Necessity triggers temporary exceptions – not new norms
The Sacred Law acknowledges that necessity sometimes calls for exceptional rulings; it does not countenance accepting it as a new norm. If a Muslim community was faced with a situation …
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Why I don’t engage in madhhab superiority games
During the first year or two of studying fiqh, I engaged in madhhab superiority games. It still amazes me how many reasons I came up with for the superiority and …
Ramadan in Cairo
Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta announced that Ramadan will begin on Thursday, September 13. Official authoritative bodies for establishing lunar months are a great mercy for their constituents. It is a great …
Studying alternative opinions and evidence is the norm
While it is true that students tend to start off with books giving legal conclusions divorced of their evidence, the second or third book in most study programs includes evidence …
Differences in how an issue is conceived lead to differences in its legal value
Conceiving an issue is one of the first steps in determining its legal ruling. Unless something is readily apparent, there is quite a bit of room for differences in conception. …
Study guide: Shafi‘i and Hanbali legal research
I am often asked to give advice on what books one should use when doing legal research within the Shafiʿi or Hanbali schools. Although the topic is of interest to …
Admitting one’s mistakes
The Sacred Law encourages us to admit our mistakes. Recognizing and admitting a mistake is an essential step in seeking repentance. It is to this end that the instructors and …
Study guide: Hanbali reference books
The following is a list of Hanbali books limited to the subjects of jurisprudence and its foundations – fiqh and usul al-fiqh. People often ask what books they should obtain …
Study guide: a Hanbali syllabus
Sheikh ʿAbd Al-Qadir Ibn Badran suggested the following syllabus for students of the Hanbali school in his Al-Madkhal ila Madhhab al-Imam Ahmad: Ibn Balban’s Akhsar al-Mukhtasarat or al-Bahuti’s Al-ʿUmdah. Marʿi …