In the Name of Allah,
All praise is due to Allah, the one who accepts the Salah
Note: Islamic Center of Orlando has helped a poor family with funeral, and asked for donation to offset that. If you are a believer, and love Allah, please give some money for the funeral. http://icorlando.org/
Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way. (Quran 17:110)
Last night I was attending the tafseer, and witnessed a smack down of other madhaib with passive aggressive tone. Imam was doing tafseer for the above verse, and after giving the authentic tafseer, he went on a rant that was very hurtful, and divisive. I stayed quite, as I have promised one of the person there that I will not disrupt the class. So, I would like to bring the truth forward and shatter the attacks against the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).
First, let me share what he said. In the second part of the verse above, Allah gives an order to use an intermediate level voice when praying Salah. Imam first said that whoever says Ameen aloud is correct, and whoever doesn't also correct, but in the same breath he said that you don't have to shout Ameen aloud. Well, if you accept the difference of opinion, then why disrespect them with this comment. He went on to repeating and mocking the loudness of the Ameen in the Salah from the other group. I could see the anger in his eyes, and saw the passive aggressive fire behind the remarks. It is certainly not befitting an Imam to attack other opinions like that.
So, lets look at the Tafsir ibn kathir (the most authentic of them all).
(And offer your Salah neither aloud nor in a low voice,) Ibn `Abbas said: "When he prayed with his Companions, he would recite Qur'an loudly, and when the idolators heard that, they insulted the Qur'an, and the One Who had revealed it and the one who had brought it.
(but follow a way between. )'' This was also reported in the Two Sahihs. Ad-Dahhak also narrated something similar from Ibn `Abbas, and added: "When he migrated to Al-Madinah, this no longer applied, and he recited as he wished.''
(but follow a way between. )'' This was the view of `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah that this Ayah was revealed concerning recitation in prayer. It was narrated from Ibn Mas`ud: "Do not make it so soft that no one can hear it except yourself.''
First, the verse prohibits reciting in Salah silently, so this Imam should start saying Ameen in audible sound, if he is applying this verse to saying Ameen (violation of fiqh rule). Second, this order was abrogated, after hijra, as it was no danger in saying Salah loud (abrogation rule of fiqh). Third, there are authentic ahadith where the Prophet (PBUH) ordered us to say Ameen, and in other ahadith the masjid ranged with the sound of Ameen (meaning it was very loud and together) (rule of takhsees).
Following are sahih.
"Pray as you have seen me praying, and when it is the time of prayer, one of you should pronounce the call (Adhan) for the prayer and the eldest of you should lead the prayer.
(Bukhari 9:91:352)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Imam says: 'Ghair-il-Maghdubi 'Alaihim Walad-Dallin (i.e. not the path of those who earn Your Anger, nor the path of those who went astray (1.7)), then you must say, 'Ameen', for if one's utterance of 'Ameen' coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari 60:6:2)
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman told him from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the imam says 'Amin', say 'Amin', for the one whose 'Amin' coincides with the 'Amin' of the angels - his previous wrong actions are forgiven him."
Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say 'Aameen' (extending it)." (Muwatta 3.12.47)
Following are ahsan
Reported Nafa', "Ibn 'Umar did not encourage the people to say it aloud, nor did he discourage them. I have heard him report that." Reporting on this same subject, Abu Hurairah said, "When the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, would recite, '...Not with those with whom You are displeased and not of those who have gone astray,' he would say, 'ameen such that those close to him could hear him." (Related by Abu Dawud.) Ibn Majah's version is, "Until the people in the first row would hear him, and the mosque would ring with the sound." Al-Hakim also relates this hadith, and says that it is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Baihaqi calls it hassan sahih. Ad-Daraqutni considers it as hassan.
The Jews do not envy you over anything as much as they envy you over the salutation and aameen [behind the imaam] (al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ahmad and Siraaj with two saheeh isnaads)
So, it is clear that saying Ameen is the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and all scholars agree on this fact. Scholars disagree on saying it in audible sound, but saying it in audible voice is proven from the authentic ahadith. Scholars diagree on the isnaad of the ahaidth, but saying it in a loud voice is supported by ahadith that are "ahsan".
Twisting the meaning of the Quran to fit our desire is a great sin, and I urge them to stop this, as this was the second time. If they truly believe that this verse is addressing saying Ameen in the Salah, then the Imam should follow the order and say it in soft but audible sound. If the Imam say it in the audible sound, I will certainly lower my sound to match the Imam, but until then the truth stands that saying Ameen in a loud voice is not prohibited, rather a tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) and the companions.
And Allah knows best.
JazakAllah Khairin
A follower of Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH)
AbuArman Jumani
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Come to Islam! Come to ease!
In the Name of Allah,
All praise is due to Allah, who made life easy for us.
"Ta Ha. We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you miserable," ( Quran 20:1)
"Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you." (Quran 2:184)
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The deen is easy. Anyone who makes the deen too hard on himself will find it becomes too much for him. So aim for what is right, follow a middle path, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help [to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of the night."[al-Bukhari]
"God desires to lighten things for you, for the human being has been created weak" (Quran 94:28).
A few nights ago, I went to Masjid, and arrived late, and missed the jamat. It is the worst feeling in the world when I miss the jamat. I was about to start on my own when a brother came up and asked if we can make jamat. I was very happy, and we lined up. I asked him to lead and insisted, but he wrestled me into leading it. As we finish, he turns around and tells me that I didn't read the surahs in the rakat as they are in the Quran. I know that he meant sincerely, so I told him that I will look it up. When I did look it up, there is no hadith regarding this, but there are some opinions saying that it is "Makrooh" to do what I did. However, there is no evidence for them to support this either, and this purely a superstitous belief, I think. If any of you know the evidence, please do share.
Makrooh means something that is not liked. Now, what is the place for Makrooh in the Fiqh. We can hardly follow the Halal and Haram today, and they want us to keep track of Makrooh, and Mubah, and others. So, the first act for compiling the common fiqh is to sort out these labels. Students of knowledge can use 1500 categories if they like to sort out the evidences, but when it comes to giving a ruling on an issue, following are the categories I propose.
- Fardh (Obligation)
- Haram (anything that is explicity prohibited)
When people came to the Prophet (PBUH) with an issue, the answers were not given in complicated terms, but in very simple yes, no, or silence (which also meant yes). I am going to use the term "Believer" from now on, and stop using the term "Muslim", as Islamic sharia does not address Muslims , but it uses "Believers". So, believers should not be concerned about something that is liked or disliked by the scholar, rather what action will take them to Jannah. There are only two things that are important for us. One is to know what are the obligations upon us, so we don't disobey Allah. Second is to know what are the prohibitions, so we can avoid them. Now, we still should learn all the good acts that can help us become a better person, or that which are Makrooh, but they are not necessary. They can be taught in improving the character scope.
So, lets examine everything moving forward using these categories, and leave the rest to the scholars of four or five madhaib (or whatever the count is nowadays), which I am sure will keep them busy. If you need to buy a home, you should ask if there are any obligations that I would neglect because of this purchase, then you should ask what is prohibited for me during buying the house. If these two are taken care of, there is no scholar in the world, who tell you that you are not fulfilling the rights of a believer, if Allah wills.
I am sure many of you have come across people who are eager to talk to you about a certain ingredient that has been ruled haram, and to tell you to stop eating it. Well, I have, and I feel really sad when they tell me that, because it brings us closer to Jews, as they are champion of this sort of thing.
Once I was standing outside the masjid, and someone just stop by and told me that I shouldn't eat bagel, because there is something being used which may not be pure. I didn't know what to say, and didn't want to argue, so I thanked him and said farewell. In fact, when I tell some to take loans from Islamic financing, they will say oh it is not 100% halal, and there is a doubt, so they would rather stay with Bank of America. A What! You would rather commit sin for sure then follow what is concluded to be not Haram by some students of knowledge. Yes, it is better to leave what is doubtful, and to rent, but I am talking about people taking direct loans instead of going to a company like Ijara.com. Allah did not define all business transaction, because they change as time passes, and we should allow the basic guiding principal to dictate Haram, and just follow the conclusions with confidence, or avoid the transactions altogether.
Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed us and said, 'O people. Allah has made the hajj obligatory for you, so go on hajj.' A man said, 'Every year, Messenger of Allah?' He was silent until the man had said it three times. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then said, 'If I said yes, it would become obligatory and you would be unable to do it.' Then he said, 'Let me be when I refrain from mentioning something to you. Those before you were destroyed by the quantity of their questions and their disagreement with their Prophets. When I command you to do something, then do it as much as you can. When I forbid you to do something, then leave off doing it.'" [Muslim]
See, Islam was intentionally left open ended on certain issues, so it is not too strict on us. For example, one person wanted to know from the Prophet (PBUH) if Hajj is compulsary every year, but he ignored him. Finally, he answered and told him that if he says yes then it will become obligation every year which will be very difficult, so leave him alone on the things that he did not explain intentionally.
What we learn from it is that we don't need to go into too much details trying to find prohibition, and accept what has been told to us as permitted, unless it goes against Quran and Sunnah that we can easily see. If we go to a restaurant, and the person says that it is Zabiha, we just have to take his word and eat, and there is no need to go inside the office and demand the receipt for meat. This was the method of Sahaba (RA), and it is the correct path. 0.01 % pork entering your body will not harm you if your intention was to avoid pork in general.
Interestingly, there are books published in USA declaring products Haram, and sometimes it is so ridiculous that all you can do is laugh. Mostly, this is created by career Imams who went to school and want to become imprtant. They will declare that women can not work unless there is a financial need. Why is that? If the husband allows it, then there is no prohibition.
Anyways, we should make life easy for ourselves, but I see people making it difficult for themselves. I say to them Come to Islam! Come to Ease!
JazakAllah Kharirin
A simple person
AbuArman Jumani
All praise is due to Allah, who made life easy for us.
"Ta Ha. We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you miserable," ( Quran 20:1)
"Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you." (Quran 2:184)
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The deen is easy. Anyone who makes the deen too hard on himself will find it becomes too much for him. So aim for what is right, follow a middle path, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help [to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of the night."[al-Bukhari]
"God desires to lighten things for you, for the human being has been created weak" (Quran 94:28).
A few nights ago, I went to Masjid, and arrived late, and missed the jamat. It is the worst feeling in the world when I miss the jamat. I was about to start on my own when a brother came up and asked if we can make jamat. I was very happy, and we lined up. I asked him to lead and insisted, but he wrestled me into leading it. As we finish, he turns around and tells me that I didn't read the surahs in the rakat as they are in the Quran. I know that he meant sincerely, so I told him that I will look it up. When I did look it up, there is no hadith regarding this, but there are some opinions saying that it is "Makrooh" to do what I did. However, there is no evidence for them to support this either, and this purely a superstitous belief, I think. If any of you know the evidence, please do share.
Makrooh means something that is not liked. Now, what is the place for Makrooh in the Fiqh. We can hardly follow the Halal and Haram today, and they want us to keep track of Makrooh, and Mubah, and others. So, the first act for compiling the common fiqh is to sort out these labels. Students of knowledge can use 1500 categories if they like to sort out the evidences, but when it comes to giving a ruling on an issue, following are the categories I propose.
- Fardh (Obligation)
- Haram (anything that is explicity prohibited)
When people came to the Prophet (PBUH) with an issue, the answers were not given in complicated terms, but in very simple yes, no, or silence (which also meant yes). I am going to use the term "Believer" from now on, and stop using the term "Muslim", as Islamic sharia does not address Muslims , but it uses "Believers". So, believers should not be concerned about something that is liked or disliked by the scholar, rather what action will take them to Jannah. There are only two things that are important for us. One is to know what are the obligations upon us, so we don't disobey Allah. Second is to know what are the prohibitions, so we can avoid them. Now, we still should learn all the good acts that can help us become a better person, or that which are Makrooh, but they are not necessary. They can be taught in improving the character scope.
So, lets examine everything moving forward using these categories, and leave the rest to the scholars of four or five madhaib (or whatever the count is nowadays), which I am sure will keep them busy. If you need to buy a home, you should ask if there are any obligations that I would neglect because of this purchase, then you should ask what is prohibited for me during buying the house. If these two are taken care of, there is no scholar in the world, who tell you that you are not fulfilling the rights of a believer, if Allah wills.
I am sure many of you have come across people who are eager to talk to you about a certain ingredient that has been ruled haram, and to tell you to stop eating it. Well, I have, and I feel really sad when they tell me that, because it brings us closer to Jews, as they are champion of this sort of thing.
Once I was standing outside the masjid, and someone just stop by and told me that I shouldn't eat bagel, because there is something being used which may not be pure. I didn't know what to say, and didn't want to argue, so I thanked him and said farewell. In fact, when I tell some to take loans from Islamic financing, they will say oh it is not 100% halal, and there is a doubt, so they would rather stay with Bank of America. A What! You would rather commit sin for sure then follow what is concluded to be not Haram by some students of knowledge. Yes, it is better to leave what is doubtful, and to rent, but I am talking about people taking direct loans instead of going to a company like Ijara.com. Allah did not define all business transaction, because they change as time passes, and we should allow the basic guiding principal to dictate Haram, and just follow the conclusions with confidence, or avoid the transactions altogether.
Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed us and said, 'O people. Allah has made the hajj obligatory for you, so go on hajj.' A man said, 'Every year, Messenger of Allah?' He was silent until the man had said it three times. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then said, 'If I said yes, it would become obligatory and you would be unable to do it.' Then he said, 'Let me be when I refrain from mentioning something to you. Those before you were destroyed by the quantity of their questions and their disagreement with their Prophets. When I command you to do something, then do it as much as you can. When I forbid you to do something, then leave off doing it.'" [Muslim]
See, Islam was intentionally left open ended on certain issues, so it is not too strict on us. For example, one person wanted to know from the Prophet (PBUH) if Hajj is compulsary every year, but he ignored him. Finally, he answered and told him that if he says yes then it will become obligation every year which will be very difficult, so leave him alone on the things that he did not explain intentionally.
What we learn from it is that we don't need to go into too much details trying to find prohibition, and accept what has been told to us as permitted, unless it goes against Quran and Sunnah that we can easily see. If we go to a restaurant, and the person says that it is Zabiha, we just have to take his word and eat, and there is no need to go inside the office and demand the receipt for meat. This was the method of Sahaba (RA), and it is the correct path. 0.01 % pork entering your body will not harm you if your intention was to avoid pork in general.
Interestingly, there are books published in USA declaring products Haram, and sometimes it is so ridiculous that all you can do is laugh. Mostly, this is created by career Imams who went to school and want to become imprtant. They will declare that women can not work unless there is a financial need. Why is that? If the husband allows it, then there is no prohibition.
Anyways, we should make life easy for ourselves, but I see people making it difficult for themselves. I say to them Come to Islam! Come to Ease!
JazakAllah Kharirin
A simple person
AbuArman Jumani
Sunday, September 25, 2011
No Excuse Left.
In the Name of Allah,
All Praise is due to Allah, The King of mankind.
"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude God’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren;and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire,and He saved you from it. Thus doth God make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided"(Quran 3:103)
"As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with God: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did."(Quran 6:159)
Last Night, topic of my blogs came up, and I was told that there are more than one correct way to follow the Sunnah, and if we follow any of them, we can't deem others wrong. I replied that if all of these different ways to follow the Sunnah lead back to Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH) with authentic chain, then I agree them to be correct, however, if one school of thought goes against the Sunnah on the basis of their "Aql" or "Ijtihad" or "New World Understanding" while the Sunnah is clear, then they have certainly gone astray. I gave the example of "Hanafis" from Pakistan have ruled that women shall not come to masjid which is against the order of the Prophet (PBUH). In that case, their opinion is wrong and should be rejected from Islam. There can never be more than one correct opinion on a matter of Fiqh, rather more than one Sunnah to follow. It is fallacy to support the division of Muslims on the basis of difference of opinions.
Recently, a brother asked me for opinion on a issue, and I was able to find the answer quickly for him. While looking for the answer, I read somewhere that said that we should honor the difference of opinion between the Four Aima because they ruled according to the information available during their time. This pierced through my heart. So, the excuse for Taqleed is that infromation was not easily available for all the Muslim scholars to unite on one opinion. Now, they give the excuse that level of piety is not as high so we should not do ijtihad.
Well, brothers and sisters, the excuses have run out, because now I can setup a conference between Saudi , Paksitani, and South African Scholar, and provide them all the text and opinions from the past, and get them to resolve every single difference of opinion one by one. I doubt that scholars are willing to discuss the differences though.
In reality the differences are very few, and most of them can be reconciled, and rest can be left for people to chose from. Bigger issue is that we have no Imam. Everyone is taken back at this when I say it, but when I explain it that Imam at masjid is not in charge today. There is no authority given to them. Community doesn't follow their orders. Even the masjid shura does not heed to their opinions. In Islamic Center of Orlando, for example, Imam is over ruled by the shura, and the shura is overruled by the Ameer, and the Ameer is overruled by the trustees. This is against the Sunnah. Creating puppet Aima (plural of Imam) is a mistake.
So, creating a common fiqh will be useless unless we have an Imam with authority. For example, European countries took the first step to unite on the Currency, but there is no Imam of Europe, so now they are fighting over the Currency. Germany would like to take charge, but last time they tried to rule Europe, it did not turn out good. So, Islamic Sharia without a single Muslim ruler is like an army without commander in chief.
Yes, we do have career priests who mimic Christian and Jews in leading the worship, and resign on the decisions. Then, we have people with authority who can't even understand the three level of Tawheed, let alone make a decision according to Islam. If there was a war, and if an enemy priest walks up the military line today and ask Muslims for their priest, I guarantee you that the Muslim generals will have someone with a beard and a funny hat to go meet him. However, with Khalid bin Waleed, there was no "Imam", as he was the leader and Imam, and the General.
In conclusion, there are no excuses now to not consolidate the Fiqh or have local Imam who are appointed with authority for the community, and who are obeyed in every order except when they go against the Quran and the Sunnah openly. All the tools are here now to communicate at the global level. I will be the first to take bayah on his hand in Orlando, or globally, and surrender my differences. With puppet Imam, and fractured Fiqh, I do not feel obligated to surrender my objections.
I am trying to verify this, but it seems that Saudi moonsighting was a hoax, and millions in USA followed and did Taqleed. People who give you lecture on not doing Taqleed were caught in this act, and now it seems that Saudis have ordered their citizen to make up for the missed fast. And Allah knows best. Please let me know if you can confirm or deny this.
May Allah destroy the ones who divide us in the name of the Fiqh.
JazakAllah Khairin
A person in wait
AbuArman Jumani
All Praise is due to Allah, The King of mankind.
"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude God’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren;and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire,and He saved you from it. Thus doth God make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided"(Quran 3:103)
"As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with God: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did."(Quran 6:159)
Last Night, topic of my blogs came up, and I was told that there are more than one correct way to follow the Sunnah, and if we follow any of them, we can't deem others wrong. I replied that if all of these different ways to follow the Sunnah lead back to Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH) with authentic chain, then I agree them to be correct, however, if one school of thought goes against the Sunnah on the basis of their "Aql" or "Ijtihad" or "New World Understanding" while the Sunnah is clear, then they have certainly gone astray. I gave the example of "Hanafis" from Pakistan have ruled that women shall not come to masjid which is against the order of the Prophet (PBUH). In that case, their opinion is wrong and should be rejected from Islam. There can never be more than one correct opinion on a matter of Fiqh, rather more than one Sunnah to follow. It is fallacy to support the division of Muslims on the basis of difference of opinions.
Recently, a brother asked me for opinion on a issue, and I was able to find the answer quickly for him. While looking for the answer, I read somewhere that said that we should honor the difference of opinion between the Four Aima because they ruled according to the information available during their time. This pierced through my heart. So, the excuse for Taqleed is that infromation was not easily available for all the Muslim scholars to unite on one opinion. Now, they give the excuse that level of piety is not as high so we should not do ijtihad.
Well, brothers and sisters, the excuses have run out, because now I can setup a conference between Saudi , Paksitani, and South African Scholar, and provide them all the text and opinions from the past, and get them to resolve every single difference of opinion one by one. I doubt that scholars are willing to discuss the differences though.
In reality the differences are very few, and most of them can be reconciled, and rest can be left for people to chose from. Bigger issue is that we have no Imam. Everyone is taken back at this when I say it, but when I explain it that Imam at masjid is not in charge today. There is no authority given to them. Community doesn't follow their orders. Even the masjid shura does not heed to their opinions. In Islamic Center of Orlando, for example, Imam is over ruled by the shura, and the shura is overruled by the Ameer, and the Ameer is overruled by the trustees. This is against the Sunnah. Creating puppet Aima (plural of Imam) is a mistake.
So, creating a common fiqh will be useless unless we have an Imam with authority. For example, European countries took the first step to unite on the Currency, but there is no Imam of Europe, so now they are fighting over the Currency. Germany would like to take charge, but last time they tried to rule Europe, it did not turn out good. So, Islamic Sharia without a single Muslim ruler is like an army without commander in chief.
Yes, we do have career priests who mimic Christian and Jews in leading the worship, and resign on the decisions. Then, we have people with authority who can't even understand the three level of Tawheed, let alone make a decision according to Islam. If there was a war, and if an enemy priest walks up the military line today and ask Muslims for their priest, I guarantee you that the Muslim generals will have someone with a beard and a funny hat to go meet him. However, with Khalid bin Waleed, there was no "Imam", as he was the leader and Imam, and the General.
In conclusion, there are no excuses now to not consolidate the Fiqh or have local Imam who are appointed with authority for the community, and who are obeyed in every order except when they go against the Quran and the Sunnah openly. All the tools are here now to communicate at the global level. I will be the first to take bayah on his hand in Orlando, or globally, and surrender my differences. With puppet Imam, and fractured Fiqh, I do not feel obligated to surrender my objections.
I am trying to verify this, but it seems that Saudi moonsighting was a hoax, and millions in USA followed and did Taqleed. People who give you lecture on not doing Taqleed were caught in this act, and now it seems that Saudis have ordered their citizen to make up for the missed fast. And Allah knows best. Please let me know if you can confirm or deny this.
May Allah destroy the ones who divide us in the name of the Fiqh.
JazakAllah Khairin
A person in wait
AbuArman Jumani
Friday, September 16, 2011
Talk or English Speech Before Jumaa Adhan is Prohibited
In the name of Allah,
I was standing with some brothers, and one complained that it is hard for him to come to masjid before the english speech starts on Fridays, because it takes away too much time from work. It reminded me that we were standing in a Pakistani/Indian culture center and not a masjid. I have been struggling with this issue for a while and finally decided to follow the sunnah on this. Another choice for me is to travel to a far masjid but it is not feasible right now.
As we know that any speech given by anyone before the Adhan and Arabic Khutbah is prohibited. There is no stronger evidence to contradict this, as I have seen yet. There is a narration of Umar (RA) allowing Tamim Al-Darri to lecture before Khutbah which has no reference attached to it, and it doesn't overturn the prohibition of the Prophet (PBUH) anyways.
There is no prohibition for the speech to be given after Jumaa Prayer, and thus should be the option.
I will not participate in this violation of sunnah any longer, and suggest that you don't either. Reach the masjid right before the Adhan to avoid this.
عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص أن النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم نهى عن التحلّق قبل الصلاة يوم الجمعة
صحيح أبي داود 991، صحيح الجامع 6885
From Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aas that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade making circles [for knowledge or remembrance] before prayer on Friday. (Saheeh Abu Dawud #991, Saheeh al-Jami’ #6885)
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited buying and selling in the mosque, announcing aloud about a lost thing, the recitation of a poem in it, and prohibited sitting in a circle (in the mosque) on Friday before the prayer.
According to Tirmidhi
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ نَهَى عَنْ تَنَاشُدِ الْأَشْعَارِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَعَنْ
الْبَيْعِ وَالِاشْتِرَاءِ فِيهِ وَأَنْ يَتَحَلَّقَ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الجُْمُعَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ
Amr ibn Shu’ayb reported from his father and he from his grandfather that Allah’s
Messenger disallowed recital of poetry in mosque, buying and selling therein, and
people sitting in circles there before Friday prayers.
[Ahmed 6688, Abu Dawud 1079, Nisai 713, Ibn e Majah 749]
And Allah knows best.
I was standing with some brothers, and one complained that it is hard for him to come to masjid before the english speech starts on Fridays, because it takes away too much time from work. It reminded me that we were standing in a Pakistani/Indian culture center and not a masjid. I have been struggling with this issue for a while and finally decided to follow the sunnah on this. Another choice for me is to travel to a far masjid but it is not feasible right now.
As we know that any speech given by anyone before the Adhan and Arabic Khutbah is prohibited. There is no stronger evidence to contradict this, as I have seen yet. There is a narration of Umar (RA) allowing Tamim Al-Darri to lecture before Khutbah which has no reference attached to it, and it doesn't overturn the prohibition of the Prophet (PBUH) anyways.
There is no prohibition for the speech to be given after Jumaa Prayer, and thus should be the option.
I will not participate in this violation of sunnah any longer, and suggest that you don't either. Reach the masjid right before the Adhan to avoid this.
عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص أن النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم نهى عن التحلّق قبل الصلاة يوم الجمعة
صحيح أبي داود 991، صحيح الجامع 6885
From Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aas that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade making circles [for knowledge or remembrance] before prayer on Friday. (Saheeh Abu Dawud #991, Saheeh al-Jami’ #6885)
Dawud :: Book 3 : Hadith 1074
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited buying and selling in the mosque, announcing aloud about a lost thing, the recitation of a poem in it, and prohibited sitting in a circle (in the mosque) on Friday before the prayer.
According to Tirmidhi
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ نَهَى عَنْ تَنَاشُدِ الْأَشْعَارِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَعَنْ
الْبَيْعِ وَالِاشْتِرَاءِ فِيهِ وَأَنْ يَتَحَلَّقَ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الجُْمُعَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ
Amr ibn Shu’ayb reported from his father and he from his grandfather that Allah’s
Messenger disallowed recital of poetry in mosque, buying and selling therein, and
people sitting in circles there before Friday prayers.
[Ahmed 6688, Abu Dawud 1079, Nisai 713, Ibn e Majah 749]
Yet another activity of the desi cultural center that I say farewell too. I will still go there for Salah, and tafseer class as it is better than praying at home. I will focus more on my BA in Islamic studies which will give me more knowledge, inshAllah. Also, need to start the website for compiling corrections and a common fiqh.
JazakAllah Khairin
AbuArman Jumani
Monday, September 12, 2011
What was the madhab of the Prophet?
In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.
If I say something wrong it is from my ego, and if it is the truth, it is from Allah.
“And hold fast, altogether, by the rope Which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” (Qur’an 3:103)
I was approached by someone confused with different rulings of different madhaibs, and wanting to know which madhab to follow. This is one issue that I have struggled with in the past, and it is my motivation to go through the formal education to confirm my answer to it. This issue does not come up when everyone is brainwashed to follow a certain fiqh, and told that praying behind the Imam of another fiqh will invalidate their salah. However, in USA, for example, we interact with Muslims from every part of the world, and these differences come into light. If we are living in a community where there is a Masjid following a certain fiqh, it becomes uncomfortable for others to perform their obligations, and are alienated.
Now, if we pay attention to the above verse, which rope Allah is asking us to hold on to. Can we unbound the rope in four threads and hang on to each. May be. It will weaken the strength of our ropes for sure. Hanafi say that wudu is not broken when we touch our wives, but Shafee say that it does. So, how can the wudu be broken and not be broken at the same time. It is impossible. What they say is that to follow your madhab and you will be guaranteed Jannah. It is a mess. On top of that they claim that unity is not broken, as we all are Ahl-us-Sunnah-wal-Jammah. Wow what a scam. Whatever that term means, it does not mean what Allah call us and that is "believers".
So, what should we follow? Answer is very easy. We should follow the madhab of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). His madhab is what is recorded in the Sunnah. In order for us to enumerate his Sunnah as he followed, we need to setup one fiqh which will be a dynamic fiqh that will accommodate all existing madhaibs and reject the incorrect rulings from all of them. This sounds like a tall order, but it is possible and can be done. Interestingly, I just read my course book on Fiqh, and this is the conclusion Abu Aminah Bilal Philips also reached. So, my conclusion continues to be confirmed by the scholars, and seems to be the only way out of this swamp.
I know what you all thinking. What do we do until this fiqh is setup. Here are some advises for people to follow meanwhile.
- Everyone (including women) should study fiqh and keep increasing their knowledge so one doesn't need to ask anyone for most rulings. If one stays uneducated, they deserved to be treated like cattle.
- While one is increasing the knowledge, a family should follow the fiqh of the local masjid. A local masjid is where one performs majority of their salah and not the far corner masjid which you may prefer.
- Within a family, head of the household ( a man) will be responsible for provide rulings, and family members should follow it, except when it goes against the basic Aqeedah (beliefs). family members can present counter evidences for non-Aqeedah rulings, but mutiny is not allowed.
- If the local masjid has ruling that goes against the Quran and Sunnah, then one can judge with their ability, they should avoid following that ruling.
- Never use a label to refer to the fiqh one follows, rather the person they refer to for guidance should be mentioned that is alive and accessible. Of course, as one's knowledge grows, one should ween off that scholar.
- If one has a doubt on a local ruling, one should ask the local scholar to provide some evidence which can be read in simple terms. Every human should be able to read and understand basic logic concepts that is required to function as a human. If the scholar is not able to provide evidence, this will be a sign of incompetence, and one should consider finding a better scholar to follow.
- Minor issues within community should be deferred to a local scholar and his ijtihad should be followed, and major issues should be debated by an open forum with all evidences considered (this may be difficult to implement)
- All fiqh ruling should be decided by the Imam of the masjid who leads the salah, and not the shura council or trustees. They are responsible to run the masjid and not capable to rule in fiqh.
- If one was born in a different fiqh then the local masjid, then he should either move or surrender to the rulings of locality.
- If it becomes clear to one that the local ruling is a major deviation from the madhab of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). However, it has to be an irrefutable evidence and has to be brought to the local Imam first, and if he refuse to change the ruling due to Taqleed, one should abandon the Imam for that ruling. This is because authority of Imam is weak in USA, but authority of Father is strong in the family. If the authority becomes stronger in a community, and it is part of a global Islamic rule, one should follow the local Imam on all non-Aqeedah rulings.
- Once the common fiqh is setup, all the above rules are cancelled, and one should participate in the dynamic fiqh and select local Imams as strong authorities to implement and debate the common fiqh in the weekly or monthly fiqh reviews. Imam should do a weekly review during the Jumaa Khutba.
I will be following these rules, and I advise others to follow these rules, and avoid fitnah in the community as much as possible, but never compromise your deen (Islam) to the madhab (fiqh) of your forefathers, who may be mistaken.
JazakAllah Khairin
A muttabi and not a muqallid.
AbuArman Jumani
If I say something wrong it is from my ego, and if it is the truth, it is from Allah.
“And hold fast, altogether, by the rope Which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” (Qur’an 3:103)
I was approached by someone confused with different rulings of different madhaibs, and wanting to know which madhab to follow. This is one issue that I have struggled with in the past, and it is my motivation to go through the formal education to confirm my answer to it. This issue does not come up when everyone is brainwashed to follow a certain fiqh, and told that praying behind the Imam of another fiqh will invalidate their salah. However, in USA, for example, we interact with Muslims from every part of the world, and these differences come into light. If we are living in a community where there is a Masjid following a certain fiqh, it becomes uncomfortable for others to perform their obligations, and are alienated.
Now, if we pay attention to the above verse, which rope Allah is asking us to hold on to. Can we unbound the rope in four threads and hang on to each. May be. It will weaken the strength of our ropes for sure. Hanafi say that wudu is not broken when we touch our wives, but Shafee say that it does. So, how can the wudu be broken and not be broken at the same time. It is impossible. What they say is that to follow your madhab and you will be guaranteed Jannah. It is a mess. On top of that they claim that unity is not broken, as we all are Ahl-us-Sunnah-wal-Jammah. Wow what a scam. Whatever that term means, it does not mean what Allah call us and that is "believers".
So, what should we follow? Answer is very easy. We should follow the madhab of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). His madhab is what is recorded in the Sunnah. In order for us to enumerate his Sunnah as he followed, we need to setup one fiqh which will be a dynamic fiqh that will accommodate all existing madhaibs and reject the incorrect rulings from all of them. This sounds like a tall order, but it is possible and can be done. Interestingly, I just read my course book on Fiqh, and this is the conclusion Abu Aminah Bilal Philips also reached. So, my conclusion continues to be confirmed by the scholars, and seems to be the only way out of this swamp.
I know what you all thinking. What do we do until this fiqh is setup. Here are some advises for people to follow meanwhile.
- Everyone (including women) should study fiqh and keep increasing their knowledge so one doesn't need to ask anyone for most rulings. If one stays uneducated, they deserved to be treated like cattle.
- While one is increasing the knowledge, a family should follow the fiqh of the local masjid. A local masjid is where one performs majority of their salah and not the far corner masjid which you may prefer.
- Within a family, head of the household ( a man) will be responsible for provide rulings, and family members should follow it, except when it goes against the basic Aqeedah (beliefs). family members can present counter evidences for non-Aqeedah rulings, but mutiny is not allowed.
- If the local masjid has ruling that goes against the Quran and Sunnah, then one can judge with their ability, they should avoid following that ruling.
- Never use a label to refer to the fiqh one follows, rather the person they refer to for guidance should be mentioned that is alive and accessible. Of course, as one's knowledge grows, one should ween off that scholar.
- If one has a doubt on a local ruling, one should ask the local scholar to provide some evidence which can be read in simple terms. Every human should be able to read and understand basic logic concepts that is required to function as a human. If the scholar is not able to provide evidence, this will be a sign of incompetence, and one should consider finding a better scholar to follow.
- Minor issues within community should be deferred to a local scholar and his ijtihad should be followed, and major issues should be debated by an open forum with all evidences considered (this may be difficult to implement)
- All fiqh ruling should be decided by the Imam of the masjid who leads the salah, and not the shura council or trustees. They are responsible to run the masjid and not capable to rule in fiqh.
- If one was born in a different fiqh then the local masjid, then he should either move or surrender to the rulings of locality.
- If it becomes clear to one that the local ruling is a major deviation from the madhab of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). However, it has to be an irrefutable evidence and has to be brought to the local Imam first, and if he refuse to change the ruling due to Taqleed, one should abandon the Imam for that ruling. This is because authority of Imam is weak in USA, but authority of Father is strong in the family. If the authority becomes stronger in a community, and it is part of a global Islamic rule, one should follow the local Imam on all non-Aqeedah rulings.
- Once the common fiqh is setup, all the above rules are cancelled, and one should participate in the dynamic fiqh and select local Imams as strong authorities to implement and debate the common fiqh in the weekly or monthly fiqh reviews. Imam should do a weekly review during the Jumaa Khutba.
I will be following these rules, and I advise others to follow these rules, and avoid fitnah in the community as much as possible, but never compromise your deen (Islam) to the madhab (fiqh) of your forefathers, who may be mistaken.
JazakAllah Khairin
A muttabi and not a muqallid.
AbuArman Jumani
Friday, August 26, 2011
Ummah Of Lame.
In the Name of Allah,
"So high [above all] is Allah , the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (Quran 20:114)
Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).'' (Imam Al-Nawawi's Riyad-us-Saliheen # 1387)
Some asks me why I wasn't at Taraweeh, and I tell them that I pray at home sometimes, and don't pray other times, as it is not an obligation. It is certainly a sad situation among Muslims that this superficial gathering has become the focus of Islam, and seeking the knowledge has become untouchable, because if they have a question, they will just ask the Imam, and he will provide the answers. So, if he passes away, basically the knowledge from the society is lifted, until they can find another person who was foolish enough to go to Alim course for eight year instead of Medical School. It is really pathetic. I am sick and tired of this attitude.
Tonight, millions will go to Masjid for one purpose and that is to celebrate their superstitious belief that Night of Qadr is tonight, but there is no evidence to show that. I wish they will go some day just to worship Allah, and not to worship their tradition. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not give any importance to 27th night over 21st or 25th, yet Muslim effort is being spent cooking and preparing for this grand event.
In fact, Islam keeps seeking knowledge superior to optional worship, and anyone who performs their faraidh, and seek knowledge is better than the one who worships in the night and fasts in the day. So, if one goes to Taraweeh every night like a clock work, and sacrifice things to get there, but avoid the opportunities to gain and exercise knowledge is following the path to mis-guidance, as it will lead to a society similar to Jews, where only a few handful people understand the knowledge and they can fool others easily.
Specifically Indo-Pak masajid has become similar to the worship houses of Hindus, where lame people come in droves and just shake their bodies for a few minutes and walk out, and back to their lives without sitting down and reading a translation of Quran or tafseer, or debating over a fiqh question or correcting someone over their mis-understanding. When I went to India, I saw the masses of people worshipping idols, and if you ask them why? they will say that this is what they found their ancestors doing, and if you point them to their scripture, they will say, "Oh I am not learned on this, talk to a swami". Basically, it is the same with this Ummah of lame people who tell me that you should follow one of the four schools, and when I ask why? They say we are not learned, so we need to do Taqleed. Well, if you are not learned then you should stay quite.
According to the definition of Taqleed presented by scholars who do Taqleed of other scholars. There are two types of Muslims. One is a scholar, and the other is a lame person who need to do Taqleed of a scholar. You know what, lets accept this definition for a second. So, who among us is a scholar and who is a lame person. Majority of the Muslims will fall into the category of lame people. Basically we are an "Ummah of Lame". Someone says lets go protest about Prophet's cartoon, we are ready with matches and baseball bat. Someone says today is Night of Qadr, we are ready with our optional Salah to surrender to that call. Someone says your wife should not work unless you need more money, we are ready with lock and key to cage her.
In "lame" terms, we are the slaves of the scholars and not the slaves of Allah. Well, I do not want to be lame. I say there are many levels of learned people, and lame is either a new Muslim or the worst Muslim who does not want to learn. I may not be a scholar, but I reject the life of lame. I reject the oppression of this religion. I reject this religion of Indian sub-continent. If you like to be lame, so be it. I will avoid the gatherings of Lame in the Islamic Center of Orlando tonight. So much dedication, but so much waste. I will try my best to change it.
In fact, everyone of us should strive to be learned person more than we strive to be a devout worshiper. If we go for Taraweeh every night like a religion, we should attend an Islamic school regularly as well. If we read Quran everyday, we should understand and implement those verses. If we take refuge in Masjid for Itikaf, it should include the study of fiqh along with worship.
JAK
Not a lame person
AbuArman Jumani
"So high [above all] is Allah , the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (Quran 20:114)
Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).'' (Imam Al-Nawawi's Riyad-us-Saliheen # 1387)
Some asks me why I wasn't at Taraweeh, and I tell them that I pray at home sometimes, and don't pray other times, as it is not an obligation. It is certainly a sad situation among Muslims that this superficial gathering has become the focus of Islam, and seeking the knowledge has become untouchable, because if they have a question, they will just ask the Imam, and he will provide the answers. So, if he passes away, basically the knowledge from the society is lifted, until they can find another person who was foolish enough to go to Alim course for eight year instead of Medical School. It is really pathetic. I am sick and tired of this attitude.
Tonight, millions will go to Masjid for one purpose and that is to celebrate their superstitious belief that Night of Qadr is tonight, but there is no evidence to show that. I wish they will go some day just to worship Allah, and not to worship their tradition. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not give any importance to 27th night over 21st or 25th, yet Muslim effort is being spent cooking and preparing for this grand event.
In fact, Islam keeps seeking knowledge superior to optional worship, and anyone who performs their faraidh, and seek knowledge is better than the one who worships in the night and fasts in the day. So, if one goes to Taraweeh every night like a clock work, and sacrifice things to get there, but avoid the opportunities to gain and exercise knowledge is following the path to mis-guidance, as it will lead to a society similar to Jews, where only a few handful people understand the knowledge and they can fool others easily.
Specifically Indo-Pak masajid has become similar to the worship houses of Hindus, where lame people come in droves and just shake their bodies for a few minutes and walk out, and back to their lives without sitting down and reading a translation of Quran or tafseer, or debating over a fiqh question or correcting someone over their mis-understanding. When I went to India, I saw the masses of people worshipping idols, and if you ask them why? they will say that this is what they found their ancestors doing, and if you point them to their scripture, they will say, "Oh I am not learned on this, talk to a swami". Basically, it is the same with this Ummah of lame people who tell me that you should follow one of the four schools, and when I ask why? They say we are not learned, so we need to do Taqleed. Well, if you are not learned then you should stay quite.
According to the definition of Taqleed presented by scholars who do Taqleed of other scholars. There are two types of Muslims. One is a scholar, and the other is a lame person who need to do Taqleed of a scholar. You know what, lets accept this definition for a second. So, who among us is a scholar and who is a lame person. Majority of the Muslims will fall into the category of lame people. Basically we are an "Ummah of Lame". Someone says lets go protest about Prophet's cartoon, we are ready with matches and baseball bat. Someone says today is Night of Qadr, we are ready with our optional Salah to surrender to that call. Someone says your wife should not work unless you need more money, we are ready with lock and key to cage her.
In "lame" terms, we are the slaves of the scholars and not the slaves of Allah. Well, I do not want to be lame. I say there are many levels of learned people, and lame is either a new Muslim or the worst Muslim who does not want to learn. I may not be a scholar, but I reject the life of lame. I reject the oppression of this religion. I reject this religion of Indian sub-continent. If you like to be lame, so be it. I will avoid the gatherings of Lame in the Islamic Center of Orlando tonight. So much dedication, but so much waste. I will try my best to change it.
In fact, everyone of us should strive to be learned person more than we strive to be a devout worshiper. If we go for Taraweeh every night like a religion, we should attend an Islamic school regularly as well. If we read Quran everyday, we should understand and implement those verses. If we take refuge in Masjid for Itikaf, it should include the study of fiqh along with worship.
JAK
Not a lame person
AbuArman Jumani
Friday, August 19, 2011
Next Step: Compiling A Common Fiqh
In the Name of Allah,
All Praise is due to Allah, The All Knowing, The Wise
Recently, I was sitting with a brother that I admire, and somehow the discussion lead to following one of the four religions (madhaibs) in Islam. As I told him that I do not do taqleed, as it is a form of shirk. His jaw dropped, and he looked at me with his eyes wide opened. After a few second, he told me that a Muslim need to follow one of the four madhaibs. I asked him who decided that. He had no answer. I asked him if he considered me a Muslim. He just smiled. I leave this matter to Allah as he ordered me below.
"As for those who divide their din (religion) and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did." (Quran 6:159)
Main reason for the division among the Muslims is following different sects. Once we connect a group of Muslims to an ideology that is enclosed from all side, it becomes a new sect. It is healthy to have difference of opinion, and following a single scholar is permissible, even when he makes a mistake. What is not permissible is to close the door to Ijtihad, and that is what has caused the progress to stall. Even free thinkers like Albani fell in that trap and end up closing the circle to a label named "Salafi", but there is already division among Salafis that are visible. Following is the order of Allah in the matters of Fiqh.
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Apostle, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.” (Quran 4:59)
I know most of you are not interested in learning about the differences, and think that bickering over minor things is waste, but I assure you that Islam can never progress with divided Ummah, and the division is on the fiqh. Once we establish the fiqh that is the middle path, as ordered by the Prophet (PBUH), unity is all but guaranteed.
During my presentation, someone asked me a very important question. "Isn't Saudi Arabia an Islamic State?" My answer was no, because they are implementing the flawed version of fiqh which is corrupted by the culture. Women's right, Monarchy, etc Similarly, Iran has implemented its version of fiqh and it is a disaster. So, everything comes down to having the fiqh based on Quran and Sunnah.
Current Taqleedi Scholars are bounded by the circle that they cannot cross to go pick up the essential law which will balance the society, hence living a life of pre-Islamic Meccan who claimed to follow the fiqh derived from the Prophet Ismael. They believed in Allah as the supreme God, but they could not go against the traditions handed down by their forefathers. Their argument to Muslims was that their scholars received this fiqh of "intercession to Allah through others", generation to generation, and it is a consensus. How can Muslims claim to go against it? What finally convinced the masses at the end of the Prophet's life was the completion of a system that produced results, and people entered Islam in droves. Following is the proof that Mushriks believed in Allah as the only God, but their understanding (fiqh) got corrupted allowing them to follow rulings that included intercession.
Say: Unto Whom (belongeth) the earth and whosoever is therein, if ye have knowledge? They will say: Unto Allah. Say: Will ye not then remember? Say: Who is Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Tremendous Throne? They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: Will ye not then keep duty (unto Him)? Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge? They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: How then are ye bewitched? (Quran 23:84-89)
I see alot of talk but no results, so lets try to implement what people also write about. Lets reform the Ummah. Lets compile the fiqh that is the middle path. All the modern fiqh is based on the principles set by Imam Abu Hanifah, and they provide the most flexible framework, so we will use those principal, but will consider all other madhaib's ruling, and select the best one. Purpose is not to produce new rules of fiqh, but to reform some of the rulings that have been corrupted by bias views and opinions. I will take upon myself to setup a website and data storage, so this progress can be tracked. If you like to participate, you will be able to go to the site and do so. At the very least, it will help me sort out the correct fiqh for me to follow. That is my primary motivation. I have enough of listening to the rhetoric, and its time to roll up our sleeves and get our hand dirty.
I have registered to Islamic Online University http://islamiconlineuniversity.com to learn the principles formally, and I will encourage you to do the same. It is almost free of cost service with a minimal fee.
Next step starts now, and May Allah help us complete this step.
JazakAllah Khairin,
a slave of Allah
AbuArman Jumani
All Praise is due to Allah, The All Knowing, The Wise
Recently, I was sitting with a brother that I admire, and somehow the discussion lead to following one of the four religions (madhaibs) in Islam. As I told him that I do not do taqleed, as it is a form of shirk. His jaw dropped, and he looked at me with his eyes wide opened. After a few second, he told me that a Muslim need to follow one of the four madhaibs. I asked him who decided that. He had no answer. I asked him if he considered me a Muslim. He just smiled. I leave this matter to Allah as he ordered me below.
"As for those who divide their din (religion) and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did." (Quran 6:159)
Main reason for the division among the Muslims is following different sects. Once we connect a group of Muslims to an ideology that is enclosed from all side, it becomes a new sect. It is healthy to have difference of opinion, and following a single scholar is permissible, even when he makes a mistake. What is not permissible is to close the door to Ijtihad, and that is what has caused the progress to stall. Even free thinkers like Albani fell in that trap and end up closing the circle to a label named "Salafi", but there is already division among Salafis that are visible. Following is the order of Allah in the matters of Fiqh.
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Apostle, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.” (Quran 4:59)
I know most of you are not interested in learning about the differences, and think that bickering over minor things is waste, but I assure you that Islam can never progress with divided Ummah, and the division is on the fiqh. Once we establish the fiqh that is the middle path, as ordered by the Prophet (PBUH), unity is all but guaranteed.
During my presentation, someone asked me a very important question. "Isn't Saudi Arabia an Islamic State?" My answer was no, because they are implementing the flawed version of fiqh which is corrupted by the culture. Women's right, Monarchy, etc Similarly, Iran has implemented its version of fiqh and it is a disaster. So, everything comes down to having the fiqh based on Quran and Sunnah.
Current Taqleedi Scholars are bounded by the circle that they cannot cross to go pick up the essential law which will balance the society, hence living a life of pre-Islamic Meccan who claimed to follow the fiqh derived from the Prophet Ismael. They believed in Allah as the supreme God, but they could not go against the traditions handed down by their forefathers. Their argument to Muslims was that their scholars received this fiqh of "intercession to Allah through others", generation to generation, and it is a consensus. How can Muslims claim to go against it? What finally convinced the masses at the end of the Prophet's life was the completion of a system that produced results, and people entered Islam in droves. Following is the proof that Mushriks believed in Allah as the only God, but their understanding (fiqh) got corrupted allowing them to follow rulings that included intercession.
Say: Unto Whom (belongeth) the earth and whosoever is therein, if ye have knowledge? They will say: Unto Allah. Say: Will ye not then remember? Say: Who is Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Tremendous Throne? They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: Will ye not then keep duty (unto Him)? Say: In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and He protecteth, while against Him there is no protection, if ye have knowledge? They will say: Unto Allah (all that belongeth). Say: How then are ye bewitched? (Quran 23:84-89)
I see alot of talk but no results, so lets try to implement what people also write about. Lets reform the Ummah. Lets compile the fiqh that is the middle path. All the modern fiqh is based on the principles set by Imam Abu Hanifah, and they provide the most flexible framework, so we will use those principal, but will consider all other madhaib's ruling, and select the best one. Purpose is not to produce new rules of fiqh, but to reform some of the rulings that have been corrupted by bias views and opinions. I will take upon myself to setup a website and data storage, so this progress can be tracked. If you like to participate, you will be able to go to the site and do so. At the very least, it will help me sort out the correct fiqh for me to follow. That is my primary motivation. I have enough of listening to the rhetoric, and its time to roll up our sleeves and get our hand dirty.
I have registered to Islamic Online University http://islamiconlineuniversity.com to learn the principles formally, and I will encourage you to do the same. It is almost free of cost service with a minimal fee.
Next step starts now, and May Allah help us complete this step.
JazakAllah Khairin,
a slave of Allah
AbuArman Jumani
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