Bilal Ali

  • Presentation Notes: Full-Time Islamic Schooling in the West: Problems and Solutions

    I was looking through my old files and stumbled upon the rough notes from my presentation on full-time Islamic schools in the West at the first Foundation of Islamic Knowledge and Research (FIKR) symposium in 2009. The presentation concentrated on a survey of Islamic schools in the West. It did not seek to formulate any solid… Continue reading

  • Notes: Evolution of the Masjid-College to the Madrasah

    In George Makdisi’s The Rise of Colleges, Makdisi details in the beginning of the book how the original style of teaching from the time of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) evolved due to numerous factors into first a masjid/khan combination (khans being dormitories/guesthouses that housed both students who studied in the… Continue reading

  • Brief Comments on “The Qur’an: The New Translation” by MAS Abdel Haleem

    This translation of the meanings of the Qur’an – which I wish the cover articulated clearer instead of just “The Qur’an” in large print – is one of three translations of the Qur’an’s meanings that I use the most. The other two are Ahmad Zaki Hammad and Ali Unal’s translations. I am aware of other… Continue reading

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  • Suggested Texts for Studying Māturīdī Kalām

    In response to a recent enquiry into suggested paths of study of Maturidi works (in light of the enquirer’s particular desire to add to the curriculum of study provided by most institutes in the subcontinent), I am providing a short list of suggested readings that can be studied on one’s own but are preferably read… Continue reading

  • Arabic Biography of Mawlānā Dr. ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm al-Nuʿmānī (Chishtī)

    -ترجمة الشيخ محمد عبد الحليم النعماني حفظه الله بقلم تلميذه بلال علي الأنصاري اسمه ونسبه ونسبته: هو المحدث الجليل والفاضل النبيل، العلامة الناقد، المحقق البارع، الشيخ الدكتور، مولانا محمد عبد الحليم بن المنشي محمد عبد الرحيم بن محمد بخش بن بَلاَقِي بن ﭼَرَاغ محمد بن هِمَّتْ، الرَاجْـﭙُـوْتِي نَسَباً، الجَيْـﭙُـوْرِي الهندي مَولِداً ومَنشَأً، الكَرَاتشْوِي مُهاجراً، الـﭽِـشْتِي مشرباً،… Continue reading

  • Book Review: The Essentials of Jumu’a by Shaykh Ibrahim Madani

    Author: Ibrahim Madani Publisher: Madania Publications Pages: 89   Binding: Paperback The Essentials of Jumuʿa, Madania Publications’ first work, is a pleasant and welcome addition to a growing corpus of Islamic literature written in English and aimed at the Western reader. At first glance, the reader will appreciate the excellence of its print and language. This is not insignificant, as many books… Continue reading

  • al-Kawashif al-Jaliyyah ‘an Mustalahat al-Hanafiyyah by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ilah al-Mulla

    The following treatise is a wonderfully brief but expansive work on the terminology of the Hanafi school of law. It began as an introduction to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ilah’s (amongst the scholars of Ahsa’) doctorate on the first volume of ‘Allamah Siraj al-Din Ibn al-Nujaym’s al-Nahr al-Fa’iq and was later expanded upon to include more terms from those… Continue reading

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  • Commentary on the Hadith of Shaytan and Eating with the Left Hand

    أخبرنا مالك أخبرنا ابن شهاب عن أبي بكر  بن عبيد الله عن عبد الله بن عمر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال : إذا أكل  أحدكم فليأكل بيمينه وليشرب  بيمينه فإن الشيطان  يأكل بشماله ويشرب بشماله قال محمد : وبه نأخذ . لا ينبغي أن يأكل بشماله ولا يشرب بشماله إلا من… Continue reading

  • Categorization of Legal Rulings Within the Hanafi School

    Hanafi legal rulings are divided into distinct categories which are utilized by jurists (fuqaha’) when issuing rulings and identifying superior opinions in case of apparent contradiction. Ibn ‘Abidin mentions three categories of rulings in his Sharh ‘Uqud Rasm al-Mufti and the introduction to his Radd al-Muhtar. (Sharh ‘Uqud Rasm al-Mufti 46, Radd al-Muhtar 1:37, both from Misbah 1:297) [Note that the following division… Continue reading

  • Book Review: The Rights of Parents by Imam Muhammad Mawlud

    In the desire to acquire sound Islamic knowledge and please Allah, there can be no more essential guide than sound morals and manners (ādāb). Any education that is not built upon the foundations of ādāb is bound to crumble or lead astray. This primacy of applied ethics in the Islam worldview can perhaps be best… Continue reading

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