The following is merely intended as food for thought for students of sacred knowledge (tullab al-ilm), teachers and those in charge of madrasas/Dar al-Ulums. It is not to undermine the services (khidma) carried out by madrasas and we are thankful to Allah for being able to even do this much, given the times we are living in. However, it is never a bad thing to introspect and analyse where improvements can be made.

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Despite its relatively recent publication, Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin’s Revelation: The Story of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) has quickly become one of the more popular, publicized, and widely-distributed additions to the growing corpus of English literature on the prophetic biography (sīrah). Boasting an aesthetically-pleasing, simple, and modern design, Revelation enjoys a long list of endorsements by well-recognized Muslim personalities in the West and a foreword by the American Muslim academic Dr. Sherman Jackson. 

An excerpt translated from the Dars-e-Tirmidhi of Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani. 

It is essential to learn about the different authors who narrate many of their aḥādīth taʿlīqan. We shall cite a few here.

Ramadhan is indeed a month in which every soul yearns to connect with their Creator. As the Qur’an states; ‘And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.’ These reminders aim to present a reminder in a graphical form which can be appreciated by all, followed by a short excerpt from a book relevant to the reminder in order to shed light.

The following is an English translation of “Rozah Humsay Kia Muṭālbah Karta Hai” by Shaykh al-Islam Mufti Muhammad Taqī ‘Uthmāni, which was published by Idārat-ul-Ma‘ārif Karachi in 2012 CE/1433 AH. The translation is by Umer Ansari.

The acceptability of one’s deeds and act of worship depends of Ikhlās [sincerity] and on Taqwā [Fear of Allāh]. This is stated in a dialogue between Hābīl and Qābīl. The deeds of a person who has no Taqwā in him is not accepted.

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.” (Qur’ān, Sūrah Nisā’ (4), verse 86)

Learning anything is always a long-term commitment, especially, when it comes to learning about Islam. People in the past even after studying years under experts would be heard saying they don’t know to certain, on occasions.

Allah (ﷻ) has blessed us with ‘aql above the animals, who merely act according to their desires. At the same time however, ‘aql is not boundless and all-powerful. If we were to look at the verses of the Qur’an closely, it’s clear that its recipients (ie prophets) and its targets (ie humankind) are rational human beings, who are supposed to have the capacity to understand, interpret, and accept the message sent to them.

Sufism means drawing near to Allah through knowledge and action. Thus, the Sufi is the one drawn near. Today, in the Islamic lands, this title is generally applied not to the one drawn near to Allah, but rather to those who cling to certain outward manners and forms. Moreover, how many people close to Allah in the lands are not known as Sufis, simply because they do not adorn themselves in the garb of the Sufis?