"How to Ask a Question: Usul al-Fiqh for the Common Muslim," is a lecture I delivered almost a decade ago.

Here are the highlights:

1. **Importance of Questions in Islamic Learning**: Ask questions to gain knowledge and understanding in Islam. Asking the right questions to the right people is crucial in understanding religious matters. Avoid using names and trying to setup challenges; ask instead about how to understand circumstances and what the wisdom behind things happening are.
2. **Criteria for Choosing Who to Ask**:

Seek guidance from those with recognized expertise in Islamic studies and a reputable educational background. How do you know who they are? You know them from their writings, their students, and their teachers. Opt for individuals recommended to you by knowledgeable persons not just popular speakers. This will help you ensure they have a comprehensive and relevant understanding of Islamic knowledge.

Notes from today's khutba:
"Any flesh fed on filthy earnings then the Fire has more rights over it."
The title is a from a Hadith found in the Sunnah.
While we mostly associate "Halal" with food and slaughter, it includes all forms of consumption and resource management. al-Bukhari records from Aisha that her father Abu Bakr was brought some food by a young servant boy who admitted that it was from earnings he made by tricking people before Islam. Abu Bakr gagged himself and vomited out the food.

A tale of two prenups:
A cautionary thread 🧵

What is a prenuptial agreement?
It's an agreement made by a couple before they marry concerning the ownership of their respective financial rights should the marriage fail.
1/ In the United States if you do not make an agreement on how your marriage and your marital property are managed then those decisions will be made for you.
Meaning who owns what and who owes what will be determined by the state.
2/

Claim: "Women that are older than 30 are undesirable because women age like milk."

Besides this claim finding it's origin in red pill ideology and popular podcasts run by fussāq and kuffār, let's analyze this claim on its face.
1/8

https://twitter.com/joebradford/status/1622448207245545472

Remember what this claim is specifically addressing it has nothing to do wl recommendations to marry young, a virgin, or 2nd marriages. Your claim is "women after 30 are undesirable" and you have used a poor, false, and insulting analogy to try and bolster your claim.

2/8

The Sunnah of the Prophet was that when people accepted Islam, he would regularly address them at that time to also leave off the societal evils and false beliefs the subscribed to.

In the hadith of Ubada b. Al-Samit in Bukhari, /1 that on the night of Aqaba the Prophet took allegiance from the Ansar, saying:

بَايِعُونِي عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِالله شيئا ، وَلاَ تَسْرِقُوا ، وَلاَ تَزْنُوا ، ولاقتلوا أَولادكم ، وَلاَ تَأْتُوا بهتان تفترونه بين أَيديكم وأرجلكم ، وَلاَ تَعْصُوا فِي مَعْرُوفٍ
/2

I was speaking with one of my students today. He's looking to get married. The problem? He can't find a woman with even a rudimentary interest in Islam beyond fun fact, pop style videos and generalities about Islam, while not knowing even the most basic practices of Islam /1 Another friend said, hearing the conversation "A lady doesn't need to be a scholar or student of knowledge in order to be a good wife!" And I completely agree. You don't have to be. But having enough knowledge to practice faith is important. /2

1. For everyone replying "I don't want to give him my good deeds through backbiting" there is no sin on a person who warns others of the sin of those who announce and admit to their sins publicly.

https://twitter.com/IslamRFI/status/1583787194849730564

وقال النووي في شرح مسلم: وفي هذا الحديث ... وجواز غيبة الفاسق المعلن فسقه، ومن يحتاج الناس إلى التحذير منه. هـ
Nawawi said: In this Hadith is proof ... is proof it is permitted to backbite a sinner who announces his sins, and one who people should be warned of."

A few things that I've come to realize after unfollowing nearly everyone on social media:

1- Most of what people think of as important & urgent online has no bearing on real life.

2- All of the frothing at the mouth faux wokeism & conservatism has even less bearing on real life 3- social media companies are indoctrination machines hellbent on making you sad, addicted, and lifeless.

4- If you do not select and curate what you consume they will push the most upending, vile, and morally questionable addictive content to you.

Met today with a friend that went through a bad divorce. Not only did his wife abandon him and their children, she "remarried" while still married to her husband, lied, stole, cheated, and turned his kids against him. He was obviously hurt, angry, and resentful. /1 While he's doing well, and his extended family are very supportive, it's hard to get rid of the resentment. "I'm still angry" he kept saying. I asked him if there are anger management classes in his area. Living up north, there are plenty but they haven't helped. /2

This Hadith, collected by al-Tirmidhi from Ibn Umar, states the best supplication is the wording above. Sufyan ibn Uyayna was asked how this can be the best supplication, when in fact is adoration and praise of Allah? /1 He replied "It's like a poet said: Should I mention my need or am I sufficed, by your largess as that is your character. If one day a man were to laud you, it would suffice him from anything after praise." /2

While this article on #Dune only scratches the surface of the book and it's themes, the author rightfully frames it as a personal reflection on the book by a Muslim, rather than an analysis of what Herbert was trying to achieve by mentioning religion in it.
A few observations:

https://twitter.com/TraversingTrad/status/1450135572803063816

One thing that stood out from the article is the idea of offense. That the use of some "Islamic" terms may be contentious if not condescending and insulting to Muslims, such as Auliya, and I'm imagining many others as well.

Everyone keeps asking and I'm here telling:
- Forex is Haram for numerous reasons, it's all bets on someone else's CFD (Contract for Difference), plus the whole compensation model is Riba based.
- Anyone flexing like this is full of 💩 & most likely broke or a fraud.

https://twitter.com/defact0_/status/1447289646921273360

Imagine you're let into a 2 horse race. You don't own the horses, and a person let's you in for free but he says: I can't let you in on the race, but if you can guess what point of the track the horse is at at a given minute, I'll give you a cut AFTER I take mine. 1/

Let's talk Zakat on Assets:
- 1st, assets you do not pay Zakat on.
- 2nd, assets you do pay Zakat on.
- 3rd, deductions and expenses that lower your Zakat liability.
A thread 🧵: 1st: There some types of assets that you will not pay Zakat on.
A- Personal assets: things like personal items, you home, car, etc. All of these items are not liable for Zakat.
B- Bad debts: Amounts that you have loaned to others & cannot be repaid due to default or denial.