Tabraze Azam

ONE “TWO” MANY TEACHERS? One of the fascinating character traits employed by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wahhab al-Shaʿrani (d. 973) as expressed in his Lataʾif al-Minan wa al-Akhlaq, is his frowning and general lack of affability with respect to students who would visit him if he feared that they would incline towards him and thus leave their own teachers. He considered this to be a means of preserving relationships and maintaining the sanctity of teacher-student connections. The bond between students and teachers is sacred, and both parties should recognise the ʿilmi covenant they have made. Accordingly, and if one has taken a teacher in a particular science, it only makes sense that one consult with them and receive instruction from them in order to soundly progress from one stage to another. Multiplicity in teachers of the same subject at the same time can often be detrimental to one’s progression. After graduating at the hands of one’s teacher, one can and should go to another in order to continue one’s development.

RESUMING FULL SERVICE: IRSHAD IS BACK ONLINE The pre-summer Canvas fiasco hit us relatively hard and we had a lot of rebuilding to do. Alhamdulillah, I’m grateful to be able to report that service has finally been resumed and courses are now once again publicly accessible. We still have to oil the machine a little, so to speak, but we are in good shape and good spirits as it stands. I pray that students continue to benefit from the various Hanafi standalone and modular courses on fiqh, usul, tafsir, and more. As for longer-term studies through the HLCP, they are currently paused until further notice because the various cohorts are completely full. Apologies to those who were looking forward to any openings this year. May Allah Most High grant us all tawfiq. Explore here: https://irshad.org.uk/

" إِذَا تَمَّ الْعَقْلُ نَقَصَ الْكَلَام". - عليٌّ رضي الله عنه-

THE GOVERNANCE OF THE NOBLE SHARIʿA — THE MEANING OF “ISLAM IS A WAY OF LIFE” What does it really mean for Islam to be a “way of life?” In reality, we are governed by the shariʿa at every moment, and the laws are continually changing as we experience different states in this lowly world. For example, we are sometimes told to eat, such as on Eid, and sometimes not to eat, such as during the fasting day or Ramadan. We are told to avoid consuming pork, but then we are told to consume pork to ward off starvation. We are told to look at the kaʿba, at a parent, or when considering a suitor, and we are told not to look, such as at sin or at the opposite gender for no legitimate reason. We are told to stand still in the prayer, to run between Safa and Marwa, and to walk around the kaʿba. We are told to remain in one place without leaving, such as during the iʿtikaf or at ʿArafat, we are told to speak up when there is wrongdoing, and we are told to remain silent during the Friday sermon. Every moment and every action is governed by the shariʿa. This is why fiqh is important. Fiqh provides the keys by which a person can live in the world and uphold the worship of the moment. May Allah grant us the ability to apply what we know, amin!

الاستكثار من الكتب ذكر الإمام ابن حزم في رسالة "مراتب العلوم" دعائمَ العلم، وعدّ منها الاستكثار من الكتب، وقال: (فلن يخلو كتاب من فائدة وزيادةِ علمٍ يجدها فيه إذا احتاج إليه، ولا سبيل إلى حفظ المرء لجميع علمه الذي يختصّ به، فإذ لا سبيل إلى ذلك ؛ فالكتب نعم الخزانة له إذا طُلب. ولولا الكتب لضاعت العلوم ولم توجَد، وهذا خطأٌ ممن ذمّ الإكثار منها ،ولو أُخذ برأيه لَتلِفَتِ العلوم ولَجاذبهم الجهّال فيها وادّعَوْا ما شاؤوا، فلولا شهادة الكتب لاستوتْ دعوى العالم والجاهل) #رسائل #ابن_حزم #الكناشةالكمالية

WHO IS AN ʿALIM? This knowledge is religion, so watch out from whence you take it. The signs of the ʿalim to take from are as follows: (1) He is upright and acts in accordance with his knowledge. (2) He clearly distinguishes between truth and falsehood. (3) He is merciful and wishes guidance for people like a kind doctor for his patient. — Shaykh Nadir Abu ʿUmar

من وصايا بعض أهل العلم لولده: عود نفسك التغافل فإن عليه مدار مصالح أهل الزمان واتق الكل واجمل النية مع الله. تم _______________ طرة مخطوط جمهرة أنساب لابن حزم - علي أميري 02413 https://t.me/konashaadel/676

THE FIRST EUROPEAN HANAFI INTENSIVE (AMSTERDAM, SEP 2026) I recently returned back from the very first European Hanafi intensive which was arranged in Amsterdam. We were joined by folks from around the country, other parts of the continent, the British Isles, and even as far away as North America, and we managed to complete a reading of the Isʿaf al-muridin, translated as The Seeker’s Aid, across the three days. We spent our time together in a welcoming and comfortable location, The Blue Mosque– they were definitely committed to that theme!–and I also had an opportunity to visit the Ayasofya Mosque in the city, and I subsequently caught myself saying “Istanbul” a couple of times during the trip! Alhamdulllah, we were able to enjoy many reading and study sessions together, there were separate nasiha sessions for the men and ladies, opportunities for private and public Q&A, and even some time for socialising over meals. I had to overcome some humorous language barriers, but it was generally very smooth sailing throughout–the Dutch are scarily fluent in English! I’m glad to hear and report that attendees had a good time! May Allah Most High bless the organisers and attendees, may He accept our efforts, and may He permit us to meet again and to enjoy and benefit from each others’ company, amin!

STUDENTS, TEACHERS & MURAQABA One of the issues with seeking sacred knowledge in the modern era is the lack of committal on part of the students and a lack of ongoing monitoring or vetting on part of the teacher. Everybody must learn their fard ʿayn, but teachers should be wary of granting access to knowledge to those who are not deserving of it. Imam Birgivi (d. 981) writes in his Sharh al-Ahadith al-Arbaʿin that the early Muslims were vigilant in ensuring that they only taught knowledge to those who were serious about the shariʿa and who carried themselves as students of knowledge should. If they witnessed a slight, they would cease instructing them because such an individual had displayed a lack of the proper adab sought of somebody traversing the path. The modern institutionalisation of knowledge transmission has somewhat democratised access to it but even if the teacher misses it, the student will not benefit from their knowledge. May Allah protect us and grant us tawfiq in our efforts, amin!

الضعف الذي لحق بالفقه، سببه شيوع المختصرات، والتفقه بها، وهي إنما ألفت للفتوى، فجعلوها للتفقه وهي خالية من وسيلة التفقيه وهو الدليل والتعليل، فأقاموها في غير ما ألفت به، فضعفت الملكات وانحسرت الأذواق، وذبل الفقه وانزوى من الأذهان. العلامة المحدث فضيلة الشيخ عبد الفتاح أبو غدة

BETWEEN COMMITMENT TO THE CIRCLE AND HARBOURING SILENT OBJECTION One of the special characteristics of the circle of Imam Abu Hanifa was that they discussed issues together, and then only recorded them when there was agreement. A beautiful example of this is a case in which ʿAfiya b. Yazid (d. 163)–a prominent member of the majlis–is absent and the group comes to a conclusion regarding a particular issue. Abu Hanifa remarks that they should not record the conclusion given ʿAfiya’s absence, but when he returns and if he agrees, then it should be recorded. Not only does this demonstrate incredible humility, but it also shows a readiness to accept counter-arguments and amendments or corrections. Generally, students in a circle of knowledge should dedicate themselves wholly to it and avoid harbouring silent objections. Doing so can be misleading and it also only leads to a dishonest engagement with the material; and even if held privately, it still affects the entire gathering. Sound development and progression cannot take place without clarity and conviction, and that’s why the first significant step in one’s journey is to choose a trustworthy and reliable teacher. Of course, this also assumes that (1) both the session and teacher permit discussion and questioning, and (2) students have progressed to a point at which they are able to reasonably express contentions—the first duty of the student is humble silence. We also Allah Most High to grant us sincerity and deep knowledge, amin!

TEACHERS, NASIHA, AND NURTURING STUDENTS Teachers need to give of themselves and their time in order to benefit their students. The path of ʿilm-transmission is not the mere explaining of the issues of a particular science, but the nurturing of a soul that will potentially become the next link in the chain and a bearer of sacred knowledge. This is why sincerity (ikhlas) and sincere well-wishing (nasiha) is required from the shaykh. When Mulla Khusraw (d. 885) was sent a student—ʿAlaʾ al-Din al-Jammali (d. 932)—he forwarded the onus and responsibility on to Muslih al-Din (d. 893) as he said that he was “busy with issuing fatawa” and that “Mawla Muslih al-Din will be able to give you more time and attention.” He could have simply been avid for the next student, but he preferred the student’s interest over his own. Students need time, and teachers need to be realistic about the amount of time they can offer and about how much they can dedicate of themselves. May Allah Most High inspire us, amin!

جاء في مخطوط أن حساب أبجد هوز يقابل أيام الأسبوع: أ: الأحد ب:الاثنين ج: الثلاثاء د: الأربعاء ه: الخميس و : الجمعة ز: السبت. #حساب_أبجد #حساب_الجمل #المخطوطات

A NOTE ON LONG-TERM STUDY WITH TEACHERS Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghudda (may God have mercy on him) said: "Such was the manner of student apprenticeship to scholars among the earlier generations: forty years, twenty years, ten years — and the student would emerge a scholar, truly a scholar. The teaching session would last all day, or most of it, or at the very least a quarter of it — not merely fifty or forty-five minutes! Thus did those students become imāms by way of closely accompanying the imāms. As for today, study is confined to a few months, a handful of minutes, and taken from mute pages and booklets — without discussion, comprehension, or internalisation. The presence before scholars is all but lost, the claims are extravagant, and the titles even more so — while knowledge itself complains to God, Most High, of many who affiliate themselves with it and trade in it." — Ṣafaḥāt min Ṣabr al-ʿUlamāʾ, p. 107 (AI)

التعليم الحقّ لا يصنع أتباعًا، بل يصنع عقولًا، والأستاذ المحسن لا يخشى اليوم الذي يستغني فيه تلميذه عنه، بل يعدّه تمام صنعته؛ لأنَّ غاية التعليم أن ينتقل المتعلم من السؤال إلى النّظر، ومن التلقي إلى التحقيق، ومن الاتباع إلى المشاركة، حتى يبلغ -إن أعانه استعداده واجتهاده- منزلةً لا يكون فيها ظلًّا لأحد.

Experts vs. Imitators If you want the highest quality information, you have to speak to the best people. The problem is many people claim to be experts, who really aren’t. Here are some things to look for: Imitators can’t answer questions at a deeper level. Specific knowledge is earned, not learned, so imitators don’t fully understand the ideas they’re talking about. Their knowledge is shallow. As a result, when you ask about details, first principles, or nonstandard cases, they don’t have good answers. Imitators can’t adapt their vocabulary. They can explain things using only the vocabulary they were taught, which is often full of jargon. Because they don’t fully understand the ideas behind the vocabulary, they can’t adapt the way they talk about those ideas to express them more clearly to their audience. Imitators get frustrated when you say you don’t understand. That frustration is a result of being overly concerned with the appearance of expertise—which they might not be able to maintain if they have to really get into the weeds with an explanation. Real experts have earned their expertise and are excited about trying to share what they know. They aren’t frustrated by your lack of understanding; they love your genuine curiosity about something they care about. https://fs.blog/experts-vs-imitators/

تعظيمُ العلمِ دليلُ الصِّدقِ في طلبه ! ومِن صور الصِّدقِ في تعظيمِ العلم: عدمُ المللِ مِن سماع المسألةِ ولو سمعها ألفَ مرة ... اللهم أكرمنا بالعلم النافع، واجعلنا ممن يُعظِّم شرعَ اللهِ وأحكامَه !

CHOOSING TEACHERS OF RELIGION Consider: Imam Abu Hanifa *chose* Hammad given the options available to him. It wasn't just arbitrary, he didn't just wake up one morning and end up with him, nor was Hammad the only available option. It was pure tawfiq, and a deliberate choice. As we learn in Zarnuji's Taʿlim al-Mutaʿallim, consider well before taking serious religious guidance from somebody. Observe, seek counsel, and reflect. Not everything that glitters is gold... and too much ʿilmi posturing is blameworthy and a bad sign. When you see the ʿulama and their inheritors, the ʿilm speaks for itself because it permeates their very being, and manifests through their words and states. Indeed, this matter of yours is religion, so be wary from whence you take it! May Allah grant us adab, and may He increase us in knowledge, sincerity, and practice, amin!

COMMON COURTESY IN ADDRESSING ANOTHER When the names of individuals are literally plastered all over the internet and their social media handles, it is somewhat perplexing to find that some people reach out through such mediums for comments, questions, or discussion, with their own ijtihad on how the name is spelt. Perhaps it is seldom addressed, but common courtesy would appear to dictate that one is a little more attentive and considerate. Despite a variety of, occasionally, colourful naming conventions, it is from basic etiquette and decorum to address an individual [in writing] with their own spelling of their name, unless they have sought otherwise. Beyond this, initiating a salam, stating one’s need or comment clearly, being patient in awaiting a response, and generally being polite and gracious should be obvious to all.