Indian Triple Talaq Bill
People have called and written to me to report that Muslims in India are very angry and, at the same time, very anxious, that the so-called “triple talaq” bill has been passed by both houses of the parliament, and the President has given assent to it.
The Standing on the Plain of Arafah
Translated by Dr. Abu ZaydStanding in ʿArafah is ṣalāh just as ṭawāf is ṣalāh, for Ḥajj combines all forms of ṣalāh together.Ṣalāh essentially signifies entry into the presence of God. When an ordinary person comes before a powerful king into his majesty’s...
Maqasid of Shari’ah
Today I will be talking about the maqasid of the Shari’ah. My main focus will be the argumentation, the reasoning, of great jurists of the early period. I will try to give the reasons, partly philosophical and partly historical, for the differences on this issue…
The True Meaning of Ṣaḥīḥ
They asked: What is the true meaning of the ṣaḥīḥ (sound) ḥadīth? I replied: Experts of this discipline have used it for a variety of meanings, all of which have in common the reliability or verification of a report’s attribution to its source.
From the Sirah of the Prophet ﷺ – The Messenger as a Teacher
قالوا: حدِّثنا عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم معلِّما. قلت: قد حالفكم التوفيق في سؤالكم هذا نامًّا عن صفاء طبائعكم وطهارة سرائركم، فما أجهل الناس به صلى الله عليه وسلم معلِّمًا! تدنى مستواهم وهبط هبوطا، وفسد عقلهم واختل تفكيرهم أيما اختلال
The Length and Number of Units of Prayer
They asked: What are the obligatory and sunnah prayers (ṣalāh), and what is the number of their units (rakʿahs)? I replied: I have mentioned to you in a previous article that our prayers are scheduled…
Tarawīḥ Prayer is not Obligatory
They said: Some people before us have condemned in very severe terms those who don’t perform the Tarawīḥ prayer. I replied: This condemnation is extremism in the religion of God and strictness where it doesn’t belong…
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse, whether of women or men or children, cannot be prevented by law. At most, law agencies can punish abuse after it has happened and has done the terrible, lasting psychological and social damage that it does.