In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
This is a summary of what was presented in this part of the explanation of Imam al-Shafi’i’s al-Risala, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
Continuing the chapter on the obligations whose text Allah revealed:
- Explanation of the Qur’an by the Sunnah in the matter of li’an:
- Clarification that the Qur’an’s indication in some matters is clear and evident and needs no explanation from the Sunnah, and that the Prophet’s ﷺ practice in these matters is acting upon the Qur’an itself.
- Mention of the story of the first li’an that took place in Islam, between Hilal ibn Umayyah and his wife and Sharik ibn Sahma’.
- Clarification of the meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺ saying: “If she gives birth to him reddish, I can only think that he [the husband] has lied; and if she gives birth to him dark-eyed with large buttocks, I can only think that he has told the truth.” And his saying: “Her case would be clear, were it not for what Allah has made clear.”
- Explanation of the Qur’an by the Sunnah in the matter of fasting:
- The verses “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - [fasting for] a limited number of days” and “So whoever sights [the crescent of] the month, let him fast it” (Al-Baqarah 2:183–185) are cited.
- An explanation of the kinds of the definite article “al-” in Arabic:
- The al- of prior reference (‘ahdiyyah): it indicates a specific, known thing, such as “the month” in the verse on fasting, meaning the month of Ramadan; and such as “the messenger” in the verse “But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger” (Al-Muzzammil 73:16), meaning Musa, peace be upon him.
- The comprehensive al- (istighraqiyyah): it indicates generality and inclusiveness, such as “the righteous” in the verse “Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure” (Al-Infitar 82:13).
- The generic al- (jinsiyyah): it indicates the genus or kind and does not indicate comprehensive generality, as in “The man is stronger than the woman”; and such as “a cow” in the verse “Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow” (Al-Baqarah 2:67).
- Clarification that the al- in the verse “So whoever sights [the crescent of] the month, let him fast it” is the al- of prior reference, meaning the month of Ramadan.
- Emphasis that the Qur’an explained the obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan clearly, in a way that needs no independent text from the Sunnah.
- The Qur’an’s need for the Sunnah to explain some of what is summary or ambiguous:
- Clarification that some words in the Qur’an admit more than one meaning and so need explanation from the Sunnah.
- An example: the verse “And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him” (Al-Baqarah 2:230), where the word “marries” (tankiha) may mean the contract only, or intercourse. The Sunnah made clear that intercourse is what is meant, as in the hadith: “You will not become lawful [for him] until you taste his sweetness and he tastes yours.”
- Mention of the hadith of Rifa’ah and his wife, and the Prophet’s ﷺ explanation in it of the meaning of marriage.
- The difference between the equivocal (ambiguous) word and the summary (mujmal) word: the equivocal word indicates more than one meaning, whereas the summary word is not explained in itself and needs interpretation.
- Examples of summary words that the Sunnah explained: the manner of prayer, the details of the rulings of marriage, and the details of the rulings of ablution and the ritual bath.
- The Sunnah’s explanation of the rulings of ablution and the ritual bath:
- The verse “O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles” (Al-Ma’idah 5:6) is cited.
- Explanation that ablution is for prayer and the ritual bath is for major ritual impurity (janabah).
- Mention of the hadith of ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd describing the ablution of the Prophet ﷺ, which includes washing the hands twice, rinsing the mouth and nose three times, washing the face three times, washing the arms up to the elbows twice, wiping the head, and washing the feet.
- Clarification that washing once is sufficient, twice and three times are better, and going beyond that is an innovation.
- Clarification of the meaning of “to the elbows” in the verse of ablution: it may mean that the elbow is included in the washing or that the washing ends at it. Al-Shafi’i judged it more likely that the elbow is included in the washing.
- Explanation that the Sunnah clarified what may be equivocal in the Qur’an.
- Explanation of how to bathe from major ritual impurity, and that bathing with the intention of lifting the state of impurity suffices, even by immersion in water.
- Emphasis that the Sunnah clarified some rulings of ablution and the ritual bath that are not stated in the Qur’an, such as washing the private parts during the ritual bath.
Some important benefits:
- An explanation of the kinds of the definite article “al-” in Arabic.
- The difference between the equivocal word and the summary word.
- The Qur’an’s need for the Sunnah to explain some rulings.
- The description of the Prophet’s ﷺ ablution.
- The meaning of “to the elbows” in the verse of ablution.
- How to bathe from major ritual impurity.
We ask Allah the Exalted for acceptance and ease.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb