Islamic Culture

The Qur’an’s verses are for implementation

The Qur’an has a special status for Muslims. We treat it with great honour and respect, aware that it is Allah’s word and a Mercy from Him, سبحانه وتعالى.

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And We reveal of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy for believers.” [Al-Isra, 17:82]

Khabab ibn al-Arat said to a man, “Draw closer to Allah as much as you can, and remember that you can do so by no means more pleasing to Him than using His own words.”

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“If We had caused this Qur’an to descend upon a mountain, you verily would have seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitude’s We present for mankind that they may think.” [Al-Hashr, 59:21]

Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said “The best ‘ibadah for my ummah is reading the Qur’an”

We respond to the rules contained within the Qur’an with great energy and enthusiasm. For example, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn” [Al-Baqara, 2:183]

So, we responded to the command taking it seriously, motivated by our taqwa. This Qur’an is not merely a lovely sound, nor only a great symbol of Islam, but it also contains Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

Yet, Allah سبحانه وتعالى also says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى ۖ الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ بِالْأُنْثَىٰ  

“O you who believe! Al-Qisâs (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.” [Al-Baqara, 2:178]

This is also a command of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, using the same form of words as the command for fasting, coming only a few Ayah’s before it, but sadly, there is little evidence of this Ayah’s existence in our lives.

So, while we respond to one ayah with great energy, have we forgotten this other command? Is there anyone who says fasting is not an obligation, something to delay over its implementation? Yet where do we see the rules of Qisas implemented today?  For the most part they are forgotten, or selectively abused in parts of the world.

It is Allah’s solution and punishment for the murders happening all over the world, yet who is demanding compensation for the lives lost today; for all the Palestinians, Iraqi’s, Kashmiri’s, Bosnians, Algerians, Egyptians, Uzbeks and others?

Most Muslims have not been willingly neglectful of this Ayah, yet we feel powerless to do anything. It is an Ayah which remains only theoretical until a state exists willing to implement it.

In another example of rules contained in the Qur’an that remain theoretical and unimplemented today, Allah says:

  يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ ۖ قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ ۖ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“They ask you about the anfaal of war. Say: “The anfaal are for Allâh and the Messenger.” So fear Allâh and correct all matters of difference among you, and obey Allâh and His Messenger if you are believers.” [Al-Anfal, 8:1]

Ibn ‘Abbas and Mujahid were asked and they replied: “Al-Anfal are the spoils of war.”

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sa`d bin Malik said, “I said, `O Allah’s Messenger, Allah has brought comfort to me today over the mushrikeen, so grant me this sword.’ He said, “This sword is neither yours nor mine; put it down.” So I put it down, but said to myself, `The Prophet might give this sword to another man who did not fight as fiercely as I did.’ I heard a man calling me from behind and I said, `Has Allah revealed something in my case’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “You asked me to give you the sword, but it is not for me to decide about. However, it has been granted to me (by Allah), and I give it to you.” So Allah sent down this Ayah.

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “I have been given five things that which were not given to anyone before me…”, mentioning among them: “…and the anfaal were made lawful for me.”

 ‘Ubadah b. As-Samit was asked about Al-Anfal, and he said: “It was revealed regarding us, after the fighters of Badr disputed over the distribution of the anfaal and we began displaying our bad manners, Allah took them all out of our hands, and gave them to the Messenger of Allah, who then divided them between the Muslims equally.”

The verse is general, including all anfaal, and is not specific to the battle of Badr. So it applies to the anfaal today, as it did in the time of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Allah has charged the one in authority over the Muslims the responsibility of distribution and disposal of them. This has been made explicit in the saying of Allah: They ask you concerning (the anfal) spoils of war. Say: “(Such) spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger[Al-Anfal, 8:1]  

lillahi wa-rasool   لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

This was also clear in the action of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم manner of distributing them, as well as in the actions of the Khulafa’a after him. Therefore, the Khaleefah of the Muslims is the person responsible for distributing the spoils of war and disposal of them.

This is made clearer by the following verses concerning fay’, also spoils of war:

ومَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ
 وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ ۚ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“What Allâh gave as Fay’  to His Messenger from the people of the townships – it is for Allâh, His Messenger, his family, the orphans, Al-Masâkin , and the wayfarer, in order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you. And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). And fear Allâh; verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment.” [al-Hashr, 59:7]

The term lillahi wa-rasool  لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ is used here, too.

After the battle of Badr, the Quraysh wrote to the Jews of Al-Madinah, `You have armour and forts! You should fight our citizen or we will do such and such to you, and nothing will prevent us from taking your women.’

Bani NaDeer sent a message to the Prophet asking him to come with thirty of his Companions to meet thirty of their rabbis half way, from either side. They said that the rabbis would listen to the Prophet and if they believe in him, the rest of Bani NaDeer would believe. They intended to kill the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, and Allah informed His Messenger of this plot before they could harm him.

The next day, the Prophet gathered his forces and laid siege to their area, saying to them, “By Allah ! You will not be safe until and unless you renew your peace treaty with me.” They refused to do so, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم fought until they agreed to surrender in return for safe passage out of Al-Madinah. Bani NaDeer evacuated Al-Madinah and took with them all whatever their camels could carry from their furniture, including even the wood and the doors to their houses.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم distributed the fay’ of Bani NaDeer amongst the Muhajireen, giving none to the Ansar, except for Sahl b. Hunaif and Abu Dajana, he gave them due to their poverty.

These verses have been used by ‘Umar to support his argument about not dividing the lands of Iraq, Ash-Sham and Egypt among the fighters, as requested by Bilal, Abdul Rahman and Al-Zubayr. They asked “Would you hold from us what Allah bestowed on us, with our swords, to share it with people who did not take part, and did not even witness the battle, and to their sons and their grandsons even though they did not take part in the fight?

‘Umar is said “I have decided to make the land and their trees an untouchable property, and to impose on them the Kharaj and on their owners the Jizya, these would be a Fay’ to the Muslims, be it the fighters, their children and those who come after them. Do you not think that these frontiers need to be manned by soldiers? Do you not think that these great cities of Ash-Sham, Al-Jazira, Al-Kufa, Basra and Egypt need to be fortified with armed forces to whom we ought to be generous? Where do we give them from, if the lands and the trees were divided?.”

He recited the verses of Al-Fai

ومَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ ۚ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

until he reached Allah’s saying: “And those who came after them” [Al- Hashr, 59:10]

 وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ

and then said: “This verse refers to all the people till the day of Judgement, and every single Muslim is entitled to share of this Fay’.” The Ansar agreed with him and said: “Your opinion is right, you have said the right thing and come up with the right decision, if these frontlines and these cities were not fortified by the fighters, and if those men were not given provisions, the disbelievers would return to their cities.”

Here again, are some ayah’s of the Qur’an, which can only be brought into existence by a Khaleefah. They are explicit in saying that the only way to distribute the produce of the captured land is through the leader of the Muslims. So, let us consider today how the oil of Iraq is sold cheaply to the Muslims’ enemies. How Egyptian gas is piped to Israel. These are still the property of all Muslims, requiring a Khaleefah to distribute them.

Furthermore, the verses above mention a reason for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم way of distribution, saying: in order they (the funds) may not remain in circuit between the wealthy amongst you. [Al-Hashr, 59:7]

The Arabic word “Doolah” means the object that circulates or changes hands amongst people, it also refers to the circulation of wealth; this means that the booty which by right should be granted to the poor to help them secure a living, should not be exclusively circulated among the rich.

Islam has made the circulation of currency between all the citizens an obligation, and it has forbidden the restricting of such circulation to a certain group of people to the exclusion of others. If there were a wide gap within society among the individuals in terms of securing the needs, and if society needed to be rebuilt, the state would be under obligation to redress the situation by handing out financial assistance to those in need, until these basic needs are satisfied, and until a balance in the distribution is struck.

So, how can this fair distribution be achieved without a central leadership for the Muslims? Again, this command can only be fulfilled by a Khaleefah, otherwise the command is only theoretical. Do we not see today how the wealth of the world is highly concentrated in the hands of a few? A few selfish, irresponsible individuals who have caused such fiscal chaos, yet it is the poor who suffer worst from their dealings. Never before did we hear of mothers committing killing her children to escape the crippling hunger. Pakistani’s would pride themselves a decade ago, as although they were poor then, no one ever starved to death on their streets, as happened in India next door. Now we hear Muslims phoning muftis on Pakistan TV shows, asking is it allowed to commit suicide to avoid the hunger?

Also, today we can see how hoarding of wealth is so prevalent among the wealthy. Yet, during the West’s crisis, the politicians are desperate to get the non-wealthy citizens to start spending more. The bad distribution of wealth among individuals all over the world is clear, and what people suffer due to the flagrant disparities need not to be detailed here. 

When the capitalist economists study the theory of income distribution, they completely ignore the bad distribution of individual income, they are contended with the publication of figures and statistics without offering a solution and without any comment.

Islam on the other hand has ensured the effective distribution by restricting the methods of ownership and the method of disposal, and also by offering the needy financial assistance.

وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“And let those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend them in the way of Allah know that a severe and painful punishment is awaiting them.” [At-Tawbah, 9:34]

Owning and saving is not dangerous to the economy, on the contrary, it helps increase the economic wealth of the community as well as the individual.  The danger lies in the hoarding of monies by some individuals with very large fortunes, for the standard of incomes drops in this case, unemployment spreads and people become poor. 

If a person were to hoard a sum of money, he would be in fact taking money off the market, and this would in fact lead to the decrease in spending and to the decrease in the income of persons who would have had dealings with that person had he not hoarded that sum of money; this in turn would lead to a decrease in their production, for the demand for goods decreases, and this would lead to unemployment and an overall economic decline.  Therefore, the hoarding of money leads definitely to unemployment and to economic decline due to the decline in people’s incomes.

 The difference between money hoarding and saving is that the former means accumulating money without purpose, it means taking money off the market, whereas the latter, i.e. saving, it means accumulating money for a purpose, such as saving for a house, or for a wedding, or to set up a business etc. This type of money accumulating does not affect the market nor does it affect the employment cycle, for it does not lead to taking money off the market, but it means saving up a sum in order to spend it at a given time, thus the money will circulate again once it is invested, there is therefore no harm in saving, unlike the hording the money for no real purpose.

So, how can this hoarding be prevented without a central leadership for the Muslims? Again, this command can only be fulfilled by a Khaleefah, otherwise the command is only theoretical.

Many Muslims are used to giving zakat voluntarily to the mosque. No one checks to make sure the right amount has been given, or whether some have neglected to give any at all. However, Allah ordered a different method in the Qur’an:

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Take Sadaqah from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allâh for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them; and Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” [At-Tawbah, 9:103]

Ibn Katheer states: Allah commanded His Messenger to take Sadaqah from the Muslims’ money to purify and sanctify them with it. This Ayah is general, even though some said that it refers specifically to those who mixed good and evil deeds, who admitted to their errors. Some Bedouin later thought that paying Zakah to the Leader was not legislated except to the Messenger himself, using this Ayah as evidence.

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and other Companions refuted this ill comprehension and fought against them until they paid the Zakah to the Khaleefah, just as they used to pay it to the Messenger of Allah. As-Siddiq said, “By Allah! If they abstain from paying a bridle that they used to pay to the Messenger of Allah, I will fight them for refraining from paying it.’

The Messenger used to appoint governors, workers and collectors to take the Sadaqah from the owners of wealth just as he would appoint estimators (Khurraas) to estimate the harvest of the palm and grape trees.

Ibn Sireen narrated: Sadaqah used to be paid to the Prophet or whoever he had ordered, to Abu Bakr or whoever he ordered, to ‘Umar and whoever he ordered, to Uthman and whoever he ordered.”

This applies even if there are shortcomings in the implementation. Suhayl b. Abi Salih narrated from his father who said: “I asked Sa’ad b. Abi Waqqas, Abu Hurayra, Abu Said al-Khudry and ibn Umar: ‘This ruler is doing what you can see (of evil). Should I pay my Zakat to them?’ He said: They all said; ‘Pay it to them.'” Ibn ‘Umar said: “Give it to whoever Allah put in charge of your affairs. Whoever is good, it is for his own self and whoever is evil, it is against himself.”

This verse and so many hadith talk about taking the zakat:

In the Hadith of Abu Musa and Muaz when the Prophet sent them to Yemen to teach people the matters of their deen; so he said: “Don’t take Sadaqah except from these four: Barley, wheat, raisins and dates.”

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Nothing is taken until it reaches five Awsuq.”

Sahl b. Abu Huthma narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to say: “When you estimate, take and leave behind a third. If not a third, then leave behind a fourth”

Makhul said: “When the Messenger of Allah sent evaluators he would say: Be lenient, for there are fruits that are lost due to bad weather, fruits that fall down and those that are used by the eaters.'”

It is not allowed for the Sadaqah collector to aim to take the best of the crops and fruits in Sadaqah due to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم statement: Avoid the best of their wealth.”

So, who is to do this taking, if not the Khaleefah?

Many well known verses of the Qur’an mention how the ruling should be according to Allah’s rules. Many ahadith explicitly oblige the Muslims to appoint a Khaleefah. The examples mentioned above, although not containing a directly stated (mantooq) command to have a ruler ruling by Islam, do oblige it by implication (iqtidaa). The implication is much a part of rule as the mentioned rule itself. It is not to be neglected, just as the other rules that can be fulfilled individually are not to be neglected. So, while we honour this Qur’an when we read it, and when we respond energetically to some of its rules, we are dishonouring it when are less enthusiastic to appoint a Khaleefah to apply the rest of its rules, as necessitated by the wording and nature of the Qur’anic rules themselves. Such neglected rules have defined for Muslim’s our high values, but remain as such without a method of implementation practically in our lives. That method is there for us to see; we just have to apply it.

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

“So, Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom” [Al-Baqara, 2:85]