May 29, 2014
Full Name: Nu‘mān ibn Thābit
Born: 80AH - Kūfā
Demise: 150AH - Baghdad
His Appearance
Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رحمه الله was of average height, very handsome, well dressed and well perfumed. He could be recognised by his fragrance before he would arrive at a place, and also after he had passed. He had a sweet voice, could express himself clearly, and spoke with great clarity and insight. He spoke little, and refrained from futile talk.
He...
May 17, 2014
Full Name: Mālik ibn Anas
Birth: 93AH
Demise: 179AH
His Teachers Include: The great Muḥaddith, Ibn Shihāb Az-Zuhrī رحمه الله, Nāfi‘ the freed slave of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهم, Rabī‘ah Ar-Rāy رحمه الله
Appearance
He was tall, well-built and fair skinned. He was handsome in appearance, impeccably well-dressed - often in white –, and well perfumed.
He became a great muḥaddith and faqīh of his time, to the extent that people w...
May 11, 2014
Full Name: Muḥammad ibn Idrīs Ash-Shāfi‘ī
Born: Gaza, 150AH
Demise: 204AH
Appellation: Abū ‘Abdillāh
Teachers Include: Imām Mālik, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan Ash-Shaybānī, Muslim ibn Khaliq Az-Zanjī, Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah رحمهم الله
Students Include: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and other prominent ‘Ulamā رحمهم الله
Imām Ash-Shāfi‘ī رحمه الله started off learning the Arabic language until someone reprimanded him and advised him to study aḥādīth and Fiqh....
May 5, 2014
Full Name: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥanbal
Born: 164AH
Demise: 241AH
Appearance
‘Abdul-Malik ibn ‘Abdil-Ḥamīd رحمه الله says that I do not remember seeing anyone with cleaner clothes, nor anyone more particular in his [trimming his] moustache, the hair on his head and body, nor anyone with purer clothes, nor anyone with whiter clothes, than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.
Childhood
‘Allāmah Ibn-Al-Jawzī رحمه الله writes that the signs of nobility i...
February 11, 2014
Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī رحمه الله writes in his Ṣifat-Aṣ-Ṣafwah:
Abū ‘Amr ibn Maṭar رحمه الله narrates:
I attended the gathering of Abū ‘Uthmān Al-Ḥiyarī. He arrived and sat on the usual place he would sit on when imparting advice, and remained silent for a lengthy period. A man called out to him, “Are you going to say something in this silence of yours?”
He replied with a couplet:
وغير تقي يأمر الناس بالتقى***طبيب يداوي والطبيب مريض
‘An...
January 27, 2014
‘Allāmah Ibn Al-Jawzī رحمه الله writes in Ṣifat-aṣ-Ṣafwah:
It has been narrated from ‘Ikrimah رحمه الله regarding Muḥammad ibn Al-Munkadir رحمه الله that he became extremely scared at the time of his death. He was asked, ‘Why are you so afraid?’
He replied, “I fear [that I may be victim of] a verse in the Book of Allāh; Allāh عز وجل says:
وَبَدَا لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ
‘And that [punishment] will appe...
January 6, 2014
Many people – those with an educational background stemming from the subcontinent and others alike – are unaware of what exactly is meant by being affiliated to Deoband, or what being a Deobandi actually means.
In light of a concise chapter penned by Qārī Muḥammad Ṭayyib رحمه الله in his book Tārīkh ‘Ulamāe Deoband, I would like to address this issue, in this piece. I ask Allāh to grant me the ability to give justice to this ta...
December 2, 2013
A question that lingers in the minds of many is, ‘Why the repeated phrases of ‘Our ‘Ulamā’, ‘the ‘Ulamā of Deoband’, and ‘our akābir (pious predecessors) of Deoband’’? Why not mention the ‘Ulamā that are serving and have served the Dīn in other parts of the world?
In order to understand the reasoning behind the continuous mentioning of the legendary Deoband and its stalwarts, one needs to take a step back and, with a clear cons...
August 10, 2013
Ibn Taymiyah رحمه الله narrates: I was once afflicted with an illness, upon which the doctor said to me, “Your studying and indulgence in ‘ilm further aggravates the illness.”
So I said to him, “I cannot bear that, and I will appeal to you using your own knowledge. Does not a person’s condition strengthen somewhat when he/she is happy and relaxed; and consequently speed up the healing process?”
He replied, “Of course.”
I said, “I...
July 28, 2013
From the sayings of ‘Abdullāh ibn Al-Mubārak رحمه الله:
‘We acquired ‘ilm (religious knowledge) for the world, but it led us to leave the world aside.’[1]
One who acquires true ‘ilm will find that it leads him away from overindulgence in the pleasures of this world, and a deeper yearning for the pleasures of the Hereafter.
[1] Ibn Khallikān in Wafayāt Al-A‘yān.
ومن كلام ابن المبارك رحمه الله: تعلمنا العلم للدنيا فدلنا على ترك الدن...
April 1, 2013
Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim Al-Warrāq رحمه الله mentioned:
“I heard him [Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl Al-Bukhārī رحمه الله] say, ‘I did not go into the company of any scholar [with the intention of benefitting from him] except that his benefitting from me was greater that that of mine from him.’”[1
]
[1] Siyar-A‘lām-An-Nubalā’
قَالَ: وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُوْلُ: مَا قَدِمْتُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ كَانَ انتفَاعُهُ بِي أَكْثَر مِنِ انتفَاعِي بِهِ