Slaveofthe1

Fourthly: Fiqh

The new student of knowledge should begin with ‘Umdaht al-Fiqh’ by Ibn Qudaamah (rahimahullaah) and those who are not from this country (i.e. Saudi Arabia) can begin with any small text from the works in fiqh that he desires.

He can also begin studying under any particular madhhab that he desires but the madhhab of Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) has the least amount of indifferences and has the least amount of issues which are Marjooh [i.e. unfavourable] for example, ‘Zaad al-Mustaqni’a’ is a short text and most of the issues presented in it are Rajih [i.e. favourable].

So you can take the concise text of ‘Umdaht al-Fiqh’ study and understand the issues presented in each chapter. For example, start with the chapter of water, read through it quickly and understand the different types of water and the fiqh related issues connected to water. After understanding the issues mentioned in this chapter move on reading this same chapter to a scholar, which is highly recommended.

If this is not possible, then he should read it to himself due to the fact that he may be someone of status in his community maybe a teacher or the likes of this and time may not permit him to sit with a scholar on a consistent basis. So he should read it to himself and if any discrepancies arise then he should ask the People of Knowledge.

How should the student of knowledge read the books of fiqh? This is a very important question, as many students of knowledge read books of fiqh but without the correct methodology. fiqh is a subject which is not like tawheed, as the issues related to tawheed are easy to visualise, for example, the issues related to the Characteristics of Allaah, generally they consist of the affirmation of these characteristics from the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah, and mention the false interpretations of those deviant sects who, for example, interpret the Uloo’ of Allaah to mean such and such or they interpret His Istiwaa’ over His Throne, in a manner which befits His Majesty, to mean such and such.

Thus to visualise these issues is simple and clear but the issues related to fiqh are not that simple, rather you have to visualise and understand them precisely in order that you do not confuse them with other issues similar to them. This is going to require from you as a student of knowledge to study fiqh precisely and gradually.

For example, water is categorised into three different types, so you say to yourself as you are studying: “How many types of water are there?” Then you answer yourself by saying: “There are three types of water and they are: “’Tahoor’…” then you say to yourself: “What is the definition of ‘tahoor’?” Etc. And this is the methodology you should follow when studying fiqh meaning questions and answers along with the definitions of these terminologies.

For example, the definition of ‘tahoor’ is the type of water which remains in its natural state, pure within itself and purifying. So your book actually becomes your teacher as you ask the question you refer to the answer from the book.

Likewise when dealing the conditions of a particular issue or its opposite then you ask questions which are appropriate to that topic, for example, you say: “Water which remains in its natural state, but is this the case all the time?” And the answer or explanation that water has different stages which is goes through depending on what mixes with it, all of this is found in the book.

The subject of Fiqh consists of two vital components:
The first: Visualisation
The second: Categorisation

The second component is the most beneficial thing for the student of knowledge as you can take any issue and say: “This is categorised into such and such categories.” For example, you say: “Those things which fall into water in its natural state are two types; the first is that which mixes with water, and the second is that which doesn’t mix with water…” And then you reply with what Ibn Qudaamah (rahimahullaah) mentioned in his book from the explanation of this issue and bring an example for each one.

You will find that Ibn Qudaamah does not concentrate in this particular book on those opinions which are favourable and that is because what is desired from you as a student of knowledge at this stage in your studies is to truly be a student and not a mufti. What is required from you as you study fiqh is to visualise the issues of fiqh and understand the terminologies of the People of Knowledge in the various chapters.

For example, begin with the concise version of ‘Zaad al-Mustaqni’a,’ because we know the original text of ‘Zaad al-Mustaqni’a’ consists of thirty thousand fiqh related issues, and it is not possible that the student of knowledge in the beginning of his studies, can memorise every issue with its proofs and evidences and know the favourable or unfavourable opinion in every issue!

Very few of the scholars of our time have explained ‘Zaad al-Mustaqni’a’ due to its extensiveness, as this was not the methodology which the scholars of the past followed when explaining certain subjects. They would take the concise texts and begin with them and this is much more beneficial for the student of knowledge, and after some time of following this methodology, those same students eventually became scholars.

This methodology is not present today as you find in some books that the explanation of one issue is extremely lengthy and this methodology does not allow the student to visualise the issue, as it is not possible for him to do so or memorise it due to the lengthy details and explanations. Rather the student is only able to understand the issue in light of that particular madhhab.

When you finish with the different categories of water, close the book and reiterate what you understood from the explanation, just as we mentioned previously, and you will notice during the course of your explanation whether you went to much too the east or too much to the west, and there is great distance between the two.

If there is any confusion between what you read in the book and what you hear from the Shaykh who teaches then go back to him and inform him that the fatwa which he gave is inconsistent with what you read in the text of the book and inform him that the Rajih (i.e. favourable opinion) which you see as a student is such and such, as the opinion of the scholar in every issue does not necessarily mean that it is the most favourable opinion, nor does it mean that the opinion of those who give fataawaa from the major scholars is always the most favourable opinion in the that particular issue.

Rather when he informs you of the fatwa of the scholars he is trying to connect you to the books of fiqh by mentioning to you the opinions of the scholars to allow you to envision the way they that understood the issue.
Our scholars from the People of Knowledge used to mention to us in detail this methodology when studying fiqh from ‘Zaad al-Mustaqni’a’ and from that which they would mention to us is that you have to visualise the issue and the verdict concerning it based upon what the author of the book mentioned.

For example, we ask: Does Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah or his student Ibn Qayyim (rahimahumallaah) hold opinions which are contrary to the opinions of the Hanbali madhhab? Yes, because they examined that madhhab and clarified those opinions which were unfavourable and oppose the most accurate opinion.

For example, in the different types of water, your teacher may mention that water is three types and the position of Shaykh-ul-Islam is that water is two types, but you don’t need to go into the detailed justifications of every particular issue, nor does the teacher need to comment on every matter but he mentions this to show you the diversity in how the scholars understood things and the different fataawaa they gave based upon those understandings.

For example, he says: “Shaykh so and so‘s opinion in this issue is such and such or Shaykh bin Baaz’s (rahimahullaah) position in this issue is such and such,” and by this, he connects you to the issues of fiqh by showing you the diverse understandings which the scholars held and the fataawaa they issued based upon those understandings.

However to come to a particular issue and mention that the evidence for this is such and such and the scholars used as evidence such and such, this proof is mentioned in such and such book, and in the narration there is such and such narrator and some of the scholars spoke about him and because of that the hadeeth does not meet the conditions to substantiate this issue, and the this opinion is unfavourable and the most accurate opinion is the opinion of Ishaaq and Shaafi’ee, etc. etc. This is not what is required nor necessary for the new student of knowledge, except for the student who can absorb these types of detailed issues, can he read the more extensive books of fiqh.

Therefore objective of the Shaykh with the new student of knowledge is not to give him all of what he can recollect about every issue, this is not the methodology of the People of Knowledge; rather their methodology is to give you what will be most beneficial for you at this stage in your studies. In every chapter from the various chapters of fiqh, you study them by visualising the issues and absorbing concisely the most important matters mentioned therein, and after some time, you will develop principles that you will rely on in order to understand and clarify these issues, and you will be able to distinguish the favourable opinion from the unfavourable opinion along with their proofs, like building a wall from the ground up.

In the beginning you may only grasp ten percent of what you read, but you start with those matters which are most important and then those which are of less importance and gradually after one year you will grasp about fifteen percent and after two years about twenty percent until you can grasp all the issues related to fiqh in each chapter.

This is the correct methodology to follow when studying fiqh, but the path you find most of the students following today, where he has a tremendous amount of detailed and extensive information in one issue but if you were to ask him about other issues he is totally oblivious and void of any knowledge about them! This methodology of seeking knowledge is totally incorrect.

Fifthly: Arabic
We are finished with the foundational sciences, and you continue with the secondary subjects which will assist you, as we mentioned previously, upon the same methodology. Begin with the concise works and then move on gradually to those more extensive books in that particular subject.

I will add to what I mentioned previously of those secondary subjects which will assist you as you go along in your studies, Islamic history and this includes the biography of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) like the Seerah of Ibn Hisham which is sufficient, and the other types of Islamic history.

It is also imperative for the student of knowledge to emphasise the sciences of tafseer, usool al-fiqh and usool al-hadeeth which, as we mentioned previously, is commonly known as mustalah hadeeth. Likewise the Arabic grammar, as you can not possibly acquire knowledge without the assistance of the Arabic grammar.

You find that some of the students of knowledge are not proficient in the Arabic language and his speech is broken and void of eloquence, so how can someone like this be trusted with understanding the meanings of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and he doesn’t even understand the basics of the Arabic language?! He can not be trusted in reality; rather this type of student has to suffice himself with narrating and following exactly what he reads.

Many students come and present to me a picture that he is mujtahid in understanding an issue but his statements are inaccurate and his ability to express himself in Arabic is not good; rather by this, he shows me that he is not proficient in the Arabic language! There is no doubt that this is erroneous and it shows that the individual has not prioritised his subjects.

It is imperative for the student of knowledge to emphasise studying the Arabic language and the foundation of it is i’raab (i.e. syntax), read a concise text to a Shaykh, and afterwards you will have the ability to know the sentence structure in any newspaper, Surah from the Qur’aan or any hadeeth you read.

Some of the People of Knowledge would question their students during the lessons about the grammatical sentence structure of what they were reading, they would say: “What is the i’raab of such and such statement of Allaah?” And: “What is the i’raab of this sentence?” Trying to increase their awareness of the Arabic grammar and sentence structure. If you memorised ‘Alfiyahtu ibn Maalik’, you will reply that the i’raab is such and such and the proof is such and such. For example if your teacher asks you about the mubtada’a (i.e. subject) in a sentence you can respond by saying that Ibn Maalik says (such and such).

The proofs and evidences connect us to the Arabic grammar, but this methodology is rarely implemented today.