"Counsels of Religion" (Part 1)

The Counsels of Religion is Imam Al-Haddad's largest work, and was declared by Imam al-Haddad to be "easy, clear, intelligible to the reader possessed of understanding, and sufficient.” And that it contained the essence of the Ihya’ Ulumuddin, Imam Ghazali’s famous magnum opus.

SimplyIslam is pleased to announce our newest course that shall discuss this excellent book by Imam al-Haddad, conducted by Ustaz Muhammad Mukhtar Bin Habib who had studied with many teachers from Tarim. 

The author, Imam Abdallah Ibn-Alawi Al-Haddad (d. 1720), lived at Tarim in the Hadramaut valley between Yemen and Oman, and is widely held to have been the ‘renewer’ of the twelfth Islamic century. A direct descendant of the Prophet, his sanctity and direct experience of God are clearly reflected in his writings, which include several books, a collection of Sufi letters, and a volume of mystical poetry.

"At a time when the Muslim world is suffering from false teachings being spread by extremists, the message of al-Haddad offers a precious means of return to the high ethical and spiritual standards of classical Islam. The publication of this important book should prove a milestone on the way of furthering that blessed effort."  – Prof Timothy John Winter (Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad)

The book opens with a discourse on taqwa or God-consciousness, leading up to the role of taqwa in attaining to a good ending to life.  Also discussed are such outward endeavors as unity among Muslims, the avoidance of division and discord, and the duty to enjoin good and forbid evil. Taqwa also comprises inward things such as contentment with God and His decrees, avoiding distraction and illusory hopes, fear of God, the remembrance of death, avoiding hoping for forgiveness without working for it, while using predestination as a justification.

Other subjects discussed include the role of knowledge in Islam, the Five Pillars of Islam wherein the ritual prayer, zakat, fasting, and pilgrimage are discussed not with regard to their outward legal aspect, but rather to their dimension of Ihsan, which is what one ought to do and what pitfalls to avoid in order to render the act of worship outwardly and inwardly sound and thus acceptable to God.  Among the most important things which make an act of worship acceptable is the degree to which one’s heart is present with God, and to this and to reciting the Qur’an a chapter is devoted. Also discussed are the rights and duties of people toward each other, such as the duties of political leaders towards their communities, those of judges, those of children toward their parents, parents toward their children, spouses toward each other, relatives, and other such matters. This course shall also discuss "Ruinous Things", those deeds, emotions, and characters which ruin one’s heart by darkening it, and "Saving Things" which, being their opposites, lead to the heart’s purification and enlightenment.

Course Details

Commencement Date: Friday 7 October 2011
Time: 8 pm to 9.30 pm
Venue: SimplyIslam (152 Still Road) [map]
Course Period: 11 months
Teacher: Ustaz Muhammad Mukhtar Bin Habib
Course Material: Counsels of Religion by Imam al-Haddad published by Fons Vitae
Course Fee: $220 complete course/registration fee + $40 book "Counsels of Religion" by Imam 'Abdallah Bin 'Alawi Al-Haddad, translated by Dr Mostafa al-Badawi, published by Fons Vitae
 

For enquiries, please call SimplyIslam at Tel 65474407 or email saira@simplyislam.sg.

About the Teacher

Ustaz Muhammad Mukhtar studied the academic sciences in Singapore and completed the A Levels examinations. Subsequently he studied Islam and Arabic in Indonesia for a year under the guidance of Allahyarham Shaykh KHA Sohibul Wafa Tajul Arifin. He then went on to further his Islamic studies at the renowned Rubat Tarim in Hadramawt in Yemen, under the guidance of eminent scholars like Habib Salim bin Abdullah As-Shatiri, Habib Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Shihab, Habib Abdullah bin Umar bin Sumait and many others. In Rubat Tarim, he studied the books of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Nahu (Arabic Grammar), Tafsir (Exegesis), Hadith (Prophetic Traditions) and Tasawwuf (Islamic Spirituality). Upon his return from Tarim, he worked for 1.5 years at Masjid Alkaff Kg Melayu as its Youth Development Officer, actively organising programs and activities to guide Muslim youths in their Islamic educational and spiritual development. He is currently an Executive Officer at Masjid Khadijah, overseeing the da'wah activities of the Mosque.