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.

Prevalence of Genital Chlamydia Infection in Urban Women of Reproductive Age

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the major causes of sexually transmitted infections throughout the world. It is the primary cause for pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy in females. Most infections are asymptomatic and remain undetected. The burden of disease in the Kenyan population is not well characterised and few previous studies, done in Kenya, show the prevalence of genital Chlamydia infection in sexually active females. There is a need to define prevalence in our local population as a public health need and to determine whether rapid point-of-care testing should be incorporated as a component of sexually transmitted infection testing. Objective: To assess the public health burden of genital Chlamydia infection in sexually active women of reproductive age in an urban population within Nairobi. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. All women attending the gynaecology and antenatal clinics at the two study sites were invited to consent to completion of a questionnaire and vaginal swab collection. Women who tested positive for Chlamydia were offered treatment, together with their partner(s), and advised to come for a follow-up test. Results: A total of 300 women were tested. The prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis was found to be 6% (95% CI 3.31% - 8.69%). The prevalence was higher in women who represented a higher socioeconomic level, but this difference was not significant (OR = 2.7). Use of vaginal swabs was established to be a more acceptable form of sample collection. Conclusion: The prevalence of genital Chlamydia is significant in our female population. There is a justifiable need to institute opportunistic screening programs to reduce the burden of this disease. Rapid point-of-care testing as a potential component of sexually transmitted infection testing can be utilised.