The publication of our views on fatiha in our ‘Views and Opinions’ column (YMD, Dec. 1982) has drawn protest atleast from one reader. Brother S.W.Q.A. of Hyderabad has sent us a whole article which discusses not only fatiha but many other matters which to us atleast are no more than strange names. Now the question of fatiha itself, as all scholars agree, is not of such importance --- being restricted in practise to a negligibly small number of misguided Muslims -as to demand time and energy of today’s worker of Islam. But the article evinces a kind of approach to Islam that leads many away instead of bringing them near to it. This kind of approach therefore needs correction and hence attention of every worker of Islam. If corrections can be brought here, many can be saved from being misled.
The article itself stood some chance of publication had it been shorter and to some measure substantiated. But the writer seems to be hard put to quote from books of hadith or fiqh, or authorities such as Imam Abu Haneefa, Abu Yousuf or others and therefore had to resort to the kind of strange deduction that should be noticeable to every reader. The substance of the article is as follows :
- Since the first chapter of the Quran is its most excellent chapter in meaning; since sura Ikhlas similarly a fine chapter dealing with the Unity of God; and since durood-reading an act of great virtue, all three therefore could be combined and read together as fatiha (after every prayer?!).
- Since the Prophet, on whom be peace, has on some occasions prayed for barakah in food, (when presented in smaller quantities than the occasion required), fatiha on food as practised by certain Muslims today becomes Islamically legal if not mustahab or sunnah!
- (By similar deductions) the Giyarween of Ghousepak, Dasween, Beesween, Chehlum, Salana, Tosha of Shaikh Abdul Haq, Semahi of Bu Ali Qalandar etc., etc., etc. are all permitted as acts of great virtue.
The fallacy in this method of argument should be clear to every reader. It is strange however that the proponents of such arguments are able to ‘convert’ even educated people to their line of practise. Does it never occur to the beguiled to consider where this kind of deduction works? In Science? Logic? Law? It is like saying that since Friday is a holy day in Islam, and since the Prophet chose milk over wine during the night-journey (isra) and since the Quran lays great emphasis on the welfare of orphans, it will be good religious practise therefore to distribute milk to orphans on every Friday! !
Or may be followers of such logic believe that even if such deductive methods will not work in Law, Science or Logic without leading to fallacy, surely it will in case of Islam leading to peity --- since religion belongs to a different realm altogether. If that is so it bespeaks of their total ignorance of the principles and derivative laws of Islamic fiqh. If such had been the case surely Islam would have met with its death the day it conquered the Roman and Persian empires with their well-developed men, societies and systems of governments. Exactly the opposite happened. It flourished well thereafter winning the hearts of those that it had conquered with the sword. Assimilating those of the advanced methods of the vanquished which did not clash with its own principles, and adding its own methods, it gave a fresh life to the ageing worlds and peoples. Islam then was the password for progress. Today Islamic Law is largely the state law of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and yet offers no hindrance to the extra-ordinary growth and development of those regions. That is because Islamic Law is based on sound logic.
Such sweeping statements however do not go a long way in convincing people. We therefore advise the enquiring minds to get themselves introduced to the principles and derivative methods of Islamic Law. A mufti of a madrasa or a lecturer in fiqh will be most suitable. They may also look into one or two of those introductory books such as Usul-us-Sashi, or any other. But it is possible that they may find them not so easy to understand for one needs to be well trained both in law and logic to be able to follow them. In such an event the book can be taken to a good legalist (of secular law). ’ His astonished reaction may find no better words than those of the famous legal luminary, Professor Count Leon Ostrong who said in a lecture delivered in the University of London :
“Considered from the point of view of its logical structure, the system (of Islamic Law) is one of great perfection and to this day it commands the admiration of the student. Once the dogma of the revelation to the Prophet is admitted as postulate, it is difficult to find a flaw in the long series of deductions, so unimpeachable they appear from the point of view of formal logic and of the rules of Arabic grammar.”
So much for those who have no knowledge at all of how Islamic Law is worked out through the Quran and sunnah. These have been led to believe that, as in most other human fields, there is as much irrationalism in Islam as a suspectful mind would suspect. As for fatiha itself, and dasween, beesween etc. etc., let those who practise or preach these look into an index of hadith if they can find at all even the words there. Failing to find the entries they can next turn to fiqh books such as the Hidaya or Fatawa-Alamgiri. Having failed to find any instructions here let them next look for these practices in the life of the greatest men on earth after the Prophets, peace on them — i.e. the Companions (Sahaba). If they cannot find these in their practise also, let them then consider seriously : whose religion are they following?
Finally, we would like to give a few hints by way of guidelines to those seeking clarifications on Islamic matters.
Firstly, when you want a ruling on a subject go to the Quran and sunnah yourself. Learn sufficient Arabic for this purpose ---whatever it may cost you of time and energy-but depend not for a vital thing such as true guidance, upon others. You know what will happen to you if you will depend on others for any thing else. Disappointment will be your reward. It is Allah only who does not disappoint.
Next, if you still need guidance, go always to a specialist---and indeed you have to go to them in any case to check the veracity of your opinions. If it is a matter of fiqh go to a mufti (jurisconsult) of a madrasa---any, and no less. If it is a matter of sunnah go to a shiekhui hadith of a darul uloom again. And if it is a matter of tafseer go to a mufassir. Do not go to the lesser people, however pious --- piety is no substitute to knowledge. Beware especially of the non-specialist who specializes in nothing, who cannot for instance lecture to students on the books prescribed in Islamic course, but pretends to have acquired knowledge, by which he means esoteric knowledge, through self study, services to holy men, through long spiritual exercises and so on. However sophisticated he may appear, he is a sham if he will not guide you to a mufti or a mufassir. That way it is easy to recognize him. He does not recognize the learned and the recognized. He lives and works among the ignorant. He will endeavour to cut you away from the Jamia Islamiah in Medina; the al-Azhar in Cairo; Deoband, Nadwa in India and all other leading centres of learning of the Islamic world. Instead of leading you therefore to the Quran and hadith he will give you a cart-load of the sayings and practices of holy men. If you ask him specifically if this is what the Prophet did or not, and after him the sahaba he will retort: ‘Didn’t these holy men know the sunnah better than you and me?’ His ignorance is evident.
However, if you do not have access to a specialist (though you can always write to him), and have to go to an aalim, make sure he has a degree from one of those large darul uloom spread over the country. But you must make sure you close the door of misguidance by restricting him to quote only from the larger and well-known works of fiqh, sunnah or tafseer---and no more. Do not be shy to obtain complete references from him by saying that you would like to refer these books yourself. And do that. For it is a matter of right guidance. If he is angered by the demand and says: ‘Don’t you have faith in me?’ leave him alone. He can not guide you. He wants to lead you. If he fails to guide you to well-known written documents (soon you will learn which are these), but asks you to accept inferences based on loose talk or non-hadith, non-fiqh material, then too leave him alone. He is as much in need of guidance as yourself.
And, in the end, remember these simple points:
- Allah says in a hadith-e-qudsi, quoted by Bukhari: ‘My slave does not get near to me through anything else as much as through what I have obligated on him.’
2. There is not ‘a’ virtue that the Prophet, on whom be peace, has not revealed to us and practised it himself. And, there is not an evil that the Prophet has left undisclosed to us. Therefore,
3. Your question will be generally pertaining to either
a) Ibadat (matters of worship) or
b) Muamalat (dealings with fellow-beings). (You are less likely to be misguided in matters of ikhla- quiyat- morals)
Now, in case of ibadat search for amr (command) of the Prophet, and in case of muamalat search for nahi (prohibition) of the Prophet.
Indeed, the best of the revelation is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance, guidance of Muhammad, peace on him. And the worst of evils is innovation (in religion), and every innovation is falsehood and every falsehood is in fire.