I want to study Islam:

The Scholar

The contents of this part are based upon the principle that ijtihaad in most of its forms is still possible in our time. For those who do not follow this opinion, this post is still largely applicable as it is expected that a full scholar would be able to partially or almost completely fulfill the conditions mentioned in one respect or another.

The Scholar as we will discuss here is the Muslim who is able to give a legal fiqh verdict of a worldly issue as being permissible or forbidden. This is what most people expect when they hear of an “Islamic Scholar”—someone who is able to analyze the reality of a questioner and the time and place in which they live and deduce legal advice or make a ruling or decision on an issue from the texts of fiqh.

Keeping these presumptions in mind, the conditions by which one becomes a Scholar have been mentioned in almost every text in the science of usool-ul-Fiqh since the times of the early scholars, and although they differed often in the wording and the details, they were almost unanimous in the core understandings and categorizations of these conditions. They are as follows:

1) A mastery of the Arabic language, which consists of the science of Arabic grammar and syntax (nahw), the science of the morphological states of Arabic words (sarf), the science of rhetoric, prose and expression (balagha), and thorough experience with Arabic literature, both pre-Islamic and around the first century of Islam (adab). An individual who interprets a verse in the Qur’an or a hadith without an understanding of Arabic risks committing a major sin, even if he interprets it correctly.

2) A mastery of usool-ul-fiqh and the understanding of which literary, deductive, inductive and intellectual devices to give precedence to in different circumstances. Also included in this is the mastery of the underlying principles of Islamic Law (al-qawaa’id ul-fiqhiyyah).

3) A mastery of transmitted evidence. This is comprised of having understood, studied and memorized the Qur’an in its entirety and most of the transmitted sunnah (although it was differed upon as to whether memorization of these was as important or not). With regards to the sunnah, being able to sift through narrators and narrations and determine weakness, strength, hidden defects, or additions is also a condition.

4) What has often been described in very different ways as: the mastered ability to do fiqh. This requires an individual of not just perception, intellect, understanding and fulfillment of the previous conditions, but also having studied one of the four schools of fiqh in Islam. The issue is not about the need to stick to a particular madhhab, but rather there is no doubt that one who has not pored over books of fiqh will find him or herself lacking in the ability to think like a scholar, much less be one.

5) An understanding of the reality of the Muslims. Being a Scholar is not just about having mastery in the sciences of Islam, but it is also about understanding the world and its complexities. Legal verdicts and decisions have to take into account not just the texts, but also the cultural, social, psychological, scientific and situational parameters of the issue being addressed. In a world where information is easily exchanged over vast distances and realities, this has become a rapidly accepted condition of being a Scholar.

Studies of this magnitude continue for the lifetime of a Scholar, and the initial foundations can take anywhere from 10 to 20 years pf study with teachers, after which numerous years of self study are often required before the Scholar is ready to tackle problems in the real world. One of the ways to distinguish such a scholar is his ability to generate new Scholars in addition to Muslim Activists.

It should be noted that a Scholar comes in a variety of competencies according to the level of mastery. Those who are still in the process of becoming one are called “students of knowledge,” while those who are able to give a legal verdict are of different levels and strengths. It is also possible for a Scholar to be an activist at the same time, and they may be much more effective in their activism than the average Muslim Activist.

Note: What is not from the conditions of being a scholar in Islam:
– a B.A., M.A. or Ph.D. in Islamic Studies
– study with a certain group of scholars in a certain region of the world.
– a preference for certain opinions in theology or law over others.
– being male, of a certain ethnicity, older in age, dressing a certain way, having a long beard, wearing a turban or shemagh or thobe or bisht
– fame or the title of Ustadh, Shaykh, Mufti, or Allaamah before the name
– of the Prophet’s ﷺ family

I want to study Islam:

The Activist

As the Informed Muslim progresses, he/she may eventually make the choice to move on and become a Muslim Activist. A Muslim Activist can differ quite dramatically from the Scholar, the key difference being that a scholar is equipped to issue a legal fiqh ruling and has fulfilled the conditions to do so, while the Muslim Activist is not. This will be discussed further in the next section (The Scholar). The Muslim activist is often an imam of a mosque, a caller to Islam or a specialist in a field other than the Islamic Sciences, such as philosophy, language or politics. A Muslim Activist is unable to generate new, independent scholarship, although he or she is able to generate more Informed Muslims and can share information with other Muslim Activists on a basic level.

The first step for a Muslim Activist, beyond fulfilling the learning responsibilities of the Informed Muslim, can vary depending on the type of activism in which the individual wants to be involved. For example, a Muslim Activist involved in political discourse should be well informed of the political theory and ideas involved, as is the case with other activism, such as those who are interested in addressing issues in atheism, Orientalism or general community and youth work.

With regards to Islamic Studies, it is highly recommended that the Muslim Activist maintain a consistent pattern of learning of the Islamic Sciences whether in Arabic or his or her native language (although the former is highly recommended due to the abundance of materials available). Learning related to his or her area of activism should be more rigorous than in others. For example, an individual participating in discussions on politics should have a general working knowledge of Islamic law in at least one madhhab (school of Islamic legal thought) as well as the field of siyasat-ul-shari`ah (politics of Islamic law). An individual dealing with atheism should be well versed in the different understandings of Islamic theology and its foundations, and the activist in the field of Orientalism should be well versed with the ins and outs of the hadith (narrations) and Qur’anic Sciences. Please note these are general recommendations and can vary depending on the specificity of the activism involved.

A teacher or mentor in the Islamic Sciences and and in the particular field of activism is strongly recommended for the Muslim Activist, and if this mentor is a Scholar (as described in the next article), then that is better than having a more learned Muslim Activist as a mentor, although not necessary.

The Muslim Activist is not permitted to give a legal ruling, and should not be involved in teaching or interpreting classical texts. He or she can still teach Islam but should be very careful to teach others by way of referencing the works of scholars (whether contemporary or classical) so as to protect his or herself from the major sin of giving a legal verdict or interpreting a verse of Qur’an or hadith without the necessary knowledge.

I want to study Islam:

The Informed Muslim

This is the first category in discussing the study of Islam amongst Muslims. To begin, what are the objectives of this group? According to the scholars of jurisprudence, it is to learn enough about your religion to fulfill what is compulsory upon you with regards to your relationship between you and your Creator. For some this is simple; for others it can require a bit more effort. What is required? Here are some key categories:

1) Basic `aqidah (creed): what is compulsory for a Muslim to believe about Allah, His messengers, the angels, the holy revealed books sent down to His prophets, the Last Day, divine predestination and life after death. It is also important for a Muslim to learn about how to cure the illnesses of the soul and heart according to Islamic principles.

2) Basic Fiqh (jurisprudence): what is compulsory when it comes to prayer and reciting the Qur’an, zakat (giving in charity), fasting and hajj. Also required is knowledge of rulings that are known by default in the religion, such as the major sins and words or actions that can remove you from Islam. More may be required for others, such as learning about usury in transactions for businesspeople and medical ethics for those who are in the medical field.

3) Removing Doubts: whatever a Muslim needs to learn to keep doubts from destroying his or her faith. This can differ from person to person. Many may not require much, but some people may require extensive reading in side topics. For example, a new Muslim who is leaving Christianity may require more in the way of the Islamic critique of Christianity, and a Muslim who experiences doubts because of atheism may need to do further reading or studying in topics that address the status of Islam with regards to other universal philosophies, Orientalist critique, or the superiority of Islamic ethics. For most Muslims, a few YouTube videos, articles, and sometimes books can suffice for this.

Everything else the Informed Muslim learns after these is extra. However, the Informed Muslim is encouraged to continue in learning whatever he or she feels will benefit their faith, such as learning Arabic, memorizing the Qur’an, learning and reflecting over the meanings of the Qur’an, and other facets of Islam through any means available to them whether online, in print or with a teacher.

As for how the Informed Muslim is to accomplish this, nowadays alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) it has become quite easy due to the plethora of online content, TV shows, literature, community and masjid (mosque) events, classes and da`wah (preaching) programs and institutes organized in most Muslim communities. It is not necessary to have a teacher, although it is better, especially if the Informed Muslim is confused about something. It is always preferable to know someone who you can ask questions; this may be a Muslim Activist or a Scholar.

Needless to say, it is also important for the Informed Muslim to put in practice what he or she learns, primarily by fulfilling compulsory acts of worship at all costs. Other additional acts of worship are recommended to increase in incrementally over time. If the Informed Muslim lives in a non-Muslim country, community involvement may be much more important than additional acts of worship whether through the local mosque, charity organization or other religious organization.

I want to study Islam: Part I

By Samir Hussain

As we thankfully continue to hear more Muslims in our generation utter this phrase, it becomes necessary to discuss the topic of “studying Islam” in detail. Over the years, I have come to realize that most people like myself were clueless as to how to study Islam. Thanks to a plethora of unqualified individuals ascribing knowledge to themselves (some, unfortunately, held in high regard by many Muslims), this critical problem does not seem close to a resolution. We all understand why Islam needs to be studied; the benefits in both this life and the next are mentioned in enough sources, classical and modern, even online. But very few people today have actually done it properly and then been able to convey effectively why that method was the “proper” way to do it in the first place. Also, older recommendations from the books of usool-ul-fiqh (the science of deducing and inducing rulings and meanings from the texts) may be irrelevant for the vast majority whose goal is not to become a mufti (scholar of Islamic law) or a scholar.

Let’s look at the process one step at a time.

The most important question to discuss is: “What do you want to achieve through your study of Islam?”

I will use this to organize the rest of this series, as differing goals in studying Islam necessitate different methods of studying it. For the sake of brevity, let us suppose that there are 3 categories here:

1) You want to study to be an Informed Muslim and survive the day-to-day challenges of holding on to your faith in a scary world where extremism in all forms is abundant and the demands of a modern lifestyle constantly occupy your attention.

2) You want to be a Muslim Activist, someone who helps to clarify misconceptions about Islam, teach Muslims the basics of their religion and call people to the truth, and help with social issues within the community.

3) You want to be a Scholar, someone who is eventually able to do proper scholarly ijtihaad (original or independent interpretation of Islamic law) and give fatwa (a scholarly religious ruling or opinion on Islamic law) (at some level), raise new generations of scholars, and help the ummah (Muslim community) as a whole deal with novel issues.

I will deal with each separately in turn. As you have obviously noted, the first category consists of the vast majority of Muslims. The second are a small minority and vary in their capability, and the third are a rare few whose names are often obscure to most people and only known to a handful of senior students of knowledge pursuing higher studies. It is important to note that this categorization is specific to levels of knowledge and qualification to speak about the religion only. As for implementing Islam properly, having taqwa (consciousness of God) and being a righteous individual, this applies to all Muslims regardless of the level of knowledge, as both a housewife and a faqih (expert of Islamic law) are obliged to follow the same obligatory and supererogatory actions according to the Qur’an and sunnah (teaching and practices of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him).