15. Studying Fiqh
Knowledge of the Shari’ah rules, which a Muslim is obliged with in his life, is an individual duty upon every Muslim because he is commanded to undertake all his actions according to the Shari’ah rules. This is because the address of accountability with which the Legislator addressed mankind, and the believers, is a decisive address which leaves no option for anyone concerning the creed (iman) or the activities of man. So Allah (swt)’s statement:
“ Believe in Allah and His Messenger “ [TMQ 4:136]
Is like His (swt) statement:
“ Allah permitted trade and forbade riba” [TMQ 2:275]
Both of these ayat are addresses of accountability. They are both decisive addresses in relation to their address, not in relation to the subjects we were addressed with, due to the evidence of Allah’s (swt) statement:
“It is not for any believer, male or female, to have any option in any matter upon which Allah and His Messenger have judged” [TMQ 33:36]
Also due to the evidence that every action will be accounted for as Allah (swt) said:
“Whoever performs a particle’s weight of good will see it, and whoever performs a particle’s weight of evil will see it” [TMQ 99:8-9]
And Allah (swt) said:
“The Day that every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish that there was a great distance between it and (its evil). But Allah cautions you about Himself” [TMQ 3:30]
And He (swt) said:
“And each soul will be recompensed for all its actions” [TMQ 16:111].
Accountability has been addressed in a decisive manner, a Muslim is accountable in a decisive manner and he is obliged to restrict himself to the Shar’a rules when he undertakes any action. As for the subject of accountability i.e. any thing that Allah (swt) has made man accountable with, this can be obligatory (fard), recommended (mandub) or allowed (mubah), or it can be prohibited (haram) or disliked (makruh). As for the essence of accountability, it is decisive without any choice in it; so there is only one situation, namely the obligation of restricting oneself to it. Hence it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to know the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in the earthly life. As for knowing other than the Shari’ah rules with which he is bound in this life, this is a obligation of sufficiency (Fard Kifayah) and not an individual duty (Fard Ain) i.e. if some undertake and fulfil this, then it falls away from the rest. This is strengthened by what was narrated by Anas bin Malik (ra) that The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.”
Even though what is meant here is all the knowledge with which a Muslim is bound in his life, jurisprudence (fiqh) is a part of it in respect to the rules with which a Muslim is bound in his life such as creed (aqeeda), ritual worships (ibadat), social transactions (mu’amalat) etc. Hence studying fiqh is among the compulsory matters for Muslims; rather it is from the rules that Allah (swt) obliged upon them, whether it is an individual or collective duty. There have come noble ahadith encouraging the studying of fiqh and verily the Messenger (saw) encouraged the study of fiqh.
Al-Bukhari narrated through Ibn Umar (ra): The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“The one for whom Allah wills good (khayr), He grants him fiqh.”
Saeed bin al-Musayyab narrated from Abu Hurayra (ra) who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“The one for whom Allah wills good, He grants him fiqh in the deen” . (narrated by Bin Majah).
Azzam bin Hakeem narrated from his uncle from the Messenger of Allah (saw) who said
“You are in a time of many jurisprudents (fuqaha), few speakers, many who give and few who ask; so action in this time is better than knowledge. There will soon come a time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is better than action.”
These ahadith are explicit in the virtue of fiqh and encouraging its study. It was narrated that Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) said:
“The death of one thousand worshippers who pray at nigh and worship in the day is less serious than the death of one intelligent knower (baseer) of the halal and haram of Allah.”