Religious Wisdom - II

Rules Pertaining to Religious Wisdom
1- Religious wisdom is either obligatory or recommended to use. When
this term is mentioned, many people think it refers to details of
religious wisdom and avoiding doubtful matters. Therefore, they think
that religious wisdom is not an obligation and that it is specifically
for people who have been selected and righteous, and that it is not
obligatory on every individual. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said,
The religious wisdom that is recommended in the Sharee'ah and with
which Allaah The Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad is refraining
fromwhat might make a person deserve to be dispraised or punished,
even though there is nothing in the Sharee ' ah that prohibits these
acts in the absence of what contradicts it. This includes performing
obligations and acts which seem to be obligatory, and avoiding
prohibitions and acts which seemto be prohibited. Also, if the
unfavorable acts are preformed then it may be a cause of imperfection
and punishment.
Obligatory religious wisdom is refraining from all that results in
dispraise and punishment. In other words, performing obligations and
avoiding prohibitions. The difference between the recommended and
obligatory forms of religious wisdom is in relation to the acts that
seem to be obligatory but not evidently and the acts that seem to be
prohibited but not evidently.
2- There is no religious wisdom inmatters that are absolutely and
patently permissible. Rather, religious wisdom in these matters is an
undue form of exaggeration. Ibn Taymiyyah said, "Religious wisdom does
not include avoiding absolutely permissible acts, just as there is no
religious wisdom in committing acts that are absolutely
impermissible."
3- Just as refraining from certain acts is considered to be religious
wisdom, performing certain acts is also regarded as religious wisdom,
as some people believe that it only includes refraining from
particular acts. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said,
People may misunderstand religious prudence from three aspects: first,
many people think that it is concerned with avoidingcertain acts only.
In other words, they believe that religious wisdom requires refraining
from prohibitions, not performing obligations. Many religious and wise
people have this misunderstanding, and you may see them refraining
from uttering a lie, or gaining a Dirhamwhich is not for certain
lawfully obtained as it came from the property of an oppressor or a
corrupt transaction; or that he refrains from inclining to wrongdoers
due to their religious innovations and wicked people; while he does
not observe the acts that are either individual or communal
obligations that have become an individual duty on him. For example,
maintaining ties of kinship, observing the rights of the neighbor, a
needy person, a friend, an orphan, or the rights ofa Muslim, a person
in authority orof knowledge. He may also neglect enjoining good and
forbidding evil, or the obligation of performing Jihaad or other
obligatory acts that benefit Muslims in their religion and life. He
might perform these acts sometimes, not as acts of worship dedicated
to Allaah The Almighty, but as a duty on him, or something to that
effect.
4- Religious wisdom depends upon evidence from the Quran and Sunnah .
Ibn Taymiyyah said,
The second aspect of misunderstanding religious wisdom is that when
the person performs the obligations and acts that appear to be
obligatory and refrains from prohibitions and the acts that appear to
be prohibited, this obligation or prohibition should be based on
evidence from the Quran and Sunnah and knowledge, and not on one's
whims. In fact, many people are repulsed by things that are done out
of habit or custom, so that they become strongly prohibited or
doubtful to them. Some of them may even live in fantasies and false
assumptions based on invalid religious wisdom and in such cases would
be among those whom Allaah The Almighty Says concerning them(what
means): } They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls
desire. { [Quran 53:23]
This includes the type of religiouswisdom that the Prophet dispraised
in an authentic Hadeeth. When the Prophet consented to particular acts
and knew that some people refrainedfrom them, he said: "Why do some
people deny themselves what I have made permissible formyself? I hope
that I am the most knowledgeable and fearful of Allaah The Almighty
amongst you." In another narration, the Prophet said : "I am the
person who fears Allaah The Almighty most and is most awareof what He
has made prohibited and permissible for them." Also, there is the
Hadeeth of the man who kissed his wife while he wasfasting and became
very angry, even though he was informed that the Prophet used to kiss
his wives while fasting. Therefore, the religious person who is wise
needs a great deal ofknowledge of the Quran and Sunnah and
understanding of religion. If he fails to do this, his invalid
religious wisdom may ruinhim more than benefitting him. This is the
case with the disbelievers and religious innovators from the Khawaarij
and Raafidhah and others.
5- Religious wisdom is not fulfilled except with sincerity. Perhaps
there are certain considerations that drive a person to be religiously
wise. He may have a particular status or consideration with which he
feelsthat it is not proper for someone of his rank to do certain
things. In this case, ostentation is his motive. The motive might also
bethe person's needs or desires or any other urge. Like all acts of
worship that man offers to AllaahThe Almighty, religious wisdom
requires sincerity. Shaykhul-IslamIbn Taymiyyah said, "Religious
wisdom does not benefit man or grant him a reward except with him
attainingsincerity."
6- Strictness in matters related toreligious wisdom is exclusive to
selected people and not just anyone. Al-Haafith Ibn Rajab said,
There is an important issue that people should be aware of, whichis
strictness in refraining from doubtful matters, as this is only for
those whose actions are steadfast and for those whose deeds are
similar while in a state of piety and religious wisdom.However, it
does not befit the person who violates the obvious prohibitions of
Allaah The Almighty and who wants to refrain from doubtful matters.
Rather, he should be rebuked for this attitude.
Such is the state of some pretentious people who exaggerate in their
behavior. For instance, a man from the people of Iraq asked Ibn 'Umar
about the blood of mosquitoes. He answered, "They are asking me about
the ruling of the blood of mosquitoes while they have murdered
Al-Husayn ! I heard the Prophet saying: 'They [Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn]
are my fragrant flowers in this world.' "
Ibn Rajab compiled many traditions from the righteous predecessors to
this effect, and added that Bishr ibn Al-Haarith was asked about a man
whose mother ordered him to divorce his wife. He replied, "If heis
dutiful to his mother in everything except in her order to divorce his
wife, let him divorce her. However, if he wants to be dutiful to his
mother by divorcinghis wife but he beats his mother, he should not
divorce her."
Imaam Ahmad was asked about a man who bought greens and demanded to
pay the price ofthe band that these greens were tied with. Imaam Ahmad
said: "What a strange issue!" People replied: "It is Ibraaheem ibn Abu
Nu'aym who does so." Hesaid: "If it is Ibraaheem ibn Abu Nu'aym, then
it is not strange for him to do so [as he was known for his religious
wisdom.]" Imaam Ahmad denounced such issues from people whose actions
do not resemble that of Ibraaheem.
Imaam Ahmad himself used to follow such religious wisdom, as he used
to order the person who bought grease for him to return the paper in
which the grease was put on back to the seller. Likewise, he did not
used to take ink from the inkwell of his companions, but would only
use his own inkwell. Once a man asked his permission to use his
inkwell to write something and Imaam Ahmad said: "Write, for this is
invalid religious wisdom." Another man asked thesame request, but
Imaam Ahmad smiled and said: "Your religious wisdom and mine do not
reach this level." Imaam Ahmad said so out of modesty, since he
himself used to follow such religious wisdom. On the other hand, he
would denounce it when it was adoptedby a person who had not
reachedsuch a high level of righteousness, and who committed acts that
are clearly unfavorable and continuously committed doubtful acts.
This is an important matter that we should learn carefully when
reading some narrations on the religious wisdom of the righteous
predecessors. This is necessary in order to avoid making mistakes,
which negatively affect our souls. We are in desperate need of
following the obligatory form of religious wisdom. We also need to
avoid clearly prohibited acts, and try to reform our hearts. If we
occupy ourselves with such tiny details of religious wisdom, they
would negatively affect us. For instance, we may feel proud and hold
people in contempt. This would cause us to view people as lacking
religious wisdom and this would distract the person from doing more
significant acts such as reformingthe heart and following the
obligatory form of religious wisdom.