A Question About The Reference (Almarjieia) In Islam

A question was directed to Sheikh Abdul Karim Zidan, and he answered it in writing, knowing that he, may Allah have mercy on him, answered a similar question and in more detail in a press interview conducted with him by Dr. Jassim Al-Shamri, a journalist in Al-Basaeer newspaper on 9/26/2005. You can refer to it on this website for those who want more details.

Question:  What is meant by reference in Islam? how is it applied?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, our master Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions. As for what follows:

The Almighty says in Surah  Al-Naisaa

(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا)

(O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result)

This  obedience  to Allah, the Messenger and those in authority is  obligatory for every Muslim in every aspect of the life and business of a Muslim, whether he is an individual or a group.

His saying ( وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ) (and those in authority among you), it was said that the princes who have the authority and the rule, and it was said  the scholars and they are the references who teach people the law of Allah, and  this is the most correct.

As the princes exercise their authority by referring to the hardworking, trustworthy scholars who have the ability to derive rulings from the Qur’an and the Sunnah and the reliable sources that indicate them, and these must be obeyed without disobedience to Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him.

His saying ( فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ) (And if you disagree over anything). if a dispute arises between Muslims in the ruling on a matter or in the ruling on an action, it is necessary to refer to the Qur’an and the Sunnah and other sources of legal rulings, which are indicated by the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah in order to know the legal ruling in what we disputed about.

His saying: ( فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ )

(refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day) and returning to Allah Almighty means returning to His book, which is  the Noble Qur’an,  and returning to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, means replying to the Messenger,  may Allah bless him and grant him peace.  Allah Almighty is stated and explicitly stated, in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and if it is not found in the Sunnah, then it is by referring to the  sources of the rulings.  Which is indicated by the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, such as consensus and analogy, and our knowledge of the ruling for what we want to know from the rulings of the Sharia, and this is in the manner that we mentioned. From the Qur’an, the Sunnah and other reliable sources, as Allah Almighty commanded by saying in Surat Al-Anbiya verse 7 ( فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ) (Ask the people of the Remembrance if you do not know).

His saying ( ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا ) (That is the best [way] and best in result) that is, this approach,  which is to refer the disputed over to the Noble Qur’an and the purified Sunnah of the Prophet, has goodness and a good end for the believers.

And may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family and companions all, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Prof. Dr / Abdul Karim Zidan

Sunday 13 Dhu al-Qi'dah /1430 AH corresponding to 1/11/2009AD