Scholars

Scholars are people who devote themselves to study, particularly to an area in which they have developed expertise. A scholar may also be an academic, a person who works as a teacher or researcher at a university or other higher education institution. An academic usually holds an advanced degree.

144953

Hair . Hijab . Forehead . Scholars

Is it compulsory to cover all the hair when we wear Hijab or can we let some hair fall loose on our forehead? Are there different views on this matter according to the Shia scholars?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 settimana fa

Wearing full Hijab means covering all your hair and body except your face and hands. Leaving hair show with out covering it will invalidate the Prayer.

Wassalam.

141770

Islam . Scholars . Musical Instrument

What type of musical instruments are allowed in Islam? Can you please provide references and indicate if there are different views among the scholars?

Muslim great scholars in general consider every music which is usually used by sinners as not permissible. There is no specific musical instrument which is allowed always, but it depends on how this instrument is been used whether in sinful music or not.
Wassalam.

139016

Tawassul . Scholars . Grave

Is it correct to seek Tabarruk and Tawassul from the graves of our pious, but fallible, scholars?

Pious servants of Allah are granted gifts from Allah including intercession for believers. These gifts from Allah (SWT) depends in the degree of that servant in front of Allah. We don't talk to the grave but to the pious servant of Allah who is granted an everlasting life as we read in Quran ( Don't think those who were killed in the way of Allah as dead, nay, there are alive but you do not feel)( Sura 3, verse 169).

'Every believer who dies with the love of Ahlul Bayt, die as a Shaheed. This is according to authentic Hadeeths in Shia and Sunni books including Tafseer of Zamajhshari and Tafseer Al-Fakhr Al-Raazi and many other Sunni books.

Wassalam.

134817

Scholars . Sunni-Shi'a . Al-Tabari . Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri

Were Ibn Shahab Zuhri and Tabari Shia or Sunni scholars?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 4 mesi fa

The historian Muhammad Jarir al-Tabari was Sunni.

Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri: While Shi'ism originated early (a Shi'i being someone who supported the leadership of Imam 'Ali (A) and his descendants), it took some time for Sunnism as we know it today to develop. Al-Zuhri lived somewhat before that time. So it is not always wholly accurate to identify people in his time period as "Sunnis". This is not an issue with Tabari since Tabari lived later.

In any case, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri's work on hadith was the beginning of what became the tradition of major hadith collections in Sunnism, and led to the formative Sunni books of hadith. Furthermore, he was associated with the Umayyads. Therefore, he is a key figure in the development of Sunnism.

135586

Scholars . Hadith

Does there exist a text where the Shia scholars have extracted and compiled the fully authentic Ahadith from all four of their main books?

The four main Shia books of Hadeeth are Al-Kafi, Al-Faqeeh, Al-Istibsar and Al-Tahtheeb. All of them are published separately and there is a new edition having all these four books in one set of volumes. Most of the narrations in these books are authentic and the number of Hadeeths in these books is much more than the number of the narrations in all the six Sunni books of Hadeeth ( Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah, Abi Dawood, and Nasaa'ee.).

Every Shia scholar studies every Hadeeth and researches the chain of narrators and the meanings of the text as he understands and comes out with his own result about the authenticity and the meaning of it. No one can force his opinion on other scholars as scientific research is free in Shia Islam for every qualified scholar. That is why, we do not believe in closing the gate of Ijtihad and research in every narration.

Wassalam.

135101

Scholars . Tattoo

Why do some scholars say that having a tattoo is allowed while others say it is not?

Every scholar who reached to the degree of Ijtihad in which he properly deducts the evidence of Islamic rules from the main four sources (Quran, Hadeeth, Aql and Ijmaa') studies and understands the evidence in his own way and we can never inforce same understanding on all the Mujtahids.

Tattoo is allowed because we do not find any authentic evidence against it which can make it Haraam.

Wassalam.

134174

Duties . Scholars . Taqlid . Marja'

What are my duties towards the A'lam, most learned, scholar if I am not his Muqallid?

We should respect all the truthful Ulama who are guiding people to the Way of Ahlul Bayt (AS) being the real way of the Prophet (SAWA) which is the Way of Allah (SWT). Even if you don't follow his verdicts and follow the verdicts of other Marje' of Taqleed, must keep respecting the A'lam. If the A'lam issues an order (Hokm), you must implement his order in any case. Verdict is binding all who do his Taqleed, butHokm (order) I binging every one including those who do Taqleed of other Maraaje's.
Wassalam.

132528

History . Hadith . Sunni . Scholars . Banu Umayyah

Can you please give names of books written on Islamic history and hadith by Sunni scholars during the 90 years of the Umayyad dynasty?

Writing Hadeeth was officially banned during the governments of Abu Bakr and Umar and Uthman and Bani Omayyah till the time of Umar ibn Abdul Zeez which was on years 99 till 102 after Hijra when he allowed writing Hadeeths and ordered one of Shaikhs working for the Umayyad government ( Ibn Shihab al-Zohri) to write Hadeeths which are accepted by the government that time.

Mussannaf Abdul Razzaq, Mawatta' Malik, al-Imamah wal-Siyasah are among the early books.

Wassalam.

129715

Dog . Pet . Scholars

Is it permissible to have dog as a pet? Why are there different opinions on this matter from various scholars?

Yes it is permissible to have a dog as a pet but you must be careful as it is an impure animal (Najis) like pig and you should not let it make your clothes or plates or home items impure (Najis).

If you want to keep a dog as a pet, keeping a dog in your garden to guard your house or garden is allowed as well, and it has no risk of making your home items as impure.

Wassalam.

128392

Scholars . Medicine . Sin . God (Allah)

Is being scholar more virtuous than a doctor? Am I sinful for choosing to be a doctor even though Allah provoked this thought of being scholar in me that I ignored?

It is good to be a scholar, and it is good to be a doctor. Society needs people do to all the different jobs, or else it wouldn't function. Ideally, it is good for you to do the job that you are most talented at and most committed to.

It is narrated that the Prophet (S) said: ‘Knowledge is of two categories:
knowledge of religions and knowledge of the physical body.’ So this narration celebrates and values both kinds of knowledge (religious and medical).

(Of course there are other important jobs and fields of study as well!)

As you know, there are many narrations from the Prophet (S) and Ahl al-Bayt (A) about various medical ailments, so it was clearly a subject that was important to them. So inshallah you are also following in their footsteps by being a doctor.

126962

Scholars . Mosque . Art . Shi'a

Inside some mosques and centres one can see placed pictures of respected Shi'a scholars. What is the reason behind this and is there scholarly consensus on its permissibility?

Majority of our Shia Masjids all over the world do not place pictures of scholars or founders of the mosque, but in some places there are pictures of respected scholars where the culture of that area allows placing pictures. Those who place picture for respected Scholars do so to express gratitude to the great services rendered by them to the community. We don't have any authentic evidence against placing pictures in Masjid as far as it is not for worshiping it and it is just a picture and not a statue. The pictures should not be in the direction of Qibla, means should not be faced by people while performing Namaz because it Is Makrouh (disliked) to face a picture while performing Namaz.

Wassalam.

126507

Scholars . Tahrif . Sunni-Shi'a . Qur'an

I was told that some early Shia scholars believed that the Quran was distorted which I now know not to be true. However, is it Kufr to believe in Tahrif of the Quran?

Although belief in tahrif of the Qur'an is non-standard, it is better to reserve the word kufr for the things that Allah directly uses it for.

The Qur'an does not directly say that belief in tahrif is kufr. (Rather, some people assert this based on a deduction/interpretation of a verse, not a direct statement.)

The word kufr tends to be thrown around quite casually these days. There is rarely any benefit to accusing people of kufr or labelling Muslims as kafir just because one thinks they are incorrect in their belief. It is quite sad that this intolerance has developed today. The classical Islamic era seems to have been much more tolerant and open to discussing differences of opinion regarding theology. This is not to say that every view was always right, but it is better to be able to discuss things rationally rather than to shut down dissenting views by just labelling and attacking (verbally or sometimes physically).