Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Walaikum assalam,
The scholars agree that in reality, every human action has a ruling unique to it. Killing an innocent human and an innocent petty lie are both unlawful (haram); however, one is immensely more grave than the other.
The Hanafis and the other schools agree on the main five-part classification of the rulings of the Shariah into:
Obligatory
Sunna
Permitted
Disliked
Prohibited.
However, the Hanafis then note that obligation and prohibition may both be established in one of two ways:
Through a decisive text
Through a probabilistic text.
It is undeniable that obligation or prohibition established through a decisive text is more serious in its implications than that which is established through a probabilistic text.
Thus, they divided obligation into:
The obligatory (fard)
The necessary (wajib).
And, through detailed, careful study of the primary texts--discussed at length in the more expansive works of the fundamentals of legal methodology (usul al-fiqh)--they deduced the differences in implications between the obligatory and necessary. These are explained in the answers on Sunni Path regarding the classification of the rulings of the Sacred Law--taken from The Absolute Essentials of Islam (www.WhiteThreadPress.com, Fall 2004)
The same applies to prohibitions, which were thus divided into:
The prohibited (haram)
The prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman).
Similarly, we see that the sunna of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consists of:
Matters that he strongly emphasized (or warned against leaving), and
Matters that he did sometimes or by way of habit.
Thus, the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace was divided into:
The emphasized sunna (sunna mu'akkada)
The recommended (mustahabb or mandub).
The rulings related to each of these two levels of sunna acts differs, too, as described.
[Sources: Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Ala' al-Din al-Bukhari, Kashf al-Asrar `ala Usul al-Bazdawi]
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani.
MMVIII © Faraz Rabbani and SunniPath.
All rights reserved
No part of this article may be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of both copyright holders. For permission, please submit a request at our Helpdesk.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.
Through joining an online class at SunniPath Academy, you can benefit from convenient, online courses that will give you access to reliable scholars and our popular curriculum learning tracks. Knowledge gained in these courses will both build your iman and assist you in putting into practice what you learn. Don't give yourself less than you deserve, register today.
| Feb 5 | Spring Late Registration Ends |
| March 16 | Summer Registration Begins |
| April 23 | Summer Financial Aid Deadline |
| April 25 | Spring Semester Ends |
| May 11 | Summer Semester Begins |
| May 28 | Late Registration Ends |
| View entire academic calendar |
