‘They want to extinguish the light of Allah Almighty but Allah Almighty will complete His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it’. (9:32 and 61:8) Allah Almighty is highlighting the fact that whenever we have the truth, there are always enemies against it. The truth always faces challenges. How can we identify those who…
Ijtihad (reasoning) and Taqleed (imitation) Do I need to follow a madhab? Who is qualified to make Ijihad? What essential knowledge does a mujtahid need? Definition While Ijtihad is the process of systematic legal reasoning carried out only by mujtahids (those trained in ijtihad), taqleed is to follow a certain school, or scholar or opinion. The…
The Differences among the Fuqaha In particular we are focusing on the scientific differences among the fuqaha (jurists) and why we have more than one opinion. The main difference is linguistic difference. The second one is evidences and the third is in understanding. When we look at linguistic differences, it becomes clear quite quickly that…
The Origins of the Fiqh Schools Fiqh at the Time of the Prophet (peace be on him) During the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be on him) how was fiqh decided? If someone needed a ruling on a case what did the Prophet (peace be on him) himself do? The first thing the Prophet (peace be on…
Why Scholars Differ This was the first course I delivered in the UK in 2001, but it is as relevant today as it was then, if not more. I used to deliver this course over three months at shariah college, so here I am going to condense it and give you an overview. Why do…
How to Recognise False Claims Allah the Almighty sends in the beginning of every century for this Ummah somebody to renew the deen for them. (Sunan abi Dawood) Allah the Almighty sends in the beginning of every century for this Ummah somebody to renew the matters deen for them (Bayhaqi) These authentic narrations address…
The Limitations of Scholars When Rebellion is Permitted The Arab spring raised many questions about the legitimacy of tackling unjust dictatorships and oppressive regimes. Is it permissible for the public to rebel when their rulers are failing them? There have been scholars throughout history who have legitimised and rubber stamped the wrong doings of rulers,…
To Obey or Not to Obey? Oh you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those of you who in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for…
Identifying the Right Teacher Different Types of Teacher There are many different types of scholars in our midst today. Some scholars are strict and literal in their understanding, some liberal and reforming, some practical and balanced, some politically minded, some spiritually orientated, some self taught (desktop scholar), some well-known and others not so well-known. The…
Where Do You Derive Your Knowledge From? Knowledge comes from seeking it. It does not just descend on you. But then where is the best place to seek it from? The Need for Scholars For many of us Islam was passed down to us culturally and evolved through contact with books, courses and video clips….
The Four Schools of Fiqh What is the place of the madhabs in Islam? Can we trust them? Do we have to follow them? Or can we just go back to Qur’an and Sunnah? The best generation is my generation (Bukhari) In this narration, the Prophet (peace be on him) is confirming that the best…
Denying the Sunnah is Denying the Qur’an And whatever the Messenger has given you take it, and whatever he has forbidden for you refrain from it. Fear Allah. Indeed Allah is severe in His punishment . (59:7) We have revealed the message to you in order to clarify for them what has been revealed. That…