Verse:41 Commentary Commentary

The verb: هَاجَرُ‌وا (hajaru) is a derivation from hijrat (pausal : hijrah) which literally means to leave one's homeland. The leaving of one's home-land done for the sake of Allah is an act of great obedience and worship in Islam. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: اَلھِجرۃ تَھدَمُ مَا کَانَ قَبلَھَا ('Hijrah demolishes all sins that were before it' ).

This Hijrah is Farcl (obligatory) and Wajib (necessary) under some situations while it is recommended as desirable and better (Mustahabb) under some others. Related injunctions have appeared in details under comments on verse 97 of Surah An-Nisa' أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْ‌ضُ اللَّـهِ وَاسِعَةً (Was not the earth of Allah wide enough that you might have sought refuge in it? - 3:97) [ Ma` ariful-Qur'an, Volume II ] Mentioned here at this place are particular promises which Allah Ta' ala has made to Muhajirin, those who do Hijrah, that is, leave their homeland for His sake.

How does Hijrah bring Better Life in the Present World?

In the verses cited above, two great promises have been made to Muhajirin subject to some conditions: (1) To give them a good place right here in this world, and (2) To bless them with the greater reward of the Hereafter which is limitless. The expression: 'a good place in the world' is highly comprehensive. It includes a good residence for the Muhajir (one who does Hijrah) as well as neighbours who are good. It also includes extended means of living, supremacy over hostile enemies, recognition and fair name among people, and honour which continues through the family, and progeny. (Qurtubi)

The background of the revelation of the verse is basically the first Hijrah which the noble Companions made to Ethiopea. Then, the probability that it may include the Hijrah to Ethiopea as well as the Hijrah to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah which came after that. Mentioned here in this verse are the same Muhajirin to Ethiopea, or the Muhajirin to Madinah. Therefore, some scholars have said that this promise was for these blessed Sahabah ؓ only, that is, those who had made their Hijrah to Ethiopea, or those who had later done it to Madinah. As for the promise of Allah, it stood already fulfilled within the present world, something witnessed openly. Everyone saw how Madinah was made for them the real good place to live. Instead of hostile neighbours, they lived among those who were sympathetic, sharing and sacrificing. Enemies were conquered and subdued. Within a short period of time since their Hijrah, doors of ample sustenance were thrown open for them. The poor and needy of yester years became wealthy citizens of the day. Many countries of the world came under their sway. Such were their achiements in moral greatness and beauty of conduct that they remain receiving words of praise from friends and foes alike even to this day. Allah Ta` ala blessed them with great honour, and their generations as well. These were things that were to take place in this world, which they did. Now, the promise of the Hereafter shall also be fulfilled. But, says Abu Hayyan in his Tafslr Al-Bahr Al-Muhit:

وَالَّذِینَ ھَاجَرُوا عَام فِی المُھَاجِرِینَ کَایٔنا مَّا کَانُوا فَیَشمَلُ اَوَّلَھُم وآخِرَھُم

The expression: الَّذِينَ هَاجَرُ‌وا (And those who migrated) is general and inclusive of all those who leave their homeland whatever their country or time. Therefore, this includes all Muhajirin, from the very first ones down to the last among them who do their Hijrah for the sake of Allah right upto the Last Day, the day of Al-Qiyamah. (v. 5, p. 492)

This is also as required by the general exegetic rule under which a commentator relies on the general sense of the word, even though there be a particular event or group as the prime cause of the revelation of the verse. Therefore, included in this promise are Muhajirin of the whole world and of all times - and the fulfillment of both these promises for all Muhajirin is certain.

A similar promise has been made for Muhajirin in the following verse of Surah An-Nisa' وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ‌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مُرَ‌اغَمًا كَثِيرً‌ا وَسَعَةً [ And whoever migrates in the way of Allah he shall find many a place to settle and wide dimension (of resources) - 4:100] particularly promised wherein are spatial abundance and extensive means. But, along with these promises, the Holy Qur'an has also put forth some qualifications of Muhajirin and some conditions of Hijrah as well. Therefore, those deserving of the fulfillment of these promises can only be the Muhajirin who possess these qualifications and who have satisfied the desired conditions. Verse:42 Commentary Out of these, the very first condition is that of: فِی اللہِ (fil-lah: for the sake of Allah) which means that the purpose of doing Hijrah should only be to please Allah Ta` ala and that, in it, there be no selfish motives of material gains such as business or employment. The second condition is that these Muhajirin be victims of injustice as stated in: مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا (after they were oppressed). The third qualification is that they stay patient against initial disadvantages and difficulties showing steadfastness and fortitude as pointed out in: الَّذِينَ صَبَرُ‌وا (those who kept patient). The fourth qualification is that they, even while utilizing all available material means, make it a point to place their trust in Allah alone for every ultimate success comes from Him alone, as described in: وَعَلَىٰ رَ‌بِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (and who place trust in their Lord).

This tells us that there are initial difficulties in everything undertaken. However, should a Muhajir fail to find the promised good place and favourable condition, then, instead of doubting the promise of the Qur' an , he better assess his intention, sincerity and conduct on which these promises have been made. Once this is done, he will discover that it was but his own fault, may be the intention was not pure, or there was a lack of endurance and trust.

Migration and Hijrah : Different Kinds and Their Injunctions

At this point, Imam Al-Qurtubi has given details about migration and Hijrah highlighting their difference along with some related injunctions. This is being reproduced here in view of its relevant usefulness.

Quoting Ibn al-Arabi, Al-Qurtubi says that going out of the home-land and travelling through the earth is either to run from something and find a safe haven, or to seek and get something. The first kind of trip which is to escape and be safe from something is called Hijrah which is of six kinds:

1. Going from Dar al-Kufr (Abode of Disbelief) to Dar al-Islam (Abode of Islam): This kind of journey was obligatory (Fard) even during the days of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and it shall remain obligatory, subject to capability and ability, right through the day of the Qiyamah (when there is no security of life, property and honour, or that it is not possible to fulfill religious obligations, the Fara'id of Din). If one continues to stay in Dar al-Harb (technically an enemy country of disbelievers at war with Muslims), one will be considered a sinner.

2. To get out of Dar al-Bid'ah (Abode overtaken by deviation from established religion): Ibn Qasim says that he had heard from Imam Malik (رح) that it is not Halal for any Muslim to stay at a place where the early righteous elders of the Muslim community (al-Salaf-al-Salihun) are criticised and maligned. After reporting this statement, Ibn al-Arabi writes that it is totally correct - because, should you be unable to eradicate the practice of what is forbidden, then, it becomes necessary for you that you should remove your own self from that place, and have nothing to do with it. This is as commanded by Allah Ta` ala in the Qur'an: وَإِذَا رَ‌أَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِ‌ضْ عَنْهُمْ (And when you see those who indulge in Our verses adversely, turn away from them - 6:68).

3. To get out of a place overtaken by what is Haram: This is because the quest for what is I1alal is obligatory (Fard) on every Muslim.

4. To move out in order to avoid being subjected to physical pain: This kind of journey is permissible. In fact, it is a blessing from Allah that one should leave a place where danger exists that he will be physically hurt by enemies. So, this is his way out of that danger. This fourth kind of journey was first made by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . It was to seek deliverance from the pain inflicted on him by his people. When he left ` Iraq for Syria, he had said: إِنِّي مُهَاجِرٌ‌ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّي (I am a muhajir [ emigrant ] unto my Lord - 29:26). After him, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) made a similar journey from Egypt to Madyan: فَخَرَ‌جَ مِنْهَا خَائِفًا يَتَرَ‌قَّبُ (he got out from there, fearing, watching - 28:21).

5. To move out due to unsuitable climate or likely diseases: This is the fifth kind of journey which has also been permitted by Islam as the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had advised some shepherds to settle by the grooves outside Madinah because the climate of the city did not suit them. Similarly, Sayyidna ` Umar al-Faruq ؓ had sent an executive order to Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaidah ؓ that he should should shift the provincial capital from Jordan to some site located on a higher altitude where the climate is not bad.

But, this is on condition that there be no plague or other epidemic diseases affecting the area. And if, an epidemic does spread out in an area, it is governed by another rule, that is, those who are already pre-sent there do not have to get out from that area. As for those who are outside it, they should not go in there - as it happened with Sayyidna ` Umar al-Faruq during his journey to Syria. When he reached the borders of Syria, he was told that a plague has spread throughout that country. Hearing that, he hesitated from entering that country. He went into repeated consultations with the Sahabah ؓ to resolve this problem. The resolution came only after Sayyidna ` Abd Al-Ralhman ibn Al-` Awf narrated a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had said:

اِذا وَقَعَ بِاَرضِ وَّاَنتُم بِھَا فَلَا تَخرُجُوا مِنھاَا وَ اِذَا وَقَعَ بِاَرضِ وَّلَستُم بِھَا فَلَا تَھبِطُوا عَلَیھَا (رواہ الترمذی و قال حدٰث حسن صحیح)

When plague spreads in an area where you are present, do not go out from there; and when it spreads in an area where you are not already present, do not go in there (after having heard of plague). (This Hadith has been reported by Tirmidhi who calls it Hasan Sahih)

At that time, Sayyidna ` Umar al-Faruq ؓ ، in obedience to the command of the Hadith, proclaimed that the whole caravan shall turn back and go home.

Some ` U1ama have pointed out that this Hadith has a particular element of wisdom in it, that is, the people staying in an area affected by some epidemic are most likely to be infected by its germs. If they were to run away from there, the one who is infected dangerously is not going to survive anyway, but he would infect others wherever he goes. Hence, the wise decision.

6. To secure personal property and possessions: When someone feels the danger of being hit by thieves and robbers at a certain place, he should move away from there. The Shari` ah of Islam has permitted doing this as well because the property and possessions of a Muslim are as sacrosanct as his or her life.

These six kinds belong to migration undertaken to run for safety against something. Then, there is the journey undertaken to seek and get something. It has nine kinds:

1. The journey for moral self-correction: It means touring and travelling through Allah's earth for the particular purpose of witnessing the creation of Allah Ta' ala, the manifestations of His most perfect power, and having a spot observation of the sad end of past peoples in order to learn one's essential lesson in how to live sensibly and confidently. The Holy Qur'an has exhorted people to embark on such trips, for instance in: أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُ‌وا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ فَيَنظُرُ‌وا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ (Have they not travelled around the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? - 35:44). ` Ulama have identified the journey undertaken by Sayyidna Dhul-Qarnain as a journey of this kind, while some of them suggest that his journey through the earth was to establish Divine Law on it.

2. The journey of Hajj: That it is an Islamic duty subject to some conditions is well known.

3. The journey of Jihad: All Muslims know that it is also either obligatory (fard), or necessary (wajib), or recommended (mustahabb).

4. The journey for employment: If a person cannot find economic sup-port for his needs in his homeland, it is incumbent on him that he travels elsewhere and look for an employment opportunity there.

5. The journey for trading: It means travelling to acquire wealth in excess to the measure of need. According to Islamic legal norms, this too is permissible. Allah Ta' ala says: لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ : 'There is no sin on you that you seek the bounty of your Lord (by trading) - 2:198.' Here, by 'seeking of bounty' in this verse, the reference is to trading. When Allah Ta' ala has allowed trading even during the Hajj trip, then, undertaking a journey for the sole purpose of trading becomes permissible in the first degree.

6. The journey for education: That it is an absolute duty in terms of religious need, and that it is an obligation of sufficiency (fard al-kifayah: an obligation which, if discharged by some, would suffice for others) in terms of what is more than needed, is widely known and amply recognized.

7. The journey to a place believing it to be sacred and blessed: This is not correct and proper except for the three Masajid and they are: (1) A1-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque of Makkah al-Mukarramah) (2) Al-Masjid An-Nabawiyy (The Mosque of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، in Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah) (3) Al-Masjid Al-Agsa (Baytul-Maqdis). [ This is the view of Al-Qurtubi and Ibn al-Arabi. Other revered scholars of early Islam and their successors have also allowed the undertaking of travel to visit places generally considered blessed - Muhammad Shafi'].

8. The journey undertaken to guard Islamic frontiers: This is known as Ribat. There are many Hadith reports which commend it strongly. (For details on Ribat, please see our comments under Verse 200 of Surah 'Al-` Imran in Ma' ariful-Qur'an, Volume II)

9. The journey to visit relatives and friends: This too has been classed as an act deserving of return and reward. A Hadith of Sahih Muslim mentions the prayer of angels in favour of those who undertake a journey to visit relatives and friends (which is valid only when the purpose of meeting them is to seek the pleasure of Allah Ta ale and not to seek any material gains). Allah knows best. (Qurtubi, p. 349-351, v. 5, Surah An-Nisa' ) Verse:43 Commentary Commentary

According to Ruh al-Ma' ani, it was after the revelation of the first verse cited above that the Mushrikin of Makkah sent their emissaries to the Jews of Madinah to find out if it was true that all earlier prophets had always been from the genus of men.

Though, included under the Qur'anic expression: أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ‌ (Ahludh-Dhikr) were the people of the Book and believers all together, but it was obvious that the Mushrikin (disbelievers) were to be satisfied only by the statement of non-Muslims - because they themselves were not satisfied with what the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was telling them. So, how could they accept the statement of other Muslims?

The word: ذِکر (dhikr) in the combination of: أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ‌ [ Ahludh-Dhikr : translated here as 'the people (having the knowledge) of the Message'] is used to carry more than one meaning. One of these is or knowledge. It is in this sense that the Holy Qur' an has identified the Torah too as Dhikr: وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ‌ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ‌ 'And verily We have written in the Zabur (Scripture, Psalms), after the Dhikr (the Message, Torah) ' - 21:105. Similar to this is the statement which follows next: أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ‌ We sent down the Message (The Qur'an) to you - 16:44]. Here, the word: الذِّكْرِ‌ (Adh-Dhikr) means the Qur'an. Therefore, 'ahludh-dhikr' literally means 'the people of knowledge' (as refined in the cited translation). And who are those referred to as Ahlul-` Ilm or 'the people of knowledge' at this place? As apparent in this case, they refer to the scholars among the people of the Book, the Jews and Christians. This is the view of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، Hasan and As-Suddiyy and others. Then, there are scholars who have taken 'Adh-Dhikr' at this place as well in the sense of AI-Qur'an, and thus explained 'Ahludh-Dhikr' in the sense of Ahlul-Qur'an. However, the clearest position taken in this matter is that of Rummani, Zajjaj and Azhari. They say:

المراد باھل الذکر علماء اخبار الامم السالفۃ کَایٔنا من کان فالذکر بمعنی الحفظ کانّہ قیل اسألوا المطلعین الخبارا لام یعلموکم بذلک

'Ahludh-Dhikr' means authentic historians of past peoples based on this investigative position, this definition includes therein the people of the Book, the Jews and Christians, and the people of the Qur' an, the Muslims as well.

The word: الْبَيِّنَاتِ (al-bayyinat) in verse 44 means clear signs and miracles, the later being more aptly applicable here. The word: زُّبُر‌ (zubur) is the plural form of: زُّبُرہ‌ (zubarah) which means large pieces of iron as in: آتُونِي زُبَرَ‌ الْحَدِيدِ (give me pieces of the iron - 18:96). Because of the relevance of putting pieces together, writing is called: زَبَر (zabar), and a written book is known as: الزِّبر (az-zibr) with its plural as: الزَّبُورِ‌ (az-zabur). In short, at this point, it means the Book of Allah which includes Torah, Injil, Zabur and Qur' an.

Non-Mujtahids must follow Mujtahid Imams: The Essence of Taqlid

Though, the sentence: [ So, ask the people (having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not know - 43] has appeared at this place in relation with a particular subject, but its words are general and are inclusive of all other matters of concern. Therefore, given the way Qur' an has with words, this is really an important rule of procedure based on reason and revelation both, that is, those who do not know injunctions revealed for them ask those who do, and act accordingly. It is as simple as that. So, it is the duty of those who do not know that they should act in accordance with what they are told by those who do. This is what Taqlid (to follow in trust) is. Not only that it is an explicit command of the Qur' an, there is just no other way the mass practice of religion can be achieved, even if it was to be argued rationally. This rule has been in practice throughout the Muslim community right from the age of the noble Sahabah to this day without any division or difference. Even those who disavow Taqlid do not reject the kind of Taqlid under which those who are not ` Alim (knowledgable in religion) should take Fatwa from the ` Ulama' and act accordingly. And it is obvious that, even if the ` Ulama' were to give proof of their view from the Qur'an and Sun-nah to masses of people who are unaware, they would still accept these arguments and proofs on the authority of, and trust and confidence in the same ` Ulama'. They themselves do not have the ability to understand and assess arguments and proofs presented. And Taqlid is nothing but that one who does not know places his trust and confidence in some-one who knows and accepts the injunction in question as the injunction of the Shari' ah, and acts accordingly. This is one Taqlid the justification of which - in fact, the necessity of which, leaves no room for any difference.

However, as for ` Ulama' who themselves have the ability to under-stand Qur'an and Hadith and know the places where consensus (Ijma`) exists, they are free to act, in the case of such injunctions as have been clearly and explicitly mentioned in Qur'an and Hadith - and in which there exists no difference among the learned Sahabah and Tabi` in as well - in these they can act directly according to Qur'an, Hadith and Ijma`. In these matters, ` Ulama' need not follow (Taqlid) any Mujtahid. But, there are particular injunctions and rulings which have not been explicitly spelt out in Qur'an and Sunnah, or wherein there appears to be some contradiction in the 'ayat (verses) of the Qur'an and the riwayat (narrations) of Hadith, or in which there has come up some difference among the Sahabah and Tabi'in in determining the meaning of Qur' an and Sunnah - such rulings and injunctions are the object of Ijtihad. In the terminology of Islamic Fiqh (jurisprudence), these are called issues and problems in which Ijtihad is possible. The rule which governs this is that an ` Alien who does not possess the class and rank of Ijtihad, he too must follow one of the Mujtahid Imams in these issues. Just relying on personal opinion, preferring one verse or narration and going by it while dismissing another verse or narration as less weightier is something not permissible for him.

Similarly, there are particular injunctions not mentioned explicitly in the Qur' an and Sunnah. To deduce these out employing the principles provided by the Qur'an and Sunnah, and to arrive at and determine their precise Islamic legal operative order (al-hukm ash-shari, is the functional prerogative of only those Mujtahids of the Muslim Ummah who occupy the highest station of expertise in the Arabic language, its lexicography, idioms and modalities (turuq) of usage, and who possess an additional mastery over all fields of knowledge related to Qur'an and Sunnah, and above all, who are credited with a conduct of life marked by exemplary piety and god-fearingness. Such people are no less than the great Imam Abu Hanifah, Shafi` i, Malik, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, or Awza` i, jurist Abu Al-Laith رحمۃ اللہ علیہم and others like them. These were people Allah Ta' ala had specially blessed. They lived closer to the age of prophethood, and that of the Sahabah and the Tabi'in. Under the canopy of this barakah, Allah Ta' ala had bestowed upon them a very special taste of understanding the principles and objectives of the Shari' ah and an equally special expertise of extracting textually non-prescribed (ghayr mansus) laws from the laws already prescribed in the sacred texts (mansus) by using the methodology of analogical deduction (qiyas). Now, in such issues and problem where Ijtihad efforts have been exhausted at the highest con-ceivable level, it is necessary even for the ` Ulama' at large that they must follow one of the Mujtahid Imams. Going by any new opinion contrary to that of the Mujtahid Imams is error.

This is why great men of learning, ` Ulama', Muhaddithin and Fuqaha' like Imam al-Ghazali, Razi, Tirmidhi, Tahawi, Ma'zini, Ibn Humam, Ibn Qudamah and hundreds and thousands of early and later men of learning of the same standard, despite their high expertise in fields of Arabicism and Islamic Religious Law, have always remained voluntarily restricted to following Mujtahid Imams invariably. They never considered it permissible to give a Fatwa following their own opinion, contrary to all Mujtahid Imams.

Nonetheless, these blessed souls did have that standard ranking in learning and piety that they assessed the sayings of the Mujtahid Imams on the anvil of proofs from the Qur' an and Sunnah, after which they would go by the saying of the Imam which they found, out of the sayings of the Mujtahid Imams, closest to the Qur'an and Sunnah. But, they never thought it to be permissible either to depart from the approach taken by Mujtahid Imams or to hold some opinion contrary to all of them. The essential reality of Taqlid is no more than what has been stated here.

After that, came a gradual decline in the standards of knowledge and what was originally based on Taqwa and godliness came to be contaminated with personal interests and preferences. Under such conditions, given the kind of liberty that people could go by the saying of any one Imam in a religious problem of their choice and opt for the saying of some other Imam in some other problem they choose, the inevitable outcome would be that people would start following their worldly desires in the name of following the Shari'ah by opting for the saying of an Imam which is more conducive to the fulfillment of their worldly desire. This is, as obvious, no following of a religion or Shari'ah. In fact, this would be the following of one's own interests and desires - which is Haram by the consensus of the entire Muslim Ummah. In Muwafqat, Allamah Shatibi has dealt with this subject in great details. And Ibn Taymiyyah too, de-spite his opposition to Taqlid at large, has rated this type of following in his Fatawa as being Haram by the consensus of the Muslim Ummah.

Therefore, later day jurists of Islam considered it necessary that all those who act according to the precepts of the Shari'ah should be made to follow only one of the Mujtahid Imams. From here began what was to be known as 'personal following' (Taqlid Shakhsi) which, in reality, is a functional operative order to keep the system of religion in tact so that people do not succumb to following their own desires under the cover of religion. This is precisely what Sayyidna ` Uthman al-Ghani ؓ did with the total agreement of the noble Sahabah when he restricted the seven versions (سبعَہ احرف) of the Quran to only one version - though all seven versions were reading of the Quran and were revealed through angel Jibra'il as wished by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . But, when the Holy Qur'an spread all over non-Arab countries, the danger that it might be altered or interpolated because of its seven readings became acute. So, it was by a total agreement of the Sahabah that Muslims were instructed to write and recite the Qur'an in one version only. Sayyidna ` Uthman al-Ghani ؓ arranged to have all copies of the Quran written according to this one version which he dispatched to various parts of the world. The entire Muslim Ummah follows this Quran even to this day. This never means that other versions were not true or authentic. The fact is that this one version was taken to in the interest of a better management of religious affairs and so that the Quran stays protected against any possible alterations or interpolations.1 Similarly, all Mujtahid Imams are true. When one of them is chosen to be followed, it never means that other Imams are not worthy of being followed. Far from it, it is only a functional arrangement. One decides for himself in terms of his conveni-ence he has in following a particular Imam. But, while doing so, he also considers other Imams as worthy of the same respect.

1. All this discussion is based on the theory of Allamah Ibn Jarir (رح) about the "Seven Versions" (سَبعَۃ احراف). For a detailed treatment of the subject, please see my introduction at the beginning of volume I. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

This is totally similar to a situation where it is considered necessary that only one of the many physicians present in town be chosen and assigned particularly for the treatment of a sick person. The reason is that it is not advisable for the patient that he goes about following his personal opinion in using the prescription of one physician at some time and that of another physician at some other time. Such a method of seeking solutions to one's medical problem is patently fatal. It should be understood that the choice of a specific physician made by the patient for his treatment never means that other physicians are no experts, or lack the capability of proper treatment.

The reality of the different juristic schools Hanafi, Shafi' i, Maliki and Hanbali that emerged in the Muslim Ummah was no more than what has been stated. As for giving it the touch of sectarianism and factionalism or increasing the heat of mutual confrontation and dissention is concerned, it is no valid mission of the revealed religion, nor have the discerning and far-sighted ` Ulama' ever considered it good. That which happened was that scholarly debate and research by some ` Ulama' became coloured with polemics which later reached the level of blames and satirical remarks. Then came ignorance-based confrontation which brought people to the outer limit where this state of affairs became the very indicator of being religious!

فالی اللہ المشتکی ولا حول ولا قوۃ اللہ باللہ العلی العظیم

So, before Allah is the complaint and there is no strength and there is no power except with Allah, the High, the Great.

Note of Caution

What has been written here on the religious question of Taqlid and Ijtihad is only a very brief summary of the subject, which is sufficient for Muslims at large. As for scholarly research and details of the subject, they are present in books of Usul al-Fiqh. Worth mentioning are: (1) Kitab al-Muwafqat by Allamah Shatibi, v. IV, Bab Al-Ijtihad; (2) Kitab Ihkam al-Ahkam by Allamah Saifuddin al-'Amidi, v. III, al-Qa` idah ath-thalitha fi al-mujtahidin; (3) Hujjatullahil-Balighah and ` Iqd al-Jid by Hadrat Shah Waliyyullah Ad-Dihlawi; and (4) Kitab al-Iqtisad fi at-Taqlid wa al-Ijtihad by Hadrat Maulana Ashraf All Thanavi. Interested scholars may wish to refer back to them. Verse:44 Commentary Hadith is Necessary to Understand Qur'an : The Rejection of Hadith is Really the Rejection of the Qur'an

The word: اَلذِّکر (adh-dhikr) in verse 44: وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ‌ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ : "And We sent down the Message (adh-dhikr: The Qur' an) so that you explain to the people," means, by consensus, the Holy Qur' an - and, in this verse, the Holy Prophet has been given the assignment of explaining the meaning of verses revealed to him before people. Herein lies an open proof that the correct understanding of the realities, insights and injunctions of the Holy Qur'an depends on the statement of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم . If everyone, by simply acquiring the knowledge of Arabic language and literature, were to become capable of understanding the injunctions of the Qur' an as Divinely intended, then, the mission of explaining assigned to the Holy Prophet would have been rendered meaningless.

In Al-Muwafqat, Allamah Shatibi has provided detailed proof that the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، the whole of it, is the explanation of the Book of Allah because the Qur' an has said about the Holy Prophet وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ : صلى الله عليه وسلم (And surely you are at the height of a sublime nature - 68:4) and which was explained by Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ by saying: کَانَ خُلُقُہُ القُرآن (The Qur'an was his sublime nature). Thus, the outcome is that every word and deed which provenly issued forth from the Holy Prophet is nothing but what was said by the Qur' an. Some of these are the explanation of a verse of the Holy Qur' an in express and obvious terms, while in some cases there appears no express mention about them in the Holy Qur' an, but they are nonetheless based on some kind of revelation, though it was not made part of the Holy Qur'an. Thus, that too, in a certain way, comes under the operative purview of the Qur'an itself. This is because according to the clarification of the Qur' an nothing that he says is prompted by his personal desire, instead of which, it is a Wahy (revelation) from Allah Ta' ala: وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ , (and nor does he talk from desire. It is nothing but a revelation revealed - 53:3-4). This tells us that all acts of worship, dealings with people, personal morals and habits of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were, all of them, through Divine revelation and have the same authority as that of the Qur' an. Then, there are occasions when he has done something as based on his Ijtihad in which case it is ultimately - either through Divine revelation or through an absence of any restraining order - corrected and supported. Therefore, that too stands empowered with the authority of Wahy (revelation).

To sum up, it can be said that this verse has declared that the purpose for which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sent is the explaining of the Qur'an. This purpose of his mission in this world has also been mentioned in several verses of Surah Al-Jumu` ah, and elsewhere too, where it has been referred to as the Ta` lim of Al-Kitab or Teaching of the Book. Now turn your attention to the great treasure of Hadith which one of the most talented and intellectually peerless people of our community, right from the Sababah and Tabi` in all the way to the Muhaddithin of the later period, have guarded more than their lives and delivered it to the Muslim Ummah as fait accompli. These were people who spent their whole lives sifting through this treasure and went on to establish the categories of Hadith narrations. As for narrations which they did not find matching enough in authority for the purpose of basing Islamic legal in-junctions on them, these they have separated from the treasure of Hadith. Instead, they have simply written standard books based exclusively on these narrations, which have proved correct and reliable after life-long criticisms and researches.

If today a person calls this treasure of Hadith unreliable under one or the other pretext or artifice, it plainly means that the Holy Prophet acted against this Qur' anic injunction when he did not explain what the Qur' an had said; or, that he had explained it but his explanation did not remain preserved for posterity. Under either of the two conditions, it is being suggested that the Qur' an has not remained protected as to its meaning - the responsibility of protecting which has been undertaken by Allah Ta' ala Himself: وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ [ We, Ourselves, have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur'an) and We are there to protect it - 15:9]. This claim or inference of such a person is contrary to this textual authority (nass) of the Qur' an. From here it stands proved that a person who refuses to accept the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet as a binding authority of Islam is, in reality, a denier of the Qur'an itself. Na 'udhubillah: May Allah protect us from it. Verse:45 Commentary Commentary

In verses appearing previously: ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ (Then, on the day of Judgment, He will put them to disgrace - 27), disbelievers were warned against the punishment of the Hereafter. In the present verses, they have been further warned that it is also possible that they are caught in the punishment from Allah right here in this world much before the pun-ishment of the Hereafter, may be you are sunk into the earth you are sitting on, or you are seized by the punishment of Allah coming from a direction totally inconceivable for you. This is how it happened during the Battle of Badr when they received a punishment at the hands of some ragtag Muslims arrayed against their thousand strong armed young-men, something they would have never perceived as possible. Or, it was also probable that they be seized by some Divine punishment while roaming about freely, such as, they be hit by a fatal disease, or that they run into an accident by falling down from some height, or simply die by colliding against some hard object. Also possible is yet another form of punishment when punishment may not come all of a sudden, but a general decrease sets in causing wealth, health, fitness, means of sustenance and comfort and peace go on shrinking so much so that the day comes when the people so punished disappear from the face of the earth for/good.

The word: تَخَوُّفٍ (takhawwuf) appearing in verse 47 is obviously a derivation from: خَوف (khawf: fear, apprehension). Some commentators have explained this verse in terms of this very sense by saying that one group of people be seized in punishment so that the second group gets apprehensive. Similarly, the second group is seized in punishment which makes the third group become apprehensive. Finally, struck with dread sequentially, comes the end for all of them.

But, the early exegete of the Qur' an, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ and Mujahid and other Imams of Tafsir have taken the word: تَخَوُّفٍ (takhawwuf) in the sense of: تَنَقُّص (tanaqqus). So, it is in accordance with this Tafsir that it has also been translated in the later sense of 'reducing or decreasing gradually.'

The noble tabi i Sa'id ibn al-Musaiyyab says: When Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ also faced some hesitation about the sense of this word, he addressed the Sahabah from the Minbar and asked them as to what they understood to be the meaning of 'takhawwuf? The audience at large remained silent. But, a person from the tribe of Hudhayl submitted: 0 Commander of the Faithful, this is a particular idiom of our tribe. We use this word in the sense of tanaqqus, that is, to decrease gradually. Sayyidna ` Umar asked: Do the Arabs use this word in the sense of tanagqus in their poetry? He said that they do, and cited a couplet by Abu Kabir al-Hudhali, a poet from his tribe, in which this word was used in the sense of decreasing gradually. Thereupon, Sayyidna ` Umar said: 0 people, learn about the poetry of Jahiliyyah because there lies the key to the explanation of your Book and the sense of your speech.

For the Understanding of Qur'an, a Passing Knowledge of Arabic is Not Sufficient

The first thing the report referred to above proves is that the ability to speak and write the Arabic language is not enough for the understanding of Qur'an. Rather, necessary for this purpose is a level of effeciency and awareness which could help one understand the classical work done during the early period of the Arabs of Jahiliyyah - because the Qur' an has been revealed in that language and idiom. Learning Arabic literature on that level is incumbent on Muslims.

Reading Poets from Jahiliyyah is Permissible, Even if Full of Pagan Absurdities

This also tells us that, in order to understand the Qur'an and to understand the Arabic language and its usage during the period of Jahiliyyah, it is permissible to read and teach the poetry of that period. Though, it is obvious that such poetry will be full of pagan themes and customs highlighting pagan sayings and doings counter to Islam. But, such was the need to understand the Qur' an that reading and teaching it was declared to be permissible. Verse:46 Commentary - - - Verse:47 Commentary Even the Punishment of the World is Mercy in Disguise

In the verses cited above, after having mentioned various punishments which could seize disbelievers within this world, it was said in the end: فَإِنَّ رَ‌بَّكُمْ لَرَ‌ءُوفٌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ (So, indeed your Lord is Very Kind Very Merciful).

First of all, by using the word: رَبّ (Rabb: Lord) here, the hint given is that all these punishments which overtake human beings in this world are there to warn them as part of the dictates of Divine mercy. After that, by introducing the word: رَ‌ءُوفٌ(Ra uf: Kind) headed by the intensifying particle lam) that is, the lam of ta'kid), and thus by placing stress on the fact that Allah Ta' ala was Very Kind and Very Merciful, the hint given was that warnings sent during the life of the world were, in reality, called for by His intrinsic Kindness and Mercy so that heedless men and women would learn from the warning and correct their deeds (before comes 'the last spasm of mass extinction' they themselves are talking about at the closing of the twentieth century, but are still not ready to learn, believe and correct). Verse:48 Commentary - - - Verse:49 Commentary - - - Verse:50 Commentary - - -