The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Whatever I have prohibited, leave it completely, and whatever I command you, do of it as much as you are able" [Sahih Muslim]. The hadith commentators and jurists explain that this and other texts establish that avoiding the haram (unlawful) is even more important than doing that which is obligatory and has a greater spiritual impact. Allah Most High also tells us that the most powerful means of drawing closer to Him is through doing the obligatory and avoiding the unlawful when He says in the Hadith Qudsi "My servants draw close to Me with nothing more beloved to Me than that which I have made incumbent upon them" [Sahih Bukhari].
This course aims to present the limits of the Shariah that relate to life and conduct according to the Hanafi school of law. You will understand how to deal with common issues that come up in your daily lives in a nuanced, knowledge-based manner in accordance with the example of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. You will also appreciate the wisdom underlying the rulings of the Shariah and understand the relevance and applicability of the Shariah in changing times and circumstances.
This course will be based on information taken from a number of books of the Hanafi school, including al-Durar al-Mubaha fi’l Hadhr wa’l Ibaha by Imam Nahlawi, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya by Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadhr wa’l Ibaha by Salah Abu’l Haajj, al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya by Imam Birgivi, the commentaries on al-Tariqa by Imam Khadimi and Imam Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi, and Kitab al-Kasb by Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Imam Sarakhsi.
Ibn Abidin mentions that many Hanafis called the chapter related to the lawful and unlawful the "Chapter of Abstinence (zuhd) and Scrupulousness (wara`)." This indicates why this chapter is so important to learn. In order to embody the important qualities of zuhd and war’a, a Muslim must learn about the lawful and unlawful.