The first thing is to correct the belief in
accordance with those which the Ahl as-sunna savants communicate in their
books. It is only this Madhhab that will be saved from Hell. May Allâhu ta’âlâ give plenty of rewards for the efforts
of those great people! Scholars of the four Madhhabs, who reached the grade of
ijtihâd and the great scholars educated by them are called Ahl as-sunna scholars.
After correcting the belief (îmân), it is necessary to perform the acts of
worship conveyed in the knowledge of fiqh, i.e. to do the commands
of the Sharî’at and to abstain from what it prohibits. One should perform namâz
five times each day without reluctance or slackness, and should be careful
about its conditions and ta’dîl-i arkân. He who has as much money or property
as nisâb should give zakât. Imâm-i
a’zâm
Abû Hanîfa says, “Also, it is necessary to give the zakât of gold and silver
which women use as ornaments.”
One should not waste his
precious life on trivialities even if they are permitted (mubâh). It is
certainly necessary not to waste time on the harâm. We should not busy
ourselves with taghannî, singing, musical instruments, or songs. We should not
be deceived by the pleasure they give our nafses. These are poisons mixed with
honey and covered with sugar.
One should not commit giybat. Giybat is harâm. [Giybat means to talk about a Muslim’s or a
Zimmî’s secret faults behind his back. It is necessary to tell a Muslim about
the faults of the Harbîs, about the sins of those who commit these sins in
public, about the evils of those who torment Muslims and who deceive Muslims in
buying and selling. Thus, Muslims will be aware of their harms. To expose the
slander of those who talk and write about Islam wrongfully is not giybat. (Radd-ul-Muhtâr: 5-263)]
One should not spread gossip (carry words)
among Muslims. It has been declared that various kinds of torments will be
inflicted on those who commit these two kinds of sins. Also, it is harâm to lie
and slander; these must be abstained from. These two evils were harâm in every
religion. Their punishments are very heavy. It is very blessed to conceal
Muslims’ defects, not to spread their secret sins and to forgive them for their
faults. One should pity one’s inferiors, those under one’s command [such as
wives, children, students, soldiers] and the poor. One should not reproach them
for their faults. One should not hurt or beat or swear at those who are weak
for trival reasons. One should not attack another’s property, life, honour, or
chastity. Debts to anyone or to the government must be paid. Bribery, accepting
or giving, is harâm. However, it will not be bribery to give it when there is
no other way out, e.g. under a tyrant’s oppression. However, it is harâm to
take a bribe even under such conditions. Everybody should see their own
defects, and should every hour think of the faults which they have committed
towards Allâhu ta’âlâ. They should always bear
in mind that Allâhu ta’âlâ does not hurry in
punishing them, nor does He cut off their sustenance. The orders from one’s
parents, or from the government, compatible with the sharî’a must be obeyed,
but those incompatible with the sharî’a should not be resisted in a way that
will provoke
fitna.
[See the 123rd letter in the second volume of the book Maktûbât-i Ma’thûmiyya.]
After correcting the belief and doing the commands of fiqh, one should spend all one’s time remembering Allâhu ta’âlâ. One should continue remembering and mentioning Allâhu ta’âlâ as the great men of religion have prescribed. One should feel hostility towards all the things that will prevent the heart from remembering Allâhu ta’âlâ. The more you adhere to the Sharî’at, the more delicious will it be to remember Him. As indolence and laziness increase in obeying the Sharî’at, that flavour will gradually decrease, eventually disappearing. What can I write more than what I have written already? It will be enough for a reasonable person. We should not fall into the traps of the enemies of Islam by falling for their lies and slanders.