The Sunni Association in Iraq / The Rabbanite Jurist

Introduction

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family; his followers until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:

Our Lord, exalted and mighty, has commanded us to be Rabbanites, as He Almighty says: "It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, 'Be servants to me rather than Allah,' but [instead, he would say], 'Be Rabbanites by what you have been taught of the Book and by what you have been studying'" (Al-Imran: 79).

The command implies obligation unless there is evidence to the contrary, as is well known. Therefore, it is proper for a Muslim to understand its meaning to act upon it.

This command is not specific to a certain group over others or to an individual over others but encompasses all people, their elders and youth, their males and females, their rulers and the ruled. It includes all scientific specializations and practical activities concerning religion, worldly life, and the hereafter.

It is obligatory for the scholar, the jurist, the preacher to be Rabbanite, as well as for the doctor, the engineer, the pharmacist, the professor, the teacher, the craftsman, the merchant, the ruler, the leader, the politician, the media person, the economist, and the people's notable and all people.

The matter does not exclusively concern scholars of Sharia, preachers, rulers, or governors, nor is it confined to men over women or adults over children.

To elucidate the concept of being Rabbanite, let's discuss the meaning of a Rabbanite jurist as an example for clarification, not limitation.

The Rabbanite Jurist

Fiqh, linguistically:

Understanding, insight, perception, and knowledge, as agreed upon by the majority of linguists and Sharia scholars. It also means to investigate, split, and open, as stated by Al-Zamakhshari and Abu Al-Sa'adat, though this is not the prevalent view.

In technical terms:

Knowledge of the practical subsidiary Sharia rulings derived from detailed evidence.

Fiqh in religion has a broader meaning and more comprehensive indication: it is the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah and what they indicate.

In the two Sahihs, from Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with them, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever Allah wishes good for, He gives him understanding of the religion."

And in them, from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The example of what Allah sent me with of guidance and knowledge is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed the water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. And some of it was barren that held the water, and Allah made it beneficial for the people, so they drank, watered, and planted. And a part of it was a barren land which neither holds water nor brings forth vegetation. This is the example of someone who understands the religion of Allah and benefits from what Allah sent me with, so he learns and teaches. And the example of someone who does not lift his head with that and does not accept the guidance of Allah with which I was sent."