An insightful request of a righteous Mufti from another righteous Mufti
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah stated why he wrote Al-Wasitiyyah: The reason for writing this book was that one of the judges of Waasit came to me- a Shaikh called Radiyyuddeen Al-Waasitee from the followers of the Shaafi’ee Madhab. He came whilst on his journey and was one of the good people and an adherent to the religion. He complained about the overwhelming ignorance and wrongdoing in his land – under the rulership of the Tartars – and asked me to write for him an Aqeedah that would be a fundamental support for him and his household; but I asked him to excuse me from this request. I said to him, “The scholars have written various books of Aqeedah, so take from the books written by the Imams of the Sunnah”, but he insisted and carried on urging me, and said, “I do not want except a book of Aqeedah written by yourself”. Thus, I wrote this Aqeedah for him whilst I was sitting after Asr”.
In that one sitting after Asr prayer, Shaikh Al-Islam wrote – accurately – this Aqeedah and fulfilled what the requester desired. Shaikh Al-Islam said, “Many copies of this book spread in Egypt, Iraq and other places”. This is the reason why Shaikh Al-Islam wrote the book.
The need to clarify the Aqeedah – making it clear to the people and attaching them to their Creator and Lord, their Master and Protector, through the sound Aqeedah and upright Iman- is the matter through which degeneration and deviation in society would be cured.
This is because the greatest cause of degeneration in society is due to lack of (truly) knowing Allah, His Greatness, Exaltedness and Perfection, and what the hearts should contain regarding Allah’s Exaltation. It has been said, “The one who knows Allah more will fear Him more”. But when a person’s knowledge about Allah is weak, then various deviations and corruptions appear amongst the people. Therefore, the Aqeedah is the cure and medication that will bring about safety. If the Aqeedah is sound, the deeds will be upright, behaviour will become good and the souls will be satisfied. Contemplate this in relation to the affair of this righteous judge and the situation in his land, such as his mention of the spread of ignorance, rife wrong doing and corruption, thus, he went to find a solution to these problems by asking Shaikh Al-Islam to write a book on creed. When you look at the state of affairs in our time, you’ll see this widespread and painful state of affairs in many societies; therefore, people are greatly in need of concentrating on Aqeedah, learning Aqeedah, nurtured upon Aqeedah, and spreading Tawheed, and Iman. This judge saw that Aqeedah is the solution and cure, and he acknowledged Shaikh Islam’s leadership in knowledge, religion, piety and great station, so he sought from him and insisted until Shaikh Al-Islam agreed to write this book. (1)
Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:
The rectification of every nation and its [upright] ascendancy is tied to the soundness of its Aqeedah and Afkaar [views or thoughts]; therefore, due to this reason, the Message of the Prophets came to rectify the creed [of the people]. Therefore, the first thing every Messenger said to his people was:
ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ
Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)]. [Al-A’raaf. 59]
وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِى ڪُلِّ أُمَّةٍ۬ رَّسُولاً أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَۖ
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah)]”. [An-Nahl 36]
And this is because Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all Imperfections] created the Khalq [i.e. Jinn and Mankind] to worship Him alone and not associate anything as a partner with Him.
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [Adh-Dhaariyaat. 56]
Ibadah [worship] is a right due to Allah [alone] which His slaves must fulfil, just as the Prophet said to Mu’adh Bin Jabal: “O Mu’adh, do you know what is the right of Allah upon His servants?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet said, “To worship Him alone and to associate none in worship with Him. And do you know what is their right upon Him?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet said, “Not to punish them if they do so.” [Bukhari]
The is the first and foremost Right [or obligation] without exception. Nothing else precedes it nor is precedence given to the rights of anyone over it. Allah said:
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنًاۚ
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents]. [Al-Israa. 23]
قُلۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ أَتۡلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّڪُمۡ عَلَيۡڪُمۡۖ أَلَّا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـًٔ۬اۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنً۬اۖ
Say (O Muhammad ): “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents. [Sural Al-An’aam’ Aayah 151] (2)
Allamah Siddeeq Hasan Khan, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:
(You) should know that sound knowledge does not contain any harm. Conversely, ignorance does not hold any benefits. This is because every piece of sound knowledge has a benefit that is connected to matters related to the Afterlife, the affairs of life, or human perfection. However, in certain sciences, it may be mistakenly assumed that harm can arise or that the knowledge is not beneficial due to a failure to consider the necessary conditions that must be observed in acquiring knowledge and by the scholars (themselves) because every branch of knowledge has its limitations, and these boundaries should not be exceeded. It is erroneous to believe that knowledge can surpass its intended purpose, just as it is incorrect to assume that mainstream medicine can cure all ailments. In reality, certain diseases cannot be cured through (medical) treatment. Among them is one who thinks that knowledge is above its rank in honour, just as one thinks that jurisprudence is the most honourable of all sciences absolutely, but that is not the case, as the knowledge of pure Islamic monotheism is more honourable without exception.
Among them is intending through knowledge other than its purpose, such as the one who learns for the sake of wealth or prestige. The purpose of sciences of the religion in and of themselves is not to earn wealth, but rather acquaintance with facts and refining morals. Therefore, he who pursues knowledge of the religion for the sake of professionalism is not a scholar, but rather he is someone who feigns resemblance to the scholars. The scholars of Transoxiana revealed and stated this when they were informed of the construction of schools in Baghdad; so, they held gatherings of religious knowledge and stated: “The people with lofty aspirations and the pure souls used to preoccupy themselves with it, whose intent or (goal) behind the pursuit of knowledge was because of its nobility and perfection (attained) through it, so they came to the scholars to benefit from them and their knowledge. However, if it becomes a means of earning, the mean (vile) and lazy people will approach it and this will be a reason for its disappearance, thus the sciences of wisdom are abandoned, even though they are noble in and of themselves”. (3)
Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Among the people are those who have vast knowledge but (afflicted with vain) desires, and Allah’s refuge is sought (against this)! He issues religious verdicts based on what pleases the people, and not based on what pleases Allah. This one is called the scholar of the Ummah (or the people). The scholars are three types: the scholar of the religion, the scholar of the state (government), and the scholar of the Ummah. The scholar of the religion is the one who propagates the religion of Islam, issues religious verdicts based on the religion of Islam, knowledge, and what the Shariah establishes, and does not care whether it agrees with the desires of the people or not. The scholar of the state (or government) is the one who looks at what the state (or government) wants and issues a religious verdict based on what the state wants, even if that involves distorting Allah’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger. As for the scholar of the Ummah (or the people), he is the one who looks at what pleases the people. If he sees that the people are on something, he issues a religious verdict based on what pleases them, then he attempts to distort the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah to make it agree with the desires of the people. We ask Allah to make us and you from the scholars of the religion who act upon it”. (4)
Amr Bin Al-Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying, “If a Mujtahid gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct, he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get a reward”. [Bukhari Number 7352]
A Few Points From This Hadeeth: [I] A Mujtahid is not deprived of reward. [II] The judgement of a non-Mujtahid is different from that of a Mujtahid. Shaikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah stated that the one who speaks about the religion without knowledge and out of ignorance (is guilty of) lying and sinning. [III] The one who intentionally speaks to oppose the truth is threatened with entry into the fire of hell, as opposed to the affair of the one who speaks based on permissible Ijtihaad, for indeed he strives, fears Allah as much as he is able, desires to seek knowledge as much as he was able, speaks for the sake of Allah, knows the stronger proof and speaks based on that. This person is given two rewards if he is correct, but if he is mistaken, he receives one reward. [IV] A Mujtahid can be correct or mistaken. (5)
Imam Ash-Shawkaanee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
We often see a man who holds a belief that aligns with truth and correctness. However, when he speaks to someone who disagrees with him- one who is inclined towards something of the innovated matters in the religion, and especially if that person holds a position of leadership or worldly wealth, not to mention a king, he agrees with him, strengthens, supports and aids him against others. The least in such circumstances is that he would hide what he believes is the truth and show contempt – in the presence of a person from whom it is neither possible to receive harm nor benefit – towards what has become clear to him is the right thing, so, what about someone from whom harm and benefit are possible? This behavior is essentially prioritising worldly things and the life of this world over the religion and the afterlife. If he observed and reflected upon what has happened to him, he would have realised that his inclination toward the (vain) desires of a man, two men, three or more individuals – among those he compliments within that gathering, conceals the truth to be in agreement with them and to gain affection, acquire their possessions, and avoid being isolated by them -is a deficiency in upholding the truth and tantamount to exalting falsehood. If it were not for the fact that these individuals hold a higher position in his eyes than the Lord, he would not have been inclined to their (vain) desires and abandoned what he knows to be what Allah wants and demands from His servants. (6)
Al-Allamah Siddeeq Hasan Khan, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
It is prohibited for a mufti to assist or guide an inquirer to his goal in matters that involve evading an obligation, permitting a forbidden act, or engaging in deceit or trickery. Instead, the mufti should possess a keen awareness of the cunning and deceitful nature of individuals and their circumstances, and should not assume the best of them. Instead, one must be cautious, perceptive, and knowledgeable about the circumstances and affairs of people, supported by an understanding of the Sharia. Without such awareness, one may stray from the right path and make other stray. There are many issues that may appear attractive on the surface but conceal repugnant injustice. The superficial observer focuses solely on the outward appearance and concludes its acceptability, while the insightful individual examines its intent and underlying essence. The former is easily misled by superficial issues, much like an ignorant person is deceived by the allure of money. In contrast, the latter reveals the falsehood, akin to a critic exposing counterfeit currency. How often does a person present falsehoods through eloquent language and polished expression, making them appear as truths? Conversely, how frequently does genuine truth get misrepresented as falsehood due to poor articulation and lack of insight? Anyone with even a modicum of discernment and experience can easily recognize this reality; in fact, it reflects the common behaviour of many individuals. Due to its prevalence and notoriety, there is no need for examples. The one closely examines all the false statements and the Bidah will find that their proponents often present them in appealing themes, using language that may be accepted by those unaware of their true nature. The intent in this discussion is that it not permissible for anyone to issue fatwas based on prohibited tricks, neither assist in this nor guide others towards them, as this would contradict Allah’s command. (7)
Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
When it is case that the true followers of the Prophets [peace and blessings of Allah be upon them] are people of knowledge and justice, therefore the speech of the people of Islam and the true adherents to the Prophetic Sunnah regarding the unbelievers and the proponents of religious innovations has to be based on knowledge and justice, and not conjecture and what the soul desires. And due to this the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “The judges are three: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. A man who knows the truth and judges with it will enter paradise; a man who knows the truth but judges with the opposite of it will enter the fire, and a man who judges for the people based on ignorance will enter the fire”. [Reported by Imam Abu Dawud 3573]
When it is the case that the person who adjudicates amongst the people in disputes over wealth, blood (such as murder cases, acts of physical violence, etc.), and honour is (threatened) with entry into hell if he is not a just scholar, then what about the one who makes judgements – without knowledge and justice – on creeds, religions, fundamentals of belief, divine knowledge, and general fundamental principles relating to many subject matters, as is the case with Ahlul Bidah Wal Ahwaa [the proponents of religious innovations and followers of vain desires] who follow ambiguous doubtful matters, abandon those explicitly clear texts that the Prophets have transmitted, cling to affairs that share an ambiguous similarity through mere analogy and opinions, and then present affairs whose differences cannot be reconciled or equated, just as is the case with the unbelievers and all the proponents of religious innovation and followers of desires, who liken the creation to the Creator [i.e. they give the creation the Perfect Attributes that only belong to the Creator], and liken the Creator to the creation [i.e. by describing the Creator with the imperfect attributes of the Creation], and then they put forward an evil similitude for Allah by way of thoughtless and confusing speech. This is because the false religion of the Christians is an innovated [or concocted] religion- innovated after the departure of the Messiah [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] and altered the religion of the Messiah through it; so they deviated from the Messiah’s, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, path and remained upon that which they innovated. (8)
Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah preserve him, said:
We do not say that there are people of Ijtihaad amongst ahlul bidah because they are followers of desires, and Allah and His Messenger have testified to this. The misguided innovator stirs up discord and errs, and then says to you, “This is Ijtihaad”. When Hikmatiyaar and the misguided parties (in Afghanistan) murdered Shaikh Jameel Ur-Rahmaan, they said, “This is Ijtihaad”. They (ahlul bidah) do not fall into an affair of misguidance or a calamity except that they say, “This is Ijtihaad”. This is (tantamount) to diluting Islam, falsehood, misguidance, bidah and confounding truth with falsehood when the mistakes of the (qualified scholars of Ijtihaad)- for which they are rewarded- are placed at the same level with Bidah about which the Messenger declared to be destined for the hell fire. (9)
[1] Sharh Aqeeqah Al-Waasitiyyah Lesson 1. By Shaikh Abdur Razaaq Al-Badr
[2] Al-Muhadharat Fil Aqeedah 6/17
[3] An Excerpt from “Abjad Al-Uloom” 1/77-78
[4] An Excerpt from “Sharh Riyaadus Saaliheen” 4/307-308
[5] Al-Arba’oona Hadeethaa Fee Usoolil Fiqh. pages 32-33]
[6] An Excerpt from Adabud Talab Wa Muntahaa Al-Adab. Pages 93-95.
[7] An Excerpt from Dakhr Al-Muhtee Min Aadaab Al-Muftee 121-122
[8] Al-Jawaabus Saheeh 1/26-30
[9] An Excerpt from ‘Ajwibatul Allaamatush Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadee Al Madkhalee Alaa As-ilah Abee Rawaaha Al-Manhajiyyah page: 20]