Question

I’m in my last year of Aalim  class, with only a couple  of months or so left of my Aalim studies. Can you please advice me very briefly As a last year Aalim  class student on the issues in the world  we face or will face and how we can look at them and act through the lens of Shariah?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

The 21st century with scientific advancements, technological innovations and changing lives comes responsibilities for ulema (scholars) which were beyond comprehension just a few decades ago. These are challenging times and we need to rise to the challenge with dedication in our studies, which incidentally does not finish when we leave Darul Uloom/Madrasah, rather, it carries on till we breathe our last. We need to check our spirituality and consciousness of the Lord is intact with continuous and close contact with our Mashaikh (pious elders) and finally a clear vision to work tirelessly in aiding theUmmah through these trying times.
 

We live in a very trying and rapidly advancing world and in such evolutionary times it is imperative to engage ourselves in focused study in all subjects of the syllabus. Moreover, in such times it is imperative to thoroughly research fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and usool fiqh (the principles on Islamic jurisprudence).
 

Our religious law is questioned on a daily basis and we need to be competent enough to answer arising queries. There are people turning away from Islam or remaining Muslims by mere name, we need to embrace these challenges allay the fears of our fellow Muslims.We can only do this with first and foremost piety then profound understanding of the sciences we are studying. The world is openly challenging Islam and its beliefs, we are the torch bearers-people are all depending on us.
 

There is no doubt there are answers to all our needs of today for all scenarios and situations arising, in the sacred texts. But, once again I reiterate, “we need to engage ourselves in focused study in all subjects of the syllabus. Additionally, with advancing lives we need ulema (scholars) with equally profound knowledge in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and principles on Islamic jurisprudence (usool fiqh)” to guide the Ummah. We need to ensure our fullest efforts are spent in understanding the objectives of all fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) books. Furthermore, we need to understand the rationale behind edicts cited in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) books. Only then can we look at the world and issues prevalent today through the prism of Shariah law.

And Allah, the Almighty knows best

Mufti Sufyan Ibn Yakub Khapi