Does Islam conform to logic?
| Fatwa #927 | Category: | Country: Zambia | Date: 3rd October 2023 |
| Fatwa #927 | Date: 3rd October 2023 |
| Category: | |
| Country: Zambia | |
Question
Does everything in Islam need logic?
I know for a fact that some things we just have to accept that it’s from Islam and we have to accept it
What answer should I give someone who questions on everything
For example
Why should we wear a topi
Why is there nazar
Why should we keep kids indoors
What is the logic behind it?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Islam is defined as submission. Submission to the commands of Allah and His messenger. Therefore, to a Muslim, one who truly believes in Allah, logic becomes an afterthought as Allah, the Supreme, the All-Wise Creator, knows exactly what we need. Hence, obeying Him and adhering to the ways of His prophet is an easy solution.
Despite that, it does not mean that there is no logic is our religion. Yes, there are aspects of it which are beyond logic. For example, our intellect has no frame of reference to create ultimate objective moral truths. It is only through revelation that we can abide by objective truths.
Similarly, our intellect has no scope to understand why we pray 5 times a day or why each salah has a specific number of rakaats. This is something divine and revealed to us via the final messenger. Try as we may, this is something we cannot understand.
Conversely, our intellect allows us to make connections of divine laws to causes behind them and apply them accordingly. To answer one of the questions you have posed, we keep our children indoors after sunset till the darkness of the night because that is the time the devil jinn roam about. This is taught to us by Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The existence of jinn is something our intellect cannot prove or disprove, yet we believe in it due to divine revelation. On the other hand, our intellect can understand that these beings can cause harm to our children, so when it is time for them to roam about, we should protect our children by keeping them indoors.
Often times when a person questions the logic behind certain practices, it stems from a shallow understanding of how our deen works. Allow us to tackle each question that has been posed.
Why wear a topi?
Since a Muslim believes that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is the perfect human being to emulate, it logically follows that his ways are the best ways. Now, his ways can be categorized into two.[1]
- Ways pertaining to the religion that he told us to adopt, such as how to give adhan etc. practicing on these can range from necessary to preferable.
- Ways pertaining to his personal life as a human such as the type of clothes to wear, to cover the head by wearing a topi etc. Practicing on these is in the realms of preferable as it is emulation of our prophet.
Therefore, the initial logic follows, that the best of mankind must have the best of ways (as that is what makes him the best of mankind to begin with). Yet, logic in the first category cannot be applied as we cannot understand why the adhan is the way it is. Yes, we can understand that it is our way of calling people to Salah. So logic can tell us part of why we call the adhan, though it fails to explain why the adhan is called out in the way it is.
As for the second category, logic, or better to refer to it as wisdom, can be applied to it. It will still follow the initial logic that his ways must be the best ways. So even in arbitrary practices, there has to be benefit though we don’t immediately see it. Wearing a topi no doubt has the benefit of protecting ones head from direct sun. Though this is not explicitly stated anywhere. As Muslims, we do it because he did it, if there happens to be an applicable wisdom behind, then even better.
Similarly, the following sunnahs have known benefits.
- The one third food, one third drink, one third air rule for the stomach
- Using miswaak
- Oiling the hair
- Sleeping and waking up early
- Having a smile all the time
- Sleeping on your right side
The above are just to name a few.
So when an individual asks what is the logic behind a certain action, a scholar will be able to break it down for him in the above manner. But remember, questioning every aspect and demanding logic is against submission that is the core of our faith. True understanding is knowing where the logic is supposed to fit and where it is not applicable.
As for why the evil eye even exists, the fact of the matter is that this is the system of Allah. The entire world revolves around cause and effect. Sometimes the causes can be perceived, at times they cannot. An individual stabbing another resulting in his death is a perceivable cause and effect. On the contrary, things such as sihr (black magic) and nazar (evil eye) as a cause cannot be perceived, though the consequence is perceivable. Questioning why nazar causes harm would be akin to questioning why stabbing causes death.
We shall answer your third question with the following hadith,[2]
عن جابر رضي الله عنه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: إذا استجنح الليل، أو قال: جنح الليل، فكفوا صبيانكم ، فإن الشياطين تنتشر حينئذ، فإذا ذهب ساعة من العشاء فخلوهم، وأغلق بابك واذكر اسم الله، وأطفئ مصباحك واذكر اسم الله، وأوك سقاءك واذكر اسم الله، وخمر إناءك واذكر اسم الله، ولو تعرض عليه شيئا
Translation: Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “When night falls, then prevent your children (from going outside). For indeed the devils are abundant at that time. When a period of Isha passes then let them go. Lock your doors and mention Allah’s Name. Put out your lights and mention Allah’s Name. Cover your utensils (even by just putting a stick over it) and mention Allah’s Name.”
The children are to be kept indoors to protect them from the devils mischief. Notice how Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam also advises to lock the doors (for protection), put out the lights (to avoid fires from the lamps and candles whilst the house is asleep) and to cover the utensils (to protect from disease). Each is self-explanatory.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 103) [1]
مطلب في السنة وتعريفها
، والسنة نوعان: سنة الهدي، وتركها يوجب إساءة وكراهية كالجماعة والأذان والإقامة ونحوها. وسنة الزوائد، وتركها لا يوجب ذلك كسير النبي – عليه الصلاة والسلام – في لباسه وقيامه وقعوده. والنفل ومنه المندوب يثاب فاعله ولا يسيء تاركه، قيل: وهو دون سنن الزوائد
ويرد عليه أن النفل من العبادات وسنن الزوائد من العادات، وهل يقول أحد إن نافلة الحج دون التيامن في التنعل والترجل، كذا حققه العلامة ابن الكمال في تغيير التنقيح وشرحه
أقول: فلا فرق بين النفل وسنن الزوائد من حيث الحكم؛ لأنه لا يكره ترك كل منهما، وإنما الفرق كون الأول من العبادات والثاني من العادات، لكن أورد عليه أن الفرق بين العبادة والعادة هو النية المتضمنة للإخلاص، كما في الكافي وغيره، وجميع أفعاله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – مشتملة عليها كما بين في محله
وأقول: قد مثلوا لسنة الزوائد أيضا «بتطويله – عليه الصلاة والسلام – القراءة والركوع والسجود» ، ولا شك في كون ذلك عبادة، وحينئذ فمعنى كون سنة الزوائد عادة أن النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – واظب عليها حتى صارت عادة له ولم يتركها إلا أحيانا؛ لأن السنة هي الطريقة المسلوكة في الدين، فهي في نفسها عبادة وسميت عادة لما ذكرنا. ولما لم تكن من مكملات الدين وشعائره سميت سنة الزوائد، بخلاف سنة الهدي، وهي السنن المؤكدة القريبة من الواجب التي يضلل تاركها؛ لأن تركها استخفاف بالدين، وبخلاف النفل فإنه كما قالوا ما شرع لنا زيادة على الفرض والواجب والسنة بنوعيها؛ ولذا جعلوا قسما رابعا، وجعلوا منه المندوب والمستحب، وهو ما ورد به دليل ندب يخصه، كما في التحرير؛ فالنفل ما ورد به دليل ندب عموما أو خصوصا ولم يواظب عليه النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم -؛ ولذا كان دون سنة الزوائد، كما صرح به في التنقيح. وقد يطلق النفل على ما يشمل السنن الرواتب، ومنه قوله: باب الوتر والنوافل، ومنه تسمية الحج نافلة لأن النفل الزيادة، وهو زائد على الفرض مع أنه من شعائر الدين العامة، ولا شك أنه أفضل من تثليث غسل اليدين في الوضوء ومن رفعهما للتحريمة مع أنهما من السنن المؤكدة، فتعين ما قلنا
، وبه اندفع ما أورده ابن الكمال، فاغتنم تحقيق هذا المحل فإنك لا تجده في غير هذا الكتاب، والله تعالى أعلم بالصواب
3280 – حدثنا يحيى بن جعفر، حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله الأنصاري، حدثنا ابن جريج، قال: أخبرني عطاء، عن جابر رضي الله عنه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ” إذا استجنح الليل، أو قال: جنح الليل، فكفوا صبيانكم [ص:124]، فإن الشياطين تنتشر حينئذ، فإذا ذهب ساعة من العشاء فخلوهم، وأغلق بابك واذكر اسم الله، وأطفئ مصباحك واذكر اسم الله، وأوك سقاءك واذكر اسم الله، وخمر إناءك واذكر اسم الله، ولو تعرض عليه شيئا “