Ahmad Kutty – Giants of Islamic Civilization Taq adDn Amad ibn Taymiyyah
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AI: Transcript ©
Rahmani Raheem, will hamdulillah was slapped was salam ala
Rasulillah while he was happy he moraine rubbish rockeries wa
silvium re 400 Lakota melissani have gone cold.
Once again we turn to Allah subhanho wa taala. humbly beseech
you His grace and mercy and blessings. Allahumma alumna my
unfound on fire now be more thorough was dinner Elmo, Allah
teaches that which is beneficial for us and bless us in the
knowledge of grandeur as an increase our knowledge.
Welcome back to this session. Today we are dealing with a great
personality.
Unlike Maulana Rumi that we covered last week,
I remember this is a different personality.
The difference between these, each scholar or jewelry store imam in
Islam
has his own unique perspectives.
interpretations of Islam
Islam is not a monolithic things.
It has a diversity, it has a flexibility, it can adapt itself
to different
person perspectives and situations and circumstances.
Unless we are aware of this
diversity in Islam, we will end up
putting each one into a box and then start fighting and killing
each other. This is what's happening now. In the Muslim
world, we have this sectarianism.
And sometime you may think some of these intellectuals were
responsible for some of these extremism as some people say. But
I don't agree that with some of these estimations, because
sometimes we project our ideas on to these thinkers and jurists,
they were dealing with situation different from ours. So you cannot
project you cannot transplant their views to our menu our
circumstances, because fatwa changes according to time and
place, this is something we need to understand.
This is what more I have to say. I'm afraid I cannot deal with
everything about this great person in this session. So what I decided
is I'm going to
take the next session on his disciple Imam able to claim. So in
this way, whatever is left, because both of these great imams
are modern in the sense
they influence the modern world, they influence the Islamic
thinking in the modern world, and a lot of studies are done now in
the West to North America and the West, on these great personalities
because their works cover a wide spectrum of, of Islamic sciences
and and disciplines, theology, philosophy, jurisprudence, Tafseer
of the Quran. So, they have
an abiding influence, as we said about Rumi, his influence is very,
very wide when it comes to spirituality. But when it comes to
theology and philosophy and jurisprudence, and even reform and
revival in Islam, these personalities
have more greater influence. So, with this introduction to array
Shala, there is so much only been a Tamia that he has returned more
than 400 works. So, covers wider. So even academics who devote their
lifetime find it very hard to pinpoint him or even exhaust
the research on
on his various aspects. So briefly, I will cover origins and
education. And of course, I need to mention his independence of
spirit, which is really, Mark came out
which allowed him in trouble in his own time and in our own time
also because cars
or where TV service is very deep rooted in the Muslim community.
And of course then literary output, which is massive. And
this is one person.
There is a poet who said about Imam Ali, the curry family, the
fourth of the parents caliphs ja Ali Johanna Cafe Casa nanny
mahebourg. All in mobile Hello colleagues. What are they in your
case because of your attitude towards you? Two types of people
perish.
Mohave Boylan, an extreme fanatical lover for you. Some
people acts fanatically lovingly, to put him on a higher pedestal
than even Rasulullah sallallahu you'll just have so they perish
the same way those who the haters are folly of course, you cannot
hate a liberal better everyone is definitely Medina Terrell Mercer,
the City of Knowledge, the Prophet sallallahu he grew up in the
household of the Prophet. He embraced Islam with the age of
eight, a married her prophets, beloved daughter, Fatima, he is
the father of Hassan Hussein and his love for Thai Lolly, the
Prophet said grew out, you know, for the chivalry and
his contributions to Islam and, quote, Nobody can belittle them.
So, those who hate Ali Parrish, those who fanatically love Him and
praise Him abou in extreme goes into action, they also perish the
same is the case with the military media, some people raise him to
your level higher than even out of the four Imams.
Once he says something, that's the gospel truth for them, this is
wrong or invalid Tamia is is not infallible. There is only Rasul
Allah who is infallible protected by ALLAH
from making major mistakes, okay. So, as far as others are
concerned, including Ruby, all those personality recover, they
could make mistakes and they are not infallible. So on the other
hand, there are people who call him so this call him a heretic.
They even call him in federal and they call for his blood
number of Aloma stood up against him and and he actually many years
he spent in jail finally he died in jail
trials one after the other
because number of reasons he agitated He was active
intellectually and physically in the field, because I will mention
something of it. Then of course, his legacy we will have to deal
next when we talk about Ibrahim because his main legacy as you're
gonna hide yourself if he told me I did not leave any works. Of
course, he has 400 works to his credit. If he only had one
disciple laborer aka him, that would make his legacy immortal.
Understand, so that's the kind of Of course he has other students as
well,
too, but, okay,
now, his name was tacky. You did Ahmed Of course, um, rain bin
Abdul Halim Ibn Abdul Salam bin Abdullah bin
he has a Kunia Abdullah bus. I told you I was in the court here.
As an expert on jihad, I was called because one Syrian brother
young brother was in jail for five years and then the trial came.
The prosecutor argued that this man has a cool year. And he kept
that cornea, herbal Harris, in order to hide his identity.
So I was called by the defense as an expert witness. And one of the
question raised Why is he having a cornea?
This is it. Punia is a sunnah of the Prophet.
As I mentioned here before,
I shall alone I didn't have any child.
But she'll call. She has a cornea Omar Abdullah, mother of Abdullah
Every Tamia never got married, but he has a cornea. Abu Abbas father
of Abbas, it doesn't mean anything is Kunia Kalia is just because
apparently he loved a bus. Maybe I didn't come across that
explanation, but
maybe his father gave this clear to him. So, this is our bus is
Kunia even though he never married, I will come to that point
later inshallah. But he is
widely known as Ibn Taymiyyah any work on jurisprudence today or
tasawwuf, or anything Islamic theology, you will come across his
name and of course he's out there his name is alternative and in the
newspapers
are called Salem Guardian times. And there is this Islamophobes
take His name because He is called the father of extremism. The
father of
God will come to that point Inshallah, but many refer to him
as shareholder Islam.
Of course, in his own time, more than a dozen and more scholars
eminent scholars call him shareholder Islam
Imam and we just did and Would you trade these are very very big
titles actually. sorter is called in Bucha did reformer is called a
butcher head independent jurist, although he belonged to the school
humbly school.
But he clearly
on the issue of the cattle forever remember, this is a in Saudi
Arabia if we were to adopt this position, the scholars even will
talk you
are the ability and we are sided with Abu Hanifa ones or cattle
federal filter.
So the cartridge filter is not necessarily to give in grain, you
can give cash, if cash is that beneficial for the poor. It
depends what is beneficial for the poor. So you see how is
independent
even though he's a humbly he doesn't
prefer the view of Abu Hanifa on this. And of course, some other
issues. He will prefer the view of Imam Shafi on others, Imam Malik,
because he's an independent jurist. He condemns blind tackling
limitation, but at the same time,
he agrees that lay man who doesn't know who is not an independent
jurists,
he should follow one of the four schools Yes.
Okay, while others consider him as controversial, especially the
extreme Ashara eyes and matzah lights and extreme Sufis condemn
him
because he really was against extreme sofas, condemned them a
condom a bird Arabi.
He, he is of the opinion that even r&b is a pantheist even though as
a young man,
he loved even r&b But then when he his deep research,
he was led to believe that immunotherapy is a pantheist. So
he wrote extensive works on it. And of course today in the
academic circles, a lot of dissertation even on that topic,
okay, so.
So he's considered controversial, on that, on number of issues, he
was born in the year 661. That is to all 63 see in her run, her run
is a very famous
place that is where
it was a setback, the stronghold of religious Serbian religious
tradition. And, of course, philosophy and theology flourish
there.
Some people prefer to call him of an Arab origin. This question is
not very relevant, from a purely Islamic perspective, because Islam
does not attach any value to race because all of us from Adam, what
are the moment to Rob That's why Salmaan refers the biller and
others when they were asked.
biller would say I am a servant of Allah.
I am from the mark and I will go back to the mud
Salmaan Pharisee will say my father, they would ask him who is
your father? So he would say I will Islam, law police Eva who is
of tomorrow because now tell me me, my father is Islam.
Of course, he comes from a very noble Persian stock. His father
was a big guy, landlord and chief in a Persian district. But he
attaches nobody to it. He would say my father is Islam. And when
they boast about their father lineage to chi center beam,
because the Arab national races used to boast, and they are the
ones mockingly asking Salman Farsi, this great companion of the
prophet who is your father. So his answer to them is like that. You
see how if when you when people most of their race, I would only
boastfully say I, my father is Islam. So Islam integrated the
various races but unfortunately, the Janelia still very, very deep
throughout the Muslim world and all the Billa so that is, in the
Arab world, in some other other parts of the Muslim world. You
know, even in Pakistan, which was a country fought for Islam, they
still divided people into muhajir. And the world they think they are
not they belong to India, still, even though they are there for
generations. Now. Still, this racism now the Beloved may Allah
say worse, this has nothing to so but some people say he is of
Kurdish origin, others say is hon doesn't matter. Okay, so
he came from a long line of humbly jurists, his father, grandfather,
great grandfather were our scholars, but they are belong to
their humbly school.
In the case of Rumi, we said that he came from a Hanafi school
background, whereas his very dear friend shamsudeen Tabrizi belong
to the Shafi school. So we have different schools and scholars
come from our doesn't matter.
Now,
this was the time of Mongolia invasions and occupations or the
Muslim lands, and Ebola Tamia was hardly seven years old when the
family was forced to move, flee
to Damascus, from Iran. If the Mongol invasion, Trevor Noah was
not there, he would have stayed in Iran. But he was forced just like
Rumi was forced to flee from birth. And central finally were
travelling various places settled finally in cornea.
So in the case of Ebola, Tamia, his family was forced to flee to
Damascus, to see what
you know, even a Tamia worry very sharp, very sensitive man years.
So this a trauma the whole family are the belongs on one mule,
another
mule for the family. So this is what they took.
And you know, even on the way that
they had trouble and then finally, through their prayers, they've
managed to get to Damascus. So look at the trauma the family went
through.
That definitely he started his education early under his father,
by the age seven years already memorized the Quran
and started pursuing serious studies
you know, the Islamic education the foundation for that is Quran.
And of course along with that, they study the literature,
language,
grammar and literature, because they simply reading the Quran
memorizing it, there is no benefit in it. And Quran is for
understanding, isn't it for study for knowledge. So that's why at
the same time they memorizing they also master the language in order
for them so that the Quranic knowledge becomes the foundation
for all the other disciplines that you study.
Damascus was
At that time, one of the greatest senders of Islamic learning
knowledge, even in the case of Rumi, his survey spend years in
Damascus, pursuing his higher studies because it had a great
number of scholars, jurists, and Sufi sheiks. So
scholars, both male and female, Muslims think now even now, only
man just like Hinduism, they say,
a woman has to learn the scripture from man. But now they're changing
it. But this isn't the laws of money smoothing laws of man who,
so they we are also influenced by that, because we think woman's
place is the kitchen.
But that was not the Islamic understanding because Alisha was
one of the greatest callers in Islam. You know, more than 200
people graduated from the so called University of Arusha,
Alana, create jurists, and she would give rulings.
Of course, this amazing and this tradition was revived by so many
women throughout Islamic history. And the great Hema maybe the Tamia
had more than 200 sheiks and two of them at least minimum a more,
were women actually, great scholars of Hadees, Sita bento
maki and settler Arab Alcudia. His own mother was also as color set
her name is also set. So he
you know this, so they study he studied under these great scholars
of Hadith and fekir Arabic literature and Quran. And sunnah
Faker and others
have been a Tamia was far ahead of his age, even as a child
he was noted for his great intelligence and proverbial
memory, actually,
the memory of course, in those time maybe we lost it now.
They thought that when you write something,
it can be eaten,
you can lose it,
but when you retain it memory,
because they had such miraculous memory, it will never be lost,
because paper can get damaged, especially the kind of tools the
paper they used to use, that easily it can be spoiled, it can
be discolored, it can be raised. So this call is at that time,
attach more value to retaining things in memory. You know,
amazing, I may have mentioned here, there was a scholar was sent
to get a copy of a manuscript, a huge manuscript
to another city.
This I don't remember the exact city.
So this call is sent one scholar, young scholar to copy that
manuscript.
And he went, it came back after some time.
And this varies it.
He said, sit down, I'm going to dictate it
from beginning to end. And this is what he did, he was copied. So his
copy in the memory. This was the case with Ubuntu Tamia, he would
read a book three times
the entire content in scrabulous memory, as if it is described in a
stall.
So Damascus, at this time was famous for its libraries, some of
the best writers in the world.
Europe was in Dark Ages. You have to know that
the best libraries in the world were nowhere but in the Muslim
world. Spain had some of the best library can you imagine that?
Islam with university intervention Islamic University of Malay of
Pakistan said they have 100,000 volumes.
Whereas the Buddha has him said the library he was sitting and
working on more than four and hearten 400,000 volumes, and it's
only one library they had 30 libraries in in Granada road
Can you imagine that?
So, what if you were to gather all the books in those libraries it
would be foot CC vata sliding back. So, he would read a book
three times this content will be inscribed in memory as if in a
stone.
That's it, and that's why people could not debate with the Batavia
you could be a Hanafi you could be a Maliki you could be a Shafi you
could be humbly
if they debate with him, he will recite from memory from the books
of the Hanafi school even though he is not 100 free, that and
Hanafi expert will be baffled. He doesn't remember, but he has
already retained it memory so nobody no debater could defeat
him. And actually he developed this Imam the hubby is one of his
disciples is a great scholar, independent scholar. And Maha this
you know, there is a beautiful example it will give you the
status of the hobby. Even hydrolyze Kalani who is known as
the Commander in Chief of the Hadith scholars, is a great Hadith
scholar.
He said, When he went for hajj, he was bringing the sums of water.
Because the Prophet said, when you drink zamzam and you pray, ask
Allah for anything, Allah will go and do the your wish. So he said
when I drank some some, I ask Allah to give me the same critical
retention and thinking that Imam the hubby had
because the hubby had such great intellectual. So look at this.
This is one of the students of Ibn Taymiyyah but of course he did not
agree with him in all of his views. He describes Ebola Tamia.
In these words, even a Tamia grew up with exemplary piety, chastity,
devotion, moderation in his lifestyle
you know that exemplary as a child, he would attend circles of
eminent scholars and engage them in debates. He's a child.
But he debates with them as he decides baffled even the brightest
minds.
This is how you know Allah subhanho wa Taala and remember the
Hebei and so many words describe him not only Imam the hubby but
even those who debated with him great senior scholars, he is for
500 years. This is one person the likes of whom never appeared in
the Muslim world.
You know, but after having said that, because they had to debate
with him man he really attacked them. This is one thing of the
bundle Tamia he cannot stand one he is debating
sometimes uses harsh words. So as arbitrariness this is one thing in
the hobby also noted. So that earned him also the enemity. So
nobody is perfect. Understand, so he's inside he was authorized to
offer rulings.
While he was 19 or even less than that some report says even at the
age of 17
is independent rulings.
And Imam Dobby says he became devoted to research and writing
from the young very young age.
So, this is
one of the greatest Shafi jurists who is called a mujtahid a serious
caller said about him I told him that I never thought that Allah
would continue to to create geniuses like you.
Because he thought oh, you know, there was all this great
grilling once before passed away. I don't know more. But of course
even though the Kool Aid his mujtahid is
Shafia is considering MASM budget did this is the remark because,
of course there is a context for that. We'll come to that. So he
mustered out of the sciences of the day, both religious and
rational.
ironically he's called the father of selfish cool, which I differ
with Salafis coolers against rational sciences. But in the case
of Obinna Tamia, he mastered philosophy mastered theology.
Although he's attacking it, he's refuting there are humans because
just like Rumi,
attacker philosophy, isn't it.
But
they know philosophy in order to attack something, you have to
master it. So, therefore, he is a philosopher himself. When you use
reason to refute philosophy, you're a philosopher yourself to
understand. So we are fighting against philosophy that try to
that is the tremendous to religion.
It's not we are not against the use of reason. You know, that is,
so that's why he mustered that's a big thing we have to understand
about
his depth of knowledge and Hadith faculty origin rational science
over applauded by eminent scholars and peers. That's why many of them
call refer to him as faithful Islam.
They really were astounded by his depth of knowledge and mastery. It
said that he mastered Latin, Hebrew and Turkish beside Arabic.
So, you see how,
you know, you know why he's studying Latin.
Because in order to study philosophers, Greek philosophy, he
has to you know, he has to get he had to and Hebrew in order to
because he wrote against reputation of
Christianity, and for that, he has to consider the origin or sources
for that he study Hebrew
and Turkish also is studied Of course, and as far as his
knowledge of Arabic as such, you know, he was somebody just threw
him a cushion.
And the poil
is two lines. He stood there on one foot
and external,
he composed the low boil,
thus his mastery, okay, he would sit in one sitting he will write
an entire trace, without consulting any references
or from his, of course, he will refer to the source from his
memory because his memory is a library.
This is why, you know, this is the kind of personality that the
Buddha Timmy was.
And
when his father a prominent humbly scholar died, of course, his
father was the dean of the Sakarya schools Korea is humblest college,
and he was also a lecturer at a professor lecturing in Tafseer.
In Moscow, the famous most only Greek scholars are allowed to do
that.
Or pointed to that. His father, he succeeded when his father died, he
succeeded
to his as a dean and also a professor at the Umayyad mosque at
the age of 21.
So his lectures were on Tafseer.
And his fame spread far and wide. And people flocked to him for
rulings and knowledge.
fatwas error all kinds of from everywhere, people send him
cushions in theology, also fake fake or pseudo fake and Ciara on
all kinds of tasawwuf and he will debilitate me as millio was
characterized by deep political crisis.
You know, the OMA abovesaid Calafat had declined, followed by
the you know, the Mamluks where
the Mongols had
invaded and occupied various Muslim cities. They're basically
if cumbered and it was in a row mom locks were rolling and the
uneasy state of affairs deeply torment very sensitive man. We
already mentioned that he was forced to flee. He
Did you place her Iran, and it was a very arduous journey they had
to go, they had to go through a lot of traumatic experiences. So
this impacted very heavily on his conscience. And what happened, his
critical mind reacted to the stories, state of affairs is what
happens, each person is very sensitive.
And then what happened, he accompanied his father to HUD at
the age of 20.
And in Makkah, and Medina, he was shocked to see all kinds of
innovations, you go to various parts of India and Pakistan,
grave worship, and the spear booty, the people, just like, in
India, Hindus have all this, and the Muslims have their own, you're
competing with that, and this is a big business. So he was really
shocked. You know, this holy innovations, reverence of graves
and sane worship and things like that.
And, you know, he thought, worry very deeply of the state of
affairs. And he called for a return to the way of Salah. He
said the only solution for Muslims to come out of this. And of
course, politically, his solution is, when there is no justice,
Allah will make sure that you are conquered.
There's another observation he made.
When Muslims fail to rule by the standard of justice and apply
justice on the ground.
Allah will make sure the lands are occupied.
You see, how what a keen observation and he said Allah will
support a catheter ruler, who is just or what a Muslim ruler who is
wicked and unjust. This is the law of Allah. And he said, that is
what the Quran teaches us. So because lib injustice Allah will
not tolerate, okay, so that's why he is
here I railed against all forms of innovations, including worship of
grave saints, etc.
He openly criticized the scholars and Sufis who condone such
practices.
So, nobody escaped from Miss skating criticism. He criticized
the rulers, he criticizes officials, he criticizes scholars,
theologians, philosophers, Sufis, everybody. So
his first work, however, was refutation of a Christian who
insulted the Prophet.
So what he did, he took his disciples and followers and held a
protest is the first time is color becoming a protester. So, he said
that this Christian has to be executed.
Of course.
He people came out, of course, you know,
this was the first incident of a scholar activist who tried to use
force to bring about changes his view on innovations when as far as
declaring journey to visit the grave of the Prophet as forbidden.
You can go to visit, you can visit the grave of the prophet for sure,
nothing wrong with that, but
to make a journey solely for the purpose of visiting the grave of
the Prophet. He thought it's an innovation.
You can say make the NIA I want to go
to the masjid of the Prophet. And while you are there, yes, visit
the grave. Because you know why? He saw what was happening in the
name of visitation of graves, how they were turning graves into
idols. They were kissing and they were prostrating, they were doing
all skirts. And not only the name of the Prophet, but every grave.
Grave worship was rampant. And this is this is the case. You
know, I have my colleague in in McGill University was chatting
with me.
I heard his agenda at that time it was a suggestion machine, a hair
to the P
Do you know who was disgraced with Goldberg or Hyderabad. So I heard
that this man who is an educated man,
he is now the man in charge. And one visitor also him there told me
he came and said, the people are Hindus and Muslims are prostrating
to him now.
So, this is the background that even a Tamia has in mind. So, how
in the name of Islam,
people are committing shirk.
So, he is, he reacted, you know, very, very vehemently against this
and wrote extensively fatwas and one on aftersun to teachers.
And when the Mongols threatened to invade Damascus ins and 7702 that
the Hegira ability, we are talking to the street to mobilize the
masses, they said scholars escaped, runaway Sufis are
underway. So fish rates,
only few scholars remained, he was the chief among them, mobilizing
people exhorting them to make jihad to stand up
to fight.
You see, that's the difference between him and other scholars. So
what happened he actively participated in the war and
display a great feeds, the Mongols were defeated, actually, because
actually, he gave up a lot of avoidable Ramadan said you have to
break your fast and he ate whatever he had and openly did
that and everybody followed suit. So, this is all him you know,
because when you make jihad, you have to be prepared for it and you
are allowed to make use of this concession.
And even more amazing was his boldness. He was extremely bold,
his bold in front of scholars who attack him he is bold in front of
anybody, the Mongol tyrant, even his name fierce horror and terror
in the minds of people, because they are guilty of so much
massacre.
The scholars went anybody Tamia was among them, to meet this
Mongol tyrant.
And he goes straight to him and pointing just directly pointing to
him, you claim to be a Muslim. You have colleagues, imams and Muslims
to the best of our knowledge and yet you are waging war against us.
Your father and grandfather were not Muslims. And they did not do
what you were doing.
They did not break the covenant, while you in spite of claiming to
be a Muslim broke it and committed aggression
is said in the Hebrew cathedral narrates this said some scholars
immediately lifted the fog thinking that the soul is flashing
that the man is carrying shorter you know the guard it will be
immediately will had will be cut off and that blood will fall on
them. So some of the motorway
it is more or less as Towner other scholars who moved away fearing
for their lives.
I could was one of them. You know what they were? But of course,
this monger was as if he had become lost. He could not see how
someone you know who is like a dervish. He's not dressed up in a
luxury. Just symbol. What kind of a daring man is instead of you
know, even a Tamia very he's the one fearing him. Do you understand
he didn't say anything? So on then return so why back?
Screen. Why did you you know, speaking the sore rashly, he said
the other Weren't you afraid of your life? He said I had no fear
of him.
Only a person who is sick at heart would fear anyone beside Allah.
See that shows? How we've been a team here was no matter how many
mistakes he may have made. He feared none. And he is Life is a
an example of that.
If
he's willing
to pay for what he believed to be true, sometime scholars may
disagree and fight him. But once he is convinced that this is a
true position,
he has no fear of anybody. This is
so even if the mayor has courage to stand up for what he believed,
earn him admiration of scholars and laymen alike.
That's why even at the AAA, the San Juan County heard and so I
never thought that Allah would produce creative people like you
with this kind of qualities, you know. So he thought that only
bygone days you can see this. But at the same time, it turned him
enmity of many others, including scholars, because he attacked them
he, he refuted them. And many of them were simply scholars of the
establishment, whatever the ruler want to, they would give fatwa
placing the rulers. I'm not saying everybody was like that, everybody
who could say similar things like that, no, I cannot say that. There
were some very, very sincere scholars also, who did not agree
with some of the extreme views like visiting the game of the
Prophet, journey to they were of the opinion no a person can
undertake the journey with the knee or visiting the grave of
profit or even any profit or any great person, as long as
he does not come with any share core innovations.
Now, there is a book out there you know, as I the Buddha was our
young man, his father was a great scholar. He came here also he has
written extensively on on great biographies of great scholars. He
has a book called aroma Zarb the lifelong bachelors scholars who
are lifelong Bachelors in Islam
is not one or two, we have more than a dozen eminent ones.
And able to Tamia was one of course their naming glory Benny
Jarier, who is the greatest professor of the Quran, in our got
married, and Imam NaVi the author of the 40 Hadith and Riolu Salin
and of course in South Korea have a great scholar Shafi jurist, and
we had this in our got married. And in Britain, Tamia was the same
way. But people ask the question, How come if marriage is a sunnah?
Why the scholars chose to remain bachelors?
Yes, marriage is a sunnah sometime marriage becomes obligatory. If a
person cannot save himself from sin marriage is obligatory, not
yet, so sunnah. Otherwise, it's a sunnah, but it becomes haram for a
person who cannot fulfill a spousal duties, somebody has no
desire
or he cannot fulfill their sub spousal duties or he is suffering
from illness,
aids for instance, is it obligated on you to get married? Pass on
this disease? No, no. So the ruling changes, but in the case of
these people, they had no desire in the case of ability mates set
by his own students, this man had no such thing. So why he should
get married and then there were no they were utterly devoted to
pursuit of knowledge. Nothing. They had no other concern in this
world knowledge and of course, standing and disseminating
knowledge that is,
that's the passion of this. Okay, now,
in the case of a minute Tamia, he was consumed by his intellectual
pursuit that he craved for nothing else.
There are so many stories about how far he went in this. His
mother, he was very much devoted to his mother. And there are
passionate letters that he wrote to his mother, which shows how
much love we had for his mother. She was a scholar herself. When
she cook rice squash dish, and she thought is so better nobody could
eat it. So she left it aside later on, she want to trash it.
Even as the mayor comes home
It's it. So how could you eat it? It's so bitter. It cannot it's not
edible is that I am mom. I didn't know.
He didn't, because he just want to eat something so,
so because his mind is
somewhere else.
His mind was occupied with many intellectual or social issues of
the time. I already mentioned he read widely in a wide range of
disciplines.
Quran exegesis, Hadith, comparative jurisprudence,
theology, philosophy, comparative religion, he has worked in all of
this, not one work but many volumes, he produced
almost more than some say more than 400 works. In his own words,
he would refer to more than 100 works of Tafseer
explaining a single verse of the Quran
a single verse of the Quran explanation, he would refer to
more than 100 works of thirsty.
So, of course, for all these, if you're married, how will you you
will have time for all this stuff.
Okay, now, the maskers I already mentioned this.
It had some of the best libraries I already mentioned it
and ability via sage one, he would think about this difficult issues,
he would go for spiritual and intellectual retreat, he will go
to the desert far away from people
and spend hours in seclusion and he is just just just crying out to
Allah subhanaw taala or the teacher of Ibrahim Ibrahim, of
teacher of Tao or the teacher of Mohammed teacher of Moses teacher
of Raisa, teach me.
You understand? So here's a want ALLAH to open his heart and mind.
So of course, no doubt he wrote more than 400 works.
Which relates to all kinds of even his work on comparative religion
more than I have found. Already two dissertations, or three, three
dissertations have already been written on his critique of
Christianity
in North America,
even one of our great scholars, Muslim Siddiqui, he wrote his
dissertation on libertarians critique of Christianity.
And of course, another Catholic priest who was expert on Islam
working in Vatican City with the Pope. His dissertation was on a
bit of taneous critique of Christianity. So you can see what
kind of
work he has produced. His fatwas have been codified in 37. Big
volumes, actually. We have it here in our library. How many volumes
30 Silver.
Huge.
His work on refutation of Greek logic has earned the praise of
Western academics for its depth of critical thinking.
Because he, many people thought Greek logic is infallible.
No, because it it thought it has its flaws, right intellectual
repoint these workers
nachliel Mundek. You know, he's just incoherence of this Greek
logic. And his work on harmonizing reason and revelation in Islam
appears in 11 volumes.
It has been the subject of several PhD dissertations in North
America, even within the last, you know, five six years.
I have already found
a URL University McGill University and other universe PhD
dissertations on his ideas on harmonizing reason and Revelation.
So, you can see what kind of of course we are not mentioning the
dissertations are done in the Muslim world.
If you take okay so,
there is no other scholar who has become so controversial as even a
Tamia.
No scholar, we already mentioned that many columns shareholders on
Monday imam in which they then did, but on the other hand, there
are many who vehemently oppose him.
His turns on theology Sufism and independent rulings and Fick has
earned him many enemies during his time and after,
because
he is an independent mind. So,
if we find something not coherent something not,
cannot be reconciled with this understanding of Quran and Hadith,
he will try to refute it and he would be used all kinds of
arguments, rationale and scripture to refute, and of course, is
refutation of tasawwuf
many people thought he is an enemy of the soul Wolf, but now this has
been put to rest. They say he did not oppose the Sabbath. He valued
genuine Kosovo, but he is against the this
pseudo Sophie's, he divided I will come to this discussion in little
detail next session when we talk about Ibrahim Inshallah, but
theology, fickle rulings.
I will mention some of it later. This you know, his attacks on
theology a critical work on critical works on theology, Sufism
and Feck.
Made him and him many enemies.
There is no doubt I already mentioned is one of the most
influential fingers.
But ironically, the selfies
call him as the father of Salafism. They refer to him and
even extremists like Bin Laden, and lately even Dinesh referred to
him for support.
This is an irony but the latter exploit is fatwas against Mongolia
to justify their waging war against fellow Muslims. Because
the Irish says that, because the ability be
allowed war against among goals, of course, Mongols, later on had
converted to Islam, but it was a no better conversion they did not
they attacking Muslims. So don't use stand up
to defend yourself. That's what he said he did not say you go and
attack other Muslims, but they are using this wrong way. And
Islamophobes consider him as the father of Islamic extremism. But
ACARA maker, you know, scholars, Muslim scholars, and million
Muslim scholars as well as Western Academy consider this kind of
reference to rehabilitate me as unjustified, because Imitate me
context was different. His first words were
in a different context that has nothing to do with the context of
biller than Dinesh and others. Okay.
So
in his own time, the theologians Bahadur Shah writes and monitors
the light.
He earned their anonymity because
his theology was
the Salafi the traditional theology of Imam Muhammad, Allah,
humble.
Humble in his stand against the more Tesla Motors level,
rationalist theologians who thought that when Allah says in
the Quran,
refers to his face and things like that, they thought that would be
like, lead people to think that Allah is like anybody, man or
human form.
Now, the traditional Muslims callers were of the view whatever
Allah has used for himself, however, he described himself in
the Quran.
We have to take it as it is, we don't interpret it away. We don't
rationalize it.
If you do that
you are heretic that's the view of traditional but even a Tamia is a
rational theology and also, he's using reason to attack that
because when you interpret your way you are already assuming that
Allah and His creation are equal.
You have already been guilty of intellectual and repose. They were
at
Given that he is by not interpreting
his underperformers Of course, this is a subtle point. But the
selfies don't understand that even if they may us position is not
underperformers at all, what he's saying is, you know the matters of
unseen world.
Just like you know Rumi is to say reason cannot probe it.
Reason cannot venture into that territory. Reason, just like this
is what it no called dual described it, to use reason to
talk about Allah, Heaven and * is like somebody using his tail
which is meant to weigh gold and silver. You are using that scale
to weigh the mountain.
You don't use that scale for that. So this is the starting point,
actually. So you don't use reason to talk about Allah's Name and
attributes.
Because our mind cannot problem the mystery of Allah subhanaw
taala. So
we should keep silent, let Allah speakable for about himself,
we cannot reason can lead us that there is a Creator, yes, it cannot
go go beyond that, to tell us about his nature. So whatever
description we have in the Scripture about Allah,
we take it as it is, we don't ask, how it is, but at the same time we
say is known, Allah is incomparable,
as far as his essence is concerned, as far as attributes is
concerned, as far as actions are concerned, so you see how but
so,
but the others thought that he is
guilty of anthropomorphism actually is not, no doubt this
charge applies to select your followers. These are the charges
are definitely applied to selfies, because the way they
they talk about these things as if but the Britania interpretation is
totally different. Because he say that you don't use reason to talk
about it. You need to affirm the uniqueness of Allah uniqueness of
his attributes without any comparison and things like that.
But of course, he was dragged into court on charges of federal
promotion.
And you know, great number of scholars debated with him, but
being a excellent debater, nobody, they could not win
big enough they could not prove is that charge in spite of that, they
prevail even though every single debate he had this great scholar
sitting is one person. So somebody is from Hanafi background, another
is a Shafi background. And then there's a Maliki beggar, another
is even humbly background. And he is citing references from their
works to counter them, which they are they don't know even this is
the kind of debater he is. So they cannot prove any point. But
because of political reasons he thrown in jail.
He was released after four months, and they filed under charge
against him, because
because he continues to preach the same thing they thought he will be
silenced by this kind of threat. No, he will not go ahead. And then
again the charge. Then finally, this, this issue has to be decided
in Cairo, which is a higher court and greater scholars there who can
debate he was born before the court and where he also defended
himself again, and he was proven innocent, but yet he was
imprisoned.
And this time, the charge came from the Sufi detractors because
he attacked even Arby's pantheism and pseudo Sufism, he called it
pseudo Sufism.
But he did not attack real so goof and he has a number of works. One
book is called The Real criterion to distinguish the true saints
friends of Allah, from the Friends of the devil.
Of course, friends of the devil are those who claim to be Sufis
and practicing all kinds of innovations. Don't call them
friends of Allah. They are friends of shayateen understand that,
that's open criticism. So,
so he was imprisoned in 13. But he was
Released in 13 07, and then he was returned to Damascus once again,
where another round of trials started. But then you know, the,
the nail in the coffin was
somebody brought up his fatwa that people should not be traveling to
visit the grave of the Prophet. And then
his fatwa against divorce. Because you know even today here,
how often men divorce when some one wife refuses to cocoa to
party,
you are divorced. I divorced you three times.
So then this woman goes to the ER they go finally the man also
regrets because you need to get another party next day. So he
regrets so said, how to resolve this thing. The Mufti will say now
you are divorced three times. That means now somebody else have to
marry you.
Some of these are willing to marry her just to have a one night show.
And then next day, we'll divorce her there are some so called moot
is doing that here.
So this issue came to me so many times. So I said, I follow Obama
libertarians opinion. Kunal, this Talaq is not a joke. You don't get
married like that in a dream? Do you get married in dream?
Marry, you are snoring I marry, I marry. No. So how come in
somebody, a reckless man who is not in sober mind. I divorced you
are divorced, you are divorced, it becomes divorce, whatever, pray
with him the Sharia is that. So? He said, No, this is not. And then
they have this ruling that if you visit your dad, you are divorced.
If you visit your brother, if you talk to your sister, you are
divorce. The jury is consider this as divorce. You believe yourself?
This is not divorce. The man has no he wants to threaten his wife.
So he has to expiate for it. That's not a divorce. You
understand? Of course, these are rational. Today in the Muslim
world, many scholars came to this conclusion that a minute me as
ruling on this issue was are very, very rational and more closer to
the Quran understanding of so what happened is this fatwas landed
him, pit him against the dominant view of the scholars. They even
said he shouldn't be killed. Some of them given fatwa, some of them,
but others said that he should be put away in jail for good unless
he stopped this vidro see this kind of fatwas.
Hey, finally. But when he was in jail, great throng of visitors,
they wanted his opinion. People want to learn his disciples, they
said then sat down and nobody should be allowed to visit him.
And then of course, then he started writing more said no, they
take away the paper and pen from him. So they want to silence him
for good. But then he fell ill in at the age of 65. After a short
illness, he died, but people turned out in massive numbers to
attend his funeral. And you know, the likes of which never witnessed
except rarely in the history of Damascus.
More than 500,000 people showed up in his janazah so people loved
him. But you know, even though the official Aman and Sophie's not our
sofas
were against him.
Now he faced his trials, this man
he had a chance to take revenge from his enemies whenever he was
out of jail.
But he said no, I forgive them all.
I forgive them all.
And
this is look at the PCs
What can my enemies do to me?
I have my paradise within me, sir.
My detention serves as a spiritual retreat for me. If they kill me, I
achieved material.
The real prisoner is the one who is cut off from his lower
I wish my detractors knew the spiritual bliss I'm experiencing
when a dungeon in a dark room that's what
that I'm enjoying that peace from Allah monitor, of course, have a
lot of things to some of their this issues his stand on top of
another's, we will discuss next session where we are devoting to
his greatest disciple, Ibn Acharya mashallah because otherwise we are
not doing justice to us and also we will talk about some of the
controversial views that is ascribed to him.
I pray to Allah subhanaw taala that Allah inspire us to love Him,
to love his messenger to love those who love Allah and His
messenger and
inspire us to love the work that would bring us closer to the level
of Allah Subhana Allah Who Moby Dick Nichelle will Lila learned
Mr. Furukawa to work