An-nuur Na. 162

AN-NUUR Na.162 Rabiul Thani 1419, Agosti 14 - 20, 1998

ELIMU YADINI YA KIISILAMU KWA SHULE ZA MSINGI

Somo: Tawhiid Form III

Sifa za dini sahihi anayoihitaji Mwanaadamu

Dini sahihi itakayomuwezesha mwanaadamu kuishi kwa furaha na amani katika maisha ya hapa duniani na akhera hainabudi kuwa na sifa zifuatazo:

(a) Dini sahihi ni lazima ieleze ukweli juu ya maumbilemzunguuka, imfahamishe lengo lake la maisha na lengo la kuwepo viumbe vyote vilivyomzunguuka vilivyo hai na visivyo hai. Pia imfahamishe ni ipi nafasi yake au hadhi yake hapa ulimwenguni na ni vipi ataweza kufikia lengo lake la maisha na kubakia katika hadhi yake. Pia imfahamishe kwa usahihi ni pi hatima yake baada ya maisha ya hapa duniani.

(b) Dini sahihi ni lazima iende sambamba na sheria za maumbile yote

Dini sahihi ni lazima imuundie mwanaadamu mwenendo wa maisha unaolingana na mwenendo unaofuatwa na maumbile yote ikiwa ni pamoja na mwili wake ili kuenda sambamba na maumbile na kuepukana na migongano ya aina yoyote.

Dini sahihi pamoja na kumuelekeza mwanaadamu namna bora ya kuunawirisha mwili wake na kumuweka katika siha nzuri, haina budi pia kumuelekeza kutosheleza hisia zake. Kwa kawaida mwanaadamu katika maisha yake anakuwa katika hali na hisia tofauti tofauti wakati mwingine mwanaadamu huwa katika furaha kubwa, kupata ushindi mkubwa katika jambo fulani, huwa katika madaraka makubwa, huwa tajiri, n.k. Dini sahihi ni lazima imuelekeze mwanaadamu namna ya kuishi kulingana na lengo atakapokuwa katika hali kama hizi kwa manufaa ya wanaadamu wote.

Pia ni kawaida kuwa wakati mwingine mwanaadamu huwa katika hali ya huzuni, kusononeka, uchungu, majonzi, matatizo, wasi wasi, n.k. Dini sahihi ni lazima imuelekeze mwanaadamu kwa usahihi namna atakavyokabiliana na hali kama hizo na kubakia katika lengo lake.

(d) Dini sahihi hainabudi kuwa njia ya maisha iliyokamilika

Dini sahihi ni lazima imuwekee mwanaadamu utaratibu maisha utakaomuwezesha kukindea kwa ufanisi kila kipengele cha maisha yake ya kibinafsi na kijamii katika nyanja zote za kiafya, kiuchumi, kisiasa, kiutamaduni, kisheria na kielimu n.k.

(e) Dini sahihi hainabudi kuwa na taasisi (Ibada) maalum za kumbakisha mwanaadamu katika lengo lake na hadhi yake

Mwanaadamu anatokana na muungano wa mwili na roho. Mwili una sifa za kinyama na roho ina sifa za kiutu. Roho ikitawala mwili mwanaadamu huwa na mwenendo wa kiutu unaozaa mapenzi, huruma, ustawi, furaha na amani katika jamii. Matashi ya kimwili yakiutawala utu, mwanaadamu huwa na mwenendo wa kinyama, na hasa mbaya zaidi kuliko ule wa wanayama unaozaa chuki, udhalimu, majivuno, kiburi, vurugu na kuharibika kwa jamii. Kawaida mwanaadamu huchukia kufanyiwa matendo ya kinyama na hupenda kufanyiwa matendo ya kiutu. Kwa hiyo, dini sahihi inayostahiki kuwa chaguo la mwanaadamu ni lazima iweke utaratibu wa uhakika wa kuinua utu wa mwanaadamu na kumbakisha katika lengo lake na hadhi yake hapa duniani.

(f) Dini sahihi hainabudi kuwa dini ya walimwengu wote wa nyakati zote

Binaadamu asili yao ni moja, lengo la maisha yao ni moja na wote wanahitaji kuishi kwa furaha na amani. hivyo dini sahihi haina budi kuwa dini inayowahusu wanaadamu wote wa ulimwengu mzima kuanzia wa mwanzo mpaka wa mwisho. Dini hiyo hainabudi kutokuwa na mipaka ya mahali (jiografia) au wakati ( haiwezi kuwa kwa mfano imeanzishwa miaka 1400 A.H iliyopita au miaka 1998 A.D iliopita. Pia dini sahihi haitakuwa kwa jina la mtu, kabila au la mahali au la kihistoria.

(g) Dini sahihi hainabudi kumhakikishia mwanaadamu kupata haki zake zote

Dini sahihi inayowastahiki walimwengu wote wa nyakati zote hainabudi kuhakikisha kuwa kila mmoja anapata haki yake anayostahiki. Dini sahihi haina budi kuwa na utaratibu wa kuwaadhibi wakosa kwa usawa ili kuiweka jamii kwenye furaha na amani ya kweli katika maisha. Dini sahihi hainabudu kuwa na sharia ambazo zinamgusa kila mtu kwa usawa.

Tawhiid Form V

The Power of Almighty God:

The meaning of Impossibility

Certain Twaghut philosophers, such as Descartes, have maintained that the meaning of Divine omnipotence is that God’s power encompasses everything and that nothing is impossible for Him. Therefore, they say, God can ordain that 2+2 should equal to 5 or 7, and so bring about things which to use appear impossible. Of course, in the present world, He deems not to do such things, but if He wills to do so, He can. In order to answer the above question, and to examine the view of Descartes, the meaning of ‘impossible’ in all its various senses must at first be examined; then it must be seen which of these meanings pertains to the power of God.

The Meaning of Impossibility

The word ‘impossible’ is used in three different senses:

Inherent impossibility

Impossibility of occurrence

Habitual impossibility

Inherent Impossibility: It applies to a statement which, if assumed to be true, would imply self-contradiction. It refers to situations which are logically impossible. That is, it necessitates that something should be both existent and non-existent at the sametime. It applies to statements like the above-mentioned example relating to insertion of a bigger body into a smaller one larger; because, if true, it would lead to the conclusion that the bigger body in its state of largeness should not be large, since a larger body can be inserted into a smaller one only if it becomes smaller itself; that is, it should not be large, and this is a contradition.

Similarly, the proposition 2+2=5 is necessarily self-contradictory, because if 2 books are added to 2 other books, and if instead of 4 we have 5 books, it means that 2+2 is and also is not 2+2, because when 2+2=5, it means it is not equal to 4. So 2 books plus 2 books makes at the same time 4 and not 4 books.

Impossibility of Occurrence: The mere supposition of this kind of impossibility does not necessarily lead to contradiction as such, but if it occurs in reality, its occurrence necessarily leads to contradiction.

For example, if we know that some effect B must necessarily be an effect of cause A, and that existence of A is necessary for causing the existence of B, now if B comes into existence without A, we are confronted with a contradiction between what we know to be true and what we observe (namely existence of B without A). However, there is no self-contradiction in the supposition itself that B can exist without A. But if A is known with certainty to be a necessary cause of B, emergence of B without the presence of A (the necessary cause of B) involves a contradiction. This kind of impossibility refers to situations involving necessary causation.

Habitual Impossibility: Here, an effect B, as a rule, is observed as originating from a particular cause A, but, in fact, occasionally, it might possess another cause C, as well. A cause that may be cited as an example is that of the healing of sick by means of miracles. Healing, customarily, has its specific cause like medicine; but when it is cause by a miracle, it is due to the special powers of saintly figures(i.e, Jesus), granted to them by God on account of their piety. This kind of impossibility depends on habitual association between cause and effect.

From among these three kinds of impossibility, the first and second do not apply to Divine power; because the first kind, or inherent impossibility, is something the mere supposition of which involves a self-contradiction, and occurrence of anything involving a self-contradiction is also, of necessity, contradictory.

However, the second kind of impossibility, that is impossibility of occurrence, also necessarily involves contradiction like the first kind; since even if the supposition itself is not self-contradictory, but because if it is known with certainty that emergence of a particular effect B depends on a particular cause A, if B emerges without A, it implies a contradiction; because, the observation that A does not exist is inconsistent with the deduction that A exists (a deduction derived from the statement known to be true that A is always the cause of B). In these two causes (i.e., the first two kinds of impossibilities), there is no ‘thing’ involved (with reference to the Quranic verse 36:82 quoted above) so that God may command it to be.

The third kind, habitual impossibility, is strictly speaking, not an impossibility at all; rather it is our ignorance of the actual causes of an event that makes us think so. Therefore, events and effects in this class are subject to the power of God.

2. Knowledge of Almighty God

Knowledge, like power, is another attribute of Divine Essence. On the basis of the proofs forwarded for demonstrating the existence of God, it can be said that God is Omniscient. Moreover, it was stated in the discourse on power that it is deduced from the proof of order that God, who confers order and regularity on a system must, of necessity, be aware of the characteristics of its components, their number, composition, and their connection with the system’s purpose. Creation of an orderly system of phenomena without knowledge of the components of which it consists is something irrational, which the Holy Qua’an rejects by this interrogative negation: Shall He not know, Who created, and He is All-subtle, All-aware?

Islamic Knowledge for "A" Level

Fiqh Form V

The Objectives of the Islamic Shariah

The main objective of the Shari’ah is to construct human life on the basis of Ma’rufat (virtues) and to cleanse it of the Munkarat (vices). The term Ma’rufat denotes all the virtures and good qualities that have always been accepted as "good" by the human conscience. Conversely, Munkarat denotes all the sins nd evils that have always been condemned by human nature as "evil". In short, the Ma’rufat are in harmony with human nature and its requirements in general and the Munkarat are just the opposite. The Shari’ah gives a clear view of these Ma’rufat and Munkarat and states them as the norms to which the individual and social behaviour should conform.

The Shari’ah does not, however, limit its function to providing us with an inventory of virtues and vices; it lays down the entire scheme of life in such a manner that virtues may flourish and vices many not venom human life.

To achieve this end, the Shari’ah, has embraced in its scheme all the factors that encourage growth of good and has recommended steps for the removal of impediments that might prevent its growth and development. This process gives rise to a subsidiary series of Ma’rufat consisting of the causes and means initiating and nurturing the good, and further of Ma’rufat consisting of prohibitions of preventives to good. Similarly there is a subsidiary list of Munkarat which might initiate or allow growth of evil.

The Shari’ah shapes the Islamic society in a very conductive to the unfettered growth of good , virtue and truth in every sphere of human activity , and gives full play to the forces of good in all directions. And at the same time it removes all impediments in the path of virtue. Along with this, it attempts to eradicate evils from its social scheme by prohibiting vice, by obviating the causes of its appearance and growth by closing the inlets through which it creeps into society and by adopting defferent measures to check its occurance.

Ma’rufat

The Shari’ah classifies Ma’rufat into three categories: the Mandatory (Fardh and Wajib), the Recommendatory and the Permissible (Mubah).

The observance of the mandatory (Ma’rufat) is obligatory on a Muslim society and the Shari’ah has given clear and binding diretions about them. The recommendatory Ma’rufat are those which the Shari’ah wants that a Muslim society should observe and practice. Some of them have been very clearly demanded of us while others have been recommended by implication and deduction from the Saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Besides this, special arrangements have been made for the growth and encouragement of some of them in the scheme of life enunciated by the Shari’ah. Others still have simply been recommended by the Shari’ah, leaving it to the society or to its more virtuous elements to look to their promotion.

This leaves us with the permissible Ma’rufat. Strictly speaking, according to the Shari’ah, everything which has not been expressly prohibited by it is a permissible Ma’ruf. It is not at all necessary that an express permission should exist about it or that it should have been expressly left to our choice. Consequently the sphere of Permissible Ma’rufat is very wide, so much so that except for a few things specifically prohibited by the Shari’ah, everything under the sun is permissible for a Muslim. And this is exactly the sphere where we have been given freedom and where we can legislate according to our discretion, to suit the requirements of our age and conditions.

Munkarat

The Munkarat (or the things prohibited in Islam) have been grouped into two categories: Haram (i.e. those things which have been prohibited absolutely) and Makruh i.e. those things which have been simply disliked). It has been enjoined on Muslims by clear and mandatory injunctions to refrain totally from everything that has been declared Haram. As for the Mukruhat the Shari’ah signifies its dislike in some way or the other, i.e. either expressly or by implication, giving and indication also as to the degree of such dislike. For example, there are some Makruhat bordering on Haram, while other bear affinity with the acts which are permissible. Of course, their number is very large ranging between the wo extremes of prohibitory and permissible actions. Moreover, in some cases explicit measures have been prescribed by the Shari’ah for the prevention of Makruhat, which in others such arrangements have been left to the discretion of the society or the individual.