Imam al-Ghazali: Unrestrained Taqlid Opposes The Overall Purpose Of Shari‘ah

Imam al-Ghazali (رحمه الله) writes: As for giving a muqallid the option to choose between the imams (and follow any view he desires), some have opined this. (1) However, the preferred (viewpoint) according to us is that it is obligatory… Continue Reading

Imam Ghazali: To Deem Abu Bakr & ‘Umar (Allah Be Pleased With Them) To Be Disbelievers Is Disbelief

In a work he wrote in 487 AH (1094 CE), Imam al-Ghazali writes: If it is said: “If someone explicitly says Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them) are disbelievers [wa ‘l-‘iyadhu billah], then this entails that it… Continue Reading

Imam ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Qurashi On Why There Are Only Few Female Hanafi Scholars

Imam ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Qurashi (696-775 AH) (1) wrote: In this section, I will enumerate the female scholars among our (Hanafi) companions that I have come across. I have come across only very few.   Undoubtedly, the situation of women is… Continue Reading

The Issue of Female Rulership – Muftī Muḥammad Rafī‘ ‘Uthmānī

What is Islām’s stance on a woman being made the sovereign ruler of a country? When Pakistan elected its first female prime-minister in December of 1988, many concerned individuals were asking whether this is permissible in Islām. Hence, Muftī Muḥammad… Continue Reading

Delivering a Khuṭbah in Non-Arabic & Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s Understanding of the Nature of the Qur’ān

The following is a translation of Mufti Taqi Usmani’s Urdu article (from his Fiqhī Maqālāt) on the ruling of delivering the Khuṭbah of Jumu‘ah in a language besides Arabic. The article looks at: The position of the four Madhhabs on… Continue Reading

Is Concern of Contracting the Coronavirus or Transmitting it a Valid Reason to not Attend Jamā‘ah or Jumu‘ah?

Some people are asking if it is permissible for men to not attend the masjid for Jamā‘ah or Jumu‘ah on account of fear of being infected by the coronavirus or transmitting it to someone else. “Sickness” is a valid excuse… Continue Reading

Principles of Takfīr – Muftī Muḥammad Shafī‘

In this book, originally titled Īmān Aur Kufr Qur’ān Kī Roshnī Mein (Īmān and Kufr in Light of the Qur’ān), Muftī Muḥammad Shafī‘* provides a detailed explanation of the principles of Takfīr (declaring someone outside the fold of Islām). As… Continue Reading

Mawlānā Rashīd Aḥmad Gangohī: Defining Dār al-Islām and Dār al-Ḥarb

Some rulings of Islām change based on a person being in a Muslim-governed territory or “Dār al-Islām” or in a non-Muslim governed territory or “Dār al-Ḥarb”. What constitutes a Dār al-Islām or Dār al-Ḥarb is therefore a vitally important question… Continue Reading

Questions Regarding a Wife’s Obligations in Sharī‘ah

Question Are wives responsible for housework? Answer The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Each of you is responsible and will be asked about his responsibility…The man is responsible for [maintaining] his household and the woman is responsible for [the upkeep… Continue Reading