The Quran says, “Speak fair to the people” (1). Say nice words to everybody, every person that you speak to. The order is universal and general. It includes everybody, whether they are believers or not, whether they support you or oppose you.
The word “husnan” (husn) is used to express the phrase “nice words” in the Quran. The same word is used in the following expressions, too: husn an-niyyah (good will), husn az-zan (good thought about someone), husn al-khuluq (high ethics), husn al-qabul (accepting something, welcoming)...
The word has a lot of meanings. It does not mean “beautiful” only. It also has meanings like good, sweet, nice, and pretty. “Nice word” is something that sounds nice, that caresses the heart, that relieves a person, that makes one happy and joyful and that increases one’s excitement and enthusiasm.
“A soft answer turns away wrath” but the “nice word” should have some qualities. With the expressions of the Quran, the nice word should be kind and true, but it must be uttered softly. It is stated as follows in the verses: “speak to them words of kindness and justice” (2), “say a word directed to the Right.” (3)
The “soft word” is also an expression of the Quran. In the verse, the following expression is used: “qawlan layyinan” (soft words).
This method of the Quran is not only a suggestion. It is a way of application and an applied example.
Actually, not one example but two examples. The first example takes place in the life of Hazrat Musa (Moses) and Hazrat Harun (Aaron), who are brothers and prophets.
The Pharaoh of Egypt (Ramses II) claimed to be God. He addressed the people of Egypt as, “I am your Lord, Most High.” (4)
Thereupon, God Almighty assigned Moses and Aaron the duty of conveying the message of Allah to Pharaoh:
“Go both of you to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds; But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear (Allah).”
The two brothers and prophets went to Pharaoh, informed him about the existence and oneness of Allah and told him to quit oppressing people, as it is narrated in the chapter Taha in detail.
The soft words affected Pharaoh. They started to talk and negotiate. In the display of magic that was carried out in an environment where the people of Egypt were present, Moses turned out to be right and the winner; the prestige of Pharaoh was affected badly, and he and his army were drowned in the Red Sea.
The second example is about our Prophet (pbuh).
Our Prophet consulted his Companions before the Battle of Uhud, asked their opinions and decided to meet the enemy outside Madinah at the foot of Mount Uhud, based on the common opinion that was agreed in the consultation.
The Quran praises the attitude of the Prophet (pbuh) because he was always gentle, smiling and soft in his talks with the Companions before and after the battle. The Quran states that this attitude of his was as a result of the grace and mercy of Allah:
“It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them. Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted they would have broken away from about thee.” (5)
As a matter of fact, it was not only Moses and our Prophet (pbuh) who acted like that; all of the prophets, primarily Hazrat Yaqub (Jacob) and Hazrat Yusuf (Joseph), the saints, Islamic scholars that entered people’s hearts and that called them to the good and nice things and to the truth acted like that.
Besides, Islam does not advise rudeness, harshness, breaking and harming things, killing, affecting people using force and weapons; Islam does not let such an approach.
The language of Islam is, “kind, decent and soft words”. That is, kindness, decent and soft language.
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(1) al-Baqara, 2:83.
(2) an-Nisa, 4:8.
(3) al-Ahzab, 33:70.
(4) an-Naziat, 79:24.
(5) Aal-i-Imran, 3:159.
2-)
A verse that is misinterpreted: "And slay them wherever ye catch them."
It is wrong to draw the picture of a man only by looking at his little finger; it is similarly wrong and misleading to make a judgment about the Quran only by looking at the translation of a single verse.
It is wrong to draw the picture of a man only by looking at his little finger; it is similarly wrong and misleading to make a judgment about the Quran only by looking at the translation of a single verse.
There is a verse that some authors always mention and misinterpret in order to conceal the universality, tolerance of Islam and the vast freedom of thought in it:
“And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter……” (al-Baqara,191)
Before starting to analyze the issue, it is necessary to remind some judgments in the Quran so that the real aim of the Quran will be understood and the real interpretation of the verse mentioned above will be manifested.
A verse that is closely related with the issue is as follows: “Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from Error …..” (al-Baqara, 256)
In the interpretation of the verse, it is stated, “there is no compulsion in religion” and the following is added, “there is no permission for compulsion not only in religious issues but also in all issues.”
Another verse that teaches the same truth is as follows: “If it had been the Lord's Will they would all have believed all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind against their will to believe?” (Yunus, 99)
That is, the duty of the prophets and the aim of the Quran is to convey the truth to people. People were sent to the world for trial. One of the essentials of trial is to be able choose one of the ways, the right way or the wrong way, on one’s own. Since compulsion will eliminate the will of a person, there is no use of trial.
There are many verses that strengthen that meaning:
“If it had been Allah's Plan they would not have taken false gods: but We made thee not one to watch over their doings, nor art thou set over them” (al-An’am, 107)
“The Messenger's duty is but to proclaim (the Message). (al-Maida, 99
“If Allah so willed, He could make you all one people.” (an-Nahl, 93)
In another verse, attention is attracted to the following truth: “but if any deny faith; Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures.”(Aal-i-Imran, 97)
That is, Allah does not need anything of the any of the realms that He created and educated. He does not need the sunlight, the fruit of the trees, the blowing of the wind, the seasons following one another, the seeing and hearing of the living things; He does not need to be believed in, recognized and worshipped by people, either.
There are many verses like that. What is deduced from them is as follows: Allah calls people to believe and to continue worshipping for their own benefits; similarly, He orders them to carry out the duty of jihad for their own benefits. Although this meaning is valid for all ages and for the whole world of humanity, it addresses the Companions, who are the first people to be addressed by those verses, and the struggle between belief and unbelief in the Arabian Peninsula more.
When the religion of Islam emerged in the Arabian Peninsula, the main belief of the people living there was idolatry. The main aim of the Quran was to embed the belief of “oneness” (tawhid) in the hearts.
The chapter al-Fatiha starts with the declaration that Allah is the “Lord of the worlds”. All of the realms, skies, earths, people, animals, jinn, angels, plants were created, educated and trained by Allah, and they fulfill their duties thanks to Allah. It is a lesson of oneness.
It is emphasized in the following verses of the chapter that only Allah can be worshipped and that only His help can be asked for.
In another verse, attention is attracted to the fact that sustenance forms as a result of the cooperation of the sky and the earth, and it is taught that it is the Lord of the skies and the earth that is worthy of thanking.
In another verse, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is addressed, “It is true thou wilt not be able to guide everyone whom thou lovest: but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance.” (al-Qasas, 56) and it is declared that guidance, which is the greatest bounty, belongs to Allah only.
Thus, the lesson of oneness is given from the beginning to the end of the Quran; in the chapter an-Nas (the last chapter of the Quran), it is stated that Allah is the “Lord of people”. It is only Allah that educates and trains people. It is only He who trains the eyes to see, the ears to hear and the stomachs to digest; similarly, it is only He who trains the minds to understand, the hearts to believe, love and fear.
When we look at the past, we see that the common cause of the prophets is “oneness” (to accept that Allah is one). We also witness that humanity believes in something, whether it is right or wrong, that atheism is not widespread but that all kinds of polytheism is a great “mischief” that lead people astray.
When Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the greatest proclaimer of the belief of oneness started his greatest struggle against polytheism in Makkah, all polytheists opposed him and tried to dissuade him from his cause. They sent his uncle to him as a mediator. When he gave his uncle the following answer: “I would not abandon this cause even if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand”, the period of force, bullying and torture started.
This point is very important: The polytheists living in and around Makkah were different from those in other places. They not only practiced their wrong belief on their own but also wanted to exterminate the light of oneness that emerged in their town and adopted the idea of eliminating it as a holy ideal; they were ready to sacrifice their lives for it. There were no other alternatives but two left: Either the belief of oneness would be victorious and the light of the Quran would be conveyed to humanity, or the wrong beliefs would invade the hearts of people. In other words, either people would be shown the way to Paradise, or the flow toward Hell would continue.
It is necessary to look at the verses of violence in the Quran about the polytheists of that period through that point of view. For instance, the struggle was not against a few polytheists but against the whole belief of polytheism and those who represented and wanted to protect it. As a matter of fact, we see that the Quran does not continue its harsh statements about the polytheists of Makkah when it addresses other polytheist nations. The statements about Christians, who have the belief of trinity, and other members of the People of the Book are not harsh at all.
“And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation) unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say "We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).” (al-Ankabut, 46)
Some people who overlook that point say the following:
How can you say that Islam is tolerant toward different beliefs when this verse is present: “And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter…” (al-Baqara,191)?
It is necessary to analyze some aspects of the issue due to its importance: The people that the verse addresses are Arab polytheists. “In the law of Equality there is (saving of) life to you O ye men of understanding.” (al-Baqara, 179)
In these verses, the believers are ordered to kill those who kill the believers and to exile those who exiled the believers; it is also emphasized that fitnah (mischief) is worse than killing. To kill a person means to exterminate his life in this ephemeral world. To cause mischief, to force people to worship idols means to send them to Hell permanently. It is obvious that the latter is worse than the former. What is more, the mischief of Makkan polytheists had a dimension of killing, too. They buried their daughters alive and declared war against believers in order to kill them.
Here, we want to present another verse expressing the same meaning: “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah and those who reject Faith fight in the cause of Evil: so fight ye against the friends, of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.” (an-Nisa, 76)
“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere.” (al-Anfal, 39)
What is meant by the word “them” in the verse are the polytheists, and what is meant by tumult or oppression is associating partners with Allah. “And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.” (al-Baqara,193)
I would like to report two things that I regard very important from the interpretations of the last verse:
“The reason why that verse was sent down was the oppression and torture carried out by the people of Makkah against believers and their pressure to make believers exit Islam. Then, the meaning of the verse is: “Kill polytheists so that you will defeat them and there will be no mischief of exiting Islam. You should fight them in order to be protected from their torture so that polytheism will disappear and the religion of oneness will replace it. (Konyalı M.Vehbi Ef. 1-2/331)
While war is commanded in order to eliminate mischief, another verse brings the following restrictions: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.” (al-Baqara, 190)
War should be in the way of Allah; the wars that are fought to obtain some interests like invading lands, capturing booty, and obtaining slaves do not have the characteristic of jihad. Another limitation is not to transgress limits. It is a kind of oppression to punish a criminal more than he deserves, like torturing him or cutting one or some of his organs.
In order to be able to interpret the issue correctly, it is very important to understand the first verses of the chapter at-Tawbah:
“A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger to those of the pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances.” (at-Tawbah, 1)
“Go ye, then for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him..” (at-Tawbah, 2)
Those verses declare that the contracts signed with polytheists, who did not keep their promises, were cancelled. They also warn the enemies of Islam, who were given four months of time, that they will be defeated.
In the next verse, the polytheists are called to repent; they are warned that they will be tortured in hell if they do not.
In the fifth verse, the following order is given, “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them …….”
In the sixth verse, it is stated that if any of the polytheists asks to be forgiven although the period of contract is over, they need to be forgiven and the following is added:
“so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure: That is because they are men without knowledge..”
Those verses are the last ones that were sent down. Muslims were victorious; the unbelievers were informed that they should either become Muslims or agree to fight; they were given four months (a long period) to believe or to leave; the Messenger of Allah clearly declared that there would not be two religions in the Arabian Peninsula.
The people that the verse and the hadith were notified to were those who tried to extinguish the light of Islam for more than twenty years, who exiled Muslims from their hometowns, who followed the Muslims to Madinah and tried to kill them there, who were killed for the sake of polytheism and who martyred many Companions; they were idealistic and determined polytheists. In spite of all these things, a contract was signed with them, and Muslims tried to live peacefully with them. It was the polytheists who always broke those agreements (except for two tribes). They were notified clearly that when the duration of the contract ended, the peace period would end. From then on, either the belief of oneness or polytheism would prevail. It was time to end it all.
Although Muslims defeated polytheists, they gave polytheists some time; those who wanted to know and learn Islam were let do so; if they did not believe, they were not killed but they were made sure to return to their towns safely. Besides, they were warned once more at the end of the verse that a tragic end awaited them.
The reason why Makkan polytheists were treated differently form other polytheists and the People of the Book was in order to settle and strengthen the true religion and the belief of oneness in and around Makkah and then to spread it to the whole world. The seed should be strong so that many trees would originate from it. From then on, nobody would worship idols, nobody would circumambulate the Kaaba naked, nobody would bury their daughters alive, everybody would believe in the Lord of the worlds, everybody would obey His orders and avoid His prohibitions in the Arabian Peninsula. Everybody would know that they were travelers to the hereafter and would do good deeds for the eternal land.
Thus, blessed and magnificent believers that would surpass angels would be brought up and they would try hard to convey the light of Islam to the whole world.
They would make jihad in order to eliminate oppression in the towns that people were oppressed but they would not force anybody to become Muslims when they were victorious; they would only lift the embargo imposed on the minds and hearts and they would present people with an environment of freedom that they could choose the good.
The following verse that orders those who suffered from the oppression of Makkan polytheists to be saved is an important guide which is very significant in terms of lifting similar oppression:
“And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?― men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Thee one who will protect; and raise for us from Thee one who will help!"?” (an-Nisa, 75)
In order to eradicate the harmful elements around that cadre, the Muslims in Makkah started the attempt to conquer Makkah based on the order of that verse and eventually achieved it. After that, the cadre became perfect. In a very short time, the civilization of Andalusia and after that the Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations emerged and the light of the Quran illuminated the world. First, polytheism was cleared off the hearts and oneness became prevalent. Justice replaced oppression and high ethics replaced debauchery.
The believers who drew lessons from that verse started to make jihad and conquer new countries in order to break the strength of those who wanted to force people to accept their wrong beliefs and to end the oppression inflicted on Muslims.
“The aim of war in Islam is not taking revenge, killing or forcing people to adopt Islam but defeating the enemy and breaking their strength, hence making them subject to the decrees of the truth by letting them be free in their religion.” (Elmalılı Tefsiri, 2/864-5)
By collecting a tax called jizyah from the people of the countries that they conquered, Muslims made those people their subjects and protected their lives and property.
The following hadith about zimmis (non-Muslims living in a Muslim country and having the right of benefiting from the rights of citizenship by paying jizyah) is very significant:
“… If a person oppresses a zimmi and loads him a burden more than he can afford will find me against him in the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawud, Imarah, 33, see Munawi, Fayzu`l-qadir, 6/19; Baghdadi, Tarikh Baghdad, 8/170; Ajluni, Kashfu`l-khafa, 2/342.)
The following explanation of Fakhraddin Razi, the great interpreter (mufassir), about jihad is very significant: “A person who fights unbelievers must have the aim and determination of eliminating unbelief. Therefore, it is wajib for a person who is fighting an unbeliever to give up killing him if he thinks that the probability of dissuading the unbeliever from unbelief without fighting him is greater.” (Tafsir Kabir; 4/436)
Those who utter the objections that are dealt with in this article should evaluate the following decree of Islam very well: “If an unbeliever becomes a zimmi and pays jizyah in the land of Islam or makes peace with Muslims outside the land of Islam, his rights are reserved.”
Accordingly, a person who kills a zimmi is retaliated just as a person who kills a Muslim is retaliated. If Muslims had misinterpreted that verse like those people mentioned above, they would have killed all of the polytheists, idolaters, Christians and Jews of the countries that they conquered.
History tells us just the opposite. The churches and synagogues that still exist in Islamic countries refute that claim.
Those who interpret the above-mentioned verse wrongly and incompletely and attack Islam are wrong; similarly, those who evaluate that verse based on their own minds and think of killing all non-Muslims are wrong like those people and are far away from the spirit of Islam.
The mistakes of those people, whom Badiuzzaman describe as “bigoted in religion and lacking reason” cannot be attributed to Islam.
It is wrong to attack Islam by using those people as a pretext. If it is necessary to attack somebody or something, the committees of seduction and subversion that have been trying hard to lead Muslims away from Islam continuously for over a century should be attacked.
The people who were deprived of learning Islam truly and who learned the Quran incompletely or even wrongly have eventually started to harm those enemies of Islam, too.
Moreover, it is well known that the organizations that organize people like that are supported by foreign countries, that they act like a company of murdering and that they make people commit many disgraceful acts from smuggling arms to drug trafficking in return for money.
They are some people who believe in the Quran but who harm Islam though unknowingly in terms of its being practiced in life due to the way they follow. What people generally do is to seek a foreign agent behind every negative movement but the people we mention here are not tools of foreigners; they please foreigners unknowingly.
There is a great group of young people who are loyal to the realities of the Quran heartily, who have adopted Islamic ethics and who worship regularly. The number of them is increasing day by day, making all our enemies think deeply. Those destructive forces constantly encourage alcoholic drinks, drugs, debauchery and all kinds of immoral publications to prevent youth from meeting Islam.
Their aim is to form an animal youth that make their minds and hearts operate based on lust. We have to accept that they have come a long way related to their aim. However, considering that it is easy to destroy and difficult to build, it is also a fact that the scene that makes them more hopeless day by day is becoming bigger.
Years ago, a strange trend that would please those enemies and become a light of hope, though dim, for them emerged. Since they are eager to show up again nowadays, we want to deal with the issue briefly.
Those people say that everything exists in the Quran and that there is no need to look for another source. Although they state that they believe in both parts of kalima ash-shahada, which is the basis of Islam, they follow a strange way by not taking into consideration the second part of it, which is related to deeds. Therefore, they do not accept hadiths as the second source of Islam; they say that everything exists in the Quran and that there is no need for hadiths. We say to them, “Prayer is ordered in the Quran but it is not explained in detail how to perform it. How can we perform prayers without hadiths and the practices of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)?”
They answer this question by saying, “We will perform prayers based on whatever we understand from the Quran.” When we say, “Five daily prayers are not mentioned clearly in the Quran; the morning and evening prayers are mentioned along with the middle prayer, which can be understood as the afternoon prayer”, they immediately approve of you and say, "There are two daily prayers; the third is left to our preference." Then, we say, "Even if there are two daily prayers, how many rak'ahs we will perform these two prayers and what will we read in them? They are not explained in the Quran."
You receive the following strange answer: There is nothing called rak’ah. Only prayer is ordered in the Quran; ruku’ and sajdah are mentioned and qiblah is determined. A person is to determine the rest himself; he can perform any prayer he wishes as any rak’ahs; he can perform a prayer as one rak’ah or ten rak’ahs.
It is not necessary to mention all mistakes of that group here. We will make explanations based on the following hadith and giving prayer as an example: “Prayer is the pillar of the religion.” (Tirmidhi, Iman 8). Their wrong thoughts about the other deeds of worship are similar.
Where are those who perform prayers according to the Quran?
First, let us have a look around us: Are there anybody who perform prayers like that? No. We do not think that they perform prayers like that. If they did, they would show up with this cause, which they believe to be right, would constitute a school that performed prayers like that way and try hard to increase their number. In that case, the result of this idea is to raise a generation that does not perform prayers, under the cover of, supposedly, performing prayers according to the Quran.
They cannot claim that the first addressees of the Quran and the Companions, who were the first friends and students of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), performed such prayers. The Companions practiced and imitated every deed of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), especially his practices related to worship, exactly and meticulously. There is no such individual and arbitrary practice in the period Tabiun, which followed the Companions, and in the Muslims of the later centuries. This state continued like that until this century.
In addition to the true madhhabs, we cannot see such an arbitrary form of worship in the sections that deviate from the straight line of Islam and that we call the deviant sects. Since no such practice has been seen until this century, it means no worship in accordance with the Quran has been performed up to now according to the claims of this group. Thus, according to them, Islam is a religion that does not interfere life and that remains only at the level of faith.
Why did Allah send the Prophet if the Quran is enough for us?
According to their understanding, the Prophet (pbuh) is seen as a person who did not teach his nation how to perform prayers and left them alone with their own views at this point. In that case, the following question can come to the mind "Why was a prophet sent then?" If the only duty of the prophet was to convey the Quran to people, and if he did not have the duty of serving as an example about how to practice the Quran, the Quran could have been sent down through an angel and without a prophet.
Angels are luminous beings that can take any shape they wish. As a matter of fact, since Jibril was able to appear in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in the form of the Companion Dihya, God Almighty could have sent the Quran collectively through Jibril as it was the case related to the Torah, and could have left its practice to people's personal opinions and preferences.
The point where these people are confused is the issue of why God Almighty did not explain prayer and other deeds of worship in the Quran in detail. They interpret it as follows: It means, there is no need for it and it is a mercy for the slaves of Allah to be left free regarding the issue.
According to such an understanding, there is no need for so many details in human laws. It is groundless and meaningless to list all crimes one by one and to explain all penalties in detail. Everyone should study the constitution and apply it as they understand it.
According to this understanding, it is also inappropriate to search the subtle meanings in the book of the universe. It is sufficient to do whatever Allah showed clearly. Thus, you will see the way with the light of sun, breathe the air, cultivate the soil, drink the water and irrigate your crops. It is not necessary to investigate the underground resources, the duties of internal organs, and the properties of genes, atoms and rays because if it were necessary, Allah would show them to us like water and the sun.
Such a thought deprives man of knowledge and blessings of civilization; similarly, looking only at the explicitly stated meanings in the verses of the Quran deprives man from the vast meanings of the Quran and from very deep sources of understanding. Such a person is contented with only what he understands; he does not need to experience what he does not understand or the unexplained decrees. Anyway, what the soul wants is an ungrateful life and a religion without worship.
Is there a Quranic verse saying, “There is no need to follow the Prophet; the Quran is enough for you”?
What those people who oppose ijtihad, do not accept madhhabs and regard ilm al-hal unnecessary do is actually a very wrong ijtihad. That is, saying “The Quranic verses are enough; there is no need for hadiths” itself is an irresponsible and daring ijtihad.
For, there is no verse meaning “There is no need to follow the Prophet; the Quran is enough for you” in the Quran. On the contrary, there are verses ordering us to obey the Messenger of Allah. We will mention some of them later.
Thus, such an understanding is a completely wrong ijtihad originating from feelings and desires of the soul.
Let us see what is stated in the verse that opens the door of ijtihad and enables deduction from verses:
“When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Messenger, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct)...” (an-Nisa, 4/ 83)
The permission to make “istinbat”, that is, deduction is given to those charged with authority (ulul-amr). As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) himself and the authorized scholars among the Companions made ijtihads based on the permission given by the verse above.
Those who say, “We act based on the Quran only” have to know that it is also necessary to act based the verse above and that it means to obey the ijtihads made by authorized people.
The ijtihads made in order to settle new cases that occur based on time related to fiqh are about ten percent as Badiuzzaman Said Nursi puts it; ninety percent of shari’ah is related to definite decrees. Ijtihad cannot be made related to the issues that the Quran expresses clearly and the definite statements of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).
It is a duty for every Muslim to follow the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) exactly about the verses of prayer. If the Prophet (pbuh) performed the morning prayer (fajr) as two rak’ahs, nobody has the right to reduce it to one rak’ah or to increase it to three rak’ahs. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed the morning prayer as two rak’ahs throughout his life and all Companions followed him; all of the scholars and believers that followed them agreed unanimously on; therefore, it is great heedlessness, if not an attempt to distort the religion, to act contrarily to the Prophet (pbuh) and all Muslims based on the following excuse: “There is no Quranic verse stating that the morning prayer consists of two rak’ahs.”
“If anyone contends with the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that becoming to men of Faith, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell,- what an evil refuge!” (an-Nisa, 4/115)
Since those people read the Quran, they must have seen the following verses:
“So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you.” (al-Hashr, 59/7)
“He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah...” (an-Nisa, 4/80)
“Say: ‘Obey Allah and His Messenger": But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith.’” (Aal-i Imran, 3/ 32)
“Say: ‘If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you…’” (Aal-i Imran, 3/ 31)
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak)!” (al-Anfal, 8/20)
“All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship!” (an-Nisa, 4/69)
“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.” (al-Ahzab, 33/36)
“But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against Thy decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.” (an-Nisa, 4/65)
God Almighty could have said, “Obey my Quran and my commands; avoid My prohibitions; obey Me…” directly, without mentioning the Messenger of Allah in the verses above. However, since the such statements were preferred, it means it is impossible to obey Allah without following the Prophet.
There are some decrees about which even the most knowledgeable scholars cannot decide. Let us give an example about prayer again. Authorized scholars can make some explanations about the times of prayers acting upon the relevant verses but they cannot make any decisions about the numbers of rak’ahs, ruku’s and sajdahs, the order of them and the supplications to be said in ruku’ and sajdah. For, such issues cannot be settled through sheer intellect and knowledge, without the instructions of the Prophet.
We read some writings of the people who made such claims. We want to write about an issue that attract our attention:
In most of these writings, only the word prophet (pbuh) was used; they did not regard it necessary to show respect and to send greetings to the Prophet (pbuh) by writing Hz. or (pbuh). We think that is a great loss for those people.
We want to believe that these misunderstandings and wrong deeds, only some of which we have mentioned briefly, are not intentional but are caused by heedlessness; and we hope that those people will return from this wrong way in a short time. Otherwise, they will cause some people to live a life without prayer and worship; and they will suffer a great loss as the same sins committed by those people whom they misguide will be recorded for them based on the rule "He who causes something to be done is regarded like a person who does it."
