ummtaalib

Imām Ibn Kamāl Pāshā al-Ḥanafī Shaykh al-Islām of The Ottoman Empire A Brief Biography By Abu Dawud Mahbub ibn ‘Abd al-Karim[1] Name, Birth & Family He is the great imām, the erudite scholar, polymath and prolific writer: Shams al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān ibn Kamāl Pāshā (D.940AH) from the Turkish lands. He was born during the year 873AH in the Turkish city of Tokat (it has also been said that he was born in Edirne). He was raised in an honourable and respectable household. His father Sulaymān Chalabī ibn Kamāl Pāshā was a commander of the Ottoman Islamic imperial army during the era of Sulṭān Muḥammad al-Fātiḥ and was present with the army of the Sanjak of Amasya during the conquering of Constantinople. His mother hailed from a house of knowledge, with her father being the greatly learned virtuous scholar Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad, famously known as Ibn Kūbalū (D.874AH), who was given the official role of Kazasker by Sulṭān Muḥammad al-Fātiḥ. His grandfather was Kamāl Pāshā, a vizier (wazīr) of the Ottoman empire and someone who had a hand in the nurturing of Sulṭān Bāyazīd Khān the Second. Thus he became well-known (ascribed to his grandfather) as Ibn Kamāl Pāshā, Kamāl Pāshā Zādah, or Ibn al-Kamāl al-Wazīr. He was also known as Muftī al-Thaqalayn due to his vast encompassing knowledge of the numerous Islamic sciences along with the strength of his adjudications in matters of dispute and the uniqueness of his rejoinders and analyses. Inspired To Seek Knowledge Ibn Kamāl Pāshā narrates regarding himself that he was with Sulṭān Bāyazīd Khān during a journey. The vizier at the time was Ibrāhīm Pāshā ibn Khalīl Pāshā and he was of high rank. There was also a commander of very high rank at that time, whose name was Aḥmad Bak ibn Awranūs. No other commander would go ahead of him. Ibn Kamāl Pāshā says: I was standing on my feet in front of the mentioned vizier [facing him] and the commander was sitting next to him. Then a man that was from the ʿulamā’ – who was of shabby appearance and in mediocre dress – sat in front of the mentioned commander, yet nobody prevented him from doing so. I was quite taken aback by this so I asked some of my companions: “Who is this person that has sat in front of the commander?”; one answered: “He is a man of knowledge (ʿālim) and a teacher in the Madrasah of Filibe (Plovdiv) called Mawlā Luṭfī”. I asked: “What is his stipend?”; he answered: “Thirty dirhams”. I asked: “Then how is it that he is sitting in front of this commander and his rank is of such a degree!?”; my companion answered: “Indeed the ʿulamā’ are revered because of their knowledge – if he was behind them, neither the commander nor the vizier would approve of that”. Ibn Kamāl Pāshā says: I pondered to myself and thought: I will never reach the rank of this mentioned commander in terms of authority whereas if I devote myself to knowledge it would be possible to reach the rank of this mentioned ʿālim. Thus I resolved thereafter to dedicate to sacred knowledge. Ibn Kamāl Pāshā then says: After we returned from the journey I placed myself in the service (khidmah) of the mentioned Mawlā [Luṭfī] and that was when he was given the madrasah – Dār al-Ḥadīth, in the city of Erdine and he was assigned forty dirhams every day. I studied under him the marginalia (ḥawāshī) on Sharḥ al-Maṭāliʿ. Appointed Positions & Roles He was appointed as a teacher in the Madrasah of ʿAlī Bak, known as al-Madrasat al-Ḥijriyyah, during the year 911AH. In 917AH he was appointed to teach at the madrasah of Isḥāq Pāshā in Skopje, and then in 918AH at al-Madrasat al-Ḥalabiyyah in Erdine. He then became a teacher at one of the the two adjacent madrasahs in Erdine, followed by one of the eight madrasahs of Istanbul. He became the Qāḍī of Erdine during the year 922AH when Sulṭān Salīm the First returned from his journey to Chaldiran. That same year he was given the official role of Kazasker in Anatolia, and later on (also that year) he travelled with Sulṭān Salīm the First to Cairo. During the course of his stay with the Sulṭān in Egypt, the task of overseeing the organisation of administrative issues was delegated to him. When the Sulṭān returned from Cairo during the year 924AH, he was delegated with overseeing the organisation and documentation of issues related to property ownership in the city of Konya. In the year 925AH he was appointed as a teacher at the madrasah – Dār al-Ḥadīth, in Erdine. After the year 926AH, Sulṭān Sulaymān al-Qānūnī (D.974AH) gave to him the school of his grandfather Sulṭān Bāyazīd Khān the Second (D.918AH). He remained here until he became the Muftī of Constantinople (ie. the Muftī of Ottoman caliphate) and thus became the Shaykh al-Islām of the Ottoman Empire. This was after the death of Mawlā ʿAlā’ al-Dīn al-Jamālī, better-known as Zanbīlī ʿAlī Effendi, in the year 932AH. He held this position until his death during the reign of Sulṭān Sulaymān al-Qānūnī. Praise Among those who have mentioned Ibn Kamāl Pāshā with lofty praises and titles are: 1. Imām Maḥmūd ibn Sulaymān al-Kafawī al-Ḥanafī (D.990) who describes him, in Katā’ib Aʿlām al-Akhyār min Fuqahā’ Madhhab al-Nuʿmān al-Mukhtār (along with numerous other virtues) as: “the teacher of the adept scholars” and “the revealer of the [meanings of the] complex statements of the early [imāms]”;2. Imām ʿIṣām al-Dīn Aḥmad Ṭāshkubrā Zādah al-Ḥanafī (D.968AH) mentions in al-Shaqā’iq al-Nuʿmāniyyah fī ʿUlamā’ al-Dawlat al-ʿUthmāniyyah: “He, may Allah – exalted is He – have mercy on him, was from those scholars who devoted all of their time towards knowledge. He was engrossed in knowledge by day and by night and his pen never slackened. He authored numerous epistles on important and difficult to comprehend fields of research…”;3. Imām ʿAlā’ al-Dīn ibn Amrillāh al-Ḥumaydī al-Ḥanafī, famously known as Ibn al-Ḥannā’ī (D.979AH) mentions in Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanafiyyah: “Then fiqh reached the generation of al-Mawlā al-Fāḍil Muftī al-Thaqalayn Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān, well-known as Ibn Kamāl Pāshā”;4. Imām Abu ‘l-Suʿūd Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-ʿImādī al-Ḥanafī (D.982/983AH) refers to his teacher Ibn Kamāl Pāshā in Risālah fi Maʿrifah Lafẓ: Jalabī as: “Extraordinary in all the sciences”;5. Imām Taqī al-Dīn ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Tamīmī al-Ghazzī al-Ḥanafī (D.1005AH) mentions in al-Ṭabaqāt al-Saniyyah fi Tarājim al-Ḥanafiyyah: “He is someone after whom there has been no equal to succeed him, nor have the eyes perceived anyone who has embodied together his completeness and virtue. He; may Allah – exalted is He – have mercy on him, was an imām who was proficient in tafsīr, fiqh, ḥadīth, naḥw, taṣrīf, maʿānī, bayān, kalām, manṭiq, uṣūl and other than these; to the extent that he was unrivaled in the mastery of every one of these sciences, and it is rare that a field from the disciplines exists except that he has a written work – or [multiple] works [therein]; thus he became an imām in every field.”; and6. Imām ʿAbd al-Ḥayy ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn al-ʿImād al-Ḥanbalī (D.1089AH) refers to him in Shadharāt al-Dhahab fī Akhbār Man Dhahab as: “The greatly learned unique scholar and extremely intelligent verifying researcher”. Teachers He studied under various well-known greatly learned scholars of his time, such as: 1. Mawlā Luṭfullāh ibn Ḥasan al-Tawqāti al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī, famously known as Mawlānā Luṭfī (D.904AH); 2. Mawlā Muṣliḥ al-Dīn Muṣṭafā al-Qasṭalānī al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī (D.901AH); 3. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Rūmī al-Ḥanafī, better known as Ibn al-Khaṭīb or Khaṭīb Zādah (D.901AH); and 4. Mawlā Sinān al-Dīn Yūsuf, better known as Ibn al-Muʿarrif or Muʿarrif Zādah (the historiographers have not mentioned the year of his death). Students His most well-known students include: 1. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Bīr Muḥammad Pāshā al-Jamālī (D.941AH), the Qāḍī of Edirne; 2. Mawlā Saʿdullāh ibn ʿĪsā, better known as Saʿdī Chalabī (D.945AH) who assumed the position of Shaykh al-Islām after the death of his Shaykh, Ibn Kamāl Pāshā; 3. Mawlā Abu ‘l-Suʿūd Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Muṣṭafā al-ʿImādī, commonly known as Abu ‘l-Suʿūd al-ʿImādī (D.982AH), the famous Qur’ānic exegete who held the position of Shaykh al-Islām for a long time; 4. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdillāh, famously known as Muḥammad Bak (D.950AH); 5. Mawlā Hidāyatullāh ibn al-Mawlā Bār ʿAlī al-ʿAjamī (D.948/949AH); 6. Mawlā ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Wīzawī (D.961AH), the Mufti of Mangesia; 7. Mawlā Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm (D.955AH); 8. Mawlā Darwīsh Muḥammad (D.962AH); 9. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir, who became famously known as al-Maʿlūl (D.963AH); 10. Mawlā Muṣliḥ al-Dīn Muṣṭafā ibn al-Mawlā Sayyidī al-Muntashawī (D.964AH); 11. Mawlā Yaḥyā Chalabī ibn Amīn Nūr al-Dīn, well-known as Amīn Zādah (D.964AH); 12. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusām al-Dīn, well-known as Qurrah Chalabī (D.965AH); 13. Mawlā Muḥyi ‘l-Dīn, well-known as Ibn al-Imām (D.973AH); 14. Mawlā Tāj al-Dīn Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbdillāh (D.973AH); 15. Mawlā Muṣliḥ al-Dīn, well-known as Bustān (D.977AH); 16. Mawlā Tāj al-Dīn Ibrāhīm (D.994AH); 17. Mawlā Bālī ibn Muḥammad – his son ʿAlī ibn Bālī (D.992AH), in the biography of his father, doesn’t mention the year of his death; only that he was born in the year 901AH and that he passed away during the month of Rajab. Written Works Ibn Kamāl Pāshā was a prolific writer and there are at least two hundred and sixty-seven written works attributed to him (in Arabic, Turkish and Persian) on the numerous Islamic sciences, many of which have now been published and are available. His published works in Arabic include Masā’il al-Ikhtilāf Bayn al-Ashāʿirah wa ‘l-Māturīdiyyah[2] (on the differences between the Ashʿarī and Māturīdi/Ḥanafī schools of creed); al-Munīrah fi ‘l-Mawāʿiẓ wa ‘l-ʿAqā’id; Tafsir Ibn Kamāl Pāshā[3]; SharḥRiyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn[4]; al-Tawḍīḥ fi Sharḥ al-Taṣḥiḥ; and Furūq al-Uṣūl[5]. A large collection of one hundred and fourteen treatises authored by Ibn Kamāl Pāshā has also been published in eight volumes titled: Majmūʿ Rasā’il al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Kamāl Pāshā. Death After living a life dedicated to knowledge, teaching, writing and issuing legal verdicts, he passed away at the age of sixty-seven after sunrise on Thursday 2nd Shawwāl during the year 940AH in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. His janāzah prayer was performed on the day he passed away, after the Ẓuhr prayer in Jāmiʿ al-Sulṭān Muḥammad Khān. May Allāh have mercy on him. [1] Adapted from the biographies found in the editors’ introductions to Tafsir Ibn Kamāl Pāshā and Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn of Ibn Kamāl Pāshā[2] Masā’il al-Ikhtilāf Bayn al-Ashāʿirah wa ‘l-Māturīdiyyah, available to read/download (Arabic) HERE[3] Tafsir Ibn Kamāl Pāshā, available to read/download (Arabic) HERE[4] Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, available to read/download (Arabic) HERE[5] Furūq al-Uṣūl, available to read/download (Arabic) HERE Source

Neighbourhoods of Silwan Silwan, located south of the al-Aqsa Mosque, is home to about 60,000 Palestinians. Most neighborhoods in this town face imminent displacement by the “Israeli” occupation. Here is what you need to know about these endangered neighborhoods.

Gunshots in the background of the Fajr Adhaan From the heavy clashes with Israeli occupation forces that stormed Jenin refugee camp, pre dawn today. www.instagram.com/p/CR2-LtFJZ7U/

Wadi Qana A paradise caged by Settlements The gorgeous Wadi Qana has always been a destination for Palestinians seeking to enjoy the green landscape and clear water. Settlements and “nature reservation” pretexts have yet to succeed at driving them out of this beautiful valley in West Bank’s Salfit.

Israeli airliners started commercial flights from Israel to Morocco Israeli airliners started commercial flights from Israel to Morocco on Sunday, their first since the two countries normalised relations last year.Israel's Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said the service would boost "trade, tourism economic cooperation between the two countries."Morocco is one of the four Middle East and North African countries that normalised relations with Israel in 2020. The others are Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.Rabat's decision to normalise relations with Israel came after then US president Donald Trump recognised Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed and divided former Spanish colony.

Demolish your home or pay huge fine to have it demolished! The Jerusalemite Ali Shqairat self demolishing his home in Jabal Al Mukabbir village, following the order occupation municipality of Jerusalem, under the pretence of building without permit.

Military checkpoints separating loved ones Eid is a joyful occasion to visit family and friends, but in Palestine, this tradition turns into a tiring journey with hundreds of military checkpoints separating loved ones. Similar to the Occupation’s oppression, these military checkpoints come in different forms, one being “The Container.” Drives between the south and north of the West Bank through Al-Quds that took no longer than 20 minutes before now take an hour or 5 hours or people are turned back www.instagram.com/p/CRo41rrNyXA/

The same scene, but in different places .. Palestinians resisting the occupation Eye On Palestine on Instagram: "🇵🇸#Palestine || From Gaza, Here Jerusalem Via @ahmedhijazee"

What is happening in South Hebron HIlls? In the South Hebron Hills, the southernmost region of the West Bank, there are about 122 communities of shepherds and farmers totaling about 80,000 inhabitants.The communities settled there in the early 19th century in order to be close to the pastures and agriculture they owned.In recent decades, Palestinian residents have suffered abuse from violent settlers, which the army either turns a blind eye to or cooperates with.Living in a land declared as a 'closed military zone’ by the army, Palestinians in the area experience daily the expropriation of their land, demolition of their homes, and cut these water pipes. Via @social.tv Full story on this video Eye On Palestine on Instagram: ". In the South Hebron Hills, the southernmost region of the West Bank, there are about 122 communities of shepherds and farmers totaling…"

Explosion Rocks Gaza today A mysterious explosion rocked through Omar al-Mukhtar Street in #Gaza City early today. Initial reports say a large gas cylinder is behind it. So far, a 65-year-old #Palestinian man died in the explosion and several injuries were taken to hospital. 10 m

The Occupation forces cannot let a day go by without raiding a Palestinian home - even on Eid day On The first day of Eid, the Israeli occupation forces raided the home of the Palestinian prisoner Abed Dwait in Silwan village, and confiscated an amount of money under the pretence of receiving it from the Palestinian Authorities. It's worth mentioning that Abed (25) is serving a sentence of 18 years in occupation jails. Eye On Palestine on Instagram: "🇵🇸#Palestine || #Jerusalem | On The first day of Eid, the Israeli occupation forces raided the home of the Palestinian prisoner Abed Dwait…"

Happy Eid day in Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa Over 100,000 worshippers arrived at Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Eid Al-Adha prayer on the morning of the first day of Eid Al-Adha, it's an Islamic festival, in which Muslims commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son.

Al-Houla It's one of the most fertile areas in Palestine which “Israel” completely depopulated during the Nakba. From draining its lakes to burying its rich history, here is what you need to know about Al Houla. MetrasGlobal (@metras_global) • Instagram photos and videos

Continued Atrocities in the sacred precint of Al-Masjid Al- Aqsa On Sunday, Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and attacked Palestinian worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque. Afterward, hundreds of Jewish pilgrims entered the Aqsa compound, under the protection of heavily armed Israeli police.This comes days before the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha. Palestinians fear that Israeli extremists are using the visits to Al-Aqsa to exercise greater and more direct control over the Noble Sanctuary.Since 1967, Israel has occupied East Jerusalem, allowing Israeli settlers to take Palestinian homes and displace Palestinian families, in a systemic effort to reduce the Palestinian population of Jerusalem while increasing the Jewish population in the eastern part of the city to consolidate Israeli control. IMEU (@theimeu) • Instagram photos and videos Soldier pushes a young woman from the back with no valid reason! This video was captured in Al Aqsa Mosque yesterday, for an Israeli soldier pushing a Palestinian girl, for no reason. Eye On Palestine on Instagram: "🇵🇸#Palestine || This video was captured in Al Aqsa Mosque yesterday, for an Israeli soldier pushing a Palestinian girl, for no reason. يوم…" Extremist settlers force their way into the sacred precints twice today Palestinian worshipers chant 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah Is The Greatest) as dozens of Israeli settler extremists force their way into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, today. Eye On Palestine on Instagram: "🇵🇸#Palestine || Palestinian worshipers chant 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah Is The Greatest) as dozens of Israeli settler extremists force their way…"

This morning, occupational forces desecrated Al-Qibli mosque, firing steel-coated rubber bullets towards Palestinians praying Fajr. Following this, over 1,000 settlers stormed the compound near Al-Aqsa mosque, protected by armed Israeli forces.

Hazrat Ayyoob (‘alaihis salaam) was a Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala who was tested with severe sickness. After patiently enduring many years of sickness, Allah Ta‘ala granted him complete shifaa. Allah Ta‘ala commanded him to strike his feet on the ground, thereby causing a spring of pure, healing water to gush forth. He bathed in the water and was completely cured. Furthermore, Allah Ta‘ala restored his youth, granted him exceptional beauty, and blessed him with double the favors that he had lost during the period of his illness. In regard to the spring of Hazrat Ayyoob (‘alaihis salaam), it is reported that it possessed special healing and rejuvenating qualities. Hence, as long as the spring remained and did not dry up, people would come to it and bathe in it to find cure from their ailments. (Umdatul Qaari vol. 16 pg.3) Indeed, how unique was this healing spring and how fortunate were those blessed to bathe in its water! However, it was not long before the spring dried up. As far as the ummah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is concerned, Allah Ta‘ala has not blessed us with a spring, but rather He has blessed us with an ocean that has no shores and contains pearls, emeralds, rubies and every form of priceless treasure. The more one draws from this ocean, the more it increases. It will never decrease nor dry up, but will remain forever, blessing its people with cure, barakah and goodness. What is this ocean? It is none other than the Qur’aan Majeed, the divine speech of Allah Ta‘ala to His creation and the greatest bounty of Allah Ta‘ala in the world. As long as the ummah firmly holds onto the Qur’aan Majeed and fulfils its rights, this Qur’aan Majeed will be a source of light for them in this world and in the grave. Furthermore, on the Day of Qiyaamah, it will accompany them on the plains of Resurrection until it enters them into Paradise. It is reported from Hazrat Mu’aaz bin Jabal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) that when a person who holds firmly onto the Qur’aan Majeed passes away, then before being buried, while his family are still engaged in attending to his funeral rites, the Qur’aan comes to him in a beautiful form and stands at his head side, protecting him and comforting him until he is wrapped in his kafan (shroud). The Qur’aan then enters the kafan and rests on his chest. When he is placed in the grave, and the soil is placed over him, and all his friends depart, then the angels, Munkar and Nakeer, come to him and make him sit up in his grave. The Qur’aan then comes between him and the angels. The angels address the Qur’aan saying, “Move away so that we may question him.” However, the Qur’aan replies, “Never will I move away! By the Lord of the Ka’bah, he remained my companion and friend in the world! Therefore, I will never abandon him in any situation! If you have been instructed to carry out any task (i.e. question him), then you may do so, but leave me to remain here with him, for I will not leave him until I enter him into Jannah.” (Majma‘uz Zawaa’id #3530) May Allah Ta‘ala grant us the tawfeeq to remain loyal to the Qur’aan Majeed by reciting it daily and upholding its teachings in every department of our lives so that we may acquire the true blessings of the Qur’aan Majeed in this world, in the grave and the Hereafter. orchards of love ihyauddeen.co.za

The Jordan Valley Palestine's stolen food basket We hear about the demolition and annexation of the Palestinian side of the Jordan Valley every few days on the news. What else can we learn about this geographical area of rich fertile soil fit for cultivation all year round?

Administrative Detention Administrative detention is another form of oppression “Israel” uses against Palestinians under which people can be detained indefinitely without trial, sometimes for years. Torn from their families, detained Palestinians end up spending their lives in Israeli prisons without any pressed charges MetrasGlobal (@metras_global) • Instagram photos and videos

By Mufti sahib's (Rahimahullah) son and students

𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐔𝐅𝐓𝐈 𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐈𝐁 𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐇 Written by Faraz Adam, a student of Mufti Ebrahim Desai. The following are a few memories written with the intention that it gives all the readers the love of the pious and specifically a chance to make dua for Hadhrat Mufti sahib rahmatullah alayh. -When we landed in Durban to study the Iftaa course, we were expecting a student, friend or mureed of Hadhrat Mufti sahib to collect us. The moment we walked out into the arrivals lounge, lo and behold, Hadhrat Mufti sahib himself had come to collect us from the airport. -Mufti sahib would regularly wake us up for Tahajjud and Fajr Salah. He would come to our beds and call us for Salah. -Mufti sahib would regularly bring lunch and supper for us - which was cooked at his house for the entire duration of my studies. -Mufti sahib treated all his students equally and always gave every one of us the attention we needed from him. Every student feels to this day that he is the most beloved to Mufti sahib. He once said to me, "I cannot get upset with my students. You are all my means of Sadaqah jariya." -Mufti sahib told the students on the first day of the Iftaa course, "I am your Ustadh and you should respect your Asaatidha, but treat me as a friend." -Mufti sahib would be with the students from Fajr to 10pm at times! He would be teaching us, speaking to us, training us and sharing his life experiences with us. His family have given him their full support to give his time for the tarbiya of his students. -In the early days of Darul Iftaa, we had no official timetable. We would be studying all day, every day. Mufti sahib saw the tiredness in us and took us for a holiday to the mountains and gorges in South Africa. He never had to do this, but he told us that we are an amanah in his hands. -In terms of tarbiya, every student is required to perform Tahajjud, Ishraq, Duha, Awabeen along with daily zikr and tilawah. Each student has a record book which Mufti sahib checks daily. Mufti sahib pays equal attention to the islaah of his students as he does to their academic progress. -In terms of ilm, Hadhrat Mufti sahib's humbleness is well known to all students. He would be overjoyed when a student would challenge him on any mas'ala to the extent that he would happily adopt the opinion of the student as his opinion. -One of the graduates told me, "I have personally heard Mufti sahib say," My students are everything to me." -Anytime a student was feeling poorly, the distress was visible on Mufti Sahib's face. Once, I experienced 3 nose bleeds in one day. Mufti sahib told me to rest. A few hours later, Hadhrat Mufti sahib came to my room and sat on my bed to see how I was feeling and brought some drink and food for me. -One student said to me, "Such is Mufti Sahibs love for his students that I have seen Mufti Sahib pay the expenses of many students for their tickets, medical expenses, etc." May Allah grant our dear Ustadh and Shaykh jannatul firdaws. May Allah give us the ability to walk in his footsteps. Ameen

*Mawlana Imraan Desai on His Beloved Father Mufti Ibrahim Desai Hafizahullah* My fathers 3 outstanding qualities: 1) Husne Zann - He used to make excuses for people who had done the worst of things to him & to us children. 'Maybe this is what happened..' & make excuses for them. He disliked ugliness between himself & anyone & disliked it for others too. 2) Love for Hadith, Fatawa & anyone in all the different services of Deen. He taught Bukhari Shareef for 30 years & his love for Bukhari Shareef cant be explained in words. Only if you sat in his class, you would know. I was lucky enough to be his student also. 3) Generosity - Many people think of generosity as giving wealth, whilst he felt pity for every single beggar who asked of him, he was generous with his time to the public & his love for his students. Those who know him will recognize & realise this deep, inner generosity he had. Once, he wanted to give to a beggar & he gave a long, sad story. He listened & didnt interrupt him. i said, hes conning you ( referring to the beggar ) & he told me that Allah is so merciful & loving, Allah sent the beggar to HIM, so he could deposit some Sadaqah into his Aakhirah. 'Dont look at WHO you are giving, look at where it is going' (Your Akhirah) If kindness, love & generosity were to be personified, it would be my fathers smiling face. May Allah grant him complete Shifaa' & keep him with us for a long time, Ameen!

Mufti Ebrahim Desai Sahib (Rahimahullah) of Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah (South Africa) has passed away A huge loss to the Ummah. May Allah ta'alagrant maghfirat and elavate his stages and grant his family, students and associates Sabr, Aameen

The housing of a Palestinain Bedouin community in the Jordan Valley is destroyed during a demolition operation led by Israeli security forces.This is a common sight for some Palestinian Bedouin communities.Middle East Eye spoke to the Bedouin community of Khirbet Humsah whose homes and livestock pen were destroyed six times between November and February.“This is a very important and strategic area for the Israelis. Israel has been very clear about its plans to annex the Jordan Valley, so people should not be surprised when it comes and destroys Khirbet Humsah time and time again.” Middle East Eye (@middleeasteye) • Instagram photos and videos

Israel's planned annexation of the Jordan Valley: Why it matters In September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that should he be re-elected in nearing elections, he would annex the occupied West Bank's Jordan Valley - forcibly claiming the territory as part of Israel. At the time, Netanyahu revealed a map of 30 illegal Israeli settlements north of the Dead Sea that would be integrated into Israel as part of his plan. Netanyahu failed to form a government in September, and Israel headed to the ballot box in March for the third time in the span of a year. In April, the political deadlock was broken and a national unity government was formed with Netanyahu and former army chief Benny Gantz to alternate in the role of prime minister after 18 months - with the incumbent Netanyahu taking the seat first. Netanyahu reached an agreement with his former rival Gantz to form a coalition cabinet that would advance an annexation plan starting in July. But why is the Jordan Valley so important? What would annexation mean concretely, and who would it affect? And how is this Israeli move received by both Palestinian and international leadership? What is the Jordan Valley? The Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea are parts of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war. The occupation of Palestinian territories has been condemned, notably through UN Resolutions 242 and 338, as violating international law. Jordan, which used to rule over the West Bank until 1967, still acts as the custodian for Muslim and Christian holy places in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City Historically, the Jordan Valley used to refer to an area between the Dead Sea and the slopes of the mounts of Hebron and Jerusalem to the west. It also used to include areas between the towns of Bisan - now referred to by Israel as Beit Shean - and Safad, along the western edge of Lake Tiberias; and stretched south between Ein Gedi, an oasis on the Dead Sea, to the Negev desert. These southern- and westernmost points now fall inside Israel. The Jordan Valley currently accounts for around one-third of the West Bank (almost 2,400 square kilometres) - the majority of its land falling within Area C, as defined under the 1993 Oslo Accords, which remains under full Israeli military control. In January, US President Donald Trump unveiled his full Israel-Palestine plan - colloquially known as the "deal of the century" - which proposed for Israel to claim about a third of the West Bank in exchange for the recognition of a disjointed Palestinian state with no control over its borders or airspace. Who lives in the Jordan Valley? The announced Israeli annexation plan is limited to areas north of the Dead Sea, where 30 Israeli agricultural settlements house around 11,000 settlers. To date, more than 600,000 Israeli settlers live in sprawling settlements and outposts in Area C, often in confrontational proximity to the three million Palestinians living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The transfer of civilian populations to occupied land is considered illegal under international law. Historically, Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) guerrilla fighters operated in the Jordan Valley to launch armed attacks on Israeli settlements, most famously on Beit Shean, before the PLO was forced to move its headquarters out of Jordan into Lebanon in the early 1970s after violent clashes with Jordanian forces. Today, some 56,000 Palestinians reside in the Jordan Valley, including in the city of Jericho, where their daily lives are deeply impacted by Israeli occupation policies. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit of the Israeli army, is responsible for overseeing building permits, water, agriculture, road construction and other civil matters in Area C. The Israeli army and COGAT regularly place hurdles on Palestinians' access to their lands and water for everyday use and for farming and agriculture, and they stage military exercises in the area, turning village lands into closed military zones. Why is the Jordan Valley so important? The West Bank's Jordan Valley is rich in minerals and agricultural soil and is a highly strategic area, as it lies along the Jordanian border. Israel has long prepared the ground for the annexation of the border territory, building a network of highways such as the Allon Road to separate the Jordan Valley from the rest of the West Bank. Jordan shares 335km of borders with Israel and the West Bank, and Amman's security coordination is highly treasured by Israel's military and intelligence. The areas slated for annexation amount to around one-third of the West Bank and include a 97km stretch along the border with Jordan, including two crossings - the Sheikh Hussein Bridge and the al-Karameh Bridge, also known as the Allenby crossing. Naftali Bennett, Israel's former Minister of Defence, said in January that Israel is “facing crucial days of establishing its permanent borders and applying sovereignty to Jewish settlements” in the West Bank. Should annexation be fully implemented, Israeli laws would be applied to these areas, instead of orders and regulations issued by COGAT. Since World War II, there have only been three cases of annexation throughout the world: Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990; Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014; and Israel's seizing of Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanon's Shebaa Farms, since 1967. More here...