FIQH

THIS IS AN ANSWER TO SOMEONE WHO WROTE AN ARTICLE SAYING THAT FIQH ISN'T IMPORTANT, ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GO IN JIHAD.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran “It is not for the Mu’mineen to proceed in jihad all together. Why does a small group from every large party not proceed to attain a deep understanding of Deen so that they may warn their people when they return to them so that they may beware?”  Surah Taubah verse 122

 

From the verse quoted above, it is clearly understood, beyond the need for explanation, that it is ALLAH’S COMMAND that because of the immense importance of the attainment of FIQH, which is the word used in this verse, and is most correctly translated as a deep understanding of Deen, the believers should divide themselves into two groups. Not all should go for jihad, rather a group should also free themselves from any other occupation and involvement, and devote themselves fully to fiqh. In fact, in the aayah, this is the group which is depicted as a fort, a safe haven, a place of return for those going out in Jihad. 

 

This then, is the desire and command of Allah, so clearly and unambiguously stated in His Final Word to mankind. Yet, it seems that there are some individuals who hold a view which is contrary to this desire. As unfortunate as it appears to be, the sad reality is this that differences and deviations have escalated to such a blasphemous height, that people have even started to differ with Allah Ta’ala himself. May He save us.

 

The objection and attack that has been made on fiqh is in reality, an objection against Deen e Islam itself, and has stemmed either from gross ignorance and misunderstanding, or from the sinister intention of sowing dissension amongst the innocent and naïve masses of this ummah.

 

The issues mentioned, which the brother passes off as merely being “petty things” and “superficial” are in reality, some of the most salient features of Islam, without which, it would be incomplete. They are the beautiful habits, practices and commands of none other than the leader of both worlds, our beloved Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa salam).

 

The miswak, has been emphasized upon so much that Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wa salam) himself has said that if it wasn’t that the ummah would be put to difficulty, he would have made miswak compulsory with every wudhu.

As far as the beard and trousers below ankles are concerned, severe and dire warnings of punishment have been sounded to those who don’t adhere to these two commands.

So how can these essentials be labeled in such a derogatory and demeaning manner?

From the brother’s remark “In case you can’t tell I’m being extremely sarcastic,” there is quite a clear indication that mockery is being made of the issues mentioned.

To mock at any aspect of Deen is considered kufr and throws a person out from the folds of Islam. Thus, the brother is advised, that if he wants to save himself from destruction in both the worlds, he should make sincere taubah and renew his Imaan.

 

It seems that the term “fiqh” itself has not been understood. As already mentioned above, it is a deep understanding of Deen. In fact, it can be said that Fiqh is synonymous with Islam, because it is fiqh that tells a Muslim how to live every second of his life in compliance with Divine commandments, and that’s exactly what Islam is. From this it is clear that even Jihad falls under the purview of fiqh. The brother has portrayed this very fiqh to be meaningless, and his flimsy contradictory statement “I’m not saying that fiqh isn’t important” does little to dismiss this portrayal. Thus his claim that “we must leave fiqh aside, and concentrate on jihad” is rendered meaningless and self contradictory.

 

Finally, from the brother’s statement that “the best excuse Muslims seem to use is Islam” clearly points towards this fact that this jihad that he talks about is something completely different from Islam. Such a jihad then, is not a jihad. Only that jihad is acceptable in Allah’s court which to make His word high – to preserve and spread Islam. We have already mentioned that practical Islam is synonymous to fiqh.

 

May Allah guide us all to the straight path, Ameen.

 

 

 

 

Reflect and Ponder (27) - AFTER QURBANI - CLEARING THE BONES

Alhamdulillah we must all have eaten quite to our fill - mutton biriyani, or barbeque, or some other mutton dish all courtesy of our qurbani goats and sheep. However, did this thought go through anybody's mind - that the meat we now eat with great relish was only a few hours ago a goat, very much alive, walking around and grazing on the grass we put for it? What became of that goat? All that is left of it is a pile of well-licked and well-sucked shiny white bones in our plates, to be cleared and thrown away. Did anybody think about the fact that Insaan has to go the same way, that I will have to one day go the same way that this goat did? About the bitter but inevitable reality that today we are alive, talking, laughing, playing, eating, and drinking, yet one day will come when will become residents of the sand, just a pile of decaying, rotting bones, sumptious food for the worms and insects?? My dear brothers and sisters, death is coming. Are we prepared??

SLAUGHTERING THE MERCIFUL WAY

Allah (SWT) had sent Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as a Rahmatul lil 'Aalameen, translated as a Mercy to the universes. In this verse of the Qur'an, there is a clear implication that no creature of Allah was deprived of the general mercy of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. In fact, it would not be incorrect to say that his entire life was a lesson of mercy for this ummah till the day of Qiyaamah. Animals to be slaughtered are no exception.

   I don't believe I can do justice to the extreme emphasis laid upon showing mercy to the animals to be slaughtered, and animals in general, that is found in the ahadith, if I tried to express it. To such an extent that kindness to animals has been portayed in the ahadith as a very possible deciding factor between Jannah and Jahannam. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam narrated to the sahaba that a prostitute attained Jannah just because of giving water to a thirsty dog, whereas a woman who used to involve herself in a lot of ibaadah relegated herself to the pits of Jahannam for being cruel to a cat.

 Once Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam entered a garden and on seeing a camel tied there, went up to it. The camel started to cry and complain to him about his master. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam immediately called and reprimanded the owner of the camel, telling him that the camel had complained of being overworked and underfed.

   It is a pity that the Ummah has either forgotten or chosen to ignore this very important lesson of mercy, especially when it comes to the days of Qurbani and slaughtering. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has said in one hadith, "When you slaughter, then do it in a beautiful manner." A beautiful manner refers to the one in which there is least suffering for the animal. Unfortunately, in the method that is employed by the majority, the animal has to unnecessarily suffer in a myriad of ways, a very serious mistake that could lead to dire consequences - :

1) Even long before slaughtering, the animals are treated very cruelly, large numbers crammed together in very small places, with insufficient grass and water. They are also whipped and mishandled more than is necessary.

2) One goat is slaughtered right infront of the other. This is a very serious mistake and has been specifically and emphatically forbidden in the hadith. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has said, "Don't give the animal two deaths." Can you imagine the fear that overpowers the goat looking at his/her companion being slaughtered? That's death before death. Also, even if the goat can't see the other one being slaughtered, it's slaughtered right over the pool of blood created by the previous one. Do we imagine that the goat doesn't know what it is?

3) The knife is shown, and many times even sharpened, right infront of the goat. This paralyses the poor innocent animal with fear. Also, the animal is laid down, and with the knife, his hand poised ready to cut, the slaughterer recites long duas very slowly and calmly, oblivious of the poor animal's plight and agony as it sees the knife hovering above. Again, are we in the misconception that the goat doesn't know what it is?

4) The animal is skinned before it is completely dead, so in its last moments it has to suffer anew.

  My dear brothers and sisters, all this is nothing but oppression, serious enough to land us in quite a bit of trouble in the court of Allah. DO WE BELIEVE THAT JUST BECAUSE IT CAN'T SPEAK, THE ANIMAL HAS NO FEELINGS??  Sadly, we have even ceased to think of it as wrong, or that this is also a big part of our beautiful Deen.

My humble plea to all - let us take important note of this in this Eid, and let us let as many people know as possible so that they can be saved from this henious sin. May Allah give us tawfeeq.



    

Reflect and Ponder (26)

Life has its ups and downs. No condition stays forever. Today there is happiness, tomorrow is sadness. All we have to do with what life throws at us at every moment is to keep the big picture in mind, that one day we will leave this world and everything will be over. For that person who was drowned in luxury and comfort his entire life - game over. For that person who spent his entire life in misery, difficulty, sickness, abject povert - it's all over. All that really matters is whether we lived our lives according to the commands and pleasure of Allah or not. Only that will decide whether we have attained success or not. Not whether we earn a nice fat salary, or own a mansion and a couples of BMW's. Everything else is spurious and not worth our worry, time, attention, and energy. Let us always have this in front of us.

HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF LOVE

  Year after year, the Hajj season comes and goes, but have we, for a single moment, stopped to think about the reality of this beautiful ibaadah of Hajj?

Not in any way diminishing the importance of knowing the masaa'il, and how to perform every step correctly, every ibaadah has an inner reality which actually constitutes of that very objective for which Allah obligated that particular ibaadah on us. Hajj is no exception.

Let us pause and ponder for a moment. What is Hajj made up of? Wearing two unsewn pieces of cloth, not being able to apply any fragrance, loudly saying the talbiyah, going around the Kaaba seven times, walking between two points seven times, throwing stones at pillars, spending time in a barren, hot field, shaving the head, slaughtering an animal, leaving all the comforts of home, and undertaking a strenuous journey. Logically, does all of this make any sense at all?? Definitely it doesn't. Deen isn't subservient to logic, as some brainwashed modernists would like to believe. Deen is something way past the limited reaches of logic.

So what do all of these actions tell us? Why have been commanded to do them?? By reflecting over these actions, any reasonable person will conclude that these actions are of those who are madly in love. The actions of one who has forgotten about everything else, and only has his Beloved infront of him. Nothing else matters. How important is it to have love for Allah? Allah himself says in the Quran, "And those who believe have the strongest love for Allah." In this aayah, Allah specified it as an intinsic quality of the believers. We can suffice to say this that the person who builds a love connection between Allah and himself has achieved and realised the very objective of his existence.

       The reality of Hajj is this that it is an ibaadah of pure love, from start to end. It is for this very reason that Allah has obligated on us such actions which outwardly show love, and which help the pilgrim appear as a mad lover. So, the first half of the magic potion of love which can take a person to unimaginable heights is already present. For the second half, we need to make a concerted effort, and this is where the majority of pilgrims fall short, which results in their Hajj being merely a composition of outward actions and rituals lacking in life and reality. This second half, is to couple the outward form of love with the inward reality of love - which comes from the heart.

   It is unfortunate today that the majority of pilgrims return from Hajj unchanged, as if nothing ever happened. Why?? It is because they went to the blessed cities devoid of any love, which left the catalyst to a life changing reaction incomplete. Some go just to discharge an obligation they just have to fulfill, like throwing a burden off their shoulders. Others go on a sightseeing tour. Others go on a shopping spree.

My beloved brothers and sisters, we have to realise that without inculcating the love of Allah in our hearts, then just like the 5 times salaah, and the month of Ramadhan, the great ibaadah of Hajj, which Allah has kept to put us back on the straight path which we seem to lose again and again, will be rendered ineffective as far as changing our lives is concerned.

May Allah give us true understanding, ameen.

Reflect and Ponder (25)

This world is far from being perfect, and everything connected to this world is not perfect. No place to live is perfect. No weather is perfect. No food is perfect. No house is perfect. No condition of this world whatsoever is perfect. No human in this world is perfect. That is how Allah has made it.

On the other hand, Jannah is perfect and everything connected to Jannah is perfect. The places of residence are perfect. The weather is perfect. The food and drink is perfect. The houses are perfect. Every condition in Jannah is perfect. Every person who will enter Jannah will be perfect. That is how Allah has made it.

Now tell me, what would be a more foolish thing to do than to sacrifice all the energies and capabilities of an entire lifetime searching for that never to found perfection in an imperfect place, and forgetting about striving for that place which in reality is perfect???
Sadly, this is the condition of the majority of this Ummah. May Allah open our eyes to the truth.

THE SUNNAH OF FAJR

Nabi Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "When the iqaamah is called, then no other prayer should be performed besides the obligatory prayer." Muslim

In the mas'ala in question, Imam Abu Haneefa's madhab is this that if a person, for some reason, couldn't perform his sunnah of Fajr, and the Jamaat has already stood, then so long as he is certain that he will be able to join the jamaat by the last qa'dah, he should first complete sunnah.

Imam Malik, Imam Awzai, and Imam Sufyaan Ath-thawri also have a similar madhab. All four of these stalwarts were the greatest Imams of their time - the era of the tabi'een and tab'u -t-taabi'een, in the 2nd century hijri. They were all reputed and renowned giants of not only fiqh, but all other Islamic sciences, especially Hadith.

Today, about 1300 years after these mountains of knowledge put the final stamp on this mas'ala, we have people who know nothing about Hadith and Fiqh challenging this ruling with one hadith which they cannot understand without the help of translation, let alone understanding it's implication. Sad.

Imam Abu Haneefah, when making a decision on any mas'ala, didn't depend on just one hadith. Rather, he had infront of him every hadith that could possibly be connected to this mas'ala, and only after careful deliberation with his shura would he come to a judgement. It will be quite obvious from this, that his rulings are not without sound proof and backing.

Nabi sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has in many ahadith, all authentic, and too numerous to relate here, put extreme emphasis on the sunnah of Fajr, and their immense importance. Also in many ahadith is the fact that he never used to miss them, whether in Madina, or on journey.

One hadith specially worthy of note is a narration found in Abu Dawud, where he said, "Perform these two rakaahs of sunnah before Fajr, even though you may be stamped over by horses in the process."

Moreover, this very opinion and practise has been narrated from many great Sahaba, including Abdullah bin Mas'ud (Ra), Umar (RA), Abdullah bin Umar (ra), Abdullah bin Abbaas (ra), and Abu Darda (ra).

Infact, it has been narrated that during Hadhrat Umar (ra)'s khilaafat, it was quite common.

From all the multitudes of great Sahaba still present at that time, not one raised any objection, including Umar (ra) who, as we know, would get infuriated by the slightest breach of shari'ah.

My dear brothers and sisters, are we trying to say that we know about hadith more than the Sahaba? Are we trying challenge the sahaba's understanding of hadith, those great friends of Allah who understood the hadith from it's source, the practical example and perfect role model of the beautiful life of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, with our own subzero understanding, not even worthy of being termed deficient, in which we are compeletely ignorant of the implications of this hadith???

According to Imam Abu Haneefa, this hadith has been interpreted to mean that to perform any other salaah at that same place where the fardh jamaat is being performed, is not permissible. That is why the mas'ala is that a person shouldn't perform it in the masjid proper, where the jamaat is, but rather in the outside part.

It is thus quite clear that any objections made at these great Imams regarding this mas'ala are utterly baseless and stem from compound ignorance and rebellion.

It is, however, important to note, that this mas'ala is only regarding permissibility. In no way is this action being encouraged. Sunnah should be performed on time before the time for the jamaat to stand. Only if, for some reason, a person wasn't able to perform them, then this mas'ala comes into play, that he should first complete his sunnah, because of its importance.

May Allah guide us to the truth, and give us the ability and tawfeeq to follow it, ameen