Part 75

The Difference Between the Five Pillars of Islam and Other Duties

What is in question here is whether the overt deeds that Allah has ordered include deeds in addition to the five pillars of Islam. Some said that these were the greatest and most prominent of the religious ordinances of Islam. They added that one’s submission to Allah is completed by performing these religious duties; whereas if he abandons them, he feels that the bonds of his submission are being undone.

It has been verified that the Prophet (pbuh) regarded religion as a person’s absolute submission to His Lord, which in turn became the duty of every person. Hence, every able individual must worship Allah purely by practicing the five pillars of Islam, Whatever is commanded apart from these five pillars is based on personal interests and is not considered a general duty. However, a sufficient number of people have been commanded to undertake actions such as striving for the Cause of Allah, commanding good deeds, and forbidding evil deeds, as well as other matters like ruling, leadership, and giving one’s legal opinion ona certain matter, and so on. Or an action may be required of someone who is held responsible for fulfilling certain human rights. This obligation comes to an end when it is fulfilled [that is, when the aim is fulfilled, or if the person is proven innocent of committing a crime, or compensates for a crime committed by returning what was borrowed or taken by force or received in trust]. It may also involve restoring justice to people who have been unjustly deprived of life, property, or honor. All of these are human rights, and once they are restored, the obligations pertaining to them are brought to an end. In certain situations, these rights are the responsibility of some people but not others. It follows that not every able individual is ordered to perform all these duties as pure worship. Because of this, these duties are shared in common among Muslims, Christians, and Jews,

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIVE PILLARS 313

unlike the five pillars of Islam, which are particular to Muslims. This applies to doing good for one’s kinsfolk and respecting the rights of wives, children, neighbors, partners, and the poor. It is also applicable to giving one’s legal opinion on a certain matter, issuing legal judgments, being a leader, commanding good deeds and forbidding evil, and striving in the Cause of Allah. Such deeds are required of some people but not others in order to bring benefit and to keep away harm. Hence, these common deeds are considered an obligation for a sufficient number of people. On the other hand, those that are specific to the individual are considered an obligation for certain individuals. For example, Zayd’s wife and his kinsfolk are not ‘Amr’s wife and his kinsfolk. So the duty of Zayd differs from that of ‘Amr, It follows that not all able people are obliged to undertake any given action except for the five pillars of Islam. Unlike fasting the month of Ramadan, going on pilgrimage, praying the five prayers, and giving zakah, what is one person’s obligation is not necessarily the obligation of someone else. And even though zakah is a monetary right (due certain people), giving it fulfills an obligation toward Allah, toward eight groups and its beneficiaries.' On this basis, one must have the intention to give zakah, and he cannot do it for someone else without first receiving his permission. Moreover, unbelievers are not asked to give it. However, the intention is not a condition for fulfilling human rights. That is, one can fulfill human rights on behalf of another without having his permission. Also, unbelievers are required to fulfill these rights. The rights due Allah, like acts of atonement, are required because of what humans have done; and by fulfilling them, punishment (for committing a sin) diminishes in the Hereafter. There are three types of obligations toward Allah: specific worship, such as prayers; specific punishment, such as limitations; and that which is similar to acts of atonement.

Likewise in the case of acts of penance related to the pilgrimage and vows made, such things are duties required of someone because of something he himself has done. As for zakah, it is an obligation that one owes to Allah on his property. Therefore it is said: there is no right to wealth except for zakah; that is, there is no obligation which is due on account of wealth other than zakah. However, there are

' The eight categories who are beneficiaries are listed in the following Qur’anic verse. Allah says: "Alms are for the poor and the needy; and those employed to administer the [funds]; for those whose hearts have been [recently] reconciled {to truth]; for those in bondage and in debt; in the Cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer; a duty ordained by Allah. And Allah is All Knowing and All Wise" (9:60).

other obligations that result from causes other than money, such as expenses that must be paid on behalf of relatives, one’s wife, one’s slave, or one’s livestock; the blood with which a clan is obliged to pay for its members; repayment of debts; the obligation to give of one’s wealth to those struck by misfortune, to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked, all of which are collective duties; and other monetary obligations that arise from a temporary cause or circumstance. Obligations such as these become incumbent upon an individual only if he possesses the requisite wealth, just as the pilgrimage is incumbent only upon someone with the capacity to undertake the journey; hence, having a body is the cause of the obligation, while the capacity to undertake the action is another condition. In the case of zakah, wealth is both the cause of the obligation and the obligation itself, so that if there is no one in his country who deserves or needs it, he [the giver] takes it to another country where such a person does exist. For this is an obligation that is due to Allah Almighty. For this reason some Islamic jurists have said that one condition related to zakah is taklif, legal capacity, since it is not incumbent upon either the child or the insane adult. However, the majority of the Companions of the Prophet, as well as others such as Malik [Ibn Anas], al-Shafi‘l, and Ahmad [Ibn Hanbal], required that zakah be paid out of the wealth of children and the insane as well, since they considered the wealth of a child or an insane adult to belong to the same class as the wealth of all other people, besides the fact that their guardian could undertake the payment in their stead. For although they may be sound in body, they are not mentally competent to undertake this obligation, and it is on their behalf that such a guardian acts. The same applies to the tithe due on any land they own, even though it is only due to the eight [beneficiaries of the zakah]; and the obligation to distribute kaffarah, atonement (i.e., expiatory gifts), out of their wealth. As for the obligations to pray and fast, these are nullified if one is mentally incapable of performing such duties, particularly if one also considers a child’s bodily weakness. Such a consideration does not apply to wealth, however, since a guardian may act as proxy for either a child or a mentally incompetent adult in fulfilling all their monetary obligations. But where their bodies are concerned, nothing whatsoever is required of them [with respect to monetary obligations].

The Concept of Iman and Related Issues

THE ASSOCIATION OF BELIEF WITH WORK

Muhammad Ibn Nasr [al-Marwazi] said: “They [the Murjiites] deduced the meaning of Iman from what is mentioned in the Qur?anic verses that regard prayer and other acts of obedience based on Iman, Islam, and religion.” They also deduced what Allah says about Iblis when he disobeyed Allah by refusing to make a single prostration to Adam. If this is true, then the question is, Why did Iblis deny his Lord, even though he [Iblis] said: “... Oh, my Lord! Because You have mislead me . . .” (15:39). And Iblis also said to his Lord: “. .. Oh, my Lord! Give me then respite until the Day the [dead] are raised” (15:36). For these words indicate that he believed in the Resurrection Day and in his power to put all people [except the sincere and purified servants of Allah] in the wrong. Did Iblis deny the power of Allah although he swore by His Glory [“by Your Glory I will put them all in the wrong”’]? Did Iblis become an unbeliever due to his refusal to make one prostration to Adam when he was ordered to do so by Allah? His unbelief was because he neglected an act, namely, to make one prostration, thus indicating that deeds are a condition of Iman. He [Muhammad Ibn Nasr] said that they also deduced the meaning of Iman from the story of Adam’s two sons, in which Allah says: “And recite [Oh, Muhammad] to them [the Jews] the story of the two sons of Adam [Habil and Qabil] in truth, when each offered a sacrifice [to Allah]. It was accepted from one but not from the other. The latter said to the former: ‘I will surely kill you.’ The former said: ‘Indeed, Allah accepts only from the righteous ones.’ ‘If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Indeed, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours, then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrong-doers.’ So the

nafs, self, of the other encouraged him and made it appealing to him to murder his brother, he murdered him and became one of the losers” (5:27-30).' Muhammad asked: “Did Adam’s son [whose sacrifice was not accepted] deny His Lord? If so, then how could he have presented a sacrifice to Him? ” Allah says: “Only those believe in Our Signs who, when they are recited to them, fall down in adoration and celebrate the praises of their Lord, nor are they [ever] puffed up with pride” (32:15). But He does not say: ‘When they are recited to them they only confess it.’ Hence he refutes the claim that Iman is mere lip confession. Allah also says: “Those to whom We have sent the Book recite it as it should be recited: they are the ones that believe therein . . .” (2:121). That is, they faithfully follow the Book.

Someone may ask: Is there evidence from the Sunnah that supports the idea that work is a condition for Iman in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, and in His Messengers? The answer would be: Indeed, there is. Many of the Sunnan and traditions indicate this. One of the hadiths concerns the delegation of ‘Abd alQays. There is also the hadith of Shu ‘bah and Qurrah Ibn Khalid,” on the authority of Abu Jamrah,’ on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, which was mentioned earlier, and whose words are: “I command you to have Iman in Allah alone.” Then he [the Prophet] asked: “Do you know what belief in Allah alone is?” They replied: “Only Allah and His Messenger know.” Then he said: “It is testifying to the fact that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is His Messenger, establishment of prayer, giving zakah, fasting during Ramadan, and payment of one-fifth of the spoils that falls to your lot.”