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Shahadah project!!

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Shahadah project!!
jannah
03/16/05 at 17:50:57
slm,

I have been wanting to work on this project for a long time, and alhamdulillah now have the impetus to do so...

what we want to do is create shahadah packages for new muslims/reverts ... so i was thinking to include 5 books that we think they MUST have and include a certificate that the imam and they can sign that has nice calligraphy of the shahadah and stuff...

so what do you think the top 5 books should be??

Re: Shahadah project!!
Caraj
03/16/05 at 20:26:44
For Sister reverts
Islam Our Choice
Amana publications
It shares other sisters journeys to Islam
and is encouraging and helps you not feel alone.
Re: Shahadah project!!
bhaloo
03/16/05 at 22:27:59
[slm]

You already did something like this a few years back, like 7 years ago.  You had like a top 10 books for new Muslims, and I know you Dr. Bilal Phillips' Tawheed book on there, but I don't remember what else you had.


In order of importance, this is what I came up with.

Quran (Yusuf Ali or Khan & Hilali Translation)

What Islam Is All About by Yahiya Emerick

Fundamentals of Tawheed by Dr. Bilal Phillips (must have)

Fiqh made easy (Dr. Saleh )  http://store.yahoo.com/islamicbookstore-com/b5503.html

The Sealed Nectar

Fiqh us Sunnah
03/16/05 at 22:29:33
bhaloo
Re: Shahadah project!!
anon
03/17/05 at 00:08:12
[slm]

I would suggest Martin Lings biography of the Prophet [saw] over the sealed nectar because:
- the sealed nectar is too long, and a convert would need an insight into the life of the Prophet [saw] in a short time.
- the sealed nectar is written in a very factual dry style. Its a narration of facts, whereas other biographies exist that bring out the love for the Prophet [saw] in a beautiful manner and are able to inspire that love in the reader.
- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf taught from Martin Lings book in a course on the Prophet [saw] at Zaytuna and recommended the book saying its good and is based on the classic "al-Mukhtassar" of ibn Hisham.


03/17/05 at 00:09:43
anon
Re: Shahadah project!!
Mujahideen
03/17/05 at 02:03:34
     I’d second the remarks regarding the sealed nectar. It is useful in terms of access to more ‘factual information’ – but for a new convert such detailed simply goes over their head and detracts from a more meaningful understanding of Seerah. The Martin Lings text is a far superior alternative – it has been used my many institutions as a text.
also;
     The complete Idiots Guide to Islam – Yahiya Emerick (very asic but good for those who are 'sort-of interested in islam or don't want to read a lot)
     Or
     The Vision of Islam - Sachiko Murata, William C. Chittick (more comprehensive but a heavier read)

     

Re: Shahadah project!!
timbuktu
03/17/05 at 09:49:35
[slm] All these books are wondeful, but I agree that "The Sealed Nectar" is very dry and generally without explanation, so Martin Lings' biograpgy of the prophet [saw] is ideal.

sis azizah's idea is nice too, it would help to read the accounts of others coming to Islam.

Perhaps reading about the suffering of the companions and their love for Allah (swt) and the prophet [saw] should also be included.
03/17/05 at 09:53:03
timbuktu
Re: Shahadah project!!
AbdulBasir
03/17/05 at 10:13:19
[slm]
Martin Ling's work on the seerah, may Allah reward him, is an excellent resource, and should be a part of every Muslim's library, but I would have a few reservations about giving it up front, especially if the revert is from a Christian background.

There are a few mistakes in the book, and because of that, it cannot stand alone on its own; it needs to be studied [i]with someone[/i] who can point out those few mistakes. Shaykh Hamza, for example, in his Zaytuna class on the book, mentions this limitation and mentions those mistakes.

Granted, the mistakes are few, but they include a passage on the Logos and the Word regarding Isa AS, which could seriously confuse a Christian revert, as well passages about the Orientalist myth of Zaynab's RA marriage to Rasulallah[saw], and Rasulallah [saw] purportedly leaving behind a picture of Ibrahim AS in the Kaaba after Fath Makkah.

Again I want to point out that it is an excellent book, from which I myself have derived much benefit, but again, like most other books, it needs to be studied with someone.

In regards to Yahya Emerick, he has also written a short biography on the Prophet [saw]. By size, it looks smaller than the other Seerah mentioned. I haven't personally read it though and I haven't heard about it from anyone. If it is good though, that could be another more manageable option. Anyone around here read it?

As for other books, it's not mentioned a lot, but why not the 40 hadith of Imam Nawawi? It's short, brief, cheap and contains the jewels from amongst the thousands of hadith which gives the core teachings and beliefs of Islam that every Muslim should know.  All the hadith are of course clear and easy to understand and stand alone. It's one of the first things children study in school and shouldn't be overwhelming.

[slm] :)
03/17/05 at 10:14:31
AbdulBasir
Re: Shahadah project!!
Kathy
03/17/05 at 11:55:21
[wlm]

One book that reverts always check out, enjoy and recommend after they have read is
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam by Yahiya Emerick

I just recently recieved a very cool set , will go to the library tonight and check out the title.

Please, please please make sure you include a book with tape of Salat!
Re: Shahadah project!!
Kathy
03/17/05 at 13:33:01
[wlm]
attatched is a Shahadah certificate i made for the dawah center.
http://www.jannah.org/board/attachments/adobe_scanned_shahada.JPG
adobe_scanned_shahada.JPG
Re: Shahadah project!!
Aadhil
03/17/05 at 16:24:29
[slm]

Instead of a big certificate why not have a small card (like the size of a drivers liscence).

One of my friends from singapore showed me his card, that was issued in Singapore. It had his photo and the statement that he had said the shahada plus his signature and new name that he adopted (unofficially) etc.

It would also be good when he/she wants to go for hajj, show the i.d instead of having to ask the masjid for a letter of affirmation.
Re: Shahadah project!!
bhaloo
03/18/05 at 01:16:08
[slm]

As br. Abdul Basir has pointed out there are mistakes in Martin Ling's book.  And some of these mistakes are from so called fabricated Muslim sources.

I'll list some of the problems that I have read about Martin Ling's book:

Martin Lings draws heavily on Kitab al Maghazi which was authored by al_Waqidi, and whom the scholars have said should be rejected as a narrator of traditions.  For example, Ibn Hajar relates that Imaam ash-Sahafi said about al-Waaqidee's books: "They are all lies."  An Nisaa'ee states that "al-Waaqidee was well known for his fabrications of prophetic traditions".  Imam al-Bukhari and Imaam Ahmad call him "a liar whose narations are to be rejected".  Abu Dawood emphatically says of him, "I'd never record or relate his hadeeths; I have no doubt at all that he used to forge traditions".  

THere is also the FALSE claim in Ling's book that the Prophet (SAW) protected some idols (Jesus, Mary and Abraham) inside the Kabah.

Another FALSE claim of a romantic account of the Prophet (SAW) falling in love with Zaynab.

I don't see how its possible to recommend this book to new Muslims, we have to be certain that the information given to a new Muslim is authentic and does not have any lies and misconceptions.

p.s.
Gender Equity by Jamal Badawi, i remember that being on Jannah's list from back in the day.


Re: Shahadah project!!
Mujahideen
03/18/05 at 02:03:47
[slm]

     No doubt that the Ling’s texts has some problems – there are errors within the text and I did neglect to mention this in my post.

     Yet where others did mention this they also mentioned that when institutions employ the text in their classes they also correct the errors within the text. Most texts have problems – if we rejected all texts on the basis that there are some problems within we would have precious few to choose from.

Ibn taymiyyah put forth many opinions within his works which are not considered acceptable – tawaf while in menstruation; this is something all scholars hold to be not permissible – do we then reject all of Ibn taymiyyah’s works?

Instead we ought to judge the text on its overall quality and accuracy.

     If there are too many errors it ought to be rejected.

     If there errors are few in number and easily corrected – then it might still be up for consideration.  

     I’m less concerned with the issues related to Kitab al Maghazi as a source – while many have argued for the questionable nature of the work and author we ought to simply judge the Ling’s text on the basis on the information within – overall the information is quite accurate with a few exceptions which are easy to point out. There seems to be little wisdom in replacing this with a text like the sealed nectar which many, if not all, new Muslims I have met characterize as boring and they failed to get through the entire text; if people are not going to read it - it is of little value.

F I Q H
anon
03/18/05 at 05:19:00
[slm]

For fiqh I would recommend Imam Nawwawi's Al-Maqasid because

- it is organized so that it contains all the Islamic knowledge required for a sane Muslim adult to know (from aqidah to rituals)

- it is concise and its english translation is very well done with annotations where needed to clarify

- Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo says:"... no work in English says so much about the din of Islam so concisely, so authoritatively, and with such clarity."

Re: Shahadah project!!
bhaloo
03/18/05 at 22:33:38
[slm]

[quote author=Mujahideen link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=10#11 date=03/18/05 at 02:03:47]
     No doubt that the Ling’s texts has some problems – there are errors within the text and I did neglect to mention this in my post.

     Yet where others did mention this they also mentioned that when institutions employ the text in their classes they also correct the errors within the text. Most texts have problems – if we rejected all texts on the basis that there are some problems within we would have precious few to choose from.
[/quote]

The errors in Martin Ling's books are more then errors, they are fabrications about the Prophet (SAW)!   This is a very serious matter to fabricate about the Prophet (SAW).


[quote]
Ibn taymiyyah put forth many opinions within his works which are not considered acceptable – tawaf while in menstruation; this is something all scholars hold to be not permissible – do we then reject all of Ibn taymiyyah’s works?
[/quote]

Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Tamiyyah, one of the greatest scholars that Islam has known, used ijtihaad in deriving this ruling, and it is a ruling shared by many sound scholars of Islam.  I'm sure you are familiar with the hadith about the scholar that does ijtihaad and is correct and the one that errors.  It is an extremely ignorant thing and insulting for you to be saying that one of the greatest scholars of Islam has opinions that are not considered acceptable.  It is true some deviants and ignorants attacked him, but they have been thoroughly refuted and exposed.  

Dr. Abdul-Karim Zidan in his book “Muslim Family Law”  says:
“Stating the view of Hanafis on this case, Imam Ibn Taymiyah maintains that if a woman performs Tawaf while she is in menstruation, it is acceptable but she has to slaughter a sacrificial animal (a camel or a she-camel). The simple reason for this is that purity is not a requirement for Tawaf to be acceptable. However, it is a Wajib which can be compensated for by slaughtering an animal as an expiation for abandoning a rule.

However, in his personal view, Imam Ibn Taymiyah makes it clear that a menstruating woman can do all the acts of Hajj. In case of Tawaf, she can make Ghusl (purifactory bath) and apply a sanitary towel. As for the texts that require purity for making Tawaf, such as the Prophet’s words: “A menstruating woman does all acts of Hajj save Tawaf.” and also the Hadith: “When one of you gets impure, he should not pray unless after purification”, these texts denote general obligation which is to be observed according to one’s ability. Almighty Allah says: “So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can.” (At-Taghabun: 16). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also says: “When I command you to do something, do it according to your capacity.” Attaining purity is known to be a condition pertaining to Tawaf. In case of prayer, purity is more required and is considered to be a condition for accepting prayer. However, in cases of extreme necessity this condition is neglected. This involves the case of a person with enuresis who can pray and make Tawaf after making ablution.

Thus, according to Ibn Taymiyah, it is acceptable for a menstruating woman, who cannot wait in Makkah and who has to leave due to traveling arrangements, to make Tawaf. She is even not required to make slaughtering simply because when a Muslim is forced to leave a Wajib, he is not required to offer slaughtering. However, if he leaves the Wajib act out of negligence or if he deliberately abandons it, then he has to offer a sacrificial animal. In case of a menstruating woman in question, she finds herself in case of extreme necessity, which forces her to a Wajib act and thus is not required to offer a slaughtered animal.

Dr. Zidan further elaborates: “The most correct opinion in this issue is that a menstruating woman should wait in Makkah until she is pure and then makes Tawaf in case she can do this. But if it’s difficult for her to stay in Makkah till she gets pure, then she can make Tawaf and, in this case, she does not have to offer a slaughtered animal as shown by Imam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy on him.”

[quote]
Instead we ought to judge the text on its overall quality and accuracy.

     If there are too many errors it ought to be rejected.

     If there errors are few in number and easily corrected – then it might still be up for consideration.  
[/quote]

That is incorrect.  If anything is written lying about the Prophet (SAW) it should be rejected.  Don't go around spreading it,  because what you will be  doing is spreading lies about the Prophet (SAW).  

[quote]
There seems to be little wisdom in replacing this with a text like the sealed nectar which many, if not all, new Muslims I have met characterize as boring and they failed to get through the entire text; if people are not going to read it - it is of little value.
[/quote]

There is NO wisdom in spreading lies about the Prophet (SAW).  

I would be open to Abdul Basir's suggestion of Yahiya Emerick's book on the Prophet (SAW), as I know Yahiya does not write lies about the Prophet (SAW).  I might just pick up a copy to see for myself how this book is.
Re: F I Q H
bhaloo
03/19/05 at 02:33:08
[slm]

[quote author=al-anon link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=10#12 date=03/18/05 at 05:19:00] [slm]

For fiqh I would recommend Imam Nawwawi's Al-Maqasid because

- it is organized so that it contains all the Islamic knowledge required for a sane Muslim adult to know (from aqidah to rituals)
[/quote]

Unfortunately this book in the English language was done by Nuh Keller, who had done the Reliance of the Traveller and added extremist sufi views (views of later day sufis)  in that book that most Muslims do not adhere to.  And this book that you mentioned I see has sections  on sufism.  I haven't looked at the book, because I will no longer support Nuh Keller after reading the kinds of extreme things he has written.

A must have book is this one, entitled, A Chapter on the Dispraise of Al-Hawaa

http://store.yahoo.com/islamicbookstore-com/b4486.html

Dr. Saleh spends about 200 pages discussing the sufi sections that Nuh Keller added to Reliance of the Traveller (which were not in the original Arabic text!), and the problems with those texts, as well as the sheikhs of the shadilli sufi tariqh, which Nuh Keller belongs to, and a response to some of his attacks on scholars.  
Re: Shahadah project!!
Mujahideen
03/19/05 at 04:03:19
[quote author=bhaloo link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=10#13 date=03/18/05 at 22:33:38][slm]


The errors in Martin Ling's books are more then errors, they are fabrications about the Prophet (SAW)!   This is a very serious matter to fabricate about the Prophet (SAW).



Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Tamiyyah, one of the greatest scholars that Islam has known, used ijtihaad in deriving this ruling, and it is a ruling shared by many sound scholars of Islam.  I'm sure you are familiar with the hadith about the scholar that does ijtihaad and is correct and the one that errors.  It is an extremely ignorant thing and insulting for you to be saying that one of the greatest scholars of Islam has opinions that are not considered acceptable.  It is true some deviants and ignorants attacked him, but they have been thoroughly refuted and exposed.  

Dr. Abdul-Karim Zidan in his book “Muslim Family Law”  says:
“Stating the view of Hanafis on this case, Imam Ibn Taymiyah maintains that if a woman performs Tawaf while she is in menstruation, it is acceptable but she has to slaughter a sacrificial animal (a camel or a she-camel). The simple reason for this is that purity is not a requirement for Tawaf to be acceptable. However, it is a Wajib which can be compensated for by slaughtering an animal as an expiation for abandoning a rule.

However, in his personal view, Imam Ibn Taymiyah makes it clear that a menstruating woman can do all the acts of Hajj. In case of Tawaf, she can make Ghusl (purifactory bath) and apply a sanitary towel. As for the texts that require purity for making Tawaf, such as the Prophet’s words: “A menstruating woman does all acts of Hajj save Tawaf.” and also the Hadith: “When one of you gets impure, he should not pray unless after purification”, these texts denote general obligation which is to be observed according to one’s ability. Almighty Allah says: “So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can.” (At-Taghabun: 16). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also says: “When I command you to do something, do it according to your capacity.” Attaining purity is known to be a condition pertaining to Tawaf. In case of prayer, purity is more required and is considered to be a condition for accepting prayer. However, in cases of extreme necessity this condition is neglected. This involves the case of a person with enuresis who can pray and make Tawaf after making ablution.

Thus, according to Ibn Taymiyah, it is acceptable for a menstruating woman, who cannot wait in Makkah and who has to leave due to traveling arrangements, to make Tawaf. She is even not required to make slaughtering simply because when a Muslim is forced to leave a Wajib, he is not required to offer slaughtering. However, if he leaves the Wajib act out of negligence or if he deliberately abandons it, then he has to offer a sacrificial animal. In case of a menstruating woman in question, she finds herself in case of extreme necessity, which forces her to a Wajib act and thus is not required to offer a slaughtered animal.

Dr. Zidan further elaborates: “The most correct opinion in this issue is that a menstruating woman should wait in Makkah until she is pure and then makes Tawaf in case she can do this. But if it’s difficult for her to stay in Makkah till she gets pure, then she can make Tawaf and, in this case, she does not have to offer a slaughtered animal as shown by Imam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy on him.”


That is incorrect.  If anything is written lying about the Prophet (SAW) it should be rejected.  Don't go around spreading it,  because what you will be  doing is spreading lies about the Prophet (SAW).  


There is NO wisdom in spreading lies about the Prophet (SAW).  

I would be open to Abdul Basir's suggestion of Yahiya Emerick's book on the Prophet (SAW), as I know Yahiya does not write lies about the Prophet (SAW).  I might just pick up a copy to see for myself how this book is.[/quote]


     I don’t see where you think I’m ‘insulting’ Ibn Taymiyyah – all I did was point out he has one particular opinion (among many) which was not accepted in the hundreds of years prior to his life and one which was continued to be rejected in the hundreds of years since. It’s simply a matter of history.
     I asked rhetorically ‘do we then reject of his work?’ – no of course not but we simply dispense with what the vast majority of our Fuqaha have rejected. No Imam is infallible and all have opinions which might seem odd to some.
     Nearly all classical fiqh opinions are based on the presumption that the world is flat. This is something even modern scholar have held – bin Baz is known to hold this opinion, when studying in North Africa many scholars there held it was flat. Is the world flat – I don’t think so; ought we then reject all fiqh, I don’t think so. We take from the Jamaah.
     If we are looking for the perfect text which no Muslim is going to have a problem with – I don’t think we are going to find one, you can always find a Muslim who has some problem with some text regardless of their qualifications as ‘Imam’s or whatever – its human nature. Similarly since humans write these texts its not surprising you’ll find errors within – I’m not going to proclaim that someone has spread lies against the prophet – since this would mean they intended to spread falsehood, perhas like other authors it was simply a mistake. I can’t judge their heat.
I don’t really know what to make of the text you posted, if its supposed to elicit proofs to convince me of Ibn Taymiyyah’s opinion then I’m afraid I’m not qualified to interpret the Qur’an and Sunnah. I’m not at the level of Ijtihad – perhaps you feel you are I don’t know; if you feel comfortable interpreting the Qur’an and Sunnah yourself then its your business after all it’s your afterlife you need to look after not mine – I’ll stick with the Ja’mmah of 1400 years of scholastic tradition – which has been against what you are positing.
I’m not sure if you can read classical texts – but if so I’d suggest reading texts actually authored by Ibn Taymiyyah and not ones written about him by others. There are significant differences between what he has written and what some later figures have attributed to him.
Re: Shahadah project!!
bhaloo
03/19/05 at 11:09:07
[slm]

[quote author=Mujahideen link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=10#15 date=03/19/05 at 04:03:19]
     I don’t see where you think I’m ‘insulting’ Ibn Taymiyyah – all I did was point out he has one particular opinion (among many) which was not accepted in the hundreds of years prior to his life and one which was continued to be rejected in the hundreds of years since. It’s simply a matter of history.
[/quote]

Among many? Why didn't you use Abu Hanifah, Imaam Shafi, Imaam Ahmad, or Imaam Malik's?  Or do you think that not one of them has an opinion that was not rejected by the majority of the ulema?

[quote]
     Nearly all classical fiqh opinions are based on the presumption that the world is flat. This is something even modern scholar have held – bin Baz is known to hold this opinion, when studying in North Africa many scholars there held it was flat. Is the world flat – I don’t think so; ought we then reject all fiqh, I don’t think so. We take from the Jamaah.
[/quote]

Sheikh Bin Baz (who was blind) had changed his opinion and agreed that the world was NOT flat.   Are there any other scholars you want to insult and drag through the mud?

[quote]
I’m not going to proclaim that someone has spread lies against the prophet – since this would mean they intended to spread falsehood, perhas like other authors it was simply a mistake. I can’t judge their heat.
[/quote]

BUT, you yourself know weather they are lies about the Prophet (SAW) , and if you don't. its not too difficult for a lay person such as yourself to go ask a qualified scholar if ALL the IDOLS in the Kaabah were destroyed as well as the other issues.  And once you know the truth, then you as a Muslim have a responsibility, to not spread lies about the Prophet (SAW).  But like you said, its your afterlife, and if you want to spread a book with lies about the Prophet (SAW) then the burden is on you.

[quote]
I’m not at the level of Ijtihad – perhaps you feel you are I don’t know; if you feel comfortable interpreting the Qur’an and Sunnah yourself then its your business after all it’s your afterlife you need to look after not mine –
[/quote]

You are correct, you don't know, so don't go assuming and make up lies about me.  I rely on the opinion of the classical scholars from the last 1400 years, and take from their knowledge.

[quote]
I’m not sure if you can read classical texts – but if so I’d suggest reading texts actually authored by Ibn Taymiyyah and not ones written about him by others. There are significant differences between what he has written and what some later figures have attributed to him.[/quote]

I take my opinion of Sheikh ul Islam from the overwhelming majority of scholars of the last 1400 years as well as the most knowledgable scholars from that same time perod.  A whole book entitled Radd al-Waafir was written about all the scholars that gave Sheikh Ibn Tamiyyah the title of Sheikh ul Islam.

Muhammad bin Abdul Barr as-Subkee said, "by Allaah no one hates ibn Taymiyyah except for an ignoramus or the possessor of desires which have diverted him from the truth after he has come to know it." [‘Radd al-Waafir’ (pg.95) of ibn Naasir ad-Deen]

Al-Haafidh Abdurrahmaan ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee said, "he is the Imaam, the legal Jurist, the Mujtahid, the Scholar of Hadeeth, the Haafidh, the Explainer of the Qur`aan, the Ascetic, Taqee ad-Deen Abu al-Abbaas Shaykh al-Islaam, the most knowledgeable of the knowledgeable, it is not possible to exaggerate his renown when he is mentioned….he, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was unique in his time with respect to understanding the Qur`aan and knowledge of the realities of faith." [‘adh-Dhail `alaa Tabaqaat al-Hanaabilaa’ (2/387-392) of ibn Rajab]

The Imaam of the Hanafees, Badr ad-Deen (Mahmud bin Ahmad) al-`Ainee said, "whosoever says ibn Taymiyyah is a kaafir the he is in reality himself a kaafir, and the one who accuses him of heresy is himself a heretic. How is this possible when his works are widely available and there is no hint of deviation or dissension contained therein." [‘Radd al-Waafir’ (pg. 245)]

As-Suyutee quotes from az-Zamlakaanee that he said, "our Master, our Shaykh, the Imaam, the Scholar, the Unique (al-Awhad), the Haafidh, the Mujtahid, the Ascetic, the Worshipper (Aabid), the Example, the Imaam of the Imaams, the example for the Nation, the sign of the scholars, the inheritor of the Prophets, the Last of the Mujtahids, unique (Awhad) scholar of the Religion, the Blessing for Islaam, the Proof of the Scholars (A`laam), the proof of the Mutakallimeen, the effacer of the innovators, endowed with exalted and amazing sciences, the Reviver of the Sunnah. The one by whom Allaah has greatly favoured us with, and established the proof with against His enemies. …Taqee ad-Deen ibn Taymiyyah…"

Then as-Suyutee follows this up by saying, "I have quoted this biography from the handwriting of the Allaamah, the unique individual of his time, Shaykh Kamaal ad-Deen az-Zamlakaanee, may Allaah have mercy on him who used to say, ‘one who had more memorised than him has not been seen in the last five hundred years.’" [‘al-Ashbaah wa an-Nadhaa’ir an-Nahwiyyah’ (3/681), see also ‘Dhail alaa Tabaqaat al-Hanaabila’ (2/392-393)]

As-Suyutee said in the course of discussing his biography, "Shaykh al-Islaam, the Haafidh, the Faqeeh, the Mujtahid, the distinguished Mufassir, the rarity of his time, Scholar of the Ascetics" [‘Tabaqaat al-Huffaadh’ (pg. 516 no. 1144), and ‘al-Asbaah wa al-Nadhaa’ir’ (3/683) of as-Suyutee.

And there are many more, including Ramadan Boti,  Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Hajar al Aqsalani, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Qayyim, etc, but for brevity I will leave it.
03/19/05 at 11:12:26
bhaloo
Re: Shahadah project!!
anon
03/19/05 at 23:13:13
[slm]

No one has attacked Ibn Tammiya. Indeed the people who follow true scholarship do not waste time pointing out faults of people who have passed away. Imam al-Ghazzali strongly advised to save oneself from the trap of speeking ill of the deceased.

Pointing a mistake in scholarship is a different matter for that does not entail ones animosity towards the scholar. It is merely to stress a point that we take the good from all scholars and that no scholar's work is exempt from a critical review by other scholars.

May Allah (swt) bless all the scholars of Islam, for even for their mistakes they had ikhlas (sincerity) for the deen that is exemplary.


May Allah (swt) also guide the people whos daily zikr and wird has become argumentation so much so that they get enraged if a mistake is pointed out in the work of a scholar they follow.
Re: Shahadah project!!
sofia
03/21/05 at 12:41:56
As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah, Jannah and everyone else!

Hope everyone is doing well, insha'Allah. Wish I could check as often as I used to, but I should blame the fact that I don't have a reliable PC. :) To all those who msg'd me, sorry to get back to you so late. :)

Jannah, I was SOOO happy to see your message, because I fully support this project. I've been meaning to start the same project up since the summer (and in fact, I logged in to inquire about this very same subject today -- again), and wAllahi, only got to the preliminary phases. Since then, I've spoken to one of the local imams on starting up a New Muslims Committee, so if anyone from the Albany area wants to help or has any suggestions, by all means, let me know, insha'Allah. We need to start soon.

As for what to include in a new muslims kit, books are good, but vary the media. I still need more suggestions, but so far, here are the categories I'd include:

-Qur'aan (probably Yusuf Ali's translation, since it's the easiest to find, and New Muslim-friendly)
-Sajadah/prayer rug
-Hijaab (for females)
-Video on Wudu & Salaah (preferably one with a good reciter, but they need to learn how to pray first)
-CD/tape on the Salaah and short surahs
-Books on Salaah and basics on Islam (ex/ Salaah from A-Z by M. Mohamed, Yahya Emerick's "What Islam is all about", Abdel Ati's "Islam in Focus", etc).
-short book of hadith, like the 40 ahaadith.
-short book on Prophets, esp. the life of Prophet Muhammad, saws.
-Word list on common terms/phrases in Arabic (ex/ As-salaamu alaykum, Alhamdulillah, etc)
-CD/tape with recitation of the Qur'aan (by recitor like Minshawi, El-Efasi, Al-Ghamdi, or Ajami, etc).

Probably in a big bag to give to new Muslims.

Any other suggestions from anyone? or specific types of books, etc?
Jazaakum Allahu khayran!
sofia :)

Re: Shahadah project!!
jannah
03/23/05 at 23:16:23
slm,

wow you go away for a few days and look what happens :) jazakumallahu khairan everyone... i know you are very sincere about your suggestions and stuff

i think some of the fiqh and other books may be a little high level... these are going to be like brand new shahadahs... like literally they take the shahadah in the mosque and someone hands them this package and it could be that they know very very little about islam.

some of the books are awesome and everyone should definitely read them ie sahabah stories poetry women in islam etc.. but i mean there's like a milliion things we could give them and they eventually need to read... but i want to narrow them to 5...

(muslim the idea of a card kinda scares me... i have nightmares of the future where we get stopped by the gestapo and they ask to see our id cards...!!)

kathy ur certificate is awesome... i might take the wording and put it into this cool certificate i made a while ago for something islamic...

so i think so far this is my top 5

1. Quran -Yusuf Ali
-I know ppl have probs with the translation but i think its the best of what is available in english along with the very readable commentary

2. Guidance from the Messenger - A Treasury of Hadith  (compiled by M.Kazi)
- I like the idea of 40 hadith but they don't really have a 40 hadith book that has commentary... but I have always absolutely loved this book since the day I bought it.. but have never been able to find it!!!... but recently I found a less expensive, not as nice printing version of this book with the same hadiths. (I have never been able to find the beautiful shiny printing of this book that I have, but if anyone's seen it let me know!!)

3. The Idiots Guide to Islam (Y. Emerick)
- I like it alot and it covers a ton of stuff


4. The Lawful and the Prohbited in Islam (Qaradawi)
- Was suggested this book recently and after thinking about it I think it is a good addition. There's a whole chapter on Islamic methodology and quran and hadith too.

5. Seerah - now this is the tough one...
I was thinking of Martin Lings but have not read it in quite awhile...but do remember not liking some things... but can't think of any other inspirational seerah book... Raheeq is WaY too difficult... the Makkan crucible?? but it only covers the first half


I guess I have to add a 6. for a book on how to pray? I tend to like Sh. Albaani's

and if I had a ton of money I would add to each... a hijab or kufi, a prayer rug, and a quran tape
Re: Shahadah project!!
Aadhil
03/24/05 at 00:19:06
[quote author=jannah link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=10#19 date=03/23/05 at 23:16:23] (muslim the idea of a card kinda scares me... i have nightmares of the future where we get stopped by the gestapo and they ask to see our id cards...!!)
[/quote]

No I don't mean it as an I.D card. Just something that states that the person took the shahadah. It would come it useful as I said before like for hajj etc...

p.s don't tell me you're scared of telling authorities you're muslim... :P.
Re: Shahadah project!!
Anonymous
03/31/05 at 15:53:35
salahm

It was mentioned:

"I would suggest Martin Lings biography of the Prophet  over the sealed nectar because:
<snip>
- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf taught from Martin Lings book in a course on the Prophet at Zaytuna
and recommended the book saying its good and is based on the classic "al-Mukhtassar" of
ibn Hisham."

Isn't Lings a perennialist? If he is thick enough to not understand the Prophet's (SAW)
message, how can he be trusted with this biography?


Re: Shahadah project!!
timbuktu
04/03/05 at 00:58:37
[slm]
I am not sure if Anonymous will be reading and answering here, but anyone who can answer my question2, please do so.

[quote author=Anonymous link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=20#21 date=03/31/05 at 15:53:35]Isn't Lings a perennialist?[/quote]

Q1. What is a perennialist, and what is perennialism?

[quote author=Anonymous link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=20#21 date=03/31/05 at 15:53:35]If he is thick enough to not understand the Prophet's (SAW) message, how can he be trusted with this biography?[/quote]

Q2. Martin Lings is a Muslim. What is in his writings that tell us he hasn't understood the Prophet [saw]'s message?

Please, I am genuinely persplexed, or more accurately, ignorant.
04/03/05 at 01:03:38
timbuktu
Re: Shahadah project!!
timbuktu
04/03/05 at 03:18:17
[slm]

my Q1 stands, but in answer to Q2, I have started discovering what people consider objectionable in ML's book:

taken from the discussion on the following link:

http://www.salaam.co.uk/forum/list.php?f=8&t=38&a=2

[quote]Whilst there are accounts in it that have been described as problematic, teachers (who have used it for their seerah classes) have said that as long as you are aware of them, they have considered the benefit in it to far outweigh the possible [i]sharr[/i] and thus described it as recommended reading.

One of the main problems, that was outlined in such a seerah class, related to the Prophet's (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) marriage to Zaynab after her divorce from Zayd the Prophet's adopted son (ML pg 212 -213). The picture painted in the ML book was that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) admired Zaynab whilst she was still married to Zayd. But as has been outlined in Qadi Iyad's 'Muhammad: The Messenger of Allah' (section 5, pg 351-354) there would have been a great fault in it which would not have befit the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)....Rather Allah had made Zayd divorce her & marry the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) so as to remove the barriers set up by ties of adoption & invalidating its customs.

Another factor in ML's book relates to Sara & Hajar of Prophet Ibrahim (alayhi salam) (pg 2) where Hajar was supposed to have fled due to Sarah's anger. The introduction he had given was from the book of Genesis. It is important to note that according to our tradition both of the women are considered to be righteous women and whilst there may be jealousies between 2 wives or more, with people of taqwa it will never lead to anything displeasing to Allah.[/quote]

I will appreciate answers to Q1.
04/03/05 at 03:53:54
timbuktu
:)
WhiteSomali
04/23/05 at 23:11:39
[slm]

sorry bro timbuktu ionno the answer to ur first q, altho I actually did look.

ne, I bought read and for the most part liked ML's biography of the Prophet Muhammad [saw] but the errors in the book are kinda serious, so ne1 that reads it should already either have enough knowledge to be able to recognize these errors when they read the book, or they need to read the book with sum1 who has enuff knowledge to point them out. A new Muslim prolly wouldnt know enough to be able to pick up on these mistakes so i wouldnt put it in ur package...

[slm]
04/23/05 at 23:19:11
WhiteSomali
argh.....
jannah
04/24/05 at 00:03:09
slm,

I keep thinking about this project but I still haven't come to any conclusions... there's like so many good books and just different things to choose from! I hate for it to be bogged down in just the selection of the books!!!

Can any reverts tell me what books they really needed first and found indispensable?? Things they wish they were given the day they took Shahadah? I mean maybe we're missing the boat here and should be giving out something like "Struggling to Surrender" Jeffrey Lang... I don't know

There's just so many books out there. I keep looking at my shelf wishing every convert had access to these different books. I wish I could open a Muslim library one day, esp a kids one...

Anyways now I'm even doubting giving Qurans maybe it is too difficult?? and I can't find a single good concise seerah book. This is so sad.. why don't we have more quality stuff in English??

Anyways help!


04/24/05 at 00:04:04
jannah
<+tr>
hello
bhaloo
04/24/05 at 01:10:41
[slm]

[quote author=jannah link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=20#25 date=04/24/05 at 00:03:09]
Anyways now I'm even doubting giving Qurans maybe it is too difficult?? and I can't find a single good concise seerah book. This is so sad.. why don't we have more quality stuff in English??
[/quote]

The Quran is very difficult to understand for someone in English, unless you know the context the verses were used, and why, and what they really mean, I think it will be very difficult.  That's why I always recommend Ibn Kathir's tafsir, I can't tell you how many people have asked questions about verses, just cause they couldn't understand what the verses meant in English.  And look at the success of Dr. Farhat Hashmi and her cds/tapes on tafsir of the Quran, it has made a huge impact on Pakistani women.

There are a whole bunch of books I"m waiting to be translated into English.  Not to mention Harf software has this whole collection in arabic of Sheikh Ibn Tamiyyah's fatawas, but they are in Arabic.
An idea
Caraj
04/25/05 at 17:07:50
Jannah I had an idea.
Why not get those free pamplets from whyIslam
There are 5.
I know many reverts had issues with non Muslim family members,
explaining things or even telling them at all.
If you included one set or even 2 sets with a note,
Info for when you tell your Non-Muslim family.

This gives family info and helps the revert not get cornered and bombarded
with questions.
Re: argh.....
Aadhil
04/26/05 at 01:49:55
[slm]

[quote author=jannah link=board=lighthouse;num=1111013458;start=20#25 date=04/24/05 at 00:03:09]slm,.....
... there's like so many good books and just different things to choose from! I hate for it to be bogged down in just the selection of the books!!!.....
[/quote]

Why not choose the best books, then you can make a pamphlet with a list of all the other books, with subject, description, where to get em etc...

Finally the revert can use it as a guideline on what to get, and use the description in the list to select the books according to his/her interests.
thanx
jannah
04/26/05 at 03:06:46
slm,

some awesome ideas guys... thanx!!!

jazakamullahu khairan :)


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