Hadith Commentary

I say: The hadiths of the chapter explicitly prove the impermissibility of prostrating to other than Allah, and they prove that it has been specified for the Everlasting God and it is not suitable for a mortal, whether a prophet or a saint, whether living or dead. The distinction between worship (ta‘abbud), reverence (ta‘zim) and greeting (tahiyyah) is a baseless distinction invented by extremists, because Mu‘adh did not prostrate to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) due to...
Read More »

As regards to the ruling of entertainment and sports in general, my teacher and my father 'Allamah Mufti Muhammad Shafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) compiled an independent treatise on it, published in his book Ahkam al-Qur'an. I will summarise in what follows the conclusions that he reached after enumerating the texts narrated on the subject, by quoting certain of his different statements: Know that the pure and magnanimous Shari'ah of the Chosen One does not prohibit gains and benefits which the human nature...
Read More »

Writings on the topic of the veiling and unveiling of women have proliferated in our time. The best that I have seen on this subject is a treatise by my late father Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Shafi' (Allah have mercy on him) which he called Tafsil al-Khitab fi Tafsir Ayat al-Hijab, which is a section from his Ahkam al-Qur'an (3:393-483), in which he examined the verses and hadiths cited on the subject and exhausted the positions of the fuqaha (jurists) and the statements of the...
Read More »

Some people adduce the poem of Labid (Allah be pleased with him) as proof that the doctrine of the Oneness of Being (Wahdat al-Wujud) is correct. This doctrine along with its corresponding doctrine of the Oneness of Perception (Wahdat al-Shuhud) is not among the doctrines that are necessary in the religion to know or to believe in their validity or invalidity. Rather it is best not to be preoccupied with it and not to discuss it, because it is a dangerous subject, discussion of...
Read More »

The hadith ... proves the permissibility of tawassul in du'a through good deeds. As far as tawassul through essences and persons is concerned, there has been much discussion on this among the 'ulama, and many debates on it have taken place, at times one of the debaters being led to accuse the other of deviance. If people were to look at the issue with the eye of judiciousness, free from sectarian bias, it will become clear that this dispute amongst the 'ulama and the...
Read More »

The starting point in the issue of ruqyah is that it is done by reciting the Noble Qur'an or some of the names of Allah Most High or His attributes, and thereupon to blow on the sick. This has been established from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) in a number of hadiths. As regards to writing the ruqyahs, hanging them on the neck of children and the sick, or writing them and giving its ink to the sick to drink,...
Read More »

Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath (10:195): "The 'ulama are agreed on the permissibility of ruqyahs when three conditions are met: that it is using Allah's speech or using His names and attributes; it is in the Arabic language, or in a manner that its meaning is understood if another language ; and to believe that the ruqyah itself does not have efficacy, rather is through Allah's Essence (Most High)." It is probable he meant by the first condition that it does not...
Read More »

Al-Qurtubi said: "No one can expect to know one of these five matters because of this hadith. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained the statement of Allah Most High: "With Him are the keys of the ghayb (unseen), that none knoweth but He" (6:59) as these five. And this is from the authentic ." Al-Qutubi said: "So whoever claims knowledge of one of these without a chain back to Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), he...
Read More »

His statement "two fingers of the fingers of the Most Merciful": al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This is from the hadiths of attributes and there are two views in regards to them which have just preceded: "One of them is to believe in them without venturing into ta'wil (interpretation), or trying to understand its meaning. Rather, one believes it is the truth and that its outward purport is not intended. Allah Most High said 'Naught is as His likeness' (42:11). "And the second...
Read More »

Some 'ulama adduce from this narration of Ibn Sa'd proof that tabarruk through the relics of the pious is prohibited. However, this inference is not strong, because it is possible 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) cut down the tree because he was aware that the tree at which the pledge was taken is not known to anyone; and because the tree that people claimed was the Tree of Ridwan and prayed near, should not be identified as the tree at which the...
Read More »