Al-Mujadilah
(She Who Pleaded)
Chapter 58: Verse 11 (Partial)
 The
Heirs of the Prophet
Allah will raise up in degrees those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge.
There is no doubt, that the scholars disparaging, and putting one another down, is a deed that is forbidden. It is forbidden for a person to back-bite his Brother Muslim - even if he is not a scholar - so how is it permissible for him to back-bite his Brother scholars from among the Believers? The one who is afflicted with this disease must realise that when he puts a scholar down, it will be a cause for what the scholar says of Truth to also be rejected.
He must realise that when he puts down a scholar, he is not just putting him down personally, but he is putting down one of the heirs of the Prophet; as the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. He must also realise that if he puts down and criticises the scholars, the people will no longer trust the Knowledge that they have, which is passed on from the Prophet. Therefore, they will not trust anything from the Shariah that is presented by that scholar who is being criticised.
I do not say that scholar are free from committing errors; for every human is apt to commit mistakes. If you see a scholar making a mistake, according to your belief, then contact him and try to discuss it with him - If it becomes clear to you that the Truth is with him, then it becomes obligatory upon you to follow him. But if you find that his statement is wrong, then it is obligatory upon you to refute it, and make his mistake clear. This is because it is not correct to accept a mistake. But do not disparage him, and put him down while he is a scholar, who is well-known to have a good intention. If you are able to say, 'Some people say such and such, and that is a weak opinion.', and then you explain why it is weak - without mentioning the scholar - then that is good, and that is best.
If we wanted to disparage the scholars who are well-known for having good intentions, due to the mistakes that they fell into regarding questions of the Religion, then we would disparage even the greatest of scholars. Even if a scholar should follow an opinion, that goes against what the majority of the scholars are following - or what the leading scholars are following - this in itself, does not mean that we have the right to attack him.
If a person differs from the majority of the scholars in an issue in which there is established evidence for the correctness of what he is saying, it is not allowed to abuse him, and it is not allowed to be harsh against him. It is not allowed to gather the people against him; instead one should debate with that person, and contact him. And how many topics are there that are strange for the people to understand, and they think that there has been ijma (concensus of agreement) on that question, however when they study, they will find that the person has evidence that will lead even his opponents to follow him, and accept it.
It is correct, and most likely, that the correct view will be with the majority - that is the normal case - however, that does not mean that the correct view is definitively with the majority.
Source:
Fatwas by Ibn Uthaymeen- Jamaal Al-Deen Zarabozo |
Unfailing Trust
When the Messenger of God, Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wa sallam) - having suffered the torture and hardships of the Makkans - journeyed to the desert town of al-Taif in search of support, he was stoned and ridiculed by its people. In this state of fear and dejection, exhausted and bleeding from his face and feet, he turned to his Lord and prayed:
"O Allah, to You I complain of my weakness and helplessness, and of the people's caring nothing for me. O Most Merciful of those who show mercy, You are the Lord of the dispossessed and You are my Lord. O Allah, to whom will you leave me? To a stranger who will push me away and mistreat me, or to an enemy to whom You have given power over me? As long as You are not angry with me, nothing else matters, but still your protection and help are better for me. I seek refuge in the Light of Your Countenance, which lights up the darkness and sets right the affairs of this world and the Hereafter, from Your Anger and Wrath descending upon me. Surely, there is no strength or power except in You!"
This is the example of complete and unfailing trust in Allah, enduring patience, and complaining of one's hardship in life to none except the One who has power over them. May Allah send his choicest blessings on Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and all those who helped him and struggled in Allah's Cause till the Day of Judgement!
Source:
Al-Ubudiyyah - Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
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Is there a problem with 'Islamic law'?
The answer of the above question depends on what one means by 'Islamic law'. And this answer needs to be given differentiating between the three different meanings of the general term 'Islamic law.’
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Shariah: If by Islamic Law, we mean the revelation that was given to Muhammad, which he internalized, practiced in his own life, and went through a long educational process to educate his companions and the world about it – then the answer is: No. There is no problem with the 'Islamic law.' It is a way of life that is all about justice, mercy, wisdom, and good. And it has been preserved via the Quran and the Authentic Hadith.
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Fiqh: On the other hand, one can also be referring to the huge collection of juridical opinions that were given by various jurists from various schools of thought, in regards to the application of the Shariah to their various real life situations throughout the past fourteen centuries. The answer in this case is also a No. There is nothing wrong, generally speaking, with juridical reasoning carried by scholars for their own environments and times. It is true that some individual scholars had made mistakes and/or had taken controversial positions on issues. However, this is the nature of juridical research.
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Fatwas: However, if you mean by the 'Islamic law' fatwas, then the answer is: It depends on how the fatwa is issued. If the fatwa is copied verbatim from some classic book in the Islamic law, then it is quite possibly flawed because it is quite probably addressing a different world with different circumstances. If the fatwa is based on some sort of twisted interpretations of a script, with an aim to serve the political interests of some powerful people, then it is wrong and un-Islamic. If the fatwa is allowing people to commit an act of injustice, discrimination, harm, or immorality, even if it were to be based on some sort of 'interpretation,' then it is also wrong and un-Islamic. If the fatwa is issued based on the Islamic authentic sources, on one hand, while keeping people's welfare and the principal values and purposes of the Islamic law in mind, on the other hand, then it is a correct and valid fatwa.
Source:
“Islamic Law, Fatwas, and Muslim Scholars Today” - Jasser Auda
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