The danger of taking any part of religious knowledge from other nations and the permissibility of benefiting from them in worldly sciences.
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Eid Abbasi : And we know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned of the danger of this and cautioned against it. The hadith of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is sufficient to indicate this. When he wrote down some pages from the Torah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them and asked him about them. 'Umar said, "I had a Jewish friend, and I copied some pages from the Torah from him." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became very angry and said: . Thus, he (peace and blessings be upon him) declared that there is no guidance except the guidance he brought from his Lord. It is not permissible for anyone to be followed, to be an imam, to be a role model, to be pleasing to followers, or to be a source from which guidance is taken, except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This indicates that it is not permissible for Muslims to take their religion, their guidance, their direction, their morals, or any of their ideas, concepts, values, or behavior from any other nation. What is the reason for this?
The reason is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent them complete guidance and distinguished them with complete favor. Therefore, they have no need for other guidance, nor do they need the direction of other people. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) informed them that He has perfected their religion, completed His favor upon them, and chosen Islam as their religion:[Al-Ma'idah 5:3]. Whoever turns to anything other than the revelation brought by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) believes, by implication, that the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is not sufficient! And that there is other guidance and better good that can be sought among other nations. The consequence of this is disbelief, even if many do not understand it or intend it.
This text alone is sufficient to warn against turning to the methods of other nations and their guidance in their ideas, beliefs, morals, and values. Of course, this does not include worldly matters, lest someone say that Islam has restricted minds and narrowed down ideas. Because the various sciences are general and comprehensive among other nations, and we cannot ignore or be pleased with the scientific progress and civilizational superiority that non-Muslims and foreigners bring in some eras. This is true; worldly knowledge is not specific to Muslims, the human mind works, and other nations work and rise. Civilizational and worldly scientific progress, as it is said, is exchanged among nations; one day it is the lot of this nation, and another day it is for that nation. They all move, work, and build this material civilization. In the aspect of knowledge, our Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He) has not restricted us from taking from them pure industrial worldly knowledge, such as agriculture, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. However, the condition is that nothing from these sciences or innovations contradicts what Islam brought us. Because among the innovations and theories of science, there are matters that we may find contradict Islam, so it is not permissible to accept them. Islam is truth, and doubt and suspicion do not touch it. As for these sciences, they are the product of humans, and they are the innovation of people who may be right or wrong, and they are not free from motives and desires. Therefore, if a clear, explicit, and definitive legal text contradicts a scientific theory or modern ideas, our trust must be in what came from Allah and His Messenger, and nothing else. We must prioritize it over these matters that come to us from others.
I said: There is no harm in accepting these sciences with this condition. Our basis for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the famous hadith regarding the pollination of date palms. The summary is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he found the people of Madinah pollinating their date palms. He asked them what they were doing, and they said, "It is something we are accustomed to." He said:. So they left it, and their fruit decreased. They later informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of this, and he said: , or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
So there are two matters or two types of matters: religious matters, which include beliefs, morals, ideas, concepts, values, culture, and etiquette. These must not be accepted except through... and we must not take them except from the true and correct revelation brought by him (peace and blessings be upon him). And there are purely worldly... and scientific matters, which it is permissible to take from them, indeed it is obligatory; but with the previous condition that we do not take what contradicts what came to us through the true revelation and through the Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him).
Are you going to be in doubt as the Jews and Christians were in doubt? By Him in whose hand is my soul, if Musa ibn 'Imran were alive, he would have had no choice but to follow me.
أمتهوِّكون أنتم كما تهوَّكت اليهود والنصارى ؟! والذي نفسي بيده ؛ لو أنَّ موسى بن عمران كان حيًّا لَمَا وَسِعَه إلا أن يتَّبَعَنيThe reason is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent them complete guidance and distinguished them with complete favor. Therefore, they have no need for other guidance, nor do they need the direction of other people. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) informed them that He has perfected their religion, completed His favor upon them, and chosen Islam as their religion:
This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًاThis text alone is sufficient to warn against turning to the methods of other nations and their guidance in their ideas, beliefs, morals, and values. Of course, this does not include worldly matters, lest someone say that Islam has restricted minds and narrowed down ideas. Because the various sciences are general and comprehensive among other nations, and we cannot ignore or be pleased with the scientific progress and civilizational superiority that non-Muslims and foreigners bring in some eras. This is true; worldly knowledge is not specific to Muslims, the human mind works, and other nations work and rise. Civilizational and worldly scientific progress, as it is said, is exchanged among nations; one day it is the lot of this nation, and another day it is for that nation. They all move, work, and build this material civilization. In the aspect of knowledge, our Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He) has not restricted us from taking from them pure industrial worldly knowledge, such as agriculture, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. However, the condition is that nothing from these sciences or innovations contradicts what Islam brought us. Because among the innovations and theories of science, there are matters that we may find contradict Islam, so it is not permissible to accept them. Islam is truth, and doubt and suspicion do not touch it. As for these sciences, they are the product of humans, and they are the innovation of people who may be right or wrong, and they are not free from motives and desires. Therefore, if a clear, explicit, and definitive legal text contradicts a scientific theory or modern ideas, our trust must be in what came from Allah and His Messenger, and nothing else. We must prioritize it over these matters that come to us from others.
I said: There is no harm in accepting these sciences with this condition. Our basis for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the famous hadith regarding the pollination of date palms. The summary is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he found the people of Madinah pollinating their date palms. He asked them what they were doing, and they said, "It is something we are accustomed to." He said:
If you had not done it, it would have been better.
لو لم أن تفعلوا لَكان خيرًاIf I tell you about a matter of your religion, take it. And if I tell you about a matter of your worldly affairs, you are more knowledgeable about your worldly affairs.
إذا حدَّثتكم عن أمرٍ من أمور دينكم فخذوا به ، وإذا حدَّثتكم عن أمرٍ من أمور دنياكم ؛ فأنتم أعلم بأمور دنياكمSo there are two matters or two types of matters: religious matters, which include beliefs, morals, ideas, concepts, values, culture, and etiquette. These must not be accepted except through... and we must not take them except from the true and correct revelation brought by him (peace and blessings be upon him). And there are purely worldly... and scientific matters, which it is permissible to take from them, indeed it is obligatory; but with the previous condition that we do not take what contradicts what came to us through the true revelation and through the Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him).
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.