FIRST OBLIGATORY MATTER TO LEARN

“العلم وهو معرفة الله ومعرفة نبيه ومعرفة دين الإسلام بالأدلة” 

“Knowledge. Which is the Maurifat of Allah, the Maurifat of His Messenger and the Islamic Religion based upon evidences.”

علم, جو اللہ کی معرفت ہے، اور اسکے نبی کی معرفت، اور دین اسلام کئ معرفت دلائل کے ساتھ

Now we begin with the words of Sheikh, that means,  أنه يجب علينا تعلم أربع مسائل “It is Wajib (obligatory) upon us to learn four matters.”

What is the meaning of Wajib? Many of the scholars said: “Wajib is that which no one is excused to leave. And according to the Usulis, Wajib is that which its doer will be rewarded and the one who leaves it will be punished.” So, it is wajib-al-ayne on every individual to learn these matters, if we leave them we would be sinful, because knowledge cannot be acquired except through learning, and learning requires; care, attention, effort, time, understanding and attentiveness of the heart.

So what is coming in the book “al Usul al Thalatha” is issues which are obligatory on every single Mukallaf and for this reason, effort should be put into studying these important matters.

So in summary, the Sheikh has said that there are four matters which are Wajib upon every single Mukallaf to learn about. And that this knowledge is Fard Ayn and not a Fard Kifayah. [1]

Here we start with the first Wajib from the four Wajibaat [2] which is:

Lets see all these in details:

What is Knowledge العلم and obligatory to learn?

The word “العلم” meaning: “knowledge” means Shar’ee knowledge. Keep this in mind, when the word knowledge is mentioned in the Quran or Hadith, it means the legislated islamic knowledge unless there is another evidence which suggests another form of knowledge. The knowledge that which is Fard Ayn is the knowledge of everything which Allah commanded him and forbidden him from. This form of knowledge is Wajib upon every person as the scholars have stated. It is obligatory upon every individual muslim to learn, because knowledge is of 2 categories:

1. Obligatory on every individual: If one lack to attain it, the religion cannot be established without it, such as five pillars of islam includes; Two Testifications, eestablishing the Prayer (Salah), giving Zakaat, the fast of Ramadhan and Hajj to sacred house of Allah. One must learn all of them in details, because it is essential to learn all mentioned ibadah with its complete ruling, in order to perfome these acts of worships in the prescribed and legislated manner.
2. Essestial Knowledge but not Obligatory for every individual: It is additional from the legislated rulings on Ummah (islamic nation) to attain, such as rulings of trading, rulings of transactions, religious endownments, law of inheritance, rulings of marriage and rulings related to crimes. However, it is not obligatory on every individual from the Ummah to learn, rather if a sufficient group of scholars attain it, it will suffice the need of muslims for legal judgements and legal verdicts and teaching other then this. This is called Fard al Kifayah (communal obligation)

As for the worldly knowledge and professions, it is permissible to learn and it can be obligatory if Ummah has need of it and capable of doing so. If anyone is ignorant of this type of knowledge will not be sinful, while whoever learns it and utilizes it for Ummah, will be rewarded for it.

Maurifat of Allah معرفة الله :

Now we begin with “معرفة الله” Meaning: “Maurifat of Allah” literarily meaning: “awareness of Allah”,with His names and attributes. Some of the scholars have said that Ilm is the same as Maurifat but the others have said that Maurifat is deeper than Ilm. So everyone who has Maurifat, has achieved Ilm, but not everyone who achieved Ilm has achieved Maurifat. 

Know that Allah is known in two ways. That is;

• By reflecting upon his Shar’ee Aayaat  from the Quran and Sunnah.
• And the second way is by reflecting upon his Kawnee Aayaat (signs within His creation).

And by this, the slave understands and realizes that Allah is the Rabb (Lord) of the Heavens and the Earth and that He maintains them and bestows on them Rizq. And this leads the slave to realize that He alone should be worshiped with none besides Him as a partner and that He is the Hakim and none associates with Him in legislation. And that His Shariah is the most complete of legislations and that His Shariah is all benefits and there is no harm or unjustness in it. And all other legislations are weak and shortcoming. And coming to this realization is a great blessing which Allah bestows upon whom He wills from His slaves, and no one knows its sweetness except those who tasted it. So let the slave of Allah isolate himself from the people for a portion of his day and spend it in the remembrance of His Lord the Most High. Let him ponder upon His Names and Characteristics which are proven from the Quran and Sahih Sunnah. And let him ponder upon His Oneness in being worshipped and His greatness and mightiness. And know that the Aql (mind) follows the Naql (the narrated text of Shariah) and not the other way round. So know, none of these issues of Aqeedah should be based upon the Aql. But rather it should be based upon the Naql and the Aql follows it.

And if you look into His creations, you will know that all are His subservient, and He is the Perfect and Most High.

Maurifat of His Prophet  معرفة نبيه :

He is Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf and is the intermediate between us and Allah in Tabligh (conveying) of the Risalat. But He is never an intermediate between us and Allah in worship or seeking help. It is Wajib upon every Mukallaf (individual) to learn about him and His life. It is not befitting for a muslim to be ignorant of Prohet Muhammad ﷺ, for how can you follow a person when you do not have knowledge about him. This is not comprehended. And Allah has negated Iman from the one who does not turn to him in legislation obediently.

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Meaning: “But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.”

Maurifat of the Deen al-Islam based upon the evidences معرفة دين الإسلام بالأدلة :

Islam in its general meaning means submission and obedience to Allah alone and denial from Shirk and its people. In this sense, all the Prophets and those who believed them were Muslims upon Islam.

Islam in its specific meaning means the Shariah which Allah sent down to the Prophet ﷺ. Meaning, the people of other religions, if they did not believe in the last messenger, they become disbelievers. So whoever who does not submit to the Shariah of Allah is a Kafir disbeliever. Included among them are the Jews and Christians, Buddhists, Democrats, Liberalists, Communists and anyone who does not submit to the Shariah of Islam alone.

The word “بالأدلة” meaning: “based upon evidences.” Evidence is that what leads to the objective.  The clear proofs or evidences from Quran and Sunnah, not with Taqleed (blind following).

Here, first foundation ends, that Shaikh Rahimullah begins with, it is aqeedah (creed and belief), it is essestial to learn, teach first to maintain the fundamental basis of teachings of Islam.

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[1] Fard Ayn means those obligations which it is obligated upon every single Mukallaf to carry out. Fard Kifayah means those obligations whose obligation drops when a group carries it out. So the other group is relieved off sin. But if the required amount does not carry it out, then everyone turn out sinful.

[2] Wajibaat is the plural of Wajib.

Related Links:

Introduction to Author – Imam Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahab

Al-Usool Ath-Thalatha

SOURCES:

Bilad Al Sham Media

ittibaa.com

Audio in Urdu: Dr. Farhat Hashmi – Al-Usul al-Thalathah

Arabic Text: Download Book-Al-Usul Al-Thalaathah

PART 2- INTRODUCTION TO NEXT THREE OBLIGATORY MATTERS TO LEARN