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Sunna's |
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The understanding of priorities 02 (Fiqh of priorities)
V. Fiqh of priorities and knowledge. Islam gives precedence to knowledge over work (action). Knowledge is considered as being an Imam and work as his disciple. Imam El-Boukhari includes in his "Sahih" a chapter which he named "the chapter of knowledge before saying and deed". Among the argument that he used, we mention the following ones: - The Almighty Allah said: «So know that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for yourself, and the believing men and the believing women. And Allah encompasses you with His care whenever you go». [Surat Muhammad, 19] - The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The one whom Allah likes makes him skilled in religion». [Reported by El-Boukhari and Muslim] With knowledge, people can distinguish between: - What is right and what is wrong in the belief. - What is correct and what is false in the sayings. - What is from the Sunna and what is a heresy in worships. - What is lawful and what is forbidden in behaviors and conducts. - What is valid and what is invalid in transactions. In fact, knowledge can protect and prevent one from deviation and committing sins. Imam Hassan Al-Bassri said: "The worker without knowledge is like the walker on no road".
VI. Fiqh of priorities and the legal opinion (Fatawa). The position of the Fatawa in Islam is very high and at the same time very serious, because the Muftee (the one who delivers the legal opinion) signs (on the Fatwa) on behalf of the Almighty Allah and this is what Ibnu El-Qaim affirmed in his book "Informing the Signers on behalf of the Lord of the two Worlds". - Omar Ibnu El-Khatab said: «The boldest enough of you to deliver a Fatwa risks more Fire». The medium and moderate method is divine, and many legal texts either from the Koran or the Sunna point out the necessity to adopt it. The observance of facilitation in the domain of Fatawa is one of the characteristics of this method. The Almighty Allah said: «… Allah desires ease for you and not hardship…». [Surat Al-Baqara/the Heifer, from the verse 185] «Allah desires to make things easier for you, for mankind was created weak (to resist his lusts) ». [Surat An-Nissâ'/the Women, 28] - Aisha, the prophet's wife, said: «Whenever the prophet -may peace be upon him- was let to choose between two matters, he was always choosing the easiest of them so long as it was not sinful. If it was so, he would be the very person to shun it». [Agreed on] - The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Facilitates things and do not harden them, give glad tidings to people and do not frighten them». [Reported by El-Boukhari and Muslim] - Djâbir bnu Abdul Allah said: the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «It is not from Birr (good deeds) to fast during travel». [Agreed on] The travel that is meant in this Hadith is the hard and difficult journey, and if it not so, the person if free to fats or break his fast and there is no sin on him in both cases. - Hamza bnu Amru Al-Aslami who fasts frequently asked the prophet -may peace be upon him: Shall I fast during my travel? The prophet said: «If you want to fast so fast and if you want to break your fast do so». [Agreed on] - Abi Massűd El-Ansâri reported that a man said to the prophet -may peace be upon him: O prphet of Allah! By Allah I do not perform the Subh prayer in congregation because of so and so; he elongates the prayer». The prophet -may peace be upon him- was enraged when hearing this, then he said: «Among you (persons) who alienate people (from congregational prayers). So, whoever leads the prayer has to be brief and light for there are among them (those who pray) the weak, the aged and the one who have needs to attend to». [Agreed on] - The prophet -may peace be upon him- reproached Muâad bnu Djabal for prolonging in prayer. He said thrice to him: «Do you want to inflict pain upon people? ». [Reported by El-Boukhari and Muslim] - Ibnu Massűd reported that the prophet -may peace be upon him- said thrice: «Perished are the fanatics». [Reported by Muslim and Abu Dawűd] Islam established gradation and the observance of wisdom in one's actions and behaviors. This appears clearly in the attitude of the fifth Orthodox caliph Omar bnu Abdul Aziz when his son Abdul Malik asked him: «O my father! Why you are not putting the ordainments into effects? By Allah, I do not mind even if we die for the sake of establishing the truth». Abdul Malik means to eliminate corruption and injustices at once. His father answered: « Do not precipitate things my son. Indeed, Allah dispraised wine in the Noble Koran twice and forbade it in the third (time), and I am afraid if I oblige them to perform their duties at once, they will reject them all at once». - The thing that affirms facilitation in Islam and broadens its scale is the existence of legal reasons and excuses like inability, illness, need, senility, difficulty, necessity…
VII. Fiqh of priorities and deeds. Deeds differ from one another in their degrees and rewards. The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Faith is more than seventy (or sixty) qualities: the highest one is to confess that there is no god but Allah and the lowest one is to remove all what may cause harm in the street, and shyness is one of the qualities of faith». [Reported by El-Boukahri, Muslim, Abu Dawűd, Et-Termidi, Ahmad and Mâlik from Abi Hurayara] 1- The permanent deed is given priority over the sporadic one. The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The most desired work in the sight of Allah is the persistent even if it little». [Agreed on from Aisha -may Allah be leased with her] «You must perform only what you can bear of deeds, indeed, Allah never gets tired until you are exhausted». [Agreed on from Aisha, the Mother of the Faithful] 2- The deed whose benefits extend to others is given precedence over the one whose benefits are limited. The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Indeed, Allah and His Angels and the people of the Heavens the earth and even the ant in its hole and the whale pray for the one who teaches people good things». [Reported by Abi Umâma] «The best of you is the one who learns the Koran and teaches it to others». [Reported by El-Boukhari from Uthman bnu Afân] «Seven (people) will be sheltered in Allah' shade the day when there will be no shade except Allah's: a just ruler…». [Reported by Al-Boukhari and Muslim] This Imam is given such high position because of his justice that has benefited all people. - Abdul Allah bnu Omar reported that a man came to the prophet -may peace be upon him- and asked him: "What kinds of people Allah desires more? The prophet said: «The people that Allah likes more are those who are useful, and the deed that Allah desires more is to make a Muslim happy, by removing an anxiety from him or paying off his debts or feed him when he is hungry. If I help my Muslim brother in a need that he wants to attend to is better for me than secluding (myself) in this mosque (that of Medina) for worship for one month, and the one who suppresses his anger while he is able to give vent to it, Allah will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Resurrection, and the one who accompanies his brother to perform a need he wants to attend to and stays with him until he accomplishes it, Allah will make his feet steady the day where feet slip». [Reported by Et-Tabarâni fro ibnu Omar] «Shall I inform you about the better and the higher degrees than that of prayer and charity? It is to end a dissension between people (i.e. to conciliate between them) ». [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawűd and Et-Termidi] «When a human being dies, his deeds are ceased except three things: Sadaqa (charity) whose benefit is continuous; or knowledge from which people benefit after him; or a pious child who invokes Allah for him». [Reported by El-Boukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawűd, Et-Termidi and En-Nassâ'i]
VIII. Fiqh of priorities and reform. 1. Raising an individual is given priority over making up a society. The individual must be given righteous belief and worship, sane thoughts and good behaviors. 2. Altering what is in the selves has precedence over changing the actualities of people. The Almighty Allah said: «… Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves». [Surat Ar-R'ad/the Thunder, from the verse 11] - The prophet -may peace be upon him- adopted this method in educating and teaching his companions -may Allah be pleased with them.
VIIII. Conclusions 1- The Ulemas' interests in writing in the domain of Fiqh of priorities. Among those writings, we mention: - "El-Wassâ'il ila Maârifat El-Awâ'il" (The means to know the Pioneers): it is written by of El-Hâfid Djallal Eddin Es-Suyuti. - "Awlawiyat El-Fârűq Omar Es-Siyassiya" (The Political Priorities of Omar El-Fâruq): it is written by Dr. Ghâlib Abdul Kâfi. 'El-Fâruq' is a name given to the second Orthodox Caliph Omar Ibnu El-Khatab because of his ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood. - "Fiqh El-Awlawiyat" (Fiqh of Priorities): it is written by Sheik Youcuf El-Qaradawi. - "Awlawiyât El-Haraka El-Islamia fi El-Marhala El-Qâdima" (The Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the coming Phase): it is written by Sheik Youcuf El-Qaradawi. - "Fiqh El-Awlawiyat: Dirrasa fi Eth-Thawabit" (Fiqh of Priorities: a study about the restrictions): it is written by Dr. Muhammad El-Wakîl. 2- The misbalance in the scale of priorities is one of the reasons that cause many deviations in all domains. 3- Respecting and considering the priorities lead to the achievement of the desired objectives. |
