10 Steps to Firm-Footedness in Seeking Knowledge of Fiqh

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In this brief podcast, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani provides 10 genuinely useful tips on gaining and retaining a firm grasp of your knowledge of fiqh.

See also:

“From knowing nothing to becoming a student of knowledge”
Advice from Habib Ali Al-Jifri for Seekers of Knowledge
The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge
Habib Umar’s Advice to the Seekers of Sacred Knowledge
Shaykh Áwwamah’s advice for Students of Sacred Knowledge
Importance of Intention in Seeking Knowledge

Supporting Scholars and Students in Need – A Message from Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Through the SeekersGuidance Global Islamic Scholars Fund, SeekersGuidance Global has been able to help numerous scholars and students of knowledge in need to continue to study and serve their communities. Help is still urgently needed for  a number of ongoing cases to help scholars and students of knowledge in need. Please donate today for this ongoing charity.

Donate now at seekersguidance.org/scholarsfund.

All donations are zakat-eligible and are tax-deductible in the US and Canada.

14: The Lawful & The Prohibited – Renewing Religion: An Overview of Ghazali’s Ihya – Shaykh Riad Saloojee

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In this lesson, visiting scholar, Shaykh Riad Saloojee gives an overview of the Chapter on The Permissible and The Impermissible from Imam Ghazali’s Ihya. The chapter is divided into the following sections:

[1] the virtue of the permissible and the problems of the impermissible
[3] the doubtful and how to judge and evaluate between them
[4] the extent to which someone should question the gifts they’ve been given
[5] what one should do when they have obtained unlawful wealth and would like to turn back to Allah.
[6] the relationship between a person and power

In this lesson, Shaykh Riad focuses on the first section of the chapter: the virtue of the permissible and the problems of the impermissible. The Prophet, peace be upon him, tells us that actions are either lawful or unlawful, and between the two there are doubtful matters and whoever avoids doubtful matters is free and saved and whoever engages in doubtful matters is walking a difficult path in which they may fall into the impermissible. He continues to say, that every king has a sanctuary and the sanctuary of Allah in His Earth is His prohibitions; meaning that that is where we should not even come close to. Lastly, the Prophet, peace be upon him, says that in each body there is a morsel that if it were to be corrupt the whole body would to and if it were to be healthy then the whole body would be too; that is the heart. With this the Prophet connects the action of the limbs to the impact it has on one’s spiritual heart. Conversely as well a sound spiritual heart will push one to the permissable as well.

Shaykh Riad continues to explain that the permissible and impermissible actions have levels. In addition, the lawful matters and unlawful matters can be dependent on their circumstances, so one needs to be smart and thoughtful in understanding the law and the circumstance.

Shaykh Riad concludes by reminding us the strength to engage in the halal and avoid the unlawful is derived not by intellectual understandings but through a sound heart and spiritual strength. The door to that is to continually engage in a lot of remembrance on a daily basis.

In this brief overview of Imam Ghazali’s opus magnum, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Renewing the Religious Sciences), this series will serve as blueprint for how the believer can bring to life their religion. It will aim to help the believer to not just practice the form of the religion properly, but to also practice it with excellence.

Join our Ramadan 2017 program: #RamadanRenewal, in-person at SeekersGuidance Toronto or online through the SeekersGuidance Global platform. For more details, visit: http://seekershub.org/ramadan2017.

Checkout all of the SeekersGuidance podcasts by visiting http:s//seekersguidance.org/podcasts/

Why Are We Muslim? – Preserving Faith in Testing Times – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Have you asked yourself why you are Muslim? Is Islam an identity? How can our faith be preserved in testing time?

In this Friday khutba, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains how faith is the fuel of religion. Muslims should be be clear about why they are Muslim, and then nurture that in their children. Shaykh Faraz clarifies that we are not Muslim just because we follow the religion of Islam. That is just what the implications of being Muslim are.

The Quran and Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) actively call us to think, reflect and understand. We need to ask ourselves: what does Allah represent in my life? What does the Messenger of Allah represent in our life? What does the Quran reflect in my life?

The resulting quality of this reflection is gratitude. Gratitude is the driver of lasting benefit. We are Muslim because we are grateful to our Creator, Sustainer and Benefactor. We are Muslim because we believe in Allah.

This Islam that is fuelled by faith, stands the test of adversities. As opposed to Islam that is just based on identity which withers when tested.

Shaykh Faraz calls us to nurture our strength of faith by not just going through the motions of religion. Rather, we should make every action and act of faith: “Know that your prayer is an act of faith. Know that your fasting is an act of faith. Know that your charity is an act of faith. Know that sticking to the halal and avoiding the haram is an act of faith. Know that visiting your parents is an act of faith. Know that your being involved in the community, your social activism, your political activism, your maintaining ties with family and friends all of it is an act of faith.”

Before any action the believer should turn their heart to Allah. They should ask: what does Allah seek from me? Don’t just focus on the action. Focus first on Allah. If you do that, nothing will harm you.

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him said): “If you ask, ask from Allah. If you rely, rely upon Allah.” Religion is about Allah Most High alone.

This Friday khutba was delivered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani in February 2017 at the the International Muslim Organization of Toronto (IMO).

Cover photo by alankrita singh.

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How To Talk To Children About Death, by Shaykh Walead Mosaad

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How do we prepare children for the death of someone close to them, and indeed, the concept of our own mortality? Shaykh Walead Mosaad gives some advice on the SeekersHub podcast.

 

 

Eid: All the Rulings, Sunnahs & Takbiraat You Need To Know, by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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As we all prepare to celebrate Eid, after a month of fasting and austerity, take a few minutes to refresh your memory on the rulings and sunnahs of this special day, with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

Takbiraat

For a refresher on the takbiraat of Eid, please have a listen to this by an Indonesia brother:

Wearing Noise-Cancelling Headphones in Prayer to Concentrate Better

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Shaykh Faraz Rabbani on key principles related to what is avoided in prayer—including all actions external to prayer; anything that looks like one’s is not in prayer; anything that can lead to distraction; and all unnecessary actions. He also briefly explains the principle of avoiding things that cause others to think ill of one without good reason.

Photo by Shinji Akhirah.

With Hearts United, We Must Respect Differences of Opinion

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One of the blessings of being Muslims is that this religion was sent by Allah to unite the hearts of believers. However, Shaykh Faid Mohammad Said warns us that this does not mean we don’t accept and respect differences of opinion amongst us. We must learn how to agree to disagree. Listen in for the full details.

The Masjid and Its Etiquettes

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Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar offers a detailed explanation of the etiquettes of attending the masjid, entering and interacting in the masjid, common mistakes and an in-depth discussion on masjid life.

 

The Importance of Female Scholarship in Islam, by Habib Ali Al-Jifri

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Habib Ali al-Jifri answers a question about the importance of female scholarship in Islam at the SeekersHub in Toronto, Canada. He describes female scholarship as “fulfilling the divine balance”.

“We are in need of women who are active within the Islamic discourse, so they can counter the oppressive filth created in the name of the shariah.”

Translated by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin