زیارت قبر رسولﷺ،جمہور اور شیخ ابن تیمیہ Sheikh Ibn-e-Taymiyyah’s Distinction on the issue of the traveling to visit the tomb of the Holy Prophet ﷺ

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ahmad bin Abdul Haleem alias Ibn Taymiyya (661-728 AH) is one of the great personalities whose far-reaching effects of his thoughts and opinions have been felt in every age. The issues, on which Allama Ibn Taymiyya has a different opinion, are the result of his such research as well as liquidation, wisdom, Ijtihad and continuous consideration as well as deliberation which have been based on Quran and Sunnah, the interaction of companions and speculation. In his Ijtihadi issues, there is a collection of evidence and proofs related to the Quran and Sunnah. Most of Ibn Tamiya’s dissent is of a jurisprudential and principled nature. Some of these dissents are against the consensus of the Ummah. Some are against the religion of the four Imams, some differences are contrary to Hanbali School of thought itself and some differences are against the majority of scholars. Allama Ibn Taymiyya also has such differences in which he looks unique and distinguished from the whole Ummah. One of them is related to the pilgrimage to the tomb of the Holy Prophetﷺ. According to Islamic scholars, traveling to visit the tomb of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is permissible and rewarding. The majority of scholars agree on this. Ibn Tamiya’s position and the difference is that if he did not intend to offer prayers in the Holy Prophet's Mosque during this pilgrimage, then it is not permissible according to most of the scholars and imams, nor has it been commanded. According to the command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the reason behind this is that only three mosques should be packed, namely Masjid al-Haram, Masjid al-Nabawi, and Masjid al-Aqsa. After the Prophet of Islam, there is room for disagreement with the words and deeds of everyone in Islamic thought. Almost all the great scholars have disagreed with this position and have refuted it with arguments. But their other religious and national services cannot be ignored based on this distinction. In the article under discussion, Ibn Tamiya’s position and his arguments will be critically examined in light of the views of other scholars of the ummah.

Taxo-Ethnobotanical Survey and Biological Activities of Selected Medicinal Plants of Dir Kohistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

The study was carried out in Dir Kohistan Valley; district Dir Upper of the Province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, to explore the flora of Taxo-ethnobotanical potential and estimation of Antimicrobial activities of selected medicinal plants of the area. It is the first attempt to document the Taxo-ethnobotanical survey in the selected area. About 458 angiosperm species were recorded, which consists of 98 families and 291 genera. The study was also extended to the flora of Gymnosperm which is represented by 3 families with 11 species of 8 genera, among them 9 species is indigenous and 2 species were exotic in the study area. A total of 469 species of both Angiosperms and Gymnosperms were collected. The ethnobotanical study identified that these species are for 46 different uses. The major uses of 144 plant species were calculated. Among them 94 plants were used as medicine; 50 fodder; 35 fuel wood, wild fruits and hay fodder, 20 species each, 19 pot herb; 18 fence, furniture and utensils, 11 species each, shade tree, ornamental, hedge plant and agricultural tools, 10 species each, 9 soil binder, construction, packing/ roping and poison, 7 species each, wind break, spice/flavoring agent, 6 species each, dye and fish poison 4 species each, bee attractants, smoking medicine, stick/handles, cushion plant, miswak, green pesticide, graveyard things, Incense/perfume and beverage 3 species each, wood carving, fishing checks, snuff ash, dry fruits, timber, soil reclamation and soil fertilizer 2 species each, torch wood, Ink, paper, granary/basketry, beads, resin, root stock, charcoal and brooms 01 species each of herbs, shrubs and trees in nature. The part used data shows that mostly the whole plant, leaves, fruit, roots and stem were in common use. After the extensive ethnobotanical survey, 25 plants were selected for anti-bacterial investigation, due to the reason that the local people commonly used these plants for various ailments. Out of 25 selected plants 13 showed anti-bacterial activity, while the remaining 12 were inactiveX against bacteria. There are some high valued medicinal plants species like Taxus wallichiana, Aconitum heterophyllum, Pinus gerardiana, Betula utilis and some other ethnobotanically important plants species which are near to extinction, because of various types of risk. It is required to conserve their germplasm in the area, to protect these valuable plants.