Now we
come to the issue of people specific and time specific provisions of Deen. In
the outset, it would be pertinent to mention what are people specific and time specific can be more appropriately called as strategies/policies adopted by our Nabi (ﷺ) to
implement Deen. Though strategies/policies to implement Deen were also revealed
to our Nabi (ﷺ) through ‘wahi’ or they were in accordance with wahi, but these strategies/policies are not fixed in their application though they are adopted under fixed principles of Deen. The question
arises what is the difference between fixed provisions of Deen (i.e. Quran and Sunnah
including Hadith) and strategies/policies to implement Deen. The difference
between fixed principles of Deen and policies to implement Deen is
that strategies/policies are based
on Need. All verses contained in Quran are fixed Principles of Deen; similarly all
sayings/actions adopted by our Nabi (excluding strategies/policies) are
fixed Principles of Deen. The strategies/policies adopted by our Nabi (ﷺ) to implement Deen are based on Need.
It does not mean element of Need is not found in fixed principles of Deen; element of Need is
there as well along-with Principles, but, policies/strategies are what are based on
changeable Needs ONLY whereas the fixed Principles of Deen which are to be implemented through
such strategies/policies are unchangeable Needs.
It means if sayings/actions adopted by our Nabi (ﷺ) and pertaining to the same
subject-matter are changed in two different situations, such sayings/actions
may be labeled as strategies/policies adopted by our Nabi (ﷺ). Therefore such sayings/actions of our
Nabi (ﷺ) may be called as people specific/ time
specific. For instance, Ghazwa Badr was fought in open field but Ghazwa Khadaq
was fought keeping within the city. Our Nabi (ﷺ) adopted
changed policy/strategy in two different situations. Similarly sometimes our
Nabi (ﷺ) wore thick clothes and sometimes thin
clothes; sometimes rode horse and some other time rode camel; one time declared
one deed as most pious deed and some other time, for some other person,
declared some other deed as most pious deed.
Similarly policy/strategy of
implementation of fixed principles of Deen includes
structures to be established in administrative set ups e.g military, financial, judicial and political
set ups; process of appointment of officials, judges and Shura; level of
autonomy of administrative units; channel of reporting and accountability. All
changed sayings/ actions of our Nabi (ﷺ) regarding
all such matters are based on changing Need and are
policies/strategies to implement fixed Principles of Deen which are unchanging.
In all such matters which are relating to changed
sayings/actions of our Nabi (ﷺ),
people are free to adopt any suitable policy/strategy on the basis of their
needs in such matters.
But all changed sayings/ actions may not be called as
people/time specific in the sense that they cannot be followed by other people
and in other times. We can still adopt the policy of fighting an enemy in the
open field; still wear thick clothes; still ride camels; still can adopt the
deed declared by our Nabi (ﷺ)
as
most pious deed, IF all these acts match our needs.
One mis-understanding nurtured by scholars who do not
consider ‘Hadith’ as a part of Deen is that such scholars think fixed Principles of
Deen do not remain certain/fixed, if ‘Hadith’ is taken as part of Deen, because
there are differences as to which Hadith is correct and which is not. This
objection does not look tenable when we look into nature of pattern of
fixed Principles of Deen. There is no doubt that Principles of Deen are fixed, but
they are not fixed in number. Every person has his/her own set of Principles
which he/she is under obligation to comply with; the number of Principles to be
followed by a person varies from person to person. For instance, a rich is
under obligation to make charity and pay zakah; these are fixed Principles of
Deen. But if any poor person has no money, he is under no obligation to pay
zakah but he can make charity by giving smile to others; that is another
Principle of Deen. It means if any person does not have access to/ or resources
to implement any Principle, Deen offers him other options to implement the
Deen. If any Muslim is not able to have access to/or knowledge of any Hadith,
Deen may offer him other alternative Principles/Hadith to be followed. Therefore by adopting Hadith
as a part of Deen, no negative impact comes on certainty of Principles of Deen.
The concept of time/people specific ‘wahi’, as described
above, is different from that one adopted by Ghamdi in many ways.
Ghamdi declares Quranic verses as time/people specific in
the sense that those verses were revealed in certain situations for certain
people and as such are not applicable in the present age whereas the author’s
view is that all verses of Quran are fixed Principles of Deen for ever; every verse is
to be followed by addressee of the verse at the time and in the situation when
application of such verse becomes due. Ghamdi says that many verses are
addressed to the people of age of revelation only; the author’s view is that
Quranic verses are addressed not only to people of age of revelation but also
to the people of coming ages. The only exception are the verses addressed to
our Nabi’s (ﷺ) person exclusively and in such verses
singular subject/object has been used. All other verses in which plural
subject/verb has been used cannot be taken as exclusively addressed to our Nabi (ﷺ); but Ghamdi takes many verses as not
applicable to present age Muslims because he takes such verses as exclusively
addressed to our Nabi (ﷺ)
though plural subject/verb has been used in
such verses. No one – except Allah- can suspend the
application of any verse of Quran. Ghamdi- when declares some Quranic verses as
time/people specific in the sense that those verses are no longer applicable in
the present age- actually uses Allah’s Authority to suspend/ cancel Quranic
verses.
Similarly, in case of ‘Hadith’, he says ‘ahadith’ are
time/people specific in the sense that they are not follow-able by the people
as a part of Deen whereas the author’s view is that ‘ahadith’ are part of Deen. Ghamdi- when declares many ‘ahadith’ as time/people
specific in the sense that Muslims coming after age of our Nabi (ﷺ) are under no obligation to follow
those ‘ahadith’, he actually uses Allah and His Nabi’s (ﷺ) authority to make people exercise
their choice in matters pertaining to such ‘ahadith’ (continued).
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