Question:

I was wondering if you could talk about how we should deal with hadiths (Prophetic traditions) that seem to be unfair towards women; for example, that the hellfire is full of women, a woman is deficient in intellect, etc. How are we supposed to understand and accept these kinds of statements when they seem to go against the equality of Islam? Couldn’t it be that some misogynistic ideas on the part of the narrators influenced the books of hadith like Bukhari, etc?

Answer:

Bismillah. In the name of God.

Dear Questioner,

As salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, May the Peace and Blessings of God be upon you,

I want to begin by thanking you for raising a very important issue. I ask Allah to make this exchange a means for us to gain a fuller and richer understanding of our faith, for our prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whenever Allah wants good for a person He grants him or her deep understanding of the religion.”¹

Coming across a hadith that may seem troubling to us or out of sync with the general principles of Islam is not out of the ordinary, nor is it limited to womens’ issues. There are a number of texts which, on first glance, can cause disconcertion, frustration, or other negative feelings in a person. How about the hadith that says, “I have been commanded to fight the people until they say ‘la ilaha illa Allah’”? Or that “999 out of 1000 people will enter the Fire”?

There are certain steps a person must take in order to engage with and understand these types of hadith properly. I would say that there are three key elements, like three puzzle pieces, that must be fitted together soundly for one to’see’ a completed, full and accurate picture of a hadith. These three components are the following:

1. Prophetic Words

First, we must determine the accuracy of what we are reading and verify that they are indeed the words of the Prophet ﷺ. You suggested that misogynistic feelings on the part of hadith narrators may have influenced books of authenticated hadith. I believe that even a cursory study of the field of hadith criticism would completely discount this idea.  Please note that by saying this I am not rejecting the idea that misogynistic attitudes did exist in the Muslim world (and still do); but that such attitudes would not have been able to penetrate into the authentication process of hadith, since it was such a nuanced and carefully crafted science. In addition, women played a significant role in hadith narration from its very inception.²

Frankly speaking, sometimes it is easier to have ourselves believe such ideas than to deal with texts that make us uncomfortable. Sometimes we perform our own version of an authentication process in our minds: if it’s something I deem is acceptable, then it’s authentic; while if it is not, then it’s definitely a weak text! I would say that to begin this journey, we must temporarily set aside our feelings and objections to come to an impartial conclusion about the authenticity of the text through reliable sources. If it is fabricated or questionable, then we obviously do not have to concern ourselves with it. If, however, the hadith is authentic, then we need to continue in this process to learn more about it, and understand how it fits into the framework of Islamic teachings.

The first piece of the puzzle, then, is making sure that we are dealing with true Prophetic words and not anything else. Once that is affixed in place, we can go on to the next step, which is discerning the meaning of those words.

2. Context and Meaning

There are a number of things we have to take into consideration in order to understand the meanings and implications of a hadith properly. First is the specific situational context in which the hadith was said. Just as the science of Asbab an-Nuzul³ is extremely important for those seeking to understand the Quran, understanding when, why, and to whom the Prophet ﷺ made a particular statement can grants us great insight into a hadith.

Next, we should seek to understand the text in light of other hadiths on the same issue. The scholars who specialize in determining the underlying principles of Islamic law [the usuliyun] employ a process called istiqraa: Instead of focusing on one specific text, they survey all of the texts on a particular topic and draw conclusions by seeing how they relate to one another and their shared themes and lessons. We need to take on a similar method when studying a hadith before extrapolating from it or making generalizations. We must also look to what the fuqaha [jurisprudential scholars] say about the text’s proper application and the rulings that are derived from it.

Lastly, we should consider the hadith from the perspective of the sunnah as a whole. I’ve heard one of my teachers liken a hadith to a snapshot: something said or done at a specific time in a specific place, while the sunnah is a more comprehensive, holistic understanding of what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught and his message. Another analogy would be like taking a four hundred-page novel, ripping out a random page and reading it, and seeking to understand the plot line or the characters from that portion alone. Obviously, the one who does so may very easily come to the wrong conclusions. It is for this reason that we have to place the specific hadith that we are discussing in the greater framework of the sunnah.

We can see that proper analysis and study of a hadith has some complexity and requires some expertise in order to be undertaken properly. This is where sitting with people of knowledge, asking of them and learning from them, plays an important role in guiding and perfecting our understanding.

3. Spiritual Openness

The last piece of the puzzle – and I would argue in some ways the most important – has less to do with the actual content of the hadith in question and more to do with you and I as the reader. If we liken the hadith itself to a sharpened arrow, and its proper conception to a tightened bow, then the spiritual and intellectual attitude with which we approach the hadith would be the fineness of the archer’s eye. Even if the bow and arrow are sound, without proper vision and clarity of sight the mark will never be reached. In the same way, our mindset when we study a hadith is very significant and can alter whether we reach our ‘mark’ (proper understanding) or not.

A critical part of this mindset is considering the hadith and pondering over it with a spirit of introspection, honesty with one’s self, and soul-searching. Instead of immediately concerning ourselves with how others may perceive a particular hadith, misinterpret it, or use it to their advancement (which are certainly valid concerns), we should begin by considering how this hadith is relevant to me as an individual, my actions, and my way of thinking. In other words, my concern should be inwardly directed before it is outwardly manifested.

Another aspect of the correct spiritual approach is being cautious with rejection.  Sometimes the accusations that are leveled at hadiths and hadith narrators are based on an individual’s internal state and feelings, more so than on any research or ostensible evidence. I am in no way saying that one must eradicate genuine feelings and natural concerns that may arise when reading such hadith; but that our attitude should be one of seeking to learn more, to clarify and to understand, instead of immediately seeking a way to dismiss the hadith in question, which often includes dismantling the entire science of hadith studies. We live in an age where we are encouraged to quickly formulate opinions and draw conclusions, whereas I would say that there is nothing wrong with simply saying, when it comes to an authentic hadith that may trouble us, “I don’t know,” or “I am still learning.” Some of the scholars of old have said that, “Saying ‘I don’t know’ is half of knowledge,” and it is certainly a safer and more precautionary position to take.

As a final point of advice, we should always seek to have a good opinion of our Lord, as the Most Just, the Most Wise, and the Most Loving and Kind to His creatures, who never does injustice to anyone and who rewards those who do good and have faith, men and women, according to the best of their actions.⁴ Islam is His religion and it is a religion of fairness, balance, mercy, and justice – its teachings a reflection of His noble attributes. And it was Allah Most High who chose the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for His message. As Muslims we know that Muhammad ﷺ was educated, developed, and beautified in the Divine school of prophethood, guided by the Divine in every aspect of his life, until he was, as the Quran testifies, “certainly upon the most exalted standard of character.”⁵ He ﷺ was the embodiment of the most beautiful of qualities in his manner with people, his personality, and in his truthful and faithful conveying of the teachings of our religion. The spiritual openness I was referring to also means that when we inquire about these ahadith, we do so with full recognition of who the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was, what he was teaching, and not let that inquiry become an obstacle in the loving and reverential relationship we should have with him and with the Divine.

I would also urge anyone who is having these types of concerns about hadith to commit themselves to reading and studying the seerah.⁶ The Prophet ﷺ was someone who, the more the men and women around him got to know him, the more they increased in love and awe for him and for his teachings. As the poet⁷ said in his praise:

(He) is like the sun that appears to the eyes from a distance

Seemingly small and insignificant – but dazzling to the eye when studied.

We owe it to our beloved Messenger ﷺ to seek to find the beauty and meaning in his words, which may not be perceived from a distance, but only when studied close at hand.

May Allah Most High make us people who sincerely strive to make our fractured understanding whole and complete, piece by piece, through His guidance and assistance, until our vision is sound and our aim is sure, and we are among those who know Him and know His religion. May He make us people of deep knowledge, insight, and wisdom, and who, through our spiritual and intellectual endeavors, reach His Nearness and Proximity.  Ameen.

For Further Study

On Hadith:

• Al-Muhaddithat: the Women Scholars of Islam by Dr. Akram Nadwi
• Studies in Hadith Methodology & Literature by M. M. Azami
• A Textbook of Hadith Studies: Authenticity, Compilation, Classification and Criticism of Hadith by Mohammad Hashim Kamali
• On the Science of Hadith Criticism (CD Set) by Dr. Mokhtar Magharoui

On Seerah:

• Muhammad: Man and Prophet by Adil Salahi
• In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Dr. Tariq Ramadan
• Muhammad: Messenger of Allah (Ash-Shifa of Qadi Iyad) translated by Aisha Bewley

By Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi

www.CambridgeIslamicCollege.org

This Ramadan I had the good fortune to be able to do the retreat in the last 10 days of the month. Throughout those days I recited the Qur’an and reflected on it and many things came to my mind fresh. For example, I read that God will reward a good deed 10 times over or more than that. As for a bad deed, there is only a single punishment the equivalent of that deed. But then when I read more closely, I noticed that God has said that with that punishment there is humiliation (ذلة). At once I understood why there is no need for God to punish a bad deed with more than its equivalent — the sinner is punished in the conscience of his failure to have avoided that bad deed and done some good instead. I also understood afresh the reality that this Qur’an is indeed the word of the One who created man’s nature, who knows the inside and the outside of it, who knows the good it can do and enables that good, and who teaches and guides us on the straight path. There is no sin that does not become a means of good through repentance and seeking forgiveness. And God is ever ready to forgive. In retrospect therefore, but only in retrospect, a sin is itself a good thing if and when, but only if and when, it leads to the virtue of repentance. The Creator is the all-Merciful, and His guidance through the Qur’an and through the teaching of His Messenger is a mercy also.

That being the case, when we turn to the Qur’an and to the teaching of God’s Messenger, we should do so confident that the guidance we find therein is sufficient for us to live our lives in the way that produces good for ourselves and for our communities, here and now, and over the long term, meaning in what we leave behind for the next generations and what we carry forward to the judgment in the hereafter. The Qur’an and the teaching of God’s Messenger are not obstacles, they are not hindrances that we must use our clever wits to find a way around. Our clever wits and our energies are not to be used for that sort of “interpretation.” The Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic traditions) are not burdens that we must strive to throw off, or to lighten in ways that are not already envisaged in the Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic traditions). In the Qur’an and the teaching of God’s Messenger taken together there are both the general principles and the practical example we need to take good decisions in how we train our consciences and order our affairs. In other religious communities — to a limited extent also among the Shi`a (sect of Muslims) — the believers take to producing images and icons of their first-teacher as a way of focusing respect and reverence. In the mainstream Islamic tradition however, that energy was devoted, instead of building statues or painting icons, into collecting and transmitting a detailed record of what God’s Messenger said and did, what he approved and disapproved. The result of that effort is the great body of prophetic traditions which are the basis of the norms and rules that guide the life of the Muslim individual and the community. In my work on the women scholars of Islam, I have tried to record their dedication as students and teachers in preserving and transmitting that body of traditions. I have found that there is no difference in the degree of obligation, as between men and women, to study and teach that guidance. I have found that there is no difference in the degree of authority that men or women have as teachers of that guidance. I have found that there are very few if any limitations, either in principle or in practice, that distinguish between what men can do in the service of Islam and what women can do in the same service.

The Diploma in History of Female Scholarship in Islam has already begun but people can still sign up for the course. Recordings will be provided for all previously missed session. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.cambridgeislamiccollege.org/course/diploma-in-history-of-female-islamic-scholarship

It is true of every human institution that, over time, the reasons for the founding of that institution, and the energy that went into it, become obscured and weakened in many respects. This has certainly been true of the institutions related to the teaching of Islam. That is why the greatest of Islamic scholars have always emphasized, again and again, over and over, that we must check all derived judgments by reference to the sources. ‘By the sources’ is meant the textual sources of the Qur’an and the prophetic traditions, and to a lesser extent the historical record of the practice of the earliest generations of the Muslim community. Let me give you an example of what happens when, instead of checking with reference to the sources, we simply adhere to rules or habits we have inherited. During my retreat in Ramadan, which I did in my local mosque, sometimes men would come over to me and ask questions. One of the things I was asked was whether it was permissible for women to enter into retreat in a mosque. People became very disturbed, even annoyed, when I said that it was permissible. Some people insisted that it was not. Of course, that was not the time and place to get into an argument with anyone, and so I excused myself and asked to be permitted to return to my silence. However, there are very clear and authenticated traditions from `A’ishah, radiAllahu `anha (may God be pleased with her), and other Companions that confirm that, during the lifetime of God’s Messenger, women were not prevented from entering into retreat in the mosque. So, you see the importance and the necessity of turning to the sources, and therefore the importance and the necessity of preserving, transmitting and referring to the traditions of God’s Messenger.

The differences that there are, and perhaps there will always be, among Muslims can only be resolved in a peaceful way if, as the Qur’an itself clearly commands, we allow the issue in hand to be resolved by the arbitration of God’s Messenger and, in addition to that, we accept that arbitration without rancour, without resentment.

Now, in the time and place that we are living in, it sounds very agreeable to the dominant culture that Muslim women are allowed to do something that Muslim men are allowed to do. Okay. But what then, when the same body of prophetic traditions teaches us, with the same clarity, and the same certainty, that there are some things that men are allowed to do but women are not, and vice versa? That is when as Muslims we find out whether what we are striving to do is our own will, or God’s will. That is when we discover whether we truly believe that the judgment of God’s Messenger is better than our judgment. As a Muslim I believe, and as a scholar it is my duty to teach and explain, that the merciful Creator of mankind, of women as well as men, knows what is most appropriate for the well-being of mankind, of women as well as men. God sees the well-being of mankind from his absolute and universal perspective, so this human well-being encompasses not the momentary happiness of particular individuals but the well-being of their relationships with other people near them and far from them, with other people in their own time and in the future, with the rest of the natural world in their immediate and their future environment, and above all in their relationship with their Creator. So it is the case that when men (or women) settle on norms and rules and habits that are not soundly based on the guidance of God and His Messenger, for example by developing restrictions on what women can learn and what activities they can pursue, the natural potential of individuals and societies is damaged. But so also it is the case that when men (or women) say that they will just live the way that seems pleasant and right to them, with no regard whatever for any religious tradition, then also, alongside what seems pleasant and right, there will be profound and long-lasting damage to the natural potential of both individuals and societies. And I do not know, except in the hope of God’s mercy, how then we can recover from the social or environmental breakdowns that our lifestyles provoke, or how much harder it will then become even to see, let alone follow, the straight path to God’s forgiveness.

The great Muslim women that I have written about in the Muhaddithat were Muslims before and above anything else. I neither find it agreeable nor useful to think of them as a sort of feminists, engaged in some kind of social or political battle to win their rights against the abuse of those rights by men. Such abuses exist; injustices against women exist; they are a real fact of life in Muslim societies as in others, perhaps more so. And no doubt the battle for rights, for justice, must be engaged. But my work has not been, and is not, about that battle. It is primary a historical study of the role and authority of women in the Islamic tradition. This authority was shared with men, even if in terms of numbers, men dominated the field.

Mohammad Akram Nadwi

Cambridge Islamic College

Part I | Part II

As I became more advanced in my Arabic studies, I immersed myself in reading hadith (prophetic narrations) in the language spoken by our Messenger ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him). The more I read, the more I realized how many narrations we—as the English-speaking community—have never read or heard of before. I began to mark and translate these narrations, in hopes of reminding myself and sharing them with others.

Reading the words of the Prophet ﷺ is like hearing them from his blessed lips. I feel the weight of his words and I reflect on his wisdom. Each of God’s Prophets had a special gift, and one of the gifts of our Messenger was “jawami’ al-kalam,” concise speech. He ﷺ was able to say something with so much meaning in only a few words. His words still carry great meaning even after translation.

Unfortunately, it seems we have lost respect for hadith. We say, “The Prophet ﷺ said such-and-such,” yet his words do not impact us as they should. In order to gain this respect for hadith, we should remind ourselves of who it was who said these words. We should get in a mind-set of reverence and love for him while reading his words (may God’s peace and blessings be upon him).

Reading hadith also gives us a chance to spend time with our Messenger ﷺ. He is not here with us physically but his words and actions, by God’s Blessings, have been recorded for us by the scholars of the past. In a famous incident, the scholar ibn al-Mubarak was known to leave his study circle immediately after it was completed and go straight home alone. One day, his friends asked him, “Don’t you get lonely?” He replied, “How can I be lonely when I am spending time with the Messenger and His Companions?”

While there are many narrations that are not well-known in English, I have chosen a few that have impacted me. I hope that you benefit from them as I have (all narrations have been graded “authentic” or “good”.)

• “The believer is friendly and likeable* ((*Can also be translated as “loving and lovable”))  and there is no good in the one who is not friendly nor likeable, and the best of them are the most beneficial to the people.” (Sahih al-Jami)
• “When Allah wants good for His slave, He occupies him with work.” The Companions asked, “And how does He occupy him with work?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “He grants him the ability and opportunity to do righteous deeds before his death, then He takes his soul in that state.” (Ahmad)
• “When Allah wants good for His slave, He purifies him before his death.” The Companions asked, “And what is the purification for the slave?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Righteous deeds that Allah inspires to Him until he dies upon it.” (Tabarani)
• Abu ‘Inabah radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah wants good for His slave, He makes him pleasant* ((*The Arabic word literally means to make sweet, from the word for honey)) .” The Companions asked, “And what makes him pleasant?” He ﷺ said, “He opens the door of righteous deeds for him before his death, then He takes his soul in that state.” (Ahmad)
• “Indeed Shaytan (Satan) said, ‘My Lord, by Your Honor and Might! I will not stop misleading Your slaves as long as their souls remain in their bodies.’ So Allah (swt) responded, ‘By My Honor, Might and Majesty, I will not stop forgiving them as long as they seek My forgiveness.’” (Ahmad)
• “With Allah are the treasures of good and evil and their keys are men. So glad tidings for the one who Allah makes a key for good and a lock for evil. And destruction for the one who Allah makes a key for evil and a lock for good.” (Tabarani)
• “Among the people are those who are keys to goodness and locks to evil. And from among the people are those who are keys to evil and locks to goodness. So glad tidings to the one who Allah puts the key to goodness in his hands, and destruction to the one who Allah puts the key to evil in his hands.” (ibn Maajah)
• “Most of the sins of the children of Adam are because of the tongue.” (Sahih al-Jami)
• “Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your privacy, and weep for your wrong actions.” (Sahih al-Jami)
• “Whoever among you is able to carry out a secret good deed, then he should do it.” (Sahih al-Jami)
• “It is not proper for a believer to debase themselves.” The Companions asked, “How can we debase ourselves?” He ﷺ responded, “By placing yourself in a situation you cannot handle.”(Tirmidhi)
• “The angel of the left raises [and holds] his pen for six hours from the Muslim servant of Allah who has wronged or committed a mistake. So if he regrets and seeks Allah’s forgiveness from it he returns it back, and if that is not the case then it is written as one.” (Mu’jam al Kabeer)
• “Good news is for the one who finds in his book (i.e. his book of deeds) lots of istighfar (seeking Allah’s Forgiveness).” (ibn Majah)
• “The Lord (swt) says, ‘Whoever is busied with the Qur’an from remembrances (dhikr) and from supplicating to Me, then surely I will give him better than that which I give those who ask Me [and do not busy themselves with the Qur’an].’” (Tabarani)
• “Whoever dies and is free from three: arrogance, grudges and debt will enter Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)
• “Indeed a person’s status will be raised in Paradise and he will ask, ‘How is this for me?’ He will be told, ‘By your child’s seeking forgiveness for you.’” (Ibn Majah)
• Aisha (may God be pleased with her) narrated, “I asked the Messenger of Allah about the verse: ‘And those who give that which they give with their hearts full of fear,’ (Qur’an 23:60).” She asked: “Are they those who drink wine and steal?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “No, daughter of al-Siddiq (i.e., Abu Bakr)! Rather they are those who fast, and those who pray and those who give charity while they fear that it (their deeds) will not be accepted from them. Those! They are the ones who race in all that is good.” (Tirmidhi)
• “Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which wept out of the Fear and Awe of Allah. Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which stayed awake and vigilant (through the night) in the Way of Allah. Hellfire has been made forbidden for the eye which looked away from that which has been forbidden by Allah.” (Hakim)
• Umm Sulaym (may God be pleased with her) came to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me some words that I can supplicate with.” He responded, “Glorify Allah (say subhanAllah) ten times, and praise Allah (say alhamdulillah) ten times, and magnify Allah (say Allahu akbar) ten times then ask for your need, surely Allah will say, ‘Surely, I have done it. Surely, I have done it.’” (Ahmad)
• “Purify these bodies (i.e., practice ablution/wudu) and Allah will purify you. Whenever a slave sleeps in a state of purification, an angel sleeps within his hair and he does not turn over during the night except that he [the angel] says: ‘O Allah, forgive Your slave, for he went to sleep purified.’” (Tabarani)
• Abu Qatada (may God be pleased with him) narrated: “A funeral procession passed by Allah’s Messenger who said, ‘Relieved or relieving?’ The people asked, ‘O Prophet! What is relieved and relieving?’ He said, ‘A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah, while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from him.’” (Bukhari)
• “When a slave says: laa ilaaha il Allah wa Allahu Akbar—There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and Allah is Greater,” he said, “Allah (swt) will say: My slave has spoken the truth, there is no deity worthy of worship except for Myself and I am Greater. And when the slave says: laa ilaaa il Allahu wahdahu—There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah Alone—He (Allah) said: My slave has spoken the truth, there is no deity worthy of worship except for Myself Alone. And when he said: laa ilaaha il Allah laa shareeka lahu—There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, He has no partner—He (Allah) said: My slave has spoken the truth, there is no deity worthy of worship except for Myself and I have no partner. And when he says, laa ilaaha il Allah lahu al mulku wa lahu al hamdu—There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, for Him is the Dominion and for Him is the Perfect Praise—He (Allah) said: My slave has spoken the truth, there is no deity worthy of worship except for Myself and for Me is the Dominion and for Me is the Perfect Praise. And when he said, laa ilaaha il Allah wa la hawla wa la quwata ila billah—There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and there is no might nor power except with Allah—He (Allah) said: My slave has spoken the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except for Myself and there is no might nor power except with Me. Whoever is granted them (these words) during (the time of) his death, the fire will never touch him.” (Ibn Majah)

There can only be one truth, right? So when it comes to Islamic law this must also be the case. There may be different opinions but only one of them is correct and therefore my ‘shaykh’, ‘madhab’, ‘tariqa’, ‘group’ is usually right to the exclusion of others. This may be the type of logic that leads to much of the intolerance amongst Muslims today, particularly in the West. You only have to momentarily interact on social media or talk to people, usually around the masjids, to experience this.

The more troubling thing is that this type of attitude often comes from people who appear to have little or no religious training apart from being an activist belonging to this or that group or being a follower of Shaykh X. What has led us to this dire situation?

Due to the fact that a Muslim is defined as one who surrenders to Allah and then acts in accordance to Islamic law, issues of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and its associated debates and differences have invariably become an essential part of an ‘active’ Muslim’s life. The shari`ah (Islamic faith, law and ethics) is central to a Muslim’s identity as it informs his or her values and actions.

However, our tradition in general—and our legal tradition in particular—has always been one that accommodated diverse opinions within an agreed framework. Take the Qur’an itself; there are at least seven different but equally valid ways of reciting the Qur’an. These have been narrated widely on the authority of our Imams (leading experts) of recitation all the way from the Sahaba (companions of the Prophet ﷺ) who all learnt the Qur’an directly from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him).

Take a look at our legal system. We have four surviving legal schools (madhahib), but there were many more. Muslims throughout history have generally recognised them as equally valid schools. Then within the schools you have a whole range of diverse opinions between the founder of the schools and their students or later scholars of the madhab. However, often the followers or supporters of the very same madhabs or their shaykhs (scholars) become fanatical or go to extremes due to various factors, one of them being their lack of understanding of what a madhab actually is. This misunderstanding is not restricted to a madhab alone; it can be applied to an opinion or a particular scholar.

Shaykh al-Hasan al-Dedew describes the madhab in this respect:  ‘The madhab is a way of dealing with the text (Qur’an and Hadith). Therefore everything that Jibril `alayhi alsalam (Angel Gabriel, peace be upon him) related from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) is not the exclusive property of anyone’s madhab.  Everything which is considered qat’i (‘definitive’, clear cut) from the texts is not the exclusive property of anyone’s madhab. Therefore the madhab (exists) only in those issues that require ijtihad (reasoning, in order to arrive at the meaning or legal implication.)’

In other words those texts from the Qur’an or hadith (narrations of the Prophet ﷺ) that are agreed upon, in terms of their meanings and legal implications, are not the exclusive property of anyone’s madhab or shaykh but rather it is obligatory upon all to accept and follow them without any difference. The differences and therefore the existence of madhabs occur in those texts that are ‘speculative’ (dhanni) in terms of meaning, and carry more than one interpretation due to a number of factors, which are outlined in the books of Usul al-Fiqh (legal jurisprudence). The question here is in this regards, where legitimate differences of conclusions occurs, is there only one actual truth in the matter?

Before we proceed to answer this question it is worth clarifying another common confusion. There is a difference between something being legally valid and something being correct or the only truth. There may be several opinions on one issue and if they are issued from qualified scholars who have followed sincerely the procedures of ijtihad and have exerted their utmost efforts to arrive at the truth, then all of the opinions may be legally valid and acceptable. Even though only one of them may have arrived at the actual truth of the matter or the correct answer.

To give an example the Hanafis consider bleeding to invalidate wudu (ablution) whilst other schools like the Shafi’e madhab are of the opinion that it does not. Both opinions are considered by all sides to be legally valid for the layman in that for someone who follows either opinion, his wudu is valid.

So we return to the question as to whether or not there is in actual fact only one correct ruling on the issue, even if others are incorrect but valid. Al-Shawkani says that Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’e and the majority of the jurists (may Allah’s mercy be upon them) are of the opinion that in such matters the truth (haq) is one, but it is not defined or known to us, though it is known to Allah (swt). In other words there is only one correct opinion, which Allah (swt) knows and is not knowable by anyone else with 100% certainty. However, the other opinions, even if they are not the actual correct one, are still valid for the ordinary person to follow.

If we could all just accept a general rule that different madhabs and opinions of the jurists are all equally valid as long as they are as a result of valid ijtihad from qualified scholars and are not from the anomalous (shadh) opinions that have been rejected by the vast majority—we could then begin to understand the nature and dynamics of our shari`ah that would enhance unity amongst our communities particularly in the West where basic Islamic literacy levels are low and where diverse Muslim communities are often living together with access to a plethora of thoughts, madhabs and opinions.

We should ponder on the words of Imam al-Shafi’e who is reported to have said, ‘I believe my opinion is right with the possibility that it is wrong and I believe the opinion of those who disagree with me is wrong with the possibility of that being correct.’ This was the attitude of most of the Imams. The Sahabas who were trained by the Prophet ﷺ differed amongst themselves on legal matters but maintained brotherhood and respect.

Once this is clear, the other logical point to then move on to and accept is to avoid condemning other legally valid opinions as ‘batil (inferior),’ ‘haram (unlawful),’ misguided’ etc. In other words—don’t ‘enjoin the good and forbid the evil’ on issues of valid legal differences as one of the conditions to forbid an evil (munkar) is that it should be an agreed upon evil and not one in which valid differences of opinion exist.

As our communities here in the West grow and develop, our scholars will be called upon to deal with a whole range of difficult and often unprecedented issues. They won’t necessarily all agree but if we understand the above we will respect each other’s differences and remain united as communities in spite of our differences.

Originally posted May 16, 2012

Notes from Bukhari: Part I | Part II

How many times have you heard someone say practising Islam or being a ‘religious’ Muslim is difficult? Reflect on the following: Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih relates the following hadith (prophetic narration) in the chapter of On The Deen Being Ease.

It is related from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (peace be upon him), said, “The deen [religion] is ease. Whoever makes the deen too hard for himself will be overpowered, so direct yourselves to what is right, follow a middle course, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help [to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of the night.” (Hadith no. 39)

Explanation

“Whoever makes the deen too hard for himself will be overpowered […]”

Ibn Hajar says that it means that whoever overburdens himself by excess in performing religious deeds without being gentle (on himself) will be incapacitated (to continue), cut off and therefore overpowered.

Ibn Hajar cites Ibn Munir as saying: “[…] This hadith contains knowledge from the emblems of Prophethood. Indeed we have seen and people before us have seen that everyone who goes to extremes in the deen is cut off [from continuity]. The intended meaning in the hadith is not to stop a person trying to perfect their acts of worship, for that is something praiseworthy, rather it is warning against the type of excess that leads to boredom, or against excess in supererogatory acts that leads to forsaking that which is more recommended, or that which leads to the performance of an obligation outside of its designated time. The example of the aforementioned is if someone prayed the whole night fighting off sleep until sleep overtook him in the last part of the night whereby he slept past the Fajr prayer in jama`ah [congregation] or past the best time for Fajr prayer or past sunrise after the designated time for Fajr prayer.”

Imam Ahmed narrates a hadith: “You will not attain this (deen) by excessiveness and the best of your deen is ease.”

“[…] so direct yourselves to what is right, follow a middle course, […]”

Ibn Hajar says fasaddidu (which is translated here as direct yourselves to what is right) means sticking to al-sadad meaning that which is correct without excess or deficiency. The lexicographers say al-sadad means balance/moderation (tawasut) in actions.

Ibn Rajab says balance (al-tawasut) in religious deeds is to not fall short of whatever one has been commanded to do and to not burden oneself with that which is beyond one’s capacity.

Ibn Rajab also says about the word qaribu (translated here as follow a middle course) that it carries the same or similar meaning to al-sadad. Ibn Hajar says it means if you cannot achieve the ideal then do your best to attain that which is as close to the ideal.

“[…] accept the good news of the reward for right action […]”

Ibn Hajar says it means to accept glad tidings of the reward for continuous action even if it is small. Meaning the glad tidings is for someone who cannot perform deeds to the ideal and that he will not lose any reward if it was not due to his intentional shortcomings. The object of the glad tidings is the reward, however the actual word itself (reward) is omitted in the hadith to induce a sense of veneration and magnificence towards the reward.

Ibn Rajab says it means to convey glad tidings to the one who traverses the path of obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) through moderation, consistency and balance for he is the one who reaches the destination. Indeed the path of moderation and balance is more virtuous than other paths, so the one who travels this path is given glad tidings. For indeed moderation in adhering to the path of sunnah (prophetic tradition) is better than exerting great effort in other paths. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ so whoever follows his path is closer to Allah (swt) than anyone else.

Ibn Rajab continues to explain that virtue is not due to the abundance of deeds that one performs; rather it is due to it being sincerely for Allah (swt), it being correct in accordance to the sunnah, and by the abundance of knowledge and actions of the heart. So the one who is more knowledgeable about Allah (swt), His deen, His laws and His shari`ah (religious law), and more fearful of Him, more loving of Him, and has more hope in Him is more virtuous than the one who is not in this state even if the latter performs more physical deeds than the former. That is why some of the predecessors used to say that Abu Bakr radi allahu `anhu (may God be please with him) did not excel others by much fasting or salah (prayer) but rather it was due to something deeply embedded in his heart. Some of them said the thing that was in his heart by which he excelled others was deep love for Allah (swt) and His messenger ﷺ and sincere counsel for Allah (swt)’s slaves.

Epsiode 1: Shaikh Jamaal Diwan introduces Season 7 of In the Shade of Ramadan with an explanation of hadith (narration) #2 from Imam Nawawi’s 40 hadith.

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Episode 16

Episode 17

Episode 18

Episode 19

Episode 20

As one of the leading scholars in this field, he advocates that we learn more about Islam’s rich history of female scholarship and the role women played in preserving and collecting sacred Islamic knowledge, and strive to provide women with opportunities and spaces to learn and teach in our communities.

Last year, I shared a short compilation of Prophetic narrations that were unheard of in our English-speaking circles.

Alhamdulillah (praise belongs to God), a few of our readers asked that I continue sharing these narrations. I’ve compiled here, for the second time, a few narrations that resonated with me. The purpose of this compilation is to inspire you – as they have inspired me – to continue learning from the life, tradition and sayings of the one God has chosen as the best role model ﷺ (peace be upon him).

Before sharing them, I feel that it is necessary to add a disclaimer. While reading Prophetic traditions is one of the ways we can learn about our Messenger ﷺ and grow in love for him, it is important that we do not limit learning about him to only reading ahadith (Prophet’s teachings). We should not reduce hadith to “enlightening quotes” we read that give us a tingly-feeling and then forget. In addition to these readings, we should be actively learning about his life (sirah) as well as the context and meanings of these narrations.

Sirah has unfortunately become a kind of textbook science – we learn dates and events but forget to think about the actual human experience. He is the final and esteemed Messenger of God, but we forget that we can relate to him ﷺ. Do we talk about how the Prophet ﷺ was a single father after his beloved wife Khadija radi Allahu `anha (may Allah be pleased with her) died? Do we think of how the strong backlash against the Prophet ﷺ in the early days of the message affected his young daughters? Do we know how strong a relationship he ﷺ had with his uncle, Abu Talib, and how his death hurt him so? How much of the Qur’an was sent down to console the Prophet ﷺ during times of sadness and grief? He is the Messenger of Allah, but first and foremost, he is a human with human emotions and experiences. While the early people of Quraysh used the fact that he was a “simple human” as an excuse to not believe in the message, we see this as a blessing of Allah and a sign of the Prophet’s ﷺ humanity as well as a reminder that ultimate perfection belongs to Allah Alone.

There are so many narrations about so many topics related from the Prophet ﷺ. For this reason we read narrations which at first glace seem contradictory, such as the many examples we find of what constitutes “the best charity”. These narrations are not contradictory, rather they point to the many routes to good that one can take based on one’s situation, ability, intention and even personality. The main lesson we take away is that our religion teaches us not only spiritual purification, but also purification of our relationships, means of livelihood, communal obligations, and manners of speaking and actions. Islam would not be Islam if it taught us to only focus on our hearts while other aspects of our lives are corrupted ((Paraphrased from “In the Early Hours” by Ustadh Khurram Murad)) .

• Rabe’ah b. Kab, a poor companion, used to prepare water for the Prophet’s ﷺ wudu (cleansing before prayer) and would spend the night praying with him in the masjid. One night, the Messenger ﷺ said to him, “Ask me for anything.” Rabe’ah immediately responded, “I want to be with you in Paradise.” The Prophet ﷺ asked him, “is there anything else you would like?” He said, “That is all.” Then the Prophet ﷺ told him, “Then help me to fulfill your wish by prostrating often.” (Muslim)
• No one has three daughters or three sisters and is good to them but that he will enter Paradise. (ibn Abi Shaibah)
• Keep from harming and treating others poorly. That is a charity which you bestow on yourself. (Bukhari)
• Helping someone with family or small children (is among the best actions). (Bukhari)
• Shall I not tell you of an action that is a degree better than prayer, fasting and charity? To put things right between each other. Discord and hatred wears away one’s religion. (Abu Dawud)
• The believer is genuine and generous while the corrupt is a gossip and miserly.  (Bayhaqi)
• The best charity is given by the one with little to give and be charitable first to those you are responsible for. (Hakim)
• Forgive and overlook the slipups of good people. (Abu Dawud)
• Anas (ra) said, “Rain fell on us while we were with the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ then removed part of his garment so that the rain could fall on him.” When we asked him why he did that, he ﷺ responded, “Because it has just arrived from its Lord.” (Adab Mufrad)
• Whatever you say in celebration of Allah’s Glory (saying subhan’Allah), and Oneness (saying La ilaha il Allah), and all your words of Praise for Him (saying Alhamdulillah) orbit and surround the Throne of Allah. These words resound like the buzzing of bees, and call attention to the person who uttered them. Don’t you wish to be mentioned in the presence of The Abundantly Merciful? (Ahmad)
• The best charity is given while you are healthy, desirous (of that money), hoping for wealth but fearing poverty. Don’t delay it until your death bed saying, “this is for so-and-so” and “this is for so-and-so.” While it was already written for so-and-so. ((Meaning, the wealth that the dead person leaves behind is already written as the inheritance of others.)) (Abu Dawud)
• The Prophet ﷺ was riding with Mu’adh (ra) and he said to him, “Mu`adh, by Allah, I love you for the sake of Allah, therefore I advise you never to forget to say after every prayer: “Allahumma a`inni `ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni `ibadatika,’ (O Allah, help me remember You, express gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner)”. (Abu Dawud)
• Allah does not accept the supplication from an inattentive, heedless heart. (Tirmidhi)
• Watch out for greed because the people before you perished from it. Greed led them to be miserly so they became misers. Greed led them to break the ties (of kinship) so they broke it. Greed led them to sins so they committed sins.” (Abu Dawud)
• The most enviable of my friends is a believer with little property who finds pleasure in prayer, who performs the worship of his Lord well, who obeys Him in secret, who is obscure among men, who is not pointed out by people, and who is content with his provision. (Tirmidhi)
• Be prompt in doing good deeds. (Muslim)
• A Muslim does not experience fatigue, tiredness, anxiety, sorrow, injury or grief or even a thorn which pricks him without Allah expiating his errors for him. (Adab Mufrad)
• Parents will be rewarded for what they spend on their children. (Bukhari)
• The son of Adam’s food is like the example of this worldly life – even if he puts spices and season into it, see what it becomes. (ibn Hibban)
• The Prophet ﷺ said, Allah says, son of Adam! Devote yourself to My worship and I will fill your heart with contentment and remove your poverty. (Ibn Mâjah)
• Repeat after the adhan (call to prayer) when you hear it and when you finish, ask and you will be given. (Abu Dawud)
• The heart (qalb) was given that name because of its inconstancy. The similitude of heart is like that of a feather which wind blows here and there. (Ahmad)
• The luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said, ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,’ sincerely from the bottom of his heart. (Bukhari)

Some scholars and many zealous laymen claim that there is a consensus among jurists as to the prohibition of listening to any music with musical instruments. Some Imams say the opinion that allows it is a strange (شاذ) opinion, which is rejected as baseless by all prominent scholars and schools of thought. If this is true, how can so many Imams and scholars allow this new phenomenon of Islamic music using instruments?

Answer:

بسم الله و الحمد لله و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله

In the name of Allah, and all praise and thanks is due to Allah,  and may He send peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad

It is quite true that—historically—the prevalent (جمهور) opinion in Islamic jurisprudence regarding the use of and listening to musical instruments is that of prohibition (حرام). It is the official opinion of the four schools of thought, although various scholars from different schools held it is only disliked (مكروه) and many others deemed it permissible with the condition that the song is not immoral. It is not true that there is a consensus on it or that the opinion of permissibility is a strange opinion, which is a divergence from clear teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. In today’s world there are a growing number of prominent scholars that allow listening to instruments that don’t accompany sinful poetry (song).

We will—with divine support—show that this issue is a matter of legitimate disagreement based on scholarly derivation and interpretation (اجتهاد). Unfortunately, one of the main reasons for this research is that there is actually a movement among modern scholars to dismiss, suppress, or misrepresent the opinion of permissibility!

There is a claim that no prominent scholars ruled for the permissibility of musical instruments except for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is purported to solely rely on a strange opinion of Imam Ibn Hazm. This is false. There are hundreds, dare I say thousands, of scholars who held the permissibility of listening to music as long as the song is morally upright. The following are some of the most prominent scholars (mujtahideen) in our history who, not only deemed it permissible, but in some cases wrote a whole research to prove it!

• Abdullah bin Ja’far bin Abi Talib (al-Aqd al-Fareed 6/12)
• Sh. Abu Hamed al-Ghazali (vol. 6 pg. 1150 al-Ihyaa’)
• Imam al-Shawkani (Ibtal da’wa al-Ijmaa ala mutlaq al-Sama’)
• Imam ibn Hazm (Al-Muhallah)
• Imam Abdul-Ghani al-Nablusi (Idaahat al-Dalalaat fee sama’ al-alaat)
• Sultan al-Ulema al-Iz ibn Abdul-Salam (Rislat al-Sama’)
• Al-Qadi Ibn Qutaiba al-Daynoor (al-Rukhsah fi al-Sama’)
• Imam Ibn Tahir al-Qaysirany (pg. 31 al-Sama’)
• Imam al-Thahabi (al-Rukhsah fil-Ghinaa wa al-Turb)
• Abu Talib al-Makky (Qoot al-Quloob)
• al-Qady Ibn Al-Araby al-Makky (Ahkam al-Quran vol. 3 pg. 1494)
• Sh. Yusuf al-Majishoon the prominent Muhaddith (#3399 ibn al-Khuthayma)
• Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid (Iqtinas al-Sawanih)
• Sh. Jad Ali jad al-Haqq (fatawah #3280)
• Sh. Mahmood Al-Shaltoot (pg. 375 fatawaah)

May God shower them all with His Mercy!

Some scholars try to say that many of these scholars were simply saying that it is permissible to listen to songs a cappella—and some of their works do make that point in addition to the permissibility of also using musical instruments. Each one of these references refers to the opinion of permissibility for songs with instruments.

The following are the juristic proofs used to illustrate prohibition and the response from the scholars who are not convinced by the evidence or who see the evidence in a different way:

From the Qur’an: There are two verses which are interpreted as justifying prohibition supporting the clearer hadith (narration) on the subject. They are as follows:

“There are some people who buy distracting/entertaining speech without knowledge in order to mislead people from the path of God…” (Qur’an 31:6)

Only a couple out of the dozens of exegetes thought this had anything to do with musical instruments.

Many exegetes took the more common path of general meaning in the absence of an authentic text and said it refers to preferring or liking to listen to false speech, thus distracting one from Islam.

The vast majority of exegetes said it is talking about the singing of jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic days). Imam al-Qurtubi said that this and the other verse are those that the scholars use as evidence for the disliked (مكروه) nature of singing. Imam al-Qurtubi also narrates that this verse was revealed in the life of the Prophet ﷺ when a man bought a slave known for singing unIslamic songs of jahiliyyah (ignorance).

Many exegetes pointed out a weak hadith that is strengthened by the aforementioned circumstantial cause of revelation. The weak hadith states:

“.لا يحل بيعُ المُغنّياتِ ولا شِراؤهنّ وثمنهنّ حرامٌ”

“It is prohibited to buy or sell women singers of jahiliyyah. The price of such transaction is prohibited.”

The evidence for prohibition of Islamic Music in this verse is very weak. Any true scholar will surely admit that the verse is not evidence in and of itself; rather it is supportive to a couple hadiths and the position of many Companions.

The second verse is:

“(God is saying to Satan) Incite whoever you can among them with your voice…” (Qur’an 17:64)

Some scholars from the early generations said this is literal and it means that Satan is whispering to us to follow him and disobey God as is mentioned in the famous verse in Surah Ibrahim, “I had no authority over you except that I called you and you followed me…” (Qur’an 14:22). The great Imam of tafsir (exegesis) al-Tabari took the position as is his style that it is general and since there is no clear evidence specifying what is meant by “your voice” then it is taken literally and generally.

Many other scholars noted that the verse is talking about playing (لعب) and wasting time (لهو). Once again, no real scholar will claim that this verse in and of itself can be used to prohibit listening to music.

Let’s see what evidence we can find from the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet ﷺ):

There is a hadith mentioned as an attachment (معلق) to a section in the authentic collection of Bukhari under the chapter of drinks #5590 titled those who seek permission of drinking alcohol by calling it another name. Imam al-Bukhari did not put the Hadith as an official Hadith in his authentic collection. According to Imam al-Muhallab the reason was because Hisham was not sure of the name of the companion (Al-Ibtal Al-Shawkani pg. 9) The hadith goes:

“…ليكونَنَّ من أمَّتي أقوامٌ ، يستحلُّونَ الحِرَ والحريرَ ، والخمرَ والمعازِفَ”

“There will be a group of people from my nation who will deem silk, alcohol and musical instruments as permissible…”

Some hadith scholars found a connected chain for this type of hadith. The most famous is the book by Ibn Hajr in his book “closing the attachments” (تغليق التعليق). There are scholars who argued against his assertions, but even if we were to accept his findings about a connection between al-Bukhari and Hisham bin Ammar there is still a problem with Hisham as a narrator among some prominent hadith scholars.

There are many concerning issues with this hadith. According to Imam al-Thahabi in his famous 4-volume book Mizan al-I’tidaal which accounts for all the weak narrators he could gather. Imam al-Thahabi mentions that Hisham bin Ammar used to be a veracious narrator, then he changed. He has narrated 400 hadiths that have no basis. He used to not narrate unless someone paid him. He was accused of changing the text. Imam Ahmad said he was reckless. Some narrated that he said the Qur’an has words from Gabriel and Muhammad ﷺ and is created speech.

Ibn Hajar acknowledges this, but justifies his ruling of the hadith through a different narration that has someone else narrating it other than Hisham. That hadith varies in text but does mention the people deeming musical instruments as permissible (which linguistically and logically doesn’t necessarily mean that it is prohibited). The next problem with this hadith, which is not solved by Ibn Hajar’s book, is a narrator named Atiyah bin Qays.

Atiyah bin Qays was a righteous man who hadith scholars agreed regarding his character and honesty (عدالة), but there is an issue among some scholars about his precision of memory and narrating (ضبط). Some famous scholars of hadith call him trustworthy (ثقة) just because he is a known pious man while the issue of his precision with hadith is unknown (مجهول). Some of them said although he is acceptable (far from Saheeh ) to be careful in narrating from him. This is mentioned by the hadith scholar Abu Hatem al-Razi in his book al-Jarh wa al-Ta’deel 2/37 and by Abu Bakr al-Bazzaar in his book Kashf al-Astar 1/106.

This is the best proof that the proponents of prohibition bring forth according to them. Other hadiths are relying on this one. For example:

“.ليكونن في هذه الأمة خسف، وقذف، ومسخ، وذلك إذا شربوا الخمور، واتخذوا القينات، وضربوا بالمعازف”

“There will be disgrace and defamation in this nation when they will drink alcohol and listen to music (literally female singers while beating on instruments).” (al-Suyooti al-Sagheer 7720)

Even a layman can see that the linguistic connotation does not in any way show a prohibition for listening to music, but rather a prohibition of the “party” scene. There are many other hadiths like this one that show that the combination of alcohol and music is a shameful and immoral scene. On this fact there is a consensus among scholars.  Even in the narration of the other hadith seen as the strongest proof, there are variations which focus on drinking alcohol by a different name and don’t even mention musical instruments. Thus Imam Bukhari’s precise classification.

Many people feel that even though we see the issues in the proofs used for prohibiting music, still it is the official opinion of the 4 main schools of thought and that shows that it was clear to those scholars who know better than us. The assumption here is that every scholar from the different schools of thought over the centuries was a mujtahid and was willing to challenge the opinion and evidence of his own school. This was simply just not the case as Dr. Mana’ al-Qattan narrates in his book on the history of legislation in Islamic history. He elucidates on the well-known unfortunate part of our history known as the closing of the doors to juristic reasoning (إغلاق باب الاجتهاد). For close to 8 centuries, most of the scholars passed down by memory and book most of the rulings of Islamic Law. For various reasons, they were uncomfortable with people changing or questioning popular rulings. Some of those who didn’t agree with this methodology like Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) or al-Suyooti (ra) were seen as dissidents. There is also some historical evidence that this ruling of prohibition of all music was heavily promoted toward the end of the Abbasi Caliphate because of the widespread immorality with music and drinking as many of the hadiths indicate. In my research, which really requires a whole book, there is more than meets the eye on the prevalence of the opinion prohibiting all instrumental music.

Proofs for the Permission of Good, Morally Upright Music:

1. There is a false claim that the Companions all prohibited it. Abdullah bin al-Zubair used to keep women playing guitars (lutes) and singing in his presence. (Idahaat al-Dalalat al-Nablusi 96)
2. There is no disagreement about the Ibrahim bin Sa’d bin Abdul Rahman bin Awf listening to songs with guitars (al-Sama’ Ibn Tahir 63)
3. Jews have always attributed music to Prophet David ‘alahi assalatu wassalam (peace and blessings be upon him). It is in the Bible, “The priests stood in waiting at their assigned places, along with the descendants of Levi who carried musical instruments used in service to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD—because his gracious love is eternal…” (2 Chronicles 7:6). So in the following hadith and commentary we have some solid evidence for the praise of good music:

“يا أبا موسى ، لقد أوتيتَ مِزمارًا مِن مزاميرِ آلِ داود”

“Abu Musa, Surely you have been given a voice like the music of David.” (Bukhari 5048)

Many scholars want to say that this hadith is simply referring to a beautiful voice. When we look into Ibn Hajar’s explanation of this hadith he comments with another sound hadith, “I entered Abu Musa’s house and I have not heard a cymbal, lute or a flute better than his voice.” (al-Fath)

The clear linguistic indication here is that the Prophet ﷺ is talking about musical instruments as though they are beautiful and delightful. That cannot be the case in something prohibited. It would be like him saying to his companion who earned a lot of money, “That’s even better than hijacking a caravan!”

4. Imam al-Thahabi’s recordings about scholars in his book on prominent Muslims. Here are two examples:

“Ishaaq al-Nadeem an Imam who was a great scholar master of many sciences. Known for music with untainted poetry…” (Siyar 11/118)

“Ulayyah sister of the commander of the faithful Haroon al-Rasheed ‘Well-refined poetess known for singing and music with a pleasant voice. A modest pious women of precedence…’” (Siyar 10/187)

There are hadiths that led many scholars from the schools of thought to permit listening to drums. Other prominent Malikis and Shafi’ees (two different schools of thought) allowed trumpets, flutes and tambourines. Those are all musical instruments and the Islamic legal practice of analogy (قياس) allows other instruments in the absence of a clear text prohibiting them.

Whichever opinion you feel is stronger, you are welcome to follow. Please don’t judge someone else because they follow a different opinion than you. Our scholars teach us the following principle in dealing with law—there shall be no rebuking in matters of legitimate disagreement.

.لا إنكار في مسائل الاختلاف

Islam has a rich tradition of knowledge that by divine decree has differing interpretations as to the details of law. Only God owns the absolute truth.

If you choose to listen to music, observe piety and do not listen to immoral music or choose to be in immoral environments. There is no doubt that much of today’s music is prohibited by Islam and even some Islamic music still brings bad environments.

Usul al-Fiqh Series: Part I

Primer in Conceptualizing Usul al-Fiqh

The following series is intended to introduce usul al-fiqh in a systematic manner. In this section, we will introduce some key concepts that outline briefly what usul al-fiqh is about, what is beneficial about this science, and why it is important.

Defining and Describing Usul al-Fiqh

Usul al-fiqh is the body of knowledge which clarifies the various research methods and principles that aid us in understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah and it shows us how to derive benefit from them.

Secondly, usul al-fiqh outlines for us what is a proof in the Shar’iah, why it is considered a proof and how to understand how to properly work with proofs especially when they are unclear in meaning and or when they appear to contradict each other.

Thirdly, it teaches us the appropriate means by which we can derive rulings from the Qur’an and Sunnah – rulings that guide human action by determining if an act is:

1. Prohibited            (haram)
2. Disliked               (makruh)
3. Obligatory            (wajib)
4. Recommended     (mandub, mustahab)
5. Permissable         (mubah)

Fourthly, usul al-fiqh outlines for us the rules that govern the patterned way the Arabic language works in the Qur’an and the Sunnah so that we know what is being communicated to us and we understand how to properly interpret them based on linguistic or textual evidence.

The process of understanding the primary sources and extracting from them guidance and ruling in a systematic manner is called ijtihad (independent research).

Benefits of Usul al-Fiqh

Usul al-fiqh gives us a research framework for understanding the language of the Qur’an and Sunnah and how to use the various types of evidences in a manner in which they serve as a guide to our Islamic practices and belief. By understanding usul al-fiqh as a research methodology, we also come to understand how scholars construct their positions through the use of evidences found in the Arabic language or in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Through usul al-fiqh, we also learn that positions that are not constructed by referring to the principles and means found in the sciences are positions which are not considered acceptable to follow, because they are constructed and concluded without properly attending to acceptable research methodology and therefore have no binding authority. Authoritative positions in Islam are only concluded and constructed by way of proper research techniques. These techniques guide research by outlining what constitutes a source for research and what principles are to be used to understand that source. Furthermore, the techniques emphasize how, when, and why a rule is derived from that source under research and what qualifications must he or she possess as a researcher in order to qualify for such an undertaking.

Goal of Usul al-Fiqh

Usul al-fiqh helps us to develop the proper research skills and mental frame that allow us to have a systematic understanding (research method) necessary to properly comprehend the Qur’an and Sunnah. It supplies us with the necessary tools for engaging in ijtihad and developing not only legal minds and juristic capacity, but the mind capable of properly interpreting the source texts of Islam and applying them to life. In short, the goal of usul al-fiqh is ijtihad (independent reasoning, research).

Framing Usul al-Fiqh: Three Primary Concerns of the Science

There are 3 key areas of study in the science of usul al-fiqh:

These key areas of study are focused studies, which clarify the following themes.

Qualities of the Mujtahid:

By understanding these criteria we understand who is skilled and qualified in matters of scholarship versus who is not. The person not skilled in and qualified to practice ijtihad is known in usul al-fiqh literature as a muqalid.  The muqalid is a person not qualified to engage in independent investigation because he lacks the qualifications, meaning that he has not mastered the principles of research methodology. Consequently, this category of persons is obligated to follow the research of those who are qualified to research, but he is encouraged to make an effort to learn and understand with time and gradually how scholars come to conclusions and the reasoning governing their positions.

Linguistic Indications:

The Arabic language is governed by usages and patterns. Upon understanding these, it is possible to conclude what is being indicated by a particular pattern. For simplicity’s sake, we only refer to those indications which tell us if a ruling is a command to do something or not do something, or if the pattern only recommends to do or not to do an action, or just leaves the matter up to decision. There are other patterns found in the Arabic language that refer to understanding if a matter is general or specific, but we will suffice with mentioning that the language is governed by patterns which must be understood in order to conclude their meaning.

Rules for Dealing with Proofs:

In usul al-fiqh we also learn how to weigh, rank and distinguish between proofs by determining their strength and relationship to other proofs and principles. When an apparent conflict arises among these proofs, the scholar must understand how to reconcile these proofs. Upon determining that the proofs cannot be reconciled after thorough and long investigation, it may be determined that one of the two proofs is to be abrogated. The rules governing the process of ranking, reconciliation, and abrogation when working with evidences are a major concern of usul al-fiqh and this is an area wherein only the most skilled of scholarship can maneuver and show itself.

Key Questions:

1. What is the goal of usul al-fiqh?
2. Why is usul al-fiqh important?
3. What are the 3 main areas of study in usul al-fiqh?
4. Why is it proper to have methodology in understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah?
5. Who is the person that can independently research the Qur’an and Sunnah?
6. Can a person research the Qur’an and Sunnah without understanding the criteria that determines research and the researcher?