Ilm al-Muamalah and Ilm al-Mukashafah

When studying Ghazali and similar authors, it's important to understand the division of two types of the knowledge: Ilm al-Muamalah (علم المعاملة): The outward knowledge that can be taught and learned. It is the knowledge of transactions between us and Allah ﷻ, us and our hearts (ex: sincerity), us and other people (ex: being brotherly … Continue reading Ilm al-Muamalah and Ilm al-Mukashafah

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Refinement of Hearts

Imam Zaid Shakir said that his Sheikh, Mustafa Turkmani, used to frequently say: رجل واحد صاحب الحال يؤثر على ألف رجل وألف رجل بلا حال لا يؤثرون على واحد A single person who has a refined spiritual state can affect a thousand, but a thousand people who lack any refinement in their state cannot affect … Continue reading Refinement of Hearts

Separation of Church and State in Islamic History and Freedom

No people on Earth ever had a more successful separation of Church and state than Muslims did. From a very early time, religious scholars became endowed and separated from the state, and critical of it. The state needed them for legitimacy and they did not need the state. Therefore, they always had the ability to … Continue reading Separation of Church and State in Islamic History and Freedom

Seeing the Faults of Others

One of the signs of the khawarij is they obsess over the faults of others--it's all they see. They never see their own faults. One of the signs of the awliya' is they are constantly preoccupied with their own faults, which seem endless. They hardly have time to see the fault of others, their schedule … Continue reading Seeing the Faults of Others

Hadith: We Returned from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad

There's a famous hadith in Bayhaqi that says:  الحديث الذي ورد عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال لأصحابه  لما رجعوا من الغزو : ( رجعنا من الجهاد الأصغر ، إلى الجهاد الأكبر ) ، قالوا : وهل هناك جهاد أعظم من جهاد الكفار ؟ قال : ( نعم . جهاد النفس ) .It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), … Continue reading Hadith: We Returned from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad

Shahada, Deeds, and Paradise

On the Day of Judgement, nothing will weigh heavier than the testimony of faith: ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah. Even 99 scrolls of bad deeds will be outweighed by it. Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed Allah will distinguish a man from … Continue reading Shahada, Deeds, and Paradise

Special Hour of the Night

The following is from page 289 of Islam in the School of Madina: Sayyidi Abd ar-Rahman ath-Tha'alibi - may Allah benefit us by him - has commented on the words of Allah "and let him not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord" (Quran 18:110) saying: "take note: it has been narrated to us … Continue reading Special Hour of the Night

Forgiving a Murder in Islam

There's a hadith in an-Nasa'i about a man who murdered a man's brother after he insulted him. The prophet ﷺ tried to find a way for his blood money to be paid, and after it wasn't possible he allowed the man to either forgive him or exact retribution. But if he forgave him, the murderer … Continue reading Forgiving a Murder in Islam