Are institutions like jamaahs (congregations, groups) necessary in Islam?
Submitted by on Mon, 18/01/2010 - 13:08
Dear Brother / Sister,
Let us take a look at associations and collaborations in the world. If man had eyes in every point of his body, it would be useless. Different kinds of elements come together and the miracle called life comes out. Now if the eye said, “You should all be like me”, that word would be both useless and impossible. Then if all organs said, “Let our aim be one and let every part serve for the continuation of the body and life as far as we can.” it would be the best way to handle problems.
Moreover, different kinds of professions in societies can be evaluated in the same way as different sects in the military such as air, naval, and land forces.
Different congregations, orders and sects in the Religion can be seen like that. They are all like the different organs of the body. However, they should have the only aim: “To serve humanity for Allah’s sake.” When the aim is one, it does not matter what they call themselves.
Another important issue is about criticizing each other. Suppose that you asked someone who was the best mother in the world, there is no doubt that he would say she was his own mother. He is also right to answer like that. However, this answer does not mean that there are not any other good mothers in the world.
If one asked us which one was the best sect, profession, and way of behaving, we would say that it was ours because we believe like that. Others can also think like that. Then conflicts and enmities will disappear.
The religious congregations are like organs which try to maintain the spiritual life of the societies. As long as they have the same aim, they will do everything for Allah’s sake.
Allah is the Creator of our lives and He determines the way through which we go. That is, whatever is necessary for a human being to be called as human being is determined by Allah. There is no need for a different authority for it. For this reason, the Institution of Prophethood, which put the rules set up by Allah into a system and made them clear, has also been founded and directed by Allah.
Therefore, firstly the Qur’an and then the Sunnah is our guide. Our true sects which benefit from those two Sources are also religious institutions taking us closer to Allah. Basic rules and principles suggested by them are based on the Qur’an and Hadith. For this reason, they are indispensable for Islam and the Religion, because when a Mujtahid says a word, he does not speak for himself; he speaks and gives Fatwa on behalf of Allah; he set up his way of thinking based on the idea “I understand this like this from the Qur’an.”
As for religious congregations, they are considered from the Religion if their aim is Allah’s consent and Ihsan (perfection in worship) because scholars who lead these sects act according to this idea “How can I gain the consent of Allah? How can I direct these people to the True Way?” So, we should also consider those kinds of people from the Religion, because their aim, in every kind of word they say, is Allah’s consent and they act in accodance with the rules set up by Allah.
What they talk is based on the Qur’an and Hadith. If those kinds of people talk in accordance with the Religion’s rules, not on their own, of course, they will talk about divine warnings which save Muslims from indifference and direct them to being serious. They will state that some kinds of disasters and difficulties which occur to people are because they reluctantly serve for the Religion.
Besides, while a part of the Qur’an and Shariah talk about rewards, the other part of them also talk about punishment for sins committed. If they are said by an Islamic scholar and he says and inform them that they will be punished because of what they have done, it will completely be by the Shariah.
Questions on Islam
- Jama’ah Salah (Prayer in Congregation)
- What does Ahl as-Sunnah mean and what are its properties?
- At the time of an epidemic disease, is it a sin not to perform Friday prayer?
- can a sunni girl can marry to a shia boy?
- “My Ummah will divide into seventy-three different sects, only one sect will be ahl an–najat (people of salvation)”. What does this hadith mean? Could you please explain it?
- Will you explain the concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah and Ahl al-Bayt?
- The Eleventh Letter offers a spiritual drug against the delusion of Satan by interpreting the verse "feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan". (an-Nisa: 76)
- What is the benefit of listening to the recitation of the Holy Qur'an even though one cannot understand its context and meaning?
- Burning of House by the Prophet (PBUH) if Prayer Congregation is not Attended
- Can you give some information about not performing salah relying on the idea that sooner or later Allah will forgive me. Will there be a difference between those who perform their salahs and those who do not perform their salahs?