hadith analysis

Stargazing

Question What is the sourcing for this ḥadith? Is it established as being Ṣaḥīḥ / authentic? From Ibn Abi ‘Aufa, he said the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said: Verily among the best...

March of the Black Banners

Introduction The traditions of the ‘black banners’ or march of the ‘black banners’ al-Riyāt al-Sawd, for some are truly evocative.  In a world characterised by oppression, injustice and even outright evil, the reported wording of...

The majority of the hypocrites

Presented below is translation of a short piece written by Professor Muḥammad ibn Abdullah al-Mas’ari which covers the sourcing for the ḥadith: ‘The majority of the hypocrites from among my Ummah are (to be found...

Attendance at Friday prayers

Introduction With several mosques, particularly in London, closing their doors despite any government injunction to do so, several questions have been raised about the viability of convening Friday congregational prayers, Jummah, in other locations.  Many...

The Magician

Introduction   A morbid fascination with the occult doesn’t seem to be limited to a particular society or civilisation.  For some sections of the Muslim Ummah, the ‘supernatural’ occupies a place quite centre stage, at...