Part 6

“Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad #8) have no concern with them in the least.’"?) So unity of voice and harmony of the hearts are among the most outstanding characteristics of the Saved Sect — Ahlus-Sunnah walJama‘ah, and when differences occur between them arising from Ijtihad in matters in which it is permissible to exercise juristic

1 Ash-Shura 42:13 1 ALAn‘am 6:159

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reasoning, they bear neither resentment nor enmity, nor hatred towards each other. Rather, they feel that they are brothers, even if this difference occurs between them, so much so that one of them will even pray behind a person whom he considers is not in a state of ritual purity, while the mam considers that he is in a state of ritual purity. For example, when one of them prays behind a person who has eaten camel meat and that Imam considers that it does not invalidate his ablution, while the one who is being led in prayer believes that it does invalidate his ablution, yet he considers his prayer behind that Imam correct, even though, if it were he who was praying it himself, he would consider that his prayer was not correct.

All of this is because they hold the view that differences arising out of Jjtihad in matters that it is permissible to exercise Ijtihad, are not in truth differences. Because each of those who are in disagreement has followed the evidence which he is obliged to follow, evidences it is not permissible for him to renounce. So, they hold the view that their brother, if he disagrees with them, in any particular action, following some evidence, then he is in fact in agreement with them, because they call to compliance with the evidence, wherever it may be. If he disagrees with them, in accordance with some evidence which he has, then he is in truth in agreement with them, because he is acting in conformity with what they call and guide to, which is to judge by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah #8.

The differences which occurred between the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in such matters as these are well known to many of the scholars, even in the time of the Prophet #2 and he did not rebuke any of them. Because when he #2 returned from the Battle of A/-Ahzab and Jibril came to him and directed him to attack Banu Quraizah, who had violated their treaty, he commissioned his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, saying:

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“None of you should pray the ‘Asr prayer except at Banu Quraizah.""! So, they left Al-Madinah for Banu Quraizah and the time for the ‘Asr prayer overtook them. Some of them delayed the ‘Asr prayer until they reached Banu Quraizah after the expiry of the time for it, because the Prophet 2% had said:

“None of you should pray the ‘Asr prayer except at Banu

Quraizah.”” Some of them performed the prayer at its stated time and they said: The Messenger #& wanted us to set out early for Banu Quraizah and he did not want us to delay the prayer past its stated time. They (the latter group) were right, but in spite of this, the Prophet #% did not rebuke anyone among the two groups, and neither of the two groups held any enmity or rancor towards the other, due to their differing in understanding these words.

For this reason, I consider it an obligation upon the Muslims who claim adherence to the Sunnah to be one people, and not to divide into factions, this one belonging to this group and that one belonging to that group and the third belonging to a third group and so on, causing them to attack each other with hostile words, harboring enmity and hatred towards each other due to differences in matters where it is permissible to exercise juristic reasoning (Ijtihad). There is no need to single out every faction by name, but the wise person understands and the matter is

* (1 Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Fear, in the Chapter on the Prayer of the One Searching and the One Searched for (946) and it was narrated by Muslim in the Book of Jihad and Maneuvers, in the Chapter on Not Delaying Going Out to Battle (1770).

I consider that it is an obligation upon Ahlus-Sunnah walJama‘ah to unite, even if they disagree in some matters which is necessitated by the evidences according to their understanding. Because there is room for accommodation in these matters, all praise and thanks is to Allah.

The important thing is that hearts should be in harmony and that people should speak with one voice, for there is no doubt that the enemies of the Muslims love to see the Muslims divided, whether they be enemies who openly display their enmity, or enemies who give the appearance of being friends to the Muslims or to Islam while they are not so. So, it is incumbent upon us to be distinguished by this characteristic of the Saved Sect, and that is to speak with one voice.

Q. 7. What is meant by the middle course in religious matters?

A. The middle course in religious matters means that a person should not be excessive, exceeding the limits set by Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, nor be deficient, by not fulfilling what Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High has ordained.

The middle course in religious matters is to hold fast to the way of the Prophet #%, while excess in religious matters is to exceed it, and deficiency is not to attain it.

An example of this is that a man says: I want to stand for the night prayer and I will not sleep any of the time, because prayer is one of the best forms of worship, so I love to spend all the night in prayer. We say: This is excess in the religion of Allah, and it is not right, for something like this happened during the life of the Prophet #%: A number of people met and one of them said: I stand in prayer and I do not sleep, while another said: I fast and I do not break my fast, while a third said: I do not marry women. The Prophet #% was informed of this and he #¥ said:

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“What is wrong with people who say such and such? I fast and I break my fast, I stand in prayer and I sleep and I marry women,

so whoever dislikes my Sunnah is not from me."

So, these people intended to act excessively in the religion, and the Messenger #% declared that he was innocent of them, because they expressed excessiveness in his Summah which includes fasting, breaking the fast, standing in prayer, sleeping, and marrying women.

As for the one who is deficient, he is the one who says: There is no need for me to perform supererogatory acts of worship, so I shall not do so, but will perform the obligatory acts only. He might also be deficient in the obligatory acts. This is the one who is deficient.

The moderate person is the one who acts in accordance with what the Messenger # and the rightly guided caliphs followed.

Another example would be that of three men before whom is a sinful man, and one of them says: I will not give salutations of peace to this sinner and I will cut him off and stay away from him and not speak to him. The second says: 1 will keep company with this sinner and give salutations of peace to him and smile at him and invite him to my house and accept his invitation, and in my opinion he is not but a righteous man. The third one says: I hate this sinner for his sins and I love him for his faith and I will not cut him off except when cutting him off is a means of improving him, but if cutting him off does not

"1 Reported by Al-Bukhari, in the Book of Good Manners, in the Chapter: Whoever Does not Face the People With Rebuke (6101) and by Muslim in the Book of Marriage, in the Chapter on the Recommendation of Marriage for One Who for One Who Can do so (1401)

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result in improving him, instead causing him to increase his sinfulness, then I will not cut him off.

We say that the first person is excessive and extreme, while the second is excessively lacking and the third is moderate. This is what we say in all of the acts of worship and in conduct, the people are either deficient or extreme or moderate.

A third example is of a man who is a slave to his wife, she speaks to her husband in any way she wishes and he does not prevent her from doing evil, nor does he encourage her to strive for virtue. She possesses his mind and she becomes master over him. Another man is oppressive and arrogant, and deems himself superior to his wife and he pays no heed to her, and she is even less than a servant in his estimation. A third man is moderate and he treats her as Allah and His Messenger #¢ have commanded him:

‘And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards

living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as

regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable,"

‘A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If there is some characteristic in her that he dislikes, there remains some other characteristic in her which pleases him.’'*!

This last one is moderate while the first is extreme in his treatment of his wife and the other is deficient. And you should base all deeds and acts of worship upon this example.

Ol 4LBagarah 2:228 '2] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Suckling, in the Chapter on Advice for Women (1469).

Q. 8. What is the definition of faith according to AhlusSunnah wal-Jama‘ah and does it increase and decrease?

A. Faith, according to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah, is to affirm with the heart, with the utterance of the tongue, and with the action of the limbs, so it consists of three elements:

1. Affirmation of the heart. 2. Spoken words. 3. The action of the limbs.

Since this is the case, then it will increase and decrease. This is because affirmation of the heart goes up and down, and believing in something which one is told is not like believing in something which one sees with one’s own eyes, nor is believing the information of one man like believing the information of two men and so on. This is why Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said: