team Suaib Webb rocks-subhanAllah 🙂

Zakat:

The obligation is upon me to thank you for stepping up and offering such important advice to myself. Nasiha is a sign that one loves his/her brothers and I hope you will continue to offer your gems of wisdom to this faqir?

SDW

jazakum Allahu khairan for taking the time to reply; I understand your time is valuable and thank you for spending some addressing this matter.

just to avoid confusion:I did not mean to give the impression that religious knowledge should be concentrated in a few, and withheld from many, but rather meant that there are means by which one seeks it, and these means will influence the way the seeker interacts thereafter with their knowledge and with others. In short, we have to distinguish between knowledge and information, the latter of which can certainly be taken from the internet. Often, though, this information will come without many other essential things that are supposed to be taken alongside it. The problem is that we now confuse this information, which we thereafter neither properly contextualize, understand, nor know how to implement, with knowledge; thus, some have remarked that it is really a type of “new ignorance”.

One could argue the idea, and we may disagree on a couple of points, however, I appreciate your reply and the work that you and those on this site are doing and ask Allah to benefit you all and benefit by you.

was-salam

Asalamu alaykum,

Dear Zakat:

Dr. Muhammad Awwama is a close friend of Sh. al-Qaradawi and appeared on his show a number of times even talking about the topic of using weak hadith. As for Sh. Qaradawi’s hadith credentials, I would refer you to the book of Dr. Akram Nadawi regarding the asanid of Qaradawi and his level of scholarship in hadith. While he is no Dr. Awwama, he is certainly qualified to write about this topic. And while some have tried to question him, he is, as many Ulema have told me, “The Imam of many in this umma.”

Secondly, there are a number of talented people behind the scenes at this site whose knowledge serves to guide what is posted. They, when they have time, chime in on certain issue presented and offer stimulating discussions for those interested. al-Humdulillah we have people trained in all four madhabs here, many are Azharis, have earned ijazas and have memorized the Qur’an with multiple recitations. Some have finished their alim courses and other are doing their M.A degrees in Islamic studies. Also, they have a good number of scholars, from the current Mufti of Egypt to the former head of the Comparative Fiqh Department at al-Azhar and Imam of the Malikis here in Cairo, if there are any pressing issues.

Thirdly, a quick scan of many of our contemporary scholars from Dr. Wahba Zuhayi, Dr. Salman al-Awda, Sh. Muhammad al-Hassan al-Shanqiti, Sh. bin Bayyah and others show that such articles are written by them and published for the masses to read and engage. Mashallah, many of these scholars such as Sh. bin Bayyah have given this site an ijaza to translate their words and present them to English speaking Musilms.

Finally, while Imam al-Bayjouri (ra) is a respected scholar and mujadid of al-Azhar, his statement, as you know, is not a hujjat in shari’ah, nor does it carry any legal weight. However, if we look at the actions of al-Habib (sa) he used every possible means to communicate his message to the people from the hill of Safa, to his beautiful speech and voice. Thus, we are simply following the guidance of the scholars we have taken shura with and the example of the Prophet (sa). I’m sure you are not contending that an Umma without a printing press is much better than one with it?!

Perhaps, some scholars and students of knowledge fetish to see things return to those days has done little but contribute to a slow, ugly, murky separation between the masses and those who are traditionalistic? I would differ with you and state, as the axiom goes, “The wasail do not come before the maqasid.” None of these classical ways of teaching are based on a nas, ijm’a or revelation, so changing them and adopting to the times is not something evil within itself. Maybe this fetish to hold onto the old ways of teaching is doing nothing but pushing the masses of people away and creating students who are unable to deal with the contemporary problems of today’s times? I studied that way for 10 years, sat on the floor, memorized texts and lived with a sheikh. While there is nothing like it, I’m not sure how it can be replicated in today’s world and be effective?

Having studied those words of al-Banna with different scholars it would appear that you have missed the boat. For in other places, the Imam himself wrote about this topic in a public newspaper, a copy of which I have; and he devoted a large amount of time addressing the differences of the Umma from the issues of sifat, tasawwuf, fiqh and politics, getting permission to do so from the scholars of al-Azhar who did not censure him.

Jazakallhu khayran for stopping by and giving us your nasiha,
Suhaib

I don’t know who you are, but the comment was directed to the site admins, not to general readership. A different perspective is fine, but my surmise is that the majority of your readership, perhaps yourself included, don’t know the conditions of a sahih hadith, let alone what makes one da’if – and that is fine, because such issues are not of urgent importance to the majority of Muslims, who are facing daily struggles that would cause children to become gray-haired.

My point is that Shaykh al Banna clearly saw that addressing these latter matters took precedence over the former, and if that is the outlook of the site, then it should walk its talk.

Dear Imam Suhaib:

the question is, does your blog aim produce scholars by introducing them to differences of opinion? if the answer is yes, then b) is a blog a suitable medium for producing scholars?

second: is an open blog the proper site for scholars to engage in such dialogue and debate?

third: there are a similar number of quotes that show that knowledge isn’t taken in this manner – to merely post articles on islamic topics does not make anyone a scholar, or even a student. “This knowledge used to be honorable”, said Imam al Awza’i, “it was passed from man to man. Then it entered books, and people who were not qualified for it began to take it.” and imagine, this was before the printing press, which, when it came out, caused Imam Bajuri to note “The day the press came out, the hearts were sealed (yawma kharaja at-tabi’ tub’ia ‘ala al-quloob).”

I have refrained from mentioning that Shaykh Qaradawi, notwithstanding his status in fiqh and current affairs, is not considered a reference in hadith matters; why didn’t you, for instance, go and ask Shaykh Muhammad Awwama for his opinion? Have I not read on your site that people are of specializations, and each knowledge should be taken from its folk?

To go back to the first matter: if the aim is to bring people to Allah, then I humbly submit that these types of articles will not further that goal, and would ask that you consider the point for a minute or two before merely posting that those who write in support of what you are doing have “spoken well”.

was-salam

Well said. Ashab said, “If one doesn’t know the differences of the scholars, he is not a scholar.”

SDW

The overall principle that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) learned is that, if a correct action leads to a greater harm, then they should not apply that correct action. The people of knowledge have mentioned…

(((SORRY NO LINKS)))