Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE EARTH’S SUFFOCATING EXPANSEGod alone and to abandon the laws, customs and traditions of jāhiliyyah. Thatcommunity also decided that no aspect of its life could be governed by human law.The community then started to shape its life on the basis of the main Islamic laws,without neglecting the details outlined in the sources of this law. As the communitycontinued to do so, new issues came up in its practical life that needed to be sortedout on the basis of Islamic law. At this point new rulings were deduced and Fiqh, orthe formal study of Islamic law, started to develop. It is then the action itself whichallowed Fiqh to develop and flourish. It did not develop as a cold academic studythat had no bearing on active and practical life. Thus scholars were able to develop aprofound insight into this faith based on interaction with a real community shapingits life on the basis of this religion and striving to make its cause triumphant.What do we find today in place of that? No one can claim that a proper Islamiccommunity, determined to submit to God alone and to live by His law, rejecting anylaws and regulations that are not based on His guidance exists anywhere. Hence notrue Muslim who has an insight into this religion of Islam, its method of action andits history would try to ‘develop’ or ‘renew’ Islamic law in communities that areunwilling to declare that they recognize no other law. Serious Islamic action shouldstart by making submission to God alone the first step, followed by acknowledgingthat sovereignty belongs only to Him. Hence no legislation is acceptable unless it isbased on His law. To do otherwise is no more than a silly joke. Moreover, to imaginethat one can have a proper understanding of this faith looking only at books andpapers, without being involved in real action to serve the Islamic cause betrays deepignorance of this religion.Submission to God alone gives rise to an Islamic community, which in turn helpsIslamic scholarship to flourish. This is the proper order. There can be no situationwhere specially tailored Islamic laws are prepared in advance for an Islamiccommunity that is expected to be established. The fact is that every ruling seeks toimplement the Islamic law, and its basic principles, in a practical case that has itsown clear shape, dimensions and circumstances. Such cases arise from practical lifewithin the Islamic community which gives it its particular shape, dimensions andcircumstances. Hence a ruling that addresses each particular case is deduced. Therulings that we find today in books of Fiqh addressed similar practical cases in thepast, when Islamic law was implemented by an Islamic community. They were notready made in advance. Today we need to have similar rulings that address our ownissues, provided that the community decides first of all to submit to God alone and toaccept no ruling unless based on God’s law.When this happens, then our efforts will yield proper fruits. Striving for God’scause, or jihād, will open people’s eyes and give them real knowledge andunderstanding of the faith. Unless we do this, then we are evading our real duty of241