Constituents of the Heart by Imam al-Tirmidhi
This is a translation of the first chapter of the Persian jurist al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī’s Bayān al-Farq bayna al-Ṣadr wa-l-Qalb wa-l-Fuʾād wa-l-Lubb. Abū ʿAbd-Allāh Muḥammad bin ʿAlī al-Tirmidhī said, “Some of the people of knowledge have asked me about the differences between the terms ṣadr, qalb, fuʾād, and lubb, and what has been narrated regarding them. […]
Suicide: Technology and Nihilism
In our previous piece, we outlined the Islamic position on suicide whilst also expounding on some of the common factors that may trigger suicidal thoughts within the individual and some of its possible remedies. In this article, we shall explore more about some of the other major causes that may drive the person to this […]
Suicide: The Question of Suffering
Being generally taboo, the topic of suicide is not discussed seriously, let alone extensively, in the Muslim world. The causes are often predictable and understandable, but are nevertheless rejected or treated lightly, despite such concerns being only on the rise in the Muslim world. The article at hand intends not only to provide an overview […]
Exploring Love Through Poetry
It is recommended to read the previous piece, as this article builds thereupon. The term ḥubb possesses the term khamr (wine) as a synonym1, and khamr, in turn, was referred to as Umm Laylā by the Arabs. Laylā, in this context, refers to ecstasy and intoxication, and umm is present due to its induction of […]
Introduction to Islamic Epistemology
The impacts of colonization and secularization were not restricted to destabilizing nations, threatening social structures, and coercing certain ideologies and corrupting existing ones, but are reflected in the fundamentals of our worldviews as well. While we have not altogether abandoned our ideals and metaphysics, it is impossible to overlook the abyss left therein due to […]
Fiqh of Lying
The article is a translation of Abū Yaʿlā’s treatise, taken from Majmū Rasāʾil, concerning the Fiqh of lying and the judgments that apply to the liar. Biography [The following biography of Qāḍī Abī Yaʿlā has been summarized from his biography provided in the Dār al-Īlāfī al-Ḥawliyyah edition of Ibṭāl al-Taʾwīlāt li-Akhbār al-Ṣifāt.] Al-Imām al-ʿAllāmah Shaykh […]
Reflections on Love and Suffering
The term dīn is not understood in our Tradition as the term religion is throughout Western religious history, but rather carries four primary significations: (1) indebtedness; (2) submissiveness; (3) judicious power; (4) natural inclination or tendency.1 This article aims to discuss some of the concepts regarding love and suffering that often comes as a consequence […]
Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ’s Forty Obligatory Beliefs
Introduction The importance of learning ʿaqīdah (Islamic creedal and theological beliefs, as well as the evidence and rational/scriptural arguments in support of them) need not be restated for those familiar with the Islamic tradition. The Ahl al-Sunnah (leaving out any non-fundamental, detailed discussions or disagreements that may have occurred among them)—or Sunnīs—have agreed upon particular […]
Differences between Sunnis and Twelvers
Creedal Differences between the Sunnis and Twelvers Notwithstanding the differences between the Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shīʿas, the article intends to highlight some of the fundamental differences between the Sunnīs and the Twelver Shīʿas (Ithnā ʿAshariyyah) in creed, and expand upon those beliefs briefly. Note that this article does not contain a refutation of Shīʿī […]
Reason and the Purification of Intentions
A child may dislike the prospect of receiving a vaccine, for what he fears is a needle passing through his skin, unaware and uncaring of the benefits that he will be receiving due to it. We may as well be in the position of the child with respect to Allāh, the difference being that His […]