Quran Reflections by Imam Tom Facchine & Talha Ghannam خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ غِشَـٰوَةٌۭ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ ٧ Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and their sight is covered. They will suffer a tremendous punishment. Before reading this, make sure you watch the video! A wonderful reflection…
The examples of scholars having decorum and etiquette in their disagreements are too many to relate. But one example came up today while I was doing some reading around this verse in Surah Al-Ankabut.
After Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, spends a significant number of pages responding to some Mu’tazilite theological arguments – something he spends a lot of time doing in his exegesis – he then says something quite profound about this whole back-and-forth he’s engaging in.
Ibn Kathir mentions in his Tafsir:
“Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (ra) was asked about the meaning of this verse. He replied:
`What sky would shade me and what earth would carry me if I said about the Book of Allah that which I did not have knowledge of.’ ”
Many of us are quick to interpret the words of Allah ﷻ with little study or knowledge, particularly when asked a question.
My uncle Adnan has finally returned home. As a Syrian refugee, his life was filled with challenges and hardships, forced to move from country to country as none would truly welcome him as their own. But through it all, he remained grateful, patient, and strong, never complaining about his plight, and always seeing the blessings in what he had.
Notice the order which Allah ﷻ gives His commands; you will find a wonderful subtlety which hides an ocean of meaning. As Musa’s (as) heart filled with fear at the sight of his staff turning into a snake, Allah ﷻ commanded him to “take it, and have no fear”. He leads with the action before addressing the emotion.
These are pictures of Allepo, Syria before and after current events. Harrowing. Really puts life in perspective. What’s worse is imagining what has happened to all the people that once walked these streets. Then, try imagine it happening in the UK… …the shops, homes and malls all gone …uncomfortable right? I never could have imagined…
“Nostalgia is powerful. Instil good memories in your children of their religion, and they will forever look back at it and their faith with fondness. Just look at the Star Wars effect!” “People who have never seen beauty can’t give it” [Paraphrased, Sh. Idriss Watts] An awesome talk by Sh. Idriss yesterday, providing much food…
It is well known that no one knows for certain when Laylat Al-Qadr (the night of power) falls. The prophet ﷺ had once come to inform us about its precise timing, but when he saw two Muslims quarrelling, the knowledge was withheld from us. عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيُخْبِرَنَا بِلَيْلَةِ…
Imam Sha’rani writes: “Another example is the statement of Abu Hanifa and Malik that the Salawat upon the Prophet (alayhi salat wa salam) in the final Tashahud is a Sunnah (stressed recommendation), while al-Shafi’i and Ahmad (in one of his positions narrated from him) state that it is an obligation (Fard); so the first espouse…
It’s rare that hype meets expectations. Having read a dozen books on Fes and the Maghrib before coming, I knew I had set my expectations high and was bracing myself for disappointment. My experience in Egypt had taught me that today’s reality is far from the nostalgic past we read of before. The chaos of…
On the Path of Knowledge 