About quran-e-hakim.com

Quran-e-hakim.com is dedicated to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala - glory be to Him, the Most High): Rabbil-alamin (the Lord of the Worlds); Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious); Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful); Maliki yawmid-din (Master of the Day of Judgement); Al-Alim (the All-Knowing); Al-Hakim (the All-Wise); Al-Wadud (the Loving);

Rabbul Arshil Azeem (Lord of the Mighty Throne).

PLEASE NOTE THAT QURAN-E-HAKIM.COM HAS A HOME PAGE BUT FOR SOME OBSCURE REASON IT IS NOT ALWAYS DISPLAYING PROPERLY ON THE INTERNET. IT APPEARS TO WORK CORRECTLY ON MOBILE PHONES, BUT NOT ON DESKTOPS. THE LINK IS 'HOME'. 

IT SHOULD BE OPENING TO A PAGE WHICH AFTER THE BISMILLAH READS: 'All praise and all glory belongs to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala - glory be to Him, the Most High), Rabbil-alamin (the Lord of the Worlds), Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful), Maliki yawmid-din (Master of the Day of Judgement), Al-Alim (the All-Knowing), Al-Hakim (the All-Wise) ...' BUT IT DOESN'T. IT OPENS TO ANOTHER PAGE.

Before proceeding it is important to note that I am not a scholar. As such it is strictly forbidden for me to give my own opinions about the teachings of Islam. I am only allowed to quote authoritative sources, scholars who are recognised in the Ummah (the global Muslim community) as being qualified to comment upon the teachings of Islam.

There are numerous warnings in the Ahadith of severe punishments for those who give their own opinions about the religion.

Because I am not qualified I cannot give fatawa (judgments or legal rulings) about Islam. For those seeking fatawa I would strongly recommend islamqa.org. It is operated by qualified Sunni Shaykhs of the Hanafi Mazhab (School). Men who know and understand the religion of Islam.

You can also contact the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) www.anic.org.au . It is the peak Islamic organisation in the country and “. . . is the sole national organisation of Imams and Islamic Scholars with broad community representation”. ANIC issues fatawa and can be readily consulted for guidance on all spiritual matters.

Quran-e-hakim.com supports the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC).

If you scroll down the Home page of islamqa.org you will see that it lists other authentic sites that give rulings according to the other three Schools in Sunni Islam, the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali Mazhab. It also lists other sites that can be trusted to give rulings according to the Hanafi fiqh. The Arabic word ‘fiqh’ means ‘jurisprudence’ or put more simply, the rules and regulations of the religion.

As well, there are Tabs at the top of the Home page which allow you to select fatawa in accordance with the ruling of a particular Mazhab (School).

Note that there is another website called islamqa but it has a different extension. It is called islamqa.info. It is not recommended because to the best of my knowledge it promotes Salafi beliefs. This is a modern-day movement that aims to 'reform' Islam but to the uninitiated such matters can be confusing. 

For an explanation about the Salafi movement see islamqa.org . 

As is evident from the above, there are four Mazhab in Sunni Islam: The Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.

The four do differ by degree in some matters, but the golden rule in looking at such differences is to remember that Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala - glory be to Him, the Most High) knows best. You will find that devout, pious Muslims simply say ‘they are all correct’. And they are!

For further information about the four Mazhab see my page headed ‘The four Mazhab – Schools - in Islam’.

For the sake of accuracy I should note that Darussalam’s Glossary of Islamic Terms uses a different transliteration from the one I have mentioned above. It is Madhhab. It is defined as:

“A term used in reference to a particular ‘school of thought’ in Islam. As Islam spread to new regions outside the Arabian Peninsula and new social, economic and religious arose, many scholars studied the sources of Islam to find permissible and practical solutions that believers could employ to address these issues.

“Over time, the teachings and thoughts of five respected scholars gained prominence and Muslims tend to adhere to any one or the other school of thought of these scholars. Each school’s opinions, while differing to some degree with the others, are considered equally valid as a source of practical guidance for the ‘lay’ Muslim.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, 2008, Vol.5 Pages 544-545.) [1] 

I do not know why the glossary lists ‘five respected scholars’. I think it is for Darussalam to clarify who is included. But, in mainstream Sunni Islam the four Imams are: Malik ibn Anas, who founded the Maliki Mazhab; Abu Hanifa, who founded the Hanafi Mazhab; Imam Shafi’i, who founded the Shafi’i Mazhab; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who founded the Maliki Mazhab.

TO CONTACT QURAN-E-HAKIM

You may contact quran-e-hakim.com at ianccalderwood@gmail.com but if you wish to do so please remember as I have stated above, I am not a scholar and can only refer anyone interested in the religion to authoritative sources. Insha'Allah, I will attempt at all times to do so to the best of my ability.

For further details see my page 'Contact quran-e-hakim' .

SPREADING ISLAM

Quran-e-hakim.com aims to spread Islam in accordance with the traditional teachings of the Sunnis by drawing upon English translations of the Qur’an, Tafsirs and Ahadith and other works by recognised Islamic scholars.

Among other things, it seeks to help readers access the materials that scholars have used in their Tafsirs {ED: INSERT FOOTNOTE - UNABLE TO BLACKEN AND BOLD FOLLOWING TEXT} and satisfy themselves as to the authenticity of the texts they are reading.

Even though quran-e-hakim.com strives to only quote authoritative sources it is essential that not only readers in general be assured that all reference works are authentic, but that reverts to Islam are also satisfied they are not being misled.

One serious problem facing reverts is that they run the risk of being deceived by spurious works that do not represent the traditional teachings of Islam.

Occasionally in translation the works of scholars are abridged and sometimes key information can be dropped, either by mistake or for the sake of economy. Publishing is expensive and publishers sometimes shorten texts to reduce printing costs.

One of the most outstanding works available to reverts is Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi’s Tafsir, Ma'ariful Qur'an, but occasionally in the English edition mention is made of an Hadith without its source being cited.

An example of this is his commentary on Surah Al-A’la where in Ruling 2 he quotes an Hadith by Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir Al-Juhani (Radi Allahu Ta’ala’anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) (Shafi, 2008, p. 762)[3]without identifying where it is recorded in the books of Ahadith that are commonly referred to in the Sunni world.

In such cases, quran-e-hakim.com tries to identify the source, whether it be from one of the Sihah Sittah, that is one of the ‘Sound Six’ books of Ahadith that are esteemed by Sunni Muslims, or one of the other recognized sources of Ahadith such as the Muwatta of Imam Malik or Musnad Ahmad.

The above comments on Ma’ariful Qur’an should not be construed in any way as a criticism of this magnificent work. It is possible the Shaykh cited the source in his original work in Urdu but the details were dropped in translation.

Ma’ariful Qur’an is one of the most invaluable works available in English – a profound source of information that draws upon many of the classical works written about the Qur’an and Ahadith. It is available from the Darussalam Islamic Bookstore in Sydney and Melbourne, dsbooks.com.au.

Please note that the Darussalam Islamic Bookstores in Sydney and Melbourne are privately owned businesses that mainly - but not solely - sell books published by Darussalam Publishers and Distributors, which is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

I have tried several times to go to the website for Darussalam Publishers and Distributors in Saudi Arabia, but without success.

Every time I try I get the following error message:

"Your connection isn't private

Attackers might be trying to steal your information from darussalamstore.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).

NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID

Go back

Hide advanced

This server couldn't prove that it's darussalamstore.com; its security certificate is from landing.telstra.com. This may be caused by a misconfiguration or an attacker intercepting your connection."

THE SIHAH SITTAH – THE SOUND SIX

When citing an Hadith from the Sihah Sittah, quran-e-hakim.com usually quotes from one of the English translations of the ‘Sound Six’ published by Darussalam Publishers based in Saudi Arabia, but it also quotes Ahadith that are published in English by one of the leading publishers of Islamic books in the Arab world, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, in Beirut, Lebanon.

Both Darussalam Publishers and Distributors in Saudi Arabia and Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah (the website address is al-ilmiyah.com )  are highly reputable publishers esteemed in the Muslim world. Their books are readily available from Islamic booksellers in Sydney and Melbourne.

There is another related site for Darussalam books that may be of value to readers. It is darussalam.com . It is the London UK branch of Darussalam Publishers. The shop is located within the London Central Mosque.

It should be noted that Darussalam is the publisher of Tafsir Ibn Kathir, a 10-volume abridged English translation of the original work in Arabic and also The Noble Qur’an, a nine-volume Tafsir that has gained wide acceptance among English-speaking Muslims. (It is also available in a one-volume summarized edition.) Further details about both sets can be found on my page 'References - Qur'an and Tafsir'.

If I quote an Hadith that is from the Darussalam collection of the Sihah Sittah, that is one of the ‘Sound Six’ books of Ahadith, and that Hadith or the commentary cites the Qur’an, then the translation of the latter will be from The Noble Qur’an.

For those seeking guidance about the various books of Ahadith, there is an excellent discussion included in the Preface to Volume 1 of Sunan Ibn Majah published by Darussalam. The editor writes:

“The Four Books of Sunan (Sunan Arba'ah) refer to Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Tirmidhi, Sunan Nasa'i and Sunan ibn Majah. The term Sihah Sittah, widely known in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, refers to the six books of Hadith, that is, the foregoing four books of Sunan and the Sound Ahadith of Bukhari and Muslim (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). The latter two books, also called Sahihain, are believed by orthodox Muslims (Ahlus-Sunnah) to contain only Sound (Sahih) Ahadith. With respect to the chain of narration (Sanad), no Hadith in those two books is weak.

“Shah Waliullah[4]wrote, while commenting on the two books: ‘As for the two authentic books of Ahadith (Bukhari and Muslim), scholars of Hadith sciences are unanimous that the Muttasil (Connected)[5] and Marfu (Traceable) [6] contained in the twain are absolutely Sound and Mutawatir (Continuous) up to their compilers and that anyone who belittles the two is an innovator (Mubtadi’) following a way other than that of the believers.” (Ibn Majah, 2007, p. 21) [7]

It is wise to heed the warning contained in Shah Waliullah’s statement “that anyone who belittles the two (ED: Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) is an innovator (Mubtadi) following a way other than that of the believers”.

Anyone who demurs would be well advised to read the following Hadith reported from Abu Umamah (Radi Allahu Ta’ala’anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) in Jami’ At-Tirmidhi. The Hadith is No. 3253 in Chapter 43. Regarding Surat Az-Zukhruf. (Abu ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, 2007, pp. 557-558). [8]It reads:

“Abu Umamah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa-sallam - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to arguing.” Then the Messenger of Allah (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa-sallam - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited this Ayah: ‘. . . They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people[9] . . .’ (Hasan)”[10]

“[Abu Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. We only know of it as a narration of Hajjaj bin Dinar, and Hajjaj is trustworthy, average in Hadith. Abu Ghalib's name is Hazawwar. (Hajjaj and Abu Ghalib are narrators in the chain.)”

The editor of Jami’ At-Tirmidhi added the following explanation to the Hadith: “When talking about the call and mission of the Prophets, the name of ‘Eisa (alayhi as-salam – may the peace of Allah be upon him) would be mentioned; the Quraish used to say, Muhammad (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa-sallam - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) criticised our gods but he admired ‘Eisa (alayhi as-salam – may the peace of Allah be upon him) and regarded him a deity. It was then said that those people said so merely for useless argument and quarrel, otherwise they knew very well that the Qur'an did not speak about ‘Eisa (alayhi as-salam – may the peace of Allah be upon him) as a deity, he was mentioned as an obedient servant of Allah and a Messenger.”

ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE QUR’AN

There are many English-translations of the Qur’an, but in quran-e-hakim.com four have been highlighted to help readers grasp the meaning of the Qur’an.

Those four are:

·         Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged). Published in 10 volumes. Volumes 1-9 are 2nd editions, published in July 2003; Volume 10 is a 1st edition, published in September 2000. The work was abridged by a group of scholars who were responsible for translating the commentary, but the translation of the Qur’an is the one from The Noble Qur’an by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

·         The Noble Qur’an. Published in nine volumes. Volumes 1-2 carry no date. Volumes 3-9, are 1st edition copies published in January 2000. Translated and compiled by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-din Al-Hilali. Published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [11]

·         Ma’ariful Qur’an. Published in eight volumes. Volume 1 is a 7th edition published in 2009. Volume 2 carries no date. Volume 3 was published in 2008. Volume 4, 2010, and volumes 5-8, 2008. It was originally written in Urdu by the late Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi, but has been rendered into English by various translators and revised by the Mufti’s son, Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani. It is published by Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom, Karachi, Pakistan. [12]

·         The Quranic Arabic Corpus website. [13] The site, which is part of the Language Research Group at the University of Leeds, is an important tool for anyone studying the Qur’an who wants an in-depth evaluation of classical Arabic.

Of the four listed above, three are Tafsirs: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, The Noble Qur’an and Ma’ariful Qur’an.

Quran-e-hakim.com is using the Word by Word section of the Quranic Arabic Corpus website as the basis for some of the transliterations of the Qur’an and sometimes to also serve as a translation of the text.

The site includes a Quran Dictionary, an English Translation menu which lists up to seven different interpretations and a division devoted to Quranic Grammar.

Quran-e-hakim.com also uses the transliterations in Tajweed Qur'an by Subhi Taha, published by Dar-al-Maarifah, Damascus, Syria and draws upon the glossary that is published by Darussalam in its Ahadith series of The Sihah Sittah – the Sound Six. The glossary invariably appears in the final volume of each set.

For example, Darussalam’s publication of Jami’ At-Tirmidhi comes as a six volume set. The Glossary of Islamic Terms appears at the end of volume six. It is excellent and provides a sound foundation for the transliteration of Arabic terms.    

Quran-e-hakim.com has maintained the use of ‘surah’ as opposed to ‘surat’ and 'sura' throughout the site. Some publishers prefer either of the latter, but for the sake of consistency quran-e-hakim.com has opted for ‘surah’.

STYLE GUIDE

In citing sources, quran-e-hakim.com lists some details in the text, such as the title of the work, the year of publication, volume number if it is a set and page number. Further details such as name of the author and the place and name of the publisher are given in endnotes.  

Even though quran-e-hakim.com sometimes uses the past tense or present perfect tense in citing sources, on occasions, where the context seems better suited, it uses the present tense.

[1]Sunan Abu Dawud (1st ed. July 2008). (Vol. 5 – Glossary of Islamic Terms Pages 545-546). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[2] “Tafsir. Any kind of explanation, but especially a commentary on the Qur’an. Translations of the Qur’an from Arabic into other languages such as Spanish, Urdu or English are considered interpretations of the Qur’an, since only the original Arabic text actually constitutes the content of the Qur’an.” Jami’ At-Tirmidhi (1st ed. November 2007). (Vol. 6 – Glossary of Islamic Terms Pages 637-638). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[3] Shafi, Maulana Mufti M. (2008) Ma’ariful-Qur’an. (Vol. 8). Karachi, Pakistan: Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom Karachi.

[4] Shah Waliullah Dehlawi was an Islamic scholar who lived in India in the 18th century. He was esteemed for his piety and knowledge of Islam.

[5]Muttasil (Connected). An Hadith with a continuous chain of narration.

[6]Marfu (Traceable). An Hadith attributing the words of the Hadith to the Prophet (Sall-Allahu alayhi wa-sallam - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

[7] Imam Muhammad Bin Yazeed Ibn Majah Al-Qazwini. (2007) Sunan Ibn Majah. (1st ed. June 2007). (Vol. 1). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[8] Imam Hafiz Abu ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi (2007) Jami’ At-Tirmidhi. (1st ed. November 2007). (Vol. 5). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[9] Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:58.

[10] “Hasan: (Good).” Jami’ At-Tirmidhi (1st ed. November 2007). (Vol. 6 – Glossary of Islamic Terms, Page 569). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[11] Al-Hilali, M. T., & Khan, M. M. (no date, 2000) The Noble Qur’an (Vols. 1-2 no date. Vols. 3-9, 1st ed. January 2000). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

[12] Shafi, Maulana Mufti M. (2008-2010) Ma’ariful-Qur’an. (Vol. 1, 7th ed. 2009. Vol. 2, no date. Vol. 3, 2008. Vol. 4, 2010. Vols. 5-8, 2008). Karachi, Pakistan: Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom Karachi.

[13]http://corpus.quran.com/

Ian C. Calderwood:

Newcastle, NSW. 16 March 2022.

EDITED 23 August 23 at Lakemba, NSW

WEBCOPY 10 NOV 23 ICC

EDITED 10 November 23 CORRECTING TEXT, CHECKING LINKS