Imaam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi rahimahullaah said:
Know verily that, the true meaning and understanding of the text has been changed and substituted with different meanings that contradicts the understanding of the pious predecessors.
Of this misreading is the understanding of Fiqh by the imposters who claim to be ulamaa. They have changed its generic meaning to simply knowing about the Furuu’ (details of the Shar’i injunctions) and its ‘ilal.
Whereas the word ‘Fiqh’ during the first generation was used as the knowledge that guides one to the path of the Hereafter, knowing the diseases of the soul
and what can lead to its destruction among actions, considering the dunya a worthless abode that does not deserve much importance, and longing and hastening to the blessings of the Hereafter and establishing the fear of Allah in the heart.
It is for this reason that Al-Hasanu Al-Basri rahimahullah -was reported to have said:
“Verily, the Faqih is one who shuns away from the luxuries of the dunya and desires the enjoyment of the Hereafter;
one who has full understanding of his Din, who remains steadfast in worshipping his Lord, who safeguards himself from plunging into the honour of the Muslims, who does not consume the wealth of others without reason, one who always provide sincere advice to them”.¹
Moreover, the word ‘Al-Fiqh was much used as the knowledge that has to do with the Hereafter. This is because then the knowledge of Fiqh was not meant to mean giving fatwa concerning its branches only, but it was understood to deal with every aspect.
With this myopic understanding that fiqh is only about knowing the apparent matters like Adh-dhaar, li’aan etc, people have been made to focus only on such understandings and they turn away from the knowledge that has to do with the Hereafter.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
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¹’Ad-daarimi’ (294).
