Archive for November, 2010

My first acquaintance with Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar sahib (may Allah sanctify his soul) was when Hadrat had come to the UK to attend a conference as the chief guest and also visited Leicester during that trip. It was the sheer grace of Allah that Hadrat's host called me and requested that I should make all necessary arrangements whilst Hadrat was in Leicester. I took this opportunity as an honour for myself and made arrangements for his stay at my late father's...
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The following is the introduction to the incomplete yet ongoing translation of Shaykh 'Abd al-Hafiz's "Mawqif A'immat al-Harakat al-Salafiyyah min al-Tasawwuf wa al-Sufiyyah". In this book, the author, a student and khalifah of Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhalawi, produces a large number of quotes from the writings of seven leading personalities who are viewed favourably by those who claim to adhere to the fiqh and 'aqidah of the Salaf. The translation of this book is largely complete and will be produced in small...
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In his masterpiece, Ihya 'Ulum al-Din, Imam al-Ghazali writes passionately about the evils of not acting on knowledge and the signs of the 'ulama of the hereafter. A condensed version of this lengthy passage was rendered into Urdu by Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi and produced in part two of Fadail-e-Sadaqat, which was subsequently translated from Urdu into English by M. Tayyab Bakhsh Badayuni. These twelve signs have, under the instructions of Dr. Hanif Kamal, been edited and are now being reproduced on Deoband.org;...
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Question: Do you believe that the knowledge of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is equal to the knowledge of Zayd, Bakr and beasts or are you innocent of such ? Did Shaykh Ashraf 'Ali al-Thanawi write such content in his treatise Hifz al-Iman or not? How do you judge one who believes this? Answer: I say: this too is from the inventions and lies of the innovators. They distorted the meaning of the statement and, in their hatred, they produced...
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One of the difficulties in the science of Qur’anic commentary is to know which are the abrogating verses and which are the abrogated ones. This subject has been discussed at length with considerable disagreement . One of the main reasons behind the difficulty of this subject is the difference of opinion between the early and later scholars about the technical meaning of the word naskh ‘abrogation’. What is known from some investigation into the speech of the Companions and the Followers is that...
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When should the muqtadis stand up for salah in congregation? Should they stand before the iqamah begins, when the iqamah begins or when the words hayya 'ala al-falah are reached? The answer to this question lies in the practice of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would render the adhan for Zuhr after zawal (i.e., when the sun reaches its zenith or...
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