All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His chosen one and beloved, the best of His creation and His beloved:
O you who believe Believers, fear God as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims. (Al Imran 3:102)
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear God, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, God is ever, over you, an Observer. (An-Nisa 4:1) “O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will then amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.” (Al-Ahzab 33:70) “The best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family. The worst of matters are those that are newly invented, and every innovation is misguidance.”
And may the most complete and perfect prayers, peace, and blessings be upon our Prophet, our leader, the beloved of our hearts, and our intercessor, Muhammad, and upon his pure and righteous family, and his sincere and striving companions. He is the best example, indeed, the best role model.
Now then: The painful disagreements and conflicts that arose among the men of the first Islamic century, the best of generations of humankind, from the Companions and the senior and middle-ranking followers, which reached the point of fighting, are known to the general Muslim public, and not only to historians who have followed the events of the first Hijri century. This discord, conflict, and fighting transformed jurisprudential and political differences into doctrinal issues. Political movements and parties justified their political ambitions with specious legal arguments, then ossified, becoming religious sects, passed down from generation to generation. General Islamic reconciliation became impossible because the caliphate had deviated from the rightly guided, consultative caliphate based on the prophetic model, replacing it with oppressive, tyrannical rule. This occurred when Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the leader of the rebellious faction, seized power from the nation by the sword, shedding its blood and usurping its authority. It is well known that arrogance and tyranny on earth, including oppressive rule, cannot be sustained except through a game of balancing the contradictions within society: “Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into factions, oppressing a group among them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.” (Al-Qasas 28:4).
Despite the dire situation, the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God be pleased with him, began a serious attempt at reconciliation at the end of the century (100 AH), and took several steps in this direction. However, death overtook him (poisoned by the Umayyads?!), and those who came after him destroyed what he had built. Then Yazid ibn al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, may God be pleased with him, attempted to establish a new caliphate, but the Umayyads did not allow him to succeed. He was killed, and his reign lasted no more than seven months. The Abbasid Revolution then erupted, quickly degenerating into a campaign of revenge against the Umayyads and their supporters. It annihilated the living, desecrated graves, and ultimately devoured its own children, transforming into a tyrannical monarchy. Disunity and enmity festered and became deeply entrenched. The Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi—a misguided and misleading figure, not a true guide—demonstrated his penchant for killing thousands of opponents on charges of heresy.
Al-Ma'mun was among the best of the Muslim caliphs, but being a product of his time and society, he was unable to escape the vortex of philosophical debates and failed to grasp the limits of the Islamic state's authority. He preoccupied himself with matters never commanded by God, such as compelling people to profess the doctrine of the createdness of the Quran, regardless of its truth or falsehood, instead of fulfilling his divinely ordained duty of ensuring the proper implementation of the Quran by the state and its institutions. I cannot recall any serious attempt by any caliph or sultan of Islam after al-Ma'mun to reconcile differences and eradicate the scourge of sectarianism. It is no wonder that this has not happened, and will not happen until a caliphate is established according to the prophetic model. And it is impossible for a caliphate to be established according to the prophetic model until the prophetic model is understood. And the prophetic model will not be understood until the religion is understood correctly, eradicating all alterations and transcending all misinterpretations, by returning to the original revelation of the religion, as stated in the prophetic declaration: "What I and my companions are upon today."
It is no wonder that the intensity of the conflict between those vying for worldly power leads them to resort to propaganda warfare, inventing stories and fabricating narratives. It is also not surprising that this exists among their foolish and misguided followers affiliated with political parties and religious sects. However, it is truly regrettable that some of this seeps into the circles of the elite scholars of the Quran, Sunnah, biographies, hadith, Arabic language and its literature, especially those overcome by religious zeal, such as the extremist Shiites and Nawasib, or by political grudges, such as the Umayyad Nawasib, or by tribal and ethnic prejudices, such as the tribalists, Arabists, and Shu'ubiyya. But God, may His glory be exalted, in fulfillment of His promise to preserve the Quran, and in confirmation of His Prophet who praised the first three generations for their trustworthiness and truthfulness (then falsehood spread), protected the general public from transmitting and circulating these lies; although some of them, thankfully few, may have fallen into some form of deception or misleading abbreviation, out of shyness, such as saying: "There are wines that have been brought to so-and-so," or "He is alluding to a man!" Despite all the lies, fabrications, misrepresentations, and misleading abbreviations, returning to the original (revelation) of the religion, according to the Prophetic statement: “What I and my companions are upon today,” was and remains possible, albeit with some difficulty and hardship. However, there is no way to achieve it except by:
(1) taking the Qur’an as the guide and attaching to it the authentic, unbroken-narration Sunnah;
(2) taking the unambiguous verses with definitive meaning as the foundation.
And the ambiguous matters are referred back to it;
(3) - Removing the (sanctity) from Islamic history and Islamic figures after the perfection of the religion and the completion of the blessing, before the death of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family;
(4) - This entails rejecting the confused and false "principles" of the extremist deviants among the followers of the Wahhabi sect, or the rigidity of the scholars of the books who blindly follow the schools of jurisprudence and theological schools; and replacing them with the consistent and certain principles, some of which we have summarized in the appendix entitled (Appendix of Principles of Rulings and Rules of Deduction) to the basic system of the Islamic Renewal Party, and here is its text:
Beginning of the quoted text: [Article (1): Islam is represented in the infallible revealed revelation.] The infallible revealed scripture is of a single rank in infallibility and authority, and it is: (a) The Qur'an, which is the word of God revealed to our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, in its exact wording and letters, as it is written between the two covers of the Qur'anic manuscripts, preserved in hearts, recited by tongues, recorded on tapes, and through other means of preservation and transmission, transmitted from him, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, in writing and orally, through continuous transmission, passed down from one generation to the next, providing definitive and necessary knowledge for all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is miraculous in its wording, and its recitation is an act of worship. (b) The Prophetic Sunnah, which consists of the sayings of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, including his gestures, actions, and tacit approvals, is also considered divine revelation in meaning. The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, expressed this revelation through his own words or gestures (gestures being equivalent to words), as well as through his actions or tacit approval. This means his silence regarding a matter, whether he witnessed it or was informed of it, a silence that indicates approval, consent, or lack of disapproval.
Article (2): The Prophet’s, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, action or tacit approval of something only indicates that the action is not forbidden for his community and is purely permissible. Furthermore, there must be independent evidence for its obligation, recommendation, or reprehensibility. However, the Prophet’s, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, mere omission is not part of the Sunnah. Omission is simply a lack of action and does not constitute proof of anything. As for the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) abstention from a certain action after having performed it once or repeatedly—it makes no difference—it only indicates that the action was not obligatory. Another, independent proof is required to establish whether the abstained action was forbidden, disliked, purely permissible, or even recommended. Similarly, his (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) abstention from an action before performing it—that is, his intention to perform an action followed by his abstention from it—only indicates that the action was not obligatory. Another, independent proof is required to establish whether the abstained action was forbidden, disliked, purely permissible, or even recommended. If this is the case with the Prophet's abstention, then the abstention of the Companions is even less authoritative.
Article (3): The entire infallible revealed revelation is preserved, and the "preserved remembrance" is the same as the infallible revealed revelation. Therefore, it is not only the Qur'an that is preserved, but also the Sunnah. The Quran is preserved word for word, letter for letter, and diacritical mark for diacritical mark because it has been transmitted through continuous, unbroken chains of narration. The Quran is what is contained between the two covers of the Mushaf (copies of the Quran), and there is no other revealed Quran whatsoever, unless it is a Quranic text whose wording has been abrogated, as mentioned in some authentic narrations. In that case, it is no longer considered Quran, and it is not permissible to include it in the Mushaf. The abrogation of Quranic wording necessarily entails the abrogation of the ruling it contains, unless conclusive and irrefutable proof is established to the contrary.
As for the Sunnah, it is narrated through oral transmission, not transmitted through continuous, unbroken chains of narration, even though some of it is transmitted through continuous, unbroken chains of narration. The Sunnah is not limited to what is contained in the books of Sunnah, even though most of the Sunnah is found in those books. The preservation of the Sunnah simply means that it is impossible for anything to be added to it that is not part of it and that it is impossible for anything to be lost and never found again. Article (4): It is not permissible to cite, nor to use as evidence, any text from the narrations of the Sunnah unless its authenticity and attribution to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, are established, either with absolute certainty through continuous transmission (tawatur), or by having been established beyond any reasonable doubt, acceptable objection, or flaw. Similarly, it is not permissible to cite a sound and authentic report unless all its chains of transmission have been thoroughly examined, and all its wordings have been meticulously analyzed, in order to determine the authentic and established wording or to deduce the established meaning common to all chains and narrations.
Article (5): All texts of the Quran and Sunnah must be considered as a single, continuous text, possessing the same level of authority and the same obligation to obey them all. It is absolutely impermissible to apply one text while neglecting another, nor is it ever permissible to give precedence to one text over another, except with proof from the texts themselves or due to a necessity dictated by sensory perception or reason. Article (6): Texts may not be taken out of context. All texts must be accepted in their general and unrestricted sense. It is not permissible to specify or restrict any of them except with evidence from within the text itself, or by necessity dictated by sensory perception or reason. Accepting texts in their general and unrestricted sense necessitates many things, including:
(a) If a ruling is contingent upon a specific attribute of a particular thing or things, and this contingency is based on causality, then it must be applied to all things in the universe described by that attribute, except what is excluded by another text or dictated by necessity dictated by sensory perception or reason. This is what some legal theorists call: analogy based on a legal cause, which is in reality (generality) and not (analogy)!
(b) If a ruling is contingent upon a specific level or degree of a particular attribute, then the ruling must be applied to all levels and degrees higher than that. This is what some legal theorists call: analogy by way of a fortiori reasoning.
All other forms of analogy, such as analogical reasoning based on resemblance, are falsehood, fabrication, and invalidity. They lead to the creation of laws not sanctioned by God, and are utterly pointless and unnecessary.
Article (7): All words in the Quran and Sunnah must be interpreted according to their meanings in the pure Arabic language at the time of the Quran's revelation. If a single word is used in more than one sense, it is not permissible to prioritize one meaning over another except with proof from Islamic law or due to a necessity of sensory perception or reason. For example, the word "nikah" (marriage) is used equally for the well-known "contract" and also for "sexual intercourse," whether lawful or unlawful. Both meanings of this word must be considered wherever it appears, unless proven otherwise.
Article (8): The established and authentic texts must be revered and respected absolutely. Just as they must be applied in their general and absolute sense, so too must
It is not permissible to specify or restrict anything from it except with proof from it. Likewise, it is not permissible to take it out of context, distort it from its proper place, or attribute meanings to it that are not required by the text, according to the established usage of the Arabs in their linguistic structures and what is dictated by the necessities of sense and reason. This necessitates several things, including: Every statement and every proposition only gives you what is within its scope and does not give you a ruling for anything else. This does not mean that anything else agrees with it in ruling, nor that it contradicts it, but rather that everything else depends on its own evidence. So, if a text comes from God Almighty, or from His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, attached to a certain attribute, time, or number, then anything other than that attribute, time, or number is not judged contrary to that stated ruling, but rather depends on its own evidence. For example, His words, may His names be blessed: “And [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and as adornment” (An-Nahl 16:8). The mention of riding and adornment does not imply the prohibition of eating them (this falls under what is called “argument from the text”), nor does it imply their permissibility (by analogy). Rather, the prohibition or permissibility of eating them is derived from other evidence besides this text. Similarly, his words, peace and blessings be upon him and his family: “For grazing sheep, for every forty: one sheep,” do not imply the exemption of non-grazing animals from zakat, nor do they imply its obligation or amount. Rather, that ruling is sought from other sources besides this text.
Any statement that begins with a negation and is then qualified by the word “except” or the word “until” applies only to what is qualified by it. For example, his words, peace and blessings be upon him and his family: “Prayer is not accepted from one who has broken their ritual purity until they perform ablution,” and his words, peace and blessings be upon him and his family: “There is no prayer without the Opening Chapter of the Quran (Al-Fatihah).” The imperative form, such as saying "Do it," and its equivalents, is originally used to request an action in general. In Islamic legal discourse, it implies recommendation and immediacy unless there is contextual evidence that shifts it from recommendation to obligation, permissibility, or even delay.
The prohibitive form, such as saying "Do not do it," and its equivalents, is originally used to request the avoidance of an action in general. In Islamic legal discourse, it implies reprehensibility unless there is contextual evidence that shifts it from reprehensibility to something else, such as prohibition.
A statement remains a statement, that is, a description of reality, according to its apparent meaning. It is not permissible to interpret it otherwise (such as using hidden meaning, symbolism, metaphor, figurative language, or other rhetorical devices) except with proof. Similarly, it does not establish a command or prohibition except with proof.
The default for an exception is that it is a real, complete, and continuous exception, not a separate one. An exception is only necessary within the immediate category, and it is not permissible to move to a higher or more distant category except with proof. For example: (Do not set out on a journey except to three mosques: ... etc.) This means only: (Do not set out on a journey to any mosque except to these three: ... etc.) This statement has absolutely no relation to markets, parks, historical sites, graves, or anything else.
Article (9): Abrogation is not permissible except in cases of compelling necessity or conclusive proof. Therefore, texts must be reconciled using all possible means of reconciliation, especially specification and qualification, according to the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. Abrogation is only permissible based on a definitive and conclusive text indicating abrogation, or due to a necessity dictated by sensory perception or reason. It follows that a general or absolute statement, by its very generality or unrestrictedness, does not abrogate a specific or qualified statement, even if the general or absolute statement is later in time than the specific or qualified one. Rather, there must be independent proof that necessitates and compels the assertion of abrogation, such that there is no other reasonable alternative.
Article (10): God abrogated the previous laws with the mission of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, with a final, complete, and absolute abrogation. Therefore, the laws of the previous prophets are abrogated, and it is not permissible to apply them; indeed, following them is forbidden. Moreover, they were not sent to us in the first place, nor did they address us with anything, so their laws are not binding upon us at all. Not only that, but it is forbidden for us to follow any aspect of their laws because they are abrogated. Adopting the abrogated and abandoning the abrogating is a grave sin, an infringement upon God's judgment, and a rebellion against His Lordship and Sovereignty. It is therefore impossible and inconceivable that "the law of those before us is our law," which is, in reality, a statement of disbelief, as some of the most eminent scholars have erred in saying. Any similarity, or even exact correspondence, found in our law to some rulings of previous laws is a new, renewed legislation, appearing similar in form to the previous law, and not a continuation of a previous law—God forbid! Even the tacit approval by the Sharia of Ishmael, as practiced by the Arabs, whether authentic, distorted, or altered, is also a new legislation. Article (11): The original Islamic legal ruling regarding all things (all things: objects, actions, and statements) is permissibility, except for what has been explicitly excluded by textual evidence, as we have established with conclusive proofs in our book: (The Book of Tawhid: The Foundation of Islam, and the Reality of Tawhid). Therefore, there is no point in demanding proof of the permissibility of a specific thing, action, or statement, because conclusive and definitive proof has already been established for all things, actions, and statements. Rather, proof is only required for obligation, recommendation, reprehensibility, or prohibition.
Article (12): The original Islamic legal ruling regarding contracts and conditions is permissibility, and validity follows from this. Therefore, the default is that contracts concluded and conditions agreed upon are binding, because they were established lawfully and validly, except for what has been explicitly excluded by textual evidence or what has been proven otherwise.
Article (13): Purity and permissibility are distinct concepts. The prohibition of something does not necessarily imply its impurity, and its impurity does not necessarily imply its prohibition, meaning the prohibition of benefiting from it in all ways.
Article (14): The default state of the materials of the universe is purity. There is no difference between a gas such as air and vapor, or a liquid such as water, juice, milk of nursing animals, and blood, or a solid such as iron, copper, earth, and rocks. There is no difference between a simple element such as gold, or a compound molecular such as water, or a homogeneous mixture such as air, or a complex compound mixture such as clay and agricultural soil. There is no difference between the inanimate such as rocks and mountains, and the animate such as animals and birds. All of this that God created in the universe is permissible and pure for humankind: benefiting from the substance in ways that result in its destruction and annihilation, such as slaughtering a sheep or eating bread; or enjoying a benefit such as riding an animal, smelling a rose, or looking at the beauty of mountains and plains, except for what is not permissible.
The text excludes it by removing it from permissibility to reprehensibility or prohibition, thus making it reprehensible or forbidden, or by removing it from purity to impurity, thus making it impure, or both.
Article (15): (Islam is a complete religion). The final, pure Sharia encompasses all the actions of humankind with its rulings in the most perfect manner until the Day of Resurrection, as Allah Almighty says in the last verses of the Glorious Quran revealed: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} (Al-Ma'idah 5:3). The religion has been perfected, and it is Islam, there is no other religion. It is the religion that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and his companions followed at that time. There is nothing else but ignorance and disbelief. The favor has been completed, there is nothing beyond it but deficiency, then calamities and punishments, due to disobedience to Allah, going against His command, and not adhering to His law. Article (16): Since (commitment to the Sharia rulings is the purpose of the creation of man), it is the purpose of creation, and it is the meaning of human existence, as God Almighty said: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me} (Adh-Dhariyat; 51: 56), and the worship of God is the acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty, that is: commitment to every command and prohibition; that is: complete humility, submission, surrender, and obedience; expressing the ultimate love and the highest veneration; based on firm belief and sincere faith that He, may His glory be exalted and His station be high, is the true God, the One, the Unique, the Self-Sufficient, the Living, the Sustainer of all existence: He neither begets nor is begotten, and there is none comparable to Him. Since Islam is a complete religion, it necessarily follows that all voluntary actions of people are subject to Islamic law, with no exceptions. This is based on the Almighty's words: "And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification of all things" (An-Nahl 16:89), and His words, may His names be blessed: "...and if you disagree about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day" (An-Nisa 4:59), and His words, may He be glorified and exalted: "And in whatever you differ, its judgment rests with God" (Ash-Shura 42:10). Referring matters to God and His Messenger necessarily entails resolving all disputes and settling all conflicts. It must be definitively stated that the Quran and Sunnah contain the resolution of every dispute and the settlement of every conflict. Otherwise, God's command would be a lie and a deception, for He would refer disputes to those who lack the authority to resolve them—exalted is God far above such a thing!
Article (17): It follows from the foregoing that there is no truth to the claim made by some contemporary Islamists that there is a "legislative vacuum" which people fill with "reason," "juristic preference," "public interest," "the practice of the wise," "observing the spirit and objectives of Islamic law," "blocking the means to evil," "analogical reasoning," and other such sophistry and nonsense. Nor is there any truth to the claim that revelation elaborates on matters of creed and worship but provides only generalities regarding transactions. Some sincere and eminent scholars have erred, comparing the perfect divine law to imperfect man-made laws, which are inherently flawed and require patching up. These flaws are filled with "juristic preference," "the practice of the wise," "public interest," and other such falsehoods. A sincere and pious scholar, regardless of his rank, should not be followed in his error, but rather seek refuge in God from it and supplicate to Him for forgiveness.
Article (18): Furthermore, based on all that has been mentioned, particularly the fact that Islam is a complete religion, and on the finality of prophethood and the cessation of revelation after the death of the last of God's prophets, our master Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), it is impossible for new legislation to arise after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Therefore, it is legally impossible for consensus to be the source of legislation independently of the texts. To claim that consensus exists only on matters for which there is no explicit text is false and, in reality, tantamount to disbelief, because the texts encompass everything, and nothing is excluded from them.
Article (19): A valid consensus, assuming its existence, must be based on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) directives: either through a Quranic verse, or through sound evidence based on a collection of Quranic verses, or through a Sunnah text, or through sound evidence based on a collection of Sunnah texts, or through sound evidence based on a collection of Quranic and Sunnah texts, or through an action of his (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or his tacit approval. Most consensus is based on the transmission of a practice or his (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) tacit approval of an action or statement he knew and did not reject. If the consensus is thus, then it is from the infallible revelation that descended during the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) lifetime, and it is a definitive proof, just like the Quran and Sunnah in all matters. Abrogation based on it is also permissible, without a doubt. A sound consensus, as we have previously defined it, cannot be transmitted except through another consensus or through continuous transmission.
Article (20): The objectives of Islamic law, assuming they are correctly derived from the legal texts, as well as the pursuit of benefits and the prevention of harms, and the consequences of actions, assuming they are correctly known from reality, none of this constitutes a valid legal proof. It is not the underlying reason for Islamic law as a whole, nor is it the reason for any specific ruling within it, even though it may be considered among its objectives and wisdoms. Knowledge of these does not contribute to deriving or understanding rulings; rather, it only contributes to the proper application of Islamic law. [End of quoted text.]
