Essential Religious Practices in Islam
By
Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam
26 February
2022
This article discusses what are the essential
religious practices in Islam. I begin with an example of how to avoid the
pitfalls of jumping to erroneous conclusions based on partial truths. Take the
Supreme Court case on the Babri Masjid case.
Is A
Mosque Integral To Islam?
The
question regarding whether mosque is integral to Islam had come up as part of
the Ayodhya land title case and dates back to 1994 when the Supreme Court had
stated that “a mosque is not an essential part of the practice of the religion
of Islam and Namaz (prayer) by Muslims can be offered anywhere, even in open”
What the SC
said is true but it is only a partial truth based on the observation that
Muslims do pray in the open. It appears that the parties representing the
Muslims failed to bring to the notice of the SC the relevant verses from the
Quran that throw a different light. Consider what the Quran says about the
sanctity of all the houses of God or places of worship.
(22:39) To those against whom war is made,
permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is
most powerful for their aid;-
(40) (They are) those who have been expelled
from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say,
"our Lord is Allah". Did not Allah check one set of people by means
of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches,
synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant
measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily Allah
is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).
The
above-cited verses grant permission to fight to protect being driven out from
place worship and/or to protect the pulling down of any place of worship, be it
a monastery, church, synagogue, mosque or temple.
So, what
this means is that when there is no masjid, Muslims can pray in the open, but
when there is one, then they cannot be dispossessed of it nor can it be pulled
down. They are commanded to put up appropriate resistance to prevent people
from being driven out of their places of worship and to prevent their being
pulled down. The command applies even if the place of worship happens to be not
their own masjid, but the place of worship belonging to people of other faiths.
Also, consider the following verses:
(24:35) Allah is the Light of the heavens and
the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a
Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from
a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is
well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth
guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and
Allah doth know all things.
(36) (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which
Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of
His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again
and again),-
Verse 24:36
refers to all the houses of Allah whether it is a monastery, church synagogue,
temple or masjid. The Quran recognizes all the places of worship as integral to
His worship since these are places where His name is celebrated the most and
the place where His Light shines. A masjid is therefore very much integral to
Islam. The SC case must be taken up for review to have this observation removed
so that this does not determine how other cases are decided in the future.
What Are The Essential Practices In Islam?
Consider
the following verse:
(256) Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah
hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah
heareth and knoweth all things.
If you
consider the first part of the verse, “Let there be no compulsion in religion”,
you could be tempted to jump to the conclusion that nothing is an essential
practice in Islam, since no person can be compelled in any matter of religion!
But on closer scrutiny, it becomes clear that what it means is that no person
may be compelled in any matter of religion, and everyone has the freedom to
choose what they may practise or not practice.
However, the Quran has made clear Right from Wrong, and those who chose
to do what is right and reject what is wrong will be successful. Those who
follow what the Quran enjoins and refrain from what it prohibits, do so for
their own good and those who are lax in practising Islam, wrong themselves.
Meanings of
a few keywords which help understanding why doing everything that the Quran
enjoins, and refraining from what it prohibits, is an essential practice in
Islam.
Momin: It
means a believer in the Quran. The Quranic verses address the Momin on what
they need to practise and what they need to refrain from, to become a Muslim.
There isn’t a single verse that addresses the Muslims, because, by definition,
a Muslim is one who practises what the Quran enjoins and refrain from what it
prohibits.
Muslim: A
Muslim is a Momin who practices the Quranic code of life. A Muslim is a
practising Momin. There is no such thing as a non-practising Muslim.
"Non-practising Muslim" is an oxymoron. You can have a non-practising
Momin however.
Taqwa:
Heedfulness. It is to do everything in the best possible manner or be heedful
in every respect. In the context of what Allah has enjoined in the Quran, it is
to do what is commanded in the best possible manner and strictly refrain from
what is prohibited. One can be heedful from sheer curiosity, from the fear/reverence/love
of Allah, from the desire to excel, to gain piety, or to gain nearness to
Allah.
For A More Detailed Explanation, Read What
Does Taqwa Mean?
Muttaqi: A
Muttaqi is a person, who is heedfulness personified, and does whatever he/she
does, in the best possible manner or with Taqwa.
(2:2) This is the Book; in it is guidance sure,
without doubt, to the Muttaqin.
Guidance is guaranteed not to every reader but
only to the Muttaqin (plural of Muttaqi). How do the Muttaqin read the Quran?
With heedfulness. It is reading/listening in the best possible manner which
means in a humble and receptive frame of mind, paying full attention to every
word and its meaning. Even if the reader is a disbeliever in the Quran, but
reads it like a Muttaqi, the reading will become guidance and the reader will
become a believer.
Not only is guidance only for the Muttaqin but
success in the Hereafter or Heaven is also only for the Muttaqin.
(15:45) The Muttaqin (will be) amid gardens and
fountains (of clear-flowing water).(46) (Their greeting will be): "Enter
ye here in peace and security."
Heaven is
not promised to the Momin or Muslim but only to the Muttaqin and one cannot be
a Muttaqi, without following everything the Quran enjoins and refraining from
everything it prohibits, in the best possible manner. Also see verse 3:133,
5:27, 7:128, 11:49, 16:30, 19:85, 26:90, 28:83, 38:49, 43:35, 44:51, 50:31,
51:15, 52:17, 54:54, 68:34, 77:41, 78:31 which reinforce that the Heaven is
only for the Muttaqin.
(Note: A
Muttaqin is not necessarily a Muslim and could be a person of any faith. He/she
must be true to his/herself and conscientiously follow what they truly believe
in, to the best of their knowledge. This must be apparent from the fact that
the Quran mentions places of worship of other religions also.)
Anyone who
compromises for any worldly consideration what (s)he must follow of their
faith, is a sure loser in the Hereafter
(3:76) Nay.- Those who fulfil their covenants
of faith with Taqwa,-verily Allah loves the Muttaqin.
(77) As for those who sell the faith they owe
to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no
portion in the Hereafter: Nor will Allah (Deign to) speak to them or look at
them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleans them (of sin): They shall have
a grievous penalty.
(3:115) Of the good that they do, nothing will
be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well the Muttaqin.
(116) Those who reject Our Commands,- neither
their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against
Allah: They will be companions of the Fire,-dwelling therein (for ever).
(117) What they spend in the life of this
(material) world May be likened to a wind which brings a nipping frost: It
strikes and destroys the harvest of men who have wronged themselves: it is not
Allah that hath wronged them, but they wrong themselves.
Conclusion
About What Is An Essential Practice In Islam
Only the Muttaqin, or the conscientious
Muslims who follow in the best possible manner, all that Allah has enjoined,
and refrain from all that He has prohibited, will be successful in the
Hereafter. Everything that the Quran enjoins and prohibits is therefore
essential practice in Islam. None of the Islamic practices is in conflict with
what is in the national interest. Those who ask “what comes first, nation or
religion?”, are asking the wrong question. There is no need to choose. A person
can be both a Muttaqi or a conscientious follower of his/her religion and also
a Deshbhakt.
Is Hijab Enjoined In The Quran?
The relevant
verses are reproduced below and explained. The part of the verse that covers
head covering for Muslim women is verse 24:31.
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ
بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ
This means:
do not display their adornment (Zeenat) except what is apparent and let them
draw their head cover (Bikhumurihinna) over their bosoms ……
The word Khumuri
to mean a part of the dress is used only once in the Quran. The Khimara
according to the Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, is “A woman’s
muffler, or veil, with which she covers her head and the lower part of her
face, leaving exposed only the eyes and part or whole of the nose: Such is the Khimara
worn in the present day.
The word
used in the Quran is not Khimara but Khumuri which means a head
covering and could also mean a man’s turban according to Lane’s lexicon. The
word used in the Quran therefore certainly means a head covering but not
necessarily what has come to be known as Khimara today. The head
covering or Khumuri of the woman is required to not only cover her head
but also the جُيُوبِهِنَّ
or the bosom according to verse 24:31. The Khumuri is undoubtedly a head
covering. This verse is binding on Muslim women. There is no element of
discretion here.
We are
aware of the phrase "A woman's hair is her crowning glory" and the
number of verses on a woman's hair/Zulf in poetry. So, besides the Khumuri
being a head cover that is required to be long enough to cover the bosom also,
the requirement of covering her Zeenat doubly reinforces the need to
cover the head also.
Let us now consider whether the hijab is
essential Islamic practice:
What
About The Burqa, Niqab Or The Full Covering?
The word
hijab has been used in the Quran in several verses to mean a screen that hides
completely the object that is required to be screened. In the context of women,
it is used only once in verse 33:53.
ۚ وَإِذَا
سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ
أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ
And when ye ask (the Prophet’s wives) for
anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity
for your hearts and for theirs.
Why has it
been used only for the Prophet’s wives? That is because the Prophet was a
public figure and many men visited his home to clarify their doubts and consult
him on issues. The Prophet was not always at home and his wives, therefore, had
to necessarily interact with the strangers. Why is the Quran prescribing a
screen in such a situation and what does it mean by saying that the screen
makes for greater purity for “your hearts and theirs”? This is because of human
nature. "Both men and women show signs of being programmed to be
monogamous in a certain way and promiscuous in a certain way. We don't say men and women always opt for
short-term strategies, what we are talking about is that when they go for
infidelity or promiscuity, men focus on large numbers and women focus on
quality." (David P. Schmitt, PhD, Bradley University, team leader of the
International Sexuality Description Project. The project's findings appear in
the July 2003 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.)
The common
man does not have the same problem as a public figure. By analogy, this verse
would apply equally to others who are public figures whose women have to
necessarily interact with strangers on a regular basis. So, if a woman chooses
to cover herself fully when she goes out in public, that is her choice and in
the spirit of this verse. Who can deny that a woman fully covered is likely to
feel safer in situations she is exposed to many strangers? The full covering is a matter of discretion
and optional. It cannot be made mandatory and should be left fully to the woman’s
choice. There are situations in which a woman feels more comfortable with the
full covering and there are situations when she is comfortable with only the Khumuri.
The Head covering which is large enough to
cover the bosom is mandatory for a Muslim woman as per verse 24:31. However,
there is no compulsion in religion as per verse 2:256. A believing woman (Momina)
may or may not choose to be a practising woman (Muslima), but for a believing
woman who also wants to become a Muttaqi or a conscientious Muslim, it is a
mandatory and essential practice.
-----
A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer
Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT
consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in
responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran
in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/essential-religious-practices-islam/d/126465
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic
Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism