ASK THE KNOWLEDGEABLE (part two)

BEEN THERE…DONE THAT-- PART TWO

  “IF ANYONE CONTRADICTS AND OPPOSES THE MESSENGER AFTER THE RIGHT PATH HAS BEEN SHOWN CLEARLY TO HIM AND FOLLOWS OTHER THAN THE BELIEVERS' WAY, WE SHALL KEEP HIM IN THE PATH HE HAS CHOSEN, AND BURN HIM IN HELL - WHAT AN EVIL DESTINATION! (Al-Qur’an 4:115)

 “The punishment for contradicting and opposing the Messenger and following a path other than that of the believers’ Allah's statement refers to whoever intentionally takes a path other than the path of the law revealed to the Messenger, after the truth has been made clear, apparent and plain to him. Allah's statement, and follows other than the believers way refers to a type of conduct that is closely related to contradicting the Messenger.

 This contradiction could be in the form of contradicting a text from the Qur'an or Sunnah or contradicting what the Ummah of Muhammad has agreed on. The Ummah of Muhammad is immune from error when they all agree on something, a miracle that serves to increase their honor, due to the greatness of their Prophet. There are many authentic Hadiths on this subject. Allah warned against the evil of contradicting the Prophet and his Ummah, when He said, “we shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in hell - what an evil destination!” meaning, when one goes on this wicked path, We will punish him by making the evil path appear good in his heart, and will beautify it for him so that he is tempted further. For instance, Allah said, “then leave me alone with such as belie this Qur'an. we shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not, so when they turned away from the path of Allah, Allah turned their hearts away, and “We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly”. Allah made the Fire the destination of such people in the Hereafter. Indeed, the path of those who avoid the right guidance will only lead to the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, as evident by Allah's statements, “It will be said to the angels): assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions (from the devils), (and the criminals, shall see the fire and apprehend that they have to fall therein. and they will find no way of escape from there.”  Excerpt from Tafsir Ibn Kathir Part 5

The above ayat (4:115) is a textual proof for the concept of I’jma-al-Ummah (scholarly consensus) by most fuqaha (fiqh scholars). I alluded to this in part one writing, “…as is the case with Al-Qur’an it is the correct interpretation that is as important as the ahadith itself.” meaning what is accepted by the Muslim Ummah (i.e., the believers way), “…is immune from error when they all agree on something, a miracle that serves to increase their honor, due to the greatness of their Prophet. There are many authentic Hadiths on this subject. Allah warned against the evil of contradicting the Prophet and his Ummah”. This is the interpretive principal mentioned and the examples given previously. 

It should be understood that the mujtahid scholars are the only representatives of this Ummah starting with the Sahaba, as “religion is what they thought it was”, based on their extensive knowledge of the sacred texts (Qur’an and Hadith) taught by the Prophet (pbuh).The Prophet’s Companion Ibn Abbas (rah) said the term ‘Ulu-al-Amr’ translated as ‘those charged with authority’ in (4:59) were the mujtahid among the Sahaba (rah). This meaning and its corresponding status extend to the following generations as well, particularly the Tabi’un and the ataba-Tabi’un reflected by the work of the jurist-consult Imams: Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi, and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (rmtll) of the Ahle-sunnah-wal-Jammah. See ‘Principles of Islamic jurisprudence by Mohammad Hashim Kamali’, pg.175

Thus, as our scholars explain when Allah (shwta) threatens punishment for an action of the heart or the body or speaks of it as sinful, cursed or an abomination indicates its unlawful/haraam character and status. See ‘Reliance of the traveler’ translated by Noah Hamim Keller; enormities section.

Finally, the ludicrous argument of the scholars not taking the knowledge of Deen-Allah to everyone, (other than basic daw’ah of course), is no more than unjustly criticizing them instead of giving the proper respect and maintaining the adab (etiquette) of learning mentioned by Imam Ghazali in part one essay (Been there, Done that) based on the words of Allah, “…Obey those in authority”, “Ask those who know”, and the prophetic sayings “…the cure for ignorance is to ask”, (Abu Daw’ud) and “the learned/scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.’ (Tirmidhi, Abu Daw’ud, Ibn Majah).  May Allah guide us to what pleases Him.

 

Glossary

Mujtahid—those capable of independent legal reasoning/ijti’had from the text sources.

(rmtll)—rahma-tul-lah-lay