Friday 17 November 2023

Timeline of early Muslim scholars

Below is a chronology of birth dates of famous Muslim scholars of the past:

AH Year CE Year Scholar
21 642 Hasan Al-Basri – One of the most celebrated of the Tab'iun whose name is often encountered in commentaries of the Quran.
80 702 Abu Hanifa – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
85 704 Ibn Ishaq – Famous for his biography of the Prophet ﷺ.
93 711 Malik ibn Anas – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
150 767 Al-Shaafi'i – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
164 780 Ahmad Ibn Hanbal – Famous for his school of jurisprudence.
194 810 Muhammad Al-Bukhari – Famous for his Hadith collection.
204 819 Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj – Famous for his Hadith collection.
214 829 Al-Nasa'i – Famous for his Hadith collection.
240 854 Ibn Abi Hatim
270 883 Ibn Hibban
321 933 Al-Haakim
384 994 Al-Bayhaqi
392 1002 Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi
450 1058 Al-Ghazali – Famous for his works entitled The Incoherence of the Philosophers and The Revival of the Religious Sciences.
631 1233 Al-Nawawi – Famous for his collection of 40 Hadith and his work entitled The Meadows of the Righteous.
661 1263 Ibn Taymiyyah
691 1292 Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya
701 1300 Ibn Kathir – Famous for his commentary on the Quran.

Note: AH is short for After Hijrah; CE is short for Common Era.

Friday 24 February 2023

Top ten tips for Umrah 🕋

Below are ten practical tips to help you make the most of your Umrah and your stay in and around Al-Masjid Al-Haraam.
  1. Carry your hotel name on you. Each person in your group should have their hotel name and address written on them. It's very easy to get separated from your group during Tawaf or Sa'ee. You want the peace of mind that everybody in your group can make their own way back to the hotel should they get separated.
  2. Keep your footwear on when doing Tawaf and Sa'ee. Unless you're used to walking long distances bare foot on hard surfaces, doing so will cause strain to your feet and legs and hamper your ability to do follow-up Tawafs and/or Umrahs.
  3. Carry plasters and antiseptic wipes on you during Tawaf and Sa'ee. Individuals pushing wheelchairs are careless and often hit and cut those in front of them. I hope you never have to administer the plasters and wipes that you're carrying but, sadly, it's likely you will.
  4. Protect yourself against the sun. Pack sunglasses, sun cream and a light coloured scarf or umbrella. Take these items with you on each daytime trip to the Masjid. Remember not to wear the sun cream whilst in the state of Ihram.
  5. Set off early for prayer. Leave half an hour before the Adhan at least to get a place inside the Masjid or the extension.
  6. Use the first floor for Nafl Tawafs. The ground floor is currently exclusive for those doing Umrah. The roof is currently off limits for Tawaf due to construction works.
  7. Use the Mosque extension for a more tranquil prayer. There is always plenty of space inside and it is nicely carpeted. The ground and first floors of the main Mosque are currently exclusive for Umrah and Tawaf. As a result, they are quite disruptive to pray in.
  8. Ask the cleaners for help and advice. Avoid asking the Saudi guards for help and advice. Asking the Saudi guards for advice is like asking a Magic 8 Ball for advice.
  9. Avoid getting mobile data if you can. Entering the Masjid without internet is a great way to maximise your time inside and to have a detox from all the distractions online and outside.
  10. Install the Maps.ME app on your mobile device. Download the offline map for Saudi Arabia in the app to get a better visual layout of the Masjid and the surrounding area than what is available with Google Maps.