"Hatukuwatuma kabla yako isipokuwa wanaume ambao Sisi tunawafunulia. Basi waulizeni watu wa ukumbusho ikiwa hamjui."

“We have not sent before thee but men whom We reveal to them. So ask the people of knowledge if you know not”.(TMQ An-Nahl: 43)

Aya hii iliteremshwa kujibu hoja ya makafiri waliokataa kwamba Muhammad (saw) ni binadamu. Hata hivyo, maneno ya Aya ni ya jumla, na kinachozingatiwa ni ujumla wa maneno na si umahsusi wa sababu ya kuteremka (Al-'ibra bi 'umum al-lafz laa bi khususiyyat al-sabab). Zaidi ya hayo, Aya haihusu jambo maalum; ni ya jumla kuhusu ombi la wasiojua kuwauliza wanaojua. Kwani inawaamuru Mushrikina kuwauliza Watu wa Kitabu wawafundishe kwamba Allah (SWT) hajawatuma kwa umma zilizotangulia Mitume ambao hawakuwa binadamu. Walikuwa hawajui habari hiyo, kwa hiyo Yeye (SWT) aliwaamuru kuwauliza wanaojua.

This Ayah was revealed in response to the disbelievers‟ argument who rejected Muhammad (saw) was a human being. However the wording of the Ayah is general and what matters are the generality of the wording and not the specificity of the cause (Al-'ibra bi 'umum al-lafz laa bi khususiyyat al-sabab). Moreover, it is not about a specific subject, it is general about the request from those who do not know to ask those who do know. For it requests the Mushrikeen to ask the People of the Book to teach them that Allah (swt) has not sent to previous nations Messengers who were not human beings. They were ignorant of this information so He (swt) ordered them to ask those who know.

Neno „Fas'alu" (ulizeni) limekuja kwa maana ya jumla, yaani kuuliza ili kujifunza. Linahusiana na elimu na si na imani (Iman). Ingawa watu wa Dhikr waliotajwa katika aya ni Watu wa Kitabu, neno hilo limekuja kwa njia ya jumla na linajumuisha watu wote wa Dhikr, wawe Waislamu au wasio Waislamu. Waislamu ni watu wa Dhikr kwa sababu Qur'ani ni Dhikr. Allah (SWT) amesema:

The word „Fas'alu' (ask) has come with a general import i.e. ask in order to learn. It is related to knowledge and not to belief (Iman). Although the people of Zikr mentioned in the verse are the People of the Book, the term came in a general manner and it includes all people of Zikr, whether Muslims or non-Muslims. The Muslims are the people of Zikr because the Qur‟an is a Zikr. He (swt) said:

Tumekuteremshia pia Ukumbusho (mawaidha na nasaha [yaani Qur'an]), ili uwabainishie watu wazi yale yaliyoteremshwa kwao, na ili wapate kufikiri. (TMQ An-Nahl: 44) Note: this contains a Qur'an verse, so the ﷺ after "Muhammad" is omitted as required, and the "[saw]" is dropped.

“And We have also sent down to you (O Muhammad [saw]) the Zikr (reminder and advice [i.e. the Qur‟an]), that you may explain clearly to men that which was sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (TMQ An-Nahl: 44)

Kwa hiyo, taqlīd katika Hukm Shar‟ī pekee inaruhusiwa kwa kila Mwislamu. Ufahamu huu unaungwa mkono zaidi na Hadith ifuatayo.

Hence, Taqleed only in the Hukm Shar‟i is allowed for every Muslim. This understanding is further supported by the following Hadith.

Jabir (ra) amesimulia kwamba mtu mmoja alipata jeraha kichwani. Akiwa amelala alipata ndoto ya janaba. Aliwauliza masahaba zake kama anaweza kufanya Tayammum. Wakasema kwamba hana udhuru wa kutoweza kufanya Ghusl. Baada ya kufanya Ghusl, mtu huyo alifariki. Mtume ﷺ alipoarifiwa kuhusu tukio hilo alisema: “Hakika ilimtosha kufanya Tayammum, kuweka kitambaa juu ya kichwa chake, ambacho kisha angekipangusa (Masah), kisha kuosha sehemu nyingine ya mwili wake.” (Abu Dawud & Ahmad)

Jabir (ra) has narrated that one man suffered a wound to his head. Whilst sleeping he had a wet dream. He asked the companions if he could make Tayammum. They said that he had no excuse for not performing Ghusl. After performing Ghusl the man died. When the Prophet (saw) was informed of the incident he (saw) said: “Verily it was enough for him to do Tayammum, to place a piece of cloth on his head, which he should then wipe (Masah) and then for him to wash the rest of his body”. (Abu Dawud & Ahmad)

Kisha yeye ﷺ akasema:

He (saw) then said:

"Wanapaswa kuuliza iwapo hawajui."42

“They (the companions) should ask if they do not know.”42

Hivyo, Mtume ﷺ alifafanua wazi kwa Maswahaba kwamba wanapaswa kuuliza kuhusu hukumu ikiwa hawaijui.

Thus, the Prophet (saw) made it very clear to the companions that they should ask about the ruling if they are not aware of it.

Imepokewa kwa usahihi kwamba al-Sha'bi alisema: “Kulikuwa na Masahaba sita wa Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ ambao walikuwa wakitoa fatwa kwa watu. Ibn Mas'ud (ra), Umar b. al-Khattab (ra), 'Ali b. Abi Talib (ra), Zayd b. Thabit (ra), Ubayy b. Ka'b (ra), na Abu Musa (ra). Watatu wao walikuwa wakiacha maoni yao kwa maoni ya watatu wengine. Ibn Mas'ud alikuwa akiacha maoni yake kwa maoni ya Umar, Abu Musa alikuwa akiacha maoni yake kwa maoni ya 'Ali, na Zayd alikuwa akiacha maoni yake kwa maoni ya Ubayy b. Ka'b.” Hii pia inaonyesha kwamba Waislamu walikuwa wakiwafuata Masahaba, na baadhi yao walikuwa wakiwafuata wenzao.

It has been authentically reported that al-Sha'bi said: “There were six companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) who used to deliver legal opinions to the people. Ibn Mas'ud (ra), Umar b. al-Khattab (ra), 'Ali b. Abi Talib (ra), Zayd b. Thabit (ra), Ubayy b. Ka'b (ra), and Abu Musa (ra). Three used to leave their opinion for the opinion of the other three. Ibn Mas‟ud used to leave his opinion for Umar's opinion, Abu Musa used to leave his opinion for the opinion of 'Ali and Zayd used to leave his opinion for the opinion of Ubayy b. Ka‟b.” This also indicates that the Muslims used to imitate the Sahabah and some of them used to imitate each other.