Al-Waraqat - English Translation and Commentary

We are very humbled to present our new book on Usul al Fiqh - Translation and Commentary of classical text by Imam Al-Haramain Al-Juvaini "Al-Waraqat".

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Learn Usool At Tafsir from some of the best scholars..

We have proudly upgraded our Usul At-Tafsir multimedia section. This collection coupled with our Usul at-tafsir bookshelf can be an ultimate resource for seekers of sacred knowledge.

Visit today and share on.

What is Qiyas - Visual Explanation

Literally, Qiyas means measuring or ascertaining the length, weight or quality of something. Scales are called ‘miqyas’ which is derived from this. Qiyas also means comparison – equality or similarity between two things.

Technically; Qiyas is an:

extension of a Shariah value (wajib, haram, mubah, mandoob, and makrooh)
from an original case (asl)
to a new case (far’),
because the latter has the same effective cause (illah) as the former.

The original case is ruled by the Quran or Sunnah and qiyas aims to extend the same ruling to the new case based on the same illah.

It was defined by Ibn Qudaamah R.A. as follows:

“Giving a ruling concerning a novel issue (i.e., one that is not directly mentioned in shara‘i texts) that is the same as the ruling on a basic issue (i.e., one that is directly mentioned in shara‘i texts), on the basis of some common factor between the two issues.”

Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim explains:

Qiyas is when scholars of Islamic Shariah establish an understanding by looking at something similar to the issue, or to the opposite of it.

Why the opposite? Because “somethings are known by their opposites.”

For example, if there were no darkness how would we know what light is?

As such, when we enter the mosque the Rasool ﷺ taught us to enter with our right foot. So, by analogy or “Qiyas” the scholars have said that if we enter a place of righteousness with the right foot, then a place of filth, such as the washroom, should be entered with the left foot.

Sheikh Salih Al-Munajjid explains:

There are four pillars or components of analogy:

- the basic issue (asl),
- the novel issue (far’),
- the ruling (hukm) and
- the common factor (illah).

These components may be understood further by giving an example. If we say, for example, that nabeedh is an intoxicant, then it is haram like khamr (wine).

(Nabidh or Nabeedh is a drink traditionally made from fruits such as raisins/grapes or dates. Nabidh may be non-intoxicating, mildy intoxicating, or heavily intoxicating depending on the level of fermentation. The type of Nabeedh discussed in this example is the intoxicating one.)

- In this case the basic issue is khamr. This is called the basis of the analogy, which is the issue or item of which the text speaks or on which there is consensus.

- The novel issue is nabeedh, which is the matter concerning which analogy is made. This is the matter concerning which there is no text or consensus; it is the issue for which we want to find the shara‘i ruling.

- The ruling is that it is prohibited. This refers to a ruling that is proven concerning the basic issue, whether on the basis of a text or consensus, and whether the ruling is one of prohibition or otherwise, which we want to transfer to the novel issue concerning which there is no evidence or direct mention in any text.

- The common factor is intoxication. The factor is the reason for which the Lawgiver issued a ruling concerning the basic issue.

Visually, we can summarize it as follows:

It is worth noting that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used analogy in his fatwas to point out this principle to the people and teach it to them.

For example:

Al-Bukhaari (1852) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that a woman from Juhaynah came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: My mother vowed to perform Hajj, but she did not perform Hajj before she died; can I perform Hajj on her behalf? He said: “Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Don’t you think that that if your mother owed a debt, wouldn’t you pay it off? So pay off the debt owed to Allah, for Allah is more deserving of having debts owed to Him being paid off.”

Bidayat al-Mujtahid: The Distinguished Jurist's Primer (Read and Download)

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Bidayat al-Mujtahid: The Distinguished Jurist's Primer by Ibn Hazm:

Ibn Rushd was a Maliki Jurist (Qadi) but presents the views of other schools (Hanifi, Shaf'ee, hanbali & Zahiri) with the usual Respect and objectivity. This book is among the best-known example of the Shari'a science of Ilm al Khilaf (the knowledge of variant ruling) It is one of the most well-known works of ilm-ul- Khilaf, a discipline that records and analyses the differences among Muslim Jurists.
Ibn Rushd’s Bidayat al-Mujtahid (The Distinguished Jurist’s Primer) occupies a unique place among the authoritative manuals of Islamic law. It is designed to prepare the jurist for the task of the mujtahid, the independent jurist, who derives the law and lays down precedents to be followed by the judge in the administration of justice. In this manual Ibn Rushd traces most of the issues of Islamic law, describing not only what the law is, but also elaborating the methodology of some of the greatest legal minds in Islam to show how such laws were derived.
This text provides a still-relevant basis for the interpretation and formulation of Islamic law. Combining his legal and philosophical knowledge, Ibn Rushd transcends the boundaries of different schools and presents a critical analysis of the opinions of the famous Muslim jurists and their methodologies.
The legal subject areas covered include marriage and divorce; sale and exchange of goods; wages, crop-sharing and speculative partnership; security for debts and insolvency; gifts, bequests and inheritance; and offences and judgements.


English
Bidayat al-Mujtahid: The Distinguished Jurist's Primer
Ibn Al Hazm
(Comparative Fiqh)
Vol1 (139 MB Approx)
Read / Download
Full text (for search)
Vol2 (142 MB Approx) 
Read / Download
Full text (for search)


CLICK HERE for a huge collection of books on Usool Al-Fiqh

We have revamped our contemporary studies bookshelf.. Read today

Our revamped contemporary studies bookshelf has been revamped.

Click below to access:

Bookshelf

How to establish a small library

How to be happy?

What brings us real happiness?
Can we be happier if we have more money?
Can fame bring us happiness?
Does true happiness lie in fulfilling our desires?
If not, what is it?

Our new booklet discusses where happiness actually lies and where it doesn't and provides practical workable solution to live a happy life leaving behind our worries and sadness.

Read and Share.

Book: Read / Download
Audio (Khutbah): Download

How to add facebook feed to your website

Assalam o Alaikum Everyone,

We have updated our facebook feed outlook and feel on our website and on this blog.

To view activity feed on facebook, click the link below:

http://www.australianislamiclibrary.org/facebook-activity---english.html

If you are interested in building your own website and want to understand how it works, read on..

_____________

We can embed facebook posts/ feed on websites through embed tools.

Embed tools are available from facebook developers forum as well as other external developers. Facebook's own tools are free. External ones are a mix of free and paid ones. Free ones usually come with branding.

We were initially using POWe embed tool which worked fine initially and had a good impressive layout. 

However, recently, without any trigger or notice, it switched to feed for another facebook page. I found this with a great surprise.

I have accordingly now moved to embed through www.feederninja.com.

It is a free tool.. and is beautiful indeed.

Facebook developers tool is also free but look pretty old style with maximum container width fixed to 500 (even if you right 5000 as width in your code :)  ).

Therefore, feeder ninja is my choice.

The process to use this for your feed is really simple.

- You are required to have your own facebook page (you will need its URL to generate feed)

- Go to www.feederninja.com website and click 'generate':

- Some social media icons will appear on your screen.

- Select facebook and enter URL for your page

- You can customize your feed.

- Before you can generate an HTML code, you will be required to create login

- Create login and verify

- You can now get HTML code for your feed. Don't forget that you can still edit it (and change the height of feed container if you like.. 1000 or 1500 px may be suitable)

- Go to your website builder (weebly, blogger.com, wordpress etc.) and embed HTML through embed options available.

Here you go.

It is a beautiful feed with only a little diagonal strip at lower right corner mentioning that it is from feeder ninja.

The layout is so beautiful that you would naturally love to share it with others as I am doing now.

Don't forget to visit Australian Islamic Library.

Happy reading.

Kind Regards,

Nabeel

New Tafsir books added

We have proudly added following tafsir books on library's tafsir bookshelf.
Read and remember us in prayers.



Tafsir Al-Mayasser is written by a group of comporary scholars in a way that it can be used by common reader.
Audio explanation in Malay is also available.

Badai'i At-Tafsir is a collection of explanations of Quran from Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jouziyah from his 32 books.

Jazakallah,

Removal of broken links

Hello all,

For websites who choose to store their files on major archiving systems such as archive.org, slideshare.net etc. and present links on their website for seemless downloading, one commonly faced problem is broken links which often cause inconvenience to visitors.

How are broken links formed?

Broken links can be formed due to some of the following common issues:

- Website that you made the link to:

•  is no more registered
• has removed the file you linked to
• has re-organized and moved things around

- Server (e.g. archive.org) has done a restructuring and now uses a different referencing method
- You linked to a file uploaded by another user who decided to take that file offline

How to fix this issue:
We have used a very useful award-winning tool recently. It identified 81 broken links out of our thousands of links to various servers.

Tool can be found at http://www.brokenlinkcheck.com unless they have gone out of service or have renamed or reorganized by the time you are reading this post. :)

It identifies broken links very efficiently and also highlights type of error linked to those links (e.g. 404 - page not found etc.).

I really liked the tool and thought it may be worthwhile to share with others.

Happy Reading and website building!

WHAT LANGUAGES TO INCLUDE IN CURRICULUM FOR MUSLIM CHILDREN

Our new article has been published in Australian Journal for Humanities and Islamic Studies Research.

Abstract:
Languages are tools that connect people globally and help them acquire knowledge. It is a highly critical decision to choose a language or a set of languages for inclusion in curriculum in a manner that would be most productive at personal, community and national level. What we need to see in our next generation has to be ‘sowed the seeds for’ today. Our study present an overview of choices related to languages inclusion in curriculum for Muslim children from the perspective of acquiring local languages, Arabic, English and other international languages.  Findings suggest that learning this set comprising of 4 languages is already practiced in different cultures and institutions. However selection of languages to be included in mix needs be carefully considered. Paper also highlights factors that govern influence of a particular language globally or for communities and recommend a set of languages that can be adopted for curriculum with further research.

Read Full Article Here.

Schooling Options for Muslim Children Living in Muslim Minority Countries

Our new paper has been published in International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research.

Abstract:
Islamic education of children is a common problem faced by Muslims living in western, European and other developed countries as minority. It can be due to a number of factors such as unavailability of Islamic schools at a particular location, lack of enough number of students to warrant opening a full-fledged Islamic school, curriculum legislated by governments which does not focus on Islamic education or does that in an inadequate manner (non-confessional or based on another faith), lack of integration between religious education and secular subjects, inability of parents to fund their child’s education in Islamic school due to high tuition fees, perception that state or secular public schools would provide better education than Islamic schools etc. Purpose of this paper is to examine the schooling choices available to Muslim parents living in Muslim-minority countries and factors that govern parents’ selection. This examination not only covers full-time schools but also the supplementary options (Sunday, Evening or Weekend schools). Sunday school concept is a centuries old concept which initiated to provide religious and literary education to children in England and gradually expanded to other parts of world. Muslim communities are also gradually embracing this concept but its development in most places is in infancy. In our analysis, we have reviewed a large body of knowledge and research on Islamic school and presented our synthesized findings with regards to functioning, applicability, sustainability, curriculum and other relevant aspects at Islamic schools in Muslim-minority countries.

Read full article here

CALL FOR PAPERS/ THESIS SUBMISSION

CALL FOR PAPERS/ THESIS SUBMISSION:

Australian Journal of Humanities and Islamic Studies Research
(Registration application with National Library Australia is in process)


Many students put extreme hard-work and effort in writing their thesis and dissertations.
However, ultimate fate of those laboriously written documents is to sit on some shelves and never getting read again. And those that get published often sit behind payment walls with restricted access to general public.

With AJHISR, you not only have an opportunity to publish in a peer-reviewed international journal, but also to gain due recognition for your hard work.

We accept research papers/ book reviews/ articles/ thesis on a wide range of subjects related to humanities and Islamic studies research through-out the year. There are no charges or fees associated with Islamic Studies research. Modest fee of $25 is charged as administrative fee for publishing all other research work.

We also offer qualification pathways for our researchers who now have an opportunity to get a certificate or Diploma based on their research experience and quality of submissions.
Inquire today.

Journal is run and managed by Australian Islamic Library.
Publishing Time: 48 hours after acceptance (Peer-reviewed)


Volunteer editors/ reviews can express their interest by submitting CV through our website.
VISIT JOURNAL HOME PAGE


With Best Wishes,
Australian Islamic Library 

Islamic Education in Europe

My new book "Islamic Education in Europe - A Comprehensive Analysis" is now available for free download.

It covers policy overview, current situation and trends regarding educational options available to Muslim parents. This information can be particularly useful for Muslim parents and organizations seeking to establish Islamic Education institutions.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Stay tuned for my other upcoming work focusing on parents' choice in terms of schooling based on social, psychological and availability perspectives.

Religious Education in Japanese Schools

(An excerpt from my upcoming research paper: "Schooling Options for Muslim Children Living In Muslim-Minority Countries – A Thematic Literature Review")

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE:

According to Japanese law:

“The State and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity” (Takeda, 1968) and accordingly religious education is not encouraged in Japan.

In subsequent years after the rollout of this law, notifications from government’s education department has clarified that this restriction was regarding sectarian education and general religious sentiment was considered acceptable (Inoue, 2009).

Research shows that general awareness of religion is receiving increased acceptance in light of some recent events (Inoue, 2009; Sugihara, 1998).

“In private schools, according to Article 24 of the School Law, it is possible to teach religion in place of ethics and the teacher’s license is issued specifically to allow for such a teaching”(Inoue, 2009; Sugihara, 1998).

Important point to note is that according to section 20 of Japanese constitution, “No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State, nor exercise any political authority” (Inoue, 2009).

Therefore, funding is not available for private schools in Japan.

COST OF SCHOOLING:

Cost of sending children to public schools in considerably lesser than private schools (Maisie, 2014).

SCHOOLING OF MUSLIM CHILDREN:

In Japan most Muslim children go to public schools and parents are not satisfied about this as their children are not able to practice their religion (Ito, 2012).

One of reasons for this is unavailability of ANY Islamic school in Japan. “There is not a single Muslim elementary or junior high school in Japan” (YILDIRIM, 2015).

This is also confirmed from a question posed by a Muslim parent on an Islamic website asking for an educational option for his children in the absence of any Islamic schools in Japan (“Japanese Muslims seeking Islamic education for children,” 2002).

Parents accordingly demand for establishment of Islamic schools, as identified in surveys.

SUPPLEMENTARY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION:

Recent researches suggest the same finding and mention that Islamic education for children in Japan mainly relies on informal means and volunteer efforts (Ishikawa, 2015; Ito, 2012).

Such volunteer programs also include Sunday schools in mosques (ICJ, 2013).

Islamic Fiction

We have recently created a bookshelf containing books on Islamic Fiction and novels.
Unfortunately, most of the novelists have not done justice to authentic islamic history while writing it as novels. To create reader interest, most of the writers have added an element of romance which does not reflect the actual history.

We have tried our best to filter out such books which left us with very few books on the subject.

However, we have got access to a large collection of novels based on Islamic history which we will add to bookshelf upon verification of authenticity, God willing, inshaAllah.

You can access our current selection of Islamic fiction through this link.

Imam Suhaib Webb's response to a Question about Tablighi Jama'ah

My wife is pushing me to go with Tabligh! Who are they and what to do?


Answered by Imam Suhaib Webb


The Question


“My wife is constantly bothering me about going with Tabligh Jamat? I do other acts of goodness and don’t really want to join these people. At times she starts to drive me crazy and says I need to do something for the ummah? Please give me some background on this group and tell me how to deal with my wife?”


The Answer


Tabligh’s Beginnings


Tablighi Jamat represents one of the great efforts to revive the faith of Islam in the hearts of Muslims. Their founder, Mawlana Ilyas (may Allah have mercy on him) was a man of great piety and concern for the Umma. His father was Mawlana Muhammad Ismail (may Allah have mercy on him) who, although a great learned man, was known for drawing water from wells, serving travelers and then offering two rakats of shukr to Allah for blessing him to serve them. He died in 1896 and his funeral prayer was so crowded that it had to be repeated. Shortly after his prayer, a pious man saw him in his dream saying, “Send me off soon. I am feeling ashamed The Holy Prophet is waiting for me.”


His mother, Bibi Safia (may Allah have mercy on her) memorized the entire Qur’an and was known for reading 10 Ajza (parts) of Qur’an every day during the month of Ramadan. She was known for her piety and reverence in worship. She was not only a worshiper of Allah, but she was a Murabiyah, who built and nurtured the young Mawlana and watered him from the blessed spring of Islam. Once, seeing something great in her son’s future, she said to him, “Ilyas, I feel the aroma of the holy Companions in you.” She used to place her hand on his back, and would say, “How is it that I see figures resembling the holy Companions moving along with you?”


The blessed fruit of these noble parents, Mawlana Ilyas, was born in 1885. It was in this home that the Mawlana was raised and nurtured on faith and actions. Once, the Mawlana, describing his grandmother, stated that she had become so engrossed in her worship and dhikr that she stopped eating. It was said to her, “You are old and weak and must eat!” She responded, “I draw sustenance from my tasbihat (remembrance of Allah).” Thus, the young Mawlana was surrounded by pious examples of people who were so attached to Allah that the world attached to them.


The Mawlana memorized the entire Qur’an at a young age and continued his studies of different Islamic sciences. He was known for having an intense presence about him. One day his teacher said to him, “When I see Muhammad Ilyas, I am reminded of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).” He was known for a strong intellect and excelled his peers in all of his studies. He had a number of great teachers and was blessed to study the works of Bukhari and Tirmithi; however, he was struck by an illness which led to his increase in studies and spiritual devotion.


In 1910 he assumed a teaching position at a famous school. After the death of his two brothers, and almost his own, the Mawlana moved to Dehli and began to teach. There he witnessed the horrible conditions of the Muslim Umma. In fact, it is well known that the Muslims there had adopted Hindu names, forgot their prayers and observed Hindu rights and festivals over their own. Under these conditions the heart of this saint pushed him to act. It was not sufficient for the Mawlana to focus solely on himself, but his true devotion to Allah and the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him pece) led him to openly address the ills of the society. Thus, like the famous scholars before him, he not only focused on the purification of his soul, but the purification of his society and the Muslims around him. Thus, he was led to open a number of schools and educational institutions that focused on reviving the core Islamic teachings amongst the people. It was through this effort that Tablighi Jamat was born.


I’m sure many of our readers are wondering, why the long answer. Let me state that I felt it was an obligation to give them a small glimpse into the life of one of the greatest reformers our Muslim nation has seen in the last 200 years.


Summary of Tablighi Jamat:


Tablighi Jamat is a movement designed to bring faith back into the lives of the Muslims. They focus on five major duties and travel to different locations in order to spread the message of faith and dawa (calling to Allah) to other Muslims. They serve as one of the important alarm clocks whose job is to awaken a sleeping Umma, and remind it of its noble position and tasks. Members are encouraged to go for 3 days in a month, 40 days in a year and, if possible, 4 months in a lifetime.


Answer to the question:


Akhi, I think you should be happy that your wife is complaining that you’re not making dawa, praying, or doing enough for Allah’s deen. It sure beats hearing someone complain about the bills, not having the latest Visa Platinum or a new SUV etc. In fact, such a wife is one of the greatest gifts of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “This world is nothing but goods. And the best thing in this life is a righteous wife.” Thus, instead of being angry at your wife, you should praise Allah that he has blessed you with her and she is encouraging you to look after your faith.


As was mentioned earlier, Tablighi Jamat serves as one of the many alarm clocks that Allah has used to wake up this umma. There are many such that are working to benefit others and do good in society. All of these groups have good and bad qualities, thus, what is obligated is to follow the truth. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer.” Thus, one should approach these different groups as one would a fruit garden, examine the fruit and take what is good, If you are able to correct the wrongs found in these groups, based on sound knowledge and wisdom then you should do so. In addition, one of the dangers that any group possesses is a blind fanaticism (ta’assub) which, at times, causes splitting and hatred to appear in the hearts of the believers. It is important to realize that these groups are mere custodians of the umma and not vice versa. Thus, if you are not comfortable with Tabligh, then try and work with another group in your city or location. Islamic work is needed today in the West more than ever. Thus, work with groups who cling to the way of the sunna, avoid extremes on any side, and seek Allah’s assistance.


As for your wife, mention to her the story of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): Once a man from the people of renunciation (zuhd) sent him a letter, chastising him for not fasting enough, praying in the night or wearing shabby clothes. The Imam responded by saying, “Allah has distributed actions amongst His servants as He has distributed their sustenance.” Then he mentioned how Allah has placed the love of certain types of worship (ibada) in the hearts of His servants. Thus, you would have a person who loved seeking knowledge, one who loved zuhd and another who loved dawa. The Imam finished his letter by saying, “I have no doubt that you’re on good from your Lord and I’m on good from Him as well.” Thus, you can explain to her, it is very normal for one to be inclined to a certain type of Islamic group. Then, explain to her where your heart leads you and perhaps try to compromise. One night a week you can attend different programs together as a family. Thus, one week for her flavor and the next for yours.


Finally, nicely remind your beloved that it impossible for anyone to know what is in the hearts of Allah’s servants. Thus, if you do something good, she should assume the best and avoid the whispers of Shaytan. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Be careful of suspicion. For, indeed, it is the worst type of speech.”


A Few Points:


1. Mawlana Ilyas (may Allah have mercy on him) did not appear out of a vacuum. Like so many other great luminaries of our umma, the Mawlana was surrounded by wonderful parents who encouraged him to be a great Muslim. Thus, our brothers and sisters should focus on raising the next Imam Shafi’i, Malik or Salah al-din. Therefore, try to teach your children about the Sahaba (may Allah be well pleased with them). Then ask them to choose their favorite. Try to encourage that child to emulate the characteristics of that Sahabi. But remember that the most important lesson they will learn, are those that illuminate from the parents.


2. True tazkiyah leads one past mere focus upon the soul. A true servant of Allah is also concerned with the conditions and situations around him. Ibn Kathir relates that once Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked, “Who is better? One who stays away from others, or one who mingles with others and continues to worship Allah?” Umar said, “Those who mingle with others, put up with their difficulties and continues to worship Allah, “Indeed, they are those whom Allah has tested their hearts for Taqwa.” At the same time mere actions with no inner connection are like an empty cup. Thus, Mawlana Ilyas represented a rare balance of a person. He had a personality built on sound knowledge, sound tazkiyah and sound actions.


3. It is important to realize that the Ahl-Sunna is very wide. It is very dangerous to declare different groups out of Ahl al-Sunna based on one’s mere love for their group. Thus, such issues should be left to the scholars. One thing that one should do is not merely listen to what others say about certain scholars such as Imam Ghazali or Ibn Taymiyya. It is always better to read about their lives and understand the historical and cultural realities that they dealt with.


4. In general it is important to realize that people are different when it comes to different acts of worship. Thus, a truly wise person recognizes this and tries to facilitate the needs of his or her family or community. It is important for MSA’s and masjids to organize programs that benefit all community members. We must move past group politics and work towards realistic unity.


5. The state of the heart is known only to Allah. Thus, questioning another’s intention is something that should be avoided. The great knower of Allah, Junaid (may Allah have mercy upon him), said, “Ikhlas is a secret between Allah and His servant. No angel knows it, nor can any shaytan overcome it.”


6. The virtue of having a pious good fearing wife.


I ask Allah to protect us from ta’assub (blind fanaticism) and hatred. I ask Him to unite the hearts of the umma and make us as one body.


And Allah knows best


Suhaib Webb

Islamic Banking and Financial Systems

Australian Islamic Library has recently added a bookshelf on Islamic Banking and Finance.
This would be highly useful for not only those who serve in Islamic Banking and Financing organizations but also for persons working in conventional banking and financing.

Books collection are presented in English and Urdu languages.

More languages will be added soon, inshaAllah.

Edutain yourself.

(Don't forget to like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/australianislamiclibrary)

Prophetic Medicine (Books and Audio course)

Our beloved prophet Muhammad S.A.W not only gave us guidance regarding the here-after but also about every single aspect related to living a meaningful and healthy worldly life. Field of prophetic medicine deals with the methods he (PBUH) recommended for curing the ill.


Australian Islamic Library has added a bookshelf comprising of useful books on this subject including Imam Ibn Al Qayyim's Tib An Nabvi, Dr. Khalid Ghaznavi's books on prophetic medicine and modern science, Imam Dhahabi's book of prophetic medicine and others.


Books are available in Arabic, English and Urdu languages.

This bookshelf also includes an audio course on Prophetic Medicine (Urdu language)




Visit today and share with friends, family and acquaintances.

Access bookshelf

Hardness of hearts and its cure - Friday Sermon by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi

Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi explaining hardness of heart and its cures

Spiritual Heart, Hardness of Heart, Cures for Hard Heart - Sheikh Yasir Qadhi from Powerful Islamic Videos on Vimeo.

Audio Tafsir - Complete Quran (Urdu, English, Arabic, Bangla, Pushto)

You can now listen and watch explanation of whole Quran if you are not able to read it.
It is right of this noble book that we should read it and ponder upon.

On the day of judgement, we will not have any answer in front of our creator that guidance did not reach us. It is right in front of us and entirely upon us to choose it or keep our eyes closed.

For all those who are seeking the truth,

TAFSIR MULTIMEDIA

For those who prefer reading, they can access our HUGE collection of tafsir books from here (19 international languages).

More audio / videos will be added soon, inshaAllah.

Please share with acquaintances, friends and family for sadaqa jariyah.

Yours,
Australian Islamic Library

Our Facebook Page can be accessed from here.

Sheikh Ahmed Deedat's book collection - Why Islam?

You can read a huge collection of books written by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat on the topic of comparative religion.

Sheikh Deedat debated people from different faiths, particularly christians.

Click here to access.

Live islamic TV Channels

You can watch following TV Channels live at Australian Islamic Library website.

Peace TV
Guide Us TV
Huda TV
Makkah Live
Madinah Live
Islam TV
Iqra TV.


Tune in here to watch online.

Usool At Tafsir - Correct Methods of Interpreting Quran

We are highly priviledge to not only present key books on this important topic of Usool at Tafsir but also a large collection of audio/video lectures.

I will first present the links and then explain what this field of study stands for:

1. Usool At Tafsir Books
2. Usool At Tafsir Multimedia

What is Usool at Tafsir - As a broad subject area:

In the present age where abundance of information on internet is becoming one of the source of misinformation, it is extremely important for all muslims and non-muslims to understand the correct method of interpreting the Quran. Otherwise, anyone can misguide us.

This simple methodology to correctly understand and interpret Quran is called Usool at tafsir.

Why Study this subject:

It is important to study this subject for many reasons, but I will mention only a few:

1. Quran is word of God and He has given us right tools to understand it. If we use, wrong tools and methods, we will surely get His wrath. It is therefore important for all of us to understand this.

2. It is often seen that Orientalists (those who study Islam only to oppose it and to misrepresent it in order to prove that their religion is correct) and the misguided from amongst ourselves pick up verses from Quran in isolation and try to use them for their own purposes. One such example is the ayah which talks about Mushrikeen that they should be killed, where-ever found. Now what these guys don't do is explain the ayah correctly and present its background. It is specifically for those who fought our beloved prophet and his noble companions for years and years and years and were given the message of Islam a number of times. After the conquest of Makkah when muslims entered the holy place victorious, Allah commanded His prophet to give them a time-frame of 4 months to either accept islam or leave the area. If they leave the area, they would be safe. If they accept islam, they would be safe. If not, they should be killed where-ever found. And this command was not for the people who were not given the message of Islam and who did not fight and tyrannize the muslims. They were to be protected by muslims. Now imagine that. In earlier nations, such people immediately received the punishment from Allah either as strong wind that blew them away or fire coming the sky or rain that didn't stop or other means. In this case of Prophet of Mercy, Allah did not punish them immeidately and gave them 4 months instead to protect themselves. Now imagine this. It would be utter stupidity if someone picks this verse in isolation and link Islam with violence. Similarly, it is utter misguidance if anyone can try to justify their claims mis-using this verse.

It is therefore emphasized to understand Quran the way it is supposed to be understood and counter the ignorant, muslims and non-muslims, with knowledge and wisdom. You would always find that misguided people and those who mis-represent the word of Allah would go against these important usul's and methods for correct Quranic interpretation.

3. One big reason for misguidance is when people pick things from Quran at random disregarding the specific context and situations where it can be applied. For example, many misguided people and orientalists quote the verses from Quran that are meant for 'Islamic Governments' and present them as instructions for 'Individual Muslims'. These usuls and methods of Quranic interpretation would arm innocent muslims with lesser knowledge to counter such unethical behavior with reason, rationality and strength of knowledge.

4. One of the miracles of Quran is that it is unchanged since its revelation like no other book in this worlds. This subject (and its broader super-set called Uloom ul Quran) also deal with this methodology of Quranic preservation which a matter of great pride for muslims.

Summary of methods of correct Quranic Interpretation - What you should Question if a strange explanation of some ayah (verse) is presented to you:

It is impossible to summarize these points in a few lines. However, I will try to give you a few pointers to prepare you ask right questions if you are presented by certain point of view about certain verses from Quran.

1. Certain verses of Quran explain certain other verses. This is one primary source of correct interpreation.

2. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace, blessing and Allah's mercy be Upon him) was sent as a teacher to explain Quran to humanity. His blessed words and guidance is another primary source for correctly understanding quran. If someone is presenting an interpretation of Quran which is clearly against the noble and timeless teachings of our beloved prophet (conveyed to us through SAHIH hadiths), that interpretation should be rejected.

3. Explanation of Quran by Companions and Tabioon.

4. Also, correct linguistic meanings according to classical arabic should be kept in mind. Classical arabic is significantly different from day to day "newspaper" arabic which contains a lot of slang. It is therefore required for a person explaining the Quran to be well-verses with classifical arabic and other relevant areas of study.


During the era of the taabi‘oon, many Christians and Jews became Muslim. As a result, some of the taabi‘oon narrated tales from Jewish and Christian sources in their explanations of the Qur’aan. Such narrations became known as Israa’eeleeyaat. In later generations, the books of tafseer became filled with such narrations, many of which could not be traced to any reliable source. . As there is no authenticity for such narratives, they can only be accepted if they compliment what we come to know from Quran and Sunnah and not considered otherwise.

Can a person explain Quran according to his or her own understanding?

Opinions based on a careful study of the first four steps can be considered valid as long as they do not contradict any of those steps. Likewise, the application of obvious meanings of the Qur’aan to existing situations and the formation of conclusions based on their similarities are also allowed, as long as such interpretations do not clash with authentic classical explanations. But, free interpretation based on philosophical, scientific, or sectarian ideas is totally forbidden. The Prophet (r) was reported to have said,

“Opinion-based argument about the Qur’aan is kufr.” He repeated it three times,  then said, “What you know of it, act upon; and what you are ignorant of, refer it to one who knows.”

We can see from the above-mentioned hadeeth that the Prophet (r) sternly warned his companions and later generations of Muslims about interpretations of the Qur’aan based on speculation and unsubstantiated opinions. The reason is that the Qur’aan is the foundation of Islaam and, as such, it had to remain pure and untampered with. If free rein was given to any and everyone to interpret the
Qur’aan as they wished, its value would be totally destroyed, and Islaam itself would be undermined from its base. Thus, the only acceptable tafseer is that which adheres to the following sequence: tafseer of Qur’aan by the Qur’aan, then by the Sunnah, then by the sayings of the sahaabah, then by language, and finally by opinion, as long as it is based on the preceding four methods and does not
contradict any of them.

Look at this beautiful method of correct interpretation! It is a very solid tool to counter those who temper with the meaning of Quran based on their own desire to fulfil their own agendas.

Complementary Studies:

In addition to Usool at Tafsir, It is also highly recommended to study usool at Tafsir which deals with preservation of hadith, categorization of ahadith (sahih, zaeef, mudhou, hasan etc.), continuity in the chain of narrations and their detailed analysis (locations of narration transmitters, their charecter and tonnes of other factors) and other relevant areas. This is another beautiful tool to dis-arm those who try to misrepresent and misinterpret islam to mis-guide masses.

How should one study the tafsir:

If a person cannot master these fields, he or she should atleast know their basic introduction to avoid getting mis-guided. The next step then is to select a tafsir based on correct sources e.g. Tafsir Ibn Kathir etc.

A must read book:

If you can't read anything else, read atleast these two books by Dr. Bilal Philips:

1. Usool at tafsir
2. Usool al Hadith



I hope this brief description of Usool At Tafsir would be helpful not only to muslims or new muslims but also to those who do not yet belong to this beautiful family of believers and are on their journey to search the truth.


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All praise is due to Allah , Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

Ameen.

Quran Translation in 92 International Languages

Australian Islamic Library is pleased to provide translation of Quran in 92 international languages to assist seekers of truth across the globe.

Utilize yourself and forward to anyone who can benefit from this.
Jazakallah.

http://www.australianislamiclibrary.org/quran-translations.html

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