Ninth Point: The matters of the Shari‘ah are divided into two: Some of them are done because Allah orders them and the others are based on reason.
NINTH POINT
There are certain matters of the Shari‘a concerning worship which are not tied to the reason, and are done because they are commanded. The reason for them is the command.
There are others which have ‘reasonable meaning.’ That is, they possess some wisdom or benefit by reason of which they have been incorporated into the Shari‘a. But it is not the true reason or cause; the true reason is Divine command and prohibition.
Instances of wisdom or benefits cannot change those matters of ‘the marks of Islam’ which pertain to worship; their aspect of pertaining to worship preponderates and they may not be interfered with. They may not be changed, even for a hundred thousand benefits. Similarly, it may not be said that “the benefits of the Shari‘a are restricted to those that are known.” To suppose such a thing is wrong. Those benefits may rather be only one out of many instances of wisdom and purposes. For instance, someone may say: “The wisdom and purpose of the call to prayer is to summon Muslims to prayer; in which case, firing a rifle would be sufficient.” However, the foolish person does not know that it is only one benefit out of the thousands of the call to prayer. Even if the sound of a rifle shot provides that benefit, how, in the name of mankind, or in the name of the people of the town, can it take the place of the call to prayer, the means to proclaiming worship before Divine dominicality and the proclamation of Divine Unity, which is the greatest result of the creation of the universe and the result of mankind’s creation?
I n S h o r t : Hell is not unnecessary; there are many things which cry out “Long live Hell!” with all their strength. Paradise is not cheap, either; it demands a high price.
Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the Companions of the Garden; it is the Companions of the Garden who will achieve felicity.... [To the end of the verse.]1
____________________
1. Qur’an, 59:20.
- Adhan is Determined
- Twenty-ninth Letter: It consists of nine sections, which contain twenty-nine important points.
- The First: The difference between the reason and wisdom in ordinances.
- Seventh Allusion: It states that the Sufi way and truth should serve and follow the Shari'a and answers the question “Can there be saints outside the bounds of the Sunna and Shari'a?”
- Third Fruit: The importance of the Sunnah (practices of the Prophet) and the results of acting in accordance with them.
- The Second: The view at the present time; worldly happiness has taken primacy instead of the happiness of hereafter.
- Gleams: Flowers from the Seeds of Reality. A short ‘Mathnawi’ and collection on the subject of belief for the Risale-i Nur students.
- Your Sixth Question: What was the wisdom in Hz. Muhammad's (pbuh) prophethood commencing when he was forty years of age?
- The Seventh Letter explains the wisdoms behind the polygamy of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) and especially his marriage with Zaynab.
- The Fifth: What are “earthly” and “heavenly” ijtihads? Three reasons that make interpretation of the Law of today earthly.
