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What is the method to gauge the effect of the da’wah?
Question: What is the way for us to gauge the effect of the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life? Is it by looking at how many people we have, how many people attend our events or demonstrations, what people are talking about in society? Can you please clarify what criterion we should use to judge this.
Answer: It is incorrect to gauge the effect of the da’wah from the number of people that are in a group or attend their events or demonstrations. Although a group requires people to be part of it and requires a popular base of supporters, however numbers are not an accurate measure when judging the impact of the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life.
Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani wrote in Concepts of Hizb ut-Tahrir:
“Those who carry the da’wah should not assess the da’wah by their number. Such assessment is absolutely wrong and harmful to the da’wah because it distracts the da’wah carriers from focusing on the society to focusing on the individuals. This will cause the da’wah to slowdown and perhaps cause failure in that place. The reason behind this is that society is not composed of individuals as many people think. Rather the individuals are parts of the group (community). What bonds the individuals in the society are other components such as their thoughts, emotions and systems. The da’wah is carried in order to change the thoughts, emotions and systems. It is collective da’wah and a da’wah taken to the society and not to the individuals. Reforming the individuals is only to make them become part of a group (bloc) that carries the da’wah to the society. Therefore those who carry the da’wah and have a deep understanding of its nature rely on society to carry the da’wah to it.”
“Although, the transformation of society from one state to the opposite state cannot be noticed just like the transformation of the water in the kettle is not noticed, those who are aware of societies and have confidence that the ideology which they carry is the fire and light which will burn and enlighten, know that society is in a state of transformation and it will definitely reach boiling point and the points of movement and dynamism. Therefore, they give attention to societies (and not number of individuals).”
This is further elaborated in the adopted booklet ‘The Departure Point’ published by Hizb ut-Tahrir in 1954 that sheds light on this topic:
“22- The method of gauging the thoughts and the sensations of society is very simple. It would be by way of monitoring the effect that political events evoke the thoughts. In other words, did these political events evoke thoughts, or did they merely confirm the old thoughts? It would also be by way of monitoring the effect that the political events on the emotions. In other words, did they evoke new emotions, or did they merely confirm the old emotions. What is meant by emotions here is what is felt in terms of happiness, sadness, pleasure and anger due to the new thoughts and emotions or due to the confirmed old thoughts and emotions.
As for the existing thoughts and emotions, these could be gauged by monitoring the matters which the masses talk about and by monitoring their evoked emotions; for instance, the Muslims’ talk nowadays about the co-operatives and the public companies, instead of talking about the companies of “Inan” or the companies of “Mudharabah”; or their anger for their nationalism instead of their anger for the sanctities of Islam.
Hence, according to this criterion the registering of the thoughts and the sensations takes place. It would be imperative to attend to observing all people, intellectuals and others alike, because the thoughts and the sensations are one in the one society.
23- Gauging the thoughts and the emotions of society would be in order to treat them by way of attacking the erroneous thoughts, highlighting their falsehood and transforming the emotions of joy from what the Muslim should not be happy about to what the Muslim should be happy about, and the emotions of anger from what the Muslim should not feel angry about to what the Muslim should feel angry about. Hence, it would be imperative to attend to recognising the reactions which the events and the thoughts cause. In other words, recognising people’s reaction to the thoughts and events. Did they cause any reaction or not? If they did, this would indicate that they have approved of them, hence, it would be imperative to demonstrate the falsehood of the thoughts and to transform the emotions. If they did not cause any reaction, it would be pointless to give them any attention because it would be then a waste of time.
24- Since the cornerstone in the tackling of thoughts and emotions is the changing of the concepts, it would be imperative to recognise the reaction that occurs when the process of changing the concepts is taking place. In other words, did the party’s endeavour to changing people’s erroneous concepts provoke any reaction form them and any effect upon them or not? If it did trigger a reaction and an effect, this would indicate that the thoughts which the party had conveyed did generate in them a host of concepts; it would also indicate that their taking of the thoughts was in reality a changing of the concept. However, if they did not provoke any reaction from them despite their understanding of the party’s thoughts, this would indicate that what occurred was that people merely received information, but no changing of concepts took place.
25- Since it is the party that tackles the thoughts and the emotions of society with the thoughts that it has adopted, it would therefore be imperative for it to attend to recognising the inclinations people have towards the thoughts of the party and towards the party itself. In other words, do people approve of the thoughts of the party or do they dislike them? Do they like the party itself or do they hate it? Or do they neither like nor hate it, and do they treat it with disregard and indifference?
26- It would be necessary for the party to recognise the thoughts and the sensations of society when addressing society, so that it could direct its attention to the thoughts, so that it recognised the thoughts which should be conveyed at the appropriate time. It should be however recognised that the attending to the thoughts is merely one part of the party’s activity, because the party should first of all endeavour to change the method of thinking people have, secondly, to change the intellectual base upon which people build their thoughts, thirdly to change their thoughts they carry and fourth to link all the thoughts which they encounter in life to their intellectual base. Hence, it would become easy for the party to change the thoughts and it would become easy for it to ensure that people themselves will have started to change their thoughts and to link them to their intellectual base. Consequently, the party would ensure the transfer of the Ummah and the radical transformative stage would be achieved.
27- The transfer of the Islamic Ummah from the wretched situation she is in to a better situation would depend on the success of the radical transformative stage. It would be also dependent on the existence of the Islamic thoughts in people’s minds, because man’s concepts about life emanate from the basic thoughts he carries, and he is affected by the extrinsic thoughts. Hence, the party should exhaust a great effort in order to generate the basic thoughts and to remove the extrinsic thoughts. However, it should be made absolutely clear that the presence of the thoughts in people’s minds would not be sufficient for the transfer of the Ummah from one situation to another. The thoughts should rather be established in the individuals and the groups in a manner that gives them deep-rootedness and concentration and generate for them the power and the influence, in order to trigger the sweeping transformation, hence the transformation and the transfer would occur in the Ummah.
28- It is noted that in society in the Muslims’ lands that the basic thoughts about life are capitalist and democratic thoughts. However these thoughts are shaky and not firmly established due to the fact that people’s Aqeedah is the Islamic Aqeedah. When people adopted these thoughts they took them as such not in a doctrinal manner, and they had been cheated by those who gave them these thoughts, by telling them that they did not contradict their Aqeedah, but rather in conformity with their Aqeedah. Hence we find that these thoughts are not concentrated in their minds, even if their conducts proceed according to these thoughts. Once they become convinced that they contradict their Aqeedah, they would soon abandon them and return to their Islamic thoughts, and this people’s return would mark the transformation in society.”
Therefore if in a place an Islamic group held events where hundreds of thousands of people attended or demonstrated yet the dominant thoughts in that society were democratic and secular evidenced by the peoples reaction to political events then that group would not have had a significant effect. Yet if a group was small in number but due to its focused activity the dominant thoughts in a society changed such that the people say for example started to call for the Islamic Khilafah instead of democracy, that would be a significant effect of the da’wah.
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Adoption when there is Difference of Opinion
Where there must be unanimity in opinion and where difference is allowed
The Ummah is one Jama’ah in its root. Islam has made clear where differences do not arise and where they can arise.
وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا
“And hold tight to the rope of Allah and divide not,” [TMQ Ale-Imran: 103]
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) orders the Muslims to hold tight and not let go of the rope of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and not to divide.
Ibn Masood (ra), Ali bin Abi Talib (ra), and Abu Saeed Al-Kuddrri (ra) said it is the Qur’an. Others said it is the Deen of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). Others like Ibnul Mubaarak said it is the Jama’ah.
At-Tabari said; “…and do not disperse away from the Deen of Allah and His covenant which he took from you in His Book: that you should be together in obeying Him and His Messenger (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam).”
Ibn Katheer said; “He ordered them to stay in the Jama`ah and not to divide.”
Al-Qurtubi said; “Do not divide as the Jews and the Christians in their Deen…and it could mean do not separate based on your desires and interests.”
Therefore, the disagreement that Muslims are not allowed to have is in the fundamentals of their Deen, not in its branches.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu `Amir `Abdullah bin Luhay said; “We performed Hajj with Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Dhuhr and said; ‘The Messenger of Allah (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam) said;
إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ افْتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ عَلى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعْنِي الْأَهْوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه، لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَه
‘The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah. Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.””
This hadith was also narrated by Abu Dawood (2/503), Ahmad (4/102) and al-Haakim (1/128) among others, with similar wording but with the following addition;
ثنتان وسبعون في النار. قيل: يا رسول الله من هم؟ قال: الجماعة
“Seventy two in hell fire and one in the Jannah: that is the ‘Jama`ah.”
Some scholars, such as ash-Shawkani and al-Kawthari mistakenly said that this addition is weak. Ibn Hazm wrongly said that it was fabricated.
So the subject that the hadith discusses is not the differences, which arise from interpretation of the texts, which are preponderant in meaning, but it is condemning those firqah (sects) that have differed in the foundations of the Deen.
Rather, those sects that are mentioned in the hadith are those who have left the fold of Islam such as the Qadiani, who claimed Prophethood after Muhammad (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam), or those Alawi, who claim Ali (ra) to be god incarnate (may Allah protect us from such deviation), or those who deny the punishment in the Ahkirah, etc.
Why differences exist
Difference in opinion exists because the Shari’ah rule, which represents the address of the Legislator related to the actions of the servants, have come in the Qur’an and the Hadith, and many of these carry several meanings according to the Arabic language and according to Shari’ah. Hence, it is natural and inevitable for people to differ in their understanding and for this difference in understanding to reach the level of disparity and contradiction in the intended meaning. Thus, it is inevitable for different and contradictory understandings to be reached. These could be a host of different and contradictory understandings in the one matter.
Bukhari extracted on the authority of Nafi’, on that of Ibnu Omar ® who said: “the Messenger of Allah (saw) said on the day of Al-Ahzab (the battle of the Ditch): “None of you should pray Asr except in Bani Quraytha.” The time of Asr entered while some were still on the way; so some said: “We should not pray until we reach Bani Quraytha.” Others said: “No, we should pray because the instruction does not mean this.” This was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he did not rebuke any of them.” When the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “None of you should pray Asr except in Bani Quraytha.”, some understood that he was urging haste and they prayed in the way, while others understood that he (saw) had literally ordered them to pray Asr in Bani Quraytha, thus they delayed Asr until they reached their destination. When the Messenger of Allah (saw) heard of this, he approved of both camps’ actions.
There are many verses and Ahadith similar to this. The difference of opinion in the one matter makes it incumbent upon the Muslims to adopt one opinion from among these various opinions, for all of them are Shari’ah rules, and the rule of Allah (swt) in the one single matter does not multiply. Therefore, it is imperative to determine one single rule and adopt it. hence, the Muslim’s adoption of one specific Shari’ah rule is necessary and inevitable when he undertakes the action, for the undertaking of the action obligates the Muslim to accomplish it according to the Shari’ah rule, whether this were a Fardh (obligatory), or Mandub (recommended), or Haram (forbidden), or Makruh (despised), or Mubah (permitted), and this makes it incumbent upon the Muslims to adopt a specific Shari’ah rule when taking the rules to act upon them, whether he were a Mujtahid or a Muqallid or otherwise.
Where adoption is a must to settle the difference of opinion
The Khalifah adopts a host of specific Shari’ah rules, which he will enact as a constitution and as laws. If he adopts a Shari’ah rule, this rule alone becomes the Shari’ah rule that must be acted upon and it becomes a binding law that every citizen must obey openly and privately.
The evidence of this article is derived from the Ijma’a (General Consensus) of the Sahaba. The Ijma’a of the Sahaba has been established in stipulating that the Khalifah reserves the right to adopt specific Shari’ah rules. It has also been established that it is obligatory to act upon the rules adopted by the Khalifah. A Muslim is forbidden from acting upon other than what the Khalifah has adopted in terms of Shari’ah rules even if these rules were Shari’ah rules adopted by a Mujtahid. This is so because the rule of Allah that becomes duly binding upon all the Muslims is that which the Khalifah adopts. The rightly guided Khulafa’ proceeded in this manner. They adopted a host of specific rules and ordered their implementation; thus, the Muslims, with the Sahaba amongst them, used to act upon these rules and abandon their own Ijtihad. For instance, Abu Bakr ® adopted in the matter of divorce a rule stipulating that the triple divorce would be considered as one divorce if it were pronounced in one go. He also adopted in the matter of distributing the wealth upon the Muslims a rule stipulating that wealth should be distributed equally amongst the Muslims, regardless of seniority in Islam or anything else. The Muslims followed him in this while the judges and the Walis implemented the rules which he had adopted.
Examples of Ijma as-Sohaba (RA)
When Omar ® took office, he adopted in the same two matters different opinions to those of Abu Bakr’s; thus he imposed the rule stipulating that the triple divorce in one sitting is considered as three. He also distributed the wealth among the Muslims according to their seniority in Islam and according to their needs, rather than equally. The Muslims duly followed him in this while the judges and the Walis implemented the rules he had adopted. Then Omar ® adopted a rule stipulating that the land conquered in war is a spoil for Bayt-al-Maal, (the State’s treasury) not for the fighters, and that the land should remain with its owners and should not be divided among the fighters nor among the Muslims. The Walis and the judges duly complied and implemented the rule which the Khalifah had adopted.
Therefore, the rightly guided Khulafa’ proceeded in this way, adopting and ordering people to abandon their Ijtihad and the rules which they had acted upon and adhere to that the which the Khalifah had adopted. The Ijma’a of the Sahaba was established on two matters; these are the adoption and the obligation of acting upon that which the Khalifah adopts. Based on this Ijma’a of the Sahaba, the celebrated Shari’ah principles were obtained.
These are:
1- The Sultan reserves the right to effect as many judgements as the problems which arise.
2- The order of the Imam settles disagreement.
3- The order of the Imam is binding.In essence, the adoption is necessary when a difference of opinion in the one matter occurs. Hence, in order to act upon the Shari’ah rule in this matter, it is imperative to adopt a specific rule in this matter.
Practicalities of adoption
As for the Khalifah, it is imperative for him to adopt a host of specific rules according to which he assumes managing people’s affairs. Hence, it is necessary for him to adopt certain rules pertaining what is of general nature to all the Muslims, in terms of government and authority matters, such as Zakat, levies, Kharaj (land tax) and foreign relations, and also, in terms of all that is related to the unity of the State and the rule.
However, his adoption of the rules is subject to scrutiny. If the Khalifah could not undertake an action, whose undertaking necessitates managing people’s affairs according to the Islamic Shari’ah rules, unless he adopted a specific rule in that matter, in this case the adoption would be obligatory upon the Khalifah.
This would be in concordance with the Shari’ah principle stipulating that: “Whatever is necessary to accomplish a duty is in itself a duty.”, such the signing of treaties for instance. However, if the Khalifah could manage people’s affairs in a specific matter according to the Islamic Shari’ah rules without having to resort to the adoption of a specific rule in this matter, in this case the adoption would be permitted for him rather than an obligation, such as “Nisab Al-Shahada” (the minimum number of witnesses in a testimony) for instance. In this case, it is permitted for him to adopt or not to adopt, for in essence, the adoption is permitted and not obligatory; this is so because the Sahaba ® have unanimously consented that the Imam can adopt and they have not consented that the Imam must adopt. Therefore, the adoption itself is Mubah, and it does not become obligatory unless the obligatory management of people’s affairs cannot be accomplished except through adoption; then it becomes obligatory so that the duty could be accomplished.
The Khalifah does not adopt any specific Shari’ah rule in matters related to rituals except in Zakat and Jihad, nor does he adopt any thought from among the thoughts related to the Islamic Aqeedah.
Evidence of this article is derived from the fact that the adoption is in itself Mubah for the Khalifah and not obligatory upon him. Just as he is entitled to adopt certain rules, he is also entitled to refrain from adopting certain rules. It is not matter which he imposes upon people, because it is not them who adopt, it is rather a matter that concerns him only; thus he is entitled to either adopt or to abstain from adopting. He is entitled to act according to what he deems fit. It emerged from the events of Al-Ma’mun, pertaining the Fitna (strife) of the creation of the Qur’an, that adoption in the thoughts related to Aqeedah matters has caused problems to the Khalifah and Fitna amongst the Muslims. It also emerged from the Fatimide’s adoption of Imam Ja’afar’s school of thought that this caused discontent amongst the followers of other schools of thought and a resentment towards this type of adoption, especially in the opinions related to Aqeedah matters and the opinions related to rituals. Therefore, the Khalifah deems it fit to abstain from adopting in matters related to Aqeedah and in rules related to rituals in order to avoid problems and in order to observe the consent and the tranquillity of the Muslims. Hence, the Khalifah chooses not to adopt in these two matters and Shari’ah has not made it an obligation upon him to adopt; thus he may choose not to adopt. Abstaining from adopting in matters of Aqeedah and in rituals does not mean that it is forbidden for the Khalifah to adopt in them, it rather means that the Khalifah chooses not adopt, for he can either adopt or abstain from adopting. Thus he may choose not to adopt. That is why the article stated that the Khalifah does not adopt rather than stating that the Khalifah is forbidden from adopting, which indicates that he may choose not to adopt.
As for choosing to abstain from adopting in Aqeedah matters and in rituals, this is based upon two issues: The hardship caused by coercing people to follow a specific opinion related to Aqeedah matters and the fact that what prompts the Khalifah to adopt is in fact the management of the Muslims’ affairs by one single opinion and the preserving of the unity of the State and the unity of the rule. Hence, he adopts in matters related to relationships between individuals and related to public matters and he does not adopt in matters related to relationship of man with his God.
Adoption by the Hizb
The Shar’a does not require the mere presence of a group. Rathe hat the Shar’a requires is the establishment of a group whose purpose is to establish this order. The evidences for the existence of the group clarify this for us.
In His SWT saying; “And let there arise out of you a group inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the ma’roof (good) and forbidding the munkar (evil). And it is they who are successful.” [TMQ 3:104]. The Shar’a has obliged the establishment of a political group whose ideology is Islam and that carries the thoughts and Shar’ee rules necessary for the achievement of the aims the group was established for, which are the dominance, establishment and accession to power [of Islam]. The order is not to have a group for its own sake. It is rather to realise what was commanded, which is the da’wah and enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar. Also, it is not the da’wah and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil for their own sake. Rather the order is to realise the objective for which the da’wah and enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar exist; dominance, consolidation and accession to power.
The Messenger SAW said; “It is not allowed for three people to be on any part of the earth without appointing one of them as ameer (leader).” [Narrated by Ahmad b. Hanbal]. The Shar’a indicated that for any joint action that the Muslims have been ordered to perform they must have an ameer. The obedience to him will be obligatory in the matter he has been made ameer for, and for the people over whom he has been made ameer. The group must comply with the order of the ameer, so that the results of this collective work are achieved according to the Shar’a. – Since Allah SWT has enjoined upon the Muslims many obligations that are entrusted to the Khaleefah only, then it has become imperative to appoint a Khaleefah in order to realise these obligations. Since the appointment of a Khaleefah and the establishment of the Khilafah cannot be achieved except by a group, then the presence of a group whose aim is to establish the Khaleefah and the Khilafah becomes inevitable. This is based on the principle: ‘That which is necessary to establish a wajib is itself a waajib.’
So it becomes clear that the presence of a group is inextricably linked to the presence of the required Shar’ee objective. Thus, it is not a group that merely undertakes the da’wah to Islam. It is not a group that conveys the message just for the sake of conveying. Rather it is a group established for the purpose of establishing Islam in the life of the Muslims, through the establishment of the Islamic State, which is considered the Shar’ee method of applying all the rules of Islam, both individual and collective. Hence a group must exist whose purpose is to realise the aim for which it has been established.
Until the group can be considered to have fulfilled all that is required of it, it must do the following things.
It must adopt all the thoughts, Shar’ee rules and opinions that are necessary for its work, and it should adhere to them in word, deed and thought. This is because the aim of adoption is to protect the unity of the party. If the group is established and its members have different thoughts and diverse Ijtihaadaat the group will be afflicted with splits and fragmentation, even though they may be united on the aim and on Islam as well. It is allowed for the Ameer to change the means and styles according to the requirements of the work.
Since the group will be dealing with a wide expanse of land and its reach will extend to many States, then the sheer size and volume of the work necessitates the presence of an administrative system through which the party can pursue the da’wah and realize its aims in all spheres of its work. The administration system will organize and regulate the movement of the da’wah. It will follow the culturing of the shabab and prepare the general atmosphere for the idea. It will organize the intellectual and political struggle. The party will appear to the Ummah as a body, which committed itself to realise this task. Hence, there must be an organisational structure, which is devoted to realising the aim as best as possible, so it monitors the achievements of the work and maintains them.
So the party must adopt an administrative system or an organizational structure that will enable it to organise the da’wah successfully, thus leading to the attainment of the aim. The party must adopt an administrative law through which the body and its movement is organised, where the rules regarding the powers of the Ameer, how he runs the party and how he is selected are defined. It explains who will appoint those responsible for the areas and provinces, and what the limits of their powers are. It is the law that will organise the administration concerning every action of the Hizb and specify the mandatory powers of everyone concerned. All of these rules will take the Hukm of the means and styles that are required for executing the Sharee’ah rules related to the work. It is obligatory to adhere to the adopted administrative styles as long as the Ameer considers them necessary, because obedience to the Ameer is waajib.
26 Rabi’ II 1431
2010/04/10 -
Reflections – Nothing Except Brothers
The definition of Brotherhood varies between dictionaries, ranging from blood relationships to associations based on common interests and activities such as unions and professional associations.
Islam redefined brotherhood in a new and profound manner by changing the relationship from one based on personal interest or mutual activity to a permanent bond based on belief and acceptance of Islam. Allah (swt) revealed:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.” [TMQ 49:10]
The Prophet (saw) also said about brotherhood:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Upon completion of the Hijrah and building the masjid in Madinah, the Prophet (saw) proceeded to establish one of the main pillars of an Islamic community – brotherhood. He paired up the Muhajireen and Ansar, who were virtual strangers to each other prior to this. The two groups understood and accepted the responsibilities that came with this pairing, leading to unique acts, such as sharing wealth and other brotherly deeds, which helped ease the difficulties facing the Muhajireen who left everything behind in Makkah.
This action had brought about a profound transformation in perception of what brotherhood means between members of the Muslim community. It redefined the concept of brotherhood beyond the typical understanding of blood or tribal relationships. This was clearly demonstrated by Mus’ab Ibn Umayr when he found his blood brother Abu ‘Azeez – who was among those captured during the battle of Badr. Upon reaching Madinah, Abu ‘Azeez was lodged with Abu Yusr Alansari, and Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr said to Abu Yusr: “Treat him harshly, for his mother is a wealthy woman.” Abu ‘Azeez said: “Brother is it for you to give this counsel?” “You are not my brother,” replied Mu’sab, “my brother is the one who is tying up your hands.” [Ibn Hisham]
The brotherhood established after Hijrah came with explicit and implicit responsibilities between Muslims, as individuals and as members of the Islamic State. It was the responsibility of the strong to help the weak, of the rich to help the poor, and of the knowledgeable to help those seeking knowledge. Furthermore, it was a responsibility of brotherhood to enjoin the good and forbid the evil.
We should always keep these actions of the Sahabah at the forefront of our minds, since they are the practical interpretation of brotherhood as defined by Islam.
Brotherhood is an obligation, not a choice
The evidences (Adilla) regarding the obligation of brotherhood in the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the life of the Sahabah are strikingly clear. We must be extremely vigilant in correctly upholding this concept to prevent transforming the relationship into a shallow bond, lacking the true essence of Islamic brotherhood.
Sadly, one of the issues facing Muslims in the West is “life in the fast lane,” and due to this lifestyle, we tend to rush our dealings with one another. We should, for example, try to take a few minutes after Jum’ah prayers and greet our brothers next to us with Salaam, and introduce ourselves to them. We should neither be shy nor be afraid of a cold response, keeping in mind that we are only seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) said:
“You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.” [Muslim]
It is necessary to let our brothers know that we care for their well-being, that we sincerely love them as we do our own blood brothers, and that we are ready to help them in any way we are able to. It has been narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adaabul-Mufrad that the Prophet (saw) said:
“If one of you loves his brother for Allah’s sake, then let him know, since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love.”
Muslims have the responsibility to give sincere advice to their fellow brothers and sisters to abstain from haram and stay on the course of halal in every aspect of life, following the basic rule of verifying every action with Hukum Shar’iee – whether in our ibadah (worship) or muamulat (social transactions). The Prophet (saw) said:
“Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees a fault in him he should wipe it away from him.” [Tirmidhi]
Brotherhood in Islam imposes a great responsibility on us to protect our brothers and sisters from harm, even from their own selves. We should ensure that we do not allow ourselves or others around us to engage in activities that could affect the unity of the Muslim Ummah. One such activity is backbiting; we must refrain from initiating or participating in it. Allah (swt) revealed:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ
“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” [TMQ 49:12]
Envy and jealousy are also forbidden, which are the common causes of problems amongst brothers and sisters. The Prophet (saw) said:
“Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slave of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not allowed for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days.” [Muslim & Tirmidhi]
We should also be aware that a brother or sister in Islam has five rights over us, as the Prophet (saw) said:
“Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, and to respond to the one that sneezes.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
It is clear from the above examples that, in Islam, brotherhood is not merely a word we mention to each other when we meet casually or when we engage in business transactions. Rather, it is an obligation, and a deep sense of responsibility and caring for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, not only in our local communities but around the world as well.
Muslims are like one body
One of the most fatal ideas to the concept of brotherhood that has been promoted is the concept of “Ummah fragmentation.” This concept suggests that issues of Muslims in one country should not be of concern to Muslims in other countries. The fragmentation of the Ummah is like a fatal virus that, when adopted intentionally or unintentionally by the Muslims, leads to a clear violation to the aforementioned evidences in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and consequently causes a complete decay in the obligation of brotherhood.
The Prophet (saw) described the Ummah as one body; if one member becomes sick then the other members of this one body will take care of the sick one:
“The Believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
The media outlets and internet have no shortage of news revealing the turmoil that Muslims are living in around the world: from occupation of Muslim lands to the dire poverty of our brothers and sisters. This is where a sense of brotherhood becomes the vital connection between Muslims around the globe. It is our obligation to be politically and intellectually aware of all affairs impacting Muslims everywhere. Allah (swt) has described the believer as a brother to another believer, and therefore it should pain us – just as it would if it were our own blood brother – when we read about the plight of our fellow Muslims.
Sustaining the sense of brotherhood
The enormity of events facing Muslims, coupled with the visible impotence and corruption of the ruling regimes in Muslim lands, are creating frustration and an artificial sense of helplessness among Muslims. This sense of frustration and helplessness is also further fueled by the daily pressures of life facing Muslims. All these factors lead to a gradual decline in reacting to the turmoil facing Muslims outside of their immediate circle of friends and blood relatives – causing a fatal departure from the very foundations and ties of the Ummah.
Muslims should always gravitate toward the concept of brotherhood and the obligation of helping and sympathizing with our brothers and sisters in Islam regardless of where they are or what their condition is.
Although helping our brothers and sisters may not be physically possible in all circumstances, it is imperative to always care and be concerned for their affairs, regardless of geography or language, and do whatever is possible within the circumstances. It is imperative to care, or even train ourselves to care for Muslims in nearby or remote parts of the world by reminding ourselves that our bond with all Muslims is that of brothers and sisters.
Preserving our Muslim identity is both an obligation and a challenge at the same time. It is paramount for Muslims anywhere and at anytime to remain aware of the concept of brotherhood as a most critical tool in striving to keep our distinct identity, especially in the West. Therefore, it is an obligation to follow the lead of the Prophet (saw) and his Companions in this manner and do whatever is necessary to maintain it.
May Allah (swt) bless us with the same brotherhood the Sahabah had under the shade of Khilafah Rashidah. Ameen.
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آَيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided.” [TMQ 3:103]
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REFLECTIONS: Unity of The Muslim Ummah
As millions of Muslims travel to Makkah this month to perform Hajj, we congratulate them on their journey, and ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى to bless them with the completion of their obligation. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى shower His سبحانه وتعالى rewards and blessings upon them and return them home safely.
The Ibadat of Hajj is an amazing event where millions of Muslims gather from around the world: wearing the same clothes and exerting their effort to fulfill this pillar of Islam. Contemplating upon the Hajj, our attention is drawn to one of the vital issues of this Ummah. Muslims with different backgrounds, from distant places, speaking different languages and of different colours and cultures; all come together to the same place and at the same time to perform an act of worship out of total obedience and submission to the one and only ilah: Allah سبحانه وتعالى. As all the differences disappear, Hajj illustrates the unity that Islam naturally brings about to Muslims. Islam makes it an obligation upon all Muslims to unite not just in Ibadat, like Hajj and Fasting, but rather it seeks a true and complete unity of the Ummah in all aspects of life. We will, inshAllah in this issue, shed some light on the type of unity that Islam calls for.
Vital Issues in Islam
A study of the Quran and Sunnah reveals that Islam has identified some issues and made them vital to all Muslims. These issues require the sacrifice of wealth and resources, including the lives of the Muslims themselves. In other words, vital issues in Islam are literally “life and death” issues. Furthermore, the Shariah provides details as to how the Muslims must deal with these issues. One example is the implementation of the rules of Islam. In the following hadeeth narrated by Aisha (ra) Usama Bin Zayd (ra) approached the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in order to intercede on behalf of a woman (from the elite tribe of Bani Makhzoom) who had committed theft. After Usama (ra) made his request to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the colour of the face of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم changed, and he said:
“Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah?” He (Usama) said: ‘Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.’ When it was dusk, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: “Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand.” [Muslim]
RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم made a clear and strong connection between being lenient in implementing the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the destruction of previous nations. He صلى الله عليه وسلم would make no compromise even if his own daughter, Fatima (ra), were to transgress the rules of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
In the story of the apostates during the Khilafah of Abu Bakr (ra) when they refused to pay Zakat, Abu Bakr (ra) said to Umar (ra), “Oh by Allah, if they do not pay even a camel rope (used to tie camels) they used to pay to RasulAllah, I will fight them for it.”. This is despite the fact that most of Arabia apostatized and rebelled against the Muslims who were largely outnumbered by them. Yet, Abu Bakr (ra), with the support of all the Sahabah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم, did not accept anything less than the full implementation of the rules of Islam and, as a result, went to war against the rebels. The fact that Abu Bakr (ra) would resort to fighting demonstrates that he understood this issue as a matter of life and death – meaning he saw it necessary to put the Sahabah and the Ummah in harm’s way to end the rebellion.
The stance that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم took with Usama Bin Zayd (ra) and the stance that Abu Bakr (ra) took with those that refused to pay Zakat, illustrates that Islam has made the implementation of Shariah a vital issue. The Ummah must make it its highest priority to implement Islam comprehensively, as it is a matter of life and death.
Unity of the Muslim Ummah – A Vital Issue
Islam has also made the unity of the Muslim Ummah and the unity of the Islamic State one of the vital issues; an issue of life and death. This includes the prohibition of having more than one khalifah, the prohibition of dividing the Ummah into more than one political entity, and the prohibition of rebelling against an imam that implements Islam.
First, Islam prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims. That is, the Muslims must only have one state. It has been narrated by Abdullah Bin Amr Bin Ul-Aas (ra) that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“He who pledged his Bay’a to an Imam giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can, and if another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of that man.” [Muslim]
Abu Said Al-Khudri narrated that RasoulaAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“If a Bay’a has been taken for two Khalifahs, kill the latter of them.” [Muslim]
Hence, he صلى الله عليه وسلم made the unity of the state a vital issue when he prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to establish a separate rule, unless he retracts.
Second, Islam prohibited the division and fragmentation of the Muslim Ummah. It has been narrated on the authority of Ajrafa (ra) who said: I heard RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم say:
“He who comes to you while your affair has been united under one man, intending to drive a wedge between you or fragment your group, kill him.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Furthermore, Ziyad Ibn Alaaqah (ra) narrated that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“There will be bad and evil things happening, and who wants to fragment this Ummah when it is all united, strike him by sword whoever he is.” [Muslim]
So, he صلى الله عليه وسلم made the unity of the Ummah and the unity of the Muslim state a vital issue when he prohibited the fragmentation of the Ummah and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to divide it, unless he retracts.
Third, a rebellion against the Imam of the Muslims, namely the Khalifah, is forbidden, due to the fact that rebellions lead to the disunity of the Muslims, the shedding of their blood and the squandering of their wealth. Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:
وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِن بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ
“If two factions from among the believers fall into a quarrel, make peace between them; and if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight the one that transgresses until it complies with the Command of Allah.” [Al-Hujraat, 49:9]
Al-Qurtubi in his tafseer states that this is an evidence for the obligation of fighting those who transgress and rebel against the Shariah and a just imam (ruler) while refusing to repent. RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“He who rebels against my Ummah while they are united, strike his neck with the sword whoever he may be.” [Muslim]
Consequently, Allah سبحانه وتعالى prohibited the Muslims from having more than one state or one Khalifah (ruler). Allah سبحانه وتعالى also prohibited the Ummah from rebelling against the khalifah and causing division within the Ummah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى made this unity an obligation and a vital issue when He made it an issue of life and death.
Throughout the history of this Ummah, the Muslims viewed the issue of unity to be the most important and most critical of matters. They never used to be lenient on this issue towards any Muslim whoever he might have been. Ali (ra) was never lenient with Muawiyyah, nor were the Ummayyads or the Abbasids lenient with the Khawarij. Before liberating Al-Aqsa and defeating the Crusaders, Salah-ul-Deen and and his uncle Imad-ul-Deen Zinki worked tirelessly to unite the Ummah.
However, when the Khilafah became weak and the understanding of Islam declined, Muslims kept silent over the breakaway of Islamic lands from the body of the Khilafah. Thus, a wedge was driven between the Muslims and the Khilafah state fragmented into many insignificant countries. This occurred despite the fact that the breakaway of any country from the body of the Muslim state is a vital issue, which stipulates either the repentance of the rebels or the waging of war against them – regardless of the cost in lives or wealth.
Unity According to Islam
Therefore, it should be clear that the unity Islam calls for is a matter of life and death. However, this unity is not the unity of separate Muslim countries where each is ruled by an independent ruler with some form of a union. It is also not a unity based on economics or currency. It is not a unity based on agreements or treaties between separate Muslim countries. All of these are non-Shari’e forms of unity that only serve to distract Muslims from the correct form of Islamic unity. The unity that Islam obliges upon all Muslims is the unity of all Muslim lands under one state ruled by a single Khalifah (ruler). That is “One Aqeedah, One Ummah, One State”. This is the true meaning of Muslim unity that we must adhere to and advocate amongst the global Muslim community. We must elevate the issue of uniting the Ummah from where it is today to where it was during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the generations that followed. As RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions did, we must not accept anything less than the comprehensive implementation of this obligation.
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Islam and International Relations
The basis of the Islamic foreign policy consists of taking the message of Islam to every people and every nation.
For Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed his Message.” [Al-Ma’idah, 5:67]
When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم established the Islamic state in Madinah, the foreign policy of the state was implemented without delay. Examples of this was when He صلى الله عليه وسلم signed the treaty of Hudaibiyah with, many Muslims were displeased with some aspects of the agreement, to such an extent that Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) approached the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and expressed his disagreement. However, he صلى الله عليه وسلم reminded Umar (ra) that his first priority was please Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to obey his commandments. Hence the treaty of Hudaibiyah helps us to understand that certain political manoeuvres which need to be taken to spread dawah. Also, it is vital to generate a good public opinion to earn respect and trust of the people.
He صلى الله عليه وسلم also sealed treaties with the Jews of Madinah to convey the Message in Hijaz.
The basis of international relations in Islam has always been a set concept and can never be changed; this has been the case from when the Islamic state was established and up until it was destroyed. The Islamic State cannot place a bubble around it and just be concerned about its own people; the state will need to constantly monitor international politics as well as local politics (i.e. affairs of the state). This is what it meant by foreign policy.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said in his Khutbah al-wada’ (farewell speech):
“Would the present tell the absent, for the absent may be more conscious than the listener.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم also said, “May Allah brighten a man who listened to my saying, understood it and conveyed it as he heard it.”
The implementation of the Islamic foreign policy is through dawah and Jihad. This method has always been used as a means to execute the foreign policy of the Islamic state.
Due to the way Islam has been degraded by western governments and the media, it has had a negative impact on the perception by non Muslims and some Muslims. It would be absolutely vital that the state works towards refuting the arguments that are being hurled against Islam; this would ensure that the correct version of Islam is presented and would not affect the foreign policy and the states work to open lands to Islam. Here, the media would be used as a tool to propagate Islam and to show the strength of the State to masses. Styles and means such as debates and lectures would be utilised to demonstrate the success of the state and how it would be flourishing in terms of economic, educational and scientific progress. Equal rights would be given to every citizen whether they are Muslim or non Muslims. Every citizen would have access to free education, jobs and medical care.
Exposé of fallacies of contradicting ideologies would also be relayed to the public. Hence, media is key in facilitating the foreign policy and to propagate the values of Islam and to eradicate the capitalist ones.
The State would be independent from international organisations such as United Nation who from the very basis contradict the Islamic ideology. The sole ambition of this organisation is to propagate the capitalist ideology. The state would work to unify the Muslim world under the shade of Islam and would set itself free from any organisation that will act as an obstacle towards the objectives of the Khilafah.
As Muslims we should be very vigilant of the erroneous beliefs of international law. Internal law emerged initially to counter the Ottoman Khilafah. During the 17th century the European states collaborated with one another to confront the Ottoman state. The relations between the states were regulated by certain rules which were agreed upon. The questions which we need to raise in this day and age are: How can International Law be successful, applicable or universal when its main focus is just to keep stronger nations in power. Their aim is to protect the interests of capitalist states, rather than any other ideology be it communism or Islam. The United Nations is weak in comparison to powerful nations such America. An example of the failed attempts by the UN was the Srebrenica massacre. Currently in its 14th year anniversary of a massacre that the United Nations facilitated by gathering the victims together, disarming them, and then refusing pleas for the return of their arms as their predators closed in. This resulted in more than 8000 Muslims being massacred.
Another major concern for Muslims is Guantanamo Bay and how it has remained open for 6 years without any type of justicafication. Though the UN displayed signs of disapproval, they couldn’t even manage to shut it down or put a stop to the regime of torture and humiliation of our brothers.
And lets not forget the dark days that we witnessed earlier this year; the massacre in Gaza. Once again the UN demonstrated the flaws of their organisation. The superpowers would always protect Israel and would veto against any motion passed against it.
The list of failed attempts of peace by the United Nations is endless.What the Ummah needs is for their affairs to be run by the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى not by the United Nations. Contract/oath with this organisation would not be allowed, this is to prevent any type of interference on how the Khilafah would be run.
Allah (swt) says:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ
“The Unbelievers are protectors, one of another: Unless you do this, (protect each other), there would be fitna on earth, and great mischief.” [Al-Anfal, 8:73]
We need to rely on Allah سبحانه وتعالى laws and on each other to liberate the lands which have been occupied by colonialists. The state would not be allowed to keep ties with countries that have occupied Muslim lands and would not be allowed to sign economic treaties or keep diplomatic relations with them. However, the State would be allowed to establish relations with neutral states; Non Muslim states. Any type of treaties established with these nations would need to be done according to Islam.
Furthermore, the Khilafah would need to ensure that they are progressing in the field of technology to build certain relations with places such as Japan. Advancement in nanotechnology, nuclear and solar power would aid this. Japan is an economic giant and is blooming in technology. The countries strength lies within its economy; it is one of the highly developed countries in the world. The Industries heavily rely on importing raw materials from other countries; this would work in favour for the State as we would use this opportunity to liaise with them. The State would either exchange information or even supply raw materials to aid the manufacturing process. This would solidify relations between the two nations.
Domestic natural resources such as oil, diamonds and gold are widely recognised as being great assets for Africa. The state would encourage Africa to manage their resources effectively and not sell them for insignificant costs to feed US interests. The same thing would be said for Latin America; it is rich in resources and agriculture but is in poverty due to it being bankrupt by capitalist nations.
Building relations with neutral nations would smooth the progression of the state in terms of economy, technology and military power. This would set a powerful image to show the strengths that the state would have.
In conclusion, the state would need to be diligent of the domestic and international Politics. This means that it would need to be conscious of the internal and external threats to prevent any type of danger to the state and the Ummah. The state would work towards strengthening its military power, economic status and convey the correct version of Islam to the world. The Ummah needs to look towards the Islamic state to protect their interests and not the United Nations or capitalist nations.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Deceiving years will come where the people would believe the liar and not believe the trustworthy, and the traitor would be trusted and the honest would be distrusted. In those years, the Ruwaybidah will speak.” He was asked, “And what is Ruwaybidah?” He said, “The shallow man who speaks about the public affairs.”
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Islam and the Arabic Language
Language plays a pivotal role in any given society. Not only is it a means by which individuals communicate with each other, but it is the medium through which a society’s core beliefs and values are expressed. It is these beliefs and values which subsequently lead to the establishment of its whole structure and from which solutions are derived for problems that arise in life’s affairs. Among a number of other languages, Arabic is a principal world language. By virtue of being intrinsically linked to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it has had a huge impact on the lives of billions over the centuries.
Arabic Language
Although known as the language of Islam, the Arabic language predates the advent of Islam: it is an ancient Semitic language with roots in the sixth century B.C. with the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe that spoke Aramaic.
The language was thus coined by the Arabs and is not in any way a ‘revealed’ language.
The Arabic alphabet (derived from the Aramaic script) has 28 letters.
The normal word order of a sentence in Arabic is verb/subject/object.
As for tenses, it only has two (perfect tense, imperfect tense or the present tense).
The words in Arabic are constructed from normally three letter “roots” which convey a basic idea.
A variety of new words can be formed from a single root such as the words book, office and library which can be formed by adding other letters to the root k-t-b (which conveys the idea of writing).
The verbs are marked for person (first, second, third), gender and number. These alterations in the basic meaning of a verb are made by adding to the root. Hence, the root k-t-b can produce forms such as kataba, “he broke”, kutiba, “it was written” andyaktubu “he writes”.
The Arabic language is largely a rule-governed language with a less number of exceptions to the rules as compared to some other languages such as English.
Before the coming of Islam, the Arabs took great pride in their linguistic skills. The huge amount of literature that exists from the pre-Islamic era is a testament to the significant role the Arabic language played at that time. As Ibn Rashiq (quoted in Islam, the Qur’an and the Arabic Literature by Omran, 1988) writes:
“Whenever a poet emerged in an Arab tribe, other tribes would come to congratulate, feasts would be prepared, the women would join together on lutes as they do at weddings and old and young men would all rejoice at the good news. The Arabs used to congratulate each other only on the birth of a child and when a poet rose among them.”
Miracle
Indeed the miracle given to Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is fundamentally linked to this period in history. As with other prophets, Allah سبحانه وتعالى sent Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم a miracle (i.e. a phenomena that broke a universal law) that was most relevant to its time. That miracle was the Qur’an. The Qur’an, being an embodiment of linguistic and literary beauty, exceeds anything of human origin for the reason that it cannot be matched grammatically, linguistically, aesthetically or in composition. Its’ style is universally recognized as being unique as it falls in none of the eighteen styles of writing that exist in the Arabic language (sixteen styles of poetry (al -Bihar), prose (sajj) and rhymed prose (mursal). The Qur’an is therefore, indisputably recognized as a unique genre – a genre that cannot be improved upon or even matched by any living being. As Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Qur’an:
“If the whole of mankind and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed each other up.” [Al-Israa, 17:88]
The disbelievers are also openly challenged in the Qur’an:
“And if you are in doubt as to what we have revealed, then produce a sura like unto it.” [Al-Baqara, 2:23]
“Or do they say: ‘He forged it’? Say: ‘Bring then a sura like unto it and call [to your aid] anyone you can.‘” [Yunus, 10:38]
This challenge of the Qur’an came at a time in which literary eloquence was at its peak. The Arabs who took great pride in their language and in precise and articulate speech had been truly humiliated, for despite having the same set of letters and grammatical rules at their disposal, they were unable to come anywhere near meeting the challenge. Since then, there have been many who have tried and failed miserably in this endeavor. Thus Allah سبحانه وتعالى used the Arabic language to convey His final message to mankind and to present to those in doubt of the Message and the prophet hood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم an open challenge till the Day of Judgment.
Arabic and Legislation
The role of Arabic in Islam does not come to a halt with the revelation. Naturally a sound understanding of the Arabic language is required to understand its Message. The knowledge of Arabic language is also required to extract laws from the Qur’an and Sunnah – that is, to perform ijtihad. Ijtihad is defined as exerting one’s utmost effort to extract rules from the legislative sources. The Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are considered to be the primary legislative sources that have the ability to express new rulings from a single Ayah or Hadith. The other legislative sources that are derived from these primary sources are Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogical deduction). When applied, the legislative sources enable a Mujtahid (a person qualified to perform ijtihad) to find a rule for any new situation faced at any period in time. In addition to having an in depth knowledge of the legislative sources, a Mujtahid would also need to acquire knowledge of the Arabic language since without understanding the rules of the Arabic language and their application, it would be impossible to comprehend the sources accurately. As an example, without being aware of the rules of Arabic grammar for interpreting the text of Quran and Sunnah, it would not be possible to find out if the command in the Ayah or Hadith for a certain action is Haram (forbidden) or Makruh (undesirable). As it is the Arabic language in its linguistic capacity that enables the Qur’an and the Sunnah to be applicable for all times, we find that Muslims in the past would acquire knowledge of the Arabic language in the same way as they would acquire knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Most of the Tabi’een (followers and companions of a specific Sahabi) for instance, were non-Arabs who learned the Arabic language and made great contributions to the field of Islamic law.
Understanding the inextricable link between the Arabic language and the Qur’an and Sunnah, the Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula took with them the Arabic language, in the same way as they took the Qur’an and Sunnah, to far-off lands. It is reported that ‘Umar ibn Yazeed wrote to Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari and said: “Learn the Sunnah and learn Arabic; learn the Qur’an in Arabic for it is Arabic.”
It is therefore hardly surprising that, within a few centuries after the revelation of the Qur’an,Arabic became the common language of government, correspondence, business, and literary expression. Regions of Northern Africa and the Middle East were transformed into Arabic-speaking areas within a century of the coming of Islam. In later centuries, Arabic was spoken in parts of Europe and Asia as more lands came under the domain of Islam. The Arabic language was the tool with which Muslims implemented Islam over vast areas of land bringing peace, justice and tranquility to Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.
As lands were conquered, words had to be given to items that Arabs came across. This was only made possible due to the unique quality of the Arabic language which only a few other languages possess. The Arabic language comprises of certain styles that enable it to express any new meaning. For one, its metaphorical nature enables it to create words according to meaning in a metaphorical sense. The qualities of derivation lead to coining of Arabic equivalents on the basis of the Arabic roots. In addition, arabisation makes possible the carving of foreign words and shaping them based on fixed rules that ensure consistency with the principles of arabisation that have already been set in the Arabic language. An example of this would be the word dirham – used to denote a silver coin- which was arabised from the Greek drachmē or drachma by following the standard Arabic noun structure fi’lal. In fact, by proceeding according to the principles of derivation, arabisation and metaphoric usage as well as the details and forms (awzaan) of the Arabic language that had been firmly established in the Arabic language, the Muslims were able to enrich the language and were able to express any new meaning that they came across. The nature of the Arabic language is as such that due to its ability to encompass new words, it is a language that is applicable and relevant for all times in all aspects of human affairs. This quality makes it extremely suitable for the carrying of the Islamic call.
The role of the Arabic language is therefore crucial in Islam for it is the language Allah سبحانه وتعالى has used to convey His final Message and to openly challenge those who disbelieve in its authenticity. Moreover, it is the Arabic language that enables Islam to be relevant and applicable for all times since it is a tool without which ijtihad cannot be performed. The closing of the doors of ijtihad from the seventh century Hijri had a devastating effect on the Muslim Ummah as it stunted its ability to solve emerging problems. Islam therefore became a set of rituals lacking in capacity to deal with new issues that arose. The closing of the doors of ijtihad also lead to the birth of erroneous philosophies as to how to deal with problems of the Ummah. Some began to use their own minds to solve newly occurring problems without any evidence from the Islamic sources, while others were quick to come up with answers without acquiring the necessary tools to perform ijtihad. This road to decline still exists as the Muslim Ummah continues to live in a state of decline in every sphere of life. The only way to come out of this darkness is to once again mix the capacity of the Arabic language with the capacity of Islam without which proper understanding and implementation of Islam cannot be achieved.
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Q&A: Benefiting from Public Property in the Khilafah
Question
The following text is found in the draft constitution:
“Article 140 – Every individual from the individuals of the community (ummah) has the right to derive benefit from public ownership. The State has no right to allow any particular individual to possess, own or utilise publicly owned properties to the exclusion of other citizens.”
In our books we find the hadith, “The Muslims are partners in three…” as well as the hadith, “The people are partners in three…” In light of this, the question is as follows.
The article says that benefit from public property is for the individuals of the Ummah, not for every citizen, or for the individuals of the society. As for the ahādith one mentions ‘Muslims’ and the other mentions ‘people’. Thus is the case that we have used the principle of interpreting the general in light of the specific and thereby understood that the intent of ‘people’ in one of the two narrations is ‘Muslims’, and hence there is no right for the Ahl al-Dhimmah in the public property (except for the public utilities, as the evidences clearly indicate), or is there some other understanding in this issue? Barak Allahu feekum.
Answer
1- Article 140 reads, “Every individual from the individuals of the community (ummah) has the right to derive benefit from public ownership. The State has no right to allow any particular individual to possess, own or utilise publicly owned properties to the exclusion of other citizens.”
The word ‘Ummah’ is of those words which have more than one meaning [mushtarak]. It is used to refer to one person, a community, the Muslims, the citizens, the deen, etc. The intended meaning in a given usage is determined by an indication [qarīnah].
In the text of the above article we intended by ‘Ummah’ the meaning of ‘citizens’ [ra’iyyah], and this intent is indicated explicitly; we mention at the end of the article, “to the exclusion of other citizens [dūna bāqi al-ra’iyyah]”.
This is with respect to the understanding of the text of the article.As for the understanding of the two ahadith and the derivation that ‘citizens’ are intended by the word ‘people’ and the word ‘Muslims’ in these ahadith, it is as follows:
2- Specification [takhsīs] is clarification [bayān], thus if a general expression is found as well as a more general expression, the matter requires consideration: if the first general word is a clarifier for the second more general word than the former specifies the latter; if not, then both remain general and in need of clarification by specification and the former is an individual case [fard] of the latter (the general is merely one case of the more general).
In the two ahādīth ‘people’ is more general than ‘Muslims’. However both texts are in need of a further clarification. This is because if you say that ‘Muslims’ specifies ‘people’ than the legal rule [hukm shar’i] is that the public property is for Muslims, and this is not the case because it is not for all Muslims. The Muslim who lives outside the Islamic State, that is, is not from its citizens, has no share in the public property of the state, and this is clear.
Therefore we hold that ‘people’ is a general word and ‘Muslims’ is one case from its cases [afrād]. In seeking the clarification of both words we find the hadith of Burayda, “…then call them to move from their land to the land of the Muhājirīn [dar al-Muhājirīn], and inform them that if they do so then their rights and responsibilities are like those of the Muhājirīn, and if they refuse to move then inform them that they will be like the Bedouins of the Muslims having the responsibilities of Muslims but having no share in the fay’ and ghanīma unless they fight with the Muslims.” This hadith is explicit in that whoever does not move to dar al-Islam and carry the citizenship of the state then he has no right in the rights of the citizens even if he is a Muslim. Thus both the words ‘people’ and ‘Muslims’ are specified by the hadith of Burayda by ‘citizens’ [ra’iyyah].
Thus we understand the legal rule [hukm shar’i], namely that the public property is for those who live in dar al-Islam and hold citizenship.
3- This is with respect to the derivation of the legal rule from the two ahadith which you mentioned in the question, and it is as follows:The hadith using the word ‘people’ is general.
The hadith using the word ‘Muslims’ is one case from the cases of the general.
The hadith of Burayda specifies the general ‘the people’ such that its intent is only those who are citizens, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.
4- Notwithstanding the above there are explicit texts which apply to the Ahl al-Dhimma and show that they have a right in the public property. The roads and pathways [turuq] are from the public properties and al-Tirmidhi relates a hadith from Aa’isha (ra) that she said, “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had two heavy qitri garments. When he would sit and sweat they would weigh heavily on him. When bazz cloth came from al-Shām with a Jewish man, I said, ‘Perhaps you should go to him and buy two cloths from him to be paid for at a later date.’”. This Jew who lived in the Islamic State used the roads of the Muslims for his trade, and these are from the public properties.
Further the Companions consented that the Christians of al-Sham could drink from the rivers of al-Sham just as the Muslims did; so too those who remained upon Zoroastrianism in Irāq and Bahrain. Similarly, the Copts in Egypt could drink from the Nile and water their animals. And all of them used to gather firewood from the forests.
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Understanding the Hadith
Nothing historically has received more scathing attacks from the kuffaar than hadeeth literature, that is, the preserved body of narrations related to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم sayings, actions and conduct. Originally, many kuffaar attempted to stir doubt in the genre of hadith literature by spreading dubious lies about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and highlighting supposedly contradictory ahadeeth. Orientalists then took up the mantle of destroying the credibility of the Prophetic traditions by carrying out extensive research on the wholesale rejection of hadeeth as a historical source. This was initiated by Orientalists such as Goldziher and Schact, an attack that continues to this day at the hands of modern-day Orientalists.
There exist many misunderstandings about the reality of hadeeth even amongst the Muslim Ummah. Amongst some, there is an attitude that the Sunnah is of much less importance than the Qur’an. From this a mentality has emerged disregarding or neglecting legislation (ahkaam) simply because it is not found explicitly in the Qur’an. Unfortunately, many Muslims have criticised the use of ahadeeth (pl. Hadeeth) by using the very same arguments non-Muslims have used against the authenticity of the Sunnah. In 1977 Colonel Gaddafi, ruler of Libya, announced that the ahadeeth mentioned by the tongue of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم are of doubtful authenticity because they were compiled two hundred years after the death of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He gave an example of a contradiction in the hadeeth by quoting ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها which says, “Aisha رضي الله عنها is deficient in mind and Deen.” He also mentioned another hadith were we read, “Take half your Deen from the mouth of ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها.” Gaddafi concluded that it is not allowed to accept ahadeeth because one cannot be certain whether they are authentic or fabricated. He thus concluded that the Sunnah cannot be taken as a source of legislation.
Historical origins
At the time of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم questions of authenticity were never an issue since the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was living amongst Muslims and his companions were able to correct each other if any mistakes were made in narration. ‘Umar رضي الله عنه once narrated that the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The deceased is punished due to the weeping of his family.” ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها corrected him, saying, “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said this regarding a Jewess that she was punished whilst her family were crying for her,” meaning that she was punished due to dying upon disbelief (kufr) whilst the family wept and not because the family was weeping for her. Due to their proximity to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Sahabah would check strange attributions and reports when they felt doubt.
The earliest record of fabrication of ahadeeth started after the first civil war between Ali رضي الله عنه and Mu’awiya from 35AH following the murder of Uthman رضي الله عنه. According to ibn Sirin (d.110AH), “They did not ask about the isnad (chain of narration) but when civil war (fitna) arose they said: Name to us your men; those who belong to Ahl al-Sunnah, their traditions were accepted and those who were innovators, their traditions were neglected.”
After this time the fabrications increased with varying motivations. Initially the false attributions reflected political differences. According to ibn Abi al-Hadeed: “Lies were introduced in hadeeth on merits originally by Shi’ah. They in the beginning fabricated many ahadeeth in favour of their man, motivated by enmity towards their opponents. When the Bakriyya (i.e. supporters of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه) found out what the Shi’ah had done they fabricated on their part ahadeeth in favour of their man.”
From this problem arose the challenge to authenticate and verify the narrations being attributed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. There were thousands of transmitters of ahadeeth scattered throughout the Islamic lands and an even greater number of reports to sift through. What was required was for the sound narrations to be separated from the weak and then to be compiled. This was all in the days when the best form of data storage was the human memory.
Understanding the Hadeeth methodology
The essential argument for the rejection of ahadeeth is that they were a human construct and not revelation. The discussion of the Shari’ah begins with its sources, which in origin is the Qur’an. The other legislative source is the recorded sayings, actions and conduct of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم which are termed ahadeeth. The ahadeeth are a collection of around 600,000 authenticated narrations comprised of the sayings, actions and consent of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. A hadeeth is always composed of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnaad (chain of reporters).
When one wants to authenticate any incident or statement one would look at those people narrating the incident and then look at their characters. It was out of this need that an entire science, known as ‘ilm al-rijaal (knowledge of the men who transmitted ahadeeth) emerged and this science evolved into an extremely sophisticated discipline. This is because if one is characterised with lying, sin or memory loss, one cannot be considered trustworthy. One can also examine how close the narrators were to a reported incident in terms of whether they actually witnessed it or spoke to another person who narrated the event. This would require the specialist in hadeeth and the scholars of Islam to check accounts of a given narrators memory, eyesight, tendency to exaggerate etc. If the people narrating the event were small in number, then it must be asked if they could have colluded in their accounts. If the opposite were the case and the numbers of trustworthy individuals relating a similar account unknown to the others incredibly numerous, the possibility of collusion diminishes accordingly.
Since each narrator related narrations to others, and so on, chains of narrators develop and we must then examine the chains themselves as well as those within the chain. A tawaatur narration (a narration confirmed generation to generation) is a hadeeth which has been transmitted from one generation to another with each generation being composed of individuals so numerous that the possibility of fabrication or lying is effectively non-existent. It would be similar to taking into account the numerous different narrations from various generations and still claiming the Second World War never took place.
The chain of narration (isnaad) and its study is where the muhaditheen (scholars who collected and categorised ahadeeth) establish the continuity of the chain of narrators i.e. they ensure that there were no gaps, inconsistencies, distortions or errors in the chain. This was achieved by cataloguing the dates of birth and death of narrators and the towns they came from in order to establish the possibility that they had met and hence were actually able to transmit ahadeeth to one another.
The second issue that had to be ascertained was the probity or mendacity of transmitters. It is not sufficient to verify an unbroken continuous chain if even one of the transmitters was known to be of unsound character. Like any chain, all that is necessary for the whole sequence to collapse is simply one weak link that would allow it to fall apart quickly and easily. So one weak link, or in the case of hadeeth literation, a liar in the chain, will weaken or nullify the report respectively even if the rest of the chain features illustrious and trustworthy transmitters. It is for this reason that the Muslims at the time gathered information about the narrators (‘ilm al-rijaal) which was a colossal accomplishment since it involved assessing the character, reputation and state of mind of thousands upon thousands of transmitters. This repository of biographical material would then be used to identify each and every transmitter in the chain to ensure a valid link back to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. It is as a result of this that the genre of biographical dictionaries emerged, a genre that went on to become one of the pillars of hadeeth classification with countless books being compiled on this subject. After the study of the chains the ahadeeth were classified into strong (sahih), good/sound (hasan), not sound (da’eef) and fabricated or spurious (maw-doo‘). The ahadeeth came to be further categorised into topics such as purity, prayer, charity, partnership, marriage, trade, taxation, brokerage, ruling and deputation, amongst many others. This now meant that legislation could be deduced from this basis from the Sunnah, and Muslims have been doing this for the last fourteen centuries.
The ahadeeth is confirmed as a source of law by the Qur’an itself,
مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ
“He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God.” [TMQ An-Nisa: 80]
This method became the method of verifying what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did and said. This is why the science of ahadeeth developed and became a whole discipline itself. Thus a valid hadith is one whose chain is continuous by trustworthy and meticulous transmitters whose reports contained no abnormality or defects. Thus, the conditions in this definition can be listed as the following:
1. Ittisaal as-Sanad (continuity of the chain)
2. ‘Adaalatu Al-Ruwwaah (probity or trustworthiness of narrators)
3. DabT Al-Ruwaah (The precision and accuracy of narrators)
4. The absence of conflict with stronger narrationsDetecting forgery
A wide variety of techniques were developed to detect forgery and deception. There are techniques related to the sanad (chain) and also techniques relating to the matn (text). Such techniques were many in number and are beyond the scope of this article; two such techniques are reconciling facts with narrations and mukhtalaf al-Hadeeth, reconciling seemingly contradictory hadith.
An example of reconciling facts with narrations through textual analysis is the one quoted by ibn Qayyim in his work, Naqd al-Manqool. He quotes a report which says that an agreement was made with the people of Khaybar that exempted them from the payment of Jizyah. This report was declared a fabrication due to the following indications in the Matn:
The text mentions Sa’d bin Mu’aadh رضي الله عنه but Sa’d had died before then in the Battle of Ahzab.
It mentions that Mu’aawiyah wrote the letter but Mu’aawiyah had not embraced Islam until the Conquest of Makkah which occurred after this incident.
The hadeeth mentioned Jizyah but the verses (aayaat) legalising Jizyah were not revealed until after the Battle of Tabuk.
Its text mentions that certain types of taxes were levied but these were known not to exist at the time of Khaybar.
The Jews of Khaybar fought the Messenger (saws) and his Companions. What did they do to deserve being granted such an exemption from the obligation of Jizyah, when other tribes equally bellicose had not been exempted?
Had the Prophet (saws) exempted the people of Khaybar from the Jizyah, he would not have stipulated that they be expelled when he صلى الله عليه وسلم willed. This does not fit with the ruling that the Ahl al-Dhimmah cannot be expelled as long as they abide by the rules of Islam.
If the Prophet had exempted them, why did none of his companions, the Sahaabah, ever exempt them?
In this way, established facts were utilised to ascertain the validity of the content in the various ahadeeth.
When presented with two sets of contradictory hadith, one of three options is possible. Either one can resort to reconciliation of the hadeeth by considering a whole host of issues such as textual indication or, if this is not possible, then the outweighing (tarjeeh) of one report over the other if the chronology is not known and finally, accepting abrogation if the chronology is known.
Thus, the means of removing conflicts are three:
a) Jam’ a (reconciliation)
b) Tarjeeh (outweighing if the chronology is not known)
c) Naskh (abrogation if chronology is known)
d) If none of the above methods are possible, then the muhadditheen revert back to the original rule and assume the contradictory texts are non-existent.The process of reconciliation succeeds by attempting to reconcile two conflicting texts due to certain linguistic and circumstantial considerations. Here, the textual indications can assist in the reconciliation between two texts. For example, in one hadeeth, we read, “Water is pure so nothing can make it impure.” (Abu Dawud). In another, we read, “If the water is enough to fill two pots (qullatayn), it carries no impurity.” (An-Nasaa`ee) The first text is ‘Aam (general) for all amounts of water except the wording of the second text indicates that water can become impure if its nature is changed. This is a specification (takhsees) of the first text by the meaning of the second.
Tarjeeh (outweighing) can occur in a number of ways; one such way is if one of the conflicting hadeeth accords with another authentic hadith. For example, one hadeeth reads, “There is no nikaah (marriage) without a wali (guardian).” (Abu Dawud) This hadeeth stipulates the presence of a wali but it seems to contradict another hadeeth which indicates that the wali is not stipulated. That hadith is as follows, “The matron has greater right than her guardians and the virgin her permission is sought. Her permission is her silence.” (Saheeh Muslim) Yet the first hadith stipulating the presence of the wali agrees with another sound narration which says, “Any woman who gets married without the permission of her guardian (Wali), her marriage will be void, her marriage will be void, her marriage will be void.” (al-Haakim) Therefore, the tarjeeh here will be that the hadeeth which says that there is no nikaah without a wali is outweighed and accepted because it is supported by another authentic narration.
As for abrogation, this happens when it is not possible to reconcile a hadeeth but abrogation is possible because the chronology is known. For example, one hadeeth reads, “The one who cups blood and is cupped has broken his fast” whereas another hadeeth reads, “…that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was cupped while he was fasting.” If we scrutinize the circumstances of these ahadeeth, we find that first hadeeth took place in the 8th year after Hijrah during the Conquest of Makkah while the second hadeeth is in the Farewell Khutbah in the 10th year after Hijrah. Thus, Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee رضي الله عنه took the view that the second hadeeth had abrogated the first, allowing the cupping of blood while fasting in Ramadaan.
The Muslim scholars and experts were able to amass a database of thousands of narrators, define rigorous criteria to assess authenticity, classify and adopt a grading system for chain narrators, devise techniques to detect and avert mistakes and fabrications and adopt a methodology to reconcile the differences within certain texts. The result was the remarkably robust and effective preservation of the Islamic ideology and its legislative capacity.
If we compare the system of hadeeth collection (Isnaad) to the modern system of historical analysis, we will find the former to be much more sophisticated and successful in establishing the authenticity of historical incidents and events. What the Muslims called a da’eef hadith is perhaps stronger in historicity, in some of its forms, than modern sources such as history textbooks, numismatics or historical criticism of literary texts. This is because da’eef does not mean fabrication but simple that it does not satisfy the stringent criteria developed by the muhadditheen.
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Israel will be destroyed & Jerusalem will become the capital of the Khilafah
n these difficult times we must not get defeated, have vision and work to achieve that vision. Israel will be defeated in the future and Jerusalem will become the capital of the Islamic Khilafah inshallah. The following are evidences from the Quran and ahadith for this:
Allah (swt) States: “And we decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that indeed you would do mischief on the earth twiceand you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant! So, when the promise came for the first of the two, We sent against you slaves of Ours given to terrible warfare. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled. Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in manpower. (And We said): ‘If you do well, you do good for your ownselves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves’. Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands. [And We Said in the Taurat (Torah)]: ‘It may be that your Lord may show mercy unto you, but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our Punishment). And We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers” [TMQ Al-Isra, 17:4-8]
The indication in this verse that the second promise of Allah (swt) which will come to pass refers to the destruction of Israel is where it says, “to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before”. The Muslims opened Jerusalem to Islam under the rule of the second Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), the Islamic state ruled it with justice for hundreds of years. Even though it was captured by the Crusader Christians for a number of years it was never captured by the Jews previous to the formation of the state of Israel. So Allah (swt) promises that we will enter the mosque of Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem as we entered it before when we conquered it.
Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaakir, from Maseerah b. Jaleese, where he heard the Prophet (saw): “This matter (the Khilafah) will continue after me in Al-Madina, then (move to) Al-Shaam, then to the peninsula, then to Iraq, then to the city, then to Bait-ul-Maqdis. So if it reaches Bait-ul-Maqdis, then it would have reached its (natural resting place); and no people who remove it (i.e. the capital of the Khilafah) from their land will ever get it back again (for them to be the capital again).” The scholars said they believe that what he (saw) meant by ‘the city’ is the city of Heraclius (Constantinople). This hadith is talking about which cities would become the capital of the Khilafah, all the cities mentioned have been the capitals of the Khilafah in the past except Bait ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem). This will be our capital sometime in the future inshallah.
In addition there are others from Ibn ‘Asaakir, from Abdul Rahman b. Abi ‘Umayrah Al-Muzni, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw): “There will be, in Bait-ul-Maqdis, a (rightly guided) Bay’a.”
These include narrations by Al-Haakim, which have been classified as Sahih. Of these is the narration from Abi Shareeh: “…I have heard those who say that they will be twelve banners, and under each banner twelve thousand (men), and the Muslims will gather to their comrade (or Imam) in Bait-ul-Maqdis (Al-Quds).”
It was narrated by Ibn Habban in his book of Sahih Ahadith, that Al-Shaam (the region which covers Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and part of Iraq) will be the base of the land of the believers at the end of time. On the authority of Al-Nawas b. Sam’aan, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, “…and the ‘Uqr (natural origin) of the land of the believers is Al-Shaam.”
It was also narrated by Ahmad from the hadith by Salamah b. Nufayl, “…verily, the ‘Uqr of the land of the believers is Al-Shaam…”
Furthermore, it was narrated by Al-Tabarani, in ‘Al-Kabeer,’ on the authority of Salamah b. Nufayl: “The ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam is in Al-Shaam.” According to Al-Haythami, this was narrated by Al-Tabarani, and his men (chain of narration) are trustworthy.
This hadith was narrated by 5 Tabi’ Tabi’een, from two Tabi’een, from 2 of the Sahaba. Due to the nature of the definite truthfulness of the speaker (the Messenger of Allah (saw)), this hadith is with regards to the second ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam, and not the ‘Uqr of the first, for the meaning of the ‘Uqr of the land is its centre and origin, and the ‘Uqr of the first Islamic State was in Al-Madina Al-Munawwarah; therefore, this means that what is meant here is the ‘Uqr of the second Islamic State.
It was narrated by Abu Dawud in ‘Al-Sunan’, on the authority of Abdullah b. ‘Amr (ra): “There will be a Hijrah after a Hijrah, so the best people on earth are those who keep to the (land of the) Hijrah of Ibrahim (i.e. Al-Shaam).”
This Hadith was also narrated by Al-Haakim, who said that it is Sahih according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs, and they have not narrated it. On the authority of Musa b. Ali b. Rabah, who said: I heard my father say: ‘…Abu Hurairah said, I was told by Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. Al-‘Aas (ra): I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say…’ and he mentioned the hadith. It was also narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad, on the authority of Abdullah b. ‘Amr, and said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say…’ and he mentioned the hadith.
This hadith was narrated by at least five Tabi’ Tabi’een, from three Tabi’een, from two Sahaba. It indicates that there will be a Hijrah (emigration) to Al-Shaam after the Hijrah to Al-Madina. The purpose of Hijrah is to leave Dar Al-Kufr (land ruled by Kufr) and to emigrate to Dar Al-Islam (land ruled by Islam). The first emigration was to Al-Madina, and the second emigration will be to Al-Shaam. This understanding supports the hadith regarding the ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam.
It was narrated by Abu Dawud, on the authority of Ibn Zughb Al-Ayadi, who said that Ali Abdullah b. Hawalah Al-Azdi came to him and said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent us to seek booty on foot, so we returned and did not find anything, and he (saw) could see the exhaustion in our faces, so he stood up and said: ‘Oh Allah, do not leave them for me, where I would be too weak for them, and do not leave them to themselves, where they would be too weak for themselves, and do not leave them for the people, where they would keep (the good) from them, keeping it for themselves.’ Then he (saw) placed his hand on my head…” (or he said: “…on my forehead): ‘Oh, Ibn Hawalah, if you see that the Khilafah has come to the sacred land (Al-Quds), then the earthquakes, the troubles, and the great happenings have come, and the hour on that day is nearer to the people than my hand here on your head.’”
Al-Haakim also narrated this hadith on the authority of Ibn Zughb Al-Ibaadi. He declared that this hadith has an authentic chain of narrators, and it was not narrated by the two Shaykhs. Ahmad narrated it with the same Isnad (chain of narrators) as Al-Haakim. If Ibn Zughb is Abdullah, then he is one of the Sahaba, and if he is Abdul-Rahman, then he is one of the Tabi’een. Therefore, this hadith was narrated by two Sahaba if he is the first (Abdullah), or one of the Sahaba if he is the second (Abdul-Rahman); and one of the Tabi’een if he is the first, or two of the Tabi’een if he is the second; and three Tabi’ Tabi’een in both cases.
This hadith indicates that the Khilafah will come to the land of Al-Quds. It cannot be said that the Khilafah came to it during the Khilafah of ‘Umar (ra), because the earthquakes, troubles and tumultuous events did not come at that time. This means that there will be a second coming of the Khilafah in which these events will follow.
