One of the people who gave the Ihya-i Ulum id-Din, Ibn Umar, when asked for a fatwa, would tell the person asking, ‘Go to the ruler who has taken the burden of governing the people upon his shoulders. Place the responsibility of this fatwa upon his shoulders.’ With these words, Ibn Umar indicated that giving fatwas and rulings regarding matters and laws is a duty of authority and sovereignty. When Hz. Umar passed away, Ibn Mas’ud said, ‘Nine-tenths of knowledge has died.’ Upon this, Ibn Mas’ud was asked, ‘How can you say this when the great Companions are still alive?’ He replied, ‘I did not mean the knowledge of giving fatwas and rulings. My intention is the knowledge that reveals Allah.’
Why do you not seek the knowledge that Ibn Mas’ud referred to as ‘nine-tenths of it has gone’? Why are you not advocates for learning this knowledge? It was Hz. Umar himself who closed the doors of the sciences of Kalam and Jadal. When Sabiğ asked Hz. Umar about a contradiction between two verses of the Qur’an-i Kerim, Hz. Umer beat Sabiğ with his famous whip and drove him away. He also warned all the Companions to stay away from Sabiğ and not to speak with him. Regarding the statement, ‘The most renowned among the scholars are the jurists and theologians,’ know that what earns virtue in the sight of Allah is something other than what you know. Indeed, the fame of Abu Bakr Siddiq was due to his caliphate, but his virtue came from the secret residing in his heart.
The fame of Hz. Umar was due to politics, but his virtue came from the nine-tenths of knowledge that accompanied him. He attained all these virtues because of his intention of closeness to Allah in his governance, justice, and great compassion towards the people. This is a hidden matter in Hz. Umar’s secret. Regarding his other outward actions, those actions can also be seen in anyone who seeks fame and notoriety. Fame is one of the destructive calamities that destroy people. Virtue is something that remains hidden in the secrets that no one can grasp. Jurists and theologians are like caliphs and judges. They are also divided into groups. Some of them strive to attain the pleasure of Allah through their knowledge and fatwas, and to preserve the Sunnah of the Prophet. They never seek showiness or ostentation through their knowledge. These scholars who have this intention are qualified to attain the pleasure of Allah. Their virtue in the sight of Allah comes from their deeds based on knowledge and their striving to attain the beauty of Allah through their knowledge and thoughts. Because every knowledge is an action.
Every action is not knowledge. A doctor is qualified to approach Allah spiritually through his knowledge and earns reward through it. Because he has done the command of Allah through his knowledge and has elevated himself by doing so. A sultan enters among the people to attain the pleasure of Allah. Allah becomes pleased with him and he earns great reward. The reason he earns this reward is not because he has fulfilled a religious duty, but because he has intended to attain the pleasure of Allah through his actions. Things that bring closeness to Allah are divided into three parts: A. Abstract knowledge. This is the knowledge of Mukaşefah. B. Abstract action. For example, a sultan acting justly and governing people according to the divine order.
C. Actions that are a combination of knowledge and deeds. This is called the knowledge of the Path to the Hereafter. The person who has this quality is both a scholar and a doer. Look at yourself! Are you from the group of the people of knowledge, the group of those who act for Allah, or from the group that includes both? If you are from the group that includes both, you will have a share in the virtues of both groups. This is better for you than being a blind follower of abstract knowledge. Indeed, it has been said: ‘Take what you see, leave what you hear! There is a clarity that makes you dependent on the star of zuhal on the face of the sun.’
Ihya-i Ulum id-Din In addition to all these, when we speak about the good qualities of past jurists, we will see that those who claim to follow them have wronged them. On the Day of Judgment, they will be the ones who suffer the greatest pressure. Because the jurists of the Pious Predecessors only intended to attain the beauty of Allah through their knowledge. Their actions have proven that they were among the scholars of the Hereafter. This truth will be clarified in the section on the signs of scholars. Because the Pious Predecessors were occupied with the science of the heart and also practiced self-observation. However, the reason the Pious Predecessors refrained from writing books on the science of the heart and teaching it is the same reason they refrained from writing and teaching books on jurisprudence.
Each of the Companions was an independent jurist in the science of giving fatwas. It is well known that the people who prohibited writing and teaching about them in this regard are definitely known. There is no need to mention those people again. However, let us briefly speak about the situation of Islamic jurists; so that it is understood that our words are not about them, but about those who show their attachment to the science of jurisprudence, but deviate from the path of the great scholars in terms of morality. Otherwise, it may be thought that we are speaking about the great jurists. The pillars of the science of jurisprudence and the leaders of the schools that guide the people along the right path are these five great individuals: 1.
Imam Shafi’i 2. Imam Malik 3. Ahmad ibn Hanbal 4. Imam A’zam Abu Hanifah (Nu’man ibn Sabit) 5. Imam Sufyan al-Thawri May Allah be pleased with all these scholars! Each of them was a worshipper, ascetic, knowledgeable about the hereafter, and a person who aimed to see the beauty of Allah through their work in jurisprudence. The qualities mentioned above are only five of their qualities. They have many more positive qualities. As for the jurists of today; they have only been followers of these five qualities. This quality involves entering the field of jurisprudence with great enthusiasm and carefully dealing with detailed issues. However, the qualities that are useful in the hereafter are the remaining four. This quality, which is meticulously practiced by today’s jurists, can be beneficial both for the world and the hereafter. If this quality is intended only for the hereafter, its benefit for the world is weakened. The jurists of our time have only focused on this quality and claimed that they were following the blessed imams. However, it is impossible to compare angels and blacksmiths.
We will now mention the situations and conditions that indicate the qualities that the blessed imams have abandoned by today’s jurists. There is no need to provide evidence for their knowledge in the science of jurisprudence, because it is already known to everyone that they have reached the peak in this knowledge. The evidence that Imam Shafi’i was a worshipper is as follows: He divided the night into three parts, dedicating the first part to knowledge, the second part to worship, and the third part to sleep and rest. Rebî said: ‘Imam Shafi’i recited the Qur’an-i Kerim sixty times during his prayers in the month of Ramadan.’ Abu Yakub Yusuf ibn Yahya al-Buwayt, one of Imam Shafi’i’s students, also followed his teacher and recited one complete recitation every day in Ramadan.
Hasan al-Kerabisi said: ‘I spent many nights with Imam Shafi’i and saw that he was occupied with prayer during one-third of the night. I never saw him recite less than fifty verses in all these prayers. The most he recited was a hundred verses.’ Rebî’s full name is Rebî ibn Sulayman ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar ibn Kamal al-Muradi. He was born in the 174th year of the Hijrah and died on the 21st night of the month of Shawwal in the year 204. Buwayt is a village in Egypt. He was a pious and ascetic person. Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Yazid al-Kerabisi was a great imam. He first studied under Abu Hanifah and later studied under Imam Shafi’i and became his follower. He died in the 245th year of the Hijrah.
When Imam Shafi’i recited the verses about mercy, he would ask Allah for mercy for himself and all Muslims. When he recited verses warning about punishment, he would definitely seek refuge in Allah from punishment and ask Allah to protect him and all Muslims from punishment. It was as if hope and fear were two close neighbors within him. How far Imam Shafi’i had advanced in understanding the secrets of the Qur’an by reciting only a small amount of fifty verses in his long prayers and how deeply he had immersed himself in the Qur’an! Imam Shafi’i said: ‘I have not eaten to my fill for sixteen years. Because complete satiety makes the body heavy, hardens the heart, dulls the mind, causes sleepiness, and prevents one from worshiping…’ Looking at how Imam Shafi’i feared the dangers of overeating, try to understand some of his wisdom! He says he did not eat to his fill for worship, because the beginning of worship is to be content with little. Imam Shafi’i said: ‘Whether true or false, I have never sworn by the name of Allah in my entire life.’ Look at the degree of his reverence for Allah and his submission to Him! This condition of Imam Shafi’i is the greatest evidence of his deep knowledge about the majesty of Allah.
When a question was asked to Imam Shafi’i, he did not answer it. One of the people present asked him, ‘May Allah be pleased with you, why didn’t you answer?’ He replied, ‘Is virtue in answering this question or in not answering it? I was waiting to think about this.’ Look at how he restrained his tongue from speaking, which is one of the most common vices among jurists! This incident shows that Imam Shafi’i controlled his tongue. At the same time, this incident also shows that Imam Shafi’i spoke and remained silent only for the sake of attaining the pleasure of Allah.
Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Vezir said: One day, Imam Shafi’i came out of the lantern market, and we followed him. We saw a man gossiping about a person of knowledge. Upon hearing this, Imam Shafi’i turned to us and said, ‘Just as you protect your tongues from gossip and betrayal, protect your ears from listening to such things, because the listener becomes a partner to the speaker. A foolish person wants to empty his inner evils into your hearts. Those who listen to such a person become sinners, while those who reject them attain happiness.’ Imam Shafi’i said: ‘A wise man wrote to another wise man in a letter, ‘Allah has given you a knowledge. Do not defile it with the filth of sins, so that the people of knowledge, who walk with the light of their knowledge on the day (of judgment), do not remain in darkness.’ Regarding his asceticism, Imam Shafi’i said, ‘Whoever says that a heart can contain both the love of the world and the love of Allah is lying.’ Humaydi said: Imam Shafi’i once went to Yemen with some officials. From there, he went to Mecca. At that time, he had ten thousand dirhams with him. A tent was set up outside Mecca for him. People came in groups to visit him. He distributed money to the poor. So much so that he had no dirham left in his hand and left Mecca without any possessions.
One day, when Imam Shafi’i was leaving the bathhouse, he gave the bathhouse attendant many goods and left. His whip fell to the ground at one point. Someone bent down to pick it up and gave it to him. Imam Shafi’i immediately gave the man fifty dinars. The generosity of Imam Shafi’i is much better known than what has been mentioned here. Indeed, generosity is the beginning of asceticism. A person who loves something tries to keep it from slipping away. Only those who do not place importance on worldly wealth distribute it. This is the perfection of asceticism. Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Vezir ibn Sulayman ibn Mu’ajir al-Misri was born in the 171st year of the Hijrah and died in the 251st year and on the sixth day of the month of Shawwal. His full name is Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Zubayr ibn ‘Isa. He was from the tribe of Esed of Quraysh and died in Mecca in the 219th year of the Hijrah.
Ihya-i Ulum id-Din The story mentioned above is sufficient as evidence of how advanced Imam Shafi’i’s asceticism was, how much he feared Allah, and how he always directed his attention to the hereafter! Sufyan ibn Uyayna related a hadith he had received from Rekâik. As soon as Imam Shafi’i heard the hadith, he lost consciousness. When Sufyan was told, ‘Imam has died,’ he said, ‘If Shafi’i has not fainted but has died, then the most virtuous person of his time has died.’ Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Belawi said: ‘I was sitting with Omar ibn Nabate. We were talking about the ascetics and the pious. During this conversation, Omar said to me, ‘I have never seen anyone more pious, more eloquent, or more fluent than Muhammad ibn Idris Shafi’i.’ I, Omar, and Haris ibn Lebid went up to the top of the Safa hill together. (Haris ibn Lebid was a student of Salih al-Murra and had a very good voice.) Haris recited these verses from the Qur’an-i Kerim: ‘Today, the tongues will be tied. No permission will be given to the disbelievers to make excuses.’ (Mursalat/35-36) When Shafi’i heard these verses, his face turned pale, and his hair stood on end. Then I saw him trembling and lying on the ground. When he opened his eyes, he made this supplication to Allah: ‘O Most High Allah! I seek refuge in You and Your mercy from being a liar and from the turning of the faces of the heedless.’
My Lord! The hearts of the knowledgeable are turned towards You, and the necks of the seekers are bent before Your mercy. O Allah! Bestow generosity upon me and cover me with Your grace. Forgive my sins with the kindness of Your blessed face. Abdullah said: After this, Imam Shafi’i walked away, and we returned. When I came to Baghdad, Imam Shafi’i was also in Iraq. I was taking a ritual bath by the side of the Tigris. Someone passed by me and said, ‘O young man! Take your ablution well, so that Allah may bestow beauty upon you in this world and the hereafter.’ When I turned around to look, I saw a group of people with him. I quickly took my ablution and followed him. He turned to me and said, ‘Do you have a need?’ I said, ‘Yes, teach me what you know from Allah.’ He said, ‘Know that those who serve Allah with sincerity will be saved. Those who show compassion to the religion of Allah will be protected from calamity. The eyes of the ascetic in this world will be illuminated on the Day of Judgment because of the virtue they encounter. Would you like me to say more?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Whoever has three qualities has perfected his faith: the one who commands what is good and prohibits what is evil, the one who avoids transgressing the limits of Allah, and the one who turns his back on the world and faces the hereafter. Do you want more?’ I said, ‘Yes, I want more.’ He said, ‘Turn your back on the world and face the hereafter! Show truth in all your deeds so that you may be saved along with those who are saved.’ With these words, he went away. After he left, I asked who he was. They told me that he was Imam Shafi’i.
If you carefully consider how Imam Shafi’i fainted before the Qur’an and what he said after waking up, all these conditions are sufficient to tell you how ascetic Imam Shafi’i was. Because all these conditions are clear evidence of how much he feared Allah. Such fear and asceticism are only given to those who know Allah Teâlâ very well. Indeed, Allah Teâlâ indicates this truth in the 28th verse of Surah Fâtır: ‘Only the scholars among the servants of Allah fear Him.’ Imam Shafi’i did not obtain this piety and asceticism from the subjects of jurisprudence, such as salam and icâre. He obtained it only from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and from the knowledge of the hereafter. Because the knowledge of the past and future is based on the Qur’an-i Kerim and the Sunnah. The evidence that Imam Shafi’i was a scholar who knew the secrets of the heart and the knowledge of the hereafter is understood from the rulings he is reported to have made: According to the report, when asked about riya, Imam Shafi’i immediately described it as follows: ‘Riya is a fitnah. This fitnah has arisen from desire and ambition, and it has blinded the eyes of the scholars and prevented them from seeing. The scholars have looked at this curtain according to their desires and have burned all their deeds.’