Islamic Revival

Question Are these   ḥadith  sound? Are the references provided correct and accurate? When you see the belly of Makkah will be cleft open and through it will be dug out river-like passages (i.e. tunnels) (or water in the road to Makkah), and you see the buildings surpass its mountains, then take care (or beware, or a variant has: then know that the matter is at hand, or then understand that the time of trial (Judgment day) is near at hand). [Narrated by Al-Azraqi in the Book of reports about Makkah – Kitab Akhbaar Makkah, Hadiyth-1725; A specific Hadiyth (in fact several related-Hadiyths) which prophesizes about this Tower. Itha ra’aitun mecca bu’ijat katha’ima, wa ya-tasawa bunyanuha ru’usa jibaliha, faqad athalati as-Sa’atu. When you see Mecca, its mountain with holes (pierced through them), and its buildings reach its mountain tops, then as-Sa’ah (the Hour) has already cast its shadow. [Suyuti] So when you see in Makkah that channels have already been dug (or tunnels b...

Also available now on   Google ,   Stitcher ,   Spotify We today are going through a crisis and our efforts to reform and bring change and revival are being wasted between Imitation and Neglect. In our approach of understanding Islam, on one hand, we have Imitation manifested in the form of Literalism, Extremism, and Reductionism, and on the other, we have Neglect which is manifested in the ideas of Pragmatism, Modernism, Progressive Approach among a few.  For some Islam is not relevant anymore today and so there have even been calls for a fundamental re-interpretation of the Islamic texts. We also observe that Contemporary Muslim behavior and practice is based on a reductionist reading of the texts and a simplistic understanding of reality. As a result, we are unable to produce solutions guided by the light of  Wahy ’ (Revelation) and based on the correct understanding of reality. However, let us remember the Address of Allah (swt) for us, He addressed as bei...

 “I heard the Shaykh [i.e. al-Subki’s teacher] and Imam (Allah have mercy on him) say, I heard our Shaykh al-Baji say, our Shaykh ‘Izz al-Din went to the Sultan in al-Qal’a one time on Eid day and saw the army in full array before the court (majlis) of the ruler who does not make an entrance before his people except in splendour as was the custom in Egypt and the officials would begin kissing the floor before the Sultan. The Shaykh [‘Izz al-Din Ibn ‘Abd al-Salam*] turned to the Sultan and called out to him saying, ‘O Ayyub! What is your argument before Allah when he asks you, ‘Did I not give you the land of Egypt and yet you permitted alcohol?’’ [The Sultan] asked, ‘Is this the case?’ [‘Izz al-Din Ibn ‘Abd al-Salam] replied, ‘Indeed, wine is sold in such and such tavern’ – mentioning other evil acts (munkarat) too – ‘while you bask in the luxury of this kingdom!’ He was shouting at the top of his voice in front of the army. [The Sultan] said, ‘My master, I am not the one who did th...

Introduction The traditions of the ‘black banners’ or march of the ‘black banners’  al-Riyāt al-Sawd , for some are truly evocative.  In a world characterised by oppression, injustice and even outright evil, the reported wording of these traditions speaks of apocalyptic end times, giving hope to a promise of deliverance.  An army setting march from the east, with mention of the region of Khurāsān ,  that seeks justice and depending upon the wording, being a potent force for either the coming of the Mehdi, or having him among its ranks. These traditions are purportedly narrated upon the authority of three-companions, Thawbān, Abu Hurayrah and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with them all.  Within the corpus of  aḥādith , they sit outside of the  Ṣaḥīḥ  collections of Bukhāri and Muslim.  Despite having a chapter dedicated to the topic of the Mehdi, they do not appear either in the  Sunan  of Abu Dāwud.  Among the well-...