Tabraze Azam

BRO, THAT KALAM IS JUST FIQHTION Muḥammad b. Shujāʿ al-Balkhī said: I heard al-Ḥasan b. Ziyād al-Luʾluʾī. A man asked him about Zufar b. al-Hudhayl, “Did he engage in kalām?” He replied: “Glory be to God! How foolish you are! I never found our teachers—Zufar, Abū Yūsuf, Abū Ḥanīfa, and those from whom we learned—to be occupied with anything but fiqh and adherence to the way of their predecessors.” (AI)

والعلم كله صعب على من جهله، سهل على من علمه، والمعاني شواردُ تضل بالإغفال، والعلوم وحشية تنفر بالإرسال، فإذا حفظها بعد الفهم أَنِست، وإذا ذكرها بعد الأنس رسَت المُناوي

THE DUTIES OF THE DAY OF ʿASHURAʾ Once again, the great day of ʿAshuraʾ (10th Muharram) is upon us. There are three recommended duties on this day: (1) to fast, (2) to apply kohl to one’s eyes, and (3) to increase one’s giving to one’s family. The fasting of the day before or after the tenth was considered praiseworthy in order to distinguish our practice from that of the Jews. Fasting on the tenth alone is praiseworthy, but given that Passover no longer coincides with the day, it is not specifically recommended to fast any other day nor disliked to omit such fasting. As for applying kohl, [and all things being equal] it is praiseworthy on this day. And as for increasing one’s provision upon one’s family members, this can be through food, gifts, or any other means. Finally, the Ahl al-Sunna do not express sorrow on this day, nor do the jurists permit speaking specifically about the martyrdom of our master al-Husayn (may Allah be well-pleased with him) around this time of year. We are not an umma of mourning.

THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH Throughout the corpus of fiqh, we see numerous examples [Bazdawi/Ibn al-Humam/Shurunbulali] where the fuqaha retracted a certain position and took another one instead. We see this explicitly in their later writings where they express something different to before and sometimes when they are very forthcoming about their new answer. This should not worry us but give us confidence that they were truly sincere in their pursuit of truth, and that they spoke with conviction. It is reported that Imam Abu Hanifa similarly remarked that his answers should not be written down (before the matter had been settled) because he might “say one thing one day, and then another the next.” Knowledge is truly from the cradle to the grave, and as long as an individual is alive he can change his mind, and what you find written somewhere might not be representative of his current or final position. May Allah Most High grant us sincere knowledge, amin!

فإنَّ منزلتك عند آخر آية: "قال شيخ شيوخنا سيدي عبد الرَّحمن الفاسي بعد ذكر الحديثين في فضل حامل القرآن: وهذا مقيد بالعمل، أي: فإنَّ منزلتك عند آخر آية مما عملتَ، لا مما تلوت بلسانك وخالفتَ بعملك لأنه لو كان كذلك لا نخرقت أصول الدين، ويؤدي إلى أن مَن حفظ سرد القرآن اليوم، يكون أفضل من كثير من الصحابة الأخيار والصالحين الأبرار فإن كثيراً من خيارهم مات قبل حفظ جميعه". البحر المديد في تفسير القرآن المجيد 4/ 541

MEMORISING ʿILM & FIQH Memorisation is such an essential part of seeking sacred knowledge. Without memorisation, what one has of knowledge can easily be lost because the various points will not be connected to anything in one’s memory. This is also why Qadikhan (d. 582) recommends memorising [at least] one book of fiqh. However, as the years pass, memorisation can seem much more challenging. As Badr al-Din al-ʿAyni (d. 855) remarked, “Memorisation during childhood is like inscribing in stone, and during adulthood like writing in mud!” (Ouch!) Where rote memorisation is perhaps a distant dream, one could do worse than learning the precise meanings of the texts of the scholars and reviewing said texts regularly. One example of serious memorisation is that of Ibn al-Bazzazi (d. 841), author of the al-Fatawa al-Bazzaziyya, who had committed Mukhtasar al-Quduri, Kanz al-Daqaʾiq, al-Kafi, and al-Hidaya to memory! May Allah Most High expand our hearts and minds, and grant us blessings and facilitation, amin!

زهّدت التسجيلات والمرفوعات الناسَ في حضور المجالس المباركة، فمن شاء حضر، ومن شاء غاب دون قلق الفوات! على أنه ليس من حفّته الملائكة كمن حضر أشباح الصور، وصدى الأصوات! #منهجيات #أهل_العلم

MORE WICKED & WACKY TALES OF WIVES OF FUQAHA Sometimes the details and stories show up in unexpected places! First I was reading about Shaykh ʿUmar b. Nujaym’s (d. 1005) [author of the al-Nahr al-faʾiq] description of one of his non-Arab teachers [I assume he was from Central Asia or further east] and the woes he was having with his kufr-prone missus. She would utter statements and then deny that she did, and then refuse to renew her marriage with her shaykh-husband. And then I find that Ibn Nujaym himself married frequently [the reason is unclear] and he died because he was apparently poisoned by his own missus! Not a good for the fuqaha, folks.

«انشُروا العلمَ يوم الجُمعة، فإنَّ غائلة العلمِ النِّسيان، وأكثِروا الصلاةَ علي النبي ﷺ يومَ الجُمعة».

عمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه.

PARTYING SALIHIN? One of the cool proprieties mentioned in the Nahj al-taʿallum is upon completing the study of a text, or the teaching of it, or the writing of something, to thank Allah Most High by feeding others out of joy and happiness. The author connects this to our master ʿUmar (may Allah be well-pleased with him) slaughtering a camel upon completing Surat al-Baqara, and he also adds that hosting is also something to do upon embarking on a new text. As an aside, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wahhab al-Shaʿrani (d. 973) once hosted a student and he remarked that our food is lighter and simpler than the food of your shaykh, and the student [despite having been his student for a long time] responded by stating that he had never had a bite of his food so he did not know. Shaʿrani explains how students should be invited to a meal upon completion of a reading, even if only something small. All of this reminds me of a humble private group I had made long ago with some friends colourfully named, “Partying Salihin.”

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR THE UK HANAFI INTENSIVE For those interested in joining us, registration for this year’s intensive will close at the end of the week. We are offering a 25% discount for anybody who requires financial aid [QFD4TU48]; if you have a need greater than that, you can reach out and we will try to facilitate something for you. Please note that this intensive is not for beginners, but all content will be translated into English. Men and women are welcome, as well as national and international attendees. Over three full days [Fri 24th July – Sun 26th July], we’ll be studying multiple Hanafi texts, including: Nawʿi Effendi’s (d. 1007) treatise on the differences between the Ashʿaris and Maturidis, ongoing selections from Razi’s (d. 666) Tuhfat al-Muluk, Pirizade’s (d. 1099) treatise on prayers during travel, Khalili’s (d. 1239) Najat al-Arwah fi Ahkam al-Nikah, and Imam Abu Hanifa’s (d. 150) Wasiyya to Yusuf al-Samti. REGISTER: https://courses.irshad.org.uk/product/the-hanafi-intensive/

. الاستقامة أعظم كرامة ومما منَّ الله تبارك وتعالى به علي: كثرة اعتقادي في أهل عصري من العلماء والصوفية، ولا أطالبهم قط بكرامة؛ إذ لا يطلب الكرامة إلا الشاك فيهم، وأنا بحمد الله تبارك وتعالي ليس عندي شك في علمهم ولا صلاحهم. ومعلوم أنه لا يطالب بالكرامة إلا من قال لنا: (أنا صالح فاعتقدوني)! وأنا ما سمعتُ أحدًا منهم قط يقول لأحد: تعال اعتقدني! ولا أنا صالح! ... وقد عرضتُ هؤلاء -العلماء العاملين- على بعض المُنکِرين فقال: (لا أعتقدُ في واحدٍ من هؤلاء إلا إن رأيتُ له كرامة!). فقلت له: وأيُّ كرامة أعظم من العلم والعمل؟!" الشيخ عبد الوهاب الشعراني رحمه الله تأمل: "وأيُّ كرامة أعظم من العلم والعمل؟!" رابط .

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR [MUHARRAM 1448] The new year grants us a new opportunity for reflection and a new opportunity for change. It is from the Sunna to review one’s acts and life trajectory, to repent from the bad, to seek an increase in the good, and to ultimately live in accordance with the Sunna. As the years pass, one should find an increase in knowledge, understanding, and devotion. The people of the Sunna are the people of sacred knowledge; the more you increase in knowledge the more you increase in Sunna. As we enter into a new Islamic year, we ask Allah Most High to forgive us for what has passed and to increase us in every good, and we ask ask that He grants relief and healing to the oppressed and those in difficult circumstances, amin!

وظيفة العالم الرباني هي تصحيح الأفهام والأفكار لا تحريف مناهج الأئمة. الشيخ محمد عوامة حفظه الله

RAISE YOUR SPIRITUAL GAZE: SHAYK-HY SLIPS Shaykh ʿUmar al-Zuhri al-Azhari (d. 1079) was a co-student with Shaykh Hasan al-Shurunbulali (d. 1069), and he authored a short primer titled, al-Durrat al-munifa. He was a righteous scholar and he taught his text with its commentary numerous times in al-Azhar. In his work, he records a short story at the end where Imam Abu Hanifa said something and his student, Nuh b. Darraj (d. 182), corrected him. The Imam welcomed the correction and immediately uttered a line of poetry to praise him. The moral of the story is that genuine and true prophetic inheritors are quick to recognise faults or problems, particularly as it relates to sacred knowledge. As for refusing to accept correction, or worse, continuing to act in ways which are mistaken, then such a person is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and in the words of the scholars of tasawwuf, a devil. Following in or supporting the mistaken footsteps of one’s teacher is a sign of one’s own lack of inward and outward perspicacity

ETIQUETTES FOR THE SEEKER ON THE PATH OF SACRED KNOWLEDGE: A TWO-PART INTENSIVE [LADIES] Join us next Sunday for the first in a two-part intensive on the Ruh Taʿlim al-Mutaʿallim! The Ruh Taʿlim al-Mutaʿallim is a short abridgement of Imam Zarnuji’s seminal primer, Taʿlim al-Mutaʿallim, compiled by the Damascene Hanafi faqih, Muhammad Saʿid Ibn al-Minqar (d. 1304). It is a text which comprises the art of being a student and the proper manners of studying sacred knowledge. This course is geared towards ladies who have significant prior exposure to traditional ʿilmi study, and it will be offered both on-site and online. The text will be translated and taught, and there will be opportunities for Q&A. 📖 Two-part intensive 🗓 21st & 28th June 2026 🕥 10.30 AM – 1.00 PM BST 📍 On-site & Online 🎥 Recordings available Register here: https://forms.gle/ewv7jx6oMi5aRsaB6

الفقه في الدين مفتاح الطريق، ومن هنا قالوا للمريد: تفقه في دينك أولًا، ثم تعال ادخل الطريق. الإمام الشعراني- رضي الله عنه-

#يوم_الجمعة

BAD FIQH & IDIOTIC SCHOLARS In this brief passage from one of the letters in the Wasaʾil al-tahqiq, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (d. 1143) laments over the fact that many students and scholars of fiqh in his time are unable to understand the books which they read, sometimes, he continues, because of consuming that which is impermissible [for example food or wealth], and sometimes because they are blindly following idiotic scholars. This should be an oxy-moron (pardon the dash to emphasise the pun!) as scholars are supposed to be people of wisdom and intelligence, but it seems that some idiots remains idiots even when they become “scholars.” When scholars do not function as they should, societies are harmed and the religion goes into disarray. This is what Abu Zayd al-Dabusi (d. 430) meant when he said that religions only go corrupt when forms and structures are emphasised at the expense of meanings and realities. May Allah Most High grant us discernment and wisdom, amin!

إن محمد بن الحسن يتساهل في العبارة اكتفاءً بمعرفة مَن وُضع له الكتاب ممن عرف أصولَه، ولم يضع الكتابَ للمبتدئ ولمن لم يقع له ارتياض بمسائله. .. الجصاص