were the best of all His slaves’ hearts, so He made them the helpers of His Prophet, fighting for the sake of his religion. So what the Muslims think is good is good before Allaah and whatever the Muslims think is bad is bad before Allaah.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 3418; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Takhreej al-Tahhaawiyyah, 530.
Whatever the case, it is not correct to quote the words of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) as evidence for thinking as good that which is forbidden in Islam, such as imitating the mushrikeen.
And Allaah knows best.
July 4, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Salams all
—————————-
The Adab Boxset
The boxset has the full complete edits of 34 episodes lasting 50 minutes each followed by two hours of questions & answers and outtakes which have not been seen before. The edit is also very different to what you’ve seen on the TV. It’s pretty cool if you ask me but then you’d be silly to ask me about it right?
More info will follow on the boxset. As I understand, tt will not retail for more than £45 in the shops insha’Allah and indeed should be cheaper at PG’s own events and large conferences. It will be available in the UK, the US, Australia, SA, the UAE and Saudi and on the net. But like I said, these are early days so please bear with the PG team.
Those who wish to use the picture can go ahead and do so.
There are three seasons completed, with the 2nd and 3rd seasons to be coming out on DVD in the next year insha’Allah.
At the moment, there is no plan to start the weekly Adab class again. There is though an intention to offer the first section of al-Adab al-Mufrad (i.e. including and a bit more than what we’ve covered already) in an intensive weekend fashion but that would be quite a while if it is to be of the same high quality I demand from myself.
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Other stuff
What on earth is this fascination with Hamza Yusuf’s beard?! I guess the only positive I can take from this is that I don’t think I’d ever shave my own beard off simply from fear of what all of the Muslims would say, forget anything else…
As for the principles in play behind the concept of Tashabbuh - imitation – then there has always been a difference of opinion between the ‘Ulema on how to understand this imitation: should it be virtually any type of imitation, or should it be only that in which a religious or unique connotation has been clearly proved without doubt. Hence the above opinons, with Sh Ibn Bayyah clearly from the second group.
I say: if there is something completely unique about a disbelieving people that one starts to imitate or there is some kind of religious action that is done by a group of people, then this is indeed very problematic.
But if there is a generality surrounding the issue in question – such as birthdays – then this is slightly different. I don’t think that birthdays fall under this category and indeed even those scholars above – particularly from the Najdi school – will accept that at worst, a birthday is not a pure bid’ah but rather what we call a bid’ah idhafiyyah i.e. an innovation which is not completely without an established foundation in the religion. That doesn’t mean we should do such actions per se but we should be academic and correct in our approach to technical Shar’i terms.
So for birthdays – we know the Prophet (s) wanted to mark his birthday by fasting and ‘ibadah on that day – so the principle has been established but the details not. Then the non-Muslims use this day to do all kinds of stuff, some good and bad, and that’s where the problem lies. Some say that this is ok because nothing haram has been added, just happiness and celebration of that day, whereas others say no, this action of celebration without ‘ibadah is something specific to the disbelievers and thus should be shunned; and they differed in their level of shunning as such.
I personally avoid birthdays and their promotion amongst my family etc so as to maintain the ‘izzah of our own Islamic identity without recourse to the practices of others even though I don’t believe the birthday is a religious and unique festival for the non-Muslims of today. And Allah knows best.
AE
July 5, 2009 at 6:18 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8133816.stm
for those who enjoyed the fun today at Camelot..this one is for you!!!
she’s right when she says “who invents these things”
but you do just want to have another go!!!
July 6, 2009 at 5:20 am
Salam Alaikum Ustadh.
How soon will it be available in Saudi Arabia, and where would we need to look for it?
July 6, 2009 at 2:35 pm
AE joins the Canadians/Americans
http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=35244
And don’t forget this Sunday
http://www.ilmstoke.org
July 7, 2009 at 7:24 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8136500.stm
headscarf martyr
July 7, 2009 at 7:28 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6169170.stm
July 7, 2009 at 7:31 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6737993.stm
July 7, 2009 at 7:32 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6638841.stm
July 7, 2009 at 8:00 am
sheikh abu eesa can u tell me the comment regarding sh.tantawis statement regarding hijab in France please. what does he mean by Lesser of two evils is there some thing in shariah regarding this.i would also like ur comments as well regarding this situation in France and elsewhere please if you dont mind
July 7, 2009 at 8:41 am
July 7, 2009 at 9:33 am
July 7, 2009 at 11:29 am
The Somali example By Huma Yusuf
Monday, 06 Jul, 2009 | 11:09 AM PST |
A protracted war between Sufi devotees and extremists is no better than the battle between the military and militants or lashkars and Taliban recruits.
IF pre-military operation Swat has a global counterpart, it’s Somalia. Exchange the Taliban for Al-Shabab, a radical Islamic group, and events in the unstable African country will seem eerily familiar to Pakistanis.
In recent months, Shabab militants have killed government ministers, beheaded innocents, attacked Sufi imams, arrested shrine caretakers and destroyed Sufi shrines across southern Somalia. The group’s activities are sanctioned by Sharia courts under Shabab’s influence. (Interestingly, these courts sprang up in Somalia about a decade ago to promote law and order in a stateless society with no efficient judicial system — sound familiar?) Shabab first emerged as the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which used to control Somalia. After 2006, the extremist group launched an insurgency against Somalia’s transitional government and the Ethiopian forces that were stationed around Mogadishu to help preserve the weak government’s writ until January this year. Since 2007, Shabab has claimed links with Al Qaeda and, fuelled by foreign support, recently adopted an expansionist agenda: militants have swept central and southern Somalia recruiting fighters and striking deals with tribal clan leaders to establish Shabab’s control across the country.
Indeed, the similarities between Pakistan’s northwest and Somalia are so intense that, as military operations in Swat and Fata gained intensity, dozens of Al Qaeda fighters fled the tribal belt and relocated to Somalia. There, they will join the ranks of Shabab, which is currently recruiting hundreds of foreign ‘jihadis’ in an effort to topple the six-month-old moderate Islamic government of President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed.
Given the parallels, it would be worthwhile for the Pakistan government to analyse developments in Somalia to make more informed decisions about how to eradicate militancy from within our borders in the long term. This process could begin with a close look at the role Sufism is playing in the weak Somali state’s struggle for survival.
As is the case with Pakistan, the West is banking on the devotees of Sufi saints — who comprise the majority of Somali Muslims, enjoy grassroots support and unite people across tribal factions — to push back against Shabab. US-based think tanks like Rand and the Heritage Foundation are counting on the Sufi message of love to counter Shabab’s ever-brutal violence, for tolerance to stem hatred and for music and dancing to triumph over coercion.
But that’s not how things are playing out in Somalia.
In December 2008, Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama, an umbrella group of previously peaceful Sufis with loose allegiances to Mogadishu, took up arms against Shabab militants and drove them out of the central Dusa Marreb region. Several gun battles for control of central Somalia — where Sufis are predominant — have ensued, leading to the death of at least one senior Shabab commander. By resorting to violence, Somali Sufis have maintained control of their territory. In fact, Sufi militias are the only force to have confronted Shabab and won.
The clash between Sufis and Wahabi-influenced extremists of Shabab is unprecedented in Somalia. The country has always witnessed clan warfare, which is usually limited to two tribes. The Sufi-Shabab showdowns, which have explicit ideological and sectarian proportions, mark a new era in African instability. Since religious sects provide a banner under which different tribes can unite, religious warfare in Somalia threatens to be widespread, extended and bloody. The fact that Somali Sufis resorted to violence should give Pakistan pause to think. After all, a protracted war between Sufi devotees and extremists is no better than the battle between the military and militants or lashkars and Taliban recruits. And yet, that could be Pakistan’s future if active steps are not taken to prevent it.
Consider two separate incidents: in February, the provincial government in the NWFP announced a $40m fund to provide arms to anti-Taliban villagers. The idea was to equip an elite force with weapons seized from militants so that villagers could tackle the Taliban on the latter’s terms. The decision was criticised for further weaponising an arms-ridden part of the country and casting Pakistan’s fight against the Taliban as a do-or-die battle, rather than a long-term attempt to alter mindsets through education and provide alternatives to careers in militancy by creating jobs.
Separately, in June, the government announced the formation of a seven-member Sufi Advisory Council (SAC), which will aim to counter extremism by spreading Sufism instead. This move, too, was criticised. Not only does the council’s existence suggest that one version of Islam is preferred in Pakistan over others, but it casts the fight against terrorism as a religious war, rather than a democratic government’s crackdown against those operating beyond the law and undermining the constitution.
Now put the two together. If, in the coming months, armed Sufi adherents — emboldened by the rhetoric of the SAC — take up arms against remnants of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in the Frontier province, our country will boast yet another similarity to Somalia — and that can never be a good thing.
The fact is, both Pakistan and Somalia should realise that propping up Sufism as a counter to spreading militancy is a dangerous gamble. It breeds a culture of coercion, in which one interpretation of Islam is imposed on all citizens. Moreover, deepening the spiral of religious warfare will only result in years more of bloodshed and instability.
True democracies are invested in promoting the freedom to practise whichever religion, and however, a person chooses. Learning from Somalia, Pakistan should be making every effort to minimise the space given to religion in the public sphere.
July 12, 2009 at 1:22 pm
salaams shaykh,
will the audio also be sold as the dvds are very expenseive £45 is alot of money for most of us.
audio cds should be cheaper
July 19, 2009 at 12:01 pm
[...] the dvd set has finally been put together for purchasing – exciting stuff, although it would have been more exciting if the post had announced the [...]