Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson 23: Ijtihad, Taqlid & Ihtiyat

1. Introduction

As mentioned in the previous lessons, a Muslim must follow the shari’a in every aspect of his or her life. If Islam is a religion which is to stay till the end of time, then there must always be some people who can guide the Muslims in the changing circumstances of time and of place.

After the Prophet of Islam, the most ideal persons to guide the Muslims were the Imams of Ahlu 1-bayt.

However, the Present Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi (a.s.) has gone into the Occulation and will re-appear when Allah wishes him to appear. So what is to be done in the meantime? Are the Shi’as to suspend the shari’a? No, of course not! Islam is the religion for all times and places.

2. Ijtihad

The Imams of Ahlu 1-bayt had foreseen the time of the Occulation and had prepared their followers for the situation in which they will not be in direct contact with their Imam.

This preparation was done by training the Shi’as in the science of Islamic laws, or in other words, in ijtihad. (Ijtihad means “the process of deriving the laws of the shari’a from its sources.”) Ijtihad is an essential phenomenon for the survival of the Islamic shari’a during the Occultation of the Imam (a.s.).

Without the system of ijtihad, we would not be able to apply Islamic laws in the rapidly changing circumstances of human society.

Ijtihad is not only permissible, but essential from the Islamic point of view. It is an obligation in Islam to study everything that is necessary for the spiritual development and material wellbeing of the Muslim community.

However, this obligation is of the category which is known as wajib kifa’i.21 In the present instance, for example, Islamic society needs experts in the medical sciences, in physics and chemistry, in engineering, education; and as long as there is a lack of expertise in these areas, it is an obligation on the community as a whole to acquire it. This means that a group of Muslims must devote themselves to research so as to benefit the Muslim community.

Similarly, an Islamic society without experts in the shari’a cannot properly consider itself Islamic, and so it is an obligation for a group of persons from this society to devote themselves to the study of the religious sciences to provide proper guidance to all Muslims.

This is such an important obligation that Allah has exempted those who go to seek religious knowledge from the duty of jihad. He says:

“It is not (right) for the believers to go forth all together (for Jihad). So why should not a party from every section of them (i.e., the believers) go forth to become learned in the religion, and to ivarn their people when they return to them-so that haply they may beware.” (9:122)

It is clear from many narrations that the Imams of Ahlu ‘1-bayt (a.s.) used to be pleased whenever any of their companions taught religion or gave legal rulings (fatwa) to others. There are several documented cases of Shi’as who lived far from Medina asking the Imam of their time to appoint someone in their area to adjudicate between them in religious problems:

Zakariyyah ibn Adam al- Qummi and Yunus bin ‘Abdu ‘r-Rahman, for example, were named by Imam ‘Ali ar-Riza, to solve disputes in their own districts.

In a famous hadlth, ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah asked Imam Ja’far as- Sadiq (a.s.) about the legality of two Shi’as seeking a verdict from an illegitimate ruler in a dispute over a debt or a legacy. The Imam’s answer was that it was absolutely forbidden to do so.

Then Ibn Hanzalah asked what the two should do, and the Imam replied:

“They must seek out one of your own who narrates our traditions, who is versed in what is permissible and what is forbidden, who is well-acquainted with our laws and ordinances, and accept him as judge and arbiter, for I appoint him as judge over you...”

Besides these ahadith, we have quite a few sayings of the Imams that tell us what to do if we come across two ahadith which are contradictory or semi-contradictory-and solving the contradictory ahadith is one of the functions of ijtihad.

These types of ahadith are known as al-akhbdr al-’ilajiyyah, the ahadith which solve the problems in the studying of the hadith.

In conclusion, we can say that one way of following the shari’a is to study the science of shari’a, learn the process of ijtihad and become a mujtahid.

3. Taqlid

Although we have mentioned ijtihad as the first of the possible ways of following the shari’a, it is not something which every person can do.

To become a mujtahid means spending the major part of your life in studying the Islamic sciences in general and the Islamic legal system in particular. A person must, first of all, study the Arabic language (especially classical Arabic) since all the sources of the sharifa are in classical Arabic.

Then he must study and gain expertise in Usulu ‘1-Fiqh (the Principles of Jurisprudence) which involves the methodology of defining and using the sources of the shari’a.

One also has to study the Qur’anic verses on laws, the hadith literature, and also the conclusions reached by the past mujtahids. In studying the hadith literature, one has to also study ‘ilmu ‘r-rijal which deals with the narrators of hadith- otherwise he will not be able to distinguish the authentic hadith from the inauthentic ones. In short, ijtihad is not everyone’s cup of tea.

The social life of human beings is based on mutual cooperation: each one of us takes the duty of fulfilling one of the needs of the society, and, in return, each one of us expects to benefit from the expertise of the others.

Just as not everyone can become his or her own doctor, in an Islamic society, not everyone can become a mujtahid. Those who are not mujtahid will follow the shari’a by doing taqlid-following the opinions of a highranking and pious mujtahid.

(A) Is Taqlid Reasonable?

First of all, taqlid is not “blind following,” it is based on an informed decision taken by the individual Shi’a man or woman. Before you start following the opinions of a mujtahid in the shari’a laws, you have to ascertain that he has the required expertise and that he is of upright character.

Secondly, it is not always unreasonable to follow others and to hold uncritical faith in them. We can logically distinguish four possible forms of imitation:

1. an ignorant person imitating another ignorant person;

2. a more learned person imitating a less learned person;

3. a less learned person imitating an ignorant person;

4. a less learned person imitating a more learned person.

It is quite clear that the first three forms of imitations are unreasonable and can serve no purpose. However, the fourth kind of imitation is obviously not only reasonable, but also necessary and a matter of common sense;

in our everyday life we follow and imitate others in many things; we like to take the advice of experts in matters outside our own knowledge.

Someone who wishes to build a house, explains the basic idea of what he wants to the builder and then submits to his advice as to how he should go about the actual construction.

The patient follows the treatment advised by the doctor; a litigant consults a lawyer when drawing up his case for a court. The examples are abundant;

in most cases the advice is taken voluntarily, but sometimes the citizen may be required by law to seek expert advice and act upon it, before, for example, he is allowed to take some particularly dangerous drug. The clearest example is obviously a case of a legal dispute between two parties, when they are required to take their grievances before a judge and abide by his decision if they cannot settle their dispute amicably.

The practice of taqlid is an example of the same kind: the person who is not an expert in Islamic jurisprudence is legally required to follow the instructions of the expert, that is, the mujtahid.

(B) Support from the Qur’an & Sunnah

This sensible practice of following the mujtahid in shari’a laws has been endorsed by Islam.

As mentioned in a verse quoted earlier, the Qur’an strongly exhorts at least a group of Muslims to devote their time and energy in studying religion.

This obligation is of such importance that Allah has exempted such persons from the duty of jihad. More interesting is the reason and purpose of their knowledge: “...to warn their people...” (9:122) This verse divides the people into two groups: those who are learned in religious sciences and those who are not.

It is the duty of the learned to “warn” (a broad term which implies advice and guidance) the common people, and it is expected of the common people to “beware” (take heed of the learned persons’ advice and follow).

In shari’a matters, this process of guiding the common people is technically known as “ijtihad,” and the process of following the guidance by the common people is technically known as “taqlid”.

The Imams of Ahlu ‘1-bayt (a.s.) have endorsed this system in theory as well as in practice:

In Theory: In a famous hadith quoted earlier, ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) about the legality of two Shi’as seeking a judgment from an illegitimate ruler or a judge appointed by such a ruler in a dispute over a debt or inheritance.

The Imam’s answer was that it was absolutely forbidden to do so; and then he read the following verse:“...(Yet in a dispute) they desire to summon one another to the judgment of the tdghut though they were commanded to reject and disbelieve in him.” (4:60)

Then ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah asked, “What should the two (Shi’as) do then?” The Imam replied, “They must seek out one of your own who narrates our traditions, who is versed in what is permissible and what is forbidden, who is well-acquainted with our laws and ordinances, and accept him as judge and arbiter for I appoint him as judge over you. If the ruling which he based on our laws is rejected, then this rejection will be tantamount to ignoring the order of Allah and rejecting us, and rejecting us is the same as rejecting Allah, and this is the same as polytheism.”

In another hadith, Abi Khadijah relates that Imam Ja’far as- Sadiq (a.s.) sent him to his companions with the following message: “If a dispute or a difference occurs among you about a property then take care not to seek judgment from those illegitimate [judges]; instead, you must seek a person who knows what is permissible and what, is forbidden by us, for I appoint him as a judge over you. And take care that you do not seek judgment against one another with an unjust ruler.”

The least that these two narrations prove is that Shi’as are not allowed to refer to unauthorized jurists for solutions to their problems instead they are advised to seek the guidance of those who are well-versed in the teachings of the Ahlu 1-bayt. In these ahadith, the practice of seeking the advice of experts in shari’a laws is taken for granted.

In Practice: There are several documented cases of Shi’as who asked the Imams of their time to appoint someone to adjudicate between them in religious problems. Such questions were raised by those who lived far from Medina or those who could not gain access to their Imam in Medina itself.

4.1htiyat

If a person is not a mujtahid and does not even want to do taqlid of any mujtahid, then according to the laws of shari’a he must do ihtiydt.

Doing ihtiydt means taking precaution. In the context of our present discussion, it means that one must adopt a line of precautionary action by which he or she can be sure of fulfilling the requirements of God’s commandment.

In practical terms, ihtiydt means that a person, in each and every problem, will have to study the views of mujtahids on that issue and act on the most precautionary of all views.

For example, if one mujtahid says that “it is disliked to smoke” and another says that “it is haram to smoke,” then one has to follow the second view. Or if one mujtahid says that “you must shave your head during the first pilgrimage to Mecca” while another says “you have a choice between shaving or just cutting a little of your hair,” then one has to follow the first view. This has to be done in each and every issue.

* * *

In short, during the Occultation (ghaybat) of the Present Imam (a.s.), there are three ways of following the sharī‘a: ijtihād, taqlīd and ihtiyāt.

This lesson is based on An Introduction to the Sharī‘a by Sayyid M. Rizvi

Question Paper on Lesson 23

Question 1: [15 points]

True or False:

(a) Ijtihād enables us to apply Islamic laws in the rapidly changing circumstances of human society.

(b) A Muslim society cannot be truly Islamic unless it also has mujtahids in its midst.

(c) Taqlīd of a mujtahid by a non-Mujtahid is unreasonable and illogical.

(d) Ihtiyāt is the easiest way of following the sharī‘a.

(e) A person can follow the sharī‘a by doing ijtihād, taqlīd or ihtiyāt.

Question 2: [20 points]

Explain what you understood from the hadith of ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah mentioned in this lesson.

Question 3: [15 points]

How would you defend the practice of taqlīd in the present time?

Lesson 24: More About The Shari‘a

The purpose of human life in this world is to successfully go through the trials and tribulations in order to achieve salvation in the hereafter. In the hereafter, life will have no end. God did not leave us without any means of guidance.

He sent prophets, messengers and books to guide mankind towards the right path. The last prophet and messenger was the Prophet of Islam, and the final revelation was the Qur’an.

Islam is the ultimate means of guidance for mankind through the tests and trials of this world. The Prophet was sent “to convey the revelation; to purify spiritually and to teach the Qur’an and wisdom.”

Islam seeks to guide its followers by the legal system known as “shari’a”. No aspect of our life is outside the jurisdiction of the shari’a: legal and moral, personal and social, economic and politics, all issues are directly or indirectly covered by the shari’a.

In this lesson you will learn more about the Islamic laws from different perspectives.

1. The Roots & Branches of Religion

To differentiate between the matters of belief and the laws of shari’a, the Shi’a scholars have coined two interesting terms: The matter of beliefs (monotheism justice of God, prophethood, imamat and resurrection) are described as “the Roots of Religion - Usul ad-Din” because they form the foundation of our faith. The Shi’a scholars have also coined the term “the Branches of Religion - Furu’ ad-Din” for the shari’a laws.

These terminologies actually reflect the connection between “belief and “practice”. If the roots are strong, they will generate healthy branches, green leaves, colourful flowers and delicious fruits; but if the roots are weak, the tree will be considered useless.

Similarly, if a Muslim’s beliefs are strong, then it should show in the practical life of that person. A non-practicing Muslim betrays the weakness in his religious roots which are in need of further nurturing through intellectual stimulation and spiritual guidance.

The items normally listed as “the Branches of Religion” are as follows:

1. Prayers (salat).

2. Fasting in Ramadhan (sawm).

3. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).

4. Tax on Wealth (zakdt).

5. Tax on Money (khums).

6. Spiritual as well as Physical Struggle for sake of Allah (jihad).

7. Promoting good in the family and society (amr bil ma’ruf).

8. Preventing evil in the family and society (nahi ‘anil munkar).

9. Loving and following the Prophet & his family (tawalla).

10. Disassociating from the enemies of the Prophet & his family (tabarra). These ten teachings reflect the main framework of the Islamic shari’a; otherwise, the entire corpus of Islamic shari’a falls under the term ‘branches of religion’.

2. The Classification of Shari’a Laws

All the issues covered by the shari’a are traditionally classified into four main groups. The classification was put in the final form by one of the great Shi’a mujtahids of the 7th Islamic century, al- Muhaqqiq al-Hilli (d. 676 AH).

His famous work of jurisprudence, Sharaya’u ‘l-Islam, is still one of the main reference books for the scholars of Islamic laws. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli classified the laws into the following groups:

1. ‘Ibadat - the Acts of Worship like prayers, fasting, hajj, etc.

2. ‘Uqud - Mutual Contracts like business transaction, partnership, trusts, power of attorney issues, and marriage.

3. lyqa’at - Unilateral Instigations like divorce, confessions in legal matters, vows, etc.

4. Ahkam - Miscellaneous: anything which does not fit in the three groups above like rules of eating and drinking, agriculture, arbitration, testimony, etc.

Here I would like to present a modern classification of shari’a issues done by the late Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr. Ayatullah as-Sadr of Najaf was a rising star among the new generation of mujtahids; unfortunately the Shi’a world was deprived of his knowledge and leadership when he was tortured and killed by Saddam’s regime in 1981.

Sadr also divides the shari’a laws into four groups but his classification makes the issues more clear for the modern man unused to classical texts.

1. ‘Ibadat - the Acts of Worship like prayers, fasting and hajj. 2. Financial Laws:

(a) On Social Level: issues like Islamic taxes of various kinds.

(b) On Individual Level:

i. the laws pertaining to the means of possessions.

ii. the laws pertaining to the utilization of one’s possessions.

3. Personal Laws: issues like marriage and divorce, eating and drinking, vows and oaths, hunting and slaughtering, bidding good and forbidding evil, etc.

4. Social Laws: issues like the political system, judiciary, penal code, jihad, etc.

3. The Five Types of Decrees

All Islamic injunctions fall within the five main categories of laws: wajib, mustahab, ja’iz, makruh, and haram. There are other sub-divisions within these five decrees.

1. Wajib: means obligatory, necessary, incumbent. An act which must be performed. One will be punished for neglecting a wajib act, e.g., the daily prayers.

Ihtiyat wajib: Sometimes you might see the term “ihtiyat wajib” in the decrees of the mujtahids. It means “precautionarily obligatory and its significance is the same as that of the wajib with one difference: wherever the mujtahid says that “it is precautionarily obligatory,” you have the option of leaving his opinion in that particular problem and following the opinion of the second best mujtahid provided the second mujtahid has a different opinion.

Wajib is also divided into two: ‘ayni and kifa’i:

Wajib ‘ayni means an obligation which is imposed on individual Muslims, e.g., the daily prayers. No one can do this duty for someone else.

Whereas wajib kifa’i means an obligation which is imposed on the Muslim community as a whole; and if it is fulfilled by one or more individuals, then the rest of the community is no longer required to do that.

For example, a dead Muslim must be buried in the proper Islamic way. This is a duty imposed on the Muslim community collectively; if some people do that, then others are not responsible; but if no one does that, then the entire community is answerable to God.

2. Mustahab, also known as sunnat, means recommended, desirable, better. It refers to the acts which are recommended but not wajib. If one neglects them, he will not be punished; however, if one performs them, he will be rewarded.

3. Ja’iz means permitted, allowed, lawful. An act which is permitted and lawful; there is no reward for performing it nor any punishment for neglecting it, e.g., drinking tea.

Halal & Mubah: There are other words which reflect the same meaning as ja’iz but with a different connotation: “Halal” also means permissible acts or things, but it is used mostly for permissible things rather than actions.

For example, the term “halal meat” is used for the meat whose consumption is permissible in Islam. Similarly, “mubah” means permissible, but it is exclusively used for things which are lawfully yours or under your control as opposed to “ghasbi- usurped”.

4. Makruh means reprehensible, disliked, discouraged. An act which is disliked by Islam but not haram. If one does a makruh act, he will not be punished; however, if he refrains from it, then he will be rewarded.

5. Haram means forbidden, prohibited. An act from which one must abstain. If someone performs a haram act, he will be punished either by the Islamic court or in the hereafter or both.

* * *

This lesson has been written by Sayyid M. Rizvi.

Some parts have been adopted from his An Introduction to the Islamic Sharī‘a.

Question Paper on Lesson 24

Question 1: [20 points]

Fill in the blanks by writing appropriate terms of the shari`ah:

(a) Salāt is a wājib _________ act.

(b) Drinking alcohol is a ________ act.

(c) _____________ means a recommended act in Islam.

(d) A usurped property is known as _________ .

(e) Drinking tea is _________ .

(f) ___________ means something that is lawfully yours.

(g) Sunnat act is also known as ______________ .

(h) Permissible acts and things are known as ____________ .

(i) A duty imposed upon the entire community is known as ________________________ .

(j) ___________________ means precautionarily obligatory.

Question 2: [10 points]

True or False:

(a) Shari`ah only deals with spiritual training.

(b) The book “Sharāya’u ’l-Islām” was written by al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli.

(c) ‘Uqūd means the acts of worship.

(d) Furū‘ ad-Dīn means the Roots of Religion.

(e) Ayatullah S. M. Bāqir as-Sadr lived in Najaf, Iraq.

Question 3: [20 points]

Explain in your own words the relationship between “beliefs” and “laws”.

Lesson 25: Islam’s Spirtual Program (1)

1. Introduction

Islam is concerned about the physical wellbeing of its followers as well as the spiritual wellbeing.

Spiritual training is an essential part of our life. While describing the mission of the Prophet of Islam, Allah says: “He is the one who has raised among the ignorant [Arabs] a messenger from among themselves who[1.] recites to them His revelations, [2.] purifies them, and [3.] teaches them the Book and wisdom.” (62:2) The second purpose for sending the Prophet is “spiritual purification”.

Spiritual purification or training is very strongly linked to the purpose of our creation.

2. Purpose of Creation

Allah is the Creator of human beings and the entire universe. In His capacity as the Creator, only He has the right to define the purpose of creation. He says in the Qur’an:

“...He is the one who has created death and life so that He may test you to see who among you does good deeds.” (67:2) “And I have not created the jinn and the humans except so that they may serve Me.” (51:56)

When you study these two verses (and many others on this subject), you will realize that according to Allah the purpose of life is: to successfully go through the trials and tribulations in this world in order to achieve salvation in the hereafter.

Unlike this worldly life, the life in the hereafter will have no end. The trials and tribulations can also be expressed as follows: to enter into the servitude of Allah by our own will and choice.

In order to understand the concept of trial and tribulation, it is important to understand the human being:

A human being is a very delicate creature. He has a physical aspect as well as a spiritual dimension. Our whole being revolves around two main powers: the soul and the emotions. 1. The soul (ruh) or the spirit is the king of our being.

The untainted intellect and the pure conscience are various aspects of our spiritual dimension. 2. The emotions and other physical faculties are also integral parts of our being. These emotions and faculties can be broadly classified under ‘anger’ and ‘passion’.

Our entire adult life is an arena of struggle between the soul and the emotions. And herein lies the trial and tribulation of mankind. A Muslim is expected to use the soul to control the emotions.

Islam does not promote the complete suppression of emotions and desires; it only wants the Muslims to use their reason to restrain their desires by fulfilling them within the dictates of the Divine laws.

Imam ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) has beautifully described this concept as follows:

Allah has blessed the angels with the power of reasoning but has deprived them of any desires; and He has blessed the animals with natural desires but has deprived them of the power of reasoning; and He has blessed the human beings with both the power of reasoning and also the desires.

Therefore, one who restrains his desires by the power of reasoning, he is superior to the angels (who do not have to deal with any desires and emotions).

But one who lets his desires control his reason, he is inferior to the animals (who have not been blessed with the power of reasoning).

In conclusion, we can say that the purpose of creation is to live in such a way that our soul, reason and conscience control and restrain our emotions and desires. If we can live such a life, then we have succeeded in the trials and tribulations of this world, and hope for the salvation in the hereafter.

3. Program for Spiritual Training

Islam seeks to train a person in such a way that he can be a balanced human being in the spiritual sense of the world. A morally healthy person is he who can use his reason to restrain his emotions.

Allah did not only send prophets, messengers, divine books and Imams to guide us spiritually, He has also placed certain rituals in the Islamic laws which serve as spiritual programs for Muslims. There are two main programs for spiritual training: 1. An intensive program on an annual basis. 2. A regular program on a daily basis.

(A) THE ANNUAL SPIRITUAL TRAINING

Fasting during the month of Ramadhan22 is the annual spiritual program for strengthening the soul and keeping the desires/emotions within the dictates of Divine laws. Allah has described the purpose of fasting as follows:

O You who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it had been prescribed for the nations before you - so that you may become God-fearing. (2:183)

God-fearing means taqwa. Taqwa, normally translated as “fearing God”, means the mind-set in which a person fears God’s displeasure because of the love that he has for God. In other words, taqwa is a frame of mind which prevents the person from committing sins that cause God’s displeasure with him.

How does fasting in Ramadhan help in acquiring such a mindset of taqwa? Fasting is a ritual which begins at dawn and ends at sunset; and during that entire time, a Muslim is expected to refrain from ten things as follows:

1. Food. 2. Drink. 3. Inhaling smoke or dust. 4. Vomiting intentionally. 5. Submerging the head into a body of water. 6. Liquid enema.

7. Sexual intercourse. 8. Masturbation. 9. Staying till dawn in the state of impurity caused by sexual discharge.

10. To ascribe a statement wrongfully to God or His divine representatives.

The above list includes the two strongest desires of a human being: food and sex. By abstaining from them during the daytime for the whole month of Ramadhan, a Muslim is trained to strengthen his willpower and control his desires. By the end of Ramadhan, a Muslim is expected to be a spiritually stronger person than what he was before Ramadhan.

A Muslim who goes through this annual spiritual training is expected to maintain the domination of his soul over his desires and emotions.

However, this is not always easy for everyone. The spiritual power is not a static commodity; it has the potential of increasing and decreasing. The more you protect it, the more it will protect you; but if you neglect it, soon the desires will gain control of your life.

Generally, people go through a cycle of spiritual strength and weakness. As the distance in time increases between the Muslim and the month of Ramadhan, the soul starts to lose its strength in the face of material temptations.

That is why Allah has legislated the fasting on an annual basis so that we may get the opportunity to re-energize our soul and spirit at least once every year.

One way of maintaining the domination of soul over desires is by fasting after the month of Ramadhan on the days which are highly recommended in our shari’a. These days are:

• first and last Thursdays of every lunar month;

• first Wednesday after the 10th of every lunar month;

• 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month;

• the entire month of Rajab and Sha’ban;

• 4th to 9th of Shawwal; 25th and 29th of Dhul Qa’dah;

• 1st to 9th of Dhul Hijja; 18th of Dhul Hijja; 24th of Dhul Hijja;

• 1st, 3rd and 7th of Muharram;

• 17th of Rabi al-Awwal; 15th of Jamadi al-Ula; 27th of Rajab.

Fasting on these days (especially the first three in the list) will surely help in maintaining the strength of the spiritual power and will go a long way in keeping the desires under control.

In short, the ritual of fasting is actually a spiritual training to strengthen the soul and control the desires - the very nature of the trial and tribulation faced by us in this life.

This lesson has been written by Sayyid M. Rizvi.

Question Paper on Lesson 25

Question 1: [20 points]

True or False:

(a) The created beings can define the purpose of their own creation.

(b) God created us to serve Him by submitting ourselves to His laws voluntarily.

(c) Islam expects its followers to completely suppress their desires.

(d) Ramadhān is the first month of the Muslim calendar.

(e) Spiritual purification was part of the mission of the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.).

(f) Fasting was prescribed by God for dieting.

(g) A spiritually balanced person is superior than the angels.

(h) Imam ‘Ali said that one who lets his desires control his reason is equal to the animals.

(i) Fasting helps us in strengthening our willpower and controlling our desires.

(j) Taqwa is a reflection of man's love for God.

Question 2: [15 points]

Explain the concept of trial and tribulation that we face in this life.

Question 3: [15 points]

How does fasting help one in going through the trials of this life?

Lesson 26: Islam’s Spirtual Program (2)

(B) THE DAILY SPIRITUAL TRAINING

Islam has also provided its followers with a program for spiritual training on a daily basis. This program is known as salat. Salat is not a “prayer” in the sense of talking to God whenever, wherever and however you like.

Salat is an act of worship which must be done in a prescribed manner. Whenever we use the words “ritual prayer” it refers to salat and not to “prayer” in the sense explained above.

In appearance, salat is just an act of worship; but with further insight into the philosophy of salat, you will realize that it is also a program which trains the Muslims to spiritually strengthen themselves and to become the masters of their own lives rather than be slaves of their desires.

It is this aspect of salat which has made it the pillar of Islam. The Prophet says: “The salat is the pillar of religion.”

While describing the effect which salat should have on the lives of Muslims, Allah says: “Establish the salat; surely the salat prevents [the doer] from the indecencies and the forbidden facts].

And surely the remembrance of Allah is great.” (29:45) This verse clearly says that a true salat would help the doer in staying away from sins. It is in the light of this verse that the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) said, “The first deed to be checked [on the Day of Judgment] will be the salat: if it is accepted, then other deeds will also be accepted; but if it is rejected, then other deeds will also be rejected.”

What the Prophet meant was that the salat plays a pivotal role in the life of a Muslim: if his salat was a true salat and had affected his behaviour then there is a great chance that his other deeds will also be good; but if his salat was just a ritual without any impact on his life, then there is a lesser chance that his other deeds would be good.

The five daily prayers, provided done with understanding, will not just be rituals but a program for spiritual upliftment of the Muslim. The salat will constantly remind him to keep the purpose of life in focus and work towards it.

That is why the Prophet once asked his companions, “If there is a stream outside your house and you wash yourself in it five time every day, then would any dirt remain on your body?” When the answer was negative, the Prophet said, “Indeed the example of salat is like that flowing stream - whenever one performs a salat, the sins between the two prayers are washed away.”23

In this lesson, we will look at just three aspects of salat which can help us in spiritual training.

(i) Wuzu: Reminder of Spiritual Purity

Every Muslim is required to do ritual ablution (wuzu) before salat. Even this simple ablution is a way of reminding us about spiritual purification. When we study the two verses of the Qur’an about ablutions, we see that there are two planes of purification: physical and spiritual.

Although wuzu and ghusl (the major ablution) are related to physical purification, there is a more sublime reason underlying these two ablutions - they serve as a reminder to and gateway of spiritual purification.

In the chapter al-Baqarah, after talking about one of the major ablutions, the Qur’an says:

“Surely Allah loves those who oftenly turn to Him, and He also loves those who cleanse themselves.” (2:222) In another verse, after talking about wuzu, the Qur’an says:

“Allah does not desire to make any impediment for you; but He desires to cleanse you, & that He may complete His blessings upon you;

haply you may be grateful” (5:6)

We find two different themes in these verses: First: Allah loves those who cleanse themselves, and that He desires to cleanse us. Second: He wants to complete His blessings upon us, and that He loves those who oftenly turn towards Him. The first theme is related to the physical cleanliness, while the second theme is related to the spiritual purity.

The words of the first theme are very clear; they refer to cleanliness. But what do the words of the second theme mean? What is the meaning of “oftenly turning to Allah?” Turning to Allah implies that the person had turned away from Allah. What does this mean? These are the questions which I will discuss below.

In the Islamic value system, the human soul is like a light bulb. If the bulb is protected from dust and dirt, it will enlighten the area around it; but if dust and dirt is allowed to accumulate on the bulb, then it will not be able to illuminate the area as much as before.

Similarly, the human soul has to be protected from spiritual ‘dirt’ and uncleanliness, otherwise it will not be able to guide the person as rightly as before.

After swearing by the most majestic signs of His creation, Allah says in chapter 91, verses 1-10 that the pure human soul has the ability to understand what is right and what is wrong provided it is purified and uncorrupted.

He makes it clear that the soul, just like the body, is capable of becoming spiritually impure and unclean. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) has said, “The human soul is a precious jewel; whoever protects it, enhances its (effectiveness), and whosoever degrades it, decreases its (effectiveness).”

The impurities that can corrupt a human soul are collectively known as “sins”. Accumulation of sins can indeed render the human soul spiritually ineffective and, in Qur’anic expression, ‘seize the heart’.

Allah says, “Whatever (sins) they have committed has seized their heart.” (83:14) By committing sins, not only is the soul of a Muslim seized but he also spiritually turns away from Allah. Sins create a distance between God and man.

Can a person rescue his soul from the seizing of the sins? Can a sinner spiritually get closer to God? Yes, indeed, a sinful person can spiritually return to Allah. Returning to Allah means repenting and asking forgiveness for your sins. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) has explained this phenomenon as follows: “Each believer has a bright soul.

When he commits a sin, a dark dot appears on his bright soul. If he repents, the dark dot will disappear. But if he persists in his sins, the darkness will increase until it covers the entire soul-then the person would never return towards goodness.”24

Just as our bodies can become impure by the physical things, our souls can become impure by sins. To rid our bodies of the physical dirt, we use water; similarly, to rid our souls of the spiritual impurities, we use tawbah (repentance). In short, the human soul is corruptible; it is corrupted by sins; the corrupted soul can be purified by tawbah.

After talking about ritual ablutions which are done by water, Allah says that “He loves those who do tawbah”. By this He is drawing our attention to the spiritual purification. So with this insight into the Qur’anic verses, whenever a Muslim does the ritual ablution, he also remembers the spiritual purification which is even more important than the physical purification.

(ii) Salat Helps in Spiritual Training

The five daily prayers have different” numbers of cycles known as rak’ah. Each rak’ah consists of the act of standing while reciting two short chapters from the Qur’an, the act of bowing and two prostrations.

The fajr (dawn) prayer consists of 2 cycles.

The zu.hr (noon) prayer consists of 4 cycles.

The ‘asr (afternoon) prayer consists of 4 cycles.

The maghrib (evening) prayer consists of 3 cycles.

The ‘isha (night) prayer consists of 4 cycles. -

One wonders why Islam prescribed a different number of cycles for these prayers? Why could not they be the same for all ritual prayers?

Many people have attempted to explain it in different ways, but I have also looked at this question and came to the conclusion that there is no particular reason for this variety in the number of cycles. It seems that this difference in the number of cycles was introduced by Islam in order to create a sense of discipline among the Muslims and to create the spirit of absolute obedience to the Divine laws.

A Muslim is someone who voluntarily submits himself to Allah. This is not always easy keeping in mind the trials and tribulations which we are going through. Praying on a daily basis and following the number of cycles prescribed by the shari’a without questioning its merit is a way of instilling in us the spirit of obedience to the laws of Islam.

You must pray in the prescribed manner even if you do not understand the merit of some of its rules; you should pray with the thought in your mind that this is how Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, wants you to pray.

This will indeed help you in harnessing the power of desires and emotions within yourself, and help you in getting closer to the purpose of life - to totally submit ourselves to the will of Allah.

(iii) Sajdah: Daily Reminder of the Purpose of Life

Sajdah is the last part in each cycle of salat; it is the part where you prostrate in such a way that your forehead, both palms, both knees and the big toes of both feet are touching the ground. Sajdah is to be done twice in each cycle: one should go into the first sajdah, then sit upright for a moment, and then go into the second sajdah.

Imam ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) was once asked why we have two sajdahs in each cycle of salat. The reply that the Imam gave shows that sajdah (like many other parts of the ritual prayer) has a symbolic meaning also.

He said, “While you are in the first sajdah, you are saying [to God] ‘From it [the earth] You have created me.’

While getting up from the first sajdah, you are saying ‘From it You have taken me out.’

When you go into the second sajdah, you are saying To it You will return me.’

While getting up from the second sajdah, you are saying, ‘From it You will take me out again.”’

In this hadith, the holy Imam has actually applied the following verse to the sajdah: “From it We have created you, and to it We shall return you, and from it We shall take you out again.” (20:55) If you study this hadith carefully, you will realize that:

1. You have been created from the earth. Remembering your origin will not allow you to be arrogant and proud on the basis of race or wealth.

2. Getting up from the first sajdah is like our birth, going down into the second sajdah is like death and getting up from the second sajdah is like resurrection. This symbolic meaning will never let us forget the day of judgment and the life hereafter.

3. It also shows that this worldly life is symbolically nothing more than a few moments that you sit between the two sajdahs. This insight into the philosophy of sajdah will surely transform your salat from a mere ritual to a practical reminder about your origin, the transient nature of this world and your ultimate destination in the hereafter.

* * *

What you have read above are just three examples from the rules related to salāt which help the Muslims in focusing on the purpose of life and strengthening themselves spiritually. We thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, for providing such means of spiritual training in the daily rituals of an Islamic life.

This lesson has been written by Sayyid M. Rizvi.

Some sections have been summarized from his The Ritual & Spiritual Purity.

Question Paper on Lesson 26

Question 1: [20 points]

Fill in the blanks:

(a) Salāt is a __________ spiritual program.

(b) The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Salāt is the _________ of religion.”

(c) Muslims are required to say ________ ritual prayers in a day.

(d) Physical dirt can be cleansed by water; spiritual sins can be washed away by ___________ .

(e) The dawn prayer is known as __________ .

(f) The human heart can be ‘seized’ spiritually by _________ .

(g) There are ______ cycles in maghrib prayer.

(h) All cycles of the daily salāt have _____ sajdahs.

(i) In the light of Imam ‘Ali's saying, the sajdah is a symbolic reflection of verse ___:___ of the Qur'an.

(j) According to the Qur'an, the salāt prevents the doer from the ______________ and the ____________ acts.

Question 2: [15 points]

Expain how the salāt promotes the spirit of obedience in a Muslim.

Question 3: [15 points]

How does sajdah help us in focusing on the purpose of life?