Saturday, February 2nd 2002, I can still remember that day, sitting in al-Muntada al-Islami, Parsons Green, with a group of students preparing for the first lesson of ibn Abi al-`Izz’s monumental commentary to al-`Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah of Imam Abu Ja`far al-Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on them. Our teacher was to be Shaykh Haitham al-Haddad of whom, at that time, I had just heard of and was only vaguely familiar with.

None of us could have guessed then that our study of the book would span a journey of more than seven years, albeit interspersed with some short breaks, finishing after Fajr, Sunday 21st June 2009 at the house of the Shaykh with brother Fraz Farhat and myself present.

The lessons were a blessing and to experience Shaykh Haitham’s extremely pragmatic approach to teaching was truly refreshing. Often, he would relate what we were learning to real life experiences and practical scenarios that he or others had faced, or to questions he had been asked, or to advice that he had been consulted on, frequently leading to involved discussions on a myriad of peripheral, related and, sometimes, unrelated issues.

Having studied the work himself with his teachers, such as Shaykh ibn Jibrin, many difficult passages and concepts in the book were explained very well. Different editions and prints of the book were often consulted when trying to fathom a particularly complicated sentence, and other oral commentaries to the book were referred to as and when the need arose.

Subtle points of benefit were highlighted, issues related to moral conduct and raqa’iq dwelt on, and numerous emotional passages emphasised, sometimes reducing the gathering to tears.

Alongside this work, we were also studying Shanqiti’s Mudhakkirah fi Usul al-Fiqh, and on numerous occasions the Shaykh would relate what we had learned here to what we were learning in `Aqidah, an extremely useful exercise in demonstrating the essential interdependency and accord between the various Islamic disciplines.

During the course of our study, I have grown to know Shaykh Haitham, to respect and love him, and never cease to be amazed at his seemingly boundless energy and depth of knowledge. Seven years, despite only seeming like yesterday, is a long time and for a person moving from his late twenties into his thirties provides ample opportunity for growth and maturing of thought, and any positive development in both of these, after the grace of Allah, I firmly attribute to my studies with the Shaykh, may Allah preserve him, illuminate his grave and grant him Jannah.

Abu Rumaysah Refi Shafi
8th Rajab 1430
1st July 2009