Maulana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi[1] Translated by Waqar Akbar Cheema On June 18, 1937, the Amritsar weekly Akhbar Ahle Hadith published an edict about a scholar from Azamgarh, UP, India, who had opined that the Qur’an contained some words that were not grammatically and rhetorically the best choice in their respective contexts but were nevertheless used […]
Thanwi: Expressive Guidance on Delving into Qur’anic Eloquence Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract This detailed paper delves into the question: how old was ‘Aisha (rA) when she married Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)? It examines the arguments for the traditional opinion that ‘Aisha was nine years old at the time of consummation of marriage and the alternate-opinions arguments presented by scholars who question the authenticity of
The Age of Aisha: An Appraisal of the Traditional and Revisionist Perspectives Read More »
The Qur’an is categorical in stating that none but Allah knows the time of the Last Hour (i.e., the Day of Judgment).[1] It also establishes that even Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) did not know of it. Hadith reports also mention that the Prophet (ﷺ) stated that he had not been informed of it,[2] though he described
Explained: Hadith about Last Hour in a Boy’s Lifetime Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Muslim scholars commenting on Orientalists’ contribution to the study of Islam acknowledge that they edited and published and thus introduced scores of classical works of Muslim scholarship that had been out of broad reach for centuries. No doubt Orientalists did make a significant contribution on this account, and its significance outweighs any
Mistake or Mischief? Dedering and a report on the Prophet’s marriage with ‘Aisha Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) allowed Sahla, the wife of Abu Hudhaifa, to nurse Salim to establish the foster relationship between them even though Salim was by then already an adult. This incident has given rise to a lot of discussion and polemics in our times. The instant study is about analyzing the
On the question of Adult Breastfeeding in Islamic Tradition Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract The article is about examining details of the saying of ‘Aisha of which a narration mentioned in Sahih Muslim has been used by critics to cast aspersions on the completeness of Qur’anic preservation in writing after the Prophet. Cross examining various narrations of ‘Aisha’s report on five-sucklings as proof required to
Reality of ‘Missing’ Qur’anic Verse on Suckling Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract The article is about hadith reports mentioning protection for Makkah and Madina from plague. Relevant reports have been critically analysed to show how the spread of pandemics such as COVID-19 to Makkah and Madina casts no aspersions on sayings authentically reported from Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). [divider] 1. Introduction We have earlier explored
Hadith and Protection of Makkah and Madina from Plague Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract This article is about an academic inquiry into arguments around a Jauniyya woman’s mysterious and bizarre behaviour in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) in their first meeting after marriage. The interaction was brief yet odd and it culminated in immediate divorce. The nature of interaction made individual reports about it,
Truth about Jauniyya, the woman who sought refuge from the Prophet (ﷺ) Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract This article reviews contentions around Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ) marriage with ‘Aisha when she was nine years old. Highlighting pitfalls in the study of history and factors related to puberty in general the details of the marriage are explored. Moreover, reports showing the nature of relations between the Prophet and ‘Aisha are
Prophet Muhammad’s Marriage with Nine-Year Old Aisha: A Review of Contentions Read More »
Waqar Akbar Cheema Abstract A cogent analysis of hadith reports about children born out of wedlock in Islam with a focus on the meanings of such reports as understood by traditional scholars of Islam over the centuries. The article shows such reports considered suggestive of condemnation of children born as a result of adultery were
Are children born out of wedlock condemned in hadith? Read More »