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The Sunnah:
A Source of Civilization
Prof. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi Translated by El-Falah Contents Preface The Sunnah: A Source of Civilization The Sunnah and Civilized Fiqh
- Fiqh of Ayat and Sunnan
- Fiqh of Knowledge
- Fiqh of Life
- Fiqh of the Targets of Shariah
- Fiqh of Virtues of Shari’ah
- Emphasis on the Sublime Ends of Life
- Following in Religious Matters and Innovation in Worldly Affairs
- Constructive Positivism
- Man Is Essence Rather than Appearance 10.Sincere Devotion and Adhering to the Islamic Shari’ah as Prerequisites for the Acceptance of Deeds The Sunnah and Civilized Manner
- Adherence to Virtues
- Doing What is Good
- Discipline and Public Conduct
- Cleanliness and Beautification
- Tolerance with Opponents
- Mercy Towards Allah’s Creatures
Preface
To tackle the issue of civilization, most of people - cultured and uncultured, Muslims and non-Muslims, imagine religion as something that has no relation to civilization in toto. Those people are one of two, either they do not know the truth although its light surpassed that of the sun, or they aim at concealing the truth out of envy and prejudice. For Muslims, there is no excuse in admitting the above-mentioned attitude for they have the Glorious Qur'an and the purified Sunnah which laid down the principles of establishing a civilized moderate Nation, i.e., the Muslim Nation. The book in hand is an effort towards promoting a sound understanding of Islam through its basic sources, namely the Glorious Qur'an and the purified Sunnah. The Sunnah, A Source of Civilization sheds light on the milestones of the Muslim Civilization and how the Sunnah cared about establishing the civilized Muslim Nation in a wonderful manner. It should be noted that this book is a translated part of the priceless Arabic book "Al-Sunnah, Masdaran Lil - ma'rifati Wal-Hadarah" or "The Sunnah, A Source of Knowledge and Civilization" by the great scholar Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, which is all translated and edited by El-falah By doing so, El-falah hoping that this book may open the door before researchers and students to delve into the depths of the Prophetic Sunnah to get out the precious treasures thereof. El-Falah, keeping in mind the profound knowledge of Dr. Al-Qaradawi, asks its beloved readers to read this book with fresh and attentive mind to catch the hoped benefits thereof. El-Falah, on its part, appreciates the efforts made by Mrs. Raw'ah Nazar in translating this precious book. It also offers many thanks to its sincere team of editors and proofreaders: Ali Muhammad El-Sawi, Wa'ilAbdul-Mut'al Najm, headed by `Ali El-Sayed El-Halawany. All praise is due to Allah, and blessing and peace be upon His Prophet and those who follow in his footsteps till the Day of Judgment.
"And We have not sent before you, any but from among the people of the towns We revealed to them." (12:109) Ibn Zaid and others said that the reason behind this preference for towns people, is that they are more knowledgeable and patient in comparison with the Bedouin people. Interpreters supported this opinion and regarded it as a fact that has no controversy. Therefore, the Bedouin are referred to as the hard-hearted people. Also, the hadith said: "He who belongs to the Bedouins is most likely harsh and hard of heart." Narrators said that it is disliked to imitate the Bedouin in his harshness and hardness of heart except in times of trial and affliction. Qatadah said: "Hitherto, we have never heard that Allah had sent down a prophet from among Bedouin." Moreover, it was reported that Al-Hasan said: "Allah has never sent down a prophet from among the Bedouin, women, or Jinns [Al-Alusi, Ruh Alma'ani, vol.13, p. 68] As for Allah's Words said by Yusuf, to his father and brothers: "He brought you from the desert" (12:100) The scholar Al-Shihab Al-Khafaji comments, in his Hashiyya, [Al-Shihab, Hashiyya. vol. 5, p.211] on Al-Baidawi's explanation saying: "Yusuf's family were not Bedouin, yet they used to graze their sheep in the desert and that was whereof they came at that time." Assuredly, Islam dawned to bring people out of the depths of darkness, with all its kinds and levels, to light, with all its kinds and levels. This includes bringing people out of the darkness of Bedouinism and savageness into the light of civilization and urbanism. The Qur'an states: "The Bedouin Arabs are the worst in unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger: but Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." (9:97) It is quite right that the Qur'an had excluded a group of them by saying: "But some of the Bedouin Arabs believe in Allah and the Last Day, and look on their payments as pious gifts bringing them nearer to Allah and obtaining the prayers of the Messenger." (9:99)
But what is proved in the verse represents the general characteristic disposition. This factual generalization was cemented by the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) words: "He Who belongs to the Bedouin is most likely harsh and hard of heart" [Reported by Abu Y'ala on the authority of Al-Bara'. Also by Ahmad on the authority of Abu Hurairah]. As we know Islam is represented by both the Glorious Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah and we can see in them a persistent determination to transfer those people from the savageness of the Bedouin into a systematized urban civilization. Islam aimed at elevating them financially, scientifically, artistically, and socially as well as spiritually and morally. This aim required Islam to educate and purify them according to a wise and gradual instructive discipline that was to be carried out by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself. Among the targets of the Immigration (Hijrah) to Medina, which was prescribed upon the Arab tribes before the conquest of Mecca, was giving a chance for the Bedouin to learn and absorb the new Islamic culture which considers the congregational and their Prayers as essential rites. Moreover, it encourages them to attend instructive meetings, to embrace Islamic discipline which covered all aspects of life: eating, drinking, wearing clothes, walking, sitting down and all other major as well as minor aspects of life. If we make a comparison, we will see, on the one hand, the Bedouin man who was not in the least embarrassed to pass urine in one corner of the mosque regardless of the fact that the Prophet and his Companions were sitting in it. Yet when people shouted at him, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) stopped them and excused his ignorance and Bedouinism ordering his Companions: "Wait until he finishes his urinating then spill a bucket of water over the place, for you have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult." [Reported by Al-Bukhari in the book of Ablution, Abu Dawud (No. 380), Al-Tirmidhi (No.147), Al-Nasa'i (vol.1, pp.48,99). All on the authority of Abu Hurairah] On the other hand, we would see his fellow Muslim who was instructed, refined and purified by Islam as he approached Rustum, the leader of the Persian armies, and answered his inquiry about the identity of Muslims saying: "We were sent by Allah to bring out whom He wills from the worship of His slaves to His Worship
Sahl Ibn Abi Hathamah narrated after his father that he heard the Prophet (Peace be upon ) saying: "Avoid the great seven sins. When the Prophet saw that the people kept silent, he went on: "Won't you ask me about them? They are: to associate partners in worship with Allah and to turn band live in the desert with Bedouin after the immigration etc." [Al-Haithami said: It is reported by Al-Tabarani in Al-Kabir, vol.1, p.103] Undoubtedly, Islam was a message of civilization. Its target was to elevate the life of man and set him free from the bonds of Bedouinism to the freedom of civilization. The reader will perceive this fact when we tackle the issue of Civilized Structure that Islam has brought along. It is necessary to emphasize that the civilization that Islam wants to build is unlike any other civilizations which focus on the materialistic aspects of life as well as the bodily and sensuous side of man. Moreover, these civilizations concentrated on the readily and immediate pleasures of life, making worldly affairs their primary concern and the destination of their knowledge, and left no room for Allah or the Hereafter in their philosophy or in their cultural and educational system. Contrary to them, the Civilization of Islam has united man to Allah and earth to heaven. It has dedicated life to preparation for Hereafter. It has mingled spirit with matter, has struck a balance between the mind and the heart, has wedded science to faith and has cherished ethical sublimity as much as materialistic development. It is justifiable to describe it as a spiritual, materialistic civilization. It is both idealistic and real, holy and human, ethical and populational, and individualistic as well as general. Truly, it is the civilization of balance and moderation which was the basis on which a just and distinguished Nation. Almighty Allah described it saying: "And so We have appointed you as a just and distinguished Nation." (2:143)
The Sunnah and Civilized Fiqh
"It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to purify them, and to instruct them in the Book and the wisdom - although they had been, before, in manifest error." (62:2) This process of teaching the Qur'an and the Sunnah created what we might call a civilized consciousness, or in other words, the Islamic term Civilized Fiqh. [Among those who spread this term is our beloved poet Umar Baha' Al-Deen Al-Amiri (May Allah bestow mercy upon him) That is clear in his discourses and books. However, he has not explained its characteristics and that is my own task here] By this Fiqh I mean the science that focuses on elevating man from the abyss of superficial and primitive perception to the apex of profound understanding of the universe in general, and life in particular. It revives his stagnant, imitative, enslaved, whimsical, superstitious, biased, pretentious, and presumptuous mind and turns it into an active, free, independent, realistic, empirical, tolerant, and modest one. As a result, it realizes the limits of what he knows and he does not feel ashamed to say: I do not know or does he feel embarrassed to admit his errors. Imam Malik commented on this issue saying: Fiqh does not mean that acquiring much knowledge, rather it is a gift bestowed by Allah on whom He wills. He further explained: Knowledge is not acquired through learning by heart, for it is a light that Allah implanted into the hearts. [See jami' Bayan Al-'ilm Wal Fadlih by IbnAbd Al- Barr, pp.20, 25] Therefore, perception and illumination is much more important than learning by heart.
- Fiqh of Ayat and Sunnan
- Fiqh of Knowledge
- Fiqh of Life
- Fiqh of the Targets of Shari’ah
- Fiqh of Virtues of Shari’ah
- Emphasis on the Sublime Ends of Life
- Following in Religious Matters and Innovation in Worldly Affairs
- Constructive Positivism
- Man Is Essence Rather than Appearance
deal with the believers as well as the disbelievers. Allah says in the Qur'an: "But no change wilt thou find in Allah's Way (of dealing): no turning off wilt thou fin in Allah's Way (of dealing)" (35:43) When the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) son (Ibrahim) died, he was broken-hearted and his eyes were full of tears yet he never uttered a word that expressed the least dissatisfaction with Allah's Will. Allah destined, on that day, that the sun would eclipse. Yet, people said that this solar eclipse was due to Ibrahim's death as they believed that it only eclipsed when a celebrity died. Now if the Prophet was a false or the kind of person who would take a passive attitude, he would have kept silent concerning this claim which would have added a tinge of greatness and sanctity to him and his family, yet he instantly ascended the pulpit and addressed the people saying: "O people! The sun and the moon are nothing more than two of Allah's Signs in the universe. Consequently, they will eclipse neither for someone's birth nor death." [Agreed upon on the authority of Al-Mughirah Ibn Su'bah and others. See Al-Lu `lu' Wa Al-Marjan (No.527,530)] B. Spread of Degeneration Destroys Nations Among Allah's Ordinances is that the prevalence of degeneration and the spread of evil, sinful and corrupt deeds, as well as disorder in the nation, the time for its deterioration and destruction draws near by the minute as Almighty Allah says: "Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that Allah may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from evil)." (30:41) It is Allah's Mercy that He does not punish people for all that they have earned, for if He were to punish them, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth, but He chooses to "let them taste some of that they have done." His Purpose is neither to revenge nor to rejoice at their misfortune but to teach them a lesson and remind them to adopt the right course so that "they may return". But if they did not see through His Mercy and choose not to return to the right course leaving themselves to be swayed by evil and ignorant people, then it would be only natural that they would inevitably be ruined. Therefore, when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was asked:
"When will the Hour be established? He answered, when the trust is lost then expect the Hour.' Then the man asked, "How will it be lost? “The Prophet answered: "The Hour is to be established when evil, and undeserving people rule over the Muslim Nation." [Reported by Al-Bukhari in the book of Faith, on the authority of Abu Hurairah] Thus, the time of the Hour of the whole universe is the same for every nation for its Hour is established when it falls into imbalance and disorder and when its ignorant and wicked people hold the spotlight whereas its scholars and good people are put into the shade. There are many hadiths clarifying the effects of sin and corruption on the moral, social, economical, and political life in general. It suffices to mention the hadith reported by IbnUmar saying, "The Prophet (Peace be upon him) approached us and said: "O, Muhajirin! (immigrants to Medina) there are five calamities, that if you are tried with them, and I seek Allah's Refuge lest they should befall you. These calamities are: When obscenity and sin spread among people, Allah will punish them through plague and unknown of diseases that never appeared in the time of their forefathers who passed away. When they refuse to pay Zakah, they will be denied water from the sky and they will have rain only for the sake of their animals. When they break the Covenant of Allah and His Prophet, Allah will give power to their enemies over them and let them take some of their property and fortune. When their rulers do not adhere to Allah's Book and attempt to preach and choose of His Laws, Allah will make their rivalries great among themselves. [Reported by Ibn Majah in Al-Fitan (No.4019)] There is ellipsis in the hadith. This ellipsis would have meant that "if you are tried with them", no good is to be expected from you, or you will suffer the following predicament or punishment. This warning has come true, particularly when obscenity has been spread and has also been happening in the West throughout history, even propagated as in the case of the West in our time. For Allah let loose upon them unknown diseases and illnesses. Among these diseases is Aids, which has become the death threat to tens of Millions of people, up to this moment they have found no cure for it.
Believers are severely tested and sometimes shaken so that they will gain strength and purity and Allah will distinguish the bad from the good. They will succeed if they strive in the Way of Allah and practice patience and perseverance. Almighty Allah stresses this meaning in the story of Moses after Pharaoh threatened him and his followers as He says: He said their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive; and we have over them (power) irresistible. Said Moses to his people: "Pray for help from Allah, and wait in patience and constancy. For the earth is Allah's, to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleaseth; and the end is (best) for the righteous." (7:127,128) Hence, the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) glad tidings to his Companions were "Victory is inevitable, for Allah will make this religion prevail over all religions even though the unbelievers may detest it". One day, Khabab Ibn Al-Arat, one of the oppressed people in Mecca who was severely abused and tortured, rushed to Allah's Prophet (Peace be upon him) asking his help. He found him lying on a garment in the shade of the Ka'bah. He asked him "O, Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon him) please ask Allah's Victory for us and call upon Him on our behalf. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Not long age, a believer used to be dragged to the desert where he was buried up to his neck in the sand. Then the disbelievers used to saw his head into two halfs and combed his body with iron combes until they split his flesh and bones. Yet, all this horrible torture did not force him to turn renegade. By Allah, He will ultimately bestow His Victory on us so much so that the traveler from San'aa on his way to Hadramaut will fear no one except Allah and the wolf lest he should devour his sheep, but you are impatient. " [Reported by Al-Bukhari] E. The Nation (in Totality) Will Never Be in Manifest Error to the Core Among these ordinances is that the Muslim Nation will never be completely immersed into error for there will always be people who will stand up to any violation of Allah's Decrees, guided by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. They will call upon people to cling to the right, enjoin on them what is good, and forbid them from what is evil as Almighty Allah says:
"And of those We have created are people who direct (others) with truth; and dispense justice therewith." (7:181) A great number of hadiths talked about the victorious group of Muslims that will embrace the truth until the Hour is established as follows: "There will always be a group of my Nation who will cling steadfastly to the truth, until the Hour is established." [Reported by Al-Tayalisi, Al-Darimi, and Al-Hakim on the authority of Umar] "There will still remain a group of my Nation who will establish Allah's Ordinance. They will never be harmed by their opponents until Allah's Ordinance prevails while they are victorious over people." [Agreed upon on the authority of Mu'awiyah] "There will always remain a group of my Nation who will defend the truth to their last breath and they will win victory until The Day of Judgment". [Reported by Ahmad and Muslim on the authority of Jabir] "There will still remain a group of my Nation who will strive and endure hardships for the sake of truth and they will be victorious over their enemies till the last of this group will be killed by Al-Massiah Al Dajjal (Anti-Christ)." [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Al-Hakim on the authority ofImran lbn Hussain] The hadiths reported by Al-Mughirah, Thawban, Abu Hurairah, Korah Ibn lyas, Uqbah IbnAmr, and Abi Omamah concerning this issue are all authentic. [See: Sahih Al-Jami' AlSaghzir (hadiths No.7287-8296)] One of these hadiths is: "Allah will always send people who will consecrate their lives for Islam and for His Obedience until the Day of Judgment". [Reported by Abmad and Ibn Majah on the authority of Abu `Utbbah Al-Khaulani, the previous reference (No.7692)] 2. Fiqh of Knowledge The Fiqh of Knowledge is one of the aspects of the Civilized Fiqh. It means the Fiqh that is based on the knowledge of noble values, and deep-rooted principles which Islam brought so as to stress the importance of Knowledge, or in other words, of Learning, for it is the popular Islamic term. In this concern Learning was often mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an and the Sunnah. Its importance was emphasized as the learned people were highly praised. Moreover, these texts urged people to learn as much as they could regardless of how long it took. The verses of the
A. Individual and Communal Duties in Seeking Knowledge Of seeking Knowledge, there are Individual and Communal Duties. Individual Duty means that a Muslim is obliged to perform it whether it is related to his religion or daily life. Consequently, since it is of the utmost importance nowadays that a man should have a minimum share of Knowledge, namely, to master reading and writing of his native language, or what is called "the elimination of illiteracy" ,then it is considered a religious Individual Duty. Ignoring this Duty is a sin on which he will be punished in the Hereafter and in this present life he is to undergo some penalty minor to the Legal Punishment (Hadd). Moreover, the nation in which illiteracy prevails, nowadays, can not possibly compete with other nations in the race towards learning and urbanization. It will be doomed to backwardness, ruin and defeat by its own sons who will not be able to cope with the strong educated sons of other nations. Hence the necessity of eliminating illiteracy arises as an Individual Duty upon every Muslim male and female. The first to attempt the elimination of illiteracy in his society, was the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the end year of Hijrah (Immigration) to Medina, notwithstanding scarce potentialities, he took the advantage of the presence of the educated Quraishi prisoners of Badr Battle and offered every one of them the chance to ransom himself by teaching ten Muslims how to write. It was as if he entrusted each one of them with the education of a ten-student class. They were expected to learn how to read, write and calculate. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) explained illiteracy in the hadith as the ignorance of how to write and calculate saying: "We are an illiterate nation in which people do not know how to write nor calculate." The basic mundane necessities for a Muslim differ according to place and time. For instance, nowadays it is considered a necessity that a pupil, in the primary governmental schools, should learn the fundamentals of computer which has become a basic priority in life. First and foremost, the Muslim should know the basics of his religion; in other words, he should, as it were, know the principles of his creed so as to set right the fundamentals of his worship, stand firm and straight in his conduct, and keep the
limits ordained by Allah both in what He ordered or forbade, in his Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful) and in his public or personal life. For instance, if he is a merchant, he must know sufficiently the basic laws of trade in terms of profit, Zakah, sale on credit, exchange, and all laws that pertain to this issue. `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said concerning this matter: "No one should step into our market except he who knows the Fiqh of Transaction" or what we, today, might call "Fiqh of Trade." By the same token, if he is a doctor, he is obliged to know what is Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful) for a Muslim doctor. This is known as "Medical Fiqh." All in all, each and every Muslim must, as much as he can, have sufficient knowledge about faith, worship, the lawful and the unlawful. As for the Communal Duty concerning knowledge, it represents the needs of the society in particular and the Nation in general of sciences and the different fields of knowledge necessary for its survival and development in religion and in life. Consequently, it should have a sufficient number of highly-qualified experts and specialists in all areas of knowledge. This means that the scholars of the Nation should attempt juristic reasoning (ijtihad) in religion and achieve creativity in secular sciences. B. Rejection of Blind Imitation Another prerequisite of Fiqh of Knowledge is the rejection of blind imitation of others to the extent that a man thinks in the same way that his father, forefathers, leaders and influential people used to think. The Qur'an reproached the blind imitators of their fathers and leaders saying: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps" (43:23) "And when it said to them: Follow what Allah has revealed. They say: Nay! we shall follow the ways of our fathers. What! even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance." (2:170) Those blind imitators will say on the Day of Judgment. "Our Lord! We obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as to the (right) path. Our Lord! Give
The Almighty Allah addressed him saying: "Men ask thee concerning the Hour: say, "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone)." (33:63) When the Prophet was asked about the spirit', his knowledge of it was to refer to Allah's Knowledge. Concerning this matter Allah says: "They ask thee concerning the spirit say: "The spirit is of the Command of my Lord, and of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)" (17:85) Quite often, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would not answer a question until he asked Gabriel the Trustee of Revelation (Peace be upon both of them). Other times, he world simply say that he did not know. For instance, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "I do not know who was Tubba' and whether he was damned or not? I also do not know who Dhul-Qarnain was and whether he was a prophet or not? Finally, I do not know if executing legal punishments (Huduu) would be considered an expiation of its people or not." [Reported by Al-Hakim, IbnAbd Al-Barr, and lbn `Aasakir. Sahih Al-Ja'zi' Al-Saghir (No.5524)] Reference to Specialists and Experts in Every Branch of Knowledge Another prerequisite of the Fiqh of Knowledge is referring to the people and experts in every field of knowledge, whether science, art, or in any work one does. This is Allah's Order in the Qur'an when says: "If ye realize this not, ask of those who possess the message" (16:43) "If they had only referred it to the Messenger and to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have known it from them (direct)."(4:83) "And none (O man!) can inform you like Him Who is All-Aware." (35:14) In the hadith reported by Jabir on the authority of Abi Dawud and Al-Darqutni that: "A Companion was injured in his head when he was hit by a stone, then he discharged a wit dream, therefore, he asked his Companions: "Do you believe that, in my case, I have Allah's Permission to perform Dry Ablution (Tayammum)? “They readily answered: "We do not think that Allah's Permission to (Tayamrnum) applies in your case as you are capable of using water. Soon after he performed the Body-
Washing (Ghusl) he died. When they came back to where the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was, he was informed of what had happened. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) instantly exclaimed: "They have killed him. May Allah punish them for it! Should they have asked if they do not know. For the remedy for the ignorant is to ask about what he does not know. It would have sufficed to him to perform Dry Ablution (Tayammum) or to put a bandage on his wound and then wipe over it and wash the rest for his body." [Reported by Abu Dawud in the book of Purification (No.336)] Imam Al-Knatabi said that the wisdom of this hadith is that the Prophet reproached them for issuing Fatwa (legal opinions) without knowledge, called upon Allah against them and considered them as sinful for causing his death. E. Argument With Opponents One of the aspects of the Fiqh of Knowledge or Civilized Fiqh is allowing different opinions, accepting dialogue with opponents, and even calling upon them to hold conversation and exchange opinions whether those opponents were in the fields of politics, thought, or religion. The wisdom that lies behind this is that difference is one of the ordinances of the universe in which Allah created all things. For instance, Allah says: "Of various colors" (35:27) If Allah had pleased, He would have created all people alike, yet Allah has bestowed on man the potential intellect and will, hence, people have diverse beliefs, thoughts, and tendencies. Since this difference among people is a necessity, it follows that each human being owes his fellow-man the right of mutual argument and the right of listening to him as long as this argument is exchanged in an appropriate manner. This condition was emphasized when Allah says: "And argue with them in ways that are best" It is noticeable that this verse states the outline of the fundamentals of calling mankind to the Way of Allah and holding argument with them, for Allah says: "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best." (16:125)
