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Excerpt: Lessons of Faith by Ḥakīm al-Ummah Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānawī
Produced below is a selection from the first chapter of an upcoming translation of Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānawī’s work Taʿlīm al-Dīn, which is a concise manual of Islamic precepts that cover a wide range of topics, including theology, law, ethics, mysticism, and politics. The first draft of the entire translation and its footnotes were recently… Continue reading
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Critical Reflections on Madrasa Reform Ideas
I am now posting some thoughts I wrote up about the previous post (Mawlana Tariq Rasheed Sahib’s interview on madrasa reform) after our brother and friend Abdul Sattar (may Allah bless him) asked the following: “I was wondering if you could offer your thoughts on the ideas he discusses concerning the curriculum itself, and the cultural… Continue reading
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Mawlana Tariq Rasheed al-Nadwi al-Firangi Mahalli on the Dars Niẓāmī and Madrasah Reform
There is much to ponder about in this interview and much to learn from. May Allah reward the Mawlana for his efforts and put blessing in his noble endeavors. I have written some comments on this interview that were published on the old attalib blog years ago. Meant to balance the critique offered by Mawlana Tariq… Continue reading
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Regarding Abrogation of the Verse of Tasmiyah in Ritual Slaughter
Question: There has been some debate at my masjid regarding the permissibility of eating the food of Ahl al Kitab. My Imam says that the verse prohibitng the eating of food on which the name of Allah had not been said was abrogated by the verse that permitted the eating of the food of Ahl… Continue reading
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Summer Reading List 2015
Upon several enquiries into what I’ve been reading this summer, I quickly put together a list of (i) what I have already read, (ii) what I am currently reading, and (iii) what I plan on reading before the end of the summer. This summer I am not teaching so I have been able to give more… Continue reading
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A Short Answer to a Question on Extravagance from the Islamic Perspective
A question was once posed by a student through email regarding the issue of wastage, more specifically in regards to wasting water. It was published by our dear friend Hafiz Faraz Abdul Moid on the attalib blog some years ago. I repost it here for your benefit, iA. Question: I had a question, and if you’re not… Continue reading
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The Question of Fallen Angels and the Nature of Iblīs: Was Satan an Angel or of the Jinn?
Long overdue, I am posting an excerpt on “The Question of Fallen Angels” from the Integrated Encyclopedia of the Qurʾān in response to a relatively amicable debate that occurred during a study circle on the question of the validity of the assertion that Shayṭān wasn’t necessarily an angel but possibly from the Jinn. The argument was… Continue reading
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Madrasat al-Hasanayn Updated Curriculum Years 1-4
After posting an earlier synopsis of the Hasanayn curriculum when I was studying there fifteen years ago, a current student was kind enough to send me an updated version for the first four years of the eight year program. Interestingly enough, when the curriculum was first cooked up, it was designed to be a 12-year… Continue reading
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Article: The Western Intellectual and Cultural Challenge and the Responsibilities of the Ulema by Dr. Mahmud Ghazi
I had initially intended to keep this website free of articles that weren’t originally authored. However, seeing as to the rarity of certain articles and their difficulty to find even online, I thought it would be useful on occasion to post important pieces that are of interest to me and that have influenced my work… Continue reading
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Notes: Hakim al-Ummat’s Comments on the Method of Teaching in Madrasahs
Hakīm al-Ummah Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānawī is known to have proposed some very interesting modifications to the Dars Niẓāmī syllabus as well as a number of condensed versions of the course to meet the divergent needs of the general Muslim populace. Amongst the proposals is his emphasis on exercises and practice questions of the rules and… Continue reading