How We Should Look At Islamic Religion ?

There are many Muslims who view their religion through different colored lenses, thereby altering their perspective of it. 

There are those who restrict Islam only to the Qur’an. They feel that the Book of Allaah is the be all and end all of their religion. Often times, when you say something to them, their immediate response would be, "is it in the Qur’an?"

An example of such a conversation: 

Person A: “Akhi, you have to keep your beard. It is not permissible to shave it all off”

Person B: ”Is it in the Qur’an? Does Allaah say in the Qur’an that men have to keep their beard?

Person A: “No.. it is not in the Qur’an, but….”

Person B: "Then it’s not a must. If it’s not in the Qur’an, we don’t have to do it."

This is extreme ignorance of the fundamentals of the deen. Yes, the Qur’an is the core and the foundation upon which the deen of Islam is built, but it is not independent of the Messenger to whom it was revealed. 

You can never separate the two, because the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is the embodiment of the Qur’an and his Sunnah is the explanation of it. As it comes in his saying:

“I have left with you that which when you hold fast to it, you will never go astray after me; the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah.” [Saheeh al-Jaami‘ #2937]

Then we have those who do value the Qur’an and the Sunnah equally, but have a flawed understanding of these two sources. 

If you look at all the various sects within Islam, you will find all of them claiming to be upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and will even quote you authentic ahadith, yet each of these groups have a different interpretation of these two sources.

I will give you a very simple example

Allaah سبحانه و تعالى states in Surah Al-Hijr - (15:99)

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty.” 

 

The extreme Sufis claim that once certainty comes to you that Allaah is your Lord, you are in no need of worshiping Him, so you abandon the five daily prayers etc. Because you have gained a level of certainty which exempts you from worshiping Allaah because of this verse in the Quraan! 

And anyone with a sound intellect will not fall for such shenanigans. However, some people have fallen for them and do not worship Allaah thinking they have reached certainty, or worship these individuals because they have managed to attain this level. 

Now if we look at the way the Salaf were, you will see that they were at the foremost in worshiping Allaah سبحانه و تعالى correctly and spared no avenues of worship. 

Does it mean they did not reach certainty?

And if we take it right to the top we will see that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم worshiped his Lord till his last breath. 

So from there you can see the incorrect understanding of a verse of the Quraan. 

And as for the understanding of the Salaf, they said regarding this verse: 

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty.” (15: 99). 

Imaam Al-Bukhari said: “Salim said, (This means) death.” This Salim is Salim bin `Abdullah bin `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab رضي الله عنهم.

Ibn Jarir also recorded from Salim bin `Abdullah; (And worship your Lord until the Yaqin comes to you.) He said, “Death.” [Tafsir Ibn Katheer] 

So we have been commanded to worship Allaah سبحانه و تعالى as long as we are of sound mind and until death comes to us. 

If you look at the history of the Khawaarij (a deviant group which calls to the bloodshed of Muslims and revolting against the Muslims leaders) you will find that they used the verses of the Quraan to incite people against the fourth Khalifah Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه and they ended up killing him. 

What did they use? The verses of the Quraan. However, their understanding was an understanding other than that of the Salaf (Sahabah, Tabi’een and the Taba Tabi’een). 

And the list goes on and on and on with examples of such misunderstandings and misinterpretation of the Speech of Allaah, the Most High. 

This is why the deciding factor is the understanding of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. That understanding can only be taken from the ‘Salaf’ (The pious predecessors). 

Narrated Irbaad ibn Saariyah رضي الله عنه: “The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم gave us a sermon which frightened the hearts and caused the eyes to shed tears. So we said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! [it is as if it is a farewell sermon] so advise us.’ He said,

‘I advise you to fear Allaah and to hear and obey even if an Abyssinian slave were to rule over you. 

For surely, he who lives from amongst you will see much differing, so it is upon you to be upon my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. 

 

Bite on to it with your back molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for verily, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and all innovation is misguidance.’

 

Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4607) and by at-Tirmidthee (no. 2676).

It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Irwaa’ul-Ghaleel (no. 2455).

There is even a term for the correct understanding and implementation of the sources of Islam, did you know? It is called Tawqeefiyyah.

Tawqeefiyyah within the religion of Islaam, is to stop and limit ones statements and actions to what Allaah said in His Book, Al-Qur’aan and what His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ordered, did and approved upon within his Sunnah. 

These are our only two sources of Al-Ilm (knowledge), which must be understood as As-Sahaabah (the Companions of Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) understood them. Without deviation, alteration or change.