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A Muslim's Book Shelf
encouraging life long reading and continuous spiritual progress,
inshaAllah.
Book Review: A Sufi Study of Hadith
Posted on December 11, 2012 by tradislam2012

Title: A Sufi Study of Hadith (Haqiqat al-Tariqa min as-Sunna al-Aniqa)
Publisher: Turath Publishing; 2010
Original Author: Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi
Translation: Shaykh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo
This book is a fascinating collection of beautiful hadiths regarding the methodologies of the people and shaykhs of the spiritual
path. It is written by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi who is from the Chishti path, but the issues that are discussed are applicable to
all people interested in the science of tasawuf and its application in the light of Prophetic hadiths.
The overwhelming majority of hadiths that are chosen and brought forward are from the six major collections of hadith. They are
cited, Bukhari, Muslim, and so on. Maulana Thanawi discusses many practices that the people of tasawuf do, and he establishes
their legitimacy from hadith. This would assure a person treading the path, with or without a guide, that there is a basis from the
Prophetic practice in the methodology of the aspirants and their guides. At the same time, Maulana Thanawi addresses
illegitimate practices of some groups and persons claiming to be spiritual aspirants or masters in an effort to educate the masses
to recognize and separate themselves from them.
This book also brings to light the depth and wisdom that resides with the Chishti path in the subcontinent. The reader will
appreciate the depth of analysis that Maulana Thanawi brings, and by association the depth and insight of the tradition that
produced him. Lastly Turath Publishing had a book launch event in 2012 the UK that included Shaykh Abdur Rahim, Shaykh
Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf, Mufti Taqi Usmani and Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad. Two of the videos are below:
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad on on the Scholarship of the Indian Subcontinent:
http://youtu.be/vOZOwcixifs
-The Scholarship of the Indian Subcontinent and its contribution to the Muslim World
-An evening of inspiration on the life of 'The Reviver and Spiritual Physician of the Ummah: Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanawi
(RA)
-By Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
We were in two minds about uploading this lecture [hence why it took so long to upload]because of the audio distortions
in the sound, but due to the rarity and uniqueness of this lecture we felt obliged to do so.
This lecture took place in East London and was part of the Mufti Taqi Usmani UK tour. Alhumdulilah the turnout was
excellent and the venue was filled. The guest of honour was Shaykh ul islam Mufti Taqi Usmani [db] who gave the lecture
in english, click here to watch his Leicester speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPPZ0ChBL9M
Brought to you by the Hanafi fiqh channel.
Our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/hfiqh
Our twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/hanafifiqh

Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf on Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi:
http://youtu.be/nAm6XT4t2UU
Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi By Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf

For more information
Visit our website: http://www.zamzamacademy.com/
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elders/
A MUSLIM'S BOOK SHELF
encouraging life long reading and continuous spiritual progress,
inshaAllah.
Book Review: The Ramadan of Shaikh Al-Hadith
Muhammad Zakariyya and Our Elders
Posted on December 24, 2012 by tradislam2012

Title: The Ramadan of Shaikh Al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya and Our Elders
Author: Dr. Mohammad Ismail Memon Madani
Publisher: Madania Publications [2010]
Table of Contents:
There are two main sections of this book. The first being the Ramadan of Shaikh al-Hadith Maulana Zakariyya which takes up
the majority of the book. The second portion is the Ramadan of our Elders, which include many prominent ulema from the
subcontinent, including Shaikh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Haji Imdadullah, Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Maulana Qasim
Nanautwi, Shaykh ul Hind, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi, Shaykh Mohammad Yahya Kandhelwi (Shaykh ul Hadiths father)
and the book ends with the description of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, Shaykh ul-Hadiths uncle.
Although the table of contents is well organized I did get lost a few times in the book. The book is in majority chronological
order, but it also sorted a little by geography. Shaykh ul-Hadith spent is Ramadans in a variety of locations. Its also grouped by
the accounts of different people who spend their Ramadans with Shaykh ul-Hadith and then subsequently recorded the
activities.
Key Impressions:
Some of the key things I found amazing were the sheer number of people that would come far and wide to spend their Ramadan
with Shaykh ul Hadith. Wherever the location of itikaaf, the place always seemed too small especially in the last ten days of
every Ramadan. Also astonishing was they Shaykh reliance upon Allah to assist him in deciding where to spend his Ramadan.
He would start Istikara from the first of Muharram until Rajab and in these 7 months he would wait for a sign from Allah to
decide on a place on where to spend his Ramadan. On one of his Ramadans in South Africa there were some people that
opposed him from coming there, they distributed pamphlets etc, eventually, after witnessing the purifying gatherings and general
atmosphere of entire masjid, came to Shaykh ul-Hadith to express their regret and to ask for forgiveness. Shaykh ul-Hadith was
quick to forgive them.
Also from the whole book, you really appreciate and understand when they say Ramadan is the month of Quran. As mentioned
above, not only Shaykh ul Hadith but all the Elders recited so much quran. This book goes a long way in building a persons love
for becoming a hafiz. In Ramadan, it seems the one who is hafiz can exceed the non-hafiz in so many aspects if they are
committed the Quran. The Elders and Shaykh ul Hadith would finish Qurans at an amazing pace, in various nafl salats during
the day and night, then again in tarweeh, and again reciting it outside of salat. To memorize Quran or a good portion of it comes
in great benefit in the month of Ramadan when that is the main focus for the month. Essentially the pace that these scholars
finish the Quran you simply cannot keep up, or even dream of coming close if one is not a hafiz. The huffaz are definitely
privileged in this regard. Also how little he eat even in Ramadan, a tea, a roti a few dates, and Shaykh ul Hadith would get up for
Awwabeen, and be reciting juz after juz in nafl rakat. SubhanAllah. For us, after iftar most people just want to sleep.
Some of the last portions of the book, in which Shaykh ul Hadith writes about his own father, Shaykh Muhammad Yahya
Kandhelwi you see where Shaykh ul Hadith gets his spiritual wisdom. It was said that Shaykh Yahya finished memorizing the
Quran at the age of 7 and then he recited one Quran daily for a period of 6 months. And his Quran was solid. After that it was
rare that he needed someone to listen to him. If Shaykh ul-Hadiths fathers excellence wasnt enough, Shaykh ul Hadith
mentions his paternal Grandmother who was a hafiza. She would normally complete the Quran in 7 days based on the manzil,
but in Ramadan she would complete 40 juz per day. Shaykh ul Hadiths spiritual lineage was clearly a very noble one.
Conclusion:
Overall this book gives the English reader an amazing account of the status of the state of scholarship from the subcontinent,
their piety, their strength, their love for the Quran and Ramadan and of course the capability that Allah bestowed on them to able
to complete these amazing feats of worship. Also it builds the desire to memorize as much Quran as one can, just to be able to
recite them in nafl rakats in Ramadan. I would recommend to read this book leading up to Ramadan to build motivation to take
advantage of the sacred month.

http://amuslimsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/book-review-the-inseparability-of-sharia-tariqa/

A MUSLIM'S BOOK SHELF
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inshaAllah.
Book Review: The Inseparability of Sharia & Tariqa
Posted on April 1, 2013 by tradislam2012

Title: The Inseparability of Sharia & Tariqa: Islamic Law and Purification of the Heart
Author: Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhelwi
Publisher: Madania Publications (2011); Earlier editions were in 2006 and 2008
Translator: Asim Ahmad
Shaikh al-Hadiths brief biography excerpted from the back cover of the book:
Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhelwi was born in 1897 in Kandhla, U.P [India]. He was privately tutored by his
father, Shaikh Yahya, in the Islamic sciences and completed the six books of Hadith with him. He dedicated his life to the
teaching and writing of Hadith. He worked under his shaikh, Shaikh Khalil Ahmed Saharanpuri, to complete the eighteen
volume commentary of Abu Dawud and later himself wrote a monumental twenty-three volume commentary of Muwatta Imam
Malik over a span of thirty years. His other famous books are Fadail-e-Amal, Khasail-e-Nabawi [commentary of Shama'il al-
Tirmidhi], and al-Abwab wa al-Tarajum [explanation of the chapters of Sahih al-Bukhari]. He began teaching the Islamic
Sciences at the age of twenty and taught Hadith for 46 years [1923-1969].
He remained in the company of this Shaikh, the Hadith master, Shaikh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, for seventeen years until his
Shaikhs death in 1927. He was granted successor-ship [khalifa] by his shaikh in 1925.
He passed away [as he desired] in the blessed city of Madina in 1982 and is buried in Jannat al-Baqi [the graveyard adjacent to
the Masjid of the Blessed Prophet (peace be upon him)].
I found this book to be the most concise book I have found, in relating the perspective of the Islamic scholarly pursuits of the
scholars of the Indian subcontinent. I say this because the first half of the book begins with defining what a scholar is, the
sciences that are learned before one comments on the Quran and Hadith, then progresses to fiqh, ijtihad, the Four Imams, taqlid
and Imam Abu Hanifa. This first half of the book solidifies the perspective of the need to follow a mujtahid, and the limitations
of a lay-person deriving their own rulings. It also sheds light on the immense understanding that the scholars of India possessed
and their adherence to the Hanafi school of thought.
The second half discusses tasawwuf and its objective of attaining Ihsan. In this half he also discusses issues that some have
created controversy over, and brings to light evidences from the Prophetic tradition to demonstrate its limits and concepts.
Shaikh al-Hadith ends the book with two chapters, one on arrogance as being the mother of all spiritual diseases and a chapter on
the harms of debasing the friends of Allah. This second section on tasawwuf expounds on the perspective of the scholars of the
Indian subcontinent in regards to tasawwuf, and although not explicitly spoken of, the Chishti Tariqa is obviously close to the
surface.
It is important to note that this book was Shaikh al-Hadiths last book before he passed from this world. Thus in this book,
Shaikh al-Hadith is able to bring his experiences, expertise and knowledge from a life spent in pursuit of both Sharia and Tariqa.
Considering it was his last work, its comprehensiveness of his expertise in these fields are apparent.
One of the surprising aspects I found in this book is the frequency in which Shaikh al-Hadith quotes Shaikh al-Islam Ibn
Taimiyya. I believe this was done with a purpose in mind. It is well known that some have used the writings of Imam Ibn
Taimiyya to present a certain viewpoint and one could argue that some of them have not been fully authentic to the entirety of
his writings, thus selecting some favourable passages and leaving others. I believe to counter this selective reading of the works
of Imam Ibn Taimiyya, Shaikh al-Hadith brings many of his quotes to show that Imam Ibn Taimiyya isnt necessarily being
portrayed accurately.
In chapter of Taqlid, after covering the definition of and expertise possessed by a mujtahid, Shaikh al-Hadith quotes Shaikh al-
Islam Ibn Taimiyya from his fatwa:
The opinion of the majority of the community is that ijtihad and taqlid are both permissible: ijthad for the one who has the ability
to do so and taqlid for the one incapable of it.
In regards to Tasawwuf Shaikh al-Hadith writes:
Tasawwuf is another name for Ihsan or, one may say the acquisition of Ihsan. It is also called Tasawwuf or Suluk or whatever
else you may call it. These are merely different names of the same thing.
Shaikh al-Hadith also quotes Shaikh Mujaddid:
The Sharia is made up of three integrals: knowledge, deeds and sincerity [ikhlas]. Until these three are not established [in the life
of a Muslim] the Sharia is not established.
The sufis excel in tasawwuf and haqiqa; they perform the completion of the third branch of sincerity. The purpose of the
completion of this branch is for no other purpose than to achieve completion of the Sharia. It is not for the purpose of temporal
spiritual states [ahwal] and gnosis of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) which the sufis often acquire during their journey on
this path
This is because the purpose of covering the different steps of tasawwuf is to achieve total sincerity and nothing else, and
attaining the pleasure of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is intrinsic to sincerity..
Of thousands of seekers, few are actually taken through visions and spiritual manifestations before they reach the wealth of
sincerity and the pleasure of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Shortsighted people take the temporal spiritual states as
objectives and the attainment of spiritual manifestations and clairvoyance as worthy causes
Though, this much is true that these temporal states, the celestial knowledge and the gnosis of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be
He), are interwoven with the acquisition of sincerity and the attainment of the pleasure of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). In
this way, they [temporal states, celestial knowledge, and gnosis of Allah] are passages to the attainment of the true objective.
In regards to this practical outlook of Shaikh al-Hadith in regards to Tasawwuf:
This reality and the status which the Sharia is most deserving of became transparent to me [Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad
Zakariyya], by the blessings of the Blessed Prophet (peace be upon him), after ten years in this path.
Though I was never overwhelmed by temporal and ecstatic states [mawajid], and I never thought much of anything besides
attainment of Sharia, the truth [of the above reality that clairvoyance and spiritual states are not the objective- the only objective
is practicing upon the Sharia] became manifest to me after ten years.
Overall this is a great book for one who is interested in the scholarship of the Indian subcontinent and provides an excellent
summary of the depth and breadth of knowledge that exists in their tradition and emphasis that is laid upon both practicing the
sharia and treading the tariqa.
May Allah persevere our scholars and friends of Allah, all over the world, past and present, from all places of learning and give
us the propensity to benefit from them. Ameen.

http://amuslimsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/book-review-the-differences-of-the-imams/

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Book Review: The Differences of the Imams
Posted on December 8, 2013 by tradislam2012

Title: The Differences of the Imams (Ikhtilaf al-aimma)
Author: Shaykh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi
Translator: Mawlana Muhammad Kadwa
Publisher: White Thread Press (2004) [Previously published in 1997 in South Africa, and in 1999 in the UK, it also been
reprinted recently by White Thread Press with a different cover]
Shaykh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya was born in 1898 in the village of Kandhla in India. His first teacher was his father,
Shaykh Muhammad Yahya who was a hadith student of Shaykh Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. Shaykh al-Hadiths uncle was Shaykh
Muhammad Ilyas, and he studied with him as well. Shaykh al-Hadith studied the five of the six authentic books of hadith with
his father, and then studied Sahih al-Bukhari and Sunan al-Tirmidhi (for a second time) with Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri.
It was Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri who gave Shaykh Zakariyya the honorary title of Shaykh al-Hadith. Shaykh Khalil
Ahmad Saharanpuri recognized his deep insight, clear-sightedness, and extensive knowledge of hadith and related sciences.
Shaykh al-Hadith initially intended to write a book of about 400-500 pages on the differences of the imams in regards to the four
schools of Sunni jurisprudence. However due to his extremely busy schedule, a shorter work was written after the insistence of
his peers to publish a book on this topic. The differences amongst the schools of jurisprudence is a topic that often confuses or
unnerves the common Muslim. This book begins to unravel the sources of these differences, taking us through three
chronological stages of hadith development, each corresponding with a specific age, the first is the Era of the Messenger (peace
be upon him), second is the Era of the Companions and Followers and lastly the Era of the Mujtahid Imams.
In the first part, Era of the Messenger (peace be upon him), Shaykh al-Hadith expounds upon the reasons that led to sources of
differences in juridical rulings. The some of reasons are: Varying Commands for Different People and Circumstances, A Special
Case Taken as a General Order, A General Order is Taking as a Special Case and A Difference of Perception and others. Each
reason is then expanded upon in very clear manner, speaking to the lay-person, with demonstrative examples of hadiths and
juridical rulings. This gives the reader an understanding of how jurisprudence flowed from the Beloved Messenger (peace be
upon him) through his actions and words.
In the next two parts, the book explores why some mujtahid imams differed and why they were inclined to act upon one hadith
over another. Essentially, each mujtahid employs a different method of analysis and criteria for acceptability. These differences
in analysis and acceptability created a difference in rulings and which hadiths were acted upon, and formed the basis of each
school of jurisprudence. Shaykh al-Hadith writes:
In short, specific rules and principals are required for practicing on the hadiths which enable one to award preference to some
hadiths over others. The Imams of hadith and jurisprudence have differed over the matter of which principals apply in awarding
this preference. It is a very lengthy discussion which we would prefer not to discuss in detail (here). In fact, the principals of
hadith and jurisprudence are taught even before the major books of hadith in our madrasas.
Some of these principals will be mentioned briefly. The Imams of hadith, due to the aforementioned reasons, have divided the
hadiths into three different categories: mutawatir [continuously recurrent],mashhur [well-known], and khabar al-wahid [a single
person's report] or ahad [solitary hadith]
Shaykh al-Hadith also comments on what makes a mujtahid:
Mere recitation of a translation of Sahih al-Bukhari will not enable one to determine whether a certain injunction is compulsory,
optional or permissible. This is why the scholars of hadith have instituted the study of the principals of Quran, hadith and
jurisprudence [fiqh] as a prerequisite to the actual sciences of Quran and hadith. This will enable the mujtahid to become
conscious of the various categories of Quranic verses such as the general ['amm], specified [khass], ambivalent [mujmal],
unequivocal [mufassar], perspicuous [muhkam], interpreted [mu'awwal], abrogator [nashikh], abrogated [mansukh], etc. In
addition, he should be aware of the various categories of hadith such as the continuously recurrent [mutawatir], non-continuously
recurrent [ghayr mutawatir], those attributed directly to the Messenger (peace be upon him) by a Follower without the mention
of the Companion in between [mursal], continuous [muttasil], rigorously authenticated [sahih], defective [mu'allal], weak [da'if],
etc. He should also be aware of the status of the narrators of the hadiths, and should be well versed in lexicography and grammar.
The statements of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Followers, their differences, and their unanimous
decisions should also be studied carefully. Apart from this, the mujtahid should be well acquainted with the types and categories
of deduction, analogy and logical reasoning [qiyas].
The book is written in a very clear manner, the target audience is the layperson, and the intent is not to deliver a full book on
hadith sciences, rather it is to create a high level of appreciation and recognize the effort of the mujtahid imams, and to conclude
that in order to replicate what they did in our times would be a very difficult if not an impossible task. This book is a great read,
and highly recommend to those who are curious about the differences in the schools of jurisprudence and builds a strong case for
the under-appreciated or unrecognized complexity of hadith and juridical sciences.
May Allah preserve the teachers of this great science, and bless all those who participated in making this book available to us.
Ameen.