Rameez Abid's Blog

"No one attains leadership in knowledge without a firm footing in religious devotion and servitude to Allah. Anyone who imagines that these two can be separated is mistaken. Show me a scholar in this nation who did not also have a firmly established standing in servitude and devotion to Allah. Examine all the great imams: Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi‘i, and Ahmad. In the accounts of every one of them, you will find mention of night prayers, devotion to the Qur’an, frequent fasting, and worship. If you read the accounts of their worship, you would think they were worshippers secluded in hermitages, with no involvement in people’s lives and no share in scholarly learning. But know—may Allah watch over you—that it was precisely this firm grounding in servitude, humility, standing before Allah, and acknowledging their utter need of Him that brought them leadership. They were friends of Allah, and friendship with Allah consists of knowledge and action. Knowledge means gaining deep understanding and extensive learning, while action is that whose effects are reflected in the life of the person who possesses knowledge." -Shakyh Hassan Bukhari

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Allah created the human being and endowed him with faculties such as hearing, sight, and the heart, so that he might know his Lord and fulfill His rights. This is their intended purpose. When the purpose for which they were created is realized, these faculties are perfected, and their possessor is perfected through them. When that purpose is absent, possessing them is more harmful to a person than lacking them, for they are Allah’s proof against His servants and His blessing through which the benefits of religion and worldly life are attained. They are either a complete blessing when accompanied by their intended purpose, or a trial and a proof against their possessor when he uses them for purposes other than those for which they were created. Thus, Allah Most High often denies these three faculties to various groups of disbelievers and hypocrites, as in His saying: “Deaf, dumb, and blind, so they do not understand” [al-Baqarah: 171]; “Most of them do not understand” [al-Ma’idah: 103]; and: “But most of them do not know” [al-An‘am: 37]. Allah Most High also says: “They have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear” [al-A‘raf: 179]. He thus states that their outward forms exist, but their benefits are absent. -Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sa'di

In some religious circles, it is assumed that Muslims, especially scholars or students of knowledge, should have a particular way of dressing that may differ from the general public. In this study, the author tries to argue that is not the case at all, rather, the Prophet ﷺ and his companions' standard practice was to wear whatever was readily available within their locality and times, regardless of whether its origin were Arab or not. He concludes that following the Sunnah in matters of dress means conforming to the customary clothing of one’s people, unless a revealed text prohibits it. It's a larger paper mainly arguing to establish that it is not a requirement for Muslim scholars to dress in a particular form or manner that distinguishes them in some way, though they may choose to do so with certain parameters, but I've only translated a small section from it regarding the practice specifically for the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. Those interested in the references mentioned in the translation can refer to the original Arabic pdf which is linked in the article as well: https://rameezabid.substack.com/p/the-prophets-practice-regarding-clothing

Some students of knowledge, when they encounter statements in biographical works such as “So-and-so is weak” or “So-and-so is such-and-such,” act as though that person’s honor has become fair game. They do not realize that he may have been judged weak because of his poor memory, while still being one of the righteous, one of Allah’s devout servants, or a devoted worshipper. He might have been a renowned jurist, a renowned Qur’an reciter, or someone outstanding in another discipline. He might have been a great scholar, except that, when it came to transmitting hadith, his memory was poor. You must therefore give people their proper standing. Even when reading these books, you must recognize people’s standing. Do not arrive on the Day of Resurrection with one of Allah’s righteous servants as your adversary. Be careful! Do not arrive on the Day of Resurrection having belittled a man from the Successors or the Successors’ successors, whether with a word, a gesture, or anything else, only for him to become your adversary that day. By Allah, are you in any position to face such a person? You cannot bear to have any of Allah’s servants as your adversary, let alone His righteous servants and His righteous allies—especially those of such an elevated rank as the Successors and the Successors’ successors. That is why we usually advise reading biographies widely. Broaden your reading of biographies. Go and look at Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, for example. You will find some narrators described as weak or very weak—that is, weak because of poor retention and the like—who are nevertheless described as righteous. Some were judges, some were Qur’an reciters, and some were learned men, except that they were weak in transmitting hadith. -Shaykh Hatem al-'Awni

Allah compares the life of this world, its splendor, and the delusion it creates to the flourishing growth of spring. It delights those who look upon it and deceives the ignorant, who imagine that it will endure and do not expect it to pass away. They become so distracted by it that they neglect the purpose for which they were created. Then it vanishes from them, and they are separated from its pleasures in the shortest time, just as this spring growth becomes dry stubble after being green, and withered debris after being alive. People have witnessed this condition, and both the righteous and the wicked acknowledge it. Yet intoxication with desires and the weakness of faith’s prompting lead them to prefer the immediate to the hereafter. -Abdur Rahman As-Sa'di

Steadfastness has two foundations. The early generations mention these two foundations: moderation in deeds and firm adherence to the Sunnah. Satan probes the servant’s heart and tests it. If he finds in it an inclination toward religious innovation and an aversion to complete submission to the Sunnah, he draws him away from adhering to it. If he finds him eager for the Sunnah and earnest in seeking it, he cannot prevail by cutting him off from it. Instead, he urges him to exert himself excessively, be harsh with himself, and exceed the bounds of moderation in following it, saying to him: “This is goodness and obedience, and doing more and striving harder in it is better. Do not slacken with those who slacken, or sleep with those who sleep.” He continues urging and inciting him until he drives him beyond moderation. One of the early generations said: “There is no command Allah has given except that Satan seeks to pull people in one of two directions regarding it: either toward neglect or toward exceeding the limits, which is excess. He does not care which of the two he achieves.” -Ibn al-Qayyim

What frees a person from seeking compensation for his good deeds is knowing that he is entirely a servant [of Allah]. A servant is not entitled to compensation or wages for serving his master, for he serves him by virtue of his servitude. Whatever recompense and reward he receives from his master is a favor from him, kindness toward him, and a blessing bestowed upon him, not payment in exchange for service. Wages are due only to a free person or to someone else’s servant, not to the master’s own servant. -Ibn al-Qayyim

What grieves our hearts reveals what we hold dear. This reminder calls us to reflect on our concern for our dīn and our own shortcomings. Ibn Mufliḥ al-Ḥanbalī رحمه الله said: “It is astonishing that so many people lament the ruin of homes, dwindling provision, and rising prices, and complain about the times. Yet they have never once lamented the estrangement of the religion, the dying out of the Sunnahs, or the spread of religious innovations. Nor have they wept over their own shortcomings. This is because of the weakness of their faith and how great this world appears in their eyes.” Al-Ādāb al-Sharʿiyyah, 3/240. O Allāh, strengthen our faith, awaken our hearts to our shortcomings, and do not make this world our greatest concern. Āmīn.

A translation of a section from Shaykh Al-Sa'di's book Al-Qawaa’id al-Hisaan, pgs. 24-27. https://rameezabid.substack.com/p/the-qurans-method-of-establishing

The difference between hope and wishful thinking is that wishful thinking accompanies laziness and does not lead a person along the path of earnest effort and striving. Hope, however, accompanies exertion and sound reliance upon Allah. The first is like someone who wishes he had land to sow and from which to harvest crops. The second is like someone who breaks up his land, cultivates it, sows it, and hopes for the crops to grow. For this reason, those who know Allah agree that hope is not sound unless accompanied by action. -Ibn al-Qayyim

There was disagreement over why Allah, exalted is He, called His names “the Most Beautiful.” It was said: because they contain exaltedness, magnification, sanctification, and purification; and every matter that is magnified may be described in this way. It was also said: they were called “Most Beautiful” because of the reward promised for the servant who mentions them, and the abundant gift granted when one seeks nearness through supplication by them. It was said: they were called “Most Beautiful” because they are beautiful to the ears and to the hearts. It was also said: because they indicate His oneness, generosity, munificence, mercy, and favors. It has been said that the meaning of describing them as “the Most Beautiful” is to know what is necessary in describing Him, what is permissible in speaking of His attributes, and what is impossible and inconceivable regarding Him. -Imam al-Qurtubi

For believers, sins are merely momentary stumbles along their journey toward Allah the Almighty—fleeting lapses caused by worldly desires or the promptings of Satan. In contrast, for the heedless, sin is a way of life; they plan for it and dwell at length on how to commit it, remaining in a state of sin for as long as the thought of that transgression occupies their minds. Believers’ sins require nothing more than seeking forgiveness, as repentance immediately follows the act. The heedless, however, need to transform their entire lifestyle; the change they require is akin to the Hijrah (migration) to Allah and His Messenger—moving from the Abode of Disbelief to the Abode of Islam. They need to rouse their faith from its slumber so that it may shield them against the heedlessness driven by base desires and Satan. -Shaykh Hatem al-Awni

Introductory Ḥanbali Fiqh Course: Ar-Risālah al-Jāmiʿah 📖 Join us for a 1-month study of an introductory text that expounds upon the foundational principles found in the Hadith of Jibril – Aqidah, Fiqh, and Tazkiyah. This program is designed to provide students with a structured introduction that every Muslim needs—building a strong foundation in the Fiqh of Worship, along with the basics of Aqidah and the purification of the soul—through the study of a concise and beneficial classical text. 🗓 Duration: 17th October-14th November 📚 Text Studied: Ar-Risālah al-Jāmiʿah by Ibn Ḥumayd al-ʿĀmirī al-Ḥanbalī (رحمه الله) 📅 Schedule: Every Saturday ⏰ Time: 1:00–2:30 PM CST (2:00-3:30 PM EST). 💻 Format: Online live sessions, with recordings available afterwards. 💵 Fee: 70 USD for the entire course. 📜 Ijāzah granted upon successful completion of the program for eligible students. Enroll here: https://www.thehanbaliinstitute.com/live-courses/42

Artificial Intelligence: Are We At Another Oppenheimer Moment? WHEN ROBERT OPPENHEIMER witnessed the first atomic explosion in 1945, he famously recalled the Bhagavad Gita: ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’ Humanity had crossed a threshold: it had acquired a power whose consequences it could foresee only dimly, and whose moral gravity became apparent only after the threshold had been crossed. Artificial intelligence may be bringing us to another such moment. The comparison is imperfect. For AI is not an atomic bomb, and its possibilities for human good are extraordinary. Yet the deeper parallel remains; namely, once again, our power to create seems to be advancing more rapidly than our wisdom or ethics about what ought to be created. Islam has never regarded knowledge as an unqualified good detached from moral purpose. Knowledge is a gift, but also a trust (amanah); power is an ability, but also an accountability. The Qur’anic vision of man as khalifah — a steward upon the earth — places human ingenuity within a larger moral framework. The question is therefore never simply, What can we do? but also, What should we do with what we have been given? This becomes especially urgent when technology amplifies, not only our intelligence, but our desires. Human beings possess reason, but also the nafs: that restless lower self which seeks power, possession, recognition and control. Technology does not necessarily purify these impulses; it can enormously magnify them. A civilisation may therefore become astonishingly intelligent, yet remain spiritually immature. Perhaps this is the deeper meaning of an Oppenheimer moment. It is when technological achievement becomes a test of the human soul. Knowledge gives us power, but power without moral wisdom can become its own form of ignorance. AI may therefore confront us with an ancient truth in a startlingly new form: the greatest danger may not lie in the intelligence we create, but in the human being who wields it. The question is not merely whether machines will become more like us, but whether, in acquiring such extraordinary power, we will remember what we ourselves are meant to be.

I'm starting an exclusive chat group for only paid subscribers on my Substack blog. It will be a space for rich and detailed back and forth conversations between the subscribers and myself on a host of topics. Subscribers can start new chat threads on a topic or join others' threads. If you're interested, you can join here: https://substack.com/chat/group/c5f4b1e8-d778-48c5-812a-d3592bdf1758

After feedback on my Arabic reading assistant app for Arabic learners, it seems some folks did not understand the bringing your own API key requirement or were not comfortable using it, so now it no longer requires it. It comes with a generous free daily limit. I hope it helps you in your Arabic learning journey! https://deenapps.com/readarabic/

Makhul said: I heard Ibn ‘Umar say: "A man may seek guidance (istikharah) from Allah—Exalted is He—and the choice is made for him, yet he becomes resentful toward his Lord—Mighty and Majestic is He. However, it is not long before he looks at the outcome and realizes that the choice made for him was indeed the best." -Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 4:19

'Akhlaq' in its broadest sense includes all relationships. It includes one's relationship with God. It includes relationships with humans. It includes relationships with one's self. It includes relationships with animals. Lacking in any one of these is a deficiency in Akhlaq. To treat other humans nicely while failing to recognise and express gratitude to God - the Lord and Sustainer who deserves most praise and recognition - is nothing but bad character. To treat God nicely while disregarding relationships with humans is not only bad character, but, in reality, a contradiction - as any true relationship with God would be reflected in one's treatment with others.

The Noble Qur’an spoke the truth: its style is not poetry. But the Arabs were not mad, nor were they ignorant of the characteristics of poetry, when they said of this lofty style that it was poetry. It overwhelmed their imagination with its brilliant imagery; it enchanted their conscience with its captivating logic; and it seized their hearing with its beautiful rhythm. These are the essential characteristics of poetry, if we leave aside rhyme and metrical feet. Yet the Qur’anic style has combined the merits of both prose and poetry. Expression is freed from the restraints of a single rhyme and complete meters, and thereby gains full freedom to express all its broad purposes. At the same time, it takes from poetry its inner music, its closely balanced endings that dispense with meters, and its near-rhyming that dispenses with formal rhymes. It joins this to the characteristics we have mentioned, so that prose and patterned composition are united. Wherever a person recites the Qur’an, he senses that inner rhythm in its flow. It appears clearly in the short surahs, in the rapid endings, and in passages of imagery and personification in general; and it recedes, a little or a great deal, in the long surahs, until precision alone predominates in the verses of legislation. Yet in all cases it is always noticeable in the structure of Qur’anic composition. -Sayyid Qutb