Al Khadim Research Journal of Islamic Culture and Civilization

The stories of the previous nations narrated by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

2025-10-06T05:56:33+00:00

The Prophet ﷺ narrated stories from previous nations to provide guidance, moral training, and strengthen faith. These incidents teach that sincerity and good deeds can become a means of Allah’s help, gratitude and contentment should be adopted, repentance erases even major sins, and the essence of charity lies in pure intention. They also highlight the virtue of serving parents, chastity, honesty, generosity, and repentance, reminding people of Allah’s mercy, justice, and the consequences of sins. The story of the wooden log shows that whoever sincerely intends to return a trust or repay a debt, Allah assists him and ensures the right reaches its owner. Scholars differed about whether treasures extracted from the sea, such as pearls and amber, require khums (one-fifth) or zakat. Similarly, in the debate between Prophet Adam عليه السلام and Prophet Musa عليه السلامAdam argued on the basis of divine decree and prevailed, yet the key principle established is that in this world one must not excuse sins by fate but rather repent sincerely.

Ibn Kathir's observations in the criticism of the Sirah’s narrations

2025-10-06T06:02:48+00:00

This study examines Imam Ibn Kathīr’s methodology in Sīrah scholarship, focusing on two key aspects: his sources and references, and his critical evaluation of Sīrah traditions. The research identifies the primary works he directly consulted—such as Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, and Tārīkh Dimashq—and the secondary sources accessed indirectly. Ibn Kathīr grounded his writings in the Qur’an, authentic ḥadīth, exegetical opinions, and the statements of the salaf, while deliberately avoiding isolated or unreliable reports. His preference was for narrations with strong chains of transmission, comprehensive content, and sound style.In his critical approach, Ibn Kathīr first evaluated reports against the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah, followed by consensus, sound reason, and lived experience. He adopted the principles of reconciliation, abrogation, and preference to resolve apparent contradictions, and highlighted instances of error, textual corruption, or misrepresentation. His stance on Isrā’īliyyāt mirrored that of earlier scholars: acceptance when corroborated by revelation, rejection when contradictory, and conditional citation when neutral.On the conditions of transmission, he required narrators to be Muslim, mature, rational, just, and of upright character, emphasizing detailed criticism over general accreditation. He stressed verbatim transmission, though he allowed bi-l-maʿnā narration for scholars. Regarding innovators (ahl al-bidʿah), Ibn Kathīr upheld the mainstream scholarly position of rejecting the narrations of propagating innovators while cautiously engaging with those of non-propagating ones.Overall, Ibn Kathīr’s methodology reflects a rigorous and balanced approach, marked by a commitment to authenticity, caution against doubtful material, and a systematic framework for assessing Sīrah traditions.

The Instances of Fasād fi’l-Arḍ (Corruption on Earth): A Research Study in the Light of Islamic Exegetical Literature

2025-10-21T16:06:36+00:00

This research paper titled “Instances of Fasād fil-Arḍ (Corruption on Earth): An Analytical Study in the Light of Islamic Tafsīr Literature” presents an interpretive and analytical study of the Qur’ānic concept of Fasād fil-Arḍ. Linguistically, the term fasād denotes deviation or deterioration from balance and benefit, while ṣalāḥ represents rectitude, justice, and harmony. In the Qur’ān, fasād encompasses corruption in belief, morality, social order, politics, and economy. Drawing upon the interpretations of leading exegetes such as Al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Al-Māturīdī, Al-Samarqandī, Al-Rāzī, Al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Al-Ālūsī, Rashīd Riḍā, and Ibn ʿĀshūr رحمہم اللہ , the study concludes that Fasād fil-Arḍ includes disbelief after faith, shirk, hypocrisy, oppression, rebellion, highway robbery, unjust killing, moral decay, social disorder, and the collapse of justice and peace. The research employs a descriptive and analytical methodology, relying primarily on the Qur’ān and classical as well as modern tafsīr works such as those of Al-Ṭabarī, Al-Rāzī, Al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Al-Ālūsī, Rashīd Riḍā, and Ibn ʿĀshūr. Comparative and linguistic analysis has been applied to extract a comprehensive understanding of the term and its contextual implications. The findings reveal that Fasād fil-Arḍ is a broad Qur’ānic concept encompassing every act or system that disturbs the divine order of justice, balance, and goodness on earth, whereas Ṣalāḥ fil-Arḍ signifies the restoration of faith, righteousness, and social harmony, reflecting that corruption and reform extend beyond individual conduct to the collective moral and civilizational framework of humanity.

Nabati Poetry in Saudi Arabia (Its History and Famous Personalities)

2025-10-15T14:39:18+00:00

Nabati poetry, a type of poetry in the colloquial dialect, represents an integral part of Saudi culture, reflecting Bedouin identity and social values. It originated in the Arabian Peninsula and evolved into a means of expressing history, feelings, and contemporary issues. In this research, we review its history, characteristics, cultural significance, and role in modern Saudi society, focusing on precise details based on various sources, with a focus on its most important personalities from the founding of the Saudi state to the modern era.