Scholarly answers to contemporary and classical questions, grounded in the Islamic tradition.
Answer to the first: I say: al-Bukhārī deferred this ḥadīth because he only cited it as corroboration. It is narrated by Yazīd ibn Ibrāhīm, that is, Yazīd ibn Ibrāhīm al-Tustarī Abū Saʿīd al-Baṣrī, a trustworthy transmitter whose narrations are taken…
Wa ʿalaykum al-salām wa raḥmat Allāh wa barakātuh! The seriousness, intellectual honesty and good intention with which you have posed your question are praiseworthy. In religious matters, merely accepting something on hearsay, or rejecting a prevalent opinion without investigation, are…
This question is extremely important and worthy of reflection. In truth, this confusion is not restricted to you alone; many of those who occupy themselves with the science of ḥadīth—scholars as well as students—become entangled in this very problem. The…
The funeral prayer is fundamentally composed of four takbīrs. Concerning what should be uttered between these takbīrs, the Companions, may Allāh be pleased with them, and the scholars after them differed. Hence, it is inappropriate to insist on one recognised…
Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4142, narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah. The hadith says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned bedding and said: “There should be bedding for a man, bedding for his wife, and a…
Salam Shaikh Mohammed Akram Nadwi, I hope you’re doing well, in shā’ Allāh. For some time, I’ve been reflecting on the signs of the end times—particularly the prophecies that our beloved Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ foretold regarding the wars and conflicts…
Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh Sidi Shaykh Akram I pray this message finds you in good health and I ask Allah SWT to shower you with His favours in both worlds. Beloved Shaykh this is your student Jawed Tarin…
Our friend Sulaiman Qazi inquired about the authenticity of the following hadith recorded in Sunan Ibn Mājah: “Whoever dies having made a will, dies upon the path of righteousness and the way of the Sunnah, dies upon piety and martyrdom,…
My student Subaida, a well-known activist in Kerala, asked me the following: Salam Sheikh, I’ve heard that we cannot fast on Friday or Saturday alone. It should be combined with Thursday if it’s Friday, or with Sunday if it’s Saturday.…
Maulana Mohammad Sirajuddin Nadwi from Indiana, USA, forwarded to me the following question: Salaam Imam Saab, I hope you are doing well! I was reading this last night and I thought it was so interesting how people drank camel’s milk…