“Let there arise out of you an ummah (band of people)
inviting to what is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong”
The Holy Qur’an, Al ‘Imran
-104.
If we ponder over the above Qur’anic verse,
we will observe that it calls for the creation of a group – or elite class - of
people to perform three tasks: inviting
to what is good (khair), enjoining what is right (ma’ruf) and
forbidding what is wrong (munkar). In doing so, they can look forward to
attaining felicity and success.
In view of the momentous
responsibilities this group is expected to undertake, it would be useful to establish
what precisely these tasks involve.
The first thing we should note is
that the “group inviting to what is good” is referred to as an “Ummah”. While
it is true that dictionary definitions of “Ummah” include the meanings of
“group” or “class”, the fact that this word is more commonly understood to mean
the Islamic Nation suggests that the elite class symbolises the whole Nation,
since its mission is to represent the Nation and convey the Messenger of Allah
(PBUH)’s Message to it. This it duly did and the Nation responded by embracing
Islam.
So, the din (Islamic religion)
was founded on the Message, and the ‘ulama (scholars) who inherited the
knowledge passed down from the Messenger of Allah became the representatives of
the Ummah (Nation) with responsibility
for teaching, safeguarding and propagating the Faith.
From this we can conclude that
applying the term Ummah to the community of scholars and propagators of
the Faith demonstrated two things - firstly, that they were acting on behalf of
the Nation and secondly, that
their mission was of crucial importance.
Although they appeared to be charged
with performing three tasks, in reality they had only one task— a single task
comprising the combined functions of inviting to what is good, enjoining what
is right and forbidding what is wrong.
Enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong is in fact a definition of inviting to what is good.
“What is good” is an all-embracing concept which includes sound faith and
beliefs, a commitment to the Good Life (“right”) and a rejection of a life of
corruption and depravity (“wrong”). In fact, inviting to what is good goes even
further than this. Another Qur’anic verse — “Strive together as in a race
towards all that is good...”. is an injunction expressed in the plural form, indicating
that the invitation to do good is addressed to the whole of humanity. This
implies seeking common ground and offering guidance beyond the boundaries of
the Islamic Ummah, while at the same time promoting what is right and
setting a worthy example within the Muslim community.
From this we can understand that the
term “‘ulama” does not apply solely to religious scholars who only teach the
elements of the Faith and the correct way to worship; it is also applicable to
numerous other groups of people who are conversant with the religious and
temporal sciences and the belief systems of other nations and peoples.
Naturally, they comprise a wide range of different classes and groups, not just
one. This is the way it should be, since the credibility of Islam’s invitation
to what is good can only be judged by comparing it with the messages of other
religions within a common context. From there it will be possible to develop
persuasive arguments and use common ground as a springboard to broader horizons.
We and the followers of other faiths
and cultures will thus be able to work together. And when the Qur’an refers to
“evidence” or “bearing witness” we can get a sense that the “invitation to
good” has reached the highest possible level.
The
Qur’an also says: “It is a Dhikr (Message) for thee and for thy people,
and soon shall ye be brought to account”. Qur’an scholars interpret Dhikr
as meaning the Qur’an, but it would be wrong to think that it is just a synonym
for a book; after all, the Qur’an also says: “We have sent down the Dhikr;
and We will assuredly guard it from corruption”. So Allah, Glory be to Him, the
Most High, has also given us His guarantee that He will safeguard the Dhikr—
or text of the Holy Qur’an — for us.
For the Ummah, its mission and
its scholars, success and felicity can only be achieved if:
1.
The Ummah
conveys the Message faithfully and with the utmost diligence.
2.
An elite class
is trained and educated to convey the Message to the coming generations and the
world.
3.
The Message
contains the three elements of khair (good), ma’ruf (right) and avoidance of munkar (wrong) and evil
practices.
4.
We recognise
that we can only attain felicity through success within ourselves and in our
dealings with others.
5.
We recognise
that to attain felicity in this sense it is essential not only to follow the
Qur’an, but also to use ijtihad (interpretative judgement) and creative thinking in the interests of progress
and in response to the changing demands of the world of today. This is the
meaning of furudh al kifayah (collective obligations).
Furudh al ‘din
(individual obligations) are textual injunctions stipulated in the Qur’an and
apply to every individual Muslim without exception, while furudh al kifayah
are a response to the demands of time, place and circumstances and it may be
permissible for some individuals to perform them on behalf of the whole group
or community.
Furudh al kifayah are designed
to serve two purposes — to supply a need and to improve the life of the Ummah
and help enable it to overcome difficult situations. In former times the ‘ulama
applied these furudh (obligations)
to religious matters such as salat al janazah (the funeral prayer), salat
ul istisqa’ (the prayer for rain) etc.
Sometimes furudh al kifayah
were extended to include “greater and lesser masalih
(benefits/interests)”, such as the formation of armies to defend holy places
and territories, or the pursuit of learning in certain fields needed by the Ummah
in which there was a shortage of trained personnel, such as medicine, languages
or comparative religion. (These two latter disciplines would enable the Ummah
to defend and safeguard the interests of Islam, help propagate the Faith and
establish relations with other nations in the interests of Muslims and the
peoples of the world as a whole).
If issues were not covered by a
specific textual injunction but nevertheless regarded as necessary, some ‘ulama
would determine furudh al kifayah on the basis of qiyas
(analogy), which they applied according to established fiqh
(jurisprudence/doctrine) principles. Alternatively, they would class them as “tahqiq
al manat” (“ascertainment of effective cause”). This approach was common
among scholars until the seventh century AH, though
some regarded it as “theoretical”. The community’s general masalih were
not classed as furudh al kifayah or “essential needs” but as being among
the maqasid al kulliyyah (general objectives) of the Shariah.
We can derive the five principles of
the maqasid al kulliyyah or “vital interests” from studying the Qur’an
and the Sunnah. They are: the rights of the nafs (life), ‘aql
(mind), din (religion), nasl (progeny) and milk (property) — that is,
the elements needed to maintain and safeguard human life from the point of view
of its continued existence, its knowledge and learning, its religion (including
morality and regularity of habits), its family, and its wealth and property
honourably acquired. Anything that contributes to these can be classed as being
among the maqasid of the Shariah, which means that furudh al kifayah
are concerned with the “dhururat al Shar’iyyah” (“Shariah necessities”), as well as certain matters
related to acts of worship. Issues such as economic and social development and
efforts to achieve a better life fall into the maqasid category and are
relevant to the Nation’s mission, and the sovereignty, progress and prosperity
of the Islamic Ummah and the wider world.
Let us strive through our actions to
promote our Ummah to the world and to those who are working for the good
of mankind. Let us make every effort to improve our lives and contribute to
modern civilization and the world of today. It is to this end that Al
Tasamoh magazine seeks to serve the cause of progress, entente and mutual
understanding between peoples.
Reference:
Furud Al ‘Ain and Furud Al Kifayah, by: Abdulrahman Al-Salimi,
Al-Tafahom Magazine, issue number 08/2012.
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