Salahudin
7th May 2004, 12:10 AM
Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
STUDYING FIQH
Knowing the Shari’ah rules with which a Muslim is compelled/obliged with in his life is an individual duty upon every Muslim because he is commanded to undertake all his actions according to the Shari’ah rules. This is so as the address of accountability (takleef) with which the Legislator (Ash-Shar’i) addressed mankind, and addressed believers, is a decisive address giving to option to anyone whether it was about the creed (iman) or human actions. The Supreme’s statement: Believe in Allah and His Messenger [TMQ ] is like His statement: Allah permitted trade and forbade riba [TMQ 2:] in that they are both addresses of accountability. They are both decisive addresses in relation to their address, not in relation to the subjects we were addressed with, due to the evidence of the Supreme’s statement: It is not for any believer, male or female, to have any option in any matter upon which Allah and His Messenger have judged [TMQ 33:36]. Also due to the evidence of the accountability of every action as the Supreme said: Whoever performs a particle’s weight of good will see it, and whoever performs a particle’s weight of evil will see it [TMQ 99:8-9] and the Supreme said: The Day that every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish that there was a great distance between it and (its evil). But Allah cautions you about Himself [TMQ 3:30] and He said: And each soul will be recompensed for all its actions [TMQ 16:111].
Accountability (takleef) came in a decisive manner so a Muslim is accountable in a decisive manner to restrict himself to the Shar’a rules when he undertakes any action. As for the subject of accountability i.e. the thing which Allah made him accountable for by command to do (talab), to leave or making it optional, this can be obligatory, recommended or allowed, or it can be prohibited or disliked. As for the essence of accountability (nafs at-takleef), it is decisive without any choice in it; so there is only one situation, namely the obligation of restricting oneself to it. Hence it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to know the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in earthly life. As for knowing what is in excess of the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in this life, this is a collective obligation not an individual duty i.e. if some undertake/fulfil this, then it falls away from the rest. This is strengthened by what was narrated by Anas bin Malik who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” Even though what is meant here is every knowledge with which a Muslim is bound in his life, jurisprudence (fiqh) is part of it in respect of the rules with which a Muslim is bound in his life such as ritual worships (ibadat), social transactions (mu’amalat) etc. Hence studying fiqh is among the compulsory matters for Muslims; rather it is of the rules that Allah obliged upon them, whether it is an individual or collective duty. There have come noble ahadith encouraging the studying of fiqh and verily the Messenger (SAW) encouraged the study of fiqh. Al-Bukhari narrated through Mu’awiyya bin Abu Sufyan: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The one for whom Allah wills good (khayr), He grants him fiqh in the deen.” Said bin al-Musayyab narrated from Abu Hurayra who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The one for whom Allah wills good, He grants him fiqh in the deen” (narrated by Bin Majah). Hazzam bin Hakeem narrated from his uncle from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) who said: “You are in a time of many jurisprudents (fuqaha), few speakers/lecturers, many who give and few who ask; so action in this time is better than knowledge. There will soon come a time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is better than action.” These ahadith are explicit in the virtue of fiqh and encouraging its study. It was narrated that Umar bin al-Khattab said: “The death of one thousand worshippers who pray at nigh and worship in the day is less serious than the death of one intelligent knower (baseer) of the halal and haram of Allah.”
STUDYING FIQH
Knowing the Shari’ah rules with which a Muslim is compelled/obliged with in his life is an individual duty upon every Muslim because he is commanded to undertake all his actions according to the Shari’ah rules. This is so as the address of accountability (takleef) with which the Legislator (Ash-Shar’i) addressed mankind, and addressed believers, is a decisive address giving to option to anyone whether it was about the creed (iman) or human actions. The Supreme’s statement: Believe in Allah and His Messenger [TMQ ] is like His statement: Allah permitted trade and forbade riba [TMQ 2:] in that they are both addresses of accountability. They are both decisive addresses in relation to their address, not in relation to the subjects we were addressed with, due to the evidence of the Supreme’s statement: It is not for any believer, male or female, to have any option in any matter upon which Allah and His Messenger have judged [TMQ 33:36]. Also due to the evidence of the accountability of every action as the Supreme said: Whoever performs a particle’s weight of good will see it, and whoever performs a particle’s weight of evil will see it [TMQ 99:8-9] and the Supreme said: The Day that every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish that there was a great distance between it and (its evil). But Allah cautions you about Himself [TMQ 3:30] and He said: And each soul will be recompensed for all its actions [TMQ 16:111].
Accountability (takleef) came in a decisive manner so a Muslim is accountable in a decisive manner to restrict himself to the Shar’a rules when he undertakes any action. As for the subject of accountability i.e. the thing which Allah made him accountable for by command to do (talab), to leave or making it optional, this can be obligatory, recommended or allowed, or it can be prohibited or disliked. As for the essence of accountability (nafs at-takleef), it is decisive without any choice in it; so there is only one situation, namely the obligation of restricting oneself to it. Hence it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to know the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in earthly life. As for knowing what is in excess of the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in this life, this is a collective obligation not an individual duty i.e. if some undertake/fulfil this, then it falls away from the rest. This is strengthened by what was narrated by Anas bin Malik who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” Even though what is meant here is every knowledge with which a Muslim is bound in his life, jurisprudence (fiqh) is part of it in respect of the rules with which a Muslim is bound in his life such as ritual worships (ibadat), social transactions (mu’amalat) etc. Hence studying fiqh is among the compulsory matters for Muslims; rather it is of the rules that Allah obliged upon them, whether it is an individual or collective duty. There have come noble ahadith encouraging the studying of fiqh and verily the Messenger (SAW) encouraged the study of fiqh. Al-Bukhari narrated through Mu’awiyya bin Abu Sufyan: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The one for whom Allah wills good (khayr), He grants him fiqh in the deen.” Said bin al-Musayyab narrated from Abu Hurayra who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The one for whom Allah wills good, He grants him fiqh in the deen” (narrated by Bin Majah). Hazzam bin Hakeem narrated from his uncle from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) who said: “You are in a time of many jurisprudents (fuqaha), few speakers/lecturers, many who give and few who ask; so action in this time is better than knowledge. There will soon come a time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is better than action.” These ahadith are explicit in the virtue of fiqh and encouraging its study. It was narrated that Umar bin al-Khattab said: “The death of one thousand worshippers who pray at nigh and worship in the day is less serious than the death of one intelligent knower (baseer) of the halal and haram of Allah.”