The revelation of the Qur’aan in seven styles (ahruf, sing. harf)

Question:
I have read that during the third Khalief, Oethmaan, a committee under supervision of Zaid ibn Thabit has been ordered to make an official editorship of the whole Koran. But this "Oethmanian" text didn't give yet a uniform reading.
Because early arabic language didn't have vowels and also some consonants had the same or almost the same form. New signs were introduced to seperate the different letters. But this still did not stop the different ways of reading.
In the first half of the fourth/tenth century the 'imaam of the Koran readers' in Baghdad, Ibn Moedjahid, gave a solution to this problem. He said that the word harf should be put equivalent to kira'a. He declared seven ways of reading correct. Because according to him the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that the Koran was send in seven ahroef means that seven ways of reading are inspired.
Nowadays only to ways of reading are in use, Warsj of Nafi' and Hafs of 'Asim.
Could you tell me more about these different ways of reading? Are there ahadieth about this?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly :

you should note, may Allaah bless you, that the Qur’aan was revealed in one style at the beginning, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept asking Jibreel until he taught him seven styles, all of which were complete. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel taught me one style and I reviewed it until he taught me more, and I kept asking him for more and he gave me more until finally there were seven styles.”

(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3047; Muslim, 819)

Secondly, what is meant by styles (ahruf, sing. harf)?

The best of the scholarly opinions concerning what is meant is that there are seven ways of reciting the Qur’aan, where the wording may differ but the meaning is the same; if there is a different meaning then it is by way of variations on a theme, not opposing and contradiction.

Thirdly:

Some of the scholars said that what was meant by ahruf was the dialects of the Arabs, but this is far-fetched, because of the hadeeth of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab who said: “I heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem reciting Soorat al-Furqaan in a manner different from that in which I used to recite it and the way in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught me to recite it. I was about to argue with him whilst he was praying, but I waited until he finished his prayer, and then I tied his garment around his neck and seized him by it and brought him to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I heard this man reciting Soorat-al-Furqaan in a way different to the way you taught it to me.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, ‘Recite it,’ and he recited it as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘It was revealed like this.’ Then he said to me, ‘Recite it,’ so I recited it and he said, ‘It was revealed like this.’ This Qur'aan has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easiest for you.’”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2287; Muslim, 818)

It is known that Hishaam was Asadi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani Asad in Quraysh) and ‘Umar was ‘Adawi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani ‘Adiyy in Quraysh). Both of them were from Quraysh and Quraysh had only one dialect. If the difference in ahruf (styles) had been a difference in dialects, why would two men of Quraysh have been different?

The scholars mentioned nearly forty different opinions concerning this matter! Perhaps the most correct is that which we have mentioned above. And Allaah knows best.

Fourthly:

It seems that the seven styles were revealed with different wordings, as indicated by the hadeeth of ‘Umar, because ‘Umar’s objection was to the style, not the meaning. The differences between these styles are not the matter of contradiction and opposition, rather they are synonymous, as Ibn Mas’ood said: “It is like one of you saying halumma, aqbil or ta’aal (all different ways of saying ‘Come here’).”

Fifthly:

With regard to the seven recitations (al-qiraa’aat al-saba’), this number is not based on the Qur’aan and Sunnah, rather it is the ijtihaad of Ibn Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him). People thought that al-ahruf al-saba’ (the seven styles) were al-qiraa’aat al-saba’ (the seven recitations) because they happened to be the same number. But this number may have come about coincidentally, or it may have been done deliberately by Ibn Mujaahid to match what was narrated about the number of styles (ahruf) being seven. Some people thought that the styles (ahruf) were the recitations, but this is a mistake. No such comment is known among the scholars. The seven recitations are one of the seven styles, and this is the style that ‘Uthmaan chose for all the Muslims.

Sixthly:

When ‘Uthmaan made copies of the Qur’aan, he did so according to one style (harf), but he omitted the dots and vowel points so that some other styles could also be accommodated. So the Mus-haf that was copied in his time could be read according to other styles, and whatever styles were accommodated by the Mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan remained in use, and the styles that could not be accommodated fell into disuse. The people had started to criticize one another for reciting differently, so ‘Uthmaan united them by giving them one style of the Qur’aan.

Seventhly:

Your saying that Mujaahid’s different recitations meant the seven styles (ahruf) is not correct, as was said by Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah. (Majmoo’ah al-Fatawa, vol. 13, p. 210)

Eighthly:

The seven readers or reciters were:

1- Naafi’ al-Madani

2- Ibn Katheer al-Makki

3- ‘Aasim al-Kufi

4- Hamzah al-Zayaat al-Kufi

5- Al-Kisaa’i al-Kufi

6- Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ al-Basri

7- ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Aamir al-Shaami

The ones who have the strongest isnaad in recitation are Naafi’ and ‘Aasim.

The most eloquent are Abu ‘Amr and al-Kisaa’i.

Warsh and Qaaloon narrated from Naafi’.

Hafs and Shu’bah narrated from ‘Aasim.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=5142&ln=eng

Taking Hold of the Beard and Removing What is More than a Handful

Fiqh

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Miscellaneous Articles

Taking Hold of the Beard and Removing What is More than a Handful

Author: Ibn Abee Shaybah

Source: Al-Musannaf (trans. by Dawud Burbank)

Article ID : FQH020001 [5675]

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Ibn Abee Shaybah narrates in his mussannaf, (5/225-226):

Ghundar narrated to us, from Shu'bah, from Mansoor who said, "I heard Ataa ibn Abee Rabaah (the taabi'ee) saying, 'They used to like to leave the beard except in Hajj or Umrah, and Ibraaheem used to take from the sides of his beard.'"

And he narrates, 'Aa'idh ibn Habeeb narrated to us, from Ash'ath, from al-Hasan (i.e., al-Basree) who said, "They used to allow for what was in excess of what is gripped by the hand of the beard, that it be taken from."

And he narrates, Aboo Aamir al-Aqdee narrated to us, from Aflah who said, al-Qaasim (the taabi'ee) when he shaved his head would take from his beard and moustache."

And he narrates, Alee ibn Haashim and Wakee narrtaed to us, from Ibn Abee Laylaa, from Naafi, from Ibn Umar, "That he used to take what was above a hands grip." Wakee said, "What was in excess of a hands-grip."

And he narrates, Wakee narrated to us, from Aboo Hilaal who said, "I asked al-Hasan (i.e., al-Basree) and Ibn Seereen who both said, "There is no harm for you to take from the length of your beard."

And he narrates, Wakee narrated to us, from Sufyaan, from Mansoor, from Ibraaheem (an-Nakha'ee) who said, "They used to take something from and tidy their beards and take from the sides."

(Taken from: Salafi Publications - Taking Hold of the Beard...)

Related link:
Length of the beard? - statements from Shaykh Al-Albaanee
Shaving The Beard: A Modern Effeminacy - by Muhammad al-Jibaly

Sheikh Albani Crying When Informed of a dream

One of the few true stories pertaining to the shaykh, the muhaddith of this era..

SubhaanAllaah.. among the examples of the shaykh's humility and excellence in knowledge.. May Allah have mercy on him..

Donating Blood to non-Muslims

Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baaz

Reference: www.ibnbaz.org

Category: Contemporary Issues

Is it permissible for me to donate blood to a non-Muslim who is in a state of emergency/critical condition, benefit me may Allaah reward you?

I do not see anything wrong with this because Allaah the Exalted says in his glorified Book:

“Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Indeed, Allaah loves those who deal with equity" [Al Mumtahanah: 8]

Allaah informs us that He does not prohibit us from being kind and beneficent to non-Muslims who do not battle us or drive us out of our homes. A person who is in a state of emergency is in great need of help. Um Asmaa bint Abu Bakr as Sideeq traveled to her daughter (رضي الله عنهما) in Madeenah, during the treaty between the Prophet and the people of Makkah, asking her for charity. So Asmaa asked the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and he told her to be kind to her mother while she was a disbeliever.

So there is no problem in donating blood to a non-Muslim under treaty or a non-Muslim under protection who is not in a state of war with us if he is in need. As is in the case of eating dead meat, you should donate blood to him according to his need, and there is no sin upon you for donating blood to one who is in great need of it.

Click here to listen to the audio file at www.ibnbaz.org

Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid

Date Published: Monday, 08 May 2006

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Returning the 'Salaam' to non-Muslims

Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baaz

Reference: Fataawa Nur 'ala ad Darb

Category: Contemporary Issues

If a non-Muslim extends the 'Salaam' to a believer, should he return the 'Salaam'?

Yes, if a non-Muslims extends the greeting then [the believer] should return it. The Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم , said:

"If a non-Muslim extends the 'Salaam' to you, say: 'Wa 'Alaykum'"

The Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, also said:

"Do not initiate the 'Salaam' with Jews and Christians."

This indicates that we respond to them if they initiate it. It is initiating it that is prohibited. As for responding, it is compulsory.

Fataawa Nur 'ala ad Darb: Ibn Baaz

Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to return the greeting [of 'Salaam'] to someone who doesn't pray or to the 'People of the Book'?

Answer: Yes, it is permissible for a Muslim to respond with 'Salaam' if he was greeted by the 'People of the Book' or others because the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, ordered this. Rather, Allaah the Elevated said:

{When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally.}

He did not say: "And if you were greeted by 'Muslims'." Rather it is general:

{When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally.}

The Messenger of Allaah, صلى الله عليه وسلم, said:

"If the 'People of the Book' extend the 'Salaam' to you say: 'Wa 'Alaykum'"

Based on this, if a non-Muslim greets us, we respond in the same manner that he/she greets us with. So if one says: 'As salaamu 'Alaykum' clearly when greeting us, we respond by saying 'Alaykum as Salaam'. If one says 'Ahlan wa Sahlan' we respond with 'Ahlan wa Sahlan', and if they say good morning we respond by saying good morning. We greet them in the same way that they greet us acting on the order of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

However, a person should be eager on calling non-Muslims to the religion of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, as much as possible, how many people were once disbelievers or atheists and were then blessed by Allaah with guidance through someone who returned the 'Salaam' to them. Meaning he responded by returning the 'Salaam' and made himself available and opened his heart to them until Allaah the Majestic guided them and they believed.

Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid

Date Published: Saturday, 28 October 2006

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The Ruling on Performing Salaah in a Masjid that has a grave in it...

Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baaz

Reference: Noor 'alad-Darb Radio Programme, audio tape 62

Category: Creed

There is an individual who says: The ruling regarding the Salaah performed in a Masjid that has one grave, differs from a Masjid that has two, three or more graves in it. We request you to clarify this issue for us. Furthermore, what is its ruling when the Prophet of Allah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has indeed said: “Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as Masjids.”[2] Bearing this in mind, there are some people after visiting the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) Masjid in Madinah who argue that if the graves of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and his two noble companions (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhumaa) are located within the Masjid, and that the Prophet’s Masjid (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) is like any another general Masjid in which it is permissible to perform Salaah [with the graves present there] Can you please explain this further?

The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) cursed those people that built Masjids upon graves, and also warned against it as it was narrated in the aforementioned Hadeeth. He (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also said:

“Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as Masjids; I forbid you to do that.”

This narration has been reported by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh.[3] It has also been reported by the two Shaykhs[4], on the authority of Aa‘ishah(radhi-yAllaahu 'anhaa) : Umm Habeebah and Umm Salamah (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhumaa) mentioned a church they had seen in Ethiopia and in the church there were pictures [in it]. When they told the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) of this, he said:

“Those people are such that if a pious man amongst them died, they build a place of worship over his grave and paint these pictures in it. Those people will be Allah's worst creatures on the Day of Resurrection.”[5]

So the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) pointed out consequently that the worst of all creation according to Allah are those who build Masjids upon graves and he warned against this act of theirs.

Hence, this implies and indicates that if a Masjid is located in the place of a grave or many graves, the Salaah must not be performed at such a place and there is no difference whether it has a single grave or more. Also if there is a Masjid that has been built afterwards upon the graves, it is an obligation to demolish that Masjid. The graves must be left in their normal apparent state with no building construction upon them. As this was the condition of all the graves in the time of the Messenger of Allaah ,(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) at the graveyard of Baqee[6] and others. This is the condition of all the graves in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The graves have been left in their normal apparent state, there is no construction done upon them, there are no domes built upon them, there are no Masjids built upon them, and all praise is due to Allah for this great bounty of His.

However, regarding a Masjid that is old, and at the time of its construction there were no graves present within it, and then afterwards a grave or graves were built inside, then that grave or graves must be exhumed and dug up and the deceased moved to the public graveyard where there are no domes, no Masjids, and no constructions upon the graves. Then this old Masjid will once again be free from graves so that the people may be able to perform their Salaah in it.

With regards to some ignorant people who stipulate the permissibility of graves being allowed in Masjids due to the presence of the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) grave and his two noble companions (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhumaa) graves being part of his (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) Masjid, then this can not be presented as an argument or proof, because the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and his two noble companions (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhumaa) were buried in his (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) house and not inside the Masjid. But when Alwaleed bin Abul-Malik bin Marwaan[7] decided to expand the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) Masjid, he included the house of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) as part of the Masjid, due to his intended extension. Alwaleed bin Abdul-Malik bin Marwaan committed an error when he did this, and what was obligatory upon him was not to include the house of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) as part of the Masjid so that the ignorant people would not be able to use this as evidence, and others that may advance themselves with this argument and present similar doubts. Without a doubt the people of knowledge rejected and refuted Alwaleed bin Abdul-Malik bin Marwaan with regards to this action of his. So therefore it is not permissible to follow Alwaleed bin Abdul-Malik bin Marwaan by building Masjids upon graves.

Furthermore, no assumptions should be made by anyone regarding the grave of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) that this action permits construction upon graves or building graves inside Masjids. This is because the house of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was a separate house separated from the Masjid that was included and made part of the Masjid for the need of expanding it. So the real condition of the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) grave was just like the graveyard that can be found opposite his Masjid, separate from it, in which there is no harm, and this was the actual state of the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) grave separated by a wall and barriers.

It should be the aim of every single Muslim to clarify this issue to his brothers [& sisters] so that they do not make this mistake and develop an incorrect understanding on this issue.

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1) Abu Bakr: he is Abdullah bin Uthmaan bin A’meer bin Amr bin Ka’ab bin Sa’ad bin Taym bin Murrah bin Ka’ab bin Luwai Attaymee Alqurshi. Refer to Ibn Abdil Bur’s ‘Al’isteeaab’ with marginal notes of ‘Al’isaabah’ of Ibn Hajr volume 2 page 234. Born in Makkah after 2 years and a few months after the year of the elephant corresponding to 573 CE. He passed away on 7th Jamaadul-A’khiraah, 13 years after Hijrah at the age of 63 in Madinah and is buried next to the Messenger of Allah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam).

Umar bin Khattab: he is Umar bin Khattab bin Nufail bin Abdul-Azaa bin Rabaah bin Abdullah bin Qurt bin Razaah bin Adee bin Ka’aab. Born in Makkah 13 years after the year of the elephant, corresponding to 584 CE. Refer to Ibn Hajr’s ‘Al’isaabah’ volume 2 page 511, & ‘Fathul-Baree’ volume 7 page 53. He passed away on the 26th Dhil-Hijjah 23 years after Hijrah at the age of 63 in Madinah. He is buried next to the Messenger of Allah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). [TN]

2) Refer to the English Translation of Saheeh Bukhari, Book of Prayer, volume 1, Book 8, Hadeeth no: 427 & 428. [TN]

3) Refer to the English Translation of Saheeh Muslim for the complete Hadeeth, Chapter 47: Forbiddance to build Masjids on the Graves & decorating them with pictures and forbiddance to use graves as Masjids: Book 4: Hadeeth no: 1083. [TN]

4) Imam Bukhari: he is Abu Abdullah, Muhammad bin Isma’eel bin Almughairah Albukhari (194-256 A.H.), Imam Muslim: he is Abul Husain Muslim bin Alhujjaj bin Ward bin Kawshaaz Alqushairi (204-261 A.H) [TN]

5) Refer to the English Translation of Saheeh Bukhari: Book of Prayer, Volume 1, Book no. 8, Hadeeth no. 426: & Saheeh Muslim: Book of Prayer, Volume 1, Book no. 8, Hadeeth no: 419. [TN]

6) The graveyard of Madeenah situated opposite the Prophet’s (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) Masjid in which a great number of Companions (radhi-yAllaahu 'anhum) are buried. [TN]

7) One of the Muslim rulers of the Umayyad period. He became the Muslim ruler in the year 86 A.H. till 96 A.H. [TN]

Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari

Date Published: Thursday, 05 April 2007

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Ibn Shamsud-Deen:

For the benefit of readers, I will list down a few mosques in Singapore with graves in them:

• Masjid Sultan (4 graves of royal members)
• Masjid Wak Tanjong (3 graves)
• Masjid Hajah Fatimah (1 grave)
• Masjid Malabar (mosque and small graveyard in one compound)
• Masjid Pusara Aman (it's in the graveyard area)
• Surau Pusara Aman (although it has been fenced to separated the Musolla from the graveyard compound, it's still built in the graveyard compound.)

Wallaahu a'lam

Two Waves That Have Struck The Salafee Da'wah

Shaykh Rabee ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee

Reference: www.rabee.net

Category: Scholars Advice

All praise is due to Allaah, and may the peace and prayers be upon the messenger of Allaah, his companions, family and whomsoever follows his guidance.

To proceed: To the brother, Muhammad ‘Abdul Hadee, the Imaam of Masjid As Sunnah in Marseilles, France. May Allaah grant him success, make his path firm, and increase him in guidance and foresight.

As salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatahu, to you as well as all your brothers in France. And I thank you for your noble and sensible thoughts as in regards to the differences that occurred between the Salaafee youth just because of a difference that occurred between so and so and so and so, which shows an improper understanding of the Manhaj of the Salaf, and how they [the Salaf] hated splitting, rather Allaah and his messenger hate splitting and differing.

The Deen of Allaah and the Manhaj of the Salaf is not on this level that a lot of the youth believe it to be: That there occurs differing, enmity and disruption for the most trivial of reasons. From them [reasons] is that so and so speaks about so and so, and so a group of brothers strongly and stubbornly defend one brother and another group likewise defends the other. Then the conflicts and battles between the two (or more) groups begin. Allaah and his messenger and the Deen of Islaam are free from this type of behavior, as it is from the handiwork of Shaytaan, who wants splitting, differing, enmity and hatred between the Muslims for the most trivial of reasons.

Just as it is from the ways of the people of desires, innovations and Hizbeeyah, those who are far from the Manhaj of the Salaf and their intelligence, their Hikmah (wisdom), their foresight, their firmness and solidarity towards different circumstances, as well as their respect towards brotherhood and love, which are from what Allaah has ordered to be respected and preserved.

And I will give you a few examples of the positions that the Salaf took towards some situations, which showed their Hikmah, insight and their strict adherence to the book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their messenger. Situations that would shake up the people of innovations and push them towards splitting, differing, enmity and conflicts. But these situations do not even shift/sway Ahlus Sunnah, rather, it only increases them in firmness, unification, and in standing firmly against Fitan (trials) and its people.

1) In the Fitnah that occurred between the Sahaabah during the battle of Al Jamal and the battle of As Siffeen. What was the position of people of desires towards it and what was the positon of Ahlus Sunnah?

As far as the people of desires, then this Fitnah exposed their evil intentions and aims. Some of them Tahazzaba (made partisanship) towards one side and disparaged the other side like the Shee’ah, they were stubbornly bias towards ‘Alee, and they disparaged Ahlul Jamal, the people of Shaam, Mu’aaweyah, ‘Amr ibn Al ‘Aas and whoever supported them.

And likewise the Nawaasib; they supported Mu’aaweyah and ‘Amr and their armies, and they disparaged ‘Aleee, his armies and supporters.

Others like the Khwaarij and the Mu’tazilah or some of their leaders; they disparaged ‘Alee and his supporters as well as Mu’aaweyah and his supporters.

As for Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah -رحمهم الله- , and at the head of them; the rest of the Sahaabah, the Tabi’een and the Imaams of guidance such as Sa’eed ibn Musayib, ‘Urwah ibn Az Zubayr, Al Qaasim ibn Muhammad, Saalim ibn ‘Abdillaah and others from the Imaams of the Tabi’een such as Maalik, Al Awzaa’ee, Sufyaan At Thawree, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Hamaad ibn Zayd, Hamaad ibn Salamah, and others from the Imaams of other Islaamic lands; in Madeenah, Makkah, Al Yemen, Al Basrah, Al Koofah, As Shaam, Misr, Al Maghrib, Al Andolus, All of them were upon one Manhaj, and one ‘Aqeedah towards the people of desires and towards those who disparaged the Sahaabah. And from them were those that participated in the battle of Al Jamal, and As Siffeen. They made Walaa’ of all of them, and made excuses for all of them and they considered that the Mujtahid [1] from amongst them who reached the correct opinion received two rewards, and that the one who erred received one reward;

2) There was a very strong disagreement between the two Imaams, Al Bukharee and Muhaammad ibn Yahyaa Al Dhuhalee, -رحمهم الله- , to the point that Ahlus Sunnah wal Hadeeth were about to tear apart. But because of their consciousness/awareness towards Islaam, and their deep conception of the dangers of separation and differing and their evil effects in the Dunyah and Aakhirah, they were able to extinguish this Fitnah and bury it to this day of ours;

3) And during these times of ours, there were differences between Shaykh Al Albaanee and a number of the Mashaayikh of Ahlus Sunnah such as Hamood At Tuwaygree, Shaykh Ismaa’eel Al Ansaaree, Shaykh Naseeb Ar Rifaa’ee. Differences of opinion occurred even between him and Shaykh Ibn Baaz,-رحمهم الله- . But the people, especially the Salafees, did not see any effects of this differing.

So what is it that has convinced the Salafee youth in these crucial days in which the enemies, with their different sects and methodologies, have outwardly proclaimed their enmity towards the salafee da’wah and its Imaams.

The Jews and the Christians from one angle, the Shee’ah, Rawaafid, Sufeeyah ‘Ilmaaneyoon and the Ikhwaan [from another angle] have built up fronts to wage war against the Salafee Da’wah, and have slung evil accusations on them, especially because of what is going on these days in regards to terrorism, bombings and destruction.

Don’t you think that this differing between the Salafee youth strengthens the enemies of the Salafee Da’wah, and gives them the incisive weaponry that they use to slaughter Salafeeyah and its people?

Doesn’t this differing distort the Salafee Da’wah and take away its beauty and grace as well as stop its spread and propagation? My brother and my sons, those whom Allaah has been gracious to and has guided to this magnificent Manhaj, some of the youth are ignorant of its status, and are ignorant of the bounty of Allaah upon them, and His Grace, and the fact that He guided them to this magnificent Manhaj.

I, as well as other than me, have realized that there are two waves that have struck the core of the Salafee Da’wah; a wave of harshness and extremism and a wave of excessive lenience that goes beyond the legislated bounds, and negligence/laxity. And both of these waves have been exaggerated to the point that they almost engulfed all the people of Salafeeyah.

Indeed Allaah has forbidden both extremism and negligence/laxity because of the harms and evils that they generate. And He has legislated for this ‘Umah At Tawasut (middle path) and to be just; this is the straight path of Allaah which He has ordered us to follow. In it is all that is good, happiness, and salvation from destruction.

So when I saw the dangers of these two waves, I directed advice to the Salafee youth everywhere a number of times. So I hope that this advice is welcomed and accepted by our brothers and sons and beloved ones from amongst the Salafees.

And I included in the advice, a strong encouragement to the Salafee youths to leave all kinds of separation and differing, and to have brotherhood for the pleasure of Allaah, and to love one another for His pleasure, as well as to be soft and gentle with one another, and to have Hikmah (wisdom) and to remind/advise the one who falls into error in a way that is best.

And now I strongly reaffirm this advice and I encourage you to seriously and truthfully leave off differing and its causes, and to replace it with accord and brotherhood and so on.

And I as well as all the Salafees in the Kingdom, and Yemen and other than them hope that we listen to all that has been addressed and to recognize it, in order to end this abominable differing and burry it, and proclaim affection and brotherhood, and to turn to gaining beneficial knowledge, as well as practicing pious deeds, and to co operate upon righteousness and piety, and to be serious about spreading this Da’wah, and to show its beauty in its ‘Aqeedah, Manhaj as well as its manners.

My Brother, Muhammad ‘Abdul Haadee, I hope that you seriously rush to quench this Fitnah, and that you call the intelligent ones in Paris, Leon and other cities, especially Abu Zeyaan, call them to a gathering in which you will present to them this letter of mine which I hope will be an aid to you all to end this Fitnah, remove its causes, and instill what Islaam has made obligatory upon you as in regards to brotherhood, and to exchange affection/love between you, and to co operate upon righteousness and piety in the place of separation in all fields especially in the field of Da’wah to Allaah.

My brother, it appears to me that these differences between them is not in ‘Aqeedah or in the principals of Da’wah or Manhaj, and it is only he say she say, enmity and arguing about people whom they have exceeded in elevating/glorifying, while they do not surpass the level of being a student of knowledge.

I ask Allaah that He fulfills all what they are striving to achieve in regards to unifying the ranks of the Salafees, and bringing together their hearts and souls upon truth and guidance.

And may the peace and prayers be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.

One who loves you for the sake of Allaah;

Shaykh Rabee’ bin Haadee ‘Umayr Al Madkhalee.

28/2/1425

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[1] One who has the ability to study the texts of the Quraan and Sunnah and derive his opinion.

Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid

Date Published: Thursday, 17 February 2005

This article has been read 14,174 times

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http://www.madeenah.com/article.cfm?id=1053



Ibn Shamsud-Deen:

Dear readers, do note the Shaykh's mentioning of the 2 waves:

1. a wave of Harshness and Extremism
2. a wave of Excessive Lenience that goes beyond the legislated bounds, and neligence/laxity

Remember my dear Salafee brothers and sisters, the Salafee da'wah and manhaj is that of moderation, that of the middle path between the 2 extremes.

I quote from the Shaykh who advised the students in the West "to call upon the people with softness and lenience."

I also quote from the Shaykh:
"It is imperative for you, O youth, to have brotherhood, you must adorn yourselves with a high level of manners, you must be soft, forbearing, have wisdom, patience and overlook other people's mistakes if they do not shake/affect the Manhaj or the 'Aqeedah. If they do shake/affect the Manhaj or the 'Aqeedah, then it is imperative for you to advise with wisdom and fine sermon. We must distance ourselves from the causes of division and seek refuge from the causes of splitting and differing and adorn ourselves with noble manners such as overlooking the mistakes and small errors that our brothers commit, indeed a Muslim is not perfect/free from error."
[http://www.madeenah.com/article.cfm?id=1182]

And I quote from Shaykh Bin Baz:
"This time is a time for softness, patience and wisdom, not a time for harshness."
[Majmoo' Fataawaa Samaahah al-Imaam Ibn Baaz]

Let us reflect, contemplate and rectify ourselves.

Wallaahu a'lam wa al-Musta'aan.

The methodology of the muhadditheen is just and fair

Question:
Maulana Abu al Ala Moududi has written in his book Tafhumaat vol1, "Muhaddithin may have also human weakness or errors. They were also human and may also have enmities with narrator. So, it may be possible that a muhaddith may declare a rawi or narrator of a hadith as zaeef because he may dislike him."Maulana has also cited some examples of reputed muhaddithis and their enmities(sorry I have no other word in place of enmity). Pls, help me remove my fix. You can't imagine how much this statement has confused me? Even, I often have doubt acting on an authentic hadith. Pls, answer me as soon as possible.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The science of hadeeth and isnaads (chains of narrators) is one of the special characteristics of this ummah. No other nation paid attention as this ummah did to the chains of narration through which their books and their religion were transmitted. This is why the texts of other nations were subjected to distortions and fabrications, and it became impossible for them to know the pure religion and to find out about the stories of the Prophets in a sound and authenticated manner.

The scholars of hadeeth have striven hard and reached a prominent position in that field, as Allaah has honoured them with efforts to preserve His religion and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Muhammad ibn Haatim ibn al-Muzaffar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah has honoured this ummah and favoured it over others by blessing it with the isnaad. No other nation has this blessing, and they do not distinguish between that which was revealed in the Tawrah and Injeel and was brought by their Prophets, and that which was added to their books of narrations transmitted from inauthentic sources. This ummah narrates hadeeth from a trustworthy individual who was known at his own time for sincerity and honesty, from another of similar character, and so on until the end of the chain of narrators. Then they researched very carefully to find out who had the stronger memory and was more precise, and who spent more time with the one from whom the report was transmitted, and who spent less time, then they would write down the hadeeth from more than twenty chains of narration, so that they could be sure that they had eliminated any mistake or error from it, and they wrote it exactly as it was narrated. This is one of the greatest blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon this ummah. We ask Allaah to inspire us to thank Him for this blessing and we ask Him to make us steadfast and to guide us to that which will bring us closer to Him and make us adhere to obedience to Him. End quote. Sharaf Ashaab al-Hadeeth (40).

Secondly:

They are the best people who strove the most to ensure that their judgement and transmission of hadeeth was done on the basis of honesty and sincerity, and they were the ones who strove the most to avoid errors and mistakes, to the extent that they set the highest example of fairness and avoiding favouritism when it comes to preserving the religion of Allaah.

So we see ‘Ali ibn al-Madeeni ruling that his father was da’eef (weak), and he knew that this ruling regarding his father would guarantee an end to his position as a scholar, but that did not prevent him from stating his opinion concerning him.

Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

None of the people of hadeeth should show any favouritism with regard to the science of hadeeth, whether it is to his father or his son. ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Madeeni, who was a prominent scholar of hadeeth in his time, never narrated even a letter to suggest that his father was strong in hadeeth, rather what was narrated from him was the opposite of that. End quote from Sharaf Ashaab al-Hadeeth (41).

Ibn Hibbaan said in al-Majrooheen (2/15):

‘Ali ibn al-Madeeni was asked about his father and he said: Ask someone else. They said: We asked you. He paused, then he raised his head and said: This has to do with religion; my father is da’eef (weak). End quote.

And Yahya ibn Ma’een spoke about a friend of his whom he loved, and al-Husayn ibn Hibbaan narrated that he said of Muhammad ibn Saleem al-Qaadi: By Allaah, he is our friend, and he is dear to us, but there is no way to praise him and I do not recommend anyone to narrate from him or encourage others to do so. And he said: By Allaah, he heard a great deal and he is well known, but he does not limit himself to what he heard, rather he includes things that he did not hear. I said to him: Should he be narrated from? He said: No. See: Tareekh Baghdaad (5/325).

Jareer ibn ‘Abd al-Hameed said concerning his brother Anas: He should not be narrated from; he tells lies when he talks to people. Al-Jarh wa’l-Ta’deel (2/289).

Imam al-Bukhaari narrated a great deal in his Saheeh from his Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhali, in spite of the harm that he was subjected to as a result of a misunderstanding between him and the Shaykh, who forsook him. But that enmity did not prevent him from accepting and narrating his hadeeth.

They would accept hadeeth from those who held different opinions and beliefs to their own – if it was proven that (the narrator) was honest and sincere. The fact that a narrator was a follower of bid’ah did not prevent them from judging him on the basis of fairness, because they paid heed to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Well‑Acquainted with what you do” [al-Maa’idah 5:8].

Yahya ibn Ma’een was asked about Sa’eed ibn Khuthaym and he said: He is a Kufi and there is nothing wrong with him; he is trustworthy. It was said to Yahya: Is he Shi’i? He said: A trustworthy Shi’i, a trustworthy Qadari. Tahdheeb al-Kamaal (10/414).

‘Abbaad ibn Ya’qoob al-Rawaajini al-Kufi was a fanatical Shi’i, but despite that, Ibn Khuzaymah said in his Saheeh (2/376): The one who is trustworthy in his narration but dubious in his religious commitment, ‘Abbaad ibn Ya’qoob, told us …

Thirdly:

Just as they understood the seriousness of tarnishing people’s honour unlawfully, they also understood the seriousness of speaking badly about any of the narrators, because it could affect the issue of accepting or rejecting the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from them. Muhammad ibn Sireen said: This knowledge is the (foundation of) religion, so watch from whom you learn your religion. Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh.

Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid said:

The honour of the Muslims is a pit of Hellfire. Two groups are standing at the edge of this pit: the muhadditheen and the judges. End quote. See: Tadreeb al-Raawi (2/369).

Such great piety and awareness must inevitably have a great effect of fairness and seeking to be right when judging narrators. This is what was stipulated by the scholars for everyone who wants to examine narrators and pass judgement concerning them.

Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mooqizah (82):

Judging narrators requires a great deal of piety and freedom from whims and desires and bias, along with complete experience in the science of hadeeth and the faults and narrators thereof. End quote.

Al-Mu’allimi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Tankeel (1/54):

The imams of hadeeth are knowledgeable and careful, and they strive to avoid mistakes, but they differ with regard to that. End quote.

Fourthly:

Yes, none of them is infallible and it is possible that there may be mistakes in what some of them say. It is also possible that the cause of some of these mistakes may be love or hate for someone. Some things of that nature did indeed happen, for no human being can be entirely free of that. But that should not be a reason for doubting all of their judgements, and this is for the following reasons:

1 – Because these are a few mistakes when compared with the great legacy that the leading scholars of hadeeth and al-jarh wa’l-ta’deel have left behind, the vast majority of which is based on honesty and fairness, so it is unfair to overlook that because of a few mistakes.

2 – Because the scholars highlighted these mistakes and pointed them out in their comments. Whatever the motive was, whether it was enmity, envy or a difference of madhhab, they would reject unfair judgements and would issue fair judgements concerning a specific narrator.

Hence none of the scholars accepted the view of Imam Maalik concerning Muhammad ibn Ishaaq, the author of al-Maghaazi, that he was one of the fabricators, when they realized that this statement was based on resentment and personal reasons; rather they judged him as “hasan al-hadeeth” (i.e., a good narrator) and the leading scholars of hadeeth used his reports as evidence. And they did not accept the view of al-Nasaa’i concerning Ahmad ibn Saalih al-Masri, or the view of Rabee’ah concerning Abu’l-Zinnaad ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Dhakwaan. See: al-Raf’ wa’l-Takmeel (409-432).

Abu Haatim al-Raazi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There has never been in any nation since Allaah created Adam safekeepers who preserve the legacy of the Messengers, except in this ummah. A man said to him: O Abu Haatim, perhaps there were narrations which have no basis and are not sound? He said: Their scholars will recognize the sound from the unsound. So they preserved this science (of hadeeth) so that the people who came after them were able to distinguish between reports and preserve them. Then he said: May Allaah have mercy on Abu Zur’ah; by Allaah he strove very hard to preserve the legacy of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Sharaf Ashaab al-Hadeeth (43).

You should understand that Allaah has preserved this religion by His grace and blessing, and that the Sunnah has been preserved as Allaah guaranteed to preserve His religion. [See the answer to question no. 77423.] So it is not possible for the scholars to unanimously agree to authenticate a weak narrator or to criticize or condemn a sound narrator. Rather you will inevitably find that truthfulness and fairness are very apparent in the views of the majority of scholars and in most issues of religion.

Imam al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mooqizah (84):

The same imam may be more generous or more kind with regard to a report that is in accordance with his madhhab or the madhhab of his Shaykh than with regard to other reports that say the opposite. But it is only the Prophets who are infallible.

But this religion is supported and protected by Allaah, may He be exalted, and its scholars will never agree on misguidance, either deliberately or by mistake. So no two scholars will agree on classing a weak narrator as sound, or on classing a sound narrator as weak; rather their differences will be with regard to how strong or weak a narrator is. The one who passes such judgements speaks on the basis of his own effort, strength and knowledge. If it so happens that he makes a mistake in judging, then he will have a single reward. And Allaah is the source of strength. End quote.

Ibn Katheer said in al-Baa’ith al-Hatheeth (1/11):

As for the words of these imams who took on this task (of examining hadeeth), they should be accepted without questioning or mentioning the reason, because of their knowledge of it and their deep understanding of this field, and because of their being known to be fair, religiously committed, experienced and sincere, especially if they agree unanimously that a narrator is weak, or matrook (to be ignored) or a liar and so on. The skilled muhaddith will not hesitate to agree with them when they take a decision of that nature because of their honesty, trustworthiness and sincerity. Hence al-Shaafa’i said in many instances when commenting on ahaadeeth: “None of the scholars would regard this hadeeth as sound,” so he would reject it and not quote it as evidence on that basis. End quote.

With regard to what you referred to about the words of Shaykh al-Mawdoodi – may Allaah forgive him – in the book of his that you mentioned: even though Shaykh al-Mawdoodi was one of the pioneers of da’wah in the Indian subcontinent, and he confronted many deviant ideas and made great efforts in da’wah and writing, nevertheless, like any other human being, he was not infallible and free from error, especially when he spoke about things that he was not qualified to discuss and that were not his specialty, as is the case with the matter referred to in the question. The Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) made many mistakes with regard to his views on the Sunnah and the method of the scholars of hadeeth with regard to judging and distinguishing between ahaadeeth. We do not have enough space here to mention them and refer to them. Many specialized scholars have pointed this out, including the great Pakistani scholar Muhammad Ismaa’eel al-Salafi (may Allaah have mercy on him) who died in 1387 AH. He wrote an important study entitled Mawqif al-Jamaa’at al-Islamiyyah min al-Hadeeth al-Nabawi (attitude of the Jama’at-e-Islami towards the Prophet’s hadeeth). See also – in Arabic – Zawaabi’ fi Wajh al-Sunnah by Salaah al-Deen Maqbool Ahmad (p. 117 ff).

Finally, you should be content with the blessing that Allaah has bestowed upon this ummah by means of this noble branch of knowledge, and do not get carried away with doubts about the saheeh ahaadeeth. Reason dictates that we should not reject the efforts of thousands of sincere scholars throughout the centuries on the basis of a few mistakes here and there. I think that what you have on your mind is no more than whispers from the shaytaan, so seek refuge with Allaah from them, and do not pay any attention to them. Strive to read books about the science of hadeeth, and I am sure that you will be astonished by the huge efforts that were made to authenticate a single hadeeth. This is what is believed by everyone who studies the books of hadeeth and the sciences of hadeeth and biographies of narrators. Even the Orientalist Margoliouth said: The Muslims may boast about their science of hadeeth.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Bab: Ucapan "Andaikata"

Dan Allah Ta'ala berfirman:

يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا

"Mereka (orang-orang munafiq) berkata, 'Sekiranya ada bagi kita barang sesuatu (hak campur tangan) dalam urusan ini, niscaya kita tiak akan dibunuh (dikalahkan) di sini." (QS. Aali 'Imraan (3): 154)

Dan firman-Nya:

الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا

"Orang-orang yang mengatakan kepada saudara-saudaranya dan mereka tidak turut pergi berperang, "Andaikata (sekiranya) mereka mengikuti kita, tentulah mereka tidak terbunuh.' " (QS. Aali 'Imraan (3): 168)

Diriwayatkan di dalam Shahih Muslim dari Abu Hurairah radhiyAllaahu 'anh bahawa Rasulullah shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda,

"Bersungguh-sungguhlah dalam mencari apa yang bermanfaat bagimu dan mintalah pertolongan kepada Allah serta jangan sekali-kali kamu bersikap lemah. Apabila kamu ditimpa suatu kegagalan, janganlah kamu mengatakan, 'Seandainya aku berbuat demikian dan demikian', akan tetapi, ucapkanlah, 'QaddarAllaahu maa syaa-a fa'al' (Allah telah mentakdirkan hal ini dan segala yang dikehendaki-Nya pasti terjadi). Sesungguhnya ucapan 'Seandainya' akan membuka (pintu) perbuatan syaitan."


KANDUNGAN BAB

1. Tafsir surah Aali 'Imraan ayat 154 dan ayat 168. [1]
2. Larangan yang sangat tegas untuk mengucapkan "Seandainya" tatkala ditimpa musibah.
3. Alasan larangan tersebut adalah hal itu akan membuka celah syaitan untuk bersaksi.
4. Rasulullah shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam menjelaskan ucapan yang baik (ketika ditimpa musibah, pent.)
5. Perintah untuk bersungguh dalam mencari sesuatu yang bermanfaat dan memohon pertolongan kepada Allah.
6. Larangan untuk bersikap lemah yang kontradiktif dengan perintah tadi.

[Diadaptasi dari Kitab Tauhid: Memurnikan La ilaha illAllah oleh Syeikh Muhammad bin 'Abdul Wahhab, terbitan Media Hidayah (Indonesia) dengan rujukan kepada kitab Fathul Majid: Penjelasan Kitab Tauhid (Edisi Revisi) oleh Syaikh Abdurrahman Hasan Alu Syaikh, terbitan Pustaka Azzam.]


Tukilan dari kitab Fathul Majid:

Ini (Surah Aali 'Imraan (3): 154) adalah perkataan sebahagian kaum munafiq pada perang Uhud kerana mereka takut, khawatir dan lemah.

Ibnu Ishaq berkata, "Yahya bin Abbad bin Abdullah bin Zubair bercerita kepadaku dari ayahnya dari Abdullah bin Zubair." Ia mengatakan, bahawa Zubair berkata, "Sungguh aku mendapati diriku bersama Rasulullah shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam ketika rasa takut telah menimpa kami dengan amat sangat. Allah mengirimkan tidur kepada kami, tidak seorang pun dari kami melainkan dagunya berada di dadanya. Ia berkata, 'Maka demi Allah sungguh aku mendengan ucapan Mu'attib bin Qusyair, aku tidak mendengarnya melainkan bagaikan mimpi.' Ia berkata, 'Andaikata kita memiliki sesuatu (hak campur tangan) dalam urusan ini, nescaya (kita tidak akan terkalahkan dan) tidak akan ada yang terbunuh di antara kita di sini.'

Lalu aku menghafal perkataan darinya, dan pada saat itu Allah Azza wa Jalla menurunkan, 'Mereka (orang-orang munafiq) mengatakan: Andaikata kita memiliki sesuatu (hak campur tangan) dalam urusan ini, nescaya (kita tidak akan terkalahkan dan) tidak akan ada yang terbunuh di antara kita di sini.' Hal itu disebabkan pernyataan Mu'attib tersebut." (HR. Ibnu Abi Hakim)


Tukilan dari kitab Fathul Majid:

(Sesungguhnya ucapan "seandainya" akan membuka (pintu) perbuatan syaitan.) Maksudnya kerana perkataan itu mengandung kekecewaan terhadap apa yang telah berlalu, penyesalan dan cacian terhadap taqdir, dan itu bererti suatu sikap yang menafikan sikap sabar dan ridha. Sabar adalah wajib dan iman kepada taqdir adalah wajib, Allah Ta'ala berfirman, "Tiada suatu bencana pun yang menimpa di bumi dan (tidak pula) pada dirimu sendiri melainkan telah tertulis di dalam Kitab (Lauh Mahfuzh) sebelum Kami menciptakannya. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu adalah mudah bagi Allah. (Kami jelaskan yang demikian itu) supaya kamu jangan berduka cita terhadap apa yang luput dari kamu, dan supaya kamu tidak terlalu gembira terhadap apa yang diberikan-Nya kepadamu. Dan Allah tidak menyukai orang-orang yang sombong lagi membanggakan diri." (QS. Al-Hadiid (57): 22-23)

Amirul Mukmimin 'Ali bin Abu Thalib radhiyAllaahu 'anh mengatakan, "Kedudukan sabar dalam iman bagaikan kedudukan kepala dari jasadnya." Imam Ahmad berkata, "Allah menyebutkan sabar dalam 90 tempat di dalam Al-Qur'an."

Syaikhul Islam (Ibnu Taimiyyah) rahimahullaah berkata ketika menuturkan hadits ini selengkapnya, "Janganlah sekali-kali kamu bersikap lemah dalam menjalankan perintah dan janganlah kamu mengeluh dalam menerima taqdir. Di antara oran-orang ada yang melakukan kedua keburukan ini, maka Nabi shallAllaahu 'alaihi wa sallam menyuruh supaya bersungguh-sungguh dalam melakukan sesuatu yang bermanfaat dan memohon pertolongan kepada Alla. Kata perintah menunjukkan kewajiban. Kalau tidak menunjukkan kewajiban, bererti dianjurkan. Beliau melarang bersikap lemah dengan sabdanya, 'Sesunggunya Allah mencela bersikap lemah.'

Orang yang lemah adalah kebalikan dari orang-orang yang suka memberikan pertolongan, maka perintah bersikap sabar dan larangan dari bersikap lemah adalah sesuatu yang diperintah di dalam banyak tempat (Al-Qur'an dan Hadits), kerana manusia pada dasarnya berada di antara dua perkara: perkara yang diperintah untuk melaksanakan, maka ia harus bersungguh-sungguh dalam melaksanakannya dan memohon pertolongan kepada Allah dan tidak bersikap lemah. Kemudian, perkara yang menimpa dirinya tanpa usaha darinya, maka ia harus bersabar dan tidak mengeluh darinya.


[Diadaptasi dari kitab Fathul Majid: Penjelasan Kitab Tauhid (edisi revisi) oleh Syaikh 'Abdurrahman Hasan Alu Syaikh, terbitan Pustaka Azzam (Indonesia).]

Surat Terbuka: Penting Bagi Muis Awasi Pensyarah Luar

Surat berikut sebenarnya ditulis kepada Forum Berita Harian, namun atas sebab-sebab tertentu, ianya tidak diterbitkan. Maka, saya menerbitkannya di sini sebagai surat terbuka:

Merujuk kepada surat Saudara Sheikh Anwarul Mohd Shariff berkenaan perlunya Muis awasi pensyarah luar, saya turut mengongsi keprihatinan beliau, terutama sekali berkenaan seorang pensyarah yang diundang ke sini pada tahun 2004.

Pensyarah tersebut telah ditemu-ramah oleh akhbar Straits Times, di mana beliau mengecam para ulama Haramain (Makkah dan Madinah).

Ianya amat dikesalkan dan menimbul kekhuatiran kerana terdapat beberapa kenalan yang turut mengecam ulama Haramain berdasarkan temu-ramah tersebut. Tidak mustahil jika ada pihak atau kumpulan tertentu yang bertindak serupa dalam mengecam mahupun memperkecilkan ulama Haramain.

Yang lebih mengkhuatirkan, pensyarah tersebut terkenal sebagai salah seorang pemimpin Tariqah Naqsyabandi sedunia.

Merujuk kepada laman web Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) pada segmen fatwa (www.e-fatwa.gov.my), terdapat 6 fatwa berkenaan tariqah tersebut dari pelbagai negeri di Malaysia, yang rata-rata mengharamkan tariqah tersebut dan menggesa setiap pengamalnya bertaubat.

Tariqah tersebut diharamkan kerana didapati bertentangan dengan aqidah Ahli Sunnah wal Jamaah dan ajaran Islam, antaranya mengajarkan fahaman Wahdatul Wujud.

Justeru, adalah membimbangkan apabila pensyarah tersebut diundang untuk berceramah di sini, apatah lagi terdapat buku-buku tulisannya yang dijual oleh sebuah toko buku Islam di sini.

Maka, amatlah penting bagi Muis mengawasi pensyarah luar agar masyarakat Islam Singapura terpelihara dari fahaman yang bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam.

Masih terdapat pelbagai salah tanggapan di dalam masyarakat berkenaan ulama Haramain, antaranya mereka berfahaman Wahhabi dan mengajarkan sikap radikal dan pengganas.

Kita telah pun berpeluang mengundang dua orang alim dari Al-Azhar untuk berceramah di sini, yakni Sheikh Dr Sayyid at-Tantawi dan Sheikh Sa’ad al-Gawwish, yang mana saya berpeluang mengambil manfaat dari ceramah mereka.

Mungkin kini tiba masanya kita mengundang seorang pensyarah Haramain (Arab Saudi) pula, bertujuan untuk meluaskan minda serta menghapuskan salah tanggapan mengenai ulama Haramain.

Antara yang mungkin boleh saya sarankan ialah Sheikh Dr. Salih bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, seorang anggota tetap Majlis Fatwa, anggota Majlis Ulama Besar dan pelbagai kedudukan lagi. Ataupun salah seorang imam Masjidil Haram seperti Sheikh Abdur Rahman as-Sudais dan Sheikh Su’ud al-Shuraim.