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By Imam Numaan Cheema (Boston, Massachusetts) Alhamdulillah, as we approach the last ten days of Ramadan, it’s time to contemplate on our situation and priorities. It is a time to reaffirm our resolve in doing even more worship in this blessed month. All in hopes of obtaining and securing a ticket to jannah and most importantly, seeking the pleasure of our Creator. As Muslims, Allah has presented us with a simple, yet amazing contract: Indeed, Allah has purchased the lives and the properties of the believers so that they may have jannah. (9:111) Imam Hasan Al Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Look at the generosity of Allah—He created the souls and provided the wealth, then He granted it for them and He purchased it from them with this invaluable contract—and indeed, it is a profitable transaction.” In an effort to fulfill this contract, we should be checking our worship repeatedly and always trying to tread those paths that lead us closer to Him. One of these ‘paths’ taught to us is following and reviving a sunnah. The Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) said, “Whoever revives an aspect of my sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting anything from their reward.” (Tirmidhi) One of the sunnahs we hope to see muslim men and women revive is i’tikāf, which was a well-known practice of the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace). Ali Ibn Hussain (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from his father that the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) said: “Whoever observes ten days of i’tikāf during Ramadan will obtain the reward of two Hajj and two Umrah.” (Bayhaqi) Sayyidna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) said: “Whosoever for Allah’s sake did even one day’s i’tikāf, Allah will keep him away from jahannam with trenches.” (Tabarani) Sayyidah A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) “used to perform i’tikāf in the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah took him.” (Bukhari & Muslim) I’tikāf is a sunnah mu’akkadah in the last ten days of Ramadan. This month is the most suitable time to carry out this worship. Moreover, the last ten days of Ramadan are the days in which Laylatul Qadr normally occurs. It may occur in any of the odd nights of these days. When one is in i’tikāf for the last ten days of Ramadan, he can surely benefit from its innumerable merits, because even if he is sleeping, it will be credited to his account as ‘worship’. Every second in i’tikāf is ‘ibādah, even if one is eating, drinking or sleeping. This extraordinary privilege cannot be attained in anything other than i’tikāf. This is why the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) used to perform i’tikāf every year in Ramadan. I’tikāf can be attained by both men and women. Men are to perform this virtuous act in a masjid while women are to perform i’tikāf in their homes by designating a certain area/room as their place of stay. I’tikāf is an opportune time to communicate with Allah; to beseech Him, to ask Him for forgiveness and to ask for all of one’s needs.

by Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey) A strange innovation happened in the salah of women in the past generation; a small group began telling the women to pray like men. To stand like men with chests protruding, and to perform their ruku’ and sujud like men with the other end protruding. First, they cite the statement of the tabi’i1, Ibrahim al-Nakha’i (May Allah have mercy on him), “A woman does in salah as a man does.” However, the hadith scholars tell us that this statement is fabricated and to use it as proof is a gross error. Second, they cite the hadith, “Pray as you have seen me pray.”2 However, wasn’t it the salaf al-saliheen that saw him (Allah bless and give him peace) pray? Yet, their women did not pray like men. They obeyed the words of Allah in Surah al-Noor, “Do not display yourselves except for that which is apparent.” Once, upon noting two women praying, our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace) advised them of the correct manner of praying and stated, “A woman is not like a man in [salah].”3 In other words, a Muslimah should pray modestly while in salah. With this principle of modesty in salah, fifteen individuals from the salaf al-saliheen4 indicated that the women’s salah is different from the men’s salah. There are no narrations stating that they are the same. For the sake of brevity, I have compiled their opinions into five basic differences. Upon the opening takbir, the hands should be kept close to the body and raised up to the chest and shoulders only. The hands should be placed upon the chest. To ensure that the arms are kept close to the body and the posterior concealed as much as possible, ruku’ should be done by bending the back only enough for the hands to reach the knees. When performing sujud, the arms and abdomen are placed upon the thighs while contracting the body as much as possible. When sitting, the women should sit with her legs off to the right side with her bottom on the floor. Although, to sit in a manner similar to men has also been mentioned by some. The strongest proof is that throughout the entirety of Islamic history, the salaf al-saliheen, hadith scholars and fiqh scholars universally stated that there are distinct differences between the salah of men and women! The salaf al-saliheen and the expert scholars following them were given the heavy task of interpreting the words of Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless and give him peace). It is the defining characteristic of Sunni Islam that we follow them. In this, we have not deviated at all since the passing of our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace). Why start now? _____ 1 The generation that learned directly from the Companions. They make up one of the three generations of the salaf al-saliheen. 2 Reported by Imam Bukhari in his Sahih. The context is the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) addressing a group of young men. 3 Reported in Marasil Abi Dawud. 4 Among them are Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn ‘Umar, ‘Ali, Wa’il ibn Hujr, Umm Darda’, Hasan, Qatada, Nafi’, Sha’bi, Ibrahim, Mujahid, ‘Ata’, Zuhri, Hammad, and Hafsa bint Sireen (May Allah have mercy on them all). Their direct quotes may be found in the hadith books Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Majma al-Zawa’id, and Imam Bukhari’s Raf’ al-Yadayn.

by Imam Numaan Cheema (Boston, Massachusetts) Once upon a monotonous khutbah, while pondering bored and sleepy, sat a man nodding, nearly napping, listening to the speaker yapping. Struggling to stay awake he was, looking for ways to keep himself occupied he was. He turned to play with the carpet designs imagining a complex labyrinth video game designed by his mind. The imaginary carpet labyrinth became debunked as the uncle next to him shushed audible sounds inadvertently with a stare that could overcome a Kryptonian’s heat vision. Yet again, he found himself sleep nodding within seconds after his imaginary game was over. In a desperate attempt to keep his ablution valid, our protagonist turns to the method of staying awake practiced by millions worldwide during khutbahs, speeches, classes, talks, and tests: to enter the land of Day Dreaming. He looks up to the not so excited khateeb focusing his eyes and exerting the least amount of energy possible attempting to break through the atmosphere we call reality. “Focus,” he told himself. “You dazed through hundreds of classes, meetings, speeches. You can do this! You have the power!” His hard-built focus is abruptly shattered as the khateeb snaps and starts screaming at the crowd, trying to get his point across the field of napping locals. He finds himself staring at the khateeb’s face, imagining his well-tied black turban1 flying off any moment as he transitions into Imam Super Saiyan; his long under-the-ear2 hair spiking up golden, the neatly ironed thobe ripping, and developing the facial expressions needed. However, to his disappointment, the most ‘saiyan-ness’ he gets to witness is the nerve in the forehead of the imam throbbing with anger. A light chuckle leaves his throat as he gets up for prayer. After finishing the prayer, he tries to scurry to get out of the prayer hall to beat the rush, but he feels a heavy boulder-like weight on his shoulder holding him down. Ignoring the cries of pain, he turns to see the monster responsible, and to his surprise, he sees the same Professor X-Superman fused uncle peering into his soul. Overtaken by awe and fear, he opens his mouth to query the uncle to let go of his shoulder, but no words exit. The uncle awkwardly smiles and asks him his name. Taking advantage of the moment, he replies, “The name’s Muslim…Joe Muslim.” The uncle completely ignoring him tells Joe Muslim that our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught us to remain quiet and focused during the khutbah to the point of not even telling another to stay quiet.3 Having said and explained this, super-powered uncle pulled Joe Muslim in for a Barney-like hug and slid away in his wheelchair leaving Joe shocked at the kindness shown and how the man giving advice was truly commando-good. Joe Muslim with a smile prayed his remaining sunnahs and walked out a better man than he was an hour ago. _____ 1 Wearing a black turban (amamah) is from the Sunnah of our Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace): Amr bin Huraith (May Allah be pleased with him) says, “I had seen the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) wear a black turban” (Tirmizi) 2 The length of the hair of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) reached up to the middle of the ear. According to another narration, the hair reached up to the ear and yet, in another narration, it is mentioned that it reached up to the ear‐lobes. There are also narrations that mention that the hair was close to the ear‐lobes. (Shamail al-Tirmidhi) 3 The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When the Imam is giving the khutba, and you ask your companion to keep quiet and listen, then no doubt you have done a vain act.” (Bukhari)

by Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey) “Ok, I’m in salāh. I’m standing before my Creator. Focus… concentrate… khushū’. But why is this brother standing on my foot? Ok, I’ll move my foot over a bit and then, I can get back to my khushū’. He moved his foot over more. Why brother? Why?!?” Turns out that brother is sincerely trying to act upon a hadith; a hadith in Sahīh Bukharī no less! On one occasion, after our Nabi (Allah bless him and give him peace) told his Companions to straighten the rows for salāh, Sayyidna ‘Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “Each one of us joined his shoulder with the shoulder of the one next to him and his foot with the foot of the one next to him.” Bam! There you go! We’re done. Class dismissed. Thank you, come again. Hold on, Apu1! You missed the other hadiths about joining the ankles, knees and shoulders2. If you were able to join your feet and ankles together, how are you going to join your knees together? Suppose you’re a ballerina and you managed that. How are you going to join your knees if you’re a midget standing next to Yao Ming3 (may Allah guide him to Islam)? How are you going to join your shoulders in that scenario? So unless we were commanded to be contortionists of the same height, we probably misunderstood something here. When looking at all of the hadiths on this topic, it becomes apparent that our Nabi (Allah bless him and give him peace) intended for us to form the rows while making sure that our body parts lined up. He did not mean to literally join them. This is why in other hadiths, he mentions lining up our chests and necks too4. Hence, why our Nabi (Allah bless him and give him peace), the senior Companions and mujtahid imams never advised joining the feet together. Yes, that’s right. Read that sentence one more time. Our Nabi (Allah bless him and give him peace) summed up his intention in another hadith, “Straighten your rows, align your shoulders, make space for your brothers, and close the gaps.5” The way of the salaf al-sālihīn6 and the overwhelming majority of scholars that came afterwards was to stand in a way that was comfortable so that they could focus on the task at hand and not the feet of the person next to them. So now that we’re not trying to be contortionists, we can follow the Qur’an and “stand before Allah with humility7” to get back to that khushū’. ________ 1 Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also an Indian immigrant. Apu is well known for his repeated and characteristic delivery of the catchphrase, “Thank you, come again.” It has been argued that the portrayal of this character is a racist caricature. (Wikipedia) 2 Nu’man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with him): “I saw each person join his shoulder with the shoulder of the person next to him, his knee with the knee of the person next to him, and his ankle with his ankle.” (Sunan Abu Dawud- one of the “six authentic books of hadiths”) 3 A now retired NBA player who was 7ft 6in tall. 4 The Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) commanded, “Line the necks up.” (Sunan Abu Dawud- one of the “six authentic books of hadiths”) The Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) used to command the Companions to straighten the rows when he saw their chests misaligned or he would physically align them by touching their chests and shoulders. (Nasa’i- one of the “six authentic books of hadiths”) 5 Musnad Ahmad- The massive hadith collection of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. 6 Salaf al-sālihīn refers to the first three generations of Muslims, who the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) referred to as the best of generations. 7 Surah al-Baqarah: 287

written by Mateen A. Khan, Piscataway, NJ A version of this article was first published in Al-Madania Magazine. Proof for the Prophet ﷺ The truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is supported by an overwhelming amount of proof. It is a topic well beyond the capabilities of this writer. However, I will write a few things which will, in shā Allāh, serve as a platform for further reading and thought. In this article, we return to a statement from an earlier article in this series titled “On Knowledge & Knowing”: The astute reader will now realize that the deen rests entirely on the shoulders of a single, true transmitter from Allah. He ﷺ was one aided by many miracles, which prove whatever he narrated to us must be true by virtue of divine confirmation of his prophethood. The strongest rational evidence for his prophethood and truthfulness is his miracles. Simply, miracles (al-mu`jizāt) are events that happen against the laws of physics. In other words, these are events for which no explanation exists other than the Creator causing them to happen. What we witness as nature or physical laws are no more than the customs or Sunnah of Allah. Nothing occurs except that Allah brings it into existence. No object moves or holds still except He wills it. It is through these signs most of us recognize Allah and through which He interacts with His creation moment to moment. When something occurs against the natural norm, we know only Allah could have done so. If this is coupled with a person’s claim to prophethood, it is equivalent to Allah signaling, “This man tells the truth.” We then know his claim to be truthful. Imams al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrate the Prophet ﷺ said, “There was not a single prophet who was not given a miracle by which people believed in him. I was given [the Qur’an] which Allah revealed to me.” The Qur’an is a miracle unlike any other given before. It is preserved, recited continuously, infinitely deep, perfect in meaning, and eternal. Further, Allah the Exalted states in it, “Falsehood cannot approach it” (41:42) and “Had it been from someone other than Allah, they would have found in it a great deal of discrepancy” (4:82). When Sayyiduna Ja`far ibn Abī Tālib recited Surah Maryam to Najāshī, it affected him deeply. He sent seventy Christian scholars to the Prophet ﷺ who heard Surah Yāsīn and began to cry recognizing it as divine. This occurred then and continues to occur today. For every miracle, two things are needed. First, it is given to one claiming prophethood and clearly incapable of causing the event. Second, his people are invited to bring something like it to establish their helplessness as well. Thus, it becomes clear that the miracle was a divine act. The Qur’an is a literary masterpiece, and one the Prophet ﷺ was incapable of authoring. He was never trained in language or the literary arts, and he was proudly declared by Allah and the prophets before him as an “ummī”, illiterate. Do not make the mistake of thinking the Qur’an is like other masterpieces. For example, William Shakespeare was a trained master playwright. Yet, his works contain historical and geographical mistakes. They were almost certainly changed as editors applied their discretion in compiling what was passed to them from the memories of actors. Recent analysis of the plays suggests they were not written by him alone, but with help from another. In contrast, the Qur’an is free of any type of error and preserved from change. It came spontaneously from the Prophet without preparation, revision, or practice and has not yet been fully understood or replicated by another, nor can it be. Analysis of the Qur’an from tafsīr and language experts bears witness to its miraculous nature. Every letter of it divine with a source that could only be the spring of prophethood. More impressive was the reaction of the Prophet’s contemporaries, the Arabs to whom the challenge of the Qur’an was first issued. Allah the Exalted declares, “If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to our Servant then bring a surah similar to this.” (2:23) and “Say [O Prophet], ‘If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants’” (17:88). Being experts in their own language, the Arabs alleged it was magic or supra-human assistance. This is an admission of its perfection. For had they noted human error or literary mistakes, they would have pointed that out instead. From its words and syntax to its style and overall system, they found nothing in its over six thousand verses to criticize. Even the Orientalists of today no longer claim the Prophet ﷺ was an imposter looking for some secondary gain and so made up the Qur’an with an alternative motive. Rather, they are only left with alleging he was afflicted by prolonged meditation or a psychiatric disorder. This allegation is easily refuted with a cursory glance at his sīrah and his accomplishments. From the time when the Arabs generally possessed the highest of literary skill and throughout the subsequent fourteen centuries, the challenge of imitating the Qur’an remains unfulfilled. Had even one person done so, the zeal of the non-Muslims would have preserved and propagated it to no end. How could they not have when they have always outnumbered the Muslims. Or, had one person done so, others surely would have as well. Thus, the inability of the claimant to prophethood and his people to produce the Qur’an establishes it as a divine act. Besides the Qur’an, the Prophet ﷺ was given many other miracles. Some of them manifested in the objects around him. For example, the splitting of the moon, a tree coming closer to him, stones speaking, the yearning of a palm tree trunk, the complaining of a female camel, a cooked sheep informing him of it being poisoned, and the shading of clouds as he traveled. Although most of these events were conveyed to us as single narrations, in their entirety, they convey certainty of the occurrence of miracles by his hand. His character, too, was proof of his prophethood. For example, when he first received revelation, he returned to his wife, Sayyidah Khadījah, who consoled him, reminded him of his good character, and believed in his prophethood before anyone else. She said, “You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.” Likewise, his closest friend, Sayyiduna Abū Bakr believed in him without asking for any proof for he had known his character from before. Whenever he saw him in his younger years, he would say, “This one was created for a great cause.” Later, when he came to know of his ﷺ prophethood, he replied, “This is what I hoped for from him.” (Al-Bidāyah) And so a great multitude of narrations continue like this. We all know many people and have read reports about countless others. However, we have never heard of a person like him. These reports lead one to believe such a man was protected by Allah to be perfect in character, inward and outward. When his own people were asked about him, they said, “We have only experienced truth from you.” (al-Bukhārī 4770) Even those in far away lands were drawn by what they heard. When Sayyiduna `Amr ibn al-`Āṣ went to the leaders of Oman, they and their followers accepted Islam based merely on what they had heard of him. Every convert to Islam has followed in the same way. He embodied the most perfect of characteristics throughout his life, never wavering, not in public or in private, not in anger or in joy. He was one of steadfastness, tranquility, nobility, dis-attachment to the world, and a continuous concern for the remembrance of Allah. Even his enemies, despite their animosity and desire to disparage him, were not able to slander him in the least. Muslims and non-Muslims alike have expressed his singularity among mankind. Therefore, it is inconceivable the Creator would have placed such qualities in a man, allowed him to continue preaching for twenty-three years, helped him against his enemies, made his way dominant over all others, and kept alive his teachings after his death until the Day of Resurrection unless he was a His Messenger. These are merely a couple of the considerations which eliminate any doubt of our Beloved’s ﷺ prophethood. Prompting us, Allah the Exalted states, “O people, the Messenger has come to you with the truth from your Lord. So, believe. That is good for you.” (4:170) When we have come to know this with certainty, then everything the Prophet ﷺ has relayed to us in the form of Allah’s speech and his own is truth binding us in belief and action. It is guidance in its purest form and blessings uncountable. With this last thought, we end Madina’s Our Creed series. In six articles, we have established the importance of `aqīdah, the method of acquiring knowledge, the existence of the Creator, His essential attributes, the need for Messengers, and finally, the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ. May Allah send His blessings upon His Messenger, our Beloved Muhammad, the best of creation, and upon his family, noble Companions, and all those who have followed them.

by Mateen A. Khan (Piscataway, NJ) A version of this article was first published in Al-Madania Magazine. Islam does not require separation between the religious and the secular by asking its adherents to have a split mind, because it provides a coherent, systematic approach to all types of knowledge. According to Imam Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī, knowledge (al-`ilm) is a trait by which a thing is made apparent to the one possessing it.1 According to others, it is to grasp what is known in the way it exists.2 (al-Kifāyah 47) In other words, knowledge is a trait of the seeker by which he attempts to grasp reality as it truly is and not some imagined, false construct. Thus, knowledge (al-`ilm) is a term referring to a firm conviction that corresponds to how something truly exists.3 Consequently, it is not applied to falsities and inaccuracies. The importance of knowledge is widely appreciated, but knowledge itself is rarely examined. As a part of ‘Our Creed’ series, I would like to turn our attention to knowledge and its sources. The importance of this subject cannot be overstated. Many of our scholarly works begin with this topic so the student has a single framework to deal with knowledge in both of its forms – religious and secular. An Islamically educated mind does not suffer the ills of cognitive dissonance. Instead, it understands itself and the rest of existence within the confines of the human mind. The Knowledge of Allah To better understand our knowledge, it helps to briefly review what we know about the knowledge of our Creator ﷻ 4 His knowledge is an essential part of Him, is uncreated, and has existed in completion, pre-eternally, without the constraints of time. His knowledge encompasses all things in every detail including all that exists, will exist, or could have existed. He is, in fact, the source of all knowledge. اللَّـهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّـهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا It is Allah who created seven heavens and a similar [number] of earths. His command descends throughout them. So you should realize that He has power over all things and that His knowledge encompasses everything. (Quran 65:12) The Knowledge of Creation In contrast, the knowledge of creation is not essential to its being and is itself a creation. For example, humans are born in a state without knowledge and are entirely dependent on others to feed and teach them. وَاللَّـهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ It is Allah who brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and minds, so that you might be thankful. (Qur’an Al-Naḥl 78) We begin in a state of ignorance. Knowledge is acquired thereafter according to our abilities and exposure. In other words, human knowledge is something gained (iktisābī) through certain means or sources (asbāb). The rest of this article will serve as an introduction to the means of gaining knowledge. Islamic Epistemology Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know. Without epistemology, you have no systematic way of processing knowledge. Most of us have not been taught how to think. We merely imitated our surroundings. Our scholars were not unanimous in how to approach this topic, but we will take an approach outlined by many earlier scholars including Imam Abū Ḥafs al-Nasafī (d. 537 ﻫ) in his al-`Aqā’id al-Nasafīyyah as our guide. All the knowledge we acquire can be placed into three categories: If the knowledge comes from oneself without the need for reasoning or use of the intellect, it is from the five senses (al-ḥawās al-ẓāhirah). If the knowledge comes from oneself through reasoning and without the senses, it is from the sound intellect (al-`aql al-salīm). If the knowledge comes from another, it is a true narration (al-khabar al-ṣādiq). Others have given more sources and gone into more detail including very intangible concepts, but the limitation to these three will prove to be more practical. As Imam al-Ṣābūnī wrote, “The obtainment of knowledge through these means is clearly perceptible to anyone just and fair.” (al-Bidāyah 31) The Unimpaired Senses The verse from Surah al-Naḥl quoted above suggests we exit the womb without any knowledge, and the first of it comes from the interaction of the senses with the external surroundings. Thus, the first source of human knowledge, as outlined by Imam al-Nasafī, is the five unimpaired senses, i.e. hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. The term ‘unimpaired’ is used to exclude individual senses which suffer from ailments like poor hearing or eyesight, color-blindness, paresthesia, and so on. When unimpaired, they are a source of knowledge that is immediate (i.e., little to no recourse to reasoning required) and give an extraordinary amount of constant information. One only needs to plug one’s ears or close one’s eyes to realize how important these are for information gathering, and how we practically rely upon them in all our affairs. We can also enhance our senses by using instruments like microphones and telescopes. Note that this category is not exclusive to humans. Animals, insects, and even plants have sense organs with many of their abilities exceeding ours. They, too, acquire knowledge through this means. Hence, from this perspective, we are no better than them and perhaps, less gifted in many ways. Despite their immense benefit, the senses are limited. For example, the senses perceive only what is present and direct. You can see what is in the room with you, but you cannot see what is in another room or what is on the other side of the planet. More importantly, even at their best, the five unimpaired senses cannot give us knowledge of unmeasurable concepts. The senses alone cannot interpret the data they perceive. They may observe the cosmos in all its splendor or the intricacies of the human body but cannot deduce their origin or purpose. Thus, while the senses are valuable, we are prompted to search for further sources. إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّـهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ In the succession of night and day, and in what Allah created in the heavens and earth, there truly are signs for those who are aware of Him. (Qur’an 10:6) The Sound Intellect In the previously mentioned verse of Surah al-Naḥl, after hearing and sight, Allah makes mention of the intellect, which is the second source of knowledge.5 The term ‘sound’ excludes intellects that may be afflicted with the many possible ailments of the mind. When sound, the intellect is a powerful tool allowing us to rationalize and determine things we cannot immediately perceive with the senses. Furthermore, it allows us to make sense of and draw conclusions from what we perceive. In other words, it takes over where the senses leave off. Knowledge obtained from intelligence can be accurate and lead to conclusions that must be true and acted upon. There are two types of knowledge gained from the intellect – immediate (badīhī) and deduced (istidlālī). Immediate knowledge is a statement understood at first glance without the need for thought. Logically and by definition, it must be true and is not open to rejection. For example, statements like an object is larger than one of its parts, one added to one gives two, or the knowledge of one’s existence must necessarily be true and cannot be rejected. Such knowledge is immediately apparent, binding, and needs no sensory input. Deduced statements require reflecting on proofs whether by deduction from cause to effect (e.g., where there is fire, there is smoke) or from effect to cause (e.g., where there is smoke, there is fire). (al-Taftazānī) With the right conditions, it can give certainty in knowledge but requires contemplating information from the five senses, information provided by other individuals, and rational ideas. (al-Sa`dī) The second type is of more interest to us because we rely upon it in most of our affairs. Whether in our day to day activities or in the different physical sciences or Islamic sciences, we continually contemplate amassed information in the form of premises and formulate inferences by deduction. If the premises are true, the inference must necessarily be true. For example, if all men are mortal (premise #1) and Zayd is a man (premise #2), then Zayd must be mortal (inference). Similarly, if a mu`jizah can only be performed by a Prophet and Ibrahim performed a mu`jizah, he must be a Prophet. The intellect is immensely valuable and makes up for much of the senses’ limitations. It assists us with an important concept mentioned in the previous article in this series and to be discussed further in a subsequent article: It is impermissible that Allah remains unknown to a person gifted with intellect. However, like the five senses, the intellect has many limitations. The list is long, but I will suffice you with two important examples: an objective purpose (Why are we here?) and morality (What should we do here?). Despite these two being of utmost importance to our humanity, no amount of thinking or philosophizing has given us clear answers. Instead, some intellects have gone to the extreme of justifying ethnic cleansing and infanticide, while others have proposed purposelessness and amorality. For an objective answer, we need another source. We cannot fathom that Allah would have left us in deficiency with just the senses and the intellect. أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى Does man think he will be left alone? (Qur’an 75:36) The True Narration – Mass Transmission The third and final source of human knowledge is the true narration. The term ‘true’ excludes information that is false despite an honest narrator or because the narrator is himself a liar. Imam al-Nasafī divided it into two types. He writes, “The first is the mass-transmitted, and it is the narration established by such people whom it is inconceivable that they would all collude on falsehood.6 It brings about necessary knowledge such as the knowledge of past kings in past times and of distant countries.” (al-Nasafī). For example, no one denies the existence of George Washington or the Ottoman Empire. We accept the existence of both, even though none of us have directly witnessed either one with any of our senses, and no amount of reasoning necessitates their existence. Rather, we accept them based on a multitude of different narratives that have reached us. The strength of this information is in such numbers that falsehood becomes impossible. Instead of a lengthy discussion of the merits of mass transmission, I will suffice by asking the reader to evaluate his own daily actions with the question, “How many truths do I hold based on information known to me purely because another told me?” You will find basic truths are known to you, not because of your senses or reasoning, but purely based on being informed of them by others. Similarly, you are more likely to believe news that is reported by multiple news sources of different persuasions than had it been reported by only one source. You believe it because that knowledge has reached you in such a way that to reject it is both unreasonable and inconsistent with how you function in the rest of your life. The True Narration – Single Transmission Next, Imam al-Nasafī turns his attention to the single transmission narration.7 This is unlike mass transmission, in which the information is not dependent on one or even a few individuals. Information in the single transmission can reach one through, say, just a single person. Generally, if information is conveyed to you by one person, its veracity is only as good as that informer. In other words, the strength of a single transmitted narration is in the truthfulness and veracity of the speaker. In our day to day life, we generally accept and rely on such information knowing in the back of our minds that it may be incorrect because even an intelligent, knowledgeable, reliable, and honest person can make a mistake. That being said, we routinely consider such information to be indispensable. Even the most skeptic or empiric of people rely upon it when taking information from experts and textbooks simply because they either lack the expertise or access to verify every piece of information on their own directly. So, we accept some narrations as absolute fact if conveyed to us by trusted experts. As our discussion has focused on knowledge that is certainly true, Imam al-Nasafī points out one situation in which a single transmission narration gives us indisputable knowledge without the possibility of mistake. “The second (true narration) is the narration of [a single] Messenger aided by a miracle, and it brings about deductive knowledge. The knowledge established by it resembles the knowledge established by necessity, in certainty and in permanence.” Briefly, a miracle (i.e., mu`jizah) is a sign of divine approval and protection of the Messenger. One, who is afforded such protection, must be truthful and either protected entirely from mistakes or corrected immediately upon making one. In shā Allah, this idea will be further explored in a future article. Putting It Together Everything we know falls into one of these three sources of knowledge (unimpaired senses, sound intellect, and true narrations). Whether Muslim or non-Muslim, in religious or secular matters, we rely upon this framework to understand the world around us. Daily, we survey our surroundings with our senses (e.g., the contents of the room we are in). We infer what we cannot sense with our intellect (e.g., the continual existence of what is outside of the room). What we cannot sense nor infer, we take from a narrator(s) (e.g., the existence of North Korea).8 Another example from the physical sciences is that I may watch leaves fall with my sight. I reason that there is a force that causes things to fall in my area and perhaps, such a force also exists elsewhere. Narrations from first-hand witnesses inform me such a force also exists in every place humanity has visited or observed. In our religious matters, our approach is no different. As discussed in the previous article of this series, our most important purpose is to recognize our Creator. The unimpaired senses prompt us with what they perceive. The sound intellect provides rational proofs. The true narration is the revelation (waḥī) from Allah to guide us wherever the intellect fails. We can only gain knowledge of our objective purpose and morality by revelation from the source of all knowledge, our Creator. We know with certainty that this revelation is traced to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as it has reached us through a process of mass transmission. The astute reader will now realize that the deen rests entirely on the shoulders of a single, true transmitter from Allah. He ﷺ was one aided by many miracles, which prove whatever he narrated to us must be true by virtue of divine confirmation of his prophethood. This relatively short article cannot do justice to this critical discussion. Instead, the reader should get the impression that all information is not the same. Each source of knowledge discussed above adds a layer of knowledge the prior could not provide. Through it, one may arrive at certain knowledge (yaqīnī). This is knowledge that demands conviction and action. Anything less, gives presumptive information (ẓannī); information that may encourage but not necessitate belief and action depending on the varying levels of certainty. For example, we know with certainty from mass transmitted narrations that George Washington was the first President. We know with less certainty from single transmitted narrations that he was born on February 22nd. And, we know his statement, “I can’t tell a lie.” after cutting the cherry tree is likely untrue since it is untraceable to him. Similarly, we know with certainty the Qur’an and mass transmitted hadith are from the Prophet ﷺ, and we know with deduced certainty that he was Allah’s Messenger. We have varying levels of certainty about other single transmitted hadith based upon their strength in text (matn), individual narrators (rijāl), and chain (sanad) according to the principles of the Hadith Scholars. It should now be clear to the reader that Muslims do not approach knowledge with an inconsistent mind, a part of it for the religious and another for the secular. We approach all knowledge with one epistemology. This makes sense as the source of all knowledge is one. And Allah knows best. وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّـهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا If it had been from anyone other than Allah, they would have found much inconsistency in it. (Qur’an 4:82) ——————— 1 ان العلم صفة ينجلي بها المذكور لمن قامت هي به 2 ان العلم معرفة المعلوم على ما هو به 3 (ان العلم لا يعرّف في هذا الفن الا بالاعتقاد الجازم المطابق للواقع (رمضان 118 4 The details of this knowledge will be explored in subsequent articles, in shā’ Allāh. 5 Imam al-Nasafī discusses the intellect as the third source. The order has been swapped to facilitate our discussion. 6 It is impossible that such so many people could have come together to decide on the same lie. Additionally, the information being conveyed must be sensory and not an idea. In other words, the narrators are conveying what was witnessed and not a widespread non-sensory idea like the Universe has a beginning. 7 Although termed single, it refers to anything not meeting the criterion for mass transmission. 8 This assumes the reader is not currently in or has not been to North Korea.

Mateen A. Khan (Trenton, NJ) `Aqīdah is the Most Important Science Today, the world’s people are drowning in a sea of knowledge. Yet, we flounder without any clear guidance to what it all means. From work and school related knowledge to websites, videos, and social media—which of it is important, relevant, and worth our attention? Unfortunately, we often miss the larger, more important discussions. Most people are too occupied with their own worldly lives and have little time to contemplate purpose, existence, death, and what comes after. The cell phones in hand, entertainment centers at home, and movie theaters in each part of town quickly steal any free time for reflection. Yet, an attraction towards the truth resides deep within each person. It’s a desire to cut through the man-made fog to see the underlying reality of existence. Some follow this attraction with exploration in the Natural Sciences, others in physical experiences, and still others sadly ignore it as something not worth thinking about. Tightly bound to this is the practical matter of relevant guidance—differentiating between the right and wrong, good and bad in our lives. Here, some inescapable questions arise for each person: Is there a Creator for the Universe, or has it always existed? Is there anything after death? What do we make of these competing ideologies and theologies seeking to answer these questions? Which ones, if any, are true? It is imperative in our time to create an environment which addresses these questions, and gives people purpose, understanding, and guidance. We need to create an environment of the most important type of knowledge. Drawing our attention by pointing out his status, the Prophet ﷺ said, “I am the most fearful of Allah among you, and I am the most knowledgeable of Him.”1 In this brief statement, he ﷺ indicates the most important knowledge is the knowledge of Allah. It is the root of all beneficial knowledge as everything the Prophet ﷺ taught us comes from it. Allah ta`āla said: شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. (3:18) Regarding this ayah, Sayyidunā Ibn `Abbās (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “Indeed, whoever testifies oneness for Allah, then it is the best of knowledge. For it is knowledge of that which is the most important and noble of knowledges. Indeed, knowledge increases nobility according to the nobility of what is known. When Allah ta`āla is the most magnificent of all existents, then likewise knowledge of Him will be the most magnificent of knowledges.2 Hence, the knowledge of Allah’s oneness and attributes is the greatest of sciences not only because it answers those inescapable questions, but additionally all other fields of knowledge are built upon it. It is known as al-`Ilm al-Uṣūl (foundational knowledge), because the other four sciences in the Sharī`ah stem from it. The first is Tafsīr, which is the study of an attribute of Allah, His speech. The second is Ḥadīth, which relies on recognizing the Prophet ﷺ and that only happens after recognizing Allah. The third is Uṣūl al-Fiqh, which is the study of the proofs of rulings, and all of that goes back to Allah’s Book. The fourth is Fiqh, which is built upon its Uṣūl.3 Every human, from our father Ādam (May Allah give him peace) to the last Muslim, either accepts it or is accountable for accepting it. Indeed, every creation of Allah, from the animate to the inanimate, (besides most men and jinn) accept it. It would be accurate to say that while the Sharī`ah of each Messenger has changed, their `aqīdah has been one and the same. One would expect as much since `aqīdah is an explanation of Reality, and Reality does not change from one generation to another. `Aqīdah starts with the knowledge of Allah’s oneness and attributes. Then, all creation has been a result of Allah’s will. Hence, it only makes sense that `aqīdah be the most important of all fields. It’s worth noting `aqīdah does not mean belief in a baseless gathering of held opinions, but rather, they are beliefs of dogma and doctrine. For example, one does not say, “I believe gravity exists.” Similarly, we do not say, “We believe a Creator exists.” Rather, we say with certainty, “A Creator exists.” We do not say, “We believe Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.” Rather, “Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.” Some may consider the point minor, but once īmān and the proofs supporting `aqīdah are understood, there is no reason to separate what is known physically from `aqīdah. Rather, as we will see in future articles inshā`Allāh, logic dictates that most `aqīdah points have a stronger basis than known physical laws. The Need for Kalām Every generation has a greater need for a particular science. In current times, people have a near non-existent understanding of creed. By this, I do not mean the regurgitation of the six articles of faith, but rather firm conviction in the truth of these articles resulting from a strong logical and textual-based foundation. The current generation has a need for a science called Kalām. Even other religions are turning to the work of Muslim Kalām scholars to support common core beliefs like the existence of a Creator. Kalām is the science of Allah’s oneness and attributes through which Islamic beliefs are established by laying out proofs (both logical and text-based) and removing doubts.4 Imam al-Taftazānī wrote in his Sharḥ al-`Aqā’id, “[Kalām] is security from the varying darknesses of doubts.” It was developed to further explain and defend `aqīdah, much like Fiqh developed to give insight into new rulings and understanding of old ones. For example, whereas our `aqīdah is Allah is the Creator of all things, Kalām explains to us why every contingent and possible existent must have a pre-eternal and necessary Existent. There is a rich tradition of explaining and defending `aqīdah, which arose soon after the Prophet’s ﷺ passing. During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, disagreements in creed did not exist, as the Companions were pure-hearted individuals drinking directly from the fountain of prophethood. If any disagreements arose, they were quickly resolved by simply asking him ﷺ. After his ﷺ death, different groups like the Mu`taziliyyah (the first group holding beliefs directly against clear scripture), Rawāfiḍ, Khawārij, etc. emerged. These groups held deviant positions incompatible with what was passed from the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. Whereas disagreements in other fields like Fiqh are more easily tolerated, the Prophet ﷺ warned us about disagreements in `aqīdah. وَإِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ تَفَرَّقَتْ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً كُلُّهُمْ فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ مِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً قَالُوا وَمَنْ هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَأَصْحَابِي Indeed, Banū Isrā’īl split into seventy-two sects. My ummah will split into seventy-three groups. Each of them will enter the Fire (for a time) except for one group. [The Companions] said, “Who are they, O Allah’s Messenger?” He ﷺ said, “Those who follow my path and the path of my Companion.”5 Deviance in creed can range from bid`ah to kufr, having consequences in both this world and the next. It follows then, we must closely guard our understanding of Allah and Reality. Kalām, like Fiqh, Uṣūl al-Qur’ān, Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth, and other sciences, arose to protect and propagate core Islamic teachings. Nearly every attack against `aqīdah today is old and recycled from hundreds— if not thousands— of years ago. These attacks, whether stemming from philosophers, atheists, or other religions, are convincingly answered by scholars of Kalām by correctly utilizing the tools of competing ideologies like philosophy, logic, and the Natural Sciences to defend `aqīdah. At times, Kalām can be very abstract and difficult for the untrained mind. For specific people and in specific times, it is better left undiscussed since it can result in confusion instead of clarity. The Prophet ﷺ did not ask people to prove their beliefs, but rather just to believe. In a time when misguidance is rare and people naturally follow Islam on a communal scale, Kalām in unnecessary among laypeople. Imam Abū Yūsuf, the absolute mujtahid and student of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, said to Bishr al-Marīsī, “Whoever seeks knowledge through Kalām, has become a disbeliever.” Similar statements have been attributed to other notable scholars, but these statements referred to those who misused the tools of Kalām to arrive at ideas contrary to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā`ah. However, when misguidance is rampant like in today’s world, people follow their whims and attempt to justify it through misplaced philosophy and feelings, then Kalām is necessary. In needed times, Kalām has been a necessary tool illuminating the truth of Islam against the falsehoods of atheism, agnosticism, and other religions. “The truth is that the science of Kalām is an obligation upon the Muslims (wājib `alā al-kifāyah). There must exist one who stands to fulfill this responsibility on behalf of the Muslims.”6 As for Imam Abū Yūsuf’s statement above, he referred to the likes of Al-Marīsī, who was a disbeliever of the Jahmī sect utilizing Kalāmī tools against proper `aqīdah. Likewise, great scholars like Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, Najm al-Dīn al-Nasafī, and Kamāl ibn al-Humām from amongst the Hanafis engaged in Kalām as needed. Ma`rifah is an Obligation The first focus of Kalām addresses the first point of `aqidah, Allah. More specifically, it addresses the recognition of Allah. By consensus, the recognition (ma`rifah) of Allah is obligatory on every human possessing a working intellect (al-`āqil) and of age (al-bāligh). A working intellect is anyone capable of discerning between right and wrong, the beneficial and harmful. A child comes of age and becomes an adult in the eyes of the Sharī`ah by age 15 hijrī years, earlier if they show signs of having reached puberty. In fact, some scholars, most notably the Iraqi Hanafis, made ma`rifah binding on the intelligent child even before he or she comes of age. Once one can understand the proofs for the Creator, he and the adult are similar in this respect.7 It is impermissible that Allah remain unknown to a person gifted with intellect. أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى Does man think that he will be left neglected? (2:36) This is a prompt from Allah that He would not neglect us from achieving ma`rifah. The ma`rifah of Allah is the first obligation on a person because all other responsibilities in deen are based upon it and stem from it. Praying and fasting necessitate the recognition and acceptance of the Creator first. The Qur’an commands as much. فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ Know that there is no deity except Allah. (47:19) Imam Abū Yusuf narrated from Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, who mastered `aqīdah before stepping into fiqh, “Ignorance of recognizing his Creator is not an excuse for anyone when he has seen the creation of the heavens, the earth, himself, and all of the creation of his Lord.”8 The scholars of `aqīdah have a very specific definition of ma`rifah. Imam Abū Ḥanīfah defined it in Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, “We recognize Allah as His right to be recognized just as Allah has described Himself in His book with all His attributes.” Now, one might argue, “How can anyone truly know Allah?” True, no one can fully fathom the dhāt (essence) or ṣifāt (attributes) of Allah. However, ma`rifah means to recognize Him by confirming what He has confirmed for Himself and denying what He has denied for Himself in the Qur’an and Ḥadīth. It means to do this without making any similarities between Him and another nor denying any of His confirmed traits. Islam begins with a heavy understanding—we owe our intelligence, our blessings, our existence, and indeed, everything to a Creator. Hence, it is incumbent on us to recognize Him as best we can. This is even more so in today’s climate of ever-increasing atheism and confusion. We will discuss methods of arriving at ma`rifah in a future article, inshā’Allāh. Here, we suffice with the point that ma`rifah is the first and foremost obligation upon every responsible person in the Sharī`ah. It is best gained today in an intellectual way through the study of Kalām. Every individual must take the necessary steps to increase their own conviction in Islam and those around them, Muslim and non-Muslim. We ask Allah for tawfīq. ——————— 1 Al-Bukhārī 20. Bāb qawl al-nabiyy, “Ana a`lamukum bi Allah.” 2 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/whoshouldvax.htm. 3 Ahmed, A. (2018) Outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases in Muslim majority countries. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 11 (2), 153-155. doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2017.09.007 4 https://mcb.org.uk/mcb-updates/position-on-flu-vaccines 5 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/how-fluvaccine-made.htm#targetText=The%20most%20common%20way%20that,for%20more%20than%2070%20years.&targetText=For%20flu%20shots%2C%20the%20influenza,and%20virus%20antigen%20is%20purified. 6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6177469/ 7 Al-Bukhārī, Ibrāhīm. Talkhīṣ al-Adillah. Beirut, 2011. 8 Ibid.

Prepared by Mawlana Dr. Mateen A. Khan, MD and Dr. Ramzan Judge, PharmD Summary Permissible influenza vaccines in the US for 2020-2021 season FluadTM Trivalent FluadTM Quadrivalent Fluzone High-DoseTM Quadrivalent AfluriaTM FluarixTM FluLavalTM FluzoneTM Quadrivalent Impermissible influenza vaccines in the US for 2020-2021 season FlublokTM FluMistTM FlucelvaxTM Discussion Background on Influenza Influenza (commonly known as the flu) is a seasonal viral illness carrying significant health, economic, and social burden. For the past nine years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year 9.3-49 million symptomatic illnesses, 4.3-23 million medical visits, 140,000-960,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000-79,000 deaths are attributed to seasonal influenza. For the 2017-2018 season, which was considered high severity, a study estimated influenza vaccination prevented: 7.1 million illnesses 3.7 million medical visits 109,000 hospitalizations (10% of expected overall and 41% among young children) 8,000 deaths[i] In addition to providing immunity to healthy individuals, the vaccine benefits the sick by decreasing the amount of exposure from other individuals (herd immunity). Hence, the CDC, along with most American medical organizations, recommends that every person above six months old receive a seasonal influenza vaccine yearly.[ii] Improving vaccination rates among Muslims has been a struggle. Muslim majority countries find their populations hesitant. [iii] Similar issues are faced among Muslim minority populations in the West over a concern for the presence of impermissible ingredients in the vaccine.[iv] The United States currently offers nine different commercially prepared vaccines. We reviewed package inserts and public records for the vaccines to evaluate methods of production and the presence of impermissible products. When necessary, we corresponded with the manufacturers. The results are compiled in Table 1. The vaccines vary in their methods of production and ingredients, which may pose religious challenges for Muslims. Issue #1 – Methods of Production Influenza vaccines are prepared through three different processes. Most strains are prepared through an egg-based manufacturing process. This involves injecting vaccine viruses into fertilized chicken eggs. Essentially, the egg is commandeered as a factory by the viruses as they use the egg’s resources to replicate themselves. The viruses are extracted and purified.[v] Islamically, this process per se is not an issue as eggs are considered permissible. Flucelvax™, a product by Seqirus, is made by incubating influenza viruses in a particular animal cell line, Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK).[vi] The MDCK cell line was initially isolated in 1958 from an adult Cocker Spaniel dog.[vii] Dogs, like all predators, are ḥarām as Sayyidunā Ibn `Abbās (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ prohibited every predator possessing canine teeth.[viii] Further, when cells like MDCK are removed from an animal, they are considered maytah (carrion) in Islamic terminology. The Prophet ﷺ informed us, “Whatever is cut from an animal while it is alive is carrion.”[ix] Surah al-An`ām states a ruling of najis and ḥarām for carrion. “Say, “I do not find, in what has been revealed to me, anything prohibited for anyone who eats it, unless it be carrion or blood that pours forth, or flesh of swine – because it is impure.”[x] Hence, the initially harvested canine cells were najis and ḥarām. Since 1958, the cell line has undergone countless replication cycles in artificial environments, and the parent cells have long died off. Still, being the progeny cells, they will be impure and impermissible. The MDCK cells used in Flucelvax™ are grown in a medium in which no human or animal-derived materials are used.[xi] After an incubation period, the cells are processed through lysis, and the virus proteins undergo extraction and purification. Despite this, residual amounts of the cells capable of inducing allergic reaction in susceptible patients remain, per the package insert. For these reasons, Flucelvax™ vaccine made from this method is impermissible. FlublokTM manufactured by Sanofi, is produced by genetically engineering proteins expressed by influenza into an alternate virus, baculovirus (Autographa californica). It is then used to infect an insect cell line (ExpresSF+) derived from the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), which produces the desired influenza proteins. This vaccine is especially valuable to those who have severe allergies to eggs. [xii] Insects, like the armyworm, fall into the category of al-khabā’ith explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an as ḥarām in Surah al-A`rāf. [He ﷺ] makes unlawful for them impure things (al-khabā’ith).[xiii] Similar to animal cell lines discussed previously, the progeny ExpresSF+ cells are impure and impermissible. Hence, FlublokTM vaccine made from this method is also impermissible. Issue #2 – Porcine Gelatin as a Stabilizer Two of the vaccines available in the United States, FluMistTM and Flucelvax™, contain porcine gelatin. The gelatin is added as a stabilizer for the viral vaccine protein. Gelatin is hydrolyzed collagen, which is extracted from collagen-containing tissue like skin and bones. At the outset, the Qur’an declares that all porcine parts are najis and ḥarām. Say, “I do not find, in what has been revealed to me, anything (out of the cattle under discussion) prohibited for anyone who eats it, unless it be carrion or blood that pours forth, or flesh of swine – because it is impure – or there be an animal slaughtered sinfully by invoking on it the name of someone other than Allah. (Surah al-An`ām:145)[xiv] He has but prohibited for you the carrion, the blood, the flesh of swine and what has been invoked upon with a name other than that of Allah. (Surah al-Naḥl:115)[xv] In earlier times, gelatin was prepared in homes through a process of cooking, causing the collagen to hydrolyze and break into peptides of varying lengths. Although the process today is commercialized and done through a series of chemical reactions, extraction, and purification, the result is not much different from home preparations. These peptides do not constitute a significant change from the original porcine collagen. Instead, gelatin is just fragmented hydrolyzed collagen. The resulting gelatin is impermissible.[xvi] Hence, FluMistTM and Flucelvax™ are impermissible particularly when other permissible alternatives exist. Exceptional Cases If someone is unable to take or obtain one of the permissible influenza vaccines, and they are relatively healthy, they should not take an impermissible vaccine.[xvii] However, if a strong need exists, then they may take those vaccines that are normally impermissible. An example of a strong medical need is when there is a high likelihood (ghalabah al-ẓann) of significant morbidity or mortality in contracting influenza such as in the very old or patients with pre-existing significant comorbidities. Ideally, the Sharī`ah prefers a competent Muslim physician to determine this need based upon the evidences at hand. The physician should be pious and have a basic understanding of the relevant Sharī`ah rulings.[xviii] Vaccinations mandated by the government, work places, or schools may also constitute a strong need.[xix] In any of these situations, one may take (in order of preference) FlublokTM, FluMistTM, and FlucelvaxTM. Conclusion Of the ten commercially available influenza vaccines available in the US for the 2020-2021 season, seven are Islamically permissible: FluadTM Trivalent, FluadTM Quadrivalent, Fluzone High-DoseTM, AfluriaTM, FluarixTM, FluLavalTM, and FluzoneTM Quadrivalent. The Muslim public is advised to avoid FlublokTM, FluMistTM, and FlucelvaxTM. In exceptional cases, as outlined above, one may take FlublokTM, FluMistTM, and FlucelvaxTM in that order. Of note, vaccine formulations are subject to change year to year. The research presented here is accurate for the 2020-2021 season. Table 1: 2020-2021 Influenza Vaccines [i] Rolfes, M.A. (2019). Effects of Influenza Vaccination in the United States During the 2017–2018 Influenza Season. Clinical Infectious Diseases, ciz075, doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciz075. [ii] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/whoshouldvax.htm. [iii] Ahmed, A. (2018) Outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases in Muslim majority countries. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 11 (2), 153-155. doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2017.09.007 [iv] https://mcb.org.uk/mcb-updates/position-on-flu-vaccines/. [v] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/how-fluvaccine-made.htm#targetText=The%20most%20common%20way%20that,for%20more%20than%2070%20years.&targetText=For%20flu%20shots%2C%20the%20influenza,and%20virus%20antigen%20is%20purified. [vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6177469/ [vii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madin-Darby_Canine_Kidney_cells#targetText=Madin%2DDarby%20Canine%20Kidney%20(MDCK,as%20responses%20to%20growth%20factors. [viii] عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ (مسلم 1934) [ix] مَا قُطِعَ مِنَ الْبَهِيمَةِ وَهِيَ حَيَّةٌ فَهِيَ مَيْتَةٌ (أبو داوود 2858، الترمذي 1480، ابن ماجه 3216) وَعَلَى هَذَا يَخْرُجُ مَا إذَا قَطَعَ مِنْ أَلْيَةِ الشَّاةِ قِطْعَةً أَوْ مِنْ فَخِذِهَا أَنَّهُ لَا يَحِلُّ الْمُبَانُ وَإِنْ ذُبِحَتْ الشَّاةُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّ حُكْمَ الذَّكَاةِ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ فِي الْجُزْءِ الْمُبَانِ وَقْتَ الْإِبَانَةِ لِانْعِدَامِ ذَكَاةِ الشَّاةِ لِكَوْنِهَا حَيَّةً وَقْتَ الْإِبَانَةِ، وَحَالَ فَوَاتِ الْحَيَاةِ كَانَ الْجُزْءُ مُنْفَصِلًا وَحُكْمُ الذَّكَاةِ لَا يَظْهَرُ فِي الْجُزْءِ الْمُنْفَصِلِ وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يَقْطَعُونَ قِطْعَةً مِنْ أَلْيَةِ الشَّاةِ وَمِنْ سَنَامِ الْبَعِيرِ فَيَأْكُلُونَهَا فَلَمَّا بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ الْمُكَرَّمُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – نَهَاهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «مَا أُبِينَ مِنْ الْحَيِّ فَهُوَ مَيِّتٌ» وَالْجُزْءُ الْمَقْطُوعُ مُبَانٌ مِنْ حَيٍّ وَبَائِنٌ مِنْهُ فَيَكُونُ مَيِّتًا وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا قُطِعَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ صَيْدٍ لَمْ يُؤْكَلْ الْمَقْطُوعُ، وَإِنْ مَاتَ الصَّيْدُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لِمَا قُلْنَا. (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع) [x] قُل لَّا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّـهِ بِهِ [xi] European Medicines Agency Assessment Report on Flucelvax Tetra. 18 Oct. 2018. Pg. 14. [xii] Barr, I. G. (2018). Cell culture-derived influenza vaccines in the severe 2017-2018 epidemic season: a step towards improved influenza vaccine effectiveness. NPJ vaccines, 3, 44. doi:10.1038/s41541-018-0079-z See also https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/egg-allergies.htm for discussion on egg allergies and influenza vaccines. [xiii] وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ (وَأَمَّا) الَّذِي يَعِيشُ فِي الْبَرِّ فَأَنْوَاعٌ ثَلَاثَةٌ: مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ دَمٌ أَصْلًا، وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُ دَمٌ سَائِلٌ، وَمَا لَهُ دَمٌ سَائِلٌ مِثْلُ الْجَرَادِ وَالزُّنْبُورِ وَالذُّبَابِ وَالْعَنْكَبُوتِ وَالْعَضَّابَةِ وَالْخُنْفُسَاءِ وَالْبُغَاثَةِ وَالْعَقْرَبِ. وَنَحْوِهَا لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُ إلَّا الْجَرَادَ خَاصَّةً؛ لِأَنَّهَا مِنْ الْخَبَائِثِ لِاسْتِبْعَادِ الطِّبَاعِ السَّلِيمَةِ إيَّاهَا وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى {وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ} [الأعراف: 157] إلَّا أَنَّ الْجَرَادَ خُصَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ بِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «أُحِلَّتْ لَنَا مَيْتَتَانِ» فَبَقِيَ عَلَى ظَاهِرِ الْعُمُومِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ دَمٌ سَائِلٌ مِثْلُ الْحَيَّةِ وَالْوَزَغِ وَسَامِّ أَبْرَصَ وَجَمِيعِ الْحَشَرَاتِ وَهَوَامِّ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ الْفَأْرِ وَالْقُرَادِ وَالْقَنَافِذِ وَالضَّبِّ وَالْيَرْبُوعِ وَابْنِ عِرْسٍ وَنَحْوِهَا، وَلَا خِلَافَ فِي حُرْمَةِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إلَّا فِي الضَّبِّ (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع) [xiv] قُل لَّا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَىٰ طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَن يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّـهِ بِهِ [xv] إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّـهِ بِهِ [xvi] Respectfully, the minority opinion considering gelatin to have undergone a significant transformation (tabdīl al-mahiyah) rendering its ruling changed seems doubtful for the reasons outlined. This is an extensive discussion. However, with the availability of clearly ḥalāl alternatives, the opinion given in this article is more cautious. [xvii] The authors are currently unaware of any clinical scenario in which an Islamically permissible vaccine is contraindicated. The CDC recommends egg cultured vaccines even in patients with prior anaphylactic reactions to eggs. (See: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/egg-allergies.htm) This statement is included as a hypothetical clinical scenario. [xviii] وَجَوَّزَهُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ بِمُحَرَّمٍ إذَا أَخْبَرَهُ طَبِيبٌ مُسْلِمٌ أَنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً وَلَمْ يَجِدْ مُبَاحًا يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ. قُلْت: وَفِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «إنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ شِفَاءَكُمْ فِيمَا حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ» نَفْيُ الْحُرْمَةِ عِنْدَ الْعِلْمِ بِالشِّفَاءِ دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ جَوَازُ شُرْبِهِ لِإِزَالَةِ الْعَطَشِ (رد المحتار على الدر المختار) [xix] Imdād al-Fatāwa Jadīd ma`a Hāshiyah Shabbīr Aḥmad al-Qāsimī, 9:262

Mateen A. Khan, MD (Trenton, NJ) As new diseases and treatment modalities arise, health professionals and patients increasingly find themselves facing dilemmas – ranging from birth defects to end-of-life care – that are as much scientific as they are moral. Medicine, as a field, requires a strong ethical directive. However, personal experience and historical references testify to the fact that human intellect alone is often incapable of reaching objective ethical standards or does so in a contradictory manner. More than just outlining the permissible (halāl) and the impermissible (harām), Islam provides the Believer with a worldview and wide-ranging guidance – a guidance not only in our personal lives, but in our professional lives. Not only in our health, but also in our sickness. Similarly, we have come to appreciate in modern Medicine that a holistic approach to patient-care is imperative. We are so much more than biology. With an ethics-based approach, the Muslim health professional can tread a path of greater clarity and purpose. In Medicine, there is a higher purpose for the student of ethics. Health professionals are honored as agents of Allah as they seek outpatient ease and treatment. The Prophet ﷺ was once asked if there was benefit in Medicine. He replied, “The One who allowed the disease [also] sent the cure.” The cure is from Allah, but its means is the practitioner. Implicitly, in these words, and explicitly in prophetic actions, patients are directed to seek out medical expertise with some Shari`ah rulings predicated on the opinion of a capable medical expert. Their responsibility is to seek out expertise, our responsibility is to serve as the conduit to divine mercy. If we align our intentions properly, we are honored by Allah in this world and benefit ourselves greatly in the Hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ also said, “He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection.” This is evidenced in the statements of scholarly greats such as Imam al-Shāfi`ī, who said, “I do not know of any science more noble after the sciences of the permissible and the impermissible than Medicine,” and the great number of Islamic scholar-physicians such as Shaykh Rashīd Ahmad Gangohī. Since then, the two fields have diverged due to the tremendous knowledge required, but both experts of Islamic and medical sciences retain a need to learn Islamic medical ethics. As health professionals, knowing and understanding Islamic medical ethics fulfills a personal need. It removes the burden, guilt, and anxiety that often accompanies moral decisions dealing with life and death issues. Studies suggest that by practicing Medicine with a clear moral compass “physicians, other healthcare professionals, and healthcare organizations also potentially benefit, but not only because of the satisfaction of conducting themselves in a professionally ethical manner. These groups will benefit by reducing burnout and its personal and professional consequences if attention to health care ethics and values reduces the realities or the perceptions of “incongruence” in these areas between healthcare professionals and the healthcare organizations with which they are associated.”[1] However, beyond personal contentment, the Muslim health practitioner must also keep the broader good in mind. Indeed, the AMA code of medical ethics concurs, “As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self.” An Islamic ethics-based approach to Medicine promises best outcomes spiritually and physically for the individual practitioner, his or her patients, and the community at large. Often, the layperson finds themselves at the mercy of a medical system that is constantly changing, ambiguous or contrary to Islamic morality. Decisions on seemingly impermissible medications to surrogacy can be a great source of anxiety and stress. Increasingly, the Muslim layperson when confronted with such ambiguity or unease in the modern ethical system is looking to their religion for guidance. The characteristic of the All-Wise (Al-Hakīm) means that He has directed us towards our own benefit. Often, the patient will first look to health practitioners for an ethical answer based in religion, and so, it is imperative that we be familiar with the topic. The burden falls upon us to provide initial direction and in complex situations, coordinate a team-approach involving medical and Islamic legal experts. Every Muslim practitioner should consider it incumbent to learn a certain degree of Islamic medical ethics. Indeed, behind every creation lies the mark of the Creator. He has not left us without guidance. One must only seek it out. Doing so provides ethical direction and beneficial purpose for the health practitioner, patient, and community at-large. O Allah! The Lord of the people, the Remover of trouble! Heal, for You are the Healer. None brings about healing but You; a healing that will leave behind no ailment.[2] [1] Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 May; 86(5): 421–424. [2] Sahih al-Bukhari 5742

by Mateen A. Khan Our personal du`as are spoken humbly and quietly (taḍarru`an wa khufyatan) between ourselves and Allah. We do not teach them to others – not our children nor our students. However, the prophetic (masnūn) du`as were not like that. Unlike the du`as of other people, his were memorized and passed down by his companions to the subsequent generations. So special were the prophetic du`as that they habitually recited them and many even excluded any other du`a from being recited in salāh. He ﷺ spoke them aloud as if to be simultaneously addressing his Lord and his ummah. His du`as give us a glimpse into the incomprehensible relationship between Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Prophetic du`as are not just in-the-moment requests from Allah, but they are also teaching points meant to be contemplated. They shed light on a natural mindset meant to be adopted. Let’s take a brief look at one such du`a in which he ﷺ calls upon Allah, the Healer (Al-Shāfī). The beloved wife of the Prophet and our mother, Aishah (Allah bless and grant them peace), said that whenever the Prophet would visit a patient, he would ask Allah: O Lord (Rabb) of humanity, remove the hardship. Cure him such that no disease remains, for You are The Healer. There is no other cure besides Yours. أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ اشْفِهِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا Whatever your role in the healthcare field – from physician to technician to cleaning staff – this hadith is worth contemplation. The Prophet ﷺ asks Allah by first addressing Him as Lord (Rabb). Rabb is the one who does tarbiyah – the One who Nourishes and Sustains every aspect of our being; mentally, physically, and spiritually. In addressing Him as the ‘Rabb of humanity’ and not just the ‘Rabb of the Believers’, he ﷺ indicated to his ummah that one can and should expect Allah’s Pleasure in assisting any human being in need. His removal of hardship is not limited to Muslims and nor should our service be to them alone. The Qur’an contains “that which is a cure and a mercy for the Believers,”[1] but this cure is not restricted to the Believers. Rather, it reaches beyond, evidenced by one of the Companions who successfully treated an envenomation of a non-Muslim bedouin through Surah al-Fātiḥah. Subsequent generations advanced this field through trial and experience. However, do not be mistaken into thinking that the practitioner, the Qur’an, or any other medication intrinsically contains the ability to heal. These are merely conduits to a cure from Allah. This prophetic du`a draws attention to an important point of `aqīdah. Allah is the source of healing and thus, He is the true Healer. It is our belief—one the scholars of kalām have rationally explained as well—that diseases do not afflict a person nor are they removed except that they afflict or are removed by Allah. No electron changes state nor any action takes place except that Allah is the true Doer. Viruses, bacteria and other vectors are merely the means through which these diseases occur. Similarly, medications do not work except that He heals through them. As Sayyiduna Ibrahim (May Allah give him peace) said to his people, “And when I become ill, then He cures me.”[2] Anecdotally, every practitioner will have stories of someone who should have succumbed to their disease but did not. And individuals that should have survived their minor illness but did not. “There is no other cure besides Yours.” When we see a patient, we do not just see biology, but rather we see beyond that to a cosmology and a deeper reality. The Prophet ﷺ conveyed the healthcare practitioner’s role and mindset explaining, “Indeed, Allah has sent down the disease and the cure. For he made a cure for every disease. So seek it.” The cure which you seek comes from Allah, but become the means for it! In this last point is the beauty and honor of being a healthcare practitioner. It demands from us a constant connection with Allah. A health practitioner, who loses his or her connection with Allah, has lost his or her connection with the source of treatment and health. It is entirely up to Him if He wishes to guide you towards a cure or to allow you to move away from it. Whereas a healthcare practitioner, who retains this connection, will always benefit not only him or herself but the patient and community. What greater honor can there be than to be Allah’s agent in healing? A practitioner who learns Medicine and benefits people is an agent of Allah. Although Allah is al-Shāfi, the practitioner is the agent through whom He heals. The Prophet ﷺ said, “He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection.” Inshā’Allah, approaching patients with this mindset will give us a better understanding of our proper place and make our efforts a form of worship. [1] Surah al-Isrā’: 82 [2] Surah al-Shu`arā’: 80

By Dr. Mateen A. Khan (Trenton, NJ) Like everything in Islam, the philosophy of practice for a Muslim health practitioner starts with the kalimah. Bear with me on this. The first half of the kalimah explains the reason for our being here. There is no deity other than Allah. As such, there is no creator or sustainer other than Him. We and everyone else exist simply because He willed us to exist. This is not a matter of debate or choice. Rather, it is a reality. The sooner you accept this reality, the sooner you can move forward in life. How should you live so that you’re maximizing your life’s potential? The second half of the kalimah answers this question. Muhammad ﷺ is Allah’s messenger. The way to maximize your life’s potential is to follow the prophetic path as laid out in revelation. When examining the main themes and purposes of revelation, we find one of life’s obligations is the protection and preservation of life itself. The Qur’an states: وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ Do not throw yourselves into destruction and do good. Indeed, Allah loves those who do good. Life is precious and calls for good actions as a means of Allah’s love. After examining the primary sources of Islam—the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, Islamic scholars determined five things to be the purpose of religion (maqāsid al-sharī`ah). From the five maqāsid al-sharī`ah, we find three of them to be directly related to health and of great importance to the health practitioner: preservation of life, mind and mental health, and offspring.1 In numerous narrations, the Prophet ﷺ placed great importance on health. أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ‏:‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الصِّحَّةَ، وَالْعِفَّةَ، وَالأَمَانَةَ، وَحُسْنَ الْخُلُقِ، وَالرِّضَا بِالْقَدَرِ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate, “Oh Allah, I ask You for health, restraint, trustworthiness, good character, and contentment with the decree.” Al-Adab al-Mufrad لاَ بَأْسَ بِالْغِنَى لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَالصِّحَّةُ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْغِنَى وَطِيبُ النَّفْسِ مِنَ النِّعَمِ “There is nothing wrong with being rich for one who has piety, but good health for one who has piety is better than riches, and being of good cheer is a blessing.” Ibn Mājah The Sunnah is a reflection and exposition of the Qur’an. As such, it is no surprise to find the Qur’anic command of encouraging the good and prohibiting the evil reflected in the prophetic guidance of preservation of health and prevention of sickness. This applies both to the individual as well as the public. At the individual level, the prophetic path entails personal hygiene in the form of bathing, cleanliness after using the bathroom, brushing the teeth and tongue, trimming and removing certain hair, trimming the nails, keeping your clothing and personal spaces clean, etc. Any Muslim will immediately realize that there is an overlap between our physical health and worship. All the aforementioned practices, if done with the intent of obeying and emulating the Prophet ﷺ, are credited as acts of divine obedience and worship entailing divine pleasure and reward. Not mentioned above are the obligatory rituals of washing—wuḍu and ghusl—that fall directly into the realm of worship as precursors to prayer and Qur’an recitation. Similarly, preservation and promotion of mental health is found in apparent ritual actions like Allah’s remembrance (al-zikr), Qur’an recitation, and in the prayer (al-ṣalāḥ).2 Although, their primary benefit is spiritual, their health benefits are obvious. At the public level, the path calls for removal of filth from spaces, prohibition of urinating in areas frequented by people or used by them like water sources, cautious separation of animal vectors from humans, encouraging physical activities like swimming, archery, and horse riding, and making places and times for relaxation. Communicable diseases in the form of outbreaks are regulated using quarantines.3 Although also beneficial on the individual level, prohibition of intoxicants and harmful substances has clear public health benefits in creating a productive, stable, and viable community. Truly, the Muhammadan path is not a path of pointless rituals benefiting neither the Creator nor the creation. It’s very important that we realize the point of these practices was not primarily to bring a life of ease in the world. The Prophet’s ﷺ purpose was not to be a master health practitioner nor a public health policy-maker way ahead of his time. Rather, these practices bring spiritual benefits that are less visible to the naked eye and untrained mind. His ﷺ purpose was to show us a path that connects us back to our Creator and allows us to comprehensively see the world with ourselves included—the physical and the meta-physical, the seen and the unseen, the rational and the spiritual. Let’s continue further with the relationship of treatment and worship as it pertains to us. A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Should we not seek treatment?” In answer, he ﷺ turned towards the group before him and called on them as worshipers and servants of Allah by saying: “O worshipers and servants of Allah (Yā `Ibād Allah)! Seek treatment because Allah has not placed a single ailment without also placing a cure…”4 This command is not obligatory in all situations. Nonetheless, it is a call upon us as worshipers to deal with our illnesses, anxieties, and health problems with a particular mindset. Seek treatment from Allah as a means of closeness to Him rather than just another biological hurdle in life to overcome. It is also an indication to health practitioners to specialize in their respective fields to best help these worshipers. As mentioned above, one of the purposes of the Sharī`ah is preservation of health entailing that when one becomes ill, he or she should seek out a cure. Imam al-Dhahabī wrote, “Medical treatment is Sunnah because the Prophet ﷺ did it and ordered that it be done.”5 I would take this one step further and add that treating an ailment as a trained practitioner is itself a Sunnah as he ﷺ treated people and prescribed medications himself.6 Including an intention to obey and emulate the Prophet ﷺ in this respect can be a source of divine pleasure and reward. The Prophet’s ﷺ command, “Give help to the troubled,”7 and the Qur’anic injunction, “If you help [the deen and people of Allah], He will help you”8 should always echo in our minds. When we understand this about Islam, we will cease to be surprised by its teachings. Did we expect something less from Allah and His messenger ﷺ? Instead, we will be surprised at how we have practiced for so long without our practice advancing our progress on the prophetic path. Muslim health practitioners will need to be at the forefront of advocating and participating in personal and public health. Not only because they are purveyors of up-to-date, evidence-based health practices, but primarily because they strive to incorporate a philosophy that draws from the unseen (al-ghayb), benefits us spiritually by emulating the Prophet ﷺ, and brings us closer to Allah. ——————— 1 In order of importance, the five are preservation of religion, life, mind, offspring, and property. 2 Although with weakness in transmission, it has been reported that in the ṣalāḥ, there is a cure. Ibn Mājah 3458 3 The Prophet ﷺ said, “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5728 4 Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2038 5 Al-Ṭibb al-Nabawī li al-Dhahabī 6 Jābir said, “The Prophet ﷺ cauterized Sa`d ibn Mu`ādh from the wound of an arrow.” Abū Dāwūd 3866 7 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1445, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 4817, and others 8 Surah Muḥammad 7

Chapter 1 written by Mateen A. Khan, Piscataway, NJ A version of this article was first published in Al-Madania Magazine. She sat erect on the floor cognizant of her heart which had already ceased its motion. An elderly Black woman at this point, her tears streamed behind her veil through the crevices of her face. In front of her sat the two most important men of the time. They came to mimic the memory of their mutual master visiting his “mother.” Unexpectedly, the two contracted her sorrow and joined her in weeping softly. They thought they shared tears over the loss of a mutual beloved and hoped to console her. Instead, Barakah said, “I only cry over the end of heavenly revelation.” She had begun her life a single cereal grain in an Abyssinian field, but then fate would bring her to the arid soil of Arabia. She would witness incredible events and form a bond that would draw the new khalīfah and his successor to her side. This story, however, started long before her. The Creation (al-Khalq) With absolutely nothing else in existence, Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, was alone. He glanced upon creation bringing something other than Himself into existence as a supreme favor to it, an act of love and mercy. It was an act of selfless love because He gained nothing by its creation, but His creation gained everything. He wished a requited love, even if minuscule in comparison, to complement His own. Within the unending expanses of Space, He placed an inconsequential speck of dust that would become the stage for His most incredible mercy. He cast the sun’s yellow upon it and poured the water’s blue into it. Among its lush green and soil brown, He planted some creatures and animated others. Soon, Allah would mold a group with the potential to be the best of creation and also the worst. A group that would voluntarily be able to recognize and acknowledge that divine love or reject it. Thus, He created Sayyidunā Ādam and his progeny, creatures of earthly shades, intellectual contrasts, and spiritual hues, with His own Hands. The Signs (al-Āyāt) Allah’s love is vast. He meticulously created the distant galaxies in all their complexity and grandeur to appear simply as a twinkle in the sky for people of contemplation. Whether they looked up at the sky, out towards the horizon, down at the earth, or into themselves, all of it pointed towards their Maker. Like an anonymous admirer who leaves a rose to garner recognition, Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, created the micro and macro spaces and granted the faculties by which we could recognize Him. الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا ‎ “They remember Allah while standing, sitting, and on their sides. They contemplate over the creation of the heavens and earth saying, ‘Our Lord, you did not create this uselessly. Glorious are You!’” Despite that, there would, unfortunately, be some of us, too indulged in other activities, to have contemplated. The Glad Tidings (al-Bishārah) Allah’s love is vaster still, and so, He did not give up on us. One by one, He sent over 124,000 of his chosen slaves to warn us and awaken us. Like beads on a misbaḥah, they remembered the Creator and reminded others, one after another. As divine mouthpieces, they spoke to people in a language the signs could not. They were examples to be emulated. They were lovers of Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, that exuded a divinely intoxicating aroma. And we, our personalities soak in their scent, simultaneously intoxicated and intoxicating others. Knowing their message would be ignored by most, each was commanded to tell whoever would listen about the last messenger. He would be the highest-ranking and a glad tiding and fail-safe for anyone seeking the Truth. After Sayyidunā `Īsā ibn Maryam was taken from this earth, corruption spread into the beliefs and actions of people and further into the lands: the Byzantines and Persians in their oppression and decadence, the Hindus in their caste bigotry and degeneration, the Europeans in a squalor of physical and intellectual filth, and the Arabs in polytheism’s spiritual darknesses. Yet, in this blackness, a favored few among their followers carried lanterns of hope as they traversed far distances and longingly waited generations for the promised messenger. These were the likes of Zayd ibn `Amr from the Arabs, Waraqah ibn Nawfil and the monk Baḥīrah from the Christians, `Abdullah ibn Salām and a few Yathrib yahūd from the Jews, and Salmān al-Fārisī from the Zoroastrians. Most people, however, could not find the motivation to do the same. The Precedence (al-Irhāṣāt) Allah’s love is most vast. Not wanting the unmotivated to miss the greatest of His mercies to come, Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, sent specific signs as a prelude, announcements for amazing things to come. For He had chosen the last one from the noblest group, tribe, household, and lineage as a final Messenger with a lasting Message, may Allah’s blessings and peace be on him. The Roman Christians and the Yathrib Jews saw the signs as foretold by their prophets and mobilized in hopes of finding him. On that minuscule collection of dirt and water afloat in the expansive universe was a strip of desert in which a seemingly unnoteworthy collection of people lived. Through them passed that noble lineage from Sayyidunā Ādam to Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm to one called Adnān. From him, the lineage ran through the following: Ma`d, Nizār, Muḍar, Ilyās, Mudrikah, Khuzaymah, Kinānah, al-Naḍar, Mālik, Fahr, Ghālib, Lu’ayy, Ka`b, Murrah, Kilāb, Quṣayy, `Abd Manāf, Hishām, and then Abdul Muṭṭalib. Abdul Muṭṭalib, a nobleman of Makkah from the Qurayshī tribe, was gifted with intelligence and wisdom. He was unique among men. The well of Sayyidah Ḥājir, the wife of Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm and mother of Sayyidunā Ismā`īl, had been lost for some time. Abdul Muṭṭalib successfully dug up the well of Zamzam after having its location shown to him in a dream. When the large army of the Yemini king, Abrahah, showed up at the footsteps of his defenseless town, Abdul Muttalib handed over its protection to Allah and hid in the surrounding hills. Despite the Makkans largely being a group of polytheists and the Yemeni army monotheists, Allah sent a large flock of small birds to annihilate them. Imagine a flock large enough to blacken the sky with each bird carrying a beak-sized stone. The stones rained down from above, decimating the army and leaving the survivors to succumb later. Those with insight realized an evident miracle had occurred, not in support of the polytheistic Makkans but in preparation for something astounding to come. So remarkable was this event, the entire year of its occurrence would be henceforth known as the year of the elephant, referring to the massive beasts which accompanied the Yemeni army. Abdullah, the tenth and last son of Abdul Muṭṭalib, was a handsome, well-mannered youth beloved by his father and all who met him. He was married to Āminah, a Qurayshī resident of Yathrib and the most honorable of her tribe. Having chosen the two most perfect of the noble lineage and creating love between them, Allah caused Āminah to become pregnant with the most perfect and noble of human beings, may Allah’s blessings and peace be on him. However, tragedy struck when husband and wife were separated abruptly by death. During a return caravan trip from the Levant, Abdullah became ill and stopped in Yathrib at his in-laws. He passed away there while his still pregnant wife awaited him in Makkah. Devastated, she remained committed to his memory as a mother to their not-yet-born son. Her pregnancy was extraordinary by all accounts. It and the delivery were easy without any pangs or difficulties. During this time, she and those around her were shown a heavenly light (nūr) which illuminated the room and gave visions of the palaces of distant lands. Even then, there were those with eyes and hearts like hawks scanning the terrain for the promised last messenger. After recognizing signs for the arrival of the divine courier, Najāshī, the Christian scholar and king of Abyssinia, queried two visiting Qurayshī men about a special birth. Some of the yahūd of Yathrib and Makkah made note lamenting, “Prophethood has vanished from Banī Isrā’īl!” The Zoroastrians would see the turrets of their palace crumble and the ancient fire extinguished. These were not coincidences. The Prophet ﷺ would later explain, “I am the answer to Ibrāhīm’s supplication, the glad tidings of Īsā, and the vision of my mother.” Sayyidunā Muhammad ﷺ Barakah, then a young handmaiden, assisted the widowed Āminah in delivering a young boy into the world. It was the 9th or 12th of Rabī al-Awwal in the year of the elephant. Through him, Makkah, a tiny town of overlooked importance, would become a guiding light that would bathe the globe in years to come. His grandfather, Abdul Muṭṭalib, received him with teetering delight. He announced the child’s name hoping it would continue to echo through land and time: Muhammad ﷺ. As this was not a name well-known to the Quraysh, a poet explained: [Allah] extracted his name from His own so he may be exalted. Thus, the Owner of the throne is Maḥmūd, while this is Muhammad. For his part, Abdul Muṭṭalib answered, “I want Allah and everyone on the Earth to praise him.” And so, it would transpire.

by Mateen A. Khan, Piscataway, NJ The importance of knowledge to the practice and perfection of Islam is unquestionable. Allah ta`āla says, “Allah exalts in multiple degrees the Believers from among you and those given knowledge” (Mujādalah 11). His Prophet ﷺ made this request of Him, “O Allah, help us learn that which is beneficial to us, help us benefit from what You have enabled us to learn, and increase us in knowledge.” Yet, knowledge alone is insufficient. Along with it, there must be a constant concern for taqwa of the heart and love of Allah. If knowledge is the engine, then taqwa and love are the fuel which drive it. On Taqwa There are more than 150 verses of the Qur’an regarding the virtues of taqwa, and there are more than 40 verses that mention taqwa specifically. For example, Allah ta`āla says: “The most noble of you before Allah are those with the most taqwa.” “Allah only accepts from the people of taqwa.” “The friends (`awliyā’) of Allah are only the people of taqwa.” “Know that Allah is with the people of taqwa.” Clearly, this is a concept of extreme importance that Allah thought necessary to repeat to us. These verses tell us the people of taqwa are the most noble before Allah. They are His awliyā’ and His beloved. Allah protects them, loves them, and assists them. The rewards of the ākhirah are theirs, including Jannah and His pleasure. Further, taqwa causes our deeds to be accepted and our requests to be honored. It brings Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. It protects us from punishment, difficulty in the ākhirah, and Allah’s displeasure. We differentiate between truth (ḥaqq) and falsehood (bāṭil) by it. From the time of Sayyiduna Ādam to today, every Believer has been told to develop it. Taqwa is the natural result of iman. Iman is a seed that, when sowed properly, produces taqwa. When taqwa plants itself in the heart, it cultivates all other good traits and actions. Hence, we need to develop it to develop other praiseworthy traits. The verse in Surah al-Najm indicates to this, “Do not claim purity for yourself. Allah is most aware of those with taqwa.” Taqwa comes from the word وقاية, meaning a protection or barrier. Literally, it means to place a barrier (ḥijāb) between yourself and the disobedience of Allah. In the Sharī`ah, the word taqwa is used in two ways: General- This is to protect oneself from any harm in the ākhirah, the most basic of which is to avoid shirk. The highest form of taqwa is to avoid everything that turns one’s attention away from Allah. Allah ta`āla says, “O Believers, have taqwa of Allah as is His right, and do not die except as a Muslim.” Specific- This is to be cautious in obeying Allah out of fear for His displeasure and punishment. Interestingly, the fear in taqwa is linked to a mutual love between Allah and His creation as He says, “Indeed Allah loves the people of taqwa.” and “The Believers are intense in their love for Allah.” On Love The fortunate look into their hearts and realize their love for Allah is not sufficient. I say fortunate because there are many who expend an entire lifetime without this thought occurring to them. These fortunate people become distressed by this thought and worry for their iman. Know, dear reader, that such thoughts are a blessing and a sure sign of iman. Once a group of Companions came to our beloved Prophet ﷺ concerned over some grave thoughts they experienced, and he assured them the concern for iman is a sign of iman (ذاك صريح الإيمان). When we speak about love, it is important to differentiate between two types. The first is that love which comes naturally. Generally, it is emotion-based, without intent, and accidental. It tends to be easily lost, short-lived, and not well established. The second type is that love which is chosen. It is purposeful, with intent, and intellectual. It resists change and resists other objects of love. It is much more likely to be lasting and established. There are people who love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ in a complete sense naturally. However, most are deficient. They require work to develop love—purposeful, intellectual work. Mawlana Ashraf `Ali al-Thanwī (May Allah ta`āla have mercy on him) argued the second type of love is greater than the first. This is because we are not rewarded for that which comes without choice or effort, just as we are not responsible for that which comes naturally, without intent. We are only responsible for our choices. Just as there are actions of the body we choose, there are also actions of the heart that are chosen. This is an important point. Take the commonly known example of looking at something impermissible. The first glance which occurs without intent or foreknowledge is forgiven. We are not held accountable for it. The second glance is purposeful and accountable. If one leaves it out of fear of Allah, one is rewarded. Similarly, the love which occurs purposefully and with effort brings a greater reward. Rather than being distressed that one does not find the appropriate love of Allah occurring naturally, one should take purposeful steps to develop a chosen love. Today, the ummah’s love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ has grown weak because we have little concern for it. In fact, even more tragic is when one lacks concern so much so that no steps are taken to develop the missing love or protect oneself in the ākhirah. We must choose to love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ as the first step. We must choose to develop a connection with Allah. Choosing to Love Allah There are ways to develop love for Allah ta`āla. Here, I will pass on to you a powerful method given to us by our predecessors. Naturally occurring love is about affinity or kinship. One may find love within them for virtually anything. Sometimes this occurs without thought or even knowing the actual qualities of a person. Sometimes, it is just a feeling or a love about imagined qualities. However, even these superficial, emotional loves of created objects can be converted to a chosen, intellectual love of the Creator. Affinity occurs because of an appreciation for beauty, benefit, and perfection in something. In reality, these qualities are found in the most perfect sense with Allah. The rest of creation is merely a reflection of it. In other words, the example of us loving something other than Allah is like the person who having seen the beauty of the sunlight on a wall falls in love with the reflected light. He appears to be a lover of the wall’s light, but really he is a lover of the sun. Once he realizes this, he will reflect on his mistake and turn towards the source with a more perfect love. The love of the wall’s light was emotional, while the love of the source was chosen. In this way, turn your love from the reflection (whomever or whatever it may be) to its source—Allah. Even when we love the traits of a creation, we are in fact in love with the Creator. Develop your love of Allah by changing your emotional love to a chosen love—one without intent to one with intent, one without reward to one with reward, and one that is short-lived to one that is eternal. Doing this consciously is a simple and powerful way to develop love for Allah ta`āla. Finally, when you seek out Allah, remember He seeks you. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah ta`āla said, “Whoever comes to me a handspan, I come to him an arm span. Whoever comes to me an arm span, I come to him two arm spans. Whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” Always keep in mind that Allah is seeking you. If He did not want us to come to Him, He would not have allowed us to even take the first step. Our discussion here and your reading it with concern is proof of it.

by Mateen A. Khan, Piscataway NJ A version of this article was first published in Al-Madania Magazine. In this series so far, we have established the Creator’s existence after a brief discussion on epistemology and then, followed it with an explanation of some of His attributes. Building upon what we’ve covered, we now turn our focus to divine communication or revelation (al-waḥī). First, recall there are three types of existents: necessary, possible, and impossible. Necessary existents must exist, while their non-existence is inconceivable, e.g., the Creator. Impossible existents are inherently inconceivable, and they cannot exist, e.g., another Creator besides Allah. Possible existents, previously referred to as contingents, are those whose existence are not necessary but merely possible. Their existence depends on a creator bringing them into existence. So, these are things Allah creates out of His wisdom and love for His creation. Among them is divine messengership (al-risālah). In other words, He did not have to communicate with us, but He chose to do so. Unlike other creatures, humans have been gifted with an intellect and free will. Without divine revelation, these gifts would have been a curse, as they lead to questions without definite answers. What is the purpose of our creation? What is moral and what is immoral? Is there something additional to the visible universe, and how does it affect us? The answers to these questions – knowledge of purpose, expectations, benefits, and harms – necessitate divine communication through messengers. We will further outline some of what necessitates revelation now. 1. A Creator Entails Purpose Indeed, no intelligent being creates except with purpose, and Allah is no exception. The creation by an All-Wise Creator must be one full of wisdom. Purposeless actions and play are the traits of lesser beings. Allah ta`āla states in Surah al-Mu’minūn, “So did you think We created you for nothing and you will not be brought back to Us?” Free-will without purpose is like being stranded in an expansive sea with a boat and an oar. What are we doing here, and which direction should we go? What is our purpose? We cannot see into the mind of our Creator, nor does our thinking or wisdom compare with His. Without communication from Him, some would argue and debate purpose to no definitive conclusion, others would go about with no purpose as animals do, and others would simply never entertain the question. 2. Directions for the Deputies When Allah chose to create humans and jinn, He was like a king dealing with his kingdom. Intellect and free will allow us to act outside the boundaries that restrict other creatures. Such gifts must come with responsibilities. If someone gifted found himself with those who are handicapped, naturally, a responsibility falls on his shoulders as a caretaker. As we find ourselves uniquely gifted among Allah’s creatures, we would be expected to act as the deputies (al-khulafā’) for Him. Allah confirms this in Surah al-Baqarah, “(Remember) when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to create a deputy on the earth!’” The ultimate knowledge of responsibility and the directions to carry it out must come from Allah. Additionally, as kings do, Allah has willed to hold us responsible for fulfilling His commands. They come with promises of reward and threats of punishment. The commands of what is obligatory, optional, permissible, or impermissible need to be conveyed. Otherwise, we would argue ignorance on the day of judgement for not having been warned. He states, “Whoever adopts the right path does so for his own benefit, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another, and it is not Our way to punish (anyone) unless We send a Messenger.” (Surah al-Isrā 15) 3. Benefits v. Harms Had Allah created without informing us about the reality of this world, what awaits after death, or what is hidden of other realities, then His creating would have been without wisdom. This is not fitting for an all-wise, omniscient, and loving Creator. As our bodies need nourishment and are susceptible to disease, He created food and medication to fulfill that need. Similarly, our intellects and souls have needs and are susceptible to disease. We require guidance to nourish and treat them. It is unbefitting that He would not have guided us in this way. Said differently, from poisonous foods to the spikes of the Ṣirāṭ, much of what can harm us cannot be known intellectually. Our life is too short to learn all that benefits us in this world by trial and error. We rely on others’ prior experience or knowledge. Similarly, we cannot elucidate some life-decisions and the benefits and harms which await us in the grave and Hereafter on our own. They are beyond our intellect, senses, and other empiric means. Those that have passed on to witness the unseen cannot report back to us. The knowledge of these things can only come from Allah. 4. Morality As deputies over Allah’s kingdom and for our own interests, we require a moral system. Meaning, we require the knowledge of right and wrong. Delineating ethics is an apparent need crossing all fields in our lives. When is it permissible to fight? Who is deserving of certain resources? What are the limits of our actions? The questions seemingly have no limit and new ones arise daily. If left to the whims and intellects of people, ethical questions are rarely resolved with any certainty or objectivity. They vary from person to person, place to place, and time to time. Often, even the same individual will flip-flop on moral issues. Hence, we are mostly incompetent in differentiating right from wrong. True, there are a few in each generation who recognize good on their own: Companions like Abū Bakr, who even in Jāhiliyyah never worshiped idols, Zayd ibn `Amr ibn Nufayl al-Qurashī, who accepted tawḥīd before meeting the Prophet ﷺ, or Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, who worshiped Allah before accepting Islam. If Allah – through revelation and messengers – makes this search easy on His servants, then that is a favor from Allah and a mercy as He said about the Prophet ﷺ, “We have not sent you but as a mercy for all the worlds.” (Surah al-Anbiyā’ 107) 5. The Intellect’s Deficiency As individuals and as communities, we also differ on what path we should take in different matters. This includes worldly matters from economics to family, and religious matters like belief and worship. Despite untold days and lifetimes of investigation, contemplation, and coordination, our intellects have failed to unify on a single path. Would it not make sense that Allah guide us towards a beneficial path rather than us stumbling through our lives? As an aside, some, who abandon religion alleging differences in religions have led to great conflict, only open themselves to greater discord from individuals and no grounding of thought. For the self-interests and whims of men have led to unimaginable harm and destruction unrivaled by any religion even if we exclude when those same men used religion for their pursuits. 6. Worship & Gratitude Our creation is masterful, and the surrounding universe is mind-blowing. From free-will to family to the permitted pleasures of this world, He has given us innumerable gifts. The Creator is a Being worth our attention, gratitude, and worship. How do we express these? Should we play instruments and dance as some religions do? Do we sacrifice people as some have done? No amount of rational thinking will replace direct knowledge from Allah. He has revealed to us various ways of worship and thanks. Each of them brings us closer to Him and benefits us in other ways. Men as Messengers The need for divine communication should be clear now. As for how to do that, Allah could have communicated in many ways. He could have communicated His messages to us directly. However, if one were to receive such messages and witness Him as we witness the apparent, it would have defeated the purpose of mandating belief (al-īmān). Believing in Him would be no different than believing the Sun exists and obeying Him would be no different than following the orders of military personnel as you stood before them. He could have had all of us arrive at the correct conclusions by necessity. However, this would negate free will and choice, and this life would not have been a test as He desired. We would have been akin to angels. Rather, Allah chose to communicate through messengers. Allah chose from an almost infinite number of creations to communicate to us with selected humans similar in nature to us. Humans towards whom we would have a natural affinity and who can serve as practical examples of what is required of us. In summary, messengers are required to convey revelation between the Creator and His creation. They serve to remove ignorance and doubts, give clear direction and purpose, and indicate benefits in the dunyā and ākhirah. Although, sending messengers was not incumbent on Allah, it is expected from the All-Wise (al-Ḥakīm). Thus, the scholars have said our need for messengers is proven without doubt (thābitun qaṭ`an).

by Mateen A. Khan, Piscataway NJ A version of this article was first published in Al-Madania Magazine. Introduction In the previous article of this series, we established that belief in Allah is to recognize everything must have a Creator. In other words, a Creator must necessarily exist to account for the existence of creation. In this article, we will briefly explore some of the attributes known about the Creator. Allah Firstly, the Creator refers to Himself by the name “Allah” through the messages He revealed to His prophets. هُوَ اللَّـهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. (al-Hashr 24) The name “Allah” is a proper noun originating in Arabic. According to the majority of scholars, the name is not derived from root letters, nor are any adjectives derived from it like other Arabic names. Similarly, Allah our Lord is neither derived from anyone or anything, nor was anyone derived from Him as Christians and others claim. The name “Allah” does not have a dual or plural form; it exists solely in the singular. Similar is the case with Allah, our Lord—He is One. Unlike most Arabic nouns, the name “Allah” exists solely in the definite form. It cannot be made indefinite (usually indicated by a tanwīn), which implies vagueness or the possibility of a like. This means the name cannot be given or used to describe anyone else. Similarly, Allah our Lord is distinct without the possibility of a similitude, and He cannot be the eponym of another. Knowing Allah When referring to Allah, we discuss two things about Him: His essence (dhāt) and His attributes (ṣifāt). The essence of Allah is unknowable by anyone other than Him. It is limitless and overwhelmingly awesome, whereas all of creation and their capabilities are limited, and in comparison, unimpressive. We cannot comprehend His essence, and any attempt is abject failure from the start. Allah states about Himself, “No vision can comprehend Him, and He comprehends all visions, and He is Absolutely Subtle, All-Aware.” (Qur’an 6:103) Similarly, a narration attributed to the Prophet ﷺ states, “Contemplate on the creation, and do not contemplate on the Creator. Indeed, you do not have the ability to do so.” (al-Jāmi` al-Ṣaghīr #6219) However, there are some traits of the Divine essence that are known by necessity. We will go through them one by one. The Divine Essence The traits of the divine essence are exclusive to Allah and necessary to Him. Meaning, no other being may have these qualities, and it is impossible for Him to be without them. Existence (wujūd) – In the previous article, we understood that Allah’s existence is necessarily known from the existence of anything else. In other words, since creation exists, the Creator must exist. In this way, He is the necessary Existent (wājib al-wujūd). This holds for all periods, places, and possible universes. The opposite of this attribute would be non-existence, which is a logically impossible scenario as it would entail that nothing else exists. Pre-eternality (qidam) – After understanding that all creation depends on Allah for its existence, then also understand Allah has always existed. Time is a creation of His. Thus, His existence was “before” time. He is neither confined nor affected by it. If it were to end, His necessary existence would continue unchanged. This preludes into the next attribute. Ever-lasting (baqā’) – This is related to the above points. There can never be a situation whether before, during, or after the creation of time in which Allah does not exist. He is unlike creation (mukhālafah li al-ḥawādith) – Everything other than Allah came into existence from non-existence due to dependency on Him. All things other than Allah have some deficiency. He (`azz wa jall) is free of any imperfections. Thus, He is unlike anything and also unlike whatever the imagination can conjure up about Him. In other words, whatever you imagine Him to be, He is not. Self-Subsistence (qiyām bi nafsihī) – Allah depends on nothing else for His existence, be that a creator, place, time, or anything else. Meaning, He exists on His own (al-ṣamad). One (waḥdāniyyah) – Three different meanings applying to Allah’s essence and attributes are necessary here. He is alone without a second, unique without a similar, and one without division. The Divine Attributes Like Allah’s essence, His attributes are eternal and perfect. Allah has described Himself with them, and they provide an important way of developing a relationship with our Creator. Being temporal and imperfect, our limited minds are incapable of grasping their full reality. However, they allow us to relate to Allah in a way that fosters love and connection when contemplated upon. There are two ways to describe a thing: the traits it possesses (positive attributes) and the traits it does not possess (negative attributes). Created things may share similarly named attributes in a limited way, i.e., they may also be described by the same terms used to describe Allah, but the meaning entailed is deficient compared to what is attributed to Allah. For example, a person may be described as having mercy (raḥmah), but this is in stark contrast to the attribute of Allah. This concept is stated by Allah in the clearest verse about His nature, “There is absolutely nothing like Him.” (al-Shūra 11) Finally, the opposites of the positive attributes are impossible for Allah in contrast to other attributes like pleasure (al-riḍa) and its opposite, displeasure (al-ghaḍab). Let us examine the positive attributes next. Life (ḥayāh) – He is alive, and its opposite, death, is impossible for Him. Allah states about Himself, “And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die.” (Al-Furqān 58) Power (qudrah) – He is omnipotent, possessing infinite and irresistible power. His awesome power is on display from the grandiosity of the universe to the intricacies of the cell. The opposite is weakness or inability, and this is impossible for Him. “Surely, Allah is powerful over everything.” (al-Nūr 45) Knowledge (`ilm) – He knows everything – all that existed, exists, will exist, and will not exist. He knows it to the smallest and most minute detail. Creation is a testament to the limitless perfect knowledge with Him. The opposite is ignorance, an impossibility for Him in every way. “And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” (al-An`ām 59) Will (irādah) – He has willed in pre-eternity that which was and which is to be (mā kāna wa mā yakūn). Whatever He desires is, and what He does not is not. There is no one to repulse His will, nor anyone to defer His command. His will is absolute, and He cannot be compelled to do anything. Allah says, “He does what He wills.” (Al-Burūj 16) The textual proof for the above four attributes is in the Qur’an and Hadith. The rational proof is that if any of these four attributes were negated from Him, no contingent thing would exist, because it is impossible for there to be something dependent without someone on which it depends. In other words, without omnipotence, there would be incapability. One who is incapable cannot bring a thing into being. Without will, there would be no specifying of a creation to bring into existence. Without knowledge, contingent things would not exist, because you must have knowledge of a thing to intend it. Without life, none of these attributes would exist. Stated another way: The existence of contingent things proves first that Allah must be alive. Then it proves He must have the knowledge of a thing, the will to specify it, and the capability/ power to bring it into existence. Hearing (sam`) – He hears all sounds without reliance on any organs, sound waves, propagating particles, or the like for it. Seeing (baṣr) – He sees all forms and colors without reliance on organs, light waves, or the like for it. “Surely, it is Allah who is Hearing, Seeing.” (Ghāfir 20) Speech (kalām) – Similar to His hearing and seeing, His speech does not rely on any organs, sound waves, letters, or interpretation. It is through this attribute that He communicated. The Qur’an being a communication from Allah is His kalām as well. “Mūsā came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him.” (Al-A`rāf 143) Originating (takwīn) – To bring something into existence from non-existence. With His will, knowledge, and power, He brings everything into existence. “When He decides a matter, He simply says to it: “Be,” and it comes to be.” (Al-Baqarah 117) The textual proof for these four attributes is in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The rational proof is that if Allah did not have these attributes, it would necessitate that He have the opposite attributes: muteness, deafness, and blindness. These are all imperfections and impossible for Allah because they entail that He needs another to remove them or assist Him. Being in need negates self-sufficiency, and negation of self-sufficiency is impossible for Allah. Conclusion First, contemplation of Allah’s attributes is a way of knowing Him. Every lover seeks to know something about his beloved. How much greater is the desire when the Beloved is perfect in every way? Second, contemplation on them has the effect of reforming an individual. A person seeks to embody whatever little he can of his Beloved’s perfections. Third, calling on Allah by them has the effect of bringing one close to Him. In Surah al-A`rāf, Allah describes the traits of the people of Jahannam saying, “They have hearts wherewith they do not understand, eyes wherewith they do not see, and ears wherewith they do not hear. They are like cattle. Rather, they are much more astray. They are the heedless.” Then, as a remedy to their illness, He advises the Believers: وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا For Allah there are the most beautiful names. So, call Him by them. (al-A`rāf 180) Allah has named Himself these beautiful names. Such is the beauty of Allah—no one can describe Him, but Him. The Prophet ﷺ said in a du`a, “I cannot enumerate your praises. You are as you have praised yourself.” (Muslim and others) The Prophet ﷺ further clarified that Allah has ninety-nine names, and whoever knows them will enter Jannah. (al-Bukhārī and others). Unfortunately, we do not have the space here to list them out nor describe even one of them adequately. The dear reader is encouraged to read about them in such books as Imam al-Ghazālī’s Al-Maqṣad al-Asnā and elsewhere.

by Ustadh Omar Baig (Mississauga, Ontario) I finally arrived at Burger Factory. Oh man, I’m starving! I haven’t eaten all day. This place definitely has the best burgers in town. Even this brother is heading in the same direction. “Salām brother! You off to Burger Factory as well? Wait… What?! Harām?! It says it’s halāl right there on the window! Zabīha halāl? How many types of halāl are there?!? Why is halāl so complicated? Doesn’t saying bismillāh make everything halāl anyway? The owner says the meat is hand-slaughtered and halāl though! Doubtful?? How?!? Come on brother, you’re killing me… literally… by starvation.” Well, I guess he is trying to help me stay away from doubtful foods. After all, the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) has mentioned in a ḥadith, “Stay away from that which is doubtful and instead adopt those things which have no doubt.” Wait, when is something NOT doubtful? There is always a doubt unless you’ve seen it done yourself. So does that mean I have to start growing my own vegetables, slaughtering my own meat, have my own little farm in my backyard? (Is that even legal?) Do I have to make sure the goat was good to its parents? What if its parents already died?! What about the opinion of saying bimillāh makes everything halāl? Where does that fit? Either it’s fardh for every Muslim to be a farmer or I must be missing something here. When looking at the life of the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace), we see that he always kept a balance in his life. When food would come from Muslims or any reliable source, he would urge us to say bismillāh as we normally do, continue our meal, and not let any baseless doubts bother us. At the same time, the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) always exercised extreme caution when there was a legitimate doubt and ordered us to do the same. If the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) actually meant saying bismillāh makes everything halāl, what would be the point of mentioning all the rules of slaughter? Almost every book of ḥadith and jurisprudence has tons of pages just explaining these rules. If one magic word could make everything halāl, what was the need to write such lengthy chapters about slaughtering? None of them even mentioned this hocus-pocus which would make everything halāl! This would also explain why this ‘opinion’ was never mentioned by any of the companions, the salaf al-sālihīn, or any famous jurist in the history of Islam. The Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) stressed caution in making sure we eat halāl food to the extent that he said, “A body nourished with harām cannot enter jannah.” The way of the pious predecessors and those who followed was that they would always exercise caution in matters of halāl and harām whenever there was an actual reason to doubt, but would never let baseless doubts get in their way. I’ve just called to check the source of the meat and found out it’s fine. Whew! Now since that is out of the way, I think it’s time to say bismillah!

By Shaykh Omar Baig While there are understandable differences of opinion regarding issues pertaining to salāh, zakāh, and ḥajj, never before have such differences come about regarding food. Nowadays, even the chicken we eat every day is an issue of contention! During the time of the Messenger (may Allah Ta’ala bless him and give him peace), there was only one method the Muslims would use to slaughter. They would recite the name of Allah upon each animal before slaughter, and thereafter, slaughter it by hand. This was the standard way of slaughter amongst the Muslims for almost 1400 years. Recently however, a new way of slaughter was introduced that speeds up the process and saves money (chicken processed at 200 birds a minute using two workers costs far less than chicken processed at 100 birds a minute using five workers). This process is commonly known as ‘machine slaughtering.’ While the process is definitely more efficient and cost-effective, an important question remains: does it fulfill the criteria of ḥalāl or not? We will focus on the most pertinent condition to the discussion of machine slaughter, which is pronouncing the name of Allah before each slaughter. Thereafter, we will see whether or not machine slaughtered chicken fulfills this criteria. Reciting the Name of Allah Before Slaughter (tasmiyya) Reciting the name of Allah upon the animal before slaughter is a condition almost all the fuqahā (jurists) agree upon. While there are numerous authentic hadīth to support this, we suffice with one of the many verses of the Qur’an to avoid any room for doubt or dispute: “And do not eat (meat) over which Allah’s name has not been pronounced. That would be sinful (fisq).” (Surah al-An‘am, verse 121) The opinion of tasmiyya being necessary according to the vast majority of ulamā can be found in just about every book of tafsīr, fiqh, and commentaries of hadīth. The Method of Machine Slaughter There are a two common methods for the machine slaughter process. We’ll take a look at each of them and briefly analyze below: Method #1 A Muslim recites tasmiyya once at the beginning of the day before turning on the machine. He then turns on the machine, which continues to slaughter chickens (coming through a conveyer belt) for a couple of hours or for the rest of the day. The machine is eventually turned off, and the same process is repeated the next day. The problem with this method: As you may be aware, the machine does not slaughter all the birds at once. Rather, the birds are slaughtered one after the other in succession. Thus, if a Muslim was to pronounce the name of Allah and switch on the machine, then the first bird that is slaughtered may be ḥalāl, but the rest would remain unlawful, for it is a condition that each animal individually has the name of Allah pronounced over it. Method #2 A Muslim turns on the machine, but instead of reciting one tasmiyya for the entire day, various people are assigned to stand near the conveyer belts and recite tasmiyya upon each chicken as they pass by before getting slaughtered by the rotating blade of the machine. The problem with this method: It is a condition that the tasmiyya is pronounced by the one who is slaughtering the animal, not anybody else. In this scenario, the one standing next to the blade is neither the one slaughtering the animal, nor does he even actually have anything to do with it at all! He did not switch the machine on, neither did he turn the blade, nor did he even move the chicken towards the blade. He is merely like an individual who was passing by a slaughterer who was slaughtering his animal. If a random person passing by can say tasmiyya on behalf of the slaughterer, what if a non-Muslim passes by saying words of kufr? Would that make the animal ḥarām? What if two people pass by, one saying the name of Allah while the other says words of disbelief, which one would you go by?! Thus, it is unanimously agreed amongst majority of the ulamā that such tasmiyya cannot suffice. What are we supposed to do when these issues arise? After briefly reading the issues which occur in machine slaughtered chicken, it becomes quite easy to understand why many ulamā and ḥalāl certifying organizations are skeptical in classifying such chicken as ḥalāl. While we might come across certain ulamā and organizations who might deem machine slaughtered chicken ḥalāl, it is important to be respectful and remember it’s always better to err on the side of caution, as there is no dispute regarding hand slaughtered chicken, and it is also easily available. In times like this, it is vital to stick to the Prophetic guidance and the way of the salaf: “Stay away from that which is doubtful and instead adopt those things which have no doubt.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī)

by Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey) The following is part of Enter the Sunnah’s Fiqh Series, concise posts on various fiqh topics about why we do what we do with proofs from the primary sources in Islam according to the usool of the Hanafis. Insha’Allah, with the upcoming month of Ramadan, this series begins with issues related to fasting (sawm). History In the earlier days of Islam, it was mandatory for the Muslims to fast on ‘āshūrā’1 and the middle days2 of the month. We know this from the command of our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace) on the morning of āshūrā’, “Whoever has not eaten, should complete his fast and whoever has eaten, should refrain from food the rest of the day.”3 And Abu Dawūd’s narration, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless and give him peace) would command us to fast on the middle days of the month.”4 After the mandating of the Ramadan fast, the consensus (ijma’) of the scholars is that the fasts of āshūrā’ and the middle days of the month are no longer mandatory. Allah subhana wa ta’ala mandated the fast of Ramadan in the second year after hijrah with the verse: “O Believers, fasting has been mandated upon you just as it was upon those before you, so that you may have taqwa.”5 The Intention of the Ramadan Fast Make your intention for each fast from the preceding day’s sunset or up until the midpoint of the fasting day. Like every other act of worship, fasting requires an intention from the one performing it. Our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace) said, “Actions are only according to their intentions.”6 In other words, the intention to fast as an act of worship is what makes it an act of worship. This can be verbally stated or just a thought occurring after the sunset of the preceding day. The hadith, “Whoever has not eaten, should complete his fast,” tells us one can make the intention even during the actual fasting day with the caveat that half of the day7 has not yet passed. Of course, if you ate earlier in the day, that will not count as a fasting day. The Fasting Period Fast from the start of Fajr until the sunset. The Qur’an guides us in respect to the period of fasting by stating, “Eat and drink until the white thread of the dawn becomes distinct from the black thread. Then complete the fast up until the night.”8 Our Nabi (Allah bless him and give him peace) explained in numerous hadiths the white thread becoming distinct from the black thread refers to the beginning of Fajr, while “the night” refers to the completion of the sunset. Click “Follow” to automatically receive the next post in the Fiqh Series which will discuss those who are exempt from fasting. _____ 1 Ashūrā’ refers to the 10th day of Muharram. 2 “Middle days” refers to the 13th, 14th and 15th of each Islamic month. 3 Sahīh Muslim (hadith #1136) and Sahīh al-Bukhari (hadith #1960) 4 Sunan Abi Dawud (#2449) 5 Al-Baqarah: 183 6 Sahīh al-Bukhari (#1) 7 “Half of the day” refers to the midpoint between the start of Fajr until sunset. 8 Al-Baqarah: 187

By Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey) The following is part of Enter the Sunnah’s Fiqh Series, concise posts on various fiqh topics about why we do what we do with proofs from the primary sources in Islam according to the usool of the Hanafis. Allah’s statement, “Whichever of you witnesses the month [of Ramadan] should fast during it,”1 is a general statement applying to everyone. From other proofs, we learn there are some who are exempt from fasting. The Sick The Qur’an states, “Should any of you be sick or on a journey, then [he should fast] a [similar] number of days at another time.”2 Allah subhāna wa ta’āla excluded the sick person from fasting and mandated he make-up those fasts when his health improves. If he began his fast, then he may break it and make it up later. The sick person is the one whose illness may worsen or his becoming well may be delayed from fasting. He may ascertain this by being reasonably sure based on his own experience or on the advice of a knowledgeable, practicing Muslim physician. The Sick Without Hope of Improving A further categorization of the sick person is the one who has no hope of improving. This includes the very old, those with life-long conditions, etc. They are excluded from fasting just like the sick person who hopes to improve. Since they will not be able to make up these missed fasts, Allah subhāna wa ta’āla tells them, “Those who do not have the strength must give a fidya, [meaning] feeding a poor person.” According to the Companion Ibn ‘Abbās (May Allah have mercy on him), fidya is to feed a poor person at least the equivalent of 3.5 pounds of wheat per day of missed fast.3 The Pregnant or the Breastfeeding If a person is pregnant or breast-feeding and there is concern for her well-being or the well-being of the child, then she is excluded from fasting. These individuals are analogous (qiyās) to the sick person. The Women During Her Period or Lochia4 On one occasion, our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace) asked a rhetorical question, “Isn’t it true that a woman does not pray nor fast during her period?”5 On another occasion, his wife, ‘Aisha (Allah have mercy on her) mentioned, “We were commanded to make-up [those] fasts.”6 In other words, it was well known amongst the Companions a woman should not fast during her bleeding, and she should make them up at another time. Click “Follow” to automatically receive the next post in the Fiqh Series, which will continue to discuss those who are exempt from fasting. _____ 1 Al-Baqara 185 2 Al-Baqara 184 3 Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzāq 7574. One may give money equivalent to its cost instead. 4 Lochia is the bleeding that happens up to 40 days after giving birth. 5 Sahīh al-Bukharī 1951 6 Jāmi’ al-Tirmidhī 787

By Dr. Mateen Khan (Trenton, New Jersey) The following is part of Enter the Sunnah’s Fiqh Series, concise posts on various fiqh topics about why we do what we do with proofs from the primary sources in Islam according to the usool of the Hanafis. The Non-Muslim1 When a non-Muslim reverts to Islam, the scholars agree (ijmā’) he or she does not have to make up the fasts missed in previous years based on the Prophet’s (Allah bless and give him peace) saying, “Islam erases everything that preceded it.”2 The Child Until a person reaches puberty, fasting is not mandatory for him or her since our Nabi (Allah bless and give him peace) said, “The pens [that write deeds] are lifted from three types of people. [One of them is] the child until he [or she] reaches puberty.”3 Furthermore, the child is not expected to make up the years of fasts he missed while being a child based on the usooli principle of “removing great difficulty” (daf’ al-haraj). The Traveler The āyah “Should any of you be sick or on a journey, then [he should fast] a [similar] number of days at another time”4 excludes the traveler from fasting. However, Allah subhana wa ta’ala states in the same āyah, “If you fast, it is better for you.” Meaning, if you can fast without much hardship, it is better for you because fasting during Ramadan is better than to make up its fast outside of Ramadan. The Companion Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah have mercy on him) informed us, “At times, while traveling, the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) would fast and at times, he would not.”5 The Make-Up Fasts It is better to perform the missed fasts early. If one were to die before performing them, fidya can be given. It is permitted to delay the Ramadan make-up fasts since the āyah “Then [he should fast] a [similar] number of days at another time,” does not specify when or how early the fasts should be performed. However, making up the fasts as soon as possible is better and more cautious. The “deadline” for making up these fasts is before one’s death, and no one is aware of when that might be. To put it off without having any firm intention to make it up is sinful. If the Ramadan of the following year comes before the fasts are made up, the make-up fasts should be delayed until after Ramadan. Also, to perform all of the make-up fasts in a row is better, but not necessary since the āyah, “Then [he should fast] a [similar] number of days at another time,” does not stipulate this. The Companion, Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah have mercy on him), narrated if a person dies before he makes up his fasts and there was a time he was capable of making them up, “his heir should feed [a poor person] on his behalf for every [missed] day.”6 The caveat is that he or she stipulates this in his or her will. Otherwise, the heirs do not have to give it, but they may out of their own generosity. The narration indicates another person cannot perform the missed Ramadan fast on his behalf. Click “Follow” to automatically receive the next post in the Fiqh Series, which will discuss those things that break the fast Insha’Allah. _____ 1 It might seem logical a non-Muslim is not expected to fast, but based on Qur’anic proofs, the scholars disagreed as to whether they are included in the command to fast. 2 Sahīh Muslim #121 3 Sunan Abī Dāwūd #4402 4 Al-Baqara 184 5 Sahīh al-Bukhārī #1948 6 Jāmi’ al-Tirmidhī #718, also transmitted in Sunan al-Nasa’ī