8- IMITATIVE BELIEF (TAQLID)

The eight malady of the heart is to imitate others who are not known to one's self closely. It is not permissible to follow teachings of someone only on the basis of his fame and celebrity or on the basis of intense propaganda which promotes his books or speeches without knowing whether he is known as an "Ahl as-sunnat scholar." One will be ruined and led to spiritual disasters if one follows someone with respect to belief and worships without investigating him from dependable "Ahl as-sunnat sources." One does not have to imitate anyone in order to be a Muslim or in order to understand the existence of Allahu ta'ala, His oneness, His power and His other attributes. Anyone who develops his mind to a level to understand knowledge of science can easily understand His existence and thus obtain belief by just contemplating. It is foolishness not to understand the existence of a creator while one sees His creation. Islam orders everyone to contemplate in this fashion and thus obtain belief. Pious persons (Salaf as-salihin) who lived in the first few centuries following the time of our Prophet conveyed us that we should believe by contamplating. Some of the deviated persons who belonged to one of the seventy-two deviated sects which sprint up after the fourth century of Islamic calendar said that one does not need to contemplate about the Creator when one sees His creation. Their deviant ideas do not carry any weight because the negative ideas generated by newcomers do not invalidate the unanimous teachings of the earlier scholars and pious Muslims. A correct belief which is acquired by just imitating parents or teachers is judged as valid even though the person who acquired in this fashion is considered a sinner on the account of his desertion of the necessary studies, i.e., his not studying and learning the scientific knowledge and thus not developing his mind to contemplate and understand the existence of Allahu ta'ala. Some others, contrarily, said that a person's lack of scientific knowledge does not constitute sin if he is able to obtain belief from his parents or by reading books or by contemplating.

Everyone should select one of those scholars, who are at the level of making binding decisions (Ijtihad) regarding the religious issues, and imitate him in all of his affairs. "Ijtihad" means understanding the meaning of a vaguely defined information and making decisions in such circumstances where there are no clearly established commands (Nass) in the Qur'an or hadith with respect to the related circumstances. Verses of the Qur'an and hadiths are called "Nass." The scholars who possess the qualifications to perform binding decisions are called "Mujtahid". No Mujtahid was raised 400 years after the migration (Hijrat) of our prophet from the city of Mecca to the city of Madina. There was no need for the "Mujtahid either. Because, Allahu ta'ala and His messenger Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, already informed all of the decisions (Ahkam) or information which would be applicable to all kinds of life styles and all kinds of changes and circumstances in science and the like which would surface till the end of the world {Some people might think that how could this ever be possible. How could they ever write about things that would surface till the end of the world. The important point to understand is that they instituted general rules which could be used by future scholars to apply to newly surfaced problems of their times.} The "Mujtahids" understood this information and explained it to others. The scholars who came later on learned how these decisions and information can be applied to new circumstances and recorded them in interpretation (Tafsir) and religious law books (Fiqh). These types of scholars are called renewers (Mujaddid). They will exist till the end of the world. It is understood that those who propose the necessity of modifying the religion by adding new things to "Nass" are enemies of Islam. They assert phrases like, "Scientific medium has changed. We are facing new happenings. Religious men should gather and write new interpretations. New decisions (Ijtihad) should be performed" are enemies of Islam . They are disbelievers (Zindiqs). [Britons are the most harmful enemies of Islam. Please read the book Confessions of a British Spy which is published by Waqf Ikhlas.] While one is following one of the true four school of thought (Madhhab), as long as there is no necessity to follow another school of thought, one should adhere to the school of thought he has been following. But, if there is a difficulty regarding performing a specific case or if one cannot perform a deed according to his school of thought because of his own circumstances, in that instance, one can follow another school of thought in which it is permissible to do that specific case or deed. But there is a caveat in this. One is not allowed to collect the easy decisions (Talfik) of the four schools of thought in order to perform a deed or worship. Any deed or worship done in this manner would not be an acceptable (valid) worship. After the fourth century of Islamic calendar no capable person (Mutlaq Mujtahid) who can make independent religious decisions by utilizing comparative methodology (Kiyas) was raised. Thus, it would not be permissible to follow any scholar who lived after the fourth century of Islamic calendar or any "Madhhab" beyond the four established "Madhhabs". In order to learn Islamic knowledge in accordance with one of the well known four school of thought (Madhhab) of the scholars who lived before the fourth century, one should read the religious law books advised unanimously by the scholars of that school of thaoght. One should not try to attempt to learn any religious knowledge from the books or speeches of those who are not confirmed by true "Ahl as-sunnat scholars". It is not permissible to perform worships according to any arbitrary religious book in the market. One should not follow the books or speeches of persons that are not following "Ahl as-sunnat." The following religious (Fatwa) books of the "Hanafi madhhab" are widely accepted and dependable: Kadihan, Haniyya, Hulasa, Bazzaziyya, Zahiriyya and [Ibn al-Abidin.] The book Muhtasar al-Khalil is written according to "Maliki madhhab", the book Al Anwar li-a'mali abrar is written according to "Shafi'i madhhab". The book Al fikh-u alal-madhhahib-il-arba'a is written according to four schools of thought (Madhhabs). All of these books are correct and dependable. The knowledge of worships and judgements (Ahkam) cannot be derived easily from the hadith books alone. "Ahkam" means things that are judged to be permissible (Halal) or prohibited (Haram). The best dependable hadith books are Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Muslim and other four hadith books which are called Kutub al-Sitta.

The most valuable book which explains sufism (Tariqat) is the Masnawi of the great sufi master Mawlana Jalal-ad-din Rumi, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him. [The most valuable book which explains both the "tariqat" and the "Shari'at" is the book Maktubat written by great sufi master imam ar-Rabbani, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him.]

It is not permissible (Jaiz) to perform worships according to the books or speeches of a person who appears to be a scholar or a religious man. One should read "Ilm al-hal" books that teach the basics of Islam which are narrated and translated from the above mentioned widely accepted and dependable books. One would be lead into disasters in this and the next life if one reads books (e.g. ilm al-hal or tafsir books) which are not narrated from the above mentioned valuable sources but instead written according to the self interpretation of its author.

The next grave sin after the disbelief is to have innovations in belief (Bidat Itiqad). The opposite of the corrupt bidat belief is the "Ahl as-sunnat wal Jama'at Belief". The most valuable worship and the highest of all virtues after having belief in Allahu ta'ala is the possession of "Ahl as-sunnat belief". The meaning of "Ahl as-sunnat" is as follows: One's belief, words, worships, and every kinds of interactions with other human beings being has to be in accord with the ways (Sunnat) of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and in accord with the ways taught unanimously by his companions (Ashab al-kiram) and the followers (Tabi'in) of the companions and their followers (Taba at-Tabi'in). One should learn their ways by reading the religious books (Fiqh and Ilm al-hal). The real Muslims are defined as the ones who follow their path. Many Muslims departed from the ways of these great people by following their own souls, their little intellect, their short sighted views as well as following the scientific information of their times instead of following the way of "Ahl as-sunnat" and became followers of the wrong path (Ahl al-Bidat).