As per Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), a Muslim has to follow and understand certain matters. May Allah have mercy on all of us, Islam requires us to be able to understand four matters, which are:
- Knowledge
- Righteous Actions (Acting on Knowledge)
- Da’wah (Calling to Others)
- Patience (in the cause of Da’wah)
These topics are briefly discussed in the following paragraphs.
Knowledge
The concept of knowledge includes knowing everything about everything, knowing Allah, knowing His Prophet, and knowing the matters and ideology of Islam with evidence.
It is our duty to gain knowledge of Allah, the Prophet, and the Islamic religion based on evidence. In the grave, we will be asked about these three issues. Studying, understanding, and implementing these matters are essential.
It is important for us to know who Allah is and what His rights are over us. Prophet Muhammadﷺ is the one who conveyed Allah’s message to us, so it is imperative that we know who he is.
From religion we must know about the two shahaadas (testimonies of faith), prayer, zakah, sawm, and Hajj, which are obligatory for everyone to learn.
Righteous Actions
As a result of the knowledge that has been received, these are the actions that one takes. The implementation of what we learn is an essential part of the learning process. Knowledge leads to actions. The absence of action is like a tree without fruits, a tree that provides no benefit.
A Muslim’s action must be based on the prophet’s ﷺ teachings and must be carried out sincerely for Allah’s sake. These conditions must be fulfilled in order for the action to be valid.
Da’wah
After knowledge and righteous actions based upon this knowledge comes Da’wah, which means propagating this knowledge and calling to it. Knowledgeable and active individuals can engage in da’wah for Allah’s sake by following the path of the prophets. It is important to teach others how to acquire knowledge.
In addition to writing, delivering lectures, and teaching classes, Da’wah can take various forms. Da’wah is implemented to spread the knowledge of Islam, teachings of Quran and Holy Prophet ﷺ. In this manner, the knowledge is wide spread, not only for Muslims to act upon but also for Non-Muslims to learn about Deen Islam.
It is also important to call on Allah with wisdom, preach fairly, and debate in an appropriate and welcoming manner. By doing so, the Da’wah will have the greatest impact on people’s hearts.
Patience (Sabr)
The last but most important matter among the four obligatory matters of Islam is patience or sabr. After getting knowledge, acting upon it and spreading it, one needs an ultimate level of patience. People may tease you, make fun of you or harm you in numerous ways. However, a firm Imaan (belief) requires a high level of patience to bear all this during this great task.
The three types of patience are: doing what Allah orders, refraining from what Allah prohibits, and accepting what Allah decrees.
Proofs of Four Obligatory Matters
The first proof of obligatory matters is the Holy Quran, in which Allah says in Surah Asr:
The translation is “By time, indeed mankind is in loss; except those who truly believe; perform righteous deeds; encourage each other upon the truth and encourage each other with patience.”
Thus, this Surah proves that the four qualities mentioned above are obligatory, because mankind is in loss except for those who possess these four qualities. The four matters therefore prove to be obligatory.
Another proof of these four obligatory matters are the words of Imam Ash-Shāfiʿī. He said:
“If Allah had not sent down to His creation any other evidence besides this Surah, it would have been sufficient [as an evidence] upon them.”
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