DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yaum Al-Khamis, 10th day of Dhul-QA^DAH. (Thursday, 9th of June, 2022). SEEKING KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAAM continues. BismilLah. 

Optional Knowledge (fardh kifayah)

This is not a duty required of every individual, but rather it falls upon the community as a whole. Hence, if a group of individuals in the community undertake to acquire this kind of knowledge, all other individuals will be exempted from this duty, and the whole community will be free from responsibility or negligence to acquire this kind of knowledge. Examples of such knowledge include studying Islamic law and other basic sciences, industries and professions which are vital for the welfare of the society.

Unlike obligatory knowledge, optional knowledge covers part of Islamic knowledge and all worldly knowledge. The former is called al-‘Ilm al-Shar’i al Kifa’i (optional Islamic knowledge), while the latter is called al-Ilm al-dunyawi (worldly knowledge).

Religious sciences: These cover all branches of Islamic Shariah, such as: tafsir (Qur’anic exegeses), fiqh, hadith sciences (known as mustalah al-hadith or ‘Ilm usul al-hadith), seerah (the Prophet’s biography), Islamic political science, (As-siyasah al-shar’iyah), Islamic history, etc.

Each of these sciences may require knowledge of other sciences to fully and comprehensively cover the substance of the matter studied. For example: tafsir needs Arabic grammar, Arabic literature, and other linguistic skills; Hadith sciences need the science of criticism (which looks at the narrators’ credibility, trustworthiness, power of memorisation, etc.), called ‘Ilm al-jarh wat-ta’deel.

From the above discussion, we can fully understand the responsibility that lies upon the shoulders of Muslims in this continent. Any community which does not take the necessary steps to satisfy its own needs in all fields of optional knowledge becomes subject to the punishment of ALLAH. Consequently, all its members will share the blame and the sins for their shortcomings.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ISLAMIC SCIENCES

First, the understanding fundamentals of eeman: This is also called ‘Ilm Usul ud-Deen (Fundamentals of Deen), or ‘Ilm al-Tawheed (the Oneness of ALLAH), or simply ‘Aqeedah (Islamic faith). Every Muslim must have a general knowledge of all matters pertaining to his faith. He should have a clear understanding of the Lord he worships, the Prophet he follows and the Deen to which he committed himself. Needless to say, one should exert the best of one’s effort to acquire these fundamentals. Second, understanding Islamic rules and conduct (fiqh al-ahkam): This is also called fiqh al-‘Ibadat (understanding of acts of worship). This field covers all aspects of the Islamic acts of worship that are necessary for the correct practice of one’s Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. It also covers all aspects of family issues, such as marriage, divorce, children’s education, as well as rules and regulations for one’s business transactions such as, buying, selling, borrowing and lending, etc. May ALLAH keeps guiding us all and protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.