Author: Faraz Abdul Moid

Chicago, IL

“Shari`ah and Tariqah: Inseparable and Indivisible” by Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi – Available for Download

Faraz Abdul Moid1 Comment

asSalaamu Alaikum,

Shari`ah and Tariqah: Inseparable and Indivisible – by Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi

 

The author writes,

“During my student years when I was studying Mishkat Sharif, I read the famous hadith of Jibrael. He came to the Blessed Prophet (S) to teach the Ummah the basics of Deen. After Iman and Islam we read:

ما الاحسان قال أن تعبدوا الله كانك تراه

‘What is Ihsan?’

The Blessed Prophet (S)  replied, ‘To worship Allah I as if you see him.’

Ihsan is also known as tariqat, tasawwuf, and suluk, all of which are embodied in thedefinition of ihsan. Then, as I continued studying different books of ahadith, the inseparable nature of Shari’ah and tariqat became so strong in my heart that if I heard anything against it, I considered it ignorance and indifference towards the subject. Likewise, if I ever heard anything against the pureand pristine Shari’ah, which is derived from the Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Blessed Prophet (S) which is the most authoritative exposition of the Qur’an, and then fiqh which is the pith of both the Qur’an and Sunnah, I disregarded it and thought it unworthy of my time.”

“Imam Ahl al-Sunnah Mawlana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar” by Shaykh Badrul Islam – Available for Download

Faraz Abdul Moid1 Comment

asSalaamu Alaikum,

Imam Ahl al-Sunnah Mawlana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar – by Shaykh Badrul Islam

Foreword

My first acquaintance with Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar sahib (may Allah sanctify his soul) was when Hadrat had come to the UK to attend a conference as the chief guest and also visited Leicester during that trip. It was the sheer grace of Allah that Hadrat’s host called me and requested that I should make all necessary arrangements whilst Hadrat was in Leicester. I took this opportunity as an honour for myself and made arrangements for his stay at my late father’s residence.

This was my first meeting with the honourable Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar sahib and thereafter my love and respect for this luminary only increased as I continuously learnt of his academic status through his works, publications and other leading luminaries.

The honourable Hadrat has been amongst those great scholars from whom I have longed to seek ijazah in hadith, but have been unfortunate and this grief and sorrow will always remain with me. Mawlana Badrul Islam sahib, who has authored this short biography, is a graduate of Jamiʿah Dar al-ʿUlum at Karachi and a murid of the honourable Hadrat. Mawlana is a young academic ʿalim who has much love for our pious predecessors and elders and also has much love and respect for me. Due to this love, after the honourable Hadrat’s demise, I requested Mawlana to write an article for our monthly Magazine, Riyadul Jannah, which would concisely highlight the life of the honourable Hadrat.

It has always been my endeavour and desire that the biographies of the eminent ʿulama of the Indian subcontinent be written in English for the benefit of the English speaking masses who would otherwise be unable to realise the lofty status of these eminent scholars directly from their Urdu and Arabic works. I was pleased that Mawlana took up this request and now this short article has taken the form of a very informative yet concise booklet.

My knowledge and vision of the honourable Hadrat was that of an Islamic academic and a man of spirituality and piety. Despite having only one occasion of meeting him, my admiration and respect for the honourable Hadrat ever remained. Nevertheless, having read this book, many other aspects of the honourable Hadrat have now come to light and the sorrow of not having the opportunity of benefiting from his company only remains.

I pray that Allah Most High accepts this endeavour of Mawlana Badrul Islam sahib, makes it beneficial for the readers and a means of salvation for him and grants the honourable Hadrat a place in the Aʿla ʿIlliyyin. Amin.

Muhammad Saleem Dhorat[1]
Islamic Daʿwah Academy
Leicester, UK.

  1. Khalifah of Shaykh Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhyanwi Shahid; founder and Shaykh al-Hadith, Jamiʿah Riyad al-ʿUlum; founder, Islamic Daʿwah Academy (Leicester, England); editor, Riyadul Jannah Magazine. [↩]

Courtesy of Deoband.org

“Legal Rulings on Slaughtered Animals” by Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani – Available for Download

Faraz Abdul Moid1 Comment

asSalaamu Alaikum,

This is a translation of Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (db)’s book أحكام الذبائح which was originally written in Arabic. A translation of this work, entitled The Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter, was completed by Hafiz Amir A. Toft (may Allah reward him) and published by White Thread Press. An earlier translation entitled Legal Rulings on Slaughtered Animals was completed by Shaykh Abdullah Nana (may Allah reward him) and is available below for download:

Legal Rulings on Slaughtered Animals – by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

 

Ma’ariful Qur’an in an Easy-to-Navigate Online Format

Faraz Abdul Moid7 Comments

asSalaamu Alaikum,

Ma’ariful Qur’an is the acclaimed Tafseer written by Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani (ra).

Many of you may already be familiar with the online scans of this Tafseer (English version & original Urdu). The latter website also has partial audio recordings of Ma’ariful Qur’an in English and the complete audio recording in Urdu.

For English readers, Ma’ariful Qur’an is also available at the following site in a format that is much easier to navigate and read, with a scroll-down option on the left:

Ma’āriful Qur’an – easy to navigate format

Another upload of Ma’āriful Qur’an (although incomplete) in html format: Ma’āriful Qur’an html

“The Differences of the Imams” by Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi – Available for download

Faraz Abdul Moid4 Comments

asSalaamu Alaikum,

The Differences of the Imams – by Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi

From the Introduction:

All praise is due to Allah and peace and salutations upon the Messenger Muhammad (S).

For some time now people have been occupied with the question that, since the Imams (of various schools) have established everything from the sayings and practices of the Messenger of Allah (S), why are there differences of opinion among them? The numerous sessions of debates and the excessive number of publications on the issues of controversy have rendered the problem even more menacing. The issue has reached such dire proportions that those who object (to why the Imams have differed) have split into two groups. The first group is haplessly trapped in their evil thoughts of the Imams, so much so that even if they wish to disentangle themselves from this vicious web just out of good thought for the Imams, they are unable to free themselves from this trap because they are further ensnared by the apparent disparity between the sayings of the Imams and some of the clear source texts.

The second group, on the other hand, has gone even further and, let alone the Imams, they have started harboring insolent thoughts about the Messenger of Allah (S) himself; simply because of the apparently contradictory hadiths transmitted from him. However, the fault lies in referring to (English or) Urdu translations of the hadiths, because in order to get a clear picture of the meaning, one has to posses the intellectual capacity to comprehend the hadiths together with a proper understanding of the background and the prelude of the hadiths. In the absence of these prerequisites, the mere translation of the hadiths is bound to lead to objections and misgivings.

The repercussions of these differences have reached such proportions that people have split up into various sects grappling and contending with one another. The wudu’ of one group is considered invalid by the other while the salat of one group is considered void by the other, and so forth. In zakat, sawm, hajj and virtually every other act of worship [‘ibada] as well, there is inevitably some difference or other which has led to people debating with one another.

Therefore, it has become necessary to expose the basis of the differences (of opinion) found among the Imams. The reasons for these differences, dating back to the first epoch of Islam, will be expounded upon to demonstrate that the apparently contradictory texts of the hadiths leave no scope for doubting the Messenger of Allah (S), nor do they give anyone the right to cast aspersions on the Companions [sahaba], the Followers [tabi’in] or the Imams (may Allah have mercy on them). The fact is that all the Imams [mujtahidin] were leaders of the correct path and they encouraged and guided the masses toward the correct path as well. Any slanderous remark cast against them is a sure sign of the deprivation of Allah’s mercy.

May Allah protect us. Amin.