Tabraze Azam

. «الذي يجعل الشَّخص عارفًا في فنٍّ من الفنون ليس مجموعة المسائل؛ بل الروح الجارية في هذا الفنِّ من طول الممارسة والمجالسة». أستاذنا الشيخ/ عبدالحميد التركماني -حفظه الله-

A REFERENCE TO “LARGE CITIES LIKE GAZA” I was reviewing an issue in the Fatawa of Shaykh Amin al-Din Muhammad b. ʿAbd al-ʿAl (d. 971), one of the teachers of Ibn Nujaym (d. 970), and I chanced upon this question in which the questioner asked about a gathering in a large city like Gaza (or similar). The rest of the question is not important as I’m only highlighting the reference to Gaza here—may Allah Most High grant them aid, relief, and solace, and forgive us for our shortcomings—but it is speaking of gathering on the Day of ʿArafa after ʿasr for supplication and weeping, and whether or not it is rewarding.

A REFERENCE TO “LARGE CITIES LIKE GAZA” I was reviewing an issue in the Fatawa of Shaykh Amin al-Din Muhammad b. ʿAbd al-ʿAl (d. 971), one of the teachers of Ibn Nujaym (d. 970), and I chanced upon this question in which the questioner asked about a gathering in a large city like Gaza (and similar). The rest of the question is not important as I’m only highlighting the reference to Gaza here—may Allah Most High grant them aid, relief, and solace, and forgive us for our shortcomings—but it is speaking of gathering on the Day of ʿArafa after ʿasr for supplication and weeping, and whether or not it is rewarding.

قال الصَّيمري: سمعت الشيخ أبا بكر محمد بن موسى الخوارزمي إمامنا وأستاذنا يقول: كان سبب كَتبِ ابنِ سماعة النوادرَ عن الإمام محمد أنه رآه في النوم، كأنه يثقب الإبر! فاستعبر ذلك، فقيل له: هذا رجل ينطق بالحكمة، فاجهد أن لا يفوتك منه لفظة، فبدأ حينئذ فكتب عنه النوادر! الرؤى عالَم عظيم واسع، وهو ما بقي من المبشرات، وأصدقكم رؤيا أصدقكم حديثًا. #المذهب_الحنفي

WHO IS REALLY THE STUDENT OF THE SHAYKH? In a time where claims are aplenty, it is worth considering what it means to be the student of a certain teacher. The purpose of study is not simply to receive a bunch of rules, but to internalise the teaching, the method, and the general guidance. This is why the fuqahaʾ note that the best place for the student to pray in is in the mosque of his teacher, and he may even leave another mosque after the adhan has been called, which is normally strongly disliked, in order to attend even the public lessons of the teacher. The fact that they mentioned this shows how important it is for students to be in the presence of their teachers. Moreover, teachers have a private and public circle. Imam Marghinani alluded to this when he remarked that al-Sadr al-Shahid included him in his private circle. These are the real students of the shaykh, the ones the teacher recognises, supports, and reveres. As for many others, they benefit and study the book, and then they move on.

قال ابن الجوزي: "ﻟﻴﺲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ ﺃﻧﻔﻊ ﻟﻠﻌﻠﻤﺎء ﻣﻦ ﺟﻤﻊ اﻟﻤﺎﻝ للاستغناء ﻋﻦ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ؛ ﻓﺈﻧﻬﺎ ﺇﺫا ﺿﻢ ﺇﻟﻰ اﻟﻌﻠﻢ، ﺣﻴﺰ اﻟﻜﻤﺎﻝ" صيد الخاطر

من النقولات الشريفة التي نبهني إليها بعض الأفاضل: عن عمر بن عبد الواحد صاحب الأوزاعي قال : عرضنا على مالك الموطأ في أربعين يوما ، فقال :

كتاب ألفته في أربعين سنة أخذتموه في أربعين يوما قلما تفقهون فيه.

وهذا النقل عن إمام دار الهجرة جوهر فرد وبصيرة نافذة في الإشارة إلى حقيقة العلم، ومعنى التدبر فيه.

ONE FOR ALL MY HAFIZ HOMIES Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi (d. 375) reportedly led a prayer in which he recited 5:31 as ghubar instead of ghurab, so he told his teacher Abu Jaʿfar al-Hinduwani (d. 362) about it who remarked: “Such a word is not in the Qurʾan so your prayer is invalid.” But then Abu al-Layth prays behind his teacher, the same Abu Jaʿfar, and he recites 5:56 as kafirun instead of ghalibun. So he asked him about it when the prayer was done, and Abu Jaʿfar remarked: “I didn’t even realise but the prayer is valid because it’s in the Qurʾan!” Not a fatwa, but even great fuqahaʾ can get things muddled! Work hard, practice outside of the prayer, and then do your best.

أعلم أنني أكرر الحديث عن الشيخ وأهميته في سير طالب العلم، وأن منشورات القناة في هذا كثيرة متنوعة، فاعذروني؛ ذاك أني ممن اختبر الشيخ الفاسد المضل، والشيخ الجيد في نفسه المشتِّت لطالبه، والشيخ العامي الذي لا يرتقي بالعقل، وجربت الأخذ من الكتاب بنفسي، والتعلم من التسجيلات، والقراءة في الملخصات والمطولات، ومناقشة الأقران، فما وجدت سبيلًا أيسر ولا أفضل ولا أنجى من الشيخ الصالح المتقن.

TWO HANAFI WORKS ON THE MAWLID The first is Mulla ʿAli al-Qari’s (d. 1014) al-Mawrid al-rawi fi mawlid al-nabi (translated as The Quenching Source), which is the more expansive and discursive, and the second is by Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Mulla (d. 1270), al-ʿIqd al-azhar fi mawlid al-nabi al-athar, which is a more traditional mawlid text.

WHAT IS A MAWLID? In the Risala fi al-mawlid al-sharif, the author (Ahi Çelebi) explains that the exposition of the mawlid falls under the science of Sira and within the domain of its literature. He continues to describe the integral (rukn) of a formalised event as follows: (1) the gathering of the believers, (2) the recitation of the Qurʾan, (3) the conferring of blessings upon the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), (4) the recitation of poetry which describes his characteristics, birth, and heavenly ascent, and all of his miracles, peace be upon him, (5) the spreading of charity and general goodness, and (6) the veneration of the Prophet of the end-times (Allah bless him and give him peace).

والعادة المتبعة في البلاد الإسلامية الاحتفاء بالمولد الشريف في الليلة الثانية عشرة من شهر ربيع الأول؛ لأن ولادته لم تتأخر عن هذا التاريخ عند الجميع فيحتفون به في ليلة لا يبقى أي خلاف يعتد به بعدها في كونه عليه السلام مولودًا قبل ذلك الزمن ولا يستغرب الخلاف في مولده صلوات اللّٰه وسلامه عليه لأنه؛ ولد بين أمة أمية لا تكتب ولا تحسب ولا تؤرخ إلا بأحداث معروفة عندهم #ربيع_الأنور #المولد_النبوي #الإمام_الكوثري

THY BLESSED MAWLID DAY HATH BLESSED OUR MONDAY: IS IT BETTER TO PASS AWAY ON MONDAYS OR FRIDAYS? The phrasing of that title might suggest that one has a choice in the matter, but let’s leave that aside for now! ʿAbd al-Hayy al-Lacknawi (d. 1304) poses a question in his epistle, Hasrat al-ʿalam bi-wafat marjiʿ al-ʿalam: is it superior to leave this world on a Monday or a Friday? He explains that Friday is superior from the perspective of the explicit reports indicating the protection from the grave; but if one considers the virtue of the day without focusing on the explicit reports, Monday is superior given the number of blessings granted to the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) on that day, as many hadith indicate. He draws this conclusion based on Ibn Hajar al-Haytami’s discussion and explanation on whether or not the night of the blessed mawlid is superior to Laylat al-Qadr. He ends with: “Don’t forget it because it is a valuable insight!”

SHAYKH HASSAN AL-HINDI ON CONDITIONS FOR A PERMISSIBLE MAWLID The function of the mawlid is not simply to listen to poetry and to eat sweets, but to rekindle one’s relationship with the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). As such: (1) One should commemorate the mawlid with pure sincerity, not for notoriety nor for anything else; (2) There should be no contravention of the shariʿa, such as the impermissible mixing of the genders or the usage of instruments or impermissible words (those which contravene creed or those which are unsubstantiated, like forgeries); (3) There should be no excess nor waste; (4) One should not use the mawlid as a cover for one’s negligence with respect to the rights of Allah Most High or the rights of people; the one who holds such a gathering should be a leader in following the Sunna; (5) The mawlid should be fruitful, and not simply a one-off gathering; what should follow is an increase in love, following, understanding, and holding fast to the prophetic way.

قال العلامة الطحطاوي في حاشيته على "الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار" : (وقد وقع لمؤلف الأصل [يعني التمرتاشي مؤلف التنوير] مزية عظيمة ؛ وهي أنه ألف هذا المتن إثر ما وقع به من دخول حضرة صاحب الرسالة ﷺ منزله بغزة المحروسة ، فقام له مستقبلاً واعتنقه عجلاً وألقمه ﷺ لسانه الشريف وهو يمشي بوسط منزله حتى صعد السرير الذي ينام عليه الشيخ وألقم ولد المؤلف الشيخ صالح محشي "الأشباه" ثديه الشريف ، فتأليفه أيضاً مصطحب بأنوار النبوة . فانظر لتأليف هذا المتن والشرح ، وذلك من كامل إخلاص مؤلفيهما . . .) .

HOW TO BENEFIT FROM IMAM BUSIRI’S BURDA In his commentary on the Burda, al-ʿAsida al-shuhda, Shaykh ʿUmar b. Ahmad al-Kharbuti al-Hanafi (d. 1299) writes the following: Realise that in order to recite it in a proper manner so that it has its desired effect [whatever the purpose of recitation may be] certain conditions must be met, and these are: (1) being in a state of ritual purity, (2) facing the qibla, (3) pronouncing the words correctly and observing their declension (iʿrab), (4) having knowledge of the meanings of the words being recited, (5) reciting it in accordance with its metre, (6) memorising it, (7) reciting it with permission (idhn), and (8) reciting it with the specific form of conferring blessings transmitted with it. If the conditions are not fulfilled, it will not have the desired effect.

HANAFI COMMENTARIES ON IMAM BUSIRI’S BURDA These are two of the [numerous] Hanafi commentaries which have been published on the Burda. The first is by Shaykhzade (d. 951), author of the famous gloss on Tafsir al-Baydawi, and the second is by Musannifak (d. 875), a leading Ottoman authority in his time. You might be wondering, why would madhhab matter in poetry? The answer is that it does not, except when it contains issues pertaining to law and creed and the like. Given that this is the case here, it is important for Hanafi students to be aware of issues and how they can be soundly understood in accordance with their other training. This is the wisdom of learning a consistent system of knowledge. I have shared one such example from Musannifak which is whether or not the swearing of an oath by other than the name of Allah Most High is legitimate. May Allah Most High grant us understanding, amin!

IBN AL-HUMAM’S POEM IN PRAISE OF THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ Dr Ahmad Fathi, an editor currently working on a critical edition of the treatises of al-Kamal Ibn al-Humam al-Hanafi (d. 861), shared some lines from a poem he found in praise of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). I am sharing the [AI] translated lines below for those who cannot understand the Arabic: Whatever you may say falls short; so soar in praise—do not fear excess. A Prophet whom a God fashioned from pure generosity, one unrivalled in his deeds. He rose high in knowledge, noble manners, and forbearance— perfection upon perfection upon perfection. Radiance within splendour upon his brow— beauty upon beauty upon beauty. And silence within dignity and splendour— majesty upon majesty upon majesty.

A HANAFI WORK ON THE SIRA FROM TUNIS Shaykh Husayn b. al-Khuja al-Hanafi (d. 1946), son of Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad al-Khuja, was one of the leading Hanafis in the region of his time. He studied in the Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis, and he read the Tabyin al-haqaʾiq with his uncle and teacher, Shaykh al-Islam Mahmud b. al-Khuja. He worked his way through the teaching circles and ranks until he was eventually appointed as a mufti. Towards the latter part of his life, his brother succeeded him as mufti (pictured). He wrote a brief work on the Sira titled, Khulasat al-qawl fi sirati afdal rasul (which has a brief foreword by Shaykh Tahir b. ʿAshur and others), he also has a work in which he summarised the maxims from Ibn Nujaym’s al-Ashbah, he has a set of published legal edicts (fatawa), and he also has other works. May Allah Most High have mercy upon him.