Tabraze Azam

ابْنُ وَهْبٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: كُلُّ صَاحِبِ حَدِيثٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ إِمَامٌ فِي الْفِقْهِ فَهُوَ ضَالٌّ" الجامع لابن أبي زيد/ ١١٩

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE… AND GREAT MINDS ARE HANAFI In explanation of a brief passage by Akmal al-Din al-Babirti (d. 786) in his Sharh al-Maqsad, a commentary on his primer in creed, he suggests that the philosophers took from the Hanafis… or perhaps they were just Hanafis (as was the case for Ibn Sina!) “The reason for mentioning this particular formulation is that our Hanafi scholars had already employed it in explaining the need for the rulings of Islamic law to have underlying causes. They predated the Islamic philosophers; hence, either the philosophers derived this idea from them, or the similarity arose independently through a convergence of thought.” (AI) وإنما اختير ذكره لأن مشايخنا الحنفية ذكروه في بيان احتياج الأحكام الشرعية إلى أسبابها، وهم كانوا أقدم من حكماء الإسلام، فإما أن الحكماء أخذوا منهم أو وقع من توارد الخواطر.

IMPROVING PRAYER THROUGH VENERATION In a recent class, I commented on how people sometimes struggle with focus during their prayers–of course, work in progress for all of us to varying degrees–and that they could do worse than attempting to increase in veneration. This means: (1) avoid distractions and perform the act of ritual purification in a state of remembrance (dhikr), (2) specify a place in your home or in a specific room for prayer, (3) perfume the area, (4) find something decent to wear, even if only worn for the prayer, (5) make a supplication before you begin, (6) avoid touching the prayer rug without being in a state of ritual purity, and then (7) focus as best you can. It might be that you fare better when upholding more veneration. The author of the Taʿlim al-mutaʿallim also notes that praying with veneration brings about manifold benefits. And taking the means to uphold veneration is very commendable indeed. May Allah Most High grant us all tawfiq, amin!

(العربية طريقٌ إلى الخشية)

ينبغي لعالِمِ الشريعة أن يَعُبَّ من العربية عَبًّا، يُبلِّغه إذا سمع القرآن أو تلاه أن يكون واعيًا بما فيه من الترهِيب والتخويف المنطوي في أثنائه، الموضوع على مقتضى ذلك من تركيب الكلام، ووضعِه على مواقعِه التي تَهُدُّ أركانَ القلب خوفًا ووجلًا. فإنه إذا استقام له طريقٌ في فقه العربية ارتقى في فهم الخطاب القرآني إلى مَدرَجةٍ يسمع فيها القرآن بأُذُنٍ تقرب من أُذن العربيِّ الأول؛ فيفزعه ما كان يفزعه، ويُرهبه ما كان يُرهبه، ويدخل إلى قلبه من الخشية والخوف بقدر ما أُدير عليه لسانُ العرب من سُنَن البيان وأوضاعه. فتعلَّموا العربية، وافقهوا بناءها، وتفكَّروا في أوضاعها، واعرفوا مراتب الكلام ومواقعه؛ يكن لكم بذلك ذُخرٌ عظيمٌ تنتفعون به في فهم كلام ربكم سبحانه وتعالى.

A DAMASCENE LICENSE TO TRANSMIT SACRED KNOWLEDGE In the attached image you can see part of ʿAbd al-Ghani al-Ghunaymi al-Maydani’s (d. 1298) license (ijaza) to his student–and the scribe of the manuscript in question–Hasan b. Sulayman al-Jaza’iri (d. ?), may Allah Most High have mercy upon both teacher and student! It is amazing to see how he describes him as being like a son to him as this is exactly the kind of language used by Imam Abu Hanifa when he addresses his student, Yusuf b. Khalid al-Samti, in his wasiyya to him. ʿIlmi relationships are important, and although teachers might open the door to lasting benefit, the onus is on students to walk through. Maydani himself is recorded as being a student of great adab and loyalty to his teachers, and it is thus only fitting that he received students of the same merit. May Allah Most High inspire us to the everlasting good, amin!

الحكم بالضعف والصحّة إنّما هو في الظاهر، أمّا في نفس الأمر فيجوز صحّة ما حكم بضعفه ظاهرًا. فتح القدير 113/1

مما رأيته كثيرًا في أحوال النساء الملتزمات يمنعهن أزواجهن من مجالس الخير وإن كانت مع معلّمة، ويمنعها المسجد والدروس، ويحجزها عن سبل التدين المنضبطة، ثم يجدها بعد سنوات امرأة مادية تريد الدنيا، وتلهث خلفها، ولا ترجو رضاه، ولا تتحاشى النشوز، ويسأل: أين الفتاة التي كانت ترى حسن تبعلها خيرًا من الجهاد والطاعات!! هذه الفتاة دُفنت روحها بين جدران منزل كله تعب وهموم، وجدالات أسرة الزوج والزوجة، ومناكفات الجارات، وأحاديث النميمة، وأحاط بها أهل الدنيا من كل نافذة.. لا تسمع وعظًا، ولا تدخل مكانًا مباركًا، ولا تجتمع إلا بنساء القيل والقال، وجاحدات الخير، كافرات العشير .. فأنى تروي في نفسها بذرة الروح الراقية! المؤمن تنفعه الذكرى، والغافل توقظه الكلمة، والمرأة محتاجة لهذا، منفعلة به، كما هي منفعلة بضده، فليستكثر امرؤ ما شاء لقلبه! #منهجيات #الأسرة #المرأة_المسلمة

THE INAUGURAL HANAFI INTENSIVE IN EUROPE Join us in Amsterdam next Friday for a weekend study of a beautiful primer on creed, law, and ethics, Isʿaf al-muridin, authored by the Damascene jurist, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ghani b. Talib al-Maydani (d. 1298). The intensive is open to men and ladies, and the programme fee includes snacks, lunch, and dinner (where applicable), as well as the course text. International students are also most welcome. The confirmed location for the intensive is: De Blauwe Moskee, Amsterdam. Further details, registration, and a full schedule are now available at the link below. REGISTER: https://fiqh-intensive.com/

ME KHADIMI TOO I’m a simple guy, I see Abu Saʿid al-Khadimi’s (d. 1176) name, I buy! It was a long time ago and, yes, I don’t think I was entirely sure what the work was when I bought it (paperback and very cheap) with a bunch of others. Yes, I now know what it is! This is Khadimi’s gloss on the transmitted litanies (awrad) of Shah Bahaʾ al-Din Naqshaband (d. 791). When it comes to books, putting it off isn’t always the right strategy.

MEANINGLESS & MONOTONOUS SERMONISING Where legislated, the sermon (khutba) is always functional and rarely, if at all, ritualistic. What is meant by functional is that its purpose is to deliver a message to the congregants. This is why we find the fuqahaʾ telling us on certain occasions that one should address such and such a matter, such as the duty to pay the end of Ramadan charity (sadaqat al-fitr), during the sermon. Doing so in Japanese would clearly not fulfil this function if the congregants do not understand what is being said. Doing so before or after the sermon is also an omission of the duty because it is to be done in the sermon itself. Why are some still supplicating for the non-existent sultan! At this point, it almost appears to be a meaningless activity—random words to be uttered, even if bereft of value. Similarly, you pray for the safety of all the Muslims lands, yet you omit any prayer for us, your fellow believers and community! We have to be better. May Allah Most High inspire us, amin!

قال الحافظ الذهبي رحمه الله: لعنَ اللهُ الذَّكَاءَ بِلَا إِيمَانٍ، وَرَضِيَ اللهُ عَنِ الْبَلَادَةِ مَعَ التَّقْوَى. [سير أعلام النبلاء]

NEW PUBLICATION: Al-NATIFI’S AL-RAWDA I’m very pleased to be able to announce the fourth publication of Dar al-Imam Abu Hanifa, the Arabic publishing wing of the Irshad Centre for Hanafi Studies, in collaboration with Dar al-Rayyahin of Jordan: Abu al-ʿAbbas Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Natifi’s (d. 446/1054) al-Rawda, an early primer (matn) in the madhhab. This text is an exciting and important contribution to the early Iraqi-Hanafi school by a co-student of Imam al-Quduri, and it is a work filled with many precious and beneficial points. Its value also arises from the fact that it addresses issues not commonly covered in similar works of the genre, including a number of issues pertaining to creed. The text was expertly and critically edited by Dr Muhammed Şahin. May Allah Most High accept it and make it a truly valuable addition to the libraries of students, scholars, and researchers.

ON CARING TEACHERS AND SERIOUS STUDENTS Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzaq al-Halabi (d. 2012) used to say: “The shaykh who does not know how many times the student turns in his bed is not a shaykh.” What he meant thereby is that a shaykh needs to pay close attention to his students, giving them of his knowledge, time, and attention. Teachers should care about you. If he does not, or does not act like it, it is time to find a new one. Similarly, students need to think about how to benefit from their teachers and how to receive their guidance. Imam Marghinani (d. 593) remarked that students of old used to consign matters pertaining to their studies and progression to their teachers but nowadays they make their own decisions and thus do not achieve what they had set out to do. May Allah Most High increase us in tawfiq, amin!

. «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.