Secondary sources of Aqeedah

Question 1

What are the two secondary sources of Aqeedah?

Answer 1

Fitrah and Uncorrupted Intellect

Question 2

What is the Fitrah?

Answer 2

Natural inclination which Allah has placed in the heart of a person fro m when they are born

Question 3

What is uncorrupted intellect?

Answer 3

It is an intellect that is not corrupted by factors such as studying philosophy or exposure
to other religions.

Question 4

Can secondary sources be used as sources of Aqeedah? Explain why

Answer 4

No

Fitrah and Uncorrupted Intellect play a role in showing the validity of our Aqeedah but not as a source.

Question 5

Evidence for Fitrah being a secondary source from the Quran

Answer 5

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٠

So be steadfast in faith in all uprightness ˹O Prophet˺—the natural Way of Allah which He has instilled in ˹all˺ people. Let there be no change in this creation of Allah. That is the Straight Way, but most people do not know.

Surah Rum [30]

Question 6

Evidence for Fitrah being a secondary source from Sunnah

Answer 6

The Prophet SAW said:

“There is none but is created to his true nature (Islam). It is his parents who make him a jew or a Christian or a magician quite as beasts produce their young with their limbs. Do you see anything deficient in them? He (SAW) then quote Surah Rum [30]

Sahih Muslim 2658

Question 7

Another narration about the Prophet (SAW) regarding Fitrah as a source form the sunnah

Answer 7

Behold, my Lord commanded me that I should teach you which you do not know and which He has taught me today. (He has instructed thus): … I have created My servants as one having a natural inclination to the worship of Allah but it is Satan who turns them away from the right religion and he makes unlawful what has been declared lawful for them and he commands them to ascribe partnership with Me, although he has no justification for that.

Sahih Muslim 2865a

Question 8

Advantages (its role) and disadvantages with uncorrupted intellect as a secondary source of Aqeedah?

Answer 8

Advantage: Helps us understand validity and importance of texts

Disadvantages: cannot accept/reject texts + cannot verify or replace it by being a primary source

Question 9

What are the two ways to use the Intellect to understand a matter from our religion?

Answer 9

1. General understanding using intellect

• general idea of a matter formed/understood

2. Intellect can lead to Naql

• once general understanding is formed the Quran and Sunnah (texts) will explain Aqeedah in detail

Question 10

Arabic word for Intellect?

Answer 10

عقل

Question 11

Two ways primary + secondary evidences used by scholars?

Answer 11

1. Primary sources mentioned FIRST then secondary sources used as follow up
2. Intellectual reasoning (secondary source) used FIRST but followed up with Quran and Sunnah

Question 12

Where can Aqeedah not come from (forbidden)

Answer 12

1. Analogy (Qi’as)
2. Opinion
3. Intellect
4. Politics
5. Feelings

Question 13

What did Abu Yusuf say about the forbidden sources of Aqeedah?

Answer 13

• Tawheed cannot be sourced from analogy when Allah is creator of the creation and He is DIFFERENT from His creation
• We must believe in everything Prophet (SAW) came with as commanded by Allah

Misguidance will come if the Ummah takes Tawheed + Imaan from forbidden sources

Question 14

What verses did he use to back his claim?

Answer 14

فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۭ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ ١١

There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

Surah Ash Shuraah [11]

وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ ٱلْأُمِّىِّ ٱلَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَٱتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٥٨

So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His revelations. And follow him, so you may be ˹rightly˺ guided.

Surah A’raf [158]

وَلَوِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ بَلْ أَتَيْنَـٰهُم بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ ٧١

Had the truth followed their desires,1 the heavens, the earth, and all those in them would have certainly been corrupted. In fact, We have brought them ˹the means to˺ their glory, but they turn away from it.

Surah Mu’minun [71]

Question 15

What can the Fitrah only provide? Evidence from the quran that it can only do this?

Answer 15

General overview of good + evil. it cannot provide any details

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا ٨
then with ˹the knowledge of˺ right and wrong inspired it!

Surah Shams [8]

• shows Fitrah is used to obtain a general overview of a matter

Question 16

What do people wrongly believe when Surah Shams [8] is used to display Fitrah as a source?

What is the answer to this incorrect belief?

Answer 16

its a primary source

Two answers to this:
1) Scholars of tafsir said “inspiration of soul” comes when you read Quran + Sunnah

2) Others say it represents Fiqh