Three years after the passing of my mentor, I find myself reflecting on certain memories I had penned shortly after his departure. At that time, I had taken a portion of an English post and expanded it into a more extensive Urdu article originally intended for publication as part of a larger special-issue anthology of… Continue reading Honoring the Legacy of the Ascetic-Scholar ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm Chishtī al-Nuʿmānī
The Elevation of Feminine Virtue: Remembering a Life of Selfless Service and the Loss of a Hidden Paragon
By Bilal Ali Ansari It is January 3rd, 2023 (10th of Jumada al-Thani, 1444 AH). Mortality’s cloud has obscured a peerless source of compassion and service from our eyes. For seventy-six years, this archetype of feminine virtue illuminated the world with her blazing light. Now a sizable crowd patiently waits under dark skies and a cold,… Continue reading The Elevation of Feminine Virtue: Remembering a Life of Selfless Service and the Loss of a Hidden Paragon
Memories of My Mentor: Mawlānā Dr. ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm al-Nuʿmāni Chishtī
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Mercy-Giving. Upon the passing of my mentor and intellectual guide, Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm Chishtī Ṣāḥib (al-Nuʿmānī), who his students affectionally call Ustādh Jī or just Haḍrat Chishtī Ṣāḥib, I find myself struggling to find the right way of expressing my grief and loss. It is, no… Continue reading Memories of My Mentor: Mawlānā Dr. ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm al-Nuʿmāni Chishtī
Meraj Mohiuddin’s Revelation: The Story of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him): A Critical Review
MERAJ MOHIUDDIN’S REVELATION: THE STORY OF MUHAMMAD (PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM): A CRITICAL REVIEW In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate. Despite its relatively recent publication, Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin’s Revelation: The Story of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) has quickly become one of the more popular, publicized, and widely-distributed… Continue reading Meraj Mohiuddin’s Revelation: The Story of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him): A Critical Review
The Attribution of Prophetic Events to the Day of ʿĀshūrā
[I found this somewhat unfinished research on my computer. Seeing as today is the 10th of Muḥarram, or ʿĀshūrā, I thought it would be useful to students of knowledge to post whatever research I had gathered to date on the authenticity of the attribution of certain prophetic events to this day. Interestingly enough, the 10th… Continue reading The Attribution of Prophetic Events to the Day of ʿĀshūrā
A Call to Muslims: A Transcript of a Speech to the Scholars by Mawlānā Ilyās al-Kāndhalwī
Nearly eight years ago, I came across a rare print of a speech delivered by Mawlānā Muḥammad Ilyās al-Kāndhalwī in a library. I asked a student to help me transcribe it so that it could be edited for language and style and posted online or published in the future. I came across my edit of the piece… Continue reading A Call to Muslims: A Transcript of a Speech to the Scholars by Mawlānā Ilyās al-Kāndhalwī
Planning for Death: Essential Guidelines on Death and Inheritance
In the past few years, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions to present a lecture on the essential Islamic rules and guidelines regarding death, dying, and inheritance. I’ve also been asked to provide the presentation slides to attendees after the seminar, due to which I am uploading them here. Please be aware that the presentation simply… Continue reading Planning for Death: Essential Guidelines on Death and Inheritance
Step-by-Step Description of the Ritual Ablution
Below is a simplified explanation of the method of performing the ritual ablution (wuḍūʿ) in the Ḥanafī madhhab, using brackets to demarcate its farḍ [f], wājib [w], sunnah [s], and mustaḥabb [m] elements. The explanation is part of a workbook I prepared for a short seminar entitled Perfecting Prayer that provided a step-by-step guide to wuḍūʿ and… Continue reading Step-by-Step Description of the Ritual Ablution
Summer English Reading List 2016
My English summer reading list is relatively shorter this year. I’ve been concentrating much of my time on Arabic hadith works and getting around to finishing some research assignments. However, in my free time, I’ve been perusing some of the following books with a hope to complete some, write a review of at least one,… Continue reading Summer English Reading List 2016
Draft of the First Chapter of a Tashīl al-Naḥw Translation
The following is the first chapter of a translation taken from Qārī Siddīq Bāndwī’s Tashīl al-Naḥw that I was involved in through some editing and translating along with two former students. The project was put on hold in an attempt to first complete another work that was near the final draft stage. I have produced the draft here… Continue reading Draft of the First Chapter of a Tashīl al-Naḥw Translation
Bilal Ali Ansari 