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Contemporary Skepticism, Ancient & Modern Theology, By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

Posted on by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

INTRODUCTION: Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi wrote this article by way of Foreword and Preface to his famous book “Answer to Modernism”. The book has been conceived as a reply to certain Muslim “Modernizers” who, under the impact of the 19th century “scientism” and cowed down by the physical might of western imperialism, fell a prey to all kinds of flimsy doubts and misgivings about Islamic doctrines, and clamored for a “new” or modernist apologetic approach even at the cost of sacrificing authenticity. The book lays down certain general and basic principles which can help one to see things for what they are. The principles are, indeed, so quintessential that they can serve as an indispensable guide to the understanding of any religious tradition, beside Islam.

Translated By: Professor Muhammad Hasan Askari & Karrar Husain
Compiled By: Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

Answer to Modernism: Foreword

The rules of ancient theology are sufficient to solve the present and future doubts

These days one notice a number of inner perversions that have crept into the religious beliefs and consequently into the religious practice of certain Muslims, and that are daily on the increase. In view of this, people have started talking about the need of compiling a “new” dialectical theology (ilm ul Kalam al jadid). In the sense of revising the basic principles of the ilm ul Kalam as it exists, this demand itself is questionable. For, these principles are quite sufficient and comprehensive, as any scholar, by practicing them, can easily judge and verify for himself with absolute certainty. In the sense of further elaborating these principles, however, this demand may be considered just and valid. But what is “new” in this case is only that certain doubts have newly arisen. In fact, it would demonstrate the comprehensiveness of the “old” ilm ul kalam all the more conclusively, and show that, no matter what the doubts are and in what age they arise, the same “old” principles are more than sufficient to meet them adequately. Thus, it is essential to get rid of this misunderstanding in defining this demand which has become all too popular.

Another error is still more grave, and calls for an even more urgent correction. In making this demand, what most of the people really intend is this the injunctions of the Shariah with regard to the doctrinal beliefs as well as to the religious practices enjoying universal conformity, resting on explicit statements in the Holy Quran and the Hadith, preserved and handed down from generation to generation, should be so modified in the light of new scientific researches as to bring them in agreement with the latter, even though the validity of these researches is neither confirmed by observation nor proved incontestably by rational argument. This object is patently absurd. All the propositions which are popularly known as “new researches” have not attained the degree of certainly; actually, most of them are merely hypothetical and conjectural. Nor are most of them really new, but have been mentioned by the ancient philosophers, and have even been discussed by our own theologians (Mutakallimin), as one can see for oneself by referring to the books of ilm ul kalam.

Meaning the compilation of modern theology

However, there is no denying the fact that some of the doubts which had ceased to be talked about are being repeated afresh, some are being presented in a new form, while there are others which are new even with regard to their content, for they are founded upon certain assumptions which can justifiably be described as “new researches”. It is only in this sense that the set of such doubts can properly be called “new”. And, in so far as we mean to combat these doubts which are “new” in this sense, and also because a certain “newness” in the mode of expression may be found useful, making it more suited to the contemporary taste, it would be permissible to describe our solution of these difficulties and our refutation of these doubts as a “new ilm ul kalam”. If we interpret the popular demand for compiling a new ilm ul kalam in this fashion. there is no point in denying such a need.

In whatever way you may interpret this need, we on our part have for a long time been anxiously considering different forms in which this need could be fulfilled. Some of these forms were comprehensive, but also voluminous. So, our mind settled on a shorter method. Let all the doubts that are currently being expressed orally or in books be collected and catalogued, and each one of them answered individually. In this way, our answers would be more efficacious in refuting the present doubts, each one of them having been dealt with separately and particularly, and the general principles obtained in the course of discussing the particular and individual doubts should, in shallah, prove adequate to refute similar and comparable doubts that may arise in future.

This procedure required that doubts should be compiled together, and the responsibility for this task does not lie only on the man who is to furnish the answers. So, we asked a number of people to help us in this respect. And we waited for a sufficient number of doubts to be compiled, so that we could begin our tasks in the name of Allah.

Lecture at Aligarh University

We were still waiting, when we had to make a journey to Bengal in the beginning of Dhi Qadah 1327 A.H. We broke the journey at Aligarh in order to meet our younger brother who was posted as a sub-inspector there. Some students of the M.A.O. College came to know of our arrival, and paid us a visit. A group of them informed the Secretary of the College. Nawab waqar ul Umara, and probably requested him to invite us for a sermon. We received a letter to this effect from the Nawab at night, and in the morning he himself came to see us, and took us to the College. This being a Friday. we offered our prayers there, and, as desired, gave a sermon that continued till the time of the afternoon (Asr) prayers. (A brief summary of this sermon has been given in the present book by way of a preface).

From the way the students listened to the sermon we could judge that they had in a certain degree the eagerness and expectancy to find out the truth; we even saw in them the signs of understanding and discernment. They expressed the desire to be given the opportunity to listen occasionally to our discourses and sermons in future too, for the sake of their reform and edification. This being a service to religion, we were only too happy to accept the suggestion.

Seeing this, we proposed to ourselves a further concision and consequently a little modification even in the shorter plan we had contemplated. We now decided that for the present we should not wait for all individual and particular doubts to be compiled, which was a task requiring the help of others, but should consider only those doubts which we had ourselves heard in the course of our conversations with people, or seen formulated in books, and should try to answer them as far as was necessary in our sermons before the students. Brief summaries of these sermons could then be published in book form for the benefit of those who had not been present. The oral sermon could precede the publication, or it could also be otherwise, depending on the time and the situation. Moreover, if some people would, during the course of this undertaking or before or after it, help us in compiling the doubts, then that earlier plan could also be executed, and a second part could be added to the present work. Failing that, we have our trust in the Almighty Allah, and hope that even this elementary work would be quite sufficient. If the reader can find someone to teach it systematically in detail, the benefit would be all the greater.

If Allah helps someone to compile from the writings of atheists and critics of islam all those objections and doubts that are based on the confrontation between Islam on the one hand, and science or the new principles introduced by western civilization on the other, and then to write a detailed refutation, such a work would genuinely deserve the name of a “new ilm ul kalam. In fact, a comprehensive model of such a book has, thanks to Allah, been already published, compiled from the teachings of Husain al Jasr al Tarabulasi and entitled “Al Risalah al Hamidiyyah”. Even an Urdu translation under the name of “Science Aur Islam” has appeared and been found useful and attractive by many reader. May Allah help us in the task and make it easy for us.

The Deprivation of the Modern Generation, Causes & Solutions

Preface: Sermon delivered at the M.A.O. College Aligarh

The text of the sermon was a verse of thc Holy Quran from the chapter ” Luqman”:

واتبع سبيل من اناب الي

“Follow the way of him who has turned to Me ….. “

Since the sermon was rather long, we would give only a summary here: Today we do not propose to speak on a particular theme, but to make a brief survey of the causes which have not so far allowed you to profit from the sermons of the Ulama, and which, if not indicated and remedied now, would render such sermons unprofitable in future too. The causes spring from certain deficiencies in you yourselves.

  • 1: The first of these deficiencies is that although religious doubts are spiritual ailments, yet you do not regard them as ailments. That is why you have never dealt with them in the manner you deal with physical ailments. May Allah protect you from all harm, but whenever it so happens that you fall ill, you never wait for the official physician of the college to come down to your room for himself in order to examine you and to treat you. When you were ill, you must rather have gone to his residence yourself and spoken to him about your illness. And if his treatment did you no good, you must have gone beyond the boundary of the college to the town, and seen the civil surgeon at the hospital. And, in case even his treatment did not prove effective, you must have left even the town and made a journey to other cities, and must have spent quite a good sum of money in bearing the expenses of the journey, in paying the doctors and in buying medicines. In short, you had no peace of body or mind until you had fully regained your health. This being so, how is it that when you are affected with religious doubts, you just expect that the Ulama themselves should attend you? Why do you not turn to them yourselves? And if, during this quest, one Aalim fails to restore your health (either because his answer is not sufficient, or because it is not to your taste), why do you not seek other ulama? Why do you jump to the conclusion that your problem is insoluble? You should at least have made a thorough search for its solutions. The expense it entails is almost nothing in comparison with what you spent on a physical cure. What could be simpler than to send a reply paid post card to any religious scholar you choose, and to ask him whatever you like?
  • 2: The second deficiency is that you too often have an absolute confidence in your own opinion and judgment, and assume that nothing can be wrong with your way of thinking. This is another reason why you never turn to any religious scholar (Aalim). this in itself is a great error. If you seek a verification of your opinion from the ulama, you would soon be aware of the errors you commit.
  • 3: The third deficiency is that, in religious matters, you are habitually reluctant to follow anyone. That is why you do not accept the authority of any expert in any religious matters, but always pry into the explanations, reasons and arguments of everything, while the truth is that one who is not an expert cannot at all do without accepting the authority of an expert. This does not mean that the scholars of the Shariah do not possess any reasons or arguments. They do possess all that. But many things are beyond your understanding. Just as it is very difficult to explain at theorem of Euclid to a man who is ignorant of the first principles, definitions and other preliminaries necessary for a proper study of geometry in the same way there are certain sciences which serve as instruments and elementary principles for a study of the injunctions of the Shariah. Anyone who wishes to understand them fully must necessarily acquire a knowledge of these sciences to begin with. But the man who has not the time or the inclination to do so, cannot help accepting the authority of someone else.

I would, therefore, advise you to adopt this method. Whenever you have a doubt with regard to any religious matter, you should continue to put it before different ulama until it has been finally removed, and should in no case rely on your own judgment. If there is Something which you are unable to understand perfectly, you had better admit your own short-coming, and then trust and follow those ulama who are really experts in their own field. If you adopt this procedure, I do hope that Allah will help you, and you will soon be able to correct your errors.

SOURCE: Answer to modernism, By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

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https://islaminsight.org/2020/07/05/definition-branches-of-philosophy-hikmah-islamic-shariah-by-maulana-ashraf-ali-thanvi/
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How Punishment & Reward Will be Given in the Grave? By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

Posted on by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi

Collected & Compiled by: Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

Objections to Punishment in the Grave & its Answers

Question

How the atheists and unbelievers may be countered when they rejected the possibility of punishment and reward in the grave and asked how can a grave be a ditch of Hell or a garden of Paradise, how can be it be spacious or squeezed small while the corpse cannot sit in it or stand? They assert that they dig open the graves but find neither blind and speechless angels who beat the corpse with the iron chains and hammers nor snakes or serpents. They do not sense the heat of a fierce burning fire. They aver that if they dug open the grave to verify the condition of the corpse they find it in the very condition in which they had left it. They point out that if they place mercury on its eyes and grain on its chest, it remains unchanged.

Their question is: how the grave extend and expand to the limits of the eye-sight for the corpse or contract and squeeze him? They do not observe any change in the size of the grave, neither larger nor smaller than originally prepared. How the grave squeezes and how may the angels and the shape that befriends the dead or scares him occupy the grave. They say, “Everything that is contrary to common sense and observation is the imagination of the speaker.” They cite the case of one who is hanged and left hanging on the scaffold. “We do not see the Munkar or Nakeer interrogating him or spy any movement of his body.

We do not notice a terrible fire that bums him. Then what about the wild beast devour, and virtues feasts upon. Pieces of its flesh in the stomach of beasts and birds how can anyone interrogate him? Part of him digested by snake and part dissolved in the atmosphere or carried away by the winds, how is it possible to subject him to questioning? When his body is bisected in this manner, how can the two angels Munkar and Nakeer do their job? How can the grave be a garden of Paradise or a ditch of a Hell for such a person? Or, a grave becomes congested and contracted to crush his ribs?

Answer

Objections were raised before Ibn e Qayyim on punishment and reward in the grave. He was asked, Before venturing to remove these doubts let us say something by way of an explanation so that the answers may be easily understood.

  • 1: The Messengers have not said anything that may be described as absurd. The messages conveyed by the Messengers are of two types:
  • One which is seconded by intelligence and instinct,
  • And the other which is beyond the comprehension of intelligence.

Examples of the second kind are reports of the Unseen and the Barzakh (the period between death and resurrection), the Qiyamah (Day of Resurrection), and the punishment. However ‘the reports of the Messengers have given are never absurd from an intelligent point of view. Besides, if they seem to be absurd and beyond intelligent comprehension but are upheld by a correct line, of transmission then it is obligatory to interpret them according to the other rules of Shari’ah. Thus, the news of the grave falls under the second classification. They are not absurd to the intelligence but are deduced by an intelligent deduction.

If anyone considers these reports as absurd then it is simply his own thinking and doubt which he imagines to be sensible and obvious.

  • 2: The other thing is that we must not exaggerate in interpreting the saying of the Holy Prophet. We must not let our imagination run wild and deduce from his words what he did not mean to say. If anyone turns away from the true meaning of what the Holy Prophet’s saying then he will never from the Straight Path. In a misunderstanding, the Words of Allah and His Messengers many misled sects have risen in Islam and they have innovated religious practices, for example, the Qarriyah, Mulhid, Kharji, Mutazalah, Jahmiyah, Rafidi, and so on. Many such people turned away from Islam and pay very little attention to it.
  • 3: The third point we refer to is that Allah has appointed three stages through which a man passes after his birth. They are this world, the Barzakh, and Darul Qarar (the final abode). There are different sets of rules and commands for each stage and they apply to that very phase. Man is made up of body and soul and the rules of the worldly stage apply to bodies while souls are subject to these bodies. That is why the injunctions of Shari’ah are framed with the tongue and parts of the body and in mind, although the heart may conceal differing things. The rules of the stage in Barzakh apply to the souls, subjecting bodies to the souls. Thus, as the soul suffers or enjoys with the body in the world because it is subject to it so too the body feels the pains and joys with the soul in the Barzakh, (which we call the grave) because it is subject to the soul there. In the world, the body is in the forefront and obvious and the soul is unseen and unobserved. In the stage of the grave, meaning the Barzakh, the soul will be observed and is in the forefront and superior but the body will be unseen and secondary. The rules of Barzakh will apply to souls. The soul will feel the pain and joy, and it will be reflected on the body just as the joy or pain of the body in the world is sensed by the soul. Thus, it is not necessary that these things be seen on the obvious body because they apply to the souls which senses them and those things happen in the other stage so, it is not necessary that they may be observed by us – rather, it is impossible to observe them as a general rule. (There may be certain exceptions if Allah wills.)

An example of this stage is shown by Allah in this world in the state of sleep. The soul bears the joy and pain which a man sees in his dream and his body is secondary to the soul. The same happens in Barzakh with the soul and body of the person sleeping. The soul is targeted and is reflected in the body. Rather, it is more severe than in a dream because in the Barzakh the soul is predominant and perfectly obvious. Besides, the link of the soul with the body although not perceptible is definitely maintained and there is no complete de-link and separation.

The third stage is the Hereafter. On the day of Resurrection, when the people are raised from the graves, the feeling of happiness and pain is directed on both body and soul and is discernible too.

The foregoing account confirms that whatever the Messenger of Allah has said about punishment in the grave, and pain and relief, reward and torment expansion and contraction of the grave as a ditch of Hell and garden of Paradise -whatever he has said- is comprehended by intelligence and is not contrary to it. Undoubtedly if anyone cannot comprehend this then it is his fault and it is due to his lack of knowledge that he cannot understand it.

EXAMPLE OF PUNISHMENT AND REWARD IN THE GRAVE

Let us look at two people sleeping on one bed. One of them sleeps and his soul experiences happiness and comfort so when he awakes these conditions are apparent on his body and it reflects the comfort and relief. The other too sleep and His soul experiences pain and when he awakes, and it is reflected on his body. Although the two sleeps together and go through different experiences yet the condition of one is not discernable to the other. We must visualize the Barzakh on this pattern It is proven through reasoning and Islam asserts the companionship of the soul with the body is perpetual although after death the ephemeral body separates from the soul. However, in the Barzakh the soul does get a body to taste the repercussions of his deeds. That body is not like the one we know, but it is very fine, and it is made of light in the shape of deeds. In the Barzakh, the practical conditions of men will take the place of their bodies. Although this is a subtle secret, it is not an unreasonable one. A perfect man discerns an existence of light in this life apart from the known impure body. There are many examples of this in the world of revelation. Those who are gifted with a glimpse of that world are not surprised by a body made of deeds. This very body that is made up of deeds of a man is the one that receives reward or punishment. Those people gifted with an eye that discerns the unseen meet the dead in their waking state, and they observe the body of the sinners as pitch black as if it made up of smoke.

Thus, everyone gets a new body after death and it may be glowing or dark but Allah has concealed these affairs from the intelligent deduction. This thing points to the perfect wisdom of Allah so that a Believer may be distinguished from an infidel because of his belief in the Unseen.

Thus, the angels come to a man who is about to die. They sit close to him and do see them. They bring for him the shroud and scent of Paradise or bad-smelling odor of Hell. They say “Aameen” when the visitors or those who present greet the patient with a salutation or a supplication. Sometimes, the dying man says to them “Welcome”, and no one besides this man sees the angels. There is innumerable evidence of such occurrences.

Of the affairs of the Hereafter, this is the first affair and it occurs in this world before us. Although it happens in this world, it is invisible to us. Then an angel stretches his hand towards the soul and seizes it. The angel talks to the soul but none of these present see the angel talking or hear his voice. The soul comes out of the body and its light is bright as the rays of the sun and its fragrance sweeter than musk but, again, these things are not evident to those present, neither do they see anything nor smell the sweet fragrance. The angel takes the soul and Joins the group of the angels. Then the soul returns in a particular manner and watches the body given a bath and being lifted. It says, “Take me ahead,” or it says, “Where are you taking me?” But, the people around do not hear it say so.

APPEARANCE OF THE ANGEL WITHIN THE GRAVE

When the body is placed in the grave and the grave is filled with earth, it does not prevent the angels from going to the corpse. In fact, even if the grave sealed with bricks that would not have obstructed the angel from approaching the corpse in the niche. Impure, solid bodies are not a hindrance to the tearing through of the delicate spirits.

Rather, even the jinns manage to go through the solid bodies. Allah has made the earth and bricks for the angels as air and atmosphere are for the birds -who fly about in them. As far as the grave being spacious or contracted, it is for the soul itself while the body, being secondary, feels the space or lack of it in terms of the soul, for otherwise a body is accommodated in a very small place.

SHRINKING OF THE GRAVE

In the same way, it is correct the grave narrows down on the corpse. Its ribs are pressed and overpass each other. There is no doubt in that and it cannot be derived by common sense. As far as anyone reopening a grave and finding the condition of the corpse unchanged and its ribs in their proper places, Allah is Able to do everything. He is Powerful and has Absolute Authority. Nothing can preclude Him and these things may be happening in the spiritual realm, beyond our perception.

To read this article in Urdu click on link below:

قبر میں ثواب یا عذاب کس طرح دیا جائے گا؟ قبر کے عذاب و ثواب پر شبہات اور ان کے جواب، از مولانا اشرف علی تھانویؒ
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ISTIKHARAH: A Course of Action During Times of Tribulation & Trials, By Maulana Sayed Muhammad Yusuf Banuri

Posted on by maulana syed muhammad yusuf banuri

Compiled by: Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

In this era when the very binding of the Ummah has become unstitched there appears to be no possibility of binding it in the near future. Since the path of proper investigation and consultation has closed, only the avenue of Istikhaarah remains. It is narrated in the Hadeeth:

ما خاب من استخار ولا ندم من استشار

Translation: “One who resorts to Istikharah will not be one who bears failure and harm and one who resorts to consultation will not regret and be ashamed.”

This is the course of action for the general masses who do not know which way to turn during these Fitnas, whereby they resort to the Masnoon Istikharah before acting. There is hope that after Istikharah, the steps he takes will be correct and sound. The meaning of Masnoon Istikhaarah is, when a person is confused and unsure regarding any matter due to which no clear option is visible and his knowledge is unable to guide him, his strength fails him in choosing the better course of action. He should then turn to the court of Allah and supplicate from Him with reliance, handing one’s matter over to Allah submitting to His will and readily accepting His decision in the matter. Asking Allah to guide and steer him in the right direction so that he is granted the ability to tread the better path.

THE REALITY OF ISTIKHARAH

The letters being received from sincere people are all being replied with the guideline to resort to Masnoon Istikharah. It will not be inappropriate at this juncture to include the method and dua for Istikharah. In reality, Istikharah is a ray of light from the lamp of Nabuwwat which has been shown to the Ummah. It is a guide for every individual who is in difficulty among the Ummah till the Day of Qiyaamah. This is a form of nurturing through the Rasul the blessings of which will remain till the last day. It is narrated in the Hadeeth that Nabi-e-Kareem used to teach Istikharah to the Sahaabah like the Surahs of the Noble Quraan is taught to children. Through the experience of the pious saints, many forms of Istikharah have come to the fore through which people find the right course of action to follow, but what can be said about that which flowed from the bosom of the guide of the Ummah, the seal of Nabuwaat, the mercy to mankind, the one granted the most know ledge from the first to the last.

THE OBJECTIVE OF ISTIKHARAH

It should be noted that the objective of the Masnoon Istikharah is for the servant to do the work required of him and for him to hand himself over to the all encompassing knowledge and perfect power of Allaah It is as if the servant, by resorting to Istikharah has freed. himself of his responsibility. It is evident that if a person goes to an intelligent, experienced and noble person, for consultation, that person will furnish  the correct advice and will also assist the person in keeping with his ability. Therefore what is istikharah? It is seeking advice from Allah through which the servant has placed his request before Allah. Who can be more merciful and Compassionate, kind and Endowing than Allah? His generosity and bounty is without example. His knowledge is complete and His power is peerless. Now, whatever is beneficial for the person, Allah will grant him the ability and inclination to do. Thus, there is no need for further pondering or seeing a dream to direct one. Whatever is good for him will happen, whether he knows of the goodness or not, whether he presently finds peace and serenity or not. Only that will happen in which there is goodness for him. This is the meaning of Masnoon Istikharah. This is why this course of action has been left as a legacy for the entire Ummah till the Day of Qiyaamah. This is why it is mentioned in the Hadeeth:

 من سعادة ابن آدم استخارة الله ومن شقاوة ابن آدم تركه استخارة الله 

Translation: “It is the good fortune of a person that he resorts to Istikharah in his affairs and it is his ill fortune that he gives up Istikharah.”

THE DUA FOR ISTIKHARAH

اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك، وأستقدرك بقدرتك ، و أسألك من فضلك العظيم ، فإنك تقدر ولا أقدر ، و تعلم ولا أعلم ، و أنت علام الغيوب ، اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر . . . . . . خير لي ، في ديني و معاشي و عاقبة أمري ، فاقدره لي و يسره لي ، ثم بارك لي فيه ، و إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر . . . . . . شر لي ، في ديني و معاشي و عاقبة أمري ، فاصرفه عني و اصرفني عنه ، و اقدر لي الخير حيث كان ، ثم أرضني به

Translation: “Oh Allah! I ask you the good through Your knowledge and I ask You to grant me ability through Your power, and beg out of Your infinite bounty. Surely, You have power and I have none. You know all and I know not. You are the Great Knower of all things. Oh Allah! If, in Your knowledge, this matter be good for my Deen, for my livelihood and for the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me and make it easy for me and bless me therein. But if, in Your knowledge this matter be bad for my Deen, for my livelihood and for the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away there from and ordain for me the good wherever it be and cause me to be pleased therewith.”

(“daur e hazir ke fitnay aur un ka ilaj” page 66 to 70)

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Ibn Taymiyyah & Ibn Arabi: The Perfectly Balanced Ideology of the Scholars of the Subcontinent By Maulana Syed Muhammad Yusuf Banuri

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(Introduction: Below is a translation of a preface by the Founder of Jamia uloom islamiyyah, Allamah Maulana Syed Muhammad Yousuf Banuri to a book entitled Maslak-e-Ulama-e-Deoband. The original book -by Qari Muhammad Tayyib, the then rector of Dar ul Uloom Deoband- is an important piece of work that sheds much needed clarity on the track of Deoband in relation to a range of issues, especially fiqh, Aqidah and Tasawwuf. The impetus behind this book was the manner in which the way of Deoband was being muddied by certain quarters and viewpoints presented as being Deobandi.
A translation of the preface to this work has been rendered into English with hope that individuals will seriously and sincerely research the maslak of Deoband. The purpose of this piece of writing is calling a spade a spade. The maslak of Deoband is clearly defined and has been expounded on; there is no need to package other ideas as being that of Deoband.)

Trial (Fitnah) and the need to clarify the Ideology of dar ul uloom deoband

Preface by: Maulana Sayyed Muhammad Yusuf Binnori

This is the time of Distress and numerous trials (fitnahs) and the biggest Distress is mix up of truth and falsehood in such a way that it leaves the mind perplexed, rather efforts are being made to present falsehood in the form of truth. Generally people are either ignorant or uneducated and without knowledge of deen or have their own motives; so because of their believes and support of falsehood they become a part of increasing these fitnahs. During their early days, the [Colonial] British Government, used its famous political diplomacy, and impose the name “Wahhabi” to bring disrepute to the akabireen of Dar ul Uloom Deoband and their Track (maslak). The aim behind this term is to destroy the spirit of Jihad which had been infused in people through Maulana Shah Isma’il Shaheed, Sayyid Ahmed Shaheed and the Akabireen of Deoband in 1857. This was publicized through various means. Unfortunately, some famous ulama also became instrumental in this.

As a results this created a rift between the Ulama e Islam. This rift extremely disturbed the mindset of the Muslim society and they started having serious doubts about the track of the Right Scholars (ulama e haq).

The Akabireen of Deoband followed the same track as of Imam e Rabbani Mujaddid Alf e Thani, Shah Waliullah Dehlawi and Shah ‘Abdul Aziz.

In which after hadith, (keeping in view of the importance of fiqh and ijtihad), comes faqih. So Imam Abu Hanifah is accepted as imam, and simultaneously they add sciences of Tasawwuf and the sciences of purifying heart taken from the devout and blend it beautifully.

So when there is an acceptance of the great work of Ibn e Taymiyyah, on the other hand there is an acknowledgement of the achievements of shaikh Akbar Mohiuddin Ibn e Arabi.

When the Taqlid of Imam Abu Hanifah, combination of Prophetic Ahadiths and the sciences of the Sufis, merge together it resulted in a beautiful, effective and heart penetrating maslak. This way (maslak) is commonly known as the School of Thought of Deoband.

However, unfortunately, new fitnahs are coming up every day and they created such a contentious atmosphere that the way (maslak) has been brought into disrepute. At the political level the unfair policies of previous British rule were revised. There is improbity and err in the hearts of people of the society. The common people are ignorant and have very little or no knowledge of Deen, and on top of it there is a severe effect of wrong and inaccurate propaganda, which results in a serious fear that falsehood might appear in the name of truth and truth in the name of falsehood. There was a dire need to clarify, explain and publicize the track of the Right Scholars (Maslak of ulama e haq).

In relation to this, an article had been published by Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyib, the grandson of Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi and rector at Dar ul Uloom Deoband, which was sufficient for this purpose. There was no need to write anything else. However, it had become lost and there was a need to publish it once again. Because of this those who are publishing it once again and fulfilling a religious need truely deserve our prayers and thanks. It has been compiled with excellent research and academic insight and justice. It is hoped that those who are just will value it and it will be a beacon of light for those who are unaware of it. Accordance and guidance is with Allah Almighty, He is sufficient for us and the best support.

Muhammad Yusuf Banuri (may he be forgiven)

 Karachi, 21 Jumadal Ukhra, 1395AH

Two points to note here:
1: the reference to Jihad here is the struggle for legitimate self-determination against oppressive colonial rule, not the murderous zealotry and wanton destruction in the name of our faith that has become the norm in some parts of the globe today and which has, at times, been nurtured by governments for political reasons.
2: Secondly, the negative reference, to the British here should be contextualized to the manner in which British colonial administrators and the East India Company exploited united India and oppressed its people. The British Raj was a ruthless affair and had little empathy for Indians. India, under the British Raj, suffered several famines: 1770, 1783, 1866, 1873, 1892, 1897 and lastly 1943-44. In the first famine, approximately 10 million people died in Bengal alone, wiping out one third of Bengal’s population. During the famine of 1943, when three million people died in just Bengal, people resorted to eating grass and human flesh to survive. Winston Churchill, the then prime minister of the UK was callous in his reactions. “Famine or no famine, Indians will breed like rabbits.” he said. This left a sour feeling in the hearts of many of the Raj’s Indian subjects and it was this very feeling that spurred a string of South Asians -Muslim and otherwise- to condemn the british and struggle for self-determination, including Dadabhai Naoroji, Abul Kalam Azad, Jawahar lal Nehru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and many stalwarts of Dar ul uloom Deoband. These anti-colonial efforts were for a particular time and place that has now passed.

Resource: Monthly Al-balagh international

To read this article in Urdu click on the link below:

ابن تیمیہؒ و ابن عربیؒ کے کمالات کا اعتراف، برصغیر پاک وہند کے علماء کا معتدل اور متوازن نظریہ، از مولانا سید محمد یوسف بنوریؒ
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Rotation Of Earth, A Scientific Approach In The Quran, By Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Posted on by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Compiled by: Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

This answers the objection of those non-Muslims who ask why the Quran does not refer to the arts and sciences through which material advancement has been attained by the Western countries? It also removes the misunderstanding of those who try to somehow prove scientific theories or laws from the Quran to cope with these objections. Such an attempt is like looking into a Law Book for a formula to make an atom bomb and an attempt by some other people to extract the theory of atom by distorting the legal phraseology of the book. Obviously, these other people are foolish if they attempt to discover the theory in a Lawbook. Similarly, if someone objects to the absence of scientific and engineering theories. it is foolish to distort the words of the Quran to somehow extract those theories or laws from it.

The correct answer to the objection is that the Quran is neither a book of science or engineering nor material advancement is its theme because a man can find that out through his intellect, wisdom, experiments, and observations. That is why Allah has left it to man to only what cannot be conceived through intellect and reasoning alone, but Divine guidance in the form of Wahy (Revelation) is essential for them. Thus, man has attained heights in the field of Science and Technology through his intellect, thinking, experiments, and observations. But he could not progress in Faith and Belief, purity of heart and soul, the goodness of character and deeds, devotion in worship and preparedness for the Hereafter. These things are not possible without the Wahy from Allah and are, therefore, subjects of the Quran. Man cannot attain them in spite of his excellences of intellect and thinking, nor can they he attained unless guidance from the Quran is sought with sincerity.

There are a few mistakes to be careful in this case:

We do not mean to say it is wrong to deduce a scientific fact from the Quran. We also admit that there is a mention of scientific realities in the Quran as a passing reference. hence, if we find any explicit scientific fact in the Quran, there is nothing wrong in narrating it. But one must avoid the following errors in this connection:

  • 1 : Any scientific reality mentioned in the Quran is only in passing. Its real object is to reflect on the supreme authority of Allah and to strengthen the Faith. Hence, it is totally wrong to consider the Quran as a source of information on science.
  • 2: Where no information of a scientific subject is found it would be wrong to distort the words of the Quran to accommodate scientific facts into it. This is well understood by means of the following example:

When the scientists said that the Earth was stationary and other planets were revolving round it, some people tried to prove this theory from the Quran, and cited the following verse:

امن جعل الارض قرارا

Who made this earth a fixed abode. (An-Naml, 27:61)

Those people pleaded that the word (fixed abode) denoted that the Earth was stationary. However, Quran only recalls the blessing of Allah that man lives on this earth restfully rather than be unstable on it, and has no trouble in sitting or lying down or moving about on it. Obviously, this blessing of Allah has nothing to do with the movement or not of the Earth. But, in fact, the blessing is bestowed on man irrespective of whether the earth is stationary or moving. Hence trying to prove from this verse that the Earth is stationary is uncalled for and an unnecessary introduction of new meaning into it.

Later on, when science advanced the theory of Rotation of Earth as opposed to its being stationary, some people again occupied themselves in finding proof for that in the Quran, and the following verse was presented as an argument:

وتری الجبال تحسبھا جامدۃ وھی تمر مرالسحاب

And you shall see the mountains – you think them firmly fixed – passing away as the passing away of the clouds…. (An-Naml, 27:88)

These people translated the word (تمر) as referring to earth (feminine noun in Arabic) while it refers to mountains (and is the female singular of the plural noun mountains).

On this basis, they advocated that this verse described the movement of the Earth because the movement of mountains in fact means the movement of Earth. The context of the verse shows clearly that it pertains to the happenings of the Last Day. The verse simply means that the seemingly unmoving mountains shall (on the Last Day) be floating in the atmosphere like the clouds.

The fact is that the Quran is silent on the subject of rotation of Earth and there is no mention of it in the entire Quran because this is not part of its theme. We cannot prove or disprove the movement of the earth from the Quran. Hence, whichever view is adopted in the light of scientific arguments, the Quran does not interfere; it poses no danger to Faith and Religion either way.

It should be noted here that often sincere attempts are made to show that the Quran narrates scientific facts and the intention generally is to convince the non-Muslims that the discoveries which they had made after hundreds of years have already been foretold in the Quran. But if this is done by violating the principle of exegesis, it is not being friendly to the Quran. When they were trying to prove through the Quran that Earth is stationary they considered it a great service to the Quran, but if it was universally accepted that the Quran speaks of a stationary Earth, what effect this would have had when science changed its views and said the earth rotates? Hence, only those things about science can be attributed to the Quran which is explicitly proved in it; but those not clearly mentioned in the Quran cannot be attributed to it. It was wrong to do so in the past, and it is wrong even today.

“Doubts and misconceptions about Islam and the present time” Page 67 to 72

To read this article in Urdu, click on the link below:

زمین ساکن ہے یا متحرک؟ قرآن کیا کہتا ہے؟ از مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی

More details are available at this link:

Why The Quran Has Not Explained About Science & Technology, Through Which The Western World Have Made Material Advancement? By Mufti Taqi Usmani
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Why The Quran Has Not Explained About Science & Technology, Through Which The Western World Have Made Material Advancement? By Mufti Taqi Usmani

Posted on by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Collected & Compiled by: Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

Question

A question often raised by people ,that in this age of science and technology the world has made advancement in these fields but the Quran and ahadith do not give us any formula on how to reach the moon,conquer the space or manufacture the atom and hydrogen bomb. The other nations discovered formulas and achieved miraculous advancements. and we have remained behind in spite of having teachings of Quran. Why did the Quran and the Sunnah not give us these formulas?Due to this reason some people feel an inferiority complex, while the world is reaching the moon and the Mars, the Divine Revelation and teachings are silent on this.

Answer

In answer to this question, we are quoting an entire article written by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani from his Urdu book “Doubts and misconceptions about Islam and the present time” which will clearly explain it:

Misunderstanding of the basic concept of the Quran leads to the misinterpretation of its Tafseer

While it is respectful and honorable to pursue. the science of exegesis (Tafsir), it is also dangerous to step into it. The reason for that is that if anyone makes a wrong interpretation he would attribute towards Allah a thing which He has not said. and there can be no greater deviation than that. Those who expound the Quran without being properly qualified fall into the wrong path in spite of laboring much in the exercise. Hence, it is essential to have a view of the causes that mislead a man in the matter of exegesis of the Quran.

The wrong committed in the exegesis of the Qur’an is that the subject of the Quran is not correctly understood. People try to find such subjects in it as are outside its narrations. For instance, some people tax their brain to prove all scientific an” physical realities and laws from the Quran. They think that Quran will be defective if these scientific realities could not be proved from it. So they sit down sincerely to prove scientific facts from the Quran and to this end do not hesitate to attribute wrong meanings to the words of the Quran. The fact is that science is not the real subject of the Quran. Mention of realities of this universe, whenever found in the Quran, has come up as a secondary subject. Thus, if we find a scientific fact mentioned in the Quran, we must believe in it. But, to try to deduce a scientific fact or rule from it is akin to finding details of law in books of medicine.

The Quran is not vague or ambiguous on its purpose but it has clarified in many verses the purpose of its revelation. For instance, the following verses need attention in this context,

قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ  يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

Indeed there has come to you from Allah a Light and Book manifest, whereby Allah guides those who follow His good pleasure into the ways of peace, and brings them out from the depths of darkness into light by His decree, and guides them to the straightway. (Al-Maidah, 5: 15-16)

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَىٰ فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا جَاءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ  فَقَدْ جَاءَكُم بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ

O People of the Book! Now there has come to you Our Messenger. making things clear to you, after an interval (of cessation) of the Messengers lest you should say There has not come to us any bearer of glad tidings, nor any warner. Indeed there has come to you now a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. (Al-Maidah. 5 : 19)

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

And thus do We explain the revelations in detail, that the way of the sinners may be shown up clearly. (Al-Anam, 6:55)

كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

This is a Book revealed to you (O Prophet) let there be no impediment in your heart there from – that you may warn thereby (the disbelievers) . and this is an admonition to the Believers. (Al-A’raf. 7: I)

These are just a few examples, and if one ponders over them it will be clear that the real purpose of the Quran is to exhort man to prepare for the Hereafter, and to teach him to pass this life in accordance with the will of Allah. Then whatever it narrates of the historical facts or references of the Universe and galaxies are all meant to support and affirm the same basic theme . Hence, if we do not find a popular scientific fact in it, it should neither surprise us nor is anything wrong in it because that is not the theme of the Quran. Similarly, if there be no mention of a past or future event, there should be no objection because it is not a book of history. However the Quran describes here and there some incidents by way of lesson and admonition.

Why the Quran has not explained about science and technology, through which the western world have made material advancement?

This answers the objection of those non-Muslims who ask why the Quran does not refer to the arts and sciences through which material advancement has been attained by the Western countries? It also removes the misunderstanding of those who try to somehow prove scientific theories or laws from the Quran to cope with these objections. Such an attempt is like looking into a Law Book for a formula to make an atom bomb and an attempt by some other people to extract the theory of atom by distorting the legal phraseology of the book. Obviously, these other people are foolish if they attempt to discover the theory in a Law book. Similarly, if someone objects to the absence of scientific and engineering theories. it is foolish to distort the words of the Quran to somehow extract those theories or laws from it.

The correct answer to the objection is that the Quran is neither a book of science or engineering nor material advancement is its theme, because a man can find that out through his intellect, wisdom, experiments and observations . That is why Allah has left it to man to only what cannot be conceived through intellect and reasoning alone, but Divine guidance in the form of Wahy (Revelation) is essential for them. Thus, man has attained heights in the field of Science and Technology through his intellect, thinking, experiments and observations. But he could not progress in Faith and Belief, purity of heart and soul, goodness of character and deeds, devotion in worship and preparedness for the Hereafter. These things are not possible without the Wahy from Allah and are therefore, subjects of the Quran. Man cannot attain them in spite of his excellences of intellect and thinking, nor can they he attained unless guidance from the Quran is sought with sincerity.

There are a few mistakes to be careful in this case:

We do not mean to say it is wrong to deduce a scientific fact from the Quran. We also admit that there is a mention of scientific realities in the Quran as a passing reference. hence, if we find any explicit scientific fact in the Quran, there is nothing wrong in narrating it. But one must avoid the following errors in this connection:

1 : Any scientific reality mentioned in the Quran is only in passing. Its real object is to reflect on the supreme authority of Allah and to strengthen the Faith. Hence, it is totally wrong to consider the Quran as a source of information on science.

2: Where no information of a scientific subject is found it would be wrong to distort the words of the Quran to accommodate scientific facts into it. This is well understood by means of the following example:

Rotation of the earth in the Quran

When the scientists said that the Earth was stationary and other planets were revolving round it, some people tried to prove this theory from the Quran, and cited the following verse:

امن جعل الارض قرارا

Who made this earth a fixed abode. (An-Naml, 27:61)

Those people pleaded that the word (fixed abode) denoted that the Earth was stationary. However, Quran only recalls the blessing of Allah that man lives on this earth restfully rather than be unstable on it, and has no trouble in sitting or lying down or moving about on it. Obviously, this blessing of Allah has nothing to do with the movement or not of the Earth. But, in fact, the blessing is bestowed on man irrespective of whether the earth is stationary or moving. Hence trying to prove from this verse that the Earth is stationary is uncalled for and an unnecessary introduction of new meaning into it.

Later on, when science advanced the theory of Rotation of Earth as opposed to its being stationary, some people again occupied themselves in finding proof for that in the Quran, and the following verse was presented as an argument:

وتری الجبال تحسبھا جامدۃ وھی تمر مرالسحاب

And you shall see the mountains – you think them firmly fixed – passing away as the passing away of the clouds…. (An-Naml, 27:88)

These people translated the word (تمر) as referring to earth (feminine noun in Arabic) while it refers to mountains (and is the female singular of the plural noun mountains).

On this basis they advocated that this verse described the movement of the Earth because the movement of mountains in fact means the movement of Earth. The context of the verse shows clearly that it pertains to the happenings of the Last Day. The verse simply means that the seemingly unmoving mountains shall (on the Last Day) be floating in the atmosphere like the clouds.

The fact is that the Quran is silent on the subject of rotation of Earth and there is no mention of it in the entire Quran, because this is not part of its theme. We cannot prove or disprove movement of the earth from the Quran. Hence, whichever view is adopted in the light of scientific arguments, the Quran does not interfere; it poses no danger to Faith and Religion either way.

It should be noted here that often sincere attempts are made to show that the Quran narrates scientific facts and the intention generally is to convince the non-Muslims that the discoveries which they had made after hundreds of years have already been foretold in the Quran. But if this is done by violating the principle of exegesis, it is not being friendly to the Quran. When they were trying to prove through the Quran that Earth is stationary they considered it a great service to the Quran, but if it was universally accepted that the Quran speaks of a stationary Earth, what effect this would have had when science changed its views and said the earth rotates? Hence, only those things about science can be attributed to the Quran which are explicitly proved in it; but those not clearly mentioned in the Quran cannot be attributed to it. It was wrong to do so in the past, and it is wrong even today.

Why Quran and Hadith didn’t teach the formula for conquering moon and space or making an atomic or hydrogen bomb?

This also furnishes reply to another question which often arises among the educated classes. They say that this is the age of science and technology. The entire world has advanced in this field, but our Qur’an and the Ahadith do not give us any formula in this field, so that we might learn how to manufacture the Atom and Hydrogen Bombs. For this reason some people are suffering from an inferiority complex, while the world is reaching the moon and the planet Mars, the Divine Revelation and the Traditions are silent on this point.

Science and Technology are Experimental subjects

The question can be answered by saying that these subjects lie within the jurisdiction of the human intellect. These are experimental sciences, in which personal efforts and experiments are needed. Almighty Allah has left this branch of knowledge to the human research and experiment. The more a man devotes his energies, research and experiment to this technical work, the more will he go ahead in this field. The Qur’an has been, in fact, revealed for the guidance of humanity in matters which lie beyond the jurisdiction of the human intellect and which the faculty of intellect cannot grasp. Thus, it is the Divine Revelation (Qur’an) that has come to our help in understanding such spiritual and celestial issues. Thus, the entire philosophy of Islamization of Laws consists in the proposition that we should mould our lives on the Laws of Islam.

This provides answer to another question, which very frequently arises in man’s mind. They say that the Holy Qur’an did not teach man to climb to the Moon, nor did the Holy Prophet  teach the way to conquer the space. The other nations worked to arrive at formulas for such miraculous strides and we have remained behind in spite of the Qur’an. Why did the Quran and the Sunnah not give us these formulas?

The answer to this question is not far to seek. Allah and His Prophet did not reveal to the world formulas to conquer the space or climb to the Moon, because these subjects lie within the jurisdiction of the human Intellect. The more man studies science, makes experiments and uses his Intellect to master these fields, the more he will go ahead with his scientific discoveries. As these subjects are purely within the scope of the Intellect, it was not at all necessary either to send a Prophet or reveal a book for this purpose. They are needed only where the human intellect becomes helpless. Likewise, the organisation of the “Amnesty International” is unable to decide which Human Rights or which form of expression of thought and opinion need or do not need, protection. As the human Intellect was quite helpless in this matter the Holy Prophet  came with his enlightening formulas concerning this important issue.

“Doubts and misconceptions about Islam and the present time” Page 67 to 72

To read this article in Urdu, click on the link below:

https://islaminsight.org/2020/09/12/%d9%82%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%93%d9%86-%d9%88%d8%ad%d8%af%db%8c%d8%ab-%d9%85%db%8c%da%ba-%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%86%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%b9%db%8c%da%a9%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%ac%db%8c-%da%a9%db%92/
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Is it Permissible To Shake Hand With Stranger Women (Non-Mahram)? Javed Ahmad Ghamidi’s Misleading Ideology

Posted on by dar ul ifta jamia banuri town karachi

NOTE: It should be noted that the below answer is the English translation of the Fatwa issued by Jamia Uloom Islamia Allama Yusuf Banuri Town, Karachi, Pakistan.

Question

I saw a video clip of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, in which he is saying that a Muslim woman can shake hands with a stranger, some of his words are: “Etiquette of social interaction between men and women  are  stated in the Quran. It is not written in Quran that men cannot shake hands with a stranger women. It is also not mentioned in any Hadith, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said only about himself that  He does not shake hands with women, so it is not haram or illegitimate in our religion but it is related to cultural influence and norms of the society. So if situation comes men can shake hands with women  as it does not matter”.

In fact Muslim women living in Western countries have to shake hands with male strangers who sometimes visit their offices or schools. Similarly, there are occasions when Muslim men get into no-go situation when they have to shake hands with female strangers. In the event of a refusal to do so, the likelihood of harm coming from them is not that remote. Does the Shari’ah of Islam permit a handshake in this situation?

Answer

This opinion of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi is a proof of his total ignorance of the rules of Shariah. His misguided thoughts and ideas should be strictly avoided, and  ulema who are experts with solid knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah should be consulted.

It should be noted that shaking hands with stranger women (non-mahram) is forbidden unanimously  by all jurists, and the evidence for this is found in the texts. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also gave a strong warning against touching stranger women (non-mahram). That includes touching, and holding the hand of a non-mahram stranger (as narrated in Tabarani from Hazrat Maqil bin Yasar, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “لأن يُطعن في رأس أحدكم بمخيط من حديد خير له من أن يمسّ امرأة لاتحلّ له.” رواه الطبراني صحيح الجامع 5045

“It is better to injure one’s head with an iron bracelet than to touch a non-mahram woman.”

In the narration of Bukhari Sharif, it is narrated from Hazrat Ayesha (RA) that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to test  the women who migrated to Madinah according to the verse of Surah Al-Mumtahinah that  have they migrated only for the sake of Allah and the Holy Prophet (PBUH)? Not for any other purpose? When they passed the test, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would say to them, “I have sworn allegiance to you orally.” Hazrat Ayesha said, “By Allaah, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also swore allegiance. He did not touch any woman.

It should be noted here that Allah Almighty Himself in Surah Al-Mumtahina has commanded you to swear allegiance to such women and swearing allegiance in Arabia meant to give a firm pledge of allegiance by handing over to an elder, such as peace. The allegiance on the occasion of Hudaybiyyah is mentioned in Surah Al-Fath, and the allegiance on the blessed hand is definitely proved by the continuity of the signs and traditions of the Holy Qur’an. Nevertheless, when swearing allegiance to women, make it clear that I swore allegiance to you orally and swear by Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the blessed hand of the Prophet (PBUH) never touched a woman’s hand. All these things are not only for the sake of stating the blessed habit of the Prophet (PBUH) with such care, otherwise the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) would have acted on it once in obedience to the command of Allaah, or at least to justify it.

The words of Sahih Bukhari’s narration are also noteworthy that the blessed hand of the Prophet (ﷺ) did not even touch the hand of a woman, except for the woman whom the Prophet (ﷺ) owned.

وفي رواية عنها رضي الله عنها قالت: مَا مَسَّتْ يَدُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدَ امْرَأَةٍ إِلا امْرَأَةً يَمْلِكُهَا”. رواه البخاري 6674

It is narrated in Sahih Muslim that the palm of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) did not touch the palm of any woman (non-mahram).

وفي رواية : أَنَّهُ يُبَايِعُهُنَّ بِالْكَلامِ .. وَمَا مَسَّتْ كَفُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَفَّ امْرَأَةٍ قَطُّ. صحيح مسلم 3470

In addition, many books with authentic chain of transmission have narrated the hadiths that “even the hands commit adultery and their adultery is to be caught”.

سنن ابی داؤد، جلد 3 ص:484 حدیث: 2153۔ ط: دار الرسالۃ العالمیۃ، صحیح مسلم: 2657۔ مسند احمد: 8526 و 10920

In these hadiths, touching and holding hands is also called zina, holding hands with non-mahrams is also found. The hadith mentioned at the beginning of the answer and such strong promises in this hadith can only be made on an illegitimate and haraam act, not even on an undesirable act. It turned out that shaking hands with a non-mahram is sinful and unlawful. And he (ﷺ) did not make such strong promises just for breaking his habit.

Also, it is haraam to look at non-mahram women intentionally because it is a place of fitnah according to the Shari’ah texts (Surat al-Noor) and all the jurists agree on this, and this haraam is proved by Dalalat al-Nus, while non-mahram Touching a woman, or shaking hands with her, has been proven by these texts as a prerequisite. Because shaking hands or shaking hands is more fitnah than seeing, so denying its sanctity requires the denial of the Shari’ah texts, and the argument of less knowledge and less rationality.

Some Muslims feel too embarrassed to refuse when a woman offers her hand to them. In addition to mixing with women, some of them claim that they are forced to shake hands with fellow-students and teachers in schools and universities, or with colleagues in the workplace, or in business meetings and so on, but this is not an acceptable excuse. The Muslim should overcome his own feelings and the promptings of the Satan, and be strong in his faith, because Allaah is not ashamed of the truth. The Muslim could apologize politely and explain that the reason he does not want to shake hands is not to offend or hurt anybody’s feelings, but it is because he is following the teachings of his religion. In most cases this will earn him respect from others. There is no harm done if they find it strange at first, and it may even be a practical opportunity for da’wah.

So Women shaking hands with male strangers and men shaking hands with female strangers is not permissible under any circumstances. This position is fully supported by clear statements in the noble Ahadith and all jurists concur on this being impermissible.

Allah knows the best

to know about another misleading opinion of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Click on these links:

https://islaminsight.org/2020/06/03/tazkiyah-or-sufism-is-tasawwuf-a-parallel-religion-to-islam-objections-about-sufism-by-javed-ahmed-ghamidi-its-clarification-answers-according-to-quran-sunnah/
https://islaminsight.org/2020/06/12/islam-the-state-a-response-to-javed-ahmed-ghamidi-by-mufti-muhammad-taqi-usmani/

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Differences Between Men & Women Salat & Method of Salat For Women According To Sunnah.

Posted on by Mufti Umar Anwar Badakhshani

Question

What is the difference in the way of performing salat between Men and women ? Many women perform their Ruku, Sajdah and Qa’dah like men. Is this correct? Please furnish a detailed answer according to Sunnah.

Answer

A common criticism made by some people is that it differentiates between the salat of a man and woman. They claim that this is not supported by any evidence, and in fact opposes the clear and general words of the Prophet (PBUH) “Pray as you have seen me praying”, a Hadith reported the Sahih of Al Bukhari. In the following, an attempt will be made to answer this criticism.

Women are wrong when they perform their Ruku and Sajdah like men because there are many differences between the salaah of men and women. These are:

First difference

1. When calling out the Takbeer Tahreema, men raise the hands up to the ears, while women raise their hands to their chests.

Second difference

2. Men fold the hands beneath the navel in such a manner that the thumb and little finger of the right hand encircles the wrist of the left hand, with the remaining three fingers places on the forearm . All the fingers of the left hand will then be placed beneath the right forearm and must not be left to hang downwards. Women will place their hands on their chests with the palm of the right hand on top of the palm of the left hand without forming a ring with the fingers.

Third difference

3. In Ruku, the man should bow in a manner that the head, back and posterior are all in line, while a woman should bend only so much that her hands can reach her knees. Her back should not be straight.

Fourth difference

4. A man in Ruku will clasp the knees firmly with the fingers apart, while the woman will keep her fingers together and place the hands on the knees without clasping them. Her knees should also be slightly bent and not straight like those of men. Men should also keep their arms away from their sides and adopt and open posture, while women should keep the arms attached to her sides, keeping the ankles together in a sort of folded posture.

Fifth difference

5. In Sajdah a man’s thighs are kept apart from his belly, his arms away from his sides and his forearms and elbows off the ground. Women, on the other hand, will perform Sajdah with the thighs attached to her belly, her arms attached to her sides and her forearms spread upon the ground. Furthermore, men should have their feet erect with the toes facing Qibla, while women will have their feet stretched to the right and make Sajdah with her body kept as compact as possible. Her fingers will be kept together, facing the Qibla.

Sixth difference

6. In Jalsa and Qa’dah, a man should keep his right foot erect with the toes facing the Qibla, spread his left foot on the ground and sit on it. Both hands should be placed on the thighs with the fingers facing Qibla and not pointing downwards. Women should extend both feet towards the right and sit on her left buttock.

Seventh difference

7: When performing the Sajdah in the Masnoon method, a woman should take support from the ground when she proceeds from Ruku to Sajdah, extend both feet to the right and then immediately perform Sajdah. This helps in performing the Sajdah and it is the Masnoon method that has been practised from generation to generation. It can therefore not be called an act of Bid’ah. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Evidence from Hadith and sunnah for the difference between men and women in performing salat

Below we will present evidences for the view of the vast majority of the scholars and jurists of the ummah on this issue from the sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the practice and fatwas of the earliest and best generations of Muslims (Sahabah and Tabi‘in).

Hadith One

في مراسیل أبي داؤد: ص103 باب مِنَ الصَّلاةِ، السنن الکبری للبیهقي: ج2ص223, جُمَّاعُ أَبْوَابِ الاسْتِطَابَة
عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرَّ عَلَى امْرَأَتَيْنِ تُصَلِّيَانِ ، فَقَالَ : إِذَا سَجَدْتُمَا فَضُمَّا بَعْضَ اللَّحْمِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ ، فَإِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ لَيْسَتْ فِي ذَلِكَ كَالرَّجُلِ

“Narrated to us from Yazid ibn Abi Habib that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed by two women praying, whereupon he said: ‘When you two pray, then join part of the flesh to the earth, as the woman is not like the man in that.’” (Marasil Abi Dawud, ed. ‘Abd Allah ibn Musa‘id ibn Khadran al-Zahrani, no. 89)

Hadith Two

في المعجم الکبیر للطبرانی: ج9ص144رقم17497، مجمع الزوائد: ج9 ص624 رقم الحدیث 1605، البدر المنير لابن الملقن:ج3ص463
عن وائل بن حجر قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا وائل بن حجر إذا صليت فاجعل يديك حذاء أذنيك، والمرأة تجعل يديها حذاء ثدييها

It was narrated] from Wa’il ibn Hujr, he said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to me: ‘O Wa’il ibn Hujr! When you pray, position your hands in line with your ears, and the woman positions her hands in line with her chest.”

Hadith Three

في الکامل لابن عدي ج 2ص501، رقم الترجمة 399 ، وفي السنن الکبری للبیهقي ج2 ص223 باب ما یستحب للمرأة الخ، وفي جامع الأحادیث للسیوطي ج 3ص43 رقم الحدیث 1759
عَنْ عَبْدِاللّٰه بْنِ عُمَرَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰه صلی الله علیه وسلم: إِذَاجَلَسَتِ الْمَرْاَةُ فِي الصَّلاةِ وَضَعَتْ فَخِذَهَا عَلٰی فَخِذِهَا الْاُخْریٰ، فَإِذَا سَجَدَتْ أَلْصَقَتْ بَطْنَهَا فِي فَخِذِهَاکَأَسْتَرِ مَا یَکُوْنُ لَها، فَإِنَّ اللّٰهَ یَنْظُرُ إِلَیْها وَ یَقُوْلُ: یَامَلَائِکَتِيْ أُشْهِدُکُمْ أَنِّيْ قَدْغَفَرْتُ لَها

It is narrated on the authority of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: When a woman is sitting in prayer, she should place one of her thighs on the other thigh, and when she prostrates, she should cover her belly with her thighs. This state is more modest and veiling for her. Allaah almighty looks at her and says: O my angels! Be a witness. I forgave this woman.

Hadith Four

في السنن الکبریٰ للبیهقي: ج 2ص222.223 باب ما یستحب للمرأة… الخ
عَنْ أَبِيْ سَعِیْدٍالْخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه صَاحِبِ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰه صلی الله علیه وسلم أَنَّه قَالَ: … کَانَ یَأْمُرُالرِّجَالَ أَنْ یَّتَجَافُوْا فِيْ سُجُوْدِهِمْ وَ یَأْمُرُالنِّسَاءَ أَنْ یَّتَخَفَّضْنَ

Hazrat Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to order men to keep their thighs apart from their stomachs in prostration and he used to order women to prostrate with their knees bent.

Hadith Five

It is reported in Sahih Muslim that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

وينهى أن يفترش الرجل ذراعيه افتراش السبع

“And he (the Prophet) forbade that a man spreads out his arms like a wild animal spreads (them) out.” (Fath al-Mulhim, 3:488-9)

This implicitly indicates that a woman is exempt from this ruling, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) singles out a man for this prohibition (especially since the very same hadith in its complete form mentions other general prohibitions that do not single out “a man”). Hence, there is an implicit indication that a woman spreads out her arms during prostration.

Hadith Six

Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

التسبيح للرجال والتصفيق للنساء

“Tasbih is for men and clapping is for women.” (Fath al-Bari, 3:100)

The hadith means that when in congregation the imam makes a mistake, men are to say tasbih (subhanAllah) and women are to clap their hands to alert the imam to the error. This is a clear and authentic hadith on a specific difference between the Salat of a man and woman (which Salafi scholars also accept). Hence, it should not be farfetched that there are other minor differences between them.

There are many other differences between the Salat of a man and woman recorded in authentic marfu‘ hadiths, although they are not specifically regarding the postures of Salat. For example, the hadiths that state that a woman is not obligated to attend Jumu‘ah, that her house is better for her, and that her prayer is not accepted without a scarf.

All of these hadiths suggest a basic principle, which is that although a woman’s Salat is similar to man’s, she differs slightly from him in certain aspects of Salat based on the added requirement of concealment and modesty for her. Based on this, the majority of the jurists of all madhhabs have reached consensus that there are small differences in the postures of a man and woman. This is also proven from the practice and fatwas of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in.

Practice and Statements of the Sahabah

Narration One

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة رقم الحديث: 2793, 2:504

عن علي قال: إذا سجدت المرأة فلتحتفز، ولتضم فخذيها

“narrated to us from ‘Ali, he said: ‘When a woman prostrates, she should draw (herself) together, and join her thighs.”

Narration Two

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة ج 2ص505، المرأة کیف تکون في سجودها، رقم الحدیث279
عن ابن عباس أنه سئل عن صلاة المرأة فقال: تجتمع وتحتفز

“narrated to us from Ibn ‘Abbas that he was asked about the Salat of a woman, and he said: ‘She huddles up and draws (herself) together.’” (Musannaf, 2:505, 2794)

Narration Three

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 2704
عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَ الرَّجُلُ بَطْنَهُ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ إِذَا سَجَدَ كَمَا تَصْنَعُ الْمَرْأَةُ

“Jarir (ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid) narrated to us from Layth (ibn Abi Sulaym) from Mujahid (ibn Jabr) that he would detest that a man puts his belly on his thighs when he prostrates, as a woman does.” (Musannaf, 2:505, 2796)

This narration proves that it was a well-known and common practice at the time of the Sahabah and senior Tabi‘in for a woman to pray differently from a man by compressing herself and drawing herself together during prostration. This is why Mujahid said “like a woman does,” using this practice of a woman as the act on which he drew his comparison; and it is known in the rules of language that an example is only drawn on something commonly known and recognised.

Practice and Statements of the Tabi‘in

Report One

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 24982:421 ,
حدثنا محمد بن بكر، عن ابن جريج قال: قلت لعطاء: تشير المرأة بيديها بالتكبير كالرجل؟ قال: لا ترفع بذلك يديها كالرجل، وأشار: فخفض يديه جدا، وجمعهما إليه جدا، وقال: إن للمرأة هيئة ليست للرجال، وإن تركت ذلك فلا حرج

“Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us from (‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz) ibn Jurayj, he said: I said to ‘Ata’: ‘Does a woman gesture with (i.e. raise) her hands in takbir like a man?’ He said: ‘She does not raise her hands in that like a man.’ And he gestured (with his hands), lowering his hands excessively and he brought them together to himself excessively, and he said: ‘A woman has a posture that men do not have, and if she leaves that there is no blame (i.e. sin on her).”

في مصنف عبدالرزاق ج3ص50رقم5983
تجتمع المرأة إذا ركعت، ترفع يديها إلى بطنها، وتجتمع ما استطاعت، فإذا سجدت فلتضم يديها إليها، وتضم بطنها إلى فخذيها، وتجتمع ما استطاعت

“The woman huddles up when she bows. She raises her hands to her stomach, and she draws (herself) together as much as she can. When she prostrates, she should bring together her hands to herself, and join her belly and her chest to her thighs, and huddle up as much as she can.”

Report Two

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 2797, 505:2
عن الحسن قال: المرأة تضطم فى السجود

“narrated to us from al-Hasan (al-Basri), he said: ‘The woman huddles up in prostration.”

Report Three

في مصنف عبدالرزاق ج 3ص49 باب تکبیرة المرأة بیدیها وقیام المرأة ورکوعها وسجودها
إذا سجدت المرأة فإنها تنضم ما استطاعت ولا تتجافى لكيلا ترفع عجيزتها

“When a woman prostrates, she huddles up as much as she can and she does not separate (her limbs) so that she does not lift her posterior.”

Report Four

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 2798, 505:2
حدثنا وكيع عن سفيان عن منصور عن إبراهيم قال: إذا سجدت المرأة فلتلتزق بطنها بفخذيها ولا ترفع عجيزتها ولا تجافي كما يجافى الرجل

Narrated to us from Ibrahim (al-Nakha‘i), he said: ‘When a woman prostrates, her belly should cling to her thighs, and she is not to raise her posterior, nor spread out (her arms) as a man spreads (them) out.”

Report Five

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 2808, 508:2
حدثنا وكيع عن سفيان عن منصور عن إبراهيم قال: تجلس المرأة من جانب الصلاة

“Waki‘ narrated to us from Sufyan from Mansur from Ibrahim, he said: ‘The woman sits to the side in Salat.”

Report Six

في مصنف ابن أبي شیبة: رقم الحديث 2800, 506:2
حدثنا أبو خالد عن محمد بن عجلان عن نافع أن صفية كانت تصلي وهي متربعة

“Abu Khalid (al-Ahmar) narrated to us from Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan from Nafi‘ that Safiyyah would pray while in the tarabbu‘ position.”

These reports are particularly interesting and worthy of note because it is established from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar that he said the sunnah in Salat is iftirash as reported in Sahih al-Bukhari (Fath al-Mulhim, 3:486), which means he must have observed the Prophet (peace be upon him) praying in this way. Since his wives would sit in the tarabbu‘ position despite Ibn ‘Umar’s established view, this is an indication that Ibn ‘Umar must have learned from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that a woman’s posture while sitting is different from a man’s, as he would have, otherwise, corrected his wives.

The meaning of Hadith, “Pray as you have seen me praying.”

As for the hadith “pray as you have seen me praying,” it should be noted firstly that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this to a group of young men who came to learn their religion, as reported by the Sahabi, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith, in Sahih al-Bukhari (Fath al-Bari, 3:291). Secondly, this is a general statement about the basic components and requirements of Salat, in which everyone is equal. Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari wrote in his commentary of Mishkat al-Masabih, “‘Pray as you have seen me praying,’ meaning in observing the conditions and integrals.” It is not about every aspect and detail of Salat. Otherwise, the imam and muqtadi should also be equal in every aspect of Salat. Yet the muqtadi differs from the imam in that he does not say the takbir out loud, nor does he say sami‘ Allahu liman hamidah, and according to the majority, he does not recite when the imam recites aloud in Salat. Hence, this is proof that this general statement does not negate specific exceptions that are established from other evidences.

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Will observing mustahab fasts of shawwal during ayyam al Bid suffice for both of them?

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Question

If a person fasts the six days of Shawwal and the fast of the days of Ayyam al Bid at the same time, will both be counted? And will he get the reward of both?

Answer

In the six days of Shawwal, even if the days of the Ayyam al bid (13th, 14th and 15th of the lunar month) come and a person intends to perform these two supererogatory fasts in those days, he will be rewarded for both types of fasts.

Allah knows the best !

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) 1/ 440
ولو نافلتين كسنة فجر وتحية مسجد فعنهما
(قوله: ولو نافلتين) قد تطلق النافلة على ما يشمل السنة وهو المراد هنا (قوله: فعنهما) ذكره في الأشباه ثم قال: ولم أر حكم ما إذا نوى سنتين كما إذا نوى في يوم الإثنين صومه عنه وعن يوم عرفة إذا وافقه فإن مسألة التحية إنما كانت ضمناً للسنة؛ لحصول المقصود اهـ أي فكذا الصوم عن اليومين

See other details about Shawwal fasting at this link:

https://islaminsight.org/2020/05/25/the-status-of-fasting-the-six-days-of-shawwal-and-the-necessary-rules-regarding-it/
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Should Nafl Fasts of Shawwal be Observed First or Qada Fasts of Ramadan?

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Question

Should the Qada fasts be observed first or the six nafl fasts of shawwal??

Answer

It is preferable to observe the qada fasts first as they are obligatory. Nevertheless if someone observes the six nafil fasts of shawwal before the qada fasts, they will be rewarded for these nafil fasts.

Allah knows the best !

See other details about Shawwal fasting at this link:

The Status of Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal and the Necessary Rules Regarding it.
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