Musa's Workshop

# The Precious Ruby, part 8 al-salamu alaykum This is the seventh share from Shaykh Aḥmad Bin ʿUmar al-Shāṭirī’s (1316–1360 AH/1898–1941 CE) Al-Yāqūt al-nafīs fī madhhab Ibn Idrīs, translated here as The Precious Ruby in the Legal Doctrine of Ibn Idrīs. This share covers personal injuries (jināyāt) and prescribed punishments (ḥudūd). —musa Supporters can access the PDF here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/precious-ruby-8-102263392

Eid mubarak, everyone. May Allah accept our fasts and other good deeds performed during Ramadan and increase us all in taqwa.

If a responsible individual’s act contains a detriment (mafsadah), it is unlawful (ḥarām), such as injustice and the like. If its omission contains a detriment, it is obligatory (wājib), such as justice. If it[s act] contains a benefit (maṣlaḥah), it is recommended (mandūb), such as being beneficent. If its omission contains a benefit, it is offensive (makrūh). If it does not contain detriment or benefit, it is merely permissible (mubāh). And Allah knows best. —Imām al-Shaʿrānī, Minhāj al-wuṣūl ilā maqāṣid al-uṣūl (The Method for Reaching the Objectives of the Science of Jurisprudence) The same material appears in Imam al-Maḥallī and Shaykh al-Islam's commentaries but not in their respective matns. Even if he is not mentioned, it's another example of Izz's impact.

Oh no: I posted three things here that were supposed to go on the social media channel!

Back in June 2019, when I first started translating Imam al-Shaʿrani's Minhāj al-wuṣūl ilā maqāṣid al-uṣūl, I estimated that the translation would be roughly 35k words of English. It ended up being 36.5k. This ratio of 1.6:1 (English:Arabic) tends to be pretty consistent for me.

A principled opponent is a more dependable source of knowledge than an unprincipled proponent. --- A broken watch is guaranteed to be correct once every 12 hours. An erratic watch isn't guaranteed to be correct at all. Indeed, an erratic watch's dependability actually improves when it breaks or winds down.

Claim: People don't read Irshad or Iklhas al-nawi any more!" Reality: The reason it and many others are not currently read is not from lack of importance or lack of desire but from a lack of ability. Many of these books are just too difficult for contemporary students, graduates, and teachers at many of our esteemed learning institutions. Also, that it isn't read in a specific favourite institution doesn't mean it isn't still read and taught elsewhere. (And Allah knows best.)

Claim: Ibn al-Muqri isn't taken seriously by Shafi'is. Period. Reality: Ibn al-Muqri's Irshad has over 39 derivative works (i.e. sharh, mukhtasar, hashiyah, manzumah), many of penned after 950AH. Sh al-Islam Zakariya al-Ansari's Asna al-matalib builds upon Ibn al-Muqri's Rawd al-talib, a mukhtasar of Imam al-Nawawi's Rawdat al-talibin. Those scholars might have differed with him on specific issues, but they definitely took his fiqh and his works seriously. You don’t build on a rotten foundation; you rip it up. Asna—and thus Al-Rauwd—is still read today. Some even considered reading Al-Irshad a prerequisite for aspiring Shafi'is. (And Allah knows best.)

al-salamu alaykum During the past year, I shared seven of Imām al-Sanūsī’s theological works: 1. Al-Mufīdah li-lwildān wa-l-nisāʾ al-muʾmināt 2. Ṣughrā Ṣughra Al-Ṣughrā (aka Al-Ḥafīdah) 3. Ṣughra Al-Ṣughrā 4. Al-Muqaddimāt 5. Al-Ṣughrā 6. Al-Wusṭā 7. Al-Kubrā Those total approximately 37k words (Arabic and English combined). I have also shared: • Tijan al-darari (25k words) • Hidayat al-Murid (8.7k words) • Al-Burhaniyyah (4.7k words) • Al-Durr al-farid (21k words) • Sharh Al-Hudhudi (21k words) That's 117.4k words of (mainly) late Ashʿari ʿaqidah. Aside from those, I also shared • Yāniʿ al-azhār (41k) • Misbah al-arwah (31k) That's close to 189k words of new material, with the majority of it being works started within the past 12 months. I also translated a large number of mantiq texts (Al-Mirqat, Tahdhib al-mantiq, Al-Mizan, Mukhtasar al-mizan, Al-Shamsiyyah and others). This work has been possible thanks to a small group of supporters. A larger support base would allow me to make digital versions available to the public—including near-final drafts leading up to the printed version). So I beg Allah that He sends those who value and benefit from the work at all its stages. —musa

al-salamu alaykum Rats chewed through our Internet cable and the phone connection is spotty. It may take a week to get it repaired since so many people take breaks at Eid. In sha Allah, I will continue working on things and share once the cable is repaired. —musa

More about iʿtikāf and seeking Laylat al-qadr, from The Evident Memorandum (p184): Spiritual retreat [iʿtikāf] is a sunnah. There is consensus that it is recommended. It is emphatically recommended during Ramadan since Ramadan is distinguished among other months. It is emphasized even more during the last ten days of Ramadan, in anticipation of Laylat al-Qadr, since the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) did this habitually. ʿAʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) used to perform a spiritual retreat during the last ten days of Ramadan until he (may Allah bless him and give him peace) died. His wives (may Allah be pleased with them) continued to perform it after his (may Allah bless him and give him peace) death. [Agreed upon][1] Laylat al-Qadr is expected to occur during the odd nights. He (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Seek Laylat al-Qadr during the last ten odd nights of Ramadan.” [Agreed; al-Bukhārī’s phrasing][2] According to Imam al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah grant him His mercy), the most likely nights are the twenty-first and the twenty-third.[3] -.-.- [1] ʿĀʾishah: Bukhārī, 2026; Muslim, 1172 #5. See: TM, 1002. [2] ʿĀʾishah: Bukhārī, 2017; and Muslim, 1169 #219. See: KBM, 1173. [3] Al-Muzanī, Al-Mukhtaṣar, 8:156; al-Nawawī, Rawḍat al-ṭālibīn, 2:389.

From the translation of Shaykh Muḥammad Nawawī al-Jāwī of Banten's Qāmiʿ al-ṭughyān/Restraining the Flood, a commentary on the branches of faith. # 37. Iʿtikāf & Seeking Laylat al-Qadar The thirty-seventh [branch of faith] is performing iʿtikāf. When you enter the mosque, intend iʿtikāf while you are standing. It is best that you vow to perform it so you obtain the reward for an obligatory act. So say, “li-Llāhi ʿalayya an-iʿtikifa fī hādhi l-masjidi ilā an yaʾdhana Llāhu līa bi-l-khurūji” (“I owe Allah to perform iʿtikāf in this mosque until He permits me to exit”), then intend it and say, “nawaytu l-iʿtikāfa fī hādhihi l-masjidi mā dumtu fīhi li-Llāhi taʿālā” (“I intend to perform iʿtikāf in this mosque for the sake of Allah [Most High is He] so long as I remain within it.”), then sit or wander within it. A hadith of Ibn Ḥibbān mentions [that the Prophet ﷺ said,] “When you see a man habitually attend mosques, testify that he has īmān. Allah (Most High is He) says, ‘Allah’s mosques are only populated by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.’” [Al-Tawbah, 9:18][1] [This branch of faith includes] seeking out Laylat al-Qadar by standing in prayer. It [Laylat al-Qadar] most frequently occurs during Ramadan, and it most frequently occurs during an oddly-numbered night of that month. But it can occur otherwise, just as my master Muḥya al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī has said.[2] --- [1] Ibn Ḥibbān, 802; al-Bayhaqī, 2680; al-Suȳūṭī, §32. [2] Readers should note that the author of this book is Shāfiʿī, the position stated here is not the official position of the school. The source for the author's position is Ibn ʿArabī, Al-Futūḥāt, 4:486 (12:507); ibid, Al-Waṣāyā, 137 §63. (An early version of the book is available to supporters at https://www.patreon.com/posts/restraining-qami-55188810)

Supporters can access it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/precious-ruby-7-101452008

As far as The Tadhhib/Gilding goes, it'll be read as part of a course and the instructor will send me feedback. Between now and then, I'll be focusing on other things. As far as The Mirqat/Ladder goes, it is still my goal to publish it early 2024. I will want one of my usual proofreaders to go through the final typeset version… but I think it will be much quicker this time thanks to the feedback I already received.

# Initial proofs for Al-Mirqāt and Al-Tadhhīb al-salamu alaykum The proofs ʿUbayd Allāh al-Khabīṣī’s Tadhhīb (Gilding)just arrived. It's a bad photo, but it does show the relative size difference between it and Faḍl Imām al-Khayrabādī’s Mirqāt (Ladder). Aside from that, I’m back on Mirqāt, working to get it ready ASAP. —musa p.s. Yes, the proof uses an older cover design for Tadhhīb (Gilding).

This is what has been keeping me busy.

al-salamu alaykum Things are really busy so I forgot to mention these two over here…

# How The Precious Ruby is Well-Structured In my preface, I described The Precious Ruby as being …well-structured and consistently so. It usually presents each issues with: – Its definition, linguistically and legally. – Its obligatory acts or integrals, and their conditions. – Its recommended and offensive acts. – Its invalidators. – Example scenarios (especially for transactions). The attached image provides an example, from using material from today's share.