The Necessity of Putting the Fundamentals in
Order
Shaykh Salman
al-`Awdah
Excerpted from "Min Akhlaqi-d-Daa`iya (From
the Character of the Islamic Preacher)"
...Therefore, we
want to correct the people's `aqeedah and make them aware of all
different kinds of outward and inward shirk and avoid the
forbidden, and we want to encourage them to stick to the sunan and
the mustahabbaat (recommended deeds), to incite them to avoid the
makroohaat (disliked deeds). It is not wise to persist in teaching
people one of the sunan regardless of how much effort it will take,
if the result will be rejecting this sunnah because of their
ignorance, then rejecting those who invite them to it by accepting
neither his effort nor his justice. The steps of the legislative
fundamentals start with teaching the fundamentals of `aqeedah, then
doing the obligatory things and avoiding the forbidden ones, then
performing the sunan and avoiding the makruuhaat. Therefore it is
like necessities, then commodities, then refinements.
We need to abolish the contradiction between the major concern and
the minor concern, and to erase the false concept which claims that
giving concern to the major issues leads to ignoring the minor, or
vice-versa, or that we need to put together the du`aat's concerns
in one order, which gives each concern the priority it
deserves.
There is nothing wrong for the daa`iya to study or teach these
sunan which people deny, like shortening the clothing halfway the
leg, or the posture of rest during the salaat, or moving the index
finger in tashahhud. But these are issues which are dealt with in
the texts of the shar` which a qualified person should have an
opinion or ijtihaad over, under the condition that it won't
distract him from other issues. As well as that, the young ones
should be trained to apply it on themselves, and on the ones who
accept and take it from them at the right times, the right places.
They should leave it out, for Allah's sake, when they see that
there is a legislative intent in leaving it out. Not because of
fearing people's tongues and talk. Justice is not to write in a
minor subject more than fourteen research papers, while we neglect
the major occurrences and happenings in the ummah through which the
people walk unguided, and stumble with their personal opinions, or
with their incomplete ijithaad which lacks the tools of correct
ijtihaad. There are those who fall into the opposite error, by
giving concern to the major matters, and lessen from the importance
of the minor ones. One of them says for instance,
"I am Salafi, and when I look at `Umar's personality, I see an
`Umar who spread justice among the people, an `Umar who used to
say, 'If a mule tripped in Iraq, I would feel that Allah will ask
me about it, "Why didn't you fix the road for it O `Umar?"
'But I don't look at `Umar's personality as the one who shortens
his clothing and lengthens his beard as some of these boys look at
him!"
Subhaan Allaah!
Why do we divide `Umar's personality into two? `Umar the just, the
mujaahid, the bearer of the mule responsibility in Iraq; and `Umar
the holder of the sunnah in his appearance, clothing and action?
Far be it from `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, because surely
he never believed in this dualism, or this separation.
Here is the
proof, when Uqba bin `Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, came to
give him the good news about the victory over al-Shaam, after which
he had ridden a whole week from Friday to Friday until he arrived
to Madina, he (`Umar) made takbeer and the Muslims were happy with
this courageous victory. Then `Umar looked at the khuff [leather
shoes] of `Uqba and said to him "How long have you been wearing
them?" He replied, "I've been wiping over them the whole
week!" Then `Umar said, "That is the sunnah."
[Bayhaqi] And it is authentic as Ibn Taymiyya and others said
[al-Fatawa].
Therefore
`Umar's concern, may Allah be pleased with him, with the matter of
conquests and subjugating the world to the Islamic rule did not
prevent him from investigating a minor matter - minor in some
people's opinion - and illustrating the sunnah in it according to
his opinion and ijtihaad.
When the `Amir of the Believers was dying on his bed, the anxiety
of leadership after him was troubling him, as well as the
companions of the Messenger of Allah for the affair of the
leadership in general, substantial important matter. But in spite
of its importance, it did not prevent `Umar from researching and
understanding minor issues. After he was stabbed, a boy from the
Ansaar came to see him, and show his appreciation. When he was
leaving, `Umar saw the length of his clothing, and said, "Bring
the boy back to me!!" When the boy was brought back to him, he
said, "O son of my brother! Pull up your izar, surely it is
cleaner for your clothing and has more taqwa to your Lord!"
[Bukhari, from the hadeeth of `Amr bin Maymun]
After a few
minutes he turned towards his companions around him and said,
"What do you have to say about the issue of inheritance of the
grandfather with the brothers" So they spoke, then `Umar said,
"I had an opinion about the grandfather, so if you what to
follow it, then follow it!" Then `Uthmaan, may Allaah be
pleased with him said, "If we follow your opinion, it is
righteous, and if we follow the opinion of the shaykh before you,
then they are both excellent." [Darimi from Marwan bin
al-Hakam]
This is `Umar,
may Allah be pleased with him. To him the major issues are in
comfortable harmony with the minor ones, one color does not
dominate the other; one taste does not dominate the other, all
complete a structure, one thing depends upon the
other.