Muntasir Zaman

26 Nov 2015

A Day in The Life of Hāfiż Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī

By Muntasir Zaman

26 Nov 2015

4 Min read

26November

A Day in The Life of Hāfiż Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī By Shams al-Dīn al-Sakhāwī[1] [Translator’s Preface: “The beauty of the skies lies in the stars; the beauty of the earth lies in the pious.” The following is a description of a day in the life of the great Hadīth scholar Hāfiż Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī (d. 852 AH). This was documented by his close companion and student Shams al-Dīn al-Sakhāwī (d. 902...

23 Oct 2015

On the Reward of Performing Two Sajdahs after the Witr Prayer Followed by the Recitation of “Subbūh Quddūs Rabb al-Malā’ikah wa al-Rūh” and Ayāt al-Kursī

By Muntasir Zaman

23 Oct 2015

6 Min read

23October

On the Reward of Performing Two Sajdahs after the Witr Prayer Followed by the Recitation of “Subbūh Quddūs Rabb al-Malā’ikah wa al-Rūh” and Ayāt al-Kursī By Ibrāhim ibn Muhammad al-Halabī Translated by Muntasir Zaman [Translator’s Preface: The following is an analysis of a hadith concerning the supposed virtue of performing two sajdahs after the Witr prayer followed by the recitation of “subbūh...

3 Oct 2015

Assessing the Status of Imām Abū Hanīfah According to the Methodology of the Hadīth Scholars

By Muntasir Zaman

3 Oct 2015

6 Min read

03October

Assessing the Status of Imām Abū Hanīfah According to the Methodology of the Hadīth Scholars By Shaykh Shākir Fayyād With comments by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāh Abū Ghuddah [Translator’s Preface: the following is a summary by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāh Abū Ghuddah of a book which analyzes the allegation of weak memory leveled against Imām Abū Hanīfah. In this study, the author uses the methodology of the...

31 Jul 2015

Laying the Foundation: A Historical Analysis of Kūfah’s Academic Development

By Muntasir Zaman

31 Jul 2015

31 Min read

31July

Translator’s Preface The profound influence ones environment has in shaping his personality, worldview, and knowledge is a universally accepted fact. It is as the age-old proverb goes, “Tell me the company you keep, and I will tell you who you are.” As such, to appreciate the early Muslim scholars of ‘Irāq, in particular those of Kūfah, it is of paramount importance to understand the academic...

10 Jul 2015

The Ruling of the Jumu‘ah Prayer on the Day of ‘Īd in Light of Textual Evidence

By Muntasir Zaman

10 Jul 2015

24 Min read

10July

Translator’s Preface As the day of ‘Īd draws near, the exuberance and joy of Muslims becomes increasingly manifest. After devoting an entire month to fasting, worshiping, and other religious obligations, a believer embraces the joyous occasion of ‘Īd al-Fitr spiritually uplifted and reformed. It is with immense grief, however, that during such blessed days we witness reoccurring episodes of...

12 Jun 2015

Clarifying the Maxim: Our Madhhab is Correct and Possibly Incorrect

By Muntasir Zaman

12 Jun 2015

6 Min read

12June

Clarifying the Maxim: Our Madhhab is Correct and Possibly Incorrect While the Madhhab of Others is Incorrect and Possibly Correct. By Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwāmah[1] Translated by Muntasir Zaman Objection: The following maxim is often quoted in the books of Fiqh: Our madhhab is correct and possibly incorrect while the madhhab of others is incorrect and possibly correct. What kind of conduct is this...

19 May 2015

The Contribution of the Scholars of Deoband in the Field of Hadīth: Reviving a Forgotten Legacy

By Muntasir Zaman

19 May 2015

22 Min read

19May

Preface In accordance with His promise to preserve the true teachings of Islām, Allāh has selected certain individuals or groups throughout Islām’s history to carry out the task of preserving the noble Islāmic legacy. At times of creedal turmoil, the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal stood against the Mu’tazilī heresy; at times of political instability, personalities such as Salāh al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī...

16 Apr 2015

The Dynamics of Practicing on Hadīth

By Muntasir Zaman

16 Apr 2015

9 Min read

16April

Translator’s Preface The following is a dialogue that took place between ‘Allāmah Zāhid al-Kawtharī (d. 1371) and Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn al-Hilālī (d.1407) regarding the status of lifting ones hands (raf’ al-yadayn) in prayer in light of hadīth. The purpose of translating this dialogue is not to exhaust all the existing evidence of a particular view or to prove the superiority of one practice over...

28 Mar 2015

Simple Words That Produced Great Men

By Muntasir Zaman

28 Mar 2015

8 Min read

28March

Translator’s Preface “Your handwriting resembles that of the hadith scholars,” said al-Birzālī. These words resonated well with Muhammad ibn Ahmad such that it instilled within him the desire to pursue the science of hadith. [1] He went on to author countless works, assume lofty academic positions, and was eventually regarded as a leading authority in the field of hadīth.[2] Muhammad ibn Ahmad...

28 Feb 2015

The Forty-Scholar Council of Imām Abū Hanīfah

By Muntasir Zaman

28 Feb 2015

7 Min read

28February

The Forty-Scholar Council of Imām Abū Hanīfah By Muntasir Zaman Among the various specialties of the Hanafī school of thought, one outstanding specialty is the rigorous manner in which it was developed. Imām Abū Hanīfah had a group of prominent scholars with whom he would consult. Often they would only come to a conclusion on a particular issue after debating it for three days.[1] As such, one...