Articles

Aqida is the Essence of Mysticism
Author : Dr. Jadallah Bassam
Date Added : 27-11-2022

Aqida is the Essence of Mysticism

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah`s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

Straightening of life affairs is the aspiration of the highly motivated and people with high souls. This is a principle that continues rising steadily until it reaches the utmost of human wishes.

 

Scholars of Sharia have paid considerable attention to different types of perfection. The most important three are as follows: perfection of the intellect; which is the specialty of Theology, practical perfection; which is the specialty of Fiqh, and spiritual perfection, which is the specialty of mysticism.

 

The utmost degree of perfection is when man is enabled to carry out the highest of human functions, to be a slave to none but Almighty Allah. Therefore, the higher the degree of this perfection, the higher the degree of mysticism, and this is where the phrase "Aqida is the Essence of Mysticism" was derived.

 

This significant principle was emphasized by some of the greatest scholars from among Ahlussunnah Wal Jamaah, such as Al-Qushairi, Al-Ghazali, Al-Sheikh Zarook, and Tajudeen Al-Subki. Based on this important principle, the paths of accepted mysticism were founded.

 

Al-Qushairi Al-`Ash`ari introduced his book [Al-Risala Al-Qushairiyah] with aspects on Aqida. He {May Allah have mercy on him} said: "Beware! May Allah have mercy on you that the leaders of this sect have based their foundations on the valid principle of Tawheed /Islamic Monotheism." [Al-Risala Al-Qushairiyah, Sharfawi printing/ pp.84}. Therefore, the head of this method, Al-Junaid (May Allah have mercy on him) said: "Tawheed is differentiating between the creator (Allah) and the creation."

Al-Ghazali {May Allah have mercy on him} did the same when he dedicated the first part of his book [Ehyaa` Ulum Al-Deen] for Aqida since it is the essence of the religion of Islam. The same was done by Al-Subki in his book [Jam`u Al-Jawami`] where he gave precedence to issues on Aqida over issues on mysticism. It is as if he was saying that Aqida for mysticism is like the soul for the body. "The balance of Allah rests on three: the intellect, the Quran, and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and all these three are a must." [Hallu Ar-Romooz, pp.286].

 

According to scholarly consensus, belief is the essence of mysticism, so one who seeks mysticism without sound Aqida is like one chasing rainbows while the one who denies mysticism in its totality is characterized with narrow-mindedness.

 

The reason for writing this article is that some people claim that mysticism is contrary to knowledge, so I hope that this article along with the statements of the learned men of the faith have made things clear. And All perfect praise is due to Allah The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on objecting to the Mosque Imam regarding the joining of prayers due to rain?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is not permissible for any of the congregants to object to the Imam in the mosque, whether the objection is to demand the joining of prayers or to oppose it; for the general principle is that the Imam possesses the religious knowledge (Al-Ilm al-Shar‘i) that qualifies him to make the decision in this matter. And Allah the Exalted knows best."

Is it permissible to give Zakah (obligatory charity) to one`s poor sister, or brother?

It is permissible for one to give the Zakah to his poor sister, or brother if providing for them isn`t due on him, and the sister doesn`t receive sufficient provision from whomever that is due on. And Allah Knows Best.

Does vomiting during the day in Ramadan break the fast?

Intentional vomiting is one of the nullifiers of fasting; whoever vomits deliberately breaks their fast.
However, if vomiting occurs involuntarily, the fast remains valid as long as nothing returns to the body cavity (jauf). If anything is swallowed back, the fast is invalidated.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever is overcome by vomiting does not have to make up the fast, but whoever induces vomiting deliberately must make it up." [Narrated by Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi]

What is the waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away, and what is the ruling on her wearing gold?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away is four months and ten days for one who is not pregnant. As for a pregnant woman, her waiting period lasts until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to remain in the marital home, only leaving for a necessity. During this time, it is prohibited (Haram) to display any form of adornment on the body or clothing; this includes wearing kohl, gold, all types of perfume, and dyeing the hair. Likewise, it is prohibited to receive a direct marriage proposal or to marry during this period.
 
It was narrated by Umm 'Atiyyah that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'We were forbidden to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for a husband, for whom the mourning period is four months and ten days. During this time, we were not to use kohl, nor wear perfume, nor wear dyed clothing except for garments made of 'Asb (coarsely dyed yarn). We were, however, granted a concession at the time of purification—when one of us bathed following her menses—to use a small amount of Kust (costus) or Azfar (fragrant substances). We were also forbidden from following funeral processions.' (Narrated by Al-Bukhari). And Allah the Exalted knows best."