Major bank facilitates crimes against humanity.

Genocide has fractured the very foundation of society.

I say to the Muslim woman who feels distressed due to these natural discharges: there is no cause for concern. In fact, the absence of such discharge is what might warrant concern and a visit to a physician.

If you notice any discharge coming out, assume it has exited from the external part of the private area, which is pure and does not invalidate ablution according to the majority of scholars. Do not trouble yourself searching for its source.

If you are certain it has exited from the internal area or the vaginal canal itself, it is still considered pure by the majority opinion.

As for whether it invalidates ablution, if this discharge occurs for most or even half of the time, it does not invalidate ablution according to the Mālikīs; if it occurs for less than half of the time, it does not invalidate ablution according to some of them.

If your discharges are not frequent enough to qualify as ongoing invalidators of ritual purity, you may follow the opinion of the esteemed imam, Ibn Ḥazm, which has been preferred by several verifying contemporary scholars, that it does not invalidate ablution in any case.

Is Vaginal Discharge Pure or Impure?

Vaginal discharge, also called leukorrhea, is made up of both fluid and cells. The vagina sheds discharge throughout the day. Typical discharge helps keep the vagina healthy and clean. By keeping the tissues wet, it protects against infection and irritation. Vaginal discharge might seem different at times. It could be whitish and sticky or clear and watery. These changes usually depend on where you are in your period cycle. It’s common for the amount, color, and consistency all to change.1

From this definition, it is clear that this discharge is a natural, continuous secretion that fluctuates but does not cease. It is not something unique to women of our time, as some might assume.

The reason for addressing this topic is the frequency with which women ask about it and the discomfort felt by those who are pious, as the prevailing view among people is that scholars differ on the impurity of this discharge, with the majority opinion being that it invalidates ablution. Furthermore, since the exiting of this discharge (not merely its secretion) does not persist for the majority of the day, treating it as incontinence (salas) is also not feasible for most women.

This discussion includes:

1. Natural (physiological) discharge versus pathological (disease-related) discharge.
2. Differentiation between discharge that exits and that which remains inside.
3. Distinguishing between discharge from the external, washable part of the vulva and the internal vagina.
4. The ruling on continuous discharge.
5. Discussion on its purity or impurity.
6. Discussion on whether it invalidates ablution or not.

1. Natural vs. Pathological Discharge

In some cases, discharge may increase due to a medical condition, and its color may change. What is commonly referred to as brownish or yellowish discharge, if not connected to menstruation, could fall under this category. However, this discussion focuses specifically on natural, not pathological, discharge.

2. Differentiation Between Discharge That Exits and That Which Remains

Inside our current discussion concerns discharge that exits from the vagina. As for internal discharge, it carries no legal ruling even if considered impure, as it does not necessitate any specific action.

3. Differentiation Between Discharge From the Washable Outer Area of the Vulva and the Inner Vagina

This is also an important distinction and may relieve many women of undue concern. The vulva has an outer part that is washed. The outer discharge, being similar to sweat, is generally not subject to the same rulings as the inner discharge. According to the Shafi’i scholars who consider internal vaginal moisture impure, they state:

“(Vaginal moisture) refers to a whitish fluid between pre-ejaculate and sweat that exits from the internal, unwashed part of the vagina, unlike discharge that exits from the washed area, which is definitively pure.”2

They also add:
“Note that vaginal moisture falls into three categories: definitively pure, which is the discharge that exits from the part that shows when a woman sits on her feet; generally considered pure, which is the discharge that reaches the area where intercourse occurs; and impure, which is beyond this.”3

If a woman is uncertain about the origin of the discharge, it is assumed to be from the nearest area. Her previous state of purity remains certain unless definitively negated, and thus, she is not required to do anything.

The Jordanian Fatwa Department states: “If it exits from the external part of the vulva or if the woman cannot determine its origin, it is considered pure and does not invalidate ablution.”4

4. Ruling on Continuous Invalidators of Ritual Purity

If these secretions are continuous, they are generally treated as incontinence (salas) by most scholars who hold that they invalidate ablution. According to the Maliki school, if the discharge occurs for most of the time or half of it, it does not invalidate ablution. If it occurs for less than that, it also does not invalidate ablution according to their Iraqi scholars.

In Manḥ al-Jalīl, it states: “Ablution is invalidated by incontinence (salas)—whether from urine, pre-ejaculate, semen, post-urinary fluid, feces, gas, or non-menstrual blood—if it exits involuntarily and persists for less than half the time. If it lasts for the whole period, the majority of the time, or half of it, then it does not invalidate ablution, which is the standard Maliki opinion held by scholars in the Maghreb, while Iraqi Malikis hold that it does not invalidate at all. Performing ablution in such cases is recommended if it does not persist for the entire duration.”5

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah supported this view in his later opinions, issuing fatwas that “persistent invalidators, such as prolonged bleeding and urinary incontinence, do not invalidate ablution.”6

5. Ruling on Purity and Impurity of Vaginal Discharge

According to the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, as well as one opinion in the Shafi’i school (which al-Nawawi endorsed), and the Ẓāhirī school, this discharge is considered pure (ṭāhir). In contrast, it is considered impure (najis) in the Maliki and Shafi’i schools and according to one opinion within the Hanbali school.

The strongest evidence for those who consider it impure is found in Ṣaḥīḥayn, where Zayd ibn Khālid asked ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān: “What do you say about a man who has intercourse with his wife but does not ejaculate?” ʿUthmān replied: “He should perform ablution as he does for prayer and wash his private part.” ʿUthmān said: “I heard this from the Messenger of Allah .” They said, “The two hadiths allowing prayer with ablution alone, without a full ritual bath (ghusl), are abrogated, as previously mentioned in the chapter on what necessitates ghusl. However, the instruction to wash the private part and anything it comes into contact with remains unchanged, which clearly indicates the ruling of impurity regarding vaginal discharge.”7

They also compared it to other excretions from the private parts, concluding that impurity is the default for anything that exits from these areas, with the exception of semen, which is considered pure by some due to specific evidence.

Some said, “The vaginal moisture of a woman is impure due to its mixture with urine and other impurities.”8

Some said, “It is impure because it is a vaginal discharge that does not produce offspring, akin to pre-ejaculate.”9

Some said, “It is impure as it originates from an area of impurity.”10

Those who consider the discharge pure base their opinion on several arguments:

1. The default state is purity; impurity requires clear evidence, and what is not explicitly addressed is within the scope of leniency.
2. They cite a hadith in Ṣaḥīḥayn in which ʿĀʾishah would scrape semen off the Prophet’s clothing before he prayed in it. They argue that “this semen was a result of intercourse (not nocturnal emission, since prophets do not experience it), which would involve contact with vaginal discharge.”11 If the discharge were impure, then both the semen and the woman’s discharge would have been considered impure. Kashf al-Qināʿ states: “Similarly, the vaginal moisture of a woman is pure, as proven by the purity of her semen. If vaginal moisture were ruled impure, then her semen would also be impure.”12
3. They said, “‘(The vaginal discharge) from the area where intercourse occurs is pure, like sweat, saliva, mucus, and phlegm, even if it has a bluish tinge, as well as anything that flows from the mouth during sleep.’”13 This comparison to the pure mucus and phlegm is precise. The Majmūʿ mentions: “Some of our scholars hold that it is pure, just like the other bodily fluids.”14
4. They note that both newborn infants and eggs are considered pure, despite coming into contact with vaginal moisture.15
5. Fifth: In Ṣaḥīḥayn, it is reported that ʿUmar asked the Messenger of Allah , “Can one of us sleep while in a state of major ritual impurity?” The Prophet replied, “Yes, let him, if he wishes, perform ablution, then sleep, until he takes a bath.” The washing of the private part is not mentioned here, and delaying clarification at the time of need is not permissible. If someone argues that avoiding impurity is not required until prayer is due—meaning, if he neglects to wash the private part, it would soil his clothes and bedding—the ablution itself mentioned in the hadith is understood as recommended by the majority of scholars, except for the Ẓāhirīs. As for their argument regarding the obligation to wash the private part based on cases of intercourse without ejaculation (الإكسال ), which was later abrogated, they argue that this specific part of the ruling remains intact. However, this is countered by the fact that after the obligation of a full bath was established, there was no command to hasten to wash anything, including the private part. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم washing it from his body does not establish an obligation, nor does his command to wash it for someone who has ejaculated establish the impurity of vaginal moisture. The necessity for washing may apply regardless of purity or impurity, and it could be argued that what one encounters during intercourse is not exclusively vaginal discharge, but may also include pre-ejaculate released due to arousal.
6. The view that considers it impure places a significant burden and hardship on all women, a difficulty that is not in line with the principles of ease in Islamic law.

In response to the evidence provided by those who argue for impurity, it can be said:

[PC: Patti Black (unsplash)]

The analogy to pre-ejaculate is weak, as pre-ejaculate is associated with sexual arousal, making it an unreliable comparison for ruling on purity.

Those who argue that it is impure because it originates in an impure area are countered by the fact that semen and offspring are not considered impure, and in general, internal bodily fluids are presumed pure, as is the case with phlegm. The womb is not typically regarded as an impure area, even though it may discharge menstrual blood. As Ibn Nujaym noted: “Air exiting from the penis or vagina does not invalidate ablution, as it results from internal movement rather than air exiting from the usual impurity-bearing area. Even if we concede that it is air, it does not come from an area of impurity.”16

As for their analogy and assumption that impurity is the default for anything exiting from the two passages, it is contradicted by the example of semen, and by pebbles exiting from either passage, which are agreed upon to be inherently pure, even if they may become impure by contact with surrounding impurities. This applies when they exit from the urinary or excretory passages, not from the birth canal (vagina).

As for their claim that “vaginal discharge is impure due to mixing with urine and other impurities,”17 This reasoning is flawed, as the vaginal passage is a third pathway, and the urinary opening is separate from the vagina and its opening.

6. Discussion on Whether Vaginal Discharge Invalidates Ablution

The vast majority of scholars hold that vaginal discharge invalidates ablution, regardless of whether it is considered pure or impure. The only dissenting opinion among the major scholars was from Imam Ibn Ḥazm. However, before attempting to support his view, it should be noted that, as far as I know, there is no traceable evidence from any Companion, successor, or any of the four imams to explicitly state that vaginal discharge invalidates ablution. Rather, what has been transmitted from some of the imams are statements regarding its purity or impurity, and from some general statements that could reasonably allow for deriving the position of invalidation from them.

The term “majority of scholars” here refers to later scholars who discussed this issue, though their discussions are also very limited. Therefore, it is unwise for anyone to claim consensus on this matter. If someone were to claim that they do not know of any early dissenters aside from Ibn Ḥazm, this would be more understandable.

While opposing the four schools is indeed a serious matter, if the opinion that vaginal discharge does not invalidate ablution were in opposition to the four schools, as will be discussed here, it is important to note that this view has precedent from a verifying and a most resourceful imam. Additionally, several contemporary scholars have examined his argument and applied it within their own legal schools, so there is no harm in adopting and advocating this view, even if it diverges from one’s own school.

The stronger view is that vaginal discharge does not invalidate ablution, based on the following points:

1. The default ruling is that one’s ablution remains valid until evidence proves otherwise. Ibn Ḥazm stated: “Our basis for not requiring ablution in all these cases is that there is no evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, or consensus obligating it, and Allah did not legislate it upon any human or jinn except through one of these sources.”18
2. This discharge is something that commonly affects women, and therefore, would have been more deserving of a clear ruling from the Messenger of Allah than istihāḍah (irregular bleeding). However, no specific ruling has come for it, so it remains under the category of excused matters. It is also inaccurate, according to anyone knowledgeable in medicine, to claim that this is a rare occurrence or that it only affects women of modern times. These secretions are akin to mucus or tears, and the vagina has a physiologic need for them, just as the airways require mucus.
3. We accept the principle of analogical reasoning (qiyās) as valid evidence (contrary to Imam Ibn Ḥazm). However, it would be challenging to find an appropriate analogy. Imām al-Qarāfī stated: “… analogical reasoning in ritual matters is invalid due to the absence of a shared comprehensible effective cause.”19Ibn Ḥazm also stated: “There are varied rulings for what exits from the two passages. Some require ghusl (ritual bath), such as menstrual blood, semen, and post-natal bleeding. Others require only ablution, such as urine, feces, flatulence, and pre-ejaculate, and some do not require anything, such as white post-menstrual discharge. So from where would you draw an analogy, selectively requiring ablution for some but not others based on arbitrary comparisons?” 20Imām Mālik did not consider unusual discharges similar to urine or feces, so he did not view them as invalidating ablution, as the rulings of purity and impurity for him are based on direct evidence, not extended through analogy. A restrained approach to analogical reasoning (qiyās) is a core principle in our Ḥanbalī school in general.
   And, to what should vaginal discharge be compared? To excrement and urine? But there is no strong similarity between these and vaginal discharge, which is a natural, continuous occurrence for women and is considered pure by most scholars. As for making an analogy to flatulence, which is pure yet exits from the anus and invalidates ablution, this ruling is based on explicit scriptural evidence. It would be more fitting to compare vaginal discharge to air exiting from the front rather than from the anus, which the Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools do not consider to invalidate ablution.If vaginal discharge were compared to pebbles or worms exiting from either passage, which invalidate ablution according to the majority (except the Mālikīs and Ẓāhirīs), the response would be that those who adhere to the original case on which analogy is based are not required to accept the analogy. There is disagreement regarding the impurity of worms, and both pebbles and worms become impure by what surrounds them as they exit through the urinary and excretory passages. This is not the case with vaginal discharge, which, by the Creator of all things, follows a third, distinct path.
4. If the analogy to impurities exiting from the two passages is invalid due to its lack of impurity according to the majority, then it should be noted that the Prophet did not say that everything exiting from the two passages invalidates ablution. This is a view specific to the Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools, and Allah has not bound us to legal regulators (ḍawābiṭ fiqhiyyah) unless supported by evidence. Furthermore, while the female genitalia may be regarded as a single passage, this is incorrect, as the vaginal opening is a third, distinct passage.
5. From general principles, the rule “what is left unaddressed is excused” and the principle “hardship begets ease,” alongside the prevalence of such occurrences and the difficulty in avoiding them, all support that requiring ablution for this discharge would place an undue burden on women. In a fatwā, the eminent scholar Muṣṭafā al-Zarqā commented: “If we say this discharge invalidates ablution, it would mean that a woman’s ablution would never last! This is far from the ease and accommodation that characterizes our Sharīʿah.”

Now we turn to examine the claim of consensus among the four madhāhib on the invalidation of ablution due to vaginal discharge. Here, we do not claim to be presenting the established position within these madhâhib, as it would be too bold to assert non-invalidation within schools like the Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī traditions, which hold that anything exiting from the private parts invalidates ablution; rather, our goal is to demonstrate the possibility of deriving a ruling of non-invalidation based on the principles of some of them.

First: The Ḥanafī Position:

I begin by stating that the deriving the ruling of non-invalidation of ablution due to vaginal discharge from the Ḥanafī principles is what is confirmed by the late eminent scholar Shaykh Muṣṭafā al-Zarqāʾ (may Allah have mercy on him). Before allowing the meticulous scholar to present his argument, it is important to note that in the Ḥanafī school, the cause for ablution invalidation is impurity. In al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq it is stated:
“The cause for invalidation is impurity, conditioned by exiting, and this is affirmed by the apparent meaning of the hadith: ‘What breaks the purity?’ He replied, ‘That which exits from the two passages.’ Thus, the cause is impurity, and its exit is the secondary cause. Attributing the ruling to the primary cause is preferable to attributing it to the secondary cause.”21

Imām Ibn Nujaym further clarifies this point: “… In al-Badāʾiʿ, it is explained that worms invalidate ablution due to their impurity, as they originate from impurity. Al-Isbijābī mentions two approaches regarding this: one is what we stated, and the other is that the impurity is what adheres to it, which al-Zaylaʿī favored. This explanation applies to pebbles for certain and does not contradict the ruling of air exiting from the urethra or vaginal opening, which, according to the sound opinion, does not invalidate ablution because such occurrence results from muscle contraction, not actual air exiting. And even if it were actual air, it is not expelled from an impure area, and thus the air does not invalidate ablution.”22

Once this is understood, the meaning of Shaykh al-Zarqāʾ’s words becomes clear:
“I have often been asked about this issue in the past, and I used to explain verbally to both men and women that this viscous discharge, which exits a woman under normal circumstances (not in cases of illness) and is referred to as ṭuhr by people, is not impure according to Sharia and does not invalidate a woman’s ablution, as the jurists have explained. Some questioners are surprised by this answer because they imagine otherwise, so I reassure them… It is as if anything that offers ease, tolerance, or removal of difficulty in the context of natural life is viewed by some as strange, as though the meaning of Shariah is only fulfilled through hardship and difficulty. Yet this noble, graceful Shariah is fundamentally based on ease and alleviating hardship.

Recently, I received a written question from someone who was not satisfied with my answer and demanded textual evidence! For this reason, I am now presenting the following references as an answer to this question:

In al-Durr al-Mukhtār, under the section on ablution invalidators, it states, ‘Ablution is invalidated by the exit of any impure substance.’ In the section on ritual bathing, on page 112 of the first Bulaqiyah edition, it says, ‘It will be discussed later that vaginal discharge is pure according to him,’ meaning Imām Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah be pleased with him), as opposed to his two companions. Ibn ʿĀbidīn explains in the commentary here that the point of disagreement between Abū Ḥanīfa and his two companions concerns the discharge that comes from the inner vagina that does not require washing when in a state of janābah (major ritual impurity). As for external discharge, it is agreed upon as being pure, like the moisture in the mouth, nose, and sweat.”23

The Mālikī Position:

Shaykh Muḥammad al-Ḥasan al-Daddu has ruled that the correct opinion regarding vaginal discharge is that it does not invalidate ablution. In his fatwa, he states: “It does not invalidate ablution, and if a woman experiences arousal during intimate caressing, the preferred opinion is that this does not invalidate her ablution at all unless she feels ejaculation. If she feels it, then ghusl (full ritual bath) is required, and ablution alone would not suffice. However, if she does not feel ejaculation, the mere vaginal moisture is comparable to other bodily fluids within the body, and its ruling is akin to other internal bodily fluids according to the most accurate opinion.”24

Although he did not provide an explicit derivation of this ruling according to the Mālikī school or otherwise in his brief fatwa, this noble school is the most aligned with this view. Imām Mālik (may Allah have mercy on him) did not draw analogies from uncommon bodily discharge to feces and urine; thus, such discharges do not invalidate ablution, as the ruling on purity and impurity for him is ritualistic (taʿabbudī) and is not subject to broad analogical reasoning. Additionally, ongoing discharges, according to Mālikī jurisprudence, do not invalidate ablution.

However, the Mālikīs do hold vaginal discharge to be impure. Could this stance, at least for some scholars, be due to a misunderstanding of the reality of these discharges? Their reasoning that “vaginal moisture is impure due to its mixture with urine and other impurities”25 is not a valid argument, since the urinary tract is distinct from the genital tract.

Similarly, al-Zād mentions:
“Ablution is invalidated by anything exiting from a passage.”26

This is a stronger statement as it specifies all passages, though the intent was likely not to imply three distinct passages. Both schools generally mention two passages. An even stronger indication of this in our Ḥanbalī school can be found in Masāʾil al-Imām Aḥmad, as narrated by his son Abū al-Faḍl Ṣāliḥ: “He was asked about a woman from whom air exits vaginally, to which he replied: ‘Anything that exits from the two passages requires ablution.’”27

I will not attempt to derive a ruling of non-invalidation of ablution within these two noble schools here, yet mujtahid jurists within these schools may consider doing so, given the current understanding of anatomical and functional differences between the vaginal canal (birth passage) and the urinary and excretory passages. It is possible to uphold the principle of invalidation for all exiting substances while excluding the birth passage.

Legal maxims and principles in jurisprudence generally accommodate exceptions readily, and many scholars consider them predominant principles, not universal. Sound legal theory holds that they are universal yet open to exception, not out of whim but in the presence of a strong counterargument, and the distinctions between vaginal discharge and other substances exiting the urinary and excretory passages are numerous and significant.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I say to the Muslim woman who feels discomfort due to these natural discharges: there is no cause for concern. In fact, the absence of such discharges is what might warrant concern and a visit to a physician. If you notice any discharge, assume it has exited from the external part of the private area, which is pure and does not invalidate ablution according to the majority of scholars. Do not trouble yourself searching for its source.

If you are certain it has exited from the internal area or the vaginal canal, it is still considered pure by the majority opinion. If this discharge occurs for most or even half of the time, it does not invalidate ablution according to the Mālikīs; if it occurs for less than half of the time, it does not invalidate ablution according to the Iraqis among them. If your discharges are not frequent enough to qualify as continuous invalidators, you may follow the opinion of the esteemed imam Ibn Ḥazm, which has been preferred by some contemporary scholars, that it does not invalidate ablution in any case.

And may blessings be upon Muhammad , and all praise is due to Allah , Lord of all the worlds.

 

Related:

Quandary of Female Vaginal Discharge: Pure or Impure?

1    “Vaginal Discharge.” Mayo Clinic, April 25, 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/vaginal-discharge/basics/definition/sym-20050825.2    Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj fī Sharḥ al-Minhāj with marginal notes by al-Shirwānī and al-ʿAbbādī, vol. 1, p. 300, by Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (d. 974 AH). Published by al-Maktabah al-Tijārīyah al-Kubrā, Cairo, under Muṣṭafā Muḥammad, no edition number, 1357 AH / 1983 CE.3    Tuḥfat al-Ḥabīb ʿalā Sharḥ al-Khaṭīb = Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayramī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb, vol. 1, p. 108, by Sulaymān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar al-Bujayramī al-Miṣrī al-Shāfiʿī (d. 1221 AH). Published by Dār al-Fikr, no edition number, 1415 AH / 1995 CE.4    Jordanian Ifta’ Department. “Exemption for Vaginal Discharges in Cases of Hardship.” Jordanian General Ifta’ Department Website. Published 2024. https://www.aliftaa.jo/fatwa/2024/العفو -عن -الإفرازات -المهبلية – في -حالة – المشقة5    Minḥ al-Jalīl Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, vol. 1, p. 108, by Muḥammad ʿAlīsh. Published by Dār al-Fikr, Beirut, 1st ed., 1404 AH / 1984 CE.6    Al-Fatāwā al-Kubrā by Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm Ibn Taymiyyah al-Ḥarrānī al-Ḥanbalī al-Dimashqī (d. 728 AH), vol. 5, p. 306. Published by Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1st ed., 1408 AH / 1987 CE.7    Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, vol. 2, p. 570, by Abū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). Reviewed by a committee of scholars. Published by Idārat al-Ṭibāʿah al-Munīriyyah, Maṭbaʿat al-Taḍāmun al-Ukhuwī, Cairo, 1344–1347 AH.8    Al-Tawḍīḥ fī Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Ibn al-Ḥājib, vol. 1, p. 174, by Khalīl ibn Isḥāq al-Mālikī al-Miṣrī (d. 776 AH), edited by Dr. Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm Najīb. Published by Markaz Najībawayh li-l-Makhṭūṭāt wa-Khidmat al-Turāth, 1st ed., 1429 AH / 2008 CE.9    Al-Kāfī fī Fiqh al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 1, p. 156, by Abū Muḥammad Muwaffaq al-Dīn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī (d. 620 AH). Published by Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1st ed., 1414 AH / 1994 CE.10    Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, vol. 2, p. 570, by Abū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). Reviewed by a committee of scholars. Published by Idārat al-Ṭibāʿah al-Munīriyyah, Maṭbaʿat al-Taḍāmun al-Ukhuwī, Cairo, 1344–1347 AH.11    Al-Kāfī fī Fiqh al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 1, p. 156, by Abū Muḥammad Muwaffaq al-Dīn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī (d. 620 AH). Published by Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1st ed., 1414 AH / 1994 CE.12    Kashshāf al-Qināʿ ʿan al-Iqnāʿ, vol. 1, p. 459 (Ministry of Justice ed.), by Manṣūr ibn Yūnus al-Bahūtī al-Ḥanbalī (d. 1051 AH). Verified and documented by a specialized committee at the Ministry of Justice. Published by the Ministry of Justice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1st ed., 1421 AH / 2000 CE.13    Al-Rawḍ al-Murbiʿ Sharḥ Zād al-Mustaqniʿ – al-Muʾayyad and al-Risālah ed., p. 52, by Manṣūr ibn Yūnus al-Bahūtī. Published by Dār al-Muʾayyad, Riyadh, and Muʾassasat al-Risālah, Beirut, 1st ed., 1417 AH / 1996 CE.14    Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, vol. 2, p. 570 (al-Munīriyyah ed.), by Abū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). Reviewed by a committee of scholars. Published by Idārat al-Ṭibāʿah al-Munīriyyah, Maṭbaʿat al-Taḍāmun al-Ukhuwī, Cairo, 1344–1347 AH.15    Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, vol. 2, p. 556, by Abū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). Reviewed by a committee of scholars. Published by Idārat al-Ṭibāʿah al-Munīriyyah, Maṭbaʿat al-Taḍāmun al-Ukhuwī, Cairo, 1344–1347 AH.16    Al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq Sharḥ Kanz al-Daqāʾiq, vol. 1, p. 31, by Zayn al-Dīn ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad, known as Ibn Nujaym al-Miṣrī (d. 970 AH). Appended with “Takmilat al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq” by Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Ṭūrī al-Ḥanafī al-Qādirī, and marginal notes Minḥat al-Khāliq by Ibn ʿĀbidīn. Second edition.17    Al-Tawḍīḥ fī Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Ibn al-Ḥājib, vol. 1, p. 174, by Khalīl ibn Isḥāq al-Mālikī al-Miṣrī (d. 776 AH), edited by Dr. Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm Najīb. Published by Markaz Najībawayh li-l-Makhṭūṭāt wa-Khidmat al-Turāth, 1st ed., 1429 AH / 2008 CE.18    Al-Muḥallā bi-l-Āthār, vol. 1, p. 235, by Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd Ibn Ḥazm al-Andalusī [al-Ẓāhirī, d. 456 AH]. Edited by Dr. ʿAbd al-Ghaffār Sulaymān al-Bandārī. Published by Dār al-Fikr, Beirut.19    Al-Dhakhīrah, vol. 1, p. 236, by Abū al-ʿAbbās Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Idrīs al-Qarāfī (d. 684 AH). Published by Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, Beirut, 1st ed., 1994 CE.20    Al-Muḥallā bi-l-Āthār, vol. 1, p. 240, by Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd Ibn Ḥazm al-Andalusī [al-Ẓāhirī, d. 456 AH]. Edited by Dr. ʿAbd al-Ghaffār Sulaymān al-Bandārī. Published by Dār al-Fikr, Beirut.21    Al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq Sharḥ Kanz al-Daqāʾiq, vol. 1, p. 31, by Zayn al-Dīn ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad, known as Ibn Nujaym al-Miṣrī (d. 970 AH). Appended with “Takmilat al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq” by Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Ṭūrī al-Ḥanafī al-Qādirī, and marginal notes Minḥat al-Khāliq by Ibn ʿĀbidīn. Second edition.22    Al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq Sharḥ Kanz al-Daqāʾiq, vol. 1, p. 31, by Zayn al-Dīn ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad, known as Ibn Nujaym al-Miṣrī (d. 970 AH). Appended with “Takmilat al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq” by Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Ṭūrī al-Ḥanafī al-Qādirī, and marginal notes Minḥat al-Khāliq by Ibn ʿĀbidīn. Second edition.23    Fatāwā by al-Zarqāʾ, vol. 24, p. 1. Source: Jāmiʿ al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah.24    Duroos by Shaykh Muḥammad al-Ḥasan al-Daddū al-Shanqīṭī, 12:28 (Shāmila numbering). Source: Audio lessons transcribed by IslamWeb. Available at: http://www.islamweb.net.25    Al-Tawḍīḥ fī Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Ibn al-Ḥājib, vol. 1, p. 174, by Khalīl ibn Isḥāq al-Mālikī al-Miṣrī (d. 776 AH), edited by Dr. Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm Najīb. Published by Markaz Najībawayh li-l-Makhṭūṭāt wa-Khidmat al-Turāth, 1st ed., 1429 AH / 2008 CE.26    Zād al-Mustaqniʿ fī Ikhtiṣār al-Muqniʿ, p. 31 (ʿAskār edition), by Mūsā ibn Aḥmad al-Ḥajjāwī al-Maqdisī, then al-Ṣāliḥī, Sharaf al-Dīn, Abū al-Najà (d. 968 AH), edited by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-ʿAskār. Published by Dār al-Waṭan li-l-Nashr, Riyadh.27    Masāʾil al-Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal – Riwāyat Ibn Abī al-Faḍl Ṣāliḥ, vol. 3, p. 197 (Delhi, India: al-Dār al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1st ed., 1408 AH / 1988 CE).

The post The Fiqh Of Vaginal Discharge: Pure or Impure? appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

In a world of alternative facts, Elon Musk acts as the high priest of disinformation. The world’s richest man has exploited his platform, X, to embark on a vitriolic anti-Islam tirade with real-world consequences. It is unfathomable that he believes his incendiary messages are based on reasoned evidence and intellectual rigor. But truth and integrity are expendable commodities in this new world of democratized lies. Musk appeals to a radicalized Western population experiencing the repeated shocks of a flailing empire.

Let me start by saying the heinous crimes undertaken by deplorable men across towns and cities, mainly in the north of England, must be condemned in the strongest terms. Not only did they cause unspeakable harm to their victims, but they also stained the communities from which they came and gave ammunition to a far-right intent on besmirching Muslims and Islam. Their actions have nothing to do with the faith to which they may have been born; rape, alcohol, drugs, and violence – are all abhorrent actions to which Islam gave the labels ‘munkar’ (evil) and ‘fahisha’ (indecency). These horrific reports, subsequent prosecutions, and the Jay Inquiry findings in 2022 were met with absolute horror by the vast majority of Muslims and the immeasurable harm caused by those with Muslim names.

But Musk’s cynical attempt this past week to resuscitate this story and the virulence of this attack has been jaw-dropping. Basic facts have been embellished and misconstrued to give the false impression that Pakistani Muslims make up 84% of child rapists in the UK, despite the Pakistani community totaling just 2%. This figure had been previously debunked; it came from the discredited Quilliam Foundation, whose ‘partisan’ report was denounced by academic Ella Cockbain as ‘shoddy pseudoscience’, lacking the basic integrity of research. Yet its presence in the public domain has given the statistic a life of its own, and Musk lent it credibility by publicizing it. In reality, according to the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, British Pakistanis account for 2% of child abuse defendants. Incidentally, the white population makes up 83% of England and Wales and accounts for 88% of those accused of child abuse – all broadly in line with the ethnic makeup of the country.

Professor Alexis Jay, who presided over a seven-year-long public Inquiry, pointed out in her 2022 report that the disparity with which this crime is recorded by police forces across the UK “makes it impossible to know whether any particular ethnic group is over-represented as perpetrators of child sexual exploitation by networks.” She went further in a recent Radio 4 Today Programme interview, stating child abuse was not limited to any one group in society.

Musk’s claims, mostly made through trigger-happy reposts of questionable persons, suggest there was a reticence to deal with the horrors of these gangs because law enforcement would be labeled racist or Islamophobic, which Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson brands the “malevolent myth of multiculturalism”. It’s open season for Muslims. Sections of the political and media class have been salivating at the unrestrained assault Musk’s intervention affords them.

Musk implies that the Labour Party remained silent in the heartlands of Rotherham, Bradford, Telford, and elsewhere because they depended on the ‘Muslim block vote’. One would conclude the opposite if anyone followed the recent general election campaign. Labour could not care less about Muslim votes, predominantly in its safe seats. For sure, there has been a horrid block vote, but its importance has been overplayed – Gaza continues to show the indifference Labour has shown to its Muslim constituents.

The failed Conservative Party leadership contender Robert Jenerick, who on some days makes Nigel Farage look like a woolly liberal, opines, “We have seen millions of people enter the UK in recent years, and some of them have backward, frankly medieval attitudes to women”. This is not merely a dog whistle – Jenerick is using a bullhorn. Muslims are culturally uncivilized, a kind of language that has in the past justified imperialism and military intervention. It’s the same civilizational superiority that makes it perfectly acceptable to positively sit back when tens of thousands are massacred in Gaza. Another variety of Gallant’s ‘human animals’.

Jenerick’s party leader, Kemi Bedinoch, in the Conservative Party leadership race to the bottom, said, ‘all cultures are not equally valid’ and that ‘Western values’ are superior to others. At Prime Minister’s Questions this past week, she derided the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s definition of Islamophobia, claiming incorrectly that calling out the identity of grooming gangs would come under its classification of Islamophobia. Forgetting to mention that the APPG definition, albeit flawed, was the product of a collaborative effort by cross-party parliamentarians, including her own. But in a world of social media sound bites, her reference to Muslim, Pakistani, rape gangs, and Islam would be sufficient to earn plaudits from Musk.

Undergirding this media and political frenzy are the fundamental tensions that pervade Western societies, as summed up by the obnoxious Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson: “a self-loathing Western world which sees merit in every culture but its own.” The West has lost its way. According to this narrative, its ‘decline’—stagnated economies, lower living standards, failed wars, broken politics, and an epidemic of sadness and discontentment—can be attributed to its cultural impotence.

In this emasculated world, the sexually licentious barbarian, a common trope of old deployed against Muslims to justify conquest, has been resuscitated by resurgent white nativists. It’s a comfort blanket of an explanation to rationalize this crumbling Western order.

Andrew Tate, who loves to appeal to any passing profitable opportunity, has found another bandwagon to ride, “third-world migrants” that come to Europe, in Tate’s words, “would import high testosterone men” who could act as “fearsome predators” in an “emasculated West”. The language mirrors The Great Replacement Theory, which positions migration as a liberal plot to consolidate a project to dilute white civilization.

Musk, reeling from the backlash he recently received from the American nativist right when he called for an increase in high-skilled legal immigration and reform of H-1B visas, felt it necessary to over-compensate by unleashing his crusade. His language played to the Trump base by mirroring their talking points. The consequence is to make a particular kind of prejudice against Muslims an acceptable discourse. This past week in the UK, the so-called Overton window has tilted toward the racist Tommy Robinson, who has now earned a Nelson Mandela-like status in some quarters. The consequence is a frenzied, politicized, hate-driven public debate that further pushes Muslim voices away from the public square.

Decline is an ugly affair. And the decline of this empire, however slow and terminal, is leading to ruptures that require the othering of Muslims to give elites space to continue an economic and military order that feeds a few at the expense of the many.

 

[This article was first published here and has been reposted with the author’s permission]

 

Related:

– The Terminal Hypocrisy Of A Crumbling West And The Dawning Of A New Age for Muslims

– It’s Not Andrew Tate’s Conversion, It’s Some Muslim Men’s Reactions

 

The post The Elon Musk Anti-Islam Crusade appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Lucy Lowe, a 16-year-old girl murdered in 2000 by an abusive older boyfriend and pimp in Telford

The past week or so we’ve seen the incoming American presidency flex its muscles by threatening countries hitherto thought to be their allies, with Donald Trump proposing the annexation of Greenland, a country that is a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark, and Elon Musk shooting off his mouth about the British political system which he clearly knows nothing about; he tells us that Reform will form the next government, while also telling that party that Nigel Farage is not the leader he wants (if it is to have millions of pounds of his money) because he refuses to entertain the football hooligan “Tommy Robinson”. Musk has also called for the ‘liberation’ of this country from its ‘tyrannical’ government, while both Reform and Tory politicians have taken the opportunity to reopen the issue of the “grooming gangs”, groups of mostly Pakistani criminals who lured young teenage girls, mostly from poor white families in provincial towns, with sweets, drinks, rides in fast cars and promises of love and then raped them, and allowed their friends to do the same. The agenda of Reform and other ‘populist’ Right politicians here has been to portray these men not just as the criminal scum they are, and as most people including most Pakistanis and most Muslims consider them to be, but as typical Pakistanis, acting out of prejudices that all Pakistanis and most Muslims share.

To answer some of Musk’s claims first: we have a political system here, a democratic process, which is the focus of much criticism but we have elections and indeed we had one last July. It was widely discussed on his ‘X’ social media platform (i.e. Twitter) so I’m sure he heard about it. Reform gained five MPs from nothing. Labour won a parliamentary majority and the majority of the popular vote went to progressive parties, including Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists. Reform and the Tories, combined, lost. Farage’s parties have never gained as much as 15% of the popular vote, not least because Farage is a one-trick pony who diverts every discussion onto immigration. As in most democratic countries, we have elections every few years. In the US’s case, it’s four; in ours, it’s usually five. As for our system being ‘tyrannical’, our system has benefits the US’s does not, chiefly that outside Scotland and Wales, there is one law for everyone and laws do not change when you go from town to town and there are fewer opportunities than in the US for people to make a living telling others what to do. We do have local councils, of course, but they are circumscribed in what they can do; they cannot make laws as such, only administrative decisions. They don’t tell people what they can and can’t grow in their own backyard, for example, and we do not have “homeowners’ associations” doing the same. The US’s constitution has a poor history of supporting ordinary people’s rights and freedoms; it defends the right of those with power and wealth to use them, and the judges Republicans have recently stacked the Supreme Court with have heightened that tendency.

Musk also fails to understand why Nigel Farage did not want to allow “Tommy Robinson” anywhere near his party, let alone have influence over it. The answer is that Robinson is a thug with a substantial criminal record, and a history of self-serving, counterproductive publicity stunts which on one occasion nearly caused the collapse of an actual trial of a grooming gang. His fans, including some in the “Reform” party, portray him as a political prisoner; he is in prison currently because of having been held in contempt for persistently repeating disproven claims about a child, putting the child and his family in danger. Political parties need to be respectable to get votes from people who are not thugs and have a modicum of intelligence and education; allowing “Tommy Robinson” in would have the opposite effect.

Musk’s claims have resulted in the “grooming gang” issue exploding out of nowhere this week; there has not been a new case nor any other reason why it should be in the news. There was actually an inquiry into various kinds of sexual abuse ten years ago; its findings were not acted upon by the former government, which now accuses Labour of complicity, while populists claim it was not good enough because it did not treat the Pakistani gang angle as some sort of issue unto itself nor reach the racist conclusion they wanted. We now have Reform MPs with a private school education and a background in finance posing as champions of the working class, yet they rarely if ever use that phrase without putting ‘white’ in front. They weren’t doing so when Thatcher was destroying the industries that fed those communities forty years ago; Rupert Lowe and Nigel Farage were both adults during the miners’ and steelworkers’ strikes of the 1980s. Were they on the picket lines? Of course not; Farage, after leaving Dulwich College in 1982, was in a cushy job trading metals for Drexel Burnham Lambert, while Rupert Lowe was working with his buddy Nick Leeson at Barings Bank. The only connection they have with the working class is a fondness for pitting some working-class people against others by exploiting resentment and prejudice.

Rupert Lowe last week stood up in the Commons and put a litany of loaded questions (which he said had also been submitted in writing) to the government, among them demands that any relatives of members of the gangs who he presumed were complicit because they knew should also be deported. Obviously he’s a banker, not a lawyer, but in this country you cannot presume guilt by association; you have to prove that someone knew or was complicit beyond reasonable doubt, and besides, mandatory reporting for professionals — not ordinary people — was proposed in Alexis Jay’s report ten years ago, and not delivered. He demanded that visas for Pakistanis and aid to Pakistan be paused until the government there agrees to accept the deportees; the fact is that the gangs were formed here, largely by people born here, whose parents or grandparents (not all of whom are still alive) were innocent of any such wrongdoing when they left Pakistan, that many of the original migrants from Pakistan were Pakistani for fewer than 20 years between independence (at which point they may have only just moved to Pakistan from elsewhere in former British India) and moving to the UK (indeed, many never relinquished their British citizenship), so their connection to Pakistan is tenuous, and that British aid to Pakistan is largely aimed at assisting minority communities, including Christians. As demonstrated in the case of Shamima Begum, a theoretical and unclaimed right to nationality of any country is not the same as actual nationality, something British politicians are well aware of.

These people also respond with contempt to any mention of racism in regard to their sudden ‘concern’ for rape victims. Well, if you are only interested in this issue when the perpetrators appear to be Pakistanis, or as a pretext to shout about “mass immigration”, it’s reasonable to presume that your motive is racism. Abuse of all sorts has been exposed in a variety of settings, including institutional, from time to time over many years and the same people now frothing about “Pakistani gangs raping our white working-class girls” were nowhere to be seen or heard when previous cases of organised abuse were uncovered. Their demand that we withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights will make some of these abuses more difficult to escape, because those rights safeguard everyone’s right to a family life, to dignity, to freedom, which includes the disabled people, the children and others most likely to find themselves institutionalised. They accuse Pakistanis of looking down on “our girls” and allege that the police and social services failed to act “because they feared being called racist”; any member of any visible minority who has had dealings with the police will know how absurd this claim is, while those who supported the victims will tell you that police and other professionals harboured the same views and believed the same myths as the offenders, and were liable to blame victims and their families.

The members of the grooming gangs, or rape gangs, whatever we call them, were criminals. Many of them had prior criminal records and were involved in other criminal activities at the same time as they carried out their sexual exploitation. They are not the only organised crime outfits to also abuse and exploit women and girls; the difference with some of the others is that the exploitation is inter-racial rather than intra-racial (i.e. of girls and women of their own background). Statistics on sexual crime show that in fact Asian men’s representation among sexual offenders is proportional to their share of the general population, if not lower (bear in mind that sexual assault generally is underreported); it is not sexual abuse per se but this particular modus operandi that is peculiar to them. While some of them may have appeared respectable, all of their activities are contrary to Islamic law on numerous levels. It’s against Islam to deceive people (such as by posing as a lover or friend to ensnare someone in order to harm them), to separate a child from their family without reason, to supply or traffic alcohol, to supply or traffic any other narcotic for recreational use, to kidnap or assault anyone, to have sex or sexual contact outside marriage, to rape anyone, to organise the rape of anyone. These are all crimes, and criminals and criminal gangs exist in a variety of communities, some of which abide by religious laws that explicitly or implicitly forbid such behaviour. It does not make the whole community guilty, nor does it put any onus on the other members of that community to somehow prove their opposition.

Finally, one of the most odious of those making political capital of the grooming gang situation is the academic turned demagogue Matthew Goodwin. In his speech to the Reform party conference posted as a video on Twitter, he claimed that the British people had had “a new religion” shoved down their throats whereby people were required to accept that the majority was bad and the minority good, but that “this time it’s a little different; it’s the Pakistani Muslim minority that has been abusing the majority”, offering examples of three young girls who were killed by men linked to such gangs, including Lucy Lowe (pictured above) whose older ‘boyfriend’, although he behaved in similar ways, was not part of a gang, and Charlene Downs whose two abusers, although from Muslim backgrounds, were not Pakistanis. So this is open racism, the stereotyping of a whole community according to a small number of its worst members and lumping in all Muslims with Pakistanis, being delivered at Reform’s conference, without interruption from party officials and applauded by his audience. As for why the murder of Stephen Lawrence in the UK and George Floyd in the US got more press coverage, it is because the police who killed George Floyd and failed to bring Steven Lawrence’s murderers to justice for decades or ever are paid for by the public to protect all of us. It was demonstrations by the Black community that brought these issues to public consciousness; are they supposed to sit quietly because their long-standing oppression is less important than the abuse of white girls in other parts of the country, or the world?

So no, it’s not racist to be concerned, outraged even, about the existence of gangs grooming and sexually abusing girls. However, if you are only interested in the matter when the girls are your colour and the perpetrators not, and you talk in a way that suggests that this is all there is to the matter when it is not, when you conflate a crime with one specific modus operandi in order to incriminate and foment hostility to the ethnic group associated with it, and you refer to white women and girls but nobody else as “our girls”, that suggests that your motive is racism rather than any sincere concern for victims of sexual abuse.

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We are honored to announce our finalists for the #MuslimBookstagramAwards2024!

From adorable board books and vibrant picture books, to heartwarming middle grade reads and powerful young adult fiction, it’s been another wonderful year from Muslim authors.

It was hard to choose, but the judges have managed to put together the finalists list!

Note that many of the books can be ordered from our sponsor, Crescent Moon Bookstore, and a link has been provided for each title. Read through the whole post to find our special Coupon Code at the end, and get a discount off your order!

Note: This year, we did not receive enough submissions for the Early Reader/ Chapter Book category. Young Adult and Adult books were combined into one category also due to lack of submitted titles in those categories.

Toddler Books

Momo and Bronty’s First Book About Prophet Muhammad is a lovely board book that introduces RasulAllah to little ones – a wonderful way to instil love for our Messenger in their hearts. With simple language and colorful pictures, it’s sure to keep toddlers’ attention (and is durable enough to withstand their physical attention, too!).

Friday Fun is a solid toddler board book that WILL survive being thrown and chewed on… just prepare to read this on repeat!

The deceptively simple language (2-3 words a page!) somehow manages to evoke pure Muslim joy, alongside the adorable pictures. This book is all about the day of Jumu’ah and fulfilling the special Sunnahs.

Pakistan

This charming board book by Rumaisa Bilal, illustrated by Nez Riaz, is a super cute glimpse into life in Pakistan!

Incorporating salah and du’a, the story follows a little girl’s day in Pakistan – eating a full meal with her family, spending time with her baby brother, riding the trains, and going to the market with her grandfather.

Doctor Bear and Helpful Bunny: The Traveling Dentists

First Words from the Qur’an

This is a jumbo-sized board book that covers ten different “first concepts” in the Qur’an, from food to animals to plants, and more. Unlike many other Muslim books that try to do this, this book keeps things fairly simple, utilizes adorable illustrations appropriate to the intended age group, and is definitely durable in toddler hands.

The Prophet’s Sunnah

This joyful 20 page board book shows our littlest (and biggest) Muslims some of the Prophet’s sunnahs in a way that they can also do in their lives.  The adorable illustrations appeal to kids and the simple text showing the acts are relatable and engaging.

Picture Books

A Map for Falasteen 

When Falasteen looks for her family’s country on the map – she can’t find it! She turns to her family for answers… and they tell her the full, rich, heartbreaking story of Palestine, its people, and its places… and create a map of her very own to the land they hold as home in their hearts.

Dear Muslim Child is a literal love letter to every Muslim child, filled with love and light and tenderness. In just a few lines, the author underscores everything from loving Allah to the spiritual elements of wudhu to the importance of salah. She is able to acknowledge Muslim children’s fears of being teased and harassed, and at the same time empowering young readers to turn to Allah for strength.

Sister Friend

Ameena has felt invisible ever since going to her new school – but then there’s a *new* new student, Sundus, whose beautiful hijab signifies familiarity and comfort to Ameena. Too bad Ameena can’t figure out how to share this with Sundus! With sweetness and beauty, this story encapsulates the relatable experience of feeling left out at school and not knowing how to approach other Muslim kids.

Sido’s Prayer Beads

Musa’s grandfather has a beautiful, handmade masbaha, with each bead representing a special story. But as Sido starts losing his memories, it’s up to Musa to preserve these stories – and the masbaha! This story is honestly so sweet and emotional, touching on the difficult topic of Alzheimer’s disease. Many children will experience witnessing grandparents or other elder relatives going through this, and this book does a beautiful job of gently introducing this in a tender way.

Insha’Allah, No, Maybe So is a picture book that both tugs at the heart strings and elicits giggles at childhood frustration over the Muslim parent response of “InshaAllah” to pretty much every request under the sun.

Ranya wants to go to the park, bake cookies, sleep at her friend’s house… but Mama keeps saying “InshaAllah”! “What does InshaAllah MEAN?!” asks Ranya (and every Muslim kid ever) – and Mama proceeds to beautifully explain the nuances of “InshaAllah.”

Middle Grade

Any Way You Look

Ainy is a 12 year old aspiring modest fashion designer, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her niqabi mother. Excited for her summer job & secretly dreaming of the perfect day to start wearing hijab herself, Ainy finds herself confronted by some very unexpected attention. Grappling with gossipy masjid aunties, boys acting weird, & a shocking change in her sister is a lot for Ainy to contend with all at once. “Any Way You Look” grapples with issues of hijab, societal pressure vs spirituality, and sexual harassment; it is recommended that parents read this in order to better have the important conversations with their children that this book will facilitate.

How to Free a Jinn

Insyirah Abdullah & her mom are Malays living Australia – until her grandmother’s ailing health brings them back. Settling into Malaysian life is pretty awesome… until Insyirah discovers that her school is haunted, her family has an ancestral jinn, and now it’s on her to do some serious jinn slaying!

It’s not easy learning everything she needs to know to fulfill her mission. Along the way, Insyirah also has to deal with navigating intergenerational family dynamics with her mother and grandmother, and discovering her own inner strength. This middle grade fantasy is full of Islam, Malaysian culture, and a fresh new adventure.

Kicked Out

Ali and his friends – Mark, Sami, and Aadam – just want to enjoy playing football and hanging out… but Aadam, a Syrian refugee, lives under threat of being deported back to Syria if he can’t afford a lawyer to handle his refugee application. Ali and the boys come up with a plan to save Aadam, but things get complicated when a racist accuses Aadam of stealing, AND Ali’s dad pops back up in his life… with Ali’s half-brother. This middle grade novel addresses the plight of Syrian refugees, tackles tough family dynamics, and also features an exciting football (soccer!) subplot!

Safiyyah’s War

Safiyyah is a plucky young girl whose family lives in the apartments set within the Grand Mosque of Paris, and spends her days between school, poring over maps at the library, and assisting her father in his duties at the masjid. When the Nazis make their way into France, Safiyyah’s Baba – and Safiyyah – become a part of the resistance, smuggling Jews into safety.

This isn’t just a fictional story; this novel highlights the real-life role of Parisian Muslims and the Grand Mosque of Paris in saving the lives of Jews during WW2, and sheds light on an important part of history that is oft ignored.

Young Adult/ Adult

Six Truths and a Lie [YA]

This YA novel is unique: a psychological thriller tale of 6 Muslim teens caught at the wrong place, the wrong time, and falsely accused of a terrorist act. Each teen is innocent of terrorism, but also has their own personal secrets that they’re forced to confront in the aftermath of their arrests. Gritty, raw, and tough, this book does not shy away from the cruel realities of Islamophobia, racism, adultification of Muslim children, the corruption of the American “justice” system, and adolescent drama.

The Thread That Connects Us [YA]

Two girls, one in Somalia and one in London, find their lives thrown together in a way both unexpected and unwelcomed. Halima and Safiya need to dig past secrets and buried lies to discover what – if anything – they mean to each other. The authentic Islamic representation remains outstanding in Ayaan Mohamud’s work, and it is wonderful to see Somali Muslim stories being highlighted.

Hidden Fires [Adult]

It is Ramadan 2017, and Yusuf – a survivor of Partition – wakes to the news of the Grenfell Towers ablaze… scenes which ignite past memories, even as his grasp on the present begins to waver. His granddaughter, Rubi, isn’t so sure she can handle staying with her grandfather, but as she slowly catches glimpses of his history, she knows that there’s more to her grandfather than meets the eye – and she is determined to stay by his side. This powerful multi-generational story is unforgettable, weaving together two distant but entwined historical events.

Vultures in the House of Silence [YA]

Khurafa is a young boy reeling from the aftermath of the Mongol invasion of Baghdad; all he has left is his family’s stunning garden. Alas, even that is threatened – and Khurafa finds himself swept away by the wizened Shaykh Nariman, accompanied by a street-wise, wise-cracking girl named Zakiyyah. Together, their little band embarks on a mission to stop a terrifying group of long-ago villains from wreaking havoc on an already devastated world.

Non-Fiction

The Power of Du’a 

Just as with her first book, Ramadan Reflections, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan brings classical Islamic knowledge and presents it to readers in a manner both easily digestible and relatable, and most importantly, practically applicable. Each chapter addresses an element of du’a – approaching Allah, having the correct mindset, good deeds to accompany du’a, and more – alongside individual dua stories, a “Develop your du’a” segment that includes practical tips on incorporating the chapter’s suggestions, and “Allah, transform my du’a” with a written out du’a for you.

Behind My Doors

The story of Al-Qarawiyyin is the story of Fatimah al-Fihriyyah, the Muslim woman who established a sadaqah jaariyah that continues to benefit the Ummah. Functioning as a masjid, university, and library, Al-Qarawiyyin was and is a place of worship and knowledge that impacted the entire world. Told from the point of view of the university itself, “Behind My Doors” shares the history of al-Qarawiyyin with young readers.

Eliyas Explains Phenomenal Women in Islam is the latest addition to the wonderful Eliyas Explains series. This book does an incredible job of introducing the greatest women of history: Aasiyah (as), Maryam (as), Hajar (as), Khadijah (ra), Fatima (ra), and Aisha (ra). It’s often a challenge to make Muslim boys interested in stories about girls or women, but Zanib Mian nails it here! Eliyas is pretty relatable as a Muslim boy character, and I’m glad we have him around to explain things to other Muslim boys.

Dear Prophet Muhammad: A Letter to the Beloved is truly a gem of a book – written as a young boy’s letter to RasulAllah (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), filled with earnestness and weaving in details of the seerah and shamaa’il. This book is incredibly sweet and captures the attention of readers of all ages.

Auntie Aisha Answers: The Muslim Tween’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Up is a revolutionary book for Muslim tweens (and teens). From information about puberty (the physical and emotional bits), to understanding diversity and disabilities, to a spiritual understanding of healthy boundaries and what that looks like both religiously and in friendships/ relationships, to big emotions like anxiety and grief… Auntie Aisha really gives amazing answers! This book is applicable to both boys and girls, and covers male issues too with regards to puberty.

The Boy and His Sandcastle: A Journey of Redemption is the raw, painful memoir of Zakaria Amara – a young man sentenced to life for his role in a foiled terrorist plot. After years of despair and isolation, he finally discovers the transformative power of words and finds the courage to reshape his destiny. Written during his years of incarceration, Zakaria Amara employs a distinctive blend of stories, essays, and poems to chronicle his journey from captivity to freedom, reflecting on his struggles, growth, and ultimate redemption.

Atlas al-Asma Allah Ul Husna 

Bright, colorful, and age-appropriate, each page introduces a Name of Allah, shares its meaning, and how we can connect to that Name on a personal level. The author also weaves in other Islamic concepts, important stories from the Qur’an, and breaks everything down in a very easy-to-understand way. Note: this book does mention some of the Sifaat (attributes of Allah) and refers to them as “names.”

Holiday

Ramadan: A Holy Month (Little Golden Book)

“Ramadan: A Holy Month” by Malik Amin does an excellent job explaining Ramadan to a young audience and ensuring to center Islam and worship as the core of it. Not once does the line “we fast to feel hungry like the poor” come up! Yay! Beautifully illustrated, with a diverse array of Muslim men, women, and children, this book is a must-have for classrooms and bookshelves for little ones.

Ramadan Kareem

“Ramadan Kareem” is really and truly the very essence of Ramadan faith and joy, brought to life with incredibly lively, hilarious, and touching illustrations. From the Ummah’s diversity and spotting the different flags on each page, to mischievous kitties everywhere, to little easter egg surprises, and most of all… the Eid page with Masjid al-Aqsa, giving us a glimpse of a truly joyous Eid in a free Palestine, inshaAllah.

An Eid Tale

This visually stunning board book shows toddlers all the joys of Eid! Little ones will enjoy looking at the siblings getting up on Eid morning, praying, putting on new clothes, taking their Eidi to get gifts, sharing with the homeless, the aunties doing henna, the uncles drinking chai as they make their way to the masjid to pray and celebrate. It is beautifully illustrated, with simple toddler aligning text, and is an absolute joy to read, spend time with and share.

Sami’s Special Gift

This sweet 32 page story, blends themes of loss, grief, giving, homelessness, Islam, Eid al Adha, and joy with simple early reader level text and beautiful illustrations.

Sami loves Eid and celebrating at the carnival with Dede, his grandfather, but Dede has passed away and no longer there to celebrate with them. Sami treasures his special Eid gift that reminds him of his grandfather, but when his family visits a homeless shelter to drop off meat, it gets Sami thinking what his life would be like if he lost his home and belongings. Sami has a big decision, and his Dede’s lessons remain close to his heart.

A Ramadan to Remember

Zain is a little boy whose family has moved away from their previous masjid-and-Islamic-school community, and while Ramadan is his favourite time of the year, he is struggling to feel the same sense of Ramadan feels he had before. This sweet story reflects many real-life experiences of Muslims who live in areas with few other Muslims, and the challenge of sharing and maintaining the Ramadan spirit with Muslims and non-Muslim neighbours alike!

Illustrations

My Olive Tree

In this simple, touching picture book about the healing power of a loving community, a girl’s grandpa and her neighbors help her grow an olive tree in a war-torn land. The crisp illustrations evoke the joy of a Palestinian child and her connection with her family and the olive trees they dearly love.

Noura’s Crescent Moon

It’s the 29th of Ramadan, Noura is attempting to fast for the first time, and she’s very excited about going moonsighting with her family. While the story could do with some work, the illustrations by Nabila Adani evoke nostalgic moonsighting memories, and will bring much joy to young readers.

The Mismatched Finjan

The illustrations by Fariza Dzatalin make this book a treat for the eyes! This story about a young girl who hears hurtful comments about her darker skin is vividly illustrated, drawing attention to the beautiful details on each page, as well as the lessons of courage and confidence to be learned.

What Fills Your Wings?

Layla can’t wait to leave for the masjid but everyone is taking too long! To distract her, her brother Yusuf takes her for a walk in the garden where they discover a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis. But it seems to be struggling and Layla wants to help it along: but should she? The illustrations by Nariman Emad are charming and unique – an important factor for Muslim kidlit!

Sister Friend

Ameena has felt invisible ever since going to her new school – but then there’s a new new student, Sundus, whose beautiful hijab signifies familiarity and comfort to Ameena. Too bad Ameena can’t figure out how to share this with Sundus! Shahrzad Maydani’s stunning watercolor-esque illustrations share the softness and tenderness of this sweet, moving story.

Tu Puedes: You Can Do It

Fatima Violeta loves thinking about what she wants to do when she grows up! This bilingual Spanish-English picture book beautifully illustrates Mexican culture, featuring Muslim characters!

Judges’ Choice and Sponsor’s Choice

Check back on January 17th to see our reveal for the Judges’ Choice and Sponsor’s Choice books this year!

Don’t forget to stay tuned for our announcement of the winners next week, inshaAllah!

[SPECIAL COUPON CODE: Use the coupon code “MBR” for 15% off all products ordered from Crescent Moon Bookstore!]

The post The Muslim Bookstagram Awards 2024: Meet the Finalists! appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

[Note: This article makes some use of the administrative term “Xinjiang”, not in recognition of China’s claimed sovereignty but as an administrative description for a sprawling region. Uyghur activists often refer to this region as East Turkistan, a quite fair claim that this usage is in no way intended to contest: for purely descriptive purposes, the term Xinjiang is used when referring to China’s administrative structure]

In the first of this two-part series, we covered the rise and fall of the East Turkistan movement in the 1930s, a hectic period where the Turkic Muslim revolt fell prey both to internecine conflict as well as to the bludgeon of the Soviet Union. In this second part, we will trace the second, and far more controversial, “East Turkistan Republic”, one that was ironically supported and then hung out to dry by the same Soviet Union.

Imperial Sights and Local Aspirations

The intermediate years had not eased Turkic aspirations for their rights in East Turkistan, especially as China’s autonomous “Xinjiang” governor-general Sheng Shicai ruled with increasing oppression. Like his predecessors in Urumqi, he enjoyed and abused his power in what China considered its largest province. To a far greater extent than the 1930s, the 1940s would see this strategic region become the center of conflict between rival powers. Firstly, China’s American-backed Guomindang regime led by Chiang Kai-Shek had fought a long war against the communists led by Mao Zedong: both had interrupted this war to cooperate uneasily against an exceptionally brutal Japanese invasion that spanned most of the Second World War, but by 1941 their cooperation had run its course. In the same year, the Soviet Union joined the war against Japan, forming an equally uneasy coalition with the United States. Moscow had launched an unprecedented war against religion over the last two decades, but in order to mobilize people for the “Patriotic War” against Germany and Japan, they somewhat loosened their grip. For purposes of leverage, the same Soviets who had crushed the Turkic revolts of the 1930s were eager to exploit Turkic grievances against China’s Guomindang regime. The Soviets also allied with nearby Mongolia, with whom China had a border dispute, and this competition drew in many of the Hui Muslims such as the “Ma” clique whose militias dominated China’s north. However, Turkic activists mistrusted the Hui commanders based on the bitter experience in the 1930s.

Sheng Shicai had imitated Soviet brutality, especially against Muslims; he also copied the Soviet method of classifying Turks according to sub-ethnic groups, such as Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Kirghiz, and it was partly in response that East Turkistan activists had insisted on the name “East Turkistan”, particularly because the region included more than simply Uyghurs. In the early 1940s, Sheng increasingly exhausted the patience of both the Soviets and Guomindang, and in 1944 he was dismissed. Only weeks later, in November 1944 a major Turkic revolt broke out: unlike the 1930s where revolt had taken place in the south, the 1940s revolt took place in “Xinjiang” ‘s largely Kazakh north along the Yili river valley.

A Dramatic Winter

The revolt was led by an uneasy partnership between Islamic leaders, such as scholars Alikhan Tur and Asim Hakim, and pro-Soviet leftists whom Moscow had recently dispatched to put pressure on the Guomindang regime of China. Although the revolt included important leaders of the “Islamic” camp such as the Kanat brothers Latifjan and Muhiuddin – who were sons of Abdulbaqi Sabit, the martyred premier of the first East Turkistan emirate – their importance progressively waned and they came to rely heavily on such Kazakh chieftains in the Altai region as Ali Rahim and Usman Batur, the latter a colorful veteran of a low-running insurgency in the region for years.

The leftist camp included Ahmedjan Qosimi, Saifuddin Azizi, Abdulkarim Abbas, and the military commander Ishaq Mura: they were also joined by Dalilkhan Shukurbayoghlu, a Kazakh chieftain who had been instructed in their ideology; by Zair Saudanov, who served as commissar for their army; and by the Russians Peter Alexanderov, Major-General Bolinov, Colonel Leskin, and Moskolov who assumed key military and security roles. Several commanders from this leftist camp had in fact fought with the Soviets against the first East Turkistan emirate, but now the Soviets found it expedient to set up a second such regime as a buffer force against China. Though they privately expressed contempt for the Islamic leaders, who with typically inaccuracy were dubbed “feudal reactionaries”, the leftists realized that in order to gain public support among Muslims they would have to let the “reactionaries” take the public face of the revolt. Yet the leftists’ own propaganda displayed their real sympathies: one tract blatantly whitewashed Soviet misrule in Central Asia and compared Soviet links to Turks to that of a mother with her newborn child – a comparison that no honest appraisal of the past decade could have made with a straight face.

The revolt quickly captured most of Yili’s main city Kulja, bottling the town’s remaining garrison, led by Du Defu, in its temple over a freezing winter. When in midwinter Du finally attempted to break out and make for the faraway garrison town Jinghe, his force was cut to ribbons: only a fifth of the original five thousand soldiers survived. Reinforcement attempts sent by Li Tiejun from Jinghe were constantly batted off by both the Russian commanders and the Kazakh chieftains, who routed thousands of reinforcement soldiers in the mountains in February 1945. A break ensued as this new East Turkistan regime, based in and thus often named after the Yili river valley, consolidated while internationally, the Guomindang regime of China, backed by the United States, negotiated with the Soviets as the Second World War drew to a close. In the summer of 1945 battle was rejoined: the Kazakh chieftains captured the Altai district of Ashan in full, the key mountain town Tarbagatai was taken, a southern advance by Abbas and Ishaq assisted by Soviet airpower, and the regime’s remaining northern strongholds at Jinghe and Wusu surrounded.

Compromise and its Camps

Alikhan Tur, the titular emir of the second East Turkistan emirate who disappeared after refusing to compromise his principles in 1946. (Source: GetArchive.net)

Then, pursuant to Soviet wishes, the advance suddenly stopped at the Manas River in the autumn 1945 and negotiations began with the Guomindang general Zhang Zhizhong. He was unusual in that he viewed the only way to retain control of “Xinjiang” to be a more conciliatory policy with greater Muslim and Turkic representation, as well as friendly links with the Soviets. The negotiations lasted months until the summer of 1946, but they greatly disturbed East Turkistan emir Alikhan Tur who had hoped to liberate the entire Turkic region rather than come to such a compromise: in turn, the pro-Soviet leftists in Yili lashed out at him and castigated him as a “reactionary”. When at the summer’s end Alikhan suddenly vanished without trace, the leftists speculated that he must have gone to the Soviet Union for medical treatment. In fact he was probably “liquidated” by the Soviets, a likelihood not lost on his successor Asim, who avoided antagonizing the leftists.

The negotiations resulted in a coalition government for “Xinjiang” led by Zhang Zhizhong, with the northern Yili valley remaining a largely autonomous region: they planned elections to make “Xinjiang” more representative and steadily water down the historical Han overrepresentation in government. Governor-general Zhang and his advisor Liu Mengchan were flanked by the Turkic leftists Qosimi and Burhan Shahidi – a supporter of the 1934 Soviet invasion. Other leftists included Abbas, Azizi, Dalilkhan, and Ishaq, but Zhang also brought in Muslims who opposed the Soviets and instead sided with the Guomindang as a preferable alternative.

They included the Turkic nationalist Masud Sabri, whose nephew Rahimjan was actually a negotiator for the Yili rebels but who himself was seen by the leftists as a “reactionary”: he became inspector-general. This camp also included Amin Bughra, who had led the first East Turkistan emirate, and Isa Alptekin, who had opposed it; Yulbars Khan, a veteran of the 1930s revolt at Kumul; and Jalaluddin Wang, a Hui merchant who had financed the 1930s revolt; and Amin’s wife Emina Baigum. It also included a number of Kazakhs – including Liu’s deputy Salis Emreoghlu and provincial treasurer Janimkhan Talaobayoghlu; Urumqi sheriff Khadija Kadvan and her husband Ailan Wang at Altai. Salis and Janimkhan had helped negotiate with the Kazakh chieftains in Altai. A Hui Muslim preacher, Ma Liangjun, was given honourary privileges, and there was some effort to end Han soldiers’ depredations toward Muslims – for example, a ban would be placed on unIslamic marriages between Muslim women and Han men in Kashgar.

However this coalition was inherently unstable: the majority of Zhizhong’s year in Urumqi (1946-47) was spent in tussles between leftist and rightist Muslims, each of whom appealed for the others’ dismissal. While the leftists were backed by the Soviets, ironically the rightists were partly supported by Guomindang corps commander Song Xilian, who himself disliked the Muslims but feared that the leftists would act as a “fifth column” against China to space out Han from positions of power. In February 1947 Song put Urumqi under emergency rule after protests escalated into ethnic violence.

In the south, Kashgar commander Yang Deliang – a Han general who had converted to Islam – incited protests against leftist sheriff Abdulkarim Maksum. In the east Turfan’s leftist sheriff, Abdurrahman Muhiti, and Uyghur activist Namanjan Khan led protests that allegedly escalated into revolt before the army violently cracked down.

In the north, Kazakh chieftains Usman Batur and Ali Rahim launched a revolt, claiming to fight Soviet tutelage, against the leftists alongside whom they had formerly fought in 1944-45. In the summer of 1947 Usman, along with Hui generals Ma Chengxian of the famous “Ma family” and Habibullah Youwen, raided the Baytash Boghd region on the border of Mongolia. The Soviets had long supported Mongolia’s territorial dispute with China, and so this was treated as an international incident backed by China’s Guomindang regime.

His support for Guomindang as a counterweight to the communists made “Xinjiang”‘s first Turkic governor-general, Masud Sabri, a target of the leftists. (Source: Centre for Uyghur Studies)

By this point a harried Zhizhong had resigned in favor of Masud, on whom Qosimi and the other leftists now trained their gunsights, forcing him to rely more and more on an army whose prestige was crumbling. In early 1949 Masud was replaced, to the rightists’ dismay, with Tatar leftist Burhan Shahidi: this coincided with the Guomindang collapse in China. Over the course of 1949 Mao Zedong’s communists routed Guomindang forces throughout China, including many of the Hui troops who had led it in the north. Many generals, including former Xinjiang governor-general Zhizhong and Hui commander Youwen, ended up defecting to the communists. At this early stage, Mao had won over much of China’s countryside, and unlike the Guomindang, he promised to give autonomy and respect minority rights. When a plane crash in the summer of 1949 killed Qosimi, Abbas, Ishaq, and Dalilkhan, it left Xinjiang governor-general Shahidi and Yili emir Azizi as the leading leftist Turks, and they had no hesitation in welcoming Mao’s vanguard that autumn. The second “East Turkistan” emirate, always a plaything between rival international powers, thus faded with a whimper.

Aftermath and Lessons

In spite of Shahidi and Azizi’s confidence in communist solidarity, by the mid-1950s Mao’s China was beginning to extend its control and the promised autonomy soon became a thing of the past. Instead, the Turkic leftists were left as simpering puppets for an increasingly brutal regime, whose Han commander Wang Zhen viewed Uyghurs in particular as natural troublemakers and intensified the worst practices of the past. Only in the 1980s, with some Pakistani mediation, did China permit “Xinjiang”’s Muslims to return to the Islamic pilgrimage, but by the late 1990s calls for independence or autonomy resumed, as did a very low-level insurgency that consisted of occasional knife attacks, and China again increasingly cracked down – a process that reached a terrifying extent in 2016 when the communist party put virtually the entire Uyghur people under tightly surveilled “re-education” camps to drain them of their supposed radicalization. In fact, the “East Turkistan Independence Movement” never had much of a presence at all within its homeland, and has largely been restricted to faraway battlefields such as Afghanistan and Syria.

But if the leftist alliance had failed, rightist prospects had hardly been more promising. The Guomindang regime had been expelled by the communists to Taiwan, whereas an American vassal it continued to stake its claim to China. Various Muslim commanders including Yulbars Khan, Usman Batur, and many Hui generals joined Guomindang ranks and, with American support, led an insurgency against the new communist regime till many of them were killed in battle. Unlike Yulbars, Isa Alptekin and Amin Bughra tried to persuade the Guomindang regime in Taiwan to give up its claim to “Xinjiang”: when this failed, the pair instead traveled to Turkiye where they would continue to advocate for East Turkistan’s independence. Alptekin, who had opposed both the first and second East Turkistan emirates, now fervently argued for East Turkistan’s complete independence: after he passed away, his son Erkin set up an “exile government” of sorts, the World Uyghur Congress, at the United States with considerable American support in 2004. The political trajectories of such exile leaders mean that their impact on the ground among Uyghurs and other Turkic groups is limited.

There are many lessons that can be learned from the short-lived East Turkistan Republics of the 1930s and 1940s. Perhaps most notably, its leaders too often failed to honor their Islamic rhetoric and instead engaged in bitter internecine conflict: whether between Turks and Hui in the 1930s or between rightists and leftists in the 1940s. Secondly, its strategic location meant that self-interested foreign powers were never far away: especially revealing is the cynical role of the Soviet Union, who crushed the first emirate in the 1930s, and then adopted the role of the second emirate’s “mother” in the 1940s only to discard it when it outlived its use. Such uncomfortable alliances, with all the contradictions they entailed, were only made necessary because of the remoteness of this eastern corner of Central Asia. Today, in an age of expanded communications and potential awareness, the people of East Turkistan need greater solidarity from Muslims: it is only through such shared interests, through principled solidarity and faith in Allah , that both oppression from Beijing and abuse by self-interested foreign empires can be avoided.

 

Related:

– Top Books To Read On Uyghur Cause

– Uyghurs In East Turkestan Face Forced Starvation

The post Calamity In Kashgar [Part II]: The Rise And Betrayal Of The Second East Turkistan Republic appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Reading Time

• Summary Transcript: ~4 minutes
• Full Transcript: ~28 minutes

Learning Objectives

• Understand the Five Categories of Tahara:
  • Identify and describe the five categories of purification in Islam: external, limbs, heart, mind, and holistic.
• Explain the Importance of Tahara:
  • Articulate the significance of each type of Tahara and how they contribute to spiritual and physical well-being.
• Practice Proper Hygiene as Part of Tahara:
  • Recognize the Islamic practices for personal hygiene, such as washing the body, hair care, dental hygiene, and trimming nails, and their religious significance.
• Discuss the Concept of Sunan al-Fitra:
  • Define Sunan al-Fitra and list the natural practices included in this concept.
• Interpret the Hadith on Fighting in Islam:
  • Understand the historical context of the hadith that discusses fighting until the declaration of faith, and clarify its intended meaning.
• Apply the Hadith to Modern Contexts:
  • Analyze how the teachings of the hadith should be understood and applied in modern times, emphasizing peaceful propagation and education of Islam.
• Embody Holistic Purification (Tahara tul Jawhar):
  • Develop personal and spiritual practices that align with the concept of holistic purification, seeing the world through the attributes of Allah.
• Reflect on the Role of the Hereafter in Daily Actions:
  • Explore the significance of remembering the hereafter in daily practices of cleanliness, such as the metaphor of the heat of a bath reminding one of the Day of Judgment.

Class Summary

In Islam, purification (Tahara) and the context of religious obligations are integral to spiritual and physical well-being. This post explores the five levels of purification and clarifies the historical and spiritual context of certain teachings in Islam, including the concept of fighting for the faith.

The Five Categories of Tahara (Purification)

Purification in Islam is not limited to physical cleanliness; it encompasses various aspects of life. Imam Ibn Qudamah, following the tradition of Islamic scholarship, categorized Tahara into five distinct types:

1. External Purification (Tahara tul Hiss): This refers to the physical purification of the body, such as washing hands, feet, and face, and removing impurities.
2. Purification of the Limbs (Tahara tul Jawarih): This involves purifying one’s actions, ensuring that our deeds align with what is pleasing to Allah.
3. Purification of the Heart (Tahara tul Qalb): The heart must be cleansed of ill intentions, envy, grudges, and other negative emotions to maintain a pure connection with Allah.
4. Purification of the Mind (Tahara tul Khatar): Achieving mental purity means training the mind to focus only on thoughts that are pleasing to Allah. This requires consistent effort and self-discipline.
5. Holistic Purification (Tahara tul Jawhar): This level combines all forms of purification, allowing one to see and reflect on the universe through the lens of Allah’s attributes. It’s the pinnacle of spiritual awareness.

Practical Aspects of Purification

The practice of Tahara includes personal hygiene and cleanliness. The importance of washing the body, combing and oiling the hair, using miswak (tooth-cleaning stick), and keeping nails and knuckles clean is emphasized. In Islam, these practices are not just about cleanliness but are acts of worship and adherence to the Sunnah (teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).

The discussion extends to practices like trimming the mustache, plucking underarm hair, shaving the pubic area, and dyeing gray hair. These practices, termed as Sunan al-Fitra, are considered natural and recommended in Islam.

The Context of Fighting in Islam Understanding Hadith Number Eight

The discussion then moves to Hadith number eight from al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, which states: “I have been commanded to fight people until they witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and pay the zakah.” This hadith is often misunderstood, especially in modern times.

Clarifying Its Meaning

The hadith’s context refers primarily to the Prophet’s time, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, where the pagan Arabs were already at war with Islam. The “fighting” mentioned was meant to establish peace and the rule of Islam, not to impose Islam forcibly. It aligns with the Quranic principle: “There is no compulsion in religion” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256). The aim was to protect life and property and ensure that Islamic obligations were practiced.

The hadith also emphasizes that saying “There is no god but Allah” is the bare minimum to be accepted as a Muslim. Further teachings, such as prayer and zakah, would be gradually taught and practiced. This principle serves to highlight the process of religious education rather than immediate enforcement.

Modern Application

In today’s context, these teachings are not applied on an individual level without the presence of an established Islamic governance. Instead, they serve as guidelines for community reform, education, and spiritual growth. The post emphasizes that the hadith should not be used to justify forced conversion or violence but should be seen as part of a historical context with its specific conditions.

Conclusion

Purification in Islam (Tahara) goes beyond physical cleanliness; it extends to actions, thoughts, and spiritual awareness. Similarly, the principles around fighting for Islam are tied to historical and spiritual contexts that emphasize peace, education, and gradual implementation of faith. By understanding these aspects, Muslims can strive for personal and communal purity while applying religious teachings with wisdom and context-appropriate guidance.

May Allah (SWT) make us among those who listen to the teachings and follow the best of them, purifying us inside and out.

Full Transcript The Five Categories of Tahara (Purification)

In our discussion, we are covering the subject of Tahara, the book on purification, and the secrets of purification and Salah. Before we start reading from our text today, I want to remind myself and everyone about the meaning of Taharaitself. Imam Ibn Qudamah, following in the footsteps of Imam Al-Ghazali, mentioned Tahara in different categories.

So, in the book, we have different categories for Tahara. We add the next one as well to make them five. Let’s see if you still remember these categories.

1. External Purification (Tahara tul Hiss)

What is the first one? Tahara of what? Come on, Najmaa, help me out over here. Tahara of what? What do we call that? The external one, which we call Tahara tul Hiss. The external one, right? It means the purification of the body—your hands, your feet, your face, and so on.

So, that’s the first thing. And you purify that from what? From Najasat—what is Najas—what is considered impure, and also what is considered filthy or dirty. That’s the first category.

2. Purification of the Limbs (Tahara tul Jawarih)

The second category, Tahara of what? Tahara tul? Before the heart, there’s something else.

Al-Jawarih—the limbs—from what? From As-Sayyiat, from sins. You purify your deeds, basically. So, your eyes don’t look except at what is pleasing to Allah (SWT). Your hands do only what is pleasing to Allah (SWT). Your tongue doesn’t pronounce anything but what is pleasing to Allah (SWT). So, you’re purifying your deeds right now.

3. Purification of the Heart (Tahara tul Qalb)

Number three, the third category, what is it? The Tahara of the heart. You purify your heart from what? From any ill feelings, any ill intentions, from hasad, from envy, from jealousy, from grudges. You purify your heart from all of this because the heart is important. Once it’s clear, the body will listen to it and follow what’s in the heart.

4. Purification of the Mind (Tahara tul Khatar)

Now, the fourth category—which was mentioned—is the Tahara of the mind, Tahara tul Khatar. From what? So that nothing crosses your mind except that which is most pleasing to Allah (SWT). How can you even get to that level? It requires a lot of hard work, a lot of exercise, a lot of training. You train yourself, you train your nafs regularly until it becomes so comfortable in thinking only what is most pleasing to Allah (SWT). Nothing crosses the mind except something that’s pleasing to Allah (SWT).

5. Holistic Purification (Tahara tul Jawhar)

Now, the fifth category is the Tahara tul Jawhar, the essence. What does that exactly mean? Holistically, all this Taharacombined makes you a spiritual person in that you see nothing in this universe, in this world, except what is pleasing to Allah (SWT). You see the beautiful names and attributes of Allah in every single action around you. Whether it’s something good or something destructive, you still see the amazing attributes of Allah (SWT). That is something that is at the highest level of spirituality.

Purifying the External: Personal Hygiene

So, inshallah, we’re going to continue now from where Imam Ibn Qudamah left off, which is Section 2 on purifying the external. That’s on page forty-one.

When purifying the external with respect to removing waste, one should know that waste is of two types: removable dirt, like what gathers in the hair. It is recommended to wash the hair, then comb and oil it to remove its scuffliness. Similarly, it is recommended to remove dirt from the ears and the nose. One is encouraged to use the siwak and rinse his mouth to remove the yellowness of the teeth and tongue.

He should also wash his knuckles and the dirt that gathers around his body because of sweat and road dust. All of this is removed by the ritual of bathing.

On General Hygiene and Cleanliness

So, let’s go back again to what he mentioned. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear someone like Imam Ibn Qudamah speaking about these things? Does it make you think about how perfect our deen is? Many of these principles are being taught today as the basics of hygiene. You remember COVID-19? What happened with COVID-19? What did they ask you to do? Wash your hands. Wash your hands for twenty seconds every day if you can, every time you touch something. SubhanAllah. They also tell you in regard to allergies and asthma to always rinse your nose and keep your sinuses clean. All these things have been discovered today in science, but our deen has already prescribed them for us as part of our practice.

Removing Dirt and Keeping Clean

He says rahimahullah, izaratul fadalat naw’an—with respect to removing waste, there are two types. One is called dirt, and then he mentions particles. In terms of removing dirt, he says anything that requires washing, it’s important that you do so.

He gives an example here: things that gather in your hair. Like what? When you play outside—you don’t have to play outside in the summer here in Texas—just walk in the sun, and suddenly you start feeling sweaty, and your head starts itching. How can you clean your hair and head? Wash it. Wash it with water. He says, yustahabbu tanzeefu bil ghusl, so you wash your hair and your head.

He mentions three things here: wash it with water, then take care of it. What does that mean? Take care of your hair. He said two things after that: tarjeel and tadheen. What’s the difference between tarjeel and tadheen? Tarjeel means to comb your hair, which means to take care of it, keep it tidy and nice. Tadheen is using oil, for example, or anything that makes it shiny and clear. And that’s a sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) to do that.

Sunnah of Caring for Hair

He said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: “Man kana lahu sha’arun fal yukrim”—Whoever has hair, if you grow long hair—this is for both men and women—fal yukrim, which means take care of it. Take care of your hair; don’t let it be disheveled all over the place. Some people nowadays, unfortunately, think that leaving their hair wild is a sign of humbleness and humility. That you’re just a very humble person. No, it’s not. It’s not even right. Make sure you keep it calm and well.

Using Oils and Creams for Hair

Now, in regard to using oil or creams, the Prophet (SAW) said: “Naha an yatarajja arrajulu illa ghibban”—Do not do it too frequently, which means don’t do it every single day. Every other day is okay. Every now and then is okay.

Does that include the beard for men? The answer is yes, absolutely. You use that. Make sure you look nice and stay clean. The Prophet (SAW) is recommending that you take care of your hair. Whatever collects in the nose and ears, clean that. Every time you take a shower, do that. Every time you make wudu, make sure you clean your ears and nose. How do you do that? When it comes to wudu, use the tip of your fingers. Go through the earlobes completely to remove all the dirt. And when it comes to cleaning your nose, make sure you breathe some water in and blow that out to clear your sinuses. If you do that regularly, you’re not going to have any troubles. So, it is sunnah that we always stay clean.

Dental Hygiene and the Use of Miswak

Then he talked about dental hygiene. Make sure you rinse your mouth clean regularly and use miswak. Nowadays, in place of miswak, we use a toothbrush and other modern things, and it’s okay.

Now, is it okay to use gum as a modern miswak? If it’s approved by the dental association, why not? Actually, it should be okay because the purpose is not really about using a specific thing to clean your mouth. As long as you use a tool that serves dental hygiene.

Some of our ulama, to the extent, say that because the Prophet (SAW) said: “If it wasn’t a hardship on my ummah, I would have ordered them to use miswak with every wudu or every salah.” Some of the ulama say if you don’t have miswak when making wudu, and you still want to do the sunnah of siwak while making wudu, what do you do? Use your finger. Obviously, assuming your finger is rough. Don’t realize in the 21st century, our fingers are, mashaAllah, very soft. They’re not going to do anything. Therefore, some ulama say if it’s soft, wrap a tissue around it and rub your teeth with that.

The whole idea is how much emphasis there is in the books of fiqh among our scholars on dental hygiene, on how to keep yourself always clean and healthy. SubhanAllah, to that level. Whether you use a miswak, a toothbrush, or your finger, it doesn’t matter as long as you keep it clean, inshaAllah.

Cleaning the Knuckles

Then he mentions cleaning the knuckles. Now, that’s interesting. Who even thinks about removing dirt from your knuckles? Where do you hear about caring for your knuckles? I understand the nose, the ears, the mouth, and so on. But the knuckles? Who even looks at your knuckles? When was the last time you even did that yourself, man? SubhanAllah, there’s a sunnah in it. And that’s why in wudu, the ulama say you need to roughen your knuckles a little bit with your fingers to make sure they stay clean as you perform wudu regularly. Because, if you don’t clean them, they will collect dirt and harmful matters.

Especially when you put your hand in food and eat with it. Can you imagine what it could lead to for yourself and others? So, it’s extremely important to do all this type of cleaning as mentioned here. However, all of this can be taken care of if you do what? Take a shower. Bil ghusl. Taking a shower regularly. I want to emphasize this specifically for us Texans. In the summer, it’s extremely, extremely important to take a shower regularly. If you need to take a shower ten times a day, do it—without extravagance, of course, and don’t waste too much water. But it is extremely important to take a shower before coming to the masjid and jama’ah. Are we clear on this?

Using Public Baths and Turkish Hammams

The author Ibn Qudamah says going to the hot bath is fine as it removes the filth more effectively. A number of the companions of Allah’s Messenger (SAW) did so. However, one must make sure that others do not gaze at his nakedness or touch it, and that when he feels the heat, he should remind himself of the heat of Hell.

Let’s stop here for a moment. What is he talking about here? Is it the public bath? What do we call that? The Turkish hammam, right? He’s speaking about the Turkish hammams here. He says it’s okay to enter these public baths because, back in the day, these baths were extremely popular and were all over the community. In big cities like Baghdad, Damascus, and every major city in Muslim lands, they had these public baths. They used to have them for both men and women sometimes, but mostly for men. They would go there, have hot water, scrub all the dirt, and get refreshed and clean.

A lot of these baths still exist today, even in our society here in this country. There are some here in Dallas too. Every now and then, it’s okay for people to do that, he says. He mentions it was reported that some of the companions did that. When did they do that? When they traveled to Ash-Sham (the Levant). When the companions traveled between Medina and Ash-Sham, Ash-Sham used to be a Roman area, and they had these Roman baths, which is where the Turkish hammamoriginated.

However, he says if you go to these public baths, make sure to watch your sight and cover your awrah because there’s a big chance of being exposed due to a lack of attention or by accident. People need to watch their sight and cover their awrah as well. That’s extremely important.

Remembering the Hereafter When Feeling Heat

Then he said something here: qal wa yanbaghi lil-dakhili ilayhi ayatadhakkara bi harrati harra an-nar. He says, for a believer, whenever you enter and see the steam, feel the heat, touch the hot water, and that water touches your body, you need to remember the Day of Judgment. He says, remember Hell. Now, it may not be the best moment to think about it, but he says it’s important that a believer remembers Hellfire when they feel the warmth of that water.

Why? He’s going to explain why this is a good idea. This is because a believer’s thoughts are always engaged in the matters of this world in a way that reminds him of what is in the afterlife. A believer is occupied with the afterlife, and every vessel flows over with that which it holds.

A Believer’s Reflection on the World

What does that mean? If you are a believer, and your thoughts are always on the Akhirah, eventually, it’s going to show in your reflections. If you only think of Allah (SWT), His pleasure, and His wrath, everything in this dunya will remind you of it.

He gave some examples. Do you not see that if a draper, carpenter, builder, and weaver all enter a house, the draper would gaze at the furniture and think about its price; the weaver would look at the fabrics of the garments; the carpenter would evaluate the ceiling, and the builder would look at the walls. This is how a believer is. When he sees darkness, he remembers the grave. If he hears a frightening sound, he remembers the blowing of the horn. Upon seeing bliss, he remembers the bliss of Paradise, Na’im al-Jannah. Upon seeing torment, he remembers Hell.

As you can see, he gives an example. If a carpenter enters a house, what catches his eye? All the woodwork in the house. He looks at the furniture, cabinets, and other wooden things and starts evaluating them. If a tailor sees you wearing something, they’ll start touching your sleeves and clothes to see how well-done or valuable they are. That’s human nature.

Even our ulama say two people don’t benefit from two things: the qari of the Qur’an doesn’t benefit from the salah behind an imam. Why? Because while listening to the imam reciting, the qari focuses on whether the imam recited too long or too short, whether he pronounced properly or made mistakes. So, they end up worrying about the tajweed instead of benefitting from the recitation. Similarly, an Arabic teacher doesn’t benefit from a khatib‘s Arabic speech because he focuses on the grammar instead of the content.

That’s natural for us. The example of the believer is that if your heart and mind are always filled with thoughts of the Akhirah, everything in this dunya will remind you of it. If you see darkness, the first thing that crosses your mind is the darkness of the grave. If you see bliss in this world, you think of the bliss of Paradise. You say, “This is so good; how is Jannah going to look like?” For example, in summer, people want to travel to see beautiful things—Yosemite, Banff in Canada, and other places. When a believer stands in front of these beautiful things, they wonder how Jannah will look compared to this dunya.

If you walk in the streets and smell barbeque, it’s probably you; your skin is sizzling in the Texas summer heat. When you start feeling the heat, it should remind you of Hell. Qul naru jahannam ashaddu harra. It reminds you that Hell is even hotter. May Allah protect us.

A believer always sees this dunya as a reflection of what they have in their heart. If your heart is full of the matters of the Akhirah, you will always reflect on the Akhirah. That’s what Imam Ibn Qudamah is trying to explain to us.

Prohibition of Entering Public Baths During Certain Times

He goes on: “It is disliked to enter a hot bath if the time of sunset prayer is close or between it and the evening prayer, for these are the times when the devils spread out.” The translation says “hot bath,” but it’s not really a hot bath. He talks about the hammam—the Turkish bath. Don’t go there before sunset or between Maghrib and Isha. In Arabic, the text says al-isha’an or al-isha’ayn. In Arabic, when two things are frequently used together, we use one of them to indicate both. For example, dhuhr and asr are called dhuhran. Dates and water are called aswadan because dates are usually dark. The sun and the moon are called qamaran in Arabic. Similarly, Maghrib and Isha are called isha’an.

He says, “Don’t go to the public bath before sunset or between Maghrib and Isha because that’s when the devils spread out, and you need to guard yourself.” This recommendation is not a prohibition. It’s disliked to go during that time, but it’s not haram.

Removing Waste: Hair, Nails, and Other Areas

Now, the second part: removing waste like cutting the mustache, plucking the armpits, shaving the pubic region, and clipping the nails. Let’s talk about this first. There is a hadith where the Prophet (SAW) called them sunan al-fitra. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Sunan al-fitra khams.” There are five things considered natural sunnah, like there’s no need for religious instruction to observe these good habits. What are they? He says, “Trim the mustache.” It means that the mustache should be trimmed so that it doesn’t fall on the upper lip. Once it starts falling on the upper lip, you need to cut it.

Hair Removal and Cleanliness

Can I keep it thick? Yes, as long as it doesn’t cover the upper lip. That’s the meaning of trimming the mustache. There is another narration: haffu sharb, which means to trim it almost completely, but not shave it entirely. The point is to ensure it doesn’t fall on the upper lip.

The second thing mentioned is natful ibk, which means plucking underarms. Alhamdulillah, we now have machines and other methods for this. It is extremely important to do so. I want to emphasize this because, unfortunately, some cultures—here in America too—believe in living a “natural life,” thinking that if God didn’t want you to have hair, He wouldn’t let it grow there. So, they don’t trim anything, leading to long underarm hair. When you get sweaty, bacteria grows there, and it starts smelling really nasty. I don’t want anyone in this community to fall into this trap. Your underarms should always be clean. Shave it every time you shower. Shaving every single day is fine. Some people argue it’s part of the Sunnah al-Fitra to do it once every forty days. No, you can’t wait that long. Keep it always clean.

The word says “pluck,” but now we use razors to clean every day. That is fine.

Next, he says: al-ana, which means to shave the pubic area around the private part for both men and women. Make sure to keep it clean by shaving it completely. What about using chemicals? If they’re not harmful to the body, it’s okay. What about using lasers? Using lasers is disputable because some ulama consider it as fire, which might exclude you from the seventy thousand who enter Jannah without punishment. But it’s not haram; it’s just considered part of using fire.

Cutting Nails and Trimming the Beard

Also, the fingernails—you need to cut them regularly and keep them clean, both toes and fingers. The Prophet (SAW) recommends doing this regularly.

For the men, regarding the beard, the sunnah is to grow a beard. The Prophet (SAW) did not mention how long to keep it but said to grow it. If you decide to trim your beard or mustache, make sure to clean up after yourself. Part of the sunnah is to keep everything clean around you, even when trimming.

Dyeing Gray Hair

It is disliked to pluck gray hair, while dyeing it is recommended. So, what do you do with those salt-and-pepper hairs? I remember when I was younger, and there were just one or two gray hairs, my kids would pull them out whenever they saw one. They thought it was a thread! Now, I think they’re starting to pluck out the black ones instead.

There are narrations, though not all of them are authentic, regarding the prohibition of plucking gray hairs because they are a sign of maturity. The Prophet (SAW) sometimes praised those who grow gray in Islam. If your beard becomes gray in Islam, or your hair grows gray in Islam, it’s like an honor to grow old in Islam. Alhamdulillah, it’s a blessing.

Then, it’s recommended to dye the hair. What kind of dye? There are many opinions on this matter. The Prophet (SAW) forbade using the black color—pitch black, basically. However, was that because it was black, or was it simply the most common color among the Arabs back then?

When the Prophet (SAW) saw the father of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq during the conquest of Mecca, his head was all white, like a cauliflower. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Change this and avoid black.” Some scholars interpret this strictly, saying that only black is prohibited. This means you can dye it brown, blonde, or even gray if you prefer.

Others argue that the prohibition on black is because it was the standard color of the time, and that other natural colors should also be avoided if they deceive others into thinking you are younger than you are. So, they suggest avoiding any color that would restore your youthful appearance.

What about using henna? Does it have to be henna? The answer is no. You can use any product as long as it is not harmful to the body or the skin.

The other levels of purity will be discussed in books on spiritual growth and the purification of the soul, inshaAllah. And that is what we will be covering in the future. Next time, when we come back, we will be discussing the subject of Salah. What are the inner secrets of Salah? May Allah (SWT) make us among those who listen to the speech and follow the best of it and purify us inside and out.

Hadith Number Eight: Fighting for Islam

The author switches to a new topic at this point:

Tonight, we will be discussing Hadith number eight from al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah by Imam Sharh Ibn Rajab (RA). The Hadith is narrated by Ibn Umar (RA): The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “I have been commanded to fight people until they witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and pay the zakah. Then, if they do that, they have protected their blood and their property from me, except for the right of Islam, and their reckoning is up to Allah.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

This hadith is extremely important right now, especially in our time, because it has been misused and misunderstood by many, including Islamophobes and others, to claim that Islam is about fighting people. Others say there is a reason why the Prophet (SAW) said what he said.

Context and Interpretation of the Hadith

The Prophet (SAW) said, “I have been ordered to fight people until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” How do we translate the meaning of fighting people? Who are these people? Is this instruction limited to the time of the Sahabah, or does it extend to our time? And if so, how do we understand the concept of this fighting?

The Prophet (SAW) said, “Until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish Salah, and pay zakah.” If they do that, they have protected their blood and property from me, except by the right of Islam. What does that mean? It means their rights within Islam, such as paying zakah. If someone does not pay zakah, should we fight them to pay it? If someone commits murder, do we have the right to retaliate for that crime? These are the meanings of haqq al-Islam. If they have committed something haram in this world and run away with it without being punished, does that mean they are free of accountability? No. Their reckoning is still with Allah (SWT).

Reconciling Different Narrations

Imam Ibn Rajab (RA) explains that this hadith has multiple narrations. Some of these exclude Salah and zakah. For instance, some narrations state that if they say, “There is no god but Allah,” that is sufficient to protect their life and wealth. How do we reconcile these narrations?

He explains that the Prophet (SAW) accepted just the two shahadahs from everyone who came to him, and that was sufficient to regard them as Muslims. He did not stipulate that they must immediately pray or pay zakah. For example, the story of Usama bin Zayd (RA): When he was on a battlefield and chased after a man, just as he was about to kill him, the man said, “There is no god but Allah.” Usama still killed him, believing the man was saying it just to save his life. When the Prophet (SAW) heard what happened, he was extremely angry. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Did you open his heart to see if he was sincere or not?” From this, Ibn Rajab (RA) argues that saying “There is no god but Allah” was enough for the Prophet (SAW) to accept a person as Muslim.

However, in our time, things are different. Before someone can say, “There is no god but Allah,” do they even know what it means? Many people today who pronounce the shahadah might not understand its meaning. It is extremely important to ensure they know what Islam entails before they declare the shahadah. If someone comes to you and says, “I want to become Muslim,” do you refuse them? Absolutely not. We do not refuse anyone who wants to declare the shahadah.

If someone comes with a condition—such as, “I want to be Muslim, but I cannot quit drinking”—what do you tell this person? You tell them, “Say the shahadah first, and then we can discuss the drinking issue.” If someone says, “I want to become Muslim, but I have a boyfriend,” do you accept them on that condition? Imam Ibn Rajab (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) accepted Islam from a tribe that stipulated they would not have to pay zakah or fight in jihad. The Prophet (SAW) said, “They will pay the zakah, and they will fight in jihad.” The stipulation was null once they became Muslim.

Acceptance of Islam With Invalid Conditions

Imam Ahmad (RA) says the acceptance of Islam can be sound with an unacceptable precondition, but the person is then required to fulfill all the judgments and rulings of Islam. He cites an example where a man wanted to pray two prayers instead of five, and the Prophet (SAW) initially accepted his conversion, knowing that he would eventually learn and follow all Islamic teachings.

The principle here is that you can accept Islam from someone with an invalid condition. However, you do not accept the condition itself as part of Islam. You guide them to understanding that their condition is not valid in Islam.

In cases where a group of people collectively decide not to practice any pillars of Islam, like an entire town refusing to pray or give zakah, scholars say they may be fought against to uphold the practice of Islam. This is different from individuals. The application of such rules depends on the context of a Muslim society with an Islamic government, something that does not currently exist purely anywhere in the world. In our time, these principles guide community education and reform rather than physical enforcement.

Contextualizing Fighting in Islam

The Prophet (SAW) was both a messenger of mercy and one who came with a sword. However, his use of force was balanced and contextual. This hadith must be understood in its historical context, where the Arabian Peninsula was already at war with him. Fighting was to establish peace, not to impose Islam on unwilling hearts. Therefore, while fighting against people for Islam was an order in specific contexts, the ayah La ikraha fi al-deen (“There is no compulsion in religion”) abrogates the idea of forced conversion. The primary goal is the spread of dawah and the peaceful establishment of Islam.

Disputes on Individual Punishments and Modern Context

As for killing a single individual who refuses any of the obligations like prayer or zakah, most scholars believe that someone who refuses to pray should be fought against. This is the position of Malik, Ash-Shafi’i, Ahmad, Abu Ubaid, and others. However, there is something called istitabah, which is the process of bringing the individual to court, debating with them, advising them, giving them nasiha, and giving them time to correct their behavior before taking further action.

Now, some might say, “What kind of rule is this?” It’s important to understand that these rules were valid during that time and might be applicable when there is a properly established Islamic state. However, you cannot apply this rule now in a society that does not follow Islamic governance. Today, in most parts of the Muslim world, governments do not rule purely by Shariah. As a result, this rule is not applied on an individual level. It is left to Allah (SWT).

Even though there were times when Islamic states existed, how many people were killed because they didn’t pray? It wasn’t common to apply this rule individually; it was more of a collective rule. The focus was more on community behavior rather than individual punishment. Therefore, this principle is mainly for situations where an entire community, village, or city collectively decides to abandon Islamic practices in a Muslim land under the sovereignty of Islamic governance.

Addressing Islamophobia

Now, before closing, let’s address the argument that this hadith is often used by Islamophobes to say that Muslims are going after people, killing them if they don’t accept Islam. How can we reconcile this hadith with the ayah in the Qur’an: “There is no compulsion in religion” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256)? How do we reconcile the command to fight people until they accept Islam with this ayah that says you cannot force someone into Islam?

We must understand the context of this hadith. Each era has its own specific circumstances. The Prophet (SAW) came as both a messenger of mercy and a messenger with a sword. It was about balance. In some cases, he would extend his hand for peace, and in other situations, he would fight when necessary.

There’s a story narrated about the Prophet (SAW) when he was making tawaf around the Kaaba. The elite of Quraysh were sitting in the Hijr (the semi-circular area near the Kaaba). As the Prophet (SAW) passed by them, they started insulting him. Abdullah ibn Amr (RA) narrates that he could see the signs of distress on the Prophet’s (SAW) face, but he kept walking. The second time around, they did the same thing. Again, he could see the distress in his face, but the Prophet (SAW) continued his tawaf. The third time they insulted him, he stopped his tawaf, walked straight up to them, and said, “Listen to me, people of Quraysh. I swear, I have come to you with slaughter.” His statement made them go completely silent because they knew that when Muhammad (SAW), the truthful and trustworthy, spoke, he meant it.

They replied, “Go in peace, O Abu Al-Qasim (another name of the Prophet SAW).” From this incident, scholars say that the Prophet (SAW), who came with a message of mercy, also knew when to use force. He fought when necessary but extended his hand for peace when needed. This hadith applies to a time when there was a clear need to defend and establish the rule of Islam.

The term “umirtu an uqatil an-naas” (“I have been commanded to fight the people”) refers primarily to the Arab tribes of that time, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, where the pagan Arabs were given a choice between Islam, leaving the peninsula, or being fought. This was unique to the Arabs because they were the first people the Prophet (SAW) was sent to. For other nations, the choices included becoming Muslim, paying the jizya (a tax for protection), or fighting.

The Goal of Fighting: Establishing Peace, Not Killing

Another interpretation of this hadith is that the “fighting” mentioned is not about killing, but about striving to establish the rule of Islam. The objective is not to kill but to invite people to Islam or establish peace.

Some scholars say this hadith was later abrogated by the ayah in Surah At-Tawbah: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah…” until they pay the jizya with willing submission. This ayah indicates that people have the option to keep their religion by paying the jizya, thereby coming under the protection of the Islamic state without converting.

Historically speaking, Muslim conquests show that Islam did not forcefully convert people en masse. Islam ruled over large geographical areas where people of other faiths lived peacefully, sometimes for centuries, before some gradually chose to convert to Islam. The hadith reflects the context of the Prophet’s (SAW) time and the specific circumstances in the Arabian Peninsula.

Thus, the hadith establishes that when someone says, “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” it is the bare minimum to protect their life and property. After that, they can be gradually educated about prayer, zakah, and other aspects of the faith.

May Allah (SWT) make us among those who listen to the speech and follow the best of it. May He purify us inside and out. InshaAllah, we will continue our session with questions and answers after Salat al-Isha.

Q&A

1. What are the five categories of Tahara (purification) in Islam mentioned in the text?
   • The five categories of Tahara are:
     1. External Purification (Tahara tul Hiss): Physical cleanliness of the body.
     2. Purification of the Limbs (Tahara tul Jawarih): Purifying actions to align with what pleases Allah.
     3. Purification of the Heart (Tahara tul Qalb): Cleansing the heart of ill intentions, envy, and grudges.
     4. Purification of the Mind (Tahara tul Khatar): Training the mind to think only of what is pleasing to Allah.
     5. Holistic Purification (Tahara tul Jawhar): A spiritual level where one sees the universe through the lens of Allah’s attributes.
2. What is the significance of external purification (Tahara tul Hiss)?
   • External purification involves the physical cleanliness of the body, such as washing the hands, feet, face, and removing impurities. It is the first step in purification and is key to maintaining personal hygiene as part of religious practice in Islam.
3. Why is the purification of the heart (Tahara tul Qalb) important in Islam?
   • The heart must be purified from ill intentions, envy, jealousy, and grudges because a clean heart influences one’s actions. When the heart is free of negativity, the body will naturally follow and act in ways that are pleasing to Allah.
4. What practices are emphasized under external purification in the text?
   • Practices include washing the body, caring for hair (washing, combing, oiling), using miswak for dental hygiene, cleaning knuckles, removing body hair, trimming nails, and maintaining cleanliness in general.
5. What does Sunan al-Fitra refer to, and can you name some practices included in it?
   • Sunan al-Fitra refers to natural practices that are recommended in Islam. These include trimming the mustache, plucking underarm hair, shaving the pubic region, and cutting nails.
6. How does the text describe the proper care of hair and the use of oils?
   • The text recommends washing the hair, combing it to keep it tidy (tarjeel), and using oils (tadheen) to keep it shiny. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged taking care of one’s hair, including using oils and creams, but advised against overdoing it.
7. Why is dental hygiene emphasized in Islam, and what tools are traditionally recommended?
   • Dental hygiene is emphasized as part of personal cleanliness and religious practice. The use of miswak (tooth-cleaning stick) is traditionally recommended, though modern tools like toothbrushes are also considered acceptable.
8. What are the key points discussed regarding the hadith about fighting people until they accept Islam?
   • The hadith refers primarily to the context of the Prophet’s time, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, where the aim was to establish peace, not to impose Islam by force. It aligns with the Quranic principle of “There is no compulsion in religion.” The hadith emphasizes that declaring “There is no god but Allah” protects life and property, with further teachings introduced gradually.
9. How does the text suggest Muslims should understand and apply the hadith about fighting in modern times?
   • In modern times, the application of this hadith is mainly about community education and spiritual reform, not individual enforcement. It should be contextualized within its historical setting and not used to justify forced conversions or violence.
10. What practical steps can Muslims take today to embody the holistic purification (Tahara tul Jawhar)?
    • Muslims can strive for holistic purification by maintaining physical cleanliness, purifying their actions and thoughts, and developing a spiritual awareness that sees everything in the world through the attributes of Allah. This involves regular self-reflection, personal hygiene, mindful actions, and constant remembrance of Allah.
11. What is the significance of remembering the hereafter when performing acts of cleanliness, like entering a hot bath?
    • Remembering the hereafter during acts of cleanliness, such as feeling the heat of a bath, serves as a reminder of the heat of Hell and the Day of Judgment. This reflection helps a believer stay mindful of their actions and maintain a spiritual focus on the afterlife.

The post Study Classical Texts the Traditional Way | Session 13 appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Sewage and seawater sweep through tents forcing evacuations and causing havoc.

Resistance by replanting.

Prime minister told Commons any new inquiry into child abuse would delay progress however spokesperson says he has not ruled one out

Reform UK has also tabled a reasoned amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill motion tonight. It says:

That this house declines to give a second reading to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill because the secretary of state for the Home Department has not launched a UK-wide public inquiry into grooming gangs and has not committed to updating Members of this House every quarter on the progress of the inquiry.

The Conservatives are using the victims of this scandal as a political football.

The Conservatives alongside Reform, goaded along by Elon Musk will be voting for a motion which will not secure a national inquiry for victims of child sexual abuse, but instead it would kill these crucial child protection measures completely.

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Amos Yadlin has urged “powerful and painful action.”

With no clean water, a diet of largely canned food and medicines running, underlying medical conditions are exacerbated and treatment is hard to find.