The most beneficial fiqh to learn

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [15/08/13]

 The most beneficial fiqh you could learn is the fiqh of your daily life. If you understand this fiqh, your life will become easier and happier insha Allah...

An exercise I like to do is to categorize all my actions that I do rountinely into the 5 ahkam; waajib , mustahaab, mubaah, makrooh, and haraam. So for example, the first action I usually do of the day is to glance at the clock (for salatul Fajr). Looking at the time is permissible originally but because I am doing it for salaah,it is mustahaab (something I get rewarded for doing but no sin if I neglect). 

My next action would be to get out of the bed (for salaah). Getting out of the bed is simply a permissible action originally but to do so for salaah becomes obligatory. Why? Because salaatul Fajr is obligatory and any action that completes an obligation becomes an obligation also. The time span for salaatul Fajr is a little over an hour, so maybe I decide to pray at the beginning of this time. Because of certain narrations that indicate praying at the beginning of this prayer is highly desirable,my praying at the beginning of the time is desirable (although I can pray at any time of the allotted time) and so on for all of the days religious and worldly action.

It is a tedious exercise. But because it is intricate,it teaches a person to think intricately and break down issues to core. A person will no longer look at matters only on the surface and then judge but look at things with a deeper understanding. As it is said, part of giving the proper judgement to a matter is to have proper conceptualization of the matter.

Doing this exercise, insha Allah, gives a person the ability to answer many question to things they will encounter daily,making their life easier to live and will rarely need to seek a fatwa for them...

O Allaah, grant me understanding of the Deen

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 5

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [7/9/12]: 

Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that from the principles(roots) of Islamic legislation is facilitating ease in any matter which there is difficulty. (Example of this is sitting when one doesn't have the ability to stand in prayer). The explainer said that matters are broken down into two concerning a person: What a person can not bear,and Allah will not hold a person accountable for this. What a person can bear and so a person must do and will be held accountable if they don't.

There is a point that should be added here. What is the meaning of 'can not bear' or harship? Another book I read on the same subject mentioned that hardship is broken down into three categories: slight hardship, extreme hardships,and hardships that lean towards one(extreme) or the other(slight, and these type of hardships are normally not excused). An example of slight hardship is making wudu with cold water in cold weather. An example of extreme means something that could cause loss of life or a body limb. Then there is whatever is between those two. 

However,as was explained to the brothers when we studied usool al-fiqh, each situation is subjective and the person who is in the situation is the one who best knows and decides what their limit of bearing a hardship is with the condition that they are being sincere with Allah.

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 4

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [6/9/12]: 

Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that opposite to the principle of choosing the best in matters that one is presented with is if one is presented with matters that are harmful and one HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO CHOOSE then they should choose the least of them in harm. As we say in the West "choosing the lesser of two evils". 

The well known example for this is drinking alcohol to save one's life. (A very real example I read of this is someone who is addicted to drugs so it mentioned that the person could smoke cigarettes to wean the self off of the addiction. Someone may object to this but this is how emcompassing these principles are and how useful they can be,as long as sincerity with Allah is involved). 

Also when one is faced with a choice between something forbidden and something that is undesirable then they should choose that which is undesirable because it is the lesser of two evils...

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 3

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [5/9/12]: 


 Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that if one is presented with a number of affairs which are beneficial, he/she should choose the matter which brings the most benefit. Example: If one is praying a sunnah prayer and the obligatory prayer has started then they should leave the sunnah(which is good) and pray the obligatory(which is better) ie.waajib before mustahaab. Also spending on one's wife preceeds spending on one's other's relatives. This also goes for choosing between the higher of two things which are mustahaab(desirable).

The explainer mentioned that there are exceptions to this general rule. Example: reading Quraan is a higher form of dhikr than simply sitting and making dhikr BUT after the obligatory prayer making dhikr as shown by the Prophet,peace be on him,is better.

This principle is also used in wordly matters concerning,food,clothing,jobs,spouses and so on.

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 2

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [5/9/12]:



Sheikh Al-Sa'ad said that Islam's aim is to bring what is beneficial and prevent what is harmful in religious matters,worldly matters,and matters of the next life. This is a mighty principle as well as being general. The whole of the religion is emcompassed in it. 

(you will notice that what is mentioned in the rest of the book springs from this principle)...

Benefits from Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) - 1

Abu Ubaydallaah Hamid Vince Kromwell [4/9/12]:


One thing that I think that Muslims are most in need of is understanding of principles that they can work with on a daily basis,in religion and wordly matters. With this in mind,Ive decided to start posting from the book Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqheeyah Lifahm Al-Nusus Al-Sharaeeyah(Understanding the Principles to the Texts of Islamic Law) by Sheikh Abulrahman bin Nasir Al-Sa'adi,rahmatullahi alaihi..

After his opeing address Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that intention is a condition for actions(of the heart and the limbs) and it determines whether an action is sincere and correct or corrupted. (Intention distinguishes an act of worship from a customary act. It also distinguishes one act of worship from another.)

An important point mentioned in the introduction: 

Sheikh Al-Sa'adi said that learning these principles is one of the major reasons that make easy the learning of knowledge,understanding it,memorizing it,gathering its different branches,using emcompassing speech.

This alone is enough for one to learn this science...