Wahi, Deen, Islam and Islamic Thinking

Concepts of Wahi, Islamic Thinking, Islam and Deen are not usually properly understood.  There are distinctions between Wahi, Islamic Thinking and Deen. Islam in narrow term is ‘wahi’ (Quran and Hadith) but in wider term is ‘Deen’. Deen is combination of Wahi and Islamic Thinking. 

Deen is  way of life; ‘Deen’ encompasses all  what we are permitted to do, and what we are prohibited to do, in short all  what we have to face in our lives is covered by Deen. Allah has created us for His ‘ibadah’; it means a person can/ is to perform ‘ibadah’ in each and every moment of his life and it is possible only if we can live each and every moment of our lives according to Deen (the people who think every matter to be faced by human being is not a matter of Deen, they in fact are suggesting that Allah has created human being partially for His 'ibadah' and partially for 'ibadah' of something else). Obviously wahi i.e. Quran and Hadith does not describe in written words what we are permitted or prohibited to do in each and every event of life. Therefore, ‘wahi’ has allowed to adopt ‘Ijtihad’  as a tool to transform ‘wahi’ into a Deen which provides us the guidance as to what is permitted or prohibited in each and every event of life.

 In addition to ‘Ijtihad’, ‘wahi’ also has allowed us in many events to use our own  choice in the face of  such events. For instance, we are allowed to wear whatever color we like; ‘wahi’ obliges us only to cover certain parts of body.  It is appreciable and obvious that a person would adopt different choices in various life events, it would not mean that the person’s ‘Deen’ is changing; all choices would be termed as ‘Deen’ because all such different choices have been made on the basis of wahi’s principle that the person can make his choices as per his liking. Similarly outcomes of ‘Ijtihad’ regarding an issue may be different in different situations; but all such different outcomes would be considered as Deen, if they are based on principles of wahi. In other words, Deen may offer different solutions in different situations but such solutions have to be based on wahi i.e. Quran and Hadith which are fixed principles (If our Nabi s.a.w.w. has reacted differently in two different situations in case of same matter, we would also react according to our situation in case of that matter; it is fixed principle of wahi that in such matters, we will react according to our situation in the following of our Nabi s.a.w.w).

We have already seen that  we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi ﷺ because it is the basic function of ‘Nabuwwah’ to interpret the revealed Book. The wahi in the light of which our nabi ﷺ used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’. It may also be appreciated that completion of Deen, mentioned in Quran, means original principles of Deen have been completely revealed to our Rasool/ Nabi s.a.w..w. though discovery of such principles, their implications, and their application, by the people, will  go on till Qiyamah.  The difference between Original and discovered principle of 'Deen' is that original is outcome of wahi and free from fallacy whereas discovered is not free from fallacy. It may also be appreciated that a Nabi a.s. discovers (through interpretation)  revealed principle under wahi; that is why a revealed principle discovered by a Nabi a.s. through interpretation becomes an original principle because such principle is outcome of wahi and free from fallacy, and because people are essentially to comply with such principle. 'Deen is complete because original principles of 'Deen' have been revealed completely to our  Rasool/ Nabi s.a.w.w. in the form of Quran and Hadith; that is why our Nabi s.a.w.w is the last of Nabis and no Nabi will come after our Nabi s.a.w.w.

In the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2016/12/nabuwwat-and-its-functions-in-light-of.html we have seen that the basic requirement of believing in our Nabi’s ﷺ  ‘Nabuwah’ is that interpretation/meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi ﷺ who is the last Nabi ﷺ.,  and we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi ﷺ because it is the basic function of ‘Nabuwwah’ to interpret the revealed Book. The wahi in the light of which our nabi ﷺ used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’. There are so many proofs of existence of wahi e khafi.

Sura al-qiyamah also states about the fact that our Nabi ﷺ has been revealed not only Quran but also meanings of Quran.

 “Do not move [Muhammad s.a.w.w] your tongue with it to make haste with it (16). Indeed, upon Us is its (Quran’s) collection [in your conscious/mind] and [to make possible] its recitation (17). So when We have recited it, then (you [Muhammad s.a.w.w] follow its recitation (18). Then lo! upon Us (resteth) the explanation thereof” (19). (al-Qiyamah).

These verses of al-qiyamah clearly state that it is Allah’s responsibility not only to collect Quranic verses (verse-17) but also to explain /interpret the Words of Quran; this interpretation/meanings of Words of Quran are called ahadith.

Actually, Quran contains commandments and Hadith tells us how to implement Quranic commandments. The ways and means contained in Hadith to implement Quranic commandments are based on wahi ‘Ghair Matlu’. In other words, ‘wahi’ consists of Quran and Hadith.

We have seen in the article  https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2017/03/islam-vs-islamic-thinking.html         that ‘wahi’ contain two types of principles- the worded principles and un-worded principles. The worded principles are those which have come on the surface through ‘wahi’ and these are found in the form of words in the texts of Quran and Hadith. The un-worded principles are those which are not found in the form of words in the texts of Quran and Hadith and which do not come on the surface through wahi; rather they are discovered from Quran and Hadith through human intellectual exertions.

 We may conclude ‘Deen’ consists of both types of principles i.e. worded and un-worded principles. In other words, Deen is combination of ‘wahi’ i.e. Quran and Hadith which are worded principles, and Islamic Thinking which is description of wahi’s un-worded principles discovered through human intellect. Islam in narrow term is ‘wahi’ (i.e. Quran and Hadith) but in wider term is ‘Deen’.  Quran and Hadith do not describe in written words what we are permitted or prohibited to do in each and every event of life. Therefore, ‘wahi’ has allowed to adopt ‘Ijtihad’ as well as  allowed us in many events to use our own  choice;  these two tools help  transform ‘wahi’ into a Deen which provides us  guidance as to what is permitted or prohibited in each and every event of life. In this way ‘Deen’ becomes a code of life in real term; one part of this code consists of fixed principles i.e. Quran and Hadith, and the second part consists of changeable principles i.e. Islamic Thinking and personal choices. Presence of changeable principles in Deen does not mean Deen is changeable; it only means we can adopt different solutions/ choices in different situations; it only means all old and new solutions/ choices are part of the same Deen because they are based on the principles of the same Deen.