The danger of reading Prophetic ḥadīths without the discipline of takhrīj
Oxford Query Recently a colleague sent me a written request for comments on, and response to, the discussion of a particular ḥadīth narrated through Imām al-Awzāʿī (d. 774). In that discussion, a respected preacher-scholar who enjoys a large influence through social...
Wiping Over Socks: A Brief Overview
Introduction Among the everyday matters of Islamic jurisprudence is whether one may wipe over cloth socks (masah ‘ala al-jawrabayn) during ablution (wudu). While many classical scholars permit wiping over leather socks (khuffain), questions often arise regarding...
ASI Graduation 2024
Al-Salam Institute (ASI) celebrated its esteemed graduation ceremony for the academic year 2023-24. Held at the Islamic Foundation in Leicestershire during the ASI Winter Retreat, the event was a momentous occasion, bringing together students, faculty, and honoured guests.
Muqaddimah of ibn al-Salah
Kitab Ma’rifat anwa’ Ilm al-Hadith, better known as the Muqaddimah of Ibn al-Salah, is a well-known intermediate level text on the science of Usul al-hadith. For students familiar with the Arabic language and have covered beginners texts in hadith methodology, this...
Modern science seeks power, not wisdom
Narrow Focus on Causes and Effects Modern science is dedicated to explaining events and processes in the natural world, most of the time by means of some degree of mastery of the chain of the causes and effects that lead to specific events and processes. The problem...
Balancing General Principles and Specific Rulings in Islamic Law
Over-Defining a Concept Through Inference Many scholars infer from instances of Qur’anic or Prophetic ruling what they think is the common or universal principle which governs these rulings. For example, the notion that ‘the state of woman is covering’ is derived from...
Reflections on How Muslims Disagree, Dispute, and Divide
Having a debate with someone you disagree with and having a conversation with them are not the same thing. People perhaps think that a debate is just the same as a conversation with the addition of a few rules and procedures. For example, whereas
Questions about the Dictionary of women scholars
The two questions put to me since the publication of the full Dictionary are:1- Among the entries in the book, how many women are narrators of hadith and how many are scholars of hadith, muhaddithat? Why are they not distinguished?2- What is the total number of women narrators and scholars of hadith?