The former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Syekh Ali Jumah delivered an explanation of the principles that must be adhered to in studying religious knowledge. There are five things to note.
“Brother, you will not get knowledge except with these five. Allah SWT has blessed me, so that I can study the world’s sciences, then with him I travel across various countries and participate in conferences and symposiums. Teaches sharia science, law, and economics, as well as reviewing more than 100 theses,” he said, as reported by Elbalad , Friday (4/3/2022).
The first principle is to respect the legacy of past generations. Syekh Jumah said that the pious generation of salaf had done various things and efforts so that they could pass on Islam, of course, with the permission of Allah SWT.
That generation built a great civilization and Muslims should do the same job as they did.
The second principle is respect for time. Time goes on without being able to be turned back. Life also continues to grow and change. Starting from modern technology, communication technology to transportation equipment that has changed daily human activities.
The second principle is to realize that Islam is a universal religion so that Islam must be conveyed in its original form to the world. A Muslim who in this case seeks knowledge should not be a barrier between humans and Allah SWT. The obstacles in question are bad actions, words or actions that deviate from the path of Allah SWT without being accompanied by knowledge.
This is different from people who confine themselves to certain sects and ignore the universality of Islam. This person thinks that he is the guardian of the ancestry and inheritance.
But Allah SWT knows how much damage is done on earth that is done with good intentions or by ignorance or corrupted mind. “There are lots of people like this,” he said.
The fourth principle is to try to establish a criterion or standard in choosing fiqh. To that end, Sheikh Jumah seeks extensive jurisprudence and distinguishes between zhonniy (prejudice) and qoth’i (which is fixed or certain).
“I did not deviate from the fixed ijma and did not demean the efforts of the predecessors. So I did not stand by him firmly, but on the contrary, I felt comfortable with him and rejoiced at his agreement. I ijtihad with my opinion without hesitation,” he said.
Amen عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا
“And that is what We have made you (Muslims) a middle nation so that you may be witnesses to the (actions of) humans and that the Messenger (Muhammad) will be a witness to your deeds.” (QS Al Baqarah verse 143)
The fifth principle is realizing that Islam is bigger than sects, customs, history and geography. For centuries, Muslim thinkers have understood this, and have not become intolerant of existing schools of thought. Because Islam is bigger than that.
