Islamic Revival

Question: This narration is being circulated via a messaging group, and I wanted to know what is the status regarding its authenticity: ‘Ibn Umar narrated from the Prophet peace be upon him that he said: Whoever seeks knowledge to argue with the foolish, or to show off before the scholars, or to attract people’s attention, will be in hell.’ [Ibn Mājah] Answer:     There are several Prophetic traditions (aḥādith) reported with this wording that appear in the collection of Sunan by Ibn Mājah. Each of the traditions, as will be detailed, cannot reasonably be judged as authentic beyond reasonable doubt (Ṣaḥīḥ). In fact, for each narration there is one or more very problematic narrators and they are all weak (ḍaef) individually as well as collectively.     When looking at the narrators making up the channel of transmission (isnād), due regard must be given to the scholarly works which relate to the analysis, criticism and potential discrediting of narrators. ...

Our essential characteristics are not defined by the things we have no control over, but rather the things which we do. Devoid of all worldly distractions, each mature person of sound mind living on this vast planet will readily acknowledge that the land in which we are born, the colour of our skin, the people we originate from or are attributed to, are areas that are not within our immediate control. Placing a new judgement or exercising a pre-existing stereotype upon others for these very issues in the cold light of day, can ultimately hold no intrinsic or evidential value. Although we may experience the world from this common point of origin, it does not define who we are in any ultimate sense.   What defines us as people of this earth, is the content of our character; the voluntary actions we undertake, the beliefs to which we subscribe.  These are that areas that we consciously have control over, exercising the extent of our own free will or volition. In the Qur’anic...

The following is the translation of an Arabic article. It is truly odd for the subject of “Ath-Thaqaafah” (culture) to occupy space within the research of any group working to bring change and particularly upon the basis of Islaam. The fact that is working for change upon the basis of Islaam means that it already possesses a great store and huge stock of experience, manifested in all of the attempts to bring change at the hands of the Anbiyaa’ (prophets) whom Allah has sent. A subject of this kind should not preoccupy the group at all and particularly as the last of these attempts to bring change was undertaken upon the hands of the seal of Prophets and Messengers, the Imaam of the Muslims and their example to follow until the Day of Judgement, and it was completely successful attempt by every measure or criteria. When thinking about bringing change and included within that is the issue of the culture, it is necessary to return to their Seerah and follow their tracks, and specificall...

Introduction Since the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate, the Muslim community has faced the unique situation of the absence of a clearly defined political entity that represents the political unity of the Muslims and has an Islamic foundation in international relations. Alien forms of statehood were imposed from outside, creating secular nation-states where the basis of citizenship was allegiance to the nation, normally through ethnicity. Many questions were raised in the aftermath of this political earthquake, and many previously accepted orthodoxies questioned, particularly in relation to Islamic political theory. Among the issues questioned has been the traditional Islamic theory of international relations which viewed the world as divided into two spheres – the abode of Islam and the abode of disbelief/ war, or dar al-Islam and dar al-kufr/ harb. This issue has been discussed by Muslims in the West as well as internally, including academics and scholars, generally f...

Amidst some recent discussions relating to the traditions upon   Ṭā’un   (plague, contagion), there is one that raises a niche question regarding the   isnād   – or channel of transmission.  Out of the six commonly known books of   ḥadith , only Ibn Mājah cites this in his collection of   Sunan , with ‘Aṭā ibn Abi Rabāḥ narrating upon the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar: حدثنا محمود بن خالد الدمشقي حدثنا سليمان بن عبد الرحمن أبو أيوب عن ابن أبي مالك عن أبيه عن عطاء بن أبي رباح عن عبد الله بن عمر، قال أقبل علينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال  يا معشر المهاجرين خمس إذا ابتليتم بهن وأعوذ بالله أن تدركوهن لم تظهر الفاحشة في قوم قط حتى يعلنوا بها إلا فشا فيهم الطاعون والأوجاع التي لم تكن مضت في أسلافهم الذين مضوا.‏ ولم ينقصوا المكيال والميزان إلا أخذوا بالسنين وشدة المؤنة وجور السلطان عليهم.‏ ولم يمنعوا زكاة أموالهم إلا منعوا القطر من السماء ولولا البهائم لم يمطروا ولم ينقضوا عهد الله وعهد رسوله إلا سلط الله عليهم عدوا من غيرهم فأخذوا بعض ما في أيدي...