Toward A New Unified Madhdhab

 MINHAJ AL-MAQAASIDIYYAH

          Before we begin our discussion of any fiqh issue, we should have an understanding of the basic methodology necessary to tackle any issue in fiqh – what we call Usool al-Fiqh.  Nine schools of thought or madhdhaahib present their manaahij or methodologies to the world today;  the Sunni schools of Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafii, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal; the modern schools of the Jamhuriyya, and the Salafiyya; the Shia Ja'afai schools, Aakhbari (textual) and Usooli (rational); and the emerging school based on the work of Al-Shatiibii, the Maqaasidiyya.  This last school is emerging and is best exemplified by the work of Ibn Ashur, Tariq Ramadan and Jasser Auda.  

          The Maqaasid ash-Shariah are the objectives of the Law.  They form the basic purposes for which the Law is sent down by Allah SWT.  The Maqaasid are;  promotion and protection of deen, promotion and protection of life, promotion and protection of aql, promotion and protection of dignity (lineage and honor), and promotion and protection of property.  Other scholars have cited other objectives, but they generally fall into one of these five categories.  For a thorough discussion of the Maqaasid please consult Jasser Auda's book, Maqasid Al-Shariah as Philosophy of Islamic Law: A Systems Approach, published by IIIT.

            While the Maqaasidiyya are mostly Sunni in aqeedah, the school has at least one Shia adherent, Sayed Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr.  Although he has generally been seen as a rationalist due to his focus on presenting rational arguments against dialectic materialism, the philosophical foundation of Communism, he was known to be very interesting in the work of Ibn Ashur, and his works, particularly in Islamic Economics, (Iqtisaduna, Bank al-Ribawi), reflect an approach to usool that is neither solely textually based nor solely usooli based, but looks to the themes and spirit of the law expressed in the text to aid in the practical application of Divine Law in a particular environment. 

            Unlike Sunni thought, which due to the emphasis on text (Nuss), as well as classic interpretation of that text, as binding, Shia thought has long posited the necessity of “Nur al-Aan,” the Present Light.  While Sunni thought became mired in the closing of the proverbial “Doors of Ijtehad,”  Shia thought held that the decisions of the Marja’ or Mujtahid were only binding during his lifetime.  Once he was no longer present and was out of touch with reality, the mukhallif was no longer obliged to follow him, and was required to turn to a new, present marja'. 

            As a point of Islamic history, this difference began early in our Ummah.  From the early days, Abu Bakr and Umar (RAA) adopted a “common law” understanding of Shariah law.  The decisions of Muslim judges and rulers, especially the Khalif, became binding on the community, just like the decisions of judges in the American common law system.  Common law decisions become the law itself, apart from the legislation upon which it ideally is based.  Hence, we hear things in America like “judge-made law,” versus the statutes and laws passed by the legislature. 

            Ali ibn Abi Talib opposed this common law position, and posited what we refer to today as a “civil law” system, based on the code itself.  Judges’ decisions are not binding, although they may be highly persuasive.  The law is the legislation.  Judges are charged to apply the law to particular cases.  The only thing that is binding is the law, not the application of the law.  Today, Europe and many Middle Eastern countries have civil law court systems.

            The new Usool of the Maqaasidiyya reflects a more realistic understanding of legal systems, one that is capable of staying true to the Shariah Law, the Divine Law laid down by Allah in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and one that is also capable of remaining fresh and elastic so as to be able to meet all this forever changing world can demand. 

            The minhaj I have found best meets the needs of a united Ummah – one that is capable of carrying forward an Ummah envisioned by Shaheed al-Sadr – is one based on the Qur’an, the Authentic Hadith, and the Maqaasid al-Shariah, with highly persuasive secondary evidence from the opinions of the People of Madina, and the Judgments of Imam Ali and Qadi Shuraih.  

ULOOM AL HADITH

            The biggest issue to be resolved on the road to this minhaj is in the determination of authentic hadith, as well as the determination of authentic aathar and the judgments of Imam Ali and Qadi Shuraih.  Admittedly, this area will take time to consider and develop.  However, one thing is certain, the laudable attempt by Shaikh Nasruddin al-Albani, despite its momentous effort and sincerity, falls well short of its goals.  Both Shaikh bin Bazz and Shaikh Uthaimeen informed Shaikh al-Albani that his minhaj of looking solely to the Ilm al-Rijal, the Knowledge of the Narrators, was not sufficient to be able to call a hadith, sahih.  Not only can an isnad or chain of narrators be faked, but the books of Ilm al-Rijal come in two flavors, Sunni and Shia.  The great scholar and author of the authoritative book on Uloom al Hadith, Kitab Ma'arifat Anwa 'Ilm Al Hadith, Shaikh Shahrazuhri, notes that even in his time (1100 AD) it was not possible to correctly determine authenticity of a hadith by Ilm al Rijal alone.  How then, would it be possible for a modern scholar like Shaikh al-Albani to do this?

            For now, I will put forth the following criteria for determination of a sahih hadith.  The hadith should be found in substantial form in either the Muwatta of Imam Malik, the Kitab al Kafi of Muhammad Ya'qub Kulayni, the Sahih of Imam Bukhaari, or the Sahih of Imam Muslim.  It must meet the criteria of Imam Bukhaari as to isnad – in other words all the narrators should have actually met one another.  Its matin must meet the requirement of: "whatever (hadith) agrees with the Book of God (the Qur'an), accept it. And whatever contradicts it, reject it" It must not favor of any particular sect, nor should it be overly predictive or critical of future sectarian divisions.  Material that should have been known to more than one person should be reported by more than one person. For example, prayers and communal actions should have been reported by many people, not just one.  Ahad hadith are only acceptable if the matin contains material that only that person could have or should have known. 

           

            All other hadith books and other material, be it Seerah, Tafsir, Tarikh, etc may be persuasive, but are not binding.  Only the Qur’an and verifiably Sahih Hadith are binding.  As for aathar and the opinions of Imam Ali and Qadi Shuraih, they are highly persuasive, but require careful study to firstly determine authenticity, and secondly to determine applicability in the current context.  

THE ROLE OF REASON

            However, our law is not solely textual.  In order to apply Divine Law in the present light, we have many tools which Allah SWT has given us.  He instructs us to use reason, aql.  It is most unfortunate that the excesses of the Mu’tazillah led Sunnis to abandon reason, and so leave us to either emotions and whims or absurd literalism.  Allah gave us reason, aql; unless you deny this, then He meant us to use it.  For this reason, in the absence of a clear text (nass), I agree to the use of rational methods, including Qiyas, and Maslahah al-Mursalah.  However, I also feel there is a great role for Mantiq or Logic.  As noted by Shia scholars, Qiyas can have its limits and should not be stretched too far.  Sometimes the two methods give the same results, but the two should be used together to produce the best results.  So any new ruling should take into consideration both methods in its dalil.  As for Maslalah or Public Policy, this is important and should be taken into account; however, it should not be overused or stretched too far either.  

MASLAHAH

           

            Many arguments for certain fiqh positions, including those regarding the permissibility of eating commercial meat or for the calculation of the hilal that signals the start of an Islamic month, seem to revolve around perceived Maslahah, either the Maslahah of our wallets or the Maslahah of our non-Muslim bosses.  In perfect reflection of Jalal Al-e-Ahmed's Gharbzedegih, our people scream about injustice in such and such a country. and then turn into red-faced quaking cowards before their Western overlords when it comes to fear of losing their flow of green paper.  It is not for our own Maslahah.  How many of us end up working on Eid?  How many of us even bother to go to Eid prayer, or stay for the khutbah?  We would rather celebrate Halloween – Samhain in the old Pagan calendar -,and Christmas.  So we dress our kids up as witches and black cats, instead of Ali Ibn Abi Talib or Umar ibn Khattab. (The permissibility of the later is not the issue here.)

            Maslahah is important, but it must be balanced against the Maqaasid al-Shariah.  When we do so, we will achieve results that best meet our individual needs, our collective needs, and our duties and obligations to each other, and most importantly to Allah SWT.

Ashura: The Call to Strive Against Oppression

Every Firawn Has a Musa

Islam is built upon a single great overreaching principle – Justice.  And He has commanded us to strive against injustice.


2:39. And fight them on
Until there is no more
Tumult or oppression,
And there prevail
Justice and faith in God
Altogether and everywhere;
But if they cease oppression and war, then verily God
Doth see all that they do.

The path of Islam is the path of justice and freedom.  Allah SWT reminds us that He is al-Adl – the Justice and He will not treat us, his Creation, with the least injustice.

One of the ways He SWT has ensured that justice will prevail and people will have the freedom to choose to have faith in Allah, is by sending messengers to be a witness unto us.

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا

Al-Muzammil 73:15  Behold I have sent a messenger, a witness from among you, just as I sent a messenger to Firawn.  

Our Prophet Muhammad SAW was sent as a messenger to deliver the guidance, the message from Allah, and as a witness to the truth of that message as well as a witness to the reaction of the people to that message.  Likewise, was Musa AS sent to the people of Firawn.  In fact, every prophet was sent as a witness to his people.  

The shuhadah al anbiyya, the witness of the prophets (AS) during this life is to the truth, the message that Allah SWT is One, and that He will hold us accountable for our actions on the Day of Judgment.  The witness of the prophets (AS) in the next life will be as to our acceptance of this message, this truth.

 10:47. To every people (was sent)
An Apostle: when their Apostle
Comes (before them), the matter
Will be judged between them
With justice, and they
Will not be wronged.

It was reported that the day the Children of Israel were saved from Fir`awn was called the day of `Ashura'. Imam Ahmad reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah came to Al-Madinah and found that the Jews were fasting the day of `Ashura'. He asked them, "What is this day that you fast'' They said, "This is a good day during which Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, and Musa used to fast this day.'' The Messenger of Allah said,

«أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِمُوسَى مِنْكُم»

(I have more right to Musa than you have.) 


So the Messenger of Allah fasted that day and ordered that it be fasted. This Hadith was collected by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. 

We know that Musa came to the people of Firawn.  Firawn was caught up in the gravest of sins, the shirk of setting himself up as a god.  He demanded that the people revere and worship him, as if he was a lord and was the one who actually provided their sustenance.  How deluded he was? 

28: 3. We rehearse to thee some
Of the story of Moses
And Pharaoh in Truth,
For people who believe.
4. Truly Pharaoh elated himself
In the land and broke up
Its people into sections, or parties
oppressing a small group
Among them: their sons he slew,
But he kept alive their females:
For he was indeed
A maker of mischief, a criminal
5. And We wished to bring peace and safety
to those who were
Being oppressed in the land,
To make them leaders, imams
And make them heirs spiritually and temporally


(And We appointed for Musa thirty nights and added (to the period) ten (more)) (7:142). 

It was said that these days were during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah plus the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, after which the Children of Israel were delivered from Fir`awn and they safely crossed the sea. Allah's statement,

﴿وَإِذْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ﴾

(And (remember) when We gave Musa the Scripture) means, the Tawrah,

﴿وَالْفُرْقَانِ﴾

(And the criterion) that is that which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and deviation.

﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾

(So that you may be guided aright)

So the Bani Israel continued to commemorate the call to justice delivered by Musa to Firawn by fasting on the day of Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram.  

And every Firawn has a Musa.  To everyone who comes along and in arrogance, sets themselves up as a lord, a god, demanding to be worshiped by his fellow human beings, and in doing so commits innumerable acts of injustice, Allah SWT sends a Musa.  

The Quran remarks that Firawn and his people will be in the worst place in hell fire.  This will be their just reward for their injustice to humanity, their injustice to Allah SWT.

The Qasas or story of Musa and Firawn reminds us that Muslims must always strive against injustice.  In remembrance of this, Sunni Muslims fast on the 10th day of Muharram, the Day of Ashura.

What if the Firawn is a Muslim?

 

But what if the person committing Dhulm claims to be a Muslim?  

Some claim that Muslims cannot revolt against a Muslim ruler, even if he behaves unjustly.  They cite as evidence the following hadith:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best among your rulers are those whom you love and they love you in turn, those who pray (make supplication) for you and you pray for them. The worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and they hate you in turn, and you curse them and they curse you.”

Someone asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall we confront them with swords?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No, as long as they hold prayers among you. If you see from your rulers what you hate, hate the action they do but do not rebel against them.” [Sahîh Muslim]

They say, “The majority of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jamâ`ah have adopted these hadîth and use them as evidence in their ruling that is unlawful to rebel against the ruler, no matter how oppressive he might be, unless he exhibits outright unbelief.”  (Sheikh Muhammad al-Qannâs,  http://en.islamtoday.net/node/1404).

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah says: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered people to be patient with the oppression of the rulers and refrain from fighting them. This is better for people for their worldly life and their Hereafter. Whoever opposes them intentionally will cause nothing but mischief. Allah will eliminate evil by way of the oppressive king much more than the oppression he is doing to people. It was also said that sixty years under an oppressive ruler are better than one night without any ruler.”

Allah SWT warns us about violence and killing against fellow Muslims: 

  

4: 92 It is not for a believer to kill a believer unless (it be) by mistake. He who hath killed a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave, and pay the blood- money to the family of the slain, unless they remit it as a charity. If he (the victim) be of a people hostile unto you, and he is a believer, then (the penance is) to set free a believing slave. And if he cometh of a folk between whom and you there is a covenant, then the blood-money must be paid unto his folk and (also) a believing slave must be set free. And whoso hath not the wherewithal must fast two consecutive months. A penance from Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.

93 Whoso slayeth a believer of set purpose, his reward is hell for ever. Allah is wroth against him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom.

94 O ye who believe! When ye go forth in the sabeel of Allah, be careful to discriminate, and say not unto one who offereth you peace: "Thou art not a believer," seeking the chance profits of this life (so that ye may despoil him). With Allah are plenteous spoils. Even thus (as he now is) were ye before; but Allah hath since then been gracious unto you. Therefore take care to discriminate. Allah is ever Informed of what ye do.

Although it is may be unlawful to fight against a Muslim ruler, this does not mean we should just patiently accept injustice.  We must not refrain from enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil. In fact, we are required to do that and glorify our religion and to raise the word of righteousness, each one according to his ability.

In accepting the position of Amir, Abu Bakr said:

O People! I have been put in authority over you and I am not the best of you. So if I do the right thing then help me and if I do wrong then put me straight. Truthfulness is a sacred trust and lying is a betrayal. The weak amongst you is strong in my sight. I will surely try to remove his pain and suffering. And the strong amongst you is weak to me I will – Allah willing – realize the right from him fully. When obscene things spread among any nation, calamities generally continued to descend upon them. As long as I obey Allah and His messenger, you should obey me, and if I do not obey Allah and His messenger, then obedience to me is not incumbent upon you. (Now prepare for prayer). 

While some have taken the hadith regarding the unlawfulness of rebelling to mean any form of rebellion, Abu Bakr tells us this is not so.  He specifically tells the people not to obey him if he does not obey Allah and His Messenger, in other words if he fails to uphold the Deen of Islam, if he fails to follow its teachings and strays from its path.  
Although fighting and killing is not desirable and fitnah in the Muslim community is a grave sin, when faced with injustice and oppression, we must respond and not sit quietly by.  

We must first amr bi al-ma’ruf wa nahi anni al munkar – command the good and forbid the wrong.  Many misunderstand this important concept.  Some seem to think this is forcing people to Islam.  But Allah SWT makes it clear that there can be no compulsion in religion.  The choice to submit to Allah SWT must be free.  

Abu Bakr (RAA) says, that if he errs, set him straight.  Rulers are human,  therefore, if they make mistakes, we should gently remind them and give them the freedom and opportunity to do better.  

But amr bi al-ma’ruf wa nahi anni al munkar also means to be a witness, to be a shaheed.


2:143. Thus have We made of you
An Ummat justly balanced,
That ye might be witnesses
Over the nations,
And the Apostle a witness
Over yourselves;
And We appointed the Qibla
To which thou wast used,
Only to test those who followed
The Apostle from those
Who would turn on their heels
(From the Faith). Indeed it was
(A change) momentous, except
To those guided by God.
And never would God
Make your faith of no effect.
For God is to all people
Most surely full of kindness,
Most Merciful.


It is the role of the Ummah to be a witness over mankind, to witness as to the truth of the message of Islam, and to witness the reaction of the people to the message.  That includes witnessing to our leaders.

And the Prophet is the witness over us as to the message he gave us, and as to our response to it.

The Uthmanic Legacy

Muslims are forbidden to wage war, to cause tulmult and oppression and to create fitnah.  Allah SWT says the fitnah is worse than Qatl – tulmult and oppression is worse than killing.  On the other hand, Muslims are commanded to strive against injustice.  When it is the leader himself who is creating the tumult and oppression, he must be restrained.  

Unfortunately, we have usually killed him, and not just restrained him.  It started with Uthman.  Many were dissatisfied with Uthman and the fact that he favored his family, the Bani Umayyah.  They demanded change and marched on Madina.  They ended up killing the man and cutting off his wife’s fingers, because he refused to step down.  

It was wrong for Uthman to continue to rule when the people made it clear they were not longer satisfied with his rule. 

Imam Ahmad said: “Obedience to the ruler who is agreed upon by people is obligatory.” 

What we should note here is that obedience is required when the people have agreed on the leader, not when they are no longer satisfied with his rule.  People change and power corrupts.  Once a community feels the ruler is no longer looking after their best interest, and is oppressing them, that leader should be restrained.  If he is a Muslim, his blood is inviolate, but that does not mean he cannot be forced to step down.  

Every Yazeed Has A Hussein

We turn now to another Ashura, the one over 1300 years ago, the day that Hussein ibn Ali (RAA) stood at Karbalaa’.  A tyrant reigned in Hussein’s time.  He oppressed the people and lived in wealth and privilege.  Yet he claimed to be Muslim.  We can argue whether his behavior had so crossed the line that he had left Islam.  Many claim modern leaders have done so, in order to justify killing them.  This is not the point.  We cannot judge a person’s heart.  If they claim Islam, we cannot judge them, just as Allah points out in the Qur’an, even if they claim Islam just to save their skins, you cannot kill them.  Yazeed claimed to be a Muslim.  Yet he began to distort the message itself.  He began to oppress his own people.  

And so Imam Hussein (RAA) marched towards the people of Iraq who cried to him for help against the oppression.  He sought to mediate, to help settle the disputes, to try to talk sense to the leaders, to remind them of the true teachings of the deen of Islam.  

But the leaders sent an army to hunt him down and kill him.  They killed the nephew of Imam Ali, Muslim ibn Aqeel.  Who kills a messenger?  To do so violates all the rules of war men have agreed upon for all history, all over the world.  Then they went for Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet, and all the members of the Abd al Muttalib.  

Hussein (RAA) made his stand at the dusty plain of Karbalaa.  The blood of the grandson of the Prophet and his family soaks the soil of that barren plain to this day.  

Shia Muslims remember this Ashura by re-enacting the bloody passion of Hussein, by shedding tears and bloodying their own backs in remorse and sorrow.

The New Ashura

 

As we all know, our brothers and sisters in Syria are suffering tremendous oppression.  What began as peaceful demonstrations turned into bloody repeats of Karbalaa.  Our brothers and sisters and children are being butchered just as Hussein ibn Ali and the family of our beloved Prophet SAW were slaughtered over 1300 years ago, and by the same caliber of person, a person who flaunts religious laws, and kills fellow Muslims without hesitation or excuse.

What makes matters even worse is that the tyrant of our time masquerades as a descendant of Imam al-Saadiq, Ali ibn Abi Talib, the beloved baba of Hussein.  The legacy of the Bani AbdulMuttalib, and of Imam Ali and Hussein ibn Ali is a legacy of standing up for justice and striving against oppression.  Not only has Bashar al-Zhalim forfeited all rights to the legacy of the family of Abdul Muttalib, but he has committed the most heinous crime imaginable.  He has set himself up as a god.  He has killed children for failing to make sajdah on his likeness!  Istaghfirullah!!

Firawn did this long ago – and Prophet Musa AS warned him.  As we mentioned, Allah SWT has reserved a special torment in hell for those who set themselves up as gods – as rivals to Allah SWT Himself.   

For how many years have we seen violence in the Middle East and in the so-called Muslim World.  While it is true that many of these conflicts have been justified by oppression by outside forces, colonial powers and other jabbar, they have achieved nothing.  Not a single armed conflict in any Muslim land has been successful.  Although we may admire the heroism, the perseverance, the tenacity and strength of the oppressed people, not a single armed conflict or resistance movement has gained territory, managed to drive out the oppressors or managed to return their land to a state of peace.

Until Tunisia and Egypt.  The youth achieved real and lasting victory against jabbar not through violence, but through waging peace.  They waged real jihad – guarding each others property, protecting buildings from looters and criminal elements, even taking away trash and cleaning the city.  They achieved victory by praying together in the streets, by joining hands and getting beyond tribal affiliations, village affiliations and other things which divide humanity.  They achieved victory by following the actual Sunnah of the Prophet – who created an Ummah – free of social and political subdivisions and sources of fitnah, who called us to action – to put our faith into action and not just spew rhetoric and slogans.  And the leaders of this victory were there in the streets, just like our Prophet and Sahabi, who led in the effort.  They did not shout and scream and incite people to violence and then retreat to holes of safety while their followers fought and died.  They achieved victory through love not hate; through caring for each other, treating each other as equals, leaving behind the kibriyya of the group identity and adopting the identity of One Ummah. 

In Syria too, the people sought to wage peace, but the brutal response by Bashar al-Zhaalim overwhelmed the people.  He has tried to crush their will, but he has only strengthened their resolve.  Now they fight, but they are losing.  Without support from the outside, their weapons will soon dry up.  Then what?  The West stands by, allowing political fears to overcome ethics and human feeling.  These are men, women and children and they are dying in the thousands.  How can we sit by and watch.

But what can we do?  Violent warfare is not working.  It has not worked in a long time – as long as we have had weapons that do not allow the person about the face death the dignity of making their peace with Allah.  Guns, bombs, modern weapons kill from a safe distance.  And the victim will have no time to pray, no time to take the Shahadah, no time or even awareness of his eminent demise, no time to ask Allah for forgiveness.  Is that just? 

So how did our beloved Prophet SAW handle the situation when violence only led to a uncomfortable stalemate?  He marched on Hudaibiyyah.  Thousands of men, women and children marching unarmed on Makkah!  It frightened the Quraish so much they signed a peace treaty that eventually led to the opening of Makkah – the fatah Makkah.

So why do not we do the same?  Instead of composing beautiful latmiyyah for Hussein, or flogging our backs out of over a thousand years of remorse, why don’t we actually respond to his cry – hal min nasiriyin yasurna?!  Labayyak Ya Hussein – Labayyak Allahuma Labayyak – We are here to respond to Your call to establish justice and to strive against oppression.  And then let’s flog the tyrant, Bashar al Assad, not ourselves. 

Sunni, Shia, no matter what Madhdaahib, or school of thought.  Lets come together to overcome this zhaalim of our time. This should be our joint celebration of Ashura, fasting as the Prophet fasted in commemoration of the shahada of Musa, and marching and commanding our own leaders to justice, to ma'ruf and prohibiting them from dhulm and munkar.

But our goal should not be to kill them, our goal should be to humiliate them.  No more should we allow zhaalim leaders like Qadhaafi to commit suicide by mob, in a vain and moronic attempt to retain their hayaa, their dignity.  They have none to begin with.  No one’s hayaa is worth a single Muslim life and only Hell Fire will await them.  So capture Bashar al-zhalim and let him rot for the rest of his life in a jail in the Hague for crimes against humanity.  Let every Syrian come and spit on him.  May the rest of his days be filled with utter despair and humiliation.

In the time of the Prophet, the Sahabi made baiyyah to Allah SWT and to His Rasul (SAW).  They made a commitment also to each other – the Ummah of Allah. 

We speak the words of the Kalimah – the Shahada – the Witness, but how many of us have actually pledged our hearts, our minds, our lives to Allah – to His Rasul, Muhammad SAW – and to His Ummah!

Without this surrendering of our souls to Allah and commitment to following the Sunnah of Rasul Allah, and the commitment to coming together as One Ummah, we are not Muslims – those who are at Peace with Allah.  We may not have to go out in the streets to gain our freedom, we may not have to face guns and bombs, but we can join our brothers and sisters all over this globe in one Ummah of Islam and make a commitment to follow the true teachings of Allah and His Prophet, putting our faith into action by watching our behavior, staying clear of sins and using the tool of tawbah repentance to gain closeness to Allah, and by helping the less fortunate in our community, working together with other people of faith to strive against immorality and forms of oppression.  This is the legacy of our Prophet SAW.    His Sunnah is surrender to Allah, is striving in the sabeel of Allah – putting our faith into action with only Allah’s pleasure as our intention, our niyyat, for no selfish reason – for Allah alone – for inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiuun.

Oh Allah I give you my life, I give you my love, I give you my soul!!

Bayyatu Allah Wa Bayyatu Rasul Allah Wa Bayyatu Ummatullah al-waahidah!

Allah Akbar!

Shahadah: Witness, Testification, Sacrifice

The Call to Witness, to Testify

Al- Saffat 37: 102. Then, when (the son)
Reached (the age of)
(Serious) work with him,
He said: "O my son
I see in vision
That I offer thee in sacrifice:
Now see what is
Thy view!" (The son) said:
"O my father! Do
As thou art commanded:
Thou will find me,
If God so wills one
Practising Patience and Constancy!"
103. So when they had both
Submitted their wills (to God),
And he had laid him
Prostrate on his forehead
(For sacrifice),

104 We called unto him: O Abraham!

105 Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the good.

106 Lo! that verily was a clear test.

107 Then We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice.

Eid al Adha, the Day of Sacrifice is the focal point of the Muslim year.  Every other act of ibadaah leads us to this great day, the day when our lives are ransomed by a tremendous sacrifice. 

As we mentioned, it is not the blood or meat that reaches Allah SWT.  He is not some pagan deity who requires blood sacrifice or some sort of feeding to do our bidding.  The ancient Aztec people believed the gods required human blood, so when their civilization came under attack by the Spanish, they stepped up the butchery of prisoners, killing their own people daily, until the temples ran with blood and human skulls were piled in mounds.  Even without the Western penchant for exaggeration, the carnage was horrific. 

22: 37. It is not their meat
Nor their blood, that reaches
God: it is your piety
That reaches Him: He
Has thus made them subject
To you, that ye may glorify
God for his guidance to you:
And proclaim the Good News
To all who do right.

Allah does require a sacrifice, but not of blood or meat.  He requires a sacrifice of ourselves, to Him and to Him alone.  He requires our surrender. He requires our witness, our acknowledgment that He is our Lord. Alaisa rabbakum? “Arent I your Lord.”  “Yes, you are our Lord.”  He provides us guidance and salvation, and we should glorify Him and be grateful for His blessings and mercy.  We show this by our submission to Allah in Islam, and the first pillar of Islam is the Shahada – the Witness.

So what is it to be a Shaheed?

2:143. Thus have We made of you
An Ummat justly balanced,
That ye might be witnesses
Over the nations,
And the Apostle a witness
Over yourselves;

The Muslims are a middle and balanced Ummah; not people of extremes, and they are the witnesses over all Mankind.  Our shahadah is not only words:  Ash-shahadu allah illaha illa llah, wa ash-shahadu anna Muhammadan ar-Rasul Allah.  It means to witness this – by telling others, by guiding others to the truth.

We need to talk to others about our deen, but we also need to live our deen, so that we become ambassadors of our faith, showing others that people can live a moral life, free of selfish behavior, injustice and misery.  This is testification.  To testify to something is to confirm its truth.

And we need to guide others to the truth, as our Rasul guided us.  We do this by Amr bi ma’aruf, wa Nahi al-munkar – commanding the right and prohibiting the wrong –

What does this mean?  It means to preach and practice morality. 

Man’s reason can lead us quite far.  After all, we are all gifted with the fitrah.  A reading of the Analects of the great Roman Emperor, Marcus Arelius, shows what truths human reason can attain.  Logic may lead us quite a ways along the path, but then what is the role of guidance that Allah SWT promises He will send us? 

A quick preview of the decisions of the American Supreme Court shows that what a people might find “moral” at one time, can change.  Should morality change?  We can brainwash ourselves into all kinds of beliefs.  And Morality is not necessarily logical.  As Allah SWT says, a thing may be good for you and you dislike it, and a thing may be bad for you and you like it.  We may not always appreciate the harm a thing can have until its too late. 

The Prophet is the witness over this Ummah – he is so, because he provides us with a model, and he is the best of models.  He provides us with a pattern, a criteria for judging right and wrong, and telling what ma’aruf and munkar are. 

While logic can tell us a lot, and even lead us to posit a god, it is faith and guidance that leads us to salvation through ethical action. 

We took this amana upon ourselves, foolishly perhaps, arrogantly even, but because we took on the amana of ethical action, we are the ones who must witness to all creation the ma’aruf and the munkar.  May Allah guide us to the truth, the ma’aruf, and save us from munkar.

 The Call to Be a Shaheed

So what is it to be a shaheed?  What is this Day of Sacrifice pointing to?  All the Prophets have been shuhadaa.  All gave their lives fi sabilli llah, in the path of Allah, the cause of surrendering to Allah, and witnessing to others the truth of this message, this Good News.

Some where killed, but not all.  Musa lived a long life and ascended into heaven.  Isa, also, ascended into heaven, and it is believed by both Muslims and Christians, that he will come again.  However, Ibrahim, AS shows us the meaning of sacrifice – this great sacrifice.  

Ibrahim's people were pagan; they worshiped idols and the stars and planets.  But Ibrahim began to have his doubts about these so called gods.  The Qur’an mentions two arguments against pagan beliefs.  First Ibrahim looks up and sees a star, and thinks, ok this is my lord – the one who provides me with all sustainance.  But the star sets.  So how could this be a lord?  Then what about the moon?  It set too.  Then how about the sun.  Many ancient civilizations worshiped the sun.  But it set.  So Ibrahim says in gratitude to Allah, if Allah SWT had not guided him to the truth, then he would be in clear error.  He submits to Allah all of himself, his obedience and relies totally on Allah.

Then Ibrahim raises an argument against idol worship.  They go out for an Eid, and he enters their temple, smashes the idols, all but one.  In the hand of the one, he puts an axe.  The people return and are shocked.  Who did this?  They get Ibrahim, since he had been talking about their idols.  He says the one idol did it.  After all, he has the axe.  The people say this cannot be so.  Its just an idol.  …  so why are you worshipping something that has no power? What foolishness is this?

For all of this, Ibrahim is willing to risk death.  They throw him into a fire.  But Allah SWT cools the fire and he survives.  He is willing to give everything to this Allah SWT who guided him and showed him the truth.

Time moves on and he has a son.  He always wanted a son.  The son was the most precious thing to him.  Now Allah asks him to give up, to sacrifice even that.  And he is immediately willing to do so.  But he also asks his son.  The son is also willing.  Both are fulling committed to Allah.  They are true shaheedain.


And Allah tells Ibrahim that he has fulfilled his vision.  Allah does not need blood or meat, he loves our taqwa – our grasping Him as the most secure handhold, our clinging to him, like a babe to a mother.  Ibrahim fulfills the vision by his willingness to sacrifice all, give all, surrender all, and express his full gratitude to Allah SWT.  That is what is a shaheed.  

The shuhadaa are those who give all  to Allah, and only they are suitable as witnesses over all humanity.  It is a serious commitment, to leave behind our egos, our comforts, all that we think we are, and fully obey Allah, no excuses, no justifications, no loopholes.  

This Eid al Adha many will sacrifice an animal.  And we will share this great day of ransom with all who have been the guests of Allah on Hajj.   But for the hajjis there is no Eid really.  It is more a day to remember that ancient covenant between man and Allah, and to renew that commitment ourselves.  The same should be true for us all.  

Remember when he said to you “Am I not your Lord.” And you responded, ‘Yes, indeed you are our Lord.”  

Labbayyak Allahumma Labbayyak, labbayyak la sharika laka labbayyak. Inna al hamdu, wa ni’amata, laka ul mulk la sharika lak.

Hajj: The Journey To Allah

Al-Hajj 22:26 And (remember) when We prepared for Abraham the place of the (holy) House, saying: Ascribe thou no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who make the round (thereof) and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration.

27 And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine,

28 That they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He hath bestowed upon them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate.

29 Then let them compete their proscribed rites and pay their vows and go around the ancient House.

Proclaim unto mankind the hajj, the pilgrimage!  In this ayaat from Surah al Hajj, Allah SWT commands us to call unto all mankind this Hajj, this pilgrimage to Allah.

22:34. To every people did We
Appoint rites (of sacrifice),
That they might celebrate
The name of God over
The sustenance He gave them
From animals (fit for food).
But your god is One God:
Submit then your wills to him
(In Islām): and give thou
The good news to those
Who humble themselves,—

Truly every religion has a pilgrimage, a sacred journey.  In Hinduism it is the yearly Kumb Mela.  In Buddhism, it is the journey to Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment. In Shinto, the religion of Japan, it is a climb up Mount Fujiyama. In Judaism, it is a journey to Jerusalem.  In Christianity, there are many pilgrimages, including to Jerusalem, Rome and in England, to Canterbury. 

Pilgrimages are sacred journeys; they follow a physical path, but also involve a journey of the heart.  They mirror our journey in this life, from birth to death, and beyond.  In the classic of English literature, the Canterbury Tales, a group of people set off on the English pilgrimage.  Along the way, they share their stories and thereby learn about themselves. 

I have made some of these pilgrimages myself; to Varanasi, to Bodh Gaya, to Rome.  The pilgrimage lies in the journey.  In India, some people literally crawl to these sites.  Once they get there, they say a few prayers and go home.  Mission accomplished. 

I have also made the Hajj.  Ma’ashallah.  It is a profoundly different experience, calling upon all it is to be human.  If we fully appreciated its benefits, we would wish to make it every year, not just once in a life time.

In the past, the Hajj was a great journey. Ibn Batatuta, the famous traveler, set out from Morocco to make his Hajj.  It took him over a year to reach Arabia, and then he traveled around waiting for the next Hajj season because by the time he arrived there it was to late to catch that year’s Hajj. 

This shows us one of the most unique features of the Hajj.  Even today, with the ease of travel, our Hajj is still the same.  This is because it does not really begin until we arrive.  Other pilgrimages end when we get there.  Ours begins when we get there.  And only our Hajj is communal.  Others may involve gatherings, such as Kumb Mela, but only Hajj has elements that are individual and communal. 

We come together, as individuals, on the Plain of Arafat.  We pray as individuals or in small groups, and our numbers grow over the course of the day.

The Prophet is reported to have said, Hajj is Arafat.  It is this great gathering of people, coming together, praying and remembering Allah, just like the Day of Judgment.  We will be gathered then too.  Just as we were once gathered before Allah when He asked us, “am I not your Lord?”  and we replied, “Yes you are our Lord.” 

And then the sun sets… and we pour forth all together, one great mass of humanity …setting off in one direction, one destination.  We sleep beneath the stars in Muzdalifah.  The earth below us, the sky above, and nothing between us and our Lord.  Then we wake to reject the Shaytan and his evil whisperings.  We sincerely seek to make all of his efforts to destroy us and lead us astray, vain and fruitless.  And then after a sacrifice, we return home to circle the ancient house, to model of the one we left behind in Jennah, the Bait al Ma’mur. 

Yes we were gathered before Allah once before.  And them we poured forth into this dunya.  And we spend a lifetime on this battle ground, fighting Shaytan and sacrificing all we have, all we are, to show our surrender to the one who created us, our Allah SWT.  After our own deaths, we will return home.  We will circle the ancient house. 

And as we circle that house, our sins unwind from us.  We pray for a Hajj mabrur, an accepted Hajj, where all of our myriad sins are lifted from us and we receive His forgiveness.  That amazing gift …forgiveness…

22: 35. To those whose hearts,
When God is mentioned,
Are filled with fear,
Who show patient perseverance
Over their afflictions, keep up
Regular prayer, and spend
(In charity) out of what
We have bestowed upon them.

Herein lies the essence of our deen.  Good news to those in whose hearts Allah is remembered, and whose hearts fill up with love and awe of Allah.  They are patient in all types of afflictions, for they trust Allah and they know that in the end, they will be in peace.  And they establish salaat and spend out of the risq that Allah has bestowed upon them.  

 22:36. The sacrificial camels
We have made for you
As among the symbols from
God: in them is (much)
Good for you: then pronounce
The name of God over them
As they line up (for sacrifice):
When they are down
On their sides (after slaughter),
Eat ye thereof, and feed
Such as (beg not but)
Live in contentment,
And such as beg
With due humility: thus have
We made animals subject
To you, that ye
May be grateful.

People often wonder at this sacrifice of animals in this day and age.  Many may look at it as an ancient custom, not suitable for today. 
Consider its roots.  We all know the story of Abraham and his son.  Abraham saw in a dream that he sacrificed his son to Allah.  For Abraham, this was a thing more dear even than his own life.  

 Al- Saffat 37: 102. Then, when (the son)
Reached (the age of)
(Serious) work with him,
He said: "O my son
I see in vision
That I offer thee in sacrifice:
Now see what is
Thy view!" (The son) said:
"O my father! Do
As thou art commanded:
Thou will find me,
If God so wills one
Practising Patience and Constancy!"
103. So when they had both
Submitted their wills (to God),
And he had laid him
Prostrate on his forehead
(For sacrifice),

  

 104 We called unto him: O Abraham!

105 Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the good.

106 Lo! that verily was a clear test.

107 Then We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice.

Abraham and his son were tested, and both submitted their wills to Allah.  Allah SWT tells Abraham, you have fulfilled the vision, you have passed to test.  Then “fadainaahu” – although this word has been translated as “ransomed” following the Bible’s account of this event, this is not the best translation.  Coming from the same root as dain, or deen, it indicated a covenant, an agreement – in this case the fulfillment of the deal on the part of both parties to the contract.  And it says, Allah fulfilled to contract – fadainaahu – We fulfilled to with a tremendous sacrifice. 
From this some have posited the concept of blood atonement.  They say that in order to forgive sin, God requires a blood sacrifice.  In some forms of Christianity, this concept is essential and justifies belief in the sacrifice of Jesus AS upon a cross.  But in Surah al Hajj, Allah says:

22: 37. It is not their meat
Nor their blood, that reaches
God: it is your piety
That reaches Him: He
Has thus made them subject
To you, that ye may glorify
God for his guidance to you:
And proclaim the Good News
To all who do right.

Allah SWT does not need blood or meat.  He needs nothing from us really.  It is we who need Him.  Our sacrifice on the Hajj, Abraham’s sacrifice so long ago, reveals our degree of taqwa and provides us a tangible way to glorify Allah SWT and thank Him for His guidance.  If He did not guide us, we would be forever lost, wandering in the desert, like Hagar running from hill to hill, seeking the water of life.  But Allah has given us guidance, and so we show our gratitude to Him.  


22:34. To every people did We
Appoint rites (of sacrifice),
That they might celebrate
The name of God over
The sustenance He gave them
From animals (fit for food).
But your god is One God:
Submit then your wills to him
(In Islām): and give thou
The good news to those
Who humble themselves,—