Short Answer In the Shafi’i school, ivory taken from a dead elephant, a slaughtered elephant, or cut from a living elephant is impure. A smoking pipe made from that ivory is impure too. Using it in a wet mouth is forbidden according to every opinion in the school. Using dry ivory on the body is … Read more
Why Dhikr with Asmaul Husna Is Not the Same for Everyone Many people ask the same thing: out of the 99 names of Allah, which one should I recite? The short answer is that no single name suits everyone. Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq gives one simple guideline, and it is the backbone of this article. For … Read more
Short Answer A carcass (maytah) is impure. The exceptions are the carcass of fish, locusts, humans, game that died before it could be slaughtered, and the fetus of a slaughtered animal. That is the ruling on carcass in Islam according to the Shafi’i school. Every exception is pure. Everything else stays impure, including a dead … Read more
Who Is Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq al-Fasi? Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq was a Moroccan scholar of the ninth Islamic century who wrote a commentary on the Asmaul Husna in the book Sharh Asma’ Allah al-Husna. He was a Maliki jurist, a hadith scholar, and a figure of Sufism. His name is also written Ahmad Zarruq al-Fasi, after … Read more
Have you ever imagined a mighty king, whose dominion encompassed humans, jinn, and the wind, standing still to listen to the advice of a tiny insect? The story of Prophet Solomon (Sulaiman) and the ant is one of the most magnificent moments in the history of the prophets. This event holds profound messages about justice, … Read more
Why Do Carcass Hides Raise Questions? Bags, Shoes, Belts, and Jackets: Where Does the Leather Come From? Take a quick look at what you are wearing. Leather shoes on your feet, a belt at your waist, a wallet in your pocket, or a leather jacket hanging in the closet. Almost everyone owns at least one … Read more
What Is Asmaul Husna? Definition and the Meaning of “Al-Husna” Many Muslims memorize Asmaul Husna as children, usually through a song or a recitation after prayer. But ask “what does Asmaul Husna actually mean?” and the answer often stops at “the 99 names of Allah”. Behind those two words lies a long and beautiful discussion … Read more
A father sits in silence. His children are many, his needs are piling up, and the doors of provision seem to be closing one by one. In his despair, a heavy thought crosses his mind: just leave, and disappear from all this burden. On the road, however, he meets a man who offers him a … Read more
Water is the purification tool we know best. Yet in Shafi’i fiqh there is also soil for tayammum, stones for istinja, and tanning agents for the hide of carrion. The question is this: if the general purifier is only water, what is the standing of these three? This article answers from Asna al-Mathalib by Shaykh … Read more
For many Muslims, the question of how to purify dog impurity comes up the moment skin or clothing comes into contact with this animal — whether by accident, or because a dog is kept for a legitimate purpose such as guarding property or hunting. Unlike ordinary impurity, which can simply be washed away with plain … Read more
