Imam al-Layth’s letter to Imam Mālik

For the context of this letter, please refer to this post. --- In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Form al-Layth b. Sa`d to Mālik b. Anas. I salute you with peace and praise Allah besides wh...

Imam Mālik’s letter to Imam al-Layth

Of the most famous intellectual rivalries in Islamic history is the rivalry of Imam Mālik ibn Anas and Imam al-Layth ibn Sa'd. Both were tremendous legal scholars, both founded a madhab, and both were intellect...

The Compilation of the Qur’an

Somewhere in the back of our minds, we vaguely know that the Qur'an has been preserved impeccably, to a level unparalleled by any other scripture. However, many Muslim men don't know the exact process by which ...

The Caged Hawk at Toulon-Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi

Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi (alternatively spelled Abdelkader El Djezairi) was an Algerian scholar who led the struggle against French colonization in the mid 19th century. His consistent regard for human rights dre...

A Brief History of Hadith

Some people always love to claim that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited writing down hadith. This is absolutely and unequivocally true……..in the early stage of Islam. We have an authentic narration in Sahih Muslim where...

The Rise of Asharism

In the 3rd century AH, a man named Abul Hasan Ali ibn Ismail ibn al-Bishr, a descendant of the famous sahabi Abu Musa al-Ashari was born in Basra. This was an era when Mu’tazilism was gaining a strong foothold ...

The Rise of Mu’tazilism

The famous scholar of the tabi'een Al-Hasan al-Basri was teaching a halaqah when the topic came up of a Muslim who commits major sins. Al-Hasan said that such a person, although a sinner, is still undoubtedly a...