From the Pen of Shaykh ‘Awwamah

The Honourable Hadith expert of our times, Al-Muhaddith, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) often states that the residents of Madinah Munawwarah regularly make the following du’a: اللّٰهُمَّ أَصْلِحِ النِّيَّةَ والذُّرِّيَّةَ Allahumma aslihin niyyah wadh dhurriyyah   Translation O Allah, rectify my intentions and reform my progeny. This brief yet profound du’a is much needed in the world today. Ponder: One who is bereft of the above two bounties …

Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) mentioned the following incident:   I once visited Mufti Mahmudul Hasan Gangohi (rahimahullah) while he was in Madinah Munawwarah. It was after ‘Asr Salah. As the time for Maghrib drew near, an attendant (khadim) enquired from Mufti saheb if he wanted to make wudu and prepare for salah. Mufti Mahmud saheb (rahimahullah) replied: ‘How can I sit in the company of this ‘Alim …

My beloved and respected teacher in Madinah Munawwarah, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) once mentioned a story about his senior teacher, Shaykh ‘Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah (rahimahullah). I wanted to share it for its profound message and immense inspiration:

‘Don’t believe everything you read’ – These were the words of wisdom of the great Shaykh ‘Abdullah Sirajuddin (rahimahullah), the senior Teacher of my Honourable Shaykh, Al-Muhaddith Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him). He offered this advice to Shaykh ‘Awwamah in his early days of study, after he approached his Teacher to clarify a dodgy incident about Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) which he had just read the night before.

Attending a few gatherings of completion of Hadith books (like the khatm Bukhari) for the purpose of barakah etc is applaudable and encouraged. However, the recent trend of arranging public ‘maqra-ahs’ (also called Hadith Majlis; swift Hadith recitals) of Hadith books, like Sahih Bukhari etc. are indeed beneficial for the scholars, but harmful for the layman who doesn’t have a sound grounding in the basic subjects of the Islamic sciences. Such recitals should be …

The following Hadith is often quoted when discussing the topic of the rank of the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum). أصحابي كالنجوم بأيهم اقتديتم اهتديتم “My Companions are like the stars, whichever of them you follow you will be rightly guided” Although there exists numerous verses of the Quran as well as Hadiths on this matter, the following is a research into the authenticity of the narration in question.   Original sources Hafiz …

Among the most compelling contemporary challenges, are the alarmingly increasing temptations to compromise on one’s basic beliefs. When a person loses focus of what is important in his/her life, then to sell off the most valuable asset becomes easy. In so doing, he/she is the biggest loser. In a Hadith of Sahih Muslim, Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) warned the ummah of a time when people would put their worldly aspirations ahead …

We are often faced with the question: “Why do you follow Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik or Imam Shafi’i etc (rahimahumullah)? Aren’t we supposed to follow Sayyiduna Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)? A unique perspective  My Respected Teacher, Al-Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him and keep him in good health, and may Allah continue to allow us to benefit from Shaykh) writes: “It is crucial for every Muslim to …

This is a book by my dear brother and friend, Shaykh Abu Usamah (may Allah continue to bless him) It covers several major unfounded doubts in the minds of many concerning the issues of following a madh-hab (school of thought). The book is in question and answer format which makes it easier to comprehend. A lot of the discussions have been adapted from “Atharul Hadith” of my esteemed Shaykh Muhammad …

Imam Ibn Shihab Zuhri (rahimahullah) – Demise 125-  features quite prominently in the discussion of Hadith compilation. It is commonly stated that he was the first to compile the Noble Traditions of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). However, this is not entirely correct as it pushes the date of hadith compilation much further and opens the door for hadith rejectors to object. Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah’s research My Honourable teacher, Al-Muhaddith Shaykh …