Notes on: “Religious Discussions”, “Exposing the knuckles as a religious requirement” and “Islam v/s Eemaan”

Notes on:

 “Religious Discussions”, “Exposing the knuckles as a religious requirement” 

and 

“Islam v/s Eemaan”

The following is a copy of an email exchange with one of my colleagues at Aga Khan University Hospital. As the issues discussed are still very much real and relevant, I am sharing it with you:

AoA. I am addressing this email to you but it is meant to be part of our inter staff/faculty discussion on some of our religious views and practices. 

(During the discussion I was asked (probably as a sarcasm) to study my religion properly, to which I responded thus) I agree with your suggestion. I have to study the Holy Quran and Ahaadith with the help of the scholars to understand Islam. By the grace of God I have done just that and am still doing it and will continue to do it Insha Allah. Akin to CME, I am sure we all need CRE (Continuous Religious Education) and the last 10 days of Ramadan, in my view are ideally suited for it. I am sure the views that you have expressed are also based similarly on your study of our scholars. May Allah Ta’aala reward all of us for our efforts, inadequate as they are. 

I would say jazakallah to Wasif for reminding all of us the importance of the 10 nights of Zil Haj. In response I had suggested that these auspicious days also could be another period to update our religious knowledge and to reassess our deeds and actions in our workplace — a process of  self analysis.

(It was suggested that we should avoid religious discussions at our meetings of the weekly Quran Study Group as it leads to controversy. This is how I had responded) However, every Muslim as per our scholars is required to do his bit to preach and advocate (dars and tadrees and tabligh ) Islam to others. This duty is not restricted to scholars as per their own teachings. This forum of inter staff/faculty discussions is one such activity. We are very well placed for this job. We are all keen to be PPK (Proud Practicing and Knowledgeable) Muslims. It will be very helpful to exchange our ideas on important issues to learn from and teach each other. We are part of one of the best, if not the best Universities of Pakistan: a milieu of free thinking, enquiry and analysis. Our educational background is similar; our life style is comparable in many ways. We can and do mingle with each other along with our wives and children and blend socially. I do not think we can say the same for many of our traditional scholars and their families. Their life style and social activities are quite different. I therefore feel we should have more influence and weight on each other. We should therefore try to make this forum (Quran Study Group at AKUH) as strong as possible.

(The practice,very common in the faculty members of AKU Hospital of folding up the pants on the prayer mat before prayers and unfolding immediately after came up for discussion) I am very confident and you will also agree there is not a single Hadith that suggests or even allows folding up and down of the trousers before and after the prayers. The Hadith in question commands you to keep your trousers above your knuckles permanently. Our muhaddcsins and the scholars have stated a reason for this Hadith viz. long pants or robes are supposed to display pride and arrogance and hence forbidden. Obviously this is operative in the market place, in the work place, at social gatherings and festivals. Inside the mosque there is no room for pride or arrogance. Hence by this dual action of folding before and unfolding after prayers we are neither following the letter of the Hadith nor the spirit. Since you do not have, like most of my colleagues any intention (neeyat) to order your next new pant above the ankle in any foreseeable future, I feel you are defying the letter of this Hadith and making a mockery of the spirit when you routinely fold down the pants on stepping off the prayer mat. Some of the scholars have suggested a  justification for this dual action by stating that we should at least follow this Hadith when we are entering the house of God and going to stand hands folded facing HIM. I am afraid I could never buy that because I feel as if I am saying “bye bye Allah Ta’aala for now; see you next at Asr prayers” when I unfold my pants as I step out of the prayer mat after my zohr prayers. It is worthwhile discussing this issue with the colleagues. I may be corrected; or others may be rectified; or we may agree to disagree. However if any one feels like banging my head against the wall for my views then I can very confidently say he/she is definitely and deliberately flouting a number of Ahaadith.  

Ahaadith are a very important source to define the Sunnah of our Great Prophet pbuh. However it has become a very common and routine practice to state “hadith may ayah hai” (it is mentioned in the hadith) and move on. This can be very misleading. Following Ahaadith is a complex and intricate task. We must consider all the ahaadith on a particular topic quoted by the scholars, the reference to context and reasons and meanings various scholars have attached to it. It is important because our great Prophet pbuh has opined differently on the same topic depending on the time, place and person concerned. Let me quote an example to illustrate my point. The consequences of having sex while fasting are well known to all of us. On this subject please read this beautiful hadith:  Narrated Abu Huraira (Radhiallaho anho):

“While we were sitting with the Prophet (sallallaahu'alaihi wasallam) a man came and said, "O Allah's Messenger! I have been ruined." Allah's Messenger asked what was the matter with him. He replied "I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." Allah's Messenger asked him, "Can you afford to manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. Allah's Messenger asked him, "Can you fast for two
successive months?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, "Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet. He asked, "Where is the questioner?" He replied, "I (am
here)." The Prophet said (to him), "Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity." The man said, "Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah, there is no family between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains who are poorer than I." The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, 'Feed your family with it." (Bukhari Vol. 3: No.157) 

This hadith speaks volumes to indicate to us the intense philosophy, far reaching wisdom and profound perception of our great Teacher and Guide. There was a purpose and design in any thing and every thing he said. Hence individual hadith should not be taken on it’s face value. One has to dig deeper to find out the background, the context and the time and place for that hadith.

There is also another angle to this issue. Unfortunately the hadith literature is replete with conflicting and sometimes opposing ahaadith which our scholars have not been able to reconcile. So per force we have to choose some, ignore others or even reject some. At present most of us are doing it on the basis of the practice of our forefathers. A born Sunni will without any hesitation question/ignore/reject many ahaadith very dear to our Shia brothers; vice versa a Shia Muslim has no hesitation in rejecting many ahaadith dear to Sunnis. Both these groups of Ahaadith are traced by eminent scholars of Islam to our Holy Prophet, who is extremely and equally venerable to both groups. If one happens to be a Barelvi, he has to question/ignore/ reject many ahaadith quoted by the Deobandi Ulema and vice versa. Last year I witnessed a demonstration of this in a program on TV on the significance of Shabe Barat by the Ulemas of the two schools. There were two contradictory opinions; both based on authentic ahaadith. Each group insisted on his set of ahaadith and was content to question/ignore/ reject) the other set. Lastly, as per our Ulema there are many “Mauzoo” (fabricated) ahaadith floating around. We have to be careful to guard against them. In every prayer, the most vital and crucial act for a Muslim we are following a few ahaadith and ignoring/rejecting a few others depending on which “mazhab” you are born into. Studying the valuable hadith literature and practicing it needs serious deliberation; merely saying “hadith may ayaa hai; it is a hadith” has led to a lot of confusion and contradictions in our religion. 

(Lastly Islam v/s Eemaan was debated in the meeting; my response:)

Allah Ta’aala declares in ayah 14 of Surah 49 

قالَتِ الأَعرابُ آمَنّا ۖ قُل لَم تُؤمِنوا وَلٰكِن قولوا أَسلَمنا وَلَمّا يَدخُلِ الإيمانُ في قُلوبِكُم

Yusuf Ali The desert Arabs say "We believe." Say "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say `We have submitted our wills to Allah.' For not yet has Faith entered your hearts………….  

Pickthall The wandering Arabs say: We believe. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say "We submit," for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts………….

On the basis of this ayah our scholars have agreed that Eemaan is an entirely different  level of Islam. Eemaan is CONVICTION and  CERTAINTY as opposed to acceptance  conveyed by the word  Islam. One has to be sure beyond doubt that Islam is much better code of Life, much better philosophy and leads to much better way of life and ensures a commanding position for Muslims in this world and hereafter in contrast to other religions and philosophies and prescriptions available. It can be achieved only by a searching analysis of the various dictates of our religion: why, what and how? You have to be convinced (as opposed to be just loyal to it) of the greatness and infallibility of Islam. This is a process at the cognitive level; process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception From this level, anything that conventional wisdom regards as meaningless or trivial is extremely unlikely to  be a prescription of Islam. Additionally, it should be realized that the format for the Final Viva – the ultimate goal –on the Day of Judgment for a very good Muslim but illiterate and uneducated will be  quite different from that of a Muslim blessed by intellect, education and an inquiring mind—faculties  which he/she has used very effectively for the temporal status and success for himself/herself and for his/her family.The latter interrogation is likely to much more exacting and rigorous. Once again this is naturally my opinion but based on study of the scholars of Islam and not on my personal whims. I could be wrong and therefore the need to discuss with my Muslim brothers and sisters who are on the same wavelength as mine in many ways. It will be very fruitful feedback for all of us if we can here other opinions based on their study of the ulema and scholars. 

Your Brotherly

   Khalid Mitha