Rules Pertaining to Religious Wisdom
1- Religious wisdom is either obligatory or recommended to use. When this term is mentioned, many people think it refers to details of religious wisdom and avoiding doubtful matters. Therefore, they think that religious wisdom is not an obligation and that it is specifically for people who have been selected and righteous, and that it is not obligatory on every individual. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said,
The religious wisdom that is recommended in the Sharee‘ah and with which Allah The Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad is refraining from what might make a person deserve to be dispraised or punished, even though there is nothing in the Sharee ‘ah that prohibits these acts in the absence of what contradicts it. This includes performing obligations and acts which seem to be obligatory, and avoiding prohibitions and acts which seem to be prohibited. Also, if the unfavorable acts are preformed then it may be a cause of imperfection and punishment.
Obligatory religious wisdom is refraining from all that results in dispraise and punishment. In other words, performing obligations and avoiding prohibitions. The difference between the recommended and obligatory forms of religious wisdom is in relation to the acts that seem to be obligatory but not evidently and the acts that seem to be prohibited but not evidently.
2- There is no religious wisdom in matters that are absolutely and patently permissible. Rather, religious wisdom in these matters is an undue form of exaggeration. Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Religious wisdom does not include avoiding absolutely permissible acts, just as there is no religious wisdom in committing acts that are absolutely impermissible.”
3- Just as refraining from certain acts is considered to be religious wisdom, performing certain acts is also regarded as religious wisdom, as some people believe that it only includes refraining from particular acts. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said,
People may misunderstand religious prudence from three aspects: first, many people think that it is concerned with avoiding certain acts only. In other words, they believe that religious wisdom requires refraining from prohibitions, not performing obligations. Many religious and wise people have this misunderstanding, and you may see them refraining from uttering a lie, or gaining a Dirham which is not for certain lawfully obtained as it came from the property of an oppressor or a corrupt transaction; or that he refrains from inclining to wrongdoers due to their religious innovations and wicked people; while he does not observe the acts that are either individual or communal obligations that have become an individual duty on him. For example, maintaining ties of kinship, observing the rights of the neighbor, a needy person, a friend, an orphan, or the rights of a Muslim, a person in authority or of knowledge. He may also neglect enjoining good and forbidding evil, or the obligation of performing Jihaad or other obligatory acts that benefit Muslims in their religion and life. He might perform these acts sometimes, not as acts of worship dedicated to Allah The Almighty, but as a duty on him, or something to that effect.
4- Religious wisdom depends upon evidence from the Quran and Sunnah. Ibn Taymiyyah said,
The second aspect of misunderstanding religious wisdom is that when the person performs the obligations and acts that appear to be obligatory and refrains from prohibitions and the acts that appear to be prohibited, this obligation or prohibition should be based on evidence from the Quran and Sunnah and knowledge, and not on one's whims. In fact, many people are repulsed by things that are done out of habit or custom, so that they become strongly prohibited or doubtful to them. Some of them may even live in fantasies and false assumptions based on invalid religious wisdom and in such cases would be among those whom Allah The Almighty Says concerning them(what means): {They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire.}[Quran 53:23]
This includes the type of religious wisdom that the Prophet dispraised in an authentic Hadeeth. When the Prophet consented to particular acts and knew that some people refrained from them, he said: “Why do some people deny themselves what I have made permissible for myself? I hope that I am the most knowledgeable and fearful of Allah The Almighty amongst you.” In another narration, the Prophet said: “I am the person who fears Allah The Almighty most and is most aware of what He has made prohibited and permissible for them.” Also, there is the Hadeeth of the man who kissed his wife while he was fasting and became very angry, even though he was informed that the Prophet used to kiss his wives while fasting. Therefore, the religious person who is wise needs a great deal of knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah and understanding of religion. If he fails to do this, his invalid religious wisdom may ruin him more than benefitting him. This is the case with the disbelievers and religious innovators from the Khawaarij and Raafidhah and others.
5- Religious wisdom is not fulfilled except with sincerity. Perhaps there are certain considerations that drive a person to be religiously wise. He may have a particular status or consideration with which he feels that it is not proper for someone of his rank to do certain things. In this case, ostentation is his motive. The motive might also be the person’s needs or desires or any other urge. Like all acts of worship that man offers to Allah The Almighty, religious wisdom requires sincerity. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Religious wisdom does not benefit man or grant him a reward except with him attaining sincerity.”
6- Strictness in matters related to religious wisdom is exclusive to selected people and not just anyone. Al-Haafith Ibn Rajab said,
There is an important issue that people should be aware of, which is strictness in refraining from doubtful matters, as this is only for those whose actions are steadfast and for those whose deeds are similar while in a state of piety and religious wisdom.However, it does not befit the person who violates the obvious prohibitions of Allah The Almighty and who wants to refrain from doubtful matters. Rather, he should be rebuked for this attitude.
Such is the state of some pretentious people who exaggerate in their behavior. For instance, a man from the people of Iraq asked Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, about the blood of mosquitoes. He answered, “They are asking me about the ruling of the blood of mosquitoes while they have murdered Al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him! I heard the Prophet saying: ‘They [Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn] are my fragrant flowers in this world.’”
Ibn Rajab compiled many traditions from the righteous predecessors to this effect, and added that Bishr ibn Al-Haarith, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked about a man whose mother ordered him to divorce his wife. He replied, “If he is dutiful to his mother in everything except in her order to divorce his wife, let him divorce her. However, if he wants to be dutiful to his mother by divorcing his wife but he beats his mother, he should not divorce her.”
Imaam Ahmad was asked about a man who bought greens and demanded to pay the price of the band that these greens were tied with. Imaam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “What a strange issue!” People replied: “It is Ibraaheem ibn Abu Nu‘aym who does so.” He said: “If it is Ibraaheem ibn Abu Nu‘aym, then it is not strange for him to do so [as he was known for his religious wisdom.]” Imaam Ahmad denounced such issues from people whose actions do not resemble that of Ibraaheem.
Imaam Ahmad himself used to follow such religious wisdom, as he used to order the person who bought grease for him to return the paper in which the grease was put on back to the seller. Likewise, he did not used to take ink from the inkwell of his companions, but would only use his own inkwell. Once a man asked his permission to use his inkwell to write something and Imaam Ahmad said: “Write, for this is invalid religious wisdom.” Another man asked the same request, but Imaam Ahmad smiled and said: “Your religious wisdom and mine do not reach this level.” Imaam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said so out of modesty, since he himself used to follow such religious wisdom. On the other hand, he would denounce it when it was adopted by a person who had not reached such a high level of righteousness, and who committed acts that are clearly unfavorable and continuously committed doubtful acts.
This is an important matter that we should learn carefully when reading some narrations on the religious wisdom of the righteous predecessors. This is necessary in order to avoid making mistakes, which negatively affect our souls. We are in desperate need of following the obligatory form of religious wisdom. We also need to avoid clearly prohibited acts, and try to reform our hearts. If we occupy ourselves with such tiny details of religious wisdom, they would negatively affect us. For instance, we may feel proud and hold people in contempt. This would cause us to view people as lacking religious wisdom and this would distract the person from doing more significant acts such as reforming the heart and following the obligatory form of religious wisdom.