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Showing posts from April, 2012

Video: Tafsir of Surah Al Fatiha

A three part in depth explanation of the opening Surah of the Quran al Kareem, Surah Al Fatiha, delivered by Ustadh Abu Luqman.

An Open Letter to Rashid al Ghannouchi

Sheikh Rashid, On the 23 rd of October 2011, during the first “free” [1] elections in Tunisia following the departure of the tyrant dictator Ben Ali, the 60% of Tunisians eligible to vote that actually turned up at the polling stations across the country handed your party Hizb an Nahdha a clear victory [2] . It is generally accepted that the primary reason for your party’s success was its campaign-platform of “revival based on Islam”. So when I learned of the election result I wondered how your party would work to achieve this, since I knew from an interview you gave on France’s state-funded news channel France24 that you considered transforming Tunisia into an Islamic State out of the question [3] . It was with great interest, therefore, that I read the transcript of your recent speech at the “Centre for the Study of Islam and Democracy”, with the title “Secularism and Relation between Religion and the State from the Perspective of the Nahdha Party” [4] . I was hopi

Refuting the incorrect understanding of Taqiyyah

The following is from the draft translation of the Fiqh masterpiece 'The Islamic Personality, Volume 2' by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. The believer's befriending the disbelievers The Supreme (swt) said: لا يتخذ المؤمنون الكافرين أولياء من دون المؤمنين ومن يفعل ذلك فليس من الله في شيء إلاّ أن تَتّقوا منهم تُقاة ويحذّركم الله نفسه وإلى الله المصير “ Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends instead of believers, and whoever does that is not of Allah in anything except if you fear from them something to be feared. And Allah warns you against Himself and to Allah is the return ” [Translation of the meaning of the Qur'an 3:28]. Ya’qub and Sahl recite it as ( taqiyyah ) which is the recitation of Al-Hasan and Mujahid, while the rest (recite it) as ( tuqat ). It is said in Al-Qamus Al-Muheet : ‘( At-tawqiyya ) is ( al-kalau ) and protection. I do ( taqa ) something and I did ( taqa ) it and do ( taqi ) it ( taqa ) and he ( taqi ) it ( tiqa ) like

Tawakkul on Allah (swt): Key to making change

Since December 2010, we have witnessed a turbulent change in the Muslim world. Millions have taken to the streets to oust the vicious tyrants who have ruled the Ummah with decades of brutality. In the process, thousands were martyred in what is now referred to as the “Arab Spring.” Such sacrifice has led the many shuhada to a glorious appointment with their Rabb, in the beautiful gardens of the Hereafter, insha'Allah. During these difficult times many people may have pondered on whether they should go out and challenge the regimes or simply conform to the status quo. In Syria, the Muslim Ummah has witnessed children and women martyred by the Syrian regime’s forces. Towns and cities have been showered upon by bombs, women have been dishonoured, and the respect of the elderly has been violated. These scenes broadcasted over the internet have shaken even the strongest amongst us, creating a sense of desperation as to how our brothers and sisters will escape such a catastrophe. Gi

Q&A: Shari' rule on songs, music, singing & instruments?

The following is a draft translation from the book مسائل فقهية مختارة (Selected fiqhi [jurprudential] issues) by the Mujtahid, Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud Abdul Latif al-Uweida (May Allah protect him) . Please refer to the original Arabic for exact meanings. Question: What is the Shari’ ruling in singing or listening to songs?  What is the hukm of using musical instruments and is its trade allowed? I request you to answer in detail with the evidences? Answer: The Imams ( Mujtahids ) and the jurists have differed on the issue of singing and they have varying opinions such as haraam (prohibited), Makruh (disliked) and Mubah (permissible), the ones who have prohibited it are from the ones who hold the opinion of prohibition of singing as a trade or profession, and a similar opinion has been transmitted from Imam Shafi’i, and from the ones who disliked it is Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who disliked the issue and categorised its performance under disliked acts, a similar opinion has been tran