An online portal dedicated to the life, works, and legacy of Mawlānā Taha Karaan
The Role of Knowledge in Preserving Sunnī Heritage in Samarra
This brief message was written in November of 2015, when the late Mawlānā Taha went to perform ʿumrah. One day, he was seated with a number of ʿulamāʾ in Madīnah, when his conversation with them caught the attention of a student sitting nearby. The student shared his discussion with his peers—a Yemeni student and two Iraqis—who then sought out Mawlānā Taha individually for ijāzah.
The Virtues of Bayt al-Maqdis (al-Ḥāfiẓ Ḍiyāʾ al-Maqdisī)
As we stand witness to the ongoing genocide in Israel and the horrific injustices faced by our brothers and sisters in Palestine, it is imperative that we renew our intentions and strengthen our resolve. The sacred land of al-Quds holds immense significance in our faith, and the virtues of this blessed place should serve as a source of spiritual empowerment in these trying times. It is with this consciousness that we turn to Faḍāʾil Bayt al-Maqdis (The Virtues of Jerusalem) by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn al-Maqdisī, a work that our beloved Shaykh Taha Karaan raḥimahuLlāhu taʿālā imparted to us in his final lecture before leaving this temporary abode.
The reading took place on the 21st of May, 2021. At the end of the majlis, Shaykh Taha granted ijāzah to those present (online), passing on a very rare isnād that underscores the invaluable link we have to this sacred knowledge.
Bearing Witness to the Good of Muftī Taha Karaan
Shortly after the announcement of Shaykh Taha raḥimahuLlāhu taʿālā’s passing away, Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul (may Allah preserve him) shared these heartfelt words.
The Fiqh of Ramaḍān
In 2019, Shaykh Taha raḥimahuLlāhu taʿālā held a discussion with the local ʿulamāʾ on a number of important fiqh issues related to Ramaḍān. The gathering took place at the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC).
The Heirs of the Prophets
In 2010, Shaykh Taha delivered a keynote address at a conference titled “Heirs of the Prophets.” The conference took place in Cape Town and was open to all students of the sacred sciences.
Voting in a Secular Democratic System
As Muslims, especially living as a religious minority, should we be part of the voting process in a secular democratic system? If so, why? If not, why not?
This brief message was penned by Mawlānā Taha in response to a question he received from Toronto, Canada. And although the message was written in 2019, it still holds much academic merit in terms of providing a basic Sharʿī framework for how Muslims living under such circumstances should look at these types of nuanced issues.
Waqf-Based Takāful: An Ingenious Reconfiguration of Insurance
Islamic law and juristic ingenuity Of the charges laid at the door of Islamic law in the post-colonial period, that of scholarly sclerosis was probably one of the most common. Juristic ingenuity, it was held, had become ossified to the point where the production of...
The Application of Takāful, Crypto, and Sukūk in Waqf
In 2017, Awqaf SA enjoyed its 5th annual waqf training program. In this presentation, Mawlānā Taha discusses the future application of a number of Islamic finance products to the system of waqf .
Muslim Minorities and the Fiqh of Citizenship in the Modern World
In 2015, at the height of the ISIS crisis, Mawlānā Taha alongside a number of other senior ʿulamāʾ in South Africa delivered a lecture on the fiqh of citizenship in the modern world and whether the option of migrating for Muslims living as religious minorities to Muslim majority lands is tenable given the current geopolitical situation.
The lecture took place at the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa in Johannesburg and was attended by over two-hundred ʿulamāʾ.
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The consummate legacy of Mawlānā Taha raḥimahuLlahu taʿālā extended beyond books, teaching, essays, and scholarly opinions. It manifested itself through his interaction with all alike.
We invite those who knew Mawlānā to share with us their scholarly correspondence with him. Moreover, we welcome reflections and anecdotes that shed light on his learning, personal piety, and beautiful character.
May the learning, strength, and scholarship we draw from his life be a never-ending lesson for us and a perpetual charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah) for him.
Āmīn.
Fatāwā
Browse some of Shaykh Taha Karaan’s fatāwā
Brazilian Hair Treatment
Is this modern-day practice permissible according to the Shāfiʿī Madhhab?
Paving the Yard of a Masjid Using Interest Money
Using interest money for waqf-based institutions.
Using Zakāh for Children’s Madrasah Fees
Is it permissible to use zakāh money to pay your child’s madrasah fees?
جلد الخنزير المدبوغ
أكل الضفدع والحية والعقرب والثعلب
Is it Sunnah to Give Ādhān When Departing for a Journey?
Does this practice have a sharʿī basis?
Shaykh Taha Karaan raḥimahuLlahu taʿālā was a Shāfiʿī scholar born in Cape Town, South Africa to a family renowned in both its maternal and paternal lineage for Islamic scholarship. His father, Shaykh Yusuf Karaan, was one of the oldest and most distinguished Islamic scholars in the Cape. Shaykh Yusuf—famous for his translation of many of Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Mawlānā Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi’s seminal works—sat as the Chief Magistrate for Islamic Civil Matters in the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and served as the head of their Fatwa Department for over forty years.
