Chapter One of Imam Ibn al-Qayyim’s book explaining the Qur’anic oaths. Any volunteers for translating the rest of the book? 😉
Oaths of the Qur’an
June 7, 2009PAPER MONEY
June 7, 2009PAPER MONEY – Islamic Legal Analysis
Selected excerpts translated from the book, which is a discussion & analysis by Sheikh Abdullah b. Sulayman b. Mani’, now a member of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars (Lajnah Kibar al-‘Ulama’) of Saudi Arabia. The version I’ve used is the author’s original Master’s thesis – this was later expanded into a bigger book.
With the current chaos in the financial markets, it is especially urgent in our times to re-evaluate our financial, monetary and banking systems. A critique of fiat money, token money, paper money and electronic money is long overdue. This text may be helpful in providing Islamic viewpoints to the discussion. Other resources I recommend are The Creature from Jekyll Island by Edward Griffin (a gripping read!), Tarek el-Diwany’s The Problem with Interest and his website Islamic Finance (www.islamic-finance.com), and the cartoon film Money as Debt.
Know Thyself!
June 7, 2009Socrates taught, “Know thyself!” and similar teachings are found in the Old and New Testaments, and undoubtedly in other faith traditions. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is reported to have taught, “Whoever knows himself knows his Lord.” The following analyses of this hadith by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah of Syria (d. 728 H) and Imam Suyuti of Egypt (d. 911 H) would suggest that although the hadith is questionable in its authenticity, its meaning is undoubtedly correct for it is implied in the Koran. Furthermore, the early Salaf and Sufis were in no doubt that it is a central teaching of Islam.
Were it not for you, O Muhammad, I would not have created the universe!
June 7, 2009Interesting explanation of the idea of the “Muhammadan reality” (al-haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah) from Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 H)!
In the mysticism of other faith traditions, the roles of Moses, Christ, Buddha, etc. correspond to the Muhammadan role here.
Poetry of Imam al-Shafi’i
June 7, 2009A handful of poems from his famous and widely-available Diwan (Collection of Poems) …
Imam al-Shafi’i (150-202) was born in Mecca or Gaza, grew up in Mecca where he memorised the Koran and mastered Arabic and archery, all as a child. He obtained a copy of the Muwatta’ of Imam Malik (93-179) from Medina and memorised it all (about 2,000 hadiths) in nine days flat. He then went to Medina and became Imam Malik’s leading student. He later studied with students of Imam Abu Hanifah (80-150) in Iraq and founded his own methodology in Hadith and Law. His school of law later became one of the four main schools (madhhabs) of Sunni Islam. He died and is buried in Fustat (in the suburbs of modern Cairo).
A master of the Qur’an, Arabic, Hadith and Law, he was also expert in archery, rhetoric and poetry.
Here are some of his poems: Poetry of Imam Shafii – 1
More here from another source: Poetry of Imam al-Shafi’i – 2
Holding Fast to the Way of the Prophet – Imam Shatibi
June 7, 2009Imam Shatibi’s introduction to Al-I’tisam, his magnificent work on Sunnah and Bid’ah or the importance of holding fast to the authentic way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in order to attain optimum spirituality and not corrupting it with practices that become an obstacle to true spirituality. The book includes a powerful refutation of Imam ‘Izz al-Din b. ‘Abd al-Salam’s categorisation of bid’ah into the five categories of wajib, mandub, mubah, makruh and haram. Al-I’tisam deserves a good translation – any volunteers?
Imam Shatibi – Introduction to the Book of Holding Fast to the Way of the Prophet
TALES OF THE WISE
June 7, 2009A handful of lovely stories from Kitab al-Adhkiya’ by Imam Ibn al-Jawzi of Baghdad. “The Learned Robber” at the end is hilarious!
Fatwas for and against mortgages for buying homes
June 7, 2009The ECFR’s fatwa on mortgages for home-purchasing with Dr. Salah al-Sawi’s detailed response. Includes analysis of classical fiqh and usul including Hanafi positions on riba in Dar al-Harb (“the Abode of War”), and Imam al-Haramayn Juwayni’s text al-Ghiyathiyyah.
The Clear Arabic Grammar (al-Nahw al-Wadih)
June 7, 2009I studied this wonderful text with my father, who studied it with his father. The text has six parts in all: three each at primary and secondary levels. Here is a translation of all the examples and grammatical rules from Part 1 of the primary section. It may be of use to teachers and students of basic Arabic grammar.
UNITY 