The Gap in Islamic Knowledge

ALLAH said in His book:

وما كان لمؤمن ولا مؤمنة إذا قضى الله ورسوله أمراً أن يكون لهم الخيرة من أمرهم ومن يعص الله ورسوله فقد ضل ضلالاً مبيناً 

Which in English means, “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when ALLAH and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys ALLAH and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error. (al-Ahzab 33:36)

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (May ALLAH be pleased with them) reported:

I heard the Messenger of ALLAH peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him saying: "Verily, ALLAH does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars stays alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray." (Bukhari and Muslim; Related by Imaam an-Nawawi in "Riyad-us-Saaliheen,

Book 13, narration 1391; reference in unabridged Arabic copies.)

We have lost many experienced scholars in our time. And what do people do today (and even when some of them were still living?) They are on the minhaj of living by the word of the man with the hat on his head and gives rulings based on rumor and personal notions, rather than an 'Alaamah who will educate with what ALLAH said in the Qur'an and what the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said and did, and what the prophet's companions knew from what they prophet taught them and they taught each other from those same teachings. DARE any Muslim admit that they don't their religion to be taught from Qur'an and Sunnah? What is prefered; the thoughts and mind of a so-called cleric from our communities? Are people going to discredit someone, who comes with the TRUTH, because he or she is not from the same land? All of the Muslims in the world are guilty of this. Among the Arab countries if (for example) the truth is being relayed from a Saudi, or an Egyptian, or a Lebanese, etc, to a Libyan, the said Libyan will reject the speech from the other Arab nation, albeit proven true. Pakistani communities in the world will not accept from Arab or African communities. The African-Americans will not accept from the African-American Salafi community or from the immigrant (non-American) Muslim community. The Asian communities refuse knowledge from Saudi Arabia. The cycle continues on and on because the clear authority is not recognized by the Mulsims; the Muslims have not made the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah their authority, and this is the source of our problems.

Re: Barriers to Accepting Truth

Reflecting on the topic addressed in "Barriers to Accepting Truth", some noteworthy dialogues have taken place in Malaysia which address the issue in a proper, factual, and intelligent manner. Thes video below, features Datuk Senator Johari bin Mat, a state politician, and a graduate of Imaam Muhammad ibn Saud University; as such, he is a fluent Arabic speaker, and certified in the sciences of al-Islam.





Below is a more colloquial yet factual explanation of the same issue surrounding the myth of Wahabism, by Datuk Dr. Mohd. Bin Asri Zainal Abidin, the Mufti of the sate of Perlis, and a sound Islamic Academic figure in Malaysia.





Dialogue with another Malaysian, who is a graduate of prominent higher institutions of learning Islamic sciences revealed that people who make accusations of wahabism at Muslims who do not blindly follow every mistake of their people's common practice, are typically from those who do not have knowledge. People of knowledge and sincerity are not characteristic of such discourteous approach. ALLAH knows all and knows best.

The Ones Who Repent

Repentance is essential from every sin, even if it is something between a person and ALLAH and has nothing to do with the rights of another person. There are three conditions of repentance. If one of these three is missing, then repentance is not sincere:

1) Giving up the sin

2) Regret for having done it

3) Resolution never to go back to it

If the sin has to do with the rights of another person, then there are four conditions: the three
mentioned above and restoring the rights of that person. If it is money or property, etc, it must be returned to him; if it had to do with slandering him etc, then you should allow him to insult him in return, or ask for his forgiveness; if it had to do with backbiting about him, then you have to ask
for his pardon. It is essential to repent from all sins; if a person repents from some, his repentance from the sins from which he repented is valid (according to the scholars who follow the right path) but he must still repent from the rest as well.

No one will be free of shortcomings in his obedience to ALLAH, or free of mistakes or forgetfulness or sins. We all fall short, commit sins, and make mistakes. We turn to ALLAH and we turn away from Him. We remember that ALLAH is watching and we become negligent. None of us is free of
sin, and we will inevitably make mistakes. As such, repentance is obligatory on the Muslims. The Prophet (peace and blessings of ALLAH be
upon him) said: 

 والذي نفسي بيده ، لو لم تذنبوا لذهب الله تعالى بكم ، ولجاء بقوم يذنبون فيستغفرون  رواه مسلم 2749 

“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin ALLAH would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then pray for forgiveness.” (Muslim, 2749)

He (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) also said: 

كل ابن آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون ) رواه الترمذي 2499

“Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.” (al-Tirmidhi, 2499 classed as hasan by al-Albaani.)

Barriers to Accepting Truth

Dialogue with a Muslim in South-East Asia has given much greater insight to the reasons behind the approach to understanding religion in this region, and possibly the overall non-Arab Muslim population globally. It must first be understood that the Prophet peace be upon him said,

 يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَلا لا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى أَعْجَمِيٍّ وَلا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ وَلا لأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ وَلا

 أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ إِلا بِالتَّقْوَى ... ) رواه الإمام أحمد 22391 وهو في السلسلة الصحيحة 2700

“O people! Verily your Lord is One and your father [Adam] is one. An Arab is no better than a non-Arab, and a non-Arab is no better than an Arab; a red man is no better than a black man and a black man is no better than a red man – except if it is in terms of taqwa (piety)…” (Ahmad, 22391; al-Silsilat al-Saheeh, 2700). 

The man who was engaged in the dialogue is from a small town, is a father, grandfather, and has made one haj, and several umrahs. It was during his pilgrimages that he gained more insight to these positions. It cannot be said that his positions speak for all of his family, or his neighbours, or his race, but it gives insight in to some of the sincere among them and how they think, and why they think that way. 

The Average South-East Asian Muslim

Islamic awareness went through different stages in this region. Before this region was given independence from the various European colonists, the normal people had several remnants of Hinduism in their cultures. There were few among them that had a good understanding of Islam, so those few became the Imaams. There were not many Arabic speakers among them, so even those in leadership, had only memorized recitations for the most part aside from basic knowledge of tawheed and what was influenced by the Sufi du'aat who brought the message of Islam to this part of the world. Like much of the non-Arab world, the knowledge gap between the average Muslim and the one who knows slightly more and can articulate that, causes the words 'Alim and 'Ulama to be inappropriately defined; what results from this is an entire society of people with no analytic capability in the sciences of Islam. After countries in this part of the world became independent republics and the Muslims in the region became more up to date with the developments in living conventions, there was more contact with Islamic learning institutions; most of them tend to favor al-Azhar, because of the Sufi influence and the dismissal of several juristic rulings and prohibitions, which have not been ignored nor trivialized by learning institutions in Saudi Arabia (for example).

More Than Familiarity 

It has been thought that people outside of Arabia cling to what was traditionally taught and understood even in the light of proof and plausibility, due to a sentimental value, and a pride of heritage. These social phenomena cannot be ignored and is indeed present; it is Kibr, as in what was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, 

" لا يدخل الجنة من كان في قلبه مثقال ذرة من كبر ، قال رجل : إن الرجل يحب أن يكون ثوبه حسنا ونعله حسنة ، قال : إن الله جميل يحب الجمال ، الكبر : بَطَر الحق وغَمْط الناس " .

رواه مسلم  91 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one who has an atom’s-weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what if a man likes his clothes and his shoes to look good?” He said, “Allaah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” (Muslim, 91). In some South-East Asian countries, men and women still travel the haramain for religious education, but when they return, they are at odds with their societies and have to make compramises when they do not support what they have learned, even when shown the proof; many will not accept that their tradition did not take proof into account, so there must be something else, and they insist on following that even if said counter proof remains unknown. Kibr may not be the only reason to make people reject truth, as this dialogue revealed. 

When this Asian man went for pilgrimage, he faced more stress than what is expected during travel. It was not because of the intense desert heat, or the distaste for the middle-eastern cuisine. What troubled him the most was the culture shock when he saw the reality of the Arab people at large. Being a Muslim, where the Book he reads for guidance is in Arabic, and the Messenger of his Lord and Master is an Arab, and the classical scholars to which he subscribes for jurisprudence are Arabs, created a vision of a race of pious people, radiant with the taqwah of ALLAH. This exists in Arabia, but the entire race? Most Arabs he encountered created distaste for those people. There was lack of enforcement for laborers and administrative staff refusing to perform work without being paid a heavy tip; so the pilgrim fears that his passport will be seized in customs. People would not take service positions seriously; if a friend comes to visit during working hours, customers will be unattended until their conversation is completed. The relationship between Saudi's and foreign laborers creates a prejudicial treatment of other foreigners (US and UK passport holders are often more revered).

 

In the Eye of the Beholder

Most of this is not seen again once the pilgrims enter the Haramain, and they are treated with the best hospitality and assistance. However, after experiencing the harsh unrestrained Arab culture between Jeddah and Masjid al-Haraam, the non-Arab will be very reluctant to take even a God-fearing Saudi seriously.  

What To Do?                            

This is a problem which will probably not be forgotten any time soon. Not everyone can overlook the flaws of human in light of the proven truth. Moreover, people's pasts will catch up to them; people like South-East Asians traditionally feel that the most spiritual person is the most trustworthy; the one who prays, and has little material wealth, and does not seek more. They do not say that there is sin or blame on scholars and callers who receive a government salary for their full-time devotion to servicing the religion of ALLAH. What they do not understand is that some ease, comfort and stability in life is supported by al-Islam, and there are proofs for that. However, some cultures cannot be un-impressed with excessively devout worship and asceticism, which is the appeal that Sufism gives such cultures. 

Perhaps there should be less confrontation with Sufi's who have not become disbelievers. Many Scholars of the past praised them for their sincerity and their devotion to the worship of ALLAH, and the love of the prophet peace be upon him. The line was drawn at the limit of the Sunnah. Many Sufi's do not seem to see Bid'ah as a huge risk, nor Shirk when it comes to venerating the messenger of ALLAH, peace be upon him. Non-Sufi's understand the texts about these two evils to mean that they should be avoided with the utmost caution because no level of spirituality is worth that risk, and ALLAH knows best (also the belief that ALLAH sends revelation to Sufi saints is also reprehensible; while not all Sufi's have this understanding, they have some things in common with those who do believe it, so many Sufi traditions were not related in Qur'an or Hadeeth, but in the dreams of saints, so-called Awliyah of ALLAH). It should be noted that the real Ulama in Islam are not at odds with others who are at equal par in knowledge. Conflicts typically occur at the level of laymen or amateurs (such as the writer of this blog). 

Preparing Ourselves for Ramadan! Preparing for the Purification of the Soul!

The early generations of Muslims began preparing for Ramadaan in this sacred month of Rajab.

ALLAH has warned in His Book by saying

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ

Which means, “Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein” (al-Tawbah 9:36)

which is understood to mean take special care not to commit sins in sacred months.

ALLAH Forbade Taunting the Enemies of Islam to do the Same or Worse

ALLAH the Most High has said,

وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرْجِعُهُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

"And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah , lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do." (al-An'am 6:108)

Muslims must fear ALLAH and not cause problems by acting out of ignorance of this religion!

Take it form an Internationally Credentialed Professor of Islamic Theology

Speak What is True and Straight! Do not Contrive! Do not Bend Truth!

ALLAH The Most High has said, 

أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَوْلاً سَدِيداً - يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَـلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ 

فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً

which means,  O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and speak (always) the truth.) He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great victory. Al-Hafidh Ibnu Katheer, may ALLAH have mercy on him said,“Here Allah commands His servants to have Taqwa of Him, worshipping Him as if they can see Him, and to

قَوْلاً سَدِيداً

(speak (always) the truth.) meaning, to speak in a straightforward manner, with no crookedness or distortion. He promises them that if they do that, He will reward them by making their deeds righteous, i.e., enabling them to do righteous deeds, and He will forgive them their past sins. With regard to whatever sins they may commit in the future, He will inspire them to repent from them. Then He says:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً

(And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great victory.) meaning, he will be saved from the fire of Hell and will enjoy everlasting delights (in Paradise).”(Tafseer Ibn Kathir)

In the above quoted translation of the Ibnu Katheer’s commentary and interpretation of these words, there is nothing mentioned about the conditions or situation during the moment of their revelation. This is one of many simple messages ALLAH sent to mankind in His Speech. However, it is also one of the most ignored. For some reason(s) Muslims wish to complicate the understanding of the religion and use strange foreign (to Islam, not to any culture or geographic population) philosophical essentials for arguing newly introduced theoretical and controversial thinking around issues in the Islam and human life where it is not required. 

People are using their minds and logic without a complete knowledge base, and tenaciously and uncouthly implore such thought upon everyone they know. There are few issues in Islam which have some ambiguity because the text (Qur'an AND authentic hadeeth) provided limited detail, and it was left to the people of knowledge to work it out for the best, inshaALLAH, and ALLAH knows best. Most other issues, however, do not require this approach, as the texts were vivid, specific, and abundant; Muslims who cannot cope with the implications of these texts resort to controversial thought of innovating textual interpretation, and selecting text with minimal or irrelevant details, which will convince only those who (like them) do not know, or those who (like them) want a religion that permits everything they desire. Al-Islam is a perfect and just religion, not a permissive one. Furthermore, permissiveness is not what constitutes a fair and just religion, rather it is ALLAH who constitutes that, and what he has declared and defined what is perfect and just, and also what He has made mankind instinctively aware of justice. 

Muslims who desire things like music, profit gain from usury, homosexual companionship, marital companionship with other than those whom ALLAH has permitted, pre-marital companionship, slackness in the Salaah, wearing fewer clothes as non-Muslims do, and secular societies where the book of ALLAH and the Sunnah is does not govern the people, cater to this foolishness; the keen observer will note that they are never straight forward, nor completely truthful. They do not establish the authority of ALLAH’s Divinity and His Message, and if they do, they do not present sufficient evidence from His Message to establish their way. If evidence from the Ayat of ALLAH or from His messenger peace be upon him, and the companions is too striking, they invent interpretations controversially, but ALLAH said

قَوْلاً سَدِيداً

“speak the truth” and it is understood that this language means do not bend the truth and be straightforward. If they are not cunning enough to innovate, they will invent some baseless dismissal of hadeeth science and rely on a personalized interpretation of the Qur'an. ALLAH said to obey the prophet, in many places in the Book, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to understand as he explained and as he taught the companions.

ALLAH Loves the Muslims More Than we Know!

عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه أنه قال : قدم على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بسبي ، فإذا امرأة من السبي تبتغي ، إذا وجدت صبيا في السبي ، أخذته فألصقته ببطنها وأرضعته ، فقال لنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : أترون هذه المرأة طارحة ولدها في النار ؟ ، قلنا : لا ، والله ! وهي تقدر على أن لا تطرحه، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لله أرحم بعباده من هذه بولدها

It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may ALLAH be pleased with him) said: “Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him), and there was a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for her child). When she found her child she embraced him and put him to her breast. The Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) said to us, ‘Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire?’ We said, ‘No, by ALLAH, not if she is able not to.’ The Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) said, ‘ALLAH is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to her child.’”  (Agreed upon. Bukhari 5653; Muslim 6921)

Abu Hurairah may ALLAH be pleased with him reported: Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) said, "ALLAH says: `I am just as My slave thinks of Me when he remembers Me.' By ALLAH! ALLAH is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you who unexpectedly finds in the desert his lost camel. `He who comes closer to Me one span, I come closer to him a cubit; and he who comes closer to Me a cubit, I come closer to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running."(Bukhari and Muslim)

These two hadeeth should require little explanation. Reflection on them should indicate:

•          ALLAH loves those who submit to him in Islam, obey him, and worship him sincerely
•      ALLAH's loves the Muslims more then our own mothers
•     ALLAH created is all as sinners, but he loves when his servants repent (to acknowledge the wrong done, to be ashamed of it, ask for forgiveness, and to strive to not repeat it) out of sincerity. 
•     The Muslims should be motivated to please ALLAH (by means of knowledge of what pleases Him)

Free Thought?

Al-Imaam an-Nasaai, one of the six major scribes and scholars of hadeeth, reported the statement of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood, one of the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who was still living during the era of the Tabi’een. He quotes,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : ” إنَّكُمْ فِي زَمَانٍ كَثِيرٌ عُلَمَاؤُهُ , قَلِيلٌ خُطَبَاؤُهُ ، وَإنَّ بَعْدَكُمْ زَمَانًا كَثِيرٌ خُطَبَاؤُهُ , وَالْعُلَمَاءُ فِيهِ قَلِيلٌ

"Verily, you are in a time in which there are many scholars and few orators. And verily after you, there will come a time in which there will be many orators, while the scholars in it will be few." (Kitaab al-‘Ilm of Imam an-Nasa’ee 109; verified by al-Albaani).

I ask ALLAH to forgive me if ever my own speech or writing has inappropriately exceeded proof from scripture and or other revelation (respectively, Qur’an and Sunnah of Muhammad peace be upon him). Going forward, I will address an issue (perhaps only as far as I am concerned) of a social nature that unfortunately happens to involve Muslims and ALLAH knows best and has decreed all things by His Wisdom.

I have witnessed via social media and internet news publications, statements which seem to imply that there is a problem with the very existence or Islam (and other religions, but that is not my personal focus). There are people who believe that the existence of Islam is limiting human progression and threatening the entire world population’s wellbeing. Those who bring forth such notions usually defend them with the actions of the ISIS, and saying that religion made some contribution to the evil that ISIS has produced. The knowledgeable Muslims have already publicly affirmed that Islam fundamentally forbids crimes against humanity, namely those commuted by ISIS, albeit ISIS claims what they do is for the sake of ALLAH; the people of knowledge have informed the world that ALLAH established that He does not accept these crimes, so they cannot be for his sake. It is clear that Islam is not responsible for things which it does not allow.

When this is presented to people as fact, (some) non-religious people still think that religion has no right to dictate or influence human thought, and that religion creates problems. I assume they believe that human societies cannot practice religion responsibly, as though we are Muslims because we think it’s fun, or because we feel elevated in some way. Undoubtedly, we do value the favor of guidance from ALLAH, because being Muslim is exactly that; we are Muslims because the actual Creator of all that exists, made clear to us His Divinity, and He made clear that success is ONLY and exclusively attained adherence to the final revealed book (the Qur’an), and in the way of the final messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him. If people choose to deny that, we believe they are astray and their affair is with ALLAH. ALLAH has said,

لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

Which means “Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”(60:8)

I disapprove of the pompous rhetoric of those non-religious people who look down on people to whom the religion of ALLAH the Most High has appealed to, by His mercy; those who think we made this choice by a lack of some greater intelligence which they seem to have. These same people who advocate free thinking, seem to think that there’s a wrong choice in it. So do we, but we also accept that Islam  has no text saying that everyone will become Muslims, nor that everyone will be in the paradise, or that everyone will be in hell. So, we respect the disbeliever’s decision to remain as such, knowing that ALLAH has said,

وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ

…

Which means, And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve…"(18:29). ALLAH says in the rest of the verse, what He has prepared for those who do wrong and disbelieve, and this decision is His to make.

ISIS Openly Violates Shari'ii Law!

al-Imaam al-Bukhari, may ALLAH have mercy on him, wrote in his Saheeh,

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: بعثنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في بعث فقال: "إن وجدتم فلانًا وفلانًا" لرجلين من قريش سماهما "فأحرقوهما بالنار" ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حين أردنا الخروج: "إني كنت أمرتكم أن تحرقوا فلانًا وفلانًا، وإن النار لا يعذب بها إلا الله، فإن وجدتموهما فاقتلوهما" رواه البخاري))

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on an expedition and said to us, 'If you find so- and-so (he named two persons belonging to the Quraish) commit them to the fire.' When we were on the verge of departure, he said to us, 'I ordered you to burn so-and-so, but it is Allah Alone Who punishes with the fire. So if you find them put them to death.' " (Al- Bukhari, Book 18, Hadith 1609).

It is for ALLAH alone to punish or strike with fire. The people who have declared themselves as the Islamic state, for all of the Muslims in the world to pledge their faithful support to do not have knowledge of this in their judicial system? Let the world finally be aware that these people are not representing the orders of ALLAH. The prophet peace be upon him said about them.

Islamic Fundementals Condemn the Murder of Charlie Hebdo

The Proper Establishment of Khilaafah (Caliphate)

All praise is due to ALLAH alone; may His peace and blessings be upon His messenger and his household and companions and the pious generations after them. 

Being outside of Arabia and not having sufficient insight into the Arabic media, we as solely English speakers are vastly deprived of the true state of affairs in the countries where the so called "Islamic State" has spread Fitnah and Fasaad. However what is known to the non-Arab Muslim world is that the head of the ISIS has self-proclaimed that he is the Khalifah of the Muslim Ummah, and audaciously demanded that it is to him that we all give him the pledge of allegiance known in Shari'ah as the Bay'ah. What are the Muslims to do? The answer is simple if the Muslim understands what dictates decision making processes in his or her life. The Muslim obeys all of what ALLAH said in the Qur'an, and all of what the prophet peace be upon him said to do per authenticated narrations and explanation of knowledgeable scholars. Therefore, no man or woman can say that Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi is justified in the call to his rule because it is contrary to the Qur'an and Sunnah.

ALLAH says in His book

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ

which means, “Verily, ALLAH commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice” (al-Nisa’ 4:58). Shaykh Dr. Saalih al-Fawzaan commented, “This is addressed to rulers and those in authority. Trusts (amaanaat) here refers to official positions and positions of high office in the state, which ALLAH made a trust that is entrusted to the ruler. The way in which it is to be fulfilled is by choosing people who are competent and have integrity, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) and the caliphs who came after him and the Muslim rulers after them appointed to various positions those who were fit to hold those positions and were able to fulfil these duties as prescribed in Shari’ah.

With regard to elections as they are known today in different states, they are not part of the Islamic system and they may lead to disorder and chaos and personal ambitions. They are subject to favoritism and greed, and may lead to fitnah (tribulation) and bloodshed. They do not achieve the purpose they are meant to achieve; rather they are more like auctions, buying and selling, and false propaganda." (al-Fawzaan, Al-Jazeerah newspaper, issue no. 11358). 

Islam does not support what is known as Democracy as a political process because in a Democratic election, the entire population votes and chooses the ruler. In ALLAH’s Shar'iah, only those trusted to make sound Islamic decisions are permitted to make this selection (see here for more information)

The example of establishing the Khilaafah lies with those whom the Prophet said to take it from. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may ALLAH be pleased with him) became caliph when he was elected by the decision makers (ahl al-hall wa’l-‘aqd), then the Sahaabah unanimously agreed with that and swore allegiance to him, and accepted him as caliph. ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may ALLAH be pleased with him) became caliph in a similar manner, when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may ALLAH be pleased with him) delegated the appointment of the caliph to come after him to a shoora council of six of the senior Sahaabah, who were to elect one of their number. ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf consulted the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, and when he saw that the people were all inclined towards ‘Uthmaan, he swore allegiance to him first, then the rest of the six swore allegiance to him, and they were followed by the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, so he was elected as caliph by the decision makers. ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may ALLAH be pleased with him) became caliph in a similar manner, when he was elected by most of the decision makers.

Appointment to the position by the previous caliph, when the current Khalifah passes on the position to a particular person who is to succeed him after he dies. For example, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab became caliph when the position was passed on to him by Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may ALLAH be pleased with him). 

It must be known that rebellion and anarchy is not supported by the Shari'ah of ALLAH. As such, there is the Sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon him called the Bay'ah. The prophet (peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) said:

ومن مات وليس في عنقه بيعة مات مِيتة جاهلية (رواه مسلم1851)

“Whoever dies and did not make an oath of allegiance (to the Muslim leader) has died a death of jaahiliyyah.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1851). He, peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him, also said:

ومن بايع إماما فأعطاه صفقة يده وثمرة قلبه فليطعه ما استطاع ، فإن جاء آخر ينازعه فاضربوا عنق الآخر (رواه مسلم1844)

“Whoever gives his oath of allegiance to a leader and gives him his hand and his heart, let him obey him as much as he can. If another one comes and disputes with him (for leadership), kill the second one.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1844).

The Muslim leader is only the Muslim leader if he was chosen through the correct process, by the trusted decision makers who were given this role by virtue of their fear of ALLAH and their insight to what is best for their society. The Khilaafah is not to be taken by force. However, if it was taken by force or overthrown, the scholars of al-Islam say that the usurping leader is still to be given Bay'ah in order to reduce and prevent catastrophe (i.e. loss of life and livelihood) (Ibn Uthaymeen, Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Safaareeniyyah p. 688).

This is by no means my personal endorsement to accept the tyranny of ISIS, nor is it my recommendation to fight against them. I have no authority to advise the Arab people to anything involving the administration of their countries. My intention is to help educate the Muslims, particularly in the Western and English speaking world, about what is and is not an Islamic Caliphate.

The So-called Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad Peace be Upon Him

The title of this post has likely implied my understanding of what is known as the Mawlid an-Nabawi, Mawlid Nabi, and even Eid Mawlid Nabawi. Whatever the implications, I will not explicitly state what I understand to be reality concerning this issue but rather I will elaborate on the issue itself, in a manner that is befitting of my level of my limited knowledge.

ALLAH only legislated two Eid's for the Muslims

• An Eid is any annual celebration or festivity.
• The prophet peace be upon him entered upon Muslims celebrating something other than the two legislated Eidayn (two Eids), which they had in their cluture; he peace be upon him informed them that ALLAH has only permitted the Eidayn that He legislated.
• Other festivities that are held arbitrarily or those which are done as good things occur in one's life are permissible, but they should not be on the same calendar date every year. For example, a wedding celebration, celebrating the Aqeeqah, celebrating a new job, or a completed degree, etc.
• Anyone and everyone's birthday celebration comes under the category of the linguistic meaning of the Arabic word Eid, and therefore is not permissible, because only the Eidayn are legislated by ALLAH and are exclusively permissible.

The prophet peace be upon him never mentioned anything about this day.

The historians of al-Islam do not agree on the date or even the month that the prophet peace be upon him was born.

• There is not hard proof for when he was born (hijri); we only know that he was born on a Monday. Only his death-date (hijri) is known with certainty and is recorded.

Because he was born on Monday, he, peace be upon him, would fast on Mondays as part of is sunnah; he did not leave the issue of Monday in honor of his birth something open for the Muslim to venerate with acts of choice (i.e. celebrating). Rather, he established the option fasting on Monday as the sunnah for the Muslim to follow.

• No other preference or recognition of the prophet's birth was ever present for the first 300 years of al-Islam. No companion every said anything about it, and none of us could love the prophet peace be upon him more than the companions did. ALLAH be pleased with them.

There is more to say, but I am not qualified nor skilled enough to elaborate on it with justice. It has been mentioned by more credentialed and experienced educators in the English speaking world.

Here is a good summary of the issue itself:

Here is a more historical account of the history of the so-called Mawlid an-Nabawi

What is so bad about Salafi People (a hypothetical question)?

I really wanted to avoid using this word on my blog because of people's biases around it. However in the effort of dismissing stereotypes, it cannot be ignored, especially since it has become a topic of interest to non-Muslims. Have a listen to this interview with a former (more or less) associate of the movement. For a non-Muslim, or very lay, secular, or vastly westernized Muslim (and I seek refuge in ALLAH from being all three), this is quite accurate, but not appropriate for a Muslim who knows the religion well enough to make a proper distinction.
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For the Muslims, a better explanation is as below, and I personally endorse this understanding as a Muslim:

Neglecting The Prayer

It is accepted by Muslims that the Sallah is part of the religion. To what degree of importance is it? Is Sallah only for people who try to be good Muslims? Is it a basic for being Muslim? Can Sallah be trivialized? With as much flexibility as there is around performing the Sallah with concessions for different situations, is it appropriate for it to be skipped? In these times it can be said that we've seen and heard it all.

The messenger of ALLAH, peace be upon him, said that Islam is built upon five pillars, and Sallah is one of them. The word for pillar in Arabic is Rukun, and the famous "five pillars of Islam", are the Arkaan of Islam. In Shari'ah, a rukun is something that is essential for something to be, analogous to a structure that needs a certain number of pillars so that it will not collapse. Without all of the Rukun of Sallah, the sallah is not sallah, and is void and unaccepted, and must be repeated properly. The same applies to a rukun of Haj. So what about a missing Rukun of al-Islam? There is question about whether a person with no Sallah is Muslim. It is a classical topic and one which deserves to be addressed.

A Mouthful...of Problems!

I laugh as I remember that as teenagers in America, we wondered about proving that ‘cussing/cursing/swearing’ is impermissible (I have found that proof). I have noticed that non-native English speakers learn cuss-words when they are reading dictionaries and watching entertainment in English to improve their fluency, without realizing that they are not socially appropriate or acceptable. That is because it has become common place to speak like this in western cultures, whereas in eastern cultures, it is strictly undignified to allow these words to be spoken or written on television, in film, or in public. The same went for us in America, as our public school teachers would reprimand us, even for using Ebonics (the slang of African-Americans/blacks) and other slang in the classroom, calling it a display of ignorance; add some curse words to that, and we’d get a disciplinary referral.

It should be understood that these words are evil, and the Sunnah clarifies they do not belong on the tongue of a Muslim seeking the pleasure of his or her Lord. Additionally, we cannot even use offensive speech towards others. The Messenger of ALLAH, peace be upon him said

 لَا يَنْبَغِي لِصِدِّيقٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَعَّانًا

“It is not befitting the truthful that they curse others.”(Sahih Muslim 2597, Sahih) Muslims at every level of society use harsh speech against each other and often say things like “may he be cursed”, or “may ALLAH break his back”. Are they unaware that gentleness was made an obligation on the Muslims by order of the prophet peace be upon him when he said,

عَلَيْكِ بِالرِّفْقِ وَإِيَّاكِ وَالْعُنْفَ وَالْفُحْشَ

“Your duty is to be gentle and beware of harshness and bad words.” (Sahih Bukhari 5683, Grade: Sahih) The description of bad words used in these statements of the prophet is “fahsha”, which means lewd, or foul, and is often used to describe sexual indecency, fornication, adultery, and filth. As English speakers we should understand this (fahish speech) to be those words which we are taught since childhood not to say in polite company, or around ladies, etc. The F-WORD, S-WORD, B-WORD, P-WORD, D-WORD(S), etc. One of the companions said

لَمْ يَكُنْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبَّابًا وَلَا فَحَّاشًا وَلَا لَعَّانًا كَانَ يَقُولُ لِأَحَدِنَا عِنْدَ الْمَعْتِبَةِ مَا لَهُ تَرِبَ جَبِينُهُ

“The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would not abuse others, he would not use obscene words, and he would not curse others. If he wanted to admonish anyone of us, he used to say: What is wrong with him? His forehead be dusted!”(Sahih Bukhari 5684, Grade: Sahih).

لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلَا اللَّعَّانِ وَلَا الْفَاحِشِ وَلَا الْبَذِيءِ

The believer does not taunt others, he does not curse others, he does not use profanity, and he does not abuse others. (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1977, Grade: Hasan)

It can be understood that taking small steps, such as cleaning up our language, can orient us towards seeking the rectification all of our problems, by the mercy of ALLAH. Good things exist on good foundations. A building with a strong foundation stands against harsh odds, by the grace of ALLAH. Algebra is a basic which becomes the language for Trigonometry, and they both are the languages for Calculus, and Physics, and Chemistry; you cannot be a proficient practical scientist without grooming basics first. This is something universal. The things which make Muslim societies succeed are hindered by not refining human character. Having bad character and manners plants the seeds of pride, arrogance, and will not leave room for Ikhlaas (the sole intention of pleasing ALLAH alone) in the hearts of Muslims. Without basic good character and Iklaas, we will never be able to

•          Promote education and minimize ignorance
•          Advise each other to truth
•          Unite on the authentic Sunnah and leave innovation in worship and theology
•          Adhere to ALLAH’s shari’ah     Remove corruption from our governments (by virtue of      characteristic and adherence to shari’ah)
•          Minimize theft
•          Minimize racism
•          Minimize poverty
•          Minimize domestic abuse
•          Maintain the honor of ladies
•          Restore the world’s recognition of Palestine
•          Contain and bring extremist and renegade militias to justice

These are problems that are gargantuan in magnitude. Is it logical to expect or even fathom that a people, who can’t stop cussing and notoriously verbally abuse others (even within their own kin) can possibly pioneer a resolution for anything listed above? For the Muslim ummah to be respectable in the world we need to be generally good human people, who are kind, and not unpleasant to be around in terms of manners and social interaction; this is part of what will make us good Muslims. To be GOOD Muslims we have to be GOOD PEOPLE, and the proof for this is stated in the Sunnah.

The Modern Day Khawarij explained by Abu Usamah Adhabi

I share this in an effort to clarify to the world the position of orthodox Muslims who believe in and act by the Qur'an and the authentic sunnah as it relates to some of the groups that are, to say the least, troublemakers in society. The Khawaarij were a group mentioned to us by the Messenger of ALLAH, peace be upon him, and he mentioned them by this name, "Khawarij". They are understood to be renegades, and act according to radical and unfounded, or insufficiently founded notions. They undervalue human life, and do not understand the goals and objectives of al-Islam. For more information see this letter addressing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Don't re-invent the Wheel! Just Maintain it!

I have been a part of some (possibly) insightful discourse recently. I gave an advice to adhere to a particular command from ALLAH, and it was disputed first by a non-Muslim- which is totally understandable, and then by a Muslim; the latter is also understood, but not acceptable. In the discourse, the other party believed that advising the public about this, imposes a (my) rigid understanding of al-Islam, and it is offensive to a demographic to which I do not belong.

In the dialogue, I was asked if I believe that my interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah is the only correct understanding. I clarified that the particular issue we were discussing is a basic one, and does not require additional interpretation. I then had my own questions, but I kept them to myself, to address here:

• Why does everyone have to have their own interpretation? Is the truth what it is, or what we want it to be?
• If there is so much about the Qur’an and Sunnah on a face value that is so distasteful, why are we Muslims?
• To people who do not like following Islam according to authenticated tradition really believe in Islam as it is read in the Qur’aan and Sunnah?
•  Why do the above mentioned people not create a new religion of their own that is loosely based on Islamic virtues but permits those things which they but which Islam forbids, and not call it Islam? Why do they want to be called Muslims if there is so much they hate about it?

It may appear that this inquisition could encourage apostasy, when in fact, it is encouraging internal reflection, repentance, and admittance of wrong doing.

In that discussion I had, I did not mention that I once belonged to a different demographic, and one which might have been offended by my message. They way I once thought of being a Muslim before and also during my adolescence was different, but during those times, I went through some developmental changes because I had an intention to do what ALLAH loves, whatever that was, provided proper evidence was presented. Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may ALLA H be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of ALLAH, peace be upon him, said “Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His messenger, his migration was for Allah and His messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated."(Bukhari and Muslim; Hadith 1/40, an-Nawawi) Good intention is the first half, not the whole. If the intention to please ALLAH were all we needed the prophet would not have said what was narrated on the authority of his wife ‘Asisha, the mother of the believers-may ALLAH be pleased with her, “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected.”(Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Baari, no. 2697) From this and others proof it is understood that ALLAH only accepts those deeds which are intended to please him and what is already according to the established Shari’ah, the Qur’an and Sunnah. I cannot recall if I knew both of these ahadeeth when I was part of my former demographic, but I understood that as being commonly sensible if I wanted to practice a religion that I did not create. I understood Islam to be the correct path, for various reasons, and I knew that this path was established by ALLAH and his Messenger, and the companions knew him and what he taught best. In spite of this, there were circumstances present which can hinder adherence to or corrupt this understanding, because after all humans are influenced by their environment. The demography of my former environment was comprised of:

• Growing up since birth in what is believed to be the best Western and vastly non-Muslim country in the world.
• Not having many close Muslim friends in my circle of peers; more inclined to follow the more dominant group (non-Muslms)
• Being in a non-Muslim school
• Subscribing to non-Muslim mass media
•  Not understanding basic Arabic
• Being under elders who varied in their understanding of Islam
• Some valued argumentative (philosophical) thought over sound proof
•    Some valued proof, but did not have communication skills to convey to westernized youths
•    Some dismissed the authenticity of hadeeth, believing them to be compromised, which dismissed the obligation to adhere to a ruling brought in them (a refutable notion; see my second blog post “Basics in Understanding the Religion of al-Islam”)
• Some had very radical views, and valued emotional response with the intention to please ALLAH and defend the honor of Muslim people, over everything
• Being a young person in post 9/11 America.

Parents can only do so much to influence their children when they have an entire country to compete with. It is only by the mercy of ALLAH that a child can understand on an intellectual level

• why eating pork is bad, even though the majority of people around them on a daily basis eat it
•  why they do not get Christmas and birthday presents
• why they cannot date girls or boys, and have to wait until they are married to enjoy romance, and cannot be close friends with members of the opposite gender (due to danger of pre-marital romance)
• why they have to pray and fast so much when their friends don’t even go to church anymore
• why all the other girls can look pretty outside, and I have to cover so much
• why so few people in the world are Muslims, and most of the world is something else and has such a free lifestyle

There is of course an answer and a reason for all of this, and that is the reality of ALLAH’s existence, and what he has said to mankind. There are numerous ways to prove this, but ALLAH did not say that everyone will be a Muslim. Not everyone will be in paradise nor all in hellfire. I mention this because, I do not expect all to believe as I do, and I understand what keeps them from that. I want to reach people who have the sincerity to please ALLAH, and help them understand that ALLAH and his messenger already explained what pleases ALLAH. No man or woman can tell you that, but it if person brings you something correct from the Qur’an and Sunnah, you should not reject it if they prove it.

There are extremes to be wary of. There are sincere Muslims who:

• accept anything that someone they trust presents to them and says that it pleases ALLAH, without proof, and without knowledge
• who do not take anyone’s word, and try to learn everything by themselves without guidance of experienced traditional scholars, and who are affected by invented controversy about traditional Islamic scholarship and it not being suitable for the present and future, and are overly skeptical about issues which are in contrast to certain aspects of secular and western life
• a subset of this extreme are those who believe the Qur’an and Sunnah are not permanent and can be changed to allow those things which it forbids, simply because it is common practice to do them today; these people imply that opposing this notion also opposes advanced and innovated technology, but this is a rejected and extreme notion because ALLAH and his messenger were specific enough when they forbade something, and some issues of daily human life had no such legislation applied to them
• who put so much faith in scholars, they do not apply thought to the religion at all, and remain in perpetual ignorance, with later manifests into stubbornness

These extremes are prevalent in Muslim communities globally. The resulting problems can be accurately hypothesized. I leave it to you, my readers, tell me what the correct way should be considering all of this. I challenge you all to explain it without controversy and without trying to satisfy any people – only speak about pleasing ALLAH himself.

Varying Secularism

Focus here should not be on Dr. Bilal Philips but rather trying to point out that religious people are not stupid or naive. Muslims also have to realize that ALLAH explains in His book, that not everyone is going to understand and believe; only those whom he allowed from His mercy and wisdom (it makes them deprived, but not stupid). ALLAH has said:

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِين(7:144)َ

Which means,

"I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them." (7:144)

Please heed this disclaimer: DO NOT USE THIS TO PICK A FIGHT WITH A DISBELIEVER! If you are challenged by a disbeliever, keep calm, and keep it simple. Determine if this person even has an interest in Islam being truth, and will even entertain the possibility that he or she is wrong; some people have no desire for Islam to be good, so they will use controversy to digress from reason and fundamentals. It is a waste time to argue with a fitnah maker. But it is beneficial to engage in peaceful and meaningful discourse. ALLAH knows best.