FIQH ISLAM – Islamic Jurisprudence Introduction Pt.2

Bismillahhirrahmannirrahiim.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Dear brothers & sisters,

Alhamdulillah. All praises be to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala for allowing me to still be here to share with you further as to introducing what I have come to learn about the FIQH of ISLAM @ Islamic Jurisprudence through my ongoing studies of my faith and the billions of other Muslims here on this Earth.

Salawatuwassalam to our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam, the Seal of the Prophets and Allah’s Greatest Messenger who is sent to the entire universe and to all the Creation of Allah Azza Wa Jalla.

I continue with sharing with you as to the reasons why the study in the Fiqh of Islam @ Islamic Jurisprudence is compulsory to each and every Muslim who wants his or her deeds and actions throughout his or her life be that which is in accordance to what Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and His Messenger Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam commands and enjoins?

Each of our actions as a Muslim must be carried out with our full comprehension and understanding as to the Hukum or Rulings of Islam.

There is no room to feign ignorance in this Age of Knowledge and fantastic advancements in the field of Science and Technology or the awesome availabilities of modern multimedia and telecommunications.

If we can spend hours listening to mindless hedonistic pursuits or careless wasting away of our precious lifetime by watching the endless concerts and entertainment shows that are broadcasted non stop through our nation’s television channels and other forms of media, then I am sure that if we want to, we can spend a few minutes whenever we can, to study about what our faith of Islam asks of us?

So, to balance the deluge of hedonism that is swamping the life’s of Muslims here in Malaysia and in the cyberspace, it is important that Da’ee’s like me take the initiative in sharing what I can within my limited means to help others like me who love Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and the Last Messenger Habibullah Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam to start this series of informative articles about the Fiqh of Islam. Insya Allah.

So to not waste anymore time, let me get to the rest of the introduction to this most important matter, the Study of Islam’s core knowledge, Islamic Jurisprudence or as we know it to be Usul al Fiqh in Islam.

Introduction to Usul al Fiqh of Islam. Part 2.

In the practice of Islam, there are certain rulings that every Muslim needs to abide to and when a certain situation or matter is not addressed to explicitly by the Holy Qur’an and authentic Hadiths of the Blessed Messenger, Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam, the Ulamaks of Islam @ Islamic Scholars will then refer to the Ijma’ of the Mujtahidin or Qiyas @ Analogical Deduction.

The Mujtahid are those who are qualified to exercise Ijtihad.

There are also other forms of consensus that the Ulamaks @ Scholars refer to that are termed as:

• Istihsan @ Discretion
• Istishlal @ Proper Methods
• ‘Uruf @ Customs that are acceptable
• Istishab @ Presumption in the absense of facts

As I learn more about the rulings, I will be sharing about them here, Insya Allah for our mutual benefits.

In a Muslim society, especially in our world today where we are living in the Last Ages pending the arrival of ‘Yaum al Qiyamat’ @ Doomsday, we are left to depend on what Rasul Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam has left for us:

• the Complete and Last Testament of Allah Almighty, our God and Creatorin the form of the revealed verses of the Holy Al Qur’an Al Kareem
• the authentic Hadiths of Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam
• the Ijma’ of the Mujtahidin’s
• Qiyas @ Analogical Deductions of the Ulamaks al Muktabar @ Distinguished Scholars

we are certainly blessed to have all these resources available to us with the proven authenticity of all the above resources and also the benefit of this astounding internet, the worldwide web of intercontinental network of stored oceans of data and information that if properly used and utilized can and will be beneficial to each and every human being who has access to a computer and internet connection.

It’s all a matter of choice, isn’t it?

We can’t blame anyone else but ourselves if we fail to tap in to these bottomless ever growing online archives of stored data and uploadable internet network available 24/7 till the Last Day!

The Mujtahids methods of coming to a Hukum @ Ruling:

When there are no definite Hukum or Ruling regarding a certain matter or issue, the Mujtahids will convene and come to a consensus or ‘Ijtihad that is binding upon the Ummah.

They can agree to the implementation of a Hukum or Ruling based upon the Qur’an or Hadiths which when the Qur’an or Hadith’s does not address the specific turn of events or circumstances which were not prevalent during the times of such Quranic revelations or in the lifetime of the Blessed Final Messenger, still has its relevance to related scenarios or events referred to in Allah’s Final Testament to all Mankind or by His Messenger Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassolawatu Wassallam.

For example in understanding the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam which refers to the ethics of doing business.

This is just one clear example as to the subject of Usul al Fiqh of Islam playing a very major and important part in the life’s of Mankind, regardless of creed or color!

The context of the hadith above details face to face business dealings. In today’s advancements of doing business like through E-Commerce which takes place online, the parties concerned can be as far away from each other as the seller being here in Malaysia and the buyer faraway on the other side of the world like say in the United States of America.

We conduct business online, something that people living in the times of the Blessed Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam would not have even imagined?

Yet today the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam still can be used as a guide in the context of such a business transaction where the Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam stated that “The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return goods as long as they have not parted or till they part; and if both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transactions, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transactions would be lost.”

Narrated by Abdul Hakim bin Hizam (Radhiallahu Anhu). Book of Sales Chapter 13 Hadith #996.

The part where the Holy Prophet stated that the seller and the buyer have the rights to go through or cancel their business transactions and to be truthful in their dealings and not to be deceptive in their trade can still be used, practiced and honored right to the very Last Day of the Human existence.

It makes no difference that the hadith referred to above was recorded over a thousand four hundred years ago!

So, in the matter of Muslims or even Non Muslims conducting business with one another, the enjoinments of our Blessed Noblest Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam transcends the passage of time, overlooks the matter of ethnicities and faith all together right through to the final moments of the realities of mankind’s presence here on Earth and in the Hereafter.

In the context of the Muslim custom of conducting such a trade, we have a custom of finalizing our business transactions with the understanding of ‘Ijab and Qabul‘ which carries the meaning of ‘offer and acceptance‘.

That means both the seller and the buyer are content with the manner by which they traded.

The goods bought and the amount of money exchanging hands is done with the mutual consent and willingness of both parties.

The Ijma of Mujtahidins help to clear any confusions that arise out of any questions that dwell on the detailing of fardu ain or fardu kifayah?

Let’s say for the matter of something as so simple but very, very important as the matter of taking ‘Wudhu’ @ ‘ablution’, there are still many out there who are so petty minded and ready to argue as to whether they should wipe all of their head with the ablution waters or just a token portion of their cranium?

As I see it, a large number of clueless Muslims nowadays are almost always ready to fight or wage war against each other on the slightest differences of opinions such as these but are so bloody obstinate and recalcitrant in wanting to add to their limited knowledge about Usul al Fiqh in Islam.

We need to correct ourselves constantly and when advised by those who are sincere in wanting to see our life’s be improved in both the worldly and in the ‘akhirat’ matters, be willing and able to receive such good natured outreach attempts to add value and cherished knowledge in our mindsets.

I will stop here and continue in the next part of this introduction to the most important aspects of Islamic Knowledge, that is crucial to our identities as true and sincere Muslims who love Allah Ar Rahman Ar Raheem, our Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam, his Sahabah, the Mukmins and Muslims all over the world and our Brothers & Sisters, the Children of Adam Alaihis Salam, whom we must reach out to with the Truth and Beauty of Rightful Islam, the birthright of each and every human being here on Earth.

Insya Allah, this speck of dust intends to do my bit for this effort in the field of Dakwah al Islamiyah, so help me O Allah.

Wabillahi Taufik Wal Hidayah.

Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Ta’ala Wabarakatuh.

Your brother in Islam,

Zainol Abideen a.k.a. MAHAGURU58
Bandar Tun Razak,
Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

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