‘Aqeedah First!
Sometimes when you are warning people against things that are prohibited in Islam, and they still go ahead doing them, don’t be surprised. How much of matters of ‘aqeedah have you been able to install in their memory before discussing other issues? The answer to this question would let you know why it is often difficult to convince people who are yet to understand ‘aqeedah to adhere to the Sunnah and abstain from prohibited (haram) things.
By Allah, adequate knowledge of ‘aqeedah (taoheed) is the first thing that would make a Muslim realize the importance of placing Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in whatever he does. If a person doesn’t know about Allah, His names and attributes, how would he be able to give Him His due rights? When you say: “Allah says”, he will just be looking at you as if you are the one saying it. If a person doesn’t know the Prophet صلى لله عليه وسلم in his true sense and his status in the deen of Islam, how would he be able to understand the sanctity of obeying him and giving him and his Sunnah due regard and honour. If you read hadith to him, he will just be arguing with his own ra’y (personal reasoning).
Many times, when we advise one another to go and learn ‘aqeedah, some people think one is claiming to have knowledge. That is a wrong thought. What we seek to achieve by that advice is sanity of thought and reasoning. Scholars who are upon Sunnah have agreed that one of the most stupid things to do is to argue the deen with people who lack sound understanding of taoheed. You will be saying A, they will be saying B. You will be quoting texts, they will be using personal thoughts. They will waste your time and energy. An average Muslim is expected know the divisions of taoheed and apply them in his activities. A Muslim must know and understand the role of the Companions رضي الله عنهم in the deen and give them due regard and respect. A Muslim must know all these matters with their daleel in the Qur’an and Sunnah, apply them all the time, teach them to other people, and be patient upon any hardship he faces in the course of doing this.
Let’s ask ourselves, how many Muslims know these things the way they should be known? A lot of people just bear Muslim by name and not by knowledge and application. So, the reason why it is often difficult for people to understand the sanctity of obeying the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is that they don’t actually know who he really is. This is a strong matter of ‘aqeedah that we should first get into people’s head before any other thing. Someone is yet to understand the position of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Islam, and you are reading hadiths prohibiting protest against constituted authority to him, he will not understand. Someone is yet to understand taoheed, you are telling him about hadiths on cutting of hair moderately and evil of attaching false hairs, it will not enter. Even if it enters, the person might not know why he or she is accepting it. It is important to first teach people the basis upon which their obedience to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is built.
May Allah guide us aright.
Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori
6th Jumaadal Uulaa, 1439AH
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