Masa'il Khalafa Fiha Rasul Allah Ahl al-Jahiliyyah
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- Masa'il Khalafa Fiha Rasul Allah Ahl al-Jahiliyyah
Masa'il Khalafa Fiha Rasul Allah Ahl al-Jahiliyyah (Issues in Which the Messenger of Allah Opposed the People of Ignorance) is an Islamic theological work and commentary by the contemporary scholar Muhammad Hasan Abd al-Ghaffar, focusing on the doctrinal contrasts between Islamic monotheism and pre-Islamic ignorance (Jahiliyyah) .
Purpose and Scope
The work examines selections from the classic treatise of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab on the matters wherein the Prophet Muhammad opposed the beliefs and customs of the pre-Islamic Arabs and the People of the Book . The author states that understanding these contrasting practices is essential for achieving complete monotheism (tawhid), as the Prophet was sent to eradicate darkness and polytheism (shirk), requiring believers to distinguish themselves from falsehood . The discussion places central emphasis on tawhid al-uluhiyyah (the exclusive right of Allah to be worshiped) .
Themes and Method
Before addressing specific pre-Islamic practices, the author lays down fundamental theological maxims:
- Principles of Worship: Any act established in sacred law as worship constitutes tawhid when directed to Allah alone, and polytheism (shirk) when directed to any other entity, such as sacrificial slaughter (dhabh) or vows (nadhr) .
- Divisions of Tawhid: The classification of monotheism into informational (al-tawhid al-ʻilmi al-khabari, covering divine lordship and divine names and attributes) and devotional (tawhid al-qasd wa-l-talab, governing the acts of worship) .
- General vs. Specific Declarations of Unbelief: The distinction between general verdicts (kufr al-nawʻ) and declaring a specific individual an unbeliever (kufr al-ʻayn), asserting that specific takfir is not applied until religious proof has been established (iqamat al-hujjah) and misconceptions removed (izalat al-shubhah) by qualified scholars or advanced students of knowledge .
The text goes on to treat key Jahiliyyah practices and deviations, including seeking blessings (tabarruk) inappropriately, excessive veneration of righteous individuals and shrines, and relying on corrupt analogies (qiyas batil) and subjective opinion over prophetic textual evidence .
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