The meaning of Bismillah by Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen

The statement of Allah: Bismillah (In the name of Allah) contains a preposition and object of the preposition which are both actually associated with a delayed, missing verb appropiate to the situation. Accordingly, if you say, "In the name of Allah," while you are beginning to eat, then the meaning with the missing verb included would be:

 "In the name of Allah, I eat."

 We say that there must be an associated missing verb because a preposition and the object of the preposition in arabic must both refer to an action. This delay of action or verb is deffered until after mentioning the name of Allah for two benefits;

1. To seek the blessing of mentioning Allah's name first and foremost.
2. A delayed action indicates that it is restricted, as if you are saying, "I do not eat in the name of anyone, seeking blessings and help by that name, except with the name of Allah."

We say the delayed missing word is a verb because action words are are verbs and this is known to the specialists of Arabic grammer and for this, nouns do not apply except with specific conditions.

We also said that it (the deferred, missing verb) is appropiate to the situation in which the statement is made because the statement itself indicates the intended verb which is according to the situation. For this reason, Allah's Messenger said specifying the verb:

"Whoever has not already slaughtered (his animal), then let him slaughter in the name of Allah." 

          (Al-Bukhaari no.985 and Muslim no.1970)

or he said: "Upon the name of Allah." 

         (Al-Bukhaari no.5500 and Muslim no.1970)

As for the word "Allah" is a proper name for the lord of all the creations. No one else is named with this name. It is the base origin of all the other names (of Allah) and all of them follow and describe this name.

Source: Funamentals of Tafseer by Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen p152-153

In the next post we shall discusses Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem inshallah.

What does it mean to abandon the Quran

Hold on the Rope of Allah and never let go no matter what

 O people of the Quran make the book of Allah the most high your close companion and never  forsake it lest you fall under those who have forsaked the quran. Remember it was the Quran that  united the Sahabah and melted away there gloomy disunity.

In this post I want to share with you Imam Ibn Qayyim's Tafsir of the ayah below:

Allah the most high says: "And the Messenger will say, 'O my Lord, indeed, my people have deserted this Quran," [Al-Furqaan (25):30]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Comments: "Deserting the Quran is of types:

1. Abandoning listening to it, believing in it, and paying attention to it.

2. Abandoning acting upon it and abiding by what it permits and prohibits, even if one recites it and believes in it.

3. Abandoning referring to it and judging by it in the fundamental issues of the religion or even its subsidiary issues.

4. Abandonment of pondering it, seeking to understand it and what the one who spoke it meant by it.

5. Abandonment of seeking healing through it for all diseases of the heart such that one seeks the cure for his from other sources and abandons seeking healing through it.

All these 5 types of abandonment falls under Allah's statement:

"And the Messenger will say, 'O my Lord, indeed, my people have deserted this Quran,"

Even if some cases of abandoning the Quran are less significant than others."

Source: Al-Fawaa'id by Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, P82

 

Nahw (Arabic grammer) is the mentor for the tongue

Avoid grammatical errors in speech and writing, for a lack of grammatical errors is honourable, shows pure literary taste, appreciation of elegant meanings due to sound structure (speech and writing). On the authority of Umar that he said: "Learn Arabic (grammer), for indeed it increases honour." There are also Salaf used to hit there children if they made grammatical errors.

Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi narrated that Ar-Rahbee said: "I heard someof our peers say: 'If a person who makes grammatical errors writes from another person like him, and he writes from another person like him, the hadeeth will end up in Persian!'''  

 Imam Al-Mubarad said in one of his poems:

 "Grammar straightens the tongue that speaks ungrammatical language,

And you honour the person if he does not  make grammatical errors,

If you seek the greastest knowledge,

Then the greatest of it is that which straightens the tongue."

Therefore, do not pay attention to what Al-Qaasim Ibn Mukhaymarah said: "Learning grammer begins with absolute engagement and ends with transgression", nor the saying of Bishr Al-Haafi who, when it was said to him, "Learn grammar." Replied, "I will stray." So it was said to him, "Say: Zayd struck Amr (grammatically)," so he replied, "O my brother! Why did he strike him?" So he said, "O Aboo Nasr! He did not strike him but this is an established principle." So Bishr said to him, "The beginning of this knowledge is based upon lies, there is no need for it."

Source: The etiquette of seeking knowledge by Shaykh Bakr Aboo Zayd, P89

 

 

 

 

Useful resources for Tafisr Baydawi by Dr Abdur-Rahman Ash-Shahri

Tafisr Baydaawi accessories

Here I would like to share with you below some useful arabic resources that Dr Abdur-Rahman Ash-Shahri mentioned related to Tafsir Baydaawi.

330 commentaries to Tafsir Baydawi according to Fahras As-Shaamil At-Turaath Al-Islaami.

Marginated commentaries (Hashiyah) written on Tafsir Baydawi:

1. Hashiyah by Imam Shihaab Al-Khafaaji

2. Hashiyah by Imam Muhid-Din Shaikh Zaada this is from amongst the most best of the commentaries and most comprehensive.

3. Hashiyah by Imam Ibn Tanjdeed

4. Hashiyah by Imam Ismaeel Ibn Muhammad Al-Kunawi

5. Hashiyah by Imam Abdul-Hakeem Siolkooti he was from the scholars of Punjab a distinguished scholar in the field of Balagha. And according to some this commentary was such that only small group of researchers was competant enough to read it.

6. Hashiyah Imam Suyooti

Studies on Imam Al-Baydawi's Tafsir:

1. Al-Ithaaf bit-Tamyeez Ma Tabi'aa Fihi Al-Baydaawi Saahib Al-Kashaaf By Imam Shams-Din Muhammad Ibn Yusuf As-Shaami
This is a study on Imam Baydaawi's intend to shun all the Mutazili ideas of Zamakhshari the author states he fell into some of Zamakhshari's ideas in the above book he gathers the places where Imam Al-Baydawi falls into I'tizaal.
Also it worth noting that Imam Baydawi placed fabricated hadiths in the virtues of the Surahs in his entire Tafsir those narations which are known to be fabrications thats indicates his deficiency in the field of hadith.

2. Raf'u Al-Ikhtilaaf An Kalaamay Al-Qaadi Wal-Kashaaf by Imam Abdul-Ghani An-Nabulsi

Books on takhreej Tafsir Al-Baydaawi:

1. Al-Fathus-Samaa'i Fi Takhreej Al-Ahadith Al-Baydawi by Hafidh Minaawi Abdur-Raaoof

2. Tuhfatu Ar-Raawi Fi Takhreej Al-Ahadith Al-Baydawi by Imam Muhmmad Himaad Zaada

3. Al-Ithaaf Al-Akhyaar Fi Takhreej Ma Fi Tafsir Al-Baydawi Min Al-Akhbar by Imam Awadh Ibn Muhammad As-Saqaaf Al-Hadhrami

4. Fayd Al-Baari Fi Tafsir Al-Ahadith Tafsir Al-Baydawi by Imam Abdullah Ibn Sibgha Midraasi
These books point out the fabricated narations found in Tafsir Al-Baydawi in particular the book of Imam Minaawi.

Which print of Tafsir Baydawi is recommended?
Daaru As-Saadir with the tahqiq Mahmood Ibn Arnaoot. Also I came across a print printed by Maktabah Ar-Rushd or is it Maktabah Ar-Rasheed this also a good print.
Most of the prints are printed by Jam'iya Ihyah Turaath or Darul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah. 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3nyvdZkQOc 

The golden secret in mastering any branch of knowledge

The Grand Imam of Nahw (Arabic grammar), Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad b.100AH (from the teachers of Imam Al-Sibawayh himself), has some golden advice on how to achieve mastery of a subject:

"No one will attain what he needs to know in Nahw, except after learning that which he has no need of."
This was reported by the historian Salah-al-Din Al-Safadi in an encyclopedic work who commented further:
"Every subject is like this, a man will not attain mastery until he obtains that which he does not require."
Sheikh Abdul-Fattah Abu Ghuddah mentions the above in his footnotes and commented further, highlighting its importance today.
I say: You see many students of knowledge nowadays, in particular Westerners who in either foolish eagerness or academic arrogance try to rush knowledge by skipping steps in the traditional curriculum with the excuse of 'needing to know whats important' or 'skipping what is irrelevant to our times' or 'skipping outdated rules, ideas, concepts, texts and topics'. You see them saying absurd things like "Nahw is not that important, You don't have to study all that long and tiresome fiqh from the old days, or what's the point in learning Sarf..." etc.
These people will never master the Islamic sciences, let alone the religion itself. Never take knowledge from those who dismiss entire fields of Islamic knowledge and/or do not show respect to the scholarship and Imams of the past.
When I first started studying, I was one of them, And the more I learned what I thought I didn't need; the more I realized how much I needed to know what I didn't need, to master what I needed.

The evidences found in the Qur'an are like nutrition which everyone benefits from it.

The Qualifications Needed for the Commentary of the Qur'an by Umer Ansari

One of the greatest challenge the Muslims in the West are facing is having an authentic and proper English tafsir (explanation or commentary) of the Quran. Mufti Abdullah Nana posted a series of tweets to discuss this, which I have compiled below with other beneficial comments. I hope you will find it beneficial:
"An important notion that must be corrected for Muslims living in the West is regarding qualifications needed to interpret/translate Quran.
Many Muslims mistakenly think that learning basic Quranic Arabic automatically makes a person qualified to translate & even interpret Quran.
Allamah Suyuti has written a book on the requirements needed for interpreting and commenting on the Quran. (See the book
https://t.co/4inJRfUyeP)
He states that a mastery of 15 Islamic sciences is needed for a person to comment on the Quran!
‪#‎dauntingtask‬ (https://t.co/5kf2dhsa7c)
I am deeply disturbed in the West to see tafsir clases run by people who studied basic Arabic & unqualified speakers commenting on Quran.
A half-baked doctor is a danger to your life, & a half-baked scholar is a threat to your religion. May Allah protect us all.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: من تكلم في القران برايه فقد اخطا و في رواية : فليتبوا مقعده من النار ، رواه الترمذي و ابو داود
The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever speaks regarding the Quran based on his own opinion has indeed erred... & (should prepare his abode in the hell fire)" (Abu Dawood)
The public needs to make an effort to discern between qualified scholars who have official training in translating the Quran & who don't.
By the grace of Allah, in the Islamic University which I studied, we translated the entire Quran twice under the supervision of a teacher."
Comments of Shaykh Musa Furber:
"And it's something Muslims should be held to when evaluating & endorsing anything related to the Quran.
There are also conditions related to the individual, like being upright & qualified to transmit knowledge."