“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” (Qur’an 49:12)
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“As salamu alaykum. I am writing to you about my fiancée. He is a very pious Muslim and he recently asked about my past. To be more clear he asked about my sexual history and this made me very uncomfortable. I thought when we convert to Islam all our previous sins are forgiven.”
Dear respected sister, walakum salam wr wb, you are correct that when you enter into Islam all of your past mistakes, sins, errors are erased from Allah (swt). The question of your future husband is coming from a place of possible jealousy, which is natural and also from a place of safety, which is fair.
It is important for one to understand that sins can be forgiven and this relates to the afterlife. You will not be punished. However, there are some sins that carry effects in this life. That is why you will still feel the effects of sin in this life.
Do allow us to elaborate. Anyone who has a sexual history prior to marriage owes it to themselves as well as to their future spouse to at the very least get a blood test done.
Your past is your past and, yes, it is wrong for your future husband to inquire about it. He may ask if you are a virgin, and you can answer if you wish or not. However, going into details about your past or pressing you further is out of bounds.
What you could propose and what we would suggest to you and any converted Muslim ever faced with this question is the following: First, be unwavering in your commitment to Allah (swt) and assure your future spouse of this. Be unwavering in your resolve that your past is your past. However, what you could propose is that both you and your spouse take a blood test and share the results. This way, your honour and his/her honour are all either protected or brought into question in a way that is fair and just to both parties.
The reason we say this is that people who are born and raised as Muslims, even in righteous households, also get up to nonsense and haram things. There are people who have all the outward signs of an observant Muslim but inside their hearts are very dark. Allah (swt) knows best. So it is also possible that your fiancée has a past that you do not know about.
So our advice to you ladies and gentlemen is to give a very firm and diplomatic response.
Q: “Are you a virgin?” A: “I appreciate your concern and to put your mind at ease I can propose that we both take a blood test to ensure that we are both safe.”
To the brothers reading this, it is a woman’s prerogative if she wishes to answer that question or not. This is not about a person having a sexual past. There are those who have been molested or sexually violated and asking them about their past brings up trauma that they have moved beyond.
If the question is repeated, you can offer the same response. If the question is a dealbreaker for that individual, you can simply walk away from it, and Allah (swt) will open other doors for you. Insh’Allah.
So, on that note to any brothers/sisters reading this who do have a past, we would urge you to get tested for your own sake and for that of your future spouse or any children you have.
In Islam, protection of one’s lineage (ḥifẓ al-nasl / ḥifẓ al-nasab) is considered one of the five essential objectives of the Sharīʿah (maqāṣid al-sharīʿah). These objectives are:
Protection of religion (ḥifẓ al-dīn)
Protection of life (ḥifẓ al-nafs)
Protection of intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql)
Protection of lineage/progeny (ḥifẓ al-nasl)
Protection of wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl)
If you have an unfortunately positive blood test, you do not despair because you may find a partner that is in a similar situation, and you can both try to adopt children or be surrogate parents. You may also embrace the fullness of all life has to offer without having children.
Again, your fiancée does have the right to ask that question, and you have the right to answer yes/no or as we proposed, a diplomatic response. Some people may see your lack of a yes/no response as not being forthright. They say to offer a diplomatic response is to be ambiguous. We do not agree with that. The reason we propose that type of response is that to ask that question is to question your honour, and you likewise have the right to question their honour.
Also, if you start off a relationship having even the smallest seed of distrust or doubt, it is best to back off altogether. Relationships, especially marriages, are built upon trust.
Allah (swt) knows best and the help of Allah (swt) is sought.
“Then one of the two women came to him, walking bashfully. She said, “My father is inviting you so he may reward you for watering ˹our animals˺ for us.” When Moses came to him and told him his whole story, the old man said, “Have no fear! You are ˹now˺ safe from the wrongdoing people.” (Qur’an 28:25)
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“O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful ˹of Allah˺, then do not be overly seductive in speech ˹with men˺ or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” (Qur’an 33:32)
So our noble teacher, and scholar Shaykh Dr. Abdullah bin Sa’ed Al Ma’mari (May Allah continue to bless and protect him) has stated: That this matter of women speaking to men who are not their mahram has been severely criticized by a group of scholars, to the point that they claim that the woman’s voice is awrah, and we do not know of any evidence for that in the Book of Allah (swt), Nor in the Sunnah of His Blessed Messenger (saw).
As has been quoted in the Qur’an:
“She said, “My father is inviting you so he may reward you for watering ˹our animals˺ for us.” (Qur’an 28:25)
Musa (as) is a high caliber person himself, being a Messenger of Allah (swt). This itself shows that it is O.K. for a woman to speak to a man, and a man to speak to a woman. As long as the speech is not seductive. This is to protect the woman from a man who has some illness in the heart who can seek to active upon it.
Although it is permissible for her to talk in terms of origin with a foreign man, this conversation should be as much as needed, so that it does not exceed what is required, for fear of going too far in this matter, because excessive speaking is not desirable for both the man and the woman.
Likewise, when a woman speaks, she is forbidden to be seductive when speaking. That is why those of the scholars that said a woman’s voice is a fitnah, if she is seductive in speech. It is not said that it is ‘awrah, rather, it is said that it is a fitnah — i.e. for a man — if she is seductive in speaking.
“O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful ˹of Allah˺, then do not be overly seductive in speech ˹with men˺ or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” (Qur’an 33:32)
“We only give this talk so that the truth is between these two extremes, so the woman is not stressed. To the point that her existence is folded, and she does not have any role in society, nor does the woman become vulgar, so that the door is opened for her to be a cause of sedition, and thus, the Muslim woman knows today that her modesty does not prevent her from taking her part in the reformation of society.” -Shaykh Dr. Abdullah bin Sa’ed Al Ma’mari (May Allah continue to bless him and benefit many by him)
For those who are interested you may wish to read:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” (Qur’an 5:2)
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The translation of the Arabic in the text above into English reads as follows:
“I asked my father about this picture, and he told me: This picture is of the Sultanate’s delegation from its various sects during the Islamic Unity Conference in the city of Mashhad. We entered to perform the Maghrib and Isha prayers at the Imam Reza Mosque, so the sheikh brothers asked for me to be an imam, so I indicated to them that Dr. Ali should come forward because the country and the mosque are from the Jafari school of thought.
Pictured above in the standing position are Muslims who follow the Zaydi, Ibadi, Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafi’i and Maliki schools, respectively. They are following the Imam of the Ja’fari school.
Hayya alas Salah means exactly that: Come to Prayer. It does not mean come to this or that group or sect. The Imam leads the prayer. You stand behind him as long as he is Ahl Qiblah. Simple.
If the Imam leading the prayer harbors things in his heart that are not good, those who follow him are free from it. The follower’s only obligation is to follow the Imam in the prayer, not in his view.
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “Whoever prays like us and faces our Qibla and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim and is under Allah’s and His Apostle’s protection. So do not betray Allah by betraying those who are in His protection.”
The title of the video: Praying behind Non-Ibadi -Shaykh Dr. Kahlan Al-Kharusi (h), the assistant Mufti of Oman.
The honorable Shaykh went to mention that we can pray behind any of the Muslims from the Ahl Qiblah.
So, basically the honorable Shaykh is telling us that the sect of the Imam does not affect our prayer. The only time it breaks the prayer is if the person (regardless of sect) is adding something that breaks the prayer and this is regardless if he is an Ibadi or not.
The title of this video is: Is it permissible to pray behind someone who recites a surah with Al-Fatihah silent prayer? -Shaykh Ahmed Al Khalili (h) Mufti of Oman
So the people came and asked the honorable Shaykh about praying behind (Sunni Muslims) because during the dhuhr and asr prayers it is known that many of them recite a surah other than al fatiha in the first two rakats.
So the honorable Shaykh replied it is not an issue at all. They have their evidence and we have our evidence.
In Ibadi school we recite surah after al fatiha in fajr, maghrb and isha. However, just like the last two rakats of isha and the last rakat of maghrib, likewise in the last two rakats of dhur and asr we do not recite anything other than al fatiha.
Here is a Sunni website that goes into some discussion on the matter:
The title of the video is: Praying behind an imam who recites prayers and performs the qunut.
The honorable Shaykh again says that this is not an issue for us. Our belief is that the Qunut was abrogated, and it is no longer part of the prayers. However, if we follow those who do it, it does not affect our prayers.
The actions of the Imam do not affect the prayers of those who pray behind him. That is unless he does an action where he adds extra rakat, shortens the prayer, forgets prostration.
If the actions of the Imam (that we differ on) affected the prayer of those behind them, then Sunni Muslims of various schools could not pray behind each other.
Salafis who follow Shaykh Bin Baz, who puts his hands on his chest after the ruku, could not follow the Salafis who leave their hands at their sides after the ruku and vice versa.
What about the beliefs of the Imam leading the prayer?
The title of this video is: What is the ruling on praying behind someone who believes in a vision?
This means those Muslims who believe we will see Allah (swt) in the afterlife?
So, as you can see, this is now not about fiqh but about the aqidah (the beliefs of the Imam).
This is a very strong fatwa by the honorable Shaykh. The people also asked: “What about those who say we do not pray behind the Ibadi?” The Shaykh responded: “We do the opposite.” We pray behind them if they become Imams for us. We will not be like them. We will do the opposite of their action.”
Be tranquil in your prayer.
We should be tranquil in our prayers. There is no action in our prayer that requires us to look to the left or the right until the termination of the prayer with taslim (salam).
Which, by the way, the mashur (majority) view in our school is that the prayer terminates with one taslim (salam) to the right. However, we have an opinion concerning doing two taslim (salam to the right and left) and we are encouraged, if we are an Imam in a majority Sunni area, to take the view of doing the two taslim. This is to avoid any fitna.
Prostration of Forgetfulness.
If this occurs before the Taslim, we follow the Imam in the prostration of forgetfulness.
So this is the way with us and our school and the path is spacious. Have tranquility when in your prayer, dear brothers and sisters. What is important is to ask ourselves after each prayer.
Was my prayer acceptable to Allah (swt)? Not concern ourselves with what the others are doing. Allah knows best and the help of Allah is sought.
Translation: “Allah has revealed for Ali {O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying – 4:43} when he prayed and recited and then got mixed up.” [Manhaj as-Sunnah (7/172)]
Putting aside the fact of the possibility that Ali bin Abi Talib drank alcohol before the actual prohibition, it is still rather bizarre to assume that the sanctity of the prayer was not ingrained in him enough to the point where he would approach the prayers in such a way.
Making Ali the asbab al-nuzul for this verse does seem like an incredible insult. Even worse is the idea that Ali bin Abi Talib was sloshing his words about in prayer and butchering the recitation of the Qur’an.
An-Nisa 4:43
Tafsir of the verse:
“O you who believe! Approach not As-Salât (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter,…” [The Noble Qur’an, Surah An-Nisa 4:43]
It was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib that an Ansari man invited him and ‘Abdur – Rahman ibn ‘Awf, and offered them wine before the prohibition of Khamr was revealed. ‘Ali lead them in Maghrib prayer, and recited: Say ‘O you disbelievers!… (Al – Kafirun 109), but he was confused in it. Then the verse, ‘O you who believe! Approach not Salaat when you are intoxicated until you know (the meaning) of what you utter (An-Nisa’ 4:43)’ was revealed.”
Sources: (Sunan Abu Dawud, Volume 4, Book 25, Hadith Number 3,671, p. 222; Classed as Hasan by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Zai, Darussalam Publishers, [English Translation], 2008] )
Abu ‘Abdur – Rahman As – Sulami narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “‘Abdur – Rahman ibn ‘Awf prepared some food for which he invited us, and he gave us some wine to drink. The wine began (to) affect us when it was time for Salaat. So they encouraged me (to lead) and I recited: ‘Say: O you disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship, and we worship what you worship’ – and Allah, the Most High, revealed, ‘O you who believe! Do not approach Salaat when you are in a drunken state until you know what you are saying (An – Nisa’ 4:43)’.”
Sources: (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Volume 5, Book 44, Hadith number 3,026; Imam Tirmidhi said, “This hadeeth is Hasan Ghareeb Saheeh.” Classed as Hasan by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Zai, Darussalam Publishers, [English Translation], 2008])
So the above sources have Ali ibn Abi Talib from his own mouth admitting that he worshipped what the disbelievers worshipped. Albeit in a drunken state!
Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Zai commented on the above hadith as follows:
“A drunkard loses sense and consciousness in the state of being drunk; in this state he does not know what he is saying, and he is unaware of the positive or negative promise with Allah. As ‘Ali was drunk, he said some words in favour of the disbelievers unknowingly; and this Ayah of Surah An – Nisa’ was revealed concerning this.”
“It is also known from this Hadith that if one is overwhelmed by sleep and they are unaware of what is coming out of their mouth, one should then delay the prayer until the senses and consciousness have returned to their normal state.”
Habib Ibn Abi Thabit Asadi Kahili Kufi narrates reports in which ‘Ali accidently prays in a state of major ritual impurity and another in which he leads prayer while in a state of intoxication.
Sources: (Al Tirmidhi, Sunan, iv, p.305; ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Sanani, al-Musannaf, (ed) Habib Al Rahman Al Aazami (Beirut,1970), ii, p 350.)
Imami Shi’i include this man as one of the Shi’i dignataries. Even the du’a is offered: “May Allah have mercy on his soul.”
This is very concerning.
These things about Ali bin Abi Talib have not been transmitted by the Ibadi School. You will not find these things said about him in our books.
You be fair and you assess!
We, whose predecessor fought on the side of Ali at the battle of the Camel, and at Siffin, whose seniors warned Ali against the arbitration with Muaviyah and subsequently broke camp, are we deemed so low in the eyes of others over this?
We, who would have died a thousand deaths over for Imam Ali if you but knew!
Yet, Sunni and Shi’i narrators can narrate about Ali that he lead the prayers drunk, while in major ritual impurity, uttered, “And we worship what you worship”and is the occasion of the revelation “Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying” for all posterity?
Who is the one who truly has no hayya and no shame when it comes to Ali bin Abi Talib?
Allah (swt) will judge between us all on the day of reckoning.
“Who respond to their Lord, establish prayer, conduct their affairs by mutual consultation, and donate from what We have provided for them.” (Qur’an 42:38)
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Professor Joseph Lumbard made a very interesting assertion during a teaching/lecture in New Mexico on Islam.
For those not familiar, Professor Lumbard He received a Ph.D and M.Phil in Islamic Studies from Yale University, an M.A. in Religious Studies and a B.A. from the George Washington University.
He is an American Muslim scholar of Islamic studies and associate professor of Qur’anic studies at the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. He is the author, editor, and translator of several scholarly books and many articles on Islamic philosophy, Sufism, and Quranic studies
So let us get the disappointment out of the way. Disappointing because the respected Professor knows better than to label one according to the epitaph of their opponents.
@1:36 he says: “That was against the Kharijites, from which the Ibadis came out.”
Well, so with that disappointing statement out of the way we can get to the interesting point.
@1:55 “What the Ibadis have done which is different very different from the Sunnis and the Shiites is that they claimed that somebody outside of Quraysh could be the leader. They, their basic claim was that they most…shall we say…what is the word I’m looking for? Um, the most qualified person was the person who should be the leader. And that actually the community can force that person to be the leader if that person doesn’t want to be the leader.” -Professor Lumbard.
“And so remember how we went through and this is where it becomes very important, remember we looked through that the that For the Umayyads and for the Abbasids, the Caliph came through the lineage of the Quraysh. Of course for the uh for the Shiites the caliph is going to be from the lineage of the Quraysh; because its a descendant of the Prophet. Right?” -Professor Lumbard.
“So, Here they were the first ones to come out and say, “No!” Actually that doesn’t matter that is not where it needs to be located. It needs to be the most qualified person and they said theologically in a reading of the Qur’an, this is the best theological understanding of what God intended in the Qur’an. “On that particular point I agree with them, actually. ” -Professor Lumbard.
Al hamdulillah.
What makes this a particularly powerful admission is that Professor Lumbard has not shown himself invested in sectarianism. He is certainly familiar with Sunni claims, as well as that of the Shiites that the ahl bayt are the crème de la crème.
When the respected Professor stated:
“They said theologically in a reading of the Qur’an, this is the best theological understanding of what God intended in the Qur’an.”
Personally I am not quite sure what the respected Professor intended by this. Or what his reading of the Qur’an that makes this clear for him. It is just that these ideas of leadership being from the Quraysh or from the family of the Blessed Prophet (saw) were not seen as established from their point of view.
Though, we do have our justifications from the Qur’an for the position that we hold. I would have been keen to see the respected Professor flesh that out.
In fact, for us it was Al-Ash’ath bin Qais who had as one of his motivating factors to get Ali to move against the people of Nahrawan because of the election of Imam Ar Rasibi (ra). -aka a Non Qurayshi.
Al-Ash’ath bin Qais motive was clear.
Divert Ali’s attention away from the Syrians. Giving them more time to strengthen and solidify their positions.
Pit Ali against the former die hard loyalist knowing full well that the killing of these companions and tabi’un would leave a bitter taste in the mouth of many -as we will see with Ibn Abbas (ra).
Ensure the nexus of power remains among the Quraysh and that any non-Quraysh would not even have a whiff of authority over the Quraysh.
Any qualified righteous believer, be they Arab, Jewish, Ethiopian, or any ethnic group or tribe you can think of, can be the Amir Al Mumineen. That is to say: The Commander of the Faithful for the entirety of the Muslim Ummah.
Here are some reasons on why we do not believe the leadership of the Muslims needs to be exclusively from the Quraysh(though it can be).
Perhaps the follower articles will be of interest to you.
“And don’t mix the truth with the falsehood, or conceal the truth while you know.” (Qur’an 2:42)
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There was a recent interview with Dr. John Andrew Morrow on the Bridging Minds Channel on YouTube. I would encourage those who visit Prima Qur’an to subscribe to the following channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgingminds7512 -the channel is in its infancy and insh’Allah good things will follow.
“And don’t mix the truth with the falsehood, or conceal the truth while you know.” (Qur’an 2:42)
I lead with this particular verse because as a Muslim I am dutybound not to conceal the truth when I know what it is.
Also, unfortunately our school, the Ibadi school has a great deal of misunderstandings surrounding it and we take opportunities when and where we can to clarify these misunderstandings.
I believe that this article will also prove that being in academia does not necessarily entail that a person is well informed on a particular matter.
Case in point. Let us look at Brother Dr. John Andrew Morrow’s impressive CV- curriculum vitae.
“Dr. John Andrew Morrow is a professor, research scholar, and author. He has three degrees from the University of Toronto: an Honors BA with double majors in Spanish and French Language and Literature, as well as an MA and a PhD in Spanish American Literature.”
“After completing his PhD, he pursued post-doctoral studies in the Arabic language at the Arabic Language Institute in Fez, the University of Utah’s Middle East Center, and the Qalam wa Lawh Center in Rabat.”
“Dr. Morrow has been an undergraduate and graduate faculty member at numerous universities, holding the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Full Professor, Program Head, and Department Head. He has taught at the University of Toronto, Park University, Northern State University, and Eastern New Mexico University, receiving student impact, performance, and leadership awards for outstanding teaching and service. “
“Dr. Morrow has also been a Visiting Researcher at Harvard University, Purdue University, and the University of Chicago. In the Fall of 2011, he served as professor of Spanish, English, and Religious Studies for the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea Program. A specialist in Hispanic, Native, and Arabic-Islamic Studies, he has lectured worldwide in his areas of expertise.”
“His research interests include the Amerindian influence on Spanish American poetry, the Arabic and Islamic influence on Spanish and French literature, Aljamiado literature, Arabic sociolinguistics, Islamic Studies, and herbal medicine. A prolific, internationally recognized researcher and writer, Dr. Morrow has hundreds of scholarly, literary and artistic publications to his credit, including: “The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World,” “Islamic Images and Ideas: Essays on Sacred Symbolism,” “The Encyclopedia of Islamic Herbal Medicine,” “Amerindian Elements in the Poetry of Ernesto Cardenal,” “Islamic Insights: Writings and Reviews,” “Amerindian Elements in the Poetry of Rubén Darío,” “Arabic, Islam, and the Allah Lexicon,” ” The Book of Divine Unity,” “El islam shiita: ¿ortodoxia o heterodoxia?,” “Shiite Islam: Orthodoxy or Heterodoxy?,” and “Humanos casi humanos.”
Brother Kamal Southall and Brother Dr. John Andrew Morrow were having a really great back and forth conversation, sharing information. It is when the conversation became more free that there were some comments made about the Ibadi school that caught my attention.
The conversation begins at around @1:13:19
Brother Kamal was leading in with ISIS having what he believes to be a khariji tendency.
Dr. John Morrow: “and I believe it’s true it’s true and I’ve condemned the Khawarij a lot in the past as well but I’ve reconsidered my assessment of them. I mean there again it’s their enemies who wrote these narratives and demonized them. There are some good things about the Ibadis that you know I came to discover. Um so yeah!”
Brother Kamal: “That’s a good point!”
Dr. John Morrow: “Now, now for example, okay? So again the Khawarij, the Khawarij okay, their, their demonized by the Sunnis and by the Shi’a; and of course I did the same thing. I said you know what I’m going to study Ibadi literature. I’m going to connect with Ibadis and get to the bottom of this.” “They’re very moderate people by and large. They’re quite tolerant. They’re not very strict about hijab or things like that. Any how, so they they repudiate they repudiate the extreme Khawarij of the past. But in any event okay so these people revolted. Nobody questions why they revolted. Okay so, okay why did they revolt? Alright, so you have Ali on one side and then you have Muawiya on the other side, and Aisha, and all of these people. Okay? So, on the side Muawiya they believe that the Caliphate belongs only to the tribe of Quraysh. This is like even in Sunni-you know doctrine and everything. It belongs to Quraysh that’s that. Okay, that’s a type of dynasty.”
Brother Kamal: “Right.”
Dr. John Morrow: “I’m sorry it’s very racist too. It’s supremacist, it’s a type of dynasty and monarchy and so on. On the other side you have Ali and he says nuh-uh my family only my family. But the funny thing about the Shi’a they can never agree as to who was part of this family or which member should be the successor. And each time an Imam died they would break up into even more factions; everyone fighting for this and that. Even within the same family. Okay they say oh Imam Jafir As-Sadiq was the successor. Well, his brother thought he was the successor too. And you had brothers fighting each other. It was just like any kingdom, they were fighting for power. So, okay and what was the point of the view of the Khawarij? Any just knowledgeable Muslim can aspire to leadership? Hello? Egalitarian. Based on Shura, every democratic. It was not a dynasty, it wasn’t a monarchy.So, wait a second are these guys really so, so know I’ve compared Isis to the khawarij. But I was wrong. That’s not what they were fighting for. You know the other thing that revolted them? The marriage of 9-year-old girls. They thought that was the sickest thing they had ever heard of.”
Brother Kamal: “The Ibadis?”
Dr. John Morrow: “The Khawarij, the Ibadis.”
Dr. John Morrow: “This is one of the reasons they revolted. They said what the F? No way in hell! Now wait a second these are Tabi’un. Some of these people are sahabas. They had a radically different understanding of the message of this religion, and it’s practices. They didn’t buy this child marriage thing.”
Brother Kamal: “I don’t either.” Dr. John Morrow: “I don’t either.”
Prima-Qur’an comments:
There is a lot to unpack here.
First and foremost, the good. I want to thank my brother, Dr. John Andrew Morrow (Imam Ilyas ‘Abd al-‘Alim Islam) for being humble enough to walk back associations of Isis with the Khawarij. (Though he is not entirely mistaken-will come to this).
I think that all of us, as lovers of truth and people who pursue truth, need to amend positions when mistaken. I was dismayed that the terms Ibadi and Khawrij were swapped out and interchangeable. However, we are getting there. What I mean by ‘getting there’ is that there is a willingness to go beyond the Sunni paintbrush of their opponents. This I am grateful for. May Allah (swt) bless him for this.
To admit to making mistakes is a sign of true moral character and real moral strength. Not many people can do that. We must always be right.
Points of concern andoutright shock.
“They’re not very strict about hijab or things like that.”
I am not quite sure what brother, Dr. John Morrow based this on?
If it was a book of jurisprudence, could he cite it?
Did he have interactions with people who identified as ‘Ibadi’ and were flippant in regard to their dress code?
I have to ask these questions because the ‘Ibadi’ school takes the Khimar, what Dr. John calls ‘the hijab’ very seriously. Modest dress for Muslim men and women is a very important matter for us. It is a matter of obeying Allah and his Messenger.
In fact, the Mufti of Oman says it is preferable for women to wear a niqab if possible. Though he does not say it is proved by the Qur’an and Sunnah.
One of our teachers that we have theology classes with, Shaykh Juma Al Mazruii, cleared up wide-eyed rumors and speculation circulating around Reddit.
Negligence with regard to a modest dress code is considered a sin by us. I personally have not known any of our scholars or teachers to be lax in regard to the ‘khimar’ or hijab.
So I am not sure what that statement is based upon.
Why did many of the companions and successors leave the army of Imam Ali?
“But in any event, okay, so these people revolted. Nobody questions why they revolted. Okay so, okay, why did they revolt?”
It is clear that brother, Dr. John Morrow is of the understanding that it was primarily done to who should lead the Muslims. I am here as an Ibadi to tell you that this is not the case at all. The primary reason for leaving the camp of Ali was his decision to arbitrate on matters in which Allah (swt) made his judgement clear.
Now, we do say that one of the motivations for Ali attacking the Muslims at Nahrawan was from Al-Ash’ath bin Qais, an individual who did not want to see the Imamate leave the Quraysh. For Imam Abdul-Allah bin Wahab Ar-Rasbi Al-Azdi (r) appointed Imam was not from the Quraysh. But this was not ‘THE’ reason to leave the camp of Ali.
Let us think about this logically as well. If that was ‘THE’ reason, then why be in the camp of Ali to begin with?
Ibadi’s predecessors revolted against Ali because he was a supporter of 9-year-old child marriages?!!
“You know the other thing that revolted them? The marriage of a 9-year-old girl. They thought that was the sickest thing they had ever heard of.”
“This is one of the reasons they revolted. They said “What the F? No way in hell!” Now wait a second. These are Tabi’un. Some of these people are sahabas. They had a radically different understanding of the message of this religion and its practices. They didn’t buy this child marriage thing.”
Now I have seen some academics make mistakes -we all do. However, I have to be quite honest in saying these are some of the wildest assertions yet!
This is the wildest assertion attributed to our school that I have ever seen! I am going to attribute these statements to the free flow of the discussion and perhaps there were many thoughts swirling around and somewhere things got lost in the conversation.
There are many thoughts here.
First and foremost is, what is the source of this?!
This actually goes against all those people who are arguing against child marriage! All those liberals, Hafs-only Quranists, modernists are now shaking their heads and wondering what on Earth? Because now what our brother, Dr. John Morrow has effectively done is to assert that this (child marriage) was indeed held by early Muslims, many of them companions and successors, and that Muslims had a major war over this!
Considering that the Ibadi predecessors were the muhakima that split from Ali’s camp and they (the Ibadi predecessors are portrayed as saying: “What the F No way in hell” this must mean that Ali and his supporters were gung ho for child marriages? How can one not draw this conclusion based upon the data given?
Considering that it is suggested that Ali and his supporters were gung ho for child marriages, should we then understand that Imami and Zaydi Shi’i are pro-child marriage?
Considering the person in question -Aisha (ra) was not anywhere near Siffin, how would she not play a role in any of that?
I have shared my concerns with Brother Kamal -who is a very good friend, close brother and sincere Muslim. May Allah bless him and bless his channel.
I have to write things like this because our school is terribly misunderstood and maligned. Brother Dr. John Morrow has shown his willingness to backtrack statements. Which is the sign of a sincere believer. May Allah love him.
I hope that maybe in the future he can clarify some of these statements.
For those who are keen and interested in learning more about the Ibadi school from Ibadi sources, I would kindly direct your attention to our resource page here:
“And for their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.” And they did not kill him nor did they impale (ṣalabūhu) him; (وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ)but it was made to appear to them so. Those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no certain knowledge of it, but only follow conjecture. For certainly, they did not kill him.” (Qur’an 4:157)
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As mentioned before we do a tight textual analsysis of the Qur’an in order to reach the correct understanding. This is done by comparing a word with all other instances of that word in the Qur’an. This is done by also comparing the context of verses with their surrounding verses. This is known as Tafsir al-Quran bi-l-Quran. (Interpreting the Qur’an by the Qur’an)
In a discussion on Blogging Theology titled: “Jesus was not crucified: the evidence with Dr. Ali Ataie.” Dr. Ali Ataie made some very interesting assertions. Assertions which move him closer to our position.
@40:28 Dr. Ataie states: “But I do believe that myth and legend has probably soo permeated the gospel accounts of Jesus passion narratives that it is not at all beyond reason to dismiss them completely as historical fiction!”
Prima-Qur’an comments: Allahu Akbar! there you go Dr. Ataie now that is the ticket! Than the idea that someone was “crucified” is likely based upon what? Myth and legend.
Dr. Ataie gets into his understanding of: Qur’an 4:157 “It was made to appear to them so.“
@53:38 “They did not have information. It did not come from a reliable source.” @54:11 “Jews and Christians ended up following hearsay reports about some crucifixion event from non eye-witnesses….”
Prima-Qur’an comments: Dr. Ataie state: ” “Jews and Christians ended up following hearsay reports about some crucifixionevent from non eye-witnesses….”
I would replace some words in the above sentence: “Jews and Christians ended up following hearsay reports about some imaplement event from non eye-witnesses….
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), (Galatians 3:13)
Paul is quoting from a text that mentions a post mortem suspension punishment. The individual is killed first and while dead then supsended. Christians understand the Crucifixion as an ante mortem suspension punishment where the person is killed via asphyxiation while alive and being suspended.
This is exactly what shubbiha lahum means. It is not shubi ha alayhim!
In fact because we love you the readers insh’Allah I will give you a sneak peak at one of the slides that Shaykh Hilal and I are working on.
No pay wall and no gate keeping information!
This is the critical linguistic and contextual refinement. This is a far more precise reading of the phrase شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ (shubbiha lahum) and the verses that follow.
From the Ibadi perspective and reading of the verse the point fundamentally shifts the understanding of the verse from a narrativeabout a visual illusionin real-time toa critique of a historical claim based on unreliable transmission. Let’s integrate this correction.
The Correct Understanding of Point 4:167
The phrase وَ لٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ (“but it was made to appear so to them”) does not describe a miraculous event witnessed by onlookers in real time. Instead, it critiques the oral tradition and historical narrative that the Jewish community subsequent to the event had come to believe and propagate.
The Qur’an’s own subsequent words completely invalidate the possibility of this being an eye-witness account:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ – “Indeed, those who differ over it are surely in doubt about it.” (4:157)
Doubt (شَكٍّ – shakk) is impossible for someone who witnessed an execution firsthand.
مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ – “They have no knowledge of it.” (4:157)
Knowledge (عِلْمٍ – ‘ilm) is exactly what an eye-witness would claim to have.
Assumption (الظَّنَّ – al-ẓann) is the antithesis of eye-witness testimony.
A Hadith that is classified as الظَّنَّ (al-ẓann), meaning “conjectural” or “of presumptive status,” and comes from a lone narrator (or a single strand of transmission) is known as a Khabar al-Āḥād (خبر الآحاد).
Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Definition: A Khabar al-Āḥād is a report (Hadith) that does not reach the highest level of mass transmission (Mutawātir). It is narrated by one or a few individuals at any stage of its chain of narration (isnad), such that the number of narrators does not generate absolute, certain knowledge (ilm al-yaqīn) in the listener. Instead,it generates presumptive knowledge (ilm al-ẓannī), which is sufficient for action but is theoretically open to doubt.
Therefore, the Qur’an is not describing a supernatural trickery of the senses that happened in the past. It is describing the state of the received narrative in the present tense of its revelation.
The chain of meaning, according to this corrected interpretation, is:
The Claim: A specific Jewish community (contemporary to the Prophet Muhammed or just prior) boasts, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” This is their historical claim.
The Denial: The Qur’an flatly denies this: “And they did not kill him, nor did they impale him (وَ مَا صَلَبُوهُ).”
The Explanation for the False Claim: How did this false claim arise? The event was “made to appear to them (شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ)” in their oral traditions and historical accounts. The truth was obscured within their own narrative.
The Proof of the Falsehood: The proof that this claim is a baseless tradition and not established fact is that those who argue over it are in doubt, devoid of certain knowledge, and following only assumptions about what truly happened. True eye-witnesses to a capital punishment would not be in a state of doubt and conjecture; they would be certain.
“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (Qur’an 20: 114)
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“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (Qur’an 20:114)
The above verse is a direct plea to our Creator. That we ask Allah (swt) to advance us in knowledge.
“Then ask those who have knowledge.” (Qur’an 21:17)
The above verse has its context; however it is apt. If you do not know ask those who do know. It is quite sensible.
It is in this spirit that the Ibadi have been on the forefront of opening thier libraries to the curious researchers from Western Academia.
Western academia has a penchat for pursing degrees and doctorate thesis on novel subjects or that which seems to be obscure.
This creates wonderful opportunities to learn.
Some brief comments about the author.
Valerie J. Hoffman, research professor emerita in the Department of Religion, has served at the University of Illinois for more than 39 years.
Valerie Hoffman was one of the first women in the field of Islamic Studies at a time when few universities even offered such a program.
It is said that she recently retired from her position at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
She has otherwise presented excellent lectures and introductions on the Ibadi school.
She plans a forthcoming book: “Islamic Sectarianism Reconsidered: Ibadi Islam in the Modern Age.”
That book may well have been prompted by this site: primaquran.com
It is hoped that she will take on board the feedback and introduce the very important and crucial nuances that she missed.
It is also hoped that she introduces the eye opening statment from Shaykh Shamsu-Deen Abū Ya‘qūb Yūsuf ibn Ibrāhīm al-Warijilānī (r) that is quoted in Kitab al Wada’ Al Mukhtasar Fi Usul Al -Fiqh by Shaykh Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Abī al-Khayr al-Jannāwunī.
These were Shaykhs in the 12th century. To have the positions that they had at the time would be considered quite ‘progressive’. We don’t take into account the blame of the blamers. We take into account the Qur’an and the Sunnah. That forms the basis of our judgements.
Some breif comments about the book.
The Essentials of Ibadi Islam:-Valerie J. Hoffman. An Orientalist translation of Arabic Ibadi creedal text into English. This basically is a translation work of: Al-Aqidah ‘l-Wahbiyya -the most relied upon by the Ibadi in the West. As well as a treatise from Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz al-Thamini al-Mus’abi on God’s Power and Human Acts, from Kitab Ma’alim al-Din
The author overall does a faithful job of sticking to the original sources. She often engages the text by asking questions left unresolved*(which could have been resolved had she consulted the scholars in her midst). She often correctly detects errors in the Arabic and other times superimposes what she thinks it should mean. Notwithstanding these minor irritations, it is overall a faithful translation.
*To give you just one example of this in Ms. Hoffman’s work.
Source: (pg. 172)
So, this can leave in the mind of the reader that we some how are going against a clear edict in the Qur’an. Unfortunately, this shows Ms. Hoffman’s lack of engagement with our scholars in regards to some questions she raises in the book.
Another point. She recklessly misrepresents as the default view of the Ibadi school that:
“Although one must treat non-Ibadi Muslims with the courtesy that all monotheist deserve, according to classic Ibadi doctrine, neither they nor sinning Ibadis will be allowed into paradise they are doomed to hellfire.” Source: (pg. 30)
This is extremely reckless and can be the cause of real life physical attack upon those in our community. For example: It has NEVER been the position of the Ibadi school that sinning Ibadi or sinning non-Ibadi Muslims are doomed to hellfire. The position has ALWAYS been that Ibadi’s who repent are subject to the mercy of Allah. Second as regard non-Ibadi at the very least a person needs to be: mukallāf-someone pubescent and sane. Next the clear evidence has to be presented to the individual and we take as evidence the following:
“So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? How then are you turned away?” –(Qur’an 10:32).
That judgement can only be passed on non-Ibadi on the basis of masail al din and not masail al-ra’y. If she bothered to look into the position of the school in regard to the theological position as regard those who Islam may not have reached (isolated islands etc.) she would have appreciated as much.
Again, personally I find it a bit of a disrespect. Here you are being welcomed in a country by its people, they open up their libraries and manuscripts to you. The claim is that you are exposing the Western world to Ibadhism. Yet, you leave comments like the above which could have been clarified. It is certainly not helpful. In regard to one passing comment it is actually dangerous in today’s hyper-sectarian world not to clarify the position of the school or at the very least pass over the matter.
Though, as stated: minor irritations, it is overall a faithful translation. Surely she will receive her reward with her Lord in this life. My hope is that she will embrace the haqq before she meets her Lord.
In fairness to her one man did an interview with her. Our understanding from him is that prior to the interview she wanted to make sure it was not a ‘hit piece’ on the Ibadi school. Now rather or not that was to ensure she would be invited back to Oman (self-interest) or out of genuine concern that it would stir up sectarian passions (selfless-interest) and (altruism) Allah knows best.
Also, keep in mind that we encourage people to study text with our teachers and with our scholars. We had an individual some years back who made the boisterous claim that he was teaching Ibadi Aqidah using Ms. Hoffman’s work! Notwithstanding the fact that this person scarcely knowns Arabic, nor receieved knowledge from teachers, but the book leaves out many fundamentals that would be taught in a structured class on the subject. It is a translation of particular text.
The book itself it is put in the format of Student/Teacher. Surely this would have opened some eyes.
May Allah (swt) forgive our obstinance and soften our hard hearts.
Books are helpful. I said before and I said again. If you want to learn about the Ibadi school, the Hanafi school, the Maliki school, the Zaydi school, or any school you absolutely must connect with practices teachers and masters of those schools. Otherwise all you will ever half are baked surface level knowledge -which often could be mistaken.
“No indeed! The truth is that their hearts have become rusted on account of their evil deeds.” (Qur’an 83:14)
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The following is taken from a lecture from Abdul Hakim Murad.
“As we are initiated into the distractions of the world, however, it [heart] is covered over with the ‘rust’ (ran) of which the Qur’an speaks. This rust is made up of two things: sin and distraction. When, through the process of self-discipline, these are banished, so that the worshipper is preserved from sin and is focusing entirely on the immediate presence and reality of Allah, the rust is dissolved, and the ruh once again is free. The heart is sound; and salvation, and closeness to Allah, are achieved.”
What Sins Do To The Heart – Shaykh Dawud Bu-Sinani.
“The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart..” (Qur’an 26:88-89)
Special thanks to the ‘Ibadi Theologian’ for this timely reminder.
Remember, we do not need to wait until Ramadan to get close to Allah and to repent and to reform. Every breath that enters our lunges, every passes moment is a chance to turn it all around dear brothers and sisters!
“Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” (Qur’an 3:185)
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Ramadan Day 26:Purifyyour intentions and work hard.
*26th of Ramadan* ——————————– *Heart Illness: Loving the Dunya* From the things that destroy the heart is the love of this life and its desires. Loving this life is the start of every sin, the permitted things in this life are reckoning, it’s prohibitions are punishments, its start is crying, its middle is pain and its ending is mortality.
Allah says:
“The enjoyment of desires—women, children, treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and fertile land—has been made appealing to people. These are the pleasures of this worldly life, but with Allah is the finest destination.” (Qur’an 3:14)
and
“And give them a parable of this worldly life. like the plants of the earth, thriving when sustained by the rain We send down from the sky. Then they turn into chaff scattered by the wind. And Allah is fully capable of all things.” (Qur’an 18:45)
The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were filled with a love for the Blessed Prophet (saw) that was deeper than the love for their own families. They wished for every comfort and ease for him, and it pained them to see him in any state of hardship.
On one occasion, they entered upon the Messenger of Allah (saw) and saw that he had been sleeping on a simple, coarse mat made of palm fibers. The harsh weave of the mat had left its clear imprint on his blessed side, marking his skin with its pattern.
Their hearts swelled with compassion and concern. One of them exclaimed, “O Messenger of Allah! Why didn’t you call us so that we could have spread a softer, more comfortable bedding for you?”
They longed to provide him with every comfort, to spare him from the slightest discomfort. But the Blessed Prophet (saw), whose mission was to teach humanity the meaning of life, turned to them with a gaze filled with profound wisdom. He was not concerned with the fleeting comforts of a world he understood to be a mere passage.
He (saw) said:
“What have I to do with this world? My example and the example of this worldly life is but that of a rider who journeyed on a scorching summer’s day. He stopped to rest in the shade of a tree for a short while. Then, he rose and continued on his journey, leaving it behind.”
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Explanation and Meaning:
With this magnificent parable, the Blessed Prophet (saw) distilled the entire Islamic outlook on life:
The Rider: This is the believer, the soul on its journey through existence. Our ultimate destination is not this world, but the Hereafter (al-Ākhirah)—the meeting with our Lord.
The Scorching Summer Day: This represents the toil, trials, heat, and hardships of worldly life. It is a temporary state of difficulty through which one must pass.
The Shade of the Tree: This is the metaphor for the worldly life (ad-Dunyā) itself. It is a temporary respite, a momentary relief from the journey’s heat. It is a blessing from Allah, to be used gratefully but not to be mistaken for a permanent home.
The Short Nap: This signifies the brevity of human life. No matter how long one lives—60, 70, or 100 years—in the grand scale of eternity, it is nothing more than a brief pause, a short nap.
Leaving it Behind: This is the crucial point. The rider does not pack up the tree and take it with him. He does not become attached to the shade. He enjoys its respite, thanks Allah for it, and then moves on toward his real goal without a backward glance. Similarly, a believer uses the comforts and blessings of this world as a means to aid their worship and journey to Allah, never becoming enslaved by them or heartbroken at their loss.
*Walayah and Bara’ah of Dhahir* Last time we mentioned Walayah and Bara’ah of Haqiqah and Jumlah, today we will take a look at the third type which is walayah and bara’ah of Dahir, the word dhahir refers to the appearance, so you judge the people based on their appearance.
Walayat ad-dhahir is based on what is apparent from a person, and his straightness in his sayings and actions, like so, Bara’ah is based on the apparent of the people if they fall in a violation of truth by saying or doing while insisting on it.
There are three ways for walayah: 1. Preview: it is when the person sees the other in what shows his straightness without deviation from the truth by saying or doing, while hastening towards repenting after making a mistake.
2. Reputation: when a person is known for his righteousness and the toungs repeat this around.
3. Testimony: it’s to get this from two witnesses, and there is an opinion regarding if one person can be sufficient.
These ways are the same for bara’ah but it has one more way which is self-endorsement of committing a major sin either by saying, doing or believing.
and if there is some whom is unknown to you, or you can’t fit him in the previous conditions then he should be in Wuquf (to stop) until he can be put in walayah or bara’ah.
If you want to read more on this most important concept in Islam.
*The relationship between the prayer of the Imam and the Followers* The most prominent opinion in this issue is that the the prayer of the followers are linked to the prayer of the Imam, so if the prayer of the Imam is corrupted then the prayer of the followers is corrupted, based on the following pieces of evidence:
The imam carries some actions in the prayer, which the follower should have done if he prayed alone
The follower cannot precede the imam in anything in the prayer or else his prayer will break
If the follower was a traveler he should pray 4 Rak’as behind a resident imam, even though it’s obligatory for him to pray 2
The saying of the Blessed Prophet (saw):
“The imam was made to be followed, so if he prays standing pray standing, and if he prays sitting pray sitting.”
Prima Quran 