The scholars of the theological sciences divide up ignorance into two different categories

Compounded ignorance(جهل مركب) is to conceptualize something other than the way it actually is(Basically to believe something wrong and think it’s right).

Simple ignorance(جهل بسيط) is to know that one is ignorant

For someone who has compounded ignorance, we must deconstruct their wrong belief and then teach them the correct belief.

For someone with simple ignorance, we just have to teach them the right belief

Imam Junayd Al Baghdadi had a student who he considered to be his favorite. He noticed that some of the other students became jealous of him.

He decided to call all of his students together and said to them “Each of you take a chicken and slaughter it where no one can see you. Bring the meat to me and I will slaughter a special dish for you.”

Each then slaughtered a dish where they thought nobody could see him.

Every student returned with the meat except Imam Junayd’s favorite student. He came with a live chicken.

The student said “I could not find a place where no one could see me. No matter where I am, Allah can see me.”

Imam Junayd then turned to the other students and said “Do you see why I love him so much?”

One of the great lessons of Ramadan

ft. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

Source: Cambridge Central Mosque
“Green Pill, Green Ways – Abdal Hakim Murad” (YouTube)

“We build for the next world, not for this world!”

ft. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Source: ISNA
“A Moral Vision for the Future”

ft. Shaykh Yahya Rhodus

Source: Al-Maqasid
“Daily Suhba (20) - Prioritizing Knowledge” (facebook)

Weekly Salawat Challenge

Friday is a blessed time to send salawat upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

“It doesn't matter how many Tasbihs you hold, or how many Mawlids you attend, or how many shuyukh you accompany, or how many claims you make, or how many ijazaas you collect - if you look down on any believer and you have arrogance in your heart - you are a false claimant to this path. You are not a person of Tasawwuf. Tasawwuf is nothing but good character and humility. If you think for a second that you are more pious than another Muslim because you do such-and-such action and you sit in the gatherings of so-and-so then you have destroyed your actions.” - Habib Umar bin Hafiz

Beautiful Ramadan dua with English translation:

https://youtu.be/LUxpB9Vz73c

The scholars of theology mention that there are 8 roots of disbelief

1. Believing that God has endowed secondary causes with intrinsic power(I.e. Thinking that water quenches thirst intrinsically as opposed to through God)

2. Believing that creation is a function of natural and mechanistic causation

3. Belief that intellect can declare things to be good and/or bad(I.e. Rejection of the role in revelation in determining morality)

4. Reprehensible imitation of others(I.e. Blind following).

5. False tribalism/nationalism/sectarian commitment to a group(تعصب)

6. Being ignorant of something but thinking that one is knowledgeable(جهل مركب)

7. Literalism of the Quran and Sunnah with regard to متشبهات(Ex: Saying Allah has a body part which contradicts a محكم verse such as ليس كمثله شيء)

8. Ignorance of the necessity of what is rationally necessary, the possibility of what is rationally possible, and the impossibility of what is rationally impossible/incoherent

9. Some scholars add a ninth category of being ignorant of the Arabic language

Weekly Salawat Challenge

Friday is a blessed time to send salawat upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

One of my teachers in Egypt said there are 3 books one should study in order to be considered qualified to give a khutbah or a small halaqa

1. 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi
2. Aqidah of Imam Tahawi
3. Hikam of Ibn Ata Allah

ft. Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

Source: Al-Maqasid
“COMMUNITY AND CONTINUITY” Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (YouTube)

Conditions of engaging in a debate

From Shaikh Muhammad Muhuyideen Abdul-Hamid Al-Azhari's book "Adaab al Bahth"(The Etiquettes of Dialectics)

Conditions of validity: If these are not met, it is haram to engage

Conditions of completion: It is mustahabb to meet these conditions

Conditions of validity

1. Knowledge of this science of dialects(adaab al bahth)
2. Knowledge of the subject at hand
3. The subject is something that is debatable(That which is maloom fid deen min al darura should not be debated between Muslims, or 1+1=2 is not debated)
4. Use of the same terminology with the same meanings

Conditions of completion:

1. Avoid debating with someone you defer to or trivialize
2. Avoid being overly concise or lengthy
3. Avoid shouting or raising one’s voice
4. Willingness of both parties to accept the Truth

Excited to share that a new organization is being started by Shaykh Murabit Benavidez!

Students will learn from a curriculum based on the traditional texts of North/ West Africa.

The courses will be online, and there is an optional $50/month payment for those able to contribute.

This opportunity is also open to those who do not know how to read and write Arabic.

Register at:

https://www.mutun.org

The great Damascene scholar, Shaikh Abdul Wakil Durubi(d. 1990’s) was asked about the benefits of visiting graves.

The Shaikh replied with seven benefits.

1. It is Sunnah to do so. The Prophet Muhammad SAWS said “I had forbidden you to visit graves but now go visit them.”(Narrated in Sahih Muslim)

2. Sober reflection on death (I’tibar) softens the visitor’s heart: how many a stony-hearted person was altered by visiting the dead and realizing he or she too would someday die.

3. Realizing the deceased is alone in his grave without family or friends, with only his works waiting for Judgement Day, makes the heart less attached to worldly things.

4. The dead hear their visitors, and like to be visited.

5. If one recites from the Quran and donates the reward to them, that it benefits them(This is agreed upon by all four Sunni schools of fiqh).

6. The visitor too has the reward for reciting the Quran.

7. The light of the deceased is reflected in the hearts of those whom Allah benefits with it.