Join us for the first in a series of podcast-style conversations, where we host Shaikh Sajid who discusses an important question for university students and professionals – how can we better ourselves and aspire to something greater while balancing all our competing priorities?
Shaikh Sajid gives us the advice to navigate the hectic nature of life while drawing near to Allah, achieving our goals, and finding time for our loved ones.
Assalamualaikum Sh. Sajid. From an Islamic Transactions perspective, how would the calls towards boycotting products be viewed?
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
:باسم الله والحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد
From an Islamic perspective trade is seen as a means (waseelah) towards achieving different ends (maqaasid). We all trade as a means of aquiring a required benefit, as oppossed to just trading for the sake of it.
Based on this the Shariah applies the rules of the latter upon the former accordingly. Thus generally, if the outcome of the trade is a permissible one, the means towards that outcome will also be considered permissible. However if the outcome of the transaction is considered impermissible in islam, then the means that would eventually lead to that forbidden outcome will also be considered forbidden.
The concept of trade as we have covered together in previous posts, articles and courses was cited as being from the permissible matters (in Arabic: Mubaah), and the scholars of Jurisprudence methodology catagorise Mubaah practices as based on the outcomes they lead to into four catagories, as explained eloquently by ibn alQayyim (rh), as follows:
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Ibn alJazari, al-Nashr (1/51):
“Everything authentically narrated from the Prophet is obligatory to be accepted; no one from this ummah has the choice to reject it. Believing in it is imperative, as all of it is revealed from God. Every recitation from amongst these recitations with regards to the other is like a verse with regards to another verse; believing in all of them is obligatory and following the meanings contained there through knowledge and action is obligatory as well.
It is not permissible for a person to leave off one of them because of their assumption that there is contradiction between it and another. This was referred to by Abdullah Ibn Masood when he said “Do not differ in the Quran and do not dispute about it as it does not differ nor does it fail. Do you not see that the Sharia of Islam therein is one? Its boundaries, recitation, and God’s commands therein are one? If there had been two modes (harf), one mode (harf) ordering something and the other forbading it then there would be difference between the two. However, all of this is encompassed in its entirety. So whoever recites upon a certain recitation he should not leave it off out of disdain for it because whoever disbelieves in one mode (harf) has disbelieved in all of them.”
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Imam al-Dani in his “Jaami’ al-Bayan fi al-Qira’at as-Saba’”, vol. 2, p. 860, said:
And the Imams of the Qira’at did not choose the Ahruf from the Qur’an on the basis of what is more linguistically prevalent [in usage] and more analogically appropriate in Arabic, but rather on the basis of what is more established in tradition and most authentically transmitted. And if the tradition is established, then it cannot be rejected on the basis of analogical deductions in Arabic or what is deemed more prevalent in the language. This is because the Qira’a is a Sunnah that is meant to be followed and we are obligated to accept it and adhere to it.
الإمام الداني في جامع البيان في
القراءات السبع ٢/ ٨٦٠:
وأئمة القراءة لا تعمل في شيء من حروف القرآن على [الأفشى] في اللغة، والأقيس في العربية، بل على الأثبت في الأثر، والأصحّ في النقل، والرواية إذا ثبتت لا يردّها قياس عربية ولا فشوّ لغة؛ لأن القراءة سنّة متّبعة يلزم قبولها والمصير إليها.
Abu Ja’far an-Nahhas (d. 338 A.H.), said in his book “‘Irab al-Qur’an”:
السلامة عند أهل الدين أنه إذا صحت القراءتان عن الجماعة ألا يقال: أحدهما أجود; لأنهما جميعا عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فيأثم من قال ذلك; وكان رؤساء الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ينكرون مثل هذا.
The path of safety for the people of (this) religion, when there are two Qira’ahs authentically (narrated) to the Jamā’ah, is to refrain from saying that one of them is better (or more superior) than the other, for both of them came from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The one who says this is sinful, and the heads of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to censure this.
Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim (d. 224 A.H) in his book “Fada’il al-Qur’an” said:
“We only saw that the reciters recited the Qira’at to those who have knowledge concerning it, and then they stuck firmly to what they knew of it out of fear that they would deviate from that which is between the two slates [i.e. the Qur’an] by either addition or subtraction.
Thus, they abandoned all Qira’at which opposed what was written (in the Mushaf). They paid no heed to the Arabic linguistic schools concerning them if they opposed the script of the Mushaf, even if the [recitation based on] an Arabic ruling was more clear than [what] the script [accommodated].
They [i.e. the reciters] considered the letters of the Mushaf and preserving them like the well-established Sunan (Prophetic ways) which no one is allowed to overstep.” (p: 361).
” وإنما نرى القراء عرضوا القراءة على أهل المعرفة بها ، ثم تمسكوا بما علموا منها؛ مخافة أن يَزيغوا عما بين اللوحين بزيادة أو نقصان .
ولذا تركوا سائر القراءات التي تخالف الكتاب، ولم يلتفتوا إلى مذاهب العربية فيها ، إذا خالف ذلك خط المصحف، وإن كانت العربية فيه أظهر بيانا من الخط .
ورأوا تتبع حروف المصاحف، وحفظها ؛ كالسنن القائمة التي لا يجوز لأحد أن يتعداها”. انتهى من “فضائل القرآن”. (ص: 361).
Imam At-Tabari (310 AH) – may Allah have mercy on him- wrote an encyclopedic book in Qira’at which has not reached us. Imam Makki ibn Abi Talib (437 AH)– a great scholar of Qira’at- quotes At-Tabari from his Qira’at book.
He quotes him (may Allah have mercy on him) saying, “Everything that has been authentically established, according to us, from the Qira’at that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s praise and peace be upon him) taught his Ummah, is from the seven Ahruf which Allah has allowed for him. They (i.e. the Muslim Ummah) are allowed to recite the Quran with them. We are not allowed to consider incorrect anyone who [recites] from it what is in accordance to the script of the Mushaf. If it goes against the script of the Mushaf, we do not recite it, and we withhold from it and from talking about it.” [Al-Ibanah, by Makki ibn Abi Talib, p. 53]
قال الإمام المكي في الإبانة ص 53 نقلا عن الإمام الطبري في كتاب القراءات: (كل ما صح عندنا من القراءات، أنه علمه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأمته من الأحرف السبعة التي أذن الله له، ولهم أن يقرءوا بها القرآن، فليس لنا أن نخطئ من كان ذلك به موافقا لخط المصحف. فإن كان مخالفا لخط المصحف لم نقرأ به، ووقفنا عنه، وعن الكلام فيه).
He further says in his book on Creed, “Sareeh As-Sunnah” regarding his view on the Quran the Muslims recite:
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Allah Almighty says: “And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, “Bring us a Qur’an other than this or change it.” Say, [O Muhammad], “It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day.”
(Surah Yunus: 15)
azZarqaani (may Allah have mercy upon him) said:
“There is nothing to be said after God and His messenger have spoken. Thus, this nation has consensus that there is no involvement of any man in the Nazm (words and word order) of this Quran, not in its style, its phrases, nor even the rules of its recitation. So whoever deviates from this consensus and follows a path other than the path of the believers then God leaves him to what he has chosen, makes his abode the hellfire, and what a horrible destination that is.
And here, we have seen the Quran in this verse prohibiting the Prophet from attempting such a thing in the most stringent manner, tying it to a severe threat; accompanying a painful retribution. So it’s impossible for Ibn Masood or anyone greater than Ibn Masood after this to change a single word from the Quran with a word of his own liking”.
((وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِمۡ ءَایَاتُنَا بَیِّنَـٰتࣲ قَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَرۡجُونَ لِقَاۤءَنَا ٱئۡتِ بِقُرۡءَانٍ غَیۡرِ هَـٰذَاۤ أَوۡ بَدِّلۡهُۚ قُلۡ مَا یَكُونُ لِیۤ أَنۡ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلۡقَاۤىِٕ نَفۡسِیۤۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا یُوحَىٰۤ إِلَیَّ إِنِّیۤ أَخَافُ إِنۡ عَصَیۡتُ رَبِّی عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ عَظِیمࣲ)).
قال الزرقاني رحمه الله :
وليس بعد كلام الله ورسوله كلام ، كذلك أجمعت الأمة على أنه لا مدخل لبشر في نظم هذا القرآن ، لا من ناحية أسلوبه ، ولا من ناحية ألفاظه ، بل ولا من ناحية قانون أدائه ، فمَن يخرج على هذا الإجماع ، ويتبع غير سبيل المؤمنين : يولِّه الله ما تولى ، ويصله جهنم ، وساءت مصيراً .
وها نحن أولاء قد رأينا القرآن في تلك الآية يمنع الرسول من محاولة ذلك منعاً باتّاً ، مشفوعاً بالوعيد الشديد ، ومصحوباً بالعقاب الأليم ، فما يكون لابن مسعود ، ولا لأكبر من ابن مسعود بعد هذا أن يبدِّل لفظاً من ألفاظ القرآن بلفظٍ من تلقاء نفسه .
“مناهل العرفان في علوم القرآن” (1/188) .
I’ve been asked about my toughest subject during my journey seeking knowledge thus far. Along with this question- is the famous question about my most memorable teacher.
Its really tough for me to answer the latter question (regarding the most memorable teacher), however if I was to amalgamate the two questions together within one context; I’d say comfortably that the toughest subject I’ve come across is a science called illal alHadeeth which is a Hadeeth related science dealing with subtle discreprecies/issues with the chain/s and/or text/s of a narration.
It requires one to really develop the ability to audit hadeeth content diligently, with a precision requiring much strength, and I recall how drained I’d feel after each lesson related to the practical side of this subject especially. It really made me love deeper the Hadeeth Giants from our history, such as Imam Ali bin alMadeeni, Imam albukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam ibn Abi alHaatim, and others.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not an impossible subject to study, and with time things do get more manageable. It’s just that it does require intense discipline, starting with discipline in one’s intentions.
As for the 2nd question; then given the context of this post, he would have to be, hands down, our Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdur-Rahman asSa’d (may Allah preserve him).
His In-depth knowledge of the science from both a theoretical and practical perspective is just phenomenal, beyond my ability to fully describe, and along with this abundant knowledge, he possesses exemplary character which in a way inspires a process of transformation within a student of knowledge.
The day I leave Riyadh and the borders of KSA, there will be so much to miss. Allahul Musta’aan.
May Allah preserve our teachers in His obedience and increase our knowledge. Ameen.
Ibn Al-Mukandar said to Abu Hazim: “O Abu Hazim, there are so many people who meet me and ask Allah to give me blessings!
I do not even know them, and I have never done anything for them (yet they do this)!
Abu Hazim replied by saying: “Do not think that (their dua for you and their show of love) is because of (your actions). Rather it is (all) from Allah, so thank him!
Then he recited:
((Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.))
alQur’an: 19:96
