Biography of Hafiz Ibn Kathir - The Author of Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Biography of Hafiz Ibn Kathir - The Author of Tafsir Ibn Kathir

By the Honored Shaykh `Abdul-Qadir Al-Arna'ut , may Allah protect him.

He is the respected Imam, Abu Al-Fida', ` Imad Ad-Din Ismail bin 'Umar bin Kathir Al-Qurashi Al-Busrawi - Busraian in origin; Dimashqi in training, learning and residence.

Ibn Kathir was born in the city of Busra in 701 H. His father was the Friday speaker of the village, but he died while Ibn Kathir was only four years old. Ibn Kathir's brother, Shaykh Abdul-Wahhab, reared him and taught him until he moved to Damascus in 706 H. , when he was five years old.

Ibn Kathir's Teachers

Ibn Kathir studied Fiqh - Islamic Jurisprudence - with Burhan Ad-Din, Ibrahim bin ` Abdur-Rahman Al-Fizari, known as Ibn Al-Firkah (who died in 729 H). Ibn Kathir heard Hadiths from ` Isa bin Al-Mutim,

Ahmad bin Abi Talib, (Ibn Ash-Shahnah) (who died in 730 H), Ibn Al-Hajjar, (who died in 730 H), and the Hadith narrator of Ash-Sham (modern day Syria and surrounding areas); Baha Ad-Din Al-Qasim bin Muzaffar bin `Asakir (who died in 723 H), and Ibn Ash-Shirdzi, Ishaq bin Yahya Al-Ammuddi, also known as ` Afif Ad-Din, the Zahiriyyah Shaykh who died in 725 H, and Muhammad bin Zarrad. He remained with Jamal Ad-Din, Yusuf bin Az-Zaki AlMizzi who died in 724 H, he benefited from his knowledge and also married his daughter. He also read with Shaykh Al-Islam, Taqi Ad-Din Ahmad bin ` Abdul-Halim bin `Abdus-Salam bin Taymiyyah who died in 728 H. He also read with the Imam Hafiz and historian Shams Ad-Din, Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman bin Qaymaz Adh-Dhahabi, who died in 748 H. Also, Abu Musa Al-Qarafai, Abu Al-Fath Ad-Dabbusi and 'Ali bin ` Umar As-Suwani and others who gave him permission to transmit the knowledge he learned with them in Egypt .

In his book, Al-Mujam Al-Mukhtas, Al-Haf iz Adh-Dhaliabi wrote that Ibn Kathir was, "The Imam, scholar of j urisprudence, skillful scholar of Hadith, renowned Fagih and scholar of Tafsir who wrote several beneficial books"

Further, in Ad-Durar Al-Kdminah, Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar AlAsqalani said, "Ibn Kathir worked on the subject of the Hadith in the areas of texts and chains of narrators. He had a good memory, his books became popular during his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death"

Also, the renowned historian Abu Al-Mahasin, Jamal Ad-Din Yusuf bin Sayf Ad-Din (Ibn Taghri Bardi), said in his book, AlManhal As-Safi, "He is the Shaykh, the Imam, the great scholar ` Imad Ad-Din Abu Al-Fida'. He learned extensively and was very active in collecting knowledge and writing. He was excellent in the areas of Fiqh, Tafsir and Hadith..He collected knowledge, authored (books), taught , narrated Hadith and wrote. He had immense knowledge in the fields of Hadith, Tafsir, Fiqh, the Arabic language, and so forth. He gave Fatawa (religious verdicts) and taught until he died, may Allah grant him mercy. He was known for his precision and vast knowledge, and as a scholar of history, Hadith and Tafsir. "

Ibn Kathir's Students

Ibn Hajji was one of Ibn Kathir's students, and he described Ibn Kathir:
"He had the best memory of the Hadith texts. He also had the most knowledge concerning the narrators and authenticity, his contemporaries and teachers admit ted to these qualities. Every time I met him I gained some benefit from him"

Also, Ibn Al-` Imad Al-Hanbali said in his book, Shadhardt Adh-Dhahab, "He is the renowned Haf iz ` Imad Ad-Din, whose memory was excellent , whose forgetfulness was miniscule, whose understanding was adequate, and who had good knowledge in the Arabic language."
Also, Ibn Habib said about Ibn Kathir, "He heard knowledge and collected it and wrote various books. He brought comfort to the ears with his Fatwas and narrated Hadith and brought benefit to other people. The papers that contained his Fatwas were transmitted to the various (Islamic) provinces. Further, he was known for his precision and encompassing knowledge. "

Ibn Kathir's Books

1 - One of the greatest books that Ibn Kathir wrote was his Tafsir of the Noble Qur'an, which is one of the best Tafsir that rely on narrations [of Ahadith, the Tafsir of the Companions, etc. ] . The Tafsir by Ibn Kathir was printed many times and several scholars have summarized it .

2- The History Collect ion known as Al-Biddyah, which was printed in 14 volumes under the name Al-Bidayah wanNihayah, and contained the stories of the Prophets and previous nations, the Prophet's Seerah (life story) and Islamic history until his time. He also added a book Al-Fitan, about the Signs of the Last Hour.

3- At-Takmil ft Marifat Ath-Thiqat wa Ad-Du'afa wal Majdhil which Ibn Kathir collected from the books of his two Shaykhs Al-Mizzi and AdhDhahabi; Al-Kdmal and Mizan Al-Ftiddl. He added several benef its regarding the subject of Al-Jarh and At-T'adil.

4- Al-Hadi was-Sunan ft Ahadith Al-Masdnfd was-Sunan which is also known by, Jami` Al-Masdnfd. In this book, Ibn Kathir collected the narrations of Imams Ahmad bin Hanbal, Al-Bazzar, Abu Ya` la Al-Mawsili, Ibn Abi Shaybah and from the six collections of Hadith: the Two Sahihs [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] and the Four Sunan [Abu Dawud, At -Tirmidhi, AnNasa and Ibn Maj ah]. Ibn Kathir divided this book according to areas of Fiqh.

5-Tabaqat Ash-Shaf iyah which also contains the virtues of Imam Ash-Shafi.

6- Ibn Kathir wrote references for the Ahadith of Adillat AtTanbfh, f rom the Shafi school of Fiqh.

7- Ibn Kathir began an explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari, but he did not finish it .

8- He started writing a large volume on the Ahkam (Laws), but finished only up to the Hajj rituals.

9- He summarized Al-Bayhaqi's 'Al-Madkhal. Many of these books were not printed.

10- He summarized ` Ulum Al-Hadith, by Abu ` Amr bin AsSalah and called it Mukhtasar `Ulum Al-Hadith. Shaykh Ahmad Shakir, the Egyptian Muhaddith, printed this book along with his commentary on it and called it Al-Ba'th Al-Hathfth fi Sharh Mukhtasar ` Ulum Al-Hadith.

11- As-Sfrah An-Nabawiyyah, which is contained in his book Al-Biddyah, and both of these books are in print .

12- A research on Jihad called Al-Ijtihad ft Talabi Al-Jihad, which was printed several times.

Ibn Kathir's Death

Al-Haf iz Ibn Hajar Al-Asgalani said, "Ibn Kathir lost his sight just before his life ended. He died in Damascus in 774 H." 

May Allah grant mercy upon Ibn Kathir and make him among the residents of His Paradise.

[Tafsir Ibn Katheer] Explanation of the verse "You we worship, and You we ask for help from"

Explanation of the Verse "You we worship, and You we ask for help from"

The Merit of stating the Object of the Action before the Doer of the Act, and the Merit of these Negations


"You...'', means, we worship You alone and none else, and rely on You alone and none else. This is the perfect form of obedience and the entire religion is implied by these two ideas. Some of the Salaf said, Al-Fatihah is the secret of the Qur'an, while these words are the secret of Al-Fatihah,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(5. You we worship, and You we ask for help from.)

The first part is a declaration of innocence from Shirk (polytheism), while the second negates having any power or strength, displaying the recognition that all affairs are controlled by Allah alone. This meaning is reiterated in various instances in the Qur'an. For instance, Allah said,

﴿فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(So worship Him (O Muhammad ) and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.) (11:123),

﴿قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا﴾

(Say: "He is the Most Gracious (Allah), in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust.'') (67:29),

﴿رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً ﴾

((He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He).

So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).

We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).

So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).

We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).


Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah (Oneness in Worship)

Ad-Dahhak narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ﴾

(You we worship) means, "It is You whom we single out, Whom we fear and Whom we hope in, You alone, our Lord, and none else.


Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah (Oneness in Lordship)

﴿وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾

(And You we ask for help from), to obey you and in all of our affairs.'' Further, Qatadah said that the Ayah,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from) "Contains Allah's command to us to perform sincere worship for Him and to seek His aid concerning all of our affairs.'' Allah mentioned,

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ﴾

(You we worship) before,

﴿وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾

(And You we ask for help from), because the objective here is the worship, while Allah's help is the tool to implement this objective. Certainly, one first takes care of the most important aspects and then what is less important, and Allah knows best.


The Summary of Surah Al-Fatihah

The honorable Surah Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat including the praise and thanks of Allah, glorifying Him and praising Him by mentioning His most Beautiful Names and most high Attributes. It also mentions the Hereafter, which is the Day of Resurrection, and directs Allah's servants to ask of Him, invoking Him and declaring that all power and strength comes from Him. It also calls to the sincerity of the worship of Allah alone, singling Him out in His divinity, believing in His perfection, being free from the need of any partners, having no rivals nor equals. Al-Fatihah directs the believers to invoke Allah to guide them to the straight path, which is the true religion, and to help them remain on that path in this life, and to pass over the actual Sirat (bridge over hell that everyone must pass over) on the Day of Judgment. On that Day, the believers will be directed to the gardens of comfort in the company of the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous. Al-Fatihah also encourages performing good deeds, so that the believers will be in the company of the good-doers on the Day of Resurrection. The Surah also warns against following the paths of misguidance, so that one does not end up being gathered with those who indulge in sin, on the Day of Resurrection, including those who have earned the anger and those who were led astray.


Ref: www.qtafsir.com

[Tafsir Ibn Katheer] Explanation of "Ash-Shaytan Ar-Rajim" (The Satan, The Accursed))

Explanation of "Ash-Shaytan Ar-Rajim" (The Satan, The Accursed)) in "Isti`adhah" (Seeking Refuge)

Why the Devil is called Shaytan


In the Arabic language, Shaytan is derived from Shatana, which means the far thing. Hence, the Shaytan has a different nature than mankind, and his sinful ways are far away from every type of righteousness. It was also said that Shaytan is derived from Shata, (literally `burned'), because it was created from fire. Some scholars said that both meanings are correct, although they state that the first meaning is more plausible. Further, Siybawayh (the renowned Arab linguistic) said, "The Arabs say, `So-and-so has Tashaytan,' when he commits the act of the devils. If Shaytan was derived from Shata, they would have said, Tashayyata (rather than Tashaytan).'' Hence, Shaytan is derived from the word that means, far away. This is why they call those who are rebellious (or mischievous) from among the Jinns and mankind a `Shaytan'. Allah said,

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نِبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً شَيَـطِينَ الإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوراً﴾ (And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies ـ Shayatin (devils) among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception)) (6:112). In addition, the Musnad by Imam Ahmad records that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said, «يَا أَبَا ذَرَ تَعَوَّذْ بِاللهِ مِنْ شَيَاطِينِ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ» (O Abu Dharr! Seek refuge with Allah from the devils of mankind and the Jinns.) Abu Dharr said, "I asked him , `Are there human devils' He said, (Yes.)'' Furthermore, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah said, «يَقْطَعُ الصَّلَاةَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَالْحِمَارُ وَالْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ» (The woman, the donkey and the black dog interrupt the prayer (if they pass in front of those who do not pray behind a Sutrah, i.e. a barrier).) Abu Dharr said, "I said, `What is the difference between the black dog and the red or yellow dog' He said, «الْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ» (The black dog is a devil.).'' Also, Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab once rode a Berthawn (huge camel) which started to proceed arrogantly. `Umar kept striking the animal, but the animal kept walking in an arrogant manner. `Umar dismounted the animal and said, "By Allah! You have carried me on a Shaytan. I did not come down from it until after I had felt something strange in my heart.'' This Hadith has an authentic chain of narrators. The Meaning of Ar-Rajim Ar-Rajim means, being expelled from all types of righteousness. Allah said, ﴿وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَـهَا رُجُوماً لِّلشَّيَـطِينِ﴾ (And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps Rujuman (as missiles) to drive away the Shayatin (devils)) (67:5). Allah also said, ﴿إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ الْكَوَكِبِ - وَحِفْظاً مِّن كُلِّ شَيْطَـنٍ مَّارِدٍ - لاَّ يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى الْمَلإِ الاٌّعْلَى وَيُقْذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٍ - دُحُوراً وَلَهُمْ عَذابٌ وَاصِبٌ - إِلاَّ مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ ﴾ (Verily, We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty). And to guard against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side. Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment. Except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness) (37:6-10). Further, Allah said, ﴿وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِى السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّـهَا لِلنَّـظِرِينَ - وَحَفِظْنَـهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْطَـنٍ رَّجِيمٍ - إِلاَّ مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴾ (And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders. And We have guarded it (near heaven) from every Shaytan Rajim (outcast Shaytan). Except him (devil) who steals the hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.) (15:16-18). There are several similar Ayat. It was also said that Rajim means, the person who throws or bombards things, because the devil throws doubts and evil thoughts in people's hearts. The first meaning is more popular and accurate. Ref: www.qtafsir.com

[Ibn Baaz] Don’t lose your Islaam after embracing it!

Don’t lose your Islaam after embracing it! 

[Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul 'Azeez Ibn Baaz (Rahimahullaah)]

Bismillaah wa Inna AlHamduillaahi Wahadu wa SallAllaahu wa Sallaam'alaa Khaatim al Anbiyya' wa 'alaa Aalihee wa Asahaabihee wa'alaa Manitaba'a Hudaah 'Amma Ba'd:

 

Know - o Muslim brother - that Allaah has obligated upon all of the servants to enter into Islaam and to hold fast to it and to warn against whatever opposes it. So Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to call to that, and He, the Mighty and Majestic, informed that whoever followed him was indeed guided, and whoever resisted him was indeed misguided. So He warned in many statements concerning the causes for apostasy and the types of disbelief. So the scholars (rahimahumullaah) have mentioned in judgement upon the apostate that the Muslim apostates from his Religion due to many types of invalidators that make his blood and his wealth permissible and by that he leaves Islaam. The most dangerous of these emanate from ten invalidators. [2]

 

We shall mention them for you in what follows upon a short path to warn you about them and so that you may warn others in hopes of security and well being, along with a small explanation after mentioning them.

 

First: From the ten invalidators is shirk (associating partners) in the worship of Allaah. 

Allaah the Exalted says:

 

"Verily Allaah does not forgive that you associate partners with Him, but He forgives whatever is below that for whoever He wishes." [Sooratun Nisaa` (3):116]

 

Allaah the Exalted says:

 

"Whoever associates partners with Allaah, then Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him and his dwelling be in the Fire and there will be no helpers for the oppressors." [Sooratul Maa`idah (5):72]

 

So from that is supplication to the dead and seeking their aid and taking oaths by them and slaughtering for their sake.

 

Second: Whoever places intermediaries between himself and Allaah, supplicating to them and asking them for intercession and placing his trust upon them, then he has indeed disbelieved by agreement.

 

 

Third: Whoever does not disbelieve in the idolaters, or doubts in their disbelief, or believes in the correctness of their religion, then he has disbelieved.

 

Fourth: Whoever believes that the guidance of other than the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is more complete than his Guidance, or that the judgement of other than him is better than his Judgement, such as those who give precedence to the judgement of the tawaagheet [3] over his Judgement, then he is a disbeliever.

 

 

Fifthly: Whoever hates something from what the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) came with, or the one who acts like that, then he has indeed disbelieved, due to the statement of Allaah ta'alaa:

 

"That is because they disbelieved in what Allaah revealed, so He rendered their deeds worthless." [Sooratul Muhammad (47):9]

 

Sixth:  Whoever ridicules something from the Religion of the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), or its reward, or its punishment, he has disbelieved. 

The proof for this is the statement of Allaah:

 

"Say: Was it Allaah and His messenger and His Signs that you were mocking? Make no excuse, indeed you have disbelieved after your faith." [Sooratut Tawbah (9):65-66]

 

Seventh:  Magic, and from it is sarf (detachment) [4] and 'itf (affection) [5]. So whoever does this, or is happy with it - he has disbelieved. 

The proof is the statement of Allaah ta'alaa:

 

"And they do not teach anyone until they have said: 'We are a trial so do not disbelieve.'" [Sooratul Baqarah 2:102]

 

Eighth: Supporting the disbelievers and cooperating with them against the Muslims. 

The proof for this is the statement of Allaah the Exalted:

 

"So whoever forms an alliance with them, then verily he is from them. Verily Allaah does not guide an oppressive people." [6] [Sooratul Maa`idah (5):51]

 

Ninth: Whoever believes that some of the people are free to leave from the Law (sharee'ah) of Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), then he is a disbeliever, due to the statement of Allaah the Exalted:

 

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be from the losers." [Soorah Aali Imraan (3):75]

 

Tenth: Turning away from the Religion of Allaah without being knowledgeable about it, nor acting upon it. 

The proof for this is the statement of Allaah:

 

"And who is more unjust [7] than one who is reminded [8] of the statement of his Lord, then he turns away [9] from them. Verily We will take retribution [10] from the criminals." [Sooratus Sajdah (32):22]

 

So all of these invalidators do not differentiate between the scoffer or the liberal person or the fearful, except that it is deception. All of them are from the greatest danger and most numerous in occurrence. So it is befitting for the Muslim that he is aware of them and fears them for himself.

 

Whoever believes in the constitutions and laws that the people take as being better than the Law of Islaam, or that the Laws of Islaam cannot be applied in the twentieth century, or that they are a cause for division amongst the Muslims, or that it restricts a persons devotion to his Lord without entering into the matters of the Next Life. Also entering into the fourth category is whoever thinks that the Ruling of Allaah in cutting the hand of the thief or stoning the adulterer is not valid in this age. Also entering into that is whoever believes that it is permissible to rule by other than the Law of Allaah in conduct and punishments or other than them.

 

We seek refuge in Allaah from that which necessitates His Anger and His Grievous Punishment. May the Prayers and Peace of Allaah be upon the best of His creation, Muhammad and upon his family and his companions.

Translated by Maaz Qureshi [1]
Footnotes:
[1] This is a slightly abridged translation of 'al-'Aqeedatus Saheehah war-Risaalatul Ma'iyyah' (a collection of four booklets by the al-'Allaamah Ibn Baaz) (p.37-41).
[2] The shaykh, the Imaam, Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul Wahhaab and other than him from the people of knowledge have mentioned all of these. Translator's Note: See: Durarus Sunniyyah (8/89-90), and Mu`allifaatush Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul Wahhaab (5/212/214).
[3] Translator's Note: Imaam Ibnul Qayyim gave a general definition for taaghoot (pl. tawaagheet) when he said [Fathul Majeed (p. 16)]: "A taaghoot is everything that a slave transgresses the limits by, such as a deity, or someone who is followed, or calls to his following. So a taaghoot is every people who subject judgement to other than Allaah and His Messenger, or worship from other than Allaah, or obey without Guidance from Allaah, or those who obey him in what is not known as obedience to Allaah."
[4] Sarf: A magical action by which it is intended to distance a man from that which he wants, such as detaching a man from the love of his wife to hatred for her.
[5] 'Itf: A magical action by which it is intended to encourage a man towards what he does not want through Satanic paths.
[6] This means, none is more oppressive than them.
[7] That is, the disbelievers.
[8] Reminder: an admonition and insight into what is obligatory upon him.
[9] Turning away: rejecting alliance.
[10] Retribution: taking back what was done before.

[Tafsir Ibn Katheer] Al-Fatihah and the Prayer

Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

«مَنْ صَلَى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ ثَلَاثًا غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ»

(Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not read Umm Al-Qur'an, then his prayer is incomplete.) He said it thrice.

Abu Hurayrah was asked, "﴿When﴾ we stand behind the Imam'' He said, "Read it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

« قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَسَمْتُ الصّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ:

﴿الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ﴾، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَإِذَا قَالَ:

﴿الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴾، قَالَ اللهُ: أَثْنى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي، فَإذَا قَالَ:

﴿مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ﴾، قَالَ اللهُ: مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: فَوَّضَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ:

﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾، قَالَ: هذَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ:

﴿اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ﴾، قَالَ اللهُ: هذَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ»

(Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.' If he says,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ   

(1. In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)

﴾الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ﴿

(2. All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence.)

Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,

(الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ )

(3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)

Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' When he says,

(مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ )

(4. The Owner of the Day of Recompense.) Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,' or `My servant has related all matters to Me.' When he says,

(إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ )

(5. You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help.) Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.' When he says,

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ 

(6. Guide us to the straight path.) (7. The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.').''

These are the words of An-Nasa'i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa'i collected the following wording, "A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.''

Ref: www.qtafsir.com

Jinn entering human bodies

Jinn entering human bodies

In the last few days a controversy has arisen concerning the matter of jinn entering human bodies. Some say that this is rationally impossible, because of the difference in the essences from which they were created, as man was created from clay and the jinn from fire. It has also been said that the shayaateen (devils) have no power other than waswaas (insinuating whispers) and that Allaah has not given them any power over man. And it is said that the recorded tapes that are in circulation (recordings of jinn supposedly speaking through people) are no proof of anything. What is your response to all this?

Praise be to Allah.

The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and by real-life events. No one disputes this apart from the Mu’tazilah who give priority to their own rational analysis over the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. We will mention a little about this below:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa’…” [al-Baqarah 2:275]

Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (part 3, p. 355): “This aayah is proof that those people are wrong who deny that epilepsy is caused by the jinn and claim that its causes are only physical, and that the Shaytaan does not enter people or cause madness.”

Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (part 1, p. 32), after mentioning the aayah quoted above: “They will not rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection except like the way in which the epileptic rises during his seizure, when he is beaten by the Shaytaan. This is because they will rise in a very bad state. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: the one who consumes ribaa will rise on the Day of Resurrection crazy and choking.”

According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Nasaa’i from Abu’l-Yusr, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray: “Allaahumma innee a’oodhu bika min al-taraddi wa’l-haram wa’l-gharaq wa’l-harq, wa a’oodhu bika an yatakhabatani al-shaytaan ‘ind al-mawt ( O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from being thrown from a high place, old age, drowning and burning; and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death).” Commenting on this hadeeth in Al-Fayd (part 2, p.148), al-Manaawi said: “[The phrase] ‘and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death’ means, lest he should wrestle with me and play with me, and damage my religious commitment or mental state (at the time of death) by means of his insinuating whispers which cause people to slip or lose their minds. The Shaytaan could take control of a person when he is about to depart this world, and misguide him or stop him from repenting…”

Ibn Taymiyah (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 42/276) said: “The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: ‘Trading is only like Ribaa’…’ [al-Baqarah 2:275]. And in as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam as the blood flows through his veins.’”

‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said; “I said to my father, ‘There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of the epileptic.’ He said: ‘O my son, they are lying; the jinn could speak through this person.’” Commenting on this, Ibn Qudaamah said: “What he said is well known, because a person may suffer an epileptic seizure and speak in a language that no one understands, and his body may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the epileptic does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is saying. The epileptic and others may be dragged about, or the carpet on which he is sitting may be pulled, and utensils may be moved about from place to place, and other things may happen. Anyone who witnesses such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking through the person and moving these things is not human.” And he said, may Allaah have mercy on him: “There is no one among the imaams of the Muslims who denies that jinn may enter the body of the epileptic and others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam denies it is lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of sharee’ah to show that it does not happen.”

So the fact that jinn may enter human bodies is proven in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, some of whose comments we have quoted above.

As regards the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave” [al-Baqarah 2:102], this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the jinn cannot harm anyone through witchcraft or epilepsy or through any other kind of disturbance or misguidance, except with the permission of Allaah. As al-Hasan al-Basri said: “Whomever Allaah wills, He gives them power over him, and whomever He does not will, He does not give them power over him, and they cannot do anything to anyone except with the permission of Allaah.” The Shaytaan (who is the disbelieving jinn) may gain power over the believers by making them sin and by making them neglect the remembrance and Tawheed of Allaah and sincerity in worshipping Him. But he has no power over the righteous slaves of Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) — you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian” [al-Israa’ 17:65]

During the Jaahiliyyah the Arabs were well aware of this and mentioned it in their poetry. For example, the poet al-A’shaa likened his she-camel’s energy to that of one who was touched by the jinn, and said that it was the jinn who was giving her her energy.

As regards the causes of epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyah explained (in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/39) the causes. He said: “When the jinn touch a person with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens between one human and another… or it may – as is usually the case – be because of hatred and punishment, such as when a person has harmed them or they think that he has harmed them deliberately, either by urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or killing them, even if the person did that unknowingly. There are ignorant and wrongdoing ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or they may be playing with him and mistreating him, like foolish people among mankind.”

And I say: the way to save oneself from this is to remember Allaah and speak His Name at the beginning of all things, as it was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to mention Allaah in many cases, such as when eating, drinking, mounting his riding-beast, taking off his clothes for any reason, having intercourse and so on…

As regards treatment (of one whose body has been entered by the jinn), Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/42): “When the jinn attack a person, they should be told of the rulings of Allaah and His Messenger, proof should be established against them, and they should be commanded to do what is good and told not to do what is evil, just as should be done in the case of people, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)’ [al-Israa’ 17:15].” Then he said: “If the jinn does not leave after being addressed in this manner, then it is permissible to rebuke him, tell him off, threaten him and curse him, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did with the Shaytaan when he came with a falling star to throw it in his face, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I seek refuge with Allaah from you and I curse you with the curse of Allaah” – three times. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).We may also seek help against the jinn by remembering Allaah (dhikr) and reciting Qur’aan, especially Aayat al-Kursi. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites it will remain under the protection of Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will be able to approach him until the morning.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari). And al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) may also be recited.

As for psychiatrists who do not treat the epileptic in the manner described, they cannot do him any good at all.

This issue may be discussed in much more detail, but what we have said here is sufficient for those who want to know a little about this matter, Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Masaa’il wa rasaa’il, Muhammad Mahmoud al-Najdi, p. 23

Ref: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/1819

Maatreediyyah of the Past & Deobandis of Now

Deobandis

Are Deobandis part of Ahlus Sunnah? Are they within the folds of Islam?

Praise be to Allaah.

The Deobandis are one of the groups of Muslims. This group is connected to and named after the University of Deoband – Dar al-Uloom – in India. It is an intellectual school of thought that is deeply rooted, and everyone who graduated from that university was influenced by its academic characteristics, so that they became known as Deobandis.

The University of Deoband was founded by a group of Indian ‘ulamaa’ (scholars) after the British had put a stop to the Islamic revolution in India in 1857 CE. Its establishment was a strong reaction against western advancement and its materialistic civilization in the Indian Subcontinent, aimed at saving the Muslims from the dangers of these circumstances, especially when Delhi, the capital, had been destroyed following the revolution and the British had taken full control of it. The scholars feared that their religion might be assimilated, so Shaykh Imdaadullaah al-Muhaajir al-Makki and his student Shaykh Muhammad Qaasim al-Nanatuwi, and their companions, drew up a plan to protect Islam and its teachings. They thought that the solution was to establish religious schools and Islamic centers, thus al-Madrasah al-Islamiyyah al-Arabiyyah was established in Deoband as a center for Islam and Sharee’ah in India at the time of British rule.

The most prominent figures of this intellectual school:

1- Muhammad Qaasim

2- Rasheed Ahmad al-Kankoohi

3- Husayn Ahmad al-Madani

4- Muhammad Anwaar Shah al-Kashmiri

5- Abu’l-Hasan al-Nadvi

6- Al-Muhaddith Habeeb al-Rahmaan al-A’zami

Thoughts and beliefs

With regard to basic tenets of belief (‘aqeedah), they follow the madhhab of Abu Mansoor al-Maatreedi.

They follow the madhhab of Imaam Abu Haneefah with regard to fiqh and minor issues.

They follow the Sufi tareeqahs of the Naqshbandiyyah, Chishtiyyah, Qaadiriyyah and Saharwardiyyah with regard to spiritual development.

The thoughts and principles of the Deobandi school may be summed up as follows:

- Preserving the teachings of Islam and its strength and rituals.

- Spreading Islam and resisting destructive schools of thought and missionary activity.

- Spreading Islamic culture and resisting the invading British culture.

- Paying attention to spreading the Arabic language because it is the means of benefiting from the sources of Islamic sharee’ah.

- Combining reason and emotion, and knowledge and spirituality.

See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Muyassarah fil Adyaan wal Madhaahib (1/308).

Because the Deobandis follow the Maatreedi madhhab with regard to belief (‘aqeedah), we have to define what al-Maatreediyyah is:

This is a philosophical (kalaami) group which is named after Abu Mansoor al-Maatreedi. It is based on using rational and philosophical proof and evidence in disputes with opponents from among the Mu’tazilah, Jahamiyyah and others to establish the truths of religion and Islamic ‘aqeedah (belief). With regard to sources, the Maatreediyyah divide the bases of religion into two categories depending on the source:

1 – Divine or rational: these are matters which are established independently by reason and the reports follow that. This includes issues of Tawheed and the Divine attributes.

2 – Legislative matters or transmitted reports, These are matters which reason states may or may not exist, but there is no way to prove rationally that they exist, such as Prophethood, the torment of the grave and issues of the Hereafter. It should be noted that some of them regarded Prophethood as coming under the heading of rational issues.

It is obvious that this is contradictory to the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, because the Qur’aan, Sunnah and consensus of the Sahaabah are the sources of guidance in their view. This is in addition to their bid’ah (innovation) of dividing the sources of religion into rational matters vs. transmitted reports, which was based on the false notion of the philosophers who assumed that the religious texts contradict reason, so they tried to mediate between reason and the transmitted reports. This led them to force reason into fields where it has no place, so they came up with false rulings which contradicted sharee’ah, and that led them to say that they did not know what the texts mean and that only Allaah knows their meaning, or to misinterpret them altogether. In the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, on the other hand, there is no contradiction between sound reason and the sound transmitted reports.

See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan wa’l-Madhaahib al-Mu’aasirah, 1/99

Attitude of Ahl al-Sunnah towards the Maatreediyyah

It was narrated from the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that this ummah would split into seventy-three sects, all of which would be in the Fire apart from one. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that the saved group is the Jamaa’ah, which is the group that follows the same path as the Messenger SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions.

Undoubtedly Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who adhere to the Qur’aan and Sunnah in terms of both knowledge and actions, are the saved group, and this description applies to them, i.e., they adhere to that which the Messenger SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions adhered to in terms of knowledge and actions.

It is not sufficient for an individual or group merely to claim to belong to the Sunnah whilst going against the methodology of the salaf, namely the Sahaabah and Taabi’een. Rather it is essential to adhere to their methodology in knowledge, action, approach and spiritual development.

The Maatreediyyah are one of the groups whose opinions include true and false views, and some things that go against the Sunnah. It is known that these groups vary with regard to the truth, how near or far they are; the closer they are to the Sunnah, the closer they are to the truth and the right way. Among them are some who went against the Sunnah with regard to basic principles, and some who went against the Sunnah with regard to more subtle issues. There are some who refuted other groups who are farther away from the Sunnah, so they are to be praised with regard to their refutation of falsehood and what they have said of truth, but they have overstepped the mark in so far as they have rejected part of the truth and gone along with some falsehood. So they have refuted a serious bid’ah by means of a lesser bid’ah, and refuted falsehood with a lesser form of falsehood. This is the case with most of the philosophers (ahl al-kalaam) who claim to belong to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah…”

(From the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, al-Fataawa, 1/348).

There remains one important question to be answered, which is: what is our duty towards the Maatreediyyah and groups who hold similar beliefs such as the Deobandis and others?

The answer varies according to differences in the persons involved.

If someone is stubborn and propagates his bid’ah, then we must warn others about him and explain where he has gone wrong and deviated. But if he does not propagate his bid’ah and it is clear from his words and actions that he is seeking the truth and striving for that purpose, then we should advise him and explain to him what is wrong with this belief, and guide him in a manner that is better; perhaps Allaah will bring him back to the truth. This advice is included in the words of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Religion is sincerity (or sincere advice).” We [the Sahabah] asked, “To whom?” He said, “To Allaah and His Book, and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 55).

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Ref: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/22473

The authors of the Six Books

The authors of the Six Books

Who are the authors of the Six Books, and are there any da’eef (weak) ahaadeeth in their books?

The Praise be to Allah.

The authors of the Six Books are:

1- Imam al-Bukhaari

2- Imam Muslim

3- Imam Abu Dawood

4- Imam al-Tirmidhi

5- Imam al-Nasaa’i

6- Imaam Ibn Maajah

There follow brief details about each of them.

1 – Imam al-Bukhaari

His full name was Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel ibn Ibraaheem ibn al-Mugheerah ibn Bardizbah al-Ja’fi al-Bukhaari. His grandfather al-Mugheerah was a freed slave of al-Yamaan al-Ja’fi, the governor of Bukhaarah, so he took his name after he became Muslim. Imam al-Bukhaari was born in Bukhaara in 194 AH. He grew up an orphan and started to memorize ahaadeeth before he was ten years old. When he was a young man he set out to travel to Makkah and perform the obligation of Hajj. He stayed in Makkah for a while, studying under the imams of fiqh, usool and hadeeth. Then he began to travel around, going from one Islamic region to another, for sixteen years in all. He visited many centers of knowledge where he collected ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until he had compiled more than 600,000 ahaadeeth. He referred to one thousand scholars of hadeeth and discussed these reports with them. These scholars were people who were known for their sincerity, piety and sound belief. From this huge number of ahaadeeth he compiled his book al-Saheeh, following the most precise scientific guidelines in his research as to their authenticity and in distinguishing the saheeh (sound) from the weak, and in finding out about the narrators, until he recorded in his book the most sound of the sound, although it does not contain all the saheeh ahaadeeth. The book’s full title is al-Jaami’ al-Saheeh al-Musnad min Hadeeth Rasool-Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wa Sunanihi wa Ayaamihi.

The governor of Bukhaara wanted al-Bukhaari to come to his house to teach his children and read ahaadeeth to them. But al-Bukhaari refused and wrote to him: “Knowledge is to be sought in its own house,” meaning that knowledge is to be sought not summoned. Whoever wanted to learn from the scholars should go to them in the mosque or in their houses. So the governor bore a grudge against him and ordered that he be expelled from Bukhaara. So he went to the village of Khartank which is near Samarqand, where he had relatives, and he settled there until he died in 256 AH at the age of 62. May Allaah have mercy upon him.

2 – Imam Muslim

His full name was Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj ibn Muslim al-Qushayri al-Nisapoori Abu’l-Husayn. He is one of the leading scholars of hadeeth and one of the most knowledgeable. He was born in Nisapoor on the day that Imam al-Shaafa’i died in 204 AH. He studied in Nisapoor, and when he grew up he traveled to Iraq and the Hijaaz to learn hadeeth. He heard ahaadeeth from many shaykhs, and many scholars of hadeeth narrated from him. The most famous of his books is his Saheeh which is known as Saheeh Muslim. This is one of the six reliable books of hadeeth. He spent nearly fifteen years compiling this book, which is second only to Saheeh al-Bukhaari in status and in the strength of its ahaadeeth. Many scholars have written commentaries on his Saheeh.

His books also include Kitaab al-Tabaqaat, Kitaab al-Jaami’ and Kitaab al-Asma’, and others which exist in printed and manuscript form. He died in the city of Nasarabad, near Nisapoor, in 261 AH, at the age of 57. May Allaah have mercy on him.

3 – Imam Abu Dawood

His full name was Sulaymaan ibn al-Ash’ath ibn Shaddaad ibn ‘Amr ibn Ishaaq ibn Basheer al-Azdi al-Sajistani, from Sajistan. Abu Dawood was the leading hadeeth scholar of his age. He is the author of al-Sunan, which is one of the six reliable books of hadeeth. He was born in 202 AH. He traveled to Baghdad where he met Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and stayed with him; he also looked like him. He also traveled to the Hijaz, Iraq, Khurasaan, Syria, Egypt and the borders of the Islamic world. Al-Nasaa’i, al-Tirmidhi and others narrated hadeeth from him. He attained the highest degree of piety and righteousness. His book al-Sunan includes more than 5300 ahaadeeth.

The caliph Abu Ahmad Talhah (al-Muwaffaq al-‘Abbaasi) asked three things of him: the first was that he should move to Basrah and settle there, so that seekers of knowledge could come to him, thus bringing more people to settle there. The second was that he should teach al-Sunan to his children. The third was that he should give exclusive classes to his children, for the children of the caliph should not sit with the common people. Abu Dawood said to him: As for the first, yes; as for the second, yes; as for the third, no way, because all people are equal when it comes to knowledge. So the sons of al-Muwaffaq al-‘Abbaasi used to attend his lessons, and they would sit with a screen between them and the people. He remained in Basrah until he died in 275 AH. May Allaah have mercy on him.

4 – Imam al-Tirmidhi

His full name was Muhammad ibn ‘Eesa ibn Soorah ibn Moosa ibn al-Dahhaak al-Salami al-Tirmidhi, Abu Eesa. He came from Tirmidh, once of the cities of Transoxiana, after which he was named. He was one of the leading scholars of hadeeth and memorization of hadeeth. He was born in 209 AH and studied under al-Bukhaari; they had some of the same teachers. He began to seek ahaadeeth by travelling to Khurasaan, Iraq and the Hijaz. He became famous for his memorization of hadeeth, trustworthiness and knowledge. His shaykhs included Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Abu Dawood al-Sajistani. He compiled al-Jaami’ which is counted as one of the six reliable books of hadeeth. In this book he examined the ahaadeeth in detail, which is of benefit to students of fiqh, because he mentions the ahaadeeth and most of his ahaadeeth deal with rulings of fiqh. He mentions the isnaads and lists the Sahaabah who narrated the hadeeth, so what he believes is saheeh he says is saheeh, and what he believes is da’eef he says is da’eef. He explains who among the fuqaha’ accepted the hadeeth and who did not. His Jaami’ is the most comprehensive of the books of al-Sunan, and is the most useful to the muhaddith (hadeeth scholar) and faqeeh. His other works include Kitaab al-Shamaa’il al-Nabawiyyah and al-‘Ilal fi’l-Hadeeth. He was blind for the latter part of his life, after he had travelled around and compiled saheeh reports from prominent and well-versed scholars. He died in 279 AH at the age of 70. May Allaah have mercy on him.

5 – Imam al-Nasaa’i

His full name was Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb ibn ‘Ali ibn Sinaan ibn Bahr ibn Dinar al-Nasaa’i, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan. He came from the city of Nasa in Khurasaan, after which he was named (Nasawi or Nasaa’i). He was born in 215 AH, and he was one of the leading scholars and muhaddiths of his time. His comments on al-jarh wa’l-ta’deel (the study of the soundness or otherwise of narrators of hadeeth) are highly esteemed by the scholars. Al-Haakim said: I heard Abu’l-Hasan al-Daaraqutni say more than once, “Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan is the foremost among all scholars of hadeeth, and he is the best evaluator of narrators of his time.”

He was extremely pious and righteous, and he used to regularly observe the best kind of fasting (the fasting of Dawood), he used to fast on alternate days. He lived in Egypt, where his books became famous and people learned from him. Then he moved to Damascus, where he died on Monday 13 Safar 300 AH, at the age of 85. May Allaah have mercy on him.

6 – Imam Ibn Maajah

His full name was Muhammad ibn Yazeed al-Rab’i al-Qazwayni, Abu ‘Abd-Allaah. His father Yazeed was known as Maajah, so he was known as Ibn Maajah. The name al-Rab’i refers to Rabee’ah, after whom he was named because his father was a freed slave of Rabee’ah . He was a famous hafiz and the author of the book of hadeeth called al-Sunan. He was born in Qazwayn, after which he was named, in 209 AH. He travelled to Iraq, Basrah, Kufa, Baghdad, Makkah, Syria, Egypt and al-Rai to write down hadeeth. He wrote three books during his travels: a book on Tafseer; a book on history, in which he compiled the reports of men who had written down reports of the Sunnah from the time of the Sahaabah until his own time; and his book al-Sunan. Ibn Maajah died on Monday 22 Ramadaan 273 AH, at the age of 64. May Allaah have mercy on him.

Ruling on the ahaadeeth in these books:

With regard to Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim, the ummah accepts the ahaadeeth that are contained in these books, and they are agreed that everything in them is saheeh apart from a very few phrases which al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated in order to explain why they are not sound, either explicitly or implicitly, as the scholars who wrote commentaries on these two books, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), have explained. With regard to the other books of Sunan, they are not free of some da’eef (weak) ahaadeeth here and there. Some of them are noted as such by the authors themselves, and others have been pointed out by other scholars. They did not point out all the weak ahaadeeth, because they narrated the ahaadeeth with their isnaads, so it is easy for the scholars to tell the saheeh ahaadeeth from the da’eef by checking the chain of narrators and knowing who is reliable and who is weak.

Among the famous scholars in this field were Ahmad, al-Daraqutni, Yahya ibn Ma’een, Ibn Hajar, al-Dhahabi, al-Waaqi and al-Sakhaawi. Among the contemporary scholars in this field are al-Albaani, Ahmad Shaakir and others. May Allaah have mercy on them all.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Ref: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/21523

Introduction to the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik

Introduction to the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik

How many ahaadeeth are there in the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik?.

Praise be to Allaah.

This is a brief introduction of the book entitled Muwatta’ al-Imam Maalik; we ask Allaah to benefit us thereby.

Firstly:

Al-Muwatta’ is one of the great books of Islam which includes a number of marfoo’ ahaadeeth and mawqoof reports from the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who came after them. It also includes many rulings and fatwas of the author.

The Muwatta’ is so called because its author made it easy (watta’a) for the people in the sense that he made it easily accessible to them.

It was narrated that Maalik said: I showed this book of mine to seventy of the fuqaha’ of Madeenah, and all of them agreed with me (waata’ani) on it, so I called it al-Muwatta’.

Secondly:

The reason why it was compiled: Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in al-Istidhkaar (1/168) that Abu Ja’far al-Mansoor said to Imam Maalik: “O Maalik, make a book for the people that I can make them follow, for there is no one today who is more knowledgeable than you.” Imam Maalik responded to his request, but he refused to force all the people to adhere to it.

Thirdly:

Imam Maalik read the Muwatta’ to people for forty years, adding to it, taking away from it and improving it. So his students heard it from him or read it to him during that time. So the reports in al-Muwatta’ are many and varied because of what the Imam did of editing his book. Some of his students narrated from him before it was edited, some during the process, and some at the end of his life. Some of them transmitted it in full whilst others narrated part of it. So a number of transmissions of the Muwatta’ became well known, the most important of which are:

The transmission of Yahya ibn Yahya al-Masmoodi al-Laythi (234 AH). This is the most famous transmission from Imam Maalik, and most of the scholars based their commentaries on it.

The transmission of Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri, which is distinguished by the additions contained therein. It is the last version transmitted from Maalik and it is still in circulation among the scholars.

The transmission of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Maslamah al-Qa’nabi (221 AH). This is the largest version of the Muwatta’, and ‘Abd-Allaah is one of the soundest of people with regard to the Muwatta’, according to Ibn Ma’een, al-Nasaa’i and Ibn al-Madeeni.

The transmission of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaani.

The transmission of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salamah al-Fahri al-Masri.

And there are many others. Shaykh Muhammad Fu’aad ‘Abd al-Baaqi (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke about the narrators of the Muwatta’ and discussed fourteen versions of it, in his introduction to the edition of the Muwatta’ that he edited (pp. 6-16).

These versions differ in the order of the books and chapters, and in the number of marfoo’, mursal, and mawqoof ahaadeeth. The wording of the ahaadeeth also differs greatly.

Fourthly:

The number of ahaadeeth in the Muwatta’ differs from one version to another, and according to the system of numbering [?]. That is because some scholars counted every report from the Sahaabah or Taabi’een as a separate hadeeth, whilst others did not count them in their numbering. Hence it is sufficient for us to mention the numbers that are mentioned in some of the edited versions of the Muwatta’, which are:

The version transmitted by Yahya al-Laythi (which is the most famous version, and this is what is usually meant by al-Muwatta’): It was numbered by Shaykh Khaleel Sheeha, and the number of ahaadeeth that he counted was 1942, including both marfoo’ and mawqoof reports.

The version transmitted by Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri was numbered in the edition published by the Mu’sasat al-Risaalah. The number of hadeeth in this edition is 3069, which includes everything, even the words of Imam Maalik, hence the number is greater.

Fifthly:

The conditions he followed in his book are among the most reliable and strongest of conditions. He followed a method of erring on the side of caution and choosing only sound reports.

Al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is nothing on earth after the Book of Allaah that is more correct that the Muwatta’ of Maalik ibn Anas.

It was narrated that al-Rabee’ said: I heard al-Shaafa’i say: If Maalik was uncertain about a hadeeth he would reject it altogether.

Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah said: May Allaah have mercy on Maalik, how strict he was in his evaluation of men (narrators of hadeeth).

Al-Istidhkaar (1/166); al-Tamheed (1/68)

Hence you will find that many of the isnaads of Maalik are of the highest standard of saheeh. Because of this, the two Shaykhs al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated most of his ahaadeeth in their books.

Note: Imam al-Shaafa’i made the comment quoted above before al-Bukhaari and Muslim wrote their books, as was noted by al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his summary of ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth (pp. 24-25).

Sixthly:

In compiling his book, Maalik followed the method of compilation that was current during his time, so he mixed the hadeeths with the words of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een and fiqhi opinions. The reports of the Sahaabah number 613 and the reports of the Taabi’een number 285. In one chapter the marfoo’ ahaadeeth appear first, and are followed by the reports of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, and sometimes he mentions the actions of the people of Madeenah, so his book is a book of fiqh and hadeeth at the same time, it is not just a book of reports only. Hence you will find that some chapters have no reports, rather they contain the views of the fuqaha’ and the actions and ijtihaad of the people of Madeenah. An example of that is the chapter on produce on which no zakaah is due, and the chapter on the fast of one who kills another by mistake, and so on.

We also find that it is limited to sections on fiqh, etiquette and the actions of day and night. There is nothing in his book about Tawheed, zuhd (asceticism), the Resurrection, stories and tafseer.

See: al-Fikr al-Manhaji ‘inda al-Muhadditheen by Dr Humaam Sa’eed, p. 111-118; Manaahij al-Muhadditheen by Dr Yaasir al-Shimaali , p. 285ff; Muqaddimah Tahqeeq al-Muwatta’, ed. Fu’aad ‘Abd al-Baaqi.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Ref: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/81160