This blew me away too. Not the quote you read, but what Ustadh Amin Buxton told us at class about what Habib Omar said in their class.
Fiqh is the science of religious law. There are many phases of it and the most common known to people is the tip end of it. For example what is permissible, impermissible as well as how to do what, its guides and limits.
The study of it involves going in detail which most Muslims do not know and are not expected to know especially if they don’t have to deal with various circumstances that affect the act involved.
Daily at dawn, Habib Omar Bin-Hafidz, teaches fiqh.
This science deals with what actions may entail with the things related to it. For example, to perform ablution (wudhu’) for prayer, there are various status’s of water that can be used. Following that, in what situation does one status of water change to another and how does it affect things.
At this point if you noticed it is only about the water per se. Just an excerpt of what’s involved. It has yet to deal with when and how that water comes into contact with the person performing ablution.
A taste of repetition.
Moving on, one part of ablution that is widely known involves washing the face, hand, forearms and feet for a recommended three times as per what the Prophet (pbuh) did, although what’s mandatory is only once. To do it four times at the mosque is impermissible, one reason being the water is endowment property. To do it three times during a drought is also impermissible.
Once a person performs ablution, the translation from Arabic is that, he is in a pure state. What people normally call clean water, fiqh wise, it is something that is pure and purifies. Try not to confuse with modern daily application of the term ‘pure.’
All this have been studied extensively and expansively by scholars and students generation after generation based on the knowledge transmitted by the Prophet (pbuh). It’s not plucked from trend, logic or culture.
In the company of those with insight for our inside.
Sometime during the class while going into detail, Habib Omar paused and said, ‘look at how fine the knowledge is with regards to cleaning our limbs to purify ourselves for prayer. What about the knowledge of purifying our hearts?’
Eat, Pray, Love and 9GAG wisdom.
This made me realize that spirituality in Islam is distinct than what some of us understand it from what we observe. It is a seen and unseen science, sourced from knowledge. It does not work like the temporary feel good quotes you see thrown around.
The first words from the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was ‘read’ that which was revealed. For those interested, I’ve heard over and over again the recommendation of Imam al-Ghazali’s classic Ihya’ Ulumuddin (Revival of the Religious Sciences).
