Wiziq.com Class

Fahad Al Tahiri scheduled a Class 
Here are the class details:
Class Title: The Paved Way to Professional Arabic 1
Class Date: Sunday, January 15, 2012 
Class Time: 7:40 PM ((GMT+06:00) Sri Jayawardenepura) 
Class Duration: 60 minutes 

Islam and Shirk are opposites

Islam and Shirk, in their true meanings, are complete opposites. Their meanings are explained absolutely clearly in the Qur’an and Sunnah – about this there is a consensus. So he who commits Shirk does not fulfill the basis of Islam.

How can one who commits Shirk fulfill the basis of Islam, when this very basis is to leave all Shirk and dedicate all your worship to Allah alone? Therefore whoever commits Shirk can never be a Muslim? One is either Muslim or Mushrik, a third group does not exist! Islam means, in the consensus of the scholars of language and Tafseer and all other scholars “to completely submit oneself under the Will of Allah”, so including the humility, submission and obedience. Allah the Almighty says:

“Yes, but whoever submits his face (whole self) to Allah (performs his deeds free from Shirk, purely for Allah) and he is a Muhsin (is a doer of good) then his reward is with his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Baqarah 2:112)

At-Tabary narrates from some of the Salaf as follows: “That they said, “He who submits his whole self to Allah” means “Akhlasa lillah” (that he does it purely for Allah alone, free from Shirk, submitting himself only to Allah).” He said further: “Like Zaid ibnu Amr ibn an-Nufail also said:

“I have surrendered my face (my whole self) to Him (purified it completely from all other), to Whom the clouds carrying pure water also surrendered.”

Meaning here, “I have submitted myself to His obedience, to Whose obedience the clouds have also submitted and Whose orders they follow.”

In this Ayah (2:112) Allah the Almighty mentions those who submit their faces alone to Allah. Mentioning the face here has been given preference to over the rest of the body because the most precious, important and worth protecting part of the body is the face. When a person submits his face, his most precious part of the body, to something or someone then the rest of the body naturally follows in submission. For the Arabs it was logical (linguistically) that when they mentioned the face it meant the body as a whole.

So the Ayah means “Nay, whoever obeys and worships Allah purely (free from Shirk) for Allah alone and carries it out in the best manner…” As also stated and thoroughly explained by Ibnu Katheer. Hence, Islam means, in the consensus, to surrender in worshipping Allah alone with submission without associating anything with Him. Whosoever does not do this can never be a Muslim, upon this they are all in agreement. And how else can it be? Let us demonstrate this by means of an example: A man never rides a horse, instead always walks by foot and he also never did ride, how could a rational and reasonable thinking person call him an equestrian (one who rides a horse)? Similarly, a person who never submitted himself to Allah alone, and attributed others to Him, someone who never worshipped Him sincerely and still does not do it, such a person cannot be described as a Muslim. He does not possess the characteristics required in Islam which would make him to a Muslim and his deeds are not according to the deeds of a Muslim. No one who has a common sense would define him as a Muslim.

Ibnu Taymiyyah, may Allah be merciful to him, says in Majmu‟ ul-Fataawa 14:282, 284:

“And so anyone who does not worship Allah, must undoubtedly be worshipping something other than Him; he worships someone other than Him and is therefore a Mushrik. Among the sons of Adam there is no third part. There is only Muwahhid and Mushrik or those who combine both parts like the distorters of the followers of different religions and the Christians and those who have gone astray who consider themselves to be within Islam”.

He who reflects over this passage, will find that Shaykh ul-Islam says five times, each time in a different way that someone who commits Shirk can never be a Muslim. Is there something clearer than that?

Shaykh Abd ur-Rahman says in his work “Explanation of the principle of Islam and its most important pillar” and Abd ul-Latif says in Minhaaj (pg. 12):

“He who commits Shirk, leaves Tawheed for they are two opposites which never come together and can never cancel each other out.”

When Islam departs, Shirk must take its place whereas it is irrelevant why Islam departed. And who does not know this, has not understood Islam.

Seeing Allah in this world overtly by AbdurRahman.org

Can humans see Allah in this world? Seeing Allah in this world overtly Q 2: Is it possible to see Allah in this world overtly? A: This issue is one of the issues that are based upon Tawqif (bound by a religious text and not amenable to personal opinion). No one is allowed to allege it without an authentic proof that can be cited as evidence. The Qur'an denotes that Musa (Moses) did not see his Lord. When Musa asked his Lord to see Him, He (Exalted be He) answered him saying: "You cannot see Me" (Surah Al-A`raf, 7: 143). The authentic Sunnah denoted that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not see his Lord with his eyes. It was reported in the Sahih of Muslim that Masruq said: I was resting (at the house of) ‘Aishah when she said: O Abu `Aishah, there are three things, and he who affirms even one of them has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I asked what they were. She said: He who presumes that Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw his Lord (with his ocular vision) has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I was reclining but then sat up and said: O Mother of Believers, wait and do not be hasteful. Has Allah (may He be Exalted) not said: And indeed he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw him [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] in the clear horizon (towards the east) (Surah Al-Takwir, 81: 23). and And indeed he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw him [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] at a second descent (i.e. another time) (Surah Al-Najm, 53: 13). She said: I was the first of this Ummah to ask Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) about it. And he said: Verily he is Gabriel. I have never seen him in his original form in which he was created except on those two occasions (to which these verses refer). I saw him descending from the heaven and filling (the space) between the sky and the earth with the greatness of his bodily structure. She asked: Have you not heard Allah saying: No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is Al-Latîf (the Most Subtle and Courteous), Well-Acquainted with all things.(Surah Al-An`am, 6: 103) She (i.e. 'Aisha) further asked: Have you not heard that, verily, Allah says: It is not given to any human being that Allâh should speak to him unless (it be) by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger until His saying: Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.(Surah Al-Shura, 42: 51) ...[1] It was reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Dhar that he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Did you see your Lord?" He said: "I saw Light."[2] In another narration, the Prophet said: “Light, how could I see Him.” [3] It was reported also in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "None of you shall see his Lord until he dies." [4] Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "The Imams of Muslims have agreed that no believer is liable to see Allah with his eyes in this world. They did not disagree except in the case of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, the majority of scholars agreed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not see Him with his eyes in this world. Authentic narrations reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Companions and the Imams of Muslims have confirmed this viewpoint. It was not authentically reported that Ibn `Abbas, Imam Ahmad and the like said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord with his eyes. What was authentically reported from them was the sight in general or confining the sight to that of the heart. There is nothing in the Hadiths of Mi'raj (Ascension to the heavens) that denotes that he saw Allah with his eyes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My Lord has come to me in the most-handsome shape I have ever seen." [5] This Hadith was reported by Al-Tirmidhy and others. This Hadith was reported when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in Al-Madinah This Hadith was interpreted that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord in a dream. There is also the Hadith of Um Al-Tufayl, the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas and others that contain seeing Allah. These Hadiths were reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was in Al-Madinah just as they were explained by other Hadiths. The Mi`raj (Ascension to Heaven) was at Makkah as Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allâh) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] Who took His slave (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsâ (in Jerusalem)".[Surah Al-Isra', 17: 1] Allah also said to Musa: "You cannot see Me" [Surah Al-A`raf, 7: 143]. Seeing Allah is greater than revealing a book from the heavens. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Mûsâ (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: “Show us Allâh in public,”"(Surah Al-Nisa', 4: 153) Whoever alleges that he saw his Lord, it is as if he alleges that he is better than Musa ibn `Imran. This allegation is greater in evil than the allegation of those who falsely allege that Allah has revealed a book from the heaven upon them. The Companions, predecessors and Imams of Muslims believe that Allah will be seen in the Hereafter only and no one will see Him in this world except in a dream. Hearts in this case will find spiritual unveilings and sights that suit their status. Some people may have strong spiritual unveilings to the extent that they think that they saw their Lord with their eyes. But this is not true. Hearts unveilings or spiritual unveilings occur according the degree of the servant's belief in his Lord. [6] May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions! Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' Member     Member     Deputy Chairman     Chairman `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud     `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan     `Abdul-Razzaq `Afify     `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz Footnotes: [1] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on the Beginning of Creation, no. 3234; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 177; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 3068; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 6, p. 50. [2] Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 178; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 3282; Book on remembrance of Allah, supplication, repentance and seeking forgiveness, 5, p. 175. [3] Muslim, no. 178; and Al-Tirmidhy, no. 3278 [4] Muslim, no. 2931, Abu Dawud, no. 4318; and Al-Tirmidhy, no. 2236. [5] Imam Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 368, and vol. 5, p. 243; and Al-Tirmidhy, nos. 3232 and 3233. [6] Fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 2, p. 335 Source: Fatwas of the Permanent Committee Group 1 > Volume 2: `Aqidah (2) > Seeing Allah in this world > Can humans see Allah in this world? > Seeing Allah in this world overtly Related Links: Allah is not Imageless – The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta Allah is NOT in the midst of, or surrounded by the heavens BUT He is above the heavens The Ascendancy of Allaah & A Refutation of Wahdatul Wujood & Hulool – Sheikh Al-Albanee The Misguided Saying of Some People that Allaah is Everywhere or Present in all Things – Sheikh Al-Albanee A Refutation of Those who Accuse Ahlus-Sunnah of Confining Allaah to a Place – Moosaa Richardson – Youtube Explanation of the Ma’iyyah (i.e. Allaah being with the creation) of Allaah – Sheikh Ibn Baz The meaning of Allaah’s ma’iyyah – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen A Refutation of Those who Accuse Ahlus-Sunnah of Confining Allaah to a Place – Sheikh Al-Albanee High is Allaah above what the Sufis ascribe to Him

Seeing Allah in this world overtly by AbdurRahman.org Can humans see Allah in this world? Seeing Allah in this world overtly Q 2: Is it possible to see Allah in this world overtly? A: This issue is one of the issues that are based upon Tawqif (bound by a religious text and not amenable to personal opinion). No one is allowed to allege it without an authentic proof that can be cited as evidence. The Qur'an denotes that Musa (Moses) did not see his Lord. When Musa asked his Lord to see Him, He (Exalted be He) answered him saying: "You cannot see Me" (Surah Al-A`raf, 7: 143). The authentic Sunnah denoted that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not see his Lord with his eyes. It was reported in the Sahih of Muslim that Masruq said: I was resting (at the house of) ‘Aishah when she said: O Abu `Aishah, there are three things, and he who affirms even one of them has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I asked what they were. She said: He who presumes that Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw his Lord (with his ocular vision) has fabricated the greatest lie against Allah. I was reclining but then sat up and said: O Mother of Believers, wait and do not be hasteful. Has Allah (may He be Exalted) not said: And indeed he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw him [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] in the clear horizon (towards the east) (Surah Al-Takwir, 81: 23). and And indeed he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw him [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] at a second descent (i.e. another time) (Surah Al-Najm, 53: 13). She said: I was the first of this Ummah to ask Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) about it. And he said: Verily he is Gabriel. I have never seen him in his original form in which he was created except on those two occasions (to which these verses refer). I saw him descending from the heaven and filling (the space) between the sky and the earth with the greatness of his bodily structure. She asked: Have you not heard Allah saying: No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is Al-Latîf (the Most Subtle and Courteous), Well-Acquainted with all things.(Surah Al-An`am, 6: 103) She (i.e. 'Aisha) further asked: Have you not heard that, verily, Allah says: It is not given to any human being that Allâh should speak to him unless (it be) by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger until His saying: Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.(Surah Al-Shura, 42: 51) ...[1] It was reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Dhar that he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Did you see your Lord?" He said: "I saw Light."[2] In another narration, the Prophet said: “Light, how could I see Him.” [3] It was reported also in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "None of you shall see his Lord until he dies." [4] Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "The Imams of Muslims have agreed that no believer is liable to see Allah with his eyes in this world. They did not disagree except in the case of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, the majority of scholars agreed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not see Him with his eyes in this world. Authentic narrations reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Companions and the Imams of Muslims have confirmed this viewpoint. It was not authentically reported that Ibn `Abbas, Imam Ahmad and the like said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord with his eyes. What was authentically reported from them was the sight in general or confining the sight to that of the heart. There is nothing in the Hadiths of Mi'raj (Ascension to the heavens) that denotes that he saw Allah with his eyes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My Lord has come to me in the most-handsome shape I have ever seen." [5] This Hadith was reported by Al-Tirmidhy and others. This Hadith was reported when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in Al-Madinah This Hadith was interpreted that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord in a dream. There is also the Hadith of Um Al-Tufayl, the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas and others that contain seeing Allah. These Hadiths were reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was in Al-Madinah just as they were explained by other Hadiths. The Mi`raj (Ascension to Heaven) was at Makkah as Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allâh) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] Who took His slave (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsâ (in Jerusalem)".[Surah Al-Isra', 17: 1] Allah also said to Musa: "You cannot see Me" [Surah Al-A`raf, 7: 143]. Seeing Allah is greater than revealing a book from the heavens. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "The people of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Mûsâ (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: “Show us Allâh in public,”"(Surah Al-Nisa', 4: 153) Whoever alleges that he saw his Lord, it is as if he alleges that he is better than Musa ibn `Imran. This allegation is greater in evil than the allegation of those who falsely allege that Allah has revealed a book from the heaven upon them. The Companions, predecessors and Imams of Muslims believe that Allah will be seen in the Hereafter only and no one will see Him in this world except in a dream. Hearts in this case will find spiritual unveilings and sights that suit their status. Some people may have strong spiritual unveilings to the extent that they think that they saw their Lord with their eyes. But this is not true. Hearts unveilings or spiritual unveilings occur according the degree of the servant's belief in his Lord. [6] May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions! Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' Member     Member     Deputy Chairman     Chairman `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud     `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan     `Abdul-Razzaq `Afify     `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz Footnotes: [1] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on the Beginning of Creation, no. 3234; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 177; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 3068; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 6, p. 50. [2] Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 178; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 3282; Book on remembrance of Allah, supplication, repentance and seeking forgiveness, 5, p. 175. [3] Muslim, no. 178; and Al-Tirmidhy, no. 3278 [4] Muslim, no. 2931, Abu Dawud, no. 4318; and Al-Tirmidhy, no. 2236. [5] Imam Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 368, and vol. 5, p. 243; and Al-Tirmidhy, nos. 3232 and 3233. [6] Fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 2, p. 335 Source: Fatwas of the Permanent Committee Group 1 > Volume 2: `Aqidah (2) > Seeing Allah in this world > Can humans see Allah in this world? > Seeing Allah in this world overtly Related Links: Allah is not Imageless – The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta Allah is NOT in the midst of, or surrounded by the heavens BUT He is above the heavens The Ascendancy of Allaah & A Refutation of Wahdatul Wujood & Hulool – Sheikh Al-Albanee The Misguided Saying of Some People that Allaah is Everywhere or Present in all Things – Sheikh Al-Albanee A Refutation of Those who Accuse Ahlus-Sunnah of Confining Allaah to a Place – Moosaa Richardson – Youtube Explanation of the Ma’iyyah (i.e. Allaah being with the creation) of Allaah – Sheikh Ibn Baz The meaning of Allaah’s ma’iyyah – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen A Refutation of Those who Accuse Ahlus-Sunnah of Confining Allaah to a Place – Sheikh Al-Albanee High is Allaah above what the Sufis ascribe to Him

1. Niyah for Allaah: This is making a sincere intention of memorizing the Qur’an to only gain the pleasure of Allaah ‘Azza wa Jall. If this is not your intention, then your whole plan of memorizing fails and there will be no barakah in your memorizing.

2. Start practicing Islam to the best of your ability: It is important to keep an Islamic habit and trying to abstain from sinning. Be in the company of good people who will encourage you to do good practices rather than those who take you away from the path of Allaah ‘Azza wa Jall.

Imaam Shafi’ee once complained to his teacher about poor memory, and this was obviously a great concern for the great Imaam of one of the four school of thoughts. Unlike us, we usually complain about the Toronto Raptors or Toronto Maple Leafs losing (I am a Torontonian, so I am using them as an example). The teacher of Imaam Shafi’ee advised him to abstain from sin. So this is indeed a great advice for us to follow as well, since abstaining from sin will eventually make us focus more on the ‘ibaadah (worship) rather than the dunyaa (worldly matters).

3. Learning tajweed from someone who has Ijaaza: This is to learn from a teacher who knows how to pronounce the words and vowels correctly in order to recite the Qur’an in its correct manners.

4. Make a habit to memorize every day: Do bit by bit every day, even if it is little as memorize 5 small ayahs from the Qur’an. Do your best to make this a consistent effort, so that you will not fall back on your goals. If you memorize even a small amount day by day, you will be one step closer to the end of bridge insha’allah.

5. Memorize at the early stage of the day: I know this is difficult for a lot of us, especially for me. I must admit, I love snuggling with my nice comfy pillow, however for those who are really determined in memorizing the Book of Allaah, it is best to memorize right after Fajr/ early in the morning when the mind is fresh and when the beautiful Sun is bright.

6. Recite to somebody on consistent basis: Have a friend, family member or a teacher who you can recite to consistently. This is an amazing tip when it comes to reviewing, because you will have someone catch the small mistakes you wont notice while you are reciting the surah from memory.

7. Compete!!: It is best to have a buddy that you can compete with. At times you may feel unmotivated. This is true for a lot of students and due to this reason you may see people actually quitting on their goal. Thats why a little competition wont hurt. Try finding a friend who you know wants to memorize the Qur’an and knows nearly the same amount as you. Both of you can race towards attaining good deeds and keep each other motivated by sharing how much each of you have memorized at the end of the day and how much you reviewed. And Allah says: So hasten towards all that is good. ( 2:148 )

8. Divide relationship of Qur’an into four categories:

1.       New memorization: No matter what, memorize after Fajr, bright and early since this is the best time to do it.

2.      Linking last 7 days memorization: What this means is, that everything you learned in the last seven days, revise it completely. This is essential since it is easy to forget your past lessons if you don’t consistently review, and this is believed to be a good methodology for memorizing the Qur’an and keeping up to date with your revision.

3.      GO OVER OLD STUFF: I capitalize this, because this is an important advice to myself. Sometimes you will get lazy to review stuff that you learned so long ago. It is easy to forget your old stuff, and this is really the hardest part when it comes to memorizing the Qur’an. Ask yourself, what is the point of memorizing, when you will forget what you learned in the past. Therefore, try to revise your old juz, or ayaat you memorized from before on a consistent basis during any time of the day, and if you can, do your best to keep it to a minimum of 1/4 – 1/2 Juz insha’allah.

4.      Read what you will memorizing the next day before you go to sleep: I am currently a hifdh student, and this something I added. Personally, I find it easier to memorize when you read what you are going to be memorizing the next day, the night before. I just think it helps because you will have some words and phrases stuck in your mind which helps you to learn the lesson faster.

9. Brain Food and Health: “A daily run, a diet rich in almonds and other healthful foods and a stimulating environment — all may keep aging brain cells in shape, according to research out Monday.” (Kathleen Fackelmann, USA TODAY) To increase your memorization capacity, I guess its advisable to eat some almonds and be a little more active (Shoot, I actually have to get off the couch to memorize!!).

The meaning of Allaah’s ma’iyyah – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen by AbdurRahman.org

New post on The Names and Attributes of Allaah The meaning of Allaah's ma'iyyah (Allaah’s being “with” someone) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah With regards to the ma’iyyah of Allaah (Allaah’s being “with” someone) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah states: The ma’iyyah is divided into two types: that which is general and that which is specific. And the specific is (sub) divided into two types: that which is restricted to a personand that which is restricted to a description. As for the general, then this includes everyone – from the believer and the disbeliever, the righteous one and the wicked one. And the proof for it is His statement, He the Most High: <<And He is with you wherever you are.>> [Soorah al Hadeed (57) aayah 4] As for the specific (type) restricted to a description: then an example is His statement, He the Most High: <<Allaah is indeed with those who have taqwaa (by fearing Allaah with regards to His prohibitions and His punishment) and those who are muhsinoon (people who perform their worship of Allaah in a fine manner and work to bring benefit to the creation from every aspect).>> [Soorah an Nahl (16) aayah 128] As for the specific (type) restricted to a particular person: then an example is His statement, He the Most High, about His Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam : When he said to his companion (Aboo Bakr), “Do not grieve; indeed Allaah is with us.” Soorah at Tawbah (9) aayah 40 And He said to Moosaa and Haaroon: <<I am indeed with the two of you, hearing and seeing.>>Soorah TaaHaa (20) aayah 46 And this (ma’iyyah restricted to a person) is more specific than that which is restricted to a description. So the ma’iyyah is of levels: that which is general and unrestricted, and that which is specific and restricted to a description and that which is specific and restricted to a person. So the most specific of the types of ma’iyyah is that which is restricted to a person, then that which is restricted to a description, then that which is general. The ma’iyyah which is general necessitates (Allaah’s) encompassing the creation with knowledge and ability and hearing and seeing and authority, and other than that from the meanings of His Ruboobiyyah. And the ma’iyyah which is specific, with its two types, necessitates (along) with that nasr (aiding) and ta-yeed (giving support). (Sharh of waasitiyyah of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah , quoted in Mu’jam at Ta’reefaat p387, translated by Nasser ibn Najam) Source: http://ittibaa.com

The Young Ibn Taymiyyah by Ahmed Abu Turaab

The Young Ibn Taymiyyah by Ahmed Abu Turaab Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab Ibn Abdul-Haadi, Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah's student wrote: "And it so happened that a Shaikh from Aleppo came to Damascus, saying, "I have heard that in this city there is a boy who goes by the name of Ahmad the son of Taymiyyah and that he is extremely quick in memorising. I have come perchance I may see him." So a tailor said to him, "This is his route to school and he has not yet come, so sit with us. Anytime now he will pass us on his way to the school." So the Aleppan Shaikh sat down for a short while. Then two young boys walked by, so the tailor said to the Shaikh, "The young boy carrying that large tablet - he is Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah." So the Shaikh called him and he (Ibn Taymiyyah) came to him. Then the Shaikh took the tablet and looked at what was written therein. Then he said, "O my son! Wipe this out so that I can dictate something to you which you can write." So Ibn Taymiyyah did so. Then the Shaikh dictated eleven or thirteen sayings of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallaam) to him. Then the Shaikh said to him, "Read this." So Ibn Taymiyyah looked over it once after he had written it and then gave the tablet back to the Shaikh. So he said, "Read it to me." So he read it back to him in the best way possible. Then the Shaikh said to him, "O my son! Wipe this out." So he wiped it out and the Shaikh dictated a number of chains of narrations that he had chosen and said, "Read this." Ibn Taymiyyah looked at it and he did as he had done the first time. So the Shaikh stood up, saying, "If this young boy lives long he will have a great standing and rank - since the like of this has not been seen before." Ibn Naasirud-Deen narrated the saying of Abul-Muzaffar As-Sarmari, "And from the amazing matters regarding memorisation in our time is the Shaikh of Islaam Abul-Abbaas Ahmad bin Abdul-Haleem bin Taymiyyah. Since he would come across a book and would look over it once only after which it would be inscribed in his mind. He would be able to discuss it thereafter, narrating from it in his written works with its precise wording and meaning. And from the most amazing of what I have heard about him is what some of his companions narrated to me. They said that in the start of his affair when he was a young boy his father wanted to take his sons for an outing to a garden. So he said to Ibn Taymiyyah, "O Ahmad! Go out with your brothers and relax." So he exscused himself from that however his father persisted. But the young Ibn Taymiyyah strongly declined, saying, "I would like you to excuse me from going out." So his father let him stay and left with his other sons. They spent their day in the garden and returned at the end of the day whereupon his father said to him, "O Ahmad! You deserted your brothers today! And you annoyed them because of your absence from them. So what is this?" So he replied, O father! Today I memorised this book."  Alluding to a book with him. So his father replied, "You memorised it?!"  In denial, shocked and amazed at what his son had just said. So he said to him, "Read it to me." So he did. He had indeed memorised the entire book. Then his father held him and kissed him between his eyes and said, "O my son! Do not tell anyone about what you have done," fearful lest the the Evil Eye should fall upon him." Taken from Ibn Abdul-Haadi's Al-'Uqood Al-Durriyah min Manaaqib Shaikhil-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 7

Asking For Allaah’s Mercy For Those who Fell into Innovations Connected to Aqidah | 4 | If You Call Someone an Innovator Either He Really is or it Goes Back on You

And finally I want to remind you of a reality about which there is no difference but I wanted to add something else to it which many of our youth in this day and age do not ponder over.

This reality is the statement he عليه السلام made in many hadiths, “Whoever declares a Muslim to be a disbeliever has committed disbelief,” this is a reality about which there is no doubt, and the detailed explanation of this is well-known from some other hadiths, i.e., if the one he has declared to be a disbeliever is [in fact] a disbeliever then he is correct but if not then it goes back on him.

This does not require a discussion because the hadith about it is clear, but I wanted to add to it and say: whoever declares a Muslim to be an innovator then either that Muslim [who he declared to be an innovator really] is an innovator or if not then he [i.e., the one who accused the other of being an innovator] is the innovator.

And this is the reality which I mentioned to you just now: that our youth declare the scholars to be innovators and they are the ones who have fall into innovation whilst they know not, and they [i.e., these hasty youth] do not want to commit innovations in fact they fight them, but the saying of the poet applies to them:

Sa’d led the camels to water while being wrapped up
Not like this, O Sa’d, are the camels taken to drink

[Ed. Note: namely he led the camels to water while being wrapped up such that he could not take his hands out of his garment, and thus did not perform his duty of tending to the camels correctly, and it is an example used for someone who falls short in carrying out a matter.]

For this reason, I advise our youth to stick to acting upon the Book and the Sunnah within the limits of their knowledge and not to tower over others who they cannot match in either knowledge or understanding, and maybe even righteousness.

So people like [Imaam] An-Nawawi and Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani–give me someone in the [whole of the] Islamic world like these two men.

Leave Sayyid Qutb, he was a man we revere for his jihaad but he was no more than an author, a man of letters, a composer [of words]–but he was not a scholar so there is nothing odd about the fact that things and things and things emanated from him which opposed the correct methodology.

As for the ones who alongside him mention An-Nawawi and Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani and others like them … it is oppression to say about them that they are from the people of innovation, I know that they were both Ash’aris but they both did not intend to [wilfully] oppose the Book and the Sunnah, they erred and thought two things about the Ash’ari aqidah that they inherited: firstly that Imaam al-Asha’ri held that view but he only did so in the earlier days because he came back from holding that opinion, and secondly, they were under the false impression that it was correct, but it is not.

[Addressing the questioner:] Bring what you have [i.e., mention what beneficial points of knowledge you have] …

Questioner: O Shaikh, from the manhaj of the Salaf was that they would not judge a man to be from Ahlus-Sunnah except when he would have the characteristics of the [Ahlus-]Sunnah, and that if he innovated or praised the people of innovation then he would be counted as one of them, as the Salaf would say for example, “Whoever says that Allaah is not above the Heavens then he is a Jahmee.”

Al-Albaani: Some of that is present, but do not forget what I just said to you: this does not mean that he is not a Muslim, just as when the Prophet عليه السلام did not pray over the one who died whilst having a debt or the one who acted unfaithfully regarding the war booty or the one who killed someone [all of this] does not mean that such a person is not a Muslim.  This, O my brother, is to educate as we explained before, this is something else.

If the Salafi narrations are not complementing each other or unanimous [mutawaatir] then it is not fitting that a manhaj is based upon a saying from an individual from the Salaf. Thereafter this manhaj is in opposition to what is known from the Salafthemselves: that a Muslim does not leave the fold of Islaam simply by committing an act of disobedience or an innovation or a sin which he perpetrates. So when we find someone who differed with this principle we go back to explaining it as I just mentioned to you, that it is to reprimand and discipline/educate.

We have [an example] in Imaam Bukhaari, and what will explain to you what Imaam Bukhaari was? [i.e., how great a scholar he truly was] Some of the scholars of hadith left Imaam Bukhaari and would not narrate from him, why? Because Imaam Bukhaari differentiated between the one who says the Quraan is created–[for he regarded the one who said this as being] misguided, an innovator, a disbeliever, according to the terminology the scholars have used concerning such people–and the one who said, ‘My pronunciation of the Quraan is created.”

Imaam Ahmad stated that the one who said this statement, i.e., that my pronunciation of the Quraan is created, is a Jahmee, and based upon this ruling some of the people who came after Imaam Ahmad ruled that Imaam Bukhaari is not to be taken from because he has made a statement of the Jahmees. The Jahmiyyah do not say that only one’s pronunciation of the Quraan is created, they [in fact] say that the Quraan is not the Speech of Allaah but is just another part of Allaah’s creation.

So what is then said about [Imaam] al-Bukhaari who made the statement, ‘My pronunciation of the Quraan is created?’ and [what is said about] Imaam Ahmad who said that whoever makes that statement is a Jahmi?

It is not possible for us to reconcile between both issues except by interpreting it correctly in a way which corresponds to the principles … and before I continue, I think along with me, you [do] differentiate between the one who says the Quraan is created and the one who says that his pronunciation of the Quraan is created, don’t you?

Questioner: Yes,

Al-Albaani: So, how will we answer the statement of Imaam Ahmad that whoever says my pronunciation of the Quraan is created is a Jahmi? How do we answer this statement?

There is no answer except for what I mentioned to you, that it was to warn the Muslims from saying something which the people of innovation and misguidance, i.e., the Jahmiyyah, will take as a means [of calling the people to their falsehood]. So maybe someone, to try to make those around him fall into a problem they will have no way of escaping from, will say, ‘My pronunciation of the Quraan is created,’ but who [really] intends [that] the Quraan itself [is created] when he says that, but it is not necessary that everyone who says this statement intends that same evil meaning.

So now, Imaam Bukhaari has no need for anyone to claim that he is pure–for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic has shown him to be pure, since [right] after the Noble Quraan, Allaah made all of his book [i.e., Sahih Bukhari] accepted amongst the generality of Muslims despite the differences amongst those Muslims.

Thus, when he [i.e., Imaam Bukhaari] said, ‘My pronunciation of the Quraan is created,’ he meant something correct by it [and not the evil meaning intended by the innovators], but Imaam Ahmad feared [the outcome of this] and so said, ‘Whoever says that is such and such,’ to warn [the people] and not by way of believing that everyone who says that is truly a Jahmi, no.

For this reason when we find a ruling in the statements of some of the Salaf that whoever falls into innovation then he is an innovator it is to rebuke and not by way of believing [that everyone who does so is an innovator].

Ar-Rabb (Lord and Nurturer) and His tarbiyyah (nurturing) of His creation by AbdurRahman.org

New post on The Names and Attributes of Allaah

The scholar  Abdur Rahmaan ibn Nasir as Sa’dee (died 1376 AH (1955 CE))rahimahullaah said about the saying of Allaah, the Most High: <<All praise is for Allaah, the Rabb of all the Worlds.>> (Soorah al Faatihah (1) aayah 1) “the Rabb (Lord and Nurturer) of all the Worlds” – and His tarbiyyah (nurturing) of His creation, He the Most High, is of two types: general and specific. So the general type is His creating the creation and giving them provision and guiding them to that which contains benefits for them, that which allows them to survive in this worldly life. And the specific type is His tarbiyyah of His beloved and dutiful servants; so He nurtures them with true faith and He grants them the success to attain it, and He completes it for them. And He repels away from them those things which act as diversions and impediments and obstructions between them and it. And its reality is that it is tarbiyyah of being granted success in attaining every good and protection from every evil. (Tayseer ul Kareem ir Rahmaan  of as Sa’dee rahimahullaah p39,  translated by Nasser ibn Najam) http://ittibaa.com/5/post/2011/12/allaahs-tarbiyyah-of-his-creation.html