Category: Ibn Kathir

Political Analysis – A Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ

Featured by Viewpoint, posted in Ibn Kathir, Politics, Qur'an, Secularism, Shari'ah, Sunnah, Tafsir

The Prophet ﷺ worked with the Sahabah in his da‘wah with full political awareness and monitored the international situation and its impact on the Muslims. An example of this is how the Prophet ﷺ reacted to the conflict between two of the superpowers on the world stage at the time, Persia and Byzantium (i.e. al-Rūm, the Eastern Roman Empire). The Qur’an mentions the conflict between these two adversaries in Sūrah al-Rūm (the political significance of this Sūrah being named after a global superpower cannot be ignored)

Ruling by Other than what Allah Revealed

by Viewpoint, posted in Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Qurtubi, Imam al-Tabari, Quran, Rulers, Shari'ah, Tafsir

Allah criticizes those who ignore His commandments which include every type of righteous good thing and prohibit every type of evil, but they refer instead to opinions, desires and customs that people themselves invented, all of which have no basis in His dīn. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts. The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote Al-Yasiq for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Many of these rulings were derived from his own opinion and desires. Later on, these rulings became the followed law among his children, preferring them to the Law of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. Therefore, whoever does this, he is a disbeliever

The Caliphate is not a Utopian Dream

by Viewpoint, posted in Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Abū ‘Ubayd, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, Caliph Umar, Hadith, History, Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Tabari, Prophecy, Shari'ah, Tafsir

One of the excuses for ignoring the emphatic Shari‘ah obligation of re-instituting the Caliphate is the claim that it is an impossible dream which cannot be realised. According to this argument, the Caliphate is deemed to be a Utopia which present-day Muslims cannot bring to fruition. This is despite the fact that the Caliphate previously existed for several centuries and succeeded in spreading Islam to many lands.

Does Islam Only Have Five Pillars?

Featured by Viewpoint, posted in Hadith, Ibn al-Mājishūn, Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Qurtubi, Jihad, maruf, Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari, munkar, Qur'an, Shari'ah, Tafsir

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said: ‘Islam is divided into eight parts. The prayer is one part, zakat is one part, fasting is one part, hajj is one part, ‘umrah is one part, jihad is one part, commanding what is known to be right is one part, and forbidding what is recognised as wrong is one part. Disappointed is he who has no part of Islam.’

Jihad According to the Classical Scholars

Featured by Viewpoint, posted in Hadith, Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni, Imam al-Qurtubi, Jihad, Politics, Qur'an, Shari'ah, Sunnah, Tafsir, Uncategorized

From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, to Jaifar and 'Abd, sons of al-Julanda, and may peace be upon those who follow Allah's guidance. To proceed, I invite you both to Islam; accept Islam and you will attain salvation, for I am Allah's Messenger to all mankind so that I may warn those who are alive and establish (Allah's) word over the unbelievers. If you declare your Islam I will appoint you both as governors [of your lands], but if you refuse then (know that) your dominion is only fleeting, and my horsemen will dismount in your courtyard, and my Prophethood will prevail over your dominion.

Is the Caliphate Imperative Mentioned in the Qur’an?

by Viewpoint, posted in ‘Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq, Hadith, Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Qurtubi, Politics, Qur'an, Rulers, Scholars, Shari'ah, Sunnah, Tafsir

“Al-Qurtubi, as well as other scholars, said that this Āyah (2:30) proves the obligation of appointing a Khalīfah to pass judgements on matters of dispute between people, to aid the oppressed against the oppressor, to implement the Islamic penal code and to forbid evil. There are many tasks that can only be fulfilled by appointing the Imam, and what is necessary in performing an obligation, is an obligation itself.” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 1 p. 185]

The Political Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ: Part 3

by Viewpoint, posted in Hadith, Ibn Kathir, Politics, Seerah, Shari'ah, Sunnah, Uncategorized

In the previous two posts in this series (part 1 and part 2), we examined the Shari‘ah evidences that show how the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ was not only restricted to how we perform the prayer, pilgrimage and other acts of worship, but also in how to govern, run an economy etc. and in … Continue reading The Political Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ: Part 3

Sahabi: Allah has sent us forward to liberate men from following men

by Viewpoint, posted in Ibn Kathir, Shari'ah, Uncategorized

During the famous battle of Qadisiyyah, the Persian general Rustam sent word to the Muslim commander Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas to send an envoy for negotiations. The latter chose his fellow Sahabi Rib‘i bin ‘Amir as the envoy. When Rib‘i arrived at Rustam’s court, he was asked by the general through the interpreter: “What is … Continue reading Sahabi: Allah has sent us forward to liberate men from following men