Impartial Search For Truth, Avoiding Bias And Observing The Accepted Ethics Of Debate

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Impartial Search For Truth, Avoiding Bias And Observing The Accepted Ethics Of Debate

Shaykh Saleh Abdullah bin Humaid

Islamic Principles and Rules of Debate
© Al-Manara 1994

What ensures a straightforward and fruitful debate is a resolute search for truth, not allowing one's own desires or the public's to take control. A sensible person, Muslim or non-Muslim, is expected to seek truth and to avoid error sincerely.

Most of the well-known Muslim scholars were very careful in this regard. Al-Imam al-Shafi`i, for instance, used to say: "I never talked with someone but sincerely wished that Allah keep him, protect him from sin and misdeed and guide him; and I never debated with someone but sincerely wished that we would come upon truth, regardless of whether he or I should be the one to think of it first."

Abu Hamed al-Ghazali says also in this connection: "Cooperation in seeking truth is inherent to religion, but sincerity in the pursuit of truth can be distinguished by certain conditions and signs. A diligent seeker of truth may be compared to one who is looking for his lost camel. It would be immaterial for him if he or another person should be the one to find it. Likewise, a sincere truth-seeker would perceive his partner as a helper rather than an adversary, and would be grateful to him if he should guide him to truth."

In another place of Volume 1 of Al-Ihya al-Ghazali says: "Over-enthusiasm is a mark of corrupted scholars, even when the case they are defending is true. By showing excessive enthusiasm for truth and their contempt of their oppontents, the latter would be stimulated to retaliate and react in the same manner. They would be driven to stand for falsehood and to be true to the label attributed to them. If the champions of truth had spoken kindly to them avoiding publicity and humiliation they would have succeeded in winning them over. But as it is, a person who enjoys a place of prestige is strongly inclined to preserve his position by attracting followers, and the only way to that is to boast and to attack or curse adversaries."

To conclude, a debate must be conducted fairly and calmly, without showing any excitement or roughness, and without compromising the chances of arriving at the truth. Debaters should avoid spiteful argumentation and word play, as such behaviour poisons the atmosphere, arouses hostile attitudes and may well end in deadlock.

Islaam.com

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

Ramadhan Articles

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Ramadhan start 2008 - 31st August - 2nd September, inshaa'Allah, subject to moon sightability

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwaa."
[Soorah al-Baqarah (2):183]

	Advice to Muslims in Ramadhan Shaykh Abdullah al-Jarullah
	Concerns of the Islamic Scholar During Month of Ramadan Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
	Fasting Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
	Fasting Ramadan, Its Virtues & Rulings
	Gifts to those who fast Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
	How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani
	Important Lessons From Ramadaan
	Peace Until Fajr
	Preparation of the Winners in Ramadan
	Ramadan - Month of the Qur'an
	Ramadan Calls For The Preservation Of Time Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
	Ramadan in History Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick
	Ramadan: The Month of Mercy to Muslims Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee
	Reality and Obligation in Ramadan
	Reaping the benefits of Ramadan Dr. Ali Al-Timimi
	Remaining Steadfast After Ramadhaan Shaykh Saleh al-Fouzan
	The Fast Dr. Ja`far Sheikh Idris
	The Goals of Fasting
	The Inner Secrets of Fasting Imam Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee
	What After Ramadan?

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

[Course] Dear Beloved Son, Aug 10th & 17th '08

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

A spiritual discourse, a timely reminder before ramadhan

'To counsel others is an easy matter, the difficulty is accepting advice since it is bitter for those who follow their own inclination and desire. They love the forbidden from the depth of their hearts. This is more applicable to seekers of knowledge and students of learning, those of them who are busy with the benefits of the world They believe that mere abstract knowledge, without proper action, will rescue them. This is the belief of the philosophers'

[Extract from Dear Beloved Son]

Weekend course on the monumental book by Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali which offers twenty four pieces of valuable advice to seekers of knowledge. It touches on all aspects of life, from material wealth and the love of this life, to Islamic etiquette and acquiring knowledge.



Imam Al-Ghazali illustrates his ideas throughout with relevant quotations from the Qur'an and Hadith, as well as poetry and logical examples and clear analogies which demonstrates the need to cleanse ourselves of bad manners so that we can develop good characteristics. This is certainly a powerful reminder of the importance of constantly identifying ourselves with the next life.


Sheikh Ahmed Sa'ad


Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Sa'ad, born into a family of scholars and Huffaz from Egypt. His late father and grandfather graduated from Al-Azhar and were scholars in north Egypt. He finished the memorization of the whole Qur'an at the age of ten and studied traditional Islamic sciences at the hands of his father and then started the studies at Al-Azhar until he graduated from Al-Azhar University with BA in Islamic studies. Alongside with this, Sheikh Saad studied at the hands of many scholars and got Ijazahs in the Qur'an in various Qira'atincluding Hafs, Shu`bah, Warsh, Qalun, Khalaf and Khallad. He also got Ijazahs in Islamic texts including Al-Jazariyyah, At-Tuhfah, As-Salsabeel and Shamail of Imam At-Tirmidhi. Imam Sa'ad also hasIjazahs in the Six books of Hadith and many other books of Tafsir in addition to an Ijazah in Muwatta Malik. He has started giving Khutbahs at the age of 15 and been involved in Da'wah as an Imam for the last 15years. He has toured many countries as an Imam and lecturer, including Canada, USA, Malaysia, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the UK.



Dr. Kemal El-Helbawy

Translator of 'Dear Beloved Son', Dr. Kamal Helbawy was born in Egyptin 1939 and joined the Muslim Brotherhood at the age of twelve, largelyreceiving his education in Islam from them. After working in Nigeria, he traveled to Saudi Arabiawhere he was among the founders of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY)and became their first executive director. After six years at the Institute of Policy Studies in Pakistan, Dr. Helbawy movedto London and helpedcreate the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Muslim Association ofBritain (MAB). He was the MAB's first president and currently serves as anadvisor to the organization. Dr. Helbawy is also a researcher in Islamic andstrategic affairs. He has a history of working in the relief sector and iscurrently the owner and supervisor of a care home for the elderly in northwest London.



Sidi Abu Aaliya

Sidi Abu Aaliya is the director of Jawziyyah Institute in London. He has been engaged in delivering dawah and community work for over 20years holding talks, circles and seminars in universities, Mosques and Islamic centres across the UK and abroad. He has studied with various scholars in particular Sheikh Abdullah Al Farsi and Sheikh 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Luwayhiq. He is well versed in the Arabic language and hasbeen a prolific writer for many years having translated numerousscholarly works and books from Arabic to English such as Tenets ofFaith, The Ideological Attack, Etiquettes of Differing, The ExquisitePearl, Fadl 'Ilm al-Salaf (Virtue of Knowledge of the Predecessors) of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, and Bidâyat al-Sul fî Tafdîl ar-Rasul (Virtues and Status of the Prophet [pbuh]) of al-'Izz ibn 'Abd as-Salâm. Also currently Abu Aaliyah teaches and serves as one of the Jummah Khateeb's in Masjid al Tawhid in East London"



Details

Cost: £30 includes course materials & light refreshments

Date: Sunday 10th August & Sunday 17th August

Time: 9:30am – 6.00pm



Venue: The Centre, Farnham Road, Slough, SL1 4UT

Nearest station from London: Paddington Station (10mins from Paddington)

Tickets:



Brothers: 07983590489 / 07921311907

Sisters: 07843258125 / 07508412070

Email: alburujpress@gmail.com

Course Pre-requisites: None

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

ALLAH COMMANDS IN THE QUR'AN THAT HE BE FEARED

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Fear of Allah
ALLAH COMMANDS IN THE QUR'AN THAT HE BE FEARED

Fearing Allah is not, as assumed by some people, an exclusive trait of prophets and those who are especially near to Him but rather it is a feeling carried within the hearts of all believers, and a feeling that should be held by all humanity. Allah's command in the Qur'an is clear:

You who believe! Fear Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hashr: 18)

Our Prophet (saws) also called attention to this issue in many of his sayings, reminding the believers always to fear Allah:

"Fear Allah wherever you are; if you follow an evil deed with a good one you will obliterate it; and deal with people with a good disposition." (Tirmidhi)

Allah has created all humanity and is extremely well acquainted with them and knows them better than they know themselves. He knows what everybody keeps secret even within the most secret of secret recesses of their beings. He is very well aware of the types of misgivings the soul experiences and types of games that will be played out by the self because He is the creator of every soul and has given it boundless ability to do evil, and inspiration to avoid such evil so that it may be justly tried. Allah has also created Satan as part of this test and has granted him a set of specific qualities to be used in the pursuit of his objective.

It is for this reason that a believer's greatest support in life's trial is fear of Allah because this will enable a person to behave as Allah requires, to work towards pleasing Allah, to protect oneself from the temptations of Satan and the lower self with awareness of and resistance to their stratagems and games. Such a disposition does not suit Satan's attempts to manipulate the limitless desires of a person's lower self.

It is for this reason that a person's lower self, with Satan's encouragement, will before all else try to distance him from fearing Allah. They will want to introduce distractions which turn people away from fearing Allah and caution with respect to Him by suggesting that this is unnecessary or even incorrect and that love of Allah and possessing a pure heart is what really matters. However, a conscientious reciter of the Qur'an will see with ease that suggestions such as these have no realistic basis, and that they contain a totally deviant and deceptive objective, because Allah has commanded believers to fear him in the Qur'an in the clearest form possible. This command is found in numerous Qur'anic verses:

... Fear Allah and know that Allah is fierce in retribution. (Surat al-Baqara: 196)

... So fear Allah. And know that you will be gathered back to Him. (Surat al-Baqara: 203)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Baqara: 231)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 233)

You who believe! Fear Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 35)

As in the case regarding every other subject a believer will unreservedly and unconditionally strive to fulfil this command of Allah. Unlike those who are unaware of the Qur'an and who question the necessity or relevance of fearing Allah, they are not misled by the suggestions and promptings of Satan which give rise to confusing anxieties as to why a person who loves Allah should fear him. While the daily prayers and fasting are obligatory practices to be fulfilled in the best possible manner, fear of Allah is an essential spiritual state which the believer must strive with sincerity to engender within himself. Together with this, Allah has revealed in detail in the Qur'an the divine wisdom as to why man should fear Him. We will examine this subject in detail in the following chapters.

||Source||

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

Overcoming Anxiety

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Overcoming Anxiety| Sheikh Salman al-Oadah | IslamToday.com

Anxiety is an unavoidable part of life. Everyone in this world will have his or her share of worries. However, there are limits to how much worry there should be. Worry should not lead us to despair.

Some people try so hard to avoid anxiety that they are unable to cope with the real world. By fleeing from reality, they merely increase their worries.

We need to cope with our anxiety in a rational, methodical way.

First of all, we need to stop making unrealistic demands upon ourselves and upon the society in which we live. Many people worry over problems that are far beyond their scope to deal with. These problems are often so great that society as a whole cannot hope to solve them at the present time. Worrying about these matters does nothing but cause anxiety.

There is an old Arabic parable that goes: Once there was a desert dweller who owned a servant girl. Someone asked him: “Wouldn’t you dream that instead of possessing this servant girl you could be Caliph?”

He replied: “God no!” When the other asked him why, he said: “I am afraid that then both the servant girl and the nation would be lost!”

Now there is a man who knew what he should not be bothered with.

The second thing that we must do to get anxiety under control is to find contentment with the situation in which we find ourselves. This does not mean that we always have to accept things the way they are. We should definitely have dreams and ambitions. `Umar b. `Abd al-`Azîz said: “I am an ambitious man. First, I desired governorship. When I attained it, I desired to be Caliph. When I became caliph, I renounced its pleasures, for then my ambitions had turned to attaining Paradise.”

We should have ambitions, but we should also see the good in what we already have.

The third thing that we must do is to enjoy our successes. All of us have some achievements to our credit. We need to take satisfaction and pride in them, as this helps to prevent us from making light of Allah’s blessings.

Finally, we must refrain from envying others. Whatever someone else has is purely from Allah’s grace. Allah gives whatever He wills to whomever He pleases. A single woman should not get upset when she sees her sister getting married. A married woman should not fret when she sees another woman married to a man of far greater wealth and prestige. A divorcee should not cry whenever she sees someone else living in marital bliss. Instead, she should take a deep breath and say: “Praise be to Allah who has placed me in my good circumstances.”

We should appreciate that today is better than many days in the past, and with Allah’s blessings, tomorrow can be even better than today. Those who prefer to dwell in the past keep themselves in permanent sorrow thinking about missed opportunities and what might have been.

Once a professor entered his classroom and asked his students: “Has any of you ever sawed up some wood?” When some students replied that they all had done so at one time or another, he asked: “Have any of you ever sawed up a saw?” This time no one answered. The professor then said: “A person who always looks to the past is like a person who saws up a saw.”

We must not look to the lost opportunities of the past. We must instead look forward to the promise of a better future.

Fears and Worries

Ibn Hazm mentions that he took a good look at people, all people – Muslims and non-Muslims, righteous and ignoble, Arabs and non-Arabs – and made the following observation: “I found that they all had one thing in common; they all sought to rid themselves of their problems and worries.”

He then said: “So I decided to unlock the secret to this matter and discover the best way to overcome our worries. I found that there was nothing better for this than to worship Allah, adore Him, and to submit ourselves to Him fully. From this I realized that the guidance of the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them) is comprehensive of what dispels the concerns of both this world and the next.”

There are many things in this world that inspire fear. However, we can find security in true reliance upon Allah and in reconciling ourselves to His decree.

Our fear is often worse that the things we are afraid of. Sometimes we fear some crisis occurring and that fear becomes a crisis in itself. Our fear of sickness may actually be the worst sickness to afflict us.

Do not grieve and do not be afraid. Allah says : “Verily, those who say ‘Our Lord is Allah’ then keep themselves upright, the angels descend upon them saying: ‘Do not fear and do not grieve. Hearken to glad tidings of the Paradise that you have been promised’.” [Sûrah Fussilat: 30]

Ibn Jawzî said: “I was plagued by a problem that compelled me to continuously suffer from worry and anxiety. I began to go to great lengths trying to figure out any ruse or strategy to rid myself of that problem, but to absolutely no avail. Then I remembered the verse: “And whoever fears Allah, Allah will provide for him a way out.” Then I realized that fear of Allah is a way out of every worry. No sooner did I resolve to strengthen my fear of Allah than I found a way to solve my problems.”

It does not behoove a created being to pin his trust, his hopes, and his thoughts on anything besides his obedience to Allah and his fulfillment of Allah’s command. Obedience to Allah is the reason for opportunities to open up for us. A person who fears Allah should always keep in mind that Allah is sufficient for him.

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]

Virtues of the Quraan

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Virtues of the Quraan
Shaykh `Abdul Qadir al-Arna'oot
Islaam.com

"The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." [al-Bukhari]

"Will not any of you go to the masjid and learn or read two verses from the Book of Allah `azza wa jall? (For) that is better for him than two she-camels, and three (verses) are better for him than three (she-camels), and four (verses) are better for him than four (she-camels). And the number (of verses read in total) are better than the same number of camels." [Muslim]

"There is no envy (acceptable) except in two (cases): a person whom Allah has given the Qur'an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throghout the day." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

"Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter." [At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]

"He who is skillful in reciting the Qur'an is with the unveiled, honorable, and pious (i.e. Hur al `Ain). And he who stutters when reading the Qur'an, (and its recitation) is difficult upon him, will receive two rewards." [Al-Bukhari]

"Verily he who has nothing of the Qur'an in his heart, is like a house (which has been) destroyed." [At-Tirmidhi]

"Read the Qur'an. For verily it will come forth on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its readers." [Muslim]

"The Qur'an is an intercessor (which by Allah's permission) intercedes, and an opponent (which is) truthful. He who appoints it as his leader, (then it) will lead him to Paradise. And he who puts it behind him, (then it) will lead him to the Fire." [Ibn Hibban, Al-Bayhaqi, At-Tabarani, Sahih]

"Fasting and the Qur'an will intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: 'O My Rabb! I prevented him from food and desires, so accept my intercession for him.' And the Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleep during the night, so accept my intercession for him.' He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: 'And they will (be allowed to) intercede.'" [Ahmad, at-Tabarani, Al-Hakim, Sahih]

"Maintain learning the Qur'an, by heart for verily it is greater in escaping from the chests of men than camels from their reins." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

"Verily Allah raises nations by this book (the Qur'an) and puts down (i.e. destroys) others by it." [Muslim]

"The likeness of the believer who reads the Qur'an is like that of citron; its taste is delicious and its scent is pleasant. And the likeness of the believer who does not read the Qur'an is like that of a date; its taste is delicious, yet it has no scent. And the likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is like that of a basil; its scent is pleasant, yet its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite that does not read the Qur'an is like that of a colocynth; its taste is bitter and it has no scent." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

"It will be said to the beholder of the Qur'an: 'Recite, ascent and rattil (recite slowly and distinctly) as you used to rattil in the life of this world, for verily your level (in Paradise) is at the last verse you read." [Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, Sahih]

"Read the Qur'an, put it into practice, do not abandon it, do not put grudges (upon others) through it, and do not eat and gain wealth through it." [Ahmad, At-Tabarani, Sahih]

"Read the Qur'an and through it seek the Face of Allah, Exalted be He, before there comes a nation that implements it like an arrow. They read it fast and they do not recite it slowly (to implement)." [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Hasan]

"Verily, the best of people with regards to voices, is he whom you feel fears Allah when he recites." [Ad-Darimi, Sahih]

From Anas ibn Malik, radhiallahu `anhu, (who said) that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said to Ubay ibn Ka`b (radiallahu `anhu):
'Verily Allah has ordered me to read upon you.'
He [Ubay] said: 'Has Allah named me for you?!'
He [sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam] said: 'Allah has named you for me.'
He [Anas] said: 'So Ubay began to weep.'
[Muslim]

"There is not a group which has gathered in a house from the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah, and studying it between them, except that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will befall them, the Angels will encircle them, and Allah will mention them to those who are with Him (i.e. the Angels). And he who falls short (in gaining knowledge and memorizing the Qur'an) should (be prompt in) action, (in) that which lineage (*) will not hasten him (to do)." [Muslim]

(*) For example, if someone is the son of a scholar and falls short in gaining knowledge and memorizing the Qur'an, then it is upon him to hasten in redeeming himself through studying and hard work, not by relying upon his lineage, i.e. him being the son of a scholar, king, or even being from the descendants of the family of the Messenger, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, etc. This meaning is taken from An-Nawawi's explanation of Sahih Muslim. [Transl.]

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:
Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,
Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."
[Ahmad]