Differentiation Between Shariah/ Wahi, Deen/ Islam, Nabuwwah/ Resalah and Islamic Thinking

We have already seen in the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2011/09/wahi-and-intuition.html and  https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2014/01/qadyaniat-and-ibn-e-arbis-mis.html  that according to Quranic terminology, ‘wahi’ has mainly two types. First that is prophetic ‘wahi’ and relating to ‘Nabuwwah/Resalah’; and the second that is non-prophetic ‘wahi’ and relating to persons other than ‘Nabis/ Rasul’. The major difference between these two types of ‘wahi’ is that prophetic ‘wahi’ is compulsory to be accepted/complied with, on the one hand, by the ‘Nabi/Rasool’ who is recipient of such ‘wahi’ and, on the other hand, by the people to whom such ‘Nabi/ Rasool’ has been sent. But the non-prophetic ‘wahi’ is for the personal guidance of the person who is recipient of such ‘wahi’, and such ‘wahi’ is not compulsory to be accepted/complied with by the people. It may be appreciated that ‘wahi’ which is compulsory to be accepted/complied with by the people is always a ‘wahi’ which involves/carries ’shariah’; a ‘wahi’ not involving/carrying ‘shariah’ is not to be accepted/complied with compulsorily by the people. In other words, prophetic ‘wahi’ always involves/carries ‘shariah’; and non-prophetic ‘wahi’ is what does not involve/carry ‘shariah’. In other words, Shariah is what is compulsorily to be complied with by the people till Qiyamah; every provision of Shariah is to be complied with till Qiyamah, whenever occasion/ time of acting upon such provision arises. No Shariah’s provision is changeable or replaceable with any man-made provision. Shariah is second name of prophetic wahi. In other words, Shariah is what is contained in Quran and Hadith.

In the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2017/09/wahi-islamic-thinking-islam-and-deen.html we have seen that 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 Shariah/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’/ Shariah into a Deen which provides us the guidance as to what is permitted or prohibited in each and every life event. 

Deen is combination of Shariah and ijtihad i.e. application of Shariah’s Principles. In the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2018/02/differentiation-between-wahi-nabuwwah.html we have seen that Deen is complete in the sense that all principles of Deen have been revealed in the form of Shariah/ Wahi i.e. Quran and Hadith; but applications of these principles and their implications, through Ijtihad, will continue till Qiyamah. In this way principles contained in Shariah/Wahi will be continued to be applied in each and every life event in the form of Deen.  The basic difference between Shariah and Deen is that all principles contained in Shariah have come on the surface or have been communicated to people through prophetic wahi but applications of these principles (i.e. one part of Deen) have not come on the surface through prophetic wahi- they have come on the surface through ijtihad.  Quran is ‘Kalam E Allah’ and Hadith tells us how to apply Quranic principles in life events, and Deen, through Ijtihad, tells us how to apply Shariah’s principles. The principles contained in Quran and Hadith constitute Shariah which consists of worded principles which are present in the form of text as well as un-worded principles which are exacted from worded principles through ‘ijtihad’. 

Deen is combination of Shariah and Ijtihad i.e. application of Shariah principles on life events. Ijtihad is second name of Islamic Thinking. In other words, Deen is combination of Shariah i.e. Quran and Hadith, and Islamic Thinking. The basic difference between Shariah and Islamic Thinking is that provisions of Shariah are not changeable but provisions of Islamic Thinking are changeable. In other words, one part of Deen i.e. Shariah (Quran and Hadith) is not changeable but the second part of Deen i.e. Islamic Thinking/ Ijtihad is changeable. It does not mean Deen is changeable: actually changeability of provisions of Islamic Thinking is exactly what is Deen; I mean the very process of changing of Islamic Thinking gets its authenticity from Deen itself. We have seen in the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2016/07/change-and-changeability-in-islamic.html ) that Islamic Thinking of every age of Muslims’ History is based on Quran and Hadith.  The dominant Islamic Thinking in every age of Muslims was in line with dominant Islamic thinking of the previous age. Though, in most cases, every generation of Muslims have been emphasizing Islamic Principles different from the Islamic Principles emphasized by the previous generation; that is why Islamic Thinking of one age was different from (not contradictory to )  the previous age. Because Islamic Thinking adopted by every generation was based on Quran and Hadith, Islamic Thinking of every age was in line with Islamic Thinking of previous age, and was order of the day. As against this dominant and positive Islamic Thinking which may be called as “Collective Islamic Thinking of All Ages”, some negative thinking also has been produced by some people in every age; but fortunately such negative thinking was always carried by a small minority, and was rejected by Collective Islamic Thinking of All Ages”. In the present age, the small minority  heralding the ideology of non-belief in narration/ “Hadith” has also been rejected by “Collective Islamic Thinking of All Ages”.

In the article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2012/04/titles-of-nabuwwat-and-resalat.html The basic difference between a ‘Nabi’ and ‘Rasool’ is that a ‘Rasool’ receives revelation in the form of ‘Allah’s Words’ (kitaab); but a ‘Nabi’ receives revelation in the form of Allah’s Ideas translated into words by ‘Nabi’ himself or by Hazrat Gabriel. A prophet may be a ‘Nabi’ and ‘Rasool’ combined; such a prophet gets through revelation not only  complete Book-as a rasool- in the form of Allah’s Words (e.g. Quran) but also Allah’s Ideas –as a Nabi- translated into words by Hazrat Gabriel (e.g. Hadith-e-qudsi) or by the prophet himself [e.g. Hadith-e-Nabi ﷺ].

 We have already seen in article https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2014/03/concept-of-infallibility-of-prophet-and_8.html that Quranic Words were shown as written words to our Nabi (ﷺ) by Gabriel (a.s). It means our Nabi (ﷺ) did not produce Quranic Words/ Kalam u Allah; rather our Nabi (ﷺ) just narrated Quranic Words to the people around. Our Nabi (ﷺ) was the first narrator/ ‘Ravi’ of the Quran to the people of his (ﷺ) generation. After this first generation, every generation has ben narrating Quran to the next generation and in this way Quran has reached to the present generation. In other words, it is through process of narration that Quranic Words have been protected by Allah. 

Similarly in the same article mentioned above, we have seen that  Quran was revealed to mind/conscious of our Nabi (ﷺ); it means not only Quranic Words were revealed to our Rasool/Nabi (ﷺ), but also  understanding/meanings of Quran were also revealed to our Nabi (ﷺ). These Quranic meanings were revealed to our Nabi (ﷺ) through “wahi e khafi”. This “wahi e khafi” is Allah’s Ideas which were translated into words either by Gabriel (a.s) [e.g. hadith e qudsi] or were translated into words by our Nabi (ﷺ) [hadith e nabvi (ﷺ)]. A Nabi (a.s) always recieves "wahi" in the form of Wahe e Khafi"; whereas a Rasool (a.s) always receives wahi in the form of Allah's Words (e.g. Quran). A prophet who is Rasool and Nabi combined receives wahi as a Rasool in the form of Allah's Words (e.g. Quran), and as a Nabi, in the form of wahi e khafi (e.g. Hadith; through wahi e khafi understanding/meanings of Allah's Words are revealed).  It means non-belief in Hadith is actually non-belief in 'nabuwwah’ because the function of Nabuwwah is to interpret Kitab (e,g. Quran).

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/interpretation 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 interpret the Words of Quran (verse-19); there is difference between collection of Quran and interpretation (biyan') of Quran. What is contained in Quran is collection of Quran.  Whereas the interpretation/ 'biyan'  of Words of Quran is not confined to Quran; the 'biyan' of Quran is also contained in Hadith.

The people not believing in Hadith say interpretation/ biyan of Quran is contained in Quran only. In support of their view, they present those verses in which word ‘tafseel’ (with various derivatives/variants) has been used whereas verse -19 of al-qiyamah, mentioned above uses word ‘biyan’. In ‘tafseel’, unexplained meanings of words are explained whereas in case of ‘biyan’, implications of words are described. In other words, ‘tafseel’ of Quran, has been given in Quran  but as for as ‘biyan’/interpretation of Quran is concerned, it is given  in Hadith as well as in Quran. The Quran's 'tafseel' is confined to Quran; but Quran's 'biyan' is not confined to Quran. Quran's 'biyan' is contained in Quran as well as in Hadith.

 In Quran, Word 'biyan' is used for interpreting Quranic Words through Quran as well as through our Nabi saww. In verses 16/44, 16/64, 14/4, interpretation of Quranic Words has been entrusted to our Nabi saww, and word 'biyan' has been used in these verses. Similarly in some other verses, this word 'biyan' has been used for interpreting Quranic Words through Quran. In other words, we cannot say that all interpretations of Quranic Words are present in Quran. Actually some interpretations of Quranic Words are presented through Quran, and some interpretations are presented through our Nabi through Hadith.

It may be appreciated there is difference between Nabuwwah/ Resalah and contents/functions of Nabuwwah/Resalah. Nabuwwah/Resalah is a status granted by Allah through Wahi: this status has nothing to do with human effort/acts. Whereas contents/ functions of  Resalah/Nabuwwah are Shariah: the contents/functions of Resalah is Quran and contents/ functions of Nabuwwah are Hadith. Quran and Hadith both are learnt by human efforts. That is why imperatives of believing in Nabuwwah/Resalah and contents of Nabuwwah/Resalah are different. For instance, if Resalah/ Nabuwwah is denied due to ignorance, the denying person becomes 'kafir' but if a person denies existence of a verse or a hadith due to ignorance, he does not become kafir.