Part 13

‘" Al-Shafi‘, Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Idris (150-204 A.H.), was the founder of the Shafi school of law and a scholar of fiqh and hadith. His most famous work is al-Umm. [Al-Zirikii, vol.

ADHERENCE TO THE WORDS OF ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER 51

Muslims is not known. Indeed, this question could spread and bring calamity among the Muslims. If it were permissible for every Muslim to perform his voluntary prayer lying on his side when he is well, and not sick, it would be just as permissible to perform voluntary prayer while sitting or while riding on a camel. The Messenger (pbuh) would certainly have pointed this out to his community and the Companions would have known it. Since there is a strong desire to do good, it is inevitable that some would do it. However, no one of them did that, thus this indicates that this practice was not allowed among the Muslims. This will be explained more fully in the proper place.

What is intended here is that the Muslims should seriously value the words of Allah and His Messenger, and no one is permitted to transmit the words of other people except as they were originally intended, and not what they have been interpreted to mean. Some people may interpret certain texts of the Qur’an that express thoughts that are contrary to what they believe in terms that suit their thinking and their behavior. The intention behind this is to use a certain text as a proof, and this is wrong. We must believe in all that Allah and His Messenger said, for indeed we cannot believe in some parts of the Book and disbelieve in other parts. Thus, being careful of what is intended in one of the two versions of a particular text, without considering the other, is not necessarily good. Therefore, if the text is in harmony with what one believes, then follow what the Messenger intended. The same is true for the interpretation of other such texts. What is intended to be known is what the Messenger desired. This is what is intended in the explanation and interpretation of any situation in which two different meanings are possible. Anyone who merges the two into a single meaning, as is often the case among the interpreters, considers ta’wil to be like tafsir. But the real meaning of ta’wil, with regard to the words of Allah and His Messenger, is different from the meaning of tafsir, as commonly understood by the people, and its meaning is also different from what is meant by later religious scholars. This will be explained fully in its proper place.

Indeed everything that Allah and His Messenger negated concerning the obligatory constituents—such as Iman, Islam, religion, prayers, fasting, purification, pilgrimage, and other such obligation—was simply because the practice of such obligatory constituents has been abandoned. Allah says: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no belief, until they make you judge in all disputes

between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, and submit with full submission” (4:65). This verse indicates that one’s belief is negated if he does not regard the Messenger as a judge in all his disputes, and hence it is an obligation for belief. On the contrary, whoever does not acknowledge the Messenger as a judge should be punished, as he lacks the true belief required for entering Paradise without punishment. It is well known that whosoever performs some obligations but neglects others is subject to punishment.

Also, Muslims unanimously agree that it is an obligation to regard the Messenger as a judge in all disputes, both in matters pertaining to their religion and in their worldly affairs. This applies to the essence of their religion as well as to its various branches. Thus they should find in their souls no resistance to the Prophet’s judgments in disputes between themselves, but accept those decisions with the fullest conviction. Allah says: “Have you not turned your vision to those who declare that they believe in the revelations that have come to you and to those before you? Their real wish is to resort together for judgment in their disputes to the taghiit’, she evil one, though they were ordered to reject him. But Satan’s wish is to lead them far astray from the right. When it was said to them: ‘Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the Messenger,’ you will see the hypocrites avert their faces from you in disgust” (4:60-61).

His [Allah] saying, “to what Allah revealed” refers to the Book and Wisdom as illustrated in the following verses. Allah says: “. .. Remember Allah’s favors to you, and that He revealed to you al-Kitab wal-Hikmah, the Book and the Wisdom, for your instruction . . .” (2:231); and“... . For Allah has revealed to you the Book and the Wisdom and taught you what you did not know: and great is the grace of Allah unto you” (4:113). The call to acknowledge what Allah reveals indicated in “come to what Allah revealed, and to the Messenger,” requires the call to acknowledge the Messenger, which in turn requires the call to accept what Allah reveals. Such a mutual connection is found between obedience to Allah and to His Messenger. That is, whoever obeys the Messenger obeys Allah, and whoever obeys Allah obeys the Messenger.

This connection is also found in the following verse. Allah says: “If anyone opposes the Messenger, even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, he

ADHERENCE TO THE WORDS OF ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER = 53

follows a path other than the believers’ way . ..” (4:115). Thus, whoever opposes the Messenger, even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, follows a path other than that becoming to men of belief; and whoever follows a path other than that becoming to men of belief, opposes the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him. This asserts the mutual connection between Allah and His Messenger. Therefore, if one thinks that he is following the way of the believers while he is wrong, he will be in the same position of the one who thinks that he is following the Messenger, yet he is wrong too.

THE CONSENSUS OF THE BELIEVERS IS USED AS A PROOF

The above mentioned Quranic verse, “If anyone opposes the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that becoming to men of belief,” indicates that the believers ijma‘, consensus of opinion, is used as a proof. Therefore, disagreement with them is mutually connected to disagreement with the Messenger, because whatever the believers unanimously agreed on was based on nass, words or evidence, from the Messenger. Thus, every unanimously resolved issue is certainly true, while disagreeing with such unanimity leads to unbelief, exactly like disagreeing with al-nasg al-bayyin, the clear text [Qur’an]. However, if unanimity is not decisive, then disagreeing with it may not lead to unbelief. For it may happen that the indecisive unanimity is false and that the truth is something else.

A question was posed concerning ijma‘, consensus of opinion. Does it mean qat‘iyyun, definitive, or zanniyyun, mere assumption? Some people use it in the affirmative and some in the negative. The truth is clear, it is considered as a consensus of opinion and, for certain, there is no dispute to begin with among the believers. This matter must be decided upon justly. This is exactly what the Messenger pointed out as al-huda, the guidance. This is explained fully elsewhere.

When specific aspects of an obligation are described with interconnected attributes, this is an indication that any attribute will become a duty that must be followed. This is the Sirat al-Mustaqim, Straight Path, which Allah commands us to follow as guidance. Indeed, this means Islam, following the Qur’ an, and obedience to Allah and His Messenger. It is also the way to worship Allah

correctly. All the attributes, regardless of how numerous they may be, eventually lead to the obligation of worshiping Allah. These attributes are similar to the different names of Allah, the Exalted, the names of His Book, and the names of His Messenger. These are all like the names of His religion. Thus every constituent and its attributes refer to one and the same thing.

Allah says: “And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah stretches out for you, and be not divided among yourselves . . .” (3:103). In this verse, the phrase habl Allah, Al/ah’s rope, has the following interpretations: Din al-Islam, the religion of Islam, the Quran, Allah’s Covenant, Allah’s Obedience and Commands, and the Muslim community. And all of these are haqq, true.

CONNOTATION OF THE BOOK, THE SUNNAH, AND IJMA‘ AS ONE

Accordingly, the three constituents--the Book, the Sunnah, traditions, and ijma‘, consensus of opinion, should have the same connotation. For whatever is in the Book is agreed upon by the Messenger, and the Muslim community in its totality is in agreement on this matter. Indeed, all the believers must follow the Book as an obligation. The same applies to the Sunnah. That is, whatever is in the Sunnah, the Qur’dn commands that it be followed; so do the believers. Similarly, whatever Muslims unanimously agree on is nothing other than the truth consistent with what is in the Book and the Sunnah. For Muslims learn about their religion from the Messenger, who had true Revelations revealed to him: the Qur’an and Wisdom. The Messenger (pbuh) said: “I have received the Book, along with it, and the like of it [wisdom].”

Hassan Ibn ‘Atiyyah”? said: “Gabriel used to descend to the Prophet (pbuh) to teach him the Sunnah as well as to teach him the Qur’an.” For not everything included in the Sunnah is necessarily interpreted in the Qur’an. This is contrary to what people of ijma‘ say must be inferred from both the Quran and the Sunnah. For the Messenger was a mediator between Allah and the people by transmitting

His commands, His permission, and His prohibitions.

ADHERENCE TO THE WORDS OF ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER = 55

SOME OF THE SIGNS OF IMAN