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Misconceptions
Shaykh Abdur Rahman As Sudays [(Muharram 14, 1425 (March 5, 2004)]
All praise is due to
Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the
Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims! Fear
Allaah as He should be feared. For those who fear Allaah are the best of all
creation. He who fears Allaah shall attain high degrees and shall be saved from
calamities and trials. Allaah says,
"O you who
believe, fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to
what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is
All-Aware of what you do."
(Al-Hashr
59:18)
Dear Muslims! Months
and years pass and the Muslims are still suffering from calamities, tragedies
and tribulations. Though these trials and calamities are numerous, the greatest
of them and the most horrible of them all is intellectual trials where Muslims'
minds are diverted from the will of Allaah, the will of His Messenger and the
path of the righteous predecessors.
Fellow Muslims! When
one reflects on the long history of Islaam, one will realise that there are many
dangerous perversions by which this Ummah is afflicted. Intellectual perversion
is however the most dangerous of all this. If some Muslim enthusiasts believe
that the perversion that is widespread among members of this Ummah is only moral
corruptions, the undoubtedly more dangerous perversion that has afflicted the
Ummah through its history is ideological corruption.
When an Islaamic worker
sees a man who is morally corrupt but ideologically upright and he sees another
man who is both morally and ideologically corrupt, he exerts greater efforts
with the later because; his ideology needs to be firstly corrected and after
that his behaviour is corrected. This is the reality in the situation of most
Muslims of today. Their corruption is not only moral but has reached its peak in
religious as well. It is therefore, little surprise that our Ummah is now living
in severe calamity and in the state of strangeness which the Messenger of Allaah
has prophesied before. He said in a hadeeth narrated by Muslim, "The religion of
Islaam started as a strange religion and it shall return to its state of
strangeness."
Which strangeness is
then greater than ours; where the enemies have become our rulers?
Brethren in faith!
Proper understanding of Islaam is one of the most important issues that should
be given utmost attention especially in this age that there are many crises and
tribulations. This is because it is time of crises that people differ in their
arriving at the truth. That is why Allaah commended His Prophet Solomon and his
father David for their knowledge and wisdom. Allaah says,
"And We
made Sulaimaan (Solomon) to understand (the case), and to each of them We gave
Hukm (right judgment of the affairs and Prophethood) and knowledge."
(Al-Anbiyaa
21:79)
'Umar told Aboo Moosaa,
"You should understand whatever you are assigned with." Aboo Sa'eed said, "Aboo
Bakr was the most knowledgeable about the Messenger of Allaah among us."
The Messenger of Allaah
also invoked Allaah to bless 'Abdullaah bin 'Abbaas with understanding of
religion and interpretation [of the Qur'aan]. And this degree is above that of
ordinary knowledge.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said,
"Proper understanding and good intention are some of the greatest blessings of
Allaah upon His slave. They are the next greatest blessings that Allaah could
endow any servant with besides Islaam. Both are standing pillars of Islaam and
it is by them that man can be saved from the path of those who have earned
Allaah' anger because of their evil intentions and those who have went astray
because of their improper understanding and intentions. The possessors of these
two qualities are the people of the right path, the path of whom we are required
to supplicate for in every prayer. Sound understanding is a light which Allaah
casts in the heart of His slave. It is a quality by which man differentiate
between the truth and falsehood, guidance and error."
He added, "No Muftee or
judge will be able to discharge his duty without two types of understanding:
One: understanding the
situation and have the knowledge about it.
Two: understanding what
should be done in such situation. It is understanding of Allaah's rule on the
situation in His Book or upon the tongue of His Messenger. Then each of these
two understanding is applied to the other." He further said, "The keen observer
of the Sharee'ah and the incidences of the time of the companions, will find
that they were filled with this. Whoever takes other ways has violated people's
rights."
Brethren in Islaam! The
keen reader of the history of this Ummah will realize that improper
understanding was behind every crisis with which this nation is afflicted. It is
rather the cause of affliction for all the humanity. Was it not the reason that
lead Satan to destruction? Was Haabeel not killed as a result of it? Was it not
the cause of disunity among the people of the Book and even members of this
Ummah? Was it not the cause of bloodshed among the Muslims and the reason for
their enemy's subjugation of them? Why were 'Uthmaan 'Alee, Al-Husayn, Ibn
Az-Zubayr, Ibn Jubayr and other Muslim leaders assassinated? What is it that
subjected Imaam Ahmad to persecution and imprisonment? What is it that imposed
the Tatar's swords upon the lands of the Muslims and cleared the ground for
atheists, heretics, the hypocrite, the Khawaarij and other erroneous sects? It
is because all of these sects misunderstood the texts of the Qur'aan and the
Sunnah.
Fellow Muslims! How
similar is today to yesterday! The present world crises and challenges also
emanate from misunderstanding. The ideological, religious, moral and media war
that we are facing today were all caused by lack of understanding. The
imposition of cultures and ideas and dictating particular ways of reform in the
name of globalization and freedom are nothing but war of conceptions. The
accusations wrongly levelled against this Ummah under the guise of war on
terrorism, denying people of their human rights and freedom, alienation of
truth, peace and justice and attacking the Islaamic values and noble qualities
are all products of the war of conceptions.
It is surprising that
the media is used to twist the truth. Terrorism is something that should be
fought if it is perpetrated by some erring Muslims. But if Muslim holy places
are attacked and massacres are committed against the Muslims by other as the
Jews are doing in Palestine, that heinous act will not be regarded as terrorism.
If Muslims defend their human rights and protect their religion, their action is
regarded as terrorism. Is there any worse way of twisting the truth?
More surprising is the
impact of misconception among the Muslims where this is turned to bloodshed like
what happened in Iraq recently. This act of unnecessary shedding of innocent
blood should be condemned and rejected, for such vicious act provides the enemy
with the opportunity to plunder Iraqi wealth. We are therefore, calling on our
brethren over there to lay down their weapons and preserve the Muslim lives.
Shedding of innocent blood should henceforth be stopped. The unity of the Iraqi
Muslim people should be upheld and its interests should be protected. Let all
Iraqis unite upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and shun whatever contradicts both.
Brethren in faith! One
of the greatest wars of concept with which this Ummah is afflicted is how to
actualize the meaning of the statement of testimony, and how to uphold Tawheed
in acts of worship and in understanding Allaah's Names and Attributes; how to
understand the concept of pre-decree and the concept of allegiance and
renunciation.
We need to have proper
understanding of the meaning of declaring others as disbelievers, extremism,
love, the Prophetic qualities, the stand that Muslim should regarding the
Prophet's companions, the events of the Last Day and so on.
Equally, acts of
worship, all forms of human interactions, the judicial system, man's view of
this world and life and the concepts of calling to the way of Allaah and
fighting in His cause should all be based on proper Islaamic understanding.
Likewise, ideological and cultural issues, the issues of women and the youth and
matters pertaining to dialogue and reform should be understood and dealt with in
the light of sound Islaamic injunctions. The stage which the Ummah is presently
passing through should also be adequately considered when inferring injunctions
from the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah.
This call for proper
understanding of our religion and laws should start first with us, the Muslims.
We should first of all correct our belief, thoughts and perceptions. It is after
this that we can correct the picture of Islaam in the eyes of world communities.
There are many people
whose view about Islaam is polluted because they keep away from the light of the
Qur'aan and the Sunnah and instead adopt the path of error and confusion so much
so that the proper Islaamic concepts are mixed with western ideologies and the
sound Islaamic teachings are buries in the abyss of filthy methodologies. The
Muslim scholars and reformers are therefore, called upon to rise up to the
occasion and exert all their efforts to correct these misconception and bring
the Ummah back to the understanding of the generation of the companions of
Allaah's Messenger which is the best of all generations.
Ash-Shaatibee said,
"The opinions of the Prophet's companions are better for us than our own
opinions."
Imaam Ahmad said,
"Loving the companions is Sunnah, supplicating for them is an act of worship,
emulating them is a means [of attaining Allaah's pleasure] and following their
footsteps is a virtue."
Ash-Shaatibee said, "It
is compulsory for every scholar of Sharee'ah who studies the evidences to
consider the understanding of the early scholars and their practice. That is
more correct and more upright in knowledge and deed."
Though every Muslim
should call upon his brother to correct his understanding; that should be
according to the understanding of our righteous predecessors. Allaah says,
"If you differ in anything amongst
yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and
in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination."
(An-Nisaa 4:59)
So fear Allaah and hold fast unto the Qur'aan
and the Sunnah. Adhere to the understanding of the righteous predecessors; you
will attain happiness and success in the world and the Hereafter.
Fellow Muslims! In order to avoid mix-up of
conceptions, the disease should de diagnosed and the cure proffered.
Some of the major causes of misconceptions
are ignorance, desire, bigotry, excessive love for this world, desire for praise
from humans, weak faith, lack of piety and running after fame. Other causes are
abandonment of clear evidences for ambiguous ones, seeking for uncommon issues
and lack of knowledge. The Prophet said, "If you see some people following the
unclear evidences, [know that] they are those mentioned by Allaah; so be careful
of them." (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
'Umar said, "A people will come who will use
the unclear verses of the Qur'aan to argue with you. Defeat them with the Sunnah,
for the followers of the Sunnah know the Qur'aan more [than others]." The early
scholars that should be followed are people like the four Imaams, Al-Awzaa'ee,
Layth, Sufyaan Ath-Thawree, Sufyaan Ibn 'Uyaynah, the scholars of Hadeeth, Ibn
Taymiyyah, Ibn 'Abdil-Wahhaab and others.
Another cause of misconception is lack of
consulting the recognized scholars. Allaah says,
"If only they had referred it to the
Messenger or to those charged with authority among them, the proper
investigators would have understood it from them (directly)."
(An-Nisaa 4:83)
Young age, in most cases, causes lack of
understanding and leads to misinterpretations.
In this age of information technology, many
satellite stations that claim to promote freedom and independence have adopted
system of casting doubt on true Islaamic concepts and attacking the Muslim
figures. They also scorn the fundamental principles of this religion.
Dear brethren! The remedy for all these
diseases is in the following: having good intention, searching for the truth,
fear of Allaah and following the path of the righteous predecessors. If not,
crises of misconception will continue endlessly. This is because; this age of
ours is full of crises and tribulations that had never been in any of the
previous generations, for those with wrong improper understanding see error as
correct. Allaah says,
"Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds
is made fair-seeming, so that he considers it as good (equal to one who is
rightly guided)? Verily, Allaah sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He
wills."
(Faatir 35:8)
The situation is so bad with some defeatists
that they believe that the only way to cultural progress is to rebel against
religion, attack its principles and subject all its fundamentals to criticism,
thereby regarding corruption as reform. Allaah says,
"And when it is said to them: "Make not
mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peace-makers."
(Al-Baqarah 2:11)
We are therefore calling upon the defeatists
and those who wade into Islaamic issues without knowledge to leave the matter
for the experts. The truth is clear and the concepts are obviously explained.
There is therefore no more escape route for the dissident.
This Ummah cannot overcome all its crises and
tribulations except by seriously correcting its understanding from within first
and then correct other's perception of it. All modern means and technologies
must be used to achieve this goal before it is too late.
Brethren in faith! There are lessons to be
learnt from former leaders of misconception throughout history who regretted
their actions and admitted to their confusions. You should therefore repent
before it is too late. Allaah says,
"If then they answer you not, know then that
it is (the Revelation (this Qur'aan)) is sent down with the Knowledge of Allaah
and that none has the right to be worshipped but He! Will you then be Muslims
(those who submit to Islaam)?"
(Hood 11:14)
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