Allah states: “Those whom believe pay attention: Obey Allah & the Messenger, as well as the Possessors-Of-Authority amongst you. However, if you differ regarding anything: refer it to Allah & the Messenger, providing you actually believe in Allah & the Last-Day. That’s best & a Most-Excellent Conclusion.”.
(Noble-Qur’ān: Chpt.4, V.59)
The Section of the Aforementioned-Verse via The Qur’ān: when it’s stated “…Possessors-Of-Authority amongst you…”, Many/Most-Muslims will default interpret/conclude this to exclusively mean Muslim Religio-Academics/Scholars. So, we’re going to explore how/why so many Muslims take such a Religio-View.
I’m going to begin this by highlighting a 2 Seperate-Convos I had with 2 Seperate-Persons: both Well-Versed via Islāmic-Knowledge. One of them had mentioned the Following-Book to me…it’s known as a Famous-Work detailing a Specific-Madhab. A Madhab is a Religio-Legal School, focusing on Religio-Legal Analysis of ash-Sharī`ah/Islāmic-Law.
For More-Info. regarding Madhāhib/Religio-Legal Schools:
www.garethbryant.wordpress.com/2022/01/26/understandingfiqh/
https://gbwrites.com/2024/10/24/4madhahibmythos/
The Foundation of the Amal Ahlil Al Medina & and the Founding of the Methodology .أساس المذهب المالكي
So…one of the Persons whom I conversed with, regarding this Particular Book: they expressed Grave-Concern regarding a Wellknown-Citation/Quote attributed to the Reputation of the Author of the Work & the Work itself, as well as the Students of the Work itself. The Statement is as follows: “We’re the Khalīliyyūn/the Followers of al-Khalīl. If they’ve strayed, then so have we.”.
Now, on the Other-End, as per the Other-Person I conversed with: they indicated that it’s untrue/dishonest to interpret the Cited/Quoted-Statement the Way it typically can be. They mentioned that the Cited/Quoted-Statement isn’t from the Work itself, but rather it became a Popular-Statement regarding the Religio-Academic Reputation of Khalīl al-Jundī. They described the Statement as merely a Sign of Religio-Scholastic Respect for Khalīl al-Jundī.
This-Statement itself, from what I gather is that those whom follow Khalīl al-Jundī are very stern towards taking the Scholarship of Khalīl al-Jundī very seriously. This can be a Positive or a Negative equally. It’s because it can imply that Khalīl al-Jundī is “never wrong” & if they’re “wrong”, then it means that their Students are “wrong”, and their Students would never claim that Khalīl al-Jundī “wrong” about anything.
I can most definitely see where Both-Persons are coming from. The Silver-Lining Issue, of course, is a very popularized Religio-Concept amongst Muslims known as at-Taqlīd/Blind-Following. The Usūl/Origins of the Concept itself-Historically it stems from Ignorant-Persons necessarily being connected to Knowledgeable-Persons, in order to get the Best-Understanding of al-Islām. But, too often, this has greatly evolved into Certain-Muslims aimlessly following anyone exclusively because they allign with the same: Hizb/Religio-Sect, `Aqīdah/Religio-Theological School, Minhāj/Religio-Ideology, etc.
For More-Info. regarding at-Taqlīd:
https://gbwrites.com/2022/04/12/taqliqvsnotaqlid/
https://gbwrites.com/2021/12/23/hizbiyyah/
https://gbwrites.com/2022/06/28/dangersandidiocyofhizbiyyah/
https://gbwrites.com/2022/07/13/religioextremismbreedscarnage/
https://gbwrites.com/2022/11/10/muslimflatearther/
The Irony though is that All-Muslims are Islāmically-Required to be Religio-Knowledgeable regarding al-Islām. What this means, inherently, is that it’s an Ithm/Sin for any Muslim to be Purposely-Ignorant. Even if a Muslim doesn’t have Access to Education, Wealth/Funds to pay for Education, lacks Books for whatever Reason, or is Completely-Illiterate, etc. they must still expend any/all Efforts to attain whichever Knowledge they possibly can. Hell…even as per Secular-Matters there’s Certain-Things which every Muslim must/should know. This is precisely how/why Muhammad (Peace be upon them) stated: “Pursuing Knowledge is a Farīdhah/Islāmic-Mandate, upon every Muslim.”.
(ibn-Mājah)
This now brings us to the Title of the Article itself. Attempting to be as objective as I can: Both-Persons brought Valid-Arguments, as per possessing Scholastic-Respect & as per not being a Dick-Rider. Scholastic-Respect is essential, while however being a Dick-Rider is dangerous. Muhammad even stated: “Don’t be an Imma`ah.”…the Word “Imma`ah” in fact means “Dick-Rider”.
(at-Tirmidhī; Lisān-ul-`Arab [Lexicon of the Arabic-Language], ibn-Manzhūr)
For More-Info. regarding al-Imma`tiyyah/Dick-Rider Culture amongst Muslims:
www.garethbryant.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/knowledgemonopoly/
www.garethbryant.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/groupieculture/
www.garethbryant.wordpress.com/2023/07/06/moralityappliestousall/
The Overall-Takeaway from This-Article must/should be:
1. al-Jahl/Ignorance isn’t a “Flex”. al-`Ilm/Knowledge is a Must for any/all Endeavors.
2. al-Islām at All-Times is predicated upon al-`Ilm via at-Tanzīl/Revelation.
3. Islāmic-Knowledge takes precedence over any/all other Kinds/Types of Univeral/Secular-Knowledge.
4. al-`Ilm must be understood/interpreted based upon Sound-Evidence/Sources & Proper-Cultivation/Education.
5. No 1-Individual, 1-Entity, 1-Group, etc. has any such “Monopoly” over Islāmic-Knowledge.
6. Only Allah is Al-`Alīm/The All-Knowing. So, none of us should ever treat anyone as though they know everything.
I know, as for me: this is precisely how/why I’m Madhab-Fluid. Meaning, I’m willing to recognize/accept anything from any Madhab which is rooted in at-Tanzīl & I readily ignore/reject anything from any Madhab which I personally don’t find predicated upon at-Tanzīl. Muhammad stated: “Abandon whatever makes your Heart question/speculate.”.
(ibn-ul-Mubārak)
Mālik ibn-Anas (ironically the Progenitor/Founder of the Mālikī-Madhab in which al-Khalīl’s Work is directly about the Mālikī-Madhab):
“The Kalām/Speech of anyone can be freely accepted or rejected, except the Kalām of the Occupier of This-Grave (pointing towards the Grave of Muhammad ibn-`Abdillah: the Messenger-Of-Allah via al-Madīnah).”.
(adh-Dhahabī)
Gareth Bryant 1445, A.H./2023, C.E.
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