﷽
Mankind was created to worship Allah, as He ﷻ makes clear:
وَمَا خَلقْتُ الجِنَّ وَالِإنسَ اِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
I did not create Jinn and Human kind, except to worship Me [al-Dhariyat: 56]
It is well known that ‘to worship (also serve, venerate and adore) Me’ has been explained by Quranic commentators to mean ‘to know Me’.[1] The verb ‘arafa (he knew) has in its meaning: he discovered, came to know, recognised, was aware of, knew, acknowledged, and knew for sure. So, although the obvious meaning of the verse was that we have been created in order to worship or serve Allah, the secret of it is that, by doing so, we can come to discover, recognise and know Allah. From this same root we get the word ma’rifa or gnosis; direct knowledge of the Divine Reality. The one who serves the King, obeying His commands and prohibitions, comes to know the King; he draws near to Him as he begins to excel in service and enters His court. It is related in a Hadith Qudsi:
“Allah the Almighty has said:
‘Whosoever acts with enmity towards a wali of Mine, I declare war against him.
Nothing brings My servant closer to Me than doing that which I have made obligatory upon him to do. My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with extra acts of devotion until I love him.
When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hands with which he takes, and his feet with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I shall surely give him and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him refuge.’”[2]
Therefore, taking on “extra acts” elevates the slaves and changes the way he or she experiences reality. Extra acts of devotion can include extra prayers and fasting, but they are ultimately anything which one does to please one’s Lord. The basis for knowing what is pleasing to Allah is what is revealed in the Qur’an and embodied by our noble Messenger ﷺ,or, one could say, the Sharia. The basic meaning of the word Sharia is a path which leads one to a place that water can be drawn from. It also means the place where the water itself can permanently be found and where one goes to drink that water. It can therefore be seen that Sharia indicates something which is far more than “law” as most people understand it. It is a means by which one can drink from one’s source. Water is lifegiving, and the Sharia gives life to the community and to the hearts of the believers in this life and leads to eternal bliss in the next. Each element of the Sharia has this lifegiving quality to it; the daily prayers vitalise and nourish the heart throughout the day, the zakat gives life to the wealthy by purifying their wealth and to the poor by providing much needed assistance. Likewise, jihad gives life to the community by warding off external threats and enabling people to come to know the Deen, and the various legal penalties for criminal activity give life by punishing the guilty, providing justice for those who have been wronged and preventing criminal activity from spreading, which ensures peace and prosperity in society.
The believers are the people who embody this life-giving quality through their aligning themselves with the Reality and taking on the Deen in practice, and by internalising it to the extent that it permeates their being and radiates from them. They have taken on the responsibility given to them by Allah to serve creation. It is to these people that this article is addressed.
We cannot escape the devastating fact that the Sharia has been destroyed in the wake of colonialism. Although the colonial powers had a hand in bringing about its destruction, the most devastating blows were those meted out by misguided Muslims. We now find ourselves with no political authority, no Sharia and, as a result, no justice. This is because the Sharia keeps society in balance, and when it becomes damaged or destroyed, it leads to this balance being compromised and to the spread of corruption in society. Allah says in Surat Al-Rum (Ayat 41):
Corruption has appeared in both land and sea because of what people’s own hands have brought about
so that they may taste something of what they have done so that hopefully they will turn back.
This does not just affect the Muslims. Everyone, whatever their creed, is suffering as a result of the oppression that has become widespread in our time. One particularly clear example of this is the way in which our environment has been seriously damaged by the way in which we live. Things would be very bleak indeed if it weren’t for our trust in, and good opinion of, Allah.
This apparently sorry state of affairs is, of course, a great opportunity. It means that in front of us there is an opening, and perhaps an obligation, for Muslims to provide solutions to the urgent issues which pervade all levels of society. The way out will not be found by intellectualising the matter and “coming up with” solutions (although an intellectual discourse is much needed) but rather through looking at what our tradition has left us and using what we find there to rectify the situation.
Furthermore, there is a saying which has been approved by the people of Allah, even if not reliably transmitted from the Messenger himself ﷺ:
“The master of a people is their servant.”
This meaning is supported by the following two hadiths:
“The best of people is the one who brings the most benefit to people.”[3]
“The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever
holds back his anger, Allah will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being able to execute it, Allah will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Standing. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes that for him, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey."[4]
Therefore, bringing about benefit for other people is not only a path by which the Muslims’ position in society can be elevated, but – more importantly – it can lead to those engaged in the struggle becoming beloved to Allah.
We have been blessed with many tools for bringing about the kind of benefit I am talking about, and in many ways the whole edifice of the Deen of Allah is the answer to all our problems – especially those aspects of it afforded to us in the mu’amalat of our fiqh; markets in which anyone can trade for free, awqaf, our system of inheritance, just mediums of exchange, trading models, to name but a few. However, the sheer extent of the injustice and imbalances which litter modern life makes it very difficult to see clearly how any of these things could be effectively implemented. For that reason, I will propose a theoretical framework which will inform activists and enable effective prioritisation of needs by attempting to connect with the primal energy of the Deen. This will bring into focus steps which can be taken by activists that will have a lasting impact on the world, starting with the very societies in which we have been placed by Allah.
The framework I wish to propose was originally designed by our ulema to find rulings to new situations which had not explicitly been addressed by the main sources of the blessed Sharia, by ascertaining what the underlying rationale for divinely prescribed rulings was. This is called maqasid al-sharia or the “aims of the Sharia”. However, it would seem that, as all of the activism found in the Sunna was based on the establishment of the Sharia, it would seem possible to use this framework for the purposes of establishing social justice and to open a door by which we can approach the establishment of the Deen of Allah in this time.
Maqasid al-Sharia: The Aims of the Sharia
Fiqh[5] is based on warding off harm and bringing benefit to people. The faqih, Muhammad Abu Zahra (d. 1974), says:
Islamic fiqh in its entirety is based on the best interests of the community… None of [the fuqaha] have ever alleged that the Islamic Sharia brought anything which is not in people's best interests and none of them have ever said that there is anything harmful in any law or judgement within the Sharia which has been legislated for the Muslims.[6]
The Sharia broadly covers two types of interaction; those between mankind and Allah (‘ibadat) and those between people (mu’amalat). Although ‘ibadat means matters pertaining to worship, or slavehood, it cannot be denied that the mu’amalat, in other words ordinary transactions between human beings, also provide an arena for devotion. This is because such transactions are legislated by Allah and are nearly always connected to taqwa – active awareness of Allah – in the Qur’an. Hence, unjustly harming another in any way – whether that be in matters of trade, failing to uphold another’s divinely given rights, etc. – is also disobedience to one’s Lord because of the contravention to Divine legislation it entails. Likewise, benefitting others in permitted ways is a cause of Divine reward, even if providing such benefit is part of one’s religious obligations, such as taking care of the needs of one’s dependants. However, this distinction is made for theoretical purposes, because acts of worship cannot (or perhaps should not) be rationalised in the same way as ordinary transactions, and the fuqaha have declared that the aims of the Sharia can only be applied to rulings related to those ordinary transactions. In both cases, human benefit is intended because Allah is in no need of our obedience.
The fuqaha have assessed the underlying aims of divinely revealed legal judgements and have concluded that the overriding principle in these matters is the formation of an Islamic polity based on the principles of justice and virtue. In reality, the Sharia is what protects the human heart and allows for genuine worship of Allah, spiritual growth and, ultimately, direct knowledge of the Divine Reality – a fact which has been missed by many who propose using the maqasid as a way of ‘reforming’ the Deen. In fact, turning the maqasid into a system of ethics, which is what this kind of ‘reform’ would do, would entail changing the nature of the Deen entirely – Allah protect us from that! The Sharia is not a system of ethics, it is direct Divine guidance embodied in specific human actions. Thus, the maqasid was initially devised as a tool by which completely novel cases can be given valid rulings, in light of all of the other foundational principles of fiqh, and by which these rulings can be calibrated to prevent the Deen from becoming too difficult and that absurdity in the implementation and contextualisation of legal rulings is avoided.
Simplistically, the Sharia has three major aims: “nurturing the righteous individual", "establishing justice", and "realisation of benefits” (here benefits are things which are advantageous to the human situation and which the Sharia either approves of or demands). In addition, there are six aspects of life which the Sharia aims to protect and which can be thought of as objectives; Deen, life, sanity/intellect, property, progeny and honour. Furthermore, each of these has three grades:
1. Necessities; those things which society must have if it is to function and, without which, disorder and loss of life will result: “The basis of necessities is to establish the six aims.”[7]
2. Needs; those things which one can live without but which cause constriction if they are missing.
3. Recommendations; those things which are related to “good character and customs”.
What should be absolutely clear from the above is that this entire framework is built upon the assumption that there is a community of believers; there has to be a living community for any of this to matter. Thus, Sharia prioritises benefit being brought about for the community above and beyond the individual. It follows, therefore, that activists who are unable to transcend the trappings of modern life – which, we must admit, go deeper than many of us are willing to accept – are likely to fail. Hence, activists must be alert to the thought processes, such as those linked to individualism and consumerism, which can obfuscate their perceptions of what is important and what is actually happening around them, and also be aware that certain modes of living, such as the nuclear family and modern working demands, can impede the progress of serious societal change.
Maqasid as a framework for activism in the way of Allah
In our time and place, the full implementation of the Sharia in the broadest sense does not seem imminently possible, not at least without much groundwork being done first. If we desire to work towards the betterment of our society, the maqasid may well provide a suitable basis to guide that process. This is not to say that we should replace specifics of law with fuzzy principles, but that, in working towards improving society, we can use these principles as a guide to reform society whilst authentically transmitting the Deen through our actions and states. The maqasid can therefore be used to delineate what the priorities for activism should be. It is argued that the goals of activism should be in line with the goals of the Sharia, otherwise such action could be wholly destructive. Allah warns us (al-Baqara: 9-12):
When they are told,
‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’
they say,
‘We are only putting things right.’
No indeed! They are the corrupters,
but they are not aware of it.
Hence, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that our ‘putting things right’ is based on the wisdom of revelation, not on a general idea, or ‘gut feeling’, of what might be good.
When we view our situation through this lens, we can see that some of the maqasid have been addressed in part by the Muslim community at large. For example, the fact that so many mosques have been built in almost every, if not all, major cities and towns has brought about benefit in terms of the establishment of an important element of the Deen (the first objective of the Sharia) by providing a space in which the collective prayers can be done. However, what can also be seen is that only very few initiatives have been established which substantially address any other of the previously stated objectives.
At this stage, it is important to note two things. The first is that, in assessing needs, it is vital to have clarity about the nature of the particular need, or needs, being addressed and any problems related to them. The legal maxim states “the ruling regarding a matter comes from [an accurate] conceptualisation [of it]”. Hence, having an accurate understanding of the particular issue, with regard to its possible underlying causes, implications and its standing in the Deen, is essential for effective action regarding it to take place. However, a lack of knowledge and insight could lead to the wrong course of action being taken and a great amount of time and effort being wasted, and could even lead to a worsening of the situation.
Related to this is that it is important to know that any particular activity undertaken may well meet several of the objectives outlined above and bring about a variety of different benefits. At this point it must be said that most, if not all, actions can be said to have both benefit and harm in them. However, a good action is one in which the benefit outweighs the harm and a bad action is one in which the harm outweighs the benefit. Therefore, assessing the harms of any given action are as important as assessing its benefits. What we are interested in here are actions which clearly bring about benefit. However, the assessment of harm and benefit must be based on sound knowledge of the Deen and a deep insight into the situation being confronted.
Thus, in the context of activism in the modern world, I believe that this framework can inform how the Muslims can operate as a force for positive change and help the Muslim community to avoid our priorities being diverted away from the work that is immediately required. Allah, the Wise, has put us in a particular situation and given us the opportunity to serve Him through our dealing with this situation. This indicates that, to solve the problems of our age and to truly align ourselves with Reality, we must strive to escape the currents of our contemporary situation which would otherwise sweep us away and divert our attention from what is most important.
Example
To re-cap, this framework gives us one overriding principle (the formation of a virtuous Islamic polity based on the principles of justice and virtue), three aims (nurturing the righteous individual, establishing justice and realisation of benefits), six objectives or zones of action (protection of Deen, life, sanity/intellect, property, progeny and honour) and three grades of importance (necessities, needs and recommendations). In order to demonstrate possible ways this basis of action could be put into practice, let us briefly explore a specific example.
For the Muslims, the current education system in modern Britain is highly problematic. The industrialised modern method of educating children has been organised and designed by managers from the political class who themselves were educated within that system. It demands that children are sent into the care of strangers in a prison-like setting from a very young age, in which there is a very high ratio of children to adults, exposing them to countless power dynamics which have potentially negative effects on their psychological development. The curriculum is designed to impart general skills which are intended to equip pupils to become acquiescent members of a consumer workforce and does not nurture their character, or even impart basic knowledge of the law of the land or useful practical skills. It also removes children from the lived example of their parents and fosters an extended childhood, delaying maturity beyond the time it should properly be attained. Worse than all that, however, is the removal of the Divine from all moral discourse and replacing it with the ubiquitous doctrine of scientific materialism. The list goes on and on, but what has been outlined clearly has some very serious consequences for both the individual and society, Muslims and non-Muslims, and certainly precludes “the formation of a virtuous Islamic polity based on the principles of justice and virtue”.
Children are being brought up within, and by, a broken system which they are being brainwashed into thinking is a waymark of the pinnacle of civilisation, whilst anything else is barbaric and ineffective. This has led to many Muslims feeling that the Deen is inferior and that their relationship to it must be regulated by their experiences within these schools. Hence the first threat modern education poses is to the establishment of the Deen – which means that this issue is therefore a necessity of the highest degree. It also creates a need with regard to life, intellect/sanity and wealth, because the education system works to support and feed a financial system which keeps people alive just enough to pay bills but not enough to thrive, causing constriction in these three areas. What is clear from this is that there is a need with regard to the three meta aims; “nurturing the righteous individual", as our children are not receiving this from the current situation, "establishing justice", as the education system colludes with the leaders of injustice and programmes children to become enslaved to the state, which is itself the management wing of the tyrannical financial elite, and "realization of benefits”, because it does not bring about that which benefits the long term prosperity of society in this life and the individual in the next.
Therefore, working to alleviate these issues is extremely important for the Muslims. Many potential solutions could be worked out, and perhaps the most obvious is the establishment of an educational model, and schools which employ this model. This implies research into both our own history and into modern educational theory – hence the aforementioned need for an intellectual discourse. A deep understanding of psychology and child development is also extremely important. There already exist models which are distinct from mainstream education; Waldorf Steiner and Montessori being two notable examples, and we can certainly learn from these and carefully adapt the good of them to meet our own aims. Of course, our main concern is our own children, but if it is a sufficiently robust system, people of all backgrounds will choose it over and above all other options, and that would certainly be a desirable outcome. To be clear, I am talking about a radically different educational model, not an ‘Islamicised’ version of state-run schools which are essentially the same but with hijabs and segregation of the sexes. It is paramount that it should be a true reflection of Prophetic light and Qur’anic Wisdom.
Conclusion
In order to create a new situation in which humanity can return to sanity, people of good character and who have a deep wisdom that is rooted in divine guidance must emerge and transcend the historical, socio-political and psychological barriers which enslave them. The framework put forward in this article is for these people. Such endeavours come at a high cost, but the individual, social and spiritual rewards are immense in comparison. The price to be paid includes giving up comfort and laziness, hatred, miserliness, fear of other-than-Allah, love of the world, desire for leadership and reputation etc. Along with the obvious benefits of undertaking such action, such as the betterment of society and the improvement of the human situation, the spiritual reward is threefold. The first is the opposite to the aforementioned attachments: dynamism and energy, love, generosity, fearlessness of creation and true fear of Allah, freedom, contentment and a high station with Allah, etc. The second are the divine gifts which accompany these immense qualities, gnosis. The third is the Eternal Garden of Bliss and the pleasure of Allah.
What is with you will end, but what is with Allah is lasting.
We will certainly reward the people who are patient according to the best that they were doing.
[al-Nahl: 96]
In truth, this implies the prerequisite for all involved to have a guide who can help them to free their hearts of worldly attachments, as none can escape the labyrinth of the inner workings of the self alone. Guidance is from Allah, and its manifestation is perfected in Sayyiduna Muhammad, the Mercy for All the Worlds ﷺ. This transformative quality has then been inherited by people who have been chosen by Allah and, through Allah’s incalculable generosity, is still available to us to this day. It is my firm belief that guidance of this sort, which is based on the purification of the heart, is a requirement in order that effective action can happen in a way that ensures lasting benefit and success.
The framework put forward in this article, along with the ideas presented for the example case, are little more than a seedling and more work could be done to formalise it and allow it to grow. Having said that, it is important that it be entrusted to those sincere men and women who will act, rather than those who will make it a purely academic pursuit. In essence, this article simply posits the use of Maqasid as a way of informing activism and enabling the Muslims to become the answer to the problems faced in this country at this particular historical moment. If a believer internalises these principles, it may not be necessary to use it in a methodological way, rather it will be a natural part of his or her thought processes and world view, and thus inform the way in which they interact with their surroundings.
It is also worth reiterating that I am in no way suggesting over-reliance on Maqasid in legal matters, which I have already mentioned is very dangerous and which I believe has been used by some in such a way that it waters down and substantially alters the Deen of Allah.
In all things, success is with Allah, and there is no power or might except with Allah. May Allah bless the Final Messenger, our guide in all matters, and his family companions and all who follow him in Ihsan until the day on which the debts are repaid.
[1] This has been attributed to the great Tabi’i (i.e. a student of the Companions) exegete Mujahid (see Qurtubi’s tafsir), the great great grandson of The Gate of Knowledge Ali b. Abi Talib, Ja’far al-Sadiq (see ibn Ajiba’s tafsir al Bahr al Madid) and the student of the Tabi’in, Ibn Jurayj (see Ibn Kathir’s tafsir), among others.
[2] Bukhari
[3] Daraqutni, Hasan
[4] Tabarani, Hasan
[5] Lit. ‘understanding’. It is used technically to refer to the codification of the Sharia and is often translated as jurisprudence.
[6] Abu Zahra, M. The Fundamental Principles of Imam Malik's Fiqh, in the Chapter The Ninth Source: The Principle of al-Masalih al-Mursala (Considerations of Public Interest).
[7] Ibid.
No comments:
Post a Comment