Is it permissible to follow the teachings of Farhat Hashmi and her Al-Huda International Institute?
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
It is our policy that we do not discuss individuals and names. In principle, when it comes to taking knowledge of deen, we follow the guidance of two luminaries from Aslaf.
Sayiduna Abdullah Ibn Mubarak rh mentioned, “Having a chain of narration is part of religion. If it were not for that, people would proclaim whatever they wished”. Hence, we deem that for a genuine scholarship, it is a condition that one should adopt teachers to learn from and acquire an unbroken chain of learning all the way up to Rasulullah ﷺ.
Similarly Imam Muhammad ibn Sireen rh. mentions, “This knowledge (is an integral part of) religion, therefore be careful who you take your religious guidance from”. Hence, it is not sufficient to take scholarship through tutelage alone, rather it is equally important who that tutelage is taken from.
Imam Muslim rh. has mentioned at length in his forward to Sahih Muslim of the importance of right source for the knowledge of deen and hadeeth. Many muhaddithoon (hadith experts) would reject a knowledgeable, pious and righteous narrate simply because he did not meet the standard of acquisition of hadeeth from.
In uloom of deen we must be vigilant and always seek out most authenticated, genuinely musnad (one with untainted chain of scholarship) and well accepted scholarship by majority of one’s contemporaries.
Always keep in mind that scholarship transmitted through a body of ulama’ is always safer than scholarship of a single person. The chances of unknowingly accepting incorrect stances of a single scholar are more, whereas a body of scholars tends to correct or sort out preferences in most of the internal conflicts.
Follow these guidance, and we hope and make du’a you get the benefit you seek.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi