Is a Sahih Hadith True? (Part I)

With the Grace and Mercy and Will of Allah the Mighty, the Wise, the Gracious, the Merciful: soon the Aqeedat-ul-Waasitiyya class will enter the zone where Hadith will be used to derive Aqeedah issues. And this is an issue that is not free of controversy amongst the juristic schools of thought.

Given the generality of the subject, I am posting here a translation of how ibn Taymiyah, may Allah be merciful with him, the author of Aqeedat-ul-Waasitiyya views the issue.

With my "metaphorical" and somewhat abridged translation, and my own headings, what proceeds is from Majmoo al-Fataawa li ibn Taymiyah, Kitaab-ul-Hadith, in answer to the question:

When a hadith is graded sahih,

is it the truth?

His answer: The Sahih (sound hadith) has a number of types, and its nature is in terms of its truthfulness - these are two separate things.

Mutawatir Hadith

So from the Sahih is that whose wording has been received through continuous chains with numerous narrators at each level [i.e. mutawatir]. Like his [Muhammad - may Allah send prayers upon him and peace] saying, "Whoever intentionally ascribes a lie to me, then he should choose his seat in the hellfire".

And then there is that which is mutawatir in its meaning [the narrations have different wordings but same meaning]; like the ahadith of the intercession, the ahadith about seeing [of Allah on the day of judgement], the ahadith about the hawd [the pool from which the Messenger will distribute water on the Day of Resurrection]...etc.

So this is a source of knowledge, and it is certain that it is the truth; because it is mutawatir whether in words or in meaning.

"Accepted" or Maqbool Hadith

And also from the Sahih hadith are those that have been met by the Muslims with acceptance and so they act upon them [even though they are not mutawatir]. Such as they acted upon the hadith about providing a slave as blood money for causing a miscarriage, and as they acted upon the ahadith of shuf'a [the neighbour's prerogative to buy property on sale] and the ahadith about the sajdatus-sahw, etc.

So this is a source of knowledge, and it is certain that it is the truth. That is because, the Muslim nation (the ummah) has met it with acceptance, validating its truthfulness and by acting upon what it necessitates. And the ummah does not unite upon any misguidance.¹

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1. Taken from hadith such as that in Sunan at-Tirmidhi on the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both), "Of a surety, Allah will not gather my ummah," or he said, "...the ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) upon a misguidance..." [Kitab al-Fitan, Ma jaa`a fi luzoom-il-jamaa'ah, at-Tirmidhi graded it "Ghareeb" i.e. single chain]. Interestingly, this hadith itself is an example of one that has consistently been found by the people of knowledge in hadith to be weak due to weakness of narrators (e.g. an-Nawawi). But the people of knowledge across the schools of fiqh Ahlus-Sunnah have adopted it in practice unanimously. Look in this blog for the two blogs on "a beautiful word on consensus" for evidence from the Qur'an. And there are other places on the net where more evidences are presented.

Note also that a weak hadith is not the same as a fabricated one. It is possible that the difference be upon the reliability of a narrators memory so some may even grade it hasan.

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For had the matter in itself [that the hadith reported on] been false, it would have been that the ummah had reached consensus upon ratifying a lie and had acted upon it; and this is not allowed for it.

Furthermore, from the Sahih is that which has been met by acceptance as well as the ratification of the people of knowledge in hadith - like the majority of the ahadith of al-Bukhari and Muslim. For, indeed, all of the people of knowledge in hadith affirm with surety the soundness of the majority of the ahadith in these two books. And all of the people are followers to them in learning the science of hadith. So the consensus (ijmaa') of the people of knowledge in hadith upon a certain report being true is like the ijmaa' of the jurists (fuqahaa) upon a certain action being halal or haram or waajib.

So when the people of knowledge reach consensus upon any matter, then the whole of the ummah are followers to them. For their ijmaa is protected, it is not allowed that they unite upon a mistake.

The hadith that only some consider sahih

And, of course, there is that which is labelled as Sahih, which only some of the hadith scholars ratify as being sahih, while others oppose them in its being called Sahih. So they say, "It is da'eef (weak) and not sahih". For example, words that are narrated by Muslim in his Sahih; while other hadith scholars differ with him with regards to its soundness - whether they are of a the same calibre, lower than him or higher than him.

The truthfulness of such a narration cannot be asserted except with supporting evidence.

For example, there is the hadith of ibn Wa'lah from ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah pray for him and grant him peace, said, "Whichever hide has been tanned, then indeed it has become pure". Indeed, Muslim was different in narrating this vis-a-vis al-Bukhari. And of course, Imam Ahmad and others have graded it weak. But, of course, Muslim narrated it.

Another example from what Muslim has narrated is that the Prophet, may Allah pray for him and grant him peace, prayed the prayer for the eclipse with three bowings and with four bowings. He differed in this with al-Bukhari, for indeed this has been declared weak by the proficient amongst the people of knowledge. They said: Indeed the Prophet, may Allah pray for him and grant him peace, did not pray the prayer for the eclipse except once; the day his son passed away. And in hadith of these type, in which there is the prayer with three bowings and with four bowings is also that he prayed that on the day of the death of Ibrahim [his son]. And it is known that Ibrahim [peace be upon him] did not die twice and neither did he have two [sons called] Ibrahim . And of course it is narrated mutawatir from him that he prayed the prayer of the eclipse that day with two bowings in each unit of prayer, as has been narrated from him through Ayesha, Ibn Abbas, Ibn 'Amr and others. Therefore, al-Bukhari only narrated these ahadith and that is an omission from Muslim.

Hence, ash-Shafi'i and others declared the hadith of three and four as weak and did not consider it to be liked (mustahab). And this is the more authentic of the two opinions from Ahmed, and it is narrated from him that he used to consider it acceptable prior to it becoming clear to him the weakness of these ahadith.

Similarly, there is the hadith of Muslim: "Allah created the earth on Saturday, created on it mountains on Sunday, created the trees on Monday, created the Makrooh [the things used for earning a living, like iron and other minerals] on Tuesday, created light on Wednesday, populated in it the creatures on Thursday and created Adam on Friday."

So it has received criticism from those who are more knowledgeable than Muslim, such as Yahya bin Ma'een and al-Bukhari and others. Bukhari mentions that this is from the statement of Ka'b al-Ahbaar and a group of scholars relied on its soundness, such as Abu Bakr bin al-Anbari and Abul Faraj ibn al-Jawziyy and others. While al-Bayhaqi and others were in concurrence with those who declared it weak - and this is the correct opinion. That is because, indeed, it is established by mutawatir narration that Allah created the heavens and the earth and what is between it in six days and it is also established that the last of the creation was on Friday. This necessitates that the first thing created would be on Sunday, and this is how it is with the People of the Book and this is what the names of the days indicate [Yaum-ul-Ahad is Sunday, which literally means the first day]. And this is how it has been established to be recorded in the other ahadith and narrations...and those proficient in the science of hadith have found hidden defects in it from other angles...

And this is what is known as the science of 'ilal (hidden defects) in hadith. That is because, on the surface the chain of a hadith may appear to be good - but its true nature is only revealed through another means: perhaps the narrator made a mistake and raised the chain [to the Messenger of Allah] while it had stopped [at the Companion]; or he narrated it with a connected chain, but in fact there was a drop of the Companion in the chain; or he may have introduced one hadith into another hadith.

So this is an honourable skill and amongst the most knowledgeable of people in it were Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Ansaari, then his companion Ali bin al-Madeeni, then al-Bukhari. And similarly we have Imam Ahmad and Abu Hatim; and also an-Nasaa'i and ad-Daaraqurtni and others. And the publications on this subject are well-known.

Also in al-Bukhari itself, there are three ahadith that some of the people disputed regarding their soundness. For example, there is the hadith of Abu Bakrah [not Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them] from the Prophet may Allah send prayers upon him and grant peace that he said about al-Hasan [may Allah be pleased with him], "Indeed, this son of mine is a Syyed, and Allah will bring peace through him between two great parties of the Muslims." And, of course, amongst those who disputed this was Abu al-Waleed al-Baaji who thought that al-Hasan did not hear it from Abu Bakrah. However, the correct view is with al-Bukhari and that al-Hasan did hear this from Abu Bakrah, as this has been clarified and established elsewhere.²

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2. Break for humorous note: It's really amazing the number of times ibn Taymiyah, may Allah be merciful with him, says "as has been explained elsewhere". It's as if he could see the age of the hyperlink coming (and I really mean "as if" - some people are wali of Allah but I doubt this level of "ilhaam" was ever there)! I really wish someone would go through the fatawa and connect all these virtual hyperlinks. Break over - continue...

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And al-Bukhari was more proficient and knowledgeable with regards to this skill than Muslim. That is why, they do not agree upon a hadith except that it is indeed sahih, and without a shadow of doubt in it the people of knowledge agree with them upon its soundness. But when Muslim differs in it with wordings that al-Bukhari left aside - and some of the people of hadith then say: indeed, it is weak. Then sometimes we find that the correct opinion is with the one who declared it weak, as in the case of the prayer of the eclipse...and sometimes we find the correct opinion is with Muslim (and that is usually the case).

For example, there is the hadith of Abu Moosa [may Allah be pleased with him], "The Imam [the leader in the prayer] has only been appointed so that he be followed. So when he makes takbeer, you also make takbeer. And when he recites then you should remain silent." [Book 04, Number 800 for more faithful and complete wording of hadith].

And, indeed, this addition to the hadith was considered authentic by Muslim, and it was also accepted by Ahmad bin Hanbal and others. And al-Bukhari considered it weak. And this addition is in fact in accordance with the Qur'an. For if an authenticated hadith did not incline towards this, then the action would have been obligated [in any case] by the Qur'an. For, indeed, He [Allah] says, "So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and become silent that you may receive mercy." [7:204]

The people have agreed on this that it was revealed with regards to the prayer and it is the recitation in the prayer that is intended by this text. And therefore it has been the most balanced of views with regards to the recitation behind the Imam, that the follower - when he can hear the recitation [emphasis mine] - he should listen attentively and remain silent. He should neither recite the Fatihah nor anything else. But when he cannot hear its recitation, then he recites al-Fatihah and what is additional. And this is the statement of the majority of the early generations [the Salaf] and the latter generations [the Khalaf]. And it is the way of Malik and his companions, Ahmed bin Hanbal and the majority of his companions, one of the two opinions from ash-Shafi'i and it was chosen by a group from those companions of his who verified opinions through research. And it is the statement of Muhammad bin al-Hasan and others from the companions of Abu Hanifah...

[By no means the end of the discussion - to be continued - by the Will of Allah]

al-Qurtubi: on beauty and beautifying

By Allah's Grace and Mercy, today we'll have the promised excerpts on the topic of beauty from a beautiful explanation provided in the tafseer of al-Qurtubi.

Brief bio of al-Qurtubi: "Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmed al-Ansaari al-Qurtubi (d. 671 AH/ 1273 CE) was born in Cordoba in what is now Spain. he started his studies there and participated in jihad against the Christians, in the course of which he was captured but he managed to escape. He eventually travelled to the east, settling in Egypt, where he died." [Phillips, 1997, Usool-ut-Tafseer, p.59-61]

The Adornment of Allah

Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?" [al-A'raaf(7):32]

Excerpt from explanation of this verse

...Adornment here is beautiful clothing, where that is within the means of its wearer. And it is said: all types of clothing. This is as related from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "When Allah expands for you [your provision] then expand [your spending]."¹ And this been related earlier.

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1. The Tafseer of al-Qurtubi is known more for its strength in linguistic and juristic explanations. It is not known to be one of the most authentic in terms of narrations. Kindly do not assume that a quotation of any narration is authentic. Consider it as "learning" as opposed to "knowledge", i.e. possibility of being true and thus included but not necessarily true. See "My 'story' on sources of learning" for merits/demerits of this approach.

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It was narrated about Ali bin al-Husayn bin Ali bin Abi Talib, the Shaykh of Malik, may Allah be pleased with all of them, that he used to wear a garment of Khuzz [seems here a silky wool fabric] costing 50 dinars [quite valuable]. He would wear it through the winter and when the summer came he would give it out in charity or he would trade it for its value. And, in the summer, he would wear two clothes, as worn in the city, dyed in musk and he would say, "Say who has prohibited the adornment of Allah that he has brought out for his slave and the good things from the provision..."

So given this is the case, the ayat is pointing towards honourable clothing from what is worn, and to beautify oneself in gatherings and on the Eids, when meeting the people and when visiting the brothers. Abu al-Aaliyaa said: when the Muslims would go visiting, they would beautify themselves.

In Sahih Muslim, from the narration of Umar al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), we find that he saw a silk robe for sale at the door of the mosque. So he said, "O Messenger of Allah, should I buy it [for you] for Friday's and for when the delegations (from outside the city) come to visit you? So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah pray for him and grant peace) said, "Only those will wear it who have no share in the Hereafter." And he did not deny it to him because of its being beautiful; but he only refused it because it was made from silk.²

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2. This reasoning is confirmed by the fact the narration continues to mention that later the Messenger of Allah (may Allah pray for him and grant peace) forwarded such a robe to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and Umar questioned this given that earlier he refused it for himself. The answer was that it was not for himself to wear. Narrations in Sahih Muslim say he gave it to his non-believing brother in Makkah [Muslim, Book of the Friday Prayer, "To wear the best one can find"]. That in Sahih Bukhari says the Messenger's intention was for him to sell it on or for the women of his household to wear [Bukhari, Book of Dress, "Silk for Women"]. Allah knows best.

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And of course, at-Tamim ad-Daari [may Allah be pleased with him] purchased a robe for 1000 dirhams and he would pray in it. And Malik bin Dinar [a follower of the companions] would wear a high quality garment from Adan (in Yemen). And the garment of Ahmed bin Hanbal was of a similar value in dinars.

Where is this compared to one who is disinclined from things, and who prefers the garment of raw cotton and rough wool. And he says, "The garment of taqwa that is better" [from the ayat 7:26]. Begone! Do you see those that have been mentioned ones who shunned the garment of taqwa? No, by Allah! They were the people of taqwa and those of acquaintance and perception. And those other than them were the "people of claim" and their hearts were empty from taqwa.

Khalid bin Shawzhab says, "I witnessed al-Hasan [al-Basari] when Farqad came to him. So al-Hasan took him by his garment and pulled it towards him saying: O Farayqid [calling this way is usually for one quite younger]. O son of the mother of Farayqid. Of a surety, piety is not in this cloth. Piety is only that which is venerated in the breast and is
affirmed by action"...

...And a person said to Shibli, "I met a group of your companions...I saw upon them patched and coarse clothes." So he replied in verse:

As for the tents, then they are like their tents
But I see that the women that live there, are not its women³

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3. I lightly humorous but deeply reflective verse of poetry. Its somewhat clear what he is saying but for completeness: the tents are the outer clothes of these people and he is comparing it with those of the Companions who they are trying to emulate (may Allah be pleased with them). However, he says, the women - those that are screened and are to be hidden from others by these tents; that is, the humility on the inside - do not match the tents they are being covered with.

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Abul Faraj al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "I only dislike coarse and patched clothes for four reasons:

1. That it was not from the garment of the early generations, and they only used patches out of necessity.

2. That it asserts the claim of deprivation; but, of course, man has been ordered to make apparent an impression of Allah's blessing upon him.⁴

3. Making manifest one's tazuhhud [lack of desire for the worldly life], but we have indeed been commanded to cover it.⁵

4. It bears similarity with these who remove themselves from the Shari'ah [i.e. consider themselves outside of its scope]. "And whosoever tries to look like a people then he is from them".⁶

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4. With reference to the ayat, "But as for the favour of your Lord, report [it]." [adh-Dhuha(93):11].

5. With reference to the ayat, "Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah , unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]..." [2:273]

6. At least narrated by Abu Dawud amongst others. Al-Albani verifies it as authentic in Jami' al-Sahih (#6149).

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...And it is reported from the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wassallam)..."Indeed Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty."... [Muslim]

What is beauty?

And for you in them [the grazing livestock] is beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture]. [An-Nahl(16):6]

Excerpt from explanation of this verse

[With a couple of verses of poetry, the author has first provided a linguistic understanding of the word "jamaal" - meaning beauty - used in this ayat. Of course, such things are difficult to convey for an amateur like me so I will move on to text following that.]

...Our scholars have said: thus, beauty occurs either in the external form, or in how a creation has been composed; and it also can be etiquette or manners that are related to the inner-self, or in the actions.

Beauty of the creation: this is a matter that is perceived by vision and that meets with the heart so much so that it agrees with it. So it pertains to the self (or the soul); without really knowing the reasons behind it - and it is not for any person [to be able] to really identify its source.

Beauty in etiquette: its nature is determined by the praiseworthy qualities such as knowledge, wisdom, justice, innocence (from shameful things), restraint of anger, and wishing good for everyone.

Beauty in actions: it is their presence in a manner that agrees with the betterment of the creation, and successfully brings about that which benefits them and removes evil from them.

As for the beauty of the grazing livestock and animals for riding, then this is from the beauty of the creation; it is pleasing to the eyes and agreeable to the insightful ones. From their beauty is their abundance, and the saying of the people, "This is the blessing upon so-and-so." This is what as-Suddi said.

That is because, when they come in from the grazing, their beauty becomes manifold, they become more venerable, and the hearts become attached to them. Because at that time they are more greater in terms of mass and weight. This is what Qatadah said.

And thus, the bringing in from the pasture has been mentioned before their going out to it [in the verse], because that is when their milk is at its fullest and the soul is pleased by that. And Allah knows best...

A beautiful word on consensus (cont'd)

This is a continuation of an essay by ibn Taymiyah, the first part of which is to be found in the last blog.

A‎ ‎Guide‎ ‎on‎ ‎Unity‎ & ‎Division‎:

‎Reasons‎ & ‎‎Results‎ ‎‎[‎Part‎ ‎‎2]‎‎

[‎Vol‎.‎‎ ‎‎1‎‎,‎‎ ‎Majmoo‎’‎‎ ‎al‎ ‎Fataawa‎ ‎libni‎ ‎Taymiyah, translated excerpts]

Multiple Causes of Division

Further, Allah has also stated: …and they (those who were given the Scripture) did not divide except after knowledge had come to them – out of jealous animosity between themselves…[Aal Imraan(3):19]. Thus he informs us that their division was only after there had come to them the knowledge that clarified for them that which they should have taqwa about. For indeed, Allah is such that He would not “let a people stray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid” [at-Tawbah(9):115].

So He informed us that they did not divide except out of jealous animosity (al-baghyi), and jealous animosity is a passing of the limits [set by Allah]. As ibn Umar stated, “…¹: pride and jealousy.”

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1. This segment of the sentence is missing in the original manuscript.
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And this is not a division that is related to the exercise of juristic judgement (ijtihaad) and is not in an issue of knowledge. And this jealous animosity is not intended to imply those differences that arise amongst the scholars that are of an acceptable nature. Jealous animosity is either that which completely sets aside the right [of another], or is the exceeding of a limit [set in the law of Allah].² Thus it is either due to omitting an obligation or due to committing something forbidden. Hence, we learn that that is what leads to divisions.

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2. The author seems to differentiate between a complete disregard for another's right (e.g. by backbiting) and where a person does have a legal right to an action but then he exceeds the legal limits of that right (e.g. the right to respond to an attack that is initiated by an enemy in a sacred month - fighting is impermissible otherwise). Allah knows best.
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And this is similar to what He said about the People of the Book: And from those who say, "We are the Nazarenes (i.e. Christians)," We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded . So We caused among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection [ al-Maidah(5):14]. Thus, He informed us that their forgetting a portion of that which they had been reminded with – and that is actually by not acting upon some of things they had been commanded to do [emphasis added] – that became the cause for encouraging enmity and hatred amongst themselves.

Purification as a current case in point

And this is what has occurred even amongst the people of our nation. Such as what we find between the disputing parties in the issues pertaining to the fundamentals of their religion, and numerous issues in its finer details as raised by both their scholars in general principles and those in the finer details. And we find the like of this between the scholars and between the general worshippers. They are those who are more taken by the Mosaic tradition or the Christian tradition,³ until they even begin to resemble these two nations in saying to each other, "The other party has nothing to stand on.^"4

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3. Those highly influenced by the Mosaic tradition are obviously those who are following the typical mistakes of the Jews who are described as "those upon whom is the Anger" because they emphasised on the outward actions but were corrupted from inside. The Christians were the opposite: too much emphasis to the internal issues without too much concern for outside practice.

4. This is with reference to the ayat in the Qur’an which states: The Jews say "The Christians have nothing [true] to stand on," and the Christians say, "The Jews have nothing to stand on," although they [both] recite the Scripture… [al-Baqarah(2):113].
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For example, we find the jurists are clinging on to the outward actions of the religion, while the spiritualists are holding onto the hidden actions from it. Every one of the two parties is negating the way of the other and is claiming that they are not members of the religion. Or their apparent behaviour is that which considers him not from the religion. Thus between them arises enmity and hatred.

And that is because Allah has commanded the purification of the heart and has also commanded the purification of the body. Both of these types of purification are from the religion which Allah has commanded and has made obligatory. Allah, the Exalted, says:⁵

• …Allah does not intend to make any difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you that you may be grateful. [al-Maidah(5):6]
• …Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves. [at-Tawbah(9):108]
• …Indeed , Allah loves those who repent and He loves those who purify themselves. [al-Baqarah(2):222]

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5. These three verses make these statements in the context of actually physical purification: the first is with reference to the sequence of actions for performing ablution; the second is speaking about the men at the Mosque of Quba who, when asked what was special about their purification, described how they would purify themselves after having relieved themselves from the call of nature [see Tafsir ibn Kathir]; and the third verse is with reference to women bathing after they complete a period of menstruation.
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And He also says:⁶

• Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cleanse them by it … [at-Tawbah(9):103];
• … Those are the ones for whom Allah does not intend to purify their hearts…[al-Maidah(5):41];
• … indeed the polytheists are unclean…[at-Tawbah(9):28]; and
• Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin] , O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification. [al-Ahzaab(33):33]

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6. This next set of verses now present the opposite case: where purification of the heart or the self is specified. It must be mentioned in the case of at-Tawbat(9):28, some scholars do take this to mean a physical impurity as the verse is commanding them not come near the Sacred Mosque after that year. But it seems ibn Taymiyah is of the view that this impurity emanates from their disbelief rather than their physical impurity. Allah knows best.
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So we find many of the jurists and the worshippers, their efforts are only directedtowards the purification of the body and they exceed in it over and above what is legislated in preparation and action. And they abandon of the purification of the heart what they have been commanded with: whether that be obligatory or recommended. There is nothing of the purification in them except that. And we find many of the Sufis and Fakirs, their efforts are only for the purification of the heart. Until they exceed in it beyond the legislated, in preparation or in action. And they abandon from the purification of the body what they have been commanded, obligatory or recommended.

As for the first, they exit into doubts arising from whispers within themselves that are blameworthy. This is exhibited in the form of excessive wastage of water (when purifying oneself), considering as an impurity what is actually not an impurity, and avoiding that which the Islamic law has not commanded avoidance of. This is while their hearts are involved in things like jealousy, pride and deceitfulness with respect to their brothers. Thus, in such matter, they resemble of the Jews.

And the others exit into a state of heedlessness that is blameworthy. Hence, they exaggerate in the issue of the soundness of the inner-self until they have made ignorance of the of evil things, which one must be well-acquainted with [those that one must save himself from], a part of maintaining the soundness of the inner-self.

And they do not differentiate between the soundness of the inner-self and the intention to do a forbidden evil, and between the soundness of the heart and the knowledge of evil – a knowledge which one has been commanded with (to seek). So with this ignorance and heedlessness, of course, they do not avoid impure things nor do they establish the obligatory purification in imitation of the Christians.

And so enmity between the two parties arises because a good part of what they had been reminded with was avoided and their was transgression by way of crossing the set limits, whether that be through shortfalls in or completely abandonment of right, or through hatred and actions in what is unjust.

And this transgression sometimes occurs amongst themselves and sometimes it occurs in the rights of Allah and there exists a correlation between the two [types of transgression]. That is why He said, “transgression amongst themselves”. For, indeed, each party transgresses against the other and then the other does not recognize the first’s rights upon them. Thus, it does not restrain itself from enmity against that party.

The repeated caution

And Allah the Exalted has stated:

• And those who had been given the Scripture did not divide except after came to them the clear evidence[al-Bayyinah(98):4].
• Mankind was one religion; then Allah sent the Prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those who were given it – after the clear proofs came to them – out of transgression amongst themselves [al-Baqarah(2):213].
• And surely We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture and the judgement and the Prophethood…And We gave them clear proofs of the matter [of religion]. And they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves.[al-Jathiya(45):16-17]
• ...And do not become those who divided and differed after came to them clear evidences[Aal-e-Imran(3):105];

So...

And He, the Exalted, states: Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything[al-An’am(6):159].

And He, the Exalted, says: So direct your face towards the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. [Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allah. Of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has [ar-Room(30):30-32]. That is because the Mushrikin (polytheists), they all worship the god that they desire.

This is similar to what He mentions in the verse that was previously under discussion …[that you should establish the religion and not divide therein.] It is a difficult thing for those who associate partners with Allah that which you are calling them to [ash-Shura(42):13].

And the Exalted states: O Messengers, eat from the pure things and do righteous
actions. Indeed, I am – of what you are doing – Knowing. And indeed, this ummah of yours is one ummah, and I am your Lord so fear Me. But they divided their affair among them into sects – each faction, in what it has, rejoicing [al-Mu’minoon(23):51-53]

Ijmaa' is thus an absolute evidence

Therefore, what emerges is that the cause of unity and mutual love is uniting on the religion and acting on it in its entirety. And that is worshipping Allah Alone, associating no partners with him; as has been commanded both inwardly and outwardly.

And the cause for division: leaving a good portion of what the slave has been commanded with and transgression against each other.

And the result of unity: the Mercy of Allah, His Pleasure and Prayers, happiness in this world and in the Hereafter and the faces being made white (on the Day of Judgement).

And the result of division: the Punishment of Allah, His Curse and the blackening of the faces, and the Messenger (Allah's prayers be upon him and peace) declaring himself free of any [further] duty towards them.

This is one of the evidences that the consensus (of this nation) is an absolute proof: for if they are united, surely they have been obedient to Allah and by virtue of that the recipients of Mercy. Allah’s obedience and His Mercy will not be there, by virtue of an action that Allah has not commanded, whether it be an issue of belief, statement or action.

For if that statement or action upon which a consensus has been reached was something not commanded by Allah; then that would not be in obedience to Allah, and that should mean there is no reason for His Mercy [so disunity should occur rather than unity].

And of course, Abu Bakr Abdul Aziz⁷ used this argument in the beginning of "at-Tanbeeh", where he highlighted this issue.

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7. He is Abdul 'Aziz bin Ja'far bin Ahmed, Abu Bakr, more famously known as "Ghulaam-ul-Khilaal" (285-363A.H.). He was a commentator of the Qur'an and a much trusted scholar of Hadith. He was of those leading scholars from the Hanbali school of fiqh who are credited with helping its growth. Ibn Ya'la (another later leading Hanbali scholar) states, "He was one of those who possessed deep comprehension (of the religion); knowledge was made more reliable by him and he had a wide knowledge of narrations". For further reading refer to Tabaqaat-ul-Hanaabilah by ibn Abi Ya'la [2/119-127], and al-A'laam [4/139].

Beautiful word on consensus as evidence

How‎ ‎can‎ ‎I‎ ‎begin‎ ‎without‎ ‎praising‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎the‎ ‎Exalted‎,‎‎ ‎who‎ ‎guided‎ ‎us‎ ‎to‎ ‎this‎;‎‎ ‎we‎ ‎could‎ ‎not‎ ‎have‎ ‎found‎ ‎guidance‎ ‎had‎ ‎He‎ ‎not‎ ‎guided‎ ‎us‎.‎‎

It‎’‎s‎ ‎always‎ ‎easy‎ ‎when‎ ‎you‎ ‎can‎ ‎prove‎ ‎something‎ ‎directly‎ ‎and‎ ‎clearly‎ ‎from‎ ‎the‎ ‎magnificent‎ ‎Qur‎’‎an‎.‎‎ ‎Even‎ ‎better‎ ‎if‎ ‎you‎ ‎can‎ ‎do‎ ‎it‎ ‎without‎ ‎getting‎ ‎into‎ ‎the‎ ‎technical‎ ‎jargon‎ ‎unheard‎ ‎from‎ ‎the‎ ‎tongue‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎time‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Messenger‎ ‎of‎ ‎Allah‎,‎‎ ‎may‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎send‎ ‎prayers‎ ‎upon‎ ‎him‎ ‎and‎ ‎grant‎ ‎peace‎.‎‎

Consensus‎ ‎‎(‎or‎ ‎ijmaa‎’)‎‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Muslim‎ ‎nation‎ ‎on‎ ‎any‎ ‎religious‎ ‎issue‎ ‎is‎ ‎held‎ ‎by‎ ‎the‎ ‎vast‎ ‎majority‎ ‎of‎ ‎scholars‎ ‎to‎ ‎be‎ ‎the‎ ‎third‎ ‎source‎ ‎of‎ ‎Islamic‎ ‎evidence‎ ‎after‎ ‎the‎ ‎Book‎ ‎of‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎and‎ ‎the‎ ‎practice‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Messenger‎ ‎of‎ ‎Allah‎.‎‎ ‎It‎ ‎is‎ ‎one‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎reasons‎ ‎they‎ ‎describe‎ ‎their‎ ‎school‎ ‎of‎ ‎thought‎ ‎as‎ ‎the‎ ‎Ahlus‎-‎Sunnah‎ ‎‎‎wal‎ Jamaa‎’‎ah.‎‎ ‎Now‎,‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎Wise‎ ‎Qur‎’‎an‎ ‎doesn‎’‎t‎ ‎exactly‎ ‎use‎ ‎the‎ ‎word‎ ‎ijmaa‎’ ‎and‎ ‎there‎ ‎is‎ ‎no‎ ‎unequivocal‎ ‎ayat‎ ‎that‎ ‎echoes‎ ‎the‎ ‎claimed‎ ‎Hadith‎,‎‎ ‎‎“‎My‎ ‎nation‎ ‎will‎ ‎never‎ ‎unite‎ ‎upon‎ misguidance‎.‎‎”‎‎ ‎But‎ ‎recently‎ ‎I‎ ‎came‎ ‎across‎ ‎a‎ ‎beautiful‎ ‎explanation‎ ‎which‎ ‎suddenly‎ ‎made‎ ‎everything‎ ‎so‎ ‎clear‎,‎‎ ‎for‎ ‎me‎ ‎at‎ ‎least‎.‎‎ ‎For‎ ‎those‎ ‎who‎ ‎wish‎ ‎to‎ ‎enlist‎ ‎themselves‎ ‎as‎ ‎those‎ ‎who‎ ‎tried‎ ‎to‎ ‎‎“‎establish‎ ‎the‎ ‎deen‎”‎‎,‎‎ ‎I‎ ‎hope‎ ‎this‎ ‎will‎ ‎be‎ ‎a‎ ‎small‎ ‎treasure‎.‎‎

Now‎ ‎some‎ ‎‎“‎disclaimers‎”‎‎ ‎due‎ ‎to‎ ‎the‎ ‎reputation‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎author‎.‎‎ ‎As‎ ‎divulged‎ ‎earlier‎,‎‎ ‎I‎’‎m‎ ‎trying‎ ‎to‎ ‎improve‎ ‎my‎ ‎Arabic‎ ‎reading‎ ‎by‎ ‎translating‎ ‎from‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎may‎ ‎my‎ ‎beloved‎ ‎brothers‎,‎‎ ‎who‎ ‎love‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎and‎ ‎His‎ ‎Messenger‎,‎‎ ‎that‎ ‎have‎ ‎difficulty‎ ‎with‎ ‎it‎ ‎forgive‎ ‎me‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎ibn‎ ‎Taymiyah‎’‎s‎ ‎collection‎ ‎of‎ ‎Fataawa‎.‎‎ ‎Perhaps‎ ‎it‎’‎d‎ ‎be‎ ‎easier‎ ‎on‎ ‎us‎ ‎all‎ ‎that‎ ‎I‎ ‎chose‎ ‎something‎ ‎less‎ ‎‎“‎divisive‎”‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎someone‎ ‎more‎ ‎‎“‎classical‎”‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎‎“‎mainstream‎”‎‎?‎‎

Well‎,‎‎ ‎a‎ ‎while‎ ‎back‎ ‎I‎ ‎myself‎ ‎cringed‎ ‎at‎ ‎the‎ ‎mention‎ ‎of‎ ‎his‎ ‎name‎;‎‎ ‎but‎ ‎critically‎ ‎engaging‎ ‎with‎ ‎his‎ ‎work‎ ‎to‎ ‎find‎ ‎fault‎ ‎with‎ ‎it‎ ‎has‎ ‎left‎ ‎me‎ ‎amazed‎ ‎that‎ ‎there‎ ‎seems‎ ‎much‎ ‎ado‎ ‎about‎ ‎nothing‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎just‎ ‎a‎ ‎huge‎ ‎misunderstanding‎.‎‎ ‎Personally‎,‎‎ ‎because‎ ‎ibn‎ ‎Taymiyah‎ ‎read‎ ‎so‎ ‎widely‎ ‎and‎ ‎wrote‎ ‎prolifically‎ ‎on‎ ‎any‎ ‎issue‎ ‎I‎ ‎can‎ ‎think‎ ‎of‎,‎‎ ‎I‎ ‎find‎ ‎him‎ ‎a‎ ‎short‎-‎cut‎ ‎to‎ ‎knowledge‎.‎‎

One‎ ‎more‎ ‎feature‎ ‎of‎ ‎his‎,‎‎ ‎insha‎’‎Allah‎,‎‎ ‎exhibited‎ ‎here‎ ‎are‎ ‎the‎ ‎amazing‎ ‎subtleties‎ ‎in‎ ‎the‎ ‎message‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Honourable‎ ‎Book‎ ‎that‎ ‎he‎ ‎demands‎ ‎the‎ ‎reader‎ ‎or‎ ‎listener‎ ‎to‎ ‎observe‎.‎‎

Let‎’‎s‎ ‎strike‎ ‎a‎ ‎deal‎:‎‎ ‎after‎ ‎this‎,‎‎ ‎‎(‎insha‎’‎Allah‎)‎‎ ‎I‎’‎ll‎ ‎put‎ ‎up‎ ‎an‎ ‎excerpt‎ ‎from‎ ‎Tafseer‎ ‎of‎ ‎al‎-‎Qurtubi‎ ‎on‎ ‎the‎ ‎issue‎ ‎of‎ ‎beauty‎.‎‎ ‎Today‎,‎‎ ‎by‎ ‎Allah‎’‎s‎ ‎Will‎,‎‎ ‎I‎’‎ll‎ ‎share‎ ‎excerpts‎ ‎from‎ ‎the‎ ‎generally‎ ‎accepted‎ ‎topic‎ ‎of‎ ‎‎“‎Unity‎ ‎and‎ ‎Division‎:‎‎ ‎its‎ ‎Reasons‎ ‎and‎ ‎Results‎”‎‎ ‎as‎ ‎labeled‎ ‎and‎ ‎presented‎ ‎by‎ ‎ibn‎ ‎Taymiyah‎ ‎‎(‎because‎ ‎I‎ ‎already‎ ‎translated‎ ‎it‎ ‎and‎ ‎it‎’‎s‎ ‎a‎ ‎cut‎ ‎n‎’‎‎ ‎paste‎ ‎job‎)‎‎.‎ ‎It‎’‎d‎ ‎be‎ ‎too‎ ‎lengthy‎ ‎‎(‎and‎ ‎perhaps‎ ‎boring‎ ‎for‎ ‎some‎)‎‎ ‎to‎ ‎quote‎ ‎completely‎ ‎here‎.‎‎

So‎ ‎I‎ ‎have‎:‎‎ ‎selected‎ ‎excerpts‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎key‎ ‎arguments‎,‎‎ ‎provided‎ ‎sub‎-‎headings‎ ‎to‎ ‎highlight‎ ‎subtle‎ ‎points‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎provided‎ ‎commentary‎ ‎to‎ ‎summarize‎ ‎the‎ ‎arguments‎ ‎in‎ ‎between‎.‎‎

But‎ ‎I‎ ‎still‎ ‎need‎ ‎to‎ ‎make‎ ‎it‎ ‎a‎ ‎two‎-‎part‎ ‎thing‎ ‎as‎ ‎I‎ ‎don‎’‎t‎ ‎have‎ ‎enough‎ ‎time‎ ‎today‎ ‎to‎ ‎present‎ ‎it‎ ‎all‎.‎‎ ‎The‎ ‎first‎ ‎part‎ ‎deals‎ ‎with‎ ‎the‎ ‎subtle‎ ‎but‎ ‎valid‎ ‎deduction‎ ‎that‎ ‎unity‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Muslim‎ ‎Nation‎ ‎not‎ ‎only‎ ‎relates‎ ‎to‎ ‎the‎ ‎general‎ ‎principles‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎but‎ ‎also‎ ‎its‎ ‎specifics‎. ‎And‎ ‎my‎ ‎success‎ ‎is‎ ‎not‎ ‎except‎ ‎by‎ ‎Allah‎.‎‎

A‎ ‎Guide‎ ‎on‎ ‎Unity‎ & ‎Division‎:

‎Reasons‎ & ‎‎Results‎ ‎‎[‎Part‎ ‎‎1‎‎]‎‎

[‎Vol‎.‎‎ ‎‎1‎‎,‎‎ ‎Majmoo‎’‎‎ ‎al‎ ‎Fataawa‎ ‎libni‎ ‎Taymiyah, translated excerpts]

‎Establishing‎ ‎the‎ ‎deen‎ ‎while‎ ‎not‎ ‎dividing‎‎‎

Allah‎ ‎the‎ ‎Exalted‎ ‎says‎:

‎He‎ ‎has‎ ‎legislated‎ ‎for‎ ‎you‎ ‎as‎ ‎part‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎what‎ ‎He‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎‎(‎waşşaa‎ ‎bihi‎)‎‎ ‎Noah‎ ‎with‎ ‎and‎ ‎that‎ ‎which‎ ‎We‎ ‎have‎ ‎revealed‎ ‎to‎ ‎you‎,‎‎ ‎‎[‎O‎ ‎Muhammad‎]‎‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎what‎ ‎we‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎Abraham‎,‎‎ ‎Moses‎ ‎and‎ ‎Jesus‎ ‎with‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎that‎ ‎you‎ ‎all‎ ‎establish‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎and‎ ‎not‎ ‎be‎ ‎divided‎ ‎therein‎…‎‎ ‎‎[‎ash‎-‎Shura‎(‎‎4‎‎2‎‎)‎‎:‎‎1‎‎3‎‎]‎‎.‎‎

He‎,‎‎ ‎Glory‎ ‎be‎ ‎to‎ ‎Him‎,‎‎ ‎has‎ ‎informed‎ ‎us‎ ‎that‎ ‎He‎ legislated‎ ‎for‎ ‎us‎ ‎that‎ ‎which‎ ‎He‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎Noah‎ ‎with‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ that‎ ‎which‎ ‎He‎ ‎had‎ ‎revealed‎ ‎to‎ ‎Muhammad‎,‎‎ ‎may‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎send‎ prayers‎ ‎upon‎ ‎him‎ ‎and‎ ‎grant‎ ‎peace‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎what‎ ‎He‎ ‎exhorted‎ the‎ ‎three‎ ‎mentioned‎ ‎‎[‎Prophets‎]‎‎ ‎with‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎they‎ ‎are‎ ‎those‎ who‎ demonstrated‎ ‎great‎ ‎determination‎^‎‎1‎‎ and‎ ‎from‎ ‎whom‎ ‎the‎ ‎covenant‎ ‎was‎ ‎taken‎,‎‎ ‎as‎ ‎in‎ ‎the‎ statement‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎Exalted‎:‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎when‎ ‎we‎ ‎took‎ ‎from‎ ‎the‎ prophets‎ ‎their‎ ‎covenant‎ ‎and‎ ‎from‎ ‎you‎ ‎and‎ ‎from‎ ‎Noah‎ ‎and‎ Abraham‎ ‎and‎ ‎Moses‎ ‎and‎ ‎Jesus‎ ‎son‎ ‎of‎ ‎Mary‎‎‎ [‎al‎-‎Ahzab‎(‎‎3‎‎3‎‎)‎‎:‎‎7‎‎]‎‎.‎‎

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‎1‎‎.‎‎ ‎In‎ ‎reference‎ ‎to‎ ‎the‎ ‎verse‎:‎‎ ‎So‎ ‎be‎ ‎patient‎,‎‎‎‎[‎O‎ ‎Muhammad‎]‎‎,‎‎ ‎as‎ ‎were‎ ‎those‎ ‎of‎ ‎determination‎ ‎amongst‎ ‎the‎ ‎messengers‎…‎‎[‎al‎-‎Ahqaf‎(‎‎4‎‎6‎‎)‎‎:‎‎3‎‎5‎‎]‎‎.‎

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The‎ ‎weight‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎command‎

‎And‎ ‎in‎ ‎His‎ ‎statement‎,‎‎‎‎“‎‎…‎what‎ ‎He‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎Noah‎ ‎with‎ ‎and‎ ‎that‎ ‎which‎ ‎We‎ ‎have‎ ‎revealed‎ ‎to‎ ‎you‎,‎‎ ‎‎[‎O‎ ‎Muhammad‎]‎‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎what‎ ‎we‎ ‎exhorted‎…‎‎”‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎words‎ ‎‎“‎that‎ ‎which‎”‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎‎“‎revealed‎”‎‎ ‎have‎ ‎been‎ ‎used‎ ‎specifically‎ ‎for‎ ‎Muhammad‎,‎‎ ‎whereas‎ ‎the‎ ‎word‎ ‎‎“‎exhorted‎”‎‎ ‎occurs‎ ‎for‎ ‎all‎ ‎the‎ ‎other‎ ‎messengers‎…‎‎.‎‎

‎[‎The‎ ‎author‎ ‎then‎ ‎proceeds‎ ‎to‎ ‎explain‎ ‎in‎ ‎detail‎ ‎why‎ ‎the‎ ‎Arabic‎ ‎word‎ ‎for‎ ‎‎“‎that‎”‎‎ ‎in‎ ‎‎“‎‎…‎that‎ ‎you‎ ‎all‎ ‎establish‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎and‎ ‎not‎ ‎be‎ ‎divided‎ ‎therein‎…‎‎”‎‎ ‎is‎ ‎linked‎ ‎with‎ ‎all‎ ‎three‎ ‎issues:

(‎i)‎‎ ‎what‎ ‎has‎ ‎been‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎to‎ ‎the‎ ‎other‎ ‎Prophets‎,
‎‎(‎ii)‎‎ ‎what‎ ‎has‎ ‎been‎ ‎revealed‎ ‎to‎ ‎Muhammad‎ ‎‎(sallallahu alayhi wasallam)‎‎, ‎and
‎(iii‎)‎‎ ‎what‎ ‎we‎ ‎have‎ ‎been‎ ‎legislated‎ ‎with‎ ‎as‎ ‎part‎ ‎of‎ ‎‎“‎the‎ ‎religion‎”‎‎.

‎He‎ ‎then‎ ‎continues‎:‎‎]‎‎

‎…‎‎ ‎Thus‎,‎‎ ‎indeed‎,‎‎ ‎it‎ ‎has‎ ‎been‎ ‎said‎ ‎that‎ ‎the‎ ‎pronoun‎ ‎‎[‎‎“‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎”‎‎]‎‎ ‎attached‎ ‎with‎ ‎the‎ ‎word‎ ‎‎“‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎,‎‎ ‎establish‎”‎‎ ‎‎(‎aqeemoo‎)‎‎ ‎refers‎ ‎to‎ ‎us‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎it‎ ‎is‎ ‎also‎ ‎said‎ ‎that‎ ‎it‎ ‎refers‎ ‎to‎ ‎the‎ ‎messengers‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎it‎ ‎is‎ ‎also‎ ‎said‎ ‎that‎ ‎it‎ ‎refers‎ ‎to‎ ‎all‎,‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎that‎ ‎seems‎ ‎to‎ ‎be‎ ‎the‎ ‎best‎ ‎‎[‎interpretation‎]‎‎.‎‎ ‎An‎ ‎example‎ ‎of‎ ‎this‎ ‎is‎:‎‎ ‎‎“‎I‎ ‎commanded‎ ‎you‎ ‎‎[‎singular‎]‎‎ ‎what‎ ‎I‎ ‎commanded‎ ‎Zaid‎:‎‎ ‎that‎ ‎you‎ ‎‎[‎singular‎]‎‎ ‎obey‎ ‎Allah‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎I‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎ ‎[‎plural‎]‎‎ ‎with‎ ‎what‎ ‎I‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎the‎ ‎children‎ ‎of‎ ‎so‎-‎and‎-‎so‎ ‎with‎:‎‎ ‎that‎,‎‎ ‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎,‎‎ ‎do‎ ‎it‎.‎‎”‎‎ ‎So‎ ‎in‎ ‎the‎ ‎first‎ ‎case‎,‎‎ ‎it‎ ‎stands‎ ‎for‎ ‎what‎ ‎to‎ ‎do‎,‎‎ ‎i‎.‎e‎.‎‎ ‎His‎ ‎legislating‎ ‎for‎ ‎you‎ ‎all‎ ‎to‎ ‎establish‎.‎‎ ‎In‎ ‎the‎ ‎second‎ ‎case‎,‎‎ ‎He‎ ‎legislates‎ ‎what‎ ‎he‎ ‎told‎ ‎them‎:‎‎ ‎"all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎,‎‎ ‎establish‎";‎‎ ‎so‎ ‎that‎ ‎is‎ ‎again‎ ‎a‎ ‎substitution‎ ‎but‎ ‎by‎ ‎mentioning‎ ‎what‎ ‎the‎ ‎predecessors‎ ‎were‎ ‎told‎.‎‎ ‎In‎ ‎the‎ ‎third‎ ‎case‎,‎‎ ‎He‎ ‎legislated‎ ‎the‎ ‎exhortation‎ ‎of‎:‎‎ ‎‎“‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎ ‎establish‎”‎‎.‎‎

So‎ ‎when‎ ‎he‎ ‎speaks‎ ‎to‎ ‎us‎ ‎as‎ ‎a‎ ‎group‎,‎‎ ‎after‎ ‎informing‎ ‎us‎ ‎that‎ ‎it‎ ‎is‎ ‎a‎ ‎statement‎ ‎addressing‎ ‎us‎ ‎and‎ ‎also‎ ‎addresses‎ ‎them‎:‎‎ ‎it‎ ‎is‎ ‎learnt‎ ‎that‎ ‎the‎ ‎pronoun‎ ‎‎(‎‎“‎all‎ ‎of‎ ‎you‎”‎‎)‎‎ ‎refers‎ ‎to‎ ‎both‎ ‎parties‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎that‎ ‎‎-‎‎ ‎if‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎so‎ ‎wills‎ ‎it‎ ‎‎‎is‎ ‎the‎ ‎most‎ ‎correct‎ ‎view‎…‎

‎Establish‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎without‎ ‎division‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎in‎ ‎its‎ ‎general‎ ‎and‎ ‎specific‎

‎‎[‎The‎ ‎author‎ ‎then‎ ‎establishes‎ ‎that‎ ‎even‎ ‎if‎ ‎the‎ ‎pronoun‎ ‎doesn‎’‎t‎ ‎refer‎ ‎to‎ ‎us‎,‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎fact‎ ‎that‎ ‎we‎ ‎have‎ ‎been‎ ‎legislated‎ ‎with‎ ‎what‎ ‎they‎ ‎have‎ ‎been‎ ‎exhorted‎ ‎with‎ ‎again‎ ‎brings‎ ‎upon‎ ‎us‎ ‎this‎ ‎duty‎ ‎of‎ ‎establishing‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎without‎ ‎dividing‎.‎‎ ‎The‎ ‎difference‎,‎‎ ‎it‎ ‎seems‎,‎‎ ‎is‎ ‎in‎ ‎the‎ ‎level‎ ‎of‎ ‎emphasis‎ ‎and‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎knows‎ ‎best‎.‎‎ ‎The‎ ‎author‎ ‎proceeds‎ ‎to‎ ‎enumerate‎ ‎four‎ ‎subtle‎ ‎inferences‎ ‎from‎ ‎this‎ ‎analysis‎;‎‎ ‎I‎ only ‎tie‎ ‎the‎ ‎key‎ ‎ideas‎ ‎as‎ ‎I‎ ‎have‎ ‎grasped‎ ‎them‎ ‎as‎ ‎follows‎:‎‎

1. ‎Establishing‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎without‎ ‎division‎ ‎is‎ ‎a‎ ‎general‎ ‎principle‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎across‎ ‎all‎ ‎times‎:‎‎ ‎it‎ ‎is‎ ‎not‎ ‎part‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎specifics‎ ‎of‎ ‎the‎ ‎laws‎ ‎individual‎ ‎to‎ ‎each‎ ‎Prophet‎’‎s‎ ‎time‎ ‎or‎ ‎just‎ ‎specific‎ ‎to‎ ‎our‎ ‎own‎ Shari‎’‎ah‎‎.‎‎ ‎This‎ ‎is‎ ‎emphasized‎ ‎by‎ ‎making‎ ‎the‎ ‎mention‎ ‎of‎ ‎‎“‎Muhammad‎”‎‎ ‎in‎ ‎between‎ ‎the‎ ‎other‎ ‎prophets‎,‎‎ ‎rather‎ ‎than‎ ‎at‎ ‎the‎ ‎end‎.
2. ‎For‎ ‎us‎,‎‎ ‎this‎ ‎means‎ ‎establishing‎ ‎the‎ ‎complete‎ ‎religion‎ ‎without‎ ‎division‎:‎‎‎by‎ ‎virtue‎ ‎of‎ mentioning‎ ‎the‎ ‎different‎ ‎Prophets‎ ‎we‎ ‎know‎ ‎that‎ ‎there‎ ‎were‎ ‎different‎ ‎rulings‎ ‎at‎ ‎different‎ ‎times‎.‎‎ ‎Though‎,‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎exhortation‎ ‎was‎ ‎common‎,‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎to‎ ‎be‎ ‎established‎ ‎had‎ ‎specifics‎ ‎that‎ ‎varied‎.‎‎ ‎So‎ ‎we‎ ‎have‎ ‎to‎ ‎establish‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎ ‎we‎ ‎have‎ ‎been‎ ‎legislated‎ ‎with‎,‎‎ ‎both‎ ‎its‎ ‎general‎‎and‎ ‎specific‎,‎‎ ‎without‎ ‎dividing‎ ‎over‎ ‎its‎ ‎general‎ ‎and‎ ‎its‎ ‎specific‎.‎‎ ‎Personally‎,‎‎ ‎I‎ ‎think‎ ‎the‎ ‎author‎ ‎is‎ ‎also‎ ‎relying‎ ‎on‎ ‎the‎ ‎difference‎ ‎between‎ ‎the‎ ‎two‎ ‎phrases‎:‎‎ ‎‎“‎legislated‎ ‎for‎ ‎you‎ ‎from‎‎‎ ‎the‎ ‎religion‎”‎‎ ‎and‎ ‎‎“‎establish‎ ‎the‎‎ ‎religion‎”‎‎.‎‎ ‎And‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎knows‎ ‎best‎.

The‎ ‎author‎ ‎continues‎ ‎to‎ ‎build‎ ‎the‎ ‎argument‎:‎‎…‎‎]‎

‎Multiple‎ ‎causes‎ ‎of‎ ‎division‎‎

‎Further‎,‎‎ ‎Allah‎ ‎has‎ ‎also‎ ‎stated‎:‎‎ ‎…‎and‎ ‎they‎‎ [‎those‎ ‎who‎ ‎were‎ ‎given‎ ‎the‎ ‎Scripture] ‎did‎ ‎not‎ ‎divide‎ ‎except‎ ‎after‎ ‎knowledge‎ ‎had‎ ‎come‎ ‎to‎ ‎them‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎out‎ ‎of‎ ‎jealous‎ ‎animosity‎ ‎between‎ ‎themselves‎…[‎Aali‎-‎‎‘‎Imran‎(‎‎3‎‎)‎‎:‎‎ ‎‎1‎‎9‎‎]‎‎.‎‎ ‎Thus‎,‎‎ ‎He‎ ‎informs‎ ‎us‎ ‎that‎ ‎their‎ ‎division‎ ‎was‎ ‎only‎ ‎after‎ ‎there‎ ‎had‎ ‎come‎ ‎to‎ ‎them‎ ‎the‎ ‎knowledge‎ ‎that‎ ‎clarified‎ ‎for‎ ‎them‎ ‎that‎ ‎which‎ ‎they‎ ‎should‎ ‎avoid‎ ‎‎(‎out‎ ‎of‎ ‎fear‎ ‎of‎ ‎Allah‎)‎‎.‎‎

‎[‎To‎ ‎be‎ ‎continued‎ ‎‎–‎‎ ‎by‎ ‎the‎ ‎Will‎ ‎of‎ ‎Allah‎]‎‎

Final remarks for today: My teacher in Aqeedah used to say, "ibn Taymiyah is not simple...". May Allah benefit us from his good and protect us from his harm and have mercy on the true seekers of His Face.

Wassallallahu wa sallama 'ala Muhammad wa ala ibaadillahissaaliheen.

Humour in the Religion?

The tributes and salutations are all for Allah, ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem, and the prayers and the good actions.

One of the questions that constantly crops up is the extent to which humour is "entertained" in our deen. I mean, yes, we need to remind ourselves that our current bad situation is because of our distance from Islam and that something serious must be done.

But even sincere people (these days?) fall asleep if they don't get a chance to feel light-hearted; despite what's happening in Palestine, in Iraq, in the churches, and in the tombs of saints.

So I thought a demonstration of some "safe" light-heartedness was warranted by remembering how the Messenger of Allah entertained humour, may Allah pray for him and grant peace, in the following hadith² (have "fun"):

2. Related twice in Sahih Bukhari, in the "Book of the Farmer" and in the "Book of Tawheed (Ch. Speech of the Lord with the People of Jannah)" , on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him. The translation is my own, may Allah help me.

The Prophet (may Allah pray for him and grant peace) was one day narrating to us [news of the Unseen; literally: he was narrating a hadith], while a man from the Bedouin was with him, that a man from the people of Jannah will seek permission from his Lord to farm crops, when He will say, "Are you not already indulged in all you wanted?" He will say, "O, of course! But I really love to farm crops.

So then he will sow the seeds, [and immediately according to ibn Hajar in the blink of an eye] the crop will grow, become ripe and ready for harvesting and it will become massively abundant, the like of mountains.

Then Allah will say, "Wa doonaka [i.e., Go ahead, have it] O son of Adam, for indeed, there is not a thing that will satiate you."

So the Bedouin said, "O Messenger of Allah, I cannot think of anyone else this could be except a person of the Quraysh or the Ansaar. For they are people given to farming. But, as for us? Then we are certainly not a farming people."

At that, the Messenger of Allah laughed (dahika)³ (may Allah pray for him and grant him peace).

I was reminded of this as our teacher in Tafseer mentioned a brother who asked a shaykh whether he'd get a certain sports car in Jannah. We all laughed at how a person could be so obsessed about a car that even in Jannah that was the best he could think of.

But Al Hamdulillah, Allah the Kind and the Merciful ultimately wants us to have "fun". May Allah enter me and you into this Paradise full of fun.

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3. Some clarification needed here. Yes, there is a hadith from Sunan at-Tirmidhi that states, "The laugh (dahiku) of the Messenger of Allah was not but a tabassum (smile)." [Kitaab-ul-Manaqib; Fi Bashaashatun-Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam; Sahih Ghareeb with only this chain].

The author of Tuhfatul-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jami' at-Tirmidhi writes that the linguists say that tabassum is an expression of dahik and that dahik is the "spreading out" of the face such that the persons happiness becomes apparent. Then if it is with a sound and that is such that it can be heard from a distance then this is a qahqaha (exaggerated laugh). And if not then it is a laugh (dahika). And if it is without a sound then the tabassum.

He goes on to explain that this hadith is a restriction that is "extra" (idaafi). That is, it relates to what was usually or predominantly the case. For it is established through repeated (and authentic) reports that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah pray for him and grant peace) would sometimes laugh until his premolar teeth would show, and this was not to the point of exaggeration (all emphasis are mine).

And Allah knows best.