The Deciding Authority in Islam An aayah from surah al- Nisa of the Quran reads: But no, by your Lord, they are not ( true) believers unless they make you the final adjudicating authority in their disputes and then find no trace of reluctance in their hearts to what you decide and bow in surrender. ( 4: 65) This aayah , like most of the fundamental Quranic teachings has an immediate context as well as a timeless and universal import. Both are closely interrelated; the immediate context defines the precise meaning and connotation of the aayah and helps us understand its timeless import in the right perspective. The immediate context of this aayah has a temporal background which includes a prominent incident that occurred in the Madani phase of our beloved Prophet’s life. A dispute arose between a Jew and a hypocrite ( munafiq ) who passed for a Muslim. On the insistence of the Jew the dispute was taken for adjudication to the Prophet ( SAW). After hearing both the sides the Prophet decided in favour of the Jew. The hypocrite could not brook it. Apparently a Muslim, he thought he will be able to win the sympathy of the companions of the Prophet. He therefore, took the Jew to Umar bin al- Khattab who had been authorized by the Prophet to decide mutual disputes of the people. As soon as Umar came to know that a decision had been passed in the case by the Prophet which was not acceptable to the hypocrite, he beheaded him, implying that disobeying an express command of the Prophet by a person professing faith in his prophethood was an unforgivable crime. The timeless and universal import of the aayah is clear from its words as well as its interpretation in the light of other Quranic pronouncements and ahadith . Our individual and collective life always comes up with questions and choices. On every step we have to decide whether to opt for this way or that. On all such occasions true believers turn for guidance to the Prophet. In our individual lives, as all of us will agree, we do not care to seek guidance from the Prophet’s message and practice. As far as our collective life is concerned, our history presents a sordid picture. We have not only not cared to seek guidance in our collective decisions from the Quran and the Sunnah but have deliberately violated its letter and spirit. The result is that nature scoffs at us. We are vandalized, brutalized and massacred and those who do it indulge in merry- making on the platforms of our dead bodies. We failed to listen to the warning of a person whom we pay lip- service as Hakeem al- Ummah: Fitrat afraad sey ighmaz bhi karleti hai Kabhi karti nahi millat key gunahon ko muaf Nature may deign to overlook the faults of the individuals, But never does it forgive the sins of nations and communities. A FRIDAY FOCUS: PROF G R MALIK
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:51:38 +0000
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