ANSWERED: Taqleed in Aqidah

[Yusuf]

"There is no taqleed in regards to aqidah"-What does this mean?

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

as salamu alaykum

sunnipath answers:

The definition and scope of taqlid varies between the two issues... In aqida, it is to follow another, without knowing why you are following them. That is, Zayd believes in Allah because his father does. If he is firm on this belief, such that if his father were to leave it he would remain, then his believe is sound and otherwise it is not. But he is sinful... Having even the slightest understanding of why one believes is sufficient to take one out of this sin, such as: "Well, all of creation requires a Creator... Allah!" Few, as the scholars note, are bereft of this.

First, the claim of taqlid in belief. There is no taqlid in belief. An adult Muslim that enquires or learns about the tenets of belief is not committing taqlid in belief - which is not acceptable – but rather [1] learning something basic which he or she did not know about the Divine Attributes but must believe and/or [2] formulating and clarifying what he or she already believes.

The end of Imam Abu Hanifa's foundational doctrinal text titled al-Fiqh al-Akbar (The Supreme Knowledge) states that when a person is boggled by something which they must resolve on pains of losing their faith, they must immediately ask a learned source to clarify it for them. An example: a person knows that Allah forgives all sins except shirk, and remembers that at one time in their life they committed that horrible sin, then starts wondering: "but can Allah forgive me then? Does He not say that He forgives all except that?" Such a person risks kufr by not immediately asking someone knowledgeable who will tell him that Yes, Allah forgives shirk for the repentant sinner and that the gates of repentance are open until the last moments of death. This is not taqlid but necessary `ilm and ta`lim.

[ilm_seeker]

As sallamu alaaikum

Yes, Allah forgives shirk for the repentant sinner and that the gates of repentance are open until the last moments of death

???!!! You say Allah Ta'ala forgives all sins but shirk and then say He forgives shirk???

Wa alaikum as sallam

[Mossy]

As sallamu alaaikum


???!!! You say Allah Ta'ala forgives all sins but shirk and then say He forgives shirk???

Wa alaikum as sallam

Allah (swt) may forgive any sin that you have not repented for save shirk.

You may repent for shirk and he may or may not accept your repentance on the basis of your sincerity etc.

Hence he can forgive shirk - but only for the repentent one.

[ilm_seeker]

Allah (swt) may forgive any sin that you have not repented for save shirk.

You may repent for shirk and he may or may not accept your repentance on the basis of your sincerity etc.

Hence he can forgive shirk - but only for the repentent one.
As sallamu alaikum

If thats true, then wouldn't you say that it sounds different what practically every Sheikh has ever preached? Meaning to say that they alway say that if you committed Shirk then it cannot be forgiven regardless of how much you truly repent. Once its done its done and will remain on your record of bad deeds for ever.

Wa alaikum as sallam

[Mossy]

Eh, I don't know that many Shaykhs.. :)

But I don't think that's what practically every one since the inception of Islam has preached.

[Mossy]

Something just came to mind re: repentance for shirk.. Surah al-Furqan, 68-71:


025.068
YUSUFALI: Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.
PICKTHAL: And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take the life which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor commit adultery - and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty;
SHAKIR: And they who do not call upon another god with Allah and do not slay the soul, which Allah has forbidden except in the requirements of justice, and (who) do not commit fornication and he who does this shall find a requital of sin;

025.069
YUSUFALI: (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,-
PICKTHAL: The doom will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disdained for ever;
SHAKIR: The punishment shall be doubled to him on the day of resurrection, and he shall abide therein in abasement;

025.070
YUSUFALI: Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,
PICKTHAL: Save him who repenteth and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
SHAKIR: Except him who repents and believes and does a good deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

025.071
YUSUFALI: And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion;-
PICKTHAL: And whosoever repenteth and doeth good, he verily repenteth toward Allah with true repentance -
SHAKIR: And whoever repents and does good, he surely turns to Allah a (goodly) turning.

There are a few others too, but that seems pretty definitive. He is al-Ghafoor and al-Tawwab after all..

[eat-halal guy]

I sense some confusion between repenting from shirk whilst one is alive vs. dying as a mushrik and Allah not forgiving the shirk then...

[Mossy]

Mmm.. The doors of repentence close at death?

Uhh, back on topic people.

Ahem.

[talib al-habib]

salams

sorry to stay off topic (I think the original ? has been answered quite definitively), but, if Allah did not forgive shirk... erm... how would anyone actually convert? Everyone is either a kafir or a mushrik before becoming muslim. Or am I missing some really obvious point here?


btw, in this world, Allah can forgive minor sins without repentence. In the hereafter, He may forgive any sin - major or minor - except shirk through his overwhelming forgiveness. Major sins require repentence in this world, and it is for this that the doors of repentence are closed when 'the soul reaches the throat'.

was salam

[talib al-habib]

salams

viz taqlid in aqida, it's obvious counterpart is taqlid in fiqh. In fiqh, if the ulama of the Hanafi madhab, for example, decided that they would adopt a different position at one point in time, you would follow them in the change. For example, in South Africa, when the first Islamic Radio Stations emerged, there was a big hoo-haa about female presenters. The ulama there deemed it impermissible. Thereafter, however, they received evidences from other Hanafi ulama from the Arab world and the Indo-Pak subcontinent stating the opposite, reviewed their evidence and took the latter ruling. The Muslims in SA followed their scholars in this ruling - this is an example of taqlid in fiqh. Because we are unaware of everything that goes into making tarjih (weighing up evidences to determine a stronger ruling), we make taqlid.

However, in aqida this is not permissible. If the Ash`ari ulama changed their position on, say, the bodily resurrection, it would not be permitted to make follow them in this just because they changed their mind, because this is something that is a necessarily known part of Islam. Note that the lack of taqlid in aqida refers only to the most basic propositions of aqida, not the technical stuff. It does not apply to that which would be beyond the grasp of the ordinary person, such as the logically determined central attributes of Allah, like the precise nature of His uncreated knowledge, or the difference between his substantive attributes and His attributes of state (ma`nawi versus man`uwi).

Basically, the difference is this:

1. Fiqh: if one was asked, 'why do you read salah this way?' It is permissible to say, 'because my father did.'

2. Basic aqida: if one was asked, 'why do you believe in Allah?' one would have to say, 'because everything needs a creator,' or 'because Allah says so in the Quran.' It is not appropriate to say, 'becuase my father said so.'

3. Advanced stuff: if one was asked, 'why do you believe in 20 central attributes of Allah?' It is OK to say, 'because that is how the Ahl as-Sunna have systematized them.'

I stand to be corrected, of course...

was salam, talib

Similarly

[salman]

Salamu Alaikum

إِذْ كُلُّ مَنْ قَلَّدَ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ إِيمَانُهُ لَمْ يِخْلُ مِنْ تَرْدِيدِ

- Because anyone who bases their faith on mere following, their faith is not bereft of doubt.

(Jawhrat Al Tawhid, Verse 11)

meaning: Anyone who basis faith on mere following (taqlid) is bound to have doubt. By mere following we mean "i know because my dad believes" although they do believe but not for the right reasons.

(Not bereft of doubt) meaning is not bereft of the possibilty of doubt.


Minimum proof : creation needs creator. They dont have to express the meaning.

The least level of faith is that which is based on mere following. Imam Sawi quotes ibn arabi that there are 5 levels of faith:

1. Lowest level - of Taqlid or mere following. Taqlid meaning you have no clue why you believe but none the less you do believe in these things firmly.

2. Faith based on some knowledge - knowng and beliving in what must be belived in and having some sort of basis to support it.

3. Having faith conjoined with being watchful of allah : to have living faith, having sense of Allahs watchfulness

4. Reality of faith: To behold Allah with ones heart

5. Realization of Allah: To be realize in ones beholding of Allah

The last3 are more spiritual which i cannot expound on.

He further warns abt mere following

-12) فَفِيهِ بَعْضُ الْقَومِ يَحْكيِ الْخُلْفَا وَبَعضُهمْ حَقَّقَ فِيهِ الْكَشْفَا

- Some theologians have even mentioned difference of opinion regarding their belief, while others confirmed and clarified this.

(Ibid)


-13) فقال إنْ يَجْزِمْ بِقَوْلِ الْغَيْرِ كَفَى وإلا لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الضَّيْرِ

-Saying: if they are firm in their belief this is sufficient, otherwise they remain in harm.

(ibid)

Some theologians said you have to know why you believe. Relied upon position as stated by Imam Subki said that mere following is sound if based on firm conviction. The sign of firm conviction is if the one you follow leaves belief you still follow and are not effected by his decision.

Wasalam