The Book: Miskaat al-Masaabeeh; A reunion with My Childhood Friend, By Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad

Growing up in Philadelphia, my father, Sheikh Abdul-Karim Ahmad had a lot of books in the house, mostly about Islam. We had a lot of children’s books about Islam as well that my parents used to teach us or have us read as lessons. The first so called adult book of hadith that I actually read with seriousness is one that I took from my father’s library and adopted as my own, called “Mish’kaat al-Masaabih” (A Niche of Lamps). This was the first recollection that I have of actually reading hadith of the Prophet (SAWS). I was about 11 or 12 years old at the time. Back then I had no idea about hadith terminology and didn’t know what was meant by good (hasan), sound (sahih), or weak (da’eef), and I was totally oblivious about the meaning of the term “agreed upon” (muttafiqun alaihi[1]) which would appear at the end of many ahaadeeth in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh.

The truth of the matter is that at the time, I wasn’t really interested in what those terms meant. I just liked reading the hadiths of the Prophet (SAWS). Many of them I didn’t fully understand and I would occasionally ask my father about this or that, but mostly I just kept on reading as there were many that I understood well on face value. The copy of the Mishkaat in our house that I read from was in Arabic with the English translation right under it. I didn’t know Arabic at the time so of course I read the hadith in English but there was something fascinating to me about reading hadith of the Prophet; a love and a fascination that has not left me even until today, more than forty years later.   The light of Muhammad Rasoolillaah (SAWS) is a light that never dims, and it is a knowledge that never goes out of relevance, and it is a hidaaya (guidance) that never wanes.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I came to appreciate the value of this book that I “borrowed” from my father’s library and made a home for it on my nightstand. What is so outstanding is how I, in my Philadelphia bedroom as a child, was benefiting from the work done by a scholar centuries earlier and how the sacred knowledge of prophetic tradition has been so carefully preserved, generation after generation until this very day.

Collecting prophetic tradition is one of the most prestigious and loftiest of scholarly pursuits, and the scholars of hadith (al-Muhaddithoon) are counted among the intellectual elite of our Ummah.  The assembly of illustrious personages by whom Allah has preserved prophetic tradition amounts to no less than a miracle. The sunna of the Prophet (SAWS) is an indispensable tool in understanding our great religion. Their faith, their love for Allah and His Messenger, and their dedication to the detailed and painstaking task of naql (transmission), dabt (accuracy), and bayaan (clarity) with respect to Prophetic tradition is the fuel that energized them to collect and preserve the sunna of the our beloved Prophet Mustapha (SAWS). Imam al-Hakim [died 403 A.H.] who was considered one of the Imams of the Muhadditheen, and the Imam of the Muhadditheen of Khursaan who authored many important works, started writing his most famous work; “al-Mustadrik alaa Saheehain” when he was 72 years old.

The scholars and preservers (huffaadh) of tradition employed various methods of chronicle in collecting [la1] and recording ahaadeeth of the Prophet (SAWS). Some of them would record authentic (sahih) hadith exclusively and place them in one collection such as Imam Bukhaari and Imam Muslim in the two sahihs (as-Sahihain).  Some of them would compile hadith according to the companion that narrated it. Such compilations are called ‘musnad’ as in the Musnads [musaaneed] of Imam Ahmad, Abu Ya’la, al-Bazzar and others, and there were others who gathered hadith and recorded them in a book according to the subjects of fiqh (sacred law), such as the Muwatta of Imam Malik and al-Bayhaqi’s as-Sunan al-Kubrah. Some scholars compiled books of hadith on a particular topic such as Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarik [died 181 A.H.]  in “az-Zuhd” (asceticism), and  Ibn abi Dunya in “Adab ad-Dunya wa Deen”.

Which all brings me back to the book of my childhood; “Mishkaat al-Masaabih” by Shaykh Waliyuddeen Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Khateeb at-Tabrizi {died 741 A.H.], is a highly valued book containing ahaadeeth of the Prophet (SAWS) that has been read, taught and prized as a premier collection of prophetic tradition by countless Muslims. It is considered by scholars past and present to be a bona-fide compendium of the sunna. The basis of “Mishkaat al-Masaabih” is taken from the book; “Masaabih as-Sunna” which was a collection of about 4434 ahaadeeth written by the famous Shaafi’ee scholar and jurist Imam Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas’ud ibn Muhammad al-Farra’ al-Baghawi who died in the Hijra year of 516. It was a valued work, and contained ahaadeeth from the six major collections of hadith; Bukhaari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, at-Tirmithi and an-Nisaa’i, as well as ahaadith[2] from the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Sunan of ad-Darimi, and ahaadeeth from Shu’b al-Eemaan (Branches of Faith) by al-Bayhaqi [died 458 A.H.]. I remember as a child, not knowing anything about him, how the name al-Bayhaqi resonated with me, and how I thought it was an interesting name of an important person. However, in “Masaabeeh as-Sunna”, Imam al-Baghawi did not mention the isnad of any of the hadiths he recorded nor did he mention the name of the narrator.

According to prophetic tradition, one of the signs that Allah loves a person is that he gains acceptance in the earth by the righteous of the ummah[3], Imam al-Baghawi’s “Masaabeeh as-Sunna” received great acceptance from the scholars of his time and hence forward. They regarded it as an important work, and wrote appendages for it, abridgements of it, and commentaries on it.

Abu an-Najeeb Abdul-Qaahir ibn Abdullah as-Sah’roorudi [died 563 A.H.] wrote an abridged version of “Masaabeeh as-Sunna” which he entitled; “al-Masaabeeh”. Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Abul Hasan al-Khaawaraani [died 571 A.H.] wrote a commentary on it which he entitled; “At-Tal’weeh fi Sharh al-Masaabeeh”. Shaabud-deen Fadlallah[la2] [la3]  ibn Hasan at-Turbishti [died 600 A.H.] wrote “‘al-Maseer”.  Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Ahmad, also known as Zainul-Arab wrote three commentaries on it known as “al-Kabeer, al-Awsat”, and “al-Sagheer” (The Big, the Medium and the Small respectively). Taqiyyudeen Ali ibn Abdul-Kaafi as-Subki [d. 756 h.] wrote a commentary on it which he called “Diyaa al-Masaabeeh” (Light of the Lamps) and Shaykhul Islam al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani [died 852 A.H.] wrote a book called “Hidaayatul Rawaat ilaa Takh’reej al_Masaabeeh wal Mishkaat”. However Al-Asqalaani didn’t merely write a commentary, he appended an exposition of the narrators (rawaat) of

Of all the commentaries, abridgements, and literary works produced from “Masaabeeh as-Sunna”, the most famous and most enduring is the “Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh” written by Imam al-Tabrizi. Al-Tibrizi took “Masaabeeh as-Sunna” to a whole different level. He added 1511 ahaadeeth to the ones already contained in “Masaabih as-Sunna”, he added the isnad to the individual ahaadeeth which were omitted from al-Baghawi’s Masaabeeh as-Sunna, he added the names of the companions of the Prophet (SAWS) who reported the hadith and he added a notation to each hadith of the collection from whence the hadith was collected. The process of attributing unattributed hadith to their respective collection; Bukhaari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and so forth is called “takhreej”.  He also expanded and organized the book into 29 chapters. Imam Tabrizi finished this task during Ramadan in the year 737 of the Hijra calandar.

Many scholars endeavored to write commentaries on Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh.  Hasan Ibn Muhammad at-Teebi [died 743 A.H.] wrote a commentary on Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh entitled “Al-Kaashif an Haqaa’iq as-Sunnan”, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami [died 974 A.H.] wrote, Fat’hul ilaah fi Sharh al-Mishkaat. There were others as well who wrote commentaries or abridgements to Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh. However, the explanation of the Mishkaat that has endured and is in good circulation in today’s time is the monumental work of the well known 17^th century hanafi scholar Mullah Ali al-Qaari [died 1014 A.H.] called Mir’qaat al-Mufaateeh Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh (Stairwell of Keys; Explanation of Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh), which exists in 11 volumes. It is a masterfully written, detailed explanation of Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, and it a tribute to its title, in that it is like a stairwell of keys, with each key opening up yet another door of knowledge into the reality of prophetic tradition.

Thus years later when I opened the box which contained the full set of Miqaat al-Mafaateeh, it was as if a childhood friend had returned to me, albeit all grown up, seasoned and mature, to befriend me once more, and be my companion. By Allah! I am fortunate to have this book in my library. It is the most recent addition to my humble family of books, which have kept me company and been my constant companions for the entirety of my adult life. I have ardent love for Rasoolillah, and love for those who narrated about him, clarified his words and preserved his sunna by Allah’s permission. I only ask that Allah sub’haanahu wa ta’ala elevate the scholars of hadith, and reward them for preserving the sacred inheritance left behind by the Prophet (SAWS) and for being the vehicles by Allah’s divine decree by which we  are delivered the message of our beloved Rasoolillaah (SAWS).

Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ibn Abdulkarim Muhammad Ahmad

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[1] Meaning a hadith to which both Imam Bukhaarri, and Imam Muslim agree to its authenticity and appears in their collections respectively.

[2] Plural of hadith.

[3] In the hadith of Abu Hurraira, the Prophet said, (Verily, whenever Allah loves a servant of His, He calls Jibril and says, “O Jibril, verily I love so-and-so, so love him.” Thus, Jibril will love him. Then, he (Jibril) will call out to the dwellers of the heavens, “Verily, Allah loves so-and-so, so you too must love him.” Then the dwellers of the heavens love him and he will be given acceptance in the earth. [Collected by Imam Ahmad in the Musnad]

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Free Audio Khutba: The Art of Spiritual warfare, By Imam Luqman ahmad

Dear Beloveds; The greatest jihad that anyone will ever undertake is the jihaad of the soul, and the greatest enemy of any man or woman is none other than the Devil (Shaitaan) himself. Muslims are commanded to take shaitaan as an avowed enemy, however, some people instead of opposing Iblis; they befriend him and work for him. Just because you do not see Shaitaan does not mean that he and his allies and his forces are not attacking you, your family and your community. You can either take him as an enemy and wage a defense or you can sit back and allow him and his allies to lead you down the wrong path. This is the topic of this khutbatul Jum’ah by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad of Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center in Sacramento CA. Click on the link below to take a listen.

001_A_024_abulaith_The Art of Spiritual Warfare_2013_03_22

Available Now! New Book: ‘The Devils Deception of the Modern day Salafi Sect by Imam Luqman Ahmad JUST RELEASED BY LOTUS TREE PUBLICATIONS, THIS BOOK IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MODERN DAY SALAFIYYAH SECT IN THE UNITED STATES: THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INFLUENCES UPON THE RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE OF MUSLIM AMERICA, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE INDIGENOUS AMERICAN MUSLIM POPULATION. “A DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE READ!” Price: $20 ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY  @WWW.IMAMLUQMAN.COM, ALLOW 7 TO 14 BUSINESS DAYS FOR DELIVERY. ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM  AND AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

 

An American Imam Weighs in on the Same Sex Marriage Debate, by Imam Luqman Ahmad

In case you haven’t noticed, the Devil (Shaitaan) is taking his fight for our souls and the souls of our children into high gear. Only a small number of people will survive the new wave of satanic thought being thrust upon us, so now is the time to dig in by stepping up our efforts to hold fast the Book and to the sunna of our Prophet (SAWS).  The greatest weapons and defense that we have is our faith, our scripture, and our steadfastness. Remember; just because you do not see Shaitaan in the flesh does not mean that he, his allies and his forces are not attacking you, your family and our community.

As the national debate around same-sex marriage heats up (awaiting a Supreme Court Decision),American Muslims may be called upon to take a public stand on the issue; especially if it passes. Either way, this matter and the reality of homosexuality and lesbianism in America, will remain at the forefront of national discussion for a long time to come. The homosexual lobby is relentless as this is an important fight for Shaitaan and there seems to be no letting up until everyone in America accepts this unholy lifestyle. Privately, most Muslims are very clear about homosexuality and lesbianism; they reject it outright, and it is clearly prohibited in Islam. Same  sex marriage for most Muslims is out of the question. Whether or not homosexuality exists in the Muslim world, is a matter of debate. Lots of evidence points to the affirmative but that is another discussion altogether.   Still, public discussion one the question of same-sex marriage is difficult for many Muslims, and much of the Muslim political leadership are reluctant to take a definitive stance on it.  This is for a couple of reasons; the first is that during such a time as now when some of our own religious rights and liberties have come under fire, gay and lesbian groups and individuals have been limited allies to Muslims in our own struggle for religious equality in the United States. Thus, any public stance on the matter by Muslims leaders, Imams, and political activists, risks the potential backlash from that group and from liberal America, and the potential loss of issue support for Muslims. By the way, that’s called politics.

Another reason is that in the effort to be as mainstream as possible, we have in some ways backed ourselves in a corner, and coming out, (no pun intended) on the wrong side of the same-sex marriage debate will signal that we as Muslims are definitely different, and it will highlight the fact that the moral roots of our faith, which are markedly conservative, are not in sync with the current national trend of the rest of the country in accepting same-sex marriage and by proxy, homosexuality. “And to Lot, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practiced abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious people”. [21:74].

Some Muslim leaders, including some imams have remained on the fence about the same-sex marriage issue, some are nervously silent, and some have already capitulated and we are already starting to see gay Mosques and gay friendly communities of Muslims in Europe and in the United States. One so-called American Imam has gone so far as to publicly proclaim his homosexuality. So let me get this out of the way; I declare here and now that I am against it, and against the practice of homosexuality on the grounds that it is hated by God and that He has destroyed an entire people because of it; “We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones, (which destroyed them), except Lot’s household: them We delivered by early Dawn” [54:34]

Let’s face it; homosexuality has become ingrained in our society, and admittedly, gays and lesbians make valuable contributions to the society like everyone else; in medicine, industry, law enforcement, the military, social services, science, education, and of course, the arts. That is a fact. So it is not totally implausible that people may empathize with them as a group, or with individuals that they know personally, even if they do not agree with the practice of homosexuality itself. Even the Prophet Abraham/Ibrahim pleaded on their behalf at first;” When fear had passed from (the mind of) Abraham and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with us for Lot’s people”. [11:74].

Many of us, have gay or lesbian co-workers, neighbors, employees, associates, and family members, who do us no personal harm so the issue for many of us, is closer than we would like. Because of this and because of the aforementioned political considerations, it is difficult for some Muslims to even talk publicly about the issue of homosexuality or lesbianism with any conviction. This is another reason why we hardly see it addressed by Muslims publicly in the United States.

Nevertheless, as the issue is being heaved upon the public like a ton of bricks, to the extent that a person could lose his or her job for being anti-gay, bolstered by such arguments that; homosexuals and lesbians are good people, or they are my relative, or that we shouldn’t judge, or they can’t help it, it is understandable although lamentable that some Muslims are starting to crack and accept the practice of same-sex marriage. I’m not saying I agree; I’m just saying it’s understandable since all of the above may be true, and granted, there is hardly anyone who is all bad in every aspect of their lives. However, There are murderers who give generously in charity are good people otherwise, there are pedophiles who teach grade school, and are otherwise good people, there are thieves who smile in your face, and help little old ladies across the street and are otherwise good people, there are rapists who volunteer at charitable organizations and do a good job, and there are criminals of every type who readily engage in their crimes, but are otherwise are good people. However, none of that excuses the sin or the nature of it according to our understanding as Muslims.

Open or Hidden sin

It’s not the just the sin itself that we are talking about; everyone commits one sin or another, based upon the prophetic tradition; “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin Allah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then pray for forgiveness.” [1] It’s one thing to commit sin, if the homosexuals are overwhelmed by their lower desires, and men have sex with men and women have sex with women, while acknowledging it to themselves that they are committing sin. Then this has been the case for thousands of years, before they came out of the closet. However, it’s another thing to openly pronounce that your sin, is not a sin, when God has said otherwise, and it’s still another thing to say openly and proudly that you are a homosexual, that there is nothing wrong with it, and wanting society (Muslims included) as a whole to accept that there is nothing wrong with it, all the while we have scripture that we believe is the divine word of God Almighty saying otherwise.

At that point, the believer has to make a decision; do we accept the premise that God’s word is not true, that His promise is not true, that His judgment is not true, that His Prophets (AS) Lot, Jesus, Moses, Muhammad all were not telling the truth; that they all were liars? Or do we accept the premise that Allah Himself, be He Exalted and Glorified, was unjust when he punished the people of Sadam for homosexuality? The current ideological onslaught is not to get people to engage in homosexuality and lesbianism; it is simply to get people to accept that it is okay, that it has no moral consequence, and that it shares the same status as heterosexuality. For the Muslim, this is enough to constitute heresy. This is how the Shaitaan/Satan attacks; he goes after the heart and the belief system first, then after that, the body is sure to follow. The dilemma here is that accepting any of the above, constitutes heresy according to what we believe. This is America and people are entitled to do as they please, believe as they please, say what they want and advocate whatever they want. So we are not trying to force our beliefs upon anyone else, but at the same time, we are not supposed to change what we believe, in order to satisfy homosexuals, and lesbians.

Human beings have built within them, an inclination to do sin of all types, which is why the Prophet (SAWS) said: “all the sons of Adam (mankind) commit sin and the best of those who sin are those who repent”[2]. However, the issue of religious sanctity is that we recognize moral standards according to what Allah revealed and that we work to suppress our lowly desires, or to channel them in ways that are permissible. Some people, if not most, or all of us, struggle with sin their entire life. That is the nature of being tested in this life. However, once we abdicate the commitment to uphold the truth, then there is no sense to being a Muslim at all.

The issue with same-sex marriage is that Allah has ordained that marriage as something that occurs between a man and a woman or women. When Eve was created, she was already Adam’s wife. Thus if anyone believes that the divine marriage design matrix as fashioned by Allah, is not the proper way, the best way, the ordained way, and the way that is best for human beings living on the planet earth that Allah has created, then they are saying that Allah’s plan and design for men and women is faulty, that it is flawed, and no matter how you slice it, that is disbelief.

Regardless how any one of us feels personally about a gay or lesbian that we my know, or a family member; it is still against God’s divine law and an abomination, no matter how nice they are, how well they dress, and how helpful they are in other areas. We are not responsible for their homosexuality and lesbianism; however, we are responsible for what we believe about homosexuality, lesbianism and gay marriage. Especially after our scriptures and sacred religious cannons are clear on the issue.  We as Muslim Americans are obligated by God to hold fast to our beliefs, and not give in to modern trends where there is no moral right or moral wrong; where everything is neutral for that is the worship of hawaa [whim].

Time magazine has on its cover, a picture of two men kissing each other and a picture of two women kissing one another cover under the caption: “Gay marriage already won”. So for anyone who is still under the delusion that Iblis is not directly engaged in spiritual warfare and that this is not a battle for the souls of people, then wake up, and think again ; “And on them did Satan prove true his idea, and they followed him, all but a party that believed”. [34:20].

Conclusion

I do not ask people about their sexuality: it is none of my business, and if they want to keep it private to themselves that is fine with me. Furthermore, I would not refuse to hire someone, work for someone in a lawful enterprise, or buy or sell from someone because they are gay, nor do I advocate that any Muslim or non-Muslim do such a thing. Nor would I refuse to feed, clothe, or extend charity, kindness, or assistance to a gay person who is not fighting me in my religion and not trying to remove me from my home, based upon the verse; “Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just”[3]. Nor will I go around, or advocate calling gay people detestable names in their face, or harassing them because neither our Lord be He Exalted and Glorified, nor our Prophet (SAWS) commanded us to do such. The Prophet (SAWS) did not harass the mushrikeen (polytheists), and worshipping gods other than Allah is the greatest sin.  Homosexuality is also a grave sin but not as grave as polytheism. The Prophet (SAWS) did business with the polytheists and unbelievers, he showed kindness and charity to them, and he instructed us to do the same, under normal circumstances. So gays and lesbians deserve no less.

Although we are on different sides of this debate, we should keep our disagreement with homosexuals in perspective. Gays and Lesbians are free to believe what they believe, and we are free to believe what we believe. They are free to uphold their whims and lowly desires and we are free to uphold our scripture. They will have their reckoning on the Day of Judgment and I will have mine. I cannot help them on that day, and they cannot help me. Our job as Muslims is to simply deliver the message, to hold fast to what we believe, and to practice our religion the way we ought to. Therefore, I will never accept the moral legitimacy of homosexuality; not ever. And no Muslim who believes in our scriptures ever should. The fast trending tide towards global immorality is a sign of the times and a reminder to Muslims of just how crafty Satan is in that within a span of less than fifty years or so, he managed to convince the majority of Americans, mostly who are Christian, that something that was considered an abomination for thousands of years, should now be an acceptable and supported practice.

The momentum towards legalizing gay marriage in the United States is very strong. Since 2004, 11 states[1] plus the District of Colombia, have legalized gay marriage and the status of California is currently pending before the US Supreme Court. Although I believe categorically that we as Muslim Americans should state our case on same sex marriage issue, and express our indignation and disapproval,  I don’t think we should devote too much of our resources on this issue because there are more important matters that we need to address which affect us. This issue is just another sign for us as Muslims, that shows just how easy it is to drift into heresy, and that we must step up in practicing our faith, calling to it, and remaining steadfast in the face of this as well as other heinous ideological onslaughts of our time.

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[1] Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Washington (State), Main Maryland and Rhode Island.

Imam Luqman Ahmad

Imam Abu Laith Luqman Ahmad is the Imam and Executive Director of Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center in Sacramento CA, and the author of the recently released book’ ‘The Devil’s deception of the Modern Day Sect”. You may visit his web page at imamluqman.com, or contact him @ imamluqman@masjidibrahim.com

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[1] Narrated by Muslim.

[2] Collected By at-Tirmithee.

[3] Quran, 60:8

JUST RELEASED BY LOTUS TREE PUBLICATIONS, THIS BOOK IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MODERN DAY SALAFIYYAH SECT IN THE UNITED STATES: THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INFLUENCES UPON THE RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE OF MUSLIM AMERICA, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE INDIGENOUS AMERICAN MUSLIM POPULATION. “A DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE READ!” Price: $20

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY  @WWW.IMAMLUQMAN.COM, ALLOW 7 TO 14 BUSINESS DAYS FOR DELIVERY. ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM  AND AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

 

Free Audio Khutba: Commanding the Good and Forbidding the Evil, By Imam Luqman Ahmad

“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain success.” 3:104

One of the characteristics that make this Umma successful is that we enjoin the good and forbid the evil. (al-amru bil ma’roof, wal nahy an al-munkar). The enjoining of good and the forbidding is one of the most important aspects of a Muslim personality, and it begins at home. Doing so may not always make everyone happy, but it will bring spiritual success in the long run. This is the topic of this important khutbatul Jum’ah recorded at Masjid Ibrahim Islamic center in Sacramento, Ca. Click on the link below to take a listen.

al-Maru bil Ma’roof wa nahi an al-Munkar

Available Now! New Book: ‘The Devils Deception of the Modern day Salafi Sect

by Imam Luqman Ahmad

JUST RELEASED BY LOTUS TREE PUBLICATIONS, THIS BOOK IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MODERN DAY SALAFIYYAH SECT IN THE UNITED STATES: THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INFLUENCES UPON THE RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE OF MUSLIM AMERICA, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE INDIGENOUS AMERICAN MUSLIM POPULATION. “A DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE READ!” Price: $20

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY  @WWW.IMAMLUQMAN.COM, ALLOW 7 TO 14 BUSINESS DAYS FOR DELIVERY. ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM  AND AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

al-Maru bil Ma’roof wa nahi an al-Munkar

 

Imam Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d: (D. 175 A.H.) the Treasure of the Egyptians

He was one of the great Imaams of jurisprudence. He was a pious, ascetic, truthful scholar who abstained from unlawful acts. He was also sincere, humble, forbearing, and kind-hearted when dealing with people.

He had strong faith in Allaah and was fearful of Him all the time. He used to frequently recite the Quran. As well as this, he was very generous and used to spend most of his money in charity especially to support scholars, students of knowledge, and poor Muslims.

He is the Imaam, the Haafith (a title given to whoever memorizes 100,000 Hadeeths), the shaykh of Islam, the jurist and scholar of Egypt. His full name is Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d Ibn `Abdur-Rahmaan Al-Fahmi.

His birth:

He was born in Sh`abaan 94 A.H., 713 A.C. in Qarqashandah, a village twenty-two kilometers from Fustaat, Egypt. His origin goes back to Esfehan, Persia (nowadays Iran).

Seeking knowledge

In his early years, he started to learn religious knowledge. He was a student of some of the greatest scholars of his time, such as `Ubaydullaah Ibn Ja’far, Ja’far Ibn Rabee`ah, Al-Haarith Ibn Yazeed, and Yazeed Ibn Abi Habeeb. Since he was young, his teachers testified to his excellence, genius, and sharpness of mind.

 Al-Laith had high aspirations to learn. For him, learning in Egypt alone was not sufficient. In 113, A.H., he decided to travel to Hijaaz to perform Hajj and seek knowledge. He was twenty years old at that time. 

In Makkah and Al-Madeenah, which were considered the most outstanding sources of religious knowledge in the Muslim World, Al-Laith started to learn from a unique group of scholars of jurisprudence and Hadeeth. Ibn Shihaab Az-Zuhari was known as the most knowledgeable haafith and one of the first scholars to write down the Hadeeths of the Prophet , and he was one of Al-Laith’s teachers. Al-Laith also received religious knowledge from `Ataa’ Ibn Abi Rabaah who was the Mufti and Jurist of Makkah, Ibn Abi Maleekah, Naafi`  Ad-Daylami who was the freed slave of the revered companion `Abdullaah Ibn `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, Sa`eed Ibn Sa`eed Al-Maqbari, Abu Az-Zubayr Al-Makki, and many others.

He remained fond of knowledge and had an unmitigated desire to actively and studiously attend classes even when he reached the rank of the great scholars. When he went to Baghdad in 161 A.H. in order to teach, though he was over sixty five years old, he asked about the house of the great scholar Hushaym Ibn Basheer who was the master of Hadeeth scholars in Iraq. Al-Laith asked Hushaym to send him some of his books to study them. When Hushaym did, Imaam Al-Laith started to read through their valuable and priceless information.

The Imaam’s sessions

After spending long years acquiring knowledge, Imaam Al-Laith was prominent among his contemporary scholars as a genius jurist and a most trustworthy narrator of Prophetic Hadeeths. He started a class in his mosque to teach people. A short period later, he became very famous and students from everywhere came to learn from him. Thus he ended up having four sessions every day:

-         A session for discussing the practices of the Sultan of Egypt. Imaam Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d attained a high rank and  prestigious standing in the sight of the `Abbasid Caliphs to the extent that if the Sultan or the Judge of Egypt committed any wrong, Al-Laith would write to the Emir of the Believers who, in turn, would depose them.

-         A class for teaching the noble Prophetic Hadeeths

-         A class for answering people’s religious questions

-         A session for fulfilling the requests of the poor and the needy. The Imaam,  may Allaah have mercy on him, never turned down any request for help.

The Imaam’s rank and his knowledge

He was one of the most prominent jurists of his time. He was well-known among people everywhere. The caliphs and Emirs came to know him and scholars praised him and testified to his profound knowledge, abilities of memorization, and mastery of religious affairs.

Al-’Alaa’ Ibn Katheer said:

“Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d is our master, Imaam and scholar.”

Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:

“Al-Laith had profound knowledge and his narration of Hadeeths is authentic.”

Imaam Ash-Shaafi`i said:

“Al-Laith is more knowledgeable than Maalik.”

He means Maalik Ibn Anas, the Imaam of the people of Al-Madeenah.

Al-Laith as a ruler

Imaam Al-Laith occupied several posts. He was the head of the Administration of Finance during the reign of Saalih Ibn `Ali Ibn `Abdullaah Ibn `Abbaas of Egypt. He was also its head during the caliphate of the `Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mahdi. Previously, the `Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja’far Al-Mansoor asked him to be the ruler of Egypt, but Imaam Al-Laith refused. 

The character of the Imaam

Imaam Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d was an authentic narrator of Prophetic Hadeeths and a talented jurist. He was known for his piety, asceticism, and generosity. The Imaam was one of the wealthy scholars. His son Shu’ayb said that his annual income was between twenty and twenty five thousand Deenaars (golden coins). He used to spend all this money in the cause of Allaah. He was never liable to pay Zakaah, simply because he would spend all his money before the year had passed.

Imaam Al-Laith used to give out charity to three hundred needy people every day. He never ate his food except in the company of people.

One day, a woman came to him and said: “O Abu Al-Haarith! My son is sick and he craves to eat honey.”

Al-Laith called his servant and said:

“Give her one hundred and twenty pounds of honey.”

Imaam Al-Laith was very generous with scholars, to the extent that he used to send one hundred Deenaars to Imaam Maalik Ibn Anas every year. Once Imaam Maalik wrote to him that he was in debt. Imaam Al-Laith sent him five hundred Deenaars. When Imaam Al-Laith went to perform Hajj and he passed by Madeenah, Imaam Maalik sent him a plate of dates. Imaam Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d put one thousand Deenaars on the plate and sent it back to Imaam Maalik.

When the books of Ibn Luhay`ah, a great jurist and narrator of Prophetic Hadeeths, were burnt, Imaam Al-Laith immediately sent one thousand Deenaars to him.

His death

Imaam Al-Laith Ibn Sa’d died on Friday, the fifteenth of Sh`abaan 175 A.H., 791 A.C. He was buried in Cairo and his funeral was attended by a large number of people. The people were very sad and consoled one another.

 

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Thug Life; A Means to No End. A personal story by Imam Luqman Ahmad

When I was about 15 or 16 years old, there was a guy in our neighborhood who was also a member of the local street gang (the Haines Street Gang) his street name was Ball bearing, and he and I were neighborhood adversaries. At that time, he was also a neighborhood bully, and we ended up fighting several times as I was not a gang member and didn’t have automatic protection when I walked around in our neighborhood. Besides I was sternly prohibited by my father from even thinking about joining a gang (being Muslim and all). Although to tell the truth, I kinda wanted to join one so I could be part of the cool.

Nevertheless, I was more afraid of my father than I was of the gang members in the neighborhood. With the gang members, I felt that at least I had a chance at getting in some blows and maybe knocking one of those lames out, or letting off a few rounds if it came to that. With my father, I knew that there was no chance at opposing him, parents didn’t do time outs back then, and furthermore, I revered my father (as I still do) and it was unheard of in our family to go against my Abu. We were after all, raised as Muslims.  So I would have scrapes with local gang members, and wannabes from time to time. Al-humdu lillah mostly it was only fist fighting, what we used call a ‘fair one’ back in Philly, but every now and then it would escalate to more serious types of confrontation, which is another story. After time, I became cool with most of them, plus my cousins Jessie and Vincent when they weren’t in jail, would keep an eye out for us (the Muslim side of the family) and say; hands off.

Anyway, this dude was testy, we fought several times and each time it ended in somewhat of a draw, with people breaking the fight up before it was clear that one of us got a butt whuppin by the other. Thus, he I were sworn enemies in the hood, with unsettled business, (although we didn’t call it the hood back then, we called it around the way), where we grew up in Germantown, in the area of Locust ave.and Musgrave st., bordered by Chew ave to the north, and Chelten Ave. to the west, (Northwest Philadelphia) and whenever we met each other on the street, on the basketball court, or in the playground, there was tension.There was no love lost between us.

As the years went by, the gangs died out in Philly and former gang members became drug dealers, and this brother became a big time dope dealer in the neighborhood, and surrounding area. He was busy making his money and doing his thing, and I was busy growing up as a sometimes errant Muslim, trying to stay on the path, with all my faults and insecurities as a teenager who was different.  We were the only Muslim family in the neighborhood where I grew up, and everybody knew us and knew how we got down because back in those days, we believed that it was better to be packing and not need it than to need it and not be packing. The burglars and petty criminals in the neighborhood used to always avoid our house and our property because there was this spectrum of retribution, and back then, people had a lot of respect for Muslims. We were known as; that Muslim family on Locust Ave.

Years later, I had just finished making salatul Jum’ah at the Islamic Center on Broad St. (near vine) and was sitting down doing my little thikr after the salat, when I heard someone say: “Assalaamu alaikum”, as I turned and glanced over my shoulder, I saw that is was my nemesis from the old neighborhood. My first impulse was to grab the 9mm automatic from my waistband, which I did, but I didn’t pull it out because just as I wrapped my hands around the grip of my gun, he said again in a louder voice and with a big smile on his face; asslaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu. This time, we were looking eye to eye. There is something about the salaams from one believer to another which cannot be explained. His salaams went through me like a hot knife through butter, and I replied: wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh! We looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and then we embraced.  We started talking and he explained to me how he became a Muslim, and we became the best of friends. He was married and had four sons. We used to eat together, pray together, read together and go to the Masjid together.

As the years went by, we started to lose touch, and I heard that he had gotten back into the street game here and there. I was busy with my own family and children by that time. So when I did see him on the street now and then, he was moving fast; we exchanged salaams and some niceties, but not much more than that. Then one day, all of a sudden, I heard that he was dead. Shot multiple times in the street. I never knew the exact details of his death, who did it, what lead up to it, or whether or not his killers were ever caught. In Philadelphia back then as it is today; black men are killed on the street all the time; many of them Muslims. Most of the times when it happens, nobody knows nothing and people tend not to talk about the details even if they knew something. Nevertheless, I was hurt when I heard the news, and I wondered whatever became of his four young sons whom I knew now, would grow up, wherever they were, without their father.

Twenty years or so later, while I was the imam of a Masjid in Philadelphia, I got a phone call that a young African American Muslim was killed in the streets of Philadelphia. Such calls were not uncommon. I think that we had at least one homicide per month during my time as Imam of the United Muslim Masjid on 15^th Street; sometimes more. So I arranged for one of the brothers of the deceased to meet me at the Masjid to discuss janaaza arrangements and so on. When I met him, he reminded me of my friend who was killed years ago. As we talked and he explained to me who he was and who his father was, I realized that he, and  young man in his twenties who was killed, were  the sons of my close friend, who twenty something years ago, met the same fate. When I went to see the body at the funeral home, I was taken aback that the young brother who was killed, looked exactly like his father. To this day, other than the janaaza of my mother (rahimuhaa Allah), that was the most difficult salaatul janaaza that I ever performed.

Throughout the years, I have had many children of my friends who were gunned down on the street, or who gunned someone else down, while they were involved in the street game, and are now doing life in prison; some whom I have known since they were born. I remember one case (people reading this from Philly may remember) where a young Muslim man in his twenties got caught up in street life and was gunned down in his car with multiple gunshots, then stuffed in the trunk of his luxury car, and the car set on fire. That hurt me deeply also because I remember when that boy was barely out of diapers, running around our house as a toddler while his parents were visiting our house.

I don’t have any so-called street cred, and by the grace of Allah, and by His mercy, I have never been a thug, and have never been a gang member (although I’ve done other things and may Allah forgive). However, I am certain that I am not the only one who has been touched in one way or another by someone’s senseless death. There are countless of families across the country whom this issue of wanton crime and violence has touched them in much more personal and profound ways than it has I. Still, I, like many other people, am not immune to its effects.  Death is inevitable. But senseless death and killing in the streets is not only inexcusable; it is one of the most insane phenomena of our time, and something that we as Muslim Americans, should be very concerned about. The number of young black men who are shot, stabbed, assaulted, and killed every day by other young black men is staggering. For every one that is killed, there are countless numbers of orphans left behind, parents and siblings grieving, families hurting, and ends up with either another young black man in jail, or a killer, or criminal loose on the street.  Every time of these horrendous events occur, a part of our community dies for no good reason. I can tell you dozens of more stories like this. So if people wonder why I take such a tough stance with regards to thug life, street life, gang life, hood life, criminal life, and drug life. This story tells you a little bit why; and that’s just part of the story.

Imam Luqman Ahmad

New book available by Imam Luqman Ahmad: “The Devil’s Deception of the Modern day Salafi Sect”, A detailed analysis of the Modern day Salafiyyah Sect, their beliefs, practices, and influences upon the religious landscape of Muslim America. In particular, the indigenous American Muslim population. Available @ imamluqman.com

 

New Book Release! The Devil’s Deception of the Modern-Day Salafiyyah Sect, by Imam Luqman Ahmad

The modern-day Salafiyyah, or Salafiyyism, or the Da’wah Salafiyyah has done much to highlight the Sunna of the prophet (SAWS), and its importance. However, in the process of spreading the new ideology of, “The modern-day Salafiyyah, many of its proponents have perhaps unintentionally made casualties out of the very persons for whom the so-called “da’wah Salafiyyah” was intended. Get it today at the link below or go to imamluqman.com.

Excerpts: “For many practicing Muslims, Salafiyyah is a bitter dose of questionable medicine. No one committed to this religion rejects the Salaf as-Saalih or the principles on which they agreed. However, the Salafis and their modern-day da’wah do not suit the tastes of all the righteous. Too much of their methodology revolves around character assassination, claims of monopoly on Allah’s guidance, a fanatical obsession with uncovering the faults of the Muslim”.

Another Excerpt: [Salafiyyism as presented by its modern-day adherents is not a simple methodology; it is a myriad of ideals, slogans and tendencies which burdens the average Muslim with understanding complex issues of theology, jurisprudence, exegesis, hadith methodology, language etc. It effectively abrogates the simplicity of tawheed and gradual assimilation of the Quran and Sunna, and replaces it with unreasonable demands of immediate perfection] -Imam Luqman Ahmad.

[Taken from the new book from Lotus Tree Publications; ‘The Devil’s Deception of the Modern-Day Salafi Sect’ by Imam Luqman Ahmad] available now @ imamluqman.com. Get your copy of this important and pertinent book today! Wholesale quantities available.
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