The Creed of Imam Malik Ibn Anas (Rahimahullah) (2) May 3, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Aqeedah, Lives of the Salaf.add a comment
Insha-Allah, this will be the second post in the series of Aqeedah of the Four Imams. I hope you benefited from the first one.
Statements of Imam Malik concerning Tawheed:
4. Aboo Nu'aym relates from Ja'far Ibn 'Abdullah who said, "We were with Malik Ibn Anas when a man came and said, 'O Abaa `Abdulllah,
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى
"The Most Merciful has ascended above His Throne" (Surah Taa Haa 20:5)
How did He ascend?'
So anger overcame Malik like none had ever seen from him. He looked down at the ground and scratched it with a piece of wood he was holding until he began to sweat profusely. Then he raised his head and tossed the wood aside, and said, 'The specific details are incomprehensible, however ascending is something that is not unknown, having faith in it is obligatory, and questioning about it is an innovation. And I believe that you are a person of innovation.' He then ordered him out, and he was removed.I
5. Again Aboo Nu'aym relates from Yahya Ibnur-Rabee' who said, 'I was with malik Ibn Anas when a man came to him and said, 'O Abaa `Abdullah, what is your position on someone who says the Qur'an is created?'
Malik replied, '(This questioner is) a heretic (zindeeq)II, so kill him.'III
Then he said, 'O Abaa `Abdullah, I have only mentioned something that I heard (from others).'
He (Malik) said, 'You are the first person I ever heard this from.' Then he explained the gravity of the statement."IV
6. And it is related by Ibn `Abdil-barr from `Abdullah Ibn Naafi' who said, "Malik Ibn Anas used to say, ' Whoever says that the Qur'an is created, he is to be beaten severly and jailed until he repents'." V
7. It is related by Aboo Dawood from Abdullah Ibn Naafi' who said, "Malik said, 'Allah is above the sky and His Knowledge is everywhere'."VI
Reference:
___________________
[I] Related in al-Hilyah (6/325-326), and it is also related by as-Saboonee in `Aqeedatus-Salaf wa As-haabil Hadeeth (p, 17-18) by way of (chain of narration) Ja'far Ibn 'Abdullah from Malik.
[II] az-Zindeeq: It is a word that came into Arabic from Persian, it was first used by the Muslims to refer to those who believe in two origins: light and darkness, like the Manawiyyah and others. Then its meaning according to their usage evolved to include those who believe in reincarnation, atheists, and anyone else who had misguided beliefs. Then it began to be applied to doubt and anyone who deviated from the rulings of the Religion in beliefs or actions. Refer to al-Mawsoo'atul Muyassarah (1/929), and Tareekhul-Ilhad (p. 14-32) of `Abdur Rahman Badawee.
[III] Here Imam Malik is ordering to carry out Islamic punishments for blasphemy, apostasy, and the likes that is only done in a land ruled by Islam, by the Imaam of the Muslims or one of his official representative.
[IV] Related in al-Hilyah (6/325). The proper understanding regarding this is that the Qur'an is the Speech of Allah and thus not Created. Allah (SWT) spoke before the creation of Man and it is an Attribute of Him like many others.
[V] Al-Intiqaa' (p. 35). Note: Islamic punishments are to be applied in the lands under Muslim rule by the appropriate authorities only.
[VI] Related by Abood Dawood in Masa'ilul-Imaam Ahmad (p. 263).
- I admire the Pious but I'm not one of them
Description Of Paradise May 3, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Paradise.9 comments
From the book: Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah, pg. 193
By: Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah)
"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.
And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.
And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.
And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor. And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.
And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be traveled in a thousand years.
And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.
And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.
And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.
And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon. And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity. And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.
And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.
And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorify, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everything but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the one who Sustains and Protects all the exists.
And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn. And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face – free from any resemblance or likeness to anything – as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call:
'O People of Paradise! Your Lord – Blessed and Exalted – requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet – and none of them will turn down the request of the caller – the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will order His Chair to be brought there.Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls:
'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller – Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names – has come to them from above them and majestified them and said:'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!'So the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will laugh to them and say:
'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'So, they will all give the same response:'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!'
So, the Lord – Mighty and Majestic – will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah – the Exalted – had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them. And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord – the Exalted – will speak to him and say:'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldly life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…
{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…}
(al-Qiyaamah:22-3)
May Allaah (SWT) make us from the dwellers of Jannah. Ameen.
- Got the looks of a Shaykh but ain't one of them.
The Creed of Imam Malik Ibn Anas (Rahimahullah) (1) April 29, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Aqeedah, Lives of the Salaf.2 comments
This will be the first post in the series where I shall discuss the creed of the Four Imams, namely: Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’ee, and Imam Ahmad. Insha-Allah, this series of posts will benefit the readers and give them a good understanding at the Aqeedah of the Four Imams. My goal is to show that all four have hade the same creed except in one case, that is regarding Eemaan about which Imam Abu Hanifa had a different position.
Statements of Imam Malik concerning Tawheed:
1. It is related by Al-Harawee from Ash-Shafi’ee, that he said, ‘Malik was asked about theological rhetoric and tawheed. He replied:
It is inconceivable to suggest that the Prophet (PBUH) taught his Ummah
about the manners of cleansing themselves after using the bathroom, yet he
did not teach them Tawheed. Tawheed is what the Prophet (PBUH) spoke of:
“I have been commanded to fight the people until they say: There is no diety worthy of worship besides Allah…” [i]
2. Ad-Daraqutnee (d. 385H) – may Allah have Mercy on him- relates from Waleed Ibn Muslim who said, “I asked Malik, ath-Thawree, al-Awzaa’ee, and al-Layth Ibn Sa’d about the narrations concerning the Attributes (Sifat of Allah-SWT). They all said:
‘Pass them on (as) they have come.’” [ii]
3. Ibn `Abdil-Barr said, “Malik was asked (by some people), ‘Will Allah be seen on the Day of Judgement?’ So he said, ‘Yes, Allah says,
– وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ –
And some faces shall be shining and radiant upon that day, looking at their Lord. (Suratul Munafiqun, 75: 22)
And He (SWT) said about another people,
- كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ -
No! Verily they shall be veiled from their Lord upon that day. (Suratul Mutaffifeen 83: 15)’”
He was further asked, ‘ will they be looking towards Allah?’ He said, ‘Yes, with their own two eyes.’ So one of the people present said to him, ‘There are some people who say that Allah can not be looked at, and that ‘to look at Him’ really means: looking forward to the reward.’ He said, ‘They have lied, rather Allah will be seen. Have you not heard the statement of Musa (AS),
-قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ -
“Lord, I wish to look at You.” (Suratul A’raaf 7:143)
So do you hold that Musa would ask his Lord for something impossible? Allah said,
- قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي -
“You will not (be able to) see Me.” (Suratul A’raaf 7:143)
This refers to this worldly life, because it will come to an end, and things that come to an end shall not see something that does not come to an end. However, when they reach place of unending life, they will look using what is unending (their eyesight) at what is eternal (Allah). And Allah said,
- كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ -
“No! Verily they will be veiled from their Lord upon that day.” (Suratul Mutaffifeen 83: 15)’” [iii]
Refernces:
[i] Related by Al-Bukharee and Muslim in their Saheehayn.
[ii] This narration is related by Ad-Daraqutnee in as-Sifaat (p. 75)
[iii] al-intiqaa’ (p. 36)
– I admire the Piour but I'm not one of them
The Question that “was” not even a question!!! April 22, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in News & Views.2 comments
Are u puzzled by the subject of this post? Have you ever heard stories like, some people used to come to the faquhaa of 2nd or 3rd century and ask them, “what direction would you face if you are on top of the Ka’bah or when you are in outer space?” And some of the scholars would not even consider that as an intelligent question given that such cases were rather “unrealistic” at that time. Guess what, now it’s not “unrealistic” any more. Wonder! how? Well, in this age of technology, it is self-evident that Muslims are not the leaders. However, that does not mean, we won’t be any more. Alhamdulillah, Muslim “heavyweight” Malaysia is planning to send astronauts into space. And one of the challenges they are facing is, how to pray in space? They are planning to organize a two day conference to solve this problem. If you don’t believe me, check it for yourself:
http://islamonline.net/English/News/2006-04/19/article04.shtml
here is a fatwa by some shaikh on the question raised: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503546046
- I admire the Pious but I’m not one of them
The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin Al-Waleed (RA) April 17, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Islamic Literature, Lives of the Salaf.13 comments
Khalid bin Al-Waleed (RA) was one of the greatest generals in history, and one of the greatest heroes of Islam. Besides him, Genghis Khan was the only other general to remain undefeated in his entire military life. A measure of Khalid’s genius is that he was the only person to inflict a (temporary) defeat on the Prophet Muhammad, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Until very recently, there were not much info on the Internet covering the aspects of life of this great Sahaba (RA). Alhamdulillah, now there is a site to fill up the void. You can visit the site at: http://www.swordofallah.com/ The site contains a detailed biography of Khalid bin Al-Waleed.
The original title of the book, “The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns” was written by the late Lieutenant-General A.I. Akram of the Pakistan Army, in October 1969. The author learnt Arabic in order to draw on the earliest historical sources and he visited every one of Khalid’s battlefields in order to draw analyses from the viewpoint of military strategy, including reconciling conflicting historians’ accounts. The book was originally published by the Army Education Press, Rawalpindi, Pakistan and printed by Feroze Sons Publishers in Lahore, Pakistan. The excellence of the book was such that it has been translated from English into Arabic and is currently sold in bookshops throughout the Arab World.
The complete book can be read online online at: http://www.swordofallah.com/
A brother gathered everything on the site into an easy to share EBook that can be navigated easily. It is in the format of “help file”. You can also do full text searches. Please click the link below to download the EBook.
Note: You can unzip the file using programs such as WinZip or WinRar. I put it in a .zip file for easy downloading since the host site (wordpress.com) does not allow me to upload files with such extensions (i.e. chm). If you have trouble downloading/using the file or require further assistance, please leave a comment and leave your e-mail address so that I can get back to you. Jazakallahu Khairun.
- I admire the Pious but I’m not one of them
Intelligence of Imam Abu Hanifa (3) April 15, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Lives of the Salaf.add a comment
This will be a short post insha-Allah. Since, we have not had a post for over a week now, I've decided to break the ice and post something. Enjoy!
It is related that, Ad-Dahhak ibn al-Khariji, who rebelled in the Umayyad era, entered the mosque of Kufa and said to Abu Hanifa (Rahimahullah), "Repent." "Of what?" he (Abu Hanifa) asked. He answered, "Of your allowing arbitration."**
Abu Hanifa asked, "Will you kill me or debate with me?" "I will debate with you", he replied. "And if we disagree on anything in the debate, who will decide between us?", Abu Hanifa asked. He replied, "I will accept whomever you wish." Abu hanifa said to one of the Ad-Dahhak's companions. "Sit and judge between us if we disagree." Then he turned and asked Ad-Dahhak, "Are you content for this one to decide between us?" "Yes," he replied. Abu Hanifa said, "Then you have allowed arbitration, so desist."
**He is referring to the arbitration that took place between 'Ali (RA) and Mu'awiyaa (RA) following the assassination of the 3rd Caliph, 'Uthman Bin 'Affan (RA). The Kharijites didn't like the arbitration and departed from the army of 'Ali (RA). The faithful believers wanted an arbitration in order to stop Muslims spilling each others' blood. It should be noted that Abu Hanifa (Rahimahullah) thought it was the right thing to do and stood by his opinion even though he lived in 'Iraq, which was full of 'Alawites andShi`ites and other sects.
Reference:
It is taken from the book "The Four Imams" by Muhammad Abu Zahra. It can be found on page 161 in his book.
- I admire the Pious but I’m not one of them
‘Gospel of Judas’ Surfaces After 1,700 Years April 6, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Comparative Religion.2 comments
This is actually shocking! Read it for urslef. I was reading New York Times and just found it there. Scientists working for National Geographic Society have recovered the text. Here are the links:
Link to the article in Nytimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/science/06cnd-judas.html?hp&ex=1144382400&en=d58e9f87384d906d&ei=5094&partner=homepage#
Link to National Geographic Society's site: http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/index.html
Excerpts from the Gospel of Judas: Judas Text
- I admire the Pious but I’m not one of them
The Biography of Imam Malik April 5, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Lives of the Salaf.13 comments
Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn `Amr, al-Imam, Abu `Abd Allah al-Humyari al-Asbahi al-Madani (93-179), the Shaykh of Islam, Proof of the Community, Imam of the Abode of Emigration, and Knowledgeable Scholar of Madina predicted by the Prophet. The second of the four major mujtahid imams, whose school filled North Africa, al-Andalus, much of Egypt, and some of al-Sham, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, and Khurasan. He is the author of al-Muwatta’ ("The Approved"), formed of the sound narrations of the Prophet from the people of the Hijaz together with the sayings of the Companions, the Followers, and those after them. It was hailed by al-Shafi`i as the soundest book on earth after the Qur’an, nearest book on earth to the Qur’an, most correct book on earth after the Qur’an, and most beneficial book on earth after the Qur’an according to four separate narrations. Malik said: "I showed my book to seventy jurists of Madina, and every single one of them approved me for it (kulluhum wâta’ani `alayh), so I named it ‘The Approved’." Imam al-Bukhari said that the soundest of all chains of transmission was "Malik, from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar." The scholars of hadith call it the Golden Chain, and there are eighty narrations with this chain in the Muwatta’.
Please click on the link below to read the rest…
- The brotha from anotha motha.
The Biography of Imam Shafi`i April 5, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Lives of the Salaf.1 comment so far
Muhammad ibn Idris ibn al-`Abbas, al-Imam al-Shafi`i, Abu `Abd Allah al-Shafi`i al-Hijazi al-Qurashi al-Hashimi al-Muttalibi (d. 204), the offspring of the House of the Prophet, the peerless one of the great mujtahid imams and jurisprudent par excellence, the scrupulously pious ascetic and Friend of Allah, he laid down the foundations of fiqh in his Risala, which he said he revised and re-read four hundred times, then said: “Only Allah’s Book is perfect and free from error.”
Please click on the link below to read the rest…
Short Biograpy of Imam Shafi’i
- The brotha from anotha motha.
Biography of Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah April 5, 2006
Posted by muslimminds in Lives of the Salaf.add a comment
As for the author, his calibre and prestige goes without saying. He is the great scholar, Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him. Scholars of Islaam acknowledge his astonishing excellence in all fields of knowledge – and Allaah favours whom He chooses.
His name is Ahmad Ibn 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn 'Abdis-Salaam. His kunyah is Aboo al-'Abbaas and he is also referred to as Taqiyy ad-Deen. As for his most common appellation: Ibn Taymiyyah, scholars give different accounts for why he was referred to by this term. Some say that one of his ancestors performed hajj through the route of Taymaa and he saw a maid (there) who had came out of a tent, when he returned (to his homeland) he found that his wife had given birth to a daughter and they raised her up to him, whereupon he said: "O Taymiyyah, O Taymiyyah" i.e., she resembled the maid he had seen at Taymaa. It is also said that the mother of his grandfather Muhammad, was named Taymiyyah and thus he came to be ascribed to her. [1] He was born in Harraan, an old city within the Arabian Peninsula between Shaam [2] and Iraq, on the tenth or the twelfth of the month Rabee' al-Awwal in the year 661H. He later fled at a young age with his family to Damascus because of the terrible conditions of his homeland and those surrounding it as a result of the occupation by the Tartars.
Please click on the link below to read the rest…
Biography of Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah
- The brotha from anotha motha.
