(Series of answers by the eminent scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to the questions of followers on his Facebook page "Fiqhi")
Answer to a Question Did the Messenger (saw) Interpret the Quran and Clarify its Meanings? To Hamed Nazzal
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
It was stated in the book The Islamic Personality (Ash-Shakhsiyyah al-Islamiyyah), Volume 3, regarding the topic "The Existence of Sharia Realities" (Al-Haqaiq ash-Shar'iyyah), the following: (...Furthermore, it is established that the Legislator (ash-Shari’) has informed the Ummah of the transfer of those names from their linguistic meaning to a new meaning placed by the Sharia for them, and that is through the clarification of the Messenger (saw) of these meanings. For Allah (swt) says:
وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ
"And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them." (QS. An-Nahl [16]: 44)
The intent is to clarify its meanings, including the meanings of the Sharia names (al-asma’ ash-shar’iyyah). The Messenger (saw) said:
صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي
"Pray as you have seen me praying." (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Thus, he (saw) charged them with actions and made them understand them; he did not charge them with what they did not understand.)
The question is: Do we understand from this that the Messenger (saw) interpreted the Quran and clarified all its meanings? Or was his interpretation limited to clarifying the meanings of the Sharia names?
May Allah reward you with goodness.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
To clarify the answer, I mention the following points:
First: Your question refers to what was mentioned in The Islamic Personality, Volume 3:
(The reality is that Sharia names occur in the texts of the Sharia, and they occur as realities distinct from linguistic realities. They are words coined by the Arabs, and then the Sharia came and transferred them to another meaning, and they became famous for it. This transfer is not of the nature of majaz (metaphor), but rather it is of the nature of transferring a customary reality (haqiqah 'urfiyyah). This is because the Sharia did not transfer it to the second meaning due to a connection ('alaqah), as is the condition for majaz; moreover, it became famous in the second meaning. Majaz is a word coined for a meaning and then transferred to another due to a connection, but it does not become famous in the second meaning, i.e., it does not prevail over it. Therefore, the transfer of a Sharia name to the second meaning, which the Sharia placed for it, is not of the nature of majaz in any way, but rather it is of the nature of Sharia reality (haqiqah shar'iyyah)... Furthermore, it is established that the Legislator has informed the Ummah of the transfer of those names from their linguistic meaning to a new meaning placed by the Sharia for them, and that is through the clarification of the Messenger (saw) of these meanings. For Allah (swt) says:
وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ
"And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them." (QS. An-Nahl [16]: 44)
The intent is to clarify its meanings, including the meanings of the Sharia names, and the Messenger (saw) says:
صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي
"Pray as you have seen me praying." (Reported by al-Bukhari). Thus, he charged them with actions and made them understand them; he did not charge them with what they did not understand...) End quote.
Second: The clarification of the Messenger (saw) of what was revealed in the Noble Quran is not only for the meanings of Sharia names; rather, the clarification of the Sunnah for the Kitab (the Book) is summarized as follows:
- Detailing the unspecified/succinct (Tafsil al-Mujmal): For example, Allah (swt) commanded the prayer (as-Salah) in the Book without clarifying its timings, its pillars, and the number of its rak'ahs, so the Sunnah clarified that. He (saw) said:
صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي
"Pray as you have seen me praying." (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Then he (saw) clarified the detailed manner of the prayer to the Muslims through his (saw) actions, as narrated by Abu Humayd as-Sa'idi (ra):
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اعْتَدَلَ قَائِمًا وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ بِهِمَا مَنْكِبَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَرَكَعَ ثُمَّ اعْتَدَلَ فَلَمْ يُصَوِّبْ رَأْسَهُ وَلَمْ يُقْنِعْ وَوَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَاعْتَدَلَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ كُلُّ عَظْمٍ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ مُعْتَدِلًا ثُمَّ أَهْوَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ سَاجِدًا ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ثُمَّ جَافَى عَضُدَيْهِ عَنْ إِبْطَيْهِ وَفَتَخَ أَصَابِعَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثُمَّ ثَنَى رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَقَعَدَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ اعْتَدَلَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ كُلُّ عَظْمٍ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ مُعْتَدِلًا ثُمَّ أَهْوَى سَاجِدًا ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ثُمَّ ثَنَى رِجْلَهُ وَقَعَدَ وَاعْتَدَلَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ كُلُّ عَظْمٍ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ ثُمَّ نَهْضَ ثُمَّ صَنَعَ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ
"When the Messenger of Allah (saw) stood up for prayer, he would stand straight and raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders. When he wanted to bow (ruku'), he raised his hands until they were level with his shoulders, then said 'Allahu Akbar' and bowed. He then straightened up, neither lowering his head nor raising it too high, and placed his hands on his knees. Then he said 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah', raised his hands and stood straight until every bone returned to its place. Then he prostrated to the ground and said 'Allahu Akbar'. He kept his upper arms away from his sides and bent his toes. Then he folded his left leg and sat on it, then straightened up until every bone returned to its place. Then he prostrated and said 'Allahu Akbar'. Then he folded his leg and sat and straightened up until every bone returned to its place. Then he stood up and did the same in the second rak'ah." (Reported by at-Tirmidhi, who said: This is a hasan sahih hadith)
- Specifying the general (Takhsis al-'Aam): Generalities appeared in the Quran, and the Sunnah came and specified these generalities. For example, Allah (swt) commanded that children inherit from their parents as clarified in His (swt) saying:
يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ
"Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females." (QS. An-Nisa [4]: 11)
This ruling was general for every parent who leaves an inheritance and every child who inherits. The Sunnah specified the parent whose inheritance is left by excluding the Prophets through his (saw) saying:
لاَ نُورَثُ، مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ
"We (Prophets) are not inherited; whatever we leave is charity." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
And the Sunnah specified the heir by excluding the killer through his (saw) saying:
.. وَلاَ يَرِثُ الْقَاتِلُ شَيْئاً
"...And the killer does not inherit anything." (Reported by Abu Dawood)
- Restricting the absolute (Taqyid al-Mutlaq): In the Quran, there are absolute verses, and the Sunnah came and restricted this absolute with a specific condition. For example, the saying of Allah (swt):
وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ
"And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal has reached its place of slaughter. And whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of the head [making shaving necessary must pay] a ransom of fasting or charity or sacrifice." (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 196)
These three: fasting, charity, and sacrifice, are indefinite nouns in an affirmative context, thus making it an absolute (mutlaq) term. It was restricted by the hadith reported by Muslim from Ka'b bin 'Ujrah, where the Prophet (saw) said to him:
فَاحْلِقْ رَأْسَكَ وَأَطْعِمْ فَرَقًا بَيْنَ سِتَّةِ مَسَاكِينَ وَالْفَرَقُ ثَلاَثةُ آصُعٍ أَوْ صُمْ ثلاَثةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوِ انْسُكْ نَسِيكَةً
"Shave your head and feed one faraq between six needy people—and a faraq is three sa’—or fast three days, or perform a sacrifice."
Thus, the absolute command of fasting was restricted to three days, the absolute command of charity to a faraq for six needy people (the faraq being three sa’), and the absolute command of sacrifice to slaughtering one sheep.
- Linking a branch of a ruling to its origin revealed in the Quran: This branch may appear as a new legislation, but upon scrutiny, it becomes clear that it is linked to its origin revealed in the Quran; this is frequent. For example, Allah (swt) mentioned the fixed shares (al-fara'id), but did not mention the inheritance of the residuary heirs (al-'asaba) except what He stated in His saying:
يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ
"Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females." (QS. An-Nisa [4]: 11)
And His saying:
وَإِنْ كَانُوا إِخْوَةً رِجَالًا وَنِسَاءً فَلِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ
"If there are brothers and sisters, for the male, what is equal to the share of two females." (QS. An-Nisa [4]: 176)
This dictates that the residuary heir (al-'asib) who is not from the children or brothers does not have a fixed share, but takes what remains after the distribution of fixed shares. The Messenger (saw) clarified this by saying:
أَلْحِقُوا الْفَرَائِضَ بِأَهْلِهَا، فَمَا بَقِيَ فَهُوَ لأَوْلَى رَجُلٍ ذَكَرٍ
"Give the shares of inheritance to those who are entitled to them, and what remains is for the nearest male relative." (Reported by al-Bukhari)
So he linked the residuary heir who is not among the children to the brothers and children. Similarly, sisters were made residuary heirs along with daughters, as narrated by al-Aswad:
أَنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ وَرَّثَ أُخْتًا وَابْنَةً، فَجَعَلَ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا النِّصْفَ، وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ، وَنَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَئِذٍ حَيٌّ
"Mu’adh bin Jabal gave inheritance to a sister and a daughter, giving each of them a half, while he was in Yemen and the Prophet of Allah (saw) was alive at that time." (Reported by Abu Dawood)
Mu’adh would not have made such a judgment during the lifetime of the Prophet (saw) except based on an evidence he knew; had he not had evidence, he would not have rushed to the judgment... etc.
Third: Nevertheless, no hadith has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (saw) that interprets every single verse, as far as I know... And the books of exegesis (tafsir), despite their large number and extensive explanations, do not contain a sahih hadith for every verse... Therefore, what is reported from the Messenger of Allah (saw) is relied upon, and what is not reported, the correct method of tafsir is followed as follows:
What has been narrated of tafsir from the Messenger (saw), if it is authentic, is considered part of the hadith. It is not considered tafsir in the sense known by the mufassirin (exegetes), as what is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (saw) in clarifying a verse becomes a legislative text (nass tashri'i) like the Noble Quran.
As for what has been narrated from the Companions (Sahaba) regarding tafsir, it is used as a supportive reference (yusta’nasu bihi). They (ra) were the closest of all people to the truth in interpreting the Quran due to their mastery of the Arabic language and their companionship with the one upon whom the Quran was revealed, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him.
However, the adopted method in tafsir remains that the Arabic language and the Prophetic Sunnah are the only tools for understanding the Quran and its interpretation in terms of its vocabulary and structures, and in terms of Sharia meanings, Sharia rulings, and thoughts that have a Sharia reality... If an authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah (saw) clarifies the verse, then it is what is relied upon. Otherwise, one turns to the Arabic language in which the Noble Quran was revealed to interpret the noble verse, but only from the people of the language who have mastered it.
This is the method of Quranic tafsir that the mufassir must adhere to, and its burdens must be carried by whoever wishes to interpret the Noble Quran. And Allah (swt) is most knowledgeable and most wise.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
25 Dhu al-Hijjah 1439 AH Corresponding to 05/09/2018 CE
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