HISTORY OF ISLAM
Recorded from the lecture of Manna Sir.
#Lecture 1 (2/9/2023)
First we discussed the importance of learning the Seerah of The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and The Khulafa Ar-Rashidoon.
Few things happened in islamic history like the murder of Uthman radiyallahu anhu which led to disputes among the Sahaba. Ahlus sunnah are in the middle. They neither go extremely in the love or hate of either Ali or Muawiyah (radiyallahu anhuma).
The Sahaba are not infallible however their mistakes are not like ours because we may have some ulterior motives, but we believe that all the Sahabah are Aadil (just).
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: When a judge gives a decision, having tried his best to decide correctly (~Ijtihad) and is right, there are two rewards for him; and if he gave a judgment after having tried his best (to arrive at a correct decision) but erred, there is one reward for him. (Hadith)
Thus the issues between Ali and Muawiyah (رضي الله عنهما) occured because of their Ijtihad. We also believe that if they commit a mistake Allah azzawajal will forgive them because of their many virtues.
إِنَّ ٱلْحَسَنَٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ ٱلسَّيِّئَاتِۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ
Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who accept advice). (Hud:114)
THE RIGHTLY GUIDED KHULAFAH
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُو بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُو عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۧۚ
He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that He may make it (Islam) superior over all religions. (Fath:28) (Even if the polytheists dislike it.)
One of the aims of Islam is to dominate over the entire world.
Allah Ta’la sent Prophet ﷺ with true religion those who follow it will be successful those who deviate will be destroyed. Nabi ﷺ explained the religion to us and after that he went back to Allah azzawajal.
It is importamt to have an Imaam (a leader) to succeed the messenger ﷺ. The one who succeeds a previous ruler, is a khalifah and he safeguards the religion and the worldly affairs of people.
After the death of Prophet ﷺ the ummah unanimously agreed that it is necessary to appoint a khalifah. No one deviated from this decision except for a group named khwarij and some people from mu’tazilah. Khwarij’s hallmark is that anyone who commits a major sin is out of Islam. Mu’tazilah believes that if naql (shari’ texts) contradicts aql then it is to be interpreted in a different way or to be rejected.
It is obligatory to appoint a khalifah over the muslims. All muslims unanimously agreed that it is not valid to have two khalifahs at the same time.
Sahih Muslim 1853
It has been narrated on the authority of Aba Sa’id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When oath of allegiance has been taken for two caliphs, kill the one for whom the oath was taken later.
WAY OF CHOOSING THE KHALIFAH
Ideal condition: The best heads of the country will form a small group having religious scholars, army commanders, financers, etc. They will come together and seek advice and counsel and they will select someone from inside or outside themselves . Then the one elected will be called a khalifah. (Unlike what happens in democracy.)
Sahih al-Bukhari 7146
Narrated `Abdur-Rahman bin Samura:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “O `Abdur-Rahman! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your demand then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking (for it), then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better.”
The concept of democracy is un-Islamic and a form of kufr Al-akbar as, in a democracy all the power of making laws fall in the hands of people. If the majority says we want alcohol it will be made permissible.
Caliphate is reserved for just one tribe: Quraish
Sahih al-Bukhari 7140
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “This matter (caliphate) will remain with the Quraish even if only two of them were still existing.”
***
After the Prophet ﷺ was born in Quraish their virtue increased. It is better that the leadership be only from quraish to avoid disunity.
PREREQUISITES FOR A CALIPH
– Knowledge of the shariah
– Aadil
– Competent enough to hold the position, courageous enough to wags wars, knowledgeable of the condition of the world.
– Physically and mentally sound.
– Male
– From the tribe of the Quraish
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍۢ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ
O you who have believed, obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allāh and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allāh and the Last Day.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7142
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.”
How can it be that an ethiopian slave becomes a ruler when rulership is only for quraish?
– Overpowering by force.
The ruler is to be obeyed even if he is a Non-Qurashi.
Some examples.
King Faisal Aal-Saud fulfilled the first 5 qualities except for the last one. He wasn’t from the Quraish. And since he was in power he was to be obeyed.
In india Aurangzeb fulfilled the 5 qualities but not that of being from Quraish but when he was in rule he was to be obeyed.
After the fall of Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas we rarely had a caliph fulfilling all the six conditions.
If someone comes by force into leadership it won’t be upon the way of the system according to the one taught by the rightly guided Caliphate, yet obedience to such a ruler is obligatory.
If a ruler says deliver the alcohol to such and such a place, will we obey him?
Sahih al-Bukhari 2955
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
The ‘Prophet said, “It is obligatory for one to listen to and obey (the ruler’s orders) unless these orders involve one disobedience (to Allah); but if an act of disobedience (to Allah) is imposed, he should not listen to or obey it.”
We don’t defend the rulers in their wrongdoing we make dua for him and advise him in private.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7199, 7200
Narrated ‘Ubada bin As-Samit:
We gave the oath of allegiance to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) that we would listen to and obey him both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired and that we would not fight against the ruler or disobey him, and would stand firm for the truth or say the truth wherever we might be, and in the Way of Allah we would not be afraid of the blame of the blamers
When is obedience to rulers cancelled/ picking up swords against him become permissible?
Conditions to rebel:
– Clear kufr/shirk Al-Akbar is proven
– People have enough military power to rebel against him
– To be sure or near sure whether such rebellion will bring bigger harm or benefit.
(If we see a ruler prostrating in front of a grave we have to ask him for an explanation whether it was ibadah or out of respect if it was ibadah it’s kufr akbar if it was out of respect it is a major sin. If a ruler believes alcohol is haram but drinks it he is committing a major sin but if a rulers says he doesn’t drink alcohol but it’s permissible to drink it then he has committed major kufr.)
If a second person claims rulership when one ruler is present in a nation, we can fight against him. These people are called bughaat (rebel), they are also called khwarij in books of fiqh.
Khwarij hold two meanings: bughaath and the one with the deviant aqeedah.
The majority opinion of the sahaba is that the khwarij (of Aqeedah) are muslims those who think major sins take one out of Islam.
Sahaba prayed behind khwarij.
Tablees Iblees book mentions 11/12 groups of khwarij.
Those who say sahabas are disbelievers then they are disbelievers.
ISIS are today’s khwarij they don’t reject hadith and claim to follow ahlus sunnah. However they claim major kufr for certain issues that are major sins.
Oman follows the extreme sect of khwarij, ibaadiyyah. They reject ahadith and even Qadr. Since they are peaceful no one’s at war with them. Outwardly they have a good appearance. They’re the oldest and longest ruling group of the Khawarij.
-Notes by Samreen Fatima.
Saheehus-Seerah 